Ontologies are a fundamental concept of the Semantic Web envisioned by Tim Berners-Lee [1]. Together with explicit representation of the semantics of data for machine-accessibility such domain theories are the basis for intelligent next generation applications for the web and other areas of interest [2]. Their application for special aspects within the domain of e-learning is often proposed to support the increasing complexity ([3], [4], [5], [6]). So they can provide a better support for course generation or learning scenario description [7]. By the modelling of didactics-related expertise and their provision for the creators of courses many improvements like reuse, rapid development and of course increased learning performance become possible due to the separation from other aspects of e-learning platforms as already proposed in [8].


This article argues that theoretical notions of resistance and agency prove inadequate for considering the complexities of the treatment of Sam Selvon's Trinidadian characters. Indeed, to proceed from a binary logic of resistance and oppression carries the danger of universalizing those seen as oppressed, and smoothing over important complications in the novel. The Lonely Londoners, written at a pivotal moment of imperial decline, offers a valuable perspective on the experience of colonial immigration to England (and the accompanying complications of race and sexuality it wrought) as well as theories of resistance. By drawing on the circumspection of recent theorists, this article goes beyond the sort of analysis which might impose a binary logic of resistance and oppression on the complex intersections of race and sexuality on display in the novel. More specifically, The Lonely Londoners can be seen as grappling with and critiquing individualism, one of liberalism's chief values; formally, the novel's title invokes a group yet the narrative itself spends the majority of its pages detailing the individual lives of its characters, individual lives which stand in tension with their shared group identity and their daily struggles in postwar London. This tension between individualism and community reveals key moments — such as one character's personification of the colour black — as being symptomatic of a complex field of identity categories that Selvon's novel engages with. I argue that these categories should indeed be interrogated alongside the novel's depictions of metropolitan geography; however, I suggest that such an analysis is best served by also treating a key concept that might be taken for granted with the same complexity and diligence: resistance.


LEARNING AND ACCUMULATING TECHNOLOGICAL ABILITY HELP TO SHAPE THE WORLD OF CURRENT KNOWLEDGE, THUS BEING FUNDAMENTAL FOR COMPETITIVENESS BETWEEN COUNTRIES, REGIONS AND COMPANIES. SUCH LEARNING AND ACCUMULATION OF ABILITY IMPLIES CONSTRUCTING INTERNAL ABILITY THROUGH THE EFFORTS AND AVAILABLE EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPED BY A PARTICULAR COMPANY OR ANY OTHER INSTITUTION LEADING TO INNOVATION. IT THEREBY REPRESENTS ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF COMPETITIVENESS. THE REGULARITY WITH WHICH A COMPANY INCORPORATES RADICAL OR INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS TO ITS PRODUCTS, PROCESSES OR ORGANIZATIONAL SCHEMES IS A DECISIVE FACTOR IN THE GROWTH OF ITS PRODUCTIVITY. THIS WORK ANALYSES THE PROCESS OF INNOVATION FROM AN INTERNAL PERSPECTIVE TO CLARIFY HOW AN INDUSTRIAL GROUP FROM THE IRON AND STEEL SECTOR DEVELOPS ITS TECHNOLOGICAL ABILITY THROUGH EXERCISING ITS TECHNICAL INVESTMENT, PRODUCTION AND SUPPORT FUNCTIONS.


Although the European Central Bank (ECB) has been pursuing an aggressively expansionary policy since 2012, previously the ECB was behind the curve in lowering interest rates and making asset purchases to combat the prolonged euro area recession. This paper argues that part of the delay can be attributed to the multi-country nature of the euro area. Over-interpreting the limitations of the ECB's statutory mandate, some ECB decision makers were wary of being accused of circumventing the prohibition on monetary financing by intervening in the market of the debt of weaker governments. Some were also mesmerized by the relatively strong performance of the German economy in the crisis and attributed the slower post-crisis recovery of most other member states to national policy failures that should not be offset by euro area monetary policy. All of this was exacerbated by the ECB's adoption of and (at least until 2011) adherence to a seductive but analytically flawed "separation principle," which misled some of its decision makers into overestimating the adequacy of the monetary expansion that was being applied. The ECB's toolbox is indeed somewhat limited by its statute, reflecting multi-country considerations, but abandonment of the separation principle should help ensure a more effective, holistic approach to monetary policy design in the future.


During 1976 teachers in Taranaki, as in other parts of New Zealand, were expressing concern for children who appeared to make scant progress in language skills despite the best endeavours of teacher and pupil. Discussions with psychologists and education department officers resulted, in a research programme being structured to survey such a group. In view of the then current interest in visual and auditory perception deficiencies which were believed to contribute to learning difficulties, investigations were to be made of several strategies. It was planned to institute proceedings which would not only remedy deficiencies but could also become the basis for preventive action with similar pupils at an earlier age. At that time teachers were available to allow staffing of the project and so two schools were selected for field trials. Teacher nominations of candidates were tested and groups of children isolated who would benefit from the programme. Staff training commenced to build up a set of practices which would subsequently be modified as experience was gained. Teachers were also helped to devise monitoring behaviours to ensure adequate and comparable data collection strategies were instituted. During the investigation, changes in approach were made as programmes developed and from new insights resulting from concurrent reviews of the literature which became available. Two major shifts occurred, the second resulting in the abandonment of some major precepts concerning remedial programming. Investigations are still proceeding related to the early identification and preventive aspect. THE PROPOSAL It is now time to go back to the beginning. At that stage the writer held certain beliefs on causation and remediation of reading disabilities which became the basis for examining the hypotheses: • That learning disabled children present a number of neuro-sensory deficits which led to their disability. • That remedial programmes which build up these areas and reading programmes which are tailored to avoid use of those deficits will result in improved performance.


Many ESL and EFL learners find wh-question formation difficult to master despite the fact that wh-interrogatives are a commonly used structure. Through using a Learning Study approach, this study aims to identify Hong Kong ESL learners' difficulties with wh-question formation, to explore effective strategies to enhance the instruction, and to investigate the learning outcomes as a result. Quantitative data were collected from three Hong Kong Secondary 3 classes through a written test and an oral test, and qualitative data from discussion at teachers' meetings, research lesson observation, student interviews, and post-lesson conferences. It was found that Hong Kong learners' L1 transfer problems are an important inhibiting factor in their learning of English wh-interrogatives. The most serious learning problems found include Chinese interference with word order and failure to use correct verb phrase structures. The research team, through the Learning Study research cycle, succeeded in designing appropriate contexts and using variation patterns for presenting and practicing interrogative structures. Successful outcomes were evident in the gradual improvement of the design of the three research lessons and significant progress by students in their learning of wh-interrogatives.


This paper examines Kant's metaphor of reason as an island in the Critique of Pure Reasonin order to suggest an unresolved tension at the heart of his critical project, which is addressed in a different way in his Religion within the Bounds of Bare Reason. That tension is between the transcendental circumscription of pure reason and reason's on persistent pretensions to transcendence. Kant's model of transcendence is contrasted with two phenomenological models that attempt to articulate the desiderative nature of reason. Yet, precisely on this question of motivation differences between Husserl and Heidegger become clear and instructive. The paper concludes, in view of these differences, with a proposal for conceiving of transcendence in non-topological categories, but instead as the activity of questioning.
Keywords: Transcendence, Heidegger, Husserl, Kant, Phenomenology


This thesis explores the area of the intermolecular hydroacylation reaction, catalysed by rhodium diphosphine complexes. A range of latent low-coordinate rhodium diphosphine complexes have been synthesised, and their catalytic activity for the hydroacylation reaction has been investigated. In particular, emphasis has been placed on understanding how subtle changes in diphosphine steric properties affect, and can be used to control, selectivity of this catalysis. Chapter 2 presents investigations into rhodium complexes incorporating the potentially hemilabile P-O-P ligands: POP', XANTphos and Xphos. The resulting complexes have been fully characterised and their activity for the catalytic intermolecular hydroacylation of aldehyde I (HCOC₂H₄SMe) and alkene II (H₂C=CHCO₂Me) established and compared to the DPEphos system. Further reactivity of Xphos for aromatic aldehyde V (HCOC₆H₄SMe) and alkene II, and aldehyde V and alkyne XI [HC≡CC₆H₃(CF₃)₂] has also been explored, and compared with the catalytic activity of {Rh(PPh₃)₂}⁺. Focus moved from potentially hemilabile ligands to chelating diphosphine ligands of the type PPh₂(CH₂)nPPh₂ (where n = 2-5), and then on to ortho-substituted bulky analogues of the type P(₀-C₆H₅R)₂(CH₂)₂P(₀-C₆H₅R)₂ (where R = Me and ⁱPr) complexed to rhodium. Chapter 3 outlines the complexes synthesised, and their activity for the catalytic intermolecular hydroacylation of aldehyde I and alkene II, aromatic aldehyde V and alkene II or aldehyde V and alkyne XI. Possible explanations for the observed switch in selectivity from alkene to aldehyde hydroacylation, and linear alkyne to branched alkyne hydroacylation, have been explored and are detailed. The final chapter concerns the structure of an interesting catalytic intermediate: the branched alkenyl species for the {Rh(DPEphos)}+ catalysed hydroacylation of aldehyde V and alkyne XI. Investigations into the kinetic and catalytic behaviour of this system were carried out, and a reaction scheme has been proposed which correlates well with kinetic modelling undertaken by Prof. Guy Lloyd-Jones of the University of Bristol.


A college degree provides benefits to individuals and society, but education is an expensive endeavor. College costs are high and they continue to rise while the median family income shows only modest increases. By lowering the cost of attendance, financial aid makes it possible for many students, especially those from low and middle-income families to attend college. FAFSA is the main instrument used in distributing financial assistance although completing the form is not an easy task. Each year, many students do not file the FAFSA or file it too late, missing valuable financial resources. The focus of this research was on students who file FAFSA late. The purpose of the study was two-fold: to explore the relationship between the timing of FASFA filing and the characteristics of financial aid applicants, and to assess the impact of late filing on student finances. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine how much of the variation in timing of FAFSA filing could be explained by students characteristics. The findings indicate late FAFSA filers tend to be in-state, male students, coming from single households, with weak high school academic performance. Focusing on low-income group, the study found the odds of filing late were nearly 2.8 times higher for in-state students than they were for out-of-state students. Being male increased the chances of late filing; the odds of filing late for low-income male students were 1.53 times higher than they were for low-income females. The impact of late FAFSA filing on student finances was assessed through linear regression analyses. The results show late filers received less grant aid but larger loan amounts. Compared to on time filers, late FAFSA filers received, on average, $2,815 less in grant aid and $662 more in loans. The current study shed light on several key factors that make students more likely to miss the FAFSA deadlines. In addition, it demonstrated that late filing has major financial consequences for students and their families. The findings can be used by high school guidance offices, college administrators, state and federal governments, and higher education leaders concerned with improving college affordability. Factors Influencing the Timing of FASFA Application and the Impact of Late Filing on Student Finances


Abstract. The agglomeration/dewetting process of thin silver films provides a scalable method of obtaining self-assembled nanoparticles (SANPs) for plasmonics-based thin-film solar photovoltaic (PV) devices. We show the effect of annealing ambiance on silver SANP average size, particle/cluster finite shape, substrate area coverage/particle distribution, and how these physical parameters influence optical properties and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) responses of SANPs. Statistical analysis performed indicates that generally Ag SANPs processed in the presence of a gas (argon and nitrogen) ambiance tend to have smaller average size particles compared to those processed under vacuum. Optical properties are observed to be highly dependent on particle size, separation distance, and finite shape. The greatest SERS enhancement was observed for the argon-processed samples. There is a correlation between simulation and experimental data that indicate argon-processed AgNPs have a great potential to enhance light coupling when integrated to thin-film PV.


Northern Samo languages of North Western Burkina Faso, belonging to the Mande group of
languages, show an extreme variation in all fields of grammar, as in the construction of
negation. Double negation marking with a post subject plus a sentence final negation
marker was probably a feature of proto Northern Samo. Both markers are extremely
variable and prone to loss in some areas. In some areas, double negation marking
developed into post subject Portemanteau morphems marking both TAM and negation. Main
factors for these variation and developments seem to be very different migration
patterns of the subgroups, very different and sometimes assimilated contact groups, and
local insecurity in the 18th and 19th century due to slave trade.


In this study, two experimental techniques are compared for the purpose of visualizing projectile penetration at speeds ranging between 60 and 150 m/s into granular media. The two techniques are half space penetration into a transparent synthetic soil surrogate and quarter space penetration of an opaque natural sand and transparent soil surrogate against an observation window. In both techniques a pneumatic projectile accelerator was employed to launch the projectiles, and high-speed imagery was employed to visualize the penetration events unintrusively. Transparency in transparent targets was achieved by saturating angular fused quartz with a refractive index matched pore fluid made of sucrose. Comparison of both techniques suggests that their results are complimentary. In particular, the terminal depth of penetration is not significantly inhibited by shooting in quarter space. Additionally, both techniques permitted visualizing distinct dilation zones ahead and around penetration. Each technique offers a number of distinct advantages. In particular, half space penetration reduces the possibility of projectile diversion and is much safer, whereas quarter space penetration allows for visualizing penetration into opaque targets at a finer scale than that achieved in half space penetration.


We study the following situation: A two-level atom interacts according to the Jaynes–Cummings model with a quantized cavity field prepared in a coherent state by a classical source. The atom is selectively ionized after exiting the cavity, and it is found that the field states are highly dependent, for a given interaction time, on the outcome of the measurement and are dramatically different from those in the case of no selective measurement. First we show how to obtain a bifurcated Poisson distribution for which the probability of finding the photon number at the center of the initial Poisson distribution vanishes. Then we study the generation of sub-Poissonian states and show that the cavity field can approach a number state with a sequence of properly prepared and measured atoms.


Humans diverge from most mammals, including nonhuman primates, by depositing significant quantities of body fat in utero and are consequently one of the fattest species on record at birth. While explanations for the fat layer of human neonates have commonly assumed that it serves as insulation to compensate for hairlessness, empirical support for this hypothesis is presently weak. Whether the tissue's abundance at birth and growth changes in adiposity during infancy and childhood might be explained in light of its role as energy buffer has not been assessed, and this possibility is explored through development of a model of fat function and growth centered on two related hypotheses. The first is that the greater adiposity of human neonates is at least partially explainable as an accompaniment of the enlarged human brain, which demands a larger energy reserve to ensure that its obligatory needs are met when the flow of resources from mother or other caretakers is disrupted. The second is that age-related changes in the likelihood of experiencing such disruption have influenced the pattern of investment in the tissue, reflected today in peak adiposity during infancy and a decline to a leaner childhood period. Nutritional disruption is common at birth and until lactation is established, during which time human newborns survive from fats deposited prenatally, suggesting one possible explanation for the early onset of fat deposition. At weaning, the transition from breast milk to supplemental foods and the parallel transition from maternal to endogenous immune protection interact to increase the frequency and impact of nutritional disruption, and this may help explain why newborns devote roughly 70% of growth expenditure to fat deposition during the early postnatal months. Evidence is presented that fat stores are mobilized during infections, hinting at one possible mechanism underlying the association between nutritional status and infectious morbidity and mortality among infants in nutritionally stressed human populations. Consistent with the proposed hypothesis, well-fed infants acquire peak fat reserves by an age of peak prevalence of malnutrition, infectious disease, and fat reserve depletion in less-buffered contexts, and childhood--characterized by minimal investment in the tissue--is a stage of reduced risk of energy stress. The model presented here foregrounds energy storage in adipose tissue as an important life-history strategy and a means to modify mortality risk during the nutritionally turbulent period of infancy.


Small area inference based on mixed models, i.e. models that contain both fixed and random effects, are the industry standard for this field, allowing between area heterogeneity to be represented by random area effects. Use of the linear mixed model is ubiquitous in this context, with maximum likelihood, or its close relative, REML, the standard method for estimating the parameters of this model. These parameter estimates, and in particular the resulting predicted values of the random area effects, are then used to construct empirical best linear unbiased predictors (EBLUPs) of the unknown small area means. It is now well known that the EBLUP can be unstable when there are outliers in sample data, and an outlier-robust EBLUP, or REBLUP, has been proposed by Sinha and Rao (2009), based on modifying the parameter estimating functions to make them less sensitive to sample outliers. Unfortunately, these modified estimating functions can be numerically unstable, and mean squared error estimation for the REBLUP is not straightforward. Taking a somewhat different approach, Chambers and Mokhtarian (2013) proposed an outlier robust block bootstrap approach to fitting a linear mixed model in the presence of both area level and unit level outliers. A natural extension of this bounded block bootstrap can then be used to define an outlier robust version of the EBLUP and a simple way of estimating its mean squared error. This approach is described in this paper, together with simulation results that provides some evidence for our claim that the new method is robust to the influence of outliers. In particular, it leads to an easily computed version of the REBLUP and an easily computed and stable estimate of its mean squared error.


Systematic literature reviews in software engineering are necessary to synthesize evidence from multiple studies to provide knowledge and decision support. However, synthesis methods are underutilized in software engineering research. Moreover, translation of synthesized data (outcomes of a systematic review) to provide recommendations for practitioners is seldom practiced. The objective of this paper is to introduce the use of Bayesian synthesis in software engineering research, in particular to translate research evidence into practice by providing the possibility to combine contextualized expert opinions with research evidence. We adopted the Bayesian synthesis method from health research and customized it to be used in software engineering research. The proposed method is described and illustrated using an example from the literature. Bayesian synthesis provides a systematic approach to incorporate subjective opinions in the synthesis process thereby making the synthesis results more suitable to the context in which they will be applied. Thereby, facilitating the interpretation and translation of knowledge to action/application. None of the synthesis methods used in software engineering allows for the integration of subjective opinions, hence using Bayesian synthesis can add a new dimension to the synthesis process in software engineering research.


This paper presents a research on the use of shape grammars as an analytical tool in the history of architecture. It evolves within a broader project called Digital Alberti, whose goal is to determine the influence of De re aedificatoria treatise on Portuguese Renaissance architecture, making use of a computational framework (Krüger et al., 2011). Previous work was concerned with the development of a shape grammar for generating sacred buildings according to the rules textually described in the treatise. This work describes the transformation of the treatise grammar into another grammar that can also account for the generation of Alberti's built work.


Title of Document: ON THE SUMMER TIME DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTH PACIFIC SEA-LEVEL PRESSURE ANTICYCLONE Steven Carl Chan, Doctor of Philosophy, 2008 Directed By: Professor Sumant Nigam Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science With the exception of the North Indian Ocean, subtropical ocean basins are dominated by climatological planetary-scale sea-level pressure (SLP) anticyclones. The seasonal variability of the North Pacific subtropical SLP anticyclone is examined here. The largest ERA-40 and linear diagnostic modeled Northern Hemisphere SLP seasonal variabilities are found in the mid-latitudes with relatively less change in the subtropics; this leads to the poleward boreal summer development of the North Pacific and Atlantic subtropical SLP high. Unlike the Northern Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere subtropical SLP highs develop equatorward. The zonal-mean Northern Hemisphere subtropical SLP and ω seasonal variabilities are dominated by continental seasonality – a uniform boreal winter descent changing to a zonally asymmetric continental monsoon ascent and heat lows with relatively little change over the oceans. A linear diagnostic model is used to examine the forcing of the SLP seasonal cycle. The modeled North Pacific SLP seasonal variability is forced mainly by winter stormtracks, extra-tropical North Pacific diabatic cooling, and boreal winter ITCZ. Asian monsoon forces a SLP ridge downstream, but the monsoon response is cancelled significantly by East Pacific diabatic heating and transients. North American diabatic heating and transients are also found to have a limited upstream effect. Boreal summer ITCZ forcing has limited North Pacific SLP response, and that is possibly linked to the prescribed tropical zonal-mean easterlies. ERA-40 and TRMM CSH diabatic heating is inter-compared with other independent measures of diabatic and latent heating. Zonal-mean ERA-40 ITCZ diabatic heating is nearly twice that of NCEP and ERA-15 reanalyses, which indicates a much stronger ERA-40 Hadley Circulation. The ERA-40 Walker Circulation is also stronger than of NCEP Reanalysis, which is consistent with excessive Maritime Continent diabatic heating. Largest differences are also found in the Tropical East Pacific and Atlantic. Vertically integrated TRMM CSH heating is too weak even compare with other TRMM products. However, TRMM CSH midtropospheric tropical heating compares well with other datasets. The largest differences appear in the upper and lower troposphere, which implies CSH limitations in handling shallow convection (a known issue) and stratiform precipitation in deep convection.


Governments use monetary policies to counteract the effects of financial crises. In this paper we examine the subsidy that such "safety net" policies provide to the banking industry. Using a model of uncertainty-driven financial crises, we show that any monetary policy designed to maintain risky investment in the face of investor uncertainty (and thus promote economic growth and stability) will subsidize the banking industry. In addition, we show that the mere presence of a monetary authority willing to support a failing banking system in bad times subsidizes the banking industry, even if those bad times do not occur. A conditional bailout policy that does not extend equally to all financial institutions creates a greater subsidy for those institutions perceived as being "close" to the central bank, possibly giving these institutions a competitive advantage. Economic profits, in this model, are required to cover fixed costs of entry into the banking system.


Tool failure may result in losses in surface finish and dimensional accuracy of a finished part, or possible damage to the work piece and machine. This paper presents a Fuzzy Neural Network (FNN) which is designed and developed for machinery prognostic monitoring. The FNN is basically a multi-layered fuzzy-rule-based neural network which integrates a fuzzy logic inference into a neural network structure. The fuzzy rules help to speed up the learning process of the complex conventional neural network structure and improve the accuracy in prediction and rate of convergence. A case study for prediction of tool life in a dry milling operation is presented to demonstrate the viability of the proposed FNN for tool condition monitoring. A comparison was made in the case study on prediction performances of different models established with the same set of experimental data. It is shown that the FNN is superior to conventional Multi-Regression Models (MRM), Backpropagation Neural Networks (BPNN) and Radial Basis Function Networks (RBFN) in term of prediction accuracy and BPNN in learning speed.*


A method is developed to model continuum (finite element) and discrete [kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC)] diffusion occurring simultaneously in connected regions of space. The two regions are coupled across ail interface using ail iterative domain-decomposition approach ill which time-dependent boundary conditions are applied oil the kMC region (concentration) and oil the continuum region (flux). Evolving forward in small time increments permits iterations in the kMC region to be performed only in a narrow band near the interface. An on-the-fly convergence criterion based oil the inherent fluctuations ill the discrete problem is developed, Application to the decay of a Gaussian concentration profile demonstrates the accuracy and efficiency of the method. Generalizations to more complex problems in two and three dimensions, and with spatially varying diffusivity due to interactions or applied stress fields, are straightforward.


: Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes in western China is one of the most famous World Cultural Heritage Sites, known for its glorious Chinese Buddhist art spanning a period of 1,000 years. However, it has been suffering from damage and degradation caused by man-made and natural factors. In this article, we present a novel line-drawing enhanced interactive system for digital restoration of damaged murals in Mogao Grottoes. Our system consists of four components, namely data pre-processing, damaged area selection, line-drawing segmentation, and mural restoration. Each component is a hybrid of efficient algorithms and user interactions. We introduce the infrastructure and process of using our system, from data capture and collection, database establishment, to interactive restoration. We conduct a user study with 15 participants who have varied experiences with and skills on repairing murals and editing images. Results and feedback suggest that our system can achieve satisfactory restoration results without overburdening the users. It can benefit both experts trained in restoration and amateurs interested in cultural heritage conservation.


There is scope for land-use changes to increase or decrease CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere over the next century. Here we make simple but robust calculations of the maximum impact of such changes. Historical land-use changes (mostly deforestation) and fossil fuel emissions have caused an increase in atmospheric concentration of CO2 of 90 ppm between the pre-industrial era and year 2000. The projected range of CO2 concentrations in 2100, under a range of emissions scenarios developed for the IPCC, is 170-600 ppm above 2000 levels. This range is mostly due to different assumptions regarding fossil fuel emissions. If all of the carbon so far released by land-use changes could be restored to the terrestrial biosphere, atmospheric CO2 concentration at the end of the century would be about 40-70 ppm less than it would be if no such intervention had occurred. Conversely, complete global deforestation over the same time frame would increase atmospheric concentrations by about 130-290 ppm. These are extreme assumptions; the maximum feasible reforestation and afforestation activities over the next 50 years would result in a reduction in CO2 concentration of about 15-30 ppm by the end of the century. Thus the time course of fossil fuel emissions will be the major factor in determining atmospheric CO2 concentrations for the foreseeable future.


A growing number of studies report interesting insights gained from existing data resources. Among those, there are analyses on textual data, giving reason to consider such methods for linguistics as well. However, the field of corpus linguistics usually works with purposefully collected, representative language samples that aim to answer only a limited set of research questions.
This thesis aims to shed some light on the potentials of data-driven analysis based on machine learning and predictive modelling for corpus linguistic studies, investigating the possibility to repurpose existing German language corpora for linguistic inquiry by using methodologies developed for data science and computational linguistics. The study focuses on predictive modelling and machine-learning-based data mining and gives a detailed overview and evaluation of currently popular strategies and methods for analysing corpora with computational methods.

After the thesis introduces strategies and methods that have already been used on language data, discusses how they can assist corpus linguistic analysis and refers to available toolkits and software as well as to state-of-the-art research and further references, the introduced methodological toolset is applied in two differently shaped corpus studies that utilize readily available corpora for German. The first study explores linguistic correlates of holistic text quality ratings on student essays, while the second deals with age-related language features in computer-mediated communication and interprets age prediction models to answer a set of research questions that are based on previous research in the field. While both studies give linguistic insights that integrate into the current understanding of the investigated phenomena in German language, they systematically test the methodological toolset introduced beforehand, allowing a detailed discussion of added values and remaining challenges of machine-learning-based data mining methods in corpus at the end of the thesis.


This research explored a father's impact within the family unit, specifically the role he may have played in shaping familial transactions that affect a daughter's self-appraisal and style of life. Ninety-six college women who attended a small private liberal arts college on the east coast responded to The Adjective Check List, ACL, (Gough, 1952) employed in this study to measure Assertiveness, Relational Needs, Cognitive Ego States and Negative Self-Image. In addition the women responded to the father-daughter questionnaire, a questionnaire designed by the author to identify specific father-daughter relationships. Multivariate analyses of variance contrasted father-daughter relationships by the women's self-perceptions on the ACL. Results showed that the women's responses to the Father-Daughter questionnaire identified six distinct father-daughter. relationships: a doting father; a distant father; a demanding/supportive father; a domineering father; a seductive father; an absent father. Furthermore, ACL measures showed a significant difference in the women's self-perceptions by their identified father-daughter relationships. ********** Relational and intimacy issues often surface on a college campus where students struggle to understand themselves, separate from childhood dependencies and develop an intellectual and emotional depth to their identity. College women have been prominent in this search for self-understanding. Motivated by the feminist movement, women of the Twentieth Century sought personal understanding by openly addressing family relationships that may have shaped or inhibited mature growth in women, e.g., the mother-daughter relationship (Freud, 1988; Howe, 1990; Robbins, 1990). Although research concerning the mother-daughter relationship has been readily available, little has been written or researched concerning the relationship a woman has experienced with her father. However, existing literature has suggested that woman may be deeply affected by the father they knew as a child. Sophie Freud (1988), in a text that highlighted the identity struggles faced by postmodern women, dedicated an entire chapter to the pain experienced by a woman when she feels abandoned by her father because she is no longer his "little princess," his admiring disciple or his little angel. The literature has suggested that most women, by simply growing up, experience the loss of their fathers' love; for even in the best of circumstances, men find it difficult to relate to their adult daughter in the same manner that they related when she was a little-girl (Freud, 1988; Secunda, 1992). In a comprehensive text that discussed various father-daughter relationships, Secunda (1992) described a woman's. father as her "first love," regardless of her experience with her father. If theorists are correct, it may be assumed that the father-daughter relationship has the potential to shape interaction patterns that surface as women enter into adult college relationships. For example, if a college woman has learned patterns of relating through a father that have infantalized and weakened her, college life could be problematic; assertiveness issues often surface in the college classroom where male and female students struggle to find their own voices (Johnson, 1997; Lecompte, 1986; Lopez, Melendez, Sauer, Berger & Wyssmann, 1998). Although there is an agreement in the literature that father-daughter relationships take many forms of interaction, a literature review of father-daughter research shows an emphasis on the abusive or absent father (Downs & Miller, 1998; Hetherington, 1972; Oates, Forrest & Peacock, 1985) and results focus on the impact these relationships have on a woman's adult intimacies. The psychological premise most commonly cited in research is that women with abusive or absent fathers have difficulty with men and often choose husbands who abuse or abandon them (Secunda, 1992). …


Przedstawiono wyniki badan strukturalnych prowadzonych w środkowej cześci pasma lupkowego Szklarskiej Poreby. Wyrozniono cztery generacje mezostruktur faldowych oraz związanych z nimi struktur planarnych. Wyodrebniono kilka obalonych, izoklinalnych makrofaldow o amplitudzie i promieniu od kilkudziesieciu do kilkuset metrow. Stwierdzono dwie duze dyslokacje - Czerwonego Potoku oraz Wysokiego Kamienia. Dokonano proby określenia ich wieku i charakteru. STRUCTURE OF THE MIDDLE PART OF THE SZKLARSKA PORĘBA SLATE RANGE (IZERA MTS) Four stages (phases?) of tectonic deformations D 1 - D 4 were distinguished, leading to development of mesofolds and corresponding planar structures. Morphology and spatial orientation of individual generations of mesostructures prove gradual development of deformations in varying field of forces and increasing competence of deformed rocks. Amidst sedimentary structures there are only planes of primary stratiphication so that seem to have forced directions of further tectonic deformations. Outside bend zones of folds these planes usually agree with penetrative foliation S 1 . Macroscopic fold structures have been probably formed only during the first two deformations D l and D 2 . The deformation D 2 resulted in re-orientation of structures developed during the stage D 1 . Within the slate range of Szklarska Poreba several overturned, isoclinal and usually narrow macrofolds F 2 were formed in that time, with amplitudes and radii ranging from several dozen to several hundred meters. Further deformations, younger than D 2 , resulted in only local development of new (already non-penetrative) generations of mesostructures, having no macroscopic equivalents. They influenced only slightly a general structural pattern of the Szklarska Poreba range, developed during the second deformation stage. Axial fissure schistosity (S 4 ?) of some fault mesofolds of the youngest generation (F 4 ?) are occasionally used by aplites, geneticaly connected with the Karkonosze - Izera pluton (Karkonosze massif). These structures are therefore slightly older or at the outmost synchronic with this Variscite intrusion. In the studied area two dislocations of regional significance were noted. The fault of Czerwony Potok (CzP) is of rotation type. It is younger than the second deformation of rocks of the Izera metamorphic complex D 2 after the Famennian but still 310 - 320 Ma ago. On the other hand it precedes the penetrative for the whole area, regional fissures formed during final stages or after the intrusion of Variscite granitoids was formed (about 300 Ma ago). These fissures have not been rotated at sides of this dislocation in contrast to structures of first and second generations. They indicate the same orientation either in granitoids as well as in hornfelses that form their northern mantle. Displacements of rock masses noted in this paper seem to have occurred along the described fault during the interval from 310 (320) to 300 Ma ago that is before consolidation of granites of the Karkonosze -Izera intrusion. The fact that this faults cuts now at certain distance also the Variscite granitoids, can suggest its further and possibly repeated rejuvenation. The fault of Wysoki Kamien (WK) is probably of throw type (eastern wing is lowered ?). It agrees with a large, regional dislocation zone noted at satellite photographs Landsat (B. Mroczkowska et al., 1984). This zone cuts also the granitoids of the Karkonosze-Izera (Karkonosze) massif besides the Izera metamorphic massif.


This thesis documents the design of logical superposition coded (SPC) modulation for implementation in wireless video multicast systems, to tackle the issues caused by multi-user channel diversity, one of the legacy problems due to the nature of wireless video multicasting. The framework generates a logical SPC modulated signal by mapping successively refinable information bits into a single signal constellation with modifications in the MAClayer software. The transmitted logical SPC signals not only manipulatively mimic SPC signals generated by the superposition of multiple modulated signals in the conventional hardware-based SPC modulation, but also yield comparable performance gains when provided with the knowledge of information bits dependencies and receiver channel distributions. At the receiving end, the proposed approach only requires simple modifications in the MAC layer software, which demonstrates full decoding compatibility with the conventional multi-stage signal-interference cancellation (SIC) approach involving additional hardware devices. Generalized formulations for symbol error rate (SER) are derived for performance evaluations and comparisons with the conventional hardware-based approach.


Ideal for anyone with an interest in the increasing role of brain imaging in understanding pain perception and pain mechanisms, this unique, full-color resource thoroughly covers technical advances in the field as well as potential new applications. Dozens of worldwide experts first demystify the technological concepts that are crucial for proper understanding and interpretation of neuroimaging findings, then explore new advances in understanding brain mechanisms of pain, in human as well as animal models. Key Features: * Covers key topics in the field, including the historical perspective, technology, animal pain neuroimaging, acute pain, neuroplasticity of chronic pain, chronic pain, pain modulation, ethical conflicts, and future directions* Highlights strengths and weaknesses of specific neuroimaging techniques, and includes divergent views regarding outcomes and implications.* Provides a short commentary from Dr. Apkarian, covering significant advances and unanswered questions.* Ensures that both the experienced scientist and the general clinician will find the information they need to understand the current state of the field as well as potential future directions regarding the interaction between the brain and pain.* Discusses both acute and various chronic pain conditions from a functional/physiological, structural/anatomical perspective, and evaluates the tools with which new therapies should be developed for properly treating and/or preventing pain states.


1Cornea and External Eye Disease Service, Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK; 2Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK Purpose: Moorfields Eye Hospital sits as a major tertiary centre for ophthalmic care in the United Kingdom and became a central hub to provide safe and effective ophthalmic care across London and surrounding regions during the COVID-19 pandemic. We explore the impact on both the acute and elective corneal services during the first wave of this pandemic. Methods: A retrospective review of the proportion of corneal transplants and anterior segment trauma repairs was performed during the period of March 23rd to July 1st 2020 compared with an identical period in 2019. Data were acquired from our in-house electronic patient records. Results: A 92% reduction in corneal elective work was observed during the lockdown period compared with an identical period in 2019, with only 10 elective cases in total being performed. In addition, 91 corneal cross-linking and 76 therapeutic lasers were cancelled. There were 15 cases of primary repair for anterior segment trauma compared with 6 cases pre-COVID-19. A similar scenario occurs with removal of foreign body (4 cases during COVID-19 period versus no cases during pre-COVID-19 era) and with traumatic lens aspirations (6 cases during COVID-19 compared with 2 pre-COVID-19). Interestingly, a statistical difference (p=0.03) was found in the time interval from presentation of symptoms to emergency corneal surgery. During the COVID-19 period, a delay of 1.5 days ± 2.29 (range 0–10 days) occurred compared with 0.8 days ± 1.54 (range 0–6 days) pre-COVID-19. Conclusion: Stringent risk stratification reduced elective corneal surgery capacity during the lockdown thereby preserving social distancing requirements. However, an apparent increase in emergency corneal surgery seen is likely attributed to centralisation of ophthalmic services during the pandemic crisis, alongside increased domestic injuries. Despite the challenges posed, successful delivery of corneal surgery occurred whilst helping to identify lessons in preparations for future pandemics and current inefficiencies in healthcare delivery.


Neural language models typically employ a categorical approach to prediction and training, leading to well-known computational and numerical limitations. An under-explored alternative approach is to perform prediction directly against a continuous word embedding space, which according to recent research is more akin to how lexemes are represented in the brain. Choosing this method opens the door for for large-vocabulary, language models and enables substantially smaller and simpler computational complexities. In this research we explore a different important trait - the continuous output prediction models reach low-frequency vocabulary words which we show are often ignored by the categorical model. Such words are essential, as they can contribute to personalization and user vocabulary adaptation. In this work, we explore continuous-space language modeling in the context of a word prediction task over two different textual domains (newswire text and biomedical journal articles). We investigate both traditional and adversarial training approaches, and report results using several different embedding spaces and decoding mechanisms. We find that our continuous-prediction approach outperforms the standard categorical approach in terms of term diversity, in particular with rare words.


The Penrose reduction theory is applied to a particle/detector interaction where the time that it takes for a particle capture (and reduction of the original state) is constrained by the requirement that ∆t = h̄/∆E. The usual interpretation of this equation is found to conflict with the Hamiltonian dynamics of the interaction. Another interpretation of this equation seems to solve that problem, but then another difficulty arises. We conclude that the Penrose theory cannot reflect the timing implicit in the Hamiltonian dynamics unless it can be amended to take account of the probability current flow between competing states.


One of the most important tasks in marketing is to create and communicate value to customers to drive their satisfaction, loyalty, and profitability. In this study, the authors assume that customer value is a dual concept. First, in order to be successful, firms (and the marketing function) have to create perceived value for customers. Toward that end, marketers have to measure customer perceived value and have to provide customer perceptions of value through marketing-mix elements. Second, customers in return give value through multiple forms of engagement (customer lifetime value, in the widest sense) for the organization. Therefore, marketers need to measure and manage this value of the customer(s) to the firm and have to incorporate this aspect into real-time marketing decisions. The authors integrate and synthesize existing findings, show the best practices of implementation, and highlight future research avenues.


The 25th World Congress of the International Union of Angiology was held in Prague from July 1st to 5th, 2010.There were a total of 586 reports (of these, there were 430 oral presentations and 255 poster presentations, highlighting many problems in arterial pathology: optimal methods of visualization and treatment of carotid arterial atherosclerosis,endovascular recanalization of intracranial arteries and hybrid interventions on carotid arteries in acute period of ischaemic stroke, management of patients with asymptomatic atherosclerosis of carotid arteries, main problems in treatment of coronary artery atherosclerosis, complications of endovascular techniques, management of patients with aneurysms of the thoracic and abdominal portions of the aorta, as well as atherosclerosis of lower limb arteries. Special attention was paid to treatment of lower limb critical ischaemia and diabetic foot syndrome, problems concerning venous thromboembolism and methods of anticoagulant therapy, as well as genetic predictors of the development of venous diseases. Other problems discussed at the Congress were as follows: methods of endovascular treatment of chronic venous insufficiency, prevention and microsurgical interventions in treatment of lymphedema, the role of endovascular techniques in correction of arteriovenous malformations, and robot-assisted surgical interventions.


"Social protection has become prominent in the global development agenda over recent decades, with social protection systems now being included as a target under Sustainable Development Goal 1: 'End poverty in all its forms everywhere'. In developing countries, these policies have played an important role in alleviating extreme poverty, among other impacts that are increasingly being investigated. Beyond the improvement of the material conditions of beneficiaries, measures that take into account the power dynamics and inequalities within households and communities are needed for social protection programmes to properly address gender inequality in a transformative way. This special edition of Policy in Focus, which is auspiciously being released for International Women's Day 2017, covers key topics related to gender equality and social protection, featuring a wide range of contributions from women policy practitioners and scholars, presenting case studies and reflections from Brazil and various African countries". (...)


Problems are often encountered in learning science Physics in class IX of MTsN Model Padang is the process of learning science Physics is less meaningful because the matter is less related to problems in daily life. This indicates that the behavior of character and critical thinking skills students in grade IX is still low. In addition, variations in the model / learning methods are applied to teachers in the classroom learning process is still lacked. The purpose of this study is to improve character's behavior and critical thinking skills of students in grade IX MTsN Model Padang on Physics science use Problem Based Instruction model. This type of study is classroom action research. The research was carried out in class IX. 9 MTsN Model Padang in two cycles that began in November 2011 to December 2011. Data obtained through the research instrument, namely: the behavior observation sheet character, character's behavior is limited questionnaire given to students each end of the cycle, and critical thinking skills test is conducted every meeting and a nalyzed by percentage analyze techniques (%) . The study found there was an increase of 15.39% characterized the behavior of the criteria began to develop into 45.61% of students are on begins to develop criteria (MB), and 21.84% on the custom criteria (MK). Analysis of the character's behavior questionnaire also showed that an increase of 38.71% criteria began to grow (MB) and 1.79% in the custom criteria (MK) to 59.15% in the criteria began to grow (MB) and 7.84% the criteria into the habit (MK). The analysis of critical thinking skills showed that there was an increase from 54.62 to 11.37 percentage completeness with a percentage of 75.14% to 63.91% completeness. Based on the research results can be concluded that the application of the model problem based instruction can improve students' behavior that characterized the impact on critical thinking skills. Keywords : Problem Based Instruction model, Character 's Behavior and Critical Thinking Skills .


OBJECTIVES
The study investigated cancer incidence among 23,718 male pulp and paper workers employed continuously for at least 1 year between 1920 and 1993 in Norway.

METHODS
The name, date of birth, personal identification number, dates of hire and termination for all employment periods, specific department, and job categories were registered for each worker. Six subcohorts were established (sulfite mill, sulfate mill, paper mill, maintenance department, administrative staff and other departments). Data on the cohort were linked with data in the Norwegian Cancer Register. The follow-up period for cancer incidence, date of death, or emigration was from 1953 through 1993.

RESULTS
An excess incidence of lung cancer was found among both short- and long-term employees [standardized incidence ratio (SIR) 1.5, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.13-2.03 and SIR 1.2, 95% CI 1.09-1.34, respectively], especially for workers with the longest latency (SIR 1.3, 95% CI 1.08-1.44) and for sulfite mill workers (SIR 1.5, 95% CI 1.09-1.99). The risk for pleural mesothelioma was also increased (SIR 2.4, 95% CI 1.45-3.75), especially among maintenance workers. The results also showed an increased risk for malignant melanoma (SIR 1.3, 95% CI 1.04-1.60), an unexpected finding.

CONCLUSIONS
Almost all the increased risk for lung cancer can be explained by a combination of smoking habits and asbestos use. although an effect of other work-related exposures (sulfur and chloride compounds, wood dust) cannot be excluded. Most of the cases of pleural mesothelioma occurred in departments where asbestos was used. There is no clear explanation for the excess of malignant melanoma, and the finding may be a chance occurrence.


The study investigates the process of recovery for people diagnosed with personality disorder. This is related to the application of the new meaning of recovery from mental illness as explored by members of The Haven which, as the service setting for the study, addresses the problems of a client group that suffers significant social exclusion, known to impact on demand for health and other public services. It aims to examine efforts which attempt to reverse this social exclusion as an aspect of the recovery process. An earlier inquiry by the author yielded a new understanding of the diagnosis of personality disorder as defined by service users, and contributed to a change in the national agenda when the Department of Health responded by providing new national guidance and funding for pilot projects throughout the country. This resulted in The Haven, the service context for this current study. As yet, internationally, there is no agreed rationale of recovery for those diagnosed with personality disorder and few researchers have sought the views of service users regarding the issue. The following study is the first internationally known research about personality disorder and recovery. A Participatory Action Research approach was chosen for this study and The Haven Research Group, comprised of the author and Haven clients, formulated proposed research questions and conducted Focus Groups and Individual Client Interviews with 66 participants, over a period of three years. The group has been concerned with the effectiveness of The Haven as a recovery tool from the perspective of service users and carers. An examination of emerging themes, and the interplay between themes, gives insight into what participants consider to be the key steps to recovery for someone with a personality disorder diagnosis. From this thematic analysis a map is proposed of the journey of recovery for people with the diagnosis. Findings offer contributions to knowledge in terms of the service model and propose a new construct regarding recovery in personality disorder. This is defined as a journey of small steps highlighting recovering as a process, rather than recovery as a goal, leading to the emergence of the new concept of Transitional Recovery. As an alternative to the historically sequential path of rehabilitation and proposed recovery, this study offers a new, socially inclusive way of working with people who have a personality disorder diagnosis where they may choose to retain a haven while continuing to develop and progress on their chosen path in the wider world.


This essay, written as part of a symposium on popular culture and the civil justice system, examines the vast gap between legal and popular discourse on the judicial role. The legal academy generally regards as uncontroversial the proposition that judicial interpretation cannot be value-free. Yet in popular discourse, the ideal judge is someone who leaves all prior attitudes behind, simply applying the law that is out there and that admits to only one possible outcome. Judges perceived to deviate from this ideal are at risk of being branded activist. Members of the lay public - a majority of them, according to a recent survey - are upset about what they perceive to be activist judges. Perhaps more disheartening, pledging fealty to this unrealistic view of the judicial role remains de rigueur in the halls of Congress. This essay explores the connection between the depiction of the judicial role in popular media such as movies and television and the very similar caricature that still holds sway in more serious non-fiction venues, like Senate confirmation hearings and political campaigns. In popular venues, the judge is generally depicted either as a neutral or invisible placeholder for a fixed and determinate rule of law, or as biased, vulgar, or downright villainous. Drawing from legal theory, narrative theory, psychology, and prior work on popular culture and media studies, I argue that the simplistic notion of judges and judging that currently dominates the discourse is inherently conservative and hegemonic, and suggest that this state of affairs poses dangers for the rule of law and the evolution of the judicial system.


This is the empirical study of 4 communities under survey in Niger-Delta. This article examines the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on primary health care services to rural communities in Niger Delta. Questionnaire, interview and personal observation methods were employed to elicit information on the impact of ICT on primary health care services in rural communities in Niger Delta. The study reveals the personal characteristics of the respondents. The findings also reveal that rural dwellers need to be encouraged by providing them with relevant information and communication technology gadgets in order to enhance effective retrieval and dissemination of information on primary health care services. It is therefore, concluded that the establishment of internet facilities and provision of ICT materials and adequate drugs to rural communities should be the priority of the State and Federal Governments in order to promote computer literacy, adult education and greater awareness of the Primary Health Care (PHC)services in Niger Delta.


This paper was designed to investigate money politics and vote buying in Nigeria as a threat to democratic governance in Benue State. Four research questions were raised and answered with two hypotheses tested using Makurdi Local Area as a case study. The population for the paper consisted of all the 20,260, civil servants in Benue State, 14 Commissioners in 14 Ministries and 15 Councilors in the 14 Council wards in Makurdi Local Government Area. The sample for the paper was 392 respondents. Data collected for the paper was described using arithmetic mean, and Chi-square statistics was employed to test the hypotheses. Findings of the paper revealed that money politics and vote buying have serious threats to democratic governance in Benue State. The paper concluded that it is necessary to conclude all legislative processes be implemented in time to enable stakeholders appreciate the operating laws for the exercise be made for good governance in Benue State. It was recommended that the Electoral and other institutional reforms should be effective. Anti-corruption agencies need to collaborate with banks and other financial institutions to monitor the movement of cash during elections. Also essential, is a culture of democratic citizenship that begins with a citizenry ready to insist on credible and transparent elections. Voters should be sensible enough to imbibe moral objections to vote buying.


It is a recent trend to consider wireless sensor networks in harsh industrial environments. With actual deployment of wireless sensor networks, it would be desirable to make a concrete deployment plan regarding connectivities and to place sensors by grouping them according to the planned deployment points, even more in case of targeting multiple objects to be sensed and monitored in harsh environments. The connectedness of groups as well as individual sensors is important specifically for real-time data acquisitions and even more if there are no external communication links among these groups. In this paper, we focus on the connectivity of sensor groups, rather than the individual sensors only, and propose a novel group connectivity model so as to analyze group connectivity and to make a concrete deployment plan of sensor groups with regard to the internal distribution of sensors and group positions. We believe that the proposed model should be useful in planning the deployment of wireless sensor networks in harsh industrial environments where running wires is less practical and also prohibitively expensive.


Amongst available technologies to the oil sands mining industry for processing fluid fine tailings, centrifuge treatment technology has had some success at larger scales. In order to study coupled evaporation-consolidation behavior of centrifuged tailings in some detail, a multilayer "dry box" deposition test was performed. Centrifuge oil sands tailings were deposited in a "dry box" setup, and allowed to dry while measuring solid content, suction, and drainage history. Furthermore, the analysis of crack development was used to further assess their dewatering behavior. The influence of cracking on evaporation appears to be minimal. While evaporation rates remained near the potential rate for most of the tests, an eventual decline in evaporation rate appears to arise from high osmotic suctions generated by propagation of dissolved mass to the surface. In terms of dewatering optimization, results suggest that thin-lift deposition is somewhat more advantageous than thick-lift deposition. (Full abstract in thesis).


The current economic crisis combined with increasing fuel costs raises awareness that in value chains the logistics represents a large portion of costs and hence modern companies are increasingly interested in investments in research and development of specialised fleet optimisation tools. A new tool and methodology that enable the end-user to carry out a logistic research and optimisation in a relatively complex logistic system for snow plowing and road salting are presented. The tool incorporates the GIS and network data management, monitoring of GPS tracked vehicles and communication layers, together with a set of tools for planning, analysing and optimising the routes. The system also enables remote navigation by using an on-board computer connected to the application. A case of analysing a particular snow plowing operation is presented.


'Public access to publicly funded research' has been one of the rallying calls of the global open access movement. Governments and public institutions around the world have mandated that publications supported by public funding sources should be publicly accessible. Publishers are experimenting with new models to widen access. Yet financial flows underpinning scholarly publishing remain complex and opaque. In this article we present work to trace and reassemble a picture of financial flows around the publication of journals in the UK in the midst of a national shift towards open access. We contend that the current lack of financial transparency around scholarly communication is an obstacle to evidence-based policy-making – leaving researchers, decision-makers and institutions in the dark about the systemic implications of new financial models. We conclude that obtaining a more joined up picture of financial flows is vital as a means for researchers, institutions and others to understand and shape changes to the sociotechnical systems that underpin scholarly communication.


U.S. growers filed an antidumping case against Canadian growers of greenhouse-grown tomatoes, alleging that U.S. growers were being injured, or threatened with material injury, by imports from Canada. The U.S. Department of Commerce determined that imports of greenhouse-grown tomatoes were being sold in U.S. markets at less than fair market value. The U.S. International Trade Commission determined the "like product" to be all fresh market tomatoes, concluding the domestic industry was not materially injured. Anecdotal evidence used by the Commission Department in determining like product ignores the wealth of knowledge that economics can add. An economic model is proposed for purposes of determining like product.


"Over the coming decades, global change will have an impact on food and water security in significant and highly uncertain ways, and there are strong indications that developing countries will bear the brunt of the adverse consequences, particularly from climate change. This is largely because poverty levels are high, and developing-country capacity to adapt to global change is weak. Furthermore, the rural populations of developing countries—for whom agricultural production is the primary source of direct and indirect employment and income—will be most affected due agriculture's vulnerability to global change processes. The agricultural sector is the largest consumer of water resources, and variability in water supply has a major influence on health and welfare in poor areas. With water scarcity and extreme weather events expected to increase under climate change, water security could decline significantly in rural areas. Consequently, it is important to understand the impacts of global change (in terms of climate, demography, technology, and so on) on agriculture and natural resources in developing countries and to develop adaptive capacity to respond to these impacts. Moreover, there is a need to develop informed and effective adaptation measures and investment options that can be taken now to alleviate adverse impacts of global change in the future." from text


In conservation of culturally significant architecture (CSA), awareness about problems of temporality and their consideration has been frequently approached with different perspectives. However, these partial explanations have usually focused on accounts of temporality that mainly approach the past and the present, and more rarely the future, but do not consider the complete spectrum of human temporality, nor explicit ontological bases. In this thesis, architecture emerges as a manifold being in constant becoming that compels human being to exercise permanently memory and assimilation. The main contribution is the proposal of an existential approach towards conservation as an intentionality grounded on the more fundamental attitudes of cultivation and care. Through epistemological and phenomenological analysis of Brandi's thought – focusing on his paradigmatic Theory of Restoration – his attitude comes forth as a particular form of conservation intentionality limited to architecture as a work of art. Following mainly Ingarden and Ricoeur, the results of ontological and phenomenological investigations about architecture and temporality demonstrate conservation in its modern form as a limited temporal intentionality. After these theoretical pre-conditions, the existential approach applied on the previously deduced dimensions of the space and time of Dasein – in Heidegger's terms – proved the grounding of conservation on an existential interpretation of the more fundamental notions of cultivation and care.
Making an analogy with Ingarden's notion of the architectural work of art, CSA is ontologically analysed emerging to consciousness as a manifold being that can be concretized in different ways according with the attitude of the receptor. After the phenomenological analysis of memory, architectural conservation in its modern form is demonstrated as a partial account of human temporality that can be overcome considering human inhabitation in a creative way. Partially supported on the obtained cases of remembered architecture, the hermeneutical approach concluded suggesting a solution for the impasse with an existential account of both, the artistic grounding of architecture and its characterisation as the place that temporally accompanies Dasein. Thus, architecture is ontologically demonstrated to have a manifold being in constant state of transformation that participates of an unavoidable humanised temporality, appearing as a less ambiguous object of conservation. Hence, architecture is existentially demonstrated as constituting the space for the authentically concerned human, whose temporal consciousness compels to cultivate and care about, enriching the possible approaches to conservation as a collective endeavour.


Waterborne infectious disease outbreak associated with well water contamination is a worldwide public health issue, especially for rural areas in developing countries. In the current study, we characterized 20 well water samples collected from a rural area of southern Changchun city, China, and investigated the survival potential of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in those water samples. The results showed that nitrate and ammonia concentrations in some well water samples exceed the corresponding China drinking water standards, indicating potential contamination by local agricultural farms. Our results also revealed that the average survival time (ttd) of E. coli O157:H7 in all well water samples was 30.09 days, with shortest and longest ttd being 17.95 and 58.10 days, respectively. The ttds were significantly correlated with pH and the ratio of total nitrogen to total phosphorus. In addition, it was found that the shape parameter (p) and first decimal reduction parameter (δ) were negatively (P < 0.05) and positively (P < 0.05) correlated to ttd, respectively. Our study showed that E. coli O157:H7 could survive up to two months in well water, suggesting that this pathogen could constitute a great public health risk.


This PhD study was focused on developing and exploring tools for assessing the status of data-limited fish stocks.

A management strategy evaluation (MSE) framework was developed to explore the effectiveness of alternative strategies for managing fish stocks for which sufficient data are available to allow a catch curve-based assessment, but which lack the reliable time series data on catches and/or catch per unit of effort required for developing an integrated age-structured fishery model. Explorations using the operating model of this framework indicated that, particularly for demersal fish species with limited movements and which suffer high levels of post-release mortality, use of temporal closures throughout the full area of a fishery are likely to be more effective for reducing fishing mortality than reducing daily bag limits, imposing more restrictive size limits, or constraining the areas open to fishing. Implications of differences in biological characteristics of fish species, including longevity, annual recruitment variability and post-release mortality, for the effectiveness of different management controls were explored using the operating model.

The effectiveness of the graphical interface employed by the MSE model in communicating stock assessment information to fisheries managers and stakeholders was evaluated in a "scenario testing" study involving university students. Students viewed model outputs for several hypothetical fish stocks with different biological attributes and initial exploitation states. Based on their perception of the true status of each stock, students then "pulled" various alternative "management levers" available in the program. Analyses of data resulting from the study indicated that, provided the design was not overly complex, the interface of the MSE framework was effective for communicating stock assessment information. The results of the study illustrated the potential of this type of approach for evaluating and improving the effectiveness of the ways in which stock assessment information is communicated to fisheries managers and other stakeholders.

 During the next project phase, several methods for estimating rates of mortality of fish stocks were developed and explored. Maximum likelihood estimates of total mortality, calculated assuming that the age composition of fully-recruited fish was drawn from a geometric distribution and that annual recruitment was variable, had lower root mean squared error (RMSE) than other estimates obtained using traditional methods of catch curve analysis that did not allow for such variability. This catch curve model, which also provided potentially valuable information on recruitment variability, was then extended to allow for a change in total mortality, as might result from a major change to management. Analyses demonstrated that, despite variability in annual recruitment, it was possible to distinguish such a change in mortality in the age composition data if the mortality change was of sufficient magnitude and adequate time had elapsed since the change in mortality. Bias in the estimates of mortality for the two periods was explored.

Next, a model was developed to provide estimates of mortality for fish species which undertake pronounced unidirectional, size-dependent movements during life, e.g. a size-dependent, offshore movement of fish to deeper water, when it is only possible to obtain representative samples of age and size compositions from the different areas and not for the overall population. The model was able to "disentangle" the similar, but slightly different, influences of mortality and movement on size and age data. Following simulation testing, the technique was applied to "real" data for a fish species in Western Australia (Pseudocaranx georgianus). The model fills a "void" for existing methods for such fish species, particularly if those species are of insufficient economic value to warrant an expensive, large-scale tagging program.

Areas in which the work presented in this thesis could be expanded are discussed in the light of some likely directions for future fisheries research relating to data-limited fisheries.


We develop an accelerated randomized proximal coordinate gradient (APCG) method, for solving a broad class of composite convex optimization problems. In particular, our method achieves faster linear convergence rates for minimizing strongly convex functions than existing randomized proximal coordinate gradient methods. We show how to apply the APCG method to solve the dual of the regularized empirical risk minimization (ERM) problem, and devise efficient implementations that avoid full-dimensional vector operations. For ill-conditioned ERM problems, our method obtains improved convergence rates than the state-of-the-art stochastic dual coordinate ascent (SDCA) method.


This work presents a modular and reconfigurable desktop microfactory for high precision machining and assembly of micro mechanical parts. Miniature factory is inspired by the downsizing trend of the production tools. The system is constructed based on primary functional and performance requirements such as miniature size, operation with sub-millimeter precision, modular and reconfigurable structure, parallel processing capability, ease of transportation and integration. Proposed miniature factory consists of several functional modules such as two parallel kinematic robots for manipulation and assembly, galvanometric laser beam scanning system for micromachining, camera system for inspection, and a rotational conveyor system for sample part delivery. The overall mechanical structure of the proposed microfactory facilitates modularity and reconfigurability, parallel processing, flexible rearrangement of the layout, and ease of assembly and disassembly of the whole structure. Experiments involve various tasks within a single process such as pick-place of the 3 mm diameter metallic ball, marking a 2D sub-millimeter image on the ball surface with high power laser, and inspection along with verification of the image by means of microscopic camera. Results have shown the possibility of implementation of the desktop microfactory concept for machining and assembly of tiny mechanical parts with microprecision.


First-order nonlinear perturbations of several fiber spans may be summed up linearly to yield the total nonlinear response of a group of spans, if nonlinear effects are neglected beyond the first order. Such linear additivity of first-order nonlinear perturbations about the nonlinear coefficients enables nonlinear compensations between one span with stronger nonlinearity and a group of spans with weaker nonlinearity, provided that there is a scaled translation symmetry between the strongly and the weakly nonlinear spans, and the dispersion of each span is properly managed. Excellent nonlinear compensations are achieved both in systems with an optical phase conjugator in the middle and in systems without.


Over the past decade, the scientific community has thrown itself into assessing optical burst switching (OBS) as the switching technology for next-generation all-optical networks. In this regard, a significant amount of work has concentrated on providing OBS with the required carrier-class features. During this process, however, little attention has been paid to fundamental questions on the interoperability and interworking issues that OBS will have to face in a heterogeneous network scenario such as the future Internet. This article introduces a generalized multi-protocol label switching (GMPLS)-based control plane architecture for future OBS networks. This GMPLS/OBS control plane solution leverages on the GMPLS interoperability to enable seamless vertical and horizontal OBS integration with different switching layers under a common control plane. The burst label switched path (b-LSP) entity has been introduced to accomplish this purpose, as well as to guarantee end-users' quality of service (QoS) requirements to effectively support emerging data applications. The establishment of a b-LSP does not entail explicit resource reservation, but the addition of new entries in the OBS node forwarding tables with the resources available for that b-LSP. Hence, by making a resource available to multiple b-LSPs, the statistical multiplexing nature of OBS is preserved. A mixed integer linear programming formulation has been presented to get the most out of the available resources given the expected traffic demands and their QoS requirements. Moreover, in the network operation phase, GMPLS-driven b-LSP capacity reconfigurations are dynamically triggered whenever unfavorable network conditions are detected. An exhaustive simulation campaign assesses the performance of the proposed GMPLS/OBS network architecture on different network scenarios. Finally, future research lines on the topic are outlined.


Fraud is a major - and growing - problem in South Africa as it is around the globe. In Cape Town a Malawian illegal immigrant employed as a waiter has been jailed for 10 counts of credit card fraud at a swanky wine estate restaurant - before he is to be deported. The principal of a Salt Rock home school has been jailed after failing to appear in court on several counts of fraud related to matric exams. Four North West municipalities are being probed following allegations of alleged fraudulent payments of R30 million. The list goes on.


Australia experienced a resurgence of pertussis in the 1990s despite improved vaccine coverage. Although much of the increase was attributable to increased detection of cases in older persons with waning immunity by serology, vaccine changes or alterations in circulating Bordetella pertussis strains may also have contributed. We determined the frequency of variants of B. pertussis pertactin (prn), and pertussis toxin subunit 1 (ptxS1) genes, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) types and fimbrial serotypes prevalent in Australia prior to, and during the 1990s. Ampoules of the whole-cell vaccine in use prior to 1999 and 84 B. pertussis isolates stored between 1967 and 1998 by laboratories around Australia were analysed. One pertactin allele, Prn3, not detected before 1985, was found in 24 out of 57 (42%) isolates between 1989 and 1998 (P<0·0001). PtxS1A was found in all isolates. IS1002 type 29, found in 17 out of 31 (55%) isolates tested, was the predominant RFLP type. The only difference in fimbrial serotype distribution between the time-periods was an increase in serotype 3 (P=0·054). The whole-cell vaccine contained only the alleles prn1 and ptxS1A. Antigenic shift in B. pertussis may have contributed to the re-emergence of pertussis in Australia. Monitoring these trends will be important as acellular vaccines are introduced and changes are made to pertussis vaccine schedules.


This paper investigates Japanese apology expressions, particularly the co-occurrence of su(m)imasen and gomen nasai with various linguistic devices (i.e. adverbs, interjections, conjunctions, etc.) in social interactions. Differing from previous research, the present research focuses on (1) the linguistic devices co-occurring with the apology expression, (2) their relation to the interactional functions the expressions serve in situated contexts, (3) their roles within discourse and the effect they produce, and (4) the way the speaker expresses his or her emotional attitude through these linguistic devices. To this end, data was collected from Japanese television dramas, and the linguistic devices marking su(m)imasen and gomen nasai, adverbial forms and interjections that were most encountered were examined. The analysis revealed that the co-occurrences with the apology expressions do influence or change the entire meaning of the utterance.


Unsecured firm credit moves procyclically in the United States and tends to lead gross domestic product, while secured firm credit is acyclical. Shocks to unsecured firm credit explain a far larger fraction of output fluctuations than shocks to secured credit. This article surveys a tractable dynamic general equilibrium model in which constraints on unsecured firm credit preclude an efficient capital allocation among heterogeneous firms. Unsecured credit rests on the value that borrowers attach to a good credit reputation, which is a forward-looking variable. Self-fulfilling beliefs over future credit conditions naturally generate endogenously persistent business cycle dynamics. A dynamic complementarity between current and future borrowing limits permits uncorrelated belief shocks to unsecured debt to trigger persistent aggregate fluctuations in both secured and unsecured debt, factor productivity, and output. The author shows that these sunspot shocks are quantitatively important, accounting for around half of output volatility.


Herding behavior is widely observed in auctions. There are rational reasons for herding but herding can also be counterproductive. We found evidence of herding behavior and sub-optimal outcome in a multi-winner auction setting. This study adds to the knowledge of herding by looking at herding in an auction setting where there is extra incentive to herd (multi-winner auction). Our findings reconfirm evidence in previous research about strategic usage of herding that diminishes after certain threshold; in addition, our findings indicate sub-optimal outcomes of herding behavior which include unjustified risk-return ratio, low ROI, wasted investment opportunities, and underutilized resource.


Copyright © 2018 ASME. It may be generally believed that the thermoacoustic eigenfrequencies of a combustor with fully acoustically reflecting boundary conditions depend on both flame dynamics and geometry of the system. In this work, we show that there are situations where this understanding does not strictly apply. The purpose of this study is twofold. In the first part, we show that the resonance frequencies of two premixed combustors with fully acoustically reflecting boundary conditions in the region of marginal stability depend only on the parameters of the flame dynamics, but do not depend on the combustor's geometry. This is shown by means of a parametric study, where the time delay and the interaction index of the flame response are varied and the resulting complex eigenfrequency locus is shown. Assuming longitudinal acoustics and a low Mach number, a quasi-1D Helmholtz solver is utilized. The time delay and interaction index of the flame response are parametrically varied to calculate the complex eigenfrequency locus. It is found that all the eigenfrequency trajectories cross the real axis at a resonance frequency that depends only on the time delay. Such marginally stable frequencies are independent of the resonant cavity modes of the two combustors, i.e. the passive thermoacoustic modes. In the second part, we exploit the aforementioned observation to evaluate the critical flame gain required for the systems to become unstable at four eigenfrequencies located in the marginally stable region. A computationally-efficient method is proposed. The key ingredient is to consider both direct and adjoint eigenvectors associated with the four eigenfrequencies. Hence, the sensitivity of the eigenfrequencies to changes in the gain at the region of marginal stability is evaluated with cheap and accurate calculations. This work contributes to the understanding of thermoacoustic stability of combustors. In the same manner, the understanding of the nature of distinct resonance frequencies in unstable combustors may be enhanced by employing the analysis of the eigenfrequency locus here reported.


Cycling of nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus, is one of the ecosystem services we expect agricultural soils to deliver. Nutrient cycling incorporates the reuse of agricultural, industrial and municipal organic residues that, misleadingly, are often referred to as 'wastes'. The present review disentangles the processes underlying the cycling of nutrients to better understand which soil properties determine the performance of that function. Four processes are identified (i) the capacity to receive nutrients, (ii) the capacity to make and keep nutrients available to crops, (iii) the capacity to support the uptake of nutrients by crops and (iv) the capacity to support their successful removal in harvested crop. Soil properties matter but it is imperative that, as constituents of 'soil quality', they should be evaluated in the context of management options and climate and not as ends in their own right. The effect of a soil property may vary depending on the prevailing climatic and hydrologic conditions and on other soil properties. We recognize that individual soil properties may be enhancing one of the processes underlying the cycling of nutrients but simultaneously weakening others. Competing demands on soil properties are even more obvious when considering other soil functions such as primary production, purification and flow regulation of water, climate modification and habitat provision, as shown by examples. Consequently, evaluations of soil properties and management actions need to be site‐specific, taking account of local aspects of their suitability and potential challenges.


In the story Underwater Adventure, Tiger drops his special watch in the pond in the park. Max and Ant set off to rescue it in their new invention, the Super Micro-Submarine. But it does not go to plan when they are chased by some water-beetle larva and end up stuck at the bottom of the pond! Find out if Cat and Tiger can find the spare part they need to fix the submarine in time, in Cuckoo Trouble. Ant gets inventing again in Ant and the Break-bot. In this story the children build an amazing, break-dancing robot to enter into a competition. Find out about man's attempts to fly, from Leonardo da Vinci to SpaceShipOne, in the non-fiction book Flying Machines. Then read about some incredible inventions that help us explore the most extreme environments in Extreme Exploring Machines. Each book comes with notes for parents that highlight ambitious words or concepts in the books, prompt questions and suggest a range of follow-up activities. The Inventors and Inventions Guided Reading Notes provide step-by-step guided reading support for each book in the Inventors and Inventions cluster, together with guidance about comprehension, assessment for learning and vocabulary enrichment. Hands-on follow-up activities, plenty of writing opportunities and cross-curricular links are also provided for each book.


Improvement of tax system is the main condition of normal functioning and economic development of state. Tax system and, correspondingly tax policy is very important problem for a state of developed, developing or transition economy. In spite of level of development there are no countries without debates regarding tax system, its mechanism and management, tax policy and rates. This article covers just these matters, namely what tax burden should determine tax policy, what tax rates should determine certain tax in condition of such taxation. We present and analyze here statistic, pessimistic and optimistic concepts, as well as those of Laffer-Keynes and Abuselidze and their effects on business activity and output. The results of such effect clearly prove optimality of tax system, its mechanism and management, tax policy and rates.


We develop a sampling-based motion planning algorithm that combines long-term temporal logic goals with short-term reactive requirements. The mission specification has two parts: (1) a global specification given as a linear temporal logic (LTL) formula over a set of static service requests that occur at the regions of a known environment, and (2) a local specification that requires servicing a set of dynamic requests that can be sensed locally during the execution. The proposed computational framework consists of two main ingredients: (a) an off-line sampling-based algorithm for the construction of a global transition system that contains a path satisfying the LTL formula; and (b) an on-line sampling-based algorithm to generate paths that service the local requests, while making sure that the satisfaction of the global specification is not affected. The off-line algorithm has four main features. First, it is incremental, in the sense that the procedure for finding a satisfying path at each iteration scales only with the number of new samples generated at that iteration. Second, the underlying graph is sparse, which implies low complexity for the overall method. Third, it is probabilistically complete. Fourth, under some mild assumptions, it has the best possible complexity bound. The on-line algorithm leverages ideas from LTL monitoring and potential functions to ensure progress towards the satisfaction of the global specification while servicing locally sensed requests. Examples and experimental trials illustrating the usefulness and the performance of the framework are included.


The input-output displacement relations of two Cardan joints arranged in series on a driveline has been investigated in detail, including the effects of unequal joint angles, the phase angle between the two Cardan joints and also such manufacturing tolerance errors as nonright angle moving link lengths and offset joint axes. A combined Newton-Raphson method and Davidon-Fletcher-Powell optimization algorithm using dual-number coordinate-transformation matrices was employed to perform the analysis. An experiment was conducted to validate the results of the analysis. The apparatus consisted of a double-Cardan-joint driveline whose rotations were measured by optical shaft encoders that were sampled by a computer data-acquisition system. The equipment was arranged so that the phase angle between the joints and the offset angles between the shafts at each of the two joints could be readily varied. The "relative phase angle," the difference between the phase angle of the two joints and the angle between the planes defined by the input and intermediate and the intermediate and output shafts, was found to be the significant factor. If the offset angles at both Cardan joints are equal, the double-Cardan-joint driveline functions as a constant-velocity coupling when the magnitude of the relative phase angle is zero. If the offset angles at the two Cardan joints are unequal, a condition prevailing in the important front-wheel-drive automobile steering-column application, then fluctuation in output velocity for a constant input velocity is minimized although not eliminated for zero relative phase angle.


The contribution covers results of studies on the alkali-activated cement concretes intended for marine engineering applications. Such properties as strength, wear, corrosion, freeze-thaw, weather resistance and many others have been studied, and the results are reported and discussed in detail. The obtained results suggested to draw a conclusion on high potential of the alkali-activated cement concretes for marine engineering applications, since in their performance properties these concretes are highly advantageous over other concretes used as marine concretes and big savings can be expected in the future due to the longer span of service life. The results are supported by long-term observations in real conditions. The above advantages are attributed to more perfect micro- and macrostructure of the alkali-activated cement stone. The authors have summarized their own experience and results collected by PhD and DSc students under their supervision dedicated to assessment of durability of these concretes, in particular, for marine engineering applications. In order to bring these advanced materials into practice of construction worldwide, two rilem (International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Struc‐ tures) committees have been founded: "Alkali-activated Materials" (2010–2013) and "Durability Testing of Alkali Activated Materials" (2013–ongoing).


The natural history and pathophysiological significance of tissue remodeling in the myocardial remote zone after acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is incompletely understood. Extracellular volume (ECV) in myocardial regions of interest can now be measured with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Patients who sustained an acute STEMI were enrolled in a cohort study (BHF MR-MI [British Heart Foundation Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Acute ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction study]). Cardiac magnetic resonance was performed at 1.5 Tesla at 2 days and 6 months post STEMI. T1 modified Look-Locker inversion recovery mapping was performed before and 15 minutes after contrast (0.15 mmol/kg gadoterate meglumine) in 140 patients at 2 days post STEMI (mean age: 59 years, 76% male) and in 131 patients at 6 months post STEMI. Remote zone ECV was lower than infarct zone ECV (25.6±2.8% versus 51.4±8.9%; P<0.001). In multivariable regression, left ventricular ejection fraction was inversely associated with remote zone ECV (P<0.001), and diabetes mellitus was positively associated with remote zone ECV (P=0.010). No ST-segment resolution (P=0.034) and extent of ischemic area at risk (P<0.001) were multivariable associates of the change in remote zone ECV at 6 months (&Dgr;ECV). &Dgr;ECV was a multivariable associate of the change in left ventricular end-diastolic volume at 6 months (regression coefficient [95% confidence interval]: 1.43 (0.10–2.76); P=0.036). &Dgr;ECV is implicated in the pathophysiology of left ventricular remodeling post STEMI, but because the effect size is small, &Dgr;ECV has limited use as a clinical biomarker of remodeling. Clinical Trial Registration—URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02072850.


OBJECT
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) on the walking pattern of children with cerebral palsy (CP). The authors hypothesized that SDR would reduce the overactive stretch reflex and result in improved joint positions, greater joint angular velocities and motion, and greater strides. The authors also expected that the changes from the SDR would be reflected in the electrical activities of the muscles.

METHODS
Twenty children with CP participated in the study. Ten underwent SDR and 10 who met the inclusion criteria but who did not undergo SDR formed a control group. Gait analysis was performed twice in both groups at comparable time intervals. Within-group (pre- and post-SDR) assessments and between-group (SDR compared with no SDR) assessments were performed. The results indicated that strides increased 1.4 cm on average (p < 0.001), hip and knee excursion increased as a result of greater hip and knee flexion in swing, and ankle dorsiflexion in stance improved. Hip-flexion and knee-extension velocities were increased in swing. Electromyography changes were consistent with these gait changes and support the authors' hypothesis.

CONCLUSIONS
By attenuating the stretch response, SDR alters gait mechanics. The effects of SDR include greater strides, joint excursions, and joint angular velocity.