Technology availability is quite often mistaken for technology adoption and use. In the White Paper on E-Education, launched by the South African National Department of Education, the government has indicated its intention to ensure that every school has access to a wide choice of diverse, high quality communication services which will benefit all learners and local communities. It is important that the National Department of Education recognizes that, regardless of the amount of technology and its sophistication, technology will not be used unless educators have the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to infuse it into the curriculum. The study focused on educator preparedness to integrate Information and Communications Technology (ICT) into the curriculum. The findings of the study suggest that educators have positive attitudes towards ICT integration in education. One strong predictor of educators' attitudes towards ICT integration was computer attributes followed closely by cultural perceptions and, to a limited extent, by computer competence. Educator attitudes were also predicted by constructs extracted from the different Information Systems (IS) model/theories for technology adoption. The strongest construct to predict educators' attitudes toward ICT integration was extrinsic motivation followed by perceived usefulness, complexity, perceived behavioural control and relative advantage. The results point to the importance of educators' vision of technology itself, their experiences with it, their perceived computer competence, and the cultural conditions that surround its introduction into schools in shaping their attitudes towards technology and its subsequent diffusion into their educational practice. A combination of the different constructs from the IS models/theories was able to account for as much as 83% of the variance in educator attitudes toward technology and thus technology adoption. This is a significant result since most previous research has only been able to account for between 17% and 69% (Venkatesh et a!., 2003) of the variance in user intentions to use technology. These constructs (the strong predictors) were grouped to form a new model which is proposed for predicting educator technology adoption. Further, Perceptual Control Theory was used as a framework for understanding educator adoption of technology. This framework


Regular high-school chemistry teachers view gifted students as one of several types of students in a regular (mixed-ability) classroom. Gifted students have a range of unique abilities that characterize their learning process: mostly they differ in three key learning aspects: their faster learning pace, increased depth of understanding, and special interests. If gifted students are to develop their abilities and potential, and learn optimally in a regular classroom, the teaching must be adjusted to meet their special needs. Chemistry high-school curricula have built-in potential to cater to the special needs of gifted students. Chemistry learning entails laboratory work and comprehension of abstract concepts. In the classroom, the interactions between teachers and students are core events that trigger other class events. In the present study the interactions between teachers and gifted students in a regular classroom, which are specific for chemistry teaching, were studied. Two general categories of interactions with gifted students were found to be unique to the chemistry classroom: (1) interactions involving laboratory work and (2) interactions involving the challenge of teaching chemistry content. We found that since gifted students master abstract chemistry concepts quickly and with minimum scaffolding, no interactions regarding this aspect were reported. Gifted students do not need all the instruction time teachers usually devote to explaining abstract concepts in chemistry, concepts that are considered difficult for other students. The present study indicates the essential need of enhancing chemistry teachers' knowledge regarding teaching gifted students in the chemistry classroom. This includes knowledge about how gifted students learn in general, and its adaptation to the chemistry classroom and the chemistry laboratory according to academic and curricular needs of the gifted students.


Coatings are an essential part of the materials system to protect the turbine blades from oxidation
and corrosive attack during service. Inter-diffusion of alloying elements between a turbine blade
substrate and their coatings is a potential concern for coated turbine blades at ever increasing
operating temperatures because this can cause the formation of undesirable Secondary Reaction
Zones (SRZs), which may degrade the mechanical properties of coated Ni-based superalloys.
Understanding the effects of each element on the SRZ formation is essential in order to
understand both the mechanism and inter-diffusion behaviour between coatings and substrates. In
this research, a number of simpler aluminized ternary Ni-Al-X (where X is Co, Cr, Re, Ru or Ta)
alloys were investigated in order to elucidate the separate effects of each element on the
microstructural evolution, especially at the coating/substrate interface. The aluminized ternary
alloys developed distinctive diffusion zones, depending on the third alloy element, 'X'.
Specifically, it has been found that both Ni-Al-Re and Ni-Al-Ta alloys developed a continuous
SRZ-like diffusion layer. This diffusion zone persisted in the Ni-Al-Re alloys after high
temperature exposure, indicating that Re has a stronger effect on SRZ formation than Ta.


Introduction: Kitchen workers are in danger of slip accident because of slippery surfaces created by contaminants like grease, water and food material. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and slip risk assessment in cooking sites of Shiraz. Material and Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 322 cases from commercial kitchens in traditional and fast food restaurants, located in Shiraz, Iran, who was willing to cooperate in the project. (The total number of restaurants was 1303 cases. And simple random sampling method was used). The risk of slips was assessed using Slip Assessment Tool (SAT), developed by Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Prevalence of slip accidents was investigated using a questionnaire among kitchens staffs. Roughness coefficient was measured using Roughness Meter TQC-SP1560. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-22 software. Result: The level of slip risk was at moderate level in 47% of studied kitchens and others had low level of slip risk. Slip risk level in kitchens of traditional restaurants was significantly higher than fast foods. The average value of the measured surface roughness was obtained 4191/39 μm. The highest and lowest, respectively 4458/2 and 3977/3 μm were reported. The prevalence of slip accidents was reported to be 50.3%. Most of slip accidents was occurred in the kitchens, and when the floor was wet with water or contaminated with food products. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that due to differences in the type, method and time of food services and also workload of personnel, slip risk in kitchens of traditional restaurants was higher than fast foods. Approximately, in 50% of studied kitchens, the level of slip risk was assessed as moderate. Some basic interventions in spillage control and cleaning procedures, floor surface characteristics and using slip-resistant shoes are required to reduce the risk of slip in kitchens.


In this study, we analyze the ground motion characteristics of October 20, 2006 Manyas (M L =5.2) and October 24, 2006 Gemlik (M L =5.2) earthquakes. Both earthquakes occurred on the southern branch of the North Anatolian Fault Zone in Marmara region, which has a lower seismic hazard relative to the northern branch. The two events are the largest earthquakes on the southern branch recorded by a modern and vast seismological network; therefore their records are valuable to evaluate seismic risk of the region and the understanding of physics of wave propagation. The analysis show that the attenuation of PGAs is very similar for two earthquakes, but they are not represented by the empirical relation obtained for earthquakes occurred on the northern branch. The waveforms of the Gemlik earthquake recorded by BYTNet array indicate an EW rupture orientation with right-lateral slip which fits to the general character of the southern branch. Ground motions at the stations located within basin are strongly influenced by the presence of locally induced surface waves resulting in lengthening of significant shaking duration with respect to a nearby ridge site. Surface wave characteristics are very similar for the Manyas and Gemlik earthquakes, but variations are observed on components which may be related to 3D basin geometry. Resonance frequencies of the surface waves generated within basin are very close to the 1D site resonances at the stations obtained from H/V ratios of S waves. The resonance frequency is about 0.2 Hz within the large Bursa Plain, whereas it increases to about 0.9 Hz within the smaller Gemlik Plain.


In her article "Ambiguity and Morality in Jelinek's Bambiland" Andrea Bandhauer begins by noting that the language of Elfriede Jelinek's play Bambiland (2004) is characterized by experimentation and a propensity for complex and ambiguous word plays. In this play, her critique of the media is directed against the international, or rather, Western press and its role in the Iraq war. The text of Bambiland, conceptualized as a "work-in-progress," in which Jelinek posed as an "embedded writer," started to appear on her website at the beginning of the war and Jelinek continued writing it through 2003. In the text of the play, Jelinek continues her "project of revealing" by means of manufacturing contexts for everyday myths in order to demythologize them. Following Barthes, Jelinek dissects myths which circulate in contemporary society and construct our everyday world. Here, war has become a media event and a spectacle enacted by a dominant power which legitimizes war by naturalizing and universalizing its reasons for violent intervention. Thus, the Bambiland-text is a closed universe in which the media generate circular arguments that feign diversity. The play however, while being a polylogue, is presented as a monologue which in the end only serves one purpose: to legitimize power. Andrea Bandhauer, "Ambiguity and Morality in Jelinek's Bambiland" page 2 of 7 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 12.4 (2010): Thematic Issue Ambiguity in Culture and Literature. Ed. Paolo Bartoloni and Anthony Stephens


The S-N equation is one of the most important equations in fatigue model investigation. A majority of fatigue models, including multiaxial fatigue model and mean effect models, are established on the basis of the S-N equation. Obviously, an accuracy of the S-N equation is very important. Taking into account that the S-N equation is, in fact, an empirical one in which the material constants are determined by numerical fitting fatigue experimental data, in this paper, the S-N equation can be improved, by further processing these fatigue experimental data, to present a new type of S-N equation that is more accurate than the S-N equation. The new type of S-N equation is called a similar S-N equation in this paper. By using a large number of experimental data of metallic materials reported in literature, an accuracy of the similar S-N equation has been proven.


The aim of this thesis is to assess the effect of the metallicity on the Cepheid Period-Luminosity (PL) relation.
The novelty of the approach adopted in this project consists in the homogeneous analysis of a large sample of Cepheids (72) observed in three galaxies (the Milky Way, the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud), spanning a factor of ten in metallicity. This allows us to explore the effect of the metallicity on the PL relation in a wide range and to study the gas enrichment histories of three different galaxies.
To fulfil this goal, firstly, we have selected a sample of Cepheids for which distances and accurate photometry are available in the literature and we have collected high-resolution, high signal-to-noise spectra of these stars, using the highly advanced facilities of the European Southern Observatory in Chile. Secondly, we have directly measured iron and alpha-elements (O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti) abundances of our sample from these spectra.
We have compared our iron abundances with studies on Galactic and Magellanic Cepheids and found a good agreement for the average values and for the individual stars in common. We have then made a broader comparison with results for the Magellanic Clouds from the analysis of F and K non-variable supergiants (they have ages and temperatures similar to Cepheid stars) and of B stars, which are progenitors of Cepheids, and found a good agreement. Cepheids do not show any peculiar differences with these two other population of stars, this indicate that, during this evolutionary stage, there are no changes of the original iron content of the gas from which they were formed.
We have then studied the trends of the individual alpha-elements abundance ratios relative to iron as a function of the iron content of our programme star. We can draw some preliminary conclusion considering oxygen, silicon and calcium as the most reliable indicators among the alpha-elements we have analysed. The trends of the abundance ratios of O, Si and Ca are in fairly good agreement with observational studies on Cepheids and on different kinds of stellar populations in the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds.
The elemental abundances we have determined were used to investigate the effect of metallicity on the PL relation in the V and K bands, in order to check if there is a change of the effect as wavelength increases.
We note different behaviours in the two bands. The metallicity has an effect in the V band in the sense that metal-rich Cepheids are fainter than metal-poor ones, while it does not have any effects in the K band.
Thus, to safely measure the distances of galaxies, one can use the PL relation in the infrared bands (namely K), so as to minimise the effect of the metallicity. Using the K band has the additional advantage of reducing the effects of the interstellar extinction to the level of other systematic and random errors.


Biologists studying complex causal systems typically identify some factors as causes and treat other factors as background conditions. For example, when geneticists explain biological phenomena, they often foreground genes and relegate the cellular milieu to the background. But factors in the milieu are as causally necessary as genes for the production of phenotypic traits, even traits at the molecular level such as amino acid sequences. Gene-centered biology has been criticized on the grounds that because there is parity among causes, the "privileging" of genes reflects a reductionist bias, not an ontological difference. The idea that there is an ontological parity among causes is related to a philosophical puzzle identified by John Stuart Mill: what, other than our interests or biases, could possibly justify identifying some causes as the actual or operative ones, and other causes as mere background? The aim of this paper is to solve this conceptual puzzle and to explain why there is not an ontological parity among genes and the other factors. It turns out that solving this puzzle helps answer a seemingly unrelated philosophical question: what kind of causal generality matters in biology?


Since its inception, International American Studies (IAS) had to define itself against the larger backdrop of global or world studies. However, as Paul Giles notes in his contribution to this special issue of RIAS marking the 10th anniversary of the journal and devoted to "International American Studies and the Question of World literature," "World Literature in its current institutional manifestation is a much more recent phenomenon" than IAS, and may have "accumulated academic prestige more rapidly and securely than International American Studies has so far managed."  Whatever their different temporal and institutional trajectories, however, both IAS and World literature may be seen as efforts to come to terms with the momentous historical, political, social, and technological changes of the past few decades. Put simply, both can be considered attempts to fashion new epistemological tools better suited to making sense of a globalized world, so that, no matter how (relatively?) different their objects of study might be, a set of theoretical concerns would appear to be shared by both fields. Both students of IAS and World Literature, for example, need to venture beyond the traditional categories of the nation and of national cultures, by coming to terms with the social, historical, and linguistic complexities that such a move entails. Both have to do so in a way that "opens" one's field and yet preserves its raison d'etre, especially at a time when the humanities are under attack and the defense of academic positions and credentials—all calls for "interdisciplinarity" notwithstanding—is of paramount importance. Both need to rethink the parameters of their disciplinary specializations, that is, without pulling the institutional rugs from under their feet—a precarious balancing act which, in the age of the corporate university, with its rage for classifying, evaluating, and ranking, is far from easy to perform.


The Abbey Church of Saint-Philibert was built between ca. 920 and ca. 1120 at Tournus, a town in southeastern Burgundy founded in ancient Roman times on the River Saone. It is the only building that survives relatively intact of a monastery first established in 875 by monks fleeing their abbey at Noirmoutier after invasion by Norsemen. These refugees were offered a home by King Charles the Bald (823-877) in the small monastery at Tournus where a community of monks already lived. This monastery, founded in the 6th C. and dedicated to the martyr Valerian, housed their patron's relics and, as they had since the 2nd C., these relics drew pilgrims. (Valerian of Lyon, d. 179, first evangelized Tournus.)
The Noirmoutier monks brought with them the bones of their founder, St. Philibert (616-685), and soon built a church dedicated to him. This church was destroyed by Hungarian invaders in 936-937. It was haltingly rebuilt between episodes of political unrest and other calamities, including a devastating fire in 1006, resulting in the present-day building. The western end of the nave is capped with a fortress-like westwork that dates to ca. 1000.
The design of the church was, in part, determined by a decree issued by the Council of Tournus (949), obliging the head of every family in the dioceses of Autun, Chalon and Mâcon to make a pilgrimage to Saint-Philibert Abbey on the Friday after Ascension Day.
The relics of St. Valerian were translated to the crypt in 979. Above, the east end of the church, with its sanctuary, ambulatory (accommodating pilgrims) and five rectangular radiating chapels, dates to the 11th C. and was consecrated in 1019; the central, easternmost chapel contains the relics of St. Philibert.
Building progressed in the 12th C. with the addition of the transept, choir and bell tower over the crossing. The tower, similar to the north tower on the west facade (also 12th C.), is designed with two levels of triple open arches on each face, decorated with colonettes and inlaid stone patterns, then topped with a short spire.
The church's original wooden ceiling was replaced with a stone one (1066-1108) that employs an unusual transverse barrel vaulting system. While many Romanesque churches were constructed with long barrel (tunnel) vaults, Saint-Philibert's variation on that concept—although superior from an engineering point of view—appears to have been duplicated only once, at nearby Mont-Saint-Vincent. Saint-Philibert's vaults rest on diaphragm arches that carry the weight of the ceiling in each bay to the ground through the large pillars. Because the exterior walls are not bearing the weight of the ceiling, they could be pierced with large windows, creating a clerestory that floods the nave with light.
In the late 15th C. the abbey began to suffer serious reversals. In 1498, the king took from the monks their right to elect their own abbots. In 1562 Huguenots looted and badly damaged the monastery. In 1627 the abbey was suppressed, replaced by a college of canons. 18th C. modifications to the interior of the church building ignored its original design; only lack of funds foiled plans to demolish the crossing tower in 1778. French Revolutionaries declared the church secular property, dedicating it to the "Constitutional Cult".
In 1802 it was re-consecrated for worship as a parish church; nevertheless, it continues to be known as Saint-Philibert Abbey. In 1841 the church was declared an historic monument and began to undergo restoration; during the 20th C. more historically accurate restorations have brought the ancient church to its present state. It continues to be used for worship services and for music concerts. Recently, a Romanesque mosaic pavement of very fine quality was uncovered in the ambulatory; it depicts the signs of the zodiac and the labors of the month.

ca. August 1981


CONTEXT
Little is known about the relationship between race/ethnicity and depression among US blacks.

OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence, persistence, treatment, and disability of depression in African Americans, Caribbean blacks, and non-Hispanic whites in the National Survey of American Life.

DESIGN
A slightly modified adaptation of the World Health Organization World Mental Health version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview.

SETTING
National household probability samples of noninstitutionalized African Americans, Caribbean blacks, and non-Hispanic whites in the United States conducted between February 2, 2001, and June 30, 2003.

PARTICIPANTS
A total of 3570 African Americans, 1621 Caribbean blacks, and 891 non-Hispanic whites aged 18 years and older (N = 6082).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Lifetime and 12-month diagnoses of DSM-IV major depressive disorder (MDD), 12-month mental health services use, and MDD disability as quantified using the Sheehan Disability Scale and the World Health Organization's Disability Assessment Schedule II.

RESULTS
Lifetime MDD prevalence estimates were highest for whites (17.9%), followed by Caribbean blacks (12.9%) and African Americans (10.4%); however, 12-month MDD estimates across groups were similar. The chronicity of MDD was higher for both black groups (56.5% for African Americans and 56.0% for Caribbean blacks) than for whites (38.6%). Fewer than half of the African Americans (45.0%) and fewer than a quarter (24.3%) of the Caribbean blacks who met the criteria received any form of MDD therapy. In addition, relative to whites, both black groups were more likely to rate their MDD as severe or very severe and more disabling.

CONCLUSIONS
When MDD affects African Americans and Caribbean blacks, it is usually untreated and is more severe and disabling compared with that in non-Hispanic whites. The burden of mental disorders, especially depressive disorders, may be higher among US blacks than in US whites.


The 1958 debate in the pages of the Harvard Law Review between Lon Fuller and H.L.A. Hart is one of the landmarks of modern jurisprudence. And although much of the debate was about the relative merits of Hart's version of legal positivism and Fuller's brand of natural law theory, the debate also contained the memorable controversy about the fictional rule prohibiting vehicles from the park. By examining this debate, and by largely removing it from the surrounding controversy over positivism and natural law, we can still gain valuable insights about legal rules, legal interpretation, and the nature of legal language.


This research concerns the influence of a range of construction methods, acting at or below excavation formation level, on ground movements of the retained surface attributed to a 12m deep excavation in very soft to soft soil. Movements around excavations arise as a consequence of the removal of soil and lateral wall deformations. The work examined the behaviour of excavations that were supported by a high stiffness embedded retaining wall whilst modelling a variety of construction techniques. Four distinct construction methods were modelled which could be regarded as surcharging the formation level or stiffening the ground below excavation formation level. The specific techniques that were explored include underwater excavations, bermed excavations, deep soil mixing and double walled excavations. This study aimed to determine the efficiency of these construction measures on reducing the magnitude and extent of displacements occurring behind the retaining wall.

Experimental data were obtained from twenty-two plane strain centrifuge model tests undertaken at 160g. The geometry of the model comprised a pre-formed excavation where the retaining wall was laterally supported by a continuous prop acting over the majority of the height of the wall and the excavation formation level was surcharged by a pressurised rubber bag. Pressure in the bag at formation level was reduced at a constant rate to simulate the stress change caused by the excavation process. Vertical movements at the retained ground surface were measured using displacement transducers whilst subsurface deformations elsewhere in the model were determined from the analysis of digital images captured by cameras viewing the front of the model through a Perspex window. The magnitude and extent of movements were quantified and the general patterns of ground deformation were identified for the construction methods implemented.

A series of reference tests were conducted to provide a baseline against which modified excavation tests were compared. The stiff wall and continuous prop supporting the retaining wall ensured that the reference tests quantified the magnitude of displacements at the retained surface arising simply as a result of heave at the formation level. The main test series investigated a range of construction methods that aimed to surcharge or stiffen the formation level. Additional tests were also undertaken to evaluate the influence of wall embedment on the performance of the excavation system. Direct comparisons were also drawn between tests in an attempt to establish the significance of wall crest fixity on soil movements.

The use of all of the special construction techniques investigated were shown to reduce the magnitude of vertical displacement behind the retaining wall and at the formation level; in addition to reducing horizontal displacements at the toe of the wall. Increasing the retaining wall embedment depth in the main test series generally reduced the magnitude of vertical settlement by a factor of two, however the effect was less pronounced in the reference tests. Improving the fixity of the crest of the wall delayed excavation collapse and, where additional support mechanisms were not employed, pinning the crest of the wall was shown to reduce maximum settlement in the reference test by a factor of three.

Of the four supporting construction methods the underwater excavation was found to be the most effective owing to the reduced change in vertical stress during the simulated excavation. Various deep soil mixing geometries were modelled and similar excavation behaviour was observed, however deep soil mixing ground treatment extending to the toe of the retaining wall and across 2/3 of the excavation demonstrated a slight reduction in settlement. Similar behaviour was observed for double walled excavations. Combining underwater excavations with a double wall was shown to further reduce maximum settlements however little additional benefit was observed when performing an underwater excavation with a deep soil mixed soil layer at excavation formation level.


Resource ReSerVation Protocol-Traffic Engineering provides support for
the communication of exclusion information during label switched path
(LSP) setup. A typical LSP diversity use case is for protection, where
two LSPs should follow different paths through the network in order to
avoid single points of failure, thus greatly improving service
availability. This document specifies an approach which can be used
for network scenarios where full knowledge of the path(s) is not
necessarily known by use of an abstract identifier for the path. Three
types of abstract identifiers are specified: client-based, Path
Computation Engine (PCE)-based, network-based. This document specifies
two new diversity subobjects for the RSVP eXclude Route Object (XRO)
and the Explicit Exclusion Route Subobject (EXRS). For the protection
use case, LSPs are typically created at a slow rate and exist for a
long time, so that it is reasonable to assume that a given (reference)
path currently existing, with a well-known identifier, will continue
to exist and can be used as a reference when creating the new diverse
path. Re-routing of the existing (reference)LSP, before the new path
is established, is not considered.


Abstract Successful subway construction projects involve many socio-economic, cultural and environmental challenges. These projects enhance public convenience, and are complex and uncertain, involving multiple governmental organizations. The critical success factors (CSFs) of these projects have been identified and prioritized from a main contractors' perspective, to enable project managers to prioritize their efforts and concerns. This study sheds light on CSFs in subway construction projects and contributes to the project delivery success literature with an overarching focus on the contractors' perspectives. Our investigation revealed that, for subway construction projects in Iran, goal setting through clear and realistic project goals, project management competency, competent project team, good cultural fit, top management support and adequate funding throughout the project are the top-ranking CSFs. An extensive body of literature is reviewed, and 140 potential success factors are identified. Then, a focus group has been conducted in which the potential CSFs reduced to 39 success factors. The priorities and ranking of the success factors were evaluated according to the views of 63 project managers of subway projects. The correlation coefficients analysis was used to analyze the results, and it revealed that 23 success factors such as goal setting, top management support and PM competency were perceived to be critical by the respondents. No other research has, until now, found the critical factors leading to success in subway construction industry in Iran. The results have been verified against other research done in other countries.


Herein, we report theoretical evidence of the geometric changes occurring upon complexation, for a series of octupolar bipyrimidine-based ligands incorporating the NPh2 terminal donor group. It is shown that ligands 1 and 2 (4,4',6,6'-tetrakis(N,N-diphenylaminostyryl)-[2,2']bipyrimidine and 4,4',6,6'-tetrakis((N,N-diphenyl)-9,9'-dioctyl-9H-fluorene-2-amine)-2,2'-bipyrimidine) exhibit a non-planar geometry with a torsion angle between both pyrimidine moieties of ∼25° and 50° respectively. 1a (complex of 1) becomes planar upon addition of ZnCl2 to the bipyrimidine moiety whereas 2a remains distorted. Furthermore, an assignment of the absorption bands for all compounds is presented.


Hierarchical state machines have proven to be a powerful tool for controlling autonomous robots due to their flexibility and modularity. For most real robot implementations, however, it is often the case that the control hierarchy is hand-coded. As a result, the development process is often time intensive and error prone. In this paper, we explore the use of an experts learning approach, based on Auer and colleagues' Exp3 (1995), to help overcome some of these limitations. In particular, we develop a modified learning algorithm, which we call rExp3, that exploits the structure provided by a control hierarchy by treating each state machine as an 'expert'. Our experiments validate the performance of rExp3 on a real robot performing a task, and demonstrate that rExp3 is able to quickly learn to select the best state machine expert to execute. Through our investigations in these environments, we identify a need for faster learning recovery when the relative performances of experts reorder, such as in response to a discrete environment change. We introduce a modified learning rule to improve the recovery rate in these situations and demonstrate through simulation experiments that rExp3 performs as well or better than Exp3 under such conditions.


In this thesis, a parametric audio coding system for very low bit rates is presented. It is based on a generalized framework that combines different source models into a hybrid model and thereby permits flexible utilization of a broad range of source and perceptual models. The developed parametric audio coding system allows efficient coding of arbitrary audio signals at bit rates in the range of approximately 6 to 16 kbit/s. The use of a hybrid source model requires that the audio signal is being decomposed into a set of components, each of which can be adequately modeled by one of the available source models. Each component is described by a set of model parameters of its source model. The parameters of all components are quantized and coded and then conveyed as bit stream from the encoder to the decoder. In the decoder, the component signals are resynthesized according to the transmitted parameters. By combining these signals, the output signal of the parametric audio coding system is obtained. The hybrid source model developed here combines sinusoidal trajectories, harmonic tones, and noise components and includes an extension to support fast signal transients. The encoder employs robust algorithms for the automatic decomposition of the input signal into components and for the estimation of the model parameters of these components. A perceptual model in the encoder guides signal decomposition and selects the perceptually most relevant components for transmission. Advanced coding schemes exploit the statistical dependencies and properties of the quantized parameters for efficient transmission. The parametric approach facilitates extensions of the coding system that provide additional functionalities. Independent time-scaling and pitch-shifting is supported by the signal synthesis in the decoder. Bit rate scalability is achieved by transmitting the perceptually most important components in a base layer bit stream and further components in one or more enhancement layers. Error robustness for operation over error-prone transmission channels is achieved by unequal error protection and by techniques to minimize error propagation and to provide error concealment. The resulting coding system was standardized as Harmonic and Individual Lines plus Noise (HILN) parametric audio coder in the international MPEG-4 Audio standard. Listening tests show that HILN achieves an audio quality comparable to that of established transform-based audio coders at 6 and 16 kbit/s.


This research studies the effects of participation in an integrated wilderness adventure program on the personal and lifestyle traits of persons with and without disabilities. Participants in a national wilderness trip program, Wilderness Inquiry, were studied using both quantitative (trait anxiety scale) and qualitative (in-depth interview) methods. Results indicated that participation in an integrated wilderness adventure program can lead to positive attitude and lifestyle changes for those with and without disabilities. Positive changes included: attitudes toward persons of varying abilities, interpersonal relationships, confidence levels, willingness to take risks, feelings about self, goal-setting abilities, development of leisure skills, tolerance of stress, and an increased ability to approach new situations.


Background : Pain is a symptom of both physical and psychological disorder in patients. Pain may be acute or chronic. Chronic pain can also be the consequence of progressive diseases such as cancer. Cancer pain can be defined as a complex sensation that reflects both damage to the body and the body's response to the damage. Proper pain management is crucial in the overall care of patients. The doctor-patient ratio is still low in Nigeria according to World Health Organization (WHO) 2012, we have 1:3500 doctor-patient ratio as against the standard 1:600, but that of nurse-patient is better, 1:30 as against WHO standard of 1:6, however more nurses are needed to meet the need of the rising population of Nigeria. Incidence of cancer is rising worldwide and majority of the advanced cases occur in the developing countries like Nigeria. In order to uphold the standard of cancer pain management in our patients, active participation of the nurses is essential. More importantly all health professionals need to serve as advocates for adequate cancer pain  control and should ensure that pain treatment is based on ethical principles and evidence-based standards. However nurses play a critical role in effective pain management because they have more contact time with patients in any healthcare setting. This vantage position gives the nurse a unique privilege to identify patients who have pain, assess the pain and its impact on the patients and their family members, thus initiate actions to manage the pain and evaluate the effectiveness of those actions. Aims and Objectives: This study is aimed at assessing the level of knowledge of cancer pain management among trained Nurses at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Trained nurses who consented to take part in the study were tested using self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaires consisted of 3 major sections namely (a) Demography, (b) Pain assessment, (c) Cancer Pain management. Their individual level of knowledge of cancer pain management was thereafter assessed from their response to the questionnaires. Results: 119 N urses completed the questionnaire. 105 (88.24%) were double qualified, Registered Nurse (RN) and Registered Midwife (RM), while 10 (8.40%) had only RN certificate. Approximately 21 (18%) respondents had additional formal training in pain management. 100 (84%) respondents gave correct definition of pain and out of these, only 2 (2%) could give a good account on the management for cancer pain. 24 (20%) of the respondent could use Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain assessment. Only 23 (19%) could state the relevance of opioids in cancer pain management. Conclusion: This study revealed inadequate knowledge in cancer pain management among the nurses. To achieve holistic care for cancer patients in all health care delivery centers, additional training in pain management is required.


Ronald Nydam acquaints the pastoral counselor with some of the struggles that adopted people confront in their development and in their adult lives. Drawn from the compelling stories of people who have been adopted, this book provides an intelligent and accessible description of the distinct emotional and spiritual challenges faced by adoptees and their families. The purpose of the Counseling and Pastoral Theology series is to address clinical issues that arise among particular populations currently neglected in the literature on pastoral care and counseling. This series is committed to enhancing both the theoretical base and the clinical expertise of pastoral caregivers by providing a pastoral theological paradigm that will inform both assessment and intervention with persons in these specific populations.


Immigration is currently a hot topic; discussion of immigration reform and the problems in our current system appear in the news virtually every day. There is widespread consensus that our current immigration system is "broken," but there is little agreement on why and even less on what should be done to fix it. These are difficult and important questions, involving many complex interrelated factors. While I do not hope and cannot aim to answer them completely in this article, I will argue that in doing so we must consider an often overlooked and generally understudied issue: the effects of trauma exposure in our immigration process and specifically on our immigration adjudicators, that is, immigration judges, Board of Immigration Appeals members, and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services officers.Despite the little attention paid to the effects of trauma exposure, this is a topic of great importance. If our goal is to have an immigration system that not only operates fairly and efficiently but also has a positive effect on all participants — noncitizens, attorneys, adjudicators, and other officials, among them — we must consider the ways that our current system causes psychological harm to those involved. Evidence of this harm in our legal system is abundant. It can be seen in the stories of noncitizens caught up in our immigration process, in the high levels of distress suffered by attorneys and judges, in the criticism of immigration judges and other officials, and in the general dysfunction of our immigration system. At the same time, the causes for this harm are only infrequently discussed. This article will highlight one cause of such harm: trauma exposure.I have multiple goals for this article. First, I want to continue the important work begun by the many others cited throughout the article of normalizing the discussion of the emotional dimension of lawyering and its impact in and on our legal system. Second, I want to highlight the very significant impact of a particular aspect of this emotional dimension, trauma, on the immigration process by exploring its effect on immigration adjudicators. Finally, I intend to set the stage for a future article that will consider reforms to the immigration system to better manage the impact of trauma exposure.


"Erotikon" brings together leading contemporary intellectuals from a variety of fields for an expansive debate on the full meaning of "eros." Renowned scholars of philosophy, literature, classics, psychoanalysis, theology, and art history join poets and a novelist to offer fresh insights into a topic that is at once ancient and forever young. Restricted neither by historical period nor by genre, these contributions explore manifestations of "eros" throughout Western culture, in subjects ranging from ancient philosophy and baroque architecture to modern literature and Hollywood cinema. An idea charged with paradox, "eros" has always defied categorization, and yet it cannot it will not be ignored. "Erotikon" aims to raise the difficult question of what, if anything, unifies the erotic manifold. How is "eros" in a sculpture like "eros" in a poem? Does the ancient story of Cupid and Psyche still speak meaningfully to modern readers, and if so, why? Is Plato's "eros" the same as Freud's? Or Proust's? And what is the erotic dimension in Nietzsche's thought? While each essay takes on a specific issue, together they constitute a wide-ranging conversation in which these broader questions are at play. A compilation of the latest, best efforts to reckon with "eros," "Erotikon" will appeal not just to scholars and educators, but also to artists and critics, to the curious and the disillusioned, to the prurient and the prudent."


The world business environment is rapidly changing and becoming intensely competitive. In this context, most organizations are realizing that knowledge is the most important resource in creating sustainable competitive advantage. Knowledge management (KM) as a discipline is designed to provide strategy, process, and technology to increase organizational efficiency and effectiveness. The survival and success of a firm are dependent on the capacity of management to generate new ideas. One such a topical idea is financial innovations. Economies and businesses across the world have embraced creativity and innovation to circumvent market imperfections. Kenya as an economy has been hailed as a regional financial hub. This paper is a narrative review seeking to establish the extent of financial innovation in Kenya and how this enhances competitiveness. The research finds out that the Kenyan financial sector has made some remarkable strides towards financial innovations. However, it is noted that there is still enormous untapped potential that can enhance Kenya's economy further.


The ostracods of the Miocene Marada Formation from three wells in the east of the Sirt Basin are described. These indicate ages ranging from Aquitainian to Tortonian. Four biozones are recognised: Pokornyella deformis minor (=Aquitainian), Aurilla soummamensis (=Burdigalian), an interval zone of Mid Miocene age, and Ruggieria tetraptera tetraptera (=Tortonian). 55 species have been identified, 22 of which are known from other Mediterranean localities. Six new species are described: Actinocythereis sirtensis sp. nov, Bythocypris tripoliensis sp. nov, Cyprideis maradaensis sp. nov, Cytheridea joshensis sp. nov, Gammudi, Hermanites zaltanensis sp. nov, and Paijenborchellina keeni sp. nov, Gammudi.


Three decades ago, the Supreme Court announced that false statements of fact are devoid of constitutional value, without providing either a reasoned explanation for that principle or any supporting citations. Since then, this assertion has become one of the most frequently repeated dogmas of First Amendment law and theory, endlessly repeated and never challenged. Disturbingly, this idea has provided the theoretic foundation for a regime in which some speakers can be penalized for even honestly-believed factual errors. Even worse, this dogma is flat wrong. False statements have value in themselves, and we should protect them even in situations where we are not concerned with chilling truthful speech. When false statements are spoken sincerely, they are a useful and necessary part of argumentation, which is a powerful means of increasing human knowledge. When confronted with honest errors, proponents of competing beliefs have a natural impulse to contest them; in so doing, they unearth and disseminate facts that deepen the understanding of both speakers and listeners. False speech, therefore, is valuable because it is an essential part of a larger system that works to increase society's knowledge. The benefits of false speech evaporate, however, when we move from honest errors to deliberate lies. Insincere speech tends to corrode, rather than further, argument. It is associated with a number of practices that deprive argument of its knowledge-promoting features. We may sometimes wish to protect insincere speech to avoid chilling truthful speech, but we should always do so cautiously. After providing a summary of the existing law and scholarship concerning false speech, this article analyzes the harms and benefits of false, insincere and misleading speech. This question will be approached from the perspective of social veritistic epistemology, in an attempt to assess the consequences of various types of deceptive speech for the state of societal knowledge. I will conclude by suggesting some ways in which existing First Amendment doctrine could be reformed in order to better account for the constitutional value of false speech. Ultimately, it is insincerity, not falsity, which has "no essential part of any exposition of ideas," and is of "slight social value as a step to truth." Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire, 315 U.S. 568, 572 (1942).


This paper provides a novel characterization of time-varying heterogeneous earnings risk through a Markov process with heterogeneous transition probabilities. The resulting earnings process allows for a richer notion of earnings risk heterogeneity than previously studied by the literature. Assumptions are derived under which a combination of savings and earnings data can be used to identify the earnings process parameters. Alternatively, a narrower interpretation of earnings risk can be adopted, limiting risk heterogeneity to heterogeneous variances of earnings shocks, such that the earnings process is identifiable from earnings data only. This gives rise to two identification strategies. Applying both strategies to the Survey of Income and Program Participation dataset shows that individuals face considerable inequality of earnings risk. High-risk states are found to be temporary, while low-risk states are persistent. Comparing both strategies shows that only allowing for variance heterogeneity is too restrictive, and a rich notion of risk is required to capture the joint dynamics of individuals' savings and earnings.


Focuses on the structure of robot sensing systems and the techniques for measuring and preprocessing 3-D data. To get the information required for controlling a given robot function, the sensing of 3-D objects is divided into four basic steps: transduction of relevant object properties (primarily geometric and photometric) into a signal; preprocessing the signal to improve it; extracting 3-D object features; and interpreting them. Each of these steps usually may be executed by several alternative techniques (tools). Tools for the transduction of 3-D data and data preprocessing are surveyed. The performance of each tool depends on the specific vision task and its environmental conditions, both of which are variable. Such a system includes so-called tool-boxes, one box for each sensing step, and a supervisor, which controls iterative sensing feedback loops and consists of a rule-based program generator and a program execution controller. Sensing step sequences and tools are illustrated for two 3-D vision applications at SRI International Company: visually guided robot arc welding and locating identical parts in a bin. >


Conservation areas, both public and private, are critical tools to protect biodiversity and deliver important ecosystem services (ES) to society. Although societal benefits from such ES are increasingly used to promote public support of conservation, the number of beneficiaries, their identity, and the magnitude of benefits are largely unknown for the vast majority of conservation areas in the United States public-private conservation network. The location of conservation areas in relation to people strongly influences the direction and magnitude of ES flows as well as the identity of beneficiaries. We analyzed benefit zones, the areas to which selected ES could be conveyed to beneficiaries, to assess who benefits from a typical conservation network. Better knowledge of ES flows and beneficiaries will help land conservationists make a stronger case for the broad collateral benefits of conservation and help to address issues of social-environmental justice. To evaluate who benefits the most from the current public-private conservation network, we delineated the benefit zones for local ES (within 16 km) that are conveyed along hydrological paths from public (federal and state) and private (easements) conservation lands in the states of North Carolina and Virginia, USA. We also discuss the challenges and demonstrate an approach for delineating nonhydrological benefits that are passively conveyed to beneficiaries. We mapped and compared the geographic distribution of benefit zones within and among conservation area types. We further compared beneficiary demographics across benefit zones of the conservation area types and found that hydrological benefit zones of federal protected areas encompass disproportionately fewer minority beneficiaries compared to statewide demographic patterns. In contrast, benefit zones of state protected areas and private easements encompassed a much greater proportion of minority beneficiaries (~22–25%). Benefit zones associated with private conservation lands included beneficiaries of significantly greater household income than benefit zones of other types of conservation areas. Our analysis of ES flows revealed significant socioeconomic gaps in how the current public-private conservation network benefits the public. These gaps warrant consideration in regional conservation plans and suggest that private conservation initiatives may be best suited for responding to the equity challenge. Enhancing the ecosystem benefits and the equity of benefit delivery from private conservation networks could build public and political support for long-term conservation strategies and ultimately enhance conservation efficacy.


Existing research has largely provided attention to the HE decision-making and choices of students embarking on their post-16 studies in sixth forms and 11-18 comprehensives, with relatively little attention paid to those in Further Education (FE). This doctoral thesis addresses knowledge gaps in our understanding of underrepresented FE students' higher education (HE) decision-making and choices, paying particular attention to the reasons and influences informing these over the course of their post-16 studies. I question whether FE students approach their HE decisions and choices as individualised, or whether they are mediated by structural limitations, given the emphasis on students making the 'right' choices for themselves (BIS, 2011). To explore these research questions, I conducted a qualitative longitudinal narrative inquiry over a 16-18 month period with FE students in England, using a combination of paper and audio diaries, individual semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Applying Archer's (2003, 2007, 2012) reflexive modalities, along with Bourdieu's (1986) forms of capital to participants' narratives facilitated the identification of enablements and constraints as well as different responses to structure, action and social mobility in their HE decision-making and choices. Numerous reasons and influences were identified, such as the influence of 'known others', biographical experiences, intrinsic interests, instrumental rationality, emotional investment in HEIs, attainment and competition, which varied in intensity for individual participants over time. This was also the case for structural constraints, namely an absence of economic capital, which students appeared to realise over time. Participants' responses to reasons, influences and structural constraints were complex and influenced by their personal projects and reflexive modes. Where individualised approaches to choice-making were identified, these were thwarted by unnegotiable constraints, which were 'masked' by changes in reflexivity. WP programmes and initiatives acted as an enablement in aiding some participants to overcome constraints. Yet, only a minority of participants were involved in such programmes. These findings collectively convey that the majority of participants were unable to go where they preferred in their HE decisions, and, instead, had to decipher the 'reasonable' option when constraints related to economic capital were realised.


Heartburn occurs when the valve between the stomach and oesophagus (the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach), is unable to prevent the gastric contents, particularly acid, from passing back into the oesophagus. The stomach acid can irritate the oesophagus and cause heartburn. The symptoms of heartburn are typically described as a painful or burning sensation in the upper abdomen or chest, which sometimes radiates to the back. Acid reflux may also come up into the throat or mouth, leaving a bitter or sour taste in the mouth. Heartburn usually lasts for a few minutes, but may persist for several hours.


Meeting European NOx emission standards is one of the biggest challenges facing automotive industries. The available technologies to measure NOx emission are dependent on measurement of different NOx species. In addition, in most cases it requires conversion of other NOx species to NO for measurement purposes. The ability to measure NOx emission on-line during the transient engine operation may be very difficult due to the delay in reaction time in the NOx measuring apparatus. NOx emissions in compression ignition (CI) engines are largely a thermal phenomena thus cylinder pressure is key to making accurate predictions of NOx. If cylinder pressure data is available the heat release during combustion can be modeled and thus NOx emission can be more accurately simulated. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to investigate the performance of the cylinder pressure in predicting the NOx emission from a CI engine running with biodiesel during both steady and transient operations. To address the problem experimental work has been conducted on a four-cylinder, four-stroke, direct injection (DI) and turbocharged diesel engine. In this investigation, biodiesel (produced from the rapeseed oil by transesterfication process) has been used. During the experiment the in-cylinder pressure, TDC mark, fuel flow rate, air flow rate and the NOx emission were measured. The temperature within the cylinder was predicted using the cylinder pressure. Using the temperature values the NOx emission was simulated in Zeldovich extended mechanism. The measured and simulation results of NOx emission were compared during steady state conditions and shows maximum error of 4.5%.
Keywords : NOx emission, In-Cylinder Pressure, In-Cylinder Temperature, Biodiesel


Supporters and critics of free schools in England have had differing expectations about whether free schools would emerge in socially disadvantaged areas, and whether they would become socially selective. We investigate the outcomes, using information from the first three years since the introduction of the first new schools in 2011, drawn from the National Pupil Database. We find that, as policy proposers had expected, free schools have been situated in neighbourhoods that are somewhat above average in terms of the proportions entitled to free school meals, a well-known indicator of social disadvantage. Nevertheless, we also find that the free schools are socially selective within their neighbourhoods. These two effects balance out so that, overall, compared with the average for all England, there are no great differences between the social composition of secondary free schools and that of the national average. However, at primary school level there is evidence that free schools are enrolling children with above average ability. Moreover, there are very substantive differences between the ethnic composition of free schools and other schools. Despite these differences, we find little evidence that the presence of free schools is having an effect on the social composition of intakes to other schools in their neighbourhoods or on segregation in the local authority as a whole. We suggest this may be because there are still too few free schools, with very small cohort sizes, recruiting from very dispersed areas.


This paper presents a study that was undertaken to examine human interaction with a pedagogical agent and the passive and active detection of such agents within a synchronous, online environment. A pedagogical agent is a software application which can provide a human like interaction using a natural language interface. These may be familiar from the smartphone interfaces such as 'Siri' or 'Cortana', or the virtual online assistants found on some websites, such as 'Anna' on the Ikea website. Pedagogical agents are characters on the computer screen with embodied life-like behaviours such as speech, emotions, locomotion, gestures, and movements of the head, the eye, or other parts of the body. The passive detection test is where participants are not primed to the potential presence of a pedagogical agent within the online environment. The active detection test is where participants are primed to the potential presence of a pedagogical agent. The purpose of the study was to examine how people passively detected pedagogical agents that were presenting themselves as humans in an online environment. In order to locate the pedagogical agent in a realistic higher education online environment, problem-based learning online was used. Problem-based learning online provides a focus for discussions and participation, without creating too much artificiality. The findings indicated that the ways in which students positioned the agent tended to influence the interaction between them. One of the key findings was that since the agent was focussed mainly on the pedagogical task this may have hampered interaction with the students, however some of its non-task dialogue did improve students' perceptions of the autonomous agents' ability to interact with them. It is suggested that future studies explore the differences between the relationships and interactions of learner and pedagogical agent within authentic situations, in order to understand if students' interactions are different between real and virtual mentors in an online setting.


Previous studies indicate that FAL VAC-1, a recombinant multistage and multicomponent Plasmodium falciparum candidate vaccine containing 12 B-cell and 9 T cell epitopes from 9 different antigens of different life cycle stages is immunogenic in animal models and that FAL VAC-1-induced antibodies produced significant antiparasite activities against both sporozoite and blood stages of the parasite. In
preparation for vaccine trials in humans, a community-based cross-sectional study in a malaria holoendemic area of western Kenya was conducted during April-August 1999, to characterise in vitro natural humoral and cellular immune responses to this candidate vaccine and their association with clinical protection against malaria in young children < 2 years old (N= 180) and their non-pregnant mothers aged 15-48 years (N=139). FAL VAC-1 antigen was used in antibody measurement by ELISA and in lymphoproliferative experiments. Prevalence and level of antibodies were significantly higher in adults than in children when stratified by age groups: 0-6 months; 7-12 months, 13-18 months; 19-24 months; 15-25 years and 26-48 years. Total IgG, IgG1, IgG3 and IgM were the predominant antibodies. IgG2 responses
were low and no IgG4 was detected. In children, there were higher IgG 1 levels in parasitaemic group than in the aparasitaemic 'group (F=3.459, p=0.024, t-test). Furthermore, total IgG, IgG1, IgG3 and IgM levels were inversely associated with haemoglobin levels at the time of sampling (total IgG, r=-0.215, p=0.005, IgG1, r=0.180, p=0.019; IgG3, r=-0.164, p=0.034; IgM, r=-0.216, p=O.OOl). Parasitaemic
children had significantly higher IgG 1 levels at a month prior to sampling. In addition, IgG 1 was positively correlated to the rate of high-density parasitaemia and toepisodes of clinical malaria (r=0.218, p=0.029 and r=0.237, p=0.018), respectively. However, in adults, aparasitaemic individuals had high total IgG, IgG 1 and IgM levels than parasitaemic individuals (total IgG, F=3.856, p=O.007; IgGl, F=2.701,p=O.007; IgM, F=5.133, p=O.OOl, t-test). In addition, IgG2 was inversely associated with haemoglobin levels at the time of sampling. In contrast to antibody responses, lymphoproliferative responses were higher in children than in adults (one-way ANOV A, F=2.392, p=O.038). Generally, lymphocytes from adults responded at lower antigen concentrations, while those from children responded at higher antigen concentrations. There were no associations between lymphoproliferation and malaria infection or haemoglobin level in either young children or adults. The results of this study therefore indicate that: FAL VAC-l, a multistage multicomponent malaria vaccine candidate is recognised by individuals naturally exposed to malaria. The antibody responses increase whereas lymphoproliferative responses decrease with age. The higher IgG1 levels in children may indicate the presence of a current P. falciparum infection, but in adults from the same


Abstract The friction characteristics and performance of wet clutches have been investigated by several authors. Studies have also been made to understand the frictional performance during the service life of the clutch system. However, most lifetime studies have been conducted for systems with paper-based friction material so that systems using sintered bronze friction material remain largely unexplored. To study the friction performance of how these systems can vary over time, the friction characteristics for a clutch system using lubricants aged in three different ways were compared. The effects on friction characteristics resulting from oxidation of the lubricant, reduced additive concentration, and ageing under real operating conditions in a wet clutch test rig were studied. The oxidation effects on friction characteristics were examined using a modified waterless turbine oil oxidation stability test on a fully formulated lubricant. Five oxidation time periods from 48 to 408 h were investigated. For each period of oxidation, a friction performance test was run using a pin-on-disc machine. The ageing carried out in a wet clutch test rig is a standard test of a wet clutch systems manufacturer which is used in order to verify that an oil-friction disc combination will last the full service life of the specific application. This test gives a realistic ageing process similar to that in a wet clutch in a field test. Under boundary-lubricated conditions, additives are vital to the performance of wet clutches. Therefore, the effect of reducing the additive concentration in the oil was also studied, in the range of 10 to 100 per cent of the original additive package used in the fully formulated wet clutch lubricant. Results showed that a general friction increase can be observed for oxidation, additive reduction, and test rig ageing. It was also concluded that different methods of simulating the wet clutch ageing process differ and cannot be directly correlated with each other.


Medical education is rapidly changing, influenced by many factors including the changing health care environment, the changing role of the physician, altered societal expectations, rapidly changing medical science, and the diversity of pedagogical techniques. Changes in societal expectations put patient safety in the forefront, and raises the ethical issues of learning interactions and procedures on live patients, with the longstanding teaching method of "see one, do one, teach one" no longer acceptable. The educational goals of using technology in medical education include facilitating basic knowledge acquisition, improving decision making, enhancement of perceptual variation, improving skill coordination, practicing for rare or critical events, learning team training, and improving psychomotor skills. Different technologies can address these goals.


Wandering Albatrosses Diomedea exulans are frequently killed when they attempt to scavenge baited hooks deployed by long-line fishing vessels. We studied the foraging ecology of Wandering Albatrosses breeding on Marion Island in order to assess the scale of interactions with known long-line fishing fleets. During incubation and late chick-rearing, birds foraged further away from the island, in warmer waters, and showed high spatial overlap with areas of intense tuna Thunnus spp. long-line fishing. During early chick-rearing, birds made shorter foraging trips and showed higher spatial overlap with the local Patagonian Toothfish Dissostichus eleginoides long-line fishery. Tracks of birds returning with offal from the Toothfish fishery showed a strong association with positions at which Toothfish long-lines were set and most diet samples taken during this stage contained fishery-related items. Independent of these seasonal differences, females foraged further from the islands and in warmer waters than males. Consequently, female distribution overlapped more with tuna long-line fisheries, whereas males interacted more with the Toothfish long-line fishery. These factors could lead to differences in the survival probabilities of males and females. Non-breeding birds foraged in warmer waters and showed the highest spatial overlap with tuna long-line fishing areas. The foraging distribution of Marion Island birds showed most spatial overlap with birds from the neighbouring Crozet Islands during the late chick-rearing and non-breeding periods. These areas of foraging overlap also coincided with areas of intense tuna long-line fishing south of Africa. As the population trends of Wandering Albatrosses at these two localities are very similar, it is possible that incidental mortality during the periods when these two populations show the highest spatial overlap could be driving these trends.


Abstract The Enfield-Haringey artificial recharge scheme comprises 23 abstraction/recharge boreholes located between Enfield and Haringey in north London. It is a strategic groundwater development aimed at increasing drought yields to meet the 'target level of service' defined by OFWAT for availability of water resources. The hydrogeology of the scheme, revealed by the drilling and testing of 15 new production boreholes is described and its strategic use summarized. The hydrochemistry of the groundwater in the Chalk and Basal Sands aquifer is briefly considered and the likely effects of re-saturation after recharge on the quality of the pumped groundwater is commented on. This and previous studies have led to a better understanding of the aquifer system and the hydraulic relationship between the Basal Sands and the underlying Chalk. Intensive exploitation in the past led to some dewatering but reduction in abstraction since the 1950s has allowed water levels to recover, a process that is continuing. In most of the Enfield-Haringey area the aquifer is still only partially saturated, hence the potential for artificial recharge. The Chalk aquifer has been found to be typically anisotropic and heterogeneous with the upper 30–40 m being productive. Acidization was found to produce significant increases in well yields. Chalk groundwaters are mainly of a calcium bicarbonate type while those of the overlying Basal Sands are dominated by sulphate. Both groundwaters become progressively richer in sodium at the expense of calcium from north to south, in the direction of groundwater flow and towards more deeply confining conditions.


Three dimensionless scans in the normalized Larmor radius ρ*, normalized collisionality ν* and normalized plasma pressure β have been performed in JET with the ITER-like wall (JET-ILW). The normalized energy confinement and the thermal diffusivity exhibit a scaling with ρ* consistent with the earlier results obtained in the carbon wall JET (JET-C) and with a gyroBohm scaling. In the pedestal, experimental results show that the stability is not dependent on ρ*, qualitatively in agreement with the peeling-ballooning (P-B) model. The ν* dimensionless scaling shows that JET-ILW normalized confinement has a stronger dependence on collisionality than JET-C. This leads to a reduction of the difference in the confinement between JET-ILW and JET-C to ≈10% at low ν*. The pedestal stability shows an improvement with decreasing ν*. This is ascribed to the increase of the bootstrap current, to the reduction of the pedestal width and to the reduction of the relative shift between pedestal density and temperature position. The β dimensionless scan shows that, at low collisionality, JET-ILW normalized confinement has no clear dependence with β, in agreement with part of the earlier scalings. At high collisionality, a reduction of the normalized confinement with increasing β is observed. This behaviour is driven by the pedestal where the stability is reduced with increasing β. The P-B analysis shows that the stability reduction with increasing β at high ν* is due to the destabilizing effect of the increased relative shift.


Must the water networks be fail-proof or must they remain safe during a failure? What must water system managers try to achieve? The present paper introduces a methodology for the hierarchical analysis (in time and space) of the preventive maintenance policy of water supply networks, using water supply system performance indices. This is being accomplished through a technical–economic analysis that takes into account all kinds of costs referring to the repair or replacement of trouble-causing parts of the water supply network. The optimal preventive maintenance schedule suggested by the methodology is compared with the empirically based maintenance policy applied to the Athens water supply system.


Abstract The study of latitudinal body size clines can illuminate processes of local adaptation, but there is a need for an increased understanding of the relative roles of genetic variation, environmental effectstions or this reason, we combined an investigation of a museum collection of the common blue butterfly Polyommatus icarus (Rottemburg) (Lycaenidae: Polyommatini) from Sweden with a common-garden experiment in the laboratory, using strains reared from individuals collected from three different latitudes. Sizes of the field-collected butterflies tended to smoothly decrease northwards in a latitudinal cline, but suddenly increase at the latitude where the life cycle changes from two to one generations per year, hence allowing more time for this single generation. Further north, the size of the field-collected butterflies again decreased with latitude (with the exception of the northernmost collection sites). This is in accordance with the "converse Bergmann" pattern and with the "saw-tooth model" suggesting that insect size is shaped by season length and number of generations along latitudinal transects. In contrast, under laboratory conditions with a constant long day-length there was a different pattern, with the butterflies pupating at a higher mass when individuals originated from southern populations under time stress to achieve a second generation. This is indirect evidence for field patterns being shaped by end-of-season cues cutting development short, and also suggests counter-gradient variation, as butterflies from the time-stressed populations over-compensated for decreasing larval development time by increasing their growth rates, thus obtaining higher mass. Hence, we found support for both adaptive phenotypic plasticity and local genetic adaptation, with gene-environment interactions explaining the observed field patterns.


Many lizard and amphisbaenian lineages possess follicular glands in the dermis of the inner thighs and/or the area anterior to the cloaca. These tubular glands produce a holocrine secretion that finds its way to the external world through pore-bearing scales (femoral and/or preanal pores). Secretions are composed of proteins and many lipophilic compounds that may function as chemosignals in lizard and amphisbaenian communication. In recent years, we have begun to develop an understanding of the adaptive significance of these secretions, and they are currently thought to play an important role in a variety of processes in these animals. While it appears that epidermal gland secretions function in intra- and interspecific recognition and territoriality, research has focused largely on their role in mate assessment. Despite these recent studies, our knowledge on the true role of the chemicals found in epidermal secretions remains poorly studied, and there are many possible avenues for future research on this topic. Here, we review the literature on the follicular epidermal glands of non-ophidian squamates and provide a first taxon-wide overview of their distribution.


The Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellite series has been providing data since 1988 through various Earth observation missions. Before using IRS data for the quantitative analysis and parameter retrieval, it must be corrected for the atmospheric effects because spectral bands of IRS sensors are contaminated by intervening atmosphere. Standard atmospheric correction model tuned for the IRS sensors was not available for deriving surface reflectance. Looking at this gap area, a study was carried out to develop a physicsbased method, called SACRS2- a Scheme for Atmospheric Correction of Resourcesat-2 (RS2) AWiFS data. SACRS2 is a computationally fast scheme developed for correcting large amount of data acquired by RS2-AWiFS sensor using a detailed radiative transfer model 6SV. The method is based on deriving a set of coefficients which depend on spectral bands of the RS2-AWiFS sensor through thousands of forward signal simulations by 6SV. Once precise coefficients of all the physical processes of atmospheric correction are determined for RS2-AWiFS spectral bands then a complete scheme was developed using these coefficients. Major inputs of the SACRS2 scheme are raw digital numbers recorded by RS2-AWiFS sensor, aerosol optical thickness at 550 nm, columnar water vapour content, ozone content and viewing-geometry. Results showed a good performance of SACRS2 with a maximum relative error in the SACRS2 simulations ranged between approximately 2 to 7 percent with respect to reference 6SV computations. A complete software package containing the SACRS2 model along with user guide and test dataset has been released on the website (www.mosdac.gov.in) for the researchers.


"Leashing the Dogs of War" receives Outstanding Academic Title Award by the library journal CHOICE. Read the CHOICE review at http: //www.usip.org/newsmedia/ crocker_hampson_all/index.html. Since "Turbulent Peace" was first published in 2001, the international landscape has changed profoundly. "Leashing the Dogs of War" replaces its well-established predecessor as the definitive volume on the sources of contemporary conflict and the array of possible responses to it. The authors more than forty of the most influential and innovative analysts of international affairs present multiple perspectives on how best to prevent, manage, or resolve conflicts around the world. "Leashing the Dogs of War" assesses the nature and extent of the changes wrought by 9/11 and its aftermath, and explores their wide-ranging implications. For the United States, of course, the changes have been dramatic. It has engaged in a war on terrorism and has become both a third party in certain conflict arenas and a direct party to the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan. But these events have also affected other actors, from the United Nations to humanitarian NGOs to collective defense and security organizations such as NATO and the OSCE.At the same time, some things have not changed. Failed states, economic stagnation, weapons proliferation, nuclear missiles, and identity-based conflicts continue to threaten global security. Looking at the combination of old and new threats, are traditional instruments of negotiation, mediation, peacekeeping and peace enforcement still effective in managing and resolving conflict? How do conflict management efforts and the campaign against terrorism interact in various security environments? Are our institutions be they states, coalitions of the willing, international organizations, or NGOs capable of creating and implementing a peacemaking strategy? All these questions are addressed in this new volume.Authoritative, provocative, and insightful, "Leashing the Dogs of War" offers an unparalleled breadth and depth of analysis of conflict in today s world. It is a must read not only for students of international relations and conflict resolution but also for anyone in government and outside seeking to understand the dynamics of contemporary conflict and the best means of resolving it."


This study evaluated the effects of long-chain bases from sea cucumber (SC-LCBs) on modulation of the gut microbiota and inhibition of obesity in high fat diet-fed mice. Results showed that SC-LCBs exerted significant antiobese effects, which were associated with the inhibition of hyperglycemia and lipid accumulation. SC-LCBs also regulated serum adipocytokines toward to normal levels. SC-LCBs caused significant decreases in Firmicutes, Actinobacteria phylum, and obesity-related bacteria (Desulfovibro, Bifidobacterium, Romboutsia etc. genus). SC-LCBs also elevated Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia phylum, and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing bacteria (Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group etc. genus). Moreover, serum and fecal lipoplysaccharide (LPS) concentrations and its dependent toll-line receptor 4 pathway were inhibited by SC-LCBs treatment. SC-LCBs caused increases in fecal SCFAs and their mediated G-protein-coupled receptors proteins. These suggest that SC-LCBs alleviate obesity by altering gut microbiota. Thus, it sought to indicate that SC-LCBs can be developed as food supplement for the obesity control and the human gut health.


The International Symposium on Green Chemistry (ISGC) organized in 2013, 2015 and 2017 has gathered many senior and young talented scientists from all around the world (2200 attendees in three editions), either from academia or industry. Through outstanding conferences, communications, debates, and round tables, ISGC has been the witness of the rapid evolution of chemistry in the context of a sustainable development of our societies, not only at the scientific and industrial levels but also on education, networking and societal aspects. This critical review synthesizes the different points of view and the discussions having taken place at ISGC and gives a general picture of chemistry, including few scientific disciplines such as catalysis, processes, resource management, and environmental impact, among others, within the framework of sustainable development. This critical review, co-authored by researchers from public organizations and chemical companies (small, medium and large industrial groups) provides criteria and recommendations which, in our view, should be considered from the outset of research to accelerate the emergence of eco-designed products on the market.


The development of flexible Complimentary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) circuits reduces power consumption by ∼50x compared to n-type (or p-type) only thin film transistor (TFT) digital circuits. In this work we demonstrate a new integration approach to fabricate CMOS circuits on plastic substrates (Poly-ethylene naphthalene, PEN). We use pentacene and amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin film transistors for p-type and n-type devices, respectively. The maximum processing temperature for n-type TFTs is 180°C and 120°C for the p-type TFTs. CMOS circuits demonstrated include inverters, NAND and NOR gates. nMOS and pMOS carrier mobility achieved after the CMOS integration process flow are 1.0 and 0.05 cm2/V-s, respectively. Threshold voltages (Vt) are 3.89V for nMOS and −1.89V for pMOS. The voltage transfer curve of the CMOS inverter showed a gain of 16. Correct logic operation of integrated flexible NAND and NOR CMOS gates are reported.


This paper reports on a specific promotional initiative designed to spur enrollment in IT-related fields---an IT Careers Camp aimed at high school students. The camp was different from most prior computer camps in that it was not aimed at building skills such as programming or Web development. Rather, it was specifically designed to convince participants that (1) job prospects in the field are strong, and (2) IT/IS work is interesting and creative. To this end, the camp was designed in partnership with a number of corporations, and included as a central element a series of experiential opportunities for participants. Each day of the camp featured a visit to a corporation where the students took part in a hands-on activity that involved solving a business problem with IT. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations indicate that the camp was very successful in changing students' perceptions about the nature of IT work and the IT job market. We believe the camp can be a useful tool to create a pipeline of well-informed students interested in IT careers. We present here details of the design and execution of the camp in the hope that others may wish to replicate our efforts.


A growing body of research indicates that prevention offers the promise of better ways to maintain health and extend life. In this timely volume, Louise B. Russell shows that preventive measures are not as simple as often depictedwhile many do improve health, they are not without risk or cost, and in fact rarely reduce medical expenditures. Each measure, she argues, must be evaluated individually and in all its dimensions: health benefits, health risks, and resource costs.To demonstrate the many factors involved in evaluating preventive measures, Russell examines the policy debates about smallpox and measles vaccination, screening and drug therapy for hypertension, and exercise. She uses these case studies to explain the methods of cost-effectivness analysis, showing how the choice among health investments can be made a more rational exercise. The volume concludes with a suggested framework for the design of future cost-effectiveness evaluations.Policymakers in and out of the health field will benefit from this lucid examination of the potential of prevention for improving health and changing the allocation of limited resources."


The most difficult part of multicomponent processing is the estimation of the shear‐wave velocity map for migration. We used refracted shear waves and a simple iterative method called wavefield continuation (WFC) to evaluate the shallow shear‐wave velocity profile on a real data example. The WFC was developed in 1981 by Clayton and McMechan to determine compressional‐wave velocity profiles from refracted compressional waves. The application to refracted shear waves is straightforward. The real data example shows that shear structure can be easily determined independently of the compressional structure.


With the increasing focus in enhancing supply management chain through use of the rapid development of Information and Communication Technology, businesses are seeking to develop and organize strategic, efficient and world-wide inventory control system for its use. In order to promote such global inventory control system, which are also compatible with sustainability objectives, organizations need to develop and implement effective systems both individually and collectively. This has resulted to Modern inventory control as a result of improved technology being one of the most strategic initiative embraced by organization in partnering initiatives for encouraging collaboration and information sharing among trading partners (Angulo, 2007). The main objective of the study was to investigate the impact of technology on inventory control systems in Kenya ferry services. The study adopted a descriptive research with survey of a total of 220 and applied a stratified random sampling technique to select a sample size of 60 respondents. Questionnaires were used as the main data collection Descriptive statistics analysis method was to analyze the gathered data. The study concluded that technology has had bigger impact on inventory control in terms of efficiency, ease of accessing information and accuracy thereby affecting organizational performance. The study recommends that modern inventory control systems should be well implemented since it forms a platform for ease of evaluating risk in which the organization invest a lot of money in purchasing of inventory. Additionally the study recommends that organization should integrate all its inventory management functions with information communication technology as well.


Abstract Source-to-sink system analysis involves a complete, earth systems model approach from the ultimate onshore drainage point to the toe of related active deepwater sedimentary systems. Several methods and techniques have evolved in recent years, from experimental and numerical modelling through analysis of modern and recent systems, to analysis of ancient systems. A novel method has been developed, bridging between the previous approaches and dividing and analysing source-to-sink systems based on linked geomorphic segments along the source-to-sink profile. This approach builds on uniformitarian principles. The method is driven by the need to understand ancient, subsurface systems and still has high uncertainty but is an original, first-order approach to source-to-sink system analysis. In modern systems, entire onshore-to-offshore systems can be analysed with a higher degree of confidence than in ancient systems and semi-quantitative relationships can be established. Application in ancient systems is much more challenging but, in some cases, antecedent morphologies have been preserved onshore that can be matched with offshore known occurrences of, for instance, sandy submarine fan systems. Along the Norwegian North Sea and Norwegian Sea margins the Paleocene deep-marine reservoir of the giant Ormen Lange gas field is such an example. There, antecedent onshore drainage patterns which formed the feeder system to the offshore, deepwater fan system can be interpreted and aligned with onshore palaeogeomorphological evidence. Understanding the palaeogeomorphic development of basement regions such as the Fennoscandian shield is of high importance for understanding the offshore presence of deepwater sandstones.


Practicing scientists know that the quality of their livelihood is strongly connected to the quality of their writing, and critical thinking is the most necessary and valuable tool for effectively generating and communicating scientific information. Writing in the Life Sciences is an innovative, process-based text that gives beginning writers the tools to write about science skillfully by taking a critical thinking approach. Laurence Greene emphasizes "writing as thinking" as he takes beginning writers through the important stages of planning, drafting, and revising their work. Throughout, he uses focused and systematic critical reading and thinking activities to help scientific writers develop the skills to effectively communicate. Each chapter addresses a particular writing task rather than a specific type of document. The book makes clear which tasks are important for all writing projects (i.e., audience analysis, attending to instructions) and which are unique to a specific writing project (rhetorical goals for each type of document). Ideal for Scientific Writing courses and writing-intensive courses in various science departments (e.g., Biology, Environmental Studies, etc.) , this innovative, process-based text goes beyond explaining what scientific writing is and gives students the tools to do it skillfully.


The efficient, site-specific introduction of unnatural amino acids into proteins in mammalian cells is an outstanding challenge in realizing the potential of genetic code expansion approaches. Addressing this challenge will allow the synthesis of modified recombinant proteins and augment emerging strategies that introduce new chemical functionalities into proteins to control and image their function with high spatial and temporal precision in cells. The efficiency of unnatural amino acid incorporation in response to the amber stop codon (UAG) in mammalian cells is commonly considered to be low. Here we demonstrate that tRNA levels can be limiting for unnatural amino acid incorporation efficiency, and we develop an optimized pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNACUA expression system, with optimized tRNA expression for mammalian cells. In addition, we engineer eRF1, that normally terminates translation on all three stop codons, to provide a substantial increase in unnatural amino acid incorporation in response to the UAG codon without increasing readthrough of other stop codons. By combining the optimized pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase/tRNACUA expression system and an engineered eRF1, we increase the yield of protein bearing unnatural amino acids at a single site 17- to 20-fold. Using the optimized system, we produce proteins containing unnatural amino acids with comparable yields to a protein produced from a gene that does not contain a UAG stop codon. Moreover, the optimized system increases the yield of protein, incorporating an unnatural amino acid at three sites, from unmeasurably low levels up to 43% of a no amber stop control. Our approach may enable the efficient production of site-specifically modified therapeutic proteins, and the quantitative replacement of targeted cellular proteins with versions bearing unnatural amino acids that allow imaging or synthetic regulation of protein function.


The open, distributed approach of the Web and the relationship's prevalence of applications and services is transforming both the way we develop software and how they operate and interact with each other. As a result, a novel breed of applications is emerging, and consequently new mental models are needed to deal with them. In this paper, we weave "social" relationships into software, leading to the notion of "relationship-aware" software. Relationship-aware software uses the metaphor of human social relationships and, at the simplest level, is software whose behavior takes into account other software it interacts with. Here, we revisit the concept of relationship and extend the notion of Social Machines to establish a unifying abstraction model that is used for specifying relationship-aware applications and services. To engineer relationship-aware applications, this paper presents a guideline that address some issues related to the engineering exercise. In addition, an analysis describing Facebook as a relationship-aware Social Machine with 282 interaction views is also reported in the paper.


Radio-echo sounding (RES) is an important tool in glaciology, it allows to determine ice thickness as well as the internal structure of ice sheets, ice shelves, and glaciers. Usually ground based RES is used for shallow ice bodies whereas airborne RES is used for pre-site surveys for deep ice core drill sites or to map the ice thickness of large areas. Another advantage of RES is that the same material properties which cause reflections within the ice can be measured at an ice core using dielectrical profiling (DEP). Therefore RES measurements can be directly linked to ice cores. This also allows direct comparison of two ice cores connected by a continuous RES profile and to transfer paleoclimatic information derived from an ice core at a single location onto an extended area.In Dronning Maud Land (DML) at at 0o and 75o S, 2850 m a.s.l. at deep ice core is currently drilled at Kohnen Station as part of European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA). The drill site is located in an area with relatively high accumulation of . approximately 62 kg m-2 a-1 in the Atlantic sector of Antarctica at an ice divide originating at Dome Fujji, 39.7o E and 77.3o S, 3810 m a.s.l.. This yields to a high temporal resolution of the ice core. The ice thickness of 2750 m is sufficient for ice core covering more than a fill glacial cycle (110 ka). At the starting point of the ice divide at Dome Fuji, 3810 m a.s.l.,, another deep ice core drill site is located. Due to the low accumulation at that location of 21 kg m-2 a-1, the obtained 2503 m long ice core covers a time span of approximately 330 ka.We will present RES profiles measured by the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) between 1999-2003 which allow a direct comparison of the age depth scales of both deep ice core drill sites by tracing isochrones along the intersecting profiles along the ice divide. As well as maps of different internal horizons and derived properties.


In many of the current conceptual models, environmental preferences and environmental behaviour are explained by socio-economic variables, such as income, age, gender, profession, by knowledge and information, and by long-term influences of parents on their children in forming these preferences. We employ an empirical study in order to differentiate between these potential determinants by asking respondents regarding their environmental preferences and behaviour (frequency of contacts with the natural environment) in order to link these to socio-economic attributes of respondents and their (perceived) environmental education during childhood. It turns out that variables encoding pro-environmental behaviour and education of parents significantly influence adults' frequency with the natural environment. From the theoretical viewpoint, we may therefore consider environmental preferences as a long-term (sustainable) result of education and socialisation, and that they may not easily be changed in the short-term. However, environmental behaviour does not only depend on preferences but also on the situational context, such as time and budget constraints.


Epigenetic regulatory mechanisms are a current focus in studies investigating cancer. Chromatin remodeling alters chromatin structure and regulates gene expression, and aberrant chromatin remodeling is involved in carcinogenesis. AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 1A (ARID1A) and SWItch/sucrose non-fermentable-related, matrix-associated, actin-dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily a, member 4 are remodeling factors that are mutated in numerous types of cancer. In gynecological cancer, ARID1A mutations have been identified in 46‐57% of clear cell carcinoma and 30% of endometrioid carcinoma. Mutations of chromodomain helicase, DNA-binding protein 4 have been detected in 17‐21% of endometrial serous cancer, and mutations of ARID1A and mixed‐lineage leukemia 3 occur in 36 and 27% of uterine carcinosarcoma, respectively. These data suggest that aberrant chromatin remodeling is a potential cause of cancer, and have led to the development of novel proteins targeting these processes. Additional accumulation of information on the mechanisms of chromatin remodeling and markers for these events may promote personalized anticancer therapies.


The present study reports on the first ever controlled comparison between eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and emotional freedom techniques (EFT) for posttraumatic stress disorder. A total of 46 participants were randomized to either EMDR (n = 23) or EFT (n = 23). The participants were assessed at baseline and then reassessed after an 8-week waiting period. Two further blind assessments were conducted at posttreatment and 3-months follow-up. Overall, the results indicated that both interventions produced significant therapeutic gains at posttreatment and follow-up in an equal number of sessions. Similar treatment effect sizes were observed in both treatment groups. Regarding clinical significant changes, a slightly higher proportion of patients in the EMDR group produced substantial clinical changes compared with the EFT group. Given the speculative nature of the theoretical basis of EFT, a dismantling study on the active ingredients of EFT should be subject to future research.