Bruinier and Yang conjectured a formula for intersection numbers on an arithmetic Hilbert modular surface, and as a consequence obtained a conjectural formula for CM(K).G1 under strong assumptions on the ramification in K. Yang later proved this conjecture under slightly stronger assumptions on the ramification. In recent work, Lauter and Viray proved a different formula for CM(K).G1 for primitive quartic CM fields with a mild assumption, using a method of proof independent from that of Yang. In this paper we show that these two formulas agree, for a class of primitive quartic CM fields which is slightly larger than the intersection of the fields considered by Yang and Lauter and Viray. Furthermore, the proof that these formulas agree does not rely on the results of Yang or Lauter and Viray. As a consequence of our proof, we conclude that the Bruinier-Yang formula holds for a slightly largely class of quartic CM fields K than what was proved by Yang, since it agrees with the Lauter-Viray formula, which is proved in those cases. The factorization of these intersection numbers has applications to cryptography: precise formulas for them allow one to compute the denominators of Igusa class polynomials, which has important applications to the construction of genus 2 curves for use in cryptography.


The distinctive feature of a generalised crosscorrelator (GCC) over a conventional one is the presence of a filtering section which enables it to enhance its performance according to some optimality criterion. This section provides a weighting action on the crosspower density spectrum of the input signals and, if properly designed, can improve the estimate of the time delay existing between waveforms generated by a single acoustic source and received at two spatially separate sensors. An assumption which is commonly made on the weighting window is that it is exactly matched to signal and noise spectral characteristics, that are supposedly known a priori. Unfortunately this does not happen in most practical situations, and the only means to acquire knowledge about the spectral characteristics of signal and noises is estimating them from the received waverforms. Since this operation is expected to degrade the GCC performance, an analysis of these degradations is called for. This work focuses on the analysis of the performance attainable with a particular window, namely the Hassab-Boucher-II (HBII) window, in the assumption that all necessary spectra are estimated from finite segments of the observed input signals. The selected window theoretically exhibits a good capability to combat the ambiguity effect produced by strong sinusoidal components affecting the signal. On the other hand, it has also been shown that this window performs reasonably well in the presence of broadband noise alone. For comparison purposes, the analysis has been carried out with simulated signals in three different crosscorrelator configurations: (i) GCC employing the Hassab-Boucher-II window calculated exactly on the basis of the a priori knowledge of signal and noise spectral characteristics, (ii) GCC employing the Hassab-Boucher-II window calculated on the basis of the spectral characteristics estimated from a finite record of signals, and (iii) conventional crosscorrelator. In each configuration the mean and the variance of the measured delay have been estimated; the results are discussed and compared with the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB). The performance of the three configurations is also analysed in the presence of a sinusoidal component affecting both inputs, which simulates a strong narrowband signal.


A note on the Maps illustrating the Zonal Succession in the lower Carboniferous Rocks of the Settle District.

The two geological maps of West Yorkshire which appear in this part of the Proceedings were published recently in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society * and are republished here by the courtesy of the Council of the Society. During the years 1922 and 1923 the authors had the pleasure of traversing a good deal of the ground represented by the maps with members of the Yorkshire Geological Society, and of discussing many of the problems connected with the structure of the district. They welcome this opportunity to thank the members who took part in these excursions for their kind encouragement and friendly criticisms, and venture to hope that the publication of the maps in the Proceedings may not be without interest to the general body of members of the Society.

The map on the scale of one inch to the mile is intended to give a general idea of the zonal sequence in the Lower Carboniferous rocks of the Settle District. The map is based on the admirable maps of the Geological Survey. The succession is that which was first established some few years ago for Westmorland and North Lancashire.† This succession is now found to apply also to the portion of West Yorkshire which lies east of the Dent Fault and north of the Craven Faults, included in the area which has recently been described by Prof. Marr as "the …


In the Microwave Heating de-nitration (MH) method developed in Japan, a mixed solution of uranyl nitrate and plutonium nitrate (Pu/U mixed nitrate solution) recovered from the spent fuel in the reprocessing plant is converted directly to mixed oxide (MH-MOX) powder. This MH-MOX powder is utilized to fabricate MOX fuel with UO2 powder for FBR.The MH method is accompanied with transient boiling phenomena such as overflow and flushing. Toward high-speed and high-capacity conversion by MH-method in the future, it is required to avoid overflow and flushing and to understand optimal conditions for vessel shape design and microwave output operation. The objective of this paper is to elucidate occurrence criteria of flushing phenomena.At the first step for this objective, basic knowledge of transient boiling phenomena by the MH-method has been mainly acquired with using distilled water. From the results, it is observed that generation of singular bubble triggers flushing and distilled water just before flushing is superheated more than 10 °C in conditions that flushing is confirmed. Also, the water temperature reaches its peak, and it is almost unchanged in conditions that flushing is not confirmed. In no flushing conditions, it is found that the evaporation starts from the point where the water temperature reaches its peak, and water level is decreased gradually. Thus, the difference of thermal characteristics greatly affects whether flushing occurs.The second step, by focusing on the process before flushing occurs, we investigate flow structure, and heat amount through the temperature distribution inside the jelly just after microwave heating. Potassium chloride (KCl) aqueous solution and water are used. KCl solution is electrolyte solution same as reprocessing solution. From the results, upward flow is observed near the center of the solution in the case of the water just after microwave heating. On the other hand, downward flow is observed in the case of KCl solution. As a result of temperature distribution, the water is heated its near center, and KCl solution is heated the around. Thus, it is considered that heat amount of microwave varies depending on solution characteristics, and the difference greatly affects the flow structure. The heat amount and flow structure are critical factors that can determine transient boiling phenomena. We need to investigate transient boiling phenomena of KCl solution in the future.Copyright © 2014 by ASME


The design and operation of wastewater treatment systems for hospital is a challenge for wastewater engineers. In this study, a pilot-scale system integrated anaerobic-aerobic fixed film reactor for hospital wastewater treatment was constructed and its performance was evaluated. The aim of the study was the elimination of organic compounds and a significant reduction of bacteria. The system had been operated for 90 days. The results show that the system efficiently removed 95.1% of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) from a hospital wastewater with the influent COD of 700 mg L-1, leaving 34 mg L-1 COD in the effluent. The significant removal of pathogenic bacterial has been do after operating of the system. The advantages of the treatment system studied for small wastewater flows include: (I) simple operation and maintenance; (II) efficient removal of COD and bacteria; and (III) low-energy consumption.


Recent studies of low-valent main group species underscore their resemblance to transition metal complexes with regards to the ability to activate small molecules. Here, we report synthesis and full characterisation of the persistent (hypersilyl)(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)silylene Cp*[(Me3Si)3Si]Si: as well as its unique reactivity. Silylene Cp*[(Me3Si)3Si]Si: activates dihydrogen to give the corresponding dihydrosilane Cp*[(Me3Si)3Si]SiH2 at particularly mild conditions as well as ethylene to afford the three-membered cyclic silirane c-Cp*[(Me3Si)3Si]Si(H2CCH2). The addition of N-heterocyclic carbene NHC (NHC = 1,3,4,5-tetramethyl-imidazol-2-ylidene) to dihydrosilane Cp*[(Me3Si)3Si]SiH2 induces the reductive elimination of Cp*H, which according to DFT calculations is thermodynamically preferred over H2 elimination. With NHC, Cp*[(Me3Si)3Si]Si: forms a typical donor-acceptor complex with concomitant change in hapticity of the Cp* ligand from η2 to η1 (σ). In contrast, the reaction with the N-heterocyclic silylene c-[(CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH(tBuN)2]Si: leads to an unusual "masked" disilene with the former Cp* ligand bridging the two silicon centres. The heterodimer is stable in the solid state, but dissociates reversibly to the constituting silylene fragments in solution.


Reliability is one of the most fundamental challenges for high performance computing (HPC) and cloud computing. Data replication is the de facto mechanism to achieve high reliability, even though it has been criticized for its high cost and low efficiency. Recent research showed promising results by switching the traditional data replication to a software-based RAID. In order to systematically study the effectiveness of this new method, we built two storage systems from the ground up: a POSIX-compliant distributed file system (FusionFS) and a distributed key-value store (IStore), both supporting information dispersal algorithms (IDA) for data redundancy. FusionFS is crafted to have excellent throughput and scalability for HPC, whereas IStore is architected mainly as a light-weight key-value storage in cloud computing. We evaluated both systems with a large number of parameter combinations. Results show that, for both HPC and cloud computing communities, IDA-based methods with current commodity hardware could outperform data replication in some cases, and would completely surpass data replication with the growing computational capacity through multi/many-core processors (e.g. Intel Xeon Phi, NVIDIA GPU).


Voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel (Cav1.2, L-type Ca2+ channel) function is highly regulated by hormones and neurotransmitters in large part through the activation of kinases and phosphatases. Regulation of Cav1.2 by protein kinase C (PKC) is of significant physiologic importance, mediating, in part, the cardiac response to hormonal regulation. Although PKC has been reported to mediate activation and/or inhibition of Cav1.2 function, the molecular mechanisms mediating the response have not been definitively elucidated. We show that PKC forms a macromolecular complex with the α1c subunit of Cav1.2 through direct interaction with the C terminus. This interaction leads to phosphorylation of the channel in response to activators of PKC. We identify Ser1928 as the residue that is phosphorylated by PKC in vitro and in vivo. Ser1928 has been identified previously as the site mediating, in part, the protein kinase A up-regulation of channel activity. Thus, the protein kinase A and PKC signaling pathways converge on the Cav1.2 complex at Ser1928 to increase channel activity. Our results identify two mechanisms leading to regulation of Cav1.2 activity by PKC: pre-association of the channel with PKC isoforms and phosphorylation of specific sites within the α1c subunit.


Here we describe changes in ranging behavior and other activities of vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) after a wildfire eliminated grass cover in a large area near the study group's home range. Soon after the fire, the vervets ranged farther away from tall trees that provide refuge from mammalian predators, and moved into the burned area where they had never been observed to go before the fire occurred. Visibility at vervet eye‐level was 10 times farther in the burned area than in unburned areas. They traveled faster, and adult females spent more time feeding and less time scanning bipedally in the burned area than in the unburned area. The burned area's greater visibility may have lowered the animals' perceived risk of predation there, and may have provided them with an unusual opportunity to eat acacia ants. Am. J. Primatol. 71:252–260, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Plasma flow control(PFC) is a new kind of active flow control technology, which can improve the aerodynamic performances of aircrafts remarkably. The flow separation control of an unmanned air vehicle(UAV) by nanosecond discharge plasma aerodynamic actuation(NDPAA) is investigated experimentally in this paper. Experimental results show that the applied voltages for both the nanosecond discharge and the millisecond discharge are nearly the same, but the current for nanosecond discharge(30 A) is much bigger than that for millisecond discharge(0.1 A). The flow field induced by the NDPAA is similar to a shock wave upward, and has a maximal velocity of less than 0.5 m/s. Fast heating effect for nanosecond discharge induces shock waves in the quiescent air. The lasting time of the shock waves is about 80 μs and its spread velocity is nearly 380 m/s. By using the NDPAA, the flow separation on the suction side of the UAV can be totally suppressed and the critical stall angle of attack increases from 20° to 27° with a maximal lift coefficient increment of 11.24%. The flow separation can be suppressed when the discharge voltage is larger than the threshold value, and the optimum operation frequency for the NDPAA is the one which makes the Strouhal number equal one. The NDPAA is more effective than the millisecond discharge plasma aerodynamic actuation(MDPAA) in boundary layer flow control. The main mechanism for nanosecond discharge is shock effect. Shock effect is more effective in flow control than momentum effect in high speed flow control.


This paper explores a particular experience of cultural bridging between the Heritage Department of the Tr'ondek Hwech'in (TH) First Nation and academics and government funders taking part in the 2007–09 International Polar Year. The TH Heritage Department acted as lead researcher on the project entitled Documenting Traditional Knowledge in Relation to Climate Change . TH Heritage staff spearheaded and largely carried out the project work. Academic researchers, acting as contractors, collaborated in some project activities and produced academic papers summarizing the work. This collaboration provided a rare opportunity for the TH Heritage Department to share the research it has conducted for more than a decade in the broader, institutional context of university and government research. Its success highlights the fact that relationships between these partners are evolving and becoming more equitable: First Nations research is receiving more support, and the corpus of mainstream knowledge is changing, allowing different bodies of work to "count" as knowledge. This paper analyzes some of the differences between TH Heritage approaches to its mandate for gathering and sharing Traditional Knowledge (TK) and the understandings and uses of TK by other governments and by university-based academics. On the basis of project results and recent policy developments in northern governance and research, it makes practical recommendations for reconciling knowledge approaches and building mutually supportive research relationships between First Nations, academics, and government.


Background: The United Nations set a two-thirds reduction in child mortality between 1990 and 2015 in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of 2000. The National Department of Health (NDoH) introduced strategies to achieve these MDGs, which included new vaccines, better HIV care and training of healthcare workers. This study investigated whether the strategies implemented by the NDoH decreased child mortality (MDG 4) at National District Hospital (NDH). Method: A retrospective file review was done on all children that died in NDH from 2008 to 2015. Data were collected from patient files and ChildPIP data forms. Deaths before and after the implementation of the strategies were compared. Results: A total of 209 children died during the study period. The mortality rate decreased from 47 per thousand admissions and stabilised at 15 per thousand admissions for the past five years. Deaths due to acute gastroenteritis decreased from 67% of the total to less than 40%. Pneumonia as the main cause of death decreased from 44 during the 2008–2010 period to 19 during the 2011–2015 period. More than 90% of the children who died were malnourished. There was no statistically significant improvement in the malnutrition rates during the study periods (p = 0.85). Conclusion: Child deaths decreased from one a week to one a month at NDH. Strategies to meet the MDG 4 targets, like the introduction of the Rotavirus and Pneumococcal vaccine, the scale-up of anti-retroviral treatment and Prevention of Mother to Child transmission of HIV and better Integrated Management of Childhood Illness training all contributed to the better outcome.


This paper proposes a hybrid approach to design and implement query spelling error detection and correction (SEDC) for Tigrigna information retrieval (IR). Our approach, which is the main contribution to this work, is fast and robust to achieve better performance and also helps the users to easily insert their corrected queries to retrieve relevant information from the IR. This is achieved by combining the normalized measure of bigram overlap using the Jaccard coefficient (J.C) technique, a dynamic programming algorithm for edit distance, and probability of occurrence, which were used to make suggestions for the misspelt words. Our approach was evaluated on the SEDC subtasks separately. It achieved an F-measure of 98.85% on the spelling error detection subtask and an accuracy of 95.36% on the spelling error correction subtask. Thus, a comparison was conducted between our approach and the existing Tigrigna spell checker. It is found that our approach outperformed the existing spell checker and shows a 5.36% improvement in accuracy. This is by far the most promising result with regard to correcting the misspelt users' queries and improving the overall performance of the IR.


The paper discusses how individuals are constituted by disciplinary practices as presented in Michel Foucault's two major works: Discipline and Punish and The History of Sexuality, Volume 1: An Introduction. The workings of power-knowledge gave rise to the penal apparatus and deployments of sexuality, which affected entire populations. But even as these disciplinary practices evolve and become seemingly more humane and liberating, they continue to produce docile and normalized subjects. One particular example of this process, discussed here in detail, is the transition from the figure of the hysterical woman to the modern glamorous (beautiful) woman. Such a transition extends Foucault's ideas to show the immense variety of disciplinary practices. The last section explores a Foucauldian conception of ethics that seeks to reclaim the autonomy of subjects through self-creation. Keywords Disciplinarity, governmentality, sexuality, subjectivity, ethics, askēsis


Recent calls by the European Union for a broader focus on school food and children's eating practices have prompted a series of initiatives that seek to understand school meals beyond a traditional nutritional focus. The EU calls spe- cifically identify processes of teaching and learning as central to this new refo - cusing. In this article, we offer a conceptual framework as a proposal for under - standing how children learn to eat in school, and thus we address some of the theoretical and methodological aspects of this recent call. We employ the concepts of 'foodscapes' and legitimate peripheral participation as central mechanisms of such framework at the structural and agency levels respectively. Records of eating activity in and out of school, documents and interviews with children and adults across school lunchrooms, school kitchens, and classrooms are employed to dem- onstrate the applicability of the proposed framework. Preliminary results reveal children may be developing eating practices-in-context, meaning they selectively assess, adjust and develop eating practices according to the particular elements or/and factors existing within a foodscape but employ other foodscapes compara- tively to assess their conditions, eating experiences and the food in school. These results are discussed within the context of claims and assumptions that teaching children 'how to eat' in school may become an inherent quality of the individual and will 'transfer' to other settings or foodscapes.


Objective: This study seeks to contribute to understanding the differences in the characteristics between individuals with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) and first episode of psychosis with an emphasis on the critical components of an early intervention program that differ from components of services for persons with SPMI. Methods: Data compared two treatment cohorts young males experiencing their first psychotic episode and older males with SPMI. The two cohorts were examined prior to enrollment in intensive community services and compared on diagnoses, symptom severity, service use and psychosocial functioning. Results: There were no between group differences in terms of educational attainment, employment status, legal contacts or diagnoses. Large proportions of both groups were unemployed, did not complete high school, recently had a legal contact and had a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Both groups experienced similar levels of overall symptom severity. However, there were significant differences in psychosocial functioning. Conclusion: These data provide information about the strengths and vulnerabilities of male adults experiencing their first psychotic episode. There are similarities between the groups in terms of symptom severity, educational attainment and legal system involvement. However, there are important differences with regard to the strengths or resources available to the two populations that should be considered in designing programs. The results can inform understanding of group differences in service needs and the program structure through which these services might best be delivered.


Components of the plasminogen activator (PA) and matrix metalloprotease (MMP) cascade have been characterized in multiple sclerosis lesions by immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and enzyme activity assays in order to establish a functional role for the enzyme sequence in lesion development. Highly significant quantitative increases in urokinase PA (uPA), urokinase receptor (uPAR) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 were detected in acute multiple sclerosis lesions (P < 0.0001) and in uPAR in normal-appearing white matter (P < 0.0001) compared with control tissue. All three proteins were immunolocalized to mononuclear cells in perivascular cuffs and to macrophages in the lesion parenchyma. MMP-9 and the tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease-1 also increased during lesion development but the enzyme was present largely in the inactive pro-form. In contrast to uPA, the concentration and activity of tissue PA (tPA), the most abundant plasminogen activator in normal control brain, were reduced in multiple sclerosis specimens. In acute lesions tPA co-localized with fibrin(ogen) on large diameter axons also stained with SMI-32, an immunohistochemical marker of axonal damage. The uPA-uPAR complex, concentrated on inflammatory cells in the perivascular zone of the evolving lesion, may facilitate cellular infiltration into the CNS which is amplified by MMP- mediated degradation of blood vessel matrix. tPA localization on injured axons may be a marker of axonal damage or represent a protective mechanism aimed at removal of fibrin deposits and restoration of axonal function.


The Plug and Play Satellite (PnPSat) Program, initiated by the Air Force Research Laboratory in Albuquerque, is both a testbed for innovative spacecraft components and integration concepts, and a fully functional spacecraft with the first Flight Unit rapidly approaching flight readiness. While the intent of the PnPSat Program is to prove out technologies and implement processes that allow rapid integration and test of flight-ready units, the integration of the first PnPSat flight article has not been without some more traditional platform integration challenges. Design_Net Engineering (D_Net) has been tasked with supplying both hardware and systems expertise to develop most of the Power Subsystem components for PnPSat. We have successfully developed, delivered and integrated a Solar Array Controller (SAC) and an Energy Storage Module (ESM) that provide the hardware and software interfaces necessary to effectively enable solar power acquisition and management on the PnPSat spacecraft. The lessons learned along the path to successful integration and test will be of value to anyone else developing hardware and firmware destined for the PnPSat architecture. The PnPSat program paradigm is based on a readily available collection of hardware components and their associated embedded software interfaces (on-shelf "at the depot") that can be assembled in a variety of configurations on a standard spacecraft structure, providing a fully configured and tested, flight ready spacecraft within a matter of days following call-up. The principal challenge facing the Power Subsystem developer under these unique design constraints is to deliver a system that does not simply meet a point design spec, but rather one that includes component modules capable of supporting a wide range of future mission requirements, while also fitting the form factor and interface architecture dictated by the need for component relocateability, and while capable of reliable operation in such a distributed power architecture. Design_Net's hardware implementations satisfy all functional and performance requirements imposed by all projected PnPSat mission needs, while maintaining the ability to be placed anywhere on or in the spacecraft.


SUMMARY: The biochemical characteristics of approximately eighty strains of Friedlander's bacillus are described. Certain aspects of their antigenic patterns were studied by testing the precipitating antigens of phase variants of originally mucoid strains, as well as the parent strains themselves. Evidence is presented that an as yet undescribed antigenic layer exists between those characteristic of the mucoid and smooth phases. This layer is most pronounced in the Sm phase organisms. The Sm antigen was shown to be present in nearly all Friedlander's strains and absent in the Bacterium coli strains studied; hence an Sm antiserum should be valuable for diagnostic purposes. The biochemical and serological results are discussed in regard to the taxonomy of this group with particular reference to the consolidation, already proposed by other workers, of the genera Klebsiclla and Aerobacter.


The skin of the white mutant axolotl larva is pigmented differently from that of the normal dark due to a local inability of the extracellular matrix (ECM) to support subepidermal migration of neural crest-derived pigment cell precursors. In the present study, we have compared the ECM of neural crest migratory pathways of normal dark and white mutant embryos ultrastructurally, immunohistochemically and biochemically to disclose differences in their structure/composition that could be responsible for the restriction of subepidermal neural crest cell migration in the white mutant axolotl. When examined by electron microscopy, in conjunction with computerized image analysis, the structural assembly of interstitial and basement membrane ECMs of the two embryos was found to be largely comparable. At stages of initial neural crest cell migration, however, fixation of the subepidermal ECM in situ with either Karnovsky-ruthenium red or with periodate-lysine-paraformaldehyde followed by ruthenium red-containing fixatives, revealed that fibrils of the dark matrix were significantly more abundant in associated electron-dense granules. This ultrastructural discrepancy of the white axolotl ECM was specific for the subepidermal region and suggested an abnormal proteoglycan distribution. Dark and white matrices of the medioventral migratory route of neural crest cells had a comparable appearance but differed from the corresponding subepidermal ECMs. Immunohistochemistry revealed only minor differences in the distribution of fibronectin, laminin, collagen types I, and IV, whereas collagen type III appeared differentially distributed in the two embryos. Chondroitin- and chondroitin-6-sulfate-rich proteoglycans were more prevalent in the white mutant embryo than in the dark, especially in the subepidermal space. Membrane microcarriers were utilized to explant site-specifically native ECM for biochemical analysis. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of these regional matrices revealed a number of differences in their protein content, principally in constituents of apparent molecular masses of 30-90,000. Taken together our observations suggest that local divergences in the concentration/assembly of low and high molecular mass proteins and proteoglycans of the ECM encountered by the moving neural crest cells account for their disparate migratory behavior in the white mutant axolotl.


Alternative schools have a distinct advantage because of their small settings to
incorporate innovative curriculums into their educational environment. This study discusses the
overall effectiveness of a Points Based Behavioral Management Model in an alternative setting.
This model was studied over a semester. It proved to be effective in reducing out of school
suspensions. The model allowed the staff to help the students begin to monitor their own
behavior.


The widely publicized British case of Charlie Gard became an international cause célèbre when the treating physicians petitioned the British courts to prevent the parents from taking their dying child to America where a physician held out promise of an unproven experimental therapy. The case became more sensationalized when the press reported that Pope Francis had intervened in the case against the position of the Vatican's Academy for Life on the appropriate response to a patient with a lethal genetic disorder for which there was no known treatment. A review of the centuries-long teaching of Catholic moral theology on care of the dying demonstrates that the pastoral concern of Pope Francis for the grieving parents did not signal a change in church teaching on the care of the dying patient or reveal a disagreement between Pope Francis and the Academy for Life's position on the appropriate care of Charlie Gard.


Burn injury survival means coping with more than just the physical changes and disabilities often encountered after burn injury. Overall quality of life is important, and issues such as sexuality and intimacy are significant facets of quality of life. A literature review revealed limited research regarding current burn center practices related to sexuality and intimacy concerns of burn survivors and their partners. A 28-item survey, designed by seasoned burn care professionals and survivors, was distributed to burn care practitioners attending general sessions at several burn conferences in the United States. Seventy-one (86%) of the invited respondents completed the survey, with nursing representing the majority (63%). Mean tenure working in burn care was 10 years. Mean age of respondents was 40.5 years, with 75% being female and 25% male. Nearly half (47%) reported that specific staff was not designated to discuss sexuality and intimacy with survivors in their center. Sixty-two percent reported that special training regarding sexuality and intimacy was not available at their burn center. Only 14% of respondents indicated that they were "very comfortable" initiating conversation regarding these topics. Fifty-five percent said they were only likely to discuss sexuality and intimacy if the patient/partner initiated the discussion; however, 95% agreed that the patient should not have this responsibility. Although results represent findings from only 37 burn centers, the issues of sexuality and intimacy are not being effectively addressed in the participating centers. Designated staff to provide education is lacking, and there is limited comfort on the part of health care providers in initiating such conversations. These factors seem to often prevent burn care professionals from adequately addressing burn survivor's sexuality and intimacy needs and establish the need for further development of training and educational materials specific to sexuality, intimacy, and burn injury survival. The limited number and lack of diversity among participants create potential for bias and limit generalizability of results.


BACKGROUND
Previous studies have demonstrated increased cardiovascular mortality related to azithromycin and levofloxacin. Risks associated with alternative drugs in the same class, including clarithromycin and moxifloxacin, were unknown. We used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database to perform a nationwide, population-based study comparing the risks of ventricular arrhythmia and cardiovascular death among patients using these antibiotics.

METHODS
Between January 2001 and November 2011, a total of 10 684 100 patients were prescribed oral azithromycin, clarithromycin, moxifloxacin, levofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, or amoxicillin-clavulanate at outpatient visits. A logistic regression model adjusted for propensity score was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for adverse cardiac outcomes occurring within 7 days after the initiation of antibiotic treatment.

RESULTS
Compared with amoxicillin-clavulanate treatment, the use of azithromycin and moxifloxacin was associated with significant increases in the risks of ventricular arrhythmia and cardiovascular death. The adjusted ORs for ventricular arrhythmia were 4.32 (95% CI, 2.95-6.33) for azithromycin, 3.30 (95% CI, 2.07-5.25) for moxifloxacin, and 1.41 (95% CI, .91-2.18) for levofloxacin. For cardiovascular death, the adjusted ORs for azithromycin, moxifloxacin, and levofloxacin were 2.62 (95% CI, 1.69-4.06), 2.31 (95% CI, 1.39-3.84), and 1.77 (95% CI, 1.22-2.59), respectively. No association was noted between clarithromycin or ciprofloxacin and adverse cardiac outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS
Healthcare professionals should consider the small but significant increased risk of ventricular arrhythmia and cardiovascular death when prescribing azithromycin and moxifloxacin. Additional research is needed to determine whether the increased risk of mortality is caused by the drugs or related to the severity of infection or the pathogens themselves.


The high incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and parkinsonism‐dementia complex (PDC) has been previously known in the Kii Peninsula of Japan and in Guam. Recently, the accumulation of various proteins, such as tau, trans‐activation response DNA binding protein 43 kDa (TDP‐43), and alpha‐synuclein (αSyn), was reported in the brains of patients with ALS/PDC in Guam. To confirm whether similar findings are present in Kii ALS/PDC, we neuropathologically examined the brains and spinal cords of 18 patients with ALS/PDC (clinical diagnoses: eight ALS and 10 PDC) in Hohara Village, which is the eastern focus of Kii ALS. The average age at death was 71.6 years, and 16 patients (88.9%) had a family history of ALS/PDC. Autopsy specimens were immunohistochemically examined with antibodies against four major proteins. Neurofibrillary tangles, including ghost tangles, and tau‐positive astrocytes were distributed widely in all of the brains examined, and TDP‐43‐positive neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions were observed mainly in the limbic system. Synuclein pathology was present in 14 patients (77.8%). These patients were classified into three pathological subtypes according to the most prominent proteinopathy: the tauopathy‐dominant type, the TDP‐43 proteinopathy‐dominant type, and the synucleinopathy‐dominant type. Five patients with severe tau deposition showed clinical features of atypical parkinsonism and dementia with or without motor neuron disease. Eight patients were predominated by phosphorylated TDP‐43 inclusions and clinically showed ALS, and five patients were predominated by synuclein pathology and clinically showed signs of PDC. Based on the common characteristic tau pathology, three subtypes seemed to be pathologically continuous on a spectrum of a single disease. Thus, we conclude that ALS/PDC in the Hohara focus of the Kii Peninsula is a single disease characterized neuropathologically by a multiple proteinopathy, even though the clinical manifestations of the three subtypes differed from each other. It remains unclear whether the coexistence of the three proteinopathies was incidental or pathogenetically related.


Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterised by the accumulation of monocytic cells and lipids within the sub-endothelial space by direct monocyte to endothelial cell contact through gap junctions (GJs). Both cell types express connexin 43 (Cx43) isoforms that permit the formation of GJs. This is enhanced by adhesion molecules in the presence of pro-inflammatory stimuli, such as tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α). TNF-α is suggested to have a role in Cx43 expression mainly mediated through MAPK pathways over other intercellular pathways; however, to date the mechanism remains unclear.
Experiments were carried out in the absence and presence of 25ng/ml TNF-α and the functional integrity of human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) monolayers was assessed by measuring the trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER). The trans-endothelial migration (TEM) assay used as a model for the transmigration of monocytes to the sub-endothelial space. Monocytes were added to HUVEC monolayers, and cells which passed from one chamber to another were collected, marked with CD14+ and measured by flow cytometry. The efficiency of TEER and TEM was measured in: 1) the presence of the GJ inhibitor, 43GAP27; 2) HUVECs transfected with Cx43-siRNA; and 3) MAPK inhibitors, chelerythrine chloride (CHE). TEER measurements showed a reduction in the presence of TNF-α compared to the control cells (13.58±2.82Ω.cm2, 43.94±3.32Ω.cm2; n=6); however, when the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor CHE was added, the resistance was the same as in the control cells (48.64±3.62Ω.cm2, 45.76±4.83Ω.cm2; n=6). TNF-α enhanced the migration of monocytes (66.3±2.1%; n=3) compared to the control cells (9.9±4.5%; n=3; P<0.001), but this was prevented in monolayer also treated with CHE (13.70±2.45%; n=3; P<0.001). Migration of monocytes was attenuated by the GJ blocker 43GAP27 and was comparable to HUVECs transfected with Cx43-siRNA (8.33±4.66%; n=3). High expression of total PKC in the HUVECs treated with TNF-α was shown compared to the control cells, but this effect was reduced in HUVECs treated with TNF-α when CHE was applied.
These results show that GJs are formed between ECs and monocytes, and that TNF-α increased TEM, reduced the TEER, and had no effect in HUVECs transfected with Cx43-siRNA. The effect of TNF-α is mediated through PKC as its effect was attenuated by the PKC inhibitor CHE. This study has demonstrated the important role of GJ communication as an underlying mechanism during the early stages of atherosclerosis development, enhanced by the action of TNF-α.


The dynamics of high-volume discrete-part semiconductor manufacturing supply-chain systems can be described using a combination of Discrete EVent System Specification (DEVS) and model predictive control (MPC) modeling approaches. To formulate the interactions between the discrete process model and its controller, another model called Knowledge Interchange Broker (KIB) is used. A robust and scalable testbed supporting DEVS-based manufacturing process modeling, MPC-based controller design, and the KIBDEVS/MPC interaction model is developed. A suite of experiments have been devised and simulated using this testbed. The flexibility of this approach for modeling, simulating, and evaluating stochastic discrete process models under alternative control schemes is detailed. The testbed illustrates the benefits and challenges associated with developing and using realistic manufacturing process models and process control policies. The simulation environment demonstrates the importance of explicitly defining and exposing the interactions between the manufacturing and control subsystems of complex semiconductor supply-chain systems.


To identify the genes involved in cell morphogenesis in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, we screened for the genes that cause aberrant cell morphology by overexpression. The isolated genes were classified on the basis of morphology conferred. One of the genes causing a rounded morphology was identified as the rho2+ gene encoding a small GTP-binding protein. The overexpression of rho2+ resulted in a randomized distribution of cortical F-actin and formation of a thick cell wall. Analyses using cdc mutants suggested that the overexpression of rho2+ prevents the establishment of growth polarity in G1. The rho2+ gene was not essential, but among cells deleted for rho2+, those with an irregular shape were observed. The disruptant also showed a defect in cell wall integrity. An HA-Rho2 expressed in the cell was suggested to be present as a membrane-bound form by a cell fractionation experiment. A GFP-Rho2 was localized at the growing end(s) of the cell and the septation site. The localization of GFP-Rho2 during interphase was partially dependent on sts5+. These results indicate that Rho2 is involved in cell morphogenesis, control of cell wall integrity, control of growth polarity, and maintenance of growth direction. Analysis of functional overlapping between Rho2 and Rho1 revealed that their functions are distinct from each other, with partial overlapping.


Composing applications by considering in parallel both software components and UI elements is a complex process not yet very well supported by any current composition process model or composition environment. To contribute to better support the composition process, we propose a new composition model and a prototype of a component assembler, the so-called OntoCompo, which implements the model. The model describes applications in terms of Task, UI and software components. The prototype allows a composition mainly driven by the direct manipulation of UI elements, the other components being hidden, but still being linked to the UI elements. We performed a user testing with actual developers to evaluate if the composition process was actually facilitated by our modeling approach and the prototype implementing it.


Mixed-conifer forests of the Southwest are variable and complex, covering approximately 2.5-million acres scattered across the region (Dieterich 1983, Korb et al. 2013; Figure 1). Mixed-conifer forests contain a diverse mix of tree species (Table 1) and typically occur between, but do not include, the lower-elevation warmer, drier ponderosa pine forests and the highest-elevation cooler, wetter spruce-fir forests. Because mixed-conifer forests have diverse stand structures, forest composition and disturbance regimes, it is often difficult to generalize about reference conditions and historical fire regimes that can be used to guide management for specific locations. In this working paper, we 1) describe the current knowledge of mixed-conifer historical reference conditions for fire regimes, stand structure, and species composition in the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico and adjacent areas); 2) provide field diagnostics to assess reference conditions; and 3) offer land managers restoration-related guidance to promote resilient mixed-conifer forests in the Southwest.


Starch was extracted from white, red and black cultivars of horse gram using cold water, hot water and dilutes alkali. A hot water extracted maximum of 28.4 %, 31.1 % and 29.0 % starch from seeds of white, red and black cultivars. The isolated starch was characterized by proximate composition contents of amylose, swelling factor, amylose leaching and susceptibility to enzyme/acid hydrolysis. Keywords


Transglutaminases (TGases, EC 126.96.36.199) have proved to be valuable enzymes for site-directed protein coupling via N(epsilon)-(gamma-L-glutamyl)lysine bonds. Their use in conjugate synthesis would overcome many problems caused by chemical reagents. In this approach, we show for the first time that two proteins with different functionalities, namely soybean peroxidase and protein G, can be cross-linked by bacterial TGase with retention of their activities. Soybean peroxidase and protein G were chosen for the enzymic preparation of a bifunctional conjugate among a series of other TGase substrates detected by enzymic incorporation of small fluorescent or biotinylated molecules. The highest yields of conjugate were obtained with a 15-fold excess of peroxidase in phosphate buffer, pH 7.0. Size exclusion chromatography enabled both purification of the conjugates and recovery of the starting materials. Analysis of bifunctionality revealed the coupling of protein G with an average of three peroxidase molecules.


Madisonian theory holds that a federal division of power is necessary to the protection of liberty, but that federalism is a naturally unstable form of government organization that is in constant danger of collapsing into either unitarism or fragmentation. Despite its inherent instability, this condition may be permanently maintained, according to Madison, through a constitutional design that keeps the system in equipoise by institutionalizing a form of perpetual contestation between national and subnational governments. The theory, however, does not specify how that contestation actually occurs, and by what means.

This paper investigates Madison's hypothesis by documenting the methods actually deployed on the ground to influence or to thwart national policy making used by subnational units in nine federal or quasi-federal states: Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States.

The study produces two notable findings. First, the evidence confirms Madison's prediction that subnational units in federal states will from time to time assert themselves against national power – ambition does appear to counteract, or at least to be deployed against, ambition. Second, the data show strikingly that subnational units in federal states have energetically developed a great variety of methods to attempt to shape, influence, or thwart national policies. Indeed, the evidence demonstrates that subnational units have not confined themselves to the use of tools of influence provided by their constitutions, but have in many cases creatively developed new tools of influence outside of the formal constitutional scheme. This phenomenon raises the possibility that Madison's institutional prescription for constitutional stabilization may have the perverse effect of creating the conditions for constitutional destabilization instead. This conclusion in turn throws doubt on the Madisonian premise that constitutions can, through careful engineering, be made to stabilize themselves at their initial design specifications.


What are corporations for? This paper provides an analytical review of relevant research on this question, and some thoughts on the moral evaluation of corporations. It distinguishes between the concepts of social purpose and corporate purpose. Social purpose concerns the specific contribution that a corporation makes to realis-ing societal goals. Corporate purpose concerns the goals the corporation should actively pursue. Related questions of whether corporations ought to serve a social purpose, whether they ought actively to pursue their corporate purpose, and how to articulate, pursue, and measure corporate purpose are explored. Determining social purpose quickly raises difficult political questions. The arguments for a minimalist or a maximalist approach to social purpose are set out and debated. The authors conducted interviews with 24 business leaders which highlighted frustration at the vague concept of social purpose and exactly how social and corporate purpose relate to each other. There was broad agreement that corporations should serve some social purpose, but not precisely what this might be. The authors outline three reasons why societies become entitled to make claims on corporations, based on the principle of reciprocity. Corporations rely on society's legal system for adjudication and protection. They rely on access to scarce resources that might otherwise be deployed elsewhere, and they are a constant source of social and economic disruption as they undertake their business. Efficiency and market competition are often cited as forces that might steer firms to social purpose, but the paper argues that pervasive market failures suggest that social purpose cannot be left entirely to the corporation. A web of other factors might also obstruct that goal. Likewise, corporate purpose cannot be determined by the corporation alone due to a lack of 'epistemic competence' or the ability to balance and judge competing stakeholder interests, and the fact that corporations interact within political and social structures. The paper considers the societal responsiveness and shared value approaches to articulating corporate purpose, and the shortcomings of these methodologies. One of the most complex challenges is the meaningful measurement of corporate and social purpose. Most current measures of corporate purpose are accounting measures. Social purpose also uses holistic action-guiding measures for environmental, social, and governance impacts. However, none is yet satisfactory, and measurement remains 'the most important condition for giving bite to corporate purpose'.


Multiprocessor System-on-Chip (MPSoC) based on Network-on-Chip (NoC) integrates a large amount of Processor Elements (PEs) to fulfill the performance requirements of several applications. These applications are composed of a set of intercommunicating tasks, which are dynamically mapped onto PEs of the target architecture. However, the efficient task-mapping requires some previous steps, among them partitioning, which organizes tasks considering their interaction before applying a mapping process. This paper introduces Partition Reduce (PR) - a task partitioning approach based on the MapReduce algorithm targeting homogeneous NoC based MPSoCs. We analyze the efficiency of PR for energy consumption (EC) minimization and load balance (LB). The results obtained from a set of experiments, with large number of tasks, demonstrate that PR is more effective on processing time and result quality when compared to the classic Simulated Annealing (SA). In addition, PR produces partitions with low energy consumption and rigorous load balance.


Clearance and micropuncture studies were performed in Sprague-Dawley and Munich-Wistar rats to examine the nephron sites of chloride reabsorption in animals undergoing sustained volume expansion (SVE) (10% of body wt) with isotonic saline and in animals in which the extracellular fluid volume was expanded to 10% of body wt over 60 min, after which the sustaining saline volume was abruptly discontinued (recovery) (R). Net sodium and chloride balances were not significantly different in R compared with SVE. The fractional excretion of chloride, however, was significantly lower (2.62 +/- 0.25 vs. 4.18 +/- 0.62%, P less than 0.05). In the Sprague-Dawley rats, chloride delivery to the early distal tubule average 18% in both groups. Chloride delivery to the late distal tubule was significantly lower in R (4.39 +/- 0.79%) than in SVE (8.55 +/- 0.76%, P less than 0.005). In the Munich-Wistar rats, samples were obtained from the late distal tubule and base and tip of the papilla. Chloride delivery to the base did not differ from that to the late distal tubule in either group, but was significantly lower in R compared with SVE. These results indicate that the so-called "post-volume expansion" antinatriuresis is the result, at least in part, of enhanced reabsorption in the distal tubule.


Assessment for Learning has been a popular topic in higher education. However, it appears challenging for teachers and students in Hong Kong to adopt this concept. Given the opportunity of a top-down rubric policy in one university in Hong Kong, this thesis explores the perceptions and actualisations of Assessment for Learning and rubrics of students, educators and managers in this context. It offers a model of a holistic assessment policy that refocuses on the stakeholders, content and processes. The study is rooted in an interpretivist paradigm and qualitative data are generated through two focus groups of student participants and fourteen semi-structured interviews of educator and manager participants. This research demonstrates that measurement is the major function of assessment and rubrics in this context due to the Confucian-heritage culture, the dominant assessment discourse and suboptimal assessment literacy, while practical knowledge of learning features exist as a result of the participants' applied-discipline backgrounds. This research delves into the barriers and opportunities of actualising Assessment for Learning and rubrics under a mandatory policy. Interestingly, pragmatic and contextual issues are key challenges that create tensions in the actualisation, rather than the concept itself or the disagreement on having a policy. This research somewhat concurs with suggestions from the contemporary literature that assessment practice change is complex and should consider institutional and cultural uniqueness. Based on the familiarity and acceptance of features of Assessment for Learning because of the applied-discipline background, the thesis therefore offers a context-specific model that engages stakeholders in various processes. It also includes the policy content necessary for improving the enactment of this policy. Other institutions that share similar cultures and backgrounds can benefit from the model when initiating an assessment policy.


Complementation, the inverse of the reduced product operation, is a technique for systematically finding minimal decompositions of abstract domains. Filé and Ranzato advanced the state of the art by introducing a simple method for computing a complement. As an application, they considered the extraction by complementation of the pair-sharing domain PS from the Jacobs and Langen's set-sharing domain SH. However, since the result of this operation was still SH, they concluded that PS was too abstract for this. Here, we show that the source of this result lies not with PS but with SH and, more precisely, with the redundant information contained in SH with respect to ground-dependencies and pair-sharing. In fact, a proper decomposition is obtained if the non-redundant version of SH, PSD, is substituted for SH. To establish the results for PSD, we define a general schema for subdomains of SH that includes PSD and Def as special cases. This sheds new light on the structure of PSD and exposes a natural though unexpected connection between Def and PSD. Moreover, we substantiate the claim that complementation alone is not sufficient to obtain truly minimal decompositions of domains. The right solution to this problem is to first remove redundancies by computing the quotient of the domain with respect to the observable behavior, and only then decompose it by complementation.


Free flaps are used increasingly in reconstructive surgery. However, many patients lack a satisfactory recipient vessel near the defect because of radiotherapy, post-traumatic infection, or treatment for recurrent tumor. We usually use a venous graft in such cases, but when both long arterial and venous segments are needed, we use the gastroepiploic vessels because they include extensive, viable arterial and venous segments. Between 1998 and 2006, we used gastroepiploic vessels as grafts in the 13 cases analyzed here. All defects lacked satisfactory recipient vessels nearby. Patients included 10 men and 3 women; mean age was 51.2 years (range, 14 to 82 years). Demographic and clinical background, results, and complications were analyzed retrospectively. Mean length of gastroepiploic vessels was 13.3 cm (range, 10 to 17 cm). All outcomes were satisfactory. A complication, abdominal wound infection secondary to harvesting of the gastroepiploic vessels, occurred in one case. Although the number of gastroepiploic vessels used as grafts analyzed here is relatively small, this experience confirms their clinical usefulness.


The purpose of this research is to estimate the prospects and possibilities of establishing maritime logistics clusters in Georgia. Cluster forms of activities, particularly maritime logistic clusters, have been the object of the study in this article. The main method of the research is a comparative analysis of the advantages and limitations of cluster forming and functioning of maritime logistics. Development of maritime logistics clusters, in the article, is considered as using of transport industry potential through the development of logistics processes for the creation of additional value. Sea ports are considered as important links in the logistics chain. Creation of maritime cluster was studied in the article on the basis of Batumi and Poti Sea Ports, what should increase the competitiveness of both the port and other companies – cluster members. Creating a cluster provides synergies and new opportunities for innovative handling of technological operations in port logistics. The implementation of the logistics cluster business model based on the Batumi Sea Port should facilitate the involvement of industry, transport and logistics companies in the impact zone of the port logistics. The result of the maritime logistics cluster operation should strengthen the position of Batumi Sea Port in Georgia, both in the terms of transit goods maintenance and in the economic development of country as well. The paper contains the main prerequisites for the forming and functioning of maritime logistics cluster in Batumi and Poti Sea Ports: significant untapped potential in marine, cargo storage and air cargo logistics; completion of Georgia-Turkey railway will open new possibilities in efficient transportation. In the article was concluded that marine and railway development will stimulate road transport and logistics centers development. Development of transport system will significantly improve competitiveness of Georgian products in prise.


- The main goal of this work is to understanding the requirements to realize the synthesis of MAX phases in bulk form at high temperature. The phase stability of three different MAX phase systems Ti-Al-C,Cr-Al-C and V-Al-C has been investigated along this line. High purity powders were used as raw materials. They were mixed and then compacted under the pressure of 20 MPa. The compacted mixture was heated in an Ar atmosphere at a temperature range of (1000-1400) °C for (2-4) h. Finally, the sample was cooled down to room temperature. X-ray diffraction indicates that systems show a direct formation of MAX phase under these conditions. The SEM and optical microscopy results were used to confirm the structural features of the ternary phases and the less segregation or agglomeration. The results of sintering temperatures versus final density were discussed in terms of physical properties evaluation and hardness for indicate the mechanical properties. Finally, the differential scanning calorimetric results over the range of 25 to 650 ºC show that the reactions in all systems related directly to the Al melting point. It is obvious that the reactions in all these systems started at ~600 ºC that may support this attitude. It is expected to contribute towards a better basic understanding of this fascinating class of solids. Furthermore, we try to evaluate the here-proposed novel low temperature synthesis for other M n+1 AX n systems. This may release a new synthesis route for the mass production of materials with rather unique properties.


Over the last two decades, various experiments have measured muon densities in extensive air showers over several orders of magnitude in primary energy. While some experiments observed differences in the muon densities between simulated and experimentally measured air showers, others reported no discrepancies. We will present an update of the meta-analysis of muon measurements from nine air shower experiments, covering shower energies between a few PeV and tens of EeV and muon threshold energies from a few 100MeV to about 10GeV. In order to compare measurements from different experiments, their energy scale was cross-calibrated and the experimental data has been compared using a universal reference scale based on air shower simulations. Above 10 PeV, we find a muon excess with respect to simulations for all hadronic interaction models, which is increasing with shower energy. For EPOS-LHC and QGSJet-II.04 the significance of the slope of the increase is analyzed in detail under different assumptions of the individual experimental uncertainties.


Three experiments investigated face processing in children with Williams syndrome (WS). In Experiment 1, the ability to discriminate different aspects of faces was compared between WS subjects and a group of children individually matched for chronological age (CA-matches) and another group matched for mental age (MA-matches). In Experiments 2 and 3, the ability to process the local and configural aspects of geometrical patterns and faces was assessed within the same groups of subjects. The results indicated that the WSs' overall performance on face recognition was below that of the CA-matches, but similar to that of the MA-matches. This study revealed in addition that the CA- and MA-matches showed a bias toward a configural mode of face and geometrical shape processing, whereas children with WS did not show any bias. These findings suggest that face processing undergoes an abnormal developmental course in WS.


ABSTRACT Thermal instability has been considered by pioneer researchers to be one of the most promising lines for a fundamental investigation into the failure mechanisms of rolling–sliding contacts. This article uses a recently developed mixed lubrication model that integrates interrelated topographical, mechanical, thermal, and tribochemical aspects to study the thermal instability of high-performance rolling–sliding contacts. The effects of various system parameters on the relation between the system bulk temperature and the heat generation in the contact are analyzed. The parameters include surface roughness; contact component size; surface and lubricant mechanical, thermal, and tribochemical properties; and operating conditions. Key results and their implications to system design and operation considerations are summarized in the Conclusion section of the article in relation to enhancing the thermal stability of the contact, particularly under adverse lubrication conditions.


ABSTRACT While much literature on the Internet has drawn heavily on the ideas of normalization or optimism, this article seeks to define a more complex relationship between existing political institutions and new technology. With reference to the development of campaign finance strategies in the U.S. and the UK, it will aim to show that existing political circumstances and technology share a dialectic relationship when it comes to generating outcomes. The success of online fundraising in the U.S. is certainly reforming political life, but it is the product of longstanding arrangements and beliefs that have catalyzed its impact. In contrast in the United Kingdom, institutional arrangements have retarded the potential of the Web in this area.


Data integrity is a crucial part of any secure system. Cryptographic hash functions serve as a basic building block of information security for ensuring data integrity and data origin authentication. They are used in numerous security applications such as digital signature schemes, construction of MAC and random number generation. A hash function takes an arbitrary amount of input and produces an output of fixed size. Many of the widely used cryptographic MD-5 and SHA-1 hash functions have been shown to be vulnerable to attacks. The non linear behavior of the neural network model which takes multiple inputs to produce single output makes it a perfect entrant for cryptographic hash design. The paper describes the construction of a cryptographic hash function using a multi layer Tree Parity Machine neural network. Although in our simulations we have considered 512 bit message blocks which generate 128 digit hash value, the proposed algorithm can be used flexibly to generate a hash function of arbitrary length. Simulations show that this hash function satisfies the security requirements of confusion, diffusion, and collision attack


A multistory transmission tower model to be used in multiconductor analysis by EMTP (Electromagnetic Transients Program) is proposed. The circuit parameters of the model are determined based on the measurement of voltages across the insulator strings on an actual 500 kV transmission tower. The multiconductor lightning surge analysis considered enables one to predict the waveform of each insulator voltage, which is useful in determining the phase and the instant of a back flashover. The new tower model is recommended in Japan to be used in the new multiconductor analysis of EHV and UHV class double circuit transmission lines. The new tower model and conventional tower models are compared in the analysis of minimum back flashover lightning currents at a UHV transmission line. The new model gives about 20% smaller current. >


ACTH is a major hormone of the stress axis or hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.  It is derived from pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) the precursor to the melanocortin family of peptides. POMC produces the biologically active melanocortin peptides via a series of enzymatic steps in a tissue-specific manner, yielding the melanocyte-stimulating hormones (MSHs), corticotrophin (ACTH) and β-endorphin. The melanocortin system plays an imperative role in energy expenditure, insulin release and insulin sensitivity.  Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells circulate in the blood stream and as progenitor cells have the potential to differentiate into many cell types such as osteoblasts, chondrocytes and adipocytes. Here we examine the effects of ACTH on the mouse D1 bone-marrow derived MSC.  ACTH significantly increased lipid accumulation during the adipogenic differentiation of D1 cells in a concentration- dependent manner. ACTH also shifts the temporal pattern of D1 adipogenic differentiation to the left i.e. differentiation occurs earlier with ACTH treatment. No significant differences in protein expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ2), a regulating transcription factor of adipogenesis were found.  Therefore the effects of ACTH are suggested to be mediated by an alternative pathway. Overall the results indicate a connection between increased adipose deposition and the elevated circulating ACTH associated with stress.


A comparative study on the solution structures of bovine microsomal cytochrome b5 (Tb5) and the mutant V45H has been achieved by 1D and 2D 1H‐NMR spectroscopy to clarify the differences in the solution conformations between these two proteins. The results reveal that the global folding of the V45H mutant in solution is unchanged, but the subtle changes exist in the orientation of the axial ligand His39, and heme vinyl groups. The side chain of His45 in V45H mutant extends to the outer edge of the heme pocket leaving a cavity at the site originally occupied by the inner methyl group of Val45 residue. In addition, the imidazole ring of axial ligand His39 rotates counterclockwise by ∼3° around the His‐Fe‐His axis, and the 4‐heme vinyl group turns to the space vacated by the removed side chain due to the mutation. Furthermore, the helix III of the heme pocket undergoes outward displacement, while the linkage between helix II and III is shifted leftward. These observations are not only consistent with the pattern of the pseudocontact shifts of the heme protons, but also well account for the lower stability of V45H mutant against heat and urea.


Recently a lot of studies and developments about distributed generator such as photovoltaic generation system, wind turbine generation system and fuel cell have been performed under the background of the global environment issues and deregulation of the electricity market, and the technique of these distributed generators have progressed. Especially, micro grid which consists of several distributed generators, loads and storage battery is expected as one of the new operation system of distributed generator. However, since precipitous load fluctuation occurs in micro grid for the reason of its smaller capacity compared with conventional power system, high-accuracy load forecasting and control scheme to balance of supply and demand are needed. Namely, it is necessary to improve the precision of operation in micro grid by observing load fluctuation and correcting start-stop schedule and output of generators online. But it is not easy to determine the operation schedule of each generator in short time, because the problem to determine start-up, shut-down and output of each generator in micro grid is a mixed integer programming problem. In this paper, the authors propose an online optimization method for the optimal operation schedule of generators in micro grid. The proposed method is based on enumeration method and particle swarm optimization (PSO). In the proposed method, after picking up all unit commitment patterns of each generators satisfied with minimum up time and minimum down time constraint by using enumeration method, optimal schedule and output of generators are determined under the other operational constraints by using PSO. Numerical simulation is carried out for a micro grid model with five generators and photovoltaic generation system in order to examine the validity of the proposed method.


Preservice physical education students typically receive one course devoted to adapted physical education (Piletic & Davis, 2010). Research has demonstrated this to be insufficient preparation for the successful inclusion of students with disabilities in physical education. Conversely, increasing preservice training in adapted physical education has shown to result in more favorable teacher attitudes to inclusion and higher levels of confidence in the teachers' ability to effectively include students with disabilities. The online environment may be an effective setting for future courses in adapted physical education, offering greater flexibility for the learner and instructor, possible time and money savings, and is not as dependent on resources such as space and specialists of adapted physical education. However, to ensure effectiveness of online courses, evidence-based design and implementation principles must be adhered to. The purpose of this article is to present six principles that may aid an instructor of an online adapted physical education class to (1) establish clear goals and expectations for learners, (2) offer multiple representations of course content, (3) provide frequent opportunities for active learning, (4) deliver frequent and constructive feedback, (5) provide flexibility and choice in satisfying course objectives, and (6) be an source of guidance and support. Subscribe to Palaestra


We address the problem of learning a joint sparse approximation of several signals over a dictionary. We pose the problem as a matrix approximation problem with a row-sparsity inducing penalization on the coefficient matrix. We propose a simple algorithm based on iterative shrinking for solving the problem. At the present time, such a problem is solved either by using a Second-Order Cone programming or by means of a MFocuss algorithm. While the former algorithm is computationally expensive, the latter is efficient but present some pitfalls like presences of fixed points which are undesiderable when solving a convex problem. By analyzing the optimality conditions of the problem, we derive a simple algorithm. The algorithm we propose is efficient and is guaranteed to converge to the optimal solution, up to a given tolerance. Furthermore, by means of a reweighte


In this paper, a simple and green preparative strategy for synthesizing carbon nanodots (CNDs) is developed by a one-pot hydrothermal method, using ascorbic acid (AA) as the carbon source and polyethylene glycol (PEG) with a molecular weight of 1500 as the surface modification agent. Through changing the amount ratio of PEG-1500 to AA in the synthesis, we can obtain PEG-CNDs with different functions. For example, due to the thermosensitivity of PEG-1500, the as-prepared PEG1-CNDs exhibit unique temperature sensitivity when the mass ratio of PEG-1500 to AA is 24 : 1. A reversible change of PEG1-CNDs from the solid state to transparent solution with increasing temperature can be repeated several times. The optical transmittance signal of PEG1-CNDs linearly responds to temperature in the range of 20–65 °C. Besides, while the amount ratio of PEG-1500 to AA is 12 : 1, the obtained PEG2-CNDs lose thermal sensitivity and form a stable and fluorescent solution at room temperature. The emission of PEG2-CNDs can be quenched by Fe3+, while with the addition of paracetamol (PAR), the fluorescence is recovered because of forming chelates between Fe3+ and PAR. Under the optimized conditions, the linear range of PAR obtained is 0.03–30 μM with a detection limit of 13 nM. Finally, the proposed method is successfully applied to detect PAR in human serum and urine samples with satisfactory recoveries.


Even when acoustic tokens vary substantially, they nevertheless can usually be recognized accurately. Two opposing models have been proposed to account for how the speech recognition mechanism works to achieve the perceptual consistency. The abstract model holds that there is a unitary cognitive representation for each phonological category. The speech signal, after having variations filtered out by a computational process, is matched to a particular representation. By contrast, the exemplar-based model holds that the previously encountered exemplars of a given speech category together form its mental representation. The speech recognition for this model involves searching for a match (based on similarity) between the incoming signal and stored exemplars. The present study tested which of these two models best fit data from second language acquisition. Mandarin speakers were trained with Cantonese tones that differed in acoustic variability. Results showed that training materials involving a large degree of within-class variability didn't produce a better learning outcome than those involving a small degree of variability, suggesting that the abstract model may provide a better fit for this data. The characteristics of Mandarin speakers' acquisition of Cantonese tones were also discussed.


Cotton yields have suffered losses from cotton boll rot during the last 10 to 15 years in areas of South Texas. Piercing-sucking insects feeding on cotton bolls, particularly stink bugs, have been implicated in introducing the bacterial disease. Along the Gulf Coast of South Texas, boll-feeding plant bugs occur, and may be associated with the disease. A replicated field survey was conducted in 2010 and 2011 to assess relative abundance of these boll-feeding species and subsequent boll injury caused by cotton boll rot. This survey was paired with a field cage experiment that isolated feeding by the verde plant bug, Creontiades signatus Distant (Hemiptera: Miridae). This species represented about 99% of insects collected, during peak bloom (about wk 3 to 4 of flowering) in cotton fields near the coast. It was not detected in fields located further inland. Cotton boll rot was found on up to 25% of open bolls and was concentrated in coastal fields. The proportion of green bolls with cotton boll rot estimated two weeks after insect sampling was not linearly related to verde plant bugs per plant, but the subsequent proportion of open bolls with cotton boll rot near harvest was linearly related to verde plant bugs per plant (adjusted r 2 = 0.53, P = 0.007). In field cages, verde plant bug-infested plants had significantly higher incidence of insect-punctured bolls (15 to 35%) and disease incidence (5 to 27%), than uninfested plants, when plants were infested for 72 h about wk 4 of bloom. Diseased bolls tested positive for bacterial contamination. From a pest management perspective, insect monitoring for verde plant bugs provided in-season indication of subsequent boll damage from cotton boll rot, and was especially relevant for cotton fields near coastal waters.


An integral part of evolution, the formation of species, is less well understood than other areas of evolutionary biology. Speciation is a fundamental process that creates the great diversity of species in the world, and a deeper insight into its mechanisms is highly desirable. To achieve this goal, the molecular basis of speciation must be elucidated and characterized in detail. This study uses two approaches to contribute to the understanding of the genetics of speciation: A screen for positively selected, young duplicated genes, and in depth analysis of a proposed "speciation gene", Dnahc8. Young duplicated genes may be positively selected in only one of two diverging populations, and through rapid change create an incompatibility between the two emerging species. To find candidates of this type a microsatellite screen for selective sweeps is conducted, in which microsatellite loci close to the genes in question are typed and assayed for reduced variability. Using a measure developed for this problem, the lnRH statistic, subspecies or populations are compared, and selective sweep loci identified. The screen results in thirteen candidate sweep loci in (sub)species comparisons, and fifteen between populations of the same species. Furthermore, comparisons of lnRH values to synonymous substitution rates (KS) of genes show that the youngest duplicated genes of the set do not seem to be evolving under positive selection. To test whether the duplication time correlates with the divergence time estimated from the synonymous substitutions rate, a subset of duplicate pairs was tested for presence in different mouse species. For most duplicates, KS between copies increases with age, but three pairs have very low KS values that do not correspond to their age. Gene conversion is discussed as a possible explanation for this result. The Dnahc8 gene is already known to cause reproductive isolation between Mus spretus and Mus mus domesticus. It encodes an axonemal dynein protein that is involved in sperm tail formation, and hybrid animals have deformed, immotile sperm. Here, the entire coding sequence of Dnahc8 is determined of six mouse species in addition to the M. m. domesticus sequence already known. In addition, several exons are sequenced in a population sample of M. spretus and the full-length gene sequenced for ten M. m. domesticus. Tests for positive selection based on polymorphism data and codon-based maximum likelihood methods are performed with this data. There is evidence that Dnahc8 may be evolving under relaxed constraint in the lineage of M. m. domesticus. However, no significant evidence for positive selection could be found using any method. In addition to the sequence data, quantitative real time PCR is used to measure the level of expression in eight tissues of seven mouse species. Large differences in expression pattern are identified between M. spretus and M. m. domesticus: Dnahc8 expression is eight fold lower in M. spretus testis compared to M. m. domesticus. Together these results suggest that the nature of the incompatibility caused by Dnahc8 may lie in gene regulation rather than differences in the amino acid sequence.


Abstract In this paper, I compare the use of photography by Sawai Ram Singh, the maharaja of the Princely State of Jaipur in colonial India, and by James Fergusson, the earliest historiographer of Indian architecture. Contrasting the "objective" use of photography by the colonist, with the maharaja's hybridized and illusionistic images, I argue that photography, on the one hand, helped fix "India" into stereotypical brackets, but on the other enabled the colonized to re-invent himself in more contemporary and potentially threatening ways. Foreshadowing the contadictory nature of postcolonial modernity, photography, in other words, enabled the maharaja to simultaneously resist the hegemonic interests of the colonizer while coveting and appropriating the instruments and signs of the West to his own ends.


What We Already Know about This Topic Chlorhexidine is frequently used to reduce oropharyngeal bacterial colonization in mechanically ventilated patients. How effective the drug is remains unclear. What This Article Tells Us That Is New Bacterial colonization was evaluated in 30 mechanically ventilated patients before and after application of 0.12% chlorhexidine. Chlorhexidine did not reduce colonization and may, therefore, be less effective than previously assumed. Background: Oropharyngeal care with chlorhexidine to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia is currently questioned, and exhaustive microbiologic data assessing its efficacy are lacking. The authors therefore aimed to study the effect of chlorhexidine mouthwash on oropharyngeal bacterial growth, to determine chlorhexidine susceptibility of these bacteria, and to measure chlorhexidine salivary concentration after an oropharyngeal care. Methods: This observational, prospective, single-center study enrolled 30 critically ill patients under mechanical ventilation for over 48 h. Oropharyngeal contamination was assessed by swabbing the gingivobuccal sulcus immediately before applying 0.12% chlorhexidine with soaked swabs, and subsequently at 15, 60, 120, 240, and 360 min after. Bacterial growth and identification were performed, and chlorhexidine minimal inhibitory concentration of recovered pathogens was determined. Saliva was collected in 10 patients, at every timepoint, with an additional timepoint after 30 min, to measure chlorhexidine concentration. Results: Two hundred fifty bacterial samples were analyzed and identified 48 pathogens including Streptococci (27.1%) and Enterobacteriaceae (20.8%). Oropharyngeal contamination before chlorhexidine mouthwash ranged from 103 to 107 colony-forming units (CFU)/ml in the 30 patients (median contamination level: 2.5·106 CFU/ml), and remained between 8·105 (lowest) and 3·106 CFU/ml (highest count) after chlorhexidine exposure. These bacterial counts did not decrease overtime after chlorhexidine mouthwash (each minute increase in time resulted in a multiplication of bacterial count by a coefficient of 1.001, P = 0.83). Viridans group streptococci isolates had the lowest chlorhexidine minimal inhibitory concentration (4 [4 to 8] mg/l); Enterobacteriaceae isolates had the highest ones (32 [16 to 32] mg/l). Chlorhexidine salivary concentration rapidly decreased, reaching 7.6 [1.8 to 31] mg/l as early as 60 min after mouthwash. Conclusions: Chlorhexidine oropharyngeal care does not seem to reduce bacterial oropharyngeal colonization in critically ill ventilated patients. Variable chlorhexidine minimal inhibitory concentrations along with low chlorhexidine salivary concentrations after mouthwash could explain this ineffectiveness, and thus question the use of chlorhexidine for ventilator-associated pneumonia prevention.


A new method for the determination of traces of mercury in environmental and biological samples is described. The present methodology combines determined using a hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS) with pre-concentration/separation of the analyte on dithizone-anchored organobentonite (D-O-bentonite). Optimal experimental conditions for the adsorption of the Hg, including pH, contact time, eluent concentration and volume and co-existing ions have been studied. The result showed that the mercury could be adsorbed on the D-O-bentonite. The adsorbed quantitively was affected by the pH value of medium and contact time. In the medium of pH 5.0, the adsorption time was 15 min, and capacity of adsorption was 23.2 mg·g-1. The mercury adsorbed on the sorbent could be completely eluated by using 3 mol·L-1 HCl. The adsorption agent has been applied to the pre-concentration/separation of mercury in surface water and human hair samples with satisfied results.


This paper aimed to investigate individual or team sports participant high school students' perceived social anxiety levels according to their sports branch, the weekly duration/day of doing sports, the aim for doing sports and gender. Two hundred high school students (Mage=16.29 ± 1.11) participated in the study. The study designed as a cross-sectional study and the Turkish version of Social Anxiety for Adolescents (SAS-A) used as the data gathering tool. In the evaluation of data independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA statistical methods used as the hypothesis tests. According to the study findings, there was not any significant difference in the variable social anxiety according to the sports branch and the weekly duration/day of doing sports. However, significant differences were found between individual sports participants' social anxiety according to aim for doing sports and gender. As a result, this paper showed that professional individual sports participants had higher perceived social avoidance and distress for general and new situations. Also, male individual sports participants reported a higher fear of negative evaluation than females.


This thesis documents the home literacy practices of two Indigenous families and examines the attitudes of Indigenous students and teachers and non-Indigenous teachers with regard to literacy and learning. The paper reveals the rich and diverse literacy practices in the homes of Indigenous families and the situatedness of learning in an intercultural context. Persistent questions are raised about the compatibility of home literacy practices and those of schools. Despite a succession of educational programs and policies designed to improve educational outcomes for Indigenous students, the thesis demonstrates the continuing ignorance about what Indigenous children can achieve and reveals the racialised practices of Western schools who completely discount Indigenous ways of knowing. Consistent with an intercultural perspective, hybrid practices are evident as Indigenous students' home and school worlds collide. Apprenticeship style learning is revealed as an enduring framework in which family is considered critical and home/school partnerships are therefore considered as vital to academic success for students. Identity is seen to be interwoven with literacy and with the engagement of media and popular culture. This thesis draws important implications for how teachers might engage students more effectively in classrooms in order to improve educational outcomes.


I recall hearing when I first came to the University of Chicago in 1969 the expression "Nirvana Fallacy," used to describe the belief then dominant in the economics profession that market failures could and should be rectified by government intervention, assumed to be apolitical and effectively costless. The belief was unsound; government failure is commonplace, partly because of politics, partly because of the intrinsic difficulty of many of the tasks that are given to government to perform.


Diatoms are one of the components in the littoral zone and the most productive in terms of O 2 production and primary production. Despite their importance in these coastal ecosystems, the diatoms of littoral zones of Turkish coastlines have been understudied.  In this report, we document the littoral diatoms from Dalyan Iztuzu Beach at the southeast coasts of Aegean Sea. Samples were collected from 6 stations in Dalyan Beach between 2012 and 2016. We report here on the occurrence of 9 genera including, Catenula Mereschkowsky, Cymatosira Grunow, Dimeregramma Ralfs, Diplomenora Blaze, Eunotogramma Weisse, Meloneis Louvrou, Danielidis & Economou-Amilli, Neohuttonia Kuntze, Plagiogramma Greville and Tetramphora Mereschkowsky, as well as 40 taxa as newly-recorded from Turkey. The newly-recorded diatoms are characterized in terms of their morphology and illustrated with light micrographs. For each species, their habitat and geographic distribution along the coasts are discussed.


In line to the introduction of the online museum, a user interface is a new medium to allow museum collections to be exhibited and promoted more effectively. For promoting purposes, this paper stresses on usability of the interface design. It is critical to pay attention to the cognitive design and ensure that the interface is usable in order to help users understand the displayed information. The user interface design for online museum has commanded significant attention from designers and researchers but lacks in the cognitive design perspective. In the effort to formalize the design, this paper is the extension of the initial work on a user interface design dimensions. The individual differences approach is adopted to explore possible user interface design elements. This study also validates the dimensions by conducting empirical investigation. The investigation is to test the hypotheses linkage between cognitive styles and user interface dimensions. The research method involves using Field Dependent and Field Independent as the case study and webbased survey on online museum visitors. The result of the analysis suggests cognitive styles do influence user interface dimensions. These design dimensions contain the implications for cognitive design of user interface development, and the identification of cognitive design of user interface for cultural website. The effort may contribute towards increasing the usability level of the website.


In this article, we propose an improvement on the sequential updating and greedy search (SUGS) algorithm for fast fitting of Dirichlet process mixture models. The SUGS algorithm provides a means for very fast approximate Bayesian inference for mixture data which is particularly of use when datasets are so large that many standard Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms cannot be applied efficiently, or take a prohibitively long time to converge. In particular, these ideas are used to initially interrogate the data, and to refine models such that one can potentially apply exact data analysis later on. SUGS relies upon sequentially allocating data to clusters and proceeding with an update of the posterior on the subsequent allocations and parameters which assumes this allocation is correct. Our modification softens this approach, by providing a probability distribution over allocations, with a similar computational cost; this approach has an interpretation as a variational Bayes procedure and hence we term it variational SUGS (VSUGS). It is shown in simulated examples that VSUGS can outperform, in terms of density estimation and classification, a version of the SUGS algorithm in many scenarios. In addition, we present a data analysis for flow cytometry data, and SNP data via a three-class Dirichlet process mixture model, illustrating the apparent improvement over the original SUGS algorithm.


Evaluation and measurement of form errors distributed on 3D ground curved surface are proposed due to the difficulty of processing measured points of 3D ground curve surface in comparison with axisymmetric curved surface. First form curved surface grinding is conducted by arc-shaped diamond grinding wheel, second ground curved surface is measured by contact measurement to obtain 3D measuring data, next transfer mode from CNC grinding to measuring reference frames is established, then effective and applicable 3D compensation arithmetic for probe sphere error is introduced, finally 3D form errors are investigated in connection with reference frame transfer and probe sphere compensation. It is confirmed that form error PV of is improved form 203 m / 8 cm2 is obtained by using reference frame transfer and probe sphere compensation, enhancing measuring accuracy by about 29 %.


Asia has long been underrepresented in institutions of global governance. Recent challenges to those institutions have focused less on their legitimacy than on their effectiveness. Such engagement reflects a changed approach to sovereignty. Once it was understood primarily as a defense against foreign intervention. The vast majority of Asian governments now understand that collective action does not erode, but instead protects sovereignty. Barriers remain to Asia playing a greater role on the world stage, however. In particular, there is little appetite for true leadership from Asia: Asians want to grow and perpetuate the global system, not revolutionize or reset it. In part this is due to interests, which are well-served by many aspects of the current system. But it is also connected to the Asian style of consensus and consultation. The "Asian way" of policy-making can be seen in recent developments in security and development, in regional cooperation, in the relative openness of Asian institutions, and the advantages of sub-regional groupings. The positive aspects of this approach to diplomacy and governance include respect for diversity, consensus-building over conflict, pragmatic approaches rather than lofty principles, and gradualism rather than abrupt change. The negative aspects can be that the desire to avoid confrontation prevents meaningful agreements being concluded in a reasonable timeframe, or that the appearance of consensus merely masks the true politics at work. What might this mean in practice? A speculative list of issues in which Asia - or, more properly, Asians - might contribute to global solutions includes peace and security, climate change, energy governance, energy security, financial regulation, health, development assistance, regional markets, good governance, and social enterprises.


Indonesian Islam in a new era examines the religious practices and identities of Indonesian Muslim women in the post-Suharto era. After 1998 Indonesian Islam changed socially and nationally as society underwent sweeping alterations. Based on new empirical research by sociologists, political scientists, and anthropologists from Indonesia and Australia, the book underscores the negotiations Muslim women have made in arenas such as schools, organisations, popular culture and village life. Whereas theology has until recently dominated studies of women and Islam in Indonesia, this book breaks new ground by examining from social science perspectives how Indonesian women negotiate their Muslim identities.


This paper compares and assesses several alarm correlation methods for their suitability and performance in global systems for mobile communications (GSM). The assessment criteria used reflect the special circumstances found in these networks. A high importance is given to the aspects related to a practical and feasible network management. Of the neural networks investigated, the cascade correlation learning algorithm performs best. This approach is compared with correlation techniques proposed in the literature: rule-based diagnosis, model based diagnosis and alarm correlation using codebooks. It is shown that for alarm correlation in a GSM access network the proposed cascade correlation approach is superior to the other correlation techniques.