Dutch prosecutors are members of the judiciary, charged with executing the tasks of the Public Prosecution Service (PPS). Their role is quasi-judicial, like that of a magistrate. However, they do not enjoy the same independence as judges. Their activities are partly determined by government policy, so they also have a role as public servants. Furthermore prosecutors can be seen as frontline workers as they must meet demands made by law, policy, the courts and the other participants in a criminal case in order to have their decisions accepted easily (and thus in order to work efficiently). In 1985 Van de Bunt conceptualized these three prosecutorial roles and showed the tensions to which they give rise. I present new research into the conception of and fulfilment of the duties by Dutch public prosecutors. It is based on participant observation (conducted in 2011), interviews and literature study. Public prosecutors still experience tension between the three ideal-typical roles. The institutionalization of the PPS adds a new dimension to that tension, which partly determines the quasi-judicial role of prosecutors. This can lead to the paradoxical situation that directives force a prosecutor to follow certain protocols or bureaucratic procedures in order to guarantee the quasi-judicial nature of his actions. Meanwhile, as frontline workers, they risk showing formal behaviour, preoccupied with procedural demands. While this is primarily indicative of tension between frontline worker and public servant, this preoccupation can stand in the way of quasi-judicial considerations. Prosecutors also sometimes demonstrate compliant behaviour: they acquiesce in (overly) high organizational thresholds that prevent them from acting in a quasi-judicial manner. They accept, for example, that mandataries take decisions on prosecution that lack quality. Concerns have been voiced about the 'institutional preoccupation' of the PPS, which could hinder autonomous, quasi-judicial decision-making by prosecutors in individual cases. Certain leading members of the PPS openly doubt the usefulness of the concept of the prosecutor as a magistrate. Nowadays, prosecutors are supposed to be all-rounders, e.g. with proficiency in (process) management. The professionalization of the PPS and its prosecutors is emphatically mooted, but the big question remains whether there will be enough room for the quasi-judicial role of the prosecutor. My fieldwork showed that this role is already under pressure in certain situations. Prosecutors will always be faced with tensions between their three ideal-typical roles. The high and also diffuse expectations could lead to an identity crisis for both the public servant and the magistrate, while the frontline worker may eventually resort to working as formally and compliantly as possible. Given the inequality of the playing field, this would enhance the position of the public servant. And that in its turn is worrying. The intrinsic added value of public prosecutors lies in their qualities as magistrates and their autonomous judgements based on values of 'Rechtsstaat'. The PPS must guarantee the transparency that makes autonomy and quasi-judicial considerations visible. On the other hand, prosecutors must also demand their own autonomy and should not accept working conditions that obscure the quasi-judicial nature of their job.


Objective: To evaluate the association between physical activity (PA) and multiple sclerosis (MS) disease activity, depression, and fatigue in a cohort of children with MS and monophasic acquired demyelinating syndrome (mono-ADS). Methods: In this cross-sectional study of consecutive patients attending a specialized pediatric MS clinic, we administered the PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire. Quantitative MRI analysis was performed to obtain whole brain and T2 lesion volume in a subset of participants (n = 60). Results: A total of 110 patients (79 mono-ADS; 31 MS; 5–18 years; M:F 1:1.2) were included. Patients with MS reported less strenuous (33.21 ± 31.88 metabolic equivalents [METs] vs 15.97 ± 22.73 METs, p = 0.002) and total (44.48 ± 39.35 METs vs 67.28 ± 59.65 METs; p = 0.0291) PA than those with mono-ADS. Patients with MS who reported greater amounts of moderate PA METs had fewer sleep/rest fatigue symptoms (r = −0.4). Participation in strenuous PA was associated with smaller T2 lesion volumes (r = −0.66) and lower annualized relapse rate (r = −0.66). No associations were found between total brain volume and participation in PA. Conclusions: Children with MS are less physically active than children with mono-ADS. Reasons for this are unclear, but may be related to ongoing disease activity, perceived limitations, or symptoms such as depression or fatigue. Children with MS reporting higher levels of strenuous PA had lower T2 lesion volumes and lower relapse rates, suggesting a potential protective effect of strenuous PA in this population. Further longitudinal studies are needed to establish the relationship of PA to MS symptoms and disease activity in this population.


Abstract Teeth, spines, and dermal denticles of chondrichthyans are reported from the Middle Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian) Naco Formation of central Arizona. The most common elements are crushing teeth of the cochliodont Deltodus angularis, less common are teeth of D. sublaevis, Venustodus leidyi, Lagarodus angustus, "Cladodus" occidentalis, Petalodus ohioensis, Orodus sp., and Hybodontoidea. Fin spines of Acondylacanthus sp., Amelacanthus sp., and Physonemus sp., and the dermal denticle Petrodus patelliformis are also present. The material of Venustodus leidyi shows for the first time that this animal was heterodont, having arched anterior teeth with a v-shaped profile grading posteriorly into lower crescentic, and finally flattened teeth. Lagarodus angustus is shown to have at least three tooth morphotypes, and a new tooth arrangement is proposed in which small anterior teeth are replaced posteriorly by large crushing teeth arranged in whorls. This fauna is similar to others in New Mexico, Colorado, and Ohio and constitutes a western extension of such faunas in North America. In addition, the presence of Deltodus sublaevis and Lagarodus angustus documents a range extension from a known European distribution, reinforcing the cosmopolitan nature of chondrichthyan faunas at this time.


Climate change governance is in a state of enormous flux. New and more dynamic forms of governing are appearing around the international climate regime centred on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They appear to be emerging spontaneously from the bottom up, producing a more dispersed pattern of governing, which Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom famously described as 'polycentric'. This book brings together contributions from some of the world's foremost experts to provide the first systematic test of the ability of polycentric thinking to explain and enhance societal attempts to govern climate change. It is ideal for researchers in public policy, international relations, environmental science, environmental management, politics, law and public administration. It will also be useful on advanced courses in climate policy and governance, and for practitioners seeking incisive summaries of developments in particular sub-areas and sectors. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.


Feature-rich software applications offer users hundreds of commands, yet most people use only a very small fraction of the available command set. Command recommenders aim to increase awareness of an application's capabilities by generating personalized recommendations for new commands. A primary distinguishing characteristic of these recommenders concerns the manner in which they determine command relevance. Social approaches do so by analyzing community usage logs, whereas, task-based approaches mine web documentation for logical command clusters. Through a qualitative study with sixteen participants, in this work we explored user attitudes towards these different approaches and the supplemental information they enable.


Botnets pose a serious threat to the health of the Internet. Most current network-based botnet detection systems require deep packet inspection (DPI) to detect bots. Because DPI is a computational costly process, such detection systems cannot handle large volumes of traffic typical of large enterprise and ISP networks. In this paper we propose a system that aims to efficiently and effectively identify a small number of suspicious hosts that are likely bots. Their traffic can then be forwarded to DPI-based botnet detection systems for fine-grained inspection and accurate botnet detection. By using a novel adaptive packet sampling algorithm and a scalable spatial-temporal flow correlation approach, our system is able to substantially reduce the volume of network traffic that goes through DPI, thereby boosting the scalability of existing botnet detection systems. We implemented a proof-of-concept version of our system, and evaluated it using real-world legitimate and botnet-related network traces. Our experimental results are very promising and suggest that our approach can enable the deployment of botnet-detection systems in large, high-speed networks.


Leaders' behaviour fluctuates over time, and leaders use different behaviours that impact their
followers. Whereas transformational leadership is associated with positive outcomes, laissez-faire
leadership negatively affects followers. An important question that remains unanswered is how
the joint use of both leadership behaviours relates to leader effectiveness. In this study, we
answer this question by investigating the main and interactive effects of transformational and
laissez-faire leadership behaviours on perceived leader effectiveness. Specifically, we
hypothesized that leaders are perceived as less effective by their followers when they use both
transformational and laissez-faire leadershiip because it reduces followers' trust in their leader. Data came from 59 employees who participated in a weekly diary study and provided 228 data
points. Results showed that both weekly transformational and laissez-faire leadership predicted
trust in the leader assessed in the following week. Trust in the leader, in turn, positively predicted
perceived leader effectiveness assessed one week later. Contrary to our predictions, we found that
trust in the leader and perceived leader effectiveness were reduced when leaders showed a
combination of less (-1SD) weekly transformational and more (+1SD) laissez-faire leadership
than usual. In the weeks that leaders showed more (+1SD) transformational leadership, followers
had more trust in their leader and perceived their leader to be more effective regardless of the leader's use of laissez-faire. These findings suggest that it is important to take interactions
between different leadership behaviours into account when studying leadership effectiveness.


The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and Semarang City Government concluded an agreement to collaborate and support the implementation of City Resilience Strategy (CRS) on 24 May, 2016. IGES provides a total solution on actionable plans by conducting the following activities (Figure 1): 1) Developing low-carbon society scenarios and multi sector action plans up to 2030 2) Conducting an in-depth study on one particular sector, i.e. transportation sector through cobenefit study 3) Translating policy recommendations into practical actions 4) Implementation of Project on Low Carbon Technologies. These activities help cities to implement two out of six pillars of City Resilient Strategies, on Sustainable Water and Energy (Pillar No 1) and Integrated Mobility (Pillar no 4). This also helps cities to address the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) goals 7 (Cities and Communities), 11 (Sustainable Cities), 13 (Climate Action) and 17 (Partnership for the Goals) at the city level.


Limpets are intertidal keystone grazers and their overexploitation could have significant consequences for intertidal communities. Limpets are harvested around the Sinis Peninsula (Sardinia, Italy) but harvesting is prohibited within the "Penisola del Sinis - Isola di Mal di Ventre" Marine Protected Area (MPA). This work assesses the effects of human harvesting on the population dynamics of three common Mediterranean species of Patella , namely, P. rustica , P. caerulea and P. ulyssiponensis , testing the effectiveness of the MPA and the role of site accessibility in limiting the intensity of such harvesting pressure. In the period between June 2015 and August 2016, limpet abundance and size were recorded on a monthly basis by means of photographic frames within linear transects at ten sites spread out along the coastline of the Sinis Peninsula to assess growth and temporal patterns. Limpets older than two years are extremely rare in the study area. Limpets are more abundant within the MPA in comparison with non-protected areas and within less accessible sites in comparison with areas where the intertidal zone is easily accessible from land. Despite this, overall human-induced mortality in the area is high, indeed the pool of limpets observed with a mean density of 104.3 ± 9.7 limpets/m 2 during the first survey was reduced by 99.2%in less than one year. This work demonstrates that human harvesting strongly affects the population dynamics of Patella species in the area and that within the MPA this stressor is not efficiently reduced.


An adaptive conjoint analysis was used to evaluate stakeholders' opinion of welfare indicators for ship-transported sheep and cattle, both onboard and in pre-export depots. In consultations with two nominees of each identified stakeholder group (government officials, animal welfare representatives, animal scientists, stockpersons, producers/pre-export depot operators, exporters/ship owners and veterinarians), 18 potential indicators were identified. Three levels were assigned to each using industry statistics and expert opinion, representing those observed on the best and worst 5% of voyages and an intermediate value. A computer-based questionnaire was completed by 135 stakeholders (48% of those invited). All indicators were ranked by respondents in the assigned order, except fodder intake, in which case providing the amount necessary to maintain bodyweight was rated better than over or underfeeding, and time in the pre-export assembly depot, in which case 5 days was rated better than 0 or 10 days. The respective Importance Values (a relative rating given by the respondent) for each indicator were, in order of declining importance: mortality (8.6%), clinical disease incidence (8.2%), respiration rate (6.8%), space allowance (6.2%), ammonia levels (6.1%), weight change (6.0%), wet bulb temperature (6.0%), time in assembly depot (5.4%), percentage of animals in hospital pen (5.4%), fodder intake (5.2%), stress-related metabolites (5.0%), percentage of feeding trough utilised (5.0%), injuries (4.8%), percentage of animals able to access food troughs at any one time (4.8%), percentage of animals lying down (4.7%), cortisol concentration (4.5%), noise (3.9%), and photoperiod (3.4%). The different stakeholder groups were relatively consistent in their ranking of the indicators, with all groups nominating the same top two and at least five of the top seven indicators. Some of the top indicators, in particular mortality, disease incidence and temperature, are already recorded in the Australian industry, but the study identified potential new welfare indicators for exported livestock, such as space allowance and ammonia concentration, which could be used to improve welfare standards if validated by scientific data. The top indicators would also be useful worldwide for countries engaging in long distance sea transport of livestock.


Some researchers have proposed that practices facilitating learning and knowledge transfer are particularly important to innovation. Some of the practices that researchers have studied include how organizations collaborate with other organizations, how organizations promote learning, and how an organization's culture facilitates knowledge transfer and learning. And while some have proposed the importance of combining practices, there has been a distinct lack of empirical studies that have explored how these practices work together to facilitate learning and knowledge transfer that leads to the simultaneous achievement of incremental and radical innovation, what we refer to as innovation ambidexterity (IA). Yet, a firm's ability to combine these practices into a learning capability is an important means of enabling them to foster innovation ambidexterity. In this study, learning capability is defined as the combination of practices that promote intraorganizational learning among employees, partnerships with other organizations that enable the spread of learning, and an open culture within the organization that promotes and maintains sharing of knowledge. This paper examines the impact of this learning capability on innovation ambidexterity and innovation ambidexterity's effect on business performance. The resource-based view (RBV) of the firm is used to develop a conceptual foundation for combining these practices. This study empirically examines whether these practices constitute a learning capability by analyzing primary data gathered from 214 Taiwanese owned strategic business unit (SBUs) drawn from several industries where innovation is important. The results of this study make four important contributions. First, they demonstrate that the combination of these practices has a greater impact on innovation ambidexterity than any one practice individually or when only two practices are combined. Second, the results demonstrate a relationship between innovation ambidexterity and business performance in the form of revenues, profits, and productivity growth relative to competitors. Third, the results suggest that innovation ambidexterity plays a mediating role between learning capability and business performance. That is, learning capability has an indirect impact on business performance by facilitating innovation ambidexterity that in turn fosters business performance. This study also contributes to our understanding of ambidexterity literature in a non-Western context, i.e., Taiwan.


The term Kajoli Model refers to a unique experiment that is taking place in Bangladesh today to promote education of children from the most deprived sections of the society. The experiment which began as an action research in 2002 has now emerged as a fully-fledged pre-school learning model. And because of its innovative features and its "fun and game" approach, the Model is fast gaining popularity throughout Bangladesh. It is being widely used by rural communities to run pre-school learning centers, known as Kajoli centers, primarily through their own efforts.


Network intrusion prevention systems provide an important proactive defense capability against security threats by detecting and blocking network attacks. This task can be highly complex and traditional firewall system are currently not capable of handling fast attack through the operating system. The problems arise when many exploits attempt to take advantage of weaknesses in every protocols that are allowed through our perimeter firewalls, and once the Web server has been compromised, this can often be used as a springboard to launch additional attacks on other internal services. Once a "rootkit" or "back door" has been installed on a computer, the hacker has ensured that he will have unfettered access to that machine at any point in the future. Thus, iptables also called as Netfilter can also be implement as an intrusion prevention system. Iptables works by filtering the traffic flow between your computer and the Internet. It can limit access to and from the Internet to only specific computers on your network. It can also limit the type of communication, selectively permitting or denying various Internet services. Hence, to harden the iptables rule, another tool need to be apply to work with the iptables rule script. The psad tool is good in implementing some additional feature like an e-mail alert and logfile analysis


The story of the most significant biological breakthrough of the century - the discovery of the structure of DNA. 'It is a strange model and embodies several unusual features. However, since DNA is an unusual substance, we are not hesitant in being bold' By elucidating the structure of DNA, the molecule underlying all life, Francis Crick and James Watson revolutionised biochemistry. At the time, Watson was only 24. His uncompromisingly honest account of those heady days lifts the lid on the real world of great scientists, with their very human faults and foibles, their petty rivalries and driving ambition. Above all, he captures the extraordinary excitement of their desperate efforts to beat their rivals at King's College to the solution to one of the great enigmas of the life sciences.


A questionnaire was conducted on web targeting 1,000 females to clarify the influence of residential environment and satisfaction with it on occupants' stress and health. Female occupants of 76.8% reported that they have been feeling more than 1 kind of stress. Especially the stress due to their residential environment continued for long period. A covariance structural model on the relationship among residential environment, stress and health of occupants was developed. It was shown that 73% of 'health' could be explained with 5 factors, 'stress', 'satisfaction level with residential environment', 'relaxation effect', 'total hours of relaxation', 'total score of CASBEE health check list'. The model revealed that total score of CASBEE health check list had positive effect on satisfaction level with residential environment and subjective health, while negative effect on stress. The model indicated that satisfaction level with residential environment had a great impact on the levels of stress and subjective health. It was observed that total hours of relaxation had greater impact on the effects of it for working females, while total score of CASBEE health check list had on satisfaction level with residential environment for housewives.


Abstract Natrocarbonatite magma, erupted as lava flows in the Tanzanian volcano Oldoinyo Lengai in June and November of 1988, has evolved chemically since its formation. The June and November flows of 1988 display increasing Cl, F, Ba, K, Mg and Mn, concomitantly with Na, Ca and P depletion. Furthermore, the June magma, at the time of eruption, had higher Cl, F, Ba and K contents and lower Ca than the November magma and evolved to higher levels of Cl, F, Ba and K content and lower Ca, Na and P. The mineralogy of the lavas reflects these trends. Crystallization of fluorite and halite-sylvite solid solution, usually as a symplectic intergrowth, occurs when Cl and F concentrations reach the critical value necessary to stabilize both minerals and explains why neither occurs as a phenocryst phase. Natrocarbonatite magma has undergone considerable and rapid magmatic evolution, probably in small and separate magma chambers. Two minerals, nyerereite and gregoryite, have dominated the crystallization history of natrocarbonatite magma, and many lavas are phenocryst-rich. However, because most of the lavas are composed principally of these two minerals, crystal accumulation has not greatly changed their composition and, consequently, we suggest that the bulk composition of the lavas closely approximates that of the parental magma.


Five species of the nephilid genus Nephila Leach are found in the Australasian region, which for the purposes of this study was defined as Australia and its dependencies (including Lord Howe I., Norfolk I., Christmas I., Cocos (Keeling) Is), New Guinea (including Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian province of West Papua), Solomon Is, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga, Niue, New Zealand and other parts of the south-west Pacific region. All species are redescribed and illustrated. Nephila pilipes (Fabricius) occurs in the closed forests of eastern and northern Australia, New Guinea, Solomon Is and Vanuatu (through to South-East Asia); N. plumipes (Latreille) is found in Australia (including Lord Howe I. and Norfolk I.), New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Is and New Caledonia; N. tetragnathoides (Walckenaer) inhabits Fiji, Tonga and Niue; N. antipodiana (Walckenaer) occurs in northern Australia (as well as Christmas I.), New Guinea and Solomon Is (through to South-East Asia); and N. edulis (Labillardiere) is found in Australia (including Cocos (Keeling) Is), New Guinea, New Zealand and New Caledonia. Epeira (Nephila) walckenaeri Doleschall, E. (N.) hasseltii Doleschall, N. maculata var. annulipes Thorell, N. maculata jalorensis Simon, N. maculata var. novae-guineae Strand, N. pictithorax Kulczynski, N. maculata var. flavornata Merian, N. pictithorax Kulczynski, N. maculata var. flavornata Merian, N. maculata piscatorum de Vis, and N. (N.) maculata var. lauterbachi Dahl are proposed as new synonyms of N. pilipes. Nephila imperialis var. novaemecklenburgiae Strand, N. ambigua Kulczynski, N. sarasinorum Merian and N. celebesiana Strand are proposed as new synonyms of N. antipodiana. Meta aerea Hogg, N. meridionalis Hogg, N. adelaidensis Hogg and N. meridionalis hermitis Hogg are proposed as new synonyms of N. edulis. Nephila picta Rainbow is removed from the synonymy of N. plumipes and treated as a synonym of N. edulis, and N. nigritarsis insulicola Pocock is removed from the synonymy of N. plumipes and treated as a synonym of N. antipodiana. Allozyme data demonstrate that N. pilipes is distinct at the 80% FD level from N. edulis, N. plumipes and N. tetragnathoides. Nephila plumipes and N. tetragnathoides, deemed to represent sister-taxa owing to the shared presence of a triangular protrusion of the male pedipalpal conductor, were found to differ at 15% FD in the genetic study. No genetic differentiation was found between 10 populations of N. edulis sampled across mainland Australia. Species of the genus Nephila have been extensively used in ecological and behavioural studies, and the biology of Nephila species in the Australasian region is extensively reviewed and compared with studies on Nephila species from other regions of the world.


In a recently published paper in JMLR, Tsang et al. (2005) present an algorithm for SVM called Core Vector Machines (CVM) and illustrate its performances through comparisons with other SVM solvers. After reading the CVM paper we were surprised by some of the reported results. In order to clarify the matter, we decided to reproduce some of the experiments. It turns out that to some extent, our results contradict those reported. Reasons of these different behaviors are given through the analysis of the stopping criterion.


The effect of cutting the root connection by detaching the shoot from the root system on dormancy release and vegetative bud burst was examined in 2-year-old seedlings of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.). Seedlings were transferred at 1–4 week intervals between October and January from outdoor conditions to experimental forcing in a heated greenhouse. Before forcing, half of the seedlings were cut above ground line, and the detached shoots were forced with their cut ends placed in water. The intact seedlings were forced with their root system remaining intact in the pots. Vegetative bud burst was observed visually. Cutting the root connection slightly increased days to bud burst in the forcing conditions, however, no consistent effect on bud burst percentage was found. Our preliminary seedling data suggest that using detached tree material in dormancy release experiments may have a small effect on bud burst date but it will evidently not lead to drastically erroneous conclusions. Further studies, using different seed lots, are needed to assess the effect of detaching on the dormancy release and bud burst, especially in adult trees.


Backgorund: The lingering COVID-19 pandemic poses significant challenges in endodontic management. Calcium hydroxide is being widely used as a long-term root canal medicament due to delays in treatment completion, however, the best choice with great efficiency for removal has yet to be developed up to the present. This study aimed to help establish a reliable irrigation protocol by comparing the removal proportions in the root canal system.

Methods: Thirty extracted maxillary central incisors were used. The root canals were enlarged, filled with Ca(OH)2, sealed, then divided into six groups. Group 1: irrigation needle with syringe (NS)with NaClO. Group 2: intracanal negative pressure needle (INP) with NaClO. Group 3: ultrasonic irrigation (UI) with NaClO. Group 4: NS with NaClO+EDTA. Group 5: INP with NaClO+EDTA. Group 6: UI with NaClO+EDTA. Removal proportions were statistically analyzed.

Results: Residual Ca(OH)2 was observed in all groups tested. Significant differences were noted between Group 1 and all other groups but not among Groups 2 to 6. In INP, the removal proportions were greater when the combined solutions were used compared to when NaClO alone was used. No significant differences were observed between INP and UI in any regions of the canal.

Conclusions: None of the irrigation protocols achieved complete removal of Ca(OH)2. When either the iNP needle or ultrasonic tip was used, the sole use of NaClO achieved high removal efficiency. Contrarily, when an irrigation needle with a syringe was used, the combined use of NaClO and EDTA was considered preferable.


The introduction of an International Criminal Law Section (ICLS) to the prospective African Union (AU) African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples' Rights (ACJHR) has sparked academic debate. However, discussion of victims' status at the ACJHR-ICLS has been neglected. Victims' status as participants and reparation claimants, as provided for in the ACJHR Statute, is critically analysed. There are important gaps and limitations, especially concerning the victim participant status, and implementation challenges, particularly regarding the reparation claimant status. Recommendations to address normative problems and face future challenges are provided. The amended ACJHR-ICLS Statute is comparatively tested against inter alia the legal framework and practice of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC Statute is relevant because the ACJHR Statute provisions on victims largely borrow from it. Additionally, despite some deficits, the ICC Statute and practice arguably constitute guiding standards to tackle complex victim-related issues at international/hybrid criminal tribunals (IHCTs).


Carbon nanotubes CNTs can undergo collapse from their customary cylindrical configurations to ribbons. The energy minima corresponding to these two states are identified using either atomistic molecular mechanics or the theory of finite crystal elasticity with reduced dimensionality. The minimum energy path between these two minima is found using the nudged elastic band reaction-pathway sampling scheme. The energetics of CNT collapse is explored for both single- and multi-walled CNTs as well as small bundles. The process has a strong diameter dependence, with collapse being more favorable for the larger diameter tubes, but is nearly independent of chirality. The saddle point always lies close to the collapsed state, and the absolute barrier energies— even for fairly short tube lengths—are sufficiently high, even when the reaction is highly exothermic, that thermal activation cannot initiate collapse via this pathway. The hydrostatic pressure required to buckle and collapse CNTs of various diameters is discussed.


Understanding habitat selection of gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) is essential to evaluate their potential response to changes in land use and predator communities. Few studies have evaluated temporal habitat selection or explicitly identified habitats used by gray foxes for diurnal refugia. We used GPS collars to obtain location data for 34 gray foxes (20 males and 14 females) from February 2014 to December 2015 to evaluate temporal (seasonal and diel) habitat selection and selection of diurnal refugia in southwestern Georgia, USA. We analyzed habitat selection at 2 levels, selection of a core area within the home range and selection of locations within the home range. Habitat selection was non-random (P < 0.001) but consistent among seasons, between day and night, and between sexes (P > 0.05). Hardwoods, human use (i.e., areas associated with regular human activity such as buildings, lawns, parking areas, etc.), and roads were selected (P < 0.05), whereas pine dominated stands were used randomly (P > 0.05). Selection of habitats for diurnal refugia did not vary seasonally or by sex (P > 0.05), with foxes selecting (P < 0.05) areas near hardwood forests, roads, agriculture, human use, pastures/food plots, and shrub scrub habitats. Gray foxes were observed on the ground while resting, and we found no evidence of gray foxes diurnally resting in trees. Our results suggest that on our study area, gray foxes are an edge species that prefer forests with a hardwood component in areas near human use and roads.


Modern requirements tracing tools employ information retrieval methods to automatically generate candidate links. Due to the inherent trade-off between recall and precision, such methods cannot achieve a high coverage without also retrieving a great number of false positives, causing a significant drop in result accuracy. In this paper, we propose an approach to improving the quality of candidate link generation for the requirements tracing process. We base our research on the cluster hypothesis which suggests that correct and incorrect links can be grouped in high-quality and low-quality clusters respectively. Result accuracy can thus be enhanced by identifying and filtering out low-quality clusters. We describe our approach by investigating three open-source datasets, and further evaluate our work through an industrial study. The results show that our approach outperforms a baseline pruning strategy and that improvements are still possible.


When defining a new system, the history and functionality of the system to be replaced should be considered. This avoids repeating errors and neglecting important system functionality. The properties and the rationale behind the existing system are typically elicited by analysing concrete system usage-scenarios. The results of the analysis of the existing system are typically represented using conceptual models. To establish conceptual models of high quality, reviewing the models is common practice. The problem faced with when reviewing conceptual models, is that the reviewer cannot assess and therefore understand the basis (concrete system usage) on which the conceptual models where build. In this paper, we present an approach to overcome this problem. We argue to establish extended traceability, by recording concrete system usage scenarios using rich media (e.g. video, speech, graphic) and interrelating the recorded observations with the conceptual models. We discuss the main improvements for review processes resulting from the extended traceability and illustrate the advantages with excerpts from a case study performed in a mechanical engineering company.


The statistic data of energy consumption are the base of analyzing energy consumption. The scientific management method of energy consumption data and the development of database management system plays an important role in building energy conservation. At present, the large public buildings have been the emphasis of building energy conservation in China. The functions and the basic construction of energy consumption database management system (ECDBMS) for large public buildings are introduced. The ECDBMS is developed by using SQL Server 2000 as the database and PowerBuilder10.0 as the developing tool. It includes five parts such as the basic information of public buildings, the designing parameters of energy-consuming equipments, the operational parameters of energy-consuming equipments, the electric and fuel consumption of buildings, the evaluation of energy efficiency for equipments. The energy consumption database can be accumulated and some functions can be realized by using this database such as the management of building designing parameters and energy consumption data, the evaluation and analysis of building energy consumption.


This paper presents a preliminary result of a study on the roles of inference making in decision heuristics involving P2P accommodation booking. The goals of the study are to identify the influence of cues from similar listings on a decision to book a target listing when reviews are not available (i.e., missing information) as well as the effects of decision-making styles on actual choice and decision confidence. Preliminary results showed that the inclusion of a similar listing (comparison) did not make a significant difference in decision confidence, which may indicate insignificant roles of external cues in booking decisions. Due to a limited number of participants in the pilot study, the main study with a larger number of participants may explicate the phenomenon more significantly. Should the results hold, they suggest P2P accommodation hosts pay more attention to the listing characteristics instead of relying on information from similar listings.


Introduction: Management, leadership, and productivity systems (MLPS) are some of the critical success factors of effective organizations and may be associated with hospital financial performance. As such, many hospitals aim to improve their MLPS and engage in transformational interventions or programs designed for this purpose. The objective of this study was to evaluate trends in financial key performance indicators (KPIs) for hospitals that underwent an MLPS transformational program and to benchmark these trends against matched peer hospitals. Methods: Target hospitals that completed an MLPS transformational program between 2006 and 2010 were identified in the GE Healthcare customer database. MLPS transformation was defined as substantial engagement (typically over a period of three years) in the disciplines of management, leadership, and/or productivity systems ( e.g ., programs aimed at performance excellence, process improvement, employee engagement, or operational rhythm). A national database of hospital information was obtained, including various demographic and organizational variables for a set of over 5 , 000 US-based hospitals and hospital systems. Financial KPIs indicative of hospital profitability and cost containment (operating margin and expense per discharge) for 2006 through 2010 were also obtained for the majority of hospitals. A total of 18 target hospitals (those that underwent MLPS transformation) had demographic and financial KPI data available, and each was matched to a peer group of US hospitals using demographic characteristics. Results: Most target hospitals had > 200 beds (67%) and were urban (83%) teaching (67%) institutions located primarily in the South (50%) and Northeast (44%) of the US. The target hospitals were matched to nearly 3 , 000 peers (range 21 to 1 , 273 peers per target hospital). Median percent change in operating margin among target hospitals between 2006 and 2010 was 125%, indicating substantial improvement in overall financial performance. Median percent change in expense per discharge for target hospitals was less than 3%, suggesting that they did not experience substantial increase in discharge-related costs between 2006 and 2010. Most of the target hospitals performed better than the median hospital among their peer set of matched hospitals: 78% (14 of 18) demonstrated a higher percent change in operating margin than their respective median peer, and 72% (13 of 18) of the target hospitals outperformed their median peer with a lower percent change in expense per discharge. Conclusion: Overall, between 2006 and 2010, the target hospitals, having undergone an MLPS transformational program, demonstrated improvements in financial performance as measured by profitability and cost containment indicators, and a majority performed better than their peers. MLPS transformational programs may have the potential to improve hospital financial performance as demonstrated by this analysis of financial KPI trends.


Difficulty of teaching concepts of business processes and business process orientation using traditional teaching and learning methods is well recognized in the literature. This paper reports on the effectiveness of an initiative that employs 'ERPSim', an ERP Business simulation game that uses a simulated and complex business environment supported by industry standard software, SAP. Using this simulation game, this initiative aims to teach process concepts and enterprise integration to students who have no practical experience and limited understanding of business operations and information systems in an Australian Business school. Analysis of the data indicates the success of this initiative, despite some operational problems for the academics and cognitive challenges to some students. The study particularly reports improvement in the understanding of the concepts of integration and business processes, the primary objective of introducing this game. Based on the feedback from participants and the experience of academics in administering the ERP Sim game, this study offers some suggestions for further improvement.


Background Lower limb stability is pivotal to successful dynamic sporting movements, with poor stability during single leg tasks commonly associated with lower limb non-contact injuries. Objective This study investigated stance leg frontal plane stability during a lateral bound task. Design Players performed an infield clinical screening involving 10 alternating bounds from their left (LLEG) and right (RLEG) legs. Each bound comprised stabilisation (landing) and propulsion (lateral push off). 3D kinematic data for the stance leg (200 Hz) were captured using an automated system (CODAmotionTM) and a cluster marker set. Setting Professional footballers currently performing in the English Football League System performed the screening. Participants Five participants performed the screening. Intervention/Assessment of risk factors The independent variables in this study were the players involved. Main outcome measurements Absolute frontal plane sway (AFP-Sway) at the hip, knee and ankle were determined (Visual3DTM) and combined to provide a collective stance leg sway score (CSL-Sway) for each trial. Additionally, percentage contributions of AFP-Sway at each joint to CSL-Sway for all trials were determined and compared across players in each condition using one-way ANOVA. Results There were CSL-Sway differences between players within each condition, accounted for by additional motions at all three lower limb joints under LLEG conditions and only hip and knee joints under RLEG conditions. Percentage individual joint contributions to CSL-Sway differed between players at the knee and ankle joints under LLEG and all joints under RLEG conditions. Both conditions revealed two distinct bounding strategies with hip or combination of hip and ankle motions contributing the most to CSL-Sway. Conclusions Player differences in CSL-Sway, AFP-Sway and percentage joint contribution to CSL-Sway under both bounding conditions highlight the individualised nature of lateral bound strategies. Such objective assessment of stance leg stability may enable movement stability classification and ultimately aid injury risk identification.


Abstract. For the intercomparison of tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) vertical column density (VCD) data from three different satellite sensors (SCIAMACHY, OMI, and GOME-2), we use a common standard to quantitatively evaluate the biases for the respective data sets. As the standard, a regression analysis using a single set of collocated ground-based Multi-Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) observations at several sites in Japan and China from 2006–2011 is adopted. Examinations of various spatial coincidence criteria indicates that the slope of the regression line can be influenced by the spatial distribution of NO2 over the area considered. While the slope varies systematically with the distance between the MAX-DOAS and satellite observation points around Tokyo in Japan, such a systematic dependence is not clearly seen and correlation coefficients are generally higher in comparisons at sites in China. On the basis of these results, we focus mainly on comparisons over China and estimate the biases in SCIAMACHY, OMI, and GOME-2 data (TM4NO2A and DOMINO version 2 products) against the MAX-DOAS observations to be −5 ± 14%, −10 ± 14%, and +1 ± 14%, respectively, which are all small and insignificant. We suggest that these small biases now allow for analyses combining these satellite data for air quality studies, which are more systematic and quantitative than previously possible.


Abstract Objective: To investigate the extent to which Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) subscores predict the overall academic performance of osteopathic medical students. Methods: We examined the value of MCAT subscores in predicting students' global academic performance in osteopathic medical school, as defined by grade point average in basic science (basic GPA), clinical instruction (clinical GPA), cumulative grade point average (total GPA), and national licensing examination scores on the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination-USA (COMLEX-USA) Level 1 and Level 2. Subjects were 434 osteopathic medical students of the Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Tulsa who either graduated or were expected to graduate between the years 1999 and 2003. Standard, multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted for each of the five performance variables to assess the relative importance of MCAT subtest scores and cumulative undergraduate GPA (total UGPA) in predicting academic performance. Results: Total UGPA was the most important, significant predictor (β=.13-.33) in overall student academic performance for all five analyzed variables. Less predictive of overall academic performance (β=-.01-.21) were MCAT subcores. However, the MCAT biological sciences subscore was a significant predictor of basic GPA (β=.14), the MCAT physical sciences subscore significantly predicted COMLEX-USA Level 1 scores (β=.15), and the MCAT verbal reasoning subscore significantly predicted COMLEX-USA Level 2 scores (β=.21). The subscore for the MCAT writing sample was not a significant predictor of overall academic performance. Conclusion: Total undergraduate GPA had the highest predictive value for academic performance as measured by basic GPA, clinical GPA, total GPA, and COMLEX-USA Level 1 and Level 2 scores. The present study found MCAT subscores to be of limited predictive value in determining global academic performance.


The Serpent Column, a bronze sculpture that has stood in Delphi and Constantinople, today Istanbul, is a Greek representation of the Near Eastern primordial combat myth: it is Typhon, a dragon defeated by Zeus, and also Python slain by Apollo. The column was created after the Battle of Plataia (479BC), where the sky was dominated by serpentine constellations and by the spiralling tails of the Milky Way. It was erected as a votive for Apollo and as a monument to the victory of the united Greek poleis over the Persians. It is as a victory monument that the column was transplanted to Constantinople and erected in the hippodrome. The column remained a monument to cosmic victory through centuries, but also took on other meanings. Through the Byzantine centuries these interpretation were fundamentally Christian, drawing upon serpentine imagery in Scripture, patristic and homiletic writings. When Byzantines saw the monument they reflected upon this multivalent serpentine symbolism, but also the fact that it was a bronze column. For these observers, it evoked the Temple's brazen pillars, Moses' brazen serpent, the serpentine tempter of Genesis (Satan), and the beast of Revelation. The column was inserted into Christian sacred history, symbolizing creation and the end times. The most enduring interpretation of the column, which is unrelated to religion, and therefore survived the Ottoman capture of the city, is as a talisman against snakes and snake-bites. It is this tale that was told by travellers to Constantinople throughout the Middle Ages, and it is this story that is told to tourists today who visit Istanbul. In this book, Paul Stephenson twists together multiple strands to relate the cultural biography of a unique monument.


Fibre reinforced concrete can offer a convenient, practical and economical method for overcoming micro-cracks and similar type of deficiencies. Since concrete is weak in tension hence some measures must be adopted to overcome this deficiency. Human hair is strong in tension; hence it can be used as a fibre reinforcement material. Hair Fibre (HF) an alternate non-degradable matter is available in abundance and at a very cheap cost. It also creates environmental problem for its decompositions. Present studies has been undertaken to study the effect of human hair on plain cement concrete on the basis of its compressive, crushing, flexural strength and cracking control to economise concrete and to reduce environmental problems. Experiments were conducted on concrete beams and cubes with various percentages of human hair fibre i.e. 0%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5% and 3% by weight of cement. For each combination of proportions of concrete one beam and three cubes are tested for their mechanical properties. By testing of cubes and beams we found that there is an increment in the various properties and strength of concrete by the addition of human hair as fibre reinforcement.


The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is committed to improving the justice system's response to crimes against children. OJJDP recognizes that children are at increased risk for crime victimization. Not only are children the victims of many of the same crimes that victimize adults, they are subject to other crimes, like child abuse and neglect, that are specific to childhood. The impact of these crimes on young victims can be devastating, and the violent or sexual victimization of children can often lead to an intergenerational cycle of violence and abuse. The purpose of OJJDP's Crimes Against Children Series is to improve and expand the Nation's efforts to better serve child victims by presenting the latest information about child victimization, including analyses of crime victimization statistics, studies of child victims and their special needs, and descriptions of programs and approaches that address these needs.


In the last years diblock copolymers have gained a large interest in different flields of material science due to their unique self-assembling properties. "Rod-coil" diblock copolymers with one conjugated block and one non-conjugated block have been successfull synthesized. They show promising self-assembling properties. However, such "rod-coil" diblock copolymers often show disadvantageous electronic properties due tot he presence oft he isolating coil blocks. Therefore, the synthesis of "rod-rod" diblock copolymers was developed.
 In chapter 2, the synthesis of fully conjugated fluorene-/thiophene- diblock copolymers is described. The first block is a monobrominated poly(3-alkylthiophene) generated via Grignard metathesis reaction, the second block is a nonpolar polyfluorene. In a polycondensation reaction of the fluorene monomer the polythiophene is added as a macromolecular endcapper to give the corresponding polyfluorene/polythiophene diblock copolymer. A bromo- functionalized alkyl chain of the polythiophene can be converted into a polar phosphonic ester function. The novel diblock copolymers show a solvent dependent aggregation behaviour, e.g. the ability to form vesicles.
 In chapter 3, the synthesis of a conjugated donor/acceptor diblock copolymer is described. One block is again a monobrominated poly(3-alkylthiophene), the second block is an alternating fluorene/dithienyl-benzothiadiazole block. The monomer is polycondensed in a Stille-type reaction and P3AT is added as macromolecular endcapper to give the diblock copolymer. If the P3AT contains monobromo-functionalized alkylsidechains, they can be converted into hosphonic esters, phosphonic acids or cationic trimethylammonium functionalized sidechains. All polymers show promising self-assembly properties including solvent-selective aggregation behaviour.
 In chapter 4, the synthesis of the first isotactic polyfluorene with two different alkyl chains is described. For this, a new synthetic route has been developed. Here, the key step is a enantiomeric separation on the monomer level via chiral HPLC. The chiral AB-type monomers can be polycondensed in a Suzuki-type cross coupling reaction to obtain isotactic polyfluorene. For comparison the atactic counterpart was also generated. Both polymers differ in their packing behaviour as shown in 2D-WAXS experiments and in their thermal behaviour.


Renewable energy is an essential source for arnessing natural forces such as wind energy in an age which is very conscious of the environmental effects of burning fossil fuels, and where sustainability is an ethical norm. Therefore, the focus is currently on both the adequacy of longterm energy supply, as well as the environmental implications of particular sources. In that regard, the near certainty of costs being imposed on carbon dioxide emissions in developed countries has profoundly changed the economic outlook of clean energy sources.
Wind turbines have vastly been developed in recent decades due to technology becoming more advanced. Since there is a continuous exhaustion of fossil fuels, it is of high interest with government encouragement to utilise wind technology. Wind turbines are currently advancing into cross-flow vertical axis operation, whereby research has shown a significant increase in performance compared to existing technologies. This research is based on the Savonius type Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs). The VAWT design considered in the present study comprises of 12 rotor blades and 12 stator blades, where the wind speed of 4m/s has been considered. This wind speed is the average annual wind speed in Huddersfield, UK.
Erosion is a serious issue in Vertical Axis Wind Turbines that causes roughness on the blades via airborne dirt, debris and insects. Erosion has been shown to degrade the performance characteristics of a VAWT significantly. A number of different strategies have been employed to analyse erosion in VAWTs, and with the advent of powerful and advanced computational methods, it has become possible to investigate erosion at microscopic levels. Hence, this study is based on the predictions from numerical simulations performed using a Computational Fluid Dynamics based solver.
The first aspect of this study comprises of detailed numerical investigations on the performance evaluation of VAWTs operating in clean environments. Although many numerical studies are available in this particular area, however, most of these studies use rather simplified modelling techniques. The results presented in this study are based on transient modelling approaches, where instantaneous pressure and velocity fields have been computed and analysed.
Furthermore, instantaneous torque output of the VAWT has been recorded in order to develop a generic semi-empirical prediction tool that accounts for the variations in the geometric configurations of the VAWT.
The second aspect of this study is related to the erosion in VAWTs. This is of particular importance to VAWT designers who wish to install VAWTs in dusty environments, such as desserts, where wind velocities are significantly higher than in urban areas. Various dusty environmental conditions have been numerically created, comprising of different sand particle sizes and mass flow rates. Their effects on the performance degradation has been critically analysed in this study. Furthermore, erosion rates on rotor blades of the VAWT have been recorded. The results obtained have then been used in order to develop a novel semi-empirical prediction model for the torque generation from the VAWT that takes into account various sand particles' parameters.


This paper analyses the enforcement of EU competition law vis-a-vis exploitative conducts by dominant online platforms. Firstly, it looks at the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) concerning excessive and discriminatory pricing, as well as unfair contract clauses under Art. 102 TFEU. Afterwards, the challenges faced by National Competition Authorities (NCAs) and the EU Commission in investigating exploitative conducts in data markets are discussed with a view to the CJEU case law. Finally, the paper looks at potential remedies that NCAs and the EU Commission could design in relation to exploitative conducts in data markets. The paper does not discuss the definition of the relevant market and the issue of market power of online platforms.
It is argued that the data economy is characterized by a number of market failures that, in principle, justify EU competition policy intervention. Contrary to a view expressed in the literature, the authors argue that EU competition law should be enforced in digital markets, in spite of the overlaps with data protection and consumer law. In particular, it is argued that these three policy areas pursue different goals, have different scopes of application and different enforcement structures.
Consequently, in spite of their "family ties", one policy area should not prevent the enforcement of the others. At the same time, the authors recognize that – in view of the CJEU case law – Art. 102 TFEU should only be enforced vis-a-vis exploitative conducts in exceptional circumstances – i.e. in relation to "super dominant" online platforms and in markets characterized by high and stable entry barriers. Secondly, the paper argues that in view of the existing CJEU case law on excessive and discriminatory pricing, the NCAs and the EU Commission would face a very high burden of proof to sanction these practices in data markets. At the same time, the enforcement of Art. 102 TFEU might indeed be expected as regards unfair contractual terms. The current investigations by the Bundeskartellamt in the Facebook case and the recent Facebook/WhatsApp merger case could indicate a new enforcement trend to this regard. Finally, in terms of remedies, the paper argues in view of the lack of precedents in this area that NCAs and the EU Commission should conclude behavioural commitments with dominant online platforms, rather than imposing financial penalties coupled with cease and desist orders. In particular, when designing these remedies, the NCAs and the EU Commission should take into consideration the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), in order to fill the gaps in the current regulatory system via behavioural commitments.
This is a working paper and, as such, subject to change.


Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and is beset by catastrophic events of natural and anthropogenic origins. Therefore, Haiti is vulnerable to and ill-equipped to manage these events. Since 2004, the incidence and intensity of tropical storms over the island of Hispaniola has resulted in loss of life and been the catalyst for forced migration of the population, resulting in contamination of water and health issues, i.e. cholera. Our research uses GIS and Remote Sensing to address the potential flooding hazard to population and agriculture abutting the closed basin lake Etang Saumâtre. Our analysis of Landsat imagery from the past 30 years predicts the rate of future lake level rise and sites the lakeshore areas most at risk. This analysis indicates a 20.6% increase in lake area. Our analysis of the terrain demonstrates the vulnerability of areas to the east and the west of the lake, due to the lake's east/west trending location in the Hispaniola Rift Valley. To the east is the border with the Dominican Republic and Lake Enriquillo; to the west is the low lying Cul de Sac plain. Areas of the Cul de Sac, which include Port au Prince, are densely populated. Large expanses of productive agricultural land are also located in the Cul de Sac. Satellite imagery and on ground research verify that homes, roads and agricultural fields have already been inundated.


An experimental study was carried out to obtain the mean convective heat transfer coefficient of aqueous carboximethyl cellulose (CMC) solutions in double-pipe heat exchangers. Co-current and counter- flows were considered in the investigation. From the experimental data a Nusselt number was calculated for a wide range of Graetz number, Reynolds number, and CMC concentrations. Increasing the Graetz and Reynolds numbers promote the heat transfer and variation of CMC concentration has a noticeable effect on the Nusselt number.


This article concerns the Participatory Web and the impact it has on academic researchers' perceptions of digital scholarship practices. The Participatory Web, as a space of active involvement, presence and socialisation of knowledge, has the potential to introduce significant changes to scholarly practice and to diversify it. This article draws on the findings of a narrative inquiry study that investigated the habitus of 10 digital scholars. The study uses Bourdieu's concepts of habitus, field, and social and cultural capital as a research lens. One of the main findings to come out of the study was that research participants' approaches to digital scholarship practices are highly influenced by their online social capital, the online networks that influence their thinking and outlook on scholarly practices, including their advocacy of openness and transparency of academic practice. This article concludes by highlighting the dispositions digital scholars display in an attempt to characterise the values and beliefs that underpin their scholarly practices. Keywords:  digital scholarship; habitus; social capital; cultural capital; the Participatory Web; Pierre Bourdieu (Published: 31 January 2014) Citation : Research in Learning Technology 2014,  21:  21274 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v21.21274


As a group, oncology nurses are aging, mirroring a large portion of the American public. Many practicing nurses are approaching middle age, and with increased age comes an increased risk for cancer. Many oncology nurses are cancer survivors, and the experience of treating a colleague is becoming more common, but few publications have addressed this topic. Pennsylvania Oncology Hematology Associates (POHA), a private medical oncology practice in Philadelphia, has encountered such a situation. This article captures the experience of one oncology nurse who underwent chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer at her place of employment. She discusses her cancer, chemotherapy treatments, and new level of understanding with patients. Her colleagues also share their reactions to witnessing the survivorship process. The nursing team at POHA has been inspired and humbled by the experience, and patient care has been enhanced. The courage of one individual's journey has demonstrated how a negative situation can be transformed into a positive one.


Context: Client-side JavaScript is widely used in web applications to improve user-interactivity and minimize client-server communications. Unfortunately, web applications are prone to JavaScript faults. While prior studies have demonstrated the prevalence of these faults, no attempts have been made to determine their root causes and consequences. Objective: The goal of our study is to understand the root causes and impact of JavaScript faults and how the results can impact JavaScript programmers, testers and tool developers. Method: We perform an empirical study of 317 bug reports from 12 bug repositories. The bug reports are thoroughly examined to classify and extract information about the fault's cause (the error) and consequence (the failure and impact). Result: The majority (65%) of JavaScript faults are DOM-related, meaning they are caused by faulty interactions of the JavaScript code with the Document Object Model (DOM). Further, 80% of the highest impact JavaScript faults are DOM-related. Finally, most JavaScript faults originate from programmer mistakes committed in the JavaScript code itself, as opposed to other web application components such as the server-side or HTML code. Conclusion: Given the prevalence of DOM-related faults, JavaScript programmers need development tools that can help them reason about the DOM. Also, testers should prioritize detection of DOM-related faults as most high impact faults belong to this category. Finally, developers can use the error patterns we found to design more powerful static analysis tools for JavaScript.


An algorithm for phase demodulation of a single interferogram that may contain closed fringes is presented. This algorithm uses the regularized phase-tracker system as a robust phase estimator, together with a new scanning technique that estimates the phase that initially follows the bright zones of the interferogram. The combination of these two elements constitutes a powerful new method, the fringe-follower regularized phase tracker, that makes it possible to correctly demodulate complex, single-image interferograms for which traditional methods fail.


The rhizosphere is a critical interface supporting the exchange of resources between plants and their associated soil environment. Rhizosphere microbial diversity is influenced by the physical and chemical properties of the rhizosphere, some of which are determined by the genetics of the host plant. However, within a plant species, the impact of genetic variation on the composition of the microbiota is poorly understood. Here, we characterized the rhizosphere bacterial diversity of 27 modern maize inbreds possessing exceptional genetic diversity grown under field conditions. Randomized and replicated plots of the inbreds were planted in five field environments in three states, each with unique soils and management conditions. Using pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes, we observed substantial variation in bacterial richness, diversity, and relative abundances of taxa between bulk soil and the maize rhizosphere, as well as between fields. The rhizospheres from maize inbreds exhibited both a small but significant proportion of heritable variation in total bacterial diversity across fields, and substantially more heritable variation between replicates of the inbreds within each field. The results of this study should facilitate expanded studies to identify robust heritable plant–microbe interactions at the level of individual polymorphisms by genome wide association, so that plant-microbiome interactions can ultimately be incorporated into plant breeding.


Against the backdrop of an increasingly divided society and the government's determined pledge to build social cohesion in China, this paper examines how social institutions, through their discursive practices, participate in the construction of the still evolving social relations in contemporary China, using data collected from interactions between citizens and officials at two governmental agencies. It finds that discourse is an important way of reflecting and realizing the institutional power possessed by institutional officials and that institutional power is exercised and reinforced through a variety of discursive practices ranging from fixed procedures of questioning to speech acts of interrupting and blaming. Based on these findings, this paper argues that for government agencies to act as a force of social cohesion in contemporary China as they have always claimed, their linguistic forms of interaction with society, as well as the ideologies and practices associated with it, all need to be dramatically transformed.


The effects of environment on trade and welfare are analyzed in a modified Heckscher-Ohlin framework using a quasi-homothetic preferences to account for differences in countries' expenditure shares on health. Three types of pollution, local-disembodied, global-disembodied and embodied, result as a by-product of inputs used in production. For each case, the Walrasian, Pareto optimal and the Regulators' problem are analyzed. The optimal tax is shown to improve each country's welfare if the country is small in the world market. Otherwise, changes in the terms of trade may cause one country to be made better off at the expense of the other. Interdependence for the global-disembodied case is explored using a one-shot Nash game. For the embodied pollution, taxing the polluting input only can cause a decline in welfare when the polluting input is intensively used. Instead, a tax on the polluting input in combination with a subsidy to the non-polluting input is optimal. In general, the results suggest compensatory payments may be required to encourage abatement policies. Contrary to other approaches, an abatement policy does not necessarily decrease a country's comparative advantage, i.e., reduce exports of the polluting sector.


Two experiments were conducted with growing crossbred Super-Meat ducks at the experimental duck farm of Cantho University to evaluate the effects of reducing the proportion of soybean meal (SBM) in a broken rice (BR)-SBM mixture and providing soya waste (SW) ad libitum (Expt. 1), and reducing the proportion of fish meal (FM) in a BR-FM mixture and supplying ensiled shrimp waste (ESW) ad libitum (Expt.2). Both experiments included five treatments, with three replicates and ten growing ducks per replicate. In Expt.1, the five diets were based on BR and five levels of SBM, with SW offered ad libitum. The control diet (SBM25) consisted of 75% BR and 25% SBM, and the other four treatments included SBM levels of 20% (SBM20), 14% (SBM14), 8% (SBM8) and 0% (SBM0) mixed with BR to 100%, and with SW ad libitum. In Expt. 2, the control diet consisted of 86% BR and 14% FM, and the other dietary treatments had FM levels of 11% (FM11), 8% (FM8), 4% (FM4) and 0% (FM0) mixed with BR, and with ESW ad libitum. In Expt. 1, total intakes of dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and metabolizable energy (ME) were higher for birds given SW (p<0.001). Total CP intake was highest on the SBM20 diet, and lowest on the SBM0 diet (p<0.001). Lower daily gain (DG) was found for the SBM0 diet (p<0.01). Carcass weights were higher on the control treatment, with the lowest values on the SBM0 diet (p<0.001). Gizzard weights were higher on diets with high intakes of SW (p<0.05). In Expt. 2, birds with high intakes of ESW (FM4 and FM0) had lower (p<0.01) daily intakes of DM. The total CP intakes declined (p<0.001) with higher intakes of ESW. The highest DG were for the control and FM11 diets, while the lowest value was for diet FM0 (p<0.001). The poorest feed conversion ratio (FCR) was for the FM0 treatment (p<0.01). Lower weights of carcass and breast muscle were found on the FM0 diet (p<0.001). Feed costs per kg gain were only slightly different between diets. However, the lowest feed cost was for ducks on the SBM0 and FM11 diets in Expt.1 and Expt. 2, respectively. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2005. Vol 18, No. 6 : 825-834)


James E. Cathey's Heliand: Text and Commentary is a simply unique, wonderfully encompassing, and helpful text, and nothing quite like it exists anywhere in the world. The commentary portion of the book consists of an interweaving of interpretation and philological consideration. This work presents the reader with explanatory commentary that encompasses both the scientific and the poetic and treats them both with equal felicity. The volume also contains something that is exceptionally valuable and cannot be found in English: a compact and serviceable grammar of Old Saxon and an appended glossary that defines all of the vocabulary found in this edited version of the Heliand.


Epidemiology of Bordetella pertussis infection shows an universal re-emerging pattern, independent of the increased rate of vaccination in some countries. Whooping cough can affect people of any age, as it is highly contagious, but unvaccinated infants and children possess a high risk of developing life-threatening complications. Acquiring anti-pertussis antibodies through active immunization, naturally (post-infection) or artificially (post-vaccination), do not confer life-long immunity.
The acellular component of pertussis vaccine DTaP (diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis) is commonly used in the vaccination schedules, but new results of research studies show that the vaccine DTwP, which contains a whole-cell pertussis component (wP), provides a better protection against infection and an acceptable rate of adverse events. In addition to this, from the economic point of view, the cost-efficiency of DTwP vaccine is estimated to be higher.
Improving the level and quality of immunization at a populational level is the best method of protection against pertussis. Adopting new strategies which contain the whole-cell pertussis component could successfully obtain a decrease in the incidence of infection and confer an appropriate durable immunity.


The way in which Canadian firms produce goods and services has changed dramatically during the 1990s. A major feature of this restructuring has been a shift towards greater use of capital goods, particularly computer-based technology, relative to labour in production processes. The author examines this phenomenon from a macroeconomic perspective, identifying the principal factors behind the trends in investment and employment since the late 1980s. The analysis focusses on the relative costs of capital and labour over the period and on their implications for output and employment.


Idealised models based on realistic vocal-tract area functions are proposed for Arabic uvular / χ , ʁ/ and pharyngeal /ħ, ʕ/ and compared against data from four male speakers of Moroccan Arabic (MA). Synthesised versions of [aCa] sequences were created from these idealised models and subjected to perception tests in which the subjects were ten speakers of MA. Findings of this study confirm that these consonants should not be considered fricatives but approximants. First, area values of supraglottal constriction and glottal constriction are estimated to be higher than those for simple fricatives. Second, corresponding spectrograms often show a vowel-like formant structure. Third, calculated and measured airflow values were in a much higher range than for normal fricatives.


In this paper we carry out a study of multimodal metaphors in a corpus of 52 ICT advertisements published in English-speaking magazines during the period 1999–2002. The general theoretical framework adopted for this purpose is a combination of text world theory and of a multimodal approach to metaphor in discourse, which in turn draws from the principles of conceptual metaphor theory and of discourse theories. The main argument presented in this study is that metaphor is a key instrument in the presentation and negotiation of conventional and creative meanings in advertising discourse as a type of public discourse. More specifically, ICT advertisements during the time period 1999–2002 are particularly interesting for the study of metaphor because of the combination of conventional and innovative underlying concepts which are grounded in the specific socio-cultural context of recent advances in new technologies. In this sense, metaphor contributes to the discourse functions of display, by inviting the receiver to identify with fantasy worlds which are rooted in assumed patterns of socio-cultural behaviour and which are presented in the ad, and to the functions of persuasion and of cognitive change. First, we have identified and classified multimodal metaphors in the corpus according to their cognitive-functional type, then, following Semino (2008) we have identified predominant discourse patterns of metaphorical occurrences. Finally, we have identified the main resources for creativity in the advertisements. We have also studied how the combinations of individual micro-propositional metaphors give rise to extended metaphors which revolve around the megametaphor LIFE IS A CYBERSPACE JOURNEY. This megametaphor invites the receiver to reinterpret the more conventional metaphor LIFE IS A JOURNEY in terms of the new advances and experiences in society regarding IC technologies.


Lawrence Summers, the dominant professor-politician of the Clinton years, used to say that the United States is history's only nonimperialist superpower. But is this claim anything to boast about today? The war on terrorism has focused attention on the chaotic states that provide profit and sanctuary to nihilist outlaws, from Sudan and Afghanistan to Sierra Leone and Somalia. When such power vacuums threatened great powers in the past, they had a ready solution: imperial ism. But since World War II, that option has been ruled out. After more than two millennia of empire, orderly societies now refuse to impose their own institutions on disorderly ones. This anti-imperialist restraint is becoming harder to sustain, however, as the disorder in poor countries grows more threatening. Civil wars have grown nastier and longer. In a study of 52 conflicts since 1960, a recent World Bank study found that wars started after 1980 lasted three times longer than those beginning in the preceding two decades. Because wars last longer, the number of countries embroiled in them is growing. And the trend toward violent disorder may prove self sustaining, for war breeds the conditions that make fresh conflict likely. Once a nation descends into violence, its people focus on immediate survival rather than on the longer term. Saving, investment, and wealth creation taper off; government officials seek spoils for their cronies rather than designing policies that might build long-term prosperity. A cycle of poverty, instability, and violence emerges. There is another reason why state failures may multiply. Violence and social disorder are linked to rapid population growth, and this demographic pressure shows no sign of abating. In the next 20 years, the world's population is projected to grow from around six billion to eight billion, with nearly all of the increase concentrated in poor countries. Some of the sharpest demographic stresses will be concentrated in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the Palestinian territories-all Islamic societies with powerful currents of anti-Western extremism. Only sub-Saharan Africa


Recently a new technology of wind turbines has been introduced which is going to have a remarkable share in the market in the close future. This wind turbine has two set of blades. So it is more efficient for collecting energy from wind in comparison to a single rotor wind turbine. This paper investigates the dynamic behaviour of the dual and single rotor wind turbines under unbalance transient conditions. To reach to this stage the models of mechanical and electrical components which exist in PSCAD/MTDC library have been used and combined together according to the configuration of the single and dual rotor systems. Both wind turbines are actuated and monitored from three aspects. Firstly, a step change in wind speed is applied which leads to a change in mechanical torque. Secondly, voltage sag is considered at the generator terminal which causes electromagnetic torque shock. Third, the amount of energies which is released by the mechanical systems after network frequency drop, are compared with each other to evaluate which one can support the frequency better. In all calculations the stream tube effect has been entered to the simulations. Different variables of wind turbines are evaluated and the operations of the rotors are compared.


In a paper in the March 2004 AER, Justine Hastings concludes that the acquisition of an independent gasoline retailer, Thrifty, by a vertically integrated firm, ARCO, is associated with sizable price increases at competing stations. To better understand the novel mechanism to which she attributes this effect - which combines vertical integration and rebranding - we attempted but ultimately failed to reproduce the results using alternative data. In addition, we show that the welfare effects of the transaction are ambiguous in the theoretical model which she posits as underlying the empirical results.


This study was carried out to evaluate the potential nutritive value of commonly found grasses collected at native pasture in West Sumatra, Indonesia during dry and rainy seasons. Variables measured included chemical composition, in vitro digestibility, concentration of Ca, P and Mg, gas production and metabolizable energy (ME) content of the grasses. The results showed that species and season had significant effect on chemical composition and mineral concentration. Crude protein content in the dry season ranged from 6.5% (B. decumbens) to 14.4% (P. maximum) and increased slightly from 7.8% (B. decumbens) to 14. 8% (A. compressus) in the rainy season. Data on fiber fraction showed that grass contained more NDF, ADF and ADL in dry season than in rainy season. Data on mineral concentration showed that C. plectostachyus and P. maximum in dry season had higher Ca than those of other species, while in rainy season P. maximum had highest Ca concentration. In dry season, the DMD varied from 50. 4% (P. purpuphoides) to 59.1% (P. purpureum), while in rainy season ranged from 50.3% (A. gayanus) to 61.8% (P. purpureum). The potential and rate of gas production were significantly (p<0.05) affected by species and season. During dry season, potential of gas production ranged from 21.8 ml/200 mg (A. compressus) to 45.1 ml/200 mg (C. plectostachyus), while in rainy season it varied from 35.6 ml/200 mg (A. gayanus) to 47.5 ml/200 mg (P. purpureum). ME content of grasses varied from 6.0 to 8.3 MJ/kg in dry season and increased slightly from 6.4 to 8.6 MJ/kg in rainy season. Both in dry and rainy seasons, the highest ME content was occurred in P. purpureum and C. plectostachyus. In conclusion, nutritive value of the observed grasses in West Sumatra, Indonesia was relatively higher during rainy season compared with dry season. Pennisetum purpureum and Cynodon plectostachyus had the best nutritive value in both dry and rainy seasons. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2004. Vol 17, No. 12 : 1663-1668)


The reaction of [Ta(dCHtBu)(CH2tBu)3] or [Cp*Ta(CH3)4] with a silica partially dehydroxylated at 700 °C gives the corresponding monosiloxy surface complexes [(tSiO)Ta(dCHtBu)(CH2tBu)2] and [(tSiO)Ta(CH3)3Cp*] by eliminating a σ-bonded ligand as the corresponding alkane (H-CH2tBu or H-CH3). EXAFS data show that an adjacent siloxane bridge of the surface plays the role of an extra surface ligand, which most likely stabilizes these complexes as in [(tSiO)Ta(dCHtBu)(CH2tBu)2(tSiOSit)] (1a′) and [(tSiO)Ta(CH3)3Cp*(tSiOSit)] (2a′). In the case of [(tSiO)Ta(dCHtBu)(CH2tBu)2(tSiOSit)], the structure is further stabilized by an additional interaction: a C-H agostic bond as evidenced by the small J coupling constant for the carbenic C-H (JC-H ) 80 Hz), which was measured by J-resolved 2D solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The product selectivity in propane metathesis in the presence of [(tSiO)Ta(dCHtBu)(CH2tBu)2(tSiOSit)] (1a′) as a catalyst precursor and the inactivity of the surface complex [(tSiO)Ta(CH3)3Cp*(tSiOSit)] (2a′) show that the active site is required to be highly electrophilic and probably involves a metallacyclobutane intermediate.


Abstract. Expanding hypoxia in the Baltic Sea over the past century has led to the development of anoxic and sulfidic (euxinic) deep basins that are only periodically ventilated by inflows of oxygenated waters from the North Sea. In this study, we investigate the potential consequences of the expanding hypoxia for manganese (Mn) burial in the Baltic Sea using a combination of pore water and sediment analyses of dated sediment cores from eight locations. Diffusive fluxes of dissolved Mn from sediments to overlying waters at oxic, hypoxic and euxinic sites are consistent with an active release of Mn from these areas. Although the present-day fluxes are significant (ranging up to ca. 240 μmol m−2 d−1), comparison to published water column data suggests that the current benthic release of Mn is small when compared to the large pool of Mn already present in the hypoxic and anoxic water column. Our results highlight two modes of Mn carbonate formation in sediments of the deep basins. In the Gotland Deep area, Mn carbonates likely form from Mn oxides that are precipitated from the water column directly following North Sea inflows. In the Landsort Deep, in contrast, Mn carbonate and Mn sulfide layers appear to form independently of inflow events, and are possibly related to the much larger and continuous input of Mn oxides linked to sediment focusing. Whereas Mn-enriched sediments continue to accumulate in the Landsort Deep, this does not hold for the Gotland Deep area. Here, a recent increase in euxinia, as evident from measured bottom water sulfide concentrations and elevated sediment molybdenum (Mo), coincides with a decline in sediment Mn content. Sediment analyses also reveal that recent inflows of oxygenated water (since ca. 1995) are no longer consistently recorded as Mn carbonate layers. Our data suggest that eutrophication has not only led to a recent rise in sulfate reduction rates but also to a decline in reactive Fe input to these basins. We hypothesize that these factors have jointly led to higher sulfide availability near the sediment–water interface after inflow events. As a consequence, the Mn oxides may be reductively dissolved more rapidly than in the past and Mn carbonates may no longer form. Using a simple diagenetic model for Mn dynamics in the surface sediment, we demonstrate that an enhancement of the rate of reduction of Mn oxides is consistent with such a scenario. Our results have important implications for the use of Mn carbonate enrichments as a redox proxy in marine systems.


This paper outlines a strategy for identifying the pattern of Central Asia's comparative advantage in international trade, based on factor prices and transport costs, historical production patterns, and recent trends in the geographical and product composition of Central Asian trade. The paper focuses on Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, along with Azerbaijan and Mongolia. A country's comparative advantage cannot be determined at the level of individual industries or products. At the same time, policymakers benefit from an awareness of a country's general pattern of comparative advantage as they prioritize measures for promoting nontraditional exports or policy reforms to reduce barriers to trade, whether related to trade policy instruments, to transport and transit, or to the investment climate. A comparison of manufacturing wages in the region with key competitors shows that the resource rich countries (Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan) with monthly wages above $100 will hardly be able to compete on price in labor-intensive exports to the world market (e.g., in direct competition with China). For the remaining countries with lower wages, the viability of particular labor-intensive exports would have to be assessed from detailed estimates of cost structures, including buildings and transport. As they are geographically remote, it is very difficult for Central Asian countries to expand exports by integrating into production networks operated by European firms (a strategy employed with much success in Central and Eastern Europe). Enhanced processing of local raw materials that are already exported (such as cotton) will often be a more viable option. At present, Central Asia's exports are dominated by unprocessed or semi processed commodities. Prominent export products vary somewhat across countries, so that export growth would not push Central Asian countries to compete in all the same products. Many trade flows are also so small in relation to potential markets (Russia, Western Europe, etc.) that ruinous export competition is unlikely. For several industrial products, Central Asian countries are significant exporters to CIS countries, but not to the rest of the world. Such products could be focal points for export diversification into nontraditional markets.


Since its launch in September 2006, the Asian Research Programme has focused on policy-oriented studies for central banks and supervisory authorities in the Asia-Pacific region. Under the programme, the BIS Representative Office for Asia and the Pacific has co-organised a series of conferences, seminars and workshops with central banks and supervisory authorities in Asia and the Pacific. The subjects of interest have included improving monetary policy and operations, developing financial markets, maintaining financial stability and strengthening prudential policy. On 19-20 March 2009, the BIS Asian Office and the Bank of Korea co-hosted a high-level seminar on currency internationalisation in Seoul. Participants from 12 central banks as well as academic scholars and BIS economists attended the seminar. The purpose of the seminar was to review experiences of economies in the Asia-Pacific region with currency internationalisation and to assess the prospects for further internationalisation, emphasising the policy implications facing central banks if current trends continue. Lessons learned about currency internationalisation since the intensification of the strains in global markets in mid-2007 were also discussed. This volume is a collection of the speeches, presentations and papers from the seminar.


Purpose: The purpose of this work is to provide the surgeons an efficient tool for liver segmentation and visualization and help them by operation planning. Our semi-automatic approach is a fast way to segment liver from CT data and obtain its 3D reconstruction. The information, extracted by means of CT-data analysis can be used for precise estimation of such operational risks as vessel injuries, blood loss during the operation and lesion relapse as well as for instrument navigation within the surgical intervention. Methods: Our approach is a combination of fast and efficient segmentation techniques and minimal user interactions via target-oriented interface. Among the segmentation techniques region growing, histogram analysis and object selection rules are in use. Results: A set of 18 oncological patient datasets (2843 original CT-images with average dimensions 320×320 pixels) and reference segmentation from medical radiologists were used for the evaluation of algorithm performance. Three evaluation methods were applied for estimation of segmentation quality: average symmetric surface distance, Dice similarity coefficient as volume overlap measure and binary classification test. The mean average symmetric surface distance was 2.34 mm. The mean sensitivity and specificity were 0.95 and 0.98 respectively. Average volume overlap was 94%. Average processing time was 1.8 seconds per dataset (11.5 milliseconds per slice). Conclusions: All obtained results are comparable with best results of other works, excepting processing time, which was considerably reduced. This makes our algorithm usable in real time in clinical routine.


Classrooms are a primary site of evidence about learning. Yet classroom proceedings often occur behind closed doors and hence evidence of student learning is observable only to the classroom teacher. The informal and undocumented nature of this information means that it is rarely included in statistical models or quantifiable analyses. This research investigated whether or not whole-class discussions, focused on a single articulated learning trajectory, contained information that could be used as quantifiable evidence of student knowledge to better understand learning processes. Specifically, the research considered what evidence of student knowledge was observable from three modes: whole-class discussions during instruction, cognitive interviews, and written quiz assessments.The theoretical framework of this study relied on the concept of learning progressions to integrate strengths of what are usually thought to be divergent approaches to educational research. Specifically, this framework included key aspects of formative and summative assessments, used qualitative and quantitative methods, and capitalized on both teachers' and education measurement researchers' notions of validity, to investigate consistency of multiple forms of evidence of student learning. The methods used in this study systematically connected instruction, learning, and assessment through a shared model of learning. This study focused on a model of learning in the domain of statistics in middle school mathematics. A trajectory of student learning was described in the Data Modeling and Statistical Reasoning learning progression, and the focus of this study was one dimension of the learning progression, the Conceptions of Statistics construct.Items, item archetypes, item sets, and parallel item sets were designed to elicit particular ranges of performances described in the construct map. In order to study the degree to which consistency between student responses could be found, administration of the three instruments was tightly controlled to limit learning gains and losses over time. Decision rules were created to systematically establish units of analysis from discussion and interview responses that were comparable with quiz responses. Parallel interpretation guides were designed so that raters could score response units consistently across the assessment modes. Raters' scores were examined to investigate the reliability of response interpretations, and multimodal scoring was used to investigate the relationship between the three sources of evidence.Results suggest that evidence of knowledge observed in the three modes, while distinct in their levels of detail, consistently validated one other, and the learning construct itself. Interrater score differences, kappa coefficients, correlations, and percent agreements were moderate to strong at every level of analysis, indicating that, when aligned in this way, interpretations of responses resulted in reliable scoring. Rater reflections noted that there were six factors that may influence the quality of evidence observed. Specifically, they were: the level of verbosity, interpretability, responsiveness to topic, uniqueness of contribution, and frequency and density of evidence affected the degree to which raters were confident in their determination of scores.Analyses comparing interview and quiz scores, discussion and quiz scores, and discussion, interview, and quiz scores found that the mean score differences were low and percent agreement was moderate to strong. The analyses found that scores in the discussion and quiz had stronger consistency than either mode had with the interview. Similarly, correlations between the discussions, interviews, and quizzes across all students and all items indicated that a statistically significant correlation was found between discussions and quizzes, and discussions and interviews but not between interviews and quizzes. Those correlations were modest suggesting that although a positive relationship was found, they were not so highly correlated as to be considered equivalent. Overall, results from the study found that student responses in discussions, interviews, and quizzes could be consistently scored to determine students' levels of understanding.This work is a significant contribution to the field for a number of reasons. This study is the first of its kind to apply the construct map as a tool for coordinating classroom discussions, assessment design, evidence interpretation, and analytical decisions. Further, this study relied on the use of assessments in classroom discussions as one of the three sources of evidence of student knowledge, and established a systematic process for collecting and analyzing both text and numerical data for quantitative analysis. Specifically, this study took a systematic approach to the interpretation and scoring of evidence so that nuanced scoring of evidence from interviews and discussions could be summarized into units of analysis comparable with quiz scores. Finally, this work is a significant contribution to the field because it supports making a shift in the means by which teachers and researchers look for and identify changes in student knowledge.


(1) Background: Blended cognitive behavioral therapy (bCBT; online and face-to-face sessions) seems a promising alternative alongside regular face-to-face CBT depression treatment in specialized mental health care organizations. Therapists are key in the uptake of bCBT. This study focuses on therapists' perspectives on usability, satisfaction, and factors that promote or hinder the use of bCBT in routine practice; (2) Methods: Three focus groups (n = 8, n = 7, n = 6) and semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 15) were held throughout the Netherlands. Beforehand, the participating therapists (n = 36) completed online questionnaires on usability and satisfaction. Interviews were analyzed by thematic analysis; (3) Results: Therapists found the usability sufficient and were generally satisfied with providing bCBT. The thematic analysis showed three main themes on promoting and hindering factors: (1) therapists' needs regarding bCBT uptake, (2) therapists' role in motivating patients for bCBT, and (3) therapists' experiences with bCBT; (4) Conclusions: Overall, therapists were positive; bCBT can be offered by all CBT-trained therapists and future higher uptake is expected. Especially the pre-set structure of bCBT was found beneficial for both therapists and patients. Nevertheless, therapists did not experience promised time-savings—rather, the opposite. Besides, there are still teething problems and therapeutic shortcomings that need improvement in order to motivate therapists to use bCBT.