This paper tests the random walk hypothesis and market efficiency for twelve emerging as well as for four developed securitized real estate markets from 1992 to 2009. Random walk properties of equity prices influence return dynamics, and market efficiency is often considered an essential criterion in the assessment of the functionality of markets and the asset pricing process, which is of significant relevance for emerging markets in particular. The analysis is based on autocorrelation tests as well as both single variance and multiple variance ratio tests. Furthermore, non-parametric runs tests are conducted. Empirical evidence shows that the efficient market hypothesis in its weak form is not rejected by any statistical test for seven of the twelve analyzed emerging securitized real estate markets. This result is surprising since all four developed securitized real estate stock markets analyzed in this study do not follow a random walk. The results are confirmed by the analysis of excess returns following from technical trading rules.


The objective of a supply chain strategy is to reduce waste and increase efficiency to attain cost benefits, and to guarantee supply chain flexibility when facing the ever-changing market environment in order to meet customer requirements. Strategy implementation aims to fulfill common goals and attain benefits by integrating upstream and downstream enterprises, sharing information, conducting common planning, and taking part in decision making, so as to enhance the overall performance of the supply chain. With the rise of outsourcing and globalization, the increasing dependence on suppliers and customers and the rapid development of information technology, the complexity and uncertainty of the supply chain have intensified, and supply chain vulnerability has surged, resulting in adverse effects on supply chain performance. Thus, this study aims to use supply chain vulnerability as a moderating variable and apply structural equation modeling (SEM) to determine the relationships among supply chain strategy, supply chain integration, and supply chain performance, as well as the moderating effect of supply chain vulnerability on supply chain performance. The data investigation of this study was questionnaires which were collected from the management level of enterprises in Taiwan and China, 149 questionnaires were received. The result of confirmatory factor analysis shows that the path coefficients of supply chain strategy on supply chain integration and supply chain performance are positive (0.497, t= 4.914; 0.748, t= 5.919), having a significantly positive effect. Supply chain integration is also significantly positively correlated to supply chain performance (0.192, t = 2.273). The moderating effects of supply chain vulnerability on supply chain strategy and supply chain integration to supply chain performance are significant (7.407; 4.687). In Taiwan, 97.73% of enterprises are smalland medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) focusing on receiving original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and original design manufacturer (ODM) orders. In order to meet the needs of customers and to respond to market changes, these enterprises especially focus on supply chain flexibility and their integration with the upstream and downstream enterprises. According to the observation of this research, the effect of supply chain vulnerability on supply chain performance is significant, and so enterprises need to attach great importance to the management of supply chain risk and conduct risk analysis on their suppliers in order to formulate response strategies when facing emergency situations. At the same time, risk management is incorporated into the supply chain so as to reduce the effect of supply chain vulnerability on the overall supply chain performance. Keywords—Supply chain integration, supply chain performance, supply chain vulnerability, structural equation modeling. Yi-Chun Kuo and Jo-Chieh Lin are with the Department of International business, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taiyuan City, Taiwan, R.O.C. (e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com).


In this article, we present two benchmark data sets for evaluating models of semantic word similarity for Norwegian. While such resources are available for English, they did not exist for Norwegian prior to this work. Furthermore, we produce large-coverage semantic vectors trained on the Norwegian Newspaper Corpus using several popular word embedding frameworks. Finally, we demonstrate the usefulness of the created resources for evaluating performance of different word embedding models on the tasks of analogical reasoning and synonym detection. The benchmark data sets and word embeddings are all made freely available.


The dynamics and systematicity of terminology: this book addresses these essential and intriguing aspects of terminology, by using quantitative methodologies which have been underutilized in the field to date. Through the analysis of the Japanese terminologies of six domains and with special reference to the dynamic behaviour and the status of borrowed and native morphemes, the book reveals: (a) how borrowed and native morphemes contribute to the construction of these terminologies, and how these contributions are likely to change as the terminologies grow; (b) how borrowed and native morphemes contribute to the systematicity or systematic representation of conceptual systems; and (c) how borrowed and native morphemes are related to each other and to what extent they are mixed in constructing terminologies. It also examines the epistemological implications of applying these quantitative methodologies, which leads back to such essential questions as the relationship between terminology as a whole and individual terms and what we understand terms to be when we talk about the growth of terminologies. The book should be of interest to a wide audience, including theoretical terminologists, terminographers, quantitative linguists, computational linguists, lexicologists and lexicographers.


Previous research has emphasized the institutional racism in total institutions. Researchers have highlighted the importance of narratives but have not focused on narratives about ethnic monitoring and social control. This article tries to fill this gap by analysing stories related to descriptions of ethnic monitoring and social control as told by juveniles of non-Swedish ethnicity in Swedish juvenile care institutions. A juvenile's ethnicity was highlighted by drawing attention to the staff's monitoring and social control. Interviews elucidated the victimhood that non-Swedish juveniles portrayed in relation to the staff and/or Swedish juveniles. When juveniles of non-Swedish ethnicity described ethnic monitoring and social control, they generally distanced themselves from staff behaviour and portrayed a victim identity. In constructing their identity, juveniles sometimes used their ethnic background rhetorically when describing everyday situations in the institution. The juveniles portrayed a humiliated self through dissociation from the staff and through the descriptions that they were treated differently than Swedish juveniles.


In many ways the Palestinian civilian is the ultimate or significant 'other' for the Israeli soldier serving in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). (S)he is the one who will be stopped, checked, controlled and at times arrested. (S)he is the one who negotiates, pleads, begs and sometimes curses the soldier. This other represents, amongst other things, disorder for the soldiers. (S)he becomes the 'face' of the hardship, the frustration, anger, doubt and boredom the soldiers associate with their work within a military occupation. To regain a sense of order, control and normalcy soldiers construct the military checkpoint as a 'moral geography' where the Palestinian is actively 'othered'. In this paper I will explore how moral boundaries are drawn along these physical borders in a landscape of conflict, while not losing sight of the symbolic meaning of this border. I will do this by exploring the way Palestinians are made into a moral other by Israeli soldiers, in an effort to create a certain sense of order, at the checkpoint. I will first discuss the checkpoint as a site of 'moral geography' that enhances and legitimizes these processes of othering that I will explore next. Finally, I will discuss the way Palestinians are made into a moral other, while tracing this back to a moral discourse that is geared to establish a 'normalized' self.


This article describes the design of an observer based robust linear output feedback controller for the regulation and output reference trajectory tracking tasks in switched 'buck' converter circuits feeding a completely unknown time-varying load. The state-dependent perturbation effects of the unknown load resistance are on-line estimated by means of a generalised proportional integral (GPI) observer, which represents the dual counterpart of GPI controllers introduced in Fliess, Márquez, Delaleau and Sira-Ramírez (Fliess, M., Márquez, R., Delaleau, E., and Sira-Ramírez, H. (2002), 'Correcteurs Proportionnels-intégraux Géneralisés', ESAIM: Control, Optimisation and Calculus of Variations, 7, 23–41). The reconstructed perturbation complements the controller in a cancellation effort which allows the core of the feedback controller to become a traditional proportional derivative (PD) controller. The designed average feedback controller is then implemented via a sigma–delta-modulator, which effectively translates the designed continuous average feedback control input signal into a discrete valued switched input signal driving the converter's input switch and preserving all relevant features of the average design. The Appendix collects some generalities about GPI observers.


The super Catalan numbers T (m,n) = (2m)!(2n)!/2m!n!(m + n)! are integers which generalize the Catalan numbers. Since 1874, when Eugene Catalan discovered these numbers, many mathematicians have tried to find their combinatorial interpretation. This dissertation is dedicated to this open problem. In Chapter 1 we review known results on T (m,n) and their q-analog polynomials. In Chapter 2 we give a weighted interpretation for T (m,n) in terms of 2-Motzkin paths of length m+n−2 and a reformulation of this interpretation in terms of Dyck paths. We then convert our weighted interpretation into a conventional combinatorial interpretation for m = 1, 2. At the beginning of Chapter 2, we prove our weighted interpretation for T (m,n) by induction. In the final section of Chapter 2 we present a constructive combinatorial proof of this result based on rooted plane trees. In Chapter 3 we introduce two q-analog super Catalan numbers. We also define the q-Ballot number and provide its combinatorial interpretation. Using our q-Ballot number, we give an identity for one of the q-analog super Catalan numbers and use it to interpret a q-analog super Catalan number in the case m = 2. In Chapter 4 we review problems left open and discuss their difficulties. This includes the unimodality of some of the q-analog polynomials and the conventional combinatorial interpretation of the super Catalan numbers and their q-analogs for higher values of m.


Is globalization being eclipsed by a resurgent geopolitics? Does the war on terror denote the end of globalization or a new phase of militarized globalization? Empire or globalization, which better describes the current global condition? In the aftermath of September 11th, and the war in Iraq, there has been much talk of the end of globalization. These post-mortems for globalization, as this book argues, are entirely premature. In this completely revised and expanded monograph Held and McGrew test the claims of those who dismiss the continuing significance of globalization through a comprehensive assessment of contemporary global trends. This thematic exploration focuses upon the primary structures of world order namely: patterns of governance, organized violence, and cultural, ecological and economic exchange with particular emphasis given to global patterns of inequality, exclusion and domination. Each chapter discusses and evaluates the contending claims and counterclaims of the principal antagonists in the globalization debate: the globalists and anti-globalists.Building upon this analysis the author's present the case for continuing to take globalization seriously as both a description and explanation of our current global predicament. Indeed globalization remains, they argue, a fundamental source of both intense controversy and conflict within and more significantly beyond the academy. For it resurrects, albeit in a new context, one of the foundational questions of political life namely: who rules, in whose interests, to what ends, and by what means? In this respect it engages one of the most important ethical and political debates of our times: can globalization be tamed? Whether a more just and stable world order is either desirable or feasible is explored in the concluding chapters which present an alternative ethical and political agenda for the twenty-first century – a global covenant of cosmopolitan social democracy.
This book provides an assiduous study for all those who remain intrigued, confused or simply baffled by the controversy about globalization and its consequences for the twenty first century world order.


The Web is continuing to grow rapidly and search engine technologies are evolving fast. Despite these developments, some problems still remain, mainly, difficulties in finding relevant, dependable information. This problem is exacerbated in the case of the academic community, which requires reliable scientific materials in various specialized research areas.

We propose that a solution for the academic community might be a meta–search engine which would allow search queries to be sent to several specialty search engines that are most relevant for the information needs of the academic community. The basic premise is that since the material indexed in the repositories of specialty search engines is usually controlled, it is more reliable and of better quality.

A database selection algorithm for a specialty meta–search engine was developed, taking into consideration search patterns of the academic community, features of specialty search engines and the dynamic nature of the Web.

This algorithm was implemented in a prototype of a specialty meta–search engine for the medical community called AcadeME. AcadeME's performance was compared to that of a general search engine — represented by Google, a highly regarded and widely used search engine — and to that of a single specialty search engine — represented by the medical Queryserver. From the comparison to Google it was found that AcadeME contributed to the quality of the results from the point of view of the academic user. From the comparison to the medical Queryserver it was found that AcadeMe contributed to relevancy and to the variety of the results as well.


This thesis describes the development of predictor-corrector variable stepsize variable order based on backward differentiation formulae (BVSVO) method and direct predictor-corrector variable stepsize variable order based on backward differentiation
formulae (DBVSVO) method for solving first order and special second order stiff delay differential equations respectively. The predictor and corrector formulae are represented in divided difference form. The developed methods are implemented
using variable stepsize variable order technique. In varying the stepsize, the coefficients of the methods need to be recomputed at every step which will create extra computational cost. Thus, in order to reduce the computational cost, the coefficients of the methods are computed by a simple recurrence relation. In solving
first order stiff delay differential equations using the BVSVO method, the numerical results are compared with non-stiff method, single-step method and multistep method.From the numerical results, the BVSVO method has shown the efficiency and reliability for solving first order stiff delay differential equations in terms of total number of steps, maximum error and average error. The DBVSVO method is used to solve special second order stiff delay differential equations directly without reducing
to first order equations. We present some test examples to check an accuracy and efficiency of the DBVSVO method. For comparison purposes, the same set of test examples is reduced to a system of first order equations and solved using the BVSVO
method. The numerical results for solving special second order stiff delay differential equations using the DBVSVO method is better compared with the BVSVO method in term of total number of function evaluations


During World War II, Japan was vilified by America as our hated enemy in the East. Though we distinguished "good Germans" from the Nazis, we condemned all Japanese indiscriminately as fanatics and savages. As the Cold War heated up, however, the U.S. government decided to make Japan its bulwark against communism in Asia. But how was the American public made to accept an alliance with Japan so soon after the "Japs" had been demonized as subhuman, bucktoothed apes with Coke-bottle glasses? In this revelatory work, Naoko Shibusawa charts the remarkable reversal from hated enemy to valuable ally that occurred in the two decades after the war. While General MacArthur's "Occupation Forces" pursued our nation's strategic goals in Japan, liberal American politicians, journalists, and filmmakers pursued an equally essential, though long-unrecognised, goal: the dissemination of a new and palatable image of the Japanese among the American public. With extensive research, from "Occupation" memoirs to military records, from court documents to Hollywood films, and from charity initiatives to newspaper and magazine articles, Shibusawa demonstrates how the evil enemy was rendered as a feminised, submissive nation, as an immature youth that needed America's benevolent hand to guide it toward democracy. Interestingly, Shibusawa reveals how this obsession with race, gender, and maturity reflected America's own anxieties about race relations and equity between the sexes in the post-war world. "America's Geisha Ally" is an exploration of how belligerents reconcile themselves in the wake of war, but also offers insight into how a new superpower adjusts to its role as the world's pre-eminent force.


Field classification is an extension of the traditional classification framework, by breaking the i.i.d. assumption. In field classification, patterns occur as groups (fields) of homogeneous styles. By utilizing style consistency, classifying groups of patterns is often more accurate than classifying single patterns. In this paper, we extend the Bayes decision theory, and develop the Field Bayesian Model (FBM) to deal with field classification. Specifically, we propose to learn a Style Normalized Transformation (SNT) for each field. Via the SNTs, the data of different fields are transformed to a uniform style space (i.i.d. space). The proposed model is a general and systematic framework, under which many probabilistic models can be easily extended for field classification. To transfer the model to unseen styles, we propose a transductive model called Transfer Bayesian Rule (TBR) based on self-training. We conducted extensive experiments on face, speech and a large-scale handwriting dataset, and got significant error rate reduction compared to the state-of-the-art methods.


The purpose of this study is that through a discourse theoretical perspective, analyze young girls 'statements about living with self-injuring by sexual behavior. The aim is to locate the discourses that surround them, visualize how discursive constructions affect these young girls' identity as victims and/or actors in relation to self-injury, the sexual violence and in meetings with the professionals within the health authorities. In addition discourse theory as an analyze method, the authors also use Nils Christie's (2001) theory of the ideal victim and Ingrid Landers (2003) theoretical perspectives on normative femininity. The authors of the study show a diversity of discourses that surround the young girls. All discourses contain normative actor- and victim's positions that young girls constantly are obliged to relate to, which partially conflict with social constructions of the idea of victim and femininity. These positions are assigned, claimed or opposition to, and characterizes not only the young girls self-image, but also how professionals within the health authorities look at them and what support and assistance that's offered or deprived. Finally, the authors argue for a broader approach to young girls who self-injuring by sexual behavior, they can be both victims and actors and advocates a questioning of oppressive norms to detect and identify the young girls who self-injure by sexual behavior, when it is a prerequisite to widen their options and discretion.


Time-activity budgets for Least Terns and Black Skimmers were determined for the 2004 and 2005 nesting seasons. These species had significantly different time-activity budgets. Least Terns spent more time engaged in incubation activities (72.89%), followed by brooding (9.53%), preening (6.65%), and standing (3.95%). Aggression, courtship, courtship feeding, flying, nest building, nest relief, sitting, tucking, and walking or running collectively accounted for 6.98% of their budget. Black Skimmers spent the majority of their time standing (28.86%) and incubating (28.70%), followed by brooding (15.73%), tucking (9.45%), sitting (5.98%), preening (4.99%), and walking or running (3.12%). Aggression, courtship, flying, nest building, and nest relief together totaled only 3.16% of their budget. Black Skimmer time-activity budgets also differed by sex; however, both sexes spent nearly identical amounts of time incubating, walking or running, and in aggressive acts. Both sexes spent 49% of the time with their mates. Week of the nesting season, time of day, air temperature, cloud cover, and wind speed significantly influenced Least Tern and Black Skimmer behavior. Air temperature was correlated with week of the nesting season. Least Terns displayed a pronounced sexual division of labor; females primarily were involved in incubation and brooding while males provisioned their mates and chicks. Black Skimmers did not display a sexual division of labor; both males and females shared incubation duties and provisioned their chicks.


This work presents novel discrete-time chaotic systems with some known physical system nonlinearities. Dynamic behaviors of the models are examined with numerical methods and Arduino microcontroller-based experimental studies. Many new chaotic maps are generated in the form of x(k + 1) = rx(k) + f(x(k)) and high-dimensional chaotic systems are obtained by weak coupling or cross-coupling the same or different chaotic maps. An application of the chaotic maps is realized with Arduino for chaotic pulse width modulation to drive electrical machines. It is expected that the new chaotic maps and their microcontroller implementations will facilitate practical chaos-based applications in different fields.


In this paper, we test the hypothesis that interesting events in unstructured videos are inherently audiovisual. We combine deep image representations for object recognition and scene understanding with representations from an audiovisual affect recognition model. To this set, we include content agnostic audio-visual synchrony representations and mel-frequency cepstral coefficients to capture other intrinsic properties of audio. These features are used in a modular supervised model. We present results from two experiments: efficacy study of single features on the task, and an ablation study where we leave one feature out at a time. For the video summarization task, our results indicate that the visual features carry most information, and including audiovisual features improves over visual-only information. To better study the task of highlight detection, we run a pilot experiment with highlights annotations for a small subset of video clips and fine-tune our best model on it. Results indicate that we can transfer knowledge from the video summarization task to a model trained specifically for the task of highlight detection.


The purpose of this document is to provide instructions to the KFS users regarding the proper use of the KFS multiply imputed data to draw statistically valid inferences in their works. Also, it describes the general framework of the imputation process.


Objective: To compare the efficacy of novel interactive, motion capture-rehabilitation software to usual care stroke rehabilitation on physical function. Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial. Setting: Two subacute hospital rehabilitation units in Australia. Participants: In all, 73 people less than six months after stroke with reduced mobility and clinician determined capacity to improve. Interventions: Both groups received functional retraining and individualized programs for up to an hour, on weekdays for 8–40 sessions (dose matched). For the intervention group, this individualized program used motivating virtual reality rehabilitation and novel gesture controlled interactive motion capture software. For usual care, the individualized program was delivered in a group class on one unit and by rehabilitation assistant 1:1 on the other. Main measures: Primary outcome was standing balance (functional reach). Secondary outcomes were lateral reach, step test, sitting balance, arm function, and walking. Results: Participants (mean 22 days post-stroke) attended mean 14 sessions. Both groups improved (mean (95% confidence interval)) on primary outcome functional reach (usual care 3.3 (0.6 to 5.9), intervention 4.1 (−3.0 to 5.0) cm) with no difference between groups (P = 0.69) on this or any secondary measures. No differences between the rehabilitation units were seen except in lateral reach (less affected side) (P = 0.04). No adverse events were recorded during therapy. Conclusion: Interactive, motion capture rehabilitation for inpatients post stroke produced functional improvements that were similar to those achieved by usual care stroke rehabilitation, safely delivered by either a physical therapist or a rehabilitation assistant.


Summary
1. Through nest-site selection, mothers exert control over the incubation environment to which eggs are exposed, which in turn can affect offspring fitness. The strong relationship between offspring quality and incubation temperature in many ectotherms suggests that contemporary climate change could modify the fitness benefits gained from such behaviour.

2. We used life-history data from a tropical lizard (the long-tailed skink, Eutropis longicaudata) to show that a natural dichotomy in nesting habitat directly influences fitness, but that higher ambient temperatures in recent years are having a disproportionate impact on 'optimal' nest sites.

3. Gravid lizards either lay eggs beneath rocks in natural habitat or inside a concrete wall in human-modified habitat, where incubation temperatures are higher. Consequently, females using artificial habitat produced larger hatchlings that matured earlier and had higher rates of survival than conspecifics using natural habitat.

4. Ambient temperatures have impacted artificial habitats disproportionately over the last decade by increasing nest temperatures in artificial habitat three times that of natural habitat (1·5 vs. 0·5 °C, respectively). This has reversed nest-site quality by lowering offspring viability of artificial nest sites, but has increased offspring viability of natural nest sites.

5. Climate change has overridden the fitness benefits derived from nesting in artificial habitats, but has caused a resultant increase in the fitness benefits derived from nesting in natural habitats. Laboratory incubation experiments confirm that these patterns are attributed to temperature.

6. Our study highlights the interactive effects of disparate human environmental impacts on fauna; by creating the concrete wall, human habitat modification initially conferred fitness benefits by increasing incubation temperatures, but human-induced climate change has raised nest temperatures above the point at which fitness is reduced.

7. Contemporary climate change is altering the location and availability of 'optimal' nesting habitat, thereby changing the ability of nesting females to adaptively manipulate the phenotypes of their offspring. Consequently, human-induced climate change can lead to some habitats becoming ecological traps.


Abstract The medicinal plant, Scutellaria orientalis, is used for the treatment of several diseases in North-western of Iran. The purpose of this study was to investigate the phytochemical content, cytotoxicity assay against SW-480 and HCT-116 cells and anti-haemolytic activities using HPLC-PDA, GC/MS, MTT and spectrophotometry methods, respectively. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of different terpenoids and flavonoids such as baicalin, tricin and wogonin and also some of the other medicinally active compounds such as conhydrine and cannabidiol. MTT results revealed that HCT-116 cells were more sensitive to examined extracts compared with SW-480 cells. Methanol extract had the most anti-proliferative activity against HCT-116 and SW-480 cells at 48 h with IC50 values of 614.5 and 592.3 µg/mL, respectively. Also, all samples had no significant haemolytic effect on human erythrocytes. Our results revealed that S. orientalis root extract has a promising anticancer activity, indicating the presence of major anti-cancer agents on human colon cell lines. Graphical Abstract


On Our Selection is a series of stories by Steele Rudd, the pen name of Arthur Hoey Davis. The stories portray elements of small 'selector' farming in federation-era Australia and represent a significant body of literature originating in or 'about' the 'bush', the 'outback', the 'never-never' – unspecific appellations attached to regions of non-urban Australia. The stories detail the Rudd family's experiences after taking up a 'selection' in the Australian bush – the arduous processes of early clearing through to their relative prosperity. 'Dad Rudd' has been described as 'Australia's Everyman', and his pugnacious attitude of opposition to the 'squattocracy' and the cities resonated with audiences. The sketches, periodicals, radio plays, theatre productions and, eventually, films that continued the Rudd legacy made these stories a significant voice in the creation of Australian national identity – or at least the 'bush' identity. However, an attempt to update the representation to the 1970s in a television series was unsuccessful. This article considers the interaction between the legislative creation of 'selection' of land and the depictions of life on a selection in the creation of the Australian national identity. It then considers the media and social changes that contextualise the failure of the television series.


In this paper we derive some unbiased estimators of the population mean under simple inverse sampling with replacement, using the class of Hansen-Hurwitz and Horvitz-Thompson type estimators and the poststratification approach. We also compare the efficiency of resulting estimators together with Murthy's estimator. We show that in despite of general belief, the strategy consisting of inverse sampling with Murthy's estimator is highly less efficient when the target population is rare, whereas it can be more efficient when subpopulation means are closed. In fact, for inverse sampling to be highly efficient design one should know the population structure and then use an appropriate estimator.


This article explores how strategies of thinking and working politically are used by agencies within developing country governments to influence wider government agendas. It uses research on climate change mitigation in China and India to explore how government agencies seek to overcome challenges of limited capacity and competing priorities by bundling climate change together with more immediate priorities and thereby developing a coalition with an interest in achieving these objectives. The article is based on interviews conducted in China and India, as well as analysis of themes covered in the growing body of literature on the domestic politics of climate change mitigation. In both countries we found that pragmatic approaches leveraging what already exists made significant progress in putting energy efficiency on the agenda, strengthening institutional presence (in India) and delivering improvements in energy efficiency (in China). Yet, we also found that the use of these tactics had significant limitations. While there was probably no other way that the policy space given to climate change mitigation could have increased so rapidly, there are significant side effects that arise as a result of the traction gained by these initial policy approaches. While bundling raised the profile of energy efficiency, it also created perverse incentives that highlight the need to consider the long‐term effect on the interests, capacity and sustainability of informal coalitions. We highlight the need to take account of both the short‐ and long‐term effects of thinking and working politically, and the challenges of doing so when the outcomes are unpredictable and inherently difficult to assess.


This is part of a project submitted to fulfill the requirements of the course "City and Regional Planning 724 : Introduction to Planning for Sustainable Development", completed Fall Quarter of 2007 at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.


The granular layer of the cerebellum has a disproportionately large number of excitatory (granule cells) versus inhibitory neurons (Golgi cells). Its synaptic organization is also unique with a dense reciprocal innervation between granule and Golgi cells but without synaptic contacts among the neurons of either population. Physiological recordings of granule or Golgi cell activity are scarce, and our current thinking about the way the granular layer functions is based almost exclusively on theoretical considerations. We computed the steady-state activity of a large-scale model of the granular layer of the rat cerebellum. Within a few tens of milliseconds after the start of random mossy fiber input, the populations of Golgi and granule cells became entrained in a single synchronous oscillation, the basic frequency of which ranged from 10 to 40 Hz depending on the average rate of firing in the mossy fiber population. The long parallel fibers ensured, through alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid-mediated synapses, a coherent excitation of Golgi cells, while the regular firing of each Golgi cell synchronized all granule cells within its axonal radius through transient activation of their gamma-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) receptor synapses. Individual granule cells often remained silent during a few successive oscillation cycles so that their average firing rates, which could be quite variable, reflected the average activities of their mossy fiber afferents. The synchronous, rhythmic firing pattern was robust over a broad range of biologically realistic parameter values and to parameter randomization. Three conditions, however, made the oscillations more transient and could desynchronize the entire network in the end: a very low mossy fiber activity, a very dominant excitation of Golgi cells through mossy fiber synapses (rather than through parallel fiber synapses), and a tonic activation of granule cell GABAA receptors (with an almost complete absence of synaptically induced inhibitory postsynaptic currents). These three conditions were associated with a reduction in the parallel fiber activity, and synchrony could be restored by increasing the mossy fiber firing rate. The model predicts that, under conditions of strong mossy fiber input to the cerebellum, Golgi cells do not only control the strength of parallel fiber activity but also the timing of the individual spikes. Provided that their parallel fiber synapses constitute an important source of excitation, Golgi cells fire rhythmically and synchronized with granule cells over large distances along the parallel fiber axis. According to the model, the granular layer of the cerebellum is desynchronized when the mossy fiber firing rate is low.


The Arctic and Antarctic share a strong seasonality of light and temperature extremes that create similar selective pressures for animals living in these two polar and associated sub polar regions. There is significant evidence that Arctic ice conditions are rapidly deteriorating due to global climate change and evidence that Antarctic ice is also changing. Sub polar regions experience a seasonal ice cover with an added dynamic range of environmental conditions often exceeding that at the poles. In polar and sub polar waters, the presence of sea ice dominates the physical environment for an extended period of time. This strongly influences pinniped distribution, reproductive strategies, foraging ecology, and acoustic behavior. In both polar regions, seals have distinctly different underwater vocal repertoires associated with breeding and an airborne repertoire associated with mother and pup communication. In this chapter, a comparative approach is taken to relate the underwater acoustic behavior of polar pinnipeds (phocids and walrus) to their ecology and aspects of their sea ice habitat. Understanding the commonalities and differences in the spatial, spectral, and temporal characteristics of vocalizations from species with comparable biologies relative to local sea ice conditions may provide insights into the acoustic ecology of pinnipeds in polar habitats.
Acoustic ecology describes the interaction between an animal and its environment as mediated through sound and is determined by the species' behavioral ecology, but also by biotic and abiotic factors of the environment. Insight into acoustic ecology may therefore provide information on the potential direct and indirect impacts of polar climate change on pinnipeds. Loss of sea ice will likely affect polar pinniped distribution and breeding activities; both of which can be detected through long-term passive acoustic monitoring.
One of the secondary effects of sea ice loss is the impact to the polar acoustic soundscape (i.e., the acoustic environment). The communication system of polar pinnipeds, which permeates critical life functions like breeding, evolved in an acoustic environment dominated by ambient noise levels associated with seasonal ice cover. Changes in ice dynamics will likely be accompanied by shifts in habitat use by both marine animals and humans which will lead to a corresponding change in the acoustic soundscape. The combined impacts of these effects is unprecedented, but the knowledge gained from a comparison of pinniped acoustic ecology between the Arctic and the Antarctic will lead to a better understanding of the relationship between ice seals and their changing environment.


Tuberous sclerosis complex is an autosomal dominant neurocutaneous disorder marked by hamartoma growth in multiple organ systems. We performed mutational analyses on 325 individuals with definite tuberous sclerosis complex diagnostic status. We identified mutations in 72% (199/257) of de novo and 77% (53/68) of familial cases, with 17% of mutations in the TSC1 gene and 50% in the TSC2 gene. There were 4% unclassified variants and 29% with no mutation identified. Genotype/phenotype analyses of all observed tuberous sclerosis complex findings in probands were performed, including several clinical features not analyzed in two previous large studies. We showed that patients with TSC2 mutations have significantly more hypomelanotic macules and learning disability in contrast to those with TSC1 mutations, findings not noted in previous studies. We also observed results consistent with two similar studies suggesting that individuals with mutations in TSC2 have more severe symptoms. On performing meta-analyses of our data and the other two largest studies in the literature, we found significant correlations for several features that individual studies did not have sufficient power to conclude. Male patients showed more frequent neurologic and eye symptoms, renal cysts, and ungual fibromas. Correlating genotypes with phenotypes should facilitate the disease management of tuberous sclerosis complex.


BACKGROUND:Postoperative hyperglycemia has been associated with poor surgical outcome. The effect of intraoperative glucose management on postoperative glucose levels and the optimal glycemic threshold for initiating insulin are currently unknown. METHODS:We performed a retrospective cohort study of surgery patients who required intraoperative glucose management with data extracted from electronic medical records. In patients who required glucose management, intraoperative glucose levels and insulin therapy were compared against postoperative glucose levels during 3 periods: first postoperative level within 1 hour, within the first 12 hours, and 24 hours of the postoperative period. Logistic regression models that adjusted for patient and surgical factors were used to determine the association between intraoperative glucose management and postoperative glucose levels. RESULTS:In 2440 patients who required intraoperative glucose management, an increase in mean intraoperative glucose level by 10 mg/dL was associated with an increase in postoperative glucose levels by 4.7 mg/dL (confidence interval [CI], 4.1–5.3; P < 0.001) for the first postoperative glucose measurement, 2.6 mg/dL (CI, 2.1–3.1; P < 0.001) for the mean first 12-hour postoperative glucose, and 2.4 mg/dL (CI, 2.0–2.9; P < 0.001) for the mean first 24-hour postoperative glucose levels (univariate analysis). Multivariate analysis showed that these effects depended on (interacted with) body mass index and diabetes status of the patient. Both diabetes status (regression coefficient = 12.2; P < 0.001) and intraoperative steroid use (regression coefficient = 10.2; P < 0.001) had a positive effect on elevated postoperative glucose levels. Intraoperative hyperglycemia (>180 mg/dL) was associated with postoperative hyperglycemia during the first 12 hours and the first 24 hours. However, interaction with procedure duration meant that this association was stronger for shorter surgeries. When compared with starting insulin for an intraoperative glucose threshold of 140 mg/dL thus avoiding hyperglycemia, initiation of insulin for a hyperglycemia threshold of 180 mg/dL was associated with an increase in postoperative glucose level (7 mg/dL; P < 0.001) and postoperative hyperglycemia incidence (odds ratio = 1.53; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS:A higher intraoperative glucose level is associated with a higher postoperative glucose level. Intraoperative hyperglycemia increases the odds for postoperative hyperglycemia. Adequate intraoperative glucose management by initiating insulin infusion when glucose level exceeds 140 mg/dL to prevent hyperglycemia is associated with lower postoperative glucose levels and fewer incidences of postoperative hyperglycemia. However, patient- and procedure-specific variable interactions make the relationship between intraoperative and postoperative glucose levels complicated.


The chronic phase of HIV infection is marked by pathological activation of the immune system, the extent of which better predicts disease progression than either plasma viral load or CD4+ T cell count. Recently, translocation of microbial products from the gastrointestinal tract has been proposed as an underlying cause of this immune activation, based on indirect evidence including the detection of microbial products and specific immune responses in the plasma of chronically HIV-infected humans or SIV-infected Asian macaques. We analyzed tissues from SIV-infected rhesus macaques (RMs) to provide direct in situ evidence for translocation of microbial constituents from the lumen of the intestine into the lamina propria and to draining and peripheral lymph nodes and liver, accompanied by local immune responses in affected tissues. In chronically SIV-infected RMs this translocation is associated with breakdown of the integrity of the epithelial barrier of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and apparent inability of lamina propria macrophages to effectively phagocytose translocated microbial constituents. By contrast, in the chronic phase of SIV infection in sooty mangabeys, we found no evidence of epithelial barrier breakdown, no increased microbial translocation and no pathological immune activation. Because immune activation is characteristic of the chronic phase of progressive HIV/SIV infections, these findings suggest that increased microbial translocation from the GI tract, in excess of capacity to clear the translocated microbial constituents, helps drive pathological immune activation. Novel therapeutic approaches to inhibit microbial translocation and/or attenuate chronic immune activation in HIV-infected individuals may complement treatments aimed at direct suppression of viral replication.


PURPOSE
The purpose of this study is to compare the cost-effectiveness of two external beam radiation therapy techniques for treatment of low- to intermediate-risk prostate cancer: stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A Markov decision analysis model with probabilistic sensitivity analysis was designed with the various disease states of a 70-year-old patient with organ-confined prostate cancer to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of two external beam radiation treatment options.

RESULTS
The Monte Carlo simulation revealed that the mean cost and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) for SBRT and IMRT were $22,152 and 7.9 years and $35,431 and 7.9 years, respectively. The sensitivity analysis revealed that if the SBRT cohort experienced a decrease in quality of life of 4% or a decrease in efficacy of 6%, then SBRT would no longer dominate IMRT in cost-effectiveness. In fact, with these relaxed assumptions for SBRT, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of IMRT met the societal willingness to pay threshold of $50,000 per QALY.

CONCLUSION
Compared with IMRT, SBRT for low- to intermediate-risk prostate cancer has great potential cost savings for our health care system payers and may improve access to radiation, increase patient convenience, and boost quality of life for patients. Our model suggests that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of IMRT compared with SBRT is highly sensitive to quality-of-life outcomes, which should be adequately and comparably measured in current and future prostate SBRT studies.


The debates related to the representation of the mentally ill in the media have been wide ranging over the last 20 years. Emergent representations have often been stigmatizing, claiming that the mentally ill are violent and dangerous. This study used an emergent methodological design to explore what the current representations of the mentally ill were and identify a case study from the available representations. It then examined the influence that the case study had on the thoughts and practice of experienced mental health practitioners. The study involved 8 practitioners and identified thoughts influenced by reading the case study and an academic article. Practitioner's thoughts were captured over 3 separate interviews and by practitioners providing written reflections. At the last interview, practitioners were asked to provide comments as to what the experience of taking part in the study had meant to them. Generic themes related to risk, blame and professionalism all emerged. The study also found that practitioners were able to reflect on the influence that the material had on them, finding that only after discussing the reflections in the interviews that they became aware of some of their defensive thoughts and actions. The outcome of the study is that the media continue to present a negative representation of the mentally ill and mental health care, and that practitioner's thoughts and actions are influenced by the media representation.


This article presents a case study that explores the creation of value by a social enterprise, Furniture Bank, for its stakeholders. The study is undertaken using the social return on investment framework. The case highlights insights and caveats that resulted from undertaking this type of analysis. This article calls for an integrated approach to social return on investment processes, incorporating both conventional accounting and social accounting.


Although the concept of quality of life (QOL) has become increasingly popular in the past few decades in a number of fields of research, few studies have specifically examined QOL for high-functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Several studies have found that objectively measured outcomes for adults with high-functioning autism (HFA) and Asperger's syndrome (AS) tend to be poor in terms of employment, relationships, mental health, and independence. However, it has been recently suggested that in order to obtain a more accurate depiction of overall QOL, subjective impressions must be examined as well. Recent research has found that the most significant predictor variable of QOL for high-functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorders is the discrepancy between support needed and formal support provided. The current study examined 15 formal support variables and their relationships to subjective QOL scores on the WHOQOL-BREF, in 4 domains (physical health, psychological health, environment, and social relationships) as well as overall QOL. A total of 33 participants completed a questionnaire that included items designed to obtain information on demographics and formal support. Participants also completed the WHOQOL-BREF in order to obtain overall QOL scores along with QOL domain scores. Significant negative correlations were found between Environmental QOL scores and the accessing of a social worker as well as the accessing of social groups. Significant negative correlations were also found between Social QOL scores and the accessing of a psychiatrist and a single-item overall QOL score and the accessing of counselling or psychotherapy. All correlations between formal support factors and QOL scores showed lower QOL scores for those individuals who accessed the supports. The results of standard multiple regression analyses revealed a significant model that accounted for 49% of the


Current techniques of estimating shallow shear velocities for assessment of earthquake site response are too costly for use at most construction sites. They require large sources to be effective in noisy urban settings or specialized independent recorders laid out in an extensive array. This work shows that microtremor noise recordings made on 200-m-long lines of seismic refraction equipment can estimate shear velocity with 20% accuracy, often to 100-m depths. The combination of commonly available equipment, simple recording with no source, a wavefield transformation data processing technique, and an interactive Rayleigh-wave dispersion modeling tool exploits the most effective aspects of the microtremor, spectral analysis of surface wave (SASW) and multichannel analysis of surface wave (MASW) techniques. The slowness-frequency wavefield transformation is particularly effective in allowing accurate picking of Rayleigh-wave phase-velocity dispersion curves despite the presence of waves propagating across the linear array at high apparent velocities, higher-mode Rayleigh waves, body waves, air waves, and incoherent noise. Two locations illustrate the application of this technique in detail: coincident with a large accelerometer microtremor array in Reno, Nevada; and atop a borehole logged for shear velocity in Newhall, California. Refraction equipment could duplicate microtremor results above 3 Hz but could not estimate velocities deeper than 100 m. Refraction microtremor cannot duplicate the detail in the velocity profile yielded by a suspension logger but can match the average velocity of 10- to 20-m depth intervals and suggest structure below the 100-m logged depth of the hole. Eight additional examples from southern California and New Zealand demonstrate that the refraction microtremor technique quickly produces good results from a wide range of hard and soft sites.


A novel magnetic metal–organic framework, NiFe2O4@MOF-5, has been prepared and characterized using spectroscopic, microscopic, and magnetic techniques (FT-IR, XRD, TEM, SEM, EDX, and VSM). This magnetically separable catalyst exhibited high catalytic activity for the synthesis of a variety of 2-substituted alkyl and aryl(indolyl)kojic acid derivatives via a one-pot, three-component reaction of aldehyde, indole, and kojic acid under solvent-free conditions. The catalyst can be easily magnetically separated and exhibits significant recyclability, with no significant loss of activity after six consecutive runs.


Since the appearance of the first edition of the Encyclopedia of National Anthems in 2003, many new events and situations have radically redrawn the political boundaries of the world map and redefined the policies and goals of individual nation-states from Nepal to Afghanistan, Mozambique to Montenegro. All of these shifts have entailed the creation or adoption of new anthems or the modification of existing ones. This revised and expanded edition of the Encyclopedia of National Anthems not only makes the long-overdue updates to the national anthems of the world but also improves upon the quality and accuracy of the music sheets and historical backgrounds through consultation with a greater number and wider variety of source materials. Every political entity with non-Latin script now has its original lyrics documented in the book, while English translations have been modified to better express meaning and intent. Flags and maps have been added to the country fact sheets to provide a visual complement to the text. In addition to current sovereign countries, this edition includes in separate sections the anthems of international organizations; of Kosovo, South Ossetia, and other non-UN states; and of extinct countries, such as the former Soviet Union and East Germany. This collection does not adhere to any political stance but instead reflects the contested and complicated nature of the modern nation-state, whose boundaries remain fluid and ever subject to change. This new edition of the Encyclopedia of National Anthems is an indispensable reference source for students and academic scholars for school projects and academic research initiatives. Libraries will find the new edition a valuable addition to their collections, as will government and diplomatic missions requiring a handy reference for international exchange. For the casual reader, this compilation also provides a wealth of resources that both inform and entertain.


Abstract It is often critically important that geospatial data are measured and mapped accurately, particularly for quantitative analyses and numerical modelling applications. Defining a geographical coordinate system requires a non-unique combination of geodetic techniques (e.g. ellipsoids, projections and geoids). The choice of geographical system presents scope for ambiguity and confusion about geographical data, especially those archived without appropriate metadata. Experience has shown that these confusions have been a repeating source of either frustration or inadvertent error for those using geographical data from Montserrat. This is, in part, probably due to common usage of multiple datums and the existence of numerous topographical datasets recorded during the past 150 years. Here, we attempt to provide a brief introduction to geodetic principles and their application to Montserrat geographical data. The differences between common datums are illustrated and we describe variations in magnetic declination as they apply to field use of magnetic instruments. We include a record of the source of the large-scale mapping datasets that have been used and analysed ubiquitously in the literature. The descriptions here are intended as an introductory reference resource for those using geographical data from Montserrat.


One of the major policy concerns surrounding violent conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Pakistan, Russia's North Caucasus region, Somalia, and Syria has been that these struggles may both attract and breed transnational insurgents, or foreign fighters. Yet despite this growing worry, relatively little is known about the ways in which transnational insurgents influence the domestic struggles they join. Existing scholarship assumes that such "outsiders" strengthen domestic opposition movements by bringing with them fighters, weapons, know-how, and access to financial resources. Indeed, access to such assets explains why domestic resistance leaders may initially welcome transnational insurgents. Foreign fighters, however, can also weaken domestic insurgencies by introducing new ideas regarding their objectives and how these struggles should be waged. The introduction of new goals and tactics can not only create divisions with opposition movements, but can also complicate the ability of local leaders to attract and maintain vital public support. Domestic resistance leaders' willingness and ability to adapt the ideas of transnational insurgents to local conditions is key to determining whether and how foreign fighters strengthen homegrown insurgencies.


150 Things You Should Know about Security, Second Edition covers the essential tips and techniques for the latest trends in physical security. This indispensable guide further covers the latest technological trends for managing the security needs of all kinds, from physical and corporate security, to the latest cybersecurity threats. Through anecdotes, case studies, and documented procedures, the authors have amassed the most complete collection of information on security available. Security professionals will find this book easy to use and understand when seeking practical tips for managing the latest security technologies, such as bio-metrics, IP video, video analytics, and more. Several themes have been included, such as management principles and styles, communications, security applications, investigations, technology, physical security, the future, and many more. In addition, tips for quantifying the reduction and prevention of crime, loss and liability risks are included, assisting security professionals in securing corporate resources for security manpower and infrastructure.Provides essential, practical tips on a seemingly infinite number of security topics, allowing busy security professionals quick access to the information they needBlends theory and practice with a specific focus on today's global business and societal environment and the various security, safety and asset protection challengesProvides tips on how to utilize the growing field of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED)


This trial was conducted to determine and compare the digestibility of amino acids and energy of soy hulls from two different sources. Five growing barrows (initially 150 lb) fitted with T-cannulas were each fed three different diets in a crossover design. Each of the first two diets contained 66.7% soy hulls from two different sources (Soy hulls A and Soy Hulls B). The third experimental diet was N-free and based on corn starch and sucrose for determining basal endogenous amino acid (AA) losses. Ileal digesta and fecal samples were collected during each period and analyzed for amino acid and energy contents. Due to poor flowability of digesta through the Tcannula of one pig when fed diets containing soy hulls, it was removed from the experiment and thus, only four pigs were used in all data analyses. Apparent (AID) and standardized (SID) ileal digestibilites, and gross (GE), digestible (DE), metabolizable (ME), and estimated net (NE) energy values were then calculated from these analyses. Both samples were analyzed for particle size using Ro-Tap shaker with a stack of Tyler screens. Particle size of soy hulls A and soy hulls B were 619 and 691μ, respectively. The results of the trial showed differences in nutrient composition and in amino acid and energy digestibilities between the two soy hulls. Apparent ileal digestibility values of lysine, methionine, and threonine in soy hulls A were 58.38, 65.93, and 50.68%, respectively and 51.10, 57.51, and 37.54%, respectively in soy hulls B. Standardized ileal digestibility values of the same amino acids were 61.13, 69.53, and 62.25%, respectively for soy hulls A and 54.60, 62.32, and 51.96%, respectively for soy Hulls B. As a percentage of CP, standardized ileal digestible lysine, methionine, and threonine values were 4.09, 0.83, and 2.16% for soy hulls A; and 4.01, 0.85, and 2.01% for soy hulls B, respectively. The ME, DE, and estimated NE values were 1,037; 1,097; and 722 kcal/lb for soy hulls A and 989, 1,030, and 680 kcal/lb for soy hulls B, respectively.


There is need to model behaviour of time-dependent non-linear material in stress or/and strain controlled experiments. This study explores possibility to apply model in both forms developed by Schapery for viscoelastic materials. Viscoelasticity has been analysed using experimental data from creep and relaxation tests. Incremental simulation procedure, which inverts model, where strains are expressed through stresses, is used to simulate relaxation curves for bio-based polymer. Comparison of viscoelastic parameters obtained from simulated and experimental relaxation curves has been performed.


This work talks about how recent research in cognitive science offers new ways to understand the interaction of people and computers and develops a new literacy for well-informed, sensitive software design. The evolution of the concept of mind in cognitive science over the past 25 years creates new ways to think about the interaction of people and computers. New ideas about embodiment, metaphor as a fundamental cognitive process, and conceptual integration - a blending of older concepts that gives rise to new, emergent properties - have become increasingly important in Software Engineering (SE) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). If once computing was based on algorithms, mathematical theories, and formal notations, now the use of stories, metaphors, and blends can contribute to well-informed, sensitive software design. In "Designing with Blends", Manuel Imaz and David Benyon show how these new metaphors and concepts of mind allow us to discover new aspects of HCI-SE. After 60 years, digital technology has come of age, but software design has not kept pace with technological sophistication; people struggle to understand and use their computers, cameras, phones, and other devices.
Imaz and Benyon argue that the dominance of digital media in our lives demands changes in HCI-SE based on advances in cognitive science. The idea of embodied cognition, they contend, can change the way we approach design by emphasizing the figurative nature of interaction. Imaz and Benyon offer both theoretical grounding and practical examples that illustrate the advantages of applying cognitive concepts to software design. A new view of cognition, they argue, will develop a cognitive literacy in software and interaction design that helps designers understand the opportunities of digital technology and provides people with a more satisfying interactive experience.


Traffic management and traffic information are essential in urban areas and require reliable knowledge about the current and future traffic state. Parametric and nonparametric traffic state prediction techniques have previously been developed with different advantages and shortcomings. While nonparametric prediction has shown good results for predicting the traffic state during recurrent traffic conditions, parametric traffic state prediction can be used during nonrecurring traffic conditions, such as incidents and events. Hybrid approaches have previously been proposed; these approaches combine the two prediction paradigms by using nonparametric methods for predicting boundary conditions used in a parametric method. In this paper, parametric and nonparametric traffic state prediction techniques are instead combined through assimilation in an ensemble Kalman filter. For nonparametric prediction, a neural network method is adopted; the parametric prediction is carried out with a cell transmission model with velocity as state. The results show that the hybrid approach can improve travel time prediction of journeys planned to commence 15 to 30 min into the future, with a prediction horizon of up to 50 min ahead in time to allow the journey to be completed.


Abstract. The Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) flying onboard MetOpA and MetOpB is able to capture fine isotopic variations of the HDO to H2O ratio (δD) in the troposphere. Such observations at the high spatio-temporal resolution of the sounder are of great interest to improve our understanding of the mechanisms controlling humidity in the troposphere. In this study we aim to empirically assess the validity of our error estimation previously evaluated theoretically. To achieve this, we compare IASI δD retrieved profiles with other available profiles of δD, from the TES infrared sounder onboard AURA and from three ground-based FTIR stations produced within the MUSICA project: the NDACC (Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change) sites Kiruna and Izana, and the TCCON site Karlsruhe, which in addition to near-infrared TCCON spectra also records mid-infrared spectra. We describe the achievable level of agreement between the different retrievals and show that these theoretical errors are in good agreement with empirical differences. The comparisons are made at different locations from tropical to Arctic latitudes, above sea and above land. Generally IASI and TES are similarly sensitive to δD in the free troposphere which allows one to compare their measurements directly. At tropical latitudes where IASI's sensitivity is lower than that of TES, we show that the agreement improves when taking into account the sensitivity of IASI in the TES retrieval. For the comparison IASI-FTIR only direct comparisons are performed because the sensitivity profiles of the two observing systems do not allow to take into account their differences of sensitivity. We identify a quasi negligible bias in the free troposphere (−3‰) between IASI retrieved δD with the TES, which are bias corrected, but important with the ground-based FTIR reaching −47‰. We also suggest that model-satellite observation comparisons could be optimized with IASI thanks to its high spatial and temporal sampling.


Thromboembolism in a cerebral blood vessel is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is one of the emergenc proceduresperformed to remove emboli. However, the interventional approaches such as aspiration catheters or stent retriever are empirically selected. An inappropriate selection of surgical devices can influence the success rate during embolectomy, which can lead to an increase in brain damage. There has been growing interest in the study of clot composition and using a priori knowledge of clot composition to provide guidance for an appropriate treatment strategy for interventional physicians. Developing imaging tools which can allow interventionalists to understand clot composition could affect management and device strategy. In this study, we investigated how clots of different compositions can be characterized by using acoustic radiation force optical coherence elastography (ARF–OCE) and compared with ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE). Five different clots compositions using human blood were fabricated into cylindrical forms from fibrin-rich (21% red blood cells, RBCs) to RBC-rich (95% RBCs). Using the ARF–OCE and SWE, we characterized the wave velocities measured in the time-domain. In addition, the semi-analytical finite element model was used to explore the relationship between the phase velocities with various frequency ranges and diameters of the clots. The study demonstrated that the wave group velocities generally decrease as RBC content increases in ARF–OCE and SWE. The correlation of the group velocities from the OCE and SWE methods represented a good agreement as RBC composition is larger than 39%. Using the phase velocity dispersion analysis applied to ARF–OCE data, we estimated the shear wave velocities decoupling the effects of the geometry and material properties of the clots. The study demonstrated that the composition of the clots can be characterized by elastographic methods using ARF–OCE and SWE, and OCE demonstrated better ability to discriminate between clots of different RBC compositions, compared to the ultrasound-based approach, especially in clots with low RBC compositions.


Retinoic acid is apparently required for the normal differentiation of reproductive epithelium. Cellular abnormalities in retinoid homeostasis could be a factor in the development of endometrial malignancy. We have thus investigated the expression of nuclear retinoic acid receptors (RARs and RXRs) and cellular binding proteins for retinol (CRBP) and retinoic acid (CRABP) in endometrial adenocarcinoma of the endometrioid histological subtype. Ten grade 1, 11 grade 2 and 10 grade 3 tumour samples, as well as 4 samples of severe atypical precan‐cerous endometrial hyperplasia, were studied. No significant difference in expression of RAR‐β was detected in tumour samples compared with normal epithelial cells. RAR‐γ was significantly elevated in grade 1 and 2 carcinomas, but this may be due to greater stromal cell involvement in these lower grade tumours. There was significant elevation of CRBP 1 mRNA in tumour samples. Furthermore, although undetectable in normal endometrial epithelium, CRABP 1 was expressed in 3/11 grade 2 and 9/10 grade 3 carcinomas, with expression being significantly higher where the primary tumour had invaded more than 50% of the total myometrial thickness. Analysis of 2 epithelial‐like endometrial adenocarcinoma cell lines supported the idea that CRABP 1 expression is characteristic of poorly differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma. Our data suggest that alterations in mechanisms of retinoid homeostasis are a feature of endometrial adenocarcinoma and may contribute to the severity of disease. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Once highlighted as a hobbyist's novelty, allied technologies such as 3D scanning, 3D modeling, and 3D printing are fueling vital new advances in a diversity of fields: in biomedical research, human tissue is being 3D printed to form human organs; the development of 3D printed titanium parts in aerospace engineering will save airplane manufacturers millions of dollars per plane; and 3D printing allows mathematicians to create intricate physical representations of geometric models that are otherwise difficult to visualize. Though 3D technologies have only recently gained a similar foothold throughout the humanities, the results are no less encouraging. Perhaps unsurprisingly, these projects focus in large part upon furthering our understanding of physical artifacts. Recent examples range from detailed replicas of delicate fossils and high-resolution 3D scans of engraved wooden blocks to 3D models of damaged paintings and fragile medieval artifacts. Application of these technologies naturally aligns with the study of material culture, facilitating the understanding of and access to rare and delicate materials. The appearance of 3D technologies within special collections is thus a fitting development.


IMPORTANCE
Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide. Current estimates of cancer burden in individual countries and regions are necessary to inform local cancer control strategies.

OBJECTIVE
To estimate mortality, incidence, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for 28 cancers in 188 countries by sex from 1990 to 2013.

EVIDENCE REVIEW
The general methodology of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2013 study was used. Cancer registries were the source for cancer incidence data as well as mortality incidence (MI) ratios. Sources for cause of death data include vital registration system data, verbal autopsy studies, and other sources. The MI ratios were used to transform incidence data to mortality estimates and cause of death estimates to incidence estimates. Cancer prevalence was estimated using MI ratios as surrogates for survival data; YLDs were calculated by multiplying prevalence estimates with disability weights, which were derived from population-based surveys; YLLs were computed by multiplying the number of estimated cancer deaths at each age with a reference life expectancy; and DALYs were calculated as the sum of YLDs and YLLs.

FINDINGS
In 2013 there were 14.9 million incident cancer cases, 8.2 million deaths, and 196.3 million DALYs. Prostate cancer was the leading cause for cancer incidence (1.4 million) for men and breast cancer for women (1.8 million). Tracheal, bronchus, and lung (TBL) cancer was the leading cause for cancer death in men and women, with 1.6 million deaths. For men, TBL cancer was the leading cause of DALYs (24.9 million). For women, breast cancer was the leading cause of DALYs (13.1 million). Age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) per 100 000 and age-standardized death rates (ASDRs) per 100 000 for both sexes in 2013 were higher in developing vs developed countries for stomach cancer (ASIR, 17 vs 14; ASDR, 15 vs 11), liver cancer (ASIR, 15 vs 7; ASDR, 16 vs 7), esophageal cancer (ASIR, 9 vs 4; ASDR, 9 vs 4), cervical cancer (ASIR, 8 vs 5; ASDR, 4 vs 2), lip and oral cavity cancer (ASIR, 7 vs 6; ASDR, 2 vs 2), and nasopharyngeal cancer (ASIR, 1.5 vs 0.4; ASDR, 1.2 vs 0.3). Between 1990 and 2013, ASIRs for all cancers combined (except nonmelanoma skin cancer and Kaposi sarcoma) increased by more than 10% in 113 countries and decreased by more than 10% in 12 of 188 countries.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Cancer poses a major threat to public health worldwide, and incidence rates have increased in most countries since 1990. The trend is a particular threat to developing nations with health systems that are ill-equipped to deal with complex and expensive cancer treatments. The annual update on the Global Burden of Cancer will provide all stakeholders with timely estimates to guide policy efforts in cancer prevention, screening, treatment, and palliation.


Study Design Venous outflow obstruction or congestion has been implicated in the etiology of some lumbar radicular syndromes. Ten cases of epidural varices or variants manifesting themselves as masses within the lumbar spinal canal or adjacent foramina have been seen. Objectives Diagnosis was made by multiplanar cross-sectional magnetic resonance and computed tomography imaging and confirmed in five patients by operative findings. These venous abnormalities differ from cases of anterlovenous malformations described in the literature. Method Surgical treatment consisting of coagulative oblation and/or excision of the lesion was consistently successful in the five patients who underwent operations for recalcitrant symptoms. The other five patients experienced spontaneous resolution of symptoms. Three distinctly different types of these abnormalities have been identified. Results The described entity may account for some previously unexplained or spontaneously resolving cases of lumbar radiculitis. Conclusions Knowledge of the existence of this condition, its possible etlologies, and its imaging characteristics may assist in its recognition and improved management of patients with it.


This paper provides an overview of the characteristics of migrant households and analyses the effects of migration in Vietnam, on the basis of the Vietnam Access to Resources Household Survey conducted in 2012 and 2014. The data reveal significant movements of household members, both intra- and inter-province. Differences are uncovered between migrant and non-migrant households: migrant households are wealthier than non-migrant households, as measured by food expenditure. The analysis shows that remittances and migration act as a shock-coping mechanism, especially in the presence of natural shocks. Remittance recipient households seem to react better to natural shocks, as the remittance flows counterbalance the need for borrowing.


A comparative study on regional traditional healing and community wellness provision in collaboration with traditional healers was conducted in three distinct ecological regions in the southern Western Ghats, India. The study led to the collection of data, from fourteen healers, on their healing systems, local afflictions and modes of treatment, community roles of healers, and adaptations of the respective populations to their environments via traditional healing. Key points emerging from these qualitative data include a general consensus among healers which preliminarily illustrates intact healing traditions, a keen healer and community interest in programming focused on the conservation of biodiversity and culture for sustainable, traditional wellness promotion, and that in sustaining health there must be healthful environmental surroundings.


Utilizing a sample of 80 married couples, the current study employed a dyadic approach to examine links between remembered parental rejection during childhood and change in marital satisfaction across the transition to parenthood. Partner remembered parental rejection, parenting efficacy, and infant temperamental reactivity (frustration and fear reactivity) were examined as moderator variables. Spouses' own remembered parental rejection was linked with declines in marital satisfaction among spouses whose partners recalled more rejection from their parents in childhood, among spouses who felt less efficacious in the parenting role, and among spouses who reported high infant frustration. Partner remembered parental rejection was linked with declines in marital satisfaction among spouses who reported that they were less efficacious in the parenting role. Results support the perspective that family-of-origin experiences are best understood in conjunction with other domains of family life. Applied implications are discussed.


Hydrology teaching benefits from the fact that many important processes can be illustrated and explained with simple physical models. A set of mobile physical models has been developed and used during many years of lecturing at basic university level teaching in hydrology. One model, with which many phenomena can be demonstrated, consists of a 1.0-m-long plexiglass container containing an about 0.25-m-deep open sand aquifer through which water is circulated. The model can be used for showing the groundwater table and its influence on the water content in the unsaturated zone and for quantitative determination of hydraulic properties such as the storage coefficient and the saturated hydraulic conductivity. It is also well suited for discussions on the runoff process and the significance of recharge and discharge areas for groundwater. The flow paths of water and contaminant dispersion can be illustrated in tracer experiments using fluorescent or colour dye. This and a few other physical models, with suggested demonstrations and experiments, are described in this article. The finding from using models in classroom teaching is that it creates curiosity among the students, promotes discussions and most likely deepens the understanding of the basic processes.


This case study evaluates milk input price-risk management strategies for a processor of refrigerated dairy products. The firm perceives price risk both when milk costs are over budget and when budgets are too conservative. Price-forecast ing models produced mean absolute percentage errors of sic to nine percent. Ina 2000-2008 simulation, hedging with Class ID milk futures reduced the variance of budget deviations by only 31 percent, while hedging with call options produced a similar cost profile with more predictable cash-flow requirements. Recommendations include using the price-forecasting models to improve budgeting accuracy but delaying the launch of a hedging program.


The subject of this article is the extensive use of metalepsis as an argumentative and rhetorical device in media discourse, and in particular in advertising. Metalepsis, a form of metonymy, sets up an inverted relation – causal, logical or contiguous – between terms and/or objects, either as an aesthetic effect or a means of persuasion. The first part of the article discusses the use of metalepsis in literature and film; the second part discusses the use of the figure in mass media and advertising; the third part discusses the relation between advertising, art, and popular culture. The final part of the article discusses the pervasive use metalepsis in advertising. Since metalepsis is a powerful rhetorical device, I have chosen the figure of the tiger to illustrate how it operates in advertising and media discourse.


Penile traction therapy (PTT) is a new therapeutic option for men with Peyronie's disease (PD). However, it has a long history of use in other fields of medicine including bone, skin, skeletal muscle, and Dupuytren's. Mechanotransduction, or gradual expansion of tissue by traction, leads to the formation of new collagen tissue by cellular proliferation. As a molecular result, continuous extension of the fibrous plaque causes significant increases in collagenase and metalloproteinases, and, ultimately, to fibrous plaque softening and extension. This hypothetical knowledge has been supported by recent well designed experimental studies. Furthermore, several clinical papers have provided promising results on the use of PTT in PD patients. It has been shown in some series that the use of PTT significantly increases flaccid and stretched penile lengths and results in significant penile curvature improvement when compared to baseline. Furthermore, the use of PTT concomitantly with either verapamil or interferon α-2b has also been shown to be an effective therapy. Additionally, the beneficial effect of PTT on penile length before or after penile surgery in men with corporal fibrosis has been described. Finally, as a minimally invasive alternative treatment option to penile augmentation surgery in men with dysmorphophobia, PTT use has shown promising results by several experts. Studies have shown that PTT provides an acceptable, minimally invasive method that can produce effective and durable lengthening of the penis in men complaining of a small/short penis. There are, however, several criticisms related to the designs of the reported studies, such as small sample size and selection bias. Well-designed studies with larger numbers of patients and longer follow-up periods are, however, needed to establish the true benefits of PTT.


What if restrictive procedural rules kept cases like Bakke v. Regents of the Univ. of Cal., Monell v. Dept. of Soc. Servs., and Hopkins v. Price Waterhouse from making it past a motion to dismiss and on to the Supreme Court? A case like Bakke is well-known for its holding about the use of race in admissions policies. But imagine that Alan Bakke was never able to get his original trial court complaint past a motion to dismiss, through discovery, and on to a final, appealable judgment. While reasonable people can disagree about the merits of Bakke, it is fair to say that our collective legal consciousness would be altered had he not been able to have his paradigmatic day in court. Yet, that world - the one without Bakke and his legal claim - is exactly the world in which our civil justice system increasingly finds itself. Plaintiffs like Bakke are simply vanishing, and the restrictive procedural regime is largely to blame. Over the past thirty years, Congress, the Supreme Court, and the civil rule-making bodies have responded to the argument that litigation is burdensome by restricting access to the system itself through changes to procedural doctrine. These institutions are concerned about the effect that merit-less litigation has on defendants. Yet, both the institutions responsible for formulating procedure and the scholars that critique the same have failed to carefully consider one critical issue: the identity of the plaintiffs whose meritorious claims are sacrificed under a restrictive procedural regime. We already know the identity of the defendants that most benefit under this regime - they are corporations, government bodies, and other organizations. But, the identity of the plaintiffs whose meritorious claims are lost is unknown and unstudied. This article constructs an identity for these plaintiffs by arguing that recent restrictive procedural changes, like those to pleading and summary judgment, interact differently with some plaintiffs' distinctive characteristics, like race, economic status, and/or gender. The result is that these plaintiffs - who the article calls vanishing plaintiffs - are less able to bring their claims. They are either barred from pursuing their claims by operation of a particular procedural rule or they are unable to get their claims into the system at all because of the regime's overall chilling effect. The loss of these claims comes at a high systemic cost. Litigation by vanishing plaintiffs has historically created new bodies of law and has served to enforce that law when other enforcement mechanisms have failed. With the exclusion of the vanishing plaintiff and her claims comes the loss of these critical path-breaking and enforcement mechanisms. Thus, in order to regain this benefit, the institutions responsible for crafting procedural doctrine should carefully consider how changes in procedure impact vanishing plaintiffs. This article argues that such a consideration will often require a retreat from the current restrictive procedural regime.


The secreted proteins Wingless and Hedgehog are essential to the elaboration of the denticle pattern in the epidermis of Drosophila embryos. We show that signaling by Wingless and Hedgehog regulates the expression of veinlet (rhomboid) and Serrate, two genes expressed in prospective denticle belts. Thus, Serrate and veinlet (rhom) partake in the last layer of the segmentation cascade. Ultimately, Wingless, Hedgehog, Veinlet (an indirect activator of the Egfr) and Serrate (an activator of Notch) are expressed in non-overlapping narrow stripes. The interface between any two stripes allows a reliable prediction of individual denticle types and polarity suggesting that contact-dependent signaling modulates individual cell fates. Attributes of a morphogen can be ascribed to Hedgehog in this system. However, no single morphogen organises the whole denticle pattern.


We present a framework for modeling and analysis of real-world business workflows. We present a formalized core subset of the business process modeling and notation (BPMN) and then proceed to extend this language with probabilistic nondeterministic branching and general-purpose reward annotations. We present an algorithm for the translation of such models into Markov decision processes (MDP) expressed in the syntax of the PRISM model checker. This enables precise quantitative analysis of business processes for the following properties: transient and steady-state probabilities, the timing, occurrence and ordering of events, reward-based properties, and best- and worst- case scenarios. We develop a simple example of medical workflow and demonstrate the utility of this analysis in accurate provisioning of drug stocks. Finally, we suggest a path to building upon these techniques to cover the entire BPMN language, allow for more complex annotations and ultimately to automatically synthesize workflows by composing predefined subprocesses, in order to achieve a configuration that is optimal for parameters of interest.


Background Iatrogenic hypothyroidism (IH) after treatment of hyperthyroidism can impair renal function. No study compared the efficacy of measurement of serum free thyroxine by equilibrium dialysis (fT4ed) or thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations for monitoring cats receiving methimazole. Objectives To (1) compare the ability of total T4 and fT4ed concentrations in conjunction with TSH to define thyroid function in hyperthyroid cats receiving methimazole, (2) determine the prevalence of IH in cats receiving methimazole, and (3) examine the relationship between thyroid axis hormones and serum creatinine concentration. Animals One hundred and twenty‐five serum samples from hyperthyroid cats receiving methimazole and total T4 concentrations ≤3.9 μg/dL. Methods Total T4, fT4ed, and TSH concentrations were measured to evaluate thyroid status and serum creatinine concentration was measured to assess renal function. A low total T4 or fT4ed concentration in combination with an increased TSH concentration defined IH. Results Forty‐one cats (33%) had increased TSH concentrations. Of cats with total T4 and fT4ed concentrations below the reference range, 68% and 73%, respectively, had TSH concentrations above the reference range. Only 18% of cats with a normal TSH concentration had an increased serum creatinine concentrations as compared to 39% of those with increased TSH concentrations (P < .001). Conclusions Free T4ed does not identify more cats with potential IH as compared to total T4. The IH prevalence was approximately 20%. Measurement of TSH may be more helpful in indicating that azotemia, if present, is at least in part related to IH. Investigation is needed to define TSH assay utility in identifying possible subclinical IH.


The concept of chewing gum for medical purposes provides discrete, convenient administration, the potential for buccal absorption and the avoidance of first pass metabolism or gastrointestinal degradation. This work contributes to the limited information available on the release of poorly soluble drugs from medicated chewing gum formulations. Lansoprazole was chosen as a model drug due to its poor solubility and instability (under acidic conditions), thus a chewing gum formulation would be of particular benefit avoiding gastrointestinal degradation.
The solubility and stability of lansoprazole in artificial saliva was found to be dependent on the pH of the solution. An increase in pH caused an increase in solubility with a significant increase between pH 9 and pH 10. At pH 6, concentrations decreased over time confirming the acid instability of lansoprazole. The use of cyclodextrins as solubilisers and stabilisers for lansoprazole were investigated; complexed lansoprazole (with Mβ-CD, 1:1) resulted in a 9 fold increase in solubility compared to free lansoprazole and remained stable at pH 6.
Chewing gum formulations incorporating lansoprazole were prepared and the following excipients were investigated: Revolymer"s® hydrophilic polymer Rev7, buffering excipients and complexed lansoprazole (with Mβ-CD, 1:1). Drug diffusion from gum surfaces was found to be limited, highlighting the need for effective mastication to ensure the timely release of the drug. In vitro release was evaluated using the EP approved masticator. Various parameters were investigated including: the type of dissolution medium, pH, chew rate and sampling and replacement volumes. Significant differences in release after 30 minutes mastication were found for gums containing Rev7 and potassium carbonate (both of which contributed to increasing the hydrophilic capacity of the gum). These gums were also softer than other formulations due to a plasticising effect on the gum base elastomer resulting in softer, less cohesive gums. Complexation was not found to have an impact on in vitro drug release from gums.
The study also assessed the buccal absorption of free lansoprazole and complexed lansoprazole (with Mβ-CD, 1:1) using porcine buccal mucosae. The highest partitioning coefficient was observed for free lansoprazole at pH 6.8 due to a lower ionised fraction in combination with a lower molecular weight. Complexed lansoprazole had the highest drug flux but also had the paradoxical effect of decreasing the permeability coefficient.
Overall the study contributed to increasing the understanding of factors governing the release of a poorly soluble and unstable API, lansoprazole, from a medicated chewing gum formulation. The optimised formulation would contain lansoprazole, 8 % Rev7 and potassium carbonate to provide the maximum release of drug from the gum and also facilitate buccal absorption.


19th and 20th century stratigraphy often concerned itself primarily with classification and nomenclature, during what can be termed the heroic and codex ages of stratigraphy. In contrast, 21st century stratigraphy will fall within the post-modem age. In possession of agreed classification schemes, future stratigraphers will concentrate on (i) the reconstruction of earth environments and processes (including evolution) through time, (ii) the eficient location and recovery of useful earth resources, and (iii) the study of those geological hazards that can be understood within a stratigraphic context. The first objective - reconstructing environments through time - requires the use of a conceptual framework similar to the one that we term the geological time scale (GTS). The 21st century GTS will be based on GSSP designations at the base of all geological Periods and, ultimately, Ages, i.e. it will comprise an internationally agreed chronologic hierarchy. Recognition of local chronologic schemes (as distinct from biostratigraphies based on Oppelzones) will thereafter serve no useful purpose and local "Ages" will become redundant. Globally, recognition of a separate but completely parallel chronostratigraphic classification will also serve no useful purpose, and this hierarchy too will be abandoned. Correlation of events into the GTS will be undertaken using a wide variety of methods, including numeric dating, fossil occurrence, physical and chemical properties, tephrochronology and astrochronologic retrodictions. Biostratigraphy, though remaining a vital tool, especially for Phanerozoic strata, will carry no necessary correlation primacy. Meeting the second and third objectives - locating and recovering earth resources, and studying hazards - requires first and foremost the creation of detailed geological maps and stratigraphic columns. The lithostratigraphic hierarchy of Bed-Member-Formation-Group-Supergroup is an efficient and mostly objective classification whereby useful maps and columns are created. Because geological mapping is concerned with local stratigraphic detail and complexity, it cannot, like chronology, be organized within a global nomenclature. Over different large areas, different major, genetically-related packages of sediments correspond to the formation, filling and sometimes destruction of sedimentary basins - as driven by regional tectonic events, and as influenced by regional climatic and oceanographic histories. At the supra-Group or supra-Supergroup level, major sediment assemblages. of this type are separated by regional unconformities, as recognized by the creation of a category of Unconformity-bounded Units (UBU) in the 1994 2nd edition of the International Stratigraphic Guide. Whether or not UBU are continued with as a formal unit of classification, the strong need will persist for the type of regional, unconformity-bounded units that have successively been termed Sequence and Synthem, for use as the highest level within the lithostratigraphic hierarchy.


The veneration of brands as part of "brand communities" reflects the expansion of consumerism in advanced capitalism. But what is it about brand communities that set them apart from other community types? It is argued that brand communities differ from other types of communities in one important respect – the community is a secondary, rather than primary, effect of brand community association. In other words, the brand as symbol precedes the emergence of the brand community, rather than the symbol being employed (in a totemic fashion) to represent a pre-existing community as in other types of community. This realization opens the way for understanding the specific dynamics that characterize brand communities, particularly in their relationship with the corporate entities that legally own brands and market the branded products, and also with wider social trends where the brand comes to possess an iconic, mythic significance. It will be argued that, contrary to the recent trend in the brand community literature to view all manner of brand-oriented group activities as examples of brand communities, there are specific features that set brand communities apart from other types of community configurations. As a consequence, some of the examples put forward by analysts as brand communities might have brand community aspects, but are in fact primarily other types of community formations, such as subcultures and hobby groups. It is suggested that brand communities be viewed as a part of a continuum, with some groups according with the ideal type of brand community more than others. This is not merely important for classification purposes, but is important analytically, as it is contended that brand communities have a unique set of dynamics that sets them aside from other types of community formations.


A water quality model is used to assess the impact of possible climate change on dissolved oxygen (DO) in the Thames. The Thames catchment is densely populated and, typically, many pressures are anthropogenic. However, that same population also relies on the river for potable water supply and as a disposal route for treated wastewater. Thus, future water quality will be highly dependent on future activity. Dynamic and stochastic modelling has been used to assess the likely impacts on DO dynamics along the river system and the probability distributions associated with future variability. The modelling predictions indicate that warmer river temperatures and drought act to reduce dissolved oxygen concentrations in lowland river systems.