In the business succession planning context, estate planners frequently employ the use of trusts to pass ownership of a business from one generation to another. Often, the beneficiaries of such a trust include the children of the grantor. The trust mechanism provides trustee oversight and a controlled process for transition. In many cases, the child/trust beneficiary works in the business and perhaps earns his or her sole income from participation in the business with the promise of direct ownership in the future. This transition requires thorough planning to properly pass ownership in the most tax-efficient manner. In 2010, Congress amended the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code") as part of the Affordable Care Act ("ACA"). This amendment introduced a new tax on "net investment income" applicable to individuals, estates, and trusts. Net investment income includes income from a trade or business in which the taxpayer does not "materially participate." This raises a question regarding how a trust as a taxpaying entity materially participates under the tax code. With Section 1411 of the Code, Congress codified a requirement to look to Section 469 (passive activity losses) for guidance on determining material participation. Since the 1986 amendments to the Code, however, the Treasury has yet to pass regulations defining material participation in an estate and trust context.In an attempt to provide guidance to trustees and estate planners, this article explores the meaning of "material participation" in the context of estates and trusts with respect to the Net Investment Income Tax ("NIIT"). In deriving this article's topic from Treasury comments accompanying a final rule regarding the NIIT, this discussion primarily responds to the Treasury's call for comments and guidance on "material participation" of estates and trusts and the proposed coordination with regulations under Section 469. Current guidance on this issue remains relatively limited, consisting of two court opinions and administrative decisions. The trending position of the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service ("Commissioner") focuses solely upon the actions by the trustee or other person with discretionary powers and the ability to bind the trust. Such a position excludes trust beneficiaries that actively participate in the business but that lack a formal "trustee" obligation. The Commissioner's position provides a clearly identifiable person who happens to hold legal title to the trust interest. By focusing on the trustee, however, the Commissioner overlooks the equitable interest of trust beneficiaries. The involvement of beneficiaries may equal or exceed that of the trustee and may more realistically represent the underlying economic interest of the trust. With the passage of Section 1411, another tax is added to the debate involving the activities of estates and trusts, and this area merits clear guidance.


The rate of treatment-emergent switch into mania has been calculated from all available clinical trial data on the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, and sertraline, relative to comparative groups treated with tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) or placebo. In predominantly unipolar depressives, the rate of manic switch is less than 1% and differences between drugs and placebo are statistically but not clinically significant. In bipolar depressives, manic switch occurs substantially more often with TCAs (11.2%) than with SSRIs (3.7%) or placebo (4.2%).


Fungal endophytes live inside plants without causing apparent symptoms of infection. All plant species surveyed thus far, including liverworts, mosses, seedless vascular plants, conifers, and angiosperms, harbor one or more endophytic fungi. Fungal endophytes can be divided into four groups including class 1, class 2, class 3 and class 4 endophytic fungi according to host range, colonization pattern, transmission, and ecological function. Class 2 fungal endophytes benefit their host by increasing environmental stress tolerance (i.e. water, temperature, salt) in a habitat-specific manner. In my study, class 2 fungal endophytes were studied from weedy plants growing in an environmentally stressed area: mine tailings from the Athabasca oil sands. This area is a vast hydrocarbon reserve in western Canada that supplies 10% of Canadian oil needs. Hydrocarbons are extracted from tar sands with hot water, alkali, and solvents. The tailing sands can later be remediated (by adding organic material and fertilizer) to establish new plant communities. Prior to remediation, tailing sands have extremely low content of organic carbon and available minerals, and are hydrophobic compared to unimpacted and remediated soils. Nevertheless, Taraxacum (dandelion) and Sonchus (sow-thistle) can colonize extracted tailing sands even prior to remediation. Preliminary results show that pioneer plants have similar fungal abundance as plants of unextracted treatments. Fungal endophytes were isolated from surface sterilized Taraxacum and Sonchus that had been growing upon unimpacted, remediated and extracted soil. Fungi isolated in this way included Alternaria, Tricoderma, Fusarium and an unidentified Perithecial Ascomycote. These endophytic fungi were used to inoculate tomato plants in a greenhouse trial to determine whether they confer stress tolerance to host plants, especially for drought and low mineral nutrition. Before exposing the tomato plants to environmental stresses, the specific endophytic fungal strains applied were successfully recovered from tomato plants originally inoculated with the same endophytic fungi. Although the other endophytic fungi turned out to be harmful to the tomato plants in the test, a Trichoderma spp. strain isolated from samples of extracted treatment appears to confer tolerance of tailing sands to the tomato plants. This Trichoderma spp. strain which we can call TSTh20-1 was molecularly identified as Trichoderma harzianum. Despite an identification to species, all strains of T. harzianum are not necessarily identical regarding strain-specific attributes. Using similar techniques described here, it is possible to isolate and potentially use beneficial class 2 endophytic fungal strains for the remediation process in the Athabasca oil sands or to assist plant growth in other high stress environments.


The thesis begins with a review of presently available analogue and digital control schemes
for high frequency PWM converters. Advantages and disadvantages of each scheme are
identified, to determine which features would be desirable in a new digital control scheme.
An extensive examination of peak and average current mode control is undertaken, using
state-space/sampled data modelling, to gain more detailed information on the properties
of current mode control. On the basis of this information, a new digital current mode
control scheme is put forward. This uses samples of the inductor current, line voltage and
output voltage to implement a control strategy in software. Average inductor current is
calculated each switching cycle and compared to the current program level, providing true
current mode control. This has some advantages over traditional methods. Accurate
inductor current tracking of the current program level is achieved and no slope
compensation is required for stable operation over the full range of duty ratios.
Line voltage feed-forward is possible in buck derived topologies, which provides an
effective null in the audio susceptibility transfer function, independent of compensation
parameters. Current loop stability is independent of line voltage or load current in the
buck topology, allowing operation with optimum loop compensation under all normal
operating conditions.
Practical implementation of a digital current mode controlled current-fed converter is
described. This includes a modular architecture for the hardware and documentation for
the software. Effects of component selection on the achievable converter switching
frequency and dynamic performance are discussed. A method is put forward for the direct
digital measurement of loop gain and phase in digital control systems. This is used to
obtain actual loop responses from a test bed digital current mode controlled current-fed
converter. Line and load transient response tests are presented which demonstrate the
dynamic characteristics of digital current mode control.


The topic of this paper is the evaluation of QoS parameters in live Pre-Wimax environments. The main contribution is the validation of an analytical delay-jitter behavior model. These models can be used in optimization algorithms in order to provide opportunistic and reliable all-IP networks. It allows understanding the impact of the jitter constraints on the throughput and packet loss in wireless systems. However, we show that the real-time QoS requirements of real-time and interactive services can be avoided to a large degree by controlling only the packet delay-jitter in a fixed and mobile environment. The QoS metrics have been computed from live measurements in a Pre-Wimax realistic environment (Toulouse/Blagnac Airport).


Contemporary wireless systems standards tend to contain more and more sophisticated radio channel models, while the terminals are, if any, described in a quite rough manner. This deficiency cannot satisfy requirements placed on physical layer designers and network planners, given that the true performance of a terminal in a radio link is far from negligible. The present communication addresses that issue and attempts to draw routes towards more satisfactory terminal model standardization.


The national health insurance system in Australia records details on medical services and claims provided to its population. An effective method to the discovery of temporal behavioral patterns in the data set is proposed in this paper. The method consists of a two-step approach which is applied recursively to the data set. First, a clustering algorithm is used to segment the data into classes. Then, hidden Markov models are employed to find the underlying temporal behavioral patterns. These steps are applied recursively to features extracted from the data set until convergence. The main objective is to minimize the misclassification of patient profiles into various classes. This results in a hierarchical tree model consisting of a number of classes; each class groups similar patient temporal behavioral patterns together. The capabilities of the proposed method are demonstrated through the application to a subset of the Australian national health insurance data set. It is shown that the proposed method not only clusters data into various categories of interest, but it also automatically marks the periods in which similar temporal behavioral patterns occurred.


Abstract: Trace fossils preserved in fossilized tissues provide a key resource for exploring the paleoecology of past ecosystems. Endobiont organisms are commonplace in modern ecosystems, but their trace fossils on vertebrates are rare as the organisms usually attack or attach to soft tissue. Here, we report the novel occurrence of flask-shaped boreholes representing the ichnotaxon Karethraichnus n. isp. in the carapace of the basal leatherback sea turtle Mesodermochelys sp. from the Upper Cretaceous of northern Japan. The distribution of the boreholes was determined by observing the carapace surface. Using X-ray computed tomography, we were also able to produce a 3D reconstruction of the whole carapace and examine a cross section of a borehole to analyze the histological aspects of the bone. In total, 43 holes were observed, 12 holes contained probable pholadoid bivalves, and 32 holes were not bored entirely through the carapace. Some of the bivalves found in the holes are larger than the aperture of the hole, suggesting that they continued to grow during boring. The holes are hemispherical to clavate in shape and developed on the exterior side of the carapace. Healing traces, i.e., repairing of bone, can be observed at the surface of the holes. Our observations strongly suggest that these pits were bored by pholadoid bivalves while the turtle was alive. This is the first report of the behavior of boring bivalves as sea-turtle endobionts boring into a unique free-living, i.e., "swimming substrate".


Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a common T cell mediated skin disease. Small reactive organic molecules called haptens induce ACD. Haptens are not recognized by themselves, but need to bond to endogenous proteins in the skin, and processed further into complete antigens. Antigen specific T cells then recognize the resulting antigen. Although the haptens are well known, the chemical reactions of haptens inducing ACD are not well known. Neither are the chemical structures of the complete antigens associated with ACD in humans. This study is composed of three parts. Reactivity study of strong sensitizers like 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB), 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ), 4-t-b utyl-1,2-benzoquinone (tBuBQ) and cis -1,2-hexahydrophthalic anhydride (HHPA) under physiologic conditions with nucleophilic amino acids and peptides by analytical methods (HPLC, LC/MS/MS). The new reaction products were isolated and their structures were determined by NMR and MS. We found that most haptens reacted predominantly with cystein and cystein containing peptides. We then synthesized an array of 2,4-dinitrophenyl-(Dnp) modified collagen II peptides, as complete antigens, by solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). In a MHC class II (H2-A q ) restricted T cell model of ACD, we evaluated the responses of these antigens. The length of the amino acid side chain bonding the Dnp-group determined the T cell response. Substitution of lysine for ornithine gave a complete loss of T cell recognition. We finally used homology modeling to construct a model of the H2-A q /antigen/TCR complex, a part of the "immunological synapse". Our new model could explain the experimental T cell responses in terms of a defined structure of the MHC/antigen, and how this structure is displayed for the TCR. This study may contribute to better diagnosis, and possibly a cure of ACD in the future.


Manganese excess can induce in humans a neurological disorder known as manganism. A possible remedy should be chelation therapy, even though a chelation schedule for manganism has not been currently established. para-Aminosalicylic acid (PAS) has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing manganism symptoms. In this work, a study of the protonation equilibria of para-aminosalicylic acid and of its N-acetylated metabolite (Ac-PAS) and of their complexation reactions with Mn2+ is presented, and also extended to the main essential metal ions Cu2+ and Fe3+. A number of complementary techniques (potentiometry, spectrophotometry, fluorimetry, EPR) have been used for a thorough comprehension of the protonation and complex formation equilibria, with the addition of DFT calculations, which provide insights into the relative stabilities and electronic properties of the formed species. Both PAS and Ac-PAS form 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 metal : ligand complexes with the target Mn2+ ion; surprisingly the N-acetylated metabolite forms stronger complexes, whose implications in chelation therapy have been pointed out by a speciation study. It is presumed that the relatively small metabolite can penetrate across the blood-brain-barrier and exert its Mn-mobilizing action intracellularly in vulnerable neurons.


We study the challenging problem of learning decision lists attribute-efficiently, giving both positive and negative results. Our main positive result is a new tradeoff between the running time and mistake bound for learning length-k decision lists over n Boolean variables. When the allowed running time is relatively high, our new mistake bound improves significantly on the mistake bound of the best previous algorithm of Klivans and Servedio (Klivans and Servedio, 2006). Our main negative result is a new lower bound on the weight of any degree-d polynomial threshold function (PTF) that computes a particular decision list overk variables (the "ODD-MAXBIT" function). The main result of Beigel (Beigel, 1994) is a weight lower bound of 2 (k=d 2 ) , which was shown to be essentially optimal for d k 1=3 by Klivans and Servedio. Here we prove a 2 ( p k=d) lower bound, which improves on Beigel's lower bound for d > k 1=3 : This lower bound establishes strong limitations on the effectiveness of the Klivans and Servedio approach and suggests that it may be difficult to improve on our positive result. The main tool used in our lower bound is a new variant of Markov's classical inequality which may be of independent interest; it provides a bound on the derivative of a univariate polynomial in terms of both its degree and the size of its coefficients.


This thesis explores the possibilities of multimodality in supporting text comprehension of literary texts in language learning of the L2. While multimodal texts offer multiple ways of meaning making that sometimes go beyond the written text, I have focussed on multimodal expressions that mirror the context of a given text. I conducted an empirical study with 114 students (grade 9; 13-14 years) in two schools in Trondheim, Norway. The material I used consisted of three literary texts (excerpts from Penguin Readers books adapted for the age group) for which the supported by illustrations and audio files was systematically varied in an experimental design. The students carried out a standardized reading test (Hodder reading test) in a first session to establish different levels of reading proficiency, before they took the main reading comprehension test which included the multimodal text expressions in a second session, about 1-2 weeks later. In addition, their personal experience of support by the multimodal expressions was measured in a questionnaire. Differences between the different versions of the texts were analysed by chi-square tests, analyses of variance, and analyses of covariance. The reading proficiency test proved to be a good indicator for successful understanding of the literary texts. The different modalities seem to support reading comprehension, but the effects appear to depend partly on the students' level of reading proficiency and fatigue. The results are interpreted in the light of cognitive theory of multimedia learning and dual coding theory.


We present the design and VLSI implementation of a novel low-power bitstream-residual decoder for H.264/AVC baseline profile. It comprises a syntax parser, a parameter decoder, and an Inverse Quantization Inverse Transform (IQIT) decoder. The syntax parser detects and decodes each incoming codeword in the bitstream under the control of a hierarchical Finite State Machine (FSM); the IQIT decoder performs inverse transform and quantization with pipelining and parallelism. Various power reduction techniques, such as data-driven based on statistic results, nonuniform partition, precomputation, guarded evaluation, hierarchical FSM decomposition, TAG method, zero-block skipping, and clock gating , are adopted and integrated throughout the bitstream-residual decoder. With innovative architecture, the proposed design is able to decode QCIF video sequences of 30 fps at a clock rate as low as 1.5 MHz. A prototype H.264/AVC baseline decoding chip utilizing the proposed decoder is fabricated in UMC 0.18 m 1P6M CMOS technology. The proposed design is measured under 1 V 1.8 V supply with 0.1 V step. It dissipates 76 W at 1 V and 253 W at 1.8 V.


The effects of morphine are mediated mainly through the μ opioid receptor (MOR). Expression of the MOR is up-regulated during neuronal differentiation in P19 embryonal carcinoma cells and epigenetic changes play an important role in MOR up-regulation. This study investigates the basis for differentiation-dependent alterations of MOR chromatin by studying the recruitment or dissociation of several factors to the remodeled chromatin locus. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were used to demonstrate the recruitment of the transcriptional activator Sp1 and the chromatin remodeling factors Brg1 and BAF155 to this promoter, as well as the dissociation of repressors [histone deacetylases, mSin3A, Brm, and methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2)]. Histone modifications (acetylation, induction of histone H3-lys4 methylation, and reduction of H3-lys9 methylation) were consistently detected on this promoter. Overexpression of Sp1 strongly enhanced MOR promoter activity, and the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A also increased promoter activity. In vitro DNA CpG-methylation of the promoter partially blocked binding of the Sp1 factor but induced MeCP2 binding. Coimmunoprecipitation studies also found novel evidence of an endogenous MeCP2 interaction with Sp3 but a weaker interaction with Sp1. Overall, the results suggest that during neuronal differentiation, MeCP2 and DNA methylation mediate remodeling of the MOR promoter by chromatin remodeling factors (Brg1 and BAF155) from a compacted state to a conformation allowing access for transcriptional factors. Subsequent recruitment of the activating transcription factor Sp1 to the remodeled promoter results in MOR up-regulation.


To assess medium-range forecasts of detailed spatial distributions of the daily mean temperature, an ensemble downscaling forecast experiment was conducted using the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) nonhydrostatic (NHM) with horizontal resolutions of 25 km and 5 km. Special attention was paid to the anomalously cool summers over northeastern Japan caused by northeasterly winds called Yamase. The results are validated against the daily mean surface temperatures observed by the Automated Meteorological Data Acquisition System (AMeDAS) in the study area. Ensemble mean downscaling forecasts can successfully extract reliable signals with information about local circulations. The ensemble mean forecasts reduce the root mean square errors of the daily mean surface temperature by 15 % compared to single downscaling forecasts. The ensemble spreads also indicate the possibility of making prob abilistic predictions that consider the effects of local circulations in addition to large-scale motions. The ensemble downscaling forecasts have 80 % larger spreads than the global forecasts with the JMA global spectral model at a resolution TL159L60 and approach the theoretical value. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis indicates that the predictability depends on the EOF modes. The predictable periods are 8 days for the homogeneous mode over northeastern Japan, 5 days for the Yamase mode (east-west mode), and 2 days for the north-south mode. The dynamical downscaling can properly predict the amplitudes of the EOF modes. In particular, the dynamical downscaling can predict 90 % of the Yamase mode, as compared to 20 % prediction of the global model for the same mode.


Speaking style conversion (SSC) is the technology of converting natural speech signals from one style to another. In this study, we aim to provide a general SSC system for converting styles with varying vocal effort and focus on normal-to-Lombard conversion as a case study of this problem. We propose a parametric approach that uses a vocoder to extract speech features. These features are mapped using parallel machine learning models from utterances spoken in normal style to the corresponding features of Lombard speech. Finally, the mapped features are converted to a Lombard speech waveform with the vocoder. A total of three vocoders (GlottDNN, STRAIGHT, and Pulse model in log domain (PML)) and three machine learning mapping methods (standard GMM, Bayesian GMM, and feed-forward DNN) were compared in the proposed normal-to-Lombard style conversion system. The conversion was evaluated using two subjective listening tests measuring perceived Lombardness and quality of the converted speech signals, and by using an instrumental measure called Speech Intelligibility in Bits (SIIB) for speech intelligibility evaluation under various noise levels. The results of the subjective tests show that the system is able to convert normal speech into Lombard speech and that there is a trade-off between quality and Lombardness of the mapped utterances. The GlottDNN and PML stand out as the best vocoders in terms of quality and Lombardness, respectively, whereas the DNN is the best mapping method in terms of Lombardness. PML with the standard GMM seems to give a good compromise between the two attributes. The SIIB experiments indicate that intelligibility of converted speech compared to that of normal speech improved in noisy conditions most effectively when DNN mapping was used with STRAIGHT and PML.


There is concern that young people worldwide are undergoing an increasing number of cosmetic surgeries that are associated with physical and psychological risks. This study examined whether and how this trend of seeking cosmetic surgery was influenced by young people's exposure to mediated celebrities in Singapore. This study employed two psychological concepts—parasocial relationships and identification—from the celebrity influence model to disentangle the media effects of celebrities. A survey of 555 college students showed that exposure to mediated celebrities directly and indirectly influenced young people's attitudes toward cosmetic surgery. The indirect path was mediated by parasocial relationships and identification. Our findings contribute to the theory of celebrity influence and provide information that can inform future health communication.


We report on pointed cone shaped blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on ZnO and GaN wafer bonding. After wafer bonding of an n-type ZnO substrate to a III–nitride LED wafer, sapphire was removed and n- and p-pads were formed on the same side. Pointed hexagonal ZnO cone was formed by a selective chemical etching method. The output power and external quantum efficiency (EQE) were 24.4 mW and 43.6%, respectively, at a dc forward current of 20 mA.


Cholera toxin (CT) enters host intestinal epithelia cells, and its retrograde transport to the cytosol results in the massive loss of fluids and electrolytes associated with severe dehydration. To initiate this intoxication process, the B subunit of CT (CTB) first binds to a cell surface receptor displayed on the apical surface of the intestinal epithelia. While the monosialoganglioside GM1 is widely accepted to be the sole receptor for CT, intestinal epithelial cell lines also utilize fucosylated glycan epitopes on glycoproteins to facilitate cell surface binding and endocytic uptake of the toxin. Further, l-fucose can competively inhibit CTB binding to intestinal epithelia cells. Here, we use competition binding assays with l-fucose analogs to decipher the molecular determinants for l-fucose inhibition of cholera toxin subunit B (CTB) binding. Additionally, we find that mono- and difucosylated oligosaccharides are more potent inhibitors than l-fucose alone, with the LeY tetrasaccharide emerging as the most potent inhibitor of CTB binding to two colonic epithelial cell lines (T84 and Colo205). Finally, a non-natural fucose-containing polymer inhibits CTB binding two orders of magnitude more potently than the LeY glycan when tested against Colo205 cells. This same polymer also inhibits CTB binding to T84 cells and primary human jejunal epithelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. These findings suggest the possibility that polymeric display of fucose might be exploited as a prophylactic or therapeutic approach to block the action of CT toward the human intestinal epithelium.


Background: Much has been written about introduced rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) interbreeding and outcompeting cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii). However, the specific mechanisms by which rainbow trout and their hybrids outcompete cutthroat trout have not been thoroughly explored, and the published data is limited to lotic ecosystems. Materials and Methods: Samples of rainbow trout and cutthroat trout were obtained from a lentic ecosystem by angling. The total length and weight of each fish was measured and the relative weight of each fish was computed (Anderson R.O., Neumann R.M. 1996. Length, Weight, and Associated Structural Indices, Pp. 447-481. In: Murphy B.E. and Willis D.W. (eds.) Fisheries Techniques, second edition. American Fisheries Society.), along with the mean and uncertainty in the mean for each species. Data from an independent source (K.D. Carlander, 1969. Handbook of Freshwater Fishery Biology, Volume One, Iowa University Press, Ames.) was also used to generate mean weight-length curves, as well as 25th and 75th percentile curves for each species to allow further comparison. Results: The mean relative weight of the rainbow trout was 72.5 (+/- 2.1); whereas, the mean relative weight of the cutthroat trout was 101.0 (+/- 4.9). The rainbow trout were thin; 80% weighed below the 25th percentile. The cutthroat trout were plump; 86% weighed above the 75th percentile, and 29% were above the heaviest recorded specimens at a given length in the Carlander (1969) data set. Conclusion: This data casts doubt on the hypothesis that rainbow trout are strong food competitors with cutthroat trout in lentic ecosystems. On the contrary, in the lake under study, the cutthroat trout seem to be outcompeting rainbow trout for the available food.


Virilization of the male urogenital tract of all mammals, including marsupials, is mediated by androgenic hormones secreted by the testes. We have previously demonstrated profound sexual dimorphism in the concentrations of gonadal androgens in pouch young of the tammar wallaby Macropus eugenii during the interval when the urogenital sinus virilizes. To provide insight into the mechanisms by which androgens are transported from the testes to the target tissues, we measured testosterone and dihydrotestosterone in plasma pools from tammar pouch young from the day of birth to Day 150. Plasma testosterone levels were measurable (0.5-2 ng/ml) at all times studied, but there were no differences between males and females. These low concentrations of plasma testosterone appear to be derived from the adrenal glands and not the testes. Plasma dihydrotestosterone levels in plasma pools from these animals were also low and not sexually dimorphic. We conclude that virilization of the male urogenital tract cannot be explained by the usual transport of testosterone or dihydrotestosterone in plasma but may be mediated by the direct delivery of androgens to the urogenital tract via the Wolffian ducts. Alternatively, circulating prohormones may be converted to androgens in target tissues.


Conducting polymers actuators (CPAs) are potential candidates for replacing conventional actuators in various fields, such as robotics and biomedical engineering, due to their advantageous properties, which includes their low cost, light weight, low actuation voltage and biocompatibility. As these actuators are very suitable for use in micro-nano manipulation and in injection devices in which the magnitude of the force applied to the target is of crucial importance, the force generated by CPAs needs to be accurately controlled. In this paper, a fuzzy logic (FL) controller with a Mamdani inference system is designed to control the blocking force of a trilayer CPA with polypyrrole electrodes, which operates in air. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) method is employed to optimize the controller's membership function parameters and therefore enhance the performance of the FL controller. An adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system model, which can capture the nonlinear dynamics of the actuator, is utilized in the optimization process. The optimized Mamdani FL controller is then implemented on the CPA experimentally, and its performance is compared with a non-optimized fuzzy controller as well as with those obtained from a conventional PID controller. The results presented indicate that the blocking force at the tip of the CPA can be effectively controlled by the optimized FL controller, which shows excellent transient and steady state characteristics but increases the control voltage compared to the non-optimized fuzzy controllers.


The present chapter proposes to build bridges between political discourse analysis and corpus linguistics. We intend to bring to light methodological benefits arising from the synergy of (political) discourse analysis and corpus linguistics, pointing to fruitful contribution from French text statistics. Taking the discourses of Nicolas Sarkozy as an example, we show how political discourse analysis can benefit from a reflection on corpora (their constitution, their role in the research process); on linguistic analysis and processing methods (particularly the computer-assisted methods of text statistics); and finally on the interpretative paths at a time of establishment of a numerical hermeneutics.


Since first introduced by Dorfman in 1943, pooled testing has been widely used as a cost and time effective testing protocol in the variety of applications. This dissertation consists of three projects that reveal the use of pooling techniques in the disease prevention from the perspective of regression. For disease monitoring and control, individual covariates information are often of practical interest and yield meaningful interpretations. It is natural to model the outcome of interest, which can be either a disease status (binary) or a biomarker concentration index (continuous), with individual-specific covariates through a regression analysis. Chapter 2 focuses on the pooled biomarker assessment, where a pooling procedure is implemented to measure a continuous outcome of interest. A semi-parametric single-index model is developed to model the mean trend of biomarker concentration. In spite of pooled biomarker assessment, this dissertation also focuses on the group testing problems in infectious disease studies. In Chapter 3, we propose a multivariate logistic regression model for the multiple-infection group testing data. To facilitate the variable selection and model interpretation, we further develop a regularized approach which selects the active risk factors for each infection. Other than significant cost savings, pooling strategy provides more precise biomarker mean curve estimations (in Chapter 2), and more accurate variable selections (in Chapter 3). With these cheerful benefits from pooling strategy, for the purpose of promoting group testing to laboratories, in Chapter 4, we further discuss how to simplify the pooled testing routine realistically without significant impairments on regression estimation.


Bluetooth has become a ubiquitous technology present in almost every electronic device. A question often asked by manufacturers and final users is whether it can be used for uses other than the ones for which it was designed; in particular, for improved multimedia traffic support, with the fewest modifications in the implementation of the protocol (both hardware and software). In this article we analyze the impact on performance of the lowest levels of the Bluetooth architecture through a relevant parameter known as the polling time, Tpoll. Here, we report on simulations of specific algorithms that allow to dynamically adapt the network to an optimal value of Tpoll during transmission. We place special emphasis on the role of the kind of traffic on the network (e.g., constant bit rate, burst, multimedia-like). In addition, we analyze the results of simulations by comparing these algorithms with the static allocation value defined in the Bluetooth specification. Our results provide insight on how to optimize the transmission of multimedia traffic over piconets at the lowest layers of the Bluetooth architecture.


Over the past decade, U.S. bank regulators have introduced a number of measures to link the regulation of commercial banks to the level of risk that banks take. Risk-based capital requirements and risk-based deposit insurance premia are two prominent examples. Most recently, regulators have augmented bank exam (CAMELS) ratings to include explicit examiner assessments of banks' ability to manage risk. As examiners implement these new ratings, how will they assess risk-taking by banks? Will they simply assign poor CAMELS ratings to banks that take high amounts of risk, or will they evaluate a bank's safety and soundness based on how well it manages the level of risk that it does take? More fundamentally, does this "risk-based" approach to bank examination represent a break from exam standards of the past, or is it simply a formalization of the risk assessments that examiners have always made? We test whether, and to what degree, the CAMEL ratings assigned to 356 medium and large national banks in 1994 reflected the risk-return trade-offs made by those banks. Our results suggest a dichotomy: examiners allowed prudent risktaking by well-run banks but were critical of banks that handled risk poorly. When banks selected high levels of risk and managed that risk efficiently (that is, earning an expected return high enough to justify that level of risk-taking), we find that examiners did not penalize banks by assigning bad CAMEL ratings. However, when banks selected high levels of risk but proved to be poor managers of that risk, examiners did assign bad CAMEL ratings. Thus, we find that examiners were evaluating risk in a manner consistent with the risk-based examination standards announced by the OCC subsequent to 1994. We estimate expected return and risk from a structural model of bank production first developed by Hughes, Lang, Mester, and Moon (1995, 1996). Unlike standard models of bank production, this model explicitly allows managers to trade return for reduced risk. With these estimates in hand, we use stochastic frontier techniques to estimate a "bestpractice" risk-return frontier. Each bank's "noise-adjusted" distance from this frontier indicates how efficiently the bank managed its risk-taking. Finally, we derive our main results by regressing CAMEL ratings on bank expected returns, risk-taking, inefficiency, and size, using ordered logit techniques. We characterize the interplay between banks and bank examiners in terms of finance theory. Bank managers have natural incentives to limit risk-taking, because doing so will reduce the potential for costly episodes of illiquidity or insolvency. However, due to the nature of banking (e.g., banks have opaque asset quality, and a substantial portion of their debt is demandable) and the important part that banks play in the economy (e.g., the payments system), banks are more closely regulated than other types of firms. We describe this regulatory process as one in which regulators write debt contracts and covenants on behalf of banks' demandable debtholders, monitor bank compliance to safety and soundness regulations, and if necessary enforce these costly covenants (e.g., higher deposit premia, more frequently and more rigorous examinations, restrictions on investment activities) when banks experience financial distress. In this framework, CAMEL ratings reflect the likelihood of both financial distress and regulatory intervention. Our empirical results suggest that the potential for costly regulatory intervention increases banks' incentives to trade return for reduced risk and to manage


With the rapid development of quantum technologies, quantum-safe cryptography has found significant attention. Hash-based signature schemes have been in particular of interest because of (i) the importance of digital signature as the main source of trust on the Internet, (ii) the fact that the security of these signatures relies on existence of one-way functions, which is the minimal assumption for signature schemes, and (iii) they can be efficiently implemented. Basic hash-based signatures are for a single message, but have been extended for signing multiple messages. In this paper we design a Multi-message Signature Scheme (MSS) based on an existing One-Time Signature (OTS) that we refer to as KSN-OTS. KSN uses SWIFFT, an additive homomorphic lattice-based hash function family with provable one-wayness property, as the one-way-function and achieves a short signature. We prove security of our proposed signature scheme in a new strengthened security model (multi-target multi-function) of MSS, determine the system parameters for 512 bit classical (256 bit quantum) security, and compare parameter sizes of our scheme against XMSS, a widely studied hash based MSS that has been a candidate for NIST standardization of post-quantum signature scheme. We give an efficient implementation of our scheme using Intel SIMD (Single Instruction Multiple Data) instruction set. For this, we first implement SWIFFT computation using a SIMD parallelization of Number Theoretic Transform (NTT) of elements of the ring Zp[X]/(Xn+1), that can support different levels of parallelization. We compare efficiency of this implementation with a comparable (security level) implementation of XMSS and show its superior performance on a number of efficiency parameters.


In this paper, a generalized fractional-order form of the simulated inductor using a single current feedback operational amplifier (CFOA) and a fractional-order capacitor is introduced. Analytical expression of the equivalent fractional-order inductor versus the circuit elements is achieved. Moreover, the effect of the parasitic impedance and the non-idealities of the CFOA are investigated analytically with numerical simulations and circuit equivalent. Circuit simulations are discussed using AD844 spice model to validate the theoretical study of the fractional-order inductor. Simulations show an extra degree of freedom in selecting the impedance value and the phase shift compared to the conventional realization. As an application, a fractional order low pass filter is simulated to verify the performance of the proposed circuit.


Introduction The Maldives consists of a rich culture and unique traditional cuisine that has not yet been promoted in the region, which is known as a sea, sand, and sun destination. Kivela and Crotts (2005) suggest that gastronomic tourism is an alternative for new destinations that do not benefit from the 'sun, sea and sand' or natural resources. In the destination life cycle when the product begins to decline (Butler 1980) limited options may challenge the sustainability of tourism. As visitors continue seeking unique and culturally enriching activities to maximize the value of their travel experience, destina--tions must continue to evolve through multiple dimensions that provide a valued experience for the guest. With Maldivian culture shrouded in elements of mystique for many foreign visitors, the nation boasts rich culinary traditions that can promote the intriguing appeal of the islands. Gastronomy, the combination of local cuisine and beverages combined with the culture, traditions, and festivals in the exclusive ambience of the resorts, could become a dynamic package for guests that add value to the Maldives tourism industry and community. Bundled with more diverse tourism activities, greater loyalty to the destination or event may occur through the active participatory nature of involvement in experiencing activities closely connected to the authenticity of a region (Agrusa et al. 2009). Since the development of luxury resorts in the Maldives over the past 40 years, the economic environment has centered on the luxury resort industry. From 1,097 tourists in 1972, to nearly 800,000 arrivals by the end of 2010, with primary markets consisting of Asia, United Kingdom, Europe, and Russia, the Maldives has rapidly evolved its lucrative tourism industry (World Tourism Organization 2011). China has recently become the fastest developing tourist market to the Maldives while overtaking the previous dominate United Kingdom market and supplying the largest number of arrivals to this island nation (Pacific Asia Travel Association 2011). Located south of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean roughly 400 km southwest of India, the Maldives is an upscale tourist destination catering to the luxury segment of the market. The main capital island of Male is a small island less than two square kilometers in land mass that is merely two meters above sea level at its highest point. With the Maldives population of over 300,000 residents, Male houses 100,000 inhabitants alone, with the other residents widely dispersed across 200 inhabited islands in this archipelago nation composed of nearly 1,200 remote islands that is naturally divided among 26 atolls. This 100% Islamic nation, recently adopted a democratically elected government in 2008 as well as a newly developed constitution (World Bank 2012). Developed as a "one-island, one-resort" concept with over 100 resorts operating or preparing to operate, the Maldives boasts one of the largest concentrations of four and five star resorts in the world (Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture 2011). Images of pristine white sand beaches, blue ocean lagoons, bungalows over the water, and waving palm trees, the Maldives has been endowed with an abundance of natural assets that has advanced the success of this niche tourism market while also providing the largest contribution to the GDP of the nation (UNDP 2011). Literature review Gastronomy can be one of the easily visible parts of cultural, societal, and artistic values in a society (Groce & Perri 2010; Heagarty & O'Mahony 2001). Scarpato (2002) suggests that gastronomy is the driving force of different cultures while at the same time, contributes to the development and sustainability of tourism. Often used in building the brand of a destination, food is used as a tool for competitiveness and when strategically developed at the national or local level, offers potential for enhancing the visitor experience through this unifying cultural attribute along with increased visitor loyalty (Hall & Mitchell 2000; Hall & Sharples 2003). …


Rectal balloons are used in external beam prostate radiotherapy to provide reproducible anatomy and rectal dose reductions. This is an investigation into the combination of a MOSFET radiation detector with a rectal balloon for real-time in vivo rectal wall dosimetry. The MOSFET used in the study is a radiation detector that provides a water equivalent depth of measurement of 70 µm. Two MOSFETs were combined in a face-to-face orientation. The reproducibility, sensitivity and angular dependence were measured for the dual MOSFET in a 6 MV photon beam. The dual MOSFET was combined with a rectal balloon and irradiated with hypothetical prostate treatments in a phantom. The anterior rectal wall dose was measured in real time and compared with the planning system calculated dose. The dual MOSFET showed angular dependence within ±2.5% in the azimuth and +2.5%/−4% in the polar axes. When compared with an ion chamber measurement in a phantom, the dual MOSFET agreed within 2.5% for a range of radiation path lengths and incident angles. The dual MOSFET had reproducible sensitivity for fraction sizes of 2–10 Gy. For the hypothetical prostate treatments the measured anterior rectal wall dose was 2.6 and 3.2% lower than the calculated dose for 3DCRT and IMRT plans. This was expected due to limitations of the dose calculation method used at the balloon cavity interface. A dual MOSFET combined with a commercial rectal balloon was shown to provide reproducible measurements of the anterior rectal wall dose in real time. The measured anterior rectal wall dose agreed with the expected dose from the treatment plan for 3DCRT and IMRT plans. The dual MOSFET could be read out in real time during the irradiation, providing the capability for real-time dose monitoring of the rectal wall dose during treatment.


Most hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy studies require host conditioning to allow for efficient engraftment of gene-modified cells. Conditioning regimens with lower treatment-related toxicities are especially relevant for the treatment of nonmalignant blood disorders, such as hemoglobinopathies and immunodeficiencies, and for patients who are otherwise ineligible for conventional high-dose conditioning. Radioimmunotherapy, which employs an α- or a β-emitting radionuclide conjugated to a targeting antibody, is effective for delivering cytotoxic doses of radiation to a cell type of interest while minimizing off-target toxicity. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of using a nonmyeloablative dose of a monoclonal anti-CD45 antibody conjugated to the α-emitter Astatine-211 ((211)At) to promote engraftment of an autologous gene-modified stem cell graft in the canine model. The doses used provided myelosuppression with rapid autologous recovery and minimal off-target toxicity. Engraftment levels were low in all dogs and reflected the low numbers of gene-modified cells infused. Our data suggest that a cell dose exceeding 1×10(6) cells/kg be used with nonmyeloablative doses of (211)At-anti-CD45 monoclonal antibodies for sustained engraftment in the dog model.


Despite the popularity of business training among policy makers, the use of business training has faced increasing skepticism. This is, in part, fueled by the fact that most of the first wave of randomized experiments in developing countries could not detect statistically significant impacts of training on firms' profits or sales. This paper revisits and reassesses the evidence for whether small business training works, incorporating the results of more recent studies. A meta-analysis of these estimates suggests that training increases profits and sales on average by 5 to 10 percent. The author argues that this is in line with what is optimistic to expect given the relatively short length of most training programs, and the expected return on investment from the cost of such training. However, impacts of this magnitude are too small for most experiments to detect statistically. Emerging evidence is provided on five approaches for improving the effectiveness of traditional training by incorporating gender, kaizen methods, localization and mentoring, heuristics, and psychology. Training programs that incorporate these elements appear to deliver improvements over traditional training programs on average, although with considerable variation. Given that training delivers some benefits for firms, the challenge is then how to deliver a quality program on a cost-effective basis at a much larger scale. Three possible approaches to scaling up training are discussed: using the market, using technology, or targeting and funneling firms.


The new wave of robotics aims to provide robots with the capacity to learn, develop and evolve in interaction with their environments using biologically inspired techniques. This work is placed in perspective by considering its biological and psychological basis with reference to some of the grand theorists of living systems. In particular, we examine what it means to have a body by outlining theories of the mechanisms of bodily integration in multicellular organisms and their means of solidarity with the environment. We consider the implications of not having a living body for current ideas on robot learning, evolution, and cognition and issue words of caution about wishful attributions that can smuggle more into observations of robot behaviour than is scientifically supportable. To round off the arguments we take an obligatory swipe at ungrounded artificial intelligence but quickly move on to assess physical grounding and embodiment in terms of the rooted cognition of the living.


This study of Peru's transformation from a tottering colonial economy based on extraction of precious bullion to a massive exporter of bulk goods like guano shows how a struggle between protectionists and free traders shaped the state. "This is an elegant and sophisticated book that can be read on many levels, written by an author who never takes the facile road. [Its] significance is great--not just for Peruvian history but for theoretical questions relating to dependency and economic history in nineteenth-century Latin America... Gootenberg has added a major new element to the dependency debate, one that is more intellectually satisfying than the sterile old argument about good guys and bad guys."--Timothy E. Anna, The Hispanic American Historical Review "[One] of the best books in recent years on Peruvian history, and a valuable contribution to nineteenth-century commercial and financial studies."--Michael J. Gonzales, Journal of Economic History "Fascinating reading. Gootenberg has taken the why of Latin American underdevelopment a step forward by unraveling complexities of the actual historical-economic forces... [This book] is perhaps the most thorough examination of exactly how those internal class and productive forces contributed to Peru's under-development."--Choice Originally published in 1989. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.


DNA-interacting proteins fulfil a vital role in the living cell. They allow the cell to quickly respond to changes in its environment by tuning the level of transcription. Furthermore, sophisticated protein machineries guard the DNA against hazardous influences that may damage it. A disruption of this delicate balance of regulation can lead to severe consequences for the cell ranging from the inability to perform certain functions to cancer or cell death. Detailed knowledge of the structure of protein-DNA complexes at atomic resolution provides valuable insights into their function and impacts on many different fields such as medical sciences, molecular biology and pharmacology. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and X-ray crystallography are the classical experimental methods used to solve the three-dimensional structure of these complexes. Although they are readily able to solve the structures of individual proteins in their free, unbound form, they often experience difficulties in solving the complex. The transient and reversible nature of protein-DNA associations, together with the difficulty of solving the structure of the DNA, makes these types of complexes a challenge to solve. This thesis deals with computational docking as alternative method to model the complex starting from the individual proteins and the DNA in their unbound form. Chapter 2 provides and overview of the young, but growing protein-DNA docking field. Its describes that the development of effective docking methods is slowed down by two main challenges; dealing with the conformational changes in both the protein and the DNA upon complex formation, and the efficiency of finding the correct interaction interface. In chapter 3, a unique two-stage protein-DNA docking method implemented in HADDOCK is described, that aims to deal with these challenges. This method uses additional experimental information about the complex to drive the docking, enabling better reconstruction of the interface. The use of explicit flexibility during the docking together with a DNA modelling stage enabled the method to deal with the conformational changes in protein and DNA upon complex formation. Chapter 4 describes the DNA analysis and modelling tool 3D-DART, used in the modelling stage of the docking protocol. This tool, available as web server, can be used to model DNA structures with custom conformations. Chapter 5 describes a dedicated protein-DNA docking benchmark, providing a representative selection of challenging protein-DNA complexes useful for validation, development and comparison of protein-DNA docking methods. Finally, the two-stage protein-DNA docking method is challenged using this benchmark. The method was successful in accurately modelling the variety of DNA conformational changes present in the benchmark and to assemble the protein-DNA interfaces using available experimental information. Despite the excellent results, there are still a number of test cases that pose a considerable challenge to the method. However, with the methods and tools described, the stage is set for further developments, stimulating others to take the challenges and leverage protein-DNA docking to the next level of accuracy.


The Tiandihui, also known as the Heaven and Earth Association or the Triads, was one of the earliest, largest, and most enduring of the Chinese secret societies that have played crucial roles at decisive junctures in modern Chinese history. These organizations were characterized by ceremonial rituals, often in the form of blood oaths, that brought people together for a common goal. Some were organized for clandestine, criminal, or even seditious purposes by people alienated from or at the margins of society. Others were organized for mutual protection or the administration of local activities by law-abiding members of a given community. The common perception in the twentieth century, both in China and in the West, was that the Tiandihui was founded by Chinese patriots in the seventeenth century for the purpose of overthrowing the Qing (Manchu) dynasty and restoring the Ming (Chinese). This view was put forward by Sun Yat-sen and other revolutionaries who claimed that, like the anti-Manchu founders of the Tiandihui, their goal was to strip the Manchus of their throne. The Chinese Nationalists (Guomindang) today claim the Tiandihui as part of their heritage. This book relates a very different history of the origins of the Tiandihui. Using Qing dynasty archives that were made available in both Beijing and Taipei during the last decades, the author shows that the Tiandihui was founded not as a political movement but as a mutual aid brotherhood in 1761, a century after the date given by traditional historiography. She contends that histories depicting Ming loyalism as the raison d'etre of the Tiandihui are based on internally generated sources and, in part, on the "Xi Lu Legend," a creation myth that tells of monks from the Shaolin Monastery aiding the emperor in fighting the Xi Lu barbarians. Because of its importance to the theories of Ming loyalist scholars and its impact on Tiandihui historiography as a whole, the author thoroughly investigates the legend, revealing it to be the product of later - not founding - generations of Tiandihui members and a tale with an evolution of its own. The seven extant versions of the legend itself appear in English translation as an appendix. This book thus accomplishes three things: it reviews and analyzes the extensive Tiandihui literature; it makes available to Western scholars information from archival materials heretofore seen only by a few Chinese specialists; and it firmly establishes an authoritative chronology of the Tiandihui's early history.


INTRODUCTION
Epidural analgesia provides excellent analgesia after major surgery but it is not without adverse effects. This retrospective study aims to evaluate the efficacy of analgesia and the problems commonly encountered postoperatively.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Elective surgical patients who had epidural catheters inserted perioperatively intended for postoperative analgesia over a 1-year period were studied. Anaesthetic charts and daily records of patient evaluation by the Acute Pain Service (APS) for pain relief, side effects and their subsequent management were analysed.

RESULTS
A total of 471 patients had epidural catheters inserted for postoperative analgesia. Ninety per cent of patients received continuous local anaesthetic infusion (75% ropivacaine and 15% bupivacaine) and 10% received intermittent morphine boluses. There were few serious complications but 60% of patients required one or more interventions by the APS, mainly for inadequate analgesia. One-third of patients had their epidural analgesia terminated prematurely due to inadequate analgesia (14.2%), shortage of beds in the high-dependency unit (14%) and other complications. Only 19% of patients had no reported adverse effects.

CONCLUSION
Although the incidence of serious complications was low, there was a high incidence of minor adverse effects especially during the first 48 hours. This emphasises the importance of close monitoring during the early postoperative period and the APS in the management of side effects, especially inadequate analgesia.


The relationships among mattering, purpose in life, depression, and wellness among older adults were explored. Mattering, purpose in life, and depression accounted for 78% of the wellness variance. Older adults perceived that they mattered most to their children and friends. The importance of mattering when counseling older adults is discussed. ********** Can any of us possibly imagine moving through life without ever being noticed by or feeling special to anyone else? William James (1890) believed that one of the worst retributions in this world would be to move through life being unnoticed by others. T. S. Eliot (1948) also purported that being important to others, and making a difference in others' lives, was actually one of the greatest purposes in life. Perceiving that we are noticed by and are important to others is known as the phenomenological experience of mattering to others (Rosenberg, 1985; Rosenberg & McCullough, 1981). Mattering to others is recognized as the fundamental need that all individuals have to feel significant and important to other people in their lives (Dixon Rayle, 2006b; Elliott, Kao, & Grant, 2004; Rosenberg, 1985). Furthermore, mattering is considered to be a global construct of significance to others through which individuals perceive their relevance in relation to specific others such as people in general, family members, friends, or to society at large (Dixon Rayle, 2005a; Mak & Marshal, 2004; Marshall, 2001; Rosenberg, 1985; Schieman & Taylor, 2001). Traditionally, mattering to other people has been measured either as a general sense of mattering to organizations and large entities (Fromm, 1941) or as an interpersonal sense of mattering to specific others (Rosenberg & McCullough, 1981). Fromm and Rosenberg and McCullough were the first researchers to differentiate these two specific forms of mattering through which persons can evaluate their significance. Societal, or general, mattering involves individuals' perceptions that they matter to others; however, this form of mattering focuses on the importance of individuals' perceptions of making a difference in larger organizations, such as their country, work companies, or home communities (Fromm, 1941). Interpersonal mattering involves mattering to specific individuals and is determined by individuals' perceptions of how much they matter to significant others in their lives (Marcus, 1991; Rosenberg & McCullough, 1981). Further conceptualized, interpersonal mattering encompasses five components: individuals' perceptions that significant others (a) view them as important and significant, (b) show interest in them, (c) pay attention to them, (d) depend on them, and (e) are concerned with their future (Rosenberg & McCullough, 1981). Although first conceptualized in the 1980s as a component of individuals' self-concepts (Rosenberg & McCullough, 1981), mattering was understudied during the 1990s (i.e., mattering was introduced in the 1980s but was not studied until the late 1990s). Current research regarding perceptions of interpersonal mattering to others has shown that mattering is related to higher self-esteem and social support, lower depression and academic stress, and greater psychosocial well-being and wellness (Dixon Rayle, 2005a; Dixon Rayle & Chung, 2007; Dixon Rayle & Myers, 2004; Marshall, 2001; Taylor & Turner, 2001). Only since 2001 has mattering to others reemerged as an important psychosocial construct; it has been studied with younger adolescents and older adolescents, college students, adults, medical residents, military cadets, and school counselors (Dixon Rayle, 2005a, 2006a; Dixon Rayle & Chung, 2007; Dixon Rayle, Scheidegger, & McWhirter, in press; Elliott et al., 2004; Mak & Marshal, 2004; Marshall, 2001; Myers & Bechtal, 2004; Powers, Myers, Tingle, & Powers, 2004; Schieman & Taylor, 2001; Taylor & Turner, 2001). …


Objectives To determine dosing patterns and examine predictors of filled hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) prescriptions in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with SLE in the US Renal Data System (USRDS) database in fiscal year 2011. All patients were Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Patients with a diagnosis of SLE were identified by the International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision code 710. The prevalence, dosing, and predictors of filled HCQ prescriptions (demographic factors, dialysis type, and provider subspecialty) were determined. Results There were 10,276 patients with SLE identified; 2048 (19.9%) had a prescription for HCQ filled. The mean daily dose of HCQ was 321 mg (range 58–2000 mg). The most common daily doses were 200 (n=768, 37.5%) and 400 mg (n=1161, 56.7%). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, significant predictors of filled HCQ prescriptions included black/African-American race (OR 1.34, 95% CI (1.17 to 1.46)), hemodialysis (1.50, 95% CI (1.29 to 1.74)), and care from a rheumatologist (5.06, 95% CI (4.56 to 5.62)). Negative predictors of filled HCQ prescriptions included male gender (OR 0.72, 95% CI (0.63 to 0.83)) and those aged 45 years or older (compared to 20 years old and younger, aged 45–64 years, OR 0.66, 95% CI (0.54 to 0.79); aged 65–74 years, OR 0.58, 95% CI (0.44 to 0.76); aged 75 years and older, OR 0.56, 95% CI (0.39 to 0.82)). Conclusions In patients with SLE with ESRD, the dosing strategies for HCQ with regard to potential toxicity and disparities in prescribing patterns need further study.


We have investigated the effect of surface roughness on the sensitivity of conventional and nanowire-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors. The theoretical research was conducted using rigorous coupled-wave analysis with Gaussian surface profiles of gold films determined by atomic force microscopy. The results suggest that, when surface roughness ranges near 1 nm, the sensitivity of a conventional SPR system is not significantly affected regardless of the correlation length. For a nanowire-based SPR biosensor, however, we have found that the sensitivity degrades substantially with decreasing correlation length. In particular, at a correlation length smaller than 100 nm, a random rough surface may induce destructive coupling between excited localized surface plasmons, which can lead to prominent reduction of sensitivity enhancement.


[1] A new bio-optical algorithm has been developed to provide accurate assessments of chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration for detection and mapping of algal blooms from satellite data in optically complex waters, where the presence of suspended sediments and dissolved substances can interfere with phytoplankton signal and thus confound conventional band ratio algorithms. A global data set of concurrent measurements of pigment concentration and radiometric reflectance was compiled and used to develop this algorithm that uses the normalized water-leaving radiance ratios along with an algal bloom index (ABI) between three visible bands to determine Chl a concentrations. The algorithm is derived using Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor bands, and it is subsequently tuned to be applicable to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)/Aqua data. When compared with large in situ data sets and satellite matchups in a variety of coastal and ocean waters the present algorithm makes good retrievals of the Chl a concentration and shows statistically significant improvement over current global algorithms (e.g., OC3 and OC4v4). An examination of the performance of these algorithms on several MODIS/Aqua images in complex waters of the Arabian Sea and west Florida shelf shows that the new algorithm provides a better means for detecting and differentiating algal blooms from other turbid features, whereas the OC3 algorithm has significant errors although yielding relatively consistent results in clear waters. These findings imply that, provided that an accurate atmospheric correction scheme is available to deal with complex waters, the current MODIS/Aqua, MERIS and OCM data could be extensively used for quantitative and operational monitoring of algal blooms in various regional and global waters.


In recent years brown blotch of cultivated mushroom (Agaricus bisporus ) has been observed as a prevalent disease in Iran. The disease symptoms of the cultivated agaric include brown blotch, brown pit spots, rotting, weeping and drippy gill. Pseudomonas tolaasii has been cited as the causal agent of bacterial blotch, but much controversy exists regarding the involvement of this bacterium alone or blotch may be caused by more than one organism. In 2011, the diseased samples of mushroom were collected from Khorasan Razavi, Alborz, Tehran, Semnan, Ghazvin and Golestan provinces. Strains which were pathogenic on the cap of mushroom (pileus) were selected for further analysis. Biochemical, physiological and nutritional tests together with amplification of 1Kb region of 16S rDNA using Ps forward and reverse primers showed that all strains belong to Pseudomonas tolaasii . The isolated strains displayed different degrees of pathogenicity on mushroom. The presence of different virulence factors were evaluated among the strains. The results indicated that those strains which showed enhanced pyoverdin production had higher pathogenicity on agaric caps. There was no correlation between the existence of other virulence factors such as biofilm formation, motility, or PQS production and pathogenicity. Our results indicated that in P. tolaasii similar to other Pseudomonads, PQS exists but the actual role of this signal is not so clear. PQS dependent quorum sensing in P. tolaasii could not affect pathogenicity of this bacterium, thus most of the virulence determinants in this bacterium should be PQS independent.


This paper springs from Joseph Rykwert's observation, in On Adam's House in Paradise (1981), of a conceptual correlation between Marc-Antoine Laugier and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. It discerns, in the condition of joints in Laugier's Essay on Architecture (1753) and social bonds in Rousseau's Social Contract (1762), an underlying structural logic: what I will call an implicit theory of assemblage. From this initial reference point in the mid-eighteenth century, the paper moves to consider theories of crowds in the late nineteenth century as implicit theories of assemblage, and ultimately advocates the work of Gabriel Tarde as a basis for explicitation of these underlying theories.1


NMR studies of catechin-(4α→8)-epicatechin (1) and
catechin-(4α→8)-catechin (2) provided complete assignment of
the proton and carbon resonances for both the more extended and compact
conformers in the free phenolic form. When 1 is in organic solvents, the
more extended rotamer is preferred over the more compact rotamer
(10∶7), but in water, the compact rotamer dominates
(2∶10). When 2 is in organic solvents, the more compact
rotamer is slightly preferred (8∶10), but in water, only
trace amounts of the more extended rotamer are detected. NOE experiments
show rotational conformation exchange despite the fact that two distinct
and sharp sets of signals are seen for each rotamer. The upper unit
heterocyclic ring exists in an approximate half-chair conformation in
each rotamer for both dimers. However, coupling constants of the lower
unit heterocycles show substantial axial orientation of the B-ring.
Lineshape analysis of the terminal unit H-3F excludes E- and
A-conformational interchange. These results and NOE experiments show a
skewed-boat conformation for the terminal unit in 1 and between a
half-chair and skewed-boat conformation for the terminal unit in
2.


The Materials Compatibility and Lubricants Research (MCLR) program supports critical research to accelerate the introduction of CFC and HCFC refrigerant substitutes. The MCLR program addresses refrigerant and lubricant properties and materials compatibility. The primary elements of the work include data collection and dissemination, materials compatibility testing, and methods development. The work is guided by an Advisory Committee consisting of technical experts from the refrigeration and air-conditioning industry and government agencies. The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology Institute, Inc., (ARTI) manages and contracts multiple research projects and a data collection and dissemination effort. Detailed results from these projects are reported in technical reports prepared by each subcontractor.


Despite recent efforts carried out by academics and the growing interest from construction sector associations to disseminate performance measurement concepts and practices, the use of performance indicators is not systematic in most construction companies. The lack of adequate measures has been pointed out as a major difficulty for establishing performance measurement systems in those companies. This article describes some results of a research project that aims to propose some guidelines to the conception, implementation and use of performance measurement systems. Such guidelines emphasise the need to establish a link between performance measurement and firms' competitive strategies, as well as the effective insertion of measures into the management of critical processes. This research project is based on five case studies carried out in medium and small sized companies from the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. This paper focuses on the framework that was proposed to establish performance measures aligned with the firm's competitive strategy. It identifies a number of best practices and improvement opportunities related to the conception and implementation of such systems.


The information and communication technology (ICT) industry has emerged as one of the major sources of world energy consumption due to its explosive growth. As a result, energy saving in ICT industry has attracted more attention. Meanwhile, cloud computing is becoming a disruptive technology with profound implications for ICT industry. Its emergence promises the on-demand provisioning of resources as a service. In this paper, we study the energy saving issue in cloud computing. In a scenario where a data center has multiple data servers to deal with jobs, the servers are switched into sleeping mode in periods of low traffic load to reduce energy consumption while guaranteeing the quality of service in terms of job blocking probability. The problem is formulated as a Markov decision process. It is proved that the optimal policy has a double threshold structure. Numerical and simulation results show that our proposed policy can significantly reduce the energy consumption.


Using a comprehensive dataset collected by the Federal Reserve, I find that over one-third of corporate loans issued by US banks are fully guaranteed by legal entities separate from borrowing firms. Using an empirical strategy that accounts for time-varying firm and lender effects, I find that the existence of a third-party credit guarantee is negatively related to loan risk, loan rate, and loan delinquency. Third-party credit guarantees alleviate the effect of collateral constraints in credit market. Firms (particularly smaller firms) that experience a negative shock to their asset values are less likely to use collateral and more likely to use credit guarantees in new borrowings.


The field of music and emotion research has grown rapidly and diversified during the last decade. This has led to a certain degree of confusion and inconsistency between competing notions of emotions, data, and results. The present review of 251 studies describes the focus of prevalent research approaches, methods, and models of emotion, and documents the types of musical stimuli used over the past twenty years. Although self-report approaches to emotions are the most common way of dealing with music and emotions, using multiple approaches is becoming increasingly popular. A large majority (70%) of the studies employed variants of the discrete or the dimensional emotion models. A large proportion of stimuli rely on a relatively modest amount of familiar classical examples. The evident shortcomings of these prevalent patterns in music and emotion studies are highlighted, and concrete plans of action for future studies are suggested.


Evolutionary relationships within and between the marine hydrophiine sea snake groups have been inferred primarily using morphological characters, and two major groups traditionally are recognized. The Aipysurus group comprises nine species in two genera, and the taxonomically chaotic Hydrophis group comprises as many as 40 species, of which 27 are generally allocated to the genus Hydrophis and 13 to ten additional genera. In addition to these two major groups are three putatively 'primitive' monotypic genera, Hydrelaps darwiniensis, Ephalophis greyi and Parahydrophis mertoni. The present study investigated the evolutionary relationships of 23 representative species of marine hydrophiines, comprising 15 species from the Hydrophis group, six species from the Aipysurus group, and H. darwiniensis and P. mertoni, to address two broad aims. First, the aim was to provide a robust phylogeny for sea snakes to test previous phylogenetic hypotheses based on morphology, and thus provide some taxonomic stability to the group. Second, there was interest in evaluating the hypothesis that the Hydrophis group might represent a rapidly diverged adaptive radiation. A large mitochondrial DNA data set based on the cytochrome b gene (1080 bp, 401 parsimony informative) and the 16S rRNA gene (510 bp, 57 parsimony informative) was assembled and these data were analysed using parsimony, maximum-likelihood and Bayesian approaches. All analyses yielded virtually the same optimal tree, confirming that hydrophiine sea snakes comprise at least three lineages. The Aipysurus group formed a strongly supported and well-resolved monophyletic clade. The Hydrophis group also formed a strongly supported clade; however, resolution among the genera and species was very poor. Hydrelaps darwiniensis and P. mertoni formed a sister clade to the Hydrophis lineage. Our phylogeny was used to test the validity of previous taxonomic and phylogenetic hypotheses, and to demonstrate that the genus Hydrophis is not monophyletic. Genetic diversity relative to phenotypic diversity is four to seven times greater in the Hydrophis lineage compared with the Aipysurus lineage. The topology of our phylogenetic hypothesis, combined with the levels of genetic divergence relative to morphological diversity, demonstrate that the Hydrophis lineage represents a rapidly diverged adaptive radiation. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that this adaptive radiation may be due to historical sea level fluctuations that have isolated populations and promoted speciation.


For acoustic applications such as theaters, cinema halls, auditoriums the data on acoustic properties i.e. sound absorption coefficient and sound transmission loss are required to evaluate the acoustic behavior of panel products and to facilitate the necessary design computations. Fibre boards are widely used in private and commercial buildings, but not much data are available on acoustic efficiency of fibre boards. The study was carried using acoustic pulse tester based on standing wave method for evaluating sound absorption coefficient. Wood fibre boards of different densities ranging from 200 to 800 kg/m3 were taken and their sound absorption coefficients at frequencies ranging from 125 Hz to 4000 Hz were evaluated in third octave band. Noise reduction coefficient of the samples was also computed. From the study, it is observed that low density fibre board possess high sound absorption coefficient and noise reduction coefficient when compared with high density fibre boards. It was seen that sound absorption coefficient increases with decrease in density and vice versa.


Purpose: While it is known that exercise improves health by reducing systemic inflammation, potential mechanisms remain to be elucidated. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of fitness and adiposity on the anti-inflammatory melanocortin system as a potential mechanism by which exercise reduces inflammation. Methods: Forty-one men and women (35-55yr), who were free from cardiovascular disease, inflammatory disorders, and not taking medications that affect inflammation, were recruited. Participants were questioned about exercise habits and medical history; then completed testing for body composition and aerobic fitness (VO2max). Subjects were classified as lean/fit (LF, n=14), overweight/fit (OF, n=8), lean/sedentary (LS, n=5), or overweight/sedentary (OS, n=14). Overweight was defined as a body mass index (BMI) over 27.5 kg/m-2, while lean was a BMI between 18.5-24.9 kg/m-2. Fitness was defined by the accumulation of at least 4 hours of moderate-high intensity exercise every week, with a maximal oxygen consumption of at least 47 ml/kg lean mass/min. Sedentary individuals were defined as those who accumulate less that 1 hour of exercise every week, with maximal oxygen consumption less than 40 ml/kg lean mass/min. Those that met classification criteria returned to the lab at least 1 week later for a blood draw. Blood was analyzed using flow cytometry for cell surface expression of melanocortin receptor-1 (MC1R), and melanocortin receptor-3 (MC3R). Monocytes were gated using forward and side scatter. Four populations were differentiated based on CD14 and CD16 expression (classical monocytes = CD14++bright/CD16-negative, low proinflammatory= CD14+dim/CD16+dim, high pro-inflammatory I= CD14++bright/CD16++bright, and high proinflammatory II= CD14+dim /CD16++bright Results: Mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of MC1R and MC3R was significantly different among monocyte populations (p≤0.01). CD14++bright/CD16-negative monocytes expressed the least MC1R (118.79±8.85 MFI) and MC3R (119.03±8.37 MFI), CD14+dim/CD16+dim expressed the second most MC1R (185.17±23.74 MFI) and MC3R (231.24±26.47 MFI), CD14++bright/CD16++bright expressed the third greatest MC1R (335.44±51.6 MFI) and MC3R (631.75±62.03 MFI), and CD14+dim /CD16++bright expressed the greatest MC1R (479.78±67.10 MFI) and MC3R (1178.03±86.34 MFI). Although there was no significant difference for MC1R or MC3R based upon fitness or body composition, there was a trend for greater MC1R expression on CD14+dim/CD16++bright monocytes in LF compared to OS (p=0.052). Conclusion: Neither fitness or adiposity had a significant effect on melanocortin receptor expression. MC receptor expression, however, appears to be linked to that of CD16. Cells expressing higher levels of CD16 also expressed higher levels of MC1R and MC3R, indicating that as proinflammatory phenotype increases so do melanocortin-related anti-inflammatory regulators.


International tribunals rely on interpretation of legal texts as a crucial tool in adjudication. What is puzzling is the increasingly wide variation we observe in treaty interpretation by international tribunals across policy areas and over time. The international relations (IR) literature has largely overlooked the factors that explain the extent and scope of treaty interpretation. While there is an extensive normative literature in international law (IL) as to the right way to interpret, empirical work still lacks mid-range theories to account for the observed variance of behaviour across international tribunals. This chapter tries to fill this gap by providing a conceptual toolkit inspired by IL and IR theories to approach the various types of interpretation (interpretation choices) and underlying explanations (demand side interpretation space and supply side interpretation incentives).In IL scholarship, attention has focused on the normative question of how treaties should be interpreted, especially with reference to the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT) referring, in turn, to text, context, object and purpose and preparatory works of a treaty (Gardiner 2008; Van Damme 2009). These Vienna Convention rules apply, in principle, to all international tribunals irrespective of their institutional set-up, subject matter or geographical scope. Divergence between international tribunals in the practical application of these rules of treaty interpretation has been pointed out (Weiler 2010). Yet, categorizing where exactly international tribunals have diverged in their approach and, especially, thinking about what factors might explain these differences, has received little or no attention. Instead, divergence has been labelled as an incorrect application of the Vienna Convention rules or proof that these rules are outdated or should not fully apply to a particular tribunal (Klabbers 2010:33). This chapter leaves the normative issue aside and focuses on the descriptive and conceptual aspects: What is it that international tribunals actually do and how could this behaviour be explained, first, within the same tribunal operating over time and, second, across tribunals operating in different contexts or regimes?In IR scholarship, increasing attention has been paid to the role of international tribunals (e.g. in the broader "legalization" debate or as agents vs. trustees) and to the design of dispute settlement mechanisms in international agreements (Koremenos 2007; Alter 2008a). Other studies have addressed the effects of proliferation of international tribunals and forum-shopping (Drezner 2006; Busch 2007). In addition, most of the commitment literature in IR focuses on the question why states sign or ratify international agreements and what factors explain the degree of implementation of or compliance with international agreements. Yet, what has been largely overlooked is the stage between commitment and compliance, more specifically, the process by which commitments are interpreted in the first place. While many actors in the realm of international politics may eventually influence the way treaty obligations are interpreted (in particular, treaty parties themselves), the key institutions (and usually the last resort) engaging in this process are increasingly international tribunals (Romano 2007). These tribunals are called upon to engage in an interpretation, precisely because member states or other actors that may have standing cannot agree among themselves on a way to read the commitments. This chapter attempts to push the conceptual borders across both fields. After defining and discussing the increased importance of treaty interpretation (Part II), we first describe the five interpretation choices that international tribunals most commonly make (Part III). We then offer a framework that may explain these choices (Part IV). We provide illustrative examples to tease out our explanatory framework, but do not engage in proper empirical testing. At this stage, our goal is merely to demonstrate that tribunals have a varying degree of interpretation space within which they must select between different interpretative techniques. Understanding these techniques and the factors that may explain their adoption can, in turn, provide useful insights into the operation, role and optimal design of international tribunals.


This paper reports the TAS computer simulation of the three-storey atrium in Southern China. It was an attempt to correctly model thermal stratification of a large multi-level space within the atrium using TAS program. The prediction results of modelling with blinds and without water spray, particularly indoor air and mean radiant temperatures, and roof blind surface temperature, were compared and verified with the results from the site measurement to evaluate the capability and accuracy of the developed TAS model in simulating atrium's indoor thermal environmental performance. The simulation results have shown that TAS program tends to overestimate its prediction results. For hot and overcast day simulation, the difference in air temperature over the 24 hours between measured and predicted is in the range of 0.1 K to 1.8 K on the first floor and 0.2 K to 4.3 K on the second floor respectively. Whereas for hot and clear day simulation, the difference is in the range of 0.1 K to 1.5 K on the first floor and 0.1 K to 2.7 K on the second floor respectively. Despite moderate discrepancies between the measured and predicted results, it is evident from the study that the created TAS model is capable to model thermal stratification within multi-level atrium, with reasonably accurate results.


Abstract The new mineral torrecillasite (IMA2013-112), Na(As,Sb)3+4 O6Cl, was found at the Torrecillas mine, Iquique Province, Chile, where it occurs as a secondary alteration phase in association with anhydrite, cinnabar, gypsum, halite, lavendulan, magnesiokoritnigite, marcasite, quartz, pyrite, scorodite, wendwilsonite and other potentially new As-bearing minerals. Torrecillasite occurs as thin colourless prisms up to 0.4 mm long in jack-straw aggregates, as very thin fibres in puff balls and as massive intergrowths of needles. Prisms are elongated on [100] with diamond-shaped cross-section and irregular terminations. Crystals are transparent, with adamantine lustre and white streak. The Mohs hardness is 2½, tenacity is brittle and fracture is irregular. Cleavage on (001) is likely. The calculated density is 4.056 g cm-3. Optically, torrecillasite is biaxial (-) with α = 1.800(5), β = 1.96(1), γ = 2.03(calc.) (measured in white light). The measured 2V is 62.1(5)°, no dispersion or pleochroism were observed, the optical orientation is X = c, Y = b, Z = a. The mineral is very slowly soluble in H2O, slowly soluble in dilute HCl and rapidly soluble in concentrated HCl. The empirical formula, determined from electron-microprobe analyses, is (Na1.03Mg0.02)Σ1.05(As3.39Sb0.62)Σ4.01O6.07Cl0.93. Torrecillasite is orthorhombic, Pmcn, a = 5.2580(9), b = 8.0620(13), c = 18.654(3) Å, V = 790.7(2) Å3 and Z = 4. The eight strongest X-ray powder diffraction lines are [dobs Å (I)(hkl)]: 4.298(33)(111), 4.031(78)(014,020), 3.035(100)(024,122), 2.853(39)(115,123), 2.642(84)(124,200), 2.426(34)(125), 1.8963(32)(225) and 1.8026(29)(0·1·10,233). The structure, refined to R1 = 4.06% for 814 Fo >4σF reflections, contains a neutral, wavy As2O3 layer parallel to (001) consisting of As3+O3 pyramids that share O atoms to form six-membered rings. Successive layers are flipped relative to one another and successive interlayer regions contain alternately either Na or Cl atoms. Torrecillasite is isostructural with synthetic orthorhombic NaAs4O6Br.


This PhD thesis focuses on how Dutch liability and damages law can contribute to the enforcement of ECHR rights, assuming as a starting point that liability and damages law should be constitutionalised. In other words, the question is how ECHR rights should be enforced through liability and damages law. The answer to this central research question needs reference to the nature of liability and damages law and the nature of ECHR law. There are five key themes that support the description of the nature of both sets of regulations. These themes are the basic principles, the basis, the legal rule, the criteria, and enforcement. The comparison between ECHR law and liability and damages law as it currently stands has resulted in the first part of the conclusion, which is that we should not look for the solution regarding the enforcement of fundamental rights in the liability for unlawful acts law only. An important point in the comparison is the observation that the bases in the two sets of regulations are essentially different. Liability and damages law, on the one hand, is based on the basic principles of to live honestly, not to injure another, to give to each one that which belongs to him and each shall bear his own damage. The basic principles reveal that harm is a core element in liability and damages law as it is currently structured. ECHR law, on the other hand, is based on the basic principles of human dignity and fundamental freedom. These basic principles have made ECHR law a system that aims to prevent rights violations and, where no longer possible, to sanction violations. Protection of fundamental interests is therefore the core element. Current liability and damages law, as opposed to ECHR law, more specifically aims to remedy an unfair situation which consists of harm caused by the disadvantaging party on the disadvantaged party, through the property of the disadvantaged party and the disadvantaging party. Harm and the correlative relationship between disadvantaged and disadvantaging party are therefore the core elements. The comparison of the nature of liability and damages law and the nature of ECHR law, and also the approaches - found in the foreign legal systems as studied – that serve to interconnect the ECHR and liability and damages law, have resulted in a conclusion in two parts. The first part of this conclusion states that we should not look for the solution regarding the enforcement of fundamental rights in the liability for unlawful acts law only, a conclusion that cannot be read without the second part of the two-part answer, which is that a new basis in liability law - in addition to the unlawful act - can be used more directly and more specifically geared towards ECHR rights in order to enforce ECHR rights. The author believes that the nature of fundamental rights justifies a new basis in liability law in addition to the unlawful act, creating a specific approach to enforce fundamental rights: the breach of a fundamental right.


Electrocardiogram (ECG) is required during Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for two reasons, patient monitoring and MRI sequence synchronization for cardiovascular imaging. The MRI environment severely distorts ECG signals. The Magnetic Field Gradients (MFG) especially induce artifacts, which make ECG analysis during MRI acquisition challenging. Specific signal processing is thus required. An MFG artifact modeling has been proposed for their suppression. However the resulting techniques do not take the ECG signals into account during the model parameter estimation. Recently, ECG denoising based on an artificial ECG model and nonlinear Bayesian filtering has been presented. In this paper, a new MFG artifact suppression method based on nonlinear Bayesian filtering and the unification of the ECG and MFG models is proposed. This new approach enables accurate patient monitoring and outperforms state-of-the-art methods in terms of both QRS detection quality and signal to noise ratio.


DECWAR is a sophisticated real-time space battle game designed to be played by from 1 to 18 people on the DEC-10 model mainframe computer. The files represnted here were migrated from a Decus magnetic tape, and include only binary executables. Decwar was written at the University of Texas at Austin, primarily by Jeff Potter and Bob Hysick. DECWAR originated from a game called WAR, which came from the CDC-6600/6400 system at the University of Texas at Austin, author unknown. Robert Schneider re-wrote the original source on the CDC and started the transfer to the DEC-10. In the transfer process, the game was renamed to DECWAR, largely re-designed, and almost entirely re-written (in assembler language and Fortran), so that the current version bears little resemblance to the original. Almost all the commands were added once the game was on the DEC-10, as well as the basic concept of separate jobs controlling each ship, and most of the other features that make the game challenging, exciting, and enjoyable. The first version was installed on the DEC-10 in August 1978. After several revisions, a greatly enhanced and improved game, version 2.0, was installed in July 1979.


Utilizing R software and a variety of data sources, daily forecasts of bacteria levels were developed and automated for beach waters in Myrtle Beach, SC. Modeled results are then shown for beach locations via a website and mobile device app. While R provides a robust set of tools for use in forecast modeling, the software has an extensive learning curve and requires skilled statistical interpretation of results. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created the "Virtual Beach" software package to address these concerns. To evaluate the utility of the more userfriendly Virtual Beach modeling toolbox, predictive models were developed and model results were analyzed using the two software suites. Recommendations were made based on ease of use and several performance measures. Model results indicate the two software toolboxes yield comparable outputs. However, Virtual Beach tends to create more robust model forecasts, while R provides more options for model setup and outputs.


Management information systems (MIS) is both a young and unique field, constantly experiencing rapid change and turmoil. Consequently, MIS research faces dual changes of rigor and relevance. Many research methodologies exist that provide various combinations of rigor and relevance. The MIS researcher selects a methodology based on several factors including rigor, relevance, subject area, and personal preferences. In this article, we examine thirteen different methodologies as used by seven leading MIS journals during a recent five-year period. The results of this extensive analysis yielded some interesting results. Survey methodology consistently ranks at the top; while frameworks and conceptual models, lab experiments, and case studies also found significant use among the MIS community. Several trends were observed, one of them being a greater use of the case study method and other qualitative technologies over the years. Clear patterns also emerged based on the journal itself and the subject areas. At a macro level, this information should help authors in the choice of appropriate methodologies to use in specific subject areas and in targeting manuscripts to appropriate journals. It would also be helpful to journal editors in assessing the type of research and methods being used across journals and subjects, and whether they need to make any changes in the emphases of their own journals.