Motivated by recent developments in topological persistence for assessment of the importance of features in data sets, we study the ideas of persistence homology for one-dimensional digital signals and its application in signal and image denoising. The notions of persistence homology and persistence pairs were introduced in for measuring the topological complexity of point sets in R3. Persistence pairs and corresponding persistence diagrams are well suited to quantify the topological significance of data structures and to develop a formalism for topological simplification. In case of one-dimensional digital signals the idea of topological persistence boils down to the problem of pairing suitable local minima and maxima of the signal. Considering the persistence pairs and the corresponding persistences not only for the signal f but also for -f, we propose the new notion of persistence distance of f. Transferring from f to -f switches the roles of the sets of local minima and local maxima of f. A comparison of the persistence pairs obtained for f and for -f already provides us with an important categorization tool. Persistence pairs occurring for both, f and -f, are less significant than those occurring only once, for f or for -f. We show that the persistence distance has a lot of favorable properties. Particularly, we show that the persistence distance is very closely related to the discrete total variation of f. This relation motivates us to employ the new notion of persistence distance for signal and image denoising. The new signal denosing method is based on the basic scheme of the celebrated ROF-model and makes use of the additional information given by persistence. It replaces the regularization term of ROF-model with persistence-weighted regularization term to obtain the persistence weighted ROF-model. In particular, the weights are taken in a way such that the denoised signal obtained by minimization of weighted ROF-functional preserves the essential peaks (discontinuities) of f well and yields good denoising performance at smooth subregions in f. Furthermore, a two dimensional persistence-weighted ROF model can be established where the weights are determined according to the one dimensional persistence information.


Face recognition has important applications in psychology and biometric-based authentication, which increases the need for developing automatic face identification systems. Psychologists have long been studying the link between symmetry and attractiveness of the human face, but based on qualitative human judgment alone. The use of objective facial asymmetry information in automatic face recognition tasks is relatively new. The current paper presents a statistical analysis of the role of facial asymmetry measures in face recognition, under expression variation. We first describe a baseline classification method and show that the results are comparable with those based on certain popular (non-asymmetry based) classes of features used in computer vision. We find that facial asymmetry further improves upon the classification performance of these popular features by providing complementary information. Next, we consider two resampling methods to improve upon the baseline method used in previous work, and present a detailed comparison study. We demonstrate that resampling methods succeed in obtaining near perfect classification results on a database of 55 individuals, a statistically significant improvement over the baseline method. Results regarding the role of asymmetry of different parts of the face in distinguishing between individuals, expressions and between males and females are also reported as additional aspects of the study.


The dominant way of producing knowledge in information systems (IS) seeks to domesticate high-level reference theory in the form of mid-level abstractions involving generic and atheoretical information technology (IT) components. Enacting such epistemic scripts squeezes IS theory to the middle range, where abstract reference theory concepts are directly instantiated or slightly modified to the IS context, whereas IT remains exogenous to theory by being treated as an independent variable, mediator, or moderator. In this design, IT is often operationalized using proxies that detect the presence of IT or its variation in use or cost. Our analysis of 143 articles published in MIS Quarterly and Information Systems Research over the past 15 years demonstrates that over 70 percent of published theory conforms to this mode of producing IS knowledge. This state of play has resulted in two negative consequences: the field (1) agonizes over the dearth of original and bold theorizing over IT and (2) satisfices when integrating theory with empirics by creating incommensurate mid-range models that are difficult to consolidate. We propose that one way to overcome these challenges is to critically examine and debate the negative impacts of the field's dominant epistemic scripts and relax them by permitting IS scholarship that more fluidly accommodates alternative forms of knowledge production. This will push IS inquiry to the "edges" and emphasize, on the one hand, inductive, rich inquiries using innovative and extensive data sets and, on the other hand, novel, genuine, high-level theorizing around germane conceptual relationships between IT, information and its (semiotic) representations, and social behaviors. We offer several exemplars of such inquiries and their results. To promote this push, we invite alternative institutionalized forms of publishing and reviewing. We conclude by inviting individual scholars to be more open to practices that permit richer theorizing. These recommendations will broaden the field's knowledge ecology and permit the creation of good IS knowledge over just getting "hits." We surmise that, if such changes are carried out, the field can look confidently toward its future as one of the epicenters of organizational inquiry that deal with the central forces shaping human enterprise in the 21st century.


Abstract The effects of prostaglandin E, (PGE) on cell growth, cytokine production and interaction of cultured normal human keratinocytes (NHKs) and human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) were investigated. When NHKs were treated with PGE, directly, only a slight increase in cell growth and a transient decrease in interleukin 1 alpha (IL‐lα) secretion were observed. No IL‐6 was detected either before or after PGE, treatment. In addition, IL‐8 and transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα) production were uninfluenced by PGE. The response of HDFs to PGE, differed from that of NHKs. Following PGE1, treatment, IL‐lα and TGFα. from HDFs remained undetectable while IL‐6 production was enhanced markedly. IL‐8 production was also slightly enhanced. Exposure of HDFs to PGE, for 96 hours significantly promoted cell proliferation. Two kinds of conditioned media (CM) were prepared by a brief feeding of HDFs with keratinocyte basic medium or Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with 5% PCS with or without PGE. NHKs proliferated more rapidly in CM than in corresponding basic medium. Moreover, CM prepared with PGE, treatment showed a stronger effect in promoting NHK proliferation than CM without PGE, treatment. This promoting effect was inhibited by anti‐human IL‐6 monoclonal antibody dose‐dependently. These results indicate that fibroblasts are more sensitive than keratinocytes in response to PGE, and that, upon PGE, stimulation. HDF‐derived IL‐6 may play an essential role in NHK cell proliferation which may at least partly account for the beneficial effects of PGE, in the treatment of cutaneous liberations.


Considered by many as the next key development in Internet technology, the semantic web has generated a lot of buzz recently. A creation of Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, the semantic web is a "web of data," a technology that promises to provide the world with enhanced access to information through more efficient and sophisticated content indexing. There are, however, dangerous side-effects to the system. As a labeling system, the semantic web bears the potential to provide sophisticated new tools for enhanced control of information distribution by governments. Ironically, however, perhaps because Dr. Berners-Lee's previous invention served as a catalyst of unrestrained information flow worldwide, there has been little if any analysis of the potential to use the semantic web as a tool of enhanced control. This paper aims at filling the gap, by unveiling unintentional externalities of content-tagging systems such as the semantic web from the standpoint of the free flow of and access to information and by alerting the computer science community that further work needs to be done as the semantic web is being developed, in order to minimize these externalities and further embed freedom in the technology.


Summary
Constipation is a highly prevalent and difficult-to-cure health problem, forcing 10–20% of the worldwide population to seek medical care. Efficacy of treatments varies greatly among individuals, and problems are becoming more frequent despite higher consumption of fibre-rich foods, the most popular solution for preventing such gastrointestinal disorders. The evidence that consumption of fibre prevents and relieves constipation is unconvincing or uncertain. The food industry has made great efforts to develop fibre-rich ingredients, especially those from food by-products and wastes. Except for psyllium and wheat bran, most of these ingredients have intermediate or low laxative potential and their efficacy needs to be confirmed by more clinical studies. This review suggests that there are major discrepancies between the proposed fibre-enriched ingredients and the consumers' needs. As a lasting solution to prevent constipation, the true impact of dietary fibre and potent food-grade laxatives might also be limited by overeating.


Using Japanese facility-level data, we estimate the effects of ISO 14001 certification on the promotion of more advanced practices, namely green supply chain management (GSCM). Our results show that ISO 14001 promotes GSCM practices, in that facilities with environmental management systems (EMS) certified to ISO 14001 are 40 percent more likely to assess their suppliers' environmental performance and 50 percent more likely to require that their suppliers undertake specific environmental practices. Further, we find that government approaches that encourage voluntary EMS adoption indirectly promote GSCM practices, in that the probability of facilities assessing their suppliers' environmental performance and requiring them to undertake specific environmental practices increases by 9 percent and 10 percent, respectively, if a government assistance program exists. Combined, these findings suggest that there may be significant but previously unnoticed spillover effects of ISO 14001 and government promotion of voluntary action.


This volume aims at providing answers to some puzzling questions concerning the formation and the behavior of collapse calderas by exploring our current understanding of these complex geological processes. Addressed are problems such as: - How do collapse calderas form? - What are the conditions to create fractures and slip along them to initiate caldera collapse and when are these conditions fulfilled? - How do these conditions relate to explosive volcanism? - Most products of large caldera-forming eruptions show evidence for pre-eruptive reheating. Is this a pre-requisite to produce large volume eruptions and large calderas? - What are the time-scales behind caldera processes? - How long does it take magma to reach conditions ripe enough to generate a caldera-forming eruption? - What is the mechanical behavior of magma chamber walls during caldera collapse? Elastic, viscoelastic, or rigid? - Do calderas form by underpressure following a certain level of magma withdrawal from a reservoir, or by magma chamber loading due to deep doming (underplating), or both? - How to interpret unrest signals in active caldera systems? - How can we use information from caldera monitoring to forecast volcanic phenomena? In the form of 14 contributions from various disciplines this book samples the state-of-the-art of caldera studies and identifies still unresolved key issues that need dedicated cross-boundary and multidisciplinary efforts in the years to come. * International contributions from leading experts * Updates and informs on all the latest developments * Highlights hot topic areas and identifies and analyzes unresolved key issues


Ocean warming, ocean acidification and overfishing are major threats to the structure and function of marine ecosystems. Driven by increasing anthropogenic emissions of CO2, ocean warming is leading to global redistribution of marine biota and altered ecosystem dynamics, while ocean acidification threatens the ability of calcifying marine organisms to form skeletons due to decline in saturation state of carbonate Ω and pH. In Tasmania, the interaction between overfishing of sea urchin predators and rapid ocean warming has caused a phase-shift from productive kelp beds to overgrazed sea urchin barren grounds, however potential impacts of ocean acidification on this system have not been considered despite this threat for marine ecosystems globally. Here we use automated loggers and point measures of pH, spanning kelp beds and barren grounds, to reveal that kelp beds have the capacity to locally ameliorate effects of ocean acidification, via photosynthetic drawdown of CO2, compared to unvegetated barren grounds. Based on meta-analysis of anticipated declines in physiological performance of grazing urchins to decreasing pH and assumptions of nil adaptation, future projection of OA across kelp-barrens transition zones reveals that kelp beds could act as important pH refugia, with urchins potentially becoming increasingly challenged at distances >40 m from kelp beds. Using spatially explicit simulation of physicochemical feedbacks between grazing urchins and their kelp prey, we show a stable mosaicked expression of kelp patches to emerge on barren grounds. Depending on the adaptative capacity of sea urchins, future declines in pH appear poised to further alter phase-shift dynamics for reef communities; thus, assessing change in spatial-patterning of reef-scapes may indicate cascading ecological impacts of ocean acidification.


Background: Active coating is an important unit operation in the pharmaceutical industry. The quality, stability, safety and performance of the final product largely depend on the amount and uniformity of coating applied. Active coating is challenging regarding the total amount of coating and its uniformity. Consequently, there is a strong demand for tools, which are able to monitor and determine the endpoint of a coating operation. In previous work, it was shown that Raman spectroscopy is an appropriate process analytical tool (PAT) to monitor an active spray coating process in a pan coater [1]. Using a multivariate model (Partial Least Squares) the Raman spectral data could be correlated with the coated amount of the API diprophylline. While the multivariate model was shown to be valid for the process in a mini scale pan coater (batch size: 3.5kg cores), the aim of the present work was to prove the robustness of the model by transferring the results to tablets coated to a micro scale pan coater (0.5kg). Method: Coating experiments were performed in both, a mini scale and a micro scale pan coater. The model drug diprophylline was coated on placebo tablets. The multivariate model, established for the process in the mini scale pan coater, was applied to the Raman measurements of tablets coated in the micro scale coater for 6 different coating levels. Then, the amount of coating, which was predicted by the model, was compared with measurements using UV spectroscopy. Results: For all the 6 coating levels the predicted coating amount was equal to the amounts obtained by UV spectroscopy within the statistical error. Thus it was possible to predict the total coating amount with an error smaller than 3.6%. The root mean square of errors for calibration and prediction (RMSEC and RMSEP) was 0.335mg and 0.392mg which means that the model's predictive power is not dependent on the scale or the equipment. Conclusion: The scale-down experiment showed that it was possible to transfer the model developed on a mini scale coater to a micro scale coater. References: [1] J. Muller et al., Feasibility of Raman spectroscopy as PAT tool in active coating, Drug Dev Ind Pharm (2010) 36, 234-243. Acknowledgment: This work was supported by TAMOP-4.2.1/B-09/1/KONV-2010-0005(Hungary), P-MOB/817 (Hungary) and DAAD Project PPP Ungarn 50430305 (Germany).


Introduction Higher education is facing world-wide a number of major problems. Firstly, universities have to adjust to larger and more heterogeneous populations than in the past. Secondly, in tertiary education in many European countries the output of students completing a degree is largely insufficient. And, last but not least, there is an urgent need for graduates who are prepared for lifelong learning. In response to these challenges we carried out a research project aiming at the design, implementation, and evaluation of a powerful learning environment for fostering learning competence in beginning university students (for more detailed information see Masui 2002; Masui and De Corte 1999; Masui and De Corte 2005). In designing the study we took into account the growing knowledge base about self-regulated learning (see e.g., Boekaerts, Pintrich, and Zeidner 2000). This intervention study embodies major components of the CLIA-model, a framework for the design of powerful learning environments that has resulted from our theoretical and empirical work over the past years relating to the creation of instructional settings that facilitate in students the acquisition of productive knowledge and learning and thinking skills (De Corte, Verschaffel, and Masui 2004). This investigation was not designed as a formal test of the CLIA-model, but was carried out in parallel with its development. As such the study has been instrumental in identifying and specifying the different components of the model as described below. This approach is in line with the perspective of the Design-Based Research Collective (2003; see also Burkhardt and Schoenfeld 2003) on the potential of intervention research, namely exploring possibilities for novel learning and teaching environments, and developing contextualized theories of learning and teaching. In the next section we present a brief overview of the CLIA-model as background for the review of the intervention study in the subsequent section. CLIA: A framework for designing powerful learning environments The framework for designing learning environments that are intended to be powerful is structured according to four interconnected components: 1. Competence: components of competence or expertise in a domain. 2. Learning: characteristics of effective learning processes. 3. Intervention: principles and methods guiding the design of learning environments. 4. Assessment: forms of assessment for monitoring and improving learning and teaching. These four components have been deliberately chosen building on the related views of Glaser (1976), Resnick (1983), and Snow and Swanson (1992) concerning the core elements of a theory of learning from instruction. As argued by Resnick (1983), such a theory must be "both descriptive, explaining why instruction works and why it does not, and prescriptive, what to do the next time for better results" (p. 6). In that perspective the theory must conform to several requirements. First, it must specify the objectives of instruction, thus the competence to be attained. Second, it should provide a theoretical account of the learning processes needed to acquire competence. Third, it should specify guiding principles for instructional interventions to support those learning processes. In addition, it is necessary to assess the outcomes of the interventions (Glaser 1976; Snow and Swanson 1992). As these four components are narrowly interconnected they need of course to be aligned in designing learning environments. Competence Acquiring competence in a domain requires the acquisition of five categories of components: cognitive ones, on the one hand, and affective-motivational components, on the other hand. (see e.g., De Corte and Verschaffel 2006) 1. A well-organized and flexibly accessible domain-specific knowledge base involving the facts, symbols, concepts, and rules that constitute the contents of a subject-matter field. …


THE HUMANISTIC, FIDEISTIC PHILOSOPHY OF PHILIP MELANCHTHON (1497-1560): Charles W. Peterson, B.A., M.A., M.Div., S.T.M. Marquette University, 2012 This dissertation examines the way Philip Melanchthon, author of the Augsburg Confession and Martin Luther's closest co-worker, sought to establish the relationship between faith and reason in the cradle of the Lutheran tradition, Wittenberg University. While Melanchthon is widely recognized to have played a crucial role in the Reformation of the Church in the sixteenth century as well as in the Renaissance in Northern Europe, he has in general received relatively little scholarly attention, few have attempted to explore his philosophy in depth, and those who have examined his philosophical work have come to contradictory or less than helpful conclusions about it. He has been regarded as an Aristotelian, a Platonist, a philosophical eclectic, and as having been torn between Renaissance humanism and Evangelical theology. An understanding of the way Melanchthon related faith and reason awaits a well-founded and accurate account of his philosophy. Having stated the problem and finding it inadequately treated in the secondary literature, this dissertation presents an account of Melanchthon's philosophical development. Finding that his philosophy was ultimately founded upon his understanding of and method in rhetoric and dialectics, this dissertation explicates his mature accounts of these arts. It then presents an account of Melanchthon's philosophy as both humanistic (i.e., rhetorically based and practically rather than speculatively oriented) and fideistic (i.e, skeptical about the product of human reason alone, but finding certainty in philosophy founded upon, and somewhat limited by, Christian faith). After a final assessment of claims about Melanchthon's philosophy from the secondary literature, this dissertation considers how such a humanistic, fideistic philosophy might be helpful for Christians in a philosophically post-modern situation.


Background: Obesity and overweight are known to be associated with other non-communicable diseases (NCD). In recent times, there has been an increase in the prevalence of this health-related condition, not only in the developed but also in developing countries. This study set out to assess the prevalence and factors associated with this health condition among chief executives of private and public organizations in Jos metropolis. Materials and Methods: A total of 250 chief executives of public and private institutions in Jos north local government area (LGA) of Plateau State were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique and data was collected from them using interviewer-administered, structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed using Epi Info statistical software (version 3.5.3). Results: The ages of the respondents ranged between 27 and 68 years with a mean of 44 + 2 years. Majority of the respondents (68%) were males. The prevalence of obesity was found to be 38% while 48.8% of subjects were overweight. BMI of subjects had a statistically significant relationship with sex and income of respondents but not with exercise. There was a fair knowledge of obesity, its contributory factors, and complications among the respondents (63.6%). Conclusion: The prevalence of obesity and overweight were found to be high among the studied executives, despite their fair knowledge of the disease and its complications. The increasing prevalence of obesity among chief executives of organizations needs to be addressed by increased health education. Managements of organizations should insist on periodic medical check-ups for their executives.


The ongoing outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) demonstrates the continuous threat of emerging coronaviruses (CoVs) to public health. SARS‐CoV‐2 and SARS‐CoV share an otherwise non‐conserved part of non‐structural protein 3 (Nsp3), therefore named as "SARS‐unique domain" (SUD). We previously found a yeast‐2‐hybrid screen interaction of the SARS‐CoV SUD with human poly(A)‐binding protein (PABP)‐interacting protein 1 (Paip1), a stimulator of protein translation. Here, we validate SARS‐CoV SUD:Paip1 interaction by size‐exclusion chromatography, split‐yellow fluorescent protein, and co‐immunoprecipitation assays, and confirm such interaction also between the corresponding domain of SARS‐CoV‐2 and Paip1. The three‐dimensional structure of the N‐terminal domain of SARS‐CoV SUD ("macrodomain II", Mac2) in complex with the middle domain of Paip1, determined by X‐ray crystallography and small‐angle X‐ray scattering, provides insights into the structural determinants of the complex formation. In cellulo, SUD enhances synthesis of viral but not host proteins via binding to Paip1 in pBAC‐SARS‐CoV replicon‐transfected cells. We propose a possible mechanism for stimulation of viral translation by the SUD of SARS‐CoV and SARS‐CoV‐2.


With the advent of petascale computing era, a typical petascale machine is usually installed with hundreds of thousands of processors. To predict the performance of existing applications running on such a machine, a simulation-based approach faces various unprecedented challenges. One of them is the memory constraint posed by emulating the petascale application that uses petabytes of memory on an existing parallel machine that typically only has hundreds of terabytes of memory or less. With an attempt to address this challenge, we present a preliminary investigation of utilizing the out-of-core concept in the context of an existing performance prediction framework BigSim. We have designed three basic out-of-core schemes and explored the optimizations that could be applied to the basic schemes. The additional theoretical analysis models both the performance of the emulation with and without out-of-core support, points out the very importance of the optimizations for the basic out-of-core schemes and offers suggestion to its implementation. By resolving multiple issues across the software stack, we implemented a prototype of the basic out-of-core support and integrated it into the emulation component of BigSim. The experimental evaluation shows the prototype works correctly for both Charm++ and MPI applications, and a reasonable emulation performance regarding a MPI kernel benchmark.


The formulation 'egalitarian strangeness' is a direct borrowing from Courts voyages au pays du peuple [Short Voyages to the Land of the People] (1990), a set of essays by the contemporary French thinker Jacques Rancière. Perhaps best known for his theory of radical equality as set out in Le Maître ignorant [The Ignorant Schoolmaster] (1987), Rancière reflects on ways in which a hierarchical social order based on inequality can come to be unsettled. In the democracy of literature, for example, words and sentences, he argues, serve to capture any life and make that available to any reader. The present book explores embedded forms of social and cultural 'apportionment' in a range of modern and contemporary French texts (including prose fiction, socially engaged commentary, and autobiography), while also identifying scenes of class disturbance and egalitarian encounter. Part One considers the 'refrain of class' audible in works by Claude Simon, Charles Péguy, Thierry Beinstingel, Marie Ndiaye, and Gabriel Gauny. It also examines how these authors' practices of language connect with that refrain. In Part Two, Hughes analyses forms of domination and dressage with reference to Simone Weil's mid-1930s factory journal, Paul Nizan's novel of class alienation Antoine Bloyé from the same decade, and Pierre Michon's Vies minuscules [Small Lives] (1984) with its focus on obscure rural lives. The reflection on how these narratives draw into contiguity antagonistic identities is extended in Part Three, where individual chapters on Proust and the contemporary authors François Bon and Didier Eribon show enduring forms of cultural distribution being both consolidated and contested.


Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the antipsoriatic activity of ethanolic extract of Woodfordia fruticosa flowers (EEWF) using a novel in vivo screening model. Materials and Methods: For induction of psoriasis, 0.1 ml of prepared complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) and formaldehyde mixture (1:10 ratio) was topically applied for 7 days on the dorsum surface of the skin of Swiss albino mice. Psoriasis severity index (PSI) was evaluated by phenotypic (redness, erythema, and scales) and histological features (epidermal thickness). Therapeutic effect of 0.05% and 0.1% (w/w) ointments of EEWF was evaluated after the induction of psoriasis. Ointments of EEWF flowers were applied once daily for 3 weeks, and antipsoriatic activity was evaluated by scoring the PSI and histological examination. Results: We observed the phenotypic and histological features and found a progressive reduction (P < 0.05) in the severity of psoriatic lesions (redness, erythema, and scales) from day 7 to 21st day and decreased epidermal thickness in animals treated with 0.05% and 0.1% (w/w) ointments of EEWF. Conclusions: The results showed that 0.05% and 0.1% (w/w) ointments of EEWF have dose-dependent beneficial effects in CFA and formaldehyde-induced psoriasis. The present investigation revealed that W. fruticosa flowers possess potent antipsoriatic activity and can be used for psoriasis treatment.


Abstract: Public healthcare has been paid increasing attention given the exponential growth human population and medical expenses. It is well known that an effective health monitoring system can detect abnormalities of health conditions in time and make diagnoses according to the gleaned data. As a vital approach to diagnosing heart diseases, ECG monitoring is widely studied and applied. However, nearly all existing portable ECG monitoring systems cannot work without a mobile application, which is responsible for data collection and display. In this project, we propose a new method for ECG monitoring based on Internet-of-Things (IoT) techniques. ECG data are gathered using a wearable monitoring node and are transmitted directly to the IoT cloud using Wi-Fi. Both the HTTP and MQTT protocols are employed in the IoT cloud in order to provide visual and timely ECG data to users. Nearly all smart terminals with a web browser can acquire ECG data conveniently, which has greatly alleviated the cross-platform issue. Experiments are carried out on healthy volunteers in order to verify the reliability of the entire system. Experimental results reveal that the proposed system is reliable in collecting and displaying real-time ECG data, which can aid in the primary diagnosis of certain heart diseases.


Argues that ongoing research in extensible kernels largely fails to address the real challenges facing the operating systems (OS) community. Instead, these efforts have become entangled in trying to solve the safety problems that extensibility itself introduces into OS design. We propose a pragmatic approach to extensibility, where kernel extensions are used in experimental settings to evaluate and develop OS enhancements for demanding applications. Once developed and well understood, these enhancements are then migrated into the base OS for production use. This approach obviates the need for guaranteeing the safety of kernel extensions, allowing the OS research community to re-focus on the real challenges in OS design and implementation. To provide a concrete example of this approach, we analyze the techniques used in experimental HTTP servers to show how proper application design combined with generic enhancements to OSs can provide the same benefits without requiring application-specific kernel extensions.


Bacterial infections are and likely always will be a serious and costly complication to treatment in a healthcare environment. However consistent rises in the number of both healthcare associated and antibiotic resistant infections over the last of decades has the potential to turn a serious problem into a catastrophe. Control of infections in hospital wards has improved over the last five years but data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control suggests a stale mate. While the numerical rise in drug resistant organisms has slowed, the severity of drug resistance appears to be on the increase with the prolific emergence of multiple drug resistant isolates. On the front lines of the threat that these organisms represent are some of the most susceptible. In hospitals those who are already sick are more vulnerable, those with co-morbidities, those with surgical or other wounds, the very old and the very young. Children especially show high susceptibility as they are often incapable of communicating clinical complications in the way an adult might. This coupled with higher commonality of specific aetiologies in children such as scalds, open wounds that are prone to infection without proper treatment, creates population in need. Antibiotics are often thought to be part of the problem in drug resistance, indeed to an extent they are. However their real downfall may be improper use. In order to improve treatment outcomes and simultaneously decrease antimicrobial resistance a combination of rapid diagnosis and prophylaxis can be utilised to decrease selection of resistance. As such, this study focuses on the development of a novel vesicle based sensor system for the detection of bacterial infections in burn wounds. Additionally an organometallic antimicrobial system has been developed with the potential for surface attachment. Work with the vesicle based biosensor demonstrates high sensitivity to both Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The toxins involved in activation of the sensor have been determined in both cases and an in-depth study into the activity of the staphylococcal agents of lysis (Phenol Soluble Modulins and delta haemolysin), shows a high degree of plasticity and tunability in the sensors function. Work with the zinc based antimicrobial reveals a highly complex system which demonstrates possible functions as a not only an antimicrobial but as a sensor system in its own right.


This article is divided into three parts. In Part I, the article explores the notion that under the tort of appropriation, a person's name is understood to implicate critical aspects of her identity. This notion is explored in relation to specific historical cases raising the issues of whether a woman who adopts her husband's name has a property right in that name and whether a person who adopts a professional or stage name has separate rights in that name apart from his legal name. Second, Part II focuses on a person's right to maintain the integrity of his physical image. Finally, Part III examines one interest in his or her "aural image." The paper concludes with the observation that the courts are capable of accommodating society's flexible notions of identity, albeit in an occasionally non-democratic fashion.


Forecasting crises has always been an interesting and important topic for econometricians
or statisticians. Literature suggests that government bond yields can be a valid
leading indicator for this purpose. This thesis uses government bond yields and applies
various models to forecast the crisis which happened recently.
Chapter 2 investigates a model utilising the term structure of interest rates to predict
output growth and recession in the UK. In contrast to previous literature, information
retrieved from the whole yield curve is used rather than just the yield spread. Using
di�erent methods, our models are found to outperform the yield spread models both in
in-sample and out-of-sample forecasting. Notably, the B-spline fitting model is able to
forecast the 2009-2010 recession. Moreover, the model with lag of growth shows great
forecasting ability in out-of-sample output growth forecasting. In most cases, models
based on B-spline perform better than the ones based on the Diebold-Li framework.
Chapter 3 examines the existence of time series non-linearities in the real output
growth / recession-term spread relationship. Vector Autoregression (VAR), Threshold
VAR (TVAR), Structural break VAR (SBVAR), Structural break threshold VAR (SBTVAR)
are applied in the analysis. The in-sample results indicate there are non-linear
components in this relationship. And this non-linearity tends to be caused by structural
breaks. The best in-sample model also shows its robustness on arrival of new information
in the out-of-sample tests. Evidence shows the model with only structural break
non-linearity outperforms linear models in 1-quarter, 3-quarter and 4-quarter ahead forecasting.
The European sovereign debt crisis has become a very popular topic since late 2009.
In Chapter 4, the sovereign debt crisis is investigated by calculating the probabilities
of the potential future crisis of 11 countries in the European Union. We use sovereign
2
3
spreads of the European countries against Germany as targets and apply the GARCH
based vine copula simulation technique. The methodology solves the di�culties of calculating
the probabilities of rarely happening events and takes sovereign debt movement
dependence, especially tail dependence, into consideration. Results indicate that Italy
and Spain are the most likely next victims of the sovereign debt crisis, followed by Ireland,
France and Belgium. The UK, Sweden and Denmark, which are outside EMU, are
the most financially stable countries in the sample.


This thesis explores experiences of girlhood within residential schools for the blind in North America. The analysis draws upon and contributes to theorizing in feminist disability studies and gendered embodiment in schooling and residential schools as social systems. It also offers insight into methodological approaches to conducting research with the blind and partially sighted community. Qualitative interviews with former female students illuminate how girls in these residential school settings experienced and navigated curriculum, space, informal/formal school rules and peer culture. The analysis focuses on gendered and sexualized inequalities as well as the agency of girls within in this particular educational context. Documenting the experiences of former female students of residential schools for the blind makes an important contribution to understanding the intersecting realities of girlhood and disability in an under researched educational context, and points to the need for greater initiatives focused at addressing the inequalities that they encounter.


This document specifies the SIP P-Profile-Key P-header. This header
field is used in the 3rd-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) IMS (IP
Multimedia Subsystem) to provide SIP registrars and SIP proxy servers
with the key of the profile corresponding to the destination SIP URI
of a particular SIP request. This memo provides information for the
Internet community.


In most target cells, activation of the type 1 CRH receptor (CRH-R1) by CRH or urocortin (UCN I) leads to stimulation of the Gs-protein/adenylyl cyclase/protein kinase A cascade. Signal transduction of CRH-R1 also involves alternative pathways such as phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK, two members of the MAPK family that mediate important pathophysiological responses. The intracellular pathways by which CRH-R1 activates these MAPK are only partially understood; here we characterized further signaling mechanisms and molecules involved in CRH-R1-mediated ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK activation. In human embryonic kidney 293 cells overexpressing recombinant CRH-R1alpha, UCN I induced ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK activation was dependent on signaling molecules involved in agonist-induced CRH-R1alpha trafficking and endocytosis. Furthermore, time course studies and use of selective inhibitors demonstrated that ERK1/2 activation occured within 5 min, was sustained for at least 60 min, and was dependent on both phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K)/Akt activation and epidermoid growth factor receptor transactivation involving matrix metelloproteinases. UCN I effect on p38 MAPK phosphorylation was more transient, returned to basal within 40 min and was dependent on epidermoid growth factor receptor transactivation, but not PI3-K/Akt activation. Overexpression of G(alpha-)transducin, showed that G(betagamma)-subunit activation is only partially required for ERK1/2 phosphorylation and does not play a role in p38 MAPK phosphorylation, whereas overexpression of a dominant-negative Ras (Ras N17) attenuated both ERK and p38 MAPK activation. In conclusion, a complex signaling network appears to mediate CRH-R1alpha-MAPK interactions; PI3-K might play a critical role in the regulation of CRH-R1alpha signaling selectivity and cellular responses.


Payments for Environmental Services (PES) are being considered worldwide with great interest and expectation. Proposals to create agreements in which beneficiaries of environmental services pay landowners directly for the provision or protection of these services are innovative and promising. But what real PES experiences are actually out there? This work assesses a range of PES or PES-type experiences in one country, Bolivia, in the fields of carbon sequestration, protection of watershed services, biodiversity and aesthetic landscape values. The report concludes that while none of the generally young initiatives adhere fully to the principle of PES as developed in the theoretical literature, many experiment with some of the relevant PES mechanisms. Protection of watersheds and landscape values are the most common types, though the implementing intermediaries often have underlying biodiversity-protection goals. Main obstacles to PES implementation include ideological resistance against the PES concept, the difficulty of building trust between buyers and sellers, and limited willingness to pay on behalf of service users. During their relatively short lifetime, basically all initiatives had been successful in making service sellers (PES recipients) better off in economic terms, while the effectiveness in achieving environmental objectives and securing positive social impacts so far remained more variable. In some cases, redesigning these initiatives to bring them closer to the full PES principles could also enable them to more effectively achieve positive environmental and livelihood outcomes.


The investigations of the Upper Cretaceous Panagyurishte and Chelopech volcano-sedimentary strips of the Central Srednogorie tectonic subzone date back to the end of 19th and became more intensive during the middle of the 20th century, mainly due to the discovery of important mineral deposits in the area. Our field work during the last 15 years and analysis of previously published data show that the existing lithostratigraphic scheme does not cover the entire spectrum of lithologies, successions and interrelations in both strips. This study deals with four stratigraphic sections, along the valleys of the Topolnitsa, Kamenitsa and Mirkovska rivers, and their correlation on the basis of the Turonian/Coniacian boundary, local extinction event and palaeontological data that demonstrate the unreliability of already existing schemes. The previously used "layer-cake" stratigraphic model does not reflect the diachronism of the studied units or the existence of subaerial volcano craters, together with synchronous deposits. In this paper, we also propose a subdivision of the intervals containing magmatic and sedimentary rocks into individual members, including non-layered magmatic centres, stratified lava flow and volcanoclastic flow deposits and stratified epiclastic deposits of mainly turbiditic origin, instead of the currently used Chelopech Formation. The presented herein new data do not cover entirely the wide palette of problems with the lithostratigraphy of the area, but clearly demonstrate the necessity of its revision, especially for practical application and better understanding of the Late Cretaceous evolution of the area.


Tyrosine (Tyr) phosphorylation represents an important biochemical mechanism to regulate many cellular processes. No Tyr kinase has been cloned so far in plants. Dual-specificity kinases are reported in plants and the function of these kinases remains unknown. A 1.7-kb cDNA that encodes serine/threonine/Tyr (STY) kinase was isolated by screening peanut (Arachis hypogaea) expression library using the anti-phospho-Tyr antibody. The histidine-tagged recombinant kinase histidine-6-STY predominantly autophosphorylated on Tyr and phosphorylated the histone primarily on threonine. Genomic DNA gel-blot analysis revealed that STY kinase is a member of a small multigene family. The transcript of STY kinase is accumulated in the mid-maturation stage of seed development, suggesting a role in the signaling of storage of seed reserves. The STY kinase mRNA expression, as well as kinase activity, markedly increased in response to cold and salt treatments; however, no change in the protein level was observed, suggesting a posttranslational activation mechanism. The activation of the STY kinase is detected after 12 to 48 h of cold and salt treatments, which indicates that the kinase may not participate in the initial response to abiotic stresses, but may play a possible role in the adaptive process to adverse conditions. The transcript levels and kinase activity were unaltered with abscisic acid treatment, suggesting an abscisic acid-independent cold and salt signaling pathway. Here, we report the first identification of a non-MAP kinase cascade dual-specificity kinase involved in abiotic stress and seed development.


This report is one of a series of reports documenting the methods and findings of a multi-year, multi-disciplinary project coordinated by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER and funded by the California Earthquake Authority (CEA). The overall project is titled "Quantifying the Performance of Retrofit of Cripple Walls and Sill Anchorage in Single-Family Wood-Frame Buildings," henceforth referred to as the "PEER–CEA Project." The overall objective of the PEER–CEA Project is to provide scientifically based information (e.g., testing, analysis, and resulting loss models) that measure and assess the effectiveness of seismic retrofit to reduce the risk of damage and associated losses (repair costs) of wood-frame houses with cripple wall and sill anchorage deficiencies as well as retrofitted conditions that address those deficiencies. Tasks that support and inform the loss-modeling effort are: (1) collecting and summarizing existing information and results of previous research on the performance of wood-frame houses; (2) identifying construction features to characterize alternative variants of wood-frame houses; (3) characterizing earthquake hazard and ground motions at representative sites in California; (4) developing cyclic loading protocols and conducting laboratory tests of cripple wall panels, wood-frame wall subassemblies, and sill anchorages to measure and document their response (strength and stiffness) under cyclic loading; and (5) the computer modeling, simulations, and the development of loss models as informed by a workshop with claims adjustors. This report is a product of Working Group 6 (WG6): Interaction with Claims Adjustors & Catastrophe Modelers and focuses on a damage workshop effort undertaken to provide repair estimates of representative damaged single-family wood-frame case study buildings to compare the differences in costs between houses with and without retrofits to cripple walls and sill anchorage. At the request of the CEA, 11 experienced claims adjustors from insurance companies volunteered to provide the estimates. Electronic cost estimation files for each case study building were developed by the PEER–CEA Project Team using the Verisk Xactware Xactimate X1 platform and provided to the claims adjustors to complete their estimates. These adjustor estimates served as the baseline for comparison against the FEMA P-58 [FEMA 2012] methodology used on the project for loss estimation. The term "damage workshop effort" is used to emphasize that the scope of work included not just a successful workshop meeting, but the broader development of a damage description package describing case studies and associated Xactimate descriptions before the workshop meeting and revisions after it, two rounds of estimates and survey question responses by adjustors, interpretation and clarification of the estimates for consistency, and synthesizing of estimate findings and survey responses into conclusions and recommendations. Three building types were investigated, each with an unretrofitted and a retrofitted condition. These were then assessed at four levels of damage, resulting in a total of 24 potential scenarios. Because of similarities, only 17 scenarios needed unique Xactimate estimates. Each scenario was typically estimated by three to five adjustors, resulting in a final total of 74 different estimates.


Summary.
In recent months, the migratory impacts of environmental degradation and climate change have gained increased worldwide attention. In response to the publication of the EC Staff Working Document on Climate Change, Environmental Degradation and Migration, this policy brief critically outlines current themes and issues that surround this global phenomenon, specifically the findings of current international research which frame the discussions on terminology and current legal, political and institutional conceptual debates. Several proposals were put forward during a Policy Forum in January 2013. Firstly, there is a need for tailored and actionable research outputs that take into account political pressures and realities on the ground. Secondly, migration and climate policies would be clearly boosted through the elaboration of a common policy-oriented research agenda of which elements were put forward at the event. Finally, efficient communication tools and channels could be developed to transfer research findings to policy-makers.


We present two matrix-free methods for solving exact penalty subproblems on product sets that arise when solving large-scale optimization problems. The first approach is a novel iterative reweighting algorithm (IRWA), which iteratively minimizes quadratic models of relaxed subproblems while automatically updating a relaxation vector. The second approach is based on alternating direction augmented Lagrangian (ADAL) technology applied to our setting. The main computational costs of each algorithm are the repeated minimizations of convex quadratic functions which can be performed matrix-free. We prove that both algorithms are globally convergent under loose assumptions and that each requires at most $O(1/\varepsilon^2)$ iterations to reach $\varepsilon$-optimality of the objective function. Numerical experiments exhibit the ability of both algorithms to efficiently find inexact solutions. However, in certain cases, these experiments indicate that IRWA can be significantly more efficient than ADAL.


Black lives matter; they matter to God and they should matter to all Americans. However, as we continue to witness unjust and unconstitutional killing of black men by the police, we must ask: What is the role of the Episcopal Church in providing safe space for and mediating discussions of the role of policing in America as it continues to maintain racial attitudes and values that have negative effects on the life chances of blacks in America? How do we lead the way to bodily encompass our Baptismal Covenant, in which we promise to "strive for justice" and to "respect the dignity of every human being"? The Episcopal Church has directly profited from slavery, discrimination, and Jim Crow, and the police were in the forefront of maintaining those mechanisms that defaced God's people. Through acts of confession and repentance led by the church, perhaps four hundred years of oppression can truly end.


Epistemic contextualism (EC) is the thesis that the standards that must be met by a knowledge claimant vary with (especially conversational) contexts of utterance. Thus construed, EC may concern only knowledge claims ("Semantic EC"), or else the knowledge relation itself ("Substantive EC"). Herein, my concern is with "Substantive EC." Let's call the claim that the sorts of linguistic evidence commonly cited in support of Semantic EC also imply or support Substantive EC the "Implication Thesis" (IP). IP is a view about which some epistemologists have equivocated. Keith DeRose is a case in point. Herein I argue that IP is false, and that it is false for interesting reasons. To this end, I consider two other terms which DeRose investigates, "free will" and "potency" in his efforts to demonstrate the alleged inability of distinctly philosophical or skeptical doubts to infect ordinary epistemic discourse. I describe how and why these two examples speak against, rather than for, DeRose's recommendation of Substantive EC.


Although Samuel Abraham Marx was born at the end of the 19th century, he had the eye of a modernist - as an architect, furniture designer, connoisseur and collector. His vision was neither ostentatious or grandiose, but subtle and quietly magnificent. "Ultra-Modern, Samuel Marx, Architect, Furniture Designer, Collector" is the first monograph on this lesser-known but increasingly influential American designer. In more than 200 photographs, Marx expert and decorative arts dealer, Liz O Brien, reveals many of his undiscovered projects including houses that have been raised despite preservationist protests and his range of furniture designs. Marx was also sought after for his ability to integrate art in well-heeled interiors. The private art collections of many of his wealthy clients have, in the last 40 years, been dispersed to major museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, as well as the Chicago Art Institute, in Chicago.


We propose a situation in which a single employee is responsible for processing incoming claims to an insurance company that can be classified as being one of two possible types. More specifically, we consider a priority-based system having separate buffers to store high priority and low priority incoming claims. We construct a mathematical model and perform queueing analysis to evaluate the performance of this priority-based system, which incorporates the possibility of claims being redistributed, lost, or prematurely processed.


There are many dynamical problems in front crawl swimming which have not been fully investigated by analytical approaches. Therefore, in this paper, standard six beat front crawl swimming is analyzed by the swimming human simulation model SWUM, which has been developed by the authors. First, the outline of the simulation model, the joint motion for one stroke cycle, and the specifications of calculation are described respectively. Next, contribution of each fluid force component and of each body part to the thrust, effect of the flutter kick, estimation of the active drag, roll motion, and the propulsive efficiency are discussed respectively. The following results were theoretically obtained: The thrust is produced at the upper limb by the normal drag force component. The flutter kick plays a role in raising the lower half of the body. The active drag coefficient in the simulation becomes 0.082. Buoyancy determines the primal wave of the roll motion fluctuation. The propulsive efficiency in the simulation becomes 0.2.


Feedback communication channels allow end-users to express their needs, which can be considered in software development and evolution. Although feedback gathering and analysis have been identified as an important topic and several researchers have started their investigation, information is scarce on how software companies currently elicit end-user feedback. In this study, we explore the experiences of software companies with respect to feedback gathering. The results of a case study and online survey indicate two sides of the same coin: on the one hand, most software companies are aware of the relevance of end-user feedback for software evolution and provide feedback channels, which allow end-users to communicate their needs and problems. On the other hand, the quantity and quality of the feedback received varies. We conclude that software companies still do not fully exploit the potential of end-user feedback for software development and evolution.


Abstract The paper summarizes recent advances in physics of multiple-mirror confinement. GOL-3 in Novosibirsk is the only existing large-scale device of this type. Achieved plasma parameters are: n ~ 1021 m-3, T ~ 2 keV, τE ~ 1 ms. Intense experimental and theoretical studies revealed several new collective phenomena that radically change plasma behavior in the trap as compared to simple classical theory. These phenomena are intrinsically linked to the second major feature of GOL-3, namely, fast plasma heating by a high-power relativistic electron beam. Collective beam-plasma interaction delivers energy to plasma through strong Langmuir turbulence and changes other plasma properties as well. In particular, the turbulent plasma in GOL-3 features suppressed axial heat transport, fast collective heating of ions, limitation of axial particle loss, and MHD stabilization by a magnetic shear. Mentioned phenomena greatly improve prospects of multiple-mirror confinement for fusion reactor applications. An outlook for possible fusion-scale device is presented.


Sparse optical interferometric arrays of many apertures can produce direct images in the densified-pupil mode, also called "hypertelescope" mode. Pending the introduction of adaptive optics for cophasing, indirect images can also be reconstructed with speckle imaging techniques. But adaptive phasing is preferable, when a sufficiently bright guide star is available. Several wave sensing techniques, byproducts of those used on monolithic telescopes for some of them, are potentially usable. For cophased direct images of very faint sources in the absence of a natural guide star, a modified form of the Laser Guide Star techniques demonstrated on conventional and segmented telescopes is described. Preliminary testing in laboratory suggests further investigation. Recorded images, assumed co-phased, are also improvable post-detection with optical aperture-synthesis techniques such as Earth rotation synthesis, where data from successive exposures are combined incoherently. Nevertheless, the gain becomes modest if hundreds of sub-apertures are used. Image deconvolution techniques are also applicable, if suitably modified as demonstrated by Aime et al. (2012), and Mary (2012). Their modified deconvolution algorithms can extend the Direct Imaging Field (also called Clean Field) of hypertelescopes. More sub-apertures at given collecting area, implying that their size is reduced, improve the direct-imaging performance. The predictable trend thus favors systems combining hundreds of sub-apertures of modest size, if workable designs can be evolved. One such design, the "Ubaye Hypertelescope" entering the initial testing phase in the southern Alps, has a fixed spherical meta-mirror with a 57 m effective aperture, expandable to 200 m. Preliminary results suggest that larger versions, whether spherical or active paraboloidal, can reach a kilometric aperture size at terrestrial sites having a suitable concave topography. In space, hypertelescope meta-apertures spanning up to 100 000 km are in principle feasible in the form of a flotilla of mirrors, driven by micro-thrusters or by the radiation pressure of the Sun or lasers. 1 Collège de France and Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, 06460 Caussols, France c © EAS, EDP Sciences 2013 DOI: 10.1051/eas/1359001 6 New Concepts in Imaging: Optical and Statistical Models


One of Detroit's most defining modern characteristics-and most pressing dilemmas-is its huge amount of neglected and vacant land. In Mapping Detroit: Land, Community, and Shaping a City , editors June Manning Thomas and Henco Bekkering use chapters based on a variety of maps to shed light on how Detroit moved from frontier fort to thriving industrial metropolis to today's high-vacancy city. With contributors ranging from a map archivist and a historian to architects, urban designers, and urban planners, Mapping Detroit brings a unique perspective to the historical causes, contemporary effects, and potential future of Detroit's transformed landscape. To show how Detroit arrived in its present condition, contributors in part 1, Evolving Detroit: Past to Present, trace the city's beginnings as an agricultural, military, and trade outpost and map both its depopulation and attempts at redevelopment. In part 2, Portions of the City, contributors delve into particular land-related systems and neighborhood characteristics that encouraged modern social and economic changes. Part 2 continues by offering case studies of two city neighborhoods-the Brightmoor area and Southwest Detroit-that are struggling to adapt to changing landscapes. In part 3, Understanding Contemporary Space and Potential, contributors consider both the city's ecological assets and its sociological fragmentation to add dimension to the current understanding of its emptiness. The volume's epilogue offers a synopsis of the major points of the 2012 Detroit Future City report, the city's own strategic blueprint for future land use. Mapping Detroit explores not only what happens when a large city loses its main industrial purpose and a major portion of its population but also what future might result from such upheaval. Containing some of the leading voices on Detroit's history and future, Mapping Detroit will be informative reading for anyone interested in urban studies, geography, and recent American history.


This paper will reflect on the underlying motivations and tensions sitting
 behind a project generated by a partnership between the Open University's
Geography Department, Sheffield University's Architecture Department and the
new economics foundation (nef), that seeks to provoke and test re-framings of
 environmental change in the public sphere.

The Interdependence Day project (ID)
 is a research, communications and participation project centred on taking a fresh tone and approach to issues around environment, development and globalization. ID is politically explicit, but frank about
 its experimental and uncertain status as a project. It has revolved around
 a distinctive mix of public events, publications, art practice and academic/policy seminars. These
activities have started to probe the potency of the concept of
interdependence for public understanding of and responses to environmental change at a moment when the density of relations between the ecological, the social and the political are so evident. The work has arisen out of an extended programme of
action research on media and environmental change by one of the project
 partners Joe Smith, and in architectural design teaching, research and art
practice by Renata Tyszczuk. The paper will reflect upon the usually implicit
 ethical and political commitments that researchers and participants are delivered into by
dint of their 'knowing about climate change'. It will say some provocative
things about the distinctive responsibilities that the issue carries for
 research, art practice, interdisciplinarity and the politics of knowledge
mediation.


Women – mothers in particular – working as ICT experts in research, development, and innovation are under double pressure: they work within both a male-dominated profession, and a greedy, 24/7 work style that continues to produce an image of the ideal worker according to the male norm of less childcare responsibility. This study explores how women working as ICT experts in research, development, and innovation in Norway's gender egalitarian culture negotiate work alongside family responsibilities. We discuss which factors affect women's experiences of combining ICT work and family, building our analysis on 22 interviews conducted with women ICT experts in research, development, and innovation in Norway during 2017-2018. Our study illustrates that insufficient public childcare and work-life balance solutions cause women to feel like they are 'opting out', even when working full-time. This suggests that some of the main structures of working life continue to work as barriers to women's career opportunities. Indeed, while some women narrate their encounters with such structures along the lines of traditional gendered patterns of work and family, we also found the same structures being gendered in new ways.


The effects of uniaxial tensile strain on the performance of polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors (poly-Si TFTs) is reported. Longitudinal strain increases the electron mobility and decreases the hole mobility, while transverse strain decreases the electron mobility and slightly decreases the hole mobility. Under longitudinal strain the off current decreases for both NMOS and PMOS TFTs and shifts in threshold voltage and substhreshold slope are observed for p-channel TFTs. A strong dependence on channel length for both electron and hole mobilities under longitudinal strain indicates the presence of a series resistance. For poly-Si TFTs, the mobility changes under strains are related to the strain effects on single crystalline silicon devices.


2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the "digital divide." Although a quarter century has passed, legacy digital inequalities continue, and emergent digital inequalities are proliferating. Many of the initial schisms identified in 1995 are still relevant today. Twenty-five years later, foundational access inequalities continue to separate the digital haves and the digital have-nots within and across countries. In addition, even ubiquitous-access populations are riven with skill inequalities and differentiated usage. Indeed, legacy digital inequalities persist vis-à-vis economic class, gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity, aging, disability, healthcare, education, rural residency, networks, and global geographies. At the same time, emergent forms of inequality now appear alongside legacy inequalities such that notions of digital inequalities must be continually expanded to become more nuanced. We capture the increasingly complex and interrelated nature of digital inequalities by introducing the concept of the "digital inequality stack." The concept of the digital inequality stack encompasses access to connectivity networks, devices, and software, as well as collective access to network infrastructure. Other layers of the digital inequality stack include differentiated use and consumption, literacies and skills, production and programming, etc. When inequality exists at foundational layers of the digital inequality stack, this often translates into inequalities at higher levels. As we show across these many thematic foci, layers in the digital inequality stack may move in tandem with one another such that all layers of the digital inequality stack reinforce disadvantage.


Features of the 'fourth industrial revolution', such as platforms, AI and machine learning, pose challenges for the application of regulatory rules, in the area of labour law as elsewhere. However, today's digital technologies have their origins in earlier phases of industrialisation, and do not, in themselves, mark a step change in the evolution of capitalism, which was, and is, characterised by successive waves of creative destruction. The law does not simply respond to technological change; it also facilitates and mediates it. Digitalisation, by permitting the appropriation of collective knowledge, has the capacity to undermine existing forms of regulation, while creating the space for new ones. It may erode the position of some professions while enabling others, complementary to new technologies, to emerge. It is unlikely to bring about the redundancy of forms of labour law regulation centred on the employment relationship. We appear to reaching a point in the law-technology cycle where push-back against regulatory arbitrage can be expected.


Alkali-silica reaction causes major problems in concrete structures due to the rapidity of its deformation which leads to the serviceability limit of the structure being reached well before its time. Factors that affect ASR vary greatly, including alkali and silica content, relative humidity, temperature and porosity of the cementitious matrix,all these making it a very complex phenomenon to consider explicitly. With this in mind, the finite element technique was used to build models and generate expansive pressures and damage propagation due to ASR under the influence of thermo-hygrochemoelastic loading. Since ASR initializes in the mesoscopic regions of the concrete,
the accumulative effects of its expansion escalates onto the macroscale level with the development of web cracking on the concrete surface, hence solution of the damage model as well as simulation of the ASR phenomenon at both the macroscale and mesoscale levels have been performed. The macroscale model realizes the effects of ASR expansion as a whole and shows how it develops under the influence of moisture, thermal and mechanical loading. Results of the macroscale modeling are
smeared throughout the structure and are sufficient to show how damage due to ASR expansion orientates. As opposed to the mesoscale model, the heterogeneity of the model shows us how difference in material properties between aggregates and the cementitious matrix facilitates ASR expansion. With both these models, the ASR phenomenon under influence of thermo-chemo-hygro-mechanical loading can be better understood.


Taknar deposit is located about 28 km to the north-west of Bardaskan in the Khorasan-e-Razavi province, which is situated in the north-eastern part of Iran. This deposit is unique, formed within the Taknar formation in the Ordovician time. As a result, it is of much interest to many researchers working in this field. By choosing the lithogeochemical study performed to recognize new exploration targets which a new stage in the field. After pre-processing the lithogeochemical data obtained, the distribution maps were obtained for the element anomalies and alteration indices. The ratios of additive composite haloes were used to study the erosion levels in the Taknar area. In order to produce the favorability map, eight information layers were integrated using the simple overlay method, and four new exploration targets were obtained.


Introduction. Acute renal failure and fluid retention are common problems in pediatric patients after cardiac surgery. Furosemide, a loop diuretic drug, is frequently administered to increase urinary output. The aim of the present study was to compare efficacy and complications of continuous infusion of furosemide vs bolus injection among pediatric patients after cardiac surgery. Methods. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed in compliance with The Cochrane Collaboration and the Quality of Reporting of Meta-Analysis (QUORUM) guidelines. The following inclusion criteria were employed for potentially relevant studies: a) random treatment allocation, b) comparison of furosemide bolus vs continuous infusion, c) surgical or intensive care pediatric patients. Non-parallel design randomized trials (e.g. cross-over), duplicate publications and non-human experimental studies were excluded. Results. Up to August 2008, only three studies were found, with 92 patients randomized (50 to continuous infusion and 42 to bolus treatment). Overall analysis showed that continuous infusion and bolus administration were equally effective in achieving the predefined urinary output, and were associated with a similar amount of administered furosemide (WMD=- 1.71 mg/kg/day (-5.20; +1.78), p for effect=0.34, p for heterogeneity<0.001, I2=99.0). However, in the continuous infu- sion group, patients had a significantly reduced urinary output (WMD=-0.48 ml/kg/day (-0.88; -0.08), p for effect=0.02, p for heterogeneity <0.70, I2=0%). Conclusions. Existing data comparing furosemide bolus injection with a continuous infusion are insufficient to confidently assess the best way to administer furosemide to pediatric patients after cardiac surgery. Larger studies are needed before any recommendations can be made.


The VGF gene (non-acronymic) was first implicated in energy homeostasis by VGF-/- null mice, which were lean, hypermetabolic and hyperactive, suggesting an anabolic role for VGF (Hahm et al., 1999). Furthermore, VGF-/- mice were resistant to obesity induced by diet and genetic manipulation (Hahm et al., 2002). While VGF mRNA was reduced in response to short photoperiod, which is associated with reduced food intake and the utilisation of intra-abdominal fat stores in the Siberian hamster (Barrett et al., 2005; Ebling, 2014). However subsequent studies in Siberian hamsters and mice have suggested a catabolic role for the VGF derived peptide TLQP-21 (Bartolomucci et al., 2006; Jethwa et al., 2007). Thus the aim of this thesis was to further investigate the role of VGF in the regulation of energy homeostasis in the mouse and Siberian hamster. The studies presented in this thesis have shown that VGF derived peptide HHPD-41 can affect short term food intake in the Siberian hamsters, while overexpressing VGF mRNA in the hypothalamus of both Siberian hamsters and mice reduced bodyweight. However, this reduction in body weight was associated with an increase in both food intake and energy expenditure. These effects of VGF overexpression were attenuated in disrupted models of energy regulation. Finally these studies identified novel regulators of the VGF gene in vitro to postulate a possible mechanism for the seasonal regulation of appetite in the Siberian hamster. Collectively, the studies described in this thesis demonstrate a role for VGF in the regulation of energy homeostasis and contribute to increasing our understanding of how the brain regulates food intake.


IMPORTANCE
Hypothermia at 33.5°C for 72 hours for neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy reduces death or disability to 44% to 55%; longer cooling and deeper cooling are neuroprotective in animal models.

OBJECTIVE
To determine if longer duration cooling (120 hours), deeper cooling (32.0°C), or both are superior to cooling at 33.5°C for 72 hours in neonates who are full-term with moderate or severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
A randomized, 2 × 2 factorial design clinical trial performed in 18 US centers in the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Neonatal Research Network between October 2010 and November 2013.

INTERVENTIONS
Neonates were assigned to 4 hypothermia groups; 33.5°C for 72 hours, 32.0°C for 72 hours, 33.5°C for 120 hours, and 32.0°C for 120 hours.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
The primary outcome of death or disability at 18 to 22 months is ongoing. The independent data and safety monitoring committee paused the trial to evaluate safety (cardiac arrhythmia, persistent acidosis, major vessel thrombosis and bleeding, and death in the neonatal intensive care unit [NICU]) after the first 50 neonates were enrolled, then after every subsequent 25 neonates. The trial was closed for emerging safety profile and futility analysis after the eighth review with 364 neonates enrolled (of 726 planned). This report focuses on safety and NICU deaths by marginal comparisons of 72 hours' vs 120 hours' duration and 33.5°C depth vs 32.0°C depth (predefined secondary outcomes).

RESULTS
The NICU death rates were 7 of 95 neonates (7%) for the 33.5°C for 72 hours group, 13 of 90 neonates (14%) for the 32.0°C for 72 hours group, 15 of 96 neonates (16%) for the 33.5°C for 120 hours group, and 14 of 83 neonates (17%) for the 32.0°C for 120 hours group. The adjusted risk ratio (RR) for NICU deaths for the 120 hours group vs 72 hours group was 1.37 (95% CI, 0.92-2.04) and for the 32.0°C group vs 33.5°C group was 1.24 (95% CI, 0.69-2.25). Safety outcomes were similar between the 120 hours group vs 72 hours group and the 32.0°C group vs 33.5°C group, except major bleeding occurred among 1% in the 120 hours group vs 3% in the 72 hours group (RR, 0.25 [95% CI, 0.07-0.91]). Futility analysis determined that the probability of detecting a statistically significant benefit for longer cooling, deeper cooling, or both for NICU death was less than 2%.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Among neonates who were full-term with moderate or severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, longer cooling, deeper cooling, or both compared with hypothermia at 33.5°C for 72 hours did not reduce NICU death. These results have implications for patient care and design of future trials.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01192776.


Introduction: Fluorine is the 13th most abundant element in the earth crust and is available in various environmental, clinical, and food samples in varied concentrations. Aim: To estimate concentration of fluoride in five medicinal and five nonmedicinal edible leaves locally grown around Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. Materials and Methods: Samples of ten medicinal and nonmedicinal edible leaves, namely, spinach (Spinacia oleracea), coriander leaves (Coriandrum sativum), chawli bhaji (Amaranthus spinach), lal bhaji (Alternanthera bettzickiana), mooli bhaji (Raphanus sativus), neem (Azadirachta indica), tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum), mint leaves (Mentha longifolia), betel leaves (Piper betle), and bael leaves (Aegle marmelos) were collected in the clean polyethene bags. After thorough washing with water, leaves were left to dry in ambient temperature and crushed into powder using a mixer grinder. One gram of each of the powdered samples was taken and analyzed for fluoride concentration using a 2-(4-sulfophenylazo) 1,8-dihydroxy-3,6-naphthalenedisulfonic acid trisodium salt spectrophotometric method. Results: The presence of fluoride in varied concentrations in locally grown edible leaves were analyzed. The highest concentration of fluoride was reported in tulsi (6.0 μg/g) and lowest in mint leaves (1.1 μg/g). Two edible leaves, neem and bael, showed fluoride concentration below detection limit. Conclusion: Knowledge regarding the importance of edible leaves may be lost in the near future unless efforts are made to educate younger generations about their importance. Hence, the time has come to make good use of centuries-old knowledge through modern approaches for their better economic and therapeutic utilization.


In this paper, we present a method that uses web photos for measuring frame interestingness of a travel video. Web photo collections, such as those on Flickr, tend to contain interesting images because their images are more carefully taken, composed, and selected. Because these photos have already been chosen as subjectively interesting, they serve as evidence that similar images are also interesting. Our idea is to leverage these web photos to measure the interestingness of video frames. Specifically, we measure the interestingness of each video frame according to its similarity to web photos. The similarity is defined based on the scene content and composition. We characterize the scene content using scale invariant local features, specifically SIFT keypoints. We characterize composition by feature distribution. Accordingly, we measure the similarity between a web photo and a video frame based on the co-occurrence of the SIFT features, and the similarity between their spatial distribution. Interestingness of a video frame is measured by considering how many photos it is similar to, and how similar it is to them. Our experiments on measuring frame interestingness of videos from YouTube using photos from Flickr show the initial success of our method.


This thesis aims to (i) interpret the marine CSEM data acquired over offshore Angola, Modgunn arch in the Norwegian Sea and Troll West Gas Providence (TWGP), offshore Norway, (ii) evaluate the effects of acquisition parameters and multi-resistor structures on CSEM responses, and (iii) investigate the time-lapse CSEM sensitivity with respect to changes in saturation and geometry of resistive pore-fluids. Three-dimensional (3D) finite difference time domain (FDTD) forward modelling is used to find correspondence between subsurface resistivity structures and measured data, and also to evaluate CSEM sensitivity and timelapse anomalies. The electric field magnitudes measured above the proven HC reservoirs offshore Angola are 1.5–3 times higher compared to the synthetic background responses and "off-reservoir" measurements, while the responses above a salt structure is >3 times stronger compared to the background responses. The CSEM anomaly observed at Modgunn arch, corresponding to high-resistivity sills 1100 m below the seabed, is 2.5 times stronger compared to the background responses. The CSEM data measured above the TWGP (2.7 times stronger compared to "offreservoir" measurements), also indicate subsurface HCs. CSEM responses obtained from forward modelling, based on seismic and petrophysical data, show good agreement to the measured responses. Combined use of seismic, petrophysical and CSEM data improves the subsurface interpretation. Additionally, introduction of non-HC related high-resistivity structures, such as salt bodies, igneous sills and shallow resistors within the geo-resistivity model improves the subsurface interpretation. Fine grid (1x1 km) acquisition geometry, irrespective of source orientation, provides precise definition of CSEM anomalies. Broadside data in grid geometry increase the data density (up to the factor of 3) and hence improve the CSEM attribute resolution. Source orientation oblique to the strike of an elongated resistor provides better structural definition for a coarse-grid geometry. A multiresistor anomaly is not simply the summation but a cumulative response with mutual interference between the constituent resistors. A gradual inverse variation of offset and frequency allows differentiation of CSEM anomalies for multilayered resistors. Similar frequency-offset variations for laterally persistent highresistivity facies show visual continuity with varying geometric expressions. 3D grid-modelling facilitates mapping of time-lapse CSEM anomalies. The time-lapse CSEM anomaly is not a simple function of the volumetric resistance, but the combined effect of variables associated with volumetric resistance including diameter, thickness, aspect ratio and resistivity. A 100% lateral expansion of a 1500 m wide CO2 plume results in 41% time-lapse anomaly, while a 300% vertical expansion of a 50 m thick plume gives only 7% anomaly. A typical HC reservoir (80 Wm) at 1000 m below seafloor gives 40% time-lapse anomaly when 5% of its reserve is replaced by brine. The un-drained compartments in a HC reservoir provide CSEM anomalies comparable to the baseline responses and hence the un-drained compartment may be detected by CSEM repeat surveying, given that the compartment diameter is comparable to the skin depth for the EM signal used. CSEM attribute analysis offers an early warning of CO2 migration in shallow traps.


Alexander of Aphrodisias's comment to the arguments on the principle of excluded middle, held by Aristotle in Metaphysics Γ 7-8, seems to interpret that text in a specific perspective that, considering the subsequent researches carried out in different areas, is a predominantly logical and philosophical. This perspective emerges from the particular importance that the exegete reserves to the concepts of true and false with respect to the principle's formula (For neither can there be anything intermediate in a contradiction, but of one thing we must either affirm or deny one thing, whatever it is 1011 b 23-24) and its first demonstration, but generally also to the axioms and the concept of contradiction. It can, moreover, be traced back to Alexander the attribution to the principle of a meaning closely related to those concepts. The reason for the Alexander's interpretative choice could be found in its own conception of first philosophy as a demonstrative science, which seems to find out a consistent criterion for truth in the principle, establishing so the existence of something true and how to find it. However, such a requirement would be purely Alexandrian, because in Aristotle, as it can be demonstrated by the texts, the true is nothing more that the speech which describes the reality in a consistent way. In fact, it expresses a relationship between terms, and this relationship may be said to subsist, in the case of the affirmative statement, or does not subsist, in the case of denial.


This article presents the findings from a large sample investigation into the way that SBU managers in large companies control different types of new products. The study also reports on the impact that different control choices have on two performance outcomes; new product output and new product success. The findings indicate that, consistent with the tenets of contingency theory, different new product strategies require different control approaches on the part of SBU managers and that an SBU manager's choice of controls matters in terms of performance. Most importantly, though, the findings underscore the balance and trade-offs that SBU managers may have to make in the course of pursuing different performance objectives.


Introduction Telehealth is an increasingly popular treatment delivery modality for mental healthcare, including evidence-based treatment for complex and intense psychopathologies such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite the growing telehealth literature, there is a need for more confirmatory research on satisfaction with PTSD telehealth treatment, particularly among veterans, for whom the most rapid and permanent expansion of telehealth services has been implemented through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Methods The current paper integrates data from two concurrent PTSD treatment outcome studies that compared prolonged exposure therapy delivered both in person and via telehealth for veterans (N = 140). Using two different measures of satisfaction (the Charleston Psychiatric Outpatient Satisfaction Scale-Veteran Affairs Version (CPOSS) and the Service Delivery Perception Questionnaire (SDPQ)), we hypothesized that PTSD improvement would predict satisfaction, but that delivery modality (in person vs telehealth) would not. Results Results only partially supported the hypotheses, in that PTSD symptom improvement was associated with greater satisfaction, and in-person treatment modality was associated with satisfaction as measured by the CPOSS (but not the SDPQ). Subgroup differences by sex were found, such that male veterans, typically with combat-related trauma, were more satisfied with their PTSD treatment compared to female veterans, who were most frequently seen in this study for military sexual trauma. Discussion Altogether, results illustrate a need for additional satisfaction studies with diverse samples and large sample sizes. Future research may benefit from examining satisfaction throughout treatment, identifying predictors of greater PTSD improvement, and further examining demographic subgroups.


The rapeutic options for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) are limited despite the increasing incidence globally. The vinca alkaloid vinorelbine exhibits clinical activity; however, to date, treatment optimization has not been achieved using biomarkers. BRCA1 regulates sensitivity to microtubule poisons; however, its role in regulating vinorelbine‐induced apoptosis in mesothelioma is unknown. Here we demonstrate that BRCA1 plays an essential role in mediating vinorelbine‐induced apoptosis, as evidenced by (1) the strong correlation between vinorelbine sensitivity and BRCA1 expression level; (2) induction of resistance to vinorelbine by BRCA1 using siRNA oligonucleotides; (3) dramatic down‐regulation of BRCA1 following selection for vinorelbine resistance; and (4) the re‐activation of vinorelbine‐induced apoptosis following re‐expression of BRCA1 in resistant cells. To determine whether loss of BRCA1 expression in mesothelioma was potentially relevant in vivo, BRCA1 immunohistochemistry was subsequently performed on 144 primary mesothelioma specimens. Loss of BRCA1 protein expression was identified in 38.9% of samples. Together, these data suggest that BRCA1 plays a critical role in mediating apoptosis by vinorelbine in mesothelioma, warranting its clinical evaluation as a predictive biomarker. Copyright © 2012 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs13266634 encodes either an Arginine (R) or a Tryptophan (W) (R325W) at the amino acid position 325 in the Zinc Transporter 8 (ZnT8) protein. Autoantibodies (Ab) that recognize ZnT8R, ZnT8W or both at the polymorphic site are common in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients. The epitope specificity and affinity of ZnT8Ab are poorly understood, but may be of importance for the prediction and clinical classification of T1D. Therefore, the aims were to 1) determine the immunogenicity of short (318–331) ZnT8 peptides in mice and 2) test the affinity of short and long (268–369) ZnT8 proteins in T1D patients positive for either ZnT8RAb or ZnT8wAb. Sera from BALB/cByJ mice immunized with short R, W or Q (Glutamine) ZnT8 peptides were tested for ZnT8‐peptide antibodies in ELISA and radiobinding assay (RBA). Using reciprocal permutation experiment, short synthetic ZnT8R and ZnT8W (318–331) and long in vitro transcription translation ZnT8R and ZnT8W (268–369) proteins were tested in competitive RBA with R‐ and W‐monospecific T1D sera samples. All mouse sera developed non‐epitope‐specific peptide antibodies in ELISA and only 6/12 mice had ZnT8‐RWQ antibodies in RBA. Both long ZnT8R and ZnT8W (268–369), but not any short, proteins displaced labelled ZnT8 (268–369) proteins in binding to T1D ZnT8Ab‐specific sera. The reciprocal cross‐over tests showed that half‐maximal displacement varied 2‐ to 11‐fold indicating variable affinity of patient ZnT8Ab, signifying crucial autoantibody epitope spreading. The present approach should make it possible to dissect the importance of the R325W ZnT8 autoantigen epitope in the T1D pathogenesis.


Urban areas are affected not only by road traffic but also by industrial activities that are frequently located close to cities. As these areas contain large concentrations of people, they exhibit both the highest levels of pollution and the largest targets of impact. Several reports revealed significant correlations between particulate matter (PM) levels and increased respiratory and cardiovascular diseases or mortality. Consequently, understanding and controlling air pollution in these areas is then important to identify mitigation actions to improve the air quality. The main objectives of this study were to perform a chemical characterization of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM2.5-10) sampled in Setubal – Portugal, to analyse seasonal trends and to identify sources and formation mechanisms of particles. PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 were collected in a monitoring station, classified as urban traffic, in the winter and summer of 2011. Sampling was performed on a 12h basis using a Gent sampler. The exposed nuclepore filters were measured by gravimetry and cut into two parts: one for element characterization using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis and the other for the water soluble ions determination by Ion Chromatography. Source apportionment was performed by integrating time variability, night and day comparisons, enrichment factors, fine to coarse ratios and principal


Objective Patient chances for cure and palliation for a variety of malignancies may be greatly affected by the care provided by a treating hospital. We sought to determine the effect of volume and teaching status on patient outcomes for five gynecologic malignancies: endometrial, cervical, ovarian and vulvar carcinoma and uterine sarcoma. Methods The Florida Cancer Data System dataset was queried for all patients undergoing treatment for gynecologic cancers from 1990–2000. Results Overall, 48,981 patients with gynecologic malignancies were identified. Endometrial tumors were the most common, representing 43.2% of the entire cohort, followed by ovarian cancer (30.9%), cervical cancer (20.8%), vulvar cancer (4.6%), and uterine sarcoma (0.5%). By univariate analysis, although patients treated at high volume centers (HVC) were significantly younger, they benefited from an improved short-term (30-day and/or 90-day) survival for cervical, ovarian and endometrial cancers. Multivariate analysis (MVA), however, failed to demonstrate significant survival benefit for gynecologic cancer patients treated at teaching facilities (TF) or HVC. Significant prognostic factors at presentation by MVA were age over 65 (HR = 2.6, p<0.01), African-American race (HR = 1.36, p<0.01), and advanced stage (regional HR = 2.08, p<0.01; advanced HR = 3.82, p<0.01, respectively). Surgery and use of chemotherapy were each significantly associated with improved survival. Conclusion No difference in patient survival was observed for any gynecologic malignancy based upon treating hospital teaching or volume status. Although instances of improved outcomes may occur, overall further regionalization would not appear to significantly improve patient survival.


The study of an economy's business cycle -defined as a deviation from the long-term output growth rate- is an important task: upward deviations may create inflationary pressures, while downward deviations may be associated with a high unemployment rate. There can be many reasons why an economy may grow at a different rate than the long-term trend. These include government policies, political factors and other internal or external shocks. While it is not possible to eradicate the business cycle -after all a shock is an unexpected development in a relevant variable- the understanding of its statistical properties is helpful in assessing the effects of the various shocks hitting the economy and designing policies to help reduce output variability. The purpose of this thesis is to model empirically business cycles of selected East and Southeast Asian economies. The region is of particular interest as it consists of both developed economies (e.g. Japan and Singapore) and emerging ones (e.g. South Korea and Thailand). In addition, the so-called Asian tigers experienced a fall from grace during the crisis of 1997-98 but they have recently resumed robust growth rates. Given the prominent role that these economies may play in a world emerging from the severe financial crisis of 2007 the investigation of their business cycles becomes an even more valuable endeavour. But how can we model the business cycle to answer pertinent questions? A regime-switching methodology is adopted to examine the following issues; first, the degree of persistence of positive and negative growth rate regimes; second, the extent of correlation of the region's economies conditional on the growth regime; third, the informational content of leading indicators; and fourth, the duration dependence of the business cycle. The selected methodology allows the extraction of the relevant information and pervades the conclusions of the thesis. Following a brief introduction, chapter 2 reviews the modern theory of business cycles, as well as the relevant empirical contributions. The next chapter examines in some depth the economic structure of the sample economies. Understanding the main characteristics of each economy is a prerequisite in appreciating the features of the respective business cycle. Chapter 4 presents the methodology of fixed and time-varying transition probability regime-switching models, which will be used in the Subsequent analysis. Chapters 5 and 6 provide the main answers to the research questions outlined above. A summary of the work is offered in the last chapter.


The State has a Constitutional mandate to take progressive measures towards realising the rights contained in the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights is a cornerstone of democracy in South Africa, which enshrines the right of all citizens to access courts as stipulated in s 34 of the Constitution. The State is entrusted with promoting and fulfilling the rights contained in the Bill of Rights and affording all citizens the equal protection and benefit of the law. More pertinent, the State must endeavour to eliminate the obstructions inhibiting access to justice and in particular, those difficulties which impede the poor, illiterate and indigent.


Post-Soviet Central Asia has inherited a set of circumstances conducive to the revitalization of religion. The renewal of Muslim awareness and identity in Central Asia may not be surprising, but the growth of Christianity is, especially in its Protestant form within indigenous Muslim communities. This article, based on qualitative field research, reviews one example of this development: the process of conversion to Protestant Christianity among Muslim Kyrgyz in Kyrgyzstan. A prominent aspect of this social movement has been the ways in which Kyrgyz Christians have entered into a dynamic process of engaging with issues of identity and what it means to be Kyrgyz – a process that has sought to locate their new Christian religious identity within, rather than on the margins of, familial and ethnic identity, and one that challenges the normative understanding of Kyrgyz identity: that to be Kyrgyz is to be Muslim. While providing the context for Kyrgyz conversion, this discussion primarily focuses on the way Kyrgyz Christians utilize a number of different discursive strategies to contest normative Kyrgyz identity constructs and to legitimize a Kyrgyz Christian identity.