Wireless mesh networks were designed as a mean to rapidly deliver large-scale communication capabilities without the support of any prior infrastructure. Among the different properties of mesh networks, the self-organizing feature is particularly interesting for developing countries or for emergency situations. However, these benefits also bring new challenges. For example, the scheduling decision needs to be performed in a distributed manner at each node of the network. Toward this goal, most of the current mesh deployments are based on the IEEE 802.11 protocol, even if it was not designed for multi-hop communications. The main goals of this thesis are (i) to understand and model the behavior of IEEE 802.11-based mesh networks and more specifically the root causes that lead to congestion and network instability; (ii) to develop an experimental infrastructure in order to validate with measurements both the problems and the solutions discussed in this thesis; (iii) to build efficient hop-by-hop scheduling schemes that provide congestion control and inter-flow fairness in a practical way and that are backward-compatible with the current protocol; and (iv) to explain the non-monotonic relation between the end-to-end throughput and the source rate and to introduce a model to derive the rationale behind this artifact. First, we propose a Markovian model and we introduce the notion of stealing effect to explain the root causes behind the 3-hop stability boundary, where linear networks up to 3 hops are stable, and larger topologies are intrinsically unstable. We validate our analytical results both through simulations and through measurements on a small testbed deployment. Second, to support the experimental research presented in this thesis, we design and deploy a large-scale mesh network testbed on the EPFL campus. We plan our architecture to be as flexible as possible in order to support a wide range of other research areas such as IEEE 802.11 indoor localization and opportunistic routing. Third, we introduce EZ-flow, a novel hop-by-hop congestion-control mechanism that operates at the Medium Access Control layer. EZ-flow is fully backward-compatible with the existing IEEE 802.11 deployments and it works without any form of message passing. To perform its task EZ-flow takes advantage of the broadcast nature of the wireless medium in order to passively derive the queue size at the next-hop node. This information is then used by each node to adapt accordingly its channel access probability, through the contention window parameter of IEEE 802.11. After detailing the different components of EZ-flow, we analyze its performance analytically, through simulations and real measurements. Fourth, we show that hop-by-hop congestion-control can be efficiently performed at the network layer in order to not abuse the contention mechanism of IEEE 802.11. Additionally, we introduce a complete framework that jointly achieves congestion-control and fairness without requiring a prior knowledge of the network capacity region. To achieve the fairness part, we propose the Explore & Enhance algorithm that finds a fair and achievable rate allocation vector that maximizes a desired function of utility. We show experimentally that this algorithm reaches its objective by alternating between exploration phases (to discover the capacity region) and enhancement phases (to improve the utility through a gradient ascent). Finally, we note that, as opposed to wired networks, the multi-hop wireless capacity is usually unknown and time-varying. Therefore, we study how the end-to-end throughput evolves as a function of the source rate when operating both below and above the network capacity. We note that this evolution follows a non-monotonic curve and we explain, through an analytical model and simulations, the rationale behind the different transition points of this curve. Following our analysis, we show that no end-to-end congestion control can be throughput-optimal if it operates directly over IEEE 802.11. Hence, this supports the methodology of performing congestion control in a hop-by-hop manner. After validating experimentally the non-monotonicity, we compare through simulations different state-of-the-art scheduling schemes and we highlight the important tradeoff that exists in congestion-control schemes between efficiency (i.e., throughput-optimality) and robustness (i.e., no throughput collapse when the sources attempt to operate at a rate above the network capacity).


This paper investigates potential Stopping Sight Distance (SSD) violation for 130km/h vehicle speed, on the passing lane of left curved, divided highways overlapped with crest vertical curves. The authors previously developed a SSD control methodology that relates concurrently the 3D configuration of a roadway to the dynamics of a vehicle moving along the actual roadway path, which is applied for the assessment of critical design parameters directly related to both demanded and available SSD values. Initially, by utilizing control geometric and driver - obstacle values adopted by American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) 2011 design policy, excessive SSD inadequacy areas were revealed. Subsequently, on the basis of a classic statistical and explanatory modeling approach for a number of geometry parameters, an evaluation of SSD sufficiency was carried out in terms of both the probability of SSD inadequacy and the prediction of the object height in order to grant SSD adequacy (amended object height). These models may be useful to researchers and practitioners aiming to evaluate the interaction of the utilized design parameters in terms of the presence and the extent of SSD deficiency. The results suggested that the probability modelling approach was efficient, yielding a model which enables to correctly assess SSD adequacy (by more than 94%) in such 3D road alignments. The lognormal modelling approach for the prediction of the amended object height (AOH) was proved somewhat less accurate when the AOH exceeds 1 metre, and further analysis is required in order to fully investigate the non-linear relationships between the examined variables and the amended object height.


As the Caribbean continues to succumb to the pressure of Non-Communicable Diseases innovative strategies are being sought to rectify the problem. Increasing the purchase and consumption of fish/seafood has great potential in this regard; however, very little empirical research appears to have been undertaken on food marketing in general and for fish in particular in the Caribbean. This study analyzed the factors that affect the frequency of fish purchasing in Trinidad and Tobago. The results of the analysis indicated that 63% of the sample are occasional purchasers of fish (purchased fish less frequently than once per week). The binary logit analysis showed that of the eight socioeconomic variables analyzed, only three were statistically significant – age, educational level attained and religion. The results suggested that persons over 35 years, more educated (tertiary level trained) and non-Christians are more probable to be regular purchasers of fish than younger, primary and secondary level educated Christians. It is hoped that marketers trying to develop strategies to gain market share in the highly competitive food market, nutritionists and others attempting to reduce the health care costs of Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean countries through the increased consumption of fish/seafood find these results informative.


Ethanol tolerance, in which exposure leads to reduced sensitivity, is an important component of alcohol abuse and addiction. The molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain poorly understood. The BKCa channel plays a central role in the behavioral response to ethanol in Caenorhabditis elegans ( Davies, A. G., Pierce-Shimomura, J. T., Kim, H., VanHoven, M. K., Thiele, T. R., Bonci, A., Bargmann, C. I., and McIntire, S. L. (2003) Cell 115, 655-666) and Drosophila (Cowmeadow, R. B., Krishnan, H. R., and Atkinson, N. S. (2005) Alcohol. Clin. Exp. Res. 29, 1777-1786) . In neurons, ethanol tolerance in BKCa channels has two components: a reduced number of membrane channels and decreased potentiation of the remaining channels (Pietrzykowski, A. Z., Martin, G. E., Puig, S. I., Knott, T. K., Lemos, J. R., and Treistman, S. N. (2004) J. Neurosci. 24, 8322-8332) . Here, heterologous expression coupled with planar bilayer techniques examines two additional aspects of tolerance in human BKCa channels. 1) Is acute tolerance observed in a single channel protein complex within a lipid environment reduced to only two lipids? 2) Does lipid bilayer composition affect the appearance of acute tolerance? We found that tolerance was observable in BKCa channels in membrane patches pulled from HEK cells and when they are placed into reconstituted 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylethanolamine/1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylserine membranes. Furthermore, altering bilayer thickness by incorporating the channel into lipid mixtures of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-phosphatidylethanolamine with phosphatidylcholines of increasing chain length, or with sphingomyelin, strongly affected the sensitivity of the channel, as well as the time course of the acute response. Ethanol sensitivity changed from a strong potentiation in thin bilayers to inhibition in thick sphingomyelin/1,2-dioleoyl-3-phosphatidylethanolamine bilayers. Thus, tolerance can be an intrinsic property of the channel protein-lipid complex, and bilayer thickness plays an important role in shaping the pattern of response to ethanol. As a consequence of these findings the protein-lipid complex should be treated as a unit when studying ethanol action.


The lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) was used to elucidate whether certain side effects induced by radiographic contrast media have an immunologic etiology. Groups studied were: 8 patients who had previously experienced adverse reactions in association with urography, 6 patients who underwent urography without notable side reactions, 17 occupationally exposed nurses, and 9 unexposed controls. The lymphocytes from 2 hypersensitive patients and from 11 nurses exhibited a positive proliferative response to amidotrizoate. Five nurses who had shown a positive response, had a previous history of hypersensitivity reactions when handling contrast media, whereas the remaining 6 were free of symptoms. Amidotrizoate-specific memory cells were absent in patients who underwent urography without signs of hypersensitivity and in 7/9 of unexposed control subjects. Lymphocytes from patients sensitive to amidotrizoate cross-reacted to structurally related ionic contrast media while non-ionic contrast agents did not induce proliferation of the lymphocytes. Thus, ionic radiographic contrast agents have antigenic properties in man. Irradiated mixtures of radiographic contrast media and serum proteins were, in general, not effective in inducing an LTT response.


Objective Salvage surgery for patients with highly advanced or relapsed epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) complicated by bowel obstruction and resulting in short bowel syndrome (SBS) constitutes a therapeutic dilemma. Our aim was to evaluate surgical and clinical outcome in these highly palliative situations. Methods We evaluated all patients with EOC who underwent salvage extraperitoneal en bloc intestinal resection with terminal ileostomy or jejunostomy resulting in SBS and total parenteral nutrition owing to bowel obstruction between May 2003 and January 2012 in our institution. Results Thirty-seven patients were identified (median age, 58 years; range, 22–71 years), 3 (8.1%) with primary and 34 (91.6%) with relapsed EOC. Five patients (13.5%) were platinum sensitive. Median residual intestinal length was 70 cm (range, 10–180 cm); 21 patients (56.8%) had a residual intestinal length less than 1 m. Operative 30-day mortality and major morbidity rates were 10% and 51%, respectively. Median overall survival was 5.6 months (range, 0.1–49 months). One-year and 2-year overall survival rates were 18.3% (95% confidence interval, 5.1%–31.5%) and 8.1% (95% confidence interval, 0%–18.0)%, respectively. Within a median follow-up period of 5 months (range, 0.2–49 months), 4 patients (10.8%) are still alive. No significant differences in survival were seen between patients with or without major complications, tumor residuals, or residual intestinal length of less than 1 m versus greater than 1 m. Conclusions Salvage palliative surgery in EOC due to bowel obstruction resulting in SBS and in need of long-life total parenteral nutrition is associated with high morbidity rates and low overall survival. These surgeries should ideally be performed only in a multidisciplinary setting with adequate infrastructure and possibility of home care support. Conservative management should be the route of action in the absence of acute abdomen or intestinal perforation.


Transnational migration is a controversial and much-discussed issue in both the popular media and the social sciences, but at its heart migration is about individual people making the difficult choice to leave their families and communities in hopes of achieving greater economic prosperity. Vicente Quitasaca is one of these people. In 1995, he left his home in the Ecuadorian city of Cuenca to live and work in New York City. This anthropological story of Vicente's migration and its effects on his life and the lives of his parents and siblings adds a crucial human dimension to statistics about immigration and the macro impact of transnational migration on the global economy. Anthropologist Ann Miles has known the Quitasacas since 1989. Her long acquaintance with the family allows her to delve deeply into the factors that eventually impelled the oldest son to make the difficult and dangerous journey to the United States as an undocumented migrant. Focusing on each family member in turn, Miles explores their varying perceptions of social inequality and racism in Ecuador and their reactions to Vicente's migration. As family members speak about Vicente's new, hard-to-imagine life in America, they reveal how transnational migration becomes a symbol of failure, hope, resignation, and promise for poor people in struggling economies. Miles frames this fascinating family biography with an analysis of the historical and structural conditions that encourage transnational migration, so that the Quitasacas' story becomes a vivid firsthand illustration of this growing global phenomenon.


In AI planning the aim is to plan the actions of an agent to achieve the given goals from a given initial state. We use AI planning to solve two challenging problems: the genome rearrangement problem in computational biology and the decoupled planning problem in multi-robot systems. Motivated by the reconstruction of phylogenies, the genome rearrangement problem seeks to find the minimum number of rearrangement events (i.e., genome-wide mutations) between two given genomes. We introduce a novel method (called GENOMEPLAN) to solve this problem for single chromosome circular genomes with unequal gene content and/or duplicate genes, by formulating the pairwise comparison of entire genomes as an AI planning problem and using the AI planner TLPlan to compute solutions. The idea is to plan genome rearrangement events to transform one genome to the other. To improve computational efficiency, GENOMEPLAN embeds several heuristics in the descriptions of these events. To better understand the evolutionary history of species and to find more plausible solutions, GENOMEPLAN allows assigning costs and priorities to rearrangement events. The applicability of GENOMEPLAN is shown by some experiments on real data sets as well as randomly generated instances. In multi-robot systems, multiple teams of heterogeneous robots work in separate workspaces towards different goals. The teams are allowed to lend robots to one another. The goal is to find an overall plan of minimum length where each team completes its assigned task. We introduce an intelligent algorithm to solve this problem. The idea is, on the one hand, to allow each team to autonomously find its own plan and, on the other hand, to allow a central agent to communicate with the representatives of the teams to find an optimal decoupled plan. We prove the soundness and completeness of our decoupled planning algorithm, and analyze its computational complexity. We show the applicability of our approach on an intelligent factory scenario, using the action description language C+ for representing the domain and the causal reasoner CCALC for reasoning about the domain.


Genome-wide association studies(GWAS) are used to find associations betweengenetic markers and diseases. One part of GWAS is to study interactions be-tween markers which can play an important role in the risk for the disease. Thesearch for interactions can be computationally intensive. The aim of this thesiswas to improve the performance of software used for gene-environment interac-tion by using parallel programming techniques on graphical processors. A studyof the new programs performance, speedup and efficiency was made using mul-tiple simulated datasets. The program shows significantly better performancecompared with the older program.


The mathematical model of a double chamber pump is obtained by dividing the problem in two separate ones. The first that considers inertia force and viscous loss in relation of actuation pressure and frequency is obtained, and then a model of the nozzle/diffuser elements is introduced. The value of the flow rate obtained from the first model is then introduced in the second to determine the loss coefficients starting from geometrical properties and flow velocity. Then the loss coefficients obtained are used in the first model to obtain a new value of flow rate. These two models have been implemented in a Matlab® code that numerically reaches convergence repeating the cycle above. Using this model is possible to predict performances of the micropump only from geometrical properties and actuation parameters, without assumptions about the loss coefficients. A similar model is obtained for a single-chamber pump with geometrical dimensions equal to each chamber of the double chamber pump, and the results from both the models are then compared for equal applied actuation pressure and frequency. Results gives for our pump a max flow working frequency that is about 30% lower than the single chamber design, with the same applied pressure on the membrane, same geometry of parts and materials, and a max flow rate that is about 140% of the single chamber max flow in max flow conditions. For lower frequencies flow rate is more than twice, and maximum membrane deflection smaller up to 20% less. These results can change due to geometrical and material properties. Finally the influences of every significant geometrical property on flow rate, maximum flow frequency, loss coefficients and membrane strain are examined, and the nozzle/diffuser initial width and chamber side length are founded to be the most important dimension.© 2005 ASME


The invitation to participate in this group exhibition came from the curatorial team at Tate Britain who were developing exhibition themes tracing the recent history of British Art. For Dye, the opportunity to reappraise his student work formed part of a more extensive re-engagement with his pioneering media installations of the 60s and 70s. Dye's selection for 'Alumni' was based on the significance of the researcher's early work for present-day artists and art students. The intellectual and reflective nature of Dye's 'Alumni' contribution, focuses on issues of re-invention and recognition. The debate that helps this researcher decide on the differing roles of contemporaneity and history in his current practice are also part of Dye's research activities in relation to his extensive contribution to the organisation of postgraduate taught courses in Visual Arts at Northumbria. 'Alumni' displays a range of student sketchbooks which Dye has used to create seminar material that explores the role of late-career artists in the contemporary art school. Dye is using his ideas about the relationship between experimental practices and traditional learning tools within the cross-divisional supervisory team of Heather, whose doctoral project is entitled: 'Practice-led Research based on a collaboration between an artist-teacher, her students, and other artists.' Heather is developing research themes in relation to Northumbria's new Fine Art & Education MA (validated 2000) which is a collaboration between the School of Arts and Social Sciences, the School of Health, Community & Education Studies, and the education programme at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. This pioneering promotion of postgraduate provision for artist-teachers, and the contributions made to the pedagogic ambitions of the course by researchers such as Dye, was discussed in 'When Artists Teach,' a paper by Baker-Alder (course leader), at the National Society for Education in Art & Design conference, Tate Modern, March 2005.


The commercial bison industry is relatively new to North Dakota. There were an estimated 23,000 head of bison in North Dakota in 1998, and these animals were found in 47 of 53 counties. The purpose of this study was to estimate the economic contribution of the bison industry to the North Dakota economy. A survey of North Dakota bison producers and processors was conducted to provide estimates of direct impacts of bison activities within the state. Secondary economic impacts were determined using the North Dakota Input-Output Model. The direct impact of production and processing of bison in North Dakota in 1998 was estimated at $23 million. The $23 million in direct impacts generated an additional $47 million in secondary impacts within the state. The North Dakota bison industry supported a total of 757 secondary full- time equivalent (FTE) jobs within the state. Total economic activity generated within the state was estimated at $70 million, including $27 million in personal income and nearly $18 million in retail sales. In addition, the bison industry generated $4 million in tax revenue (including property, personal income, sales & use, and corporate income taxes). The direct impact of bison production in 1998 ranked fourth in North Dakota's livestock industry; below cattle and calves, dairy products, and hogs, and above turkey and sheep. The average direct impact generated for every bison in the state was $1,000. Total economic activity generated per bison in 1998 was $3,100 (includes direct and secondary impacts from production and processing). For every 30 head of bison an additional secondary FTE job was supported.


Acinetobacter baumanni in white storks (Ciconia ciconia) is the main host of coronavirus strains, and have ability to convert coronavirus from each strain to another, occurrence of outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01, in a year of reappearance of white storks in England, concentration of new variant strain of coronavirus in south-east part of the Britain, huge amount of visitors to hatched white storks and presence of Acinetobacter baumanni in nesting of this endangered migratory bird , power the linkage between bacteria, virus and bird.Furthermore outbreaks of Middle East respiratory syndrome in Saudi Arabia after death of huge amount of white storks in southern area to Jeddah city, certainly Wadi AlDawasir Province, and later outbreak of MERS in Saudi Arabia with more concentration in Wadi Al-Dawasir. Also artificial nesting of white storks in The Honghe Nature Reserve in northeast China's Heilongjiang province and Acinetobacter baumanni outbreaks in China predisposing factors for SARS COV-1 and SARS COV-2. Overlapping coding sequencing required to follow-up the potential relation between coronavirus strains, Acinetobacter baumanni and the white storks.


The question of whether the United States should once again authorize acreage set-asides will be addressed now that Congress has decided to hold hearings about a possible early rewrite of farm policy. Questions about the impact of acreage set-asides on farm income and national policy goals will need to be answered. This paper takes an initial look at three pertinent questions: (1) What impact will acreage set-asides have on the prices of corn, soybeans, and wheat? (2) What would be the differential farm-level impacts of set-asides across regions? And (3) How might acreage controls work with existing marketing loans?


The doubled haploid technology is now an integral component of modern maize breeding programs. In this study, the maternal haploid induction (gynogenesis) method was used to derive Doubled-Haploid (DH) lines from elite maize germplasm adapted to Turkey. Temperate haploid inducers (RWS, RWK-76, RWS x RWK-76 and WS14) were used as pollinators, and a set of 30 single-crossses (in FAO 650-700 maturity groups) were used as source materials. Putative haploid seeds were selected based on expression of R1-nj anthocyanin color marker. Highest haploid induction rate (20.42%) was recorded by using RWK-76 as inducer line, and the lowest haploid induction rate (17.75%) was obtained through WS14. Putative haploid seeds were germinated and seedlings were treated with 0.06% colchicine + 0.5% dimethylsulfoxide solution. Following transfer of seedlings into the field, 2178 D0 plants were obtained out of a total of 3012 treated haploids. Live plants were from 89% of 2178 seedlings which are planted to the field. Fertile plants were formed 57% of live plants. Inbreeding was succeeded in 31.23% of fertile plants and only 7.8% of inbreeding plants were able to produce seeds. Consequently, 27 doubled haploid lines were developed.


Between 1850 and 1925, the crude death rate in Chicago fell by 60 percent, driven by reductions in infectious disease rates and infant and child mortality. What lessons might be drawn from the mortality transition in Chicago, and American cities more generally? What were the policies that had the greatest effect on infectious diseases and childhood mortality? Were there local policies that slowed the mortality transition? If the transition to low mortality in American cities was driven by forces largely outside the control of local governments (higher per capita incomes or increases in the amount and quality of calories available to urban dwellers from rising agricultural productivity), then expensive public health projects, such as the construction of public water and sewer systems, probably should have taken a back seat to broader national policies to promote overall economic growth. The introduction of pure water explains between 30 and 50 percent of Chicago%u2019s mortality decline, and that other interventions, such as the introduction of the diphtheria antitoxin and milk inspection had much smaller effects. These findings have important implications for current policy debates and economic development strategies.


A temporal injustice is inherently built into the asylum-seeking system. Asylum seekers lack control over their biographical and their everyday time. In Norway, most asylum seekers live in reception centres while their applications are processed. This article develops a conceptual framework for understanding the asylum centre by drawing on geographical literature on architecture and contributions from migration studies on temporality. It analyses the ways in which the reception centre becomes a focal point in the asylum seekers' lives and how people's lived experiences, the asylum institution and the materiality of the buildings housing the centres come together in the particular temporalities produced by the asylum-seeking process. People's agentic capacities within institutional and material structures are conceptualised as 'orientations'. The paper analyses the lived experience of residents in three different reception centres in Norway. The temporal frames operating in the reception centres are expressions of power that produce blurred, uncertain and clashing temporalities. In this context, the reception centre operates as a material disorientation device where institutional durability, temporary dwelling and decaying as well as sub-standard materialities are significant aspects of the asylum seekers' experience. However, some residents are able to re-orient their perspective and find ways of coping with the uncertainty and waiting. These strategies are identified as 'reorientations' to show how the governance and the inhabitation in the centres come together and how people engage with the reception centre through stubborn everyday strategies of inhabiting the centre. In conclusion, the paper reflects on the limited possibility that improving the material conditions may have for a better experience of the asylum-seeking process: it is the interaction between the material, the institution and the lived experience that creates the temporal injustice.


Automated segmentation of medical images is a difficult task because of the complexity of anatomic structures, inter-patient variability, and imperfect image acquisition. Prior knowledge, in the form of pointbased statistical shape models (point distribution models) of a structure of interest can greatly assist segmentation to robustly find the structure in a patient's image. Point distribution models are obtained through sets of corresponding landmarks lying on surfaces of training structures. The key to the automated construction of a three-dimensional (3D) statistical shape model is the identification of corresponding landmarks on training shapes, which is a challenging task. This paper presents a novel method for automated construction of 3D point distribution models. Corresponding surface points are obtained by two main steps: 1) volumes of interest (VOI), each containing one training structure, are manually defined, a reference structure is manually extracted from one training VOI and its surface is established and represented by a set of (reference) points, 2) reference landmarks are propagated to other training VOIs by transformations that are obtained by hierarchical elastic registration between the reference and each of the remaining training VOIs. We illustrate our approach using computed tomography data of the lumbar vertebra.


Bush-era tax cuts are scheduled to expire at the end of 2012, leading to interest in raising revenue through a carbon tax. This revenue could be used to either cut other taxes or to avoid cuts in Federal programs. There is a body of economic research suggesting that such an arrangement could be a win-win-win situation. The first win—Congress could reduce personal or corporate income tax rates, extend the payroll tax cut, maintain spending on social programs, or some combination of these options. The second win—these cuts in income taxes would spur the economy, encouraging more private spending and hence more employment and investment. The third win—carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution and oil imports would be reduced. This analysis uses the MIT U.S. Regional Energy Policy (USREP) model to evaluate the effect of a carbon tax as part of a Federal budget deal. A baseline scenario where temporary payroll cuts and the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire is compared to several scenarios that include a carbon tax starting at $20 per ton in 2013 and rising at 4%. We find that, whether revenue is used to cut taxes or to maintain spending for social programs, the economy is better off with the carbon tax than if taxes remain high to maintain Federal revenue. We also find that, in addition to economic benefits, a carbon tax reduces carbon dioxide emissions to 14% below 2006 levels by 2020, and 20% below by 2050. Oil imports remain at about today's level, and compared to the case with no carbon tax, are 10 million barrels per day less in 2050. The carbon tax would shift the market toward renewables and other low carbon options, and make the purchase of more fuel-efficient vehicles more economically desirable.


Web services are getting popular in the domain of business to business electronic commerce and in automating information exchange between business processes because of the interoperability they provide in a distributed heterogeneous environment. Most existing systems use web services that are hosted in fixed infrastructures. Hosting web services on wireless mobile devices is challenging because of their limited resources. The few efforts made by researchers in the past are effective only for hosting of simple web service (WS) applications. However, the existing techniques are not adequate for hosting of WS applications that involve large and complex business processes or invoked by multiple concurrent WS clients. This research proposes to use an application partitioning approach so that the execution of some parts (partitions) of a WS application can be offloaded to a powerful computing node. A critical analysis of existing partitioning approaches for traditional and mobile applications is presented and a graph theory based algorithm for WS application partitioning is proposed. A performance analysis of the algorithm is made through prototyping and measurements.


The authors identify and describe strategies for success in writing for publication, including how to choose an educational research topic, define the question and choose the correct design, know the anatomy of a research paper, write each of the sections, optimize the writing before publication, choose a journal, and respond to editors and reviewers. The research question should be focused, modest, and achievable given the constraints of the setting, significant, and appropriately imbedded in the available literature. The choice of methods is determined by the nature of the educational research question and should conform to ethical standards. Specific strategies for writing include starting where it is easiest to do so, spontaneously and uncritically writing the first paragraphs through, minimizing external impediments to the work, and knowing how each section of a manuscript is routinely structured. All papers require a number of revisions with careful attention to accuracy and detail as well as to specific requirements of the target journal before submission. Authors should respond positively, not defensively, and in detail to all of the editor's and reviewers' suggestions for revision. Writing for success is therefore a disciplined and systematic process following prescribed steps, which, although hard work, is rewarding.


Worldwide, the population of orphans and vulnerable children is estimated to be around 160 million with sub-Sahara Africa accounting for 80% of these children owing largely to the effect of HIV/AIDS, civil wars, road accidents, sectarian violence, terrorism, and other factors. Efforts have been made over the years by governments and development partners to mitigate the effects of orphanhood, but these efforts have failed to achieve the required objectives because various socio-demographic factors influence receipt of support services provided to OVC. This study therefore, examined the socio-demographic determinants of child health support services provided to OVC in Nigeria by employing a cross sectional research design utilizing secondary data obtained from the household recoded dataset of the 2013 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) and analyzed at univariate, bivariate, and multivariate levels (n=5114). The findings showed that region and age of child influenced receipt of health support at the bivariate level (p<0.05). Furthermore, at the multivariate level, only region of residence was significantly associated with the receipt of health support as residence in the North East, North West, and South South regions significantly influenced receipt of health support services by OVC in these regions (p<0.05). The study concluded that socio-demographic factors influenced health support services provided to OVC and recommends that interventions should ensure an equity-focused approach based on vulnerability status of children in providing support services. Also, innovative and integrated approaches should be employed in identification, service provision, tracking and monitoring of services provided to OVC in Nigeria.

 Key words: Nigeria demographic health survey, sub-Saharan Africa, orphanhood.


Macropores are important hydrologic features that result in preferential flow and transport even under partially saturated flow conditions. The objective of this study was to use numerical simulations to investigate the hydraulic representation of preferential flow in partially saturated macroporous soils. Tension infiltration experiments that exhibited varying degrees of preferential flow, primarily along worm burrows, provided the basis for the numerical simulations. Field measurements of infiltration, soil water content, and dye transport were used to calibrate the model and assess the results. A three‐dimensional model was constructed such that the soil matrix contained discrete vertical macropores. The simulations were able to capture the relevant flow and transport characteristics during infiltration. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated the utility of cumulative infiltration and dye transport data for constraining numerical simulations of macroporous systems. Hydraulic conductivity estimates for both matrix and macropores were lower than expected, which may be due to an overly simplified description of macropore flow hydraulics. Simulated macropore discontinuities near the surface reduced the infiltration volume by >50% and the depth of dye transport by >80%. The simulations also showed that increasing macropore density was nearly linearly related to increases in preferential flow, and confirmed field observations that closer macropore spacing led to increased transport depths due to macropore–matrix interaction and conjoined wetting fronts between neighboring macropores. This discrete macropore approach provides a useful method for examining macropore flow and transport, and highlights gaps in our understanding of the unsaturated flow behavior of macropores.


Colon cancer is a major public health problem. The primary treatment is resection. For patients with early-stage disease, surgery results in excellent survival rates. In contrast, patients with locally advanced tumors arising in "anatomically immobile" segments of large bowel have a less satisfactory outcome, in part secondary to compromised surgical clearance. Patterns-of-failure analyses suggest that for tumors that invade adjacent organs, exhibit perforation or fistula, or are subtotally resected, local failure rates exceed 30%. Multiple single-institution retrospective studies have shown improved local control and possibly survival with the addition of external irradiation and/or intraoperative radiation. In contrast, a recent Intergroup trial failed to show any benefit by the addition of adjuvant radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy. Interpretation of this trial's results is handicapped by low patient accrual. With the advent of novel and more effective systemic therapies for metastatic colon cancer, current and future clinical research will address the efficacy of these agents in the adjuvant setting. Adjuvant radiation therapy should be considered in patients with colon cancer at high risk for local failure.


Ground-based optical microlensing surveys have provided tantalising, if inconclusive, evidence for a significant population of free-floating planets (FFPs). Both ground and space-based facilities are being used and developed which will be able to probe the distrubution of FFPs with much better sensitivity. It is vital also to develop a high-precision microlensing simulation framework to evaluate the completeness of such surveys. We present the first signal-to-noise limited calculations of the FFP microlensing rate using the Besancon Galactic model. The microlensing distribution towards the Galactic centre is simulated for wide-area ground-based optical surveys such as OGLE or MOA, a wide-area ground-based near-IR survey, and a targeted space-based near-IR survey which could be undertaken with Euclid or WFIRST. We present a calculation framework for the computation of the optical and near-infrared microlensing rate and optical depth for simulated stellar catalogues which are signal-to-noise limited, and take account of extinction, unresolved stellar background light and finite source size effects, which can be significant for FFPs. We find that the global ground-based I-band yield over a central 200 deg^2 region covering the Galactic centre ranges from 20 Earth-mass FFPs year^-1 up to 3,500 year^-1 for Jupiter FFPs in the limit of 100% detection efficiency, and almost an order of magnitude larger for a K-band survey. For ground-based surveys we find that the inclusion of finite source and the unresolved background reveals a mass-dependent variation in the spatial distribution of FFPs. For a space-based H-band covering 2 deg^2, the yield depends on the target field but maximizes close to the Galactic centre with around 76 Earth through to 1,700 Jupiter FFPs year^-1. For near-IR space-based surveys the spatial distribution of FFPs is found to be largely insensitive to the FFP mass scale.


This paper considers the problem of synthesizing output-feedback control laws for a class of discrete-time hybrid systems in order for the trajectories of the system to satisfy certain high-level specifications expressed in linear temporal logic. By leveraging ideas from robust interpretation of temporal logic formulas and bounded-error estimation, we identify a subclass of systems for which it is possible to reduce the problem to a state-feedback form. In particular, we use locally superstable hybrid observers to resolve the partial information at the continuous level. This allows us to use recent results in temporal logic planning to synthesize the desired controllers based on two-player perfect-information games. The overall control architecture consists of a hybrid observer, a high-level switching protocol and a low-level continuous controller. We demonstrate the proposed framework in a case study on designing control protocols for an aircraft air management system.


The present study addresses how to measure three constructs commonly used in advertising research, namely attitude towards the ad, brand attitude and brand purchase intention. The study replicates and extends Bergkvist and Rossiter's (2007) finding that single-item measures are equally predictively valid as multiple-item measures of basic (doubly concrete – see Rossiter's 2002 C-OAR-SE procedure) constructs in marketing, namely AAd and ABrand. One extension is that the finding holds for free-standing, tailormade single-item measures, whereas the previous study establishes this result only for single-item measures extracted from multiple-item measures. Another extension is that single-item equivalence of predictive validity further holds for another widely employed dependent variable construct, PIBrand. The present study goes beyond Bergkvist and Rossiter's study in that it shows that items commonly used in multiple-item measures of AAd and ABrand vary in their predictive validity and that, in some cases, the differences are substantial. The main finding is the further empirical proof that multiple-item scales are unnecessary for validly measuring basic constructs.


Aluminum–aluminum compound castings consisting of an aluminum wrought alloy sheet and an aluminum casting alloy are produced via high pressure die casting (HPDC). In order to realize a firm bonding, the sheet material is Zn‐coated prior to casting. The task of the Zn‐coating is to replace the resistant aluminum oxide layer on the surface. In addition, a smooth metal–metal interface between the insert and the casting alloy develops by the diffusion of Zn atoms into the surrounding area of the interface. Within this paper, the subsequent heat treatment of the resultant formation is investigated to enhance the strength of the firmly bonded compound. In a first step, heat treatment for two wrought alloys AlZn5.5MgCu, AlCu4MgSi, and the casting alloy AlSi10Mg(Fe) are examined. Based on these results, suitable parameters for the heat treatment of the compounds are selected and tested. Mechanical tests demonstrate a significant enhancement for the strength of the heat treated compounds. Microprobe analysis is used to examine the diffusion and dissolution of the coated Zn at the boundary layer during the solution annealing of the firmly bonded compound.


CASE SETTING: 1996, Investment Management, USA This case examines the issues surrounding Jeff Vinik's departure from Fidelity Magellan in 1996. The case was developed for an MBA course in equity portfolio management, but it has also been used effectively in advanced undergraduate classes in Investments. In the second half of 1995, Jeff Vinik dramatically changed the asset allocation strategy of Fidelity Magellan, then the largest mutual fund in the world. Vinik, anticipating a market downturn, sold most of Magellan's large technology position and moved those assets into bonds and cash. When the anticipated correction did not occur, Magellan significantly underperformed the S&P 500 index. In the aftermath of the asset allocation decision, Vinik left Fidelity. The case is particularly effective for getting the students to discuss issues in the investment management industry. The case has proved successful at stimulating class discussion, so it is important for the professor to determine beforehand which elements of the case to focus on. Allocation, Legal Issues


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We study the effects of macroscopic bends and twists in an optical waveguide and how they influence the transmission capabilities of a waveguide. These mechanical stresses and strains distort the optical indicatrix of the medium, producing optical anistropy. The spatially varying refractive indices are incorporated into the full-wave Maxwell's equations. The governing equations are discretized by using a vector finite-element method cast in a high-order finite element approximation. This approach allows us to study the complexities of the mechanical deformation within a framework of a high-order formulation that can, in turn, reduce the computational requirement without degrading its performance. The optical activities generated, total energy produced, and power loss due to the mechanical stresses and strains are reported and discussed.


Health and Civil War in Rural Burundi We combine household survey data with event data on the timing and location of armed conflicts to examine the impact of Burundi's civil war on children's health status. The identification strategy exploits exogenous variation in the war's timing across provinces and the exposure of children's birth cohorts to the fighting. After controlling for province of residence, birth cohort, individual and household characteristics, and province-specific time trends, we find that children exposed to the war have on average 0.515 standard deviations lower height-for-age z-scores than non-exposed children. This negative effect is robust to specifications exploiting alternative sources of exogenous variation. JEL Classification: I12, J13, O12


OBJECTIVE
The relationship between primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) and papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) still remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the incidence of the co-existence of pHPT and PTC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Between 2010 and 2013, all patients with pHPT were retrospectively reviewed and those undergoing concomitant thyroid surgery were recorded. Of these, patients with a pathological result showing papillary or micro-papillary thyroid cancer were included into the study. A chart review of 228 patients who underwent surgery for pHPT revealed 86 (37.7%) patients with concurrent thyroid disease requiring surgical treatment.

RESULTS
Thyroid cancer was noted in six female patients (6.9%) undergoing thyroid resection, and 2.6% of all patients with pHPT. Four patients underwent total thyroidectomy while lobectomy was applied in the remaining two. None of the cases with lobectomy required a completion thyroidectomy.

CONCLUSION
We demonstrated the concurrence of PTC and pHPT at a rate of 2.6% which appeared as a coincidental pathology; however, thyroid disorders, seen in one of three patients with pHPT, were not uncommon. Further research is still needed to develop a reliable explanation for relationship between pHPT and non-medullary thyroid cancer.


Stellar evolution models predict the existence of hybrid white dwarfs (WDs) with a carbon-oxygen core surrounded by an oxygen-neon mantle. Being born with masses similar to 1.1 M-aS (TM), hybrid WDs in a binary system may easily approach the Chandrasekhar mass (M-Ch) by accretion and give rise to a thermonuclear explosion. Here, we investigate an off-centre deflagration in a near-M-Ch hybrid WD under the assumption that nuclear burning only occurs in carbon-rich material. Performing hydrodynamics simulations of the explosion and detailed nucleosynthesis post-processing calculations, we find that only 0.014 M-aS (TM) of material is ejected while the remainder of the mass stays bound. The ejecta consist predominantly of iron-group elements, O, C, Si and S. We also calculate synthetic observables for our model and find reasonable agreement with the faint Type Iax SN 2008ha. This shows for the first time that deflagrations in near-M-Ch WDs can in principle explain the observed diversity of Type Iax supernovae. Leaving behind a near-M-Ch bound remnant opens the possibility for recurrent explosions or a subsequent accretion-induced collapse in faint Type Iax SNe, if further accretion episodes occur. From binary population synthesis calculations, we find the rate of hybrid WDs approaching M-Ch to be of the order of 1 per cent of the Galactic SN Ia rate.


Purpose: The first purpose of this study is to describe the characteristics of the two prevailing prison system models and three prison management models through the use of scholarly literature. The second purpose is to conduct a research study to describe which prison system model and prison management model the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is using to both operate and manage the Texas Prison System. Finally, the study will present conclusions and recommendations for future research. Methodology: The methodology used in this research study is document analysis. Documents were reviewed and retrieved from agency and division mission statements; agency and division overviews; agency budgets; an agency survey; and policy and procedure handbooks and manuals. These documents were used to operationalize the conceptual framework. Results: The results showed the TDCJ shares characteristics from the Hierarchical and Differentiated Model, as well as the Control and Responsibility Model. However, the TDCJ appears to operate under the Differentiated Model and is managed under the Control Model based on the research. The mission statements, division overviews, and policy and procedure explain the primary goal of the Texas Prison System is to rehabilitate and reintegrate offenders back into society as productive law-abiding citizens. The Texas Prison System and prison administrator's primary goals are to maintain control of the prison system and the care, custody, and control of inmates following strict guidelines and policy and procedure.


1) This is an ecological review of the 'ACT Government Environmental Flow
Guidelines' (1999) (or EFG). The EFG are a statutory document that
establishes the water requirements in streams and lakes in the ACT, to ensure
aquatic ecosystems are sustained. The CRC for Freshwater Ecology has been
asked to provide advice on the efficacy of the EFG, and on improvements that
can be made in the general approaches and actual flow rules for sustaining
ecological values.

2) The approach taken in the review is to assess the effectiveness of prescribed
environmental flows by reference to monitoring data and research on rivers
within the ACT, and by consulting with local scientific experts. Advice is
provided on the retention of current flow practices, or their modification to
better achieve ecological objectives. This information could contribute to
adaptive management in the near term, or to a more systematic formulation of
environmental flow guidelines, should that be undertaken in the future.

Performance of the environmental flow guidelines
3) The performance of environmental flows needs to be considered in reference
to objectives that reflect catchment uses as well as river condition. The
approach taken in this review is to judge sustainability in reference to
established �performance criteria� where they exist.

4) In regulated parts of the Cotter River system the current EFG low-flow levels
(supplemented by unmanaged reservoir spills and inflows), are delivering
many desirable ecological benefits. General river condition is at or above
levels specified in performance criteria, and appears to have improved since
the implementation of the EFG, despite the drought and fires. Both Macquarie
Perch and Two-spined Blackfish have successfully spawned during the
drought.

5) Adaptive management principles embedded in the EFG, and further developed
in practice, worked well in the Cotter River during 2003/04 in relation to
setting environmental flows during drought and under a demonstrated needs
scenario, as well as in relation to capturing new information.

6) In the Queanbeyan River downstream of Googong Dam the current EFG are
maintaining conditions at or above performance criteria levels.

7) The monitoring data are insufficient to determine the ecological value of
environmental flows in other systems.

Advice on retention of or changes to guidelines
8) A process of setting clear ecological objectives could be considered for all
river types and reaches within the managed area. The process could target
CRC for Freshwater Ecology ACT e-flow guidelines review systems with tailored environmental flows, and could involve focused
monitoring to allow assessment of performance against the objectives.

9) This review provides draft ecological objectives, arising from a workshop held
as part of the review. The review also proposes environmental flows that
should achieve the objectives, or that can be trialled.

10) Some suggestions are made for changes to existing environmental flows,
including introducing flow variability in releases from the dams, major
refinements to flushing flows, and a reduction in the flow required for fish
spawning in the Cotter River.

11) Continued integration of environmental flow management, monitoring and
assessment, within an adaptive management framework, will lead to ongoing
benefits. Consideration should be given to having clearer formalisation of an
active adaptive management strategy in the EFG.

12) Monitoring of the effectiveness of environmental flows to areas beyond the
water supply reaches should be considered.


This article proposes an ecophilosophy of the cinema. It builds on Martin Heidegger's articulation of art as 'world-disclosing,' and on a Whiteheadian and Deleuzian understanding of the universe as a lively and eventful place in which subjects and objects are persistently coming into being, jointly constituted in the process of their becoming. Accordingly, it proposes that cinema be considered a machine that produces or discloses worlds. These worlds are, at once, anthropomorphic, geomorphic, and biomorphic, with each of these registers mapping onto the 'three ecologies,' in Felix Guattari's terms, that make up the relational ontology of the world: the social, the material, and the mental or perceptual. Through an analysis of Andrei Tarkovsky's  Stalker (1979), I suggest that cinema 'stalks' the world, and that our appreciation of its potentials should similarly involve a kind of 'stalking' of its effects in the material, social, and perceptual dimensions of the world from which cinema emerges and to which it returns.


BACKGROUND & AIMS
Celiac disease (CeD) is a prevalent autoimmune condition. Recurrent signs and symptoms are common despite treatment with a gluten-free diet (GFD), yet no approved or proven nondietary treatment is available.

METHODS
In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we assessed larazotide acetate 0.5, 1, or 2 mg 3 times daily to relieve ongoing symptoms in 342 adults with CeD who had been on a GFD for 12 months or longer and maintained their current GFD during the study. The study included a 4-week placebo run-in, 12 weeks of treatment, and a 4-week placebo run-out phase. The primary end point was the difference in average on-treatment Celiac Disease Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale score.

RESULTS
The primary end point was met with the 0.5-mg dose of larazotide acetate, with fewer symptoms compared with placebo by modified intention to treat (n = 340) (analysis of covariance, P = .022; mixed model for repeated measures, P = .005). The 0.5-mg dose showed an effect on exploratory end points including a 26% decrease in celiac disease patient-reported outcome symptomatic days (P = .017), a 31% increase in improved symptom days (P = .034), a 50% or more reduction from baseline of the weekly average abdominal pain score for 6 or more of 12 weeks of treatment (P = .022), and a decrease in the nongastrointestinal symptoms of headache and tiredness (P = .010). The 1- and 2-mg doses were no different than placebo for any end point. Safety was comparable with placebo.

CONCLUSIONS
Larazotide acetate 0.5 mg reduced signs and symptoms in CeD patients on a GFD better than a GFD alone. Although results were mixed, this study was a successful trial of a novel therapeutic agent targeting tight junction regulation in patients with CeD who are symptomatic despite a GFD. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01396213.


Iron oxide coated sand (IOCS) is a potential adsorbent for metallic ions, e.g. arsenic, lead, manganese etc., however the effect of process conditions and the mechanism of its adsorption of Mn(II) have not been thoroughly investigated. This study determined the capacity, rate, mechanisms involved and the effect of process conditions on the adsorption of Mn(II) onto IOCS using laboratory scale batch reactors with modeled water. Alkalinity and pH values of 8 and higher markedly affected the solubility of Mn(II) that is governed by manganese carbonate; solubility is very limited (1–2 mg/L or lower) even at low alkalinity (60 ppm). The IOCS demonstrated an increasing adsorption capacity (9 K 9 values: 4.73–147) of Mn(II) from pH values 6 to 8. For the initial short term, comparable adsorption capacity was found at pH 6 under both oxic and anoxic conditions. This indicates that no significant quantities of adsorbed Mn(II) were oxidized at pH 6 to form extra capacity within that period. Kinetic studies using the linear driving force, Lagergren and potential driving second order kinetic (PDSOK) models revealed that the rate of manganese(II) adsorption onto aggregate IOCS declines after the initial phase likely due to the saturation of easily accessible adsorption capacities on grain surface and/or pH drop in the pores of the IOCS grains due to Mn(II) adsorption. The changing adsorption rate constants prevented the equilibrium concentration being predicted with the applied models.


The benefits of Web cache prefetching are well understood, and so prefetching has been implemented in a number of commercial products. This paper argues that the current support for prefetching in HTTP/1.1 is insufficient because prefetching with GET is not good. Existing prefetching implementations can cause problems with undesirable side-effects and server abuse, and the potential for these problems may thwart additional prefetching development and deployment. We make some initial suggestions of extensions to HTTP that would allow for safe prefetching, reduced server abuse, and differentiated Web server quality of service. It is our hope that this paper will restart a dialog on these issues that will move in time into a standards development process.


This evaluation was designed in order to explore the impact of the Creative Communications pilot programme (a six week programme of person-centred dance, movement and visual arts) on participants at a care home. Timed observations of the sessions were conducted as well as semi-structured interviews with care home staff and the project facilitators. Through the use of observation scales, a number of outcomes were assessed including commitment, creative expression, embodiment, verbal and non-verbal communication, wellbeing and satisfaction. The interviews assisted in exploring from the professionals' and facilitators' perspective the impact of the project in these domains as well as exploring further key themes regarding the experiences of those involved in the programme in terms of quality of life and other related factors.

The evaluation demonstrated that Creative Communications sessions provided physical, psychological and social benefits to the participants, including the opportunity to participate in meaningful activities; behavioural improvements; increased mobility, social interaction, confidence, self-esteem, mood and concentration; increased skills; and higher levels of wellbeing. These findings confirm evidence from previous studies about the benefits of non-pharmacological methods in the care of people with dementia.

Recommendations include ensuring further collaborative work between artists and care homes takes place; the involvement of care home staff and relatives of residents in future sessions; consultation with participants prior to and throughout the intervention; and encouragement of commissioners to consider supporting arts for health projects involving older people, which incorporate comprehensive evaluations.


Even before President Trump's inauguration, it was clear that women's sexual and reproductive health (SRH) was going to be a focus of his policy initiatives. Now that he is in office, the impact of these policy changes is beginning to come into focus – and these initiatives affecting abortion, contraception, maternity care and more – are concerning from a medical and public health perspective. The past decade has seen improvements in the use of more effective contraception and a reduction in unintended pregnancy in the USA,1 and it is worrisome that Trump's policies could roll back progress on women's health.

One of President Trump's first executive orders after his inauguration was to re-impose the Mexico City Policy, which regulates US funding to foreign non-governmental organisations. Also known as the Global Gag Rule, this policy prevents organisations that receive United States (US) funding from using any of their financial resources, regardless of source, to provide, inform about or advocate for access to abortion care in their countries. The Trump order appears to have expanded the scope of the Gag Rule, which has been imposed by every Republican president since Ronald Reagan: it now extends beyond funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to include programmes such as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). If reducing abortion were the aim of this policy, it is not at all clear that it is effective. Data from over a quarter of a million women across 20 nations …


We present simulation and experimental results of an integrated optical add/drop multiplexer in a photorefractive LiNbO3 channel waveguide device. It is experimentally confirmed that a slanted refractive index grating in a bi-modal waveguide section breaks the orthogonality of the fundamental and first excited mode. This grating couples the forward propagating fundamental mode into the backward propagating first excited mode. A mode selective directional coupler that is designed using BPM splits the reflected signal from the transmitted signal into a drop port. In a symmetrically designed device, a second coupler is used for the add port. Bragg gratings are recorded with green light in photorefractive LiNbO3:Ti:Cu channel waveguides that are designed for infrared light around 1.55 microns. The bandwidth (FWHM) of the gratings is about 0.1 nm which is appropriate for DWDM telecommunication devices. We use the electrooptic effect to tune the Bragg wavelength by applying a bias electric field which allows fast on/off switching of the filter.


The article presents the concept of "low-carbon economy". Different views on the essence of "low-carbon economy" are considered. Low-carbon trajectory of the innovative development means energy efficiency and energy saving increase, maximum use of low-carbon energy (electrification, biofuel) by the end users.Thus, low-carbon infrastructure with reduction of specific CO2 emissions per unit of electricity generation and fuel consumption is created.It is concluded that ecological innovations, "green" economy are the spheres where the possibilities for the further sustainable development are concentrated. Innovative development is to be accompanied with "green" technologies introduction in all spheres of economy. The "green" technologies objectives are identified. The conditions for institutional and infrastructure environment of the transition towards "green" economy are formed. It is concluded that "low-carbon economy" nowadays is an important component of a new economic model. Economic tools to form "low-carbon economy" are defined.


MORE THAN JUST TERRORISTS?: CONSTRUCTIONS OF CANADIAN MUSLIM IDENTITIES IN THE CANADIAN DAILY PRESS Megan Nicholson Advisor: University of Guelph, 2011 Professor Emerita Linda A. Wood Discursive psychology was used to analyze constructions of Canadian Muslim identities in the Canadian mainstream daily press. News and opinion discourse from a six-month period (November 1, 2008 April 30, 2009) was examined. Whereas previous research has typically focused on negative news coverage, I examined the full range of identity portrayals of Canadian Muslims available in the daily press. Not unexpectedly, the most overtly negative identity constructions of Canadian Muslims were found in coverage of terrorism trials. In that coverage, the accused were typically worked up as endorsing an extreme interpretation of Islam. These extreme descriptions of the accused may suggest a particularized and therefore non-representative Muslim identity. Negative identity was also constructed in articles that reported on Canadian Muslims' interactions with the legal and immigration systems: the behaviours of some Canadian Muslims (e.g., polygamy) were formulated as a threat to mainstream Canadian social values. The coverage also dealt with the issue of discrimination against Canadian Muslims. The case for discrimination was accomplished via comparison (e.g., government treatment of Muslim versus non-Muslim Canadians). However, in some coverage, Canadian Muslims were indirectly and subtly portrayed as possibly deserving of discriminatory treatment. Canadian Muslims were favourably portrayed when they: 1) upheld mainstream Canadian social values, 2) had a sense of humour about their Muslim identity, and 3) educated non-Muslim Canadians about Islam. However, favourable identity constructions of Canadian Muslims were often accompanied by background information that negatively portrayed Muslims in general. This juxtaposition of positive representations of individual Canadian Muslims with negative general information about Muslims and Islam may have subtly suggested that good Muslims are an exception rather than the norm. Overall, it was found that Canadian press coverage offers a fuller picture of Canadian Muslim identity than elsewhere (e.g., the U.S. and the U.K.). However, Sampson's (1993) distinction between accommodative and transformative voice suggests that this picture is still incomplete. Several possibilities for improvement are suggested; for example, the press's reliance on ready-made news (e.g., staged events) may provide opportunities to increase favourable identity portrayals of Canadian Muslims.


The overwintering success of Euphausia superba is a key factor that dictates population size, but there is uncertainty over how they cope with the scarcity of pelagic food. Both nonfeeding strategies (reduced metabolism, lipid use, or shrinkage in size) and switching to other foods (carnivory, ice algae, or detritus) have been suggested. We examined these alternatives in the southwest Lazarev Sea in autumn (April 1999), when sea ice was forming and phytoplankton was at winter concentrations. Both juveniles and adults had a very high lipid content (36% and 44% of dry mass, respectively) of which >40% was phospholipid. However, their low O:N ratios suggested that these reserves were not being used. Results from gut contents analysis and large volume incubations agreed that juveniles fed mainly on phytoplankton and adults fed on small (<3 mm) copepods. This dietary difference was supported possibly by elevated concentrations of 20 : 1 and 22 : 1 fatty acids in the adults. The feeding methods also confirmed that feeding rates were low compared with those in summer. Even when acclimated to high food concentrations, clearance and ingestion rates were <30% of summer rates. Respiration and ammonium excretion rates of freshly caught krill were 60%–80% of those in summer and declined significantly during 18 d of starvation. These findings suggest both switch feeding and energy conservation strategies, with a trend of reduced and more carnivorous feeding with ontogeny. This points to a "compromise" strategy for postlarvae, but there are alternative explanations. First, the krill may have reduced their feeding in an autumn transition to a nonfeeding mode, and, second, some of the population may have maintained a high feeding effort whereas the remainder was not feeding.


The detection efficiency of a gaseous photomultiplier depends on the photocathode quantum efficiency and the extraction efficiency of photoelectrons into the gas. In this paper we have studied the performance of an UV photon detector with P10 gas in which the extraction efficiency can reach values near to those in vacuum operated devices. Simulations have been done to compare the percentage of photoelectrons backscattered in P10 gas as well as in the widely used neon-based gas mixture. The performance study has been carried out using a single stage thick gas electron multiplier (THGEM). The electron pulses and electron spectrum are recorded under various operating conditions. Secondary effects prevailing in UV photon detectors like photon feedback are discussed and its effect on the electron spectrum under different operating conditions is analyzed.


Background: Technological progression made drastic changes in health care. Still there is a growing concern about proper utilization of health information within hospitals for various research activities. Huge volumes of such health information in majority of hospitals are redundant due to lack of appropriate and cost-effective technological tools for retrieving relevant health information for research purpose. Objective: To develop a cost-effective and user-friendly computerized medical record database for psychiatry using available technology with the department. Methodology: Study performed at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Udupi district of South India. Various datasets from psychiatry medical records were utilized for the design and creation of database. A computerized database called PsyCase was developed with the help of technology available within the department. A 4612 patient's data were entered into the PsyCase and subjected to various analyses. Results: Applications of PsyCase in various epidemiological studies were explored through performing numerous analyses with actual data. PsyCase was found effective in supporting psychiatric research as well as routine clinical and administrative activities. Conclusion: This study emphasizes need of appropriate use of technology available within a healthcare system to facilitate medical research in psychiatry and role of health information professional in such initiatives. Healthcare organization must focus on collective utilization of resources within the system to improve the utilization of health information for medical research.


Freezing of water flowing through a small channel can be used
as an efficient and cost-effective flow control mechanism for microfluidic platforms. Ice valves provide a leak-proof, non-invasive and
high-pressure-tolerant method of flow control compared to their conventional
micromechanical counterparts. To develop,
design and implement ice valves an understanding of the processes and
parameters that govern ice formation in small channels is required. The aim of this dissertation is to understand
the freezing process of water flowing in small diameter channels and the
factors affecting the same, so as to develop a simple physical model that predicts
the ice growth process and channel closing time. Further, a stand-alone ice valve formation
device is developed that is suitable for implementation in high-pressure
microfluidic applications.

While
ice valves have various advantages over conventional microvalves, their successful
implementation is in part hindered due to their long response time. An understanding of the factors that affect
the ice growth process during flow freezing in small diameter channels (commonly
encountered in microfluidic devices) would allow reduction and control of the
response time of ice valves. In
this dissertation, freezing in a pressure-driven water flow through a channel is
investigated using measurements of external channel wall temperature and flow
rate synchronized with high-speed visualization. A test setup is designed and demonstrated to
control the external cooling boundary conditions during visualization of the
ice formation modes in a small channel; the external wall thermocouple and the
water flow rate readings are synchronized with the high-speed images. Firstly, the effect of water flow rate on the
freezing process is investigated in a glass channel of 500
m inner diameter in terms of the external wall
temperature, the growth duration of different ice modes, and the channel
closing time. Freezing initiates as a
thin layer of ice dendrites that grows along the inner wall and partially
blocks the channel, followed by the formation and inward growth of a solid
annular ice layer that leads to complete flow blockage and ultimate channel
closure. A simplified analytical model
is developed to determine the factors that govern the annular ice growth, and
hence the channel closing time. The
model identifies the
water flow rate and the channel diameter as the two key parameters that govern
the channel closing time. For a
given channel, the model predicts that the annular ice growth is driven purely
by conduction due to the temperature difference between the outer channel wall
and the equilibrium ice-water interface.
The flow rate affects the initial temperature difference, and thereby
has an indirect effect on the annular ice growth. Higher flow rates require a lower wall temperature
to initiate ice nucleation and result in faster annular ice growth (and shorter
closing times) than at lower flow rates.


Thanks to the availability of user profiles and records of activity, online social network analysis can discover complex individual and social behavior patterns. The emergence of trust between users of online services is one of the most important phenomena, but it's also hard to detect in records of users' interactions, and even harder to replicate by abstract, generative models. Here, the authors investigate the emergence of "trusted" users (over time) by studying the evolution of topological and centrality measures of the network of trust within the overall social network. To do so, large datasets of user activity are studied from Ciao and Epinions (two online platforms with an explicit notion of trust controlled by users), and Prosper (a micro-lending site where trust remains implicit). The implications of such findings are discussed, particularly regarding how to enable trust in online platforms and interaction, with implications for trust-based activities.


This document analyzes the transition to IPv6 in Third Generation
Partnership Project (3GPP) packet networks. These networks are based
on General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) technology, and the radio
network architecture is based on Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM) or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
(UMTS)/Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) technology. The
focus is on analyzing different transition scenarios and applicable
transition mechanisms and finding solutions for those transition
scenarios. In these scenarios, the User Equipment (UE) connects to
other nodes, e.g., in the Internet, and IPv6/IPv4 transition
mechanisms are needed. This memo provides information for the Internet
community.


This paper proposes a nonlinear variable gain Proportional-Derivative (PD) controller
that exhibits self-constructing and self-learning capabilities. In this method, the
conventional linear PD controller is augmented with a nonlinear variable PD gain control
signal using a dynamic structural network. The dynamic structural network known as
Growing Multi-Experts etwork grows in time by placing hidden nodes in regions of the
state space visited by the system during operation. This results in a network that is
"economic" in terms of network sileo The proposed approach enhances the adaptability
of conventional PD controller while preserving its' linear structure. Based on the
simulation study on variable load and friction compensation, the fast adaptation is shown
to be able to compensate the non-linearity and the uncertainty in the robotic system.


The Leaf extract of Ageratum conyzoides (goat weed) was analyzed for its Vitamins and Mineral content. The result revealed that the plant contains the vitamins: ascorbic acid (33.36mg/100g), thiamin (0.22mg/100g), riboflavin (0.16mg/100g), niacin (0.07mg/100g) and tocopherol (0.61mg/100g). The mineral concentrations were measured at 5.75mg/100g Zinc, 2.52mg/100g Iron, 0.51mg/100g Calcium, 0.23mg/100g Phosphorus, and 0.11mg/100g Magnesium. The heavy metal Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) were not detected in the sample. The concentration of these vitamins and minerals in A. conyzoides can be attributed to some of its identified properties such as anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-oxidant, anti-allergic, and therapeutic activities that supports its use in herbal medicine.


Because of the transformation of market structures into the direction of servitization, manufacturing companies are forced to compete through the supply of services as opposed to products. Competing for these service contracts, particularly during bidding, the decision makers face various uncertainties that influence their decisions. This paper presents a holistic approach for identifying, modeling and representing these uncertainties to enable a more informed decision. As current literature lacks a holistic approach to characterize uncertainty, this paper proposes such an approach by classifying uncertainty into five layers. It is described how they offer an integrated approach to describing the uncertainty inherent in a situation. This classification is then applied to the bidding situation for a service contract in the form of a conceptual framework. This framework depicts the influencing factors on a bidding decision, namely, the contract conditions, internal company perspective, competitors and customer. To demonstrate the use of the uncertainty classification in detail the influencing factor of the customer is used as an exemplar. The uncertainty connected to the customer is characterized and the techniques for modeling the uncertainty are described. It is explained how the can be included in a decision matrix representing the probability of winning the contract.


We propose a methodology for producing density forecasts for the output gap in real time using a large number of vector autoregessions in inflation and output gap measures. Density combination utilizes a linear mixture of experts framework to produce potentially non-Gaussian ensemble densities for the unobserved output gap. In our application, we show that data revisions alter substantially our probabilistic assessments of the output gap using a variety of output gap measures derived from univariate detrending filters. The resulting ensemble produces well-calibrated forecast densities for US inflation in real time, in contrast to those from simple univariate autoregressions which ignore the contribution of the output gap. Combining evidence from both linear trends and more flexible univariate detrending filters induces strong multi-modality in the predictive densities for the unobserved output gap. The peaks associated with these two detrending methodologies indicate output gaps of opposite sign for some observations, reflecting the pervasive nature of model uncertainty in our US data.


Book synopsis: From ubiquitous surveillance to drone strikes that put "warheads onto foreheads," we live in a world of globalized, individualized targeting. The perils are great. In The Eye of War, Antoine Bousquet provides both a sweeping historical overview of military perception technologies and a disquieting lens on a world that is, increasingly, one in which anything or anyone that can be perceived can be destroyed—in which to see is to destroy.

Arguing that modern-day global targeting is dissolving the conventionally bounded spaces of armed conflict, Bousquet shows that over several centuries, a logistical order of militarized perception has come into ascendancy, bringing perception and annihilation into ever-closer alignment. The efforts deployed to evade this deadly visibility have correspondingly intensified, yielding practices of radical concealment that presage a wholesale disappearance of the customary space of the battlefield. Beginning with the Renaissance's fateful discovery of linear perspective, The Eye of War discloses the entanglement of the sciences and techniques of perception, representation, and localization in the modern era amid the perpetual quest for military superiority. In a survey that ranges from the telescope, aerial photograph, and gridded map to radar, digital imaging, and the geographic information system, Bousquet shows how successive technological systems have profoundly shaped the history of warfare and the experience of soldiering.

A work of grand historical sweep and remarkable analytical power, The Eye of War explores the implications of militarized perception for the character of war in the twenty-first century and the place of human subjects within its increasingly technical armature.


The motion picture industry is characterized by a dynamic market environment, limited shelf space and product category management, and consequently, complex channel contracts specifying the split of box office revenue between distributors and exhibitors. Although such a contracting practice creates a considerable administrative effort and channel conflict, it is not clear whether such complexity is necessary for superior channel performance. This study investigates this question by analyzing the impact of movie contract structure on movie scheduling and channel member profitability. We develop and analyze a game-theoretic model using the genetic algorithm approach and a decision support system, SilverScreener, to capture strategic behaviors of channel members in a complex market environment. We find that simpler two-part tariff or 50/50 split contracts perform as well as the current contracts. Thus, the complexity of the market environment need not be reflected in the complexity of the channel contracts. Channel contract structure has significant impact on channel member profitability and the exhibitor's movie-scheduling behavior. In particular, our results indicate that the flat rate contract structure represents an attractive alternative to the current practice for distributors.


If you're looking for the ultimate mountain bike guide for the totally honed, welcome to William (Not Bill) Nealy's world. Nealy's expertise (acquired through years of crash and burn) enables him to translate hard-learned reflexes and instinctive responses into easy-to-understand drawings: drawings that will make you a much better rider. Nealy's cartoon illustrations combine insight with humor and knowledge with humiliation. So, if you are ready to shorten the learning curve and master the advanced techniques of mountain biking, get ready to have some laughs and log a few miles with William Nealy.


We report the direct observation of a type of rainbow caustic. In contrast to known examples, this caustic originates from a dissipative, stochastic process. We have observed this when using cold 87 Rb atoms bouncing inelastically on an evanescent-wave atom mirror. The caustic appears as a sharp peak at the lower edge of an asymmetric velocity distribution of the bouncing atoms. The stochastic process is a spontaneous Raman transition due to photon scattering during the bounce. The results are in good agreement with a classical calculation.


The research reported in this thesis provides a comprehensive safety evaluation of Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) using a range of experimental methodologies. An ISA system can have varying system characteristics but, in general, limits a vehicle to a particular speed (or provides advice about the appropriate speed). This evaluation offers an important contribution to the understanding of a range of issues pertinent to the implementation of such a technology.
This thesis reports a series of studies designed to evaluate the effect of ISA on driver behaviour and safety. Each of the studies addressed a separate issue and thus a number of research methodologies were used. The studies evaluated the effectiveness of ISA in comparison to other speed-reducing methods and investigated how drivers interacted with ISA across a variety of road types. In addition, a number of variants of ISA were developed and their comparative effectiveness was studied in a laboratory setting and in the real world.
In summary, the simulator studies reported decreases in mean and maximum speeds for areas of interest such as curves and village entry points. The field studies on the other hand only found decreases in maximum speeds, probably due to the small sample and high variability in traffic conditions. However these decreases in speed were located in road environments where excessive speed is a problem; thus safety benefits would undoubtedly accrue with ISA.
With regards to system design, drivers were more accepting of an ISA system that allowed an override particularly self-reported speeders. Increases in frustration and the perceived loss of time while driving with a mandatory ISA were also reported and may explain the negative shift in gap acceptance behaviour and car following observed in the simulator.


Much of the literature on electoral politics in Africa has focused on one mechanism of electoral mobilization reliance on shared ethnic identity between politicians and voters. On the contrary, the author argues that politicians pursue two distinct modes of nonprogrammatic electoral mobilization: (1) by directly relying on the support of voters from one's own ethnic background, and (2) by indirectly working through electoral intermediaries—local leaders who command moral authority, control resources, and can influence the electoral behavior of their dependents. Yet the power of local leaders varies greatly; hence the option to use electoral intermediaries is not available in all settings. The choice of electoral mobilization affects national electoral outcomes: by severing the direct link between politicians and voters, intermediaries reduce a campaign's reliance on shared identity and create cross-ethnic electorates. The evidence for this argument is based on original interviews with political leaders collected during fieldwork in Senegal and Benin during the 2006–7 electoral season, media coverage of elections, and a historical analysis of first mass elections in the 1950s.


We present a physically based system for creating animations of novel words and phrases from text and audio input based on the analysis of motion captured speech examples. Leading image based techniques exhibit photo-real quality, yet lack versatility especially with regard to interactions with the environment. Data driven approaches that use motion capture to deform a three dimensional surface often lack any anatomical or physically based structure, limiting their accuracy and realism. In contrast, muscle driven physics-based facial animation systems can trivially integrate external interacting objects and have the potential to produce very realistic animations as long as the underlying model and simulation framework are faithful to the anatomy of the face and the physics of facial tissue deformation. We start with a high resolution, anatomically accurate flesh and muscle model built for a specific subject. Then we translate a motion captured training set of speech examples into muscle activation signals, and subsequently segment those into intervals corresponding to individual phonemes. Finally, these samples are used to synthesize novel words and phrases. The versatility of our approach is illustrated by combining this novel speech content with various facial expressions, as well as interactions with external objects.


The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of information and communication technologies on employment. Recently concern has increased about the impact of accelerating development of artificial intelligence and automation on jobs. This issue is timely as some countries are still coping with high levels of unemployment, even after recovering from the "great recession.�? As well, middle and working class incomes have stagnated for decades. Given this setting we wish to answer the following questions: (1) What are the factors that lead to the elimination of some types of jobs through ICTs and automation and which types of employment are most vulnerable? (2) Are new jobs being created fast enough to absorb the freed workforce into higher quality employment opportunities (i.e. is a process of creative destruction unfolding)? (3) Are public policies required to mitigate these adjustments and if so, which policies? Emerging research is beginning to show that current information technologies have greater potential than ever before to displace numerous people from their jobs and contribute to greater income inequality. Some observers argue that this should not be a concern because, as in previous technological revolutions, the economy will be able to recover and those displaced will be able to find other, often better and more rewarding jobs, including innovative forms of employment in the growing sharing economy. Arguments on this side are about the unlimited human wants that lead to innovation and the emergence of new firms that will be able to employ those displaced. Others are more skeptical and believe that this time is different; that high-tech firms generate a lot of wealth but not a lot of employment. They feel that the less skilled will be left behind and will experience substantially lower wages, due to new competition from computers and other technologies that need to be programmed once in order to outperform a human at the same task. Recent OECD data shows that particularly medium skill levels are negatively affected, whereas there is growing demand for low and high skills. In this paper we review the theoretical research on the effects of advanced ICTs on employment and develop a model of the effects of ICTs on employment. The paper concludes with policy recommendations. These include the need for experimentation with new approaches involving distribution of income.


"The purpose of this research was to perform an in depth examination of principal leadership on the development of organizational culture in a new high school. Specifically, this research described the early culture of the school, the support of the community, the importance of building trusting relationships with colleagues, and the influence of the principal's leadership on the organization. A case-study methodology was the primary research method used to gather information. Data was gathered using interviews, both principal and faculty members, observations, document analysis, and field notes. The research design included measures that insured high levels of trustworthiness. Data from each form was used to describe the early formation of organizational culture at this new school and the influence of the principal on the organizational culture. Results from the qualitative data indicate that the principal has the respect of the staff and students, he has built the foundation for solid community support, he has empowered his teachers to make decisions in the school, and he has used the 'firsts' of the school as a positive culture building strategy. Furthermore, there was a strong correlation between the vision, philosophy, and actions of this principal that have influenced the early development of culture at this school."--Abstract from author supplied metadata.


Pettersson, M. 2018. COMPETENCE AND COMMUNICATION. Do Not Resuscitate Decisions in Cancer Care. Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Medicine 1499. 62 pp. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. ISBN 978-91-513-0459-5. Within cancer care, do not resuscitate (DNR) decisions are frequently made. DNR decisions can be ethically difficult and lead to conflicts of interest and disagreements within the medical team. This thesis brings together empirical knowledge of DNR decisions in cancer care and theoretical discussions on the ethical aspects and the competence needed to make such decisions. The overall aim of this project was to investigate the clinical and ethical aspects of DNR decisions from the perspectives of nurses and physicians working in hematology and oncology care. The methods used were qualitative, with individual interviews, and quantitative, using a web survey. Ethical theories, principles and models were used in the planning of the studies and to explain and discuss the results. Fifteen nurses in Study I expressed a close relationship with their patients. They expressed how they needed clear and well-documented decisions on DNR to provide good care to patient and relatives. Sixteen physicians participated in Study II. They described how they made decisions on DNR mainly on medical grounds, but reflected on ethical aspects of the decision, weighing maleficence and beneficence. In Study III, the interviews from Study I and II were analyzed from the perspective of ethical competence. The results showed that physicians and nurses were able to reflect on their ethical competence in relation to DNR decisions and described ethical competence as both being good and doing right. Also knowledge in ethics was emphasized. In Study IV, 216 nurses and physicians participated. Most respondents thought it was important for patients and relatives to participate in, and be informed about, a DNR decision, but fewer thought that this was likely to happen. Nurses rated the importance higher than physicians did. The most important attributes in relation to DNR decisions for both nurses and physicians pertained more to medical viewpoints than to ethical values. DNR decisions in cancer care can be associated with ethical conflicts of interest, and nurses and physicians have different perspective of DNR decisions which they need to share. Competence in ethics and inter-professional communication are crucial for nurses and physicians participating in such decisions.


In this paper, we provide a narrative review of the theoretical discourse and empiric research on the relationship between homicide and suicide.Understanding of homicide and suicide has evolved from religious condemnation during the Middle Ages, to medicalization in the 1800s, and socialization in the 1900s. There is a long historical tradition of treating homicide and suicide as a single phenomenon. Contemporary thought, the stream analogy, posits that homicide and suicide are acts of violence, differentiated only by the direction of aggression. Empiric research has provided modest evidence supporting the stream analogy theory. A more comprehensive framework that incorporates cultural domains is needed to advance the research field on homicide and suicide.