Recent publications from the National Academy of Science (USA) and the Law Commission (UK) provide an interesting contrast in approach to well documented and historic problems with the use of "scientific" evidence in legal proceedings. The NAS recommends a thorough assessment of the scientific bases of forensic science, to discern and improve the validity of the science before it can be considered suitable for court purposes. The UK approach more tentatively examines the legal admissibility of forensic science, leaving aside the more fundamental questions as to the inherent unreliability of the evidence. Drawing upon the American report and current experience in the UK, this paper proposes a more robust admissibility regime in the UK, including recognition and acceptance of the different roles of the prosecution and defence expert; more thorough and less combative disclosure by the prosecution; wider availability of validation data; and greater legal and research support for the thorough review of the "science" underlying forensic science.


Current control strategies are failing to contain the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic and are limited by our lack of understanding of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) transmission dynamics, especially in high HIV prevalence settings. M.tb infection in children aged under 5 years of age indicates recent transmission, acting as a sentinel for infectious (typically adult) TB and highlights recent failures in community control measures. The overall aim of this research, which was based in a high HIV prevalence rural community in northern Malawi, was to delineate M.tb transmission events occurring within the context of a wellimplemented TB control programme, and thereby elucidate factors driving transmission that are not being addressed by current control strategies. This thesis presents findings from a series of linked studies, including a longitudinal tuberculin skin-test (TST) study of pre-school children in an area under demographic surveillance, and a household contact study of smear-positive TB cases. Estimates of the average annual risk of M.tb infection (ARTI) in this population of young BCG-vaccinated children varied widely depending on the method used to estimate infection prevalence. A previously overlooked method of estimating M.tb infection prevalence, initially published by Rust and Thomas in 1975, appeared to be only method to appropriately adjust for the marked effect of BCGattributable induration in the youngest children (aged <2 years). Marked differences in the estimates of the risk of M.tb infection when using crosssectional data compared to using longitudinal data are also highlighted. Age, known contact with a smear-positive TB case and community M.tb exposure (defined as the average notification rate of smear-positive TB per 100,000 population) were risk factors for prevalent and incident M.tb infection in children. Being HIV-exposed in utero was the strongest risk factor for prevalent infection, whilst having an HIV-positive father was strongly associated with incident infection. Additional risk factors for incident infection included church attendance and travel on mini-buses. No evidence was found in the household contact study that smear-positive tuberculosis patients on antiretroviral treatment (ART) were more likely to transmit M.tb infection to household child contacts (as inferred from TST positivity) compared to smear-positive tuberculosis patients not on ART. However, child contacts of HIV-negative individuals had nearly three times the odds of having a positive TST compared to child contacts of HIV-positive TB patients not on ART; this was partly explained by differences in the degree of smear positivity. HIV-related risk factors for prevalent and incident M.tb infection in pre-school children highlight that interventions, such as screening for HIV and TB with implementation of isoniazid preventive therapy where indicated within the household of HIV-positive individuals may further reduce the burden of TB at a community level in the longer term. Findings from this research also highlight the need for better infection control practices (improved ventilation) in congregate settings such as churches and mini-buses. There is an urgent need for improved ongoing surveillance to guide the implementation of context-specific TB control strategies.


Abstract In present work, reduction kinetics of Cu2O by hydrogen gas was studied by thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). The TGA experiments were carried out both isothermally and non-isothermally on shallow powder beds. It was established that additions of Ni or NiO did not have any serious effect on the kinetics of reduction of Cu2O. The composition and microstructures of the reaction products were analyzed after each experiment by X-ray diffraction (XRD) as well as by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The activation energy for the reaction was evaluated from isothermal as well as non-isothermal reduction experiments and was found to be in good agreement. The impact of the stability of the oxide on the activation energy for hydrogen reduction is also discussed.


We introduce two collocation schemes for the computation of periodic solutions of neutral delay differential equations (NDDEs): one based on a direct discretisation of the underlying NDDE, and one based on a discretisation of a related delay differential difference equation (i.e. a delay differential equation (DDE) coupled with a difference equation). Numerical examples are used to demonstrate these schemes and their respective orders of convergence. Both collocation schemes are implemented in DDE-BIFTOOL, a numerical continuation tool for delay equations. Their use in a continuation setting is shown with one- and two-parameter bifurcation studies of a transmission line model.


This paper presents a theory of choice that yields a set of new predictions about behavior when compared to the expected utility model, encompassing the existence of automatic responses and attentional biases. A formula comparable to the one of expected utility is identified. Under certain restrictive conditions identified here, the aggregate behavior of this brain model is equivalent to the one proposed by the expected utility model. This theory of choice is based on the concept of a race between different processes that occur in parallel inside the brain of an organism, run by different groups of neurons. Action is defined by the outcome of this competition, which is won by the process that is completed first. The time it takes for one process to finish the race is a function of the desirability it evokes, but additionally depends on the length of the neuron chain and how the sensory system reacts to information.


Purpose: Post-radiation skin damage is the result of alterations produced in the irradiated zone. There are different studies aimed at verifying the effectiveness of several kinds of molecules in the treatment of radiation-induced skin damage. The purpose of this study is to test a mixture with a formulation containing several natural active ingredients on actinic ulcers in patients receiving radiation therapies. Patients and methods: The authors recruited 13 patients, and randomly divided them into a test group (T 1 ) and a control group (T 2 ). The patients in both groups were undergoing radiotherapy. The T 1 group was treated with a mixture called ozolipoile, whereas the T 2 group was administered hyaluronic acid gel followed by non-ablative laser therapy. We evaluated the obtained results, the time of clinical healing, the reduction of pain, and each side effect, comparing all data between the T 1 and T 2 groups. Results: The average Visual Analog Scale results showed decrease in pain in both groups; however, while the T 1 group showed a significant decrease in the values, the T 2 group reported a more gradual reduction in the values, without ever reaching the minimum values obtained with the treatment with ozolipoile. Conclusion: Treatment of actinic ulcers with ozolipoile mixture leads to faster control of pain and to better healing of small-size ulcers.


Previous work suggests that acute exercise may enhance episodic memory function. However, no study has evaluated whether acute exercise can enhance source memory recognition, which was the purpose of this study. A two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled intervention was employed. The experimental group walked briskly for 15 minutes with a 5-minute seated recovery task (Sudoku), while the control group engaged in a time-matched (20-min) seated task (Sudoku). Subsequently, participants completed a source episodic memory task. The experimental group recalled more words than the control group (M = 6.35, SD = 2.99 and M = 5.30, SD = 2.83, respectively; P=0.26, d=0.36). However, there were no differences in performance on the source memory recognition task (discrimination index, -0.20 vs. 1.50, t=0.64, P=0.52, d=0.20). Our results provide some evidence of non-statistically small magnitude of an exercise-induced enhancement effect on episodic memory, but our findings did not suggest a beneficial source memory effect from acute exercise.


Based on the known experimental data and using the theoretical modeling of protein folding, we demonstrate that there exists an optimal relationship between the average conformational entropy and the average energy of contacts per residue, that is an entropy capacity, for fast protein folding. Statistical analysis of conformational entropy and the number of contacts per residue for 5829 protein structures from four general structural classes (all-alpha, all-beta, +/-/beta, alpha+beta) demonstrates that each class of proteins has its own class-specific average number of contacts and average conformational entropy per residue. These class-specific features determine the folding rates: a proteins are the fastest folding proteins, then follow beta and alpha+beta proteins, and finally alpha/beta proteins are the slowest ones.


Biomedical literature in MEDLINE/PubMed is semantically indexed with MeSH thesaurus entries (subject annotations) which may correspond to more than one related but distinct domain concepts. In such cases, the subject annotations do not follow the level of detail available in the domain and do not always suffice to meet the information needs of domain experts. In this work, we propose a method to automatically refine subject annotations at the level of concepts and employ it in the case of the MeSH descriptor for Alzheimer's Disease, which corresponds to six different concepts representing disease sub-types. The results indicate that the use of concept-occurrence as weak supervision can improve upon the predictive performance of literal string matching alone. The refined annotations can support more precise concept-based search, enable the integration of subject annotations with other semantic information and facilitate the maintenance of subject annotation consistency, as the MeSH thesaurus evolves with the addition of more detailed entries.


Who Calls Whom a Beatnik? LONG BEFORE Plato commented on it in the Phaedo , it had become customary for the elders of each era to deplore the physical, civic, military, and moral degeneration of the youth of their time. Today our girls are no longer as buoyant nor our boys as gallant as we were in our day, and, indeed, in their intransigent departures from our more courtly ways, too many of them beat the drums for being "Beatniks." The term, as adopted by them with defiant avidity, thereby basically implies an accusatory assumption on their part of having been "beaten" into martyrdom—an attitude particularly irritating to those of us who regard many of them as poseurs who, if anything, have been pretty well spoiled by foolishly overpermissive parents and an excessively indulgent milieu. But the Beatnik insists that his pose be loudly advertized and trumpeted;


Abstract The permeability of the work/retirement boundary is examined by investigating the labor force reentry process among a group of male retirees. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Older Men, hazards models are estimated to identify the determinants of postretirement work. Reentry is distinguished according to part-time and full-time work to capture potentially important sources of diversity. The results show that reentry occurs quickly - typically within the first year or two after a labor force exit. Despite career interruption, several work career factors significantly alter the overall chances of reentry. Comparing reentry determinants of full-time versus part-time work suggests that postretirement, part-time work is a distinct state referencing partial retirement; it is not a middle ground on a continuum between career work and complete retirement. In addition, characteristics positively linked to an initial early retirement negatively affect reentry into full-time (although not part-time) work. The determinants governing moves into and out of the labor force, and into and out of partial retirement are quite different. Overall, the results demonstrate that the transition from work to retirement is neither uniform nor irreversible.


The effects of fiber length and aeration rate on permeate flux decline in tests of a single, submerged, hollow-fiber microfiltration at constant pressure are presented. Without aeration, the initial permeate flux was greater for shorter fiber length (0.3 vs. 0.7 vs. 1 m) at a relatively low feed concentration of bentonite particles (0.1 g/L). However, the same pseudo-steady state in permeate flux was eventually reached for all three fiber lengths as fouling progressed. The fouling rate was greatly reduced by aeration rate for all three fiber lengths. However, the effect was larger as fiber length became shorter. Aeration was not effective for removal of the fouling layer formed near the fiber outlet where the local flux is expected to be highest for the longest fiber length. In the absence of aeration, permeate flux decline was over-predicted slightly in a hollow fiber model by using the specific cake resistance from a small-scale, flat-sheet microfiltration test. The explanation may involve the effect of the axial gradient of pressure drop on local cake resistance for compressible cakes. Aeration changed the structure of the fouling layer such that specific cake resistance was lower than obtained from the flat-sheet test wherein the aeration is not simulated.


We combine deep Hubble Space Telescope grism spectroscopy with a new Bayesian method to derive maps of gas-phase metallicity for 10 star-forming galaxies at high redshift ( ). Exploiting lensing magnification by the foreground cluster MACS1149.6+2223, we reach sub-kiloparsec spatial resolution and push the limit of stellar mass associated with such high-z spatially resolved measurements below for the first time. Our maps exhibit diverse morphologies, indicative of various effects such as efficient radial mixing from tidal torques, rapid accretion of low-metallicity gas, and other physical processes that can affect the gas and metallicity distributions in individual galaxies. Based upon an exhaustive sample of all existing sub-kiloparesec resolution metallicity gradient measurements at high z, we find that predictions given by analytical chemical evolution models assuming a relatively extended star-formation profile in the early disk-formation phase can explain the majority of observed metallicity gradients, without involving galactic feedback or radial outflows. We observe a tentative correlation between stellar mass and metallicity gradients, consistent with the "downsizing" galaxy formation picture that more massive galaxies are more evolved into a later phase of disk growth, where they experience more coherent mass assembly at all radii and thus show shallower metallicity gradients. In addition to the spatially resolved analysis, we compile a sample of homogeneously cross-calibrated integrated metallicity measurements spanning three orders of magnitude in stellar mass at z ∼ 1.8. We use this sample to study the mass–metallicity relation (MZR) and find that the slope of the observed MZR can rule out the momentum-driven wind model at a 3σ confidence level.


PURPOSE
To determine the role of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) in TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis of lamina cribrosa (LC) cells.

METHODS
LC cells were isolated from optic nerve heads of eyes of two human donors. The cells were treated with TNF-alpha and camptothecin, a TNF synergist, and the incidence of apoptosis was scored by Hoechst staining. Expression of eIF5A protein in response to camptothecin or a combination of camptothecin and TNF-alpha was determined by Western blot analysis. The ability of small inhibitory (si)RNAs directed against eIF5A to protect LC cells from TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis was determined by Hoechst and TUNEL staining of transfected LC cells.

RESULTS
TNF-alpha and camptothecin synergized to induce greater than two times more apoptosis in LC cells than when the cells were treated with TNF-alpha or camptothecin separately. Expression of eIF5A protein increased significantly after 8 hours of exposure to TNF-alpha and camptothecin, but not in response to camptothecin alone. siRNAs directed against eIF5A reduced apoptosis of LC cells in response to TNF-alpha and camptothecin by between 35% and 69%, as determined by Hoechst staining. An siRNA against glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) also reduced apoptosis of LC cells by 42%. TUNEL of transfected LC cells treated with TNF-alpha and camptothecin revealed an 80% reduction in apoptosis with siRNA against eIF5A.

CONCLUSIONS
TNF-alpha, in synergy with camptothecin, induces apoptosis in human LC cells. eIF5A is upregulated by LC cells in response to TNF-alpha, and siRNAs against eIF5A protect LC cells from apoptosis. Thus, eIF5A appears to be a novel proapoptotic protein in the TNF pathway and a possible target for treatment of glaucoma.


This paper outlines the methodology of a UNICEF research project on the impact of the global economic crisis on children in Western and Central Africa, which can also be applied to study the effects of other socio-economic shocks on households and particularly on children in developing countries. To understand the nature and the extent of the effects of a crisis in developing countries requires a rigorous analysis of the transmission mechanisms at both the macro and micro levels. This paper provides a tool to attempt to predict ex ante the impacts of the crisis, and possible policy responses, on households and their children. As timely data monitoring child well-being are not readily available to guide the rapid implementation of policies to protect children, a predictive model was developed that anticipates the impacts of the crisis on various essential dimensions of child wellbeing. Specifically, this paper proposes and discusses a combined macro-micro model following a top-down approach.


This paper presents a model of endogenous oil spill regulation where the severity of regulations is shown to be a function of the size of recent spills. The regulator chooses how much to regulate in order to maximize political capital when regulations are rigid downwards and the distribution of spills is not known with certainty. Very large spills are shown to cause large increases in the regulation level. In the event that an unlikely disastrous spill is realized, major regulatory reform may take place which would take the regulations to too high a level.


Electromagnetic waves, such as mobile wave and microwave radiation have
been used in the contemporary world for many years. Considerably, the rapidly increasing use of
mobile phones has led to pay more attention to the possible effects of being exposed to mobile
phone radiation on lymphatic organs. This study was conducted to investigate the mentioned effects
on mice.
Materials & Methods: A total of 30 healthy adult female mice were divided into one control and one
exposed group. The treatment group was placed in cages with exposure to electromagnetic
waves with a frequency of 915-MHz for 60 consecutive days. At the end of the experiments,
total and differentiated white blood cell counts as well as the levels of IgG and IgA were
determined. Lymphoid organ weights were recorded and also histological sections were prepared.
Results were analyzed by independent t-test (p<0.05).
Results: There was no death in the groups. In the exposed animals significant reduction in the
spleen cells population and also follicular size and splenic weights were seen. A decrease in the
number of the thymocytes and a reduction in the diameter of lymphoid follicles were observed
in the thymus structure. Lymph glands were atrophied, and empty sinuses were seen in the
lymphoid follicles. In addition, the number of neutrophils and monocytes as well as the IgA
levels increased in the exposed group.
Conclusion: Exposure to mobile phone radiation as a stimulator factor may cause
histomorphological and morphometrical alterations in the lymphoid organs of the mice


Schizophrenia has been understood as a network disease with altered functional and structural connectivity in multiple brain networks compatible to the extremely broad spectrum of psychopathological, cognitive and behavioral symptoms in this disorder. When building brain networks, functional and structural networks are typically modelled independently: functional network models are based on temporal correlations among brain regions, whereas structural network models are based on anatomical characteristics. Combining both features may give rise to more realistic and reliable models of brain networks. In this study, we applied a new flexible graph-theoretical-multimodal model called FD (F, the functional connectivity matrix, and D, the structural matrix) to construct brain networks combining functional, structural and topological information of MRI measurements (structural and resting state imaging) to patients with schizophrenia (N=35) and matched healthy individuals (N=41). As a reference condition, the traditional pure functional connectivity (pFC) analysis was carried out. By using the FD model, we found disrupted connectivity in the thalamo-cortical network in schizophrenic patients, whereas the pFC model failed to extract group differences after multiple comparison correction. We interpret this observation as evidence that the FD model is superior to conventional connectivity analysis, by stressing relevant features of the whole brain connectivity including functional, structural and topological signatures. The FD model can be used in future research to model subtle alterations of functional and structural connectivity resulting in pronounced clinical syndromes and major psychiatric disorders. Lastly, FD is not limited to the analysis of resting state fMRI, and can be applied to EEG, MEG etc.


The feeding ecology of Parailia pellucida (Boulenger, 1901), Eutropius niloticus (Rϋppel, 1872) and Schilbe mystus (Linnaeus, 1756) were investigated for two years (March, 1982-February, 1984) in River Ase, Niger Delta, southern Nigeria. A cyclic pattern of fish sampling was used and fish samples were collected from 0600-0900, 0900-1200, 1200-1500, 1500-1800, 1800-2100, 2100-2400, 2400-0300, 0300-0600 (hrs) using various fishing gear. Percentage food items and condition factors (kf) were calculated for each species. Feeding habits in relation to size groups, diel and monthly variations in feeding intensity were described for Eutropius niloticus and Schilbe mystus which had adequate data. The three species P. pellucida, E. niloticus and S. mystus were omnivorous surface feeders. They consumed more food items in the dry season than during the rainy season. Diel variations in feeding habit occurred both day and night with higher intensity at night especially between the hours of 9p.m. and 12 midnight. S. mystus is both day and night feeder. The medium size group of E. niloticus consumed a wider variety of food items than the small and large size groups. S. mystus consumed almost the same food items in both dry and rainy seasons. In the three size groups, most food items were selectively consumed indicating gape size as a limiting factor. The condition factors (kf) of the three species were above 1 indicating well being. Some aspects of the feeding ecology of the three schilbeid catfishes have been discussed and the results compared with the results of earlier investigations conducted elsewhere. Key words : schilbeidae, feeding ecology, diel variation, seasonality


With average student loan debt tripling to more than $1.6 trillion since 2006 and the average student graduating with nearly $30,000 in student loans, college students expect both engaging curricula and skills development that ultimately result in long-term financial health. Concurrently, employers actively recruit students who have been exposed to technology systems and understand how individual decisions affect the whole and that a team-based effort for organizational decision-making is essential for financial success. This paper measures selfefficacy of career readiness and competencies when students participate in experiential-based learning, technology-enriched curricula. More importantly, the paper evaluates the effect of this curricula on minorities. Empirical evidence supports that experiential education leads to a deeper understanding of the subject than without, a capacity to think critically and apply knowledge in complex and/or ambiguous situations, and the ability to engage in lifelong learning both within and without the workplace. Autodidactic assignments are designed to provide students with both independent and team-based learning opportunities with progression from typical to complex. Successful completion of which develops critical thinking, problem solving, communications, collaboration, leadership, and intercultural skills in addition to technological proficiency. The curricula target undergraduate learners in a university where slightly more than one-half of undergraduate students are self-reported minorities. A Likert item survey was distributed across business disciplines in these technology enriched courses; Likert items were aggregated into two Likert scales. The results of this paper show that the curricula improved learning outcomes and thereby positively impacted employment options with no disadvantage to minority participates. Thus, the curricula overcame any initial dispersion in knowledge and readiness between minorities and non-minorities. (Finance, Data Analytics, FinTech, Experiential Learning, High Impact Educational Practices).


The paper introduces a novel auto-leveling system applied to the obstacle-surmounting robot with six wheel- legs. The leveling model of the robot with six wheel legs and one articulated steering is analyzed. Besides, the kinematic model of the robot is presented. In order to optimize the leveling algorithm, a special PID control strategy with the leveling matrix is applied to the leveling system. The experiment shows that the new leveling system can improve the efficiency and the stability of the leveling performance: the leveling time is reduced by 3.5 seconds and the obvious tilt fluctuations are decreased by 5 times.


: The investigations of the water with decreased content of heavy stable hydrogen and of oxygen (18O) isotope received by the method of rectification were conducted on development of radiation injuries in organisms of the experimental animals. The objects of the investigation were male mice of Balb/c line. The animals were irradiated at the unit PX-gamma-30 with the gamma-radiation source 60Co in the dose of 25 sGy. It was observed that the water with decreased content of heavy stable hydrogen and of oxygen (18O) isotope influences positively the processes of restoration. It was manifested in decrease of the degree of gravity of radiation injuries in immune system organs (thymus and spleen), peripheral blood and marrow cells.


During a 2 h interval from 2240 to 2440 UT on 12 November 2012, regions of increased 630.0 nm airglow emissions were simultaneously detected by dual all‐sky imagers in the polar cap, one at Longyearbyen, Norway (78.1°N, 15.5°E) and the other at Resolute Bay, Canada (74.7°N, 265.1°E). The Resolute Bay incoherent scatter radar observed clear enhancements of the F region electron density up to 1012 m−3 within these airglow structures which indicates that these are optical manifestations of polar cap patches propagating across the polar cap. During this interval of simultaneous airglow imaging, the nightside/dawnside (dayside/duskside) half of the patches was captured by the imager at Longyearbyen (Resolute Bay). This unique situation enabled us to estimate the dawn‐dusk extent of the patches to be around 1500 km, which was at least 60–70% of the width of the antisunward plasma stream seen in the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network convection maps. In contrast to the large extent in the dawn‐dusk direction, the noon‐midnight thickness of each patch was less than 500 km. These observations demonstrate that there exists a class of patches showing cigar‐shaped structures. Such patches could be produced in a wide range of local time on the dayside nearly simultaneously and spread across many hours of local time soon after their generation.


The effect of chromate in primer layers on the cut edge corrosion of prepainted 55% Al―Zn alloy coated (galvalume) steels has been examined under simulated atmospheric corrosion conditions in a marine environment. The chromate released from the primer layers in effect prolonged and expanded the sacrificial protection of the 55% Al―Zn layers. The corrosion potentials, measured by a Kelvin probe, indicated that the cut edges were maintained at low potentials. The galvanic current measured for the 55% Al―Zn/steel couple specimen with the chromate-containing primer was lower than that of the specimen with the chromate-free primer. This concurs with the results of conventional polarization measurements, indicating that the cathodic oxygen reduction on steel substrates is inhibited by the presence of chromate. The corrosion potential variations across the interface between 55% Al―Zn layers and steel substrates were measured using Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). Almost negligible variations in the KPFM potential were found at the interface in the cut edges with the chromate-containing primer. Our findings indicate that the prolonged and expanded sacrificial protection effect of the 55% Al―Zn layers is likely due to the release of chromate from the primer layers, which makes it possible for the 55% Al―Zn layers to dissolve slowly.


In this study, global effects caused by exergetic inefficiency are examined for rotary kiln of the cement plant. For this purpose, a rotary kiln process of a cement plant in Turkey is modelled, and the annual operation data of this process is analysed. As a first step, an exergy analysis is carried out for all of the thermal processes of the cement plant. Then exergy losses and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of the rotary kiln process taken exemplary according to annual dead state temperature changes are determined. Annual averages of the exergy efficiency of the kiln and its exergetic improvement potential are found as 48.5% and 110.58 GJ/h, respectively. In this system, CO2 emissions caused by exergetic losses are calculated for the coal mixture and the natural gas as an average of 38,004 kg/h and 12,668 kg/h, respectively. At the end of the study, some suggestions concerning reduction of the global effects for these systems are made.


Reservoir managers would like to know the current state of their field and be able to see into the future to know how it will change. The former requires information about current fluid sweep and pressure change while the latter requires accurate reservoir description and a predictive tool such as a simulation model. Important decisions can then be made regarding facility maintenance and well optimization, but more importantly, unswept areas can be identified and new wells drilled. Conventionally, simulation models have been used to determine the possible reservoir state and predict its behaviour. The modelling commonly begins with the geologist who creates a number of static geomodels, often constrained to the core data and the petrophysicist's well log data in addition to the geophysicist's pre-production 2D or 3D seismic. The upscaled models are then modified by an engineer so that they match static and dynamic well data, including fluid production rates and local pressures. Because the wells are widely spaced, many possible solutions exist where the well data will match. Time-lapse (4D) seismic can reduce the non-uniqueness by identifying changes in fluid saturation and/or pressures. This information is now available in qualitative form almost routinely in a number of North Sea and Gulf of Mexico fields, but the goal is to integrate this data quantitatively with the modelling process together with other available data. To achieve this goal, we have developed an automated history matching method to include as much reservoir data as is necessary and sufficient, including core and well logs, seismic, production data, SCAL, etc. Here, we apply our method to the Schiehallion UKCS reservoir where we update the operator's model using geostatistical approaches and obtain an improved match to seismic and a good match to production data. Finally, the uncertainty of the parameters and predicted behaviour is analysed.


A group of faecal isolates of Proteus vulgaris and P. mirabilis was studied for the presence of possible virulence factors such as growth rates in urine and broth, haemolysin production, hydrophobicity, sensitivity to the bactericidal activity of human serum and cell invasiveness. Differences were found in haemolysin production, cell invasiveness and experimental virulence in a mouse model. These differences might explain why P. mirabilis is much more common in human urinary-tract infections than P. vulgaris.


Shooting methods are an efficient approach to solving nonlinear optimal control problems. As they use local optimization, they exhibit favorable convergence when initialized with a good warm-start but may not converge at all if provided with a poor initial guess. Recent work has focused on providing an initial guess from a learned model trained on samples generated during an offline exploration of the problem space. However, in practice, the solutions contain discontinuities introduced by system dynamics or the environment. Additionally, in many cases, multiple equally suitable, i.e., multimodal, solutions exist to solve a problem. Classic learning approaches smooth across the boundary of these discontinuities and thus generalize poorly. In this work, we apply tools from algebraic topology to extract information on the underlying structure of the solution space. In particular, we introduce a method based on persistent homology to automatically cluster the dataset of precomputed solutions to obtain different candidate initial guesses. We then train a mixture-of-experts within each cluster to predict state and control trajectories to warm-start the optimal control solver and provide a comparison with modality-agnostic learning. We demonstrate our method on a cartpole toy problem and a quadrotor avoiding obstacles, and show that clustering samples based on inherent structure improves the warm-start quality.


Purpose: This study assesses the impact of a community-based rehabilitation (CBR) programme on the quality of life (QoL) of children with disability and their families. Methods: A qualitative approach was applied, using two techniques - a ranking line and semi-structured interviews. Nineteen children (ranging from 4 –18 years of age) were interviewed in their homes located in three villages - Chapakhori, Bokraha and Madesha - in Nepal. Results : Children with disability and their families ranked physical health, psychological health, empowerment and level of independence as the most important factors for their QoL. Of the 19 children, 13 had experienced positive changes in their life and 1 child reported a negative change. The positive changes related mainly to their physical health and functioning. The impact of these changes was felt in the 'social', 'level of independence' and 'empowerment' outcome categories. The children mentioned that they had more friends, experienced less stigma, could go to school and were more hopeful about the future. Conclusions: This CBR programme has brought about changes in the QoL of all children with disability and their families. The majority of them reported a positive impact.


With increased competitiveness, increased pressure to exploit scale advantages in operations and with increasing customer demands of availability, adaptability and responsiveness, supply chain management has become a cornerstone in modern business administration. One concept that has attracted attention from scholars and practitioners is the concept of supply chain agility. This paper concerns the development of responsive supply chains and presents a case study concerning a Swedish global retail firm. The purpose of the paper is to explore the relationship between supply chain transparency and the agile supply chain. We also aim to explore the challenges that firms face when striving to attain transparency and implementing response-based supply strategies in buyer-supplier relationships. Our findings in this research project in progress points at the critical role of a system handing real-time information. Our study also corroborates the view that it is perhaps more realistic to discuss agility as a current status and something that is continuously developing, rather than as a static property of a supply chain.


Activity-Based Working (ABW) is supported by work environments that combine hot-desking with a variety of workplaces, designed to support different types of activities. While the advantages of these work environments in terms of efficiency are undisputed, their effectiveness with respect to job performance and satisfaction is still doubtful, at least as a one-size-fits-all solution. So far research has produced ambiguous and sometimes contradictory findings, indicating that situational factors (e.g. interior design, organisational culture, implementation process) may play an important role. Such factors cannot explain however, why we see major differences between individual users. Hence, the purpose of this research is to analyse individual differences in psychological needs and their effects on behavioural patterns and workplace satisfaction. Since workplace satisfaction has been found to be related to job satisfaction and job performance, we consider it as an indicator for the effectiveness of an ABW environment.

Repeated measurements were collected, using a mobile application. Participants reported their activities, the types of workplaces they used, and the degree of workplace satisfaction they experienced. They also filled out a questionnaire regarding (among others) their psychological characteristics: need for autonomy, need for structure, need for relatedness, need for privacy and need for competence. Data have been collected at four different organisations, resulting a total of 7457 measurements, reported by 214 participants. These data have been analysed using a logistic regression model.

Data analysis is still in progress; complete results will be available at the USE conference. Preliminary findings indicate significant impact of several psychological needs on the use and appreciation of activity-based workplaces. As expected, people high in need for structure appear to switch less often between different types of workplaces, whereas people high in need for autonomy appear to switch more often. When activities that require a high level of concentration are carried out in open work environments, a high need for privacy seems to predict workplace dissatisfaction, whereas a high need for relatedness seems to predict less negative satisfaction ratings.

Our preliminary findings clearly confirm the general idea that individual differences regarding psychological needs influence both behavioural patterns (choosing and switching between different types of workplaces) and workplace satisfaction. Further analysis of the dataset is needed to deepen and broaden the insights and to reveal the predictive value of these psychological needs regarding the use and appreciation of activity-based workplaces, also in comparison with other factors like activity type and job characteristics.

The aforementioned insights are highly relevant for both researchers and practitioners. The selected set of psychological needs seems to provide a useful framework for future research focusing on individual differences within the broader context of changing work styles and work environments. Such research may contribute to the development of evidence-based workplace theories and concepts that take into account the variety of psychological needs that have to be fulfilled in order to achieve goals regarding job performance and satisfaction. At a more basic level, research that demonstrates the importance of individual (psychological) differences regarding workplace needs may increase awareness within organisations and among users, stimulating them to pay more attention to assessing, discussing and facilitating these differences.


This work presents the water cascade analysis (WCA) as a new technique to establish the minimum water and wastewater targets for continuous water-using processes. The WCA is a numerical alternative to the graphical water targeting technique known as the water surplus diagram. The WCA is to the water surplus diagram in water pinch analysis (WPA) as problem table analysis (PTA) is to the grand composite curves in heat pinch analysis. By eliminating the tedious iterative steps of the water surplus diagram, the WCA can quickly yield accurate minimum water targets, pinch point locations, and water allocation targets for a maximum water recovery (MWR) network, thereby offering a key complementary role to the water surplus diagram in the synthesis of water network. As in the case of the water surplus diagram, the WCA is not limited to mass-transfer–based operations and is applicable to a wide range of water-using operations.


While enjoying the convenience brought by mobile phones, users have been exposed to high risk of private information leakage. It is known that many applications on mobile devices read private data and send them to remote servers. However how, when and in what scale the private data are leaked are not investigated systematically in the real-world scenario. In this paper, a framework is proposed to analyze the usage data from mobile devices and the traffic data from the mobile network and make a comprehensive privacy leakage detection and privacy inference mining on a large scale of realworld mobile data. Firstly, this paper sets up a training dataset and trains a privacy detection model on mobile traffic data. Then classical machine learning tools are used to discover private usage patterns. Based on our experiments and data analysis, it is found that i) a large number of private information is transmitted in plaintext, and even passwords are transmitted in plaintext by some applications, ii) more privacy types are leaked in Android than iOS, while GPS location is the most leaked privacy in both Android and iOS system, iii) the usage pattern is related to mobile device price. Through our experiments and analysis, it can be concluded that mobile privacy leakage is pervasive and serious.


Digitisation and the surge of new intermediaries in audio media market have been reshaping record and radio industries worldwide. More recently, streaming services are a group of new intermediaries that grow fast as Internet broadband becomes more available in developed as well as developing countries. One of the most profitable music markets in the world, Brazil is being targeted by these new actors, such as Deezer and Spotify, which opened sales offices in the country and announced deals with recording labels to offer millions of local artists' tracks. They vie for consumers' attention with regional/local services such as RadioTube, Radioteca.net, Blaving, and those that reject copyright-based business model, evoking the peer-to-peer logic of some of its predecessors, such as Napster, KaZaA, The Pirate Bay. In this exploratory study, we focus on these rearrangements in audio media contents' circulation and consumption, in order to map the reintermediation of the Brazilian music market. It gathers the results of research projects developed at the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) and at University of Sao Paulo (USP) (Brazil).


This paper presents an approach for estimating motion from a stereo image sequence. First a stereo motion estimation model is derived using the direct dynamic motion estimation technique. The problem is then solved by applying a discrete Kalman filter that facilitates the use of a long stereo image sequence. Major issues in a motion estimation method are stereo matching, temporal matching, and noise sensitivity. In the proposed approach, owing to the use of temporal derivatives in the motion estimation model, temporal matching is not needed. The effort for stereo matching is kept to a minimum by the use of a parallel binocular configuration. Noise smoothing is achieved by the use of a sufficiently large number of measurement points and a long sequence of stereo images. Both simulation and experimental studies have been conducted to assess the effectiveness of the proposed approach. >


The success of deep neural networks greatly relies on the availability of large amounts of high-quality annotated data, which however are difficult or expensive to obtain. The resulting labels may be class imbalanced, noisy or human biased. It is challenging to learn unbiased classification models from imperfectly annotated datasets, on which we usually suffer from overfitting or underfitting. In this work, we thoroughly investigate the popular softmax loss and margin-based loss, and offer a feasible approach to tighten the generalization error bound by maximizing the minimal sample margin. We further derive the optimality condition for this purpose, which indicates how the class prototypes should be anchored. Motivated by theoretical analysis, we propose a simple yet effective method, namely prototype-anchored learning (PAL), which can be easily incorporated into various learning-based classification schemes to handle imperfect annotation. We verify the effectiveness of PAL on class-imbalanced learning and noise-tolerant learning by extensive experiments on synthetic and real-world datasets.


It is difficult to use synchronous buses in a system-on-a-chip design due to the increase of wire delay caused by the crosstalk effect and the difficulty of the synchronization caused by the clock-skew problem. The use of an asynchronous bus is an alternative solution for the SoC design method. In this paper, we propose a new high performance asynchronous bus using a return-to-zero data encoding method to get a low latency and a high throughput as well. Simulation results reveal that, by the proposed scheme, the read throughput increases by 17.6%, and the read latency decreases by 12.5% simultaneously.


We discuss the site conditions for astronomy at the South Pole and over the Antarctic plateau. We find that these conditions are the most favorable on Earth for sensitive observations at thermal IR and sub-millimeter wavelengths. We further discuss plans to develop IR facilities to exploit this potential.


The verifier-based key exchange protocol for three parties deals with the authenticated key agreement process between two clients with the help of a trusted server who have to store their verifiers in the server for authentication. Recently, Liu et al. proposed a key exchange protocol for three-party based on verifier authentication and claimed that their protocol could resist many familiar attacks. Unfortunately, we find out that the proposed protocol is insecure against off-line guessing attack and impersonation attack. In this paper, we conduct a detailed analysis on the flaws of Liu et al.'s protocol. In addition, a new protocol is presented with security analysis.


In multi-view three-dimensional imaging, to capture the elemental images of distant objects, the use of a field-like lens that projects the reference plane onto the microlens array is necessary. In this case, the spatial resolution of reconstructed images is determined by the spatial density of microlenses in the array. In this paper we report a simple method, based on the realization of double snapshots, to double the 2D pixel density of reconstructed scenes. Experiments are reported to support the proposed approach.


This paper provides a theory for deciding when a spending program should be implemented through the tax system. The decision is traditionally thought to be based on considerations of tax policy. The most common theories are the comprehensive tax base theory and the tax expenditures theory, both of which rely on tax policy to make the determination. We argue instead that the decision should be based solely on consideration of organizational design. Activities should be grouped together in a way that achieves the best performance, much like a corporation decides how to divide its business into divisions. Tax policy is entirely irrelevant to the decision. This paper begins the process of applying organizational design theory to the tax and spending problem, considering theories of hierarchies based on the needs for specialization in and coordination of activities. The paper then analyzes whether food stamps and the earned income credit should be implemented in through the tax system based on this analysis.


C10H8F4N10O18, Mr = 632.22, monoclinic, Pc, a = 7.8885 (6), b = 6.7787 (4), c = 21.595 (2) A, beta = 108.21 (1) degree, V = 1096 (1) A3, Z = 2, Dx = 1.914 g cm-3, lambda(Cu K alpha) = 1.5418 A, mu = 18.7 cm-1, F(000) = 636, T = 293 K, 1791 unique data, 1733 with I greater than 3 sigma (I), R = 0.047. The structure was solved by the consistent electron density approach (CEDA), in which a small starting set of random phases was refined and expanded by the application of restraints to the electron density. A refinable preliminary structure was obtained by fitting a model to a 3 A map, calculated with 27 reflections (all data with d greater than 3 A, and magnitude of Fo greater than 170) whose phases had been determined by the CEDA. The molecule has an extended, open conformation; the two pairs of fluorodinitroethyl substituents located across the molecular center from each other show i and C2 pseudo-symmetry respectively.


In this Article, I study the implications of National Football League Management Council v. National Football League Players Association, the recent decision in which the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit dealt New England Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady a stinging defeat in his so-called "Deflategate" case against the National Football League ("NFL"). I do so because, although most of the court's opinion follows well-established doctrine, a crucial portion of decision quickly glosses over important unanswered questions about federal arbitration law and the enforceability of pre-dispute arbitration agreements that contemplate the appointment of an evidently partial arbitrator. This makes the implications of the Second Circuit's decision unclear, and it exposes how the Supreme Court's basic account of federal arbitration law has paid insufficient attention to the frequent and overbearing imposition of arbitration on relatively unsophisticated parties through contracts of adhesion. Indeed, I shall argue that National Football League Management Council (to which I will give the shorthand "NFLMC") must be understood and interpreted in a limited and careful way to avoid damaging the interests of ordinary consumers and employees in a serious and unfair way.
In the pages that follow, I will explore how strongly federal arbitration law, particularly the Supreme Court's conflation of adhesion with ordinary contracts, supports potentially troubling implications of NFLMC. I conclude that NFLMC was correctly decided, but that a nuanced understanding of Supreme Court precedent actually gives NFLMC influence over a relatively narrow set of future cases, thereby limiting its potentially troubling implications. I support this conclusion by showing that the Supreme Court's rationale for conflating adhesion contracts with ordinary contracts does not support the consistent enforcement of all agreements that contemplate evidently partial arbitrators. Instead, despite outward appearances to the contrary, federal arbitration law accepts the appointment of evidently partial arbitrators only when the parties genuinely understand and agree to that arrangement. This rules out the use of adhesion contracts to maneuver ordinary individuals into arbitration before improperly biased arbitrators.


The modern Chinese magazine Literary Renaissance was published monthly in Shanghai between January 1946 and August 1949, edited by Zheng Zhenduo and Li Jianwu Its launch expressed widespread hopes for the revival of Chinese literature after the war and intentions of working towards that revival. The purpose of this study is to examine whether there was indeed a post-war Literary Renaissance reflected by the magazine. Since the editors perceived a parallel between the European Renaissance and the envisaged revival of Chinese literature, various interpretations of the connection are looked at before the magazine's own literary philosophy is traced through the published editorials, reviews and theoretical articles. Creative contributions are discussed according to genre, devoting a chapter each to poetry, short stories, novels and drama. In evaluating individual works, comparisons are sought with outstanding examples of literature from the previous decades, looking for changes and differences, and focusing on foreign or native influences. Where appropriate, the world outlook and allegiances of contributors are also looked into, trying to discover groupings and trends. In the broad spectrum of poems several instances are found that are comparable in quality to pre-war poetry. Among the short stories two significant types of narratives emerge that present reality in a more complex and experimental manner. Of the three serialized novels, two have turned out to rank among the best of modern Chinese novels. The playscripts, however, while giving a glimpse of the previous theatre boom, reflect the post-war decline of drama. Finally, the findings in the various genres are brought together and the basic question of the study is answered. Appendices include a chronology of selected events relevant to the period, reproductions of the evocative cover and content pages of the magazine, translations of two modernist short stories and biographies of significant contributors.


This thesis concerns ideas and practices about quality assurance systems, quality
enhancement and performance indicators in higher education. The quality of
higher education is important in a country's economic and social development and
its enhancement is a major objective of any higher education system. There has
been an increasing demand for institutions of higher education to be accountable
and make their activities more transparent to their consumers and to society as a
whole. Therefore, institutions have become more explicit about their aims and the
methods used to achieve such aims. Also, the monitoring of inputs, processes and
outcomes of a University has now become widely accepted.
The context for the study of quality management in higher education is the
'Eduardo Mondlane' University (UEM) in Mozambique. This thesis aims to analyse
the quality assurance procedures currently in existence at 'Eduardo Mondlane'
University (UEM), to examine recent and ongoing efforts to build capacity, to
consider a range of options for increased efficiency and effectiveness, and to make
recommendations for quality management at UEM. Examples of British Universities
already engaged in quality assurance initiatives are analysed and their relevance
to UEM is discussed.
This thesis comprises nine chapters. The first chapter contextualizes the thesis by
considering the historical background to Mozambique. Chapters two and three
discuss styles and strategies of managing quality, and ways of monitoring the
performance of educational institutions. Chapter four examines arrangements in
selected U.K. Universities for quality assurance. Chapters five to eight outline the
methodology used to collect the research evidence and discuss the main results
from the survey research conducted at UEM. Four main aspects of quality
assurance at UEM form the focus of the research: the quality assurance of
admission procedures, the quality assurance of teaching and learning, the quality
assurance of student development and support, and a framework for quality
enhancement. The concluding chapter presents a summary of the main findings as
well as recommendations for quality enhancement at UEM. A list of performance
indicators is provided along with suggestions for further research on quality
assurance at UEM


In previous works I have discussed how the image of the graphical user interface (GUI) has been appropriated as a referent for a creative practice beyond the screen, materialized as two-dimensional print and painted images. In this paper I will explore instances where the GUI has been referenced in the creation of three-dimensional physical artifacts and performative three-dimensional spaces. An examination of selected works will give us the opportunity to look critically at the evolution of the computer desktop metaphor and its appropriation back into object based artifacts and to unpacking some of the theoretical implications implicit in these shifts in representation.

The selected works examined in the paper originate from a group of international artists who have been repositioning the use of the computer GUI within the realm of creative practice. These creative recontextualisations allow us to problematise our engagement with digital technology. Allowing us to question our experience of the GUI in terms of a personal, and broader communal context. As well as intimating the pivotal place that computer technologies have taken in our everyday social, cultural and increasingly our creative realms. The transformation from digital computer icon to material artifact engenders the potential of the computer GUI to become a precious, rarefied object, which commands value and prestige.


POITIERS, FRANCE--
 Years of effort in hostile territory have finally paid off for French paleontologist Michel Brunet, who discovered a fossil that might be the first member of the human family--although not everyone is convinced. In a field peopled by celebrity scientists, it seemed to many that Brunet came out of nowhere; the find of the century was made by a man trained not in hominids but in paleontology. Now, at 62, after a life of being little known outside his field, he is suddenly in demand everywhere.


OBJECTIVE
Evaluation of diagnostic laparoscopy findings in 600 unexplained infertility cases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 600 diagnostic laparoscopies performed between 1995 and 2008 were investigated. Laparoscopies were performed in the proliferative phase of the cycle, General anesthesia was performed in all cases.

RESULTS
Normal genital findings were determined in 47.50% of primary infertile cases and in 47% of secondary infertile cases. Pelvic adhesion was the most frequent finding encountered and it was seen at a rate of 20% in the primary infertility group and 18% in the secondary infertility group. Endometriosis was determined to have a rate of 15% in the primary infertility group and 11.5% in the secondary infertility group.

CONCLUSION
Laparoscopy has an important place in the diagnosis and planning in the treatment of infertility. Planning the convenient treatment for patients will prevent both economic loss and time loss.


In this study, we have prospectively recorded healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in NICU and found incidence density as 18 infections per 1000 patient days. Of the infections, 51.3% was bacteriemia (BSI), and 45.1% was ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Gram-negative microorganisms were predominant in VAP and Staphylococcus epidermidis was the leading microorganism (53.0% of BSIs) in BSIs. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the importance of hood O(2) use in days (RR: 1.3) and total parenteral nutrition use in days (RR: 1.09) for BSIs. Umbilical arterial catheterization in days (RR: 1.94), ventilator use in days (RR: 1.05), chest tube (RR: 12.55), orogastric feeding (RR: 3.32) and total parenteral nutrition in days (RR: 1.05) were found to be significantly associated with VAP. In conclusion, incidence density in our unit is high and Gram-negative rods are predominant similar to developing countries. These results strongly suggest improving measures of prevention and control of HAIs in the unit.


Spontaneous and evoked electrical activity was recorded intracellularly from somata, axons, and terminal dilatations of an isolated peptidergic neurosecretory system, the X-organ-sinus gland, of the crabs Cardisoma carnifex and Podophthalmus vigil in order to compare their electrical characteristics. Spontaneous impulse activity was present in most penetrations and included irregular and pacemaker-like firing, as well as patterned activity (bursting). Extracellular recording showed that spontaneous impulses and bursting originate in a proximal region of the axon tract. Somata vary from being electrically nonresponsive to having overshooting impulses with a relatively slow rate of rise. Overshooting impulses were consistently recorded from axons and terminals. Regional differences include (1) a longer action potential duration in terminals, (2) ability of axons and terminals but not somata to sustain repetitive firing, (3) presence of depolarizing afterpotentials in axons but of hyperpolarizing afterpotentials in somata and terminals, and (4) occurrence of impulse broadening during repetitive firing in some terminals but not in axons or somata. Somata and terminals sustained reduced and slowed, but regenerative impulses in nominally Na- free saline and showed alterations of waveform in nominally Ca-free salines, while axons showed no regenerative responses in Na-free saline and no change of impulse form in Ca-free saline. Terminal responses in the presence of tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA) (50 mM) or Ba (50 mM) exhibited long depolarized plateaus, while impulses of somata were much less prolonged. Bursts often took the form of impulses superimposed on a depolarized plateau. Bursts could be evoked by single stimuli applied to the axon tract but not by current passed intracellularly. After addition of TTX, axon tract stimulation evoked plateaus without superimposed impulses. Terminals exhibit specialization of their electrical responses by comparison to axons and somata in having long- duration action potentials attributable to participation of Ca, capability of sustained firing, impulse broadening, and channels supporting sustained inward currents, all of which might enhance the admission of Ca for initiation of peptide secretion.


The influencing factors for undergraduate students dropout can be considered subjective and unusual dependencies. This situation is not particular to IFSC and is treated with great concern also by other educational institutions. Numerous theories pointing the origin and cause of the problem have arisen from discussions, followed by proposals and examples of solutions that often do not work or are not feasible because they are related to peculiarities. This work focuses in the study of the effects that can be obtained by making use of the resources offered by modeling and ontological knowledge representation in the context mentioned above.


Introduction: Third molars (M3) show the greatest variability of the human dentition. Impacted third molars have been implicated in oral infections, neoplastic conditions and late onset dental crowding. Aims and Objectives: To assess the prevalence of third molar impaction among a sample of adult orthodontic patients in relation to their antero-posterior and vertical craniofacial skeletal patterns. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study. Methods: Orthopantomograms and lateral cephalograms of 62 adult orthodontic patients were assessed. Presence and type of M3 impaction according to Winter's and the Pell and Gregory's classifications were documented and the relationships of these data to the vertical and antero-posterior cranio-facial skeletal patterns were assessed. All analyses were performed using the SPSS package, version 22. Level of significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Median age was 23.5years. Disto-angular impaction was commonest in the maxilla while mesio-angular and horizontal impactions were limited solely to the mandible (p<0.001). There was a significant relationship between Winter's classification of M3 impaction and the antero-posterior skeletal pattern (p=0.007). Pell & Gregory class 3 impactions were found almost entirely among patients with class II malocclusion, (p<0.001). Conclusion: M3 impaction is prevalent among the sample, the ore more severe impactions occurring in skeletal pattern II subjects.


: This paper presents the results of the application of sodium hydroxybutyrate as 5% sugar syrup for the treatment of glaucoma patients. Common ophthalmological investigation methods and the oxyhemography were used. Fifty-two primary glaucoma patients (99 eyes) in various stages of disease and with different intraocular pressure levels were investigated. It was found that due to sodium hydroxybutyrate in 36 patients (69%) with statistical significance the visual field limits enlarged; in 15 patients visual acuity improved. The drug was efficient in the initial and developed glaucoma with normalized ophthalmotonus level. Significant improvement of the oxygen metabolism--oxygen saturation level of arterial blood and compensatory mechanisms functions of oxygenation-reduction processes in the majority of the patients was found. On the ground of the obtained findings the authors make a conclusion about the expediency of including 5% sodium hydroxybutyrate syrup in the complex treatment of primary glaucoma patients.


This article develops a conceptual framework for understanding collective action in the age of social media, focusing on the role of collective identity and the process of its making. It is grounded on an interactionist approach that considers organized collective action as a social construct with communicative action at its core [Melucci, A. 1996. Challenging codes: Collective action in the information age. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press]. It explains how micromobilization is mediated by social media, and argues that social media play a novel broker role in the activists' meaning construction processes. Social media impose precise material constraints on their social affordances, which have profound implications in both the symbolic production and organizational dynamics of social action. The materiality of social media deeply affects identity building, in two ways: firstly, it amplifies the 'interactive and shared' elements of collective identity (Melucci, 1996), and secondly, it sets in motion a politics of visibility characterized by individuality, performance, visibility, and juxtaposition. The politics of visibility, at the heart of what I call 'cloud protesting', exacerbates the centrality of the subjective and private experience of the individual in contemporary mobilizations, and has partially replaced the politics of identity typical of social movements. The politics of visibility creates individuals-in-the-group, whereby the 'collective' is experienced through the 'individual' and the group is the means of collective action, rather than its end.


This paper aims to assess the role of Cu on Al-Si-Mg alloys, in a range of 0 - 5 wt%, qualitatively on microstructure, defect formation, in terms of porosity, and strength in the as-cast conditions. The ternary system of Al-Si-Mg, using the A356 alloy as a base material, were cast using the gradient solidification technique; applying three different solidification rates to produce directional solidified samples with a variety of microstructure coarsenesses. Microstructural observations reveal that as the Cu levels in the alloys are increased, the amounts of intermetallic compounds as well as the Cu concentration in the α-Al matrix are increased. Furthermore, the level of porosity is unaffected and the tensile strength is improved at the expense of ductility.


Insect foods are nutritious and acceptable for human consumption. The research was to determine the factors of motivation choices, satisfaction and food safety knowledge on insect foods consumption among Zhejiang University community. This study takes the form of a structured online questionnaire designed by the investigators for this convenience sample survey. Data were collected from Zhejiang University, China. A total of 873 respondents, (students, teachers and staff) ranging in age from 18 to 85 years (503 men and 370 women) completed the survey. Factor analysis was employed to identify related variables. An analysis revealed three factors; what motivates insect foods consumption by the respondents showed that taste (40.4%) is the major reason to consume insect foods followed by nutritional value (27.3%) and affordability (13.9%). Majority of the respondents were satisfied with the price of insect foods (51.7%). The survey also showed that majority of respondents did not have food safety concerns on the potential toxicity of insect (47.2%), 33% were concerned, while 19.8% did not think about the safety concerns. The study revealed that males between 18-28 years consume insect foods more than females in the same age group. Although some insect foods may be toxic, consumption is enjoyed by many of the respondents and they are not discouraged from consuming them. This study shows the current trend on insect foods consumption, bring awareness on the safety of insect foods consumption and promote insect foods consumption as some edible insects are reported to have health benefits.


Background—Particulate air pollution is associated with cardiovascular diseases and myocardial infarction (MI). Methods and Results—We investigated the relationship between airway inflammation and thrombosis 24 hours after intratracheal (IT) instillation of diesel exhaust particles (DEP; 50 &mgr;g/hamster). Mild thrombosis was induced in the femoral vein by endothelial injury, and the consequences of airway inflammation on thrombogenicity were studied via online video microscopy. Lung inflammation and histamine analysis in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and plasma were performed after pretreatment with dexamethasone (DEX) or sodium cromoglycate (SC). DEP induced airway inflammation and histamine release in BAL and in plasma, and increased thrombosis, without elevating plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF) levels. The IT instillation of 400-nm positively charged polystyrene particles (500 &mgr;g/hamster), serving as particles that do not penetrate into the circulation, equally produced airway inflammation, histamine release, and enhanced thrombosis. Histamine in plasma resulted from basophil activation. Intraperitoneal (IP) pretreatment with DEX (5 mg/kg) abolished the DEP-induced histamine increase in BAL and plasma and abrogated airway inflammation and thrombogenicity. The IT pretreatment with DEX (0.5 mg/kg) showed a partial but parallel inhibition of all of these parameters. Pretreatment with SC (40 mg/kg, IP) strongly inhibited airway inflammation, thrombogenicity, and histamine release. Conclusions—Our results are compatible with the triggering of mast cell degranulation and histamine release by DEP. Histamine plays an initial central role in airway inflammation, further release of histamine by circulating basophils, and peripheral thrombotic events. Antiinflammatory pretreatment can abrogate the peripheral thrombogenicity by preventing histamine release from mast cells.


ABSTRACT This qualitative study investigates the language ideology of a groups of Chinese language teachers working in Hong Kong's secondary schools when they teach ethnic minority students. Drawing on interview data, this study reports on how these teachers' language ideologies are in accordance/discordance with dominant discourse, and in what ways their ideologies impact their teaching approach and attitudes towards the students' heritage language and culture. Key findings indicate that instead of promoting homogeneity as a prerequisite for success, the teachers hold a pluralistic language ideology and outline the potential for ethnic minority students to become linguistic and cultural brokers between the heritage communities and mainstream society. An inconsistence was found between the teachers' positive language attitude towards heritage language and their self-distancing from the heritage language learning and use in school contexts. The findings implied that teacher education courses could enable teachers, as active agents, to re-negotiate the separate language ideology of the language policy at the macro level, deconstruct it in classroom settings and develop knowledge and beliefs to challenge and resist the ideologies that sustain the marginalisation of heritage language and culture.


Background In this study, we aimed to analyze the relevance between computed tomography characterization and pathology of pulmonary ground-glass nodules with different pathology types. Methods Between January 2017 and December 2018, a total of 657 patients (191 males, 466 females; mean age: 60.9±8.1 years; range, 34 to 80 years) with pathologically diagnosed ground-glass nodules were retrospectively analyzed. The clinicopathological characteristics and computed tomography characterizations of patients with ground-glass nodules who received surgical resection were analyzed. The clinical data including age, sex, smoking status and medical history were recorded. Computed tomography characterizations included the location and size of the tumor, the size of the consolidation components, density uniformity, shape, margin, tumor-lung interface, internal signs and surrounding signs. Results Based on the computed tomography imaging characteristics, a mean computed tomography value of ≥444.5 HU was more likely to indicate malignant lesions, while ≤444.5 HU indicated benign lesions. A malignant ground-glass nodules" maximum diameter of <6.78 mm, a diameter of the consolidation component of <3.88 mm, and a mean computed tomography value of <-536.5 HU were more likely to indicate atypical adenomatous hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma in situ. A maximum diameter of malignant ground-glass nodules of >11.52 mm, a diameter of the consolidation component of >6.20 mm, and a mean computed tomography value of ≥493.5 HU were more likely to indicate invasive adenocarcinomas. The focus between these parameters indicated minimally invasive adenocarcinomas. Conclusion Ill-defined tumor-lung interface, irregular in shape, and smooth nodule margins suggest benign lesions while round or oval, clear tumor-lung interface, spiculation signs, lobulation signs, bubble signs, air bronchograms, pleural indentations, and vessel convergences are helpful in the diagnosis of malignant lesions. A clear tumor-lung interface, the spiculation signs, lobulation signs, and bubble signs indicate the invasion of the lesions.


Graphene-CdS (GR-CdS) nanocomposites were prepared in a one-step synthesis in aqueous solution. The synthetic approach was simple and fast, and it may be extended for the synthesis of other GR-metal-sulfide nanocomposites. The as-prepared GR-CdS nanocomposite films inherited the excellent electron-transport properties of GR. In addition, the heteronanostructure of the GR-CdS nanocomposites facilitated the spatial separation of the charge carriers, thus resulting in enhanced photocurrent intensity, which makes it a promising candidate for photoelectrochemical applications. This strategy was used for the fabrication of an advanced photoelectrochemical cytosensor, based on these GR-CdS nanocomposites, by using a layer-by-layer assembly process. This photoelectrochemical cytosensor showed a good photoelectronic effect and cell-capture ability, and had a wide linear range and low detection limit for Hela cells. The as-synthesized GR-CdS nanocomposites exhibited obviously enhanced photovoltaic properties, which could be an efficient platform for many other high-performance photovoltaic devices.


Introduction: Prevalence ofasymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) among diabetic patients is high compared to patients without diabetes. The present study was aimed at determining the prevalence asymptomatic bacteriuria with diabetes and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of isolated uropathogens.
Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in a rural tertiary care teaching hospital, in the department of microbiology to study the prevalence of ASB among patients with diabetes mellitus. Clean catch method was used to collect urine samples. All the urine specimens were processed according to standard microbiological procedures.
Results: A total of 150 diabetic patients (81 females and 69 males) were included in the study. 25 urine specimens yielded significant bacterial growth and accounted for 16% Asymtomatic bacteriuria (ASB).Urine specimens collected from female 17 (11.3%) diabetic patients yielded growth predominatly. Urine samples collected from both male and female patients between the age group 51-60 (36%) years and 61-70 (24%) predominatly yielded the growth. In control group, Out of 150 urine samples from non diabetic patients, 7 urine specimens yielded growth and accounted for 4-6% asymptomatic bacteriuria. Escherichia coli was the predominant bacteria isolated in both study group and control group which accounted for 44% and 100% respectively.
Conclusion: Asymptomatic bacteriuria among diabetic patients found to be high (16%) compared to healthy control group (4.6%). E,coli was the predominantly isolated bacteria from both diabetic patients and healthy control group. All Gram negative bacteria showed 100% susceptibility to imipenam. Good susceptibility was observed against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria by amikacin (90-100%) and nitrofurantoin (71-100%).

Keywords: Asymptomatic bacteriuria, Diabetes, Escherichia coli, Amikacin, Nitrofurantoin.


UNESCO-UNEVOC has reported that the levels of awareness towards the implementation of green skills amongst TVET teacher are at low level. Meanwhile, studies have shown that teacher have lack of skills and weak of knowledge about the concept of sustainable development. The study used quantitative approach and the structural equation model was used to measure the effect of the three indicators which are teaching strategy, networking and reflecting towards learning of sustainable development. These indicators have been adapted from the Model of CSCT. The population of this study consisted of 202 TVET teacher trainee from the Institute of Teacher Education. Meanwhile the sample technique used is disproportionate stratified random sampling method and the sample size is 144. Findings show that networking and reflection were found to be positively related to learning for sustainable development, while teaching strategy was not significantly related to learning for sustainable development. The indicator of model was observed to be sufficiently solid and flexible to incorporate and measure the four construct which are cognitive, technology, emotional intelligence and action competency. Finally, the results show that networking indicator have the strongest relationship to learning for sustainable development in order to develop green skills competency in industrial 4.0 amongst TVET teacher trainee.


One of the main advantages of multiphase induction machines is their higher fault-tolerant capability. Under phase(s) loss, the machine currents can be optimally controlled to satisfy certain optimization criteria. In this paper, a simple open loop controller based on the conventional V/f control scheme of a five-phase induction machine is introduced which can ensure equal phase currents and minimum torque ripples under one phase open. The presented approach can be extended to any number of phases with any number of open phases. The fundamental dq components of the stator voltage are decided as in conventional V/f control. The measured currents are decomposed to their sequence components. The fundamental sequence is used to calculate the optimum reference third sequence current components that ensure equal stator currents under phase(s) open. The third sequence stator voltage components, that ensure equal remaining phase currents, are obtained using Proportional-Resonant (PR) controllers. The input errors of these controllers represent the difference between the actual third sequence current components and its optimum reference values. A prototype five-phase machine is used for experimental verification.


Recently, Cu(InXGa(1−X))Se2 (CIGS) absorber layers have been extensively studied by many research groups for thin-film solar cell technology. CIGS material is particularly promising due to its exceptionally high absorption coefficient and large band gap range, which is adjustable as a function of alloy stoichiometry. To enhance the conversion performance of CIGS solar cells, understanding the CIGS structure and composition is a crucial challenge. We conducted a quantitative study to determine the bulk composition of the major elements such as Cu, In, Ga, and Se of four different CIGS photovoltaic cells. The compositional information was obtained by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), and femtosecond laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (fs-LA-ICP-MS). Then, the XRF concentration ratio was compared with the intensity ratio of fs-LA-ICP-MS to investigate the potential of accurate and rapid analysis using the fs-LA-ICP-MS technique. In contrast to the bulk information, the surface techniques can supply detailed information about the chemical composition across the depth profile. Here, elemental depth distributions of CIGS thin films were investigated using magnetic sector secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The atomic distributions of four different CIGS absorber layers exhibited a good agreement although they were obtained using two different surface instruments, AES and SIMS. Comparative analysis results of different CIGS absorber layers using SIMS, AES, and fs-LA-ICP-MS provide us with the appropriate technique for the information of accurate composition in a rapid analysis time. Thanks to a simple approach using the Ga/(In + Ga) ratio, the optical band gap energy of the Cu(InXGa(1−X))Se2 quaternary layer was monitored in the entire CIGS layer. The elemental distribution and the band gap determination were then used to elucidate their relationship to the corresponding CIGS cell efficiency result.


This work, the result of a six-year study, sheds light on Russia's role in the global Information Revolution. It examines Russia's increasing reliance on information and communications technologies (IT) to improve its government institutions, modernize business and industry and stimulate economic growth, broaden information access, and enhance the quality of life for Russian people. The author examines Russia's emerging IT sector, how businesses in Russia are seeking to use IT to enhance productivity and profitability, the impact of IT on government, and the course of the Information Revolution in Russian society.


Flip-chip technology generally requires encapsulation of the solder joints to reduce the loads on such joints during thermal excursions. At present, the encapsulation process by dispensing constitutes the primary obstacle to widespread acceptance and implementation of flip-chip technology because of the long process times involved and the subsequent reliability and reparability problem. A new process to encapsulate flip-chips has been developed. This process uses a special mold to surround the chip to be encapsulated and injects the encapsulation material at elevated pressure. The experimental results show that the pressurized encapsulation process reduces the fill time (by as much as a factor of 1000), is able to perform the encapsulation at room temperature, fills the cavity completely without any voids and increases the capability of handling highly viscous encapsulants (1000 times more viscous than current commercial encapsulants) relative to the customary dispensing process for the particular case used in the current experiment.


XML Schema is a complex language for defining schemas for classes of XML documents, and its inherent complexity as well as its XML transfer syntax make it hard to read XML Schemas for humans. This is a problem, because in many cases XML Schemas are not only used for validation purposes, but also as the data model for classes of XML documents, which must be understood by developers working with these documents. This report looks at various visualizations of XML Schemas in existing software tools and compares them in terms of how well they are suited to represent the data model behind the XML Schema syntax. of today, no available tool provides a level of abstraction that would be appropriate for a data model perspective; most of them are visualizations of the syntax rather than the model. The tools included in this report are the Eclipse XML editors, XML Spy, oXygen, Turbo XML, and Stylus Studio. This report is not a complete evaluation of these tools, it only looks at them in terms of their schema visualization and their support of a less syntax-centered view of XML Schema.


Knowledge Management (KM) tools and processes, while established in many industries, are relatively new to healthcare. Healthcare organizations resemble virtual organizations that build flexible and dynamic care networks of multiple medical providers and professionals to address a patient's needs. This research studies the major factors impacting knowledge management strategy and processes in the clinical nursing function in a large metropolitan area hospital. Empirical data has been collected and analyzed to understand what infrastructure components and process capabilities are the most important contributors to KM effectiveness in floor nursing. The results indicate that technology can play a pivotal role in KM initiatives among nurses, provided it supports the processes involved with knowledge acquisition and application to solving new problems. The findings have implications for the selection and deployment of information technology to enable knowledge management.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the influence of Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) benefits on short-term clinical outcomes of primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

METHODS
In a retrospective matched-cohort study at a single tertiary-care arthroplasty centre in Ontario, we compared a study cohort of 38 successive primary TKA patients receiving WSIB benefits from 1998 to 2002 to 38 controls, a matched cohort of non-WSIB patients, comparing Oxford Knee Score and Knee Society Score (both clinical and functional components) as well as flexion and pain variables, preoperatively and at postoperative intervals of 6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year. At least 1 year after their surgery, all patients were asked to complete a non-validated patient satisfaction survey. The number of clinic visits related to the operation was also compared, by means of Ontario Hospital Insurance Plan billing codes for each individual.

RESULTS
Preoperative measurements showed the 2 groups to be similar. At follow-up, WSIB patients had significantly higher pain scores, poorer self-perceived functional outcomes and a lower range of knee flexion than the control group. WSIB patients also required more postoperative clinic visits and were more reluctant to answer questions about functional outcome.

CONCLUSIONS
Short-term outcomes of primary TKA in patients receiving WSIB benefits are inferior to those of non-WSIB patients. WSIB patients are seen more frequently for postoperative follow-up, which we would attribute to the persistence of subjective complaints after TKA.


This compendium offers a textured historical and comparative examination of the significance of locality or "place," and the role of urban representations and spatial practices in defining national identities. Drawing upon a wide range of disciplines - from literature to architecture and planning, sociology, and history - these essays problematize the dynamic between the local and the national, the cultural and the material, revealing the complex interplay of social forces by which place is constituted and contributes to the social construction of national identity in Asia, Latin America, and the United States. These essays explore the dialogue between past and present, local and national identities in the making of "modern" places. Contributions range from an assessment of historical discourses on the relationship between modernity and heritage in turn-of-the-century Suzhou to the social construction of San Antonio's Market Square as a contested presencing of the city's Mexican past. Case studies of the socio-spatial restructuring of Penang and Jakarta show how place-making from above by modernizing states is articulated with a claims-making politics of class and ethnic difference from below. An examination of nineteenth-century Central America reveals a case of local grassroots formation not only of national identity but national institutions. Finally, a close examination of Latin American literature at the end of the nineteenth century reveals the importance of a fantastic reversal of Balzac's dystopian vision of Parisian cosmo-politanism in defining the place of Latin America and the possibilities of importing urban modernity.


Attachment of Treponemapallidum (Nichols) to mammalian cells is probably the first step in the pathogenesis of syphilis. It may also be important for the multiplication of Tpallidum in vitro. When factors affecting the attachment of Tpallidum to mammalian cells in vitro were studied significantly greater numbers of treponemes were found to attach to baby rabbit genital organ (BRGO) cells than to five other mammalian cell lines. When attached to BRGO cells Tpallidum survived longer in vitro than unattached treponemes. Eagle's minimal essential medium was superior to three other culture media in increasing attachment and maintaining the survival of treponemes. Dithiothreitol (O25 1 *0 mmol/l) had no effect on tne attachment of Tpallidum to BRGO cells. Anaerobic conditions were superior to microaerophilic conditions, and the latter were superior to aerobic conditions for the attachment and survival of Tpallidum to BRGO cells. Within the range of concentrations tested the number of treponemes attached to the BRGO cells was directly dependent on the concentrations of viable treponemes in the inoculum. Greater numbers of treponemes attached to actively metabolising BRGO cells than to quiescent or slowly growing cells.


In this sheet we set up a model of duopoly with horizontal product differentiation where the firms compete sequentially in prices. The contruction is described along with potential exercises in Quyen Nguyen and John Gilbert "Models of Strateic Interaction n Quantities vs. Prices with Differentiated Products" (International Review of Economics Education).


Abstract There is a consensus in the addictions literature that exposure to addiction-relevant cues can precipitate a desire to engage, or actual engagement, in the addictive behaviour. Previous work has shown that exposure to gambling-relevant cues activates gamblers' positive gambling outcome expectancies (i.e. their beliefs about the positive results of gambling). The current study examined the effects of a new, arguably more ecologically valid cue manipulation (i.e. exposure to a gambling lab environment vs. sterile lab environment) on 61 regular gamblers' explicit and implicit gambling outcome expectancies. The authors first tested the internal consistency of their implicit reaction time measure of gambling outcome expectancies, the Affective Priming Task. Split-half reliabilities were satisfactory to high (.72 to .88), highlighting an advantage of this task over other characteristically unreliable implicit cognitive measures. Unexpectedly, no predicted between-lab condition differences emerged on most measures of interest, suggesting that peripheral environmental cues that are not the focus of deliberate attentional allocation may not activate positive outcome expectancies. However, there was some evidence that implicit negative gambling outcome expectancies were activated in the gambling lab environment. This latter finding holds clinical relevance as it suggests that presenting peripheral gambling-related cues while treating problem gamblers may facilitate processing of the negative consequences of gambling.


Abstract. Significance: Stem cell therapies are of interest for treating a variety of neurodegenerative diseases and injuries of the spinal cord. However, the lack of techniques for longitudinal monitoring of stem cell therapy progression is inhibiting clinical translation. Aim: The goal of this study is to demonstrate an intraoperative imaging approach to guide stem cell injection to the spinal cord in vivo. Results may ultimately support the development of an imaging tool that spans intra- or postoperative environments to guide therapy throughout treatment. Approach: Stem cells were labeled with Prussian blue nanocubes (PBNCs) to facilitate combined ultrasound and photoacoustic (US/PA) imaging to visualize stem cell injection and delivery to the spinal cord in vivo. US/PA results were confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histology. Results: Real-time intraoperative US/PA image-guided injection of PBNC-labeled stem cells and three-dimensional volumetric images of injection provided feedback necessary for successful delivery of therapeutics into the spinal cord. Postoperative MRI confirmed delivery of PBNC-labeled stem cells. Conclusions: The nanoparticle-augmented US/PA approach successfully detected injection and delivery of stem cells into the spinal cord, confirmed by MRI. Our work demonstrated in vivo feasibility, which is a critical step toward the development of a US/PA/MRI platform to monitor regenerative spinal cord therapies.


†̃¿ Thisbook is written for homemakers who want to psychologically grow as people.' So reads the first sentence of the preface of this book and so is the stage set for a further i8o pages of similar euphuisms. It is another attempt to discuss that ever increasingly popular topic, the †̃¿ housewife syndrome' or the pro blem ofthe middle-class housewife. The uniqueness of this contribution is that it is not written by an enthu siastic advocate of the feminist movement. On the contrary, the author states that his book is for women who want to liberate themselves without joining the women's liberation movement. The introductory chapters are quite readable. The first gives a clear description of the many facets of the housewife syndrome by analysing the complexities of the housewife's role and thejob situation and content. The author has been an industrial psychologist for many years and his treatment of the causes of the problem is refreshing in a book of this sort. The major part of the book is devoted to instructions on how to make the transition from a discontented housewife to a self-fulfilled person. Some of the underlying points are quite commendable, but the style of presentation is almost puerile in parts and tends to assume a patronizing air. The author is to be congratulated for attempting to bring some much needed scientific insight into this much lamented problem of the housewife, but I think it unfortunate that he did not present the solutions in a more intellectually stimulating manner. JANE TUTTON.


Drinking water supply is not only a basic need and precondition for a healthy life; it is also a human right. As per estimated
figure 75% Population in Pakistan have not access to safe drinking water. As one indication of the magnitude of the problem,
it is estimated that 200,000 children in Pakistan die every year due to diarrhoeal diseases alone. According to World
Health Organisation (WHO) approximately 25-30 % of the diseases in Pakistan are gastrointestinal, about 58.5% of the
people have piped water supply to their houses and about 7.6% get their drinking water from standposts. The remaining
population obtains their water supplies from hand pumps, wells, or through private water vendors.


Visual variables were originally proposed for hard copy maps printed in black and white by Bertin in 1980s. However, we can now generate various digital geovisualization products that are inherently different from printed maps, such as interactive 3D city models. Additional visual variables have been proposed for some of these new geovisualizations, however the discussion is still on-going. In this paper, we contribute to this discussion by investigating the relevance of a subset of visual variables for planning informal settlement upgrades in 3D geovisualizations, and specifically how these variables contribute to the selectiveness of objects. The variables were systematically evaluated against specific requirements for planning upgrades which were compiled using expert knowledge. We observe that evaluated visual variables, except colour and texture, are not directly transferrable. Furthermore, we propose that; in an interactive 3D setting, visual variables position, orientation and motion should not be only considered in relation to the objects in a 3D environment, but also in relation to the camera, and the concept of Level of Detail (LoD) should replace shape. The results contribute towards building design principles of 3D informal settlement models for planning upgrades.