ABSTRACT:Most rural households in developing countries rely on agriculture for their income. They face related risks due to various shocks. In rural Ethiopia a majority of surveyed households reported to have experienced rainfall related shocks, about a third reported crop pest or diseases related shocks. Given that asset, insurance and credit markets are either missing or poorly developed, households face significant constraints in insuring themselves against these shocks. They often rely on the accumulation and depletion of assets (livestock, etc.), savings, borrowing, diversification of economic activities and on risk-sharing networks. Using a unique feature of an Ethiopian longitudinal dataset collected in 2004 and 2009, we investigate the persistence of links within households' risk-sharing networks. We do this by looking at two types of attributes: i) household characteristics such as demographics, assets, location; ii) link attributes such as relationship between households, types of arrangement (money lending, labor-sharing, etc), co-membership in local groups as well as observable differences in income and assets holdings. We investigate whether households sustain these links more on the basis of economic or financial factors such as wealth or more on the basis of social factors such as geographical proximity and shared kinship. Using logit estimation techniques, we find that many of our proxies for social factors play a significant role in the persistence of links in risk-sharing networks. Livestock and land endowments do not seem to play an important role. Local or governmental institutions aiming at bolstering persistence of informal risk-sharing arrangements could focus on networks which have a more local geographically dense structure, or one based on shared kinship. To our knowledge, this is the first time that both the 2004 and 2009 rounds of this large survey are combined. They have a rare feature: they are refined enough to allow us to identify precisely links or the individuals on whom one relies in case of needs. We can thus identify precisely which links persist (being reported both in 2004 and 2009) and which attributes significantly impact persistence. Given this particular attribute of this dataset we have yet to see in the literature a comparable analysis.


Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and mammalian target of rapamycin are wellknown therapeutic targets for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Sunitinib is an agent that targets VEGF receptors and is considered to be a standard treatment for metastatic or unresectable clear cell RCC (ccRCC). However, ccRCC eventually develops resistance to sunitinib in most cases, and the mechanisms underlying this resistance are not fully elucidated. In the present study, we established unique primary xenograft models, KURC1 (Kyoto University Renal Cancer 1) and KURC2, from freshly isolated ccRCC specimens. The KURC1 xenograft initially responded to sunitinib treatment, however finally acquired resistance. KURC2 retained sensitivity to sunitinib for over 6 months. Comparing gene expression profiles between the two xenograft models with different sensitivity to sunitinib, we identified interleukin 13 receptor alpha 2 (IL13RA2) as a candidate molecule associated with the acquired sunitinib-resistance in ccRCC. And patients with high IL13RA2 expression in immunohistochemistry in primary ccRCC tumor tends to have sunitinib-resistant metastatic site. Next, we showed that sunitinib-sensitive 786-O cells acquired resistance in vivo when IL13RA2 was overexpressed. Conversely, shRNA-mediated knockdown of IL13RA2 successfully overcame the sunitinib-resistance in Caki-1 cells. Histopathological analyses revealed that IL13RA2 repressed sunitinib-induced apoptosis without increasing tumor vasculature in vivo. To our knowledge, this is a novel mechanism of developing resistance to sunitinib in a certain population of ccRCC, and these results indicate that IL13RA2 could be one of potential target to overcome sunitinib resistance.


The electronic properties of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are increasingly attracting the attention due to potential applications in sensor techniques and (micro-) electronic engineering, for instance, as low-k-dielectric in semiconductor technology. Here, the band gap and the band structure of MOFs of type HKUST-1 are studied in detail by means of spectroscopic ellipsometry applied to thin surface-mounted MOF films and by means of quantum chemical calculations. The analysis of the density of states, the band structure, and the excitation spectrum reveal the importance of the empty Cu-3d orbitals for the electronic properties of HKUST-1. This study shows that, in contrast to common belief, even in the case of this fairly "simple" MOF, the excitation spectra cannot be explained by a superposition of "intra-unit" excitations within the individual building blocks. Instead, "inter-unit" excitations also have to be considered.


Contactin-associated protein-like 2 (Caspr2), also known as CNTNAP2, is a cell adhesion molecule that clusters voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv1.1/1.2) at the juxtaparanodes of myelinated axons and may regulate axonal excitability. As a component of the Kv1 complex, Caspr2 has been identified as a target in neuromyotonia and Morvan syndrome, but also in some cases of autoimmune limbic encephalitis (LE). How anti-Caspr2 autoimmunity is linked with the central neurological symptoms is still elusive. In the present study, using anti-Caspr2 antibodies from seven patients affected by pure LE, we determined that IgGs in the cerebrospinal fluid of four out seven patients were selectively directed against the N-terminal Discoïdin and LamininG1 modules of Caspr2. Using live immunolabeling of cultured hippocampal neurons, we determined that serum IgGs in all patients strongly targeted inhibitory interneurons. Caspr2 was highly detected on GAD65-positive axons that are surrounding the cell bodies and at the VGAT-positive inhibitory presynaptic contacts. Functional assays indicated that LE autoantibodies may induce alteration of Gephyrin clusters at inhibitory synaptic contacts. Next, we generated a Caspr2-Fc chimera to reveal Caspr2 receptors on hippocampal neurons localized at the somato-dendritic compartment and post-synapse. Caspr2-Fc binding was strongly increased on TAG-1-transfected neurons and conversely, Caspr2-Fc did not bind hippocampal neurons from TAG-1-deficient mice. Our data indicate that Caspr2 may participate as a cell recognition molecule in the dynamics of inhibitory networks. This study provides new insight into the potential pathogenic effect of anti-Caspr2 autoantibodies in central hyperexcitability that may be related with perturbation of inhibitory interneuron activity.


Purpose – The main purpose is aimed at exploring the possible reasons for women, who are unrelated by family, being underrepresented at the top of the corporate hierarchy in Cyprus. The research is targeted at the development of a possible model to alleviate the problem by providing steps for women who are striving to climb the corporate ladder. It may, also, produce factors that other stakeholders may consider to be of value in the development of a diversified Board of Directors. Design/methodology/approach – The research design included in depth literature review of secondary data sources and a qualitative primary data instrument: the utilization of semi-structured interviews with women in senior management positions in Cyprus and the United Kingdom. Findings – The outcomes indicate that despite the perceived perceptions and assumed behaviours, there are steps that may be taken by women, organisations and governments. A model is presented that indicates the importance of the steps to be taken by all stakeholders. Additionally, these steps determine a joint effort aiming to change the norm, "think leader, think male' to an equal opportunity for all talented men and women. Practical Implications – The model provides a methodology for those women who wish to aspire to the highest level in the corporate hierarchy and gives guidance to organisations and governments on how this wealth of talent may be best facilitated to achieve. Originality/Value – No evidence could be found of this type of research being undertaken in Cyprus, consequently this is creating unique and ne knowledge within the Cypriot environment, and may be used by those organisations wishing to develop women managers. Practical Limitations – Since there are only a few senior managers/directors who are unrelated, by family, in the Cyprus context only a small sample was available.


Organizational performance is the result obtained with respect to the objectives, strategy andexpectations of staff and depends on quality, quantity, cost and time. For the organization, in order to achieveits objectives, it must accomplish tasks on time, low cost and high quality. In the 2007-2013 financialframework, using structural funds, the projects have been implemented in all fields by helping member statesto overcome the financial crisis, to rebuild their economies and to develop. Ex-post evaluation of the CohesionFund and the European Regional Development Fund has provided positive results beneficial for member states,both in terms of transport infrastructure, environment, labor and the support of small and medium enterprises.The aim of this paper is to present a comparative situation of 6 member states in transport sector. The objectiveof this article is to analyze the performance of these member states, through the 2007-2013 structuralinstruments. The concepts used are the performance of regional development and EU cohesion policy. Thisapproach is based on scientific research and theoretical documentation. The main methods employed were theobservation, the specialty literature and publications. The conclusion of this study is that the EU member stateswith a developed economy received less financial assistance than the other member states, some member stateshave had the ability to fully use the grants provided by the European Union, while other have not succeeded inthis, which generated the request of the state budget. The case study can be used in university as a frame ofreference in order to realize other comparative analysis.


We establish a reflection on style, as a heuristic category of the analysis of authorship in serial formats of television fiction: such an use links this concept to the social dynamics of authorship once the decision-making instances are recognized in the creative processes and the textual functioning of such works. Thus, we advance the hypothesis of a conjunction of methodological questions deriving from two sources, namely the social processes of authorship (in the definition of responsible agents and the social dynamics of recognition) and those associated with the textual grammars of the serial formats (in the dramaturgical writing and in the principles of audiovisual staging).


We review some of the most recent approaches to colorize gray-scale images using deep learning methods. Inspired by these, we propose a model which combines a deep Convolutional Neural Network trained from scratch with high-level features extracted from the Inception-ResNet-v2 pre-trained model. Thanks to its fully convolutional architecture, our encoder-decoder model can process images of any size and aspect ratio. Other than presenting the training results, we assess the "public acceptance" of the generated images by means of a user study. Finally, we present a carousel of applications on different types of images, such as historical photographs.


This is the first comprehensive study to identify fungal pathogens of mango (Mangifera indica L.) inflorescences in Puerto Rico. A total of 452 mango inflorescences were collected from four cultivars at seven developmental stages during two blooming seasons. Samples were gathered from the germplasm collection at the Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Puerto Rico in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico. Eight different symptoms were observed: cankers, flower abortion, powdery mildew, rachis necrotic lesions, rachis soft rot, tip blight, vascular wilt, and insect perforations with necrotic borders. Necrosis was the most prevalent symptom (47%), followed by powdery mildew (19%) and tip blight (6%). Symptoms of malformation were never observed in the field. Using a modified Horsfall and Barratt scale, data on all mango cultivars pooled from two blooming seasons showed that the full bloom stage, the last inflorescence developmental stage (G), displayed the highest mean disease severity (42.67%). This severity value was significantly higher than those of the other developmental stages evaluated (P<0.05). Early inflorescence developmental stages were asymptomatic or showed the lowest percentage of disease severity. An ANOVA was performed to compare disease severity among all mango cultivars regardless of developmental stage. Results showed that there were significant differences (P<0.05) between mean disease severity of cultivars 'Parvin' and 'Haden'. Mean disease severity was higher in 'Haden' (20%) when compared to 'Parvin' (10.7%). There were no statistical differences in mean disease severity between cultivars 'Irwin', 'Keitt' and 'Parvin', or between 'Irwin', 'Haden' and 'Keitt'. In addition to the powdery mildew caused by Pseudoidium anacardii, 26 genera of fungi, mainly of Ascomycetes, 1Manuscript submitted to Editorial Board 18 June 2019. 2This work was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch project H-425. The authors thank agronomists Víctor M. González, Luis E. Collazo and Lorena L. Simbaña for their assistance in the development of this research. 3Professor, Department of Agro-environmental Sciences, University of Puerto RicoMayagüez, Mayagüez, P.R. 00680; e-mail: email@example.com. 4Ex-graduate student, Department of Agro-environmental Sciences, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez. 5Professor, Department of Agro-environmental Sciences, University of Puerto Rico, Agricultural Experiment Station, Juana Díaz, P.R. 0079. 6Research Associate, Department of Agro-environmental Sciences, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez. 7Research Plant Pathologist, USDA-ARS-Tropical Agriculture Research Station, 2200 P.A. Campos Avenue Ste. 201, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 00680-5470. 140 RiveRa-vaRgas et al./Fungi oF Mango inFloRescences were identified from a total of 569 fungal isolates, from symptomatic and asymptomatic inflorescences. The most common fungi were: Diaporthe spp. (29%), followed by members of the Botryosphaeriaceae (16%), Curvularia spp. (11%) and Fusarium spp. (11%). Many fungal pathogens identified in this study were isolated from asymptomatic tissue, occurring as endophytes or latent pathogens: A. alternata, various members of the Botryosphaeriaceae, C. gloeosporioides complex, Cladosporium spp. and F. decemcellulare. Thus, the use of protectant fungicides will not be as effective as systemics in their control. Correct identification of fungal pathogens affecting mango inflorescences is important when quarantine regulations are applied. In addition, this information will facilitate the development of better management strategies in mango orchards.


The objective of this research is to determine if there is a relationship between organizational culture and organizational performance in German multinational companies operating in Mexico. To this end, we use a multiple case study, analyzing five German multinational autoparts companies with operations in Mexico, applying a questionnaire to executives at each of the five companies and to 232 employees at one of them. Our main finding is that there is a significant relationship between organizational culture variables and organizational performance variables, such as turnover, job satisfaction, satisfaction with the company, and sales. The study illustrates the importance of promoting human resources policies aimed at increasing employee satisfaction, and studies should be carried out to identify the triggers of satisfaction with greater precision, which may improve the performance of this type of company. The main limitation of this work is that as a case study, the results cannot be generalized;  however, very few previous studies have attempted to establish the relationship between culture and performance in the Mexican context, so this study constitutes a milestone for knowledge in this area.


This article describes a design of a researchproject concerning how the Internet and metacognitive exercises can be combined in an attempt to increase quality in teaching and learning. It reviews the background of the research and its main purpose; namly to examine if an increased awarness and controll of one own's learning affects the ability to, in a qualitatively better way, use the Internet. The research is organized in three separate parts in a quasi-experimental design. Actionreaserch is used to introduce metacognitive exercises in two upper-secondary schools. The SOLO-taxonomy (the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcom) is presented in order to classify student's written work.


Sparse-matrix vector multiplication (SpMV) is one of the widely used and extensively studied kernels in today's scientific computing and high-performance computing domains. The efficiency and scalability of this kernel is extensively investigated on single-core, multi-core, many-core processors and accelerators, and on distributed memory. In general, a good mapping of an application's tasks to the processing units in a distributed environment is important since communication among these tasks is the main bottleneck on scalability. A fundamental approach to solve this problem is modeling the application via a graph/hypergraph and partitioning it. For SpMV, several graph/hypergraph models have been proposed. These approaches consider the problem as a balanced partitioning problem where the vertices (tasks) are partitioned (assigned) to the parts (processors) in a way that the total vertex weight (processor load) is balanced and the total communication incurred among the processors is minimized. The partitioning problem is NP-Hard and all the existing studies and tools use heuristics to solve the problem. For graphs, the literature on optimal partitioning contains a number of notable studies; however for hypergraphs, very little work has been done. Unfortunately, it has been shown that unlike graphs, hypergraphs can exactly model the total communication for SpMV. Recently, Pelt and Bisseling proposed a novel, purely combinatorial branch-and-bound-based approach for the sparse-matrix bipartitioning problem which can tackle relatively larger hypergraphs that were impossible to optimally partition into two by using previous methods. This work can be considered as an extension to their approach with two ideas. We propose to use; 1) matrix ordering techniques to use more information in the earlier branches of the tree, and 2) a machine learning approach to choose the best ordering based on matrix features. As our experiments on various matrices will show, these enhancements make the optimal bipartitioning process much faster.


Digital holographic interferometry (DHI) is an optical measurement technique that can be used to measure very small deformations and/or movements of an object. When the changes of an object are slow the measurement time has to be increased and vibrations of the components in the setup together with motion of the surrounding air start to interfere with the measurement. This thesis investigates the possibility of improving the quality of long time DHI measurements in a disturbed environment by post processing of the data. The approach has been to use the spatial correlation that exists in the noise by measuring a reference noise on a small stationary surface that is introduced in the field of view of the camera. This reference noise is then used in an RLS noise reduction filter to remove some of the noise from the other points in the image. The method has proven successful in removing noise caused by vibration where the spatial correlation is high within the noise. With air disturbances, only noise in the neighbourhood of the reference point is significantly reduced. The size of this region depends on the spatial scales present in the air disturbance.


The progress of Industry 4.0 and the advancement of robotic design are revealing a significant gap in the capabilities of current manufacturing techniques and the selection of materials that are available in electronics. Present‐day electrical systems largely rely on metals, but there is a driving need to develop new electrically conductive objects with a wide range of material properties, including expanded flexibility and softness, and with increasingly complex geometries. Electrically conductive composites can replace traditional metal‐based systems. In particular, thermoplastic composites become electrically conductive with the incorporation of conductive fillers or polymers while retaining to a large extent the processability of the thermoplastic matrix. This is where fused filament fabrication (FFF), an additive manufacturing (AM) technique capable of processing a variety of thermoplastic‐matrix feedstock materials, can be leveraged to create electrically conductive objects with new functionalities. While there is an increasing number of publications describing the FFF of electrical objects such as sensors and circuits, there is no comprehensive review outlining the functioning mechanisms, drawbacks, and advantages of FFF as applied to conductive materials. The present review fills this lacuna by offering a critical analysis of the specific challenges and solutions to promote FFF of electrically conductive polymers and composites.


The second edition of Mendel's book updated and expanded, retains the excellent readability of the 1968 Practice of Cardiac Catheterisation . Though four additional authors contributed, this book could be the work of one man, with its uniformity of style and philosophy. It is apparent that not only is the British language different from American, but the applied philosophy and the vantage point from which cardiology develops are viewed are also somewhat different from more local offerings. There are truly detailed, sometimes excessively, sections in this book. The overall impression is that of a well-thought-out presentation of basic catheterization methods and techniques, many of considerable value in the training of cardiology fellows and technicians. This volume is required reading for teachers of catheterization laboratory personnel. It is highly recommended for trainees and practitioners of cardiac catheterization.


Method 100 healthy perimenopausal women were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups, with 50 subjects in each group. In the control group, placebo was administrated daily for 3 cycles (4 weeks of treatment for 1 cycle and drug withdrawals for 1 week). The study group received 3 mg oral melatonin treatment daily in the same period of time. All subjects completed the study. We compared the uterine volume, endometrial thickness, LH (luteinizing hormone), FSH (follicle generating hormone), E2 (estradiol), and melatonin levels during daytime between the two groups before and after the study. Moreover, perimenopause syndrome, sleep, mood, and QoL were analyzed at the baseline and 3 cycles by the questionnaires of the Kupperman index, the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), the Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA), and the Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), as well as menopausal QoL (MENQOL), respectively. Any adverse reactions experienced by the subjects were also compared in the study. Finally, 91 participants (92%) completed the whole study, 47 and 44 in the study and control groups, respectively, and their data were considered in subsequent analyses. Results After therapy, the two groups were similar in the uterine volume and endometrial thickness. In contrast to the control group, the study group showed notably decreased LH and FSH levels. No notable difference was discovered in E2 and melatonin levels between the two groups in the study. Moreover, the study group exhibited a significantly lower score in the Kupperman index, PSQI, HAMA, HAMD, and MENQOL scale than the control group. Moreover, the two groups had no notable difference in adverse reactions. Conclusion Melatonin was a useful treatment to relieve climacteric symptoms and improve sleep, mood, and life quality in perimenopausal women without obvious adverse reactions.


The absorption of sound in sea water varies markedly with frequency, being much greater at high than at low frequencies. It is sufficiently small at frequencies below several kilocycles per second, however, to permit propagation to thousands of miles. Oceanographic factors produce variations in sound velocity with depth, and these variations have a strong influence on long-range propagation. The deep ocean is characterized by a strong channel, generally at a depth of 500 to 1500 meters. In addition to guided propagation in this channel, the velocity structure gives rise to strongly peaked propagation from surface sources to surface receivers 48 to 56 kilometers away, with strong shadow zones of weak intensity in between. The near-surface shadow zone, in the latter case, may be filled in by bottom reflections or near-surface guided propagation due to a surface isothermal layer. The near-surface shadow zones can be avoided with certainty only through locating sources and receivers deep in the ocean.


The prevalence and infectious intensity of schistosomiasis japonica has decreased significantly in China in the past few decades. However, more accurate and sensitive diagnostic methods are urgently required for the further control, surveillance, and final elimination of the disease. In this study, we assessed the diagnostic efficacy of a real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR) method and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) combined with a lateral-flow dipstick (LFD) assay for detecting early infections of Schistosoma japonicum and different infection intensities. The sensitivity of the qPCR at 40 days post-infection (dpi) was 100% (8/8) in mice infected with 40 cercariae, which was higher than in mice infected with 10 cercariae (90%, 9/10) or five cercariae (77.8%, 7/9). The results of the RPA–LFD assays were similar, with sensitivities of 55.6% (5/9), 80% (8/10), and 100% (8/8) in mice infected with 5, 10, and 40 cercariae, respectively. In goats, both the qPCR and RPA–LFD assays showed 100% (8/8) sensitivity at 56 dpi. In the early detection of S. japonicum infection in mice and goats with qPCR, the first peak in positivity appeared at 3–4 dpi, when the positivity rate exceeded 40%, even in the low infection, intensity mice. In the RPA–LFD assays, positive results first peaked at 4–5 dpi in the mice, and the positivity rate was 37.5% in the goats at 1 dpi. In conclusion, neither of the molecular methods produced exceptional results for the early diagnosis of S. japonicum infection. However, they were useful methods for the regular diagnosis of schistosomiasis in mice and goats.


Both basic Black–Scholes and plain vanilla binomial models price options on non-dividend-paying stocks. But most stocks pay discrete dividends, and pricing models—especially for American options—must account for that fact, which is not that easy to do without upsetting the price dynamics of the original model. In principle, the value of a stock is the expected present value of its cash payouts out to the infinite future. In this article, the authors develop an approach that greatly simplifies the problem. The future stream of dividends is separated into two parts: those that occur in the immediate future and can be predicted out to some maximum forecasting horizon and the present value of all dividends to be received after that date. The latter is assumed to follow a specified stochastic process. This structure allows available information about near-term dividends to be fully incorporated while maintaining flexibility to use a wide range of processes for the total value due to long-term dividend flow.


The thrust of this study was to examine the level of adequacy of current sources in facilitating access and participation in adult education centres in Murang'a South Sub-County, Murang'a County, Kenya. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. Combinations of purposive and stratified random sampling techniques were used to select 82 subjects to participate in the study. The study established that most adult education centres in Murang'a South Sub-County received inadequate direct funding from the government in the last three financial years, hence making these centres unable to acquire adequate appropriate physical and instructional facilities.  The funding conditions imposed by most financial institutions were prohibiting access and participation of prospective learners in these centres. It was recommended that the Government of Kenya and other public financing agencies should relax funding conditionality and increase their allocations to adult education in order to accelerate and sustain enrolment in the adult education centres (150 words). Keywords : level of adequacy, current sources, financing, access, participation,   adult education centres,   Murang'a South Sub-County, Murang'a County, Kenya


Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an established focal treatment for brain metastases with high local control rates. An important side-effect of SRS is the development of radionecrosis. On conventional MR imaging, radionecrosis and tumour progression often have similar appearances, but have contrasting management approaches. Perfusion MR imaging is often used in the post-treatment setting in order to help distinguish between the two, but image interpretation can be fraught with challenges.Perfusion MR plays an established role in the baseline and post-treatment evaluation of primary brain tumours and a number of studies have concentrated on the value of perfusion imaging in brain metastases. Of the parameters generated, relative cerebral blood volume is the most widely used variable in terms of its clinical value in differentiating between radionecrosis and tumour progression. Although it has been suggested that the rCBV tends to be elevated in active metastatic disease following treatment with radiosurgery, but not with treatment-related changes, the literature available on interpretation of the ratios provided in the context of defining tumour progression is not consistent.This article aims to provide an overview of the role perfusion MRI plays in the assessment of brain metastases and introduces the rationale for the STARBEAM-X study (Study of assessment of radionecrosis in brain metastases using MR perfusion extra imaging), which will prospectively evaluate baseline perfusion imaging in brain metastases. We hope this will allow insight into the vascular appearance of metastases from different primary sites, and aid in the interpretation of post-treatment perfusion imaging.


— This paper has examined the energy consumption characteristics in six different buildings including apartments, offices, commercial buildings, hospitals, hotels and educational facilities. Then 5-hectare (50000m 2 ) development site for respective building's type has been assumed as case study to evaluate the introduction effect of Combined Heat and Power (CHP). All kinds of CHP systems with different distributed generation technologies including Gas Turbine (GT), Gas Engine (GE), Diesel Engine (DE), Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) and Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEFC), have been simulated by using HEATMAP, CHP system analysis software. And their primary energy utilization efficiency, energy saving ratio and CO 2 reduction ratio have evaluated and compared respectively. The results can be summarized as follows: Various buildings have their special heat to power ratio characteristics. Matching the heat to power ratio demanded from an individual building with that supplied from a CHP system is very important. It is necessary to select a reasonable distributed generation technologies according to the load characteristics of various buildings. Distributed generation technologies with high energy generating efficiency and low heat to power ratio, like SOFC and PEFC is more reasonable selection for Building Combined Heat and Power (BCHP). CHP system is an attractive option for hotels, hospitals and apartments in Japan. The users can achieve high energy saving and environmental benefit by introducing a CHP systems. In others buildings, especially like commercial buildings and offices, the introduction of CHP system is unreasonable.


In his letters, the apostle Paul commonly refers to his fellow believers as "adelfoi", as his "brothers and sisters" Here, Reidar Aasgaard offers the first in depth, and by far the most profound, analysis of this sibling vocabulary in the Pauline epistles Aasgaard researches family and sibling relationships in the Graeco Roman and Jewish context and discusses the relevantIn his letters, the apostle Paul commonly refers to his fellow believers as "adelfoi", as his "brothers and sisters" Here, Reidar Aasgaard offers the first in depth, and by far the most profound, analysis of this sibling vocabulary in the Pauline epistles Aasgaard researches family and sibling relationships in the Graeco Roman and Jewish context and discusses the relevant texts on siblingship in Paul's letters He argues that sibling terminology is both central and charged with meaning for Paul When the apostle speaks of the Christians as siblings, he employs contemporary notions of what sibling and family relations should be about: emotional closeness, love, tolerance and forgiveness, defense of family honor, and familial harmony Paul utilizes these ideals rhetorically in various contexts in order to influence the attitudes and behavior of the Christians, both internally and in relation to outsiders


Theta activity is one of the most prominent rhythms in the brain and appears to be conserved among mammals. These 4-12 Hz oscillations have been predominantly studied in the dorsal hippocampus where they are correlated with a broad range of voluntary and exploratory behaviors. Theta activity has been also implicated in a number of mnemonic processes, long-term potentiation (LTP) induction and even acting as a global synchronizing mechanism. Moving along the dorso-ventral axis theta activity is reduced in power and desynchronized from the dorsal part. However, theta activity can also be generated in the ventral hippocampus itself during anxiety- and fear-related behaviors. Until now it was unknown which hippocampal cell population was capable to generate theta activity and it was controversial if its origin was local, in the hippocampus, or driven by other brain regions. In this thesis I present compelling in vitro and in vivo evidence that a subpopulation of OLM interneurons (defined by the Chrna2-cre line) distinctively enriched in the CA1 region of the ventral hippocampus is implicated in LTP function (paper I,II), information control (paper V) and the induction of theta activity that is under cholinergic control (paper IV). Importantly, a concomitant effect of the optogenetically induced theta activity is reduction in anxiety (Paper IV). Another innovation of this work was the development of a methodological approach to avoid artefactual signals when combining electrophysiology with light activation during optogenetic experiments (Paper III). In summary, the work presented in this thesis elucidates the role of a morphologically and electrophysiologially identified cell population, OLMα2 interneurons, first on the cellular, then on the circuit and ultimately on the behavioral level.


Scaling Bayesian optimization to high dimensions is challenging task as the global optimization of high-dimensional acquisition function can be expensive and often infeasible. Existing methods depend either on limited active variables or the additive form of the objective function. We propose a new method for high-dimensional Bayesian optimization, that uses a dropout strategy to optimize only a subset of variables at each iteration. We derive theoretical bounds for the regret and show how it can inform the derivation of our algorithm. We demonstrate the efficacy of our algorithms for optimization on two benchmark functions and two real-world applications- training cascade classifiers and optimizing alloy composition.


During the 2020s, key technologies will converge to completely disrupt the five foundational sectors that underpin the global economy, and with them every major industry in the world today. In information, energy, food, transportation, and materials, costs will fall by a 10x or more, while production processes an order of magnitude more efficient will use 90% fewer natural resources with 10x-100x less waste. The knock-on effects for society will be as profound as the extraordinary possibilities that emerge. For the first time in history, we could overcome poverty easily. Access to all our basic needs could become a fundamental human right. But this is just one future outcome. The alternative could see our civilization collapse into a new dark age. Which path we take depends on the choices we make, starting today. The stakes could not be higher.


The Dnmt2 enzymes show strong amino acid sequence similarity with eukaryotic and prokaryotic DNA-(cytosine C5)-methyltransferases. Yet, Dnmt2 enzymes from several species were shown to methylate tRNA-Asp and had been proposed that eukaryotic DNA methyltransferases evolved from a Dnmt2-like tRNA methyltransferase ancestor [Goll et al., 2006, Science, 311, 395-8]. It was the aim of this study to investigate if this hypothesis could be supported by evidence from sequence alignments. We present phylogenetic analyses based on sequence alignments of the methyltransferase catalytic domains of more than 2300 eukaryotic and prokaryotic DNA-(cytosine C5)-methyltransferases and analyzed the distribution of DNA methyltransferases in eukaryotic species. The Dnmt2 homologues were reliably identified by an additional conserved CFT motif next to motif IX. All DNA methyltransferases and Dnmt2 enzymes were clearly separated from other RNA-(cytosine-C5)-methyltransferases. Our sequence alignments and phylogenetic analyses indicate that the last universal eukaryotic ancestor contained at least one member of the Dnmt1, Dnmt2 and Dnmt3 families of enzymes and additional RNA methyltransferases. The similarity of Dnmt2 enzymes with DNA methyltransferases and absence of similarity with RNA methyltransferases combined with their strong RNA methylation activity suggest that the ancestor of Dnmt2 was a DNA methyltransferase and an early Dnmt2 enzyme changed its substrate preference to tRNA. There is no phylogenetic evidence that Dnmt2 was the precursor of eukaryotic Dnmts. Most likely, the eukaryotic Dnmt1 and Dnmt3 families of DNA methyltransferases had an independent origin in the prokaryotic DNA methyltransferase sequence space.


This paper explores the impacts of oil exploitation on human capital accumulation at the local level in Colombia, a resource-rich developing country. We provide evidence based on detailed spatial and temporal data on oil exploitation and education, using the number of wells drilled as an intensity treatment at the school level. To find causal estimates we rely on an instrumental variable approach that exploits the exogeneity of international oil prices and a proxy of oil endowments at the local level. Our results indicate that oil has a negative impact on human capital since it reduces enrollment in higher education. Furthermore, it generates a delay in the decision to enroll in higher education and leads students to prefer technical areas of study and programs in social science, business, and law. However, we do not find any effects on quality or tertiary education completion. Our results are robust to a number of relevant specification changes and we stress the role of local markets and spillovers as the main transmission channel. In particular, we find that higher oil production causes an increase in formal wages but that there is no premium to tertiary education enrollment.


Abstract The high-capacity DNA analysis of museum samples opens new opportunities, associated with the investigation of extinct species evolution. Here, the complete mitochondrial genome of the presumably extinct bird species, the slender-billed curlew Numenius tenuirostris (Charadriiformes: Scolopacidae) is presented. Our results showed that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is 16,705 base pairs (bp) in length and contain 13 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes. The overall base composition of the genome is 30.8% – A, 29.8% – C, 25.4% – T, 14.0% – G, and without a significant GC bias of 43.7%. Phylogenetic analyses based on the cytochrome B (cytB) gene and the whole mtDNA sequences revealed that N. tenuirostris had a close genetic relationship to Eurasian curlew (N. arquata), Far Eastern curlew (N. madagascariensis), and long-billed curlew – N. americanus. Besides, it reveals that Numenius genus is genetically distant from other Scolopacidae taxons. Together, these results provide a clear genetic perspective into the speciation process among the curlew genus members and points to a clear taxonomic position of N. tenuirostris.


It is shown that there is no polarization-independent two-dimensionally (2D) omni-directional photonic band gap (PBG) for any conventional one-dimensional (1D) metal-dielectric (isotropic) structure. Through the study of band diagrams and some asymptotic analysis, a 1D periodic metal-dielectric (anisotropic) structure is proposed to achieve a polarization-independent 2D omni-directional PBG. Theoretical predictions for both the lossless and lossy cases are verified with finite element method (FEM) simulation of a point source in such a structure.


The probability distribution of the total entropy production in the non-equilibrium steady state follows a symmetry relation called the fluctuation theorem. When a certain part of the system is masked or hidden, it is difficult to infer the exact estimate of the total entropy production. Entropy produced from the observed part of the system shows significant deviation from the steady state fluctuation theorem. This deviation occurs due to the interaction between the observed and the masked part of the system. A naive guess would be that the deviation from the steady state fluctuation theorem may disappear in the limit of small interaction between both parts of the system. In contrast, we investigate the entropy production of a particle in a harmonically coupled Brownian particle system (say, particle A and B) in a heat reservoir at a constant temperature. The system is maintained in the non-equilibrium steady state using stochastic driving. When the coupling between particle A and B is infinitesimally weak, the deviation from the steady state fluctuation theorem for the entropy production of a partial system of a coupled system is studied. Furthermore, we consider a harmonically confined system (i.e. a harmonically coupled system of particle A and B in harmonic confinement). In the weak coupling limit, the entropy produced by the partial system (e.g. particle A) of the coupled system in a harmonic trap satisfies the steady state fluctuation theorem. Numerical simulations are performed to support the analytical results. Part of these results were announced in a recent letter, see Gupta and Sabhapandit (2016 Europhys. Lett. 115 60003).


Immunotherapy holds great promise for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other conformational disorders but certain adverse reactions need to be overcome. The meningoencephalitis observed in the first AD vaccination trial was likely related to excessive cell‐mediated immunity caused by the immunogen, amyloid‐β (Aβ) 1–42, and the adjuvant, QS−21. To avoid this toxicity, we have been using Aβ derivatives in alum adjuvant that promotes humoral immunity. Other potential side effects of immunotherapy are increased vascular amyloid and associated microhemorrhages that may be related to rapid clearance of parenchymal amyloid. Here, we determined if our immunization strategy was associated with this form of toxicity, and if the therapeutic effect was age‐dependent. Tg2576 mice and wild‐type littermates were immunized from 11 or 19 months and their behaviour evaluated prior to killing at 24 months. Subsequently, plaque‐ and vascular‐Aβ burden, Aβ levels and associated pathology was assessed. The therapy started at the cusp of amyloidosis reduced cortical Aβ deposit burden by 31% and Aβ levels by 30–37%, which was associated with cognitive improvements. In contrast, treatment from 19 months, when pathology is well established, was not immunogenic and therefore did not reduce Aβ burden or improve cognition. Significantly, the immunotherapy in the 11–24 months treatment group, that reduced Aβ burden, did not increase cerebral bleeding or vascular Aβ deposits in contrast to several Aβ antibody studies. These findings indicate that our approach age‐dependently improves cognition and reduces Aβ burden when used with an adjuvant suitable for humans, without increasing vascular Aβ deposits or microhemorrhages.


Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Amphastar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (D.Mass 2) involves the alleged deception of a standards-development organization (SDO) by the holder of a patent essential to a standard relating to the manufacture of the drug enoxaparin. The SDO's rules regarding disclosure of standards-essential patents (SEPs) were found to be ambiguous, yet, as in Qualcomm v. Broadcom (Fed. Cir. 2008), the district court held that participant expectations created an affirmative obligation to disclose SEPs. Following the SEP holder's assertion of the undisclosed patent against a competing generic manufacturer of enoxaparin, the alleged infringer successfully raised defenses of waiver and estoppel against enforcement of the patent. The alleged infringer also brought antitrust claims against the SEP holder, alleging monopolization in violation of the Sherman Act. The case is interesting because it raises issues that were seemingly settled in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector a decade ago, but in the new setting of pharmaceuticals manufacturing. As such, it may give courts an unexpected opportunity to revisit the DC Circuit's controversial decision in Rambus v. FTC (D.C. Cir. 2008), which found no antitrust liability for an allegedly deceptive failure to disclose SEPs to an SDO.


This article describes two multi-disciplinary modeling and simulation approaches of complex products, points out the language advantage of physical simulation modeling language modelica. By describing the class structure of the language, in particular, the structural characteristics of the equation, It summarizes the modelica language modeling process, and makes analysis for the interpreter and the solver. It graphically details the architecture, hierarchical modeling, high level modeling tools of collaborative simulation platform COSIM. Against the language specific equation expression principle and the characteristics of simulation platform, the integration method of language and platform was creatively proposed, and the key technologies are needed.


ABSTRACT The author analyzes the visual similarities between early astronomy images and advanced practices such as produced by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). While 19th-century images generally were supposed to match what an observer could see if s/he were standing behind the telescope, HST public outreach images are not based on any such match, yet such images resemble photographs that do aim to represent what we see. This paper attempts to explain the insistence on producing images that appear to represent visible phenomena. Emphasizing the ways in which non-reproductive photographs deploy conventions that were originally utilized in reproductive photography, the paper seeks to add to the existing literature concerning the non-reproductive capacities of photography.


The article deals with the role and place of IT in language teaching in a technical university. In the article the peculiarities and didactic functions of IT affecting the formation of practical skills of students in technical specialties were discussed. It was emphasized that technology of teaching is subjected to its content. The forms, methods and means of study affecting the purposeful educational work of a teacher and a student were underlined. This helps to improve students' knowledge, to form and activate their cognitive skills and to broaden their professional experience. Special attention was paid to the technology of project activity, which is the basis of the methodology of teaching a professionally-oriented language in a technical university. Besides, the experimental training on the approbation of the developed methodology was described, the results of the study were presented, general conclusions were formulated, and prospects for further study of the problem were outlined.


The Indian telecommunications network is the third largest in the world and the second largest among the emerging economies of Asia. Today, it is the fastest growing market in the world. In this article an attempt has been made to study the service quality of the telecom service providers to find out the theoretical related to the concepts of Service quality in telecom sector. The objective of this paper is to explore the key dimensions of service quality for mobile services in the telecom sector and to ascertain which aspect of service quality have significant impact on customer satisfaction and after analysis suggest remedial measures to the companies under study. This study is very necessary as the service providers are providing the service and the consumer are there who are using or utilising those services which is being provided by various telecom service providers. Whether the services which are being provided by this service provider are quality based or not, it's very important to know. It's very significant to know how this service provider is performing their services and how consumers are rating the services which they are utilising from those service providers. To explore few dimension of perceived service quality in the mind set of customers of telecommunication industry and to find out the significant gap between customer expectation and service provider performance with respect to service delivery. SQE6 –SQExperiance6 with significant value of 0.006, SQE7 –SQExperience7 with significant value of 0.014, SQE8 –SQExperience8 with significant value of 0.035, SQE14 –SQExperience14 with significant value of 0.019. Key Words :  Service Quality, CRM, Customer Satisfaction, Telecommunication, Tangibility, Assurance, Network Quality, Empathy, Reliability


The Chinese economy has undergone three major phases: the 1978-1997 period marked as the SOE-led economy, the 1998-2015 phase as the investment-driven economy, and the new normal economy since 2016. All three economies have been shaped by the government's financial policies, defined as a set of credit policy, monetary policy, and regulatory policy. We analyze the macroeconomic effects of these financial policies throughout the three phases and provide the stylized facts to substantiate our analysis. The stylized facts differ qualitatively across different phases or economies. We argue that the impacts of China's financial policies work through transmission channels different from those in developed economies and that a regime switch from one economy to another was driven mainly by regime changes in financial policies.


The dynamic characteristic of flexible assembling fixture (FAF) for aircraft panel component is analysed by the method of finite element modal analysis. Consequently, the every order of natural frequencies and mode shapes of given different postures of the FAF are obtained. It structural weakness were pointed out through the analysis results of the modal vibration characteristics. The properties of mass and stiffness of the FAF's components are concurrently calculated, whose optimal matching and harmonizing with each other have great influence on the dynamic vibration characteristics of the FAF. As the results of these analysis, the design improving suggestion for the FAF is put forward.


The aim of the study addresses the inequity in oral health status of long stay psychiatric patients, by promoting an inter-disciplinary team approach to oral health promotion. A cross sectional study using a modified version of the oral health assessment guide (OHAG) (Eilers et al 1988, Sjorgen & Nordstrom 2000) was used by a nurse who received training and calibration at the School of Dentistry, Queen's University, Belfast, to assess the oral health status of long stay psychiatric patients. The paper provides an overview of the literature relating to oral health within the context of holistic health. It highlights the non-random distribution of oral health problems amongst psychiatric patients and the potential contribution of health needs assessment to the realization of equity. The study focused on 65 long stay patients in a psychiatric hospital, mean length of time patients had been in the hospital was 25.6 years; nine patients had been living in the hospital between 40 and 65 years. The study achieved a response rate of 82% and identified that oral health of the psychiatric patients was generally very poor, compared to the general population. Only one patient did not have calculus, decayed or fractured teeth and 12 of the patients were endentate and there was a conspicuous absence of health promoting behaviours amongst the patient group. A case study is used to highlight the lived reality of the patients and the need for a holistic and an inter-disciplinary approach to oral health promotion, for patients residing in a psychiatric setting. This preliminary investigation highlights the benefits of systematic assessment of need: in this instance the use of the OHAG as a tool, for promoting equity based care by making visible the non random distribution of oral health problems amongst the patients.


The rate of uptake of [U-14C]glucose or 3-O-[14C]methylglucose by isolated fat cells was rapidly measured (within 30 s) by an oil-centrifugation method. Insulin and the chemical agents, H2O2 (0.3 mM), vitamin K5 (48 micron), and spermine (0.3 mM), enhanced the uptake of both sugars. Each agent required a characteristic time period of incubation with the cells to produce maximum activation of transport. Insulin and the chemical agents increased the equilibrium exchange rate of methylglucose by the cells. The increase in rate elicited by the hormone and the reagents resulted primarily from increasing the Vmax of the exchange process. The Kt ranged from 7.5 to 10 mM after treatment of cells with insulin or the other agents. Basal Kt values were more difficult to measure, but in a sugar concentration range of 5-15 mM the values were similar to those found under conditions of stimulated exchange. Overall, these findings suggest that the chemical agents may be useful as probes to study certain aspects of insulin-mediated activation of glucose transport. However, because of the differences in time courses needed for activation, the actual steps that lead to stimulation may differ for the chemical agents and insulin.


Soaking of soybean seeds is prerequisite for the production of soy foods and it has been shown that the extent of water absorbed during different imbibition conditions directly affects the quality of the subsequent soybean seed products by yet unknown mechanisms. In order to elucidate the molecular changes in soybean seeds during different soaking temperatures, we performed an integrated proteomics and metabolomics analysis of seeds soaked at 4, 25, and 55°C. Proteomics analysis revealed that various enzymes related to carbohydrate and protein hydrolysis were activated in soybean seeds during water soaking at 55°C. Interestingly, results obtained from this integrated proteomics and metabolomics study showed changes in various metabolites, including isoflavones, amino acids, and sugars, that were positively correlated with proteome changes occurring upon soaking at 55°C. Furthermore, soaking of soybean seeds at 55°C resulted in degradation of indigestible anti-nutrients such as raffinose oligosaccharides. Taken together, our results suggest that the seed soaking at high temperature (55°C) increases the nutritional value of soybean seeds by decreasing the contents of some of the common anti-nutrients.


The Netherlands lies on the northern coast of Europe and is situated between Belgium in the southwest and Germany in the northeast. The Netherlands boarders the North Sea which stretches from Cap Blanc Nez (France) to the north part of Jutland (Denmark) and is subdivided in three sections: the Delta coast, the Holland coast and the Wadden coast. The Holland coast forms the middle section of the Dutch coast and consists of a closed coast dune areas, varying in width from less than one hundred metres to several kilometres (Eurosion, 2003). The Dutch coast is low-lying and thus extremely vulnerable to flooding and the potential risks of rising sea levels as a result of climate change. With 60% of the population living in low-lying areas and with 65% of the Gross National Product generated in coastal areas it is vital that coast protection and management are high on the national agenda. On the 1st January 1990, the Dutch Government introduced a national policy to 'hold the line' in coastal areas in order to protect this low-lying land. Much of the Holland coast serves a key economic function, encompassing tourism, port industries, bulb growing, water abstraction activities and fisheries. Behind the dunes lies the political (The Hague) and economical centre (Amsterdam and Rotterdam) of The Netherlands. Where possible soft engineering in the form of beach nourishment or beach recycling is used although in many cases, harder alternatives have been required. The Government is currently making plans for long-term coastal monitoring and management alternatives through a policy of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) but, with much of the general public unaware of the dangers they face as a result of coastal erosion and sea-level rise, the main priority is to educate and inform the nation. In the past, many coastal management initiatives have lacked the vision for the longer term and have concentrated on current and near-future threats. It is hoped by increasing awareness between stakeholders and the general public that a more holistic and long-term approach can be adopted.


Inspired by large fatality rates due to fires in crowded areas and the increasing presence of robots in dangerous emergency situations, we have implemented a model of information propagation among evacuees. Information about the locations of exits and the relative confidence of the individual in the location of the exit disseminated through a simulated crowd of people during an evacuation modeled after The Station Nightclub fire of 2003. True believers were added to this system as individuals who refused to accept exit information from others, instead preferring to head to their own exit. This system was then tested to find what percentage of true believers most likely existed in the actual fire. Using this true believer percentage, robots were added to the environment to guide evacuees to the nearest exit. The number of people who believed a robot's instructions was varied to find what percentage of people need to trust these robots in order to exploit information propagation and thus increase survivability. As a lower bound, we have found that 30% of the evacuees should believe a robot's instructions to significantly increase survival rates.


We review our work on the direct epitaxy of III-V compounds on Si using template-assisted selective epitaxy (TASE) and demonstrate its use for the integration of electronic and optical devices. The III-V material is grown within the confined space given by an oxide template structure and lead to a III-V on insulator structure which can be further processed into devices. Monolithic integration of a broad range of III-V compounds enabled the fabrication of III-V FETs, TFETs, ballistic devices as well as optically pumped microdisk lasers on Si.


Analysis of data from single-case intervention studies commonly involves visual analysis. Previous research indicates that visual analysis may suffer from low reliability and unpromising error rates. We investigated the reliability and validity of visual analysis and explored to what extent data trends affect judgments. We administered a within-subject experiment in which 186 teacher-education students visually analyzed specifically constructed single-case graphs that included either an intervention effect, a trend effect, both effects, or no effect. Participants identified intervention effects in 75% of the graphs, regardless of the existence of a trend. Type I error rates were low (5%) in graphs without a trend but increased fivefold (25%) for graphs with a trend. Inter- and intra-rater reliability was low, particularly when a trend was present in the data.


To assess the risks of increasing the voltage index of the regulatory systems of dentists when performing local anesthesia. In the period from 12/2018 to 09/2020, selective monitoring of ECG was carried out at 200 dentists 25-55 y.o. using a wearable monitor. The study was conducted during the day with an emphasis on the 6-hour period, which corresponded to the working time of the dentist and measured the heart rate in normal and in case of local anesthesia. Of the participants, depending on age, 3 groups were formed: the 1st group included 25-34 y.o.; in the 2nd group 35-44 y.o; in the 3rd group 45-55 y.o. In the first group, the maximum heart rate limit was 188.8-182.5 (185.6); in the second 181.8175.6 (178.7); in the third 174.9-168.1 (171.5). in 1st group for maxillary anesthesia heart rate increased at 6,8% and for mandibular – 9,52%; in the 2nd group data shows 2,22% and 5,99% and in the 3rd group – 1,56% and 3,93%. In all groups was showed the significant change in heart rate and we can say about role of stress before local anesthesia in hemodynamic changes in dentists. Clinical article (J Int Dent Med Res 2021; 14(1): 242-247)


Hamster tracheal organ culture has been used to study the role of exotoxin A and proteases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in infections of the respiratory tract. Tracheal explants infected with a toxin producing, protease producing strain or a toxin deficient, protease producing strain displayed evidence of exfoliation and disorganization of the tracheal of the tracheal epithelium 12 h after initiation of infection. A toxin producing protease deficient strain caused some desquamation of cells and cellular swelling, but exfoliation was not evident. Each of the toxin producing and (or) protease producing strains inhibited protein synthesis of the explants. Purified exotoxin inhibited protein synthesis and caused some pathological changes similar to those observed with the toxin producing strain. Purified elastase from P. aeruginosa only inhibited protein synthesis at 10 microgram/mL but caused exfoliation at 0.01 microgram/mL. Alkaline protease had no detectable effect on the explants. The effects of active infection could be prevented by treatment with gentamycin. All the strains tested caused an inhibition of ciliary activity, but no correlation could be made with any of the extracellular products. Exotoxin A and elastase may be responsible for much of the destruction of respiratory tract tissue in Pseudomonas infections although other bacterial factors and host factors are of importance.


Affinity ligand HWRGWV has demonstrated the ability to isolate human immunoglobulin G (hIgG) from mammalian cell culture media. The ligand specifically binds hIgG through its Fc portion. This work shows that deglycosylation of hIgG has no influence on its binding to the HWRGWV ligand and the ligand does not compete with Protein A or Protein G in binding hIgG. It is suggested by the mass spectrometry (MS) data and docking simulation that HWRGWV binds to the pFc portion of hIgG and interacts with the amino acids in the loop Ser383–Asn389 (SNGQPEN) located in the CH3 domain. Subsequent modeling has suggested a possible three‐dimensional minimized solution structure for the interaction of hIgG and the HWRGWV ligand. The results support the fact that a peptide as small as a hexamer can have specific interactions with large proteins such as hIgG. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Dyskinetic syndromes are conditions with involuntary movements. They can have different causes, but are often due to dysfunction of the basal ganglias. The clinical picture varies, but all show spontaneous alterations in intensity as well as deterioration with stress. This often leads to misjudgement of cases of dyskinesia. It is however important to be aware of these syndromes as medical treatment is effective in many cases. The treatment of tremor, tics, chorea, myoclonus, dystonia and medically induced dyskinesia is reviewed and the clinical pictures are briefly described.


Objective: Breastfeeding an infant has many long and short-term health benefits. Chiropractic care, as part of a multidisciplinary team, has the potential to assist with biomechanical causes of breastfeeding dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to review the literature and explore what evidence there is to support this theory. Methods: Database searches were performed (PubMed, MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health and Index to Chiropractic Literature) and hand searches to identify relevant studies. Inclusion criteria were: written in the English language in a peer-reviewed journal, involving infant human participants and a focus on chiropractic treatment for breastfeeding (dysfunction). Results: Eleven articles were reviewed; 6 case studies, 3 case series, 1 clinical trial and 1 narrative. Conclusions: Limited evidence exists to support chiropractic treatment for infants with breastfeeding dysfunction. Of the 6 case studies, 3 case series and 1 clinical trial found in this report there was a trend towards resolution of breastfeeding issues with chiropractic treatment of biomechanical imbalances. More meticulous, higher evidence studies are needed to provide further evidence of this.


In this paper, the thermodynamic modelling of exergy loss, exergy efficiency, exergy destruction rate, environmental destruction coefficient, improvement potential, exergy destruction factor, relative irreversibility, productivity lack and exergetic factor of ground source heat pump (GSHP) system are investigated. The results show that these exergy indexes should be used integratively. Compressor has the maximum exergy destruction rate, followed by the condenser and ground heat exchanger. Exergy efficiencies are obtained as 54.54% and 38.52% for the GSHP unit and whole system, respectively. Related parametric studies concerning about exergy destruction rate and exergy efficiency of the system components are carried out at different ambient temperatures.


1999; Weiler et al., 2000). When light levels are high, the gap junctions close, and there is little coupling. When light levels are low, the gap junctions open, and extensive coupling ensues. Since coupling shunts current, the idea is that the extensive coupling causes a shunting of horizontal cell current, effectively taking the horizontal cells out of the system. Since horizontal cells play a key role in shaping integration time – they provide feedback to photoreceptors that keeps integration time short (Baylor et al. – taking these cells out of the system makes integration time longer. This hypothesis raises a new, and potentially generalizable idea – that a neural network can be shifted from one state to another by changing the gap-junction coupling of one of its cell classes. The coupling can act as a means to take a cell class out of a network, and by doing so, change the network's behavior. (For more on generalization, including the time scale of the coupling changes, see Discussion.) We tested the hypothesis using transgenic mice that cannot undergo this coupling (Hombach et al., 2004; Shelley et al., 2006). They lack the horizontal cell gap-junction gene, and, as a result, their horizontal cells get locked into the uncoupled state (Hombach et al., 2004; Shelley et al., 2006). If the hypothesis is correct, these animals should not be able to undergo the shift to long integration times. Our results show that the hypothesis held: the shift was blocked completely at the behavioral level, and almost completely at the physiological (i.e., ganglion cell) level. In sum, we tracked a behavioral change down to the neural machinery that implements it. This revealed a new, simple, and potentially generalizable, mechanism for how networks can rapidly adjust themselves to changing environmental demands.


This thesis is concerned with a discussion and comparative analysis of how the law allocates property rights in respect of 'migratory things' - objects that appear naturally upon or beneath the ground, but which, by virtue of their own inherent characteristics, move to and fro across different tracts of land. In this sense, the work is concerned with running and percolating water, wild animals, fugacious minerals such as hydrocarbons and other ambient, sub-soil substances. The work's opening chapters (Part I) analyse the development of the common law relative to different migratory things with regard to both Scots and English law. The analysis therein reveals a diverse range of approaches taken to die issue of ownership including that migratory things may be subject to full ownership in situ, characterised by qualified proprietary rights to reduce into possession, or deemed ownerless until reduced into possession. The study reveals, however, that in general, the right to exploit the resource is of more import practically than ownership as such. In this sense, although in some cases limitations have been placed upon the ability of landowners to exploit migratory things, the dominant approach revealed is one of absolute dominium (an absolute right to exploit). One repercussion of this approach - and in fact other allocation rules - is that a legitimate exploitation, wliich has the effect of taldng the resource from the land of another, with generally bestow upon the taker ownership and defeat any rights of ownership that the other previously held therein. This is facilitated by a doctrine termed 'the law of capture'. This judge-made rule provides a real challenge to recognised tenets of ownership, particularly the idea that an owner is protected against appropriation of his things by another without his consent. In Part II, the role of policy inherent in the development of die law relative to migratory things is discussed. Inefficiencies and inequity associated with the absolute dominium approach are then examined and alternative approaches to resource allocation - including correlative rights, prior-appropriation and reasonable use rules - are analysed (primarily by reference to different US regimes for water allocation). The study uncovers a spate of different policy markers that underpin these disparate legal approaches including: encouraging economic investment and industrial development; providing low transactional costs; providing for certain of rights to exploit; recognising the correlative rights of others; conserving the resource; limiting environmental damage; and adhering to existing precedent and constitutional obligations. The work reveals that how a regime determines appropriate policy choices may be grounded upon a number of factors, including: the value of the thing (either in a private, monetary sense or wider social utility fashion); the physical ability to exert control over the substance until reduced into possession; the extent that its presence (and extent of its presence) is knowable in situ, the degree to which knowledge exists as to the impact - either in terms of efficiency or some other social utility repercussion - that any particular exploitation might hold; and how abundant or scarce die resource, in its natural state, is. Part III of the diesis focuses upon die example of water law reform in Scotland in the aftermath of the Water Services and Water Environment (Scotland) Act 2003 ('WEWS'), which will, inter alia, radically shake-up existing approaches to rights of users to exploit water resources. This issue merits attention as water law is clearly the key 'live' issue in the field. By drawing on the policy rationale discussed in relation to different migratory things in previous chapters, the study analyses the extent that the post-WEWS regime is an appropriate one for water governance in Scotland. The regime is judged against a set of criteria which is distilled from various policy markers identified earlier in die work, namely: efficiency; ensuring beneficial uses; and legality. These aims are not compatible in their entirety and how the balance is struck by a regime with regard to competing policy goals is a key issue. In general, the thesis supports die shift from a general laissez faire approach to water abstraction and impoundments to a state-controlled regulatory regime in Scotland. In so doing, however, the work queries whether the policy balance has been struck in the most appropriate way and also identifies a number of pitfalls in the ability of the regime to meet its aims in practice. Conclusions are drawn in Part IV. The analysis presented in this thesis is important in respect of informing discussions regarding water governance in Scotland but it may also contribute to debates over allocation of rights to migratory things generally.


Interdisciplinary team work combines the strengths of two or more disciplines with the aim of identifying problems, revealing associations, working out solutions to problems, and applying these. Such collaboration frequently yields new, unexpected, and possibly trail-blazing results. The remarkable aspects of interdisciplinary teams include the emerging insights and conclusions, which extend beyond the specialist's knowledge of his/her own speciality. These insights and conclusions are conceived and specified in interdisciplinary dialogue. Interdisciplinary work is increasingly used in the clinical sector to determine the optimal treatment regimen for the individual patient. In research it is used to find solutions to complex questions. It is also demanded in crossdisciplinary teaching. In this article we will describe the emergence of disciplines and highlight the historical context of interdisciplinary team work.


Fuel cell vehicles are considered to be a viable solution to problems such as carbon emissions and fuel shortages for road transport. Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cells are mainly used in this purpose because they can run at low temperatures and have a simple structure. Yet to make this technology commercially viable, there are still many hurdles to overcome. Apart from the high cost of fuel cell systems, high maintenance costs and short lifecycle are two main issues need to be addressed. The main purpose of this paper is to review the issues affecting the reliability and lifespan of fuel cells and present the state of the art in fuel cell condition monitoring and maintenance. The Structure of PEM fuel cell is introduced and examples of its application in a variety of applications are presented. The fault modes including membrane flooding/drying, fuel/gas starvation, physical defects of membrane, and catalyst poisoning are listed and assessed for their impact. Then the relationship between causes, faults, symptoms and long term implications of fault conditions are summarized. Finally the state of the art in PEM fuel cell condition monitoring and maintenance is reviewed and conclusions are drawn regarding suggested maintenance strategies and the optimal structure for an integrated, cost effective condition monitoring and maintenance management system.


Mutations in WD repeat domain 36 gene (WDR36) play a causative role in some forms of primary open-angle glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness worldwide. WDR36 is characterized by the presence of multiple WD40 repeats and shows homology to Utp21, an essential protein component of the yeast small subunit (SSU) processome required for maturation of 18S rRNA. To clarify the functional role of WDR36 in the mammalian organism, we generated and investigated mutant mice with a targeted deletion of Wdr36. In parallel experiments, we used RNA interference to deplete WDR36 mRNA in mouse embryos and cultured human trabecular meshwork (HTM-N) cells. Deletion of Wdr36 in the mouse caused preimplantation embryonic lethality, and essentially similar effects were observed when WDR36 mRNA was depleted in mouse embryos by RNA interference. Depletion of WDR36 mRNA in HTM-N cells caused apoptotic cell death and upregulation of mRNA for BAX, TP53 and CDKN1A. By immunocytochemistry, staining for WDR36 was observed in the nucleolus of cells, which co-localized with that of nucleolar proteins such as nucleophosmin and PWP2. In addition, recombinant and epitope-tagged WDR36 localized to the nucleolus of HTM-N cells. By northern blot analysis, a substantial decrease in 21S rRNA, the precursor of 18S rRNA, was observed following knockdown of WDR36. In addition, metabolic-labeling experiments consistently showed a delay of 18S rRNA maturation in WDR36-depleted cells. Our results provide evidence that WDR36 is an essential protein in mammalian cells which is involved in the nucleolar processing of SSU 18S rRNA.


A major task of South Africa's new government in 1994 was to design a more racially
equitable education system. This article evaluates progress towards this goal using three
concepts of equity: equal treatment by race, equal educational opportunity, and educational
adequacy. The authors find that the country moved quickly towards a race-blind system,
including race-blind policies for allocating state funds to schools. Progress measured by
the other two criteria, however, has been constrained by the legacy of apartheid, including
poor facilities and lack of human capacity in schools serving black students, and by policies
concerning school fees. The article concludes with some thoughts on the future outlook.


Glial cell expansion and intercellular signaling in the developing Medial Nucleus of the Trapezoid Body Ashley Nicole Brandebura Neural circuit formation is a complex process involving coordinated communication between neurons, glia and vascular-associated cells (VACs). Each cell type is responsible for a unique transcriptional and translational contribution to tissue maturation. Deciphering the intercellular signaling patterns which guide neural circuit formation during normal development is thus an essential step in understanding which components of neural circuit formation go awry in neurodevelopmental disorders. The medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB), located in the auditory brainstem, was used as a model system to study the dynamics of neural circuit formation because it contains a mostly homogenous population of postsynaptic neurons and the largest nerve terminal in the central nervous system, the calyx of Held (CH). We conducted an extensive cell counting study using light microscopy to characterize changes in the neuronal:nonneuronal cell ratio across development of the MNTB. Using cell type-specific antibodies we obtained the relative percentages of each cell type at P3 and P6, key timepoints for CH growth and refinement to mono-innervation. Significant increases in the glial cell percentage are due mostly to an increase in percentage of oligodendrocytes. Using proliferation and mitotic markers, we demonstrated that oligodendrocytes locally divide within the boundaries of the MNTB during this timeframe. Changes in the neuronal:nonneuronal cell ratio aided in interpretation of transcriptional data obtained from a previously conducted developmental microarray study performed in the MNTB. In the microarray study, many up-regulated transcripts were known to be more highly expressed in glial cells in other brain regions. By connecting cell numbers to transcript level, we were able to determine whether a transcript highly expressed in glial cells was detected as up-regulated due to increases in cell number or due to true transcriptional up-regulation on a per cell basis. In a second study, single cell RNASequencing (scRNA-Seq) allowed us to generate cell type-specific transcriptional profiles for each major cell type in the MNTB. These data added cell type-specific expression information to the developmentally regulated transcripts identified in the microarray study, many of which were previously unassigned to a specific cell type. We identified transcripts related to several major intercellular signaling pathways at P3, including FGF, Delta-Notch, TGFβ and VEGF pathways. In many cases the direction of signaling between cell types could be determined based on expression patterns of transcripts encoding for ligands and their cognate receptors. Most interestingly, we were able to tie transcriptional data with structural changes that occur during MNTB tissue maturation, such as perineuronal net formation and angiogenesis. The combination of cell counting data, temporal transcriptional data at the tissue level and cell typespecific transcriptional data at the single cell level offers a broad picture of the process of neural circuit formation in the MNTB and provides a solid foundation to develop and test new mechanistic hypotheses.


INTRODUCTION
Diagnosis of apendicitis is difficult; however several clinical scales have been developed that attempt to improve diagnostic accuracy.

OBJECTIVE
The operational characteristics of Alvarado and Fenyö scales were defined in patients with abdominal pain suggestive of appendicitis and were compare with clinical and pathological diagnoses.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
A prospective trial assessed the diagnostic tests. Sign, symptoms, and laboratory tests were included in scales selected. Surgeon decision was maintained independent from the results of the scales. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and positive and negative likelihood ratio for each scale was compared with the surgeon evaluation.

RESULTS
The sample included 374 patients with approximately equal sexes. Of these 269 patients underwent surgery. Howeve, 16.9% of the male and 31.4% of female patients did not have appendicitis. For men, a diagnosis made by the surgeon had better sensitivity than scales (86.2% vs. 73% for Alvarado and 67.2% for Fenyö) without significant differences in specificity. For women, surgeon and Alvarado scale diagnoses were similar, and better than Fenyö scale (77.1% vs. 79.5% for Alvarado and 47% for Fenyö), but specificity was higher for Fenyö scale (92.9% vs. 71.4% for Alvarado and 75.9% for surgeon). Accuracy in diagnosis of appendicitis increases with a higher Alvarado score.

CONCLUSION
For men with abdominal pain on right lower quadrant, surgeon diagnosis is more accurate than scales. For women, Fenyö scale offers a better sensitivity. Alvarado score can facilitate decision-making in patients with these abdominal symptoms.


The need for a greater engagement with social science has been highlighted by key UK-based organisations, such as the ESRC and the Academy of Social Sciences (Benyon and David, 2008). In the UK, as Burchell and Holden (2009:4) describe, an 'extensive and diverse network – consisting of policy, practitioner, academic actors…has emerged… around the practice of a particular form of public participation in science and technology', networks 'searching for shared languages, understandings, objectives and even timeframes'. Social scientists operate in a range of capacities from policymaking organisations, to advisers and co-investigators, teachers, facilitators and evaluators within PEST contexts. Natural scientists have shifted from the subject to the collaborators or partners.

Drawing on the findings from a British Academy funded project 'Negotiated Boundaries: The Role of Social Scientists in Public Engagement with Science and Technology (PEST)' this paper will discuss the experiences of 20 interviewees working in, with and between social and natural science settings. The research explores how social scientists engaged in PEST settings identify their role and the implications that can be drawn for social science engagement, or the social sciences mosaic of 'public face(s)' (Holmwood and Scott, 2007). The paper explores issues of identity and role when social scientists participate in the many public engagement with science and technology activities which have occurred across the UK, reflecting on the both very positive, and sometimes negative, reflections and experiences of researchers in such settings.


This edited collection of chapters gives voice to academics
from different disciplines who have all embarked on a quest
to question, challenge, and rethink existing practices with a
view to test alternative methods, the recombination of
parameters, or the re-organisation of learning environments
and curriculum design.

With a focus on student experience, innovation
and internationalisation, this edited collection
holistically partakes in the Strategy 2020 of
Edinburgh Napier University,
the institution fostering these reflections.


Definition Biological control is a component of an integrated pest management strategy. It is defined as the reduction of pest populations by natural enemies and typically involves an active human role. Keep in mind that all insect species are also suppressed by naturally occurring organisms and environmental factors, with no human input. T his is frequently referred to as natural control. T his guide emphasizes the biological control of insects but biological control of weeds and plant diseases is also included. Natural enemies of insect pests, also known as biological control agents, include predators, parasitoids, and pathogens. Biological control of weeds includes insects and pathogens. Biological control agents of plant diseases are most often referred to as antagonists (Shelton, 2016).


Bulk cable current injection of modulated RF signals will be included in MIL-STD-461D and MIL-STD-462A as conducted susceptibility Test Method CS114. Test Method CS114 is designed to evaluate the susceptibility of electronic equipment to RF signals coupled into the equipment through the cabling. The author presents an examination of cable current produced by bulk cable current injection (BCCI) and by a radiated field for two cases: a simple multiwire cable mounted above a ground plane with each wire terminated with resistors at both ends, and an operational radar altimeter system mounted on a mockup of an aircraft instrument panel. For the simple multiwire test case, the bulk cable current induced on the cable by a current injection probe and by a radiated field is examined for two cable shield termination configuraions and two wire termination resistances. The radar altimeter, with a known cable-coupled digital altitude susceptibility, is evaluated for several cable shield termination configurations. BCCI testing tends to produce a more significant standing wave on the test cable than radiated field testing. Radiated field testing produces greater variation in the per wire current than BCCI testing. BCCI testing is an effective technique for evaluating system susceptibilities caused by electromagnetic-interference coupling into the system through the cabling.<<ETX>>


Broadband photodetectors with a wide ultraviolet (UV)–visible (vis)–near‐infrared (NIR) spectral response reduce cost and form factors in smart sensing systems by using one rather than multiple devices for versatile applications. However, simultaneously achieving broadband detection, high responsivity, and fast response time remains challenging. This study demonstrates a high‐performance broadband amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O (a‐IGZO) phototransistor using an engineered Ni/Ti bilayer metal contact. This device differs drastically from the conventional a‐IGZO phototransistors in several aspects: 1) Pronounced photoresponse occurs at the device ON‐state rather than the OFF‐state. 2) A broadband response of 385–980 nm rather than a narrowband UV response. 3) Fast sub‐ms response time with no persistent photocurrent. 4) High responsivity of exceeding 105 A W−1. The external quantum efficiency exceeding 107% and specific detectivity exceeding 1015 Jones are also among the best of any UV–vis–NIR broadband photodetectors. The photoresponse is attributed to the light‐sensitive source–drain series resistance at the ON‐state. The Ni diffusion during postmetal annealing induces photoactive subgap states and modulates the conductivity of a‐IGZO at the contact region. The superior performance using low‐temperature processes and simple device structures as the widely available a‐IGZO technology suggests a tremendous application potential of this broadband phototransistor.


The organizational ability to innovate and support employee creativity have been touted to be crucial aspects for organizations in order to ensure their continuity and increased competitiveness. In the literature, organizational culture has been identified as a possible solution for supporting organizations' ability to innovate. Despite the merits of innovation supportive culture, organizational culture has been recognized as an ambiguous concept, which often leaves organizational managers mystified on how culture should be changed in order to gain the expected benefits. Therefore, even if the management's endeavor is to increase innovation and creativity through culture, the actual embedded culture may not meet this goal.This thesis has contributed to the discussion of innovation supportive culture by identifying aspects of organizational culture and climate, which have been argued in the literature to support organizational innovation and creativity. Based on the identified aspects, a culture perception framework was devised in order to examine the perceptions of the managers and employees regarding innovation supportive culture in their organizations. Five IT-organizations were asked to participate in the study from which three organizations, Elbit, Solita and Sysart, responded and agreed to participate. Total 8 interviews were conducted for this thesis, which included interviews with a manager from each of the organizations, and interviews with 2 employees per organization except for Elbit where only 1 employee could be interviewed. The data gathering was conducted utilizing semi-structured interview in order to define the scope of the interviews to match with the devised Culture perception framework. The interviews focused on the innovation supportive aspects presented in the Culture perception framework and strived to identify the perceptions of managers and employees regarding innovation supportive culture in their organizations. The conducted research revealed that the perceptions of culture between managers and employees were mostly congruent in all of the case organizations. Higher levels of incongruence was identified in all of the organizations in the aspect of reward emphasis, on which the interviewees' perceptions were partly contradictory. Based on the results, further research is suggested to identify the reasons behind incongruent perceptions regarding reward emphasis.


Abstract Allocutivity is a term coined to describe a phenomenon in Basque whereby, in certain pragmatic (and syntactic) circumstances, an addressee who is not an argument of the verb is systematically encoded in all declarative main clause conjugated verb forms. Although the term has been exclusively applied to Basque, similar phenomena are found in other languages as well. Indeed, despite certain differences in the degree of grammaticalization and usage, allocutive verb forms are attested in at least Pumé (isolate; Venezuela), Nambikwara (isolate; Brazil), Mandan (Siouan; North America), and Beja (Cushitic; Northeast Africa). The aim of this article is to propose a typology of verbal allocutivity in a crosslinguistic perspective, taking into consideration the locus of encoding, the manner in which it is encoded, the information concerning the addressee which is encoded, and the syntactic environments in which it can appear.


In this paper we present Topology and Link Quality Assessment Protocol (TLQAP), which we have implemented as a wireless testbed management framework component, that is used to inspect link quality between wireless testbed nodes and appropriately map them to user experiment requirements. TLQAP is mainly an OSI layer 2 design for fixed location, non RF-isolated wireless testbed deployments, which assesses interconnection topology and link quality by estimating packet delivery ratio (PDR) and transmission delay at each node for all requested channel, rate and transmission power combinations. Moreover, TLQAP builds a measurement history log and creates a channel utilization profile, in the context of each testbed node, for all the nearby testbed-external devices that operate independently in the region and are not under the management framework control. The analysis of this information enables TLQAP to choose the channels that have the highest probability of being free during an experiment. TLQAP OSI layer 2 component has been implemented in the click modular router framework and the controller component has been integrated with OMF management framework for wireless testbeds. To outline TLQAP benefits, we have performed experiments on our ORBIT node testbed and we compare it to an existing application level measuring tool.


This article concerns administrative and cultural mechanisms that the colonial government and the Catholic Steyler missionaries (SVD) in German Togo were using in the process of transforming the traditional social fabric of local ethnic groups ‒ the process that had also a significant impact on the institution of family by altering community-based African conceptions about the human being. Those administrative and cultural tools of social disciplining were supported by the contemporary ideological framework composed of Christian, positivist and nationalist components. The example of the family of Martin Aku ‒ Togolese intellectual and political activist ‒ illustrates the effectiveness of that system. The phenomenon that contradicted the then mainstream ideology of white superiority was the growing number of individuals of mixed ancestry - the "unwanted fruit" of liaisons between European colonial agents and indigenous women.


This study is concerned with how the Symbolic and Functional Congruencies predict consumer behaviour. It focuses on the methodology for constructing an appropriate scale. In the case of Symbolic Congruence, though Self-Congruence constructs have received some examination in the past, little or nothing has been written about the concept of Lifestyle Congruence and ways to measure it. The present study is intended to bridge the gap in the literature by establishing these constructs conceptually and empirically. Two empirical studies were conducted to explore the effects of two Symbolic (Self-image and Lifestyle image) Congruencies and Functional congruence on customers' travel behaviours, focusing specifically on the choice of their holiday destinations. The objective of Study One was to assess the usefulness, applicability and validity of the Self-Congruence and Functional Congruence theory in predicting tourist choice of destinations. In Study One, the degree of Self-Congruence was assessed by the direct and global method. To collect the data, the study was conducted with a convenience sample and a face-to-face administered questionnaire survey is performed. The sample consisted of 367 British residents. The data were analysed through a factor analysis and a multinomial logistic regression analysis. The main findings of Study One demonstrate that a tourist's choice of a vacation destination is strongly predicted by Functional Congruence. Conversely, Self-Congruence has no significant effects on tourists' choice behaviour and the results do not support previous studies. As a result of these findings, the issues relating to the measurement of Symbolic congruence (Self-Congruence) were clarified and the methodology for the research was refined. Study Two adopted Lifestyle Congruence scales. The objective of this study was to assess the relevance of Lifestyle Congruence and Functional Congruence in explaining tourist choice of destinations. To achieve this goal, the research substantiated the dimensions of both congruencies and established the content of the dimensions. By the same token, the Lifestyle Congruence and Functional Congruence dimensions were examined to assess their usefulness in predicting the tourists' destination choice. In Study Two, the degree of Lifestyle Congruence was assessed by the direct and dimension-based method. The same data collection and data analysis methods used in Study One were performed and the sample consisted of 419 British residents. The empirical findings of Study Two reveal that the Functional Congruence for the destination is defined as four underlying dimensions, Basic Tourists Facilities, Natural Environment, Heritages and Cultural Attractions, and Entertainment, while the Lifestyle Congruence for the destination is defined as a single dimension. Actual Lifestyle Image. Furthermore, the key findings of Study Two show that a tourist's choice of a vacation destination is more strongly predicted by Functional Congruence than by Lifestyle Congruence and that Lifestyle Congruence has significant effects on the tourists' choice behaviour. In addition, theoretical contribution, managerial implications and future research directions based on the findings are provided at the end.