The problems concerning data quality lead to negative consequences for transport planning; every year many millions of euros are spent collecting data and developing and using travel models that are based on these data. This paper is the result of studies about the effects of some different combinations of languages, understanding that the early step for data quality is comprehension of the questionnaire. It has been hypothesized and demonstrated that a number of verbal and non-verbal languages and the visual presentation of response choices affect respondents' perception and influences answers. Starting from this assumption, research has been developed to test different forms of languages on a well defined group of people using a self-administered questionnaire. To this aim the university staff working in the department of transport and students attending transport courses were chosen. The innovation in the design of the tests developed in the research is the use of a small group because each unit represents a reliable result concerning the people's understanding of the question. The same questions, elaborated following different verbal and non verbal languages, were proposed to the interviewer in the same time period to avoid external effects influencing the people's answers. The results of this experiment are really interesting and suggest that differences in question format also influence the responses of people with "high education" levels.


One of the greatest woman intellectuals of eighteenth‐century Germany is Elise Reimarus, whose contribution to Enlightenment political theory is rarely acknowledged today. Unlike other social contract theorists, Reimarus rejects a people's right to violent resistance or revolution in her philosophical dialogue Freedom (1791). Exploring the arguments in Freedom, this paper observes a number of similarities in the political thought of Elise Reimarus and Immanuel Kant. Both, I suggest, reject violence as an illegitimate response to perceived political injustice in a way that opposes Locke's strong voluntarism and the absolutism of Hobbes. First, they emphasize the need to maintain the legal state as a precondition for the possibility of external right. Second, they share an optimistic view of the inherently "just" nature of the tripartite republican state. And finally, Reimarus and Kant both outline an alternative, nonviolent response to political injustice that consists in the freedom of public expression and a discourse on the moral enlightenment of man.


Cloud Computing is becoming the mainstream paradigm, as organizations, both large and small, begin to harness its benefits. Cloud computing gained its success for giving IT exactly what it needed: The ability to grow and shrink computing resources, on the go, in a cost-effective manner, without the anguish of infrastructure design and setup. The ability to adapt computing demands to market fluctuations is just one of the many benefits that cloud computing has to offer, this is why this new paradigm is rising rapidly. According to a Gartner report, the total sales of the various cloud services will be worth 204 billion dollars worldwide in 2016. With this massive growth, the performance of the underlying infrastructure is crucial to its success and sustainability. Currently, cloud computing heavily depends on data centers for its daily business needs. In fact, it is through the virtualization of data centers that the concept of "computing as a utility" emerged. However, data center virtualization is still in its infancy; and there exists a plethora of open research issues and challenges related to data center virtualization, including but not limited to, optimized topologies and protocols, embedding design methods and online algorithms, resource provisioning and allocation, data center energy efficiency, fault tolerance issues and fault tolerant design, improving service availability under failure conditions, enabling network programmability, etc.
This dissertation will attempt to elaborate and address key research challenges and problems related to the design and operation of efficient virtualized data centers and data center infrastructure for cloud services. In particular, we investigate the problem of scalable traffic management and traffic engineering methods in data center networks and present a decomposition method to exactly solve the problem with considerable runtime improvement over mathematical-based formulations. To maximize the network's admissibility and increase its revenue, cloud providers must make efficient use of their's network resources. This goal is highly correlated with the employed resource allocation/placement schemes; formally known as the virtual network embedding problem. This thesis looks at multi-facets of this latter problem; in particular, we study the embedding problem for services with one-to-many communication mode; or what we denote as the multicast virtual network embedding problem. Then, we tackle the survivable virtual network embedding problem by proposing a fault-tolerance design that provides guaranteed service continuity in the event of server failure. Furthermore, we consider the embedding problem for elastic services in the event of heterogeneous node failures. Finally, in the effort to enable and support data center network programmability, we study the placement problem of softwarized network functions (e.g., load balancers, firewalls, etc.), formally known as the virtual network function assignment problem. Owing to its combinatorial complexity, we propose a novel decomposition method, and we numerically show that it is hundred times faster than mathematical formulations from recent existing literature.


A survey is performed of various Multi-Armed Bandit (MAB) strategies in order to examine their performance in circumstances exhibiting non-stationary stochastic reward functions in conjunction with delayed feedback. We run several MAB simulations to simulate an online eCommerce platform for grocery pick up, optimizing for product availability. In this work, we evaluate several popular MAB strategies, such as $\epsilon$-greedy, UCB1, and Thompson Sampling. We compare the respective performances of each MAB strategy in the context of regret minimization. We run the analysis in the scenario where the reward function is non-stationary. Furthermore, the process experiences delayed feedback, where the reward function is not immediately responsive to the arm played. We devise a new adaptive technique (AG1) tailored for non-stationary reward functions in the delayed feedback scenario. The results of the simulation show show superior performance in the context of regret minimization compared to traditional MAB strategies.


Metallothioneins are low-weight cysteine-rich proteins responsible for metal ion homeostasis in a cell and, thus, capable of regulating cell proliferation and differentiation. Deregulation of metallothionein genes has been reported in various human tumors. However, their role in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been poorly investigated. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the importance of promoter DNA methylation of selected metallothionein genes for RCC. Based on the initial analysis of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas, genes MT1E, MT1F, MT1G and MT1M were selected for qualitative methylation analysis in 30 tumors (including 10 multifocal cases), 10 pericancerous, and 30 non-cancerous renal tissues (NRT). Methylation of MT1E and MT1M was tumor‐specific (P=0.0056 and P=0.0486, respectively) and showed moderate interfocal variation in paired tumor foci. Methylated promoter status of the two genes was associated with larger tumor size (P=0.0110 and P=0.0156, respectively). Furthermore, aberrant MT1E methylation was more frequent in tumors having necrotic zones (P=0.0449) or characterized with higher differentiation grade (P=0.0144), while MT1M was more commonly methylated in tumors with higher Fuhrman grade (P=0.0272). Only unmethylated MT1F promoter status was observed in all analyzed samples. Gene expression analysis (51 RCC and 9 NRT) revealed MT1G downregulation in tumors (P<0.0001), while lower MT1E expression levels were associated with the promoter methylation (P=0.0077). In clear cell RCC, MT1E, MT1G and MT1M expression was higher than that noted in other histological tumor subtypes (all P<0.0500). In addition, some associations were observed between metabolic syndrome-related clinical parameters and promoter methylation or gene expression. In conclusion, the present study revealed the potential role of MT1E and MT1M promoter methylation in RCC development.


Capstone projects are commonly carried out at the end of an undergraduate program of study in software engineering or computer science. While traditionally such projects solely focussed on the software product to be developed, in more recent work importance of the development process has been stressed. Currently process quality assessment techniques are limited to review of intermediary artifacts, self- and peer evaluations. We advocate augmenting the assessment by mining software repositories used by the students during the development. We present the assessment methodology and illustrate it by applying to a number of software engineering capstone projects.


Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have emerged as promising emitters because of their excellent optoelectronic properties, including high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs), wide‐range color tunability, and high color purity. However, a fundamental limitation of MHPs is their low exciton binding energy, which results in a low radiative recombination rate and the dependence of PLQY on the excitation intensity. Under the operating conditions of light‐emitting diodes (LEDs), the injected current densities are typically lower than the trap density, leading to a low actual PLQY. Moreover, the defects not only initiate the decomposition of MHPs caused by extrinsic factors, but also intrinsically stimulate ion migration across the interface and lead to the corrosion of electrodes due to interaction between those electrodes, even under inert conditions. The passivation of defects has proven to be effective for mitigating the effects of defects in MHPs. Herein, the origins and theoretical calculations of the defect tolerance in MHPs and the impact of defects on both the performance and stability of perovskite LEDs are reviewed. The passivation methods and materials for MHP bulk films and nanocrystals are discussed in detail. Based on the currently reported advances, specific requirements and future research directions for display applications are suggested.


Strategy implementation is the key that opens doors to creatively align organizational strategy with its internal support systems that transforms analyzed and formulated strategies into action. An organization in the pharmaceutical business, which is a business that competes in the knowledge economy for discovering and commercializing therapeutic agents, must endeavour to continually develop strategies to protect its intellectual capital and improve performance.  Despite this realisation the importance of strategy implementation, is still greatly overshadowed by a focus on the strategy formulation process. Literature available on strategy implementation is very scarce and especially in the pharmaceutical industry. This study, therefore, is poised to explore and determine the critical success factors for strategy implementation among Multinational corporations in the Kenyan pharmaceutical industry. The study was conducted in Kenya in 2014 as a census survey of twelve Multinational pharmaceutical corporations. Data for this survey was collected through the use of structured questionnaires, which were distributed to 36 respondents of which 32 responded an 89% respondent rate. This study was hinged on the dynamics capabilities theory, resource based view theory and the concept of competitive advantage. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and factor analysis to a large extent. Results indicate that critical success factors for strategy implementation include; Infrastructure factors; Clear and concise communication of the strategy to the staff, with a variance loading of(0.942)Resource set aside for new strategy,(0.871,variance loading),Planning, co-ordinating, monitoring and delegation of responsibilities for implementation of strategy,(0.970), Organisational structure  that is supportive(0.889).Time frame; Specified time frame allocated for strategy implementation(0.971), allocation for obstacles surfaced during implementation that were not envisioned beforehand, environmental factors also emerged as key to this process. For competitive advantage. People-product mix; Possession of detailed knowledge on customers' needs, tastes and preferences by employees, hiring and retraining top talent within the organization, continuous product improvement and innovations, Production of unique products for a specific target market, partnering with customers to produce highly customized products and strategic alliances with key stakeholders in the industry. These factors had implication on theory and practice since they were found to be universal.


Presentation of a study on the incidence of vesical tumours in the Autonomous Community of 'La Rioja' over the 1975-1991 period and comparison of our results with those obtained in similar studies. A total of 557 vesical tumours were identified, with a mean rate of 13.5/100,000 inhabitants, and a standardized rate of 20.5 in men and 1.75 in women. Our rate is close to that of Zaragoza and lower than that found in the Basque country and Tarragona in men. Also, it is lower in all women series.


Abstract Crop diversification is one way of improving the profitability of small-scale irrigation schemes. The 25 de Setembro scheme is an ideal site to analyze diversification, as it is influenced by the markets in Maputo and South Africa. This study uses information gathered from observations, discussions with irrigators and an irrigator survey. Results identified seven irrigator types with different crop diversification strategies predominantly influenced by resource constraints. Most irrigators produce traditional crops, although there are opportunities for growing crops that are more profitable. Improved extension services, to identify cropping strategies that better align with market demand, would improve profitability.


A quartz resonator connected between the grid of a valve and either of the other electrodes gives rise to oscillations in the plate circuit when the constants of that circuit satisfy certain conditions. The frequency of the oscillations depends mainly upon the natural frequency of the quartz, and is, therefore, fairly constant when the temperature is constant. In addition to temperature effects, which are not considered in the present paper, variations of frequency can be produced by (i) variations of the air-gaps of the resonator, i.e. the air-gaps between the quartz and the two electrodes of the resonator; (ii) variations of the constants of the plate circuit; and (iii) variations of the inter-electrode capacities and conductances. The object of the investigation is the study of these variations, both theoretically and experimentally. In the theoretical treatment, the quartz is replaced by a circuit made up of an inductance, a resistance and a capacity in series, the whole being in parallel with a second capacity. The validity of such a substitution has been studied experimentally by Dye. The combination of quartz resonator, valve and plate circuit is represented by a network of admittances, from which three circuit equations are obtained; to these is added the fundamental equation of the valve. These four equations yield a single linear differential equation of the fifth order, with constant coefficients. In the case under investigation, it is only required to find the frequency, and the amplitude of oscillations after the latter have reached a constant amplitude. This consideration affords a means of reducing the differential equation to one of the same type, but of the second order. From the latter equation, of which the general solution is known, formulae are developed for the changes of frequency resulting from variations in the resistance and capacity of the plate circuit, in the resistance of the grid leak, in the inter-electrode capacities, and in the air-gap. These formulae provide useful information as to the influence of each variable on the frequency, and can with advantage be applied to the choice of the best circuits and the best valve for a quartz oscillator. As the oscillations build up after switching on, the average plate conductance of the valve alters gradually. When the amplitude of oscillation has reached its final value, the value of the average plate conductance is such as to annul the damping term, i.e. the coefficient of dy/dt in the differential equation. From this condition the average plate conductance can be determined for any values of the circuit variables. The amplitude of oscillations in the plate circuit is a function of this average plate conductance. Formulae are developed which give the conditions for the maintenance of oscillations, and an investigation is made of the variations of amplitude with variations in (a) capacity in the plate circuit, (b) resistance in the plate circuit, and c) grid conductance. Points of importance in the choice of circuits and valves are deduced from the formulae and the theoretical curves Two types of quartz oscillator are investigated, namely, the cases in which the quartz resonator is connected between i) the grid and the plate of the valve, and (ii) the grid and the filament of the valve. A fairly complete experimental investigation is described. The admittances of the valve and of the circuits were measured, and the equivalent electrical network of the quartz was determined. The behaviour of the quartz oscillator was then investigated by altering in turn each variable in the circuits. The theoretical and experimental results are compared and discussed. The paper does not deal with circuits especially devised for obtaining large outputs from quartz crystals. Its object the study of the influence of the circuit variables on the frequency and on the power generated as regards the simple Pierce circuits.


Background: Personality and heart rate variability (HRV) are each strong predictors of well-being, particularly cardiac health and longevity. The current project explores the correlates of personality traits on heart rate variability (HRV) to clarify how autonomic regulation may mediate the development and maintenance of health and disease. Hypothesis: Personality traits will be significantly correlated with specific measures of HRV. In particular, the Character traits of Self-Directedness, Cooperativeness, and Self-transcendence are known to promote physical, mental, and social aspects of well-being, so they were expected to be associated with indices of HRV indicating autonomic balance. Methods: Participants were 271 volunteers from the community, adult men and women. They received an extensive self-report questionnaire, allowing for a comprehensive personality evaluation. Of these participants, 118 underwent ambulatory—24 hours recording of HRV. The HRV recordings were sent to the Institute of HeartMath for interpretation. Data Analysis: Data for personality was retrieved from the Qualtrics site after online administration, into which the HRV data were entered. Analyses were conducted in SPSS 20. Results: Systematic and significant associations between personality traits were found. In particular, the Temperament and Character Inventory's character traits were related to autonomic balance as measured by the ratio of low frequency (sympathetic) to high frequency (parasympathetic) activity. Openness, aggression, avoidant attachment, and forgiveness were found to relate to several HRV variables. Conclusion: The relations among personality and HRV support the validity of the measures in ways that clarify the strong relations among personality, HRV, and health. Further work to replicate and extend these preliminary findings in a larger sample is underway.


Background: The proposed revision of the ICD-10 category of 'acute and transient psychotic disorders' (ATPDs), subsuming polymorphic, schizophrenic or predominantly delusional syndromes, would restrict their classification to acute polymorphic psychotic disorder, reminiscent of the clinical concepts of bouffée délirante and cycloid psychosis. Sampling and Methods: We selected all subjects aged 15-64 years (n = 5,426) who were listed in the Danish Psychiatric Central Register with a first-admission diagnosis of ATPDs in 1995-2008 and estimated incidence rates, course and outcome up to 2010. Results: Although about half of ATPD patients tended to experience transition to another category over a mean follow-up period of 9.3 years, acute polymorphic psychotic disorder fared better in terms of cases with a single episode of psychosis and temporal stability than the subtypes featuring schizophrenic or predominantly delusional symptoms. Acute polymorphic psychotic disorder was more common in females, while cases with acute schizophrenic features predominated in younger males and evolved more often into schizophrenia and related disorders. Conclusions: These findings suggest that acute polymorphic psychotic disorder exhibits distinctive features and challenge the current approach to the classification of ATPDs.


Purpose Commonly prescribed medications among patients with comorbid diabetes mellitus and hypertension include ARBs and ACEIs. However, these medications are associated with suboptimal adherence leading to inadequately controlled blood pressure. Unlike traditional single estimates of proportion of days covered (PDC), group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) can graphically display the dynamic nature of adherence. The objective of this study was to evaluate adherence using GBTMs among patients prescribed ACEI/ARBs and identify predictors associated with each adherence trajectory. Patients and Methods Patients with an ACEI/ARBs prescription were identified between July 2017 and December 2017 using a Medicare Advantage dataset. PDC was used to measure monthly patient adherence during the one-year follow-up period. The monthly PDC was added to a logistic group-based trajectory model to provide distinct patterns of adherence. Further, a multinomial logistic regression was conducted to determine predictors of each identified adherence trajectory. Predictors included various socio-demographic and clinical patient characteristics. Results A total of 22,774 patients were included in the analysis and categorized into 4 distinct adherence trajectories: rapid decline (12.6%); adherent (58.5%); gaps in adherence (12.2%), and gradual decline (16.6%). Significant predictors associated with all lower adherence trajectories included 90 days refill, >2 number of other medications, ≥1 hospitalizations, and prevalent users. Significant predictors associated with the rapid decline trajectory included male sex, comorbidities, and increased CMS risk score. Further, significant predictors associated with the gaps in adherence trajectory included increasing age, and comorbidities. Lastly, significant predictors associated with the gradual decline trajectory included increasing age, no health plan subsidy, comorbidities, and increasing CMS risk score. Conclusion Identifying various patient characteristics associated with non-adherent trajectories can guide the development of tailored interventions to enhance adherence to ACEI/ARBs.


National spatial planning has strongly influenced urban development and open space preservation in the Netherlands since the 1950s and established the country's reputation as a planner's paradise. The gradual withdrawal from this active and stringent type of planning in favour of decentralisation and deregulation has received less attention and its impacts on urban development patterns remain poorly studied. This study investigates residential development since 2000 in relation to the changing planning context. We focused on residential densification and the redevelopment of greyfields and brownfields as desired outcomes of policies that aim to limit urban development in open landscapes. Using detailed spatial housing and land-use data we quantified the relative importance of different urban development processes over three subsequent six-year periods characterised by slowly decreasing national policy attention to steering residential development. Our results indicate that, while the national policy instruments got weaker, the share of residential development within existing urban areas increased. Our results lend further credence to the suggestion that the abandoned national spatial planning policy targeted at housing construction within urban development zones that were predominantly defined on greenfield near existing cities, limited urban redevelopment. Despite reduced government spending, densities increased within existing urban areas as general, local-level restrictive policies with respect to greenfield development remained in place and demand for urban housing remained unabated.


This paper aims to build a conceptual framework for the innovative application in big data in healthcare. Method: Diamond Model and PEST Model were used to analyze the key driving factors of big data in healthcare through external and endogenous driving factors. Based on this, the operation mechanism and possible development model of big data in healthcare were analyzed by using the diffusion theory of policy innovation. Results: The key factors of innovation and application of big data in healthcare are divided into external and endogenous driving factors. The driving mechanism is defined as "learning, compulsion, competition, imitation and inducement". The conceivable development model is based on big data value innovation and the motivation of different stakeholders. Conclusion: Through the logical analysis of value innovation, the internal relationship among the relevant factors, driving forces and interaction of big data in healthcare application is established, and finally a theoretical analysis framework for innovative application of big data in healthcare is presented.


Early in September, New York Federal Reserve employees in Financial Markets and Operations began relocating to the bank's technology center in New Jersey. The occasion of the mass movement is now all too well mourned. With airplanes having rained down from the sky just 24-hours before, all employees were shipped out for fear of further building collapses or attacks. Routine operations such as coin and currency distribution had always been handled in New Jersey, but now, that facility would serve as home base for as long as required. As it all turned out, the Fed's downtown offices were soon reoccupied--and the banking system held steady. Even so, the World Trade Center attacks illustrated the critical importance of an effective business continuity plan. It pointed to the need for a systematic guide where data, personnel, and process as well as the ever critical transactions would be retained even should all hell break loose. "Systems are only part of the equation," says Philip Jan Rothstein, a consultant based in Brookfield, Conn. Greg Valdez, CIO, of Veritas, a business continuity services and software provider in Mountain View, Calif. agrees. "A business can fail if the result is the loss of domain and business process knowledge. New York City is certainly experiencing that after Sept. 11," says Valdez. Certainly, the collapse of the Twin Towers was an emergency of a fundamental sort. In addition to generating ambient anxiety, it evinced a major psychological shift in the business world. "You'll still have many CEOs that remain unconvinced that the expense of failover equipment or other recovery technology is worth it," says Valdez. "But others are looking more closely at both our technology and their recovery plans," he explains. "Many CIOs are beginning to understand the kinds of revisions that need to be made." Rothstein notes that many executives have been chastened by the experience of terrorism on U.S. soil, however indirect it may have been for any given company. "In Europe, of course, terrorism has always been real and evident," he says. "After the hijackings, much of our cultural naivete was shattered," he explains. As the corporate world begins to feel its way around in more cautious times, revising disaster recovery plans will become important. And though many will ignore the problem and stay at risk, many more will begin to think about disruptions of the catastrophic sort. "What the WTC situation illustrated was the need to consider personnel very carefully," says Greg Benton, director of strategic alliances with Agilera, an application management services provider in Englewood, Colo. "You can have all the redundant data in the world and be in significant trouble if you haven't planned for the death, defection, or illness of staff." Benton sees third-party providers taking a bigger role in an environment shaped by increasingly sophisticated technologies and limited personnel resources. State of the union On business disruptions, the statistics are telling. For every minute that passes during a bank system failure, about $250,000 is lost, according to Valdez. Meanwhile, 40% of businesses that experience a major disruption from a disaster never really bounce back. Whether act of God, act of war, or a simple but devastating computer chip malfunction that leads to a single point of failure, the long-term effects can be huge. "Five years later, on average, these disaster stricken companies are out of business," says Valdez. He explains that continuity or contingency planning is designed to address the whole gamut of business disruption. Disaster recovery, as a subset of this discipline, is arguably the most crucial aspect. By way of definition, Valdez offers this take: "'Failover' refers to saving a transaction by switching to another system should a component fail. 'Recovery' refers to recreating a transaction in the case when a system is destroyed. …


Objectives We previously identified long-lived plasma cells (PCs) are an essential component of the pathogenic immunologic memory, which is resistant to immunosuppressive and B cell depleting therapies and contributes to the chronicity of SLE. We recently demonstrated that their targeting with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib resulted in therapeutically relevant plasma cell depletion in refractory cases of SLE. Here we investigated in detail the cellular and serologic responses of bortezomib treatment. Methods Eight patients received a median of two 21-day cycles of intravenous bortezomib 1.3mg/m2 as induction therapy for active SLE. Disease activity was assessed using the SLEDAI-2K score. Serum concentrations of anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA), vaccine-induced antibodies and BAFF levels were monitored. Flow cytometry was performed to analyse peripheral blood B cells, T cells and PCs and Siglec-1 expression on monocytes as surrogate marker for type-I interferon (IFN). Results Upon proteasome inhibition, serum levels for anti-double-stranded (ds)DNA (~60%) and vaccine-induced antibodies for Measels, Mumps, TT (~30%) significantly declined, complement levels and serum BAFF levels significantly increased and SLEDAI significantly decreased (p=0.014). The level of bone marrow PCs decreased by 50%, affecting both CD19+ and CD19- CD138/CD38 expressing PCs. While number and phenotype of peripheral blood T- and B cells remained unaffected, proteasome inhibition was associated with a significant depletion of HLA-DR+ (p=0.024), HLA-DR- (p=0.038) and IgA+ (p=0.032) PCs, but their regeneration was fast. Within ten days from the last bortezomib injection, their numbers significantly increased (beta=2.1; 95% CI: 0.5, 3.7; p=0.012), an effect that was more pronounced in HLA-DR+ short-lived than in HLA-DR- long-lived PCs. Overall, the magnitude of increase over time did not significantly decrease. Siglec-1 expression on monocytes significantly declined. Conclusions These findings identify proteasome inhibitors as a promising novel treatment option for patients with refractory SLE by targeting short- and long-lived PCs and type I IFN activity. Bortezomib efficiently induces short-term remissions but would require additional B cell directed treatment approaches to inhibit PC regeneration from their precursors for sustained efficacy.


In a letter1 published in the October 2015 issue of this journal, Amir Erfani discusses the new pro-natalist fertility policy in Iran. Erfani believes that the previous family planning programme, which was implemented in Iran for more than two decades, did not offer significant health benefits to the community, and therefore its discontinuation will not impact adversely on community health. Additionally, Erfani supports Iran's Ministry of Health's recently implemented 'Reproductive Health' programme, which is aligned with the pro-natalist policy, and believes that this programme will benefit Iranian reproductive health generally. However, in expressing his views, it appears that Erfani has ignored key evidence to the contrary.

First, the discontinued birth control programme increased contraceptive usage among the Iranian population from 49.0% in 1989 to 73.8% in 2006,2 which simply means a lower incidence of sexually transmitted infections and fewer unintended pregnancies. Moreover, the birth control programme included free distribution of all methods of birth control and provided relevant education …


Seismic waves in an attenuative porous medium are generally inhomogeneous waves, which have different directions of propagation and attenuation. The dissipation factors (1/Q) of inhomogeneous waves are strongly dependent on the degree of wave inhomogeneity and cannot be expressed correctly with the usual 1/Q expressions valid only for homogeneous waves. We have used the differing definitions of 1/Q for inhomogeneous waves (i.e., the ratio of the time-averaged dissipated energy density to the time-averaged strain energy density or time-averaged total energy density) and the complex form of the energy balance equations of poroviscoelastic media to derive concise and explicit expressions for the dissipation factors. They are given as simple functions of the material parameters and the wave inhomogeneity parameter for inhomogeneous SV-waves and fast and slow P-waves. The isotropic, poroviscoelastic medium under consideration is upscaled from effective Biot theory for a double-porosity solid, which is the most general theory to describe wave propagation in a reservoir. We find that, if the inhomogeneity parameter is infinite (i.e., the inhomogeneity angle is 90°) for all three Biot waves, then the dissipation factors only depend on the ratio of the imaginary to the real part of the complex shear modulus. Our explicit expressions for the dissipation factors of poroviscoelastic materials also are reduced to obtain their counterparts for viscoelastic media as a special case. The inhomogeneous waves in an example poroviscoelastic material are used to demonstrate that the 1/Q values of the three Biot waves strongly depend on the inhomogeneity parameters and furthermore the different definitions may cause significant differences of 1/Q values. We find that the dissipation factor of fast P-waves may decrease with the increasing degree of inhomogeneity, which contradicts previously published results.


Blind source separation is an advanced statistical tool that has found widespread use in many signal processing applications. However, the crux topic based on one channel audio source separation has not fully developed to enable its way to laboratory implementation. The main idea approach to single channel blind source separation is based on exploiting the inherent time structure of sources known as basis filters in time domain that encode the sources in a statistically efficient manner. This paper proposes a technique for separating single channel recording of audio mixture using a hybrid of maximum likelihood and maximum a posteriori estimators. In addition, the algorithm proposes a new approach that accounts for the time structure of the speech signals by encoding them into a set of basis filters that are characteristically the most significant.


Epigenetics is a change in gene expression that is heritable without a change in DNA sequence itself. This phenomenon is well studied in eukaryotes, particularly in humans for its role in cellular differentiation, X chromosome inactivation and diseases like cancer. However, comparatively little is known about epigenetic regulation in bacteria. Bacterial epigenetics is mainly present in the form of DNA methylation where DNA methyltransferases add methyl groups to nucleotides. This review focuses on two methyltransferases well characterized for their roles in gene regulation: Dam and CcrM. Dam methyltransferase in Escherichia coli is important for expression of certain genes such as the pap operon, as well as other cellular processes like DNA replication initiation and DNA repair. In Caulobacter crescentus and other Alphaproteobacteria, the methyltransferase CcrM is cell cycle regulated and is involved in the cell-cycle-dependent regulation of several genes. The diversity of regulatory targets as well as regulatory mechanisms suggests that gene regulation by methylation could be a widespread and potent method of regulation in bacteria.


Beside my desk is a framed print of John Atkinson Grimshaw's painting Reflections on the Thames, Westminster (1880). I bought it three years ago at the Leeds City Art Gallery, where the painting is on display, and hung it underneath the skylight so that it might catch as much light as possible. Like his painting Whitby Harbour by Moonlight (1867) it is a night-time scene, with a dark landscape faintly illuminated by pin-pricks of light. From the vantage of the Embankment we look out over the Thames, with the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Bridge in the distance. The scene is dimly lit by the moon which sheds a thin, peaceful glow reflected in the water. Light is also cast from the face of Big Ben, the lights of the Embankment, and the lamps on the bridge in the distance. To the right of the painting, on the Embankment, some figures are depicted walking. One, a woman, has stopped. She leans against the Embankment wall and gazes across the river to the faint light before her. Her face is turned away: we cannot read her expression or determine her age. We look over her shoulder at the Thames, the House, the moon, the faint light, the shadows. A dog stands impatiently beside her, watching the walkers instead. The woman's journey — who knows where she is from, or is going? — has been arrested by the scene, and we share her motionlessness and her gaze. Distinguishing her from the passers-by, her pause enables one to see the beauty of Victorian London at a moment of remarkable stillness. Suspended are the bustle, the crowds, the hurry, the dangers of the city: instead, in the company of a stranger, we see a London becalmed, the view almost a refuge from the industriousness of the Empire's heart. This serial is available in Kunapipi: https://ro.uow.edu.au/kunapipi/vol25/iss1/21


Almost all children have taken antibiotics as a result of ear infections, strep throat, or other bacterial infections. Some of them feel better soon and don't understand why they have to keep taking the medication for the full ten days as prescribed. Others forget to take the medicine, and then often have to be put on a stronger type of antibiotics. This game enables students to experience a model of the effects of antibiotics on a population of disease-causing bacteria during an infection. Students learn how variables such as skipping a day of medication affect the persistence of the disease. A key concept is that almost every naturally occurring population of bacteria that cause disease has a component that is resistant to antibiotics. By graphing data, students can visually understand why it is important to take a complete course of antibiotics to kill all the bacteria and decease the likelihood of bacteria becoming resistant, which can be harmful to human health and is a major public health problem.


Background: Travelers' diarrhea is the most common travel-related malady. It affects millions of international travelers to developing countries annually and can significantly disrupt travel plans. Objective: To provide an update on the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of traveler's diar-rhea. Methods: A PubMed search was completed in Clinical Queries using the key term "traveler's diarrhea". The search strategy included meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, observational studies, and reviews. The search was restricted to English literature. Patents were searched using the key term "traveler's diarrhea" from www.freepatentsonline.com. Results: Between 10% and 40% of travelers develop diarrhea. The attack rate is highest for travelers from a developed country who visit a developing country. Children are at particular risk. Travelers' diarrhea is usually acquired through ingestion of food and water contaminated by feces. Most cases are due to a bac-terial pathogen, commonly, Escherichia coli, and occur within the first few days after arrival in a foreign country. Dehydration is the most common complication. Pretravel education on hygiene and on the safe selection of food items is important in minimizing episodes. For mild travelers' diarrhea, the use of antibi-otic is not recommended. The use of bismuth subsalicylate or loperamide may be considered. For moder-ate travelers' diarrhea, antibiotics such as fluoroquinolones, azithromycin, and rifaximin may be used. Loperamide may be considered as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy. For severe travelers' diarrhea, antibiotics such as azithromycin, fluoroquinolones, and rifaximin should be used. Azithromycin can be used even for the treatment of dysentery whereas fluoroquinolones and rifaximin cannot be used for such purpose. Recent patents related to the management of travelers' diarrhea are discussed. Conclusion: Although travelers' diarrhea is usually self-limited, many travelers prefer expedient relief of diarrhea, especially when they are traveling for extended periods by air or ground. Judicious use of an antimotility agent and antimicrobial therapy reduces the duration and severity of diarrhea.


Self-service technologies (SSTs) are becoming popular in mobile devices. Therefore, we examine the availability of mobile services with regard to wire-line device and user trust in these services as the moderating variables in order to determine the relative importance of the perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU) for users adopting new SSTs on mobile devices. We collected data from two distinctive mobile services: mobile banking and location-based ("finding my friend") services in Korea. The findings of this study reveal that when new services are available with existing wire-line services, PEU is more important than PU in driving the adoption of new SSTs. In contrast, when mobile services are relatively brand new, PU is more important than PEU in the adoption of new SSTs. Further, trust in services does not significantly change the relative importance of PEU for users adopting mobile services that are available in wire-line devices, whereas user trust in services strengthens the influence of PU in their adoption of mobile services that are not available in wire-line devices. These findings can help explain the causal structure whereby SSTs are adopted on mobile devices. We also provide managerial guidance in order to promote the adoption as well as the use of SSTs.


The incidence of diabetes and cancer has increased significantly in recent years. Furthermore, there are many common risk factors for both diabetes and cancer, such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and ageing. A large body of epidemiological evidence has indicated that diabetes is considered as an independent risk factor for increased rates of heterogeneous types of cancer occurrence and death. The incidence and mortality of various types of cancer, such as pancreas, liver, colorectal, breast, endometrial, and bladder cancers, have a modest growth in diabetics. However, diabetes may work as a protective factor for prostate cancer. Although the underlying biological mechanisms have not been totally understood, studies have validated that insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis (including insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and IGF), hyperglycemia, inflammatory cytokines, and sex hormones provide good circumstances for cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. Insulin/IGF axis activates several metabolic and mitogenic signaling pathways; hyperglycemia provides energy for cancer cell growth; inflammatory cytokines influence cancer cell apoptosis. Thus, these three factors affect all types of cancer, while sex hormones only play important roles in breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and prostate cancer. This minireview consolidates and discusses the epidemiological and biological links between diabetes and various types of cancer.


Metal nanoparticles in the field of nanotechnology are of great interest to modern scientific research due to their size effects, medical uses and, catalytic, electronic and optical properties. Green synthesis of metal nanoparticles is a feasible alternative to chemical methods as it is environmentally friendly and cost effective. In continuation with our research on green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Kenyan medicinal plants, we here report the synthesis of novel silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on ultrasonic bath using Adansonia digitata leaves extracts and analysis of their antibacterial activity. The nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis, High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), FTIR spectroscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX). EDX analysis affirmed the nanoparticles were pure silver. Crystalline nature of the nanoparticles was confirmed by bright circular spots in the Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED) in HRTEM image. The AgNPs were spherical with an average size 13 nm. FTIR analysis showed strong –C=C- and –OH stretching bands due to compounds capping the nanoparticles. The synthesized AgNPs showed high inhibition zones of 17.1±0.130 mm towards Gram-negative bacteria E. coli and 12.9±0.082mm towards Gram positive bacteria S. aureus. The aqueous A. digitata extract had no effect on growth inhibition of test bacteria. The study showed that the silver nanoparticles synthesized from the plant's leaves extract had antibacterial activity against both Gram negative and positive pathogenic bacteria. The nanoparticles can be utilized towards developing novel drugs useful in combating pathogens.


Reflection second-harmonic generation from the polished waveguide end face is used to investigate the second-order nonlinear optical properties of as-exchanged and annealed proton-exchanged (PE) waveguides in different H/sub x/Li/sub 1-x/NbO/sub 3/ phases. A detailed correlation is done between the nonlinear properties, the processing conditions, the refractive index changes, and the optical losses of the waveguides. It is found that for the direct PE samples, where the /spl beta//sub 4/, /spl beta//sub 3/, and /spl beta//sub 1/ phases are generated at the surface, the nonlinearity in the guide is strongly reduced by more than 85% of its bulk value, while for waveguides prepared in the /spl beta//sub 2/ phase, the nonlinear coefficient is about 55% of the bulk one. A consequence is that the step-like /spl beta//sub i/-phase PE LiNbO/sub 3/ waveguides with large refractive index increase are advantageous for efficient SHG in Cherenkov configuration. The nonlinearity, strongly reduced after the initial proton exchange, is found to be restored and even increased after annealing. However, this apparent increase of the nonlinearity is accompanied by a strong degradation of the quality of the second-harmonic generation reflected beam in the region of initial waveguides due to beam scattering. The graded proton exchange technique and dilute melt proton exchange have been shown to produce high-quality waveguides with essentially undergraded nonlinear optical properties. It has been also shown that the nonlinear properties of annealed proton exchanged LiNbO/sub 3/ waveguides can be effectively recovered by the reverse proton exchange technique. The results obtained are important for the design, fabrication, and optimizing of guided-wave nonlinear optical devices in LiNbO/sub 3/.


Background Racial inequity persists for chronic disease outcomes amid the proliferation of health information technology (HIT) designed to support patients in following recommended chronic disease self-management behaviors (ie, medication behavior, physical activity, and dietary behavior and attending follow-up appointments). Numerous interventions that use consumer-oriented HIT to support self-management have been evaluated, and some of the related literature has focused on racial minorities who experience disparate chronic disease outcomes. However, little is known about the efficacy of these interventions. Objective This study aims to conduct a systematic review of the literature that describes the efficacy of consumer-oriented HIT interventions designed to support self-management involving African American and Hispanic patients with chronic diseases. Methods We followed an a priori protocol using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses)-Equity 2012 Extension guidelines for systematic reviews that focus on health equity. Themes of interest included the inclusion and exclusion criteria. We identified 7 electronic databases, created search strings, and conducted the searches. We initially screened results based on titles and abstracts and then performed full-text screening. We then resolved conflicts and extracted relevant data from the included articles. Results In total, there were 27 included articles. The mean sample size was 640 (SD 209.5), and 52% (14/27) of the articles focused on African American participants, 15% (4/27) of the articles focused on Hispanic participants, and 33% (9/27) included both. Most articles addressed 3 of the 4 self-management behaviors: medication (17/27, 63%), physical activity (17/27, 63%), and diet (16/27, 59%). Only 15% (4/27) of the studies focused on follow-up appointment attendance. All the articles investigated HIT for use at home, whereas 7% (2/27) included use in the hospital. Conclusions This study addresses a key gap in research that has not sufficiently examined what technology designs and capabilities may be effective for underserved populations in promoting health behavior in concordance with recommendations.


To obtain intermediate temperature alloy solders with melting temperature of 400~600°C, (Ag-Cu28)-25Sn and (Ag-Cu28)-30Sn alloys were prepared by high energy ball milling. Ag-Cu-Sn nanocrystalline alloys have been obtained after milling for 40h. XRD results show that the (Ag-Cu28)-25Sn alloy consists of Ag4Sn and Cu3Sn, and the (Ag-Cu28)-30Sn alloy contains Ag4Sn, Cu3Sn and Cu6Sn5. The small polydispersed particles with size ranging from 1μm to about 25μm are observed from the (Ag-Cu28)-30Sn alloys milled for 40h by SEM. A large amount of small particles comprised of two or three grains are commonly observed by HRTEM, and average grain size is about 17.50nm. DSC results indicate that the melting points of the (Ag-Cu28)-25Sn and (Ag-Cu28)-30Sn alloys milled for 40h are 548.5°C and 539.3°C, respectively.


"...since the inception of the telegraph and radio, the globe has contracted, spatially, into a single large village" Marshall McLuhan (1964:5)The Interactive Village is an ethnographic multimedia production that aims to evolve a human-interest documentary style viewing space through which users can navigate routes of their choice through village material: scenes, interviews, activities and commentary. The production, based on everyday life in a small village in the Czech Republic, was enabled by the NM2, New Media for a New Millennium interdisciplinary research project which had the main goal of creating new production tools for the media industry, in addition to the more ambitious aim of creating a new media genre. The tools were designed for the easy production of non-linear, personalised media genres suitable for transmission over broadband networks. The village of Dolni Roveň was visited on a regular basis over a period of two years and in order to identify, shoot and collect relevant information. Rather than shooting a definitive storyline (or storylines), we found ourselves looking for "story potentials" in the style of the early stages of investigative journalism - bearing in mind it is a "story" that does not have to be finally "written-up" in a definitive manner. Ultimately it becomes up to the user to develop the narrative building blocks provided by the media tools into the "story" of his or her own choice.Research and productionAn initial structure for the production was based on Gustav Freytag's analysis of dramatic structure. With its origins in Aristotle's Poetics and adaptation for interactivity by Laurel (1990:82), it provided a useful scheme for addressing narrative frameworks. Another important influence was ethnographic film which also helped to form the rationale and strategy for the production (Wright 1992 & 2003, Loizos 1993). A more historic source of inspiration was Humphrey Jennings' documentary film Spare Time (1939). His approach to filmmaking was characterised by a locative episodic structure with a loose 'dawn to dusk' storyline. Also, in the planning of The Interactive Village production attention was paid to the particular style and humour of the Czech New Wave cinema of the 1960s. The production method was also informed by studies of ecological theories of perception (e.g. Heft, 2001). The video material was gathered in such a way that aimed to anticipate and mirror the user's viewing and active exploration of The Interactive Village programme and website. Consequently we abandoned the traditions of the carefully planned documentary and threw ourselves into an exploratory process which entailed the immediate gathering audio-visual material. This rapid assemblage of footage provided a loose collection of material from which loose narrative structures could be organised and built in a "hands on" manner. Working in this way (akin to the methodology of the anthropologist), the material was gathered to form an organic cell-like structure. Village StructureIn the context of the theory of visual anthropology, The Interactive Village takes the three central approaches traditionally taken by ethnographic filmmakers. According to Henley (1985) these are: Didactic, Journalistic, Observational. Didactic, the most prevalent model, usually involves a presenter who acts as a guide for the viewers explaining and contextualising what they are seeing. The Journalistic mode provides a specific point of view: "typically built up around a particularly dramatic story or issue" (Henley 1985:7). The Observational approach has the superficial appearance of the filmmakers taking a 'back seat'. It attempts to allow the viewer direct access to the filmed material with as little 'third-party' intervention as possible. For The Interactive Village, we re-ordered the modes into Observational – Didactic – Journalistic. However, rather than being the sub-genres presented to the viewer, the user can now decide whether to: watch & listen in Observational mode; access the Didactic anthropologist's commentary explaining, guiding and informing; or to "take issue" by accessing a particular point of view on a subject or issue e.g. threat to rural transport issues – viability of train service, village communication. The Interactive Village Journalistic mode re-models Henley's concept of journalistic away from the film director/journalist to the user becoming the journalist: piecing together programme material into a narrative structure that reflects his/her own interests. As a result, The Interactive Village interface has been designed to give the end-user access to these three modes. The production format offers a range of unique interactive experiences on a sliding scale from 'High/Low Information' from news headline presentation to in-depth documentary to user-explored/contributed to ethnography. Each configuration provides a personalised interactive experience, where the source sequences are configured seamlessly in real time to suit the personal wishes and needs of engagers. The 'Observational' mode comprises loosely ordered video-clips linked through personal, topical or locational associations and presented as an endless loop. When the user, watching the programme, running uninterrupted in default 'observational' mode, engages (e.g. via a single click) to select, explore or play, the system registers the clip currently being played back, and chooses a property of that clip to engage with a new loop of associated clips. If the user does not interact, the system will automatically engage a new loop when media files satisfying the current criteria have been exhausted. The Interactive Village employs a 'nuclear' structure that enables the user to access material along a variety of classified thematic (topic) threads and at a number of graded levels, within the three main modes Observational (view), Didactic (select), Journalistic (search and compile). Configuration of individual programmes is seamless, through sensitive dependence on initial conditions set by the engager via direct interaction with the moving image material or via a topical graphical interface. The tool enables the user to switch between modes as s/he engages with the material. So if the user is in 'observational' mode s/he can change to 'didactic' if/when contextualising information/voice-over narration is required. Or, at any stage, the user may decide to 'take an issue' and gather information about a particular subject. The Interactive Village aims to present the unique character of Dolni Roveň and issues specific to that village, while maintaining a sense of village universality. The production has developed a format that could be applied to other locations. In some senses The Interactive Village could also be Marshall McLuhan's 'global village' – Any Village Anywhere.


A detailed theoretical model is proposed to simulate the turbo-switch incorporating two cascaded semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). The model takes into account various important physical effects including interband and intraband carrier transitions along with gain dispersion, and bidirectional amplified spontaneous emission. The simulation results are in excellent agreement with the reported experimental measurements. Moreover, simulations of turbo-switch are extended to explain the 160 Gb/s wavelength conversion, pattern effect mitigation, and switch structure optimization. Novel turbo-switch schemes are suggested to further improve the switching speed.


Abstract As the largest group of MYB family transcription factors, R2R3-MYB proteins play essential roles during plant growth and development. However, the structural basis underlying how R2R3-MYBs recognize the target DNA remains elusive. Here, we report the crystal structure of Arabidopsis WEREWOLF (WER), an R2R3-MYB protein, in complex with its target DNA. Structural analysis showed that the third α-helices in both the R2 and R3 repeats of WER fit in the major groove of the DNA, specifically recognizing the DNA motif 5′-AACNGC-3′. In combination with mutagenesis, in vitro binding and in vivo luciferase assays, we showed that K55, N106, K109 and N110 are critical for the function of WER. Although L59 of WER is not involved in DNA binding in the structure, ITC analysis suggested that L59 plays an important role in sensing DNA methylation at the fifth position of cytosine (5mC). Like 5mC, methylation at the sixth position of adenine (6mA) in the AAC element also inhibits the interaction between WER and its target DNA. Our study not only unravels the molecular basis of how WER recognizes its target DNA, but also suggests that 5mC and 6mA modifications may block the interaction between R2R3-MYB transcription factors and their target genes.


1. The highest mortality rate in the adult trauma patient population is among those presenting with acute head trauma and associated multiple trauma. 2. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of head trauma, with alcohol being a primary associated factor. The other major mechanisms of head trauma are falls and assaults. 3. Secondary brain injury is a result of brain swelling and intracranial hemorrhage causing hypoxia and ischemia of the brain tissue. 4. The goals of surgical intervention are to evacuate intracranial hematoma and prevent increases in intracranial pressure.


: A retrospective, non-experimental, descriptive study was undertaken to determine the trends in nursing resources in South Africa between 1989 and 1993. Results obtained from data-analysis in 1993 were compared to a similar study done by Professor Kotze in her capacity as president of the South African Council of Nursing in 1989. It is shown that there was a continuous decline in the growth rate of registered nurses over the period from 9.4% in 1989 to 1.88% in 1992, with a slight increase of 3.18% in 1993. In the student category, a negative growth was found during 1990 (-6.05%), 1992 (-1.69%) and an even worse rate of -25.91% in 1993. The ratio of registered nurses versus the subprofessional group worsened and varied between 0.94% in 1988, 1.02 in 1989 and 0.98 in 1993. Generally spoken, it can be said that the negative trends described by Professor Kotze in 1990 (1990:65-76) in the Curationis, is still continuing. To avoid a forthcoming crisis in the supplying of nursing power, these problems must be addressed even more firmly than previously.


Segregation for two granular species is studied numerically in a vertically vibrated quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) box. The height of the box is smaller than two particle diameters so that particles are limited to a submonolayer. Two cases are considered: grains that differ in their density but have equal size, and grains that have equal density but different diameters, while keeping the quasi-2D condition. It is observed that in both cases, for vibration frequencies beyond a certain threshold—which depends on the density or diameter ratios—segregation takes place in the lateral directions. In the quasi-2D geometry, gravity does not play a direct role in the in-plane dynamics and gravity does not point to the segregation directions; hence, several known segregation mechanisms that rely on gravity are discarded. The segregation we observe is dominated by a lack of equipartition between the two species; the light particles exert a larger pressure than the heavier ones, inducing the latter to form clusters. This energy difference in the horizontal direction is due to the existence of a fixed point characterized by vertical motion and hence vanishing horizontal energy. Heavier and bigger grains are more rapidly attracted to the fixed point and the perturbations are less efficient in taking them off the fixed point when compared to the lighter grains. As a consequence, heavier and bigger grains have less horizontal agitation than lighter ones. Although limited by finite size effects, the simulations suggest that the two cases we consider differ in the transition character: one is continuous and the other is discontinuous. In the cases where grains differ in mass on varying the control parameter, partial segregation is first observed, presenting many clusters of heavier particles. Eventually, a global cluster is formed with impurities; namely lighter particles are present inside. The transition looks continuous when characterized by several segregation order parameters. On the other hand, when grains differ in size, there is no partial segregation and the global cluster has a much smaller concentration of impurities. The segregation order parameters change discontinuously and metastability is observed.


VOLUME ONE: INTERNATIONALIZATION AND INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY PART ONE: HISTORY OF THE FIELD Background Concepts and Philosophy of International Business from World War Two to the Present - R D Robinson PART TWO: THE INTERNATIONALIZATION OF THE ORGANIZATION The Path to Foreign Direct Investment A Synthesis of Foreign Direct-Investment Theories and Theories of The Multinational-Firm - A L Calvert International Investment and International Trade in the Product Life Cycle - R Vernon The Internationalization Process of the Firm - J Johanson and J E Vahlne A Model of Knowledge Development on Increasing Foreign Commitments Toward an Eclectic Theory of International Production - J H Dunning Some Empirical Tests Analyzing Foreign Market Entry Strategies - Peter J Buckley and Mark C Casson Extending the Internalization Approach Forces That Impinge on Internationalization Changing Patterns of International Competition - M E Porter Global Strategy - In a World of Nations - G S Yip The Effect of National Culture on the Choice of Entry Mode - B Kogut and H Singh Organizational Aspects of Internationalization The Tortuous Evolution of the Multinational Corporation - H V Perlmutter Managing across Borders - New Strategic Requirements - C A Bartlett and S Ghoshal Managing across Borders - New Organizational Responses - C A Bartlett and S Ghoshal PART THREE: INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY From Strategic Planning to Strategic Resources The Strategy of Multinational Enterprise - M Z Brooke and B S Remmers Organization and Finance A Conceptual and Operational Framework for Developing the Long-Range Planning Process - S Prakash Sethi and J Hogle Strategy and Structure in Multinational Corporations - A Revision of the Stopford and Wells Model - W G Egelhoff The Core Competence of the Corporation - C K Prahalad and G Hamel A Resource-Based Analysis of Global Competition - The Case of the Bearings Industry - D J Collis Developing Global Strategies for Service Businesses - C H Lovelock and G S Yip Strategic International Alliances Joint Ventures - Theoretical and Empirical Perspectives - B Kogut Competition for Competence and Inter-Partner Learning within International Strategic Alliances - G Hamel Interfirm Diversity, Organizational Learning and Longevity in Global Strategic Alliances - A Parkhe VOLUME TWO: THE IMPACT OF NATIONAL CULTURE ON MANAGEMENT PART ONE: INTERNATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND STYLES Organizational Contrasts on British and American Ships - S A Richardson Interpersonal Relations in International Organizations - H C Triandis Authority, Function and Status in British and Japanese Factories - R P Dore What Do Russian Managers Really Do? An Observational Study with Comparisons to US Managers - F Luthans, D H B Welsh and S A Rosenkrantz Anglo-German Business Collaboration - D Ebster-Grosz and D Pugh Pitfalls and Potentials PART TWO: ANALYTICAL COMPARISONS OF INTERNATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN MANAGEMENT Cultural Patterns in the Role of the Manager - M Haire, E E Ghiselli and L W Porter On Looking at an Elephant - K H Roberts An Evaluation of Cross-Cultural Research Related to Organizations For a Study of the 'Societal Effect' - M Maurice Universality and Specificity in Organization Research Motivation, Leadership and Organization - G Hofstede Do American Theories Apply Abroad? Culture, Contingency and Capitalism in the Cross-National Study of Organizations - J Child Clustering Countries on Attitudinal Dimensions - S Ronen and O Shenkar The Social Construction of Business Systems in East Asia - R D Whitley Culture and Congruence - K L Newman and S D Nollen The Fit between Management Practices and National Culture PART THREE: ORGANIZATIONAL CONSISTENCIES ACROSS CULTURES The Culture-Free Context of Organizational Structure - D J Hickson et al Communication and Decision-Making across Cultures - R T Pascale Japanese and American Comparisons Size and Bureaucracy in East and West - L Donaldson A Preliminary Meta-Analysis Host Country Managerial Behaviour and Learning in Chinese and Hungarian Joint Ventures - J Child and L Markoczy Industrialism and Industrial Man - C Kerr et al Convergence or Divergence - P Sparrow, R S Schuller and S E Jackson Human Resource Practices and Policies for Competitive Advantage Worldwide Organizational Convergence - D Pugh and D J Hickson VOLUME THREE: GOVERNMENT, OPERATIONS AND FINANCE PART ONE: GOVERNMENTS, ETHICS AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS The Consequences of Governmental Action The Influence of Policy Instruments on Manufacturing Direct Foreign Investment in Developing Countries - Franklin R Root and Ahmed A Ahmed Bargaining Power of Multinationals and Host Governments - N Fagre and L T Wells Expropriation as an Attempt to Control Foreign Firms in LDCS - Trends from 1960 to 1979 - S J Kobrin Political Aspects of MNE Theory - J J Boddewyn International Business Ethics Multinational Decision-Making - Reconciling International Norms - T Donaldson The Influence of Country and Industry on Ethical Perceptions of Senior Executives in the US and Europe - B B Schlegelmilch and D C Robertson PART TWO: INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS International Operations Strategy The Co-ordination of Manufacturing Interdependence in Multinational Companies - B Mascarenhas Post-Industrial Manufacturing - R Jaikumar Flexibility - The Next Competitive Battle - The Manufacturing Futures Survey - A Demeyer et al Investment and Location The Motivation for Investment in Offshore Plants - Richard Moxon The Case of the US Electronics Industry Sourcing International Supplies Sourcing Strategies of European and Japanese Multinationals - M Kotabe and G Omura A Comparison Distribution Strategic Logistics in Co-ordinated Global Manufacturing Success - S E Fawcett PART THREE: INTERNATIONAL FINANCE Value of International Activity The Effects of International Operations on the Market Value of the Firm - Theory and Evidence - V R Errunza and L W Senbet Capital Structure Financing Foreign Subsidiaries of US Controlled Multinational Enterprises - R B Stobaugh Jr Financial Structure and the Cost of Capital in the Multinational Corporation - A Shapiro What Do We Know about Capital Structure - Some Evidence from International Data - R G Rajan and L Zingales Risk and Mechanisms for Its Control Management of Foreign Exchange Risk - L L Jacque A Review Article International Portfolio Choice and Corporation Finance - A Synthesis - M Adler and B Dumas The World Price of Foreign-Exchange Risk - B Dumas and B Solnik VOLUME FOUR: HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING PART ONE: INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT The Expatriate Cultural Shock, Adjustment to New Cultural Environments - K Oberg Sojourner Adjustment - A T Church Expecting International Success - Female Managers Overseas - N J Adler Toward a Comprehensive Model of International Adjustment - An Integration of Multiple Theoretical Perspectives - J S Black, M Mendenhall and G Oddou International Issues in HRM Transfer of Managers as a Co-ordination and Control Strategy in Multinational Organizations - Anders Edstrom and Jay R Galbraith Controlled Variety - Y Doz and C K Prahalad A Challenge for Human Resource Management in the MNC Human Resources Management in International Joint Ventures - Directions for Research - O Shenkar and Y Zeira Organizational Life-cycles and Strategic International Human Resouce Management in Multinational Companies - J Milliman, M A Vonglinow and M Nathan Implications for Congruence Theory Influences on Human Resource Management Practices in Multinational Corporations - P M Rosenzweig and N Nohria Towards a European Model of Human Resource Management - C Brewster PART TWO: INTERNATIONAL MARKETING Historical Context Comparative Marketing - J J Boddewyn The First Twenty-Five Years Marketing - D A Ricks Market Globalization Standardization or Adaptation The Globalization of Markets - T Levitt The Myth of Globalization - S P Douglas and Y Wind The Influence of Global Marketing Standardization on Performance - S Samiee and K Roth Marketing Research Cross-National Comparisons and Consumer Stereotypes - S P Douglas A Case Study of Working and Non-Working Wives in the US and France Guidelines for Export Market Research - S T Cavusgil Buyer Behaviour Country of Origin Effects on Product Evaluations - W J Bilkey and E Nes Marketing Universals - Consumers Use of Brand-Name, Price, Physical Appearance and Retailer Reputation as Signals of Product Quality - N Dawar and P Parker


AIMS
To assess the impact of the time of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) on in-hospital and long-term all-cause mortality in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

METHODS AND RESULTS
The study retrospectively analyses the prospectively collected data on 2571 consecutive PPCI-treated STEMI patients between March 2008 and June 2011. Of these, 1036 patients (40.3%) underwent PPCI during a weekday between 08:00 and 18:00 (routine-hours group) and 1535 patients (59.7%) underwent PPCI on a weekday between 18:00 and 08:00 or a weekend (out-of-hours group). Compared with the routine-hours group, the out-of-hours group had a lower mean age, fewer patients with previous angina, longer call-to-hospital time, and fewer multivessel PCI. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 4.5% with no significant difference [0.2%, 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.4 to 1.9%] between the routine-hours group (4.3%) and the out-of-hours group (4.6%) (adjusted odds ratio: 1.33, 95% CI: 0.73-2.40, P = 0.35). During a mean follow-up period of 560 days, 295 patients (11.5%) died, 12.2% in the routine-hours group and 11.0% in the out-of-hours group (difference of -0.1%, 95% CI: -0.4 to 0.2%). In the multiple Cox proportional hazards model, there was no difference in mortality between the two groups (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.09, 95% CI: 0.82-1.46, P = 0.57). Similarly, no increase in mortality was seen in patients who underwent PPCI later at night (22:00-06:00).

CONCLUSION
This study of real-world, unselected STEMI patients demonstrates that in a large, well-staffed centre, PPCI outside routine-working hours is safe with no difference in outcome of in-hospital and long-term mortality compared with PPCI during routine-working hours.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Conventional nonadhesive liquid embolic agents currently are the criterion standard for endovascular embolization of cerebral AVMs. However, inadequate distal penetration into the nidus and unstable proximal plug formation are the major limitations of this approach and of the currently available embolic materials. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hypothetic efficacy of combining liquid embolic agents with different properties and viscosities for use in endovascular embolization of cerebral AVMs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March 2018 to March 2019, sixteen patients with cerebral AVMs (12 women, 4 men; age range, 33–61 years) underwent endovascular embolization with combined liquid embolic agents delivered serially via a single microcatheter. The procedure consists of initial embolization with PHIL 30%, followed by Menox 18 through the same microcatheter. According to the Spetzler-Martin scale, 11 (68.75%) AVMs were grades I–II, 4 (25%) were grade III, and 1 (6.25%) was grade IV. Angiographic, technical, and clinical outcomes were analyzed independently. RESULTS: Combined PHIL and Menox embolization through the same microcatheter via 21 pedicles was performed in these 16 patients. Once the length of the reflux reached approximately 2 cm, PHIL 30% was switched to Menox 18. Antegrade flow and distal penetration of the serially applied liquid embolic agents were observed in all 16 cases. The ability to completely control the flow of the materials and avoid any dangerous proximal reflux was noted in all performed embolizations. The estimated average size reduction of the treated AVMs was 85%, ranging from 50% to 100%. Complete embolization was achieved in 10/16 or 62.5% of the cases. There was no procedure-related complication during or after the embolization. No mortality or postprocedural clinical worsening was seen. Clinical success and complete obliteration were confirmed with at least 1 follow-up angiography in 10/16 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Serial delivery of nonadhesive liquid embolic agents via the same microcatheter was safe and effective in our study and may be a potential technique for routine AVM treatment. However, further investigations are required to validate the safety and the efficacy of the method.


We present a novel electrochemical cell lysis device to prepare DNA samples for lab-on-a-chip (LOC) applications. It utilizes the electrolysis of saline solution to generate hydroxide ions (OH(-)) at the cathode as alkaline lytic agents. Cathode and anode chambers are separated by a negatively-charged ion exchangeable polymer diaphragm to maintain the high pH level for efficient cell lysis in the cathode chamber, to prevent inflow of PCR-amplification inhibitors from the anode chamber, and to minimize binding of DNA molecules. Electric current flow and pH maintenance, which depended on the device design, were two important parameters of the device performance. After optimizing the design and visually confirming cell lysis of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in a very short amount of time, we directly electrolyzed four bacterial cell types suspended in saline solution. Real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis showed that our device could lyse both gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial cells with higher efficiency than other common methods and could detect DNA on the microlitre scale. Our data demonstrate several advantages of the proposed device: absence of cell lysis chemicals and heating; no adverse effects on PCR amplification; low DNA loss; low voltage and power consumption; and rapid processing. The device could potentially be applied as an on-chip DNA extraction component.


This report covers the development of a new joint mechanism and a robotic simulator. These are intended to be used in the further development of a climbing robot that has been previously worked on. The climbing robot is briefly described in this report. It is a robot with four arms that each has 6 joints with 1 degree of freedom each. At the end of each arm is a gripper that will serve as the robots main tool of interaction with its immediate environment, for instance a ladder the robot is climbing in. The weight of this robot is estimated and used to find torque requirements on the new joint mechanism. A lightweight joint mechanism is of interest not only for a climbing robot, but for many if not all other kinds of robots as well. Such a joint will not need to be as strong as its heavier counterparts, as less power is required to support the joint itself. The new joint mechanism is an attempt of creating a joint that is lighter than traditional joints. The main idea is to have a single powerful actuator driving several joints. The joints are mechanically powered by a rotating shaft that runs through all of them. Each joint uses a clutching mechanism to connect to the shaft and thus transfer torque. the clutching mechanism has been explored in detail, and a suitable clutch has been selected. This clutch is then used in four design proposals. The last of these proposals is assembled into a prototype, and the prototype is qualitatively tested. The tests demonstrate the concept, but it is not yet shown that this joint mechanism will be lighter that a traditional joint mechanism. The simulator is developed to be a design tool for further development of the climbing robot. A list of specifications for the simulator is presented, however the simulator is not able to meet all these requirements at the current stage of development. The remaining work on the simulator is discussed, as well as an evaluation of the software as it is at the time of writing. The report describes the kinematic modeling that is used to represent the translational and rotational relationship between the different elements of the robot. The kinematic relationships is then put into a mathematical representation of the robot which represents the robots as a chain of elements. Each element has several properties, among which are its relationship to other elements and a graphical representation of the element. The elements, and thus the robot, is represented graphically in a virtual reality environment. The simulator allows the user to specify several parameters of the robot, such as number and dimensions of the joints and the dimensions of the body. The user is also able to control the velocity of each joint. Both the simulator and the joint has been developed to be general enough for use on other kinds of robots, with small modifications in the case of the simulator.


Listed below are 2020 publications, in English, within the general area of accounting history. The definition of what constitutes an accounting history article is not always a straightforward matter, and the description has been interpreted fairly broadly to include any accounting publication with a significant historical input. Malcolm Anderson's bibliographies from 2010 and through 2016 form the basis for the search terms used to gather these publications. For business history articles, see Business History. For a review of financial history publications, see Financial History Review.


Reading the non-verbal cues from faces to infer the emotional states of others is central to our daily social interactions from very early in life. Despite the relatively well-documented ontogeny of facial expression recognition in infancy, our understanding of the development of this critical social skill throughout childhood into adulthood remains limited. To this end, using a psychophysical approach we implemented the QUEST threshold-seeking algorithm to parametrically manipulate the quantity of signals available in faces normalized for contrast and luminance displaying the six emotional expressions, plus neutral. We thus determined observers' perceptual thresholds for effective discrimination of each emotional expression from 5 years of age up to adulthood. Consistent with previous studies, happiness was most easily recognized with minimum signals (35% on average), whereas fear required the maximum signals (97% on average) across groups. Overall, recognition improved with age for all expressions except happiness and fear, for which all age groups including the youngest remained within the adult range. Uniquely, our findings characterize the recognition trajectories of the six basic emotions into three distinct groupings: expressions that show a steep improvement with age - disgust, neutral, and anger; expressions that show a more gradual improvement with age - sadness, surprise; and those that remain stable from early childhood - happiness and fear, indicating that the coding for these expressions is already mature by 5 years of age. Altogether, our data provide for the first time a fine-grained mapping of the development of facial expression recognition. This approach significantly increases our understanding of the decoding of emotions across development and offers a novel tool to measure impairments for specific facial expressions in developmental clinical populations.


The role of processing constraints on sentence structure has been a topic of central interest in cognitive science. One proposal (Hawkins, 2004) suggests that language production system is organized to facilitate efficient parsing. We experimentally test this hypothesis using a miniature artificial language learning paradigm. Our findings support this account. Even though the input languages did not favor early placement of cues to grammatical function assignment (case and word order), participants used these cues in their own productions significantly more often in such a way as to allow early correct parsing commitments. This preference interacted with a bias to mark the less expected: Participants tended to use more case-marking in non-English OSV sentences. Our results underscore the potential of miniature artificial learning for language production research.


The challenges inherent in diagnosing and treating patients with Alzheimer's disease are increasing. Early diagnosis and modification of risk factors have received growing attention from the media in recent years. As a result, the general public, and patients and family members, are increasingly better informed about the disease, its genetic background, and the possibilities for treatment. The physician is often faced with questions about hereditary patterns within the family and with requests to perform genetic testing. Children, with increasing frequency, ask for a separate appointment with the treating physician, during the patient's life or after the patient has died, to discuss whether they are likely to get the disease and whether genetic tests should be performed. In this paper, some of the clinical and ethical questions that physicians face are explored. Arguments as to why we think routine genetic assessment should not be part of the diagnostic examination of the patient suspected of Alzheimer's disease are given.


The primary objectives have been to evaluate for different climatic conditions the role played by solar radiation in determining the accumulation of dry matter by terrestrial species and the manner in which the resulting photosynthetic products are utilized for the physiological and metabolic processes concerned with growth and development. The interacting effects of different levels of radiation and temperature on the components of growth of whole plants have been examined for a range of species from both tropical and temperate environments. These studies have been extended to in clude the interrelationships of density and the leaf area index on the productivity of populations of selected species. In some of these investigations the concepts of growth analysis have been combined with techniques which now permit the C 0 2 fluxes within the canopy to be continuously recorded over long periods and so allow the diurnal changes in the levels of photosynthesis and respiration in the field to be directly assessed. This approach, coupled with others where similar measurements are made in a closed system, has provided much new information on the balance between gross and net photosynthetic activity. Differences in photosynthetic potential between species have been further inter preted in terms of (i) the pattern of light interception by canopies of differing struc ture, (ii) the component processes of photosynthesis at varying stages of development and (iii) the factors which are involved in the distribution and use of assimilates within the plant or population.


Background Antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens containing efavirenz (EFV) are recommended as part of universal ART for pregnant and breastfeeding women. EFV may have appreciable side effects (SE), and ART adherence in pregnancy is a major concern, but little is known about ART SE and associations with adherence in pregnancy. Methods We investigated the distribution of patient-reported SE (based on Division of AIDS categories) and the association of SE with missed ART doses in a cohort of 517 women starting EFV+3TC/FTC+TDF during pregnancy. In analysis, SE were considered in terms of their overall frequency, by systems category, and by latent classes. Results Overall 97% of women reported experiencing at least one SE after ART initiation, with 48% experiencing more than five SE. Gastrointestinal, central nervous system, systemic and skin SE were reported by 81%, 85%, 79% and 31% of women, respectively, with considerable overlap across groups. At least one missed dose was reported by 32% of women. In multivariable models, ART non-adherence was associated with systemic SE compared to other systems categories, and measures of the overall burden of SE experienced were most strongly associated with missed ART doses. Conclusion These data demonstrate very high levels of SE in pregnant women initiating EFV-based ART and a strong association between SE burden and ART adherence. ART regimens with reduced SE profiles may enhance adherence, and as countries expand universal ART for all adult patients, counseling must include preparation for ART SE.


The presence of giant planets influences potentially habitable worlds in numerous ways. Massive celestial neighbors can facilitate the formation of planetary cores and modify the influx of asteroids and comets toward Earth analogs later on. Furthermore, giant planets can indirectly change the climate of terrestrial worlds by gravitationally altering their orbits. Investigating 147 well-characterized exoplanetary systems known to date that host a main-sequence star and a giant planet, we show that the presence of "giant neighbors" can reduce a terrestrial planet's chances to remain habitable, even if both planets have stable orbits. In a small fraction of systems, however, giant planets slightly increase the extent of habitable zones provided that the terrestrial world has a high climate inertia. In providing constraints on where giant planets cease to affect the habitable zone size in a detrimental fashion, we identify prime targets in the search for habitable worlds.


Summary form only given. Discover how you can tap NASA's resources for your projects. The article presents a unique opportunity to learn first hand how your organization can build a dynamic, high-impact partnership with NASA to develop mutually beneficial technologies. Having partnered hundreds of companies, NASA has experience in working with organizations develop cutting edge technology for market winning projects. NASA representatives will review opportunities in a wide range of areas including information systems, optical systems, and nuclear power and propulsion.


Groundwater is a major source of water in many parts of the world. Due to anthropogenic activities it is subjected to various sources of contamination. Effective groundwater pollution management and remediation relies on accurate identification of unknown pollution source characteristics. The pollution source should be defined in terms of location, flux magnitude, and time of release. The source identification procedure is a challenging task due to uncertainties in model definition, parameter estimation, hydrogeologic parameters and field measurements. Availability of adequate data is vital due to the nature of the contaminant source identification procedure; however, acquiring accurate and extensive field measurement data is a very costly and time intensive task. The source identification procedure remains a challenging task due to sparse measurement data, uncertainties in model definition, parameter estimation, and field measurements. Therefore the source identification problem is often characterized by very little information, and is considered an ill-posed, complex, and non-unique inverse problem.

In the recent past, the contaminant source identification problem has been addressed using different approaches. The linked simulation-optimization approach is capable of incorporating complex real-life scenarios and large study areas. In this approach, the numerical flow and transport simulation models are linked to an optimization model. A typical optimal source identification model minimizes the difference between estimated pollutant concentration and measured contamination values at monitoring locations. Due to the complex nature of the contaminant source identification process, various issues are needed to be addressed in the proposed methodologies in order to achieve an acceptable level of accuracy in recovering contaminant source histories. This study focuses on improving the accuracy and efficiency of contaminant source identification procedures in the presence of hydrogeologic parameter and measurement, uncertainties. This study specifically focuses on the following issues:

i. The utilized simulation model should include an accurate description of the study area in terms of hydrogeologic parameters. The uncertainty in hydrogeologic parameter values must be quantified and incorporated into the contaminant source identification methodology.

ii. Often the recorded concentration measurements are erroneous. The measurement error/uncertainty is required to be explicitly incorporated into the optimal source identification objective functions.

iii. Selection of the monitoring locations for measuring concentrations is vital for accurate source identification, and efficient selection of these locations can increase the accuracy of recorded source histories. Therefore, an optimal monitoring network is required to be designed, intended to reduce uncertainty and increase efficiency in recovering source release histories.

This study focuses on improving the accuracy and efficiency of contaminant source identification/characterization procedures in the presence of hydrogeologic parameter, and measurement, uncertainties. The main features of this study are:

i) The hydrogeological parameter uncertainty is incorporated in the optimal source identification methodology, using a new parameter for uncertainty quantification based on various realizations of the flow field. The new parameter, called the Coefficient of Confidence (COC), is estimated for each available contaminant observation data and incorporated into the optimal source identification model. Although such quantification cannot be designated as fuzzy quantification, in a strict sense, it differs from the crisp approach generally adopted in earlier developed methodologies for source characterization. This approach can actually eliminate the possibility of incorporating additional uncertainties due to inappropriate use of so called expert judgments. Adaptive simulated Annealing (ASA) is used as the optimization algorithm.

ii) A two-objective contaminant source identification model is developed which can improve the accuracy of recovered source histories using erroneous contaminant measurement data. Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA) II is used as the optimization algorithm.

iii) A new optimal monitoring network design methodology is developed using redundancy reduction and uncertainty reduction objective functions. This new two-objective monitoring network design model is solved using NSGA-II and integrated into the source identification methodology by sequential implementation of the optimal monitoring network design, and solution of the optimal source identification model, in order to increase the efficiency of both methodologies.

This study includes the following steps. An ASA based simulation-optimization source identification model is developed which is externally linked with numerical flow and transport simulation models. To address the hydrogeologic parameter uncertainty in the source identification model, an uncertainty quantification method is developed. The hydraulic conductivity uncertainty is quantified using a quantification parameter based on various realizations of the flow field, and using a new parameter called the Coefficient of Confidence (COC). Incorporating the estimated COC values in the contaminant source identification methodology results in the uncertainty-based linked simulation optimization model for contaminant source identification. The performance of this proposed methodology is evaluated for both illustrative and experimental contaminated aquifers. Obtained solution results show that the proposed methodology is capable of recovering source release histories more accurately compared with those obtained using earlier developed crisp methodologies in which the hydrogeologic parameter uncertainty is not considered explicitly.

In the next stage of this thesis, a two-objective optimal source identification methodology is developed which focuses on measurement error/uncertainty. Twoobjective optimal contaminant source identification models can improve the accuracy of estimating the recovered source histories using erroneous contaminant concentration measurement data. NSGA-II is linked to the flow and transport simulation models to determine the contaminant source characteristics.

When the measurements are erroneous, the source identification problem becomes non-unique. Therefore, various solutions with a possibility of being the true source characteristics may be achieved. When the contaminant concentrations are erroneous, it is not possible to match all the observed and simulated concentrations. In the two-objective approach, the first objective function is normalized using observed concentrations. Therefore, this objective function emphasizes matching smaller observed concentrations (for larger objective function improvement); however, the second objective function, which is not normalized, tries to match the high concentrations. Therefore, the two-objective approach generally finds the possible solutions as a Pareto-front.

The performance of the developed methodology using two different objectives for optimal source characterization is evaluated for an illustrative study area considering both point and distributed contaminant sources. The obtained solution results demonstrate that the two-objective model is capable of finding more accurate source characteristics in the presence of measurement error, compared with those obtained using each objective function separately in a single-objective model.

In the next step, a new sequential monitoring network design methodology is developed which selects new monitoring locations based on sequential characterization of pollutant sources and feeds back new measurement information from the newly designed and implemented monitoring network. Integrated source identification and monitoring network design sequences are carried out to reach an acceptable level of accuracy in characterization of the contaminant source properties. A new two-objective monitoring network design model is proposed which minimizes the uncertainty in recovered source histories and minimizes the redundancy in measured contaminant concentrations.

The performance of the integrated sequential contaminant source identification and monitoring network design methodologies are evaluated using illustrative data, and data from real-life contaminated groundwater aquifers. Performance evaluation results show that the developed methodologies can improve the accuracy of recovered contaminant source histories in the presence of uncertainty, and provides insight into the reliability of recovered source histories. The new sequential monitoring network design methodology can reduce the cost and time required to achieve relatively accurate characterization of polluted aquifers.