Three Essays on Relationship between the Public Sector and Population Migration Robert R. Dunn This dissertation is a collection of papers examining the consequences and determinants of population migration at the state and county level. The first chapter introduces the importance of domestic migration in the United States and briefly presents the issues that are covered in this work. The second chapter focuses on the possibility that state outmigration could result in reduced support of public higher education. Some authors have hypothesized that forwardlooking state legislators respond to outmigration of certain age groups by reducing appropriations to higher education. In the empirical model, outmigration is disaggregated into six age groups to examine varying effects of migration on public finances over the life-cycle. The third chapter shifts focus to consider environmental contamination as a determinant of county migration flows. While a number of location-specific amenities have been considered in the migration literature, a rigorous examination of the effects of environmental degradation is absent. The spatial autoregressive model is utilized to account for spatial dependence in the measurements of inmigration, outmigration, and net migration disaggregated by poverty status. The results show that toxic chemical releases reduce the rate of inmigration and net migration for the poor and nonpoor. Hazardous air pollutant emissions are then introduced to the model and are associated with a decreased rate of inmigration and outmigration for the poor and nonpoor. The fourth chapter is an extension of the third and considers the effects of air pollution and air quality on county migration flows. Substantial differences could exist between migrant responses to the measures of contamination in the third chapter and the air quality measures used in this chapter. Air pollution is strictly regulated and air quality information is widely available. The estimates show that increased air pollutant emissions reduce nonpoor inmigration, outmigration, and net migration and poor inmigration and outmigration. The effects of nonattainment designation for exceeding allowable ambient concentrations are more pronounced. The results are confirmed when alternate measures of emissions and air quality are employed. The fifth chapter concludes and discusses future extensions.


It is widely recognized that the software community could make patterns an even more effective tool in problem solving. However, a major obstacle is organizing the system of concepts embodied in patterns from a point of view of a designer faced with design decision-making: the need to navigate spaces of problems and solutions presented in each pattern and their catalogs and the need to track the choices made. This paper proposes a knowledge representation schema based on generative modeling techniques that make explicit what is in design patterns, as well as how navigation and recording of design choices can be performed with the help


This paper presents the development of a solar cell inspection manufacturing execution system (MES). The main objective of the MES is to detect micro cracks in the manufacturing process of solar cells. Hence, to accept or reject a solar cell during the assembling unit. The proposed MES consists of three stages, at first stage, the inspection system will be placed on the manufacturing process of the solar cell. After the solar cell has been manufactured, it will pass under an in-line electroluminescent (EL) system. At this stage, an OR operation between a healthy/no-crack and the inspected solar cell image will be obtained. This OR operation will generate a better calibration for the cracks in the photovoltaic solar cell image. The final calibrated image presents a high quality, and low noise structure, thus easier to identify the micro cracks size, location, and orientation. The last stage evaluates the calibrated image using the plot profile which is well known as the distance in pixels versus the gray level of the image. The plot profile will indicate whether to accept or reject the solar cell, 10% confidence interval for the gray level was used to identify the upper and lower detection limits.


Looking at a large branching population we determine along which path the population that started at 1 at time 0 ended up inB at timeN . The result describes the density process, that is, population numbers divided by the initial number K (where K is assumed to be large). The model considered is that of a Galton–Watson process. It is found that in some cases population paths exhibit the strange feature that population numbers go down and then increase. This phenomenon requires further investigation. The technique uses large deviations, and the rate function based on Cramer's theorem is given. It also involves analysis of existence of solutions of a certain algebraic equation.


The study investigated the effect of a series of Ca–Mg and a commercial grade MgFeSi graphite nodularizers, Fe75Si, and NiFeSi inoculants on the nodular characteristics (particle size, excursion ratio, degree of sphroidization, nodule count, and shape factor/nodularity) of ductile cast irons produced using a 100 kg diesel fired rotary furnace. This was with a view to controlling the volatile and fading effects of magnesium as a graphite nodularizer in the cast iron melt. Heats of the rotary furnace melts were pre-desulphurized with a pre-determined amount of CaC2:Fe45%Si in ratio 3:1. Subsequently, each melt was treated with different ratios of Ca–Mg based master alloys and the cast irons produced were compared with a commercial grade MgFeSi treated cast iron produced under the same conditions. Post-treatment inoculation in each case was carried out using Fe-75-Si. Microstructural characterization was carried out to determine the graphite nodularity and distribution characteristics. The results showed that the cast iron treated with 1:4 ratio of Ca:Mg combination master alloy yielded the optimum graphite nodularity with ASTM type 1 graphite nodule features, which are comparable to cast irons produced using the commercial grade MgFeSi nodularizer.


I contribute to our understanding of black–white inequality in the United States by assessing the legacy of "sundown towns." Sundown towns are places that restricted who could live there based on ideas about race. The often-violent tactics employed to create and maintain all-white spaces reshaped dramatically the demographic and social landscape of the non-South. I extend previous research on sundown towns by examining their association with contemporary black–white economic inequality. In addition, I advance a new theoretical perspective to explain how the history associated with sundown towns contributes to contemporary inequality, namely large-scale segregation. To assess the contemporary impact of sundown history, I employ a dataset on places connected to sundown towns in the eastern Midwest and county data from the 2008–2012 American Community Survey (ACS) period estimates. In addition, I use standard ordinary least squares (OLS) and spatial data analysis techniques to provide a multifaceted assessment of the contribution of sundown towns to contemporary black–white inequality. This analysis extends our understanding of the social impact of historical legacies and emphasizes the importance of the protection of white advantage and large-scale segregation when explaining the (re)production of black–white inequality in the United States.


Analyze cytokine production in household contacts of leprosy, paucibacillary (CPB) and multibacillary (CMB) after one year of follow-up. Eighty-three individuals attended the second evaluation. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of the subjects were stimulated with Mycobacteriu leprae, PHA and cytokines were assessed by ELISA and Cytometry. The results showed significant correlation between TNF-α and age of the CMB in unstimulated PBMC culture. Grouping these individuals is ≤ 20 and ≥ 21 years it was observed that ≥ 21 years had higher levels of TNF-α. It was found higher levels of IL-10 in female CPB ≤ 20 years in cultures stimulated with M. leprae. CMB showed a higher frequency of TCD8+IL-10+ cells stimulated in culture with M. leprae when compared with CPB. It was found that CMB whose index case had a treatment time ≤ 2 years, showed a higher frequency of TCD8+IL-10+ cells stimulated in culture with M. leprae when compared with CPB. It was found that female's ≥ 21 years of CMB showed a higher frequency of TCD4+IL-4+ cells in culture without stimulation than female ≤ 20 years. In conclusion, CMB displays a modulatory response with increased IL-10; in contrast, CPB shows a pro-inflammatory response with high levels of IFN-γ and TNFα.


The objective of this study was to describe the kinetics of orally administered sugar probes in serum for the assessment of gastrointestinal permeability and intestinal absorptive capacity in dogs. Eight healthy dogs received lactulose (L), rhamnose (R), methylglucose (M), xylose (X), and sucrose (S) by orogastric intubation. Baseline blood samples and subsequently timed blood samples were taken during 24 hours. Sugars were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Statistical analysis was performed using a Friedman test with Dunn's multiple comparison post test and a Kruskal-Wallis test. Statistical significance was set at a P-value < 0.05. Sugars in serum were detected after orogastric administration. Concentrations of L and R were significantly different from the baseline from 90 to 240 and 60 to 300 min, respectively, and those of X, M, and S were different from 30 to 240 min post-dosing (P < 0.05 for all 5 probes). Maximum concentrations of L and R were obtained at 180 min, while X, M, and S reached their maximum concentrations at 90 min post-dosing. For all sugars, no statistically significant differences were found between concentrations at 90, 120, and 180 min or between the coefficients of variation (CV%) of those mean concentrations for these 3 time points. Based on these data, the collection of 2 blood samples, one taken at baseline and the other obtained between 90 and 180 minutes after dosing, might be sufficient for the determination of gastrointestinal permeability and mucosal absorptive capacity using these 5 sugar probes in canine serum.


Although Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and services are being developed rapidly worldwide, concerns of potential security threats such as privacy violation, information leak, and hacking are increasing as more various sensors are connected to the Internet. There is a need for the study of introducing risk management and existing security management standard (e.g., ISO27001) to ensure the stability and reliability of IoT services. K-ISMS is a representative certification system that evaluates the security management level of the enterprise in Korea and is possible to apply as a standardized process to enhance the security management of IoT services. However, there are growing concerns about the quality deterioration of the K-ISMS certification assessment these days because of internet security incidents occurring frequently in K-ISMS certified enterprises. Therefore, various researches are required to improve the accuracy and objectivity of the certification assessment. Since existing studies mainly focus on simple statistical analysis of the K-ISMS assessment results, analysis on the cause of certification assessment fault based on past data analysis is insufficient. As a method of managing the certification inspection quality, in this paper, we analyze the association among the fault items of the K-ISMS certification assessment results using association rule mining which involves identifying an association rule among items in the database.


A study has been carried out on the grain size distribution of cylindrical compacts obtained by consolidation of iron powder severely deformed by mechanical milling. Consolidation has been performed in two consecutive steps: cold and hot conditions. The hot one was done at two temperatures, namely 425 and 475°C. After milling, the iron powder has a grain size of 8 nm (± 4 nm) with an average hardness of 800 HV. After hot compaction the grain size increases up to 50 nm, especially at 475°C where a small fraction of grains reach larger values than the average. The grain size was evaluated by two different techniques, X-Ray Diffraction and Transmission Electron Microscopy. Results showed some differences between both methods. The advantage of using TEM is that grain size distribution, and not only the average size, can be obtained. Small discs were also obtained from the compacted specimen in order to fracture them on a "ball on three balls" equipment. The fracture behaviour of the samples was then studied by SEM.


There is a huge demand for mud crab ( Scylla serrata ) in overseas markets. The mud crabs available to the market are mainly wild caught crabs and cage fattened crabs. Crab fattening is used to fatten the thin crab or post molt crab to fill up their meat in a shorter period. In the present study, lipid levels and fatty acid profiles of wild caught and fattened mud crabs at the harvested stage as well as at the stocking and harvesting stages of the fattening process were analyzed using gas chromatography. The total lipid content of wild caught (fattened) S. serrata (0.65±0.1%) was significantly higher than that of cage fattened individuals (0.56±1%). Polyunsaturated fatty acids were the predominant group of fatty acids found in S. serrata (39%-43%) and Oleic acid (C 18:1 n-9) was the most abundant fatty acid (16%-21%). Oleic acid (C 18:1 n-9), Gondoic acid (C 20:1), Eicosapentaenoic acid (C20: 5 n-3), Docosatetraenoic acid (C22: 4 n-6) and Docosahexanoic acid (C22: 6 n-3) contents varied significantly between crabs at stocking and harvested stages of fattening process. The contents of Oleic acid (C 18:1 n-9), Gondoic acid (C 20:1) and Docosatetraenoic acid (C 22:4 n-6) were significantly different in wild caught crabs in comparison to fattened crabs. The differences in fatty acid composition among wild caught crabs (fattened stage) and cage fattened crabs (fattened stage) might be a reason for flavour difference between the two types. DOI: 10.4038/sljas.v14i0.2201 Sri Lanka J. Aquat. Sci. 14 (2009): 75-85


ABSTRACT Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain CH, the index isolate linked to a major tuberculosis outbreak associated with high levels of transmissibility and virulence, was characterized by microarray analysis by use of a PCR product array representative of the genome of M. tuberculosis strain H37Rv. Seven potential genomic deletions were identified in CH, five of which were confirmed by PCR analysis across the predicted deletion points. The panel of five PCRs required to individually interrogate these loci was collectively referred to as the genome level-informed PCR (GLIP) assay. GLIP analysis was performed with CH, 12 other epidemiologically linked isolates, and 43 recent, non-outbreak-associated isolates derived from patients within the local area. All 13 outbreak-linked isolates showed a profile corresponding to the presence of all five deletions. These 13 isolates were also found to share common variable-number tandem repeat and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit profiles. None of the 43 non-outbreak-associated isolates exhibited the five-deletion profile. Although three individual deletions were present in upwards of 44% of the non-outbreak-associated isolates, no single-deletion isolates were detected. Interestingly, none of these deletions had been previously recognized, and sequence analysis of the immediate flanking regions in CH failed to identify a likely mechanism of deletion for four of the five loci. The GLIP assay also proved valuable in ongoing surveillance of the outbreak, rapidly identifying a further two outbreak-associated cases months after the initial cluster and, importantly, dismissing a further 12 epidemiologically suspect cases, which allowed the optimum deployment of public health resources.


We investigated optimum choices of beam and accelerator parameters for low-charge beams of self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) free-electron laser (FEL) at PAL. The FEL system is designed to provide a short pulse beam to generate the high power of the wavelength of 1-Å in the undulator. The designed linac provides the pulses of 10 fs rms and 3.85 fs rms for the charges of 0.2 nC and 0.02 nC, respectively. Parameters of the two-stage bunch compressors are optimized to reduce the effects of coherent synchrotron radiation. The bunch compressors are also designed such that the effects of nonlinearities due to wakefields, rf curvature, and second-order momentum compaction become as small as possible in the linear accelerator. Through these parameter optimizations, we have minimized the bunch charges that could decrease effects of emittance dilution and growth of energy spread, which may deteriorate the SASE performance. Start-to-end tracking simulations include the longitudinal and transverse wakefields, and the effects of errors such as rf gun timing, rf phase, and rf voltage are investigated. We investigated the effectiveness of a laser heater that may give Landau damping to suppress the microbunching beam instability. It is shown that a laser heater may suppress the microbunching beam instability in the FEL system. We also investigated the effects of the ac and dc resistive wall wakefields in a long undulator. It is shown that energy variations induced within the bunch over the length of the undulator are acceptable. As a result, through these optimizations studies, we could get beam parameters and accelerator parameters that can provide the FEL power of the 60 GW with FEL pulse of 10 fs and 3 fs in the wavelength of 1-Å in around a 50-m-long undulator for the charges of 0.2 nC and 0.02 nC, respectively. It is shown by our optimizations that our designed FEL system shows required performances for the low-charge beams in the 10 GeV.


The relative importance of clinical findings is age-related. While instability is the key criterion in the neonatal phase, inhibition of abduction is of decisive importance as of the second month of life. However, the correct diagnosis can only be reached on the basis of a synopsis of all historical and clinical signs. Such signs are not sufficient to rule out disorders of hip maturation or to detect them beyond doubt, and above all early. Early diagnosis can only be improved by general sonographic screening of newborns. Clinical examination continues to be indispensable for differential diagnosis and for the introduction and performance of therapy tailored to the individual case.


The rapid development of wireless technologies has led to the emergence of new types of highly dynamic networks with centralized and decentralized architectures. Vehicular networks (VANETs) technology is one of those networks. The communication between vehicles will lead to more efficient and secured roads by providing information about traffic and road conditions to vehicle drivers. In order to protect vehicle passengers and drivers, these networks need a secure infrastructure to prevent malicious behavior from happening. This paper proposes a strong reputation system based on a Bayesian statistical filter to detect malicious nodes which drop packets selectively or completely in VANETs. The proposed approach allows vehicles to interact in order to detect the malicious one, give it a bad reputation and exclude it from the network.


The superplasticity of LY12 alloy was reviewed in this paper. Complex component was extruded by taking advantage of the superplasticity of supplied LY12 alloy. The research demonstrates that in isothermal compression process dynamic recrystallization may occur in supplied LY12 alloy. In superplastic forming test grain refinement was combined with initial extrusion step utilizing dynamic recrystallization to complete grain refinement, which ensured the superplasticity in supplied LY12. In the early stage of extrusion, using high deformation speed and large amount of deformation can result in grain refinement, which primarily satisfied the demand of the superplasticity. In the final stage, the forming speed decreased sharply so that the optimum strain rate was satisfied and the complicated component can be extruded successfully. The resulted product has reasonable flowing traces, which improves its service performance.


Purkinje cells are uniquely susceptible to a number of physical, chemical, and genetic insults both during development and in the mature state. We have previously shown that when the postmitotic state of murine Purkinje cells is altered by inactivation of the retinoblastoma tumor susceptibility protein (pRb), immature as well as mature Purkinje cells undergo apoptosis. DNA synthesis and neuronal loss are induced in postmitotic Purkinje cells dependent upon the pRb-binding portion of SV40 large T antigen (T-ag). In the present study, Purkinje cell targeting of a mutant T-ag, PVU, which does not bind pRb, reveals disparate cerebellar phenotypes dependent upon temporal differences in transgene expression. Strong embryonic and postnatal transgene expression in three lines alters Purkinje cell development and function during the second postnatal week, causing ataxia without Purkinje cell loss. In contrast, two other transgenic lines reveal that PVU T-ag expression following normal Purkinje cell maturation causes rapid Purkinje cell degeneration. The second and third postnatal weeks of cerebellar development, which include the major period of synaptogenesis, appear to be the defining stage for the two PVU-induced phenotypes. These data indicate that Purkinje cell death susceptibility varies with developmental stage.


Relational trust is defined by Bryk and Schneider as the "connective tissue that binds individuals together to advance the education and welfare of students" (2003, p.44). It is the Professional Leader's role to consciously look for ways to cultivate closeness within the team, as it is this trusting relationship with each other that provides the impetus for teachers to strive for optimal performance individually and collectively (Bloom, 2003). The aim of this research was to discover what leadership conceptual understandings and practices would help strengthen the relational trust between a Professional Leader and the team. This research took form of a case study within an interpretive paradigm. Data were collected from four different sources – two online surveys, professional conversations, four observations and anecdotes from a personal journal. Findings revealed five key attributes that were important for a Professional Leader to have in order to strengthen their relational trust with the team. These are: communication, active listening, availability/approachability, accountability and consistency. Several recommendations for three stakeholders arise from this study – for centre owners/managers, for the Ministry of Education and the Education Council, and finally, for researchers.


Stormwater runoff is a leading cause of water quality degradation in many urban waterways and receiving waters. In addition, rapid urbanisation and climate change effects are elevating the pressure on the use and resourcing of freshwater supplies. Stormwater harvesting has the potential to harness this conventional nuisance into a reliable potable resource if a suitable treatment can be achieved. Excess nutrients and nitrogen in particular are carried by stormwater, potentially leading to eutrophication. Biofilters, also known as bioretention systems, have shown the potential to remove nutrients from stormwater, thus protecting receiving waters as well as providing significant landscape amenity and urban microclimate benefits. In biofilters, nitrogen compounds can be transformed and ultimately converted into nitrogen gas by coupled nitrification and denitrification, providing the sustainable removal of nitrogen. Current biofilter designs, however, have not yet been optimised for efficient nitrogen removal. Additionally, current biofilter systems are considered a "black box" in terms of nitrogen species transformation, with little known about the variations in their performance, particularly in relation to the harsh wetting and drying environment to which they are subjected. The present thesis has examined the processes involved in nitrogen removal (and to a lesser degree phosphorus removal), focusing particularly on nitrate removal dynamics and its optimisation in biofilters. The first step was a large scale base-line study that was designed to quantify the removal performance of conventional biofilter designs. The findings targeted the need to enhance NOx removal, by optimising components of the design, leading to new configurations. The novel design was tested for typically harsh operational conditions, such as prolonged drying periods and system recovery. In order to meet water quality guidelines, laboratory results were validated in the field through a full-scale biofiltration system, which also tested the effectiveness of the optimised designs in removing a range of pollutants from urban runoff. In the first stage of the thesis, a large scale study of 140 columns tested eight different biofilter design and operational factors. Overall, this study revealed that whilst biofilters could readily remove high levels of sediment (averaging 98% removal), phosphorus (85%) and heavy metals (greater than 90% removal for most metals), nitrogen removal was often poor. NOx in particular, leaches from the biofilters after dry weather spells, In addition, NOx removal was strongly dependent on the type of vegetation. It was concluded, therefore, that systems should be carefully designed, paying particular attention to the specification of the soil media and selection of the plants to assure the required nutrient removal. For the conditions testing, a biofilter system of 2% of its impervious area with a minimum filter media depth of 5OO mm was found to be satisfactory. Finally, the biofilter columns demonstrated the facility to achieve and maintain removal capacity even under high concentration inflows. The next study investigated nitrogen transformations and improved removal of NOx through denitrification. In order to achieve this, 18 advanced biofilter columns were constructed and incorporated into different levels of a saturated zone (SAZ), supplemented with a carbon source. Sampling ports enabled measurement of nitrogen transformations throughout the filter depth profile. The SAZ design columns demonstrated removal of NO x, ammonia, organic nitrogen and mean TN removal of up to 74%. The columns, which included carbon substrate in their SAZ, demonstrated more than 99% success in removing NOx, statistically more than the control columns that did not use carbon which removed less than 50% NOx. Moreover, the depth concentration profile exhibited the highest NOx reduction along the SAZ biofilter section, suggesting that the addition of organic carbon as an electron donor in the saturated zone is beneficial to the rate of denitrification; a saturated zone depth of 450 mm was found to be effective. Moreover, a subsequent study investigated the efficiency of the SAZ design during prolonged drying and subsequent rewetting periods, and found that having a saturated zone (SAZ) is critical for efficient nitrogen removal in dry periods of more than two weeks. Without the SAZ, the biofilters behave as a source rather than a sink for nitrogen and NOx in particular. Furthermore, the SAZ design showed much faster recovery of N removal upon rewetting; the SAZ design biofilters were able to recover nitrate removal after only one rewetting event. Without the SAZ, the recovery time may be longer than the antecedent dry period itself, meaning that net leaching will occur during several storm events before net removal is re-established. Finally, the laboratory biofilter results were validated in the field by introducing a large scale biofilter pilot in Israel adopting a dual mode system; 1. A stormwater harvesting operational mode (during the rainy season) and 2. An aquifer recovery mode (during the dry season) for treatment of highly pollutant groundwater with nitrate. The removal performance for sediments and nutrients in the field was similar if not better than predicted in the laboratory; TSS concentrations were reduced by 99.4% (lab; 98.1%), TP by 94% (lab; 70%), and TN by 65% (lab; 64%, SAZ=6OO mm). The field study results confirmed a high removal performance not only for nutrients, but also for heavy metals, pathogenic indicators, and TOC. The biofilter was found to treat the stormwater and met water quality standards for irrigation and stream health, achieving even the most stringent local drinking water guidelines (not for pathogens contamination). For example, it demonstrated high reductions of E-coli and Faecal Coliforms in the range of 2- 3 log reductions, and below the maximal permitted values for the majority of metals and measured nutrients. This does not mean that the outflows are directly drinkable without additional filtration and disinfection, but that the data demonstrates the potential of stormwater to eventually become the first stage in a potable water source or alternatively this can be safely recharged into the aquifer. Aquifer recovery application results show potential for nitrate removal in the remediation of contaminated groundwater, albeit at low flow rates and under batch flow regimes. In these conditions, the biofilter managed to remove up to 73% of the nitrate concentration within the contaminated aquifer and met the drinking water guideline for nitrate. The present research contributed many recommendations for the design of biofilters and operational recommendations that are listed in FAWB adoption guidelines (2009)1. One of the key design recommendations arising from the present research, however, is that, where possible, biofilters should incorporate SAZ and a supplementary carbon source within the filter media, to enhance their robustness and nitrogen removal. The presence of the SAZ design can buffer some inefficiency ineffective traits of conventional biofilters, while at the same time sustaining vegetation growth during dry periods. In fact, retrofitting the SAZ into 'simple' biofilters is recommended if the existing biofilter has inadequate N removal and if N discharges poses a potential threat to the receiving environment. A number of knowledge gaps and research challenges were identified from the current research. For example, the need to enhance the removal of organic nitrogen from stormwater, since it was observed as the primary N form in the biofilter effluent (86% of total N). This study also suggests that biofilters when deployed in practice as a decentralised system may serve several purposes simultaneously. This would require further research and testing to allow the optimisation of stormwater harvesting and the aquifer recovery of nitrate through a constant flow regime. This research has provided comprehensive insights and practical design recommendations to improve biofilter performances, while allowing safer and more versatile use. The practical applications of this research are currently being adopted in Australia, Israel and in other countries.


Path effects that are unique to the source-site geometry increase the uncertainties in ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs). A methodology is proposed to deal with this issue. First a GMPE is developed, including site and event terms. A map of the logarithmic residuals may show that there are regions in which the spatial average is different from zero. The smoothed residuals become an additional correction to the GMPE. In principle, the contour maps of these corrections are unique to each strong-motion station, but maps of nearby stations should be correlated. The potential for path corrections to significantly improve ground-motion prediction at individual stations is tested first in a simplified pilot application on a small subset of Japanese peak-acceleration and peak-velocity data. For these data, the standard deviations to GMPEs without station or path corrections are in the range of 0.76 to 0.85 (in natural-log units). With the corrections the standard deviations are reduced to a range from 0.25 to 0.35. The method is also applied more strictly to the prediction of peak acceleration and peak velocity in Guerrero, Mexico. The result is reduction of the estimated standard deviation from 0.70 to 0.35 for peak acceleration and from 0.64 to 0.40 for peak velocity. After accounting for the path terms, the standard deviation at individual stations (single-station sigma) is estimated to be 0.51 and 0.48 for peak acceleration and peak velocity, respectively.

This approach may be particularly appropriate for the design of critical structures with long lead times in their planning and design. If broadband and strong-motion stations are installed at the intended site immediately after site selection, site-specific corrections determined from background seismicity during the design stages can be used to refine and defend the design during the approval process.


During decarburization of plain carbon steels, the grain boundary segregation concentration of phosphorus increased with increasing bulk phosphorus content and with decreasing decarburization temperature. The grain growth kinetics decreased with increasing bulk phosphorus content which is due to the grain boundary pinning effect of highly segregated phosphorus. After decarburization at 973K for 24 h, the columnar grain growth following the abnormal grain growth was observed in the steel containing a low bulk phosphorus content, while the steel containing a high bulk phosphorus content showed only the abnormal grain growth behavior. Such grain growth behaviors can be understood in the light of the abnormal grain growth driven by the grain boundary carbides and the solute drag effect of highly segregated phosphorus on moving grain boundaries. During decarburization at 1173K, only the normal grain growth was observed due to the absence of grain boundary carbides, regardless of the bulk phosphorus content. The decarburization reaction in the present study can be expressed by the parabolic relationship x 1⁄4 kðDtÞ where x is the decarburization depth, k the reaction coefficient, D the diffusivity of carbon and t the decarburization time. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.M2010283]


In this article, the review process is described as a method of formative evaluation of texts. The description is based on three empirical studies of professional writing practices. It includes the goals of review, the actors involved in the process, the moments in the text production process that review is taking place, and the procedures followed. The studies make clear that review serves more goals than just improving the text. For improving the text, other methods than review probably produce better and more reliable results, especially when the goal is to improve the usability of the text. But review also has the function of having the information checked by experts and of building consensus and commitment in the organization. Because in most organizations review is taking place anyway, all remarks about the quality and acceptability of the document that are collected in the review process can be considered additional information that writers could use—with caution.


Forty-nine cases of murine typhus were diagnosed in recent years in residents of several communities around the city of Chalkis, the capital of the Prefecture of Evia. (Euboea) Evia is an island connected to central mainland Greece by a bridge. To investigate the endemicity of murine typhus in this area, 226 fleas (Xenopsylla cheopis) and blood samples were collected from 53 rats (Rattus norvegicus) trapped in this area. The polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (PCR-RFLP) was used to detect and identify Rickettsia typhi, the etiologic agent murine typhus, in the rat blood samples (buffy coat cells) as well as in their fleas. An indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) assay was performed to detect antibodies against R. typhi in rat serum samples. The presence of R. typhi in both fleas and rat blood samples was demonstrated. The frequency of infection for X. cheopis was 4%, while 18% of the rats had buffy coat cells infected, and 92% of the rat sera tested by IFA were positive for anti-R. typhi antibodies. The present work is the first successful application of PCR-RFLP in a field study of naturally infected rats and their fleas in Europe.


Many applications in science and engineering give rise to large sparse linear systems of equations that need to be solved as efficiently as possible. As the size of the problems of interest increases, it can become necessary to consider exploiting multiprocessors to solve these systems. We report on the design and development of parallel frontal solvers for the numerical solution of large sparse linear systems. Three codes have been developed for the mathematical software library HSL (www.cse.clrc.ac.uk/Activity/HSL). The first is for unsymmetric finite-element problems; the second is for symmetric positive definite finite-element problems; and the third is for highly unsymmetric linear systems such as those that arise in chemical process engineering. In each case, the problem is subdivided into a small number of loosely connected subproblems and a frontal method is then applied to each of the subproblems in parallel. We discuss how our software is designed to achieve the goals of portability, ease of use, efficiency, and flexibility, and illustrate the performance using problems arising from real applications.


Action recognition has become a rapidly developing research field within the last decade. But with the increasing demand for large scale data, the need of hand annotated data for the training becomes more and more impractical. One way to avoid frame-based human annotation is the use of action order information to learn the respective action classes. In this context, we propose a hierarchical approach to address the problem of weakly supervised learning of human actions from ordered action labels by structuring recognition in a coarse-to-fine manner. Given a set of videos and an ordered list of the occurring actions, the task is to infer start and end frames of the related action classes within the video and to train the respective action classifiers without any need for hand labeled frame boundaries. We address this problem by combining a framewise RNN model with a coarse probabilistic inference. This combination allows for the temporal alignment of long sequences and thus, for an iterative training of both elements. While this system alone already generates good results, we show that the performance can be further improved by approximating the number of subactions to the characteristics of the different action classes as well as by the introduction of a regularizing length prior. The proposed system is evaluated on two benchmark datasets, the Breakfast and the Hollywood extended dataset, showing a competitive performance on various weak learning tasks such as temporal action segmentation and action alignment.


In a high power fiber amplifier, a frequency-chirped seed interrupts the coherent interaction between the laser and Stokes waves, raising the threshold for stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS). Moving the external mirror of a vertical cavity surface-emitting diode laser 0.2 μm in 10 μs can yield a frequency chirp of 5×1017  Hz/s at a nearly constant output power. Opto-electronic feedback loops can linearize the chirp, and stabilize the output power. The linear variation of phase with time allows multiple amplifiers to be coherently combined using a frequency shifter to compensate for static and dynamic path length differences. The seed bandwidth, as seen by the counter-propagating SBS, also increases linearly with fiber length, resulting in a nearly-length-independent SBS threshold. Experimental results at the 1.6 kW level with a 19 m delivery fiber are presented. A numerical simulation is also presented.


The sonnet in English is usually located as a sixteenth-century innovation, firmly linked to Italian influences, and frequently associated with a distinctively modern consciousness. Yet the speed and comfort with which the form settled into English reflects the fact that the sonnet per se was preceded by a longstanding tradition of 14-line poems in English written in forms derived from French. Indeed, in terms of formal features, the earliest sonnets in English frequently fray into earlier forms, sharing more with the roundel than with later sonnets. This article considers a number of features of style and content that various writers on the sonnet have argued to be characteristic, sometimes definitive, of the sonnet. These features include repetition, formal unity/division of octave and sestet, use of the volta, asymmetry, argument and development, and a preoccupation with contradictions
and the self. The article shows that, while it is true that these features are characteristic of many sonnets, they are not peculiarly characteristic of sonnets, and they can all be found in earlier 14-line poems. Furthermore, a number of the earliest sonnets in English do not themselves possess these 'sonnet-like' characteristics. The otherness and the modernity of the sonnet have thus been overstated.


EU member-states are rejecting integration just when national sovereignty worldwide is entering a new period of relativity. National governments blame Europe for the problems of the moment and lay claim to the successes resulting from action at the European level. The result of this obsession with the nation? The EU is politically impotent on the international stage.


Abstract Full scale tests carried out on polymer composite sandwich panels, which model the loads experienced by aircraft secondary wing structure, are described. The results from the tests form the basis of a performance assessment of the sandwich construction. The sandwich panel face sheets were manufactured from five different carbon fibre material architectures and were consolidated with epoxy resin using a variety of approaches. In previous work, it was shown that it was possible to significantly reduce the manufacturing costs of producing the sandwich structure by replacing the standard certificated process of unidirectional prepreg cured in an autoclave with a method that used non-crimp fabric infused in a conventional oven. In the present paper, thermoelastic stress analysis (TSA) is used during the full scale tests to obtain stress data from the five different panel types. The TSA data and measured deflection data are used to validate finite element (FE) models of each panel. The experimental validation highlighted some interesting features in the modelling approach. The face sheet materials were treated as homogeneous orthotropic blocks, which resulted in a conservative prediction of deflections. The models did not consider the woven and stitched material face sheet material configurations and therefore, omitted some of the features apparent in the experimental work. However, the validation showed that this did not affect the performance evaluation and most importantly, the validated FE showed that using different face sheet materials had little effect on the stresses in the panels.


Preferences play a key role in computational argumentation in AI, as they reflect various notions of argument strength vital for the representation of argumentation. Within central formal approaches to structured argumentation, preferential approaches are applied by lifting preferences over defeasible elements to rankings over sets of defeasible elements, in order to be able to compare the relative strength of two arguments and their respective defeasible constituents. To overcome the current gap in the scientific landscape, we give in this paper a general study of the critical component of lifting operators in structured argumentation. We survey existing lifting operators scattered in the literature of argumentation theory, social choice, and utility theory, and show fundamental relations and properties of these operators. Extending existing works from argumentation and social choice, we propose a list of postulates for lifting operations, and give a complete picture of (non-)satisfaction for the considered operators. Based on our postulates, we present impossibility results, stating for which sets of postulates there is no hope of satisfaction, and for two main lifting operators presented in structured argumentation, Elitist and Democratic, we give a full characterization in terms of our postulates.


While most of the attention in the open literature paid to digital intermediate frequency (IF) technology has addressed digital down conversion architectures, digital up conversion architectures are just as important and can be equally beneficial. For the past few years Harris Semiconductor has been experimenting with various single and multiple channel digital up converter architectures for economical implementations of wireless transmitters. This paper gives a top level overview of the fundamentals of digital up conversion and various architectures which have the potential for widespread use in wireless systems.


Using a novel information asymmetry index based on measures of adverse selection developed by the market microstructure literature, we test whether information asymmetry is an important determinant of capital structure decisions, as suggested by the pecking order theory. Our index relies exclusively on measures of the market's assessment of adverse selection risk rather than on ex ante firm characteristics. We find that information asymmetry does affect the capital structure decisions of U.S. firms over the sample period 1973--2002. Our findings are robust to controlling for conventional leverage factors (size, tangibility, Q ratio, profitability), the sources of firms' financing needs, and such firm attributes as stock return volatility, stock turnover, and intensity of insider trading. For example, we estimate that on average, for every dollar of financing deficit to cover, firms in the highest adverse selection decile issue 30 cents of debt more than firms in the lowest decile. Overall, this evidence explains why the pecking order theory is only partially successful in explaining all of firms' capital structure decisions. It also suggests that the theory finds support when its basic assumptions hold in the data, as should reasonably be expected of any theory. The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Society for Financial Studies. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: firstname.lastname@example.com, Oxford University Press.


This paper presents the results of the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements performed during the full-scale two-dimensional Active Gurney Flap (AGF) wind tunnel test campaign executed early 2014 as part of the Innovative Rotor Blades work package of the European Clean Sky – Green Rotorcraft initiative. The test article consisted of a main rotor blade section featuring a modified public domain airfoil fitted with a fullspan AGF, driven by a flight representative actuator and mechanism. The objective of the test was to improve the understanding of the flow physics of a dynamically deploying upstream AGF, to provide a basis for the validation of numerical models and to serve as an integrated functionality test of the AGF actuator and mechanism. Besides forming a necessary stepping stone towards the rotor and flight test activities scheduled in the continuation of the project, the novelty of the test campaign lies in the time-resolved PIV measurements performed on an actively deploying upstream AGF. Two separate PIV camera arrangements were employed, one focusing on the direct vicinity of the AGF and one focusing on the shed wake behind the airfoil. Both sinusoidal and ramp-type deployments were considered at different deployment heights and frequencies. The first part of the paper presents the background and motivation of the test activities and describes the experimental test set-up. The second part of the paper presents the trailing-edge region velocity and vorticity fields acquired during a ramp-type deployment, including correlation with measured pressure profiles. Spectral analysis of the velocity fields captured at different AGF deployment heights reveals the AGF and trailing-edge vortex shedding frequencies, providing a useful basis for CFD validation.


BACKGROUND
Although population-based studies typically report age-associated increases in clinical pain, laboratory-based pain assessment procedures generally indicate diminished pain sensitivity with age. The majority of these studies have utilized noxious thermal stimuli as the method of pain induction. However, other pain assessment methodologies, including ischemic pain induction, may have a more meaningful relationship to clinical pain. The present study examined the effects of age on responses to a variety of experimental noxious stimuli. In addition, relationships between cardiovascular measures and pain responses were investigated in both older and younger subjects.

METHODS
Responses to thermal, mechanical, and ischemic pain were assessed in 34 younger (mean age, 22.4 years) and 34 older adults (mean age, 62.2 years). In addition, relationships between resting blood pressure and pain responses were assessed separately for older and younger participants.

RESULTS
Although group differences in thermal and mechanical pain responses did not achieve statistical significance, older individuals demonstrated substantially lower ischemic pain thresholds and tolerances assessed via the modified submaximal effort tourniquet procedure (ps < .01). Overall, higher resting arterial blood pressures were associated with increased pain thresholds and tolerances, although relationships between blood pressure and ischemic pain variables were evident only for the younger group.

CONCLUSIONS
These findings indicate that age-related differences in responses to experimental noxious stimuli vary as a function of the pain induction task, with older individuals showing greater sensitivity to clinically relevant stimuli. In addition, the absence of a relationship between blood pressure and ischemic pain responses in older adults may suggest potential functional decrements in at least one endogenous pain-modulatory system.


This paper describes the analysis of a complex large scale event. The case study event, Ivrea Carnival, is peculiar because it takes place in streets and squares of a small ancient town, and not in an area designed for large scale events. Another peculiarity is that Ivrea Carnival lasts for many days, during which a large number of different kind of events occur, as music parties in squares, parades, ritual ceremony and the famous orange battle. Numerical simulations were used to support the safety plan construction, providing in-depth comprehension of crowd movement and verification of management strategies. Among all the simulations done for the safety plan construction, three specific situations were reported in the paper to explain how numerical simulations can be used to better understand crowd dynamics (i) normal circulation of visitors in the town center, being set a maximum capacity limit in squares; (ii) entering of the parade in a crowded area; (iii) effect of the presence of movement group (e.g. families) on egress time from crowded squares. The consequences of simulations findings on safety plan are also discussed.


Mineralocorticoid receptors possess the same affinity for aldosterone and for cortisol and preferential binding of aldosterone is modulated by the 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 beta-OHSD) enzyme, which converts cortisol to its inactive metabolite cortisone. Several endogenous or exogenous compounds able to inhibit the enzyme have been described and, as a consequence, produce the syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME) characterized by hypertension, hypokalemia, volume repletion and suppression of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. High doses of furosemide, a diuretic that works in the luminal surface of the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop, have been reported to inhibit 11 beta-OHSD activity to the same extent as licorice in vivo and in vitro, in rat. The aim of our study was to verify the effect of the drug on 11 beta-OHSD activity in man at the doses currently used in clinical practice. We tested the activity of 11 beta-OHSD following both acute and protracted administration of furosemide. In the acute study, the drug was administered at low (40 mg i.v. in bolo) and high doses (infusion of 10 mg/kg bw i.v for six hours); the protracted furosemide administration consisted in 50 mg/day for 20 days, by mouth. The ratios between the cortisol metabolites tetrahydrocortisol plus allo-tetrahydrocortisol to tetra-hydrocortisone and urinary free cortisol to urinary free cortisone were used to measure the activity of 11 beta-OHSD. Urinary cortisol, cortisone and their metabolites were tested by a gas-chromatographic/mass spectrometric method. Neither acute nor prolonged administration of furosemide did affect the activity of 11 beta-OHSD although the drug was able to modify plasma aldosterone and PRA secretion and to determine hypokalemia. Our results suggest that furosemide does not play a significant role in 11 beta-OHSD modulation in humans, at least at the dosage used in clinical practice.


In the preliminary physiologic study of the gastric contents of infants, 1 it was noted that those babies who were suffering from tetany presented gastric findings which differed markedly from those of normal infants. Therefore, a special study of eleven cases of manifest tetany was undertaken this past year. Tetany was diagnosed clinically on the history or presence of an inspiratory crow, carpopedal spasm, convulsions and positive Chvostek and Trousseau signs. The diagnosis was confirmed by the electrical reactions of Erb, but the ultimate criterion for the diagnosis and progress of the disease was the calcium content of the blood. This, as has been shown by Howland and Marriott, 2 and others, may fall in active tetany from the normal values of 10 to 11 mg. per hundred cubic centimeters of serum to as low as 3.5 mg., the average being about 5.5 mg. per hundred cubic centimeters. Symptoms of


Abstract : Electrical power grids represent a critical infrastructure for a nation as well as strategically important. Literature review identified that power grids share basic characteristics with Supply Chain Management. This thesis presents a linear programming model to assess power grid resilience as a particular case of Supply Chain Management. Since resilient behavior is not an individual or specific system's attribute but a holistic phenomenon based on the synergic interaction within complex systems, resilience drivers in power grids were identified. Resilience is a function of Reliability, Recovery Capability, Vulnerability and Pipeline Capacity. In order to embed heterogeneous variables into the model, parameterization of resilience drivers were developed. A principle of improving resilience through redundancy was applied in the model by using a virtual redundancy in each link which allows reliability improvement throughout the entire network. Vulnerability was addressed through the standard MIL-STD 882D, and mitigated through security allocation. A unique index (R) integrates the resilience complexity to facilitate alternate scenarios analysis toward strategic decision making. Decision makers are enabled to improve overall power grid performance through reliability development as well as security allocation at the more strategic links identified by the optimal solutions. Moreover, this tool lets decision makers fix grid variables such as reliability, reduced pipeline capacity, or vulnerabilities within the model in order to find optimal solutions that withstand disruptions. The model constitutes an effective tool not only for efficient reliability improvement but also for rational security allocation in the most critical links within the network. Finally, this work contributes to the federal government mandates accomplishment, intended to address electrical power-related risks and vulnerabilities.


While recent generations of mobile devices have seen a dramatic increase in functionality, the basic interaction structure on mobile devices has been largely unchanged. As the functionality and information representations are becoming more extensive and complex, it will be required for designers of mobile devices to rethink the way users are interacting with mobile devices in order to preserve usability. In this thesis, we will consider how the current inadequate interaction structure of mobile devices can be changed to support the requirements for future generations of mobile devices. The thesis explores this consideration by focusing on three questions:
 How can the current complex and diverse application paradigm be replaced with a scheme that allows users to express intent in a simple and unified fashion? How can a mobile device support the personal information management needed in everyday use?
 How can the mobile system adapt to and reflect its surroundings while retaining usefulness and effectiveness?
 In order to address these questions, we present an interaction model called the Activity Domains model. The model is an adaptation for mobile devices of the NEXUS model described in (Larsen, 2005) with special focus on supporting user activities. We use the model to propose a framework design called Astroid, which forms the architectural basis for the development of two prototypes that represents the user interface of a mobile device. We have carried out usability tests of the prototypes using six test participants. Each of the participants was given a set of tasks and was observed while trying to solve them using the prototypes. The tests were performed within a short timeframe and they did not consider the long-term effectiveness of the prototypes. We find that it would be interesting to observe the usage of these systems in tests of longer durations, but leave that for further studies.
 The usability tests and prototypes have shown that it is possible to make a system that works without the classical division between applications. The tests also have indicated that the attribute-based information management employed by the Activity Domains model is an approach that appeals to a wide range of users. The details of how to provide adaptiveness that is more effective are subject for further studies. Nevertheless, the test results suggest that the employment of user-centered artifacts combined with mobile sensory data is promising.


Al-Ghazali is a scholar whose ideas are concerned with the state of society. Some of his work deals with the improvement of social life at that time. The writing of this article aims to examine the work of Al Ghazali and connect it with the economic and political situation in the life of Al-Ghazali. The method used is the descriptive method. The results show that Al-Ghazali is a scholar who cares about the problems of society, including the economic problems of society.


ABSTRACT The global population is living longer; however, not everyone ages at the same rate with regard to their physical and cognitive abilities and their vulnerability to certain diseases and death. This review aimed to synthesize the contribution of biological age–predictive biomarkers to nutrition research and highlight the implications for future research and clinical practice. MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Cochrane CENTRAL were systematically searched on 30 September 2021 for randomized controlled trials and cross-sectional studies examining the association between nutrition and biological age in older adults reporting on genetic, clinical, or molecular biomarkers of biological aging. Cochrane's ROB 2 and ROBINS-I were used to assess the quality of included studies. Synthesis was undertaken narratively. Of 1245 records identified from the search, 13 studies from 8 countries and territories, involving 5043 participants, were included. Seven studies assessed associations between nutrient food intake and telomere attrition, reporting protective effects for branched-chain amino acids, calcium and vitamin D, and a diet of a lower inflammatory index; whereas they found shorter telomeres in people consuming more processed foods and arachidonic acid and other proinflammatory compounds. Five studies examined the associations between plasma nutrition biomarkers and cognitive function, and found a protective effect for HDL cholesterol, lycopene, carotenoids, ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids, and vitamins B, C, D, and E; whereas trans fatty acids and fibrinogen correlated with a decline in cognitive function. One study used Horvath's clock and reported the epigenetic rejuvenation effect of a Mediterranean diet. In conclusion, biological aging was negatively associated with an anti-inflammatory diet. However, a few studies did not control for the confounding effect of other lifestyle factors. Future research should address this and also assess the synergistic effect of different nutrients, their combinations, and evaluate their dose–response relations. Nutrition practice can incorporate updated screening procedures for older people that include relevant biological aging nutrition markers, leading to anti-aging precision nutrition therapy. The methodology of this systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021288122).


Malathion is an organophosphorus insecticide and has been used in public health and agriculture since World War II (1945). It has been intensively treated on crops against warehouse and storehouse pests and other many organisms over years. But the risk of its usage could not be determined completely for ecosystem and human health. Many studies have shown that the potential carcinogenicity potential of malathion and similar compounds because of the direct usage in agricultural products and it also had indirectly contamination (water, soil and air pollution) while and after malathion application in the agriculture and public health issues. In this review, the directly effect of malathion on some experimental animals is studied how malathion negatively affected body weight, cerebral alterations and reproductive system on rats. Furthermore, the pesticide had alteration of protein, fat and energy metabolisms, and oxidative balance. There are many results about indirect effects of malathion on human life and pesticide residues on animal products (honey, milk and meat) from livestock, bees, fishes and poultry. Besides, malathion has been observed in many vegetables such as onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers. Consequently, we recommend that direct and indirect malathion effects on human life should be investigated practically more in the near future.


In the present work, thermoset carbon fiber–reinforced polymer (CFRP) was spot joined to magnesium alloy AZ31B by a friction self-piercing riveting (F-SPR) process. Lap shear tensile and cross-tension testing were used to evaluate the mechanical joint performance. An average lap shear tensile load of 5.18 kN was achieved, while an average of 2.81 kN was found from cross-tension testing. All F-SPR samples showed a pullout of AZ31B after mechanical testing, indicating good mechanical interlocking between the steel rivet and AZ31B. Corrosion potential was measured for each material to establish the galvanic corrosion characteristics. As expected, AZ31B was found to be the most active, while thermoset CFRP was the most noble. The steel rivet fell between the AZ31B (active) and the thermoset CFRP (noble). Salt fog corrosion testing (ASTM B-117) was performed to evaluate the corrosion performance of the uncoated F-SPR joint. With up to 200 h of exposure, the post-corroded F-SPR joint integrity retained 81.2% of the pre-exposure F-SPR joint strength with AZ31B pullout failure mode. From cross-sectional analysis of the F-SPR joint, extensive corrosion of AZ31B was observed at the joint and other exposure areas. However, steel rivet was not significantly corroded due to sacrificial anode effect by which AZ31B corroded first in the galvanic couple.


Encounter rates link movement strategies to intra- and inter-specific interactions, and therefore translate individual movement behavior into higher-level ecological processes. Indeed, a large body of interacting population theory rests on the law of mass action, which can be derived from assumptions of Brownian motion in an enclosed container with exclusively local perception. These assumptions imply completely uniform space use, individual home ranges equivalent to the population range, and encounter dependent on movement paths actually crossing. Mounting empirical evidence, however, suggests that animals use space non-uniformly, occupy home ranges substantially smaller than the population range, and are often capable of nonlocal perception. Here, we explore how these empirically supported behaviors change pairwise encounter rates. Specifically, we derive novel analytical expressions for encounter rates under Ornstein-Uhlenbeck motion, which features non-uniform space use and allows individual home ranges to differ from the population range. We compare OU-based encounter predictions to those of Reflected Brownian Motion, from which the law of mass action can be derived. For both models, we further explore how the interplay between the scale of perception and home range size affects encounter rates. We find that neglecting realistic movement and perceptual behaviors can systematically bias encounter rate predictions.


The object of this paper is to go deeper into some aspects related to the relationships between the Third Sector and the Public sector, to underline the open problems related to the implementation of the Governance process and the effective participation of Third Sector organizations in this process, in planning and implementing actions for a territorial sustainable development. The problem about the Third Sector's development as a form of social capital of a specific territory is understanding if these Third Sector organizations are looking for a "role" or a "responsibility", or if they are rather looking for an integration between these two aspects. The interaction between Public and Third Sector, which is an expression of participation, can't be considered an "arena of dispute", serving to represent things to "say" and not to "do", because of the gap between politics and the civil society; therefore, regardless of the representative level of different subjects, participation, as it is viewed today, should close with actions of external relevance supported by transparent procedures and visible positions, in which roles and responsibilities and the behaviour of all the actors involved are clear, in such a way that their behaviour will be considered "reliable" by the community.


OBJECTIVE To investigate the prevalence of non-insulin-dependent-diabetes mellitus in Kin-Hu, Kinmen. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This is a community-based population survey. The target population are residents ≥30 years of age in Kin-Hu, Kinmen, according to the official household registry in 1990. Face to face interviews were conducted by the Yang-Ming Crusade in 1991 using a structured questionnaire. Fasting blood samples were drawn by public health nurses, and a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test was performed for definite diagnosis of diabetes. RESULTS ; There were 4,097 eligible subjects (2,026 men and 2,071 women), and 3,236 had complete fasting plasma glucose data (1,536 men and 1,700 women). The response rate was 79% (76% for men and 82% for women). The age-specific response rates were 81% for the 30- to 39-year and 50- to 59-year age-groups, 84% for the 40- to 49-year age-group, and 69% for the ≥60-year age-group. The crude prevalence of diabetes in Kin-Hu was 6.5% (2.0% previous and 4.5% new). With the standard world population of Segi, the age-adjusted prevalence rate was 4.9% (4.5% for men and 5.4% for women). The prevalence rate of diabetes increased significantly with age. The prevalence of previously diagnosed diabetes accounted for less than one third of the total rate. CONCLUSIONS The population survey in Kin-Hu, Kinmen, had a high response rate of 79%. The crude prevalence rate of diabetes was 6.5%, and the age-adjusted prevalence rate was 4.9%. The low ratio of previously diagnosed to newly diagnosed diabetic cases may be due to lack of public awareness and medical services in this community.


Radar observations of a narrow belt of the surface of Mars, centered at 16�south latitude, show a very rugged terrain, with elevation differences greater than 13 kilometers from peak to valley. For nearby points, the relative altitude is measured to 40 meters at best; the precision is worse for points at different latitudes, or widely separated in longitude, because of orbital uncertainties. Some of the larger craters have been resolved, and their depth and, in some cases, the height of the raised rim have been measured. Where high resolution photographs, are available, the correlation is excellent.


This thesis is concerned with inductive charging of electric vehicle batteries. Rectified power from the 50/60 Hz utility feeds a dc-ac converter which delivers highfrequency ac power to the electric vehicle inductive coupling inlet. The inlet configuration has been defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers in Recommended Practice J-1773. This thesis studies converter topologies related to the series resonant converter. When coupled to the vehicle inlet, the frequency-controlled series-resonant converter results in a capacitively-filtered series-parallel LCLC (SP-LCLC) resonant converter topology with zero voltage switching and many other desirable features. A novel time-domain transformation analysis, termed Modal Analysis, is developed, using a state variable transformation, to analyze and characterize this multi-resonant fourth-order converter. Next, Fundamental Mode Approximation (FMA) Analysis, based on a voltagesource model of the load, and its novel extension, Rectifier-Compensated FMA (RCFMA) Analysis, are developed and applied to the SP-LCLC converter. The RCFMA Analysis is a simpler and more intuitive analysis than the Modal Analysis, and provides a relatively accurate closed-form solution for the converter behavior. Phase control of the SP-LCLC converter is investigated as a control option. FMA and RCFMA Analyses are used for detailed characterization. The analyses identify areas of operation, which are also validated experimentally, where it is advantageous to phase control the converter. A novel hybrid control scheme is proposed which integrates frequency and phase control and achieves reduced operating frequency range and improved partial-load efficiency. The phase-controlled SP-LCLC converter can also be configured with a parallel load, and is an excellent option for the application. The resulting topology implements softswitching over the entire load range and has high full-load and partial-load efficiencies. RCFMA Analysis is used to analyze and characterize the new converter topology, and good correlation is shown with experimental results. Finally, a novel single-stage power-factor-corrected ac-dc converter is introduced, which uses the current-source characteristic of the SP-LCLC topology to provide power factor correction over a wide output power range from zero to full load. This converter exhibits all the advantageous characteristics of its dc-dc counterpart, with a reduced parts count and cost. Simulation and experimental results verify the operation of the new converter.


In modern datacenter networks (DCNs), failures of network devices are the norm rather than the exception, and many research efforts have focused on dealing with failures after they happen. In this paper, we take a different approach by predicting failures, thus the operators can intervene and "fix" the potential failures before they happen. Specifically, in our proposed system, named PreFix, we aim to determine during runtime whether a switch failure will happen in the near future. The prediction is based on the measurements of the current switch system status and historical switch hardware failure cases that have been carefully labelled by network operators. Our key observation is that failures of the same switch model share some common syslog patterns before failures occur, and we can apply machine learning methods to extract the common patterns for predicting switch failures. Our novel set of features (message template sequence, frequency, seasonality and surge) for machine learning can efficiently deal with the challenges of noises, sample imbalance, and computation overhead. We evaluated PreFix on a data set collected from 9397 switches (3 different switch models) deployed in more than 20 datacenters owned by a top global search engine in a 2-year period. PreFix achieved an average of 61.81% recall and 1.84 * 10^-5 false positive ratio. It outperforms the other failure prediction methods for computers and ISP devices.


The ways we discuss water policy decisions often closely mirror broader social and ethical decisions, for example: water as a common good; water and human dignity; water as a facilitator of well being; rights and responsibilities of access to water; justice and water. Water is a symbol of reconciliation, healing and regeneration which appears in virtually all of our known organized faith-based religions. Water decisions truly seem to be at the nexus of ethics, public policies, nature, values, beliefs and rationality. This paper opens windows into this nexus by starting with selected water policy arenas (arenas not generally thought to contain dimensions of ethics and faith) and generalizing about the dilemmas presented by decisions in them. These arenas are: dealing with risk/uncertainty in water and climate change decisions; changing terms of discourse on world water, especially between rich and poor; concepts of nature in water decision making; dealing with water and conflict; and processes of governance and water decisions. The paper concludes with suggestions of how ethics and faith might connect in decisions concerning water.


BACKGROUND The European Surgical Outcomes Study (EuSOS) revealed large variations in outcomes among countries. In-hospital mortality and ICU admission rates in Sweden were low, going against the assumption that access to ICU improves outcome. Long-term mortality was not reported in EuSOS and is generally poorly described in the current literature. OBJECTIVE To describe the characteristics of the Swedish subset of EuSOS and identify predictors of short and long-term mortality after surgery. DESIGN An observational cohort study. SETTING Six universities and two regional hospitals in Sweden. PATIENTS A cohort of 1314 adult patients scheduled for surgery between 4 April and 11 April 2011. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES 30-day and 1-year mortality. RESULTS A total of 303 patients were lost to follow-up, leaving 1011 for analysis; 69% of patients were classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists' physical status 1 or 2, and 68% of surgical procedures were elective. The median length of stay in postanaesthesia care units (PACUs) was 175 min (interquartile range 110–270); 6.6% of patients had PACU length of stay of more than 12 h and 3.6% of patients were admitted to the ICU postoperatively. Thirty-day mortality rate was 1.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0–2.6] and 8.5% (CI 6.8–10.2) at 1 year (n = 18 and 86). The risk of death was higher than in an age and sex-matched population after 30 days (standardised mortality ratio 10.0, CI 5.9–15.8), and remained high after 1 year (standardised mortality ratio 3.9, CI 3.1–4.8). Factors predictive of 30-day mortality were age, American Society of Anesthesiologists' physical status, number of comorbidities, urgency of surgery and ICU admission. For 1-year mortality, age, number of comorbidities and urgency of surgery were independently predictive. ICU admission and long stay in PACU were not significant predictors of long-term mortality. CONCLUSION Mortality rate increased almost five-fold at 1 year compared with 30-day mortality after surgery, demonstrating a significantly sustained long-term risk of death in this surgical population. In Sweden, factors associated with long-term postoperative mortality were age, number of comorbidities and surgical urgency.


In this paper, the advanced damage analysis of composite materials and structures made of continuous fibers embedded in a polymer matrix is addressed. The solution is based on the LMS Samtech Samcef finite element code, from Siemens PLM Software, which is now available in the Siemens NX CAE environment, with the specific focus of solving non-linear analysis problems for composites. Globally speaking, LMS Samtech Samcef is an implicit non-linear solver able to solve quasi-static and dynamic problems, with a comprehensive library of structural elements and kinematic joints. First, the sizing strategy based on the building block approach (pyramid of physical and virtual tests) is recalled. Applied for years in the aerospace industry, it is here extended to the automotive context. In this approach, the knowledge on the composite material and structure is built step by step from the coupon level up to the final full scale structure. In this paper, stages of the pyramid starting from the coupon level are considered, and the predictions obtained by numerical simulations are validated by test results. The non-linear analysis approach available in the LMS Samtech Samcef finite element code is then described. It is based on the continuum damage mechanics, and is used to study the progressive failure of composites in the plies and at their interface (delamination). The material models are described. The identification procedure for these damage models is also discussed: it is based on a very limited number of tests results at the coupon level. It is then shown how this information on the material behavior can be used at upper stages of the building block approach and so applied to larger scale structures and/or more complex load cases and different stacking sequences. The very good agreement obtained in this paper between simulation and test results on composite structures of increasing complexity tend to demonstrate that LMS Samtech Samcef can be used as a predictive numerical tool for the evaluation of the non-linear behavior of composites, including the progressive inter- and intra-laminar damage analysis.


For a graph $G$ with vertex set $V(G)=\{v_1, v_2, \dots, v_n\}$, let $S$ be the covering set of $G$ having the maximum degree over all the minimum covering sets of $G$. Let $N_S[v]=\{u\in S : uv \in E(G) \}\cup \{v\}$ be the closed neighbourhood of the vertex $v$ with respect to $S.$ We define a square matrix $A_S(G)= (a_{ij}),$ by $a_{ij}=1,$ if $\left |N_S[v_i]\cap N_S[v_j] \right| \geq 1, i\neq j$ and 0, otherwise. The graph $G^S$ associated with the matrix $A_S(G)$ is called the maximum degree minimum covering graph (MDMC-graph) of the graph $G$. In this paper, we give conditions for the graph $G^S$ to be bipartite and Hamiltonian. Also we obtain a bound for the number of edges of the graph $G^S$ in terms of the structure of $G$. Further we obtain an upper bound for covering number (independence number) of $G^S$  in terms of the covering number (independence number) of $G$.


Electrical conductivity of mantle peridotite was measured at 25 GPa and temperature up to 1800 K in a Kawai-type multi-anvil apparatus. The starting material was gel with a composition of fertile spinel lherzolite (KLB1). After the conductivity measurement, mineral phases of run products are composed of magnesium silicate perovskite, ferro-periclase and Ca perovskite. The conductivity value of the peridotite is distinctly higher than those of post-spinel and magnesian silicate perovskite with a composition of (Mg0.9,Fe0.1)SiO3, but lower than that of ferro-periclase. Both absolute values and change in activation enthalpy for the conductivity of the mantle peridotite are similar to those for the silicate perovskite. A presence of aluminous perovskite with substantial amount of ferric iron in crystal structure would enhance bulk conductivity of the lower mantle.


In the present paper, the Damage Location Assurance Criterion (DLAC) is extended to locate and assess damage in a circular cylindrical shell based on natural frequencies and mode shapes. Frequency sensitivities computed from a defect-free finite element model are applied to calculate the theoretical frequency changes. The axial position of the damage can be easily obtained by comparing the theoretical and measured frequency changes due to damage. For the shell is axisymmetric, additional information of mode shapes is introduced to locate the exact damage position. The damage extent can be estimated by the first order approximation method. The feasibility and practicality of the damage detection scheme are evaluated for several damage scenarios by locating and sizing damage in the free–free, simply-supported and free-clamped shells, respectively. Results from simulation examples show that the proposed detection scheme can confidently locate the single or multiple positions of damage. It is also observed that damage extent can be estimated with a relatively small error.


Purpose of review Preventing pneumonia in the elderly and individuals with comorbidities is an unmet clinical need. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the commonest bacterial cause of pneumonia, and we summarize recent findings regarding current S. pneumoniae vaccines, and debate their efficacy and cost-effectiveness in risk groups. We also discuss potential future vaccine strategies such as protein antigen vaccines. Recent findings Current vaccination with pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine does not prevent S. pneumoniae pneumonia. Vaccination with pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (PCV) prevents nasopharyngeal colonization, but although PCV13 has recently been shown to prevent S. pneumoniae pneumonia in adults, its overall efficacy was relatively low. The results of cost-effectiveness studies of PCV vaccination in adults are variable with some showing this is a cost-effective strategy, whereas others have not. The lack of cost-effectiveness is predominantly because of the current cost of the PCV vaccine and the existing herd immunity effect from childhood PCV vaccination on vaccine serotypes. Summary S. pneumoniae pneumonia is a vaccine-preventable disease but remains a common cause of morbidity and mortality. Advances in vaccination using approaches that induce serotypes-independent immunity and are immunogenic in high-risk groups are required to reduce the burden of disease because of S. pneumoniae.


Introduction Revascularization therapies for acute ischemic stroke are strongly time sensitive. Outcomes with IV tPA administration are clearly improved with earlier treatment. With increasing evidence of efficacy of endovascular stroke treatment, the rapidity of treatment initiation will also likely be critical to improving patient outcomes. As endovascular stroke treatment is unavailable at most centers that may first evaluate acute stroke patients, the efficient triage and transfer of these patients will be increasingly important. We sought to assess the transfer times from regional stroke-ready hospitals to our comprehensive center as a measure of current efficiency. Methods We evaluated the transfer times from six regional medical centers within a 120 mile radius to our comprehensive center. All transfers over the past year that were triaged as acute stroke with need for urgent transfer were included. Transfer time was defined as the interval between the initial call requesting transfer until arrival at our facility. These times were averaged for each referring hospital, and were compared to the driving time from our center to each site (using google maps). Any patient transfer that did not have precise arrival time was excluded from analysis. All data were derived from our hospital access center and patient records. Results Transfer times from six different regional hospitals were included, ranging from 18 to 119 miles from our comprehensive center. There were 70 patient transfers from these hospitals over the past year for which transfer time was recorded. Overall average transfer time was 97.8 min. All transfer times were significantly longer than expected driving times, with average differences per hospital ranging from 46 to 133 min. In general the furthest regional hospitals had the lowest time difference from expected driving times, likely because air transport was used more frequently. However in no instance was hospital-to-hospital transfer quicker than expected driving time, even when air transport was used. Conclusions The emergent transfer of stroke patients from regional medical centers to our comprehensive stroke center was extremely inefficient. The average time to transfer a patient was over an hour and a half, and some of the longest transfer times were from the nearest facilities. These findings suggest that increased efficiency in acute stroke care is needed, as clinical outcomes depend on rapid revascularization. Developing systems of care should focus on early stroke diagnosis and consideration of bypassing local hospitals to bring certain potential stroke patients directly to comprehensive centers. Disclosures M. Froehler: None. K. Espaillat: None.


ABSTRACT Dual language immersion programs are increasing in popularity. Yet little is known about what motivates parents to enroll their children in dual language immersion. The theory of planned behavior posits that behavior is based on attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The current study was an exploratory evaluation of the utility of the theory of planned behavior in understanding parents' intentions and enrollment in dual language immersion programs (N = 74). Approximately one-third of participants took steps toward enrollment. Parental attitudes significantly influenced behavioral intentions to enroll. For every unit increase in behavioral intentions, there was a 2.78 greater likelihood of enrollment. Implications and future research are discussed.


Knowing how hands move and what object is being manipulated are two key sub-tasks for analyzing first-person (egocentric) action. However, lack of fully annotated hand data as well as imprecise foreground segmentation make either sub-task challenging. This work aims to explicitly ad dress these two issues via introducing a cascaded interactional targeting (i.e., infer both hand and active object regions) deep neural network. Firstly, a novel EM-like learning framework is proposed to train the pixel-level deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) by seamlessly integrating weakly supervised data (i.e., massive bounding box annotations) with a small set of strongly supervised data (i.e., fully annotated hand segmentation maps) to achieve state-of-the-art hand segmentation performance. Secondly, the resulting high-quality hand segmentation maps are further paired with the corresponding motion maps and object feature maps, in order to explore the contextual information among object, motion and hand to generate interactional foreground regions (operated objects). The resulting interactional target maps (hand + active object) from our cascaded DCNN are further utilized to form discriminative action representation. Experiments show that our framework has achieved the state-of-the-art egocentric action recognition performance on the benchmark dataset Activities of Daily Living (ADL).


The Internet is an evolving force that contributes to rapid economic expansion worldwide. However, each newly emerging Internet technology requires rigorous evaluation and testing; a process that often includes simulation and modeling. OPNET Modeler is among the foremost software products for the simulation and modeling of communication protocols and Internet technologies. However, OPNET's considerable amounts of source code and supporting application programming interfaces (API) can be quite overwhelming, even for experienced developers. This paper attempts to demystify the process of modeling in OPNET and enumerate the key steps for creating new simulation models using the OPNET Modeler software package. In this paper, the authors share experiences from their foray into developing a new IP layer mechanism for QoS support. Additionally, this paper details a methodology for expanding the OPNET Modeler network layer implementation.


It is forty years since Professor Newark wrote despairingly of nuisance that "the subject as commonly taught comprises a mass of material which proves so intractable to definition and analysis that it immediately betrays its mongrel origins." The "truest dictum in the books" was that of Erle C.J., who had once said in answer to the question, what is a nuisance?, that it was "immersed in undefined uncertainty." Little has changed since 1949. Public and private nuisance still face life together in the textbooks, the universities and the law reports, despite the convincing evidence all round, much of it gathered in Newark's article, that they have little in common except the accident of sharing the same name. Making hoax bomb calls, obstructing the highway and holding a badly organised pop festival are as vulnerable to a public nuisance action as are the more traditional occurrences of special damage from atmospheric, water and noise pollution. Private nuisance has, if anything, become even more confused and confusing. Its chapter lies neglected in the standard works, little changed over the years, its modest message overwhelmed by the excitements to be found elsewhere in tort. Any sense of direction which may have existed in the old days is long gone. The action now encompasses not only smelly oil depots, noisy speedboats and the like but also dangerous natural hazards on the land and the only slightly less natural "user of premises for prostitution and the perambulations of the prostitutes and their customers." Sometimes negligence is essential to liability, sometimes it is quite irrelevant.


In this essay, I offer new arguments about why the rational actor paradigm in plea bargaining may not capture the reality of negotiation between prosecutor and defense counsel, and why lawyers may not be likely to lessen the effects of cognitive bias and heuristics. As others have acknowledged, cognitive biases and heuristics that interfere with accurate information processing are one threat to a rational economic model of plea bargaining. But modern psychology has recognized that cognitive biases and heuristics do not exist in a vacuum and are not the only systematic predictors of how individuals process information. Rather than suggesting that certain factors act as an impediment to rational decision making, the social psychological approach seeks to explain perception and decision making as a function of myriad individual and social factors. This essay begins to explore psychological research on how motivation and the effects of social factors can affect information processing to shed light on such processing in the plea bargaining setting. In particular, I consider the effects of two factors, epistemic motivation and group identity and membership, on information processing as it may relate to plea negotiation. I begin by briefly reviewing the literature on how cognitive bias may affect plea bargaining. I then explore how epistemic motivation and group identity and membership affect information processing and the use of biases and heuristics more broadly, looking particularly at potential effects in the plea bargaining setting.


Abstract In this paper, we prove the following results about the shift map on the inverse limit space of a compact metric space and a sole bonding map: (1) the chain recurrent set of the shift map equals the inverse limit space of the chain recurrent set of the sole bonding map. Similar results are proved for the nonwandering set, ω-limit set, recurrent set, and almost periodic set. (2) The shift map on the inverse limit space is chaotic in the sense of Devaney if and only if its sole bonding map is chaotic. (3) If the sole bonding map is ω-chaotic, then the shift map on the inverse limit space is ω-chaotic. With a modification of the definition of ω-chaos we show the converse is true. (4) We prove that a transitive map on a closed invariant set containing an interval must have sensitive dependence on initial conditions on the whole set. Then it is both ω-chaotic and chaotic in the sense of Devaney with chaotic set the whole set. At last we give a new method of constructing chaotic homeomorphisms on chainable continua, especially on pseudo-arcs.


1Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China; 2Mental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China; 3China National Clinical Research Center on Mental Disorders, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China; 4Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Hempstead, NY, USA; 5Division of Psychiatry Research, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, NY, USA Background: Many studies have reported an association between childhood trauma exposure and schizophrenia. Among these studies, the Short-form Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF) is one of the most widely used measures of childhood trauma. However, little is known regarding the long-term reliability of the CTQ-SF, especially in patients with psychopathology. Methods: The CTQ-SF was administered to 50 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia from a hospital in Changsha, Hunan, China. These patients were asked to re-complete the CTQ-SF when they were re-hospitalized or received outpatient treatments in the same hospital within 4 years of follow-up. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess test–retest reliability of the CTQ-SF over the intervals. Associations of the CTQ-SF with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) were tested using Spearman correlation coefficients. Results: Among the participants, 35 (70.0%) patients re-completed the CTQ-SF after an interval averaging 11.26 months. Excellent test–retest reliabilities (with ICC > 0.75) were found for the total CTQ-SF score (ICC = 0.772) as well as scores of the emotional abuse (ICC = 0.808), physical abuse (ICC = 0.756), sexual abuse (ICC = 0.877) and physical neglect (ICC = 0.751) subscales. Meanwhile, a moderate test–retest reliability was found for the emotional neglect subscale (ICC = 0.538). At both baseline and follow-up, no significant correlations (p > 0.05) were found between CTQ-SF scores and any other clinical assessments. Conclusion: Our results suggest that CTQ-SF is reliable to assess childhood trauma exposures in schizophrenia over relatively long intervals, regardless of patients' current symptoms and states of cognition.


The application of stable isotope thermometry and phase relations was used to examine the thermal evolution of oxidation and secondary mineralization at the Great Australia Cu-Au-Co deposit, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia. Results show that early secondary mineralization consisted of djurleite crystallization at temperatures <93°C, followed by calcite mineralization at 66° to 75°C. The secondary mineralization paragenesis continued with azurite that formed at about 51°C, followed by malachite crystallization at 41° to 38°C, and malachite after azurite at 34°C. The final stage of secondary mineralization consists of calcite that formed at 25° to 30°C, followed by goethite. The general trend observed is for early oxidation and supergene enrichment at apparent temperatures less than 93°C and between 66° and 75°C, cooling to ambient surface temperatures late in the period of mineralization. A correlation is observed between decreasing isotope thermometry temperatures and increasing δ 13C values as oxidation and supergene enrichment progressed. This is interpreted to result from exothermic sulfide oxidation and associated subsurface thermophilic bacterial oxidation within the oxidation front. Over the period of oxidation and supergene enrichment, temperatures decreased and δ 13C values increased, recording in the secondary minerals the passing of the oxidation front and a diminishing subsurface bacterial carbon source.


Central to the post-2001 British policy shift from multiculturalism to community cohesion is the assumption that the disturbances were the product of youth identities that were shaped by 'parallel lives' and that there is a need for increased contact between communities. There is evidence to support the notion that many young British people, particularly in areas of significant ethnic physical segregation, favour distinct and racialised identifications, although the positional and situational nature of youth identification is sometimes understated. This paper draws on research techniques based on word association, carried out in Oldham and Rochdale, two towns in Greater Manchester often portrayed as epitomising ethnic segregation. The research provides some evidence regarding ways in which young people view the 'other' in relation to their self-identification, and also how they perceive their town and area. The research suggests that the factors structuring the development of identifications and categorisations are complex and multilayered, but that, although there is evidence of negative views of 'out-groups' held by both White and Muslim young people, the latter group have more positive place attachments and attitudes towards multiculturalism. The findings suggest that the context in which contact between groups takes place may be important for the success of enhanced contact as a strategy.