Land use in US is driven by multiple forces operating at the global level, as income and population growth, yield and productivity improvement, trade policy, climate change, and changing diets. Future land use have implications for biodiversity, run-off, carbon storage, ecosystem values, agriculture, and the broader economy. We investigate those forces in the US and their implications from a multisector, multisystem dynamics (MSD) perspective focused on understanding dynamics and resilience in complex interdependent systems. Historical trends show slightly increased grassland and natural forest areas and decreases in cropland. We project these trends are intensified under higher pressures for agriculture land or reduced under lower pressures, with no evidence of tipping points toward larger agricultural land abandonment or deforestation. However, US sectoral output and trade, fertilizer use, N2O and CH4 emissions from agriculture activities and CO2 emissions from land use changes are substantially impacted under several land use forcing scenarios.


The effects of diet on the rate of triglyceride synthesis by rat liver homogenates was measured. Changes in triglyceride synthesis were correlated with the level of activity of L-a- glycerophosphate acyltransferase, the enzyme cata- lyzing the first specific reaction in hepatic glycero- lipid synthesis. Fasting for 48-72 hr depressed the synthesis of triglyceride from L-a-glycerophosphate. High car- bohydrate diets, fed to rats for 6 days, resulted in increased triglyceride synthesis. Diets high in starch were less effective than high glucose, sucrose, or fructose diets in increasing triglyceride synthesis. Diets high in corn oil did not alter triglyceride synthesis. These studies established the importance of dietary factors in the regulation of hepatic triglyceride synthesis. L-a-GlycerophOsphate acyltransferase activity was measured after the same dietary changes. Both high carbohydrate and high fat diets resulted in increased enzyme specific activity. Fasting for 72 hr did not decrease activity. Thus, the specific activity of this enzyme did not correlate well with the measured rate of triglyceride synthesis indi- cating that other factors must participate in the regulation of triglyceride biosynthesis.


Problem statement: The Container Loading Problem (CLP) considers packing a subset of given rectangular boxes into a rectangular container of fixed dimensions in the most optimum way. This was very important in the logistics industries and warehousing problems, since the cost can be reduced by increasing the space utilization ratio. Approach: This problem was solved in a two-phased Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) where a tower building approach was used as the inner heuristic. In the first phase, ACO with its probabilistic decision rule was used to construct a sequence of boxes. The boxes were then arranged into a container with the tower building heuristic in the second phase. The pheromone feedback of ACO using pheromone updating rule helped to improve the solutions. Results: Computational experiments were conducted on benchmark data set and the results obtained from the proposed algorithm are shown to be comparable with other methods from the literatures. Conclusion: ACO has the capability to solve the CLP.


The purpose of this study is to formulate and develop tablets dosage form containing Metronidazole which has swelling and floating properties as a gastroretentive controlled-release drug delivery system to improve drug bioavailability. Fifteen different formulations of effervescence-forming floating systems were designed using HPMC K15M, xanthan gum, co-povidone, Eudragit® RL PO, pluronic® F-127 and/or polypropylene foam powder as swelling agents and sodium bicarbonate with/ without citric acid as gas-forming agents at different compositions. Six out of these 15 formulations which have satisfactory tablet floating behaviour were further studied with the incorporation of Metronidazole. The tablets were evaluated based on tablet physicochemical properties, floating behaviour, swelling ability and drug dissolution studies which were carried out using 0.1M HCl at 37°C for 8 hours. Furthermore, evaluation of the powder mixtures using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were investigated. Most of the tablets show good physicochemical properties except for F11 which contains pluronic® F-127 as its release-retarding matrix-forming polymer. Other formulations show high swelling capacity, ability to float for at least 8 hours in vitro and have sustained drug release characteristics. Data obtained indicated that F3 which contains HPMC (12.5%w/w), xanthan gum (25%w/w), co-povidone (12.5%w/w) and sodium bicarbonate (31.7%w/w) is a suitable formulation with short floating lag time, good floating behaviour and sustained drug release for at least 8 hours in vitro with a zero order kinetic. Combinations of HPMC K15M and xanthan gum as swelling agents show synergistic effect in retarding drug release and are suitable in providing the most sustained drug release system.


The study aimed to determine the relationship between the physical magnitude and the subjective perception of applied pressure, and to determine discomfort and pain thresholds. Free modulus magnitude estimation of the subjective pressure level was made on three points: on the finger, the palm and the thenar area. The pressure was judged to be higher at the thenar point than at the finger and palm points. The slopes of the linear functions (log magnitude estimates as a function of log pressure) were 0.66, 0.78 and 0.76 for the finger, palm and thenar points respectively. The discomfort threshold was 38% of the pain pressure threshold at the finger point, 40% at the palm and 22% at the thenar point. The results are probably of importance in the performance of hand-intensive work, in particular in the design of hand tools.


The Merlin section of the thirteenth-century Old French Vulgate Cycle focuses on Arthur's birth and the now iconic events that accompany his divine selection and coronation as King of Britain. A close reading of this account reveals that significant story events usually coincide with religious holidays. The transition from the pagan to the Christian calendar and the symbolic impact of the calendar on the early formation of the round table in the French Vulgate Cycle has been mostly overlooked by scholars. In this paper, I address this lacuna by examining the role the calendar plays in the development of characters and events during this pivotal moment in the evolution of the Arthurian legend. For example, both Uther and Arthur have significant experiences involving their crowns during Whitsuntide, which suggests that this holiday held important cultural implications. I pay close attention to the significance of the holidays that were transitioning from Pagan rituals to Christian rites for the Vulgate writers' thirteenth-century courtly audience. I argue that the frequent and consistent intersection of crucial story events and major holidays reveals the considerable role that cultural practices had on the early development of Arthurian legend.


ABSTRACT We evaluated further the accuracy of the COBAS AMPLICOR (Roche) (CA) PCR-based system in detection of Chlamydia trachomatisand Neisseria gonorrhoeae in endocervical specimens. Endocervical specimens collected for any indication for testing forC. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae among a university hospital health system population were included. Testing forC. trachomatis was done by two PCR methods, CA and manual microwell AMPLICOR (Roche) (MWA), and by culture; testing for N. gonorrhoeae was done by CA and culture. Discrepancy resolution was performed. Reproducibility testing and hands-on labor time measurements for CA were done. Among 654 C. trachomatissamples, the prevalence of true positivity was 9.2%, and among the 618N. gonorrhoeae samples, the prevalence of true positivity was 4.4%. For detection of C. trachomatis, the sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values were, respectively, as follows for each test: CA, 93.3, 99.7, 99.3, and 96.4%; MWA, 91.7, 99.7, 99.2, and 96.5%; and culture, 65.0, 100, 96.6, and 100%. For detection of N. gonorrhoeae those values were as follows: CA, 96.3, 100, 99.8, and 100%; and culture, 92.6, 100, 99.7, and 100%. Hands-on labor time for each clinical result was estimated to be at 7.5 min. The prevalence of inhibitory specimens was 3.5%, including two positive C. trachomatissamples which would have been missed otherwise. The direct cost of each clinical result with CA was estimated to be $9.09. Our methods include a diverse range of indications for testing among women, using endocervical swabbing samples, 2 M sucrose phosphate transport medium, and discrepancy resolution for comparison. Under our test conditions, the CA system is an accurate, rapid, and cost- and labor-efficient method for detection of C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae.


Two public information texts including different fear appeals aimed at AIDS prevention were evaluated by participants from three countries: 147 participants came from the Netherlands, 109 from Spain and 179 from South Africa (varying ethnical backgrounds). The results of the experiment suggest that HIV/AIDS communication that emphasizes the severity of the disease and the vulnerability of the target audience can be successful, provided that the members of the target audience feel confident enough about their own capabilities to adopt self-protective behavior. As for possible interaction effects of fear appeals and cultural orientation, the outcomes of a similar experiment reported in Murray-Johnson et al. (2001) could not be replicated. None of the predicted effects occurred. An explanation may partly be found in problems concerning frequently used measurement instruments for cultural orientation.


Functional genomics technologies, in which thousands of mRNAs, proteins, or metabolites can be measured in single experiments, have contributed to reshape biological investigations. One of the most important issues in the analysis of the generated large datasets is the selection of relatively small sub-sets of variables that are predictive of the physiological state of a cell or tissue. In this thesis, a truly multivariate variable selection framework using diverse functional genomics data has been developed, characterized, and tested. This framework has also been used to prove that it is possible to predict the physiological state of the tumour from the molecular state of adjacent normal cells. This allows us to identify novel genes involved in cell to cell communication. Then, using a network inference technique networks representing cell-cell communication in prostate cancer have been inferred. The analysis of these networks has revealed interesting properties that suggests a crucial role of directional signals in controlling the interplay between normal and tumour cell to cell communication. Experimental verification performed in our laboratory has provided evidence that one of the identified genes could be a novel tumour suppressor gene. In conclusion, the findings and methods reported in this thesis have contributed to further understanding of cell to cell interaction and multivariate variable selection not only by applying and extending previous work, but also by proposing novel approaches that can be applied to any functional genomics data.


Various factors influence the development of the voluntary 'green' power market--the market in which consumers purchase or produce power from non-polluting, renewable energy sources. These factors include climate policies, renewable portfolio standards (RPS), renewable energy prices, consumers' interest in purchasing green power, and utilities' interest in promoting existing programs and in offering new green options. This report presents estimates of voluntary market demand for green power through 2015 that were made using historical data and three scenarios: low-growth, high-growth, and negative-policy impacts. The resulting forecast projects the total voluntary demand for renewable energy in 2015 to range from 63 million MWh annually in the low case scenario to 157 million MWh annually in the high case scenario, representing an approximately 2.5-fold difference. The negative-policy impacts scenario reflects a market size of 24 million MWh. Several key uncertainties affect the results of this forecast, including uncertainties related to growth assumptions, the impacts that policy may have on the market, the price and competitiveness of renewable generation, and the level of interest that utilities have in offering and promoting green power products.


We have developed a polyclonal antibody that activates the heterodimeric p85-p110 phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3'-kinase in vitro and in microinjected cells. Affinity purification revealed that the activating antibody recognized the N-terminal SH2 (NSH2) domain of p85, and the antibody increased the catalytic activity of recombinant p85-p110 dimers threefold in vitro. To study the role of endogenous PI 3'-kinase in intact cells, the activating anti-NSH2 antibody was microinjected into GRC + LR73 cells, a CHO cell derivative selected for tight quiescence during serum withdrawal. Microinjection of anti-NSH2 antibodies increased bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation fivefold in quiescent cells and enhanced the response to serum. These data reflect a specific activation of PI 3'-kinase, as the effect was blocked by coinjection of the appropriate antigen (glutathione S-transferase-NSH2 domains from p85 alpha), coinjection of inhibitory anti-p110 antibodies, or treatment of cells with wortmannin. We used the activating antibodies to study signals downstream from PI 3'-kinase. Although treatment of cells with 50 nM rapamycin only partially decreased anti-NSH2-stimulated BrdU incorporation, coinjection with an anti-p70 S6 kinase antibody effectively blocked anti-NSH2-stimulated DNA synthesis. We also found that coinjection of inhibitory anti-ras antibodies blocked both serum- and anti-NSH2-stimulated BrdU incorporation by approximately 60%, and treatment of cells with a specific inhibitor of MEK abolished antibody-stimulated BrdU incorporation. We conclude that selective activation of physiological levels of PI 3'-kinase is sufficient to stimulate DNA synthesis in quiescent cells. PI 3'-kinase-mediated DNA synthesis requires both p70 S6 kinase and the P21ras/MEK pathway.


Abstract Integrated health care is a key policy aim of Scotland's newly devolved government. 'Partnership working' is the mechanism that has been selected to achieve this goal. Three illustrative examples of health care integration models developed in Scotland are considered; system organisation and structure; Local Health Care Co-operatives (LHCCs); and Managed Clinical Networks. Using these examples the paper explores the nature of 'partnership' and asks if it can deliver integrated care.


Strong negative electron affinity effects have been observed on the surface of as-grown chemical vapor deposited diamond using Secondary Electron Emission. The test samples were randomly oriented and the surface was tenninated with hydrogen. The effect appears as an intensive peak in the low energy part of the spectrum of the electron energy distribution and may be described in the model of effective negative electron affinity.


The aim of the research was to explore the relationship between openness to experience and successful aging, and to test potential mediation role of life regrets due to missed opportunities and faulty actions in that relationship. The growth of proportion of older people in the population prompted the research interest for factors that contribute longevity and quality of life in old age, and in that context, the number of studies focused on successful or good ageing has increased. Successful ageing is a very complex construct and the consensus regarding its components and measurement is not yet reached. Openness to experience refers to dimension of personality that includes aesthetic appreciation, inquisitiveness, creativity, and unconventionality, and, as such, it was hypothesized that it could contribute to successful ageing. Four hundred and seventy-nine subjects, 60 to 95 years old, from various regions of Croatia, have participated in the study. Successful ageing was operationalized in two ways: by The Self-Rated Successful Ageing Scale and by a composite measure of successful ageing. This measure is based on the components of the Cho, Martin and Poon's model (2012), i.e. subjective health status, perception of financial situation and subjective well-being. Openness was measured by Croatian version (Babarović & Šverko, 2013) of openness to experience subscale from the HEXACO-PI-(R) personality measure (Ashton & Lee, 2008, 2009), while life regrets of action and inaction were measured by one question each. The results have shown that openness to experience correlated moderately high with both measures of successful ageing, while regrets of action and inaction correlated significantly and negatively with successful ageing measures. The results of testing the mediation role of life regrets in relationship between openness to experience and successful ageing showed that regrets of action were not a mediator in this relationship, while regrets of inaction were a significant, but partial mediator. The study indicates the importance that openness to experience and less intensity of life regrets could have for older people, by facilitating their adaptation to age-related changes.


This study examines socio-economic and demographic factors as fertility differentials and draws conclusions upon data collected from some selected rural and urban localities of Toba Tek Sing-Punjab. The analysis carried to examine change in fertility trends and preferences in relation to children ever born to currently married women. The ideal family size from the both localities is 3.98 which, is still reckoned high as compared to the (NGRP) National Growth Rate in Pakistan which is 3.80. The dependent variable is reproductive preference measured by a single indicator- ideal no. of children and gender in both urban and rural localities as same study was conducted by National Institute of Population Studies (NIPS) in 1990-91 and 2006-07. In Pakistan number of demographic surveys has revealed that woman of reproductive age generally prefer more children than their own preferred family size. The aim of this study is to contribute into the existing literature on the geographical patterns of fertility differentials in a district of the Punjab. This will help planners to formulate more effective fertility related policies and programmes in the country. This is also a continuum of DHS conducted in mid 1980s to elaborate fertility patterns among married couples. The goal is to dig deeper into the relationship between education and fertility has been a central focus within demography and related social sciences. Higher education is associated with higher age at first birth and lower number of children discussed the implication of findings in the context of policy framework to enhance the public awareness about the small family in context with high quality life. Higher fertility in a country like Pakistan is rooted in cultural believes about children and number, pre-natal control measures should be targeted more at women attitude to large family. This is to provide policy makers with an understanding of the potential demand for fertility control and help in formulating policies to reduce fertility and improve socio-economic climate of the district.


Nature-like fish migration facilities have gradually become a common type to ensure longitudinal connectivity of fish movements in running waters. This article presents verification on hydraulic and geometric parameters of nature-like pool-type fish passes via experimental and field investigations. The experiment verified that the maximum streamwise velocity near a slot ranged from 0.8–1.0 time of the theoretical maximum velocity. Large vertical recirculations presented below sills, moved downstream with the increase in discharge, and were likely to vanish or to change the rotation direction with high flow conditions. High turbulent kinetic energy distributed immediately downstream from boulder sills instead of along the water jet. Fieldwork was conducted at a full-width ramp in Kolbermoor and a partial-width ramp in Leitner in Bavaria under low, mean and high flow conditions to investigate the flow and geometry characteristics in real constructions and under various hydrologic conditions. The results for velocity show confidence in the method to obtain the maximum value around a slot by measuring at one depth only. Instead of flow velocity, water depth played a more critical role in the performance of a nature-like fishway, in particular under low flow conditions, and so did the arrangement of boulders along a sill. A detailed hydraulic/geometric investigation, together with biological monitoring, should be conducted to identify appropriate criteria on assessment of fish free passage at nature-like fish migration facilities.


Visual examination of simultaneous temperature traces from a rake of cold wires placed across a turbulent boundary layer had enabled the identification of coherent temperature fronts. An X-wirelcold-wire arrangement was used simultaneously with the rake to provide measurements of the velocity fluctuations u (longitudinal) and v (normal) and the temperature fluctuation θ. Conditional averages of u, v, θ and products uv, uθ, vθ were obtained by application of conditional techniques based on the detection of the temperature fronts using information obtained at only one point in space. These averages, obtained at various positions across the layer, have been compared with those obtained when the rake was used to detect the fronts. The comparison has indicated that none of the one-point detection techniques is in good quantitative agreement with the rake detection technique, the largest correspondence between the rake technique and any ofthe other one-point techniques being only 51 yo. With the exception of the hole technique used in conjunction with the quadrant decomposition analysis, conditional averages obtained from one-point techniques are in reasonable qualitative agreement with those deduced using the rake.


Recent studies have suggested that regionally differentiated dura mater regulates murine cranial suture fate by providing growth factors to the osteoblasts in the overlying suture complex. To determine if regionally differentiated dura mater is capable of effecting changes in osteoblast gene expression, an in vitro coculture system was established in which osteoblast-enriched cell cultures derived from neonatal rat calvaria were grown in serum-free media in the presence of dural cells derived from posterior frontal (PF) or sagittal (SAG) dural tissues, recapitulating the in situ relation between the underlying dura mater and the osteoblasts in the overlying cranial suture. In this study, the changes in osteoblast gene expression induced by signaling from regional dura mater were examined by analyzing total cellular RNA isolated from osteoblasts cocultured with PF or SAG dural cells. The expression of extracellular matrix molecules (alkaline phosphatase, bone sialoprotein, osteopontin, and osteocalcin) and the transcription factor Msx2 was assessed. Consistent with previous data, the findings demonstrate that osteoblasts cocultured with dural cells undergo changes in gene expression indicative of a more differentiated osteoblast. Additionally, the data suggest that regionally differentiated dura mater isolated from the PF suture enhances the expression of osteogenic genes to a greater extent than SAG suture-derived dural cells. These data support an osteoinductive role for suture-derived dural cells in vitro that may have implications for suture biology in vivo.


Mallet and Zhong [1992] have derived some elegant results on 1-D and 2-D wavelet transforms. The objective here is to extend the 2-D results of Mallet and Zhong to 3-D. Illustrated here is how these results can be applied to the feature analysis of 2-D images with time t as the third dimension. An algorithm for extending 2-D to 3-D wavelets is presented.


Magnetoresistive sensors in combination with magnetic particles have been used in biological applications due to, e.g., their small size and high sensitivity. A growing interest is to integrate magnetoresistive sensors with microchannels and electronics to fabricate devices that can perform complex analyses. A major task in such systems is to immobilize magnetic particles on top of the sensor surface, which is required to detect the particles' stray field. In the presented work, a bead concentrator, consisting of gold microstructures, at the bottom of a microchannel, is used to attract and move magnetic particles into a trap. The trap is made of a chamber with a gold microstructure underneath and is used to attract and immobilize a defined number of magnetic beads. In order to detect targets, two kinds of solutions were prepared; one containing only superparamagnetic particles, the other one containing beads with the protein Bovine serum albumin as the target and fluorescent markers. Due to the size difference between bare beads and beads with target, less magnetic beads were immobilized inside the volume chamber in case of magnetic beads with target as compared to bare magnetic beads.


: Aminoglycoside antibiotics provide physicians with valuable drugs for coping with serious, often hospital-acquired gram-negative rod infections which are occurring with increasing frequency. Use of these agents may be advantageous and even lifesaving. There are potential hazards associated with their administration. Narrow therapeutic indices coupled with susceptibility to degradation by resistant bacteria should temper our enthusiasm for aminoglycosides.


Conventional depth-sending indentation and novel cyclic indentation were performed to study the mechanical properties and strengthening mechanism of pure gold and Ca-doped gold of up to 90 ppm. The system was chosen because it is popular materials for microelectronics interconnection, yet the strengthening mechanism is not well-understood. Conventional depthsensing indentation showed an increase in hardness and modulus of gold with increasing Ca content of up to 90 ppm, which remained significantly higher after annealing. Cyclic depth sensing indentation, where the specimen is loaded to a specific value, unloaded and immediately reloaded, produced a cyclic loop between unloading and reloading curves. The path of the unloading and reloading curves tell the story of the different response of the dislocations generated under the indentation, in different materials, pure gold and Ca-doped gold at different level. Thus their dislocation movement and deformation behavior could be studied by cyclic depth-sensing indentation method. This paper reports cyclic indentation study performed in calcium doped gold widely used in wire bonding and shows that a few ppm level of calcium could result in dislocationssolute interactions, leading to significant strengthening of the materials. TEM micrographs of the material shows that it consists of elongated grains parallel to the drawing direction about 200 nanometers in diameter and a few micrometers in length. It is concluded that cyclic nanoindentation could be used as an extended technique to extract sensitive material information that are not reflected in the conventional test.


The Ambassador has been described as 'probably the most daring and enterprising trade magazine ever conceived'. With the motto 'Export or Die!', the magazine was renowned for its innovative design and adventurous editorial approach in promoting British manufacturing in the post-war period. This book takes a detailed look at the background and impact of The Ambassador. The magazine was driven by the vision of its founder Hans Juda and his wife, Elsbeth, who was responsible for much of the magazine's striking photography. Focusing on the perceived strengths of British industry, they set up ambitious photo shoots to showcase the latest couture fashions by the likes of Charles Creed and Victor Stiebel. The magazine promoted fine art as an inspiration for design, and commissioned artists such as John Piper and Henry Moore for their covers.


We present gravitational waveforms for the last orbits and merger of black-hole-binary systems along two branches of the black-hole-binary parameter space: equal-mass binaries with equal nonprecessing spins, and nonspinning unequal-mass binaries. The waveforms are calculated from numerical solutions of Einstein's equations for black-hole binaries that complete between six and ten orbits before merger. Along the equal-mass spinning branch, the spin parameter of each black hole isi ¼ Si=M 2 2½ � 0:85; 0:85� , and along the unequal-mass branch the mass ratio is q ¼ M2=M1 2½ 1; 4� . We discuss the construction of low-eccentricity puncture initial data for these cases, the properties of the final merged black hole, and compare the last 8-10 gravitational-wave cycles up to M! ¼ 0:1 with the phase and amplitude predicted by standard post-Newtonian (PN) approximants. As in previous studies, we find that the phase from the 3.5PN TaylorT4 approximant is most accurate for nonspinning binaries. For equal-mass spinning binaries the 3.5PN TaylorT1 approximant (including spin terms up to only 2.5PN order) gives the most robust performance, but it is possible to treat TaylorT4 in such a way that it gives the best accuracy for spins � i > � 0:75. When high-order amplitude corrections are included, the PN amplitude of the ð' ¼ 2; m ¼� 2Þ modes is larger than the numerical relativity amplitude by between 2-4%.


We compare the historical record of earthquake hazard experienced at 78 towns and cities (sites) distributed across New Zealand and the continental United States with the hazard estimated from the national probabilistic seismic-hazard (psh) models for the two countries. The two psh models are constructed with similar methodologies and data. Our comparisons show a tendency for the psh models to slightly exceed the historical hazard in New Zealand and westernmost continental United States interplate regions, but show lower hazard than that of the historical record in the continental United States intraplate region. Factors such as non- Poissonian behavior, parameterization of active fault data in the psh calculations, and uncertainties in estimation of ground-motion levels from historical felt intensity data for the interplate regions may have led to the higher-than-historical levels of hazard at the interplate sites. In contrast, the less-than-historical hazard for the remaining continental United States (intraplate) sites may be largely due to site conditions not having been considered at the intraplate sites, and uncertainties in correlating ground-motion levels to historical felt intensities. The study also highlights the importance of evaluating psh models at more than one region, because the conclusions reached on the basis of a solely interplate or intraplate study would be very different.


Climate change poses fundamental challenges on agricultural production and the environment. Case studies at different spatial scales indicate heterogeneous climate change impacts and adaptation responses. Consequently, spatial heterogeneity has to be taken into account in order to derive efficient mitigation and adaptation strategies for private land users and public authorities. We apply an integrated modelling framework IMF at the farm level in a grassland region in Austria to analyze climate change impacts on land use management and its economic, abiotic, and biotic effects. Three climate change scenarios cover a range of future precipitation patterns but a unique temperature trend of +1.5°C up to 2040. Policy scenarios are modelled to prove the effectiveness of mitigation and adaptation measures. Our results show that the direct impacts of climate change and the impacts of modelled adaptation responses on farm gross margins as well as abiotic and biotic environmental indicators (e.g. CO2 emissions, changes in soil organic carbon) can be substantial. Assuming future price and cost trajectories from the literature, gross margins increase between 2% and 4% on average. A closer look to individual farms reveals the need to coordinate mitigation and adaptation policies in order to reduce adverse environmental and ecological effects, i.e. trade-offs, and increase synergies between environmental outcomes.


As the writing consultants and Assistant Director have demonstrated, kairos is a core concept that we can use productively to situate and reflect on our rhetorical practice. The idea of "right timing," the "opportune moment," and the "embodiment of carpe diem" will further help us push past the false dualism of either directive or nondirective tutoring (Hawhee 20) . As the reflections above show, enacting kairotic thinking in the writing center can move us beyond that either-or choice and perhaps move us towards a stronger both-and philosophy. Since consultants are creative individuals who make important decisions on the spot when working with complicated individuals, this core concept invites us to reflect on our practices and our principles. Hill describes kairos as a "habit of mind, one that expresses itself in a kind of time that is living and creative" (212). The creativity of writing consultants brings to life the possibilities explored in Geller's discussion of "epochal time" and coheres with the call put forth by the authors of The Everyday Writing Center that "[a]t the very heart of what we five have come to understand as we've talked about time is our belief that writing centers should be most focused on time that is relational" (33). Tutoring with kairos in mind provides a way to conceptualize that relational model of writing center practice.


This paper investigates Becker, Hornung and Woessmann's recent claim that education had an important causal effect on Prussian industrialization and finds it unwarranted. The econometric analysis on which this claim is based suffers from severe problems, notably the omission of relevant variables which leads to serious bias in the estimated effect of education. When these problems are corrected, the conclusions of Becker, Hornung and Woessmann no longer hold. Education did not play an important role in enabling Prussia to catch up with Britain during the nineteenth century. JEL-Code: I250, J240, N130, N330.


Researchers have devised multiple solutions to cross-site scripting, but vulnerabilities persists in many Web applications due to developer"s lack of expertise in the problem identification and their unfamiliarity with the current mechanisms. As proclaimed by the experts, cross-site scripting is among the serious and widespread threats in Web applications these days more than buffer overflows. Recent study shows XSS has ranked first in the MITRE Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE)/SANS Institute list of Top 25 Most Dangerous Software Errors and second in the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP). However, vulnerabilities continue to exist in many Web applications due to developers" lack of understanding of the problem and their unfamiliarity with current guarding strengths and limitations. Existing techniques for defending against XSS exploits suffer from various weaknesses: inherent limitations, incomplete implementations, complex frameworks, runtime overhead, and intensive manual-work requirements. Security researchers can address these weaknesses from two different perspectives. They need to look beyond current techniques by incorporating more effective input validation and sanitization features. In time, development tools will incorporate security frameworks such as ESAPI that implement state-of-the-art technology. This paper focus on program verification perspective, how researchers must integrate program analysis, pattern recognition, concolic testing, data mining, and AI algorithms to solve different software engineering problems and to enhance the effectiveness of vulnerability detection. Focus on such issues would improve the precision of current methods by acquiring attack code patterns from outside experts as soon as they become available.


To combat climate change,renewable energysources are preferred in energy systems. Among these are wind and solar, which are characterised by low operational costs and that their energy output depends on weather conditions. The implementation of large amounts of non-dispatchable power generation, that are placed early in the meritorder,results in larger and more frequent variations in netpower supply in the energy system. This, consequently, leads to volatile electricity prices. For existing power plants to operate profitably in such systems, they need to have flexible operating strategies to profit from high electricity prices. Furthermore, it is preferable to avoid power production during hours with low electricity prices without having to shut down the plant. In this study, a combined cycle gas turbine combined heat and power(CCGT-CHP) plant located in Gothenburg, Sweden has been analysed in order to find profitable operational strategies for scenarios of possible future energy markets.
This study is performed in two steps. In the first, a detailed steady-state process model is derived based on an analysis of historical process data and operating patterns at the reference plant. In the second step, the process model was linearised and implemented into an optimisation model to analyse the CCGT-CHP plant's profitability and operational strat egies in possible future energy systems. Linear equations were derived for power and heat output, as well as fuel consumption, using factorial design and linear regression methods. The equations were validated against process model outputs.
The study concludes that the profitability of flexibilisation measures is highly dependent on the energy system in place. In general, an increased share of non dispatchable power sources increases the profitability of operating the plant with full steam turbine bypass. This strategy further implies alternative strategies for both gas turbine and supplementary firing operations. However, the optimisation model without the possibility of steam turbine bypass, given historical power market data, proposed a similar operation as the one used at the reference CCGT-CHP plant during the reference year. Nonetheless, fuel taxation and future energy systems could give rise to the need for new operating strategies. If the fuel price is increased, full steam turbine bypass is vital to operate in a profitable manner. That is, operate the plant for heat production. However, for a changed electricity mix in the system, the CCGT-CHP plant could have an important part in the electricity system as well.


Alterations in histone lysine methylation and epigenetic regulators of gene expression could play a role in the neurobiology and treatment of patients diagnosed with mood spectrum disorder, including depression and anxiety. Mutations and altered expression of various lysine methyltransferases (KMTs) and demethylases (KDMs) have been linked to changes in motivational and emotional behaviors in preclinical model systems. However, it is not known whether regulators operating downstream of histone lysine methylation could affect mood-related behavior. Malignant Brain Tumor (MBT) domain ' chromatin reader ' proteins bind to methylated histone lysine residues and associate with chromatin remodeling complexes to facilitate or repress gene expression. MBT proteins, including the founding member, L3mbtl1 , maintain high levels of expression in neurons of the mature brain. Here, we exposed L3mbtl1 null mutant mice to a wide range of tests exploring cognition and mood-relevant behaviors at baseline and in the context of social isolation, as a stressor to elicit de-pression-related behavior in susceptible mice. L3mbtl1 loss-of-function was associated with significant decreases in depression and and anxiety in some of the behavioral paradigms. This was not associated with a more generalized neurological dysfunction because cognition and memory remained unaltered in comparison to controls. These findings warrant further investigations on the role of MBT chromatin reader proteins in the context of emotional


Objectives Duplicate medical record creation is a common and consequential health care systems error often caused by poor search system usability and inappropriate user training. Methods We conducted two phases of scenario-based usability testing with patient registrars working in areas at risk of generating duplicate medical records. Phase 1 evaluated the existing search system, which led to system redesigns. Phase 2 tested the redesigned system to mitigate potential errors before health system-wide implementation. To evaluate system effectiveness, we compared the monthly potential duplicate medical record rates for preimplementation and postimplementation months. Results The existing system could not effectively handle a misspelling, which led to failed search and duplicate medical record creation. Using the existing system, 96% of registrars found commonly spelled patient names whereas only 69% successfully found complicated names. Registrars lacked knowledge and usage of a phonetic matching function to assist in misspelling. The new system consistently captured the correct patient regardless of misspelling, but search returned more potential matches, resulting in, on average, 4 seconds longer to select common names. Potential monthly duplicate medical record rate reduced by 38%, from 4% to 2.3% after implementation of the new system, and has sustained at an average of 2.5% for 2 years. Conclusions Usability testing was an effective method to reveal problems and aid system redesign to deliver a more user friendly system, hence reducing the potential for medical record duplication. Greater standards for usability would ensure that these improvements can be realized before rather than after exposing patients to risks.


High-performing design teams are characterized by their ability to be maintain performance across a variety of problem types. This is often referred to as robustness, and is usually achieved through careful management of team processes. However, there exists an opportunity to design teams that are likely to be inherently robust by addressing and embracing the individual variability of team members. Cognitive style provides an avenue by which we can compose robust teams based on the problem-solving approach of the individual. In this work, we used the KAI Agent-Based Organizational Optimization Model (KABOOM) to evaluate the effects of team composition and team structure on the robustness of overall team performance. Teams of homogeneous and heterogeneous KAI styles were tasked to solve a variety of different abstract design problems and evaluated based on their performance with and without sub-teams. Results indicate that there is a significant difference in the distribution of aggregate scores for homogeneous and heterogeneous teams without sub-teams, and heterogeneous teams may be more robust. Sub-teams were found to significantly increase overall median score and robustness for some teams.


1. The short-term effects of different intakes of calcium and oxalic acid on the urinary excretion of these substances was studied in eight normal men and eight men with a history of calcium-containing renal stones. 2. The effect of dietary oxalate on urine oxalate depended partly upon the calcium intake. Thus, on a normal calcium intake an increase in oxalate intake caused an increase in oxalate excretion that corresponded to 3·6% of the additional dietary oxalate; on a low calcium diet, however, the increase corresponded to 8·1%. 3. A decrease in daily calcium intake from 1000 to 250 mg caused a fall in calcium excretion averaging 150 mg/day in the patients and 60 mg/day in the controls but this was accompanied by average rises of 10 and 7 mg/day respectively in oxalate excretion, with the result that the calcium oxalate activity products remained almost unchanged. 4. A decrease in oxalate as well as calcium intake resulted in a fall in calcium excretion that was not accompanied by a rise in oxalate excretion, and there was a statistically significant fall in the calcium oxalate activity product in both the patients and normal subjects.


Access to the arterial circulation is required for a range of diagnostic and therapeutic radiological procedures. Femoral arterial catheterization using the Seldinger technique is the most frequently used approach, but brachial arteriotomy is an alternative method used widely in cardiological practice.


A literature review provides evidence that legumes have greater requirements for water and nutrients, and are more sensitive to toxicities of Mn and A1 than non-legumes. Furthermore, legumes are more exigent when fixing N2, than when using nitrogen in the soil solution, although certain species and varieties of nitrogen-fixing legumes are less sensitive to stress than others. When a large proportion of the nitrogen assimilated is derived from symbiotic nitrogen fixation, the legume's ability to procure water and nutrients may be reduced for three reasons; poor root growth, a changed cation-anion balance within the plant and acidification of the rhizosphere. It is therefore postulated that, in the field, nitrogen fixation is subject to a series of feedback-inhibition mechanisms, probably controlled chiefly by the hormone abscissic acid (ABA). Nitrogen fixation causes the plant to grow faster, and increases the need for nutrients and water. When any one becomes deficient, ABA is produced, which promotes nodule senescence at concentrations which stimulate fine root growth. If the fine roots find another source of the limiting factor, nitrogen fixation will resume. Such cyclic processess have been documented for water stress. They may also occur due to nutrient deficiencies and to rhizosphere acidification in acid soils. One consequence of feedback inhibition is that legumes can only derive a high proportion of their nitrogen from fixation when conditions for growth are good. When growth conditions are poor, for instance in drought-prone kaolinitic soils low in organic matter, nodulation will be rare. Legume varieties should be selected and bred (in combination with suitable root nodule bacteria) for greater symbiotic activity under such conditions. Cultural practices can also reduce stress, e.g. the addition of crop residues and other plant material to acid soils.


Background: There has been an evolution from district nurses previously providing patients with the opportunity to contact health services, to them now providing medical assessments and advice via telephone counselling. Telephone counselling is governed by laws that strengthen patient safety, something which may be complicated to accomplish when the call is made via a third party. Aim: The aim was to describe district nurses' experiences of giving telephone advice to young people via a third party. Methods: The design had an inductive approach. Ten district nurses were interviewed and the interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Findings: The district nurses' wanted to avoid calls via a third party. They experienced that third party felt responsible for young people. At the same time, the district nurses' wanted to protect young people, make safe decisions and avoid misleading information. The district nurses' experienced difficulties in making accurate assessments and found it difficult to obtain the correct information. Conclusion: District nurses want to avoid telephone counselling for young people via a third party as they experienced it as difficult. Misleading information from a third party may compromise the safety of patients. Good skills are needed to cope with giving advice to young people on the phone via a third party. Employers should arrange for training in telephone counselling.


In Ethical Consistency, Bernard Williams vindicated the possibility of moral conflicts; he proposed to consistently allow for the presence of such conflicts within the logic of 'ought'. In determining the nature of moral conflict, Williams stressed its contingency. In this paper, Williams' characterization of moral conflict is defended. However, Williams' solution for consistently allowing for such conflicts within the logic of 'ought' is shown to be too crude. Whereas Williams rejects all applications of the agglomeration rule in the logic of 'ought', it is shown that a more sophisticated approach is needed. An alternative solution is presented in which the application of the agglomeration rule is made conditional upon the principle that "ought implies can".


Conventional combustion techniques struggle to meet the current emissions' regulations while retaining high engine efficiency. Specifically in automotive diesel engines, oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions have limited the utilization of diesel fuel in compression ignition engines. By comparison, throttled, knock-limited conventional gasoline operated SI engines tend not to be fuel efficient. Advanced combustion systems that simultaneously address PM and NOx while retaining the high efficiency of modern diesel engines, are being developed around the globe [1]. One of the most difficult problems in the area of advanced combustion technology development is the control of combustion initiation [2] and retaining power density [3]. During the past several years, significant progress has been accomplished in reducing emissions of NOx and PM through strategies such as LTC/HCCI/PCCI/PPCI and other advanced combustion processes; however control of ignition and improving power density has suffered to some degree — advanced combustion engines tend to be limited to the 10 bar BMEP range and under [4].Experimental investigations have been carried out on a light duty, DI, multi cylinder, diesel automotive engine. The engine is operated in low temperature combustion technology with 87 RON (Research Octane Number) fuel [7]. Using an Ignition Quality Test (IQT) device, the equivalent Cetane Number (CN) was measured to be 25. In the present work, various EGR rates are examined to determine the effect on the combustion, emissions and performance. Experiments were conducted at three different engine load/speed combinations that are part of General Motors' reference points for vehicle operation. To reduce the complexity, boost pressure and injection pressure and timing were kept constant while EGR percentage and intake temperature were used as parameters in this study. The intake temperature was not truly independent, as it trended with EGR level, but based upon the boost level and the available EGR cooling, Intake Air Temperature (IAT) was kept in the range of 40–80 deg C. Additional cooling capacity will be added in future work in an effort to keep IAT more consistent. EGR rates have a detrimental effect on engine efficiencies at lower load while it appears to have little effect on efficiency at higher loads. A more significant effect at very low load appears to be higher intake temperatures (hot EGR) as opposed to the very slight decrease in oxygen concentration.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


Science investigatory projects (SIP) provide students the opportunity to apply their gained knowledge, skills, and attitude (KSA) in Science. This study aimed to implement an intervention program called Project i-CREATE (Intensive Collaboration through Research Enhancement and Advancement Training and Exercise) at San Pablo City Science Integrated High School on school year 2019-2020. Moreover, it attempted to investigate its perceived effectiveness as to learning outcomes and explore the students' lived experiences. Explanatory sequential design was employed. Survey-questionnaire was used as the main instrument to describe the students' perceptions. This was administered among 90 respondents who were selected purposively. Mean and standard deviation were computed to analyze the data. Results showed that the students improved their KSA, developed 21st century skills, and became more motivated and interested. Furthermore, a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was held among select participants to gather their lived experiences in conducting SIP as exposed to the intervention program. Thematic analysis was used to derive emerging themes such as (1) SIP provides opportunities for improvement and development; and (2) SIP entails challenges such as lack of resources and lack of training that hampers its success. Consequently, there was an increase in the number of science research projects produced, colloquia and forums conducted, partnership, publication, and winning in local science fairs signifying the success of the intervention program. Project i-CREATE helped to develop young researchers and improve the schools' science research program. Its implementation may be further strengthened through identifying other areas of development and opening its channels for benchmarking.


As far as operative indications for spinal epidural hematoma are concerned, symptoms and duration from onset are thought to be quite important. However, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) intensity of the hematoma could be a key factor in determining the need for operative intervention. Here, we discuss two cases of spinal epidural hematoma. One was the operative case of a 71-year-old man who presented with left leg paresis. On the initial spinal MRI, a low-iso T1-weighted image (WI) showed a slight high-iso T2WI heterogenous intensity and a thick epidural mass that had compressed the spinal cord dorsolaterally from the C7 to T5 levels. The mass was diagnosed as a cervicothoracic epidural hematoma in the acute phase as coagulation seemed to be starting. Five hours after presentation, his symptoms evolved into complete paraplegia; therefore, decompression laminectomy and hematoma evacuation was performed. The other case was that of a 68-year-old woman with severe neck pain. The initial MRI demonstrated a T1WI iso, T2WI high homogenous intensity epidural mass from the C2 to T4 levels. A spinal epidural hematoma in the hyperacute phase was diagonesd. Conservative treatment was recommended, and her symptoms and hematoma almost disappeared within three days. When coagulation or organization of the hematoma has not started, its absorption might be expected at an early stage. MRI appearances, including hematoma intensity, combined with simultaneous clinical information might be very important for surgical decision making and predicting prognosis in cases of spinal epidural hematomas.

 Key words: Spinal epidural hematoma, MRI intensity, surgical decision making.


Global warming is a threat to plants. A warming of 1.5 – 2℃ in the tropics is predicted to cause crop yield reductions in Southeast Asia and increase the risks for both heat waves and flooding. It is predicted that by around the mid-century period (2040 - 2069), the mean temperature in Singapore can increase by 2oC to 29.6℃ in a Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 scenario. This temperature change can impact food crops and heat-vulnerable plants, threatening our food supply and increasing the risk of extinction of vulnerable plant species. Ipomoea Aquatica, also known as the Kangkong, is a heat-tolerant tropical vegetable in Southeast Asia and used in local dishes. To study whether this plant can grow well in global warming temperatures, we exposed the Kangkong to the predicted increase of 2℃ for three weeks. A range of climate variables was recorded through the use of Arduino sensors and physical changes to the Kangkong plants such as the heights of the Kangkong in each set-up were also measured. By the 17th day, the Kangkong in the control set-up overtook the one in the increased temperature set-up in height.


Nowadays, under unstable prices scenarios, the oil and gas industry is looking for improvement in its production processes, either by increasing the production and/or lowering the operational costs. Aircoolers, particularly, are key equipments in the natural gas industry, and are frequently the bottleneck of gas conditioning processes.
 To improve air cooling efficiency and increase their gas volume capacity, several solutions are commonly implemented such as: fan blade angle change, air inlet section modification, fogging cooling system, among others.
 The present study shows the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis of an air cooler, under an air flow with an evaporative cooling system, in order to quantify the effect of this cooling process on its overall equipment performance.
 Simulations were carried out using sing the ANSYS CFX v-14® software, in a simplified multidomain which consider fluid and solid blocks:
 1.- External two-phase flow (air + water droplets) with heat and mass transfer
 2.- Heat transfer through the pipe wall
 3.- Single phase natural gas flow inside the tubes
 In order to stablish an operational range of the fogging system, the influence of parameters like: inlet temperature and relative humidity of the air, water flow rate, water droplets mean diameter, water injection position, were studied [9, 10].
 The results show a good agreement (around 5%) respect to the reported values on the literature. The best performance for the equipment was reported with a droplet diameter of 20 μm and for low relative humidity (less than 65%), which guarantees the complete evaporation of the droplets within the studied domain. For the analyzed operating conditions, a reduction of the gas outlet temperature of up to 1.5°C can be achieved.


Rush skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea L.) is an invasive, herbaceous, long-lived perennial species of Eurasian or Mediterranean origin now occurring in many locations throughout the world. In the United States, it occupies over 2.5 million ha of rangeland in the pacific Northwest and California. Despite the ecological and economic significance of this species, little is known of the ecology and life history characteristics of North American populations. The purpose of this study was to examine seed germination characteristics of 2 populations of rush skeletonweed in Idaho. Seeds from rush skeletonweed plants in southwestern Idaho were collected during the 1994 and 1995 growing seasons. Mature seeds were harvested on 6 dates between early July and early October 1994, and on 5 dates between early July and late September 1995. Fresh seeds from each harvest period were measured to determine seed weight, total germination, rate of germination, and viability (tetrazolium staining [TZ]) of non-germinating seeds. An aliquot of seeds collected in 1994 was also stored for 1 year to examine the effects of seed storage on germination. In southwestern Idaho, rush skeletonweed produces seeds continuously from mid-July through October. Seeds were capable of immediate germination without scarification or wet prechilling. Total germination generally ranged from 60 to 100% throughout the entire seed production period. Germination was also rapid, reaching 50% of total germination in less than 12 days. In general, germination was higher at the lower incubation temperature regime (20/10 degrees C), perhaps reflecting origins of this species in Mediterranean winter rainfall regions. The TZ testing indicated that 30 to 60% of non-germinating seeds were viable, suggesting that seeds may persist in the soil seed bank. Up to 60% of seeds remained viable following 1 year of storage. Stored seeds generally exhibited higher germination rates (average = 90%) than fresh seeds (average = 67%), indicating possible dormancy and afterripening effects. Germination characteristics of this species are consistent with those of other invasive alien species, and favor rapid population growth leading to community dominance. DOI:10.2458/azu_jrm_v53i5_liao


The Cowtail Stingray (Pastinachus ater) occurs across northern Australia, Papua New Guinea, West Papua, Indonesia, and parts of the Solomon Islands, where it lives in intertidal lagoons, reef flats and reef faces, sandy habitats and estuaries at depths of up to 60 m, although it prefers shallow water.

This species is caught regularly in demersal tangle net, bottom trawl, longline, Danish seine and beach seine fisheries throughout its range. In the Arafura Sea, the Indonesian rhynchobatid fishery is very intensive and the level of exploitation is extremely high. Catches in inshore waters of the Arafura Sea have declined, and as a result these vessels have had to travel farther distances to sustain catches. This declining trend is likely to continue in future in the absence of management and because of continued, if not increasing, fishing effort. However, heavy fishing pressure in the Arafura Sea represents only a portion of this species' total range. It is considered common and the population appears to be healthy in northern Australia where fisheries are well-managed and effective gear modifications exclude large stingrays in prawn trawl fisheries. Furthermore, it occurs in some significant marine protected areas in Australian waters, including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. On account of its status in Australian waters, which represents a large portion of its range, it is assessed as Least Concern.


The effect of the single-particle constraint on the response of phase-Doppler instruments is determined for particle flows which are spatially nonuniform and time-dependent. Poisson statistics are applied to particle positions and arrival times within the phase-Doppler probe volume to determine the probability that a particle is measured successfully. It is shown that the single-particle constraint can be viewed as applying spatial and temporal filters to the particle flow. These filters have the same meaning as those that were defined previously for uniform, steady-state sprays, but in space- and time-dependent form. Criteria are developed for determining when a fully inhomogeneous analysis of a flow is required and when a quasi-steady analysis will suffice. A new bias due to particle arrival time displacement is identified and the conditions under which it must be considered are established. The present work provides the means to rigorously investigate the response of phase-Doppler measurement systems to transient sprays such as those which occur in diesel engines. To this end, the results are applied to a numerical simulation of a diesel spray. The calculated hypothetical response of the ideal instrument provides a quantitative demonstration of the regimes within which measurements can accurately be made in such sprays.


This dissertation is about income generation by housewives through rabbit keeping project. It is expected that through involving women in IGAs can help to increase income, improve livelihood and eliminate poverty among many families in the community. The study was conducted at Mwanalugali Mtaa in Kibaha Town Council, and the purpose was to look on how housewives can be empowered through income generating project so that to eliminate them from poverty line and have sustainable income. The intention of the study was to understand the challenges and need of the community, the sample size used were 24 housewives the assessment was done by using participatory methods and applied research was used as research approach. Data collection methods were involved observation, key format interview, and focus group discussion (FDG), the data was collected within Mwanalugali Mtaa and it involves participation of Housewives. Data was analyzes by using SPSS method and elaboration was made latter were from the result majority of the women they face income poverty as the main problem hindered their lives also the face same problem like lack of education and skills concerning business management and entrepreneurship. From the finds by using pair wise ranking five need were ranked which are poultry keeping, rabbit keeping, horticulture, batiki making and hand craft, were CED student and house wife came up with rabbit keeping project as income generating project. The project was starting by planning the activities required to meet the targeted goal. Methods was used so as to ensure of ownership of the project were housewives and other stakeholders were involved to make sure the project reach its goals. Therefore rabbit keeping project become solution of income poverty among housewives.


Climate change is a key issue of the twenty-first century and its mitigation and adaptation, one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. At the country level there is an agenda against this phenomenon and studies have been conducted on the possible scenarios of climate change. But it is necessary to reinforce actions at the state level, case Oaxaca, which must define policies tomitigate emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and climate change adaptation, in order to promote strategies, starting fromlocal reality to generate synergy and impact at regional and national levels. So, it is necessary to construct State ProgramofAction to Climate Change (PEACC) with the committed participation of specialized equipment designed to:make decisions, assess needs and define situations; which are the basis for the design of an action plan, integrating specific measures aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and get adapted to climate change, in accordance with established national and international policies in thematter. The PEACC will identify climate change as a strategic security issue requiring timely solutions to the social, political, economic and environmental spheres.


In typical debates about freedom, compatibilists and incompatibilists dispute whether and how one can defuse the threat that a naturalistic worldview seems to pose for our conception of free will. Proponents of both sides standardly take it for granted that natural causality is a potential threat only for practical deliberation, and that no corresponding worries arise for our self-conception as theorizers who make up their mind about what to believe about the world. I show that Kant rejects this standard dichotomy between practice and theory. He holds that we must both act and believe 'under the idea of freedom': the standpoint of theoretical reasoning, the very source of the naturalistic worldview, must itself rely on the idea of freedom (or spontaneity) and thus cannot expose free will as an illusion. This line of thought, I argue, casts a refreshing new light on debates about what kind of freedom is worth having; and it provides an intriguing defense of our freedom from natural necessity.I argue that Kant's conception of theoretical freedom is as anti-naturalistic as his conception of practical freedom. This twofold anti-naturalism derives from Kant's conviction that both our practical and our epistemic orientation depend on representations that we cannot attribute to natural causes without losing our grip on their objective validity. These include, in the practical case, the categorical imperative and, in the theoretical case, the principle of sufficient reason, which states that natural events are causally necessitated. Since we do not derive these representations from sense perception, our commitment to them must, within a wholly naturalistic framework, be traced to the influence of contingent psychological processes in the vein of Hume's 'customs'. The concession that our attitudes are the product of such customs challenges our conviction that we form these attitudes on the basis of objective reasons.Against prevailing interpretations, I show that this line of thought plays an indispensable role in Kant's defense of free will against attacks from the theoretical standpoint. Kant's point is that someone occupying this standpoint must rely on her cognitive freedom from natural necessity: that is, she must take her beliefs about the natural causes of actions to be responsive to objective theoretical reasons, and here she cannot concede that the representation of causal necessity is merely the product of the workings of non-rational psychological processes. So the naturalistic perspective cannot expose freedom as an illusion. This provides the idea of free will with a robust invulnerability against an exclusively naturalistic worldview.


Arterial traffic signal control is a very important aspect of a traffic management system. Efficient arterial traffic signal control strategy can reduce delay, stops, congestion, and pollution and save travel time. Commonly used pre-timed or traffic actuated signal control do not have the capability to fully respond to real-time traffic demand and pattern changes. Although some of the well-known adaptive control systems have shown advantageous over the traditional per-timed and actuated control strategies, their centralized architecture makes the maintenance, expansion, and upgrade difficult and costly. Distributed artificial intelligence technologies such as multi-agent systems are well suited for arterial signal control and they have the ability to decompose and accomplish complicated control problems by cooperatively simple agents such that flexibility, efficiency, robustness, and cost effectiveness can be achieved. An in-depth investigation of applying the multi-agent technology in arterial signal control is conducted in this research, and two multi-agent arterial adaptive signal control systems based on neuro-fuzzy reinforcement learning are developed and evaluated using VISSIM simulation and real world traffic data collected in College Station, Texas. The two multi-agent arterial adaptive control systems are compared with optimized coordinated pre-timed and actuated controls. Encouraging results are obtained from both multi-agent control systems.


Transpersonal Psychology is a branch of Psychology which aims to study the transpersonal, self-transcendent and spiritual aspects of an individual's experience. These experiences in which the individual sees beyond the conditioned ego are identified as illuminating a deeper and a more enduring sense of self.

This paper is concerned with transpersonal accounts of members of some Astrological Societies in the UK. The study examined participants' perceptions on astrology and their accounts on how astrology has shaped their lives. Six participants took part in semi-structured interviews.

Data collected was subject to an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The participants demonstrated that Astrology had played an important role in their spiritual development as well as their well-being, particularly focusing on the importance of a deeper sense of self.

Moreover, the findings suggested that the participants do not accept Astrology as a belief system as such but rather as a phenomenological account.


Author(s): Millard, Laura Jeannette | Advisor(s): Estelle, Mark A | Abstract: Auxin is a phytohormone known for its diverse control in regulating growth, development, and environmental responses. Auxin signaling occurs through transcriptional regulation facilitated by auxin-response transcription factors (ARFs), ARF-repressing Auxin/INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID (Aux/IAA) proteins, and a ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) mediated by the SKP1-CULLIN1-F-Box (SCF) complex. SCF binds to Aux/IAAs in an auxin-dependent manner, targeting the Aux/IAAs for 26S proteasomal degradation. In the absence of Aux/IAAs ARFs are no longer repressed, allowing them to facilitate expression of downstream auxin-response genes. While Aux/IAAs are essential to auxin-mediated transcriptional regulation, the functions of many of the 29 Arabidopsis Aux/IAA family members remain unknown and how other ubiquitin-ligase systems may play a role is unclear. A yeast 2-hybrid (Y2H) library screen using Aux/IAA10 as bait identified the ligase BTB/POZ-MATH3 (BPM3) as a potential binding partner. Interestingly, BPM3 is known to assemble in a ubiquitin-ligase complex: the Cullin3 (CUL3)-based E3 complex (CRL3). In this thesis, I investigated whether CRL3BPM functions as a regulator of the Aux/IAAs. I assayed the physical interactions between BPM4 and the Aux/IAA family members via Y2H, confirming interaction with Aux/IAAs 6, 10, and 11 (IAA6/10/11). I demonstrated interaction from gene family members across divergent clades, which indicates that the BPM-Aux/IAA interaction is evolutionarily conserved. I confirmed interaction of BPM orthologs from the moss species Physcomitrella patens with all 3 Physcomitrella IAA orthologs, as well as with Arabidopsis IAA6/10/11 in subsequent Y2H assays. These results suggest that the BPM-Aux/IAA interaction is ancient, predating the bryophyte-tracheophyte divide. To address the biological significance of the BPM-Aux/IAA interaction, Arabidopsis double knock-out mutants aux/iaa10/11 were generated and I analyzed the auxin-induced hypocotyl elongation phenotype, finding no significant difference compared to wild-type plants. This result indicates that disruption of Aux/IAA10/11 expression is not sufficient to destabilize this specific phenotype.


Remanufacturing is a relatively new and unknown field though it has implemented in some countries and achieved remarkable economic benefits. However this 'Sleeping Giant' in economy still does not attract enough attention from academe, therefore sufficient theoretical studies in this area have not been carried out. In an attempt to compensate for this gap, this paper presents the architecture of remanufacturing systematic engineering based on previous and current studies. It provides a reference for understanding and implementation of remanufacturing and further study.


A simplified version of the Parkland burn therapy fluid formula is described. The rule states that for the first 8 hours after burn, the hourly rate of Ringer's lactate solution (in milliliters per hour) equals the patient's weight in pounds multiplied by the percent burn and divided by 9.


Pongamia pinnata or "bani" in the Philippines is a non-food crop that can grow on marginal land where food crops do not grow. Its seeds are used for biofuel production such as biodiesel and aviation fuel. It is resilient against abiotic stresses such as drought, salinity and acidity. It can also grow in nitrogen-limited soils. It is capable of nitrogenfixation activity through its root nodules developed by symbiosis with rhizobia. Rhizobium mesoamericanum (LopezLopez et al., 2012) promotes the nodulation of Pongamia as confirmed by strain symbiotic effectiveness testing where shoot length, number of nodes, number of leaflet ts, nodule number, and plant dry weights were analysed. Variability test was carried out to determine any variability of nodulation in the seeds coming from one mother tree. A time course of nodulation revealed that there was an increasing pattern of nodule number, leghemoglobin concentration, area of zone of infection and dry weights. Nodulation increased when nitrate concentration was increased from 2 to 5 mM, but was inhibited in 10 mM nitrate. Nodulation decreased as salinity increased from 1% to 3%. R. mesomaericanum improved the growth and nodulation in Pongamia, whether as a group or as individual inoculants, provided that a sufficient concentration of the inoculant was achieved.


Digital isolators provide compelling benefits over legacy opto-couplers in terms of high speed, low power consumption, high reliability, small size, high integration, and ease of use. Billions of digital isolators using micro-transformers have been widely adopted in many markets including automotive, industry automation, medical, and energy. What are essential for the high voltage performance for these digital isolators are polyimide films deposited in between the top spiral winding and bottom spiral winding for the stacked winding transformers. In this chapter, digital isolator construction using polyimide films as isolation layers will be reviewed. To meet various safety standards such as UL and VDE, digital isolators need to satisfy various high voltage performances, such as short duration withstand voltage, surge voltage, and working voltage. Polyimide aging behavior under various high voltage waveforms such as AC or DC was studied, and isolator's working voltage is extrapolated through a polyimide lifetime model. Structural improvements to improve polyimide high voltage lifetime will also be discussed.


Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a chronic condition leading to physical and psychological problems along with numerous economic burdens for patients. In late 2019, an unknown disease called COVID-19 broke out, which quickly spread throughout the world. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine the challenges of SCI patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a qualitative study performed among SCI patients after obtaining the code of ethics from the Research Ethics Committee of Ilam University of Medical Sciences in 2021. Data were collected using semi-structured, face-to-face individual interviews, in accordance with health protocols, in a safe environment without stress until reaching data saturation. Data were saturated after interviewing nine patients; to ensure data saturation, two additional interviews were conducted. Each interview lasted between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on the condition of each patient. The written files of the interviews were analyzed using MAXQDA software. Results: The mean age of the participants was 54 years, and 68% of the participants were male. After analyzing the data obtained from in-person interviews, three main themes, including expectations (need for financial support, need for social support, and need for physical support), concerns (fear of loneliness and fear of death), and health needs (health literacy, access to services and how to transmit the disease), were extracted. Conclusions: Considering the challenges in the three areas of expectations, concerns, and health care, it is necessary to take some measures to reduce these challenges.


Introduction/purpose Fusiform aneurysms (FUANs) of vertebral artery are difficult to treat by using current surgical techniques. Endovascular techniques like parent vessel occlusion, trapping, coiling, stent assisted coiling or stent mono-therapy is currently used to treat these aneurysms. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of flow diverters (Pipeline Embolization Device) in the treatment of vertebral artery FUANs compared to currently used therapeutic modalities. Materials and methods From July 2012 to October 2013, a total of 5 vertebral artery fusiform dissecting aneurysms in 5 patients (2 men and 3 women; age range, 39–59 years; mean age, 50.8 years) were treated with pipeline embolization device (PED) at our institution. In 2 patients the aneurysms were an incidental finding whereas in the other 3 cases were associated to neurologic symptoms, such as visual changes, ataxia, facial numbness or vertigo. Location of the aneurysms was as follows: 4 aneurysms on the right and 1 on the left side. 4 aneurysms were centerd at the V4 segment of the vertebral artery (intradural); only one was located at the vertebral V3-V4 segments junction (intra/extradural). Only one patient had family history indicative for intracranial aneurysm. Aneurysms ranged from 5 to 13 mm in maximal diameter. The technical feasibility of the procedure, procedure-related complications, angiographic results, and clinical outcome were evaluated. Results In every case, endovascular treatment was achieved. Immediate angiography demonstrated intra-aneurysmal contrast stagnation, with parent artery preservation in all cases. Major procedure-related complications were not observed. A brief temporary episode of dysarthria was noted in one of the patient. None of the treated aneurysms experienced bleeding or thrombo-embolic complication during the follow-up time. At 6 month follow-up (4 patients) was noted a complete/near complete aneurysm obliteration in 3 patients and partial obliteration in 1 patient. At 1 year follow-up (2 patients) was noted a progression to complete aneurysm obliteration in 1 patient and stable partial embolization in 1 patient. No intimal hyperplasia was noted at 6–12 months follow-up in the cohort of patients analyzed. Conclusion In our preliminary experience vertebral artery fusiform dissecting aneurysms treatment with PED is a safe and efficacious option in treating dissecting or fusiform intracranial aneurysms. Long term studies and larger cohort is recommended for further evaluation of this treatment strategy. Disclosures A. Puri: None. F. Massari: None. S. Hou: None. M. Perras: None. C. Brooks: None. C. Stout: None. M. Gounis: None. A. Wakhloo: None.


Linum bicolor is a problematic North African taxon associated with L. setaceum. A consensus on the taxonomic status of a putative form (L. setaceum var. bicolor f. robusta) has not been achieved yet. We conducted a morphological study based on herbarium and field collections, combined with nuclear (ITS) and plastid (ndhF5–8 and trnL-F) phylogenies to clarify its status. The phylogenetic analysis did not reveal molecular divergence, but a comparative morphological study revealed substantial differences in traits previously used to distinguish the two taxa (stems, leaves, corolla and calyx size). In addition, we found that the indumentum of sepals, petal colour, and the arrangement of anthers and stigmas differed so clearly between the form robusta and L. setaceum s. stricto, that recognizing the former taxon as an independent species was justified. We provide an identification key to the yellow- and white-flowered Linum species in NW Africa. We also revised the unplaced name L. bicolor Schoubs. ex DC. and lectotypified it to avoid nomenclatural problems.


Few people know much about the government of Sudan's genocidal attack against the people of the Nuba Mountains in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This volume documents this atrocity, focusing on crimes that even human rights activists and genocide scholars do not fully understand. Its detailed examination of the forced starvation of the Nuba Mountains people provides a powerful statement, and will be a resource for professionals who teach the subject. Genocide by Attrition provides a solid sense of antecedents to the genocidal actions in the Nuba Mountains. It introduces the main actors, describes how the Nuba were forced into starvation by their government, and tells how those who managed to survive did so. Totten provides a valuable resource for those who understand genocide as a state crime. The interviews provide in-depth stories and revelatory information about what Totten characterizes as genocide by attrition. Among the themes that link most of the interviews are: the discrimination against and disenfranchisement of the Nuba by the government; the destruction of villages and farms; and the impact of the forced starvation. The book also documents the anger and frustration of the Nuba Mountains people at being left out of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed between the South and the North, and their ongoing fear that the government might once again carry out a genocidal assault against them.


In essence and function, the heraldic sign tamgha of the Proto-Bulgarian ruler's clan Dulo is a sign of ownership with one primary-basic function – the possession, and two secondary-derived and additional functions – the representative and the protective (apotropheic). Khan Asparuh ordered the tamgha of the Dulo clan to be carved on a suitable stone and to be built over the main gate of the Belgorod Fortress as a sign that there is a descendant of the Dulo clan, who is also a ruler, a khan of the entrusting Proto-Bulgarian tribes. He directed the repair of the Drustar fortress and ordered the tamgha of Dulo clan to be carved on the fortress walls. The wall in front of the village of Byala, Varna district is the last and the most southern wall that Khan Asparuh builds. On it the tamgha of the Dulo clan is carved between two Runic letters, so the whole inscription translates as The State of Dulo. The urns with the ashes of the khans and their wives from the First Bulgarian Kingdom are stored in a special pit into the most hidden underground tunnel connected to the palace of Khan Krum. The title канартигин is formed on the basis of the Proto-Bulgarian expression *каган-ирт- тикин, literally "prince-after-kagan", i.e. "crown prince".


This thesis investigates the presentation of Apollo in Greek tragedy. Apollo is chosen as a particularly important tragic god because of his uniquely high profile in extant plays, and because of the continuing critical debate over his characterisation.

Existing approaches to studying the god figure will be challenged. Traditionally these often found a 'negative' god but gave limited consideration to the fifth-century context and were often judgemental in terms of twentieth-century morality. Recent studies have been more nuanced and against a wider contextual base but have generally been limited to studying Apollo in a single play.

There will be new emphases in the questions asked, focusing on how the Apollo figures are created in the texts, how these figures are experienced by an Athenian audience, and how and why Apollo's presentation changes through the fifth century. The methodology is new in examining Apollo across all extant tragedies in which he has significant textual presence; also in showing how we can relate Apollo's tragic presentation to a wide range of aspects of the socio-cultural and religious contexts. The figure of Apollo is thus seen as being constructed within both the dynamics of tragedy and the social and religious contexts of Athens, bringing internal and external together in the experience of the spectators.

Apollo is found to have potential for certain kinds of problematic tragic treatment. His morality and effectiveness are questioned in the earliest extant plays, but representations of the god in tragedy continue to shift and develop through the fifth century, in the distinctive approaches of new tragedians, and in engagement with new aspects of the Athenian context. The approach in this thesis aims to add to our understanding of how Apollo, and religion, function in tragedy for the fifth-century Athenians for whom the plays were produced


Abstract: Facing a devastating security crisis, Colombian president Alvaro Uribe (2002–10) concentrated power into the executive branch and moved the country toward delegative democracy. While history shows that delegative democracy produces a cycle of institutional weakening that is difficult to break, this trend reversed course under Uribe's successor, Juan Manuel Santos. This essay argues that in delegative democracies with origins in security crises, strong judiciaries can impose limits on efforts to concentrate power. Even if judiciaries fail to stop initial moves towards delegative democracy, they can ensure that liberal-democratic institutions survive for the next round of politics.


The present research offers an exploration into the biophilic approach and the role of its agents in urban planning in questions of building a green, resilient urban environment. Biophilia, the innate need of humans to connect with nature, coined by Edgar O. Wilson in 1984, is a concept that has been used in urban governance through institutions, agents' behaviours, activities and systems to make the environment nature-inclusive. Therefore, it leads to green, resilient environments and to making cities more sustainable. Due to an increasing population, space within and around cities keeps on being urbanised, replacing natural land cover with concrete surfaces. These changes to land use influence and stress the environment, its components, and consequently impact the overall resilience of the space. To understand the interactions and address the adverse impacts these changes might have, it is necessary to identify and define the environment's components: the institutions, systems, and agents. This paper exemplifies the biophilic approach through a case study in the city of Birmingham, United Kingdom and its biophilic agents. Using the categorisation of agents, the data obtained through in-situ interviews with local professionals provided details on the agent fabric and their dynamics with the other two environments' components within the climate resilience framework. The qualitative analysis demonstrates the ways biophilic agents act upon and interact within the environment in the realm of urban planning and influence building a climate-resilient city. Their activities range from small-scale community projects for improving their neighbourhood to public administration programs focusing on regenerating and regreening the city. From individuals advocating for and educating on biophilic approach, to private organisations challenging the business-as-usual regulations, it appeared that in Birmingham the biophilic approach has found its representatives in every agent category. Overall, the activities they perform in the environment define their role in building resilience. Nonetheless, the role of biophilic agents appears to be one of the major challengers to the urban design's status quo and the business-as-usual of urban governance. Researching the environment, focused on agents and their behaviour and activities based on nature as inspiration in addressing climate change on a city level, is an opposite approach to searching and addressing the negative impacts of human activity on the environment. This focus can provide visibility of the local human activities that enhance resilience, while these are becoming a valuable input to city governance and planning, with the potential of scaling it up to other cities and on to regional, national, and global levels.


The RF frequency is 178.5 MHz. An amplifier built by the QEI corporation provides 50 kW power. All the power feeds to a single-cell RF cavity, built by BINP at Novosibirsk, Russia, giving a gap voltage of 720 kV. An ANT circulator is used in the feed line. There are four basic feed-back loops to stabilize the system operation: (1) Cavity frequency tuning loop. (2) Cavity voltage control loop. (3) RF phase stabilization loop. (4) Synchrotron oscillation damping loop. The whole system has been tested and operated since December 1993. It has provided secure and stable operation for the storage ring.


Most of the manufacturing industries, like paints, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, Textiles, petrochemicals are produce volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and odors as part of their manufacturing process. It should be affect for the nature of environment and human health. So it can be consider that these kinds of pollutant problems are reduce by using of bio (or) chemical oxidation process. From this method dealing with these industrial air emissions include masking agents or activated-charcoal filters, or thermalor catalytic-oxidization systems that use natural gas to burn off the pollutants. However, as the world struggles to increase energy efficiency to cut both costs and carbon emissions, industry is investigating lower-impact, and more efficient methods of controlling the release of harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. Bio (or) chemical oxidation is an air pollution control technology that uses naturally-occurring to biologically absorb and digest industrial emissions, converting them to carbon dioxide, water and mineral salts. The process typically involves drawing a contaminated air stream through some type of medium that hosts a community of microbes including either bacteria or fungi, or a combination of the two. The process is referred to as bio-oxidation, although it can occur in "biotrickling filter," and "bio-filter" units, either alone or in combination, all of which operate at a different media "wetness" based on the requirements of the appropriate microbe's and the targeted pollutant.


The reasons for failures of technological equipment made of structural steels during long-term operation in various environments and fields of application are considered. Investigations of the intensity of wear of equipment failures through the rate of damaging processes are presented. Modeling the processes of wear and tear of steel equipment, its failures was carried out using regression and correlation analyzes. The results of diagnostics are presented in accordance with the theoretical principles of statistical analysis, experiment in the form of polynomial kinetic wear models. The results of comparison of experimental and theoretical data on the wear rate for various types of equipment are also presented. The results of the normal distribution of the experimental values of the degree of wear for various types of equipment are shown, which is confirmed by the general uniform corrosion.


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The concern about sustainability has arisen due to the overuse of natural resources and the increased use of energy consumption over the last decades. Information communication technologies (ICT) has the potential to address the three main aspects of sustainability (people, planet, profit) and therefore, several organizations have initiated a sustainable development by integrating ICT within their business activities. However, the roles of ICT in supporting sustainability initiatives have only been discussed in a limited number of studies and there is a lack of practical examples that demonstrate how the different roles of ICT are played out in an organization's environment. Therefore, this research aims to explore how ICT can be used by organizations to support sustainability initiatives. In particular, in this research-in-progress paper, we examine how a leading organization deploys Internet-of-Things as an example of an ICT application to support various sustainability initiatives. The study findings enhance the current understanding of how ICT can support sustainability practices of organizations.


Objective: To evaluate the epidemiological aspects of surgical patients with gallbladder cancer (GC) enrolled in a University Hospital in Belém (State of Pará – PA), in the period 1999-2009. Methods: observational, retrospective, descriptive and analytical study of secondary sources of patients with GC in the period 1999-2009. We analyzed 75 medical records, with 34 patients studied. The information collected was used for the TNM tumor staging of GC and to characterize the clinical and surgical population. Results: 79% were female, mean age 66.2 ± 11 years and duration of symptoms was 10.8 ± 17.2 months, with no statistical relationship with the stage of disease. Pain in right upper quadrant, nausea and jaundice prevailed as signs / symptoms. Gallstones were present in 91% of cases and were positive in 100% of patients with stage I / II. The sensitivity of ultrasound to preoperatively suggest GC was 14.28%. The simplest operation performed was cholecystectomy, with the predominant intraoperative finding being hepatic invasion. Adenocarcinoma was the predominant histologic type, especially for stages III and IV. Conclusion: The present study showed high incidence of gallstone disease. Advanced stage adenocarcinoma was the most prevalent. This resulted in a low rate of operations with curative intent, in 30% of the patients, and a mortality rate of 21%. The appreciation of symptoms and early investigation by imaging could facilitate treatment in early stages of GC, providing a better prognosis for patients.


We study the average entanglement entropy of blocks of contiguous spins in aperiodic XXZ chains which possess an aperiodic singlet phase at least in a certain limit of the coupling ratios. In this phase, where the ground state constructed by a real space renormalization group method, consists (asymptotically) of independent singlet pairs, the average entanglement entropy is found to be a piecewise linear function of the block size. The enveloping curve of this function is growing logarithmically with the block size, with an effective central charge in front of the logarithm which is characteristic for the underlying aperiodic sequence. The aperiodic sequence producing the largest effective central charge is identified, and the latter is found to exceed the central charge of the corresponding homogeneous model. For marginal aperiodic modulations, numerical investigations performed for the XX model show a logarithmic dependence, as well, with an effective central charge varying continuously with the coupling ratio. PACS numbers: 03.67.Mn, 75.50.Kj Submitted to: Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment Entanglement entropy in aperiodic singlet phases 2


Abstract When speech is not functional to meet some or all of an individual's communication needs, aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems are often implemented. Although aided AAC systems offer some advantages over speech, they also impose some unique demands, especially on working memory, which is commonly defined as the cognitive system by which individuals maintain and manipulate information while completing tasks. For instance, the presence of an external aided AAC device containing arrays of symbols, not all of which are visible simultaneously, presents multiple working memory demands: individuals must maintain the target concepts in mind, all the while (a) navigating through multiple pages, (b) remembering the appropriate or most efficient navigation path, (c) locating the target symbols within the array once the host page has been located, and (d) inhibiting responses to potentially interesting distracters throughout the process. Each of these task demands involves one or more working memory operations that have been identified and studied extensively in research in the cognitive sciences. Failure to acknowledge or understand how working memory might interact with AAC use may place unintentional barriers to effective AAC interventions. This paper explores current information about working memory operations and highlights some of the most relevant issues that warrant further direct study.