We propose a dynamical model of 2D motion integration where diffusion of motion information is modulated by luminance information. This model incorporates feedforward, feedback and inhibitive lateral connections and is inspired by the neural architecture and dynamics of motion processing cortical areas in the primate (V1, V2, and MT). The first aspect of our contribution is to propose a new anisotropic integration model where motion diffusion through recurrent connectivity between cortical areas working at different spatial scales is gated by the luminance distribution in the image. This simple model offers a competitive alternative to less parsimonious models based on a large set of cortical layers implementing specific form or motion features detectors. A second aspect that is often ignored by many 2D motion integration models is that biological computation of global motion is highly dynamical. When presented with simple lines, plaids or barberpoles stimuli, the perceived direction reported by human observers, as well as the response of motion sensitive neurons, will shift over time. We demonstrate that the proposed approach produces results compatible with several psychophysical experiments concerning not only the resulting global motion perception, but also concerning the oculomotor dynamics Our model can also explain several properties of MT neurons regarding the dynamics of selective motion integration, a fundamental property of bject motion disambiguation and segmentation. As a whole, we present an improved motion integration model, which is numerically tractable and reproduces key aspect of cortical motion integration in primate.


We determined the bioavailability of vitamin E from self-assembly structures in patients with diagnosed chronic pancreas insufficiency. Vitamin E solubilized in dispersed inverted bicontinuous cubic phase and in micellar formulation was delivered directly to the small intestine by tube-feeding. A cross-over study with randomization of 6 subjects and 2 treatments including a combined dose of 18 mg (27 IU) of vitamin E (RRR-[5,7-methyl-((2)H6)]-α-tocopherol) and 27 mg (27 IU) vitamin E acetate (RRR-[5-methyl-(2)H3]-α-tocopheryl acetate) was applied over a time period of 1 h. Plasma samples were collected for 56 h and analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Appearance of labeled tocopherols originating from the treatment started at 25 h and reached Cmax (0.6-4.6 μM depending on subject) in the 7-9 h window. From the Tmax onwards, both forms of tocopherols diminished slowly to 30-50% of their maxima within 56 h. Strong inter-individual variation was observed in the plasma appearance curves (relative standard deviation varied between 38-45%). No significant discrimination was found between the absorption of free or acetylated forms of deuterated α-tocopherol confirming that application of acetylated α-tocopherol provides the same bioavailability as free α-tocopherol. This observation is valid in both dispersed inverted bicontinuous cubic phase and micellar formulations. Furthermore, since the area-under-the-curve values from cubic phase and from micellar formulations are similar, the cubic phase formulation could represent an alternative delivery system for lipophilic micronutrients in conditions or studies where polysorbate-based micelles cannot be generated.


Some plant families show a striking imbalance in species diversity between the Neotropics and the Palaeotropics. The woody plant family Chrysobalanaceae is a typical example of this pattern, with 80% of the 531 species in the Neotropics. In order to test alternative interpretations for this pattern, we generated a dated phylogenetic hypothesis for Chrysobalanaceae, using DNA sequence data from one nuclear and six plastid markers. Using a maximum likelihood approach, we jointly inferred ancestral areas and diversification rates in the Neotropics and Palaeotropics. We found that Chrysobalanaceae most probably originated in the Palaeotropics about 80 Mya. The family dispersed into the Neotropics at least four times beginning 40–60 Mya, with at least one back-dispersal to the Palaeotropics. Members of Chrysobalanaceae have experienced higher extinction, speciation and net diversification rates in the Neotropics. Hence, the high species diversity of Chrysobalanaceae in the Neotropics appears to be primarily caused by a higher speciation rate in this region. Several recent studies have shown high diversification rates in Neotropical plant families, but have focused on Andean-centred taxa. Ours is the first study to find a similar pattern in a family for which the centre of diversity is in eastern and central Amazonia.


This study investigates social connectedness and social support in a military and civilian college population, and their associations with psychological, physical and stress-related health. There were 301 total participants, 51 of which were military personnel. The participant's ages ranged from 18-59 (M = 23.48, SD = 7.24), with majority of the participants being female (71.8%), Caucasian (66.1%) and in a relationship (50.8%). The study was administered online via SONA. The following measures were administered in this study: the Social Connectedness Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Physical Health Questionnaire, MOS Short Form Survey Instrument, UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Depression Patient Health Questionnaire, Hopkins Symptom Checklist Anxiety Scale, and the PTSD ChecklistCivilian Version. Veteran students indicated several issues while transitioning to higher education, as well as, several factors that they feel make them unique from their peers. Social connectedness significantly predicted all measures of health, especially PTSD (β = -.43, p < .001), depression (β = -.47, p < .001) and general health (β = -.30, p < .001), with higher rates of social connectedness denoting less symptoms. The social support's association with health via the main effect model was supported by the results, whereas, the buffering hypothesis model was not supported. Social support was most predictive of anxiety (β = -.28, p < .001), PTSD (β = -.37, p < .001) and general health (β = .36, p < .001). Military status was not associated with social connectedness, rendering the serial multiple mediation model untestable. This study provides empirical evidence that social connectedness is a powerful and pervasive human need, with important health implications.


Zinc levels were measured in hair and serum of boys with constitutional growth delay and familial short status and in several boys before and after oral administration of methyltestosterone. These results show the following: (1) zinc levels in boys beyond stage 3 of genital development are significantly higher than in stage 1 and 2; (2) there is a linear relationship between zinc levels and serum testosterone concentration (up to 250 ng/dL); and (3) methyltestosterone administration raised the zinc concentration in serum and hair, especially in boys with constitutional growth delay. Therefore, increased endogenous production or exogenous supply of testosterone are associated with increased zinc levels. We speculate that the relative testosterone deficiency and hypogonadotropism seen in constitutional growth delay may result in decreased zinc levels, which in turn could cause a further delay in the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics and greater growth retardation.


A simple method is presented for finding the modes on those optical waveguides with a cladding refractive index that differs only slightly from the refractive index of the core. The method applies to waveguides of arbitrary refractive index profile, arbitrary number of propagating modes, and arbitrary cross section. The resulting modal fields and their progagation constants display the polarization properties of the waveguide contained within the ∇ ∊ term of the vector wave equation. Examples include modes on waveguides with circular symmetry and waveguides with two preferred axes of symmetry, e.g., an elliptical core. Only a minute amount of eccentricity is necessary for the well-known LP modes to be stable on an elliptical core, while the circle modes couple power among themselves.


Nowadays, Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) technology is gaining popularity in monitoring and predicting the movement of landslide due to the capability of high-speed data capture without requiring a direct contact with the monitored surface. It offers very high density of point cloud data in high resolution and also can be an effective tool in detecting the surface movement of the landslide area. The aim of this research is to determine the optimal level of scanning resolution for landslide monitoring using TLS. The Topcon Geodetic Laser Scanner (GLS) 2000 was used in this research to obtain the three dimensional (3D) point cloud data of the landslide area. Four types of resolution were used during scanning operation which were consist of very high, high, medium and low resolutions. After done with the data collection, the point clouds datasets were undergone the process of registration and filtering using ScanMaster software. After that, the registered point clouds datasets were analyzed using CloudCompare software. Based on the results obtained, the accuracy of TLS point cloud data between picking point manually and computed automatically by ScanMaster software shows the maximum Root Mean Square (RMS) value of coordinate differences were 0.013m in very high resolution, 0.017m in high resolution, 0.031m in medium resolution and 0.052m in low resolution respectively. Meanwhile, the accuracy of TLS point cloud data between picking point manually and total station data using intersection method shows the maximum RMS values of coordinate differences were 0.013m in very high resolution, 0.018m in high resolution, 0.033m in medium resolution and 0.054m in low resolution respectively. Hence, it can be concluded that the high or very high resolution is needed for landslide monitoring using Topcon GLS-2000 which can provide more accurate data in slope result, while the low and medium resolutions is not suitable for landslide monitoring due to the accuracy of TLS point cloud data that will decreased when the resolution value is increased.


Abstract Films of wood-chip formation were captured with a high-speed camera during rip sawing of wood with a circular saw blade. The saw blade diameter was 400 mm and the rotational speed was 3250 rpm. The saw blade had four teeth with rake angles of 0°, 10°, 20° and 30° to ascertain the influence of different rake angles. Wooden boards were cut along the side so that the camera could record the cutting sequence without any interference from material between the cutting teeth and the camera. Tests were made for green, dry and frozen green pine boards, for both counter-cutting and climb-cutting cases. In addition, some Mozambican wood species were cut. The films, recorded at 40,000 frames s−1, show the cutting sequence along the trajectory of the tooth in question and the creation of the wood chip. Details such as the compression of the wood chip in the gullet, the movement of the wood chip inwards and outwards in the gullet and finally the exit from the gullet are visible. The chip size and chip movement depend strongly on the rake angle and on whether the wood is green, dry, frozen or unfrozen.


The area of mental health distress is one that crosses many disciplines including; psychiatry, critical psychiatry, psychology, critical psychology, history, politics, economics, philosophy, sociology, culture and human geographies (Thrift, 2006). Consequently, there are a complex set of issues to consider when discussing the experiences of being a mental health service user. Notwithstanding this diversity, such representations of mental health have a tendency to position service users as a fairly homogenous and static group of bodies – in other words, they are the stable 'other' (Conradson, 2005; Parr, 2000). As a way of exploring the complexity, this thesis sets out to explore the multiplex constituents and heterogeneous ways in which daily service user life is played out within everyday mental health spatial contexts. These spaces incorporate the psychiatric institution, the mental health day centre and the home.

Using interviews, ethnography, poetry and visual ethnographies, service users' experiences are analysed by exploring the relational aspects of the discursive and the non-discursive, such as receiving a diagnostic label and subsequent treatments and the ways in which these practices permeate the embodied and spatial experiences of every day service user life. This corpus of research data suggests that rather than the experiences of mental health distress operating as a stratified set of factors awaiting analysis, there were divergent accounts incorporating positivity, negativity and ambivalence in the ways which service users made meanings of their daily lives (Brown & Tucker, 2010). Consequently, this thesis is framed around the ontological realms of creativity, potentiality and of becoming within and through space (Deleuze & Guattari, 2004; Massumi, 2002). Finally, some implications of the current political changes and how these may impact upon daily service user life are discussed to highlight that mental health service users' are always on the move.


ABSTRACT What factors explain attacks on humanitarian aid workers? Most research has tended to describe trends rather than analyse the underlying reasons behind attacks. To move this agenda forward, we present to our knowledge the first peer-reviewed cross-national time-series study that identifies factors related to violent attacks on humanitarian aid workers. Our theoretical framework explores two sets of potential explanatory factors: dynamics of conflicts; and the politicization and militarization of humanitarian operations. Using a global sample at the country level from 1997 to 2014, our results suggest that: (i) the presence and severity of armed conflicts are related to increased attacks on aid workers; (ii) aid workers do not appear to face greater risks even where civilians are targeted; (iii) the presence of an international military force does not appear to add to nor decrease risks to aid workers; and (iv) the effects of peacekeeping operations upon humanitarian security are varied. We discuss this in light of the ongoing challenges facing humanitarian organizations to provide security in fragile and conflict-affected areas.


Background and purpose: This research aimed at investigating the effect of kinesio tape on functional performance of lower extremity and pain severity in athletes with and without medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS). Materials and methods: The study was performed in 30 students of physical training course in Guilan University including 15 students with MTSS and 15 healthy students. At first, the function of lower extremity was compared between the two groups using shuttle run tests, figure 8 hop test, side to side hop test, and agility hop test. Pain severity was measured by visual analog scale. Then, taping was performed to evaluate the functional performance and pain severity in athletes before, immediately and 24 hr after continues use of the tape. Results: Before the intervention the functional performance in those with MTSS was weaker in SR, FEH, and AH tests than that in healthy group (P≤ 0.05). The ANOVA test showed better scores in SR, FEH and AH tests and decrease in pain levels among individuals with MTSS syndrome after using kinesio tape (P≤05). But 24 hours after use of kinesio tape the functional performance and pain severity did not change (P≥0.05). Conclusion: Trainers are recommended to plan special functional exercises and using Kinesio tape for its medicinal role (deep sense improvement and decrease of pain) to improve the functional performance of athletes with MTSS.


Correlation and partial correlation are often used to provide a characterisation of the network properties of the human brain, based on functional brain imaging data. However, for partial correlation, the choice of network nodes (brain regions) and regularisation parameters is crucial and not yet well explored. Here we assess a number of approaches by calculating how each approach performs when used to discriminate different ongoing states of brain activity. We find evidence that partial correlation matrices, when estimated with appropriate regularisation, can provide a useful characterisation of brain functional connectivity.


Cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR)-dependent diastolic SR Ca2+ leak is increased in heart failure and during beta-adrenergic (β-AR) stimulation. This increased SR Ca2+ leak could limit the SR [Ca2+] thereby decreasing contractility in HF and could also lead to arrhythmogenic Ca-dependent inward depolarizing current resulting in HF. It has recently been shown in our lab that this leak is dependent on calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and subsequent NOS activation, and that it is independent of either protein kinase A (PKA) activation or an increase in free Ca2+ concentration in the cytosol ([Ca2+]i). Here we investigate whether Akt is also involved in the pathway leading to increased diastolic leak during β-AR stimulation. Methods: [Ca2+]i was measured using fluo-4 in left ventricular myocytes isolated from rabbits. To vary the SR load, myocytes were field-stimulated to steady state at different frequencies. Tetracaine (1mM) was used to rapidly and reversibly block the RyR. The tetracaine-dependent shift of Ca2+ from the cytosol to the SR (decrease in [Ca2+]i and increase in SR Ca2+ content) is proportional to SR Ca2+ leak. To activate β-AR, isoproterenol (ISO; 250 nM) was added to perfuse the myocytes starting 5 min before leak assessment through the end. Results: ISO-induced increase in the SR Ca2+ leak is abolished by the treatment of myocytes with Akt inhibitor X (AIX; 5μM; 30min pre-incubation and perfusion throughout the experiment). When SR Ca2+ load was matched in each group (ISO alone: 155.22 ± 5.1 μM; ISO + AIX: 153.92 ± 3.8 μM), myocytes treated with ISO alone had significantly higher leak (12.43 ± 3.8 μM) vs. those treated with ISO and AIX (1 ± 2.2 μM) (P = 0.01, t-test). This evidence indicates that Akt activation may also be involved in the β-AR-induced SR Ca2+ leak possibly upstream from CaMKII and NOS activation.


The early Proterozoic Chocolay Group in the Lake Superior region is a cratonal sequence consisting of a basal unit overlain successively by quartzite, dolomite, and slate formations. Two regional depositional environments are described: (1) present-day structural troughs (Marquette, Menominee, and Felch, Michigan) show evidence of having sedimentary-basin precursors; and (2) other areas (Gogebic Range, Michigan) show evidence of sedimentation in platform settings. The basal unit in the Marquette and Menominee troughs is as much as 160 m thick and was probably deposited by alluvial processes. In the Gogebic Range, the basal unit is less than 10 m thick and resembles lag deposits at the base of transgressive sequences. The overlying quartzite contains cross-beds that show two regional sedimentary-vector (paleocurrent) distributions: (1) unimodal low-variance distributions with sedimentary vectors oriented subparallel to local structural trough axes (Marquette, Menominee, and Felch troughs); and (2) polymodal distributions with sedimentary vectors showing greater dispersion about the mean (Gogebic Range). As indicated by many varieties of sedimentary structures (silicified evaporites, cryptalgal structures, intraclast breccias, and so on), the carbonates and interstratified siliciclastics of the Chocolay Group were deposited in subtidal to supratidal conditions. Taylor noted, in 1972, that certain members of the Chocolay Group carbonates thicken toward the center of the Marquette trough, with concomitant facies changes. The uppermost pelite unit of the Chocolay Group was probably deposited below normal wave base. It is concluded that the basins and platforms were formed on a craton undergoing rift-type tectonism.


People have generally been considered poor at probabilistic reasoning, producing subjective probability estimates that far from accord to normative rules. Features of the typical probabilistic reasoning task, however, make strong conclusions difficult. The present study, therefore, combines research on probabilistic reasoning with research on category learning where participants learn base rates and likelihoods in a category-learning task. Later they produce estimates of posterior probability based on the learnt probabilities. The results show that our participants can produce subjective probability estimates that are well calibrated against the normative Bayesian probability and are sensitive to base rates. Further, they have accurate knowledge of both base rate and means of the categories encountered during learning. This indicates that under some conditions people might be better at probabilistic reasoning than what could be expected from previous research.


Let a particle start at some point in the unit interval I := [0, 1]
and undergo Brownian motion in I until it hits one of the end points. At
this instant the particle stays put for a finite holding time with an
exponential distribution and then jumps back to a point inside I with a
probability density μ0 or μ1 parametrized by the boundary point it was
from. The process starts afresh. The same evolution repeats
independently each time. Many probabilistic aspects of this diffusion
process are investigated in the paper [10]. The authors in the cited
paper call this process diffusion with holding and jumping (DHJ). Our
simple aim in this paper is to analyze the eigenvalues of a nonlocal
boundary problem arising from this process.


Development practice is full of examples of the importance of religion in the lives of people in developing countries. However, religion has largely remained unexplored in development studies. This timely new book aims to fill that gap. The authors expertly review how religion has been treated in the evolution of development thought, how it has been conceptualised in the social sciences, and highlights the major deficiencies of the assumption of secularism. The book argues that development theory and practice needs to rewrite its dominant script regarding its treatment of religion, a script which has so far been heavily inscribed in the secular tradition. It puts forward an understanding of religions as traditions: that religions rest on central thesis and teachings which never cease to be re-interpreted in the light of the social, political and historical context. In addition to providing a conceptual framework for analysing the role of religion in development, the book provides numerous empirical examples drawn from the Christian and Islamic religious traditions. This comprehensive new guide to this key issue is essential for students, development thinkers and practitioners who wish to understand better the role taht religion plays in development processes and outcomes.


We examine the effect of bargaining power and informational asymmetry on the design of international cooperative ventures in the presence of restrictions on equity participation and investment. When the bargaining advantage rests with the multinational, equity participation restrictions can increase the profits to domestic firms and encourage suboptimal investment policies. Overinvestment occurs when the multinational's bargaining advantage is reinforced by an informational advantage, while underinvestment occurs when the domestic firm possesses the informational advantage. In contrast, when the bargaining advantage rests with the domestic firm, equity participation restrictions do not affect investment levels. Copyright 2002, Oxford University Press.


Insurance coverage for the treatment of mental disorders has always been less generous than coverage for other medical and surgical conditions. The existence of public hospitals and clinics financed by tax dollars is one important reason why private employers have been unwilling to pick up the costs of catastrophic mental illness. Many employers feel that someone who suffers from a serious and persistent mental illness is unlikely to continue to work, and that they can avoid the financial responsibility for expensive treatment by shifting that person to the public sector. Underlying this feeling is the view that treatment is not effective in maintaining a productive work force. The stigma surrounding mental illness and its treatment reinforces this notion of incurability and high cost. Paradoxically, the opposite concern—that employees and their dependents might inappropriately use psychiatric insurance—has also supported prejudice against psychiatric benefits. The Woody Allen stereotype of the complaining, whining patient implies that mental conditions are so trivial that appropriate diagnosis and specialty treatment should not be adequately paid for. Employers who have improved insurance benefits for mental disorders have also become concerned about "adverse selection"—that individuals and families at higher risk for mental disorders will create financial drain on their system while their competitors shed those risks through strict "inside limits" on benefits, such as higher copayments and deductibles, fewer allowable visits and inpatient days, and annual and lifetime limits. The quest for "parity" of mental health with other benefits has been a historic struggle to overcome these barriers to nondiscriminatory coverage. Managed care has substituted utilization review for arbitrary benefit limits as yet another way to ration treatment. Now we have growing evidence of the economic benefits of effective and appropriate psychiatric treatment. In this issue Zhang and associates demonstrate the value of treatment for depression through the relatively simple measure of lost work days. Treatment literally pays for itself; that is, employers get back what they spend for treatment. Although reduced absenteeism is often not a direct goal of treatment, it is a critical factor for any business in improving productivity and efficiency. For the depressed person, better functioning in the family, decreased morbidity from other medical conditions, and increased work productivity are other benefits of relief from the real pain and suffering of a depressive disorder. Treatment works. Every business, large and small, should take note of the value of treatment for depressive disorders.—STEVEN S. SHARFSTEIN, M.D., president and medical director, Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore, and vice-chairman, department of psychiatry, University of Maryland


This study was carried out in order to determine the enzyme activity of the wood vinegar obtained from the hazelnut shells with the potential of bio-pesticide in agro-ecosystem soil, and its effect on the microfungi and heterotrophic bacteria in total. The study was realized in the production seasons of 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, in the ecological conditions of the province Muş (in Turkey) on winter wheat field and with four repetitions according to Randomized Blocks Experimental Design. The treatments within the scope of the experiment were conducted as the six different doses of wood vinegar at 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0%, 3.0%, 4.0%, and 5.0% mL, and the control treatment which was only provided with tap water. Repeated Measurement ANOVA was used to determine the effect of wood vinegar at different doses, the production seasons and periods (preand post-treatment) on relevant features. As based on the statistical inferences, only the Treatment × Year and Period × Year interaction effects in terms of the number of heterotrophic bacteria (P = 0.000 and P = 0.011); and only the Period × Year interaction effects for the number of microfungi (P = 0.000) were found statistically significant. Therefore, the effect of the treatments made on the number of heterotrophic bacteria varied by the production seasons. In a similar way, the effect of the production season and periods on the number of microfungi also changed as based on the term. While the effect of period (P = 0.000) and the Treatment × Period interaction (P = 0.014) effect were significant for Alkaline Phosphatase activity, Year × Period (P = 0.001) and Treatment × Period interactions (P = 0.000) were found significant as related to Beta Glucosidase activity. In conclusion, it may be stated that the wood vinegar used at different doses with the purpose of protecting plant and/or crop in wheat agro-ecosystem does not have a negative effect on microbial factors determined in the soil, and especially, the treatment of 3% mL has a positive effect on bacteria number and Beta Glucosidase enzyme activity.


Developmental researchers recognize that multiple component skills and social processes underlie children's communication. Infants' gestures have catalyzed consideration of non-verbal behaviors as markers of early communicative and social competence. The current study examines infant sign and conventional gesture production to inform debate on developmental and contextual constraints on communicative competence. Based on observations over eight months, we describe the emergence timing of gestures and signs in ten infants' spontaneous behavior. We test whether two features of gestures and signs, relative frequency of caregiver use and motoric complexity, explain variation in emergence timing. We find that while these features may constrain whether infants produce particular gestures or signs, additional explanatory mechanisms must account for the late emergence of some conventional gestures.


[Excerpt] "In 1993, the New Hampshire Supreme Court held that "part II, article 83 [of the state constitution] imposes a duty on the State to provide a constitutionally adequate education to every educable child in the public schools in New Hampshire and to guarantee adequate funding," and that this duty is enforceable by the judiciary. This decision, known as Claremont I, was the wellspring of a line of decisions that has radically changed both the manner in which public education is funded in New Hampshire and the respective roles of the judicial branch and the representative branches in formulating education policy. Since the adoption of the state constitution in 1784, public education in New Hampshire had been funded primarily with local taxes. The Claremont decisions flatly rejected this long tradition of local control of the funding of public education: "Whatever the State identifies as comprising constitutional adequacy it must pay for. None of that financial obligation can be shifted to local school districts, regardless of their relative wealth


Background: Horses are unlike most animals as they take part in equine sports and thus are athletic animals. Comparable to a human athlete, horses are prone to sports related injuries and disease. Equine chiropractic has shown to be one of the most utilized forms of complementary and alternative veterinary medicine (CAVM) worldwide, providing a drug free approach to equine health care and maintenance. However, equine chiropractic lacks research and therefore a wide gap in the literature exists. Studies on CAVM therapies have shown that these therapies are largely driven by the public and the public's perceptions towards these therapies. However, little is known of the public's perceptions towards equine chiropractic in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Horse riders represent the primary contact with the horse and are in the best position to note the outcome of post equine chiropractic treatment. For this reason they have influence on the utilization of equine chiropractic. It is, therefore, important to attempt to close the gap through ascertaining the horse riders' knowledge, perception and utilization of equine chiropractic, particularly in KZN, where no such data exists. Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the knowledge, perception and utilization of equine chiropractic amongst horse riders in the KZN region. Method: The research design is a descriptive, quantitative, self administered survey based study. The study population included all horse riders in KZN (N= 500). There is no available list that details the number of horse riders in KZN, therefore, it was estimated that there are 500 horse riders in KZN (This was based on the number of horses stabled in KZN). The study sample included all horse riders at stable yards in KZN that had given written permission for the research to take part at their yard (N= 330). This was estimated by the number of horses stabling at the yards where owners had given written permission. Results: The response rate was 25% (n=83). The respondents were predominantly white (98%) and female (81%), and between the ages of 41- 50 years. Most respondents had previously been treated successfully by a chiropractor and had tertiary education. The majority of respondents were part of a horse society and participated predominantly in show- jumping. Most respondents had ridden horses for 0-10years, and currently rode only one horse. Their main horse (the horse they rode the most), for which most respondents were both the owner and rider, stayed predominantly in a stable and was between the ages of 5- 10 years. Most respondents had not sought alternative veterinary care for this horse, but had sought alternative veterinary care for their other horse(s) that they rode. Out of all the alternative veterinary therapies respondents reported to utilize, equine chiropractic showed to have the highest utilization. Equine chiropractic reported to have an overall high success rate with both the respondents' main horse (92%) and their other horse(s) (87.5%). Respondents' overall subjective knowledge of equine chiropractic was 'that they knew something about it'. Respondents' objective knowledge score was 75%. Most respondents had gained their knowledge of equine chiropractic through a friend and stated that the information they had gained was favourable towards equine chiropractic. It was interesting to note that 90% of respondents had some knowledge of equine chiropractic. Most respondents knew of one or more equine chiropractor(s), and were referred to them predominantly by a riding instructor. Just under half (49.4%) of the respondents had utilized an equine chiropractor, yet most respondents showed to have accurate knowledge of what equine conditions chiropractors treat. The majority of respondents supported the future utilization of equine chiropractic, but would like more information on equine chiropractic techniques. The research data revealed a trend showing that the utilization of alternative equine therapies or equine chiropractic corresponded with an increased knowledge of equine chiropractic. The data revealed graphically that the more equine chiropractors a respondent knew of, the more they utilized equine chiropractic. Conclusion: Respondents showed predominantly to have a positive perception towards equine chiropractic. Their knowledge of equine chiropractic was overall accurate and they showed to utilize and support the future utilization of equine chiropractic.


The energy transition will require considerable increases in energy efficiency, particularly in residential buildings. Financial support mechanisms, information and adviceprograms and dedicated training and certification of craftsmen are already in place to stimulate energy efficiency investment. Nevertheless, the required annual rate of thermal building refurbishment of around two percent is so far not achieved. For some real estate owners this may be explained by a investment horizon that is shorter than lifetime and repayment period of energy efficiency investment projects. The reluctance may also be due to an inadequate risk assessment by investors. Alternative financing approaches that rely mainly on the principle of coupling the revenues of the investment to actual energy cost savings and the increased involvement of equity capital might in such instances contribute to increasing investment activity. Particularly, in the current phase of low interest rates, there is more investment pressure on institutional investors whose willingness to participate in energy efficiency projects is likely to have increased substantially. Experience in other countries has however moderated expectations of being able to trigger greater short-term stimuli with innovative financial instruments. Nevertheless, given the challenges of the energy transition, further investigation of innovative financial concepts also based on equity funding seems warranted.


In spite of a communications revolution that has given the public access to new media in new places, the revolution has been stopped cold at the steps to the U.S. federal courthouse. The question whether to allow television cameras in federal courtrooms has aroused strong passions on both sides, and Congress keeps threatening to settle the debate and permit cameras in federal courts. Proponents of cameras in federal courtrooms focus mainly on the need to educate the public and to make judges accountable, whereas opponents focus predominantly on the ways in which cameras can affect participants' behavior and compromise the dignity of the court and the fairness of the trial.In this article, I lay out the traditional arguments that proponents and opponents make to justify their positions, but I also examine the weaknesses of each side, and the underlying motivations and aspirations, which neither side ever articulates. I explore the unintended consequences of cameras in the courtroom because institutions are not static. For example, cameras might contribute to a growing trend, which I call the "vanishing oral argument," in which appellate courts do away with oral argument and simply decide the case on the briefs. I also look at other contexts in which cameras have been introduced, such as Supreme Court nomination hearings and congressional speeches, and draw lessons from cameras in these other settings.In the end, the debate entails competing values and perspectives. Proponents primarily take a "public-centered" view of courts and focus on protecting public access to court proceedings, whereas opponents primarily take a "participant-centered" view and consider the participants in the proceeding and how they are affected by cameras. However, both perspectives can be accommodated, at least to some extent. Federal courts should post transcripts and audio recordings of court proceedings online, but stop short of permitting cameras in the courtroom. Federal judges need to consider the power of the image, the omnipresence of the camera, the spread of images via the Web, and the current lack of a "technology etiquette" that will guide the use of courtroom images on the Web. Until that etiquette develops, federal judges should take incremental steps to make courts more accessible, but should not allow cameras in federal courts, particularly in federal district courts.


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There is a growing and misinformed sense in some quarters that the United States and other countries have engaged (and continue to engage) in delegations to international institution that involve a significant threat to domestic sovereignty. Concerns about such delegations come from academics (John Yoo: "Novel forms of international cooperation increasingly call for the transfer of rulemaking authority to international organizations"), prominent politicians (Bob Barr: "Nary a thought is given when international organizations, like the UN, attempt to enforce their myopic vision of a one-world government upon America, while trumping our Constitution in the process. Moreover, many in our own government willfully or ignorantly cede constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms to the international community;" Jesse Helms: "The American people see the UN aspiring to establish itself as the central authority of a new international order of global laws and global government."); and senior government officials (John Bolton: "For virtually every area of public policy, there is a Globalist proposal, consistent with the overall objective of reducing individual nation-state autonomy, particularly that of the United States"). In our view the perspective evidenced by the above quotes is almost wholly a myth. But it is a myth that persists and continues to attract attention. This Essay seeks to bring forward a more realistic and accurate view of international institutions and engagement. We demonstrate that meaningful delegations of sovereignty are extremely rare and even when they do exist they are carefully cabined. Decision-making authority in all areas remains firmly in the hands of national governments.


On 25th November 2015, Studies in Arts and Humanities (SAH) Journal hosted a public interview with leading Irish film and television producer James Flynn (Octagon Productions) and creator/writer of the groundbreaking Irish television drama Love/Hate Stuart Carolan. The interview was conducted by Conor Murphy (Editor-in-Chief, SAH Journal) at Filmbase Ireland before a live audience comprising students and faculty from the film schools of Dublin Business School, Filmbase and Pulse College. This lively and thought-provoking interview provided key insights into the artistic and production processes behind the making of a successful TV drama. James Flynn gave a detailed overview of the funding and legislative frameworks in which the modern day film producer operates both in Ireland and overseas. He provided a fascinating timeline of developments in the filmmaking industry in Ireland in parallel with his own career over the last twenty years. Stuart Carolan explained how the rich and varied characters that inhabit Love/Hate come into being and offered an insight into the daily writing rituals that shaped the development of character, plot and pace. He also spoke about the significance of casting in Love/Hate on the development of the story. The casting of John Connors, for example, influenced Stuart to develop a traveller theme to a greater extent than initially intended. Stuart's passion for social justice and equality was evident throughout the interview. The interview is replete with analysis of the process of developing Love/Hate including the logistics of shooting in multiple locations and the tight deadlines under which they operated. In addition, James and Stuart offered focussed, helpful and encouraging advice for emerging screenwriters and filmmakers.


Many women are concerned about their future fertility, about pregnancy complications and about the health of their future child when choosing a contraceptive method and sometimes women want to interrupt the contraception – maybe after years of use – in order to attempt pregnancy. Return to fertility, has been thoroughly analyzed in the literature. This chapter provides evidence-based information and discusses the potential doubts of women. Return to fertility has been consistently found to be sure, albeit sometimes slightly slow in the short term: pregnancy rates after 1 year of contraceptive interruption are 79–95% for oral contraceptives, 79–96% for levonorgestrel IUD, 71–91% for copper IUDs, around 80% for implants and 75–80% for injectable contraceptives. About 50% women are pregnant 3–6 months after contraceptive discontinuation; around 90–95% of women had achieved pregnancy 2 years after stopping their contraceptive method. Some studies have found associated risks of fetal malformations when women take oral contraceptive pills after conception (though other studies disputed these results). However the offspring of women who used oral contraceptives before conception does not show an increased risk of fetal death, miscarriage, gestational hypertension, major newborn structural defects or hypospadias. The effect on birth weight seems small and inconclusive.


We have obtained a Raman spectrum of single nanometer-sized particles (nano-particles) trapped by laser tweezers for the first time. The microscope used in this study is a new version of our Raman tweezers microscope (RTM); it contains an oil-immersed objective lens with high numerical aperture to increase the force of the optical radiation pressure of the near-infrared laser beam to trap single organic and biological nanoparticles and provides sufficient sensitivity for the Raman measurement of the trapped nano-particles. The confocal arrangement in the system completely eliminates the Raman signal of the oil under the objective lens. The RTM provides a Raman spectrum of a single polystyrene latex bead about 40 nm in diameter with an exposure time of 3 s and allows us to determine its molecular species. Furthermore, the RTM enables us to count the number of nanoparticles in the focal spot of the laser beam from the Raman spectra of trapped nanoparticles.


Written by the best known and most trusted name in the ColdFusion community, Ben Forta, The ColdFusion Web Application Construction Kit is the best-selling ColdFusion series of all time. Volume 3: Advanced Application Development, focuses on application security, scalability and high-availability, and integration with other systems and technologies. The book starts with two sections dedicated specifically to scalability and security, and then focused on extending ColdFusion applications using web technologies, other languages and platforms, and sophisticated integration techniques. Complete coverage of ColdFusion 9 is included in "Volume 1, Getting Started" (0-321-66034-X) and "Volume 2, Application Development" (0-321-67919-9).


Background/Context Although substantial evidence from the United States indicates that more qualified teachers are disproportionately concentrated among academically and economically advantaged children, little cross-national research has examined the distribution of teacher qualifications across schools and students. As a result, we know little about how different institutional contexts, policies, and priorities influence children's access to qualified teachers. Research Question Our research questions are: (1) Are the qualifications of lower-secondary teachers within and across Mexico and South Korea distributed uniformly across schools? (2) If not, does the distribution of teacher qualifications in each country favor less or more advantaged children? (3) How can dissimilarities in teacher-related policies and educational priorities help to explain differences in the distribution of teacher qualifications across Mexico and South Korea? Research Design We employ secondary analysis of data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey, which was conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2007/2008. We use these data to describe the distribution of various teacher qualifications across communities of different sizes and across schools with varying levels of parental education. We also explore cross-national differences in institutional priorities and teacher-related policies. We compare Mexico and South Korea because while these two countries are similar in the level of teacher hiring and assignment, they are quite different in terms of their general commitment to educational equity. Findings/Results We find that the distribution of qualified teachers in South Korea is skewed toward disadvantaged children, while Mexican teachers tend to be distributed in a way that favors more advantaged students. Specifically, in South Korea students living in rural areas and those in schools with lower average parental education have greater access to better educated and more experienced teachers. The opposite occurs in Mexico. Conclusions/Recommendations We argue that these differences are due to both explicit policies and a greater commitment to educational equity in South Korea, relative to Mexico. Moreover, these differences are likely to be related to large cross-national differences in educational performance and equity.


A statewide StreamStats application for North Carolina was developed in cooperation with the North Carolina Department of Transportation following completion of a pilot application for the upper French Broad River basin in western North Carolina (Wagner and others, 2009). StreamStats for North Carolina, available at http://water.usgs.gov/ osw/streamstats/north_carolina.html, is a Web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) application developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in consultation with Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (Esri)1 to provide access to an assortment of analytical tools that are useful for water-resources planning and management (Ries and others, 2008). The StreamStats application provides an accurate and consistent process that allows users to easily obtain streamflow statistics, basin characteristics, and descriptive information for USGS data-collection sites and user-selected ungaged sites. In the North Carolina application, users can compute 47 basin characteristics and peak-flow frequency statistics (Weaver and others, 2009; Robbins and Pope, 1996) for a delineated drainage basin. Selected streamflow statistics and basin characteristics for data-collection sites have been compiled from published reports and also are immediately accessible by querying individual sites from the web interface. Examples of basin characteristics that can be computed in StreamStats include drainage area, stream slope, mean annual precipitation, and percentage of forested area (Ries and others, 2008). Examples of streamflow statistics that were previously available only through published documents include peak-flow frequency, flow-duration, and precipitation data. These data are valuable for making decisions related to bridge design, floodplain delineation, water-supply permitting, and sustainable stream quality and ecology. The StreamStats application also allows users to identify stream reaches upstream and downstream from user-selected sites and obtain information for locations along streams where activities occur that may affect streamflow conditions. This functionality can be accessed through a map-based interface with the user's Web browser (fig. 1), or individual functions can be requested remotely through Web services (Ries and others, 2008). The StreamStats Web site is http://streamstats.usgs.gov/. This Web site provides helpful information for the user, including definitions of basin characteristics, details about the functionality and limitations of the StreamStats application, user instructions, and links to access state applications.


Traditionally, the only standard method of testing that has consistently provided high fault coverage has been scan test due to the high controllability and high observability this technique provides. The scan chains used in scan test not only allow test engineers to control and observe a chip, but these properties also allow the scan architecture to be used as a means to breach chip security. In this paper, we propose a technique, called Lock & Key, to neutralize the potential for scan-based side-channel attacks. It is very difficult to implement an all inclusive security strategy, but by knowing the attacker, a suitable strategy can be devised. The Lock & Key technique provides a flexible security strategy to modern designs without significant changes to scan test practices. Using this technique, the scan chains are divided into smaller subchains. With the inclusion of a test security controller, access to subchains are randomized when being accessed by an unauthorized user. Random access reduces repeatability and predictability making reverse engineering more difficult. Without proper authorization, an attacker would need to unveil several layers of security before gaining proper access to the scan chain in order to exploit it. The proposed Lock & Key technique is design independent while maintaining a relatively low area overhead.


This paper analyses the temporal distribution of the asynchronous interventions made by a group of seven trainee mathematics teachers during online collaborative work carried out for two months in mid-2011. As part of the Residence subject within the degree in training mathematics teachers at the National University of Rosario (Argentina), students have to prepare a report giving details of their experience of observing mathematics classes during first-semester courses on engineering degrees (or similar) and also correct their partners' work. A set of weekly activities was drawn up to organise the task for the Residence subject. The space used was Google Docs, whose features include access to the history of revisions made to each document, including the date, time and person working on a particular report. We used this history of revisions to analyse students' time management at four levels and tried to characterise the degree of systematisation in the process of developing their own work and peer correction. From the results, we can conclude that this systematisation was achieved for the group overall. But there was no correspondence between what was actually done and the set weekly activities, because the interventions were concentrated in the last two weeks of the experience. One way of improving this lack of correspondence would be to get the Residence teachers and trainee mathematics teachers together at the start of the task week to prepare the set of weekly activities.


Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN)-led self-management program on cardiovascular health status among Korean women at risk of developing or progressing cardiovascular disease. Methods: This pilot study used one-group pre- and post- test experimental design. At health fairs in a community, 30 women who had one or more risk factors for metabolic syndrome were recruited and agreed to participate in the study. A total of 25 women completed the study. The intervention consisted of weekly follow-up calls and self-monitoring diary after an hour of individual counseling regarding risk factors, fast walking, and healthy diet tailored to the participants' needs. Physical activity was assessed with the World Health Organization International Physical Activity Questionnaire and a pedometer. Results: Participants showed statistically significant improvements in blood pressure, body mass index, levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein, numbers of metabolic syndrome factors, and the 10-year CV risk estimate after one month of concentrated intervention. In addition, their physical activity behavior significantly improved after the intervention. Conclusion: This APN-led self-management program targeting modifiable risk factors by offering tailored counseling and concentrated support during the transition might be effective in preventing progression to the cardiovascular disease.


We show how active transport of ions can be interpreted as an entropy facilitated process. In this interpretation, a particular change in the pore geometry through which substrates are transported gives rise to a driving force. This chemical energy provided by the chemical reaction is then used to create a protein geometry favorable for the uphill transport of ions. Attempts to estimate the energy available by this change in several proteins shows that an entropic contribution from the pore geometry is significant. We discuss how this effect can be used to understand how energy transduction in active transport can take place over a relatively long distance.


Hemp-lime is a comparatively unknown building material in Estonia. Scientific interest in this material is increasing remarkably quickly around the world, yet the practical competence regarding its usage is lacking in Estonia as far as the construction industry is concerned.
Hemp occupies an important place amongst crops that have traditionally been cultivated in Estonia, but its use has not been typically associated with the construction industry. Owing to its strong fibre, hemp has primarily been seen as raw material for the production of textile products, particularly rope, and the inner core of the plant or 'hemp hurd', has been cast aside as a by-product. Since the porosity of hemp hurds results in a relatively low thermal conductivity, hemp-lime, the composite material made by mixing hemp with lime, is suitablefor insulating pre-existing building envelopes as well as for installing insulation for new buildings during construction. Lime creates an alkaline environment around the hemp hurds, making it difficult for fungi and pest insects to thrive. Compared to other natural insulation materials, hemp-lime therefore has a rather good balance between durability and cost-effectiveness.
The essential feature of hemp-lime relevant to construction engineering is that the material is monolithic – any occurrences of sparsity and the resultant risk of thermal bridging in building envelopes is kept to a minimum, since the hemp-lime filling that surrounds the load-bearing structure forms a solid external surface, when properly installed. Owing to its high level of air-tightness, external structures made from hemp-lime can reduce the risk both of excessive cooling and of overheating. In addition to creating a comfortable indoor climate for residents, mitigating any sharp fluctuations also protects the wooden construction elements surrounded by the hemp-lime, which thus also reduces the risk of moisture and frost damage.
Reducing the annual energy consumption of buildings and ensuring healthy indoor air quality pose significant challenges to the construction industry, since according to the current building code, the energy performance indicator of the buildings being put up from 1st January, 2021, should not exceed the limit established for nearly zero-energy buildings. In short, this calls for a more efficient use of resources, including the production, transport, installation, and recycling of materials. Compared to the majority of contemporary building materials, hemp-lime is relatively eco-friendly, and its energy content is low.
Keywords: industrial hemp, lime, clay, hemp-lime


Abstract Objective: There is inconsistent evidence and limited data in the Hispanic population concerning fruit and vegetable intake and cancer risk. This study explored the effect of fruit and vegetable intake on cancer risk in Mexican-Americans. Methods: Participants in this cross-sectional study were drawn from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort. Consumption of fruits and vegetables were assessed using a validated questionnaire. Cancer was self-reported by the participants based on being told by a health care provider that they had cancer. Results: Among 2,381 participants with available dietary data, 82 reported a diagnosis of cancer. Participants who met recommendations of five or more servings of fruit and vegetable per day had a significantly 86% lower risk for reported cancer compared with those who did not meet recommendations, after adjusting for other covariates. Every portion increment of total fruit and vegetable intake was significantly associated with the reduced cancer risk by 11% with the adjustment of other covariates. Conclusions: Fruit and vegetable intake was inversely associated with cancer risk in Mexican-Americans. Improving the consumption of fruit and vegetable might be an effective area for further research as part of a strategy for cancer prevention and control among Mexican-Americans independent of other factors.


This study examines how regional development of the knowledge economy can be stimulated. Development of knowledge economies at the regional level is viewed as an important area for continued economic growth and has been designated to be of great significance as part of the EU's Lisbon Strategy. The growing importance of the knowledge economy as a driver of regional stimulus in Europe because of the high value-added nature of its products has been further intensified by the continued restructuring of global economics. This suggests that the role of the knowledge economy will be central to European development in the coming years. Given the enduring nature of economic development and the wide variety of other factors at play, the effects of implementing specific strategies are often difficult to measure over a short period of time. To mitigate this shortcoming, a review of the theoretical critiques and real world examples, including cases from Sweden, the Netherlands and the United States, can help provide policy makers with the information necessary to make properly informed decisions. Through a review of the most pertinent contemporary theories - the Creative Class, Skilled Cities and Local Production Systems theories - the risks and rewards of various strategies regarding the development of regional knowledge economies are surveyed. Examples from Europe and North America are employed to provide a more detailed understanding of the central themes of development. Through this study, it is clear that each of the theories recognizes the complex nature of the development process and that no theory is entirely correct or incorrect. Further, each recognizes the importance of tailoring policies to meet the specific needs of distinct regions and the fallacy of viewing economic development as a linear process. In the context of this review, it is apparent that a combination of theories, in concert with local factors, usually offers a region the greatest opportunity for success.


ABSTRACT Multidisciplinary education is being increasingly introduced into many countries' curricula. In Finland, the national curriculum of 2014 made multidisciplinary education mandatory in basic education. This case study investigates how history teaching is perceived and implemented within a multidisciplinary module in a Finnish primary school. Data was collected through interviews and observations, and the analysis followed a thematic analysis procedure. The study is theoretically framed around concepts of multidisciplinary education, history education, and multidisciplinary history teaching. The results indicate that multidisciplinary education can support history's status and relevance as a subject, as its connections to other subjects and the lifeworld are clarified. In multidisciplinary education, historical content can be holistically studied through multiple perspectives. History content can also provide a base for developing overarching competences and skills related to other subjects. As the case of study was clearly affected by its context, the article addresses education as a complex phenomenon. Regardless of the curriculum approach, teachers need to be sensitive to the framing conditions for teaching and learning. To support history learning, both in multidisciplinary and subject-based education, the conditions for students' learning need to determine teaching purposes and methods.


Minimizing a cost function under a set of combinatorial constraints is a fundamental, yet challenging problem in AI. Fortunately, in various real-world applications, the set of constraints describing the problem structure is much less susceptible to change over time than the cost function capturing user's preferences. In such situations, compiling the set of feasible solutions during an offline step can make sense, especially when the target compilation language renders computationally easier the generation of optimal solutions for cost functions supplied "on the fly", during the online step. In this paper, the focus is laid on Boolean constraints compiled into DNNF representations. We study the complexity of the minimization problem for several families of cost functions subject to DNNF constraints. Beyond linear minimization which is already known to be tractable in the DNNF language, we show that both quadratic minimization and submodular minization are fixed-parameter tractable for various subsets of DNNF. In particular, the fixed-parameter tractability of constrained submodular minimization is established using a natural parameter capturing the structural dissimilarity between the submodular cost function and the DNNF representation.


We present a parallel framework for simulating incompressible fluids with predictive-corrective incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics (PCISPH) on the GPU in real time. To this end, we propose an efficient GPU streaming pipeline to map the entire computational task onto the GPU, fully exploiting the massive computational power of state-of-the-art GPUs. In PCISPH-based simulations, neighbor search is the major performance obstacle because this process is performed several times at each time step. To eliminate this bottleneck, an efficient parallel sorting method for this time-consuming step is introduced. Moreover, we discuss several optimization techniques including using fast on-chip shared memory to avoid global memory bandwidth limitations and thus further improve performance on modern GPU hardware. With our framework, the realism of real-time fluid simulation is significantly improved since our method enforces incompressibility constraint which is typically ignored due to efficiency reason in previous GPU-based SPH methods. The performance results illustrate that our approach can efficiently simulate realistic incompressible fluid in real time and results in a speed-up factor of up to 23 on a high-end NVIDIA GPU in comparison to single-threaded CPU-based implementation.


After outlining the aims of this thematic section, I introduce the articles that follow. Although they reflect different geographical interests and theoretical orientations, the articles raise some interesting issues, of which I take up two. One is the role of Islam. It appears that both Islam's historical role and its contemporary effect are critical, yet indeterminate and contestable. The other issue is comparative. There is much in common between the way sexuality is configured in Europe, on the one hand, and in the Middle East and North Africa, on the other. But there are also significant differences. I discuss some of these differences in the way sex and sexuality are culturally mobilized to construct genderedness.


Ants show an incredible ability to collectively transport complex irregular-shaped objects with seemingly simple coordination. Achieving similarly effective collective transport with robots has potential applications in many settings, from agriculture to construction to disaster relief. In this paper we investigate a simple decentralized strategy for collective transport in which each agent acts independently without explicit coordination. Using a physics-based model, we prove that this strategy is guaranteed to successfully transport a complex object to a target location, even though each agent only knows the target direction and does not know the object shape, weight, its own position, or the position and number of other agents. Using two robot hardware platforms, and a wide variety of complex objects, we validate the strategy through extensive experiments. Finally, we present a set of experiments to demonstrate the versatility of the simple strategy, including transport by 100 robots, transport of an actively moving object, adaptation to change in goal location, and dealing with partially observable goals.


Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) is currently unable to meet Lilongwe City9s water demand as evidenced by low supply coverage (65%) and intermittent water supply in the city. One of the major challenges is high levels of unaccounted for water (UFW) reported at 37% (2012), higher than the recommended 23% for developing countries. This study, done in Lilongwe City (Areas 15, 18 and 28), investigated water losses and partitioned UFW into real and apparent losses. Data collection involved data logging for pressures and flows at selected points in the network, meter testing, and water audits. This study estimated an average UFW of 37.5% for Lilongwe City and 33%, 44% and 20%, respectively, in the specific study areas (Areas 15, 18 and 28). The UFW in Lilongwe City was higher than recommended and was also higher than recommended in Areas 15 and 18 but within the acceptable limit for Area 28. High UFW levels in Areas 15 and 18 were mainly driven by real losses. The LWB should consider partitioning of its UFW to establish the main drivers, implement active leak detection programme and active pressure management in areas with high pressures.


Increasing national saving requires everyone to pitch in, including the government. Traditionally, policies to boost public saving have focused on either raising taxes or cutting spending—or both. However, in Latin America and the Caribbean today, that two-pronged strategy is largely a non-starter. Plummeting commodity prices, rising interest rates, and a prolonged global recession have translated into deteriorating fiscal and external accounts and low, or no, growth for much of the region. To ask people and firms to contribute more in taxes and receive less in public services would be salt in the wounds of these failing economies. There are, however, other ways for government to save. Essentially, the idea is for government to spend better in order to save more.


In this paper, we show that if capital and labour are complementary inputs and labour is in surplus[LS], economic development will reduce investment in the agricultural sector. We analyse the impact of factor substitutability and factor mobility on economic welfare as indicated by changes in output by the use of appropriate fiscal policies in LS economies. Next, we demonstrate how a LS economy results in a higher agricultural employment but it can also accumulate more capital in the rural sector under certain conditions given by the elasticity of substitution between inputs in a nested CES production function. Finally, we analyse the welfare economics of migration and show that the net benefits crucially depend on the response of urban unemployment rate to migration and the flexibility of real wages with respect to unemployment rate. Migration without capital mobility is welfare enhancing iff the absolute value of the semi-elasticity of the urban real wage with respect to industrial unemployment is large. Benefits from migration are then estimated by calibrating the model. In the long-run, we allow capital to adjust to the increases in migration to show the welfare-enhancing impact of migration.


Monograph is singled out stages of the theory and methods of using ICT in teaching higher mathematics engineering students in the United States, theoretically grounded and developed educational models of ICT using while learning higher mathematics at engineering universities in the examined stages, the main approaches to apply the US experience on the use of ICT in learning higher mathematics engineering students in Ukraine are revised. The practical part of the study provides guidance for teachers on the use of ICT learning higher mathematics engineering students. For researchers, teachers and university students, graduate students and all those interested in contemporary theory and methods of use of ICT in education.


Parental care is common throughout the animal kingdom, and much variation exists among species in how, and how much, parents care for their offspring. In most species, females care more; in others, males care more and in some, caring is more or less equally shared between the sexes. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain patterns of parental care within and among species. These hypotheses invoke factors such as the relatedness (parentage certainty) of each parent to the brood; the sex ratio at maturation; the strength of sexual selection faced by each sex and the exact nature of any trade-offs between caring and other activities. Work is still ongoing to develop an overarching hypothesis to explain the various patterns observed.

Key Concepts

Among species there is much variation in how, and how much, parents care for their offspring.
Differences between the sexes in parental care can evolve if one sex has more to gain and/or less to lose by providing care.
Coevolution between parental care and sexually selected traits may amplify small initial sex differences in caring over time.
Individual decisions on the optimal parental investment can lead to conflict between parents, as well as between parents and offspring.
In some species, care of the offspring is not the exclusive responsibility of the parents but is shared among members of a group, termed cooperative breeding. In other species, adults sometimes take care of unrelated offspring, either willingly (as in adoptions) or unwillingly (as in brood parasitism).
Within species, parents sometimes adjust the amount of investment in offspring based on cues from their partner or from the offspring themselves.

Keywords:

parental investment;
parental care;
sexual selection;
mating system;
parent–offspring conflict


This Essay addresses the education of lawyers for community. For twenty-five years I have taught within an academic and practice community of lawyers, clients, judges, scholars, and more recently church ministers and their congregations. Throughout these years, the form and substance of community have changed. For most, the form of a community is discernible despite variation in the demographic status and identity of its membership, or the geography and physical space of its assembly. For others, the substance of a community is elusive, its experience of belonging complex and its intrinsic meaning multifaceted. To many lawyers and legal scholars, the substantive meaning of an engaged community, a community where you have to go together, derives in part from individual and collective efforts to fulfill a core normative responsibility of the legal profession, namely to stand as "a public citizen having special responsibility for the quality of justice." Under American Bar Association and state ethics rules, that special civic responsibility should guide lawyer performance of the professional functions of representation in advocacy, counseling, and negotiation. The purpose of this Essay is to explore the teaching or pedagogy of community and public citizenship in legal education and professional training. Part of an ongoing classroom study and clinical service project encompassing the education of law students and the continuing training of lawyers, the Essay seeks to integrate several fields of scholarship, notably ethics, education and psychology, law and religion, and the lawyering process. Bracketed by these overlapping fields, the Essay proceeds in four parts. Part I constructs the pedagogy of community and public citizenship from legal and theological materials on mindfulness and spirituality. Part II locates the pedagogy of community and public citizenship in an outcome-based, rotation curricular model of legal education. Part III assesses the pedagogy of community and public citizenship in terms of conventional notions of lawyer role and function in the adversary system. Part IV evaluates the functional compatibility of the pedagogy of community and public citizenship with the curricular form and content of contemporary legal education.


For more than half a century, child development has endured as one of the main components of teacher education. But if children do develop, as developmentalists claim, what precisely is it that develops and how? Traditionally, within education, answers to these questions have drawn heavily on the theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Piaget advocated the progressive development of reasoning through identifiable linear phases or stages. Vygotsky emphasised the role of cultural mediation, whereby the child internalises the habits of mind of his/her social group. More generally within cognitive psychology, development has been attributed to the interaction of two distinct causes - nature and nurture - and the developmental process has been viewed as being linear, progressive, and incremental, guided by some inner mechanism of design; by schemas or genetic blueprints acting as programs in the mind. According to the Dynamic Systems Approach (DSA), however, there are no programs or blueprints and no teleological design. Instead, human development is the results of non-linear emergent self-organisation; a holistic process that rejects the dualisms of nature/nurture, perception/cognition and mind/brain associated with traditional theory. This very different account of development calls for a reconceptualisation of child development theory in teacher education. Our paper attempts to move some way in that direction.


Objective To describe differences in and factors associated with former smoking and nicotine dependence among women in Ireland, Sweden, France, Italy and the Czech Republic. Methods A cross-sectional, random digit dial telephone survey of 5000 women, aged 18 years and older, conducted in 2008. Analyses were conducted using logistic regression models. Results Respondents from Ireland and Sweden had statistically significantly higher odds of having quit smoking within the 5 years before survey administration compared with respondents from the Czech Republic. Current smokers from Ireland, Sweden, France and Italy are more nicotine dependent than those from the Czech Republic. Conclusions Respondents from countries with stronger tobacco control policies were more likely to have quit smoking compared with those living in the Czech Republic. However, respondents in countries with some of the strongest policies (Ireland, Sweden, France and Italy) had higher odds of smoking within 30 min of waking, an established indicator of nicotine dependence. More research in this area is warranted, but this study suggests that now that the Czech Republic is beginning to implement strong tobacco control policy, they will probably achieve a rapid decline in population-level smoking. Ireland, Sweden, France, Italy and other countries with established, strong tobacco control policies would do well to consider what additional programmes they can put in place to help their highly nicotine-dependent population of smokers successfully quit.


Two cell signaling pathways converge to restrain the proliferation of muscle cells in the mammalian heart. A common basis of human mortality is the heart, arising from morphogenetic defects of the organ at birth as well as from the chronic ravages of hypertension and coronary artery disease later in life (1). A key pathological mechanism is muscle cell death, mitigated by only a scant capacity for muscle cell renewal. Rescuing cardiac muscle cell number might underlie therapeutic strategies, such as the use of antagonists of muscle cell death, stem cell grafting (now pursued in clinical trials), and activating self-repair by dormant cardiac stem cells in the heart (2). However, the genetic networks that control cardiac muscle cell number are not completely understood. On page 458 of this issue, Heallen et al. (3) provide insights into a signaling pathway that represses the cardiac cell division cycle in mice, and show that impairing this pathway can unleash cardiac cell proliferation.


Abstract Introduction: The HIV/AIDS pandemic is reducing life expectancy and raising mortality. An increasing orphan population is perhaps the most tragic and long-term legacy of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. By 2010 sub-Saharan Africa is expected to have an estimated 50 million orphans and it will be staggered by this challenge. By the middle of 2006, 1.5 million children under the age of 18 years were maternal orphans in South Africa, and 66% of these children had been orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS. Although government and non-government organisations have responded by building orphanages, most of Africa's orphans have been absorbed into extended family networks. Many of these extended family caregivers are ageing and often impoverished grandparents. Methods: This was a descriptive, qualitative study using the free attitude interview technique. All family caregivers who consulted at the Hoekfontein Clinic, North West Province, South Africa between March and June 2006 formed the study population. A total of nine one-on-one interviews had been conducted by the time saturation of data was reached. Results: All nine caregivers were women, mostly grandmothers (67%), and the orphans were between the ages of 5 and 20 years. Emergent themes were: poverty and lack of money; bureaucratic difficulties and lack of assistance from the social support services; lack of support (financial, physical and emotional) from other family members; frustrations of coping with rebellious orphans; pain of caring for the terminally ill family members; feelings of despondency (hopelessness); conflicts in the family; and the rejection of orphans by their fathers. Conclusions: The study showed that the family caregivers experienced a lack of welfare and family/emotional support in their care of HIV/AIDS orphans. It is recommended that health care workers, including social workers and home-based caregivers be trained on available social support from government and non-governmental organisations for caregivers of HIV/AIDS orphans.


A bandpass filter with twin wideband channels in a single-layer guided-mode resonance grating is presented.
 Strong refractive-index modulation is used to support the excitation of multimode resonances TE1,0, TE1,1,
 TE2,0, TE1,2, and TE2,1, which are excited by the first and second diffraction orders, relate asymmetrical
 line shapes and broad low-transmission bands, where TE is the transverse electric. Taking advantage of
 narrow linewidth and sharp edge line shape in the spectra of TE2,v (v is the mode), a bandpass filter with
 form factors of 0.61 and 0.7 for long- and short-wave channels is presented to demonstrate this concept.


In the discourse of service design; terms such as platforms; transformation and co-creation have become part of what seems to be an emergent lingua franca. In the participatory design discourse; and the surrounding design traditions; related terms and ideas were developed. The development of the discourse of participatory design; during the last three decades of the 20th century; influence the way we understand the provisions for and possibilities of service design. The analysis is performed along three themes collected from the development of participatory design; and examples of how the legacy of participatory design has been appropriated are given. We conclude that the two disciplines share a basic structure consisting of involvement techniques; cooperative approaches; and emancipatory objectives. Moreover; some areas of future research for service design are identified.


Background: Stroke affects 16.9 million people annually and the greatest burden of stroke is in low- and middle-income countries, where 69% of all strokes occur. Stroke risk factors, mortality and outcomes differ in developing countries as compared to the developed world. We performed a literature review of 28 articles pertaining to epidemiology of stroke in Asian women, stroke risk factors, gender-related differences, and stroke outcomes. Summary: Asian women differ from women worldwide due to differences in stroke awareness, risk factor profile, stroke subtypes, and social issues that impact stroke care. While Asian men have a higher incidence of stroke as compared to women overall, the long- and short-term outcomes in Asian women tend to be poorer. Both conventional and gender-specific risk factors contribute to stroke risk. Oral contraceptive use and addictions such as tobacco and alcohol are less prevalent among Asian women due to socio cultural differences. There is however, a much higher preponderance of pregnancy-related stroke and cardio-embolic stroke secondary to rheumatic heart disease and heavy use of chewing tobacco. The overall outcome is poor due to poor access to health care and lack of resources. Key Messages: Our review exposed the gaps in our knowledge about stroke risk factors and differences in stroke care provided to Asian women. While there are sociocultural barriers that impede the provision of immediate care to these stroke patients, much needs to be done by way of prevention of recurrent stroke and treatment of risk factors.


As digital design rapidly expands the disciplinary knowledge-base of related media, methods, and modes in architecture, cognition-based pedagogical strategies hold unique promise in introductory digital design education to increase knowledge transfer efficiency (i.e. learning) by aligning the learner's natural schema-developmental processes with the inherent affordances of digital tooling methods. Through the employment of cognitive-based instructional strategies that seek to refine the designer's own judgement and decision making processes, can academicians exploit the affordances of digital design technologies to enhance the architectural learning process in ways not possible in an analog age? This paper frames and explores cognitive bias mitigation as a pedagogical strategy that may increase knowledge transfer efficiency in digital design pedagogy by helping novice learners to mitigate common cognitive biases in the iterative design process. The literature that explores decision-making processes in design will be presented first. This foundational introduction will then be followed by an overview of the implications of early-stage design decision making in architectural learning environments. Cognitive biases particularly applicable to architectural design will be introduced with a distinct emphasis placed upon those that may be augmented or compounded in digital design environments. Cognitive limitations to architectural decision-makers such as projection bias, affective forecasting, and the hot/cold model will be explored in detail. Cognition-based pedagogical strategies that seek to refine the designer's own judgement hold promise in the emerging field of digital design as progressive technologies and processes are plagued by missed opportunities for the learner's own decision-making intellectual advancement. Theory and concepts from the decision sciences and digital design in architecture are cross-pollinated in this study.


Psychotropic medications are used for numerous psychiatric and neurologic disorders, and are associated with in some cases life-threatening adverse effects, high acquisition costs, stringent monitoring requirements, and potential interactions with other medications. Because of the risks of adverse effects and need for adherence, risk mitigation strategies are being implemented to protect consumers. An understanding of receptor activities, cytochrome P450 2D6 and 2C19 metabolism, overlapping pharmacology, and polymorphic biomarkers for the dopamine 2 D2 receptor gene (DRD2) and dopamine 3 D3 receptor gene (DRD3), serotonin 2A and 2C receptor genes (5HTR2A and 5HTR2C), and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) variants creates opportunities for the integration of pharmacogenomics, and can assist in the application of personalized medicine in this arena. In this review, we discuss the current impression of pharmacogenomic principles pertaining to select psychotropics, with attention given to the atypical antipsychotics, due to their wide use across a broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders (e.g. bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia). Patents involving aripiprazole, clozapine, olanzapine, and risperidone will be discussed.


The photographs of George Tice combine an appreciation of beauty with the grittiness of ordinary experience. Tice, the photographer/author of books like Hometowns: An American Pilgrimage, Fields of Peace, and the award-winning Paterson, has turned his camera many times to his native New Jersey. But these images of his home state, taken over the past thirty years, could be almost anywhere in America. They portray the movie theaters, shops, dwellings, and street scenes we have grown up with in cities large and small. Without the slightest effort to romanticize, Tice honors the commonplace with an extraordinary eye and a photographic excellence that is evocative to those of us who have experienced these settings. These pictures will stand the test of time as monuments to the American scene for future generations.


Introduction: Hemisection involves sectioning of a periodontally involved mandibular molar so as to remove the involved root and save the remaining tooth. This procedure helps in saving a tooth which otherwise would have been deemed for extraction. Hemisection refers to removal or separation of root with its accompanying crown portion of two-rooted teeth, most commonly mandibular molars. Method: In this case report, an advanced Endo-Perio lesion on a left mandibular first molar was successfully treated by root-canal treatment and hemisection. This procedure helps preserve the tooth structure, alveolar bone and promote cost savings over other treatment options. Conclusion: Hemisection is a treatment option for saving a mandibular molar which is in advanced stage of periodontal disease of one root. Removal of the affected root will help in retaining the remaining tooth structure.


This research project substantially extends the reach of serial argument theory from its nearly exclusive application to close relationships, into the workplace. Data (N = 364) were gathered on general motivation to engage in a serial argument, specific goals, several tactics, and three outcome measures (resolvability, civility, and organizational climate). Results indicated causal relations from goals and motivations to tactics, and from tactics to outcomes. A structural equation model was successful in fitting the whole system of variables. Results were generally compatible with those found in relational and classroom settings, and help build the case that serial arguing has certain base characteristics that may not change much when settings are quite substantially different.


A framework for the conceptual and physical integration of neural networks into object-relational database systems is presented. The neural network 'meta model', as the neural network paradigms, the static and dynamic properties, and the pattern description, is realized by a collection of objects, relations and dependencies between them. The specific network objects (the 'ortho' networks) are objects in these relations. A handling scheme for the application data set, as input, output and training information, stored in the relational database together with the neural networks is depicted. Finally the implementation of the new NeuroOracle system based on the proposed framework is presented.


Abstract   The Case Patient is a 16-year-old female with molar pregnancy, admitted for D&C, referred for hyperthyroidism, concern for thyroid storm. A month prior, she presented with heavy vaginal bleeding, morning sickness. Ultrasound showed blighted ovum. HCG was significantly elevated, 668,123 mIU/mL. TSH was low at 0. 01 mIU/L, Free T4 elevated 2.3 ng/dL. No family history of thyroid dysfunction. She was for was noted to have respiratory distress, hypoxia, and tachycardia in the 120s post-operatively. LFTs normal, no fever, jaundice or CNS manifestations. Chest CT showed bilateral lower lobe localized pulmonary edema concerning for trophoblastic fluid embolism vs thyroid storm. BWPS = 40. She was placed on PTU, beta blockade, Lugol's iodine, and hydrocortisone. Repeat chest CT showed diffuse pulmonary nodules consistent with gestational trophoblastic neoplasm (GTN). No other metastasis on further imaging (chest, abdomen, pelvis, brain). Clinical status improved, FT4 normalized 5 days after starting treatment. TRAbs negative. She was discharged on Methimazole and Atenolol, which were eventually discontinued. HCG levels significantly decreased after D&C but remained detectable on follow-up. Endocervix/uterine curettage showed intraplacental choriocarcinoma arising within a complete hydatidiform mole. She is followed by Oncology and currently undergoing chemotherapy. Discussion HCG-mediated hyperthyroidism include gestational transient thyrotoxicosis, hyperemesis gravidarum, and trophoblastic hyperthyroidism (TH). Due to significant homology between TSH and the beta-subunit of HCG, HCG can cause hyperthyroidism. 2-60% of women with trophoblastic disease may have symptomatic hyperthyroidism at time of diagnosis which can be severe. Patients with GTN (choriocarcinoma in our case) have a higher likelihood of TH, as HCG exceeds 100,000 mIU/mL. Choriocarcinoma is the most aggressive type of GTN characterized by vascular invasion and widespread metastases, of which the most common sites are vagina and lungs. Patients with pulmonary metastasis my present with respiratory distress, chest pain, cough or hemoptysis. Our patient was initially thought to have impending thyroid storm mainly from findings of pulmonary edema, respiratory distress, tachycardia, and precipitant history (D&C), and was managed as such while further workup was being undertaken. Realization that the initial chest CT findings of pulmonary edema were actually related to multiple pulmonary nodules and GTN made thyroid storm less likely. Hyperthyroidism typically resolves with decreasing HCG levels in TH. Indeed, our patient no longer needed ATD once her HCG levels subsided s/p D&C. Conclusion One of the most common sites of metastasis in GTN is the lungs. An acute presentation of respiratory distress and pulmonary findings on chest imaging upon simultaneous discovery of TH may complicate management as thyroid storm needs to be considered. Although a higher index of suspicion for metastatic GTN should be made in this situation, a conservative management approach of treating for possible impending thyroid storm until definitive diagnosis has been established is prudent. Presentation: No date and time listed


Research examining the factors that precipitate gang membership has contributed substantially to our understanding of gangs and gang-related activity, yet we know little about the factors influencing intentions to rejoin a gang after having being incarcerated. This study examines the relationship between gang characteristics, number of incarcerated friends, and family characteristics and gang reengagement intentions, while controlling for ethnicity. Participants were 206 male serious juvenile offenders interviewed as part of the Pathways to Desistance Study. The model explained between 35% and 47% of variance in gang reengagement intentions. However, only three variables made a unique statistically significant contribution to the model (punishment if gang rules are broken, importance of gang membership, and moral disengagement), with the strongest predictor being importance of gang membership. The results suggest that challenging young offenders' perceptions about the importance of gang membership might be particularly effective in reducing gang reengagement intentions after incarceration.


A content analysis of randomly selected films (N = 24) about India produced from 1930–2000 in the US or UK was undertaken to examine the social construction of "Indian-ness." There were significant inter-group differences in depictions of Indian versus non-Indian scenes (N = 1016) and Indian versus non-Indian characters (N = 421) across several socio-cultural variables such as character role, occupation, poverty, religious practices, and pollution. Overall, India was consistently portrayed as backward, uncivilized, savage, and traditional. These patterns of stereotypical portrayals of India across films are discussed in the context of schema theory, social identity theory, and cultural colonization.


Reverse logistics has received growing attention throughout this decade because of the increasing environmental concern, government regulations and economical reasons. The design of reverse logistics network is one of the most important and challenging problems in the field of reverse logistics. This paper proposes a capacitated, multi-echelon, multi-product mixed integer linear programming model for generic integrated logistics network design. The problem includes the decision of the number and location of forward and reverse plants and the distribution network design to satisfy the demands of customers with minimum cost. Because of the complexity of the model, a solution methodology based on the genetic algorithm which hybridizes the heuristic approach with LP is developed. Results obtained by GAMS-CPLEX and proposed solution methodology are compared for different sized test problems.


A core component of informal statistical inference is the recognition that judgments based on sample data are inherently uncertain. This implies that instruction aimed at developing informal inference needs to foster basic probabilistic reasoning. In this article, we analyze and critique the now-common practice of introducing students to both "theoretical" and "experimental" probability, typically with the hope that students will come to see the latter as converging on the former as the number of observations grows. On the surface of it, this approach would seem to fit well with objectives in teaching informal inference. However, our in-depth analysis of one eighth-grader's reasoning about experimental and theoretical probabilities points to various pitfalls in this approach. We offer tentative recommendations about how some of these issues might be addressed.