This paper presents new identification results for models of first-price, second-price, ascending (English), and descending (Dutch) auctions. We consider a general specification of the latent demand and information structure, nesting both private values and common values models, and allowing correlated types as well as ex ante asymmetry. We address identification of a series of nested models and derive testable restrictions enabling discrimination between models on the basis of observed data. The simplest model--symmetric independent private values--is nonparametrically identified even if only the transaction price from each auction is observed. For richer models, identification and testable restrictions may be obtained when additional information of one or more of the following types is available: (i) the identity of the winning bidder or other bidders; (ii) one or more bids in addition to the transaction price; (iii) exogenous variation in the number of bidders; (iv) bidder-specific covariates. While many private values (PV) models are nonparametrically identified and testable with commonly available data, identification of common values (CV) models requires stringent assumptions. Nonetheless, the PV model can be tested against the CV alternative, even when neither model is identified. Copyright The Econometric Society 2002.


The problem of acquiring multiple tasks from demonstration is typically divided in two sequential processes: (1) the segmentation or identification of different subgoals/subtasks and (2) a separate learning process that parameterizes a control policy for each subtask. As a result, segmentation criteria typically neglect the characteristics of control policies and rely instead on simplified models. This paper aims for a single model capable of learning sequences of complex time-independent control policies that provide robust and stable behavior. To this end, we first present a novel and efficient approach to learn goal-oriented timeindependent motion models by estimating both attractor and dynamic behavior from data guaranteeing stability using linear parameter varying (LPV) systems. This method enables learning complex task sequences with hidden Markov models (HMMs), where each state/subtask is given by a stable LPV system and where transitions are most likely around the corresponding attractor. We study the dynamics of the HMM-LPV model and propose a motion generation method that guarantees the stability of task sequences. We validate our approach in two sets of demonstrated human motions.


Abstract:Despite women's uneven entrances into male-dominated occupations, limited scholarship has examined whether and how employers in different occupational classes unevenly discriminate against women during early hiring practices. This article argues that intersecting gendered and classed features of occupations simultaneously shape hiring-related practices and generate uneven patterns of inequality. Using data derived from comparative white-collar (N = 3,044 résumés) and working-class (N = 3,258 résumés) correspondence audits and content-coded analyses of more than 3,000 job advertisements, the author analyzes early hiring practices among employers across two gendered occupational dimensions: (1) sex composition (male- or female-dominated jobs) and (2) gender stereotyping (masculinized or feminized jobs, based on the attributes that employers emphasize in job advertisements). Broadly, findings suggest a polarization of early sorting mechanisms in which discrimination against female applicants is concentrated in male-dominated and masculinized working-class jobs, whereas discrimination against male applicants at early job-access points is more widespread, occurring in female-dominated and feminized jobs in both white-collar and working-class contexts. Interestingly, discrimination further compounds for male and female applicants—depending on the classed context—when these occupational dimensions align in the same gendered direction (e.g., male-dominated jobs that also have masculinized job advertisements). These findings have implications for the study of gender and work inequality and indicate the importance of a multidimensional approach to hiring-related inequality.


Most manufacturers use human-machine systems to produce high-quality products. Dealing with human-machine systems is very complicated since not only machines should be utilized in proper condition but also appropriate environment should be provided for human resources. Most manufacturers have a maintenance plan for machines but many of them do not have a proper work-rest schedule for human resources. Considering this fact, we emphasis on human role in human-machine systems maintenance and propose a mathematical model that obtains the optimal work-rest schedule for humans based on fatigue-recovery models and the optimal maintenance policy for machines based on reliability level. The performance of proposed model was examined by some instances and the obtained results indicate this model can provide effective maintenance policy for human-machine systems. doi: 10.5829/idosi.ije.2017.30.01a.11


We have arrived at a crossroads in terms of the intersection between law, sexuality, and globalization. Historically, and even today, the majority of accounts of LGBT migration tend to remain focused, in one scholar's words, on "a narrative of movement from repression to freedom, or a heroic journey undertaken in search of liberation." Within this narrative, the United States is usually cast as a land of opportunity and liberation, a place that represents freedom from discrimination and economic opportunity. But this narrative also elides the complexity that erupts from grappling with the reality that many other jurisdictions outside of the United States can be even more forward-looking when it comes to recognizing the need for LGBT civil rights and the fact that many immigrants may confront a much more complex reality for many people of color, particularly in a post-9/11 world. This Article attempts to provide one vantage point in theorizing the bipolar classifications that characterize globalization narratives regarding sexuality. In this Article, I draw on the notion of a diaspora as a theoretical tool with which to highlight some key constitutional hybridities in the terrain of law and sexuality. The notion of a diaspora, I argue, represents a useful way of thinking of the intersection between sexuality, law, and globalization by forcing us to confront hybrid possibilities, particularly in recalibrating and reimagining the lines that we draw between North and South, East and West, home and elsewhere. Towards that end, this Article introduces two conceptions of a diaspora, one cultural, another constitutional, by engaging in a close comparison between Lawrence v. Texas and the recent Naz Foundation v. Government of NCT opinion overturning sodomy laws in India. Part I introduces the cultural notion of an LGBT diaspora among peoples and the communities, real or imagined, that flow from it. In Part II, I broaden this concept to introduce a secondary conception of a "constitutional diaspora" in evaluating the role of hybridity in the wake of Lawrence's international implications. Part III takes a more normative approach than the previous Parts and *1416 discusses what these two types of diaspora offer us in terms of reimagining the terrains of nationhood and citizenship.


The publication of 'The Chemical Basis of Morphogenesis' by ALAN M. TURING in 1952 was a milestone for the development of mathematical biology and for many (biological) disciplines leaning on it. TURING provided an original solution to the problem of morphogenesis, by adapting a system of coupled differential equations to describe both chemical reaction and diffusion of morphogenetic substances in an initially homogeneous configuration. FOURIER'S analysis of the 'ring problem' in heat conduction, and the theory of spherical harmonics and their solution by (normalized) LEGENDRE'S associated functions form the mathematical backbone of TURING'S work on morphogenesis. TURING was up to more than providing a mathematical description of initial stages of embryonic development. Rather he was eager to unveil the mathematical foundations of living, biological organization. An investigation of the archival material of unpublished letters and manuscripts indicates that TURING was clearly determined to provide an argument for the generation of 'order-from-disorder'. Unfortunately, during his lifetime TURING remained unable to demonstrate the use of his model beyond the level of early embryonic stages. In the posthumously-published manuscripts several indications are found for further adaptation and improvement of TURING'S model to handle more accurately the reaction-diffusion processes in small organisms.


Signs of War and Peace: Social Conflict and the Use of Public Symbols in Northern Ireland. By Jack Santino. (New York: Palgrave, 2001. Pp. x + 145, preface, photographs, bibliography, index. $45.00 cloth) The hostilities that by now have plagued Northern Ireland for over three decades are among the most written-about in the world. (Published works whose approaches resonate with that of the work under present review include Brian 1998, 2000; Buckley and Kenney 1995; Jarman 1997; Loftus 1990, 1994; Rolston 1992, 1998, 2003.) In both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, The Troubles are a constant point of contention, analysis, public discussion, and outrage. Jack Santino's Signs of War and Peace provides a solid introduction to the nature and history of the conflict as well as to its prevailing ideologies and popular artistic manifestations. Using examples primarily from Northern Ireland, Santino examines genres of popular art-what Stoeltje 1993 calls "ritual genres"-that have become emblematic of the conflict: parades and processions, bonfires, effigy burnings, spontaneous shrines, and demonstrations, along with the flags, banners, and murals that may be components of these rituals or backdrops to them. The central aim of the book is "to place the study of ritual, festival, holidays, celebrations, and public display in the center of the study of major social problems such as war, conflict, and violence" (ix). To begin to understand how intricately constructed, finely nuanced, and minutely articulated the two sides of this conflict actually are, and how they affect all aspects of life in Northern Ireland, one has to have lived there, or to have visited there extensively. Santino has the advantage of having spent protracted periods of time there, as well as the courage-the "bottle"-to grapple firsthand with the complexities and head-butting paradoxes of Northern Ireland, a place where brinksmanship has been honed to a fine art. In this sociopolitical context, virtually no cultural expression is neutral. The very terms used for the two sides of the conflict-Protestant/Catholic, Unionist/Nationalist, Loyalist/ Republican-are political tools. As Santino says, although these terms have been defined in multiple ways, including religiously, it is most accurate to define them politically (18-21). Santino's candid first-person account and his interview materials (from private individuals whose lives have been affected by the Troubles and from public activists and artists and politicians) make it possible for the reader to experience vicariously the theatricality and intensity of daily life in Northern Ireland. Showing how the same expressions can be shaped and reshaped to serve mutually hostile political agendas, Signs of War and Peace elucidates the workings of multiform folk arts in this highly charged social and political environment. Santino provides vivid descriptions of what one sees and hears in Northern Ireland, especially during the "marching season" (essentially the entire month of July), in which thousands of parades commemorate William of Orange's 1690 victory at the Battle of the Boyne, pivotal in the Protestant version of Irish history and celebrated by Orangemen ever since. Perceived alternately as a threatening assertion of Protestant-Unionist hegemony and as the period of the year's most important festivities and social gatherings, the marching season induces a palpable malaise throughout the province and sometimes results in violent confrontations. Workaday Ulster virtually shuts down in July. Santino gives us a feeling for both the carnivalesque atmosphere at Orange parades and their starkly ominous aspects, the nature of the bands and the music played and their social implications, the individuals and groups involved in the parades, and the critical yet underplayed implications of social class. …


World Health Organization declared
COVID-19 as a pandemic after the breakout in the city of Wuhan, China. The
disease has negatively affected the global economy and daily life. Most of the
countries around the world have imposed travel restrictions, locked down, and
social distancing measures. In the current situation, Information and
Communications Technology is playing a significant role in connecting people.
Majority of the education organizations have adopted online platforms, students
and staff are working from home. Besides, these businesses, e-healthcare
systems, food deliveries, and online grocery shopping have witnessed a very
high demand. Malicious attackers have considered COVID-19 as an opportunity to
launch attacks for financial gains and to promote their evil intents.
Healthcare systems are being attacked with ransomware and resources such as
patient's records confidentiality, and integrity is being compromised. People
are falling prey to phishing attacks through COVID-19 related content. In this
research, we have identified the top ten cybersecurity threats that had and
could take place during the pandemic. We have also discussed the privacy
concerns raised amid COVID-19.


Nerites (Gastropoda: Neritidae) are prominent members of tropical marine and freshwater gastropod faunas and rich assemblages can be found in many streams of islands in the Indo-Pacific. For example, the streams of Fiji and New Guinea each support at least 23 species of freshwater neritimorphs, with representatives in the genera: Clithon, Neripteron, Neritilia, Neritina, Neritona, Neritodryas, Septaria, and Vittina. The striking diversity of this group in the small coastal streams of Pacific Islands contrast with a paucity of taxa in tropical Australia, despite northern Australia occupying a similar latitude. Just four taxa have been reported from Australia and only two can be considered common. These patterns are in marked contrast to the wide distribution of many marine nerites in the Pacific and conflicts with Island Biogeography Theory. Strikingly, many of these stream taxa have adopted an amphidromous lifestyle; adult gastropods feed and reproduce in freshwater, whereas larvae are swept to the ocean and undergo a marine dispersive phase before settling near the entrance to creeks and re-entering these freshwater systems as crawling juveniles. Rapid transit of larvae to the ocean via short, steep, fast-flowing streams may offer an explanation for this biogeographic conundrum. Larvae that do not reach the ocean within a few days may starve or exhibit poor survival. Hence, the disruption of stream-ocean connectivity may explain the low diversity of these taxa in northern Australia. Sea level rise in northern Australia in the current interglacial has further weakened stream-ocean connectivity with the development of vast flood plains and slow-moving rivers. We contend that: (1) poor stream-ocean connectivity is not conducive to the maintenance of populations of nerites in northern Australia; and (2) new records of freshwater nerites may be revealed by surveys in short, steep coastal streams of northern Australia. Publication Details Davis, A. R. & Ponder, W. (2019). Biogeographic conundrum: Why so few stream nerite species (Gastropoda: Neritidae) in Australia?. Freshwater Biology, 64 (11), 2084-2088. This journal article is available at Research Online: https://ro.uow.edu.au/smhpapers1/916 Biogeographic conundrum: why so few stream nerite species (Gastropoda: Neritidae) in Australia? Andrew R. Davis *, Winston Ponder 2 1 School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong Australia 2 Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney Australia * corresponding author: firstname.lastname@example.com


University Planning and Architecture: The Search for Perfection by Jonathan Coulson, Paul Roberts, and Isabelle Taylor Routledge 2011 263 pages ISBN: 978-0-415-57110-4 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "The student has no need for luxury Plain living has ever gone with high thinking. But grace and fitness have an educative power too often forgotten in this utilitarian age. These long corridors with their stately arches, these circles of waving palms, will have their part in the students' training as surely as the chemical laboratory or the seminary-room. Each stone in the quadrangle shall teach its lesson of grace and of genuineness!' --Stanford University President David Starr Jordan's Opening Day Address, October 1, 1891 (p. 107) This quotation illustrates the central point of this book, the importance and significance of the campus environment. Authors Jonathan Coulson and Paul Roberts are directors at Turnberry Consulting, a London-based strategy development company, and have extensive experience in the university sector. Isabelle Taylor is an art historian now working at Turnberry as a researcher and writer. Requiring more than two years of research and writing, the book is based on the authors' experiences in preparing development proposals and master plans for several universities in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In their introduction, the authors note that this book "brings together two approaches, the historical and the strategic, to examine what constitutes a successful campus and how to apply these conclusions to real-life, modern day contexts" (p. i). Written to assist planners, designers, and institutional leaders in using their campus to its full potential, the purpose of the book is clear. Campus decision makers are faced with planning choices and, in making them, direct their campus's future. By exploring the fascinating history of university plans and designs and examining 29 international campuses, the book allows the reader to learn what works well and, more importantly, how and why. I find that the book is well-researched and well-organized, and the text is both interesting and engaging, like a well-written story. The authors present a chronology of university campus planning and architecture spanning the globe from 1088 to 2010 and identify international case studies in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, Far East, Australia, and South Africa. A final section is based on designing the 21st-century campus. "Lessons learned" from the case studies offer guidance on values, mission, social and organizational change, and master planning, including landscapes, buildings, and circulation. Finally, components of "good practice" are discussed. Chapter 1 "University Planning and Architecture 1088-2010: A Chronology." The chronology is a historical exploration of various influential movements and traditions, starting with the monastic inward-looking quadrangles of Europe and individuals such as Christopher Wren and his work at Oxford and Cambridge. Wren's widely imitated quadrangles are enclosed on four sides by arrangements of buildings; his work made a significant contribution to the vocabulary of collegiate architecture. Rejecting the enclosed quadrangle design, early colonial colleges in the United States were designed with clusters of buildings in open space. Thomas Jefferson's axial arrangement of the "Academical Village" in Virginia influenced the design of other institutions in the United States. Later, 19th-century architectural movements such as Picturesque, Nature, and Beaux Arts influenced design across the country, from Columbia University in New York to the University of California, Berkeley. In Europe, the Gothic Revival movement gained popularity and was imitated in the United States. Gothic Revival was followed by Collegiate Gothic, which we can see today in both Europe and the United States at Yale University, Bryn Mawr College, and elsewhere. …


Every rock is a tangible trace of the earth's past. The Story of the Earth in 25 Rocks tells the fascinating stories behind the discoveries that shook the foundations of geology. In twenty-five chapters—each about a particular rock, outcrop, or geologic phenomenon—Donald R. Prothero recounts the scientific detective work that shaped our understanding of geology, from the unearthing of exemplary specimens to tectonic shifts in how we view the inner workings of our planet.

 Prothero follows in the footsteps of the scientists who asked—and answered—geology's biggest questions: How do we know how old the earth is? What happened to the supercontinent Pangea? How did ocean rocks end up at the top of Mount Everest? What can we learn about our planet from meteorites and moon rocks? He answers these questions through expertly chosen case studies, such as Pliny the Younger's firsthand account of the eruption of Vesuvius; the granite outcrops that led a Scottish scientist to theorize that the landscapes he witnessed were far older than Noah's Flood; the salt and gypsum deposits under the Mediterranean Sea that indicate that it was once a desert; and how trying to date the age of meteorites revealed the dangers of lead poisoning. Each of these breakthroughs filled in a piece of the greater puzzle that is the earth, with scientific discoveries dovetailing with each other to offer an increasingly coherent image of the geologic past. Summarizing a wealth of information in an entertaining, approachable style, The Story of the Earth in 25 Rocks is essential reading for the armchair geologist, the rock hound, and all who are curious about the earth beneath their feet.


This study was carried out to reveal the plastic wastes separation practice and disposal mechanism as well as awareness of the negative impact of plastic wastes on the environment, in Makurdi area of Benue State, Nigeria. Questionnaires were administered to 468 individual respondents in 6 sub-locations of the city. Inquisition was also made from 10 hospitals, 6 market centers and the waste management body. The results revealed that 81.2% of the respondents do not separate plastic wastes from other waste stream. All the hospitals and markets do not sort at all. The government agency responsible for the final management of the waste stream does not have a practice of sorting plastic wastes from the whole waste collected with a view to achieving material and energy recovery. The most adopted methods of disposal for plastic wastes by all the stakeholders considered are dumping/burning and dumping.  50.4% of the respondents adopted dumping/burning as a disposal method for plastic wastes while 19.2% burn theirs. Although almost 50% of the population examined for the study claimed to be aware of the dangers of plastic wastes, there is still indifference in the way these wastes are handled as can be observed by the indiscriminate dumping of these wastes, creating litters around the environment. These result revealed a need for the development of a proactive and sustainable management system involving individuals, businesses, hospital managements and waste management body that will protect the environment and enhance resource and energy recovery from plastic wastes.


We constrain the properties of the progenitor system of the highly reddened Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2014J in Messier 82 (M82; d ≈ 3.5 Mpc). We determine the supernova (SN) location using Keck-II K-band adaptive optics images, and we find no evidence for flux from a progenitor system in pre-explosion near-ultraviolet through near-infrared Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images. Our upper limits exclude systems having a bright red giant companion, including symbiotic novae with luminosities comparable to that of RS Ophiuchi. While the flux constraints are also inconsistent with predictions for comparatively cool He-donor systems (T ≲ 35,000 K), we cannot preclude a system similar to V445 Puppis. The progenitor constraints are robust across a wide range of RV and AV values, but significantly greater values than those inferred from the SN light curve and spectrum would yield proportionally brighter luminosity limits. The comparatively faint flux expected from a binary progenitor system consisting of white dwarf stars would not have been detected in the pre-explosion HST imaging. Infrared HST exposures yield more stringent constraints on the luminosities of very cool (T < 3000 K) companion stars than was possible in the case of SN Ia 2011fe.


This memo is the official specification of the File Transfer Protocol
(FTP) for the DARPA Internet community. The primary intent is to
clarify and correct the documentation of the FTP specification, not to
change the protocol. The following new optional commands are included
in this edition of the specification: Change to Parent Directory
(CDUP), Structure Mount (SMNT), Store Unique (STOU), Remove Directory
(RMD), Make Directory (MKD), Print Directory (PWD), and System (SYST).
Note that this specification is compatible with the previous edition.


Several mutants of Escherichia coli K-12 defective in aerobic metabolism were isolated. One such mutant was found to be deficient in cytochromes, heme, and catalase. Aerobically grown cells did not consume oxygen and could grow only on fermentable carbon sources. Supplementation of the growth medium with delta-aminolevulonic acid, protoporphyrin IX, or hemin did not restore aerobic metabolism. The lack of heme and catalase in mutant cells grown on glucose was not due to catabolite repression, since the addition of exogenous cyclic AMP did not restore the normal phenotype. When grown aerobically on complex medium containing glucose, the mutant produced lactic acid as the principal fermentation product. This pleotropic mutation was attributed to an inability of the cells to synthesize heme, and preliminary data mapped the mutation to between 8 and 13 min on the E. coli genome.


Genome-wide association studies have successfully identified many novel genetic loci for various human complex diseases and quantitative traits. There are several important factors contributing to the feasibility of this approach; one of them is the rapid advancement in high-throughput single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyping technologies which has enabled researchers to comprehensively interrogate the entire human genome. Almost all the studies that have been published up to date used commercially available whole-genome genotyping arrays from Illumina® and Affymetrix®. The most prominent feature of these high-throughput genotyping platforms is the ability to interrogate several hundred thousands to one million SNPs simultaneously in a microarray. The application of genotyping arrays is not only limited to association studies, but it has also been applied to many other human genetic studies. However, the rapid developments of sequencing technologies have started replacing the microarray experiments for both structural and functional genomics studies.

Key concepts:

Over the past three years, GWAS have been playing an important role in identifying novel genetic loci for various human complex diseases and quantitative traits.

The paradigm shift in genetic approach to GWAS has been attributed to several important developments, notably the rapid advancement in high-throughput SNPs genotyping technologies.

High-throughput SNPs genotyping technologies had enabled researchers to interrogate several hundred thousands to one million SNPs simultaneously in a microarray.

GWAS is a comprehensive and agnostic approach in the search for unknown disease variants, as such; the ability to interrogate large number of SNPs covering the entire human genome is a prerequisite to this study design.

Currently, Illumina® and Affymetrix® are the only two companies in the market who design and provide whole-genome genotyping arrays for human genetic studies.

There are two commonly adopted approaches in SNPs selection for whole-genome genotyping arrays: direct and indirect. Direct approach focuses on selecting SNPs that are of putative functional importance. In contrast, indirect approach selects SNPs despite their functionality.

Genome coverage is an estimate of the proportion of SNPs (using the International HapMap data as reference) that can be captured by the SNPs which directly genotyped in an array with a preset r2 threshold.

Expeditious developments of sequencing technologies have started threatening the market of microarray.

Currently, the three next-generation sequencing platforms are Illumina® Genome Analyzer, Roche® 454 GS-FLX Sequencer and ABI® SOLiD Sequencer.

Sequencing approach has been quickly adopted for various applications in structural and functional genomic studies, for example, ChIP-Seq, transcriptome profiling (RNA-Seq) and paired-end sequencing method to detect structural variations.

Keywords:

single nucleotide polymorphisms;
high-throughput genotyping technologies;
illumina;
affymetrix;
genome coverage


PURPOSE
To investigate the preferences and practice patterns of urooncologic surgeons in Turkey on bowel preparation and peri-operative management for radical cystectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study was conducted by Turkish Urooncology Association as a multicenter survey. Participants were asked to fill in questionnaires dispensed at annual oncologic meeting or using internet access to the website of Urooncology Association. The questionnaire consisted of multiple choice or open-ended questions related to frequency of cystectomy, surgical technique and type of diversion, bowel preparation protocol, nasogastric tube applications, antibiotic prophylaxis, and deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis. Collected data from the survey were presented descriptively.

RESULTS
Forty-four questionnaires from 44 surgeons of different centers were evaluated. All participants answered that they always perform bowel preparation before cystectomy. Four participants reported that they had an experience of cystectomy without bowel preparation. Bowel preparation methods included long conservative methods, short enema protocols, and Golytely, but there were significant differences in application of each method. Of participants, 88.6% perform diversion by themselves whereas others ask help from a general surgeon. Antibiotic prophylaxis is preferred mostly by 2 agents using third-generation cephalosporins and metronidazole for a period of 5 days or more in the majority. Type, duration, and dosage of deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis differed among participants.

CONCLUSION
There are significant individual differences in peri-operative management of radical cystectomy, which render deficient and sometimes inadequate patient care. There is a need to establish standard protocols for bowel preparation and adequate peri-operative management for radical cystectomy.


On Tuesday, April 1, 2014, at 8:46 p.m. local time in Chile, a subduction earthquake of Mw 8.2 occurred about 100km northwest of the city of Iquique, where the Nazca plate subducts beneath the South American plate. This earthquake triggered a tsunami, which hit coastal areas in northern Chile. A joint Japan–Chile team conducted a post-tsunami field survey to measure the height of the tsunami traces and to investigate the damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami. Based on measurements of the tsunami traces, it is estimated that a tsunami 3–4m in height hit the coast from Arica, which is near the border between Chile and Peru, to Patache, south of Iquique, a straight-line distance of approximately 260km. The tsunami caused only minor inundations near shorelines, and caused no damage to buildings because living spaces were higher than the tsunami run-up height. Seismic damage was more extensive than that caused by the tsunami, especially in Iquique, and included the destruction of houses, buildings, and other infrastructure. It also ignited fires. In the Port of Iquique, a wharf, before earthquake-resistant improvements were implemented, was destroyed by the strong ground motions that resulted from the earthquake.


▪ Abstract Spatial synchrony refers to coincident changes in the abundance or other time-varying characteristics of geographically disjunct populations. This phenomenon has been documented in the dynamics of species representing a variety of taxa and ecological roles. Synchrony may arise from three primary mechanisms:(a) dispersal among populations, reducing the size of relatively large populations and increasing relatively small ones; (b) congruent dependence of population dynamics on a synchronous exogenous random factor such as temperature or rainfall, a phenomenon known as the "Moran effect"; and (c) trophic interactions with populations of other species that are themselves spatially synchronous or mobile. Identification of the causes of synchrony is often difficult. In addition to intraspecific synchrony, there are many examples of synchrony among populations of different species, the causes of which are similarly complex and difficult to identify. Furthermore, some populations may exhibit complex sp...


»Freiheit versus Sicherheit. Die Debatte um soziale Risiken in Westdeutschland in den 1950ern«. The article outlines the debate on the expansion of the welfare state in Western Germany during the 1950s. This debate does not only provide important insights into the self-perception of Western German society. It can also be read as a risk debate, because the contemporaries were aware of the ambivalent effects of the preventive measures against poverty: While especially social democrats emphasised the stabilising effect of the fight against poverty on democracy, politicians from economic-liberal circles stressed the risk that such measures could give the state excessive power over its citizens. Despite the consensual conviction of all relevant political actors that an expansion of the welfare state was historically consequent and expected by the population, the weighing of individual freedom on the one hand and social security on the other hand coined the debate on, as well as the organisation of, the Western German welfare state.


European honey bees (Apis mellifera) are economically and ecologically important due to the large-scale pollination service they offer a myriad of plant species. In 2015, honey bee pollination augmented crop value in the United States by 15 billion dollars. A high density of individuals combined with a homeostatic nest environment facilitates the impact of pathogens and parasites on honey bee health. Among these parasites is Varroa destructor, a vector for Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) and other viruses, which harm honey bee health. Since its discovery in 2004, IAPV is largely understudied in regards to queen-virus interactions. Therefore, my study focused on the impact of IAPV on the queens' attractiveness, transmission routes, and the potential of trans-generational immune priming. IAPV prevalence was surveyed in experimental colonies and IAPV was present in three life history stages: egg, capped brood, and adult, suggesting vertical and horizontal transmission routes of IAPV. No experimental evidence for an influence of IAPV on the queens' attractiveness and for trans-generational immune priming was found. Due to the lack of effective methods to determine viral infection level of live queens, the IAPV status of treatment queens was evaluated at the end of the experiment. IAPV infection of the inoculated queens was highly variable. My study is one of the few studies that focused on queen health and lays the foundation for future studies. Such future studies are required to conclusively evaluate immune priming and the impact of IAPV on queens' attractiveness.


This thesis is an attempt to develop a constructive systematic argument about Christian hope. The first chapter examines the historical ground of Christian hope in Jesus' death and resurrection, the central instance and paradigm of God's saving action. Precisely because it is hope in God who raised Jesus from the dead, Christian hope can face fully those features of life which deny hope and still believe rationally that God's purposes of life and love will triumph. This is shown by discussing hope in terms of atonement and suffering. In chapter two we explore further the historical and theological ground of hope by pressing the importance of understanding Jesus' resurrection as an historical event, and by discussing the trinitarian theology of death and resurrection. We suggest that the theology of Holy Saturday is particularly important since it is an attempt to take seriously Jesus' death as an event within the very life of God.
Death itself is an important subject for Christian theology. Christian hope must help people to find positive significance in their mortality as well as trusting in life after death. Moreover, the theological significance of Jesus' resurrection extends far beyond its implications for human destiny since it invites a re-thinking of God, human being and the world.
In particular, it paints us to Jesus as God's way of saving the world, and shows the importance of self-sacrifice if hope is to be kept alive. The complex of crucifixion-resurrection is the ground, logic and pattern for the actions of Christian hope. Nevertheless the hope for life after death is essential to Christian hope since it is the hope for the final fulfilment of God's purposes not only for us but for all creation. This shows that eschatology should not be fanciful speculation but rather cautious projection from our present experience of God. We sketch out a possible Christian eschatology in terms of the importance of the body, the social nature of personal life, and the abiding place of creation itself. In chapter three we examine the pressure of the logic of the Christian doctrine of God - ie of the triumph of his grace in crucifixion and resurrection - towards universalism, and find this compelling despite the familiar objections. If all men and women are to love God freely we must think of personal growth towards perfection beyond death. Finally, in chapter four, we turn to the practice of hope in seeking a better human future. We argue that this makes politics an important and unavoidable concern for Christians, and we show why Christian belief requires us to take politics seriously, despite the claims often made, both inside and outside the church, to the contrary. Some indication is given of how the complex relation between faith and politics can be respected, and we make specific proposals for the kind of changes which Christian hope should cause us to work for in contemporary Britain. Thus it may be seen that Christian hope embraces the whole of life in the conviction that all things work together for good under God's love.


Public libraries are an important resource for communities. Access to plant and animal books impacts a communities' ability to learn about their environment. In this study, the number of plant and animal books available to people through local libraries in northern Kentucky, and neighboring counties in Ohio and Indiana were counted and a survey assessing one's preferences and likeliness to participate in conservation activities was distributed to local residents. Based on the collected data, a statistically significant relationship (p < 0.05) was found between access to plant and animal books available at local libraries and the likelihood of people to participate in conservation activities. Further analysis was performed between the total number of shelved plant and animal books at local libraries, the total number of shelved juvenile plant and animal books and the shelved adult plant and animal books, and the total number of plant and animal books in libraries compared to the local household income and number of households near a library. This study found that people that read books about plants and animals were more likely to participate in conservation activities associated with their book preference. This study also found that people living in low-income communities with fewer households are less likely to participate in plant and animal conservation, as compared to higher-income communities with a higher number of households. Additionally, this study found that lower income areas have fewer plant and animal books on the library shelves than higher income areas. Consequently, study results suggest that if more plant and animal books were made available to low-income areas and areas of biological importance through libraries, people may be more likely to conserve the wildlife around them.


Sclerotinia blight, caused by Sclerotinia minor, is an important disease of peanut in North Carolina. The effectiveness of Coniothyrium minitans, a mycoparasite of sclerotia of Sclerotinia spp., was studied in a 5-year field experiment and in eight short-term experiments in northeastern North Carolina. The 5-year experiment was initiated in November 1999 to evaluate the effectiveness of repeated soil applications of C. minitans (commercial formulation, Contans WG) at 2 and 4 kg ha-1 in reducing Sclerotinia blight. In addition, individual commercial peanut fields were selected in 2001 and 2002 to evaluate a single application of C. minitans at 4 kg ha-1. No differences were found between the 2 and 4 kg ha-1 rates of C. minitans in reducing Sclerotinia blight. In 2002, there was less disease in plots receiving applications of C. minitans for either 1 or 3 years compared with the nontreated control; whereas, in 2003, C. minitans applications for 1, 2, or 3 years reduced disease and the number of sclerotia isolated from soil. A single application of C. minitans reduced sclerotia in only two of the eight short-term experiments. The integration of consecutive years of soil applications of C. minitans at 2 kg ha-1 with moderately resistant cultivars and fungicide applications may aid in the management of Sclerotinia blight in peanut.


Semidefinite programming is a powerful modeling tool for a wide range of optimization and feasibility problems. Its prevalent use in practice relies on the fact that a (nearly) optimal solution of a semidefinite program can be obtained efficiently in both theory and practice, provided that the semidefinite program and its dual satisfy the Slater condition. This thesis focuses on the situation where the Slater condition (i.e., the existence of positive definite feasible solutions) does not hold for a given semidefinite program; the failure of the Slater condition often occurs in structured semidefinite programs derived from various applications. In this thesis, we study the use of the facial reduction technique, originally proposed as a theoretical procedure by Borwein and Wolkowicz, as a preprocessing technique for semidefinite programs. Facial reduction can be used either in an algorithmic or a theoretical sense, depending on whether the structure of the semidefinite program is known a priori. The main contribution of this thesis is threefold. First, we study the numerical issues in the implementation of the facial reduction as an algorithm on semidefinite programs, and argue that each step of the facial reduction algorithm is backward stable. Second, we illustrate the theoretical importance of the facial reduction procedure in the topic of sensitivity analysis for semidefinite programs. Finally, we illustrate the use of facial reduction technique on several classes of structured semidefinite programs, in particular the side chain positioning problem in protein folding.


Introduces /spl Pi//sup 2/, a proxy platform for CORBA-based applications in a nomadic environment. Nomadic computing presumes ubiquitous access to network services. An infrastructure providing the framework for nomadic users, therefore, has to support different network technologies and protocols. Wireless access networks offer widespread connectivity to nomadic users. However, distributed applications in a wireless environment often suffer from sudden connection losses, scarce bandwidth and high error rates when using TCP/IP. Hence, /spl Pi//sup 2/ transparently encapsulates the wireless link and splits the connection between the client on the mobile node and the server into separate parts. /spl Pi//sup 2/ can be transparently integrated into existing distributed systems without changes to clients or servers using a generic interface and dynamic type determination. It provides seamless handover between different networks, taking advantage of protocols especially tailored for wireless links, like WAP, and uses compression to reduce the required bandwidth. Furthermore, this platform flexibly provides value-added services for distributed applications like context- and location-awareness or caching, thus broadening the scope of the CORBA-based applications.


Density variations drive mass transport in the Earth from plate tectonics to convection in the mantle and core. Nevertheless, density remains poorly known because most geophysical measurements used to probe the Earth's interior either have little sensitivity to density, suffer from trade-offs or from non-uniqueness. With the ongoing expansion of computational power, it has become possible to accurately model complete seismic wavefields in a 3-D heterogeneous Earth, and to develop waveform inversion techniques that account for complicated wavefield effects. This may help to improve resolution of density. Here, we present a pilot study where we explore the extent to which waveform inversion may be used to better recover density as a separate, independent parameter. We perform numerical simulations in 2-D to investigate under which conditions, and to what extent density anomalies may be recovered in the Earth's mantle. We conclude that density can indeed be constrained by seismic waveforms, mainly as a result of scattering effects at density contrasts. As a consequence, the low-frequency part of the wavefield is the most important for constraining the actual extent of anomalies. While the impact of density heterogeneities on the wavefield is small compared to the effects of velocity variations, it is likely to be detectable in modern regional- to global-scale measurements. We also conclude that the use of gravity data as additional information does not help to further improve the recovery of density anomalies unless strong a priori constraints on the geometry of density variations are applied. This is a result of the inherent physical non-uniqueness of potential-field inverse problems. Finally, in the limited numerical setup that we employ, we find that the initially supplied anomalies in S- and P-velocity models are of minor importance.


Many patients survive SAH with minimal neurologic deficits but are at risk for developing further neurologic insult from ischemia resulting from cerebral vasospasm. Nursing care of the patient experiencing vasospasm is challenging. The nurse who is knowledgeable about the signs and symptoms of cerebral ischemia and necessity for continually reviewing the patient's neurologic status can initiate prompt treatment to prevent further ischemic damage. Recognition of this critical problem is the first step toward combating its ominous effects.


In response to a request from a campus student organization, faculty from three fields came together to develop and teach an integrated interdisciplinary course on water issues and social activism. This course, "Water as Life, Death, and Power", brought together topics from the fields of anthropology, biology and chemistry to explore water rights, access to clean water, and water treatment methods. Students enrolled in the course developed interdisciplinary projects related to a variety of local and global water issues to present real-world solutions at a university-wide student research showcase. This article describes the process by which the faculty learning community designed the course as a truly integrated whole, and reflects on the challenges and rewards of teaching a course in this way.


The mechanisms involved in the production of chromate-phosphate conversion coatings on aluminium have been investigated. A sequence of coating nucleation and growth has been outlined and the principle roles of the constituent ingredients of the chromate-phosphate solution have been shown. The effect of dissolved aluminium has been studied and its role in producing sound conversion coatings has been shown. Metallic contamination has been found to have a dramatic influence on chromate-phosphate coatings when particular levels have been exceeded. Coating formation was seen to be affected in proportion to the level of contaminaton; no evidence of sudden failure was noted. The influence of substrate and the effect of an acidic cleaner prior to conversion coating have been studied and explained. It was found that the cleaner ages rapidly and that this must .be allowed for when attempting to reproduce industrial conditions in the laboratory. A study was carried out on the flowing characteristics of polyester powders of various size distributions as they melt using the hot-stage microscopy techniques developed at Aston. It was found that the condition of the substrate (ie extent of pretreatment), had a significant effect on particle flow. This was explained by considering the topography of the substrate surface. A number of 'low-bake' polyester powders were developed and tested for mechanical, physical and chemical resistance. The best formulation had overall properties which were as good as the standard polyester in many respects. However chemical resistance was found to be slightly lower. The charging characteristics of powder paints during application by means of electrostatic spraying was studied by measuring the charge per unit mass and relating this to the surface area. A high degree of correlation was found between charge carried and surface area, and the charge retained was related to the powder's formulation.


This article deals with three kinds of unethical and unconstitutional practices and policies of prosecutors' offices: (1) Cases in which a prosecutor, in the heat of a trial, unintentionally acts unethically or unconstitutionally, and the prosecutor's office then makes that conduct official policy by adopting and seeking to justify the conduct on appeal; (2) Cases in which a "rogue" prosecutor purposefully engages in unethical and/or unconstitutional tactics, like concealing Brady material, and the prosecutor's office seeks to justify the conduct on appeal; (3) Cases in which a chief prosecutor adopts unethical and/or unconstitutional practices as office policy. In addition, a related issue is discussed – the general failure of disciplinary authorities and courts to take disciplinary or other remedial measures against prosecutors who violate both the rights of criminal defendants and the prosecutors' own ethical obligations.


The large body of Filipino American literature has helped to define and challenge the boundaries of the Asian American literary canon. Documenting various waves of Filipino migration to the United States as a result of US-Philippine colonial relations beginning at the turn of the 20th century, Filipino American literature includes genres such as autobiography, novels, short stories, poetry, creative nonfiction (letter writing and essays), and graphic literature. While Filipino American literature shares common themes with other forms of Asian American literature (exile, displacement, racist exclusion), it is distinguished by its inability to adhere to an immigrant-assimilationist paradigm. Filipino American literature provides insight into the experiences of Filipino colonial and neocolonial subjects who have migrated from the periphery to the center. The unique historical and geopolitical framework of US-Philippine relations recasts themes such as the search for identity and "home," the seduction of assimilation, and postcolonial resistance to US orientalist discourse. At the heart of the Filipino American writer's discovery that she is a part of, yet apart from, Asian America is the task of confronting her unique location as informed by the Filipino collective experience of racial/national subordination. For Filipino Americans, racism and US colonial/neocolonial control of the Philippines are inextricably intertwined. Filipino Americans, the second largest Asian American group in the United States and the largest Asian American group in the state of California, constitute a major segment of the Filipino diaspora which is over twelve million—a majority of whom labor as Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). More than 5000 Filipinos depart the Philippines daily as a strategy for economic survival. US-Philippine neocolonial relations, together with the traumatic global dispersal of Filipinos, function as the political unconscious of contemporary forms of Filipino American literature. These works grapple with heterogeneity, difference, displacement, and diverse strategies of decolonization—from exploring the complexity of Filipino American identity (intersection of race, gender, sexuality, class) to articulating the yearning to belong. For contemporary writers, Filipino American identity and the concept of decolonization are contested terrains—both still in the process of becoming.


Social Security provides benefits to a worker's spouse or survivor that alter the work incentives of both household members. In 2011, Social Security's Spouse and Survivor's Benefits amounted to $112 billion, or 3.1%, of Federal expenditures. This paper develops a structural lifecycle model of household savings, labor supply, and benefit claiming. Future health, mortality, and medical expenses are uncertain. The model is solved separately for each household so that it captures how Spouse and Survivor's Benefits interact with the couple's age difference, private pensions, and unique earning histories. I estimate the model by method of simulated moments using data from the Health and Retirement Study. I simulate how responsive husbands' and wives' retirement decisions are to Spouse and Survivor's Benefits. I find that: husbands and wives respond sharply to changes in the Survivor's Benefit, but little to changes in the Spouse's Benefit; the annuity provided by the Survivor's Benefit, even if reduced, creates a strong incentive for the couple's high earner to continue working; reducing the Spouse and Survivor's Benefits by half achieves 74.1% of the savings from their elimination. In addition, the model can explain high rates of benefit claiming at age 62 and joint retirement.


Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the adaptive behaviors of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), their family support networks, parental stress, and parental coping and the relationships among these variables. Background: Autism is the fastest growing diagnosed developmental disorder. When parents receive a diagnosis of autism for their child, mothers and fathers are affected differently. The costs to families of children with autism are personal, social, and affect family finances and day to day living. Parents of a child with autism are at high risk for increased stress levels. The child's socially unacceptable behaviors and communication problems contribute to parental stress. Available and accessible support services for children with autism, their caregivers, and families are often inadequate to address the increasing numbers of children being diagnosed with autism. Methods: A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study was conducted with a purposive sample of 75 parents/primary caregivers of children with ASD. Parents provided information about the adaptive behaviors of their child with autism, family support networks, parental stress, and parental coping. Pearson product-moment correlation was used to identify the relationships between the variables. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify which of the independent variables better predicted parental coping patterns. Findings and Conclusion: The adaptive behaviors of children with autism were negatively correlated with parental behaviors which focused on continuing to seek and use social support, self-respect, and emotional strength. Parents' views of the support their family received were positively correlated with parental behaviors that concentrated on family adjustment, teamwork, and a positive meaning of the situation. A trend toward significance was found between adaptive behaviors of the child with autism and paternal stress. These results bring new challenges and thoughts about how the children with autism and their families can be assisted. Parents who are coping with the added stresses in their lives need support that addresses the abilities of their child with autism, their own patterns of coping, and the resources available to their family.


Why do damages from changes in environmental quality differ across and within countries? Causal investigation of this question has been challenging because differences may stem from heterogeneity in cumulative exposure or differences in socioeconomic factors such as income. We revisit the temperature-violence relationship and show that cash transfers attenuate one-half to two-thirds of the effects of higher same-day temperatures on homicides. Our results not only demonstrate causally that income can explain much of the heterogeneity in the marginal effects of higher temperatures, but also imply that social protection programs can help the poor adapt to rising temperatures.


Background It is unclear whether the increase in life expectancy (LE) globally is coupled with a postponement of morbidity and disability. Evidence on trends and determinants of disability-free life expectancies (DFLEs) are available in high-income countries but less in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study examines the levels of and inequalities in LE, disability and DFLE between men and women across different age groups aged 50 years and over in six countries with developing economies. Methods This study utilised the cross-sectional data (n=32 724) from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) in China, Ghana, India, Mexico, the Russian Federation and South Africa in 2007–2010. Disability was measured with the activity of daily living (ADL) instrument. The DFLE was estimated using the Sullivan method based on the standard period life table and ADL-disability proportions. Results The disability prevalence ranged from 13% in China to 54% in India. The prevalence of disability was highest and occurred at younger age in both sexes in India. Women were more disadvantaged with higher prevalence of disability across all age groups, and the situation was worst among older women in Mexico and the Russian Federation. Though women had higher LE, their proportion of remaining LE free from disability was lower than men. Conclusions There are inequalities in the levels of disability and DFLE among men and women in different age groups among people aged over 50 years in these six countries. Countermeasures to decrease intercountry and gender gaps in DFLE, including improvements in health promotion and healthcare distribution, with a gender equity focus, are needed.


Confocal Raman microspectroscopy has previously used pinholes placed at the back focal plane of the microscope to provide depth resolution along the optical axis. The process of optimizing the pinhole alignment can often be difficult and time-consuming. We demonstrate a different approach to setting up a confocal Raman microscope using a stigmatic spectrograph and a CCD detector. This arrangement is easy to use and provides a depth resolution of ∼2 μm.


Traffic flow characteristics vary substantially from site to site throughout the country. As a result, it is frequently useful to group sites into similar types. General information on each road type can then be used to help estimate traffic flow characteristics at a particular site of a given road type. This report describes a grouping of road sites that is objective and that broadly reflects the underlying mix of journey purposes giving rise to the traffic at the site. The classification is based on the availability of sample data on a weekday in August and a weekday in a neutral month such as May or October. The classification has found application in the DTP Coba method of economic evaluation of major road schemes. (Author/TRRL)


The genus Corambis Simon, 1901 includes five species; three of them, C. jacknicholsoni sp. nov., C. logunovi sp. nov. and C. pantherae sp. nov., are described here as new. The female of the C. foeldvarii Szűts, 2002 is described for the first time and a new generic diagnosis is proposed. The distribution and relationships of Corambis are discussed in terms of the geological and bioclimatic history of New Caledonia.


This article is a foray into the understudied issue of environmental protest politics in Central Asia. Specifically, it uses Kyrgyzstan as a case study to test the argument that environmental concerns mobilized people to engage in protest and in ways different from other kinds of protest. This essay presents the first systematic study of public opinion about the environment in Kyrgyzstan. It includes results from a 2009 nationwide survey, over 100 expert and elite interviews, and newspaper content analysis. Furthermore, it spatially analyzes these results to identify geographical variation in public perception and political event occurrence patterns. Protest engagement is a complex process determined by the interaction of several factors, and is not explained solely by affluence, rationality, or grievances. Eco-mobilization – collective political action about the environment – represents a class of protest events that offers a different view into mass discontent in the former Soviet Union and neo-patrimonial societies. The study finds that these political actions about the environment are not necessarily elite driven; there is a basic foundation of national concern and salience of these issues, and demonstrated environmental beliefs do help to explain protest behavior.


Cerebral ischemia was produced in gerbils by ligation of the right common carotid artery and the resulting clinical manifestations and pathological alterations, along with electroencephalographic findings, were followed from 30 minutes to 24 hours. Protein synthesis was evaluated with brain slices in vitro and subsequent cellular and subcellular fractionations. One group of animals developed clinical signs of cerebral ischemia and stroke very rapidly and often died within 12 hours. In these animals cerebral infarction was diffuse in the right side of brain within a few hours postoperatively and there was persistent suppression in the electroencephalographic recordings. Amino acid incorporation into proteins of subcellular fractions was decreased to 50% of the opposite side at 30 minutes and further declined to less than 10% in 8 to 10 hours. Another group of animals survived to 24 hours in spite of severe neurological manifestations, and protein synthesis was about 15% of the control side at 24 hours. The suppression of protein synthesis was observed both in the neuronal and neuroglial fractions indicating similar vulnerability of these cellular elements toward cerebral ischemia as shown with cerebral anoxia in the past. It was emphasized that the correlation of clinical manifestations and biochemical data is very important to extract meaningful information from biochemical investigations in this model.


The three-dimensional structure of airborne pigeon flocks was monitored over time. Flocks changed both in overall shape, and in compactness during the execution of turns. Flight speeds of the flocks were sensitive to the vertical rather than the horizontal component of a turn. The compactness of flocks did not seem to change in relation to speed maintained during turns or sharpness of turns. The cues to which birds responded in adjusting their flight paths may be important in determining flock compactness. Birds within flocks responded to each other's position and maintained positions close to each other. In a flock groups. of birds which maintained positions close to each other were observed as a distinct physical clump of nearest neighbors only if the overall flock structure was dispersed or was expanding over time. Birds flying on very different flight paths were occasionally observed to become temporary close neighbors due to the crossing of the arcs describing the flight paths of the birds. Under such conditions birds could possibly be detected as a physical clump of close neighbors within the overall structure of the flock. Birds in flock performed aerial flight maneuvers while maintaining or increasing the compactness of the flock structure. The relative positions of birds within the flocks were not fixed. The repositioning of birds within the overall structure of turning and wheeling flocks indicates that adaptive strategies for predator avoidance could be based on a bird's ability to easily reposition within a flock, rather than on the distinctly different advantages of maintaining a peripheral or central location within the flock. Behaviorally dominant and subordinate birds did not maintain specific positions within the airborne flocks. There was a tendency for birds of dissimilar dominance rank to be nearest neighbors within the airborne flocks.


The United Kingdom's 2016 'Brexit' referendum vote to leave the European Union (EU) raised concerns that other countries would follow suit. This article examines how arguments about EU membership related to economic, cultural, political, and security and peace issues could influence how citizens would vote in EU membership referendums. Our two-wave survey experiment on a random sample of the German population and difference-in-differences analysis revealed that only fears of being outvoted in EU decision-making swayed German voters' attitudes about EU membership, particularly voters with weaker EU support, little EU knowledge and low levels of political engagement. We therefore conclude that concerns about sovereignty loss can be drivers of Euroscepticism even in a country that has vast influence over EU decisions.


In spite of relatively generous public subsidies and a reputation for high quality, only a very limited proportion of Italian families use public child care. In this paper we explore the significance of various factors on the choices made between different types of child care. In part one, we use a simulation exercise to show the impact of cost and availability on child care choices. In part two, we present the results of an explorative econometric analysis using a matched data set for 1998 from the Bank of Italy (SHIW) and ISTAT Multiscopo. We find evidence that factors related to family composition and support as well as to the characteristics of child care are important in explaining the choices made by Italian families. Assistance provided by grandmothers and husbands appears to be of crucial significance to Italian mothers who are seeking to reconcile the difficulties stemming from the rigidity of the labor market and the limitations of child care. Rationing, both of public and private child care, also proves to be an important factor affecting households' choices. An understanding of the importance of these factors is relevant in the evaluation of social policies encouraging mothers' participation in the labor market in Italy.


Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels regulate many physiological functions and represent important therapeutic targets in the treatment of several clinical disorders. Although some of these channels have been well-characterized, the study of others, such as Kv3 channels, has been hindered because of limited pharmacological tools. The current study was initiated to identify potent blockers of the Kv3.2 channel. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 cells stably expressing human Kv3.2b (CHO-K1.hKv3.2b) were established and characterized. Stichodactyla helianthus peptide (ShK), isolated from S. helianthus venom and a known high-affinity blocker of Kv1.1 and Kv1.3 channels, was found to potently inhibit 86Rb+ efflux from CHO-K1.hKv3.2b (IC50 ∼ 0.6 nM). In electrophysiological recordings of Kv3.2b channels expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes or in planar patch-clamp studies, ShK inhibited hKv3.2b channels with IC50 values of ∼0.3 and 6 nM, respectively. Despite the presence of Kv3.2 protein in human pancreatic β cells, ShK has no effect on the Kv current of these cells, suggesting that it is unlikely that homotetrameric Kv3.2 channels contribute significantly to the delayed rectifier current of insulin-secreting cells. In mouse cortical GABAergic fast-spiking interneurons, however, application of ShK produced effects consistent with the blockade of Kv3 channels (i.e., an increase in action potential half-width, a decrease in the amplitude of the action potential after hyperpolarization, and a decrease in maximal firing frequency in response to depolarizing current injections). Taken together, these results indicate that ShK is a potent inhibitor of Kv3.2 channels and may serve as a useful pharmacological probe for studying these channels in native preparations.


Objective: To characterize common knee joint diseases using Magnetic Resonance Imaging among Saudis population, to find out the most common disease in knee joint ,demonstrate the diagnostic value of MRI in diagnosing presence and absence of this disease and identify whether MRI can lead to accurate diagnoses of Knee joint disease. Methods: The study was a retrospective study of MRI finding in common knee joint diseases , A total of 50 patients were investigated by MRI machine across different Hospitals Department of Radiology Jeddah State, Saudi Arabia from September 2018 to December 2018. The problem of the study was increasing in patients suffering from knee joint pain. Results: Among 50 patients data was classified and analyzed using excel, and found that meniscus tear is the most common knee joint disease with a prevalence of 30% and 14% for osteoarthritis changes and also found that males (56%) were more affected than females(44%), and the age group of (36-50)and (51-65) were more exposed to knee joint disease. Conclusion: MRI scan is a good non-invasive tool and can be used as first line imaging modality for knee joint diseases. The MRI is the modality of choice in diagnosing internal lesions of the knee with high details and showed that meniscus tear had the highest prevalence of the knee pathological change, the result found meniscus tear had higher percentage and found a relation between patient's age and OA changes and Backer Cyst of the knee joint and there is significant relationship between patient gender and incident of knee disease.


We study the statistical-computational tradeoffs in a high dimensional single index model $Y=f(X^\top\beta^*) +\epsilon$, where $f$ is unknown, $X$ is a Gaussian vector and $\beta^*$ is $s$-sparse with unit norm. When $\cov(Y,X^\top\beta^*)\neq 0$, \cite{plan2016generalized} shows that the direction and support of $\beta^*$ can be recovered using a generalized version of Lasso. In this paper, we investigate the case when this critical assumption fails to hold, where the problem becomes considerably harder. Using the statistical query model to characterize the computational cost of an algorithm, we show that when $\cov(Y,X^\top\beta^*)=0$ and $\cov(Y,(X^\top\beta^*)^2)>0$, no computationally tractable algorithms can achieve the information-theoretic limit of the minimax risk. This implies that one must pay an extra computational cost for the nonlinearity involved in the model.


Abstract. This paper reports about an effort to generate LoD3 models of buildings semi-automatically, with the highest possible level of automation. It is work in progress. We use multi-sensor data like aerial images from a 5-head camera with a GSD of 10 cm, UAV images, and aerial and mobile LiDAR point clouds. We distinguish two cases: LoD2 models are available and they are not. We apply Multi-Photo Geometrically Constrained Least Squares Matching for different kind of point measurements. The regularity of many building façades in Singapore leads us to the idea to generalize the measurement procedure towards using measurement macros (geometrical primitives, i.e. windows, doors, etc.) and combine reality-based with procedural modelling. In parallel we try to model these façade elements from LiDAR point cloud data. In another research line we do building detection by a novel approach to land-cover classification, incorporating features of the façades to improve the classification accuracy. To generate the semantic labels of the façades, we developed a spatially unrelated mean-shift clustering method to yield structurally confined segments. It is the characteristic of automated and even semi-automated procedures that the results need some amount of editing. We therefore work on interactive post-editing approaches on CityGML building models containing semantic information of each surface. Maintaining the semantic information throughout the editing process is essential but often lack the support from current tools. Accordingly, we implement a method to synchronize CityGML models. Overall this project consists of a great number of different algorithmic components, which can only be coarsely explained in this paper.


It is difficult to acquire tagged cardiac MR images with a high temporal and spatial resolution using clinical MR scanners. However, if such images are used for quantifying scores based on motion, it is essential a resolution as high as possible. This paper explores the influence of the temporal resolution of a tagged series on the quantification of myocardial dynamic parameters. To such purpose we have designed a SPAMM (Spatial Modulation of Magnetization) sequence allowing acquisition of sequences at simple and double temporal resolution. Sequences are processed to compute myocardial motion by an automatic technique based on the tracking of the harmonic phase of tagged images (the Harmonic Phase Flow, HPF). The results have been compared to manual tracking of myocardial tags. The error in displacement fields for double resolution sequences reduces 17%.


Predicated execution is a promising architectural feature for exploiting instruction-level parallelism in the presence of control flow. Compiling for predicated execution involves converting program control flow into conditional, or predicated, instructions. This process is known as if-conversion. In order to effectively apply if-conversion, one must address two major issues: what should be if-converted and when the if-conversion should be applied. A compiler's use of predication as a representation is most effective when large amounts of code are if-converted and if-conversion is performed early in the compilation procedure. On the other hand the final code generated for a processor with predicated execution requires a delicate balance between control flow and predication to achieve efficient execution. The appropriate balance is tightly coupled with scheduling decisions and detailed processor characteristics. This paper presents an effective compilation framework that allows the compiler to maximize the benefits of predication as a compiler representation while delaying the final balancing of control flow and predication to schedule time.


The focus of this thesis is the study of mobile learning, specifically learning in
different locations and under various contextual situations, from the perspective of
university students. I initially derived and designed a theoretical mobile context-aware
learning schedule (mCALS) framework from an extensive literature review. Its
objective is to recommend appropriate learning materials to students based on their
current locations and circumstances. The framework uses a learning schedule (i.e.
electronic-based diary) to inform the location and available time a student has for
learning/studying at a particular location. Thereafter, a number of factors are taken
into consideration for the recommendation of appropriate learning materials. These
are the student's learning styles, knowledge level, concentration level, frequency of
interruption at that location and their available time for learning/studying.
In order to determine the potential deployment of the framework as a mobile
learning application by intended users, I carried out three types of feasibility studies.
First, a pedagogical study was conducted using interviews to explore together with
students (a) what their learning requirements were when studying in a mobile
environment, (b) whether the framework could potentially be used effectively to
support their studies and, (c) using this user-centred understanding, refined user
requirements of the framework. Second, a diary study was conducted where I collected
data and analysed the usability feasibility of the framework by (a) determining whether
students could plan their daily schedule ahead and keep to it, (b) ascertaining which
learning contexts were important and, (c) establishing which learning materials were
appropriate under which situations. Two validation studies were conducted. The first
one was an online experiment utilising Java learning objects. Participants of this study
were suggested appropriate learning objects to study with, based on their amount of available time, current motivation level for learning and their proficiency level of Java.
The second validation study was an investigation into high-quality Java learning objects
available in the public domain. Finally, a technical design of the framework was carried
out to determine whether the framework at present could realistically be implemented
using current mobile technologies.
The data analyses of the feasibility studies show that (a) a learning schedule
approach is successful to an extent in obtaining location and available time information
to indicate accurate values of these contexts, (b) different learners may require different
personalisation strategies when selecting appropriate learning materials for them in
mobile environments, and (c) the mCALS framework is particularly well-suited for
self-regulated students. I also proposed a set of suggestion rules which can be used to
recommend appropriate Java learning materials to students in different contexts. The
validation studies show that 1) the proposed suggestion rules are effective in
recommending appropriate materials to learners in their situation, in order to enhance
their learning experiences, and 2) there are a sufficiently large number of high-quality
LOs available in the public domain that can be incorporated for use within my
framework. Finally, the development of mCALS has been considered from three
perspectives – pedagogical, usability and technical. These perspectives consist of
critical components that should be considered when developing and evaluating mobile
learning software applications. The results demonstrated that the mCALS framework
can potentially be used by students in different locations and situations, and appropriate
learning materials can be selected to them, in order to enhance their learning
experiences.


There is currently significant interest in the use of instructional strategies in learning environments thanks to the emergence of new multimedia systems that combine text, audio, graphics and video, such as augmented reality (AR). In this light, this study compares the effectiveness of AR and video for listening comprehension tasks. The sample consisted of thirty-two elementary school students with different reading comprehension. Firstly, the experience, instructions and objectives were introduced to all the students. Next, they were divided into two groups to perform activities—one group performed an activity involving watching an Educational Video Story of the Laika dog and her Space Journey available by mobile devices app Blue Planet Tales, while the other performed an activity involving the use of AR, whose contents of the same history were visualized by means of the app Augment Sales. Once the activities were completed participants answered a comprehension test. Results (p = 0.180) indicate there are no meaningful differences between the lesson format and test performance. But there are differences between the participants of the AR group according to their reading comprehension level. With respect to the time taken to perform the comprehension test, there is no significant difference between the two groups but there is a difference between participants with a high and low level of comprehension. To conclude SUS (System Usability Scale) questionnaire was used to establish the measure usability for the AR app on a smartphone. An average score of 77.5 out of 100 was obtained in this questionnaire, which indicates that the app has fairly good user-centered design.


A detailed analysis of two-dimensional liquid crystalline grating cells is presented. Crossed liquid crystalline gratings were prepared using two kinds of photo-alignment polymers, i.e., poly(vinyl cinnamate) (PVCi) and photocrosslinkable polymer liquid crystal (PCLC). The effects of the anchoring strength of photo-alignment polymer films and crossing angles of grating vectors on one pair of photo-alignment substrates were extensively investigated using elastic continuum analysis, Jones calculus, and diffraction theory. The anchoring strength of our PCLC film was sufficiently strong, and experimental observation was in good agreement with the theoretical values obtained assuming the strong anchoring (fixed boundary conditions), although PCLC still has limits with the capability of photo-alignment of the low-molar-mass liquid crystals.


It has been argued that clinicians should use caution in employing dynamic psychotherapy in the treatment of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). At the same time, some authors have argued that a psychodynamic approach can contribute to developmental gains for children with ASD (Hoffman & Rice, 2012), especially when used in conjunction with a developmental approach (Alvarez, 1996; Crown, 2009). It has furthermore been argued that when clinicians are able to keep both psychodynamic and neurodevelopmental concepts and approaches in mind, rather than relying too heavily on one or the other, psychodynamic work has a place for children with ASD (Drucker, 2009). This paper uses case material from my work as a therapist with two children with ASD-like symptoms. Examples of how Floortimeand psychodyamically-informed strategies benefited these children lay the foundation for an argument that training for and practice of child therapy should be looked at through both a developmental and a psychodynamic lens. Table of


Background The aim of this study was to appraise the value of laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) for left-sided pancreatic cancer based on a large volume cohort study. Methods We reviewed data for all consecutive patients undergoing LDP for left-sided pancreatic cancer at Asan Medical Center (Seoul, Korea) between December 2006 and December 2014. Results A total of 91 male and 61 female patients, with a median age of 62.7 years were included in this study. The median operative duration was 234 minutes. Pathological reports revealed the following: a median tumor size of 3.0 cm (range, 0.4–10.0), T stages (T1 in 7.9%, T2 in 5.3%, T3 in 86.8%, and no T4), the tumor differentiation (well differentiated in 16.4%, moderately differentiated in 75.4%, and poorly differentiated in 8.2%), and R0 resection in 126 patients (82.9%). After pancreatectomy, 96 patients (63.2%) received adjuvant chemotherapy, and the median time to chemotherapy was 30 days. The median length of hospital stay was 8 days (range, 5–31), and the median time to diet resumption was 1 day. Grade B or C postoperative pancreatic fistula occurred in 14 patients (9.2%) and grade II or III complications occurred in 27 (17.7%). The median overall survival was 43.0 months. A Cox proportional hazards model showed that tumor size, N1 stage, combined resection, and incompleteness of planned adjuvant chemotherapy affect patient survival. Conclusions LDP for left-sided pancreatic cancer is reasonable within selected indications. An international consensus on laparoscopic surgery for pancreatic cancer would be desirable and timely.


Elliptic cylindrical cloaks are investigated analytically in elliptic cylindrical coordinates. It is shown that both the linear and higher-order transformations produce an imperfect cloaking due to the poor symmetry of the coordinate system. The imperfection being in concordance with that obtained by numerical simulations, it cannot be eliminated by improving the computer techniques. The cloaking becomes almost perfect in the limit case of nearly circular cloaks with the advantage that none of the parameters is singular in the cloak shell. In circular cylindrical coordinates instead, a perfect cloaking is achieved with elliptic cloaks, as has been proven in other studies by numerical simulations. Analytic solutions to Maxwell's equations are provided in these coordinates only in the limit case of nearly circular cloaks. Simple general expressions for material parameters are given also in circular cylindrical coordinates that can be then transformed in Cartesian coordinates.


The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the use and impact of Stylosanthes guianesis CIAT 184 in South China, which was introduced there in 1982 through the IDRC supported international network on tropical pastures (RIEPT) coordinated by in CIAT. It provides a background to animal production in China, examines current use of the legume for seed and meal production, and in pastures; various aspects of institutional capacity; linkages between institutions; implications of the findings; and suggestions for follow-up. The expanding use of this germplasm is impressive especially in Guangdong and Hainan provinces, but also elsewhere to seven other provinces, with areas planted in 1993 in the Guangdong province estimated at 5200 ha for the new cultivar CIAT 184 and 24,000 ha of the traditional variety Graham. The legume is used (a) as a monoculture crop (for seed or meal production), (b) as a cover crop in plantations eg rubber and mangoes, and (c) in pasture with grasses. The average forage yield is 87.34 MT/ha/yr of fresh material under a cutting regime of four times per year and seed production 375 kg/ha based on an annual harvest. The information base is rather weak but it is estimated that a total of 113 000 ha (4.7% of the farm land of Guangdong province) are grown to Stylos. This involves a total of about 108 000 farming families. Persistence is not clear but there is evidence of damage by low temperatures in Northern Guangdong. In Guangdong province the major advantage of Ciat 184 is a higher production (about 20 %) This is possibly related to later flowering than Graham. This nevertheless limits seed production in Guangdong, thus requiring introduction from Hainan island (The most tropical region of China). This need for specialization has been a limitation on the diffusion in Guangdong and other regions given the existing infrastructure for seed trade. In Hainan the major advantage besides the good market for seed is the higher anthracnose tolerance. The potential for further expanding its use is very promising.


We are currently developing and studying new interferometric schemes based on ultra-cold strontium atoms. The aim of the project is high precision measurements of gravity acceleration for fundamental tests of General Relativity. In the past years our work has focused on cooling, trapping and manipulating ultra-cold 88Sr, most abundant bosonic isotope of strontium. This isotope is well suited for precision measurements because of its particular properties. Amongst the known elements, 88Sr possesses the unique characteristic of an almost vanishing scattering length. This means that a cold ensemble of 88Sr can be considered as an ideal system of non-interacting particles. The most important consequence is the absence of decoherence among the external degrees of freedom due to the absence of cold collisions. Thanks to this property, long-lived Bloch oscillations in a vertical optical lattice could be observed up to 20 s with transfer of more than 1000 photon recoils. Furthermore, 88Sr has a zero nuclear moment, and because of the presence of two valence electrons, the energetic ground state does not present any electronic moment. Therefore, 88Sr has a zero total magnetic moment in its ground state, making the isotope insensitive to external magnetic fields. This is a precious characteristic for implementation in high precision measurements experiments, where the control of the spurious magnetic field is a real technical issue. Another interesting feature of strontium isotopes is the presence of narrow optical transitions. Such resonances can be used to produce ultra-cold thermal samples down to the recoil limit, and allow the implementation of fast optical cooling schemes toward quantum degeneracy. Ultra-narrow optical transitions also allow the development of the most stable and accurate optical clocks. We have acquired a wide knowledge in the coherent control of the quantum motion of atoms in optical lattices by means of resonant tunnelling techniques. This system demonstrated superior performances in precise measurements of forces at the um scale, and it is of great interest in short distance measurements. We have also used this system to perform differential gravity measurements between the 88Sr and the 87Sr isotopes to test Einstein Equivalence Principle (EEP). The employment of this combination of test probes is of special interest, as they not only have different masses but also possess a deeply different quantum structure. They undergo different statistics (one is a boson and one is fermion), and furthermore the bosonic isotope is completely spinless. With this system we were able to test the EEP at 10-7 level and put a constraint on the spin-gravity coupling violation. In order to drastically improve the performances of the gravimetric measurements, we are currently developing a new interferometric scheme based on Large-Momentum-transfer Bragg pulses and Bloch oscillations. With the powerful coherence properties of 88Sr, the highest performances of this kind of interferometers are foreseen.


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The feasibility of using in vivo autofluorescence for the diagnosis of skin cancer was evaluated. In vivo fluorescence measurements were performed on healthy human volunteers, and patients with different types of benign and malignant skin tumours. Fluorescence spectra as well as fluorescence images were acquired. The excitation-emission matrix of normal skin (n=3) showed a broad peak at the shortest excitation wavelength (365 nm) and at 440 nm fluorescence wavelength, smoothly decreasing towards longer excitation and fluorescence wavelengths. Non-melanoma skin tumours (n=31) and control skin excited with 375 nm showed a broad fluorescence band from 400 to 700 nm, peaking around 436 nm. No significant differences in measurements between tumours and the corresponding control sites were found. A large spatial variation in the fluorescence intensity was observed both in the tumours and in the control sites. Standard deviations found ranged from 0.15 to 1.5 times the mean fluorescence. Fluorescence images, excited with 375 nm and taken with an image intensified CCD camera, on eight malignant melanomas and eight benign pigmented lesions did not indicate any fluorescence intensity distribution specific to the malignancy of the lesion. Neither the shape of the fluorescence spectra, nor the spatial distribution of the fluorescence intensity showed any signature specific to the histopathological nature of the lesions investigated. Optical diagnostics of skin tumours using the autofluorescence does not seem to be feasible at the present time.


What if it were not "in religion sin / To make our love a god, and worship it"? John Ford's 'Tis Pity She's a Whore poses an interesting test-case for what happens when an individual is allowed to make precisely such moral judgments. The play, while implicitly acknowledging the horrifying nature of the incestuous relationship between its main protagonists, Giovanni and his sister Annabella, nevertheless allows Giovanni to pursue the logical ends of his own teleological confusion. In doing so, the play invites questions not only about the role of religion itself, but more specifically about the role of the individual who negotiates religious law in the quest of his own satisfaction. The play posits Giovanni as a gifted character left little recourse for expressing the desires that divide him. Once a scholar but now disgusted by the corrupt society that surrounds him, Giovanni is torn between voices and urges within himself that demand competing responses to his unlawful desires. These desires isolate him intellectually, leaving him unable to engage in that moral and discursive order in which he had hitherto invested his life's study and devotion. Driven to distraction by desire for his sister, yet unwilling or unable to abandon completely those social and conventional forces that have shaped his intellect, Giovanni finds himself in that uneasy situation that occurs when the human subject's desires are incompatible with the ideological dictates of his or her cultural traditions. His mournful complaint above (I.ii.145-46), attesting to Annabella's transfiguring capacity to elevate him beyond the cold logic and rules of his traditional religious education, articulates the desire to find a new moral space, where human love and desire might be acknowledged for their capacity to translate the self into a higher spiritual realm. Unfortunately, 'Tis Pity, as an exploration not only of the socially subversive potential of incestuous love but of the intellects that justify it, raises troubling questions about the capacity for re-envisioning such a moral order in early baroque society. As a "rational" agent, Giovanni rejects his society's religious and moral structures, finding within them a power that too much denies the dramatic and transfiguring forces of intense love. Yet though he seeks another, better moral order, one which will appropriately venerate and sustain the love that seems to him a transcendent power, Giovanni finds that his own intellectual and moral projections can little escape the logic of his inadequate cultural traditions. Thus in re-envisioning "the good" through platonic concepts that attempt to bypass the Christian insistence on God as the appropriate end of all contemplation, Giovanni finds not another, better world, but rather a circular and gratuitous reenactment of the logic and rituals of the very Catholic paradigm he rejects. This paper explores how an ostensibly well-meaning character, misguided largely by the corruption of his society, transforms medieval and scholastic theories of signification into a unique iconography that at one and the same time subverts and exploits humanistic notions of a figurative "good." This subversion, I shall argue, comments upon what Ford posits as an analogous religious and political situation: namely, Jacobean and Caroline England's own implication in the appropriation and subversion of Catholicism in the advancement of the Church of England. Though Ford's own religious affiliations are difficult to trace, recent studies on Ford's dedicatees and their sympathies, as well as on Ford's own education in the well-known "recusant" enclaves of Exeter College, Oxford, and the Middle Temple, indicate that an interest in the old religion may inform many of the more difficult themes of Ford's works (Hopkins 27-29). In 'Tis Pity, a play about an entire society that collapses under the social and moral inadequacy of the discursive system that supports it, this interest becomes paramount. …


Highly skilled athletes are produced by technologies of training which seek to create the athlete as a singular identity. Yet the disciplinary model of modern sport is consistently disrupted by the diversity and hybridity of the participants. Using Foucault's work on disciplinary power as a theoretical framework, Debra Shogan, an academic in sports ethics and a coach of high performance athletes, examines the ways in which athletes are produced through technologies of training and the ethical issues which emerge when demands to improve performance envelopes athletes, coaches, administrators and sports scientists in decisions about how far to push the limits of performance. Making the case for a new, postmodern sports ethic, Shogan shows how the juxtaposition of hybrid athletes with the homogenizing technologies of sport discipline opens up spaces for questioning, refusing, and perhaps creating new ways of participating in sport.