Part of a series of essays by Russian sociologists who took part in a two-week "fieldwork school" on both sides of the Russian-Abkhazian border in 2005, this paper reflects on the multiplicity of borders that need to be crossed while working in the Russian-Abkhazian border zone. The state border between Russia and its (then) unrecognized neighbor is one of the few post-Soviet borders subject to manipulation by the Russian authorities. The border has also become a zone of piecemeal cross-border trade. However, the most significant border is between Abkhazia's self-image as a peaceful tourist destination and the ubiquitous and increasingly institutionalized memory of the war. Visitors cross this border permanently, in both their physical movement around any Abkhazian town and their conversations with local hosts. Finally, unlike more solidified post-Soviet borders, Russians experience the Russian- Abkhazian borderland as an exotic territory where boundaries and rules are suspended. In Russian, summary in English.


Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) have achieved remarkable performance on graph-based tasks. The key idea for GNNs is to obtain informative representation through aggregating information from local neighborhoods. However, it remains an open question whether the neighborhood information is adequately aggregated for learning representations of nodes with few neighbors. To address this, we propose a simple and efficient data augmentation strategy, local augmentation, to learn the distribution of the node features of the neighbors conditioned on the central node's feature and enhance GNN's expressive power with generated features. Local augmentation is a general framework that can be applied to any GNN model in a plug-and-play manner. It samples feature vectors associated with each node from the learned conditional distribution as additional input for the backbone model at each training iteration. Extensive experiments and analyses show that local augmentation consistently yields performance improvement when applied to various GNN architectures across a diverse set of benchmarks. For example, experiments show that plugging in local augmentation to GCN and GAT improves by an average of 3.4\% and 1.6\% in terms of test accuracy on Cora, Citeseer, and Pubmed. Besides, our experimental results on large graphs (OGB) show that our model consistently improves performance over backbones. Code is available at https://github.com/SongtaoLiu0823/LAGNN.


Luck plays a critical role in human life given the fact that not every outcome in people?  life is controllable. Uncontrollable outcome is particularly salient in casino gaming as most of the games are primarily driven by chance. Therefore it is common to see casino players talking about luck all the time and sharing their strategies on how to prolong their good luck and eradicate their bad luck. Coherent with these episodes, many previous studies reveal that people who feel lucky have a higher winning expectancy, intention to play, and risk-taking propensity. However, little scholarly attention falls into the factor that moderates the effect of perceived luck on subsequent behavior. The current paper proposes a notion called Locus of control on luck as a potential moderator. Locus of control on luck is derived from the classical concept Locus of control Which posits that some people attribute outcomes to their ability and effort while others attribute outcomes to external forces like luck and powerful others. Following this principle, it is proposed that people would also attribute their luck, which is a chancy outcome in nature, to them per se or external factors like lucky charms and alike. Previous research suggests that locus of control would differentiate the impact of evaluation of an existing outcome on outcome expectancy. This grounds the proposed moderating role of locus of control on luck on the relationship between perceived luck and gaming behavior. It is expected that locus of control on luck will render a direction for researchers to further investigate like developing a measurement scale for it and examining its relationships with other psychological constructs. By examining the proposed moderating role of locus of control on luck, casino operators will gain insights about how they can better influence the players? Gaming behavior with luck.


The phenomenon of fake news has been one of the main themes in the 2018-2019 edition of the Latin American Communication Monitor, the largest study on the profession of public relations and strategic communication carried out by the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA). Through a comparative study in the different countries of the region, the results characterize the development of the activity, the structures and the main trends from the professionals' perspective. On this occasion we present, with 1,165 responses considered valid, and within a target audience profile, the main results linked to fake news in the public relations activity in Latin America. Although professionals are accompanying discussions about this phenomenon (more than 60%), only 26% of organizations have already implemented formal guidelines and routines to deal with fake news and only 7.2% have specific technologies and systems installed to identify them. Government organizations (which claim to be the most affected: 37.2%) and those that have already been affected by this type of practices (49.7%) are those that rely on the individual competencies of their communication structure to solve the problem. keywords: Latin America, strategic communication, fake news, Latin American Communication Monitor, public relations.


In The False Promises of Constructivist Theories of Learning: A Global and Ecological Critique, C. A. Bowers examines why constructivist-based educational reforms fail to take into account these current critical issues: the deepening ecological crisis, globalization, and undermining of the world's diverse cultural commons. Special attention is given to the ethnocentrism and Social Darwinism that created the foundations for the ideas of Dewey, Piaget, and Freire. Also considered is how the neo-liberal promoters of economic globalization share their taken-for-granted assumptions. Additionally, Bowers explains how teachers in different cultures can contribute to the revitalization of their cultural and environmental commons without engaging in the cultural imperialism that characterizes constructivist approaches to educational reform.


Although organic–inorganic lead halide perovskite nanowires (NWs) have shown great potential in a wide range of device applications, their relatively low performance and insufficient stability represent major bottlenecks for their further development. In this study, we present an integrated approach to achieve highly efficient and long-term stable methyl ammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) perovskite NW solar cells by combining a 4-(1,3-dimethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-N,N-diphenylaniline (N-DPBI)-doped poly{[N,N′-bis(2-octyldodecyl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalene diimide-2,6-diyl]-alt-5,5′-(2,2′-bithiophene)} (P(NDI2OD-T2)) polymeric film as the electron transport layer (ETL) with an atomic-layer-deposited Al2O3-based film as the encapsulation layer. Our results indicate that N-DPBI doping can not only improve the electron extraction capability by minimizing resistive losses, but also improve the surface coverage of the P(NDI2OD-T2) ETL on the MAPbI3 NW layer. With this n-doped ETL, a remarkable power conversion efficiency (PCE) up to 18.83% is achieved, which represents the highest PCE ever reported for perovskite NW solar cells. Importantly, taking advantage of the high charge carrier mobility of MAPbI3 NWs (0.01 cm2 V−1 s−1), the large-area NW devices with an active area of 5.04 cm2 also deliver a high PCE up to 15.25%. More encouragingly, the encapsulated NW devices exhibit excellent long-term stability, retaining ∼92% of their initial efficiency after being exposed to the ambient atmosphere for more than 6000 hours. The encapsulated NW devices still remain fairly stable (∼20% loss in PCE) even after ∼1500 hours of continuous operation under AM1.5G sunlight irradiation in the ambient atmosphere. The approaches demonstrated herein can not only offer a very promising strategy for realizing high-performance and long-term stable perovskite NW solar cells, but also pave the way for future developments of perovskite NW-based optoelectronic devices.


Circulating biomarkers available in clinical practice do not allow to stratify patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) prior the onset of a clinically relevant event. We evaluated the methylation status of specific genomic segments and gene expression in peripheral blood of patients undergoing Cardiac Computed Tomography (CCT) for CHD (n = 95). We choose to investigate cholesterol metabolism. Methylation and gene expression of low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), sterol regulatory element-binding factor 2 (SREBF2) and ATP-binding cassette transporter 1 (ABCA1) were evaluated by qRT-PCR. Calcium score (CACS), stenosis degree, total plaque volume (TPV), calcified plaque volume (CPV), non-calcified plaque volume (NCPV) and plaque burden (PB) were assessed in all CHD patients (n = 65). The percentage of methylation at the specific analyzed segment of LDLR promoter was higher in CHD patients vs healthy subjects (HS) (n = 30) (p = 0.001). LDLR, SREBF2 and ABCA1 mRNAs were up-regulated in CHD patients vs HS (p = 0.02; p = 0.019; p = 0.008). SREBF2 was overexpressed in patients with coronary stenosis ≥50% vs subjects with stenosis <50% (p = 0.036). After adjustment for risk factors and clinical features, ABCA1 (p = 0.005) and SREBF2 (p = 0.010) gene expression were identified as independent predictors of CHD and severity. ROC curve analysis revealed a good performance of ABCA1 on predicting CHD (AUC = 0.768; p<0.001) and of SREBF2 for the prediction of disease severity (AUC = 0.815; p<0.001). Moreover, adjusted multivariate analysis demonstrated SREBF2 as independent predictor of CPV, NCPV and TPV (p = 0.022; p = 0.002 and p = 0.006) and ABCA1 as independent predictor of NCPV and TPV (p = 0.002 and p = 0.013). CHD presence and characteristics are related to selected circulating transcriptional and epigenetic-sensitive biomarkers linked to cholesterol pathway. More extensive analysis of CHD phenotypes and circulating biomarkers might improve and personalize cardiovascular risk stratification in the clinical settings.


The present paper deals with the inductive inference of recursively enumerable languages from positive data (also called text). It introduces the learning models of verifiability and comparability. The input to a verifier is an index e and a text of the target language L, and the learner has to verify whether or not the index e input is correct for the target language L. A comparator receives two indices of languages from the target class L as input and has to decide in the limit whether or not these indices generate the same language. Furthermore, standardisability is studied, where a standardiser receives an index j of some target language L from the class L, and for every L ∈ L there must be an index e such that e generates L and the standardiser has to map j to e. Additionally, the common learning models of explanatory learning, conservative explanatory learning, and behaviourally correct learning are considered. For almost all learning models mentioned above it is also appropriate to consider the number of times a learner changes its mind. In particular, if no mind change occurs then we obtain the finite variant of the models considered. Occasionally, also learning with the help of an oracle is taken into consideration. The main goal of the present paper is to figure out to what extent verifiability, comparability, and standardisability are helpful for the inductive inference of classes of recursively enumerable languages. Here we also distinguish between indexed families, one-one enumerable classes, and recursively enumerable classes. Our results are manyfold, and an almost complete picture is obtained. In particular, for indexed families and recursively enumerable classes finite comparability, finite standardisability, and finite verifiability always imply finite learnability. If at least one mind change is allowed, then there are differences, i.e., comparability or verifiability imply conservative explanatory learning, but standardisability does not; still explanatory learning can be achieved.


Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) for seismic events is currently being performed for nuclear power plants. The background on seismic PRA is presented along with a basic description of the method. The seismic PRA technique is applicable to other critical facilities besides nuclear power plants. The different approaches for obtaining structure fragility curves are discussed and their applications to structures and equipment, in general, are addressed. It is concluded that seismic PRA is a useful technique for conducting probability analysis for a wide range of classes of structures and equipment.


We consider dynamic repositioning when competing firms try to follow the evolution of consumer preferences while taking into account the competitive interaction, both in terms of static market competition and the dynamic effects of different firm positionings. We fully characterize the dynamic market equilibrium, which includes the timing of the firms' repositionings depending on consumer preferences. As consumer preferences evolve away from where both firms are located, one firm first moves to follow consumer preferences, with the second firm only moving if the consumer preferences continue evolving away from that firm. The model predicts rich market dynamics, where firms stay for some period in different positionings if consumer preferences are in a relatively middle ground or where a firm repositions to follow consumer preferences but then repositions back to the original position if consumer preferences return. We find that, when the variability of the consumer preferences or the discount rate is greater or when the importance of the repositioning attribute is smaller, firms are less likely to follow consumer preferences. Firms are more heterogeneous in their responses, which leads to longer periods of differentiation when the variability of the consumer preferences, the discount rate, or the importance of the repositioning attribute increases. We also find that competing firms reposition less frequently than what is socially optimal and what collusion would imply, and we find more differentiation under collusion than under competition. This paper was accepted by Matthew Shum, marketing.


The prevalent use of the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) in Next
Generation Networks necessitates that SIP networks provide adequate
control mechanisms to maintain transaction throughput by preventing
congestion collapse during traffic overloads. A loss-based solution to
remedy known vulnerabilities of the SIP 503 (Service Unavailable)
overload control mechanism has already been proposed. Using the same
signaling, this document proposes a rate-based control scheme to
complement the loss-based control scheme.


The relapse of cancer after first line therapy with anticancer agents is a common occurrence. This recurrence is believed to be due to the presence of a subpopulation of cells called cancer stem cells in the tumor. Therefore, a combination therapy which is susceptible to both types of cells is desirable. Delivery of this combinatorial approach in a nanoparticulate system will provide even a better therapeutic outcome in tumor targeting. The objective of this study was to develop and characterize nanoparticulate system containing two anticancer agents (cyclopamine and paclitaxel) having different susceptibilities toward cancer cells. Both drugs were entrapped in glyceryl monooleate (GMO)-chitosan solid lipid as well as poly(glycolic-lactic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles. The cytotoxicity studies were performed on DU145, DU145 TXR, and Wi26 A4 cells. The particle size of drug-loaded GMO-chitosan nanoparticles was 278.4 ± 16.4 nm with a positive zeta potential. However, the PLGA particles were 234.5 ± 6.8 nm in size with a negative zeta potential. Thermal analyses of both nanoparticles revealed that the drugs were present in noncrystalline state in the matrix. A sustained in vitro release was observed for both the drugs in these nanoparticles. PLGA blank particles showed no cytotoxicity in all the cell lines tested, whereas GMO-chitosan blank particles showed substantial cytotoxicity. The types of polymer used for the preparation of nanoparticles played a major role and affected the in vitro release, cytotoxicity, and uptake of nanoparticles in the all the cell lines tested.


Introduction A nationwide statistical analysis of placement into special education done by Kilalea Associates in 1980 (News Digest, 1987), based upon data from the US. Office for Civil Rights, has observed that "a minority student was found to be 2.3 times more likely than a white student to be classified EMR ... [Educable Mentally Retarded] ... 1.7 times as likely to be classified as TMR ... [Trainable Mentally Retarded] ... " (US News & World Report, 13 December 1993, p. 9). The corresponding national statistics for placement by retardation are: The distribution, of minority children in Special Education, is as follows: National Enrollment Indices It is projected by the US Bureau of Census that, by the year 2000, minority enrollments, in the United States, will be between 40% and 60% of the population of all children in our public schools. The enrollment projections would be between 57% and 60% for the states of New York and California. However, the projected minority population, nationally, would be about 33% by 2000 (Education Week, 1986). The greatest increases, for African-American children in public school, are in New York State through the Atlantic corridor including Washington, DC., through Georgia, Mississippi, South and North Carolina, Alabama and westwards to California. For Latino children, the largest increases are in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California (Education Week, 1986). In California, by 1986, African-American children were the majority of children in elementary schools. In Texas, in 1986, African-American and Latino children were 46% of students at all levels in the public school system. As of 1986, minority children made up majorities in the twenty-five largest school systems in the nation (Education Week, 1986). Relative California percentile ratios, in 1992, show that there is a 50.8% minority student distribution in a general student population of about 4.6 million. In New York City, in 1988, ethnic distributions and composition of public school children are: 34.1% Latino, 38.4% African-American, 6.9% Asian, and 20% Caucasian for an aggregate school population of 939,933 (The New York City Board of Education Report, Fiscal Year 1988; Cf., The Advocate, Winter 1993-Spring 1994). The comparative ethnic composition of instructional staff was for the early 1990s: 8.9% Latino, 17.6% African-American, 1.3% Asian, 73.2% Caucasian (The New York City Board of Education Report, Fiscal Year 1988; Cf., The Advocate, Winter 1993-Spring 1994). In Special Education, the aggregate percentile distribution of minority school children relative to others is 90% to 10%. The comparative percentile sub-ethnic composition of minority school children in New York City by aggregate public school statistics is: African-American 50%, Latino%, Asian 12%, Others were at 11%. Special Education Over-Enrollment & Comparative Cost Indices Nationally, US data statistics show a 20% increase in Special Education enrollment "from 4.3 million in 1984 to 5.3 million in 1994" (Portner, p. 4). Comparatively, the US population has increased by only 9.8% between 1984 and 1994 (Johnston, p. 2). In New York State, the Special Education student population has increased from 262,482 (1989), at 10.3% of the public school student population, to 347,126 (December 1995), in 1997 to 12.4% since 1.989 (The New York Teacher, 7 April 1997). Total public school student enrollment (for General Education), from 1989 to 1995, went from 2,548,710 to 2,777,876, an 8.9% increase (The New York Teacher, 7 April 1997). The 1995-1996 per capita cost of educating a Special Education student in a self-contained classroom in an out-of-district placement averaged $21,000.00 and ranged as high as $50,000.00 ... [compared with the] ... average per-pupil cost for a General Education classroom" which has been $8,900. …


Consumption Infinitive of fossil sources to energy generation has been caused more expanding of the science of using from reproducible energy sources. Solar energy is one of the most important reproducible energy sources which is absorbed and converted to the electric energy by solar cells technology. These solar cells are formed from Si by deposition on the special substrate by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) which this process is much vulnerable in the high temperatures interaction. Hence the technology of production of these solar sheets in the low temperature pronto grown and one of the most common methods to build of solar sheets is chemical vapor deposition (CVD), which has been developed with using of plasma techniques in this method with decreasing the temperature used in synthesis interaction. In this paper has been pointed to applications of plasma technique in coating film by CVD method which named plasma-enhance chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) which is very common to producing the solar sheets in large scale.


We present three different methods for fitting CAD models to point clouds. Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG) is used for representing the models because of its flexibility and compactness. A given CSG tree is converted to a Boundary Representation (B-rep) or a triangular mesh or a point cloud for approximating the orthogonal distance of a given point from the model surface. We name the resulting methods as ICS (Iterative Closest Surface-point), ICT (Iterative Closest Trianglepoint) and ICP (Iterative Closest Point-cloud-point) respectively. Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm is used for the minimization of the sum of orthogonal distances. We introduce the notion of Internal Constraints representing the geometric relationships among constituent components of a CSG tree. We show that their inclusion reduces the number of free parameters and results in a more faithful and robust estimation as complete a priori geometric information is utilized. The results of applying these methods to different objects are presented and compared, which bring out the necessity of using a hybrid methodology for achieving accuracy at a practical speed.


The use of a laser-based optical system and wavelet transforms is explored for the detection of changes in the properties of cantilevered aluminum beams as a result of damage. The beams were modeled using the ANSYS 5.3 finite-element method and the first six mode shapes for the damaged and the undamaged cases obtained. Damage was simulated by a reduction in the stiffness of one element. Gaussian white noise was added externally to simulate field conditions. The results show that a spatially-localized abnormality in the mode shape could be represented uniquely by a small set of wavelet coefficients while the white noise was uniformly spread throughout the wavelet space. It was observed that the damage clearly manifested in the sixth-order detail of certain modes only. A different finite-element model was used as a test beam to validate the proposed method. An actual aluminum beam, fabricated with dimensions similar to the test beam, was excited and the mode shapes recorded with the scanning laser vibrometer. Damage was created by machining a notch in the beam of the same dimensions as the finite-element test beam. An image of the damage location was obtained from the continuous wavelet transform coefficients. The magnitude of the wavelet coefficients at the damage location showed a close correlation to the severity of damage. It was observed to increase with increasing damage. The finite-element test beam results showed a close correlation to the corresponding experimental beam results. The method benefits from the fact that the undamaged mode shapes were not used to evaluate the condition of the beam, which in most field conditions is not feasible.


A range of systems exist for collaborative music making on multi-touch surfaces. Some of them have been highly successful, but currently there is no systematic way of designing them, to maximise collaboration for a particular user group. We are particularly interested in systems that will engage novices and experts. We designed a simple application in an initial attempt to clearly analyse some of the issues. Our application allows groups of users to express themselves in collaborative music making using pre-composed materials. User studies were video recorded and analysed using two techniques derived from Grounded Theory and Content Analysis. A questionnaire was also conducted and evaluated. Findings suggest that the application affords engaging interaction. Enhancements for collaborative music making on multi-touch surfaces are discussed. Finally, future work on the prototype is proposed to maximise engagement.


Understanding the exact connection between inequality and justice is important because justice is classically regarded as the first line of defense against self-interest and inequality. Absent a strong and clear link between inequality and justice, the sense of justice would not awaken to exert its moral suasion, no matter how great the inequality or how fast its increase. We obtain exact links between economic inequality and three parameters of the justice evaluation distribution–the mean, median, and variance–across a comprehensive set of inequality measures and a substantial starter set of just reward scenarios. This work shows that there is no general necessary connection between inequality and justice–inequality effects can be nonexistent, or can occur in opposite directions. There is, however, a striking pattern in some justice situations: As economic inequality increases, the average of the justice evaluations moves leftward, deeper into the territory of unjust underreward, and the distribution stretches outward, increasing the gulf between underrewarded and overrewarded and hollowing out the middle class. Further work specifying and strengthening the logical foundation will help guide development of sharp new empirical strategies for deeper understanding of the inequality-justice connection in all its manifestations.


We show how to achieve the notion of "multicalibration" from Hebert-Johnson et al. [2018] not just for means, but also for variances and other higher moments. Informally, it means that we can find regression functions which, given a data point, can make point predictions not just for the expectation of its label, but for higher moments of its label distribution as well-and those predictions match the true distribution quantities when averaged not just over the population as a whole, but also when averaged over an enormous number of finely defined subgroups. It yields a principled way to estimate the uncertainty of predictions on many different subgroups-and to diagnose potential sources of unfairness in the predictive power of features across subgroups. As an application, we show that our moment estimates can be used to derive marginal prediction intervals that are simultaneously valid as averaged over all of the (sufficiently large) subgroups for which moment multicalibration has been obtained.


We report results of an ichthyological survey of the Lower Urubamba river, a tributary of the Ucayali river located in the southwestern portion of the Amazon Basin in southeastern Peru. Collections were made at low water (July, 2009) from 280 - 310 m elevation, near the town of Sepahua within the Fitzcarrald Arch, an upland associated with Pliocene (c. 4 Ma) uplift of the Peruvian Andes. This is the second of four planned expeditions to the region with the goal of comparing ichthyofaunas across the headwaters of the largest tributary basins in the western Amazon (Jurua, Ucayali, Purus and Madre de Dios). Twenty-one sites were sampled using seine nets, hook lines, cast nets and dip nets. A total of 98 species in 22 families and eight orders were captured and identified. The most diverse families are Characidae (40 spp.) and Loricariidae (20 spp.), and 12 families are represented by a single species. These data suggest that the fish fauna of the Lower Urubamba river near Sepahua is distinct from, and less diverse than, adjacent areas of lowland Amazonia.


Arterial oxygen tension is commonly measured by means of intermittent arterial gas sampling. This technique is unable to detect within-breath oxygen tension changes that may be observed in mechanically ventilated patients, especially in the presence of lung injury. Moreover, it may not afford sufficient time resolution to detect potentially injurious settings of the mechanical ventilation itself. Continuous and rapid arterial oxygen tension measurement could detect within-breath changes in pulmonary gas exchange and offer clinically important feedback for the management of mechanical ventilation therapy in real time. We developed a novel fibre optic intravascular oxygen tension sensor, measured its fast response time in vitro, tested its blood clotting resistance over a period of 24 hours, and its capacity to measure arterial oxygen tension in vivo in a pig model of uninjured lung. This short communication will review the main steps of this collaborative project's progress to date, highlighting the technology's strengths, together with future potential for translation to a clinical scenario.


In this article, our experience in the development and realization of e-Learning courses in Slovenia is described and discussed. Slovenia, the most developed republic of former Yugoslavia, became an EU member in May 2004. In 1991, after its independence from Yugoslavia, Slovenia's transition to a free market economy resulted in lost jobs and an unemployment rate of 12%. In 1999, as the Institute for Symbolic Analysis and Development of Information Technologies, located in Velenje, Slovenia, we decided to offer several online courses to help unemployed people gain the skills and knowledge needed for employability in information technology. We drew on our previous experience teaching online courses at Sarajevo University after the Bosnian war and on the experience of West Valley College from Saratoga, Silicon Valley in e-Learning. Over the last four years, we organized and delivered e-Learning courses in digital media design and production, with good results. Several students found jobs and changed their perception and attitude as they became more self-confident. We believe e-Learning can efficiently enhance lifelong learning and support economic development, especially in new member countries transitioning from former socialistic to free market economies.


Canadian courts draw a tenuous distinction between expert scientific evidence and what they characterize as specialized knowledge gained through the expert witness's experience, training, and research. This characterization is based on unclear criteria and has significant consequences. Notably, specialized knowledge regularly receives considerably less scrutiny than that which is characterized as science, while still often serving as powerful inculpatory evidence in criminal trials. Moreover, specialized knowledge is often provided by figures that carry an air of authority, like police officers and scientists. This article focuses on the leading opinion on specialized knowledge, the Court of Appeal for Ontario's decision in R v Abbey. An analysis of Abbey's application to three fields of contested specialized knowledge (including the evidence the Abbey Court admitted, but fresh evidence revealed as fundamentally unreliable) provides two general insights. First, while Abbey could be interpreted as providing for a flexible and probing analysis of all expert evidence, courts have often relied on it to justify giving almost no scrutiny to specialized knowledge. Second, this review of the post-Abbey jurisprudence suggests that scrutiny focused on the transparency of the expert's data and analysis, and whether that analysis can reliably be applied to the relevant factual question, may provide a valuable way to evaluate expertise.


The interaction between ferroelectric polymer films with different transition temperatures is evident in the effect of layer thickness on the ferroelectric–paraelectric phase transition in multilayer films, as revealed by x-ray diffraction and dielectric measurements. The multilayer samples consisted of alternating Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films of two different copolymers of vinylidene fluoride with trifluoroethylene, one with 80% vinylidene fluoride and a ferroelectric–paraelectric transition temperature on heating of 133 ± 4 °C and the other with 50% vinylidene fluoride and a transition temperature of 70 ± 4 °C. Samples with a repeat period of 20 LB layers (10 contiguous layers of each composition) exhibited two distinct phase transitions, indicative of minimal interaction between the two materials. Films with a repeat period of 2, or films made from an equal mixture of the two copolymers, exhibited composite behaviour, with an intermediate transition temperature and suppression of the transitions associated with the individual compositions. Films with a repeat period of 10 exhibit cross-over behaviour. These results imply that the ferroelectric interaction length along the (110) direction, which is perpendicular to the film plane, is approximately 11 nm.


Efficient synthesis of renewable fuels that will enable cost competitiveness with petroleum-derived fuels remains a grand challenge. In this paper, we report on an integrated catalytic approach for producing transportation fuels from biomass-derived syngas. This novel process represents an alternative to conventional fuel synthesis routes (e.g., Fischer–Tropsch, Methanol-to-Gasoline) that have drawbacks, particularly at the scale of biomass. Composition of the resulting hydrocarbon fuel can be modulated to produce predominantly middle distillates, which is constantly increasing in demand compared to gasoline fraction. In this process biomass-derived syngas is first converted over an Rh-based catalyst into a complex aqueous mixture of condensable C2+ oxygenated compounds (predominantly ethanol, acetic acid, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate). This multi-component aqueous mixture then is fed to a second reactor loaded with a ZnxZryOz mixed oxide catalyst, which has tailored acid–base sites, to produce an olefin mixture rich in isobutene. The olefins then are oligomerized using a solid acid catalyst (e.g., Amberlyst-36) to form condensable olefins with molecular weights that can be targeted for gasoline, jet, and/or diesel fuel applications. The product rich in long-chain olefins (C7+) is finally sent to a fourth reactor required for hydrogenation of the olefins into paraffin fuels. Simulated distillation of the hydrotreated oligomerized liquid product indicates that ∼75% of the hydrocarbons (iso-paraffins and cyclic compounds) are in the jet-fuel range. Process optimization for the oligomerization step could further improve yield to the jet-fuel range. All of these catalytic steps have been demonstrated in sequence, thus providing proof-of-concept for a new integrated process for the production of drop-in biofuels. Overall, we demonstrate approximately 41% carbon efficiency for converting syngas into jet-range hydrocarbons. This unique and flexible process does not require external hydrogen and also could be applied to non-syngas derived feedstock, such as fermentation products (e.g., ethanol, acetic acid, etc.), other oxygenates, and mixtures thereof containing alcohols, acids, aldehydes and/or esters.


This paper seeks to analyse the Determiner Phrase in Etsako within the theoretical framework of the Minimalist Program, the most recent version of Chomsky's Generative Grammar. We shall argue that the functional category of Determiner is Head of all nominal projections in Etsako as against earlier accounts in favour of Noun as Head while also discussing the order of the constituents of the Etsako Determiner Phrase. We shall attempt to see how the Minimalist Program can accommodate our data drawn from the Avhianwu dialect of Etsako.


This article aims to unveil the notion of abortion as an element in young people's thoughts on teenage pregnancy. The study analyzes data from semi-structured interviews with 123 young men and women 18-24 years of age in Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, and Salvador, Brazil, belonging to different social strata. Based on information concerning their affective, sexual, and reproductive circumstances, an abortion typology was established with a gradient ranging from considering the act to the attempt to materialize it, actually submitting to abortion, and even ruling out the possibility of interrupting the pregnancy. According to the data, 73% of interviewees had considered the possibility of an abortion, demonstrating an important presence of this notion as a recourse vis-a-vis an unpredicted pregnancy, even in the Brazilian context where abortion is illegal. Among the 86 young people who had experienced a pregnancy, 27 reported having resorted to abortion (20 males and seven females). The results indicate gender differences and contribute to an understanding of teenage pregnancy by examining induced abortion, a hidden dimension in the public and scientific debate on this issue.


A doped-channel heterostructure field effect transistor (H-FET) technology has been developed with self-aligned refractory gate processing and using both enhancement- and depletion-mode transistors. D-HFET devices are obtained with a threshold voltage adjust implant into material designed for E-HFET operation. Both E- and D-HFETs utilize W/WSi bilayer gates, sidewall spacers, and rapid thermal annealing for controlling short channel effects. The 0.5 {mu}m E- HFETs (D-HFETs) have been demonstrated with transconductance of 425 mS/mm (265-310 mS/mm) and f{sub t} of 45-50 GHz. Ring oscillator gate delays of 19 ps with a power of 0.6 mW have been demonstrated using direct coupled FET logic. These results are comparable to previous doped-channel HFET devices and circuits fabricated by selective reactive ion etching rather than ion implantation for threshold voltage adjustment.


A procedure for the spectrochemical analysis of lead samples, such as corrosion products of lead sheath is described. The powdered material is buffered with germanium dioxide and graphite powder and the resultant mixture pelletized. Multisource type discharges are used. Desired elements can be measured over a wide range of composition.


In an ideal world, people would tackle major crises such as global climate change as rational actors, weighing the costs, benefits and probabilities of success of alternative policies accurately and impartially. Unfortunately, human brains are far from accurate and impartial. Mounting research in experimental psychology reveals that we are all subject to systematic biases in judgement and decision-making. While such biases may have been adaptive heuristics that promoted survival and reproduction in the Pleistocene environment of our evolutionary past, in today's world of technological sophistication, industrial power and mass societies, psychological biases can lead to disasters on an unprecedented scale. Beyond the exploding ecological and socio-economic research on climate change and how to deal with the 'tragedy of the commons', it is a better understanding of human psychology - 'the tragedy of cognition' - that may ultimately tip the balance against the seeds of our own destruction.


The amount of fluoride (F) ion excreted in 24-hr urine of preschool children in Koohbanan, Iran, was measured. The total volume of urine over a 24-hr period of 26 healthy 4–5 yr-old children (14 boys and 12 girls with a mean body weight of 16 kg) was collected under carefully controlled conditions. From the F concentration in 1-mL samples, the total amount of F excreted during the 24-hr period was calculated. The amount of F ingested from food and water over the same period was determined by a checklist. The average amount of F ion in 24-hr urine of these children was 0.41 mg, and the total 24-hr F intake was 1.71 mg. The data indicate that the F intake in the Koohbanan preschool children is high, corresponding to 0.107 mg F/kg bw/day.


Can novel 3D models help students develop a deeper understanding of core concepts in molecular biology? We adapted 3D molecular models, developed by scientists, for use in high school science classrooms. The models accurately represent the structural and functional properties of complex DNA and Virus molecules, and provide visual and haptic feedback about biomolecular properties that are often implicit in traditional models. We investigated: 1) Can we measure conceptual growth on core concepts? 2) Do lessons with 3D models improve student outcomes on these measures?, and 3) What factors mediate learning? Model use yielded measurable gains in conceptual knowledge and the greatest gains were related to how actively models were used during a lesson and the facilitative role adopted by the teachers.


Exploring an unfamiliar large-scale software system is challenging, especially when based solely on source code. While software visualizations help in gaining an overview of a system, they generally neglect architecture knowledge in their representations, e.g., by arranging elements along package structures rather than functional components or locking users in a specific abstraction only slightly above the source code. In this paper, we introduce an automated approach for software architecture recovery and use its results in an immersive 3D virtual reality software visualization to aid accessing and relating architecture knowledge. We further provide a semantic zoom that allows a user to access and relate information both horizontally on the same abstraction level, e.g., by following method calls, and vertically across different abstraction levels, e.g., from a class to its containing component. We evaluate our contribution in a controlled experiment contrasting the usefulness regarding software exploration and comprehension of our concepts with those of the established CityVR visualization and the Eclipse IDE.


A B S T R A C T Objectives: The aim of the current study was to investigate the role of fusion beliefs and metacognitions in obsessive–compulsive symptoms in the general population. Method: A sample of 200 students of Kharazmi University was selected from various faculties and completed the following questionnaires: Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), Thought-Fusion Instrument (TFI) and Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (MOCI). Data was analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results: The study showed that thought-fusion beliefs and metacognitive beliefs were positively correlated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms. There were also positive correlations between subscales of thought-fusion beliefs and metacognitive beliefs and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. In regression analysis, MCQ subscales, cognitive self-consciousness and Thought Action Fusion scale were the strongest predictors of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Conclusions: Results of this study support the metacognitive model of OCD and showed that people's thought-fusion beliefs have important role in obsessive–compulsive symptoms.


Hyperiid amphipods collected during 4 IMECOCAL (Spanish acronym for Mexican Investigations of the California Current) cruises in January, April, July, and October 2005 were ana- lyzed for seasonal variation in abundance and diversity and to determine the influence of surface cir- culation. The number of species was high in all seasons (between 79 and 92), but abundances showed remarkable differences. The total number of amphipods was lowest in January and highest in October (geometric means were 82 and 606 ind. 1000 m -3 respectively). Multivariate analysis based on similar- ity indices demonstrated a tight coupling between species composition and mesoscale structures. The largest cluster joined 67 stations, with 40% of similarity being explained by 4 species (Vibilia armata, Lestrigonus schizogeneios, Eupronoe minuta, and Primno brevidens). The geographic position of these stations coincided with the main California Current (CC) flow from spring to autumn. Subgroups were defined by minor seasonal differences. In contrast, the CC flow during winter was reduced to a meander off north Baja California, and was surrounded by oligotrophic water as indicated by the pres- ence of the hyperiids Anchylomera blossevillei and Phrosina semilunata plus 3 of the dominant species (V. armata, E. minuta, and P. brevidens). To the south of this front, other clusters with high oceanic influence were formed. In 2005, 3 eddies were detected in the area: one anticyclonic eddy in April and 2 cyclonic eddies in July. The anticyclonic eddy located in the southwest had its own faunal cluster that had high diversity but low population density. The main species in the anticyclonic eddy was Platyscelus ovoides. Only one of the cyclonic eddies had a unique faunal identity, being strongly dom- inated by Vibilia armata; this was located in the north between the CC flow and the coast. The other eddy was large and situated in the middle of the area, with a faunal array analogous to that in the CC flow. Correlation between hyperiid and salp species abundances suggested that the increase in salps (Salpa fusiformis, Thalia orientalis, Cyclosalpa bakeri) in spring could be relevant, as many hyperiid species showed a strong increase at this time. However, the most correlated salp was Cyclosalpa danae, which occurred only in October. Chains of C. danae aggregates were firmly attached in the samples. This would promote the aggregation and survival of amphipod hosts, particularly small spe- cies such as Lestrigonus schizogenios and L. bengalensis.


In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in measurement systems such as laser trackers (LT) for the verification of large-scale parts in the aeronautic, spatial or naval sectors because of their advantages in terms of portability, flexibility, high speed in data acquisition, accuracy, and reliability. These systems present systematic errors caused by geometrical misalignments, environmental conditions, mechanical wear and tear and other unpredictable variables. Different standards such as the ASME B89.4.19 and the VDI 2617-10 suggest tests to calculate the geometric errors of the LT. In this work, we present an alternative calibration method based on a new errors model. The LT can be considered as an open kinematic chain, so it is possible to shape a kinematic model of the LT. Once the kinematic model has been set, the error model is defined. The model has been validated with synthetic data. Then, experimental tests based on the measurement of a mesh of reflectors placed at suitable places for different locations of the LT have been performed to ensure the reliability of the method proposed. A sensi- tivity analysis shows the best experimental setup to perform a calibration test. The calibration results have been validated with nominal data.


In the present study, source apportionment of the ambient summer and winter time particulate carbonaceous matter (PCM) in aerosol particles (PM(1) and PM(10)) has been conducted for the Norwegian urban and rural background environment. Statistical treatment of data from thermal-optical, (14)C and organic tracer analysis using Latin Hypercube Sampling has allowed for quantitative estimates of seven different sources contributing to the ambient carbonaceous aerosol. These are: elemental carbon from combustion of biomass (EC(bb)) and fossil fuel (EC(ff)), primary and secondary organic carbon arising from combustion of biomass (OC(bb)) and fossil fuel (OC(ff)), primary biological aerosol particles (OC(PBAP), which includes plant debris, OC(pbc), and fungal spores, OC(pbs)), and secondary organic aerosol from biogenic precursors (OC(BSOA)). Our results show that emissions from natural sources were particularly abundant in summer, and with a more pronounced influence at the rural compared to the urban background site. 80% of total carbon (TC(p), corrected for the positive artefact) in PM(10) and ca. 70% of TC(p) in PM(1) could be attributed to natural sources at the rural background site in summer. Natural sources account for about 50% of TC(p) in PM(10) at the urban background site as well. The natural source contribution was always dominated by OC(BSOA), regardless of season, site and size fraction. During winter anthropogenic sources totally dominated the carbonaceous aerosol (80-90 %). Combustion of biomass contributed slightly more than fossil-fuel sources in winter, whereas emissions from fossil-fuel sources were more abundant in summer. Mass closure calculations show that PCM made significant contributions to the mass concentration of the ambient PM regardless of size fraction, season, and site. A larger fraction of PM(1) (ca. 40-60 %) was accounted for by carbonaceous matter compared to PM(10) (ca. 40-50 %), but only by a small margin. In general, there were no pronounced differences in the relative contribution of carbonaceous matter to PM with respect to season or between the two sites.


When unsafe conditions arise in a workplace, they may result in employee accidents and fatalities. However, if these problems are detected early, new hazard controls and safety initiatives can be introduced in order to actively reduce or prevent the occurrence of these events. Unfortunately, many safety systems currently monitor and report data that has been aggregated over long time periods, making it difficult to realize and respond to pattern shifts in a timely manner. When monitoring a process over time, a commonly used tool is statistical process control charting. Traditionally used in manufacturing, control charts indicate a deviation from historically "normal" or "in-control" behavior and have become increasingly common in healthcare and public health monitoring. This dissertation studies the use of control charts to monitor the frequency of occupational safety incidents, with the overarching goal of investigating the effects of data aggregation on the detection performance of these charts. Specifically, this dissertation 1) qualitatively establishes the need for more frequent monitoring of safety incidents; 2) investigates the comparative performance of control charts with aggregated and non-aggregated data for the detection of increased accident frequency, using a case study with data from an industrial partner; 3) more generally compares the performance of these charts for a Poisson process with a range of simulated process shifts; and 4) discusses the potential future challenges of including accident severity in quantitative safety monitoring systems. The comprehensive results indicate that lower degrees of data aggregation are preferred, and suggestions for better data collection and employee communication practices are offered to aid the transition for companies.


ABSTRACT Cysticercosis is a common helminthic infection worldwide, endemic in Central and South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia. Neurocysticercosis typically involves brain parenchyma, subarachnoid space, and the ventricular system. Although the spinal cord is frequently involved in patients with parenchymal neurocysticercosis, isolated spinal involvement is rare, occurring in only 1–3% of patients. We report a case of racemose spinal neurocysticercosis with brain parenchyma involvement in a 49-year-old Mexican man, who presented with unsteady gait and bilateral arm numbness and weakness. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiseptated cystic lesions in the upper cervical spinal canal and nonenhancing intradural extramedullary cystic lesions in the thoracic spine. The patient underwent sub-occipital craniectomy with decompression, followed by a course of steroids and albendazole. Pathology confirmed the diagnosis of neurocysticercosis, and the patient's symptoms resolved after treatment. We include discussion on the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of neurocysticercosis with a focus on the spinal form.


Among Muslim nations, few have achieved an international standard of
good governance. Somalia, completely dismembered by European
colonial power, and now reduced to nearly total anarchy by the
generation of post-independence rule, is desperately in need of help. After
a thorough analysis of recent aid efforts, it is concluded that only the
Somalis can rescue themselves.
An in depth interview was conducted on a select group of Somali and
Malaysian intellectuals and diplomats. A first-hand observation was
organized into a chronology of events during the post-independence
years, and then this data was analysed in detail. The thesis findings
involve a two-fold failure. Almost unaccountably, President Siyad Bare's
post-independence rule quickly degenerated from an Islamic ideology
expressed in "scientific socialist" political form, into a totally anarchy
involving the worst forms of corruption, nepotism and tribalism. This is The first failure in domestic nation building process. The second failure is
the failure of the international community to render aid to the suffering
and starving Somali people in any effective way.
The panels of informants have elucidated many factors contributing to
both the domestic and international failures. From their comments and
commentaries, it become clear that individual initiative and the African based
solution would is the only hope to resolve the problem of nation
building in Somalia.
Free market initiatives from the people themselves, as well as self-help
social and educational programs; have already begun to appear out of the
chaos. Given time, patience, and non-intrusive support from others, the
Somalian have the potential to make these programmes successfully for
nation building.


In Neohookean elasticity one minimizes functionals which depend on the L2 norm of the deformation gradient, plus a nonlinear function of the determinant, with some notion of invertibility to represent non-interpenetrability of matter. An existence theory which includes a precise notion of invertibility and allows for cavitation was formulated by Muller and Spector, however only for the case where some Lp-norm of the gradient with p > 2 is controlled (in three dimensions). We first characterize their class of functions in terms of properties of the associated rectifiable current. Then we address the physically relevant p = 2 case, and show how their notion of invertibility can be extended to p = 2. The class of functions so obtained is however not closed. We prove this by giving an explicit construction, which has interesting consequences even in other frameworks.


Gender-based violence and violence against women are terms that are often used interchangeably as it has been widely acknowledged that most gender-based violence is in icted on women and girls, by men. However, using the 'gender-based' aspect is important as it highlights the fact that many forms of violence against women are rooted in power inequalities between women and men. The terms are used interchangeably throughout EIGE's work, re ecting the disproportionate number of these particular crimes against women.


This paper discusses possibilities and limitations of ASEAN's international disaster endeavors by inclusively analyzing how ASEAN has been pursuing effective means to cooperate with its member countries hoping that in turn will bring about regional resilience and the assurance of continuous development among its members. In the case of ASEAN-Thailand cooperation in disaster management, findings show remarkable limitations of ASEAN's aspiration in seeking the consolidation and consistency in its constructed policies, implementation plans and coordination with national policies, dissimilar political circumstances and development of its individual member countries. Seeing awaiting challenges of vigorous international cooperation on disaster management and the ASEAN's endeavors prevailing for longer than two decades, the possibilities of achieving ASEAN's plans have been laying on the determined progress of ASEAN political integration in the foreseeable future. Keywords; ASEAN, natural disaster, disaster mangement, four-phase approach, internationalcooperation


ed with minor modifications from: Taylor, R. B., and Steven, T. A., 1983, Definition of mineral resource potential: Economic Geology, v. 78, no. 6, p. 1268-1270. Taylor, R. B., Stoneman, R. J., and Marsh, S. P., 1984, An assessment of the mineral resource potential of the San Isabel National Forest, south-central Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1638, p. 40-^2. Goudarzi, G. H., compiler, 1984, Guide to preparation of mineral survey reports on public lands: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 84-O787, p. 7, 8. RESOURCE/RESERVE CLASSIFICATION


ABSTRACT Background Recent "Life as a film" (LAAF) studies demonstrate a relationship between themes of agency and communion in life stories and substance misuse recovery, contrasting with theme deficits in addicted populations, suggesting pathways to positive identity change. The present study aims to elucidate other key constructs differentiating recovery and non-recovery to comprehensively model interactive narrative processes. Methods The LAAF procedure was used to collect personal narratives in a cohort of 32 active or recovering substance users. Narratives were coded for themes of interest and an inventory was used to assess recovery. Results Analysis revealed two narrative structures: the first, comprising self-mastery, unity, redemption, healer, and happy ending, was significantly correlated with recovery outcomes, representing a Victory story; the second, comprising compulsion, avoidance, contamination, escapist, and sad ending, significantly correlated with non-recovery outcomes, representing a Defeat story. Conclusions Findings build on previous observations to reveal constellations of interrelated self-story themes distinguishing activity or recovery from substance misuse. This enriches understanding of psychological processes associated with ongoing addiction and recovery, developing a meaningful framework of opposing narrative structures using the LAAF model, with proposed integrated pathways to positive identity and behavioral change.


The rational-empirical process was first proposed by the pragmatic philosopher Peirce to describe the manner in which a rational agent's hypotheses are empirically validated and functioning in a social context. Sowa (2002) has updated and broadened these ideas as part of a knowledge cycle made up interacting abductive processes and a "knowledge soup" of micro-theories that are loosely assembled in lattices. Abductive process select chunks of knowledge from the "soup", evaluate their relevance to the situation/problem at hand, and form locally consistent theories to predict observations. In this view the human mind is not a highly organized knowledge base so much as cognitive content that is assembled as needed into pragmatically consistent, local theory. This allows for a natural growth of knowledge flowing inconsistent, loosely organized, and in perpetual flux. The concept is captured by the term knowledge soup: fluid, lumpy, with adherable chunks of theories and hypotheses that float in and out of awareness. This formulation, which is centered in agent's intentions and empirical learning may be useful for designing cognitive architecture supporting interactive and inherently scruffy tasks, such as found in medicine and investigatory activities including planetary exploration. The paper connects Sowa's framework with Bratman's formulation of intention as a mental state that constrains future actions. Intention-based models of clinical guidelines, such as investigated in the Asgaard project, are discussed as fruitful avenues of research on the interaction between abductive reasoning and the weighing of alternative


MP2 calculations with the cc-pVTZ basis set were used to analyse the intermolecular interactions in F3CX ··· NCH(CNH) ··· NCH(CNH) triads (X=Cl, Br), which are connected via hydrogen and halogen bonds. Molecular geometries, binding energies, and infrared spectra of the dyads and triads were investigated at the MP2/cc-pVTZ computational level. Particular attention was given to parameters such as the cooperative energies, cooperative dipole moments, and many-body interaction energies. All studied complexes, with the simultaneous presence of a halogen bond and a hydrogen bond, show cooperativity with energy values ranging between −1.32 and −2.88 kJ mol−1. The electronic properties of the complexes were analysed using the Molecular Electrostatic Potential (MEP), electron density shift maps and the parameters derived from the Atoms in Molecules (AIM) methodology.


While there is extensive and compelling evidence that growing up in an impoverished background leads to early fertility, few studies explain why early socioeconomic disadvantage leads to early childbearing. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, I test whether gender ideology, as well as educational and occupational aspirations, mediates the connection between poverty and teen fertility patterns. Traditional gender ideology depresses age at first motherhood. Adolescent aspirations appear to act as protective factors in the production of early pregnancy. Introduction Over the past two decades, teenage childbearing has received much scholarly investigation. Among women between the ages of fifteen and nineteen, 7.2% of white women, 15.8% of Hispanic women, and 14.4% of African American women have had one child (Bachu & O'Connnell, 2001). Unfortunately, early childbearing has a variety of negative effects on the economic outcomes of both mother and child (Duncan & Hoffman, 1990; Hogan & Kitagawa, 1985; McLanahan, 1988). This research focuses on the processes that lead to teen motherhood. Previous research has been limited in three important ways. First, the vast majority of studies have examined the teen childbearing patterns of either whites or African Americans (see e.g., Bumpass & McLanahan, 1989; Haveman & Wolfe, 1994; Hogan & Kitagawa, 1985). The inclusion of other racial and ethnic groups may clarify the processes that contribute to teen fertility patterns. Second, while a few researchers have examined the effects of adolescent self-esteem on childbearing patterns (Nock, 1998; Oates, 1997), most studies emphasize the impact of poverty status and educational attainment on teen fertility. The role of more subjective factors such as perceptions of gender appropriate behaviors in contributing to teen pregnancy have not been widely examined. Third, previous research fails to consider the effect of teen's educational and occupational aspirations on the likelihood of early motherhood (see Eastman, 1998 for an exception). Occupational and educational aspirations may reflect perceptions of opportunity, attitudes about goals, and gender socialization. The present research adds to the understanding of adolescent fertility patterns. Toward this end, the effect of both structural and individual characteristics on the outcome of age at first motherhood will be examined. Additionally, this study will employ longitudinal data that contains fertility information for three racial groups: African Americans, Mexican Americans, and whites. African Americans and Mexican Americans are the largest minority groups in the United States and research that includes all three racial groups is sorely lacking. Finally, this investigation will explore the impact of young women's personal gender role ideology, as well as educational and occupational aspirations on their fertility patterns. This research addresses two primary questions. First, what is the impact of gender ideology on age at first motherhood? If young women have traditional attitudes with respect to gender roles, will they become mothers at an earlier age than those whose attitudes about gender roles are more contemporary? Second, can educational and occupational aspirations act as protectants in the process that leads to early pregnancy? Insofar as aspirations indicate planning and intention, it is possible that teens with high aspirations actively seek to avoid becoming mothers at early ages. Background Due to the negative effects of teen fertility on the future status attainment of young women and their children, teen childbearing is frequently posited as an instance of deviance. For example, proponents of the welfare culture model of poverty transmission have argued that welfare encourages premarital fertility through eligibility rules that penalize marriage and increase benefits with the birth of additional children (Murray, 1984). …


This report proposes the use of a novel method called Model Predictive Control Allocation (MPCA) in order to conveniently coordinate the different actuators present on a heavy vehicle.
The actuators analysed in this report are disc brakes, powertrain and rear active steering. All these actuators can technically be controlled by an external electronic device and their utilization has an impact on the planar dynamics of the vehicle.
The actuators are designed so that, if the driver wants to modify the vehicle behaviour, there are several ways of using the actuators that lead to the same requested behaviour. This property identifies the vehicle as an over-actuated system. Considering the nature of all the actuators and their effects on the vehicle is essential for the designated method to coordinate the actuators.
The method used for the coordination merges the characteristics of two different types of controllers: Model Predictive Control (MPC) and Control Allocation (CA). The potential of a model predictive control method resides in its ability to explicitly take into account the nature of the actuators for a certain time horizon ahead before deciding the control action to be applied to the system. The control allocation, on the other hand, is a suitable method to decide how to combine the actuators in order to modify the behaviour of the vehicle.
The peculiarity of these controllers lies in the way they compute the control input to the system. Unlike a classical PID controller, in fact, they use a cost function, which has to be iteratively minimized, in order to find out the best input for the system. Common issues related to this class of controllers are the robustness and speed of the algorithms used to solve the problem. The problem defined by the MPCA controller belongs to the class of Quadratic Programming (QP) problems for which several methods have been developed. A primal-dual interior-point method with Mehrotra's predictor-corrector is used by the solver selected to deal with the QP problem.
In order to evaluate the performance of the controller, three test scenarios have been analysed: split-𝜇� braking, split-𝜇� acceleration and brake blending. In each one of the scenarios there is a need to precisely coordinate the actuators in order to improve the vehicle's dynamics. The expected behaviour of the controller when facing the three different situations has firstly been analysed and explained. Later, the controller has been validated using simulations and tests on a real vehicle.
Both simulations and tests have shown promising results. The controller is able to effectively deal with each one of the situations leading to a satisfactory enhancement of the vehicle dynamics. The controller has also been compared with other methods, a Control Allocation formulation with rate limits and a vehicle without rear active steering (RAS). In general, better performances can be observed during the transitions when using the MPCA formulation rather than the CA formulation and improved stability can be achieved on the vehicle when the RAS is introduced. The different behaviours of the vehicle for every different scenario have been presented and explained.


ABSTRACT In this study, 5% (W5), 10% (W10), and 15% (W15) of water-diesel emulsified fuels have been prepared using surfactants and obtained emulsifications were experimentally tested in a single-cylinder diesel engine on maximum torque and maximum power area at full load condition. In this way, theoretical analyses have been performed in order to evaluate the energy potential of a diesel engine fueled with emulsified fuel. According to results, thermal efficiency raises up to 9.4% with water amount increment since the reduction of work is smaller than the reduction of fuel energy rate. Fuel exergy rates increase up to 14.3% thanks to oxygen and hydrogen content of water but the destruction rate of exergy increased at the same time up to 25.2% and also exergetic efficiency reduces as up to 16.9% compared to neat diesel. Last of all, the ecological coefficient of performance (ECOP) criterion was obtained as 0.24 and 0.18 on maximum torque area and 0.28 and 0.21 on maximum power area for neat diesel and W15 as a disadvantage of water emulsified fuels.


The sediment transport around the Mekong delta was clarified by using geochemical data and modeling indicating the southwestward transport of re-suspended sediments under the influence of NE monsoon. However, the detail pattern of grain-size distribution of the surface sediments in the subaqueous Mekong River delta has not been well understood. This paper presents characteristics of grain-size parameters of the surface sediments in order to interpret the sediment-transport pattern and the linkage to coastal erosion and deposition off the Mekong River delta. Surface sediments collected in the coastal water of Mekong River delta (as far south as Ca Mau Peninsula) were analyzed to determine the grain-size distribution and sediment transports in subaqueous Mekong delta.  Results indicated that the net sediment transport was southwestward to the Ca Mau peninsula and the sediments were finer from the delta topset downward the delta foreset. In contrast, the sediment particles on the adjacent inner shelf were coarser and are more poorly sorted due to the increase in carbonate shell fragments and the Early Holocene sediments. The sediment grain-size parameters were variable in different sedimentary sub-environments of the subaqueous Mekong delta and controlled by the distance of sediment transport, the hydrodynamic regime of each region and coastal erosion of the delta coast. References Anthony J.E., Brunier G., BessetM., Goichot M., Dusouillez P, Nguyen V.L., 2015. Linking repid erosion of the Mekong River delta to human activities. Scientific Reports, 1-12. Blott S.J and Pye K., 2001. Gradistat: a grain size distrubution and statistics package for the analysis of unconsolidated sediments, Technical Communication. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 26, 1237-1248. Dung B.V., Schimanski A., Stattegger K., Phach P.V., Tiep N.T., Hai N.T., Thanh N.T., Phi T.T., 2009. 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In this paper, we consider a two-hop relay-assisted cognitive downlink Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) system (named as secondary system) dynamically accessing a spectrum licensed to a primary network, thereby improving the efficiency of spectrum usage. A cluster-based relay-assisted architecture is proposed for the secondary system, where relay stations are employed for minimizing the interference to the users in the primary network and achieving fairness for cell-edge users in the secondary system. Based on this architecture, an asymptotically optimal solution is derived for jointly controlling data rates, transmission power, and subchannel allocation to optimize the average weighted sum goodput where the proportional fair scheduling (PFS) is included as a special case. This solution supports decentralized implementation, requires small communication overhead, and is robust against imperfect channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT) and imperfect sensing measurement. The proposed solution achieves significant throughput gain and better user-fairness compared with the existing designs. Finally, we derive a simple and asymptotically optimal scheduling solution as well as the associated closed-form performance under the proportional fair scheduling for a large number of users. The system throughput is shown to be O(N(1-qp)(1-qpN)lnlnKc), where Kc is the number of users in one cluster, N is the number of subchannels, and qp is the active probability of primary users.


We report experimental evidence on the effects of social preferences on intertemporal decisions. To this aim, we design an intertemporal Dictator Game to test whether Dictators modify their discounting behavior when their own decision is imposed on their matched Recipients. We run four different treatments to identify the effect of payoffs externalities from those related to information and beliefs. Our descriptive statistics show that heterogeneous social time preferences and information about others' time preferences are significant determinants of choices: Dictators display a marked propensity to account for the intertemporal preferences of Recipients, both in the presence of externalities (social motives) and/or when they know about the decisions of their matched partners (social influence). We also perform a structural estimation exercise to control for heterogeneity in risk attitudes. As for individual behavior, our estimates confirm previous studies in that high risk aversion is associated with low discounting. As for social behavior, we find that social motives outweigh social influence, especially when we restrict our sample to pairs of Dictators and Recipients who satisfy minimal consistency conditions.


Creating crystalline porous materials with large pores is typically challenging due to undesired interpen-etration, staggered stacking, or weakened framework stability. Here, we report a pore size expansion strategy by self-recognizing π-π stacking interactions in a series of two-dimensional (2D) hydrogen–bonded organic frameworks (HOFs), HOF-10x (x=0,1,2), self-assembled from pyrene-based tectons with systematic elongation of π-conjugated molecular arms. This strategy successfully avoids interpene-tration or staggered stacking and expands the pore size of HOF materials to access mesoporous HOF-102, which features a surface area of ~ 2,500 m2/g and the largest pore volume (1.3 cm3/g) to date among all reported HOFs. More importantly, HOF-102 shows significantly enhanced thermal and chemical stability as evidenced by powder x-ray diffraction and N2 isotherms after treatments in chal-lenging conditions. Such stability enables the adsorption of dyes and cytochrome c from aqueous media by HOF-102 and affords a processible HOF-102/fiber composite for the efficient photochemical detox-ification of a mustard gas simulant.


Nanotechnologies hold great promise for various applications. To predict and guarantee the safety of novel nanomaterials, it is essential to understand their mechanism of action in an organism, causally connecting adverse outcomes with early molecular events. They are best investigated using non-invasive advanced optical methods, such as high-resolution live-cell fluorescence microscopy, which require stable labelling of nanoparticles with fluorescent dyes. When performed inadequately, unbound fluorophores and inadvertently altered chemical and physical properties of the nanoparticles can, however, result in experimental artefacts and erroneous conclusions. To prevent such unintentional errors, we here describe a minimal combination of experimental methods to enable artefact-free fluorescent labelling of metal-oxide nanoparticles – the largest subpopulation of nanoparticles by industrial production and applications – and demonstrate its application in the case of TiO2 nanotubes. We 1) characterize potential changes of the nanoparticles' surface charge and morphology that might occur during labelling, and 2) assess stable binding of the fluorescent dye to nanomaterial, which ensures correct nanoparticle localization. Together, these steps warrant the reliability and reproducibility of advanced optical tracking, which is necessary to explore nanomaterials' mechanism of action and will foster widespread and safe use of new nanomaterials.


The increasing growth of world cashew consumption is an opportunity for Indonesia and East Java province to increase cashew production. Cashew production on a national scale reached 95,000 tons per year. East Java province contributed about 11% of the national cashew production. Jember is famous as a center for cashew producer in the Eastern region of East Java province and has great potential in the development of agribusiness/agroindustry cashew nuts. However, they found some of problems that hamper the success of cashew farming. The purpose of this study is to formulate a strategy and analyze the development prospects for of cashew Jember Regency. The analysis technique used were Internal Factor Evaluation (IFE) matrix, External Factor Evaluation (EFE) matrix, Relative Competitive Position matrix, Internal and External (IE) matrix, and SWOT matrix. The results showed that internal factors are a major force in cashiew farming  was cultivation techniques, while being the weakness was the production and marketing. External factors were the largest opportunity in the farming of cashew was the suitability of land and government policies, while the greatest threat is climate risks and uncertainties. The strategy recommended in the development of cashew Jember Regency is a growth-oriented strategy through horizontal integration (concentration through horizontal integration) with strategic priorities: (1) improving farming techniques with input suitable productive land, quality seeds and adequate capital, so that the product cashew produced can be more qualified and have a more competitive price in the market; and (2) more consistently maintaining the quality of the product, so that the consumer confidence is also increasing.


The paper discusses foundations and requirements for testing security robustness aspects in operational environments while adhering to defined protection values for data. It defines the problem space and special characteristics of security testing in large IT infrastructures. In this area there are different environments with varying characteristics, e.g., regarding confidentiality of data. Common environments based on an existing IT project are defined. Testing in dedicated test environments is state of the art, however, sometimes this is not sufficient and testing in operational environments is required. Case studies showed many restrictions in the security test process, e.g., limited access for testers, which have to be addressed. The problems of testing in these operational environments are pointed out. Experiences and some current solution approaches for testing these special environments are shown (e.g., usage of disaster/recovery mechanism).


This article focuses on five recent judgments of the ECJ and CFI: ProMusicae, Varec, Pergan, Bavarian Lager and Satamedia. Taking as its starting-point the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on Article 8 ECHR and on Articles 7 and 8 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the author considers how the Community Courts have approached the protection of privacy in the economic sphere (i.e. as regards matters relating to undertakings within the meaning of Arts. 81 and 82 EC and the economic aspects of the lives of natural persons) in the various relevant sectors, especially: data protection, the protection of business and other professional secrets, defamation and inspections (Hoechst and Roquette). Within each of these sectors, particular attention is paid to the specific provisions and case law relating to competition. Inevitably, the inherent tension between the protection of privacy and the principle of transparency repeatedly comes to the fore. Generally speaking, the author welcomes the approach taken by the Community courts, notably their increased emphasis on fundamental rights. However, he claims that, where the case law of the ECtHR is uncertain, this emphasis has at times occurred at the expense of the uniformity of Community law and even of legal certaintly - a development which is of particular concern when the unity of the internal market is at stake. The judgments in ProMusicae and Satamedia are then criticized in this regard.


This thesis examines Enid Blyton as a cultural phenomenon. It seeks to account for her enduring popularity, still immense some thirty years after her death in 1968. However, despite world-wide renown, there is comparatively little serious discussion of her work just as children's literature is itself a neglected area.This thesis uses Blyton as a case study of how cultural studies might open up this marginalised area. It brings together three, often separated lines of investigation textual analysis, production, and reception using the Foucauldian notion of 'discursive threads' to unite them. For textual analysis, three of Blyton's most popular series are examined: 'Noddy', the 'Famous Five', and, to a lesser extent, the 'Malory Towers' books, with other works discussed en passant. The study attends to the literary qualities, but seeks a much wider understanding of the discourses that constitute Blyton's texts, including contemporary events (the context) and other, literary pre-texts. Besides Blyton's own part in the 'production' of her texts (including herself as a text), the study looks more widely at the way Blyton and her work have been manufactured i.e. 'Enid Blyton' as a cultural icon and how this has endured, with amendments, over the generations.The debates around sexism, racism, Englishness and middle-class ethos, which are very much part of the Blyton icon, are closely examined. It is suggested that though there are elements of truth in some of these accusations, they are generally false and, at best, partial constructions. In particular, the Five books are shown to be questioning rather than 'sexist' about the relations between the genders. On racism, a critical analysis is undertaken of the way this whole debate has been constructed, with frequent distortions and misreadings of the texts in question; the terms of reference of such debates are therefore scrutinised, including the history of the golliwog character. In general, it is argued that focusing on these more incidental elements misses the main thrust of Blyton's work, which is largely concerned with another marginalised and disempowered group, children.This fact is most obviously seen in the way that children's own views on Blyton have been largely ignored. Consequently the 'reception' of the texts informs much of the above. Questionnaires were circulated to schools and elsewhere. They were also circulated amongst past readers of Blyton, both in England and abroad, using the Internet. This resulted in some 900 responses from readers, reaching back to those who first read her as children in the 1930s. Interviews were also conducted with contemporary groups of children in schools. These show the very real pleasures involved in reading Blyton, rather than the adult, 'ism'-ridden discourses. Against earlier 'literary' and 'educational' readings, two more apposite ways of reading Blyton are outlined: an approach which situates her in the oral tradition, celebrating the child-hero in a very participatory way, and a psychoanalytically informed reading, the latter showing how Blyton helps create a psychic space within which children can play at being masters of their destiny.


Abstract. We present a numerical wave propagation method for simulating imaging of an extended scene under anisoplanatic conditions. While isoplanatic simulation is relatively common, few tools are specifically designed for simulating the imaging of extended scenes under anisoplanatic conditions. We provide a complete description of the proposed simulation tool, including the wave propagation method used. Our approach computes an array of point spread functions (PSFs) for a two-dimensional grid on the object plane. The PSFs are then used in a spatially varying weighted sum operation, with an ideal image, to produce a simulated image with realistic optical turbulence degradation. The degradation includes spatially varying warping and blurring. To produce the PSF array, we generate a series of extended phase screens. Simulated point sources are numerically propagated from an array of positions on the object plane, through the phase screens, and ultimately to the focal plane of the simulated camera. Note that the optical path for each PSF will be different, and thus, pass through a different portion of the extended phase screens. These different paths give rise to a spatially varying PSF to produce anisoplanatic effects. We use a method for defining the individual phase screen statistics that we have not seen used in previous anisoplanatic simulations. We also present a validation analysis. In particular, we compare simulated outputs with the theoretical anisoplanatic tilt correlation and a derived differential tilt variance statistic. This is in addition to comparing the long- and short-exposure PSFs and isoplanatic angle. We believe this analysis represents the most thorough validation of an anisoplanatic simulation to date. The current work is also unique that we simulate and validate both constant and varying Cn2(z) profiles. Furthermore, we simulate sequences with both temporally independent and temporally correlated turbulence effects. Temporal correlation is introduced by generating even larger extended phase screens and translating this block of screens in front of the propagation area. Our validation analysis shows an excellent match between the simulation statistics and the theoretical predictions. Thus, we think this tool can be used effectively to study optical anisoplanatic turbulence and to aid in the development of image restoration methods.


The paper provides empirical evidence supporting the assumption that content plays a critical role in determining the virality, i.e., the influence, of social media information. The analysis focuses on multimedia content on Twitter and explores the idea that links to multimedia information increase the virality of posts. In particular, we put forward the following three main hypotheses: (1) posts with a link to multimedia content (photo or video) are more retweeted than posts without a link; (2) posts linking a photo are more retweeted than posts linking a video, and (3) posts linking a video raise more sentiment than posts linking a photo. Hypotheses are tested on a sample of roughly two million tweets posted in July 2011 including comments on Berlin, London, Madrid, and Milan relevant from a tourism perspective. Findings support our hypotheses and indicate that multimedia content plays an important role in determining not only the volumes of retweeting, but also the dynamics of the virality of posts measured as speed of retweeting.


Noise power estimation is central to efficient radio resource allocation in modern wireless communication systems. In the literature, there exist many noise power estimation methods that can be classified based on underlying theoretical principle; the most common are spectral averaging, eigenvalues of sample covariance matrix, information theory, and statistical signal analysis. However, how these estimation methods compare against each other in terms of accuracy, stability, and complexity is not well studied, and the focus instead remains on the enhancement of individual methods. In this paper, we adopt a common simulation methodology to perform a detailed performance evaluation of the prominent estimation techniques. The basis of our comparison is the signal-to-noise ratio estimation in the simulated industrial, scientific and medical band transmission, while the reference noise signal is acquired from an industrial production plant using a software-defined radio platform, USRP-2932. In addition, we analyze the impact of different techniques for noise-samples' separation on the estimation process. As a response to defects in the existing techniques, we propose a novel noise-samples' separation algorithm based on the adaptation of rank-order filtering. Our analysis shows that the proposed solution, apart from its low complexity, has a very good root-mean-squared error of 0.5 dB and smaller than 0.1-dB resolution, thus achieving a performance comparable with the methods exploiting information theory concepts.


Anxiousness may happen to anyone without exception to the prisoners who are immediately free of the prison. Anxiousness on the immediately before being free of the prison to the prisoners is related to them as the ex prisoners. It may cause anxiousness to the prisoners on the immediately before being free of the prison. It often causes the prisoners lose their self confident and if it is
allowed to happen day to day, it may create psychological obstacles. The purpose of this study is to identify the prisoners outloook on the immediately before being free of the prison which consist of the level and the causal factor of anxiousness, and its effects.
This research is a kind of survey descriptive research with the quantitative approach. In this study, the researcher collected the data by questionnaire which is interviewed. The subjects are the 40 prisoners in the Lembaga Pemasyarakatan Klas I A Malang who are going to be free one
month later. While the technique of data analyze is percentage technique.
The result of this research presents the high level of prisoners anxiousness for 40% and the lowlevel of prisoners anxiousness for 60%. The causal factors of prisoners anxiousness on the immediately before being free are 30,61% for being afraid of refused by the society and the rare
causal factors is 2,04% for being afraid of refused by the woman, 2,04% for their wifes asking reconciliation, 2,04% for being afraid of their parents are angry, 2,04% for being afraid of Allah SWT. Kinds of the often effect is confused mind for 21,18% and the rare effect is stomachache
for 0,85%.


The year 1916 witnessed two events that would profoundly shape both politics and commemoration in Ireland over the course of the following century. Although the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme were important historical events in their own right, their significance also lay in how they came to be understood as iconic moments in the emergence of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach drawing on history, politics, anthropology and cultural studies, this volume explores how the memory of these two foundational events has been constructed, mythologised and revised over the course of the past century. The aim is not merely to understand how the Rising and the Somme came to exert a central place in how the past is viewed in Ireland, but to explore wider questions about the relationship between history, commemoration and memory.


From about 1650 until 1200 BC Hattusa (pronounced Hattusha) was the capital of the Hittite Empire in central Asia Minor. On the steep terrain of today9s ruined city lived and worked thousands of people whose homes, cattle, tools and places of worship had to be supplied with water. The question arose regarding how water was conveyed into the large-scale ponds in the urban area. The silted East Ponds (36,000 m 3 ) and South Ponds (20,000 m 3 ) have been excavated since the 1980s. A supply of the large volumes of water by a long pipeline from outside the city was repeatedly discussed. Due to the topographic, hydraulic and geo-hydrological conditions however, a long distance supply would have been uneconomic and also unnecessary. Still today, many willow fountains in the region are fed by artesian groundwater. It was therefore assumed that the ponds were cut into the slope aquifers and filled during the wet season. To verify this hypothesis, groundwater monitoring stations were installed in the autumn of 2009 directly uphill of the pond banks. Observed groundwater levels 2009–2011 are low in summer but rise above the former pond surfaces during winter. The Hittites used exfiltrating groundwater also in other reservoirs avoiding hefty and strongly varying surface inflows.