Over the past decades, several studies investigated the health-promoting functions of milk peptides. However, to date many hurdles still exist regarding the widespread use of milk-derived bioactive peptides, as they may be degraded during gastrointestinal digestion. Thus, the aim of our study was to in vitro digest intact whey protein isolate (WPI) and casein proteins (CNP), mimicking in vivo digestion, to investigate their bioactive effects and to identify the potential peptides involved. Whey protein isolate and CNP were digested using a pepsin-pancreatin protocol and ultra-filtered (3-kDa cutoff membrane). A permeate (<3 kDa) and a retentate (>3 kDa) were obtained. Soy protein was included as a control (CTR). Angiotensin-1-converting enzyme inhibitory (ACE1-I) and antioxidant activity (AOX) were assessed and compared with those observed in undigested proteins and CTR. Furthermore, the permeate was characterized by nano-liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-nano ESI MS/MS) using a shotgun peptidomic approach, and retentate was further digested with trypsin and analyzed by MS using a shotgun proteomic approach to identify potentially bioactive peptides. Further, the effects of WPI, CNP, and CTR retentate on cell metabolic activity and on mucus production (MUC5AC and MUC2 gene expression) were assessed in intestinal goblet HT29-MTX-E12 cells. Results showed that WPI permeate induced a significant ACE1-I inhibitory effect [49.2 ± 0.64% (SEM)] compared with undigested WPI, CNP permeate, and retentate or CTR permeate (10.40 ± 1.07%). A significant increase in AOX (1.58 ± 0.04 and 1.61 ± 0.02 µmol of trolox AOX equivalents per mg of protein, respectively) upon digestion was found in WPI. Potentially bioactive peptides associated with ACE1-I and antihypertensive effects were identified in WPI permeate and CNP retentate. At specific concentrations, WPI, CNP, and CTR retentate were able to stimulate metabolic activity in HT29-MTX-E12 cells. Expression of MUC5AC was increased by CNP retentate and unaltered by WPI retentate; MUC2 expression was significantly increased by 0.33 mg/g of CNP and reduced by 1.33 mg/g of CNP. Our results confirm that milk proteins may be rich sources of bioactive compounds, with the greatest beneficial potential of CNP at the intestinal goblet cell level.


Large-scale protein-protein interaction networks have been determined for organisms across the evolutionary spectrum. The resulting interactomes are a great resource for furthering our understanding of cellular functioning, pathways and organization. In this thesis, we focus on uncovering the relationship between the topological characteristics of these networks and their underlying functioning. In the first part of this thesis, we study the problem of network modularity. Cellular networks are known to have modular organization, with groups of proteins working together to perform some larger biological process. Numerous clustering approaches have been applied in order to uncover, from large-scale protein physical interaction data, protein complexes and functional modules. We develop a comprehensive framework to assess how well network clustering approaches perform in uncovering protein complexes and biological processes, and in predicting protein functions. By applying this framework, we find that topological characteristics of networks are a significant factor in the accuracy trade-offs between local and global (i.e. clustering) approaches for uncovering cellular functioning. In the second half of this thesis, we focus on relating one important aspect of protein functioning, its essentiality, to network topology. A protein is essential if it is vital for a cell's survival and its removal kills the cell. Previously, researchers had observed that essential proteins tend to have many physical interactions. We find that the relationship between essentiality and interaction degree is true at different scales of organization. In particular, we find that the number of intra-complex or intraprocess interactions that a protein has is a better indicator of its essentiality than its overall number of interactions. Moreover, we find that within an essential complex, its essential proteins tend to have more interactions, especially intra-complex interactions, than its non-essential proteins. Finally, we build a module-level interaction network, and find that essential complexes and processes tend to have higher interac-


This work began with an earlier study that showed the extreme persistence of intraday correlations in order-flow and price-mobility creates positively skewed daily-scale distributions of bull-bear sentiment and price-change, respectively. The earlier work also dealt with the allmagnitude skew excesses as one of each distribution's summary parameters and compared scaling behaviors of all corresponding parameters of price-change and sentiment. The present study extends this prior work by determining the price-mobility and order-flow persistent correlations for high magnitude price-changes. This study shows that the bias in daily occurrence probabilities at high-magnitudes determined from price-mobility correlations favors negative price-changes, reversing the positive bias of the all-magnitude probabilities. This produces a negative daily price-mobility skew that creates an equal negative daily price-change distribution's skew excess at high magnitudes. The behavior of high-magnitude order-flow correlations parallels the behavior of price-mobility described above to create a similar negative sentiment distribution skew at high-magnitudes. The present study then compares behaviors with increasing fluctuation magnitudes of price-change and sentiment skews on the daily and seven-day scale. These scaling comparisons show that the daily negative skew strength at highmagnitudes is amplified at successively higher scales as was the daily positive all-magnitude skew strength in the earlier work. Such amplifications sharply contrast with behaviors of skew strengths for independent identical distributions which must decay with increases in scale.


The prevalence and the types of traumas experienced by people differ significantly depending on the situation people live in, e.g., in a generally safe environment or in a stressful one. The current study compares German and Palestinian ambulance drivers investigating their overall history of traumas, symptoms of posttraumatic stress, and levels of anxiety and depression. Participants completed a series of questionnaires measuring stress, trauma, depression, and anxiety. The data from both groups were compared. As expected, the Palestinian group had experienced more traumata, demonstrated higher levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms, and had higher scores on the depression and anxiety scales than the German ambulance drivers. There were significant relationships between PTSD and depression, between PTSD and anxiety as well as between depression and anxiety in both samples. Our results indicate a clear need for a further investigation regarding the impact of multiple traumas on the psychological well-being of Palestinian ambulance drivers.


In this paper, we present an automated scalable system that measures user experience on smart devices such as TVs, tablets and smart phones. The system consists of three parts: (i) a robot with a mobile arm to perform touches and clicks on a tested device such as a tablet or a phone, and sensors to capture the video signals, (ii) a signal capturing process records the input video in real time, controlled by algorithms that use a deep detection model and a text matching model to estimate app state, and a deep classification model to navigate, and (iii) a quality metrics computation process that uses spatial and temporal computer vision algorithms. We show that this system can continuously evaluate major streaming apps such as the Prime Video app, popular shopping apps such as Amazon retail app, and other mobile apps. We also do manual validation for a subset of the metrics to evaluate the reliability of our system.


The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction prohibits the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of microbial or other biological agents, or toxins in a manner which has no justification for prophylactic, protective or other peaceful purposes. It also bans weapons, equipment or means of delivery designed to use such agents or toxins for hostile purposes or in armed conflict. It covers biological and toxin weapons against humans, animals and plants. This article provides a brief history of the Convention and presents an overview of its five Review Conferences; the 'Ad Hoc Group of Governmental Experts, open to all States Parties, to Identify and Examine Potential Verification Measures from a Scientific and Technical Standpoint' (usually referred to as VEREX); and efforts to develop a legally binding instrument to strengthen the Convention, as well as the annual meetings of experts and States Parties which have taken place over the last three years. Issues of particular relevance to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) are highlighted throughout, demonstrating their longstanding and fruitful contributions to ensuring that veterinary science is used only for the benefit of mankind.


This chapter focuses on geometric regions that serve as shared "picture primitives" in Russian avant-garde art and early Soviet picturebooks for children to highlight the interrelatedness between the infantile art of the avant-garde and avant-garde work that actually involves an infantile audience. Examining work with infantile aspects by Kazimir Malevich, El Lissitzky, Vladimir Mayakovsky, and Vladimir Lebedev, Weld uses an interdisciplinary approach to juxtapose their work to children's drawings, children's perception, and children's cognition to gain insight into their use of geometry and perspective and to raise new questions about the origin and impact of the avant-garde style.


Formation of C–N bonds gets an energetic boost from photogenerated radical cations Amines, molecules containing carbon-nitrogen (C–N) bonds, are among the most common and biologically important molecules in organic chemistry; 84% of small-molecule pharmaceuticals contain at least one C–N bond (1). Hydroamination, the direct addition of an N–H bond across a carbon-carbon double or triple bond, represents an ideal approach for the synthesis of amines (2). Despite extensive research over the past several decades, the efficient and direct intermolecular hydroamination of unactivated alkenes with anti-Markovnikov regio-selectivity (see the top panel of the figure) has remained a challenge. On page 727 of this issue, Musacchio et al. (3) report a photochemical strategy for creating reactive ammonium radical cations (ARCs) that can form these less stable isomers.


The economic success of Singapore has established the country as a model for other nations. Yet until now the ideas behind this accomplishment have not been critically examined. Communitarian Ideology and Democracy in Singapore fills this gap. The book outlines the policies the ruling party has adopted over the past three decades. It charts the government's move away from Western concepts towards the evolution of 'Asian democracy'. The author analyses this anti-liberal democracy and the government's motives for repackaging cultural heritage into a national ideology of Asian communitarianism. This book avoids the polarization that has tended to characterise texts on Asian governments. It neither concentrates on a history of authoritarian repression nor unequivocally praises the regime but critically examines its political success. As such it provides a new and balanced account to the student of Singapore politics.


Although most natural streams have concave-upward longitudinal
profiles, there are conflicting perspectives about whether an alluvial
channel is less concave than a bedrock channel. Alluvial channels can
be classified as coarse-bed and fine-bed channels, depending on the
bed grain size. Both are transport limited, but the threshold of motion
differs greatly. Whereas a coarse-bed alluvial channel can be claimed
to be as concave as a bedrock channel, we claim that a fine-bed channel
is distinguishably less concave. We derive the concavity index of
a fine-bed alluvial channel using the power law relationships emergent
at a steady-state river network. For known ranges of the scaling
parameters, our formulation informs a range of concavity index as
0.07 ± 0.09 for a fine-bed alluvial channel. Our analyses of previous
laboratory experiments and real fine-bed alluvial channels in the
midwestern U.S. and northern Europe also support our conclusions,
i.e., small profile concavity of steady-state fine-bed alluvial channels.


One of the characteristic features of object-based Building Information Models is the close integration of geometric and semantic information into one model. This concept is thoroughly implemented by the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), a comprehensive data model designed to provide a sound foundation for complex data exchange scenarios. Besides the provision of a large variety of data types for capturing the semantics of building elements and spaces, the IFC also makes it possible to define relationships between building elements and/or spaces, respectively. In particular, a spatial aggregation hierarchy can be modeled by successively applying the relationship IfcRelAggregates to space objects. However, no validation options currently exist to check whether the semantically defined aggregation hierarchy complies with the geometric setup of the individual spaces and building elements. This lack of consistency between the semantic and the geometric part of the BIM model may lead to serious data interpretation errors at the receiving end. To prevent this, we propose a new method for validating spatio-semantic consistency based on the usage of the Query Language for Building Information Models (QL4BIM) which on the one hand provides a means of accessing the IFC object model and on the other hand provides high-level spatial operators, such as Disjoint, Touching and Containing. The formulation of corresponding queries makes it possible to verify the spatio-semantic consistency of the IFC model. The paper discusses application scenarios and provides a number of relevant examples.


The four-wave mixing process in optical fibers is generally sensitive to dispersion uniformity along the fiber length. However, some specific phase matching conditions show increased robustness to longitudinal fluctuations in fiber dimensions, which affect the dispersion, even for signal and idler wavelengths far from the pump. In this paper, we present the method by which this point is found, how the fiber design characteristics impact on the stable point and demonstrate the stability through propagation simulations using the non-linear Schrödinger equation.


The issue of hate speech is complex – it serves as an illuminative lens for researchers and practitioners, governments and citizens, as well as perpetrators and victims, to consider some of the key paradigms that underpin models of statehood and democracy. The problem becomes all the more pressing and salient in deeply divided societies that are transitioning to democracy. In such contexts and in fragile environments, political entrepreneurs are able to politicise longstanding socio-economic inequalities that mobilise deeply entrenched feeling of injustice, domination and persecution towards certain demographic and social groups, with the ultimate objective of perpetrating systematic, targeted and widespread violence. Furthermore, as access to the internet changes the ways in which individuals and groups communicate, and produces new spaces for dialogue and exchange, it also brings with it risks and concerns over the ways in which these spaces may be instrumentalised for violent ends.This working paper provides a framework through which hate speech which emerges and is disseminated online can be identified and analysed. The aims of this working paper are twofold.Firstly, it is meant to provide an introductory guide for those interested in mapping and analysing hate speech, especially as communicated through online media and in divided societies. Section 1 offers an overview of the recent debates over the definition of hate speech, both from a scholarly and legal perspective. It briefly examines how different actors, from international bodies to national legislators and online companies, have sought to regulate and counteract hate speech, and stresses the importance of balancing competing principles to advance social inclusiveness as a "public good". Section 2 surveys different methodological tools that can be adopted to map and analyse hate speech and the trade-offs between the ability of providing a contextually grounded analysis of instances of hate speech and the possibility of processing large volumes of data. It also offers concrete case studies of projects which have innovatively analysed hate speech both online and offline.The second aim is to interrogate how a rigorous and academically informed analysis of hate speech can offer a novel terrain for engagement among different actors in divided societies, with a particular focus on Ethiopia. As it has been the case in other societies fractured across ethnic, political, and religious lines, at critical times such as before an election accusations of inciting hatred have been made by different actors to attack their opponents. The concept of hate speech advanced in these instances has tended to be boundless and to reflect more the interests and concerns of those referring to an act as hateful or able to incite hatred, rather than being based on an agreed definition. Section 3 reflects on the importance of bringing different actors around the same table, from members of the government and the opposition to bloggers supporting agendas at different ends of the political spectrum, and to engage in debates that can ultimately bound them to a shared definition of what is and what is not speech that can promote hate and violence, and to collectively recognize and develop measures to counteract it. A shared, academically rigorous and contextually grounded definition of hate speech and the mapping of instances that fall under it can help preventing governments and other political actors from politicising speech acts. Together with the analysis of how individuals are already opening spaces for dialogue on different platforms, it can offer a novel way to map where risks lie and where, on the contrary, people should be allowed to voice their opinions. In countries like Ethiopia, where calls for respecting and enforcing freedom of expression coming from external organizations, including human rights groups and donors, have tended to be ignored, this approach can open a new avenue for allowing dialogue among different forces in society, and with it a basis for a strong and vibrant democracy. The paper concludes by outlining the principles that should inform this new research agenda, aimed at mitigating ethnic, political and social fissures underlying debates on hate speech.


This study examined the influence of competition level on observed antisocial behaviours in soccer players. Data corresponding to different categories of a soccer club were obtained by an archival method, using sanctions from 285 referees´game summary sheets. No antisocial behaviours were punished in the 7 to 9 years-old categories, with a progression thereafter until a maximum of 2.4 sanctions per game in the 21 years-old category. Significant differences emerged among players in the different categories for behaviours such as fault to gain possession of the ball, discussing the referee´s decisions, holding and opponent, or delaying the restart of play. There were no sanctions for those behaviours in the lower categories, increasing their numbers from the 11-12 years-old category until the higher competitive levels. Other behaviours, such as making contact with the opponent before touching the ball, striking or threatening an opponent, and offensive or insulting language directed to the referee or to an opponent, first appeared in the 13-14 years-old players, but number of sanctions remained low and similar in the different competitive levels. Our data confirm that playing experience may be an important determinant of antisocial behaviours. However, the various types work differently, and are instrumental behaviours those that clearly increase as a function of competitive level. Palabras Clave: Antisocial behaviour, soccer, competition level, age


Purpose; The purpose of this study is to identify distribution channel research needs given the variety of distribution channel challenges among Swedish sawmill companies.Design / methodology / approach; Explorative case study researchFindings: The paper proposes a typology of sawmill distribution channel challenges, as well as aligns research needs with distribution channel type. The typology is based on i) number of sawmill units within the firm, in combination with ii) distribution channel heterogeneity. Significant management decisions and research needs are identified for the different types.Research limitations / implications; This research makes tentative statements regarding typology of sawmill distribution channel challenges and potential research needs in the Swedish sawmill industry with regards to the respective typology. However, further research is needed in order to validate these results.What is original/value of paper: This paper focus on the sawmill industry distribution channels, which is a neglected but important area for sawmill's competitive advantage. The paper also contributes to research by applying contingency theory and typology as an approach to deal with the variety of sawmills distribution channel challenges.Keywords; Typology, distribution channel challenges, research needs, and Swedish sawmill industry


Deformational features from the Sierra Madera impact structure, west Texas, were studied to estimate shock temperature and shock pressure values involved during its formation. Sandstone, limestone, and polymict impact-generated breccia samples occur within the central uplift. The sandstones host several shock-related deformational features including toasted quartz grains and planar microstructures (planar fractures and planar deformation features) in quartz. Zircon mineral grains separated from the sandstone samples provide evidence of shock deformation in the form of planar fractures and granular surface textures. Both sandstone and carbonate within the central uplift contain shatter cones, whereas polymict impact-generated breccia samples contain shatter cone fragments and clasts of mixed lithology. Most high-temperature features (e.g., high-temperature mineral phases and a melt sheet) typically associated with less eroded structures of similar size are lacking; however, some small (millimeter-size) possible devitrified glass clasts within polymict breccias occur at several locations. Deformational features within zircon mineral grains, shatter cones, and quartz grains with multiple planar microstructures record pressure and temperature conditions during the impact of ∼3–20 GPa and postshock temperatures between 350 and >1000 °C. Deformational conditions during the impact event were almost certainly higher, given that erosion has presumably removed most of the more severely shocked rocks.


The article reports on a study of the challenges facing a liberation archive which is attempting to digitise its collections and of how the Archive has responded to the challenges. The article is framed by the critical writing on digitisation which looks beyond the surface issues identified by technical and management research and uncovers the power contestations which arise as part of the digitisation process. It focuses particularly on whether the digitisation process alters the power relations within the Archive and between it and other role players within the South African context. The role-players include the state and the Archive's external management, artefact copyright holders, digitisation vendors and organisations, and Archive users. The research investigates: the rationale for digitising archival collections; who the stakeholders in a digitisation project are, how they relate to each other and what the power relations between them are; the risks of digitisation; and the implications of selection of materials for digitisation. The research finds that personal connections, serendipity, ad-hoc behaviour, trust, distrust and the fear of exploitation has had an impact on the digitisation process; but concludes that the Archive has maintained its balance among competing interests to uphold its integrity.


Education has been one of the top most priorities of most developing countries. Students of the junior high schools are examined by the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) under the examination title Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) at the end of the three year program. It is in this light that we assess the performance of junior high secondary students in Obuasi Municipality using their aggregates of the BECE from 2009 to 2012. Non parametric statistical methods (Kruskal Wallis test and Mann Whitney test) were used to analyze the data since the normality assumption was violated. Result from Kruskal Wallis test indicated that there were significant differences in the performance of the students from 2009 to 2012. Mann Whitney specifically showed significant differences in student's performance between (2009 and 2010, 2010 and 2012, 2011 and 2012) and no significant difference in performance between (2009 and 2012, 2010 and 2011). Again Mann Whitney test showed no significant difference in the performances of males and females. It is recommended that there should be an effective supervision from the stakeholders as well as parents to enhance effective teaching and learning. Keywords : Basic Education Certificate Examination, Aggregate, Kruskal Wallis test and Mann    Whitney test


Understanding heat flow and its lateral variability is important for petroleum prospecting. We present a methodology and workflow for estimation of radiogenic heat production in the crust and heat flow from geophysical data. The surface heat flow is determined by three main components: heat from Earth's interior, heat produced in the crust, and heat produced in the sediments. To estimate the crustal heat contribution, we have developed a statistical inversion approach. We first estimate density and susceptibility by inversion of crustal gravity and magnetic anomalies. Then we compute the radiogenic heat production in the crystalline crust by Bayesian rock-physics inversion of density and susceptibility. We demonstrate the proposed methodology with two case examples. In the first example, we compute radiogenic heat production from density and susceptibility measured on rock samples from onshore Norway. The estimated average value of the radiogenic heat production in the rock samples is about 2 μW/m3, with uncertainty of ± 0.5 μW/m3. The second example is from the greater Barents Sea, where we applied a full workflow including a large-scale lithospheric modelling to estimate the mantle heat flow, 3D gravity and magnetic inversion, and rock-physics inversion. The average heat production in the Barents Sea crust is about 1.5 μW/m3. The predicted heat production and heat flow are in good agreement with results presented by other authors.


Microdissection of routinely stained or unstained frozen sections has been used successfully to obtain purified cell populations for the analysis of cell-specific gene expression patterns in primary tissues with a complex mixture of cell types. However, the precision and usefulness of microdissection is frequently limited by the difficulty to identify different cell types and structures by morphology alone. We therefore developed a rapid immunostaining procedure for frozen sections followed by laser capture microdissection (LCM) and RNA extraction, which allows targeted mRNA analysis of immunophenotypically defined cell populations. After fixation, frozen sections are immunostained under RNAse-free conditions using a rapid three-step streptavidin-biotin technique, dehydrated and immediately subjected to LCM. RNA is extracted from captured tissue, DNAse I treated, and reverse transcribed. Acetone-, methanol, or ethanol/acetone-fixed sections give excellent immunostaining after 12 to 25 minutes total processing time. Specificity, precision, and speed of microdissection is markedly increased due to improved identification of desired (or undesired) cell types. The mRNA recovered from immunostained tissue is of high quality. Single-step PCR is able to amplify fragments of more than 600 bp from both housekeeping genes such as b-actin as well as cell-specific messages such as CD4 or CD19, using cDNA derived from less than 500 immunostained, microdissected cells. Immuno-LCM allows specific mRNA analysis of cell populations isolated according to their immunophenotype or expression of function-related antigens and significantly expands our ability to investigate gene expression in heterogeneous tissues. (Am J Pathol 1999, 154:61–66)


Many systems as mechanical electrical or telecommunication are implemented by using a set of interconnected subsystems. While the design of the overall system may often be fixed, individual subsystems may be implemented differently. A designer needs to either achieve highest reliability while minimising the total cost, or maximise the reliability while using only the available budget. Intuitively, some of the lowest-reliability components may need special attention to raise the overall reliability level. Such an optimisation problem may arise while designing complex industrial systems. In this work, a meta-heuristic immune algorithm (IA) was introduced and applied to solve a redundant optimisation problem presented by multi-state series-parallel systems. We supposed variation of the load cumulative demand curve null. The proposed meta-heuristic determines the minimal investment-costs system configuration to satisfy reliability constraints. A universal generating function technique is applied to evaluate system availability.


With the emergence of new applications centered around the sharing of image data, questions concerning the protection of the privacy of people visible in the scene arise. Recently, formal methods for the de-identification of images have been proposed which would benefit from multi-factor coding to separate identity and non-identity related factors. However, existing multi-factor models require complete labels during training which are often not available in practice. In this paper we propose a new multi-factor framework which unifies linear, bilinear, and quadratic models. We describe a new fitting algorithm which jointly estimates all model parameters and show that it outperforms the standard alternating algorithm. We furthermore describe how to avoid overfitting the model and how to train the model in a semi-supervised manner. In experiments on a large expression-variant face database we show that data coded using our multi-factor model leads to improved data utility while providing the same privacy protection.


In regression, the desired estimate of y|x is not always given by a conditional mean, although this is most common. Sometimes one wants to obtain a good estimate that satisfies the property that a proportion, , of y|x, will be below the estimate. For = 0.5 this is an estimate of the median. What might be called median regression, is subsumed under the term quantile regression. We present a nonparametric version of a quantile estimator, which can be obtained by solving a simple quadratic programming problem and provide uniform convergence statements and bounds on the quantile property of our estimator. Experimental results show the feasibility of the approach and competitiveness of our method with existing ones. We discuss several types of extensions including an approach to solve the quantile crossing problems, as well as a method to incorporate prior qualitative knowledge such as monotonicity constraints.


In the last few years a strong need has emerged for a standard way to interchange various types of information, such as on organizations, projects, experts, events and news, in the agricultural community. This paper focuses on the metadata set for events, the Agricultural Events Application Profile (Ag-Events AP), created specifically to enhance description, exchange and reuse of information on events. The Ag-Events AP provides a minimum interoperability layer
through which information about upcoming events related to agriculture can be described, shared and reused. The Ag-Events AP was developed by FAO, in collaboration with its partners, the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) and Global Forest Information Service (GFIS), to offer a "minimum" set of metadata elements necessary to share quality descriptions
about events. This paper talks about the work done on creating the AP, its use in various applications and the next steps.


A cohort of 17,633 white males age 35 and older responded to a mailed epidemiological questionnaire in 1966 and was followed until 1986 to determine the risk of cancer associated with diet, tobacco use, and other factors. During the 20-year follow-up, 149 fatal prostate cancer cases were identified. Relative risks for prostate cancer were significantly elevated among cigarette smokers (relative risk, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-2.9) and users of smokeless tobacco (relative risk, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-4.1). No significant associations were found with frequency of consumption of meats, dairy products, fruits, or vegetables. There were no overall significant associations between consumption of vitamin A from animal sources (retinol) and provitamin A from plant sources (carotene) and risk, but positive trends were seen for ages under 75, while inverse associations were found at older ages. Beverage consumption, including drinking coffee and alcohol, was unrelated to risk. Marital status, education, rural/urban status, and farming residence were also unrelated to the risk of fatal prostate cancer. The findings add to limited evidence that tobacco may be a risk factor for prostate cancer, but fail to provide clues to dietary or other risk factors.


Post-disaster reconnaissance reports frequently list non-structural components (NSCs) as a major source of financial loss in earthquakes. Moreover, minimizing their damage is also of vital significance to the uninterrupted functionality of a building. For efficient decision making, it is important to be able to estimate the cost and downtime associated with the repair of the damage likely to be caused at different hazard levels used in seismic design. Generalized loss functions for two important NSCs commonly used in New Zealand, namely suspended ceilings and drywall partitions are developed in this study. The methodology to develop the loss functions, in the form of engineering demand parameter vs. expected loss due to the considered components, is based on the existing framework for the storey level loss estimation. Nevertheless, exhaustive construction/field data are employed to make these loss functions more generic. In order to estimate financial losses resulting from the failure of suspended ceilings, generalized ceiling fragility functions are developed and combined with the cost functions, which give the loss associated with typical ceilings at various peak acceleration demands. Similarly, probabilities of different damage states in drywall partitions are combined with their associated repair/replacement costs to find the cumulative distribution of the expected loss due to partitions at various drift levels, which is then normalized in terms of the total building cost. Efficiencies of the developed loss functions are investigated through detailed loss assessment of case study reinforced concrete (RC) buildings. It is observed that the difference between the expected losses for ceilings, predicted by the developed generic loss function, and the losses obtained from the detailed loss estimation method is within 5%. Similarly, the developed generic loss function for partitions is able to estimate the partition losses within 2% of that from the detailed loss assessment. The results confirm the accuracy of the proposed generic seismic loss functions.


Demand for many products and services is weather-driven . . companies that do not consider the weather in their demand-chain forecasts may be overlooking an important variable ... weather often determines the starting and ending points of a merchandising season. Product demand forecasters are continually looking for ways to improve their supply chain infrastructure to reduce costs and time from source to market. While these improvements benefit those in the logistics pipeline, they also contribute to a significant shift in the marketplace. Today's market is a buyer's market, and the consumer is in control. With the ready availability of an extensive selection of products and services at competitive prices, consumers no longer simply accept what is available when they shop. Instead, they expect to find exactly what they want and when they want it. That is, when it comes to delivering the goods, "better late than never" doesn't always apply. People are now spending less time on shopping, and are buying closer to their needs, generally defined as replacement shopping or just-in-time shopping. This further reduces the opportunity to satisfy the consumer and make the sale. These shifts in market dynamics have persuaded many product demand forecasters to change their focus from the "supply chain" to the "demand chain" and to investigate why and when the consumer buys. Weather is one of the key factors that affects a consumer buying behavior. WEATHER'S PROFOUND INFLUENCE ON DEMAND Analysis of point-of-sale data reveals that weather has a profound influence on consumer behavior, affecting consumer choice, store-traffic volume and demand for many products. Examples include auto supplies such as batteries, wiper blades and radiator fluids; summer and beach wear, overcoats and snow boots, and other apparel; cold, flu and allergy medications; a variety of foods and beverages such as iced tea, soup and ice cream; sporting goods; lawn and garden items; and many others. In fact, weather often determines the starting and ending points of a merchandising season, as well as "midseason peaks." It can not only shift a season but also make it longer or shorter. (See Chart 1) As such, weather along with other factors can influence the bottom line, directly impacting corporate revenues and profits. This knowledge is especially important to forecasters who face a narrow window of retail opportunity. Research has determined, for instance, that the average selling season for some lawn and garden products can be just six weeks, and precisely where on the calendar those six weeks will fall depends on the weather. Sun-care products, likewise, have a brief season. About 75% of the season's sales for suncare items occur between Memorial Day and Independence Day, with 25% of the total annual volume sold on or around those two days. Again, where the season begins and ends and how that 25% is divided between these two days depends on the weather. There are other times as well when it is important to know when a season will or won't change. Most mass-product outlets "share" shelf-space, displaying charcoal briquettes in the summer and fire logs in the winter, or cold and flu remedies in the winter and sun-care products in the summer, for example. Knowing when the seasonal change will occur in each market further increases the likelihood of having the right product on the shelf at the right time. Yet most forecasters do not factor weather into their forecasting models. They simply "assume" that this year's weather and its effects on their business will be same as last year. In fact, the opposite is true. Weather is similar from one year to the next only one in four times at best. Because weather seldom repeats itself from season to season, forecasting purely on the basis of "last year's sales" often results in over- or under-production that creates profit-stealing overstocks or stockouts, as well as consumer complaints. …


In the 1930s social anthropologists Eileen Jensen Krige and Jacob Daniell (Jack) Krige undertook intensive fieldwork among the Lobedu people of the north-eastern Transvaal of South Africa (now in the province of Limpopo), whose ruler, Modjadji, was widely known as a rain-maker. In 1943 their ethnographic monograph, 'The Realm of a Rain-Queen. A Study of the Pattern of Lovedu Society', was published and has remained in circulation ever since. The photographs in this work comprise a small fraction of some 700 photographs taken in the field by the Kriges and kept for private use until 1990 when Eileen Krige donated them to the South African Museum. This article considers the photographs produced during two phases of fieldwork, the first comprising short visits in 1930 and 1932, followed by an extended period of research between 1936 and 1938, and the circulation of the photographs thereafter. We argue that the early photographs are less formally structured than the later images which reveal a change in fieldwork practice and the influence of functionalism. Once in the curatorial domain, the photographs accrued new meanings. We present two projects, one undertaken in 1996 by Davison and the other in 201112 by Mahashe, both of which sought to extend the circulation of the photographs in public spheres, invite new readings and show their generative potential. As a visual archive, the Krige photographs provide insight into the practice of social anthropology in the 1930s in South Africa but their significance is not limited to that context.


The celebrations which marked the accession of the Republic of Cyprus to the European Union on 1st May 2004 signalled the end of a fourteen year process since the island had first applied to join - and the end of six full years of complicated and intense negotiations. Upon joining the EU, Cyprus was widely regarded as the most advanced of the ten acceding states. Yet this did not prevent the conditions of accession and its aftermath from bringing widespread and comprehensive changes to the internal social, economic and political situation of Cyprus, as well as to its external relations. "An Island in Europe" traces these developments, examining the process of accession and its wide-reaching repercussions. It offers an authoritative and comprehensive account of a critical phase in Cypriot history, from a range of experts in the fields of politics, academia and conflict resolution. The authors explain the economic, political and legal ramifications of EU membership and explore how Cyprus has endeavoured - sometimes successfully, at other times less so - to adapt to these demands. This book is an important contribution to an understanding of contemporary Cyprus. It will be a vital resource for anyone involved with the politics or history of the island or seeking to understand Cyprus as a case study for conflict resolution.


Genotypes of the chrysanthemum cultivars Harman and Indianapolis were transformed using Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA4404, which carries the binary plasmid pBIN19::Rd29A::ScTPS1TPS2::nos and pBIN19::35S::ScTPS1TPS2::nos, respectively. ISSR markers were used to discriminate two cultivars from each other, and independent transgenic plants generated in each cultivar. Firstly, the nptII gene and Tnos sequence in the transformed genotypes was confirmed by PCR. For genotyping, 10 ISSR profile markers produced 131 DNA bands. The percentage of polymorphism ranged from 20 to 82.4 %. Primer UBC 872 provided the highest percentage of polymorphic bands (PBP), polymorphic information content (PIC), marker index (MI) and resolving power (Rp). A positive correlation was found between the Rp value of each primer and the number of identified genotypes (r=0.822***). The UPGMA analysis generated two groups with a similarity coefficient of 0.67. The genotype grouping was confirmed by PCoA. The ISSR technique was efficient to discriminate transgenic cultivars from non-transgenic plants.


This article argues that coverage of the Kobe Bryant rape case illuminated bitter divisions in American society, because the allegations against Bryant brought forth tensions involving conceptions of Black masculinity, White femininity, and the role of sport and celebrity in public life. The divisions laid bare by the Bryant case involve long histories of discursive contests waged by social movements and state actors over the meanings of categories of race and gender. I argue that these struggles have influenced public understandings of history; that contemporary understandings of race, gender, and crime are very much indebted to rhetorical battles fought long ago; and that invocations of collective memory can help to determine how various audiences make sense of public dramas unfolding in the mass media.


In May 2004, Colorado Governor Bill Owens signed Senate Bill 189 into law, essentially transforming how public higher education is funded in that state. The measure, the first of its kind in the nation, changes the flow of state appropriations from the traditional enrollment-based black grant to institutions into two more market-based streams: * A per-student undergraduate stipend (authorized at $2,400 per year for resident students at public universities and $1,200 per year for resident students at private universities in the state) that "follows" the student for up to 145 credit hours; and * A fee-for-service contract between the state and the institution to provide graduate, professional, and developmental education, as well as public service and other mission-related functions. Eligibility for either stream is contingent upon establishment of a performance agreement between the institution and the state's Commission on Higher Education that will specify institutional performance targets (to be determined). The law is scheduled to take effect July i, 2005, but the debate over its significance-and wisdom-is already well underway. Some advocates see the measure as a new and important mechanism for promoting access and efficiency in public higher education, while more pragmatic proponents couch it as an essential means to loosen the grip of constitutional revenue/spending limits imposed by the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR). Critics contend that the law will do little to expand access, and will instead pave the way toward a system of publicly chartered, privately funded institutions, and may even constitute a death sentence for some. While it is too early to tell which-if either-camp will ultimately be vindicated, pundits and proponents should look critically at the context surrounding the law before pronouncing it "the wave of the future" in higher education finance. Following are three key points to consider in thinking about the impact and future of Senate Bill 189: * Any potential benefits of a new finance system will not be realized until the state gets its fiscal house in order. Specifically, Colorado is currently hamstrung by the combination of TABOR, which places strict limits on state revenue collections and spending increases, and Amendment 23, another constitutional provision that mandates annual state funding increases for K-12 education (at rate of inflation plus one percent). While Senate Bill 189 provides for some relief for public universities by exempting them from TABOR'S revenue limits,1 the "double whammy" represented by TABOR'S taxing and spending restrictions and Amendment 23's required annual hikes for the state's largest general fund item will likely bring the starvation of other public services (such as higher education) over the long term. Legislative leaders and the governor are currently working on modifications to TABOR, thus easing half of the squeeze, but have not yet agreed on its provisions. Moreover, anti-tax groups such as the Club for Growth are touting TABOR as a national model, further complicating the political calculus for reform efforts. …


: The rapid development of differential global navigation satellite system (DGNSS) transmissions from maritime radiobeacons has further increased the occupancy of an already overcrowded frequency band, especially in Europe. This in turn has resulted in interference between stations, with substantial reductions in coverage. This paper describes the process by which the channels of the band have been reallocated throughout the European Maritime Area. This reorganization has taken careful account of the groundwave and skywave propagation of both wanted and interfering signals and of the distribution of atmospheric noise. A novel algorithm has been developed for reassigning the frequencies. The resulting band plan, introduced in September 2001, is shown to offer substantially increased coverage for the DGNSS radiobeacon service, while preserving the performance of the remaining marine and aeronautical direction-finding stations. This approach to the planning of DGNSS radiobeacon frequency allocations is now being adopted in other regions of the world.


In his 1980 Contract as Promise, Charles Fried famously argued that in the event one side fails to perform on the main subject of a contract, we should vindicate the moral bindingness of promises by giving the nonbreacher expectation damages. Over the years, other liberal contract theorists have argued just as strenuously for specific performance on the same grounds. I argue here that both sides in this dispute are wrong. The right position for a will theorist or any other stripe of liberal contract theorist to take with respect to acceptable alternatives to performance is, in the first instance, no position at all - or more precisely, that each side should have whatever alternatives the parties agreed she should have. If liberal contract theorists ought to have no first-order moral preferences among possible alternatives to performance, what accounts for the almost universal view to the contrary? The short answer, I suggest, is blame it on Holmes.


Rapid developments and change have culminated new applications of information technologies. This trend is reflected in the plethora of innovative studies. Literature indicates that small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) perceive human resources information systems (HRIS) as complicated and time consuming, resulting in resistance from both users and employees. The purpose of this article is to identify necessary acceptance conditions for a successful implementation of the HRIS software within SMEs in Turkey. SMEs compose 99% of all companies in Turkey. Fierce rivalry within sectors gives rise to increased technology use to gain a competitive advantage. This study contributes to an efficient implementation of widely used HRIS in SMEs and offers solutions for implementation failures, including user resistance and idle system problems. This study attempts to apply the technology acceptance model to 112 SMEs that implement HRIS exclusively with all the submodules. This research analyzes success factors for an effective HRIS implementation by testing the latest integrated model of expanded technology acceptance. It concludes that there is a positive and robust correlation between acceptance and use of technology variables and user satisfaction. The results of this study are useful not only for the managers but also for the manufacturers, technical support, online support, and aftersales services as they are advised to develop strategies for user satisfaction.


Mediation is not only the core component of ADR but also a very important method in China to settle the social disputes and conflicts which is commenced and developed gradually in its long historical process. It originate from an effective method that the citizens depending on themselves to solve the social disputes. This article is trying to analyze and see the common and different characteristics of the mediation in ADR in western countries and the mediation in Chinese traditional style and whether the gaps between them could be reconciled.


Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common cancer and the eighth most common cause of cancer mortality in women. Although standard chemotherapy is the established treatment for ovarian cancer, the prognosis remains poor, and it is highly anticipated that new drugs will be developed. New drugs, such as humanized anti-vascular endothelial growth factor monoclonal antibodies and poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors, are expected to improve clinical outcomes of ovarian cancer. However, long-term, costly research is required to develop such new drugs, and soaring national healthcare costs are becoming a concern worldwide. In this social context, drug repositioning, wherein existing drugs are used to develop drugs with new indications for other diseases, has recently gained attention. Because trials have already confirmed the safety in humans and the pharmacokinetics of such drugs, the development period is shorter than the conventional development of a new drug, thereby reducing costs. This review discusses the available basic experimental and clinical data on drugs used for other types of cancer for which drug repositioning is anticipated to repurpose the drug for the treatment of ovarian cancer. These include statins, which are used to treat dyslipidemia; bisphosphonate, which is used to treat osteoporosis; metformin, which is used to treat diabetes; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; ivermectin, an antiparasitic agent; and itraconazole, an anti-fungal agent. These drugs will play an important role in future drug repositioning strategies for ovarian cancer. Furthermore, drug repositioning is anticipated to extend not only to ovarian cancer treatment but also to ovarian cancer prevention.


Under current tax law, there can be considerable period-by-period divergence between a taxpayer's after-tax income and her desired or actual consumption. This divergence will cause the taxpayer to borrow. One can view such borrowing either as being incurred to fund consumption, or as being incurred to fund the taxpayer's income tax payments. If one takes the latter view, one can ask whether a good income tax law should force a taxpayer to borrow to pay her taxes. I answer the question in the negative, and propose a lifetime income tax that would eliminate the need for typical taxpayers to borrow to pay their income tax liabilities. Under such a regime, a typical taxpayer would reap an affirmative benefit over her lifetime, because she would be able to transfer borrowing from herself (a relatively inefficient borrower) to the government (a relatively efficient borrower).


Analytical forms of the optical helicity and optical chirality of monochromatic Laguerre–Gaussian optical vortex beams are derived up to second order in the paraxial parameter kw0 . We show that input linearly polarised optical vortices which possess no optical chirality, helicity or spin densities can acquire them at the focal plane for values of a beam waist w0≈λ via an orbital (OAM) to spin (SAM) angular momentum conversion which is manifest through longitudinal (with respect to the direction of propagation) fields. We place the results into context with respect to the intrinsic and extrinsic nature of SAM and OAM, respectively; the continuity equation which relates the densities of helicity and spin; and the newly coined term 'Kelvin's chirality' which describes the extrinsic, geometrical chirality of structured laser beams. Finally, we compare our work (which agrees with previous studies) to the recent article (Köksal et al 2021 Optics Communications 490 126907) which shows conflicting results, highlighting the importance of including all relevant terms to a given order in the paraxial parameter.


Until the advent of space physics, astrophysical plasmas could be studied only using ground-based observations. Although observational methods have advanced over recent decades, the merging of heliospheric physics with astrophysics is far from complete due to the vastly different techniques employed by astronomers and space physicists. That astrophysical plasmas can be studies directly is a major advance in astrophysical research. The solar wind from the Sun is only one of many examples of solar winds, but it provides scientists with a basis for understanding how these formerly disparate disciplines are related. Cosmic Winds and the Heliosphere is a comprehensive sourcebook on conceptually correlated topics in astrophysical winds and heliospheric physics. The contributors review the various kinds of winds, such as solar wind, winds of cataclysmic variables, and winds from pulsating stars. They then examine the physics of wind origin and physical phenomena in winds. including heliospheric shocks, magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, and kinetic phenomena. A final section considers interactions with surrounding media, with contributions ranging from studies of the interstellar cloud surrounding the solar system to considerations of solar wind interaction with comets. Prepared to the scrupulous standards of the University of Arizona Space Science Series, Cosmic Winds and the Heliosphere is an essential volume for astronomers and space physicists.


Sansevieria is a horticultural plant species origin from Africa, Arab and Indonesia. Sansevieria has economic value and good prospects. These opportunities should must be balanced with plant propagation. Propagation by cuttings of plants with growth regulators to support growth. The research  aims is to know the effect of NAA, BA and both combination that supports the growth of Sansevieria aubrytiana cuttings. This research was conducted in the Screen House, Plant Laboratory Faculty of Agriculture, University of Riau, from September 2013 to March 2014. This research was conducted experimentally completely randomized design (CRD) with 5 treatments, with 3 replications. Data were analyzed of variance followed by Duncan's new multiple range test level of 5%. Parameters observed were percentage of live cuttings, rooted cuttings percentage, the percentage of cuttings formed tillers and number of tiller. The results showed no effect of growth regulators on the success of cuttings and seedlings growth of Sansevieria aubrytiana. Keywords: Sansevieria, Cuttings, PGR.


The availability of allergen molecules ('components') from several protein families has advanced our understanding of immunoglobulin E (IgE)‐mediated responses and enabled 'component‐resolved diagnosis' (CRD). The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) Molecular Allergology User's Guide (MAUG) provides comprehensive information on important allergens and describes the diagnostic options using CRD. Part A of the EAACI MAUG introduces allergen molecules, families, composition of extracts, databases, and diagnostic IgE, skin, and basophil tests. Singleplex and multiplex IgE assays with components improve both sensitivity for low‐abundance allergens and analytical specificity; IgE to individual allergens can yield information on clinical risks and distinguish cross‐reactivity from true primary sensitization. Part B discusses the clinical and molecular aspects of IgE‐mediated allergies to foods (including nuts, seeds, legumes, fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, milk, egg, meat, fish, and shellfish), inhalants (pollen, mold spores, mites, and animal dander), and Hymenoptera venom. Diagnostic algorithms and short case histories provide useful information for the clinical workup of allergic individuals targeted for CRD. Part C covers protein families containing ubiquitous, highly cross‐reactive panallergens from plant (lipid transfer proteins, polcalcins, PR‐10, profilins) and animal sources (lipocalins, parvalbumins, serum albumins, tropomyosins) and explains their diagnostic and clinical utility. Part D lists 100 important allergen molecules. In conclusion, IgE‐mediated reactions and allergic diseases, including allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma, food reactions, and insect sting reactions, are discussed from a novel molecular perspective. The EAACI MAUG documents the rapid progression of molecular allergology from basic research to its integration into clinical practice, a quantum leap in the management of allergic patients.


Objective This paper reports on an evaluation of an Australian Government program to improve immunisation services in primary care settings through the provision of scholarships to support access to education for Practice Nurses (PNs). Design The study used a constructivist evaluation methodology to evaluate satisfaction with and effectiveness of a scholarship program to support PNs access to immunisation education and changing nursing immunisation practice. Setting Australian Divisions of General Practice and General Practices Subjects Twenty seven PNs who had received immunisation scholarships completed an online survey. Sixty four Division of General Practice (DGP) staff, representing state and territory, urban and rural regions of Australia, participated in telephone focus group interviews. Results The scholarships and scholarship processes were viewed positively by PNs. The access to scholarship information, the selection process and the time the scholarship allowed to complete an immunisation course were rated highly. Online learning was seen as an effective means to undertake immunisation education particularly for PNs in the rural sector. Overall, there was overwhelming support for the continuation of scholarships to assist PNs access to education opportunities to improve immunisation services. These opportunities were reported to improve their knowledge and skills which lead to changes in immunisation practice and the quality of care they provided to patients. They also helped overcome geographical and professional isolation. Conclusions As PNs emerge as key players in the improvement of immunisation services in Australia, the provision of government assistance for continuing education is an important strategy to produce this appropriately skilled workforce.


An overview of the recent works on proportional integral derivative (PID) controller tuning methods based on specifications on the infinity-norm of the sensitivity functions is presented. The presented approach is very flexible relative to the controller structure and the a priori knowledge about the process. It can be applied to plants described by parametric models, frequency domain non-parametric models as well as in a model-free framework. For the latter, procedures for measuring the design parameters values are described. The problem is then solved by minimising iteratively a frequency criterion, defined as the weighted sum of squared errors between the actual values and desired values of the design parameters. If the plant is described by a parametric model, model uncertainty can be handled to guarantee stability and performance robustness of the designed closed-loop system. Simulation examples are provided to compare the results obtained with the proposed approach to those resulting from well-accepted PID controller tuning methods. An application of the proposed method to a double-axis permanent-magnet synchronous motor illustrates the effectiveness of the approach to control of systems with large uncertainties.


The majority of Eskom's 22kV lines use wood as the support structure material. The economics of wood pole cross arms and their flashover withstand capabilities outweigh those of steel cross arms. However, wood pole structures are vulnerable to what is known as a Pole Top Fire. When insulators and wood cross arms become polluted, small and sustained leakage currents flow along the surface of the insulator and thereafter into the wood itself. This eventually leads to burning of the wood. Many of the 22kV lines traverse vast rural lands, going over people's path ways. If this fire is not discovered timeously, it can cause breakage of the relevant cross arm or the pole itself. A broken cross arm usually causes the outer phase conductor to hang between one and two meters above ground. When it's dark, rural inhabitants cannot see clearly and walk directly into these low lying energized conductors which cause severe injuries and often fatalities. Low hanging conductors cannot be detected electrically and are potentially hazardous to humans and animals. Safety is currently one of the highest priorities for Eskom Distribution and hence there is a dire need to mitigate Pole Top Fires. The researcher hypothesizes that the implemented mitigating technique of bonding does not eliminate Pole Top Fires. In this study accurate statistics on Pole Top Fires in KwaZulu Natal are provided and causes of fires investigated to provide an understanding thereof. Two basic mechanisms of burning have been identified and explained. These are surface tracking and sparking, and internal sparking. This has helped to explain what mitigation techniques will be effective. A critical analysis on the performance of recommended mitigation techniques is conducted. This study therefore aims to conclude on the effectiveness of implemented techniques to mitigate Pole Top Fires. By comprehensive and critical analysis of a complex operational and safety related problem technical options for mitigating or eliminating the fires are identified, critically analyzed and only those options that are really technically feasible are proposed. This has not been properly done in Eskom before. It is within this context that this research has been undertaken.


Networked control over wireless networks is of growing importance in many application domains such as industrial control, building automation and transportation systems. Wide deployment however, requires systematic design tools to enable efficient resource usage while guaranteeing close-loop control performance. The control system may be greatly affected by the inherent imperfections and limitations of the wireless medium and malfunction of system components. In this thesis, we make five important contributions that address these issues. In the first contribution, we consider event- and self-triggered control and investigate how to efficiently tune and execute these paradigms for appropriate control performance. Communication strategies for aperiodic control are devised, where we jointly address the selection of medium-access control and scheduling policies. Experimental results show that the best trade-off is obtained by a hybrid scheme, combining event- and self-triggered control together with contention-based and contention-free medium access control.The second contribution proposes an event-based method to select between fast and slow periodic sampling rates. The approach is based on linear quadratic control and the event condition is a quadratic function of the system state. Numerical and experimental results show that this hybrid controller is able to reduce the average sampling rate in comparison to a traditional periodic controller, while achieving the same closed-loop control performance.In the third contribution, we develop compensation methods for out-of-order communications and time-varying delays using a game-theoretic minimax control framework. We devise a linear temporal coding strategy where the sensor combines the current and previous measurements into a single packet to be transmitted. An experimental evaluation is performed in a multi-hop networked control scenario with a routing layer vulnerability exploited by a malicious application. The experimental and numerical results show the advantages of the proposed compensation schemes.The fourth contribution proposes a distributed reconfiguration method for sensor and actuator networks. We consider systems where sensors and actuators cooperate to recover from faults. Reconfiguration is performed to achieve model-matching, while minimizing the steady-state estimation error covariance and a linear quadratic control cost. The reconfiguration scheme is implemented in a room heating testbed, and experimental results demonstrate the method's ability to automatically reconfigure the faulty system in a distributed and fast manner.The final contribution is a co-simulator, which combines the control system simulator Simulink with the wireless network simulator COOJA. The co-simulator integrates physical plant dynamics with realistic wireless network models and the actual embedded software running on the networked devices. Hence, it allows for the validation of the complete wireless networked control system, including the study of the interactions between software and hardware components.


Introduction and Objectives Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare but severe condition, often fatal within 3–5 years due to right heart failure. Mutations in the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type II receptor (BMPR-II) underlie heritable forms of the disease but the mechanisms leading to vascular disease remain obscure from studies in mice and humans. Here we use zebrafish, which have a well-documented pattern of angiogenesis, as a model organism to address this question. Methods The transgenic Tg(fli1a:egfp) zebrafish line, where the fli1a promoter drives GFP expression in vascular endothelial and blood cells, was used throughout this work. A variety of methods were used to dissect the role of BMP signalling in vascular development including: (i) BMP receptor inhibitors (dorsomorphin and LDN193189), (ii) antisense morpholino oligonucleotides (morpholinos) and (iii) transgenic zebrafish engineered with heat shock inducible dominant-negative BMP receptors. To identify BMP responsive transcripts from vascular endothelial cells in vivo we developed a system to allow FACS isolation of GFP+ve cells dissociated from Tg(fli1a:egfp) zebrafish following incubation in LDN193189 or DMSO solvent control. The mRNA transcripts in GFP+ve cells were determined using massively parallel (Illumina) sequencing, mapped to the Zv8 zebrafish genome and differences in transcript abundance between LDN193189 and DMSO treated embryos were determined using cufflinks. Results Inhibition of BMP signalling with LDN193189 in zebrafish embryos after dorso-ventral patterning has occurred blocked venous but not arterial angiogenesis. This phenotype was reproduced in BMPR2 dominant-negative zebrafish and following knockdown of the zebrafish homologues of BMPR2, bmpr2a and bmpr2b with morpholinos. Illumina sequencing identified the BMP responsive genes in vascular endothelial cells and the gene(s) responsible for the venous angiogenic phenotype are being determined by knockdown of these genes with morpholinos. Conclusion BMP signalling, via BMPR2, is critical for venous but not arterial angiogenesis in zebrafish. BMPR2 mutations are recognised as causative in patients with heritable PAH, where venous involvement is recognised, but also in pulmonary veno-occlusive disease. Our findings provide novel insights onto the potential role of the pulmonary venous system in pulmonary hypertension and implicate abnormal venous angiogenesis as a novel mechanism underlying this disease.


Solanum section Petota, the potato and its wild relatives, contains about 200 wild species distributed from the southwestern United States, to central Argentina and adjacent Chile. Although most species occur in South America, a secondary center of diversity peaks at 20 degrees north in the central Mexican highlands, including diploids (2n = 2x = 24), tetraploids (2n = 4x = 48), hexaploids (2n = 6x = 72), and triploid and pentaploid nothospecies. This treatment covers the wild potatoes of North and Central America (United States to Panama). It is a summary of recent morphological and molecular studies of species limits and their interrelationships. We collected herbarium and germplasm samples from all countries harboring wild potatoes in this region and now have access to germplasm of every species. A comprehensive treatment in 1990 recognized 33 species, 12 subspecies, and five nothospecies from the region, partitioned into eight formal taxonomic series. We recognize 25 species and four nothospecies from the region, partitioned into eleven informal species groups. It provides the first formal typification of many of these names, an extensive list of georeferenced localities, a geographic information systems based diversity analysis, and illustrations and maps of all the species.


This article first reviews recent facts about the size, distribution, and general characteristics of the older adult population. Next, the importance of considering variation in the aging experience is discussed. Then the implications of trends related to American families and women's labor force participation are explored. Finally, the challenges of addressing these trends given projected fiscal pressures are considered. The authors emphasize the diversity that exists among the older adult population and argue that mounting disparities could increase the salience of public programs for certain segments of the older adult population. In addition, even under the best-case scenarios of improving health, lower disability, and declining mortality, the projected increase in the older adult population is likely to place heavy demands on federal, state, and local programs for older adults. Overall, this review of issues related to recent demographic trends provides a foundation for the subsequent articles in this edited volume.


The modern Italian classic discovered and championed by James Joyce, ZENO'S CONSCIENCE is a marvel of psychological insight, published here in a fine new translation by William Weaver - the first in more than seventy years. Italo Svevo's masterpiece tells the story of a hapless, doubting, guilt-ridden man paralyzed by fits of ecstasy and despair and tickled by his own cleverness. His doctor advises him, as a form of therapy, to write his memoirs; in doing so, Zeno reconstructs and ultimately reshapes the events of his life into a palatable reality for himself - a reality, however, founded on compromise, delusion, and rationalization. With cigarette in hand, Zeno sets out in search of health and happiness, hoping along the way to free himself from countless vices, not least of which is his accursed "last cigarette!" (Zeno's famously ineffectual refrain is inevitably followed by a lapse in resolve.) His amorous wanderings win him the shrill affections of an aspiring coloratura, and his confidence in his financial savoir-faire involves him in a hopeless speculative enterprise. Meanwhile, his trusting wife reliably awaits his return at appointed mealtimes. Zeno's adventures rise to antic heights in this pioneering psychoanalytic novel, as his restlessly self-preserving commentary inevitably embroiders the truth. Absorbing and devilishly entertaining, ZENO'S CONSCIENCE is at once a comedy of errors, a sly testimonial to he joys of procrastination, and a surpassingly lucid vision of human nature by one of the most important Italian literary figures of the twentieth century.


Cathodic protection systems for chloride-contaminated reinforced concrete structures have been installed and evaluated since the early 1970s. Until recently, most of these systems have been installed on bridge structures.Since cathodic protection has been recognized as the only method which can stop corroding steel in chloride-contaminated concrete, a variety of cathodic protection components have been developed for use on these structures. Although it is mostly recommended for rehabilitation efforts where chlorides are already present, it has also been used where chloride contamination is anticipated in the future. Research and implementation of cathodic protection systems has been extensively carried out by the Federal Highway Administration. Through this work, cathodic protection system guidelines for bridges are being developed. Guidelines for cathodic protection systems on reinforced concrete parking structure are needed. Unlike bridge structures, parking structures have more complex steel reinforcement schedules, more stringent structural limitations, and are built with a larger variety of differing designs. In addition, the average parking structure typically has far more concrete surface area than the average bridge structure. Structural limitations, design variations, and size of the parking structure require thorough corrosion evaluations to determine the cathodic protection system requirements. To provide the most economical and cost-effective long-term repair, more than one cathodic protection system design and/or material can be applicable to a single structure. This paper discusses design considerations and guidelines for selection of cathodic protection systems and components for parking structures.


Foreign investors are expected to contribute to economic development through a variety of channels. However, many foreign investment operations are small, and almost insignificant in their impact on the local environment. An important indication of the potential contribution of foreign investors is thus their employment growth. Employees working for, and trained by, a multinational enterprise may become carriers of new technology and business practices. The more employees receive access to new knowledge, the more they in turn may spread the knowledge across the economy, for instance by setting up their own businesses. In this paper, we make a first step in investigating the determinants of this important mediating variable, employment growth. For a dataset covering four diverse emerging economies, we find that wholly-owned FDI operations have higher employment growth, while local industry characteristics moderate the growth effect.


Moving past crisis management to the implementation of effective primary health care programs is key to rapid improvement in Aboriginal health. Historically. service delivery has been based on a sickness and disease model rather than an approach that focuses towards well health. Well health incorporates disease prevention. early intervention and management to restore physical and mental health, together with social health and wellbeing. Social health and wellbeing are crucial components of the holistic approach required to address the determinants of health, socio-ilconomic disadvantage and continuing grief which are evident in many remote Aboriginal communities. Disciplines Medicine and Health Sciences | Social and Behavioral Sciences Publication Details Mitchell, J. & Weston, K. (2006). A holistic approach to Aboriginal well health screening. Public Health Bulletin South Australia, 5 25-27. This journal article is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow.edu.au/smhpapers/1462


Forty zebrafish mutants with localized or general neural degeneration are described. The onset and duration of degeneration and the distribution of ectopically dying cells are specific characteristics of each mutant. Mutants are classified into four groups by these parameters. Class I: late focal neural degeneration mutants. These 18 mutants have restricted cell death mainly in the tectum and the dorsal hindbrain after 36 hours. The degeneration does not spread and disappears at later stages of development. Class II: early focal neural degeneration mutants. Ten mutants in this class exhibit transient restricted degeneration affecting mainly the diencephalon, the hindbrain and the spinal cord at 20 hours. The midbrain is less affected. The degeneration shifts to the dorsal diencephalon and the tectum at 36 hours. Class III: late spreading neural degeneration mutants. The 8 mutants in this class display a degeneration that is first seen in the tectum and subsequently spreads throughout the nervous system from 36 hours on. Class IV: early general neural degeneration mutants. This class of four mutants already shows overall cell degeneration in the nervous system at the 15-somite stage. Three of the class I mutants show a change in the pattern of gene expression in the anlage of a brain structure prior to the onset of degeneration. These results suggest that focal cell death may be a useful clue for the detection of early patterning defects of the vertebrate nervous system in regions devoid of visible landmarks.


Background: Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever (DHF) is a communicable disease caused by dengue virus known as the most spread disease in the world. In Aceh Besar district, DHF cases were found annually, 15 6 cases was recorded in 2013 (IR=42,0 per100.000 people) , 1 case of death was reported (CFR=0,88%) . It was seen that almost household had breeding places and used materials which can trun into breading places of Aedes aegypti. This research was to analyze the relationship of household environmental condition and family behavior to the incidence of DHF. Methods: This research was observational analytic study using case control design with total samples of 150 respondents , consisted of 75 cases and 75 control . Data analysis were using Chi-Square and Logistic Regression. Results: The result was that there was significant relationship between breeding place in household (p=0,000 and OR = 5,5), temperature in house (p=0,000 and OR= 4,0) and habits of cleaning up water container (p=0,000 and OR= 4,7) to the incidence of DHF. Conclusion: Community can prevent the cycle of DHF transmission by doing activities such as egg, larva, pupa eradication in its breading places, cleaning up water container at least, once in less then 7 days and actively perform 3 M Plus activities. Coordination between various stake holders is needed to observe sanitation of environment so then bre e ding place s will not exist for Aedes aegypti. K eywords : Residence environment , family behavior, DHF


In this paper, we propose a new method to distinguish between arousal and relaxation states by using multiple features acquired from a photoplethysmogram (PPG) and support vector machine (SVM). To induce arousal and relaxation states in subjects, 2 kinds of sound stimuli are used, and their corresponding biosignals are obtained using the PPG sensor. Two features—pulse to pulse interval (PPI) and pulse amplitude (PA)—are extracted from acquired PPG data, and a nonlinear classification between arousal and relaxation is performed using SVM. This methodology has several advantages when compared with previous similar studies. Firstly, we extracted 2 separate features from PPG, i.e., PPI and PA. Secondly, in order to improve the classification accuracy, SVM-based nonlinear classification was performed. Thirdly, to solve classification problems caused by generalized features of whole subjects, we defined each threshold according to individual features. Experimental results showed that the average classification accuracy was 74.67%. Also, the proposed method showed the better identification performance than the single feature based methods. From this result, we confirmed that arousal and relaxation can be classified using SVM and PPG features. Keywords—Support Vector Machine, PPG, Emotion Recognition, Arousal, Relaxation


This study of the founding in 1823 of the London Mechanics' Institution examines its constituency, catchment, and mandate to teach working men science and technology. To explain the Institution's distinctive character, it is necessary to move beyond the flourishing patent/invention journalism, which provides one explanatory context, to the cheap literature disputes, debating society connotations, and Francis Place's network. These radical associations show why George Birkbeck was quickly designated the 'founder', even though he was unknown to J. C. Robertson and Thomas Hodgskin when they proposed such an institute in the Mechanics' Magazine. Birkbeck's social standing would allay Establishment fears. An older historiography stressing middle-class social control is tested by analysing contemporary journals, newspapers and manuscripts. The first two volumes of manuscript Members' Registers (1824-29), recording 8,343 names with occupations and addresses, have been transcribed and appended. These allow a comparison of members' occupations with London trades generally and highlight diverse occupations within families. They also reveal family relationships between clerks and mechanics – important because clerks have been cited as a sign of middle-class invasion. Indeed the lack of any gross change in class composition suggests that there was no working-class exodus in these pre-Reform years. By statute two-thirds of the committee had to be working class. The encouragement of invention and student autonomy through mutual instruction classes, introduced by the Pestalozzian Charles Lane, points to a more humanitarian ethos, as do the lectures which (contra the learned societies) often presented science as negotiable rather than given. Iconic radical members are highlighted: Henry Hetherington (on the committee regularly from 1825-1830), William Lovett, James Watson, G. G. Ward, and P. O. Skene. Finally, the thesis analyses the committee's relationships with controversial outsiders who rented the theatre, including Robert Owen, Eliza Macauley, William Cobbett, the Radical Reform Association, and the London Co-operative Society.


The Buck Creek ultramafic body, North Carolina, includes aluminous lenses that have been described as troctolites. These lenses preserve mineral assemblages which record several different stages of metamorphism. The first stage is characterized by anhydrous reactions between olivine and plagioclase to produce coronas of orthopyroxene+ clinopyroxene/spinel symplectite. Thermo barometric results indicate minimum pressures of c. 6 kbar and c. 800 oC. Sapphirine replaces spinel in some clinopyroxene symplectites, and occurs as anhedral grains within amphibole, observations which in combination suggest peak
metamorphic conditions of c. 9‐10 kbar and c. 850 oC. Sapphirine‐bearing hydrous assemblages formed at the expense of the coronas, indicating a second metamorphic episode involving deeper burial,
deformation and hydration. Schistose rocks from the margins of the lenses are composed of anorthite+amphibole+margarite+corundum, and probably record a later, lower P‐T event.
Whole rock analyses for the Buck Creek lenses suggest an accumulate protolith of magnesian olivine and calcic plagioclase. Trace element data for the troctolites are consistent with data for adjacent amphibolites
in suggesting that the Buck Creek mafic and ultramafic cumulates crystallized from magmas derived from a mantle source similar to that which produces modern intraplate or rift‐related basalts. We propose
that the Buck Creek ultramafics represent basal cumulates(± uppermost mantle) from ocean crust formed in a marginal basin in the latest Precambrian. Subduction‐induced burial to at least 18 km under dry
conditions induced corona formation. Collisional events of the Taconic orogeny thrust the Buck Creek rocks into the orogenic pile to at least 30 km depth and hydrated them along zones of weakness, locally
producing P‐T ‐PH2O conditions appropriate for formation of sapphirine and hydrated assemblages, but still preserving some dry symplectites.


Abstract. Global and regional models have large systematic errors in their modelled dust fields over West Africa. It is well established that cold-pool outflows from moist convection (haboobs) can raise over 50 % of the dust over parts of the Sahara and Sahel in summer, but parameterised moist convection tends to give a very poor representation of this in models. Here, we test the hypothesis that an explicit representation of convection in the Met Office Unified Model (UM) improves haboob winds and so may reduce errors in modelled dust fields. The results show that despite varying both grid spacing and the representation of convection there are only minor changes in dust aerosol optical depth (AOD) and dust mass loading fields between simulations. In all simulations there is an AOD deficit over the observed central Saharan dust maximum and a high bias in AOD along the west coast: both features are consistent with many climate (CMIP5) models. Cold-pool outflows are present in the explicit simulations and do raise dust. Consistent with this, there is an improved diurnal cycle in dust-generating winds with a seasonal peak in evening winds at locations with moist convection that is absent in simulations with parameterised convection. However, the explicit convection does not change the AOD field in the UM significantly for several reasons. Firstly, the increased windiness in the evening from haboobs is approximately balanced by a reduction in morning winds associated with the breakdown of the nocturnal low-level jet (LLJ). Secondly, although explicit convection increases the frequency of the strongest winds, they are still weaker than observed, especially close to the observed summertime Saharan dust maximum: this results from the fact that, although large mesoscale convective systems (and resultant cold pools) are generated, they have a lower frequency than observed and haboob winds are too weak. Finally, major impacts of the haboobs on winds occur over the Sahel, where, although dust uplift is known to occur in reality, uplift in the simulations is limited by a seasonally constant bare-soil fraction in the model, together with soil moisture and clay fractions which are too restrictive of dust emission in seasonally varying vegetated regions. For future studies, the results demonstrate (1) the improvements in behaviour produced by the explicit representation of convection, (2) the value of simultaneously evaluating both dust and winds and (3) the need to develop parameterisations of the land surface alongside those of dust-generating winds.


We have investigated the defect effect on negative refraction of the left-handed metamaterials (LHMs). The printed circuit boards with LHMs are fabricated using a shadow mask/etching technique. The negative refraction of wedge-shaped LHMs samples with and without defects is investigated respectively. The experimental result shows that when two kinds of point defects are introduced into the sample, the ratio of the maximum power of samples with point defects to that without defects are 1.035 and 1.256, and the absolute value of the negative refraction index increases by 9.6% and 19.6%, respectively. When three kinds of vacant defects are introduced into the sample, the ratios of the maximum power of samples with vacant defects to that without defects have the highest value of 1.973 and the lowest value of 0.364, and the absolute values of the negative refraction index have increased by 68.33% and 9.6% accordingly. We think that the defect breaks the periodic structure of the sample, resulting in a new condition of the electromagnetism resonance which leads to the changes of the negative refraction index and the maximum power. So we can regulate the negative refraction index of LHMs by adjusting the defects.


Introduction: Genital warts are a frequent form of sexually transmitted disease. Cryotherapy represents the first line of therapy. Healing occurs in 94%, and recurrence in 10% . Side effects are common during the treatment. Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the successfulness of cryotherapy of genital warts, frequency of recurrence, and side effects. Patients and methods: In a retrospective study, data from 50 women with genital warts who were treated in the Gynecological Centre "Dr Mahira Jahić" in Tuzla in a period from 2012–2018 were analyzed. Every woman was treated with cryotherapy. Treatments were repeated every 7 days, maximal number of treatments being 7. In processing of data, X2statistical method was used. Results: 50% (N-25) of genital warts eliminated after 3 treatments with cryotherapy . Genital warts are eliminated in 78% (N-39) of women, while this treatment was unsuccessful in 18% (N-9). Recurrence after 3 months in 4% (N-2). Most common side effect was exudation in 78% (N-39), swelling in 72% (N-36) and pain in 66% (N-33). PAP smears in women with genital warts in 64% (N-34) of cases were inflammatory benign changes, while in 36% (N-18) mild abnormal changes in cells ASCUS and LSIL were found. LSIL lesions of cervix are more common (p<0,01) in women with genital warts of vulva. Conclusion: Cryotherapy is a method with a high success rate in healing of genital warts, and it decreases the concentration of HPV virus and removes the trigger that allows the development of cancer.


Purpose: This study is a descriptive study to investigate the relevance between pathophysiological subject and examination workbook items for national nurse licensure examination in South Korea and the United States. Methods: Eight registered nurse licensure examination workbooks published by the Korean nurses association were used for the analysis. Saunders comprehensive review for the national council licensure examination (NCLEX-RN) was used for analysis of those in the United States. The relevance between the subjects in the standard syllabuses of pathophysiology and the registered nurse licensure exam items of these workbooks in South Korea and the United States respectively was analyzed. Results: The Relevance rates in South Korea and the United States were : fundamentals of nursing 6.34% vs 32.12%, adult nursing 25.5% vs 25.92% child health nursing 7.81% vs 21.7%, woman health nursing 5.1% vs 17.07% psychiatric mental health nursing 2.7% vs 7.32%, and community health nursing 0.9% vs 0%. Conclusion: the relevance in pathophysiology between the registered nurse licensure exam in South Korea and the United States was high in adult nursing and fundamentals of nursing (especially in the United States). In developing integrated registered nurse licensure exam questions, we should consider pathophysiology as an important subject.


Author's preface, 2008.

I wrote this book on my return from Lesotho, Africa, where I worked from 1974 to 1977 for the Lesotho Distance-Teaching Centre. We undertook many, mostly small, research projects to guide our distance teaching, and it was on this aspect of our work that I was asked to write.

The book is about doing practical research. It is not a summary of research findings on distance teaching, nor is it a digest of the literature on educational research and evaluation. It is the advice that I would give to someone who wanted to know how to go about doing research in distance teaching, especially in a developing country.

The first two chapters and the last are about linking research and action; the rest are about doing research. Chapters 3 to 11 describe methods common to social research in general but I use examples from distance teaching to illustrate them. The remaining chapters look at some of the tasks that research can perform in distance teaching, such as pretesting instructional materials or evaluating a campaign.

Most of the advice in this book is still applicable today, but one topic is conspicuously absent - computer technology, which has changed beyond recognition since the book was published. The punched-card technology described briefly on pages 90 to 96 now belongs in a science museum. The book has very little to say about the use of computers for the analysis of research results, and nothing at all about the use of computers and the internet in the delivery of education.


This dissertation addresses the question: "What is the experience of being both Māori and Pākehā?" and has as its subtitle: "Negotiating the experience of the hybrid cultural object." The methodologies used are Kaupapa Research Theory and phenomenology, with the principle method Heuristic Research Method.

By 2051 Durie (2011) predicts that the Māori ethnic population will rise to 22 percent of the total population of Aotearoa New Zealand. Each one of the 22 percent will not have only Māori ancestry. Each one of the 22 percent will have ancestry that is also other than indigenous to Aotearoa New Zealand.
Currently Māori and Pākehā sit in binary positioning. This positioning has been essential for Māori who have needed strength of identity in order to counter the effects of colonisation. Pākehā have also benefited from maintaining Māori in the position of "other". It is common to name individuals as either Māori or Pākehā despite having ancestry that is both Māori and Pākeha.

Those who have both Māori and Pākehā ancestry, a hybrid cultural identification, may become invisible in the current discourse, their experience denied. Phenotype becomes a marker of cultural identification from both external and internal perspectives.

The researcher's personal experience of being both Māori and Pākeha, negotiating belonging and not belonging, is used as a base from which to explore and expand knowledge of hybrid cultural experience.


Gender segregation in occupation is a phenomenon that excludes majority of workers from certain occupations. This practice is wasteful to human resources, as it reduces an economy's ability to adjust to shocks in the labour market, especially where it is practiced haphazardly without justifications. Gender segregation in occupation occurs everywhere, be it in the developed and developing countries, thus perpetuating gender inequalities; this informed the declaration by the United Nations of Goal Two, which is "to promote gender equality and empower women". The purpose of this paper is to examine gender segregation in occupation and its effects both on the career choice of female workers and the sustainable development of the Nigerian economy, using University of Lagos as a case study.