Abstract. We present here results from a new mechanism, CRI-HOM, which we have developed to simulate the formation of highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOMs) from the gas phase oxidation of α-pinene, one of the most widely emitted BVOCs by mass. This concise scheme adds 12 species and 66 reactions to the Common Representative Intermediates (CRI) mechanism v2.2 Reduction 5 and enables the representation of semi-explicit HOM treatment suitable for long term global chemistry- aerosol-climate modelling, within a comprehensive tropospheric chemical mechanism. The key features of the new mechanism are (i) representation of the autoxidation of peroxy radicals from the hydroxyl radical and ozone initiated reactions of α-pinene, (ii) formation of multiple generations of peroxy radicals, (iii) formation of accretion products (dimers) and (iv) isoprene-driven suppression of accretion product formation, as observed in experiments. The mechanism has been constructed through optimisation against a series of flow tube laboratory experiments. The mechanism predicts a HOM yield of 4–6 % under conditions of low to moderate NOx, in line with experimental observations, and reproduces qualitatively the decline in HOM yield and concentration at higher NOx. The mechanism gives a HOM yield that also increases with temperature, in line with observations, and our mechanism compares favourably to some of the limited observations of [HOM] observed in the boreal forest in Finland and in the south east USA. The reproduction of isoprene-driven suppression of HOMs is a key step forward as it enables global climate models to capture the interaction between the major BVOC species, along with the potential climatic feedbacks. This suppression is demonstrated when the mechanism is used to simulate atmospheric profiles over the boreal forest and rainforest; different isoprene concentrations result in different [HOM] distributions, illustrating the importance of BVOC interactions in atmospheric composition and climate. Finally particle nucleation rates calculated from [HOM] in present day and pre- industrial atmospheres suggest that sulphuric acid free nucleation can compete effectively with other nucleation pathways in the boreal forest, particularly in the pre-industrial, with important implications for the aerosol budget and radiative forcing.


This thesis investigates the textual culture of early modern Scotland, as evident from three literary miscellany manuscripts produced and circulated in the late-sixteenth and early-seventeenth centuries. Each of the main three chapters will consider one miscellany manuscript in its complex totality, dealing with questions of provenance, ownership, editorial history, literary analysis, and an assessment of the manuscript in its wider cultural context. Manuscript transcriptions are appended, particularly since the contents of two out of three of the miscellanies discussed here have never been printed.
Chapter One, by way of introduction, considers the current state of manuscript research in Scotland, and the implications for Scottish studies of book-historical methodologies. 'Histories of the Book' are currently being written across Europe (and further afield), and Scotland forms no exception. Against this backdrop, Chapter One evaluates recent critical work on early modern Scottish textual culture, and the extent to which book-historical narratives, developed in relation to medieval and renaissance English literature, can be applied to Scottish writing. More specifically, this chapter locates the miscellany manuscript as a prime site of investigation for scribal culture.
The first miscellany under investigation, in Chapter Two, is Edinburgh University Library MS Laing III.447. For the largest part, the content of this manuscript has been printed, as a supplementary volume to the works of Alexander Montgomerie. This print is problematic in many respects, however, since it reorganised the entire content, and removed from its immediate context the longest poem of the manuscript, Montgomerie's The Cherrie and the Slae. The appended transcription restores the original order. Chapter Two will investigate the contributions of the many scribes that were responsible for the manuscript, and examine whether any thematic coherence may be detected.
Chapter Three deals with Cambridge University Library MS Kk.5.30, a hybrid manuscript that contains two sections. Section one (dating to the late-fifteenth, early-sixteenth century) features a transcription of John Lydgate's Middle English Troy Book; section two consists of a later supply (c. 1612) by James Murray of Tibbermuir, containing additions to the Troy Book and twenty-seven miscellaneous poems. Though this latter section will be the main focus of the chapter, the manuscript's other section, and thus its hybridity, will not be ignored.
The third and final miscellany to be discussed is National Library of Scotland MS 15937. Containing approximately 175 items (many of which from English sources), this is the most expansive of the three manuscripts considered here. MS 15937 is textually a problematic source, since it is a nineteenth-century transcript of a lost original, the latter compiled by Margaret Robertson of Lude around 1630. This miscellany is an important witness also in musical terms, since it collects the words to a significant amount of Scottish and English songs, many of them unique to the manuscript.
All chapters will stress the highly idiosyncratic nature of the miscellanies, but also, where possible, establish common ground between them, and connect them to other Scottish and English manuscripts and printed books. In all their complexity, the miscellanies reveal a literary culture whose nature undermines the monolithic and court-centred history that has been so prevalent in literary criticism (though the court, and courtly writing, are important backgrounds to a great deal of the poetry contained in the manuscripts). Finally, as underlined in the concluding Chapter Five, EUL Laing III.447, CUL MS Kk.5.30, and NLS MS 15937 are important collections both for the preservation, and for evidence about the dissemination, of Scottish and English verse.


Isotropic high-resolution imaging of large volumes provides unprecedented opportunities to advance connectomics and cell biology research. Conventional Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM) offers unique benefits such as high resolution (< 10 nm in x, y, and z), robust image alignment, and minimal artifacts for superior tracing of neurites. However, its prevailing deficiencies in imaging speed and duration cap the maximum possible image volume. We have developed technologies to overcome these limitations, thereby expanding the image volume of FIB-SEM by more than four orders of magnitude from 103 µm3 to 3 x 107 µm3 while maintaining an isotropic resolution of 8 x 8 x 8 nm3 voxels. These expanded volumes are now large enough to support connectomic studies, in which the superior z resolution enables automated tracing of fine neurites and reduces the time-consuming human proofreading effort. Moreover, by trading off imaging speed, the system can readily be operated at even higher resolutions achieving voxel sizes of 4 x 4 x 4 nm3, thereby generating ground truth of the smallest organelles for machine learning in connectomics and providing important insights into cell biology. Primarily limited by time, the maximum volume can be greatly extended. Here we provide a detailed description of the enhanced FIB-SEM technology, which has transformed the conventional FIB-SEM from a laboratory tool that is unreliable for more than a few days to a robust imaging platform with long term reliability: capable of years of continuous imaging without defects in the final image stack. An in-depth description of the systematic approach to optimize operating parameters based on resolution requirements and electron dose boundary conditions is also explicitly disclosed. We further explore how this technology unleashes the full potential of FIB-SEM systems, revolutionizing volume electron microscopy (EM) imaging for biology by gaining access to large sample volumes with single-digit nanoscale isotropic resolution.


Although increased reliance on private military contractors began with U.S. involvement in the Kosovo conflict, the post-9/11 wars in Afghanistan and Iraq prompted an exponential growth in the private military industry, increasing not only the sheer size of the industry but the types of services as well. 'Inherently governmental functions' were being performed by private entities, but with little regulations in place for vetting, monitoring and holding accountable either the company or its personnel. This Report, as part of the National Reports Series in the Priv-War Project supported within the 7th Framework Programme by the European Commission DG Research, provides a comprehensive discussion of the use of private military and security contractors (PMSCs) by the United States since 9/11 and applicable U.S. law, regulations, and policies, with particular attention paid to the use of such firms in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Report describes the incorporation of contractors into the larger military presence and provides a detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis of the use of contractors, specifically, the number of contractor personnel working overseas, the governmental agencies with which they are involved, the cost of contractor operations, and the various roles played by contractors. The Report also covers the entire universe of mechanisms that regulate, govern, and hold accountable the private contractor firms and their personnel, by examining the statutes and guidelines that provide for both the process of contracting with the U.S. government and the oversight of military contractors, as well as the criminal and civil legal regimes that attempt to hold PMSCs and their personnel accountable for misconduct or negligence in situations of armed conflict and post-armed conflict.


Synchrony is a multi-faceted construct, defined here as the mutual warmth and responsiveness between a mother and her child. As children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) struggle to navigate various aspects of social life, we expected that impairments in synchrony would be seen, but that mothers would show adaptability. Twenty-five children (10 met ASD criteria on a gold standard autism assessment) completed a brief cognitive assessment and nine semistructured play tasks with their mother, adapted from the Marschak Interaction Method. Synchrony was not found to moderate the relationship between ASD severity and externalizing behaviors, as hypothesized. ASD severity did predict externalizing behaviors. While children in the ASD group were more negative during the observed play tasks, there were no group differences on mother or dyad scores. Despite power limitations, our findings suggest important future directions for examination of mother and dyad mechanisms that better explain these differences.


Banks increasingly recognize the need to measure and manage the credit risk of their loans on a portfolio basis. We address the subportfolio middle market. Due to their specific lending policy for this market segment it is an important task for banks to systematically identify regional and industrial credit concentrations and reduce the detected concentrations through diversification. In recent years, the development of markets for credit securitization and credit derivatives has provided new credit risk management tools. However, in the addressed market segment adverse selection and moral hazard problems are quite severe. A potential successful application of credit securitization and credit derivatives for managing credit risk of middle market commercial loan portfolios depends on the development of incentive-compatible structures which solve or at least mitigate the adverse selection and moral hazard problems. In this paper we identify a number of general requirements and describe two possible solution concepts.


All your Windows Server 2008 R2 questions answeredon the spot! Get up to speed on the new features of Windows Server 2008 R2 with this indispensableguide. Designed for busy IT professionals, it's the perfect go-to resource for quick answers and real-world solutions as you administer the new server OS. You'll find easy-to-read lists, quick-reference tables, helpful thumb tabs, and much more in a handy, compact format that puts the information you need at your fingertips. Topics include: Getting started and adding roles and functionality Automating tasks Managing users, groups, directories, and the centralized desktop Handling folder security, disk management, storage, backup, and recovery Monitoring and maintaining web servers Troubleshooting IP and managing remote access Doing performance tuning and maintaining virtual servers


In a rapidly urbanising world, Malawi remains one of the least urbanised countries in Africa. Approximately 16.7 percent of Malawi's population live in urban areas. Nevertheless, the country is urbanising at a moderate rate of approximately 3.7–3.9 percent per year. If growth continues at this rate, by 2030, approximately 20 percent of the population will be city dwellers, reaching 30 percent in 2050. This urban growth has the potential to improve economic opportunities and living conditions across Malawi. This is particularly significant given that approximately 69 percent of the population are living under the international poverty line of 1.9 US Dollars/day in purchasing power parity terms. However, challenges are also associated with this shift and concentration of population. With urbanisation comes a substantial amount of new construction. In Malawi, much of this new construction has occurred in cities and towns with limited capacity to ensure the structures in which people live, work and gather are safely sited and built to withstand chronic stresses (i.e. fire and spontaneous collapse) and disaster shocks (i.e. earthquakes and floods). In Lilongwe, for example, estimates indicate that 76 percent of residents live in informal settlements. These settlements are generally characterised by a lack of access to publicservices, tenure insecurity and inadequate housing. Malawi is impacted by a wide range of hazards, particularly droughts, floods, landslides, wildfires and earthquakes. Malawi is also vulnerable to recurrent and chronic risks. Large building fires in recent years include the LL and Mchinji Markets and the Mulanje Bus Depot in 2016 and the Area 13 and Zomba Market in 2018. In many ways, Malawi is at a crossroads: the regulatory decisions made now will significantly impact the longterm safety, productivity and resilience of the built environment in rural and urban areas. With its low base and moderate rate of urbanisation, Malawi is wellpositioned to formulate plans to maximise the benefits and to manage the challenges of urban agglomeration.


This study examines the differences between two types of close relationships (friends and romantic partners) in moderating responses to mortality salience. Prior research has shown that mortality salience increases worldview defense as a mechanism for managing the terror of death. It was predicted that social support from romantic partners (but not friends) would alleviate the need to defend one's worldview in response to mortality salience. Following a mortality salience or control prime, participants were given a standardized support note from their friend or romantic partner pertaining to a speech the participants believed they would have to give. Participants were then asked to rate their perceptions of the note and their partner, and rate their opinions of a pro-American and anti-American essay (as a measure of worldview defense). A two-way ANOVA revealed a significant interaction between mortality salience and source of social support for worldview defense. Following mortality salience, support from a romantic partner led to less worldview defense than support from a friend. These findings suggest that romantic partners may provide a more effective buffer against existential-anxiety than friends and is consistent with predictions derived from terror management theory.


Keywords: learning, group investigation, problem-solving.
The success of one of mathematics instruction is determined by the selection of appropriate learning motode. From the models of learning that has been developed, one model of learning that is assumed to support the creation of a dynamic learning situation, not saturated and can support creativity and interaction among students and teachers are learning model investigation group.
Writing aims to: (1) describe the application of investigative learning model of problem-solving group algebra arithmetic operations on class VII-F SMP Negeri 03 Batu, (2) describe the activities of teachers and students, and (3) know the results after application of student learning learning model of group investigation Writing is used qualitative descriptive research. As a source of data, selected students of class VII-F SMP Negeri 3 Batu 2010/2011 school year which amounted to 32 students. This research was conducted in September 2010 consisting of 2 meetings.
The result of writing done shows that the average teacher activity after two meetings of 93.33%.
Because the percentage of teachers' activity is in the interval between 85% - 100% then the teacher during the learning activities are "very good". Meanwhile, student activity from the first and second meetings to obtain the average percentage of student activity by 80% and activity
beyond the criteria of 20%. Because the percentage of student activity is in the interval between 70% - 84% of the activity students are "good". While student learning outcomes indicate that the 32 students who take the test, as many as 27 students who meet the KKM and 5 students who do not meet the KKM, so that students who complete at 84.37% and an incomplete by 15.63%. This means complete in classical. Investigating Learning Groups can be an alternative for teachers to be applied in mathematics in the classroom because it can motivate students to be more active and creative in learning mathematics.


Traditional indicators of protection refer to the level effect of price policies on income and ignore the stabilizing effect. We derive a measure of the real rate of protection which incorporates these dual dimensions. The income stabilizing effects of price policy protection lead to a greater level of real protection than would be measured conventionally. Computed real protection rates for the European Union wheat market over the pre- and post-MacSharry reform periods were found to be some 3-5 percent greater than traditional indicators. Moreover, the compensatory payments to farmers following the 1992 reforms had a major risk reducing impact.


The shortest path problem with resource constraints finds the least cost path between two nodes in a network while respecting constraints on resource consumption. The problem is mainly used as a subproblem inside column generation for crew scheduling and vehicle routing problems. The standard approach for the subproblems is based on dynamic programming. This class of methods is generally effective in practice when there are only a few resources, but it seems to be time-consuming for huge instances with many resources. To handle this problem, we propose a new exact primal algorithm called the multidirectional dynamic programming algorithm (MDDPA). The proposed approach splits the state space into small disjoint subspaces. These subspaces are sequentially explored in several iterations, where each iteration builds on the previous ones, to reduce the dimension of the subspaces to explore and to quickly generate better paths. Computational experiments on vehicle and crew scheduling instances show the excellent performance of our approach compared to the standard dynamic programming method. In particular, MDDPA is able to generate feasible paths with up to 90% of the optimal cost in less than 10% of the time required by standard dynamic programming. This feature is useful in column generation and may greatly reduce the computational effort, because we can stop the MDDPA solution process once columns with sufficiently negative reduced costs are obtained.


ABSTRACT Semi-quantitative X-ray fluorescence analyses were made of core samples from concealed unconformities from England and Iraq in order to detect SiO2, Al2O3, K2O, Na2O, MgO, CaO, Fe2O3, P2O5, and Sr. These can be used as diagenetic indicators reflecting mineralogical changes in the vicinity of unconformities. The unconformities consisted of several age gaps and included Cretaceous/Devonian: Lower Lias/Rhaeto-Liassic/Beds of unknown age/Carboniferous Limestone Series; Triassic/Lower Carboniferous; Triassic/Upper Coal Measures; Triassic/Permo-Trias/Permian; and, finally, multiple unconformities from the Middle East, Western Desert-Iraq. The investigation was coupled with detailed petrographic, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses. and results have shown that increased amounts of SiO2 are indicative of increased silicification. Al2O3 and K2O, as well as the concentration of kaolinite, suggest disintegration of alumino-silicates. Fe2O, is very good proof of an increase in redoxomorphic processes, which is coupled with increased reddening of sediments as a result of prolonged exposures. MgO indicates dolomitization at unconformities. CaO reflects the introduction of new cements in sandstones, and when coupled with MgO profiles, can be an indicator of dedolomitized zones in the subsurface adjacent to unconformities. Na2O results are inconclusive due to the high matrix absorption ratio of Na. P2O5 is a good indicator of phosphatization in carbonate rocks and requires the presence of organic matter as well as the availability of reducing conditions. Conversely, the lack of P2O5 in the vicinity of unconformities suggests prevailing oxidizing conditions at the time of exposure. Finally, Sr is a very important diagenetic indicator at unconformities, where increased values suggest newly introduced cements in sandstones plugging pore spaces; a loss of Sr at unconformities (especially in carbonate rocks) would suggest various stages of dolomitization and dedolomitization, thus leading to the complete elimination of Sr through the phenomena of dissolution and precipitation, rather han solid state diffusion.


Abstract The integration of panchromatic scanning electron microscopy-cathodoluminescence (SEM-CL) with optical microscopy analysis on single quartz grains is a new technique to interpret provenance of quartz-rich sediments. The combination of information gained from SEM-CL on textural features and CL response with information from optical microscopy allows distinction of different quartz types much more easily then with conventional microscopy or color CL analysis. Features visible by SEM-CL include zoning, microcracks, deformation fractures and lamellae, diagenetic crushing, recrystallization, and strength and texture of CL response. Features visible by optical microscopy include embayments, open fractures, extinction behavior, and mono-, poly-, and microcrystallinity. The key is to integrate CL and optical properties of the same quartz grains in order to reduce ambiguities inherent in both techniques used on their own. Our technique is well suited for distinguishing between plutonic, volcanic, and metamorphic quartz in coarse- to medium-grained sand or sandstone. This simple and inexpensive approach can easily be combined with other provenance techniques. In this paper we outline the combined SEM-CL/optical microscopy technique and demonstrate its application with examples from the South Island of New Zealand.


Geospatial Information System (GIS) provide tools to quantitatively analysis and combination of datasets from geological, geophysical, remote sensing and geochemical surveys for decision-making processes. Excellent coverage of well-documented and good quality data enables testing of variable exploration modeling in an efficient way. The study area of this research is the most important part of Cu (Mo) porphyry—type mineralization belt in Iran. There are some well-known porphyry copper deposits in this region like Sarcheshmeh and Meiduk mines, but certainly there are same grounds to search for new porphyry deposits. The risks of developing mineral resources need to be known as accurately as possible, with regarding to all features those are effective in mineralization. These features can be recognized respect to Critical Genetic Factors (CGF's) using Critical Recognition Criteria (CRC) for each type of mineralization. CGF's can be employed for designing a Conceptual Genetic Model (CGM). Evidence maps create on the basis of CGM and then integrate together for production of Mineral Prospectivity Map (MPM). This map categorizes the areas based on their exploration importance. There are several techniques for creation of MPM. Interval Valued Fuzzy Sets (IVFSs) TOPSIS method was applied in this research. This method as a knowledge-driven method, allocate appropriate weights to layers on the basis of the effective membership, non membership, and non-certainty. The fundamental concept of TOPSIS is that the chosen alternatives should have the shortest distance from the positive ideal points (A*) and the farthest distance from negative ideal points (A-).


This paper deals with some minor aspects of Roy Geary's work. Two areas are selected for discussion — (a) his work with Leser on "paradoxical" situations in multiple regression and (b) his work on estimation of the unknown upper bound, N, of a uniform distribution, based on a sample of n values from that distribution. This work is explained, expanded and evaluated. The concept of "paradoxes" in multiple regression is slightly extended and applied to the case of estimating means in a multinomial situation with a known covariance matrix. Geary's estimator of N is compared with several other estimators, on the basis, inter alia, of mean squared errors, in both the cases of a continuous distribution and a discrete distribution sampling without replacement. In the latter case, a "large N minimum mean squared error" estimator is derived and assessed.


The best papers from the three-day conference on Safe Drinking Water from Source to Tap June 2009 in Maastricht are published in this book covering the themes of challenges of the water sector and adaptive strategies, treatment, distribution, risk assessment and risk management, sensors and monitoring, small scale systems, simulation, alternative water supply & sources, consumer involvement, and future drinking water.

Worldwide, the water supply sector is facing tremendous challenges. Ever new emerging contaminants and pathogens and aging infrastructures that are vulnerable for deliberate contamination pose a threat to the quality of water supplies. Shortage of good quality and readily treatable resources is increasing due to global warming, urbanisation and pollution from agriculture and industry. Regulators and consumers are becoming more demanding.

Techneau - the largest European project on drinking water - addresses these challenges by developing adaptive supply system options and new and improved treatment and monitoring technologies. Future system options to be studied are flexible, small scale and multi-source supplies, utilising non conventional resources like brackish ground water, treated wastewater and urban groundwater.

ISBN: 9781843392750 (Print)

ISBN: 9781780401782 (eBook)


ABSTRACT Tranquillity trails (TTs) are designed to provide a quiet and peaceful walk through mainly leafy lanes and roads and connect green open spaces where visitors can stop for thought and relaxation. There are numerous health benefits from being in close proximity to nature and TTs can facilitate this contact in mainly urban areas. This study involved the design of a trail in Tramore, a coastal town in south east Ireland. The trail links an old coastguard station, now converted to a cultural centre and coffee shop, with a Japanese garden. The trail includes a coastal path with fine views across a bay, wooded areas as well as leafy residential streets. The design of the trail was facilitated by the use of a previous developed tranquillity rating prediction tool (TRAPT) that involved the estimation of the level of man-made noise and the percentage of natural features in view. Participants who had completed the whole of the trail were encouraged to complete a questionnaire to gauge any benefits. As expected, it was reported that there were increased levels of relaxation and reduced stress. It was concluded that the approach can be used elsewhere to improve the well-being of residents and visitors.


In past few years, Vehicular Ad-Hoc Network (VANET) has seen advances in research. Content sharing through vehicleto-vehicle communication can help people find their interested content on the road. VANETs allow peer-to-peer content distribution of data items such as traffic information, audio, video and other such information. Reliability, security and fast communication are the dire need for today's technology used in VANETs for inter-vehicular communication. In this paper a model is proposed which satisfies the above mentioned parameters. The proposed mechanism uses network coding for reliability and homomorphic hash function for security. A reliability bit is also included. It is set for safety messages to make delivery of safety messages reliable while it is not set for comfort messages.


Farley Grubb has developed an ambitious new money-stock time series for colonial Pennsylvania that uses the ingenious method of examining newspaper advertisements promising rewards (e.g., for help in catching runaway slaves) to estimate monies in circulation (Grubb 2004). Grubb asserts that promises of reward payments in "pounds†refer to bills of credit. We contest his interpretation, arguing that "pounds†denotes merely a unit of account. Similarly, ads promising "dollars†cannot be taken to refer to silver coins. Grubb mistakes the mention of a unit of account for the specification of a medium of exchange. We also show that Grubb's methods are riddled with misinterpretations and inconsistencies, some of which arise from rather serious errors in basic scholarship. For example, Grubb denies that bills of credit readily passed current across the Middle Colonies, although it is a well-established fact. To concede it, however, would upset both his colony-level money supply estimates and his argument that the Constitutional ban on state-issued paper money had nothing to do with seigniorage. Grubb's time series differs significantly from spot estimates of the money supply arrived at using methods that Grubb himself champions elsewhere, as well as estimates based on archival data.


To travel through Italy is as close as one gets to being in paradise. For centuries, writers, artists, architects and merchants have been drawn here, inspired by the beauty of Venice, Florence, Naples and Rome. Countless books, paintings, poems and sculptures are evidence of its undying appeal, and over the past 60 years, the country has become one of the world's top travel and holiday destinations. The loveliness of Italy - its architecture, landscapes, culture and food (some of the world's finest!) - if not eternal, is certainly enduring, and the easy-going and relaxed Italian lifestyle, il dolce far niente, is still unrivaled. Here, some of Italy's most amazing landscapes are brought to life, like Lake Como (residence of George Clooney), Venice, Florence and Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast, and no less magical, the Aeolian Islands off the coast of Sicily. In these mythical surroundings are legendary hotels full of atmosphere, where novels are set, movies are made, weddings are celebrated and famous love stories consummated: Villa d'Este on Lake Como, the Hotel Des Bains on the Lido, the Hotel Splendido in Portofino, the Il San Pietro on the Amalfi Coast and the Villa Cimbrone in Ravello - to name just a few. But in "Great Escapes Italy", Angelika Taschen also reveals where to find more secret and hidden jewels - from the Locanda Cipriani, a romantic hideaway on the island of Torcello, to the atmospheric Castello di Vicarello in Tuscany.


We have developed a theory for the computation of the polarization of infrared radiation in optically anisotropic media, with specific application to horizontally oriented ice crystals that frequently occur in cirrus clouds. Both emission and scattering contributions are accounted for in the basic formulation concerning the transfer of thermal radiation in anisotropic media. The symmetry relations of the phase matrix elements for horizontally oriented ice crystals, which are required in the infrared polarization formulations, are presented for the first time to our knowledge. Phase matrix elements for horizontally oriented hexagonal ice crystals are computed by a geometric ray-tracing technique. Radiance and linear-polarization patterns at a 10-μm wavelength that are emergent from cirrus clouds that contain plates and columns oriented in two-dimensional space are presented and discussed in physical terms. Downward polarization emergent from the cloud base is negative, while upward polarization emergent from the cloud top has a positive maximum value near the limb directions. These polarization configurations differ distinctly from the configurations of polarization emergent from ice clouds that contain randomly oriented ice crystals in three-dimensional space. Given these results, it appears feasible to infer the orientation characteristics of ice crystals in cirrus clouds with the use of infrared polarization measurements either above or below the cloud.


If you're like most business professionals, you could be losing $10,000, $100,000, or even $1 million a month on the Web! Catapulting your business online is easier than you may think. Thanks to new and emerging developments in Web technology, you can immediately reach more new customers - free. Plus, you can better leverage your "traditional" Internet marketing to get more traffic from the search engines and free publicity from the press. Internet marketing veteran and Entrepreneur columnist Catherine Seda reveals how to attract new customers, search engine spiders and the press, simultaneously. Use this approach to skyrocket your sales while building your brand. This book reveals the insider secrets of how to: · Capitalize on social media, such as blogs, podcasts, and online video, while watching your profits soar from search engines, e-mail, and affiliate marketing. · Maximize your exposure by building your online reputation as an industry expert. · Recognize search engine spammers who will get your site banned and kill your cash flow. · Mimic the successful Internet marketing techniques that have elevated the status of well-known sites. · Avoid making the "Top 10" Internet marketing mistakes as revealed by industry leaders. This "non-techie" book is for: consultants, entrepreneurs, corporate marketers, students, investors, journalists and adventurers.


This thesis investigates the relative merits of econometric modeling, statistical and judgmental techniques for predicting debt crises and assessing the risk of credit migration. The increased reliance on econometric or statistical approaches and credit rating systems in risk management has intensified the need for more rigorous analysis of their finite sample properties. A better understanding of the available tools has implications for credit risk management, regulation and policy decision-making. The thesis contributes to the extant sovereign risk literature in three areas. First, it addresses the question of whether controlling for unobserved heterogeneity is important for predicting debt crises and explores a pervasive inference problem in Early Warning Systems (EWSs). Second, it addresses the development of an `optimal' EWS for sovereign debt crises that accommodates the decision maker's preferences. Third, it considers the measurement of sovereign credit migration matrices using different estimators and explores non Markov effects in the rating dynamics. Chapter 2 confronts competing models of sovereign default that differ in how country-, region- and time-specific effects are treated. Statistical tests and information criteria overwhelmingly favour more complex models with country heterogeneity that possibly changes over time. However, simplicity beats complexity in terms of forecasting. Simple pooled logit parameterization, that control either for regional heterogeneity or for time effects produce the most accurate forecasts and outperform several naive predictors. Chapter 3 investigates the severity of the autocorrelation problem in EWS of sovereign default. This stems from seeking to provide crisis warnings over a horizon that is longer than the frequency at which the forecasts are updated and from the sluggishness of the typical exogenous indicators. Neglecting residual serial autocorrelation in such models is shown to be far from innocuous. Inferences are overturned when using a correction. This phenomenon is generally clearer for the macroeconomic ratios that are more persistent. Chapter 4 combines three fundamentally different classification techniques - econometric, statistical and judgmental- to produce an EWS for sovereign default. The optimal choice of crucial EWS elements is shown to depend on the decision-makers' preferences. The forecast ranking of classifiers is found to be unstable and overall the classifiers appear to have different strengths. Payoffs from forecast combination are documented and the combining scheme is shown to depend on the decision-makers' loss function. Chapter 5 turns to the estimation of sovereign transition probability matrices and evaluates the popular discrete multinomial estimator against two continuous hazard rate methods that differ in their treatment of time-heterogeneity. Bootstrap simulations of the rating generating process reveal interesting insights. Hazard rate estimators yield more reliable default probabilities. Efficiency is further enhanced upon relaxing homogeneity. Downgrade momentum and duration effects are found to be present in the rating process.


ABSTRACT Investigation of the types of Columbella albina Kiener, 1841 indicate that this species is a junior synonym of Graphicomassa ligula (Duclos, 1840), leaving the species typically identified as Graphicomassa albina (Kiener, 1841) without a name. The species is quite variable and has inspired a number of synonyms over the years; the oldest of these, Colombella adiostina Duclos, 1840, now becomes the basis for the valid name for this species. In this paper, Graphicomassa ligula and G. adiostina n. comb. are both discussed comparatively.


A theoretical study of the magnon-drag Peltier and Seebeck effects in ferromagnetic metals is presented. A magnon heat current is described perturbatively from the microscopic viewpoint with respect to electron--magnon interactions and the electric field. Then, the magnon-drag Peltier coefficient $\Pi_\MAG$ is obtained as the ratio between the magnon heat current and the electric charge current. We show that $\Pi_\MAG=C_\MAG T^{5/2}$ at a low temperature $T$; that the coefficient $C_\MAG$ is proportional to the spin polarization $P$ of the electric conductivity; and that $P>0$ for $C_\MAG 0$. From experimental results for magnon-drag Peltier effects, we estimate that the strength of the electron--magnon interaction is about 0.3 eV$\cdot\AA^{3/2}$ for permalloy.


The inference of finite-state transducers from bilingual training data plays an important role in many natural-language tasks and mainly in machine translation. However, there are only a few techniques to infer such models. One of these techniques is the grammatical inference and alignments for transducer inference (GIATI) technique that has proven to be very adequate for speech translation, text-input machine translation, or computer-assisted translation. GIATI is a heuristic technique that requires segmented training data (i.e., the input sentences and the output sentences must be segmented with the restriction that the input segments and the output segments must be monotone aligned). For the purpose of obtaining segmented training data, pure statistical word-alignment models are used. This technique is revisited in this article. The main goal is to formally derive the complete GIATI technique using classical expectation-maximization statistical estimation procedure. This new approach allows us to avoid a hard dependence on heuristic "external" statistical techniques (statistical alignments and n-grams). A first set of experimental results obtained in a machine-translation task are also reported to initially validate this new version of the inference technique of finite-state transducers.


The RUNX1/AML1 gene is the most frequent target for chromosomal translocation, and often identified as a site for reciprocal rearrangement of chromosomes 8 and 21 in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia. Virtually all chromosome translocations in leukemia show no consistent homologous sequences at the breakpoint regions. However, specific chromatin elements (DNase I and topoisomerase II cleavage) have been found at the breakpoints of some genes suggesting that structural motifs are determinant for the double strand DNA‐breaks. We analyzed the chromatin organization at intron 5 of the RUNX1 gene where all the sequenced breakpoints involved in t(8;21) have been mapped. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation assays we show that chromatin organization at intron 5 of the RUNX1 gene is different in HL‐60 and HeLa cells. Two distinct features mark the intron 5 in cells expressing RUNX1: a complete lack or significantly reduced levels of Histone H1 and enrichment of hyperacetylated histone H3. Strikingly, induction of DNA damage resulted in formation of t(8;21) in HL‐60 but not in HeLa cells. Taken together, our results suggest that H1 depletion and/or histone H3 hyperacetylation may have a linkage with an increase susceptibility of specific chromosomal regions to undergo translocations. J. Cell. Physiol. 218: 343–349, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


This research aimed at expressing relations between the maturity of emotions and the consumptive lifestyle to the adolescent. This research was carried out because of the number of phenomena that happened in the community, especially to the adolescent who became more unrealistic in thinking or taking the decision in buying and consuming something in order to fills
the style of his life. It was hoped this research had the benefit for science in a teoritik manner and practical, that is could give the thinking contribution that was positive for development knowledge of psychology knowledge, especially to the field of knowledge of industrial psychology and organisai and was expected to be able to give the information contribution also for the adolescents to help them in order to be able to behave the opinion and was not in a life style consumptive. The consumptive lifestyle was the behaviour someone who was pointed out in the activity, the interest, and the opinion excessively, that was identified by means of buying and consuming the actual thing not all that was needed. Whereas the maturity of emotions was a capacity someone in saying, controlling and controlling his emotions exactly and by means of that more could be received, as the form of the maturity from the aspect of emotional someone that never again vacillate by the native motive. This research plan was the plan of the non experiment research. Whereas the population that was used was the adolescent was 13-21 available years in the unfortunate city old. As for the taking method of the sample that was used that is technically purposive sampling, with the number of samples 100 people. Whereas the method of the data collection in this research was by using the scale with the scale kind likert. Technically the analysis of the data that was used in this research was the correlation product moment. However before carrying out the research, before the researcher did try out. The result from try out the scale of the maturity of emotions was received 29 item valid from 32 item that was served, whereas the scale of the consumptive lifestyle was received 21 item valid from 24 item that was served. Was based on results of the analysis of the data that was received, it was known the value of the correlation coefficient (r counted) = -0.387 and thought (P) = 0.000. This was significant that there is negative relations that were very significant between the maturity of emotions and the consumptive lifestyle. This means that if the maturity of emotions of the tall adolescent, then will be followed with the low consumptive lifestyle. And on the other hand, if the maturity of low emotions, then will be followed with the high consumptive lifestyle. Whereas the maturity of emotions gave the contribution that was effective with the determinant coefficient of r2 = 0.15 (15%) towards the consumptive lifestyle, whereas the rest of them of 85 % was influenced by the other variable. Because of that was hoped the adolescents could be wiser in consuming the thing and more careful in choosing the friend or the group so that and was unaffected and fell headlong in the consumptive lifestyle.


Gout is one of the most frequent type of
inflammatory arthritis in developed countries. The elevation of serum uric acid
levels and the deposition of monosodium urate crystals in joints and/or soft
tissues are the mechanisms of pathogenesis. Uric acid is a product of the
metabolic cleavage of purine nucleotides and organ meats, beef, pork, and lamb,
anchovies, sardines, herring, mackerel, scallops, gravy and beer are known to
be very rich in purine. On the other hand, some of these foods are also the
main sources of vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin). As a chronic inflammatory
arthritis corticosteroids are frequently prescribed for gout patients, meaning
a higher risk for osteoporosis which may be blocked by daily calcium and
vitamin D replacement. However, there are no recommendations about screening or
replacement of Gout patients for vitamin D and B12. Herein, we evaluated our
patients retrospectively to document their vitamin levels and also to find the
factors associated with vitamin deficiency. Totally, 90 patients, 71 (79.9%) male
and 19 (20.1%) female patients with a median diagnostic age of 55 (19 - 80)
were included. Thirty six (40%) patients were newly diagnosed (group 1) but 54
(60%) patients had established diseases (group-2) with median disease duration
of 36 (11-240) months. Nearly half (47.2%) of the patients in group-1 and 37%
of the patients in group-2 had vitamin B 12 deficiency. Similarly, 38.9% in
each group had vitamin D deficiency and 52.8% in group-1 and 44.4% in group-2
had vitamin D insufficiency. In conclusion, we strongly recommend routine
screening and replacement of vitamin B12 and D for patients with Gout.


It is essential to explore the role of gender while analysing internal migration in Albania to account for the differing experiences of men and women. Quantitative studies suggest that Albanian internal migration is pioneered by men, with women merely acceding to their wishes. This article addresses the undervalued role of women in the academic discourse concerning migration in Albania. Utilizing ethnographic research techniques, it explores the role of women migrating from rural to urban areas as part of a larger household and examines the coping and negotiating strategies used for survival in the city. Our findings reveal that women actively participate in the rural-to-urban migration process, including the initial decision to migrate and the choice of destination. Women's narratives provide evidence of specific emancipation strategies through which they express themselves and their new ways of living. Women adjust to and challenge their new urban environment through gaining paid employment and expanding their social networks, as well as experience emancipation through daughters and by changing their appearance, achieving varying degrees of personal and social prosperity.


A scan was undertaken seeking published work which has made use of foresight thinking, theory and/or concepts in entrepreneurship theory or research. It was found that there are several areas where these two fields could fruitfully interact and generate many new research directions. The connection between entrepreneurship and foresight represents an opportunity for a collaborative investigative program involving researchers in both foresight and entrepreneurship.


Practical control systems must operate satisfactorily with uncertain variations in plant parameters (i.e., control systems must be robust), but there are limits to the degree of robustness that may be considered desirable. Tolerance to parameter variations that never occur is not useful, and it could lead to closed-loop systems whose normal performance has been compromised unnecessarily. A probabilistic definition of robustness based on expected parameter variations is consistent with accepted design principles, and it is readily evaluated by simulation. Stochastic Robustness Analysis predicts the effects of likely parameter variations on closed-loop stability and performance through evaluation of commonly accepted criteria. Competing control designs are judged by the likelihood that system response and design metrics will fall within desired bounds. Together with numerical search, probabilistic evaluation is a powerful approach not only for comparing alternative controllers but for designing control systems that satisfy robustness and performance requirements.


ABSTRACT A new borehole, 210 mbsf (meters below sea floor) deep, drilled in Ribbon Reef 5 on the Great Barrier Reef off Cooktown, NE Australia, reveals a shallowing-upwards succession, the younger part of which is punctuated by a series of erosion surfaces. Nine depositional units have been defined by lithological changes and are numbered sequentially from the base of the hole upwards. Aminostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, radiocarbon dating, uranium series dating, and modeling together with strontium ratios have been applied in an attempt to establish a chronology of accumulation. Carbonate deposition began about 770 ka ago in a relatively deep-water slope environment and is represented by a series of debris flows. Lithoclasts within these rocks, indicate that older limestones already existed in the area. Subsequent accretion involved the downslope accumulation of grainstones and wackestones, sometimes cross-laminated, characterized by intervals with abundant rhodoliths and scattered, probably reworked, corals. Four units at the base of the hole reflect deposition that probably began during isotope stage 16 and continued through stage 15 from about 770 to about 564 ka. Unit 5 probably extended to stage 11 (about 400 ka), and unit 6 to stage 9 ( 330 ka). Typical reefal associations of corals and calcareous algae were established in this area only above depths of about 100 m in the borehole, units 5-4. The succession is apparently unbroken to an erosion surface at 36 mbsf indicating subaerial emergence. The lack of evidence of emergence below this surface reflects progressive accretion or progradation or both. Two younger erosion surfaces define further periods of lowered sea level. Unit 7 is attributed to deposition during isotope stage 7, but erosion during stage 8 resulted in the preservation of only 8 m of unit 7 limestones. Unit 8 is correlated with stage 5 (125 ka), and unit 9 is interpreted as Holocene (post 7,700 ka). The limited thicknesses of units 7, 8, and 9 are considered to reflect erosion. The progressive shallowing brought the depositional surface within the zone exposed during lowstands, and there is no sedimentological evidence that aggradation was restricted by a lack of accommodation.


In quantity and importance, private standards are rapidly taking over the role of public norms in the international and national regulation of product safety. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the rise, role and status of these private product safety standards in the legal regulation of integrating markets. In international and regional trade law as in European and American constitutional and administrative law, tort law and antitrust law, the book analyses the ways in which legal systems can and do recognise private norms as 'law.' This sociological question of law's recognition of private governance is indissolubly connected with a normative question of democratic theory: can law recognize legal validity and democratic legitimacy outside the constitution, without constitutional political institutions and beyond the nation state? Or: can law 'constitute' private transnational governance? The book offers the first systematic treatment of European, American and international 'standards law' in the English language, and makes a significant contribution to the study of the processes of globalization and privatization in social and legal theory. For the thesis on which this book was based Harm Schepel was awarded the first EUI Alumni Prize for the "best interdisciplinary and/or comparative thesis on European issues" written at the EUI in recent years.


The purpose of the study is to understand quantitatively the spatial distribution of groundwater recharge in the Sana'a Basin, Yemen i.e. irrigation recharge, wadi recharge and urban recharge and to assess the impact of these components on the groundwater quality.
A combination of field measurements and modelling was used to determine the irrigation return for several crops and soil types. Over the basin, the total return flows, between 20 to 40 % of the water applied, are about 30 MCM/year.
A method was developed to calculate recharge through ephemeral wadi beds using an indirect approach, requiring only daily rainfall data and geomorphological observations. The technique combines a rainfall-runoff model with calculation of daily water balance for the wadi channel. The method was applied to two wadis with sufficient subsurface data to estimate groundwater recharge independently from calibration of groundwater models for the shallow aquifer. The values of infiltration calculated by groundwater flow model were in good agreement with the results of the channel water balance model.
Regression analysis was used to derive a generalised relationship between recharge and wadi flows. Application of this technique allows extension of wadi recharge estimates to numerous ungauged wadis over 20 years. Wadi recharge over the Sana'a basin is erratic and varies between 129 MCM and 3 MCM with an average of 38 MCM/year.
An inventory of abstraction by private wells in Sana'a city, has allowed an improved estimation of urban recharge over the last 20 years, an average of 60% of the water abstracted (76% supplied).
Water chemistry indicates that the shallow aquifer within the plain and lower reaches of major wadis has been polluted. However, dilution is taking place through mixing with the deep fresh water through the boreholes.
Total annual recharge varies between 143 MCM and 21 MCM with an average of 66 MCM. This represents a significant amount of the annual average abstraction of 82 MCM. Previous estimate of recharge to aquifers of the basin has been less soundly based.


OBJECTIVES
To determine the prevalence of Group B Streptococcus genital tract infection in pregnant women and to determine the risk factors for its colonisation.

METHODS
The cross-sectional study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi and Sobhraj Hospital, Karachi, from May to August 2007. Pregnant women at 35-37 weeks gestation attending antenatal clinic at these hospitals constituted the study population. Based on stratified sampling, 405 patients were recruited. High vaginal swabs of these patients were taken in order to calculate the prevalence of infection at each hospital. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the risk factor association. SPSS 11.5 was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS
The overall prevalence of colonisation was 17% (n = 69) (95% CI: 13.4-20.7). Of the 155 (38.27%) women at the Aga Khan Hospital, 35 (22.6%) were positive, while among the 250 (61.72%) women at Sobhraj Hospital, the prevalence was 13.6% (n = 34). The colonisation was found to be significantly associated inversely with the body mass index of the patient (OR 0.91; 95% CI: 0.08-1.0).

CONCLUSION
Group B Streptococcus screening should be an integral part of antenatal care and should be offered to all pregnant women.


Diabetes Management Regimens and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in African American Men by Joseph Garilus MA, Webster University, 2008 BA, University of New Orleans, 2000 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Health Epidemiology Walden University October 2016 Abstract One of the most common health complications related to diabetes is the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Studies addressing the association between adherence to diabetes management regimens and the risk of CVD among minority populations are limited. This cross-sectional study was conductedto examine the association between diabetes management regimens and risk of CVD among African American men. The health belief model was used to frame the study. Data were collectedOne of the most common health complications related to diabetes is the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Studies addressing the association between adherence to diabetes management regimens and the risk of CVD among minority populations are limited. This cross-sectional study was conductedto examine the association between diabetes management regimens and risk of CVD among African American men. The health belief model was used to frame the study. Data were collected from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System database for the states of Missouri and Ohio. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between adherence to diabetes management regimens and the risk of CVD in diabetic African American men in the 2 states. Results indicated that adherence to recommended checkup frequencies and insulin therapies were not significantly associated with the risk of CVD. Participants who attended college or technical school had a lower risk of diagnosis of CVD compared to those who did not attend. Participants in the top income bracket had a lower risk of diagnosis of CVD compared tothose in the bottom income bracket. Social change implications include consideration of socioeconomic factors such as educational status and income when planning and implementing diabetes management regimens to reduce the risk of CVD among diabetic African American men. Diabetes Management Regimens and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in African American Men by Joseph Garilus MA, Webster University, 2008 BA, University of New Orleans, 2000 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Health Epidemiology Walden University October 2016


INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFICACY, ACCEPTABILITY, AND ISOFLAVONE BIOAVAILABILITY OF A SOY FLOUR MUFFIN FOR REDUCING BIOMARKERS OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE RISK IN HYPERCHOLESTEROLEMIC ADULTS Emily Mary Tara Padhi Advisors: University of Guelph, 2015 Professor Alison M. Duncan E.M.T. Padhi Dr. D. Dan Ramdath Functional foods are designed to deliver a concentrated source of bioactive compounds and represent an opportunity to enhance human health and lower disease risk. Soybeans are a valuable source of nutrients and are a potential functional food ingredient as they contain bioactive compounds, such as isoflavones, that may lower coronary heart disease (CHD) risk by reducing low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. However, efficacy and acceptability assessments are required to understand the value of soy in health promotion and whether including it in the diet is feasible. De-fatted whole soy flour (DWSF) is a major source of dietary soy and can be used to manufacture a variety of soy-based food products; however, processing soybeans can impact the bioactivity and bioavailability of bioactive compounds, which may influence the associated health benefits. Therefore, it is imperative that soy be examined according to food form. The objectives were to: (1) assess the effect of DWSF on lowering LDL cholesterol and other biomarkers of CHD risk when consumed as a baked muffin; (2) determine the bioavailability of soy isoflavones from a baked soy muffin in plasma during a period of daily consumption; and (3) examine the consumer liking of soy flour muffins and the role of a government-approved health claim on willingness to consume. To achieve these objectives, healthy adults with hypercholesterolemia consumed soy flour muffins daily for 6 weeks but did not experience significant changes in plasma lipids, glucose, insulin resistance, or Creactive protein (P>0.05) despite a dose-dependent increase in plasma isoflavone concentrations (P<0.001). However, soy flour muffins were rated between "like slightly" and "like moderately" by trial participants and a government-approved health claim increased willingness to consume (P<0.01). Overall, DWSF baked in a muffin does not improve biomarkers of CHD risk and, therefore, optimal use of soy ingredients in functional foods may necessitate a closer examination of the effect of food processing on its associated health benefits. Nevertheless, the bioavailability of bioactive soy isoflavones from DWSF was demonstrated and soy flour muffins were moderately accepted by consumers, indicating potential for soy-based food products in the functional food market.


Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) kill over one million people worldwide annually. This article takes the perspective of economic costs and benefits to review the impact of available road safety interventions in industrialized countries - and the potential effect of these interventions in low and middle-income countries, where RTIs pose an increasingly large public health problem. A comprehensive review of the literature on cost-benefits and cost-effectiveness studies related to road traffic injuries internationally, with comparisons of costs adjusted for inflation and exchange differentials was conducted. In the United States (US), motor vehicle inspection laws resulted in annual savings of US $1.7 to $2.3 billion. The installation of seatbelts results in net savings of $162 per vehicle; with benefits outweighing costs by a factor ranging from 240 to 1,727. Other cost effective interventions include mandatory seatbelt use, lowering speed limits, motorcycle helmet laws, and traffic calming devices such as speed bumps and road deviations. The dearth of similar economic evaluations of interventions for road traffic injuries in low and middle-income countries represents a serious research gap and hinders the implementation of effective strategies in those countries. Asia Pac J Public Health 2004; 16(1): 23-31.


The present paper regards risk, threats and organizational issues that are associated with human behavior;e.Business is no exception. Organizational actors in e.Businessorganizations make security decisions with a wide variety of meanings: information systems interactions, access to physical premises, behavior within the workplace, utilization of tools and work instruments, are just a few examples of the realm of security decisions that are made within all organizations, and e.Business organizations in particular. The way in which the risk is perceived greatly influences any decision. The aim of the present paper is to conjugate general risk theories in terms of human behavior and system security (as opposed to system risk) in order to identify a common baseline ofrisk and behavior, that will lead eventually lead to a structured framework that will contribute to the discipline of organizational studies.


INTRODUCTION The Intercollegiate Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) is a mandatory examination to enter higher surgical specialty training in the UK. It is designed to help to ensure that successful candidates are competent to practice as higher surgical trainees. The annual review of competence progression (ARCP) assesses trainees' competence to progress to the next level of training and can be interpreted as a measure of 'on‐the‐job' performance. We investigated the relationship between MRCS performance and ARCP outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS All UK medical graduates who passed MRCS (Parts A and B) from 2007 to 2016 were included. MRCS scores, attempts and sociodemographics for each candidate were crosslinked with ARCP outcomes (satisfactory, unsatisfactory and insufficient evidence). Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify potential independent predictors of ARCP outcomes. RESULTS A total of 2570 trainees underwent 11,064 ARCPs; 1589 (61.8%) had only satisfactory outcomes recorded throughout training; 510 (19.9%) had at least one unsatisfactory outcome; and 471 (18.3%) supplied insufficient evidence. After adjusting for age, gender, first language and Part A performance, ethnicity (non‐white vs white, OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.71), Part B passing score (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.00) and number of attempts at Part B (two or more attempts vs one attempt, OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.94) were found to be independent predictors of an unsatisfactory ARCP outcome. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to identify predictors of ARCP outcomes during higher surgical specialty training in the UK and provides further evidence of the predictive validity of the MRCS examination.


Abstract Let $G$ be a finite group generated by (pseudo-) reflections in a complex vector space and let $g$ be any linear transformation which normalises $G$ . In an earlier paper, the authors showed how to associate with any maximal eigenspace of an element of the coset $gG$ , a subquotient of $G$ which acts as a reflection group on the eigenspace. In this work, we address the questions of irreducibility and the coexponents of this subquotient, as well as centralisers in $G$ of certain elements of the coset. A criterion is also given in terms of the invariant degrees of $G$ for an integer to be regular for $G$ . A key tool is the investigation of extensions of invariant vector fields on the eigenspace, which leads to some results and questions concerning the geometry of intersections of invariant hypersurfaces.


Purpose: This study tested the logistical feasibility of obtaining data on social support systems from cancer patients enrolled on clinical trials and compared the social support of older adults (age  65) and younger adults (  50 years of age) with cancer. Methods: Patients had to be eligible for a phase II or phase III oncology clinical trial and enter the study prior to treatment. Patients filled out the Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS) at baseline. The Symptom Distress Scale (SDS) and single-item overall quality of life (QOL) Uniscale were assessed at baseline and weekly for 4 weeks. Results: There was no significant difference in overall mean Lubben social support levels by age. Older patients had more relatives they felt close to (85% versus 53% with 5 or more relatives, P = 0.02), heard from more friends monthly (84% versus 53% with 3 or more friends, P = 0.02), less overall symptom distress ( P = 0.03), less insomnia ( P = 0.003), better concentration ( P = 0.005), better outlook ( P = 0.01), and less depression ( P = 0.005) than younger patients. Conclusions: Younger subjects reported worse symptoms, a smaller social support network, and fewer close friends and relatives than older subjects. Having someone to discuss decisions and seeing friends or relatives often was associated with


Instrumental variable methods have been widely used to identify causal effects in the presence of unmeasured confounding. A key identification condition known as the exclusion restriction states that the instrument cannot have a direct effect on the outcome which is not mediated by the exposure in view. In the health and social sciences, such an assumption is often not credible. To address this concern, we consider identification conditions of the population average treatment effect with an invalid instrumental variable which does not satisfy the exclusion restriction, and derive the efficient influence function targeting the identifying functional under a nonparametric observed data model. We propose a novel multiply robust locally efficient estimator of the average treatment effect that is consistent in the union of multiple parametric nuisance models, as well as a multiply debiased machine learning estimator for which the nuisance parameters are estimated using generic machine learning methods, that effectively exploit various forms of linear or nonlinear structured sparsity in the nuisance parameter space. When one cannot be confident that any of these machine learners is consistent at sufficiently fast rates to ensure $\surd{n}$-consistency for the average treatment effect, we introduce a new criteria for selective machine learning which leverages the multiple robustness property in order to ensure small bias. The proposed methods are illustrated through extensive simulations and a data analysis evaluating the causal effect of 401(k) participation on savings.


In Brazil, the practice of psychologists in public health-care institutions is hampered by the professional training that they have received. That training is inadequate in meeting the requirements of primary health care, in satisfying the needs of the patients who use the public health-care system, and in overcoming the social inequalities that exist in Brazil. This piece is intended to identify the factors that make it harder to provide adequate psychological care in public health-care institutions, especially in the local Basic Health Units of Brazil's public health-care system, the Unified Health System. These hindrances to providing good care mainly originate in training that points psychologists in the direction of very restricted models of health care. These narrow models prevent the psychologists from responding appropriately to the needs of their patient clientele and of the public institutions. These limited models also make it hard for psychologists to adapt to the dynamic conditions that they will face in the Unified Health System.


"Democracy does not put an end to injustice, but it does establish the conditions that allow us to aspire to achieve effective justice, not merely as an abstract ideal, but as a value present in the everyday life of citizens" (Cardoso, 2001, p. 10). I. INTRODUCTION As electronic and information technologies, from e-mail to search engines, have become a greater part of the everyday search for information, the provision of these technologies in a format accessible to individuals with disabilities has become of tremendous importance. Libraries, in their role of making information available to all users, must work to ensure that patrons with disabilities have equal access to electronic and information technologies. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act establishes accessibility standards for Federal government electronic and information technology to provide equal access to individuals with disabilities (29 U.S.C.A. [section] 794d). The law first took effect in June of 2001. Though the law directly applies to Federal government agencies, the requirements also apply to recipients of Federal funds through the Assistive Technology Act (29 U.S.C.A. [section] 3001). Funds from the Assistive Technology Act (AT Act) are distributed to the state governments and then passed on by the state government to various publicly supported organizations, including libraries. Any library that receives such funds from its state government could be required to comply with the accessibility standards of the law. Even beyond the possibility that libraries will be held to these legal standards, there are immensely important ethical reasons for libraries to comply with Section 508 standards. The legal standards that are established by Section 508 provide straightforward guidelines that libraries can follow to ensure that electronic and information technologies are accessible to patrons with disabilities. This article will discuss the importance of accessibility to electronic and information technologies in libraries. The context and requirements of Section 508, including which organizations the law applies to, will be discussed, with emphasis given to its application to libraries. The article will outline the roles and requirements of other Federal laws and organizations relevant to electronic and information technology accessibility. Potential problems that must be considered in the implementation of Section 508 standards will be examined. Finally, this article will discuss the methods by which libraries can adopt the standards of Section 508 to implement accessibility. II. LIBRARIES AND ACCESSIBILITY TO ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES 54 million Americans have some form of disability. Over the course of the history of the United States, individuals with disabilities have faced a numbing array of discriminatory practices, from eugenics to segregation (Jaeger & Bowman, 2002; Fleischer & Zames, 2001; Shapiro, 1993; Winzer, 1993). Beginning in the 1970s, civil rights laws were finally passed to guarantee equality and justice to individuals with disabilities, achieving justice in many areas of the everyday lives of individuals with disabilities. However, bringing equality into the everyday lives of individuals with disabilities is still an on-going challenge. The drive to bring equality to electronic and information technologies by making them accessible has only just begun in earnest with the implementation of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which is intended to create standards for accessibility to the electronic and information technology (EIT) used by the Federal government and by recipients of Federal funding through the AT Act. The passage of Section 508 has "sent ripples throughout all levels of government," changing the discussion from "a whisper of fear over what accessibility might cost" to " a clear statement that it must be accomplished because it is, quite simply, the right thing to do" (Patterson, 2002, p. …


Games are increasingly becoming a powerful and effective tool for training. The use of games as a training tool increase intrinsic motivation which enhances learning. This study concerns why people play and why they continue play. The study consists of two parts; a focus group and a web questionnaire. The results suggest that people prefer playing together with others, and that they play mainly because of entertainment, fellowship and pastime. Results also show that the participants come to an agreement of five different characteristics a game must have in order for the participants to play; a pleasant game feeling i.e.- effects like sounds, characters and environments, variation in tasks, successively increased difficulty, a exciting story and that the game must be understandable. These findings are important because these are factors that game designers must take into consider when designing training games. After all, entertainment and intrinsic motivation in games is some of the general reasons why people play and why they learn, and therefore, a game only designed for training is doomed to fail.


SMITH, WILLIAM T. (WEE WILLIE) (22 Apr. 1911 - 14 Mar. 1992) outstanding professional basketball player in the 1930s and member of the National Basketball Hall of Fame, was born in Montgomery, Ala., the son of Isaac and Mary Wheeler Smith. His family moved to Cleveland, and as a youth, he learned to play basketball at HIRAM HOUSE. Smith, big for his age, played on adult amateur teams at night while attending EAST TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL, joining the Slaughter Bros. Funeral Home basketball team, one of the best Class A teams in the city. While playing for Slaughter Bros in 1931, he caught the eye of Robert Douglas, owner of the New York Rennaissance, a successful all-black professional team, and the 6-ft.-5" "Wee Willie" Smith joined the team in 1932. The "Rens" took on all comers, playing one-night stands, and from 1932-36 Smith and his 6 teamates were considered the best team in the world, compiling a record of 473-49. In 1963 the entire team was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith was a regular with the Renaissance until WORLD WAR II when he returned to Cleveland permanently, working for the Cleveland Transit System during the week and playing with the Rens and other teams on weekends. After the war he became a custodian for the Cleveland Public School System and also operated the Renaissance Beverage Store at Cedar Ave. & E. 79th St. In 1977 he was elected to the Harlem Hall of Fame and the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame. Smith married Estelle Taylor 7 Aug. 1937 and they had 3 children, June Stallworth, Faith Foster, and a son, James Taylor Smith. Smith was a resident of Cleveland Heights.


This paper reviews recent changes to transport policy in the UK. This is discussed within the context of changes from policies of "predict and provide" to an integrated transport policy and the role of new knowledge on induced travel effects. New assessment procedures including the move towards strategic environmental assessment and how this could best be practiced in the transport sector are discussed. These issues are viewed in terms of proposed ideal assessment procedures which would focus on the objectives of transport policy and how this is clearly linked to changes in accessibility and economic effects as shown by simple urban economic theory. A brief case study review of new assessment procedures in practice is provided with critical comments on whether these have led to improvements in decision making, especially from an environmental perspective as well as from stated government policy goals. Finally, these issues are discussed in the context of lessons for improving transport and air quality planning in Mexico City.


Learning probabilistic graphical models from high-dimensional datasets is a computationally challenging task. In many interesting applications, the domain dimensionality is such as to prevent state-of-the-art statistical learning techniques from delivering accurate models in reasonable time. This paper presents a hybrid random field model for pseudo-likelihood estimation in high-dimensional domains. A theoretical analysis proves that the class of pseudo-likelihood distributions representable by hybrid random fields strictly includes the class of joint probability distributions representable by Bayesian networks. In order to learn hybrid random fields from data, we develop the Markov Blanket Merging algorithm. Theoretical and experimental evidence shows that Markov Blanket Merging scales up very well to high-dimensional datasets. As compared to other widely used statistical learning techniques, Markov Blanket Merging delivers accurate results in a number of link prediction tasks, while achieving also significant improvements in terms of computational efficiency.
 Our software implementation of the models investigated in this paper is publicly available at http://www.dii.unisi.it/~freno/. The same website also hosts the datasets used in this work that are not available elsewhere in the same preprocessing used for our experiments.


OMMEH SHEILA CECILY (M.SC.), Biochemistry & Biotechnology ------------------------------------------------------------------------------Viral diseases affecting chicken, like Marek's disease and Avian Influenza, are currently causing tremendous losses in the industry and greatly impacting the livelihoods of the small scale farmers in the least developed countries. There is no effective cure or vaccine to control these diseases. It is believed that domestication and commercialization of poultry may have led to the loss of genetic variability at innate immune genes with commercial populations more susceptible to disease compared to indigenous and wild populations. The main objective of this study was to identify and assess DNA polymorphisms present at innate immune candidate genes for genetic resistance to avian viral diseases. Two candidate genes were shortlisted from the literature: the BLB2 major gene has been associated with Marek's disease resistance and Mx gene is a putative candidate gene towards resistance to avian influenza. Species homologs of these two genes were obtained from GenBank and analyzed with the PAML package to detect possible signatures of selection over evolutionary time (dN/dS). PCR followed by sequencing was carried out on both genes with PCR optimization for Mx gene being successful. Seventeen populations comprising commercial, indigenous and wild populations were analyzed for allele, genotype and haplotype frequencies. HWE, diversity indices, and population divergence was analyzed to detect possible recent signatures of selection in different populations. Nine SNPs were discovered in a partial segment of the Mx gene amplified. The frequency of the A SNP allele at Mx position 299 of the amplified gene segment corresponding to codon 631 in the Mx protein that encodes resistance to avian influenza was the highest in the wild population. The distribution of the alleles at this locus was found to be due to drift and not selection for disease resistance towards avian influenza. Seven loci of the Mx gene segment had some population groups deviating significantly from HWE. Likewise haplotypes from the Indian and East African subcontinents deviated significantly from HWE. The East African subcontinent had the highest diversity as well as the highest haplotypes. Haplotype 1 and 5 are the possible ancestral haplotypes. There was some geographic correlation found between haplotypes and avian influenza outbreaks. This result suggests that the haplotype would be more defining towards disease resistance as compared to a single SNP studied. Tests for signatures of selection on the Mx gene, using population differentiation tests show evidence of recent signals of positive selection (selective sweeps, genetic hitchhiking and population differentiation) in the wild populations. Signatures for selection tests based on species divergence for both the Mx and BLB2 genes show amino acid sites in the functional domains of the two proteins across all species under positive selection. In conclusion, both genes studied show evidence of adaptive evolution. Further work needs to be carried out on both candidate genes with more sequence information on a longer gene fragment, in a larger sample and population size in order to confirm these first results and pave way for more studies.


ABSTRACT Communities dependent on natural resources for food and livelihoods are extremely vulnerable to climate change and its impacts. Tropical cyclones are a frequent occurrence in the Pacific and can have devastating impacts on coastal communities, particularly in remote or isolated areas. However, most post-cyclone studies focus on damages and losses to infrastructure and services, and do not quantify the impact on fishers or community fisheries. We conducted a study to assess the social and economic effects of Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Winston on mud crab fishers in Bua Province, Fiji. The study methodology was one-on-one surveys with mud crab fishers, mostly women, in 16 villages who had previously participated in a 2015 value chain analysis survey. Post-cyclone, 52% of the fishers had stopped harvesting crabs because many were focussed on repairing their homes and had difficulties accessing collection sites and markets. Fishers that continued reported less frequent collection, and fewer and smaller crabs. To obtain income for house repairs, 65% of the fishers still harvesting sold the crabs to local traders, rather than consuming them. Understanding mud crab fishers' vulnerability to natural disasters, the barriers to adaptation and how their livelihoods are affected is key to effective mitigation and adaptation.


Opportunity Cost is a decision making tool to select a more appropriate alternative for a final decision. The usual measure for opportunity cost is farm profit or income. This paper aims at: (1) introducing producer surplus as a measure for opportunity cost; (2) utilizing producer surplus as a determinant in deciding actions that provide the best benefit for farmers. To achieve the above objectives, a research was conducted on 120 units of corn farming on the hills of Mount Rinjani, i.e. in Bebidas Village and PringgabayaUtara Village. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews guided by a structured questionnaire. The study concludes the followings: (1) Producer surplus can be applied as an alternative measure for opportunity cost; (2) If the farmers are expected to leave the corn farming, they need to gain a compensation of IDR 2 million/ha in order to maintain welfare; (3) Producer surplus can also be used as a measure for opportunity cost for any other farms.


In this paper a methodology will be presented to investigate and document the constructive characteristics of two raw earth houses: artifacts that belong to the vernacular architecture. The comprehension, analysis and documentation of these architectures presents several problems mainly linked to the impossibility of using a predefined method, because the difficulties relating to each artifact and its characteristics, to particular geographic, cultural and social situations, are unique. To understand and document the constructive features it was decided to realize a three-dimensional digital reconstruction of the two artifacts, using 3D modeling software. Subsequently several graphic works have been elaborated (technological breakdown, sheets with detailed information about the materials, used constructive techniques, etc), useful in managing a recovery or maintenance project.


Much attention has been paid to passwords chosen by English speaking users, yet only a few studies have examined how non-English speaking users select passwords. In this paper, we perform an extensive, empirical analysis of 73.1 million real-world Chinese web passwords in comparison with 33.2 million English counterparts. We highlight a number of interesting structural and semantic characteristics in Chinese passwords. We further evaluate the security of these passwords by employing two state-of-the-art cracking techniques. In particular, our cracking results reveal the bifacialsecurity nature of Chinese passwords. They are weaker against online guessing attacks (i.e., when the allowed guess number is small, 1∼104) than English passwords. But out of the remaining Chinese passwords, they are stronger against offline guessing attacks (i.e., when the guess number is large, >105) than their English counterparts. This reconciles two conflicting claims about the strength of Chinese passwords made by Bonneau (IEEE S&P'12) and Li et al. (Usenix Security'14 and IEEE TIFS'16). At 107 guesses, the success rate of our improved PCFG-based attack against the Chinese datasets is 33.2%∼49.8%, indicating that our attack can crack 92% to 188% more passwords than the state of the art. We also discuss the implications of our findings for password policies, strength meters and cracking.


Plants produce many low molecular mass natural compounds endowed with biological activity. Among them, resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene) has been demonstrated to be able to affect a plethora of pivotal cellular molecular processes, including transduction pathways and gene expression. These activities result, in turn, in several different cell phenotypes. Particularly, frequent effects of resveratrol treatment appear to be the reduction of growth and the activation of programmed cell death. Accordingly, a number of trials are currently under development to evaluate the possibility of using resveratrol in cancer therapy, both as single agent or in association with other anticancer compounds. However, some reports suggest that, at low concentrations, not only resveratrol does not inhibit the proliferation and/or the survival of cells but, conversely, it induces proliferation and/or protects cells against toxic agents. On the basis of these biphasic effects, it has been proposed that resveratrol belongs to the so-called hormetic compounds. Hormesis is an expression employed by toxicologists to describe a U-shaped (or J-shaped) dose response characterized by a beneficial effect at low doses and a toxic (or inhibitory) activity at high dose. In this review, we will reappraise data that might suggest or disprove that resveratrol is endowed with clear hormetic properties.


Studies of negotiations often overlook, or at least do not fully account for, the important role played by people who advise negotiators. Often deliberately hidden from view, advisors have important but unrecognized influence on the negotiation dynamic. In this article, I explore the roles and methods of advisors in the negotiation process, drawing on role theory and survey research conducted in 2013 among approximately seventy advisors at the European Union Council of Ministers.

I define advice as "a communication from one person (the advisor) to another (the client) for the purpose of helping that second person determine a course of action for solving a particular problem" and consider the nature of this advice and the range of relationships that may exist between advisors and their clients. Advising is much more than the mere transmittal of information from advisor to negotiator and that for advice to be effective a relationship must exist between the two parties.

I then identify three models of the advisor–negotiator relationship. The first is the advisor as director, wherein the advisor tends to take control of the negotiating process, directing the negotiator toward actions that she or he should take to achieve success at the negotiation. The second is the advisor as servant, in which the advisor merely responds to the demands of the client for help and guidance in the negotiation. And the third is the advisor as partner, wherein advisor and negotiator jointly manage the process and solve the problem together. Finally, I explore the factors that lead advisors and negotiators to adopt each of these three models, the various advising styles that advisors use, and the differing effects on the negotiation process that these elements may have, drawing on historical examples as well as survey data from the EU Council of Ministers.


This pilot study examined the effects of single sessions of music therapy on the level of anxiety in older persons with psychiatric disorders. The studied intervention was a 30 minute music therapy group and the control intervention was a verbal therapeutic intervention in the form of a reminiscence group. Participants acted as their own control. The measurement tool was the state part of a "State Trait Anxiety Inventory". It was administered a total of four times, pre- and post- the music therapy intervention and pre- and post- the reminiscence therapy (control) group. A total of 9 participants were recruited for the study. The results indicated that single sessions of music therapy significantly reduced the level of anxiety for older persons with psychiatric disorders [t(8)=4.626, p<0.0017] as compared to the control intervention as measured by the state part of the "State Trait Anxiety Inventory". There was no evidence for a significant carryover effect since the baselines prior to each intervention did not differ significantly (p=0.55). These results can be considered to be a part of a pilot study and early inquiry into this field since methodological difficulties and the time limitation of the research resulted in some necessary deviations from the original protocol. A major limitation of the study was the choice of a measurement tool, which required the client to be cognitively high functioning. Thus these results are limited to cognitively able clients, which is a relatively small proportion of this client group that could potentially benefit from music therapy. It is suggested that for future research with this client group the measured variable be physical relaxation, rather than anxiety.


Abstract This paper presents a review and synthesis of the past fifteen years of research on mortgage termination risk. Understanding termination risk is fundamental to explaining the workings of the now $13 trillion mortgage market. The review covers theoretical, empirical, and methodological work, including both residential and commercial market segments. In addition to synthesizing existing findings, open questions for further research are identified. The overall objective is to introduce this important topic to journal readers who may not be actively involved in the mortgage field and to stimulate thinking about open issues that deserve additional research. Mortgage loans are among the most complex of financial contracts due to the uncertainty of their duration. This uncertainty arises because they may terminate early as a result of either default or prepayment. Default occurs when the borrower cannot, or will not, make contractually promised payments. Prepayment occurs when the loan is paid in full prior to maturity. Causes for these two outcomes are varied, adding to the complexity of explaining and, ultimately predicting, the rate of termination for the loans that are either held in portfolio by financial intermediaries or which provide backing by mortgage-backed securities (MBS). While textbook treatments of this topic (e.g., Clauretie and Sirmans, 1998) typically introduce readers to related industry jargon and provide a few examples of how early termination rates can affect values of mortgage-related assets, the underlying research on termination risk is mentioned only briefly. To provide a sense of the variation in recent termination rates, consider the following stylized facts on residential mortgages as of December 2006.' While the overall rate of serious delinquency2 for prime single-family mortgages was 0.7%, there was considerable geographic variation, ranging from 0.3% in California to 2.3% in Louisiana. In the subprime segment of the market, the national rate of serious delinquency was 7.8% but as high as 14% in Louisiana and Mississippi; both states recently affected by extensive hurricane damage, of course. In terms of prepayment, prime loans showed a 15.7% rate nationally and subprime loans a 33% rate,3 much higher than would result from household mobility alone.4 For comparison, as of fourth quarter of 2006, the delinquency rate for commercial mortgages on bank balance sheets was 1.3% (Federal Reserve, 2006)5 and the delinquency rate on commercial mortgage-backed securities was at an all-time low of 0.27% (Standard and Poor's, 2007). What economic factors produce these results and how do they vary across loan types and over time? Couching the question in an option-theoretic framework, what factors affect exercise of these options and how may those processes best be modeled? 1 review relevant research, identify major themes, and attempt a synthesis: What do we know and what do we not know? In the process, I will also identify open questions and industry trends likely to produce new answers, and probably new questions, in the future. I focus on the literature from 1992 to 2007 for several reasons. First, the journal published a previous review (Dickinson and Heuson, 1994), which surveys the early research up to 1992, though limited in focus to prepayments in the residential mortgage market. Second, two frequently cited reviews of default risk were published at about this same time (Quercia and Stegman, 1992; and Vandell, 1993). Finally, the period 1992-2007 has been a particularly dynamic period, with the development of commercial mortgage-backed securities, creation and growth of the subprime residential segment, wide adoption of automated underwriting, and generally low interest rates and robust property values, at least up until the housing market downturn in late 2006. Why should we be interested in mortgage termination rates? The main objective has been to explain the pricing of mortgages and mortgage-related assets. …


As a part of our works on effective properties of probability distributions,
we deal with the corresponding characteristic functions. A sequence of
probability distributions is computable if and only if the corresponding
sequence of characteristic functions is computable. As for the onvergence
problem, the effectivized Glivenko's theorem holds. Effectivizations of
Bochner's theorem and de Moivre-Laplace central limit theorem are also proved.