(Abstract) Three-dimensional unsteady computations of the flow past a fruit fly Drosophila under hovering and free flight conditions are computed. The kinematics of the wings and the body of the fruit fly are prescribed from experimental observations. The computed unsteady lift and thrust forces are validated with experimental results and are in excellent agreement. The unsteady aerodynamic origin of the time-varying yaw moment is identified. The differences in the kinematics between the right and the left wings show that subtle change in the stroke angle and deviation angle can result in the yaw moment for the turning maneuver. The computed yaw moment reaches a peak value at the beginning of the maneuver and remains positive through out the remainder of the maneuver. The origin of the yaw moment is investigated by computing the center of pressures on each wing and the individual moment arms. This investigation leads to the conclusion that it is the forward force and a component of the lift force that combine to produce the turning moment while the side force alone produces the restoring torque during the maneuver. The vorticity shed from the wing's leading edge and the tips show a loop like structure that during stroke reversals pinches off into Λ-like structures that have not been previously observed in the wakes of flapping fliers.


If the drugs now considered illegal were legalized, what difficulties would have to be resolved? To answer this question, this article first points out the limitations of a policy of decriminilization in the case of soft drugs; it then shows that today, legalization and marketing of legal drugs go hand in hand and that this is a dangerous model for the legalization of drugs. Hence although the need to legalize all drugs in order to alleviate the present problems caused by their criminalization is easy enough to demonstrate, to find a model of legal distribution of drugs that avoids the negative consequences of the present policies regarding legal drugs is much more difficult. It merits some thought.


Taro [Colocasia esculenta (L) Schott] belongs to the family Araceae. It is an important staple food crop grown mainly by small scale farmers in many parts of the world. Taro is grown in South Africa from the coastal parts of the northern Eastern Cape to the KwaZulu-Natal north coast. Although it is an important staple in South Africa, very little information exists on the genetic diversity of the crop. Knowledge of the genetic diversity of a crop is important for breeding programmes. The aim of this study is to assess the genetic diversity of taro using ITS2 sequencing and assess whether the ITS2 secondary structures could be used as a taxonomic marker to group the taro accessions. Currently, taro accessions in South Africa have not been placed into any type of groups and the accessions are named from the locality where they are collected. The ITS2 sequence data separated the accessions into 4 clusters. The accessions did not group according to geographical locations. The ITS2 secondary structure had one common motif present in all 25 accessions suggesting that it could be used as a taxonomic marker for taro. Other motifs were able to place taro accessions into groups. The discovery of these motifs strengthens the potential of the ITS2 secondary structure as taxonomic marker in taro. The high genetic diversity provides taro breeders a selection of parents for the improvement of taro.

 Key word: Root crop, genetic diversity, internal transcribed spacer2.


A sol-gel process incorporating lead acetate trihydrate, barium acetate and titanium isopropoxide as precursors, acetylacetone as a chelating agent, and ethylene glycol as a solvent was used to prepare solid solution (Pb 0.5 ,Ba 0.5 )TiO 3 . Water content, annealing temperature and heating rate were varied and the resulting effects on material properties were studied using TGA/DSC, FTIR, FESEM and X-ray diffraction. Crystallization of the perovskite structure occurred at a temperature as low as 450°C. Thin films were prepared by spin coating on (100) MgO using the optimized precursor sol. Pyrolysis and anneal temperatures were varied and the resultant film properties investigated. The pyrolysis temperature used to dry the film was found to strongly affect orientation. Under optimized conditions, highly oriented films were obtained at a crystallization temperature of 600°C.


INTRODUCTION
15-20% of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty were not satisfied and the most common causes were residual pain and limited function. Epidural analgesia or peripheral nerve blocks have traditionally been used as analgesia.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of infiltration with epinephrine, ketorolac, morphine and ropivacaine solution in postoperative total knee replacement patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Observational, cross-sectional, retrospective and analytical cohort study. We included patients with gonarthrosis aged 18 to 100 years scheduled for total knee replacement surgery from May 2018 to August 2021; with documentation of their clinical, demographic, baseline, pre-surgical and postoperative pain data at 24 hours. Infiltrated patients were compared with those receiving intravenous analgesia.

RESULTS
A total of 66 patients with a mean age of 69.1 were included;65.2% were women. Forty-three point nine percent had left-sided involvement, 50% had a classification of Kellgren-Lawrence III and 31.8% had a grade IV. Thirty-six patients (54.5%) formed the control group, while 30 (45.5%)received the intervention with the analgesic cocktail. With regard to pain,a lower median pain was found by visual analog scale in patients with the intervention (2 vs 8 points, p < 0.001); most with the cocktail they found no pain (66.7%) or mild pain (23.3%) and no patient in the control group reached it (p < 0.001). All patients of the control group required rescue analgesia, while only 30% of the intervention group used it (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION
The use of trans-surgical local infiltration decreases postoperative pain and the requirement of analgesics and rescue analgesia during the first 24 hours.


IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed in IMF Working Papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management. Abstract European power markets are in the midst of unprecedented changes, with a record-breaking surge in energy prices.This paper investigates the impact of green power resources on the level and volatility of wholesale electricity prices at a granular level, using monthly observations for a panel of 24 European countries over the period 2014–2021 and alternative estimation methods including a panel quantile regression approach. We find that renewable energy is associated with a significant reduction in wholesale electricity prices in Europe, with an average impact of 0.6 percent for each 1 percentage points increase in renewable share. We also find evidence for a nonlinear effect—that is, higher the share of renewables, the greater its effect on electricity prices. On the other hand, while quantile estimation results are mixed with regards to the impact of renewables on the volatility of electricity prices, we obtain evidence that renewable energy has a negative effect on volatility at the highest quantiles. Overall, our analysis indicates that policy reforms can help accelerate the green transition while minimizing the volatility in electricity prices. capture nonlinearity quantiles


Entrenching safety cultural aspects is one of the functional areas within the management system that underlines various strategies. A number of investigations in the electricity industry revealed that a deficiency of organisational safety culture is one of the underlying causes of accidents. This study sought to determine management strategies that impact organisational safety culture in the electricity industry in Zambia. The objectives underpinning the study include establishing management strategies that affect organisational safety culture, assessing worker's knowledge on safety, health and environmental (SHE) programs, and ascertain the effect of organisational safety culture on workers attitude towards safety. Various literature was reviewed on management strategies. The research used the quantitative method in which descriptive and analytical survey methods using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) as inferential statistics. A structured questionnaire to obtain data was designed, and the multiple linear regression method to analyse data in order to meet the research objectives was applied. The study selected 230 workers from companies within the electricity industry using simple random sampling while 170 questionnaires were completed, giving a response rate of 73.91%. Findings revealed that workers understand organisational safety culture and SHE processes; while management strategies such as recruitment, and rewards and compensation, had a significant influence on organisational safety culture. The study concluded that management commitment and their involvement in the safety aspects of the electricity industry is not just a benevolent obligation, but it compels and motivates the workers they protect to achieve organisational objectives and goals. Furthermore, the study recommended the restructuring of processes during induction and orientation to maintain high levels of safety at workplaces in order to record few workplace accidents.
Keywords: Electricity Industry, Entrenching, Management Strategies, Organisational Safety Culture


Goals: To compare the long-term outcome of medical, percutaneous, and surgical treatment of abdominal and pelvic abscesses complicating Crohn's disease. Study: All patients with Crohn's disease and an abdominal abscess treated at one institution during a 10-year period were retrospectively identified. We reviewed hospital and outpatient records and contacted patients for telephone interviews. Outcome measures included abscess recurrence, subsequent surgery for Crohn's disease, and medications used at the time of most recent follow-up. Results: Fifty-one subjects were identified, with a mean follow-up of 3.75 years. Fewer patients developed recurrent abscesses after initial surgical drainage and bowel resection (12%) than patients treated with medical therapy only or percutaneous drainage (56%) (p = 0.016), One half of the patients treated nonoperatively ultimately required surgery, whereas only 12% of those treated with initial surgery required reoperation during the follow-up period (p = 0.010). Most failures of nonoperative therapy occurred within 3 months. Medication use was similar between the treatment groups at the time of most recent follow-up. Conclusions: In this series, surgical management of abscesses in Crohn's disease was more effective than medical treatment or percutaneous drainage for prevention of abscess recurrence. However, nonoperative therapy prevented subsequent surgery in half of the patients and may be a reasonable treatment option for some patients.


A basic concept in chain-particle cluster-motion, from frozen glassy state to melt state, is the 2D soft nano-scale mosaic structure formed by 8 orders of 2D interface excitation (IE) loop-flows, from small to large in inverse cascade and rearrangement structure in cascade along local one direction. IE has additional repulsive energy and extra vacancy volume. IE results from that the instantaneous synchronal polarized electron charge coupling pair is able to parallel transport on the interface between two neighboring chain-particles with antiparallel delocalization. This structure accords with de Gennes' mosaic structure picture, from which we can directly deduce glass transition temperature, melt temperature, free volume fraction, critical entangled chain length, and activation energy to break solid lattice. This is also the inherency maximum order-potential structure in random systems.


Modification processes can change the physicochemical and structural properties of native starch, thereby increasing its industrial applications. Finger millet starch (FMS) was modified with casava starch (CS), guar gum (GG) and xanthan gum (XG) modifiers at the ratios of 95:5%, 90:10%, 80:20% and 75: 25%, for each of the modifier. The proximate and mineral compositions of the modified starch were determined using standard methods. Atomic absorption spectrometry method was used to quantify the mineral contents of the modified starch. Proximate contents of the modified FMS starch varied according to the type of the modifier and FMS/modifier ratios. Concentrations of carbohydrate in CS (66.97±0.03%), GG (64.42±0.05%) and XG (64.64 ± 0.01%) FMS modified starches were highest at 10%, 25% and 5% of the modifier contents repectively. The highest levels of fat in GG (8.91±0.02%), XG (7.89±0.01) and ash (3.55±0.02%) in CS modified starches were recorded when the quantity of the modifiers were increased to 25%. Fatty acid levels in the modified starches varied in the order of XG (7.74±0.03%) at 20% > GG (7.13±0.02%) at 25% > CS (5.14±0.20%) at 10%. At 25% modifier contents, levels of mineral element were highest in the modified CS and GG starches. Modifications decreased Mg, Mn, Fe, Zn, and Cu contents, while the concentrations Na, K, Ca and P increased. The modified starches can be used for production of some foods for specific health purposes.


In chronic pain physical rehabilitation, physiotherapists adapt exercise sessions according to the movement behavior of patients. As rehabilitation moves beyond clinical sessions, technology is needed to similarly assess movement behaviors and provide such personalized support. In this paper, as a first step, we investigate automatic detection of protective behavior (movement behavior due to pain-related fear or pain) based on wearable motion capture and electromyography sensor data. We investigate two recurrent networks (RNN) referred to as stacked-LSTM and dual-stream LSTM, which we compare with related deep learning (DL) architectures. We further explore data augmentation techniques and additionally analyze the impact of segmentation window lengths on detection performance. The leading performance of 0.815 mean F1 score achieved by stacked-LSTM provides important grounding for the development of wearable technology to support chronic pain physical rehabilitation during daily activities.


A FLASH digital phase-locked loop (DPLL) is designed using 0.18μm CMOS process and a 3.3V power supply. It operates in the frequency range 200MHz – 2GHz. The DPLL operation includes two stages: (1) a novel coarse-tuning stage based on a flash algorithm similar to the algorithm employed in flash A/D converters, and (2) a fine-tuning stage similar to conventional DPLLs. The flash portion of the DPLL is made up of frequency comparators, an encoder, and a decoder which drives a multiple charge pump (CP)/lowpass filter (LPF) combination. Design considerations of the flash DPLL circuit components as well as implementation using Cadence design tools are presented. Spectre simulations demonstrated a significant improvement in the lock time of the flash DPLL as compared to the conventional DPLL. By increasing the number of frequency comparators, the lock time is expected to be always less than 100ns .


It is proposed in this article that the ultimate answer to the "deus ex machina" paradox is neither invoking God in the machine nor humanity as a molecular automaton, but consciousness as a space-time spanning property of the cosmos. This implies that we are playing a pivotal and in its essence a cosmological role through our subjective consciousness in bringing about a cognizant universe aware of its own existence and imbued with a sense of purpose expressed in and through our free-will and sense of compassion for the unfolding nature of conscious existence amid the mortal toil of biological sexuality. In discovering this change of perspective lies our redemption through taking full responsibility for our actions participating in a deepening understanding of this extraordinary universe, in which we as sentient beings are the conscious progenitors of its becoming.


Background Mutations in the FRY1/SAL1 Arabidopsis locus are highly pleiotropic, affecting drought tolerance, leaf shape and root growth. FRY1 encodes a nucleotide phosphatase that in vitro has inositol polyphosphate 1-phosphatase and 3′,(2′),5′-bisphosphate nucleotide phosphatase activities. It is not clear which activity mediates each of the diverse biological functions of FRY1 in planta. Principal Findings A fry1 mutant was identified in a genetic screen for Arabidopsis mutants deregulated in the expression of Pi High affinity Transporter 1;4 (PHT1;4). Histological analysis revealed that, in roots, FRY1 expression was restricted to the stele and meristems. The fry1 mutant displayed an altered root architecture phenotype and an increased drought tolerance. All of the phenotypes analyzed were complemented with the AHL gene encoding a protein that converts 3′-polyadenosine 5′-phosphate (PAP) into AMP and Pi. PAP is known to inhibit exoribonucleases (XRN) in vitro. Accordingly, an xrn triple mutant with mutations in all three XRNs shared the fry1 drought tolerance and root architecture phenotypes. Interestingly these two traits were also complemented by grafting, revealing that drought tolerance was primarily conferred by the rosette and that the root architecture can be complemented by long-distance regulation derived from leaves. By contrast, PHT1 expression was not altered in xrn mutants or in grafting experiments. Thus, PHT1 up-regulation probably resulted from a local depletion of Pi in the fry1 stele. This hypothesis is supported by the identification of other genes modulated by Pi deficiency in the stele, which are found induced in a fry1 background. Conclusions/Significance Our results indicate that the 3′,(2′),5′-bisphosphate nucleotide phosphatase activity of FRY1 is involved in long-distance as well as local regulatory activities in roots. The local up-regulation of PHT1 genes transcription in roots likely results from local depletion of Pi and is independent of the XRNs.


Nigeria, like most African countries, has engaged in agricultural liberalization since 1986 in the hope that reforms emphasizing price incentives will encourage producers to respond. Thus far, the reforms seem to have introduced greater uncertainty into the market given increasing rates of price volatility. This study amongst other things therefore seeks to determine and model the responsiveness of rice supply to price risk in Nigeria. Statistical information on domestic and imported quantities of rice was obtained for 41 years (1970 to 2011) from various sources, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) database, Federal Ministry of Agriculture statistical bulletins, Central Bank of Nigeria statistical bulletins and National Bureau of Statistic (NBS). Data were analyzed using equilibrium output supply function, co-integration models, and vector autoregressive distributed lag model. Rice importation was statistically significant and changes in output were also responsive to changes in price. The results indicate that producers are more responsive not only to price and non-price factor but also to price risk and exchange rate. It is therefore imperative to reduce the effects of price risk as to increase the response of producer to supply by bridging the gap in production


SOMMARIO: 1. Discretio iudicii abituale e attuale - 2. Gravita del defectus iudicii - 3. L'influsso del defectus iudicii sugli iura et officia matrimonialia essentialia mutuo tradenda et acceptanda.Discretio iudicii, mental disease, iura et officia matrimonialia essentialia, nullity of marriage, psychic ability to marry.ABSTRACT: The present essay, starting from the legal regulation of the discretio iudicii in the canon law system, tries to specify its conceptual essence and its peculiar characteristics relatively to the matrimonial institution. Particular attention has been paid to the attempt to clarify the connection between the defectus discretionis iudicii and the iura et officia matrimonialia essentialia and also the incidence of the different kinds of mental diseases on the expression of a valid matrimonial consent.


Treatment of purulent wounds by the open method in 280 patients was analysed. It is shown that purposeful use of medicinal agents in accordance with the phases of the wound process is a determinant and influences the duration of treatment. Necrectomy in combination with the topical use of ointments on a water-soluble polyethylene glycol basis (levosin, levomekol, 5% dioxidine ointment, 10% mafenide acetate ointment) produces the most favorable effect on the course of the wound process.


Three fundamental questions concerning minds are presented. These are about consciousness, intentionality and intelligence. After we present the fundamental framework that has shaped both the philosophy of mind and the Artificial Intelligence research in the last forty years or so regarding the last two questions, we turn to consciousness, whose study still seems evasive to both communities. After briefly illustrating why and how phenomenal consciousness is puzzling, a theoretical diagnosis of the problem is proposed and a framework is presented, within which further research would yield a solution. The diagnosis is that the puzzle stems from a peculiar dual epistemic access to phenomenal aspects (qualia) of our conscious experiences. An account of concept formation is presented such that both the phenomenal concepts (like the concepts RED and SWEET) and the introspective concepts (like the concepts EXPERIENCING RED and TASTING SWEET) are acquired from a firstperson perspective as opposed to the third-person one (the standard concept formation strategy about objective features). We explain the first-person perspective in information-theoretic and computational terms: Nature (the Art whereby God hath made and governes the World) is by the Art of man, as in many other things, so in this also imitated, that it can make an Artificial Animal. For seeing life is but a motion of Limbs, the beginning whereof is in some principall part within; why may we not say, that all Automata (Engines that move themselves by springs and wheels as doth a watch) have an artificiall life? For what is the Heart, but a Spring; and the Nerves but so many Strings; and the Joynts, but so many Wheeles, giving motion to the whole Body, such as was intended by the Artificer? Art goes yet further, imitating that Rationall and most excellent worke of Nature, Man. (Hobbes 1651, p. 81) So declared Thomas Hobbes in 1651 in the Introduction to his well-known work, Leviathan, published one year after Réne Descartes' death. Descartes was also interested in mechanical explanations of bodily processes and organic life. In fact, on the basis of his neuroanatomical and physiological studies, as well as philosophical arguments, Descartes had already argued that human and animal bodies could be mechanically understood as complicated and intricately designed machines (Descartes 1664). What differentiated Descartes from Hobbes lay in his belief that human beings, unlike non-human animals, were not merely bodies; they were unions of material bodies and immaterial souls. The immaterial soul was necessary for Descartes to explain the peculiar capacities and activities of the human mind. As such, materialist mechanical explanations could never be sufficient to account for the whole human being.


Twenty-eight partners participated in the FP6 EU-funded project HearCom, with the goal to improve hearing in our communication society. One of the main achievements has been the provision of advanced hearing screening tests by telephone and Internet. For hearing diagnostics it was aimed at the harmonization of hearing diagnostic tests within Europe. For this the concept of the Auditory Profile has been developed with several tests for various languages. Hearing problems are also a result of adverse acoustical circumstances for which the effects have been studied, modelled and evaluated for hearing impaired. For hearing rehabilitation a large scale comparison study was performed on signal enhancement techniques (algorithms) for hearing devices. Modern technology may assist on hearing and communication by the use of wireless technology and automatic speech transcription. On this it is shown that improvements for auditory communication can be obtained, but that technology should develop further. An overview is given on the HearCom portal with sections for screening diagnostics, hearing information for the public and professionals, and a new service called HearCompanion that provides step-by-step support for the hearing rehabilitation process.


Infections are often caused by pathobionts, endogenous bacteria that belong to the microbiota. Trauma and surgical intervention can allow bacteria to overcome host defences, ultimately leading to sepsis if left untreated. One of the main defence strategies of the immune system is the production of highly specific antibodies. In the present proof-of-concept study, plasma antibodies against 9 major pathogens were measured in sepsis patients, as an example of severe systemic infections. The binding of plasma antibodies to bacterial extracellular proteins was quantified using a semi-automated immunoblot assay. Comparison of the pathogen-specific antibody levels before and after infection showed an increase in plasma IgG in 20 out of 37 tested patients. This host-directed approach extended the results of pathogen-oriented microbiological and PCR diagnostics: a specific antibody response to additional bacteria was frequently observed, indicating unrecognised poly-microbial invasion. This might explain some cases of failed, seemingly targeted antibiotic treatment.


Based on interviews with 122 men who had used violence against their partner, and employing Goffman's (1971) concept of `remedial work', this paper interrogates violent men's perceptions, constructions and understandings of domestic violence and their responses to its use. Accounts of women partners are also examined. `Remedial work' involves the perpetrator of an act of untoward behaviour in various forms of `damage limitation' intended to change the meaning of the offensive act into one that is deemed acceptable. Goffman's three related devices of remedial work - `accounts, apologies, and requests' - are used to explore men's narratives of violent events, their definitions of the event, rationales and perceptions of consequences. Revealed are the exculpatory and expiatory discourses which dominate men's narratives and which expose the purposeful yet paradoxical nature of their responses to violence, directed at mitigating and obfuscating culpability while at the same time seeking forgiveness and absolution. We suggest that through these devices men seek to impose their own definitions upon their woman partner and thereby neutralise or eradicate her experience of abuse and control the ways in which she interprets and responds to it. These findings strongly support Goffman's theoretical conception. In addition, they highlight the need for further investigation of how men's and women's accounts, definitions and responses to violence are interactionally connected through men's attempts to define the violence in exculpatory and expiatory terms and in women's resistance to such definitions and their implications.


Classical game theory struggles to explain how rational players should decide between a number of social conventions, even if some yield higher individual payoffs than others. Thus, on a population level a group or society may be stuck in using one convention when there exist alternative and potentially more beneficial ones. Using an agent-based model the current study examines how convention shifts from less to more beneficial conventions can come about. To investigate this, we use the concept of team reasoning, a mode of reasoning in which actors maximise the utility of a group rather than their own. Unlike other social decision-making mechanisms, such as forms of imitation, team reasoning enables the spread of a more profitable convention through a population even if no global knowledge about the population is available to agents.


Following a severe knee sprain during which the anterior cruciate ligament has been torn, the patient and his doctor are facing the choice between a conservative treatment or a surgical approach. Reviewing the international literature allows us to build a pertinent opinion. If the conservative treatment is selected, one must be aware that the proportion of good results does not exceed 50%. This is why, this treatment is only recommended for little demanding and non-sports active persons. In various surgical options, the autologous anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, using a graft of patellar or hamstrings tendons gives good, reliable and reproducible results.


Endothelin-1 has dual vasoactive effects, mediating vasoconstriction via ETA receptor activation of vascular smooth muscle cells and vasorelaxation via ETB receptor activation of endothelial cells. Although it is commonly accepted that endothelin-1 binding to endothelial cell ETB receptors stimulates nitric oxide (NO) synthesis and subsequent smooth muscle relaxation, the signaling pathways downstream of ETB receptor activation are unknown. Here, using a model in which we have utilized isolated primary endothelial cells, we demonstrate that ET-1 binding to sinusoidal endothelial cell ETB receptors led to increased protein kinase B/Akt phosphorylation, endothelial cell nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation, and NO synthesis. Furthermore, eNOS activation was not dependent on tyrosine phosphorylation, and pretreatment of endothelial cells with pertussis toxin as well as overexpression of a dominant negative G-protein-coupled receptor kinase construct that sequesters betagamma subunits inhibited Akt phosphorylation and NO synthesis. Taken together, the data elucidate a G-protein-coupled receptor signaling pathway for ETB receptor-mediated NO production and call attention to the absolute requirement for heterotrimeric G-protein betagamma subunits in this cascade.


Stratospheric meteorological conditions during the Airborne Arctic Stratospheric Expedition II (AASE II) presented excellent observational opportunities from Bangor, Maine, because the polar vortex was located over southeastern Canada for significant periods during the 1991-1992 winter. Temperature analyses showed that nitric acid trihydrates (NAT temperatures below 195 k) should have formed over small regions in early December. The temperatures in the polar vortex warmed beyond NAT temperatures by late January (earlier than normal). Perturbed chemistry was found to be associated with these cold temperatures.


: The potential of impedance and isotope (intravenous injections of 131I and 113mIn) methods to study regional and central hemodynamics was investigated on 12 test subjects exposed to LBNP. Both methods demonstrated marked changes in blood filling of the head and the chest, particularly during the first minutes of LBNP tests. This occurred together with a drastic increase in leg blood filling. The close similarity of regional hemodynamic changes detected by the two methods gives evidence that the simple and noninvasive impedance method can be well used for the above studies.


Neural machine translation has considerably improved the quality of automatic translations by learning good representations of input sentences. In this article, we explore a multilingual translation model capable of producing fixed-size sentence representations by incorporating an intermediate crosslingual shared layer, which we refer to as attention bridge. This layer exploits the semantics from each language and develops into a language-agnostic meaning representation that can be efficiently used for transfer learning. We systematically study the impact of the size of the attention bridge and the effect of including additional languages in the model. In contrast to related previous work, we demonstrate that there is no conflict between translation performance and the use of sentence representations in downstream tasks. In particular, we show that larger intermediate layers not only improve translation quality, especially for long sentences, but also push the accuracy of trainable classification tasks. Nevertheless, shorter representations lead to increased compression that is beneficial in non-trainable similarity tasks. Similarly, we show that trainable downstream tasks benefit from multilingual models, whereas additional language signals do not improve performance in non-trainable benchmarks. This is an important insight that helps to properly design models for specific applications. Finally, we also include an in-depth analysis of the proposed attention bridge and its ability to encode linguistic properties. We carefully analyze the information that is captured by individual attention heads and identify interesting patterns that explain the performance of specific settings in linguistic probing tasks.


For complex diseases like depression, choosing a successful treatment from several possible drugs remains a trial-and-error process in current clinical practice. By applying statistical machine learning to the electronic health records of thousands of patients, can we discover subtypes of disease which both improve population-wide understanding and improve patient-specific drug recommendations? One popular approach is to represent noisy, high-dimensional health records as mixtures of low-dimensional subtypes via a probabilistic topic model. I will introduce this common dimensionality reduction method and explain how off-the-shelf topic models are misspecified for downstream prediction tasks across many domains from text analysis to healthcare. To overcome these poor predictions, I will introduce a new framework -prediction-constrained training -which learns interpretable topic models that offer competitive drug recommendations. I will also discuss open challenges in using machine learning to improve clinical decision-making. Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics


Background: A very small amount of Atropa belladonna (AB) can lead to serious symptoms of poisoning and can cause death in children. In this study, demographic, clinic and laboratory results of AB poisoning were evaluated. Materials and methods: 108 cases with belladonna poisoning were retrospectively evaluated. At time of admission: age, age groups, gender, signs and symptoms caused by poisoning, duration of staying in hospital, laboratory data, intensive-care needs and applied treatments were recorded. Results: 44.4% were female and 55.6% were male. While the most common symptoms were xeroderma and flushing, the most frequent findings were tachycardia and mydriasis. Eight patients complained about astasis and five of them were taken into the intensive care unit. Astasis complaint was relatively higher (p<0.01) in the patients who needed intensive care than those not. Creatine kinase levels were relatively higher (p=0.06) in the intensive care patients as compared to nonintensive care patients. Neostigmine was given to all patients. Five patients, whom failed to respond to therapy, were taken into the intensive care and respond to treatment succesufuly with physostigmine. Conclusions: AB poisoning may seriously progress in the act of late diagnosis and treatment in childhood. Thus, it is crucial to realize that AB poisoning should be taken into consideration in the patients with flushing, xeroderma with mydriasis, tachycardia, tremor, abdominal pain and fever symptoms. Patients with astasis complaints should be evaluated carefully in terms of intensive care need. Patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale lower than 12 should be observed in the intensive care.


Background Heart failure (HF) represents a major public health issue in an aging population. Although HF is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries, the clinical features of HF in Japan remain unclear. Methods and Results This observational cohort study analyzed data from the Heart Institute of Japan - Department of Cardiology (HIJC)-HF Registry, which is based on a nationwide survey by the HIJC, Tokyo Women's Medical University and its affiliated hospitals. Of 3,578 consecutive patients (average age, 69.8 years; females 40.7%) hospitalized for HF between January 2001 and December 2002, 95.0% were followed up until the end of 2005 (median, 2.8 years). The 1- and 3-year mortality rates were 11.3% and 29.2%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that advanced age (hazard ratio 1.71 [95% confidence interval 1.38-2.12]; p<0.001), symptomatic HF at hospital discharge (3.76 [2.30-6.17]; p<0.001), renal impairment (1.96 [1.50-2.57]; p=0.008), anemia (1.46 [1.18-1.80]; p=0.02) and low pulse pressure (2.88 [1.62-5.13]; p=0.0003) were significantly associated with total death. Conclusion Although the long-term mortality rate for Japanese patients with HF is lower than in other countries, several markers are modifiable. The data demonstrate that continued improvements in the treatment of Japanese patients with HF are still needed. (Circ J 2008; 72: 2015 - 2020)


There have been many cyber attacks in recent years despite significant increases in security measures. This research aims to address the following research question: Can cyber breaches be analyzed automatically using structured data collected and organized using natural language processing techniques applied to web-scraped news articles? In this thesis, we introduce a Web-based Automated System for Cyber Analytics (WASCA) which seeks to address the fore mentioned research question. WASCA automatically collects data from publicly available news articles, analyzes the data and compiles it into a structured database. WASCA uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques in order to identify cybersecurity-related information in the articles. This information is then compiled into a structured format. The main contribution of WASCA is the end-to-end automated process from the scraping of news articles to the analysis of cybersecurity related information. WASCA is flexible and can dynamically update the current repository with information as new articles become available. In addition to the WASCA tool, this thesis resulted in a large repository of cybersecurity-related articles, along with their structured data. The structured data compiled from these articles serves to digest information about cyber breaches in one place and provide analytics regarding cybersecurity trends and the impacts of breaches.


With the leading edge of the baby boom generation reaching retirement age, decisionmakers need a comprehensive understanding of their social, economic, and health characteristics – both in terms of resources and needs – in order to adopt effective public policies and private services to meet the needs of an aging population. One area of particular importance is their need for housing and long-term care services. A variety of options is available to meet these needs, including independent living (IL) and assisted living (AL) residences…


Luikov's theory of heat and mass transfer provides a framework to
model drying porous materials. Coupled partial differential equations governing the moisture and heat transfer can be solved using numerical techniques, and in this paper we solve them analytically in a setting suitable for industrial drying situations. We discuss the nature of the solutions using the physical properties of Pinus radiata. It is shown that the temperature gradients play a significant role in deciding the moisture profiles within the material when thickness is large and that models based only on moisture potential gradients may not be sufficient to explain the drying phenomena in moist porous materials.


Dengue is a vector-borne disease. Around 2.5 billion people are thought to be at risk of infection. It is spread primarily through the Aedes aegypti mosquito, and is endemic in tropical and subtropical regions. There are four distinct serotypes which co-circulate. Whilst infection from one serotype provides homologous immunity it does not provide heterologous immunity. In this thesis we use a range of modelling techniques to examine how the epidemiological dynamics of dengue are affected by immunological interaction between serotypes and age–dependent variation in the extent to which people are exposed to the mosquito population. We initially consider transmission dynamics for multi–serotype dengue infections and present a new framework for how secondary infections are modelled. We move on to consider age–structure and introduce a method to quantify differences between seroprevalence profiles when age–independent and age–dependent transmission rates are implemented. We combine these ideas and find that parameters associated with transmission of secondary infections can interact with age–structure and affect how easy it is to detect age–dependence in seroprevalence profiles. Finally we consider how age–dependent variation in the exposure people have to mosquitoes affects the probability of an epidemic and the optimal prevention strategy that should be implemented to ensure that the introduction of isolated infections does not lead to large epidemics. Our results show it is necessary to understand the underlying dynamics of dengue and implement the correct model, as dynamics can differ substantially. They also show the importance of public health strategies to ensure that all age–groups exposure to mosquitoes is as minimal as possible to decrease the risk of an epidemic. Therefore we have found relevant results that help to further understand the dynamics of dengue.


Focuses on theoretical and pedagogical approaches to the teaching of African Literature on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond. The publication of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart in 1958 drew universal attention not only to contemporary African creative imagination, but also established the art of the modern African novel. In 1986, Wole Soyinka became the first African to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, and opened the 'gate' for other African writers. By the close of the 20th century, African Literature had gained world-wide acceptance and legitimacy in the academy and featured on the literature curriculum of schools and colleges across the globe. This special issue of African Literature Today, examines the diverse experiences of teachers of African Literature across regional, racial, cultural and national boundaries. It explores such issues as student responses, productive pedagogical innovations, the impact of modern technology, case studies of online teaching, teaching Criticism of African Literature, and teaching African Literature in an age of multiculturalism. It is intended as an invaluable teacher's handbook and essential student companion for the effective study of African Literature. Ernest Emenyonu is Professor of Africana Studies at the University of Michigan-Flint, USA; the editorial board is composed of scholars from US, UK and African universities Nigeria: HEBN


Semiconductor nanowires are the perfect platform for nanophotonic applications owing to their resonant, waveguiding optical properties and technological capabilities providing control over their crystalline and chemical compositions. The vapor-liquid-solid growth mechanism allows the formation of hybrid metal-dielectric nanostructures promoting sub-wavelength light manipulation. In this work, we explore both experimentally and numerically the plasmonic effects promoted by a gallium (Ga) nanoparticle optical antenna decorating the facet of gallium phosphide (GaP) nanowires. Raman, photoluminescence and near-field mapping techniques are used to study the effects. We demonstrate several phenomena including field enhancement, antenna effect and increase in internal reflection. We show that the observed effects have to be considered when nanowires with a plasmonic particle are used in nanophotonic circuits and discuss the ways for utilization of these effects for efficient coupling of light into nanowire waveguide and field tailoring. The results open up promising pathways for the development of both passive and active nanophotonic elements, light harvesting and sensorics.


The changes in content of fatty acids were studied every three months along
the storage's period, after adding an equal concentration (200 mg/Kg) of the
natural antioxidant Tocotrienols (α-, β-, γ- and δ-T3) and of the
synthetic one (BHT, BHA, AP) to four samples of different vegetable oils (sunflower
oil, soybean oil, corn oil and olive oil). Then the oxidized and non-oxidized FAMEs
were calculated to determine the antioxidant activity (AOA). The results showed
that there was difference in AOA depending on the antioxidant of used. Tocotrienols
were relatively weak compared with the synthetic antioxidant in all different types
of oil. The AOA for each antioxidant was differed in different oil types. It was
the most in the sunflower oil compared with the rest different oil types, while
it was the lower for corn oil for all antioxidant. The AOA for BHA was the
highest for different oil types compared with other antioxidants, and the δ-T3 had the lowest, while the rest anti-oxidants
were in the following order: (BHA, BHT, AP, α-T3, β-T3, γ-T3, δ-T3).


Abstract Aircraft distance-measuring-equipment (DME) data are used to update position, velocity, and wind measurements from inertial navigation systems (INS) measurements. Data from conventional single-channel DME sets, suitably calibrated, are shown to be adequate to resolve the Schuler oscillation and correct INS positions to better than 1-km accuracy. The satellite-based NAVSTAR global position system (GPS) is rapidly superseding other systems for external position reference. However, DME is reliable and very accurate and has been recorded on many research datasets. The principal limitation of the DME is that it is restricted to land-based navigation. The regression technique used does not necessitate multiple DME receivers or station switching and involves few restrictions on the collection of the data. However, the results improve when more than one station is used. Comparisons with other navigation systems (interferometer and loran) demonstrate the method's skill in resolving INS errors. Intercompar...


Abstract Periodontitis is a chronic multifactorial polymicrobial infection, characterized by profound modifications of the composition and proportion of the subgingival microbiota. Microbiological laboratory tests are sometimes used in periodontal diagnosis and monitoring of treatment, but both conventional cultivation methods and molecular techniques have some major drawbacks. Therefore, other performant bacterial identification methods must be considered. The aim of the current study was to use Matrix-assisted Laser Desorption Ionization–Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALTI-TOF MS) analysis in association with bacterial culture method to evaluate the modifications of the subgingival bacterial composition in periodontitis patients, before and after cause-related subgingival therapy. Subgingival plaque samples were collected from periodontal pockets before and after subgingival mechanical instrumentation and adjunctive local antimicrobial applications and were cultured in aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Microbial colonies were further assessed using MALDI-TOF-MS. A total of 36 bacterial strains were isolated from a group of 16 patients. All species from the orange complex were identified by MALDI-TOF MS. A marked reduction of detection frequency was observed in most bacterial strains, including the orange complex after cause-related periodontal treatment. The results of this study indicate that MALDI-TOF MS could be considered an accurate method for oral microbial identification and the cause-related periodontal treatment is useful for reducing the microbial burden.


Introduction Death certification provides an important source of mortality data. This data is used to monitor the health of the population and to plan health services accordingly. It is also used in research into the health effects of exposure to various risk factors. 1 Since 1992 doctors in the UK were permitted to cite smoking as a cause of death without referral to the coroner. 1 However, a recent study suggests that smoking is rarely recorded on death certificates despite smoking being attributed to 18% of all deaths in England. 2 We sought to determine whether or not smoking was being recorded accurately on death certificates in patients who died from COPD and lung cancer at one hospital. Methods and Results Notes were reviewed for all the patients who died from COPD and lung cancer between January-November 2011 (N=183). Smoking history was recorded for 127 (69%) patients; 117 (92%) had smoked. Of these 117 patients, cause of death was certified as COPD [N=81 (69%)] and lung cancer [N=44 (38%)]. In all cases, smoking was not recorded on any part of the death certificate. Conclusions Smoking is not recorded appropriately on death certificates in patients who died from COPD and lung cancer. This limits death certificates as a potential useful source of epidemiological data on smoking. References 1. http://www.gro.gov.uk/images/medcert_July_2010.pdf 2. Proctor, I et al. Does smoking kill? A study of death certification and smoking. J Clin Pathol. 2012. 65(2): 129-32.


We review computational and robotics models of early language learning and development. We first explain why and how these models are used to understand better how children learn language. We argue that they provide concrete theories of language learning as a complex dynamic system, complementing traditional methods in psychology and linguistics. We review different modeling formalisms, grounded in techniques from machine learning and artificial intelligence such as Bayesian and neural network approaches. We then discuss their role in understanding several key mechanisms of language development: cross-situational statistical learning, embodiment, situated social interaction, intrinsically motivated learning, and cultural evolution. We conclude by discussing future challenges for research, including modeling of large-scale empirical data about language acquisition in real-world environments.


With the adjustment of human diet and lifestyle changes, the prevalence of obesity is increasing year by year. Obesity is closely related to the excessive accumulation of white adipose tissue (WAT), which can synthesize and secrete a variety of adipokines. Apelin is a biologically active peptide in the adipokines family. Past studies have shown that apelin plays an important regulatory role in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of diseases such as the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, digestive system, nervous system, and endocrine system. Apelin is also closely related to diabetes and obesity. Therefore, we anticipate that apelin-13 has an effect on lipometabolism and intend to explore the effect of apelin-13 on lipometabolism at the cellular and animal levels. In in vitro experiments, amidation-modified apelin-13 can significantly reduce the lipid content; TG content; and the expression of PPARγ, perilipin mRNA, and protein in adipocytes. Animal experiments also show that amidation modification apelin-13 can improve the abnormal biochemical indicators of diet-induced obesity (DOI) rats and can reduce the average diameter of adipocytes in adipose tissue, the concentration of glycerol, and the expression of PPARγ and perilipin mRNA and protein. Our results show that apelin-13 can affect the metabolism of adipose tissue, inhibit adipogenic differentiation of adipocytes, promote lipolysis, and thereby improve obesity. The mechanism may be regulating the expression of PPARγ to inhibit adipogenic differentiation and regulating the expression of perilipin to promote lipolysis. This study helps us understand the role of apelin-13 in adipose tissue and provide a basis for the elucidation of the regulation mechanism of lipometabolism and the development of antiobesity drugs.


The proliferation of Location-based Social Networks (LBSNs) has been rapid during the last year due to the number of novel services they can support. The main interaction between users in an LBSN is location sharing, which builds the spatial component of the system. The majority of the LBSNs make use of the notion of check-in, to enable users to volunteeringly share their whereabouts with their peers and the system. The flow of this spatial information is unidirectional and originates from the users' side. Given that currently there is no infrastructure in place for detecting fake checkins, the quality of the spatial information plane of an LBSN is solely based on the honesty of the users. In this paper, we seek to raise the awareness of the community for this problem, by identifying and discussing the effects of the presence of fake location information. We further present a preliminary design of a fake check-in detection scheme, based on location-proofs. Our initial simulation results show that if we do not consider the infrastructural constraints, location-proofs can form a viable technical solution.


Values concerning the distribution of wealth are an important aspect of identity for many Americans, and such values may therefore influence how Americans experience their own socioeconomic status (SES). Based on this proposition, the present research examines political-economic values as a moderator of the relationship between SES and self-esteem. Results supported the hypothesis that there is a stronger relationship between SES and self-esteem among individuals who report relatively inegalitarian values than among individuals who report relatively egalitarian values. This result was replicated using both objective and subjective measures of SES. Implications of the present findings for the study of values and well-being, psychological conflict, and the influence of economic factors on self-esteem are discussed.


OBJECTIVES
To describe the influence of physical traits of the corpus luteum (CL), as described by transrectal ultrasonography on day 6 post-oestrus, on the conception rate following embryo transfer (ET) in recipient beef cows. To investigate if higher recipient utilisation rates were achievable, without compromising conception rates to ET.

DESIGN/RESULTS
Data were analysed from Holstein Friesian embryos (n = 1075) frozen in ethylene glycol thawed for direct transfer into one herd of Angus recipient cows. For pregnancies achieved in the program (n = 693), no statistically significant effect was found for the physical traits of the recipients' CL on conception rate (CL volume (P = 0.20), CL side (P = 0.14). Conception rates were similar for recipients with a central lacuna (62%, n = 245) and recipients with no central lacuna (66%, n = 448) (P = 0.10). Of the pregnant recipients with a central lacuna (n = 245), 98.3% had no remaining luteal cavity by the 30-day pregnancy ultrasound. No effect on conception rate was found with either the small (<50% of CL diameter) or large (>50% of CL diameter) central lacunae (P = 0.18). For recipients with CLs that did not meet previous industry selection guidelines (n = 172, 16% of study population), the conception rate (63%) was not significantly different to the routinely selected recipient CLs (n = 903, conception rate 65%) (P = 0.83).

CONCLUSIONS
The suitability of a potential ET recipient is determined by observing an appropriately timed oestrus and a detectable CL, regardless of size or quality.


Globalization is a topic of some anxiety among international lawyers. On the one hand, its fluid dynamics — fragmentation, deformalization and empire — undermine traditional diplomatic rules and institutions. On the other hand, the effort to reimagine international law in purely managerial terms appears intellectually shallow and politically objectionable. To avoid marginalization and instrumentalization, many lawyers have begun to think about international problems through a constitutional vocabulary and have often cited Kant in that connection. This Article argues that, while it is always possible to grasp the world through a constitutional vocabulary, this does not provide determinate answers to international problems. Instead of an institutional architecture or a set of legal rules, constitutionalism is best seen as a mindset — a tradition and a sensibility about how to act in a political world. Contrary to a widespread assumption, Kant's political writings may also be read in this fashion and, if so, a meaningful international transformation might necessitate not only legislative or institutional intervention but a professional and perhaps spiritual regeneration.


This thesis presents a detailed investigative process into the study of the control of an islanded microgrid. This investigation is done through the research and exploration of multiple existing control techniques for the control of a microgrid and then by analysing them to identify the areas where the existing methods can be altered in order to reduce or mitigate common operational issues.

The final goal was to use the gathered information to develop an innovative strategy that may be used to control an islanded microgrid. However, due to various challenges faced over the course of the project – this goal was not achieved.

In light of this, the aim of this thesis was for it to became a research focused development of a body of work that may be useful or potentially serve as a point of reference for future studies in the control of an islanded microgrid.

1. P & PI Controller Regulation & Response Times
2. Natural Load Sharing Amongst Distributed Generators
3. Secondary Frequency-Load Control Mechanisms
4. Controllable Storage Systems
5. Automated Load Shedding in Microgrids
6. Stabilizer Control Strategies

By developing this list of factors and considerations, this thesis project aims to be a useful resource for future studies performed in the topic of islanded microgrid control. The aspiration is that by collating extensive background, theoretical and technical research in this project, the efficiency of those who may want to continue work in this area of study will be improved.


Control over the self-assembly pathways of small functional molecules is a current trend in supramolecular chemistry, as a variety of metastable self-assemblies with nanostructures distinct from those of thermodynamically stable assemblies can be formed as kinetic products. If such kinetically formed assemblies can be trapped under non-equilibrium conditions, diverse self-organized structures beyond the immediate molecular design may be accessible. The self-assembly of specifically designed amphiphilic π-conjugated molecules in water represents a promising strategy to realize such conditions, wherein strong hydrophobic molecular interactions play an important role. Based on the alkyl-tethered covalent perylene bisimide (PBI) dyad scaffold that can potentially aggregate into one-dimensional supramolecular polymers, herein we demonstrate that an amphiphilic molecular design can open up new self-assembly pathways, which can potentially afford distinct nanostructures in aqueous media. We synthesized amphiphilic PBI dyads that contain one PBI unit functionalized with hydrophobic branched alkyl chains, and one PBI unit functionalized with hydrophilic branched alkyl chains. By changing the composition ratio of the THF/water mixtures, we obtained one-dimensional fibrous and vesicular aggregates as a result of increasing hydrophobic effects. Increasing the temperature of the THF/water mixtures in which fibrous aggregates are preferentially formed subdued the aggregation to entropy control and resulted in the formation of coil- and ring-shaped kinetic nanoaggregates.


We analyze Newton's method with lazy Hessian updates for solving general possibly non-convex optimization problems. We propose to reuse a previously seen Hessian for several iterations while computing new gradients at each step of the method. This significantly reduces the overall arithmetical complexity of second-order optimization schemes. By using the cubic regularization technique, we establish fast global convergence of our method to a second-order stationary point, while the Hessian does not need to be updated each iteration. For convex problems, we justify global and local superlinear rates for lazy Newton steps with quadratic regularization, which is easier to compute. The optimal frequency for updating the Hessian is once every $d$ iterations, where $d$ is the dimension of the problem. This provably improves the total arithmetical complexity of second-order algorithms by a factor $\sqrt{d}$.


Since its publication in 1959, Individuals has become a modern philosophical classic. Bold in scope and ambition, it continues to influence debates in metaphysics, philosophy of logic and language, and epistemology. Peter Strawson's most famous work, it sets out to describe nothing less than the basic subject matter of our thought. It contains Strawson's now famous argument for descriptive metaphysics and his repudiation of revisionary metaphysics, in which reality is something beyond the world of appearances. Throughout, Individuals advances some highly influential and controversial ideas, such as 'non-solipsistic consciousness' and the concept of a person a 'primitive concept'


The relationship of unemployment experienced between the ages of 16 and 33 years with smoking, alcohol consumption and obesity was examined in 2,887 men who were members of the 1958 longitudinal British birth cohort study (NCDS). Cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, measured as units consumed in the past week and as problem drinking using the CAGE questionnaire and the body mass index (BMI) were measured at age 33 years. Both the amount of unemployment accumulated between the ages of 16 and 33 years and recent unemployment experienced in the year prior to interview at age 33 years were examined. When compared with men who had never been unemployed, the adjusted relative odds amongst men with over three years of accumulated unemployment (after adjustment for possible confounding socioeconomic and behavioural factors measured prior to unemployment) were 2.11 (95% Cl: 1.42-3.12) for smoking, 2.13 (95% Cl: 1.32-3.42) for a low BMI and non-significant for a high BMI; 1.52 (95% Cl: 1.04-2.24) for no alcohol consumed; non-significant for high alcohol consumption, but 2.15 (95% Cl: 1.39-3.33) for problem drinking. Men who had experienced unemployment in the year prior to the interview, compared to those who had not, after adjustment, were significantly more likely to smoke (RO 2.92, 95% Cl: 2.13-4.01), drink heavily (RO 1.73, 95% Cl: 1.18-2.54) and to have a drink problem (RO 2.90, 95% Cl: 1.99-4.21). Unemployment may play a significant part in establishing life-long patterns of hazardous behaviour in young men.


We analyze the magnetic dipole contribution to atom-surface dispersion forces. Unlike its electrical counterpart, it involves small transition frequencies that are comparable to thermal energy scales. A significant temperature dependence is found near surfaces with a nonzero dc conductivity, leading to a strong suppression of the dispersion force at $Tg0$. We use thermal response theory for the surface material and discuss both normal metals and superconductors. The asymptotes of the free energy of interaction and of the entropy are calculated analytically over a large range of distances. Near a superconductor, the onset of dissipation at the phase transition strongly changes the interaction, including a discontinuous entropy. We discuss the similarities with the Casimir interaction between two surfaces and suggest that precision measurements of the atom-surface interaction may shed light upon open questions around the temperature dependence of dispersion forces between lossy media.


Understanding security bugs in a vulnerable program is a non-trivial task, even if the target program is known to be vulnerable. Though there exist debugging tools that facilitate the vulnerability analysis and debugging process, human developers still need to manually trace the program execution most of the times. This makes security debugging a difficult and tiresome task even for experienced programmers. In this paper, we present the development of a novel security debugging tool called CBones (SeeBones, where bones is an analogy of program structures). CBones is intended to fully automate the analysis of a class of security vulnerabilities in C programs, the exploits of which would compromise the integrity of program structures satisfied by all legitimate binaries compiled from C source code. In other words, CBones automatically discovers how unknown vulnerabilities in C programs are exploited based on program structural constraints. Unlike the previous approaches, CBones can automatically identify exploit points of unknown security bugs without requiring a training phase, source code access (analysis or instrumentation), or additional hardware supports. To validate the effectiveness of this approach, we evaluate CBones with 12 real-world applications that contain a wide range of vulnerabilities. Our results show that CBones can discover all security bugs with no false alarms, pinpoint the corrupting instructions, and provide information to facilitate the understanding of how an attack exploits a security bug.


Background and Hypothesis: The success of total hip arthroplasty (THA) is often reported in terms of infection and dislocation rates. While studies have examined the effect of acetabular cup position, anteroposterior (AP) femoral stem alignment, changes in leg length and femoral stem offset on dislocation rates, few studies have investigated the effect of these biomechanical parameters on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate how PROMS may differ by THA component placement in a consecutive series of primary THAs. Awareness of the importance of implant positioning may lead to improved surgical technique and optimized PROMS.
Experimental Design or Project Methods: 933 consecutive posterolateral approach primary THAs performed between 2011 and 2018 by one surgeon were retrospectively reviewed. Acetabular cup abduction, femoral stem alignment, changes in leg length and total femoral offset were measured on APview radiographs. Prospectively collected Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score/HOOS Jr., University of California Los Angeles/UCLA Activity Level, and satisfaction (5-point Likert scale) were evaluated at minimum one-year.
Results: 743 THAs were analyzed. Mean age and BMI were 64 years and 31 kg/m2, respectively. After multivariate analysis, females with neutral to valgus stem placement (p=0.020) and patients with neutral to valgus stem placement regardless of lumbar pain (p=0.034) were more satisfied. In addition, patients with lumbar pain (p<0.001) and patients with high BMI in combination with increased change in femoral offset (p=0.056) had lower overall HOOS Jr. scores. Interestingly, change in leg length was not a significant predictor of any PROMS (power [1-β]≥88.4%).
Conclusion and Potential Impact: AP stem alignment may play a role in increased activity level and satisfaction. In addition, high BMI in combination with increased change in femoral offset negatively influenced HOOS Jr. scores. Unsurprisingly, the presence of lumbar pain continues to negatively affect PROMS. Further research is warranted on the influence of THA component placement, spinopelvic parameters, and PROMS.


This paper reports the isolation of phenoloxidase-negative mutants of the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium and the results of a survey of idiophasic functions among these mutants. The mutant strains were isolated from a medium containing o-anisidine after gamma irradiation of wild-type spores and fell into four classes, divided by the manner in which they mineralized 14C-lignin wheat lignocellulose. Examples are strain LMT7, which degraded lignin at a rate similar to that of the wild type; strain LMT26, in which degradation was enhanced; strain LMT16, whose degradation rate was apparently unaffected, although the onset of lignin attack was delayed compared with that in the wild type; and strain LMT24, which was unable to evolve significant amounts of 14CO2 from the radiolabeled substrate. The mutants were not necessarily defective in other functions associated with idiophasic activities (intracellular cyclic AMP levels, sporulation, extracellular glucan production, veratryl alcohol synthesis). We conclude that phenoloxidase activity as detected by the o-anisidine plate test is not necessary for lignin degradation. In addition, mutations resulting in the loss of lignin-degrading ability were not necessarily pleiotropic with other idiophasic functions.


The effect of CuSO(4) on fermentation was studied in a continuously cultured rumen ecosystem. CuSO(4), introduced at a level of 50 mg/500 ml of culture volume twice daily, caused a marked inhibition of fermentation of concentrates. Fermentation of alfalfa hay was not inhibited by the same CuSO(4) concentration when the inoculum for the culture was obtained from a cow maintained on a normal concentrate ration. When the inoculum was from a cow on a high concentrate ration, hay fermentation was partially inhibited by CuSO(4). Concentrations of CuSO(4) that did not inhibit the fermentation of alfalfa hay or hay-concentrate mixtures caused preferential production of propionic acid and decreased production of methane.


Background Concussion incidence rates in professional Australian football may be underreported due to the injury classification definition. A myriad of factors contribute to concussion risk; however, there is limited long-term surveillance in Australian football. This study analysed concussion in one Australian football team over an extended period. Method Match-play concussion injuries in one team (n = 116 participants) were diagnosed and treated by the team physician over 14 years. Analysis of factors related to concussion including matches played, time of day and season, and return to play provided an insight into occurrence and recurrence rates. Results 140 concussions were recorded (17.6 per 1000 player match hours). A strong relationship was evident between matches played and concussion incidence (r = 0.70) and match conditions did not negatively affect the concussion rate. Whether an athlete returned to play in the same match or suffered a loss-of-consciousness concussion (p = 0.84), their ensuing rate of concussion was not affected. Conclusion Concussion in professional Australian football was related to the number of matches played. Further, neither previous incidence nor loss of consciousness affected future concussion risk. This study provides ecologically valid evidence of the concussion incidence rate in professional Australian football and has implications for the management of athletes sustaining concussion injuries.


BACKGROUND
Due to insufficient nursing education standards in the country of Georgia, 15 health professionals participated in a USAID grant-funded nurse educator faculty development program. These educators then offered continuing education courses and taught more than 1,700 practicing Georgian nurses over 3 years.

METHOD
Using a 360-degree multisource feedback model (MSF), self, video, learner, peer, and program coordinator evaluations of teaching effectiveness were completed. After nurse educators reviewed their results and identified areas for improvement, a questionnaire about the perceived acceptability of teacher evaluations was completed.

RESULTS
Of the 15 nurse educators, 93.3% indicated that nurse educators should receive feedback through self, learner, peer, and video evaluations, and 100% indicated that nurse educators should receive feedback from the program coordinator. The accuracy and usefulness of the program coordinator evaluation was rated the highest, whereas peer evaluation was rated the lowest.

CONCLUSION
This study revealed that MSF was acceptable to Georgian nurse educators.


In the last years, the Palladium-catalyzed direct alkenylation of Csp2-H bonds, an oxidative variant of the Heck reaction known as Fujiwara-Moritani reaction, has emerged as an efficient, atom-economical, and environmentally friendly synthetic tool for the preparation of highly functionalized aromatic molecules. In connection with our work in catalytic C-H activation chemistry,[1] we decided to apply this procedure to the synthesis of polysubstituted quinolone scaffolds, an important structural motif embedded in a wide variety of bioactive natural products and pharmaceuticals. An efficient approach to the synthesis of biologically active 3-alkenyl-4-substituted quinolin-2(1H)-ones that involves two sequential C-H alkenylation reactions has been developed. First, a Pd(II) catalyzed selective 6-endo intramolecular C-H alkenylation of N-phenylacrylamides has allowed the construction of the quinolone core, which could be further functionalized in C-3 through a second intermolecular C-H alkenylation reaction. This method is a significant advance over the existing procedures that require preactivatated reaction partners. Furthermore, these reactions can also be carried out in aqueous media at room temperature, using a 2% aqueous solution of PTS, or even in water, in good yields. Details of these transformations will be given.
[1]. (a) Lage, S.; Martinez Estibalez, U. Sotomayor, N. Lete, E. Adv. Synth. Catal.. 2009, 351, 2460. (b) Coya, E.; Sotomayor, N. Lete, E. Adv. Synth. Catal. 2014, 356, 1853.


The economic crises in Indonesia were only rooted in financial sector fragilities. It was also related to poor managerial performance in both public and private institution. The implementation of public and corporate governance indicates several weaknesses. First, the Indonesia economy, shocked by market sentiment combined with inefficiency in the micro policy implementation, has caused the lack of coordination in conducting macroeconomics policies. Second, the culture of corruption, collusion and nepotism found in most level in public and private institutions across regions and sectors has proliferated. This has accelerated the deterioration process of the political and economic situation, which was also worsened by the lack of discipline and poor implementation of law and order. Specifically, poor implementation of public and corporate governance has caused economic problems even more difficult to solve. Finally, lack of transparency in almost every aspect of administrative and decision-making process of efforts in establishing good corporate governance in Indonesia in the context on an international environment. Globalization and decentralization ideologies give challenge and opportunities for Indonesia for implementing good corporate governance. However, social and political pressures still play a more important role in determining the directions of successful corporate governance. In order to reach the optimum economic and social solutions to this dilemma, diversities across the regions and culture should be taken into account. The government is expected to play an important role as facilitator in establishing good corporate governance by considering technical and economic efficiency grounds. The government, in the cooperation of the legislature included law and regulatory infrastructure to resolve agency in moral hazard problems. Control in the macro and micro levels is also important to established and facilitate efficient mechanism at various levels of management. However, this condition requires a clear and applicable law and regulatory framework depicting horizontal and vertical power sharing. This requirement is very important to determine the revenue sharing across region and levels of government.


Particle swarm optimization(PSO) algorithm is one of embranchments of swarm intelligence. The algorithm is a random searching algorithm in nature. It can converge to the global minima more probability and be adept in continuous function optimization. In this paper, partial discharge(PD) localization in power transformer is discussed, The partial discharge source localization by ultrasonic measuring in a power transformer is studied by the Particle Swarm optimization, and the signal parameter estimated model of ultrasonic localization has been established based on the propagation properties of the ultrasonic wave. Experiment results have shown that PSO algorithm possesses high calculation efficiency and high convergence speed, and can efficiently prevent the result from falling into the localized optimum.


Nightly settlement of blue crab Callinectes sapidus megalopae on passive collectors was monitored from September to November over 7 yr at a single location in the Newport River estuary (North Carolina, USA). The total number of megalopae settling varied yearly from 1869 to 12 007. Megalopal abundance was generally related to commercial landings of adult crabs 2 yr later. Throughout the sampling period, megalopae settled continuously at low levels with episodic peaks. The 6 largest peaks accounted for >50% of all settlement in most years. Settlement was not related to along- or across-shore wind stress, but time-series analysis indicated significant periodicity in settlement in all years. In 4 of the years there was a semi-lunar periodicity with settlement occurring at the time of neap tides during the quarter phases of the moon. Detailed analysis of settlement peaks from all years also indicated a relationship to neap tide. The proposed explanation for this relationship is that (1) megalopae undergo flood-tide transport for entrance into estuaries and up-estuary movement, and (2) the behavior underlying flood-tide transport is most effective when all of the nocturnal flood tide occurs in darkness. The latter situation occurred during neap tides at the quarter phases of the moon when the average time of slack water at the end of flood tide occurred after midnight.


Abstract The current study examined the production of Hebrew verbal passives across adolescence as mediated by linguistic register and verb morphology. Participants aged eight to sixteen years and a group of adults were asked to change written active-voice sentences into corresponding passive-voice forms, divided by verb register (neutral and high), binyan pattern (Qal / Nif'al, Hif'il / Huf'al, and Pi'el / Pu'al), and verb tense (past and future tense). Results showed that Hebrew passive morphology is a very late acquisition, almost a decade later than in other languages, that passivizing neutral-register verbs was less challenging than high-register verbs, and that past tense verbs were easier to passivize than future tense verbs. An order of acquisition was determined among the three binyan pairs. The paper provides an account of these findings grounded in the event-telling role of Hebrew passives in discourse and the spurt of abstract, lexically specific vocabulary in Later Language Development.


Deep neural networks (DNNs) have shown their success as high-dimensional function approximators in many applications; however, training DNNs can be challenging in general. DNN training is commonly phrased as a stochastic optimization problem whose challenges include non-convexity, non-smoothness, insufficient regularization, and complicated data distributions. Hence, the performance of DNNs on a given task depends crucially on tuning hyperparameters, especially learning rates and regularization parameters. In the absence of theoretical guidelines or prior experience on similar tasks, this requires solving many training problems, which can be time-consuming and demanding on computational resources. This can limit the applicability of DNNs to problems with non-standard, complex, and scarce datasets, e.g., those arising in many scientific applications. To remedy the challenges of DNN training, we propose slimTrain, a stochastic optimization method for training DNNs with reduced sensitivity to the choice hyperparameters and fast initial convergence. The central idea of slimTrain is to exploit the separability inherent in many DNN architectures; that is, we separate the DNN into a nonlinear feature extractor followed by a linear model. This separability allows us to leverage recent advances made for solving large-scale, linear, ill-posed inverse problems. Crucially, for the linear weights, slimTrain does not require a learning rate and automatically adapts the regularization parameter. Since our method operates on mini-batches, its computational overhead per iteration is modest. In our numerical experiments, slimTrain outperforms existing DNN training methods with the recommended hyperparameter settings and reduces the sensitivity of DNN training to the remaining hyperparameters.


One of the concomitants of the rapid socioeconomic and medical changes which occurred in American Samoa beginning with World War II has been an increase in chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular disease and diabetes. As part of the Samoan Studies Project, a 1976 survey focusing on obesity and blood pressure was conducted in American Samoa. A total of 624 men age 18 or greater were seen at that time. In 1989 we conducted a follow‐up examination of 31 of these men, reassessing blood pressure, and also examining blood glucose and previously diagnosed health problems, focusing on chronic diseases such as hypertension, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. In a prospective analysis of mortality, Crews (Hum. Biol. 60:417–433, 1988) found that 111 American Samoan men who had blood pressures measured in a public health department survey in 1975 and subsequently died between 1975 and 1981, had higher average systolic and diastolic blood pressures than the 2,588 survivors (140/88 vs. 129/84). Using these data, the 1989 sample was stratified according to the 1976 blood pressure measurement of the men and a sample of 14 normotensive men (1976 blood pressure <140/90) and 17 hypertensives (1976 blood pressure ≥140/90) was selected. The average age, weight, and number of cigarettes smoked per day was not significantly different for these two groups at the 12‐year follow‐up. However, several indicators of health status did differ. The hypertensive group had significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures (P ≤ 0.001). Additionally, the hypertensive group had higher random blood glucose values (P ≤ 0.005) and were significantly more likely to be hypertensive and/or have impaired glucose tolerance (P ≤ 0.001). Change in weight was predictive of change in blood pressure, but not of absolute value of blood pressure. This paper notes the importance of elevated blood pressure as a predictor of future chronic disease risk for Samoan men. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Innovative ideas, products or services spread on social networks that, in the digital age, are maintained to large extent via telecommunication tools such as emails or social media. One of the intriguing puzzles in social contagion under such conditions is the role of physical space. It is not understood either how geography influences the disappearance of products at the end of their life-cycle. In this paper, we utilize a unique dataset compiled from a Hungarian on-line social network (OSN) to uncover novel features in the spatial adoption and churn of digital technologies. The studied OSN was established in 2002 and failed in international competition about a decade later. We find that early adopter towns churn early; while individuals tend to follow the churn of nearby friends and are less influenced by the churn of distant contacts. An agent-based Bass Diffusion Model describes the process how the product gets adopted in the overall population. We show the limitations of the model regarding the spatial aspects of diffusion and identify the directions of model corrections. Assortativity of adoption time, urban scaling of adoption over the product life-cycle and a distance decay function of diffusion probability are the main factors that spatial diffusion models need to account for.


Melting Moments The boundary between Earth's core and mantle defines where the iron-rich liquid outer core meets the more chemically heterogeneous solid lower mantle and is marked by a sharp thermal gradient of nearly 1500 kelvin. The precise relationship between temperature and melting of the lowermost mantle constrains the structure and heat flow across the core-mantle boundary. In order to identify trace amounts of liquid as melting initiates, Nomura et al. (p. 522, published online 16 January) performed x-ray microtomographic imaging of rocks of a primitive mantle composition that had been subjected to high pressures and temperatures in a diamond anvil cell. The experimentally determined maximum melting point of 3570 kelvin suggests that some phases typically thought to lose stability in the lowermost mantle, such as MgSiO3-rich post-perovskite, may be more widely distributed than expected. High-pressure experiments suggest that Earth's mantle melts at lower temperatures than previously predicted. The melting temperature of Earth's mantle provides key constraints on the thermal structures of both the mantle and the core. Through high-pressure experiments and three-dimensional x-ray microtomographic imaging, we showed that the solidus temperature of a primitive (pyrolitic) mantle is as low as 3570 ± 200 kelvin at pressures expected near the boundary between the mantle and the outer core. Because the lowermost mantle is not globally molten, this provides an upper bound of the temperature at the core-mantle boundary (TCMB). Such remarkably low TCMB implies that the post-perovskite phase is present in wide areas of the lowermost mantle. The low TCMB also requires that the melting temperature of the outer core is depressed largely by impurities such as hydrogen.


China has gained experience with voluntary agreements. In this paper the experiences in China will be analysed and compared to the factors contributing to the success of this model in the Netherlands. Are voluntary agreements an alternative for the Chinese command and control system? We distinguish different types of voluntary agreements and compare those in China and the Netherlands on a number of dimensions. The hypothesis is tested that voluntary agreements are more effective in achieving pollution control than the traditional command and control approach. It is found that indeed most voluntary agreements score good in China as well as in the Netherlands on a number of chosen indicators. Voluntary agreements are effective in achieving ambitious energy saving targets in a flexible and cost-effective way. Voluntary agreements have the function to mobilise support for energy saving, which is not easily mobilised through the traditional command-and-control approaches. There are however some important differences between the functioning of the system in China and in the Netherlands, where a more bottom-up approach is common. The Netherlands has a tradition of stakeholders' involvement and experience over a longer time of monitoring the effectiveness of the project and adjusting them if necessary.


Introduction The use of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for semi-quantitative cerebral blood flow (CBF) assessment is a new method. In this report we sought to correlate angiographic transit times (TT) in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) in relation to Hunt &Hess (H&H) grade. Methods A cohort of 28 patients with aSAH were included. Demographic variables, neurological status, and comorbidities were collected. We developed a method to measure CBF by colour-coding reconstruction from DSA contrast intensity. Regions of interest were chosen over major cerebral vessels (see legend Figure 1). The estimated TT included Time-To-Peak (TTP) from 0–100% intensity (TTP–100,), TTP from 25–100% (TTP25-–00), and TT from 100-–0% (TT100-–). Student t-test was used to compare TT between group 1 (H&H 1–2) and 2 (H&H 3–5). Results There was no difference in demographic factors between groups 1 (n = 10) and 2 (n = 18). The majority of patients in-group 2 (all except 3) had an external ventricular catheter with normal intracranial-pressure documented during DSA. There was a strong correlation in all TT between M1, M2, A1 and A2. There was a statistically significant difference in M1-TTP–100, between groups 1 and 2 (1.98 vs. 2.43 sec, p = 0.005), M1-TTP25-–00 (1.78 vs. 2.7 sec, p = 0.003) and in M1-TT100-– (4.68 vs. 6.27 sec, p = 0.012) respectively. Similar difference were observed in A1; A1-TTP0-100 (1.84 vs. 2.18 sec, p = 0.001), A1-TTP25-100, (1.63 vs. 2.27 sec, p = 0.001) and in A1-TT100-10(4.24 vs. 5.12 sec, p = 0.0015, and for the M2 region; M2-TTP0-100, (2.03 vs. 2.64 sec, p = 0.001), M2-TTP25-100, (1.83 vs. 2.8 sec, p = 0.001) and in M2-TT100-10 (4.68 vs.6.2 sec, p = 0.012) (Figures 2 and 3). Conclusion The DSA TT showed significant correlation with H&H grade. TT delays appear to be independent of increased intracranial pressure and may be an indicators of decreased cerebral perfusion in patients with higher H&H grade. The method may serve as an indirect technique for cerebral blood flow assessment in the angiography suite. Abstract E-057 Figure 1 Transit times (T-100–10) in major cerebral arteries in a patient with H&H grade I(A) and grade V(B) aSAH Abstract E-057 Figure 2 M1 Transit tim100–10 (TT-100–10) values in modified H&H groups Disclosures A. Ivanov: None. C. Hsu: None. A. Linninger: None. S. Amin-Hanjani: None. V. Aletich: 2; C; Covedien, Codman. F. Charbel: None. A. Alaraj: None.


The aim of this paper is to develop indicators to highlight the ability of different national pension systems to enable individuals to maintain their living standards at retirement. Authors Margherita Borella and Elsa Fornero of the University of Turin and CeRP, perform the analysis using data and projections on different European countries and propose the use of a 'COmprehensive Replacement' (CORE) rate. Their aim is to compute, for a set of countries representative of the different European welfare and pension systems, both an actual (data-based) version of CORE, based on ECHP data, and to project its evolution into the future. The paper is organised as follows. Section 1 provides a theoretical framework as well as a review of the literature on the topic. Section 2 contains the computation of replacement rates based on ECHP data. In Section 3 CeRPSAM projections are used to compute COREs over time. Section 4 concludes.


Reliable and robust systems for engineering functional major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) proteins have proved elusive. Availability of such systems would enable the engineering of peptide-MHCII (pMHCII) complexes for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. In this paper, we have developed a system based on insect cell surface display that allows functional expression of heterodimeric DR2 molecules with or without a covalently bound human myelin basic protein (MBP) peptide, which is amenable to directed evolution of DR2-MBP variants with improved T cell receptor (TCR)-binding affinity. This study represents the first example of functional display of human pMHCII complexes on insect cell surface. In the process of developing this pMHCII engineering system, we have also explored the potential of using yeast surface display for the same application. Our data suggest that yeast display is a useful system for analysis and engineering of peptide binding of MHCII proteins, but not suitable for directed evolution of pMHC complexes that bind with low affinity to self-reactive TCRs.


This PhD thesis proposes to problematize from a Southern perspective the dominant discourse and practice around civil society. In order to decolonize knowledge and construct a more contextualized understanding of civil society, grounded theory and a situational analysis approach has been applied. Likewise, an empirical, rather than a normative civil society perspective has been central to this dissertation project. Using Mozambique as a country case study, the way in which the concept of civil society has been deployed in development discourse, is highlighted and interrogated. This underlines its highly normative and North-centric epistemology and shows its limitations in a post-colonial Southern context insofar as it rules out much of the grassroots social interaction, deemed 'backward' or 'uncivil' and thus not part of internationally recognized civil society. A brief overview of both development and civil society theory as well as the research approach and methods leads on to the major field study which emphasizes the history and complexity of civil society and turns our attention to some of the broader issues surrounding state-society relations and governance in post-colonial Mozambique.
Based on an in-depth case study carried out in the Province of Zambezia with a particular focus on Inhassunge District, the thesis presents an alternative way of mapping civil society dynamics and actors. It describes and analyses fragments of an emerging civil society conceptual construct which, taking into consideration the concrete local political and economic context, provides examples of alternative actors at district level. It also explains the contextual influences of land ownership, religious, spiritual and witchcraft dynamics and as such, uncovers the great complexity of civil society in a local African context, which in mainstream civil society discourse is most often reduced to the world of the intermediary NGO.
My conclusion is that Mozambican civil society is characterized by many ambiguities and even contradictions. The most serious divide observed was between the modern Western-style civil society, with its central actor the legalized NGO, and other forms of spiritual, associational and political civil society. These societies operate in different public spheres and are based on different moral grounds; the more distant they are from each other, the weaker the possibility of developing a new hegemony through the sphere of civil society and collective action. Possible future scenarios, as far as civil society development in Mozambique is concerned, includes the perspective of civil society appropriation and post-civil society. The thesis closes with a final statement on the potential role of civil society within social transformation.


Architecture and dance, two apparently diverse subjects, are explored, analysed and interrelated in this research, through parametric modelling. The thesis is divided into five basic chapters. Firstly, the prior research regarding architecture and dance is examined, which also justifies the innovation of the current research. Secondly, the visualisation techniques that have been used so far are explored in order to record, file, compose, animate, transform or combine dance movements. Afterwards, how dance movement can be expressed and transformed within the frame of parametric modelling is explained. The tools created are then applied in two case-studies, and transformed according to the functional and spatial restrictions of each project. Finally, the outcomes of this research are summarised indicating the achievements and the difficulties of the whole process, while recommendations for further research are suggested.


The consequences of singular succession on arbitration agreements has for long been a debated topic in Swedish arbitration law. Party substitution is commonplace in the economy, and predictability and certainty in the economy demands clarification of the consequences of transfers and restructurings on arbitration agreements. The issue is unregulated in the SAA and has so far been decided on the basis of a concise statement in the preparatory works and the succinct Supreme Court judgment NJA 1997 p 866 Emja.This thesis investigates to what extent the remaining party (A) is bound by the arbitration agreement in a mutually binding contract vis-a-vis the transferee (C) when the whole contract, with both rights and obligations, has been transferred from B to C. It further examines to what extent A is bound to arbitrate with C in cases where a right only has been transferred. The study is conducted in light of the currently pending Supreme Court case T 4816-12 Electrolux and therefore seeks to identify what that case has provided so far and what the Supreme Court judgment can clarify.It is found that where both rights and obligations are transferred, A's consent to transfer the main contract results in a presumption that the arbitration agreement follows with it. The presumption can be rebutted through an explicit qualification regarding the arbitration agreement or a transfer restriction in the main contract. When rights only are transferred to C, the state of the law is more uncertain. It is found that the rule pronounced in Emja, that A remains bound by the arbitration agreement against C absent "special circumstances", is the state of the law concerning remaining parties. The rule is motivated by pressing policy arguments, and need not be supported by strict contract law mechanisms. The Emja rule can be avoided through the use of transfer restrictions contained in the main contract.


As we continue to discover terrestrial exoplanets, many with orbital and planetary characteristics drastically different from anything encountered in our solar system, we are likely to encounter 'exotic' atmospheric transport processes. As an example, we show an analysis of meridional transport from simulations Mars. These simulations provide insight into the differences in meridional transport between Earth and Mars, particularly through the role of a condensation flow. The differences between Earth and Mars are a reminder that there may be a wide variety of meridional transport processes at work across the range of observed terrestrial planets.