Abnormalities in sensed data streams indicate the spread of malicious attacks, hardware failure and software corruption among the different nodes in a wireless sensor network. These factors of node infection can affect generated and incoming data streams resulting in high chances of inaccurate data, misleading packet translation, wrong decision making and severe communication disruption. This problem is detrimental to real-time applications having stringent quality-of-service (QoS) requirements. The sensed data from other uninfected regions might also get stuck in an infected region should no prior alternative arrangements are made. Although several existing methods (BOUNDHOLE and GAR) can be used to mitigate these issues, their performance is bounded by some limitations, mainly the high risk of falling into routing loops and involvement in unnecessary transmissions. This paper provides a solution to by-pass the infected nodes dynamically using a twin rolling balls technique and also divert the packets that are trapped inside the identified area. The identification of infected nodes is done by adapting a Fuzzy data clustering approach which classifies the nodes based on the fraction of anomalous data that is detected in individual data streams. This information is then used in the proposed by-passed routing (BPR) which rotates two balls in two directions simultaneously: clockwise and counter-clockwise. The first node that hits any ball in any direction and is uninfected, is selected as the next hop. We are also concerned with the incoming packets or the packets-on-the-fly that may be affected when this problem occurs. Besides solving both of the problems in the existing methods, the proposed BPR technique has greatly improved the studied QoS parameters as shown by almost 40 percent increase in the overall performance.


Although women make up a minority of homicide convictions in England and Wales, this is a statistically and socially significant minority. Their comparatively minor involvement in such criminal behaviour has resulted in a comparatively small (but growing) body of research engaging with such cases. Much of emerging scholarly work argues that these women are constructed in relation to their deviance from appropriate femininity and are ultimately constructed as 'mad', 'bad' or 'victims', depending on the circumstances surrounding their cases and whether they successfully use any legal defences (see for example: Seal, 2010; Weare, 2013).
This paper utilises corpus linguistic tools on a specialised corpus of courtroom language to explore constructions of women who kill. This group might be considered triply deviant, for: 1) being a small minority group, in 2) committing a very serious crime, which 3) goes against traditional conceptions of appropriate feminine behaviour. Though socio-cultural conceptions of gender should not contribute to legal proceedings, we will demonstrate how judge's sentencing remarks routinely stereotype women who kill, further 'othering' them, removing their agency, and seemingly impacting the sentencing outcome.

This paper illustrates some of the latest work being undertaken at the legal- linguistic interface. Using methods from corpus linguistics, we analysed recurrent (statistically significant) patterns in a collection of sentencing remarks to explore how female defendants are routinely constructed. Analysis is based on a custom- collected corpus of English Crown Courts sentencing remarks, 2012-2015, where a jury has found a woman guilty of unlawful killing. At present, the corpus contains 17 sentencing remarks comprising over 50,000 tokens total. The corpus is analysed in SketchEngine (https://www.sketchengine.co.uk), making use of XML compatibility and WordSketch features.

The small size of the corpus reflects the comparatively small number of women convicted of a homicide offence, but has allowed for full reading of the texts and manual XML annotation (Hardie, 2014) of salient features therein. This approach allowed us to search for all references to women who kill using single query, and to view all instances in context. Based on this, we could indicate frequency of naming strategies and calculate collocates of women who kill, which informed our discussion about the social construction of these participants by judges in sentencing remarks.

Women who kill are referred to 1,809 times in the corpus. Several findings emerged from our initial analysis. Frequency analysis of the textual contents of the XML tags provides insight into common referencing strategies. These women were most frequently referred to directly by the judge using the second person pronoun, but additional functionalization (van Leeuwen, 2008) and nomination strategies construed these homicidal women in terms of familial position, e.g. "you, Keanu's mother". The use of such nomination strategies construing these women in terms of familial position also reflects the perceived gendered deviance of women who kill, who have both departed from, and undermined, their roles as the care-givers and
nurturers within society. Annotating all references to a class of social actor also allows for collocation on this group (including even low-frequency instances). Collocations—with concordance analysis—have initially showed a lack of agency associated with women who kill. Verbal processes and mental processes of emotion associate most strongly with women who kill, while active, material processes are much less frequent and are of lower statistical significance. As a result, rather than acknowledging the choice of these women in relation to their homicidal behaviours (which would, in turn, actively challenge existing gender discourse), excuses and explanations are typically invoked when exploring their offending, and the women offenders are routinely constructed as being controlled by mental illness or deviant sexual impulses, or victimised by others.

We sum up by reflecting on the strengths and limitations of working with a very small, extremely specialised corpus of legal language. This work contributes to both legal and linguistic studies. From a corpus linguistic perspective, close reading and manual annotation of features is increasingly rare. From a legal perspective, applying corpus linguistic approaches to legal texts allows for a previously unexplored depth of analysis of these texts to be undertaken. In turn, this allows us to further develop understandings of the discourses and narratives that emerge and thus take steps to combat those that are problematic and damaging.


Ongoing global warming induced by anthropogenic emissions has opened the debate as to whether geoengineering is a 'quick fix' option. Here we analyse the intended and unintended effects of one specific geoengineering approach, which is enhanced weathering via the open ocean dissolution of the silicate-containing mineral olivine. This approach would not only reduce atmospheric CO2 and oppose surface ocean acidification, but would also impact on marine biology. If dissolved in the surface ocean, olivine sequesters 0.28 g carbon per g of olivine dissolved, similar to land-based enhanced weathering. Silicic acid input, a byproduct of the olivine dissolution, alters marine biology because silicate is in certain areas the limiting nutrient for diatoms. As a consequence, our model predicts a shift in phytoplankton species composition towards diatoms, altering the biological carbon pumps. Enhanced olivine dissolution, both on land and in the ocean, therefore needs to be considered as ocean fertilization. From dissolution kinetics we calculate that only olivine particles with a grain size of the order of 1 μm sink slowly enough to enable a nearly complete dissolution. The energy consumption for grinding to this small size might reduce the carbon sequestration efficiency by ∼30%.


A major development in recent research on the multinational enterprise (MNE) is the increased attention given to the interdependent, differentiated roles of the subsidiaries and their implications for MNE and subsidiary management. Paralleling this development is the shift away from studying subsidiaries as subunits to be controlled by the headquarters to investigating what subsidiaries do and how their activities can help develop firm-specific advantages. This volume includes contributions from leading scholars in the field from North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Different from the traditional, single-discipline based investigation, it presents a multi-disciplinary approach to researching subsidiary dynamics and its effective management, with a focus on three important issues: the role of the headquarters within the context of subsidiaries as members of a differentiated, interdependent network; the development of subsidiary capabilities and their impact on firm performance; and, subsidiaries as learning agents for the MNE, particularly in emerging markets such as China.


Investing in Water Quality: Measuring Benefits, Costs and Risks, explores the methods and analytical tools available for making better investment decisions when our knowledge of the costs and benefits of water quality improvement is imprecise and the future is uncertain. The study demonstrates how water quality and economic analysis models can be integrated to measure the net benefits of improvement in ambient water quality, quantify the degree of project risk introduced by imperfect knowledge, and reach informed investment decisions that reflect local preferences. This is an indispensable guide for anyone working to reduce urban water pollution in developing countries.


Prior evidence has shown appraised values of residential properties are biased, but the mechanism and motivation of appraisers to bias their estimates are unclear. We construct a database of 25.3 million comparable transactions selected and used by appraisers to estimate 6.5 million property values associated with a home purchase from 2013 until 2017. The primary source of introduced bias we identify is in the weights appraisers assign to individual comparable transactions after already adjusting for observable attributes. We find appraisers use unequal weighting to increase appraised values to match contract price for over 69% of properties if an otherwise equal weighting would have resulted in an appraised value under that amount. This unequal weighting resulted in an additional 23% of properties having an appraised value at least equal to contract price. Using appraiser-specific fixed effects, we show appraisers were most likely to apply differential weights to confirm contract price for the properties associated with financial institutions, loan officers, and real estate brokers they worked with most frequently. We discuss potential reforms to offset such biases in the conclusion.


Recent advances in smart device technologies have enabled a new computing paradigm in which large amounts of data are stored and processed on mobile devices. Despite the available powerful hardware, the actual capabilities of mobile devices are rather limited as they are often battery powered. This paper explores data caching for k-out-of-n computing in mobile cloud environments, with the goal of distributing data in a way that the expected future energy consumption for nodes to retrieve data is minimized, while preserving reliability. More specifically, we propose to place data caches (in addition to the originally stored data) based on the actual data access patterns and the network topology. Consequently, we formulate the cache placement optimization problem and propose a centralized caching framework that optimally solves the problem and a distributed solution that approximates the optimal solution. The distributed caching framework (DC) learns data access patterns by sniffing packets and informing a resident cache daemon about popular data items. Extensive evaluations are carried out through both simulations and a proof-of-concept hardware implementation. The results show that our proposed DC effectively improves the energy efficiency by up to 70% when compared with a no-caching framework, and even outperforms the centralized framework when taking the overhead into account.


The radical reform of potable water services provisioning by means of promulgation of the Water Services Act 108 of 1997 and the National Water Act 36 of 1998 in South Africa (SA) started a process of addressing the imbalance which existed in how the national resource was distributed. Water is now recognised as a scarce resource that belongs to all the people of the country and consequently it should be managed in an integrated way for social and economic development including future growth (Fuggle and Rabie 2005:293; Riemann, Chimboza and Fubesi 2012:446). The provision of potable water by water services authorities (WSAs) is an important basic service that faces a number of challenges such as the use of out-dated infrastructure and a lack of skilled and knowledgeable people that place overt pressure on demand for service delivery. It is against this background that the researchers have undertaken to investigate how a municipality which is forced to obtain its potable water supply from nearby surface- and groundwater catchments, can manage it in a more effective, efficient, equal, economic and sustainable manner by means of improved planning procedures to enhance co-operative governance and intergovernmental relations. A qualitative research design was used to conduct the study, which included a literature review, semi-structured interviews, non-probability data sampling and scientific analyses of responses. Furthermore, a case-study approach was followed by the researchers, with Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality (Dr KKDM) as the unit of analysis (the locus). The major research finding of the study included that a Water Sector Plan (WSP) was lacking and non-existent in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality (Dr KKDM) and therefore water services delivery could not be coordinated effectively.


This article is a Reply to the critique by Black, Hyman, and Silver (BHS) of our 2007 Journal of Legal Studies article, "An Empirical Assessment of Early Offer Reform for Medical Malpractice." The early offer reform gives insurers the option of making an early offer that will expedite payment of claimants' economic losses and reasonable attorney fees. Using data on closed medical malpractice claims from the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), our 2007 article estimates the financial impact of this proposal by comparing the expected payments to claimants under the early offer reform to the payments under current tort rules. A central component of our calculation of expected payments is unique information on insurers' reserves associated with the claim; actual payments are reported in the TDI data for all litigated and settled cases involving payments of at least $10,000. The BHS article misrepresents fundamental aspects of our empirical analysis, including the following. BHS set out to correct our purported "false assumption" that all claims have a 1.0 probability of success, which is a problem that arises because BHS omit the probability of claimant success from the formula that is presented in our paper. BHS's error is compounded as their discussion of our paper fails to recognize that our use of reserve amounts in the analysis incorporates the insurers' estimates of the likelihood of claimant success, Indeed, they neither acknowledge our use of the insurer reserve data, nor do they use the insurer reserve information in their paper. BHS claim incorrectly that our analysis does not discount deferred payments whereas in fact it does. Our early offer analysis uses data for both litigated and settled claims, avoiding the selection bias and measurement error problems associated with BHS's extrapolation from the 2% of paid claims that are litigated to the universe of all settled and litigated claims. In addition to these and other errors in their characterization of our empirical analysis, the BHS article reflects a misunderstanding of the operation of the early offer reform, which leads them to erroneous statements regarding how the parties would behave if the early offer reform were implemented. We also provide a brief critique of the BHS two-sided version of the early offer proposal, which would not be workable and would not reduce litigation costs significantly.


The purpose of this thesis is to examine the teaching of English as a foreign language in Zaire in general and Eastern Kasai in particular. For it is evident from personal experience and evidence from examination results that this learning is in general not satisfactory, and particularly poor as far as learners' mastery of oral fluency is concerned. The aim of the thesis is therefore to analyze the learning situation in order to clarify the factors which might be causing this unsatisfactory situation. We take two approaches to this analysis: a theoretical review of the situation and an empirical study of teaching and learning. The thesis thus falls into four parts. In Part One, we describe the learners' historical and sociolinguistic background and the Zairean educational situation in general and the problems of teaching English in particular. In Part Two, we review the situation in Zaire -and in Eastern Kasai in particular- by an analysis of the literature on language learning and the insights it can give us into the Zairean problem. This review deals first with issues in foreign language teaching. It also focusses however on literature on bilingualism since Zairean learners are always bilingual in, at least, one local language and the French they learn on entry to the education system. Intuitively, we might assume that bilingual learners will be at an advantage in learning a foreign language, and Zairean learners should therefore be in a good position to learn English. Our review of the relevant literature examines the objective evidence for this intuitive assumption and suggests that, other things being equal, bilingual individuals should be good learners of foreign languages. We conclude therefore that other factors in the situation may be responsible for the unsatisfactory standards. Part Three is an analysis of some of those factors, based on an empirical investigation. It is at this point that the thesis focusses more precisely on Eastern Kasai where fieldwork was carried out. Pupils and students, teachers, and inspectors and administrators were given questionnaires and interviews, and lessons were observed in four secondary schools. Many factors were found to be causing problems in EFL learning. Part Four deals with the most important of these factors and their implications, our recommendations for future practice and further research, and the conclusion., The following factors were identified as having a detrimental effect on this learning: learners' lack of motivation to go on/ perseverance, which is caused by the overemphasis teaching methods put on accuracy. This in turn means that every thing done or said in lessons is teacher-centred and teacher-dominated, and this contributes to a reduction in the already scarce opportunities and frequencies of use of English by the learners. We therefore recommend that, to increase learners' motivation to learn (to speak) English, teaching methods and teachers should allow them much more freedom of speech, thus stressing (oral) fluency. This will result in these learners opening up, and in methods becoming more learner-oriented, with the ultimate aim of having them learner-centred. In our conclusion, we give a summary of the thesis, namely its purpose, the way we followed to reach it, the results we got, and our recommendations for future practice and research.


A patient with a bilateral striatal lesion secondary to anoxia presented reflex blepharospasm associated with parkinsonism and dystonia in the limbs. The blink reflex excitability curve was enhanced and the R‐2 response prolonged as in patients with essential blepharospasm. The findings in this patient support the notion that blepharospasm may be secondary to basal ganglia dysfunction through abnormal facilitation of reticular formation neurons controlling facial nucleus motoneuron excitability.


Recent work emphasizes the primacy of differences in countries' colonially-bequeathed property rights and legal systems for explaining differences in their subsequent economic development. Barbados and Jamaica provide a striking counter example to this long-run view of income determination. Both countries inherited property rights and legal institutions from their English colonial masters yet experienced starkly different growth trajectories in the aftermath of independence. From 1960 to 2002, Barbados' GDP per capita grew roughly three times as fast as Jamaica's. Consequently, the income gap between Barbados and Jamaica is now almost five times larger than at the time of independence. Since their property rights and legal systems are virtually identical, recent theories of development cannot explain the divergence between Barbados and Jamaica. Differences in macroeconomic policy choices, not differences in institutions, account for the heterogeneous growth experiences of these two Caribbean nations.


Fleur Adcock is one of Britain's most accomplished poets. Her poised, ironic poems are tense and tightly controlled as well as shrewdly laconic, and often chilling as she unmasks the deceptions of love or unravels family lives. Disarmingly conversational in style, they are remarkable for their psychological insight and their unsentimental, mischievously casual view of personal relationships. Born in New Zealand, she has explored questions of identity and rootedness throughout her work, both in relation to her personal allegiances to her native and adopted countries as well as her family history, whose long-dead characters she brings to life. She has also written movingly of birth, death and bereavement, and has tackled political issues with honest indignation and caustic wit. This first Collected edition of her poetry replaces her Selected Poems, with the addition of work from her later Oxford collections The Incident Book, Time-Zones and Looking Back. All her most celebrated poems are here, from the highly entertaining 'Against Coupling', 'Smokers For Celibacy' and 'The Prize-Winning Poem' to modern classics such as 'The Ex-Queen Amongst the Astronomers' and 'Things' - as well as the notorious one about kissing John Prescott 'Adcock has a deceptively laid-back tone, through which the sharper edge of her talent is encountered like a razor blade in a peach' Carol Ann Duffy, Guardian 'Most of Fleur Adcock's best poems have something to do with bed: she writes well about sex, very well about illness, and very well indeed about dreaming Her imagination thrives on what threatens her peace of mind, and only when she is unguarded can these threats have their full creative effect. Hence the importance of bed: it is the place where the elegant artful barriers that she builds from day to day are most easily over-thrown Throughout her writing life, she has made a fine art from holding on to principles of orderliness and good clear sense; but she has made an even finer one from loosening her grip on them' Andrew Motion, TLS 'Adcock's reputation has been founded on her spare, conversational poems, in which the style is deceptively simple, apparently translucentthose who see in such poems only flatness are missing the power of a voice which teases both reader and subject' Jo Shapcott, TLS


BACKGROUND
The grading of liver fibrosis relies on liver biopsy. Imaging techniques, including elastography and relaxometric, techniques have had varying success in diagnosing moderate fibrosis. The goal of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between the T2-relaxation time of hepatic parenchyma and the histologic grade of liver fibrosis in patients with hepatitis C undergoing both routine, liver MRI and liver biopsy, and to validate our methodology with phantoms and in a rat model of liver fibrosis.

METHODS
This study is composed of three parts: (I) 123 patients who underwent both routine, clinical liver MRI and biopsy within a 6-month period, between July 1999 and January 2010 were enrolled in a retrospective study. MR imaging was performed at 1.5 T using dual-echo turbo-spin echo equivalent pulse sequence. T2 relaxation time of liver parenchyma in patients was calculated by mono-exponential fit of a region of interest (ROI) within the right lobe correlating to histopathologic grading (Ishak 0-6) and routine serum liver inflammation [aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT)]. Statistical comparison was performed using ordinary logistic and ordinal logistic regression and ANOVA comparing T2 to Ishak fibrosis without and using AST and ALT as covariates; (II) a phantom was prepared using serial dilutions of dextran coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. T2 weighed imaging was performed by comparing a dual echo fast spin echo sequence to a Carr-Purcell-Meigboom-Gill (CPMG) multi-echo sequence at 1.5 T. Statistical comparison was performed using a paired t-test; (III) male Wistar rats receiving weekly intraperitoneal injections of phosphate buffer solution (PBS) control (n=4 rats); diethylnitrosamine (DEN) for either 5 (n=5 rats) or 8 weeks (n=4 rats) were MR imaged on a Bruker Pharmascan 4.7 T magnet with a home-built bird-cage coil. T2 was quantified by using a mono-exponential fitting algorithm on multi-slice multi echo T2 weighted data. Statistical comparison was performed using ANOVA.

RESULTS
(I) Histopathologic evaluation of both rat and human livers demonstrated no evidence of steatosis or hemochromatosis There was a monotonic increase in mean T2 value with increasing degree of fibrosis (control 65.4±2.9 ms, n=6 patients); mild (Ishak 1-2) 66.7±1.9 ms (n=30); moderate (Ishak 3-4) 71.6±1.7 ms (n=26); severe (Ishak 5-6) 72.4±1.4 ms (n=61); with relatively low standard error (~2.9 ms). There was a statistically significant difference between degrees of mild (Ishak <4) vs. moderate to severe fibrosis (Ishak >4) (P=0.03) based on logistic regression of T2 and Ishak, which became insignificant (P=0.07) when using inflammatory markers as covariates. Expanding on this model using ordinal logistic regression, there was significance amongst all 4 groups comparing T2 to Ishak (P=0.01), with significance using inflammation as a covariate (P=0.03) and approaching statistical significance amongst all groups by ANOVA (P=0.07); (II) there was a monotonic increase in T2 and statistical significance (ANOVA P<0.0001) between each rat subgroup [phosphate buffer solution (PBS) 25.2±0.8, DEN 5-week (31.1±1.5), and DEN 9-week (49.4±0.4) ms]; (III) the phantoms that had T2 values within the relevant range for the human liver (e.g., 20-100 ms), demonstrated no statistical difference between two point fits on turbo spin echo (TSE) data and multi-echo CPMG data (P=0.9).

CONCLUSIONS
The finding of increased T2 with liver fibrosis may relate to inflammation that may be an alternative or adjunct to other noninvasive MR imaging based approaches for assessing liver fibrosis.


Patient: Male, 74 Final Diagnosis: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) Symptoms: Palpable abdominal mass Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair Specialty: Surgery Objective: Rare disease Background: Coronary artery disease is common in elderly patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms. Here we report a case of the combination of surgical repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm and off-pump and minimally invasive coronary artery bypass surgery. Case Report: A 74-year-old man who presented at our clinic with chest pain was diagnosed with an abdominal aortic aneurysm. His medical history included right coronary artery stenting. Physical examination revealed a pulsatile abdominal mass on the left side and palpable peripheral pulses. Computed tomography scans showed an infrarenal abdominal aneurysm with a 61-mm enlargement. Coronary angiography revealed 80% stenosis in the stent within the right coronary artery and 20% stenosis in the left main coronary artery. The patient underwent elective coronary artery bypass grafting and abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair and transdiaphragmatic off-pump and minimal invasive coronary artery bypass grafting with right gastroepiploic artery were performed simultaneously in a single surgery. Conclusions: We report this case to emphasize the safety and effectiveness of transdiaphragmatic off-pump and minimally invasive coronary artery bypass surgery with abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. This combined approach shortens hospital stay and decreases cost.


We present photodissociation spectroscopy and computational analysis of three monocationic Cu-bipyridine complexes with one additional ligand of different interaction strength (N2, H2O and Cl) in the visible and UV. All three complexes show similar ππ* bands with origins slightly above 4 eV and vibrational band contours that are due to bipyridine ring deformation modes. Experiments at low temperature show that excited-state lifetime is the limiting factor for the width of the vibrational features. In the case of Cl as a ligand, there is a lower lying bright ligand-to-ligand charge-transfer state around 2.75 eV. The assignment of the transitions was made based on equation-of-motion coupled-cluster calculations. While the nature of the ligand does not significantly change the position of the bright ππ* state, it drastically changes the excited-state dynamics.


The risk to develop a substance use disorder (SUD) is a significant public health concern, particularly as it relates to prevention and intervention strategies. Elucidation of the possible precursors to SUD is an objective of this study. The main purpose of this research was to evaluate the relationship between the child's perception of parental behavior and his/her risk for SUD as measured by an index of transmissible liability (TLI). Previous research points to a relationship between parental behavior and behavior problems in the child, which includes substance use disorders. Additionally, much of this research suggests the presence of genetic effects contributing to the individual variation in these traits. Participants were self-selected twin pairs and at least one parent attending the Twins Days Festival (Twinsburg, OH) in 2006 and 2007. Biometrical genetic analysis was applied to the sample of twin pairs on a measure of parental behavior perception (PB) and the TLI. Results of the research indicate that children's perception of parental behavior is associated with liability for substance use disorders. It was found that the variation in parental behavior perception is due to shared and unique environmental effects, whereas the TLI has a high heritability (h2 = 0.79). The study also validates the liability index as a measure of transmissible risk for substance use disorders as well as provides support for the PB scale as a measure of an aspect of the child's environment.


. With the growing adoption of IoT and sensor technologies, an enormous amount of data is being produced at a very rapid pace and in different application domains. This sensor data consists mostly of live data streams containing sensor observations, generated in a distributed fashion by multiple heterogeneous infrastructures with minimal or no interoperability. RDF streams emerged as a model to represent data streams, and RDF Stream Processing (RSP) refers to a set of technologies to process such data. RSP research has produced several successful results and scientific output, but it can be evidenced that in most of the cases the Web dimension is marginal or missing. It also noticeable the lack of proper infrastructures to enable the exchange of RDF streams over heterogeneous and different types of RSP systems, whose features may vary from data generation to querying, and from reasoning to visualisation. This article defines a set of requirements related to the creation of a web of RDF stream processors. These requirements are then used to analyse the current state of the art, and to build a novel proposal, WeSP, which addresses these concerns.


To understand the mechanism for hydrogen-induced embrittlement in a nickel-based superalloy, detailed electronmicroscopy characterisation has been employed on the UNS N07718 (Alloy 718) after hydrogen charging and slow strain rate testing to investigate the strain localisation and damage accumulation caused by hydrogen. Transmission Electron Microscopy analysis demonstrates that the microstructure of the material after tension is characterised by planar dislocation slip bands (DSBs) along {111}γ planes. Consistent results from Electron Channeling Contrast Imaging (ECCI) reveals that cracks always propagate along planar DSBs in the presence of hydrogen. This phenomenon is rationalised by the evident nucleation of nanoscale voids along the DSBs, especially at the intersections between nonparallel DSBs. The proposed mechanism, confirmed by both the ECCI analysis and fractographic study by Scanning Electron Microscopy, indicates that the interaction between the hydrogen and dislocations along the DSBs leads to void nucleation. Furthermore, the results suggest that coalescence and widening of voids via the dislocation process promote the crack propagation along the DSBs in hydrogen charged Alloy 718.


As renewable energy requirements increases, its relation with development is controversial. In this study, by taking human development index for development level, the relationship between renewable electricity net generation values and development has been searched with panel analysis. Study covers two different time periods: 1980-2010 with 5 year data to analyze long term effects and 2005-2010 yearly data for short term effects. Unlike previous studies, energy generation has been taken into consideration for it is thought to be more related with economic development. It is found that in the long run economic development will be leading to renewable energy production, while in the short run there exists a bidirectional causal relationship between renewable energy production and economic development. In addition, the causal relationship between economic development and renewable energy production varies both in the long run and in the short run due to human development level of the countries.


Who is a true witness? With the publication of Giorgio Agamben's Remnants of Auschwitz: The witness and the archive (1999), the scope of witnessing has become a deeply contested field. Is the true witness the one who does not survive, the Muselmann? Departing from Agamben, this research project argues that those who bear witness do so to convey the conditions that they lived through and survived or are enduring at present, thereby rejecting the burden of inauthenticity that their story is positioned at the expense of those who have been forced out of sight. They testify through speech or silences, mourning privately and publicly, remembering by memorialising or chronicling their journey from down to the nethermost on the spectrum of bare life, retrospectively or in an ongoing context of atrocity.

Focusing on Kashmir, through field research from 2013-2015, to bring to light the structures of militarisation and acquiescence, this research brings to the fore personal narratives of people exposed to everyday violence to engage with the dominant scholarship in order to redefine the scope of witnessing. It explores the multiplicities of witnesses and the acts of bearing witness through three figures, namely, the mother of the disappeared, the local medical worker and the gravedigger of the unmarked mass graves in Kashmir, to point out the heterogeneities of bearing witness. The three figures suggest a spectrum of witnessing to a body: its absence, its reduction and its final departure, and at the same time, they bear witness to their own conditions of disposability. In so doing, there is a shift from an individual act, as advanced by Agamben, to the formation of collective forms of witnessing through a connection with the body, subsequent attachments and practices like public grieving. Departing from the understanding that the act of bearing witness is performed only when a violent event is over, this research will widen the scope by including the voices from an ongoing violent conflict in Kashmir to suggest the precarious existence in a camp and the possibilities of witnessing. This research project attempts to understand the techniques of witnessing by the actors in conflict as forms of truth telling and as a reflexive relationship through which people respond to their marginalisation by the state. Penalisation of public mourning in Kashmir suggests 'the courage of truth' and its relation with politics.

With those propositions in mind to broaden the scope and shift the perspective, this research argues that bearing witness is a vital task to foreground one's grieving self and intervene in the production of the truth of unacknowledged violence.


This paper presents the design, development and construction process of an experimental rotating room to study the performance of complex fenestration systems (CFS). The room, of 600 ft2 represents a workspace of 20 ft wide, 30 ft deep and 11 ft high with two windows 9' wide by 5' high. The room was built with Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) over a metal structure on four casters that can rotate 360 degrees around a central axis. The room has high performance windows, automated external louvers, energy efficient lighting, lighting controls, DALI controller, and a horizontal passive solar light pipe system. Data collected in this facility will serve to evaluate the energy consumption and lighting performance of integrated building technologies. Visual comfort will be assessed at different viewpoints in the testing room to detect glare, contrast, and compare them with occupant's responses.


Sexual dysfunctions are commonly seen in women on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The complexities of female sexual functioning are reflected through modulation of inter- playing factors like the neuropsychophysiological factors, inter-personal and relationship issue, psychiatric co-morbidities and physical disorder. The incidence of SSRIs-induced FSD is difficult to estimate because of the potential confounding effects of SSRIs, presence of polypharmacy, marital effect, socio-cultural factors and due to the design and assessment problems in majority of the studies. The exact mechanism of FSD-induced SSRIs is unknown. It has been postulated that although SSRIs may modulate other neurotransmitter system such as nitric oxide (NO), noradrenergic and dopamine in inducing FSD. In the present review, we highlight current evidence regarding potential mechanism of SSRIs in causing FSD, which include low sexual desire (low libido), arousal difficulties (lack of lubrication), and anorgasmia. The specific association of FSD to SSRI use, has not been ellucidated. The relationship is dose-dependent, and may vary among the groups with respect to mechanism of serotonin and dopamine reuptake, induction of release of prolactin from the pituitary gland, anticholinergic side-effects, inhibition of NO synthesis and emotional-memory circuit encryption for sexual experiences. Various interventional strategies exist regarding the treatment of SSRI-induced FSD and this includes tolerance, titration dosage, substitution to another antidepressant drug and psychotherapy. There is a need of better understanding of SSRIs-induced FSD for better treatment outcome.


Abstract. Tide gauge (TG) records are affected by vertical land motion (VLM), causing them to observe relative instead of geocentric sea level. VLM can be estimated from global navigation satellite system (GNSS) time series, but only a few TGs are equipped with a GNSS receiver. Hence, (multiple) neighboring GNSS stations can be used to estimate VLM at the TG. This study compares eight approaches to estimate VLM trends at 570 TG stations using GNSS by taking into account all GNSS trends with an uncertainty smaller than 1 mm yr−1 within 50 km. The range between the methods is comparable with the formal uncertainties of the GNSS trends. Taking the median of the surrounding GNSS trends shows the best agreement with differenced altimetry–tide gauge (ALT–TG) trends. An attempt is also made to improve VLM trends from ALT–TG time series. Only using highly correlated along-track altimetry and TG time series reduces the SD of ALT–TG time series by up to 10 %. As a result, there are spatially coherent changes in the trends, but the reduction in the root mean square (RMS) of differences between ALT–TG and GNSS trends is insignificant. However, setting correlation thresholds also acts like a filter to remove problematic TG time series. This results in sets of ALT–TG VLM trends at 344–663 TG locations, depending on the correlation threshold. Compared to other studies, we decrease the RMS of differences between GNSS and ALT–TG trends (from 1.47 to 1.22 mm yr−1), while we increase the number of locations (from 109 to 155), Depending on the methods the mean of differences between ALT–TG and GNSS trends vary between 0.1 and 0.2 mm yr−1. We reduce the mean of the differences by taking into account the effect of elastic deformation due to present-day mass redistribution. At varying ALT–TG correlation thresholds, we provide new sets of trends for 759 to 939 different TG stations. If both GNSS and ALT–TG trend estimates are available, we recommend using the GNSS trend estimates because residual ocean signals might correlate over long distances. However, if large discrepancies ( > 3 mm yr−1) between the two methods are present, local VLM differences between the TG and the GNSS station are likely the culprit and therefore it is better to take the ALT–TG trend estimate. GNSS estimates for which only a single GNSS station and no ALT–TG estimate are available might still require some inspection before they are used in sea level studies.


The classical ethical questions of whether and to what extent moral criticism is a sort of rational criticism have received renewed interest in recent years. According to the approach that I refer to as rationalist, accounts of moral responsibility are grounded by explanations of the conditions under which an agent is rationally answerable for her actions and attitudes. In the sense that is relevant here, to answer for an attitude or action is to give reasons that at least purport to justify it. To hold someone answerable for an attitude or action is thus to hold her rationally liable for it. T. M. Scanlon's view is perhaps the most well-known example of this approach. The rationalist approach has recently been attacked by David Shoemaker for being too narrow: the charge is that attitudes exist for which an agent is responsible even though she cannot, in the relevant sense, answer for them. If there are morally significant attitudes that are attributable to an agent even though she cannot answer for them, then it would seem incomplete, misguided, or worse to treat morality as fundamentally a matter of demanding and giving reasons. By developing some remarks based on G. E. M. Anscombe's Intention, I defend the rationalist approach against this critique. I show how an agent may be answerable for an attitude even though she cannot answer for it. The objective of this paper is thus twofold: to contribute to the discussion of the connection between rational liability and ethical responsibility, and to provide an example of the broad relevance of Anscombe's thought to contemporary practical philosophy.


Modern Distance Instruction is becoming a new form of instruction. Developing the Internet-based instruction system, which is with the functions of instruction, exercise, testing and supervision, is convenient for distance instruction and individual studies. Based on the practical development of Internet-based instruction system, My paper first introduces the structure, function and speciality of this system. Secondly, it presents the methods, technology and experience in designing and developing the Internet-based instruction software. And last it discusses the mode and technology in developing the database-mode distance instruction software in the Internet environment.


Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of fetal neural tube defects in cases of polyhydramnios. Study Design: Descriptive type of study. Place and duration of study: It was conducted in Radiology department of Mother and Child Hospital (MCH) in collaboration with gynaecology department of Mother and Child hospital (MCH), Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad. Patients selected for study was both indoor and outpatient department cases referred for ultrasonography. Duration of study was one year. Materials & Methods: In this study sixty (60) cases with the clinical suspicion of polyhydramnios were included. 3.5 Mega Hertz convex transducer was used for sonological assessment of these patients. Ultrasound findings were compared with the fetal outcome after delivery. Data was analyzed on SPSS 10.0 version and 2 x 2 tables were used to calculate test performance characteristic of Ultrasound finding. Results: Total number of patients in our study was 60. Out of these 40 patients (66.6%) were ultrasound positive for neural tube defects which were confirmed by comparison with fetal outcome after delivery and considered true positive, while no patient was false positive. Out of these 18 (30.0%) were true negative while 2 (3.4%) were false negative, as confirmed subsequently by comparison with outcome after delivery. The sensitivity, specificity, positive, negative predictive values and diagnostic accuracy of ultrsonography for neural tube defect in polyhydramnios was 95.2%, 100%, 100%, 90% and 96.6% respectively. Conclusion: The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values and overall diagnostic efficacy of ultrasonography make it a modality of choice for detection of fetal neural tube defects in cases of polyhydramnios. It should be used as a primary screening investigation in patients with high clinical suspicion, since it is a safe, cost-effective, easy to perform and radiation free imaging technique.


The direct detection of gravitational waves promises to open a new observational window onto the universe, and a number of large scale efforts are underway worldwide to make such a detection a reality. In this work, we attack some of the current problems in gravitational-wave detection over a wide range of frequencies. In the first part of this work, low frequency gravitational-wave detection is considered using pulsar timing arrays (PTAs). PTAs are a promising tool for probing the universe through gravitational radiation. Supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs), cosmic strings, relic gravitational waves from inflation, and first order phase transitions in the early universe are expected to contribute to a stochastic background of gravitational waves in the PTA frequency band of 1 nHz-100 nHz. The detection of low-frequency stochastic backgrounds of gravitational waves in the PTA band is considered in the context of constructing an optimal cross-correlation statistic in the time domain. Also presented are some useful applications of this statistic, and discussion on its limitations in actual gravitational-wave searches. Also considered are methods by which gravitational waves in the PTA frequency band can serve as a mechanism for testing general relativity (GR). In addition to providing a new paradigm for exploring the universe, the direct detection of gravitational waves will allow general relativity to be tested against other metric theories of gravity in the regime of strong gravitational fields. This work involves the analysis of the overlap reduction function (ORF), a geometrical factor that appears in the expected cross correlation of signals, for general metric theories of gravity. The ORF characterizes the loss of sensitivity due to detectors not being co-located or coaligned, and it is an important element in defining the optimal cross-correlation statistic. It is shown that PTA detection sensitivity increases for non-transverse gravitational waves. Additionally, the ORFs for a subset of the NANOGrav PTA are described, and are used to show that sensitivity to vector and longitudinal modes can increase dramatically for pulsar pairs with small angular separations. Implications of these results are discussed. In the second part of this work, the detection of gravitational-wave bursts in the 10 Hz-1000 Hz frequency band is considered using ground-based laser interferometers. An excess power method for conducting unmodeled searches for gravitational-wave bursts is discussed, and its implementation into a search pipeline is described in detail. The performance of this pipeline is probed using software injections. Also discussed are potential applications of the ExcessPower pipeline to detector characterization efforts, which aim to improve interferometric searches by characterizing and mitigating non-Gaussian noise transients in the detectors.


Physical Geography of the Region studied. Finger Lakes.—In central New York there is a series—a dozen or more in all—of long, nearly parallel lakes to which the general name Finger lakes is applied. Several of these, notably Cayuga and Seneca, are extremely long compared with their width. These lakes, although nearly parallel, are not strictly so, but converge slightly toward a common center at some point near the northern shore of lake Ontario, which lies immediately to the north. At present all these lakes, with the exception of one or two minute ones, drain northward and eventually enter lake Ontario mostly through Oswego river, which flows eastward for a distance and then turns abruptly northwestward after having received the waters of Oneida, the easternmost member of the series. Two or three smaller lakes on the western margin of the district empty into Ontario through the Genesee river. . . .


This paper describes a video surveillance system which is composed of three key components, smart cameras, a server, and clients, connected through IP-networks in wired or wireless configurations. The system has been designed so as to protect the privacy of people under surveillance. Smart cameras are based on JPEG 2000 compression where an analysis module allows for events detection and regions of interest identification. The resulting regions of interest can then be encoded with better quality and scrambled. Compressed video streams are scrambled and signed for the purpose of privacy and data integrity verification using JPSEC compliant methods. The same bitstream may also be protected for robustness to transmission errors based on JPWL compliant methods. The server receives, stores, manages and transmits the video sequences on wired and wireless channels to a variety of clients and users with different device capabilities, channel characteristics and preferences. Use of seamless scalable coding of video sequences prevents any need for transcoding operations at any point in the system.


Background Malnutrition among hospital inpatients is very high (30-50%). It has important consequences in patients' clinical course and in hospitalisation costs so early detection and establishment of corrective action is crucial. Vitamin D deficiency is also common in the older, and leads to decreased bone mass and increased fractures and healthcare costs. Purpose Evaluate the nutritional status and vitamin D levels in an older medical unit. Evaluate whether corrective actions such as nutritional supplements or vitamin D prescription were established. Materials and methods Nutritional status was assessed in 50 randomly selected patients using CONUT (COntrol NUTritional) system, a validated tool that determines nutritional status according to serum albumin, cholesterol and lymphocytes. 25-OH vitamin D levels (deficiency <12 ng/mL; insufficiency 12-30 ng/mL; normal 30-80 ng/mL) were also measured. Prescription of nutritional or vitamin D supplements was registered. Results Medium age was 78.8 years. 22 were male and 28 female. Prevalence of malnutrition was very high (68%): It was mild in 19 patients (38%), moderate in 13 (26%) and serious in 2 (4%). Nutritional supplements were prescribed to just 6 patients (17,6%) with malnutrition. Forty-six patients (92%) had vitamin D levels below recommendations: 15 (30%) had vitamin D insufficiency (mean= 17.8; range 12.1-25.8 ng/mL) and 31 (62%) had deficiency (mean= 7.5; range 3-11.4 ng/mL). Calcium + vitamin D supplements were prescribed in eight (17.4%) patients with insufficiency or deficiency, three (7%) prescribed before admission and five (10.9%) during admission. Conclusions Due to the high prevalence of malnutrition and hypovitaminosis D in the older, it would be advisable to establish a nutritional screening system and to measure vitamin D levels at admission, so that corrective action such as prescription of vitamin D or nutritional supplements prescription can be established. In addition, general practitioners should continue monitoring malnutrition and vitamin D after patients are discharged.


Uromodulin is the most abundant protein in the urine. It is exclusively produced by renal epithelial cells and it plays key roles in kidney function and disease. Uromodulin mainly exerts its function as an extracellular matrix whose assembly depends on a conserved, specific proteolytic cleavage leading to conformational activation of a Zona Pellucida (ZP) polymerisation domain. Through a comprehensive approach, including extensive characterisation of uromodulin processing in cellular models and in specific knock-out mice, we demonstrate that the membrane-bound serine protease hepsin is the enzyme responsible for the physiological cleavage of uromodulin. Our findings define a key aspect of uromodulin biology and identify the first in vivo substrate of hepsin. The identification of hepsin as the first protease involved in the release of a ZP domain protein is likely relevant for other members of this protein family, including several extracellular proteins, as egg coat proteins and inner ear tectorins. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.08887.001


Mygalomorph spiders are rarely found in caves and most of the records appear as accidental or restricted to small populations. The present study took place in iron formations in Carajás region, southeastern Pará state, eastern Brazilian Amazon rainforest. Each cave was sampled twice: dry season (from May to October) and wet season (from November to April). Of the 242 caves sampled, we found mygalomorphs in 98 (40%). The survey yielded 254 specimens, 223 (87.8%) juveniles. Of the 14 species recorded, nine were represented by adults: Dolichothele tucuruiense (Guadanucci, 2007), Hapalopus aymara Perdomo, Panzera & Pérez-Miles, 2009, Acanthoscurria geniculata (CL Koch, 1841), Theraphosa blondi (Latreille, 1804), Nhandu coloratovillosus (Schmidt, 1998), Fufius minusculus Ortega, Nagahama, Motta & Bertani, 2013, and three new are species described here: Guyruita metallophila n. sp., Hapalopus serrapelada n. sp., and Idiops carajas n. sp. Five other "morphospecies" were represented by juveniles only: Ummidia sp. (Ctenizidae), Paratropis sp. (Paratropididae), Bolostromus sp. (Cyrtaucheniidae), Diplura sp. (Dipluridae), and Idiophtalma sp. (Barychelidae). The high number of juveniles suggests two alternatives: some species could be using the hypogean environment as reproductive shelter; the hypogean environment is used as a refuge by immatures. Two species appear to be troglophiles: G. metallophila and H. aymara. https://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C92F29CB-4B9C-402D-8AA6-F8251DE49529.


The relationship between aggression and brain asymmetries has not been studied enough. The association between both concepts can be approached from two different perspectives. One perspective points to brain asymmetries underlying the emotion of anger and consequently aggression in normal people. Another one is concerned with the existence of brain asymmetries in aggressive people (e.g., in the case of suicides or psychopathies). Research on emotional processing points out the confusion between emotional valence (positive-negative) and motivational direction (approach-withdrawal). Because of this, it is not clear whether the frontal asymmetry reflects the valence of the emotion, the direction of the motivation, or a combination of valence and motivation. Appetitive motivations are not always associated with positive affects. Anger (a negative emotion) has been associated with approach motivation and with aggression. Relative left-prefrontal activity is associated with state anger and with aggression. This information would lead to the conclusion that the more violent a culture, the higher the relative proportion of the right-handers. On the other side, there is an exaggerated structural asymmetry in the anterior hippocampus (R>L) in unsuccessful psychopaths. In suicidal persons, the functional insufficiency of the right hemisphere produces a compensatory shift to left hemisphere information processing, showing a reversed asymmetry of typical traits for suicidal people. These findings suggest, therefore, the existence of a certain correlation between brain asymmetries and human aggression.


Three small-pore, eight-membered ring (8-MR) zeolites of different cage-based topology (CHA, AEI, RTH), in their proton- and copper-exchanged forms, were first exposed to high temperature hydrothermal aging treatments (1073 K, 16 h, 10% (v/v) H2O) and then to reaction conditions for low temperature (473 K) standard selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx with ammonia, in order to study the effect of zeolite topology on the structural and kinetic changes that occur to Cu-zeolites used in NOx abatement. UV-visible spectra were collected to monitor changes to Cu structure and showed that band intensities for isolated, hydrated Cu2+ cations (∼12 500 cm−1) remain constant after hydrothermal aging, but decrease in intensity upon subsequent exposure to low temperature SCR reaction conditions. Standard SCR rates (per Cu, 473 K), activation energies, and reaction orders are similar between Cu-AEI and Cu-CHA zeolites before and after hydrothermal aging, although rates are lower after hydrothermal aging as expected from the decreases in intensity of UV-visible bands for Cu2+ active sites. For Cu-RTH, rates are lower (by 2–3×) and apparent activation energies are lower (by ∼2×) than for Cu-AEI or Cu-CHA. These findings suggest that the RTH framework imposes internal transport restrictions, effectively functioning as a one-dimensional framework during SCR catalysis. Hydrothermal aging of Cu-RTH results in complete deactivation and undetectable SCR rates, despite X-ray diffraction patterns and Ar micropore volumes (87 K) that remain unchanged after hydrothermal aging treatments and subsequent SCR exposure. These findings highlight some of the differences in low temperature SCR behavior among small-pore Cu-zeolites of different topology, and the beneficial properties conferred by double six-membered ring (D6R) composite building units. They demonstrate that deleterious structural changes to Cu sites occur after exposure to hydrothermal aging conditions and SCR reactants at low temperatures, likely reflecting the formation of inactive copper-aluminate domains. Therefore, the viability of Cu-zeolites for practical low temperature NOx SCR catalysis cannot be inferred solely from assessments of framework structural integrity after hydrothermal aging treatments, but also require Cu active site and kinetic characterization after hydrothermally aged zeolites are exposed to low temperature SCR reaction conditions.


Turtles on the Brink in Madagascar: Proceedings of Two Workshops on the Status, Conservation, and Biology of Malagasy Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles Christina M. Castellano, Anders G.J. Rhodin, Michael Ogle, Russell A. Mittermeier, Herilala Randriamahazo, Rick Hudson, and Richard E. Lewis, Eds. Chelonian Research Monographs (ISSN 1088-7105) No. 6, doi: 10.3854/crm.6.a01p11 • © 2013 by Chelonian Research Foundation, Lunenburg, MA, USA • Published 30 October 2013


This study was aimed to determine consumers'perceptions, attitudes and willingness to pay (WTP) towards chemical free vegetable (CFV) produce in North Sumatra Province.A total of 2080 respondents were interviewed using a close-ended questionnaire.Collected data was analysed using descriptive analysis, factor analysis and contingent valuation method (CVM).The results indicated that more than half of the respondents have consumed CFV.The result
showed that lack of knowledge of CFV and the place to purchase CFV were the main reasons for consumers not consuming CFV.Nutritional value was an important factor that influences consumers'preferences in purchasing CFV,
followed by desire, freshness, health effect and taste.The factor analysis identified nine factors that influenced the purchase of CFV among North Sumatra Province consumers.The factors were government involvement,health consciousness,consumer influence to purchase,product availability,awareness of chemical use, product appearance,information awareness, market potential and consumer awareness to consume.Contingent Valuation Method was used to estimate consumers' WTP for CFV.A logit and probit model was used to determine consumers'WTP a premium for CFV.The results indicate that gender, household income, price level,marital status and household member below 17 years old were the most important and significant factors that influenced and determined the amount of premium that a consumer is willing to pay for CFV.Based on the study,it was found that at present, CFV market is still a niche market,catering only to a small segment of the whole vegetable market in North Sumatra Province. Generally, North Sumatra Province consumers' have the
potential to purchase CFV produce. Thus, there is a need for the proper development of an effective CFV market and the establishment of standards and certification program for CFV


Eosinophilic meningitis caused by the parasitic nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis is an emerging infectious disease with recent outbreaks primarily in tropical and subtropical locations around the world, including Hawaii. Humans contract the disease primarily through ingestion of infected gastropods, the intermediate hosts of Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Effective prevention of the disease and control of the spread of the parasite require a thorough understanding of the parasite's hosts, including their distributions, as well as the human and environmental factors that contribute to transmission. The aim of this study was to screen a large cross section of gastropod species throughout the main Hawaiian Islands to determine which act as hosts of Angiostrongylus cantonensis and to assess the parasite loads in these species. Molecular screening of 7 native and 30 non-native gastropod species revealed the presence of the parasite in 16 species (2 native, 14 non-native). Four of the species tested are newly recorded hosts, two species introduced to Hawaii (Oxychilus alliarius, Cyclotropis sp.) and two native species (Philonesia sp., Tornatellides sp.). Those species testing positive were from a wide diversity of heterobranch taxa as well as two distantly related caenogastropod taxa. Review of the global literature showed that many gastropod species from 34 additional families can also act as hosts. There was a wide range of parasite loads among and within species, with an estimated maximum of 2.8 million larvae in one individual of Laevicaulis alte. This knowledge of the intermediate host range of Angiostrongylus cantonensis and the range of parasite loads will permit more focused efforts to detect, monitor and control the most important hosts, thereby improving disease prevention in Hawaii as well as globally.


Tubulointerstitial fibrosis underlies all forms of end-stage kidney disease. TGF-β mediates both the development and the progression of kidney fibrosis through binding and activation of the serine/threonine kinase type II TGF-β receptor (TβRII), which in turn promotes a TβRI-mediated SMAD-dependent fibrotic signaling cascade. Autophosphorylation of serine residues within TβRII is considered the principal regulatory mechanism of TβRII-induced signaling; however, there are 5 tyrosine residues within the cytoplasmic tail that could potentially mediate TβRII-dependent SMAD activation. Here, we determined that phosphorylation of tyrosines within the TβRII tail was essential for SMAD-dependent fibrotic signaling within cells of the kidney collecting duct. Conversely, the T cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TCPTP) dephosphorylated TβRII tail tyrosine residues, resulting in inhibition of TβR-dependent fibrotic signaling. The collagen-binding receptor integrin α1β1 was required for recruitment of TCPTP to the TβRII tail, as mice lacking this integrin exhibited impaired TCPTP-mediated tyrosine dephosphorylation of TβRII that led to severe fibrosis in a unilateral ureteral obstruction model of renal fibrosis. Together, these findings uncover a crosstalk between integrin α1β1 and TβRII that is essential for TβRII-mediated SMAD activation and fibrotic signaling pathways.


This research describes the findings from an interpretive case study that explores the interplay between social computing (SC) and enterprise systems (ES). A fundamental shift is evident in how organisations become more effective through the adoption of SC capabilities. As process centric ES continues to pose challenges, an SC inspired, people-centric ES has become a medium for efficient interaction and collaboration across the divisions of an organisation. In this organisational reality, we explore the role of virtual co-presence of users on collaboration in ES.
Our findings indicate that virtual co-presence enabled interactions, when focused and sustained over time, could facilitate collaboration for sharing of knowledge. An understanding of how users interact in mediated encounters contributes to our knowledge of how focused interactions may enable collaborations in ES. By drawing on the findings, the research seeks to outline some implications for the practice of a collaborative ES for the contemporary organisations.


The social enterprise movement in Lima is gathering momentum. An increasing number of people are taking an interest in this field of activity, in events that help spread the word about its significance, and in a range of initiatives aimed at promoting the phenomenon. In Peru, in general, and in Lima, in particular, there has been a growing interest in promoting the social enterprise movement in recent years, with good results. Young people in particular are more aware of social and environmental issues and look upon enterprises as organisations with the legitimacy and the potential to address these problems. The interest in social enterprises has not, however, been accompanied by the creation of a knowledge base that may help us understand better the peculiarities and complexities of this promising sector. Our article proposes to bridge this gap in knowledge. It is is divided into two sections: (i) definitions; and (ii) operating models for social enterprises. The first section sets out various definitions and interpretations of the term 'social enterprise', while the second part provides an empirical account of six different operating models for social enterprises that are active in Lima. Specifically, this part explains the relationship between social enterprises, the market and the intended beneficiaries. We contend that understanding this three-dimensional relationship is essential for developing a credible knowledge base for social enterprises and their value to the wider economy and society. We use qualitative methodology to support our empirical observations. Our extensive review of the literature enables us to draw down three conceptual and practical propositons which we explore through 39 in-depth interviews were held with government officials, social entrepreneurs, academics and representatives of non-governmental, multilateral aid and private-sector organisations related in some way to social enterprises. The study was carried out as part of the 'International Comparative Social Enterprise Models' project, financed by the Belgian Science Policy Office in collaboration with the EMES International Research Network.


The rapidly expanding discipline of pharmacogenetics has helped to explain the mechanisms of susceptibility to several adverse drug reactions. The molecular details of the 'classical' adverse reactions, including malignant hyperthermia, haemolysis in patients with glucose-6-phosphatase deficiency, and acute porphyrias, have become clearer. In addition, associations have emerged between adverse reactions and various polymorphisms that affect drug action. Examples include associations between the human leucocyte-associated antigen HLA B*5701 and hypersensitivity reactions to flucloxacillin and to the HIV protease inhibitor abacavir; between HLA B*1502 and toxic epidermal necrolysis induced in Han Chinese by antiepileptic drugs; between ion-channel mutations and drug-induced torsade de pointes; and between alterations in mitochondrial DNA and several rare adverse effects. The task of identifying individuals susceptible to adverse drug reactions should gradually become easier as more pharmacogenetic associations are described.


Typically extracellular signals are transduced from a plasma membrane receptor through second messengers to the target effectors. Liu et al. demonstrate that members of distinct receptor families may also communicate through direct interaction. They report that the GABAA receptor, a ligand-gated Cl- channel, and the dopamine D5 receptor, a G protein-coupled receptor, inhibit each other's activity through direct contact. In coprecipitation experiments, GABAA receptor subunits from hippocampal extracts could be identified after immunoprecipitation with D5 receptor antibodies. The formation of such complexes in HEK293 cells expressing both proteins was agonist dependent. The interaction between the receptors decreased both cAMP formation stimulated by the D5 receptor and currents mediated by the GABAA receptor. The interaction was specific to the D5 receptor and did not occur with D1 receptors. Data from cultured hippocampal neurons suggest that the complex formation is physiologically relevant: The two receptors colocalize, and under conditions in which the protein kinase A and protein kinase C pathways were blocked, a D5 receptor agonist decreased GABAA-receptor-mediated currents. It remains to be determined whether other colocalized receptors also undergo regulation through such direct protein-protein interaction. Liu, F., Wan, Q., Pristupa, Z.B., Yu, X.-M., Wang, Y.T., and Niznik, H.B. (2000) Direct protein-protein coupling enables cross-talk between dopamine D5 and γ-aminobutyric acid A receptors. Nature 403: 274-280. [Online Journal]


A series of laboratory evaluations examined the impact of water spray pressure, curtain setback distance, and external and underboom spray use for controlling respirable dust levels and sulfur hexafluoride tracer gas concentrations around a continuous mining machine. This mining machine was equipped with a flooded-bed dust scrubber and was positioned in the box or slab cut. Exhaust line brat-tice was used for all tests. Dust levels were measured in the return airway and at locations representing the operators of the continuous mining machine and the standard and off-standard shuttle cars. Increasing water pressure or using the underboom sprays produced no significant impacts on dust levels, although their interactions did produce some significant impacts. Increasing curtain setback distance often elevated dust levels, likely by reducing the amount of airflow reaching the face. Use of the external sprays created additional airflow around the mining machine that pushed the dust cloud past the scrubber inlets. This significantly increased dust levels at all sampling locations. Tracer gas levels were measured on the off-curtain and curtain sides of the cutter head and in the return airway. Increasing water pressure generally led to significantly increased gas levels on the curtain side, although a slight decrease was observed on the off-curtain side with the machine in the box cut. Increasing setback distance elevated gas levels on both sides of the cutter head and in the return by limiting the quantity of ventilation airflow reaching the face. Use of the external sprays provided additional airflow along the off-curtain side of the machine, significantly reducing gas levels in this region. These sprays adversely impacted the dilution and removal of gas on the curtain side of the cutter head. Use of the underboom sprays adversely impacted gas levels on both sides of the cutter head. Use of the external sprays provided the best control of respirable dust and face gas concentrations. The smaller increases in miner operator dust levels produced by these sprays were offset by larger reductions in face gas levels on the off-curtain side of the cutter head. Although the underboom sprays minimally impacted respirable dust levels, use of these sprays was not recommended because they gas levels.


African forest elephants– taxonomically and functionally unique–are being poached at accelerating rates, but we lack range-wide information on the repercussions. Analysis of the largest survey dataset ever assembled for forest elephants (80 foot-surveys; covering 13,000 km; 91,600 person-days of fieldwork) revealed that population size declined by ca. 62% between 2002–2011, and the taxon lost 30% of its geographical range. The population is now less than 10% of its potential size, occupying less than 25% of its potential range. High human population density, hunting intensity, absence of law enforcement, poor governance, and proximity to expanding infrastructure are the strongest predictors of decline. To save the remaining African forest elephants, illegal poaching for ivory and encroachment into core elephant habitat must be stopped. In addition, the international demand for ivory, which fuels illegal trade, must be dramatically reduced.


This thesis research implemented anewthermo- mechanical model of friction stir welding process created using ANSYS APDL commands using FEA techniques. Under this thesisseveral characteristics of FSW are studied, including tool- workpiece surface interaction, heat generation due to friction during the operating conditions of the FSW process, plastic deformation and plastic heat generation due to the non-linear nature of the materials used in finite element analysis. In this project a nonlinear direct coupled-field analysis is performed, as thermal and mechanical behaviours are mutually dependent and coupled together during the FSW process. As an initial step, the thermo mechanical model developed by Zhu and Chao for friction stir welding of 304L stainless steel was modelled using ANSYS APDL. ANSYS APDL macro is created in such a way that it can be used for multiple design variants and load parameters in order to perform the FSW study for multiple design variants. The developed model was then used to conduct parametric studies to understand the effect of various input parameters like total rate of heat input, welding speed and clamping location on temperature distribution and residual stress in the work piece. With the data arrived from the simulated models, various observations are made even with minor modifications in the input parameters. In this project a transient thermos mechanical analysis is performed using coupled field elements for different tool diameters and different sizes of the base plates which needs to be welded together using FSW.In this project FSW process is studied in various stages DWELL, PLUNGE and TRAVERSE by solving the finite element model in separate load cases. To avail the plastic heat bi-linear isotropic material properties are used. The salient observations from this project are t: 1. heat input is mainly constrained by the lower bound of the temperature for making good welds; Clamping closer to the weld is better than away from the weld in terms of lowering the peak residual stresses. Moreover, the nonlinear models resulted in a realistic solution than the linear models when wide temperature range was used at the same time as the simulation process is highly non-linear so many convergence issues will be raised. In this project bonding temperature is considered at 10000 C.


Aim We aimed to identify patient characteristics and comorbidities that correlate with the initial exercise capacity of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) patients and to study the significance of patient characteristics, comorbidities and training methods for training achievements and final fitness of CR patients. Methods We studied 557 consecutive patients (51.7 ± 6.9 years; 87.9% men) admitted to a three-week in-patient CR. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPX) was performed at discharge. Exercise capacity (watts) at entry, gain in training volume and final physical fitness (assessed by peak O2 utilization (VO2peak) were analysed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models. Results Mean training intensity was 90.7 ± 9.7% of maximum heart rate (81% continuous/19% interval training, 64% additional strength training). A total of 12.2 ± 2.6 bicycle exercise training sessions were performed. Increase of training volume by an average of more than 100% was achieved (difference end/beginning of CR: 784 ± 623 watts × min). In the multivariate model the gain in training volume was significantly associated with smoking, age and exercise capacity at entry of CR. The physical fitness level achieved at discharge from CR as assessed by VO2peak was mainly dependent on age, but also on various factors related to training, namely exercise capacity at entry, increase of training volume and training method. Conclusion CR patients were trained in line with current guidelines with moderate-to-high intensity and reached a considerable increase of their training volume. The physical fitness level achieved at discharge from CR depended on various factors associated with training, which supports the recommendation that CR should be offered to all cardiac patients.


Many marine assemblages of planktonic organisms are dominated, at least in narrow depth intervals or small volumes, by a single species or at least by animals with similar sound scattering properties. Situations arise, however, in which there are two or more acoustically dissimilar species present in the same volume examined acoustically. As the abilities to model sound scattering from a variety of animals becomes more sophisticated, a method is needed that allows one to take advantage of differences in acoustical signatures of different genera or species. Progress toward automatic classification of zooplankton and micronekton by acoustical methods is discussed, while information on size structure in the assemblage is retained. [Work supported by ONR Oceanic Biology and NSF Biological Oceanography.]


The study presents some determinants that affect the compliance of PAADS projects within the stipulated period of 10 months in Minas Gerais state for the period between 2009 and 2011. It was used the logistic regression model and the data was obtained from Cirino et al. (2013). The results showed that the variables have a Management Information System, have a production planning with farmers and number of projects of which the main responsible for the management of PAA-DS within the social organization participated of the elaboration increase the probability of finishing the project on time. On the other hand, the variables delay in delivery of products by farmers and number of projects of which the main responsible for the management of PAA-DS within the social organization participated in the management reduce the chances of social organizations finish the PAA-DS project within the stipulated time. Thus, there is the need for public policies to encourage the acquisition and implementation of a Management Information System for management of such projects, as well as the empowerment of organizations in order to enable them to implement the practice of administrative functions, as such functions they are linked to finish PAA-DS projects on time.


The marine fisheries sector in India has witnessed a phenomenal growth during the last
five decades both quantitatively and qualitatively. The subsistence fisheries during the early 50's
which produced about 0.5 million tonnes annually has presently grown into a full grown industry
producing currently about 2.7 million tones annually with a landing site value of about Rs.
13,000 crores. This increase is not only as a result of improvements in the harvesting methods,
increase in the fishing effort and extension of fishing into relatively deeper regions but also
increased demand resulting from trade in export of marine products as well as the ever growing
domestic market demand.


Standardized and free-format questionnaires on the state of coastal management were fielded to coastal management practitioners during three workshops and a national feedback and recommendation workshop. The most commonly cited responses were identified for each of 13 political regions and overall trends were identified. Management frameworks frequently included research, community organizing, education, livelihood, resource enhancement, resource protection, regulation, and networking components. Gender issues, documentation, and infrastructure investment were rare. The most commonly perceived environmental problem was illegal/ destructive fishing and its associated overfishing and low fish catch. The most commonly cited socioeconomic problem was the inadequacy of law enforcement. The best monitored variables were usually those related to environmental management: status and change of habitats, resources, and degree of enforcement/patrolling activities. The most common nonregulatory enhancement, aside from environmental education (which is the most popular), was mangrove reforestation. In terms of regulations, the majority of the respondents have reportedly formulated an integrated coastal management plan. In practice, regulating destructive and illegal fishing practices and then the establishment of fish sanctuaries are the next most implemented. The most popular quality-of-life enhancement strategies focused on the improvement of sustainable fishing as a livelihood and on a variety of supplementary livelihoods. The most usual institutional intervention being implemented was the setting up of local community people's organizations. Major factors which may influence success or failure of coastal management and recommendations on research, community organizing and livelihood, legislation and policies, implementation and coordination, and networking are also summarized.


This book presents 25 essays and studies that explore the interplay of a variety of factors that provide the fuel for individual and collaborative explorations into the nature of literacy. Essays and studies in the book are "Patterns of Response: Struggling Readers Respond to a Real Book during Transactional Literature Discussion" (JoAnn Rubino Dugan); "Literacy Behaviors in the Spontaneous Play of a Multi-National Group of First Graders in a Small Overseas School" (Karen E. Schroeder); "Those Wonderful Toys: Read-Alouds from the Classics and Assorted Literature" (Judy Richardson); "If the Horse Is Dead, Get Off" (Wayne Otto); "Beginning Reading Methods: A Review of the Past" (Lillian R. Putnam and Ray Reutzel); "Controversial Pathways to Literacy: The Present" (D. Ray Reutzel); "Future Controversial Issues in Literacy: The Same Old Stuff or a Whole New Ball Game?" (William A. Henk); "Recreational Reading Choices: How Do Children Select Books?" (Charlene Fleener, Susan Morrison, Wayne M. Linek, Timothy V. Rasinski); "The Role of Textbooks and Reading in Content Area Classrooms" (Teresa Murden and Cindy S. Gillespie); "Graduate Students' Explorations: Their Own Words on Research and Writing" (YeVette McWhorter); "Storybook Reading in Even Start families" (Nancy Padak, Timothy V. Rasinski, Jennifer A. Fike); "Parents in a Family Literacy Program: Their Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behaviors Regarding Literacy Learning" (Patricia E. Linder); "Coherence: One Aspect Examined of the Textual Features of the Needs of Beginners" (Liqing Tao); "Analytic Categories for Practitioners' Assessment of Instructional Discourse in Literacy Teaching: Observation in the Reading Clinic Setting" (Kathleen Roskos and Barbara Walker); "Instructional Teams in a University Clinic" (Linda Hughes and Catherine Zeek); "Preparing Preservice Elementary Teachers for Professional Collaboration with Special Education' Literacy Teachers" (A. Lee Williams); "The Evolution of a Professional Development Center: Collaboration, Reflective Assessment and Refinement" (Mary Beth Sampson, Wayne M. Linek, LaVerne Raine, Pat Westergaard); "Learning to Teach in the 'Real World': Reflections on Field-Based Reading Instruction" (Evangeline V. +++++ ED418374 Has Multi-page SFR--Level =l +++++ Newton); "Promoting Diversity: A Learning Community Project for College Reading Programs and Teacher Education Programs" Mary Sheehy Costello and Norman A. Stahl); "The Field Experience Triad: Influences of the College Instructor and Cooperating Teacher on the Preservice Teacher's Beliefs, Practices, and Intentions Concerning Literacy Instruction" (Deidra W. Frazier, Thomasine H. Mencer, Mary Annette Duchein); "Redefining Reflective Practice: Thinking Forward about Conditions That Support Literacy Learning" (Jacqueline K. Peck); "Building Bridges: Designing Project Portfolios to Accommodate the Needs of Beginners" (Joan B. Elliot and Barbara Illig-Aviles); "Reducing Resistance to Content Area Literacy Courses" (Lia F. Maimon); "The Unheard Voices of Students in School Reform: A Collaborative Study with Content Reading Preservice Teachers" (Don Pottorff); and "A Collaborative Model for Developing a Children's Literature Pathway into Preservice Methods Course" (Jane B. Matanzo and Marie F. Doan). (RS) ******************************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * ********************************************************************************


The location of magmatic Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide deposits is related to lithospheric architecture, particularly that of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM). At crustal levels, this relationship is manifest by a close proximity to craton and paleocraton margins. Deposits are associated with mafic-ultramafic rocks and many show a close spatial relationship with a coeval large igneous province (LIP). Metal quantities and tenors observed in deposits require segregation of a magmatic sulfide melt from a large volume of parental ultramafic melt. Generation of these parental melts requires melting of upwelling mantle rising to depths of 100 km or less. The timing and tectonic setting of deposits indicates that this most likely occurs when mantle plumes impact on the base of the SCLM and are channeled laterally to areas of thinnest SCLM, where they undergo decompression melting. Alternatively, the setting of some smaller deposits suggests that upwelling may be induced by syn-to post-collisional lithospheric delamination.

Craton margins are generally zones of relatively thin lithosphere and are the focus of strain during regional tectonism, providing points of dilation along active translithospheric faults. These faults facilitate melt introduction into the crust. The craton margin zone of thin lithosphere and active faulting may be adjacent to a neighboring block of continental lithosphere (paleocraton margin) or adjacent to a flanking narrow marginal basin (underlain by asthenosphere). All deposits form during periods of active regional tectonism, most commonly under mildly compressional to transpressional conditions. These different settings and conditions may result in differing depths of melting and differing depths and degrees of crustal interaction. The latter is believed to be a key factor for the development of a metal-rich sulfide melt, which is ultimately emplaced in the deposit environment. These variations can account for the observed range of ore and host rock types.

Most large deposits are associated with intracontinental settings or with (former) passive margins at the edge of small marginal basins. No significant deposits are associated with the margins of large oceans or with supra-subduction zone environments, possibly reflecting poor preservational potential or (with the latter) limitations to plume interaction with continental lithosphere.

A craton-margin model for the genesis of magmatic Ni-Cu-PGE deposits is proposed. This model provides a framework for further examination of deposit-forming processes and also provides a coherent predictive framework for mineral exploration.


Between 2005 and 2013, Peru experienced above-average economic growth compared to other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. This process of development has led to widespread pressure on the environment. To make economic growth compatible with preservation of the environment and sustainable use of natural resources, Peru has taken steps to strengthen its environmental institutions. Peru's Public Environmental Expenditure Review (PEER) provides an in-depth analysis of expenditures between 2008 and 2013 within all public institutions at the national, regional, and municipal levels with a record of expenditures whose main purpose is environmental management. The first part of the document presents the quantification of public expenditure and the identification of the main institutions that execute it. Following quantification, an analysis of the coherence between the expenditure and the government's strategic objectives is conducted. The last part contains an analysis of expenditure effectiveness in several areas of environmental management and provides policy recommendations.


My proposal is based on my doctoral dissertation On the Shoulders of AI-technology : Sociology of Knowledge and Strong Artificial Intelligence which I succesfully defended on May 29th 2009. E-published http://www.lu.se/o.o.i.s?id=12588&postid=1389611 The dissertation is concerned with Sociology's stance in the debate on Strong Artificial Intelligence,.i.e. AI-systems that is able to shape knowledge on their own. There is a need for sociologists to realize the difference between two approaches to constructing AI systems: Symbolic AI (or Classic AI) and Connectionistic AI in a distributed model – DAI. Sociological literature shows a largely critical attitude towards Symbolic AI, an attitude that is justified. The main theme of the dissertation is that DAI is not only compatible with Sociology's approach to what is social, but also constitutes an apt model of how a social system functions. This is consolidated with help from german sociologist Niklas Luhmann's social systems theory. A lot of sociologists criticize AI because they think that diversity is important and can only be comprehended in informal circumstances that only humans interacting together can handle. They mean that social intelligence is needed to make something out of diversity and informalism. Luhmann´s systems theory gives the opposite perspective. It tells us that it is social systems that communicate and produce new knowledge structures out of contincency. Psychological systems, i.e. humans, can only think within the circumstances the social system offer. In that way human thoughts are bound by formalism. Diversity is constructed when the social systems interact with complexity in their environments. They reduce the complexity and try to present it as meaningful diversity. Today when most of academic literature is electronically stored and is accessible through the Internet from al over the world, DAI can help social systems to observe and reduce complexity in this global dimension. It is pointed out that human consciousness is limited in handling this global dimension. Therefore is it reasonable to argue that DAI in at least this dimension has a stronger intelligence than humans have. I will argue that Luhmann´s social theory and DAI give a god model to analyze the conditions for diversity in the Internet society. Further, the discussion about strong AI gives a lot of opportunities to discuss what sort of information literacy is needed and it also gives some perspective to discuss the concept of IL I have observed that the concept has evolved from something that coined some formal capacities, to something that has to do with a capacity to observe informal relations. That discussion can easily be compared to a parallel discussion within the debate about strong AI.


The GPSIMET (Global Positioning System/Meteorology, Ware et a1. 19996) project demonstrated atmospheric limb sounding from low-earth-orbit (LEO) with high vertical resolution, high accuracy, and global coverage in all weather. Based on the success and scientific results of GPS/MET, Taiwan's National Space Program Office (NSPO), the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Arizona, Florida State University and other partners in the university community are developing COSMIC (Constellation observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate), a follow-on project for weather and climate research, climate monitoring, space weather, and geodetic science. COSMIC plans to launch eight LEO satellites in 2004. Each COSMIC satellite will retrieve about 500 daily profiles of key ionospheric and atmospheric properties from the tracked GPS radio-signals as they are occulted behind the Earth limb. The constellation will provide frequent global snapshots of the atmosphere and ionosphere with about 40000 daily soundings.
This paper discusses some of the applications of COSMIC data for meteorology, including polar meteorology, numerical weather prediction (NWP), and climate. Applications to ionospheric research including space weather and geodesy are described elsewhere in this issue of TAO.
In meteorology COSMIC will provide high vertical resolution temperature, pressure and water vapor information for a variety of atmospheric process studies and improve the forecast accuracy of numerical weather prediction models. The COSMIC data set will allow investigation of the global water vapor distribution and map the atmospheric flow of water vapor that is so crucial for understanding and predicting weather and climate. The data set will provide accurate geopotential heights, enable the detection of gravity waves from the upper troposphere to the stratosphere, reveal the height and shape of the tropopause globally with unprecedented accuracy, support the investigation of fronts and other baroclinic structures, and improve our understanding of tropopause-stratosphere exchange processes.
COSMIC data will complement other observing systems and improve global weather analyses, particularly over the oceans and polar regions, and NWP forecasts made from these analyses. Through assimilation in numerical models, COSMIC data will improve the resolution and accuracy of the global temperature, pressure and water vapor fields, and through the model's dynamical and physical adjustment mechanisms, the wind fields as well. These improved analyses and forecasts will provide significant benefits to aviation and other industries.
For climate research and monitoring COSMIC will provide an accurate global thermometer that will monitor Earth's atmosphere in all weather with unprecedented long-term stability, resolution, coverage, and accuracy. COSMIC will provide a data set for the detection of climate variability and change, the separation of natural and anthropogenic causes, the calibration of other satellite observing systems and the verification and improve events especially in remote oceanic regions, and it will enable scientists to monitor the response of the global atmosphere to regional events such as Volcanic eruptions, the Kuwait oil fires, or the recent Indonesian and Mexican forest fires. Upper-tropospheric refractivity data from COSMIC may shed new light on the controversy over the role that tropical convection of COSMIC data will provide new insights into the global hydrologic cycle.


We consider the case of scattering of several obstacles in $\mathbb{R}^d$ for $d \geq 2$. Then the absolutely continuous part of the Laplace operator $\Delta$ with Dirichlet boundary conditions and the free Laplace operator $\Delta_0$ are unitarily equivalent. For suitable functions that decay sufficiently fast we have that the difference $g(\Delta)-g(\Delta_0)$ is a trace-class operator and its trace is described by the Krein spectral shift function. In this paper we study the contribution to the trace (and hence the Krein spectral shift function) that arises from assembling several obstacles relative to a setting where the obstacles are completely separated. In the case of two obstacles we consider the Laplace operators $\Delta_1$ and $\Delta_2$ obtained by imposing Dirichlet boundary conditions only on one of the objects. Our main result in this case states that then $g(\Delta) - g(\Delta_1) - g(\Delta_2) + g(\Delta_0)$ is a trace class operator for a much larger class of functions (including functions of polynomial growth) and that this trace may still be computed by a modification of the Birman-Krein formula. In case $g(x)=x^\frac{1}{2}$ the relative trace has a physical meaning as the vacuum energy of the massless scalar field and is expressible as an integral involving boundary layer operators. Such integrals have been derived in the physics literature using non-rigorous path integral derivations and our formula provides both a rigorous justification as well as a generalisation.