Planetary dynamos, resulting from fluid flow in electrically conductive parts of their interior, are thought to be highly time dependent. Currently, our understanding of temporal variation of these fields is limited because we only have observations for one example, the Earth. To overcome this, data acquired by 6 NASA space missions between 1973-2003 are used to investigate possible time variation (secular variation) of Jupiter's magnetic field. Previous attempts to constrain jovimagnetic secular variation have been inconclusive or ineffective for various reasons. We attempt to resolve these issues in a number of ways. All data available within 12 Jovian radii are considered and modelling of the external field takes place for each individual orbit. Whilst we find that non-uniqueness limits resolution of Jupiter's magnetodisk configuration, it does not prevent the resulting field from being constrained: we find this field does not vary greatly with time and conclude that solar activity is not a strong control on its generation. Of particular significance is our regularised minimum norm approach to modelling the planetary field. This approach allows construction of numerically stable models with small-scale (high spherical harmonic degree) structure that directly fit the observations. Two models of Jupiter's magnetic field are presented: the first time-averaged over the whole dataset, whilst the second allows for linear time variation of the field. With the inclusion of secular variation, we find an improved fit with fewer additional parameters, suggesting that changes to the field can be resolved. Our favoured solution indicates a 0.012%/year increase in Jupiter's dipole magnetic moment over the investigated time period; this value is roughly a factor of four less then that currently observed at Earth. Relating field changes to internal dynamics, we use our models of secular variation to infer the motion of material at the top of the dynamo source. Velocities on the order of 200km/year are found, approximately an order of magnitude faster then at Earth, but with similarities in flow configuration. Further analysis shows that our optimal solution may be too conservative and that we are able to approximate a polar configuration previously only attained by models employing the additional constraint of auroral footprint position. In doing so, the models favour reversed polar flux, which has important dynamical implications for the interior. The longitude of data used in these models are defined relative to the System III 1965.0 rotation period, itself defined by the magnetic field. Thus, some of the secular variation could result from inaccuracies in the determination of this reference frame. We find that such an affect cannot explain all the observed secular variation. The constraint of our magnetic models on changes to planetary rotation rate, allows a bound to be placed on angular momentum transfer between the atmosphere and deep interior, analogous with variations in Earth's observed length-of-day. This provides strong observational evidence against models directly linking surface winds to deep Jovian convection.


Pervasive Mobile and Ambient Wireless Communications reports the findings of COST 2100, a project of the European intergovernmental COST framework addressing various topics currently emerging in mobile and wireless communications. Drawing on experience developed in this and earlier COST projects, the text represents the final outcome of collaborative work involving more than 500 researchers in 140 institutions and 30 countries (including outside Europe). The books subject matter includes: transmission techniques; signal processing; radio channel modelling and measurement; radio network issues; and recent paradigms including ultra-wideband, cooperative, vehicle-to-vehicle and body communications. The research reported comes from a variety of backgrounds: academic, equipment-manufacturing and operational and the information contained in this book will bring the study reported to a wider audience from all those spheres of work. Pervasive Mobile and Ambient Wireless Communications will be of interest to researchers for its cutting-edge analysis and to practitioners for its functional usability.


Based on the theory of Markov Random Fields, a Bayesian regularization model for diffusion tensor images (DTI) is proposed in this paper. The low-degree parameterization of diffusion tensors in our model makes it less computationally intensive to obtain a maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation. An approximate solution to the problem is achieved efficiently using hierarchical Markov Chain Monte Carlo (HMCMC), and a loopy belief propagation algorithm is applied to a coarse grid to obtain a good initial solution for hierarchical MCMC. Experiments on synthetic and real data demonstrate the effectiveness of our methods.


Given a poset $P$, the set, $\Gamma(P)$, of all Scott closed sets ordered by inclusion forms a complete lattice. A subcategory $\mathbf{C}$ of $\mathbf{Pos}_d$ (the category of posets and Scott-continuous maps) is said to be $\Gamma$-faithful if for any posets $P$ and $Q$ in $\mathbf{C}$, $\Gamma(P) \cong \Gamma(Q)$ implies $P \cong Q$. It is known that the category of all continuous dcpos and the category of bounded complete dcpos are $\Gamma$-faithful, while $\mathbf{Pos}_d$ is not. Ho & Zhao (2009) asked whether the category $\mathbf{DCPO}$ of dcpos is $\Gamma$-faithful. In this paper, we answer this question in the negative by exhibiting a counterexample. To achieve this, we introduce a new subcategory of dcpos which is $\Gamma$-faithful. This subcategory subsumes all currently known $\Gamma$-faithful subcategories. With this new concept in mind, we construct the desired counterexample which relies heavily on Johnstone's famous dcpo which is not sober in its Scott topology.


Changes to summer low flows from forest harvesting were measured for a gauged fourth-order stream in the Hinkle Creek Paired Watershed Study. At the gauged stream, August streamflow increased an average of 1.9 mm/year (45%) for the three summers following forest harvest of 13% of a 1,084 ha watershed. Following a second harvest of an additional 13% of the watershed the August streamflow increased by 4.5 mm (106%) the first summer and 2.0 mm (47%) the second summer. Master recession curves were fit to the gauged watersheds and the resulting recession coefficients were used to predict low flows from small watersheds nested within the gauged watersheds. The estimated low flows were used to evaluate changes in summer low flows associated with forest harvest for the small watersheds. Using recession curve analysis, the estimated range of the increase for average August streamflow for the four small watersheds in the Hinkle Creek Paired Watershed Study was 1.7 mm to 4.4 mm the first summer following forest harvest. August streamflow in the small watersheds was not distinguishable from preharvest levels within 5 years for all but one watershed, which had the highest proportion of watershed area harvested.


First generation, photocrosslinkable dendrimers consisting of natural metabolites (i.e., succinic acid, glycerol, and beta-alanine) and nonimmunogenic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were synthesized divergently in high yields using ester and carbamate forming reactions. Aqueous solutions of these dendrimers were photocrosslinked with an eosin-based photoinitiator to afford hydrogels. The hydrogels displayed a range of mechanical properties based on their structure, generation size, and concentration in solution. All of the hydrogels showed minimal swelling characteristics. The dendrimer solutions were then photocrosslinked in situ in an ex vivo rabbit osteochondral defect (3 mm diameter and 10 mm depth), and the resulting hydrogels were subjected to physiologically relevant dynamic loads. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed the hydrogels to be fixated in the defect site after the repetitive loading regimen. The ([G1]-PGLBA-MA) 2-PEG hydrogel was chosen for the 6 month pilot in vivo rabbit study because this hydrogel scaffold could be prepared at low polymer weight (10 wt %) and possessed the largest compressive modulus of the 10% formulations, a low swelling ratio, and contained carbamate linkages, which are more hydrolytically stable than the ester linkages. The hydrogel-treated osteochondral defects showed good attachment in the defect site and histological analysis showed the presence of collagen II and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the treated defects. By contrast, the contralateral unfilled defects showed poor healing and negligible GAG or collagen II production. Good mechanical properties, low swelling, good attachment to the defect site, and positive in vivo results illustrate the potential of these dendrimer-based hydrogels as scaffolds for osteochondral defect repair.


BACKGROUND
The presence of intracellular organisms (ICOs) in polymorphonuclear cells obtained from respiratory secretions is a possible method for rapid diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia. We correlated ICOs with quantitative endotracheal aspirate (QA) in intubated patients.

METHODS
Consecutive intubated patients in the surgical intensive care unit had respiratory samples obtained every 2 days until extubation. Two thresholds for ICOs and quantitative culture were examined. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated using QA as reference.

RESULTS
One hundred one samples were obtained from 35 patients. Colony counts >or= 100,000 were found in 34 samples; 60 samples had colony counts >or= 10,000. Antibiotic use did not affect the sensitivity or specificity of ICOs. Sensitivity of ICOs was 39% to 85%, and specificity was 82% to 97%. Positive predictive value was 70% to 96%, and negative predictive value was 50% to 91%.

CONCLUSION
ICOs provide a quick method for establishing the presence of a significant bacterial load in the respiratory tract. Accuracy of ICOs in predicting a positive QA is not affected by concurrent antibiotics.


A variety of topics on the statistical analysis of time
series are addressed in this thesis. The main emphasis is on the
state space methodology and, in particular, on structural time
series (STS) models. There are now many applications of STS models
in the literature and they have proved to be very successful.
The keywords of this thesis vary from - Kalman filter,
smoothing and diagnostic checking - to - time-varying cubic splines
and intra-daily effects -. Five separate studies are carried out for
this research project and they are reflected in the chapters 2 to 6.
All studies concern time series models which are placed in the state
space form (SSF) so that the Kalman filter (KF) can be applied for
estimation. The SSF and the KF play a central role in time series
analysis that can be compared with the important role of the
regression model and the method of least squares estimation in
econometrics. Chapter 2 gives an overview of the latest developments
in the state space methodology including diffuse likelihood
evaluation, stable calculations, etc.
Smoothing algorithms evaluate the full sample estimates of
unobserved components in time series models. New smoothing
algorithms are developed for the state and the disturbance vector of
the SSF which are computationally efficient and outperform existing
methods. Chapter 3 discusses the existing and the new smoothing
algorithms with an emphasis on theory, algorithms and practical
implications. The new smoothing results pave the way to use
auxiliary residuals, that is full sample estimates of the
disturbances, for diagnostic checking of unobserved components time
series models. Chapter 4 develops test statistics for auxiliary
residuals and it presents applications showing how they can be used
to detect and distinguish between outliers and structural change.
A cubic spline is a polynomial function of order three which
is regularly used for interpolation and curve-fitting. It has also
been applied to piecewise regressions, density approximations, etc.
Chapter 5 develops the cubic spline further by allowing it to vary
over time and by introducing it into time series models. These timevarying
cubic splines are an efficient way of handling slowly
changing periodic movements in time series.
This method for modelling a changing periodic pattern is
applied in a structural time series model used to forecast hourly
electricity load demand, with the periodic movements being intradaily
or intra-weekly. The full model contains other components,
including a temperature response which is also modelled using cubic
splines. A statistical computer package (SHELF) is developed to
produce, at any time, hourly load forecasts three days ahead.


This thesis provides a framework of economic analysis which both Governments and the petroleum industry can draw upon in their negotiation of fiscal terms that offer a fair and just basis of wealth allocation. Its principal objectives are to critically evaluate the petroleum fiscal regime in the UK North Sea since 1975, and identify a fiscal regime that is acceptable to Government and oil industry alike. Government and oil companies are the key decision-makers in the upstream sector of petroleum industry. However, their individual focus is one of competing rather than complementary objectives. Governments of oil producing countries face important challenges when designing a tax system that meets the two fundamental objectives of ensuring a fair share of revenues for themselves whilst simultaneously providing sufficient incentives to encourage investment. Besides, petroleum resource has special features that can impose further difficulties in the design and implementation of an appropriate tax system aimed at achieving a balance between both Government and industry interests'. Over the years, achieving this balance has given rise to significant controversy in the UK. The structure of the current fiscal regime was formally legislated through the Oil Taxation Act of 1975. However, the regime has been frequently reviewed and amended. Its current structure is significantly different from its original version. Th~ various amendments to the regime have led researchers and specialists to either criticising or supporting Government actions. This thesis conducts an in depth analysis on the principal fiscal packages that have applied to the UKCS and analyses their effect on the balance between the Government and oil companies' objectives. The research is carried out in the light of an essential and timely feature, the current maturity of the UK oil province. The thesis demonstrates that, in practice, it is very difficult to develop an ideal fiscal package. Several complications are associated with petroleum taxation, resulting mainly from the difficulty in determining a suitable tax base as well as the inevitable compromises to the criteria that are required to categorise an optimal tax. Consequently, it is not surprising to find that none of the tax instruments proposed in previous studies or those applied in the UK represents an optimal tax. The UK petroleum fiscal regime suffered from several limitations. However, currently, the UK fiscal regime is one of the most attractive regimes in the world, from an investor's standpoint. Government take is lower than the pre-1993 fiscal structures, but any future concerns about UKCS taxation must take into account the current maturity of the petroleum reserve base. A high level of Government take is not recommended in cases of high-risk exploration, high-cost development, or for those provinces with modest petroleum potential, as is the case in the UK North Sea.


We combine new dust continuum observations of the edge-on spiral galaxy NGC 4565 in all Herschel/Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (250, 350 and 500 mu m) wavebands, obtained as part of the Herschel Reference Survey, and a large set of ancillary data (Spitzer, Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Galaxy Evolution Explorer) to analyse its dust energy balance. We fit a radiative transfer model for the stars and dust to the optical maps with the fitting algorithm FITSKIRT. To account for the observed ultraviolet and mid-infrared emission, this initial model was supplemented with both obscured and unobscured star-forming regions. Even though these star-forming complexes provide an additional heating source for the dust, the far-infrared/submillimetre emission long wards of 100 mu m is underestimated by a factor of 3-4. This inconsistency in the dust energy budget of NGC 4565 suggests that a sizable fraction (two-thirds) of the total dust reservoir (M-d similar to 2.9 x 10(8) M-circle dot) consists of a clumpy distribution with no associated young stellar sources. The distribution of those dense dust clouds would be in such a way that they remain unresolved in current far-infrared/submillimetre observations and hardly contribute to the attenuation at optical wavelengths. More than two-thirds of the dust heating in NGC 4565 is powered by the old stellar population, with localized embedded sources supplying the remaining dust heating in NGC 4565. The results from this detailed dust energy balance study in NGC 4565 are consistent with that of similar analyses of other edge-on spirals.


The South African (SA) legislative framework follows a hierarchical structure aligned with the relevant level of government (national, provincial or local) responsible for applying and monitoring the legislation, with the overarching and progressive Constitution as the supreme law. Delegated legislation (also known as secondary or subordinate legislation, e.g. regulations) 'adds flesh' to Acts of Parliament, or other forms of original legislation. The control and use of human tissue in South Africa is primarily governed by the National Health Act and relevant regulations, although other national acts, in differing degrees, are also relevant to this complex field. These include, among others, the Medicines and Related Substances Act, the Consumer Protection Act, the Children's Act and the Inquest Act. Regulations generally only require ministerial and not parliamentary approval and are therefore (theoretically) easier to amend. In principle, the drafting of Acts should be preceded by policy documents, which contain broad foundational guidelines or a statement of intent in the area in question. Another useful source in the interpretation of legislation, albeit not officially recognised as legislation, is guidelines (sometimes referred to as standards), that may provide greater granularity than the regulations. Although neither policy documents nor guidelines are directly legally binding, a lack of compliance with the latter may have legal significance. In this article, the components of the hierarchical structure relevant to the legal regulation of human tissue in SA will be examined, with a specific focus on stem cell research and therapy. A critical analysis of the accuracy, relevance, redundancy and completeness (or lack thereof) of these components will be provided. Furthermore, recommendations outlining the procedures that should be undertaken to remedy the inadequacies of the current legislative framework will be suggested. Given the well-defined structure of this framework and the relative youth of human tissue legislation in SA, the legislator has an opportunity to mirror the values and principles embodied in the Constitution by addressing these inconsistencies, and in the process develop a globally-applicable and appropriate legislative model in the fields of stem cell research and therapy


This paper describes a way of co-operation between industries, universities and government that has proven to be very fruitful. The Swedish Gas Turbine Centre (GTC) is constituted as a research consortium between technical universities and gas turbine industry. The overall goal of the centre, that was founded in 1996 on a governmental initiative, is to build up a basis of knowledge at Swedish universities to support the industrial development in Sweden of gas turbines of the future with expected requirements on low emissions, high efficiencies, high availability, and low costs. Since the start the research has had a focus on high temperature components of gas turbines (combustion chamber and turbine). This is also reflected in the on-going development phase where the research program consists of four project areas: cooling technology, combustion technology, aeroelasticity, and life time prediction of hot components. The projects are aiming at developing design tools and calculation and verification methods within these fields. A total of eleven research students (among them one industrial PhD student) are active in the centre at present. Numerical analysis as well as experimental verification in test rigs are included. The program has so far produced eleven Licentiate of Engineering and five PhD. On-going activities and recent results of the research in the four research areas are presented: A new test rig for investigation of time-dependent pressures of three-dimensional features on a vibrating turbine blade at realistic Mach, Reynolds and Strouhal numbers and first experimental results. Results of numerical simulations of heat loads on turbine blades and vanes, especially platform cooling. First results of numerical investigations of combustion and thermo-acoustic instabilities in gas turbine chambers. Experimental investigation of crack propagation in gas turbine materials using the scanning electron microscope (SEM).


The influence of spectral inversion on the phase jitter of a soliton propagating in single-channel arbitrary dispersion-managed systems is studied with a semianalytic moment method. The results are similar to those previously observed in constant-dispersion links and show that the transmission-system reach can significantly be increased.


A close inspection of a passage from Macrobius' treatise De differentiis throws new light into a highly debated issue, namely the qualification of strong -α perfects (like πέπηγα) as instances of middle diathesis. The difficult passage highlights the contrast between two different approches: one – very popular since the Tέχνη γραμματική – assumes 'mediality' as a form/meaning contrast (active form/passive meaning); the other – drawn from an obscure passage by Apollonius Dyscolus – assumes 'mediality' as the coexistence of both meanings (active and passive) in the same form. The influence of the latter approach – which has generally been neglected – is confirmed by the De differentiis , thanks to some Homeric quotations which clearly identify Apollonius Dyscolus as Macrobius' (not necessarily direct) source.


Biotite is the most used Ar-40-Ar-39 geochronometer yet two significant problems arise from Ar-Ar step-heating. Dating altered biotite can be problematic, producing disturbed age spectra that reflect Ar-39 recoil. However, unaltered biotite can yield disturbed ages with apparently meaningful plateau ages as a result of mineral breakdown during stepped heating. Obtaining meaningful ages from such spectra is very difficult. Because alteration of biotite is common and widespread in nature, and because many biotites affected by alteration are nonetheless unique geologically and/or representative of key localities, the capability to obtain reliable ages from altered material is extremely important. In this study, the effects of alteration progress on biotite age spectra were tested using both IR laser step-heating and UV laser microprobe Ar-40-Ar-39 dating techniques. Our aims were to extract geologically meaningful ages from altered biotite and to identify cases where the ages had been influenced by alteration.

Three variably altered biotites from the Precambrian metamorphic terrain of southwestern Montana were selected for argon isotopic analysis, Sample A is an unaltered rock containing pristine biotite, sample B is a highly altered rock with chlorite and prehnite interlayers within biotite, and sample C contains biotite with only incipient alteration. For each sample, the biotite ages obtained with IR and UV laser techniques were compared and the validity of the apparent ages was assessed.

IR step-heating analysis of biotite from sample A yielded a well-defined plateau of 1776 +/- 6 Ma. UV laser microprobe analysis of the same biotite yielded a concordant weighted mean age of 1771 +/- 8 Ma, based upon 65 spot analyses of eight grains that ranged in age from 1819 +/- 54 to 1722 +/- 62 Ma. In contrast, IR step-heating of biotite from sample B resulted in disturbed spectra, with two separate fragments yielding total gas ages of 1505 +/- 12 and 1540 +/- 16 Ma, whereas UV laser microprobe analysis yielded 14 spot ages ranging from 1806 +/- 72 to 1565 +/- 78 Ma, UV laser analysis of sample C produced apparent ages ranging from 1772 +/- 52 to 1359 +/- 200 Ma.

Detailed analysis of age variations occurring perpendicular to (001) cleavage planes of biotite in sample B was accomplished by depth profiling using the UV laser microprobe. Depth profiling of single grains revealed considerable age variation among the biotite layers, with profiles 1 and 2 yielding apparent ages ranging from 1730 +/- 226 to 1511 +/- 186 Ma.


Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common gastrointestinal disorder that results from regurgitation of acid from the stomach into the esophagus. Treatment available for GERD includes lifestyle changes, antacids, histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs), proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), and anti-reflux surgery. Aim: The aim of this review is to assess the cost-effectiveness of the use of PPIs in the long-term management of patients with GERD. Method: We searched in PubMed to identify related original articles with close consideration based on inclusion and exclusion criteria to choose the best studies for this narrative review. The first section compares the cost-effectiveness of PPIs with H2RAs in long-term heartburn management. The other sections shall only discuss the cost-effectiveness of PPIs in 5 different strategies, namely, continuous (step-up, step-down, and maintenance), on-demand, and intermittent therapies. Results: Of 55 articles published, 10 studies published from 2000 to 2015 were included. Overall, PPIs are more effective in relieving heartburn in comparison with ranitidine. The use of PPIs in managing heartburn in long-term consumption of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) has higher cost compared with H2RA. However, if the decision-maker is willing to pay more than US$174 788.60 per extra quality-adjusted life year (QALY), then the optimal strategy is traditional NSAID (tNSAID) and PPIs. The probability of being cost-effective was also highest for NSAID and PPI co-therapy users. On-demand PPI treatment strategy showed dominant with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of US$2197 per QALY gained and was most effective and cost saving compared with all the other treatments. The average cost-effectiveness ratio was lower for rabeprazole therapy than for ranitidine therapy. Conclusion: Our review revealed that long-term treatment with PPIs is effective but costly. To achieve long-term cost-effective approach, we recommend on-demand approach to treat heartburn symptoms, but if the symptoms persist, treatment with continuous step-down therapy should be applied.


Objective: The paper is intended to analyze and evaluate the specific clinical effects of patients who suffered from invasive bone tumors at proximal tibia and received the rotating-hinge knee prosthesis replacement.
Method: 1,000 cases of patients with invasive bone tumors at proximal tibia all received the treatment of rotating-hinge knee prosthesis replacement. After the operation, the 4-year follow-up visit was conducted on these patients to understand knee joint recovery, complication incidence rate and illness recurrence rate etc. for an evaluation of the treatment effects.
Results: The average time of follow-up visit was 4.1 ± 0.5 years and 837 patients recovered well. The clinical score system of osteoclastoma showed that the average score was above 3 with the overall effective treatment rate at 83.7%. 163 patients suffered from illness recurrence with the recurrence rate at 16.3%, and 97 (9.7%) patients suffered from complications during the post-operation recovery with the average knee joint flexion at (95.5 ± 2.4)° and straightening knee joint flexion up to 180°.
Conclusion: Good treatment effects are achieved among patients who suffered from invasive bone tumors at proximal tibia and received the rotating-hinge knee prosthesis replacement, and the treatment is beneficial to the knee joint functions and normal limb movement.


Augmented reality mixes computer generated graphics with real imaging using computer
vision techniques. However, nowadays, augmented reality is still a very young field of
research, and its applications usually involve predefi ned tags. This thesis has been
directed to use computer vision and arti cial intelligence techniques to explore the
viability of using natural landmarks as key points for computer graphics reference.
Moreover, there are many techniques that infer 3D scenes from images like stereo-vision,
structures from motion, depth images, shape from shading, etc. The aim of this work
is to find a way of doing this from one single shot image. Finally, new virtual elements
will be integrated on the final scene using contextual colors.
The followed methodology has been to automatically segment an image in small planar
surfaces using di fferent granularities of small regions. Each region is assumed to likely
lie on only one planar surface, and thus it the 3D face that it came from can be inferred.
The normal vector of the planes corresponding to the 3D faces are approximated along a
discrete set of orientations. In addition, some regions do not have a regular orientation
and thus, they are assumed as a texturized or porous region.
Inferring the fi nal 3D orientation and location from the set of labelled regions is a
non-trivial task. This work proposes a method based on the coherent topology of the
neighborhood. The 3D position of each point of a region is found and a 3D scenario
can be obtained. After that, the regions of the original images are textured in the 3D
reconstructed faces.
Finally, a color transfer approach is used to integrate new 3D objects inside the final
scene.


The paper presents a new idea of foil water-lubricated bearing and the methodology of hydrodynamic characteristics calculations. Two different computer models were built in order to assess the theoretical characteristics of these bearings. Firstly a structural model coupled with a hydrodynamic fluid model which takes into account: fluid flow in the deformed fluid gap — a specific design of bearing support and the friction in bearing support. The second model is based on the fluid structure interaction simulation. Due to the fact that it is necessary to define physical properties of the materials for computer models, special tribology and stiffness tests of actual materials intended to be used in the prototype bearing were performed.The test rig was modernised by installing pressure sensors on bush perimeter in two parallel planes in order to verify the method of the calculation of the bearing.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


The M-Net Face of Africa competition was conceived as a platform for African models to showcase their talent to the international fashion world, and to present a positive image of contemporary Africa. Other goals of this competition were to comply with M-Net's social responsibility in the greater African community where the broadcasting company functions, and to develop inter alia television broadcasting programmes for M-Net's rapidly increasing audience across the African continent. The Excellence Study (Dozier, Grunig & Grunig, 1995) formed the theoretical basis of the present study. This study argues that public relations (PR) contributes to organisational effectiveness by "using programmes to build relationships with the strategic constituencies of an organisation" (Grunig, 1992:65).
The major theoretical concept in the present study was the public relations campaign built around the M-Net Face of Africa competition, and the following three constructs were identified for the purposes of the present study: the seven steps in the PR campaign, the goals / objectives of the campaign and the evaluation thereof.
The research goal of the study was to evaluate the M-Net's Face of Africa public relations campaign by means of a standard, internationally accepted evaluation model for public relations programmes. It was established that M-Net has never formally and scientifically evaluated this PR prograbme, although it is generally accepted and referred to as an international PR success story. It presented itself as an ideal research opportunity and afforded the researchers the opportunity to: (1) determine the method(s) and / or model(s) M-Net has thus far used to evaluate the competition; (2) present these findings; (3) discuss these findings in terms of the suggested international evaluation model for public relations programmes / campaigns such as the M-Net Face of Africa campaign; and (4) formulate recommendations for both formative and summative research for future similar public relations campaigns.


The use of non-negative matrix factorisation (NMF) on 2D face images has been shown to result in sparse feature vectors that encode for local patches on the face, and thus provides a statistically justified approach to learning parts from wholes. However successful on 2D images, the method has so far not been extended to 3D images. The main reason for this is that 3D space is a continuum and so it is not apparent how to represent 3D coordinates in a non-negative fashion. This work compares different non-negative representations for spatial coordinates, and demonstrates that not all non-negative representations are suitable. We analyse the representational properties that make NMF a successful method to learn sparse 3D facial features. Using our proposed representation, the factorisation results in sparse and interpretable facial features.


Photonic integrated circuits are becoming increasingly more complex, especially with the emergence of programmable photonic circuits. These require many tunable photonic elements, such as electro-optic phase shifters and tunable couplers. We will discuss our progress in compact, low-power silicon photonics actuators based on heaters, liquid crystal and MEMS that can be scaled up to large circuits.


Larinus minutus Gyllenhal, a biological control agent of invasive knapweeds, has become established in several states and provinces since initial North American introduction in 1991. In order to reduce growing spotted knapweed populations in Northwest Arkansas, Larinus minutus (a biological control agent of spotted knapweed) was released annually from 2008-2011. Little is known about the larval development of this species, although the widespread use of this insect has provided research describing detailed host range and generalized life history. The speed and extent of the spread of this weevil from release sites following introduction have not been reported. This research described the larval development of L. minutus and its spread from release sites. Overwintered adult weevils were field collected and allowed to mate for two days for larval development studies. Females were placed individually into a mesh cage attached to a capitulum and allowed ~24 hours to oviposit. Randomly-collected caged capitula were dissected biweekly and head capsule measurements recorded. Once a majority of larva pupated, alternate day observations were conducted on remaining caged capitula to determine average emergence date. Two cohorts (occurring at full and late-flower) were used to observe season-related development differences. Two larval instars were observed from head capsule data analyzed with Hcap, a computer program that analyzes frequency distributions to determine instar number, mean head capsule width, instar range, and optimal separation points. Compared to previously published observations, all developmental stages were accelerated and one fewer stage was observed. Release sites were surveyed with transect sampling in winter of 2011 and 2012 to describe average L. minutus spread following introduction. Sampling included collection of 100 capitula per quadrat along each transect for later dissection and timed visual observation to record positive infestation. GPS coordinates were recorded at each sample location to determine distance from a release site. Collected data were analyzed with a diffusion equation to describe the spread from a release site. This research shows two years post release, an annual increase of infested capitula, up to 21%, and spread from a release point, up to ~225 m can be expected. This thesis is approved for recommendation to the Graduate Council.


This paper argues for the existence of a dynamic interaction between constructional polysemy and coercion in shaping lower-level configurations of the subjective-transitive construction in English and Spanish. In particular, a fine-grained analysis is provided of those configurations featuring coercion via a reflexive pronoun in the object slot. The corpus-based analysis provided here shows that the verbs in question, regardless of their inherent lexical semantics, are construed in this construction as expressing a personal assessment by the subject/speaker about himself/herself, thus providing incontrovertible evidence for a constructionist analysis of the type invoked here. Moreover, the coercion effects examined here lend further credence to the construction-specific and also language-specific nature of constructions, especially in the light of instances of the reflexive subjective-transitive construction after saber ('know') in Spanish. This paper also suggests that the explanatory power of the anatomy of a given construction can be further maximized if the morphosyntactic properties of the XPCOMP are mapped onto their inherent meaning properties.


The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that the influence of an internationalizing coalition on political leaders is a key mediating variable in the relationship between trade interdependence and international conflict. In the literature, scholars have contradicting theories and empirical conclusions about whether trade interdependence promotes peace or conflict. In this article, I argue that, dyadically, the pacifying effect of trade interdependence is conditional upon the influence of an internationalizing coalition on both political leaders. When the support of internationalizing coalitions is important to both leaders' political survival, the leaders will be more reluctant to use militarized measures to solve international disputes because the use of force will compromise the internationalizing coalitions' opportunity to make money. On the other hand, if the support from the internationalizing coalitions is not important to both leaders' political survival, the leaders will feel less constrained to use militarized measures. The underlying assumption is that internationalizing coalitions always prefer a peaceful and stable commercial environment to a conflictual one, because a conflictual situation hurts their commercial interests. I use a game-theoretical model to demonstrate the logic of this theory and then test it with logit and generalized estimating equations (GEE) models using data from 1962 to 2001. Besides, the game-theoretical model also points to a phenomenon that is worth paying attention to: as the influence of internationalizing coalitions on both political leaders increases, the probability of a militarized interstate dispute decreases, but this does not guarantee a positive peace-under some situations peace is built under the disguise of successful coercions. Based on this finding, a policy implication regarding the Cross-Strait relationship is suggested in the last part of this paper.


This study aims to advance and enhance our understanding of the properties that contribute to the perceived authenticity of a specific art form: Hip-Hop lyrics. The basis of our study is an experiment carried out in the context of a large, mainstream contemporary music festival. We crowdsourced a large dataset of authenticity judgements for both authentic and neurally generated Hip-Hop lyrics, which enable us to quantitatively assess human biases toward artificially generated text as well as which linguistic characteristics are perceived as authenticity cues. Additionally, the dataset provides solid ground for evaluating different neural language generation systems with respect to their perceived credibility. We compare a variety of language models and techniques. Our experiments contribute equally to improving the credibility of generated text and enhancing our understanding of the cognitive processes at play in the perception of authentic and artificial art.


Abstract. Uncertainties for upper-air trend patterns are still substantial. Observations from the radio occultation (RO) technique offer new opportunities to assess the existing observational records there. Long-term time series are available from radiosondes and from the (Advanced) Microwave Sounding Unit (A)MSU. None of them were originally intended to deliver data for climate applications. Demanding intercalibration and homogenization procedures are required to account for changes in instrumentation and observation techniques. In this comparative study three (A)MSU anomaly time series and two homogenized radiosonde records are compared to RO data from the CHAMP, SAC-C, GRACE-A and F3C missions for September 2001 to December 2010. Differences of monthly anomalies are examined to assess the differences in the datasets due to structural uncertainties. The difference of anomalies of the (A)MSU datasets relative to RO shows a statistically significant trend within about (−0.2±0.1) K/10 yr (95% confidence interval) at all latitudes. This signals a systematic deviation of the two datasets over time. The radiosonde network has known deficiencies in its global coverage, with sparse representation of most of the southern hemisphere, the tropics and the oceans. In this study the error that results from sparse sampling is estimated and accounted for by subtracting it from radiosonde and RO datasets. Surprisingly the sampling error correction is also important in the Northern Hemisphere (NH), where the radiosonde network is dense over the continents but does not capture large atmospheric variations in NH winter. Considering the sampling error, the consistency of radiosonde and RO anomalies is improving substantially; the trend in the anomaly differences is generally very small. Regarding (A)MSU, its poor vertical resolution poses another problem by missing important features of the vertical atmospheric structure. This points to the advantage of homogeneously distributed measurements with high vertical resolution.


In recent years, many systems for visualizing and exploring massive amounts of data have emerged. A topic that has not yet been investigated much, concerns the analysis of constraints that different objects impose on one another, regarding co-existence. \\ In this paper, we present concepts toward visualizing mutual constraints between objects in a three-dimensional virtual and AR- based setting. We use 3x3 Sudoku games as suitable examples for investigating the underlying, more general concepts of helping users visualize and explore the constraints between different settings in rows, columns and blocks of matrix-like arrangements. Constraints are shown as repulsive and magnetic forces making objects keep their distance or seek proximity. \\ We expect our concepts to be valuable beyond gaming ? both as didactic tools for teaching and research, and in computational steering scenarios where problems are too complex to be solved by the computer alone in a reasonable amount of time. We are in the process of developing several prototypical visualization and interaction environments for Sudoku puzzles, allowing users to explore constraints in virtual 3D settings on a desktop and in an Augmented Reality-based environment. This paper reports on the underlying visualization principles.


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A number of historians of science have claimed that the early Boyle Sermons provided a platform for the promotion of a moderate-Anglican social and political ideology underpinned by Newtonian natural philosophy. However, by examining in detail the texts of Richard Bentley, John Harris and Samuel Clarke, this thesis argues that their Sermons should not be characterised as 'Newtonian'. These texts were highly complex literary productions constructed with the intention of achieving victory over the enemies of Christianity. An examination of their rhetorical strategies
focuses attention on the use to which various cognitive materials - including natural philosophy - were put. Thus the presence of Newtonian concepts in the texts is
explained by the aims and overall scholarly programmes of the Lecturers. It will also be argued that the term 'Boyle Lectureship' is problematic and that the main elements of the Lectureship - Robert Boyle's bequest, the Trustees, the
Lecturers, and the Sermons - cannot be conflated into a single historical unit. Therefore, throughout this study, emphasis is placed on the contingent and singular
behaviour of individuals located within an ecclesiastical and scholarly community, where career promotion and the notion of scholarly credit were important. The brief
in Boyle's last will and testament stipulated that the Lecturers must defend Christianity using the scholarly tools to hand. In this thesis it will be shown that the
personnel of the Lectureship conformed to Boyle's brief and that they utilised all available methods and materials in the pursuance of their legal and institutional
responsibilities. This approach removes the analysis of the Lectureship from an overarching sociological perspective; instead the Sermons are interpreted as exemplary texts in the rhetorical prosecution of the enemies of Christianity. This study, therefore, acknowledges the complex nature of theological texts in early modern England.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report how food regulators communicate with consumers about food safety and how they believe consumers understand their role in relation to food safety. The implications of this on the role of food regulators are considered. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 42 food regulators from Australia, New Zealand and the UK participated in a semi-structured interview about their response to food incidents and issues of food regulation more generally. Data were analysed thematically. Findings – Food regulators have a key role in communicating information to consumers about food safety and food incidents. This is done in two main ways: proactive and reactive communication. The majority of regulators said that consumers do not have a good understanding of what food regulation involves and there were varied views on whether or not this is important. Practical implications – Both reactive and proactive communication with consumers are important, however there are clear be...


Sub-Saharan Africa's recent economic boom has raised hopes and expectations to lift the regions' 'bottom millions' out of poverty by 2030. How realistic is that goal? We approach this question by comparing the experiences of three front-runners of region-specific development trajectories – Britain's capital-intensive, Japan's labour-intensive, and Ghana's land-extensive growth path –, highlighting some historical analogies that are relevant for, but often overlooked in the current 'Africa rising' debate. We draw particular attention to Africa's demographic boom and the possibilities of a transition to labour-intensive export-led industrialization. Although our exercise in diachronic comparative history offers little hope for poverty eradication by 2030, we do see broadened opportunities for sustained African economic growth in the longer-term.


This article addresses our post 9/11 veterans and the increasing need for those in higher education, law teaching, and law practice to be aware of the challenges these veterans face in reintegration into their communities, particularly with their use of their Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits. Higher education institutions, including law schools, need to be culturally sensitive to the diverse needs of veteran students, and should have integrated supports in place to maximize their success as students. In addition to being prepared to support veterans returning to campus, lawyers and law students need to be taught how best to serve veteran clients, especially because our all-volunteer military leaves the majority of our population out of direct contact with those who serve.


Background and Aims: The manifestation of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a consequence of a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors, of which diet plays an important role. The susceptibility to CVD is partly determined by genetic factors, but a "CVD-promoting environment" may also be necessary for its phenotypic expression. Angiopoietin-like 4 (Angptl4) is a dual-function protein: with the N terminus an inhibitor of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), influencing plasma triglycerides, and a C terminus with potential angiogenic properties. Analysis concentrated on the association of two ANGPTL4 coding SNPs with lipid profiles and CVD risk and associated traits in healthy and diseased individuals from 8 separate cohorts. In vitro studies were performed, to further our understanding of the role of this protein in inter-individual variability in triglyceride levels and in the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease.
Results: Data has confirmed a strong association of E40K with triglyceride-lowering in over 13,000 individuals from 5 studies. Effects on HDL-raising in those studies with available measures were equally robust and consistent. However, despite these CHD protective effects there is a borderline association of E40K with increased CHD risk, independent of effects on CHD risk. The association of T266M with triglyceride levels, independent of E40K, was only seen under conditions of post-prandial stress and there was no association with CHD risk. In the Look AHEAD cohort of type II diabetes patients, an association of the ANGPTL4 T266M variant with triglyceride levels at baseline, independent of E40K, was reported for the first time.
T266M, but not E40K, was independently associated with Angptl4 levels, yet circulating Angptl4 levels showed no correlation with triglyceride levels. Furthermore, T266M was not associated with CHD risk in meta-analysis. The data suggest that circulating Angptl4 does not reflect what is occurring at the cellular level. The in vitro studies confirmed that E40K is unable to inhibit LPL but T266M does not impair this function of the protein. The T266M variant did however effect secretion of the Angptl4 into the media of HEK-293A and Huh7 cells, highlighting the possibility of T266M as a functional variant and providing a biological basis for the association of T266M with circulating Angplt4 levels. Although this may have little importance in circulation, the effect T266M has on protein secretion may be of great importance in a tissue-specific manner when considering the autocrine and paracrine effect of Angptl4. Conclusions: The association studies and in vitro data from this thesis provide new insights into the role of Angptl4 in triglyceride metabolism.


Abstract. Rural roads in India have been considered as significant component for overall rural development. In India, the status of rural road connectivity is not up to the mark in some of the states. For providing better connectivity in the rural areas the information on roads are considered important. Detailed mapping of the roads can be useful for planning further road connectivity and proving access to facilities in the rural areas. For detailed mapping of roads higher resolution satellite imageries are required. Object based Image Analysis (OBIA) has emerged as a promising map analysis approach using high and very high resolution imageries. Feature extraction is one of the important aspect in OBIA extracting features such as roads, buildings, water bodies and other important features of interest from the high resolution imageries. In the present study, an attempt has been made to extract rural roads of Titabor in Jorhat district of Assam (India). Various OBIA based extraction methods have been used for extracting roads using high & very high resolution Resourcesat-II (5.8 m) and Kompsat imagery (2.8 m MS & 0.7 m PAN). The results have been compared and relative advantages were evaluated.


Criminal Conflicts: Legal Learning Case Studies
Introduction/Context
Criminal Law is a year 1 module which has around 160 students. It is compulsory for Law but many JH students choose it as a designated module. This means that some students are studying one Law module in isolation and many students struggle with the technical legal concepts.
Rationale
The aim was to involve the students in a new learning experience based on a neo-experiential learning model.
Method
A Criminal barrister wrote a case study which was based around a fictional scenario. This case study is used in the seminars and all the assessments are connected to it.
As a pilot study actors were hired to act out a scenario which was loosely based on part of the case study in the first Criminal Law lecture.
As a follow-on, further funding was sought by Acting which enabled sections of the case study to be professionally filmed on location alongside 'talking heads' for the statements. These mini films will be made available for students to use and refer back to when revising and preparing for their assignments.
Findings
From student responses received following the pilot, the role play seemed to have an impact in terms of engagement with the module at first instance, but comments seemed to suggest that the initial role play was less helpful in terms of using it to help them prepare for seminars or revision. The use of the professionally recorded sections of the case study will be evaluated. This evaluation will be carried out using focus groups at the end of the academic year (after the exam period) as the recording will only 'go live' to students in February/March 2015.


Abstract Building on anthropologist Mary Douglas's writing on the ritual function of dirt, this article presents a strategy in digital performance art that engages with electronic waste (e-waste). It is suggested that planned obsolescence in electronics is of a particular nature that facilitates the representation of consumer technologies within the logic of a "symbolic order of technological progress," where digital devices act as mere signifiers for abstract notions of connectivity, well-being and innovation. Conceptualizing discarded electronic devices as abject technology that is positioned outside this symbolic structure, a performance practice is proposed where abject body parts and abject technologies are connected to challenge this techno-ideology.


Nowadays computer games are applied beyond entertainment. Gamification, the application of game elements in non-game environments supports behavioural studies in different disciplines including software engineering, the area in which collaborative work has become a fundamental key. The most used gamification elements in software development environments were analysed from two perspectives: (i) team building or reinforcement activities; and (ii) regarding a set of people's interactive styles. Then, interactive styles with software engineering roles were related in order to be able to identify scenarios that conform a model to build highly effective teams. The three analyses together allow identifying proper gamification elements for modelling scenarios to support the creation of highly effective teams in the software development domain.


Effective techniques for cooling electronic devices are essential for dealing with increasing heat loads associated with higher density manufacturing processes. Many conventional cooling techniques are reaching the limits of their effectiveness, and more novel methods of heat transfer are necessary to cope with these higher cooling demands. Devices based on zero net mass flux jets (or synthetic jets) show promise in this area and are being actively investigated by a number of researchers. Typically in these devices the piston or diaphragm creating the synthetic jet is driven by a sinusoidal motion. In the present work the effect of using a non-sinusoidal forcing function was investigated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). A synthetic jet consisting of a channel, cavity and moving piston was modelled in order to capture accurately the flow and heat transfer from a heated surface. The open-source CFD software OpenFOAM was used for the simulations, and in particular its moving dynamic mesh libraries. Custom modifications were implemented to create the non-sinusoidal motion of the piston. Within OpenFOAM, mesh motion is facilitated by applying suitable boundary conditions for the displacement(s) at each boundary, while at each timestep a Laplace equation is solved for the displacement of the internal mesh nodes based on the displacement of the boundary nodes. Within this framework the nonsinusoidal motion of the piston was modelled by creating a custom boundary condition to give the desired piston displacement at each timestep. The piston motion was described by a phase modulated sinusoidal function, with the operating frequency of the modulator and carrier kept the same. The modulator phase was selected so that the piston motion exhibited a rapid discharge stroke, followed by a slower intake stroke. This motion increased the momentum of the fluid that impinged on the heated surface, while keeping the operating frequency constant. Behaviour of the system with sinusoidal motion of the piston was also simulated to allow the heat transfer enhancement due to the non-sinusoidal motion to be determined. A two dimensional synthetic jet was considered, with the k-ω SST turbulence model used to account for turbulence in the flow. An additional transport equation was solved for the energy, and heat transfer, in the system. The synthetic jet system investigated had a cavity width of 10 mm and a mean depth of 10 mm. The orifice had both a width and depth of 1 mm, while the heated surface was located 10 mm from the orifice discharge. Oscillating frequencies of 250, 500 and 1000 Hz were investigated. Comparison of the heat transfer results between sinusoidal and non-sinusoidal operation showed heat transfer to be between 5 and 10 percent higher for non-sinusoidal results.


Community radio as a part of the Indonesian broadcasting system is concerned with sustaining aspects of local culture and everyday life. Balai Budaya Minomartani (BBM) FM is one of many community radio stations in Indonesia preserving Javanese local culture, including ethnic song (macapat and campur sari), traditional drama (wayang orang), leather shadow puppet shows (wayang kulit) and Javanese languages as well. This study explores how BBM FM involves its community members in the interactive campursari local music program, Mbahtro Mulur, to sustain traditional Javanese culture. I use conversation analysis (CA) to show how this rich and complex dialogue is enacted through music/talk radio, and to reveal how local perspectives and community values are called into expression in these night-time radio programs. Introduction Indonesian community radio was born in the midst of hectic social and political times, in the euphoria of newlywon freedom of information. In 2002, the government endorsed the Indonesia Broadcasting Act No. 32/2002 that admitted community media, television and radio as a part of the national broadcasting system, adding to commercial and public stations as legal broadcasting institutions. The Indonesian private radio broadcasting association (PRSSNI) is the only authority that can release radio licences. A number of political and funding requirements for broadcast licences mean that not all communities enjoy the right to receive broadcast content that meets their needs. Meanwhile RRI (Radio Republik Indonesia) and RKPD (Radio Khusus Pemerintah Daerah) continue to produce public radio fully controlled by the government (Sujoko 2005). In this article I argue that community radio allows for expression of a community voice. Community radio stations preserve traditional culture (Forde, Meadow and Foxwell 2003). This research demonstrates how one local station is re-building a local community through its programming. Community radio in Indonesia is working in interesting ways to engage audiences in activities that help sustain traditional culture(s). A night-time Javaneselanguage music program, Mbahtro Mulur, on BBM-FM community radio, broadcasting in the local language to the Minomartani region of Java, shows how conversation between on-air presenters and listener-callers, and even the lyrics of the music selections, build a dialogue that re-asserts traditional Javanese social and cultural values. Music radio not only enhances audience appreciation of deep cultural behaviours and values but extends their influence, through the mobile networks of modern communication, into specific local contexts, potentially integrating new and emerging social issues with stillstrong cultural perspectives. Applying close language analysis within the Sacksian tradition of conversation analysis (Sacks 1992; Sacks, Schegloff and Jefferson 1974) to Javanese and Indonesian, I suggest that community radio has unrecognised potential as a cultural mediator for cultural innovation, policy implementation and social change. In many of these largely unexamined 'local' spaces, community radio is developing programming techniques and endorsing cultural participation in ways that could be adapted for use in related media formats, including online and mobile media, community television and even commercial broadcast services. Community Radio in Java: BBM-FM As an Indonesian community radio station, BBM-FM is charged with establishing close, active relationships with local audiences through its use of media volunteers and the ways it serves its community. Like most community broadcasters, BBM-FM sponsors and participates in both on-air programs and non-broadcast cultural activities, building a close connection between station personnel and members of the community it serves. It is an established convention of the radio medium that it creates a high degree of interpersonal intimacy within its communicative relations (see especially Matheson 1933; McLuhan 1964). …


Hexachloroethane is used in organic synthesis as a retarding agent in fermentation, as a camphor substitute in nitrocellulose, in pyrotechnics and smoke devices, in explosives, and as a solvent. In previous long-term gavage studies with B6C3F1 mice and Osbourne-Mendel rats (78 weeks of exposure followed by 12-34 weeks of observation), hexachloroethane caused increased incidences of hepatocellular carcinomas in mice. However, survival of low and high dose rats was reduced compared with that of vehicle controls, and the effects on rats were inconclusive. Therefore, additional toxicology and carcinogenesis studies were conducted in F344/N rats by administering hexachloroethane (approximately 99% pure) in corn oil by gavage to groups of males and females for 16 days, 13 weeks, or 2 years. Genetic toxicology studies were conducted in Salmonella typhimurium and in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Urinalysis was performed in conjunction with the 13-week studies. Sixteen-Day Studies: In the 16-day studies (dose range, 187-3,000 mg/kg), all rats that received 1,500 or 3,000 mg/kg and 1/5 males and 2/5 females that received 750 mg/kg died before the end of the studies. Final mean body weights of rats that received 750 mg/kg were 25% lower than that of vehicle controls for males and 37% lower for females. Compound-related clinical signs seen at 750 mg/kg or more included dyspnea, ataxia, prostration, and excessive lacrimation. Other compound-related effects included hyaline droplet formation in the tubular epithelial cells in all dosed males and tubular cell regeneration and granular casts in the tubules at the corticomedullary junction in the kidney in males receiving 187 and 375 mg/kg. Thirteen-Week Studies: In the 13-week studies (dose range, 47-750 mg/kg), 5/10 male rats and 2/10 female rats that received 750 mg/kg died before the end of the studies. The final mean body weight of male rats that received 750 mg/kg was 19% lower than that of vehicle controls. Compound-related clinical signs for both sexes included hyperactivity at doses of 94 mg/kg or higher and convulsions at doses of 375 or 750 mg/kg. The relative weights of liver, heart, and kidney were increased for exposed males and females. Kidney lesions were seen in all dosed male groups, and the severity increased with dose. Papillary necrosis and tubular cell necrosis and degeneration in the kidney and hemorrhagic necrosis in the urinary bladder were observed in the five male rats that received 750 mg/kg and died before the end of the studies; at all lower doses, hyaline droplets, tubular regeneration, and granular casts were present in the kidney. No chemical-related kidney lesions were observed in females. Foci of hepatocellular necrosis were observed in several male and female rats at doses of 188 mg/kg or higher. Dose selection for the 2-year studies was based primarily on the lesions of the kidney in males and of the liver in females. Studies were conducted by administering hexachloroethane in corn oil by gavage at 0, 10, or 20 mg/kg body weight, 5 days per week, to groups of 50 male rats. Groups of 50 female rats were administered 0, 80, or 160 mg/kg on the same schedule. Body Weight and Survival in the Two-Year Studies: Mean body weights of high dose rats were slightly (5%-9%) lower than those of vehicle controls toward the end of the studies. No significant differences in survival were observed between any groups of rats (male: vehicle control, 31/50; 10 mg/kg, 29/50; 20 mg/kg, 26/50; female: vehicle control, 32/50; 80 mg/kg, 27/50; 160 mg/kg, 32/50). Nonneoplastic and Neoplastic Effects in the Two-Year Studies: Incidences of kidney mineralization (vehicle control, 2/50; low dose, 15/50; high dose, 32/50) and hyperplasia of the pelvic transitional epithelium (0/50; 7/50; 7/50) were increased in dosed male rats. Renal tubule hyperplasia was observed at an increased incidence in high dose male rats (2/50; 4/50; 11/50). These lesions have been described as characteristic of the hyaline droplet nephropathy that is associated with an accumulation of liver-generateted with an accumulation of liver-generated a2μ-globulin in the cytoplasm of tubular epithelial cells. The severity of nephropathy was increased in high dose male rats (moderate vs. mild), and the incidences and severity of nephropathy were increased in dosed females (22/50; 42/50; 45/50). The incidences of adenomas (1/50; 2/50; 4/50), carcinomas (0/50; 0/50; 3/50), and adenomas or carcinomas (combined) (1/50; 2/50; 7/50) of the renal tubule were also increased in the high dose male group. One of the carcinomas in the high dose group metastasized to the lung. No compound-related neoplasms were observed in females. The incidence of pheochromocytomas of the adrenal gland in low dose male rats was significantly greater than that in vehicle controls (15/50; 28/50; 21/49), and the incidences for both dosed groups were greater than the mean historical control incidence (28% ± 11%). Genetic Toxicology: Hexachloroethane was not mutagenic in S. typhimurium strains TA98, TA100, TA1535, or TA1537 when tested with and without exogenous metabolic activation. In CHO cells, hexachloroethane did not induce chromosomal aberrations with or with out metabolic activation but did produce sister chromatid exchanges in the presence of exogenous metabolic activation. Audit: The data, documents, and pathology materials from the 2-year studies of hexachloroethane have been audited. The audit findings show that the conduct of the studies is documented adequately and support the data and results given in this Technical Report. Conclusions: Under the conditions of these 2-year gavage studies, there was clear evidence of carcinogenic activity of hexachloroethane for male F344/N rats, based on the increased incidences of renal neoplasms. The marginally increased incidences of pheochromocytomas of the adrenal gland may have been related to hexachloroethane administration to male rats. There was no evidence of carcinogenic activity of hexachloroethane for female F344/N rats administered 80 or 160 mg/kg by gavage for 103 weeks. The severity of nephropathy and incidences of linear mineralization of the renal papillae and hyperplasia of the transitional epithelium of the renal pelvis were increased in dosed male rats. The incidences and severity of nephropathy were increased in dosed female rats. Synonyms: carbon hexachloride; ethane hexachloride; hexachlorethane; hexachloroethylene; 1,1,1,2,2,2-hexachloroethane; perchloroethane Trade Names: Avlothane; Distokal; Distopan; Distopin; Egitol; Falkitol; Fasciolin; Mottenhexe; Phenohep


Purpose: Immunotherapy against tumors with anti-CD40 agonistic antibodies has been extensively studied in preclinical animal models and recently also in clinical trials. Although promising results have been obtained, antibody (Ab)-related toxicity has been a limiting factor. We reasoned that strict local activation of tumor-specific CD8 T cells through stimulation of CD40 on the dendritic cells (DC) in the tumor area while excluding systemic stimulationmight be sufficient for effective tumor eradication and can limit systemic toxicity. Experimental Design: Preclinical in vivo models for immunogenic tumors were used to investigate the potential of delivering a nontoxic dose of agonistic anti-CD40 Ab to the tumor region, including draining lymph node, in a slow-release formulation (montanide). Results: The delivery of anti-CD40 monoclonal Ab, formulated in slow-release Montanide ISA-51, reprograms CTLs by inducing local but not systemic DC activation, resulting in effective tumor-specific CTL responses that eradicate local and distant tumors. Adverse side effects, assayed by organ histology and liver enzymes in the blood, were much lower after local anti-CD40 Ab delivery than systemic administration. The local delivery of anti-CD40 Ab activates only CTLs against antigens presented in the tumor-draining area, because unrelated distant tumors expressing different tumor antigens were not eradicated. Conclusions: These results establish a novel therapeutic principle that local delivery and slow release of agonistic anti-CD40 Ab to the tumor-draining area effectively activates local tumor-specific CD8 T cells to become systemic effectors without causing systemic toxicity or nonspecific CTL activation. These findings have important implications for the use of anti-CD40 therapies in patients. Clin Cancer Res; 17(8); 2270–80. 2011 AACR.


Abstract The 30-deg white neutron beam at the Research Center for Nuclear Physics (RCNP) cyclotron facility has been characterized as a probe suitable for testing of single-event effects (SEE) in semiconductor devices in the neutron energy range from 1 to 300 MeV using the 392-MeV proton incident reaction on a 6.5-cm-thick tungsten target. The neutron spectrum obtained by time-of-flight measurements reproduced the terrestrial neutron flux distribution at sea level, and neutron intensity increased by a factor of 1.5 × 108 became available. The average neutron intensity and spectrum in the energy region from 10 to 100 MeV at RCNP were almost the same as those at the Weapons Neutron Research (WNR). The calculated RCNP neutron flux using Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) generally agreed with the measured RCNP data within a factor of 2. The neutron density per pulse at RCNP, which is around 500 times lower than that for WNR, has the advantage in reduction of the pileup probability of single-event transient currents and false multiple-bit upsets. Such conditions at RCNP are suitable for accelerated SEE testing to get meaningful results in a realistic time frame.


A mandible of a tapir (Tapirus sp.) from the late Pliocene (early Blancan North American land mammal age-NALMA), Tonuco Mountain Local Fauna (LF), Dona Ana County, southern New Mexico, is a significant addition to the small sample of fossil tapirs known from the late Cenozoic of New Mexico. The Tonuco Mountain tapir mandible is not identified to the species level because the diagnostic characters in the genus Tapirus are primarily found in the skull. It is most similar in size and morphological features to the mandible of the late Blancan species Tapirus lundeliusi from Florida. The Tonuco Mountain LF consists of 17 species of vertebrates, including a mud turtle, two tortoises, a duck, and 13 species of mammals. Among mammals in this fauna, the camel Camelops, the peccary Platygonus, and the horse Equus scotti first appeared in North American early Blancan faunas at about 3.6 Ma, whereas the horses Nannippus peninsulatus and Equus simplicidens became extinct in New Mexico in the late Blancan at about 2.6 Ma. The association of these mammals, together with the absence of mammals of South American origin that first appeared in the American Southwest at about 2.7 Ma, restricts the age of the Tonuco Mountain LF to the late early Blancan, between 2.7 and 3.6 Ma. The fossils from the Tonuco Mountain LF are derived from sediments of the axial-fluvial lithofacies of the ancestral Rio Grande, referred to the Camp Rice Formation. The sediments in the lower 30 m of the Camp Rice Formation section containing the Tonuco Mountain LF, including the Tapirus mandible, are normally magnetized and correspond to the lowermost portion of the Gauss Chron (C2An.3n), above the Gilbert/Gauss boundary (younger than 3.58 Ma) and below the base of the Mammoth Subchron (C2An.2r; older than 3.33 Ma). The mammalian biochronology and magnetostratigraphy restrict the age of the Tonuco Mountain LF to between 3.3 and 3.6 Ma (early late Pliocene, late early Blancan). The tapir mandible from the Tonuco Mountain LF is the first record of Tapirus from the early Blancan (2.7-4.9 Ma) of North America. Tapirus had a restricted geographic distribution in the late Pliocene and earliest Pleistocene (late early and late Blancan; ~1.6-3.6 Ma) of temperate North America, occurring primarily in the southern United States from Florida to California, including New Mexico.


Complex systems are usually difficult to design and control. There are several particular methods for coping with complexity, but there is no general approach to build complex systems. In this thesis I propose a methodology to aid engineers in the design and control of complex systems. This is based on the description of systems as self-organizing. Starting from the agent metaphor, the methodology proposes a conceptual framework and a series of steps to follow to find proper mechanisms that will promote elements to find solutions by actively interacting among themselves. The main premise of the methodology claims that reducing the "friction" of interactions between elements of a system will result in a higher "satisfaction" of the system, i.e. better performance. A general introduction to complex thinking is given, since designing self-organizing systems requires a non-classical thought, while practical notions of complexity and self-organization are put forward. To illustrate the methodology, I present three case studies. Self-organizing traffic light controllers are proposed and studied with multi-agent simulations, outperforming traditional methods. Methods for improving communication within self-organizing bureaucracies are advanced, introducing a simple computational model to illustrate the benefits of self-organization. In the last case study, requirements for self-organizing artifacts in an ambient intelligence scenario are discussed. Philosophical implications of the conceptual framework are also put forward.


Bredenkamp's legal journey from the South Gauteng High Court to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) constitutes an epic trilogy which left two reported judgements and one reportable judgement in its wake. This legal journey may not necessarily epitomise the tango referred to - but it may serve as a stark reminder to legal practitioners that the jurisprudence of our courts pertaining to the interplay between the law of contract and the Constitution is a contested terrain where certainty is proving elusive.


PurposeThis paper aims to offer insights into the ways two computer-aided qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) applications (QSR NVivo and Leximancer) can be used to analyze big, text-based, online data taken from consumer-to-consumer (C2C) social media communication.Design/methodology/approachThis study used QSR NVivo and Leximancer, to explore 200 discussion threads containing 1,796 posts from forums on an online open community and an online brand community that involved online brand advocacy (OBA). The functionality, in particular, the strengths and weaknesses of both programs are discussed. Examples of the types of analyses each program can undertake and the visual output available are also presented.FindingsThis research found that, while both programs had strengths and weaknesses when working with big, text-based, online data, they complemented each other. Each contributed a different visual and evidence-based perspective; providing a more comprehensive and insightful view of the characteristics unique to OBA.Research limitations/implicationsQualitative market researchers are offered insights into the advantages and disadvantages of using two different software packages for research projects involving big social media data. The "visual-first" analysis, obtained from both programs can help researchers make sense of such data, particularly in exploratory research.Practical implicationsThe paper provides practical recommendations for analysts considering which programs to use when exploring big, text-based, online data.Originality/valueThis paper answered a call to action for further research and demonstration of analytical programs of big, online data from social media C2C communication and makes strong suggestions about the need to examine such data in a number of ways.


The optical Tamm states (OTSs) localized at the edges of a photonic crystal bounded by a nanoporous silver (NPS) film are investigated. NPS involves spherical vacuum nanopores dispersed in the metal matrix and is characterized by the effective resonance permittivity. The transmission, reflection, and absorption spectra of the structures under study at the normal incidence of light are calculated. It is shown that each Tamm state has its own frequency range where the real part of effective permittivity is negative. The light field localization at the high- and low-frequency OTSs is investigated. The specific features of spectral manifestation of the OTSs are studied in dependence on the nanopore concentration in the metal matrix and on the NPS film thickness.


Inter-turn short circuit fault (ISCF) detection, in permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSM) was developed using a physics-based back electromotive force (EMF) estimator. The electro-thermal saturation-dependent model of the machine was employed in the heart of the open loop estimator. The fault detection system works based on the difference between the estimated EMF and a reference EMF. A 0.8 (kW) PMSM machine was studied experimentally under different ISCF and operational contingencies. The results show acceptable performance in fault detection for wide speed range even in the presence of harmonic loads and dynamic eccentricities.


Four novel mix ligand complexes of manganese(II), iron(III), cobalt(II) and nickel(II) with dibasic tetra dentate Schiff base ligand BENZOEN and 1, 10-phenanthroline have been synthesized with the general composition of [M(BENZOEN)(1,10-phen)], where M = Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and [Fe(BENZOEN)(1,10-phen)]Cl. The synthesized ligand and complexes were characterized on the basis of elemental analysis, molar conductance, magnetic susceptibility, ESIMS spectrometry, electronic spectra, FT-IR, H NMR and C NMR spectroscopy. Theoretical computation and combined experimental theoretical characterization were carrying out by Gaussian 09 software package using density functional theory (DFT) method to confirm the geometry of the investigated compounds. Additionally, molecular electrostatic potential map (MEP), HOMO, LUMO, NBO and Mullikan charge analysis were also been performed. Spectroscopic chracterization and DFT study proposed a distorted octahedral structure of complex 1-4. In vitro biomimetic catalase activity of the ligand and complexes was done by measuring amount of dioxygen evolve. Saturation kinetics of H2O2 decomposition was fitted to the Michaelis-Menten equation and Lineweaver-Burk plot. The antibacterial activity of the ligand and complexes against Escherichia coli shows complexes were found more potent than the BENZOEN. MIC of complexes shows that complex 2 is more active than other complexes even at lower concentration.


Short letter to advise that he has not overlooked the books and that he will go back to Mullers on Monday to purchase the ones he wants. From letters exchanged between Andrew Inglis Clark, Tasmania and Joseph G. Witton, Melbourne, 19 Jan 1886 - 11 Oct 1905.Letter to Andrew Inglis Clark in Tasmania from Joseph G. Witton from Melbourne, 20 November 1886
C4/C360


Research in second language (L2) task performance has been interested in examining fluency not only as a key aspect of language performance but also as a construct that can demonstrate L2 processing and development in concrete and measurable ways. Speech fluency has been particularly important in second language acquisition (SLA) research as it helps shed light on significant aspects of language processing, such as attention, noticing, and automaticity. This chapter will provide a brief overview of the literature on the relationship between automaticity and L2 fluency. It will then highlight the extent to which research in this area has moved beyond a simple and inadequately-defined concept of fluency to characterising fluency as a multidimensional and complex construct that is defined rigorously and measured objectively and systematically. After discussing the significance of fluency in language acquisition, language teaching and language assessment, the chapter evaluates the existing frameworks for defining and measuring fluency. It will also outline how operationalisation and measurement of fluency have changed to become more robust in nature and more methodical in operation. In doing so, Skehan's influential contribution to the development of the current understanding of fluency and its measurement will be highlighted. The paper will conclude by underlining the need for expanding the existing framework to include other factors, such as individual, social, and cultural factors that affect fluency in task performance.


Anaerobic degradation showed potential as the disposal solution for pre-hydrolysis liquor (PHL) from the dissolving pulp industries. This PHL contained pentose and hexose carbohydrates as monomeric (14.5 g/L) and oligomeric (39.7 g/L) forms along with acetic acid (10.38 g/L), furfural (1.14 g/L) and lignin (11.08 g/L). The average chemical oxygen demand (COD) value of the PHL was around 100 g/L with a biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5 ) value of 55 g/L. Respirometric studies at 35 °C showed a decrease in methane production with increasing concentration of PHL in the feed. Presence of slowly biodegradable substrates (furfural and lignin) in the feed was suspected to cause such behavior. Therefore, PHL was introduced to a master culture reactor to acclimatize the seed sludge to PHL as substrate. The seed microbes were able to adapt to furfural, but not to the entire lignin present in PHL feed. Lignin concentration going over a threshold value (approximately 7 g/L) was suspected to cause reactor failure. This anaerobic treatability study reflects on the potential of applying anaerobic digestion for PHL waste stream disposal and biogas production.


Amin Maalouf's novel Leo Africanus demonstrates the diasporic identity in its relation with geographical space, its temporal deployment, and its relation with the Other, thus stimulating a perpetual repositioning of the modern subject. In this sense we should conceive identity as a "production" which is never complete, always in process. This essay provides an outline for a certain reflection on diasporic identity that could help to understand more profoundly our diasporic era, especially the "transnational moment" that we all experience.


With the advent of cloud computing, it has become increasingly popular for data owners to outsource their data to public cloud servers while allowing data users to retrieve this data. For privacy concerns, secure searches over encrypted cloud data has motivated several research works under the single owner model. However, most cloud servers in practice do not just serve one owner; instead, they support multiple owners to share the benefits brought by cloud computing. In this paper, we propose schemes to deal with privacy preserving ranked multi-keyword search in a multi-owner model (PRMSM). To enable cloud servers to perform secure search without knowing the actual data of both keywords and trapdoors, we systematically construct a novel secure search protocol. To rank the search results and preserve the privacy of relevance scores between keywords and files, we propose a novel additive order and privacy preserving function family. To prevent the attackers from eavesdropping secret keys and pretending to be legal data users submitting searches, we propose a novel dynamic secret key generation protocol and a new data user authentication protocol. Furthermore, PRMSM supports efficient data user revocation. Extensive experiments on real-world datasets confirm the efficacy and efficiency of PRMSM.


Citizenship education has been an ongoing matter of academic and political debate in the UK since the 1970s. This debate culminated in the setting up of the Advisory Group in citizenship education under the chairmanship of Bernard Crick. The publication of the Crick Report, Education for Citizenship and the Teaching of Democracy in Schools (London, QCA, 1998), has influenced the development of citizenship education across the UK from primary level to post‐16. Citizenship education has now been established as a statutory component of the compulsory school national curriculum in England and a set of proposals for Scotland were launched in 2002. In this paper, with particular reference to the Crick Report, I explore the theories and conceptions of citizenship that are evident in this policy area and consider the opportunities it offers for embedding democratic practices within late modern societies.


Between the mid-1830s and the mid-1840s, hundreds of Young Italy's agents left Italy's coasts to support the struggle against the Ancien Regime from abroad. From Montevideo to New York, these exiles created associations, founded newspapers, formed military legions, and established a national community abroad. These revolutionaries – as human transfers of the cause for unification – led the birth of a republican international of patriots. American exile encouraged a collective experience of politicization for the Mazzinian generation, turning the Atlantic into a diaspora laboratory of the Risorgimento.


The study provides information on the reproductive performance of ostriches maintained at different stocking rates and male:female (M:F) ratios under intensive commercial conditions in the Little Karoo, South Africa. Breeding ostriches are concentrated on relatively small areas and through trampling have a most significant impact on the vegetation in the Little Karoo. Reproductive performance, as influenced by stocking rate and M:F ratio, was investigated. Stocking rates for the large flocks ranged from 114 to 210 birds/ha, and stocking rates for smaller flocks ranged between 9 to 13 birds in 0.13 ha and 0.30 ha camps, respectively. The different M:F ratios investigated, were 1M:1F (pairs), 1M:2F (trios) and 1M:3F (quads), for breeding systems maintained in 0.06 ha camps. In almost all breeding systems total and average egg production, fertility and hatchability were compromised when stocking rate was increased. High stocking rates were detrimental to the reproductive performance and reproductive behaviour of the flocks. Increasing the number of females per male had no negative influence on the reproduction traits, with a significantly higher production observed for breeding quads. Our findings indicated that ostrich breeding flocks can be maintained at stocking rates higher than those presently used on commercial ostrich farms. Breeding pairs, trios and quads can also be maintained on smaller areas, with acceptable production levels. Increasing stocking densities will have a possible inhibitory effect on the establishment of territories and use of space, thereby impacting on the reproductive behaviour of ostrich females and males in large flocks, respectively. This has important implications in terms of the intensification of ostrich farming especially in areas that are characterised by vegetation that is exposed to the trampling effect of ostriches.


This research intends to analyze and find out about factors of phlebitis incidence for infused patient. For that purpose, this research use correlation description as research method and cross sectional as observation method. This research is conducted in Chrysant Medical Hospitalization room, Awal Bros Hospital, Pekanbaru by involving 92 respondents, using purposive sample as sampling method, and observation sheet as measuring instrument. The method of analysis used in this research is both univariate and bivariate data. The result of this test analysis research shows that there is relationship between age and intravenous fluids towards phlebitis with significant influence p value = 0.000, in which elderly and hypertonic fluids affect the phlebitis. Meanwhile, dressing and morbidities are not associated significantly by phlebitis with   p value = 0.643 and p value = 1.00. The result of this research is expected to be reference for hospital, particularly for medical personnel in order to keep consistent implementing procedure and policy ever been applied to prevent phlebitis incidence. Key words: phlebitis, age, fluid, dressing, and morbidities. References: 45 (2000-2013)


Approaches to measuring marine biological parameters remain almost as diverse as the researchers who measure them. However, understanding the patterns of diversity in ocean life over different temporal and geographic scales requires consistent data and information on the potential environmental drivers. As a group of marine scientists from different disciplines, we suggest a formalized, consistent framework of 20 biological, chemical, physical, and socioeconomic parameters that we consider the most important for describing environmental and biological variability. We call our proposed framework the General Ocean Survey and Sampling Iterative Protocol (GOSSIP). We hope that this framework will establish a consistent approach to data collection, enabling further collaboration between marine scientists from different disciplines to advance knowledge of the ocean (deep-sea and mesophotic coral ecosystems).


To offer quantitative evidence on the association between pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, we analyzed data from a hospital-based case-control study conducted in northern Italy between 1983 and 1992, including a total of 362 incident cases of histologically confirmed pancreatic cancer and 1,408 controls admitted to hospital for acute, nonneoplastic, nondigestive tract disorders. Information was obtained using a structured questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle habits (including tobacco and alcohol consumption) and a problem-oriented medical history, which included history of pancreatitis and age at its first diagnosis. Pancreatitis was reported by 24 (6.6%) cases and 18 (1.3%) controls, yielding an age- and sex-adjusted relative risk (RR) of 5.7 (95% confidence interval, 2.9-11.4). The risk of pancreatic cancer was appreciably higher 5 or more years after diagnosis of pancreatitis (RR = 6.9) than in the first 4 years (RR = 2.1), and in subjects below age 60 (RR = 8.3) than in elderly ones (RR = 2.6), but similar in males and females. The time-risk relationship is strongly indicative of a real relationship between pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. After allowing for tobacco and alcohol, besides area of residence and education, the association between pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer appeared to be partly explained by such covariates (RR = 3.9); however, this may represent some degree of overadjustment if, for instance, alcohol is causally linked to pancreatitis, which, in turn, is causally related to pancreatic cancer. In terms of population attributable risk, pancreatitis would explain approximately 5% of pancreatic cancer cases.


Introduction: Limited information is available about the canal morphology of mandibular first molars in North Indian population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the root canal morphology of North Indian mandibular first molars by clearing and staining technique. Materials and Methods: A total of 863 mandibular first molars collected from various places in North India were subjected to canal staining and decalcification procedures. Access cavities were prepared, and pulp tissue dissolved with sodium hypochlorite. Indian ink was injected into the root canals aided by negative pressure applied at the root tips. The stained teeth were decalcified with 7% hydrochloric acid. Instead of ascending concentrations of alcohol, a nonalcohol-based drying agent (anhydrous calcium chloride) was used to remove traces of acid and water from the specimens. The dried specimens were immersed in methyl salicylate to render them transparent. The following features were observed under operating microscope at ×6 magnification: (i) Number of root canals per tooth, (ii) number of root canals per root, (iii) root canal configuration in each root (Vertucci's classification), and (iv) lateral canals, intercanal communications, and their location. Results: Majority had two roots (85%) with three (61%) and four (30%) canals. Three roots were present in 15% of the specimens. Type IV (49%) and type I (48%) were the most common configurations in mesial and distal roots, respectively. Conclusion: First molars with two roots and three canals are a common feature in North Indian patients. Both roots showed wide variations in canal anatomy with type IV and type I configurations predominating in mesial and distal roots, respectively.


This article offers a rejoinder to Felix Waldmann. In a critical note published in Locke Studies, Waldmann challenges our recent reconstruction of Locke's thesis, developed across the Second Treatise of Government, that humans cannot possibly agree to subject themselves to absolute rule. Call this thesis No Contractual Absolutism. Our reconstruction, Waldmann objects, "neglects a basic datum of scholarship": i.e., that Locke's Second Treatise intended to counter Filmer's political theory. Our reply is two-pronged. First, we argue that No Contractual Absolutism cannot plausibly be construed as an attack on Filmer, since it challenges a thesis that he did not hold. Indeed, as for him no form of government can be contractual in origin, Filmer would have agreed with Locke that absolute rule cannot be instituted by agreement. As our initial article suggested, the standard view about whom the polemical target is of the Second Treatise requires qualification with respect to No Contractual Absolutism. Second, we contend that Waldmann's concerns rest on discipline-specific methodological assumptions, which are unhelpful for the kind of analytical reconstruction we advanced. We conclude with a plea for methodological pluralism in the study of Locke's thought.


AIM
To evaluate the relationship between liver stiffness and duration of infection in blood transfusion-associated hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients with or without hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS
Between December 2006 and June 2008, a total of 524 transfusion-associated HCV-RNA positive patients with or without HCC were enrolled. Liver stiffness was obtained noninvasively by using Fibroscan (Echosens, Paris, France). The date of blood transfusion was obtained by interview. Duration of infection was derived from the interval between the date of blood transfusion and the date of liver stiffness measurement (LSM). Patients were stratified into four groups based on the duration of infection (17-29 years; 30-39 years; 40-49 years; and 50-70 years). The difference in liver stiffness between patients with and without HCC was assessed in each group. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with liver stiffness.

RESULTS
A total of 524 patients underwent LSM. Eight patients were excluded because of unsuccessful measurements. Thus 516 patients were included in the current analysis (225 with HCC and 291 without). The patients were 244 men and 272 women, with a mean age of 67.8 ± 9.5 years. The median liver stiffness was 14.3 kPa (25.8 in HCC group and 7.6 in non-HCC group). The patients who developed HCC in short duration of infection were male dominant, having lower platelet count, with a history of heavier alcohol consumption, showing higher liver stiffness, and receiving blood transfusion at an old age. Liver stiffness was positively correlated with duration of infection in patients without HCC (r = 0.132, P = 0.024) but not in patients with HCC (r = -0.103, P = 0.123). Liver stiffness was significantly higher in patients with HCC than in those without in each duration group (P < 0.0001). The factors significantly associated with high liver stiffness in multiple regression were age at blood transfusion (P < 0.0001), duration of infection (P = 0.0015), and heavy alcohol consumption (P = 0.043).

CONCLUSION
Although liver stiffness gradually increases over time, HCC develops in patients with high stiffness value regardless of the duration of infection.