We present an overview of and preliminary results from an ongoing comprehensive program that has a goal of determining the Hubble constant to a systematic accuracy of ±2%. As part of this program, we are currently obtaining 3.6 μm data using the Infrared Array Camera on Spitzer, and the program is designed to include James Webb Space Telescope in the future. We demonstrate that the mid-infrared period–luminosity relation for Cepheids at 3.6 μm is the most accurate means of measuring Cepheid distances to date. At 3.6 μm, it is possible to minimize the known remaining systematic uncertainties in the Cepheid extragalactic distance scale. We discuss the advantages of 3.6 μm observations in minimizing systematic effects in the Cepheid calibration of H0 including the absolute zero point, extinction corrections, and the effects of metallicity on the colors and magnitudes of Cepheids. We undertake three independent tests of the sensitivity of the mid-IR Cepheid Leavitt Law to metallicity, which when combined will allow a robust constraint on the effect. Finally, we provide a new mid-IR Tully–Fisher relation for spiral galaxies.


In this paper, we present measurement results collected from real traces on the network FastWeb, an ISP provider that is the main broadband telecommunication company in Italy. The network relies on a fully IP architecture and delivers to the user services such as data, VoIP and IP television over a single broadband connection. Our measurements, that are based on a passive measurement technique, focus on IP Television (IPTV) multicast, that consists of 83 digital TV channels encoded using different MPEG-2 encoders. The results show that, depending on the encoder and based on the bitrate, flows can be classified as being: CBR, 2-VBR (i.e., two typical bitrate values) and VBR. Measurement of the packet loss, jitter and inter-packet gap show that, independently from the class, packet generation process of the flows can have various degrees of burstiness. Despite the packet level burstiness, average jitter is limited to few milliseconds and no packet loss was ever observed, showing that the quality of IPTV offered by FastWeb is excellent.


Despite the apparent decline in the global incidence of major armed conflict, there remain many countries in conflict and many others that are struggling with the legacy of recent violence. The majority of these countries are among the poorer and less developed ones. Increasing attention within the international community is therefore being paid to the inter-connections between sustainable peace-building and socioeconomic development within a "post-conflict" environment. Countries that are in a post-conflict stage of development differ in many important respects – in their economic state and potential, their political system, their bureaucratic capacities and the state of security in the country itself. All these variations are relevant to the appropriate design of post-conflict policies. Consequently, it may be helpful to develop a typology of situations confronted by post-conflict policy-makers, rather than expecting a one-size-fits-all approach to work. This paper develops such a typology. For simplicity and because our focus is on economic recovery, we concentrate on three economic aspects to form our typology – the state of economic development; the presence of high-value natural resources; and the existence of sharp HIs. We choose these three because they influence the probability of conflict recurrence and the nature of economic policies needed to achieve economic recovery. We also discuss four other important differences in enabling conditions – the state of security, the commitments of the international community to the country, state capacity and the inclusivity of governments. These enabling conditions are of critical importance in determining what policies are possible and their likely effectiveness. We conclude by illustrating how actual conflict and post-conflict countries fit into the typology.


Starting from an innocent Ramsey-theoretic question regarding directed paths in tournaments, we discover a series of rich and surprising connections that lead into the theory around a fundamental problem in Combinatorics: the Ruzsa-Szemer\'edi induced matching problem. Using these relationships, we prove that every coloring of the edges of the transitive $n$-vertex tournament using three colors contains a directed path of length at least $\sqrt{n} \cdot e^{\log^* n}$ which entirely avoids some color. We also expose connections to a family of constructions for Ramsey tournaments, and introduce and resolve some natural generalizations of the Ruzsa-Szemer\'edi problem which we encounter through our investigation.


: Among the areas receiving increased scrutiny recently from the Internal Revenue Service is employee/independent contractor determinations. The IRS estimates an annual $1.5 billion loss of revenues because of misclassification of workers as independent contractors rather than employees. Organizations found to be in violation of the FICA withhold payment requirements could be subject to significant penalties and assessments.


In June 2016 the Paleogene, Neogene, and Quaternary subcommissions (ISPS, SNS, SQS) of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) voted on whether to formalize sub-series and their geochronologic equiva-lents, sub-epochs. The vote required a 60 percent major-ity for the proposal to be forwarded to the ICS for further consideration. That majority was not achieved, albeit by a narrow margin, hence sub-series and sub-epochs are currently to be regarded as informal, and if used should carry a lower case modifier, as in lower Miocene and early Pleistocene. To accompany the vote, those who favoured continuation of informal usage were asked to prepare a short summary of the main arguments in support of their viewpoint, as were the proponents of the formalization case. Although this statement was not originally intended for publication, it is reproduced here at the request of the Former Chair of the ICS, so as to put it on record.


Extension continuously seeks novel and effective approaches to outreach and education. The recent retirement of a longtime content specialist catalyzed members of University of Minnesota Extension's Forestry team to reflect on our instructional capacity (internal and external) and educational design in the realm of maple syrup production. We responded by developing an educational maple blog series that incorporated faculty and community expertise through a participatory, peer-to-peer approach. The blog series expanded and strengthened the state's maple knowledge network, met contributors' and users' content needs and expectations, influenced maple practices, and retained program flexibility for adaptation.


The Food and Drug Administration's expanded access program allows patients with serious or immediately life‐threatening conditions to seek access to experimental drugs and treatments from their manufacturers. The 21st Century Cures Act of 2016 sought to increase the transparency of manufacturers' approaches to expanded access by requiring public listing of five key pieces of information about their expanded access programs: 1) relevant contact information, 2) procedures for making requests, 3) general criteria used to evaluate requests, 4) length of time anticipated to acknowledge receipt of requests, and 5) a reference to pertinent information on ClinicalTrials.gov. Manufacturers were given 60 days from the Act's enactment, or until February 11, 2017, to post this information. We reviewed a sample of pharmaceutical manufacturers' expanded access policies to determine what information is readily available to patients online, including assessing whether the information described in the Act is available.


Study Objectives: Black race has been associated with decreased CPAP adherence. Short sleep duration, long sleep latency and insomnia complaints may affect CPAP adherence as they impact sleep and opportunity to use CPAP. We assessed whether self-reported sleep measures were associated with CPAP adherence and if racial variations in these sleep characteristics may explain racial differences in CPAP adherence. Design: Analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial (HomePAP), which investigated home vs. lab based diagnosis and treatment of OSA Setting: Seven AASM-accredited sleep centers in 5 US cities Patients or Participants: Enrolled subjects (N=191) with AHI≥15 and sleepiness (ESS>12) Interventions: N/A Measurements and Results: Multivariable regression was used to assess if subjective sleep measures and symptoms predicted 3 month CPAP use. Mediation analysis was used to assess if sleep measures mediated the association of race with CPAP adherence. Black participants reported shorter sleep duration and longer sleep latency at baseline than white and Hispanic participants. Shorter sleep duration and longer sleep latency predicted worse CPAP adherence. Sleep duration mediated the association of black race with lower CPAP adherence. However, insomnia symptoms were not associated with race or CPAP adherence. Conclusions: Among subjects with similar severity of OSA and sleepiness, baseline selfreported sleep duration and latency, but not perceived insomnia, predicted CPAP adherence over 3 months. Sleep duration explains some of the observed differences in CPAP use by race. Sleep duration and latency should be considered when evaluating poor CPAP adherence. Portable Monitoring for Diagnosis and Management of Sleep Apnea (HomePAP) (http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00642486) NIH clinical trials registry number: NCT00642486


Export-led strategies are very crucial to achieving growth and goals of developing and transition economies such as Ghana. As a result, export strategies are being adopted in many developing countries. Although such export strategies might be in place, the deployment of public resources and funds warrant periodic programmatic evaluation. The objective of the study was to assess Ghana's wood products export sector strategies and performance. Using a combined National Export Strategy Template (NEST) and Balanced Scorecard (BCS) framework, we surveyed the 250 largest wood products manufacturers in Ghana. Overall, respondents indicated there was no comprehensive and well documented export strategy in place. We suggest that public and private sector institutions in the wood export sector coordinate activities to create an enabling environment for Ghana wood products exporters to compete favorably in the international market. The application of a combined National Export Strategy Template (NEST) and Balanced Scorecard (BCS) framework can be used to evaluate wood product export strategies in any geographical or national setting. This approach is a valuable tool that pinpoints strategic strengths and weaknesses. Key words:


The paper describes a study of the application of a new assessment method, based on the linear matching method (LMM), to the creep fatigue of notched bars of Udimet 720Li at 650 °C. This high strength nickel based alloy is taken as typical of alloys used in high temperature gas turbine applications. The primary purpose of the study is to see whether it is possible to predict the failure modes for such alloys in terms of standard materials data by the evaluation of a sequence of simplified calculations corresponding to the steady state cyclic stress history. These calculations involve the evaluation of limit load, shakedown limit and ratchet limit for perfect plasticity, rapid cycle creep solutions and the evaluation of an elastic follow-up factor. Within the limitations of the tests, the correlation between predicted failure mode and observed mode is very good and the calculations clearly show up the differences between the two types of notched bars discussed. This implies that LM methods are well suited to the evaluation of failure modes in materials of this type.


Energy transactions between electric power companies are commonly used to reduce operating costs. With movements toward a further de-regulated power industry, the number and importance of contracts are expected to increase. This paper proposes a new method to quickly and systematically evaluate potential contracts. A fundamental concern of contract analysis is whether or not the contract is feasible, i.e., if the terms of the contract, can be met without violating system operating constraints or prior contractual constraints. The novel features of our approach are a model of the essential components of a contract using rules and a contract consistency checking algorithm based on rule inference techniques. An example shows how the method is used to evaluate the consistency of a potential contract with existing contracts and other system constraints. The proposed method can help avoid tedious contract evaluation tasks while systematically ensuring that all constraints are met.


thoraco-amniotic was performed in all hydropic fetuses with normal karyotype and without any associated anomaly. Results: Fetal chylothorax was diagnosed in 72 fetuses during this period: 30/72 (41.7%) cases presented associated anomalies with normal karyotype and 18/72 (25.0%) had chromosomal abnormalities. Among these cases, one newborn with trisomy 21, one with 45,XO and another with associated heart defect survived (3/48, 6.3%). Isolated fetal chylothorax was diagnosed in 24 (33.3%) cases, in which 14/24 (58.3%) survived. Bilateral pleural effusion and fetal hydropsis were statistically associated with perinatal death (P < 0.05), being more frequently present in those cases with association of other structural anomalies (83.3% and 93.0%) and with chromosomal abnormalities (83.3% and 89.0%) than in fetuses with isolated fetal chylothorax (54.2% and 54.0%; P < 0.01). Conclusions: Bilateral pleural effusion and fetal hydropsis are associated with worse outcome, being more present in fetuses with other structural or chromosomal anomalies.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how managers' evaluation of and reaction to multiple rivals' actions will be affected by the distributional characteristics of these actions, including the extent to which rivals' actions are centered on certain firms (actor concentration), concentrated in certain time periods (temporal concentration), and clustered in certain geographic locations (spatial concentration).

Design/methodology/approach

The analyses are based on panel data on Taiwanese producers of personal computers and peripherals and the investments they made in mainland China after the Asian financial crisis. The authors employ fixed-effect logit regression to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Rivals' recent actions in China increase a focal firm's inclination to act especially when these rivals' actions are characterized by a high level of actor, temporal, and/or spatial concentration.

Originality/value

The analytical approach goes beyond a dyad-level conceptualization of interfirm rivalry. Incorporating insights from behavioral decision making, the paper shows how a firm with limited attentive capacity reacts to the aggregate impact of multiple rivals' actions.


Productivity of automated forging equipment can be improved by increasing the speed of the handling operations. It is necessary to increase the speed of a forging press to increase the productivity of the whole forging equipment. This higher speed can be achieved by adjusting the drive as presented in this article. The typical drive of a forging press consists of an electric motor, gears, energy accumulator (flywheel), clutch and a brake. For each working stroke, the required energy must be available which is taken from the energy accumulator so that the rotation speed can be reached within the permissible speed drop. This article describes the working stroke of the press, including the changes in speed and accumulated energy. Modifications to the press drive involve changing the electric motor and gear modification (belt drive and gearing). The result may be, apart from increased productivity, also weight savings (in the flywheel and electric motor) and financial savings (electric motor).


Objectives: The fetal lung area to head circumference ratio and position of the liver are predictors of survival in isolated CDH. We aimed to investigate the value of the observed/expected LHR (o/e LHR) and position of the liver in the prediction of neonatal morbidity in survivors with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Methods: Neonatal morbidity was recorded in 100 consecutive cases with prenatally diagnosed isolated CDH, who were expectantly managed in the prenatal period, were delivered after 30 weeks and survived until discharge from the hospital. Regression analysis was used to identify the significant predictors of morbidity, including prenatal and immediate neonatal findings. Results: The o/e LHR was the main significant predictor of the need for prosthetic patch repair, duration of assisted ventilation, need for supplemental oxygen at 28 days, and incidence of feeding problems. An additional independent prenatal predictor of the need for patch repair was the presence of fetal liver in the chest. Conclusions: In isolated CDH the prenatally assessed size of the contralateral lung is a significant predictor of the need for prosthetic patch repair, the functional consequences of impaired lung development and occurrence of feeding problems.


hybrid experimental-numerical method is presented for determining the stresses around a circular hole in a finite-width, tensile loaded plate. Calculated fringes obtained by FEA provided the information about the external boundary of the hybrid element, and those fringes on straight lines were used for hybrid analysis. In order to see the effects of varying stress field, different numbers of terms in a power-series representation of the complex type stress function were tested. Actual and reconstructed fringes were compared. The hybrid results were highly comparable with those predicted by FEA. The result showed that this approach is effective and promising because isochromatic data along the straight lines in photoelasticity can be conveniently measured by use of phase shifting photoelasticity.


We present LEGWORK (LISA Evolution and Gravitational Wave Orbit Kit), an open-source Python package for making predictions about stellar-origin gravitational-wave sources and their detectability in LISA or other space-based gravitational-wave detectors. LEGWORK can be used to evolve the orbits of sources due to gravitational-wave emission, calculate gravitational-wave strains (using post-Newtonian approximations), compute signal-to-noise ratios, and visualize the results. It can be applied to a variety of potential sources, including binaries consisting of white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes. Although we focus on double compact objects, in principle LEGWORK can be used for any system with a user-specified orbital evolution, such as those affected by a third object or gas drag. We optimized the package to make it efficient for use in population studies, which can contain tens of millions of sources. This paper describes the package and presents several potential use cases. We explain in detail the derivations of the expressions behind the package as well as identify and clarify some discrepancies currently present in the literature. We hope that LEGWORK will enable and accelerate future studies triggered by the rapidly growing interest in gravitational-wave sources.


Ultrasound-guided HIFU (USgHIFU) ablation is now a new non-invasive surgical procedure that developed rapidly in China, with vast clinical experience accumulating in treating uterine fibroids, adenomyosis, and other gynecological diseases with great success. However, there were limited collaborative and randomized studies, except those from China. Then the success rate of this new surgery requires more validations. Therefore, to advance this new surgical approach, the paper calls for collaborative validation from reports of large randomized, multi-center studies on treating uterine fibroids, adenomyosis, and other gynecological diseases. Keywords: FUS; HIFU; USgHIFU; uterine fibroids; adenomyosis; validation


Disseminated to massive sulphides from the Thompson Nickel Belt, Manitoba, show textural and geochemical evidence of being modified by deformation and fluid alteration. Samples of massive sulphide horizons, hosting metasediments, sulphidebearing ultramafic rocks, and sulphide breccias were collected from the Thompson, Birchtree, and William Lake deposits. Sulphide minerals from these samples were examined petrographically and analyzed by electron microprobe analysis (EMPA) and proton-induced X-ray emission (PDG). Representative samples were analyzedby wholerock geochemical techniclues. Compositional zonation occurs in and around massive sulphide horizons hosted by metasediments. Disseminated pyrrhotite grains in metasediments occurring within -20 metres of a massive sulphide horizon are enriched in Ni relative to pyrrhotite grains that are more distal to the massive sulphide horizon. These Ni-enriched disseminated pyrrhotite grains co-exist with Ni-enriched pentlandite. Chalcopyrite tends to be concentrated into stringers at the contacts between massive sulphide horizons and hosting metasediments. During high-grade metamorphism, Cu may have migrated to the contacts. During final cooling of the sulphides, fluid-assisted diffi¡sion of Ni from the massive ores to the metasediments may have occurred. Massive ores from the Thompson, Birchtree, and Pipe deposit are very depleted in Pt relative to other platinum group elements (PGE) The Pt depletion may be the result of i) the fractionation of Pt from the other PGE under reducing conditions or 2) mobilization of Pt from the massive ores due to metamorphic or *.,uro-uric processes. The most deformed (i.e. remobilized) massive ores in the Thompson Nickel Belt contain higher Ni tenors, Ni/Co ratios, Se/S ratios, and Pd/Ir ratios than less deformed ores. Furthermore, the most remobilized ores contain higher As, Bi, and Pd concentrations than less remobilized ores; these elevated trace element concentrations coincide with the paragenetically late mineralization of gersdorfüte (NiAs), As-bearing pyrite, and Pdbearing bismuthotellurides. Monoclinic pyrrhotite grains comprising extremely deformed massive sulphide horizons contain higher Ni concentrations than less deformed pyrrhotite grains; co-existing pentlandite grains also contain higher Ni concentrations and higher Ni/Co ratios. Nickel may be complexed by As-, Pd-, and Bi-enriched fluids travelling through stress-induced weaknesses in deformed ores, then subsequently re-deposited in massive sulphides distal to ultramafic sills and incorporated into thermally metamorphosed sulphides. Economic concentrations of sulphide ore in the Thompson Nickel Belt are considered to be structurally, stratigraphically, and metamorphically controlled.


PurposeThe purpose of this research is to examine the interplay between family commitment as a family-centric resource and professionalization of the organization as a firm-centric resource to determine how the two phenomenon come together to enhance business performance in the context of privately held family firms.Design/methodology/approachDeploying the theoretical lens offered by the resource-based view, a conceptual link is developed between family commitment to the firm and firm performance with the potential moderating influence of firm professionalization. The hypotheses are tested using data collected from 357 privately held medium-to-large family-owned manufacturing companies in Bangladesh. The data are analyzed through structural equation modeling using SmartPLS (v.3.2).FindingsThe data analysis suggests that in absence of the moderator; professionalization, family commitment has a positive and significant association with firm performance. While in the presence of the moderator the above relationship is substantially stronger. The findings indicate that when family-specific resources and firm-specific resources are synchronized, it enhances performance of the family firm and puts it on a strong economic footing toward a more sustainable future.Research limitations/implicationsCross-sectional nature of the study exposes it to the specter of common method bias despite the fact that procedural remedies were initiated to minimize the impact of such occurrence. Furthermore, data were collected from a single individual in each organization. Therefore, a longitudinal study with data obtained from multiple individuals at different levels of the organization would possibly yield more robust findings.Practical implicationsLeaders of family firms may find pertinent clues from the outcome of this study. Particularly, the confluence of family commitment to the firm as a family-specific resource and professionalization as a firm-specific resource can be valuable, rare, difficult to imitate and substitute source of competitive advantage for the family business organization.Social implicationsSurvival of family businesses is vital to the global economy as one of the primary drivers of global gross domestic product growth and source of new employment. Policymakers can benefit from the findings of this study to customize policies to nurture growth of family enterprises and incentivize family firms to adopt professionalization through better governance and transparent managerial procedures.Originality/valueA nuanced understanding of how family commitment and firm professionalization combine to significantly improve performance of family firms has not been dominant in the literature. Therefore, findings of this study carry special theoretical implications, because it suggests that both family-specific features and firm-specific features are necessary for enhanced levels of firm-centric business outcomes such as economic performance.


The chelodesmid genus Dibolostethus Hoffman, 2009, the sole member of the tribe Dibolostethini, is reviewed. The genus contains the type species D. sicarius Hoffman, 2009 known only from the Los Rios Province, Ecuador, and two new species from the Tropical Andes, D. inopinatus Means, Bouzan & Ivanov sp. nov. from the Morona-Santiago Province, Ecuador and D. kattani Means, Bouzan, Martínez-Torres & Ivanov sp. nov. from the Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia. We redescribe D. sicarius and provide a revised diagnosis of the genus, images of diagnostic morphological characters, and a key to the males of Dibolostethus. In addition, we provide a summary and a distribution map of the Chelodesmidae of the Tropical Andes Biodiversity Hotspot.


BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY
Unstented aortic valve substitutes offer many of the theoretical advantages of homografts such as superior hemodynamic performance and enhanced durability, particularly when inserted as a root. Many of these depend on the maintained flexibility of the valve components. Calcification of the aortic wall may adversely affect these phenomena. Electron beam computed tomography has been used to evaluate aortic wall calcification in patients undergoing aortic root replacement in a prospective randomized trial designed to compare the Medtronic Freestyle valve with the homograft valve replacement.

METHODS
Patients were followed with electron beam computed tomography scans of the aortic root at six-monthly intervals after surgery. A calcification score (Hounsfield units) and a calcified volume score (mm3) were obtained from each scan using a new modified technique. Results were related to hemodynamic data from echocardiography. The prevalence of calcification was also related to the homograft donor age.

RESULTS
Seventy-six patients (age range: 40-79 years) were randomized to root replacement with either homograft (n = 31) or Freestyle (n = 45) valves. Fifty-three scans of the aortic root were performed postoperatively in 37 patients. No statistical difference between the two groups was found at six and 12 months after surgery. However, after 18 months the calcified volume score was 5903.8+/-2356.8 mm3 in the homograft versus 2725.6+/-1500.5 mm3 in the Freestyle group (p = 0.017). There was a correlation between calcification score, calcified volume score and left ventricular mass (r = 0.323, p = 0.093 and r = 0.350, p = 0.068, respectively) on the one hand, and calcification score, calcified volume score and valve size on the other hand (r = 0.178, p = 0.466 and r = 0.068, p = 0.780, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS
Electron beam computed tomography provides a powerful tool for the detection of calcium in the aortic wall of valve grafts. There is a low rate of calcification during the first 18 months in the Medtronic Freestyle valve, and this appears to be lower than that observed in homografts. Longer-term follow up of the aortic root in these patients is required. This is an ongoing study.


Molecular substitutions were used to demonstrate preferential control
over the kinetic rate constants in a poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogel with
two different reversible thia-conjugate addition reactions. A strong electron
withdrawing nitrile group on the conjugate acceptor showed a 20-fold increase
in the forward rate constant over a neutral withdrawing group, while the
reverse rate constant only increased 6-fold. Rheometry experiments demonstrated
that the hydrogel plateau modulus was primarily dictated by reaction
equilibrium, while the stress relaxation characteristics of the hydrogel were
dominated by the reverse rate constant. Furthermore, the dynamic crosslinking
allowed the hydrogel to rapidly and spontaneously self-heal. These results
indicate that decoupling the kinetic rate constants of bond exchange allow
systematic control over dynamic covalent hydrogel bulk properties, such as
their adaptability, stress relaxation ability, and self-healing properties.


The Internet is a useful business tool that is increasingly being made available to employees to enhance their work productivity. Recent reports in the popular literature, however, suggest that the Internet may well be a doubleedged sword that companies should use with caution, since the ease and convenience with which the Internet may be accessed at the workplace lends the potential for it to be abused by employees. This study thus examined the extent to which Internet abuse – termed 'cyberloafing' – occurs at the workplace in Singapore. We define cyberloafing as the act of employees using their companies' Internet access during office hours to surf nonwork related Web sites and to check personal email. Data were collected, using an electronic questionnaire posted on the Internet, from 188 working adults with access to the Internet at their workplace. Results of our study suggest that employees do cyberloaf while at work by surfing non-work related Web sites and checking personal email. Findings further suggest that respondents feel justified in using their companies' Internet access for personal purposes when they have been treated unfairly, or when they feel that they have expended extra effort to fulfil their job duties. Majority of respondents in our study either worked in organizations where there were no policies regulating workplace Internet usage or were unaware of the existence of such policies. Implications of our findings for organizations are discussed.


ABSTRACT The horse chestnut leaf-miner (Cameraria ohridella Deschka & Dimić, Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) is an invasive pest causing extensive damage to leaves of the horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L.) in Europe. In Lithuania, C. ohridella invaded in 2002 causing wilting, browning and premature fall of A. hippocastanum leaves. The aim was to get a better understanding of possible linkages between foliar fungal communities and leaf-miner damage in A. hippocastanum. Leaves of A. hippocastanum, differentially damaged by C. ohridella, were collected in 10 sites in Lithuania. The fungal communities were described through DNA isolation and amplification using an ITS rRNA marker and Ion Torrent-sequencing. Clustering of 214,897 high-quality sequences resulted in 1017 non-singleton fungal taxa, among which Aureobasidium pullulans (28.2% of all fungal sequences), Endoconidioma populi (27.7%), Phoma fungicola (11.3%), Cladosporium ramotenellum (7.6%) and Cryptococcus sp. 2185_4 (5.0%) were most common. Correspondence analysis showed that fungal communities from heavily and slightly damaged leaves were largely intermingled, showing that in both types of samples fungal communities were similar. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that the phyllosphere of A. hippocastanum is inhabited by a high diversity of fungal species, the majority of which constitute generalist endophytes, epiphytes and saprotrophic fungi. The occurrence of common phyllosphere fungi was unrelated to the degree of damage by C. ohridella.


Virgin Mother, Maiden Queen: Elizabeth I and the Cult of the Virgin Mary. By Helen Hackett. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1995, xii + 303 pp. $39.95 (cloth). Helen Hackett's Virgin Mother, Maiden Queen is an extended investigation of a specific claim now routinely advanced by scholars of the English Reformation-that a cult of the Virgin Queen Elizabeth replaced the discredited cult of the Virgin Mary. The claim, as Hackett explains in the book's introduction and epilogue, was first made in embryonic form in the 1930s and 1940s by E.C. Wilson and Frances Yates, whose investigation of the Virgin Queen revealed evidence of a "sixteenth-century idolisation of Elizabeth [that] seems to have disturbed them as sacrilegious," (p. 235). Wilson posed a question. Was it possible, he asked, that English men and women "unconsciously transferred [to Elizabeth] some of the adoration which by rights of strict inheritance was due a far holier virgin?" (Wilson, quoted on p. 8). Wilson noted the difficulty of proof in such a matter, yet concluded, "the evidence justifies the belief that so it was," (p. 8). More recent historians have repeated and expanded Wilson's claim. Roy Strong's The Cult of Elizabeth: Elizabethan Portraiture and Pageantry (1977) suggested that the substitution of queen for virgin was the result, at least in part, of intentional government policy. This affirmation fits well into the agenda of recent revisionist historians, such as Christopher Haigh, J.J. Scarisbrick, and Eamon Duffy . In contrast to the earlier historical tradition represented by A. G. Dickens's The English Reformation (1964), their works portray the Reformation as imposed from above by a royal authority upon a laity largely satisfied with late medieval Roman Catholicism. A closer examination is long overdue for this sixty-year-old claim about the substitution of one cult for another. Hackett carefully examines plays, poems, portraits, letters, and public celebrations and reaches a conclusion of her own, which neither entirely supports nor overturns the substitution claim. The keys to her examination are a careful attention to chronology and an awareness of traditions about royalty that predate Elizabeth. Earlier authors, she suggests, have often used evidence from Elizabeth's later vears as typical of her entire reign or have concluded that long-standing royal iconographic traditions were Elizabethan innovations. Hackett finds little grounds for the substitution claim from the first two decades of Elizabeth's reign. While courtiers often used images of both Christian and pagan religious devotion to Elizabeth, they did so as "a metaphor for erotic desire for her," (p. 79). There was nothing remarkable in this; it was a fairly routine literary convention that continues to the current day. During this early period, moreover, courtiers were careful to weave injunctions against idolatry within their works, so as not to offend Protestant sensitivities. There was, of course, a political element to the devotion as well. …


Background While anatomic features associated with the risk of posterior communicating artery (PcoA) occlusion after embolization of aneurysms of the PcoA segment of the internal carotid artery (ICA) are well known, the link between perforator origin and perforator infarction has only been reported following neurosurgical clipping. The aim of this study was to determine the origin of anterior thalamic perforators and correlate it with risk of perforator infarction after embolization of PcoA segment aneurysms. Methods One-hundred-and-ninety consecutive patients treated for PcoA segment aneurysms between 2017 and 2019 were included. PcoA and anterior thalamic perforator origin anatomy was assessed with computed tomography (CT) angiography, digital subtracted angiography, and high-resolution three-dimensional rotational cone-beam CT angiography (CBCT-A) by two independent interventional neuroradiologists. The presence of perforator infarction after embolization was ascertained from the patient's notes and follow-up imaging. Results CBCT-A was superior in demonstrating the origin of perforators (P<0.001). The prevalence of perforator origin was estimated at 86% (95% CI 81%–92%) for PcoA, 8% (95% CI 4%–13%) for aneurysm wall, and 5% (95% CI 2%–9%) for ICA. The aneurysm wall origin was exclusively associated with PcoA agenesis, as well as higher risk of perforator infarction after aneurysm coiling compared with other variants (OR=14, 95% CI 2–88, P=0.006). Conclusions Our study suggests that anterior thalamic perforators may arise from aneurysm wall when there is no PcoA. Anatomic association between PcoA agenesis and perforator arising from ICA could underlie such findings, and careful consideration is essential before aneurysm repair to anticipate the risk of thalamic infarction in such cases.


Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques are becoming increasingly important as reserves of oil become depleted and traditional production rates decline. Therefore, many petroleum reservoirs have extended their life for being more productive.
In this work we are talking about water and gas (WAG) as a cyclic procedure that take part of EOR, carbon dioxide is used mainly for its good solubility in oil and also for the ability to reduce oil viscosity, water is used basically for increasing well pressure causing a pushing towards the oil well. WAG is known to be more efficient than injecting either carbon dioxide or water alone.
In this project is studied the temperature in different parts of the recovery, it is used the method of lines for solving differential equations and programmed with MATLAB.
Density, velocity, viscosity and temperature among others, are properties which are constantly changed during the process. Then, it is important to use a good range of correlations and laws and evaluate how good and solid the results are.
Mainly, this project evaluates the heat transfer through a pipe, the influence of properties such as density ans heat capacity and the study of a compressibility factor correlation.


Functional Muscle metabolic demand during contractions evoked by neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has been consistently documented to be greater than voluntary contractions (VOL) at the same force level (10-50% maximal voluntary contraction-MVC). However, we have shown using a near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technique that local muscle metabolic demand is similar between NMES and VOL performed at MVC levels, thus controversy exists. This study therefore compared biceps brachii muscle metabolic demand (tissue oxygenation index-TOI and total hemoglobin volume-tHb) during a 10s isometric contraction of the elbow flexors between NMES (stimulation frequency of 30Hz and current level to evoke 30% MVC) and VOL at 30% MVC (VOL-30%MVC) and MVC (VOL-MVC) level in 8 healthy men (23-33-y). Greater changes in TOI and tHb induced by NMES than VOL-30%MVC confirm previous studies of a greater local metabolic demand for NMES than VOL at the same force level. The same TOI and tHb changes for NMES and VOL-MVC suggest that local muscle metabolic demand and intramuscular pressure were similar between conditions. In conclusion, these findings indicate that NMES induce a similar local muscle metabolic demand as that of maximal VOL.


Ungulates can be underrepresented in zoo animal behaviour and welfare research, yet they comprise some of the most widely-kept captive species and as such, their lives within the zoo are worthy of closer investigation. Sitatunga ( Tragelaphus spekii ) are kept in numerous zoological collections globally yet current information on species-specific husbandry requirements and captive behaviour patterns appears limited. Many enclosures for ungulates can be uninspiring and generic; this study was designed to gain a better understanding of daily activity and enclosure use of a species that, in the wild, has a very particular habitat choice. Data were collect-ed at the former Cricket St Thomas Wildlife Park, Chard, UK on eight sitatunga to determine overall daily activity patterns and usage of all available areas of their exhibit. Instantaneous scan sampling of the whole herd during three periods each day (morning, midday and afternoon) allowed for changes in behaviour patterns to be assessed over time. The enclosure encompassed both biologically-relevant (long grasses, reeds and shallow water) and less relevant (open, short-grassed) areas; these were zoned according to features considered useable to the sitatunga and that could influence behaviour and time spent within that zone. Zone usage was analysed using a modified Spread of Participation Index (SPI) which indicated a significant prefer-ence for biologically-relevant spaces. Significantly enhanced behavioural repertoires occurred in the "natural" zones of the enclosure and three behaviours (standing, sitting/ruminating and eating) showed significant differences in performance between natural and artificial zones, and between time of day. Captive sitatunga display a daily rhythm in their activity, however comparison with wild data in the literature shows only few similarities in daytime activity budget and analysis reveals a significant difference between daily feeding patterns. Overall, enclosure design based on facets of natural ecology is important for the expression of a "wild-type" behaviour pattern in captive ungulates and sitatunga will actively choose more biologically-relevant areas of their exhibit when these are available. It is suggested that alterations to husbandry regime and management style of such specialised ungulates could help improve captive behavioural repertoires and enhance the display of such animals in the zoo.


This paper proposes a power-aware cache block allocation algorithm for the way-selective set-associative cache on embedded systems to reduce energy consumption without additional delay or performance degradation. For this goal, way selection logic and specialized replacement policy are designed to enable only one way of set-associative cache as in the direct-mapped cache. Overall cache access time becomes almost the same as that of a conventional set associative cache with accessing additional way selection logic. Because data array can be accessed without waiting for tag comparison, multiplexer delay can be removed totally. The simulation result shows that the proposed architecture can reduce a per access power consumption by 59% over conventional set-associative caches with average 0.06% of negligible performance loss.


Men with cancer rendered infertile by surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapy that are needed to control or cure their disease are increasingly being offered the chance to preserve their reproductive potential through artificial reproductive technologies. Cryopreservation of sperm and testicular tissue have increasingly helped boys and men preserve their fertility. There is a growing subspecialty within reproductive medicine aimed at fertility preservation in this population. Furthermore, strategies are being developed that may in the future revolutionize the approach to such patients. Written by international authorities in the field of fertility preservation, this comprehensive book is aimed at clinicians dealing with male cancer patients, in particular, urologists, andrologists, oncologists, pediatricians and nursing staff as well as clinicians in reproductive endocrinology. The text reviews the impact of cancers and their treatment on male fertility, the available fertility preservation strategies and post-treatment management.


Lithographic methods of imaging in resist can be extended with the addition of immersion fluid. The higher index of refraction fluid can be used to print smaller features by increasing the numerical aperture beyond the limits of dry lithography. Alternately, an immersion optical system can achieve a larger depth of focus at the same numerical aperture as the equivalent dry lithography system. When numerical apertures are significantly greater than 1.0, polarization effects start to impact resolution seriously. Special illumination conditions will be used to extend resolution limits. Additional factors that affect imaging in resist need to be included if we are to achieve new resolution limits using high index of refraction materials to increase numerical apertures. In addition to material inhomogeneities, birefringence and optical surface effects, material absorption, coatings and index differences at boundaries will have a larger impact on image resolution as ray angles in the imaging system continue to increase with numerical aperture. Aerial and resist imaging effects that material characteristics have on polarization, uniformity and aberrations in the lens pupil will be studied.


ABSTRACT Introduction: Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) is a rare but potentially devastating condition if not appropriately identified and managed. A few case series exist regarding SSEH and certain risk factors have been described; however, much continues to be unknown regarding the pathophysiology and optimal management. Case Presentation: We present the case of SSEH in a healthy 33-year-old African American woman with no identifiable risk factors who initially presented with significant neurologic compromise. This case reports discusses pertinent clinical presentation, imaging findings, and surgical management. The patient demonstrated near-complete neurologic recovery, highlighting the need for prompt identification and intervention. Conclusions: We believe this case adds to the limited literature surrounding the topic, particularly in regard to diagnosis and surgical management. It is essential for clinicians to be cognizant of SSEH for timely diagnosis and treatment, even in patients without obvious risk factors.


This paper gives an overview of current research on pedagogical agents at CARTE in the USC / Information Sciences Institute. Pedagogical agents, also nicknamed "guidebots," interact with learners in order to help keep learning activities on track. Social intelligence is required in order to engage in tutorial interactions with the learners, properly interpret the interactions of learners with other agents, and to model characters that can interact with the learners in social settings. At the same time, depth of domain intelligence is typically required in order for the agents to work effectively as advisors or collaborators.


We have studied the UV-vis absorption and chiroptical properties, binding affinity and photostability of a conjugated positively charged butadiyne-linked Zn(ii) porphyrin dimer bound to DNA sequence poly(dG-dC)2. Right-handed B-DNA, spermine-induced Z-DNA and Co(iii)-induced Z-DNA have been explored. Resonance light scattering (RLS) spectra showed formation of porphyrin aggregates in the presence of all DNA forms with the largest aggregates formed with B-DNA. The porphyrin dimer gave rise to induced bisignate circular dichroism (CD) signals in the presence of the left-handed Z-DNA conformations. On the other hand, the dimer stayed nearly chiroptically silent when complexed with the B-form of poly(dG-dC)2. Our results indicated that the conjugated Zn(ii) porphyrin dimer can be used as a sensor for the chiroptical detection of Z-DNA in the visible (400-500 nm) and near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum (700-800 nm). The helicity of DNA had little effect on the dimer binding affinities. The photostability of the porphyrin dimer complexed with any form of DNA was higher than that of the free molecule. The porphyrin dimer bound to Z-DNA exhibited slower photobleaching than the B-DNA dimer complex.


Measuring ąuality of life is currently at the forefront of the various fields of science. In spite of a great interest in ąuality of life and many attempts to measure it, there is no method of ąuality of life measurement, which is grounded methodologically and accepted generally. Quality of life remains a contested concept, which is measured in different ways: analyzing one or several factors of ąuality of life (material well-being and GDP per person), using objective and subjective dimensions, creating composite indices.Following works and studies of scientists (Cummins, 1996; Diener & Suh, 1997, 1999; Easterlin, 1974, 1995, 2001; Hagerty et al, 2001; Layard, 2005, 2007; Veenhoven, 2000, 2005, 2009), who have analyzed quality of life and its measurement, the present article examines factors determining ąuality of life and complexity of their measurement. The article raises ąuestions for discussion: what factors are involved in ąuality of life? How do they determine the ąuality of life in a particular country? Furthermore, on the basis of theoretical and empirical studies of ąuality of life, insights into opportunities for the development and implementation of ąuality of life studies are presented.A special focus of the present article is on complexity of ąuality of life measurement, which is primarily dependent of the levels and kinds of ąuality of life identified in the first part of the article. If studies of ąuality of life are conducted without having first identified its levels and kinds, this reduces validity and reliability of the results.Factors of ąuality of life and theirgroups arepresented in the second part. It is important to note that in the scientific literature only premises for the identification and systematization of factors of ąuality of life and for analyzing their interrelationships are mentioned, while a wide range of ąuality of life factors and their different classifications only create a great confusion in ąuality of life research. Theoretical studies of ąuality of life measurement indicate that the analysis of one or several factors of ąuality of life fails to do justice to the topic of quality of life measurement. Measurement of quality of life reąuires systemic approach involving identification of factors of ąuality of life and determination of their interrelationships.Finally, on the basis of theoretical studies of ąuality of life and empirical research in this field, factors of ąuality of life are identified, categorized, and united in a single model. In the model of measurement of ąuality of life two environments of ąuality of life are identified - external and internal environment of quality of life. They in turn are divided into four groups of factors, including natural, political, social and economic environments as well as physical, personal developmental, social and material well-beings, which constitute the basis of the theoretical model for measurement of quality of life.The authors of the article believe that the concepts involving multiple criteria, which are determined by several groups of factors, different factors and indicators reflecting them, are best measured by means of indexes. http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ee.22.2.311


Effendy (2018). Changes of technical effi ciency and total factor productivity of cocoa farming in Indonesia. Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 24(4), 566–573 The decomposition of the Malmquist index shows the private category farming during the period 2012-2016 was on the frontier. This indicates that private farming categories were more effi cient using inputs in Indonesia. Farming category smallholder was not effi cient in using input. Malmquist total factor productivity index for 2012-2016 for farming category is > 1. This means they have experienced positive growth over the past 5 years and vary but there was no defi nite trend for every cocoa farm. Farming category smallholder and government each experienced the smallest and largest productivity growth. The average productivity growth of 33 provinces in Indonesia for the period 2012-2016 was 1.9% per year. The lowest and highest productivity growths of cocoa farming were 0.6% and 35% for Riau and Nusa Tenggara Barat Province. Kepulauan Riau Province did not show productivity growth whereas in Central Kalimantan Province there was the highest decrease of productivity that was equal to 16.3%. To promote productivity growth, policies should be made to improve farmers' knowledge through extension and training, as well as improving technology and research in agriculture.


This paper outlines a specification for an algorithm-design system (based on previous work involving protocol analysis) and describes an implementation of the specification that is a combination frame and production system. In the implementation, design occurs in two problem spaces -- one about algorithms and one about the task-domain. The partially worked out algorithms are represented as configurations of dataflow components. A small number of general-purpose operators construct and modify the representations. These operators are adapted to different situations by instantiation and means-ends analysis rules. The data-flow space also includes symbolic and test-case execution rules that drive the component-refinement process by exposing both problems and opportunities. A domain space about geometric images supports test-case execution, domain-specific problem solving, recognition and discovery.


As the need for a highly knowledgeable citizenry grows, fewer Americans are accessing training and education beyond high school. The failure to attain postsecondary degrees and workforce certificates is particularly pervasive among low-income and minority populations. An undereducated citizenry leaves the country at a competitive disadvantage, diminishes the middle class, and lowers the standard of living for more and more people. Although the federal government plays an important role in higher education, states bear the primary responsibility for developing their own public higher education systems, including policies for funding and governing higher education and for connecting higher education with public schools. Renewing the Promise: State Policies to Improve Higher Education Performance summarizes the findings from a study that sought to understand how public policy explains the collective performance of higher education institutions in five states— Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Texas, and Washington—that have similar challenges as other states, such as the need to increase educational attainment and close persistent gaps in opportunity by race, ethnicity, income, and geography. The study reviewed state higher education performance and policies from the early 1990s through approximately 2010, including policies and statutes related to higher education finance, accountability, structure, and governance. We augmented our review of state policies and data by interviewing political, business, and higher education leaders in each state.


Governments worldwide view contact tracing as a key tool to mitigate COVID-19 community transmission. Contact tracing investigations are time consuming and labour intensive. Mobile phone location tracking has been a new data-driven option to potentially obviate investigative inefficiencies. However, using mobile phone apps for contact tracing purposes gives rise to complex privacy issues. Governmental presentation and implementation of contact tracing apps, therefore, requires careful and sensitive delivery of a coherent policy position to establish citizen trust, which is an essential component of uptake and use. This article critically examines the Australian Government's initial implementation of the COVIDSafe app. We outline a series of implementation misalignments that juxtapose an underpinning regulatory rationality predicated on the implementation of information privacy law protections with rhetorical campaigns to reinforce different justifications for the app's use. We then examine these implementation misalignments from Mayer and colleagues' lens of trustworthiness (1995) and its three core domains: ability, integrity and benevolence. The three domains are used to examine how the Australian Government's implementation strategy provided a confused understanding of processes that enhance trustworthiness in the adoption of new technologies. In conclusion, we provide a better understanding about securing trustworthiness in new technologies through the establishment of a value consensus that requires alignment of regulatory rationales and rhetorical campaigning.


The clinical records from 507 adult patients surviving open-heart operations were reviewed to determine the incidence of renal dysfunction. Three hundred nine patients (61%) were considered to have maintained normal renal function throughout the postoperative period compared to 198 patients who developed a blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level of greater than 50 mg/100 ml or a serum creatinine level of greater than 2.0 mg/100 ml. The mortality in the former group was only 1.6% compared to 30.3% in the patients having abnormal renal function. Age and the mean preoperative BUN and creatinine values were substantially greater in the "abnormal" patients than in the "normal" patients. Although a cause and effect relationship between renal dysfunction and mortality cannot be made on the basis of the present study, the data suggest the prevalence of renal failure in the postoperative period and the potentially serious nature of this complication.


This work investigates the X-ray irradiation impact on the performance of an on-conventional transistor called OCTO SOI MOSFET that adopts an octagonal gate shape instead of a rectangular. The electrical behaviors of both devices were studied through an experimental comparative analysis of the total ionizing dose influence. In addition, the back-gate bias technique was applied in these devices to reestablish its threshold voltages and drain currents conditions that were degraded due the trapping of positive charges in the buried oxide. As the main finding of this work, after the irradiation procedure, we notice that the OCTO device is capable to reestablish its pre-rad electrical behavior with a smaller back gate bias than the one observed in the standard one counterpart. This is mainly because the parasitic transistors in the bird's beak region are practically deactivated due the particular octagonal gate geometry.


Abstract Objective: To assess recruitment to and workload associated with methadone maintenance clinics in general practice; to investigate the characteristics of patients and outcomes associated with treatment. Design: Study of case notes. Setting: Methadone maintenance clinics run jointly by general practitioners and drug counsellors in two practices in Glasgow. Participants: 46 injecting drug users receiving methadone maintenance during an 18 month period, 31 of whom were recruited to clinic based methadone maintenance treatment and 15 of whom were already receiving methadone maintenance treatment from the general practitioners. Mean (SD) age of patients entering treatment was 29.6 (5.5) years; 29 were male. They had been injecting opiates for a mean 9.9 (5.1) years, and most had a concurrent history of benzodiazepine misuse. Average reported daily intake of heroin was approximately 0.75 g. Participants in treatment had high levels of preexisting morbidity, and most stated that they committed crime daily. Results: 2232 patient weeks of treatment were studied. Mean duration of treatment during the study period was 50.7 (21.1) weeks and retention in treatment at 26 weeks was 83%. No evidence of illicit opiate use was obtained at an average of 78% of patients' consultations where methadone had been prescribed in the previous week; for opiate injection the corresponding figure was 86%. Conclusions: Providing methadone maintenance in general practice is feasible. Although costs are considerable, the reduction in drug use, especially of intravenous opiates, is encouraging. Attending clinics also allows this population, in which morbidity is considerable, to receive other health care.


The aim of this research is to explore the challenges being faced by Community National
schools due to religious diversity. These schools were established by Minister Mary Hanafin
in 2007 in response to the emerging reality of pluralism in Ireland. They are publicallymanaged
state schools and the Education and Training Boards (ETB) are their patron. To
date these schools largely cater for minority ethnic communities in Ireland with 58% of
parents being of nationalities other than Irish (Department of Education 2016). The schools
are multi-denominational and the ethos is inclusive, striving to ensure that the beliefs of all
children are respected and celebrated. There are currently twelve schools in the sector. As
these schools are a new model of governance, very little research on the schools has been
conducted to date. This research was considered timely in order to assist with the
development of these schools and to contribute to the educational debate regarding the place
of religious education in education in Ireland.
This qualitative case study explores the practical and ideological challenges facing
Community National schools regarding religious diversity from the perspective of principals,
teachers and parents. The methods chosen for the research were semi-structured interviews
with seven principals and five teachers and questionnaires for parents.
This study reveals significant challenges for the stake-holders regarding the multi-belief
junior programme being taught in the schools. Findings highlight an uneasy tension between
the schools and local parishes regarding the sacramental preparation of Roman Catholic
children. Findings also indicate challenges for schools regarding the celebration of festivals
and the display of religious symbols in the school. A tension between the public values of
the school and the private values of parents is also revealed.
The thesis concludes by considering the implications emerging from this research and offers
recommendations for reflection by the various stakeholders of these schools.


The typical approach to studying the cognitive competencies of the elderly involves giving the same task to samples og elderly adults and college students. On such comparisons af performance of cognitive tasks, the elderly have almost always been found to be inferior, which is interpreted as indicating an irreversible age-determfned decline in cognitive ability. A recent study was conducted to test the hypothesis that success on experimental tasks depends upon skills and strategies associated with formal schooling and that the elderly, removed in time from_the school setting, no longer have ready access to these skills and strategies. The research involved an attempt to determine whether, within an elderly population, academic skills could be reinstituted through brief intervention and whether the ease of doing so would depend upon level of schooling. The basic technique involved giving a group of 99 white women with 6 to 17 years of schooling and a mean age of 72.6, matrix problems to solve independently. If they were unable to do so, progressively more explicit prompts for solution were provided. Transfer of training was assessed both by the extent to which subjects reduced the number of prompts needed and by their performence on novel problems for which no hints were available. It was found that training elevated the score on'transfer across all educational levels and problem types (although college-educated subjects scored higher). An implication from the research is that to test elderly people in the same manner as school children and to assume the comparability of the results ignores the fact that the elderly are not members of the test-taking society. Such procedures are unfair to them and show a loss of cognitive ability that may not reflect reality. (KC)


Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a popular tool to determine technical efficiency of agricultural production. One issue that arises in some nonparametric frameworks is the heterogenous endowment with determinate factors, such as agroclimatic conditions. Environmental factors clearly lie outside of the sphere of influence of the decision-maker and pose natural limits to increasing efficiency and productivity of agricultural production. Calls for rationalization or better allocation of production inputs might thus not be adequate if concerned studies do not properly account for exogeneous factors of efficiency. The presented paper addresses the existing attempts to deal with the issue and analyzes the effect of soil quality on technical efficiency, calculated for crop producers of 122 European regions (FADN), using a regularly employed two-stage DEA framework. The effect of soil quality is then accounted for by adjusting the input factor land by a land quality factor. First, results show that environmental factors, e.g., soil quality, have a significant positive effect on technical efficiency. Further, the proposed land adjustment reveals structurally different results for some individual efficiency estimates, which indicates that neglecting the effect of environmental factors on efficiency might yield misleading policy implications.


: Individual sensitivity to structural analogues of free fatty acids (FFA), some of which are endocrine destructors, resulting in hormonal metabolic disturbances, was studied using valproic acid (VA) as an example. The individual sensitivity was considered by the example of polymorphism in the PPAR@g2 gene. The homozygous genotype Pro12Pro of this gene was proved to be responsible for weight gain and development of insulin resistance during VA administration, which should be kept in mind when developing the safe levels of exposure to FFA-like substances.


The Higher Education (HE) systems of Chile and the UK are compared in terms of the 'massification' (Altbach, 1989) and the relevance and adequacy of the private-public provision mix. Dissimilar, each country has tried to build social inclusion into HE outreach at the same time as allowing participation of the private sector. Also included in the research are a) the role of social capital as a positive contribution for the social and economic development; b) the current state of social inequality in access to HE; and c) an in-depth analysis of the implications of both state and private roles over social inclusion in HE. Outreach programmes from each country, the Propedeutico in Chile and Aimhigher in the UK, are also analysed for lessons learned.


In 1964, following the implementation of the 'Continental Shelf Act', the first offshore licences in the United Kingdom were awarded.Subsequent exploration activities have resulted in the discovery of some 20 billions barrels of oil reserves and 70 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas, most of which are located in the North Sea Basin. It is no surprise, therefore, that most of the papers presented in this volume concentrate on this area, where a particular and favourable tectonic evolution has lead to the coincidence of good source rocks, sufficiently deeply buried; good reservoir development; and timely trap formation in relation to hydrocarbon generation and migration. It is the purpose of this contribution to summarize the various tectonic phases which have contributed to the complex geological evolution of the British Isles and surrounding territorial waters and trace their impact upon the development of the hydrocarbon habitat.


To survive, let alone flourish, we need to be sure of—securely tied to—at least one other person. We also need to be sure of our general acceptance within the wider social world. This book explores the normative implications of taking our social needs seriously. Chapter 1 sketches out what our core social needs are, and Chapter 2 shows that they ground a fundamental, but largely neglected human right against social deprivation. Chapter 3 then argues that this human right includes a right to sustain the people we care about, and that often, when we are denied the resources to sustain others, we endure social contribution injustice. Chapters 4–6 explore the tension between our needs for social inclusion and our needs for interactional and associational freedom, showing that social inclusion must take priority. While Chapters 5 and 6 defend a narrow account of freedom of association, Chapter 7 shows that the moral ballgame changes once we have made morally messy associative decisions. Sometimes we have rights to remain in associations that we had no right to form. Finally, Chapter 8 exposes the distinct social injustices that we do to people whom we deem to be socially threatening. Overall, the book identifies ways to change our social and political practices, and our personal perspectives, to better honour the fact that we are fundamentally social beings.


STUDY OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of setting, type of supervision, and time in clinic on the resident continuity clinic experience.

DESIGN
Prospective cohort with preintervention and postintervention measures.

SETTINGS
Pediatric residents selected one of three clinic settings for their continuity clinic experience. These included a traditional, university-based clinic, private practice offices, and publicly funded community-based clinics.

SUBJECTS
All pediatric residents at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center, July 1985 through June 1991.

INTERVENTIONS
Using varied clinic sites, matching residents one or two to one with preceptors for their continuity clinic, increasing continuity clinic from 1 to 2 half-days per week.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Residents in private offices had the most varied experience, seeing more patients, more acute care, and a broader age range of patients than residents at other sites. They were more likely both to be observed by their preceptors during patient visits and to observe their preceptors delivering care. Because the number of patients seen per session rose, increasing continuity clinic time from one to two half-days per week more than doubled the number of patients seen per week. Increased time away from hospital did not affect scores on the Pediatric In-Training Examination. While test scores were similar for incoming residents, those in private offices scored higher on the final Behavioral Pediatrics Examination (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS
Clinic setting, time in clinic, and faculty supervision affect the quality of the continuity clinic experience. Increased time in clinic resulted in a broader exposure to patients. Residents placed in private offices had a more varied patient mix, were more closely supervised, and seemed to gain primary care skills more rapidly than residents at other sites.


The path toward next generation computer based systems lies through global unification of main software components that results in series of hardware coprocessors. The proposed strategy is a deep level of revising and rebuilding of all existing systems from operating systems and programming languages to applications on the basis of functional coprocessors. It should be stressed that this methodology can be realized for new or current systems and does not demand to rebuild all existing systems or their components simultaneously. The author's original formal theory and support tools allowed to realize such global unification for language and access components in software. Applied area is very wide and only some aspects regarding operating systems, networking, data and knowledge modeling and representation, database systems, graphics, interpreters and programming languages are discussed in this paper.


Antihistaminics and Burns SIR,-We were interested to read about the treatment of burns by oral antihistaminics carried out by Dr. A. E. Milne and others (July 14, p. 117), and also of the work of Drs. S. Shubsachs and D. A. Macpherson (July 28, p. 236). We would like to put on record our observations on the effect of the topical application of antihistaminic solutions in a series of approximately 60 cases of burns and scalds met with in the casualty department of St. Stephen's Hospital over the past seven months. Acting on the same assumption as Dr. Milne and his associates, one of us (W. K. S.) considered that the local application of antihistaminic solutions would be more effective than the oral administration and would in this way pre.,vent the side-effects of these drugs-i.e., drowsiness, giddiness,


Abstract. A source-oriented version of the Weather Research and Forecasting model with chemistry (SOWC, hereinafter) was developed. SOWC separately tracks primary particles with different hygroscopic properties rather than instantaneously combining them into an internal mixture. This approach avoids artificially mixing light absorbing black + brown carbon particles with materials such as sulfate that would encourage the formation of additional coatings. Source-oriented particles undergo coagulation and gas-particle conversion, but these processes are considered in a dynamic framework that realistically "ages" primary particles over hours and days in the atmosphere. SOWC more realistically predicts radiative feedbacks from anthropogenic aerosols compared to models that make internal mixing or other artificial mixing assumptions. A three-week stagnation episode (15 December 2000 to 6 January 2001) in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) during the California Regional PM10 / PM2.5 Air Quality Study (CRPAQS) was chosen for the initial application of the new modeling system. Primary particles emitted from diesel engines, wood smoke, high-sulfur fuel combustion, food cooking, and other anthropogenic sources were tracked separately throughout the simulation as they aged in the atmosphere. Differences were identified between predictions from the source oriented vs. the internally mixed representation of particles with meteorological feedbacks in WRF/Chem for a number of meteorological parameters: aerosol extinction coefficients, downward shortwave flux, planetary boundary layer depth, and primary and secondary particulate matter concentrations. Comparisons with observations show that SOWC predicts particle scattering coefficients more accurately than the internally mixed model. Downward shortwave radiation predicted by SOWC is enhanced by ~1% at ground level chiefly because diesel engine particles in the source-oriented mixture are not artificially coated with material that increases their absorption efficiency. The extinction coefficient predicted by SOWC is reduced by an average of 0.012 km−1 (4.8%) in the SJV with a maximum reduction of ~0.2 km−1. Planetary boundary layer (PBL) height is increased by an average of 5.2 m (1.5%) with a~maximum of ~100 m in the SJV. Particulate matter concentrations predicted by SOWC are 2.23 μg m−3 (3.8%) lower than the average by the internally mixed version of the same model in the SJV because increased solar radiation at the ground increases atmospheric mixing. The changes in predicted meteorological parameters and particle concentrations identified in the current study stem from the mixing state of black carbon. The source-oriented model representation with realistic aging processes predicts that hydrophobic diesel engine particles remain largely uncoated over the +7 day simulation period, while the internal mixture model representation predicts significant accumulation of secondary nitrate and water on diesel engine particles. Similar results will likely be found in any air pollution stagnation episode that is characterized by significant particulate nitrate production. Future work should consider episodes where coatings are predominantly sulfate and/or secondary organic aerosol.


As recently as 2008 liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facilities were being constructed in the United States in order to help meet domestic demand. Within the past five years, the development of hydraulic fracturing has created a seismic shift in the energy landscape as companies are turning their focus to exporting LNG instead of importing it. Today, there are currently more than twenty liquefaction facilities awaiting regulatory approval to export domestic product to non-Free Trade Agreement nations. As of November 2013, regulators have approved export capacity of approximately 2,300 billion cubic feet per year, a figure which could rise dramatically over the next decade. Clearly the shale revolution, which has suppressed domestic natural gas prices relative to European and Asian markets, has created an intriguing arbitrage opportunity. The risks to LNG asset owners, however, are high. Long-term domestic and regional prices are uncertain, and capital expenditure costs require a heavy debt burden.

We will examine two primary LNG contract structures with altering project financing considerations. The first is the merchant model, in which the LNG asset owner takes title to the supply. The second is the tolling model, in which the LNG asset owner does not take title to the supply. Each of these scenarios will be valued using a high debt, low equity capital structure and a medium debt, medium equity capital structure. Once we have determined the relative valuations of each scenario, sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo methods will be applied to the outcomes in order to determine the optimal combination of contract structure and capital structure for both debt and equity holders.


Recent studies suggest that periodontal disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus are bi-directionally associated. Identification of a molecular signature for periodontitis using unbiased metabolic profiling could allow identification of biomarkers to assist in the diagnosis and monitoring of both diabetes and periodontal disease. This cross-sectional study identified plasma and salivary metabolic products associated with periodontitis and/or diabetes in order to discover biomarkers that may differentiate or demonstrate an interaction of these diseases. Saliva and plasma samples were analyzed from 161 diabetic and non-diabetic human subjects with a healthy periodontium, gingivitis and periodontitis. Metabolite profiling was performed using Metabolon's platform technology. A total of 772 metabolites were found in plasma and 475 in saliva. Diabetics had significantly higher levels of glucose and α-hydroxybutyrate, the established markers of diabetes, for all periodontal groups of subjects. Comparison of healthy, gingivitis and periodontitis saliva samples within the non-diabetic group confirmed findings from previous studies that included increased levels of markers of cellular energetic stress, increased purine degradation and glutathione metabolism through increased levels of oxidized glutathione and cysteine-glutathione disulfide, markers of oxidative stress, including increased purine degradation metabolites (e.g. guanosine and inosine), increased amino acid levels suggesting protein degradation, and increased ω-3 (docosapentaenoate) and ω-6 fatty acid (linoleate and arachidonate) signatures. Differences in saliva between diabetic and non-diabetic cohorts showed altered signatures of carbohydrate, lipid and oxidative stress exist in the diabetic samples. Global untargeted metabolic profiling of human saliva in diabetics replicated the metabolite signature of periodontal disease progression in non-diabetic patients and revealed unique metabolic signatures associated with periodontal disease in diabetics. The metabolites identified in this study that discriminated the periodontal groups may be useful for developing diagnostics and therapeutics tailored to the diabetic population.


Background Management of airways during intubation is a very stressful process that affects the hemodynamics, especially in elderly hypertensive patients. We aimed in this study to compare the hemodynamic response to tracheal intubation in elderly hypertensive patients using ILMA and Direct laryngoscopy. We aim in this study to prove that hemodynamic consequences with intubation using ILMA is that intubation with an ILMA has less hemodynamic consequences that last for a shorter period compared with DL in elderly hypertensive. Patients and methods A total of 70 patients of both sexes, ASA physical status II, above 60 years of age, undergoing elective abdominal surgery lasting less than 2 h were divided randomly using a regular sample method into two equal groups. Intubation was performed using a Macintosh laryngoscope in group (direct laryngoscopy), and in the second group [intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA)] intubation was performed with laryngeal mask airway. Hemodynamic data and oxygen saturation were recorded. Intraoperative adverse effects and postoperative complications such as sore throat, hoarseness of voice (during the first 24 h after surgery), and laryngospasm were recorded. Results There was a significant increase in heart rate and mean arterial blood pressure immediately after laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation until 3 min when compared with ILMA. Moreover, there was significant increase in heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure, and rate pressure product after tracheal extubation for 3 min, whereas it was for 1 min in the ILMA group. No significant difference was seen between the number of patients with or without symptoms after extubation in both groups. Conclusion Intubation with ILMA has less hemodynamic consequences for a shorter time compared with direct laryngoscopy in elderly hypertensive patients.


Nigeria is currently listed among countries in the world with the highest traffic injuries and fatalities. However, information on road accident costs which is important in the assessment of the National Road Safety Policy of the Country is sparse. This paper attempts to address this draw back through the assessment of cost of road accident on Federal highways in Ogun State based on dominant costs model using human capital approach for different accident severity levels. Road accident data between the period 2010 and 2012 were obtained with indices on human and economic production losses in addition to the direct accident costs (medical costs, claims from insurance company and property damage). The financial loss equivalent value of each of these components were estimated in terms of four types of accident severity namely, property damaged only, slightly injured, seriously injured and fatal. The severity of the fatality and others within the period under review stood at 548, 1934, 2533 and 57, 303, 36 while the total number of road accidents were 291, 754 and 875 respectively. The average traffic accident cost per one dead for 2012 was ₦9,978,577.44 and the cost per fatal was ₦19,957,154.87. The huge economic loss could provide basis for certain measures to be initiated to improve traffic safety level on these highways.


Onomatopoeic words in the Javanese language are evidence of the uniqueness of both lingual aspects and the described facts. This study discussed the phenomenon of phonological and morphological language processing. This study examined the derivation of the onomatopoeic root words of Javanese into some form of the word as an iconic formation. The data source covered source language of local print media. The study found that the iconic words to denote the head movements are classifiable into two types of motion. The first, the head movement itself is without involving the other elements; second, the head movement which involves other elements. Head movements that do not involve other elements include the motions of up and down, like: manthuk [mantu?] 'nodding', lenggut-lenggut[lәŋgut-lәŋgut] 'nodding', and ndhingkluk [nḍiŋklu?] 'down'; right and left lateral movements, such as: gedheg[gɛḍɛg]. Additionally, head movements that involve other elements are described by a word sundhul[sundUl]. The iconic nature of several words for eyes movements are words such as mlorok [mlɔrɔ?], kedhep [kәḍɛp], nglirik [ŋlirI?], liyer-liyer [lijәrlijәr], mencereng [mʧәñәŋrәŋ], blalak [blala?] and ngiyer [әijәr]. The word mlorok 'glaring' was derived from basic word plorok with addition of prefix aN-, and comes from the root rok.


This paper considers the problem of estimating the distribution of payoffs in a discrete dynamic game, focusing on models where the goal is to learn about the distribution of firms' entry and exit costs. The idea is to begin with non parametric first stage estimates of entry and continuation values obtained by computing sample averages of the realized continuation values of entrants who do enter and incumbents who do continue. Under certain assumptions these values are linear functions of the parameters of the problem, and hence are not computationally burdensome to use. Attention is given to the small sample problem of estimation error in the non parametric estimates and this leads to a preference for use of particularly simple estimates of continuation values and moments.


Restenosis prevention continues to be a challenge to the interventional cardiologist. The introduction of stents has virtually eliminated the problems of elastic recoil, late negative remodelling and scaffolds unpredictable dissections, leaving neointimal hyperplasia as the primary cause of restenosis. Drug-eluting stents (DES), using antiproliferative drugs added to stents, serve to prevent the development of neointima hyperplasia. However, they can be associated with an irregular endothelialisation, requiring prolonged double antiplatelet therapy to reduce the risk of late and very late stent thrombosis. Moreover, incomplete suppression of neointimal hyperplasia at the stent margins or between the struts may limit the efficacy of DES, especially when they are used "off-label" in complex clinical and anatomic settings.

Drug-eluting balloons (DEBs) may represent a therapeutic alternative for the interventional treatment of coronary disease. With the use of this technology, the short-term transfer of antiproliferative drugs to the arterial wall appears feasible, thus potentially reducing the untoward effects of the prolonged drug release associated with polymer-based stent technologies, and avoiding the risk associated with having a permanent metallic cage. In the last few years, research in this field has been increasing, and several trials have already been published or are planned to determine the place in therapy of these devices. The present article will review the available in vitro, animal and human evidence regarding these devices at present, and discuss the emerging role and their future perspectives.


We present a computational framework for stochastically modeling dyad interaction chronograms. The framework's most novel feature is the capacity for incremental learning and forgetting. To showcase its flexibility, we design experiments answering four concrete questions about the systematics of spoken interaction. The results show that: (1) individuals are clearly affected by one another; (2) there is individual variation in interaction strategy; (3) strategies wander in time rather than converge; and (4) individuals exhibit similarity with their interlocutors. We expect the proposed framework to be capable of answering many such questions with little additional effort. Index Terms: interaction, chronogram modeling, turn-taking, incremental learning.


Cartilage injuries may be caused by trauma, biomechanical imbalance, or degenerative changes of joint. Unfortunately, cartilage has limited capability to spontaneous repair once damaged and may lead to progressive damage and degeneration. Cartilage tissue-engineering techniques have emerged as the potential clinical strategies. An ideal tissue-engineering approach to cartilage repair should offer good integration into both the host cartilage and the subchondral bone. Cells, scaffolds, and growth factors make up the tissue engineering triad. One of the major challenges for cartilage tissue engineering is cell source and cell numbers. Due to the limitations of proliferation for mature chondrocytes, current studies have alternated to use stem cells as a potential source. In the recent years, a lot of novel biomaterials has been continuously developed and investigated in various in vitro and in vivo studies for cartilage tissue engineering. Moreover, stimulatory factors such as bioactive molecules have been explored to induce or enhance cartilage formation. Growth factors and other additives could be added into culture media in vitro, transferred into cells, or incorporated into scaffolds for in vivo delivery to promote cellular differentiation and tissue regeneration. Based on the current development of cartilage tissue engineering, there exist challenges to overcome. How to manipulate the interactions between cells, scaffold, and signals to achieve the moderation of implanted composite differentiate into moderate stem cells to differentiate into hyaline cartilage to perform the optimum physiological and biomechanical functions without negative side effects remains the target to pursue.


Up to now the tendency in residual stress determination (using neutron diffraction) has been to assess the uncertainties in terms of the propagation of 'fitting uncertainty' of the Bragg peaks only. There are many other sources of uncertainty, some more obvious than others, that should be taken into account or at least be considered in terms of their impact when interpreting the data. These cover not just the instrument calibration and characteristics and the technique itself but also the properties of the sample. A discussion of how best to combine the uncertainty of all contributing factors will be made. These factors (on the sample side) will include variations in chemical composition, grain size related problems, surfaces/interfaces cutting through the sampling volume, texture variations within the sampling volume, presence of intergranular strains (plastic anisotropy) etc. The knowledge of appropriate elastic constants, for example, and their uncertainty is necessary for a more reliable stress determination. One should also be aware of the more subtle influences on the elastic constants such as texture or chemical variation. This should be a step in the right direction for a 'unified uncertainty analysis' covering all possible aspects of uncertainty in residual stress determination using neutron diffraction.


To determine the accuracy of various predictors of school problems, we conducted a 3-year prospective study of 1999 children who began school in the Niagara region of Ontario in 1980. During the year before school entry the parents gave a health, developmental and behavioural history during an interview with a community health nurse, and the children underwent vision and hearing screening tests and the Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST). At the end of the 1980-81 school year the kindergarten teachers rated the children's learning problems. At the end of the 1982-83 school year the presence of school problems was ascertained, and the predictive accuracy of items from the preschool history and examination and of the kindergarten teachers' ratings was calculated. The health, developmental and behavioural history with or without the DDST was found to predict later school problems with acceptable accuracy. The kindergarten teachers' ratings gave slightly more accurate predictions. We conclude that in communities where prompt diagnostic evaluation and effective therapeutic or preventive help can be provided to children identified as being at high risk, health professionals may play a useful role in screening for future school problems.


The onion thrips, Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) is a polyphagous pest of Allium crops in the UK and considerable effort and expenditure is employed in its control. Despite this, overall understanding of the biology and behaviour of T. tabaci is poor and this project addresses some of these deficiencies in knowledge.
The relationship between T. tabaci development and temperature was investigated using linear and non-linear descriptors. The most accurate descriptor was a non-linear logistic curve. A forecasting system was developed to predict population trends in the field using field temperature data to estimate the progression of development over time. It was not possible to predict field population trends accurately and possible reasons for this are discussed.
The effect of temperature and of leaf quality on behaviour was examined. A range of different behaviours were identified, classified and shown to have a direct relationship with both temperature and leaf quality. The potential for such information to help to explain and predict patterns of behaviour seen in the field is discussed.
The diel periodicity of the intra-plant distribution of T. tabaci was examined and a clear pattern identified. A high proportion of adults were located on exposed portions of host plants in the early afternoon. An experiment was conducted, focusing on this potential window of vulnerability, using a novel control technique involving irrigation. No significant control of thrips was achieved, but further investigations into the potential of such strategies are recommended.
Field populations of T. tabaci were monitored between 2004 and 2008. Throughout this period thrips were most numerous in late summer and overwintered as adults. The monitoring data were examined in light of what has been learnt about T. tabaci biology and behaviour in this study. Recommendations are made about future work on forecasting and control.


Researchers conjecture that rituals have been prevalent in human activities for millennia due to tacit evolutionary functions of solidarity and cooperation. A key element of ritualistic behaviours is synchrony, defined as the matching of actions in time with others. Synchrony has been associated with a range of phenomena, including increased affiliation, connectedness, and cooperation among group members. However, there have been a number of failed replications of key studies. Furthermore, synchrony research has focused mainly on social and affective responses. Synchrony's effects on cognitive processes remain largely unexamined, even though synchronous actions require social cognition. In this thesis, I investigate the link between synchrony and creative thinking, a basic and distinctively human cognitive process. This thesis reports four empirical studies conducted to investigate two main aims: (1) synthesise existing synchrony literature to determine synchrony's overall effect on previously studied outcomes; and (2) investigate the relationship between synchrony and creative thinking. The focus on creativity is theoretically relevant because both sociological speculations about synchrony's role on cultural conformity and real-world observations on reduced decision quality in highly cohesive groups (e.g., groupthink) suggest that synchrony may have detrimental effects on creativity. To address the first aim, a meta-analysis (Study 1) of experimentally manipulated synchrony studies showed that synchrony was positively associated (small to medium effect sizes) with prosocial behaviour, social bonding perceptions, partner cognition, and positive affect. Three experimental studies were conducted to address the second aim. Study 2 investigated the direct association between synchrony and two components of creative thinking – convergent thinking (i.e., synthesis of ideas toward a single creative solution) and divergent thinking (i.e., generation of multiple alternative ideas) – and aimed to replicate shared intentionality (i.e., shared goal/purpose) on positive social and affective responses. Shared intentionality has been argued as one of the main mechanisms amplifying synchrony's positive social effects. In this study, I found that synchrony impaired convergent thinking when paired with shared intentionality, but I did not find support for a statistically significant effect of synchrony on divergent thinking. Additionally, I replicated synchrony's positive social and affective effects. Broadening the scope, ritualistic behaviours in real-world contexts often vary in synchronicity and physical intensity simultaneously. Intensity has been shown to increase social bonding, well-being, and certain cognitive processes; therefore, it is important to study the separate effects of synchrony and intensity on these outcomes. To do so, I conducted a naturalistic field study (Study 3) of group exercises varying in synchrony and intensity, and Study 4 examined the same associations with a controlled experiment. I found that synchrony impaired divergent thinking, but high intensity facilitated divergent and convergent thinking. Synchrony paired with shared intentionality as well as high intensity increased cohesion among participants. Moreover, performing movements together regardless of synchronicity may be sufficient to increase positive affect. My thesis offers a novel theoretical and empirical contribution to knowledge by revealing that although synchronised actions may have been evolutionarily adaptive for prosocial behaviours, cohesion, and well-being, synchrony also appears to inhibit cognitive processes such as creative thinking.


We present Herschel-PACS observations of rest-frame mid-infrared and far-infrared spectral line emissions from two lensed, ultraluminous infrared galaxies at high redshift: MIPS J142824.0+352619 (MIPS J1428), a starburst-dominated system at z = 1.3, and IRAS F10214+4724 (F10214), a source at z = 2.3 hosting both star-formation and a luminous AGN. We have detected [O I]63μm and [O III]52μm in MIPS J1428, and tentatively [O III]52μm in F10214. Together with the recent ZEUS-CSO [C II]158μm detection in MIPS J1428 we can for the first time combine [O I], [C II] and far-IR (FIR) continuum measurements for PDR modeling of an ultra-luminous (LIR ≥ 10 12 L� ) star forming galaxy at the peak epoch of cosmic star formation. We find that MIPS J1428, contrary to average local ULIRGs, does not show a deficit in [O I] relative to FIR. The combination of far-UV flux G0 and gas density n (derived from the PDR models), as well as the star formation efficiency (derived from CO and FIR) is similar to normal or starburst galaxies, despite the high infrared luminosity of this system. In contrast, F10214 has stringent upper limits on [O IV] and [S III], and an [O III]/FIR ratio at least an order of magnitude lower than local starbursts or AGN, similar to local ULIRGs.