The prevalence of sexual offences against children in South Africa continues to be among the highest in the world. The quality and accuracy of a child's testimony is often pivotal to whether cases are prosecuted, and whether justice is done. Child witness programmes assist child victims of sexual abuse to prepare to give consistent, coherent and accurate testimony, and also attempt to ensure that the rights of the child are upheld as enshrined in the various laws, legislative frameworks, directives and instructions that have been introduced since 1994. We draw on information from two studies that sought the perspectives of court support workers to explore whether a child rights-based approach is followed in the criminal justice system (CJS) for child victims of sexual abuse. Findings suggest varying degrees of protection, assistance and support for child victims of sexual abuse during participation in the CJS. The findings revealed that the rights of children to equality, dignity and not to be treated or punished in a cruel, inhuman or degrading way were undermined in many instances. Finally, recommendations are given on ways to mitigate the harsh effects that adversarial court systems have on children's rights.


Rhixobium trvolii grown in a defined medium deficient in calcium yielded additional diffusible antigens as compared with organisms receiving calcium or strontium. The two kinds of organisms were indistinguishable in respect of their somatic agglutinogens. The same additional precipitinogens were released from Ca-adequate bacteria by mechanical disintegration, freezing, drying, lysozyme or chloroform. Their occurrence in the untreated Ca-deficient bacteria is attributed to autolysis of these more fragile bacteria. The precipitinogen (' a ' band) that was common to the Ca-adequate and Ca-deficient bacteria was not shared by a second strain of R. trifolii nor by 2 strains of R. meliloti. This 'a' antigen was heat stable and appeared to be a component of the cell wall, from which it could be separated in diffusible form by formamide extraction of whole bacteria, trypsin digestion of broken bacteria and by mechanical disintegration of prepared cell walls. Neither of the additional antigens ('b', 'c') was related to agglutination; both were found in Ca-deficient or mechanically broken bacteria of the other strain of R. trifolii; 'c' only was similarly shared with R. meliloti. The 'b' band antigen appeared to be an intracellular component and was heat labile. Like ' a ', ' c ' was heat stable and associated with cell wall, but evidently was not ordinarily exposed, although readily released by lysis or mechanical breakage. The extracellular polysaccharide was neither antigenic nor haptenic, but the preparation obtained from Ca-deficient and mechanically broken Ca-adequate organisms was persistently associated with a co-precipitating antigenic component (chiefly ' a ' band).


The future SurfaceWater and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission would provide new cartographic measurements of ocean surface and inland water surfaces dynamics, and especially river height, width and slope. The highlight of SWOT will be its almost global coverage and temporal revisits on the order of 1 to 4 times per 22 - days repeat cycle [1]. The estimation of hydraulic parameters from water surface observations is still an open question. Several methods have recently been proposed for retrieving river discharge from SWOT data ([2, 3, 4]). The method introduced by [2] and used in the present study is based on Manning equation. The first step consists in retrieving an equivalent bathymetry profile for a river given one in situ depth measurement and SWOT like data of the water surface, that is to say water elevation, free surface slope and width. From this equivalent bathymetry, the second step consists in solving mass and Manning equation in the least square sense. Nevertheless, for cases where no in situ measurement of water depth is available, it is still possible to solve a system formed by mass and Manning equations in the least square sense (or with other methods such as Bayesian ones, see e.g. [3]). The approach is tested with synthetic data generated from hydraulic models for several river reaches around the world (cf. [5]). We show that a good a priori knowledge of bathymetry and roughness is required for such methods. The identifiability of the roughness geometry couple is also investigated for different space time sampling and hydraulic regimes. Indeed, the knowledge of effective hydraulic representation and limitations might be a cornerstone in identifications of hydraulic or hydrologic variables through data assimilation chains. References : [1] E. Rodriguez, "SWOT science requirements document," JPL document, JPL, 2012. [2] P. A. Garambois and J. Monnier, "Inference of river properties from remotly sensed observations of water surface," (minor revisions) Advances in Water Ressources, 2014. [3] M. Durand, J. Neal, E. Rodriguez, K. M. Andreadis, L. C. Smith, and Y. Yoon, "Estimating reach-averaged discharge for the river severn from measurements of river water surface elevation and slope," Journal of Hydrology,vol. -, no. 0, pp. –, 2014.[4] C. J. Gleason, L. C. Smith, and J. Lee, "Retrieval of river discharge solely from satellite imagery and atmanystations hydraulic geometry: Sensitivity to river form and optimization parameters," Water Resources Research, pp. n/a–n/a, 2014. [5] M. Durand, L. Smith, C. Gleason, D. Bjerklie, P.-A. Garambois, and H. Roux, "Assessing swot discharge algorithms performance across a range of river types," in AGU fall meeting, H51S-02, 2014


The monographic study "Towards Female Empowerment − The New Generation of Irish Women Poets: Vona Groarke, Sinead Morrissey, Caitriona O'Reilly, and Mary O'Donoghue" analyses in depth the poetry written by four most significant Irish authors born in the 1970s. Together with insightful interpretations of the explored poetry, it offers a new reading of philosophy, social and cultural studies, and psychology connected with the subject matter of women's empowerment. The book constitutes a thought-provoking debate on the up-to-date issues that need to be critically re-examined and re-thought these days. It is an inspiring reading for people interested not only in Irish poetry but in modern literature in general.


Abstract Background The high mortality rates in the European Union (EU) Member States that acceded in 2004 sparked political interest in mortality convergence. Whether mortality is converging in the EU remains unclear. We reviewed the literature on mortality convergence in the post-2004 EU territory as a whole. We also explored whether the study designs influenced the results and whether any determinants of mortality convergence had been empirically examined. Methods A systematic literature review was performed. Our search included scientific databases and the websites of international governmental institutions and European demographic research institutes. Results We uncovered 94 unique records and included seven studies that reported on 36 analyses. There was marked methodological heterogeneity, including in the convergence measures (beta and sigma convergence). All of the beta convergence analyses found narrowing mortality differentials, whereas most of the sigma convergence analyses found widening mortality differentials. The results are robust to the units of analysis and mortality and dispersion measures. Our results also suggest that there is a lack of evidence on the determinants of mortality convergence in the EU. Conclusions There is general agreement that the EU regions and the Member States with high initial mortality rates improved the fastest, but this trend did not lead to overall mortality convergence in the EU. The harmonization of mortality convergence measures and research into determinants of mortality convergence are needed to support future EU cohesion policy. Policy-makers should consider supporting areas that have moderate but stagnant mortality rates, in addition to those with high mortality rates.


Thermodynamic, Kinetic and Efficiency Analysis of Methyl Viologen Chang Chen Department of Chemical Engineering, BYU Master of Science Methyl Viologen (MV) is an electron mediator that has great possibilities to be used with an electrode system in which the electrode system provides electrons towards reducing MV species. MV has three redox states and they can be converted to each other via redox reactions on the surface of the electrode. The concentration of the three species of MV was related to the voltage potential applied to the system through a thermodynamic model. With the thermodynamic model the concentration of the three species can be predicted with different applied voltage potentials towards providing guidance for controlling the redox state of MV in a system. The kinetic rates of MV reduction were also assessed using a preliminary kinetic model. The kinetic model predicted all three species concentration changes with time although only the MV concentration was measured with time. Analysis revealed that the rate of MV reduction was three orders of magnitude slower than the rate of electrons required for bioethanol production. However, increasing the affinity of MV on the surface and blocking the H on the surface potentially can increase the reduction rate of MV by up to three orders of magnitude and can potentially enable MV to be used in commercial applications. As for the efficiency study, the coloumbic efficiency was less than 22% which was much lower than the efficiency of more than 85% observed in other studies for the direct electron transfer between electrode and bio organism. The efficiency was lowered mainly by the reduction of H and minimizing H on the electrode can largely increase the efficiency. Medium used for cell growth can also affect the efficiency through medium species consuming electrons provided by the electrode. Electron mediators, such as MV, have potential promise in applications such as microbial fuel cells, biofuel formation, and waste water treatment. However, engineering analysis of electron mediators is critical to provide better engineering control, design, and economic analysis for future applications.


Purpose: To study and compare the dose response curves of the new GafChromic EBT3 film for megavoltage and kilovoltage x-ray beams, with different spatial resolutions. Methods: EBT3 films (lot#A101711-02) were exposed to each x-ray beam (6 MV, 15 MV, and 50 kV) at 7 dose values (50-3200 cGy). Each film piece was scanned three consecutive times in the center of Epson 10000XL flatbed scanner in 48-bit color at two separate spatial resolutions of 75 and 300 dpi. The data were analyzed using ImageJ and, for each scanned image, a region of interest (ROI) of 2 × 2 cm2 at the field center was selected to obtain the mean pixel value with its standard deviation in the ROI. For each energy, dose value and spatial resolution, the average net optical density (netOD) and its associated uncertainty were determined. The Student's t-test was performed to evaluate the statistical differences between the net OD/dose values of the three energy modalities, with different color channels and spatial resolutions. Results and Discussion: The dose response curves for the three energy modalities were compared in three color channels. Weak energy dependence was found. For doses above 100 cGy, no statistical differences were observed between 6 and 15 MV beams, regardless of spatial resolution and color channel. However, statistical differences were observed between 50 kV and the megavoltage beams. The degree of energy dependence (from MV to 50 kV) was found to be a function of color channel, dose level, and spatial resolution. Conclusions: The dose response curves for GafChromic EBT3 films were found to be weakly dependent on the energy of the photon beams from 6 MV to 15 MV. For very low energy photon (e.g. 50 kV), variation of more than 11% due to the energy-dependence is observed, depending on the absorbed dose, spatial resolution and color channel used.


Our food contains fewer nutrients today than even 20 years ago. This is because soils have become depleted and the necessary soil nutrients have not been replaced. As a result, even people who are eating the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables a day (i.e. 8 to 10 servings), are quite possibly not getting the essential nutrients required for the optimal functioning of the body. Furthermore, stress - whether physical as in sportsmen or mental as in work pressures - leads to increased requirements for vitamins and minerals. Since the body does not make vitamins and minerals, they must either form part of the diet or be taken in as supplements to the diet.


In March 1987 a radical coalition of queer activists converged on Wall Street their target, 'Business, Big Business, Business as Usual!!!' It was ACT UP's first demonstration. In November 1999 a radical coalition of environmental, labor, anarchist, queer, and human rights activists converged in Seattle their target was similar, a system of global capitalism. Between 1987 and 1999 a new project in activism had emerged unshackled from past ghosts. Through innovative use of civil rights' era non-violent disobedience, guerrilla theatre, and sophisticated media work, ACT UP has helped transform the world of activism. This anthology offers a history of ACT UP for a new generation of activists and students. It is divided into five sections which address the new social movements, the use of street theater to reclaim public space, queer and sexual politics, new media/electronic civil disobedience, and race and community building. Contributions range across a diverse spectrum: The Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition, Jubilee 2000, Students for an Undemocratic Society, Fed Up Queers, Gender Identity Center of Colorado, Triangle Foundation, Jacks of Color, National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, Lower East Side Collective, Community Labor Coalition, Church of Stop-Shopping, Indy Media Collective, Black Radical Congress, The Theater of the Oppressed Laboratory, Adelante Street Theater; HealthGAP, Housing Works, SexPanic! and, of course, ACT UP itself.


This paper presents a dual approach to the stylistic analysis of literary texts, focusing on fantasy literature, and deploying the tools provided by two arguably complementary theoretical-descriptive models: Frame Semantics (FS; Fillmore 1985; 2006 [1982]; Fillmore and Baker 2010) and the system of TRANSITIVITY as developed within Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL; Halliday and Matthiessen 1999; 2014). The frameworks are applied to the analysis of two excerpts from the fantasy series Harry Potter, respectively relating the first and the last of a long series of battles between the protagonist and the main antagonist, Lord Voldemort. Within each passage, we consider all verbs having the two characters, or parts of their bodies (meronymic agency: Simpson 2014), as logical subjects (Halliday and Matthiessen 2014: 80-82), classifying them according to the semantic frame or the Process type they instantiate. Qualitative analysis reveals how agentivity patterns clearly outline a power asymmetry between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort, and work towards their characterization in the fragments under consideration, construing their evolution or involution. The findings confirm our initial hypothesis about the compatibility between the theoretical models adopted, also allowing us to advance a proposal to integrate the FS notion of perspective on an event (Fillmore 1977 a; 1977b) into SFL-informed stylistic studies of transitivity, as this would help analysts stress the figure/ground logic linking the syntagmatic and the paradigmatic planes and its effects on the reader' s reception. Overall, we argue, the value of FS as a stylistics tool is highlighted by its being juxtaposed with the SFL model, which has been more frequently and systematically applied to the stylistic study of literature.


A highly sensitive electrochemical sensor based on a carbon paste electrode (CPE) modified with molecularly imprinted polymeric microspheres (MIPMSs) was developed for the determination of bisphenol A (BPA). For the first time BPA-imprinted MIPMSs were prepared via distillation precipitation polymerization, and then the polymeric microspheres were involved in producing the MIPMS-modified CPE (MIPMS/CPE). The polymers obtained were observed via a scanning electron microscope and its dynamic and static adsorption performances were investigated. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy were performed to study the preparation process and electrochemical behavior of the modified carbon paste electrodes with [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- ions acting as electrical indicators. Compared with the bulk MIP packed sensor, the MIPMS/CPE exhibits a higher sensing response and better reproducibility. The detection linear range for BPA is 1 × 10-11-1 × 10-7 M with a detection limit of 2.8 × 10-12 M (S/N = 3) under the optimal experimental conditions. Moreover, the MIPMS/CPE exhibited good selectivity and stability. The developed sensor can determine BPA in real samples including soil, milk and water rapidly and accurately after simple sample pretreatment.


Chemotherapy is the primary means of treating protozoan parasitic infections. A problem for chemotherapy is to find a novel and potential molecule in protozoa, which could be exploited as drug target. To reach this goal, mitochondrion of protozoa can be considered as the most valuable and potential organelle because of its unique structure and function compared to their natural host habitat. In fact, the respiratory systems of parasitic protozoa typically show greater diversity in electron pathways than do their host animals. These unique aspects of electron transport chain (ETC) complexes and their related enzymes represent promising targets for chemotherapy. A cytochrome independent Alternative Oxidase (AOX) in parasites is a leading drug target. Topoisomerases play key functions in replication and organization of kDNA, which is present in a specialized region of unique mitochondria known as kinetoplast. They are considered as potential targets for anti-parasitic drugs. Moreover, a novel pathway of type II Fatty acid synthesis in mitochondria of trypanosomatids provides a new array of inhibitors that could be effective against these parasites. Recent studies on the emergence of drug resistance severely limit the arsenal of available drugs against protozoan parasites. Particularly, mutations of cytochrome b gene of ETC or changes in iron homeostasis by mitochondrial enzyme aconitase alter sensitivity of MDR1 and regulate resistance level to anti-parasitic drugs. This review summarizes recent state of our knowledge and understanding of the action of various therapeutically applied substances on mitochondria and their potential application in the future.


ABSTRACT HiQuake —The Human‐Induced Earthquake Database is the most complete database of anthropogenic projects proposed, on scientific grounds, to have induced earthquake sequences. It is freely available to download from the website given in Data and Resources. At the time this article was written, HiQuake contained ∼730 anthropogenic projects proposed to have induced earthquakes, as well as associated project‐related and seismic data. The most commonly reported anthropogenic activities proposed to have induced earthquakes are mining and water reservoir impoundment. In recent years, the number of earthquake sequences proposed to have been induced by fluid‐injection activities has grown. The most commonly reported maximum observed magnitude in an induced earthquake sequence is 3≤ M MAX HiQuake proposed to have been induced had a magnitude of M w  7.9 and occurred in China. Such large earthquakes release mostly stress of natural tectonic origin, but are conceivably triggered by small anthropogenic stress changes. The data in HiQuake are of variable quality because they are drawn from publications that span almost a century. We estimate underreporting to be ∼30% for M ∼4 events, ∼60% for M ∼3 events, and ∼90% for M ∼2 events. The degree of certitude that the given earthquake sequences were anthropogenically induced is variable. HiQuake includes all earthquake sequences proposed on scientific grounds to have been human induced without regard to the strength of the case made. HiQuake is offered freely as a resource to interested parties, and judging the reliability of any particular case is the responsibility of the database user. HiQuake will be routinely updated to correct errors, update existing entries, and add new entries. It has the potential to help improve our understanding of induced earthquakes and to manage their impact on society.


Background : Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) infection is the common cause of chronic gastritis in the world that is around 80% in addition to other causes such as autoimmune diseases, drugs, idiopathic and others. The pathogenesis of H. pylori associated with virulence factors consisting of cytotoxin - associated gene A (CagA) and vacuolating cytotoxin A (Vaca). In the case of gastritis occurred acute and chronic inflammatory responses and activation cytokines that cause inflammation of mucous which TNF-α levels increased in patients gatritis H. pylori . Levels of serum TNF-α was found higher in patients infected with H. pylori with CagA positive. The purpose of this study is to investigate the comparison between TNF-α serum level in H. pylori gastritis patients with Cag A (+) and CagA (-). Method : The study was conducted with a cross-sectional design in 30 patients with dyspepsia, using PADYQ score. We performed gastroscopy, biopsy, and CLO test to prove the existence of H. pylori . Furthermore, we used PCR to assess CagA (+) and CagA (-), and ELISA method to measure TNF-α serum level. Results : From 30 subjects, 18 men (60%), 12 women (40%), and the mean age was 53.5 years, the majority of the ethnic was Bataknese  (53.3%), patients with H. pylori gastritis with CagA (+) were 21 (70%) and patients with H. pylori gastritis with CagA (-) were 9 (30%). We found the mean serum levels of TNF-α was higher (3.48) in H. pylori gastritis with CagA (+) than the CagA (-) (1.29) with p value was 0.001. Conclusion : We found increased serum levels of TNF-α in patients with CagA (+) compared to Cag A (-) H. pylori gastritis.


This thesis explores the geometry of string theory backgrounds and the nongeometric features of string theory that arise due to T-duality. For this reason, it is divided into two complementary parts. Part I deals with the superalgebras of symmetries of string theory and M-theory backgrounds, the so-called Killing superalgebras. It is shown that one can define a Lie superalgebra consisting of the infinitesimal field-preserving isometries and the supersymmetries of the background. We also explore the extension of a Killing superalgebra with brane charges. Part II deals with non-geometric backgrounds. In particular, we adopt the framework of the doubled geometry, also known as the doubled torus. We analyze the hamiltonian dynamics of the system and quantize a model T-fold. Finally we extended the doubled torus system to include worldsheet supersymmetry. Throughout part II, we focus on the equivalence, classical and quantum, of the doubled formalism with the conventional formulation.


The structure of the $C^*$-algebras corresponding to even-dimensional mirror quantum spheres is investigated. It is shown that they are isomorphic to both Cuntz-Pimsner algebras of certain $C^*$-correspondences and $C^*$-algebras of certain labelled graphs. In order to achieve this, categories of labelled graphs and $C^*$-correspondences are studied. A functor from labelled graphs to $C^*$-correspondences is constructed, such that the corresponding associated $C^*$-algebras are isomorphic. Furthermore, it is shown that $C^*$-correspondences for the mirror quantum spheres arise via a general construction of restricted direct sum.


IMPORTANCE
Positron emission tomography (PET) combined with fludeoxyglucose F 18 (FDG) is recommended for the noninvasive diagnosis of pulmonary nodules suspicious for lung cancer. In populations with endemic infectious lung disease, FDG-PET may not accurately identify malignant lesions.

OBJECTIVES
To estimate the diagnostic accuracy of FDG-PET for pulmonary nodules suspicious for lung cancer in regions where infectious lung disease is endemic and compare the test accuracy in regions where infectious lung disease is rare.

DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION
Databases of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Web of Science were searched from October 1, 2000, through April 28, 2014. Articles reporting information sufficient to calculate sensitivity and specificity of FDG-PET to diagnose lung cancer were included. Only studies that enrolled more than 10 participants with benign and malignant lesions were included. Database searches yielded 1923 articles, of which 257 were assessed for eligibility. Seventy studies were included in the analysis. Studies reported on a total of 8511 nodules; 5105 (60%) were malignant.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
Abstracts meeting eligibility criteria were collected by a research librarian and reviewed by 2 independent reviewers. Hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed. A random-effects logistic regression model was used to summarize and assess the effect of endemic infectious lung disease on test performance.

MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES
The sensitivity and specificity for FDG-PET test performance.

RESULTS
Heterogeneity for sensitivity (I2 = 87%) and specificity (I2 = 82%) was observed across studies. The pooled (unadjusted) sensitivity was 89% (95% CI, 86%-91%) and specificity was 75% (95% CI, 71%-79%). There was a 16% lower average adjusted specificity in regions with endemic infectious lung disease (61% [95% CI, 49%-72%]) compared with nonendemic regions (77% [95% CI, 73%-80%]). Lower specificity was observed when the analysis was limited to rigorously conducted and well-controlled studies. In general, sensitivity did not change appreciably by endemic infection status, even after adjusting for relevant factors.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
The accuracy of FDG-PET for diagnosing lung nodules was extremely heterogeneous. Use of FDG-PET combined with computed tomography was less specific in diagnosing malignancy in populations with endemic infectious lung disease compared with nonendemic regions. These data do not support the use of FDG-PET to diagnose lung cancer in endemic regions unless an institution achieves test performance accuracy similar to that found in nonendemic regions.


In this thesis, I explore cutting, one form of self-harm, in the context of how teachers and other front-line workers might respond to a student who is cutting. Researchers recognize that this coping behaviour is used by many youth to deal with an array of intrapersonal and external stressors, including anxiety and depression. Cutting can be explained through a variety of models that include psychological, biological, developmental, and social contagion. The underlying factors behind the behaviour are multifaceted and, for any one individual, it is likely that multiple theories must be considered simultaneously to explain its occurrence. Beyond the scars and shame that can result from cutting, for some, self-harm can develop into an addiction. Youth who struggle psychologically, as indicated by self-harm, may need professional support. Responses of shock, panic, and disgust at another's self-harm can be detrimental and may discourage students from seeking support. School staff have an opportunity to alter the course of a student's self-harm and mental health issues. Through professional development that focuses on awareness and understanding, and responding in a calm, nonjudgmental manner, front-line workers can develop an appropriate response to cutting. While cutting is a coping behaviour and not an attempt at suicide, a response protocol must be in place in order to assess how much a student is at risk for serious harm. RESPONSES TO CUTTING BY FRONT-LINE WORKERS iii


New debates surrounding the digital remains of people who have died and the possibilities that new technologies raise in terms of symbolic immortality are generating significant interest. These issues provide exciting opportunities for sociologists, anthropologists, and psychologists to further understand evolving attitudes to death and mourning. But what happens when the deceased is a popular media figure and the symbolic immortality extends to a digital resurrection played out through the media in new contexts and over an extended period of time? Drawing on sociological, anthropological, and cultural theory, this discursive article addresses some of the reasons for the perpetuation of media personalities whose posthumous careers often exceed their living careers, both in longevity and popularity. It is argued that digital technologies add a new dimension to the many parallels that can be drawn between celebrity culture and religion in what are becoming increasingly secularised societies. For many, digital technology and the Internet remain incomprehensible, leaving room for mythical and magical interpretations especially in relation to a prospect many prefer to deny: ultimate nonexistence. It is proposed that the disenchantment with religious belief, brought about by science and rational thought during the Enlightenment era, leaves many people with inadequate or unacceptable ways of understanding death and mourning. Ironically, it seems that science and new technology now provide the fuel for a re-enchantment of society, and the now normalized suspension of disbelief inherent in the consumption of media entertainment and popular culture helps to facilitate this process.


The transition in Libya from a planned economy to a market economy, which
commenced in the late 1980s, has resulted in fundamental changes such as the
restructuring of state-owed enterprises, a noticeable growth in foreign direct
investment, and an emerging private sector. These changes put immediate pressure
on accounting practice to change to meet the demands of the new business
environment.

Based on the findings of a questionnaire-based survey, supplemented by interview
data, this study explores the state of "traditional" and "advanced" management
accounting practices (MAPs) of a mix of 81 large and medium size Libyan
manufacturing companies from different industrial sectors. In addition, drawing off
the existing literature on new institutional sociology and innovation diffusion
theories, a model is developed and forms the basis for investigating and evaluating
the factors that influence the development and change of MAPs in Libyan
companies. This investigation is underlined with thorough statistical inference
resulting from applying factor analysis and simple and multiple regression to the
survey data as appropriate. The data collected from 10 interviews are quantified and
analysed to provide more insight into MAPs in the responding companies.

Although the responding companies have reported using most of the MAPs
surveyed, the adoption rates of theses practices are noticeably lower than the
adoption rates of MAPs usually found in the management accounting literature. The
findings also seem to confirm those of recent studies in other countries about the
popularity of "traditional" practices over the much acclaimed "advanced" ones.
However, respondents not only claim to derive higher benefits from "traditional"
MAPs than from "advanced" MAPs, but they also express their intention to place
greater emphasis on the former in the future. Thus, this study questions the
exaggeration in the criticism of traditional MAPs that characterised the obsolescence
campaign initially led by Kaplan (1986) and Johnson and Kaplan (1987) and the
acclaimed superiority of the so-called "advanced" MAPs.

While it is surprising to find that none of the environmental factors examined in this
study (e.g. uncertainty and market competition) seems to have an important impact
on MAPs diffusion, factors related to attributes of innovation (e.g. the availability of
resources, the availability of training, top management support and company size) do
however have a significant positive impact on the diffusion of MAPs in these Libyan
manufacturing companies. Institutional factors, especially those related to the fashion
perspective (e.g. use of consultants) and the fad perspective (e.g. being in a joint
venture with a foreign partner) appear to also be essential in facilitating diffusion.
This research concludes that the demand side perspective, which dominates the
literature on innovation diffusion, is not adequate on its own and, therefore, the
supply side and the institutional environment are also important factors in explaining
the diffusion of MAPs.

Finally the main limitations of this study are outlined and opportunities for future
research are discussed, particularly in relation to this study"s findings about the need
to reconsider the usefulness of traditional MAPs and also the need for a multiple
perspective approach for studying the diffusion of MAPs.


Mature endothelial cells are terminally differentiated cells with a low proliferative potential and their capacity to substitute damaged endothelium is limited. Accumulating evidence in the last years indicates that mammalian organisms contain a unique subtype of circulating, bone marrow-derived cells with properties similar to those of embryonal angioblasts. These cells were called endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). In the present work, we have studied the role of B-Raf and C-Raf, two members of a central intracellular signalling pathway, for the proliferation and differentiation of mouse embryonic EPCs. A further purpose of the study was to evaluate the anticoagulant properties of the mature endothelium and in particular the role of Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI).
 We prepared gene constructs allowing us to activate or inhibit the downstream signalling of B-Raf and C-Raf, and on the other side we have used RNA interference to knock down these proteins. We found that both B-Raf and C-Raf are engaged in the proliferation of the eEPCs. However, B-Raf is mostly responsible for the differentiation, and cAMP is activating the differentiation through B-Raf, but not through C-Raf.
 To delineate the participation of the endothelium in coagulation, the role of native TFPI and its mutated forms in intravascular fibrin formation was analyzed. Particular attention was given to TFPI mutants being resistant towards cleavage by leukocyte proteases that might inactivate TFPI under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. The novel insights on the differentiation and proliferation of the endothelial progenitor cells obtained in the present work, may give us the opportunity to regulate their functionality in certain cases, and eventually using them as therapeutic agents in some kind of diseases (e.g. myocardial infarction, stroke).


The InterBase system, which integrates preexisting systems over a distributed, autonomous, and heterogeneous environment using a tool-based interface, is described. It supports heterogeneous applications without violating the local autonomy of component systems. The InterBase system locates and starts remote services, transfers and transforms data among different services, manages failures, and controls parallelism between multiple global applications running concurrently. InterBase also uses remote system interfaces (RSIs), which are superimposed on each software resource, to deal with the problem of heterogeneity. The RSIs transform commands and data between global applications and various software resources, forming a homogeneous interface to heterogeneous software resources.<<ETX>>


Statistical analyses of the evolution of galactic appearance (or morphology) play an important role in cosmology in many circumstances, e.g. when trying to infer cosmological parameters. Automatic detection of some morphologies of galaxies can be done efficiently in the nearby universe using previously developed image-based summary statistics (see, e.g., [Conselice, 2003] and [Lotz et al., 2004]). However, to perform precise statistical inference, we must be able to classify galaxies at much greater distances, and the ability to detect different morphologies using current image-based summary statistics decreases with distance. The aim of this work is to develop new summary statistics and build classifiers that allow one to distinguish galaxies that are irregulars, mergers or interactions from other types even in the farther universe. First, we propose new more informative features. Then, we apply 4 different classification algorithms to the data set. We show that the results for all of them are consistently better than when using only traditional features. Finally, we show that the classifications can be further improved if the classifier is allowed to exclude a fraction of the data set which is specified by the user. In practice, this subset could be classified by experts. We also evaluate how the new features perform when trying to classify mergers/interactions only.


We propose a special conditional phase gate (CPG) U^(π/2) between the photon and the electron spin confined in a quantum dot (QD) embedded in a microcavity operating in the weak-coupling regime. This CPG U^(π/2) provides an optical method to manipulate the QDs with photon parity. By using it, we present a scheme for implementing a state teleportation between two remote QD cavities and a scheme for constructing a photonic Bell-state analyzer. Furthermore, a multipartite Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger state analyzer is also proposed. This multipartite entanglement analyzer can also be used as a multipartite entanglement generator. All these schemes are operated in the weak-coupling regime, so the high fidelities and efficiencies can be maintained even in the case of a bad cavity, and the schemes are accessible with current technologies.


For at least thirty years the Supreme Court has adhered to its third-party doctrine in interpreting the Fourth Amendment, meaning that so far as a disclosing party is concerned, information in the hands of a third party receives no Fourth Amendment protection. The doctrine was controversial when adopted, has been the target of sustained criticism, and is the predominant reason that the Katz revolution has not been the revolution many hoped it would be. Some forty years after Katz the Court's search jurisprudence largely remains tied to property conceptions. As I have demonstrated elsewhere, however, the doctrine is not the universal constitutional rule in the United States. Eleven states reject the doctrine, providing some constitutional search and seizure protection to information in the hands of third parties, and another eleven give some reason to believe they might reject it.But it is one thing to urge that some third-party information should by protected, and quite another to articulate how and when different information should be accessible to police. To answer this question it makes sense to turn to the most robust source of practical applications we have, namely those states that have diverged from the federal doctrine. Although state courts often employ a gestalt jurisprudence that defies precise delineation, an analysis of many cases reveals a set of relevant factors that would seem to be consistently useful in determining whether law enforcement access should be restricted, and if so in what manner. What such analysis does not reveal is a tidy system of bright-line delineations, seemingly at odds with two thoughtful alternatives to the current federal doctrine proposed by Daniel Solove and Christopher Slobogin.Part I of this article frames the discussion via recent events. The realization that the National Security Agency has been parsing phone conversations, dialing records, and banking records since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, demonstrates that the third-party doctrine is very much a contemporary concern. The decision last term in Georgia v. Randolph demonstrates that five members of the Supreme Court are willing to depart from the doctrine, at least in the context of the home. Part II then utilizes the existing state (and to a limited extent federal) jurisprudence to determine and explain what factors are relevant in determining whether to constitutionally restrict law enforcement access. This yields an uncertain calculus that also logically challenges the essentially unrestricted ability of law enforcement to probe the recollection of a recalcitrant witness. In Part III I compare my approach to the seemingly more administrable proposals of Professors Solove and Slobogin. I conclude with a tentative defense of the current multi-faceted - and therefore necessarily uncertain - jurisprudence. Although its administrability is imperfect, it more appropriately distinguishes between and among different types and amounts of third-party information.


We study numerically the three-dimensional droplets spreading on physically flat chemically patterned surfaces with periodic squares separated by channels. Our model consists of the Navier-Stokes-Cahn-Hilliard equations with the generalized Navier boundary conditions. Stick-slip behavior and contact angle hysteresis are observed. Moreover, we also study the relationship between the effective advancing/receding angle and the two intrinsic angles of the surface patterns. By increasing the volume of droplet gradually, we find that the advancing contact line tends gradually to an equiangular octagon with the length ratio of the two adjacent sides equal to a fixed value that depends on the geometry of the pattern.


Background: Diabetes and hypertension can be challenging to manage in patients with mental health conditions. While the effectiveness of a cardiovascular risk reduction clinic (CRRC) has been shown not to differ between those with and without mental health conditions, it is unknown whether patients with mental health conditions would differ in durability of success following discharge from the CRRC. Objective: To determine the effect of mental health conditions on the maintenance of glycemic control and blood pressure control in patients with diabetes following successful completion of a CRRC program. Methods: Patients were discharged from the CRRC when therapeutic goals of hemoglobin A1c (A1C) <7% and blood pressure <130/80 mm Hg were achieved. We performed a retrospective chart review of a cohort of 231 patients by quarterly intervals for A1C and systolic blood pressure (SBP), providing up to 3 years of data following discharge from the CRRC. We assessed the time to failure to maintain goal A1C and SBP following CRRC discharge for patients with diagnosed mental health conditions versus patients without mental health conditions. Results: For patients with and without mental health conditions, 50% of those who had been discharged from the CRRC with an SBP goal of <130 mm Hg failed to maintain SBP by 1 quarter. The hazard ratio for failure to maintain SBP, with those without mental health conditions as the reference group, was 0.96 (95% CI 0.68 to 1.35). Overall, for patients with an A1C goal of <7%, the combined median time to failure was 3 quarters. Among patients without mental health conditions, 25% failed in 3 quarters, and of those with mental health conditions, 25% failed in 4 quarters (HR 0.91; 95% CI 0.50 to 1.66). Conclusions: There was no significant difference between diabetic patients with and without mental health conditions in maintenance of A1C and SBP after discharge from a CRRC. This provides further evidence that a CRRC is a viable approach to cardiovascular risk reduction in individuals with mental health conditions.


The ENCODE project is an international consortium with a goal of cataloguing all the functional elements in the human genome. The ENCODE Data Coordination Center (DCC) at the University of California, Santa Cruz serves as the central repository for ENCODE data. In this role, the DCC offers a collection of high-throughput, genome-wide data generated with technologies such as ChIP-Seq, RNA-Seq, DNA digestion and others. This data helps illuminate transcription factor-binding sites, histone marks, chromatin accessibility, DNA methylation, RNA expression, RNA binding and other cell-state indicators. It includes sequences with quality scores, alignments, signals calculated from the alignments, and in most cases, element or peak calls calculated from the signal data. Each data set is available for visualization and download via the UCSC Genome Browser (http://genome.ucsc.edu/). ENCODE data can also be retrieved using a metadata system that captures the experimental parameters of each assay. The ENCODE web portal at UCSC (http://encodeproject.org/) provides information about the ENCODE data and links for access.


This paper suggests a methodology to develop a low cost, effective and uniform resistant surveillance system using the Raspberry-Pi. The system can accessed and managed remotely through an Internet of Things (IoT) platform. It senses the flame detection information, motion detection information, biometric detection information and store the data to the web server, where it could be fetched anywhere and anytime through web. Experimental results exhibit that the system is intelligently analyze the sensor data. The system module of the resistant surveillance system is depends on a mixture of ubiquitous different sensing modules, results stored in web servers for awareness. These results can be utilized for home safety. The paradigm aims to notify the home users about their home safety with an option of controlling the sensors on their device connected to the internet. Therefore, this system can enhance home welfare.


A combined culture and PCR method for detection of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica in food (NMKL-163A) was evaluated by testing samples of artificially and naturally contaminated pork. The performance of the pre-PCR sample treatment, buoyant density centrifugation, was first compared with two commercially available methods (DNeasy tissue kit and PrepMan). We found that similar sensitivity was reached (i.e., 25 CFU/g of food was detected by single PCR) with the buoyant density centrifugation and the DNeasy Tissue kit when tested on overnight enrichments. However, the DNeasy tissue kit was superior when tested on nonenriched homogenates; the detection limit was 25 CFU/g in minced beef by single PCR and 25 CFU/g in sausage by nested PCR. We then analyzed 100 raw minced pork samples. Thirty-five tested positive for presumptive pathogenic Y. enterocolitica when analyzed by the NMKL-163A method, whereas none tested positive when analyzed in parallel by a standard culture method (ISO 10273). We also analyzed 97 samples of cold-smoked pork sausage, of which approximately 11% tested positive by the NMKL-163A method. This study showed that sensitivities such as those obtained by nested PCR were required for detection of the pathogen in naturally contaminated samples, and therefore the nested PCR primers, which are included in the NMKL-163A method only as an option, need to be validated and applied routinely.


We develop a numerical method to solve the coupled-wave equations for four-wave mixing phase conjugation in a photorefractive crystal with unequal complex coupling constants; by this method we can obtain both the intensities and the phases of various beams. We discuss the intensities and the phases of the interacting beams in a photorefractive crystal for the cases in which the phase shifts between the refractive-index gratings and the interference pattern are all π/2 and in which they are not all π/2.


Objective To explore the occurrence and characteristics of aggressive multiple sclerosis (AMS) in adult-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Methods Prospectively collected data (1980–2009) from British Columbia, Canada, were retrospectively analysed. AMS was defined in three different ways (AMS1, 2 and 3): 'AMS1'—confirmed Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) ≥6 within 5 years of MS onset; 'AMS2'—confirmed EDSS ≥6 by age 40; and 'AMS3'—secondary progressive MS within 3 years of a relapsing-onset course. Three respective 'non-aggressive' MS comparison cohorts were selected. Patients' characteristics were compared between aggressive and non-aggressive cohorts using multivariable logistic regression, with findings expressed as adjusted OR (AOR) and 95% CI. Results Application of the three definitions to the source population of 5891 patients resulted in 235/4285 (5.5%) patients fulfilling criteria for AMS1 (59.6% were female; 74.5% had relapsing-onset MS), 388/2762 (14.0%) for AMS2 (65.2% were female; 92.8% had relapsing-onset MS) and 195/4918 (4.0%) patients for AMS3 (61.0% were female). Compared to the respective control cohorts, those with AMS were more likely to be male (AOR=1.5, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.0 (AMS1); 1.6, 95% CI 1.3 to 2.1 (AMS2); 1.8, 95% CI 1.3 to 2.4 (AMS3)), older at MS symptom onset (AOR=1.1; 95% CI 1.1 to 1.1 (AMS1 and AMS3)) and have primary progressive MS (AOR=2.3, 95% CI 1.6 to 3.3 (AMS1); 2.7, 95% CI 1.7 to 4.4 (AMS2)). Conclusions AMS was identified in 4–14% of patients, depending on the definition used. Although there was a relative preponderance of men and primary progressive MS presenting with AMS, the majority of patients were still women and those with relapsing-onset MS.


Magnetization dynamics in nano-contact spin torque oscillators (STOs) is investigated from an experimental and theoretical point of view. The fundamentals of magnetization dynamics due to spin transfer torque are given. A custom-made high frequency (up to 46 GHz) in large magnetic fields (up to 2.2 T) microwave characterization setup has been built for the purpose and described in this thesis. A unique feature of this setup is the capability of applying magnetic fields at any direction θe out of the sample plane, and with high precision. This is particularly important, because the (average) out-of-plane angle of the STO free magnetic layer has fundamental impact on spin wave generation and STO operation. By observing the spin wave spectral emission as a function of θe, we find that at angles θe below a certain critical angle θcr, two distinct spin wave modes can be excited: a propagating mode, and a localized mode of solitonic character (so called spin wave bullet). The experimental frequency, current threshold and frequency tuneability with current of the two modes can be described qualitatively by analytical models and quantitatively by numerical simulations. We are also able to understand the importance, so far underestimated, of the Oersted field in the dynamics of nano-contact STOs. In particular, we show that the Oersted field strongly affects the current tuneability of the propagating mode at subcritical angles, and it is also the fundamental cause of the mode hopping observed in the time-domain. This mode hopping has been observed both experimentally using a state-of-the-art real-time oscilloscope and corroborated by micromagnetic simulations. Micromagnetic simulations also reveal details of the spatial distribution of the spin wave excitations. By investigating the emitted power as a function of θe, we observed two characteristic behaviors for the two spin wave modes: a monotonic increase of the power for increasing out-of-plane angles in the case of the propagating mode; an increase towards a maximum power followed by a drop of it at the critical angle for the localized mode. Both behaviors are reproduced by micromagnetic simulations. The agreement with the simulations offers also a way to better understand the precession dynamics, since the emitted power is strongly connected to the angular variation of the giant magnetoresistance signal. We also find that the injection locking of spin wave modes with a microwave source has a strong dependence on θe, and reaches a maximum locking strength at perpendicular angles. We are able to describe these results in the theoretical framework of non-linear spin wave dynamics.


Purpose – There is growing interest in the economic evaluation of public health prevention initiatives and increasing government awareness of the societal costs of conduct disorder in early childhood. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the cost-effectiveness of the Incredible Years (IY) BASIC parenting programme compared with a six-month waiting list control. Design/methodology/approach – Cost-effectiveness analysis alongside a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of a group-parenting programme. The primary outcome measure was the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), a measure of child behaviour. Findings – The IY programme was found to have a high probability of being cost-effective, shifting an additional 23 per cent of children from above the clinical concern to below the cut-off on the SDQ compared to the control group, at a cost ranging from £1612-£2418 per child, depending on the number of children in the group. Originality/value – The positive findings of this study have led to...


Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the peoples of Central Asia (Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) have been exposed to new, Western influences that stress individualism at the expense Central Asian traditions of family and communalism. Young men in particular are exposed to new ideas and lifestyles as they travel in large numbers outside their native republics for the first time, even as contemporary Islam exerts itself as a potent force for cultural conservatism, especially for women. As a result, young Central Asians today confront a complex mixture of the old and the new that strains personal relations, especially within the family, between generations, and between spouses.Relying on the author's extensive fieldwork, Muslim Youth devotes separate chapters to family life, education, dating, and marriage and the family in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. Throughout the book, emblematic life stories vividly portray the hopes and concerns of Tajiks, teasing out the complexity of modernity versus tradition and individualism versus collectivism.


We have proposed an ultracompact all-optical photonic crystal AND gate based on nonlinear ring resonators, consisting of two Kerr nonlinear photonic crystal ring resonators inserted between three parallel line defects. We have employed a Si nanocrystal as the nonlinear material for its appropriate nonlinear properties. The gate has been simulated and analyzed by finite difference time domain and plane wave expansion methods. The proposed logic gate can operate with a bit rate of about 120 Gbits/s.


In this work we describe a cognitive model to infer the more likely user's states in data-intensive contexts. Stress, mental fatigue, or even inaptitude, are selected to be inferred by the model based two sources of information: context and psycho-physiological sensors network. As long as a complex, high demanding context will predict those cognitive states that, in turn, will be diagnosed by the set of sensors (EEG and ECG). All these input variables are represented in a probabilistic model in which links are defined based on the literature. The outcome of the model is a probability of being inapt to perform in a suitable way. In case of inaptitude, assistance should be delivered to the user to normalize the current user's state.


The presented document provides an overview of the Smartphone Software for Department of Computer Science project development through out several phases: analysis of the project proposal, preliminary study of the concepts involved in the project, design decisions and modeling, implementation, experiments and conclusions obtained in the end, as well as a reflection on possible future system improvements.
The final version of the system, which was built after the design and implementation decisions made through out the development of the project, is a prototype mainly composed of an application for Android smartphones leaning on a distributed architecture in order to provide all its expected functionalities.
Thus, the system is based on a mixture of the two main distributed systems architectural models: client-server and peer-to-peer. The functionalities that lean on the client-server architecture are those whose data are relative to information of general interest and need to be always (ideally) available: consulting news, information and schedules for courses,
frequently asked questions, maps and indoors positioning.
On the other hand, functionalities such as the chat system and the possibility of contacting with the students of a certain course depend on the availability of the users, so a peer-to-peer architectural model was developed to support them.
Regarding the system functionalities, the in-door localization and the chat system were
determined as the most relevant ones. With the aim to provide those functionalities, the
choice made was to implement an in-door positioning based on the RedPin model and, on
the other hand, to make use of an already existing Java solution to build a chat system by means of multicast DNS and DNS Service Discovery: JmDNS.


In situations where a large data set is partitioned into many relatively small groups, and where the members within a group have some common unmeasured characteristics, the number of parameters requiring estimation tends to increase with sample size if a fixed effects model is applied. This fact causes the assumptions underlying asymptotic results to be violated. The first paper in this thesis considers two possible solutions to this problem, a random intercepts model and a fixed effects model, where asymptotics are replaced by a simple form of bootstrapping. A profiling approach is introduced in the fixed effects case, which makes it computationally efficient even with a huge number of groups. The grouping effect is mainly seen as a nuisance in this paper. In the second paper the effect of misspecifying the distribution of the random effects in a generalized linear mixed model for binary data is studied. One problem with mixed effects models is that the distributional assumptions about the random effects are not easily checked from real data. Models with Gaussian, logistic and Cauchy distributional assumptions are used for parameter estimation on data simulated using the same three distributions. The effect of these assumptions on parameter estimation is presented. Two criteria for model selection are investigated, the Akaike information criterion and a criterion based on a χ statistic. The estimators for fixed effects parameters are quite robust against misspecification of the random effects distribution, at least with the distributions used in this paper. Even when the true random effects distribution is Cauchy, models assuming a Gaussian or a logistic distribution regularly produce estimates with less bias. In the third paper the results from the first two papers are applied to infant mortality data. We found that there was significant clustering of infant mortality in the Skellefte̊a region in the years 1831-1890. An "ad hoc" method for comparing the magnitude of unexplained clustering after a model is applied is also presented. The last paper of this thesis is concerned with the problem of testing for spatial clustering caused by autocorrelation. A test that is robust against heteroscedasticity is proposed. In a simulation study the properties of the proposed statistic, K, are investigated. The power of the test based on K is compared to that of Moran's I in the simulation study. Both tests are then applied to mortality data from Swedish municipalities.


Cell hybrids between normal, early-passage Syrian hamster embryo cells and a highly tumorigenic, chemically transformed hamster cell line, BP6T, were formed, selected, and analyzed. Tumorigenicity and anchorage-independent growth were suppressed in the hybrid cells compared to the tumorigenic BP6T cells. These two phenotypes segregated coordinately in these cells. To determine at what stage in the neoplastic process this tumor-suppressive function was lost, two chemically induced immortal cell lines were examined at different passages for the ability to suppress the tumorigenic phenotype of BP6T cells following hybridization. Hybrids of BP6T cells with the immortal, nontumorigenic cell lines at early passages were suppressed for tumorigenicity and anchorage-independent growth. This tumor-suppressive ability was reduced in the same cells at later passages and in some cases nearly completely lost, prior to the neoplastic transformation of the immortal cell lines. Subclones of the cell lines were heterogeneous in their ability to suppress tumorigenicity in cell hybrids; some clones retained the tumor-suppressive ability and others lost this function. The susceptibility to neoplastic transformation of these cells following DNA transfection with the viral ras oncogene or BP6T DNA inversely correlated with the tumor-suppressive ability of the cells. These results suggest that chemically induced neoplastic progression of Syrian hamster embryo cells involves at least three steps: induction of immortality, activation of a transforming oncogene, and loss of a tumor-suppressive function.


The transition from high school to tertiary education can be a daunting prospect for students. The prospect of laboratories, an unfamiliar environment, for students, can increase levels of anxiety. Moreover, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests that students' self-efficacy is inversely correlated with students' anxiety. We surveyed students at the start and end of a semester to evaluate levels of anxiety and self-efficacy in relation to several aspects of the chemistry laboratory. Time management and answering assessed questions are the aspects that contribute to high levels of anxiety and low levels of self-efficacy at the start of semester. Students generally reported lower anxiety and higher self-efficacy at the end of the semester about every aspect probed. These results are of interest to any discipline that offers an unfamiliar learning environment for students as aspects such as time management and answering assessed questions are not discipline specific. We investigated the different aspects of anxiety and self-efficacy in relation to various demographic factors.


There is now good evidence that athletic success and participation in physical activity can be predicted by personality traits. In this article, we review new studies that have contributed to our understanding of these relationships and outline potential avenues of inquiry to support the development of personality-trait research in exercise and sport. Our review identified a number of novel findings from contemporary studies. In the context of sport performance, new studies have demonstrated that personality traits relate to long-term athletic success, interpersonal relationships, and athletes' psychological states before, during, and after competitions. In the context of health-related exercise, new studies have demonstrated that personality traits relate to leisure-time sitting time, strength and mobility in old age, and unhealthy (addictive) exercise behaviors. There is also evidence that physical activity contributes to personality change. Our recommendations include a more targeted focus on adolescence (as this is the age of greatest change in personality and sport participation) and a greater consideration of consultant personality traits in applied research and professional practice (given their role in intervention effectiveness).


The study was conducted to gain insight into the meanings, beliefs, and practices of female circumcision among three Nigerian tribes in the United States and Nigeria. Participant-observations occurred in three sites in Nigeria (Ibadan, Lagos, and Owerri) and in Essex County, New Jersey (Newark, Irvington, and East Orange). A total of 50 informants included adult males and females from the three main Nigerian ethnic tribes: Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa. Leininger's culture care theory of diversity and universality was the study framework. Findings revealed existence of similarities and differences in the cultural meanings, beliefs, and practices among the tribes. Religion, education, and occupation were significant factors influencing informants' attitudes toward continuation of the practice. Government-sponsored public education and influence by the media were found to increase informants' awareness of complications of female circumcision. Changes in attitudes toward the practice and use of alternative practices were evident.


Remote sensing observations often have correlated errors, but the correlations are typically ignored in data assimilation for numerical weather prediction. The assumption of zero correlations is often used with data thinning methods, resulting in a loss of information. As operational centres move towards higher-resolution forecasting, there is a requirement to retain data providing detail on appropriate scales. Thus an alternative approach to dealing with observation error correlations is needed. In this paper, we consider several approaches to approximating observation error correlation matrices: diagonal approximations, eigendecomposition approximations, and Markov matrices. These approximations are applied in incremental 4D-Var experiments with a one-dimensional shallow water model using synthetic observations. Our experiments quantify analysis accuracy in comparison with a reference or 'truth' trajectory, as well as with analyses using the 'true' observation error covariance matrix. We show that it is often better to include an approximate correlation structure in the observation error covariance matrix than to incorrectly assume error independence. Furthermore, by choosing a suitable matrix approximation, it is feasible and computationally cheap to include error correlation structure in a variational data assimilation algorithm. Current address: Met Office, Meteorology Building, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6BB. Corresponding author email: email@example.com


We have explored speciation of halochromium(III) complexes under physiological conditions involving both conjugate-base formation and halide-water exchange using DFT. Conjugate base formation is spontaneous under neutral and alkaline conditions. Several different pathways were explored for the water exchange reaction of cis- or trans-Cr(III) complexes in the series trans-[Cr(H2O)3(OH)X2]0 (X=Cl− or Br−) and cis- or trans-[Cr(H2O)4(OH)X]+, (X= F−, Cl−, Br−, or I−) including, associative interchange (Ia), dissociative interchange (Id) and dissociative (D) mechanisms. We have also investigated nucelophilic attack by OH− on [Cr(H2O)5X]+ species, (X=Cl− or Br−). The lowest overall activation enthalpies (ΔH≠) obtained for the F and Cl systems of [Cr(H2O)4(OH)X]+, are from the Ia pathway, whereas for the Br and I systems the Id pathway was found, consistent with experiment. The importance of outer sphere solvation was investigated with the addition of up to five explicit water molecules in the second coordination sphere. The ΔH≠ values for the aquation of cis-[Cr(H2O)4(OH)X]+…3H2O, are lower than the corresponding values for [Cr(H2O)5X]2+. This indicates that there will be greater speciation of chromium(III) halides under physiological conditions. These values also imply that chromium(III) derivatives that may be active in the treatment of physiological disorders such as Type(II) diabetes will be formed at different rates depending on the identity of the starting halide.


Magic Lantern Guides Multimedia WorkshopsThe worlds best photographic package! Magic Lantern Guides and DVDs have always provided the very best, most in-depth coverage of a cameras ins-and-outs. Now, theres even more magic on the market for photographers: the MAGIC LANTERN MULTIMEDIA WORKSHOP. Its a complete class in digital photography with a D-SLR cameraone that enables you to learn the essentials at your own pace, in the comfort in your own home. The attractive package includes:- Specific 80-minute DVD: An authoritative DVD guide made just for your model. Created by photographers for photographers, it covers specific camera features and functions. The format allows you to navigate easily between different topics and review chapters any time.- Taking Great Digital Photos: This full-color, 64-page book gets newcomers to the digital world started right. Packed with picture-taking tips and information on digital file formats, it explains how f/stops and shutter speeds work together to create an exposure, which focal lengths are best for various subjects, and how to get accurate color with white balance.- Great Photos with Your Digital SLR 60-minute DVD: This live-action tutorial demystifies digital shooting, and shows how to compose photos; choose the best picture-quality settings; improve results with the built-in flash; and interpret your histogram. Plus, see when to trust your cameras automatic settingsor change them yourself. - Quick Reference Wallet Card: This laminated take-along is an ideal in-the-field key to camera and menu operations.Theres nothing else like this on the market!


937 A 78-year-old man who underwent distal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction for gastric cancer presented with multiple bile duct stones. A short-type (length, 152 cm) single-balloon-enteroscope (SBE) with a 3.2 mm working channel (SIF-H290S; Olympus Medical, Tokyo, Japan) was used for balloon enteroscopy-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (Fig. 1A). Small endoscopic sphincterotomy combined with endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation (EPLBD) (15 mm) was performed (Fig. 1B), and small stones were easily extracted. However, a large, impacted stone remained in the common bile duct. A short-type SBE (outer diameter 9.2 mm) was inserted into the common bile duct via the dilated papilla (Fig. 2A, Supplementary Video 1). The impacted stone was directly visualized and was crushed using a 7 Fr stent retriever (Fig. 2B). Then, small pieces of the stones were successfully removed using a basket catheter and retrieval balloon without complications (Fig. 2C). Difficult bile duct stone removal is not uncommon. A balloon enteroscope is useful for stone removal in patients with surgically altered anatomy. In cases of large impacted stones, cholangioscopy-assisted lithotripsy is often necessary, but procedures using both SBE and cholangioscope are demanding. As an alternative method, we inserted a SBE into the common bile duct. There are a few technical tips to perform this procedure safely. First, the papilla needs to be dilated with EPLBD to enable the insertion of SBE into the common bile duct. Second, we used a stent retriever to crush the impacted stones. Although electronic hydraulic or laser lithotripsy are useful devices for impacted stone removal, they are expensive and have limited availability. On the other hand, a stent retriever is cheap and available in most institutions. Third, visualization of impacted stone is critical for safety. Even when the SBE cannot pass the papilla, repetitive insertion of a stent retriever over the guidewire can crush the impacted stone and make space for subsequent use of a basket catheter. As there is a risk of inflicting bile duct injury or insufficient crushing of impacted stones, it is better to visualize the impacted stone directly then crush it with a stent retriever. In this regard, the use of a short-type SBE combined with a stent retriever is a reasonable approach for the removal of impacted bile duct stones in patients with surgically altered anatomy. BRIEF REPORT


IgE-mediated allergy is a highly prevalent disease in the industrialized world. Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) should be the preferred treatment, as it has long lasting protective effects and can stop the progression of the disease. However, few allergic patients choose to undergo SIT, due to the long treatment time and potential allergic adverse events. Since the beneficial effects of SIT are mediated by antigen presenting cells inducing Th1, Treg and antibody responses, whereas the adverse events are caused by mast cells and basophils, the therapeutic window of SIT may be widened by targeting tissues rich in antigen presenting cells. Lymph nodes and the epidermis contain high density of dendritic cells and low numbers of mast cells and basophils. The epidermis has the added benefit of not being vascularised thereby reducing the chances of anaphylactic shock due to leakage of allergen. Hence, both these tissues represent highly promising routes for SIT and are the focus of discussion in this review.


Sedimentary slide deformation structures in the Lower Carboniferous (Dinantian) sediments of the Bowland basin show a spoon-shaped morphology with extension in the head region and compression in the toe. The particular structures developed depend on the rheological properties of the sediment involved. Slides in soft sediment have deformation distributed throughout the slide mass, with folding being the dominant deformation style. Slides within more lithified sediment have deformation concentrated along slip planes. Both types of deformation may be present within a particular slide, depending on diagenetic factors and the depth to which slide planes cut down. Disaggregation of slides to yield material for sediment gravity flows is explained by processes operating within the slide unit.


One of the enduring concerns of moral philosophy is deciding who or what is deserving of ethical consideration. We argue that this is solely due to an insufficient understanding of exactly what morality is and why it exists. To solve this, we draw from evolutionary biology/psychology, cognitive science, and economics to create a safe, stable, and self-correcting model that not only explains current human morality and answers the "machine question" but remains sensitive to current human intuitions, feelings, and logic while evoking solutions to numerous other urgent current and future dilemmas.


1. Pre-Miranda Questioning and Statements Typically, courts first inquire into the length and completeness of the pre-Miranda questioning (173) and statements. (174) To undermine the Miranda warning, the initial interaction between a suspect and the police must constitute a custodial interrogation, (175) which typically requires Miranda warnings to be administered before the interrogation may begin. (176) Some courts, however, have found that police did not execute a question-first procedure because initial Miranda warnings were not required due to an exception to the Miranda requirement with respect to the circumstances surrounding the questioning. (177) Other courts find initial Miranda warnings unnecessary due to the type of questioning during the pre-Miranda stage. (178) With respect to length of pre-Miranda questioning, some courts found it relevant to the pre-Miranda stage of the question-first inquiry whether pre-Miranda questioning was "short and cursory," (179) or consisted of "one" (180) or a similarly "limited number of questions." (181) With respect to the length of pre-Miranda statements, courts also round it relevant to the question-first inquiry whether a brief statement could overlap significantly with a detailed post-Miranda statement (182) or needed to be systematic and exhaustive to constitute a deliberate question-first procedure. (183) Many courts have justified the failure to provide Miranda warnings during the initial stage of questioning as exceptions to the Miranda requirement. (184) Other courts have voiced criticism of the use of exceptions. In United States v. Woodruff, the court found that the interrogating officer should have known his question was reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response. (185) In contrast, in United States v. Hernandez, the court asked whether it was "a foregone conclusion" that such a question would elicit information indicating criminal activity. (186) 2. Relationship Between Pre-Miranda and Post-Miranda Statements Circuit courts take slightly different approaches to the relationship between pre- and post-Miranda statements. Some courts focus exclusively on how related pre- and post-Miranda statements are to each other. (187) Other courts require that pre-Miranda and post-Miranda statements overlap. (188) This factor is significant because "[r]eference to the prewarning statement [is] an implicit suggestion that the mere repetition of the earlier statement was not independently incriminating." (189) Courts have justified their treatment of the relationship between pre-Miranda questioning and statements in two main ways: either the statements must overlap or the statements must be related. For example, in United States v. Torres-Lona, the Eighth Circuit round no overlap where the post-Miranda statement was not identical to the pre-Miranda statement. (190) Analogously, in Woodruff, the court round little overlap due to the different content of the two stages of questioning. (191) In contrast, in Edwards the D.C. Court of Appeals criticized the focus on overlap by courts. Specifically, the court argued that different pre- and post-Miranda statements that addressed the same crime were indicative of a deliberate question-first procedure because "limiting Seibert to full confessions would encourage police to withhold Miranda warnings at the beginning of interrogations and bring the suspect to the brink of confessing." (192) The relationship between pre-Miranda and post-Miranda statements influences how police may reference a pre-Miranda statement during a subsequent post-Miranda interrogation. (193) For example, a police officer may learn new information that allows her to ask informed, open-ended questions. 3. Referencing Pre-Miranda statements in Post-Miranda Interrogation Most courts evaluate whether post-Miranda questioning referenced pre-Miranda statements (194) and ask whether the police confronted the suspect with her prior statements. …


ABSTRACT Partnerships for Development (PfD) is the antidote that extractive industries have used over the last decade to counteract the proliferation of conflicts with local communities. Normatively, the concept of 'partnership' positions companies as actors on an equal footing with others in their attempts to collaborate to achieve development outcomes. This article analyses how the PfD strategy has been crafted and implemented in the extractive sector and assess its potential to contribute significantly to local development. Using the Foucauldian framework on power/knowledge and genealogy, we explain how, in a relatively short time, the interaction between context, preexisting discourses, and actors' interests shaped the PfD discourse and made it famous. The second part of the paper goes beyond the normative conceptualisation and analyses the implementation of PfD through the case studies of the Antamina copper mine in Peru and the Pacific Rubiales oil operation in Colombia. The companies use the PfD discourse to advance their interest vis-à-vis the different stakeholders, minimising the risk of conflicts and cultivating their reputation. These companies resort to the fragmentation of bargaining spaces and rely on the legitimacy provided by paid experts. The result is that PfD has limited capacity to promote local sustainable development.


A striking and clinically relevant virulence trait of the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans is its ability to grow and switch reversibly among different morphological forms. Inhibition of yeast-to-hypha transition in C. albicans represents a new paradigm for antifungal intervention. We have previously demonstrated the novel antifungal activity of purpurin against Candida fungi. In this study, we extended our investigation by examining the in vitro effect of purpurin on C. albicans morphogenesis and biofilms. The susceptibility of C. albicans biofilms to purpurin was examined quantitatively by 2,3-bis(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfo-phenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide reduction assay. Hyphal formation and biofilm ultrastructure were examined qualitatively by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to evaluate the expression of hypha-specific genes and hyphal regulator in purpurin-treated fungal cells. The results showed that, at sub-lethal concentration (3 µg/ml), purpurin blocked the yeast-to-hypha transition under hypha-inducing conditions. Purpurin also inhibited C. albicans biofilm formation and reduced the metabolic activity of mature biofilms in a concentration-dependent manner. SEM images showed that purpurin-treated C. albicans biofilms were scanty and exclusively consisted of aggregates of blastospores. qRT-PCR analyses indicated that purpurin downregulated the expression of hypha-specific genes (ALS3, ECE1, HWP1, HYR1) and the hyphal regulator RAS1. The data strongly suggested that purpurin suppressed C. albicans morphogenesis and caused distorted biofilm formation. By virtue of the ability to block these two virulence traits in C. albicans, purpurin may represent a potential candidate that deserves further investigations in the development of antifungal strategies against this notorious human fungal pathogen in vivo.


In this paper, we propose a novel personalized ranking system for amateur photographs. Although some of the features used in our system are similar to previous work, new features, such as texture, RGB color, portrait (through face detection), and black-and-white, are included for individual preferences. Our goal of automatically ranking photographs is not intended for award-wining professional photographs but for photographs taken by amateurs, especially when individual preference is taken into account. The performance of our system in terms of precision-recall diagram and binary classification accuracy (93%) is close to the best results to date for both overall system and individual features. Two personalized ranking user interfaces are provided: one is feature-based and the other is example-based. Although both interfaces are effective in providing personalized preferences, our user study showed that example-based was preferred by twice as many people as feature-based.


Numerous studies have shown that datacenter computers rarely operate at full utilization, leading to a number of proposals for creating servers that are energy proportional with respect to the computation that they are performing. In this paper, we show that as servers themselves become more energy proportional, the datacenter network can become a significant fraction (up to 50%) of cluster power. In this paper we propose several ways to design a high-performance datacenter network whose power consumption is more proportional to the amount of traffic it is moving -- that is, we propose energy proportional datacenter networks. We first show that a flattened butterfly topology itself is inherently more power efficient than the other commonly proposed topology for high-performance datacenter networks. We then exploit the characteristics of modern plesiochronous links to adjust their power and performance envelopes dynamically. Using a network simulator, driven by both synthetic workloads and production datacenter traces, we characterize and understand design tradeoffs, and demonstrate an 85% reduction in power --- which approaches the ideal energy-proportionality of the network. Our results also demonstrate two challenges for the designers of future network switches: 1) We show that there is a significant power advantage to having independent control of each unidirectional channel comprising a network link, since many traffic patterns show very asymmetric use, and 2) system designers should work to optimize the high-speed channel designs to be more energy efficient by choosing optimal data rate and equalization technology. Given these assumptions, we demonstrate that energy proportional datacenter communication is indeed possible.


Objectives
To estimate total mean usual micronutrient intakes (inclusive of dietary supplements (DS)), Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) adherence, and the % contribution of DS to total usual micronutrient intakes for U.S. adults (≥19y) using data from the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, n = 9474), by sex, age, and race and Hispanic origin groupings.

Methods
Dietary data were collected using two 24-hour recalls; DS data was collected via an in-home 30-day questionnaire that ascertained participants' usage in the past 30 days. The National Cancer Institute Method was used to estimate mean total usual micronutrient intakes and the proportion of the population complying with DRI by population subgroups: sex, age, and race and Hispanic origin.

Results
DS contributed substantially to meeting the DRI recommendations for several key nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, folate, zinc, and vitamins C, D, B6, and K in both men and women. However, approximately half of U.S. adults still failed to meet the estimated average requirement (EAR) for magnesium (45%), and vitamins C (35%), K (45%), and D (63%), even with the inclusion of DS. The proportion of total usual intakes < EAR was significantly higher in men than women for magnesium (46 v 42%) and vitamins C (39 v 32%), and D (66 v 59%). In both men and women, total intakes of folate, zinc, and vitamins A, D, and B12 increased with age. Vitamin D from DS contributed the most towards total intake for most sex and age groups, with the largest contribution being in older women (84%). Non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks and Hispanics had significantly lower total intake of vitamin D than those of NH Whites and Asians, while NH Whites and Hispanics had significantly higher total intakes of calcium than their NH Black and Asian counterparts.

Conclusions
Adherence to DRI recommendations for nutrient intake differs significantly by sex, race and other demographic characteristics. Dietary supplements substantially contribute to total intakes for several micronutrients among users; however, many population subgroups continue to be at risk for inadequacy for key nutrients.

Funding Sources
This work was supported through the National Institutes of Health.


We compare the welfare states and taxation regimes of the two largest economies in the world, China and the United States, from 1992 to 2017. We begin with a comparison of each country's net social wage—that is, the difference between total benefits received by and taxes paid by labor—using two established methods. While the net social wage in the two countries exhibited similar trends, the increasing net social wage has distinctly different implications in the two countries due to their specific historical trajectories in the neoliberal era. In the US, the increasing net social wage reflects an ambivalent and reluctant response to workers' social reproduction. In China, it reflects institutional changes in the welfare state, which we interpret as the Chinese state's attempt to resolve the social-reproduction crisis caused by neoliberal reforms of the 1990s.


Water temperature is an important control on processes in aquatic systems and particularly for freshwater fish, affecting growth, survival and demographic characteristics. In recognition of this importance, the Scottish Government has prioritised developing a robust national river temperature monitoring network. Advances in geographical information systems, spatial statistics and field data loggers make large-scale river temperature monitoring increasingly possible. However, duplication of environmental and thermal characteristics among monitoring sites means many networks have lower than expected statistical power. This paper describes a novel methodology for network design, illustrated by the development of the Scotland River Temperature Monitoring Network. A literature review identified processes controlling stream temperature and associated landscape controls. Metrics indicative of these landscape controls were calculated for points every 500 m along the river network. From these points, sites were chosen to cover the full range of observed environmental gradients and combinations of controlling variables. The resulting network contains sites with unique characteristics covering the range of relevant environmental characteristics observed in Scottish salmon rivers. The network will thus have minimal redundancy, often not seen in large networks, and high statistical power to separate the relative importance of predictor variables thereby allowing large-scale water temperature predictions.


Hazard awareness skills of young-novice drivers are receptive to training. Yet, there is no consensus on an optimal training program or acceptable measures to assess intervention effectiveness. The current study aimed to develop a driving Simulator based Hazard Perception Test (S-HPT) for assessing changes in awareness of hazards among trained young-novice driver, relative to a control group, and a group of experienced drivers (gold standard). Two urban environments were chosen for testing; residential district with narrow roads, and business district with wider roads. Fourteen scenarios consisting of potential situations known to differentiate between untrained young-novice and experienced drivers (e.g., limited field of view) with and without materialized situations were created. Data from 39 young-novice and 6 experienced drivers was analyzed. Using an allocation algorithm each young participant was assigned to one of three training interventions (AAHPT-Active, Hybrid or RAPT) or control. Driving speed was chosen as the measure of analysis since it indicates whether drivers have spotted a hazard, and what they chose to do to avoid it. It was sampled every 3 meters, approximately 400 times per scenario per driver group. A respective curve was fitted for each group. Differences in speed among driver groups were examined and comparisons between potentially hazardous scenarios and materialized ones were made. Results revealed that scenarios that required braking but not to a complete stop were the most diagnostic. The use of two environments demonstrated differences in group behaviours that would have not been seen if utilizing only one environment. Use of two comparisons, to control and to experienced drivers was reassuring as the results complemented. Where the resemblance of trainees was higher to control, they tended to resemble the experienced group less. The Active trainees bore more resemblance to the control in the residential scenarios while the RAPT and Hybrid bore more resemblance to the control in the business district scenarios. To conclude, generation of a variety of scenes in multiple traffic environments with- and without materialized hazards is a promising way for hazard awareness simulator test development. Group-related metrics and analyses are essential to investigate which conditions discriminate among driver groups.


Sensors can monitor physical attributes and record multimodal data in order to provide feedback. The application calligraphy trainer, exploits these affordances in the context of handwriting learning. It records the expert's handwriting performance to compute an expert model. The application then uses the expert model to provide guidance and feedback to the learners. However, new learners can be overwhelmed by the feedback as handwriting learning is a tedious task. This paper presents the pilot study done with the calligraphy trainer to evaluate the mental effort induced by various types of feedback provided by the application. Ten participants, five in the control group and five in the treatment group, who were Ph.D. students in the technology-enhanced learning domain, took part in the study. The participants used the application to learn three characters from the Devanagari script. The results show higher mental effort in the treatment group when all types of feedback are provided simultaneously. The mental efforts for individual feedback were similar to the control group. In conclusion, the feedback provided by the calligraphy trainer does not impose high mental effort and, therefore, the design considerations of the calligraphy trainer can be insightful for multimodal feedback designers.


Markov Regenerative Stochastic Petri Nets (MRSPN) have been recently recognized as a valuable tool to model systems with non-exponential timed activities. The usual assumption in the implementation of such models is that at most a single non-exponential transition, with associated enabling memory policy, can be enabled in each marking. More recently, new memory policies have been studied in order to represent more complex and eeective preemption mechanisms in real systems. Closed-form solutions in the Laplace transform domain have been provided also in this case. This paper concentrates on the steady-state analysis of MRSPN and provides an uniied analytical approach to include mixed memory policies into a single model. A numerical example concludes the paper.


In general, our examination suggests that in the absence of a universal guaranteed income program for all Americans, the operational flexibility of the categorical eligibility criteria for SSI has made the program sensitive to both downturns in the business cycle and to increases in the pool of vulnerable people. Moreover, when the dividing lines separating the working-age adult and child populations eligible for SSI from those eligible for other income-based benefits are imprecise, as with disability, policy changes in other welfare programs likely will affect SSI caseloads.


The aim is to assess the impact of YouTube videos about academic writing and its skills on the writing performance of students. Theoretical perspectives from constructivism and associated learning models are used to inform the purpose of the research. The contextual setting is matriculation students awaiting admission to higher institutions. The population is 40 students belonging to a class aimed at assisting disadvantaged students in their academic writing in Scottsville, Province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The students are broken into two groups – control/traditional teaching and the treatment/YouTube facilitated groups. Consequently, a dominant qualitative approach is adopted using focus group discussion, interviews and tests to identify underlying patterns, methods and approaches to best fit academic writing guides and videos to improve user experiences of the media for academic writing. The fundamental results show that positive characterisations of user experiences include innovation, surprise, playfulness and stimulation whereas the narratives that are not satisfying are categorised as dissatisfaction, frustration, dissolution, disappointment, anger, confusion and irritation. Ultimately, the major findings of the research have the potential to improve user experiences on the platform by highlighting how and when the positive and negative experiences of users occur and a mapping of the differences in the academic writing performance between the two groups and best practices. Finally, the results have implications for pedagogy the fitting of YouTube videos to academic writing instruction.


Hydrogeological properties of tills are highly dependent upon factors as grain-size distribution, compaction, orientation of particles, presence of fractures and occurrence of sorted sediments. These factors are again dependent upon the till forming processes. Lodgement tills formed under active, temperate sliding glaciers are usually compact, rather homogeneous and in many cases they are fractured. Melt-out tills deposited in connection with stagnant ice are in most cases less dense, have a lower content of fine-grained particles and a higher abundance of sorted sediment lenses. Flow tills which are mainly formed by a secondary flow of supraglacial debris are commonly very variable, they may have a low content of fine-grained components, a low degree of compaction and they are often closely connected with sorted glaciofluvial sediments. Till genesis is in many cases difficult to interpret, and an objective description of all main characteristics of the till is important in hydrogeological studies. The lodgement till has a lower effective porosity than the melt-out and flow tills due to its finer grain-sizes and higher compactness. The saturated hydraulic conductivity is lower, and dependent upon the fracture pattern. In melt-out tills and flow tills the occurrence of well sorted sediments will in many cases control the hydraulic conductivity. In all till types the structural properties are most important for the saturated water flow.


The pipe-soil interaction is studied by using the finite element software, ABAQUS/CAE Version 6.5-1 as a symmetric model of embankment installation to study the effect of bedding property and thickness on pipe-soil interaction with increase in the height of fill. A three-dimensional finite element model (FEM) of the concrete pipe and surrounding soil is developed. The FEM is capable of simulating material, geometric, and contact nonlinearities which employs a nonlinear incremental solution algorithm. Several different element types and mesh size were tested to obtain the optimum converged mesh. These elements were eight-noded linear brick (C3D8R) and six-noded linear triangular prism (C3D6) for modeling of the concrete pipe and surrounding soil. The behavior of the 3-D model is investigated by varying the pipe diameter, backfill height, bedding thickness, and bedding material. Three material constitutive relationships of soil involving in the model are gravelly sand (Sn), sandy silt (Si), and silty clay (CL). To study the effect of bedding thickness on the pipe wall, due to the increment of backfill soil depth, contact elements were employed in the interface between each two regions. The lateral boundaries and model length were also studied for the converged solution. A parametric study was conducted to study the effects of bedding thicknesses 7.5 cm (3 in), 12.5 cm (5 in), 17.5 cm (7 in), and 22.5 cm (9 in) with backfill heights 6 m (20 ft), 12 m (40 ft), 18 m (60 ft), 24 m (80 ft), and 30 m (100 ft). The different types of material used for the inside bedding zone are as follows: Si70; Si90; Sn85; and Sn90. The results show the increase in bedding thickness reduces tensile stress at crown, springline, and especially invert of the pipe wall depending on the material property. This means the change in material property and compaction level has a greater effect on the reduction of tensile stresses than the effect from the variation of bedding thicknesses. Also, materials with lower bedding stiffness (high deformability characteristics) cause greater reduction in induced stresses. This study shows that for commonly used bedding material (Sn90), the effect of the increase in bedding thickness has a minimal effect on stress reduction of the pipes studied.