The Information Technology Infrastructure Library V3 (ITIL V3) was published in June 2007. ITIL V3 is a lifecycle model about integrated IT-Service-Management (ITSM) processes, which documents best practice of IT services. It covers the process areas Service Strategy, Service Design, Service Transition, Service Operation and Continual Service Improvement. The extensive process descriptions within the lifecycle model intersect with process descriptions of the software development processes. IT organisations with software development units, as well as data processing centres, face the problem of adopting at least two different process models. This paper demonstrates the overlapping of software methodologies and ITIL V3 processes and makes a recommendation for the coexistence of both philosophies.


Introduction: Gallbladder carcinoma is a common hepatobiliary malignancy with poor prognosis. It is 3rd commonest malignancy in north India. Salmonella typhi is one of risk factor for gallbladder cancer. India is high endemic area for typhoid in the world. Various authors reported association between the two but without doing testing for typhoid carrier, association cannot be proven.
Aim: The present study was designed to explore the association of the chronic typhoid carrier state and carcinoma gall bladder by detecting Salmonella typhi in specimens of gallbladder from patients with malignant and benign gallbladder diseases using a Nested PCR. Methods and material: In this prospective case control study, we have got 39 samples from Carcinoma Gall Bladder (GBC) patients as cases and 75 samples from benign Gall Bladder Diseases (GBD) patients as controls in two years duration. We have done Indirect haemagglutination test for typhoid carrier from five milliliters of blood which was collected from each patient before surgery. Nested PCR was done from gall bladder tissue, which was taken at operation, from both GBC and GBD patients.
Result: Nested PCR showed 59% positivity for Salmonella typhi in the GBC and 56% in GBD, so association of Salmonella typhi with GBC was not statistically significant. Vi antibody was present 33% in GBC and 37% in GBD by IHA. It is also not statistically significant.
Conclusion: A large number of sample size is require for proving association between carcinoma gall bladder and Salmonella typhi by using definite marker for Vi antibodies.


The contribution that components of the hippocampal system in the rat make to the modulation of attention or stimulus processing was assessed using several simple behavioural assays: the orienting response (OR) to a novel stimulus, the subsequent habituation and dishabituation of this OR, and the latent inhibition effect that typically results from repeated exposure to a stimulus. Excitotoxic lesions of components of the hippocampal system produce dissociable effects on the OR, habituation and latent inhibition: lesions of the entorhinal cortex have no effect on the OR or changes in the OR during exposure to a stimulus, but disrupt latent inhibition; lesions of the subiculum disrupt the OR but not latent inhibition; and lesions of the hippocampus disrupt the OR and latent inhibition. These effects have important implications for our understanding of habituation and latent inhibition, and the neural mechanisms involved in attentional modulation.


A field experiment was conducted during the 2013/2014 season to evaluate the performance of CERES-maize model in simulating the effect of date of planting, nitrogen fertilizer and root-zone soil water profile on growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.) at the Field Research Station of the School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Zambia, Zambia (15 o 23.6859′S, 28 o 20.226′E; 1,261 m.a.s.l). The experimental design was a split plot with three replicates, three planting dates (November 24, December 8, and December 22) assigned to main plots and two nitrogen fertilizer rates (112 and 168 kg N ha -1 ) assigned to sub-plot. Phenological stages and aboveground biomass were used for model evaluation and these were observed at vegetative and reproductive stages. Soil water profiles were monitored using the Diviner 2000 Probe. Planting date significantly affected grain and biomass yield at P < 0.05. The coefficients of variation for grain and biomass yield were below 12% and considered efficient. The Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) programme was used to estimate the genetic coefficients for the CERES-maize model. The model's prediction of plant emergence (±1 days), time to anthesis (≥ −3 ≤ ±1 days) and maturity (≥ −4 ≤ 6 days) was good. Simulation of biomass (RMSE=1135 kg/ha, d=0.96, EF=0.86) was reasonably accurate while leaf area index (d = 0.54, EF = −0.65) was simulated with less accuracy due to poor d-stat and forecasting efficiency. The model's simulation of grain yield was fair (NRMSE = 21.4%) while soil root water availability demonstrated that substantial potential yield may have been lost due to water stress. The results showed that the model can be used to accurately determine optimum planting date, biomass yield and nitrogen fertilizer rates with reasonable accuracy.


Data are presented on the manpower shortage in the field of cytotechnology and the lack of sufficient training programs to meet current needs, and the fiscal bases of these problems are discussed. The workload placed on cytotechnologists is also analyzed in financial terms, emphasizing the pressures for high productivity in frequently less-than-optimal conditions. Screening accuracy is also considered. All of these issues need attention to produce adequate numbers of accurate screeners.


Insights into the behavioral profile of groups during meetings help us understand why some groups outperform others on meeting and work tasks. The presented studies investigate behavior-based group profiles in meetings and their relation to group performance. A total of 101 problem-solving meetings took place in two studies in a laboratory setting; data were coded using the act4teams coding scheme and analyzed using INTERACT software. The findings indicate there are four distinct group profile clusters: story-telling, well-organized networking, solution-focused, and problem-focused profiles. These behavior-based group profiles were meaningfully and differentially linked to group performance in the context of a meeting task.


Noise in synchronized oscillators is analyzed using a simple oscillator model. It is shown that the FM noise can be considerably improved by synchronization while the AM noise degrades slightly. It is also shown how the noise spectrum becomes unsymmetrical with respect to the synchronizing freqnency when it differs from the free-running frequency.


The stability of ZrO2 in the tensile regime is studied using an ab initio constant-pressure technique. A first-order phase transformation from the baddeleyite structure to an anatase-like structure (I41/amd) is predicted through the constant-pressure simulation. A transformation mechanism at the atomistic level is discussed. Furthermore this phase transformation is studied from the energy-volume calculations.


The Bardi language is currently spoken by fewer than 10 people. The language is a member of the Nyulnyulan family, a small non-Pama-Nyungan family in northwest Australia. This book is a reference grammar of the language. The 16 chapters include information on phonetics and phonology, nominal and verbal morphology, and syntax, as well as an ethnographic sketch of traditional life. A selection of texts is also included. It is the first published full study of a Nyulnyulan language.


Charles Tonderai Mudede was born in Rhodesia--now Zimbabwe--in 1969. He is currently the associate editor of Seattle alternative weekly The Stranger, where he regularly covers crime as part of his Police Beat column, and occasionally writes feature and film reviews. He has written two films with director Robinson Devor, Police Beat and Zoo, and has published one book on the Green River killer, Last Seen, with Diana George, available through the Artspeak gallery in Vancouver. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Police Beat (2005) was the first collaboration between screenwriter Charles Tonderai Mudede, director Robinson Devor, and cinematographer Sean Kirby. Shot in lush blue hues and focusing on the greener aspects of Seattle, the film details the psychic disintegration of a conservative African immigrant, known only as Z, working as a Seattle bicycle cop; though the central action of the film is in English, it is narrated by Z is his own language, Wolof, and subtitled. The failure of Z's romantic relationship is mirrored by the various grotesque and absurd cases he investigates, the details of which were drawn from Mudede's "Police Beat" column for Seattle's alternative newspaper, The Stranger. Zoo (2007), the second collaboration between Mudede, Devor, and Kirby, is a documentary on the notorious Enumclaw horse sex case, in which a successful Seattle engineer involved in top secret research at a secretive Boeing plant known locally as the Black Hole, was found to have died after having been anally penetrated by a horse. The film--which has been praised for its sensitivity and unexpected lyricism--is largely assembled around the audio testimony of other zoophiles, one of whom, known in the film as the Happy Horseman, delivered Mr. Hands to the hospital and was later charged wtih trespassing (since no laws against horse sex were in place in Washington State at that time). Another of the zoophiles, known by the name Coyote--reflecting his interest in dogs, rather than horses--actually appears in the film, though his face is never clearly shown. Mudede's original article on the case, "The Animal in You," can be read online on The Stranger's website. The following interview took place over the course of two phone conversations in the spring and summer of 2007. Allan MacInnis: I'd wanted to ask you about Police Beat, to start off with. Do I assume your intention was to invert the usual depiction of Africa as a "heart of darkness," by viewing disorder in western society from the perspective of a conservative African? Charles Mudede: Right, right. You're correct. A: Was it primarily drawn from autobiographical observations of life in Seattle, or were you intending it as more of a provocation? C: No no no--like, a lot of people think, when you see National Geographic or something of that kind, you always think that Africans are just these kind of sensual animals, you know? Who are immediate, who respond to things with no sense of the past but only of the present. What I wanted to show is that actually my experience, as an African, of Africans, is that they're very conservative. They actually think Europeans are kind of wild and crazy and have no regard of tradition, of history, of customs. And in that sense, you have this guy who comes into this country, and he's looking around him, and he really is trying to adjust to a new and more flexible kind of moral reality. Flexible in the sense that it seems to him that people aren't centered, that they are in a situation of invention ... and it's difficult for him to act, because nobody understands that problems or situations require a kind of consensual morality, you know, a kind of consensual understanding of what the past is and therefore what the future should be. It wasn't so much that I agreed with him on his moral positions, but I wanted to understand that, as an African, that I think Africans are more moral, more conservative than Europeans are. …


Titanium screws have properties that make them ideal for applications that require both a high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance, such as fastener applications for aviation and aerospace. The fracture behavior of Ti-10Mo-8V-1Fe-3.5Al (TB3) alloy screws during assembly was explored. Besides visual examination, other experimental techniques used for the investigation are as follows: (1) fracture characteristics and damage morphology via scanning electron microscopy (SEM); (2) chemical constituents via energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and hydrogen concentration testing; (3) metallographic observation; (4) stress durability embrittlement testing; and (5) torsion simulation testing. Results show that the fracture mode of the screws is brittle. There is no obvious relation to hydrogen-induced brittle. The main reason for the fracture of titanium alloy screws is internal defects, around which oxygen content is high, increasing brittleness. The internal defects of screws result from grain boundary cracking caused by hot forging.


Government-Owned Property (GOP) management, including the bookkeeping of GOP transaction, is part of GOP Officer responsibility to ensure the quality of transaction data. This responsibility also applies to GOP Officer in Indonesian Agency for Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysics 'Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika' (BMKG). GOP data as the source for the Central Government Financial Report is expected to be well-maintained. It must be presented as accurate as possible, although there are still inaccurate data presented in the latest BMKG GOP Report. This qualitative research using document study and some interview sessions aims to measure how well the Data Quality Management (DQM) maturity of GOP transaction in BMKG using Loshin's Data Quality Maturity model. Thus, the result of maturity assessment is analyzed to recommend and implement DQM activities from the Data Management Body of Knowledge (DMBOK). The purpose is to improve GOP DQM. The research shows that the level of DQM maturity is at a repeatable level to defined level. Moreover, 52 maturity characteristics need to be followed through with DQM activities.


This book shows how the privatization of politics assumes a new dimension when billionaires wield power in world politics, which requires a re-thinking of individual agency in International Relations. Structural changes (globalization, neoliberalism, competition states, and global governance) have generated new opportunities for individuals to become extremely rich and to engage in politics across borders. The political agency of billionaires is being conceptualized in terms of capacities, goals, and power, which is contingent upon the specific political field a billionaire is trying to enter. Six case studies explore the power of billionaires in their pursuit of security, wealth, and esteem. The chapter on security analyzes Raj Rajaratnam's relationship to the Tamil cause in Sri Lanka, and Sheldon Adelson's transnational electioneering in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Regarding the economy, the book studies how the Koch brothers' political protection of fossil fuels is affecting climate change mitigation, and how Rupert Murdoch's opinion-shaping is valorizing conservatism across borders. The chapter on social entrepreneurship and esteem examines the role of Bill Gates in the governance of global health and George Soros's attempts to build open societies as a 'stateless statesman'. An analytical conclusion evaluates the prior findings in order to address three major questions: Is it more appropriate to see billionaires as 'super-actors', or as a global 'super-class'? What is the relative power of billionaires within the international system? What does the power of billionaires mean for the liberal norms of legitimate political order?


Who receives aid and how much he or she receives are questions of central importance for any well-functioning social protection program. We investigate community-based processes for allocating aid within Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Program. We document local governments' noncompliance with federal implementation mandates; instead of distributing aid via the federally mandated uniform per capita payment schedule, communities distribute aid based on locally determined equivalence scales. Rather than equalizing consumption, it appears that local communities allocate aid based on an earnings potential equivalence scale by assigning higher payments to cohorts that have lower wage earnings potential (e.g., teenage girls vs. teenage boys, adult women vs. adult men, elderly vs. working age adults). The decentralized implementation approach reduces head count poverty more than if communities followed central implementation mandates. However, poverty gap and poverty gap squared measures would be lower under central implementation mandates. The choice of distribution rules at the intensive margin does not materially affect poverty measures, suggesting that targeting efforts might be best focused on eligibility at the extensive margin.


Equations and charts have been presented for the conical part of the sidewash above and below swept wings at small angles of attack. This flow-field component is necessary in making calculations of the wing-induced forces and moments on stores, missiles, and pylons. All supersonic Mach numbers and wing leading-edge sweep angles have been considered.


Video segmentation has been an important and challenging issue for many video applications. Usually there are two different video segmentation approaches, i.e., shot-based segmentation that uses a set of key-frames to represent a video shot and object-based segmentation that partitions a video shot into objects and background. Representing a video shot at different semantic levels, two segmentation processes are usually implemented separately or independently for video analysis. In this paper, we propose a new approach to combine two video segmentation techniques together. Specifically, a combined key-frame extraction and object-based segmentation method is developed based state-of-the-art video segmentation algorithms and statistical clustering approaches. On the one hand, shot-based segmentation can dramatically facilitate and enhance object-based segmentation by using key-frame extraction to select a few key-frames for statistical model training. On the other hand, object-based segmentation can be used to improve shot-based segmentation results by using model-based key-frame refinement. The proposed approach is able to integrate advantages of these two segmentation methods and provide a new combined shot-based and object-based framework for a variety of advanced video analysis tasks. Experimental results validate effectiveness and flexibility of the proposed video segmentation algorithm.


Molecular dynamics simulations of dislocations behavior in KCl crystal under uniaxial compression along the [100], [110], and [111] axis directions were performed to discuss the elastoplastic transition under shock compression. The simulation results showed that the dislocation moved along about 45 deg to the uniaxial compression direction through the displacements of atomic lines around the dislocation core. Under uniaxial compression along the [111] axis direction, two extra half-(011) planes were inserted as dislocations in KCl crystal. The minimum stress for dislocation motion under the uniaxial compression along the [111] axis direction was much larger than those under the uniaxial compressions along the [100] and [110] axis directions. It was suggested that the large minimum stress for dislocation motion along the [111] axis direction was caused by the existence of two edge dislocations which were inserted as extra half-(011) planes. This anisotropic behavior was consistent with the experimental mea...


The degradation of secoiridoid, tocopherol, and antioxidant activity in extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) was studied during 8 months of storage in closed bottles in the dark, at 40 and 25 degrees C. Picual, Arbequina, Taggiasca, and Colombaia monovarietal EVOOs possessing quite different fatty acid and antioxidant contents were used. The secoiridoid aglycones, namely, the oleuropein and ligstroside derivatives, and alpha-tocopherol decreased following pseudo-first-order kinetics. In all EVOOs oleuropein derivatives were less stable than the corresponding ligstroside derivatives and alpha-tocopherol. Accordingly, overall antioxidant activity decreased following pseudo-first-order kinetics, with rate constants ranging from 0.85 x 10(-)(3) to 4.1 x 10(-)(3) days(-)(1) at 40 degrees C and from 0.8 x 10(-)(3) to 1.5 x 10(-)(3) days(-)(1) at 25 degrees C. According to both the antioxidant activity and the hydrolysis and oxidation indices established by EU regulation to assess EVOO quality, Colombaia oil was the least stable, followed by Taggiasca, Arbequina, and Picual oils. Despite antioxidant degradation, EVOOs with high antioxidant contents were still "excellent" after 240 days of storage at 40 degrees C. These data led to the conclusion that the beneficial properties of EVOOs due to antioxidant activity can be maintained throughout their commercial lives.


The ceramic channel is very important in SRL hot dipping system. High strength and fracture toughness of ceramic channel materials can improve the quality, productivity and economic feasibility of zinc plated steel. The purpose of this research was to find out the most suitable conditions of the ceramic channel that have best fracture strength and fracture toughness. The hot pressed composite materials was carried out by hot pressing Al2O3 with different content of ZrO2. The composite contained from 0-20 wt.% ZrO2. Hot pressed composite materials were observed for mechanical properties (density, hardness, fracture toughness and flexural strength) and microstructure.


Exposure of several species of the family Poaceae to cadmium results in the formation of metal-induced peptides of the general structure ([gamma]-Glu-Cys)n-Ser (n = 2-4). They are assumed to be formed from hydroxymethyl-glutathione ([gamma]-Glu-Cys-Ser) and are termed hydroxymethyl-phytochelatins (hm-PCs) in analogy to the homo-phytochelatins [([gamma]-Glu-Cys)n-[beta]-Ala], discovered in legumes, and the phytochelatins [PCs, ([gamma]-Glu-Cys)n-Gly] found in most other plants and many fungi. The hm-PCs were isolated from the roots of cadmium-exposed rice (Oryza sativa L. cv Strella), and their structure was confirmed by amino acid analysis after total and enzymic hydrolysis and by tandem mass spectrometry. The hm-PCs probably play a significant role in heavy metal detoxication in rice.In addition to this new form of [gamma]-Glu-Cys ([gamma]EC) peptide, PCs and [gamma]EC peptides without C-terminal Ser or Gly are found. All [gamma]EC peptides are synthesized without delay after incubation of rice plants in 100 [mu]M CdCl2 in the roots as well as in the shoots.Incubation times exceeding 24 h or higher concentrations of cadmium result in a selective enrichment of [gamma]EC peptides with higher chain length and an increased ratio of PCs to hm-PCs. [gamma]EC peptide synthesis is accompanied by a decrease of the glutathione content and an increase of the hydroxymethyl-glutathione content in roots and shoots of rice plants.


Implementations of state machine replication are prevalently using variants of Paxos or other leader-based protocols. Typically these protocols are also leader-centric, in the sense that the leader performs more work than the non-leader replicas. Such protocols scale poorly, because as the number of replicas or the load on the system increases, the leader replica quickly reaches the limits of one of its resources. In this paper we show that much of the work performed by the leader in a leader-centric protocol can in fact be evenly distributed among all the replicas, thereby leaving the leader only with minimal additional workload. This is done (i) by distributing the work of handling client communication among all replicas, (ii) by disseminating client requests among replicas in a distributed fashion, and (iii) by executing the ordering protocol on ids. We derive a variant of Paxos incorporating these ideas. Compared to leader-centric protocols, our protocol not only achieves significantly higher throughput for any given number of replicas, but also increases its throughput with the number of replicas.


Several biomarkers have been preferred for the early diagnosis of pancreatic adenocan- cer (PAC), but most are not ready to be included as part of the routine diagnostic algo-rithm because they still lack sensitivity, specificity or reproducibility. CA19-9 is the most widely used serum-based marker for the diagnosis and follow-up of pancreatic cancer. However, CA19-9 lacks sensitivity for early or small-diameter pancreatic cancers. For more than 3 decades, information on neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lym-phocyte ratio (PLR), mean platelet volume (MPV) has been widely available to health care practitioners, as part of the data provided in the full blood count. However, these biomarkers have more than used in the routine. The present chapter shares the prog - nostic significance of the hematological parameters in the light of our own findings and recent studies in the literature.


Passed by a wide margin of California voters in 1994, Prop. 187 is primarily remembered as a law that tried to deny state-funded health care and education to unauthorized immigrants. Far less attention has been paid to Section Four in Prop. 187 that required all law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in California to "fully cooperate" with federal immigration authorities. Specifically, these provisions required LEAs to verify the legal status of any arrestee "suspected" of being in the U.S. unlawfully, notify the arrestee of his/her unlawful status, and report the arrestee to state and federal immigration authorities.

Though never enforced, Section Four played an extremely important role in introducing the concept of LEA enforcement into our immigration policy debates. Prior to the passage of Section Four, the idea that LEAs should be involved in immigration enforcement on a regularized and mandatory basis simply did not exist. The intense publicity around Prop. 187 and subsequent efforts to enact Prop. 187-type laws in other states nationalized the immigration enforcement debate. At the federal level, the result was the creation of the voluntary 287(g) program and the passage of a federal "antisanctuary" law. At the state level, states enacted laws that mirrored the mandatory nature of Prop. 187 more closely, requiring LEAs within the states to check the immigration status of people arrested for other offenses. This article explores the influence of Section Four on LEA enforcement of immigration laws.


This case study examines how a court's perception of the defendant's socio-legal identity may be affected by interpreting. Since this perception relies largely on language, interpreters are expected to minimise their impact on the dynamics of direct communication between primary participants. The analysis focuses on an interpreter-mediated defendant's examination, recorded in an attempted murder case tried before the Belgian Assize Court, identifying possible departures from the principles of orality and authenticity. The recordings include exchanges, not necessarily audible to the court, between the defendant and the interpreter. Our analysis shows that: (a) the participation framework (directness) of the defendant's input is altered, while the relative inaudibility of the interaction between defendant and interpreter deprives the jury of access to authentic features of the defendant's delivery; (b) the interpreter's intervention may shift the defendant's oral exposition into a different style, and hence condition the way the defendant is eventually perceived by the jury.


Visual tracking represents the basic processing step for most Video Analytics applications where the aim is to automatically understand the actions occurring in a monitored scene. Consequently, the performances of these applications are significantly dependent on the accuracy and robustness of the tracking algorithm. Bayesian state estimation and Probabilistic Graphical Models (PGMs) have proved to be very powerful and appropriate mathematical tools to efficiently solve the inference problem of motion estimation by combining object dynamics and observations. In this paper, the impact of these signal processing techniques on the development of recent tracking algorithms is shown and a categorization of the most common approaches is proposed. This categorization intends to logically organize different concepts related to Bayesian visual tracking in order to give a global overview to the reader. Finally, general considerations on the design of visual trackers for Video Analytics systems are discussed, focusing on the trade-off that is usually performed between the accuracy of the target motion assumptions and the robustness of the object appearance representation.


Hemosuccus pancreaticus is a rare clinical condition, defined as a bleeding from an artery around the pancreas or a lesion on the pancreas, to the pancreatic duct. The intensity of bleeding can vary from occult bleeding to life threatening massive acute bleeding. In this article, we aimed to present a 68-year-old man who presented to our clinic with recurrent upper gastrointestinal bleeding and abdominal pain. Endoscopy revealed hemorrhage from ampulla vateri, CT angiographic examination showed an aneurysm of the splenic artery and that the splenic artery was connected to the pancreatic duct.Splenectomy and subtotal pancreatectomy was performed on the patient. The patient was discharged with healing. Hemosuccus pancreaticus should be kept in mind in patients with a history of pancreatitis and peripancreatic aneurysm and upper gastrointestinal bleeding.The early diagnosis and treatment of HP is life-saving. In this study, we aimed to review the basic symptoms and clinical findings, along with the diagnosis and treatment methods of HP. KEY WORDS: Gastrointestinal bleeding, Pancreas, Splenic Artery.


What Is Liver Cancer? Cancer starts when cells in the body begin to grow out of control. Cells in nearly any part of the body can become cancer, and can spread to other areas of the body. To learn more about how cancers start and spread, see What Is Cancer?1 Only cancers that start in the liver are called liver cancer (primary liver cancer). To understand liver cancer, it helps to know about the normal structure and function of the liver.


The use of Participatory Video (PV) in development projects with marginalised communities by Non-government organisations is increasing. Though PV practice has expanded, there has been limited academic discussion and debate on the subject. PV is often assumed to be a non-problematic process that enables less powerful groups to gain power and participate in social change processes. This research contributes to the emerging academic debates by critically investigating how participating in a long-term PV project can provide participants the opportunity to gain agency and to engage with local social change in a sustained manner. It studies projects by two NGOs in Hyderabad and Mumbai, which work with young women participants, using gender as a lens to examine the role of power relations within the projects.

This thesis draws on three key concepts: (i) participation, (ii) agency and (iii) gender norms. Using the conceptualisation of agency in the Capability Approach, it focuses on the various aspects of a long-term PV project that can either promote or restrict young women's agency. The methods of collecting data were interviews, group discussions, participatory observation and participatory video-making with the research participants. The analysis of the data was carried out using a framework which maps the relationships between the various phases of a long-term PV project and the participants' agency. Based on the findings of the analysis, this thesis argues that oppressive gender power relations within their household and the community, and hierarchy within a supposedly participatory project are critical influences on young women's ability to become agents of change. In particular, the thesis draws attention to: (i) participants' need to continuously negotiate power with the household and community members, (ii) inherent hierarchy and the nature of participation in a long-term PV project, (iii) the relation between participants' need to access resources and hierarchy within a project, and (iv) the difference in needs, goals and impacts identified by donors/NGOs and the participants. The thesis proposes a conceptual model of participatory video as an agency-development process, which shows how these factors are crucial in developing and sustaining participants' agency.

This thesis builds new knowledge by providing an in-depth understanding of power relations in long-term PV projects and what impacts agency - areas which are often overlooked in the literature on PV.


Combining ability analyses were computed on a diallel cross of eight inbred sorghum lines in the F1 and F2 generations. Five of the lines were standard combine height grain sorghums and three were widely diverse and relatively recent introductions differing for height and maturity genes. The objective of the study was to determine the usefulness of recent sorghum introductions in a hybrid sorghum breeding program and to determine the yield components responsible for any heterosis obtained. Heterosis was striking, but only if at least one of the parents was an introduction. General combining ability effects were high in the F1 and F2 but specific combining ability effects were high only in the F1. The correlation between the yield of the midparent and the yield of the F1 (r = .07) indicated that the superior parents could not have been selected phenotypically. Number of seeds per head was the most important component of yield in the F1 generation. From the available data it could not be ascertained whether the outstanding performance of the three introductions as parents was due to genetic diversity of many genes or to hybrid vigor associated with a relatively few height and maturity genes.


ABSTRACT Psychotherapy process research is important in developing technique and enhancing clinical skills. Silence, as an aspect of child and adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapy, has been a neglected area of research, despite it being acknowledged as an often challenging yet therapeutically useful aspect of the work. This study aims to explore silence in adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapy, by studying the emergence of silence in therapy sessions. Three Short-Term Psychoanalytic Psychotherapies of adolescents with depression were used in the study, and silences occurring in six sessions of each therapy were coded, using the Pausing Inventory Categorization System (PICS). Findings showed that, in the three therapies sampled, almost one-third of session time was spent on average in silence, and most of this silence was coded as 'obstructive'. Moreover, the amount of silence in every stage of therapy was different for each patient-therapist dyad. Follow-up interviews conducted with the adolescents were analysed using thematic analysis, and showed that the adolescents generally expressed negative feelings about silence in their therapy. Analysis suggests that the majority of the silence in these therapies related to conflict, which could be viewed as both an aspect of the developmental stage of adolescence, and a symptom of depression. These findings suggest that silences may not always be therapeutically productive in adolescent therapy, even if they are considered to be so in psychotherapy with adults, and so adaptations in therapeutic technique are required.


The structural architecture found in low-dimensional materials can lead to a number of interesting physical properties including anisotropic conductivity, magnetic frustration and non-linear optical properties. There is no standard synthesis concept described thus far to apply when searching for new low-dimensional compounds, and therefore control on the design of the new materials is of great importance.This thesis describes the synthesis, crystal structure and characterization of some new transition metal oxohalide compounds containing p-elements having a stereochemically active lone-pair. First row transition metal cations have been used in combination with SeIV, SbIII and TeIV ions as lone-pair elements and Cl- and Br- as halide ions. The lone-pairs do not participate in covalent bonding and are responsible for an asymmetric one-sided coordination. Lone-pair elements in combination with halide ions have shown to be powerful structural spacers that can confine transition metal building blocks into low-dimensional arrangements. The halide ions and lone-pairs reside in non-bonded crystal volumes where they interact through weak van der Waals forces. The transition metal atoms are most often arranged to form sheets, chains or small clusters; most commonly layered compounds are formed.To further explore the chemical system and to separate the transition metal entities even more the possibility to include tetrahedral building blocks such as phosphate-, silicate-, sulphate- and vanadate building blocks into this class of compounds has been investigated. Tetrahedral building blocks are well known for their ability of segmenting structural arrangements by corner sharing, which often leads to the formation of open framework structures. The inclusion of tetrahedral building blocks led to the discovery of interesting structural features such as complex hydrogen bonding, formation of unusual solid solutions or faulted stacking of layers.Compounds for which phase pure material could be synthesized have been characterized in terms of their magnetic properties. Most compounds were found to have antiferromagnetic spin interactions and indications of magnetic frustration could be observed in some of them.


Drought is a major reason for inconsistent grain yield of maize in lowland tropical and subtropical areas. In bimodal rainy seasons with unequal amounts of rainfall, the shorter season requires germplasm with sufficient residual yields at various situations of low water availability. Thus farmers will avoid the risk of cultivation failure. The respective adaptation of eight Thai hybrids was tested in two dry seasons from late November 2003 to April 2005. Furrow irrigation of 40 mm was applied at seven days intervals from planting to physiological maturity (control, W1); 50% less water supply than W1 from the sixth week onwards by alternating irrigation of one of two rows (W2); withholding water from 5 weeks after planting to the beginning of anthesis (W3). At W3, three hybrids excelled with yields above 350 g m-2, i.e. residual yields of more than two of them performed very well at W2 too, with more than 650 g m-2, a residual yield of about 80%. This genetic range is encouraging to breed for earlier hybrids that can be cultivated in the minor rainy season with a reduced risk of failure.


Simple analysis methods and field data are the key to pinpointing causes of and solutions to distillation equipment operating problems. The first step in trouble-shooting common field problems is to gather accurate field data and thoroughly analyze the existing operation before attempting to formulate solutions. The following field troubleshooting case history shows how to use field data and a systematic analysis procedure to identify and remove operating limits in a deisobutanizer (DIB).


A mother and her newborn with the characteriestic facial features, congenital dislocations and other associated skeletal anomalies of the hands, feet and vertebras associated with the Larsen syndrome are described. It seems likely that the mode of inheritance in this family is that of an autosomal dominant trait.


BACKGROUND
Many dentists believe that sleep bruxism (SB) is a pathogenic factor in myofascial temporomandibular disorder (TMD), but almost all supportive data rely on patients' self-reports rather than on direct observation.

METHODS
The authors administered a structured self-report interview to determine whether a large and well-characterized sample of patients with myofascial TMD (124 women) experienced SB more often than did matched control participants (46 women). The authors then used data from a two-night laboratory-based polysomnographic (PSG) study to determine whether the case participants exhibited more SB than the control participants.

RESULTS
The results of independent sample t tests and χ(2) analyses showed that, although self-reported rates of SB were significantly higher in case participants (55.3 percent) than in control participants (15.2 percent), PSG-based measures showed much lower and statistically similar rates of SB in the two groups (9.7 percent and 10.9 percent, respectively). Grinding noises were common in both case participants (59.7 percent) and control participants (78.3 percent).

CONCLUSIONS
Most case participants did not exhibit SB, and the common belief that SB is a sufficient explanation for myofascial TMD should be abandoned.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Although other reasons to consider treating SB may exist, misplaced concern about SB's sustaining or exacerbating a chronic myofascial TMD condition should not be used to justify SB treatment.


Backgrounds: Notch gene Encode 300kDa single-pass transmembrane receptors. It can variously serve as an oncogene or a tumor suppressor and a repressor or inducer of terminal differentiation. It also regulate cell division, differentiation and survival of stem and/or progenital cells in wide range tissues. We examined Notch 1 and 3 to study the correlation of Notch expression and prognosis for non-small cell lung cancer. Methods: Paraffin-embedded tissue microarrays were constructed. We analyzed Notch 1 and 3 by immunohistochemical stain on surgical tumor specimens. Results: One hundred fifty-nine of 185 resected tissues for lung cancer (median age 62 years) were available for immunohistochemical stain. The types of tumor histology were adenocarcinoma;54, squamous cell carcinoma:79, others;26. 121 patients were taken lobectomy and 38 were done pneumonectomy. Notch 1 and 3 receptors were detected in 119 (74.8%) and 130 (81.7%) of total 159 (M:F=114:45) tumor tissues, respectively. Notch 1 receptors showed higher expressions on squamous cell carcinoma than non-squamous cell carcinoma (58.8% vs. 37.8%, p=0.03). However, it was not correlated with sex, smoking status or advanced stages. Five year-relapse free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were 57.4 % and 59.3 % in 159 patients, respectively. Patients with any expression of Notch1 or 3 have correlated with neither RFS nor OS. 5 year OS for patients who showed Notch 3 expression were 62 % and the others were 47.8%, however, it was not statistically significant (p= 0.165). Both of their expressions were detected in 106 of 159 (66.7%) tumor tissues. Sixteen (10 %) had negative expressions in both of them. The patients with both positive expressions had the tendency of longer OS than all negative patients. Their 5 year OS were 60.8 % vs. 38.2% (p=0.068) and 5 year RFS were 56.5% vs. 49.7 % (p=0.35). Conclusions: Notch 1 showed higher expression on squamous cell carcinoma. Neither Notch 1 nor 3 have correlated with RFS or OS, but patients with both expressions had the tendency of longer overall survival. Citation Format: Eun Kyung Cho, Seung Yeon Ha, Jae Ik Lee, Junsick Hong, Sun Jin Sim, Jinny Park, Dong Bok Shin, Jae Hoon Lee. NOTCH 1 and NOTCH 3 expressions for early stage of non-small cell lung cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Translation of the Cancer Genome; Feb 7-9, 2015; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(22 Suppl 1):Abstract nr A1-21.


Previously known as extracurriculum, co-curricular activity is an extended activity of classroom-based learning or program which is located outside the educational curriculum. Co-curricular activity are essential in the development of a learner's potential in terms of nurturing national integration, helping to develop community and forming self-identity. A survey was conducted to identify the potential of dual TVET system players and their perception towards the potential of co-curricular activity. The finding shows that the dual TVET system players do have high potential in enhancing the cocurricular activity. The evaluation was made through the co-curricular activity assessment from the four focused aspects that include the attendance, position held, involvement, and achievement. However, there is a significant difference from the perception of dual system trainers towards the potential of the players in co-curricular activities. It is arguable that trainers assume that the players have yet achieved to a satisfactory level in co-curricular activities and require improvement especially in the attendance and position held. As a whole, it is found to illustrate that co-curricular activities implementation had a direct impact on the dual system players' performances. Hence, the cocurricular administrator particularly needs to ensure that the implementation of such activities can help the players to maximize the benefit from the activities held.


OBJECTIVES
The aim of the present review is to discuss the potential link between RAS, BRAF and microsatellite instability (MSI) mutational patterns and chemotherapeutic agent efficacy [Irinotecan (IRI) vs. Oxaliplatin (OXA)], and how this can potentially influence the choice of the chemotherapy backbone.

METHODS
Following a review of the research literature, all pertinent articles published in the core journals were selected for study. The inclusion criteria regarded relevant clinical and pre-clinical studies on the topic of interest (Relationship of OXA and IRI to KRAS/BRAF mutations and MSI).

RESULTS
Excision repair cross complementation group 1 (ERCC1) expression is inhibited by KRAS mutation, making tumor cells more sensitive to OXA. Results from OPUS, COIN and PRIME trials support that. No conclusive data are available for BRAF mutant population because of the small number of patients. Enhanced IRI cytotoxicity to MSI cell lines is due to the participation of some of the mismatch repair (MMR) components into various DNA repair processes and their role in maintenance of the pro-apoptotic effect of IRI and G2/M cell arrest.

CONCLUSIONS
OXA and IRI are indispensable drugs for mCRC treatment and their selection must be as careful as that of targeted agents. We suggest to take into consideration the interaction between known genomic alterations and OXA and IRI activity to personalize chemotherapy in mCRC patients.


The notion of a generalized multiresolution structure biorthogonal wavelets is introduced,and the concept of affine pseudoframes of L2(R)is given.The pyramid decomposition scheme of a generalized multiresolution structure is presented,which is similar to Mallat's pyramid algorithm.Anecessary and sufficient condition for the existence of the pyramid decomposition scheme is presented.Moreover,affine frame pseudoframe expansions of L2(R)are constructed by virtue of the pyramid decomposition scheme.


The Moral Economy of Mobile Phones: Pacific Islands Perspectives, edited by Robert J. Foster and Heather A. Horst. Canberra: ANU Press, 2018. 163 pages. ISBN 978-1-7604-6208-6 (print); 978-1-7604-6209-3 (e-book)
WHILE anthropologists have mainly studied mobile phone use at an individual or group level, the entry of Digicel into Pacific nations' mobile markets over the past decade has introduced a wider set of issues that are explored here in detail.


There is significant policy interest in liquid biofuels with appealing prospects for energy security, farm security, poverty alleviation, and climate change. Large-scale commercial biofuel production could have far reaching implications for regional and global markets – particularly those related to energy and land use. As such, large-scale biofuels growth is likely to have significant impacts on global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This paper utilizes a CGE model with explicit biofuel, land, and energy markets. The model is able to estimate the effects on the broad range of input and output markets potentially affected globally by biofuels policies. One of the most controversial issues within the biofuels debate is potential indirect changes in land use and, in particular, the resulting changes in forest carbon stocks. To uncover consequences of biofuel policies for forest carbon, we link our CGE model with a dynamic forward looking model of the forest sector. Within this framework, we evaluate the potential effects of US and multinational biofuels growth on changes in land use and emissions from changes in forest carbon stocks.


Nd-substituted Bi4Ti3O12 (BNT) polycrystalline thin films with preferred a-/b-axes orientations were grown on sputter-grown IrO2(101) layers by chemical solution deposition method. After optimizing the heat treatment conditions, insulating characters and ferroelectric properties in 250-nm-thick BNT thin films with a-/b-axes orientations were investigated at room temperature. Low leakage current density of J=10-7~10-8 A/cm2 at 100 kV/cm and fair value of remnant polarization (2Pr=31 μC/cm2 at 400 kV/cm) were measured even though the Bi2O2 blocking layer aligned parallel to the film normal.


Organic matter (OM) content and a shallow water table are two key variables that govern the physical properties of the subsurface within the active layer of arctic soils underlain by permafrost, where the majority of biogeochemical activities take place. A detailed understanding of the soil moisture and OM profile behavior over short vertical distances through the active layer is needed to adequately model the subsurface physical processes. To observe and characterize the profiles of soil properties in the active layer, we conducted detailed soil sampling at five sites along Dalton Highway on Alaska's North Slope. These data were used to derive a generalized logistics function to characterize the total OM and water saturation fraction behavior through the profile. Furthermore, a new pedotransfer function was developed to estimate the soil bulk density and porosity—information that is largely missing from existing soil datasets—within each layer, solely from the soil texture (organic and mineral properties). Given the currently sparse soil database of the Alaskan Arctic, these profile models can be highly beneficial for radar remote sensing models to study active layer dynamics.


Wnt/β-catenin signaling supports intestinal homeostasis by regulating proliferation in the crypt. Multiple Wnts are expressed in Paneth cells as well as other intestinal epithelial and stromal cells. Ex vivo, Wnts secreted by Paneth cells can support intestinal stem cells when Wnt signaling is enhanced with supplemental R-Spondin 1 (RSPO1). However, in vivo, the source of Wnts in the stem cell niche is less clear. Genetic ablation of Porcn, an endoplasmic reticulum resident O-acyltransferase that is essential for the secretion and activity of all vertebrate Wnts, confirmed the role of intestinal epithelial Wnts in ex vivo culture. Unexpectedly, mice lacking epithelial Wnt activity (PorcnDel/Villin-Cre mice) had normal intestinal proliferation and differentiation, as well as successful regeneration after radiation injury, indicating that epithelial Wnts are dispensable for these processes. Consistent with a key role for stroma in the crypt niche, intestinal stromal cells endogenously expressing Wnts and Rspo3 support the growth of PorcnDel organoids ex vivo without RSPO1 supplementation. Conversely, increasing pharmacologic PORCN inhibition, affecting both stroma and epithelium, reduced Lgr5 intestinal stem cells, inhibited recovery from radiation injury, and at the highest dose fully blocked intestinal proliferation. We conclude that epithelial Wnts are dispensable and that stromal production of Wnts can fully support normal murine intestinal homeostasis.


The cell-inactivating effect induced by cinnamaldehyde in combination with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (cis-DDP) on human NHIK 3025 cells in culture was investigated. Cell inactivation was measured as a loss in the ability of single cells to give rise to macroscopic colonies following drug treatment. Although 2 h treatment of asynchronous cells with 0.3 mM cinnamaldehyde alone induced little cell inactivation, the drug combination of 0.3 mM cinnamaldehyde and 10 microM cis-DDP resulted in synergistic cell inactivation. Cinnamaldehyde potentiated the cell-inactivating effect of cis-DDP by a dose-modifying factor of 1.8. Drug synergism was found to occur only when cinnamaldehyde and cis-DDP were given in simultaneous combination. Treatment of synchronized cells demonstrated that cinnamaldehyde potentiated the inactivating effect of cis-DDP in all phases of the cell cycle. Cinnamic acid and cinnamyl alcohol were found to have no synergistic or potentiating effect on cell survival following treatment of cells with cis-DDP, thus indicating the importance of an aldehyde moiety for drug synergism.


Graphitic C3N4 IJg-C3N4) has continuously attracted attention since it was reported as a metal-free semiconductor for water splitting. However, its ability to evolve hydrogen from water is significantly dependent on the use of noble metal co-catalyst, mainly Pt. In recent years, good progress has been achieved in developing co-catalysts containing earth abundant elements only for constructing low cost and efficient g-C3N4 based photocatalytic systems. Besides, exfoliation of bulk g-C3N4 into two dimensional g-C3N4 nanosheets offers large surface area and exposed active sites, which are beneficial for activity enhancement. Furthermore, oxygen evolution and CO2 photoreduction over g-C3N4 have gained increasing interests due to the demand to achieve overall water splitting and conversion of CO2 into chemicals and fuels. In this mini-review, we will briefly summarize the latest research works on g-C3N4 based photocatalytic systems during the last three years with emphasis on the progress achieved in enhancing the hydrogen evolution activity of g-C3N4 by loading noble metal free co-catalysts, exfoliating bulk g-C3N4 into nanosheets, and applying the g-C3N4 system in photocatalytic O2 evolution and CO2 reduction.


Myelosuppressive and ablative regimens are used to deplete lymphocytes in some patients before adoptive cell therapy. CD19-specific engineered T-cells have been used successfully to eliminate B-cells in patients with B-cell leukemias and lymphomas. Prolonged immunosuppression, including B-cell aplasia is associated with increased risk of invasive fungal infection (IFI). Thus, patients will benefit if bio-engineered T cells can control IFI as well as kill tumor cells. The Sleeping Beauty gene transfer system was used to render T cells to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) on the cell surface to redirect specificity via Dectin-1. Upon binding with the β-1,3-glucan sugar moiety found in IFI, Dectin-1 CAR+ T cells signal via chimeric CD28 and CD3-ζ signaling domain. The activated T cells secrete perforin, granzyme and granulysin to damage hyphae and thus inhibit the hyphal growth of Aspergillus and Candida. The T cells also secrete IFN-γ to activate other immune cells to target IFI. To ready the Dectin-1 CAR-modified T cells for the human application, we have modified the Fc domain of the extracellular stalk to alleviate deleterious uptake by Fcγ receptors and thus in vivo loss of infused T cells. We have shown that the Dectin-1 CAR+ T cells do not kill the yeast form of Candida so normal commensals in the gut microbiota should not be affected. We have also demonstrated that Dectin-1 CAR+ T cells can control Aspergillus infection in the presence of immunosuppressive drugs at physiological concentrations. Finally, we have generated dual CAR+ T cells by co-expressing a CD19-specific CAR with Dectin-1 CAR rendering the resultant genetically modified T cells able to target both B-cell malignant cells as well as fungal hyphae. These dual CAR-T cells can thus control both leukemia and invasive fungal infections. These data provide a path forward for clinical trials testing Dectin-1 CAR+ T cells. Citation Format: Pappanaicken R. Kumaresan, Nathaniel Albert, Harjeet Singh, Simon Olivares, Sourindra N. Maiti, Tiejuan Mi, Helen Huls, Richard E. Champlin, Dimitrios P. Kontoyiannis, Laurence J.N. Cooper. Bioengineered Dectin-1 CAR+ T cells to control invasive fungal infection . [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; September 16-19, 2015; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(1 Suppl):Abstract nr A193.


Infiltration of surface water increases pore water pressures in slopes and reduces their stability. Common landslide features such as tension cracks and sag ponds can act as preferential pathways for surface drainage, and likewise may increase infiltration and exacerbate pore-pressure induced instability. Surface water drainage control is likewise recommended by numerous authors as an effective and inexpensive landslide mitigation method, and has been shown to reduce the risk of landslides. While robust design procedures for other geotechnical applications exist (e.g., slope reduction, subsurface drains), similar procedures for landslide surface water drainage control have remained largely ad-hoc and vary among practitioners. The objective of this paper is to summarize technical literature related to surface water drainage control and provide a coherent design procedure for landslides.


The thesis is a theoretical study of different mechanisms by which an increase in the number of rival firms leads to an increase in profits of an incumbent. Consequently, an incumbent may find it profitable to invite rivals, as is sometimes observed, for example in the semiconductor industry. Chapter 2: We expand the work by Farrell and Gallini (1988), in which a monopoly invites rivals to commit in period1 to low prices in period 2. Instead of assuming Bertrand competition as Farrell and Gallini do, we assume Cournot competition, and find the optimal number of rivals from an incumbent's point of view. Furthermore, the incumbent may invite rivals to enter already in period 1 so as to 'share' any losses incurred in the first period of production. Chapter 3: We propose a new mechanism by which an incumbent firm may want to invite rivals, based on the existence of capacity constraints, which we model as decreasing returns to scale. An incumbent may attract rivals in period 2 to increase consumer surplus in the same period above the level which it finds cost-effective to achieve on its own, enabling consumers to tolerate a higher price in period 1. Chapter 4: A multinational which trains workers may enjoy higher profits when more of its workers are poached by rival firms if it is compensated by a sufficiently lower wage during training. More workers are poached when there are more non-training firms and when training is more general. The result depends on the assumption of decreasing returns to scale, so that an increase in the number of poaching firms, or training that is more general, expands worker surplus beyond the level that the multinational could achieve on its own. The multinational can then pay trainees a lower wage.


This paper deals with a control technique of eliminating the transient vibration of ai twin-drive geared mechanical system with backlash. This technique is based on a model-based control integrated into the position control loop. The control model as a dynamical compensator is composed of a linear reduced-order model related to the velocity control loop and a delay element related to the backlashi. This control model estimates a load speed converted to the motor shaft. The difference between the estimated load speed and the motor speed is dynamically calculated, and it is added to the velocity command to suppress the transient vibratiion generated at the load. Further, a local current Compensating loop is integrated into the current control loop to avoid the interference of the output torque of each motor. In this paper, the performance and the effectiveness of the model-based control integrated into the position control loop is verified by simulations. Simulations show satisfactory control results to reduce the transient vibration at the load.


Liberation psychology is an approach that aims to understand wellbeing within the context of relationships of power and oppression, and the sociopolitical structure in which these relationships exist. Liberation Practices: Towards Emotional Wellbeing Through Dialogueexplores how wellbeing can be enhanced through dialogue which challenges oppressive social, relational and cultural conditions and which can lead to individual and collective liberation.

Taiwo Afuape and Gillian Hughes have brought together a variety of contributors, from a range of mental health professions and related disciplines, working in different settings, with diverse client groups. Liberation Practices is a product of multiple dialogues about liberation practices, and how this connects to personal and professional life experience. Contributors offer an overview of liberation theories and approaches, and through dialogue they examine liberatory practices to enhance emotional wellbeing, drawing on examples from a range of creative and innovative projects in the UK and USA.

This book clearly outlines what liberation practices might look like, in the context of the historical development of liberation theory, and the current political and cultural context of working in the mental health and psychology field. Liberation Practices will have a broad readership, spanning clinical psychology, psychotherapy and social work.


The coupling of surface plasmons to the photonic modes in hexagonal textured metallic microcavity was studied. Two types of sample structures (symmetric and asymmetric) were investigated. Both angle-resolved transmission and photoluminescent measurements showed the presence of surface plasmon modes for the textured metallic microcavity samples. For the asymmetric structured sample, the bandgap was observed at the Brillouin zone edge. The simulation of the photonic band structure using decoupled approximation for the standing wave modes agrees with the experimental result. We have derived the surface modes due to various interfaces in the microcavity. It was found that the surface plasmon modes from metal/air interface are most dominant, and was observed to couple strongly with both the transverse electric and transverse magnetic modes. Light extraction enhancement due to surface plasmon coupling was achieved with directional enhancement as much as 12 times compared with planar microcavity for the symmetric structured sample.


The aim of the current study is to explore the effect of macroeconomic news on stock returns in Eastern European countries, combining market and macroeconomic data over the period of 2000-2009, during which the markets experienced excessive optimistic and pessimistic episodes. Hypothesising the asymmetry in stock price responses to good and bad news, we seek to test its degree under the specific market conditions. The error correction models for each country are extended with fixed effects panel data specification, for capturing the crosssectional effects of the state of the market on the return responses to macroeconomic news. The key methodological problem addressed in recent research is how to relate daily stock data and monthly macroeconomic data. The aggregation of stock returns to monthly averages has several advantages over macroeconomic data disaggregation to irregular frequencies or calendar methods. Since the macroeconomic data is large1, we exploit data mining techniques to reasonably fit the monthly averages of the stock returns and panel data analysis to capture the common patterns typical to Eastern European stock markets. Consistently with prior empirical evidence, we find that the market reacts negatively to news when the market and/or economy is strong, but macroeconomic news is more of a long-term driver, and, therefore, affects trends more than short-run fluctuations.


Abstract The illicit antiquities trade is composed of a diverse population of participants that gives the appearance of complexity; however, using the network paradigm, a simple underlying structure is revealed based on specific geographical, economic, political, and cultural rules. This article uses a wide range of source material to chart interactions from source to market using a criminal network approach. Interchangeable participants are connected through single interactions to form loosely based networks. These flexible network structures explain the variability observed within the trade, as well as provide the basis behind ongoing debates about the roles of organized crime, terrorism, and the Internet in antiquities trafficking. Finally, a network understanding of trade's organization allows for anticipation, though not necessarily prediction, of antiquities trafficking and offers the opportunity to develop new strategies for combating the trade.


This paper details the implementation of a robust PID fin control system designed by using close-loop gain shaping algorithm (CGSA) to stabilize the roll motion of a training ship "YUKUN". Firstly, the effect of different representation of linear and nonlinear damping and restoring moment on the roll response is investigated. The solutions of different roll response equations are solved with the fourth order Runge-Kutta method. In the following, the design process of robust PID controller using CGSA is described and the controller designed has concise structure and strong robustness. The typical cases of ship operations are worked out and a roll reduction of 80%-85% is achieved in various simulation conditions.


A floristic checklist was made for Mt. Quetzal (Polygon III) and adjacent areas at the Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, Chiapas, Mexico. A database of 1,513 specimens was created comprising 140 families, 432 genera, 795 species, and 24 infraspecies. The total number of species recorded in this study represented about 9% of the estimated flora of Chiapas and nearly 26.5% of the estimated flora for The Triunfo region. The number of species is also similar to that recorded for polygons I and II (751 and 791 respectively) but higher than Mt. Cebu (Polygon V) (502 species). The vegetation communities determined in the Mt. Quetzal were: conifers forest, cloud forest, tropical rain forest, subdeciduous tropical forest, and ruderal vegetation. The vegetation type more important based on the number of species and the best recollected was the cloud forest. This checklist also included novel taxa: a new species of Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae) and a new species of Sterculia (Sterculiaceae) and the presence Monstera dubia (Araceae) and Albizia carbonaria (Fabaceae) unrecorded for Chiapas.


Previously, the authors have developed a modelling methodology that establishes a threshold strain below which damage propagation will not occur in laminates subject to Compression After Impact (CAI). In order to validate this methodology, a number of quasi-istropic coupons each containing a circular artificial delamination have been tested in axial compression. These coupons had 0o, ±45o and 90o dominated thin sublaminates placed above the delamination in order to prove the applicability of the model to sublaminates with high anisotropy. Results indicate the model can predict both the strain at which delaminations in the coupons with 0o and ±45o dominated sublaminates propagate from their original sites and the stability with which propagation occurred. Analysis of the coupon with a 90o dominated sublaminate was inconclusive due to an unexpected experimental propagation mode. For all coupons delamination propagation was in the direction of the dominant fibre direction in the sublaminate. The established methodology is shown to be suitable for assessing the damage tolerance of composite laminates.


The kinematics of the inner zones of disc galaxies have recently been shown to be much more complicated than previously thought. New instruments and more sensitive detectors have allowed us to obtain spectra of higher S/N ratio and resolution, as well as images, for a more refined study of these inner zones. Decoupled kinematic cores have been known for some time to exist in ellipticals, but complex structures and their kinematic counterparts are now showing up in disc galaxies also. There is a variety of dynamical origins for these structures, and they can be detected sometimes in the gaseous component, sometimes in the stellar component, and sometimes in both. Here we give an overview of the components which are found with significant frequency, and explain how we can distinguish one from another. The components covered include black holes, inner cores, inner bars, inner discs, inner annuli, inner bulges, etc. In most cases a reliable diagnostic of the component structure would not be possible without combining high quality photometric observations with high quality kinematic observations.


The present study, based on a battery of instruments measuring pain in different dimensions, covering neurophysiological, psychological, functional and health-related domains, investigated chronic non-specific neck-shoulder pain as a multidimensional phenomenon of pain. Applications to the gate control theory of pain and the fear-avoidance model were examined and discussed. The participants were Swedish women, 25-65 years of age with chronic non-specific neck-shoulder pain (NS) and age-matched healthy controls (CON), n =117 and n = 33 respectively. The study was a randomized controlled mixed design with three different interventions (strength training, neck coordination training and massage). Baseline testing were assessed followed by interventions for 11 weeks and subsequent post-tests, 6-months- and 12-months- follow-up tests. The results demonstrated significant differences between the NS group and the CON group in muscle tenderness, psychological well-being, depression and health-related quality of life before intervention. No significant differences were revealed in analyses in neck disability or depression taking level of kinesiophobia and active versus passive treatment into account. This lack of unambiguous support to the fear avoidance model demonstrates the complexity between these dimensions and call for further investigations. Taken together, the results of the present study support the multidimensionality of pain in the NS participants and implicate that the fear-avoidance model and the gate control theory of pain may provide some explanation to these aspects. Keywords: chronic non-specific neck-shoulder pain, multidimensional pain, kinesiophobia, catastrophizing, health, depression


One-hundred and eighteen bulls slaughtered at Van city abattoir were evaluated to determine the effects of some pre-slaughter factors on meat quality traits. The effect of breed on meat quality traits was limited except for water holding capacity (WHC) and Brown Swiss cross bulls had higher WHC than Simmental cross bulls. Bulls aged 30 months and older had higher pH24h (6.05 vs. 5.76; p<0.001) and lower L* and b* values than younger bulls. Bulls that were transported from 300 km away had significantly higher pH24h (6.10 vs. 5.71; p<0.01) and lower L*, a*, b*, cooking loss, and WBSF than bulls with £125 km transport distance (p<0.05-p<0.01). Bulls that waited unrestrained in lots had higher pH24h and lower L*, b* and WBSF (7.06 vs. 5.31; p<0.01) values than those that were restrained while waiting in abattoir. Effects of age, lairage and waiting type on dark cutting incidence were also significant and average percentage of dark cutting was 24.78% (pH24h ³ 6.2). As a result, it was determined that the percentage of DFD carcasses was high and dark cutting was serious problem.


The Kirchhoff-diffraction integral is often used to describe the (scalar) wave field from a monochromatic point source in the presence of 'opaque' screens. Despite criticisms that can be made of its 'derivation', the Kirchhoff field is an exact solution of the wave equation, and exactly obeys definite, though unusual, boundary conditions (Kottler 1923, 1965). Here, the path-integral picture of wave fields is used to interpret the Kirchhoff-diffraction field in terms of all conceivable propagation paths, whether or not they pass through the opaque screens. Specifically, it is noted that the Kirchhoff field equals Ʃ(1 ─ m)ψ m, where the sum is over all integers m, and ψm is the wave field due to all paths from the source to the field point for which the number of outward screen crossings minus the number of backwards screen crossings is m. Expressed more topologically, m is the total linking number of a path, when closed by any unobstructed path, with the screen edge lines. Other models of diffraction by screens are compared with Kirchhoff diffraction in the path interpretation.


Title of Dissertation / Thesis: A CASE STUDY IN THE FORMATION OF A SUPER –RABBI: THE EARLY YEARS OF RABBI EZEKIEL LANDAU, 1713-1754 David Katz Dissertation / Thesis Directed By: Professor Bernard Cooperman, Department of History The eighteenth century is usually thought of as the dawn of modernity in Jewish history. While this is true, it was also a time when pre-modern Jewish culture flourished and dominated Jewish life throughout Central and Eastern Europe. This culture was religious in nature, deriving its self-image, institutions, and norms primarily from Talmudic and post-talmudic teachings and literature. The most important group in this culture was the intellectual class, the rabbinic scholars. By the seventeenth century, an official and professional rabbinate had come into being throughout Ashkenazic Jewry. This rabbinate consisted of rabbinic scholars contractually employed by kehilot, official autonomous Jewish communities, in various offices. The highest office was that of communal rabbi or chief rabbi. The communal rabbi was the official religious leader, the guide and legal authority, of the community. Although lay elites held significant and often predominant power, the communal rabbinate was a position of much power and influence, particularly when it was held by a man of scholarly eminence and strong personality. Communal rabbis who gained reputation as men of preeminent scholarship and piety attained a unique authority that transcended the bounds of their communities and made them the unofficial but real highest religious figures in the Ashkenazic world. These "superrabbis" were called Gedolim, great ones." In spite of its importance in pre-modern Jewish history, the rabbinate as a group, particularly the communal rabbinate and the Gedolim, has not received adequate scholarly attention. The rabbinate had an intellectual, professional, and social world of its own. Historians cannot afford to ignore this phenomenon. My study of the early career of Ezekiel Landau (17131793), addresses these issues. Landau was one of the greatest communal rabbis and Gedolim of the premodern era, A preeminent public figure of the eighteenth century, Landau spent his life within the world of the rabbinate and reached the highest rungs of fame and achievement. His was a model rabbinic career. A study of his life reveals how one became a scholar, a communal rabbi, and finally a Gadol. A CASE STUDY IN THE FORMATION OF A SUPER –RABBI: THE EARLY YEARS OF RABBI EZEKIEL LANDAU, 1713-1754


In this paper, we examined the influence of magnetic field with different substrate temperatures during the deposition of the Ir(ppy):Ir(mpp) blend layer heterojunction organic nonmagnetic organic transistor. It is shown that substrate heating treatment during evaporation leads to a significant improvement in the nonmagnetic metal-base transistor performance mainly due to an increase in current gain and ON-to-OFF current ratio. This is attributed to the improvement of thermal energy. Upon heating the substrate to 110°C in the presence of magnetic field, current gain and ON-to-OFF current ratio of 281 and 3.30 × 106 were obtained compared to 219 and 2.06 × 106 for an identical device prepared at 26°C, respectively. Magnetocurrent effect of ~28% was obtained with applied 2 T and 110°C.


Jordan's fatality rate per registered vehicle is approximately 7.5 times larger than that of the United States (157.2 per 100,000 in Jordan vs 21.0 per 100,000 in the U.S.). This project addresses the traffic safety problem in Jordan by evaluating driver's knowledge of existing traffic laws and regulations. An experiment was conducted in which 55 subjects with current driver's licenses were administered a test composed of 25 questions selected from actual Jordanian driver's license exams. Statistical analyses were then conducted on the results. It was found that a shocking 96.4% of the drivers in this study failed to pass the simulated written driver's license exam, with professional drivers scoring worse than non-professional drivers. Based on the findings, recommendations are made regarding Jordanian public policy governing driver's licensing, including more frequent retesting of drivers, a higher standard of knowledge for traffic rules, and a nationwide program to assess the relationship between driver knowledge, driver behavior, and crash and fatality rates.


The role of evapotranspiration (ET) in the global, continental, regional, and local water cycles is reviewed. Elevated atmospheric CO2, air temperature, vapor pressure deficit (D), turbulent transport, radiative transfer, and reduced soil moisture all impact biotic and abiotic processes controlling ET that must be extrapolated to large scales. Suggesting a blueprint to achieve this link is the main compass of this review. Leaf‐scale transpiration (fe) as governed by the plant biochemical demand for CO2 is first considered. When this biochemical demand is combined with mass transfer formulations, the problem remains mathematically intractable, requiring additional assumptions. A mathematical "closure" that assumes stomatal aperture is autonomously regulated so as to maximize the leaf carbon gain while minimizing water loss is proposed, which leads to analytical expressions for leaf‐scale transpiration. This formulation predicts well the effects of elevated atmospheric CO2 and increases in D on fe. The case of soil moisture stress is then considered using extensive gas exchange measurements collected in drought studies. Upscaling the fe to the canopy is then discussed at multiple time scales. The impact of limited soil water availability within the rooting zone on the upscaled ET as well as some plant strategies to cope with prolonged soil moisture stress are briefly presented. Moving further up in direction and scale, the soil‐plant system is then embedded within the atmospheric boundary layer, where the influence of soil moisture on rainfall is outlined. The review concludes by discussing outstanding challenges and how to tackle them by means of novel theoretical, numerical, and experimental approaches.


An important question in the design of interactive multiview systems consists in determining the information needed by the decoder for high quality navigation between the views. Most of the existing techniques focus on the captured sequences and only consider their transmission, which does not guarantee consistency among receiver-generated frames of chosen virtual views. In this work, we propose a solution that additional transmits auxiliary information in order to help the construction of synthesized views, especially in the occluded areas. Comparative results with existing approaches validate this novel representation of multiview data for interactive navigation. We show that decoding quality and consistency among frames are improved with only a small share of additional information.


This study examined the effect of population health and infrastructure development on FDI inflows to Africa. Furthermore, a comparative study on the three biggest African regions, the ECOWAS, COMESA, and SADC regions, was conducted. A panel DOLS approach was adopted for 40 countries drawn from the regions from 1980 to 2017. Unlike empirical population health studies, the multidimensional effects of population health on FDI inflows were examined. The empirical findings from the study showed that population health significantly impacted FDI inflows to Africa, with strong effects in the ECOWAS, and weak effects in the COMESA and SADC regions. However, infrastructure development was found to be a major determinant of FDI flows to Africa and the three regions, thus suggesting that while foreign investors consider infrastructure development for investment in the three regions, population health is further considered on an aggregate level and by ECOWAS foreign investors.


This paper defines time windows of variable size through which flights execute their actions, e.g., enter an airspace sector, depart from or arrive at an airport. We propose a two-step approach based on a mixed integer programming formulation. The first step determines a set of time windows such that the overall cost of delay is minimized. As there might be different sets of time windows generating the same minimum delay, in the second step we choose the set of optimal time windows which also maximizes the overall time window size. In such a way, we provide to airlines, air navigation service providers and airports the largest degree of flexibility to perform their operations under the constraint that the minimum achievable delay is kept constant. We also gain information on the critical flights of the system: if the optimal width of a time window is equal to its minimum available value, any disruption that may cause the flight not to meet it may produce undesired downstream effects. Some computational experience for small-scale random instances is reported.


IntroductionFrailty is strongly associated with adverse health outcomes and health care costs in elders. However, we have almost no idea of the prevalence of frail older inpatients in Swiss hospitals. Hospital discharge data could contribute to predicting frailty in these patients, and eventually improving SwissDRGs system or casemix-adjustment.
Objectives and ApproachThe HFrailty project aimed to develop a predictive model of Fried's Frailty Phenotype (FFP) based on hospital discharge data. We linked Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) discharge data to clinical data from the Lausanne cohort study (Lc65+) over the period 2004-2015. The Lc65+ is a longitudinal population-based cohort comprising three random samples of approximately 1500 Lausanne residents aged 65 to 70, born respectively before, during and after World War II. With stepwise and lasso penalized logistic regression, random forest and neural networks, we identified the best-performing model for predicting FFP using CHUV's data recorded within 12 months prior to frailty assessments.
ResultsAmong Lc65+ participants, 1649 were assessed for frailty and hospitalized at least once during the follow-up period, resulting in 3499 FFP assessments of which 544 were preceded by at least one hospitalization within 12 months.  In total, 45.7% of the participants were men and 9.4% were frail (FFP score ≥ 3). As expected, prevalence of frailty increased with age from 4.1% in the 66-70 age group, to 5.3% and 10.5% in the 71-75 and 76-80 groups, respectively. Logistic regression with lasso penalty was finally the best model regarding both performance and complexity. It had an area under receiver operating curve of 0.67 to predict FFP based on detailed diagnosis and procedure codes.
Conclusion/ImplicationsHospital discharge data may be used to identify frail and non-frail individuals and estimate their prevalence in the Swiss non-institutionalized population. Our predictive model showed limited performance and could be improved. We are currently testing groups of diagnosis and procedure codes, as predictors, instead of detailed ones.


The mechanical analysis is applied for the steel box girder bridge with orthotropic plate and pavement by means of Finite Element Method. The interaction between steel bridge and pavement on the long-span steel bridge is evaluated in three calculation stages. The emphasis of the analysis includes the mechanical characteristics and the influential factors of large components(cross diaphragm)and local components (U-shaped ribs). Considering the mechanical changes by the load of heavy-duty vehicles and heavy load with braking, the interfacial shear failure is studied for the main form of damage. In view of this major form of damage, this paper puts forward the corresponding mechanical analysis of the indicators.


Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) would contribute to energy saving and greenhouse effect reduction if they were to be massively launched on the market. A notable effort has been done in simulation to optimize energy consumption and component sizing. Power-hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) simulation could be a further step to obtain more realistic performance and to compare different solutions, including economic aspects. This paper deals with the implementation on a high dynamic test bench of a diesel mild parallel HEV using the PHIL technique. Three configurations, corresponding to different energy-storage systems, have been tested under the same conditions. Power, energy, consumption, and pollutant emission performance, which are measured on the test bench, are compared and discussed.


The ultracapacitor has many applications in modern electrical systems and there is the potential for their use in hybrid electric vehicles. This paper presents a survey of ultracapacitor-based hybrid vehicles. The focus of this paper is to study the natural discharge of an ultracapacitor bank. A low-cost precise digital system was employed for this task. This paper investigates the effects of different parameters on the discharge behavior of an ultracapacitor bank. Extensive curve fitting of the experimental data was conducted to characterize the natural discharge behavior of ultracapacitors


An improved model predictive direct power control (MPDPC) for three-phase grid-connected converters is proposed. In the proposed method, two voltage vectors are applied during a control period and their duty cycles are determined by a fuzzy logic-based modulator. The inputs to the modulator are the active and reactive power errors and the output is the duty cycle of the first (main) voltage vector. The fuzzy rules are developed based on expert knowledge and the fact that small/large power errors can be compensated by applying the main voltage vector for a small/large portion of the switching period. The candidate voltage vector pairs are examined on a control Lyapunov function and the pair that satisfy the closed-loop stability criteria are selected. The voltage vector pairs are then applied following a proposed switching pattern through which reduced average switching frequency is achieved. Comparative simulation and hardware-in-the-loop studies between the proposed method and a most recently introduced duty cycle-based MPDPC confirm that in addition to lower average switching frequency, better quality currents and active and reactive powers can be achieved under the proposed MPDPC.


Classroom teachers' cultural schemata become important factors when they use them as the standard or yardstick to instruct culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse (CLED) students. However, when teachers' yardstick is comprised of limited cross-cultural knowledge and experiences, they cannot gauge the true learning potential of CLED students. This ineptness in conjunction with "inflated power and status" results in teachers easily distorting, discounting, disparaging, and/or devaluing CLED students' language, cultural values, beliefs, motivation, aspirations, expectations, and/or intellectual abilities. Examples of how teachers' monistic cultural schemata result in negative outcomes are presented. ********** When we encounter people from other societies or cultures, they catch our attention because they "look" different, they speak a language we don't understand, their actions are odd, or they believe differently than we ordinarily do. Their religious beliefs may not make sense to us at all and their cultural heritage and life experiences may differ greatly from those with which we are accustomed. Indeed, many of these cultural differences are observable, such as skin color, dress, spoken language, customs, gestures, greeting rituals, child rearing practices, emotional expressions, food, eating habits, and lifestyles to name a few. Some of these differences are less obvious but may be more "cultural shocking" than those that we see or hear. For example, there are dramatic differences between cultural groups' beliefs about personal space, or what they believe to be appropriate or inappropriate patterns of touching. Attitudes, values, beliefs that drive courtship patterns and patterns of interaction also reveal great differences between cultural groups. Our reaction to these culturally different phenomena is natural because their characteristics do not match information stored in our cognitive schemata. According to anthropologists, sociologists, and psychologists, all individuals develop patterns of feeling, thinking, believing, speaking, and doing things through the socialization processes of the cultural group of which they are a member (Gollnick & Chinn, 2009). These patterns of behavior are learned over a lifetime and are organized, categorized, and stored as COGNITIVE SCHEMATA (Shiraev & Levy, 2001). Cognitive schemata become an individual's cultural lenses through which the environment is viewed and evaluated (Matsumoto, 2000). And, because these schemata are reflections of the individual's identity, they are highly valued, protected, and defended from any threat of change. So, when we encounter stimuli that match information stored in our cognitive schemata, we understand it and we decide to accept or reject it either consciously or subconsciously. If stimuli are misunderstood or are strikingly different than those to which we are accustomed, the stimuli are treated as threats to our schemata and these stimuli usually trigger defensive reactions. Defensive reactions function to preserve and protect our cognitive schemata and the lifestyle they represent. However, while schemata are important to support our individuality, there is a danger that these schemata become factors in suppressing other's beliefs, values, customs, and language. Matsumoto and Juang (2008, p. 330) believe that "how we understand or construe our sense of self is intimately and fundamentally tied to how we understand the world around us and our relationships with others in that world." Therefore, our cognitive schemata direct our psychological and personality makeup, and we use these schemata as the standard or yardstick to compare our beliefs, our personal attributes, and our behaviors with those of others. These comparisons are made on abstract (covert) phenomenon (e.g., values, attitudes, aspirations, expectations, etiquette, beliefs) as well as (overt) behaviors we see, hear, touch, or smell (e. …


Should doctors, patients and policy makers have complete information about new drugs? Although complete transparency may seem like the obvious answer, the reality is that publicly available information is often incomplete. Before a drug may be approved for sale, a regulatory agency such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will review extensive data created by a company seeking approval of such a drug. However, the FDA considers such information to be protected from public disclosure as a commercially confidential trade secret. In the United States, scientific papers concerning new drugs are often based on proprietary data and published articles often present skewed results compared to the complete data possessed by the FDA. The implications of articles based on proprietary data typically get short shrift. However, two articles on Covid-19 were recently retracted after independent scientists questioned the conclusions and the authors admitted that the articles were based on proprietary data that could not be verified, leading to their retraction. Although the intense public spotlight on Covid-19 highlighted this problem, doctors are generally forced to rely on incomplete information based on similar proprietary data in making prescribing decisions. This unnecessarily compromises patient health and safety.

Although the EU and Canada have recognized the public health benefit of more transparency and increased publication of clinical data for new drugs, understudied aspects of international intellectual property laws may limit disclosure. In particular, all member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO), including Canada and the EU member states, must comply with certain intellectual property minimum requirements, including one that governs the data at issue. Article 39(3) of the Trade Related Intellectual Property Agreement (TRIPS) requires WTO countries to protect data submitted to regulatory agencies from "uncommercial fair use." This highly contested term has never been definitively clarified in the WTO's dispute settlement process. Moreover, TRIPS permits countries to disclose such data under one of two exceptions that have been largely ignored in the literature so far. This Article provides the first comprehensive analysis of whether domestic disclosure of clinical data is permissible under either of these two exceptions.

In doing so, this Article contributes to broader policy issues. First, although some policy makers have long recognized that international obligations may constrain domestic options, this Article provides a concrete case study of the dangers of creating new international intellectual property norms—especially when such norms are created by a select group of stakeholders that may not represent all interests. This is a timely and important issue since nations have generally been entering into international agreements with increasing levels of intellectual property rights since the conclusion of the WTO. Second, the Article suggests actions to consider in both the domestic and international contexts regarding clinical data, including specific suggestions to improve clinical data disclosure in the United States.


There are many different forms of arm accessories in the Tang Dynasty. Their development is due to different times, cultures, religions, and nearby ethnic minorities. Accessories and clothing are closely related, thus clothes in the Tang Dynasty also influence the changes of arm accessories. There are three continuous periods of development: early, middle, and late, each with its own distinctive characteristics. The different forms of the arm accessories will be analyzed on the basis of the social and cultural background during the Tang Dynasty. The analysis will help to gain a better understanding of modern accessories.


Recent years have witnessed an increased use of glued timber products in construction, due to their highlights in versatility and sustainability. It is therefore a demanding necessity to develop non-destructive integrity assessment methods for structural health monitoring of timber constructions, both during production and utilization. Particularly, the integrity and load bearing capacity of the glue line need to be tested. Air coupled ultrasound (ACU) is a novel non-destructive method which is well suited for this purpose. The advantages with respect to traditional ultrasonic contact techniques are phenomenal reproducibility and unlimited scanning capabilities, together with full preservation of the properties of the inspected object. As part of an on-going project in the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (Empa) together with the Laboratory for Wood Physics and Non-Destructive Testing Methods of ETH Zuerich, experiments were performed in samples consisting of two layers of glued laminated timber with artificially introduced delaminations. First, the main ultrasound propagation phenomena were modelled with dedicated analytical calculations and numerical simulations. Next the samples were scanned with a precise mechanical system and a Normal Transmission Mode setup and the ACU waveforms were digitized for each scanned position. A specific amplitude tracking algorithm together with a self-calibration procedure applied to the ultrasonic images were used to compensate for ultrasonic amplitude variations induced by wood heterogeneity. The mean amplitude variations in the orthotropic R-T plane and in the L axis were of 10 and 5 dB respectively. After an appropriate wood heterogeneity correction the uncertainty in the R-T plane was reduced down to 4 dB. Adhesion defects were reliably assessed for the investigated samples, as well in situations where adhesive was present in the glue line but no bonding existed between timber lamellas (dry glue), or where the adhesive spread during the pressing in an uncontrolled way to the desired non-glued regions. The ACU results were validated with an also novel Micro Focus Computed Tomography glue line assessment method. Specific wave propagation phenomena depending on the year ring orientation with respect to the insonification direction were also discussed.