Abstract. The accurate prediction of loadings and velocities on a wind turbine blades is essential for the design and optimization of wind turbines rotors. However, the classical BEM still suffer from an inaccurate prediction of induced velocities and loadings, even if the classical correction like stall delay effect and tip loss correction are used. For low solidity rotors, the loadings are generally over-predicted in the tip region, since the far wake expansion is not accurately accounted for in the one-dimensional (1D) momentum theory. The 1D dimensional momentum theory supposes that the far wake axial induction is equal to twice the axial induction in the rotor plane, which results in an under-estimation of the axial induction factor in the tip region. Considering the complex nature of the flow around a rotating blade, the accurate estimation of 3D effects is still challenging, since most stall delay models still often tend to under-predict or over-predict the loadings near the root region. As for the solution method for the classical BEM equation, the induced velocities are computed accounting for the drag force. However, according to the Kutta-Joukowski theorem, the induced velocities on a blade element are only created by lift force. Accounting for drag force when solving the BEM will result in an over-estimation of the axial induction factor, while the tangential induction factor is under-estimated. To improve the accuracy of the BEM method, in this paper, the 1D momentum theory is corrected using a new far wake expansion model to take into account the radial flow effect. The blade element theory is corrected for three-dimensional effects through an improved stall delay model. An improved solution method for the BEM equations respecting the Kutta-Joukowski theorem is proposed. The improved BEM model is used to estimate the aerodynamic loads and velocities on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Phase VI rotor blades. The results of this study show that the proposed BEM model gives an accurate prediction of the loads and velocities compared to the classical BEM model.


This paper examines the ways loosely connected online groups and formal science professionals are responding to the potential for collaboration using digital technology platforms and crowdsourcing as a means of generating data in the digital information commons. The preferred approaches of each of these groups to managing information production, circulation and application are examined in the light of the increasingly vast amounts of data that are being generated by participants in the commons. Crowdsourcing projects initiated by both groups in the fields of astronomy, environmental science and crisis and emergency response are used to illustrate some of barriers and opportunities for greater collaboration in the management of data sets initially generated for quite different purposes. The paper responds to claims in the literature about the incommensurability of emerging approaches to open information management as practiced by formal science and many loosely connected online groups, especially with respect to authority and the curation of data. Yet, in the wake of technological innovation and diverse applications of crowdsourced data, there are numerous opportunities for collaboration. This paper draws on examples employing different social technologies of authority to generate and manage data in the commons. It suggests several measures that could provide incentives for greater collaboration in the future. It also emphasises the need for a research agenda to examine whether and how changes in social technologies might foster collaboration in the interests of reaping the benefits of increasingly large data resources for both shorter term analysis and longer term accumulation of useful knowledge.


Summary Oral anticoagulation with vitamin k antagonists (VKAs) requires regular testing and dose adjustment. Home-monitoring (self-testing or self-management) is more effective than usual management. Dabigatran, does not require dose-adjustment and appears to be more effective at reducing the risk of stroke with similar risks of bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Dabigatran, however, has not been compared to the home-monitoring. It was the objective to evaluate the efficacy of dabigatran compared with home-monitoring of oral anticoagulation with VKAs. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing usual management of oral anticoagulation with home-monitoring, dabigatran with usual management, and RCTs comparing dabigatran with home-monitoring and including patient-important outcomes (thromboembolic events, death and major bleeding) were eligible. For our direct comparison we calculated pooled relative risks (RRs) using the Mantzel-Haenzel random effect model. For the indirect comparison we estimated lnRRs and back transformed to RR. We evaluated the quality of the evidence with the GRADE system. Dabigatran, compared with warfarin, was associated with lower rates of stroke or thromboembolism and systemic embolism but similar rates of major haemorrhage and death. Dabigatran 150 mg also increased non-significantly the rate of myocardial infarction. The quality of the evidence was high. Our indirect comparison of home-monitoring of oral anticoagulation versus dabigatran showed no convincing differences in the risk of thromboembolism, death or major bleeding. The estimates for self-management vs. dabigatran showed stronger but still non-significant trends. The quality of the evidence was low. In conclusion, the indirect comparison of home monitoring of oral anticoagulation with dabigatran suggests that the treatments have similar impact on thrombosis, bleeding and death. However, the confidence in the estimate of effect is low to very low. Our analyses contrast with the available comparison of dabigatran with conventional warfarin monitoring.


ABSTRACT Persistent Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and are linked to the formation of a biofilm. The development of new biofilm inhibition strategies is thus a major challenge. LL-37 is the only human antimicrobial peptide derived from cathelicidin. The effects on the P. aeruginosa PAO1 strain of synthetic truncated fragments of this peptide were compared with the effects of the original peptide. Fragments of LL-37 composed of 19 residues (LL-19, LL13-31, and LL7-25) inhibited biofilm formation. The strongest antibiofilm activity was observed with the peptides LL7-37 and LL-31, which decreased the percentage of biomass formation at a very low concentration. Some peptides were also active on the bacteria within an established biofilm. LL7-31, LL-31, and LL7-37 increased the uptake of propidium iodide (PI) by sessile bacteria. The peptide LL7-37 decreased the height of the biofilm and partly disrupted it. The peptides active within the biofilm had an infrared spectrum compatible with an α-helix. LL-37, but not the peptides LL7-31 and LL7-37, showed cellular toxicity by permeabilizing the eukaryotic plasma membrane (uptake of ethidium bromide and release of lactate dehydrogenase [LDH]). None of the tested peptides affected mitochondrial activity in eukaryotic cells. In conclusion, a 25-amino-acid peptide (LL7-31) displayed both strong antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities. The peptide was even active on cells within a preformed biofilm and had reduced toxicity toward eukaryotic cells. Our results also suggest the contribution of secondary structures (α-helix) to the activity of the peptides on biofilms.


Youth unemployment is one of the major issues for governments and international institutions in worldwide. Young people are almost three times more likely than adults to be unemployed globally. Youth unemployment is a substantial problem in Turkey as the rate of youth unemployment in the country is much more than the world average. Apparently, the high proportion of youth who are neither in employment nor in education or training is a significant issue in Turkey. The aim of this study is to give information about the recent global labour market trends concerning youth and enlighten the structure of youth employment and the characteristics of youth unemployment in Turkey. This study also proffers suggestions to policy makers concerning the issue in Turkey.


The following paper lists several severe vulnerabilities with Cisco systems' SIP-based IP Phone 7960 and its supporting environment. These vulnerabilities lead to complete control of a user's credentials, the total subversion of a user's settings for the IP Telephony network, and the ability to subvert the entire IP Telephony environment. Malicious access to a user's credentials could enable "Call Hijacking", "Registration Hijacking", "Call Tracking", and other voice related attacks. The vulnerabilities exist with any deployment scenario, but this paper deals specifically with large scale deployments as recommended by Cisco.


Generally speaking, impacts are events of very short duration and a common problem in machine dynamics. During impact, kinetic energy is lost due to plastic deformation near the contact area and excitation of waves. Macromechanically, these kinetic energy losses are often summarized and expressed by a coefficient of restitution, which is then used for impact treatment in the analysis of the overall motion of machines. Traditionally, the coefficient of restitution has to be roughly estimated or measured by experiments. However, more recently finite element (FE) simulations have been used for its evaluation. Thereby, the micromechanical plastic effects and wave propagation effects must be understood in detail and included in the simulations. The plastic flow, and thus the yield stress of a material, might be independent or dependent of the strain-rate. The first material type is called elastic-plastic and the second type is called elastic-viscoplastic. In this paper, the influence of viscoplasticity of aluminum and steel on the impact process and the consequences for the coefficient of restitution is analyzed. Therefore, longitudinal impacts of an elastic, hardened steel sphere on aluminum AL6060 rods and steel S235 rods are investigated numerically and experimentally. The dynamic material behavior of the specimens is evaluated by split Hopkinson pressure bar tests and a Perzyna-like material model is identified. Then, FE impact simulations and impact experiments with laser-doppler-vibrometers are performed. From these investigations it is shown that strain-rate effects of the yield stress are extremely small for impacts on aluminum but are significant in impacts on steel. In addition, it is demonstrated that it is possible to evaluate for both impact systems the coefficient of restitution numerically, whereas for the aluminum body a simple elastic-plastic material model is sufficient. However, for the steel body an elastic-viscoplastic material model must be included.


The assessment of differential item functioning (DIF) in polytomous items addresses between-group differences in measurement properties at the item level, but typically does not inform which score levels may be involved in the DIF effect. The framework of differential step functioning (DSF) addresses this issue by examining between-group differences in the measurement properties at each step underlying the polytomous response variable. The pattern of the DSF effects across the steps of the polytomous response variable can assume several different forms, and the different forms can have different implications for the sensitivity of DIF detection and the final interpretation of the causes of the DIF effect. In this article we propose a taxonomy of DSF forms, establish guidelines for using the form of DSF to help target and guide item content review and item revision, and provide procedural rules for using the frameworks of DSF and DIF in tandem to yield a comprehensive assessment of between-group measurement equivalence in polytomous items.


The paper addresses the question of whether TV consumption has an impact on material aspirations. We exploit a natural experiment that took place during the period in which Germany was divided. Owing to geographical reasons, TV programs from the Federal Republic of Germany could not be received in all parts of the German Democratic Republic. Therefore, a natural variation occurred in exposure to West German television. We find robust evidence that watching TV is positively correlated with aspirations. Our identification strategy implies a causal relationship running from TV to aspirations. This conclusion resists various sets of alternative specifications and samples.


Research increasingly focuses on innovation in service and experience. Topics of debate include whether innovation in manufacturing industries is similar to that in service and experience industries and whether inter-organizational collaboration in the latter industries may be even more important for innovation than in manufacturing. The understanding of innovation as taking place primarily within organizational boundaries has been recognized as limiting, with open and interactive innovation being promoted as a way to address business-facing resource constraints on the one hand and a constantly changing environment on the other. As a result, many forms of inter-organizational innovation, including innovation networks, have been discussed in the contexts of diverse industries. During the past decade, however, it has repeatedly been argued that, given the primary focus on innovation results, our understanding of the origins and development of innovation networks remains limited. Therefore, the main objective of this thesis is to increase understanding of the dynamics of innovation networks over time. In order to contribute to an understanding of the dynamic and situated nature of network innovation, the thesis suggests taking a practice-based perspective on innovation networks. This involves looking closely at how, why and what network members do in their network activities to facilitate development of innovation and achieve specific results. By looking at how the practices of various network stakeholders interrelate, a practice-based perspective may further contribute to innovation network research by illuminating how network innovation is enacted in member companies, a topic to which the research literature pays little attention. This thesis argues that the family of practice-based approaches may accommodate an integrative, dynamic view on innovation networks that can be applied to diverse sectors of the economy. This empirical qualitative study explores innovation network practices based on case studies of regional innovation networks that include firms, research and development institutions and public bodies. The study is conducted in the context of the Norwegian tourism industry with both serviceand experience-based companies. The research results of four appended papers include complementary findings that describe the development of innovation networks as a journey, discuss the management of networks' practices through various orchestration roles and suggest an understanding of the integration of network innovation by member companies as a process of mirroring. These three metaphors in the study of the multifaceted phenomena of innovation network practices are inspired by previous innovation research and new insights. This thesis makes both theoretical and practical contributions. Its theoretical contribution lies in using a practice-based perspective to understand the dynamics of innovation networks. A combination of genealogical, configurational and dialectical traditions in practice-based research allows the integration of the findings of separate research papers into a model of innovation network practices with theoretical implications for practice, innovation and network theory. The discussion of innovation network practices as dynamic and embedded, developed in an environment of interference from several types of network-member practices, leads to the development of the concept of balanced innovation. Balanced innovation refers to the enactment of network innovation in the practices of network members. It implies that network members need both to sustain their core practices and continually innovate by integrating network innovations. The thesis concludes with practical implications for network and company management, and public organizations that facilitate the development of innovation networks. These implications reflect different view on the development of innovation networks as a combination of both planned and emergent, bottom-up processes rooted in the practices of network members. This means that network management and facilitating organizations need to cultivate industry-specific knowledge as well as provide more supporting and cultivating roles in network management.


In STOC 1988, Ben-Or, Goldwasser, and Wigderson (BGW) established an important milestone in the fields of cryptography and distributed computing by showing that every functionality can be computed with perfect (information-theoretic and error-free) security at the presence of an active (aka Byzantine) rushing adversary that controls up to $n/3$ of the parties. We study the round complexity of general secure multiparty computation in the BGW model. Our main result shows that every functionality can be realized in only four rounds of interaction, and that some functionalities cannot be computed in three rounds. This completely settles the round-complexity of perfect actively-secure optimally-resilient MPC, resolving a long line of research. Our lower-bound is based on a novel round-reduction technique that allows us to lift existing three-round lower-bounds for verifiable secret sharing to four-round lower-bounds for general MPC. To prove the upper-bound, we develop new round-efficient protocols for computing degree-2 functionalities over large fields, and establish the completeness of such functionalities. The latter result extends the recent completeness theorem of Applebaum, Brakerski and Tsabary (TCC 2018, Eurocrypt 2019) that was limited to the binary field.


The application of the Foldy–Wouthuysen transformation on the Helmholtz equation has been previously demonstrated [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 96, 3343 (A) (1994)]. The result provides an asymptotic expansion for correction terms to the parabolic equation (PE). These terms include contributions from the coupling of the forward propagating and backward propagating solutions to the Helmholtz equation, caused by propagation through range‐dependent media. The new correction terms have been found to depend on the curvature of the local index of refraction and can be calculated from available environmental parameters. A finite element PE (FEPE) has been modified to include these new correction terms. This new PE is used to model propagation of an acoustic field through an ocean with fluctuating sound‐speed profiles caused by internal waves and other range‐dependent oceanographic properties. The effects of these new terms and the circumstances under which they are expected to be most important are discussed, with specia...


Executive management training is a fast growing field in adult training and an important component of a wider demand for reconstruction in the educational system and its orientation towards a closer relationship with the needs of the labour market and the priorities of the business environment.
This study investigates the development achieved in this field in Greece from the initial efforts made by the Greek Productivity Centre, the Hellenic Management Association and the Athens University of Economics and Business in the beginning of the 1960s up to today's development of recognized vocational training programmes and the contribution of Executive MBAs by modern educational organizations, as well as, by both Greek and foreign Business Schools operating in this field.
In particular, this study examines the structure and the content of short-term in-company seminars, open courses and long-term courses leading to Certificates, Diplomas or Master's Degrees and the efforts of introducing distance learning.
The Hellenic Management Association, which is the most reliable management training establishment, is the major case study of the research.
In addition, the contributing factors in the provision of training services, such as the process of designing, organising, implementing and evaluating the courses, are also analyzed together with modern training methods and techniques, trainers' specialization and qualifications, the attitude adopted by companies and the role of the State and supervisory organizations.
The study involves a team of trainers who propose some changes with a view to improving their work and the overall efficiency of training through action research.
In addition, it examines the conditions of developing a model programme leading to an Advanced Diploma in Management, which is designed for executives who are already on the "management threshold" on their way to being promoted to higher managers.
In conclusion, the study establishes a dynamic development in the field, supports the introduction of learner-centred methods and training technologies and makes proposals for improvement and better organisation.
A 514 pages book on "The Art of Management" is an outcome of the project. It is published and delivered to the trainees of several training programmes.


The Multi-site All-sky CAmeRA MASCARA is an instrument concept consisting of several stations across the globe, with each station containing a battery of low-cost cameras to monitor the near-entire sky at each location. Once all stations have been installed, MASCARA will be able to provide a nearly 24-hr coverage of the complete dark sky, down to magnitude 8, at sub-minute cadence. Its purpose is to find the brightest transiting exoplanet systems, expected in the V=4-8 magnitude range - currently not probed by space- or ground-based surveys. The bright/nearby transiting planet systems, which MASCARA will discover, will be the key targets for detailed planet atmosphere observations. We present studies on the initial design of a MASCARA station, including the camera housing, domes, and computer equipment, and on the photometric stability of low-cost cameras showing that a precision of 0.3-1% per hour can be readily achieved. We plan to roll out the first MASCARA station before the end of 2013. A 5-station MASCARA can within two years discover up to a dozen of the brightest transiting planet systems in the sky.


Crack growth analyses in multi-layered architectures used in the automotive industry for plain bearings, displaying elastic and plastic mismatches, were developed through automated meshing processes based on the Finite Element Method in the commercial code ANSYS. Two-dimensional FE analyses studied the effect of shielding and anti-shielding on crack growth in flat strip specimens subjected to three-point bending tests experiencing severe yielding and path deflections. This study was based on Crack Tip Opening Displacement estimates, the maximum tangential strain criterion and automatic step by step extensions to account for crack growth. The analysis of forecasted paths for deflected and bifurcated cracks showed the tendency of the crack to grow parallel to the layers orientation within the compliant interlayer, as observed experimentally, and following a path which maximised the crack driving force. The interaction of two-dimensional width-through cracks in co-linear, parallel-dominant and oblique arrangements was studied to compare their behaviour to independent growing cracks. The development of three-dimensional models was aimed to study the crack front evolution when more compliant or stiffer layers were placed ahead of the crack in flat strip specimens subjected to three-point bending tests experiencing severe yielding. The crack front growth was estimated according to the local values of the Crack Tip Opening Displacement and a fitted crack growth law, which accounted for the short fatigue crack behaviour observed experimentally. The comparison of Crack Tip Opening Displacements obtained with two-dimensional and three-dimensional models showed that the estimates obtained with the latter were affected to a lesser extent by shielding and anti-shielding. The estimation of cycles to propagate a crack to the interlayer, in addition to the initiation life obtained in previous experimental work at the University of Southampton, estimated that less than 40% of the total life was required for such a process and demonstrating the damage tolerance of the layered architecture. A detailed stress and strain analysis of the service conditions, based on the Elasto-Hydrodynamic Lubrication pressure, and manufacturing processes, mainly related to the forming of a concave shell, was developed for plain bearings as the initial step of a damage tolerance analysis.


A simple method is presented which allows to est. the facility of the electrochem. oxidn. of org. species using the electrochem. oxidizability index (EOI) and the degree of oxidn. using the electrochem. oxygen demand (EOD). At platinum anode only benzene derivs. of which one of the substituents is electron donating are effectively oxidized giving maleic acid as the principle final product. EOI values for oxidn. of phenol are independent of c.d. and temp. but increase with phenol concn. and pH. EOI values are strongly dependent on the type of anode material used; Ti/SnO2 anodes give the highest EOI values. At Ti/IrO2 anode, the EOI values strongly increase in the presence of NaCl and decrease in the presence of NaBr in the electrolyte. A decrease of toxicity is obsd. during the electrochem. treatment of phenol. [on SciFinder (R)]


Farthingales were large stiffened structures placed beneath a woman's skirts in order to push them out and enlarge the lower half of the body. During the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods in England criticisms of these garments increasingly focused on their spatial ramifications, decrying their monstrous size and inconvenience. Nonetheless farthingales served important social and cultural functions for women in early modern England, shaping and defining status and wealth in both court and urban spaces. Using surviving textual and visual sources, as well as engaging with the process of historical dress reconstruction, this article argues that spatial anxieties relating to farthingales were less about the actual size of this garment and more related to older fears concerning the ability of farthingales to create intimate personal spaces around the female body, mask the appropriation of social status, and physically displace men. In turn, these anxieties led to the establishment of a common and enduring trope regarding the monstrous size of these garments as women in farthingales were perceived to be challenging their social and gendered place in the world.


Recent studies on polarization perception have shown that humans are sensitive to patterned stimuli modulated by either angle of linear polarization (AoP) or degree of polarization (DoP). Here, we present a model of human polarization sensitivity that incorporates both AoP and DoP as spatially dependent input variables. Applying the model to both sinusoidal- and square-wave-modulated DoP and AoP inputs, we demonstrate the theoretical similarities and differences generated by such inputs. Our model indicates the following: (i) edge boundaries between two adjacent areas of different linear polarization are preserved for both AoP- and DoP-modulated stimuli; and (ii) compared with DoP stimuli, AoP stimuli generate greater luminance changes at the photoreceptor level, suggesting that AoP-modulated patterns are potentially more salient than DoP patterns. The computational model is supported experimentally with an optical test of the model comprising a radial diattenuating polarizing filter and modified liquid crystal displays generating DoP- and AoP-modulated outputs. Psychophysical measures of human sensitivity confirm the increased salience of AoP- relative to DoP-modulated stimuli. These findings have practical application to the selection of DoP- and AoP-modulated stimuli for the investigation of macular function and macular pigment density in healthy and diseased eyes.


Author: Rhodes, Virginia, L. MS Institution: Purdue University Degree Received: August 2019 Title: I Like What I See: Exploring the Role of Media Format on Benefits of Allyship Among Black Women. Committee Chair: Evava Pietri Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) researchers and organizations recognize that a large gender and racial disparity exists in these fields. However, individuals with intersectional identities (i.e., Black women) have unique experiences of bias that preclude them from entering STEM careers and feeling a sense of belonging. As such, featuring an employee that demonstrates allyship for Black women on an organization's website can be a useful identity-safe cue to signal that a Black woman's identity will be valued and promote the recruitment of Black women in STEM organizations. Yet, research indicates that Black women who are high in stigma consciousness (i.e., sensitive to potential discrimination based on their identity) do not trust or believe a White woman ally presented in a written profile cares about helping Black women. The current study found that presenting an ally in a video profile mitigated these negative effects of stigma consciousness, and increased Black women's anticipated belonging and trust in a fictional STEM organization via higher perceptions of allyship. Theoretical implications for research, practical implications for organizations, and future research avenues to explore are discussed.


Corpus cavernosal abscess and necrotizing fasciitis occur rarely, and precipitating factors can usually be elicited with careful history and examination. Whilst both conditions share common risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, this is the first reported case of penile necrotizing fasciitis secondary to spontaneous corpus cavernosal abscess in an otherwise healthy patient. A 32-year-old man presented with 4-day history of swollen, painful penis, with ultrasound confirming corpus cavernosal abscess. Biopsies were taken and the cavity aspirated, but, despite intravenous antibiotics, he developed penile necrotizing fasciitis necessitating open cavernostomy and debridement. The overlying skin defect healed by secondary intention, but the patient experienced persistent postoperative erectile dysfunction, so he was referred for penile prosthesis insertion.


This paper starts with a reflection on the main tactic adopted during the Taipei prostitutes' movement, namely, the "poverty as force" rationale, and argues that a campaign strategy that focuses on the justification of prostitutes' consent to their job does not help them much; instead, it reinforces the stigma on "voluntary" prostitutes. I suggest that sex workers' activism abandons the now dominant "voluntary vs. forced" division of prostitution and, emphasizes the working conditions of sex workers rather than the reasons that underlie those workers' consent. This suggestion by no means implies that we neglect the critical moral value of consent. Rather, in light of the vague, contingent, and relative nature of consent, I argue that a focus on the practical working condition of sex workers is a more realistic and feasible strategy to prevent sex workers from being victimized. Finally, the examination of the workers' consent, while necessary, should be placed on a macro level, and to encourage the realization that prostitution and more readily accepted social institutions are equally a repetition of certain hegemonies. It is only through this approach that sex work and sex workers can gradually be de-specialized and de-stigmatized.


Eco-labeling is a communication tool that allows producers to demonstrate to consumers that they comply with a set of environmental and social criteria by placing an eco-label on their product. Since global aquaculture production is increasing and bivalve mollusks comprise a large share of the world aquaculture production, ecolabeling certification has been suggested as a tool for creating a market for products that are produced with minimal negative environmental and social impacts. Because eco-labeling certification programs for bivalve aquaculture are currently voluntary in the United States, producers' opinions of these programs influence their current and future involvement in these programs. Rhode Island (RI), where aquaculturists almost exclusively raise bivalves, provided a valuable case study for understanding aquaculturists' opinions of ecolabeling certification programs for shellfish aquaculture. The primary objective of this study was to investigate RI bivalve mollusk aquaculturists' perceptions of eco-labeling certification programs to explore the potential role of eco-labeling in RI aquaculture. To meet this objective, the study focused on four research areas to 1.) gather basic characteristics of RI aquaculture producers, farms and products; 2.) learn if RI aquaculturists participate or plan to participate in eco-labeling programs, and their perceptions of eco-labeling; 3.) discover perceived incentives and disincentives for participation in eco-labeling programs; and 4.) understand how RI aquaculturists feel about government regulations of aquaculture. To explore these research areas, the researcher interviewed twelve RI aquaculturists, in which participants were asked a combination of openand closed-ended questions. Data in this study was summarized by descriptive statistics and open-ended questions were coded by themes that emerged. Results showed that while nearly all respondents support eco-labeling programs, none of the respondents currently participate in eco-labeling certification programs, and only one aquaculturist plans to seek eco-labeling certification within the next five to ten years. This study found that most aquaculturists were unaware of the eco-labeling programs available for aquaculture and unsure about how they would choose between certification programs. Most aquaculturists would be more likely to certify their products with an eco-label if their competitors sought certification and most aquaculturists would be more likely to seek certification if they were involved in developing the certification standards. Obtaining a price premium from certification was the strongest incentive for participation in eco-labeling programs, while certification costs and additional recordkeeping required for certification were identified as the strongest disincentives. Management recommendations were provided for eco-labeling certification programs, aquaculturists, academics, and government regulators, as well as recommendations for future studies.


This report describes a study on tokenization of MEDLINE ® abstracts by 13 different software packages that are freely available. In literature, there is little or no comparative evaluation studies on general purpose tokenizers, nor is there any such study on tokenizers that are specific to biomedical text. Biomedical text processing in general and tokenization in particular are quite challenging as biomedical text contains a wide variety of domain-specific terms. This study explores various scenarios taken from actual MEDLINE abstracts, and provides critical evaluation on the observed performances of the tested tokenizers. The results of this study show that there is a wide variance among outputs of these tokenizers and choosing a right tokenizer requires detailed information that this report is aimed to compile. The target audience of this report may be those people who are interested in using any particular tokenizer and want to know what types of behavior are expected from general purpose and biomedical tokenizers. The report is prepared with the intention to aid the decision making process of the reader on choosing the right tokenizer and/or devising algorithms that can effectively use the resulting tokens with a minimum loss of information. The reader can find a list of factors that need to be taken into account in such decision. The report also discusses various pros and cons of the tokenizers that are tested.


: Regulatory issues for communications and value-added services determine a key requirement of study to ensure that a competitive and fair commercial usage within a legal domain can be achieved. Therefore, this paper pursues a comprehensive study identifying the key mobile grid regulations on a European level, while such grid services are considered to be of major importance for upcoming value-added services. The focus is put mainly on those regulatory determinations affecting areas neglected by the eCommunications framework, namely the areas of value-added services in mobile grids and of determinations governing relations among service providers and between service consumers and service providers. Thus, the major achievement here outlines the potential for open and unregulated mobile grid applications as well as services markets. Due to the lack of eCommunications determinations— as shown in a previous study [38]—, this new work ensures the careful consideration of fundamental consumer rights and competition efficiency for value-added services. Abstract Regulatory issues for communications and value-added services determine a key requirement of study to ensure that a competitive and fair commercial usage within a legal domain can be achieved. Therefore, this paper pursues a comprehensive study identifying the key mobile grid regulations on a European level, while such grid services are considered to be of major importance for upcoming value-added services. The focus is put mainly on those regulatory determinations affecting areas neglected by the eCommunications framework, namely the areas of value-added services in mobile grids and of determinations governing relations among service providers and between service consumers and service providers. Thus, the major achievement here outlines the potential for open and unregulated mobile grid applications as well as services markets. Due to the lack of eCommunications determina-tions—as shown in a previous study [38]—, this new work ensures the careful consideration of fundamental consumer rights and competition efficiency for value-added services.


The problem of output regulation for a class of hydraulic networks found in district heating systems is addressed in this brief. The results show that global asymptotic and semiglobal exponential output regulation is achievable using a set of decentralized proportional-integral controllers. The fact that the result is global and independent of the number of end users has the consequence that structural changes such as end-user addition and removal can be made in the network while maintaining the stability properties of the system. Furthermore, the decentralized nature of the control architecture eases the implementation of structural changes in the network.


In the 1990s, the countries in the Baltic Sea catchment area were undergoing many changes on the political, economic, social and cultural levels. The development of democracy in the previous Eastern Block countries and the enlargement of the European Union to include Sweden and Finland have also created a new framework for international, regional and sub-regional cooperation in the field of environmental awareness. Many new actors working in this field have appeared at international and local levels. The SPA report carried out by the Finnish Environment Institute in cooperation with the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) aimed at providing useful background information, findings and action proposals for raising environmental awareness in the Baltic Sea catchment area. It was intended to serve the European Union, HELCOM and other numerous regional, national, local and sectoral actors in their activities related to environmental awareness and public participation.


This article presents a study of state-imposed neoliberal education reform
and resistance in post-Katrina New Orleans. In Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, the
city's school system was dramatically reformed with most of its public schools replaced
by privately administered "charter schools." The article examines the social
contradictions created by this reform and characterizes how the city's education
activists articulate their resistance to education privatization. Situating the reform
within New Orleans's post-Katrina neoliberal reconfiguration, it analyzes how
simultaneous processes of education privatization and racial dispossession have
made the reform lack popular legitimacy. The article concludes by considering
how the neoliberal policies implemented after the storm were conditioned by race,
arguing that racial politics should be considered fundamental, rather than adjacent,
to the study of neoliberalization in US cities.


Nucleoporin 98 (Nup98), a glycine-leucine-phenylalanine-glycine (GLFG) amino acid repeat-containing nucleoporin, plays a critical part in nuclear trafficking. Injection of antibodies to Nup98 into the nucleus blocks the export of most RNAs. Nup98 contains binding sites for several transport factors; however, the mechanism by which this nucleoporin functions has remained unclear. Multiple subcellular localizations have been suggested for Nup98. Here we show that Nup98 is indeed found both at the nuclear pore complex and within the nucleus. Inside the nucleus, Nup98 associates with a novel nuclear structure that we term the GLFG body because the GLFG domain of Nup98 is required for targeting to this structure. Photobleaching of green fluorescent protein-Nup98 in living cells reveals that Nup98 is mobile and moves between these different localizations. The rate of recovery after photobleaching indicates that Nup98 interacts with other, less mobile, components in the nucleoplasm. Strikingly, given the previous link to nuclear export, the mobility of Nup98 within the nucleus and at the pore is dependent on ongoing transcription by RNA polymerases I and II. These data give rise to a model in which Nup98 aids in direction of RNAs to the nuclear pore and provide the first potential mechanism for the role of a mobile nucleoporin.


Accurately inferring the genome-wide landscape of recombination rates in natural populations is a central aim in genomics, as patterns of linkage influence everything from genetic mapping to understanding evolutionary history. Here we describe ReLERNN, a deep learning method for accurately estimating a genome-wide recombination landscape using as few as four samples. Rather than use summaries of linkage disequilibrium as its input, ReLERNN considers columns from a genotype alignment, which are then modeled as a sequence across the genome using a recurrent neural network. We demonstrate that ReLERNN improves accuracy and reduces bias relative to existing methods and maintains high accuracy in the face of demographic model misspecification. We apply ReLERNN to natural populations of African Drosophila melanogaster and show that genome-wide recombination landscapes, while largely correlated among populations, exhibit important population-specific differences. Lastly, we connect the inferred patterns of recombination with the frequencies of major inversions segregating in natural Drosophila populations.


ABSTRACT This study aims to explore the content production at the Olympic Channel through a lens of gender. The eleven interviews with the Olympic Channel professionals suggest that (a) sports media professionals claimed considerable agency, with individual personality and perspectives heavily influencing their journalism practice; (b) regarding content selection, the Olympic Channel seeks to strike a balance between Olympic values and commercial pursuits; and (c) the considerable proportion of female employees play an important role in facilitating a female-friendly workplace in sports newsrooms. This study illustrates the degree to which employees at an International Olympic Committee's (IOC) official sports media platform value gender equality in their journalism practice.


My research area is dedicated to the challenges of knowledge extraction from business
processes. I analyzed the opportunities of knowledge extraction based on the literature, my
research background and practical experiences. I am proposing a solution to extract, organize
and preserve knowledge embedded in organizational processes to enrich the organizational
knowledge base in a systematic and controlled way. My other research problem is how to
organize the extracted knowledge, what are the appropriate ICT solutions, environment for it.
I reviewed theoretical foundations of related fields, like business process management,
semantic technology, semantic business process management and ontologies. Ontologies play
a key role in semantic business process management, because they provide the structure for
organizational knowledge. Therefore I discussed their background detailed in the literature
review section. I have identified the requirements in the business process modeling level to be
able to use a complex process model as a base of creating the links between the process
models and the domain ontology.
The novelty of the solution is based on the connection between process model and corporate
knowledge, where the process structure will be extended with the annotation for knowledge
structure. The resulting process and domain ontology duplet enables a higher level of
automation for IT implementation and a wider range of possibilities for machine-reasoning.
The research outcome is going to be tested in a reference architecture, where the main goal is
to create a supporting infrastructure capable to conduct multi-lateral searches especially for the purpose to support employees to easily acquire their job role specific knowledge, but there are wider areas for application. The resulting knowledge repository holds multilateral information specifically for the viewpoints of organizational stakeholders and IT systems. The proposed solution support employees to easily acquire their job role specific knowledge, support IT departments to efficiently answer the challenge of changes to be applied at different processes, and knowledge engineers to have a better insight into the organizations' knowledge environment.


When microelectronic devices replaced vacuum tubes, it marked a revolution in electronics that opened the way to the computer age. We are on the verge of witnessing another equally profound shift. As molecular devices replace semiconductors, we will achieve new levels of performance, functionality and capability that will hugely impact electronics, as well as signal processing and computing. Molecular Electronics, Circuits, and Processing Platforms guides you confidently into this emerging field. Helping you to forge into the molecular frontier, this book examines the various concepts, methods and technologies used to approach and solve a wide variety of problems. The author works from new devices to systems and platforms. He also covers device-level physics, system-level design, analysis, and advanced fabrication technologies. Explore the latest and emerging molecular, biomolecular, and nanoscale processing platforms for building the next generation of circuits, memories and computations. By examining both solved and open issues, this book thoroughly develops the basic theory and shows you how to apply this knowledge toward new developments and practical hardware implementation. Dont fall behind. Let Molecular Electronics, Circuits, and Processing Platforms take you to the next level of electronics design and applications.


Usually, the maize cob is formed by grains of medium size. However, the extremes have larger or smaller size grains. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of grain size from the same hybrid on the physicochemical properties of isolated starch, crude maize flours and nixtamalized maize flours. Two hybrids, one from CIMMyT-Mexico called IMIC-254 and one commercial sample from Monsanto (Puma) were studied. The isolated starch granules from small, medium, and large grains exhibit the same size and distribution. The grain size has influence in the determination of cooking and steeping times; small grains reach these parameters faster than medium and large ones. The hardness of the grain size for both hybrids does not showed statistical differences between them. The starch from small, medium and large grains is mainly composed of amylopectin; this result is confirmed by X-ray diffraction and Megazine analysis. The apparent viscosity of the isolated starches of small grains showed statistically significant higher peak values. According to these results, it is possible to use small, medium, and large grains to obtain products with the same physicochemical properties, by adjusting the cooking and steeping times and Ca2+ content.


Tourism in Cuba - described by Fidel Castro as 'the evil we have to have' - has been regarded both with ambivalence, and as a crucial aspect of development and poverty alleviation. The result is a remarkable approach to tourism, one which often compels tourists to become agents of development through solidarity. Drawing on her experiences of working in an NGO in Cuba, the author uses a multi-sited ethnographic approach to investigate tourism motivations and experiences, and to examine the very nature of development. Her analysis covers a wide range of issues including social change, globalization, social theory, and sustainability. Also discussed is the way in which tourism in Cuba relates to broader debates surrounding transformation, capacity building, social action and solidarity.


ABSTRACT This paper considers the processes of assemblage as an important aspect in studies of contemporary Australian settler colonialism. I explore how, what I am calling the Indigenous development assemblage, is made up of various government policies, actors, discourse, knowledge, legal frameworks and institutions, intersect and cohere with each other. I also explore how this assemblage affects not only material outcomes but also generates an atmosphere that affects aspirations, hope and possibility for change. Through examining various processes of the assemblage underway in the town of Kununurra, I argue that settler colonialism is different to the totalitarian form it often is described as. Through understanding the processes of assemblage, incoherence, disruption and emergence was also observed which opens up possibilities of the destabilisation of the assemblage itself.


This paper discusses the fault tolerant spatial controller design with periodic output feedback for a 540 MWe PHWR. The input signal to the control valve would generally be derived on the basis of zonal power levels sensed by self powered neutron detectors, which have shorter life compared to the operating life of the reactor. Also, due to failure of insulation, the sensor output may be inaccurate. For assuring high degree of reliability of reactor, a control has to be designed such that the power distribution is effectively controlled even if any one of the zonal power signal or/and corresponding actuator has failed. The 540 MWe nuclear reactor is modeled to have a 72 order spatial model. This model having 14 inputs and outputs each, is used to design a fault tolerant spatial controller with the periodic output feedback gains. The results of simulations are presented.


Withstanding high pressures in polymeric microchannels is an important requirement for many biological applications. Here, a simple direct polymerization through a polyester photomask is applied to obtain monolithic polyethylene glycol (PEG)-modified poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) (PEGMA) microchannels, showing the ability to withstand pressure up to 12 MPa in burst pressure tests. The ability of withstanding high pressures is observed to increase with increasing ratio between the thickness of the cover polymer layer forming the microchannel lid and the width of the microchannel. A simplified finite element modeling model of the burst pressure test is set up to interpret the experimental findings. The outcomes of the modeling activity, along with direct scanning electron microscopy observation of the fracture surfaces, confirm the effectiveness of the polymerization method for the production of monolithic PEGMA microchannels. (C) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Included four Inbred lines of maize in a program of hybridization (full diallel crossing system) namely (1. W17-11, 2. N28, 3. AGR3 and 4. AGR11) On field of Voronezh in (2016, 2017). A comparison the objective was estimation of several genetic parameters for oil and protein content in maize. The genotypes was planted in Randomized complete block design with four replications. Significant differences were found among genotypes for oil and protein content. The results showed that the diallel hybrids (W17-11×N28), (AGR3×AGR11). Produced higher oil percentage (4.6%),while reciprocal hybrid (N28×W17-11) produced higher oil percentage (4.7%). The diallel hybrid (W17-11×AGR3) produced higher protein percentage (10.1%), while reciprocal hybrids (N28×W17-11), (AGR3×N28) produced higher protein percentage (9.6%). The higher positive hybrid vigour percentage for best parents for oil percentage (20.1%) for diallel hybrid (W17-11×N28) and (18.4)% for reciprocal hybrid (N28×W17-11). The higher positive hybrid vigour percentage for protein percentage (29.9%) for diallel hybrid (N28×AGR3) and (36.5%) for reciprocal hybrid (AGR3×W17-11). There is no significant in GCA and SCA for the other characters oil and protein. The average degree of dominance ( ) was zero for diallel hybrids for oil and protein percentage. The average degree of dominance ( ) for reciprocal hybrid was zero for protein percentage while more than one for oil percentage (1.5). The heritability percentage was low for broad and narrow sense for oil and protein percentage for diallel hybrids and reciprocal hybrids. Genetic variance dominance values D and genetic variance additive values A was low for characters for diallel hybrids and reciprocal hybrids. This research aims to study the effect of method full diallel cross increase in oil content and protein in the grain first-generation members of the F1 community maize.


The Nemunas River is one of the largest rivers of the eastern part of the Baltic Sea with a total length of 937 km and a drainage area of 97,860 km 2 . Historical data show that more than 50 fish species have been present in this river. Recent ichthyological investigations were carried out in the lower and middle Nemunas in 1996-2000. In total, 34 fish species were caught with a beach seine and multi-mesh size bottom and floating gill nets. When comparing these findings with available historical data, sharp changes have been observed in fish communities. Due to dramatic environmental changes reophilous stenobiontic fish species have decreased. Especially sharp changes have been observed in the abundance of migratory fish species. The main spawning grounds of salmon, sea trout and vimha were lost after the middle reaches of the Nemunas River had been dammed. This and other factors, such as pollution, land reclamation and deforestation, are the probable reasons for the decrease of migratory fish species. During the recent years, when wastewater treatment plants were built, pollution of the Nemunas River and the Curonian Lagoon (Baltic Sea) has decreased. Now, nitrogen and phosphorus levels are 2-3 times lower in comparison with the period 10-12 years ago. Migratory species have recently been observed to increase in number again. The main spawning grounds of numerous commercial fish species of the Curonian Lagoon (pikeperch, bream, wels), migratory fish and lampreys of the Baltic Sea (sea lamprey, river lamprey, smelt, twaite shad) and rare fish species have been found in the lower part of the Nemunas River. A programme for the rehabilitation of the Nemunas River Delta, including hydrotechnical, hydrological and nature protecting measures, is now being prepared in Lithuania.


Although a recent body of scholarship focuses on how business professionals infuse spiritual practices in their workplaces, comparatively little attention has been paid to faith in the scientific workplace, especially in an Eastern, non-Christian context. Between 2014 and 2015, we conducted a survey of 892 scientists in Taiwan and completed interviews with 52 of our survey respondents. In this paper, we examine how scientists navigate religion in the scientific workplace. Survey results demonstrate that while scientists perceive religion and scientific research as generally separate in the abstract, in practice, they regard the boundary between religion and their workplace as somewhat permeable. Interviews further show how different groups of Taiwanese scientists create sacredness and defend secularity in scientific work. Results have implications for future research on how scientists (and potentially those in other types of professions) in non-Western and non-Christian countries navigate faith at work.


The challenge of developing environmental outcomes acceptable to stakeholders with different values is well documented. Discourse analysis provides insights into how the views of different stakeholders affect decision making. We studied the discourses of key actors associated with the implementation of a Turtle and Dugong Hunting Management Plan developed by Hope Vale Aboriginal community in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, Australia. The discourses of the environmental managers and community members were very different. Hope Vale people prioritized cultural well-being; the staff of management agencies prioritized biodiversity outcomes. These differences precluded effective outcomes despite considerable investment in hunting management over more than 20 years by both groups. Understanding the discursive terrain within environmental management domains can inform environmental decision making and the implementation of agreed management arrangements, enabling biodiversity objectives and Indigenous cultural aspirations to be met in a socially just, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable way.


For the past previous decades critics have been disapproving Thomas Stearns Eliot repeatedly for his misogynistic dealing of female in his poems. A limited number, though, have regarded his depiction of female roles in assisting the themes he was dealing with in his poetry. The narrative space of The Waste Land is conquered chiefly by female, both modern and mythological, who demonstrate the enduring ruthless connection between male and female. This deeply individual connection, though, is similar to the connection of the individual and society; like the individual, the females must decide to either express their opinions against their suppressors or become quiet and accept their conditions. Each of the two options puts female at danger of extra suppression. Thus, the wasted scenography of The Waste Land is like the background of a halting social world inhabited by dominant people fighting to discover their voice. Eliot depicts the voice of women as the conflict against the destroyed community and communication that typifies the modern world. Modern and mythical characters join in The Waste Land, illuminating the vanity of communication in an area where force hurdles exist between the men and women. By contrasting mythical females from Ovid's Metamorphoses against the modern characters from The Waste Land, this study will show to what extent the poem's theme of social collapse prolongs into the contemporary world, whenever such vanity is aroused, in the past and in the modern times, either.


Following on from the success of the 9th International Conference on Central Nervous System, which was attended by professionals worldwide, we are well pleased to announce the return of the professionals for attending our next series 10th International Conference Central Nervous Dubai, Webinar, on February 05-06, 2021.  CNS 2021 Conference will continues to showcase the most disorders of nervous system.
The participants of 2021 Conference will have the opportunity to learn with the other fellow partners about the future opportunities and challenges in CNS, participate in interactive to improve their leadership effectiveness; can network with CNS partners across all and career stages and can share, discuss solutions to improve CNS provision in their workstation.

The Conference had an effective echo of talks over the theme "Recent Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of CNS Disorders"
CNS 2021 global meeting is a scientific platform that aims to accomplish the perception through interdisciplinary engagement of scientists, academics, researchers, educators and Central Nervous System professionals to explore the system-wide challenges of worldwide health. The conference aim is to bring together leading medical practitioners, academic researchers and industry leaders from various countries to share their experiences in their ongoing careers.
This international scientific colloquy also encourages the active participation of seed stage researchers, young students, as we are hosting, student presentation award competition, Poster Award Competition and Young research Forum at the meeting. The scientific sessions which are about to be explored at Central Nervous System 2021 Conference are Clinical Trials, Central Nervous System, Spine Surgery and Spinal Disorders, Neurodegenerative Disease, Neurosurgery and Neuronal Disorders.
Central Nervous System 2021 mainly focuses on the wellbeing of people. Join us to explore your views and thoughts in Central Nervous System. Event information will be available at http://central-nervous-system.pulsusconference.com/.  For queries and participation email to Program manager through email@example.com or Phone @ +442037691755


Botanical illustration - coloured - Antimima excedens. Dissected drawings of leaves are included. Drawn from a collection made from the veld between Bitterfontein and Nieuwerust [Nuwerus, Van Rhynsdorp Division] by Lewis & Leighton on the 5 September 1932 (21A and B = National Botanical Garden 2389/32). [The vouchers for these drawings cannot be traced, P. A. Bean, 18 March 1980]. From the veld.


High local concentrations of a pollutant can be the result of high local emission rates of the pollutant or insufficient ventilation. Using tracer gases to map the ventilation in multi-zone buildings combined with measurements of the local pollutant concentration provide the means to discriminate between these causes. In a similar manner, the propagation rate of pollutants from a source to a target zone and the emission rate of the pollutants at the source may be determined quantitatively. The paper presents both the theoretical framework for the techniques and experimental examples of the proposed methods.


One suggested hypothesis for the dramatic rise in household borrowing that preceded the financial crisis is that low-income households increased their demand for credit to finance higher consumption expenditures in order to "keep up" with higherincome households. Using household level data on debt accumulation during 2001-2012, we show that low-income households in high-inequality regions accumulated less debt relative to income than their counterparts in lower-inequality regions, which negates the hypothesis. We argue instead that these patterns are consistent with supply-side interpretations of debt accumulation patterns during the 2000s. We present a model in which banks use applicants' incomes, combined with local income inequality, to infer the underlying type of the applicant, so that banks ultimately channel more credit toward lower-income applicants in low-inequality regions than high-inequality regions. We confirm the predictions of the model using data on individual mortgage applications in high- and low-inequality regions over this time period.


Aims
Circulating adiponectin is known to have anti-diabetic, anti-atherogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the predictive value of adiponectin in cardiovascular disease has been reported to be contradictory ('adiponectin paradox') and its relationship with atrial fibrillation (AF) is controversial. We hypothesized that pre-procedural plasma level of adiponectin would have prognostic value in patients who underwent AF catheter ablation.

Methods and results
This observational cohort study included 874 patients with paroxysmal AF (PAF) (73.0% male, mean age 57.6 ± 11.2 years) who underwent catheter ablation. Quartile analyses of plasma level of adiponectin were performed to determine AF-related clinical factors. Patients in the highest quartile of plasma adiponectin were more likely to be older (P < 0.001), female (P < 0.001), and have a higher CHA2DS2-VASc score (P < 0.001) than patients in the other three quartiles. Plasma level of adiponectin was independently associated with female gender (B 2.92 [1.84∼4.00], P < 0.001), older age (B 0.06 [0.03∼0.10], P < 0.001), lower body mass index (B - 0.22 [-0.42∼-0.03], P = 0.025), and greater LA volume index (B 0.05 [0.01∼0.08], P = 0.005). During the 29.9 ± 18.0 months of follow-up, plasma adiponectin level (HR 1.17 [1.02∼1.35], P = 0.022) was independently associated with clinical recurrence of AF, and the clinical recurrence rate was significantly higher in the highest quartile of adiponectin group than the others (log rank P = 0.029), especially in age <65 years (log rank P = 0.038), but not in age ≥65.

Conclusion
High circulating adiponectin is independently associated with AF recurrence after catheter ablation for PAF, especially younger than 65 years old.


Speeding is one of the main contributing factors to road crashes. The use of Automated Speed Enforcement programmes (ASE) appears to be one of the most promising interventions to change driver behaviour and reduce road trauma. International experience has shown clear benefits from such programmes. The French government implemented ASE in late 2003. Currently, 2000 radar devices are deployed throughout the French territory, with an emphasis on fixed cameras. The Australian state of Queensland implemented ASE in May 1997 with 500 initial camera sites. The number of sites and operational camera hours has increased since the programme's inception and recently, fixed speed cameras were introduced. This paper compares the approaches taken by the French and Queensland Governments regarding implementation and management of ASE. The first section summarises the historical background of both programmes and highlights the role of political leaders in the road safety arena. The second section addresses organisational dimensions, including how the programmes are deployed and operated. Finally, we compare the performance outcomes of each system. We conclude by highlighting that there appears to be no single best way to implement speed enforcement measures in a 'whole-of-jurisdiction' approach. Rather, lessons from the deployment of individual enforcement methods and related outcomes internationally, together with considerations of political and organizational factors, should inform speed management strategy choices.


Marine bacteria have considerable importance as sources of biologically active products. Marine microorganisms that live in cold regions have been largely underexplored, and may be endowed with interesting chemical repertoire. The microorganisms that thrive in these cold environments are referred to as psychrophiles or cold-adapted bacteria and are able to produce a large number of bioactive compounds, such as antimicrobial, anti-fouling and various pharmaceutically-relevant activities.
In this contest, the aim of my PhD project was the research of new bioactive compounds of biotechnological interest from Polar marine bacteria. In particular, I focused my attention on three classes of molecules:
I. Antimicrobial volatile organic compounds (VOCs);
II. Anti-biofilm molecules;
III. Cryoprotectant compounds.
In order to explore the Pseudoalteromonas haloplanktis TAC125 (P.haloplanktis TAC125) chemical diversity as source of bioactive compounds, a suitable synthetic growth medium was developed, containing D-gluconate and L-glutamate as carbon, nitrogen and energy sources (GG medium). The definition of a synthetic medium is necessary for the scale up of P. haloplanktis TAC125 growth in automatic bioreactors. Moreover, a defined "minimum" medium could enhance the secondary metabolites production, and it surely makes their purification easier. Preliminary studies demonstrated that some Antarctic marine bacteria are able to produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that specifically inhibit the growth of Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) strains. Amongst the tested Antarctic marine bacteria, P.haloplanktis TAC125 was further investigated. It is known that the P.haloplanktis TAC125 production of VOCs changes with growth medium composition. With the aim to identify the anti-Bcc VOCs, a suitable capture trap for volatile compounds was developed. A bioactive compound was identified, the methylamine, and its anti-Bcc activity was demonstrated by defining the Minimum Volatile Inhibitory Concentration (MVIC) on a panel of Bcc strains.
Anti-biofilm molecules may have interesting biomedical applications in targeting adhesive properties of several insidious human pathogens. Previous results showed that the cell-free supernatant of P.haloplanktis TAC125 grown in static condition strongly inhibited bacterial adhesion. In particular, Staphylococcus epidermidis showed the highest susceptibility to the treatment. During this part of my PhD project the best conditions in which P.haloplanktis TAC125 produces the anti-biofilm compound/s were searched and a preliminary purification scheme was set up. In particular, the effect of growth mode, culture medium composition, growth phase and temperature was explored. The best production conditions were set as a benchmark for the scale-up of P.haloplanktis TAC125 anti-biofilm molecule/s in bioreactor.
Marine cold-adapted microorganisms may be also source of another interesting class of chemical compounds, known as cryoprotectors, as they are able to avoid ice crystal formation inside living cells. Freeze-thaw cycles are quite common in the cold regions, especially in Polar one. Cold-adapted microorganisms are accustomed to being frozen within their habitats. Such organisms are also expected to have evolved adaptations to survive repeated freezing and thawing, as these processes tend to damage living cells and attenuate cell viability. The cold-adapted bacterium Colwellia psychrerythraea strain 34H (C. psychrerythraea 34H), attracted particular attention because it was reported to physically interact with sea ice crystals and secrete cryoprotectants of polysaccharidic nature in culture medium as a survival strategy.
During my project, it was demonstrated that C. psychrerythraea 34H cells are covered by a capsula: the determination of chemical composition of purified capsular material revealed a novel polysaccharidic structure. Indeed the capsula was made by a linear tetrasaccharide repeating unit containing two amino sugars and two uronic acid, one of which is amidated by a threonine. The presence of an amminoacidic decoration of the capsular polysaccharide is quite uncommon in marine bacteria, but more intriguing is the decoration with Thr residues, as glycosilated Thr residues are essential for the interaction of anti-freeze glycoproteins (AFGPs) with ice crystals. In line with this indirect observation, in vitro assays demonstrated that the C. psychrerythraea 34H capsular polysaccharide is endowed with ice re-crystallization inhibition activity.


Desiccant cooling systems have been considered as an efficient method of controlling moisture content in supply air. They do not use any ozone-depleting coolants and consume less energy as compared with the vapour compression systems. This communication provides an extensive review of liquid desiccant systems (LDSs). All the components of an LDS such as dehumidifier, regenerator, packing material and liquid desiccant properties along with its energy storage capabilities have been discussed in detail. In addition, hybrid of LDSs with sensible cooling technologies has been studied. Various types of mathematical models to predict the outlet parameters of the desiccant system and current issues in liquid desiccants have been reviewed in detail. Moreover, solid and other advanced desiccants have also been discussed briefly. Finally, a summary of some successful case studies and economic evaluation of desiccant systems have been given.


Since the onset of the economic and financial crisis in 2008, the number of young people in employment across the European Union has declined considerably. By mid-2013, the unemployment rate among people aged 24 and under had increased to over 23%. A large number of workers in this age group are employed on temporary rather than permanent contracts (42% compared to just 10% of workers aged 25–64). While temporary or fixed-term contracts can be a stepping stone in the transition from education into work, they can also trap young people in insecure jobs. This comparative report from the European Restructuring Monitor is based on data from correspondents in 28 EU Member States and Norway. It examines the reasons for the growth in temporary employment contracts across the EU and explores the situation regarding access to social protection for young people on temporary or fixed-term contracts. It reviews the measures put in place in various countries to regulate the use of these contracts – often with a view to encouraging the transition to standard contracts – and finally presents the opinions of the social partners on the issue.


Social networking sites have become immensely popular, especially among Norwegian teenagers. An integral part of these sites is information sharing. Most previous research, however, has investigated teenagers' information sharing in light of risks and concerns. The purpose of this thesis, therefore, was to get teenagers' thoughts and experiences of how and why they share information on Facebook. The study was conducted through qualitative interviews with 7 Norwegian teenagers, as well as observations and solicited diaries. My study revealed that why and how teenagers' shared information on the site was influenced by the nature of their intended audience; their offline contacts. Motivation for sharing information included giving and receiving reaffirmation, being recognizable to and to been seen by their friends. At the same time information sharing was part of their social interaction on the site; a key motivation for signing up. While Facebook gave teenagers new opportunities to be together, it also introduced new challenges. After all, my study showed that what teenagers shared on the site was often visible to close friends and distant others, as well as to parents and peers. This, I found had implications for how teenagers shared information on the site.


There has been an alarming surge in the number of health workers leaving their own countries to benefit from better pay and working conditions offered by richer countries, according to WHO and The World Bank. Whilst this has increased the flow of remittances--and in some cases, expertise--back home, it has also triggered staffing crises in many countries. According to The World Bank, remittances wired by migrant workers through the banking system alone totalled US$ 90 billion in 2003, up from some US$ 88 billion in 2002 and US$ 72.3 billion in 2001. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that at least as much again is remitted outside the banking system. In the United Kingdom 50% of newly registered nurses came from abroad in 2002, compared with 25% in 1998. "It's not surprising when salaries in Zambia, for example, are 25 times lower than in the UK," said Barbara Stilwell, Programme Coordinator from WHO's Human Resources for Health department. WHO and World Bank officials warned governments in January that the health staffing gap in developing countries had become a major obstacle to achieving the UN Millennium Development Goal to reduce poverty by 2020. A World Health Assembly resolution followed in May calling on WHO's 192 Member States to better manage the migration of health workers in order to avoid damaging health services in poor countries. Some receiving countries, like the United Kingdom, have begun to recognize the damage wrought by their recruiting strategies and are adopting ethical recruitment policies in line with those of the Geneva-based International Council of Nurses, a federation of national nursing associations representing millions of nurses worldwide. The UK's National Health Service now discourages recruiting from certain developing countries in order to safeguard their health-care systems, for example. In some donor countries, improving the organization of health staffing services could help address staff shortages, explained Stilwell. Malawi, for example, has nursing vacancies and yet has 1200 unemployed nurses. In other countries such as Ghana, however, the situation is different. Ken Sagoe, Director of the Ghanaian health service's Human Resource Development Division, told news web site, Ghanaweb, that Ghana had lost 1032 nurses and 166 doctors last year and nine health centres had been without a medical officer since January. India was one of the first developing countries to suffer a drain of health workers and was the largest source country for doctors in the 1970s, many of whom have stayed on in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. Binod Khadria, Professor of Economics at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India, wrote in a recent paper that 56% of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences' graduate doctors left the country between 1956 and 1980. …


F A wave exists only in its propagating medium but Einstein erred to discard the physical medium for light wave and to introduce the non-existent 4-D spacetime continuum instead. It denied him the chance to address the intrinsic wave-quantum Unity of light and predict the new entity of 'basic substance' to compose all forms of E & m so compellingly demanded for the inter-conversions of E & m by the eqn. E=mc2, which is now re-derived. Unified Theory gives cogent arguments and experimental support for the existence of a real physical medium in space, the all-composing & allpervading 'sharmon medium' as Basic Substance. It propagates light as a wave-quantum UNITY, the particle aspect showing up at short wavelength e.g. from ~ 7000 A° downward in photochemical effects and below ~ 3000 A° in photoelectric effects. The non-substantive abstract concepts of space & time evolve from our perceptions of successive motions & changes in the surrounding objects and cannot fuse into any concrete spacetime continuum. If existent it would retard motion of heavenly bodies, which is not actually observed. Any non-composite static spacetime cannot undulate to transmit light. Various multidimensional spacetime continua are mere mathematical constructs bereft of physical existence and theories based on them unrealistic. Unified Theory explains from sharmon medium the constancy & invariance to source-observer motion, the two pillar postulates of Special Relativity without validating SR. It explains the Michelson-Morley and Sagnac experiments as also the observed variability of light velocity and superluminality, which invalidate Relativity Theories. Lorentz transformations do not describe any natural motion since no velocity can vary (like v) with, and be invariant (like c) to, a source-observer motion at the same time. The actual length of an object, viewed by say, 100 differently moving observers cannot undergo 100 different objective contractions at the same time, making 'contraction of length' an unrealistic concept. So is 'dilatation of time'. Unified Theory derives from sharmon medium the Maxwell equations and the time containing and time free equations for the propagation of wave-quantum unity in gravitational and electromagnetic radiation. The Schrodinger wave equation is also derived. It explains the photoelectric effect. Explanation of the bending of light in a gravitational field shows that photon has mass and gravitation is not a curvature in 4-D spacetime. All particles and energy-quanta have definite mass & size.


It is easy to find motivation for flipping a classroom within existing research. Most importantly the students will reportedly learn more. But there is a cost involved. The educator will need new course material likely videos. Without dedicated resources to handle the extra cost involved when flipping the classroom, the incentive to stay with the traditional lectures may be dominant. But does the transition need to be a 100% flip? In this experience report we look at a gradual flip. In an introductory database course, 9 out of 12 session were flipped. The course resources were a mix of earlier material combined with a limited set of new videos. The exercises were modified, but they were still heavily based on the exercises given the year before. How do the students experience a gradually flipped course? We interviewed students who did participate in the gradual flip and we conducted a survey. In this study we investigate student satisfaction with different parts of the course delivery and compare the results with surveys from earlier course deliveries before the flip. The overall satisfaction with the gradual flip was somewhat positive. The students did not see a problem with the mixed, gradual, approach. The exam results were at the same level as before and the attendance increased slightly. The students found it reasonable to start the flipped sessions late in the day. The late start made it possible for the students to prepare during their normal working hours as a student. The study provides insight into the transition process from a traditional lecture-based course delivery to Flipped Classroom. Our results suggest that the transition does not have to be immediate. A lecturer may gradually flip a classroom so that the cost of flipping may be spread across multiple years. This paper was presented at the NIK-2018 conference; see http://www.nik.no/.


Morbidity and mortality from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and heart failure (HF) remain significant in Europe and are increasing worldwide. Patients with IHD or HF might benefit from novel therapeutic strategies, such as cell-based therapies. We recently discussed the therapeutic potential of cell-based therapies and provided recommendations on how to improve the therapeutic translation of these novel strategies for effective cardiac regeneration and repair. Despite major advances in optimizing these strategies with respect to cell source and delivery method, the clinical outcome of cell-based therapy remains unsatisfactory. Major obstacles are the low engraftment and survival rate of transplanted cells in the harmful microenvironment of the host tissue, and the paucity or even lack of endogenous cells with repair capacity. Therefore, new ways of delivering cells and their derivatives are required in order to empower cell-based cardiac repair and regeneration in patients with IHD or HF. Strategies using tissue engineering (TE) combine cells with matrix materials to enhance cell retention or cell delivery in the transplanted area, and have recently received much attention for this purpose. Here, we summarize knowledge on novel approaches emerging from the TE scenario. In particular, we will discuss how combinations of cell/bio-materials (e.g. hydrogels, cell sheets, prefabricated matrices, microspheres, and injectable matrices) combinations might enhance cell retention or cell delivery in the transplantation areas, thereby increase the success rate of cell therapies for IHD and HF. We will not focus on the use of classical engineering approaches, employing fully synthetic materials, because of their unsatisfactory material properties which render them not clinically applicable. The overall aim of this Position Paper from the ESC Working Group Cellular Biology of the Heart is to provide recommendations on how to proceed in research with these novel TE strategies combined with cell-based therapies to boost cardiac repair in the clinical settings of IHD and HF.


Vendors of Enterprise systems software (ESS) offer a portfolio of software components to support a variety of specific business functions. Client organizations construct a digital platform for their business processes by buying software components from one or more ESS firms and expect the components to be compatible with each other. Each software component (e.g., ERP, CRM, analytics) forms a market, with multiple ESS firms competing in each of those markets. As a result, the ESS industry is characterized by multimarket competition. The existing literature in strategy suggests that multimarket competition is characterized by two findings: (i) Greater multimarket contact improves firm performance because of the potential for mutual forbearance and tacit collusion (ii) Greater domain overlap exposes a firm to the whirlwinds of intense competition and adversely affects its performance. Yet, the ESS industry exhibits another unique characteristic: potential for indirect network externality. In their desire to architect seamless digital networks, customers expect that components bought from multiple firms will integrate relatively easily and at low integration costs. Therefore, domain overlap might in fact create the potential for positive performance gains in the ESS industry. Therefore, the nature of multimarket competition in the ESS industry deserves fresh attention. We examine these competitive dynamics by analyzing data from a set of ESS firms that account for more than 95% of the revenue in this market over 3 time-periods. Our research suggests that the combination of multimarket contact and domain overlap do lead to findings that are contrary to extant research. First, our findings suggest that are no obvious benefits to simply increasing the number of component markets where an ESS firms competes. However, there is clear evidence of economies of scale and scope in expanding a functional component to serve multiple vertical industry segments. On the other hand, our research suggests that when firms strategically expand their component portfolio so as to increase their domain overlap, they show positive performance gains. We propose that the potential for indirect externality effects trumps traditional domain overlap considerations, whereby competing in markets with high overlap may actually be preferable for a firm in the ESS or digital goods industries. Thus, presence in highly competitive markets is desirable so as to be attractive to client organizations because it signals competitive strength and commitment to digital platforms. Though the impact of multimarket contact on firm performance is positive and consistent with prior findings, we find that firms are able to extract further value from their multimarket contact when they also have high a degree of market overlap thus underlining the strategic aspects to market selection. We conclude with recommendations for theory and practice.


Abstract Purpose: Establishing construct validity of the ACS-NL in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Method: Discriminative validity was established in 191 community-dwelling individuals with PD using an extreme groups design (Hoehn and Yahr stages 1 and 3). Convergent validity was determined by relating the performance scores of the ACS-NL to the scores of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) scores, and relating ACS-NL satisfaction scores to the COPM scores and to the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation Participation (USER-P). Results: The ACS-NL discriminated between individuals with PD with H&Y stages 1 and 3 (U = 524.5, Z = −5.453). ACS-NL performance scores correlated weakly with COPM scores (r = (0).19) and moderately with PDQ-39 scores (r = 0.44–0.55). The ACS-NL satisfaction scores correlated weakly with COPM scores (r = 0.23), and moderately with USER-P scores (r ≥ 0.40). Conclusions: This study contributed to the validation of the ACS-NL. The assessment enhances the possibility of monitoring participation in activities in individuals with PD. Implications for Rehabilitation The ACS-NL appears to hold good potential for use in the assessment of participation in activities in individuals with PD. The ACS-NL has added value parallel to administration of other instruments measuring participation (COPM) and quality of life (PDQ-39). This study demonstrates the capacity of the ACS to measure a unique construct of participation and helps to improve the psychometric properties and administration of the ACS-NL in practice.


Multimedia content in social media platforms provides significant information during disaster events. The types of information shared include reports of injured or deceased people, infrastructure damage, and missing or found people, among others. Although many studies have shown the usefulness of both text and image content for disaster response purposes, the research has been mostly focused on analyzing only the text modality in the past. In this paper, we propose to use both text and image modalities of social media data to learn a joint representation using state-of-the-art deep learning techniques. Specifically, we utilize convolutional neural networks to define a multimodal deep learning architecture with a modality-agnostic shared representation. Extensive experiments on real-world disaster datasets show that the proposed multimodal architecture yields better performance than models trained using a single modality (e.g., either text or image).


ABSTRACT This article details the development, testing, and refinement of a set of indicators and a data collection instrument designed to be used to evaluate the outcomes of face-to-face interpretation across a range of heritage-based visitor settings and experiences. One of a suite of data collection instruments, the self-completing visitor questionnaire incorporates a set of indicators that (a) reflects the types of visitor outcomes that managers actually want from their interpretive programs; (b) is theoretically valid based on what is known about the potential cognitive, affective, and behavioural outcomes of interpretation, and (c) requires minimal effort, expense, and little or no social research expertise to collect and analyse the data, yet produces results with acceptable validity and reliability. While management and industry-driven, the research is underpinned by some thirty years of evaluation theory and practice, and is thus grounded in theories of psychology and human behaviour and methods from the social sciences and from applied program evaluation. This makes the final set of indicators an important contribution to the literature, and the questionnaire itself a useful and practical tool for those whose expertise and responsibilities lie primarily with managing and delivering rather than researching and evaluating the outcomes of interpretation.


The inability of standard cognitive science, the information-processing approach, to provide theoretical underpinnings for designing usable computer-based systems has already been noted in the literature. It has further been noted, with varying degrees of clarity, that the breakdown of standard cognitive science in this respect is not an independent event, but that it rather is coupled with the spreading of computer use, that is, the appearance of personal computers, which brought into plain view the incommensurability of humans and present-day computers, and the difficulty in "interfacing" them to each other. In this work, the insufficiency of standard cognitive science is investigated towards demonstrating that it lies in the fallacious assumption and reliance on mental representations as formally defined physical entities on which mental operations are performed. It is further argued that, if the formal approach within cognitive science is seriously taken, then cognitive science cannot account for some important cognitive processes, namely abstraction and interpretation. In its empirical part, this study is related to a concrete development project. With respect to a possible application within it, some newer cognitive theories are reviewed and discussed, namely those that take into account environment, society, situation, and artefacts. Based on these considerations and the theoretical findings regarding standard cognitive science, a method for designing user interface is proposed and applied. Inspired by phenomenology and bearing similarities with nondirective counselling, it is referred to as "user-directed" method. Possible approaches to assessment of its validity are discussed.


ABSTRACT Numerous vaccines have been developed to address the current COVID-19 pandemic, but safety, cross-neutralizing efficacy, and long-term protectivity of currently approved vaccines are still important issues. In this study, we developed a subunit vaccine, ASD254, by using a nanoparticle vaccine platform to encapsulate the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein. As compared with the aluminum-adjuvant RBD vaccine, ASD254 induced higher titers of RBD-specific antibodies and generated 10- to 30-fold more neutralizing antibodies. Mice vaccinated with ASD254 showed protective immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 challenge, with undetectable infectious viral loads and reduced typical lesions in lung. Besides, neutralizing antibodies in vaccinated mice lasted for at least one year and were effective against various SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, including B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), P.1 (Gamma), B.1.617.2 (Delta), and B.1.1.529 (Omicron). Furthermore, particle size, polydispersity index, and zeta-potential of ASD254 remained stable after 8-month storage at 4°C. Thus, ASD254 is a promising nanoparticle vaccine with good immunogenicity and stability to be developed as an effective vaccine option in controlling upcoming waves of COVID-19.


Abbadie et al. investigated the role of chemotactic chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) in pain and discovered evidence implicating this receptor in chronic neuropathic pain. Chronic neuropathic pain, a condition that can have substantial effects on quality of life and may interfere with common activities of daily living, can be difficult to treat and remains poorly understood. Abbadie et al. compared the responses of wild-type mice and mutant mice lacking CCR2, which mediates the chemotactic response of monocytes to the inflammatory chemokine monocyte attractant protein-1 (MCP-1), in several models of pain. After injury to the sciatic nerve, the mutant mice lacked a behavioral response associated with chronic neuropathic pain. In wild-type mice, nerve injury led to increased levels of CCR2 in the sciatic nerve and dorsal root ganglia. In addition, numerous CCR2-immunoreactive macrophages were identified in the sciatic nerve and CCR2-immunoreactive microglia were observed in the spinal cord. The CCR2 knockout mice had fewer astrocytes in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord after nerve injury than did wild-type mice, and their microglia showed lower levels of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. Both of these observations are indicative of reduced glial activation. CCR2's role in chronic neuropathic pain could lead to new therapies for this condition. C. Abbadie, J. A. Lindia, A. M. Cumiskey, L. B. Peterson, J. S. Mudgett, E. K. Bayne, J. A. DeMartino, D. E. MacIntyre, M. J. Forrest, Impaired neuropathic pain responses in mice lacking the chemokine receptor CCR2. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100, 7947-7952 (2003). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Since the economic crisis in 1997, there has been notable success in Malaysian
economic, where Malaysians are getting wealthier and food consumption is
undergoing transitional changes. Thus, it is motivational to gain a better
understanding of food consumption patterns and trends in Malaysia. This study
intends to investigate food consumption patterns in Malaysia. This is followed by
the analyses on the effects of socio-economic factors on food consumption and is
further used to do projection for the future food consumption in Malaysia until
This study used data from the Household Expenditure Survey (HES) 200412005.
Data from the HES was obtained from 14,084 samples in Malaysia. In order to
investigate food consumption patterns in Malaysia, this study utilized the
methodology of a multi-stage demand system, incorporating demographic variables
to estimate income and price elasticities. In order to analyze the effects of socioeconomic
factors on food consumption, 36 single equations of Tobit model were
estimated. With quantity of food consumed as the dependent variable, the equations
were also used to project future consumption of the 36 food items.
The estimated positive and inelastic income elasticities show that all the food items
are normal goods, except for other meat. Special attention was paid to demand for
rice, with positive income elasticity of 0.1325 concerning the question whether rice
is an inferior good in Malaysia. While mutton (0.3196), prawn (0.3745), and
processed h i t s (0.3088) recorded the highest income elasticity over other food
items in the food group respectively. On the other hand, own-price elasticity of each
food item shows negative signs, complying with law of demand. Compensated and
uncompensated own-price elasticities of rice (-0.5756 and -0.5791) were the lowest
in its food group. These results indicate that rice is a necessity and still playing its
role as staple food to Malaysians in 200412005.
The determinant. of consumption of food items are found to be generally attributed
to household income, urbanization, age of household's head, household size, and
race. Most of the equations witnessed that gender and employment status of
household's head were not significantly related to quantity of food consumed. By
taking into account of socio-economic effects, overall projection results show
increasing trends for future consumption of the food items, except for rice and other
meats.