The key task in building useful e-learning repositories is to develop a system with an algorithm allowing users to retrieve information that corresponds to their specific requirements. To achieve this, products (or their verbal descriptions, i.e. presented in metadata) need to be compared and structured according to the results of this comparison. Such structuring is crucial insofar as there are many search results that correspond to the entered keyword. The Hofmethode is an algorithm (based on psychological considerations) to compute semantic similarities between texts and therefore offer a way to compare e-learning products. The computed similarity values are used to build semantic maps in which the products are visually arranged according to their similarities. The paper describes how the Hofmethode is implemented in the online database edulap, and how it contributes to help the user to explore the data in which he is interested.


The built environment usually constitutes a very importantpart of the real capital of a nation and the constructionsector represents more than 10% of the yearly Gross NationalProduct of the industrialised world. The importance of goodplanning of all construction, where the service life of thework is considered, is of great interest and an importantaspect in sustainability considerations. The need for increasedknowledge about degradation of materials, for structuredmethodology, and for working tools for those involved in theplanning process, has resulted in an extensive effort inpre-normative research and standardisation regarding thisfield.This thesis presents a discussion on service life planningand the role of the Factor Method in such a work, andespecially, discussion of modification and development of themethodology. In the design process, the need to evaluate theservice life of products is great, and this is a formidableproblem to solve, as the results will depend on both materialproperties and the environment in which the material is placedor used. A practical solution has to be based on a goodknowledge in the field, but also on a sound working strategy,to ensure that different design scenarios can be compared in astandardised or structured way. The Factor Method is apromising working tool for such an evaluation and comparison,but is as such, still more of a methodology, than a method.Examples of the use of the methodology are still very limitedand the method as such, is much discussed by researchers.However, its future will depend on how practical it will be toapply in use. The method is useful to estimate the service lifeof products, based on a known reference service life and anumber of modifying factors that will depend on the conditiondifferences between the specific project and the referencein-use conditions. The required precision of such a methodologyis discussed, especially in the light of inherent distributionin material properties and the fact that often the consequencesof failure are very limited. In such cases, the standardisedFactor Method is considered to be of great use and should giveparties involved a good means for working in a structured andsystematic way.


Optimal reservoir operation changes and adaptation strategies for the Zayandeh-Rud River Basin's surface water supply system are examined for a changing climate during the 2015–2044 period. On average, the monthly temperature in the basin is expected to increase by 0.46–0.76 W C and annual precipitation is expected to decrease by 14–38% with climate change, resulting in a reduction of the Zayandeh-Rud's peak stream flow and the amplitude of its seasonal range. Snowfall decrease in winter months will generally lead to an 8–43% reduction in annual stream flow under climate change. A reservoir operation model is developed and optimal reservoir operation strategies are identified for adaptation of the basin's surface water supply to climate change in the face of the increasing water demand. Results indicate that the reservoir drawdown season starts 2 months earlier under climate change. Smaller storage levels and greater water releases must occur to meet the increasing water demand. The optimized water release can provide sufficient water for non-agricultural water demand, but agriculture will experience more severe water shortage under a changing climate. Having the highest vulnerability, the agricultural sector should be the main focus of regional management plans to address the current water challenge and more severe water shortages under climate change.


Traditionally, many schools have focused on academic achievement as the primary end of education. As schools increasingly expand their aims to include wellbeing, some have struggled knowing how to translate the growing body of wellbeing research into their daily practice. The purpose of this book is to help educators understand the research behind wellbeing and select appropriate assessments that will begin fostering wellbeing in their context.
The first part of this book will provide you with a foundational understanding of wellbeing in a school context. With this deeper understanding, you are prepared to become the wellbeing expert in your context. With you as the expert, this book will guide you through the process of selecting a valid and reliable measure to assess the wellbeing of your students, teachers, and cultural environment. Lastly, it will offer additional tips about how to implement the evidence you receive into actionable steps.


Plant development requires a precise and dynamic regulatory network, in which transcription factors play major roles by temporally and spatially regulating gene expression. The SBP-box genes encode a group of plant-specific transcription factors, highly conserved in their DNA-binding domain, but quite heterogeneous outside. Gain- or loss-of-function of several SBP-box genes, including Maize LIGULELESS1 and Teosinte glume architecture1, Arabidopsis SPL3, SPL8, and SPL14, display diverse developmental defects, indicating that they function in different developmental processes. The work presented in this thesis aimed to uncover the role of the Arabidopsis SBP-box gene SPL8 in plant development and to integrate its function in an existing regulatory network. This has been achieved through the application of molecular genetic, biochemical and microscopic techniques. As deduced from its semi-sterile loss-of-function phenotype, previous studies have shown that SPL8 affects reproductive development. Remarkably, and extensively described in this thesis, SPL8 gain-of-function also caused sterility. However, unlike the loss-of-function mutant in which anther development is defective at early stage of sporogenesis, gain-of-function affects fertility through the non-dehiscence of anthers. Furthermore, constitutive SPL8 expression resulted in a pleiotropic phenotype partly resembling gibberellin-deficient mutants. Although some phenotypical changes could be rescued by exogenous GAs, seed germination, root elongation and fertility could not. Molecular data indicated that genes involved in GA biosynthesis/response are affected in SPL8 overexpressing lines, suggesting altered endogenous GA levels. Because SPL8 is assumed to encode a transcription factor, its nuclear targeting has also been briefly explored using GFP fusion constructs. Within the SBP-domain, a highly conserved serine residue has been predicted to be a target for phosphorylation. Mutation of this serine residue had a great impact on the subcellular localization of SPL8, suggesting the involvement of post-transcriptional regulation in its function. To obtain additional information on the regulatory network, SPL8 might be integrated in, a yeast two-hybrid screen was performed. Many putative SPL8 interacting proteins could be identified. The functions of most of these are unknown or predicted to be involved in general cellular activities and therefore not very helpful to clear the function of SPL8. For two putative interactors, selected on the basis of their role in gene regulation and expression pattern, respective mutant plants could be obtained. However, the absence of obvious mutant phenotypes allowed no further conclusions concerning the relevance of their interaction with SPL8. The experiments in this thesis investigated the role of SPL8 in plant development. Taken the results together, it could be proposed that SPL8 acts as a local regulator in a subset of GA-mediated developmental processes, positively in anther development, but negatively in seed germination and root elongation. Further studies, aiming at the identification of target genes and genetic interactions with other GA-signaling components, are needed to deepen our understanding of the role SPL8 plays in these more defined aspects of plant development.


The monitoring of turbidity currents enables accurate internal structure and timing of these flows to be understood. Without monitoring, triggers of turbidity currents often remain hypothetical and are inferred from sedimentary structures of deposits and their age. In this study, the bottom currents within 20 m of the seabed in one of the Pointe‐des‐Monts (Gulf of St. Lawrence, eastern Canada) submarine canyons were monitored for two consecutive years using Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers. In addition, multibeam bathymetric surveys were carried out during deployment of the Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers and recovery operations. These new surveys, along with previous multibeam surveys carried out over the last decade, revealed that crescentic bedforms have migrated upslope by about 20 to 40 m since 2007, despite the limited supply of sediment on the shelf or river inflow in the region. During the winter of 2017, two turbidity currents with velocities reaching 0·5 m sec−1 and 2·0 m sec−1, respectively, were recorded and were responsible for the rapid (<1 min) upstream migration of crescentic bedforms measured between the autumn surveys of 2016 and 2017. The 200 kg (in water) mooring was also displaced 10 m down‐canyon, up the stoss side of a bedform, suggesting that a dense basal layer could be driving the flow during the first minute of the event. Two other weaker turbidity currents with speeds <0·5 m sec−1 occurred, but did not lead to any significant change on the seabed. These four turbidity currents coincided with strong and sustained wind speed >60 km h−1 and higher than normal wave heights. Repeat seabed mapping suggests that the turbidity currents cannot be attributed to a canyon‐wall slope failure. Rather, sustained windstorms triggered turbidity currents either by remobilizing limited volumes of sediment on the shelf or by resuspending sediment in the canyon head. Turbidity currents can thus be triggered when the sediment volume available is limited, likely by eroding and incorporating canyon thalweg sediment in the flow, thereby igniting the flow. This process appears to be particularly important for the generation of turbidity currents capable of eroding the lee side of upslope migrating bedforms in sediment‐starved environments and might have wider implications for the activity of submarine canyons worldwide. In addition, this study suggests that a large external trigger (in this case storms) is required to initiate turbidity currents in sediment‐starved environments, which contrasts with supply‐dominated environments where turbidity currents are sometimes recorded without a clear triggering mechanism.


Mastering a video game requires skill, tactics and strategy. While these attributes may be acquired naturally by human players, teaching them to a computer program is a far more challenging task. In recent years, extensive research was carried out in the field of reinforcement learning and numerous algorithms were introduced, aiming to learn how to perform human tasks such as playing video games. As a result, the Arcade Learning Environment (ALE) (Bellemare et al., 2013) has become a commonly used benchmark environment allowing algorithms to train on various Atari 2600 games. In many games the state-of-the-art algorithms outperform humans. In this paper we introduce a new learning environment, the Retro Learning Environment — RLE, that can run games on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), Sega Genesis and several other gaming consoles. The environment is expandable, allowing for more video games and consoles to be easily added to the environment, while maintaining a simple unified interface. Moreover, RLE is compatible with Python and Torch. SNES games pose a significant challenge to current algorithms due to their higher level of complexity and versatility. A more extensive paper describing our work is available on arXiv1.


The perivascular location of human immunodeficiency virus-infected cells suggests that the virus enters the central nervous system (CNS) by traversing the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In this study, the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) macaque model was used to determine whether SIV infects CNS endothelial cells. SIV RNA was detected in capillary endothelial cells in brain sections from animals parenterally inoculated with a neurovirulent strain of SIV by double immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization and by reverse transcriptase-in situ PCR. These in vivo observations were extended by examining whether SIV replicated productively in cultured macaque brain endothelial cells (MBEC). A neurovirulent strain, SIVmac239/17E-Br, replicated productively in MBEC as determined by the presence of viral cytopathic effect (syncytia), viral DNA by PCR, viral RNA by in situ hybridization, and viral antigen by immunohistochemistry and by the production of high titers of cell-free virus. Virus replication was confirmed by electron microscopy. In contrast, a nonneurovirulent strain, SIVmac239, did not infect MBEC. Infection of the endothelial cells was not blocked by soluble CD4. Thus, endothelial cells may provide a CD4-independent pathway of virus entry to the CNS. In addition, damage to the BBB as a result of endothelial cell infection may provide a mechanism for amplification of viral load in the CNS and may contribute to the CNS dysfunction that characterizes AIDS dementia and SIV encephalitis. These data suggest that MBEC may serve a selective role in determining virus entry to the CNS.


The effects of high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) on breast cancer diagnosis and treatment among vulnerable populations are unknown. We examined time to first breast cancer diagnostic testing, diagnosis, and chemotherapy among a group of women whose employers switched their insurance coverage from health plans with low deductibles ($500 or less) to plans with high deductibles ($1,000 or more) between 2004 and 2014. Primary subgroups of interest comprised 54,403 low-income and 76,776 high-income women continuously enrolled in low-deductible plans for a year and then up to four years in HDHPs. Matched controls had contemporaneous low-deductible enrollment. Low-income women in HDHPs experienced relative delays of 1.6 months to first breast imaging, 2.7 months to first biopsy, 6.6 months to incident early-stage breast cancer diagnosis, and 8.7 months to first chemotherapy. High-income HDHP members had shorter delays that did not differ significantly from those of their low-income counterparts. HDHP members living in metropolitan, nonmetropolitan, predominantly white, and predominantly nonwhite areas also experienced delayed breast cancer care. Policies may be needed to reduce out-of-pocket spending obligations for breast cancer care.


A team of private equity investors must value the leveraged buyout of a Yellow Pages business that operated in both the United States and the United Kingdom. In the process, they must wrestle with issues of how to conduct cross-border valuations and how to value a stable cash cow business along with a growth business. The case analyzes the economics and incentives of carried interest and compares different valuation methods - Capital Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow.


BACKGROUND
Antiretroviral therapy that reduces viral replication could limit the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in serodiscordant couples.

METHODS
In nine countries, we enrolled 1763 couples in which one partner was HIV-1-positive and the other was HIV-1-negative; 54% of the subjects were from Africa, and 50% of infected partners were men. HIV-1-infected subjects with CD4 counts between 350 and 550 cells per cubic millimeter were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive antiretroviral therapy either immediately (early therapy) or after a decline in the CD4 count or the onset of HIV-1-related symptoms (delayed therapy). The primary prevention end point was linked HIV-1 transmission in HIV-1-negative partners. The primary clinical end point was the earliest occurrence of pulmonary tuberculosis, severe bacterial infection, a World Health Organization stage 4 event, or death.

RESULTS
As of February 21, 2011, a total of 39 HIV-1 transmissions were observed (incidence rate, 1.2 per 100 person-years; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9 to 1.7); of these, 28 were virologically linked to the infected partner (incidence rate, 0.9 per 100 person-years, 95% CI, 0.6 to 1.3). Of the 28 linked transmissions, only 1 occurred in the early-therapy group (hazard ratio, 0.04; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.27; P<0.001). Subjects receiving early therapy had fewer treatment end points (hazard ratio, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.88; P=0.01).

CONCLUSIONS
The early initiation of antiretroviral therapy reduced rates of sexual transmission of HIV-1 and clinical events, indicating both personal and public health benefits from such therapy. (Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and others; HPTN 052 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00074581.).


The Propaganda Model Today-Joan Pedro-Carañana 2018-10-25 While the individual elements of the propaganda system (or filters) identified by the Propaganda Model (PM) – ownership, advertising, sources, flak and anti-communism – have previously been the focus of much scholarly attention, their systematisation in a model, empirical corroboration and historicisation have made the PM a useful tool for media analysis across cultural and geographical boundaries. Despite the wealth of scholarly research Herman and Chomsky's work has set into motion over the past decades, the PM has been subjected to marginalisation, poorly informed critiques and misrepresentations. Interestingly, while the PM enables researchers to form discerning predictions as regards corporate media performance, Herman and Chomsky had further predicted that the PM itself would meet with such marginalisation and contempt. In current theoretical and empirical studies of mass media performance, uses of the PM continue, nonetheless, to yield important insights into the workings of political and economic power in society, due in large measure to the model's considerable explanatory power.


This article provides a critical overview of the treatment of the question of gender in Chinua Achebe's Anthills of the Savannah. In other words, it probes the implication of women in postcolonial Nigeria, with regard to how their political marginalization constricts the public sphere in Nigeria. It matters to note that the feminist movement eventually contributes to strengthen and consolidate the ideals of democracy and good governance in the country. Yet, the low participation of women in government and politics is due to the gendered political system which is dominantly patriarchal. Thus, claiming for their integration in the political process, women should stand together in order to voice up their aspirations.


Static synchronous compensation (StatCom) is an application that utilizes a voltage source converter (VSC) to provide instantaneous reactive power support to the connected power system. Conventionally, StatComs are employed for reactive power support only. However, with the integration of energy storage (ES) into a StatCom, it can provide active power support in addition to the reactive power support. This thesis deals with the integration of ES into StatComs. The investigation involves the following aspects: possible benefits for power systems, main circuit design, and control strategies. As the basis of the investigation, a control scheme is proposed for two-level VSCs. It is a novel flux modulation scheme combined with the well-known deadbeat current control. The current controller is capable of controlling the positive sequence, the negative sequence, and the offset components of the converter current. With flux modulation, all the three above-mentioned components of the bus flux are controllable. This differs from the conventional voltage modulation scheme, in which only the positive and negative sequence components of the bus voltage are controllable. The difference between the proposed flux modulation scheme and the voltage modulation scheme is investigated regarding saturation of transformers in the connected system during fault recovery. The investigation shows that by controlling the offset component of the bus flux, the transformer saturation problem can be mitigated to a certain extent. The possible benefits of the additional active power support of StatComs are investigated through several case studies. Different active power compensation schemes are proposed. First, active power compensation for sudden load changes in weak systems is investigated. The proposed control strategies are verified through computer simulations and through experiments in a real-time simulator. It is shown that with active power compensation, both the phase jumps and magnitude variations in the voltage at the PCC can be reduced significantly. Secondly, the power compensation of cyclic loads is investigated. The results show that the power quality at the connection point can be improved regarding both phase jumps and magnitude variations. In the third case study, the fault-recovery performance of an example system is investigated, showing that improved performance can be achieved by the additional active power support. ES devices such as capacitors, supercapacitors, and batteries exhibit considerable variation in the terminal voltage during a charging/discharging cycle. A direct connection of ES devices to the dc side of a VSC requires a higher voltage rating of the VSC. Thus, the cost of the VSC has to be increased. In this thesis, a dual thyristor converter topology is proposed to interface ES devices with the dc side of the VSC. First, a cost comparison is performed to compare the total cost of the whole system with and without the proposed interface topology. A cost comparison between various types of ES is also presented, providing a guideline for the choice of ES at energy levels where several alternatives exist. Then, the dynamics of systems with the proposed interface topology are investigated. Control strategies are proposed and verified by computer simulations. Two different control methods for the dual-thyristor converter are compared.


ePIXfab brings silicon photonics within reach of European small and medium sized enterprises, thereby building on its track record and its integration into Europractice. To this end, ePIXfab offers affordable access to standardized active and passive silicon photonic IC and packaging technology, a path from design to manufacturing and hands-on training. Based on a consortium of major research institutes with silicon photonics expertise, ePIXfab reaches out to European industry and supports them to evaluate silicon photonics in the context of concrete applications and markets. In order to ensure low-cost, quick access and scalability to manufacturing, the maturity of silicon photonic IC technology is enhanced by setting up a library of generic devices, a level of process and device benchmarking and a well maintained design flow. For the first time, devices in a standard package are offered to facilitate measurements. Training programs on the IC and packaging services are also offered, including hands-on training in making designs. Maturity, standardization and sustainability are driven by a steadily growing worldwide user base.


Purpose: Cone‐beam CT(CBCT) is being increasingly used in radiation therapy. However, as compared to conventional CT, the degraded image quality of CBCT hampers its applications. Due to the large volume of x‐ray illumination in CBCT, scatter is considered as one of the fundamental limitations of CBCTimage quality. Many scatter correction algorithms have been developed, while drawbacks still exist. Here, we propose a new scatter correction method which is particularly useful in radiation therapy.Method and Materials: Since the same patient is scanned repetitively during one radiation treatment course, we measure the scatter distributions in one scan, and use the measured scatter distributions to estimate and correct scatter in the following scans. A partially blocked CBCT is used in the scatter measurement scan. The x‐ray beam blocker has a strip pattern, such that the whole‐field scatter distribution can be estimated from the detected signals in the shadow region and the patient rigid transformation can be determined from the reconstructed image using the illuminated detector projection data. From the derived patient transformation, the measured scatter is then modified and used for scatter correction in the following regular CBCT scans. Results: The proposed method has been evaluated using Monte Carlo simulations and physical experiments on an anthropomorphic chest phantom. The results show a significant suppression of scatter artifacts using the proposed method. Using the reconstruction in a narrow collimator geometry as a reference, the comparison also shows that the proposed method reduces reconstruction error from 13.2% to 0.8%. Conclusion: This work indicates that much improved CBCTimage quality is achievable using the proposed scatter correction method in radiation therapy. Our method is very attractive in applications where high CBCT reconstruction accuracy is critical, for example, dose calculation in adaptive radiation therapy.


A novel dual-antenna tag structure for UHF radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems is proposed. It is formed by two linearly tapered meander dipole antennas that are perpendicular to each other and connected to the slightly modified tag chip. One of the antennas is for receiving, while the other is for backscattering. The input impedance of the receiving antenna is designed to be conjugate matched to the highly capacitive chip impedance for the maximum power transfer. Meanwhile, the backscattering antenna is alternatively terminated by an open or a short circuit to modulate the backscattered field. By making the input impedance of the backscattering antenna real-valued, the maximum differential RCS may be achieved leading to a longer read range and better reliability. With the aid of the design of experiments (DOE) technique, the proposed dual-antenna structure is designed to fit within a compact area of 32.8 × 32.8 mm2 while keeping relatively low mutual coupling between the two antennas. The impedance, receiving, and backscattering performances of the proposed dual-antenna structure are measured and simulated, and they agree very well. Also, it is demonstrated that the proposed dual-antenna structure outperforms the conventional single-antenna tag design in every respect.


We study the generalization properties of ridge regression with random features in the statistical learning framework. We show for the first time that $O(1/\sqrt{n})$ learning bounds can be achieved with only $O(\sqrt{n}\log n)$ random features rather than $O({n})$ as suggested by previous results. Further, we prove faster learning rates and show that they might require more random features, unless they are sampled according to a possibly problem dependent distribution. Our results shed light on the statistical computational trade-offs in large scale kernelized learning, showing the potential effectiveness of random features in reducing the computational complexity while keeping optimal generalization properties.


Creating a database scheme is essentially a manual
process. From a requirement specification the information contained within has to be analysed and reduced into a set of tables, attributes and relationships. This is a time consuming process that has to go through several stages before an acceptable database schema is achieved. The purpose of this paper is to implement a Natural Language Processing (NLP) based tool to produce a relational database from a requirement specification. The Stanford CoreNLP version 3.3.1 and the Java programming were used to implement the proposed model. The outcome of this study indicates that a first draft of a relational database schema can be extracted from a requirement specification by using NLP tools and techniques with minimum user intervention. Therefore this method is a step forward in finding a solution that requires little or no user intervention.


A study on late Pliocene and Quaternary calcareous nannofossils from the eastern flank of the Juan de Fuca Ridge was carried out to provide a detailed biochronology for sediments recovered during Leg 168 and to investigate the effects of hydrothermal circulation and turbidite activity on diagenesis of nannofossils. Through high-resolution stratigraphical analysis, 10 Quaternary nannofossil events were determined and a detailed biochronology of the Quaternary was obtained. Upper Pliocene sediments were also recovered but did not contain any upper Pliocene marker species, such as Discoaster species. However, an age of younger than 3.2 Ma was estimated for these sediments based on evidences of nannofossil assemblages. Based on the resolved biostratigraphy, sedimentation rates of sediment sequences at these 10 sites and their variations were determined. A sedimentation hiatus between basal sediments and basements in this young seafloor region was observed. Relative abundance of nannofossils in sediments is largely changed by dilution of turbiditic materials. Evidence suggests that variations in relative group abundance of nannofossils in the Juan de Fuca Ridge, affected by dilution of turbiditic materials, does not reflect the real variation in production of this group of microfossils. Observations of this study suggest that calcite overgrowth of nannofossils is controlled by temperature, heat flow, thermal gradient in sediments, and the variation in composition of pore water, as well as the supply of calcite materials in sediments. These results provide a detailed knowledge about effects of low-temperature hydrothermal alteration on diagenesis of nannofossils. Downhole variations in dissolution degree of nannofossils in sediment sequences at all Leg 168 sites were presented and compared with pH profiles. The correlation between these data indicates that nannofossils are very sensitive to variations in pH units in sediments. A reduction of pH will result in dissolution of nannofossils. Variations in pH units are induced by hydrothermal circulation as a result of a number of interactions between water/sediments and water/basement. The dissolution of nannofossils at Sites 1031 and 1032 were directly affected further by the pore-water upward flows at these two sites. A few records of nannofossil preservation suggest that the effects of hydrothermal activity on diagenesis of nannofossils might involve more complicated processes and mechanisms that we do not understand yet.


Control of mRNA translation is a crucial regulatory mechanism used by bacteria to respond to their environment. In the soil bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens, RimK modifies the C-terminus of ribosomal protein RpsF to influence important aspects of rhizosphere colonisation through proteome remodelling. In this study, we show that RimK activity is itself under complex, multifactorial control by the co-transcribed phosphodiesterase trigger enzyme (RimA) and a polyglutamate-specific protease (RimB). Furthermore, biochemical experimentation and mathematical modelling reveal a role for the nucleotide second messenger cyclic-di-GMP in coordinating these activities. Active ribosome regulation by RimK occurs by two main routes: indirectly, through changes in the abundance of the global translational regulator Hfq and directly, with translation of surface attachment factors, amino acid transporters and key secreted molecules linked specifically to RpsF modification. Our findings show that post-translational ribosomal modification functions as a rapid-response mechanism that tunes global gene translation in response to environmental signals.


It has been previously observed that optimization of the 1-call@k relevance objective (i.e., a set-based objective that is 1 if at least one document is relevant, otherwise 0) empirically correlates with diverse retrieval. In this paper, we proceed one step further and show theoretically that greedily optimizing expected 1-call@k w.r.t. a latent subtopic model of binary relevance leads to a diverse retrieval algorithm sharing many features of existing diversification approaches. This new result is complementary to a variety of diverse retrieval algorithms derived from alternate rank-based relevance criteria such as average precision and reciprocal rank. As such, the derivation presented here for expected 1-call@k provides a novel theoretical perspective on the emergence of diversity via a latent subtopic model of relevance --- an idea underlying both ambiguous and faceted subtopic retrieval that have been used to motivate diverse retrieval.


The academic debate about the end of the Cold War has reached an impasse. Realists draw on evidence of economic decline and external pressure to explain the Soviet Union's retrenchment. Constructivists emphasize ideational change and Mikhail Gorbachev's new thinking as the source of accommodation. Neither approach sufficiently accounts for the fact that many powerful Soviet institutions did not support Gorbachev's approach from early on, well before his decisions contributed to the disintegration of the country. Even so, Gorbachev persuaded influential people who disagreed with him to accept his policy proposals. William Riker's concept of herestheticsthe use of language to manipulate the political agendagoes a long way toward explaining Gorbachev's success. Heresthetics could be a way to bridge the gap between realist and constructivist approaches to international relations.


Description: The sixth edition of Forages, Volume I, highlights plant adaptation and the complexity of forage management by integrating soil, climate, and herbivory factors with production goals. This exceptional sourcebook has been extensively reconfigured to address the needs of today's undergraduate student and provide a foundation for problem solving and decision making in forage management. Sidebars and study questions will aid student review and comprehension. Forages teachers themselves, authors from across the continental United States provide broad, national coverage of key species and management practices in a framework of comparative analysis.


Equal rights and opportunities are laid down in the Constitution, the Law on Equal Opportunities as well as other legal acts and international agreements. Lithuania can be called a pioneer in the field of specific laws on equal opportunities since the Law on Equal Opportunities of the Republic of Lithuania, which was past on 1 December 1999 and came into effect on 1 March 1999, can be placed among the first ones passed in the whole region of Central and Eastern Europe. To ensure the work of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania on 25 May 1999 instituted the Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman, which was provided with a status of independent public institution undertaking democracy, legality, impartiality and justice as the main principles of its activities. The Equal Opportunities Ombudsman in co-operation with other Office officials supervises how the Law on Equal Opportunities is implemented by governmental and administration institutions, educational institutions and employers. To this end, the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman is entitled to be provided with all the information, documentation and material necessary for the performance of his functions. Additionally, he may participate at interviews for a job and admission tests at educational institutions as an observer. The office officials have the right to hand the material and information collected over to other competent institutions for further investigation or decision-making. The new version of the Law specifies the notion of discrimination as to include both direct and indirect discrimination. When implementing the equal rights and opportunities it is important to assure that at all the levels of decision-making the actions or provisions would be prevented, which being apparently neutral, in fact put one of the social group into disadvantage in regard to the other. Therefore the final decisions on the impact of the measures or provisions on women and men are in the competence of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsman or court. Under the Law on Equal Opportunities state government and administration institutions are obliged to draw up and implement programs aimed at assuring equal and in that way changing public attitudes towards the superiority of one group against the other. Legal changes to ensure equality in Lithuania were based on European integration goals.


Disquiet [of a non-crash site] forms part of a broader experiment with urban inscription—an experiment played out across photography and philo-poetics. The project draws diversely from questions of urbanism, the non-philosophy of Francois Laruelle, and emerging developments in Speculative Realism. The practice is offered in three registers, each building on the same 2014 dusk encounter with an inter-tidal space at Juhu Beach, Mumbai, India: firstly, in photographic imagery; secondly, as a philo-poetic text – or what can be thought of as an intersecting of philosophy and fiction that aims to radicalise experience; and thirdly, as a discursive outline of the project's motivations and non-standard method. Part explication, part performance, this project folds theory and practice in a non-binary mode Gilles Deleuze (1992) has termed expressionism. Francois Laruelle has invited a similar reworking of the theory/practice nexus: the aim, he writes, is to put "practice into theory rather than just inserting practice 'in theory'" (Laruelle 2012c: 218). In this case, I have sought to think an encounter with the Juhu Beach intertidal zone as if the thought itself were a thing, a thing to be observed, inquired into. As a means to map out new sites of urban spatial practice, the fecundity of Laruelle's strange but lovely, rigorous rather than authoritative non-philosophical method is bought into proximity with an actual urban encounter to better ask how the materiality of urban intertidal sites can be seen and thought. The investigation asserts the thing-ness of the encounter by way of three strategies: firstly, a refusal of "natural perception" (Merleau-Ponty 2002: 216); secondly, thinking the event as if seen through a "world-without-us" (Thacker 2011); and thirdly, by adopting an economy that "makes nothing happen" (Blanchot 1989, 1993; Keats 1958).


Small nitrogen containing heteroaromatics are fundamental building blocks for many biological molecules, including the DNA nucleotides. Pyridine, as a prototypical N-heteroaromatic, has been implicated in the chemical evolution of many extraterrestrial environments, including the atmosphere of Titan. This paper reports on the gas-phase ion-molecule reactions of the three dehydro-N-pyridinium radical cation isomers with propene. Photodissociation ion-trap mass spectrometry experiments are used to measure product branching ratios and reaction kinetics. Reaction efficiencies for 2-dehydro-N-pyridinium, 3-dehydro-N-pyridinium and 4-dehydro-N-pyridinium with propene are 70%, 47% and 41%, respectively. The m/z 106 channel is the major product channel across all cases and assigned 2-, 3-, and 4-vinylpyridinium for each reaction. The m/z 93 channel is also significant and assigned the 2-, 3-, and 4-N-protonated-picolyl radical cation for each case. H-Abstraction from propene is not competitive under experimental conditions. Potential energy schemes, at the M06-2X/6-31(2df,p) level of theory and basis set, are described to assist in rationalising observed product branching ratios and elucidating possible reaction mechanisms. Reaction barriers to the production of vinylpyridinium (m/z 106) + CH3 are the lowest identified for the 3- and 4-dehydro-N-pyridinium reactions, in support of the observed dominance of the m/z 106 ion signal. Ethylene loss via ring-mediated H-transfer along the propyl group is found to be the lowest energy pathway for the 2-dehydro-N-pyridinium reaction, suggesting a preference toward m/z 93 (N-protonated-picolyl radical cation) over the experimentally observed products. Entropic bottle-necks along the m/z 93 pathway however, associated with ring-mediated H-atom transfer, are responsible for the dominance of m/z 106 in the 2-dehydro-N-pyridinium + propene reaction. For all three isomers, computed barriers for all observed reaction channels were below the entrance channel, suggesting these reactions can contribute to molecular weight growth in extraterrestrial environments with accelerated reaction rates in low temperature regions of space.


The problem of finding heavy hitters and approximating the frequencies of items is at the heart of many problems in data stream analysis. It has been observed that several proposed solutions to this problem can outperform their worst-case guarantees on real data. This leads to the question of whether some stronger bounds can be guaranteed. We answer this in the positive by showing that a class of "counter-based algorithms" (including the popular and very space-efficient FREQUENT and SPACESAVING algorithms) provide much stronger approximation guarantees than previously known. Specifically, we show that errors in the approximation of individual elements do not depend on the frequencies of the most frequent elements, but only on the frequency of the remaining "tail." This shows that counter-based methods are the most space-efficient (in fact, space-optimal) algorithms having this strong error bound.
 This tail guarantee allows these algorithms to solve the "sparse recovery" problem. Here, the goal is to recover a faithful representation of the vector of frequencies, f. We prove that using space O(k), the algorithms construct an approximation f* to the frequency vector f so that the L1 error ||f -- f*||1 is close to the best possible error minf2 ||f2 -- f||1, where f2 ranges over all vectors with at most k non-zero entries. This improves the previously best known space bound of about O(k log n) for streams without element deletions (where n is the size of the domain from which stream elements are drawn). Other consequences of the tail guarantees are results for skewed (Zipfian) data, and guarantees for accuracy of merging multiple summarized streams.


Speech perception is highly context-dependent. Sounds preceding speech stimuli affect how listeners categorise the stimuli, regardless of whether the context consists of speech or non-speech. This effect is acoustically contrastive; a preceding context with high-frequency acoustic energy tends to skew categorisation towards speech sounds possessing lower-frequency acoustic energy and vice versa (Mann, 1980; Holt, Lotto, Kluender, 2000; Holt, 2005). Partially replicating Holt's study from 2005, the present study investigates the effect of non-linguistic contexts in different frequency bands on speech categorisation. Adult participants (n=15) were exposed to Swedish syllables from a speech continuum ranging from /da/ to /ga/ varying in the onset frequencies of the second and third formants in equal steps. Contexts preceding the speech stimuli consisted of sequences of sine tones distributed in different frequency bands: high, mid and low. Participants were asked to categorise the syllables as /da/ or /ga/. ...


In this article, the p-median model is used to find the location of retail stores that minimizes CO2 emissions from consumer travel. The optimal location is then compared with the existing retail location, and the excess CO2 emissions compared with the optimal solution is calculated. The results show that by using the environmentally optimal location, CO2 emissions from consumer travel could be reduced by approximately 22%.


: Abstract : Before the Internet most collaborators had to be sufficiently close by to work together towards a certain goal. Now, the cost of collaborating with anybody anywhere on the world has been reduced to almost zero. As a result large-scale collaboration between humans and computers has become technically feasible. In these collaborative setups humans can carry the part of the weight of processing. Hence, people and computers become a kind of "global brain" of distributed interleaved human-machine computation (often called collective intelligence, social computing, or various other terms). Human computers as part of computational processes, however, come with their own strengths and issues.In this paper we take the underlying ideas of Bernstein et al. [1] regarding three traits on human computation— motivational diversity, cognitive diversity, and error diversity—and discuss them in the light of a Global Brain Semantic Web. Abstract. Before the Internet most collaborators had to be sufficiently close by to work together towards a certain goal. Now, the cost of collaborating with anybody anywhere on the world has been reduced to almost zero. As a result large-scale collaboration between humans and computers has become technically feasible. In these collaborative setups humans can carry the part of the weight of processing. Hence, people and computers become a kind of "global brain" of distributed interleaved human-machine computation (often called collective intelligence, social computing, or various other terms). Human computers as part of computational processes, however, come with their own strengths and issues. In this paper we take the underlying ideas of Bernstein et al. [1] regarding three traits on human computation—motivational diversity, cognitive diversity, and error diversity—and discuss them in the light of a Global Brain Semantic Web.


Multi-layer materials and structures are widely used in the modern aircraft industry. The main defect of these structures is delamination. The most appropriate method for detection of such kind flaws is the impedance testing method. This research is devoted to the features of the impedance method for multi-layer panel testing. The theoretical and experimental investigations of mechanical impedance are presented for honeycomb panels. The theoretical investigation provided the analytic expression, which enabled us to determine object parameters such as honeycomb density and thickness, covering thickness and cylindrical rigidity on a test result. The assembly of a combined probe was proposed for experimental investigations of mechanical impedance. An amplitude of the output signal of this probe is depended on the testing object mechanical impedance and flexibility of contact area. Numerical simulation results demonstrate the influence of the object parameters on the effectiveness of the defect detection in honeycomb structure.


Objectives: Although it is possible to examine population subgroups using test cut point it
is preferable to examine the performance of such groups across time if measures allow.
This analysis will compare the profile of children's language development between three
and five years drawing on data (n=11788) in the UK's Millennium Cohort Study.
Methods: Following clinical convention, the threshold for caseness was set at -1.5 standard
deviations below the mean on the British Ability Scales, a well recognized standardized
assessment of language development. We identified four groups based on their profiles
across time on the British Abilities Scales. Group 1 comprised those whose scores fell 1.5
SD below the mean at both time points (n=199), Group 2 made up those whose scores
deteriorated across time i.e. starting within normal limits and falling outside the normal
range at five years (n=234), Group 3 comprised those who appeared to be resilient – i.e.
starting below the norm and improving across time (n=257) Group 4 comprised those
whose scores remained within normal limits between 3 and 5 (n=11098). Multinomial
regression was employed to assess the influence of these variables on the first three
groups relative to the fourth. Potential predictors included gender, whether the child was
small for dates, whether they had been in a special care baby unit, had long term health
conditions, report of parental concern about hearing at nine months, attachment and
developmental performance at nine months.
Conclusion: The findings will be discussed in terms of their implications for our
understanding of developmental change which has tended to emphasise continuities rather
than discontinuities in child development. We will also interpret the data in terms of current
health and educational policy and the popular desire to implement early screening
procedures to identify "at risk" children. We argue that risk itself is not sufficient to warrant
universal procedures which tend not to be very strong predictors even across such a
narrow age span and using identical measures.


A number of novel tetraaza[14]annulene (TAA) ligands and their transition metal complexes have been synthesised, characterised and electrochemically investigated as monomer sub-units from which conducting polymer films can be prepared. Electrochemical analysis of the new ligand (p-NH2)2dptaaH2, prepared from the catalytic hydrogenation of (p-N02)2dptaaH2 at atmospheric pressure in DMF, shows three irreversible ligand-centred redox peaks in CH3CN electrolyte (L+0 = 0.48 V, L2+/+ = +1.02 V, L0/- = -1.44 V) with the oxidation peaks becoming reversible in CH2Cl2 electrolyte. Solutions of Ni(p-NH2)2dptaa and Co(p-NH2)2dptaa, prepared by insertion reaction of the new ligand and the metal(II) acetate in DMF, show reversible metal-centred couples in DMF electrolyte (Ni(I)/(II) = -1.44V, Co(I)/(II) = -1.14 V, Co(II)/(III) = +0.10 V) as well as reversible and irreversible ligand-centred processes. Films of poly(p-NH2)2dptaaH2, prepared from a solution of the ligand in CH2Cl2 electrolyte by repeatedly scanning over the first oxidation peak (DeltaE = -0.2 -+1.1 V), grow linearly until the maximum surface coverage (I~max ~ 6x10-8 mol/cm2, ~ 281 'layers') is reached. Characterisation of these films suggests that they form by aniline-like polymerisations involving the free NH2 group and the 2- and 3-positions of the 4- substituted aniline unit of the macrocycle. Analysis of the film in clean CH2Cl2 electrolyte (DeltaE = -0.2 - +1.6 V) shows single forward and reverse processes (Eap = +1.23 V, Ecp = +0.68 V) due to charging and discharging of the film. The response is stable to repeated scans and in aqueous acid electrolyte. Sweep rate analysis shows processes other than those in a mono-layer. Solutions of the nickel(II) and cobalt(II) complexes in DMF electrolyte, subject to the same electropolymerisation conditions, deposit films of polyNi(p-NH2)2dptaa and polyCo(p-NH2)2dptaa at the electrode surface, although the build-up in polymer is slow compared to that of the metal-free ligand. The value of the Co(II)/(III) couple (+0.10 V) for a solution of Co(p-NH2)2dptaa in DMF electrolyte is only slightly lower than that of Cotaa (+0.12 V) in DMF electrolyte and, based on this evidence, films of polyCo(p-NH2)2dptaa are expected to show similar oxygen reduction properties to those of polyCotaa. The new ligands (pyr)2dptaaH2 and (p-NH3Cl)2dptaaH2, have not been electrochemically analysed and the pyrrole-substituted ligand is insufficiently soluble to form conducting polymers from solution. The cobalt(II) complex Co(p-NO2)2dptaa could not be reduced by the method successful for reduction of the metal-free ligand, and reduction of 7,16-(NO2)taaH2 resulted in a break-up of the macrocyclic ligand. The new ligand 3,7,12,16-(Me)4taaH2 shows a trans arrangement of methyl groups and the structure of (p-NO2)2dptaaH2 has also been determined. Chapter 1 introduces the area of oxygen reduction in relation to fuel cell technology and reviews the types of oxygen reduction catalyst along with methods of incorporating them onto electrodes. Chapter 2 introduces macrocyclic ligand chemistry and gives a review of the TAAs concentrating on their structure and synthesis. Chapter 3 describes the synthesis of some TAA ligands and metal complexes, many of which have been used as starting materials. Chapter 4 discusses the synthetic strategy used when designing novel TAA ligands, and details attempted syntheses using these methods. Chapter 5 describes the synthesis of new TAA ligands and metal complexes. Chapter 6 introduces cyclic voltammetry, reviews the electrochemistry of the TAAs and conventional conducting polymers, and describes the electrochemical investigation of the new TAAs. Chapter 7 concludes by discussing both synthesis and electrochemistry and suggests areas for further work.


Sesquiterpenes belong to the large and diverse group of isoprenoids, which are ubiquitous in the plant kingdom and have various applications in the chemical industry as fragrances, pharmaceuticals and as substitutes for petroleum-based gasoline, diesel and jet fuels. In this project, production of sesquiterpenes was studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using farnesene as an example with the objective to gain new insights into the synthesis of these compounds and to evaluate different metabolic engineering strategies. Farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) represents the universal precursor for all sesquiterpenes and different strategies were addressed to increase production of this intermediate and to allow for its efficient conversion to farnesene. As FPP is provided by the mevalonate pathway, we aimed at increasing the flux through the pathway by incorporation of malonyl-CoA using a recently identified acetoacetyl-CoA synthase from Streptomyces sp. strain CL190. While the enzyme had detrimental effects on growth as well as on product formation, it was able to compensate for the loss of the essential, endogenous acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase. Additionally, a homologous enzyme with superior efficiency could be identified. Secondly, as FPP is required as substrate for different pathways and represents a metabolic branch point, a novel tool for enzyme co-localization was developed to divert more flux towards farnesene. The system utilizes scaffolds based on affibodies and could improve product yields by more than twofold. Furthermore, the role of terpene synthases on the production of farnesene was elucidated by comparing farnesene synthases with different plant origins, i.e. Malus domestica , Citrus junos and Artemisia annua . While the selected candidates produced similar amounts of farnesene (up to 170 mg/L), these enzymes appeared to be superior in comparison to other sesquiterpene synthases, i.e. santalene synthase. Lastly, the response to increased product formation was investigated using transcriptome and metabolome analysis, which highlighted changes across various metabolic pathways and identified pantothenic acid as a potential target for future engineering strategies. In conclusion, the study evaluates different metabolic engineering strategies for production of sesquiterpenes in S. cerevisiae and provides new insights into the cellular response during their production. Additionally, utilization of affibodies as a novel tool in metabolic engineering to increase chemical production in S. cerevisiae was highlighted.


This chapter describes the importance of yeast in beer fermentation. Initially, the differ - ences between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces pastorianus in the production of "ale" and "lager" beers are analyzed. Then, the relationships between beer nutrients and yeast growth are discussed, with special emphasis on the production of the fla vor compounds. The impact of the wort composition on flocculation is also discussed. Furthermore, conventional approaches to starter yeast selection and the development of genetically modified microorganisms are analyzed. Recent discoveries relating to the use of S. cerevisiae strains isolated from different food matrices (i.e., bread and wine) and the potential for the use of non- Saccharomyces starter strains in beer production are dis- cussed. A detailed review of the selection of starter strains for the production of specialty beers then follows, such as for gluten-free beers and biologically aged beers. Yeast recov- ery from top-cropping and bottom-cropping systems and the methodologies and issues in yeast propagation in the laboratory and brewery (i.e., re-pitching) are also analyzed. Finally, the available commercial preparations of starter yeast and the methods to evaluate yeast viability prior to inoculation of the must are analyzed.


The class action has come of age in America. With increasing regularity, class litigation plays a central role in discussions about theory, doctrine, and policy in the American civil justice system. The dynamics of the class action lie at the heart of current debates over the nature of the litigation process and the limits of adjudication in effectuating social policy. Choice of law analysis has enjoyed a renaissance as its significance to the question of class certification has become apparent. Class litigation now frequently drives debates over tort reform and the phenomenon of regulation through litigation. In these and many other respects, we have entered a new dispensation: the era of the nationwide class action. The passage of the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 (CAFA) aptly serves to punctuate that arrival.The class action's ascendance to center stage, however, has not always been accompanied by the development of a sophisticated doctrinal and analytical apparatus that is adequate for its needs. This is particularly the case in the two important areas that will be my primary focus in this Article: the analysis of the content and impact of federal jurisdictional policy when parallel class actions are filed in state and federal courts, and the due process standards that govern the various aspects of representative litigation. In the former case, much of the discussion among courts and commentators has been mired for too long in forms of analysis that are inapposite and inadequate. In the latter, the discussion has been riddled with outright mistakes and misunderstanding. The enactment of CAFA offers an important occasion for revisiting our treatment of these vital questions of federal jurisdictional policy and due process in representative litigation. This Article undertakes that task.


Abstract

Background and Objective: In the authors' previous study, four unique Lactobacillus strains (Lactobacillus plantarum Dad-13, Lactobacillus plantarum Mut-7, Lactobacillus plantarum T-3 and Lactobacillus paracasei SNP-2) from Indonesian fermented foods and healthy feces have been studied as probiotic agents. In the current study, antibiotic resistance phenotypes of the highlighted Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus paracasei against eight antibiotics (amoxicillin, tetracycline, erythromycin, clindamycin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, kanamycin, ciprofloxacin) and antibiotic resistance genes of these strains were investigated.
Material and Methods: The bacterial antibiotic susceptibility to eight antibiotics was assessed using disk diffusion method. Genome sequencing was carried out using NovaSeq 6000 sequencing platform. Genome was annotated using Rapid Annotation using Subsystem Technology v.2.0. Each group of the predicted products of resistance genes was further aligned using multiple sequence comparison by log-expectation and their functions were verified using comprehensive antibiotic resistance database 2020.
Results and Conclusion: All strains showed resistance to aminoglycoside and ciprofloxacin but sensitive to amoxicillin, clindamycin and erythromycin. Resistance to chloramphenicol and tetracycline varied within the strains. Two strains were sensitive and others were intermediate resistance to chloramphenicol. One strain was resistant to tetracycline, while the other three strains demonstrated intermediate resistance to the antibiotic. Genome sequence of the four strains verified the presence of the tetracycline, β-lactamase and ciprofloxacin resistance genes as well as multidrug resistance efflux systems. Occurrence of the resistance genes was correlated to the phenotype results, except for amoxicillin and aminoglycosides. Rapid Annotation using Subsystem Technology annotation showed that all Lactobacillus strains did not include transposable elements, gene transfer agents and plasmid linked functions; thus, horizontal transfer of the antibiotic resistance genes unlikely occurred.
Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.


Depth distributions are presented for actinides and 137Cs in soils in agricultural areas of SE Belarus, where Chernobyl fallout levels of 90Sr and 137Cs in the soil have led to the land being taken out of habitation and agricultural use. Both gamma spectroscopy and high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS) are used to provide absolute values of soil activity concentrations of U, Pu and Am isotopes, and also to provide isotope ratios. At our selected far-field locations (over 150 km from Chernobyl) the Chernobyl 137Cs fission product contamination levels are comparable (at c. 105 Bq kg−1) to those at our exclusion zone sampling site at 15 km from Chernobyl. The levels of transuranium isotopes at the far-field locations are, however, significantly lower, at below 2% of those observed in the exclusion zone site, whilst the levels of anthropogenic 235U are less than 10% of those naturally present. Our exclusion zone site, in October 2001, had a residual total surface deposition level of 239+240Pu of 23,780 Bq m−2, whilst the two far-field sites had 239+240Pu at levels of 190 Bq m−2 and 41 Bq m−2. The inhomogeneity of the transuranic isotope concentrations in these areas, and the decay of 241Pu to 241Am, may result in certain far-field locations with a long-term significant radiological hazard.


In this study the problems surrounding the source language orientated translation of metaphors in general, and more specifically the source language orientated translation of Biblical metaphors, is investigated. A new Afrikaans translation of the Bible will soon be undertaken. This translation is meant to be source language orientated. The translators responsible for the translation are in need of guidelines to ensure the effective source language orientated translation of metaphors. In the literature study a general overview of the phenomenon called 'metaphor' is given, in order to equip translators with the required theoretical knowledge to successfully identify, analyse and describe metaphors. It is followed by an overview of metaphor translation in general. The theoretical approach to metaphor translation of Dagut, Stienstra and Schaffner relies heavily on the difference between conceptual and linguistic metaphors. This approach is identified as useful for source language orientated metaphor translation. The background and translation principles of the Ou Afrikaanse Vertaling (OAV) and the Nuwe Afrikaanse Vertaling (NAV) are investigated after the literature study. The distinctive approaches of these two Bible translations are criticised by virtue of the knowledge gained from the literature study in the previous chapters. Furthermore, a working hypothesis regarding the source language orientated translation of metaphors is formulated. This hypothesis is tested during the empirical study by means of nine metaphors from the Psalms. The nine metaphors are translated using a model which analyses the metaphors and translates them in a source language orientated way. On the basis of the literature and empirical study, a series of conclusions are made. These are applicable to metaphor translation in general, as well as specifically source language orientated metaphor translation. Suggestions that apply specifically to the new Afrikaans translation of the Bible are also made.


Abstract. This study is based on model results from TF HTAP (Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution) phase II, in which a set of source receptor model experiments have been defined, reducing global (and regional) anthropogenic emissions by 20 % in different source regions throughout the globe, with the main focus on the year 2010. All the participating models use the same set of anthropogenic emissions. Comparisons of model results to measurements are shown for selected European surface sites and for ozone sondes, but the main focus here is on the contributions to European ozone levels from different world regions, and how and why these contributions differ depending on the model. We investigate the origins by use of a novel stepwise approach, combining simple tracer calculations and calculations of CO and O3. To highlight the differences, we analyse the vertical transects of the midlatitude effects from the 20 % emission reductions.The spread in the model results increases from the simple CO tracer to CO and then to ozone as the complexity of the physical and chemical processes involved increase. As a result of non-linear ozone chemistry, the contributions from non-European relative to European sources are larger for ozone compared to the CO and the CO tracer. For annually averaged ozone the contributions from the rest of the world is larger than the effects from European emissions alone, with the largest contributions from North America and eastern Asia. There are also considerable contributions from other nearby regions to the east and from international shipping. The calculated contributions to European annual average ozone from other major source regions relative to all contributions from all major sources (RAIR – Relative Annual Intercontinental Response) have increased from 43 % in HTAP1 to 82 % in HTAP2. This increase is mainly caused by a better definition of Europe, with increased emissions outside of Europe relative to those in Europe, and by including a nearby non-European source for external-to-Europe regions. European contributions to ozone metrics reflecting human health and ecosystem damage, which mostly accumulated in the summer months, are larger than for annual ozone. Whereas ozone from European sources peaks in the summer months, the largest contributions from non-European sources are mostly calculated for the spring months, when ozone production over the polluted continents starts to increase, while at the same time the lifetime of ozone in the free troposphere is relatively long. At the surface, contributions from non-European sources are of similar magnitude for all European subregions considered, defined as TF HTAP receptor regions (north-western, south-western, eastern and south-eastern Europe).


A new enabling technology for performing photochemical reactions in a continuous fashion is presented. This photo-reactor is compatible with existing flow systems and can be furthermore linked to a photo-spectrometer in order to allow for real time analysis of photochemical reactions. In this communication we wish to report the profiling of this system and its application to the continuous synthesis of ibuprofen based on a photo-Favorskii rearrangement reaction of a readily available α-chloropropiophenone precursor.


We consider a class of constrained optimization problems with a possibly nonconvex non-Lipschitz objective and a convex feasible set being the intersection of a polyhedron and a possibly degenerated ellipsoid. Such a problem has a wide range of applications in data science, where the objective is used for inducing sparsity in the solutions while the constraint set models the noise tolerance and incorporates other prior information for data tting. To solve this kind of constrained optimization problems, a common approach is the penalty method. However, there is little theory on exact penalization for problems with nonconvex non-Lipschitz objectives. In this paper, we study the existence of exact penalty parameters regarding local minimizers, stationary points and -minimizers under suitable assumptions. Moreover, we discuss a penalty method whose subproblems are solved via a nonmonotone proximal gradient method with a suitable update scheme for the penalty parameters, and prove the convergence of the algorithm to a KKT point of the constrained problem. Preliminary numerical results demonstrate the eciency of the penalty method for nding sparse solutions.


Timing analysis is a crucial test for dependable hard real-time systems (DHRTS). The calculation of the worst-case execution time (WCET) is mandatory. As modern compilers are capable to produce small and efficient code, software development for DHRTS today is mostly done in high-level languages instead of assembly code. Execution path information available at source code (flow facts) therefore have to be transformed correctly in accordance with code optimisations by the compiler to allow safe and precise WCET analysis. In this paper we present a framework based on abstract interpretation to perform this mandatory transformation of flow facts. Conventional WCET analysis approaches use this information to analyse the object code.


From Latin humanists to popular writers, Italian Renaissance culture spawned a lively debate on vocational choice and the nature of profession. In The Culture of Profession in Late Renaissance Italy, George W. McClure examines the turn this debate took in the second half of the Renaissance, when the learned 'praise and rebuke' of profession began to be complemented with more popular forms of discourse, and when less learned vocations made their voice heard. Focusing primarily on sources assembled and published in the sixteenth century, McClure's study explores professional themes in comic, festive, and popular print culture. A pivotal figure is Tomaso Garzoni, a monk whose popular encyclopedia, Universal Piazza of all the Professions of the World, was published in 1585. A funnel for earlier traditions and an influence on later ones, this massive compendium treated over 150 categories of profession - juxtaposing the world of philosophers and poets, lawyers and physicians, merchants and artisans, teachers and printers, cooks and chimneysweeps, prostitutes and procurers. If the conventional view is that Italian Renaissance society generally grew more aristocratic in the later period, this and other sources reveal a professional ethos more democratic in nature and bespeak the full cultural discovery of the middling and lowly professions in the late Renaissance.


By exploring the ways in which honor and reputation intersected with the self-fashioning of late sixteenth-century surgeons in the work of William Clowes, this study re-situates Elizabethan surgical practitioners within the credit-oriented cultural milieu of London's guild-dominated urban landscape. As a sea surgeon, prolific author, surgeon to Queen Elizabeth I, and outspoken member of the London Barber-Surgeons' Company, Clowes became one of his company's most vocal spokesmen. Although his self-promotion was occasionally at odds with the company's goal of collective advancement, in describing his experiences at sea, showcasing his learning, and attempting to create a fixed identity for surgeons rooted in patriotism, probity, and sound moral character, Clowes and his elite colleagues self-consciously fashioned and projected an identity that emphasized their adherence to contemporary norms of manhood specific to London's guild-oriented artisanal milieu.


A manufacturer of self-driving vehicles could face claims involving assertions of the product's defectiveness. Under the Product Liability Directive, a product is deemed defective when it does not provide the safety that a person is entitled to expect. Efforts to ascertain the possibility of defectiveness connected with a self-driving vehicle could necessitate evaluating the design of the vehicle, matters of human–machine interaction, and the role of the human in the relevant incident of damage. This article lays groundwork by considering the capabilities of self-driving vehicles, the role and expectations of human beings, and legislation aimed at ensuring safety and preventing damage. This discussion concretely situates the concept of the safety of self-driving vehicles in the context of product liability law, which is inherently preoccupied mainly with the consequences.


Shape memory alloys (SMAs) are often used in applications involving time-varying loads. Under such conditions, fatigue leading to possible fracture is a paramount cause of failure, which has been extensively investigated since the 1960s. The present work reviews developments in this field with emphasis on recent results related to additively-manufactured SMAs. Multiple factors influencing structural and functional degradation in presence of cyclic loading are considered, including microstructural and surface features, thermal loading history and heat treatment. For completeness, select modelling approaches proposed in the literature to predict SMA fatigue are briefly overviewed and a discussion is provided on the statistical relevance and uncertainty of published data. Conclusions are then formulated to guide subsequent research.


In the 1980s, Charles Fried was right to focus on what was missing from both the "death of contract" and "law and economics" approaches to contract law: the internal morality of contract. But he focused on the wrong morality. Rather than embodying the morality of promise-keeping, the enforcement of contracts can best be explained and justified as a product of the parties' consent to be legally bound. In this essay, I observe that, in Contract as Promise, Fried himself admits that the "promise principle" cannot explain or justify two features that are at the core of contract law: the objective theory of assent and the content of most "gap fillers" or default rules of contract law. After summarizing how consent to contract accounts for both, I explain that, whereas the morality of promise-keeping is best considered within the realm of ethics - or private morality - legally enforcing the consent of the parties is a requirement of justice - or public morality.


We document a large and persistent anomaly in the UK car insurance market over the period 2012-13: insurance companies charged a higher premium for third-party (liability) insurance than comprehensive insurance (which includes third-party). Furthermore, some companies charged higher prices for comprehensive policies with larger deductibles. This evidence suggests both that consumers are too confused or too poorly informed to arbitrage and that sellers of car insurance do not implement the incentive-compatibility constraints at the heart of the adverse-selection model of insurance. This particular insurance market is much less sophisticated than that characterised by modern microeconomic theory.


The present collection of articles, presented at the 8th IADA Conference in Goteborg, focuses on understanding and misunderstanding as dialogic phenomena. The notion of a dialogic grammar and dialogic principles as a framework for understanding human communication and cognition is explored in several contributions. Misunderstanding in dialogue is dealt with in institutional and non-institutional settings, in fiction and film dialogue, from several different theoretical perspectives.


In the context of sustainable development, evaluations have particularly high relevance as complex issues have to be dealt with generally over an extended period of time. Furthermore, there is a growing demand to evaluate against the concept of sustainable development. Especially evaluations with sustainable development are a rather new type of evaluation, as the source of its evaluation questions and the criteria applied are rooted in the concept of sustainable development. Sustainability of a specific project or process is often highly case specific as sustainable development is determined by many often unique issues. However, evaluations would be highly inefficient, if they would have to be newly designed in every case. Thus it is necessary to determine and utilize the major issues for evaluations with sustainable development. This paper is part of a series of three papers - which can be used independently - that present the major common issues for evaluations with sustainable development in a Tool Box. The results presented here are based on outcomes of a research project funded by the "Austrian Science Fund". This paper includes the "strategic orientation tool", which was developed as a tool for reflection and decision upon the general outline of an evaluation with sustainable development. It helps to define a design- frame with respect to its information-focus, scope and utilization. The core of the tool is a matrix that is based on two key- functions. On the one hand it defines which contents should be assessed: "What is the object of evaluation?". On the other hand it is oriented along the actual utilization of the evaluation: "How the gained results of the evaluation should be communicated and to whom?". (author's abstract)


The hot spot in the market of embedded systems today are opening up the systems so the world around can communicate with it. The idea of this Master Thesis is to show a way to wirelessly open up an embedded system to the world. The goal of the project is to build a prototype for machine-to-machine applications. This project clarifies the practical issues that rise when the idea is implemented. In this project an embedded WAP-server has been developed. All software components used are open source even the development environment. This means that there will be no license costs at all. The server runs on top of Axis? Bluetooth communication stack. The operating system used is eCos, which is open source and shipped by Red Hat. The system runs on an evaluation board equipped with an ARM7 processor, 256 KB RAM and 256 KB ROM. The report can be found at http://www.combitechsystems.com/node2866.asp


Scholarly and practitioner literature have both described the potential benefits of using methods associated with a "design thinking" approach to develop new innovations. Most studies of the main design thinking methods—needfinding, brainstorming, and prototyping—are based either on analyses of experienced designers or examine each method in isolation. If design thinking is to be widely adopted, less-experienced users will employ these methods together, but we know little about their effect when newly adopted. Drawing on perspectives that consider concept development as broadly consisting of a divergent concept generation phase followed by a convergent concept selection phase, we collected data on fourteen cases of novice multidisciplinary product development teams using design methods across both phases. Our hybrid qualitative and quantitative analysis indicate both benefits and limits of formal design methods: First, formal design methods were helpful not only during concept generation but also during concept selection. Second, while brainstorming was valuable when combined with other methods, increased numbers of brainstorming sessions actually corresponded to lower performance, except in the setting where new members may join a team. And third, increased team reflexivity—such as from debating ideas, processes, or changes to concepts—was associated with more successful outcomes during concept generation but less successful outcomes during concept selection. We develop propositions related to the contingent use of brainstorming and team reflexivity depending on team composition and phase of development. Implication from this study include that novice multidisciplinary teams are more likely to be successful in applying design thinking when they can be guided to combine methods, are aware of the limits of brainstorming, and can transition from more- to less-reflexive practices.


There are many essential applications for quorum systems in ad-hoc networks, such as that of location servers in large-scale networks. Existing research proposes many approaches to the problems, many of which are incomplete, cumbersome, or incur significant cost. We describe and analyse a self-organising quorum system that creates an emergent intelligence to minimise overhead and maximise survivability. We then examine the quorum.s performance as a location server and suggest improvements to the query mechanism and routing algorithm using the information.


Distributed Constraint Satisfaction (DCSP) has long been considered an important problem in multi-agent systems research. This is because many real-world problems can be represented as constraint satisfaction and these problems often present themselves in a distributed form. In this article, we present a new complete, distributed algorithm called asynchronous partial overlay (APO) for solving DCSPs that is based on a cooperative mediation process. The primary ideas behind this algorithm are that agents, when acting as a mediator, centralize small, relevant portions of the DCSP, that these centralized subproblems overlap, and that agents increase the size of their subproblems along critical paths within the DCSP as the problem solving unfolds. We present empirical evidence that shows that APO outperforms other known, complete DCSP techniques.


This paper develops a pseudo-panel approach to examine household electricity demand behaviour through the household life cycle and its response to income variations to help strengthen the energy policy-making process. Our empirical methodology is based on three rich independent microdata surveys (the National Housing Surveys), which are representative of the French housing sector. The resulted sample covers the 2006-2016 period. Using within estimations, this paper finds striking evidence that the income elasticity of French residential electricity demand is 0.22, averaged over our four cohorts of generations. In light of other works, our estimate stands in the lower range. The empirical results also show that residential electricity consumption follows an inverted U-shaped distribution as a function of the age of the household's head. Most notably, it appears that households at the mid-point of their life cycle are relatively the largest consumers of electricity. This outcome has important implications for policy-making. Any public policy aimed at reducing household energy consumption should consider this differentiation in consumption according to the position of households over the life cycle, and therefore target as priority households at the highest level of consumption.


1. Physical effort involves, along with an increase in the plasma concentration of beta-endorphin, profound adaptations of the circulation and the endocrine system. The effects of opioid antagonism on the responses of blood pressure, heart rate and several hormones to exercise were therefore studied in 10 normal men. They exercised in the supine position up to 33% and 66% of their maximal exercise capacity and received in a randomized double-blind cross-over protocol, either saline or naloxone (10 mg intravenously, followed by a continuous infusion of 10 mg/h). 2. Intra-arterial pressure and heart rate were continuously monitored, but were not affected by naloxone. 3. At rest, opioid antagonism produced a rise in plasma renin activity and in plasma adrenocorticotropin, cortisol and aldosterone, but only the stimulation of the two adrenocortical hormones differed significantly from the control experiments; at rest naloxone also prevented the fall in plasma adrenaline, which occurred with saline infusion. Furthermore, the exercise-induced rises in plasma angiotensin II, aldosterone, cortisol, noradrenaline and adrenaline were higher on naloxone than on saline, while a similar tendency was also present for the increases with exercise in plasma renin activity and plasma adrenocorticotropin. Neither at rest nor during exercise did opioid antagonism alter plasma lactate and glucose and serum insulin and growth hormone. 4. In conclusion, (1) endogenous opioids are not involved in the responses of blood pressure and heart rate to supine exercise; (2) at rest and during exercise, the endogenous opioids inhibit the secretion of adrenocorticotropin, aldosterone, cortisol, noradrenaline and adrenaline; (3) they also inhibit the plasma renin-angiotensin II system indirectly via the catecholamines.


Both diazoxide and diphenylhydantoin have been shown to cause hyperglycemie in man and to inhibit insulin secretion in vitro. The effects of these two drugs upon the response to 300 mg./100 ml. glucose were contrasted in the isolated, perfused rat pancreas. Similarities: Both drugs inhibited within seconds. At high concentrations (75 μg./ml.) of either drug, 95 to 100 per cent inhibition occurred. Upon withdrawal, return of secretion was rapid. Differences: During constant (five- and twenty-minute) infusions of diazoxide (10 to 75 μg./ml.), there was an initial fall in secretion and then an "escape" toward pre-inhibition levels; after diazoxide there was a postinhibitory overshoot. In contrast, five-minute infusions of diphenylhydantoin (5 to 75 μg./ml.), and twenty-minute infusions of 25 to 75 μg./ml., though causing comparable levels of initial inhibition, did not cause escape or postinhibitory overshoot. However, an incompletely inhibitory concentration of diphenylhydantoin (10 μg./ml.), given for twenty minutes, was followed by this overshoot. Computer simulation, based on the compartmental-quantal model, suggested that diphenylhydantoin inhibits both secretion from a labile insulin compartment and provision of insulin and/or precursor to this compartment. Lower, partially inhibitory concentrations (i.e. 10 μg./ml.) of diphenylhydantoin might allow for some provision to proceed, and thus a postinhibitory overshoot would occur. The escape and overshoot noted with all inhibitory levels of diazoxide, when compared with the simulations, suggested that this drug may act primarily to inhibit a late step in the provisionary phase.


Over the last decade financial innovation has brought about an explosion in financial contracts that allow market participants to tailor their financing needs to match almost any cash flow or risk profile. It is now possible to shift virtually any type of financial price risk or alter a cash flow stream by entering into one, or a combination of, the many types of exotic financial derivatives that are readily available in the financial markets. Though estimates differ, the underlying notional principal of financial derivatives worldwide is now almost certainly in excess of $60 - $70 trillion and could be significantly greater if an accurate accounting were possible. Many market specialists think that we are just beginning to see the myriad of applications of financial innovation, or financial engineering, and the theoretically unlimited types of derivative contracts that make this innovation possible. The use of derivative contracts is not yet wide spread in the management of investment real estate, however, it is almost surely just a matter of time before the marketplace will bring forth derivative contracts designed to meet the risk management and financing need of not only real estate investors, but the needs of all parties involved in a real estate transaction. While the securitization and derivatization that has become so widespread in the general business and securities investment sectors may not seem applicable to real estate transactions, which is not the case. The marketplace, through innovative intermediaries such as Bankers Trust, Solomon Brothers and others, has demonstrated the ability and desire to supply derivative products for almost any perceived need. It only remains for real estate market participants to begin to think about what type of financial structures and risk management issues can be addressed in the market place of financial innovation. A primary issue in the development of real estate derivatives is the performance measurement used for the underlying asset. For other asset class derivatives, such as interest rate and common stock derivatives, this is not much of an issue since the underlying trades frequently in an organized market with instantaneous reporting. Unfortunately, for real estate this type of price information is only available for REIT stock, which arguably does not appropriately reflect the performance of the underlying real estate. This paper is an exploration of the potential for, and feasibility of, innovative financial instruments written on a broad array of real estate. Section one of the paper looks at potential users of real estate derivatives and the applications derivatives might find. In section two, a number of potential derivative contracts are identified which could meet the needs of the potential users. The third section deals with the pricing issue and examines various measures of real estate price and rent performance, which could be used to model derivative prices. The fourth section evaluates the behavior of the properties of options written on a specific index by testing the theoretical conformity of the optionis iGreeksi. Finally, the conclusion of the paper addresses avenues of exploration, which should be fruitful in aiding the process of financial innovation in real estate.


ABSTRACT Fat pedagogy responds to the need for educational interventions to reduce weight-based oppression. Given the growth in fat studies–related courses, a need exists to identify best practices that improve the experiences of fat students, change the discourse around body weight, shape, and size, and challenge the social hierarchies and structures of dominance that perpetuate weight bias in educational contexts. The articles in this special issue, authored by an international, interdisciplinary group of scholars, describe their efforts to do so in both traditional and nontraditional educational spaces. The authors hope that the writings will inspire readers to develop, implement, and research fat pedagogy in their own educational settings.


According to financial theory, in an efficient market investors reflect fully and instantaneously all relevant information on security prices in a way consistent with the economic theory. Empirical research on market efficiency investigates if there is past available information which can help to predict future returns profitably, as well as if factors not related to rational economic behaviour, influence stock prices. Financial manias and panics are examples which serve as obvious evidence against the efficient market theory. This study investigates the stock price behaviour of a number of listed banks prior and during the financial crisis of 2008-2009. Banks under investigation were separated into two categories i.e. large banks and small banks. These two categories behaved differently under the crisis. We have serious reasons to believe that the different behaviour was not due to different performance or risk exposure but due to different ownership structure. Big banks, with high institutional participation indicated stock price dynamics during the crisis, possibly because of the fact that institutional investors were affected by correlated negative sentiment or mimicking minimising loss strategies irrespectively of the quality of the banks' assets. Thus, the ownership structure of an asset may be of importance to its stock price behaviour contrary to the prediction of the efficient market theory.


ABSTRACT Nonhemolytic streptococci (NHS) cause serious infections, such as endocarditis and septicemia. Many conventional phenotypic methods are insufficient for the identification of bacteria in this group to the species level. Genetic analysis has revealed that single-gene analysis is insufficient for the identification of all species in this group of bacteria. The aim of the present study was to establish a method based on sequence analysis of the 16S-23S intergenic spacer (ITS) region and the partial gdh gene to identify clinical relevant NHS to the species level. Sequence analysis of the ITS region was performed with 57 NHS reference or clinical strains. Satisfactory identification to the species level was achieved for 14/19 NHS species included in this study on the basis of sequence analysis of the ITS region. Streptococcus salivarius and Streptococcus vestibularis obtained the expected taxon as the best taxon match, but there was a short maximum score distance to the next best match (distance, <10). Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus oralis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae could not be unambiguously discriminated by sequence analysis of the ITS region, as was also proven by phylogenetic analysis. These five species could be identified to the group level only by ITS sequence analysis. Partial gdh sequence analysis was applied to the 11 S. oralis strains, the 11 S. mitis strains, and the 17 S. pneumoniae strains. All except one strain achieved a satisfactory identification to the species level. A phylogenetic algorithm based on the analysis of partial gdh gene sequences revealed three distinct clusters. We suggest that sequence analysis of the combination of the ITS region and the partial gdh gene can be used in the reference laboratory for the species-level identification of NHS.


There are a number of important initiatives to address the sustainable development and conservation of coastal resources throughout the island countries and provinces of the Western Pacific, including the South Pacific, the Philippines and Indonesia. Coastal managers based in
these sites unfortunately do not have the opportunity to share their lessons learned with each other, nor with government agencies at different levels. Yet such interaction is essential for the communication of ideas and lessons that can lead to the success of integrated coastal
management projects.

A practitioner learning network is emerging in the region, primarily incorporating managers of conservation sites. This network of site managers recognizes that for their ambitious effort to be sustainable, lessons must be effectively communicated and integrated into the mainstream of government activities and programs. The Institute of Applied Science (IAS) at the University of the South Pacific (USP) is working in partnership with the University of Rhode Island Coastal Resources Center and the Government of Fiji to hold a workshop at the national level that will provide a valuable opportunity for exchanging information on lessons learned about successful site management to date. The meeting will also examine the potential for government and
citizen support for a sustainable and replicable coastal program, and whether such an initiative is appropriate at this time for Fiji.

The overall project, funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, incorporates an examination of experiences in two provinces in the central Philippines, and the nation of Fiji. This work will complement an on-going, similar initiative in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. All three locations have successful local site projects on-going and all recognize the need for more government involvement in linking together individual, site-based projects.

This paper provides important background information for the Sustainable Coastal Resources Management Workshop scheduled for April 9-11, 2002. Section I indicates the importance of
coastal resources in the past, present and future well-being of Fiji. Section II points out that there are some important early initiatives as well as pending legal and policy proposals that reveal how many different groups and government offices are coming to similar conclusions about important next steps in creating a framework and viable local programs to care for coastal areas and communities. Section III examines the special area of the Coral Coast in more detail, a region which shares many of the problems and concerns of other coastal areas, including small outlying islands. Several important initiatives are described as well as how coastal management might look in Fiji at this scale. The final section offers some reflections on possible directions for Fiji to consider taking in the near and medium term.


The Research Problem The study investigates the extent to which non-specialist primary class teachers are able to teach music to children. It is significant to children's learning of music and to the organisation of schools, questioning expectations for primary teachers to teach all subjects of the National Curriculum. The research questions are as follows:1. Should non-specialist teachers be expected to teach music? 2. To what extent do non-specialist teachers feel able to teach music to children? 3. What support do non-specialist teachers receive in music? Design and Methods A review of the literature considers generalist and specialist teaching of primary music, and research into children's acquisition of musical concepts, with implications for teaching, hi order to answer the research questions, it was necessary to investigate the attitudes and opinions of primary class teachers. The research instruments selected were a questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews. A convenience sample of schools was selected from a single borough. Results The results indicate that primary teachers feel less confident to teach music than other areas of the curriculum, and feel more inadequate at Key Stage Two. hi-class support from music specialists emerged as the preferred form of assistance in music teaching. The advantages of specialist teaching were felt to be outweighed by the problematic issues of organisation and professional development, while the importance of the pastoral aspects of teaching was also highlighted. Overall Conclusions The study concludes that while the generalist primary teacher is capable of teaching music, there is much work still to be done in providing training and support to all teachers to increase their confidence and subject knowledge. It suggests a need for specialist musicians to work closely with primary class teachers, and for a teacher-centred scheme of work for music.