Nowadays, electrical discharge machining (EDM) has become one of the most extensively used nontraditional material removal processes. Its unique feature of using thermal energy to machine hard-tomachine electrically conductive materials is its distinctive advantage in the manufacturing of moulds, dies and aerospace components. However, EDM is a costly process and hence proper selection of its process parameters is essential to reduce production cost and improve product quality. In this study the effect of input EDM process parameters on AISI2312 hot worked steel, widely used in mold manufacturing, is modeled and optimized. The proposed approach is based on statistical analysis on the experimental data. The input parameters are peak current (I), pulse on time (Ton), pulse off time (Toff), duty factor (η) and voltage (V). Material removal rate (MRR), tool wear rate (TWR), and surface roughness (SR) are the most important performance characteristics of the EDM process. The experimental data are gathered using Taguchi L36 design matrix. Taguchi robust design technique was applied to obtain the signal to noise ratio (S/N ratio) for the quality characteristics being investigated. In order to establish the relations between the input and the output parameters, various regression functions have been fitted on the evaluated S/Ns data based on output characteristics. The significance of the process parameters on the quality characteristics of the EDM process was also evaluated quantitatively using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) method. Then, statistical analyses and validation experiments have been carried out to select the best and most fitted models. In the last section of this research, simulated annealing (SA) algorithm has been employed for optimization of the performance characteristics. Using the proposed optimization procedure, proper levels of input parameters for any desirable group of process outputs can be identified. A set of verification tests is also performed to verify the accuracy of optimization procedure in determining the optimal levels of machining parameters. The results indicate that the proposed modeling technique and simulated annealing algorithm are quite efficient in modeling and optimization of EDM process parameters. doi: 10.5829/idosi.ije.2015.28.01a.20


In this work, a novel experimental setup is described which is designed and built specifically to study soot morphology using light scattering and extinction techniques at elevated pressures. The experimental setup consists of a counterflow burner housed inside a pressure vessel. A unique feature of this pressure vessel is the four curved optical windows which can provide the required optical access for light scattering measurements in order to infer the morphological parameters of soot. Using this setup, N2-diluted ethylene and air counterflow flames are stabilized from 3 to 5 atm. Global strain rate (a) of 30 s−1 is maintained at all conditions and all the flames studied are soot formation (SF) flames. Light scattering by soot is measured between 15° to 165° at different locations along the axis of the burner. Ratio of total scattering to absorption (ρsa), path averaged soot volume fraction (f v), mean primary particle size (dp), mean radius of gyration of aggregates (Rgm) and fractal dimension (Df) are calculated from multi-angle light scattering and extinction data using Rayleigh–Debye–Gans theory for fractal aggregates (RDG-FA). ρsa, f v, dp, and Rgm increase as the pressure is raised. The scattering contribution in these measurements vary from 1.3% to 16% of absorption which suggests that wide angle optical access is essential for accurate measurements of f v. Df equal to 1.27 is measured near the flame at 3 atm which increases as the particles are convected away from the flame and Df increases to 1.98 at 5 atm.


The presence of women teachers in primary schools in Sub Saharan Africa is low and more pronounced in rural areas. Working with colleagues from the Forum for African Women Educationalists in Malawi (FAWEMA), the Open University in the UK (OU) has developed an access to teaching scholarship programme for women from rural areas of Malawi which combines academic distance study with practical work experience. The Scholarship offers women supported study towards the national exam, the Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE), and a period of school experience as 'learning assistants' in primary schools in their local community. The success of the programme depends in part on the expertise and experience of practising primary and secondary teachers from Malawi who support the Scholars to develop their confidence and to study for MSCE exams.

This paper examines how the conceptual design of the project was developed, what has needed to be addressed or adapted to suit the reality and environment encountered in the rural areas of Malawi where it is being delivered, and the progress of the Scholars from the first cohort. It focuses on the role and support provided to Scholars by the experienced primary teachers who act as mentors, as well as secondary teachers (tutors) who support the women in their study towards resitting the MSCE using open educational resources provided by the OU. The paper concludes by considering the role experienced teachers can play in mentoring and supporting future and newly qualified teachers in developing a sustainable teacher education provision for the 21st century.


The review summarizes literature dealing with the effects of animal factors (breed, cow individuality, parity and stage of lactation) on fatty acid (FA) composition of milk fat. Genetic parameters affecting the composition of the FAs in milk are reviewed and the possibilities for altering milk fat composition are discussed. Cow individuality and the stage of lactation appear to be the main animal factors affecting milk fat composition. Breed and parity affect the variability in FA composition to a limited extent. Some of these factors can be used effectively to alter milk fat composition. Polymorphism of the enzymes, stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) and acyl-CoA-diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) can explain to some extent the variability among cows. The great individual differences, probably given by varying SCD activities, may be used in breeding programmes, supported by the heritability estimates determined for individual FAs. Effective results can also be achieved through the combined effect of several factors. For instance, the level of conjugated linoleic acid could be increased not only by feed factors, but also through thorough knowledge of rumen biohydrogenation or by cow selection using information on SCD and DGAT polymorphism. The animal factors that are discussed are closely related to milk yield, particularly fat content. Both parameters can change FA composition. Thus, it is necessary in breeding programmes to take these relationships into consideration, along with known genetic correlations.


Cloud computing allows on-demand provision, configuration and assignment of computing resources with minimum cost and effort for users and administrators. Managing the physical infrastructure that underlies cloud computing services relies on the need to provision and manage bare-metal computer hardware. Hence there is a need for quick loading of operating systems in bare-metal and virtual machines to service the demands of users. The focus of the study is on developing a technique to load these machines remotely, which is complicated by the fact that the machines can be present in different Ethernet broadcast domains, physically distant from the provisioning server. The use of available bare-metal provisioning frameworks require significant skills and time. Moreover, there is no easily implementable standard method of booting across separate and different Ethernet broadcast domains. This study proposes a new framework to provision bare-metal hardware remotely using layer 2 services in a secure manner. This framework is a composition of existing tools that can be assembled to build the framework.


This collection of data on airfoils has been made from the published reports of a number of the leading aerodynamic laboratories of this country and Europe. The information which was originally expressed according to the different customs of the several laboratories is here presented in a uniform series of charts and tables suitable for use of designing engineers and for purposes of general reference. The authority for the results here presented is given as the name of the laboratory at which the experiments were conducted, with the size of the model, wind velocity, and year of test.


'Limiting access, limiting information to cover the backsides of those who are in charge of the war, is extremely dangerous and cannot and should not be accepted. And I am sorry to say that, up to and including the moment of this interview, that overwhelmingly it has been accepted by the American people. And the current administration revels in that, and they take refuge in that.' -CBS News Anchor Dan Rather on BBC News Night, May 16, 2002 In Media Wars: News at a Time of Terror, MediaChannel founder and editor, Danny Schechter, 'the News Dissector,' critically examines media coverage since 9/11. Schechter analyzes what has been covered and, more tellingly, left out, in news coverage of the terrorist attacks and their aftermath. Drawing from the reporting of over one thousand worldwide radio, newspaper, television, and internet affiliates, the result is a scathing account of how the media has become a megaphone for the U.S. military and its war on terror. More than just a critique, Schechter suggests a series of changes to improve our news sources and return them to the vital role a free and independent press must play to preserve a democracy. Media Wars is a timely assessment of what we are and are not being told in the most important story of our new century.


In this study, I examine the life narrative of a female factory labourer, Elsa Koskinen (nee Kiikkala, born in 1927). I analyze her account of her experiences related to work, class and gender because I seek to gain a better understanding of how changes in these aspects of life influenced the ways in which she saw her own worth at the time of the interviews and how she constructed her subjectivity. Elsa's life touches upon many of the core aspects of 20th-century social change: changes in women's roles, the entrance of middle- class women into working life, women's increasing participation in the public sphere, feminist movements, upward social mobility, the expansion of the middle class, the growth of welfare and the appearance of new technologies. What kind of trajectory did Elsa take in her life? What are the key narratives of her life? How does her narrative negotiate the shifting cultural ideals of the 20th century?A life story, a retrospective evaluation of a life lived, is one means of constructing continuity and dealing with the changes that have affected one's life, identity and subjectivity. In narrating one's life, the narrator produces many different versions of her/him self in relation to other people and to the world. These dialogic selves and their relations to others may manifest internal contradictions. Contradictions may also occur in relation to other narratives and normative discourses. Both of these levels, subjective meaning making and the negotiation of social ideals and collective norms, are embedded in life narratives. My interest in this study is in the ways in which gender and class intersect with paid labour in the life of an ordinary female factory worker. I approach gender, class and work from both an experiential and a relational perspective, considering the power of social relationships and subject formations that shape individual life at the micro-level. In her narratives Elsa discusses ambivalence related to gendered ideals, social class, and especially the phenomenon of social climbing as well as technological advance. I approach Elsa's life and narratives ethnographically. The research material was acquired in a long-standing interview process and the analysis is based on reflexivity of the dialogic knowledge production and contextualization of Elsa's experiences. In other words I analyze Elsa's narratives in their situational but also socio-cultural and historical contexts. Specific episodes in one's life and other significant events constitute smaller narrative entities, which I call micro-narratives. The analysis of micro-narratives, key dialogues and cultural ideals embedded in the interview dialogues offers perspectives on experiences of social change and the narrator's sense of self. This book is part of the Studia Fennica Ethnologica series.


My dissertation will discuss the whole argument of Plato's Phaedrus according to a particular approach I have adopted. This approach deals with three problems unique to this dialogue: (a) the subject of Phaedrus, (b) the influence of Phaedrus as the interlocutor and (c) the critique of written works. To solve these problems, I will divide the subject into four stages and examine each stage. Finally, the question "what unites Phaedrus?" will be answered. There are four stages, each corresponding to a chapter. Chapter 2: (1) In the first part of this dialogue, what is argued? Chapter 3: (2) In the second part of this dialogue, what is argued? Chapter 4: (3) How do the characters converse on those topics? Chapter 5: (4) What does the author, Plato, intend to express by writing this dialogue? Chapters 2 and 3 will discuss problem (a), chapter 4 is on problem (b) and chapter 5 is on (c). As the arguments proceed through its stages, I think we may acquire the more comprehensive and transcendental view: the view of the author. Through this dissertation, we shall seem to understand the main subject: that the best kind of companionship (the aspect of love) consists in inquiring into truth by engaging in logos (the aspect of rhetoric) [from chs.2 and 3]. And what Plato wants to tell us by writing this dialogue is to show a picture of a philosopher which Plato regards as true [ch.4] and to attempt to provoke us the readers, in order to encourage us to practise this activity in the way that Socrates does [ch.5]. As we leave the dialogue, we are supposed to embark on philosophical search for ourselves.


Feeding birds is a common activity throughout the world; yet, little is known about the extent of feeding gulls in urban areas. We monitored 8 parking lots in central Massachusetts, USA, during the fall and winter of 2011 to 2013 in 4 monitoring sessions to document the number of gulls present, the frequency of human–gull feeding interactions, and the effectiveness of signage and direct interaction in reducing human-provisioned food. Parking lots were divided between "education" and "no-education" lots. In education lots, we erected signs about problems caused when people feed birds and also asked people to stop feeding birds. We did not erect signs or ask people to stop feeding birds at no-education lots. We spent >1,200 hours in parking lots (range = 136 to 200 hours per parking lot), and gulls were counted every 20 minutes. We conducted >4,000 counts, and ring-billed gulls (Lorus delawarensis) accounted for 98% of all gulls. Our educational efforts were minimally effective. There were fewer feedings (P = 0.01) in education lots during one of the monitoring sessions but significantly more gulls (P = 0.008) in education lots during 2 monitoring sessions. While there was a marginal decrease (P = 0.055) in the number of feedings after no-education lots were transformed into education lots, there was no difference in gull numbers in these lots (P = 0.16). Education appears to have some influence in reducing the number of people feeding gulls, but our efforts were not able to reduce the number of human feeders or the amount of food enough to influence the number of gulls using parking lots.


Live performance lacks the durability of art practices such as photography, film and painting, and so definitions of 'live' acts have traditionally been formulated in terms of 'transience' and 'disappearance'. In this context the archive and archival documents are often described as the antithesis of performance's ontology. An archive's primary function is to preserve material for future, undetermined uses, whereas a live event is temporary and cannot endure as 'itself' outside of the temporal-spatial zone it unfolds in before an audience. Yet archival documents are intimately imbricated in the creation of live acts. This can be seen in all performance practices, from written plays in the dramatic theatre, to the assemblage of materials used in devised performance, to the ways sites are framed as sources of historical knowledge in performance reenactments. By examining the role documents play in performance practice I argue that archival materials have the potential to act as the genesis for live acts.

The archive's generative function makes performance a potential method of historical research, where documents can help engender an interactive reciprocity between spectators and the past. The archival mode of performance practice I advocate in this thesis requires spectators to become participants inside the performance sphere, just as historians participate in the writing of historical discourses in the archive.

There are several practice-as-research components to my project. These include the Audience as Document events and two workshops. The primary practice-as-research event is a participatory site-specific performance Voices from the Village. The Olympic Village in Stratford, East London, is framed as a type of authoritative historical document that works as a meta-narrative of London's past. The Olympic Legacy anchors the memories of East London's residents to a time they are encouraged to re-live in their everyday lives. At the centre of contemporary urban regeneration projects is a firm conviction that the future can be built in the here-and-now. Participants are guided through the Village and by two tour guides who attempt to inculcate them into the Legacy Project – a new type of citizenry based upon the neoliberal hegemony. In the third part participants explore what would happen if the neighbouring Hackney Wick estate was 'regenerated' in the future. My practice examines how documents in performance can act as interlocutors between a site's past(s) and a participant's 'live' experience. The enduring form of digital documents creates a manifold afterlife for performance on the Web, which is the home of an evolving network of people who connect to each other through their re-interpretation of the Olympic Legacy. I am arguing that the life of a performance does not end over a fixed duration, but is instead a dialogic process with a multitude of access points.


Morphological variation (disparity) is almost invariably characterized by two non‐mutually exclusive approaches: (1) quantitatively, through geometric morphometrics; and (2) in terms of discrete, 'cladistic', or categorical characters. Uncertainty over the comparability of these approaches diminishes the potential to obtain nomothetic insights into the evolution of morphological disparity and the few benchmarking studies conducted so far show contrasting results. Here, we apply both approaches to characterizing morphology in the stem‐gnathostome clade Osteostraci in order to assess congruence between these alternative methods as well as to explore the evolutionary patterns of the group in terms of temporal disparity and the influence of phylogenetic relationships and habitat on morphospace occupation. Our results suggest that both approaches yield similar results in morphospace occupation and clustering, but also some differences indicating that these metrics may capture different aspects of morphology. Phylomorphospaces reveal convergence towards a generalized 'horseshoe'‐shaped cranial morphology and two strong trends involving major groups of osteostracans (benneviaspidids and thyestiids), which probably reflect adaptations to different lifestyles. Temporal patterns of disparity obtained from categorical and morphometric approaches appear congruent, however, disparity maxima occur at different times in the evolutionary history of the group. The results of our analyses indicate that categorical and continuous data sets may characterize different patterns of morphological disparity and that discrepancies could reflect preservational limitations of morphometric data and differences in the potential of each data type for characterizing more or less inclusive aspects of overall phenotype.


The article revisits the thesis of Walter Beyerlin from 1980 that Psalm 52 is a paraenetic- didactic Wisdom poem from the late Persian period. Beyerlin reached his conclusion from a comparison of Psalm 52 with post-exilic Wisdom psalms such as Psalms 37, 49, and 73. The direct literary influence that Psalm 52 received from the book of Proverbs and the motifs it shares with Jeremiah 9 are investigated here, since the author contends that the Wisdom influence on the Psalm was even greater than Beyerlin had envisaged. The article comes to the conclusion that the author(s) of the Psalm attempted to compose a psalm by establishing a network of allusions to a corpus of authoritative texts, inter alia , the Wisdom psalms. The end product is a brilliant composition which interprets the teaching of Proverbs for the needs of a group of Jewish believers who probably lived at the end of the Persian period.


Members of the BMP family of signaling molecules display a high conservation of structure and function, and multiple BMPs are often coexpressed in a variety of tissues during development. Moreover, distinct BMP ligands are capable of activating common pathways. Here we describe the coexpression of two members of the 60A subfamily of BMPs, Bmp5 and Bmp7, at a number of different sites in the embryo from gastrulation onwards. Previous studies demonstrate that loss of either Bmp5 or Bmp7 has negligible effects on development, suggesting these molecules functionally compensate for each other at early stages of embryonic development. Here we show this is indeed the case. Thus we find that Bmp5;Bmp7 double mutants die at 10.5 dpc and display striking defects primarily affecting the tissues where these factors are coexpressed. The present analysis also uncovers novel roles for BMP signaling during the development of the allantois, heart, branchial arches, somites and forebrain. Bmp5 and Bmp7 do not appear to be involved in establishing pattern in these tissues, but are instead necessary for the proliferation and maintenance of specific cell populations. These findings are discussed with respect to potential mechanisms underlying cooperative signaling by multiple members of the TGF-beta superfamily.


Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT, sleeping sickness) ranks among the most neglected tropical diseases based on limited availability of drugs that are safe and efficacious, particularly against the second stage (central nervous system [CNS]) of infection. In response to this largely unmet need for new treatments, the Consortium for Parasitic Drug Development developed novel parenteral diamidines and corresponding oral prodrugs that have shown cure of a murine model of second stage HAT. As a rationale for selection of one of these compounds for further development, the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of intramuscular (IM) active diamidine 2,5-bis(5-amidino-2-pyridyl)furan (DB829; CPD-0802) and oral prodrug2,5-bis[5-(N-methoxyamidino)-2-pyridyl]furan (DB868) were compared in the vervet monkey model of second stage HAT. Treatment was initiated 28 days post-infection of monkeys with T. b. rhodesiense KETRI 2537. Results showed that IM DB829 at 5 mg/kg/day for 5 consecutive days, 5 mg/kg/day every other day for 5 doses, or 2.5 mg/kg/day for 5 consecutive days cured all monkeys (5/5). Oral DB868 was less successful, with no cures (0/2) at 3 mg/kg/day for 10 days and cure rates of 1/4 at 10 mg/kg/day for 10 days and 20 mg/kg/day for 10 days; in total, only 2/10 monkeys were cured with DB868 dose regimens. The geometric mean plasma Cmax of IM DB829 at 5 mg/kg following the last of 5 doses was 25-fold greater than that after 10 daily oral doses of DB868 at 20 mg/kg. These data suggest that the active diamidine DB829, administered IM, should be considered for further development as a potential new treatment for second stage HAT.


Rates of biogenic silica (bSiO2) production, dissolution, accumulation, and potential bSiO2 export were determined in a Sargasso Sea mode‐water eddy (MWE) during two occupations in April 2007. Standing stocks and production rates of bSiO2 within the MWE were 15–20 mmol Si m−2 and 0.8–1.1 mmol Si m−2 d−1, respectively; these values were about six times those reported in April at the nearby Bermuda Atlantic Time‐series Study (BATS) site. The MWE also showed positive net bSiO2 production in the upper 140 m (> 0.5 mmol Si m−2 d−1 produced during both occupations), and thus a capacity for bSiO2 accumulation and export. Consistent with previous observations in eddies, the diatom community was dramatically different from that typically observed at the BATS site; diatom abundances were an order of magnitude higher, and larger forms (e.g., Chaetoceros sp.) were prominent. When accounting for both the loss of bSiO2 (between occupations) and the observed positive net bSiO2 production within the MWE, the estimated bSiO2 export rate (1.27 mmol Si m−2 d−1) was twenty times higher than the mean export flux measured at the BATS site with no bloom in progress. If similar processes occur in eddies of other types, then these mesoscale features may be quantitatively important in the regional silica balance, with a strong coupling between increased bSiO2 export and altered diatom community structure.


OF THESIS THE EFFECTS OF ESCALATED COCAINE INTAKE ON DECISION-MAKING DYNAMICS Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD) is characterized partly by the use of cocaine at the expense of other alternatives, in other words, it is a decision-making pathology (Kalivas & Volkow, 2005). Concurrent choice tasks assess decision-making in a dynamic scenario that more closely resembles real life. Value-based decision-making is an important facet of understanding the addictive properties of drugs of abuse. In order to compare two value-based theories of addiction (habit theory and relative value theory), a concurrent choice task was run in tandem with an escalation procedure. First, animals were trained on a choice task until stable, then trained on to self-administer cocaine (0.3mg/kg to the animal's weight) using a fixed ratio 1 schedule under 1-hr access. For the escalation procedure, some animals remained on 1-hr access and others were given 6-hr access to cocaine for 21 days. Then all rats returned to 1-hr access. The animals were trained such that they performed the choice task in the morning (while not under the influence of drugs) and then after a rest in the home cage, were put back into the operant boxes for self-administration sessions. Escalation of cocaine intake was evident in the 6-hr exposed animals but intake was stable in the 1-hr exposure animals. The choice behavior between the two groups did not differ, despite difference in intake between the groups. Indicating that despite dysregulated cocaine intake, value-based decision-making and goal-directed behavior remained intact. This supports the idea of looking beyond habit theory as the sole explanation for the change in decision-making behavior seen in CUD.


AIM
This paper is a report of a study to assess the beliefs and preferences of reviewers for nursing journals about blinding of authors to reviewers, reviewers to authors, neither or both.

BACKGROUND
Blinding of author and reviewer names in the manuscript review process has been of interest to nursing editors, but reports that are based on data rather than simply opinion concern the editorial practices of biomedical rather than nursing journals. There has been no study of nursing journal reviewer beliefs and preferences related to blinding.

METHOD
A descriptive web-based survey was conducted. The sample included 1675 anonymous reviewers, recruited through 52 editors of nursing journals from their review panels. Data were collected in 2007.

FINDINGS
Double-blinding of reviews was the most common method reported. Ninety per cent of respondents reported that the papers they received to review did not include author names. When author names were blinded, 62% of reviewers could not identify the authors of papers; another 17% could identify authors < or =10% of the time. Double-blinding was the method preferred by 93.6% of reviewers, although some identified some advantages to an unblinded open review process.

CONCLUSION
Nursing journal reviewers are generally very satisfied with double-blinding and believe it contributes to the quality of papers published. Editors or editorial boards interested in a more open review process could consider alternatives such as offering authors and reviewers the option to unblind themselves. Simply announcing that the review process will henceforth be unblinded would probably lead to loss of reviewers.


An individual's level of motivation is often heavily attributed as a personality trait-it's a quality we group with self- control to embody the ideal achiever capable of success in our society. However, seemingly discrete identification of personality traits understates a major component of the motivational driving force: the dopamine mesolimbic reward system, commonly known as the reward circuit. Activation of this circuit triggers the projection of the neurotransmitter dopamine to the nucleus accumbens and feelings of pleasure (Niehaus et al., 2009). Dopamine also critically mediates feelings of motivational desire, an important determinant of incentive drive, in goal- directed behaviors (Robinson et al., 2000; Palmiter et al., 2008). This mechanism is also common to many of our everyday activities. For instance, exercising and listening to music have been associated with increased levels of dopamine (Petzinger et al., 2015). An evolutionary predisposition to chase reward further suggest dopamine's strength in cultural behavioral manifestations. From the reinforcing effects of cocaine, alcohol, nicotine, food, and music through mediation of the mesolimbic circuit, we're able to connect a variety of seemingly separate intrinsic and extrinsic factors to provide explanatory and predictive power for dopamine's increasing influence on the cultural development of the dopaminergic society we live in today.


Recent work has demonstrated the value of social media monitoring for health surveillance (e.g., tracking influenza or depression rates). It is an open question whether such data can be used to make causal inferences (e.g., determining which activities lead to increased depression rates). Even in traditional, restricted domains, estimating causal effects from observational data is highly susceptible to confounding bias. In this work, we estimate the effect of exercise on mental health from Twitter, relying on statistical matching methods to reduce confounding bias. We train a text classifier to estimate the volume of a user's tweets expressing anxiety, depression, or anger, then compare two groups: those who exercise regularly (identified by their use of physical activity trackers like Nike+), and a matched control group. We find that those who exercise regularly have significantly fewer tweets expressing depression or anxiety; there is no significant difference in rates of tweets expressing anger. We additionally perform a sensitivity analysis to investigate how the many experimental design choices in such a study impact the final conclusions, including the quality of the classifier and the construction of the control group.


Analog Built-In Test (BIT) techniques should be evaluated at the design stage, before the real production, by estimating the analog test metrics, namely Test Escapes (TE) and Yield Loss (YL). Due to the lack of comprehensive fault models, these test metrics are estimated under process variations. In this paper, we estimate the joint cumulative distribution function (CDF) of the output parameters of a Circuit Under Test (CUT) from an initial small sample of devices obtained from Monte Carlo circuit simulation. We next compute the test metrics in ppm (parts-per-million) directly from this model, without sampling the density as in previous works. The test metrics are obtained very fast since the computation does not depend on the size of the output parameter space and there is no need for density sampling. An RF LNA modeled with a Gaussian copula is used to compare the results with past approaches.


The proposal lays open for public scrutiny the dire compromises of new housing in the UK, the 'Ruins of the Newly Built'.

A floor plan of the precise dimensions of an average new-build two bedroom house is illustrated in scale 1:1 by a single layer of breeze blocks for walls, with internal furniture highlighted in white paint. We all have difficulty reading scaled plans, and buying a property off the shelf is even harder, as it is often impossible for the buyer to understand exactly what they are buying, as they obviously cannot visit the property. They are buying blind and this plays into the hands of commercially minded developers, who can sell a property on the strength of drawings that mask the poor quality of architechture on offer. With only a floorplan and some glossy rendered photographs to go on, the buyer is left in the dark about the amount of light and space available in the property. Even so-called 'show houses' are misleading, as they are kitted out with 'luxurious decor' and mask the rationalised and joyless living space residents are signing up for.

This sculpture shows the cramped spaces in actual dimension, which can be experienced by exploring the internal layout set beside the scaled plans shown below deliberately dramatic, polemical signs, such as 'Warning – Harmful Housing' and 'DO enter. New planning laws allow countryside to be built over.'

This 'ruin of the newly built' thus offers an interactive experience up close, of the absurdity and shortcomings of contemporary housing.

Research at the Future Homes Commission and RIBA's Case for Space report shows that there is not enough space in the rooms, not enough storage and not enough natural light. Insufficient flexible spaces are provided for communal and private living or changes in the household over time. New homes are not built for the needs of modern families and they are shrinking: Average new homes in the UK are 15% smaller than in Ireland, 53% smaller than in Denmark and 80% smaller than in Germany. This is a national scandal. Just as we have enjoyed the legacy of generous Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian architecture for the last two hundred years - spaces which mostly still function brilliantly for families across the UK - so we will similarly be lumbered with the current bad architecture for many decades to come too.

The UK needs a change of mentality, designing long-term homes of our dreams, playing to our fantasies, feeding our imagination, and aiming to deliver pleasure, joy and community spirit. Crucially it is the task of artists to show alternative ways for our mass housing market to go. We need housing, but it has to be delivered with vision and a generosity of spirit, as whatever is built is here to stay. On site workshops would be organised to develop such dreams with potential first time buyers and communities, which would be published in a dedicated website and brochure.

Set in the green backdrop of Finsbury Park, the site reflects the fact that green site developments are now preferred over brown site developments, even though there are now more available than ever due to deindustrialisation. New planning laws will accelerate this development for potential building as 60% of England's land area is unprotected countryside - only designated national parks will be fully safeguarded - a historic moment with an impact which is permanent and irreversible. Developments need to add value to our future and not destroy our country for short term profit.

50,000 such properties are built every year and an estimated 330,000 homes are needed to meet housing demand. This proposal brings the issues into the heart of the city. The countryside is up for sale and we will all pay the price.


We are currently experiencing a rapid development of quantum information, a new branch of science, being an interdisciplinary of quantum physics, information theory, telecommunications, computer science, and many others. This new science branch was born in the middle of the eighties, developed rapidly during the nineties, and in the current decade has brought a technological breakthrough in creating secure quantum key distribution (QKD), quantum secret sharing, and exciting promises in diverse technological fields. Recent QKD experiments have achieved high rate QKD at 200 km distance in optical fiber. Significant QKD results have also been achieved in free-space. Due to the rapid broadband access deployment in many industrialized countries and the standing increasing transmission security treats, the natural development awaiting quantum communications, being a part of quantum information, is its migration into commercial switched telecom networks. Such a migration concerns both multiuser quantum key distribution and multiparty quantum secret sharing that have been the main goal of my PhD studies. They are also the main concern of the thesis. Our research efforts in multiuser QKD has led to a development of the five-user setup for transmissions over switched fiber networks in a star and in a tree configuration. We have achieved longer secure quantum information distances and implemented more nodes than other multi-user QKD experiments. The measurements have shown feasibility of multiuser QKD over switched fiber networks, using standard fiber telecom components. Since circular architecture networks are important parts of both intranets and the Internet, Sagnac QKD has also been a subject of our research efforts. The published experiments in this area have been very few and results were not encouraging, mainly due to the single mode fiber (SMF) birefringence. Our research has led to a development of a computer controlled birefringence compensation in Sagnac that open the door to both classical and quantum Sagnac applications. On the quantum secret sharing side, we have achieved the first quantum secret sharing experiment over telecom fiber in a five-party implementation using the "plug & play" setup and in a four-party implementation using Sagnac configuration. The setup measurements have shown feasibility and scalability of multiparty quantum communication over commercial telecom fiber networks.


Macroautophagy (hereafter autophagy) is a multistep intracellular catabolic process with pleiotropic implications in cell fate. Attending to its activation, autophagy can be classified into inducible or constitutive. Constitutive, or basal autophagy, unfolds under nutrient-replete conditions to maintain the cellular homeostasis. Autophagy inhibitory drugs are powerful tools to interrogate the role of autophagy and its consequences on cell fate. However, 3-methyladenine and various of these compounds present an intrinsic capacity to trigger cell death, for instance the broadly-employed 3-methyladenine. To elucidate whether the inhibition of basal autophagy is causative of cell demise, we have employed several representative compounds acting at different phases of the autophagic process: initiation (SBI0206965 and MHY1485), nucleation (3-methyladenine, SAR405, Spautin-1 and Cpd18), and completion (Bafilomycin A1 and Chloroquine). These compounds inhibited the basal autophagy of MEF cultures in growing conditions. Among them, 3-methyladenine, SBI-0206965, Chloroquine, and Bafilomycin A1 triggered BAX- and/or BAK-dependent cytotoxicity and caspase activation. 3-methyladenine was the only compound to induce a consistent and abrupt decrease in cell viability across a series of ontologically unrelated human cell lines. 3-methyladenine-induced cytotoxicity was not driven by the inhibition of the AKT/mTOR axis. Autophagy-deficient Fip200−/− MEFs displayed an increased sensitivity to activate caspases and to undergo cell death in response to 3-methyladenine. The cytotoxicity induced by 3-methyladenine correlated with a massive DNA damage, as shown by γ-H2A.X. This genotoxicity was observed at 10 mM 3-methyladenine, the usual concentration to inhibit autophagy and was maximized in Fip200−/− MEFs. In sum, our results suggest that, in growing conditions, autophagy acts as a protective mechanism to diminish the intrinsic cytotoxicity of 3-methyladenine. However, when the cellular stress exerted by 3-methyladenine surpasses the protective effect of basal autophagy, caspase activation and DNA damage compromise the cell viability.


Comparative housing research has been recognized in many studies as an important means of understanding the nature and dynamics of housing systems. This paper discusses the private and public housing systems in Hong Kong and Singapore as well as the roles played by their respective governments and economies. As Hong Kong is generally regarded as a laissez-faire economy and Singapore is perceived as having a higher degree of government intervention, the paper compares the impact of housing policies and economic influences on the private and public housing markets in both cities. The comparative study reflects the similarities and differences of policy impacts on the Hong Kong and Singapore housing markets with respect to their various market segmentations and dwelling types. From the qualitative discussion, it is clear that the way government initiatives, housing policies and economic performance affect the volatility and dynamics of the housing markets in Hong Kong and Singapore holds interesting and significant implications for public policy decision-making.


Abstract Despite research illustrating the socially constructed and subjective nature of talent identification in football, little research has explored how players make sense of 'being talented' and how this shapes their identity experiences. Five football academy players aged 11 years participated in five focus group interviews. Thematic and interactional qualitative analyses were performed to examine the content and function of participants' talk. Findings described how players constructed being scouted as authentically choosing, or being chosen by, a club, which worked to protect or enhance participants' talented identities and self-worth. Talent was regarded as dynamic, but players' perceived expectation to continuously improve implied a potentially problematic view of development as linear. Evidence of early socialization into the academy culture indicated that while effort was seen as virtuous, it was used to judge performance in comparison to peers, suggesting that effort had become a rhetorical device that reflected conformity, rather than player motivation.


Abstract A two-central randomised single-blind placebo-controlled study was conducted to assess efficacy of intravenous administration of trometamol salt of thioctic (alpha-lipoic) acid (Thioctacid 600, "ASTA Medica", Germany) in 200 ml of physiological solution in 40 non-insulin dependent diabetic patients with symptomatic diabetic neuropathy. 10 patients of the control group received a physiological solution stained with 1% solution of riboflavin mononucleate (B2 vitamin) as placebo. Intravenous infusion was administered once daily during a period of 3 weeks. Diabetic neuropathy score was assessed at the entry as well as on days 7, 14 and 21 of therapy. Indicators of lipid peroxidation (oxidative stress)--malonic dialdehyde levels in plasma and membranes of erythrocytes. Electroneuromyography were performed. Most of the patients (29) noted symptomatic improvement after 7-10 infusions and on day 14 a significant reduction of the diabetic neuropathy score was noted in comparison to a baseline (p < 0.05). The further improvement of clinical picture had been pronounced by day 21 (p < 0.001). Improvement of symptom score was obtained in 39 patients (97.5%). The response rate in the control group was 40%. Parameters of oxidative stress and electroneuromyography improved significantly in the main group of patients, while these in placebo group remained without changes.


The heaps process (also known as a Tsetlin library) provides a model for a self-regulating filing system. Items are requested from time to time according to their popularity and returned to the top of the heap after use. The size-biased permutation of a collection of popularities is a particular random permutation of those popularities, which arises naturally in a number of applications and is of independent interest. For a slightly non-standard formulation of the heaps process we prove that it converges to the size-biased permutation of its initial distribution. This leads to a number of new characterizations of the property of invariance under size-biased permutation, notably what might be described as invariance under 'partial size-biasing' of any order. Finally we consider in detail the heaps process with Poisson–Dirichlet initial distribution, exhibiting the tractable nature of its equilibrium distribution and explicitly calculating a number of quantities of interest.


Deep artificial neural networks (DNNs) are typically trained via gradient-based learning algorithms, namely backpropagation. Evolution strategies (ES) can rival backprop-based algorithms such as Q-learning and policy gradients on challenging deep reinforcement learning (RL) problems. However, ES can be considered a gradient-based algorithm because it performs stochastic gradient descent via an operation similar to a finite-difference approximation of the gradient. That raises the question of whether non-gradient-based evolutionary algorithms can work at DNN scales. Here we demonstrate they can: we evolve the weights of a DNN with a simple, gradient-free, population-based genetic algorithm (GA) and it performs well on hard deep RL problems, including Atari and humanoid locomotion. The Deep GA successfully evolves networks with over four million free parameters, the largest neural networks ever evolved with a traditional evolutionary algorithm. These results (1) expand our sense of the scale at which GAs can operate, (2) suggest intriguingly that in some cases following the gradient is not the best choice for optimizing performance, and (3) make immediately available the multitude of techniques that have been developed in the neuroevolution community to improve performance on RL problems. To demonstrate the latter, we show that combining DNNs with novelty search, which was designed to encourage exploration on tasks with deceptive or sparse reward functions, can solve a high-dimensional problem on which reward-maximizing algorithms (e.g. DQN, A3C, ES, and the GA) fail. Additionally, the Deep GA parallelizes better than ES, A3C, and DQN, and enables a state-of-the-art compact encoding technique that can represent million-parameter DNNs in thousands of bytes.


The effect of dipping and vacuum impregnation (VI) pretreatments with lemon juice solution on the quality and stability of organic and conventional frozen apples was investigated. Fresh apples were characterized; organic apples showed, at equal starch and ripeness index, a lower sugar content, and higher acidity than conventional ones. The polyphenol content was slightly higher in organic apples than in conventional ones while polyphenoloxidase activity was similar. No differences in color and firmness were evidenced. Dipping affected organic and conventional apples' color by determining an increase of lightness (ΔL* ≈ 4) and h° (Δh° ≈ 6) parameters. VI reduced the lightness of apples (ΔL* ≈ -3) but the addition of lemon juice counterbalanced the lightness reduction by increasing ΔL* from 3 to 1.5 ca. Pretreatments did not affect the firmness of organic fruits while impaired that of the conventional ones ( 26% on average), likely due to different fruit matrix porosity and cell wall composition. Freezing (-40 °C) and frozen storage (up to 300 days) dramatically reduced the firmness of organic (42%) and conventional products (58%). At equal pretreatment and storage time (that is, 15, 30, 300 days), higher firmness retention was evidenced in organic apples than in conventional ones. All through frozen storage, VI was shown to better preserve the mechanical properties of organic apples than that of conventional ones. Both freezing and frozen storage reduced the hue of frozen apple products by up to 8% due to browning reactions. Lemon juice addition increased the hue of both frozen samples and thawed samples by about 2% all through storage time.


The study deals with urban economic residential location modelling of Budapest, Hungary, using a pragmatical neural network approach. First the analysis pertains to the city level spatial housing market structure through identifying a number of factors related to housing supply, demand and price. After that, the analysis is zoomed in to involve the dynamics of two selected inner city neighbourhoods: the middle-parts of the districts VIII (JUzsefv·ros) and IX (Ferencv·ros) respectively. These areas in the south-eastern part of the inner city have both received attention as subjects for substantial rehabilitation in recent decades. The two districts are adjacent, but different: the former is stigmatized in all discourse although it comprises a great variety of microlocations and also housing stock; the latter district in turn is more homogeneous, partly gentrified area and undoubtedly the most dynamic neighbourhood in the city with the best quality apartments on the Pest side. Earlier results (reported elsewhere) based on a small set of individual mortgage valuations suggested the Budapest housing market to be spatially and functionally extremely fragmented, as a mosaic of various house types, age-categories and price-levels, as well as micro-locations, could be identified. A follow-up analysis of street- and district-wise aggregated data with the same neural network modelling techniques, namely the self-organizing map (the SOM) and the learning vector quantification (the LVQ), shows further evidence about the balance between physical and socio-demographic characteristics and house price levels. The new results are synchronised with the earlier findings: also here the administrative district is found less important determinant of the market position of the dwelling than its price, type and immediate vicinity. After that the case-study areas were modelled using the SOM for each crosssection during the observed six-year period from 1997 to 2002. Two types of dynamics could be identified, as the housing market dynamics in the selected eslice' of the urban area has differentiated the micro-locations in terms of house price escalations on one hand, and in terms of changes in the urban structure on the other. Above all the evidence reveals how the housing market development is related to the most localized processes of social and physical upgrading taking place in an urban setting.


Symmetries in discrete constraint satisfaction problems have been explored and exploited in the last years, but symmetries in continuous constraint problems have not received the same attention. Here we focus on permutations of the variables consisting of one single cycle. We propose a procedure that takes advantage of these symmetries by interacting with a continuous constraint solver without interfering with it. A key concept in this procedure are the classes of symmetric boxes formed by bisecting a n-dimensional cube at the same point in all dimensions at the same time. We analyze these classes and quantify them as a function of the cube dimensionality. Moreover, we propose a simple algorithm to generate the representatives of all these classes for any number of variables at very high rates. A problem example from the chemical field and the cyclic n-roots problem are used to show the performance of the approach in practice.


This thesis describes the development of a knowledge based system
which encapsulates some of the expertise used by a number of
experienced construction planners for planning the construction stage
of low rise house building projects in the U.K.
The general objective of the research was to investigate the
feasibility of using knowledge engineering for developing models of
construction planning expertise, which could be employed for tackling
some of the existing knowledge bottlenecks in the construction
industry.
The resulting system can be described as a knowledge based
framework designed for supporting the decision making process involved
in planning house building at a tactical level. One of the main
features of this framework is its ability to cope with incomplete
information.
The knowledge acquisition process involved both the elicitation
of knowledge directly from experts, and the analysis of construction
plans from several past housing developments. The model was
implemented on an expert system shell called LEONARDO Level 3, which
runs in any standard IBM-PC micro-computer or compatibles.
The evaluation of the system focused on the validity of the
model, i.e. the degree at which the outcomes of the system resembled
the outcomes of the human expertise being modelled in the knowledge
base. A prescriptive method of validation was devised specifically for
this study, involving both experts that had provided expertise for the
system, and external experts.


Abstract Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory arthropathy that affects approximately 6% to 48% of patients with psoriasis. Arthritis is not correlated with the extent of skin disease. Classic radiographic findings of the involved joint include erosion, ankylosis, and fluffy periostitis. Site‐specific characteristic deformities such as pencil‐in‐cup deformity of the phalanges also may be present. The disease typically follows a moderate course, but up to 47% of cases develop into destructive arthritis in which the inflammatory process leads to bony erosion and loss of joint architecture. The mainstay of treatment is biologic therapy (eg, tumor necrosis factor‐&agr; lllinhibitors) in conjunction with disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs. Patients with end‐stage joint destruction may require surgery to alleviate pain and restore function. Orthopaedic surgeons should be cognizant of the risk factors (eg, increased risk of cardiovascular disease) and potential complications (eg, poor wound healing and increased risk of infection) associated with psoriatic arthritis.


When geotechnical engineers are faced with cohesive clayey soils, the engineering properties of those soils may need to be improved to make them suitable for construction. The aim of this paper is to study the effect of using lime, natural pozzolana or a combination of both on the geotechnical characteristics of two cohesive soils. Lime or natural pozzolana were added to these soils at ranges of 0-8% and 0-20%, respectively. In addition, combinations of lime-natural pozzolana were added at the same ranges. Test specimens were subjected to compaction tests and shear tests. Specimens were cured for 1, 7, 28 and 90 days after which they were tested for shear strength tests. Based on the experimental results, it was concluded that the combination limenatural pozzolana showed an appreciable improvement of the cohesion and internal friction angle with curing period and particularly at later ages for both soils.


This study examines whether the perceived source of query suggestions and their location within the search interface affects users' likelihood of clicking on the suggested queries. Participants were asked to complete three search tasks using the search system provided. The query suggestions were placed on either left or right side of the page, and were labeled as either system-generated or as having come from other users of the system. Participants also evaluated their engagement with the search tasks and the quality and usefulness of the query suggestions. Results indicated that users presented with query suggestions on the left scored significantly higher on two measures of engagement. While the effects of source did not meet tests of statistical significance, participants who believed the query suggestions came from other users had higher mean scores for three of the four search engagement scales and the query suggestion rating scale.


The epistemic program in game theory uses formal models of interactive reasoning to provide foundations for various game-theoretic solution concepts. Much of this work is based around the (static) Aumann structure model of interactive epistemology, but more recently dynamic models of interactive reasoning have been developed, most notably by Stalnaker ( Economics and Philosophy 1996) and Battigalli and Siniscalchi ( Journal of Economic Theory 1999), and used to analyze rational play in extensive form games. But while the properties of Aumann structures are well un- derstood, without a formal language in which belief and belief revision statements can be expressed, it is unclear exactly what are the properties of these dynamic models. In chapter 1, "Dynamic In- teractive Epistemology", we investigate this question by defining such a language. A semantics and syntax are presented, with soundness and completeness theorems linking the two. Chapter 2, "Algorithmic Characterization of Ratioalizability in Extensive Form Games", uses the framework of chapter 1 to construct a dynamic epistemic model for extensive form games, which generates a hierarchy of beliefs for each player over her opponents' strategies and beliefs, and tells us how those beliefs will be revised as the game proceeds. We use the model to analyze the implications of the assumption that the players possess common (true) belief in rationality, thus extending the concept of rationalizability to extensive form games. Chapter 3, "The Equivalence of Bayes and Causal Rationality in Games", takes as its starting point a seminal paper of Aumann ( Econometrica 1987), which showed how the choices of rational players could be analyzed in a unified state space framework. His innovation was to include the choices of the players in the description of the states, thus abolishing Savage's distinction between acts and consequences. But this simplification comes at a price: Aumann's notion of Bayes ratio nality does not allow players to evaluate what would happen were they to deviate from their actual choices. We show how the addition of a causal structure to the framework enables us to analyze such counterfactual statements, and use it to introduce a notion of causal rationality. Under a plausible causal independence condition, the two notions are shown to be equivalent. If we are prepared to accept this condition we can dispense with the causal apparatus and retain Aumann's original framework. In chapter 4, "The Deception of the Greeks", it is argued that the standard model of an extensive form game rules out an important phenomenon in situations of strategic interaction: deception. Using examples from the world of ancient Greece and from modern-day Wall Street, we show how the model can be generalized to incorporate this phenomenon. Deception takes place when the action observed by a player is different from the action actually taken. The standard model does allow imperfect information (modeled by non-singleton information sets), but not deception: the actual action taken is never ruled out. Our extension of extensive form games relaxes the assumption that the information sets partition the set of nodes, so that the set of nodes considered possible after a certain action is taken might not include the actual node. We discuss the implications of this relaxation, and show that in certain games deception is inconsistent with common knowledge of rationality even along the backward induction path.


Objective:Academic medical centers, which have traditionally been relatively inefficient, have increasing difficulty in meeting the missions of patient care, teaching, and research in a progressively competitive medical marketplace. One strategy for improved efficiency in patient care while keeping quality high is utilization of a product line matrix. This study addresses the outcome of utilizing a product line strategy consisting of 3 service lines during the past 5 years at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (UWHC). Methods:Service lines in heart and vascular surgery, oncology, and pediatrics have been organized since 2001, and report directly to hospital leadership as a product line. Service line leadership consists of a combination of medical leaders plus representatives of hospital administration, and service lines are allowed direct access to resources for program development, marketing, and resource allocation. Measurements of patient numbers, market share, length of stay, net margin, and patient satisfaction have been gathered and compared with the preproduct line era. Results:In the 3 service lines, UWHC has seen variable but steady growth in patient numbers, enhanced market share, positive net margins, and improved patient satisfaction during the period of measurement. During this same period, the insurance milieu has resulted in consistent downward pressure on reimbursement, which has been offset by improved patient care efficiency as measured by length of stay, enhanced preferred provider status, and gains in market share. Scorecard measures of quality are also being developed and show enhanced teaching and research opportunities for students and trainees as well as improved Press Ganey patient satisfaction scores. Conclusions:At UWHC, the development of a product line matrix consisting of 3 service lines has resulted in more patient care efficiency, enhanced patient satisfaction, improved margin for the hospital, and enlargement of teaching and research opportunities. The key to successful implementation of the product line concept is a close working relationship between the hospital administration and service line medical leadership.


Much of the research to identify sources of stress in undergraduates has been carried out in the United States using medical/dental students. Although students in general are increasingly being seen as important contributors in quality assurance procedures, determining the nature and the perceived severity of stressors and the impact these are seen to have on the learning process has attracted little attention from researchers. Furthermore, expanding these findings with detailed accounts from the students involved has not been attempted within the educational field. This research, carried out over two academic years in a college of higher education, set out to address these issues. In addition, the study aimed to examine the importance of variables such as gender, age, academic year and personality in the perception of stress.
During year one quantitative data obtained via cross-sectional questionnaires, formulated using material gathered from the target population, were analysed. Those experiences perceived as most stressful and as having the greatest potential negative and positive effect on learning were identified. Correlational analysis for each item on the questionnaire showed a positive relationship between stress and the degree to which learning was seen to be affected. Findings revealed that gender, age, year of study, self esteem and anxiety influence the perception of stress and/or the perceived effect on learning. Diaries provided qualitative evidence that many of the stressful experiences contained in the questionnaires were occurring on a daily basis.
During year two qualitative data gathered during longitudinal semi-structured interviews were used to explore the experience of stress through the eyes of individual students using a phenomenological perspective. They reported numerous cognitive, affective and behavioural responses to previously identified stressful situations which generally resulted in learning being negatively affected. Suggestions to address the unnecessary and debilitating effects of stress within higher education are discussed


Abstract: High-strength steel has increasingly become widely used among various engineering practices, but the relevant provisions of the codes lag behind its development. Six sets of experiments on simple supported beams reinforced with HTB600 and HTB700 rebars subject to bending loading were conducted in this study to 1) investigate the conditions of crack development, 2) contrast the calculating modes of short-term crack width between Chinese and European concrete codes, and 3) analyze European applicability and precision pertaining to high-strength reinforcement of beams. According to the experiments and research, when the calculation formulae obtained from Chinese codes were used to calculate the average crack spacing of high-strength reinforced concrete beams, the error relative to that obtained in the experiment reached approximately 20%. Based on this, a revised formula for the calculation of average crack spacing is proposed in this article, and the results of these calculations align with the results obtained from the experiment. In addition, this study also demonstrates that the maximum cracking spacing calculated by adhering to Eurocode standards yielded no significant deviation as compared to the experimental results. However, owing to a difference in the crack width exceeding 20% being observed between the results obtained under Eurocode standards and the experimental results, the calculation methods need to be further improved for better applicability of high-strength reinforced rebars.


We are all very conscious of living through a revolution — one in which the industrial society is being superseded by the information society. Every day brings new evidence of the breakneck pace of the changes that are currently underway. But while broad awareness may be unavoidable, understanding is not so easy. Both the p ace of the revolution and its multi-faceted nature make it difficult to gain a clear perspective. But here the new science of complexity can perhaps help. It provides a coherent theory that is directly applicable to the emerging society, potentially providing new insights and new understanding. This paper examines several facets of the current revolution from a complexity perspective, and suggests that the relationship between the emerging science and the emerging society will be a rich one.


In 2004, for the second time in a decade, the international community found it necessary to intervene in Haiti to enforce and keep a peace. For the first time under a United Nations mandate, several Latin American countries stepped up to lead the mission. Chile provided political leadership in the form of the special representative of the secretary general, while Brazil agreed to send the force commander as well as troops. Several other Latin American states also deployed military personnel. As a result of this historically unique circumstance, CHDS led a research project that looked at capacity building in the hemisphere for those countries that took part in the peacekeeping operation in Haiti: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru, the United States, and Uruguay. The project identified strategic-level lessons learned in capacity building for peacekeeping and tapped experts from all ten to contribute to Capacity Building for Peacekeeping. In addition, this study identifies which lessons are applicable to the critical task of peacekeeping operations in general.


This article considers the intractable conflicts and human rights situations in Darfur, Sudan and South Sudan, respectively, against the international responses they elicited. Intractable conflicts are conflicts that have lasted for a long time with resistance to settlement despite various attempts at intervention and conciliation. These conflicts from neighbouring nations have both elicited extensive engagement from the international and regional communities but, while some clarity regarding the direction to be taken has been achieved in the case of South Sudan, the situation in Darfur remains dire. The article analyses the difference in the peace-building approaches in the two conflicts and how these approaches have contributed to the different outcomes in Darfur and South Sudan. Following an exposition of intractability in the introduction, the second section applies the factors identified to the case of Darfur, confirming that this indeed is an intractable situation. It then considers the international response to the conflict in Darfur and the mechanisms employed by the global and the regional community in an attempt to address this conflict. The third section considers the situation in South Sudan and the international response, noting that efforts were led by the regional and subregional bodies, with the UN's role being to complement these efforts. The methodology employed is a comparative analysis, in which the international and regional legal and institutional responses to the crisis in South Sudan are analysed with a view to identifying the lessons to be applied in addressing the situation in Darfur, utilising theoretical and functional approaches to legal and political interventions. The final section draws from the insights gained in comparing the international response in Darfur and South Sudan, and concludes by attempting to extract general principles about intractability and the effectiveness of international responses to situations considered to be intractable, noting in particular the importance of regional and sub-regional bodies taking the lead in efforts to resolve intractable conflicts.


If you find a locked room in a lonely inn, don't try to open it, even on a bright sunny day. If you find a strange whistle hidden among the stones of an old church, don't blow it. If a mysterious man gives you a piece of paper with strange writing on it, give it back to him at once. And if you call a dead man from his grave, don't expect to sleep peacefully ever again. Read these five ghost stories by daylight, and make sure your door is locked.


This study examines the impact of a reasonable time limit on the effective usage of a computerized decision aid. Using current decision making models, a theoretical argument about decision aid usage is developed. This argument is then investigated via two lab experiments. The first experiment determines a reasonable time limit for the task used in the study. The second experiment investigates users' behavior and heart rate variability under this time limit. The results of our study indicate that the reasonable time limit determined in the first study improved effective utilization of the computerized decision aid. The analysis of heart rate variability provides evidence that the given time constraint improved users' cognitive coherence.


The genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms of neural development are essential for understanding evolution and disorders of neural systems. Recent advances in genetic, molecular, and cell biological methods have generated a massive increase in new information, but there is a paucity of comprehensive and up-to-date syntheses, references, and historical perspectives on this important subject. The Comprehensive Developmental Neuroscience series is designed to fill this gap, offering the most thorough coverage of this field on the market today and addressing all aspects of how the nervous system and its components develop. Particular attention is paid to the effects of abnormal development and on new psychiatric/neurological treatments being developed based on our increased understanding of developmental mechanisms. Each volume in the series consists of review style articles that average 15-20pp and feature numerous illustrations and full references. Volume 3 offers 40 high level articles devoted mainly to anatomical and functional development of neural circuits and neural systems, as well as those that address neurodevelopmental disorders in humans and experimental organisms. Series offers 144 articles for 2904 full color pages addressing ways in which the nervous system and its components develop. It features leading experts in various subfields as Section Editors and article Authors. It includes all articles peer reviewed by Section Editors to ensure accuracy, thoroughness, and scholarship. Volume 3 sections include coverage of: mechanisms that control the assembly of neural circuits in specific regions of the nervous system, multiple aspects of cognitive development, and disorders of the nervous system arising through defects in neural development.


This thesis focuses on developing a comprehensive framework for understanding the challenges NGOs face with in-kind donations in disaster relief. The overwhelming problem of inappropriate material donations, often referred to as the second disaster, has plagued disaster relief operations for decades now in both domestic and international disaster response. Despite efforts to promote ``cash only'' giving in disaster relief, unsolicited and mostly inappropriate in-kind giving continues to challenge NGOs in every major disaster. Researchers have identified this as one of the most pressing yet understudied challenges in disaster relief to date.
This thesis is divided into three parts. In the first part, we conduct a multidisciplinary literature review from philanthropy, economics, public policy, corporate philanthropy and corporate social responsibility to understand why donors donate in-kind and why NGOs accept those donations. We describe the roles of the various players involved and explain the structure of the distribution channels in-kind donations follow both in disaster and non-disaster contexts. We then explain the challenges NGOs and their donors face with in-kind donations in the context of these channels. We identify systemic issues in the distribution channels and highlight current policies and practices that contribute to the second disaster.
In the second part of this thesis, we propose a comprehensive framework to help donors, NGOs and policy makers comprehend the scope of the problem and identify strategies to address the challenge of unsolicited donations in disaster relief. Our framework provides a succinct representation of the main issues and players involved in the process in a format that is simple to work with and easy to understand. It supports comprehension of the many related issues and can help NGOs and policy making bodies (e.g., FEMA, NVOAD, USAID) assess current strategies and devise new approaches and solution strategies.
In the third part of the thesis, we exploit our framework to propose a tiered strategy consisting of a set of solutions ranging from decision tools to help NGOs better screen in-kind donation offers to entire new channels for more productive in-kind giving in disaster relief. Each of these solutions may deter only a small fraction of the inappropriate flows, but together they can dramatically diminish the problem. Our proposed NGO decision tools both allow quick screening of donation offers in disaster relief and provide a framework for strategic management of corporate in-kind donations in the long term. We also propose a ``retail donation model" which can transform a portion of the current stream of unwanted and unusable in-kind donations from individuals and community groups into a valuable source of needed relief supplies through an entirely new donation channel. We document a successful implementation of an on-line retail donation model in the 2012 Sandy response.


Over 95% of all metazoan (animal) species comprise the "invertebrates," but very few genomes from these organisms have been sequenced. We have, therefore, formed a "Global Invertebrate Genomics Alliance" (GIGA). Our intent is to build a collaborative network of diverse scientists to tackle major challenges (e.g., species selection, sample collection and storage, sequence assembly, annotation, analytical tools) associated with genome/transcriptome sequencing across a large taxonomic spectrum. We aim to promote standards that will facilitate comparative approaches to invertebrate genomics and collabora-tions across the international scientific community. Candidate study taxa include species from Porifera, Ctenophora, Cnidaria, Placozoa, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, Annelida, Bryozoa, and Platyhelminthes, among others. GIGA will target 7000 noninsect/nonnematode species, with an emphasis on marine taxa because of the unrivaled phyletic diversity in the oceans. Priorities for selecting invertebrates for sequencing will include, but are not restricted to, their phylogenetic placement; relevance to organismal, ecological, and conservation research; and their importance to fisheries and human health. We high light benefits of sequencing both whole genomes (DNA) and transcriptomes and also suggest policies for genomic-level data access and sharing based on transparency and inclusiveness. The GIGA Web site (http://giga.nova.edu) has been launched to facilitate this collaborative venture.


Abstract Student-generated video creation assessments are an innovative and emerging form of assessment in higher education. Academic staff may be understandably reluctant to transform assessment practices without robust evidence of the benefits and rationale for doing so and some guidance regarding how to do so successfully. A systematic approach to searching the literature was conducted to identify relevant resources, which generated key documents, authors and internet sources which were thematically analysed. This comprehensive critical synthesis of literature is presented here under the headings of findings from literature, relevance of digital capabilities, understanding the influence of local context and resources, and pedagogical considerations. Student-generated video creation for assessment is shown to have several benefits, notably in supporting development of digital and communication skills relevant to today's world and in enhancing learning. As an emerging innovation within assessment, intentionally planning and supporting a change management process with both students and staff is required. The importance of alignment to learning outcomes, context and resources, choice of video format to desired skills development, and to relevance beyond graduation is emphasised for video creation in assessment to be used successfully. Video creation for assessment is likely to grow in popularity and it is hoped the evidence of benefits, rationale and guidance as to how to do this effectively presented here will support this transformation. Further research to consider video creation for assessment with individuals rather than collaborative group assessments, and to establish academic rigour and equivalence would be beneficial.


: Functionally Graded Rapid Prototyping (FGRP) is a novel design approach and technological framework enabling the controlled spatial variation of material properties through continuous gradients in functional components. Such variations are traditionally achieved as discrete delineations in physical behavior by fabricating multiple parts comprised of different materials, and assembling them only after the fabrication process has been completed. Recent advances in Computational Topology Design (CTD) and Solid Free-Form Fabrication (SFF) are promoting the creation of building components with controlled micro-, and macro-architectural features. The FGRP approach combines a novel software environment with a mechanical output tool designed as a 3-D printer to allow computer control of material distribution within a monolithic structure. Inspired by the integration of material, structure and form found in natural systems, this biologically inspired design approach allows for physical prototyping of graduated properties in product and architectural design scales. FGRP introduces the potential to dynamically mix, grade and vary the ratios of different materials, resulting in continuous gradients, and structurally optimized designs with efficient use of materials, reductions in waste and production of highly customizable features. The paper presents the FGRP technology as part of an overall integrated design approach to functionally gradient design fabrication. Two work-in-progress explorations of FGRP implementation are presented: a robotic arm able to 3-D print concrete with controllable density and a 3-D printer for UV-curable polymers exploring variable elasticity. Research meth-ods and processes devised for its development are presented and design applications demonstrated. Current technological limitations and future directions are discussed and their implications reviewed.


Alcohol can be considered as a nutritional toxin when ingested in excess amounts and leads to skeletal muscle myopathy. We hypothesized that altered protease activities contribute to this phenomenon, and that differential effects on protease activities may occur when: (1) rats at different stages in their development are administered alcohol in vivo; (2) acute ethanol treatment is superimposed on chronic alcohol-feeding in vivo; and (3) muscles are exposed to alcohol and acetaldehyde in vivo and in vitro. In acute studies, rats weighing approximately 0.1 kg (designated immature) or approximately 0.25 kg (designated mature) body weight (BW) were dosed acutely with alcohol (75 mmol/kg BW; intraperitoneal [IP], 2.5 hours prior to killing) or identically treated with 0.15 mol/L NaCl as controls. In chronic studies, rats (approximately 0.1 kg BW) were fed between 1 to 6 weeks, with 35% of dietary energy as ethanol, controls were identically treated with isocaloric glucose. Other studies included administration of cyanamide (aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor) in vivo or addition of alcohol and acetaldehyde to muscle preparations in vitro. At the end of the treatments, cytoplasmic (alanyl-, arginyl-, leucyl-, prolyl-, tripeptidyl-aminopeptidase and dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV), lysosomal (cathepsins B, D, H, and L, dipeptidyl aminopeptidase I and II), proteasomal (chymotrypsin-, trypsin-like, and peptidylglutamyl peptide hydrolase activities) and Ca(2+)-activated (micro- and milli-calpain and calpastatin) activities were assayed. (1) Acute alcohol dosage in mature rats reduced the activities of alanyl-, arginyl- and leucyl aminopeptidase (cytoplasmic), dipeptidyl aminopeptidase II (lysosomal), and the chymotrypsin- and trypsin-like activities (proteosomal). No significant effects were observed in similarly treated immature rats. (2) Alcohol feeding in immature rats did not alter the activities of any of the enzymes assayed at 6 weeks. (3) In immature rats, activities of cathepsins B and D were not overtly affected at either 3, 7, 14, 28, or 42 days. (4) Superimposing acute (2.5 hours) on chronic (4 weeks feeding of immature rats) ethanol treatment (ie, chronic + acute) reduced the activities of cytoplasmic proline aminopeptidase and the chymotrypsin- and trypsin-like activities of the proteasome. (5) Cathepsin D activities were reduced in muscle homogenates upon addition of alcohol and acetaldehyde in vitro. (6) Cyanamide pretreatment in combination with alcohol dosage in immature rats did not significantly alter any protease activities. The data suggests that mature rats are more sensitive to the effects of acute alcohol on muscle proteases. Protease activities may be affected by acetaldehyde or alcohol levels as indicated by in vitro experiments. The reduction in muscle protease activities in chronic + acute alcohol superimposition may reflect the effect of acute alcohol dosage alone. Overall, there was no evidence for increased protease activity in any of the experimental situations.


A model of stress transfer implies that earthquakes in 1933 and 1952 increased the Conlomb stress at the site of the 1971 San Fernando earthquake. The 1971 earthquake in turn raised stress and produced aftershocks at the site of the 1987 Whittier Narrows and 1994 Northridge ruptures. The Northridge main shock raised stress in areas where its aftershocks and surface faulting occurred. Together, M ? 6 earthquakes near Los Angeles since 1933 have stressed parts of the Oak Ridge, Sierra Madre, Santa Monica Mountains, Elysian Park, and Newport-Inglewood faults by > 1 bar. While too small to cause earthquakes, these stress changes can trigger events if the crust is already near failure, or advance future earthquake occurrence if it is not.


With insight into key pedagogical approaches of theatre training, an understanding of research regarding common psychological characteristics of actors and awareness of identified parallels between arts entrepreneurship and acting course content, arts entrepreneurship instructors can, in their classrooms, increase the likelihood of relating to acting students and subsequently, leverage their students' inherent and developed skills. Research-based psychological characteristics of actors are offered, as are suggestions to appeal to actors' general sensibilities (and how they may wish to be engaged). The Stanislavski System is the most popular approach to actor training; its critical structural components are discussed in addition to various offshoots of the original technique. Unique features of acting training such as encouraging imagination, reflection, openness to experience, emotional connections, pursuit of goals and the importance of soft skills are emphasized.


Respiratory diseases are major causes of morbidity and mortality in premature neonates. Theophylline has been utilized as an adjunct in facilitating ventilator weaning and in the management of apnea with or without bradycardia. Patient characteristics associated with improved outcome from theophylline have not been determined. The purpose of this study was to evaluate parameters associated with improved outcome in neonates with respiratory diseases receiving theophylline. The study population consisted of premature neonates that were studied retrospectively. Criteria for entry into the study were (1) less than 40 weeks gestation, (2) a diagnosis of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), apnea of prematurity, hyaline membrane disease (HMD), or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), (3) dependence on intermittent mandatory ventilation, (4) failure to wean from the ventilator 24 h or more before the study, or (5) receiving theophylline. In this study, we found no correlations between time to wean from the ventilator and postnatal age at the time theophylline was initiated, 5-min APGAR score, and final theophylline serum concentration before complete weaning from the ventilator. However, there were significant negative correlations between birthweight and gestational age with respect to time to wean from the ventilator. The average theophylline serum concentration before weaning from the ventilator for this population of neonates was ∼5–10 μg/ml, indicating that theophylline is not beneficial as an aid to ventilator weaning at serum concentrations <10 μg/ml.


This volume of international research provides a wide-ranging account of Jane Austen's reception across the length and breadth of Europe, from Russia and Finland in the North to Italy and Spain in the South. In historical terms, the survey ranges from the near-contemporary - since Austen's novels were available in French very soon after their original publication - to modern times, in those countries which for various reasons, linguistic, historical or ideological, have taken up the novels only in recent years. For many, Austen's novels are valued for their romantic content, as love stories, but increasingly they are being perceived as sophisticated, ironic narratives. In this, the quality of translation has been a significant factor and the many film and television adaptations have played an important part in establishing Austen's reputation amongst the public at large. It will be seen from this that across Europe Austen's 'reception history' is far from uniform and has been shaped by a complex of extra-literary forces.
Anthony Mandal is Lecturer in English Literature at Cardiff University. Brian Southam is former Chairman of the Jane Austen Society. Among his many books are the two volumes of Jane Austen: The Critical Heritage (1968, 1987).


SUMMARY Floral volatiles play a major role in plant–insect communication. We examined the influence of two volatiles, phenylacetaldehyde andα -pinene, on the innate and learnt foraging behaviour of the moth Helicoverpa armigera. In dual-choice wind tunnel tests, adult moths flew upwind towards both volatiles, with a preference for phenylacetaldehyde. When exposure to either of these volatiles was paired with a feeding stimulus (sucrose), all moths preferred the learnt odour in the preference test. This change in preference was not seen when moths were exposed to the odour without a feeding stimulus. The learnt preference for the odour was reduced when moths were left unfed for 24 h before the preference test. We tested whether moths could discriminate between flowers that differed in a single volatile component. Moths were trained to feed on flowers that were odour-enhanced using either phenylacetaldehyde or α-pinene. Choice tests were then carried out in an outdoor flight cage, using flowers enhanced with either volatile. Moths showed a significant preference for the flower type on which they were trained. Moths that were conditioned on flowers that were not odour-enhanced showed no preference for either of the odour-enhanced flower types. The results imply that moths may be discriminating among odour profiles of individual flowers from the same species. We discuss this behaviour within the context of nectar foraging in moths and odour signalling by flowering plants.


OBJECTIVE
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant psychiatric condition that may result from exposure to combat; it has been associated with severe psychosocial dysfunction. This study examined the predictors of long-term treatment outcomes in a group of veterans with military-related PTSD.

METHOD
The study consisted of a retrospective chart review of 151 consecutive veterans treated at an outpatient clinic for veterans with psychiatric disorders resulting from their military operations between January 2002 and May 2012. The diagnosis of PTSD was made using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale. As part of treatment as usual, all patients completed the PTSD Checklist-Military version and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) at intake and at each follow-up appointment, the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) at intake, and either the SF-36 or the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey at follow-up. All patients received psychoeducation about PTSD and combined pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy.

RESULTS
Analyses demonstrated a significant and progressive improvement in PTSD severity over the 2-year period ([n = 117] Yuan-Bentler χ²40 = 221.25, P < .001). We found that comorbid depressive symptom severity acted as a significant predictor of PTSD symptom decline (β = -.44, SE = .15, P = .004). However, neither alcohol misuse severity nor the number of years with PTSD symptoms (chronicity) was a significant predictor of treatment response.

CONCLUSIONS
This study highlights the importance of treating comorbid symptoms of depression aggressively in veterans with military-related PTSD. It also demonstrates that significant symptom reduction, including loss of probable PTSD diagnosis, is possible in an outpatient setting for veterans with chronic military-related PTSD.


: Purpose: The objective of this article is to identify and analyse social expenditure management at the Ministry of National Defense in 2014-2018. The share of pension and disability expenses in the Polish defense budget in 2014-2018 was subject to an in-depth analysis. Design/Methodology/Approach: The article will present the history of pensions in Poland. The next part focuses on the reforms of the pension system that took place after the political transformation. On the other hand, own research presents a financial analysis of retirement and disability pension expenditure. Findings: The result of the article is an analysis of pension expenditure in the budget of the Ministry of National Defense provided for as part of the defense expenditure of the Polish state. Practical Implications: The article may be the basis for considering the exclusion of this type of expenditure from the budget of the Ministry of National Defense and inclusion in the universal system. Originality/Value: The funds obtained in this way may constitute the actual Polish defense expenditure amounting to 2% of GDP.


The real and imaginary parts of the complex index of refraction have been measured in the R1 line of optically pumped ruby. The experiments, which employed a temperature-controlled, single-mode ruby laser as a variable-frequency monochromatic source, were performed near liquid-nitrogen temperature, where the R1 doublet structure is well resolved. R1 absorption profiles were measured for several optical-pumping conditions, ranging from zero up to a pump power that excited a population in the 2E state equal to about 60% of the population of the 4A2 ground state. For each pumping condition, the anomalous-dispersion curve was measured interferometrically. The spectral profiles of the absorption coefficient and the anomalous dispersion display a dependence on the optical-pumping conditions that is more complicated than simple saturation of the R1 transitions, but for given pumping conditions the two quantities are correlated as predicted by the Kramers–Kronig relations.


Currently, there are few devices delivering output in the sub-millimetre range which exploit the electron cyclotron maser (ECM) instability, due to the expense and technical limitations associated with the current level of magnet technology. Devices operating within this THz regime could fulfill a variety of potential applications, ranging from plasma diagnostics to emerging biochemical diagnostic spectrometry. Therefore, operation at a harmonic, s, of the electron cyclotron frequency, ωc, is an attractive alternative of attaining such frequencies. However, given that the starting current, Ist, of a high harmonic will usually satisfy the starting criteria of a lower harmonic, this can prove problematic. To that end, a novel resonant cavity has been designed, which realizes co-harmonic generation of second and fourth harmonic resonances. This is achieved through an azimuthal corrugation of the walls of the interaction region, which in turn, allows the frequencies of the two resonances to have an exact integer ratio. Through the use of a specially designed output aperture, the lower harmonic should be effectively trapped within the cavity, facilitating a pure output of the upper harmonic. The 3-D PIC code MAGIC-3D has been used to examine the proposed geometry. Simulations conducted thus far have displayed the intended co-harmonic generation; however, the second harmonic is seen to undergo mode conversion at the output aperture, which in turn, dominates the emitted radiation. The focus of the current research is therefore to address this problem.


A monograph on the history of the Latin alphabet, contextualising this alphabet in the development of other major alphabets and using rich information design to present the subject in a manner hitherto unexplored. A reiterative focus is the Latin alphabet's pivotal significance among humankind's greatest achievements. The book proposes a unique synthesis of related disciplines to explore why alphabets look as they do, their adaptations following print's invention, and how the Latin alphabet would be if certain influences differed., Designed and illustrated by the author, the volume comprises charts tracking alphabets' maturations and connections to oral tradition. Although the focal point is the Latin alphabet, a broad related history is explored, encompassing ancient calligraphic traditions to semaphore, to bar codes and binary code. This methodology exposes the disciplinary cross-pollination — design, typography, anatomy, phonetics, sociology, linguistics, psychology and more — that gave birth to one of our civilisation's oldest and most powerful technologies. The work elucidates connections between speech and written language with attention paid to the speech organs, the physics of articulation, and the naming and shaping of letters., Shapes for Sounds culminates years of research into the history and development of Latin orthography. The book has been extremely well-received in the international design press; apart from the book's international status as a benchmark of scholarship in its field, it has acquired separate status as an exemplar of excellence in graphic design, winning the AIGA award and becoming part of the AIGA Design Archives at the Denver Art Museum and The Butler Library, Columbia University, USA.


This paper discusses the importance of the People's Republic of China in the global economy by exemplifying industrial sectors where it has established a strong competitive advantage. The author accounts for China's growth by looking at factors such as direct foreign investment and investment in research and development. This paper discusses several economic sectors including the textile, electronics, semiconductor, and aircraft industries as cases where China has upgraded its technological profile. The role of the university system is also discussed as a resource for China's future as a knowledge-based economy. This paper was presented at the Latin America/Caribbean and Asia/Pacific Economics and Business Association (LAEBA)'s 4th Annual Conference held in Beijing, China on December 3rd-4th, 2004.