In this paper we examined the characterization of constraint effects for surface cracked plates under uniaxial and biaxial tension loadings. First, three-dimensional (3D) modified boundary layer analyses were conducted using the finite element method to study the constraint effect at a typical 3D crack front. The analyses were carried out using small geometry change formulation and deformation plasticity material model. Elastic-plastic crack front stress fields at a constant J and various T-stress levels were obtained. Three-dimensional elastic-plastic analyses were performed for semi-circular surface cracks in a finite thickness plate, under remote uniaxial and biaxial tension loading conditions. In topological planes perpendicular to the crack fronts, the crack stress fields were obtained. Then, J-Q and J-T two-parameter approaches are used in characterizing the elastic-plastic crack-tip stress fields along the 3D crack front. It is found that the J-Q characterization provides good estimate for the constraint effect for crack-tip stress fields. Reasonable agreements are achieved between the T-stress based Q-factors and the Q-factors obtained from finite element analysis.


Choice information appears in the brain as distributed signals with top-down and bottom-up components that together support decision-making computations. In sensory and associative cortical regions, the presence of choice signals, their strength, and area specificity are known to be elusive and changeable, limiting a cohesive understanding of their computational significance. In this study, examining the mesoscale activity in mouse posterior cortex during a complex visual discrimination task, we found that broadly distributed choice signals defined a decision variable in a low-dimensional embedding space of multi-area activations, particularly along the ventral visual stream. The subspace they defined was near-orthogonal to concurrently represented sensory and motor-related activations, and it was modulated by task difficulty and contextually by the animals' attention state. To mechanistically relate choice representations to decision-making computations, we trained recurrent neural networks with the animals' choices and found an equivalent decision variable whose context-dependent dynamics agreed with that of the neural data. In conclusion, our results demonstrated an independent decision variable broadly represented in the posterior cortex, controlled by task features and cognitive demands. Its dynamics reflected decision computations, possibly linked to context-dependent feedback signals used for probabilistic-inference computations in variable animal-environment interactions.


This European Respiratory Society (ERS) statement provides a comprehensive overview on physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A multidisciplinary Task Force of experts representing the ERS Scientific Group 01.02 "Rehabilitation and Chronic Care" determined the overall scope of this statement through consensus. Focused literature reviews were conducted in key topic areas and the final content of this Statement was agreed upon by all members. The current knowledge regarding physical activity in COPD is presented, including the definition of physical activity, the consequences of physical inactivity on lung function decline and COPD incidence, physical activity assessment, prevalence of physical inactivity in COPD, clinical correlates of physical activity, effects of physical inactivity on hospitalisations and mortality, and treatment strategies to improve physical activity in patients with COPD. This Task Force identified multiple major areas of research that need to be addressed further in the coming years. These include, but are not limited to, the disease-modifying potential of increased physical activity, and to further understand how improvements in exercise capacity, dyspnoea and self-efficacy following interventions may translate into increased physical activity. The Task Force recommends that this ERS statement should be reviewed periodically (e.g. every 5–8 years). An official ERS statement providing a comprehensive overview on physical activity in patients with COPD http://ow.ly/C6v78


In this paper, we estimate the effect on housing prices of the expansion of the Vancouver SkyTrain rapid transit network during the period 2001–11. We extend the canonical residential sorting equilibrium framework to include commuting time in the household utility function. We estimate household preferences in the sorting model using confidential micro data and geographic information systems (GIS) data on the SkyTrain network. Using these preference estimates and observed data for 2001, we simulate the equilibrium effects of expanding the SkyTrain. In our counterfactual analysis, the SkyTrain expansion increases housing prices not only in neighborhoods where the expansion occurred, but also in those with access to pre-existing segments of the network. We show how these network housing price effects depend on household commuting patterns, and discuss the implications of our results for targeted taxation policies designed to capture the housing price appreciation stemming from a public transit investment.


AbstractRetention time of treated water in a horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland was determined in the non-vegetative period using fluorescein and deuterium oxide. Fluorescein served as one of the most frequent tracers detectable at extremely low concentrations by fluorimetry; however, deuterated water (concentrations of deuterium measured by IRMS and expressed as δ (‰) against VSMOW) was used to precisely simulate the treated water flow movement. Tracer retention time (TRT) of fluorescein was 194 h while deuterated water TRT was 192 h. TRT and nominal hydraulic retention time (nHRT, 190 h) were nearly exactly equal. The tracer behavior of deuterated water was almost ideal. On the other hand, the fluorescein movement through the system was slightly influenced by the interaction with the vegetation bed (sorption causing the tailing of tracer-response curves). Nevertheless, both tracers can be successfully used and provide similar results. Retention time is a very important characteristic of a constructed wetland. It is closely connected with the efficiency of the contaminant removal from treated water. It has to be determined correctly when wetland operation parameters are optimized. The choice of the suitable and reliable tracer is always necessary. Fluorescein takes preference with respect to its simple and inexpensive determination.


Objectives This study aimed to test the hypothesis that under standardized mechanical and biologic conditions, the process of indirect bone repair in a rodent species could be manipulated to form a reproducible, atrophic, fibrous pseudarthrosis. Design The model used comprised a mid-diaphyseal, transverse osteotomy in the rat femur, stabilized via a precision miniature external fixator, a constant axial fixation stiffness being defined by a specific frame geometry. Main Outcome Measurements The repair process for both 0.5-mm and 3.0-mm gap osteotomies was characterized using radiography, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, histologic assessment of standardized longitudinal sections, and postmortem mechanical testing. Results Healing of the defect was highly reproducible, bone union being attained at around 5 weeks postoperatively with a 0.5-mm gap. Increasing the gap width to 3.0 mm resulted consistently in a pseudarthrosis. Conclusion These two reproducible patterns of repair can now be used to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms controlling the extent and progression of connective tissue differentiation in indirect bone repair without the additional variable of a nonstandardized mechanical environment.


Abstract. As one of the tasks to find the energy source(s) of thermal electrons, which elevate(s) electron temperature higher than neutral temperature in the lower ionosphere E-region, energy distribution function of thermal electron was measured with a sounding rocket at the heights of 93–131 km by the applying second harmonic method. The energy distribution function showed a clear hump at the energy of ~0.4 eV. In order to find the reason of the hump, we conducted laboratory experiment. We studied difference of the energy distribution functions of electrons in thermal energy range, which were measured with and without EUV radiation to plasma of N 2 /Ar and N 2 /O 2 gas mixture respectively. For N 2 /Ar gas mixture plasma, the hump is not clearly identified in the energy distribution of thermal electrons. On the other hand for N 2 /O 2 gas mixture, which contains vibrationally excited N 2 , a clear hump is found when irradiated by EUV. The laboratory experiment seems to suggest that the hump is produced as a result of interaction between vibrationally excited N 2 and thermal electrons, and this interaction is the most probable heating source for the electrons of thermal energy range in the lower E-region. It is also suggested that energy distribution of the electrons in high energy part may not be Maxwellian, and DC probe measures the electrons which are non Maxwellian, and therefore "electron temperature" is calculated higher.


Africa is in need of information about HIV/AIDS. Currently, librarian activists have a duty to organize, repackage, and circulate HIV/AIDS information. Unfortunately, this has led to an unintentional assertion of cultural hegemony, which operates invisibly to those who are part of the "dominant" or "dominating" culture. Unexamined assumptions of "superiority" have led to a bias that the West has the only correct method for codifying knowledge. The West cannot fairly evaluate the successes or failures of HIV/AIDS education in Africa if it only employs American ideas, categories, and sensibilities, which is detrimental to people and cultures lacking the materials needed to protect themselves. A better method is to offer information in a way that appeals to the recipients' epistemological patterns.


We live in unprecedented modern times experiencing how an outbreak of a particular viral disease, COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, also commonly referred to as the Coronavirus, is disrupting societies and personal lives. The virus is likely to spread to most, if not all, countries, illustrating the interconnectedness of the world. At the time of writing, Italy and Spain have become the epicenters in terms of fatalities in Europe, whereas the United States has recorded the most diagnosed cases worldwide. While many national measures to contain, suppress, mitigate, or delay the spread of the virus are being taken, there is great uncertainty as to which measures are appropriate or not, varying from instructions of stringent hand hygiene; travel restrictions; social distancing; and closure of schools, restaurants, bars and shops to a complete lock down of large parts of society. Science-based evidence informing the policy about the efficaciousness and possible adverse effects of these measures are urgently needed. As there is a lack of both data and insight into the mechanisms of the pandemic, generating this science-based evidence will take some time. Key epidemiological numbers, such as the attack rate of the disease and the infection–hospitalization and infection–fatality ratios, are not yet available, and estimates based on the existing limited data come with huge uncertainties (1, 2). Thus, scientists blindfolded by the lack of data have to inform a policy that needs to decide about far-reaching measures fundamentally changing societies and individuals' lives. It's an uncomfortable situation.

COVID-19 is a tremendous challenge for occupational health. Workers in many occupations are facing high risks of becoming infected. There is a long list of jobs that involve direct contact with the public and close physical proximity to others. Workers in shops, bars, restaurants, fast food, and delivery services are at increased risk for exposure to infected persons due to the large number of daily contacts. Barbers, manicurists, and physical therapists work in close proximity to their customers. However, there are also many jobs where workers have the freedom of being able to work from home, thus considerably reducing the risk to contract the virus. For example, the authors of this editorial are working from home, but communication is easy through email and Skype.

Without any doubt, healthcare personnel deservedly receive nationwide attention these days. They are at the forefront of combatting this outbreak. Not only is their work stress at record high, their healthcare organizations are under severe pressure and many are struggling to cope with care needs of so many critically ill patients simultaneously. Healthcare professionals are at increased risk of exposure to high viral load because of their close contact with COVID-19 patients, which puts them at risk of becoming infected. At the same time, they themselves are an important source of transmitting the disease to colleagues, patients, friends, and family. Healthcare workers cannot stay at home in times of capacity problems in health emergencies. In a recent letter, a physician asked himself the question: "Am I part of the cure, or am I part of the disease?" (3)

Early evidence from Wuhan, the origin of the worldwide outbreak, indicated that - of all Coronavirus infected cases - almost 4% had comprised healthcare personnel, and five deaths among healthcare workers had been confirmed (4). In Italy, the most affected country in Europe, on March 26, 2020, it was reported that more than 5,000 healthcare workers had tested positive for the Coronavirus and more than 40 had died as a result of COVID-19 (5). The daily reality in Italian hospitals is grim: insufficient testing capacity, lack of suitable protective equipment, lack of mechanical ventilators, wards not isolated from each other, and patients in beds in corridors. The capacity of the national health system is stretched to its limits and, in the most affected region of Lombardy, clearly insufficient (6). In such a crisis, it is imperative to ensure that healthcare workers are protected, for their own safety and to safeguard the healthcare system but also to prevent transmission of the virus. It is obvious that we have to revert to the proven strategies to protect workers by creating awareness of risks and providing personal protective equipment as well as appropriate hygiene procedures. Almost 15 years ago, prompted by the SARS epidemic, Descatha and colleagues (7) already pleaded for such contingency plans in healthcare in the event of an influenza pandemic.

Companies will have to deal with the psychosocial and psychological consequences of the current Coronavirus outbreak. Specifically, healthcare organizations will need to deal with insomnia, burnout, depressive symptoms, and post-traumatic stress disorders among healthcare workers. In Wuhan hospitals support teams have been set up to provide individual psychological guidance and group-based interventions (8). An important source of psychological distress are the impossible decisions (who to treat first?) under extreme work pressure. A recent analysis of previous major incidents called not only for peer-support programs during the crisis but also for active monitoring and adequate availability of mental treatment to prevent long-term damage to healthcare staff (9).

The long-lasting societal effects of this pandemic are impossible to estimate yet. National, regional or global economic recessions seem to be inevitable. We know from previous economic crises, such as the recession in Finland in the 1990s (10) and the global financial crisis of 2007–2009 (11, 12) that there were marked effects on people's health, both on those who lost their jobs and those remaining at work. Thus, efforts on containment, suppression and mitigation are not only needed with regard to the virus but also with regard to possible adverse societal and economic consequences.

COVID-19 will have both a short-term and long-lasting impact on societies, healthcare systems, workplaces and individuals alike. As occupational health professionals we must contribute with our knowledge and insights to provide appropriate occupational health for all workers affected directly and indirectly by this pandemic.

References
1. Ioannidis J.P.A. A fiasco in the making? As the coronavirus pandemic takes hold, we are making decisions without reliable data. STAT; March 17, 2020. https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/17/a-fiasco-in-the-making-as-the-coronavirus-pandemic-takes-hold-we-are-making-decisions-without-reliable-data/
2. Lipsitch M. We know enough now to act decisively against Covid-19. Social distancing is a good place to start. STAT; 2020, March 18. https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/18/we-know-enough-now-to-act-decisively-against-covid-19/
3. Rose C. Am I part of the cure or I am part of the disease. N Engl J Med 2020, March 18 (Epub ahead of print). https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2004768
4. Wu Z, McGoogan JM. Characteristics of and important lessons from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in China: summary of a report of 72 314 cases from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. JAMA 2020, February 24 (Epub ahead of print). https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.2648
5. Giuffrida A, Tondo L. `As if a storm hit`: more than 40 Italian health workers have died since crisis began. The Guardian. 26 March 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/26/as-if-a-storm-hit-33-italian-health-workers-have-died-since-crisis-began.
6. Remuzzi A, Remuzzi G. Covid-19 and Italy: what next? Lancet 2020, March 12 (Epub ahead of print). https://doi.org/10.1016/50140-6736(20)30627-9.
7. Descatha A, Dolveck F, Salomon J. A contingency plan for health care worker protection in the event of a flu pandemic. J Occup Environ Med 2006;48:660-1. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.jom.0000226919.79483.b7
8. Kang L, Li Y, Hu S et al. The mental health of medical workers in Wuhan, China dealing with the 2019 novel coronavirus. Lancet Psychiatry 2020;7:e13-e14. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30047-X
9. Greenberg N, Docherty M, Gnanapragasam S, Wessely S. Managing mental health challenges faced by healthcare workers during covid-19 pandemic. BMJ 2020;368:m1211. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m1211
10. Vahtera J, Kivimaki M, Pentti J. Effect of organisational downsizing on health of employees. Lancet 1997;350(9085):1124-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(97)03216-9
11. Karanikolos M, Heino P, McKee M, Stuckler D, Legido-Quigley H. Effects of the global financial crisis on health in high-income OECD countries: A narrative review. Int J Health Serv 2016;46:208-40. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020731416637160
12. Tora I, Martinez JM, Benavides FG, Leveque K, Ronda E. Effect of economic recession on psychosocial working conditions by workers' nationality. Int J Occup Environ Health 2015;21:328-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/10773525.2015.1122369


This study examining the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) and other macroeconomic variables on agricultural growth in Nigeria from 1981 to 2014, using annual time series data from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), World Bank and the United States of America (US) Federal Reserve System. Data was analysed using trend analyses, unit root tests, co-integration tests, ordinary least squares (OLS) regression and Granger causality tests, while the hypothesis was tested with F-test. Results revealed very low FDI inflow into agriculture, not commensurate with the share of agriculture to GDP. All significance were taken at the 5% probability level, i.e. p<0.05. There was positive non-significant relationship between agricultural growth and FDI in agriculture, meaning that FDI in agriculture has no direct impact on agricultural growth or the impact on agricultural growth is masked by other macroeconomic variables. Significant positive relationship exists between agricultural growth and macroeconomic instability, while interest rate differential had a significant negative relationship. There was unidirectional causality running from FDI in agriculture, stock of gross external debts, and variability of consumers' price index to agricultural growth, while agricultural growth was significant in granger causing macroeconomic instability. Recommendations are government should not involve itself in business, but seek for and encourage more FDI for the agricultural sector, encourage joint ventures between foreign and domestic investors/entrepreneurs, ensure stability and consistency in its macroeconomic policies, while monetary policy rates should be fixed in such a way that it would attract the right amount of investments in agriculture.


Dr. Mruk has produced a highly readable new edition of his original work on an often misunderstood psychological construct--self-esteem. Mruk's view that self-esteem is a critically important influence on psychological adjustment and quality of life is now an accepted tenet in personality theory. Lack of self-esteem is frequently a precursor to depression, suicidal behavior, and other personality disorders. Nonetheless, the clinical diagnosis of self-esteem problems has lacked the basis of an overarching theory. Dr. Mruk's comprehensive analysis distills the literature on self-esteem into practical and reliable treatment methods for both clinicians and researchers. The new edition contains updated research and current terms, and addresses the self-esteem "backlash." He concludes with worksheets and detailed guidelines for conducting self-esteem building workshops


Bis(2-chloro-1-methylethyl) ether is a beta-haloether and a byproduct of propylene oxide and propylene glycol manufacture. A bioassay of technical grade bis(2-chloro-1-methylethyl) ether for possible carcinogenicity was conducted by administering the test chemical by gavage to F344 rats. Groups of 50 rats of each sex were administered a solution of bis(2-chloro-1-methylethyl) ether in corn oil 5 days per week at either 100 or 200 mg/kg/day for 103 weeks. Vehicle controls consisted of groups of 50 rats of each sex that were administered the corn oil alone. Untreated-control groups of the same size were also used. All surviving rats were killed at week 104 or 105. Mean body weights of the dosed groups of male and female rats were lower than those of the corresponding vehicle-control groups throughout most of the study and were dose related. Similarly, survivals of the high-dose males and of both the high- and low-dose females were lower than those of the corresponding vehicle controls and were dose related. Almost all animals in the high-dose groups died by the end of the bioassay. No tumors occurred in the dosed groups of rats of either sex at incidences that were significantly higher than those of the vehicle-control groups. It is concluded that under the conditions of this bioassay, the technical-grade test material, bis(2-chloro-1-methylethyl) ether, was not carcinogenic for F344 rats of either sex. Levels of Evidence of Carcinogenicity: Male Rats: Negative Female Rats: Negative Synonym: bis(2-chloro-isopropyl) ether Report Date: 1979


Here and there, speakers and writers who address the topic of investment-treaty arbitration have attempted to draw a line around what they evidently wish us to see as a new, distinct process, different from other types of arbitration which they often refer to as commercial arbitration. That is a reductionist term. I prefer "traditional arbitration"--or perhaps "pre-1988" arbitration." What is the nature of this line being proposed to us? The question merits a few moments of reflection. Let us begin with a couple of trivial possibilities. First, this might be a librarian's line, born of a sense of tidiness and a desire to subdivide the unmanageable flood of legal developments in the international community. If that's what it is, why not? It is surely not worth a debate, one way or another. Alternatively, we might be talking about a territorial line drawn by jealous explorers, who want to declare the discovery of new terra nullius just across their proposed border, thus creating a special zone over which they can exercise dominion--perhaps to stake exclusive claims as founders of a new scholarly sub-discipline. Again, why not? Proclaim your realm, hoist your flag! Soon enough, we shall see if others will salute it. But, to consider a third possibility, is this an analytical line? This is where I say, hold your horses! Let us not too quickly accept the proposition that investment arbitration by its supposedly unique nature is to be understood as the crucible in which the international community regulates, or fails to regulate, something we are to understand as global public administrative law. I am unconvinced. My quarrel is not with Benedict Kingsbury, who with various colleagues has admirably explored a number of non-traditional international processes by which public action may be tested. What concerns me is the fallacy of the suggestion that this is always the function of investment-treaty arbitration, and never the function of international arbitration as we knew it before 1988. Both of these propositions are false. Every investment-treaty arbitration does not necessarily implicate important issues of interest to society as a whole. And there were many pre-1988 arbitrations that did. For those who doubt that last sentence, I need only produce a single Black Swan. I could use Emmanuel Gaillard, but I haven't asked for his permission, so allow me to play the role myself. My first assignment, fresh out of law school in 1975, was to work on arbitrations arising out of the Libyan nationalizations. Those disputes were decided under arbitration clauses signed by the state. International law was explicitly applicable. My first client, a few years later, was an investor called SPP which sought redress from the government of Egypt for the cancellation of a vast tourism project which, so it was said, was too close to the pyramids and therefore a threat to the cultural heritage of not only Egypt, but all mankind. That dispute was submitted to ICC arbitration in Paris by reference to a contractual clause endorsed by the Minister of Tourism. For the entire decade of the 1980s, I spent more time on a series of Iranian disputes than on any other matter. This had nothing to do with the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal. I acted for the French government. In the early 1970s, the French Nuclear Energy Commission had signed with the Iranian Nuclear Energy Commission an agreement by which Iran would be allowed access as a partner in the giant EURODIF consortium, a multi-billion-dollar uranium enrichment facility. After the fall of the Shah, the Ayatollah Khomeini decreed that the Iranian nuclear industry should be dismantled as a matter of national (indeed, apparently divine) policy. This, said the Iranian Commission, was a case of force majeure. That left France faced with the unacceptable prospect of having to make up the massive Iranian shortfall vis-a-vis its other European partners. …


The purpose of this study is to find out the performance of graduates of Vocational High School competency expertise in engineering light vehicle that has been worked  in the automotive industry, also analyzed the relationship of school accreditation, UKK value and duration of working with performance. The research was held in April 2014 in Surabaya City with the sample in the automotive industry sole agent were 43 graduates of non automotive industry sole agent as much as 59 graduates and use descriptive research as well as quantitative tracer studies. The process of data retrieval  using a questionnaire which has been validated by an experts and scholars have conducted trials to determine the reliability of the instrument and the data were analyzed using multiple regression analyses with normal qualify, linearity, multicollinearity and heteroscedasticity. The results showed satisfactory the performance of vocational graduates. Based on the industry's in graduate work at the automotive industry sole agent better than non automotive industry sole agent. Accreditation of schools does not have a relationship with the performance, because the company accreditation is only use during the initial selection or administration, where the origin graduates accounted for only 10% of a person's success and 90% coming from the rest the quality of individual. UKK score and duration of  work has a significant relationship with performance and Vocational High School graduates, as well as all independent variables together research related to performance. UKK score associated with the performance and capabilities due to an embodiment of the base that is owned by someone, if  its basic capabilities is the ability to both receive and manage information / knowledge would also be good. The duration of work is more dominant due to factors related to the performance of repetitive activities so without realizing that they have received a learning process and settle in their mindset. Keywords: Performance, Accreditation, UKK, the Old Works.


A guide to the practical art of plausible reasoning, this book has relevance in every field of intellectual activity. Professor Polya, a world-famous mathematician from Stanford University, uses mathematics to show how hunches and guesses play an important part in even the most rigorously deductive science. He explains how solutions to problems can be guessed at; good guessing is often more important than rigorous deduction in finding correct solutions. Vol. I, on "Induction and Analogy in Mathematics," covers a wide variety of mathematical problems, revealing the trains of thought that lead to solutions, pointing out false bypaths, discussing techniques of searching for proofs. Problems and examples challenge curiosity, judgment, and power of invention.


ABSTRACT A recent epidemic of Swiss needle cast along the Oregon coast has prompted efforts to quantify foliar infection and colonization of the causal agent Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii. In this paper, we compare four methods to quantify colonization of Douglas-fir foliage by P. gaeumannii: fruiting body abundance, ergosterol content, dot blot analysis, and TaqMan based real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results from the four techniques were all significantly correlated. Fruiting body density and quantitative PCR are two methods least affected by the presence of other needle fungi and had the highest correlation. The methods also were used to compare foliage colonization in nine field sites exhibiting a range of disease severity. All four methods provided evidence that sites differed in the degree of fungal colonization, but only quantitative PCR consistently separated sites with moderate to severe levels of disease from sites with low disease estimated by foliage color, canopy density, and growth measurements.


This paper focuses on the practical significance of visual tools in Knowledge Management (KM) and Information Systems (IS) development in the context of the development of MaKE, a KM method. Visual tools are used extensively in KM and IS. However, this paper identifies a dilemma in the use of visual tools and examines how this dilemma was addressed during the development of some visual tools in MaKE. A brief description of MaKE is provided before visual tools are presented and discussed. The visual tools are called the Knowledge Targets Pyramid, Knowledge Tree, Knowledge Block, and the Linking Overview which are used to help present outcomes. They were reviewed and analysed in workshops in a major UK Fast Moving Consumer Goods manufacturer. The authors suggest that the findings of this research are relevant to visual tools used as part of KM methods and frameworks and that if certain guidelines are borne in mind, visual tools are very helpful for understanding and communicating, in a short time frame, relatively complex phenomena. Within the context of MaKE the Knowledge Targets Pyramid, Knowledge Block, and the Linking Overview do this more effectively than the Knowledge Tree.


Debris flows are rapid, unsteady gravity-driven flows which can cause vast amounts of damage to infrastructures and endanger populations. It is therefore crucial to be able to properly model the behaviour of these flows, to better predict their impact. The aim of this study is to simulate these flows, determine how the presence of an obstacle in the path of the flow influences the propagation of the fluid, and to measure the pressures exerted by the flow on the obstacle, for various flow regimes. In this paper, we present a 2-D Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) model capable of simulating a viscoplastic fluid. The Herschel-Bulkley model, which can accurately describe the behaviour of a muddy debris flow, is introduced in the SPH equations of Ferrari et al. (A new 3D parallel SPH scheme for free surface flows. Computers & Fluids, 38(6), pp. 1203–1217, 2009). The resulting code is validated by simulating a steady flow. It is then used to simulate a Herschel-Bulkley fluid propagating from a tank onto an incline and past a rectangular obstacle. The simulations confirm the existence of two regimes observed experimentally: a deadzone regime for small values of the Froude number and a jet regime for large values of the Froude number. Results show that the pressure exerted on the obstacle can be described by a combination of a gravitational component and a kinetic component, the latter taking over as the flow transitions from the dead-zone regime to the jet regime.


The reliability of electronics equipment is dramatically shortened if it operates in very hot conditions, which is why much electronic equipment incorporates fan cooling. Equipment builders designing for arid climates have always faced considerable environmental protection problems. Traditional cooling techniques require a power supply, which often poses severe difficulties. The problem is growing bigger as the topology of SCADA evolves towards more distributed and unmanned systems, and new solutions are being sought. Although solar cells and DC powered air conditioning techniques are making progress, their relative lack of efficiency, together with the problems of battery lifecycles in hot climates, continues to make environmental protection complicated and expensive.


The role of the microenvironment in the development and progression of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is currently of major interest. Pathogen- and damage-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs and DAMPs, respectively) represent exogenous and endogenous microenvironmental factors acting via a range of receptors, including Toll-like receptors (TLR). CD180/RP105 is a membrane-associated orphan receptor that belongs to the TLR family, is expressed by professional antigen-presenting cells, and drives normal B-cell activation and proliferation.
We have previously shown that approximately 60% of CLL samples expressed surface CD180 but only half responded to ligation with anti-CD180 monoclonal antibody (mAb) resulting in activation, cycling, and reduced basal apoptosis and were termed responders (R). In contrast, CD180+CLL samples that failed to respond to anti-CD180 mAb, despite expressing a high density of CD180 receptors, were termed non-responders (NR). We further demonstrated that in R-CLL cells, CD180 ligation significantly induced phosphorylation of ZAP70/Syk, ERK, p38MAPK, and AKT. In contrast, CD180-mediated signalling in NR CLL cells did not progress downstream from ZAP70/Syk phosphorylation indicating a block in activation of downstream protein kinases, and possible anergy.
To further clarify the CD180-mediated signalling pathways in CLL, here we studied signal transduction downstream from ZAP70/Syk by delineating CLL samples into R and NR through their proximal ability to activate AKT. We have studied major signalling protein kinases associated with the BCR signalling pathway: PI3K, Btk, ERK, p38MAPK and AKT.
Segregation of CLL samples responding to CD180 ligation by signalling via pAKT, rather than by CD86 upregulation, revealed that CD180 ligation on CLL cells can activate two alternative signalling pathways: pro-survival that operates via PI3K-Btk-AKT protein kinases, or mostly pro-apoptotic, that operates via p38MAPK but not through Btk. This may have implications for CLL therapy where Btk inhibitors are being used.
Here we demonstrate that albeit ligation of sIgM alone also activates pro-survival PI3K-Btk-AKT pathway pre-engagement of CD180 redirected BCR-mediated signalling towards the potentially pro-apoptotic p38MAPK pathway that opens new horizons for immunotherapy.
Since the tissue microenvironment plays a crucial role in generation and survival of the CLL clones, studies pertaining to CD180 expression in the lymphoid tissues were undertaken. Our pilot data suggests that in normal tonsils CD180 is expressed by the mantle zone (MZ) B cells and not the germinal centre (GC) B cells. However in CLL lymph nodes complete obliteration of the normal tissue architecture and a weak expression of CD180 has been detected, whilst expression of CD180 on bone marrow CLL cells was heterogeneous. Since CLL cells migrate to and from the solid tissues into the peripheral circulation in any CLL clone, there is always an intra-clonal kinetic heterogeneity through a suggested continuum between the 'proliferative' or CXCR4dimCD5bright, and 'resting' CXCR4 brightCD5dim fractions. Here we report that the 'resting' compartment was enriched for CD180+ cells compared to the 'proliferating' subset. In contrast, sIgM+ cells were more frequent in the proliferating fraction. Since the "resting" subset of CLL cells is also considered as the one "returning" to the solid tissues supported by the increased expression of CXCR4, our data might suggest possible attraction of the CD180+ cells towards the putative ligand in the lymphoid tissues.
It is becoming apparent that intraclonal diversity plays an important role in the clinical outcome of patients with CLL. Subsets of the CLL clone that respond more robustly to external stimuli may well gain a growth and survival advantage and possibly promote clonal evolution. Identification of these CLL subpopulations was therefore of prime importance, as these cells may be preferred targets for future therapeutics. We have established that CD180 expression on CLL cells helps identifying different subsets and delineating their physiological status. Our findings on modulation of signalling pathways through CD180 and sIgM and the temporal effects of their ligation is consistent with multiple ligands in the, in vivo, microenvironment playing an important role in the survival of CLL cells. Since TLR can shuttle between inhibition and promotion of leukemic growth they may play a key role in immune evasion impacting on clinically relevant tumour-host microenvironment interactions. The identification of distinct CD180-mediated signalling pathways that promote tumour cell proliferation and survival will allow specific targeting of key players in the pathways with immunotherapy and chemotherapy.


This paper summarizes an existing bidirectional six-level model of phonology and phonetics (and a bit of morphology). Bidirectionality in this case refers to the modelling of both the speaking process (production) and the listening process (comprehension). The elements of the grammar (the constraints) are bidirectional in the sense that the speaker and listener use the same sets of constraints, with the same rankings. In contrast with Blutner's and Mattasusch's bidirectional OT models, the evaluation is the simplest possible, i.e. it is performed unidirectionally in both directions of processing; still, listener-oriented effects tend to emerge from having learning algorithms for the comprehension direction alone. This paper describes a great number of learning algorithms in both directions of processing, and their typical results across one or multiple generations.


A carbon-based sacrificial templating approach was employed to realize single-pot synthesis of cyclically stable CaO-based CO2 sorbents. The sacrificial carbonaceous template was formed through resorcinol-formaldehyde polymerization reaction. The resultant sorbents following the thermal decomposition of the carbonaceous template featured an inverse opal-like macrostructure composed of a highly porous nanostructured backbone. In addition to pure CaO, sorbents supported with Al2O3, MgO, Y2O3, and ZrO2 were synthesized. SEM and XRD were utilized to characterize the morphology and the chemical composition of the synthetic CO2 sorbents, respectively. The cyclic CO2 uptake performance of the synthetic sorbents was assessed by TGA and compared to limestone. All of the synthetic sorbents exhibited an improved CO2 uptake performance when compared to limestone. The performance enhancement became more pronounced in the case of supported sorbents. The sorbent with the best CO2 uptake performance was supported by a mixture of Al2O3 and Y2O3, and exhibited a CO2 uptake of 0.61 g CO2/g CaO after 10 cycles of calcination and carbonation under practically relevant operating temperatures, which exceeded the CO2 uptake of limestone by more than 350%.


There is interest in learning how agriculture impacts the greater desert riparian ecosystem. Focus on tillage practices revealed information as to how soil functions on rotation and mono-crop managed systems in comparison to undeveloped land. The purpose was to determine if tillage increased soil health. The secondary question looked at the effect non-tilled soil has on biological activity. Background research studies focused on measuring potential indicators of soil health or quality. Three adjacent fields in the Lower Colorado River Basin in Arizona were used to measure indicators of soil health. Each field differed by tillage and crop management system. Soil health testing methods for biological, chemical and physical indicators were conducted through laboratory analysis and fieldwork. Colony forming units and laboratory soil analysis indicated soil organic matter and soil bacteria were higher as tillage levels increased. Physical indicators of moisture, compaction, and texture showed soil composition of tilled soils was similar to, but not the same in to no-till. Biological indicators showed that except for bacteria colonies, biological activity was highest in reduced and no-till levels. This revealed that conventional tillage is a good habitat for soil bacteria but it potentially does not provide for a diverse number of organisms. The overall assessment showed that each tillage level offered benefits to the soil ecosystem.


Dampers are devices that reduce delay jitter in the context of time-sensitive networks, by delaying packets for the amount written in packet headers. Jitter reduction is required by some real-time applications; beyond this, dampers have the potential to solve the burstiness cascade problem of deterministic networks in a scalable way, as they can be stateless. Dampers exist in several variants: some apply only to earliest-deadline-first schedulers, whereas others can be associated with any packet schedulers; some enforce FIFO ordering whereas some others do not. Existing analyses of dampers are specific to some implementations and some network configurations; also, they assume ideal, non-realistic clocks. In this paper, we provide a taxonomy of all existing dampers in general network settings and analyze their timing properties in presence of non-ideal clocks. In particular, we give formulas for computing residual jitter bounds of networks with dampers of any kind. We show that non-FIFO dampers may cause reordering due to clock non-idealities and that the combination of FIFO dampers with non-FIFO network elements may very negatively affect the performance bounds. Our results can be used to analyze timing properties and burstiness increase in any time-sensitive network, as we illustrate on an industrial case-study.


Mutations in the tumor suppressor gene PTEN (MMAC1/TEP1) are associated with a large number of human cancers and several autosomal-dominant disorders. Mice mutant for PTEN die at early embryonic stages and the mutant embryonic fibroblasts display decreased sensitivity to cell death. Overexpression of PTEN in different mammalian tissue culture cells affects various processes including cell proliferation, cell death and cell migration. We have characterized the Drosophila PTEN gene and present evidence that both inactivation and overexpression of PTEN affect cell size, while overexpression of PTEN also inhibits cell cycle progression at early mitosis and promotes cell death during eye development in a context-dependent manner. Furthermore, we have shown that PTEN acts in the insulin signaling pathway and all signals from the insulin receptor can be antagonized by either Drosophila or human PTEN, suggesting a potential means for alleviating symptoms associated with altered insulin signaling.


We analyze the stochastic control approach to the dynamic maximization of the robust utility of consumption and investment. The robust utility functionals are defined in terms of logarithmic utility and a dynamically consistent convex risk measure. The underlying market is modeled by a diffusion process whose coefficients are driven by an external stochastic factor process. Our main results give conditions on the minimal penalty function of the robust utility functional under which the value function of our problem can be identified with the unique classical solution of a quasilinear PDE within a class of functions satisfying certain growth conditions.


After months of deliberation, NIH director Elias A. Zerhouni formally announced on February 1, 2005, that federal scientists would be prohibited from consulting for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies, as well as for any research institute that receives funding from the NIH. The new rules, which are expected to be put into effect quickly, also limit NIH researchers' stock investments in drug and biotech companies to $15,000 and earnings from prizes and honorariums to only $200.

The guidelines on consulting and accepting speaking fees were made liberal in the 1990s when former NIH director Harold Varmus was at the helm. Varmus encouraged outside consulting with the goal of recruiting better scientists to the NIH. But this policy drew widespread criticism for presenting researchers with potential conflicts of interest. In some cases, NIH employees accepted exorbitant, and perhaps unethical, consulting fees.

The new guidelines have brought about mixed reactions from the research community. Some argue that the rules put federal scientists at a disadvantage compared with their academic colleagues, many of whom engage in outside pursuits to boost their salaries and promote scientific discovery. They also fear this will discourage good scientists from working for the NIH. Supporters of the plan feel that these rules are needed to ensure the public's trust in the NIH and that they will not negatively affect scientific exchange. Of course, NIH collaboration with academia and industry is critical to the advancement of science and for bench-to-bedside translation of research. The impact of the new regulations on NIH recruitment and interaction with external colleagues will be monitored as these guidelines are implemented.


Unprotected receptive anal intercourse is a well-recognized risk factor for infection with human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1). Isolated human case reports have implicated HIV-1 transmission by oral-genital exposure. Adult macaques exposed nontraumatically to cell-free simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) through the oral route became infected and developed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The minimal virus dose needed to achieve systemic infection after oral exposure was 6000 times lower than the minimal dose required to achieve systemic infection after rectal exposure. Thus, unprotected receptive oral intercourse, even in the absence of mucosal lesions, should be added to the list of risk behaviors for HIV-1 transmission.


The necessity of photosynthesis execution by stems causes the structural and functional changes in plants. The stems of majority of succulent plants of the genus Euphorbia L. are covered only with the epidermis for a long time. In plants of some species the palisade parenchyma can appear which can be considered as a secondary or consequential tool to perform photosynthesis function by their stems. The anatomical structure of green annual stems of 23 Euphorbia species was examined. For 12 of them the palisade parenchyma has been established. The palisade parenchyma in the stem differs from such in the leaf by cells form and size as well as cells arrangement. The presence or absence of palisade parenchyma in the primary cortex indicates the level of specialization of stem tissues to perform the assimilation function. As the degree of development of palisade parenchyma depends on the amount of solar radiation, the presence and number of palisade parenchyma does not directly confirm the adaptation to the growth in conditions of a certain degree of aridity. Its appearance is could be caused also by growth under high insolation. Undoubtedly, appearance of palisade parenchyma in the stems of stem-succulent plants is correlated with reduction of leaves and probably is consequence of this.


This paper proposes a two-stage model for generating warning messages by using information filtering techniques. In this model, information is represented by its attributes and processed through two stages. At the first stage, exceptions are separated from normal information by the cognitive filtering technique. At the second stage, a warning message is generated from critical exceptions by the collaborative filtering approach. An example is discussed to illustrate the proposed model.


Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the sexual problem levels of female patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and their healthy spouses with those of healthy couples and to investigate potential factors that predict sexual problems. Methods: Sixty female outpatients with BD in remission and their healthy spouses were included in the study. All patients were under medication. Forty-five healthy couples comprised the control group. All participants were examined on a variety of clinical measures, including depression, marital adjustment, and sexual satisfaction. Results: Sexual satisfaction, communication and anorgasmia problems were higher for patients than for female controls. Sexual intercourse frequency, communication and total sexual problems were higher for patients' spouses than for male controls. Logistic regression analyses for females revealed that sexual satisfaction was associated with age, depressive symptoms, and marital adjustment rather than presence of disorder. The sexual satisfaction was associated with marital adjustment rather than being spouse of a patient for males. Conclusions: After controlling for confounding factors, sexual problems of patients and their spouses are similiar to those of controls. Treating the subsyndromal depressive symptoms of patients and using interventions to increase marital adjustment may improve the sexual functions of both patients and their spouses.


The present study aims to investigate Turkish pre-service English language teachers' competence in using lexical stress patterns as part of intelligible pronunciation in English prior to their professional lives. The participants of the study were fifty senior pre-service students, nine of whom received special training on stress patterns in English.The study is of descriptive nature with a self-perception questionnaire distributed to fifty pre-service teachers and of quasi-experimental nature with the treatment of nine pre-service teachers about stress patterns in words in English for a period of four weeks. The results of the study reveal that pre-service English language teachers lacked substantial knowledge as to the placement of lexical stress in English and needed remedial training.The experimental study with a group of nine pre-service teachers of English showed that Turkish prospective teachers of English attained a high level of competency in stress placement in words having been provided with ample practice.


Natural fibers are used in many fields such us textile, technical or medical applications. They present multiple characteristics and even the fiber waste can be used efficiently. In this survey, we opted to measure some esparto fiber waste properties in order to determine their potential use. The studied wastes are fibers obtained from a chemical extraction and mechanical one using a Shirley Analyser. To characterise these fibres, some tests were made like crystallinity rate, morphological structure and absorbent properties (absorbent capacity and retention). Meanwhile a comparison between the fiber waste properties and chemical extracted esparto fibers has been investigated.


Grid path planning is an important problem in AI. Its understanding has been key for the development of autonomous navigation systems. An interesting and rather surprising fact about the vast literature on this problem is that only a few neighborhoods have been used when evaluating these algorithms. Indeed, only the 4and 8-neighborhoods are usually considered, and rarely the 16-neighborhood. This paper describes three contributions that enable the construction of effective grid path planners for extended 2-neighborhoods; that is, neighborhoods that admit 2 neighbors per state, where k is a parameter. First, we provide a simple recursive definition of the 2-neighborhood in terms of the 2k−1neighborhood. Second, we derive distance functions, for any k ≥ 2, which allow us to propose admissible heuristics that are perfect for obstacle-free grids, which generalize the well-known Manhattan and Octile distances. Third, we define the notion of canonical path for the 2-neighborhood; this allows us to incorporate our neighborhoods into two versions of A*, namely Canonical A* and Jump Point Search (JPS), whose performance, we show, scales well when increasing k. Our empirical evaluation shows that, when increasing k, the cost of the solution found improves substantially. Used with the 2-neighborhood, Canonical A* and JPS, in many configurations, are also superior to the any-angle path planner Theta∗ both in terms of solution quality and runtime. Our planner is competitive with one implementation of the any-angle path planner, ANYA in some configurations. Our main practical conclusion is that standard, well-understood grid path planning technology may provide an effective approach to any-angle grid path planning.


Background Inconsistent results have been reported for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) for acute stroke. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the benefit of HBO in animal studies of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Methods A systematic search of the literature published prior to September 2015 was performed using Embase, Medline (OvidSP), Web of Science and PubMed. Keywords included "hyperoxia" OR "hyperbaric oxygen" OR "HBO" AND "isch(a)emia" OR "focal cerebral ischemia" OR "stroke" OR "infarct" OR "middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)." The primary endpoints were the infarct size and/or neurological outcome score evaluated after HBO treatment in MCAO. Heterogeneity was analyzed using Cochrane Library's RevMan 5.3.5. Results Fifty-one studies that met the inclusion criteria were identified among the 1198 studies examined. When compared with control group data, HBO therapy resulted in infarct size reduction or improved neurological function (32% decrease in infarct size; 95% confidence interval (CI), range 28%–37%; p < 0.00001). Mortality was 18.4% in the HBO group and 26.7% in the control group (RR 0.72, 95% CI, 0.54–0.98; p = 0.03). Subgroup analysis showed that a maximal neuro-protective effect was reached when HBO was administered immediately after MCAO with an absolute atmospheric pressure (ATA) of 2.0 (50% decrease; 95% CI, 43% -57% decrease; p < 0.0001) and more than 6 hours HBO treatment (53% decrease; 95% CI, 41% -64% decrease; p = 0.0005). Conclusions HBO had a neuro-protective effect and improved survival in animal models of MCAO, especially in animals given more than 6 hours of HBO and when given immediately after MCAO with 2.0 ATA.


Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is an evidence-based self-help therapeutic method and over 100 studies demonstrate its efficacy. However, information about the physiological effects of EFT is limited. The current study sought to elucidate EFTs mechanisms of action across the central nervous system (CNS) by measuring heart rate variability (HRV) and heart coherence (HC); the circulatory system using resting heart rate (RHR) and blood pressure (BP); the endocrine system using cortisol, and the immune system using salivary immunoglobulin A (SigA). The second aim was to measure psychological symptoms. Participants (N = 203) were enrolled in a 4-day training workshop held in different locations. At one workshop (n = 31), participants also received comprehensive physiological testing. Posttest, significant declines were found in anxiety (−40%), depression (−35%), posttraumatic stress disorder (−32%), pain (−57%), and cravings (−74%), all P < .000. Happiness increased (+31%, P = .000) as did SigA (+113%, P = .017). Significant improvements were found in RHR (−8%, P = .001), cortisol (−37%, P < .000), systolic BP (−6%, P = .001), and diastolic BP (−8%, P < .000). Positive trends were observed for HRV and HC and gains were maintained on follow-up, indicating EFT results in positive health effects as well as increased mental well-being.


It all started twenty years ago with the implementation of industrial and mechanical
CAD-drawing systems in the Construction Industry. Even at that time we focused
on the wonderful perspectives of integrating design, production processes and FM
using integrated systems, based on a "digital building model" and "object oriented
modelling".
The vision and the goals for the use of IT in the Construction Industry have been
extremely stable over the years - much more stable than the development of IT.
For many practical reasons we started out by focusing on drawings and on
building bridges between the "islands of automation" in the construction industry.
Data exchange between CAD-systems was on the agendas for some years. But why
are we still fighting the challenges of file-exchange between loosely coupled
systems, and why do we still base industrial practices on the document management
concept, when comparable industries have left this concept long ago?
We thought, that the concept of file-exchange between loosely coupled systems
would bring us closer to realising our final goals - but how far have we
progressed? Are we closer to integrated modelling today? How far have we
progressed when it comes to implementation in the industry?
The author takes a close look at the development and the use of IT in practice in the
Danish Construction Industry and in numerous development programmes. He
summarises on the lessons learnt in different areas like: Industrial IT- strategy, ITand
CAD-solutions, conditions for integration, workflow, collaboration and
business culture in the Construction Industry. He relates to the development in
other industrial areas and to the development of IT-systems and tools to support the
concept of integrated modelling and points at development needs.
The author elaborates on the ideas of information modelling in 1D-, 2D-, 3D-,4D-,
and up to 8D (?), dealing with three dimensions, properties, relations, space, place
and time, and asks the question, if we have to go through all these steps to reach
our goal.
The conclusion is, that the industry is facing a shift in paradigm in order to fulfil its
goals on integrated modelling, and that there is no easy way. The more we focus on
file-exchange between loosely coupled systems and on the document management
concept the further we must travel, and the greater the risk, that we will never
reach our goal.


All three sculptors were greatly affected by their experiences during the Second World War. Nemon and Belsky came as refuges to Britain before the outbreak of war and felt they owed the country a singular debt of gratitude. Roberts-Jones and Belsky served in the British Army while Nemon was an ARP Warden and Fire Watcher. This paper will explore the post-war sculpture all three produced which celebrated senior British political and military figures - 'Titans who cast a long shadow' according to Roberts-Jones - who were key to the nation's war effort. Works by Roberts-Jones and Nemon depicting Winston Churchill are well-known but this paper will also touch on statues in London which are, perhaps, less familiar such as Roberts-Jones's 'Field Marshal Slim' (1988-90) and 'Field Marshal Alanbrooke'(1990-93) on Whitehall, Belsky's 'Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunningham' in Trafalgar Square (1966-67) and Nemon's 'Air Chief Marshal Portal' on Victoria Embankment (1974-75). The paper will also comment on the rivalry that existed between the three men, they often competed for the same commissions, with Roberts-Jones a touch resentful that his 'foreign' competitors appeared to receive such support from the British Establishment.


A series of systematically varied (eta3-1,3-dialkylallyl)palladium complexes of (4S)-[2-(2-diphenylphosphanyl)phenyl]-4,5-dihydrooxazole (PHOX) ligands were characterized by X-ray crystal structure analysis and NMR spectroscopy. Complexes with identical substituents in the 1,3-positions of the allyl group can form eight stereoisomers. In solution four to six isomers were observed and their conformations assigned with the aid of NOE experiments. The dynamic behavior of the complexes was analyzed. In addition, quantum-chemical calculations (restricted Hartree-Fock (HF), density functional theory (DFT)) were carried out and gave satisfactory agreement with experimental findings.


A generalization of the thermal lens model formalism is proposed to introduce and characterize the thermodiffusion phenomenon. The theory treats the case in which local heating generates a temperature gradient in a single-phase binary sample (a colloid, for instance) that yields, through thermodiffusion, concentration gradients in an initially homogeneous sample. The treatment generalizes the concept of a thermal lens to a material lens as a result of the coupling of a concentration variation with the optical properties of the medium. This formalism permits the use of the Z-scan technique to determine the Soret coefficient of samples. Applying this theory to the results of a Z-scan experiment with an ionic ferrofluid sample gives values that agree with those obtained from forced Rayleigh scattering measurements of the same material.


The final aim of this study is to develop collaborative support protocols among pedagogical agents to support collaborative group learning. As the first step of this research, we have designed a learning support model that includes a teacher who gives a lesson in a school and distance teaching assistants (Distance TAs) who asynchronously support group learners, who are engaged in problem-solving activities in a learning support environment. In this environment, there are three tools: a Web work tool to record and save group or individual work, a dialog pattern-based Web bulletin board tool to support remote group learning, and a meeting bulletin board tool to allow the Distance TAs to discuss support strategies and tactics. In this support environment, we performed a practice lesson, in which high school students designed a sightseeing plan in a group. Thirty-nine high school students as learners and 27 university students as Distance TAs participated in this practice. From its results, we extracted some cases of collaborative support involving Distance TAs in the learning and support process. Moreover, we propose a collaborative support model among distance teaching assistants in supporting collaborative group learning.


Purpose

This research analyses and evaluates the trends and perspectives of climate change in Colombia. This study aims to understand the main ideas and concepts of climate change in five regions of the country by analysing attitudes and values, information habits, institutionalism and the social appropriation of science and technology.

Design/methodology/approach

The research study involved a focus group technique. Ten focus groups in five regions of the country, including rural regions, were administered. The selection of cities and municipalities in this study took into account vulnerability scenarios based on the two criteria of temperature and precipitation for the 2011-2040 period.

Findings

The participants of the focus groups believe that climate change began 10 years ago and that human activities have caused climate change. The main effects of climate change are believed to be droughts and floods that have appeared in the past several years and have negatively impacted agricultural activities and the quality of life of the population. Moreover, the participants believe that it is important to design and apply adequate measures to adapt to and mitigate climate change.

Originality/value

This study makes an important contribution to the extant climate change literature by identifying and categorising the main ideas and knowledge on this issue from the perspective of the population in Colombia. In developing countries with high climate change vulnerability, it is especially important to analyse this issue to determine relevant official policy instruments that could promote adequate actions and instruments to prevent, adapt to and mitigate climate change.


We present the first densely-sampled hydrographic survey of the Amundsen Sea Polynya (ASP) region, including a detailed characterization of its freshwater distributions. Multiple components contribute to the freshwater budget, including precipitation, sea ice melt, basal ice shelf melt, and iceberg melt, from local and non-local sources. We used stable oxygen isotope ratios in seawater (δ18O) to distinguish quantitatively the contributions from sea ice and meteoric-derived sources. Meteoric fractions were high throughout the winter mixed layer (WML), with maximum values of 2–3% (±0.5%). Because the ASP region is characterized by deep WMLs, column inventories of total meteoric water were also high, ranging from 10–13 m (±2 m) adjacent to the Dotson Ice Shelf (DIS) and in the deep trough to 7–9 m (±2 m) in shallower areas. These inventories are at least twice those reported for continental shelf waters near the western Antarctic Peninsula. Sea ice melt fractions were mostly negative, indicating net (annual) sea ice formation, consistent with this area being an active polynya. Independently determined fractions of subsurface glacial meltwater (as one component of the total meteoric inventory) had maximum values of 1–2% (±0.5%), with highest and shallowest maximum values at the DIS outflow (80–90 m) and in iceberg-stirred waters (150–200 m). In addition to these upwelling sites, contributions of subsurface glacial meltwater could be traced at depth along the ~ 27.6 isopycnal, from which it mixes into the WML through various processes. Our results suggest a quasi-continuous supply of melt-laden iron-enriched seawater to the euphotic zone of the ASP and help to explain why the ASP is Antarctica's most biologically productive polynya per unit area.


Kelly and Kai love to play on the gnarled old tree trunk outside their cottage in the woods: sometimes it becomes a horse, sometimes a crocodile and sometimes even a dragon. One day a mischievous gnome makes the tree trunk come to life, and the children are whisked off to the Land of Long Ago on the back of the old tree dragon. On their incredible journey Kelly and Kai meet a princess, rescue a knight and trick the king of the trolls. But will the old tree dragon stay alive long enough to bring them home again? A delightful fairy tale from Elsa Beskow, with beautiful illustrations in her unique, classic style.


Surface coatings give mechanical protection as well as optical and financial appreciation to surfaces of any kind. Dirt pick-up or bio-fouling of coatings are accordingly not only an optically adverse progresses but lower the value of the coated object. To minimize the loss of protection and depreciation due to dirt pick-up and bio-fouling, coatings are renewed on a regular basis, with accompanied costs for material and labor. Here, an improvement of the coating and a resulting cleaner and more resistant surface for a longer period of time would give a longer service life and thus reduced costs for the user. This paper reports strategies to decrease dirt pick-up and bio-fouling of coatings with the addition of silica particles.


Abstract The marine sedimentary record in Kejser Franz Joseph Fjord and on the East Greenland continental margin contains a history of Late Quaternary glaciation and sedimentation. Evidence suggests that a middle-shelf moraine represents the maximum shelfward extent of the Greenland Ice Sheet during the last glacial maximum. On the upper slope, coarse-grained sediments are derived from the release of significant quantities of iceberg-rafted debris (IRD) and subsequent remobilization by subaqueous mass-flows. The middle-lower slope is characterized by hemipelagic sedimentation with lower quantities of IRD (dropstone mud and sandy mud), punctuated episodically by deposition of diamicton and graded sand/gravel facies by subaqueous debris flows and turbidity currents derived from the mass failure of upper slope sediments. The downslope decrease of IRD reflects either the action of the East Greenland Current (EGC) confining icebergs to the upper slope, or to the more ice-proximal setting of the upper slope relative to the LGM ice margin. Sediment gravity flows on the slope are likely to have fed into the East Greenland channel system, contributing to its formation in conjunction with the cascade of dense brines down the slope following sea-ice formation across the shelf. Deglaciation commenced after 15 300 14C years , as indicated by meltwater-derived light oxygen isotope ratios. An abrupt decrease in both IRD deposition and delivery of coarse-grained debris to the slope at this time supports ice recession, with icebergs confined to the shelf by the EGC. Glacier ice had abandoned the middle shelf before 13 000 14C years with ice loss through iceberg calving and deposition of diamicton. Continued retreat of glacier-ice from the inner shelf and through the fjord is marked by a transition from subglacial till/bedrock in acoustic records, to ice-proximal meltwater-derived laminated mud to ice-distal bioturbated mud. Ice abandoned the inner shelf before 9100 14C years and probably stabilized in Fosters Bugt at 10 000 14C years . Distinct oxygen isotope minima on the inner shelf indicate meltwater production during ice retreat. The outer fjord was free of ice before 7440 14C years . Glacier retreat through the mid-outer fjord was punctuated by topographically-controlled stillstands where ice-proximal sediment was fed into fjord basins. The dominance of fine-grained, commonly laminated facies during deglaciation supports ablation-controlled, ice-mass loss. Glacimarine sedimentation within the Holocene middle-outer fjord system is dominated by sediment gravity flow and suspension settling from meltwater plumes. Suspension sediments comprise mainly mud facies indicating significant meltwater-deposition that overwhelms debris release from icebergs in this East Greenland fjord system. The relatively widespread occurrence of fine-grained lithofacies in East Greenland fjords suggests that meltwater sedimentation can be significant in polar glacimarine environments. The ice-distal continental margin is characterized by meltwater sedimentation in the inner shelf deep, iceberg scouring over shallow shelf regions, winnowing and erosion by the East Greenland Current on the middle-outer shelf, and hemipelagic sedimentation on the continental slope.


This paper examines the content of impact assessments (IAs) in the European Commission (EC) and the UK for the period 2005 to 2010. We coded 477 IAs for the UK and 296 for the EC, using a detailed scorecard. The findings suggest that IA is not a perfunctory activity in the European Union and the UK. The breadth of consultation and economic analysis has improved steadily across the years, arguably as a result of learning and regulatory oversight. The UK and the EC are strikingly similar on a number of dimensions (such as economic analysis and identification of costs and benefits). However, the IAs of the EC seem to pay more attention to social and environmental dimensions. The conclusions reflect on the implications of the authors' findings for current policy discussions concerning regulatory quality and the role of regulatory oversight bodies.


: The inclusive cross section for top-quark pair production measured by the CMS experiment in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is compared to the QCD prediction at next-to-next-to-leading order with various parton distribution functions to determine the top-quark pole mass, mtpole, or the strong coupling constant, alphaS. With the parton distribution function set NNPDF2.3, a pole mass of 176.7 +3.8 -3.4 GeV is obtained when constraining alphaS at the scale of the Z boson mass, mZ, to the current world average. Alternatively, by constraining mtpole to the latest average from direct mass measurements, a value of alphaS(mZ) = 0.1151 +0.0033 -0.0032 is extracted. This is the first determination of alphaS using events from top-quark production. The inclusive cross section for top-quark pair production measured by the CMS experiment in proton– proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is compared to the QCD prediction at next-to-next-to-leading order with various parton distribution functions to determine the top-quark pole mass, m polet , or the strong coupling constant, α S . With the parton distribution function set NNPDF2.3, a pole mass of 176 . 7 + 3 . 8 − 3 . 4 GeV is obtained when constraining α S at the scale of the Z boson mass, m Z , to the current world average. Alternatively, by constraining m polet to the latest average from direct mass measurements, a value of α S ( m Z ) = 0 . 1151 + 0 . 0033 − 0 . 0032 is extracted. This is the first determination of α S using events from top-quark production.


Background/Aims: Screening instruments such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) are useful for the early identification of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We tested whether macrostructural differences in brain volume are related to the MMSE. Methods: The MMSE was related to cortical thickness and the volume of 19 brain structures in 96 patients with mild to moderate AD. In addition, the patients were compared to 93 healthy elderly controls. Results: The MMSE was related to the volume of the total brain, cerebral cortex, accumbens, cerebral white matter, inferior lateral ventricles and hippocampus. Positive correlations with cortical thickness were found for 41% of the brain surface, and 58% of this area was significantly thinner in AD. Conclusion: The MMSE is sensitive to macrostructural brain atrophy in AD, but also to morphometric variation not specifically related to AD.


Behcet's disease (BD) has been recognized as multi-systemic chronic vasculitic disorder of recurrent inflammation, characterized by the involvement of multiple organs and resulting in orogenital ulcers, uveitis, and skin lesions. Involvement of the central nervous system, vessels, and intestines in BD often leads to a poor prognosis. Digestive manifestations in BD have been reported in up to 1-60% of cases, although the rate varies in different countries. The most frequent extra-oral sites of gastrointestinal involvement are the ileocecal region and the colon. Gastric or esophageal involvement is reported to be very rare. Moreover, there have been no reports on the simultaneous involvement of the esophagus, stomach, ileum, and colon. Here, we present a 55-year-old Korean man with intestinal BD and multiple ileal and colonic ulcerations complicated by perforation, gastric ulcer with bleeding followed by perforation, and esophageal ulcers with bleeding.


This project was a cross-sectional survey of the working environment and health outcomes of 102 Thai stone sculptors in northeast Thailand. In addition, postural analysis was conducted on 25 stone sculptors using the REBA method. Most stone sculptors were male (90%), had worked an average of 9.6 years, worked 6 days/week, an average of 6.9 hours. About 67% reported being exposed to high levels of noise and 10% reported reduced hearing. Postural analysis by REBA found that 80% were in a MSD high risk category. Reports of musculoskeletal disorders in the past 3 months were common with symptoms reported by 28% for the lower back and 17% for the upper back. Moreover, 12% of the stone sculptors reported an abnormal chest x-ray, 5% had silicosis and over 29% reported cough or cough with phlegm. The stone sculptors also reported that in the past 3 months 64% had an accident with the tools used on the job (power drills, grinders, saws and hand tools), 20% reported sharp injuries and 7% electric shocks. Although most workers (93%) knew that silica dust could cause silicosis, use of controls was limited. Although 87% reported wearing a mask regularly, only 60% reported having an N95 respirator. Only 46% reported wearing eye protection regularly, only 27% reported using hearing protection regularly and only 17% used safety shoes. Therefore, an important initial step is further education and provision of adequate PPE at lower prices. In addition, introduction of engineering controls would help eliminate silica, ergonomic and safety hazards at the source.


Conceptualizing, assessing, and managing disaster risks involve collecting and synthesizing pluralistic information—from natural, built, and human systems—to characterize disaster impacts and guide policy on effective resilience investments. Disaster research and practice, therefore, are highly complex and inherently interdisciplinary endeavors. Characterizing the uncertainties involved in interdisciplinary disaster research is imperative, since misrepresenting uncertainty can lead to myopic decisions and suboptimal societal outcomes. Efficacious disaster mitigation should, therefore, explicitly address the uncertainties associated with all stages of hazard modeling, preparation, and response. However, uncertainty assessment and communication in the context of interdisciplinary disaster research remain understudied. In this "Perspective" article, we argue that in harnessing interdisciplinary methods and diverse data types in disaster research, careful deliberations on assessing Type III and Type IV errors are imperative. Additionally, we discuss the pathologies in frequentist approaches, calling for an increasing role for Bayesian methods in uncertainty estimations. Moreover, we discuss the potential tradeoffs associated with information and uncertainty, calling for deliberate consideration of the role of diversity of information prior to setting the scope in interdisciplinary modeling. Future research guided by further reflections on the ideas raised in this article could help push the frontiers of uncertainty estimation in interdisciplinary hazard research and practice.


We study the environmentally assisted local transitionless dynamics in closed spin systems driven through quantum critical points. In general the shortcut to adaiabaticity (STA) in quantum critical systems requires highly nonlocal control Hamiltonians. In this work we develop an approach to achieve local shortcuts to adiabaticity (LSTA) in spin chains, using local control fields which scale polynomially with the system size, following universal critical exponents. We relate the control fields to reduced fidelity susceptibility and use the transverse Ising model in one dimension to exemplify our generic results. We also extend our analysis to achieve LSTA in central spin models.


This study aimed to determine how quality grade and degree of doneness (DOD) influence the development of volatile compounds among beef whole muscle and ground patties. Volatile compounds were quantified via head space solid phase microextraction from samples tempered in refrigerated temperatures (3 to 5 °C), room temperature (24 to 26 °C), or cooked on an electric clamshell-style grill to an endpoint temperature of 55, 60, 71, or 77 °C. Collected samples were subsequently determined by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Prominent compounds known to be the result of the Maillard reaction or lipid degradation were retained for comparison. Four Strecker aldehydes, 4 pyrazines, and one ester had a 3-way interaction between quality grade, DOD, and product type (each P < 0.001). Pyrazine concentrations did not differ (P > 0.05) in ground patties and was comparably greater (P < 0.05) in steaks; in Prime and Low Choice steaks, pyrazine concentration increased (P < 0.05) as DOD increased. A 2-way interaction between quality grade and product type was observed for acetaldehyde, dimethyl disulfide, 1-penten-3-ol, butanoic acid, hexanal, octanal, nonanal, and 2-heptanone. Among which, octanal and nonanal were greater (P < 0.05) in Prime steaks compared with ground patties. Another 2-way interaction, quality grade and DOD, was observed in 2 ketones, an alcohol, 2 esters, and 2 aldehydes. For example, 2,3-butanedione was greater (P < 0.05) in concentration in Prime 4 °C samples compared with Low Choice and Standard. The final 2-way interaction of DOD and product type was observed in 3 ketones, 2 sulfur compounds, 2 esters, 5 aldehydes, 2 carboxylic acids, and a ketone. For example, 2-heptanone was greater (P < 0.05) in concentration in ground patties compared to steaks in all degrees of doneness except 4 °C. Overall, these results indicate that the volatile flavor profile of beef is greatly influenced by product type and DOD. Generally, consumers select beef based on product type and determine their cookery approach. Therefore, consumers may greatly influence final beef flavor profile.


A very rugged, compact (4x4x10 inches), gas purged "PINHOLE CAMERA" has been developed for viewing electron beam materials processing (e.g. melting or vaporizing metal). The video image is computer processed, providing dimensional and temperature measurements of objects within the field of view, using an IBM PC. The "pinhole camera" concept is similar to a TRW optics system for viewing into a coal combustor through a 2 mm hole. Gas is purged through the hole to repel particulates from optical surfaces. In our system light from the molten metal passes through the 2 mm hole "PINHOLE", reflects off an aluminum coated glass substrate and passes through a window into a vacuum tight container holding the camera and optics at atmospheric pressure. The mirror filters out X rays which pass through the AL layer and are absorbed in the glass mirror substrate. Since metallic coatings are usually reflective, the image quality is not severely degraded by small amounts of vapor that overcome the gas purge to reach the mirror. Coating thicknesses of up to 2 microns can be tolerated. The mirror is the only element needing occasional servicing. We used a telescope eyepiece as a convenient optical design, but with the traditional optical path reversed. The eyepiece images a scene through a small entrance aperture onto an image plane where a CCD camera is placed. Since the iris of the eyepiece is fixed and the scene intensity varies it was necessary to employ a variable neutral density filter for brightness control. Devices used for this purpose include PLZT light valve from Motorola, mechanically rotated linear polarizer sheets, and nematic liquid crystal light valves. These were placed after the mirror and entrance aperture but before the lens to operate as a voltage variable neutral density filter. The molten metal surface temp being viewed varies from 4000 to 1200 degrees Kelvin. The resultant intensity change (at 488 nm with 10 nm bandwidth) is seven orders of magnitude. This surface intensity variation is contrast reduced if the observation wavelength is a narrow band as far red as high intensity blooming will allow an observable picture. A three eyepiece camera allows an image plane where photo gray glass functions as a neutral density filter only over the high intensity portion of the image, thus reducing blooming. This system is enclosed in a water-cooled housing which can dissipate 15 watts/cm2, keeping the camera below 40 degrees Celsius. Single frames of video output are acquired for feature enhancement and location by a Data Translation DT2803 image processing board housed in an IBM PC.


Background We hypothesised the addition of brief empathetic statements to physician–patient interaction might decrease thoughts regarding litigation. Methods We enrolled a convenience sample of adults in our emergency department (ED) waiting room into a randomised, double-blind controlled trial. Subjects watched videos of simulated discharge conversations between physicians and patient actors; half of the videos differed only by the inclusion of two brief empathetic statements: verbalisations that (1) the physician recognises that the patient is concerned about their symptoms and (2) the patient knows their typical state of health better than a physician seeing them for the first time and did the right thing by seeking evaluation. After watching the video subjects were asked to score a five-point Likert scale their thoughts regarding suing this physician in the event of a missed outcome leading to lost work (primary outcome), and four measures of satisfaction with the physician encounter (secondary outcomes). Results We enrolled and randomised 437 subjects. 213 in the empathy group and 208 in the non-empathy group completed the trial. Sixteen subjects did not complete the trial due to computer malfunction or incomplete data sheets. Empathy group subjects reported statistically significant less thoughts of litigation than the non-empathy group (mean Likert scale 2.66 vs 2.95, difference −0.29, 95% CI −0.04 to −0.54, p=0.0176). All four secondary measures of satisfaction with the physician encounter were better in the empathy group. Conclusions In this study, the addition of brief empathetic statements to ED discharge scenarios was associated with a statistically significant reduction in thoughts regarding litigation. Clinical trial registration NCT01837706.


In continental environment, the lack of stratigraphic support generate a problem to establish chronological sequences. Therefore, the bio-chronology of the European continental Palaeogene, has been early based on phylogenetic hypotheses resulting from studies on mammalian evolutionary lineages as well as associated faunal events (first appearance datum [FAD] and last appearance datum [LAD] taxa). A few years ago, some methods have been developed to formalize and quantify the chronological time span between mammalian localities, and to establish their relative time succession. This paper proposes a brief analysis of three quantitative biochronology methods (Martinez, Guex, and Hooker Methods) applied to mammalian faunas from western Europe of the late Eocene-Oligocene period. Whereas palaeoenvironnemental changes affect generally the results obtained with the method based only on the occurrence/non-occurrence taxa (Hooker), the use of evolutionary stages in several lineages appears more reliable (Martinez, Guex). Phenetical approaches cannot be applied to problems of relative dating.


A fiber optical CATV transport system that employed an upconverted technique and a phase modulation scheme to reduce noise and distortion induced by system is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. In contrast to a fiber optical CATV transport system that used a conventional intensity modulation scheme, excellent performances of carrier-to-noise ratio, composite second order, and composite triple beat are obtained in our proposed systems over a 100-km single-mode fiber transmission. It verifies the feasibility of the proposed systems and reveals an outstanding one with excellent transmission performances.


With the increasing size and scale of wind turbines, the ripple caused by wind shear may have negative effects for wind turbines, such as decreasing grid-connected power quality and increasing mechanical loss. To address this issue, a virtual dual-ripple suppression strategy is proposed to suppress the ripple caused by wind shear without additional cost and sacrificing system efficiency. Firstly, in this paper, a three-bladed double fed wind turbine is taken as the research object with the analysis of its transmission mechanism and form of ripple. Secondly, an online artificial neural network (ANN) ripple detection method is proposed to detect the time-varying low frequency ripple with high accuracy. In addition, a virtual dual-ripple suppression strategy composed of two ANN-based filters is utilized to suppress electromagnetic torque ripple and grid-connected power ripple simultaneously. Finally, the accuracy of presented ANN ripple detection method and suppression strategy are verified by MATLAB simulation. The results show that the virtual dual-ripple suppression strategy can effectively suppress the transmission of ripple while increasing the conversion efficiency of wind energy without additional hardware circuit and equipment.


Understanding how baryonic processes shape the intracluster medium (ICM) is of critical importance to the next generation of galaxy cluster surveys. However, many models of structure formation neglect potentially important physical processes, like anisotropic thermal conduction (ATC). We explore the impact of ATC on the prevalence of cool-cores (CCs) via 12 pairs of magnetohydrodynamical galaxy cluster simulations, using the IllustrisTNG model with and without ATC. Examining their properties we find that the addition of ATC has a negligible impact on the median rotation measure, plasma β, the magnetic field-radial direction angle, and the effective Spitzer value. However, the scatter in the angle and effective Spitzer value is 50 per cent larger with ATC because the magnetic field aligns with the azimuthal direction to a greater extent in relaxed clusters. ATC's impact varies from cluster to cluster and with CC criterion, but its inclusion produces a systematic shift to larger CC fractions at z = 0 for all CC criteria considered. Additionally, the inclusion of ATC flattens the CC fraction redshift evolution, helping to ease the tension with the observed evolution. With ATC, the energy required for the central black hole to self-regulate is reduced by 24 per cent and the gas fraction at $0.01\, r_{500}$ increases by 100 per cent, producing larger CC fractions. ATC makes the ICM unstable to perturbations and the increased efficiency of AGN feedback suggests that its inclusion results in a greater level of mixing in the ICM, demonstrated by the 10 per cent reduction in central metallicity for clusters with ATC.


Abstract Objective: To determine the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of healthcare students and qualified health professionals regarding the interdisciplinary health worker team. Design: A cross-sectional descriptive study. Setting: Stellenbosch University (Tygerberg Campus) and Tygerberg Academic Hospital, Western Cape. Subjects: The sample (n = 529) consisted of first-year students, final-year students and working professionals in the fields of medicine, dietetics, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech-language and hearing therapy. Outcome measures: Self-administered, face-validated questionnaire. Results: There was an increase in knowledge in the final-year students when compared to the first-year students of their understanding of each profession. However, this improvement was not apparent when the working professionals' understanding was compared to the final-year students. The results indicated an increase in understanding of the scope of practice of allied health sciences (p-value = 0.001), and agreement that the patient would always benefit from an interdisciplinary approach. It was found that better patient prognosis was strongly associated with the care provided by an interdisciplinary team. This association increased from first-year students to final-year students (p-value = 0.019). Doctors were considered to be most valuable in the interdisciplinary team. The allied health sciences received comparable value ratings. The more advanced the years of experience, the less comfortable participants were to assume some of the roles of another discipline. Knowledge of the role of the dietitian increased from first-year students to final-year students (p-value = 0.001), but it remained the same for the professionals. Conclusion: There was an increase in knowledge and a positive change in the attitudes and perceptions of healthcare students and professionals in accordance with years of experience.


Soil organic C (SOC) has decreased under cultivated wheat (Triticum aestivum)-fallow (WF) in the central Great Plains. We evaluated the effect of no-till systems of WF, wheat-corn (Zea Mays)-fallow (WCF), wheat-corn-millet (Panicum miliaceum)-fallow, continuous cropping (CC) without monoculture, and perennial grass (G) on SOC and total N (TN) levels after 12 yr at three eastern Colorado locations. Locations have long-term precipitation averages of 420 mm but increase in potential evapotranspiration (PET) going from north to south. Within each PET location, cropping systems were imposed across a topographic sequence of summit, sideslope, and toeslope. Cropping intensity, slope position, and PET gradient (location) independently impacted SOC and TN to a 5-cm soil depth. Continuous cropping had 35 and 17% more SOC and TN, respectively, than the WF system. Cropping intensity still impacted SOC and TN when summed to 10 cm with CC > than WF. Soil organic C and TN increased 20% in the CC system compared with WF in the 0- to 10-cm depth. The greatest impact was found in the 0- to 2.5-cm layer, and decreased with depth. Soil organic C and TN levels at the high PET site were 50% less than at the low and medium PET sites, and toeslope soils were 30% greater than summit and sideslopes. Annualized stover biomass explained 80% of the variation in SOC and TN in the 0- to 10-cm soil profile. Cropping systems that eliminate summer fallowing are maximizing the amount of SOC and TN sequestered.


Oxygen depletion is a seasonally dominant feature of the lower water column on the highly-stratified, riverine-influenced continental shelf of Louisiana. The areal extent of hypoxia (bottom waters ≤2 mg l−1 dissolved oxygen) in mid-summer may encompass up to 9,500 km2, from the Mississippi River delta to the upper Texas coast, with the spatial configuration of the zone varying interannually. We placed two continuously recording oxygen meters (Endeco 1184) within 1 m of the seabed in 20-m water depth at two locations 77 km apart where we previously documented midsummer bottom water hypoxia. The oxygen meters recorded considerably different oxygen conditions for a 4-mo deployment from mid-June through mid-October. At the station off Terrebonne Bay (C6A), bottom waters were severely depleted in dissolved oxygen and often anoxic for most of the record from mid-June through mid-August, and there were no strong diurnal or diel patterns. At the station 77 km to the east and closer to the Mississippi River delta (WD32E), hypoxia occurred for only 50% of the record, and there was a strong diurnal pattern in the oxygen time-series data. There was no statistically significant coherence between the oxygen time-series at the two stations. Coherence of the oxygen records with wind records was weak. The dominant coherence identified was between the diurnal peaks in the WD32E oxygen record and the bottom pressure record from a gauge located at the mouth of Terrebonne Bay, suggesting that the dissolved oxygen signal at WD32E was due principally to advection by tidal currents. Although the oxygen time-series were considerably different, they were consistent with the physical and biological processes that affect hypoxia on the Louisiana shelf. Differences in the time-series were most intimately tied to the topographic cross-shelf gradients in the two locations, that is, station C6A off Terrebonne Bay was in the middle of a broad, gradually sloping shelf and station WD32E in the Mississippi River Delta Bight was in an area with a steeper cross-shelf depth gradient and likely situated near the edge of a hypoxic water mass that was tidally advected across the study site.


Detecting what emotions are expressed in text is a well-studied problem in natural language processing. However, research on finer grained emotion analysis such as what causes an emotion is still in its infancy. We present solutions that tackle both emotion recognition and emotion cause detection in a joint fashion. Considering that common-sense knowledge plays an important role in understanding implicitly expressed emotions and the reasons for those emotions, we propose novel methods that combine common-sense knowledge via adapted knowledge models with multi-task learning to perform joint emotion classification and emotion cause tagging. We show performance improvement on both tasks when including common-sense reasoning and a multitask framework. We provide a thorough analysis to gain insights into model performance.


Two sets of issues loom large on the economic horizon of Malawi: poverty alleviation and the country's vulnerability to shocks emanating from the outside world. In this paper, simulations with a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model of Malawi are used to analyze aspects of these issues. Two types of poverty-alleviating domestic policy shifts are simulated: a public works program and a land reform program. The public works program may function as an absorber of negative shocks elsewhere in the economy. The land reform program may introduce a structural change in the distribution of factor incomes in favor of the poor. The results for the simulated external shocks confirm that Malawi's economy is highly sensitive to external shocks of the magnitudes that the country has experienced in recent years. The consequences are particularly negative for the non-agricultural population. A more diversified production and export structure would make Malawi less vulnerable to external price shocks and reduce the pressures that lead to sharp exchange rate fluctuations.