This research was an analysis of motivation on teacher performance in primary schools of Ekerenyo Division, Nyamira District, Kenya. The objectives were three fold. First to establish type and adequacy of current motivational practices, second to find out if and how teacher qualifications among other factors influence motivation to perform, third, to fmd out how motivation influences teacher performance. The target population was stratified disproportionately into school management and a representative number of teachers from randomly selected schools. Simple random sampling was used to select schools and teachers. The study applied the conceptual framework developed by the author (see figure. 1), as well as primary and secondary data. A self reporting undisguised Questionnaire, Interviews and Observations were the main instruments in collecting primary data from the field. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and at 0.05 level of significance, Chi Square was used to establish the adequacy of what is done to motivate teachers and how teacher motivation influences performance. The Likert scale was used to determine the weight of factors influencing teacher performance. The present motivational system has not been effective in enhancing teacher morale and motivation to perform by recognizing and rewarding the best performers. This has contributed among other factors to low productivity and dismal performance in the teaching profession. The significance of this study lies in the fact that stakeholders including school managers, Head Teachers and Policy makers will use it for decision making. The fmdings shall also be used to fill gaps and contribute to the existing body of knowledge on performance motivation.


Integrating virtual human animation in networked virtual environments (NVEs) has the potential to create severe network load issues. In NVEs, users are represented by their virtual embodiments. The articulated structure of these embodiments introduces a new complexity in the communication, representation and streaming of animations. This might create a significant overhead, especially as the number of participants in the simulation increases. In this paper, we present problems and solutions to efficiently transmit virtual human data over the network.


Potassium is a natural catalyst in biomass thermochemical conversion and plays an essential role in plant's growth. To figure out the catalytic effects of potassium on the thermochemical behaviors of biomass, the pyrolysis characteristics of rubber wood are comprehensively studied using a thermogravimetric analyzer where the biomass is impregnated by different concentration of potassium carbonate (K2CO3=0.004 M, 0.008 M, and 0.012 M). The thermal degradation with independent parallel reaction (IPR) model is adopted. To maximize the fit quality between the established kinetic models and experimental data, particle swarm optimization (PSO), a kind of evolutionary computation, is employed. The results suggest that the thermal degradation curves of the raw and impregnated rubber wood can be predicted with a fit quality of at least 97.5%. It is proved in this work that the IPR model and the calculation of the PSO can be used to predict the pyrolysis kinetics of impregnated biomass to a good level of fitness.


Aims: Preliminary studies have suggested that there is an increase in adipocytic tissue in osteoporotic (OP) bone, supporting in vitro evidence for a switch in differentiation of stromal cells from the osteoblastic to the adipocytic lineage. To investigate this the variation of the ratio of adipose tissue to haemopoietic/stromal tissue in OP bone was measured. Methods: The ratio of adipocytic to haemopoietic/stromal tissue (A/H) was measured by semi-automated image analysis in iliac crest biopsies from 127 patients with osteoporosis (84 female patients, 48 male patients; mean age, 55 years; range, 5–80). Fourteen patients with normal histomorphometric data (nine women; five men; mean age, 48 years; range 21–70) acted as controls. Results: The ratio of A/H was higher in OP bone than in the normal controls (OP mean 43.06% v normal mean 22.4%; p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that 98.5% of the variability in the A/H ratio was the result of age and several measures of bone formation, including cancellous wall thickness, osteoid volume, cancellous thickness, cortical wall thickness, cancellous apposition rate, and bone formation rate, together with cancellous separation (each significant at p < 0.001). Those with the greatest effect on the A/H ratio (in decreasing order) were cancellous apposition rate, osteoid volume, and age. Conclusions: Cancellous apposition rate, osteoid volume, and age were associated with the increase in the proportion of adipose tissue present in OP bone. Of these, cancellous apposition rate reflects osteoblast activity, indicating that the increase in the volume of adipose tissue in osteoporosis is associated with reduced bone formation, supporting the postulated switch in differentiation of stromal cells from the osteoblastic to the adipocytic pathway in osteoporosis.


Although many contend that human rights law is a justification for intellectual property rights, precisely the opposite is true. Human rights law is far more a limit on intellectual property rights than a rationale for such regimes. In a variety of ways, human rights law requires states to take specific, concrete steps to limit the effects of intellectual property rights in order to protect international human rights. This powerful and emancipatory dimension of human rights law has unfortunately been overshadowed by those who claim human rights as a basis for granting exclusive rights.The U.N. Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights – the body created to monitor state compliance with the terms of an international treaty called the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights – is in the process of drafting a General Comment that will interpret the "right to take part in cultural life," a right protected under Article 15(1)(a) of the treaty. This submission was designed to provide the Committee with an overview of some of the ways in which intellectual property rights can affect this right and what states may be required to do to protect the ability of individuals to participate in cultural life.


The paper describes an efficient technique for optimizing the shape of the patch of a multi-band antenna by means of genetic algorithms and a hybrid finite element - robin boundary condition iteration method, for the analysis of open-boundary scattering and radiation electromagnetic field problems. The admissible rectangular patch area is logically and regularly subdivided into rectangular sub-areas, coinciding with the trace of the tetrahedral edge element mesh on the patch surface. In this way the relevant matrices of the finite element algebraic system, computed at the beginning of the optimization, remain unchanged, even if the patch is changed by inserting some metallic sub-areas. Moreover, in order to reduce the computing time of the iterative solver, the solution to a similar patch configuration is used as the initial guess for the solver


We examine the problem of keyboard acoustic emanations. We present a novel attack taking as input a 10-minute sound recording of a user typing English text using a keyboard, and then recovering up to 96% of typed characters. There is no need for a labeled training recording. Moreover the recognizer bootstrapped this way can even recognize random text such as passwords: In our experiments, 90% of 5-character random passwords using only letters can be generated in fewer than 20 attempts by an adversary; 80% of 10-character passwords can be generated in fewer than 75 attempts. Our attack uses the statistical constraints of the underlying content, English language, to reconstruct text from sound recordings without any labeled training data. The attack uses a combination of standard machine learning and speech recognition techniques, including cepstrum features, Hidden Markov Models, linear classification, and feedback-based incremental learning.


CdIn2Se4 thin films have been synthesized by potentiostatic deposition from cadmium, indium, and selenium species after performing a voltammetric study on single, binary, and ternary mixtures of their precursor salts in aqueous acidic media. The electrochemical reaction steps were defined under different conditions and the obtained materials were identified and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, optical absorption spectroscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). After optimizing several parameters, a highly pure CdIn2Se4 ternary semiconductor was synthesized by a double-pulse potentiostatic technique followed by annealing and recrystallization. Optical studies were carried out to obtain the absorption spectrum of the semiconductor and its direct band-gap energy (Eg) was found to be 1.73 eV. EIS measurements were performed to evaluate the flat band potential (Efb) of the material and a value of -0.468 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) was obtained. The presence of major negative carriers and the n-type nature of the semiconductor were also confirmed. Crystallographic lattice parameters confirming the α-phase of the semiconductor and the cluster size distribution of the deposit are also reported. The results support the incorporation of the synthesized semiconductor into solar photovoltaic cells.


Compared with conventional high-specific-speed axial flow pump, better cavitation performance and compact size have been achieved in contra-rotating axial flow pump, where the rear rotor is employed additionally to the front rotor to convert the swirling flow to the pressure rise. Meanwhile, significantly deteriorated performance has also been observed at well off-design flow rates with design rotational speed. The rotational speed control (RSC) of front and rear rotors has been experimentally proved to be effective to enhance the performance. However, thorough investigations are necessary to find the optimum rotational speeds of rotors. It may be done by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, whereas it is time-consuming to cover the wide ranges of rotational speeds. Therefore, in the present paper, a fast and effective performance prediction model is established by considering radial equilibrium condition, conservation of rothalpy and mass, empirical deviation angle, bladerows interaction and empirical losses. Experimental and CFD results are employed to validate the proposed prediction model. It is found that the proposed model shows good enough accuracy in predicting performances of contra-rotating axial flow pump under RSC in broad flow rate range. Furthermore, an energy saving application of the proposed model is also illustrated for two typical system resistances. Compared with the traditional valve control under the design rotational speed operation, the RSC method can well modify the pump head to satisfy the system resistance at wide flow rate range with the significantly improved energy performance.


A legal cycle is legislation that takes effect contingently, where contingent factors are ex ante known to fluctuate with some level of predictable regularity. Apart from broad constitutional mandate, lawmakers have historically and suboptimally responded to legal cycles with general and patchwork patterns of legislation involving repeal, amendment, and new enactment. This is true across nearly all domains of codified law. This chapter develops a normative theory of how lawmakers should respond to legal cycles by setting forth the optimal architecture of stabilization rules. Under a general set of conditions, stabilization rules work toward smoothing fluctuations in rulemaking and exert downward pressure on short-term legislative pathologies that result from cognitive bias and interest group politics. The potential of welfare-enhancing stabilization rules is discussed across banking law, budget law, environmental law, health law, national security law, and criminal sentencing. Keywords: timing rules, contingent law, legal cycles, stabilization rules, climate change, budget law, availability bias


Ultrastructural characteristics of the rat skeletal muscle fibers was studied under a prolonged static loading. Disruption of the mitochondrial membranes, desintegration and lysis of myofibrils, desorganization of the T-system and Z-bands were revealed. Destructive processes were accompanied with the physiological reparative regeneration evidenced by a large number of polysomes and accumulation of myofibrils at the peripheral zone of the muscle fibre. The satellite cells with poorly developed organells were revealed in cytoplasm. Mitotic figures were present in the satellite cells. Clusters of the satellite cells were revealed in the interstitial connective tissue with their successive differentiation into mature muscle fibres. Possible mechanisms of the skeletal muscle fibre formation were discussed.


Speech testing is an important part of the audiological test battery as it able to provide an index of a listener's hearing ability beyond what can be revealed with conventional puretone audiometry. Matrix Sentence Tests (MSTs) assess speech understanding in noise and are thought to better approximate the hearing deficits a person might experience in 'real world' situations. The dialectical differences of New Zealand English necessitated the creation of the University of Canterbury Auditory-Visual Matrix Sentence Test (UCAMST; O'Beirne, Trouson, McClelland, Jamaluddin, & Maclagan, 2015; Trounson, 2012), which was adapted from the British English MST to accommodate the unique phonology of New Zealand English and ensure the validity of the measure. As part of a series of studies aimed at progressing the UCAMST towards clinical use, this project sought to continue the process of examining the equivalency across the lists and conditions available for use each of the presentation modes included in the UCAMST. Evaluation with 61 normal hearing participants revealed the sentence lists designed for use in the babble noise condition to be equivalent, however sentences designed for presentation in quiet were significantly different. An additional assessment of 20 normal hearing participants found comparability between numerous condition pairs in terms of the accuracy by which a listener's speech reception threshold is estimated. The data from these participants was also used to cross-validate the UCAMST with two speech audiometry tests routinely carried out in NZ, demonstrating a significant relationship between the speech recognition thresholds of the UCAMST and the meaningful CVC (revised AB) word recognition test. The findings of this study provide evidence for the interchangeable use of sentence lists and conditions in the UCAMST and the potential capacity of the UCAMST to replace the meaningful CVC (revised AB) word recognition test in clinical practice.


The focus of this study was to evaluate stakeholders' perceptions of VET in the Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE) in design sewing and cloth making sector. Data were collected in Tabora municipality. Questionnaires were administered to 10 MSE employers and 20 employees, interviews were held with 2 VET officers, 2 education officers, 4 VET trainers and 6 parents. Five focus group discussions with VET trainees were held and documentary analysis was used to get data from relevant documents. Lastly, observations were made at the MSE and VET centres. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze data from questionnaires and content analysis was used for data collected by other research tools. Findings obtained indicated that VET plays a vital role in furnishing its learners with skills that are required in the industry. However, the VET provision was beset by numerous challenges; curriculum implementation suffered from lack of training materials and trainees view VET as last training option. In addition, practical test and examination results were identified as the primary methods used for monitoring and evaluation. Informal training providers lacked monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. Transfer of skills from VET centres to workplaces was inhibited by insufficient supports.


Access to effective Continuing Professional Development can be difficult for teachers in sub-Saharan Africa, impacting their capacity to learn from best practice and improve their teaching approaches. Internet and cellphone services are seen as potential solutions, offering digital resources and online training. However, these are hindered by limited or expensive network coverage, leaving poorer-resourced and more remote schools behind. Zambian Education School-based Training (ZEST) has trialled an innovative approach for teachers: an offline networked learning approach. Deploying low-cost, battery-powered small computers as networked hubs has enabled collaborative, digitally enhanced professional development training where internet access is too expensive or unreliable. Central to ZEST is the idea of teachers learning together in Teacher Group Meetings. Raspberry Pi computers, accessed via teachers' own smartphones, have allowed educators to work together in proximity, sharing open digital resources. Through interviews and observations and drawing from Blumenfeld et al.'s diagnostic framework (2000), we report on teachers' and school leaders' impressions of the benefits and challenges of this novel approach. We reflect on its adoption, appropriation, enactment, and maintenance by school systems. We offer findings that may be more broadly applied to support school-based professional development in similarly restricted environments.


A pragmatic "holy grail" of organizational aspirations, ambidexterity is increasingly gaining the attention of executives and scholars alike, presenting them with a frame of thought and a functional strategic attitude that befits the perplexing nature of contemporary business contexts. Aiming to cover one of the most noticeable gaps in knowledge on the subject, this exploratory research studies the evolutionary process of a divisional multi-business-unit organization to an ambidextrous one. We thus identify the determinants of a successful evolution and propose an executive-oriented comprehensive model towards divisionalized ambidexterity. In this context, we answer critical questions relating to the relative weight of innovation within multiunit business ambidexterity, the requisite means and aims of the structural and contextual determinants of success, and the role of top management. We conclude that there is a strategic need for balance between internal and external congruence; and that multiunit integration must be such as to achieve an internal solidification of systems and processes, as well as external adaptability and market flexibility; all within an incessantly changing and unpredictable business environment. The value of the research to human resource management knowledge lies in its focus on multiunit business ambidextrous evolution; and in its consequential scientifically founded practical elucidations of executive worth. Equally importantly, though, the findings transcend theoretical constrictions to provide an in-context business perspective through a comprehensive system that considers also strategic and environmental realities.


This article briefly considers the challenges facing gerontological nursing over the next 10 years. It suggests that future quality of care will depend largely on the ability to recruit and retain staff who actively choose to work with older people. This will mean raising the status and profile of gerontological nursing and identifying a philosophy that provides direction and purpose for future care practices.


Considering the recent economic milestone achieved by Bangladesh, a downright reformation has emerged as obligatory which is a sustainable and all-round delivery of English throughout the academic journey of all the learners. Still, students are found struggling with the elementary language skills while attending introductory English courses at the universities. This study, conducted in mixed-mode, recounts the findings based on the data collected from twenty-one universities. Through this investigative work, the researchers have tried to diagnose the reasons behind the struggles faced by the learners and attempt to explain such outcomes from the perspectives of the gaps between policy and practice, attitude towards English, and the state of ELT in Bangladesh. Findings suggest that the issue of maintaining the synergy between separate levels of education is ignored by the stakeholders as well as the policy makers since the policy itself fails to uphold the significance of English as an international language. In addition, faulty application of CLT in the learners' secondary levels create a fearful image of English in their minds hindering them from conceptualising English as an international language as well as a tool for their future academic success.


Despite recent advances that have elucidated the effects of collateral of motor commands on sensory processing structures, the neural mechanisms underlying the modulation of active sensory systems by internal motor-derived signals remains poorly understood. This study deals with the neural basis of the modulation of the motor component of an active sensory system triggered by a central motor command in a gymnotid fish. In Gymnotus omarorum, activation of Mauthner cells, a pair of reticulospinal neurons responsible for the initiation of escape responses in most teleosts, evokes an abrupt and prolonged increase in the rate of the electric organ discharge (EOD), the output signal of the electrogenic component of the active electrosensory system. We show here that prepacemaker neural structures (PPs) that control the discharge of the command nucleus for EODs are key elements of this modulation. Retrograde labeling combined with injections of glutamate at structures that contain labeled neurons showed that PPs are composed of a bilateral group of dispersed brain stem neurons that extend from the diencephalon to the caudal medulla. Blockade of discrete PPs regions during the Mauthner cell-initiated electrosensory modulation indicate that the long duration of this modulation relied on activation of diencephalic PPs, whereas its peak amplitude depended on the recruitment of medullary PPs. Temporal correlation of motor and sensory consequences of Mauthner cell activation suggests that the Mauthner cell-initiated enhancement of electrosensory sampling is involved in the selection of escape trajectory.


ABSTRACT The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is the primary causative agent of cervical cancer. Vaccination against the HPV infection is an effective prevention measure for HPV-related diseases. This study aimed to assess parents' willingness to vaccinate their daughters with Human Papillomavirus vaccine and associated factors in Debre Tabor town. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among parents of daughters in Debre Tabor town, and a cluster sampling technique was used to select 738 study participants. A structured and interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data were entered into EPI data version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 26 for analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was done and a p-value of ≤ 0.05 was used to declare the level of significance. In this study, parents' willingness for HPV vaccination was found to be 79.10% (95% CI: 76.00, 82.00). Parents having media exposure, had good knowledge of HPV infection, and HPV vaccine, positive attitude, and positive perceived behavioral control toward the HPV vaccine had statistically significant association with willingness for the HPV vaccination of their daughters. Parents' willingness to HPV vaccination for their daughters was higher compared with a previous study done in the setting. Parental knowledge and their beliefs on HPV vaccination, and media exposure play an important role in the HPV vaccination of adolescents. Strengthening community-based education and effective promotion through multimedia on HPV infection and its prevention, addressing parental safety concerns and promoting their positive beliefs about the vaccine are important to increase parents' willingness.


When travellers entrust their desire for a transport mode that is customer-focused (i.e., reliable) to the Transport for NSW (TfNSW), this creates a metaphorical contract between travellers and the TfNSW, known as an agency contract. This contract is often characterised by agency uncertainty because both are most likely to act in their own self-interest. It can be assumed that where there is a high use of public transport, the TfNSW is performing the entrusted tasks as per travellers' demand, which indicates an improvement in agency uncertainty. On the other hand, where there is a high use of private transport, it is likely that the TfNSW is acting largely in its own self-interest, and the agency problem remains unresolved. From the results, it is shown that the probability of car use is significantly higher than public transport, which indicates that an agency problem exists in the traveller-TfNSW relationship. It is recommended that integrating traveller preferences in transport projects would help to resolve this problem.


This paper presents a novel 3-D topography model for micro-manufacturing process simulations, which uses unit vector of the parametric surface as an important parameter to achieve the surface evolution algorithm. According to various physical models of given fabrications, it can be applied to simulations of isotropic/anisotropic etching, deposition, and other processes with surface evolution direction dependence. The simulation results of this model are 3-D visible of variable perspective. Furthermore, simplification is introduced in some special case to reduce memory requirement and calculation time. Some isotropic etching simulations are performed as examples, and the results indicate the accurate simulated surface.


Aside from reddish dust, products of martian weathering are not abundantly obvious on Viking lander images. Surface stones appear sound, spalls and disintegration fragments are largely lacking, pitting of stones is probably not due to differential weathering, and reddish stone colors more likely result from adhered dust than from patination. Judging from wind-scoured drifts, deflated ground, rippled bed forms, lee-side tails, basal scours, fretted rocks, and ubiquitous dust, wind is currently the most effective transportive and erosive agent. The dogma that martian eolian material is almost exclusively of 10–100 µ size is challenged by granule ripples and the possibility that wind-drifted deposits consist largely of sand-sized particles. Fretting is more common than faceting on martian ventifacts. Crusts on martian surface fines are more akin to case-hardened rinds than to true duricrust. Crusting, a possibly continuing process, may be the product of atmospheric breathing of the regolith. Pits on surfaces of many martian stones are probably vesicles modified by eolian erosion. Pits on nonvesicular rocks may be solely the product of wind blasting. Vesicular lava, dense lava, and breccias are the most likely rocks among surface stones around the landers. The "bedrock" outcrops near VL-1 may be large boulders embedded in a breccia substrate. Pyroclastics seem a likely constituent of surface deposits.


The paper discusses some aspects of the Barcelona Basic Model (BBM), which is one of the most widely used elasto‐plastic models for unsaturated soils. In addition to modelling those unsaturated soils where the collapse potential increases with increasing net stress (as envisaged by the original authors), the BBM can also be used to model soils where the collapse potential decreases with increasing net stress, by selecting suitable values for the model parameters r and pc. A practical procedure is suggested for selecting a value for the important model parameter pc from laboratory test data. Problems with use of the BBM are discussed, including the difficulty of correctly matching the locations of the normal compression lines for different values of suction and the possibility of non‐convexity of the yield curve. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


We have analyzed the cell lineage of larval and imaginal cells in the thoracic ectoderm of the early embryo of Drosophila melanogaster, by homotopic transplantation of single cells in the region of 50–60% egg length. Single cells were isolated prior to transplantation in an in vitro solution. The donors were 'enhancer-trap' lines in which the nuclei of all larval and imaginal cells exhibit a uniformly intense expression of the lacZ gene of E. coli. The transplantations were carried out from the blastoderm to the early gastrula stage, as a rule immediately after the onset of gastrulation (stage 6). It was found that at this time the cells of the thoracic ectoderm are not yet committed to form larval or imaginal structures, as indicated by the presence of clones overlapping all structures formed by the thoracic ectoderm, i.e. the nervous system, the larval epidermis, the tracheae and the imaginal discs. The average size of pure epidermal clones was five cells. In clones overlapping either other larval tissues or imaginal discs, the average number of epidermal cells was between three and four. The mean relative clone size was 1/5 of the size of the total structure for leg imaginal discs and 1/7 for the wing imaginal disc. We therefore infer that the precursors for the leg discs and wing disc on one side together number 22 cells in the blastoderm or early gastrula stage. These cells eventually give rise not only to precursors of the imaginal discs but usually also to larval epidermal and nervous-system cells, because most of the imaginal disc clones (80%) overlap larval tissue. The transplantations were not precisely homotopic; the fact that up to 10 cells were removed from the donor essentially rules out exact homotopy between donor and host sites, because a segment anlage is only about three cells wide. Nevertheless, the clones developed completely normal tissue together with the recipient cells. Although the clones have the capacity to extend over different ectodermal tissues and can include both imaginal discs in a given segment, no clones were found that clearly crossed larval or imaginal segment boundaries. We propose a model in which the segregation of the cells that are to differentiate into the imaginal tissues does not occur until the second postblastodermal mitosis


Low-power design of VLSI circuits has been identified as a critical technological need in recent years due to the high demand for portable consumer electronics products. In this regard many innovative designs for basic logic functions using pass transistors and transmission gates have appeared in the literature recently. These designs relied on the intuition and cleverness of the designers, without involving formal design procedures. Hence, a formal design procedure for realising a minimal transistor CMOS pass network XOR-XNOR cell, that is fully compensated for threshold voltage drop in MOS transistors, is presented. This new cell can reliably operate within certain bounds when the power supply voltage is scaled down, as long as due consideration is given to the sizing of the MOS transistors during the initial design step. A low transistor count full adder cell using the new XOR-XNOR cell is also presented.


The electromagnetic propagation of angular momentum associated with photon spin has evolved into a subject of much broader remit, following the theoretical and experimental realization of optical beams that can convey quantized orbital angular momentum. The possibility of transmitting such information over nanoscale distances raises numerous issues. For example, it is known that electron spin can be relayed by near-field communication between exciton states in quantum dot assemblies; the question arises, can orbital angular momentum be conveyed in a similar way? There are fundamentally important technicalities surrounding such a prospect, representing potentially serious constraints on the viability of angular momentum transfer between electronically distinct components in structured nanomaterials. To resolve these issues it is necessary to interrogate the detailed form of near-field electromagnetic coupling of the relevant transition multipoles. The emerging results exhibit novel connections between angular momentum content in the near-field. The analysis leads to a conclusion that there are specific limitations on the nanoscale transmission of quantum angular momentum, with challenging implications for quantum optical data transmission.


Eating less intensive meat is a solution to many problems: to human and ecological health and to the intense cruelty visited upon the millions of intensively bred animals across the globe. This Article outlines the contribution regulation makes to this problem and how it might be part of the solution. It begins by summarizing why intensive meat production generates so many problems that cut across regulatory domains. It then shows how current forms of regulation fail to grapple with the intersecting harms generated by intensive meat, highlighting the need for an ecological makeover for regulation itself. Further, regulation, as an instrumental form of law and policy implementation, neglects the interconnected challenges of the whole system. Regulatory scholarship, in the form of responsive regulation, provides ways to overcome at least some of the social aspects of regulatory failure. Yet the Article shows, drawing on two brief case examples highlighting an instrumental and responsive regulatory approach, that the ecological weakness of regulation is often overlooked. Finally, the Article teases out the characteristics of ecologically responsive regulation that can contribute to lowering meat consumption and then examines nascent regulatory tools and strategies that could be refashioned to encourage a shift towards an ecologically rich and socially resilient future.


Haplotypes are a powerful tool for identifying the genetic basis of common complex diseases. Disease-association mapping requires molecular methods for haplotyping biallelic SNP variation and highly complex polymorphisms. We developed a method for phasing HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA-DRB1 alleles on chromosome 6 in unrelated individuals. This method uses the highly polymorphic HLA-B locus to discriminate the two HLA haplotypes in heterozygous individuals and its ideal location 1.4 Mbp telomeric to HLA-DRB1 and 1.2 Mbp centromeric to HLA-A to capture 2-Mbp-long genomic DNA. Genomic DNA representing a single HLA-B-captured haplotype is genotyped for HLA-A and HLA-DRB1 alleles and linkage to HLA-B is established. Proof of principle was established in a large blinded study of phase-known samples. Availability of an efficient method for MHC haplotype phase determination will facilitate the mapping of causative MHC-resident genes in many human diseases and has the potential to be broadened to other polymorphic gene complexes.


The catalytic activity of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) gained an importance in removal of synthetic dyes from waste water released form textile industries. In this study aqueous leaf extract of Cascabela thevetia and Wrightia tomentosa were used to synthesize silver nanoparticles. Further the catalytic activity of newly synthesized particles in reducing 4-Nitrophenol, Methylene blue, Methyl orange and Methyl red using NaBH4 was screened. It was observed that the respective amalgamated solutions of AgNO3 and leaf extract turned reddish brown in colour after 48 hours incubation. The formation of AgNPs from C. thevetia and W.tomentosa were conformed by absorption maximum at 443.07nm and 440.05 nm in UV-Visible analysis. The absorption maxima results in UV-Vsible analysis of respective dyes clearly indicate total degradation by NaBH4 and the AgNPs of both plants have exhibited remarkable catalytic activity in dye reduction reactions.


A study of the relevant literature reveals that carbohydrate has a beneficial action on the course of "exogenous" and "endogenous" metabolism of protein, for which energy in the form of fat is not a substitute. The objects of the experiments to be described were first, to attempt to determine whether the effects of carbohydrate on the metabolism of dietary and body protein are similar in mechanism and secondly, to gain some insight into the mode of action of this phenomenon. Experiments were carried out with adult rats, in which the increase in nitrogen output which results when carbohydrate fed with protein is isocalorically substituted by fat, was compared with the change in nitrogen balance which occurs when carbohydrate is transferred from a protein-containing to a protein-free meal. In view of their similar magnitude and transient nature, it was concluded that these two superficially distinct actions of carbohydrate on the exogenous metabolism of protein had probably the same underlying mechanism, which is primarily dependent on the simultaneous feeding of carbohydrate with dietary protein. The effect of glucose ingestion on the digestibility and rate of absorption of casein was next investigated, as the intestine is a feasible site of the interaction which occurs between carbohydrate and protein fed in the same meal. Faecal nitrogen determinations revealed that glucose did not alter the digestibility of the protein. In addition although glucose did cause a marked delay in the absorption of the casein, the sparing effect of glucose could not be attributed to this effect, as fat ingestion also resulted in a similar delay but without giving rise to nitrogen retention. Experiments were also conducted in which the nitrogen content of the viscera were estimated after the simultaneous feeding of carbohydrate and protein. No significant fraction of the nitrogen which was retained could be accounted for in the viscera and it was suggested that the most probable site of deposition of the retained nitrogen was muscle. Studies were also made on the effect of glucose and fat administration on the plasma amino acid levels in fasting human subjects and rats. Glucose ingestion caused a 12% reduction in the plasma amino nitrogen which was maximal at 1 hour, whereas fat ingestion resulted in a much more gradual fall, to the extent of 4% of the initial level and of doubtful significance. Similar experiments on rats confirmed the differences in action of glucose and fat. In the fasting human subject, the level of seven essential amino acids (tryptophan, histidine, leucine, isoleucine, threonine, arginine and valine) fell after glucose ingestion to varying extents. If these depressions were arranged in the form of a ratio with tryptophan as unity and compared with Rose's estimate of the human requirements of these amino acids arranged in a similar way, then a close relationship was observed between the values. It was concluded that the sparing action of glucose was probably due to a stimulation of protein synthesis. Also as the action of glucose on the plasma amino acid level is maximal at one hour and as the level of amino acids in the portal vein will also be maximal shortly after feeding protein, then it was suggested that the action of glucose on the endogenous metabolism of protein was similar to its action on the exogenous metabolism. The administration of carbohydrate to fasting alloxan diabetic rats, resulted in a very slight decrease in the plasma leucine level compared to that occurring with normal rats. This result was considered to favour the view that insulin is necessary for the sparing action of carbohydrate in the fasting rat. The effect of glucose and fat on the incorporation of S-methionine into tissue proteins was investigated both in vivo and in vitro. A study was made of the effect of added glucose, succinate, octanoate and acetate on the 35 uptake of 35S-methionine by rat diaphragm and rat liver slices in vitro. Glucose increased the incorporation by 9-16% and succinate by 59%. Octanoate had little effect on the uptake, but acetate had a definite depressant action. It was concluded that glucose and succinate increased the amount of A.T.P. available for the process of protein synthesis, whereas octanoate and acetate did not. With the in vivo studies it was found that neither glucose nor fat had any effect on the uptake of 35S-methionine by the intestine and liver. On the other hand it was observed that glucose but not fat greatly increased the incorporation of methionine by skeletal muscle. Two hours after feeding glucose the isotope concentration was slightly lower than that of the control animal, but at the fourth hour, there occurred a marked increase in the uptake which had completely disappeared again by the sixth hour. It was suggested that glucose promotes the synthesis of a peptide or protein which was isolated in some manner from the main mass of muscle protein. It has been concluded that the action of carbohydrate on the endogenous and exogenous utilisation of protein is due to one underlying mechanism, namely an increase in protein deposition in muscle.


The reconstruction of abdominal wall defects remains a huge surgical challenge. Tension-free repair is proven to be superior to suture repair in abdominal wall reconstruction. Scaffolds are essential for tension-free repair. They are used to bridge a defect or reinforce the abdominal wall. A huge variety of scaffolds are now commercially available. Most of the synthetic scaffolds are composed of polypropylene. They provide strong tissue reinforcement, but cause a foreign body reaction, which can result in serious complications. Absorbable synthetic scaffolds, such as Dexon™ (polyglycolic acid) and Vicryl™ (polyglactin 910), are not suitable for abdominal wall reconstruction as they usually require subsequent surgeries to repair recurrent hernias. Composite scaffolds combine the strength of nonabsorbable synthetic scaffolds with the antiadhesive properties of the absorbable scaffold, but require long-term follow-up. Biological scaffolds, such as Permacol™, Surgisis® and Alloderm®, are derived from acellular mammalian tissues. Non-cross-linked biological scaffolds show excellent biocompatibility and degrade slowly over time. However, remnant DNA has been found in several products and the degradation leads to recurrence. Randomized controlled trials with long-term follow-up studies are lacking for all of the available scaffolds, particularly those derived from animal tissue. This article provides an overview of the different types of scaffolds available, and presents the key clinical studies of the commercially available synthetic, composite and biological scaffolds for abdominal wall reconstruction.


The JSC "DINUR" use enriched quartzite from the "Gora Karaul'naya" deposit in the production of dinas refractories. The tailings of quartzite enrichment are stored in the dump, not used, and thereby pollute the environment. Chemical, mineral and grain composition, physical, mechanical and technological properties of samples of quartzite tailings of the current output and selected from the dump are determined in this study. The tailings of current output contain less oxides of aluminum, iron and calcium and alkalis compared to the dump tailings. Their mineral composition is mainly represented by quartz as well as impurities of muscovite, hematite, magnetite, chlorite, shungite, zircon, rutile, pyrite with a total content of up to 3 %. The dump quartzite tailings contain particles less than 5 mm in size with a predominance of dust–like fractions (less than 0.16 mm). As to the grain composition, content of dust and clay particles, clay lumps and impurities tailings of the current output meets the requirements of Russian Standard no. 31424 (for the sand from sifting of crushing solid stone), belong to the class II, group of large sands; dump tailings belong to class I and the group of medium sands. Up to 30 % of the particles are plate– and needle–shaped. The features of changes in chemical composition, bulk density, content of dust–like, clay and organic impurities depending on the size of tailings fractions are considered. The possibility of using of tailings of quartzite enrichment as sand for construction works and fine fractions of tailings as molding material in foundry and granular loading in pressure and non−pressure filters for water purification is shown.


Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC), negative for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and ERBB2 amplification, are resistant to standard targeted therapies and exhibit a poor prognosis. Furthermore, they are highly heterogeneous with respect to genomic alterations, and common therapeutic targets are lacking though substantial evidence implicates dysregulated kinase signaling. Recently, six subtypes of TNBC were identified based on gene expression and were proposed to predict sensitivity to a variety of therapeutic agents including kinase inhibitors. To test this hypothesis, we screened a large collection of well-characterized, small molecule kinase inhibitors for growth inhibition in a panel of TNBC cell lines representing all six subtypes. Sensitivity to kinase inhibition correlated poorly with TNBC subtype. Instead, unsupervised clustering segregated TNBC cell lines according to clinically relevant features including dependence on epidermal growth factor signaling and mutation of the PTEN tumor suppressor. We further report the discovery of kinase inhibitors with selective toxicity to these groups. Overall, however, TNBC cell lines exhibited diverse sensitivity to kinase inhibition consistent with the lack of common driver mutations in this disease. Although our findings support specific kinase dependencies in subsets of TNBC, they are not associated with gene expression–based subtypes. Instead, we find that mutation status can be an effective predictor of sensitivity to inhibition of particular kinase pathways for subsets of TNBC.Mol Cancer Ther; 14(1);


This project has been carried out by request of Universum Communications AB, a global market research company, specialised in the field of employer branding.Many of Universum's clients are global companies with operations in several countries. From an employer branding standpoint, having people hired in different countries, comes with its challenges. On the one hand, most organisations want to communicate a consistent employer brand globally and on the other hand an employer brand that is perceived as attractive in one country, might not be attractive in another. Hence, it would be valuable for many global HR directors to have a tool that enables them to assess and compare how well their EVP resonates in different countries.The aim of this project is to build a demo version of such a tool, in order for Universum to evaluate:1. Its usefulness for Universum's clients.2. If it could be incorporated into Universum's product offering.The result was a web-based application that provides a global overview of a company's EVP. The result is visualised on a world map and each country is colour coded according how well the company's EVP resonates in the respective countries.The application gives a strong indication of how relevant and important it is to communicate different company attributes in different countries and provides the user with a holistic view of the result. Hence, the application proved useful in evaluating if Universum's clients would benefit from such a tool and if such a tool should be incorporated in Universum's product offering.


The aim of the study was to compare the innate immune system of severely malnourished children admitted to the Instituto de Medicina Integral Professor Fernando Figueira and treated according to the protocol of the World Health Organization (WHO) at admission and discharge. An experimental study was conducted with 20 children under two years of age. Ten of them had severe malnutrition and ten were a control group. The malnourished group consisted of hospitalized infants and it was submitted to WHO's protocol. Children with HIV and re-admitted during the study period were excluded. A blood sample was taken at admission and at discharge. Later, an analysis of blood leukocytes, adherence index, phagocytic capacity, production of free radicals superoxide and nitric oxide was performed. Patients with severe malnutrition at hospital discharge showed improved phagocytic function, release of oxygen radicals and reduction of the number of lymphocytes when compared to the time of admission. When compared to the control group, patients at hospital discharge had lower lymphocyte values and lower production of free radicals. Thus, it can be concluded that the duration of hospitalization was insufficient to restore cell-mediated immunity and microbicide activity.


In the era of Industry 4.0 (IR 4.0), information leakage has become a critical issue for information security. The basic approach to addressing information leakage threats is to implement an information security policy (ISP) that defines the standards, boundaries, and responsibilities of users of information and technology of an organization. ISPs are one of the most commonly used methods for controlling internal user security behaviours, which include, but not limited to, computer usage ethics; organizational system usage policies; Internet and email usage policies; and the use of social media. Human error is the main security threat to information security, resulting from negligence, ignorance, and failure to adhere to organizational information security policies. Information security incidents are a problem related to human behaviour because technology is designed and operated by humans, presenting the opportunities and spaces for human error. In addition to the factor of human error as the main source of information leakage, this study aims to systematically analyse the fundamental issues of information security policy compliance. An analysis of these papers identifies and categories critical factor that effect an employee's attitude toward compliance with ISP. The human, process, technology element and information governance should be thought as a significant scope for more efficiency of information security policy compliance and in any further extensive studies to improve on information security policy compliance. Therefore, to ensure these are properly understood, further study is needed to identity the information governance that needs to be included in organizations and current best practices for developing an information security policy compliance within organizations.


Ehiem J.C., Ndirika V.I.O., Onwuka U.N. (2016): Effect of moisture content on some physical properties of Canarium schweinfurthii Engl. fruits. Res. Agr. Eng., 62: 162–169. The effect of moisture content on some physical properties of three varieties of Canarium schweinfurthii Engl. fruits (small, large and long) was studied at 40.91%, 34.92%, 23.44%, 18.5% and 11.03% moisture content on wet basis in order to solve problems associated with designing and development of processing and handling equipment for these fruits. The physical parameters investigated were major, intermediate, minor diameters, geometric mean diameter, unit mass, volume, sphericity, density, bulk density, roundness, aspect ratio, porosity, surface and specific surface area. The results obtained showed that the physical parameters decreased linearly with a decrease in moisture content. Major diameter and true density of all the fruit varieties were not affected significantly (P < 0.05) by moisture content. Canarium schweinfurthii Engl. fruits are not round but spherical and oblong, hence, they can rather roll than slide. Among the studied varieties, small Canarium schweinfurthii Engl. is less bulky, has the highest specific surface area and is more porous.


We consider strongly coupled quasilinear reaction-di↵usion systems subject to nonlinear boundary conditions. Our aim is to develop a geometric theory for these types of equations. Such a theory is necessary in order to describe the dynamical behavior of solutions. In our main result we establish the existence and attractivity of center manifolds under suitable technical assumptions. The technical ingredients we need consist of the theory of strongly continuous analytic semigroups, maximal regularity, interpolation theory and evolution equations in extrapolation spaces.


From the Publisher:
The book discusses a new approach to requirements engineering. The goal of the method described is to facilitate the requirements engineering process and to improve the quality of its results. The focus of the book is on how linguistic instruments can be used profitably in this process, in order to reach this goal. The book gives a rather complete overview of the current status of requirements engineering, including (object-oriented) software analysis, and of applications of natural language to information systems in general. The improvements to the requirements engineering process include a better understanding of the problem and its domain, expressed by abstract models upon the contents of which the users (i.e. the 'owners' of the problem) have agreed. The process of collecting, specifying, verifying and validating the contents of the models is elaborated extensively. The linguistic meaning and definition of the words and concepts, that are selected from the Universe of Discourse description by a natural language- and scenario-based analysis approach, provides a semantically correct base for both the requirements specification and requirements validation. Some well-known problems with natural language texts, like ambiguity and incompleteness, are avoided by this semantic approach. The word meanings are retrieved from a lexicon that is interactively consulted during the requirements engineering process. The formal language that has been introduced as the underlying representation formalism for the lexicon, the models, as well as the original natural language sentences gives possibilities for verification activities, because of its logic foundation. Two models are introduced that arevalidated by the users by checking natural language sentences that are equivalent to the models' contents, and by evaluating a prototype that simulates the modeled behaviour of the system. Summarizing, the book introduces a requirements engineering method which makes heavily use of linguistic instruments. The method is described from several viewpoints, which includes its philosophy (the way of thinking), its techniques (the way of modeling), its use (the way of working) and a sketch of its supporting environment, (the way of supporting).


Recently, two shallow CO2 seeps were described in Ashitsuki and Mikama Bay (Shikine Island, Japan). These sites were deemed to have potentials for studying the impacts of ocean acidification. Here, we report geochemistry analyses of seawater and seafloor sediments collected from the shallow coasts on and around the two CO2 seeps. Seawater analyses indicated that shallow waters in the area share similar acidic characteristics (e.g. Avg. pH = ca. 7.1), supporting the result of a previous study. Next, the sediments from all sampling loci also share similar properties (Avg. Fe:Si = 0.043; Avg. organic content = 1.26%; Avg. relative Si content = 75.25%). However, sediments from Matsugashitamiyabi hot spring, which is located near the Ashitsuki seep, showed high Fe:Si ratio (1.250) when compared to other loci. This is most likely a local phenomenon, where iron accumulates in the sediment by the precipitation of rust produced through the mixing of FeS from the hot spring and carbonated seawater of the nearby CO2 seeps. We also compared seawater (e.g. Avg. pH = 8.3) and sediments (Avg. Fe: Si = 0.126; Avg. organic content = 2.06%; Avg. Si = 69.06%) of Hidaka Port in central Wakayama (as a standard sample of coastal surface water environment), to the Shikine Island samples excluding the Matsugashitamiyabi hot spring samples. The differences in characteristics (i.e. lower seawater pH and lower Avg. Fe:Si ratio of the latter) were probably caused by CO2 seep influence, and indicate that the influence of the hot spring water to the sediment of both CO2 seeps was minimal, or probably none. Accordingly, these seep sites are useful for future studies on the effects of ocean acidification on sea floor sediment composition, and its implication to biodiversity and the ecosystem.


A spindle can be very sensitive to mass unbalance which may have destructive effect on many types of rotating machinery, especially in high-speed rotating equipments. In this paper, a new active on-line balancing device based on static magnetic field with simple structures was proposed. The consecutive configuration of related stator and rotor was designed; the discussion focused on how the structural parameters influence the electromagnetic force. In the end, the influence of the misalignment of both spindle and core on the electromagnetic force was analyzed numerically under a given condition.


The normal breathing pattern of Pseudemys scripta (Schoepff) consists of a continuous burst of breaths separated by a variable period of breath holding. Under normoxic conditions, tidal volume was 6.9 ml kg−1 and the number of breaths was 1.9 min−1. Increases in pulmonary ventilation upon stimulation by hypercapnia (3% CO2) or hypoxia (4% O2) are caused primarily by increases in the number of breaths per minute due to a shortening of the breath-hold period. Tidal volume and breath duration remain unchanged. The instantaneous breathing frequency (f' = 60/Ttot) of 35 ± 2min−1 corresponds to continuous pump frequencies that minimize the rate of the mechanical work of breathing in anaesthetized turtles. This indicates that turtles breathe at a combination of tidal volume and f' that minimizes the power required to ventilate the lungs. To increase ventilation, the breath hold is shortened and more breaths are taken at this optimal combination. Bilateral vagotomy drastically alters the breathing pattern, producing an elevation in tidal volume, a slowing of breathing frequency, and a prolongation of breath duration while total ventilation remains unchanged. These data suggest that periodic breathing in this species may represent an adaptive strategy which is under vagal control and which serves to minimize the cost of breathing.


SEAM is in the process of obtaining bids for elastic simulation on the SEAM elastic deepwater model that was constructed using funding from the Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (RPSEA subcontract # 07121-2001). The model is an extension of the SEAM Phase I model that was originally constructed as a variable-density acoustic model. Parameters for shear-wave velocity have been derived in addition to tilted transverse isotropy (TTI) parameters and resistivity. A brief update on the ongoing TTI simulations and the completed controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) simulations is provided below.


Experimental observations on core particle and impurity transport from the Axial Symmetric Divertor Experiment Upgrade [O. Gruber, H.-S. Bosch, S. Gunter , Nucl Fusion 39, 1321 (1999)] and the Joint European Torus [J. Pamela, E. R. Solano, and JET EFDA Contributors, Nucl. Fusion 43, 1540 (2003)] tokamaks are reviewed and compared. Robust general experimental behaviors observed in both the devices and related parametric dependences are identified. The experimental observations are compared with the most recent theoretical results in the field of core particle transport. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.


ABSTRACT A good research base exists on the benefits of structured writing retreats and similar provision for academic staff and postgraduate researchers, but to date little has been published about the worth of such events for undergraduate students. This is despite the fact that undergraduate student researchers also experience external pressures, distractions and ambivalent or negative feelings towards writing just as academic staff and postgraduate students do. This paper reports on a mixed methods study of a structured writing retreat programme with third year undergraduate students over four academic years. The resulting data confirmed that one of the biggest challenges for students was finding time and space to write, which mirrors the findings of studies focused on more experienced researchers. The group of writing retreat participants had a very different experience and data revealed the power of these events for this group of students. The data presented here suggest that retreats should much more widely offered for undergraduate students in the latter stages of their degree programmes.


: Nurses share in the moral responsibility of their institution to ensure that the best ethical decision-making process is in place to meet patient needs, uphold the philosophy of the institution, and preserve the integrity of the profession. With health care reform under way, clinical ethical decision making will be even more difficult and complex than it is now. As members of ethics committees, nurses have a role to share their unique perspective. Nursing's prolonged contact with the patient, therapeutic communication skills, and goal-oriented approach facilitate the ethical decision-making process and make nurses well-suited to participate on ethics committees. This article discusses the role of the nurse on an ethics committee and, briefly, the advanced practice nurse as an ethics consultant.


In most social choice settings, the participating agents express their preferences over the different alternatives in the form of linear orderings. While this clearly simplifies preference elicitation, it inevitably leads to poor performance with respect to optimizing a cardinal objective, such as the social welfare, since the values of the agents remain virtually unknown. This loss in performance because of lack of information is measured by the notion of distortion. A recent array of works put forward the agenda of designing mechanisms that learn the values of the agents for a small number of alternatives via queries, and use this limited extra information to make better-informed decisions, thus improving distortion. Following this agenda, in this work we focus on a class of combinatorial problems that includes most well-known matching problems and several of their generalizations, such as One-Sided Matching, Two-Sided Matching, General Graph Matching, and $k$-Constrained Resource Allocation. We design two-query mechanisms that achieve the best-possible worst-case distortion in terms of social welfare, and outperform the best-possible expected distortion achieved by randomized ordinal mechanisms.


PURPOSE
Our goal was to evaluate laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection, para-aortic lymph node sampling, and laparoscopic radical vaginal hysterectomy (Schauta) in the treatment of early stage cervical cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
In a retrospective study of 37 patients treated in the period between October 1993 and February 1996, we evaluated operative time, blood loss, length of hospital stay, lymph node count, and morbidity. Radical abdominal hysterectomy was compared with laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection and para-aortic lymph node sampling. Improvement over time was analyzed.

RESULTS
Mean operative time was 225 minutes, blood loss was 525 mL, and the average hospital stay was 3 days. This information was compared with a radical abdominal hysterectomy and pelvic and para-aortic lymph node dissection, where the operative time was 210 minutes, blood loss was 1500 mL, and the hospital stay was 9.7 days. Blood transfusion was required in 11% of patients compared with a range of 35%-95% reported in the literature for radical abdominal hysterectomy. The mean pelvic lymph node count was 35; the mean para-aortic lymph node count was 11. Two patients had cystotomies repaired at surgery without lengthening hospital stay or subsequent complication. Two patients had ureteral vaginal fistulae treated by a ureteral stent, which was removed 6 weeks later without further operative procedures or urinary damage. When the data were correlated with the length of experience using the analysis of variance test and linear regression, operative time, blood loss, and hospital costs significantly improved over time. Patient charges averaged $14,868.00 and estimated hospital costs averaged $6449.00.

CONCLUSION
Laparoscopic pelvic lymph node dissection and para-aortic lymph node sampling can be performed with adequate lymph node counts and lower morbidity. Laparoscopic Schauta allows shorter hospital stay than radical abdominal hysterectomy, with significantly less blood loss and markedly fewer blood transfusions. Morbidity is higher early in the surgeon's experience but decreases over time.


The bidirectional texture function (BTF) is the recent most advanced representation of visual properties of material surface. It specifies its appearance due to varying spatial, illumination, and viewing conditions. Corresponding enormous BTF measurements require compact mathematical representation for visual fidelity preserving compression. We present a novel BTF model based on a set of underlying three dimensional moving average random field (3D MA RF) models. 3D MA assumes the texture considered as a product of a convolution of an uncorrelated three dimensional random field with a three dimensional filter which completely characterizes the texture. The BTF model combines several spatial factors, subsequently factorized into a set of 3D MA representations, and range map to produce the required BTF texture. This enables high BTF space compression ratio, unrestricted texture enlargement, and reconstruction of unmeasured parts of the BTF space. We also compare proposed model with its simpler two dimensional variant in terms of colour distribution fidelity.


In machine learning (ML) applications, unfair predictions may discriminate against a minority group. Most existing approaches for fair machine learning (FML) treat fairness as a constraint or a penalization term in the optimization of a ML model, which does not lead to the discovery of the complete landscape of the trade-offs among learning accuracy and fairness metrics, and does not integrate fairness in a meaningful way. Recently, we have introduced a new paradigm for FML based on Stochastic Multi-Objective Optimization (SMOO), where accuracy and fairness metrics stand as conflicting objectives to be optimized simultaneously. The entire trade-offs range is defined as the Pareto front of the SMOO problem, which can then be efficiently computed using stochastic-gradient type algorithms. SMOO also allows defining and computing new meaningful predictors for FML, a novel one being the Sharpe predictor that we introduce and explore in this paper, and which gives the highest ratio of accuracy-to-unfairness. Inspired from SMOO in finance, the Sharpe predictor for FML provides the highest prediction return (accuracy) per unit of prediction risk (unfairness).


Agus Yudianto NIM: 505850002 "The Role of Shariah Supervisory Board on
Shariah Compliance Principles on Banking Sharia in West Java."
Duty of DPS do not only observe business activity of Bank of Syari'ah in order to pursuant
to going into effect and principal of syari'ah which the religious advices have by DSN, but also report
result of [his/its] observation to society in the form of opinion that operational activity of bank which
observing of have as according to Moslem law principle. Compliance to principle of Moslem law have
to be realized in entire/all transaction by Bank of Moslem law with observation DPS. Council of
Supervisor Syari'ah ( DPS) own strategic and important role in principal applying of syari'ah in
banking syari'ah. DPS accountable for ascertain all product and procedure of bank of syari'ah as
according to principle syari'ah. But role of Council Supervisor of the Syari'ah not yet optimal in
running observation of syari'ah to operational of banking syari'ah. so that cause at collision of syari'ah
complience, hence image and credibility of bank of syari'ah eye of society can become negativity, so
that can degrade belief socialize to bank of pertinent syari'ah.
Problems which emerge is whether/what role of Council of Supervisor of Syari'ah have
according to or not yet in applying principle of compliance of bank of syari'ah in West Java Region?
This research aim to to depict Supervisor Syari'ah Council science background, explaining
Supervisor Syari'ah Council observation model in banking syari'ah compliance and prove according to
or do not him related/relevant kesesuian Supervisor Syari'ah Council performance with principal
compliance of syari'ah banking syari'ah in West Java. Sampel of[is end of this research amount to 40
responder.
type of Research used is field research that is research collectedly data through survey field
pursuant to data sekunder. Design research have the character of clarification explanatory
research)that is explain of causality independent variable and variable dependen
Result of factor analysis indicate that all indicator own factor loading bigger than 0,40 and
only loading one factor. Variable consisted of Moslem Law Compliance ( KS), Education ( PD),
Double Position ( RJ), Model Observation ( MP), and Sum up Observation ( JP) all indicator fulfill
validity criterion which have been determined. All instrument in this research also show above value [
croanbach alpha ( 0,60) meaning that instrument in this research reliabel. Result of research prove
with Value of R 2 of equal to 0,379 indicating that role of Council of Supervisor of Syari'h have as
according to principle of compliance syari'a


OBJECTIVES
The aim was to develop an easy-to-use risk score based on occupational factors and to validate its performance to identify workers either having (diagnostic setting) or developing (prognostic setting) upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders (UEMSD).

METHODS
This study relied on data from the Cosali prospective cohort conducted in a French working population. Diagnostic status for six UEMSD at inclusion and at follow-up was assessed by a standardized clinical examination. Data on occupational factors were collected through a self-administered questionnaire completed before the clinical examination at inclusion. The risk score was derived from a prediction model developed on data of 2,468 workers included in 2002-2003, and the validation sample is composed of 1,051 workers included later in 2004-2005. The prognostic performance of the risk score was assessed in workers without UEMSD at baseline.

RESULTS
A total of 13% and 12% of workers had a UEMSD at inclusion in the development and validation sample. The developed risk score includes physical, organizational and psychosocial factors at work. In the validation sample, this score had acceptable performance for identifying workers having or not UEMSD at baseline (AUC: 0.60 [95% CI 0.57 to 0.63]), in particular the negative predictive value was high (89%-90%). The baseline risk score showed similar performance for predicting incident UEMSD at follow-up examination.

CONCLUSION
This score can be useful as a first-line risk assessment tool, especially for excluding the low-risk work situations from further intervention by an ergonomist. Further validation studies are needed to determine its performance among various working populations.


Abstract Iodine-129 is a high-yield fission product formed in nuclear reactors and is a risk-driving radionuclide in both contaminated land and radioactive waste disposal due to its high mobility and long half-life. Here, the bioreduction behaviour of iodate was investigated by tracking iodine speciation and concentration in solution during the development of progressive anoxia in sediment microcosm experiments incubated at neutral pH. Experiments with acetate added as an electron donor showed the expected cascade of terminal electron-accepting processes. Analysis of solution chemistry showed reduction of iodate to iodide during the early stages of metal (Mn(IV) and Fe(III)) reduction, but with no significant retention of iodine species on solids. There was, however, a net release of natural iodine associated with the sediments to solution when robust iron reduction / sulfate reduction had developed. In addition, over 210 days, the controls with no electron donor and the sterile controls showed no Mn(IV) or Fe(III) reduction but displayed modest sorption of iodate to the sediments in the absence of bioreduction. Overall these results show that under oxic conditions iodate may be partially sorbed to sediments over extended periods but that development of mildly reducing conditions leads to the reductive release of iodine to solution as iodide.


We have realized laser diodes with integrated spot-size transformer to achieve a high-coupling efficiency to a standard single-mode fiber (SMF) without microoptical elements. A coupling loss of about 1 dB has been achieved with tolerances of 12 /spl mu/m in both vertical and horizontal direction. We have fabricated both distributed-feedback (DFB) and Fabry-Perot (FP)-type lasers. In the case of the FP lasers the longitudinal single-mode emission was stabilized by means of an external fiber Bragg-grating which was directly butt-coupled to the laser. We have experimentally and theoretically investigated the optical and electrical properties of the devices using a transmission line model.


Since 1979 we have treated 149 patients with duodenal ulcer by extended parietal cell vagotomy (EPCV). Electron microscopy of parietal cells from gastric body mucosa and gastric acid secretory test were carried out in 22 randomly selected patients before and after EPCV. It was shown that before EPCV the ultrastrueture of parietal cells presented the feature of vigorous secretion identical to the hyperfunctional secretion of gastric acid. The ultrastrnture of parietal cells presented the feature of acute depression of secretory function, which was identical to a significant reduction of secretory function of gastric acid 0.5-6 months after EPCV. Two to 10 years after operation, howerer, especially over 10 years after EPCV, the ultrastruetural changes of parietal cells gradually returned to normal, but gastric acid secretion remained at a low level, without preoperative secretory capacities. The results of this study provide a histological basis for the application of extended parietal cell vagotomy in the


A criterion of an ideal internal kink mode is derived for a shaped tokamak configuration in which q-profile is very flat in the core region. A combining criterion is obtained including the necessary criterion of Mercier and the sufficient criterion of Lortz. The new criterion makes progress compared with the necessary criterion of Mercier. In the elongated plasma, a poloidal beta can cause instability, while the triangularity has a stabilizing effect. The result is applicable for DIII-D and SUNIST.


In this paper, a new control method for a planar bipedal robot, which we call here Graph-based Model Predictive Control, is proposed. This method consists of two phases : the graph construction phase and the realtime control phase. In the graph construction phase, a directed graph on the state space of the control target is constructed off line. In the realtime control phase, the controller drives the state of the control target so as to make it move through graph nodes connected by directed edges. By tracing directed edges, a model predictive control is achieved in some sense. Moreover, since the directed graph is constructed in advance, the realtime computational cost is dramatically reduced compared with the ordinary MPC. In addition, by constructing multiple directed graphs based on different cost functions, one can design multiple motions and switching trajectories among them in a uniform way. The proposed method is applied to the speed changing control problem of a bipedal walker on a 2-dimensional plane and its effectiveness is verified by numerical simulation.


We have observed a red luminescence, qualitatively similar to that of enstatite achondrites, in unsorted fines, their separated mineral phases, and rock chips. The energy efficiency of the plagioclase fraction is approximately 1 percent. At -196�C the effect is enhanced by a factor between 1 and 2. All fractions except ilmenite exhibit blue thermoluminescence with a glow peak near -135�C and an energy efficiency ≈ 4 x 10-6. Unlike the thermoluminescence of terrestrial and meteoritic material, it is nonrepeatable even after annealing at 200�C. Similar thermoluminescence is seen in rock chips, but in unsorted fines it is masked by the opaque fractions.


Attentional deficits are well-established characteristics of patients with schizophrenia and their at-risk offspring, suggesting a biological connection between attention and schizophrenia. The goal of this study is to clarify the developmental role of attention in the illness. Data has been collected from 87 subjects at high and low risk for schizophrenia who have participated in the New York High-Risk Project from 1977 to the present. Individuals are considered to be at high risk if either or both of their parents has schizophrenia. Analyses of attention and global behaviors, measured at intervals from about 12 to 26 years of age, indicate (a) attentional deficits can be reliably detected in high-risk children who will develop future schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (the prespectrum [PSP] group); (b) these deficits are stable, enduring over time, and appear to reflect a compromised attentional capacity; (c) attention is not affected by the onset of illness in the PSP group; (d) for all subjects, attention and global behaviors follow independent developmental pathways; and (e) behavioral difficulties, but not attention deficits, appear to be highly sensitive to environmental factors, especially rearing by a mentally ill parent. It is concluded that in PSP individuals impaired attention probably results from prenatal developmental abnormalities (possibly on the cellular level) and is likely to be a marker of a biological vulnerability to schizophrenia. In addition, attentional deficits, as opposed to early behavioral difficulties, are concluded to be a useful first step in screening for youngsters in need of early intervention.


It is known that in the gelation of salt-ground meat from walleye pollack surimi, favorable setting temperature appears to be at around 25°C, and the changing profile of gel strength of kamaboko gel as a function of setting at 40°C varies among the preparations of frozen surimi. At a setting temperature of 40°C, there was a general trend that the breaking strength of kamaboko gel formed from high grade surimi changed in a biphasic manner: on increase at an early stage of the setting and a subsequent decrease at a later stage, while the breaking strength of the gel from low grade surimi reduced in a monophasic manner.We showed that there is a good correlation between the maximum value of breaking strength of kamaboko gel attained through the setting at 25°C and the changing rate of breaking strength of kamaboko gel as a function of the setting time at 40°C.On the basis of these findings, we proposed a simple and quick method for evaluating the characteristic gelling ability of walleye pollack frozen surimi for practical use in a factory.


BACKGROUND
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast is known to possess characteristics of the pre-invasive stage of breast cancer and is the precursor to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). However, the natural history of the progression from DCIS to IDC remains unknown at the molecular level.

METHODS
We investigated the loss of heterozygosities (LOHs) in tumors of seven patients with a history of breast biopsy. The seven specimens were diagnosed as DCIS on histopathological re-examination. These patients were diagnosed with ipsilateral breast cancer a few years after biopsy. We used thirteen selected microsatellite markers that were mapped to and/or very close to the tumor suppressor genes or regions with frequent LOHs in breast cancer. DNA isolated from microdissected formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues was subjected to a PCR-LOH analysis for these chromosome loci, and the pattern of LOHs was compared between the two asynchronous lesions for the seven cases.

RESULTS
In all patients except one, the LOHs were concordant at 91% as the informative chromosome loci in cases 1 to 6 were 56, and the concordance in LOH pattern between DCIS and IDC was detected at 50 loci. The LOHs had accumulated in accordance with the tumor progression from DCIS to IDC. The recurrent lesion occurred at or near the site of the primary biopsy and had similar or identical histopathologic features.

CONCLUSIONS
These recurrences observed were probably residual disease rather than true recurrences. Our results suggest the following: (i) genetic alternations accumulate during cancer progression from DCIS to IDC, (ii) DCIS is a lesion that has a high risk of developing invasive transformation and (iii) after approximately 5 years without treatment, DCIS may develop into IDC.


Abstract : Most network protocols are uni-modal: they employ a single set of algorithms that allows them to cope well only within a narrow range of operating conditions. This rigid design renders these protocols inefficient in the face of widely varying operating environments or in conditions different from the ones for which they are optimized. Such uni-modal protocols have great dificulty in the mobile computing world where the operating conditions, including number of nodes, computational capabilities and rate of mobility, are not fixed. Consider, for example, routing in a network of ad-hoc nodes. Solutions like DSDV work well when the number of nodes is small. Unfortunately, such schemes scale poorly to larger population sizes. In such situations, more scalable algorithms that impose a structure on the network of ad-hoc nodes, in a manner similar to routing protocols in the Internet, provides better results. However, these scalable algorithms tend to incur high overheads in situations that DSDV handles well. Clearly, no single routing solution handles all situations that a node may encounter. Motivated by such examples, this paper attempts to answer the following question: Is it possible to redesign the traditional protocols to take on very different operating modes when faced with different environments? We present a case for such multi-modal protocols in our paper. Specifically, we discuss multi-modal reliability and routing. We show the feasibility of designing multi-modal protocols by describing how these protocols can make operating mode decisions and switch modes without additional overhead.


Eutectoid steels present a wide range of interesting mechanical properties (high strength, wear resistance, ductility and toughness) and could be a cheaper alternative to high strength low-alloyed steels (HSLA) in applications where weldability is not a critical requirement. The mechanical properties of pearlite are mainly dictated by the interlamellar spacing and the spheroidization of cementite. In this work, the spheroidization kinetics during annealing of a fully pearlitic steel produced in an electric arc furnace (EAF) is investigated. More specifically, the influence of a prior cold deformation and of the interlamellar spacing is studied using image analysis and hardness tests. It is shown that spheroidization is faster in fine pearlite than in coarse pearlite. Prior cold deformation strongly accelerates the spheroidization kinetics in fine and coarse pearlite. The tensile properties corresponding to different pearlite microstructure were measured and are compared to the hardness evolution during annealing.


The research activity was carried out with the objective of evaluating and identifying adaptable and improved teff varieties and to familiarize farmers and agropastoralists with teff production techniques. It was executed at Abaya and Yabello woredas of Borana Zone for two years (2012/13-2014/15). A multidisciplinary team composed of breeder, pathologist, agronomist and agricultural extensionist was closely working both with the farmers and respective woreda agricultural experts and DAs. Regular visits, trainings and field days were conducted to provide for interaction among researchers, extension workers and farmers. The variety selection process was carried out from different dimensions including utilization, marketing and field performance. The major selection criteria of the farmers in the two locations were almost similar except in very few cases where they vary in level of emphasis to a particular criterion. In general, color, panicle length, taste, market demand were identified as important farmer criteria. The other important criteria were related to field performance of the variety that includes: yield and tolerance to disease and insect pest followed by maturity period. Using these criteria the farmers identified varieties that suit their respective location. Accordingly, Abaya farmers showed special interest to Tsedey and Ajord, while Tsedey and Magna were preferred at Yabello. The most interesting part of the finding was that most of the varieties preferred from utilization and marketing angle were also found superior to the local ones in their field performance. Side by side, with the aim of strengthening local availability of seeds of preferred varieties, farmer based seed production was launched and the seed produced was purchased both in cash and in kind by non-participant farmers. Moreover, by way of revolving seed it was attempted to redistribute the seed to other non participant farmers in the area. In so doing both awareness and access to the technology was improved.


The syntactic rules for many programming languages have been expressed by formal grammars, generally variants of phrase-structure grammars. The syntactic analysis essential to translation of programming languages can be done entirely mechanically for such languages. Major problems remain in rendering analyzers efficient in use of space and time and in finding fully satisfactory formal grammars for present and future programming languages.


The titan ( ttn ) mutants of Arabidopsis exhibit dramatic alterations in mitosis and cell cycle control during seed development. Endosperm development in these mutants is characterized by the formation of giant polyploid nuclei with enlarged nucleoli. Embryo development is accompanied by significant cell enlargement in some mutants ( ttn1 and ttn5 ) but not others ( ttn2 and ttn3). We describe here the molecular cloning of TTN5 using a T-DNA–tagged allele. A second allele with a similar phenotype contains a nonsense mutation in the same coding region. The predicted protein is related to ADP ribosylation factors (ARFs), members of the RAS family of small GTP binding proteins that regulate various cellular functions in eukaryotes. TTN5 is most closely related in sequence to the ARL2 class of ARF-like proteins isolated from humans, rats, and mice. Although the cellular functions of ARL proteins remain unclear, the ttn5 phenotype is consistent with the known roles of ARFs in the regulation of intracellular vesicle transport.


Purpose The combined action of the activating protein-2 (AP-2) transcription factors, AP-2α and AP-2β, is important in early retinal development, specifically in the formation of horizontal cells. However, in previous studies, it was not possible to analyze postnatal development and function of additional retinal subtypes. Methods We used a double conditional deletion of AP-2α and AP-2β from the retina to further examine the combinatory role of these genes in retinal cell patterning and function in postnatal adult mice as measured by Voronoi domain area and nearest-neighbor distance spatial analyses and ERGs, respectively. Results Conditional deletion of both AP-2α and AP-2β from the retina resulted in a variety of abnormalities, including the absence of horizontal cells, defects in the photoreceptor ribbons in which synapses failed to form, along with evidence of aberrant amacrine cell arrangement. Although no significant changes in amacrine cell population numbers were observed in the double mutants, significant irregularities in the mosaic patterning of amacrine cells was observed as demonstrated by both Voronoi domain areas and nearest-neighbor distances analyses. These changes were further accompanied by an alteration in the retinal response to light as recorded by ERGs. In particular, in the double-mutant mice lacking AP-2α and AP-2β, the b-wave amplitude, representative of interneuron signal processing, was significantly reduced compared with control littermates. Conclusions Together these findings demonstrate the requirement for both AP-2α and AP-2β in proper amacrine mosaic patterning and a normal functional light response in the retina.


Simultaneous achievement of high energy confinement, tau E, and high plasma beta, beta , leads to an economically attractive compact tokamak fusion reactor. High confinement enhancement, H= tau E/ tau E-ITER89P=4, and high normalized beta beta N beta /(I/aB)=6%-m-T/MA have been obtained in DIII-D experimental discharges. These improved confinement and/or improved stability limits are observed in several DIII-D high performance operational regimes: VH-mode, high li H-mode, second stable core, and high beta poloidal. We have identified several important features of the improved performance in these discharges: details of the plasma shape, toroidal rotation or E*B flow profile, q profile and current density profile, and pressure profile. From our improved physics understanding of these enhanced performance regimes, we have developed operational scenarios which maintain the essential features of the improved confinement and which increase the stability limits using localized current profile control. The stability limit is increased by modifying the interior safety factor profile to be nonmonotonic with high central q, while maintaining the edge current density consistent with the improved transport regimes and the high edge bootstrap current. We have calculated high beta equilibria with beta N=6.5, stable to ideal n=1 kinks and stable to ideal ballooning modes. The safety factor at the 95% flux surface is 6, the central q value is 3.9 and the minimum in q is 2.6.


The present analysis represents a relatively simple technique that can be used to study patient internal states. Thus, when patients were asked to indicate the extent to which they experienced each of 33 feelings, consistent with previous literature, they viewed their feelings in generally positive or negative terms. Inconsistent with previous results, when show that therapists produce a highly differentiated factor structure when asked to describe their patient's feelings, the present study also found that therapists saw their patients in generally positive or negative terms. This result was attributed to the experience level of the therapists, as the present study utilized only inexperienced therapists, whereas experienced therapists were used in previous analyses.


Common problems of winter indoor micro‐climatic conditions of Auckland houses are low air temperature and high relative humidity. Winter indoor air temperature and relative humidity are mainly impacted by house design with different insulation in their envelopes, different space heating methods and how much energy is used for space heating. The three Auckland houses, with different insulation and glazing in their envelopes and different space heating methods (temporary heating and central heating), were selected for field studies of winter indoor microclimatic conditions. According to the field study data and energy data, the study identifies differences in indoor thermal and health conditions of local houses with different R‐value building envelopes,  investigates what type of space heating  is suitable and how much space heating energy is needed to achieve the guidelines for indoor thermal comfort and healthy conditions for a local lightweight timber frame construction house with sufficient insulation and double glazed windows. To compare and identify differences of energy consumption between the house using central  heating  and  the  local  houses  using  different  temporary  space  heating,  this  study  randomly collected the energy data of 131 Auckland sample houses using different temporary heating methods, with or without sufficient insulation and double glazed windows.


The access, control, and ownership of land and the means of production is an enduring frontier of conflict in post colonial settler states. Whilst racially tinged, colonialism created "structures of feeling" that sanctioned epistemic violence and created an economy of entitlement and belonging that sustained imperial designs. Zimbabwe's independence meant the redistribution and proprietorship of land became a central leitmotif of cadastral politics. The article explores the interplay of the contested tropes of race, entitlement, and indigeneity as they informed the highly polarized land redistribution discourse. The discussion takes stock of the dominant narratives of post-colonial state predations, patronage, populism, and megalomania in contradistinction to the various ways in which whiteness and its prejudices and stereotypes nurtured some hubris of entitlement and belonging that retrogressively not only perpetuated colonial settler values and identities but also entrenched racial distance and indifference. The polarized contestations on land redistribution discourse coalesce around concepts such as restitution, indigeneity, nativity, patriotism, race, and class. Therefore while critiquing state excesses that have masked the honorable intentions of land redistribution, the article underscores the complex ways in which white Zimbabweans contributed to the enduring crisis by obdurately fixating their energies on colonial settler entitlements, values, and identities.


There is a lack of both theoretical and empirical research on the process of ethical decision making in the domain of information systems (IS). As a step in this direction, we describe and test a general ethical decision-making theory developed in the marketing discipline. We conducted a study on the ethical decision-making process of 243 entry-level IS professionals with regard to softlifting--that is, illegal copying of software for personal use. The results show support for the applicability of the tested ethical decision-making theory to the domain of IS, specifically in the context of softlifting. Entry-level IS professionals were found to use both deontological and teleological evaluations to arrive at an ethical judgment of a moral issue. Subsequently, moral intention to pursue softlifting behavior is primarily determined by the ethical judgment. These findings have implications for both research and practice.


Summary In the Namurian basin of western County Clare, Ireland, investigated by the first author, there is a fine display of slumping, which recurred frequently during the deposition of some 3500 feet of sands, silts and muds. The slumps occur in sheets and in channels with complex sheared margins, and exhibit a wide variety in size and in the degree and style of break-up. On the majority of the slumps are sand volcanoes. Some of these are quite large (up to 50 feet in diameter), but most are from one to three feet in diameter ; the volcanoes often occur in great profusion. They are interpreted as having been formed under water, by extrusion of sediment-laden water from the slumped masses before burial by undisturbed covering sediments. They provide proof that the slumps were " open-cast " and not buried during the movement. They also indicate a permanent cover of water with only slight wind and current action. Although there is a clear empirical connexion between volcanoes and slumps, field evidence of feeding fissures or pipes is not common. The manner in which the volcanoes were formed is more fully explained on the basis of models produced on experimental slumps by the second author.


While attention has been an increasingly popular component in deep neural networks to both interpret and boost the performance of models, little work has examined how attention progresses to accomplish a task and whether it is reasonable. In this work, we propose an Attention with Reasoning capability (AiR) framework that uses attention to understand and improve the process leading to task outcomes. We first define an evaluation metric based on a sequence of atomic reasoning operations, enabling a quantitative measurement of attention that considers the reasoning process. We then collect human eye-tracking and answer correctness data, and analyze various machine and human attention mechanisms on their reasoning capability and how they impact task performance. To improve the attention and reasoning ability of visual question answering models, we propose to supervise the learning of attention progressively along the reasoning process and to differentiate the correct and incorrect attention patterns. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in analyzing and modeling attention with better reasoning capability and task performance. The code and data are available at https://github.com/szzexpoi/AiR.


We are living in an era where data means opportunities. New technologies have made it possible to collect and store huge amounts of data. The telecommunications sector, specifically Network Operators, is one of the industries that could benefit from these opportunities. By exploiting this asset, Network Operators could survive lost revenue due to the commoditization of traditional services by other players such as Google and Skype. However, according to information privacy laws, without the permission of their customers, Network Operators have many limitations in using data. In this light, the purpose of this study is to analyze the main factors that affect individuals' intention to grant permission to their Network Operators to use their personal information, and to look at the differences between smartphone and nonsmartphone users. We used a survey to measure "intention", "privacy-related attitudes", and "salient beliefs"; and received 475 responses. The results are expected to have both theoretical and managerial implications. Moreover, these results may suggest to managers which strategies they should focus on to encourage their customers to give permission to use their personal information.