Peat Swamp Forest is known for its unique ecosystem and having a high
proportion of endemic species. The logging activities in peat swamp forests has
significant impacts on residual trees. A study was undertaken to determine the
status of regeneration of logged-over forest of a peat swamp forest in Selangor.
The study was conducted in the North Selangor Peat Swamp Forest (NSPSF),
covering an area of approximately 72,816 hectares. The NSPSF was classified by
the Forest Department to 7 categories of Forest Classes based on crown
coverage. Based on this forest classification, a forest management inventory was
carried out using cluster sampling technique. A total of 550 plots arranged in 110
clusters were randomly located within the seven forest classes. Data on tree
species, diameter at breast height, height, quality of poles, etc. were collated.
Results show that the number of stems per hectare (sph) for size class 5.0 em
diameter at breast height (dbh) and above and size class 5.0-10.0 em dbh are in
Forest Class 5. Wlereas for size class 10. 1-14.9 em dbh the highest number of
sph is in Forest Class 4. The lowest number of sph for all size classes are in
Forest Class 7. It is also found that more than 80% of the inventoried poles in all
the Forest Classes are of Quality 1 and 2. As for poles of Quality 3 and 4, the
highest percentage is in Forest Class 5 and the lowest in Forest Class 4. The
number of seedlings per hectare are generally high with Forest Class 5 recording
the highest at 19,621 and the lowest in Forest Class 7 at 7,133. The stocking of
dipterocarp seedlings is very small with respect to all Forest Classes i.e. between
o per cent in Forest Class 7 to 2.81 per cent in Forest Class 6. The nondipterocarp
seedlings seem to dominate all Forest Classes in the NSPSF with an
overall percentage of more than 97.0 per cent. The NSPSF suprisingly possess
high q-value, calculated at an average of 1.73. The highest being recorded for
Forest Class 4 at 1.93 and the lowest for Forest Class 7 at 1.65.
The results of this study show that the NSPSF appears to have most of the
elements of a forest undergoing regeneration process. Based on the q-value
findings, the NSPSF has a good representation of smaller diameter size trees for
all Forest Classes, thus further supporting the fact that the NSPSF is in a
dynamic stage of recovering from the effect of forest disturbance. The only
element which is absent as compared to a natural successional Peat Swamp
Forest, is the lacking of sufficient number of high value commercial species for all
size classes, which in this case refers to Shorea uliginosa, Gonystylus bancanus,
Kompassia malaccensis and Shorea platycalpa. Some suggestions for future
management of this type of forest are also highlighted.


Correlative field studies have shown that the food quality of natural seston for Daphnia is highly correlated with the content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), indicating that the growth of Daphnia in nature is at least seasonally limited by a low availability of this polyunsaturated fatty acid. Here we test the hypothesis that a putative limitation due to limited availability of EPA in natural seston should lead to genetic adaptation in physiological traits reflected in genotype‐dependent differences in the ability of sympatric clones of Daphnia to cope with these shortages. We further test if this adaptation to the low availability of EPA provides another explanation for the coexistence of hybrids with their parental taxa. Standardized growth experiments were performed with and without dietary EPA using clones of three taxa from the Daphnia longispina complex: Daphnia galeata, Daphnia hyalina, and their interspecific hybrids. Fitness was estimated from juvenile somatic growth rates, g, and from intrinsic population growth rates, r. There was marked interclonal variability in the susceptibilities of g and r to the absence of EPA from the food, with considerable intraspecific variability. At the taxon level, we noted differences in susceptibility to EPA limitation with regard to the intrinsic rate of population increase r, which demonstrates that the availability of EPA affects the relative fitness of hybrids, but not of the parental species. On average, hybrids seemed less susceptible to the absence of EPA than do parental species. Environmental heterogeneity driven by EPA‐mediated changes in the quality of food may in consequence contribute to the maintenance of genetic diversity in Daphnia and may be a reason for the temporal dominance of hybrids.


In this paper, we present algorithms that perform gradient ascent of the average reward in a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP). These algorithms are based on GPOMDP, an algorithm introduced in a companion paper (Baxter & Bartlett, 2001), which computes biased estimates of the performance gradient in POMDPs. The algorithm's chief advantages are that it uses only one free parameter β ∈ [0, 1], which has a natural interpretation in terms of bias-variance trade-off, it requires no knowledge of the underlying state, and it can be applied to infinite state, control and observation spaces. We show how the gradient estimates produced by GPOMDP can be used to perform gradient ascent, both with a traditional stochastic-gradient algorithm, and with an algorithm based on conjugate-gradients that utilizes gradient information to bracket maxima in line searches. Experimental results are presented illustrating both the theoretical results of Baxter and Bartlett (2001) on a toy problem, and practical aspects of the algorithms on a number of more realistic problems.


The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between fiscal policy, aggregate public sector debt sustainability, and debt relief. In particular, we develop a methodology to compute the fiscal policy path that is compatible with aggregate debt sustainability in the post-HIPC era (Highly Indebted Poor Countries relief initiative). This model explicitly considers the role of domestic debt, and quantifies the extent to which future debt sustainability depends on the availability of concessional loans at subsidized interest rates. The working of the model is illustrated for the cases of Honduras and Nicaragua. Both countries differ markedly in terms of the burdens of their external and internal debts. The results from our simulation analysis indicate that unless Nicaragua receives substantial concessional aid in the future, its public sector debt is likely to become unsustainable. In the case of Honduras, our simulation exercise shows that under reasonable parameters the country's fiscal stance as of 2001 is sustainable.


Established and active taiko (Japanese drumming) groups in New Zealand have a relatively short history. While one group was founded nearly two decades ago, and has a connection to tertiary education, several other groups have emerged more recently as a result of individual enthusiasm and community interest. At the core of much of this taiko activity is a negotiation between innovation and authenticity. Based on ethnographic research at New Zealand's first taiko festival, this paper highlights the ways players often look to Japan as the home of taiko, yet at the same time include experimentation as a way of realising the existence of a taiko group in contemporary New Zealand. The study of diaspora and transplanted music has received much attention in ethnomusicological discourse in recent years, and this paper addresses issues pertinent to this literature as well as identifying themes relevant to the New Zealand context. The aim of the research is to document taiko activities in New Zealand and attempt to understand some of the transformations that are a result of this practice.


In this paper, we define "The Chinese Saving Puzzle" as the persistently high national saving rate at 34-53 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the past three decades and a surge in the saving rate by 11 percentage points from 2000-2008. Using data from the Flow of Funds Accounts (FFA) and Urban Household Surveys (UHS) supplemented by the findings from existing studies, we analyze the sources and causes of China's high and rising saving rates in the government, corporate, and household sectors. Although the causes of China's high saving are complex, we suggest that the evolving economic, demographic, and policy trends in the internal and external environments of the Chinese economy will likely lead to a decline in national saving in the foreseeable future.


Dipsacus asperoides is a traditional Chinese medicine, commonly used in the treatment of various disorders of bones, joints and tendons and also in neurodegenerative diseases. Total alkaloids are one of the main ingredients of Dipsacus asperoides. The aim of this study is to optimize the extraction process of alkaloids in Dipsacus asperoides, and to explore their effects on proliferation of osteosarcoma SaOS-2 cell lines and gene expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), thereby laying the theoretical basis for the use of traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of osteosarcoma. Three conventional methods; namely the Soxhlet reflux extraction, conventional maceration extraction, and ultrasonic extraction were used to extract alkaloids from Dipsacus asperoides, and the yields of extracts were investigated. Human osteosarcoma SaOS-2 cell lines were thawed, and passaged when they were grown to confluence. The experiment was divided into blank control group, as well as 5%, 10%, 15% Dipsacus asperoides total alkaloids intervention groups. CCK-8 was used to detect the inhibitory effect of the total alkaloids on cell proliferation. RT-PCR was used to detect VEGF gene expression. CCK-8 assay results showed that at different points in time, different concentrations of the total alkaloids in Dipsacus asperoides had inhibitory effects on growth of SaOS-2 cells. RT-PCR revealed no significant suppression of VEGF gene expression among each Dipsacus asperoides total alkaloid group, but gene expression of VEGF showed a decreasing trend with the increase in the concentration of total alkaloids.


Both epidemiological and experimental findings suggest the possible roles of sex steroids in the pathogenesis and/or development of various human thyroid disorders. In this study, we evaluated the expression of estrogen receptors (ER) α and β in normal thyroid glands (N = 25; female: n = 13, male: n = 10, unknown: n = 2) ranging in age from fetus to adult. Furthermore, using immunohistochemistry, we investigated the expression of ERα and β in 206 cases of thyroid disorders, including 24 adenomatous goiters, 23 follicular adenomas, and 159 thyroid carcinomas. In addition, we also studied the mRNA expression of ERα and β and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase Type 1 and 2, enzymes involved in the interconversion between estrone and estradiol, using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), in 48 of these 206 cases (10 adenomatous goiters, 10 follicular adenomas, and 28 papillary thyroid carcinomas) in which fresh frozen tissues were available for examination to further elucidate the possible involvement of intracrine estrogen metabolism and/or actions in thyroid disorders. ERα labeling index, or percentage of cells immunopositive for ERα, was significantly higher in adenomatous goiter (14.2 ± 6.4), follicular adenoma (13.4 ± 5.1), and thyroid carcinoma (16.4 ± 2.1) than in normal thyroid gland (0; P < .05). Few follicular cells were positive for ERα in normal thyroid glands. In papillary carcinoma, ERα labeling index was significantly higher in premenopausal women (28.1 ± 4.5) than in postmenopausal women (14.2 ± 2.9) and in men of various ages (7.6 ± 2.7; P < .05). In other histological types of thyroid carcinoma, no significant correlations were detected. ERβ immunoreactivity was detected in both follicular and C-cells of normal thyroid glands, including those in developing fetal thyroid glands. In addition, ERβ immunoreactivity was detected in the nuclei of various thyroid lesions. But no significant correlations were detected between ERβ labeling index and clinicopathological findings including age, menopausal status, gender, and/or histological type of thyroid lesions. 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase Type 1 expression was detected in 31/48 (64.0%) of the cases examined, whereas Type 2 was detected only in 3/46 (6.3%) of all the cases examined. These results demonstrated that estrogens may influence the development, physiology, and pathology of human thyroid glands, and these effects, especially through ERα, may become more pronounced in neoplasms, particularly in papillary carcinoma arising in premenopausal women.


The Integrated Software for Imagers and Spectrometers (ISIS) package was developed by the Astrogeology Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey in the late 1980s for the cartographic and scientific processing of planetary image data. Initial support was implemented for the Galileo NIMS instrument. Constantly evolving, ISIS has since added support for numerous missions, including most recently the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, MESSENGER, and Dawn missions, plus support for the Metric Cameras flown onboard Apollo 15, 16, and 17. To address the challenges posed by extraterrestrial photogrammetry, the ISIS3 bundle adjustment module, jigsaw , is evolving as well. Here, we report on the current state of jigsaw including improvements such as the implementation of sparse matrix methods, parameter weighting, error propagation, and automated robust outlier detection. Details from the recent processing of Apollo Metric Camera images and from recent missions such as LRO and MESSENGER are given. Finally, we outline future plans for jigsaw , including the implementation of sequential estimation; free network adjustment; augmentation of the functional model of the bundle adjustment to solve for camera interior orientation parameters and target body parameters of shape, spin axis position, and spin rate; the modeling of jitter in line scan sensors; and the combined adjustment of images from a variety of platforms.


Universalism-administration of multinational insolvencies by a leading court applying a single bankruptcy law-is the correct long-term solution to the problem presented by the general default of a multinational company. Bankruptcy is one of those laws that cannot perform its function unless it is symmetrical to the market in which it operates. Virtually all theorists share this view and it is reflected in the nearly unanimous practice of nations, including the United States. The only substantive objection is that universalism would too greatly submerge national policies, but experience in the United States and elsewhere demonstrates that a national, market-symmetrical law can largely accommodate local policies. In the same way, an international system could permit considerable play to varying national policies and could enforce them more effectively against multinationals. Although it is argued that universalism is unlikely to be achieved in the foreseeable future, globalization is producing enormous pressures for legal convergence and those pressures are most likely to prevail as to laws that require market-symmetry to be successful. Many of the obstacles to universalism are also obstacles to coordination and harmonization in anti-trust, securities laws, and other business laws. Solutions in each area will feed solutions in the others, if globalization continues. Contractualism as an alternative to universalism is not workable domestically or internationally unless based on a system of dominant security interests. The theoretical benefits of such a system remain highly controversial and its prospects for international adoption are bleak. "Modified universalism" as proposed in the American Law Institute Transnational Insolvency Project is the best interim solution pending movement to true universalism, because its pragmatic flexibility provides the best fit with the current patchwork of laws in the global market and because it will foster the smoothest and fastest transition to true universalism.


Occupational health and safety hazards are present in all industries in Australia. However construction works on roads have higher exposure due to the proximity of moving vehicles. Traffic controllers and workers are consistently at risk. In recent years there has been increased media attention on road works and this can be attributed to an increasing community concern with traffic controller fatalities. To improve the safety of those working on the road, and the travelling public passing through these areas, opportunities need to be taken to upgrade both the practise and performance of existing traffic control measures. This includes improving the credibility of signage across roadworks sites and most importantly compliance, ensuring drivers conform to the devices. This dissertation therefore seeks to evaluate innovative signage options and in particular the effectiveness of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) for reducing speeds through roadworks sites in Australia.

The research work was conducted in four phases. The current 'state of the art' in traffic management/control in Australia was collected through an in depth literature review. This included the analysis of current standards. One survey was developed to gain an understanding of the perception of road works through the eyes of the general public and the second intended for those at the forefront of traffic management in the civil construction industry. A selection was made on an appropriate ITS device to trial, a vehicle activated speed radar sign.

Field experiments assessed motorist's interaction and response to the sign. The field experiments were conducted within a work zone on the Bruce Highway in the Sunshine Coast region of Queensland. The data collected was divided into three classes; conventional signage only, ITS signage and police presence. Statistical analyses of the results were performed to determine the level of interaction between motorist's responses and the various signage arrangements.

Results showed that with the speed radar sign operational, drivers slowed by an average of up to 4km/h. More meaningfully the number of vehicles speeding improved by 85%, equating to a reduction of speeding vehicles in the region of 42,000 vehicles out of 49,200 vehicles in a typical week. The most effective outcome was with police presence, showing a 100% speed compliance and average speeds reduced by up to 13.43km/h.


We describe an efficient method to rigorously prove the existence and attractiveness of high period periodic points through verified numerical computations. The proof consists of two parts: first the existence and then the attractiveness. To prove the existence, we only require a non-verified, numerical approximation of the derivative of the map at the fixed point. In the second part of the proof we require knowledge of the exact derivative. The use of Taylor Models in COSY INFINITY to carry out the calculations very successfully controls the dependency problem commonly encountered in verified numerics. In comparison, we also implemented the same proof using traditional interval arithmetic. This approach is more complicated, as it requires calculations to be carried out in higher precision than the standard double precision. Also, interval methods suffer significantly from the dependency problem, which requires splitting of the domain into smaller, more tractable pieces. We then apply both algorithms to prove the existence of a period 15 point in a Hénon map very close to the standard parameters. Using high precision intervals, we obtain a very tight enclosure of the periodic point with a precision of up to 70 decimal digits. By examining the Jacobian of the 15th iterate of the map, we lastly establish uniqueness and attractiveness of this periodic point.


Internet access is available on some international flights; this will become more commonplace in the future. Internet frauds abound. Already, most personal banking is performed using the Internet; it is easy to transfer funds from one account to another, including from a personal or trust account to that of a fraudster. For example, if a trustee who is both an Australian citizen and a Hong Kong permanent resident, on board an aircraft (Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic, or Qantas) in international airspace flying from Hong Kong to Australia, uses a personal computer to access an Australia-based trust account and (while unauthorized) transfers money to a personal account, has the trustee committed any crime for which he/she may be arraigned in any jurisdiction? It will be argued that the answer may be 'no'. What if the trustee is flying Cathay Pacific? This is partly because the law of Hong Kong insists that Hong Kong has jurisdiction over acts committed by persons aboard Hong Kong-registered aircraft yet does not recognize Internet activity of the type indicated above as a crime if the perpetrator is in international airspace. Similarly, if the trustee is on Virgin Atlantic, the United Kingdom claims jurisdiction and holds that no crime has been committed unless a trust fund based in the home country has been plundered. However, the (Australian) Criminal Code 1995 (Cth) (hereinafter 'the Code') appears to forbid the type of fund transfer mentioned (whether the trustee is on Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic, or Qantas); it thus seems at first blush that the trustee has committed a crime in Australia. The problem is that a Commonwealth prosecutor cannot (it is submitted) access the Code, because the Crimes (Aviation) Act 1991 (Cth) (promulgated earlier in time than the Code) effectively states that no non-violent act in which a person engages on an Australia-bound aircraft (Qantas or otherwise) in international airspace after takeoff from a foreign country is a crime. On such a flight, the Code is inapplicable. The maxim generalia specialibus non derogant is relevant. One solution is that concerned States should draft and sign a treaty that puts national law to one side to ensure that modern-day pirates (such as the errant trustee) are nowhere safe. Similar treaties are already in force to deal with high-seas pirates and aircraft hijackers; the meaning of piracy requires expansion in the twenty-first century.


From award-winning historian Hugh Thomas, "Cuba: A History" is the essential work for understanding one of the most fascinating and controversial countries in the world. Hugh Thomas' acclaimed book explores the whole sweep of Cuban history from the British capture of Havana in 1762 through the years of Spanish and United States domination, down to the twentieth century and the extraordinary revolution of Fidel Castro. Throughout this period of over two hundred years, Hugh Thomas analyses the political, economic and social events that have shaped Cuban history with extraordinary insight and panache, covering subjects ranging from sugar, tobacco and education to slavery, war and occupation. Encyclopaedic in range and breathtaking in execution, "Cuba" is surely one of the seminal works of world history. "An astonishing feat ...the author does more to explain the phenomenon of Fidel's rise to power than anybody else has done so far". ("Spectator"). "Brilliant". ("The New York Times"). "Immensely readable. Thomas' notion of history's scope is generous, for he has not limited himself to telling old political and military events; he describes Cuban culture at all stages ...not merely accessible but absorbing. His language is witty but never mocking, crisp but never harsh". ("New Yorker"). "Thomas seems to have talked to everybody not dead or in jail, and read everything. He is scrupulously fair". ("Time"). Hugh Thomas is the author of, among other books, "The Spanish Civil War" (1962), which won the Somerset Maugham Award, "Cuba: The Pursuit of Freedom" (1971), "An Unfinished History of the World" (1979), and the first two volumes of his Spanish Empire trilogy, "Rivers of Gold" (2003) and "The Golden Age" (2010).


The first studies showing the potential of neural transdifferentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from bone marrow (BM) were conducted in camundogos and humans in the early 2000s. After this period, the number of research and publications with the same purpose increased, but with rare or scarce studies in horses. The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro neuronal transdifferentiation potential of MSCs from equine BM using two protocols: P1 (forksolin and retinoic acid) and P2 (2-βmecarptoetanol). After confirming the mesenchymal lineages, by positivity for the marker CD90 (X=97.94%), negative for the marker CD34 and positive response for osteogenic differentiation, MSCs were subjected to neural transdifferentiation (P1 and P2) for morphological analysis and expression of neural markers GFAP and β3 tubulin by flow cytometry. The results revealed morphological changes in varying degrees between the tested protocols. In protocol 1, twenty four hours after incubation with the media of neural differentiation, a large proportion of cells (>80%) had similar morphology to neural cells, characterized by retraction of cellular body and a large number of cytoplasmic extension (filopodia). However, comparatively, within the first 30 minutes after exposure to the antioxidant β-mercaptoethanol (P2) MSCs showed rapid morphological changes characterized mainly by retraction of cellular body and less cytoplasmic extension. It was also evidenced with the use of this protocol, lower cellular adhesion after exposure to media when compared to P1. Regarding the immunophenotyping analysis it was observed a higher (P<0.001) expression of the markers GFAP and β3 tubulin at the end of P2 compared to P1. The ability of MSCs to generate cell types related to neural lineage is complex and multifactorial, depending not only of inducing agents, but also the environment in which these cells will be cultivated. Thus a greater number of studies are necessary to better understand the process of neural transdifferentiation of MSCs from equine.


We propose a two-step quantum key distribution protocol using frequency and polarization hyperentangled photons. In this protocol, key information is encoded by unitary operations on the hyperentangled photons, and the hyperentangled photons are sent in two steps. We also designed a state measurement device and analyzed the security of the protocol.


This paper presents a reduced scale demonstration test-bed at the University of Texas' Center for Electromechanics (UT-CEM) which is well equipped to support the development and assessment of the anticipated Navy Advanced Development Model (ADM). The subscale ADM test bed builds on collaborative power management experiments conducted as part of the Swampworks Program under the US/UK Project Arrangement as well as non-military applications. The system includes the required variety of sources, loads, and controllers as well as an Opal-RT digital simulator. The test bed architecture is described and the range of investigations that can be carried out on it is highlighted; results of preliminary system simulations and some initial tests are also provided. Subscale ADM experiments conducted on the UT-CEM microgrid can be an important step in the realization of a full-voltage, full-power ADM three-zone demonstrator, providing a test-bed for components, subsystems, controls, and the overall performance of the Medium Voltage Direct Current (MVDC) ship architecture.


Semantic text analysis is a technique used in advertisement placement, cognitive databases and search engines. With increasing amounts of data and stringent response-time requirements, improving the underlying implementation of semantic analysis becomes critical. To this end, we look at Supervised Semantic Indexing (SSI), a recently proposed algorithm for semantic analysis. SSI ranks a large number of documents based on their semantic similarity to a text query. For each query, it computes millions of dot products on unstructured data, generates a large intermediate result, and then performs ranking. SSI underperforms on both state-of-the-art multi-cores as well as GPUs. Its performance scalability on multi-cores is hampered by their limited support for fine-grained data parallelism. GPUs, though beat multi-cores by running thousands of threads, cannot handle large intermediate data because of their small on-chip memory. Motivated by this, we present an FPGA-based hardware accelerator for semantic analysis. As a key feature, the accelerator combines hundreds of simple processing elements together with in-memory processing to simultaneously generate and process (consume) the large intermediate data. It also supports "dynamic parallelism" - a feature that configures the PEs differently for full utilization of the available processin logic after the FPGA is programmed. Our FPGA prototype is 10–13x faster than a 2.5 GHz quad-core Xeon, and 1.5–5x faster than a 240 core 1.3 GHz Tesla GPU, despite operating at a modest frequency of 125 MHz.


Bovine whey samples were evaluated by use of lymphocyte-transformation tests to determine their effect on lymphocyte blastogenesis. Whey samples from mammary glands with clinical mastitis strongly inhibited DNA synthesis and blastogenesis in lymphocytes stimulated with mitogens or dividing because of bovine leukemia virus infection. Whey samples from apparently healthy glands either did not inhibit lymphocyte DNA synthesis or inhibited it to a lesser degree than did whey from mastitic glands. Degree of inhibition was dose-dependent. The molecules causing inhibition were noncytotoxic and underwent minimal binding to the lymphocytes. Inhibitory molecules were susceptible to various proteolytic and glycolytic enzymes, indicating a glycoprotein-like structure. Whey inhibited incorporation of thymidine if it was in the cell cultures during the early stages of stimulation. Incubation of lymphocytes in whey that inhibited thymidine incorporation did not affect DNA synthesis in subsequent culturing of the same cells without whey. Degree of inhibition was affected by the method of whey preparation.


Many commercial species of the world are overexploited resulting in substantial reductions of biomass and ecological changes. Spatial-temporal restrictions of fishing activities are important measures used for the management of marine stocks. However, evidence of whether fishing bans benefit whole ecosystems is still scant. Here, we developed a food-web model approach using the Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) model representing the Fisheries Restricted Area (FRA) of the Gulf of Lion ecosystem (CoSEGoL model) prior to the establishment of the fisheries restrictions (2006-2008) to characterize the structure and functioning of the ecosystem before and after its establishment. The constructed food-web model was, then, fitted to available time series of data from 2008 to 2016 to verify whether this FRA has contributed to recovery of target demersal species and the demersal community. The fitted model was used to explore alternative future management scenarios to explore feasible management options in order to ensure a full ecosystem recovery under climate change conditions. Both small positive and negative ecosystem changes occurred between prior and after the establishment of the FRA, potentially revealing a lack of protection efficiency and/or enforcement. Scenarios of management options under plausible climate futures revealed possible recovery of targeted species, especially European hake. The study highlighted the importance of considering trophic interactions between predators and prey to identify trade-offs and synergies in fisheries management outcomes and the need to consider both fishing and climate dynamics.


The tumor vasculature is poor and heterogeneous which may result in inadequate oxygenation and changed energy status. In addition the balance between cell proliferation and the rate of cell death is disturbed, which results in tumor growth. The aims of this study were 1) to gain more insight into the relation between tumor vascularity, hypoxia, and proliferation in solid tumors, and 2) to study the changes and dynamics of tumor oxygenation in relation to the vascular architecture within individual tumors. For this purpose a double hypoxic marker method was developed, which was subsequently used to 3) determine the turnover rate of hypoxic cells in three different tumor models and 4) to study the effect of cytotoxic drugs on tumor hypoxia and cell death.Solid tumor models grown in mice were used. The tumor microenvironment was investigated with exogenous cell markers for hypoxia (pimonidazole and CCI-103F), cell proliferation (BrdUrd) and blood perfusion (Hoechst 33342). The vasculature and the exogenous cell markers were visualized with immunohistochemical techniques. The tumor sections were scanned and quantified with an image analysis systemconsisting of a fluorescence microscope, CCD camera and image analysis software.The spatial organization of hypoxia, proliferation, and tumor vasculature was analyzed in several xenograft lines. The study revealed two main hypoxic patterns that seemed to be the consequence of complex relations between vasculature, oxygen delivery, proliferation, and cell loss. The novel double hypoxic cell marker method, with sequential injection of two hypoxic markers, was developed to study dynamic changes of the tumor oxygenation. Based on varying injection intervals between the markers the hypoxic cell half-life was determined in three tumor lines, and ranged from 17 to 49 hours. Intra-tumoral changes in oxygenation status upon oxygen modifying treatments were measured with the double hypoxic marker method. Both decreased levels of tumor hypoxia after carbogen breathing (95%O2 and 5% CO2) and increased levels of tumor hypoxia, as a result of reduced tumor perfusion after hydralazine treatment was detected. Finally the double hypoxic marker assay was used to analyze the effects of the hypoxic cytotoxin tirapazamine in relation to the hypoxic cell population, which caused a reversible decrease of the hypoxic fraction.The results presented in this thesis now form the basis for further studies to identify subpopulations of cells that represent specific targets for therapy, and to investigate the effects of different treatment modalities.


The effects of procyanidol oligomers on capillary resistance disorders in hypertensive and diabetic patients were studied. The drug was administered in a daily dose of 150 mg. Concordant results were obtained in two investigations as follows: during an open trial in 28 patients, capillary resistance (measured by the technique of Lavollay) rose from 15,4 +/- 1,8 cm Hg to 18,1 +/- 3,2 cm Hg (p less than 0,0005); and during a double blind trial versus placebo (25 patients) capillary resistance rose from 14,6 +/- 0,98 cm Hg to 18 +/- 3,35 cm Hg (p less than 0,005) in the treated group, while no significant variation was observed in the placebo group (15,5 +/- 1,30 cm Hg versus 14,7 +/- 1,3 cm Hg initially). The drug was well tolerated.


In the twentieth century, majority of the countries were tempted to adopt up-to-date building designs.  The fashionable designs neglected the context of its environment, cultural values, social performance and even economic perspective and sustainability. The year 1970 represented the starting point of shifting Sultanate of Oman from being a closed, listless society to a modern state.  The aim to build a modern society did not compel this historic country to neglect its heritage or cultural principles. The main hypothesis of this research is that Oman has wonderful experience in cultural sustainability between traditional and contemporary residences. This research aims to derive lessons and principles from such  successful models of Oman. This work is dependent on a theoretical foundation of previous related references, analysis, interpretation and a comparative case study.  Some tools used were interviews, analytical site visits and questionnaire. The research succeeded in revealing the procedure used by Oman to keep the identity and continuity of its buildings. The wonderful response of both traditional and contemporary Omani residence to the surrounding, cultural aspects, and human needs is shown. This research provides a current example to researchers, students, designers and decision makers of a humanely oriented house design. Keywords: Traditional Omani  architecture; Contemporary Omani residences, , cultural sustainability, House Moqham, Bait el Dalalil


The activity of most drugs is regulated by the binding of one molecule (the ligand) to a pocket of another, usually larger, molecule, which is commonly a protein. This report describes a new approach to creating low-energy structures of flexible proteins to which ligands can be docked. The flexibility of molecules is encoded with thousands of parameters making the search for valid complexes a formidable problem. Our method takes into account the flexibility of the protein as this can be encoded by its major modes of motion. The output of the program consists of low-energy protein conformations that can then be docked with a ligand using a traditional docking program. We employ a robotics-based approach for exploring the conformational space of the protein. Our long term goal is to develop an efficient, accurate, and automated algorithm that will be used to screen large databases of molecules for novel therapeutics.


Optoelectronic resistive switching devices, utilizing optical and electrical hybrid methods to control the resistance states, offer several advantages of both photons and electrons for high-performance information detecting, demodulating, processing, and memorizing. In the past decades, optoelectronic resistive switching devices have been widely discussed and studied due to the potential for parallel information transmission and processing. In this chapter, recent progresses on the optoelectronic resistive switching mechanism, materials, and devices will be introduced. Then, their performance such as photoresponsivity, on/off ratio, as well as retention will be investigated. Furthermore, possible applications of the optoelectronic resistive switching considering logic, memory, neuromorphic, and image-processing devices will be summarized. In the end, the challenges and possible solutions of optoelectronic resistive switching devices for the next-generation information technology will be discussed and prospected.


Although introduction of proton-pump inhibitors to the classic anti-ulcer therapy had revolutionized treatment of the peptic ulcers and other gastrointestinal disorders but there was still no complete cure of the disease. Generally, there were relapses and ineffectiveness of different drug regimens, production of adverse and side effects, emergence of resistance to drugs and higher costs of these therapeutic agents. Therefore, present studies were designed to find out some possible radical or ideal anti-ulcer drugs from the indigenous medicinal plants.

Six reputed and frequently used folkloric medicinal plants were selected for evaluation of their anti-ulcer activities in albino rats. Efficacies of the powdered plants and their extracts in water and ethanol were determined in indomethacin-induced ulcerated rats. On the basis of the data obtained, Nigella sativa seeds and Phyllanthus emblica fruits were selected for further activity-oriented fractionation studies as they had showed most promising anti-ulcer properties. The ethanolic extract of N. sativa seeds and aqueous extract of P. emblica fruits were fractionated into ethyl acetate, chloroform and butanol solvents. On the basis of anti-ulcer potentials, ethyl acetate fractions were subjected to column chromatography. The purified fractions of both N. sativa seeds and P. emblica fruits were tested for their anti-ulcerogenic activities in stress-induced, indomethacin- and histamine-induced gastric ulcers in the albino rats. Various parameters including gastric juice volume, pH, acid-output, ulcer index, mucus secretion and peptic activity showed that NS-EA 51 and PE-AqA 47 were the most potent anti -ulcerogenic fractions and gave results comparable to famotidine. In addition, the anti-Helicobacter pylori activities of NS-EA 51 and PE-AqA 47 fractions were also found comparable to amoxicillin and clarithromycin. The present studies also suggested that NS-EA 51 might have exerted its antiulcer activity due to its proton pump (H+/K+-ATPase) inhibitory property as revealed by the fluorescence quenching of acridine orange dye. On the other hand, PE-AqA 47 fraction did not interfere with H+ /K+ -ATPase and has possibly showed antiulcerogenic effect due to its anti-oxidant property. Finally, the acute toxicity and behavioral pattern studies in rats showed that both NS-EA 51 and PE-AqA 47 fractions are quite safe and may ultimately prove to be ideal antiulcer remedies.


Clustering Studies of Radio-Selected Galaxies S. S. Passmoor PhD Thesis, Department of Physics, University of the Western Cape We investigate the clustering of HI-selected galaxies in the ALFALFA survey and compare results with those obtained for HIPASS. Measurements of the angular correlation function and the inferred 3D-clustering are compared with results from direct spatial-correlation measurements. We are able to measure clustering on smaller angular scales and for galaxies with lower HI masses than was previously possible. We calculate the expected clustering of dark matter using the redshift distributions of HIPASS and ALFALFA and show that the ALFALFA sample is somewhat more anti-biased with respect to dark matter than the HIPASS sample. We are able to conform the validity of the dark matter correlation predictions by performing simulations of the non-linear structure formation. Further we examine how the bias evolves with redshift for radio galaxies detected in the the FIRST survey. November 2011


Persons with hearing loss use visual signals such as gestures and lip movement to interpret speech. While hearing aids and cochlear implants can improve sound recognition, they generally do not help the wearer localize sound necessary to leverage these visual cues. In this paper, we design and evaluate visualizations for spatially locating sound on a head-mounted display (HMD). To investigate this design space, we developed eight high-level visual sound feedback dimensions. For each dimension, we created 3-12 example visualizations and evaluated these as a design probe with 24 deaf and hard of hearing participants (Study 1). We then implemented a real-time proof-of-concept HMD prototype and solicited feedback from 4 new participants (Study 2). Study 1 findings reaffirm past work on challenges faced by persons with hearing loss in group conversations, provide support for the general idea of sound awareness visualizations on HMDs, and reveal preferences for specific design options. Although preliminary, Study 2 further contextualizes the design probe and uncovers directions for future work.


Nowadays, the significance of keeping equipment function properly each time is obvious. If equipment fails during its use, it may have disastrous consequences. Estimating remaining useful life (RUL) of equipment is a key to prevent such calamities, improve its reliability, provide security and reduce unnecessary maintenance and operational cost. The evolution and tracking of damage is the foundation of RUL predicting, and also is one of the most important content of mechanical fault diagnosis. Slow-time variable process of mechanical damage would lead the phase space reconstructed by fast-time variable vibrate signals warping. Search the dynamics characteristic law of damage evolution analysis in the phase space, and build the relationship between fast-time variable signals and slow-time variable damage, and then damage evolution tracking is possible. To validate the theory, simulation model of bearing damage evolution is built, the outer-race fault evolution signals is obtained, and the trend of evolution of degradation of bearing fault is described with Phase Space Warping (PSW) theory and Smooth Orthogonal Decomposition (SOD). The results proved the feasibility of the methodology of PSW in damage evolution tracking.


The structural, electronic, and dynamic properties of the organolithium compd. C2H2Li2 were studied via ab initio mol. dynamics simulations based on the Car-Parrinello method. Dynamic simulated annealing techniques applied to search for the low-energy configurations resulted in a structure that is not a dilithioethylene isomer as suggested by the stoichiometric formula but an acetylenic deriv. that can be visualized geometrically as a complex of lithioacetylene with Li hydride HC2Li.HLi. However, the ground state electronic structure is more suggestive of an ionic complex (H-C:C)-.(Li+H-Li+) in which the linear anion HCC- binds to the two Li cations in the triangular complex Li+H-Li+. Several ethylene-like isomers were identified via high-temp. quenches, but these invariably turned out to lie at high energies (.apprx.>30 kcal/mol). Anal. of the high-temp. dynamics indicated that ethylene-like isomers are always unstable toward an intramol. H migration mediated via a Li hydride unit. The direct observation of these intramol. rearrangement reactions revealed the role of the Li atoms as H transfer reagents and confirmed the importance of Li hydride as an intermediate species. [on SciFinder (R)]


This extended abstract summarises a regional widening access, University initiative to reintroduce computer programming into secondary level education by providing an eLearning course. It could be argued that UK Government generated School league tables during the late 1990s and 2000s led Schools to move away from perceived "more difficult" subjects to ensure high exam performance. This resulted in many schools moving away from Computer Science at both GCSE (16 year olds) and GCE (18 year olds) to ICT based subjects. This resulted in a generation of school children not being exposed to computer programming until University.In line with much of the sector, we found this dramatically affected our retention rates as students who had studied ICT at school (MS Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Access and so forth) came onto a Computer Science degree but then struggled with programming and indeed in some cases felt they had made the wrong course choice. This resulted in our department having the worst retention rates in the University. In addition to this, over time it limited what we could realistically do in year one at University. With substantial effort being put into first year support we eventually came to the conclusion that we needed to work with the schools directly to counter the "ICT effect".The year we have now reached 300+ school pupils through the support of many dedicated school teachers, often offering the course in out of school hours clubs.As schools are busy environments, we could never hope to achieve total school engagement. Therefore, going forward we are extending the programme by offering to all school students who apply for entry to selected University degrees while they still have the option to choose their career path and make that decision if programming is really for them.Keywords: Widening Access, Computing programming, CPD (Continuing Professional Development).


Objective: To evaluate the accuracy and dimensional stability of casts made from regular set alginate alternative (AA) and monophase additional silicone (MAS) impression materials following multiple pours. Materials and Methods: A hard typodont master cast with index holes was used. A total of 20 impressions were made using a modified perforated metal tray with 10 impressions of each material. Each impression was poured four times with type IV die stone with a total of 80 stone casts (40 for each material). The horizontal anterior–posterior (HAP), horizontal cross-arch (HCA), and vertical distances were measured in the recovered stone casts using a stereomicroscope with an accuracy of 0.001 mm. The obtained data were statistically analyzed using two-way analysis of variance and Tukey's HSD post hoc test (P < 0.05). Results: The dimensions on the typodont master cast and stone casts were significantly different (P < 0.001), except for the first pour from MAS (P > 0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the dimensions of the stone casts made from the AA and MAS impression materials among the four pour groups (P < 0.001), with exception of MAS-based casts between first pour and second pour groups at HAP and HCA dimensions. Pairwise comparisons showed statistically significant difference between the two impression materials at all measurement locations, with only one exception of HAP measurements for second-poured casts. Conclusion: A clinically acceptable casts can be made by pouring AA and MAS impressions twice. In addition, the third and fourth pours were accurate in the AA group when compared to MAS group. Clinical Significance: According the knowledge of the authors, this study is the first to evaluate the predictability of re-pouring alginate alternative impression material and compare to a standard polyvinyl siloxane impression material such as monophase. Therefore, the statement of clinical significance in the abstract will help the dentists to realize the potential uses for alginate alternative impression material and recommendations of this study.


Abstract. The following paper describes in brief the data set related to our project "Hydrochemical assessment of Semarang Groundwater Quality". All of 58 samples were taken in 1992, 1993, 2003, 2006, and 2007 using well point data from several reports from Ministry of Energy and Min- eral Resources and independent consultants. We provided 20 parameters in each samples (sample id, coord X, coord Y, well depth, water level, water elevation, TDS, pH, EC, K, Ca, Na, Mg, Cl, SO4, HCO3, year, ion balance, screen location, and chemical facies). The chemical composi- tion were tested in the Water Quality Laboratory, Universitas Diponegoro using mas spectrofotometer method. The statistical treatment for the dataset (available on Zenodo doi:10.5281/zenodo.57293 ) were described as follows: (1) data preparation in to csv file format, load it in to R environment; (2) data treatment, including: correlation matrix, cluster analysis using kmeans and hierarchical cluster analysis, and principal component analysis. For anal- ysis and visualizations, We used the following R packages: ggplot2 , dplyr , factomineR , factoExtra , cluster , ggcorrplot , and ape .


The Tertiary Lower Tagus Basin (LTB) occupies a large area in Portugal and constitutes a symmetric basin of the oriental huge Upper Tagus Basin, centered at Madrid (Spain). The LTB was an endorreic basin during the Paleogene. Marine connection occurred at the Lower Aquitanian; at the Lisbon – Setubal Peninsula region the sedimentation was in the ocean/continent interface, with several changes in the coast line. Apparently, the first marine transgression came from South, originating a gulf with a N-S coral reef that attained the Lisbon area. Occidental communication to the sea was established after the Burdigalian.The sedimentary and palaeontologic record of the distal sector of the LTB (Lisbon–Setubal Peninsula) is related to sea level changes. It is possible to correlate levels with planctic foraminifera and mammals, as well as to get isotopic ages (K/Ar in glauconites; 87 Sr/ 86 Sr). Good biostratigraphic data can be obtain from continental and coastal deposits. The fossil richness – dinoflagellates, spores, pollen, plant macrorremains, foraminifera, ostracoda, molluscs, echinids, fishes, reptiles, mammals – and O and C isotopes, constitutes a large source of information for environmental and palaeogeographical reconstitutions, as well as for the establishment of correlations between marine and continental deposits. The analysis and the integration of a large amount of lithological and biostratigraphical data joined with isotopic ages (K/Ar and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr), allow the establishement of a chronostratigraphic framework for the distal part of the Miocene of the LTB and the definition of 10 depositional sequences, in part agreeing with the Haq's 3rd order eustatic cycles. Climatic evolution during the Miocene has been also characterized. At continental environments, the faunas and floras point out to an alternation of moist and dry episodes, the dryest one at the Langhian. For the inland, two sectors can be characterized. Near the region directly affected by the sea (Ribatejo and Alto Alentejo) deposits are related with the wandering of a Pre-Tagus in a large fluvial plain. During the Lower and Middle Miocene detrital sedimentation is well represented. Some marls with oysters denounce high eustatic sea levels; brackish waters attain regions 150 km far from the extant coast line. Some vertebrate fossils sites allow the establishment of correlations with the Lisbon region, namely during the Middle Miocene and Lower Tortonian. Sedimentary conditions changed at Lower Upper Miocene. At the right bank of the Tagus, limestones accumulate in lacustre and palustre environments; latteraly thick clay deposits strecht out to the left bank. At the proximal areas of the LTB (Beira Baixa) the chronostratigraphical controle is poor. The outcrops are largely discontinuous. It only has been possible to define alostratigraphic units, bounded by regional unconformities, resulting from tectonic events recognized at the Iberia scale. During Lower and Middle Miocene, a sandy braided depositional system was installed, draining the fluvial plain of the Pre-Tagus from NE to SW. Plant macro-remains indicate a warmer and moister climate than today. Hispanotherium matritensis (steppe rhinoceros) is known from East of Castelo Branco (Plasencia, Spain); it is characteristic of MN5 zone (Astaracian) and is also known from Lisbon's Langhian. Younger deposits (Upper Tortonian and Messinian) correspond to alluvial fan sediments occur near tectonic slopes, at the base of rising mountains (Portuguese central chain); the thickness and granulometry quickly decrease downstream. Pliocene fluvial deposits overlay through an erosion surface the marine Tortonian (Setubal Peninsula) and the continental limestones and clays of the Vallesian of Ribatejo (inland). During the Zanclean the continental sedimentation carried on only at the proximal part of the basin (Beira Baixa) with the deposition of endorreic alluvial fan conglomerates. Away of the mountain feeder relieves, the sedimentation show a decrease of thickness; alternating conglomerates and sandy lutites were deposited. A temperate mediterranean climate with contrasting seasons prevailled. In the Piacenzian, alluvial fans and braided fluvial systems were installed draining to the Atlantic, preceding the actual hydrographical net. Feldspatic sands were deposited in the Setubal Peninsula; the coast line was to the west of the actual. A transgression took place over the Occidental littoral, affecting the Lower Tagus (Setubal


Planting of forest species of timber interest helps to reduce the deforestation pressure on the Amazon forest, promotes sustainable development of the producing region and generates ecological benefits. The objective of this work was to evaluate the survival rate and growth of four native (Swietenia macrophylla, Parkia decussata, Dipteryx odorata and Jacaranda copaia) and one exotic (Acacia mangium) species in monospecific plantations (spacing of 2 x 2 m) established on areas previously used for grazing, in Itacoatiara, State of Amazonas, Brazil. When the trees were four years old, we collected biometric data [height at 1.30 m (DBH, cm), crown projection area (CPA, m2 ), total height (Ht , m), commercial cylinder volume (Vcyl, m3 ha-1)], and qualitative data from visual diagnosis [survival rate (S, %), nutritional status (NS, G = good, D = deficient, %), and phytosanitary status (PS, S = satisfactory, N = non-satisfactory, %)]. Three plots of 128 m2 , with 32 plants each, were evaluated for each species. Jacaranda copaia, followed by Dipteryx odorata and Parkia decussata, were the recommended species for planting in areas with edaphoclimatic conditions similar to those of the present work, due to their better performance according to most of the variables


ABSTRACT Aim: Evidence on adjuvant chemotherapy in elderly EBC pts is poor. The ELDA trial tested whether wD is more effective than CMF (NCT00331097). Methods: EBC pts, 65 to 79 years old, were eligible if they had metastatic nodes or average to high risk of recurrence according to 2001 St.Gallen criteria. Pts were randomly assigned to wD (35 mg/m2 dd 1, 8, 15) or CMF (cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2, methotrexate 40 mg/m2, fluorouracil 600 mg/m2, dd 1, 8), both every 4 wks and given for 4 cycles in ER+ pts and 6 cycles in ER- ones. With 178 events, the study would have 80% power to detect a 0.65 hazard ratio (HR) of disease-free survival (DFS) with bilateral alpha = 0.05. Quality of life (QoL) was assessed with EORTC C30 and BR23 tools; activity of daily living (ADL), instrumental ADL (IADL) and Charlson score for comorbidities were assessed. ER+ and HER2+ pts received endocrine treatment and trastuzumab after chemotherapy, respectively. Results: From July 2003 to April 2011, 302 pts were randomized and 299 (152 CMF, 147 wD) were evaluable. Median age was 71. Hypertension (62%), arthropathy (34%) osteoporosis (17%) and controlled diabetes (16%) were the most frequent comorbidities. At baseline: pT1 44%, pN0 37%, G3 64%, ER+ 75%, HER2+ 19%. After 5.5 years median follow-up, with a plateau of DFS after 108 events (50 with CMF and 58 with wD), the Independent Data Monitoring Committee recommended to anticipate final analysis. HR of DFS for wD vs CMF was 1.20 (95% CI: 0.82-1.75, p = 0.35); HR of death was 1.23 (95% CI: 0.73-2.07, p = 0.42); outcome is similar at multivariable analysis, also including ADL, IADL and Charlson scores. QoL was significantly worse with wD for emesis, appetite loss, diarrhoea, body image, future perspective, side effects and hair loss items. Hematologic toxicity, mucositis and nausea were significantly worse with CMF, while allergy, fatigue, hair loss, onicopathy, dysgeusia, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, neuropathy, cardiac and skin toxicity were significantly worse with wD. There were 1 toxic death with CMF and 2 with wD. Conclusions: The ELDA trial shows that wD is not more effective than CMF, and produces worse QoL and toxicity. CMF remains a standard for elderly EBC pts. (Partially supported by Sanofi-Aventis). Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.


Trigger factor (TF) is a chaperone, found in bacterial cells and chloroplasts, that interacts with nascent polypeptide chains to suppress aggregation. While its crystal structure has been resolved, the solution structure and dynamics are largely unknown. We performed multiple molecular dynamics simulations on Trigger factor in solution, and show that its tertiary domains display collective motions hinged about inter-domain linkers with minimal or no loss in secondary structure. Moreover, we find that isolated TF typically adopts a collapsed state, with the formation of domain pairs. This collapse of TF in solution is induced by hydrophobic interactions and stabilised by hydrophilic contacts. To determine the nature of the domain interactions, we analysed the hydrophobicity of the domain surfaces by using the hydrophobic probe method of Acharya et al. [1], [2], as the standard hydrophobicity scales predictions are limited due to the complex environment. We find that the formation of domain pairs changes the hydrophobic map of TF, making the N-terminal and arm2 domain pair more hydrophilic and the head and arm1 domain pair more hydrophobic. These insights into the dynamics and interactions of the TF domains are important to eventually understand chaperone-substrate interactions and chaperone function.


In his article "Representing Postmodern Marginality in Three Documentary Films" Robert LeBlanc traces the emergence of new epistemologies of documentary film experience within the cases of three recent films that explore the subject's experience of marginality as central to its constitution as subject. These films -by Marlon Riggs, Chad Friedrichs, and Jessica Yu -explore the crises of self-representation engaged by their documentary subjects as these subjects seek to define themselves despite -and yet through -their experiences of marginal status, while avoiding a reinforcement of that status that could arise through its continued placement into narrative. The essay's exploration of the constitutive multiformity of documentary filmmaking suggests an augmentation of existing theories about the relevance of fictional and nonfiction narrative in postmodern documentary, as indicated by film theorist Michael Renov. LeBlanc applies Vivian Sobchack's theories of the intersubjective nature of film communication to explore the role of direct viewer address in articulating crises of self-representation. As the essay explores the filmmakers' efforts to further the selfrepresentational projects of their outsider-artist subjects, it asserts that some forms of documentary epistephilia may in fact turn inward as they articulate the implosive capacity of epistephilia to draw the marginal subject within the bounds of recognizable answers and ends. Robert LeBlanc, "Representing Postmodern Marginality in Three Documentary Films" page 2 of 10 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 11.2 (2009):


John Dryden's 1697 translation of Virgil's Aeneid is often seen as the pinnacle of an English tradition that read the Roman poet in primarily political terms and sought to relate his epic to contemporary matters of state. The present thesis takes a different approach by examining Dryden's influence on his eighteenth-century successors to determine, on the one hand, what they hoped to accomplish by retranslating the same original and, on the other hand, why none of them was able to match his success. Dryden's impact as a stylistic (rather than an ideological) model was balanced not only against a newly emphasised ideal of literalism but also against a whole range of other creative forces that posed at least an implicit challenge to his cultural dominance. Chapter 1 demonstrates Dryden's systematic refinement of the couplet form he inherited from his predecessors and draws on his theoretical writings to suggest how it can be seen as a key aspect of his particular approach to Virgil. Chapter 2 discusses Joseph Trapp's blank verse Aeneid and its debt to Dryden's couplet version; I will show that the translator's borrowings from the precursor text run directly counter to his declared ambitions to remain faithful to Virgil. Chapter 3 focusses on Christopher Pitt, the Virgil translator who came closest to paralleling Dryden's popular acclaim; encouraged by fellow men of letters, Pitt published his translation in gradually revised instalments that reflect Dryden's growing influence over time. Alexander Strahan, the subject of Chapter 4, aligned himself with a parallel tradition of Miltonic renderings by absorbing numerous expressions from Paradise Lost into his blank verse translation of the Aeneid and frequently used them to foreground thematic connections between the two epics; however, his revisions, too, show him moving closer to Dryden as time went by. James Beresford, discussed in Chapter 5, stands out among the other Miltonic translators by virtue of giving his borrowings in quotation marks – a practice that will be illuminated in connection with the multidisciplinary work of the artist Henry Fuseli and the equally Mil-tonic Homer translation that William Cowper composed under the latter's supervision. Chapter 6, finally, offers an analysis of William Wordsworth's failed attempt at translating the Aeneid. Given that he was one of the key reformers of English poetry, Wordsworth's return to the traditional couplet form at a later stage in his career is surprising, as is the fact that his style became more Drydenian the further he proceeded.


ABSTRACT Aim: Background: Sepsis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in paediatric oncology patients, particularly during periods of neutropenia, which is a well-recognised complication of immunosuppressive therapy. Stratification of patients into low and high-risk categories has facilitated a new tailored approach to empiric therapy. The availability of oral antimicrobial drugs with broad-spectrum activity against common pathogens may provide an attractive alternative. Aim: To determine whether, in low-risk febrile neutropenic paediatric populations, oral antibiotics are as effective as intravenous antibiotics in obtaining resolution of the febrile neutropenic episode.To determine whether, in low-risk febrile neutropenic paediatric populations, oral antibiotics are as effective as intravenous antibiotics in obtaining resolution of the febrile neutropenic episode. Methods: A comprehensive literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL identified prospective, randomised controlled trials comparing oral antibiotics to intravenous antibiotics in the treatment of febrile neutropenic episodes in low-risk paediatric oncology patients. Outcomes assessed were mortality, rate of treatment failure, length of the febrile neutropenic episode and adverse events. The random effects model was used to calculate risk ratios (RR) for dichotomous data and mean difference with standard deviation for continuous data. Results: Seven trials were included in the overall analysis, which included 934 episodes of febrile neutropenia in 676 patients aged between 9 months and 20 years. The overall treatment failure rates were not significantly different between oral and intravenous antibiotics (RR: 1.02, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.32, p = 0.91). Conclusions: In carefully selected low-risk febrile neutropenic children, empiric treatment with oral antibiotics is a safe and effective alternative to intravenous antibiotics, as they lower the cost of treatment, and psychosocial burden on these children and their families. Disclosure: All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.


A new kind of Web-based application, known as Enterprise Mashups, has gained momentum in the last years: Business users with no or limited programming skills are empowered to leverage in a collaborative manner user friendly building blocks and to combine and reuse existing Web-based resources within minutes to new value added applications in order to solve an individual and ad-hoc business problem. Current discussions of the Mashup paradigm in the scientific community are limited on technical aspects. The collaboration and the peer production management aspects of the Mashup development have received less attention yet. In this paper, we propose a reference model for Enterprise Mashups which provides a foundation to develop and to analyse grassroots Enterprise Mashup environments from a managerial and collaborative perspective. By following the design science research approach, we investigate existing reference models and leverage the St. Gallen Media Reference Model (MRM). The development of Enterprise Mashups is structured by market transaction phases similar to electronic markets. The user roles, the necessary processes and the resulting services are modelled according to the views of the MRM. By means of the SAP Research RoofTop Marketplace prototype we demonstrate the application of the designed reference model for grassroots Enterprise Mashups environments.

WINNER OF THE BEST PAPER AWARD. http://www.ecis2009.it


Tax and transfer programs can create significant bonuses and penalties for low- and moderate-income cohabiters with children. We find that federal tax laws can create marriage penalties that reach almost 10 percent of earnings for our hypothetical couples earning $40,000 or $50,000 a year. In contrast, a prototypical couple earning $20,000 a year could receive a marriage bonus in excess of 10 percent of earnings. Because the transfer programs we consider largely treat cohabiting parents the same as married couples, they create neither significant marriage penalties nor bonuses; however, there may be instances in which couples are misclassified and receive transfer benefits as separate households when cohabiting which could lead to marriage penalties from those programs.


We measured mature tree and sapling density, tree associations, crown size, age structure, recovery from ungulate browsing, and grass cover at four study sites in two types of subalpine woodland on Mauna Kea volcano, island of Hawaii. Beginning in 1981, introduced ungulates were reduced in number to allow regeneration of Sophora chrysophylla (mamane) in habitat supporting the endangered Hawaiian finch, Loxioides bailleui (palila). We found Sophora regeneration at all four study sites, but regeneration was higher in mixed species woodland with codominant Myoporum sandwicense (naio) than in areas where Sophora dominated. Regeneration of Myoporum was uniformly very low in comparison. Invasive grass cover, which suppresses Sophora germination, was highest in mid‐elevation woodland where Sophora dominated. The distribution of mature and sapling Sophora were both related to study site, reflecting previous ungulate browsing and uneven recovery due to grasses. Densities of Sophora snags were not different among any of the sites, suggesting a more even distribution in the past. Selective browsing before ungulate reduction may have favored Myoporum over Sophora, leading to high densities of mature Myoporum in codominant woodland. After ungulate reduction, however, we found no pattern of competitive inhibition by Myoporum on regeneration of Sophora. Reduction of Myoporum is not likely to enhance habitat for Loxioides as much as supplemental plantings of Sophora, glass control, and continued ungulate eradication. Mid‐elevation Sophora woodland areas, where Loxioides forage and nest in high densities, would benefit the most from these management actions.


Nowadays, product recalls have become an inevitable problem striking companies and manufacturers. If no sufficient preparation is made, product recalls can easily affect the bottom line. The objective of this paper is to analyse product recall notices and identify major issues of recall such as types of recalled products, causes of recall, recall initiators, and the relationship between products, recall initiators and causes of recall. This research provides an in depth analysis of recalls patterns through content analysis of historical recall notices. Analysis shows most food items are recalled due to manufacturing fault, for electrical appliances major causes of recall are design fault, and kids' products are recalled due to design and manufacturing faults, and for all types of products most recalls are initiated by the manufacturer. The result of this research will help manufacturers look at the root causes of recall and find solution to the quality issues of product design and manufacturing. This research can be further extended to incorporate data from various countries.


The quadruple approach in the title refers to four different studies over a period of 3 years. The common factor in these studies is the methodology of the (Brussels) Electromyographic Signal Processing and Analysis System (ESPAS), a hardware and software EMG data acquisition system that has constantly been improved. Therefore, the ESPAS methodology is described extensively (i.e. the electrodes, amplifier, tape-recorder and processing hardware). Experiment 1 investigated muscular behaviour in target shooting, both indoors (18 and 25 m) and outdoors (50, 70 and 90 m). It was found (via iEMG) that a significant increase in activity only exists between 25 and 50 m, and that there is no linear increase of activity with increased distance. No differences in muscular pattern (IDANCO system: Clarys and Cabri, 1988) or activity between the indoor distances and between the outdoor distances were found. Experiment 2 investigated the muscular economy of four string grips: the three-finger grip, two-finger grip, thumb grip and reversed grip. The largest variations in activity were found for the two most unfamiliar grips, i.e. the thumb and reversed grips; however, low iEMG and the rapid precision improvement (over a limited number of shots) suggest that the thumb grip, if practised long enough, might be the most economical technique. Experiment 3 attempted to differentiate muscular activity and a number of performance variables in three different populations of archers--Olympic athletes, National competitors and beginners--in order to obtain feedback regarding improved performance. Apparently, overall muscle pattern, intensities and arrow speed were not discriminatory. The differences found between the groups (or levels of skill) were affected by the ability to reproduce identical patterns and arrow velocities in consecutive shots and by the constancy of neuromuscular control of the M. trapezius, M. biceps brachii and M. extensor digitorum. Finally, Experiment 4 investigated the muscular activity of elite archers shooting at distances of 70 and 90 m with and without stabilizers. Differences in iEMG were not supported by differences in precision. Over time, the low iEMG in shooting without stabilizers increases precision and delays fatigue.


Abstract We describe the BioCyc update notifications service, a new mechanism to keep researchers informed of the latest developments in their areas of interest. BioCyc.org combines databases for 9,300 sequenced organisms that integrate genome, metabolic pathway, and regulatory information with extensive bioinformatics tools. Users of the BioCyc website can register their specific areas of interest online by specifying a set of genes, pathways and/or Gene Ontology terms. Then, when significant new information becomes available in a BioCyc database in a user's interest areas (usually due to curation), an email notification is sent to the user. The BioCyc ontology is leveraged to identify changes that are both relevant to a user's specified interests and worthy of notification. Every effort is made to ensure that the resulting email text is both concise and informative, with links to relevant BioCyc pages. Database URL: https://BioCyc.org, https://EcoCyc.org, https://MetaCyc.org


Currently, the increasing complexity of medical care and technological innovations in the UAE has mainly highlighted the requirement for a cost-effective strategy for patient care within the hospital settings. This study mainly emphasizes on the emergence of accounting change and accounting innovations. A search of literature on Pubmed and government websites since 2016 until this day was performed. Where possible, different keywords derived from the aims of the study were mapped to the subject headings. For the purpose of ensuring that all relevant articles were examined, tracking of citations of all the included articles was undertaken by using google scholars, while the scanning of references of the bibliography of all the articles included was also performed. This article reviews accounting as a social practice by analyzing the emergence of specific accounting innovations, mainly costing techniques, within the health sector, and the expectations from such an innovation along with its consequences and effects. These types of systems can serve as a valuable tool for evaluating and controlling the cost of the departments. When used in such manner, it can prove to be helpful and furnishes essential knowledge which is important for controlling cost and determining alternatives services. There is a need to conduct additional research in the future on the concept of adoption of computerized accounting systems as well as the utilization of cost accounting techniques in specific health care organizations which were not included in this study so as to acquire a more realistic view of the problem.


The fastest route to true HTML/CSS mastery!Need to build a web site? Or update one? Or just create some effective new web content? Maybe you just need to update your skills, do the job better.Welcome. This book's for you. We'll leverage what you already know about the web, so you'll go further, faster than you ever expected. You'll master today's best practices: the real nuts and bolts, not theory or hooey. You'll learn through dozens of focused HTML, XHTML, and CSS examples: crafted for simplicity and easy to adapt for your own projects.Need specific solutions? This book's modular, visual, high-efficiency format delivers them instantly. Molly E. Holzschlag draws on her unparalleled experience teaching Web design and development. No other HTML/CSS guide covers this much, this well, this quickly. Dig in, get started, get results! All you need to succeed with HTML, XHTML, and CSS in real-world projects Learn how to build web pages that'll work in any environment, on virtually any contemporary browser Construct templates that simplify every page you develop Structure and tag text so it's easy to work with and manage Add images, media, and scripts-quickly and reliably Discover the right ways to use HTML tables Build easy-to-use forms and validate your users' input Use CSS to take total control over your site's look and feel Master core CSS techniques: color, images, text styles, link effects, lists, navigation, and more Control margins, borders, padding, positioning, floats, even Z-index Design efficient, compatible, easy-to-manage CSS layoutsIncludes concise XHTML and CSS annotated references: quick help for every language elementSpring Into... is a new series of fast-paced tutorials from Addison-Wesley. Each book in the series is designed to bring you up to speed quickly. Complex topics and technologies are reduced to their core components, and each component is treated with remarkable efficiency in one- or two-page spreads. Just the information you need to begin working...now! And because the books are example-rich and easy to navigate, you'll find that they make great on-the-job references after you've mastered the basics.© Copyright Pearson Education. All rights reserved.


The important thing to understand about carbonate diagenesis is not how porosity is created, but how it is destroyed. Detailed core observations from two deeply‐buried carbonate platform successions (the Finnmark platform, offshore north Norway; and the Khuff Formation, offshore Iran) show that in both cases most vertical porosity variation can be accounted for by only two or three factors, namely: (1) stylolite frequency, (2) proportion of argillaceous beds, and (3) anhydrite cement. The spatial distribution of these factors is determined by the depositional distribution of clay minerals (important for localizing chemical compaction) and the occurrence of hypersaline depositional conditions and associated brine reflux (important for localizing anhydrite precipitation and dolomitisation). However, the intensity of chemical compaction and consequent porosity loss in adjacent beds by carbonate cementation also depend upon thermal exposure (temperature as a function of time). Evidence from the Finnmark platform and other examples indicate that the stratigraphic distribution of early‐formed dolomite is also important for porosity preservation during burial, but this factor is not apparent in the Khuff dataset. Insofar as the Finnmark and Khuff platforms can be regarded as representative of carbonate reservoirs in general, recognition of the above porosity‐controlling factors may provide the basis for general models predicting carbonate reservoir potential both locally (reservoir‐model scale) and regionally (exploration‐scale). Distributions of clay, anhydrite, and dolomitization should be predictable from stratigraphic architecture, whereas variations in thermal exposure can be mapped from basin analysis. In the present examples at least, factors that do not need to be considered include eogenetic carbonate cementation and dissolution, depositional facies (other than aspects related to clay and anhydrite content), and mesogenetic leaching to create late secondary porosity.


This paper examines the extent of food production, imports, and trade policy opportunities in terms of the special and differential treatment (SDT) in Pacific Island countries (PICs). It is revealed that stagnating per capita incomes and high incidence of poverty are lowering the quality of life among a significant proportion of the PIC population. PICs' well-being is likely to be further worsened by falling and stagnating food production and significant rises in food prices as a result of food imports that range between 14 to 29 percent of total imports. PICs' future development is likely to be hampered by the looming economic fallout arising from regional integration. Thus, ensuring food self-sufficiency is essential for improved well-being. In this regard, the PICs window of opportunity is to maximize the utility of the SDT under the World Trade Organisations (WTO) provisions. Urgent governmental attention is required in terms of calibrating regional country-specific composite measures of trade and development parameters so as to allow the capacity of the PICs to bargain for the SDT with greater clarity, strength and meaning.


BACKGROUND
The UK prevalence of thoracic aneurysm is estimated at 10.4 per 100,000 person-years. Progressive and unpredictable enlargement can lead to rupture. Endovascular repair of thoracic aortic aneurysms involves a stent graft system being introduced via the femoral artery and manipulated within the aorta under radiological guidance. Following endograft deployment, a seal is formed at the proximal and distal landing zones to exclude the aneurysm sac from the circulation. With the increasing popularity of endovascular repair there has been an increase in the number of commercially available stent graft designs on the market. This is an update of the review first published in 2013.

OBJECTIVES
This review aimed to assess the different stent graft types for endovascular repair of thoracic aortic aneurysms.

SEARCH METHODS
The Cochrane Vascular Group Trials Search Co-ordinator (TSC) searched the Specialised Register (last searched February 2015) and the Cochrane Register of Studies CENTRAL (2015, Issue 1). Trial databases were searched by the TSC for details of ongoing and unpublished studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA
All published and unpublished randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of stent graft types in the repair of thoracic aortic aneurysms were sought without language restriction.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Data collection and analysis was conducted in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.

MAIN RESULTS
No studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria. It was not possible to assess the quality of the evidence in the absence of studies eligible for inclusion in the review.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Unfortunately, no data exist regarding direct comparisons of the performance of different stent graft types. High quality RCTs evaluating stent graft types in thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair are required.


Premixed and Partial Premixed Turbulent Flames at High Reynolds Number Stefano Luca Methane/air premixed and partially premixed turbulent flames at high Reynolds number are characterized using Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) with detailed chemistry in a spatially evolving slot Bunsen configuration. Two sets of simulations are performed. A first set of simulations with fully premixed inlet conditions is considered in order to assess the effect of turbulence on the flame. Four simulations are performed at increasing Reynolds number and up to 22400, defined based on the bulk velocity, slot width, and the reactants' properties, and 22 billion grid points, making it one of the largest simulations in turbulent combustion. The simulations feature finite rate chemistry with a 16 species mechanism. To perform these simulations, few preliminary steps were required: (i) two skeletal mechanisms were developed reducing GRI-3.0; (ii) a convergence study is performed to select the proper spatial and temporal discretization and (iii) simulations of fully developed turbulent channel flows are preformed to generate the inlet conditions of the jet. The study covers different aspects of flame-turbulence interaction. It is found that the thickness of the reaction zone is similar to that of a laminar flame, while the preheat zone has a lower mean temperature gradient, indicating flame thickening. The characteristic length scales of turbulence are investigated and the effect of the Reynolds number on these quantities is assessed. The tangential rate of strain is responsible for the production of flame surface in the mean and surface destruction is due to the curvature term. A second set of simulations with inhomogeneous inlet conditions is performed to study 5 how partial premixing and turbulence interact with the flame and with each other. The jet Reynolds number is 5600, and a 33 species mechanism is used. The effect of the inlet fluctuations is reflected on heat release rate fluctuations, however the conditional mean is not affected. The flames show thickening of the preheat zone, and for the lowest level of mixing a slight thickening of the reaction zone is observed. The effect of partially mixed mixture on the NOx formation is analysed and no major impact was found.


OBJECTIVE
The authors reviewed the pathology, complications, and outcomes in a consecutive group of 650 patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy in the 1990s.

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA
Pancreaticoduodenectomy has been used increasingly in recent years to resect a variety of malignant and benign diseases of the pancreas and periampullary region.

METHODS
Between January 1990 and July 1996, inclusive, 650 patients underwent pancreaticoduodenal resection at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Data were recorded prospectively on all patients. All pathology specimens were reviewed and categorized. Statistical analyses were performed using both univariate and multivariate models.

RESULTS
The patients had a mean age of 63 +/- 12.8 years, with 54% male and 91% white. The number of resections per year rose from 60 in 1990 to 161 in 1995. Pathologic examination results showed pancreatic cancer (n = 282; 43%), ampullary cancer (n = 70; 11%), distal common bile duct cancer (n = 65; 10%), duodenal cancer (n = 26; 4%), chronic pancreatitis (n = 71; 11%), neuroendocrine tumor (n = 31; 5%), periampullary adenoma (n = 21; 3%), cystadenocarcinoma (n = 14; 2%), cystadenoma (n = 25; 4%), and other (n = 45; 7%). The surgical procedure involved pylorus preservation in 82%, partial pancreatectomy in 95%, and portal or superior mesenteric venous resection in 4%. Pancreatic-enteric reconstruction, when appropriate, was via pancreaticojejunostomy in 71% and pancreaticogastrostomy in 29%. The median intraoperative blood loss was 625 mL, median units of red cells transfused was zero, and the median operative time was 7 hours. During this period, 190 consecutive pancreaticoduodenectomies were performed without a mortality. Nine deaths occurred in-hospital or within 30 days of operation (1.4% operative mortality). The postoperative complication rate was 41%, with the most common complications being early delayed gastric emptying (19%), pancreatic fistula (14%), and wound infection (10%). Twenty-three patients required reoperation in the immediate postoperative period (3.5%), most commonly for bleeding, abscess, or dehiscence. The median postoperative length of stay was 13 days. A multivariate analysis of the 443 patients with periampullary adenocarcinoma indicated that the most powerful independent predictors favoring long-term survival included a pathologic diagnosis of duodenal adenocarcinoma, tumor diameter <3 cm, negative resection margins, absence of lymph node metastases, well-differentiated histology, and no reoperation.

CONCLUSIONS
This single institution, high-volume experience indicates that pancreaticoduodenectomy can be performed safely for a variety of malignant and benign disorders of the pancreas and periampullary region. Overall survival is determined largely by the pathology within the resection specimen.


While lakes occupy less than 2% of the total surface of the Earth, they play a substantial role in global biogeochemical cycles. For instance, shallow lakes are important sites of carbon metabolism. Aerobic respiration is one of the important drivers of the carbon metabolism in lakes. In this context, bioturbation impacts of benthic animals (biological reworking of sediment matrix and ventilation of the sediment) on sediment aerobic respiration have previously been underestimated. Biological activity is likely to change over the course of a year due to seasonal changes of water temperatures. This study uses microcosm experiments to investigate how the impact of bioturbation (by Diptera, Chironomidae larvae) on lake sediment respiration changes when temperatures increase. While at 5°C, respiration in sediments with and without chironomids did not differ, at 30°C sediment respiration in microcosms with 2000 chironomids per m2 was 4.9 times higher than in uninhabited sediments. Our results indicate that lake water temperature increases could significantly enhance lake sediment respiration, which allows us to better understand seasonal changes in lake respiration and carbon metabolism as well as the potential impacts of global warming.


The issue: Anti-cartel enforcement is the least controversial of competition policy themes. Agreements to restrict competition such as price fixing or market sharing have obvious negative effects on welfare. Within the European Union, however, industry representatives have increasingly voiced concern that the European Commission applies a too-strict fining policy to enforce anti-cartel law, particularly since the introduction of new guidelines on fines in 2006. Fines are said to be too high, disproportionate and liable to introduce distortions into the market, ultimately leading to higher prices for consumers. It is often argued that more lenient approaches should be followed in crisis times.

Policy challenge: High fines for cartel activity could entail costs for society and might be difficult to implement. Nevertheless, there is no case for reducing current levels of EU anti-cartel fines. Fine levels already take the economic crisis into account, and the net present value of fines might prove to be too low to discourage collusion. We estimate that fines might even be not high enough to offset the additional profits yielded by collusion. Fines should be complemented with other measures to increase deterrence, in particular personal sanctions targeting company officers who are responsible for leading the company to commit infringements. In the short term, pressure on decision makers could be increased by reducing the expected duration of investigations.


Middle Darriwilian to lower Sandbian conodonts were recorded from the Las Aguaditas Formation at its type section in the Argentine Precordillera. A total of 9,974 conodont specimens were recovered from 46 carbonate samples, which represent 68 species of 38 genera. A biostratigraphic study verified a middle Darriwilian age for the interval spanning the contact between the San Juan and the Las Aguaditas formations. The following zones are determined in the study section: the Lenodus variabilis Zone, with the Periodon gladysae and Paroistodus horridus subzones following the Precordilleran scheme; the L. variabilis, Yangtzeplacognathus crassus, and the Eoplacognathus pseudoplanus zones with the Microzarkodina hagetiana and M. ozarkodella subzones, and the Pygodus anserinus Zone, according to the Scandinavian scheme; the Periodon macrodentatus Zone, with the Histiodella sinuosa, H. holodentata and H. cf. holodentata subzones, and the P. zgierzensis Zone with the H. kristinae Subzone that correlates the North American scheme. A stratigraphic gap was recognized between the lower and middle members of the Las Aguaditas Formation. It comprises the Eoplacognathus suecicus and Pygodus serra zones, and the lower subzone of the Pygodus anserinus Zone. The variation of conodont diversity through the study section conforms to shallowing and deepening patterns, which accompanies the changes of the provenance lithology. Three conodont assemblages were quantitatively recognized: a) Diverse conodont association, b) Low diversity conodont association and c) Recovery phase association. We propose to use the North American biozonal scheme of conodonts for the Central Precordillera because of the affinity of documented index taxa, which provides a more accurate intercontinental correlation for the global Middle Ordovician Series.


The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of children with Specific Language Impairment who had integrated from a Language Unit to mainstream school. The aim of the study was to explore the development of the children in the areas of language, academic ability, and psychosocial performance both during and after that period.
Data was collected from 40 children in Phase 1 of the study by means of a structured interview schedule (Stone 1991). In Phase 2, the prospective second phase, 7 children were asked to complete the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance (PSPCSA) (Harter and Pike 1984). In both phases, parents of the children took part in unstructured interviews using a chronological or life history approach advocated by May (1993). Teachers in Phase 1 completed the Teacher Rating Scale (Urwin 1988) and in Phase 2, both language unit and mainstream schoolteachers completed the appropriate section of the PSPCSA.
A combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies was used to access the range of experiences of the children and the views of their parents and teachers. Analysis of the data revealed a lack of planning and preparation on the part of mainstream schools for the children during the short integration process. There was minimal collaboration between language units and mainstream teaching staff. The children's statement of Special Educational Need terminated for the majority after 3 months in mainstream school. No further monitoring of the children's verbal abilities took place after that, although a third of the children had continuing speech and language problems.
Despite the general failure of the mainstream system to support these children, those who needed help in academic areas did receive it on an ad hoc basis. Two thirds of the children had help with academic subjects, although teachers rated these children as average. In the second phase, teachers showed more concern over the academic and social abilities of the children.
The children saw themselves as no different from their mainstream peers. This finding reflects the sometimes overly optimistic views of children in the younger age groups, although there is some evidence from the study that children can be aware of their verbal limitations much earlier than what is generally held to be the age of self awareness at approximately 8 years.
Children with SLI in a mainstream setting continue to have difficulties for several years after integration. Parents in this study frequently expressed the view that they would have liked the children to remain in the language units because of the better quality of education they provided.
The value of the study lies in its in depth exploration of parent and child views and experiences of SLI within the education system using a combination of research approaches. Increasing the involvement of parents and children in the educational decision-making process is widely advocated. Understanding child and parent perspectives in this area is therefore of considerable importance


The basins of the Indus and Ganges rivers cover 2.20 million km2 and are inhabited by more than a billion people. The region is under extreme pressures of population and poverty, unregulated utilization of the resources and low levels of productivity. The needs are: (1) development policies that are regionally differentiated to ensure resource sustainability and high productivity; (2) immediate development and implementation of policies for sound groundwater management and energy use; (3) improvement of the fragile food security and to broaden its base; and (4) policy changes to address land fragmentation and improved infrastructure. Meeting these needs will help to improve productivity, reduce rural poverty and improve overall human development.


We have introduced different intrinsic device fingerprints and their applications in image provenance inference. Although with varying levels of accuracy, the device fingerprints arising from optical aberration, CFA interpolation, CRF, and in-device image compression are effective in differentiating devices of different brands or models. Although they cannot uniquely identify the source device of an image, they do provide useful information about the image provenance and are effective at narrowing down the image source to a smaller set of possible devices. More than half of the chapter was spent on SPN, which is the only fingerprint that distinguishes devices of the same model. Because of its merits, such as the uniqueness to individual device and the robustness against common image operations, it has attracted much attention from researches and been successfully used for source device identification, device linking, source-oriented image clustering, and image forgery detection. In spite of the effectiveness of SPN, it is by nature a very weak signal and may have been contaminated by image content and other interferences. Its successful application requires jointly processing a large number of pixels, which results in very high dimensionality of SPN. This may bring huge difficulties in practice, e.g., in large-scale source-oriented image clustering based on SPN, so it is essential to conduct research on the compact representation of SPN for fast search and clustering.