At ABB's high voltage cable factory in Karlskrona, there is a line production that is regarded as a bottleneck. The production rate at this workplace as well as the large variations of setups has created two major problems. The first problem is that it has become difficult for the planning department to determine the lead times for delivery to the customers. The other problem is that the long setup times has made this line production the bottleneck of the whole production. The factory at ABB HVC includes a number of line productions, where each line has their own purpose and value adding processes. The armoring line AR50 that this project has the focus to improve has the last value adding processes for the factory's main product. The factory's main product is the Cross-Linked Polyethylene cable, shortened XLPE. There are several different advantages with the XLPE-cable system. First of all they are maintenance-free and environmentally friendly. The main reason that the XLPE-cable is environmentally friendly is because it have low electrical losses. Since the submarine cables are underground the cables are invisible and not effected by weather conditions. This project implements the method SMED as well as various methods from the LEAN transcript in order to reduce the setup times and create a more stable and effficient production. An Ishikawa diagram were used in order to determine the root causes of the problems. Later both technical and management solutions were proposed and implemented. The project has concluded impressive results regarding setup time reduction and annual cost savings. It also enlightens the large potential for further improvement. This project will be continued during the year of 2014 in order to implement the proposed solutions. The future improvements are not just technical but also related to management and group dynamics.


Purpose: The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has standards for recognizing Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH) including one for medication management. Study objectives were to identify if and how providers within a PCMH recognized under the 2008 guidelines were documenting components of medication management to meet NCQA's 2011 requirements including: 1) providing information about new prescriptions to >80% of patients; 2) assessing understanding of medications for >50% of patients; and 3) assessing response and barriers to medication adherence for >50% of patients.
Methods: Physician and pharmacist-led patient visits from a family medicine office, from February 1 to August 1, 2012 were assessed. Patients over 18 years old taking at least one medication were included. A retrospective chart review was performed to assess documented components of medication management. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data.
Results: A systematic sampling of 450 physician-led and 195 pharmacist-led patient visits, demonstrated providers did not meet documentation goals for providing patients information on new prescriptions (65% pharmacist, 24% physician, 36% of total provider notes) or for assessment of patients' understanding of medications (9% pharmacist 12% physician, 11% of total provider notes). Individually each type of provider did not meet the goal of assessing patient response and barriers to adherence to medication, but with combined intervention by the pharmacists and the physicians, the site was able to surpass NCQA's percentage goal (57% and 58%).
Conclusions: No components of medication management are well documented. Using the electronic medical record, pharmacists may be able to develop documentation tools and assist sites to meet NCQA's goals for medication management.

Type: Original Research


Inferior water barrier performance has always been a major deficiency of polylactide (PLA) that is in practice difficult to overcome owing to the existence of plentiful hydrophilic ester bonds in the main chain. Here, we propose an architecture of super-hydrophobic 3D-networks in PLA, where interconnected graphene oxide grafted octadecylamine (GOgODA) nanosheets are able to effectively suppress dissolution and diffusion of water molecules into the PLA matrix. Prior to the employment of the special technology "decoration of building block for vapor barrier – post-molding assembly", uniform-sized PLA microspheres and super-hydrophobic GOgODA were simultaneously prepared. Perfect GOgODA networks were successfully realized within transparent nanocomposite PLA films and obvious enhancement of the water barrier was prominently achieved. Specifically, a remarkable decrease of almost 6.5 times in water permeability coefficient was observed for the nanocomposite films containing a very small volume (0.268 vol%) of GOgODA (1.43 × 10−14 g cm cm−2 s−1 Pa−1) compared with pure PLA films (9.28 × 10−14 g cm cm−2 s−1 Pa−1). This prominent amelioration was derived from the ordered dispersion of well-extended GOgODA nanosheets, which concentrate selectively at the interface of PLA regions and are arranged exactly perpendicular to the permeating pathway of water molecules. This methodology provides a facile and effective way to advance the functions and properties of PLA.


From the Colosseum to the Roman aqueducts, Italy has historically been admired, envied, and imitated for its feats in advanced engineering. Beginning with Leonardo da Vinci?s military tanks and extending through today in such diverse arenas as high-performance automobiles and technical textiles, Italy has remained at the forefront of cutting-edge engineering. And in the world of biomedical engineering, Italy continues the legacy established by da Vinci in 1489 when he began his pioneering investigations of human physiology. So, it is perhaps unsurprising that Milan should be the setting for the 37th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, which will be held 25?29 August at the Milan Conference Center.


What are the implications of globalization to information technology (IT) management? Some argue that the global context requires a substantial change in IT requirements and constraints. Selig (1982) points out the complications due to cultures, languages, business environments, legal requirements, inconsistent vendor support, and varying technology availability. Cash, McFarlan and McKenney (1988) similarly argue that the management of IT involves far more issues and contingencies in the international colitext than in the domestic context. Other IT scholars accentuate the similarities between domestic and international issues in managing information systems (e.g., Watson and Brancheau 1991). The universal applicability of IT issues is largely assumed. In the current project, we explore the determinants of a major aspect of organizational IT its distribution policy and how the determinants change in degree and type from domestic to global IT. By IT distribution policy, we are referring to where the control for an information system should be (for instance, a single firm-wide solution versus solutions determined at the departmental or divisional level). By global IT, we are referring to information technology applications that are used in multiple countries, usually with the intention of business integration across country boundaries. By local IT, we are referring to information technology applications that are confined to a domestic context (the U.S. context). On the basis of prior research, we expect the IS distribution decisions to be relatively more dependent on the external firm factors in the global context than in the local context. We expect the internal firm factors to play a greater role than the external factors in the local context. Internal factors include power, information processing, communication, and control requirements. The external factors include the economics of computing, the availability of vendor support, governmental regulations, diversity in cultures, and the like. Based on the prior literature on IT centralization-decentralization, we compiled forty-one items that have all been proposed as having importance in influencing the degree to which the control for the application's data, hardware, and software is centralized or decentralized, or some compromise or combinations of both, We are using experienced project managers to rate these items based on their understanding of the relative importance in making the distribution decision. Half of the project managers have had substantial international project management experience; the other half have had only domestic project management experience. The project managers use the Q-sort technique to rate the items. At this point, we have conducted sessions with thirty-five project managers. The results from the first eighteen field interviews'tentatively suggest that the most critical issues in making the IT distribution decision remain the same in a global versus local context. The overriding issue is what particular distribution alternative will best serve the customers' need to get reliable and consistent computing service. After meeting the basic IS service requirements, communication and information processing requirements appeared to be the second most important category followed by organizational control requirements. Differences between global and local did exist. The intensity and the number of considerations increased in the global context. For example, it appeared to be much harder to accommodate the varying information processing needs of local units in a global versus local context. Interestingly, language, culture, and currency issues were not considered to be one of the most important factors in the global context. By the end of the summer of 1992, we plan to complete another thirty to forty research sessions and will present the final results at the conference. From a managerial perspective, the study begins to address what priorities, principles, and practices the global context changes in the management of IT. From a theoretical perspective, the study is an initial attempt to begin to understand how research models developed in the domestic context must be altered to take into account the global context.


Teaching Mandarin Chinese in a modern, structured and engaging way, Mastering Chinese is suitable for both classroom and 'teach yourself' learners at all levels. It has a friendly conversational style with useful emphasis on correct pronunciation using pinyin. Introducing fascinating script and essential grammar, the course helpfully uses the script with the pinyin in parallel throughout. With interesting cultural insights and lively illustrations, this is what you would expect from a modern Chinese language course but can't find! There are two CDs available to accompany this book.


Lymphoid enhancer binding factor-1 (Lef1) is an essential regulatory protein in the Wnt signal pathway, which controls cell growth and differentiation. Investigators in the field of skin biology have confirmed that multipotent bulge stem cells (BSCs) are responsible for hair follicle development and regeneration. However, the role of Lef1 remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the pattern of Lef1 expression at different stages of the hair growth cycle. Lef1 was strongly expressed during anagen but attenuated in both catagen- and telogen-phase hair follicles in vivo. When stem cells were induced to differentiate toward a hair fate in a co-culture system, Lef1 was notably up-regulated and accumulated in the nucleus, appearing to activate the target protein c-myc and jagged1. Simultaneously, the Wnt and Notch signaling pathways were co-activated, as confirmed by the increased expression of β-catenin and notch1. Plasmids expressing Lef1 and ΔNLef1, a construct in which the β-catenin-binding domain of Lef1 was deleted, were used to evaluate the effects of Lef1 on stem cell differentiation. Lef1 overexpression promoted bulge stem cell differentiation toward a hair fate, which was accompanied by the subsequent migration of β-catenin into the nucleus, whereas no changes were observed in the control group. Taken together, our results demonstrate that Lef1 plays an important role in bulge stem cell differentiation, promoting β-catenin translocation into the nucleus, activating downstream signaling molecules, eventually causing hair follicle bulge stem cells to adopt the hair fate.


Purpose To investigate the association between exercise and glaucoma in a South Korean population-based sample. Design Population-based, cross-sectional study. Participants A total of 11,246 subjects, 40 years and older who underwent health care assessment as part of the 2008–2011 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Methods Variables regarding the duration (total minutes per week), frequency (days per week), and intensity of exercise (vigorous, moderate exercise and walking) as well as glaucoma prevalence were ascertained for 11,246 survey participants. Demographic, comorbidity, and health-related behavior information was obtained via interview. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the association between the exercise-related parameters and odds of a glaucoma diagnosis. Main outcome measure(s) Glaucoma defined by International Society for Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology criteria. Results Overall, 336 (2.7%) subjects met diagnostic criteria for glaucomatous disease. After adjustment for potential confounding variables, subjects engaged in vigorous exercise 7 days per week had higher odds of having glaucoma compared with those exercising 3 days per week (Odds Ratio [OR] 3.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16–9.54). High intensity of exercise, as categorized by the guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), was also associated with greater glaucoma prevalence compared with moderate intensity of exercise (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.03–2.33). There was no association between other exercise parameters including frequency of moderate exercise, walking, muscle strength exercise, flexibility training, or total minutes of exercise per week, and the prevalence of glaucoma. In sub-analyses stratifying by gender, the association between frequency of vigorous exercise 7 days per week and glaucoma diagnosis remained significant in men (OR 6.05, 95% CI 1.67–21.94) but not in women (OR 0.96 95% CI: 0.23–3.97). A U-shaped association between exercise intensity and glaucoma prevalence was noted in men (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.09–2.69 for low intensity versus moderate intensity; OR 2.19, 95% CI 1.25–3.85 for high intensity versus moderate intensity). Conclusion In a South Korean population sample, daily vigorous exercise was associated with higher glaucoma prevalence. In addition, the intensity of exercise was positively associated with glaucoma diagnosis in men but not women.


The relationship of zinc (Zn) deficiency to phosphorus (P) toxicity was examined in 'Emerald' okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench] grown for 21 days (D21) in complete nutrient solution and then transferred to treatments with two levels of P (P1, P2 = 250, 2,000 P) and four levels of Zn (Zn1, Zn2, Zn3, Za4 = 0, 0.25, 1, 2 added Zn). No symptoms of "little leaf" or "resetting" developed in any plants. "Mottle leaf" symptoms developed as chlorotic and necrotic patches in the interveinal areas of the older leaves of Zn, plants at P1 and in Zn1, Zn2, and Zn3 plants at P2. Thus, increasing the level of P induced symptoms which were eliminated by adding Zn. Treatments had little effect on dry matter at D45 and D63: at D111, low Zn depressed dry weight of P1 tops and even more markedly depressed dry weight of P2 tops, roots, and fruits. Increasing solution P increased the concentration and amount of P in all plant parts at all harvests. At D45 it also depressed Zn concentrations in all parts of Zn1 plants but in no other Zn treatment and in no treatment at later harvests. At Zn1, leaves had relatively low concentrations of Zn and high concentrations of P. Increasing levels of Zn enhanced their Zn concentrations and depressed their P concentrations; at D45 and D63 they also depressed the concentrations and total amounts of P in tops and whole plants but increased them in roots. Thus Zn deficiency markedly enhanced P absorption by roots, transport to tops, and accumulation in leaves. Concentrations of magnesium in plant organs responded to treatments in the same way as did P but to a smaller degree, particularly in the leaves. No other element measured (Ca, K, Na, Fe, Cu, Mn) responded in the same way. The development and intensity of symptoms in old leaves correlated closely with P concentrations. Leaves with faint symptoms had 0.8% P; those with marked symptoms had > 1.5% P; and dead leaves had nearly 5% P. The intensification of symptoms is attributed to accumulation of P to toxic levels in leaves. It is suggested that Zn deficiency interferes with P metabolism enhancing the amounts of P absorbed by roots and transported to tops: under conditions of high P supply, P accumulates to toxic levels in leaves inducing or accentuating symptoms resembling Zn deficiency. This effect of Zn on P metabolism in roots seems to explain previously puzzling observations in which P treatments enhanced symptoms of Zn deficiency without any reduction in Zn contents of plant tops: there is no need to invoke any effect of P in inactivating Zn in leaves. Additional Index Words: P-Zn interactions, Zn deficiency, Zn requirements, Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench. View complete article To view this complete article, insert Disc 4 then click button8


Using the Internet survey data from 6500 individuals, this study examines the determinants for supporting the restart of nuclear power plants operation in Japan. The variable of interest is the level of support that is measured as a categorical and ordered variable, for which ordered logit or probit is commonly estimated. This study departs from the literature using Bayesian ordinal quantile regression (Rahman 2015, Bayesian Anal. doi:10.1214/15-BA939) to address whether covariates have differential effects at various conditional quantiles of the latent response variable. This approach allows us to explore, for example, whether three otherwise identical individuals, the first with an average unobserved preference for the restart, the second with a low unobserved preference, and the third with a high unobserved preference, respond similarly or differently to a change in a covariate. The results show that for most of the covariates examined, including concerns about meltdowns and concerns about global warming, the effects differ across conditional quantiles of the latent response variable. In other words, the covariate effects depend crucially on individuals' unobserved preferences for the restart (conditional on observables). The results also show that there are considerable gender differences in response to changes in covariates.


The success of an energy turnaround towards renewables highly depends on the willingness
and ability of firms to adopt energy technologies using renewable sources. Existing studies focused on the role of regulation and energy markets (e.g. the price for fossil energy) to explain the diffusion of green energy technologies. The present paper tries to give a more comprehensive view on the determinants of renewable energy innovations focusing on the crucial
role of firms' regional environment (role of regional spillover effects, the greenness of a region
and the regional endowment with green energy plants). We use a unique database combining the Community Innovation Survey 2014 for Germany and NUTS 3 data on renewable energy plants, the greenness of a region and other economic control variables. We find that
geographical proximity to electricity production based on renewable energy sources and the
orientation of a region towards 'green issues' (measured by the share of green party voters) are
both major drivers for such innovations. Furthermore, our results show that in addition to regulation,
government subsidies for eco-innovation, high energy costs and regional knowledge spillovers contribute to a rapid adoption of renewable energy. The reinforcing nature of this process leads to a diverging regional development of renewable energy innovations.


Analytical formulas are derived to give the point scatterer responses for the zero‐offset and nonzero‐offset migration operators. These formulas are derived under the far‐field approximation for a continuous distribution of sources and receivers, and are denoted as migration Green's functions. By specifying a homogeneous velocity model with irregular layers, these Green's functions can be used to quickly compute the synthetic migrated sections without having to compute the modeled data. Thus, these formulas provide a fundamental understanding of migration artifacts and their relationship to the image point location and source‐receiver configuration. This understanding lays the foundation for the next step, elimination of these artifacts by migration deconvolution.


The goal of this study was to determine diagnostic accuracy of preoperative transvaginal sonography (TVS) to assess myometrial infiltration in patients with endometrial cancer and to determine the possibility of preoperatively selecting low-stage endometrial cancer patients at high risk of lymph node metastases. The depth of myometrial infiltration of endometrial cancer was assessed using TVS before or after curettage. Infiltration was classified as superficial if less than half of the myometrium was involved, otherwise it was classified as deep infiltration. Results were compared with the histology results of the definitive specimens. Patients were classified as high risk when they satisfied two of the following three criteria: 60 years of age or older; deep myometrial infiltration; and poorly differentiated or undifferentiated tumor. A total of 93 patients from 11 clinics were analyzed. The mean age was 66.1 years (SD ± 11.4). The sonography and histology findings were in agreement in 69 of 93 patients. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV), of "deep infiltration" by preoperative TVS were 79% (95% CI 0.65–0.93), 72% (95% CI 0.61–0.83), 61% (95% CI 0.46–0.75), and 86% (95% CI 0.76–0.96), respectively. Combining tumor grade and myometrial infiltration in the hysterectomy specimen and age, 30 of 81 patients were classified as high-risk patients. Sensitivity and PPV, specificity, and NPV for preoperative diagnosis of high risk were 80% (95% CI 0.65–0.94) and 88% (95% CI 0.79–0.97), respectively. Preoperative assessment of myometrial tumor infiltration using just TVS is only moderately reliable in endometrial cancer patients. If the results of TVS, however, are combined with the patient's age and the degree of tumor differentiation in curettings, it is possible to preoperatively select endometrial cancer patients with a high risk of pelvic lymph node metastases with sufficient reliability.


Using multicanonical simulations, the authors study the effect of charged end groups on helix formation in alanine based polypeptides. They confirm earlier reports that neutral polyalanine exhibits a pronounced helix-coil transition in gas phase simulations. Introducing a charged Lys+ at the C terminal stabilizes the alpha helix and leads to a higher transition temperature. On the other hand, adding the Lys+ at the N terminal inhibits helix formation. Instead, a more globular structure was found. These results are in agreement with recent experiments on alanine based polypeptides in gas phase. They indicate that present force fields describe accurately the intramolecular interactions in proteins.


This paper analyzes the behavior of stack-augmented recurrent neural network (RNN) models. Due to the architectural similarity between stack RNNs and pushdown transducers, we train stack RNN models on a number of tasks, including string reversal, context-free language modelling, and cumulative XOR evaluation. Examining the behavior of our networks, we show that stack-augmented RNNs can discover intuitive stack-based strategies for solving our tasks. However, stack RNNs are more difficult to train than classical architectures such as LSTMs. Rather than employ stack-based strategies, more complex networks often find approximate solutions by using the stack as unstructured memory.


Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that affects 0.5–1% of the world's population (1). It is characterized by inflammation and progressive destruction of joints (1). Synovial fibroblasts play important roles in initiating and driving RA by secreting inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, degrading cartilage, and stimulating osteoclasts that lead to bone erosion (2).


The IBM 1500 Instructional System was the only commercial system produced by a single manufacturer that had an integrated student terminal configuration providing a keyboard and light pen response mode, CRT-based graphics, audio, and static film projection. Experimental instructional systems had been developed by IBM prior to a prototype version of the 1500 Instructional System, which was tested at Stanford University. A production version of the 1500 System with changes in the CPU and the audio system and having the capability to run a maximum of 32 student stations was installed in over 30 sites beginning in the late 1960s. IBM's commitment to the development of this system was extensive but short-lived, as most sites were unable to maintain funding support for the system. In retrospect, the IBM 1500 System had capabilities yet to be supported on the microcomputer systems of the 1990s. >


Developing flexible, robust and lightweight sulfur cathodes by rationally designing their structures and configurations through a viable and scalable strategy is a critical enabler for fulfilling flexible lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. However, besides the requirements for cathode flexibility, intrinsic limitations from the shuttling of lithium polysulfides and the growth of Li dendrites have restricted the widespread implementations of Li-S batteries. Here, we report a wet-processed strategy by dissolving and recrystallizing S in a suitable solvent to fabricate a flexible, binder-free S cathode. Integrating the resulting S cathode with a dual-functional separator has demonstrated to be able to suppress both the shuttle effect and growth of dendritic Li. The wet-processed strategy not only enables the fabrication of flexible and binder-free S-nanomat cathodes, but also facilitates the deposition of the cathodes on the separators. Meanwhile, a dual-functional separator is fabricated by vapor-phase polymerization of polypyrrole (PPy) coating on both surfaces of the commercial separator, which leads to the reduction of the shuttle effect and the suppression of the growth of dendritic Li simultaneously. As a result, by integrating the S-nanomat and the dual-functional separator, the cathode exhibits exceptional mechanical properties and electrochemical performance. Li-S pouch cells are further demonstrated to show stable cycling performance in the bending state, indicating the feasibility of the integrated S cathode for flexible Li-S batteries.


This study assesses the initial economic outcomes of the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), which began funding rural development projects in the Mississippi Delta region in 2002. The study focuses on non-metropolitan DRA counties and similar counties elsewhere in the Mississippi Delta region and the southeast, using a quasi-experimental approach that combines matching methods, double and triple difference and switching regression estimation. We find that per capita income and transfer payments grew more rapidly in DRA counties than similar non-DRA counties, and that these impacts are larger in counties in which DRA spending was larger. Each additional dollar of DRA spending per capita is associated with an increase of $15 in personal income per capita between 2002 and 2007, including an increase of $8 in earnings (primarily in the health care and social services sector) and $5 in transfer payments. The increase in transfer payments is mainly due to increased medical transfer payments. We also find that the number of hospital beds per capita increased more in counties where DRA spending per capita was greater. These findings suggest that investments supported by the DRA in improved medical facilities are promoting additional health sector earnings and medical transfer payments.


Summary There is growing interest in music-based therapies for mental/behavioural disorders. We begin by reviewing the evolutionary and cultural origins of music, proceeding then to discuss the principles of evolutionary psychiatry, itself a growing a field, and how it may apply to music. Finally we offer some implications for the role of music and music-based therapies in clinical practice.


Patellar desmopathy in dogs after tibial plateau levelling osteotomy has been described in many studies. Tibial tuberosity advancement is a biomechanically different technique. It is assumed that the patellar ligament is loaded with little force similarly as after tibial plateau levelling osteotomy. Various aspects related to secondary patellar desmopathy are not completely understood. This study deals with computed radiography measurement of patellar ligament thickness after tibial tuberosity advancement in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture. The thickness of the patellar ligament in exactly predetermined locations was measured from mediolateral radiographs of stifle joints. A total of 18 dogs (20 knee joints) with cranial cruciate ligament (ligamentum cruciatum craniale) rupture underwent three radiographic examinations of the knee (preoperative examination and control examination 7 and 15 weeks after the surgery). Significant difference was found between the thickness of the patellar ligament in the first and second examinations. Some of the demographic factors possibly related to patellar ligament thickness (age, sex, body weight, type of cranial cruciate ligament rupture, arthrotomy, cage size, meniscal injury, time between surgery and radiographic examination) were analyzed. However, statistical analyses did not show any effect of these factors on the thickness of the patellar ligament, except for the time between surgery and radiographic examination. These findings can extend the surgeons' knowledge of biomechanical aspects of tibial tuberosity advancement.


Author(s): Doscher, Evin | Advisor(s): Barlow, Miriam | Abstract: Antibiotic resistance is a major public health crisis in the United States and around the world, with at least 23,000 people dying each year in the U.S. from antibiotic resistant infections; it is a major cause of death. Technical advancements to facilitate studies and diagnosis of resistance are an important step for finding solutions to this problem. For this study, we partnered with a local community hospital Mercy Medical Center. Our study focuses on resistant isolates that have been identified as possessing the Extended Spectrum β-Lactamases (ESBLs). We have used a novel and sensitive method for measuring the fitness of these isolates. By using growth rates as a measurement for fitness we have discovered previously unknown relationships between co-expressed resistance genes. We identified that in the presence of ampicillin, isolates that have both CTX-M-15 and TEM-1 genes have a slightly higher mean growth rate than isolates that have the CTX-M-15 gene but not the TEM-1 gene leading us to believe that there may be a synergistic effect between CTX-M15 and TEM-1 for the resistance of ampicillin. Surprisingly we also found that isolates in the presence of cephalosporin showed a decrease in growth rates if they had the TEM-1 resistance gene. This suggests that the presence of TEM-1 has a slightly inhibitory effect on growth in the presence of cephalosporins, which is still not understood at a cellular level. We also found that in the presence of ampicillin-sulbactam (SAM) there was no difference in growth rates for isolates that were TEM-1 (+) with those that are TEM-1 (-). However there was a difference in mean growth rates when comparing CTX-M-15 (+) isolates and CTX-M-15 (-) isolates in the presence of SAM. Indicating that CTX-M-15 is interfering with resistance for SAM when TEM-1 is present. Growth rates are a reliable measure of fitness. They calculate the maximum growth by measuring the optical density of that culture over time. The sensitivity of these assays may lead to novel findings about the nature of antibiotic resistance evolution. Future studies of fitness outcomes using growth rate assays are recommended.


In the context of an emerging market economy, this study examines the mediating role of marketing capabilities on the market orientation (MO)–performance relationship. Specifically, the authors investigate the roles of product innovativeness, customer relationship management (CRM) capability, research and development (R&D) integration and brand management capabilities in the institutionalisation of a MO culture and the implementation of MO behaviours. With data collected from 150 organisations, the authors find that MO behaviour fully mediates the effects of MO culture on product innovativeness and CRM capability, which in turn enhance firm performance. In addition, leadership quality facilitates the effect of MO culture on MO behaviour, and the effects of product innovativeness and CRM capability on firm performance are greater in the presence of R&D–marketing integration and brand management capabilities, respectively.


Crowdsourcing, as one of the most promising techniques for distributed problem-solving, requires sustained human involvement. Therefore, it also brings new challenges to data management, fundamentally data input and its quality. In this paper, we looked at various forms of user motivations and quality control of crowdsourcing when building accessibility maps mobile applications. We discuss how motivations could be used to contribute to our accessibility maps scenarios, and how data can be improved for two types of participants: individual participants and organization participants. We identified three useful techniques for improving data quality: qualification-based, reputation-based, and aggregation-based. In addition, based on our own mobile application (named WEMAP), we evaluated our approaches through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews.


SUMMARY: REAH is a rare benign lesion of the sinonasal tract. The nasal cavity, particularly the posterior nasal septum, is the most common site of involvement. It usually occurs unilaterally and can be cured with conservative surgical resection. We present an unusual case of adenomatoid hamartoma involving bilateral olfactory recesses and discuss the importance of distinguishing this from other neoplastic processes that may lead to overly aggressive treatment.


Image geolocalization, inferring the geographic location of an image, is a challenging computer vision problem with many potential applications. The recent state-of-the-art approach to this problem is a deep image classification approach in which the world is spatially divided into cells and a deep network is trained to predict the correct cell for a given image. We propose to combine this approach with the original Im2GPS approach in which a query image is matched against a database of geotagged images and the location is inferred from the retrieved set. We estimate the geographic location of a query image by applying kernel density estimation to the locations of its nearest neighbors in the reference database. Interestingly, we find that the best features for our retrieval task are derived from networks trained with classification loss even though we do not use a classification approach at test time. Training with classification loss outperforms several deep feature learning methods (e.g. Siamese networks with contrastive of triplet loss) more typical for retrieval applications. Our simple approach achieves state-of-the-art geolocalization accuracy while also requiring significantly less training data.


— Health protection is the improvement of health via the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other mental impairments in human beings. This system is based on Fuzzy Logic, adopting Mamdani model as the fuzzy inference mechanism and list of medical diseases. With diseases like swine flu and dengue fever, chicken pox, on the rise, which have symptoms, are so closely associated that it sometimes become practically Herculean task to differentiate between the above-scribed diseases based on symptoms. Thus, it becomes inevitable to design such a system that would closely monitor the symptoms and infer the disease based on fuzzy inference system. This work is done by assigning different coefficients to each symptom of a disease and to predict and quantify the severity impact of the recognized disease. For predicting, the cure time of a disease, based on the symptoms. Perdition of cure time is clinically based on hypothetic studies and to estimate the cure time of a disease based on the symptoms. This system is inferring the current medical condition of a user relative to people who have suffered from the same disease.


The first edition of this extremely popular two volume Greek text has been successfully adopted in many high schools and colleges; the organization and approach used by the authors, make it an equally effective tool for those who would enjoy learning the language on their own. The set is designed for a two semester course at the introductory level. This second edition incorporates the authors' improvements and corrections gathered from users' commentary. Those who are currently using the first edition will find this update valuable, those who are seeking a Greek language text will find Greek: An Intensive Course one of the most complete and accessible books on the market.


Lunar surface activities during Apollo and terrestrial analogue lunar mission simulations have commonly focused on traverses that prioritize surface observations and sample collection activities. Along the way, geophysical measurements are often made. However, they are not necessarily made in a way that optimizes information about the physical subsurface properties, which is something that geophysics can provide. In 2010, NASA simulated a high-quality multiweek human lunar rover traverse analogue mission in the San Francisco volcanic field in Arizona. The traverse route and associated science station locations were selected based on addressing surface observation and sampling tasks. Geophysical studies were not included in the simulation. We returned to the same field area and obtained data on 19 active seismic refraction geophone lines from the science station locations accessed during the simulation. We analyzed the data to calculate 1D seismic velocity profiles for each of the lines. Results revealed up to seven distinct seismically defined material types, including a nearly ubiquitous veneer of regolith of variable thickness at the surface. Results also provided depth and thickness of the seven material types in the first 60 m of the subsurface at each of the science station locations. These cannot be obtained by geologic observations of the outcrops. Systematic interpretation of the area's overall subsurface stratigraphy was not feasible due to the geophysically nonsystematic nature of the original traverse's prioritization of the science station locations. The added geophysical understanding of a region could drive additional geologic investigations to locate samples of otherwise unknown material through the location of surface exposures or coring. This emphasizes the importance of synchronizing geologic and geophysical research requirements during lunar traverse planning and execution to optimize addressing scientific and utilization questions.


We present a catalog containing 839 candidate post–common envelope systems. Common envelope evolution is very important in stellar astrophysics, particularly in the context of very compact and short-period binaries, including cataclysmic variables, as progenitors of, e.g., supernovae Type Ia or mergers of black holes and/or neutron stars. At the same time, it is a barely understood process in binary evolution. Due to limitations, since partially remedied, on direct simulation, early investigations were mainly focused on providing analytic prescriptions of the outcome of common envelope evolution. In recent years, detailed hydrodynamical calculations have produced deeper insight into the previously elusive process of envelope ejection. However, a direct link between the observations and theory of this relatively short-lived phase in binary evolution has not been forthcoming. Therefore, the main insight to be gained from observations has to be derived from the current state of systems likely to have gone through a common envelope. Here we present an extensive catalog of such observations as found in the literature. The aim of this paper is to provide a reliable set of data, obtained from observations, to be used in the theoretical modeling of common envelope evolution. In this catalog, the former common envelope donor star is commonly observed as a white dwarf or hot subdwarf star. This catalog includes period and mass estimates wherever obtainable. Some binaries are borderline cases to allow an investigation of the transition between a common envelope formation and other mass-transfer processes.


: In a three-year prospective study of service-based incidence of functional psychoses in Africa, 94 cases of brief reactive psychosis were compared with 56 cases of schizophreniform syndromes, 29 cases of DSM-III schizophrenia and 14 of manic-depressive psychosis. This was supplemented by retrospective study of the same syndromes not in their first episode. Brief reactive psychosis was found to be a composite syndrome. The 50% with preceding depression were a distinct group, in terms of course and demographic features. Of those with intense prodromal anxiety, most were a single episode precipitated by a major life event, a few showed a recurrent long-term pattern. Schizophrenia was heralded, or presented unequivocally months or years later, in 10-20%. The schizophreniform group comprised a range of atypical psychoses intermediate between the transient and major psychoses. The pattern of precipitants and the over-representation of education and paid employment in the acute syndromes, compared with the major psychoses, in a society which was largely first-generation educated, suggested a link with rapid social change.


Spurred by the threat of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), the idea of reducing Cr(VI) into less toxic Cr(III) has been commonly studied. Here, we used a facile photodeposition method to modify inverse opal TiO2 (i.o.TiO2) with cobalt phosphate (Co-Pi), and the resulting composite was applied for photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI). This is the first time that an inverse opal structure as well as a Co-Pi catalyst is applied in the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI). In addition, the combination of i.o.TiO2 and Co-Pi achieves high visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity, which is better than that of the pure Co-Pi catalyst and unmodified i.o.TiO2. Experimental results demonstrated that the Co-Pi in the composite could absorb a large amount of visible light and then inject electrons into the conduction band of i.o.TiO2 which subsequently participate in the reduction reaction of Cr(VI). Moreover, the inverse opal structure of the catalyst possesses the advantages of having a large surface area and efficient light harvesting ability, leading to the better catalytic activity of Co-Pi/i.o.TiO2 than Co-Pi/bulk TiO2 and Co-Pi/P25. It's also proved that this Co-Pi/i.o.TiO2 photocatalyst can efficiently remove organic pollutants together with Cr(VI). This study provides new insights into the design and fabrication of efficient photocatalysts for the removal of environmental pollutants under visible light.


The high level of road density in Jabodetabek that caused by urban sprawl phenomenon prompted the government to increase the number of commuter who use Jabodetabek Commuter Line Rail (KRL). According to that, women commuters have higher participation in using mass public transportation than men. However, it must be supported by a service system that accommodates their needs. Therefore, the research about the characteristics of women commuters using KRL is important to analyse the KRL service system quality which accommodate their needs. It refers to four variables: age, income level, destination distance, and marital status, collected by questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to 120 respondents who were daily commuters and users between 2013-2020. The reasons for participation were collected by an in-depth interview with 15 informants who were also part of the respondents. The result is the service system in KRL (facility design, cost, access, and time travel) caused women commuter KRL users are dominated by productive age with varying income levels, married, and do activities in areas 1-3 km from a station. The conclusion is not all women commuters in Jabodetabek participate to use KRL because the service system has not accommodated all their needs.


PC-Crash, a widely used crash analysis software package, incorporates the capability for modeling non-constant vehicle acceleration, where the acceleration rate varies with speed, weight, engine power, the degree of throttle application, and the roadway slope. The research reported here offers a validation of this capability, demonstrating that PC-Crash can be used to realistically model the build-up of a vehicle's speed under maximal acceleration. In the research reported here, PC-Crash 9.0 was used to model the full-throttle acceleration capabilities of three vehicles with automatic transmissions – a 2006 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (CVPI), a 2000 Cadillac DeVille DTS, and a 2003 Ford F150. For each vehicle, geometric dimensions, inertial properties, and engine/drivetrain parameters were obtained from a combination of manufacturer specifications, calculations, inspections of exemplar vehicles and full-scale vehicle testing. In each case, the full-throttle acceleration of the vehicles modeled in PC-Crash showed good agreement with the acceleration of the real vehicles in our road tests.


Central African and Japanese outlooks on the person differ profoundly from one another. But they have in common a perspective on the human person shared by most non-Western societies and cultures: they emphasize the contextual, relational nature of personhood. This way of looking at the person, and our own individual-oriented and legalistic perspective on the person, carry different sets of meanings, fulfillments, and strains for the individuals and groups who live within these frameworks.


World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a pandemic in 11th of March 2020. COVID-19 that disrupts Children's growth and development, friendships, daily routines and has a negative consequence for their well-being, development and protection. About 1 in 3 children hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States were admitted to the intensive care unit. Aim: The aim of this study was evaluating the effect of a comic story on children's knowledge and hand washing practices about pandemic of COVID-19. Study design: A quasi-experimental design was used. Setting: Nour Al-Huda Charitable Society that caring males and females orphaned children in separate setting Sample: A convenient sample including all children in the orphanage, there was 41 children and their age range between 3 to less than 12 years. Tools of data collection: An interview questionnaire sheet as a tool one that had two parts first one concerned with sociodemographic data of children and second one assessed children's knowledge about pandemic of COVID-19, an observational check list sheet as a tool two and had two parts; where part one assessed facilities required for applying precautionary measures inside the home, while part two assessed children's hand washing practice inside the home. Results: there was a statistically significant differences between the total children's knowledge regarding COVID-19 and total observed practice score regarding correct technique of hand washing pre/post comic story implementation. Conclusion: It was concluded that the implementation of a comic story had improved children's total mean score of knowledge and hand washing practice regarding COVID-19 with statistically significant differences of both in relation to pre and post comic story implementation. Recommendations: The study recommended that to breakdown the ring of transmission of COVID-19; the collaboration between governmental and non-governmental agencies and stakeholders are main supporters for those children via appropriate  and friendly communication tools that improve their knowledge; practice and also providing those setting by funding and resources for applying precautionary measures of COVID-19 with periodical follow up for personals, setting, services and resources.


Of 187 patients treated at the author's institutions for fracture and/or dislocation of the hip during a 10-year period (1985-1994), 46 patients (25%) with a knee injury on the same side as the hip injury were evaluated 6 months to 11 years after the initial accident (mean, 3.65 years). Thirty-nine patients (85%) had symptoms or clinical signs in the knee. Ligamentous injuries overlooked in the initial examination were found in seven patients. Knee injuries often accompany hip fracture and/or dislocation, and can be produced by direct or indirect trauma. A delayed diagnosis of such injuries may lead to their treatment in the sequela phase, which complicates the final outcome. Therefore, an exhaustive physical examination is recommended for patients with traumatic hip dislocation to detect potential injuries to the ipsilateral knee. Early diagnosis and treatment of such injuries greatly improve final outcome.


Blockchain technologies recently received a considerable amount of attention. While the initial focus was mainly on the use of blockchains in the context of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, application scenarios now go far beyond this. Most blockchains have the property that once some object, e.g., a block or a transaction, has been registered to be included into the blockchain, it is persisted and there are no means to modify it again. While this is an essential feature of most blockchain scenarios, it is still often desirable—at times it may be even legally required—to allow for breaking this immutability in a controlled way. Only recently, Ateniese et al. (EUROS&P 2017) proposed an elegant solution to this problem on the block level. Thereby, the authors replace standard hash functions with so-called chameleon-hashes (Krawczyk and Rabin, NDSS 2000). While their work seems to offer a suitable solution to the problem of controlled re-writing of blockchains, their approach is too coarse-grained in that it only offers an all-or-nothing solution. We revisit this idea and introduce the novel concept of policybased chameleon-hashes (PCH). PCHs generalize the notion of chameleon-hashes by giving the party computing a hash the ability to associate access policies to the generated hashes. Anyone who possesses enough privileges to satisfy the policy can then find arbitrary collisions for a given hash. We then apply this concept to transaction-level rewriting within blockchains, and thus support fine-grained and controlled modifiability of blockchain objects. Besides modeling PCHs, we present a generic construction of PCHs (using a strengthened version of chameleon-hashes with ephemeral trapdoors which we also introduce), rigorously prove its security, and instantiate it with efficient building blocks. We report first implementation results.


Within individual countries there is usually a good understanding of how parties differ from one another on economic issues, but how do parties in different European countries compare? Would Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats lie to the right of Mariano Rajoy's People's Party in Spain? Is the British Labour Party to the left of other centre-left parties in Europe? Based on data from expert surveys, Ryan Bakker, Seth Jolly and Jonathan Polk map the left/right positions of political parties from 14 eastern and western European countries. They write that while this comparison gives a good indication of party competition across Europe, future research will also allow for European parties to be compared on non-economic dimensions and with parties in other parts of the world such as North America.


Lightweighting in the transportation industry is today recognized as one of the most important strategies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce anthropogenic climate-changing, environment-damaging, and human death-causing emissions. However, the structural applications of lightweight alloys are often limited by some inherent deficiencies such as low stiffness, high wear rate and inferior strength. These properties could be effectively enhanced by the addition of stronger and stiffer reinforcements, especially nano-sized particles, into metal matrix to form composites. In most cases three common strengthening mechanisms (load-bearing effect, mismatch of coefficients of thermal expansion, and Orowan strengthening) have been considered to predict the yield strength of metal matrix nanocomposites (MMNCs). This study was aimed at developing a unified model by taking into account the matrix grain size and porosity (which is unavoidable in the materials processing such as casting and powder metallurgy) in the prediction of the yield strength of MMNCs. The Zener pinning effect of grain boundaries by the nano-sized particles has also been integrated. The model was validated using the experimental data of magnesium- and titanium-based nanocomposites containing different types of nano-sized particles (namely, Al2O3, Y2O3, and carbon nanotubes). The predicted results were observed to be in good agreement with the experimental data reported in the literature.


Two cell lines were originated from the peripheral blood (PB-LAM) and bone-marrow (BM-LAM) of a patient with Burkitt-type acute lymphoblastic leukemia and AIDS. 26 and 7 clones were isolated from PB-LAM and BM-LAM respectively by limiting dilution. All of these had surface IgM lambda and the CD10 marker with low to absent CD23, CD30, CD39 and surface adhesion molecules. Furthermore, they shared the same chromosomal abnormalities (trisomy 7 and t(8;14) translocation) and the same rearrangements of immunoglobulin L and H chain and of c-myc gene loci. These features are those most frequently found in Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cells and were different from those of the parental cell lines, which, besides cells identical to those of the malignant clones, also contained normal lymphoblastoid cells. Therefore, the cloning procedure used selected for the growth of cells with malignant features. EBV latent antigens were detected in all clones by Western blotting and their pattern of expression resembled that usually observed in BL cells. All the clones were positive for the EBV genome by Southern blotting and had monomorphic EBV-fused termini as determined by using cDNA probes specific for sequences at either end of the viral genome. However, the clones derived from PB-LAM had EBV fused termini of a different size from that of the clones derived from BM-LAM. The presence of different EBV-fused termini in otherwise monoclonal malignant cells indicate that EBV infection was possibly a late event in lymphomagenesis following rearrangement of the c-myc and the Ig gene loci.


Toxoplasmosis is caused by a single-celled parasite called Toxoplasma gondii which is an obligate, intracellular, protozoan. T. gondii is found worldwide, being one of the most common parasites. Although these infections are usually asymptomatic, or associated with flu-like symptoms, occasionally they occur during the first few weeks following exposure. However, in infants, in HIV/AIDS patients and in other people with low immunity, the infection can cause a severe illness. Latent toxoplasmosis has been linked to several psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, personality disorders) and to suicidal behavior. In pregnant women, the infection may cause severe sequelae in the infant, including mental retardation, blindness or epilepsy. Toxoplasmosis is considered one of the most neglected parasitic infections, being declared by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) a public health problem. These infections are neglected because they receive relatively little attention for their surveillance, prevention and treatment.


: Purpose: Midazolam, given by varying routes, is widely used as a premedication. This study was performed to investigate the effect of IV midazolam premedication on the recovery characteristics from isoflurane anesthesia in pediatric patients undergoing cochlear implant surgery. Methods: In this double-blind randomized study, a total of 60 unilateral cochlear implants procedures were performed on 60 children aged 1 – 6 years. They were 29 males (48.3%) and 31 females (51.7%). Patients were randomly allocated in one of two groups (M and S). Each group included 30 participants. Patients in group M received 0.01 mg/kg IV midazolam in 2 ml of 0.9% saline, while patients in group S received equal volume of 0.9% saline, two minutes before induction. Recovery times from discontinuation of isoflurane were recorded. Postoperative pain was assessed using Objective Pain Discomfort Score (OPDS). Emergence Agitation (EA) was recorded based on Aono's four-point scale. Results: There were statistically significant differences between patients pre-medicated with IV midazolam and those of the normal saline group as regards all measured recovery parameters ( p <0.001). Patients in group M scored higher than those in Group S on the OPDS. Yet, this difference didn't show statistical significance ( p =0.438) Among patients pre-medicated with midazolam, 17 (56.6%) suffered from EA compared to 12 (40%) patients from the other group. This difference did not reach statistical significance ( p =0.196). Conclusion: Premedication with IV midazolam delayed recovery in pediatric patients undergoing moderately-long procedures when isoflurane was used as the inhalation anesthetic, while its effect on EA remains uncertain.


A methodology was developed for analysing faults in distribution transformers using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS); it consisted of organising and creating of database regarding failed equipment, incorporating such data into the processing programme and converting all the information into numerical variables to be processed, thereby obtaining descriptive statistics and enabling factor and discriminant analysis. The research was based on information provided by companies in areas served by Corpoelec (Valencia, Venezuela) and Codensa (Bogota, Colombia).


We have further developed the NIST magnetic imaging reference sample to include a magnetic pattern which can indicate the magnetic polarity of a magnetic force microscope tip. Several samples cut from the same disk were measured with a single tip. We have also measured a single transition with several tips. Both measurements have shown the variability in images taken with different tips and different instrument configuration which underscores the need for a well calibrated sample.


Motivation in software engineering is recognized as a key success factor for software projects, but although there are many papers written about motivation in software engineering, the field lacks a comprehensive overview of the area. In particular, several models of motivation have been proposed, but they either rely heavily on one particular model (the job characteristics model), or are quite disparate and difficult to combine. Using the results from our previous systematic literature review (SLR), we constructed a new model of motivation in software engineering. We then compared this new model with existing models and refined it based on this comparison. This paper summarises the SLR results, presents the important existing models found in the literature and explains the development of our new model of motivation in software engineering.


Purpose Keratoconus (KTCN) is a non-inflammatory thinning and anterior protrusion of the cornea that results in steepening and distortion of the cornea, altered refractive powers, and altered visual acuity. We ascertained eighteen autosomal dominant multigenerational KTCN families from Ecuador and identified a novel locus on 13q32.1-q32.3 in the large family KTCN-014. Here we present sequencing results of candidate keratoconus genes localized to 13q32.

Methods The keratoconus locus contains 23 known transcripts. Sixteen of the genes were chosen for the evaluation. Genes are screened by standard techniques using 48 genomic DNA samples from individuals from family KTCN-014 and selected affected and unaffected individuals from other Ecuadorian families. Coding exons and intron-exon boundaries of the genes are evaluated.

Results Sequencing analysis of genes MBNL2, FARP1, ZIC5, ZIC2, FGF14, EFNB2, RNF113B, DOCK9, PHGDHL1, VGCNL1, ERCG5 and ING1 have not revealed mutations segregated with the disease phenotype. Several novel single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified. Other candidate genes on 13q32.1-q32.3 including COL4A1 and COL4A2 are currently being screened for a possible role in the pathogenesis of KTCN.

Conclusion To date, mutation analyses of candidate genes have not identified sequence alterations segregating with the keratoconus phenotype in this population.


Background: Warfarin-treated patients with a prolonged Prothrombin Time (PT) can have a normal rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) clotting time (CT). A previous in vitro study found that activated prothrombin complex concentrates (APCC) could reverse an albumin-induced coagulopathy monitored with ROTEM, but that prothrombin complex concentrates (PCC) could not. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of ROTEM to monitor the in vitro reversal of warfarin-induced coagulopathy using APCC and to define an APCC dose response. Method: During the routine control of PT in 27 patients treated with warfarin, one extra 4.5 ml test tube of citrated whole blood was retrieved. Two concentrations of tissue factor ROTEM tissue factor (TF) activating reagents were used: a standard ROTEM ExTEM and a diluted 1:19000 concentration. The effects of two separate doses of APCC added in vitro corresponding to in vivo doses of 50 IE or 100 IE/kg were then studied on the ROTEM. Results: The ROTEM EXTEM CT was prolonged beyond the upper normal range of 68 s in patients with PT >3.0, with a correlation coefficient of 0.88 to PT. ROTEM with the ExTEM reagent alongside high and low doses of APCC resulted in a significant shortening of median CT, both compared to baseline (100 s) and after low (65 s) and high doses (57 s). This was most evident in patients with PT >2.0. ROTEM signals of clot propagation to clot formation time (CFT) and α angle had the reverse pattern. There was no effect on maximal clot strength with APCC. With the diluted TF no CT shortening was found with APCC. Conclusion: A clear dose response of APCC added in vitro to correct the effects of warfarin on ROTEM EXTEM CT was verified. ROTEM CT should be tested with non-activated PCC for in vivo reversal of warfarin in patients along with verification of a normalised PT. Further studies are needed to verify if a ROTEM CT in the lower normal range of <57-65 s, as found in our in vitro APCC-spiked warfarin blood, is safe for invasive procedures. (Less)


Sustained ocean time series are critical for characterizing marine ecosystem shifts in a time of accelerating, and at times unpredictable, changes. They represent the only means to distinguish between natural and anthropogenic forcings, and are the best tools to explore causal links and implications for human communities that depend on ocean resources. Since the inception of sustained ocean observations, ocean time series have withstood many challenges, most prominently availability of uninterrupted funding and retention of trained personnel. This OceanObs'19 review article provides an overarching vision for sustained ocean time series observations for the next decade, focusing on the growing challenges of maintaining sustained ocean time series, including ship-based and autonomous coastal and open-ocean platforms, as well as remote sensing. In addition to increased diversification of funding sources to include the private sector, NGOs, and other groups, more effective engagement of stakeholders and other end-users will be critical to ensure the sustainability of ocean time series programs. Building a cohesive international time series network will require dedicated capacity to coordinate across observing programs and leverage existing infrastructure and platforms of opportunity. This review article outlines near-term observing priorities and technology needs; explores potential mechanisms to broaden ocean time series data applications and end-user communities; and describes current tools and future requirements for managing increasingly complex multi-platform data streams and developing synthesis products that support science and society. The actionable recommendations outlined herein ultimately form the basis for a robust, sustainable, fit-for-purpose time series network that will foster a predictive understanding of changing ocean systems for the benefit of society.


Abstract. An improved inverse vegetation model has been designed to better specify both temperature and precipitation estimates from vegetation descriptions. It is based on the BIOME4 vegetation model and uses both vegetation δ13C and biome as constraints. Previous inverse models based on only one of the two proxies were already improvements over standard reconstruction methods such as the modern analog since these did not take into account some external forcings, for example CO2 concentration. This new approach makes it possible to describe a potential "isotopic niche" defined by analogy with the "climatic niche" theory. Boreal and temperate biomes simulated by BIOME4 are considered in this study. We demonstrate the impact of CO2 concentration on biome existence domains by replacing a "most likely biome" with another with increased CO2 concentration. Additionally, the climate imprint on δ13C between and within biomes is shown: the colder the biome, the lighter its potential isotopic niche; and the higher the precipitation, the lighter the δ13C. For paleoclimate purposes, previous inverse models based on either biome or δ13C did not allow informative paleoclimatic reconstructions of both precipitation and temperature. Application of the new approach to the Eemian of La Grande Pile palynological and geochemical records reduces the range in precipitation values by more than 50% reduces the range in temperatures by about 15% compared to previous inverse modeling approaches. This shows evidence of climate instabilities during Eemian period that can be correlated with independent continental and marine records.


This thesis makes a distinction between screen and surface. It proposes that an inquiry into screens includes, but is not limited to, the study of surfaces. Screens and screening practices are about doing both divisions and vision. The habit of reducing screens to the display neglects their capacity to emplace separations (think of folding screens). In this thesis an investigation of screens becomes a matter of asking how surfaces and the gaps in between them articulate alignments of people and things with displays that, in practice, always leave something out of sight. Rather than losing touch with screens by reducing them to surfaces, in other words, I am interested in alternative screen configurations. For this task I sketch an approach that touches on screens through the figures of lines, surfaces, textures, folds, knots and cuts. Lines help me to make the case for thinking about screens as alignments. I then ask what kinds of observers emerge from reducing screens to single or digital surfaces. I trace that concern with Google Glass, a pair of "smartglasses" with a transparent display. To distinguish between screen and surface I suggest, through a study of biodetection and assistance dogs, how to qualify or texture screens within webs of relations. I further outline, with snapshots of my workplace and two screens named Vig and Ben, two modes of touching or un/en/folding their locations. Finally, with knots and cuts, I underline the unfolding of self checkouts in supermarkets, and the enfolding of automated tellers outside banks. All of these reconfigurations experiment with screens by moving sideways in order to approach their displays laterally, and make visible their (ab)use by those in power. This method is a way of grasping the embodiment and the materiality of screens, while responding to the practices, agencies, and affects aligned around, through, and away from their displays.


This thesis examines the incorporation of science into public health policy/law. The key problem that the thesis tackles is the blurring of science and values arguments in the creation of policy/law. To overcome this problem, a decision-making framework is proposed that draws a distinction between arguments based on science and those based on values. The framework suggests categorising science as information obtained by adherence to the scientific method. Values, then, are those legally protected rights, freedoms and principles that do not follow scientific methodology. Examples include public health as a community value, informed consent, freedom of choice, and religious beliefs. The idea is that the acquisition of scientific knowledge through the scientific process provides the platform from which debate about values can begin. It is acknowledged that scientific methodology does not entail an absence of values, and the reality may be the separation is more of a continuum than two distinct groups. The shorthand labels (values and science) are used for functional purposes to describe the stages of the proposed framework. There are three stages to the framework. The first stage acts as a gatekeeper, preventing non-scientific components being confused with science. The second stage addresses values, particularly rights and freedoms protected by law. The third stage looks at whether a health policy option (which could involve new law) that restricts existing rights protected by law can nevertheless be justified. Examples relating to the immunisation of children are used to help describe how the framework could work when applied to a real-world public health policy issue.


– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effectiveness of one of the more widespread techniques for personnel development and training: coaching. This technique in the business context entails boosting of a manager's capabilities so as to improve business results through a combination of experience, knowledge, support and the motivation provided by advisers who specialize in business management., – To analyze the effectiveness of this innovative technique, the authors examined a sample of 40 small companies located in Ceuta (an autonomous Spanish city in North Africa) using a Wilcoxon‐Mann‐Whitney test. Participants were divided into two groups; in one group, an individualized audit process was conducted to obtain an actual picture of managerial practices (focusing on needs and corrective measures). In the other group, an advising process also complemented a coaching phase that was implemented to facilitate employee adoption of the proposed measures. Ultimately, differences between these two groups were found., – Results indicate that coaching substantially increases the level to which processes of improvement are established within organizations, consequently increasing the competitive capability., – The findings highlight the potential benefits of the use of coaching in the business context. Coaching facilitates the implementation of a set of improvement measures designed to increase business competitiveness, suggesting that this type of advising stands to be very beneficial for companies., – Practices that lead to the development of human capital in organizations are basic tools for managers that are becoming increasingly essential for achieving business efficiency and strategic change. The paper analyzes the implementation of coaching in the business arena, specifically in the case of managers, which is a novelty given the dearth of empirical research on coaching. Thus, the results of the paper provide the wider academic community with empirical evidence on how coaching is a profitable practice for improving human resource management.


The deactivation and regeneration of a 6 % CrOx/alumina catalyst and a 3.5 % VOx/alumina catalyst has been studied after use in butane dehydrogenation at 873 K. Both catalysts deactivate due to carbonaceous deposits and with both catalysts the isomerisation reaction from 1-butene to cis and trans-2-butene is poisoned more effectively than the dehydrogenation reaction. The chromia catalyst deactivates three times faster than the vanadia system but the total amount of carbon deposited is similar indicating that the nature of the deposit on the chromia system is much more deleterious. The vanadia catalyst can be regenerated at room temperature in a flow of oxygen by removal of reaction intermediates, which desorb as butane, butene and butadiene. Over 75 % of the activity can be retrieved and by 1 hour on stream no difference can be discerned, whereas no significant desorption is detected from the chromia catalyst at room temperature and no regeneration is observed. TPO of both systems show different profiles with the deposit on the chromia catalyst more resistant to oxidation, which suggests a more dehydrogenated or more graphitic type material, which would be in keeping with the faster deactivation. After regeneration at 873 K the chromia catalyst recovers all its activity, whereas even after 873 K regeneration the vanadia catalyst does not recover all its activity. This is likely due to a change in structure and electronic properties of the polyvanadate species.


Wolff–Kishner reductions are performed in a novel silicon carbide microreactor. Greatly reduced reaction times and safer operation are achieved, giving high yields without requiring a large excess of hydrazine. The corrosion resistance of silicon carbide avoids the problematic reactor compatibility issues that arise when Wolff–Kishner reductions are done in glass or stainless steel reactors. With only nitrogen gas and water as by-products, this opens the possibility of performing selective, large scale ketone reductions without the generation of hazardous waste streams.


Snow avalanches affect transportation corridors and settlements worldwide. In many mountainous regions, robust records of avalanche frequency and magnitude are sparse or non-existent. However, dendrochronological methods can be used to fill this gap and infer historical avalanche patterns. In this study, we developed a tree-ring-based avalanche chronology for large magnitude avalanche events (size ≥∼D3) using dendrochronological techniques for a portion of the US northern Rocky Mountains. We used a strategic sampling design to examine avalanche activity through time and across nested spatial scales (i.e., from individual paths, four distinct subregions, and the region). We analyzed 673 samples in total from 647 suitable trees collected from 12 avalanche paths from which 2134 growth disturbances were identified over the years 1636 to 2017 CE. Using existing indexing approaches, we developed a regional avalanche activity index to discriminate avalanche events from noise in the tree-ring record. Large magnitude avalanches, common across the region, occurred in 30 individual years and exhibited a median return interval of approximately 3 years (mean= 5.21 years). The median large magnitude avalanche return interval (3–8 years) and the total number of avalanche years (12–18) varies throughout the four subregions, suggesting the important influence of local terrain and weather factors. We tested subsampling routines for regional representation, finding that sampling 8 random paths out of a total of 12 avalanche paths in the region captures up to 83 % of the regional chronology, whereas four paths capture only 43 % to 73 %. The greatest value probability of detection for any given path in our dataset is 40 %, suggesting that sampling a single path would capture no more than 40 % of the regional avalanche activity. Results emphasize the importance of sample size, scale, and spatial extent when attempting to derive a regional large magnitude avalanche event chronology from tree-ring records.


This paper proposes a frame queuing algorithm to improve scalability and manageability for the quality of service (QoS) guaranteed wireless LAN (WLAN) access point (AP) using a simple mechanism. The IEEE 802.11e standard can be used as QoS-guarantee technology in the existing WLAN communication. However, if a lot of terminals access the same AP such as in a public WLAN access environment, an AP that supports the IEEE 802.11e standard cannot provide adequate QoS-guaranteed communication. This is because the AP's capability depends on the allocated communication time of wireless channels per unit of time, and the allocated time is determined by the WLAN's physical data speed and the frame size of the service application. So we propose a frame queuing algorithm considering these features of WLAN's commutation and apply it to the 802.11e standard. And we evaluate it by the computer simulation and confirm its advantage.


The effects of 3 wk of near normoglycemia by continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) on plasma immunoreactive somatostatin (IRS) responses to arginine (0.5 g · kg−1 · 30 min−1) in seven patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) were compared with the same patients in poor glycemic control during conventional insulin therapy (CIT) and with seven normal controls. After 3 wk of CSII treatment, mean daily blood glucose and HhA1 decreased to mean (±SE) values of 129 ± 6 mg/dl and 8.0 ± 0.1%, respectively. Plasma free-insulin levels in IDDM patients 30 min before a meal during CSII were significantly higher than those during CIT or in normal controls. Fasting mean plasma IRS levels of the IDDM patients during CSII (7.3 ±1.4 pg/ml) were not different from those during CIT (8.4 ± 1.3 pg/ml) and in normal controls (5.9 ± 0.8 pg/ml). Arginine elicited a rise in plasma IRS during CIT in all seven IDDM patients during CIT and in the normal controls, with peak values of 18.2 ± 4 . 1 and 12.5 ± 1.8 pg/ml, respectively. However, no significant increase in plasma IRS was observed in all seven IDDM patients during CSII. The integrated values of plasma IRS during the arginine-infusion study of the IDDM patients treated with CIT were significantly higher than those of the normal controls. The increased integrated values of plasma immunoreactive glucagon response to arginine observed during CIT became normalized after CSII. These results suggest that glycemic control with CSII in IDDM patients suppresses the increased plasma IRS response to arginine that occurs during CIT. The persistent hyperinsulinemia may be related to the suppressed plasma IRS response observed in IDDM patients during CSII.


The objective of work package 463 was to test the implementation of the WQ assessment Scheme on regular broiler farms. We assessed the perception and attitudes of farmers towards animal welfare and on-farm assessment, the experience and evaluation of the assessment itself and the relevance and applicability of the results. at the same time animal scientists assessed the welfare of the animals by WQ monitoring instruments. In addition they scored foot pad lesions at the slaughterhouse by way of video imaging. Both studies proceeded in parallel; farmers told, hence, about their real-life experience. It is to be noted that the WQ monitoring instruments were not at their final state, and experiences and comments of the farmers are to be interpreted as reflection and discussion on work in progress.

A team of sociologists carried out the study on farmers' experiences, perception and attitude whereas the assessment of animal welfare was done by animal scientists. the study took place in three countries – Netherlands, Italy and the UK.

We choose to focus on broilers for two main reasons. First of all the production cycle of broilers is relatively short and so it is possible to assess the welfare of different flocks within a short time-span and to check more easily any improvement of animal welfare as a result of farmers' interventions. a second reason for focusing on broilers is that it allows us to link this project to another project where a new way of checking for foot-pad lesions is developed. this is, moreover, a relatively easy manner of checking animal welfare that allows us to lower the burden of three on-farm assessments considerably.

In the following we report on the results of the welfare assessment (Part I) and the interviews with farmers about their perception and experience of animal welfare and the welfare assessment (Part II). In both parts we compare the results across the participating countries (Netherlands, Italy and United Kingdom). More in detail information on the national results of welfare assessment and interviews with farmers can be found in the deliverables 4.31.a (farmers' interviews) and D4.31b (assessment results). as appendixes, we provide the technical and sociological questionnaires and the assessment reports that were sent to the farmers in the different countries.

Bettina B. Bock Ingrid de Jong


The use of embedded solid-state heat extractors to increase the power densities in power electronic modules seems promising. Cross-sectional geometric optimization was done on heat extraction insert and it was found that the most suitable heat extraction configuration for the dimensional range applicable in power electronics is the use of flat continuous heat extraction layers aiding in conducting heat to externally mounted heat sinks. Theoretically expected thermal enhancement factors were determined and experimentally verified. The adverse influence of interfacial thermal resistances on the effectiveness of heat extraction inserts was also evaluated.


The T-34C Airplane has been the primary trainer aircraft of the United States Navy for more than twenty-five years and is reaching the end of its service life. The Navy has delayed the procurement of the replacement T-6A Texan II aircraft for five years, yet does not expect the future training requirements to diminish. This delay in T-6A procurement along with recent observed increases in primary trainer aircraft usage have resulted in the need for the Navy to pay considerable attention to the remaining service life of the T-34C aircraft. This thesis will discuss the methodology used to determine future primary trainer aircraft requirements and projected aircraft availability. With analysis of these results it is the author's opinion that there will be a projected shortage of over 60 primary trainer aircraft in the coming years. In order to alleviate that shortfall a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) is recommended for the T-34C aircraft. In support of a SLEP for the T-34C aircraft it is recommended that the main wing spars and carry through structure be replaced instead of conducting a time consuming and costly Damage Tolerance Analysis (DTA) on those components. Replacement of these parts and an increased inspection interval on other airframe components on sixty-three aircraft will alleviate the projected shortfall until the T-6A is delivered in sufficient numbers to maintain the primary training requirement of our future Naval Aviators.


Recently, the resources of renewable energy have been in intensive use due to their environmental and technical merits. The identification of unknown parameters in photovoltaic (PV) models is one of the main issues in simulation and modeling of renewable energy sources. Due to the random behavior of weather, the change in output current from a PV model is nonlinear. In this regard, a new optimization algorithm called Runge–Kutta optimizer (RUN) is applied for estimating the parameters of three PV models. The RUN algorithm is applied for the R.T.C France solar cell, as a case study. Moreover, the root mean square error (RMSE) between the calculated and measured current is used as the objective function for identifying solar cell parameters. The proposed RUN algorithm is superior compared with the Hunger Games Search (HGS) algorithm, the Chameleon Swarm Algorithm (CSA), the Tunicate Swarm Algorithm (TSA), Harris Hawk's Optimization (HHO), the Sine–Cosine Algorithm (SCA) and the Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO) algorithm. Three solar cell models—single diode, double diode and triple diode solar cell models (SDSCM, DDSCM and TDSCM)—are applied to check the performance of the RUN algorithm to extract the parameters. the best RMSE from the RUN algorithm is 0.00098624, 0.00098717 and 0.000989133 for SDSCM, DDSCM and TDSCM, respectively.


The commercial production of bumble bee colonies is a multi-million dollar business worldwide. The pollination of greenhouse tomatoes is largely dependent on this industry. However, microparasites are prevalent in many of these colonies and can spread to wild populations of bumble bees. Academic researchers now commonly purchase colonies for their work. I believe that this raises some questions: (a) What is the danger of exacerbat‐ ing the problem of spread of parasites and pathogens to wild population of bumble bees from field studies using purchased colonies? (b) How representative studies are done on only a few species, for example, B. terrestris, B. impatiens? (c) Does the purchase and use of these colonies give tacit approval to the industry, which may be having a detrimental effect on the native populations of bumble bees? This is an ethical issue. (d) Loss of "feeling for the organism" by researchers and particularly graduate students. These issues were discussed, and the classical method of bumble bee rearing which avoids these problems was described.


The tension between focusing on species similarities versus species differences (phylogenetic versus adaptationist approaches) recurs in discussions about the nature of neural connectivity and organization following brain expansion. Whereas Striedter suggests a primary role for response inhibition, other possibilities include dense recurrent connectivity loops. Computer simulations and brain imaging technologies are crucial in better understanding actual neuronal connectivity patterns.


Purpose of review The formation of a hierarchical vascular network is a complex process that requires precise temporal and spatial integration of several signaling pathways. Amongst those, Notch has emerged as a key regulator of multiple steps that expand from endothelial sprouting to arterial specification and remains relevant in the adult. This review aims to summarize major concepts and rising hypotheses on the role of Notch signaling in the endothelium. Recent findings A wealth of new information has helped to clarify how Notch signaling cooperates with other pathways to orchestrate vascular morphogenesis, branching, and function. Endothelial vascular endothelial growth factor, C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 2 have been highlighted as key regulators of the pathway. Furthermore, blood flow forces during vascular development induce Notch1 signaling to suppress endothelial cell proliferation, enhance barrier function, and promote arterial specification. Importantly, Notch1 has been recently recognized as an endothelial mechanosensor that is highly responsive to the level of shear stress to enable differential Notch activation in distinct regions of the vessel wall and suppress inflammation. Summary Although it is well accepted that the Notch signaling pathway is essential for vascular morphogenesis, its contributions to the homeostasis of adult endothelium were uncovered only recently. Furthermore, its exquisite regulation by flow and impressive interface with multiple signaling pathways indicates that Notch is at the center of a highly interactive web that integrates both physical and chemical signals to ensure vascular stability.


The development of information technology and devices has made it easier for everyone to take and share videos and photos, and many number of information has become available in the world. For example, when learning how to play a musical instrument, a game, or a household appliance, they can effectively understand it from videos and images on YouTube or Instagram, instead of reading an instruction manual or a reference book. Whereas the piano is difficult to practice efficiently because repetition and reading music are said to be the two most important elements needed to acquire the skill. Therefore, continuous practice is essential, but many people give up halfway. Focusing on reading music, we have to process multiple pieces of information on the score simultaneously in a short period of time while playing the piano. However, for beginners, it's difficult to keep reading the necessary information from a score where information is concentrated in many symbols at the tempo of the performance. This research examines how to make it easier for beginners to recognize and remember information about music notation and how to use the information obtained more naturally. To this end, we clarified the process by which beginners learn and recognize information about musical notation in piano learning activities and clarified the characteristics that are expressed when they perform using the recognized knowledge.Firstly, we investigated whether learners would get support in an application whose purpose was to support reading practice. We found that the support could be categorized into three types, and that learning about pitch, rhythm, and keyboard position was important for beginners. To clarify the differences in these learning procedures depending on the level of proficiency, we conducted behavioral observations of beginners and experienced pianists practicing reading music, summarized their behavioral procedures into ordinal data, and conducted a Dematel analysis. As a result, we're able to classify the level of proficiency into three levels: beginners (subjects with no piano experience), experienced (subjects with less than one year of piano study), and proficient (subjects with more than seven years of piano study). Based on the results of the questionnaire and interviews, we're able to discover common issues such as beginners (1) not being able to practice smoothly because they couldn't establish a procedure, (2) taking a long time to read the pitch of notes from the score, and (3) finding it difficult to read the rhythm from the score. From the above research, we examined new information display methods and innovations for the three types of information in music notation: pitch, rhythm, and sequence. In the case of pitch, it's thought that information can be recognized efficiently by using the properties of color. For rhythm, we extracted information from the score and organized it in a new way, which reduced the error rate and led to more efficient practice. Also, with the information organized, even beginners were able to efficiently find the regularities and similarities in the score, which led to smooth read music.


In this paper, a general H 1 problem for continuous time, linear time invariant systems is formulated and solved in a behavioral framework. This general formulation, which includes standard H 1 optimization as a special case, provides added freedom in the design of sub-optimal compensators, and can in fact be viewed as a means of designing optimal systems. In particular, the formulation presented allows for singular interconnections, which naturally occur when interconnecting rst principles models.


The interchange process on a finite graph is obtained by placing a particle on each vertex of the graph, then at rate 1, selecting an edge uniformly at random and swapping the two particles at either end of this edge. In this paper we develop new techniques to show the existence of a phase transition of the interchange process on the 2-dimensional Hamming graph. We show that in the subcritical phase, all of the cycles of the process have length $O(\log n)$, whereas in the supercritical phase a positive density of vertices lie in cycles of length at least $n^{2-\varepsilon}$ for any $\varepsilon>0$.


We introduce a chip-compatible scheme for the label-free detection of proteins in real-time that is based on the electrically driven conformation switching of DNA oligonucleotides on metal surfaces. The switching behavior is a sensitive indicator for the specific recognition of IgG antibodies and antibody fragments, which can be detected in quantities of less than 10(-18) mol on the sensor surface. Moreover, we show how the dynamics of the induced molecular motion can be monitored by measuring the high-frequency switching response. When proteins bind to the layer, the increase in hydrodynamic drag slows the switching dynamics, which allows us to determine the size of the captured proteins. We demonstrate the identification of different antibody fragments by means of their kinetic fingerprint. The switchDNA method represents a generic approach to simultaneously detect and size target molecules using a single analytical platform.


Global extinction of a species is sadly irreversible. At a local scale, however, extinctions may be followed by re-invasion. We here show that this is not necessarily the case and that an ecological community may close its doors for re-invasion of species lost from it. Previous studies of how communities are assembled have shown that there may be rules for that process and that limitations are set to the order by which species are introduced and put together. Instead of focusing on the assembly process we randomly generated simple competitive model communities that were stable and allowed for two to 10 coexisting species. When a randomly selected single species was removed from the community, the cascading species loss was recorded and frequently the resulting community was more than halved. Cascading extinctions have previously been recorded, but we here show that the relative magnitude of the cascade is dependent on community size land not only trophic structure) and that the reintroduction of the original species lost often is impossible. Hence, species loss does not simply leave a void potentially refilled, bur: permanently alters the entire community structure and consequently the adaptive landscape for potential re-invaders.


Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) have become viable and valuable for their wide variety of novel applications, such as safety of road, content sharing of multimedia, commerce on wheels, etc, using advanced wireless technologies. Distribution of multi-hop information in VANETs is constrained by the high mobility of vehicles and the frequent disconnections. Geographic routing do not require route maintenance and route construction phases hence they are widely adopted for VANETs. With connectivity awareness, they perform well in terms of reliable delivery. Flooding is use in some protocols to obtain destination position. Further in case of regions like sparse and void regions, upraise hop count by frequent use of the recovery strategy. Some geographic routing protocols adopt the minimum weighted algorithm depending on distance or connectivity to select intermediate intersections. However, the path with higher connectivity or the shortest path may include numerous intermediate intersections. Therefore, these protocols yield routing paths with higher hop count. In this paper, we propose a distance based greedy routing and hop greedy routing scheme that yields a routing path with the minimum number of intermediate intersection nodes while taking connectivity into consideration. Moreover, back-bone nodes are introduced that play a key role in providing connectivity status around an intersection. Also the back-bone nodes allow packet to be forwarded in the changed direction by tracking the movement of source as well as destination. Distance based greedy routing overcomes the limitations of a Hop Greedy Routing algorithms. In this paper we have considered design and implementation of routing algorithms that will provide maximum packet delivery ratio and minimum end to end delay.


Implicit in the materials for this conference is the assumption that any gap that exists between men and women in the workplace (at least if the gap seems to disfavor women) should be eliminated. The question is asked, "how can this gap be explained and rectified?," implying that "rectification" should follow irrespective of how the gap is explained. There are many statistical disparities between the sexes in our world, but only some become the subject of widespread concern. Ones that are perceived as favoring men are labeled "gaps," while those that favor women are simply facts. Outside the workplace, men are arguably disadvantaged in a variety of arenas, whether in terms of health and longevity, crime and violence, domestic relations, or education. In the workplace, men are far more likely than women to be killed and to work long hours. None of these disparities is generally viewed as a "gap" deserving of intervention, however. Men earn a disproportionate number of Ph.Ds in some fields, while women earn a disproportionate number in others. Only the former set of disparities, however, is typically viewed as a "gap." Many of the statistical disparities between the sexes in the workplace are a consequence of average sex differences in the choices that men and women make about education, the workplace, and the family. Many of these choices are products, in part, of biologically influenced sex differences in talents, temperament, and tastes (all of which appear to be influenced by testosterone), and they all involve trade-offs.