This study examines the fiscal and monetary conducts in Nigeria and their interaction
with the balance of payments for the period 1970-2010. It examines how the government
adjusts its desired level of nominal expenditure and income from taxes to variations in price level and how fast such adjustments are. Also, the means by which the Nigerian
economy absorbs the exchange market pressure (EMP) are determined. Descriptive analysis, three-stage least squares (3SLS), vector error correction model (VECM), autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) are employed. Evidence from the descriptive analysis suggests that deficit financing mostly through the central bank credit becomes the standard fiscal policy with the implication of increased money supply, rising inflation and balance of payment deterioration. Results from 3SLS show that nominal government expenditure and revenue adjust positively to inflation rate and income level, and government expenditure quickly
adjusts while its revenue lags behind. Evidence from VECM reveals that in the long-run
and short-run fiscal deficit, price, and private sector credit have significant impacts on money supply. Granger causality results indicate that in the short-run, unidirectional
causality runs from money supply to inflation; and from government deficit to price while in the long-run, bidirectional causality runs between money supply and price. Also the DOLS results reveal that domestic credit has a significant negative impact on EMP and that external imbalances are absorbed more by depleting foreign reserves than exchange rate depreciation. These results are capable of providing useful information to policy makers to make useful policies, and to monetary authorities to abide by prudent fiscal operations without relying on the banking system for deficit financing. Generally, the probable policy recommendation is the designation of the appropriate way of achieving credible fiscal behaviour, and the application of credit restriction rules to curtail credit from the banking system for deficit financing


A growing appreciation of the pathophysiological interrelatedness of metabolic risk factors such as obesity and diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease has led to the conceptualization of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome. The confluence of metabolic risk factors and chronic kidney disease within cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome is strongly linked to risk for adverse cardiovascular and kidney outcomes. In addition, there are unique management considerations for individuals with established cardiovascular disease and coexisting metabolic risk factors, chronic kidney disease, or both. An extensive body of literature supports our scientific understanding of, and approach to, prevention and management for individuals with cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome. However, there are critical gaps in knowledge related to cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome in terms of mechanisms of disease development, heterogeneity within clinical phenotypes, interplay between social determinants of health and biological risk factors, and accurate assessments of disease incidence in the context of competing risks. There are also key limitations in the data supporting the clinical care for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome, particularly in terms of early-life prevention, screening for risk factors, interdisciplinary care models, optimal strategies for supporting lifestyle modification and weight loss, targeting of emerging cardioprotective and kidney-protective therapies, management of patients with both cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease, and the impact of systematically assessing and addressing social determinants of health. This scientific statement uses a crosswalk of major guidelines, in addition to a review of the scientific literature, to summarize the evidence and fundamental gaps related to the science, screening, prevention, and management of cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome.


We consider the problem of aggregating votes cast by a society on a fixed set of issues, where each member of the society may vote for one of several positions on each issue, but the combination of votes on the various issues is restricted to a set of feasible voting patterns. We follow the aggregation framework used by Dokow and Holzman [Aggregation of non-binary evaluations, Advances in Applied Mathematics, 45:4, 487--504, 2010], in which both preference aggregation and judgment aggregation can be cast. We require the aggregation to be independent on each issue, and also supportive, i.e., for every issue, the corresponding component of every aggregator, when applied to a tuple of votes, must take as value one of the votes in that tuple. We prove that, in such a setup, non-dictatorial aggregation of votes in a society of an arbitrary size is possible if and only if either there is a non-dictatorial aggregator for two voters or there is an aggregator for three voters such that, for each issue, the corresponding component of the aggregator, when restricted to two-element sets of votes, is a majority operation or a minority operation. We then introduce a notion of a uniform non-dictatorial aggregator, which is an aggregator such that on every issue, and when restricted to arbitrary two-element subsets of the votes for that issue, it differs from all projection functions. We first give a characterization of sets of feasible voting patterns that admit a uniform non-dictatorial aggregator. After this and by making use of Bulatov's dichotomy theorem for conservative constraint satisfaction problems, we connect social choice theory with the computational complexity of constraint satisfaction by proving that if a set of feasible voting patterns has a uniform non-dictatorial aggregator of some arity, then the multi-sorted conservative constraint satisfaction problem on that set (with each issue representing a different sort) is solvable in polynomial time; otherwise, it is NP-complete.


The cellular morphology of a biochemical variant of Candida albicans could be controlled by the ratio of carbon dioxide to oxygen in the culture system or by individual amino acids. Predominantly pseudohyphal morphology was observed (i) at a CO2 to O2 ratio of 2:1 and (ii) without the addition of carbon dioxide, when either glycine, d- or l-ornithine, l-serine, l-methionine, l-phenylalanine, or l-tyrosine was the sole nitrogen source in the culture medium. When ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, l-glutamic acid, l-glutamine, or l-proline was the nitrogen source, yeastlike growth was observed in the presence or absence of CO2. More adenosylmethionine was present in pseudohyphal than in yeastlike cells, and pseudohyphal cell wall preparations contained less methionine than cell walls from the yeastlike form. These results suggest a correlation between sulfur amino acid metabolism and dimorphism.


Two pinto bean variety trials were grown in Greenlee and southern Graham counties. UI 114, the most commonly grown variety in both areas, was out yielded in both locations by other varieties. In Greenlee county, Luna, a New Mexico variety, surpassed UI 114 by approximately 100 pounds per acre. In Graham county, Olathe, a Colorado variety, out yielded UI 114 by more than 250 pounds per acre. At $40 per hundredweight, the latter difference translates into more than $100 per acre.


The catchments are geographic, geomorphologic and hydrologic unities, today recognized to be relevant natural infrastructures for supporting the development of new research and the management of water resources and soil protection at continental scale, as well as at regional or local scales. The long term survey of rivers allows to determine the impacts of climatic changes and anthropogenic activities on the hydrological and biogeochemical functioning of their drainage basin, but also on soil erosion, pollutant transfers, biogeochemical cycles, soil and water quality, living organisms and terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They allow also to assess the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, ecosystem services and finally, the relationships between man, societies and their environments at different scales.
A better understanding of mechanisms and a better estimation of mass balances at the scale of catchments require to set up long term surveys, at least during 10 years to take into account the recurrence of dry and humid periods, which exhibit on average a 10-year periodicity for most rivers in the world. These surveys must be done with a high resolution or even continuously (using multi-parameter probes with different sensors) during the flood events ("hot moments") which are the main periods of soil erosion and river transports. Inputs and outputs of water and sediment fluxes and of their chemical and isotopic composition must be evaluated in relation with changes in climate, hydrology, land cover and agricultural practices. These global surveys make these catchments real environmental Observatories of the continental surfaces and interfaces, and particularly, of what we call today, the Critical Zone (see figure below).
We show through some results obtained on different catchments how we can assess hydroclimatic fluctuations from river discharge variations, physical and chemical soil erosion and CO2 uptake by rock weathering from the chemical composition of river waters and fluvial sediments. We also show how an anthropogenic perturbation can change the chemical and isotopic composition of river fluxes and CO2 consumption by chemical erosion.
Several Observatories already exists on different catchments in France, in Europe and in the world and they are organized in network at the scale of the different countries (SOERE RBV and IR OZCAR in France), but also at the European (like eLTER) or international levels (ILTER, CZEN).
In France, the experimental catchment network (RBV) was recently grouped with other networks on the Critical Zones (Peat, Ground Water, Glaciers, Regional Spatial Observatory…), to form a French Research Infrastructure (IR OZCAR). At the end of 2017, OZCAR will be grouped with the French LTER network (Zone Atelier) to integrate an European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructure (ESFRI) on eLTER.


This study seeks to contribute to the development of procedures which provide useful information to decision-makers and affected people regarding the national income and employment impacts of railroad branch line abandonment. There are three major parts to this paper. The first part probes the underlying assumptions of public investment analysis. It is noted that non-Pareto optimal welfare changes occur whether or not abandonment takes place. The decision of whether or not to subsidize branch lines is based on the decision-makers' evaluation of certain important consequences, expressed in terms of criterion variables. It is argued that analyses should provide information regarding criterion variables to which decision-makers can assign values in the ultimate abandonment decision. The second part presents a conceptual approach within which two criterion variables -national income and employment impacts-can be isolated. National income impacts are composed of changes in the amount of resources devoted to transport cost and changes in output. Employment impacts are examined in the dimensions of occupational groups and geographical areas. The last part applies the conceptual approach by estimating and displaying national income and employment impacts for four connecting branch lines in Michigan. Finally, data limitations and problems in empirical estimations are brought to light in the summary and conclusions.


The aim of this study it to determine the effect of training intensive care unit (ICU) nurses in reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).

 A quasi-experimental (single group, pre-test–post-test) model was used. The study was conducted in 2015, in nine adult ICUs in Istanbul, where we observed the VAP rate and trained study group nurses. Sixty nurses were given two VAP training sessions (averaging 45 min each) at intervals of 6 months. Forty-nine nurses were in the control group. Data were collected with an Introductory Information Form, a VAP Information Test, and an Application Status of VAP Preventive/Reducing Initiatives Form. The incidences of VAP in 2014 and 2015 were also compared. Frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, t-tests, Wilcoxon tests, and χ2 tests were used to evaluate the data. The values of p less than .05 were considered significant.

 The mean-total-knowledge score increased significantly in the study group. The application of preventive/reducing initiatives also increased significantly in the study group, but in the last measurement, the difference between the groups was not statistically significant. The incidences of VAP decreased significantly in the study group.

 The study showed that the VAP training given to intensive care nurses increased their knowledge level and decreased the incidence of VAP in their ICUs.


By directly forming an underbump metallization layer (211) on a contact region (202A) of the last metallization layer, the formation of any other terminal metals, such as aluminum and corresponding adhesion/barrier layers, may be avoided. Consequently, the thermal and electrical behavior of the resulting bump structure (212) may be improved, while process complexity may be significantly reduced.


The hypothesis that sensors can detect changes in behaviours and physiologies associated with cows becoming clinically lame was tested by comparing trends of sensor data from lame cows with non-lame cows. Sensor data included data from live weighing scales, pedometers (average steps per hour) and milk meters collected between November 2010 and June 2012 on five Waikato dairy farms. Farmers were trained in detecting and diagnosing lame cows. For each lameness event (n = 318 events affecting 292 cows) a time period of 14 days prior to the day of detection was randomly matched by farm and date to 10 non-lame cows. In this period, lame cows decreased in weight, steps taken per hour, milk yield in the first two minutes of milking, total milk yield, and milking duration. Lame cows also entered the milking platform later. In comparison, non-lame cows had no change in sensor data trends. These differences (P <0.05) in sensor data trends imply potential value of sensor data in detecting lameness automatically. Large variations in sensor data values between and within lame and non-lame cows indicated that future research should focus on combinations of variables that show the best potential to detect lameness automatically.


Developmental distinctions between giant and dwarf fruiting bodies of Phycomyces blakesleeanus (Burgeff) were studied by means of size measurements and growth analyses. Histograms of fruiting body lengths showed a bimodal distribution, with peaks around 0.3 millimeter (dwarfs) and 30 millimeters (giants). Individual cultures contain both giants and dwarfs. Differences between giants and dwarfs appear in the first phase of development; the apex of the giant is tapered, whereas the dwarf apex is dome-shaped. Probable cytological distinctions at this stage are cited in discussion. The dwarfs terminate enlargement upon expansion of the sporangium, thus lacking the subsequent phase of rapid elongation (stage IV) that contributes 90% of the length in the case of giants. It was concluded that P. blakesleeanus maintains two developmental patterns for asexual fruiting, with dwarfs and giants differing radically in growth regulation.


We show that the model wave functions used to describe the fractional quantum Hall effect have exact representations as matrix product states (MPS). These MPS can be implemented numerically in the orbital basis of both finite and infinite cylinders, which provides an efficient way of calculating arbitrary observables. We extend this approach to the charged excitations and numerically compute their Berry phases. Finally, we present an algorithm for numerically computing the real-space entanglement spectrum starting from an arbitrary orbital basis MPS, which allows us to study the scaling properties of the real-space entanglement spectra on infinite cylinders. The real-space entanglement spectrum obeys a scaling form dictated by the edge conformal field theory, allowing us to accurately extract the two entanglement velocities of the Moore-Read state. In contrast, the orbital space spectrum is observed to scale according to a complex set of power laws that rule out a similar collapse.


Abstract. We present an approach for detecting early signs for upcoming forest damages by training a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for the pixel-wise prediction of the remaining life-time (RLT) of trees in forests based on Sentinel-2 imagery. We focus on a scenario in which reference data are only available for a related task, namely for a bi-temporal pixel-wise classification of forest degradation. This reference is used to train a CNN for the pixel-wise prediction of forest degradation. In this context, we propose a new sub-sampling-based approach for compensating the effects of a heavy class imbalance in the training data. Using the resulting classification model, we predict semi-labels for images of a Sentinel-2 time series, from which training data for a CNN designed to regress the RLT can be derived after some label cleansing. However, due to data gaps in the time series, e.g. caused by clouds, only intervals can be derived for the target variable to be regressed, and for some training pixels one of the interval limits may even be unknown. Consequently, we propose a new loss function for training a CNN for regressing the RLT that only requires the known interval limits. The method is evaluated on a data set in Germany, covering a time-span of 5 years. We show that the proposed sub-sampling strategy for dealing with strong label imbalance when training the classifier significantly reduces the training time compared to other approaches. We further show that our model predicts the RLT with a maximum error of two months for 80% of the forest pixels that die within one year from the acquisition date of the Sentinel-2 image.


President Macron talks of France's 'Indo-Pacific strategy' (une strategie indo-pacifique). This article analyzes French strategic discourse and strategy adopted for the Indo-Pacific by France. It finds that French strategy has three main elements. Firstly it has seeks legitimacy, politically seeking to move from a colonial possessions position to democratic integration with France, and has sought to achieve regional integration and legitimacy of this. Secondly, geographically France has moved up northwards from its possessions in the Southern Indian Ocean and Southern Pacific to active maritime involvement in the northern Indian Ocean, South China Sea and Western Pacific. Thirdly, French strategy is to actively secure security partnerships with other countries in the region. Naval projection is a prominent feature of French strategy, which is a strategy which is significantly driven by China's maritime expansion across the Indo-Pacific. The article thus seeks to analyze, explain and evaluate the effectiveness of France's Indo-Pacific strategy.


metaheuristic, an advancement over classical metaheuristic, provides a more effective search methodology. It combines several metaheuristic algorithms into one optimization mechanism. In this paper image enhancement is considered as an optimization problem. Hybrid metaheuristic techniques are used to find the optimum value for a set of parameters of a transformation function, with an aim towards maximizing a fitness function. Three hybrid metaheuristic approaches are employed to find the optimum solution. Results of all three algorithms are compared amongst themselves. Comparison is also shown with classical metaheuristic algorithms and traditional enhancement approach of histogram equalization.


The purpose of the study was to analyze the ability of five antitumor drugs from the pharmaceutical group of protein kinase inhibitors (gefitinib, imatinib, pazopanib, ponatinib and enzastaurin) to reactivate the expression of the epigenetically silenced GFP in HeLa TI cells, and to estimate the effect of epigenetically active drugs on: 1) acetylation and methylation of histones H3 and H4; 2) integral DNA methylation; 3) activity of HAT and HDAC1 enzymes; 4) expression levels of the genes encoding epigenetic regulation enzymes (DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B; SIRT1, HDAC1; SETD1A, SETD1B, SUV420H1, SUV420H2, SUV39H1, SUV39H2). Material and Methods . The epigenetic activity of antitumor drugs was determined using the HeLa TI test system, a population of HeLa cells with the retroviral vector containing the epigenetically silenced GFP. The level of integral DNA methylation was analyzed using MspI/HpaII methyl-sensitive restriction analysis. Histone modifications were analyzed by Western blotting with antibodies to acetylated and methylated histones H3 and H4. The total activity of HAT enzymes was analyzed using Histone Acetyltransferase Activity Assay Kit. Expression of the epigenetic enzyme genes was analyzed using real-time quantitative RT-PCR. Results . It was shown that only the enzyme inhibitor Cβ protein kinase enzastaurin had the ability to reactivate the expression of epigenetically silenced GFP in the HeLa TI cells. We showed that under the action of enzastaurin, the level of integral DNA methylation and expression of DNMT3A and DNMT3B DNA methyltransferase genes decreased. It was also found that enzastaurin reduced the expression levels of histone deacetylases HDAC1 and SIRT1, but did not affect the activity and expression levels of histone acetylases, the level of histone methylation (H3K4me3, H3K9me3, H3K27me3, H4K20me3), and the level of expression of the histone methyltransferases (SUV39H1, SUV39H2, SUV420H1, SUV420H2, SETD1A и SETD1B). Conclusion . The data obtained are important for clarifying the mechanisms of action of 5 protein kinase inhibitors, in particular with respect to enzastaurin, the protein kinase Cβ inhibitor, for which the ability to reactivate epigenetically silent genes due to the effect on DNA methylation and histone acetylation was demonstrated.


What problems prompt managements to call a turnaround professional for help? Do these brash renewal experts employ the chainsaw for most every engagement, or are the problems and solutions much more intricate? From a survey of turnaround managers, we learn that the problems are broadly categorized as financial, operational, or strategic. The bloated, unfocused company is only one of several templates. These experts present solutions that involve basic management skills and make one wonder how the company ever got off the ground.


Multiplex methodologies, especially those with high-throughput capabilities generate large volumes of data. Accumulation of such data (e.g., genomics, proteomics, metabolomics etc.) is fast becoming more common and thus requires the development and implementation of effective data mining strategies designed for biological and clinical applications. Multiplex microbead immunoassay (MMIA), on xMAP or MagPix platform (Luminex), which is amenable to automation, offers a major advantage over conventional methods such as Western blot or ELISA, for increasing the efficiencies in serodiagnosis of infectious diseases. MMIA allows detection of antibodies and/or antigens efficiently for a wide range of infectious agents simultaneously in host blood samples, in one reaction vessel. In the process, MMIA generates large volumes of data. In this report we demonstrate the application of data mining tools on how the inherent large volume data can improve the assay tolerance (measured in terms of sensitivity and specificity) by analysis of experimental data accumulated over a span of two years. The combination of prior knowledge with machine learning tools provides an efficient approach to improve the diagnostic power of the assay in a continuous basis. Furthermore, this study provides an in-depth knowledge base to study pathological trends of infectious agents in mouse colonies on a multivariate scale. Data mining techniques using serodetection of infections in mice, developed in this study, can be used as a general model for more complex applications in epidemiology and clinical translational research.


The need for an access to the venous system, in order to infuse chemotherapeutic treatments or parenteral nutrition, has increased the number of central venous access systems (CVAS) implanted in the past years. Between February 1985 and December 1990, 87 devices were implanted in 76 patients (from 11 months to 15 years of age), with a median function time of 349 days (range: 7 to 1887 days). The overall incidence of complications was 0.10 per 10 days of catheterization, with complication rates for infection and thrombosis of 0.02 and 0.03, respectively. Nineteen systems were removed because of complications and 11 because of completion of the treatment. Of the cases, 97.7% included a follow-up period. The present study confirms the advantages of these devices, with a long working life and a low complication rate, being a good alternative for chronically ill children requiring long-term and/or cyclic intravenous therapy.


The garbage can theory of organizational choice is one of the best-known innovations in modern organization theory. It also has significantly shaped a major branch of the new institutionalism. Yet, the theory has not received the systematic assessment that it both deserves and needs. We evaluate the early verbal theory and argue that it fails to create an adequate foundation for scientific progress. We then analyze and rerun Cohen, March, and Olsen's computer model and discover that its agents move in lockstep patterns that are strikingly different from the spirit of the theory. Indeed, the simulation and the theory are incompatible. Next, we examine how the authors have built upon these incompatible formulations in developing the theory further. We assess this larger program, which includes the March-Olsen version of the new institutionalism, and find that many of the problems that attended the original article have intensified over time. We conclude that a fundamental overhaul is required if the theory is to realize its early promise.


Of 1076 patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage, 674 were females and 402 males. No significant differences between females and males were seen as regards age, clinical condition on admission, pre-existing arterial hypertension and number of rebleeds. Angiographically demonstrated vasospasm was seen with a significantly higher incidence in females, which may possibly explain a significantly poorer outcome in females compared to males, despite a much higher rate in females of internal carotid artery aneurysms which have a significantly better prognosis compared with aneurysms at other sites.


CSA currently has 10 Acoustics Standards and three more with significant acoustics content. Over five times that number of international acoustics standards have been reviewed and endorsed in a new Canadian Standard, Z107.10. This innovative standard streamlines the process whereby CSA endorses standards suitable for use in Canada from other organisations, such as ANSI and ISO. This article is an update for 2007 of Acoustics Standards activities in Canada, especially those of the Canadian Standards Association. Canadian acousticians are invited to contact the author to become more involved with the many acoustics standards activities currently underway in Canada and on behalf of Canada around the world.


This study aims to characterize lawsuits pleading for medicines in Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil. A descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out, which included all such judicial processes in the municipality between January 1999 and June 2014. Most of the time, public agents were responsible for legal representation (81.8% of cases), most of the prescriptions came from the private system (50.10%), and only 3% of prescribers concentrated nearly 30% of the cases. Diabetes and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were the most prevalent diseases; with analogous insulins and methylphenidate being the most required drugs. It is concluded that, on average, 30% of the city's budget for the purchase of medicines is spent on medicines obtained through the courts.


Feng, W., Xu, M., Fan, M., Malhi, S. S., Schoenau, J. J., Six, J. and Plante, A. F. 2014. Testing for soil carbon saturation behavior in agricultural soils receiving long-term manure amendments. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 281-294. Agricultural soils are typically depleted in soil organic matter compared with their undisturbed counterparts, thus reducing their fertility. Organic amendments, particularly manures, provide the opportunity to restore soil organic matter stocks, improve soil fertility and potentially sequester atmospheric carbon (C). The application of the soil C saturation theory can help identify soils with large C storage potentials. The goal of this study was to test whether soil C saturation can be observed in various soil types in agricultural ecosystems receiving long-term manure amendments. Seven long-term agricultural field experiments from China and Canada were selected for this study. Manure amendments increased C concentrations in bulk soil, particulate organic matter+sand, and silt+clay fractions in all the experiments. The increase in C concentrations of silt+clay did not fit the asymptotic regression as a function of C inputs better than the linear regression, indicating that silt+clay did not exhibit C saturation behavior. However, 44% of calculated C loading values for silt+clay were greater than the presumed maximal C loading, suggesting that this maximum may be greater than 1 mg C m-2 for many soils. The influences of soil mineral surface properties on C concentrations of silt+clay fractions were site specific. Fine soil particles did not exhibit C saturation behavior likely because current C inputs were insufficient to fill the large C saturation deficits of intensely cultivated soils, suggesting these soils may continue to act as sinks for atmospheric C.


Abstract In the years 2012-2014 on Banu-Maracine DRS there were tested an assortment of 25 isogenic lines of wheat (Triticum aestivum ssp.vulgare), the analyzed characters being the number of seeds/spike, seeds weight/spike (g), no. of spikes/m2, weight of a thousand seeds (WTS) (g) and no. of emerged plants/m2. Based on recorded data and statistical processing of those, they were identified a numbers of links between these characters. Also available regression models were identified between some of the studied characters. Based on component analysis, no. of seeds/spike and seeds weight/spike are components that influence in excess of 88% variance analysis, a total of seven genotypes with positive scores for both factors.


The position of an individual in international law has been changing for centuries. Under classical international law the individual formally could not apply to international bodies for defending his rights. Therefore the right of an individual to provide individual communication against the state was barely possible. However, the current analysis of the texts and documents shows, that individuals and groups of individuals have develop the practice to apply to international institutions since 17th century. Despite the limited practice of international bodies to deal with individual communications, the right to apply to international institutions was wide spread and practiced in the different international frameworks. Even the practice to address to international organizations was widespread, the rules of procedure of establishing body competent to deal with individual communications were adopted only after the Second World War. The Human Rights Committee was granted the right to deal with individual communications according to the provisions of the Optional Protocol to ICCPR. The practice of Human Rights Committee has shown the eagerness to interpret the right to apply for groups of individuals to the HRC in the narrow sense. The Committee was also developing in practice the provisions dealing the victim, state responsibility, representation of victim and other questions. The newest developments of the individual communication right are devoted to the working groups elaborating the possibility to grant the right to individuals address to CESCR to defend the violation of their economical, social or cultural rights.


In this letter, a 3-D inversed synthetic aperture radar imaging algorithm for targets in high-speed spinning is proposed based on 2-D spectrum matched filter (MF) banks. Each spectrum MF bank yields a focused slice for its corresponding scatterers. By extracting the spatial parameters from all slices, the 3-D image of the target can be constructed. Numeric simulation confirms the validity of the algorithm.


Physico-chemical and organoleptic characteristics of food depend largely on the microscopic level distribution of gases and water, and connectivity and mobility through the pores. Microstructural characterization of food can be accomplished by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Nuclear Magnetic Spectroscopy (NMR) combined with the application of methods of dissemination and multidimensional relaxometry. In this work, funded by the EC Project InsideFood, several artificial food models, based on foams and gels were studied using MRI and 2D relaxometry. Two different kinds of foams were used: a sugarless and a sugar foam. Then, a half of a syringe was filled with the sugarless foam and the other half with the sugar foam. Then, MRI and NMR experiments were performed and the sample evolution was observed along 3 days in order to quantify macrostructural changes through proton density images and microstructural ones using T1T2 maps, using an inversion CPMG sequence. On the proton density images it may be seen that after 16 hours it was possible to differentiate the macrostructural changes, as the apparition of free water due to a syneresis phenomenon. On the interface it can be seen a brighter area after 16 hours, due to the occurrence of free water. Moreover, thanks to the bidimensional relaxometry (T1-T2) it was possible to differentiate among microscopic changes. Differences between the pores size can be observed as well as the microstructure evolution after 30.5 hours, as a consequence differences are shown on free water redistribution through larger pores and capillarity phenomena between both foams.


We use data on political beliefs (broadly, left-right position, meritocracy and origins of poverty) to discuss Venezuela's economic institutions. Our starting point is the large role attributed to beliefs in determining the economic system and the extent of government intervention (see, for example, Alesina et al, 2001). This brings us to the question of what causes changes in beliefs. We briefly discuss and present some evidence consistent with the idea that some of the main social and economic forces that affected Venezuela this century may have changed people's rational beliefs. These include a dependence on oil, a history of macro-economic volatility, the rise in crime and the rise in a preoccupation with corruption. We end up with a cautionary result: although these results point in the direction of giving a role to real shocks in the determination of beliefs, we test and find that perceptions for different phenomena are sometimes correlated. In particular, the perception of corruption is related to the perception of crime rather than the amount of real corruption actually experienced.


In the field of forensic science, discovered materials that could potentially be used as evidence are screened using presumptive and confirmatory tests before the samples are subjected to DNA analysis. Both of these tests have drawbacks associated with their use, such as being prone to false positive and negatives. Only one biological fluid can be analyzed using one of these tests at a time. Further, these tests are destructive to the sample, meaning no further analyses could be performed on the same sample portion. Herein, we report the functionalization of commercially available nylon evidentiary swabs to serve as a SERS-active medium for non-destructive confirmatory analysis of seminal fluid by attaching silver nanoparticles grown via the hydrogen reduction method to the fibers. The resulting swabs have been analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and electron microscopy to assess the silver nanoparticle coverage. The two model dye compounds crystal violet and tris(2,2'-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) chloride were analyzed using SERS as a proof of concept and examination of SERS enhancements, respectively. The research includes the study of the effects of swab fabrication on surface coverage, particle size and spacing, and Raman and SERS spectral enhancement of the two model dyes and seminal fluid. Efforts to maximize seminal fluid SERSsignal while exploring the effect of swab storage is also presented.


A finite group $G$ is said to be $(l,m, n)$-generated, if it is a quotient group of the triangle group $T(l,m, n) = left .$ In [Nova J. Algebra and Geometry, 2 (1993), no. 3, 277--285], Moori posed the question of finding all the $(p,q,r)$ triples, where $p, q,$ and $r$ are prime numbers, such that a nonabelian finite simple group $G$ is $(p,q,r)$-generated. Also for a finite simple group $G$ and a conjugacy class $X$ of $G,$ the rank of $X$ in $G$ is defined to be the minimal number of elements of $X$ generating $G.$ In this paper, we investigate these two generational problems for the group $PSL(3,5),$ where we will determine the $(p,q,r)$-generations and the ranks of the classes of $PSL(3,5).$ We approach these kind of generations using the structure constant method. GAP [The GAP Group, GAP-Groups, Algorithms, and Programming, Version 4.9.3; 2018. (http://www.gap-system.org)] is used in our computations.


Background 'Today's increasingly complex healthcare systems offer huge benefits to patients, but also place them at risk.'1 Patient safety often features within a medical school's hidden curriculum, but increasingly it is being brought to the forefront of a student's education. 'Patient safety is inseparable from a good learning environment and culture that values and supports learners and educators. Where our [GMC] standards previously focused on protecting patients from any risk we will now make sure that education and training takes place where patients are safe.'2 There is no published work on introducing patient safety into child health curricula. This will explore the use of an innovative and active learning encounter to develop paediatric safety knowledge, skills and attitudes in undergraduate medical students. Methodology Students will be randomised to one of two study arms during their 8 week child health attachment. All will complete a 'room of horrors'3 task in week.1 In week 4, one group will take part in a PPS workshop; the second will attend a traditional, commonly-used, safety lecture. In week 7, all will complete a second 'room of horrors' task, followed by the workshop for the second group. The workshop incorporates key learning from PPS priorities identified via local DATIX systems. It includes; critical incident simulation (recognise and rescue of sick patients), 'room of horrors' task (hazard awareness), medication safety, safeguarding, duty of candour and medical documentation. Results Small numbers in our pilot session means reporting statistically significant findings is not appropriate. There were improved scores for self-reported confidence in; both recognition of the sick child and of safeguarding concerns, and communication with parents when problems arising with their child's treatment. Further work will allow us to continue analysing changes in self-reported confidence as well as objectively assessing performance with the 'room of horrors' task. References First, do no harm. Enhancing patient safety teaching in undergraduate medical education. A joint report by the General Medical Council and the Medical Schools Council, Sept 2015. Promoting excellence: standards for medical education and training, General Medical Council, Jan 2016. Farnan et al 2015; Patient safety room of horrors: a novel method to assess medical students and entering residents' ability to identify hazards of hospitalisation, BMJ Quality and Safety.


Bioinspired nanochannels whose functions are similar to those of the biological prototypes attract increasing attention due to their potential applications in signal transmission, mass transport, energy conversion, etc. Up to now, however, it is still a challenge to extract low-grade waste heat from the ambient environment in an aqueous solution. Herein, a thermo-driven nanofluidic system was developed to extract low-grade waste heat efficiently based on directed ionic transport at a micro-/nanoscale. A steady streaming current increases linearly with the temperature gradient, achieving as high as 14 nA at a temperature gradient of 47.5 C (dT 1⁄4 47.5 C) through a 0.5 cm porous membrane (10 cm ). And an unexpected theoretical power of 25.48 pW using a single nanochannel at a temperature difference of 40 C has been achieved. This bioinspired multifunctional system broadens thermal energy recovery and will accelerate the evolution of nanoconfined mass transport for practical applications.


This thesis documents work carried out on NdFeB based permanent magnetic materials using electron microscopy and related techniques. The first chapter introduces the basic theory of magnetism, the various energy terms which determine the overall state of a magnetic system and dicusses magnetic domains and domain walls. The development of permanent magnets and their uses are outlined. Chapter 2 is a discussion of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and related techniques. The principles of image formation in an electron microscope are given. The general technique of Lorentz microscopy is described and the various modes available are reviewed. The advantages and disadvantages are highlighted. The specific instruments in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Glasgow University and their relative merits are described. Chapter 3 describes the properties which are used to characterise a permanent magnet and gives a brief history of permanent magnets including the improvements recently realised to these properties. The material upon which most of the research was carried out is then discussed including how the bulk material is processed and how products are made from this material. The advantages and disadvantages of the material are described along with its properties and the various approaches used to enhance these properties. The preparation of samples from the bulk material suitable for the TEM is discussed in some detail. Chapter 4 presents the results of TEM studies of thinned sections of sintered NdFeB. The domain structures observed are explained in terms of the inclination of the c-axis with respect to the sample normal. Data is shown for three different samples of the variation of domain period with the c-axis inclination. It is found that for a given inclination, the domain period is different for each material. The behaviour of domain walls at the boundary between two grains is studied. Various types of behaviour have been observed and these have been explained in terms of the inclination of the c-axes, the orientation of the boundary with respect to the domains and the possible existence of a Nd rich grain boundary phase. Chapter 5 takes the data from the previous chapter and, using a modified version of a model derived by Kooy and Enz, calculates the domain wall energy of each of the three samples. It is found that despite sample B and C having additions of Dy, the domain wall energies are very similar. This is explained on the basis that although Dy increases the anisotropy of the material, the exchange coupling is decreased. This results in a smaller domain wall width which theoretical models predict should result in a higher coercivity. Assuming that the increase in anisotropy field and the decrease in exchange coupling are linearly proportional to the Dy content, a factor of two increase in the coercivity is expected. Magnetising experiments have been undertaken which show that the domain width of favourably oriented domains increases as expected under the influence of an increasing field which supports the validity of the model as applied to these materials. Chapter 6 gives the theory behind x-ray production and its subsequent extension to x-ray analysis and shows how this technique can be used to derive compositional information. The hardware is briefly described and the method of ratios for obtaining compositional information is explained. Finally, the accuracy of this approach is discussed. Chapter 7 shows the results of x-ray analysis of sintered NdFeB. The basic nature of the materials has been studied and it has been observed to consist of Nd2Fe14B grains separated by a predominantly Nd phase. The distribution of Nb within the materials takes various forms i.e. small precipitate-like features of varying composition or much larger Fe/Nb containing features. The smaller features, whilst similar in appearance can in fact be distinguished by their composition i.e. some of them are regions where Nb has substituted into the matrix for Fe while others appear to be genuine precipitates of what is presumed to be FeNbB. The remaining ones are rich in Nd but have not yet been identified. The larger features are also FeNbB which are crystals left over from the primary melt; these were found in Nd rich areas suggesting that the FeNbB has prevented formation of the Nd2Fe14B phase. Chapter 8 shows the results of investigations into melt-spun NdFeB. Foucault images have been obtained of three melt-spun materials with Nd contents ranging from 9.5% to 14%. The mean crystallite size and domain width are given and it has been found that the domain width increases with crystallite size. It has also been observed that the mean domain width decreases with increasing Nd content suggesting that, as in the sintered case, the Nd leads to increased decoupling of the grains.


Background Research suggests greater densities of tobacco retail outlets in residential neighbourhoods are associated with higher rates of smoking among adolescents. Policies to limit the impacts of tobacco outlets on health requires better understanding of how they affect smoking behaviour. This analysis assesses the relationship between outlet density and Scottish adolescents' awareness of tobacco products, beliefs about cigarette prices, attitudes towards smoking and access to cigarettes from retailers. Methods We analysed data from 20,466 13 and 15 year old respondents in the 2010 Scottish School Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS), a nationally representative cross-sectional survey. Outlet density was described by 10,161 addresses on the Scottish Tobacco Retailers Register, 2012. The postcodes of the children's home addresses were linked to a spatially-weighted Kernal Density Estimation (KDE) measure of the density of outlets located within 400 m of their residence, aggregated to quintiles. Children's knowledge of cigarettes was represented by the number of brands they could name, their beliefs regarding costs by estimated price of a packet of twenty, smoking opinions by counts of responses to 13 statements regarding smoking and ease of access to cigarettes by whether smokers had recently purchased cigarettes from shops themselves or through adult proxies. Pathway models described the links between outlet density and these outcomes, plus age, sex, ethnic group, family economic status, family structure, parental and friend smoking, neighbourhood deprivation and urban-rural status. Models were stratified by smoking status (never smoker/ever smoker/current smoker). Results The pathway models indicated significant (p < 0.05), but moderate, direct effects of outlet density on knowledge of cigarette brands: with each increase in outlet density quintile the number of brands named increased by 0.04 and 0.08 among never and current smokers respectively. Outlet density did not have significant direct effects on any other outcomes, but in some models did have significant effects on smoking behaviour of children's parents and friends, which in turn were related to some study outcomes. Discussion Scottish adolescents living in areas with high outlet densities had greater knowledge of cigarette brands, but did not believe cigarettes to be cheaper, have more positive opinions about smoking, or report that cigarettes were easier to purchase. Outlet densities may influence adolescents indirectly though effects on their parents and friends smoking behaviour. This study is limited by its cross-sectional design; longitudinal data could assess whether outlet density is related to changes in smoking status over time.


We examined a total of two hundred and thirty-seven 54-to-69-year-old patients subjected to aortofemoral bypass grafting for atherosclerosis of the aorta and its branches. Depending on the method of anaesthesia, the patients were subdivided into 3 groups: Group One patients received NLA with artificial lung ventilation (ALV), Group Two comprised the patients subjected to surgery in the setting of epidural anaesthesia at the level of ThXII-LI with ALV, and Group Three consisted of the patients who sustained the procedure of thoracic epidural anaesthesia at the level of ThX-Thl with ALV. The groups of patients were representative. The highest and most stable parameters of the coronary blood flow and central haemodynamics turned out to be in patients given thoracic epidural anaesthesia (ThX-Thl) with ALV due to low doses of a topical anaesthetic combined with a narcotic analgesic. The blockade of the sympathetic trunk ensured the highest and most stable parameters of the coronary circulation, stroke index, and ejection fraction as compared with those in the rest groups of patients.


The authors discuss arguments concerning indications and selection of implants and operative techniques for arthroplasty in the treatment of femoral neck fractures. Their analysis is based on long-term experience with surgical treatment of patients with hip fractures and on the evaluation of a large number of publications by well-known specialists. The assessed group included 4795 patients treated at their institution between 1997 and 2010, of whom 1532 underwent hip replacement, with 1032 receiving hemiarthroplasty (HA) and 500 having total hip replacement (THR) indicated for femoral neck fractures. A painful hemiarthroplasty due to acetabular cartilage erosion and subsequent head protrusion is still a challenging clinical problem. The most important factor in prevention of this complication remains strict adherence to indication criteria. A metal monoblock hemiarthroplasty should be indicated only in very old patients with serious co-morbidities or in patients whose pre-operative mobility has been greatly restricted. For the other cases, a modular prosthesis is preferred because it allows for more exact alignment and, if necessary, its conversion to a total hip prosthesis is relatively easy. The stem to be implanted should be the one used in standard THR procedures. A ceramic modular head then enables hemiarthroplasty to function for long with a low risk of cartilage erosion and head protrusion. Even if the choice of an optimal prosthesis, in terms of its biomechanical and biological properties, has been correct, the prosthesis' long life span and good functioning still depends on the surgeon's adherence to the principles of the correct operative technique (the head centre situated 1 to 2 mm below the level of the apex of the greater trochanter, 12- to 15-degree anteversion, articular capsule suture, and re-insertion of external rotator tendons if the Koch-Langenbeck approach is used. This is the only way of minimising acetabular erosion and other complications. Indications for total replacement include, in addition to fractures at joints affected by arthritis, most often a displaced fracture of the femoral neck found in younger patients still in good general health with a good prospect for a long life. Even if dislocation and loosening occur in these patients more often than in those with a THR procedure indicated for other reasons (primary or post-dysplastic arthritis), this therapy offers fewer complications and longer functioning in comparison with other methods of treating femoral neck fractures. A cemented prosthesis can be regarded as the standard implant; however, if the proximal femur shows good quality cortical bone, an uncemented implant can be used without a greater risk of future loosening. In the absence of hip arthritis which leads to the development of subchondral sclerosis required for the correct acetabular cup fixation, a hybrid THR with an expansion cup or a screw-in cup is recommended.


Abstract. To investigate how atmospheric aerosol particles interact with chemical composition of cloud droplets, a ground-based counterflow virtual impactor (GCVI) coupled with a real-time single-particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SPAMS) was used to assess the chemical composition and mixing state of individual cloud residue particles in the Nanling Mountains (1690 m a. s. l. ), southern China, in January 2016. The cloud residues were classified into nine particle types: aged elemental carbon (EC), potassium-rich (K-rich), amine, dust, Pb, Fe, organic carbon (OC), sodium-rich (Na-rich) and Other . The largest fraction of the total cloud residues was the aged EC type (49.3 %), followed by the K-rich type (33.9 %). Abundant aged EC cloud residues that mixed internally with inorganic salts were found in air masses from northerly polluted areas. The number fraction (NF) of the K-rich cloud residues increased within southwesterly air masses from fire activities in Southeast Asia. When air masses changed from northerly polluted areas to southwesterly ocean and livestock areas, the amine particles increased from 0.2 to 15.1 % of the total cloud residues. The dust, Fe, Pb, Na-rich and OC particle types had a low contribution (0.5–4.1 %) to the total cloud residues. Higher fraction of nitrate (88–89 %) was found in the dust and Na-rich cloud residues relative to sulfate (41–42 %) and ammonium (15–23 %). Higher intensity of nitrate was found in the cloud residues relative to the ambient particles. Compared with nonactivated particles, nitrate intensity decreased in all cloud residues except for dust type. To our knowledge, this study is the first report on in situ observation of the chemical composition and mixing state of individual cloud residue particles in China.


This paper provides an original investigation around the phenomenon of phase-noise reduction in oscillators due to small-signal injection. The analysis employs phase-domain macromodeling techniques and fundamental results from the theory of stochastic processes. The proposed analysis also applies to strongly nonlinear circuits such as ring or relaxation oscillators, and relies on quantities which are easily measurable or derivable by designers.


The effect of concrete shrinkage and creep on the deformation of the bridge structure is posing a serious issue with increasing numbers of large-span bridges are being built. At the moment, only the creep coefficient is usually considered for calculating bridge creep, without taking other factors into consideration. This paper, based on aging theory, considers the influence of shrinkage on creep stress reduction, by simplifying the formula of creep strain under discrete load by using the integral mean-value theorem and deriving the formula of concrete creep strain. Taking a continuous rigid frame bridge for example, the paper calculated the creep considering creep stress reduction under shrinkage, which showed that the method can well predict the final shrinkage and creep values of large-span concrete bridge.


Even though the convergence of regional per capita income has been a highly debated issue internationally, empirical evidence regarding Turkey is limited as well as contradictory. This article is an attempt to investigate regional income inequality and the convergence dynamics in Turkey for the time period 1987—2001. First, the Theil coefficient of concentration index is used to analyze the dispersion aspects of the convergence process. The geographically based decomposition of inequality suggests a strong correlation between the share of interregional inequality and spatial clustering. Then, we estimate convergence dynamics employing alternative spatial econometric methods. In addition to the global models, we also estimate local models taking spatial variations into account. Empirical analysis indicates that geographically weighted regression improves model fitting with better explanatory power. There is considerable variation in speed of convergence of provinces, which cannot be captured by the traditional beta convergence analysis.


We conduct a field experiment among 189 stores of a retail chain to study dynamic incentive effects of relative performance pay. Employees in the randomly selected treatment stores could win a bonus by outperforming three comparable stores from the control group over the course of four weeks. Treatment stores received weekly feedback on relative performance. Control stores were kept unaware of their involvement, so that their performance generates exogenous variation in the relative performance of the treatment stores. As predicted by theory, we find that treatment stores that lag far behind do not respond to the incentives, while the responsiveness of treatment stores close to winning a bonus increases in relative performance. On average, the introduction of the relative performance pay scheme does not lead to higher performance.


Introduction Classroom management is an intellectual skill that is based on knowledge about action-situation relationships in the classrooms. In order to be an effective educator, the teacher must have quality classroom management skills. This classroom knowledge enables a teacher to recognize and interpret what is happening in an exceptionally complex environment. These knowledge structures developed through direct instruction in prepositional knowledge about classrooms, laboratory experiences that provide opportunities for real-life reasoning about classroom demands, and reflection upon experience in clinical settings. Classroom management defined as, all the things teachers must do to foster student involvement and cooperation in classroom activities and to establish a productive working environment (Sanford, Emmer, & Clements, 1983). According to Barrett & Davis (1995), the profession is losing far too many teachers at the beginning of their careers (Barret & Davis, 1995). That may explained by White (1995), teachers are entering the profession with a lack of confidence in their classroom management skills, and supported by Evertson (2001) states, studies have supported the importance of classroom management as a necessary condition for effective teaching. Teacher education training needs to address the issue of classroom management and school districts need to develop effective in-service training for newly hired teachers. Teacher education programs in colleges and universities should place more emphasis on training student teachers in classroom management skills in order to promote quality learning by students. One of the student teacher's biggest problems is how to stimulate acceptable behavior in their students so that a healthy learning atmosphere prevails and the teaching/learning process can take place (Morales, 2001). Landau (2001) agrees with the concept that teacher education programs are not preparing pre-service teachers in the area of classroom management and expresses the importance of classroom management skills. While experienced teachers insist that classroom management is the most important class a new teacher should take, it is often the class most likely left out of truncated teacher education programs. Universities should examine preparation programs to enhance instruction in the area of classroom management. The primary responsibility in training teachers to become effective classroom managers in teacher education programs placed on colleges and universities (Houston & Williamson, 1992). According to Stronge & Hindman (2003), the quality of the teacher has a powerful residual effect on student learning. Proper training in the area of classroom management is necessary to prepare pre-service educators for the challenges in the classroom. Levy (1987) stated that, as beginning teachers, they show concern for survival, worrying about controlling classes, impressing administrators and building working relationships with school personnel. Therefore, student learning is not always a top priority as beginning teachers indoctrinate themselves within their new occupation. After some years of successful experience, teacher's concerns finally shift toward students' learning. Motivating students and monitoring the progress of daily work or homework is part of classroom management strategy. According to Stronge & Hindman (2003), effective teachers monitor learning and use their findings to adjust instruction so that all students in the classroom achieve, regardless of the range of student abilities. Effective teachers possess skills and approaches that help them establish and maintain a safe, orderly, and productive working environment. Effective teachers' classrooms commonly exhibit proactive discipline, multitasking, and efficient procedures and routines. According to Edwards (2000), managing time in the classroom to keep students on task is an important factor in maintaining good discipline. …


The development of novel strategies to prevent HIV-1 infection is of outstanding relevance. PLGA nanoparticles have become some of the most used nanosized materials for biomedical applications. Polyanionic carbosilane dendrimers and dendrons have shown potent and broad-spectrum anti-HIV-1 activity. Therefore, PLGA nanoparticles functionalized with carbosilane anionic dendrons through a carbodiimide-mediated reaction have been prepared with the aim of them becoming novel antiviral agents against HIV infection. The biocompatibility of the new dendronized nanoparticles has been explored in PBMC and HEC-1A cells. Both inhibition experiments showed differences between dendronized nanoparticles, free dendrons and PLGA nanoparticles. The results obtained with the dendronized nanoparticles indicate that these systems are powerful anti-HIV agents, compared to dendrons or dendrimers alone or PLGA NPs, suggesting an enhancement of their interaction with viral or cell receptors. The topology and size of these new systems could be responsible for the higher activity observed.


This paper presents the thermal stress characteristics of polystyrene plate - thin plaster wall. Based on thermal stress analysis module of ANSYS software, a three-dimensional element solid5 is selected to mesh the wall model, which can simulate the coupling effects of thermal stress and structural stress field. The critical temperature of hot and cold cycles is taken as the critical temperature condition, which is imposed on the calculation model. Windowless Wall and window wall were modeled separately. Temperature field, thermal stress, and deformation distribution were proposed after comparing and analyzing the two simulation results. Numerical simulation results indicate that: (1) Whether in high or low temperatures, window or windowless, polystyrene plates thin plaster wall insulation system has very good thermal insulation properties;(2) Polystyrene plate - thin plaster wall insulation system is influenced by the temperature stress. Different stress fields concentrate significantly around windows and in the middle of wall especially around the windows. In fact, it is relatively same as the law of cracks around the windows.


Detection and segmentation of the hippocampal structures in volumetric brain images is a challenging problem in the area of medical imaging. In this paper, we propose a two-stage 3D fully convolutional neural network that efficiently detects and segments the hippocampal structures. In particular, our approach first localizes the hippocampus from the whole volumetric image and obtains a rough segmentation. This initial segmentation can be used an enhancement mask to extract the fine structure of the hippocampus. The proposed method has been evaluated on a public dataset and compared with state-of-the-art approaches. Results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed method, which yields mean Dice Similarity Coefficients (i.e. DSC) of 0.897 and 0.900 for the left and right hippocampus, respectively. Furthermore, extensive experiments manifest that the proposed enhancement mask layer has remarkable benefits for accelerating training process and obtaining more accurate segmentation results.


Restenosis (renarrowing of the blood vessel wall) and cancer are two different pathologies that have drawn extensive research attention over the years. Antiproliferative drugs such as paclitaxel inhibit cell proliferation and are therefore effective in the treatment of cancer as well as neointimal hyperplasia, which is known to be the main cause of restenosis. Antiproliferative drugs are highly hydrophobic and their release from porous biodegradable structures is therefore advantageous. The release profiles of four antiproliferative drugs from highly porous polymeric structures were studied in this study in light of the physical properties of both the host polymers and the drug molecules, and a qualitative model was developed. The chemical structure of the polymer chain directly affects the drug release profile through water uptake in the early stages or degradation and erosion in later stages. It also affects the release profile indirectly, through the polymer's 3D porous structure. However, this effect is minor. The drug volume and molecular area dominantly affect its diffusion rate from the 3D porous structure and the drug's solubility parameter compared with that of the host polymer has some effect on the drug release profile. This model can also be used to describe release mechanisms of other hydrophobic drugs from porous structures.


Abstract This study focuses on the mathematical modeling of the optimal spare capacity assignment problem for the links of a telecommunications network. Given a network topology, a point-to-point demand matrix with demand routings, and the permissible values for link capacity, we optimize the assignment of spare capacity to the links of the network in order for it to survive single link failures. The modular spare capacity allocation problem is formulated as a mixed-integer program which is computationally expensive for all but small problem instances. To be able to solve large practical problem instances, we strengthen the continuous relaxation by including additional constraints related to cuts in the network topology graph. Our solution approach is to decompose the problem into a pair of smaller problems for which optimal solutions can be obtained within a realistic time constraint. Combining the solutions for the subproblems results in a feasible solution for the original problem. We analyze the efficiency of cut-generating techniques used to derive additional constraints, and we empirically investigate the performance of the decomposition approach. The numerical results indicate that the combination of additional constraints and the decomposition algorithm improves solution times when compared to solving the original mixed-integer program. The solution time improvement using the proposed heuristics can be as high as an order of magnitude for small problem instances, while large practical problem instances can be solved in less than half the time.


Despite the significant interest in WiMAX technology and deployment, there are very few publicly reported measurements from testbeds and field trials. As such, most WiMAX studies employ simulation and modeling. This paper contributes to our understanding of what is realistically possible using off-the-shelf fixed WiMAX equipment today. We employ multiple competing traffic sources over a point-to-multipoint WiMAX topology and measure the capacity of the WiMAX equipment to handle a multitude of VoIP flows between subscriber stations while delivering a variable number of video streams. We measure throughput, packet loss, and one-way delay for both line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) conditions. For the one-way delay measurements we synchronize the clocks of all testbed hosts with a software-only, open source implementation of the IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol. We compare these one-way delay measurements with those obtained when GPS-based synchronization is used.


To estimate the risk-return relationship at the global level, we normally start from the assumption of perfect integration. However, the integration process is complex, gradual, and may take several years. This implies that the world is partially integrated and asset pricing models should include variables that recognize a certain degree of segmentation. This study proposes a multi-factor model to relate the return and the risk observed in developed and emerging countries within a partially integrated world. A multiple linear regression analysis was used, which permitted identifying risk measures with higher explanatory power over profit and it was validated through a robust regression. For the developed countries, it was found that systematic risk explains profit to a good measure; nevertheless, for emerging countries it was found that risks due to type of exchange rate and economic instability, coupled with the size of the shares market, explain over 40% of the variation of returns and that systematic risk does not add explanatory powder in these economies


In many information processing tasks, labels are usually expensive and the unlabeled data points are abundant. To reduce the cost on collecting labels, it is crucial to predict which unlabeled examples are the most informative, i.e., improve the classifier the most if they were labeled. Many active learning techniques have been proposed for text categorization, such as SVMActive and Transductive Experimental Design. However, most of previous approaches try to discover the discriminant structure of the data space, whereas the geometrical structure is not well respected. In this paper, we propose a novel active learning algorithm which is performed in the data manifold adaptive kernel space. The manifold structure is incorporated into the kernel space by using graph Laplacian. This way, the manifold adaptive kernel space reflects the underlying geometry of the data. By minimizing the expected error with respect to the optimal classifier, we can select the most representative and discriminative data points for labeling. Experimental results on text categorization have demonstrated the effectiveness of our proposed approach.


This is a report on a joint work [12] with D. Essouabri, C. Levy and A. Sitarz. The spectral action on noncommutative torus is obtained, using a Chamseddine–Connes formula via computations of zeta functions. The importance of a Diophantine condition is outlined as far as the difficulties to go beyond. Some results on holomorphic continuation of series of holomorphic functions are presented.


Fire fighters are routinely exposed to thermal, chemical, biological, and physical hazards. Risk of exposure to thermal and physical hazards is limited to the fireground while the potential for exposure to chemical and biological hazards continues until contaminated clothing has been effectively decontaminated. This study characterized clothing contamination levels in retired fire fighter turnout gear and evaluated the effectiveness of current laundering practices in decontaminating this protective clothing. Retired turnout coats, destructively evaluated using solvent extraction and gas chromatography with mass spectrometry, showed a variety of contaminants, some a significant concentrations. The relative effectiveness of six laundering techniques was determined against five materials using a technique to reproducibly contaminate and evaluate contaminant levels with six target chemicals. Dry cleaning was found to be the most efficient process for removing target contaminants while there was relatively little difference for most of the conventional laundering techniques. Force air circulation also provided effective in removing significant amounts of contamination. In addition, the effects of laundering procedures on clothing material performance were evaluated. The most significant changes was the reduction of water penetration resistance for a non-breathable moisture barrier material.


The importance of local hydraulic conditions on the structuring of freshwater biotic communities is widely recognized by the scientific community. In spite of this, most current methods based upon invertebrates do not take this factor into account in their assessment of ecological quality. The aim of this paper is to investigate the influence of local hydraulic conditions on invertebrate community metrics and to estimate their potential weight in the evaluation of river water quality. The dataset used consisted of 130 stream sites located in four broad European geographical contexts: Alps, Central mountains, Mediterranean mountains and Lowland streams. Using River Habitat Survey data, the river hydromorphology was evaluated by means of the Lentic-lotic River Descriptor and the Habitat Modification Score. To quantify the level of water pollution, a synoptic Organic Pollution Descriptor was calculated. For their established, wide applicability, STAR Intercalibration Common Metrics and index were selected as biological quality indices. Significant relationships between selected environmental variables and biological metrics devoted to the evaluation of ecological quality were obtained by means of Partial Least Squares regression analysis. The lentic-lotic character was the most significant factor affecting invertebrate communities in the Mediterranean mountains, even if it is a relevant factor for most quality metrics also in the Alpine and Central mountain rivers. Therefore, this character should be taken into account when assessing ecological quality of rivers because it can greatly affect the assignment of ecological status.


Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory dermatological condition that has been reported to affect at least 3% of the population in Ireland. Symptoms are concentrated around the center of the face and include chronic inflammation, telangiectasias and inflammatory lesions (papules, pustules and plaques). Up to 50% of those suffering from rosacea have symptoms that manifest in the periocular region, including irritation, inflammation of the eyelids (blepharitis), increased vascularisation of the ocular surface and in severe cases inflammation of the cornea (keratitis) can develop leading to sterile ulcers and visual impairment. Individuals with rosacea often have an elevated presence of Demodex mites in their skin follicles and eyelashes. Bacillus oleronius is a gram negative bacterium isolated from a Demodex folliculorum mite from the face of a rosacea patient. Antigens associated with the bacterium (62 and 83 kDa) were isolated and shown to cause immunoreactivity in the serum of papulopustular rosacea patients. A collaboration with Dr. Scheffer Tseng (Ocular Surface Research Centre, Miami) lead to the publication of work that proved a strong correlation has between serum reactivity to these B. oleronius antigens and eye lid margin inflammation (p = 0.04), and ocular rosacea (p = 0.009). Proteomics techniques were used to investigate the environmental conditions which lead to antigen production in the bacterium. Another area of focus was the effect of Bacillus proteins on Neutrophils and Corneal epithelial cells. Neutrophils are known to play a part in the development of inflammation in rosacea. Our studies showed that there was an increase in neutrophil degranulation, migration and cytokine production following exposure to the bacterial antigens. Corneal epithelial (hTCEpi) cells responded to the bacterial antigens by increasing motility and migration, decreasing proliferation and altering protein production. This work provides strong evidence for the role of Demodex associated Bacillus proteins in the development of facial and ocular symptoms of rosacea.


The intensity, complexity and energy of performance, combined with the power and density of the tones involved are characteristics of the extreme metal genre. These characteristics present numerous problems when striving to achieve the clarity, definition and hyper-realism of performance required for this genres production. Avoiding masking in a mix is a fundamental
aspect of clarity, definition, intelligibility and perceived loudness and due to the fact that masking especially occurs in a dense mix, and is more pronounced in low frequencies, is particularly applicable to mixing the downtuned extreme metal genre. Masking in simple terms is the ability of frequencies of one sound to obscure or inhibit (i.e. mask) the frequencies of
another sound. This paper will draw upon the first author's eight years of experience producing within the metal genre, including releases through Sony and Universal and working with the likes of Colin Richardson and Andy Sneap.


Herbicide market in agriculture is a multi‐billion dollar industry with sophisticated multi‐impact issues, with increased weed resistance at the topmost. Nanoherbicides under development in the current decade could be a new strategy to address all the problems caused by the conventional non‐nanoherbicides. With polymeric nanoparticles often used as nanocarriers for herbicide delivery, the current era has seen the rise of new nanoparticles‐based delivery systems. As the potential use of nanostructured materials enables the use of herbicides effectively and rules out the emergence of weed‐resistant population at an early stage, these very desirable nanotechnological practices in agricul‐ ture are reviewed here.


Penetration Testing (pentesting) is the process of using tactics and techniques to penetrate computer systems and networks to expose any issues in their cybersecurity \cite{rsa}. It is currently a manual process requiring significant experience and time that are in limited supply. One way to supplement the shortage is through automation. This paper presents the Automated Network Discovery and Exploitation System (ANDES) which demonstrates that it is feasible to automate the pentesting process. The uniqueness of ANDES is the use of Bayesian decision networks to represent the pentesting domain and subject matter expert knowledge. ANDES conducts multiple execution cycles, which build upon previous action results. This process simulates the iterative thinking process of human attackers. Cycles begin by modeling the current belief state using Bayesian decision networks. ANDES uses these networks to select and execute an expected best action. Observed results are used to update the systems current belief state before the next cycle begins. ANDES was tested in a live-execution event, taking place within a virtual network environment designed to mimic a small business's internal network. ANDES successfully performed a series of information gathering and remote exploit actions, across multiple network hosts, to gain access to the objective target.


Niobium-based metal oxides are emerging semiconductor materials with barely explored properties for photocatalytic wastewater remediation. Brazil possesses the greatest reserves of niobium worldwide, being a natural resource that is barely exploited. Environmental applications of solar active niobium photocatalysts can provide opportunities in the developing areas of Northeast Brazil, which receives over 22 MJ m2 of natural sunlight irradiation annually. The application of photocatalytic treatment could incentivize water reuse practices in small and mid-sized textile businesses in the region. This work reports the facile synthesis of Nb2O5 catalysts and explores their performance for the treatment of colored azo dye effluents. The high photoactivity of this alternative photocatalyst makes it possible to quickly obtain complete decolorization, in less than 40 min of treatment. The optimal operational conditions are defined as 1.0 g L−1 Nb2O5 loading in slurry, 0.2 M of H2O2, pH 5.0 to treat up to 15 mg L−1 of methyl orange solution. To evaluate reutilization without photocatalytic activity loss, the Nb2O5 was recovered after the experience and reused, showing the same decolorization rate after several cycles. Therefore, Nb2O5 appears to be a promising photocatalytic material with potential applicability in wastewater treatment due to its innocuous character and high stability.


Agricultural policy can have a major influence on the environmental impacts of agriculture. As farming is a major land use in European Union (EU) these impacts can be significant and widespread. A scoring technique has been developed by the University of Hertfordshire to assess the significance of these impacts in relation to sustainability. This technique is presented in the context of a framework to assess the impacts of agricultural policy. Effect-damage functions, indicators and targets are used and the spatial scale is taken into account to produce a policy performance profile. This is accompanied by an indicator of the quality and confidence of the assessment. The method is able to determine where trade-offs exist between different environmental objectives (e.g. nitrate leaching vs. ammonia emissions) and takes into account local and regional environmental sensitivities. The method has potential to be a valuable tool in the development of a greener Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). It may also have potential to support the targeting of agri-environment programmes which can be of both environmental and economic benefit.


Food deprivation affects female reproduction. The goal of the present study was to elucidate in the rabbit model the effects of acute energy restriction on ovarian function (follicle development, atresia rate and in vitro oocyte maturation) and embryonic development and gene expression of some candidate genes. Serum metabolic parameters (non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), triglycerides, glucose, insulin and leptin concentrations) and endocrine markers (oestradiol-17β and progesterone concentrations) were also studied. A control group of nulliparous does fed ad libitum and a 72-h fasted group were used. At the end of the nutritional treatment, the ovaries of half of the animals were retrieved while the other animals were re-fed and artificially inseminated to recover embryos at 84 h after insemination, during the luteal phase. At the end of fasting, increased serum NEFA and decreased leptin concentrations were observed in the fasted group, but no differences appeared in serum steroid concentrations, follicle population and atresia rate or nuclear and cytoplasmic oocyte maturation. In the luteal phase, insulin concentrations increased notably in the fasted group. The number of recovered embryos per female and the speed of embryo development were reduced in the food-deprived group. Acute fasting altered both metabolic and endocrine markers and embryo development, but follicle and oocyte development and embryo gene expression were not affected.


Abstract The control of Tollmien–Schlichting waves in a two-dimensional boundary layer is analysed using numerical simulations. Full-dimensional optimal controllers are used in combination with a setup of spatially localized inputs (actuator and disturbance) and outputs (sensors). The adjoint of the direct-adjoint (ADA) algorithm, recently proposed by Pralits & Luchini (In Seventh IUTAM Symposium on Laminar–Turbulent Transition (ed. P. Schlatter & D. S. Henningson), vol. 18, 2010, Springer), is used to efficiently compute an optimal controller known as a linear quadratic regulator; the method is iterative and allows one to bypass the solution of the corresponding Riccati equation, which is infeasible for high-dimensional systems. We show that an analogous iteration can be made for the estimation problem; the dual algorithm is referred to as adjoint of the adjoint-direct (AAD). By combining the solutions of the estimation and control problem, full-dimensional linear quadratic Gaussian controllers are obtained and used for the attenuation of the disturbances arising in the boundary layer flow. The full-dimensional controllers turn out to be an excellent benchmark for evaluating the performance of the optimal control/estimation design based on reduced-order models. We show under which conditions the two strategies are in perfect agreement by focusing on the issues arising when feedback configurations are considered. An analysis of the finite-amplitude disturbances is also carried out by addressing the limitations of the optimal controllers, the role of the estimation, and the robustness to the nonlinearities arising in the flow of the control design.


Organic recycling techniques were evaluated for their ability to stabilize and enhance the productivity of rainfed cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) grown on marginal lands in Central India. Varying levels of applied inorganic N (0, 30, and 60 kg ha −1 ) were compared with different organic amendments such as fodder cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] as green manure, alone, or with subabul (Leucaena sp.) loppings as mulch, with or without farmyard manure (FYM), FYM alone, and a control. Results over two years indicated that green manuring and mulching increased seed cotton yield by 24%. As a reset, about 30 kg of inorganic nitrogen ha −1 can be saved. The effect of organic supplement was more pronounced at the lower level of nitrogen


Although the health of rivers is threatened by multiple anthropogenic stressors with increasing frequency, it remains an open question how riverine microbial communities respond to emerging micropollutants. Here, by using 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing of 60 water samples collected during different hydrological seasons, we investigated the spatio-temporal variation and the co-occurrence patterns of microbial communities in the anthropogenically impacted Jiulong River in China. The results indicated that the riverine microbial co-occurrence network had a nonrandom, modular structure, which was mainly shaped by the taxonomic relatedness of co-occurring species. Fecal indicator bacteria may survive for prolonged periods of time in river water, but they formed an independent module which had fewer interactions with typical freshwater bacteria. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that nutrients and micropollutants [i.e., pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs)] exerted combined effects in shaping α- and β-diversity of riverine microbial communities. Remarkably, we showed that a hitherto unrecognized disruptive effect of PPCPs on the abundance variations of central species and module communities was stronger than the influence of physicochemical factors, suggesting the key role played by micropollutants for the microbial co-occurrence relationships in lotic ecosystems. Overall, our findings provide novel insights into community assembly in aquatic environments experiencing anthropogenic stresses.


Despite agreement among scholars and researchers that identification of gifted children should be based on multiple criteria, current research continues to indicate a heavy reliance on an IQ score (Alvino, McDonnel & Richert, 1981; Frasier, 1987). This practice often prevents economically disadvantaged, culturally diverse, bilingual, or minority students from taking part in a gifted program. Significant numbers of these students do not meet traditional criteria for gifted programs, but possess cognitive, motivational, artistic or creative potentials that clearly enable them to participate in the types of programmed experiences designed to develop and nurture academic and creative behaviours. Gallagher (1988) noted that vigorous efforts to establish programs to search out high intellectual ability in underserved and unserved subgroups (for example, underachieving gifted, culturally diverse gifted, gifted handicapped, gifted females) is a major priority in the field of education. The purposes of this study were: 1) to investigate the characteristics of gifted NESB, Aboriginal and economically disadvantaged students, 2) to use these characteristics to investigate new procedures for their identification, and 3) to develop an appropriate differentiated Early Childhood Intervention Program that will meet the specific needs of these students. This qualitative research study, using multiple case study design, investigated the characteristics of academic giftedness displayed by 52 children, aged 5-6 years, from culturally diverse and/or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. A researcher-designed instrument, IPMAI, was used to develop comprehensive intellectual profiles of each child. These were then used as the basis for the development of a proposed gifted program at three school sites in the Illawarra region of New South Wales.


A new aquaporin from Nicotiana tabacum (cv. Samsun) was characterized. It shares sequence homology to the Arabidopsis thaliana PIP1 protein family. By two-phase partitioning and immunoblot analysis, plasma membrane localization could be demonstrated. The corresponding mRNA is highly abundant in roots and flowers, while it is rarely expressed in leaves and stems. Functional expression in Xenopus oocytes revealed that NtAQP1 can mediate glycerol transport in addition to water flow. However, NtAQP1 is impermeable for Na+, K+ and Cl- ions. The water permeability and selectivity could not be modulated by addition of mercurials or the activity of cAMP-dependent protein kinases.


CONTEXT
Early-onset alcoholism differs from late-onset alcoholism by its association with greater serotonergic abnormality and antisocial behaviors. Thus, individuals with early-onset alcoholism may be responsive to treatment with a selective serotonergic agent.

OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that drinking outcomes associated with early vs late-onset alcoholism are differentially improved by the selective 5-HT(3) (serotonin) antagonist ondansetron.

DESIGN
Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

SETTINGS
University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston (April 1995-June 1998) and University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio (July 1998-December 1999).

PARTICIPANTS
A total of 321 patients with diagnosed alcoholism (mean age, 40.6 years; 70.5% male; 78.6% white) were enrolled, 271 of whom proceeded to randomization.

INTERVENTIONS
After 1 lead-in week of single-blind placebo, patients were randomly assigned to receive 11 weeks of treatment with ondansetron, 1 microg/kg (n = 67), 4 microg/kg (n = 77), or 16 microg/kg (n = 71) twice per day; or identical placebo (n = 56). All patients also participated in weekly standardized group cognitive behavioral therapy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Self-reported alcohol consumption (drinks per day, drinks per drinking day, percentage of days abstinent, and total days abstinent per study week); and plasma carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT) level, an objective and sensitive marker of transient alcohol consumption.

RESULTS
Patients with early-onset alcoholism who received ondansetron (1, 4, and 16 microg/kg twice per day) compared with those who were administered placebo, had fewer drinks per day (1.89, 1.56, and 1.87 vs 3.30; P =.03, P =.01, and P =.02, respectively) and drinks per drinking day (4.75, 4.28, and 5.18 vs 6.90; P =.03, P =.004, and P =.03, respectively). Ondansetron, 4 microg/kg twice per day, was superior to placebo in increasing percentage of days abstinent (70.10 vs 50.20; P =.02) and total days abstinent per study week (6.74 vs 5.92; P =.03). Among patients with early-onset alcoholism, there was a significant difference in the mean log CDT ratio between those who received ondansetron (1 and 4 microg/kg twice per day) compared with those who received the placebo (-0.17 and -0.19 vs 0.12; P =.03 and P =.01, respectively).

CONCLUSION
Our results suggest that ondansetron (particularly the 4 microg/kg twice per day dosage) is an effective treatment for patients with early-onset alcoholism, presumably by ameliorating an underlying serotonergic abnormality. JAMA. 2000;284:963-971


MOTIVATION
Multiple sequence alignment is a basic part of much biological research, including phylogeny estimation and protein structure and function prediction. Different alignments on the same set of unaligned sequences are often compared, sometimes in order to assess the accuracy of alignment methods or to infer a consensus alignment from a set of estimated alignments. Three of the standard techniques for comparing alignments, Developer, Modeler and Total Column (TC) scores can be derived through calculations of the set of homologies that the alignments share. However, the brute-force technique for calculating this set is quadratic in the input size. The remaining standard technique, Cline Shift Score, inherently requires quadratic time.

RESULTS
In this article, we prove that each of these scores can be computed in linear time, and we present FastSP, a linear-time algorithm for calculating these scores. Even on the largest alignments we explored (one with 50 000 sequences), FastSP completed <2 min and used at most 2 GB of the main memory. The best alternative is qscore, a method whose empirical running time is approximately the same as FastSP when given sufficient memory (at least 8 GB), but whose asymptotic running time has never been theoretically established. In addition, for comparisons of large alignments under lower memory conditions (at most 4 GB of main memory), qscore uses substantial memory (up to 10 GB for the datasets we studied), took more time and failed to analyze the largest datasets.

AVAILABILITY
The open-source software and executables are available online at http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~phylo/software/fastsp/.

CONTACT
firstname.lastname@example.com.


We previously demonstrated that a 23-amino-acid peptide derived from the V3 loop of the surface glycoprotein of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) strain MN was able to bind soluble CD4 and to enhance HIV-1 infection. Further studies suggested that the peptide/CD4 interaction induces an increase in both CD4 expression and CD4/gp120 binding affinity. To facilitate identification of the complementary binding site for the peptide on cellular CD4, we designed an analogue carrying a single fluorescein moiety. The synthesis of this modified analogue presented several problems because of the presence of several amino acids in the sequence carrying potentially reactive groups in their side-chains, and the necessity of introducing only one marker per molecule in a position that would not affect biological activity. The side-chain of Lys19 was selected because separate studies demonstrated that its substitution with an uncharged amino acid does not reduce the peptide's biological activity. We compared the merits of various synthetic protocols used to condense the fluorescent marker with the peptide. Biological assays indicated that the presence of the fluorescein moiety did not compromise peptide binding to CD4; furthermore, binding of the labeled analogue was not abolished by trypsin treatment, suggesting that the peptide may interact with both CD4 and additional trypsin-resistant binding sites on the cell surface. Finally, we verified the preservation of HIV infection enhancing ability in the labeled peptide.


Corpus Linguistics for Online Communication provides an instructive and practical guide to conducting research using methods in corpus linguistics in studies of various forms of online communication. Offering practical exercises and drawing on original data taken from online interactions, this book: •introduces the basics of corpus linguistics, including what is involved in designing and building a corpus; •reviews cutting-edge studies of online communication using corpus linguistics, foregrounding different analytical components to facilitate studies in professional discourse, online learning, public understanding of health issues and dating apps; •showcases both freely-available corpora and the innovative tools that students and researchers can access to carry out their own research. Corpus Linguistics for Online Communication supports researchers and students in generating high quality, applied research and is essential reading for those studying and researching in this area.


The Every Students Succeeds Act (ESSA) loosened the federal policy grip over states' teacher accountability systems. We present information, collected via surveys sent to state department of education personnel, about all states' teacher evaluation systems post–ESSA, while also highlighting differences before and after ESSA. We found that states have decreased their use of growth or value-added models (VAMs) within their teacher evaluation systems. In addition, many states are offering more alternatives for measuring the relationships between student achievement and teacher effectiveness besides using test score growth. State teacher evaluation plans also contain more language supporting formative teacher feedback. States are also allowing districts to develop and implement more unique teacher evaluation systems, while acknowledging challenges with states' being able to support varied systems, as well as incomparable data across schools and districts in effect.