ABSTRACT We report the results of a large-scale (six orchards) and long-term (5-yr) study on seasonal population fluctuations of fruit flies (Diptera Tephritidae) in mango (2005–2009) and cashew (2007–2009) orchards in the Borgou Department, Benin. During the five consecutive years of mango fruit fly monitoring, 25 tephritid species were captured including three species of Bactrocera, 11 of Ceratitis, and 11 of Dacus, which is represented by 2,138,150 specimens in mango orchards. We observed significant differences in Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) counts between "high" and "low" mango production years from 2005 to 2008 but not in Ceratitis cosyra (Walker) counts. The native species, C. cosyra, the most abundant species during the dry season, peaked beginning of May, while the exotic species, B. dorsalis, the most abundant species during the rainy season, peaked in June. Preliminary results underlined the role of nine species of wild hosts and seven species of cultivated ones around mango orchards that played an important role in maintaining B. dorsalis in this Sudan zone all year round. The presence of C. cosyra stretched over 9 mo. During the first 14 wk of tephritid monitoring on cashew orchards situated near mango orchards, most flies (62%) were captured in traps positioned in cashew orchards, showing the strong interest of an early fly control on cashew before the mango season. According to these results, in the Sudan zone, effective and compatible control methods as proposed by the IPM package validated by the West African Fruit Fly Initiative project against mango fruit flies are proposed for a large regional tephritid control program in same zones ofWest Africa.


Messenger RNAs from Vero cells infected with the Onderstepoort strain of canine distemper virus (CDV) were cloned into the PstI site of plasmid pAT153. Total polyadenylated RNA was used and resulting clones were screened with 32P-labelled cDNA probes from infected and mock-infected cells. The virus specificity of the clones was proven by Northern blot hybridization and by ability to select radioactive virus mRNAs labelled in vivo in the presence of actinomycin D. Clones from the N, P and M genes of CDV were identified by hybrid select translation; clones which presumably represent the H and F genes were also obtained. The clones allowed a designation of the major viral mRNA bands. Bicistronic mRNAs were identified, and their selection by various clones suggests a gene order of 3'-N-P-M-70K-65K-L-5' for this virus.


During the repair of compound skull fractures or penetrating wounds to the brain, removal of significant portions of the skull may be required. Conventional prefabricated alloplastic implants require the use of complicated procedures during surgery, which can endanger a patient. Since prior rehearsals of the surgery are next to impossible, the surgery is usually complicated and lengthy. This paper aims to outline the importance of rapid prototyping (RP) in medicine, and also it details the use of RP for a cranioplastic surgery that was conducted in the South East Asian region. RP offers an easier way to design customized implants and manufacture them within a very short period. Rapid Prototyping can be used as an effective tool to generate complex 3D medical models from computed tomographic (CT) images. The models can be used for didactic purposes, as it helps the surgeons plan and rehearse the surgery well in advance. The RP prototype was used to successfully complete a cranioplastic surgery and realize the desired results. The operation time was also significantly reduced.


Abstract The principal caves in Gibraltar are St. Michael's, Martin's, Glen Rocky, Genista, Asylum Tank, Poca Roca, and three on the eastern face of the rock underneath the signal-station. The cave at Poca Roca is, in the authors opinion, a portion of the cleft in the rock which extends from the town to the village of Catalan Bay. The strata of rock on the eastern side are usually covered over by a very recent formation, which gives a deceptive appearance to casual observers; this Lieut. Warren found to be the case while scarping at Middle Hill. St. Michael's cave is a portion of a transverse cleft through the rock; and it is probable that at no very (historically) remote period it was open to view, as it is described by a Latin writer (Pomponius Mela) as opening up the side of the rock into an enormous cavern. There appears to have been an idea that this cave has not been thoroughly explored since Lieut. Rich, R.A., went down it in 1840-46. Capt. Weber Smith went halfway down in 1840, the lengthy report of his exploit being now recorded in the R.E. office, with a plan which was completed by Lieut. Goodall, R.E., in 1858, who explored the whole cave. Since then the author has been down to the bottom more than twenty times, and has broken into new caves with crow-bars and jumpers, and he is confident that without the use of crow-bars no further passage can be discovered. There


ABSTRACT This paper presents a friction model describing the tyre rubber/road interaction that takes into account the viscoelasticity of the tyre rubber, the texture of the road surface and a water layer between the tyre/road interface by introducing explicitly a computation of the water layer effect in the calculation process of the hysteretic friction. The geometry of the wetted portion of the interface model is simplified by transforming it into an equivalent hydrodynamic bearing. Utilising the Reynolds equation, the bearing load capacity is calculated and the resulting forces are subtracted from the contact load when calculating the forces of the hysteretic friction. The mechanical behaviour of the rubber is represented in the model by Kelvin–Voigt model. The frictional forces due to hysteresis are calculated at any given operating conditions (load, slip speed, etc.) from the contact geometry of rough surfaces caused by the viscoelastic behaviour of rubber. To validate the model, a set of surfaces including real pavements and artificially textured slabs were selected covering a wide range of microtexture and macrotexture combinations and the computed and measured friction compared. To describe the contact geometry of rough surfaces using macrotexture and to measure actual friction, the Circular Track Meter and the Dynamic Friction Tester devices were used, respectively. The friction coefficients computed using the model were compared to the measured friction coefficients. The obtained results are presented in the paper and proved to provide high correlation between the measured and modelled friction. The model is capable to predict wet friction at low as well as high speeds on wet surfaces, thus proving to be capable to take adequately the wetting effect on the variation of friction with increasing speed. Recommendations are provided to improve the model and extend it to a tyre friction model.


As a large scale Telecommunications Operator with a vast network as well as a large customer base, battery maintenance has always been an important and also a huge task for China Mobile. Traditional methods of battery maintenance have become continuously more difficult to complete due to the rapid expansion of the network infrastructure each year. Starting in 2006, China Mobile began to investigate how Ohmic testing method could play a role in easing the huge workload of battery maintenance. Hundreds of batteries in the field have been tested and results indicated that batteries manufactured in China did exhibit a correlation between Ohmic testing value and the capacity. With the conclusions drawn from the validation field tests, China Mobile started to apply the Ohmic testing technology in the practice of battery maintenance work, including using conductance testing on approval inspection before installation of new batteries. Conductance was also utilized in regular battery maintenance work, as well as the emergency patrol tests of batteries in thousands of base stations right after the occurrence of a serious catastrophe. This paper will introduce the progress that China Mobile made from the field validation tests with regard to the application of Ohmic testing value as a tool to identify the state of health of the batteries, and also the progress of China Mobile's application of Ohmic testing in its network, as well as some initial progress that China Mobile experienced after implementing the use of these technologies in the battery maintenance procedures. With more understanding of Ohmic testing and more confidence in the technology, Chinese telecom operators can reduce discharge testing as they gain confidence in Ohmic results over time, saving time and money.


This paper studies the torsional wave dispersion in the hollow bi-material compounded cylinder with finite initial strains. The investigations are carried out within the scope of the piecewise homogeneous body model with the use of the three-dimensional linearized theory of elastic waves in initially stressed bodies. The mechanical relations of the materials of the cylinders are described through the harmonic potential. The numerical results on the influence of the initial stretching or compression of the cylinders along the torsional wave propagation direction are presented and discussed


Book synopsis: This book can be read in two different ways: as an introductory synthesis on Modern Portugal, or as a collection of twelve studies focusing on familiar aspects of the State formation of any modern nation throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In this second reading, each chapter opens comparative perspectives on specific topics within some key fields of studies and international debates on modernity, including population, police, empire, technology, bureaucracy, social sciences, rural life, education, religion, nationalism, communism, and economy. Such a wide range of subjects, however, proves comprehensive enough to create a narrative where the reader may also locate the chief trends and dynamics developing in Portuguese history and society during the last two centuries. From this perspective, Portugal emerges as a country traversed by social conflict and struggling for modernization. Granted, this is not a very surprising picture, especially if we consider it in the historical context of European modernity. And yet, it is precisely this familiarity, one might argue, that allows The Making of Modern Portugal to become a useful tool for inserting the Portuguese case into the debates of a wide range of fields and disciplines in Europe and beyond.


ABSTRACT Previous research has shown enhanced performance and altered pacing behaviour in the presence of a virtual opponent during middle-distance cycling time trials with a duration of 2 min and longer. The purpose of this study was to determine whether these effects are also present in cycling time trials of shorter duration. Twelve physically active men completed three 1-km time trials. After a familiarisation trial (FAM), participants performed two experimental conditions: one without opponent (NO) and one with a virtual opponent (OP). Repeated-measures ANOVAs were used to assess differences in pacing and performance using power output and duration (p<0.05). No differences in mean finishing times (FAM: 91.5 ± 7.7 s; NO: 91.6 ± 6.4 s; OP: 90.9 ± 4.9 s; p=0.907) or power output (FAM: 382 ± 111 W; NO: 363 ± 80 W; OP: 367 ± 67; p=0.564) were found between experimental conditions. Furthermore, no differences in pacing profiles between experimental conditions were found (p=0.199). Similarly, rate of perceived exertion did not differ between experimental conditions at any moment (p=0.831). In conclusion, unlike events of a more prolonged duration (>2 min), the presence of an opponent did not affect participants' pacing behaviour in short duration 1-km time trials.


Juvenile delinquency is influenced by reciprocal relationships between micro-level and macro-level factors. The risk, need, and responsivity (RNR) model, and collective efficacy theory are two commonly used frameworks in juvenile justice research. This study builds on previous research by testing indicators of both the RNR model and collective efficacy theory as predictors of self-reported juvenile delinquency utilizing data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Taken as a whole, our findings suggest that individual-level factors are strong predictors of self-reported juvenile delinquency, whereas the relationship between collective efficacy and juvenile delinquency is limited. This finding emphasizes the importance of addressing individual needs when implementing community-level interventions aimed at preventing delinquency. Failure to do so may result in merely displacing juvenile delinquency as opposed to helping youth desist from delinquent behaviors.


The Teaching Qualification (Further Education) (TQFE) programme at the University of
Stirling is now in its fifth year of delivery and highly rated by its students and by the
further education (FE) sector in Scotland. The core programme was initially designed for
students already employed in the sector as lecturers, but has more recently also been
developed as a pre-service route into lecturing (ie an initial teacher education programme)
with student practice placement in FE colleges. To accomplish the TQFE, students must
successfully complete six core units, each of which addresses a key area of practice,
such as 'The FE context', 'Curriculum Design', 'Assessment', and so on. The programme
is offered at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, in full or part-time mode and in
face-to-face and distant delivery mode. Once completed, students may enrol on a
Research & Enquiry unit, and depending on their prior entry qualifications, this unit allows
them to graduate with a degree or a postgraduate diploma with the TQFE.


in the interwar years, finland and estonia were characterised by the fact that in both countries exceptionally broad linguistic and cultural rights were given to national minorities, compared with the situation in the rest of europe. there were several factors behind this. one was the relationship between ethnic groups from a historical perspective. another was each country's internal debate on the kind of social order in general that was to be built. the third was how politics in finland and estonia was influenced by international trends and theories on how national minorities should be treated. the article analyses how national minorities were taken into account in the finnish and estonian constitutions which held true in the period between the two world wars, and why account was taken precisely in a certain way. at the same time, it considers what kind of views in this regard were presented by different political parties, what kind of debates were held in the parliaments of both countries, and how the matter was dealt with by other significant interest groups.


Photosystem I (PSI) is a pigment binding multisubunit protein complex involved in the light phase of photosynthesis, catalyzing a light-dependent electron transfer reaction from plastocyanin to ferredoxin. PSI is characterized by a photochemical efficiency close to one, suggesting its possible application in light-dependent redox reaction in an extracellular context. The stability of PSI complexes isolated from plant cells is however limited if not embedded in a protective environment. Here we show an innovative solution for exploiting the photochemical properties of PSI, by encapsulation of isolated PSI complexes in PLGA (poly lactic-co-glycolic acid) organic microparticles. These encapsulated PSI complexes were able to catalyze light-dependent redox reactions with electron acceptors and donors outside the PLGA microparticles. Moreover, PSI complexes encapsulated in PLGA microparticles were characterized by a higher photochemical activity and stability compared with PSI complexes in detergent solution, suggesting their possible application for ex vivo photocatalysis.


A method for analyzing the textural features of image is put forward by using the wavelet decomposition. That is used to measure color difference of ceramic tiles on-line. A linear array color CCD camera is used to grab the image of ceramic tiles, and then the image is pretreated. Two level wavelet decomposition is used on the ceramic tile image, and the energy feature of each sub-graph is extracted. The energy feature will be used as a feature matrix,and it can be carried out the classfication according to minimum distance classifier. It can reflect spatial relationship of color more effectively, when contrast with the color histogram, which is used as a traditional method. Experiments show that it is effective using wavelet analysis on image processing,and the sort results are approximately in accordance with the artificial detection.


The Internet has transformed scholarly research in many ways. Open access to data and other research output has been touted as a crucial step toward transparency and quality in science. This paper takes a critical look at what it takes to share social science research data, from the perspective of a small data repository at Yale University's Institution for Social and Policy Studies. The ISPS Data Archive was built to create an open access digital collection of social science experimental data, metadata, and associated files produced by ISPS researchers, for the purpose of replication of research findings, further analysis, and teaching. This paper describes the development of the ISPS Data Archive and discusses the inter-related challenges of replication, integration, and stewardship. It argues that open data requires effort, investment of resources, and planning. By itself, it does not enhance knowledge.


Media coverage of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has played a critical role throughout the pandemic: sharing news about the novel virus, policies and practices to mitigate it, and the race to create and distribute 4 vaccines. The media coverage, however, has been critiqued as stigmatizing. Although this critique is not new, there is limited understanding of how and why new stigmas emerge from exposure to media coverage. Drawing upon the model of stigma communication (Smith et al., 2019) and the attribution model of stigma (Corrigan et al., 2003), we investigated a novel model of stigma emergence that delineates two kinds of longitudinal processes: (a) a message-effects process, in which exposure to mediated messages about COVID-19 leads to public stigma through danger appraisal and (b) a coping process in which stress and rumination shape later perceptions of public stigma. To test the model, we tracked an emerging COVID-19 stigma with a two-wave survey of a prospective, longitudinal cohort living in one county in a mid-Atlantic state (N = 883). The results supported this model. The longitudinal processes of stigma emergence and implications for COVID-19 stigma are discussed.


The distinction between the concepts outputs and outcomes can be made operational based on the consideration of the degree of control a public service producer has over its production activity. Resources are transformed into service outputs under the control of the organisation in question, while outcomes represent some higher social goals than outputs and are determined by the outputs and other exogenous variables, but the production of outcomes is outside the control of the organisation. The link to the calculation of savings potentials and efficiency measurement is provided based on introducing the concept of a benchmark frontier technology for the type of production in question. A new measure of overall preference efficiency is introduced and its decomposition into output-oriented technical efficiency and output mix efficiency is shown. The rather monumental task of providing the necessary information for calculating mix efficiency is highlighted.


SUMMARY The inversion problem deals with the identification of the parameters of a volcanic source that causes observable changes in magnetic data recorded in volcanic areas. To study the inverse problem, synthetic data were generated by considering different volcanic sources: the traditional Mogi model, used for describing the inflation/deflation of the magma reservoir, and the Okada source that seems more realistic to model the opening of eruptive fractures. The main geophysical mechanisms leading to magnetic anomalies in volcanically active areas were considered, such as thermomagnetic, piezomagnetic and electrokinetic effects. The inversion problem was formulated following an optimization approach based on the use of genetic algorithms. Firstly, a number of tests were carried out on synthetically generated data to assess the performance of the inversion procedure. An appropriate index was defined to statistically evaluate the accuracy for each parameter of the sources. The results obtained show that both the Mogi and Okada models can be inverted unambiguously provided that a sufficient number of measuring points are considered. Secondly, two real case studies, concerning the thermomagnetic anomaly observed during the 1989 Mt Etna eruption and the piezomagnetic field detected during the 2000 Miyakejima volcano eruption, are reported together with their sensitivity analyses of the inverse solutions obtained. Application of the GA technique to data taken on Mt Etna and Miyakejima volcano allows for estimating the optimum parameters of volcanomagnetic sources.


Quantum nonlocal correlations are generated by implementation of local quantum measurements on spatially separated quantum subsystems. Depending on the underlying mathematical model, various notions of sets of quantum correlations can be defined. In this paper we prove separations of such sets of quantum correlations. In particular, we show that the set of bipartite quantum correlations with four binary measurements per party becomes strictly smaller once we restrict the local Hilbert spaces to be finite dimensional, i.e., $\mathcal{C}_{q}^{(4, 4, 2,2)} = \mathcal{C}_{qs}^{(4, 4, 2,2)}$. We also prove non-closure of the set of bipartite quantum correlations with four ternary measurements per party, i.e., $\mathcal{C}_{qs}^{(4, 4, 3,3)} = \mathcal{C}_{qa}^{(4, 4, 3,3)}$.


While Senate observers describe the modern filibuster as costless, senators still sometimes choose to forgo filibustering even when that results in the passage of legislation that they oppose. This study seeks to identify the circumstances under which legislation that is opposed by a cloture-blocking minority is not filibustered. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) is used to uncover the combinations of causal conditions that result in restraint from filibuster. Analysis of data from 1975 through 2006 reveals that restraint is most likely when time is not constrained, there was low filibustering during the previous Congress, the president shares membership in the Senate's majority party, and Democrats are not in the minority. Despite being included in the analysis, party polarization is not part of this pathway. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


HWSD-coverDuring discussions at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in 1996, the need was identified for refinement of the agro-edaphic element of IIASA and FAO's Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZ) methodology then being used for IIASA's "Modeling Land Use and Land Cover Change in Europe and Northern Eurasia (LUC)" project.

An IIASA Interim Report was produced in 1997 detailing twenty soil attributes identified as being important for land evaluation, the analyses performed on existing databases, and methodologies for the development of taxotransfer rules to derive necessary data. Conclusions of this report were used for the analyses of that time, but the process that was born continued to develop into what would eventually become a separate product, the Harmonized World Soil Database.

Between 2003 and 2006, IIASA and FAO sought out additional partners, including:

- ISRIC-World Soil Information, together with FAO, were responsible for the development of regional soil and terrain databases and the WISE soil profile database;
- the European Soil Bureau Network, which had recently completed a major update of soil information for Europe and northern Eurasia, and
- the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, which provided the recent 1:1,000,000 scale Soil Map of China.

Vast volumes of recently collected regional and national updates of soil information collected by the partners were assimilated and harmonized by IIASA, where the HWSD raster, database, and viewer software were designed, implemented, and packaged for CD and web distribution into this state-of-the-art database. Version 1.0 was released in 2008. Since then, it has been updated with new information several times, has been used extensively around the world, and has recently been adopted by the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) as the definitive soil database at present, with plans for further updates made as part of the GSP process.

The HWSD is of immediate use in the context of the Climate Change Convention and the Kyoto Protocol for soil carbon measurements and for the FAO/IIASA Global Agro-ecological Assessment studies (GAEZ 2012), for which HWSD was developed in the first place. The HWSD contributes sound scientific knowledge for planning sustainable expansion of agricultural production to achieve food security and provides information for national and international policymakers in addressing emerging problems of land competition for food production, bio-energy demand and threats to biodiversity.

The HWSD is a 30 arc-second raster database with over 16000 different soil mapping units that combines existing regional and national updates of soil information worldwide (SOTER, ESD, Soil Map of China, WISE) with the information contained within the 1:5 000 000 scale FAO-UNESCO Soil Map of the World (FAO, 19711981).

The resulting raster database consists of 21600 rows and 43200 columns, which are linked to harmonized soil property data. The use of a standardized structure allows for the linkage of the attribute data with the raster map to display or query the composition in terms of soil units and the characterization of selected soil parameters (organic Carbon, pH, water storage capacity, soil depth, cation exchange capacity of the soil and the clay fraction, total exchangeable nutrients, lime and gypsum contents, sodium exchange percentage, salinity, textural class and granulometry).

Reliability of the information contained in the database is variable: the parts of the database that still make use of the Soil Map of the World such as North America, Australia, West Africa and South Asia are considered less reliable, while most of the areas covered by SOTER databases are considered to have the highest reliability (Central and Southern Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe).


The administration of IV fluid to avoid dehydration, maintain an effective circulating volume, and prevent inadequate tissue perfusion should be considered, along with the maintenance of sleep, pain relief, and muscular relaxation, a core element of the perioperative practice of anesthesia. Knowledge of the effects of different fluids has increased in recent years, and the choice of fluid type in a variety of clinical situations can now be rationally guided by an understanding of the physicochemical and biological properties of the various crystalloid and colloid solutions available. However, there are few useful clinical outcome data to guide this decision. Deciding how much fluid to give has historically been more controversial than choosing which fluid to use. A number of clinical studies support the notion that an approach based on administering fluids to achieve maximal left ventricular stroke volume (while avoiding excess fluid administration and consequent impairment of left ventricular performance) may improve outcomes. In this article, we review the available fluid types and strategies of fluid administration and discuss their relationship to clinical outcomes in adults.


A type system with linearity is useful for checking software protocols andresource management at compile time. Linearity provides powerful reasoning about state changes, but at the price of restrictions on aliasing. The hard division between linear and nonlinear types forces the programmer to make a trade-off between checking a protocol on an object and aliasing the object. Most onerous is the restriction that any type with a linear component must itself be linear. Because of this, checking a protocol on an object imposes aliasing restrictions on any data structure that directly or indirectly points to the object. We propose a new type system that reduces these restrictions with the adoption and focus constructs. Adoption safely allows a programmer to alias objects on which she is checking protocols, and focus allows the reverse. A programmer can alias data structures that point to linear objects and use focus for safe access to those objects. We discuss how we implemented these ideas in the Vault programming language.


1. Kenyan children with uncomplicated malaria given oral halofantrine (HF; non-micronised suspension; 8 mg base kg-1 body weight 6 hourly for three doses) showed wide variation in the disposition of HF and desbutylhalofantrine (HFm). 2. Eight Kenyan children with severe (prostrate) falciparum malaria who were receiving intravenous quinine, were given the same HF regimen by nasogastric tube. One patient had undetectable HF and two had undetectable HFm at all times after drug administration. 3. The mean AUC(0,24 h) of HF in prostrate children was half (7.54 compared with 13.10 micrograms ml-1 h) (P = 0.06), and that for HFm one-third (0.84 compared with 2.51 micrograms ml-1 h) (P < 0.05) of the value in children with uncomplicated malaria. 4. Oral HF may be appropriate for some cases of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Africa, but in patients with severe malaria, the bioavailability of HF and HFm may be inadequate.


Background Sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase V inhibitor, is used in paediatrics to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension. However no paediatric formulation was available until a recent launch announced a powder for oral suspension. Purpose To determine the stability of sildenafil capsules for paediatric dilutions. A HPLC assay has been developed for this purpose. Materials and Methods The sildenafil dosing method, developed from a previously published method1, is a reverse phase HPLC with UV detection at 240 nm. The column is a C18, the mobile phase composition is acetonitrile/ammonium acetate 0.2 M (50/50) with a flow set at 1 mL/min. Linearity and precision cheques (repeatability and intermediate precision) have been performed to validate the method. Capsules of 1 mg, 5 mg and 10 mg (of sildenafil base) were prepared with sildenafil citrate and corn starch. Samples wer kept at ambient temperature in transparent blister packs sealed with aluminium foil. Uniformity of mass was verified at D0. The visual appearance of the capsules, sildenafil concentrations and chromatographic profiles were checked at D0, D7, D14, D21, D35, D42, D56 and D70. Results The method was linear up to 150 mg/mL. Repeatability and intermediate precision were demonstrated (SD < 2%). Uniformity of mass was verified, no change in visual appearance and no additional chromatographic peaks were observed. The percentages of the remaining concentrations of sildenafil in the capsules compared to initial concentrations were higher than 90% at D70. Conclusions The method has been validated and used in a stability study which demonstrated the stability of sildenafil capsules up to ten weeks under the storage conditions studied. These results led us to apply a shelf life of eight weeks to sildenafil capsules. Reference Daragmeh N. et al, Determination of sildenafil citrate and related substances in the commercial products and tablet dosage form using HPLC. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2001;25:483–492 No conflict of interest.


Ghost shrimp, Lepidophthalmus louisianensis (Schmitt 1935) and Sergio trilobata (Biffar 1970) are 2 common burrowing decapod crustaceans in Tampa Bay, Florida, which affect the benthic community through bioturbation. The burrow also plays a crucial role in determining benthic com- munity structure, since it may house several symbionts, one of which is the copepod Clausidium dis- simile Wilson, 1921. This study was conducted to investigate factors that affect the density of C. dis- simile on ghost shrimp specimens both in the field and in the laboratory. Collections of L. louisianensis and S. trilobata were made over a 15 mo period to determine the prevalence of C. dis- simile in the field. Analysis of monthly field data showed that host shrimp (p = 0.0001), and sampling month (p = 0.0310) were significantly correlated with the host-size adjusted density of the symbiont C. dissimile, with more copepods preferring specimens of S. trilobata over L. louisianensis. Although host sex did not have a significant effect on host-size adjusted copepod density, percentage preva- lence of copepods was significantly higher for females than males in S. trilobata (p < 0.0001). Labora- tory experiments supported observations from the field in that C. dissimile significantly preferred S. trilobata over L. louisianensis (p < 0.001). However, unlike the field data, copepods did not appear to prefer female over male hosts when size was held constant. Higher colonization of females than males in the field may instead be attributed to differences in size and behavior between the sexes.


A naturalistic philosophy of mind is generally associated with physicalist theories. Brandl rejects this link between naturalistic philosophy and physicalistic conclusions drawn out of it. Naturalists are not to be confounded with physicalists. To make this point he uses the problem of consciousness as a case study. Brandl thinks a promising way out of the problematic anti-mentalistic stance many philosophers took after Quine is to return to ontological neutrality as promoted by members of the Vienna Circle. This makes room for what he calls a modest form of naturalism. Such a naturalism is pluralistic from an epistemological and methodological point of view. Everything which can be explained rationally belongs to the realm of such a modest naturalism. In this sense also consciousness is a natural property: There are reasonable explanations how living creatures come to have conscious experiences. This claim can plausibly be defended against the view that consciousness is mysterious and thus, something non-natural as long as ontology is left out of the game. The problem of qualia in a physical world, mental causation, and the mind-body-problem are simply not part of a modest naturalism's program.


Abstract — The overcoming of space and time constraints applicable to the old ways of transmitting knowledge and the multimedia and interactive nature of the new communication tools represent an unprecedented challenge and a precious opportunity for reformulating, from a theoretical perspective, as well as of renewing, in practice, the traditional training procedures of professional profiles in the field of engineering. The specific training required to the engineer-architect that will work in the Third Millennium is involved in a set of parameters very unlike those that are widespread in traditional universities on which nowadays professionals have to rely for their training. The new engineer will have to understand and manage pressing issues such as products and buildings lifecycle issues, environmental sustainability, energy resources sparing and so on in a continuous connection and cultural confrontation with the global network that is ever increasing widespread and puts on the market everybody's skills. The model linked to the micro-territory becomes obsolete and a new futuristic model, already imagined in the previous century takes shape (Beguinot, 1989), as a reference point for today's new dimension. The task of the university is therefore that of coordinating and managing this complex process, leading professional profiles towards a cross-field and at the same time specialised training that makes them actors of global knowledge, without being victims of it, but changing their attitudes towards knowledge into a cultural self-promotion that will not scatter their competencies, but make them essential and indispensable to global development.


Effective steam distribution in the injector is the key to achieve efficient and uniform reservoir heat up in SAGD operation. The focus of this research is on simulating the flow dynamics in outflow control device (OCD), the annular space between the liner and tubing, the slots, and the gap between the slotted liner and formation, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The objective is to use the approximated metamodel to optimize the OCD design and achieve more even steam distribution through the slots.
 A CFD model of the steam is developed through a systematic investigation of different domain sizes to study the effect of the pressure drop across the nozzle and the steam distribution. An evenness factor is proposed to quantify the overall steam distribution and to identify problematic slot areas. Based on the developed model, the OCD design is simplified and parameterized to conduct optimization efficiently. With the CFD expert system for steam simulation, the robust simulation models corresponding to different designs are obtained, providing accurate simulation results to the optimization algorithm. Using metamodeling, the response to the five design variables is derived, and the optimum is obtained subsequently. A cylindrical region representing the vicinity of the liner is added to the periphery of the slots to translate the optimization results into the realistic design.
 The CFD simulation and OCD design optimization show that the steam distribution is highly controlled by the OCD design, mainly by the nozzles' distance to the central plane. The novel evenness factor provides a quantitative assessment of the effect of design changes and it enables the application of advanced design optimization algorithms. Fifty-five numerical experiments are conducted to obtain the relationship between the proposed evenness factor and the design variables. The overall design of the OCD can be fine-tuned to account for the steam distribution. At the beginning of the heating cycle, some flow reversal is found in some specific slots, which may lead to sand production, plugging and erosion. When the distance between the two sets of nozzles is extended to 50 mm, the normalized evenness factor shows that the steam distribution can be improved by 12.5% from the original design in which the distance used to be zero. Moreover, the velocity magnitudes in the reverse flow affected region are also reduced in the optimized design.
 The CFD simulation is a powerful tool to understand the flow dynamics through OCDs. This study applies a robust CFD model to investigate the complex flow interactions that affect steam distribution through OCDs to improve their design and thus to improve the steam distribution. The provided model and the design optimization algorithm could ultimately improve the heating efficiency.


Medical services which are better suited to the needs of the community are increasingly demanded, for example by national governments, and depend to a great extent on education of the new generations of doctors. Problem-based learning in general practice at the community level represents a method of providing appropriate education. This paper describes some of the experiences of undergraduate and continuing medical education at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, Sweden, which since 1986 have been entirely problem-based. General practice forms the backbone of the curriculum and is its largest subject. Problem-based learning in general practice and quality assurance have much in common. This applies over the spectrum of lifelong education, from the undergraduate curriculum through vocational training to later stages of continuing medical education. Involvement and understanding, a feeling of purpose, sharing and cooperation and a wish for self-improvement are all stimulated by the problem-based method. This approach has helped in the creation of a curriculum with general practice as the largest contributor, with early contact with patients in the community, and with ordinary general practitioners as teachers, tutors and examiners in spite of a relatively poorly developed primary care organization.


Abstract Although Genre-Based Instruction (GBI) was proposed as a solution to L2 writing-related problems many years ago, its contribution to writing performance has not been extensively studied and the assessment instruments used in genre studies typically pertain to linguistic theories older than the Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). Moreover, even though a feedback typology suitable to genre-based contexts has been proposed, it has never been empirically tested. For these reasons, this study aimed to test the effects of GBI and Genre-Focused Feedback (GFF) over the period of one semester with a genre-based assessment instrument. Secondly, the study aimed to find out if providing GFF as Hand Holding or Bridging made any difference in the development of the mastery of the literary analysis essay. The findings showed that there was an improvement in the mastery of the genre as confirmed by an embedded mixed methods design. The type of GFF made no difference in the development of the mastery of the genre. The results suggested that GBI and GFF can be integrated into content courses to increase both content and course-related genre knowledge.


The influence of plant species on the antagonistic activity of the rhizosphere bacterium Rhizobium etli G12 towards the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita was studied. The crops tested were tomato, cucumber, cotton, soybean and pepper. The plants were evaluated for the following parameters: root gall-index, total number of galls and egg masses of M. incognita, as well as shoot and root fresh weight and root length. Results indicated a clear influence of plant species on the ability of R. etli G12 to reduce nematode infection. Based on the root gall index, nematode control by R. etli G12 was higher on vegetables (tomato, cucumber, pepper) than on field crops (soybean, cotton). Reduction in galling ranged from 17% for cotton to 50% for tomato. R. etli G12 also reduced the actual number of galls produced. The reduction in the number of galls produced between crops was not affected significantly as was seen when a galling index was used to measure activity. The reduction in the number of galls was similar in level for all the crops studied and ranged from 34% for cucumber to 47% for tomato. There was a significant reduction in the number of egg masses produced by the females ranging from 37% for soybean to 70% for pepper. This indicated a direct effect on female development in the root after penetration or delayed penetration on certain crops. The bacteria caused significant increases in shoot fresh weight from 11% for soybean to 31% for pepper and in root fresh weight from 3% for soybean to 39% for tomato and in root length from 11% for cucumber to 24% for pepper. R. etli G12 gave significant control of M. incognita on a broad range of host plants, but the level of control varied. The suitability of each plant species, therefore, must be examined before R. etli G12 can be recommend for control of this nematode.


A Hypothesis Testing Procedure Designed for Q-Matrix Validation of Diagnostic Classification Models Ruchi Jain Sachdeva Cognitive diagnosis models have become very popular largely because these models provide educators with an explanation for a student not performing well based on skills that have not yet been mastered, making it possible for educators to provide targeted remediation and tailor instruction to address individual strengths and weaknesses. However, in order for these procedures to be effective, the Q-matrix which establishes the relationships between latent variables representing knowledge structures (columns) and individual items on an assessment (rows) must be carefully considered. The goal of this work is to develop a new test statistic for the detection of model misspecifications of the Q-matrix, which include both underfitting the Q-matrix and overfitting the Q-matrix. In addition to the development of this new test statistic, this dissertation evaluated the performance of this new test statistic and developed an estimator of the asymptotic variance based on the Fisher Information Matrix of the slip and guess parameters. The test statistic was evaluated by two simulation studies and also applied to the fraction subtraction dataset. The first simulation study investigated the true Type-I error rates for the test under four levels of sample size, three levels of correlation among attributes and three levels of item discrimination. Results showed that as the sample size increases the Type I error reduces to 5%. Surprisingly, the results for the relationship between Type I error and Item discrimination show that the most discriminating items (Item Discrimination of 4) have the largest Type I error rates. The power study showed that the statistic is very powerful in the detection of under-specification or overspecification of the Q-matrix with large sample sizes and/or when items are highly discriminating between students that have mastered or have not mastered a skill. Interestingly, the results when the Q matrix has multiple misspecifications the detection of under-specification is better than for over-specification when two misclassifications are being tested simultaneously. The analysis of the fraction subtraction dataset found 15% of the q-entries had enough evidence to reject the Null hypothesis. This clearly indicates that the test finds misfit in the original expert designed Q-matrix.


A right tetrahedron, also known as trirectangular tetrahedron, is a tetrahedron with three right angled triangles and a base triangle. By studying Pythagorean triples and quadruples, we deduce the existence of different types of right tetrahedra. Three cases of right tetrahedra are the focus of this paper: (i) Right tetrahedra with all integer edges (ii) Right tetrahedra with integer face areas, and (iii) Right tetrahedra with integer face areas and integer principal edges. Case (iii) constitutes the original work of this paper. The constructive method we use for this case allow us to classify existence of such tetrahedra as well as provide an algorithm to find those integer values from a given set of Pythagorean quadruple.


Supporting creativity is a grand challenge in HCI. A critical component of creativity is the ability for divergent thinking, and divergent thinking can be fostered through looking at the problem through the lens of a different person, by assuming a role. Prior work found that assuming a role and affective stimulation with images may lead individuals to be more creative. In this work, we investigate the use of roles in stimulating the creativity of individuals in two complementary studies. In the first study, we implemented an online instrument for augmenting creativity with roles and images, and recruited crowd workers (n = 60) to complete a divergent thinking task while assuming a role. Interestingly, and in contrast to earlier findings, our analysis could not confirm the computational priming having an effect on the outcome of a small batch of creative tasks. In the second study, we observed the effect of roles on the ideation process of individuals when they reach an impasse in the flow of ideas. Our complementary studies highlight that adopting roles can help when one runs out of ideas, but this is not a silver bullet for improving divergent thinking, especially in online crowd-sourcing environments that are increasingly being used for experiments and data collection in behavioural science. Our work informs the design of future crowd-powered creativity support tools and contributes a timely case study to the body of literature in the growing field of creativity support online.


Crosslinked protein crystals offer unique properties as a host matrix for hybrid materials, due to their precise periodic array of solvent channels suitable for the capture of functional guest molecules. To prepare luminescent protein crystals containing guest Eu(TTA)3phen (TTA = 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(2-thienyl)-1,3-butanedionato, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), we developed a solvent substitution scheme in which the crystals were first loaded with the hydrophobic ligands and subsequently loaded with Eu(III) in anhydrous ethanol. Notably, we also observed crystal denaturation and renaturation, concomitant with a dramatic volume expansion, in response to high DMSO concentrations. Given the possible future utility of this reversible expansion for hybrid materials preparation, we characterized the volumetric changes quantitatively.


The ability of cancer cells to divide indefinitely whilst supporting tumor growth, metastasis and invasiveness resembles the behavior of stem cells. Here, we overview the role of Polycomb (PcG)-dependent epigenetic silencing mechanisms in stem cell biology and cancer, focusing on two major PcG components, Ezh2 and Bmi1. In a recent patent, stem cell PcG targets were shown to be more prone to cancer-specific promoter DNA methylation than non-targets, indi- cating that reversible PcG-mediated gene repression becomes replaced by permanent silencing. This epigenetic switching keeps the cell in a sustained state of self-renewal, predisposing it to tumorigenic transformation. These findings might provide the means of identifying the stem-cell epigenetic signatures associated with the origin of specific types of cancer. Based on the reversibility of epigenetic histone modifications, PcG proteins have become established targets in clinical practice for the treatment of a variety of cancers, notably treatments with histone deacetylase and methyltransferase in- hibitors. A number of reports and patents highlight the potential of alternative approaches to targeting PcG for cancer therapy, including micro-RNA expression and the use of Hedgehog signaling pathway antagonists. The major shortcom- ing of current approaches is their lack of specificity. The identification of tumorigenic epigenetic alterations together with the development of inhibitors to target them promises to open the way toward personalized cancer treatment.


A new comer of Interleukin (IL)-1 family, IL-36g is known as one of pro-inflammatory cytokines. IL-36g is produced by keratinocytes, intestinal epithelial cells, bronchial epithelial cells, alveolar macrophages, and lymphocytes, and is realized to be involved in maintenance of innate immunity. Recently, knowledge about IL-36g and infectious lung diseases have been accumulating. In this draft, we focused on infectious lung diseases  and involvement of  IL-36g. Then the future direction of IL-36g/IL-36 receptor axis immune reaction pathway and therapeutic strategy against acute lung injury was also discussed.


Objective To investigate whether renin–angiotensin system blockade might underlie the favorable metabolic effects of the nonselective β + α1-adrenoceptor blocker carvedilol as compared with the selective β1-adrenoceptor blocker metoprolol. Methods Human coronary microarteries (HCMAs), obtained from 32 heart valve donors, were mounted in myographs. Results Angiotensin II and the α1-adrenoceptor agonist phenylephrine constricted HCMAs to maximally 63 ± 10 and 46 ± 15% of the contraction to 100 mmol/l K+. Neither carvedilol, metoprolol, the nonselective β-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol, nor the α1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin affected the constrictor response to angiotensin II. α1-adrenoreceptors and β-adrenoceptors are thus not involved in the direct constrictor effects of angiotensin II. When added to the organ bath at a subthreshold concentration, angiotensin II greatly amplified the response to phenylephrine. Both carvedilol and the angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist irbesartan inhibited this angiotensin II-induced potentiation. Furthermore, carvedilol blocked the angiotensin II-induced amplification of phenylephrine-induced inositol phosphate accumulation in cardiomyocytes. Conclusions AT1–α1-receptor crosstalk, involving inositol phosphates, sensitizes HCMAs to α1-adrenoceptor agonists. Our results suggest that, in the presence of an increased sympathetic tone, carvedilol provides AT1 receptor blockade via its α1-adrenoceptor blocking effects. This could explain the favorable effects of carvedilol versus metoprolol.


Measurement of activities of urinary (u-PA) and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and analysis of euglobulin lysis times (ELTs) and prekallikrein were performed simultaneously using the plasma of normal pregnant women and nonpregnant women. The activities of plasminogen activators were determined by the method of electrophoretic zymography. The activity of low-molecular-weight (LMW) u-PA was significantly decreased at the onset of labor (p = 0.05) compared with that during the latter half of pregnancy. The same tendency was observed in the analysis of prekallikrein. On the contrary, no significance was shown in activities of high-molecular-weight (HMW) u-PA or t-PA. It is suggested that the action of kallikrein on low-molecular-weight u-PA causes it to change into plasmin at the onset of labor.


In legal disputes where one party claims that it submitted an idea to another party and alleges that the latter used that idea without permission or compensation, two categories of California intellectual property law have increasingly come to resemble one another: (1) trade secret law, most often applied in business or technical contexts; and (2) idea submission law, primarily applied in cases involving film scripts and other media productions. Over the decades, these regimes have developed separately, within distinct business and legal cultures. But recent developments in California trade secret law have brought the two closer together; in some areas, they may even be approaching a unified body of law. This Article explores that possibility. It concludes that although a partial merger is inevitable, the two core causes of action—for asserted trade secrets, a misappropriation claim; for idea submissions, a so-called Desny claim for breach of implied-in-fact contract—will and should remain distinct. A partial merger, however, would lead to beneficial exchanges in areas where their doctrines already overlap: (1) idea submission's "independent development" and trade secret's "independent derivation" defenses; and (2) statutory preemption under California's Uniform Trade Secrets Act (CUTSA).
California's idea submission cases have developed sophisticated and robust means to adjudicate the concept of "independent development"—that is, a defendant's assertion that despite receiving the plaintiff's idea, it nonetheless came up with the disputed film, television show, or other concept on its own. By contrast, the important and analogous defense of "independent derivation" in California trade secret law remains underdeveloped. This Article argues that the idea submission cases offer a far more rigorous analysis of the defense and could inform similar decisions under trade secret law. In particular, it proposes a methodology that courts can use to adjudicate the independent derivation defense, inspired by the idea submission cases.
The idea submission cases largely survived copyright preemption challenges in the 1990s and 2000s after Ninth Circuit rulings preserved the viability of some idea submission causes of action under state law. But surviving copyright preemption is not the same thing as surviving CUTSA trade secret preemption. This more recent form of IP preemption is broad, and it subsumes tort claims seeking to protect information said to be confidential. This Article argues that the CUTSA preempts peripheral idea submission tort claims such as breach of confidence, but it does not preempt the core claim at the heart of California's idea submission regime—the Desny claim for breach of implied-in-fact contract.
The proposed partial merger recognizes the public policy ends of each regime: protecting weaker parties who submit ideas to film and media studios (in narrowlydefined circumstances), and ensuring that litigants cannot use tort claims to subvert the protections the CUTSA and related employee mobility rules provide for the free use of publicly available information that does not meet the statutory definition of a trade secret.


Eccentric disks arise in such astrophysical contexts as tidal disruption events, but it is unknown whether the magnetorotational instability (MRI), which powers accretion in circular disks, operates in eccentric disks as well. We examine the linear evolution of unstratified, incompressible MRI in an eccentric disk orbiting a point mass. We consider vertical modes of wavenumber k on a background flow with uniform eccentricity e and vertical Alfvén speed along an orbit with mean motion n. We find two mode families, one with dominant magnetic components, the other with dominant velocity components. The former is unstable at , where , and the latter at e ≳ 0.8. For f2 ≲ 3, MRI behaves much like in circular disks, but the growth per orbit declines slowly with increasing e; for f2 ≳ 3, modes grow by parametric amplification, which is resonant for 0 < e ≪ 1. MRI growth and the attendant angular momentum and energy transport happen chiefly near pericenter, where orbital shear dominates magnetic tension.


Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed on eleven healthy smokers before and after eight weeks of oral treatment with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) 200 mg t.i.d. The concentrations of selected eosinophil and neutrophil granule constituents and of selected proteases and protease inhibitors, albumin and endotoxin were determined in the recovered BAL fluid and in plasma or serum samples. In addition, in vitro chemotactic activities for neutrophils and eosinophils were assessed in the BAL fluid. Significant reductions in BAL fluid content of lactoferrin (LF), eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), antichymotrypsin (ACT) and chemotactic activity for neutrophils were recorded after NAC treatment. The levels of other examined markers tended to be reduced or were not affected. In serum/plasma, the concentrations of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and elastase were reduced after NAC treatment whereas concentrations of other constituents examined were unaltered. These data, together with previously reported findings, suggest that oral NAC may influence the activity of "inflammatory" cells in the bronchoalveolar space of smokers.


The mortality pattern of 14 black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) stands from the Saguenay region (Quebec), originating from fire or clear-cutting in the early 20th century, was reconstructed based on the dendrochronological dating of dead trees. Most of the spruces died during the 1970s and 1980s, which suggests the possible impact of the most recent spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clem.) outbreak. This hypothesis is supported by the observation of major growth reductions synchronous with known outbreak periods and by the existence of a significant partial correlation between the mortality rates and the occurrence of outbreaks. A significant partial correlation between the mortality rates and the relative density of the studied stands suggests that competition amongst individuals might act as a predisposing factor to the death of trees, while the outbreaks act as an inciting factor. The observed mortality pattern is similar to self-thinning, since most of the dead trees were from the smallest...


A comprehensive guide to data analysis techniques for physical scientists, providing a valuable resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, as well as seasoned researchers. The book begins with an extensive discussion of the foundational concepts and methods of probability and statistics under both the frequentist and Bayesian interpretations of probability. It next presents basic concepts and techniques used for measurements of particle production cross-sections, correlation functions, and particle identification. Much attention is devoted to notions of statistical and systematic errors, beginning with intuitive discussions and progressively introducing the more formal concepts of confidence intervals, credible range, and hypothesis testing. The book also includes an in-depth discussion of the methods used to unfold or correct data for instrumental effects associated with measurement and process noise as well as particle and event losses, before ending with a presentation of elementary Monte Carlo techniques.


The prevalence of obesity increases with age and is higher in each younger generation (unfavorable generation shift). This may influence patterns of oxidative stress and inflammation. Age‐related changes and generation shifts in markers of oxidative stress and inflammation were investigated, specifically addressing the role of body mass index (BMI).


Nuclear receptors (NR) are ligand-induced transcription factors that regulate the expression of genes involved in a number of physiological processes including metabolism. Their ability to regulate transcription is dependent on the recruitment of specific cofactors that remodel chromatin and promote the assembly of the basal transcriptional machinery. Receptor interacting protein 140 (RIP140) is a corepressor for NRs that utilizes four independent repression domains to inhibit gene expression of target genes. While RIP140-null mice develop around 70% less white adipose tissue than wild-type littermates, the process of adipogenesis is unaffected in RIP140-null and RIP140-expressing cells. To elucidate the intrinsic role of RIP140 in adipocytes i used full mouse genome arrays to compare the gene expression profiles of pre-adipocytes and adipocytes with and without RIP140. I demonstrate that the transcriptional corepressor negatively regulates major gene clusters in a number of metabolic pathways including glycolysis, TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid oxidation and glycerol metabolism. Additionally, a futile metabolic cycle of triglyceride recycling is activated in RIP140 null adipocytes. In order to determine the molecular mechanism of RIP140 repression i analysed the epigenetic profile of Ucp1, a gene which is typically expressed in brown but not white adipocytes. I utilized RIP140-null and RIP140-expressing adipocytes and found that RIP140 is essential for both DNA and histone methylation to maintain gene repression. RIP140 expression promotes the assembly of DNA and histone methyltransferases on the Ucp1 enhancer and leads to methylation of specific CpG residues and histones as judged by bisulphite genomic sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. These results suggest that RIP140 serves as a scaffold for both DNA and histone methyltransferase activities to inhibit gene transcription by two key epigenetic repression systems. RIP140 could potentially act to divert white adipocytes from a brown fat phenotype by repressing genes involved in fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial respiration and by silencing genes like Ucp1.


Delineating demographic structure across an organism's range can reveal the extent to which population dynamics in different geographic areas are driven by local or external factors and can be crucial for effective conservation and management. Obtaining optimal data for such analyses can be time and resource-intensive and impending development and resource extraction pressures may necessitate the examination of existing data, even when they are less than ideal. We analyzed a historic telemetry dataset containing satellite radio-collar locations of 73 forest-dwelling woodland caribou in northern Ontario to determine demographic structure. We applied several clustering methods (i.e., agglomerative, divisive and fuzzy k-means) to median seasonal locations. Results were used to distinguish demographic units and minimum convex polygons and fixed-kernel density estimates were used to delineate unit boundaries and core areas. For areas where sampling was considered representative of the distribution of caribou on the landscape, we assessed demographic distinctness by evaluating intra-individual variation in cluster membership, membership strength and distance between boundaries and core areas of adjacent units. The number and composition of clusters identified was similar among methods and caribou were grouped into 6 general clusters. The distinctions between the three clusters identified in the central portion of the province (i.e., Lac Seul, Wabakimi, Geraldton) and the two clusters identified in the eastern portion of the province (i.e., Cochrane and Cochrane-Quebec) were determined to represent demographic structuring. Additional distinctions in other areas (i.e., between The Red Lake and Lac Seul clusters in the west and between the central and eastern clusters) may just be artifacts of the original sampling effort. Amongst demographic units, there was no evidence of individual flexibility in cluster membership and average membership strength was very high. There was little to no overlap between boundaries and core areas of adjacent units, but distances between adjacent unit boundaries were relatively low. Additional sampling effort is needed to further delineate demographic structure in Ontario caribou.


We study lasing in randomized lattices of silver particles in a dye-doped waveguide. We set out to answer a basic question, triggered by earlier observations of distributed feedback lasing in 2D periodic plasmonic particle lattices: how much order do you need to obtain lasing? We start from a diffractive 2D square lattice of silver nanoparticles with a pitch that satisfies the second-order Bragg diffraction condition at the emission wavelength of the dye. By randomly removing particles and by displacing particles we increase disorder. We observe that lasing at the second-order Bragg diffraction condition is very robust, with lasing even persisting when 99% of particles are removed. Above a certain amount of disorder new features appear in the spectrum as well as in the Fourier image that are due to random lasing. We classify Fourier space output on the basis of structure factor calculations. In addition we apply speckle intensity statistics analysis to real-space fluorescence images and introduce a new me...


To improve the sustainability and resilience of modern food systems, designing improved crop management strategies is crucial. The increasing abundance of data on agricultural systems suggests that future strategies could benefit from adapting to environmental conditions, but how to design these adaptive policies poses a new frontier. A natural technique for learning policies in these kinds of sequential decision-making problems is reinforcement learning (RL). To obtain the large number of samples required to learn effective RL policies, existing work has used mechanistic crop growth models (CGMs) as simulators. These solutions focus on single-year, single-crop simulations for learning strategies for a single agricultural management practice. However, to learn sustainable long-term policies we must be able to train in multi-year environments, with multiple crops, and consider a wider array of management techniques. We introduce C YCLES GYM, an RL environment based on the multi-year, multi-crop CGM Cycles. C YCLES GYM allows for long-term planning in agroecosystems, provides modular state space and reward constructors and weather generators, and allows for complex actions. For RL researchers, this is a novel benchmark to investigate issues arising in real-world applications. For agronomists, we demonstrate the potential of RL as a powerful optimization tool for agricultural systems management in multi-year case studies on nitrogen (N) fertilization and crop planning scenarios.


Systemic Assessment [SA] has been shown to be highly effective new tool in raising the level of students academic achievements, improve their ability to learn by enhancing the process of teaching and learning, and converts students from surface to deep learning. It also allow teacher to monitor students learning throughout the course and gives him the ability to make necessary adjustments to improve learning. SA strategy changes assessment from linear bothering exams to enjoyable puzzle games by dealing with systemic assessment diagrams. The aim of the systemic assessment (SA) of learners in heterocyclic chemistry is to introduce an efficient evaluation of the systemic- oriented objectives of the [SATL-Heterocyclic Chemistry] model & effective tool for assessing students' meaningful understanding of heterocyclic chemistry topics in the tertiary level .Systemic Assessment Questions SAQ,s are the building unites of the systemic assessment .It measures the students' ability to correlate between hterocycles and to discover new relations between them. In this issue we use SA as a tool to assess the student achievement in heterocyclic chemistry by choosing five types of systemic assessment questions, namely Systemic Multiple Choice Questions (SMCQ,s), Systemic True False Questions (STFQ,s) ,Systemic Matching Questions (SMQ,s) ,Systemic Sequencing Questions (SSQ,s),and Systemic Synthesis Questions (SSynQ, s). [African Journal of Chemical Education—AJCE 5(2), July 2015]


Abstract The Andean Tropics are among the mountain systems most affected by climate change. The most conspicuous effect is glacier recession. However, little is known about how rural populations perceive climatic change impacts or about how social-ecological systems respond to the effects of change. Here, I examine perceptions of climatic change and their effects on social-ecological systems in the Peruvian Southern Andes. Data from interviews and focus groups are used to explain institutional responses to climatic variability based upon perceived effects of climate change. Results show that people perceive glaciers shrinking, more frequent and intense extreme weather events, more extreme temperatures, and shortened rainy seasons. Their responses to these perceived changes range from wetland creation to agriculture calendar modification to irrigation adjustments. Such perceptions of change rely on personal observations and local knowledge, which inform responses; knowledge-based action characterizes resilient systems. This case study supports the conclusion that the resilience of social-ecological systems in the Peruvian Southern Andes is based upon local knowledge and institutions. Thus, strengthening institutions and fostering local knowledge renewal are crucial for systems' sustainability or transformation.


We report the results of numerical simulation of the mitral valve in human heart. The beam-shell geometry model was created based on anatomical atlases and taking into account the heterogeneity of distribution of the mitral valve's leaflets thickness. The full cycle of the mitral valve opening and closure was simulated using the finite element analysis software ANSYS Mechanical. The method of data processing from a computer tomography in a solid CAD model was implemented and tested.


Background: Recent studies revealed that elevated cardiac troponin T (cTnT) could predict all-cause mortality and cardiovascular diseases in end-stage renal disease patients. This study aimed to evaluate cTnT as a prognostic value in asymptomatic continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients. Methods: This is a prospective observational study with 107 prevalent peritoneal dialysis patients. cTnT, high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and IL-6 were measured at baseline. Based on cTnT level, patients were classified as higher cTnT group (HT, n = 21, cTnT ≥0.1 ng/ml) and lower cTnT group (LT, n = 86, cTnT <0.1 ng/ml), and were followed for 3 years. Primary endpoint was cardiovascular events. Results: The HT group had a significantly higher level of log hsCRP and log IL-6 than the LT group (p < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival demonstrated worse cardiovascular event-free survival for the HT group. Multivariate analysis adjusted for age, cTnT, IL-6 and hsCRP level revealed that age (per 1-year increase, HR 1.07, p < 0.05), elevated cTnT (vs. <0.1 ng/ml, HR 5.89, p < 0.05) and hsCRP (vs. <3.0 mg/l, HR 4.15, p < 0.05) were identified as significant determinants of cardiovascular events. Conclusion: This study suggests that cTnT may be an aid in risk stratification of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients.


Despite of improvement of wheel material for railway vehicle, the damages of railway wheel have been occurred in service running. Because of wheel damage with spalling, shelling and thermal crack, the maintenance cost for the railway wheel has increased. The railway wheel had standardized but the chemical composition, the mechanical property and the hardness with respect to railway wheel is merely established. In order to reduce wheel damage, it is necessary to reinforce the standard of railway wheel. In present study, the fracture mechanics characteristics of railway wheel such as low cycle fatigue, fracture toughness, impact energy depended on low temperature and so on have tested. The result shows that the standard of railway wheel has to supplement fracture toughness and impact energy depended on low temperature etc.


A novel Ni-YSZ anode with interpenetrating phase composite (IPC) structure was developed using NiO-YSZ core-shell composite powder and evaluated in terms of microstructure, electrical conductivity, thermal expansion and flexural strength. In comparison to conventional anode, the anodic performance of IPC anode appeared to be more desirable for improving structural reliability of SOFC unit cells and stacks. This study reveals that the anodic performance of IPC anode can be readily tailored by controlling core-shell composite powder particles.


Art in Bourgeois Society: 1790-1850 Hemingway, A., & Vaughan, W. (Eds.). (1998). Cambridge: University Press. 372 pages. (ISBN:0521-55182-X) Reviewed by Kin-Keifer-Boyd, Texas Tech University Most would concur that class division and struggle affect our sense of self and conception of historical development, but what exactly is that effect? How do we participate in the creation of class distinctions? Whose struggle will ignite future historical shifts? What directions are possible? "According to Marxism, class struggle is the motor of historical change" (Hemingway, 1998, p. 10). Art in Bourgeois Society is an analytical gem for those interested in an historical perspective on such issues. The scholarship is thorough and the writing straightforward. In the book's introduction, Hemingway (1998) argues that "Soviet societies were only a parody of socialism, and Soviet Marxism but a travesty of Marxist theory" (p. 1) and demonstrates how neo-Marxist critique has redefined Marxism after the fall of Communism. Marxism is a social theory aimed at elucidating causal structures for social change. While classical Marxism, derived from the writings of Marx and Engels, concerned the essential nature of class relations, this text presents contemporary or analytical Marxism, and posits that multiple class variables (i.e., economic capital, educational capital, social capital, and cultural capital) all affect each other. From an analytical Marxist perspective, one might investigate-as the authors of this book do-how art activities are constrained or shaped by economic, institutional, and educational capital. The book involves contemporary Marxist analyses of art patronage, art representing class identity, and art as a signifier of national identity. It explores how art embodied institutionalized notions of nature and society within the Modernist epoch of 1790-1850 in Britain (chapters 1-5), France (chapters 6-8), Germany (chapters 9-12) and the United States (chapters 13-15). While there is diversity within contemporary Marxist theory, the common bond in these 15 chapters is that the analyses are "anti-positivist, multi-causal, and eschew any simple progressivism" (p. 3). Researchers who inquire into different exploitative relationships between artists, curators, collectors, art critics, and historians will find the book helpful in developing methodology framed in Marxist theory. The 10-page index is useful for locating theorists, artists, artworks, concepts and interpretative strategies discussed within the book for those engaged in such research. Highlights of the four sections follow. Hemingway provides historical and contextual information in his introductions to the four sections. In the introduction to section one on Britain, he reminds us that Britain and France engaged in nearly 20 years of continuous warfare between 1793 and 1815 (p. 22). British bourgeois "feminized" the popular notion of France, thus degrading the country's art as overly passionate and flaunting narcissism. Ann Pullan's discussion, in chapter one, of the foundation of Britain's National Gallery in 1824 makes it clear that those who owned property decided the cultural collections of the nation. Their property, of course, is what they deemed most valuable. This is an enduring pattern. When Sir Charles Angerstein's collection of 38 paintings was purchased for the nation, his family blood-lineage became the Trustees of the British Gallery (p. 29). At first the public purchase was housed in a private residence. The Trustees (i.e., Angerstein's heirs) promised those who bought engraved reproductions of the paintings that they could view the works, a strategy to collect membership dues through subscriptions. The British National Gallery at this time "resembled rooms of a private mansion, complete with crimson wall paper and velvet hangings" with twice-yearly exhibitions chosen by the Trustees [consisting of bankers and aristocracy] functioning "as visible and symbolic reminders of patrician and royal authority" (p. …


We propose a method to precisely detect the faulty branch of time-division-multiplexing-passive optical networks (TDM-PONs) by encoding the probe signal with optical orthogonal codes. The proposed technique projects each probe signal response onto an orthogonal space, wherein an event corresponding to each branch of the TDM-PON is uniquely mapped onto an orthogonal basis and thereby able to isolate the origin of the event to a particular branch. A proof-of-concept experiment is carried out on a 1 × 16 TDM-PON with 20 km feeder fiber and the results confirm that, with the proposed design the system can support up to 120 m branch fiber length with 3 m spatial resolution.


Glutenin hydrolyzing proteinases (GHPs) have been purified, by affinity chromatography, from wheat seeds damaged by the Sunn bug Eurygaster integriceps (Hemiptera, Scutelleridae). A 28 kDa protein was partially sequenced by mass spectrometry and Edman degradation which showed homology to serine proteases from various insects. Three full length clones were obtained from cDNA isolated from Sunn bug salivary glands using degenerate PCR based on the sequences obtained. The cleavage site of the protease was determined using recombinant and synthetic peptides and shown to be between the consensus hexapeptide and nonapeptide repeat motifs present in the high molecular weight subunits of wheat glutenin (PGQGQQ∧GYYPTSLQQ). Homology models were generated for the three proteinases identified in this study using the high resolution X-ray structure of a crayfish (Pontastacus leptodactylus) trypsin complexed with a peptide inhibitor as template (PDB accession 2F91). The novel specificity of this protease may find applications in both fundamental and applied studies.


From local and associative archives in Nanterre (a working class suburb in the north west of Paris), following the observation of the Oranges, an association promoting the remembering of experiences of immigration, and with biographical interviews with its members and many representatives of associations and the local political arena, the article analyzes the localized uses of Abdelmalek Sayad as a revelator of the inclusive frameworks of immigrant memory and as an original step in the recognition of its immigrant population by the city. Reference to Sayad structures the activities of the Oranges and, step by step, the municipal discourse on local identity. This scheme belongs to a plural process: on the municipal side, it refers to the opening of a field of legitimation for pro-immigrant actions in a period of political dislocation for a municipality and of suitable frameworks recognizing the memory of immigration without erasing the working-class dimension of the city; for the association, the Sayad reference is linked to a special inclination to cultural self-study of some activists, to the dialogue of some of them with the academic world and the relatively dominated position they are facing in the local political arena. In these circumstances, the reference to Sayad, the sociologist of immigration, appears as a resource suited to the social positions and trajectories of these activists and as a weapon in local politics. The several meanings of this reference can explain its progressive accession to the public arena and the personalized and the canonized non-professional uses of Sayad which accentuate the political side of his work.


Although the decision support systems (DSS) theory and application has already taken significant progress, the development of DSS is strongly challenged for the bottleneck of existing serial characters store and process mechanism. The neural network is an ultra large-scale, time dynamic system with highly nonlinear. Its most important features are paralleled distributive treatment with large scale, high robust and learning and memory function. The research of intelligent decision support system combining neural networks have a highly theoretical and practical value, and becomes one of decision support system's research fronts. The paper discusses the problems in DSS, illustrates the mechanism of parallel process using neural networks, proposes the research frame of intelligent decision support system combined with neural networks, concretely describes the implementation thoughts and methods of key problems, and analyses the basic assignment and method of all levels.


Pokémon Go™ (PG) is a mobile videogame that requires real-world walking to "catch" augmented reality (AR) virtual creatures. Media attention speculated that extensive physical activity (PA) could result from PG play, which could have public health benefit. Little is known about contextual factors related to PG play and how they may impact play initiation or duration. A systematic search of articles reporting the words PG was conducted with PubMed and Google Scholar. To understand the many possible influences on and outcomes of PG play, a scoping review was conducted by employing a conceptual model to organize the literature. Although large numbers of people started playing PG, these were a relatively small proportion of the relevant populations, but PG may have activated some of those most in need of PA. Diverse factors predicted who initiated PG play, but they tended to emphasize anticipated fun, escapism, nostalgia, social ties, and desire for PA. Environmental factors (e.g., unavailable GPS signals, trespassing laws) limited PG play for some. Diverse factors predicted duration of gameplay, but fun appeared to be prominent. The level of increases in PA from PG among youth and young adults appeared to be small or undetected, and of a relatively short duration (<2 months). Among older adults, however, there were modest increases in PA for up to 7 months post-release. This intensity and duration of increased PA appears to be inadequate to stem the epidemic of obesity but may have mental and social health benefits. Although many adverse outcomes from playing PG were reported, these appear to be low incidence, which should primarily influence PG players to knowingly exercise caution. Many research issues were identified to specify who might play AR games and effective strategies to enhance game design to increase PA.


Six Sigma is a process improvement methodology currently being employed across various types of business and industry. DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) has been developed more recently with the goal to apply the Six Sigma principles for the improvement of existing products and processes. The Six Sigma approaches provide a disciplined way of solving problems, eliminating defects and improving business results. In order to increase students' creative ability, college should provide them with the Six Sigma. Learning about such a wellstructured approach and developing related skills would enable today's students to become tomorrow's more effective employees. In this program, fifty-three students in the class are divided into 13 groups. As project, each group finds college facilities and services to be improved and tries to solve these problems with DMAIC. The curriculum in this class furnishes instant feedback to the students by solving the problems directly associated with them. The students' creative thinking and power of expressing are also improved by learning various creative skills and teamwork. As the results of this class, 52 out of 53 students have acquired the honor of receiving Green belt.


Knowledge audits are important processes through which organisations can understand what knowledge is needed, available and used for their current activities. They can also identify what knowledge is missing and how this omission restricts the organisation's activities. Hence, knowledge audits can surface initiatives to improve the knowledge management (KM) processes of an organisation and, in turn, improve efficiency and effectiveness. An iterative cycle of knowledge audits allows for the organisation's changing environment to be taken account of and for appropriate modifications to be made to the knowledge base. Despite the importance of knowledge audits, literature relating to their undertaking is sparse. This paper addresses the scarcity of such literature and reports the findings of a knowledge audit commissioned by an organisation that brings together public bodies and private organisations with the aim of maximising the collective knowledge, expertise and experience of its diverse members to address a nationally recognised research agenda.
The audit included collecting qualitative data from a series of in-depth interviews with a representative sample of employees from the four main departments within the organisation. Interviewees were asked about their own roles, procedures and knowledge needs; they were also asked about their department's knowledge requirements and about knowledge interfaces with external partners. Views about the culture and structure of the organisation were also sought.
Results were analysed at a departmental level to form two knowledge maps per department – one illustrating the knowledge required by the department, the knowledge shared with other departments and the mechanisms for sharing this knowledge; the other illustrated knowledge flows with external partners. The maps were then used in conjunction with the interview transcripts to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each department's knowledge activities. This process focussed on the impact of organisational culture and structure as well as the effectiveness of technological and 'soft' solutions for knowledge sharing. Following from the departmental analysis, a cross department comparison enabled best practices and company-wide weaknesses to be identified.
Seven resulting recommendations were made that would support the sharing of departmental best practices and address organisational weaknesses:
1. Developing a holistic approach to knowledge sharing
2. Nurturing the organisational culture
3. Clarifying the strategic message
4. Improving the organisation of information
5. Improving the availability of staff
6. Developing inter-departmental communication
7. Commissioning future knowledge audits
In addition to reporting the outcomes and outputs of the process, the paper also highlights challenges of the process and includes reflections on the suitability of the selected data collection and analysis methods for a knowledge audit.


Being able to reach any desired location in the environment can be a valuable asset for an agent. Learning a policy to navigate between all pairs of states individually is often not feasible. An all-goals updating algorithm uses each transition to learn Q-values towards all goals simultaneously and off-policy. However the expensive numerous updates in parallel limited the approach to small tabular cases so far. To tackle this problem we propose to use convolutional network architectures to generate Q-values and updates for a large number of goals at once. We demonstrate the accuracy and generalization qualities of the proposed method on randomly generated mazes and Sokoban puzzles. In the case of on-screen goal coordinates the resulting mapping from frames to distance-maps directly informs the agent about which places are reachable and in how many steps. As an example of application we show that replacing the random actions in epsilon-greedy exploration by several actions towards feasible goals generates better exploratory trajectories on Montezuma's Revenge and Super Mario All-Stars games.


The State of the Republic of Indonesia is a legal state which is contained in Article 1 Paragraph (3) of the 1945 Constitution, in the rule of law, the power in running the Government based on the rule of law, in Indonesia there have been many cooperation agreements in the field of plantation, in the establishment of plantation based on the principle legal certainty to protect the parties in the cooperation agreement between BUMD and PT.MTL where in the plantation management agreement is not running smoothly, causing conflict between the community with PT.MTL party. Based on the above issues, what is the legal relationship between the parties in the oil palm plantation cooperation agreement, how is the legal effect on the community rights in the oil palm plantation cooperation agreement, how is the legal protection of the community within the palm oil plantation agreement. This research is juridical sociological with the nature of research is descriptive analytical. Processing is done by editing and then analyzed by using qualitative analysis methode. From the result of the research, it can be concluded that (1) the occurrence of civil relation between the parties based on the cooperation agreement between BUMD and PT.MTL and letter of land delivery between the community and BUMD (2) due to law on community land in this cooperation agreement the transition of rights, from public property rights to State land. (3) the absence of legal protection of community land that has been submitted to the BUMD to be granted the Right to Use Enterprises


The systems perspective has been established as a means to structure and understand complex phenomenon. Current approaches are premised on defining and establishing a hierarchical (reductionist) structure that, in effect represents a complex system as a system of systems. The underlying assumption of reductionism is that the resultant component behaviour and dynamics represent the overall system behaviour. In reality, most complex systems and management approaches are highly interconnected, dynamic and subject to non-linear behaviour. As such, they defy any rational description in terms of overall behaviour and effectiveness as prescribed through reductionism. This paper considers the management of major projects as a complex of systems and discusses the nature, characteristics and properties that lead to the difficulties associated with reductionism. The need for systems science, or synthesis, approaches is briefly discussed as an effective means to addressing the situation.


The current study explores the influence of polymer drag reduction on the near-wall velocity distribution in a turbulent boundary layer. The classical view is that the polymers modify the intercept constant within the log-region without impacting the von Kármán coefficient, which results in the log-region being unaltered though shifted outward from the wall. However, it has been recently shown that this is not accurate, especially at high drag reduction (> 40%). Past work examining the von Kármán coefficient and intercept constant has shown that polymer properties must impact the deviations, but without any quantification of the dependence. This work reviews the literature to make estimates of the local polymer properties and then demonstrates that the scatter at HDR can be attributed to variations in the Weissenberg number. In addition, new polymer ocean results are incorporated and shown to be quite consistent with polymer injection results using the maximum polymer concentration to define the polymer properties.


Natural coastal areas in the Broome region of north-western Australia represent a significant recreational resource. The area of interest in this study, 90km of coastal land, mainly unallocated crown land under native title claim and including an area recently granted native title to the Yawuru people of Broome, has seen an increase in unregulated off-road vehicle use and recreational impact pressure since the mid 80's. Camping, fishing and beach use by off-road vehicle users, both locals and visitors, has lead to degradation and changes to these coastal resources which remain largely unmanaged. Increased use of the area has lead to seasonal overcrowding at camping areas which can stimulate a source of resentment from local residents. There have been few baseline studies of wet-dry tropical Australia, partly due to the remoteness and restrictions of climatic conditions imposed by an oppressive wet season or cyclone risk period. The majority of recreational tourist activity in the study area takes place in the dry season.

The main focus of this project undertaken in the dry season has been a multidimensional study of the impacts and attitudes of off-road vehicle users in the study area. A total of 388 user surveys were collected, the results of which summarise user perceptions of environmental impacts, acceptable levels of impacts and user responses to potential management actions. A comparison within the survey between number visualization and photographic series visualization methods is also presented in the analysis of user perception of acceptable impact levels in the study area. In addition, five management interviews with responsible government authorities and Traditional Custodians have also been carried out to add another layer to the analysis of the data that have been collected.

The results presented in this paper are social findings from the user survey representing part of a much wider multidimensional study. Data includes an assessment of roads, beach access points and erosion, changes to vegetation and an assessment of campsite impacts. A GIS system will be used to combine and present the information in a way that is beneficial to local land managers and contribute to the development of policies for the sustainable management of coastal areas north of Broome.


Although statin treatment is recommended for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages I–IV, its potential benefits have not been reported in advanced CKD patients. Non-diabetic patients with advanced CKD (pre-dialysis patients, estimated glomerular filtration rate <15 mL/min/1.73 m2) were enrolled from a National Health Insurance Research Database with a population of 23 million. Statin users and non-users were matched using propensity scoring and analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models, taking mortality as a competing risk with subsequent end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and statin doses as time-dependent variables. A total of 2551 statin users and 7653 matched statin non-users were identified from a total 14,452 patients with advanced CKD. Taking mortality as a competing risk, statin use did not increase the risk of new-onset diabetes mellitus (NODM) or decrease the risk of de novo major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), but reduced all-cause mortality (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.59 [95% CI 0.42–0.84], p = 0.004) and sepsis-related mortality (HR = 0.53 [95% CI 0.32–0.87], p = 0.012). For advanced CKD patients, statin was neither associated with increased risks of developing NODM, nor with decreased risk of de novo MACE occurrence, but with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality, mainly septic deaths.


This study is carried on a special aspect of the translation of the Qur'ān, which starts from Eugen Nida's study on the same type of practical and theoretical aspects in translating the Bible. The vocabulary of the Qur'ān, like the vocabulary of any other sacred book, can usually be divided into religious vocabulary, which carries the very notions contouring the respective religious system, and general vocabulary. Both religious and general vocabulary are subject to an evolution of meaning, the first category as a result of the institutionalization of religion, the second as a result of a normal, expected transformation, accomplished over time, that occurs in any language.


A distributed temperature sensor based on spontaneous Brillouin scattering and employing optical pulse coding has been implemented and characterized using a direct-detection receiver. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) enhancement provided by coding is analyzed, along with the influence of coding in stimulated Brillouin threshold. Simplex-coding using 127 bit codeword provides up to 7 dB SNR improvement, allowing for temperature sensing over 21 km of dispersion shifted fiber with 3.1 K resolution and 40 m spatial resolution, permitting to avoid the use of optical pulse amplification.