A detailed comparison between kinetic and thermodynamic effects on grain growth in nanocrystalline Gd doped ceria ceramics was given. From the thermodynamic standpoint, the evolution of grain size with annealing time can be described using an analytical model for grain boundary segregation upon isothermal grain growth. From the kinetic standpoint, the single isothermal grain growth can be understood in terms of a single, thermally-activated rate process with constant grain boundary energy, σb. The solute excess in grain boundaries increases with grain growth and tends to its saturated value, therefore, the inhibition of grain growth can be attributed to the reduction of grain boundary energy σb through solute segregation.


It is well known that there is threshold pressure gradient in low permeability porous media. The mathematic principle of GM(1,N) for threshold pressure gradient was firstly studied. Then the actual measurement data of threshold pressure gradient during the experiment were collected, and 11 reliable data were gained. By selecting 4 factors including viscosity, permeability, density and porosity as the grey modeling forecast indicators, the multivariable forecast model of GM(1,4) for threshold pressure gradient were respectively constructed. The result calculated by use of the model shows that the precision meets the requirements of engineering and the model can be used for predicting TPG. The application of this approach can supply basic data for the development of low permeability oilfield so as to save cost and labor.


Making request is considered as a complex speech act that deals with the act of threatening someone's negative face. Therefore, in producing request sentences, people are supposed to know with whom they talk to and what context of requests they find themselves in. Focusing on making requests, there are some factors that affect people in creating request sentences such as power, which refers to status differences of interlocutors and types of requests which, refer to the cost and benefit of requests. Hence, from those aspects, the writer is interested in analyzing request particularly, about what kinds of syntactic patterns that appear mostly when requests are made based on social status and cost of request. Besides, which factor influences the use of syntactic patterns more, whether the social status or the cost of request. Further,the data of this descriptive analysis were taken from twenty Indonesian-students of the Faculty of Letters in Petra Christian University using elicitation technique, specifically the written-task mode. Fundamentally, in categorizing the data, the writer employed the theory of Lakoff (1977) that consist eight strategies of varying interrogative, declarative, and imperative mood, with the presence or absence of modals. Additionally, the writer also uses theory of Sinclair and Coulthard (1985) in classifying head acts, pre-head acts and post-head acts that occur in requests. Moreover, concerning this study, the writer found that interrogative-past tense modal was produced mostly by the subjects followed by interrogative-present tense modal and imperative form. Besides, the writer found that pre-head 'address terms' such as 'Sir/Ma'am' and 'first name' often came side by side with the head acts. As far as it is concerned, the writer noticed that 'reason' and 'promise' were also frequently used as post-head acts in requests. Finally, from discussion, the writer concluded that the social status of interlocutors influenced the way syntactic patterns of requests were produced by the subjects more than the cost of request.


In this paper, we develop a new unified approach for laser radar range anomaly suppression, range profiling, and segmentation. This approach combines an object-based hybrid scene model for representing the range distribution of the field and a statistical mixture model for the range data measurement noise. The image segmentation problem is formulated as a minimization problem which jointly estimates the target boundary together with the target region range variation and background range variation directly from the noisy and anomaly-filled range data. This formulation allows direct incorporation of prior information concerning the target boundary, target ranges, and background ranges into an optimal reconstruction process. Curve evolution techniques and a generalized expectation-maximization algorithm are jointly employed as an efficient solver for minimizing the objective energy, resulting in a coupled pair of object and intensity optimization tasks. The method directly and optimally extracts the target boundary, avoiding a suboptimal two-step process involving image smoothing followed by boundary extraction. Experiments are presented demonstrating that the proposed approach is robust to anomalous pixels (missing data) and capable of producing accurate estimation of the target boundary and range values from noisy data.


The research project reported on represents the first comprehensive attempt to measure the vibration levels of a variety of tools and equipment in the South African mining industry to determine the effect thereof on the health of workers and operators. Although human vibration has been studied extensively internationally only one reference pertaining to the South African mining industry could be found. From studies conducted in Canada and elsewhere it was evident that rock drills do have potentially hazardous levels of vibration. The scope of the research included measurements on a broad spectrum of tools, machines and vehicles used in the South African mining industry. Both hand-arm vibration, where the majority of the vibration enter the body through the hands, and whole body vibration, where the whole body is exposed to vibration through contact by the buttocks or feet, were investigated and measured. More than 700 sets of vibration data measured on 70 machines at 15 mines and workshops were obtained. Data were obtained for at least 24 different types of equipment and machines that were previously judged to have medium to high levels of vibration. All measurements were conducted in accordance with the international standards: ISO 5349, on hand-arm vibration, and ISO 2631-1, for whole body vibration. The equipment with the highest vibration levels in the handarm category was: rock drills, both pneumatic and hydraulic; pavement breakers and jackhammers; hand-held compactors; pneumatic wrenches and electrical hammer drills. Of these the rock drills had weighted vibration levels in excess of 20 m/s2. As far as whole body vibration was concerned the highest values were measured on earth-moving equipment. The major conclusion from this study is that the measured vibration levels are sufficiently high to create an enhanced level of risk of vibration-induced disorders in a significant proportion of the operators of hand-held equipment. The most notable examples are hand-held rock drills, pavement breakers, jackhammers and certain selected workshop tools. The results of the study indicate that a comprehensive epidemiological study should be undertaken on present and past workers to determine the prevalence of vibration-induced disorders.


This work aims to consider the influence of human rights and humanitarian law on general international law: the humanization of international law. Although human rights and humanitarian norms are central to the book, it is not a book about human rights and humanitarian law. Rather, it deals with the radiation, or the reforming effect, that human rights and humanitarian law have had on other fields of public international law. Because of the peculiarities of human rights law, this influence cannot be taken for granted. It is sometimes said that the elaboration of human rights norms and institutions has produced no less than a revolution in the system of international law. Is this true and if so in which parts of international law? By examining most areas of public international law, the author attempts to demonstrate that the influence of human rights and humanitarian norms has not remained confined to one sector of international law, but that its influence has spread to many parts, albeit to varying degrees. The Humanization of International Law is a revised and updated version of the General Course on Public International Law delivered by the author at the Hague Academy of International Law in 2003. Also available in hardback.


Visualization of program executions has been found useful in applications which include education and debugging. However, traditional visualization techniques often fall short of expectations or are altogether inadequate for new programming paradigms, such as Constraint Logic Programming
(CLP), whose declarative and operational semantics differ in some crucial ways from those of other paradigms. In particular, traditional ideas regarding flow control and the behavior of data often cannot be lifted in a straightforward way to (C)LP from other families of programming languages. In this paper we discuss techniques for visualizing program execution and data evolution in CLP.
We briefly review some previously proposed visualization paradigms, and also propose a number of (to our knowledge) novel ones. The graphical representations have been chosen based on the perceived needs of a programmer trying to analyze the behavior and characteristics of an execution. In particular, we concentrate on the representation of the program execution behavior (control), the runtime values of the variables, and the runtime constraints. Given our interest in visualizing large executions, we also pay attention to abstraction techniques, Le., techniques which are intended to help in reducing the complexity of the visual information.


The polymorphisms in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region are powerful tool for studying human evolutionary processes. We investigated genetic structure of Japanese by using five-locus HLA genotypes (HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, and -DPB1) of 2,005 individuals from 10 regions of Japan. We found a significant level of population substructure in Japanese; particularly the differentiation between Okinawa Island and mainland Japanese. By using a plot of the principal component scores, we identified ancestry informative alleles associated with the underlying population substructure. We examined extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between pairs of HLA alleles on the haplotypes that were differentiated among regions. The LDs were strong and weak for pairs of HLA alleles characterized by low and high frequencies in Okinawa Island, respectively. The five-locus haplotypes whose alleles exhibit strong LD were unique to Japanese and South Korean, suggesting that these haplotypes had been recently derived from the Korean Peninsula. The alleles characterized by high frequency in Japanese compared to South Korean formed segmented three-locus haplotype that was commonly found in Aleuts, Eskimos, and North- and Meso-Americans but not observed in Korean and Chinese. The serologically equivalent haplotype was found in Orchid Island in Taiwan, Mongol, Siberia, and Arctic regions. It suggests that early Japanese who existed prior to the migration wave from the Korean Peninsula shared ancestry with northern Asian who moved to the New World via the Bering Strait land bridge. These results may support the admixture model for peopling of Japanese Archipelago.


This article analyzes the dynamics of fictional dialogue in three short stories by the Finnish author Rosa Liksom. These stories are constructed almost entirely of dialogue, with minimal involvement on the part of the narrator. We adopt two different approaches to dialogue. First, we analyze dialogue from a micro level, as interaction between the characters within the storyworlds, then from a more holistic perspective, paying attention to how dialogue contributes to the rhetorical structure and ethical interpretation of the stories. We show that resorting mainly to dialogue as a narrative mode works as a way of depicting tensions between Liksom's characters, and between them and the surrounding fictional world. This, in turn, engages the reader in an interpretative process to understand the story's logic both within the fictional worlds and on the level of communication between the implied author and the authorial audience.


Port Adelaide channel is affected by tidal streams. Therefore, Flinders Ports currently imposes sailing restrictions while the tide is rising or falling faster than a specified threshold due to concerns about reduced manoeuvrability at these times. A manoeuvrability study, with a specific focus on bank effects on large PostPanamax container vessels, was undertaken in order to confirm the suitability of sailing restrictions based on tide rate of change, and to determine other factors that contribute to bank effects and thus reduced manoeuvrability. Two complimentary investigative approaches were used. The first approach was an analysis of vessel tracks for 6 months of supplied AIS data. Situations where vessels approached the channel boundaries were investigated for correlation to environmental conditions, such as tidal streams and wind forces, and other conditions such as under-keel clearance (UKC) and vessel speed. The results of this analysis found that tide rate of change showed no correlation with vessels approaching the channel boundaries. A correlation was observed between increased vessel speed and a higher chance of approaching the channel boundaries. The second approach was a desktop simulator study, to identify which transit factors induce a higher risk of approaching the channel boundaries. For this study, a design vessel was designated by Flinders Ports as a Post-Panamax container vessel with 300m LOA, 40m beam, and 13m static draft. While a vessel maintains a centreline track, bank effects tend to balance out. However, once a vessel deviates from this track, the various factors contributing to bank effects can very quickly have a large impact on vessel manoeuvrability. The approach of combining theoretical simulation with actual measured vessel behaviour proved a useful method to investigate the underlying factors influencing vessel behaviour at Port Adelaide.


Modelling the optimum ecological niche after the species potential distribution, a tool to predict potential production sites is an option for delimitation of best seed stands as Forest Germplasm Production Areas (UPGF) The aim of this study was to model the potential distribution of Pinus pseudostrobus and P. oocarpa in Chiapas, Mexico by mapping topographic, climatic, edaphic, ecological and ecological niche models (MaxEnt). Data for 220 site presence points for P. oocarpa and 52 for P. pseudostrobus were obtained from the World Information Network on Biodiversity, Global Biodiversity Information Facility, the Missouri Botanical Garden and Herbario Nacional de Mexico [National Herbarium of Mexico (MEXU)]. The potential distribution for each species was modelled after 500 and 1 000 iterations through Logistic, Cumulative and Cloglog regressions. Statistical validation was performed with 28 % of the data for each species through the technique Crossvalidate and Bootstrap. The best fit model was the Logistic type with crossvalidate type validation. Values of area down the curve (AUC) for estimated and validated data were 0.882 (P. oocarpa) and 0.947 (P. pseudostrobus). The most influent variables for species presence or absence were altitude with 84.5 y 97.3 % for P. oocarpa and P. pseudostrobus, respectively. Results from the best model allowed the delimitation of optimum sites to establish UPGF.


In this paper we look at the integration of the digital and the resurgent interest in crafting artefacts. We do this by focusing on the work, relationships and spaces occupied by Pyladies Dublin - a coding group intended for women to learn and 'craft' code in the programming language of Python. Pyladies offers an interesting and fruitful case study as it intersects gender, relations of making and places of making, nested firmly within the digital world. The relations of making within the Pyladies group provides salient insight into the production of code, gender and space. Pyladies is predominantly attended by women with the focus to encourage women to become more active members and leaders of the Python community. By producing code in a friendly space, the group also actively works towards producing coding subjectivities and hybrid, mobile spatiality, seeking to produce coding and technology culture that is diverse and gender equitable. We base our ethnographic study to suggest ways in which Pyladies Dublin is consistently engaging in crafting code and crafting coding subjectivity and spatiality.


The COVID-19 outbreak has generated extreme vulnerability in the agriculture sector. Extension Advisory Service (EAS) systems have been playing a crucial role at the frontline of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in rural areas. So, it is need of the hour to study extension offi cials' attitude in delivering advisory services to farmers even during this pandemic situation. The overall objective of the study is to develop a scale to measure extension offi cials' attitude towards their advisory services during COVID-19. Scale Discrimination Technique (SDT) was followed to develop the attitude scale. The procedure included Thurstone scaling, item analysis and scalogram analysis, and resulted in a largely unidimensional scale with a wide diverseness of item content and range of scores, corrected as far as possible for the operation of response styles, and possessing high reliability. Out of 60 statements, initially 30 statements selected using Thurstone scaling and further analysis done by summated ratings and phi coeffi cient calculated for those 30 statements and fi nally the developed scale consists of two forms A and B with 12 statements using Guttman scalogram analysis. The coeffi cient of reproducibility (Rep) of the two forms (0.856 and 0.956) gives the scale as a whole a Rep of 0.91, which implies that the scale is satisfactorily unidimensional with a standardized measure of reliability and validity. The developed scale used to study the extension offi cials' attitude towards their advisory services which shows their attitude and it also helps them to strengthen their way of providing advisory services to farmers


Abstract Riparian zones can strongly influence the exchange of nutrients between streams and their watersheds. Most riparian studies have been done in mesic watersheds, which differ significantly from arid-land watersheds hydrologically. The goals of our work were to determine the strength and direction of hydrologic linkages between stream and riparian zone, and to estimate the extent of uptake of streamwater N by riparian trees in Sycamore Creek, a Sonoran Desert stream. Br− and 15NH4+ were added simultaneously to the surface stream to trace water and N from stream to riparian zone. Br− concentrations in riparian wells installed downstream of the release point increased during the addition, demonstrating a strong hydrologic linkage from stream to riparian zone. Percentage stream water in wells increased in a downstream direction, suggesting little or no input of water laterally from uplands or vertically from deep groundwater. Leaf and wood samples collected from willow trees downstream of the addition point became significantly labeled with 15N during the addition, indicating uptake of streamwater N. Other tree species did not become labeled, most likely because they were located farther from the stream channel than the willows. Results from our study provide evidence of strong hydrologic linkage between stream and riparian zone and suggest that N demand by riparian vegetation is a potentially significant sink for streamwater N.


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This document discusses methods for representing and fusing location information in combat models, distinguishing between Monte Carlo and analytic models. The Kalman filter is emphasized as a practical and accurate method for fusing new and old information. One particularly useful Kalman filter, the Maneuvering Target Statistical Tracker (MTST), is dealt with explicitly. Fused information is often represented graphically by ellipses, the equivalent of a Kalman filter's covariance matrix. The connection between elliptical dimensions and kill probabilities is also reviewed.


Green Design, as an advanced designing thought, is a design progress that takes the protection of environment and resources as the core philosophy. Nowadays, the global economy develops rapidly, and the material civilization of human beings has reached an unprecedented level, yet we have to face a series of serious consequences caused by the ignorance of the impact of environment, resources and misunderstanding of the concept "Green Design". This paper will explore the different cognition on "Green Design", expound what is real "Green Design" and reexamine modern design, and hope that the design will play an important role in the allocation of resources and energy.


This paper presents a case study of an interpreting event in a Danish courtroom setting. The study investigates the interpreter's influence on the interaction as well as factors influencing the behaviour of all the participants involved. The study also investigates what happens when the interpreter's performance is perceived by participants as inadequate in order to achieve the communicative goal of the event. The model of translation culture, in which cooperativeness, loyalty and transparency are key concepts, is used as an explanatory tool. Although the interaction under study, like all courtroom interaction, is determined by the inherent institutional power differential, it is appropriate to describe it in terms of cooperativeness. The conflict regarding the interpreter's non-normative behaviour is negotiated and settled by way of consensus, and the trial is carried through with the same interpreter despite doubt about her competence. The paper concludes by discussing the effect of special contextual conditions, as well as ethical implications.


Current research in clone detection suffers from poor ecosystems for evaluating precision of clone detection tools. Corpora of labeled clones are scarce and incomplete, making evaluation labor intensive and idiosyncratic, and limiting intertool comparison. Precision-assessment tools are simply lacking. We present a semiautomated approach to facilitate precision studies of clone detection tools. The approach merges automatic mechanisms of clone classification with manual validation of clone pairs. We demonstrate that the proposed automatic approach has a very high precision and it significantly reduces the number of clone pairs that need human validation during precision experiments. Moreover, we aggregate the individual effort of multiple teams into a single evolving dataset of labeled clone pairs, creating an important asset for software clone research.


For the first time, we have used a metal oxide-coated quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) to measure Cs+ adsorption onto illuminated and un-illuminated mesoporous TiO2 (m-TiO2) films by microgravimetric means in-situ. In the simplest case, such experiments yield two parameters of interest: K, the Langmuir adsorption coefficient and mmax the maximum mass of adsorbate to form a complete monolayer at the m-TiO2-coated quartz crystal piezoelectric surface. Importantly, we have found that illumination of the m-TiO2 film with ultra bandgap light results in an increase in mmax i.e. illumination allows for greater adsorption of substrate to occur than in the dark. Our studies also show that under illumination, K also increases indicating a higher affinity for surface adsorption. The photoinduced change in mmax and K are thought to be due to an increase in surface bound titanol groups, thus increasing the number of available adsorption sites – and so providing evidence to support the notion of photoinduced adsorption processes in photocatalytic systems. These findings have implications for the development of a reversible adsorption based microgravimetric sensor for Cs+.


Addition of 1,3,4,5 tetramethylimidazol 2 ylidene (IMe4) to Ru(PPh3)3HCl (in the presence of H2) or Ru(PPh3)4H2 gave the all trans isomer of Ru(IMe4)2(PPh3)2H2, whereas 1,3 diethyl 4,5 dimethylimidazol 2 ylidene (IEt2Me2) reacted with Ru(PPh3)4H2 to form cis, cis, trans Ru(IEt2Me2)2(PPh3)2H2. The previously reported trans dihydride complex, Ru(IMe4)4H2, was synthesized by a new method involving the reduction of Ru(IMe4)4Cl2 with KC8/H2. CO reacted with Ru(IMe4)2(PPh3)2H2 to give a mixture of Ru(IMe4)2(PPh3)(CO)H2, Ru(IMe4)(PPh3)2(CO)H2 and Ru(IMe4)2(CO)3; Ru(IEt2Me2)2(PPh3)2H2 reacted in a similar manner, although more slowly, allowing isolation of the monocarbonyl species Ru(IEt2Me2)2(PPh3)(CO)H2. Insertion of CO2 into one of the Ru H bonds of Ru(NHC)2(PPh3)H2 (NHC = IMe4, IEt2Me2) generated mixtures of major and minor isomers of the κ2 formate complexes Ru(IMe4)2(PPh3)(OCHO)H and Ru(IEt2Me2)2(PPh3)(OCHO)H. The hydridic nature of Ru(NHC)2(PPh3)2H2 (NHC = IMe4, IEt2Me2) was apparent by their reactivity toward MeI, which gave [Ru(IMe4)2(PPh3)2H]I, Ru(IEt2Me2)2(PPh3)HI, [Ru(IEt2Me2)2(PPh3)2H]I, and Ru(IEt2Me2)(PPh3)2HI. H/D exchange of Ru(IMe4)2(PPh3)2H2 with C6D6 (elevated temperature) or D2 (room temperature) gave Ru(IMe4)2(PPh3)2HD and Ru(IMe4)2(PPh3)2D2. Addition of P(C6D5)3 to a solution of the dihydride precursor resulted in the rapid substitution of the PPh3 ligands. Addition of D2 to Ru(IMe4)4H2 gave Ru(IMe4)4HD and Ru(IMe4)4D2. The dihydride complex activated benzene and toluene at room temperature and could catalyse H/D exchange between the two solvents. The catalytic activity of Ru(NHC)2(PPh3)2H2 (NHC = IMe4, IEt2Me2) for the reduction of CO2 by pinacolborane has been contrasted with that of the all NHC analogue Ru(IMe4)4H2. Despite the latter being substitutionally inert, it affords a far more active catalyst and yields a wider array of reduction products. These findings suggest that access to vacant coordination sites on the metal centre may not be a prerequisite for catalytic activity in the reduction of CO2 and that, in this case, the presence of a highly nucleophilic hydride ligand may be of greater relevance. The dihydridoborate hydride complexes Ru(IMe4)2(PPh3)(H2Bpin)H and Ru(IEt2Me2)2(PPh3)(H2Bpin)H were isolated by reaction of pinacolborane with Ru(NHC)2(PPh3)2H2 (NHC = IMe4, IEt2Me2) and were structurally characterized.


ABSTRACT Millions of individuals and families in the United States do not have access to stable housing. Recent policies in the United States and the rest of the developed world emphasize programs intended to prevent homelessness through temporary financial assistance. This article explores the impact of the largest homelessness prevention program in U.S. history, the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (HPRP), on residential instability, using a national sample of families with children enrolled in school. The identification strategy exploits variations on the location of HPRP providers. Using data on the ratio of K–12 students experiencing homelessness in school districts, we find that HPRP is associated with reductions in the percentage of homeless students for districts closer to an HPRP provider. However, the impacts of HPRP fade out when program benefits end, bringing into question whether homeless prevention can help families achieve self-sufficiency in the long run.


DNA methylation is a key epigenetic modification in vertebrate genomes known to be involved in the regulation of gene expression, X chromosome inactivation, genomic imprinting, chromatin structure, and control of transposable elements. DNA methylation is common to all eukaryote genomes, but we still lack a complete understanding of the variation in DNA methylation patterns on sex chromosomes and between the sexes in diverse species. To better understand sex chromosome DNA methylation patterns between different amniote vertebrates, we review literature that has analyzed the genome-wide distribution of DNA methylation in mammals and birds. In each system, we focus on DNA methylation patterns on the autosomes versus the sex chromosomes.


Emotions are often met with suspicion in political debates about risky technologies, because they are seen as contrary to rational decision making. However, recent emotion research rejects such a dichotomous view of reason and emotion, by seeing emotions as an important source of moral insight. Moral emotions such as compassion and feelings of responsibility and justice can play an important role in judging ethical aspects of technological risks, such as justice, fairness, and autonomy. This article discusses how this idea can be integrated into approaches for political decision making about risk. The article starts with an analysis of the dichotomous view of reason and emotion in risk theory, in approaches to participatory risk assessment as well as in relevant approaches to political philosophy. This article then presents alternative approaches in political philosophy and political theory that do explicitly endorse the importance of emotions. Based on these insights, a procedural approach for policy making is presented, in which emotional responses to technological risks, and the ethical concerns that lie behind them, are taken seriously. This approach allows for morally better political decisions about risky technologies and a better understanding between experts and laypeople.


A detailed experimental research on the rheological measurement by torque-rheometer (TR) based on a measuring model established by former researcher is presented. The influence of measuring conditions, material type and rotor geometric were discussed. Measuring results from the torque-rheometer were compared with those from capillary rheometer. It's confirmed that under certain measurement conditions, torque-rheometer can accurately measure the melt rheological properties of polymer composites or blends. Measuring conditions and material type have little effect on the results accuracy. The rotor geometry has great impact on the reliability of measurement.


The English conversation school (eikaiwa) industry in Japan has grown significantly over the past twenty-five years. In this paper I perform a semiological analysis on a set of eikaiwa promotional materials gathered in Tokyo and Kanagawa during the period 1998–2002. This analysis relies on a framework of social modalities (Rose, 2001 Visual Methodologies Sage, London) within which a set of gendered Occidentalized longings (akogare) is discussed. Career development, establishment of relationships with white males, and the potentials for foreign travel and study are highlighted by these eikaiwa promotions. These factors are presented as radical gender alterities that work against the social modalities encountered in Japan. These modalities include a set of rigid life-course expectations and a mode of social regulation that strongly directs women's professional and personal development. While English-language learning and use contain potentials for epistemological challenge to ideologies of gender, the eikaiwa visually emphasize the development of new selfhood (atarashii jibun). In these promotions key signification is performed by white-male and Japanese-female pairings. According to Kelsky (2001 Women on the Verge Duke University Press, Durham, NC), the white male is represented as an agent of personal transformation and liberation associated with the development of new selfhood. The white male embodies an Occidentalist fantasy that is associated with personal freedom, career development, and individuation. Simultaneously, the promotions articulate with the valorization of female agency in the broader Japanese cultural sphere, and with what Kelsky (1999, page 238) terms "emergent erotic discourses of new selfhood". Where women are featured, in contrast to Western promotional materials, their purpose is to appeal to other women. This is accomplished by presenting famous women in professionally iconic settings. When they do appear, Japanese males are infantalized and marginalized. The eikaiwa are therefore marketed as wonderlands, rich with radical gender alterities, within which the akogare of female students can be realized.


The third generation (3G) mobile channels allow individuals to download digital content in anytime, at anywhere. The 3G mobile services include services like peer chatting, mobile games and movie download. While many studies explore why individuals adopt 3G mobile services, most of them consider 3G adoption to be a new technology adoption. Will users' experience on older version of mobile services (e.g. 2G and 2.5G) influence their adoption decision on their 3G adoption? Hypotheses linking variables based on diffusion innovation technology and user's mobile services usage background were developed. We conducted a survey and collected 175 responses. Our findings establish that different factors affecting users who have used the older version of mobile services and users' decision to use or not to use 3G mobile services is a service upgrade decision, rather than an adoption decision.


Service-oriented architectures provide integration of interoperability for independent and loosely coupled services. Web services and the associated new standards such as WSRF are frequently used to realise such service-oriented architectures. In such systems, autonomic principles of self-configuration, self-optimisation, self-healing and self- adapting are desirable to ease management and improve robustness. In this paper we focus on the extension of the self management and autonomic behaviour of a WSRF container connected by a structured P2P overlay network to monitor and rectify its QoS to satisfy its SIAs. The SLA plays an important role during two distinct phases in the life-cycle of a WSRF container. Firstly during service deployment when services are assigned to containers in such a way as to minimise the threat of SLA violations, and secondly during maintenance when violations are detected and services are migrated to other containers to preserve QoS. In addition, as the architecture has been designed and built using standardised modern technologies and with high levels of transparency, conventional Web services can be deployed with the addition of a SLA specification.


"Joint action"—the ability to coordinate actions with others—is critical for achieving individual and interpersonal goals and for our collective success as a species. Joint actions require accurate and rapid inferences about others' goals, intentions, and focus of attention, skills that are thought to be impaired in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research to date has not investigated joint action abilities in individuals with ASD during real-world social interactions. We conducted an experimental study that required children with ASD and typically developing children to move tables by themselves or collaboratively through a maze. This involved developing innovative methodologies for measuring action coordination—a critical component of the joint action process. We found that children with ASD are less likely to benefit from the collaboration of a peer than are typically developing children, and they are less likely to synchronize their steps when moving the table. However, these differences were masked when scaffolded by an adult. There was no evidence that ASD differences were due to gross motor delays in the participants with ASD. We argue that action coordination is a highly adaptive social process that is intrinsic to successful human functioning that manifests as atypical synchronization of mind and body in children with ASD.


The occurrence and distribution of cetacean species off northern Angola was examined using dedicated survey data and incidental sighting records. Dedicated surveys for cetaceans were carried out during two geophysical seismic surveys off northern Angola between August 2004 and September 2005. A total of 3,268hr of survey effort data were collected, resulting in 779 on-effort cetacean sightings. There were 263 sightings reported off-effort and incidentally from other platforms and sports fishermen. With 21 cetacean species confirmed, the cetacean community off northern Angola is diverse and primarily tropical in characteristic, comprising four species of baleen whale, two sperm whale species, at least two beaked whale species, and 13 species of delphinid. Humpback and sperm whales were the most frequently recorded cetaceans. The occurrence of humpback whales was significantly higher within neritic waters, and during the winter and spring months in association with seasonal occupancy of their West African breeding grounds. Sperm whales were recorded in water depths exceeding 1,000m and demonstrated significant seasonality, with peak occurrence during the summer and autumn. Atlantic spotted dolphins and common dolphins (Delphinus sp.) were the most numerous delphinids recorded, with spotted dolphins showing a significant seasonal peak during the spring and summer, and common dolphins in the winter. Other species recorded included fin whale, sei whale, Bryde's whale, dwarf sperm whale, Cuvier's and Mesoplodon beaked whales, killer whale, short-finned pilot whale, false killer whale, melon-headed whale, Atlantic humpback dolphin, rough-toothed dolphin, Risso's dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, Pantropical spotted dolphin, spinner dolphin, Clymene dolphin and striped dolphin. Further research is required to document the cetacean community in Angola, particularly given the unknown threat from fishery bycatch and the increasing level of oil and gas exploration in the region.


This work investigated the impact of aeration control strategy on energy consumption and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission in a full-scale wastewater treatment plant. Two identical activated sludge processes treating the same effluent but operated with different aeration control strategies were compared. Aeration tank 1 was operated with a new control strategy favouring the simultaneous nitrification denitrification (SND) whereas aeration tank 2 was operated with a conventional control strategy with distinct nitrification and denitrification phases. Results indicated that whereas the N2O emission factor was comparable in both systems (in the order of magnitude of 0.004% of the influent TKN load), N2O emission pattern was dependent on the adopted aeration control strategy. It has been observed that high aeration flow rates (aeration tank 2) were likely to promote N2O transfer from the gas phase to the liquid phase.


At the end of 2013, the French GDP is only slightly higher than in the pre-crisis peak of 2008. Which part of the loss of activity is definitive? Providing an answer to this question brings to the fore two unobserved variables: potential GDP and output gap. These variables are difficult to estimate, especially on recent years, which calls for several estimation techniques. Four approaches are mobilized here: (A) the usual production function approach with two factors, capital and labor; (B) a variant thereof with a factor production, labor; (C) a multivariate filter improved with economic indicators and (D) a direct estimation of the output gap through a principal component analysis. According to these approaches, potential growth in France would lie between 0.7 % and 1.3% in 2014 and the output gap would be negative, between -2.3 and -3.5 GDP points in 2013, which signals capacity for economic rebound but confirms as definitive most of the loss of activity observed since the crisis. For the euro area, potential growth would stand between 0.2% and 0.7% in 2014 and the demand deficit would be close to the French one. These approaches all have pros and cons. They deliver different readings of the recent past. Thus, approaches (B) and (D) signal a loss of potential GDP concentrated at the time of crisis, followed by a recovery stronger than suggested by the two others approaches.


This paper explores the use of augmented reality (AR) to improve memory recall and learning experiences in human anatomy and physiology. In particular, the opportunity to assess new computer technologies to improve learning environments may allow for an improvement in self-efficacy and a reduction in test anxiety. Twenty-two undergraduates participated in one of two study groups, the Microsoft HoloLens group (HLNS) or the traditional projector-based Microsoft Power Point group (PPT). Each group completed a five-minute, three-subject anatomy identification and brain physiology memory test. After a three-minute time delay, participants completed a fill-in-the-blank anatomy identification test and brain physiology question test, followed by questionnaires for systems self-efficacy and test anxiety. Results indicated the PPT group significantly outperformed the HLNS group in the brain lobe identification portion of the exam and had reported higher mean test anxiety scores (though not high enough to be considered unhealthy levels). However, the HLNS group showed a significantly higher preference to the learning experience compared to the PPT group based on the systems self-efficacy questionnaire. This pilot study demonstrates an opportunity for the HLNS to use used in learning environments to improve the psychological aspects of studying and test taking.


Abstractive text summarization is a challenging task, and one need to design a mechanism to effectively extract salient information from the source text and then generate a summary. A parsing process of the source text contains critical syntactic or semantic structures, which is useful to generate more accurate summary. However, modeling a parsing tree for text summarization is not trivial due to its non-linear structure and it is harder to deal with a document that includes multiple sentences and their parsing trees. In this paper, we propose to use a graph to connect the parsing trees from the sentences in a document and utilize the stacked graph convolutional networks (GCNs) to learn the syntactic representation for a document. The selective attention mechanism is used to extract salient information in semantic and structural aspect and generate an abstractive summary. We evaluate our approach on the CNN/Daily Mail text summarization dataset. The experimental results show that the proposed GCNs based selective attention approach outperforms the baselines and achieves the state-of-the-art performance on the dataset.


Ornstein and Shields (Advances in Math., 10:143-146, 1973) proved that Brownian motion reflected on a bounded region is an infinite entropy Bernoulli flow and thus Ornstein theory yielded the existence of a measure-preserving isomorphism between any two such Brownian motions. For fixed h >0, we construct by elementary methods, isomorphisms with almost surely finite coding windows between Brownian motions reflected on the intervals [0, qh] for all positive rationals q.


This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Glomus mosseae and G. fasciculatum on plant growth during acclimatization of micro propagated sweet cherry rootstocks. Two different growth media were used: peat: perlite (1:1 V/V) and Andesite: Soil: Compost (6:3:1 V/V). Sterilized growth media were mixed with both Glomus mosseae and G. fasciculatum before planting in the pots in the greenhouse.
In order to determine the effects of mycorrhizal inoculation and growth media on plant growth, shoot length, and dry weight of roots and shoots were analyzed. The leaf content of P, Zn, Cu, and Fe, were significantly increased by mycorrhizal inoculation. The total root length and percentage of infected roots were investigated at the end of the acclimatization.
As a result, survival rate of rootstock plantlets was not affected by mycorrhizal inoculation. The effect of inoculation was found significant on nutrient uptake and tissue P content.
The results showed that mycorrhizal inoculation may be used at the in vitro rooting stage for better acclimatization. Mycorrhizae inoculated rootstocks grow better and increase Zn and P uptake.


The article deals with the basic features of ancient Greek and ancient Jewish world outlook and analyzes their role in European history down to the 20th century. Attention is drawn to the fact that the fundamental difference of the ancient Greek worldview manifests itself in the absolute prevalence of spatial concepts, while time is understood by the model of "eternal return", the repetition of the same, rather than as a history that enriches man. In the center of the ancient Jewish worldview, on the contrary, is the idea of time as a historical process, which includes an endless dialogue between man and God, leading a person to maturity. Interpretations of the key Hebrew worldview concept of hā-ʻōlām as the Universe eternity and the Universe as duration are proposed and analyzed. The article shows that the idea inherited by Christian Europe from the ancient Greeks about the perfect arrangement of the Universe (Cosmos), conforming to the laws of nature, became the deepest reason for the domination of scientific rationality in modern civilization. At the same time the newest worldview tendencies connected with philosophy of life, intuitivism, existentialism, protecting the idea of irrational incomprehensibility of human life, can be recognized as originating from the Hebrew worldview. It was Henri Bergson who has clearly shown the opposite of these two trends within the European worldview. His concept of true time, understood as duration, memory and history, reveals striking coincidences with ancient Jewish conceptions of time and history. According to Bergson, duration is the essence of man and at the same time is the absolute being from which the Universe comes; this leads to radical anthropocentrism, which can be considered as a distant consequence of biblical anthropocentrism.


Although the relationship between sound and meaning in language is arbitrary, reliable correspondences between sound and meaning have been found in natural language. These sound symbolic relationships affect word learning, but less is known about how sound symbolism affects online processing during learning or for well-learned stimuli. We use the visual world paradigm and an artificial lexicon featuring carefully controlled sound symbolic correspondences to examine the effects of sound symbolism on the online processing of novel and well-learned stimuli. Initially, participants chose novel shapes matching the sound symbolic properties of the word above chance, reliably fixating consistent shapes around word offset. As learning approached ceiling, accuracy and reaction time differences between matching and mismatching stimuli disappeared but a disadvantage in the online processing of mismatching stimuli persisted in the form of lagging target fixations. This suggests that sound symbolism affects the online processing of spoken stimuli even for well-learned words.


Integrin-linked kinase (ILK), PINCH1 and α-parvin form a ternary complex that plays crucial roles in integrins signaling. We report here that mda-9/syntenin is essential for the assembly of integrin β1-ILK-PINCH1-α-parvin signaling complexes during adhesion to collagen-I (COL-1). Modulation of mda-9/syntenin expression affects COL-1-induced activation of protein kinase B (PKB/Akt). mda-9/Syntenin associates with ILK and this association is increased at the plasma membrane in response to COL-1. mda-9/Syntenin regulates COL-1-induced association between ILK and PKB/Akt, and plasma membrane targeting of ILK-PKB/Akt, suggesting that mda-9/syntenin modulates the plasma membrane targeting of PKB/Akt via ILK. Strikingly, inhibition of mda-9/syntenin impairs COL-1-induced plasma membrane translocation of ILK-PINCH1-α-parvin complex and the assembly of integrin β1-ILK-PINCH1-α-parvin signaling complexes. Consistently, inhibition of mda-9/syntenin blocks the COL-1-induced reorganization of actin cytoskeleton and cell migration, as well as activation of Rac1 and ERK1/21/2. Thus, our study defines the role of mda-9/syntenin in COL-1-induced integrin signaling and describes new mechanism of mda-9/syntenin for the regulation of cell migration. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1486. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1486


Background: Benign breast diseases encompass a heterogeneous group of lesions which are thought to have an endocrine basis. They occur at a younger age in comparison to breast cancer and their etiopathogenesis has not been studied in as much detail as breast cancer. Aim: To estimate the serum estradiol levels, serum lipid profile and tissue estrogen receptor status in patients of benign breast disease. Material & Methods: Serum estradiol and lipid levels were measured biochemically while tissue estrogen receptors were assessed by immunohistochemistry in 60 patients of benign breast disease and 20 normal age matched controls. Results: Serum estradiol and triglyceride levels were significantly higher in benign breast disease patients compared to controls (149 pg/ml vs 115 pg/ml and 164 mg/dL vs 105 mg/dL). The highest estrogen receptor status positivity was observed in fibroadenoma and lesser in fibroadenosis and fibrocystic disease. Discussion: Higher levels of serum triglycerides and estradiol observed in benign breast disease compared to control suggest their possible etiopathological role. It is possible that higher lipid level leads to increased peripheral production of estrogen. Estrogen receptor positivity was higher in fibroadenomas compared to fibroadenosis and fibrocystic breast disease. Endocrine treatment of these conditions needs to be considered in light of findings of our study.


ABSTRACT The songs of white-throated sparrows consist of 5 notes of very pure tonal quality. In ascending song, the pitch increases substantially from Note 1 to Note 2; whereas, in descending song, pitch decreases substantially from Note 2 to Note 3. Variability in the absolute pitch of each note is considerable among birds, but much less within individuals. Analysis of the major pitch changes in these songs shows that the pitch interval (ratio of the higher to the lower frequency), a measure of relative pitch constancy, predicts the frequency of the higher note in the pitch change more precisely than does the difference between the frequencies of the two notes, a measure of absolute pitch constancy. We conclude that white-throated sparrows produce relative rather than absolute pitch constancy during the major frequency changes in their songs and suggest that pitch interval may be an important cue in species recognition.


Despite of beneficial effects of antibiotics in treatments of infectious diseases, antibiotic residues in meat, milk, eggs and another products can cause serious side effects for human health. It is clear that, antibiotic residues in food stuff, cause bacterial resistance, allergic reactions, toxicity, carcinogenic effects and change of natural micro flora of intestine in consumers. So, the aim of present study is detection of antibiotic residues contamination rate in chicken eggs. Four-plate test (FPT) is one of the microbiologic methods for detecting antibiotic residues in food stuff, which is based on inhibition zone formation around the sample in four culture media with different pH and test bacteria. For this purpose, 60 samples of chicken eggs obtained randomly from market of Tabriz city. As a result, after different phases of four-plate test, from total 60 samples, 18 (30%) cases are diagnosed to be contaminated to antibiotic residues that 11 (61.11%) cases relevant to Macrolides, 4 (22.22%) cases relevant to Aminoglycosides and in 3 (16.66%) cases contaminated to Tetracycline. But, There isn't Fluoroquinolones residue in eggs, And the most contamination to antibiotic residues were related to Macrolides groups (P<0.05). Concluding, the antibiotic residue in chicken eggs has to be monitored as routine test due to their side effects on human health.


By focusing a 10 Hz, 30 TW, 30 fs laser beam onto a gas jet, it is now possible to produce an ultra short and high quality electron beam with a maximum energy of up to 200 MeV. The gas is instantaneously ionized by the laser electric field and transformed into plasma, in which accelerating electric fields of the order of 1 TV/m have been generated in the non-linear regime. Some applications of this attractive and compact electron source are presented.


Ancestral germplasm may be a useful source of genetic variation for crop improvement. Genetic variation in developmental traits that contribute to heading date may be useful in developing varieties that are uniquely tailored to specific stress environments. Hordeum vulgare subsp. spontaneum (K. Koch) A. & Gr. is the ancestor of cultivated barley and useful developmental trait alleles may have been lost in the domestication process. Accordingly, we surveyed a sample of 16 subsp. spontaneum accessions for vernalization requirement, photoperiod sensitivity, photoperiod response, and relative earliness. We compared the subsp. spontaneum accessions to four H. vulgare L. subsp. vulgare accessions representing spring, facultative, and winter growth habit. Thirteen subsp. spontaneum accessions originating from the Fertile Crescent and the one subsp. spontaneum accession from the Caucasus region required vernalization; they were responsive to long photoperiods and most were very early. Two subsp. spontaneum accessions from the Himalayan region had no vernalization requirement but were extremely sensitive to short photoperiods. We used a clustering procedure to define two groups of subsp. spontaneum accessions, a group of subsp, spontaneum that included the two subsp. vulgare accessions of spring and facultative growth habit, and a fourth group comprised of the two subsp. vulgare winter habit cultivars. These data indicate that subsp. spontaneum may be a source of novel alleles for growth habit.


Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) represents a clean electrochemical energy conversion technology with characteristics of high conversion efficiency and low emissions. It is one of the most important new energy technologies in the future. However, the manufacture of SOFCs based on the structure of anode/electrolyte/cathode is complicated and time-consuming. Thus, the cost for the entire fabrication and technology is too high to be affordable and challenges still hinder commercialization. Recently, a novel type of Electrolyte -free fuel cell (EFFC) with single component was invented which could be the potential candidate for the next generation of advanced fuel cells. This paper briefly introduces the EFFC, working principle, performance and advantages with updated research progress. A number of key R&D issues about EFFCs have been addressed and future opportunities and challenges are discussed.


Partisans hold unfavorable views of media they associate with the other party. They also avoid out-party news sources. We link these developments and argue that partisans assess out-party media based on negative and inaccurate stereotypes. This means cross-cutting exposure that challenges these misperceptions can improve assessments of out-party media. To support this argument, we use survey-linked web browsing data to show that the public has hostile views of out-party news sources they rarely encounter. We conduct three survey experiments that demonstrate cross-cutting exposure to nonpolitical or neutral political stories, forms of news widely available from online partisan sources, reduces oppositional media hostility. This explains how perceptions of rampant bias from out-party media coexist with more modest differences in the online content of major partisan news outlets. More broadly, we illustrate how negative misperceptions can sustain animus towards an out-group when people avoid encounters with them.


Problems of unilateral isolated radial head dislocation have been reviewed in 28 children. A significant number indicated failure of recognition of the dislocation after injury. Disability due to increasing deformity and instability was consistently noted and indicated surgical reduction. Late reduction required reconstruction of the annular ligament. A modified method of reconstruction using a strip of triceps tendon is described. Good results are recorded in a small number of children in whom this was carried out.


This chapter looks at how food and drink narratives are utilised to promote and create place identities. By exploring the concepts of heritage branding and constructed historical narratives, it illustrates how iconic cuisines are being employed to promote place and attract consumers. It argues that the marketing process is more than utilising established aspects of heritage cuisines and historical truths, as it is often about creating narratives to meet the evolving needs of destinations and its producers. Heritage and its tangible manifestations are being adopted to create brands, food iconography, and gastronomic narratives of place which do not always have an established or notable history to draw upon. As Lowenthal (1998) has argued, heritage has an ability to make the past relevant for contemporary contexts and purposes and provides existential anchors. Increasingly promotional campaigns are adopting these anchors and narratives of food heritage to offer a kind of certainty in a world of uncertainty. Certainly it is suggested that finding ways to unlock the hidden value of a brand's heritage can harness past and present to safeguard the future.

This chapter will present and evaluate promotional activities related to different market segmentations for food and drink and focus on how iconic cuisines are being used as promotional vehicles and heritage brands. It offers critical reflections which explore the agglomeration of functions as part of its discussions around destination marketing and cumulative attractiveness of place. By drawing on culinary examples from around the world it illustrates the complexity of creating place and what it is to be 'iconic'; suggesting it not just the promotion of something pre-existing, but something far more contemporary, creative and strategic. Numerous marketing approaches and interpretation methods are used in place promotion through food and drink including the explosion of social media channels, events, cookery schools, and reinvention of place and it is important to look at how these mechanisms seek to target distinct types of people and market segments. Increasingly we are seeing local and regional agencies adopting food and drink histories and heritage branding strategies to attract visitors, promote political agendas and develop destinations. Further, it is also possible to find examples of national and regional marketing strategies and social media vehicles using food offer to attract additional inward investment. It is clear, despite its contested nature that 'heritage' is good for place promotion, and is good for business.


This paper presents a model where teacher effects on long-run outcomes reflect effects on both cognitive skills (measured by test-scores) and non-cognitive skills (measured by non-test-score outcomes). Consistent with the model, results from administrative data show that teachers have causal effects on skills not measured by testing, but reflected in absences, suspensions, grades, and on-time grade progression. Teacher effects on these non-test-score outcomes in 9th grade predict longer-run effects on high-school completion and proxies for college-going—above and beyond their effects on test scores. Effects on non-test-score outcomes are particularly important for English teachers for whom including effects on the non-test-score outcomes triples the predicable variability of teacher effects on longer-run outcomes.


This study aims at understanding why Brazilian management scholars write in co-authorship, what contributions it guarantees and which criteria and practices are used to order authorship in the articles. Given the evidence that the majority of articles are written in co-authorship, this study contributes to understand the reality of Management at university as to what drives researchers to write in co-authorship. The data used were collected through a survey from a sample of 171 respondents that published in Brazilian journals of Management, and subject to descriptive statistical analyses. This study contributes to the current debate on the pressures to publish and the co-authorship ties in Management. With the co-authorships the researchers search to pool together complementary competences and knowledge and increase the number and quality of the articles. Effective collaboration in co-authorship is what researchers value and seek, perhaps given the greater perceived difficulty to publish in higher status journals, but the diversity of motivations that preside to the co-authorships permit to anticipate they will develop collaborative networks of research with high diversity. Keywords: co-authoring, co-authors, scientific publications, publishing, collaborative research, Management.


Missing data is common in longitudinal observational studies where, data on both outcome and explanatory variables are collected repeatedly at several time points. The research in this thesis is motivated by the repeated measurements observational study with incomplete outcome and explanatory variables. When the missing values on the explanatory variables are related to the observed values of the outcome, it has been recommended to use multiple imputation (MI) techniques to alleviate the problems of both bias and the efficiency of the parameter estimates. In this thesis MI techniques were reviewed, extended where necessary and compared regarding the bias and efficiency of the regression coefficient estimates using simulation studies in order to suggest the choice of the most optimal MI method when MAR explanatory variables occur in repeated measurements studies. Multivariate normal imputation (MVNI) produced the least bias in most situations, is theoretically well justified and allows flexible correlation for the repeated measurements in the imputation model. Bayesian MI is efficient and maybe preferable for imputing categorical variables with extreme prevalences. Imputation by chained equations (ICE) approaches were sensitive to the correlation between the repeated measurements of the incomplete variables. A complete missing data analysis requires sensitivity analysis which investigates the departures from MAR mechanism. Models for handling MNAR in both outcome and explanatory variables are not well developed and can potentially be complicated, especially when there are several missingness patterns. In this thesis selection modelling and pattern mixture modelling frameworks are extended to accommodate MNAR mechanism on time-varying outcome and explanatory variables, with mixed type of missingness patterns using fully Bayesian estimation technique. The investigations suggested that, when the true form of missingness mechanism is specified and the variables that cause missingness are used in the missingness models, the parameter estimates will be less biased than using standard MAR methods. The bias can be reduced, if the true values of missingness parameters are incorporated into the missingness models using informative priors.


AIMS--To assess a chemiluminescent universal probe for taxonomical and epidemiological investigations of Aeromonas sp isolates. METHODS--Total DNA was extracted from 69 well characterised Aeromonas sp strains and digested with the restriction endonucleases Sma I or Pst I. Following electrophoresis, the resulting fragments were transferred to a nylon membrane where they were hybridised to a commercially available universal probe of 16S + 23S rRNA. The banding patterns (ribotypes) were made visible by enhanced chemiluminescence. RESULTS--Both restriction endonucleases produced heterogeneous ribotypes so that no allocation could be made to any of the control genospecies tested. For A hydrophila and A caviae, however, groups of strains (mostly from the same patient) could be identified by indistinguishable banding patterns. A relatively high proportion (36%) of A sobria strains were non-typable. CONCLUSIONS--Although this universal chemiluminescent probe is user friendly, it is unsuitable for taxonomical investigations of Aeromonas sp. It is useful in epidemiological studies of A hydrophila and A caviae, but is of less value for A sobria.


This study focuses on economic forecasts and their assessment. We evaluate forecasts on the growth of GDP, industrial production and private consumer spending in twelve major industrial nations. In addition to the unbiasedness test and comparisons with naive forecasts, we apply the information growth test and the TOTA coefficient. Economic forecasts are generally revealed to be quite successful. It is furthermore shown that the unbiasedness test is unsuited when it comes to distinguishing success from failure in terms of forecasting.


We present a novel approach for LDA (Latent Dirichlet Allocation) topic reconstruction. The main technical idea is to show that the distribution over the documents generated by LDA can be transformed into a distribution for a much simpler generative model in which documents are generated from {\em the same set of topics} but have a much simpler structure: documents are single topic and topics are chosen uniformly at random. Furthermore, this reduction is approximation preserving, in the sense that approximate distributions-- the only ones we can hope to compute in practice-- are mapped into approximate distribution in the simplified world. This opens up the possibility of efficiently reconstructing LDA topics in a roundabout way. Compute an approximate document distribution from the given corpus, transform it into an approximate distribution for the single-topic world, and run a reconstruction algorithm in the uniform, single topic world-- a much simpler task than direct LDA reconstruction. Indeed, we show the viability of the approach by giving very simple algorithms for a generalization of two notable cases that have been studied in the literature, $p$-separability and Gibbs sampling for matrix-like topics.


AFTER the publication of an article by Collins entitled, "Endometriosis of the Vermiform Appendix: Review of Literature, with Addition of Nine New Instances, One of Which Caused Severe Melena," which appeared in the A. M. A.Archives, 1 it now seems opportune to report five of my own cases. They had other types of clinical findings than those reported by Collins, though the endometrial tissue had the same unusual location. In 1932 to 1933, operations for endometriosis of the appendix were carried out in four cases, at the Maria Hospital, headed at that time by Prof. E. Key. In 1935 I made a short report to the Swedish Surgical Association of these and 31 other cases collected from the literature. Most of the latter are included in Collins' review, but reference to his footnotes shows that he failed to mention 11 cases. These 11 cases, my four, and another one


This thesis is primarily concerned with the Absorption Model for high energy scattering, and in particular the application of the Absorption Model to the processes Nucleon-Nucleon charge exchange, and Nucleon-Antinucleon charge exchange. In the first chapter, a review of the development of the one particle exchange model of high energy scattering is given. The difficulties of the earlier applications are discussed, and the role of absorptive corrections in resolving these difficulties is outlined. In Chapter 2, the mathematical framework for adding absorptive corrections to one particle exchange contributions is given. The original prescription due to Sopkovich is discussed, and recent approaches to the problem are reviewed. In Chapter 3, the Absorption Model is applied to the process of neutron-proton backward scattering, or charge exchange. It is found that one-pion exchange In the Absorption Model gives a good fit to the charge exchange peak at small angles, but there is disagreement with experiment at large angles. Rho-meson exchange Is found to be unsatisfactory. The energy dependence of one-meson exchange In the Absorption Model Is Investigated. In Chapter 4, the Absorption Model Is applied to Nucleon-Antlnucleon charge exchange. Good agreement with experiment is obtained. The sensitivity of the results to the precise model of elastic scattering is investigated. In Chapter 5, we discuss various refinements to our work in Chapter 3, to see if better large angle results can be obtained. In our concluding chapter, the Absorption Model is compared with the Regge pole exchange model, and the possibility of combining the two approaches is discussed.


This thesis is based on three articles concerning to experimental softwarefor evaluation of reinsurance contracts. In paper A we describe and usethe reinsurance analyser (ReAn), an open-source software for analysis ofreinsurance contacts. Moreover, we discuss experimental results, especiallythe risk comparison of excess-of-loss and largest claims reinsurance treaties.In paper B we expand the software including a new excess-of-loss treaty withupper limit. We perform experimental studies comparing extreme value andexcess-of-loss reinsurance treaties. In paper C, we perform a more in depthpresentation of the software. We introduce new treaties as combinations ofstandard treaties. Experimental comparisons are made between these treatiesand other extreme value treaties.


Electroencephalogram (EEG) has been used in the domain of emotion recognition, especially during the experience from music stimulus. A number of works have been submitted with promising results in emotion prediction tasks. Unfortunately, the majority of literature did not sufficiently take into account a non-stationary characteristic of EEG signals which could differ in each recording session, and this issue might be underlying reason why such research could not be transferred into real-world application. In this paper, we are proposing a novel solution by introducing a method of normalization across session. In particular, we performed a comparison of several normalization techniques to explore various techniques to address the issue of non-stationary in EEG data. The three proposed techniques in this study are rescaling, z-score standardization, and frequency band percentage. In our experiment, we collected EEG data from ten subjects in two scenarios: consecutive session and time varied session. Our emotion prediction results suggested that z-score technique was superior to other normalization techniques based on using support vector machine (SVM). To encourage other researchers to test the efficiency of their own approach with multiple session data, our dataset is publicly provided.


with two very similar level II Electrical Principle Units, U76/359 for the programme in Electrical Engineering, and U75/019 for the Electronic and Communications Engineering programme. Students will find the information presented in a conventional if somewhat detailed manner with plenty of worked examples and problems with answers. As with other books in this series I regret the omission of an index. R. B. GREENHALGH, Department ofElectrical Engineering, Stockport College of Technology


This paper summarizes a study on several factors that affect capillary underfill flow and cause underfill voids in a large die (19.7 times 19.7 mm) flip chip ball grid array (FCBGA) package, including substrate solder mask roughness, substrate plasma clean, flux residue amount & its compatibility with underfill and the filler size of underfill material. The study showed that rougher substrate surface would generate more obvious underfill flow striation, a telltale sign of uneven underfill flow front that might increase the chance of underfill void formation. Various underfill dispense patterns and process related parameters (plasma and dispense temperature) were studied with respect to the occurrence of underfill voids due to uneven flow front. It was found that by increasing the plasma time and underfill dispense temperature, the occurrence of underfill voids could be reduced. The compatibility between underfill material and solder flux used in flip chip attach was another focus of the study. It was found that the higher the flux residue amount, the more obvious the flow striation of the underfill material. The time taken for the underfill material to fill the die/substrate gap also became longer when more flux residue was present. Two underfills of the same chemistry but different filler sizes (max lOum vs 3um) were assessed and the latter gave a more even flow front and a more homogeneous underfill layer. The use of the finer filler underfill material overcame the underfill void/flow striation issue induced by rougher solder mask surface and higher flux residue content and shortened underfill flow time by 29-35%. Reliability test showed moisture preconditioning level 3 @ 260degC reflow and temperature-cycling 1000x (condition B) passed without any underfill delamination.


Triterpenoid, lup-1, 2-ene-3-one (1), lupeol (2), oleanolic acid (3), ursolic acid (4) and steroid, â-sitosterol (5) was isolated from the toluene extract of the root of Croton bonplandianum Bail. Their chemical structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic analysis (UV, IR, NMR, Mass etc.) and by chemical means. A probable biosynthetic pathway of compound 1 was also proposed. Compound 1 and 2 is reporting first time to obtain from this plant. The triterpenpoids (1, 2, 3 and 4) have also been screened for their antimicrobial activity. Preliminary investigation showed potent activity of 1against a series of fungal and bacterial pathogens.


Peter Klatzow's Dances of Earth and Fire is a staple of modern marimba repertoire. However, there has been no previous music theory-based analysis of this piece, and this thesis is meant to fill that analytical gap. This document will delve into the harmonic techniques utilized by Klatzow in this piece, which is comprised primarily of symmetrical scales such as the Octatonic scale and Hexatonic scale. There will also be an extensive analysis of the unique form of this piece, which Klatzow dubs "Evolving Structures". Both of these elements are vital to understanding how the music is constructed. The primary focus of this thesis is the first movement of the work, but the second movement will also be touched on.


Although mainstream models of accountability assume that the election date is exogenously fixed, in almost any parliamentary democracy governments may choose it. This article proposes a theory of the strategic timing of elections that highlights the role of the economy and the type of government. First, incumbents will call early elections when the economy is growing and inflation rates are low. Nevertheless, coalition and majority governments will fall short of the ability and the incentives to do so, respectively. As a result, the effect of the state of the economy on the opportunistic dissolution of the parliament will be stronger when there is only one party in government, and it lacks a majority in the lower house. These patterns are examined by using data from 21 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development democracies between 1945 and 2010.


Urgency science of Sufism is to foster moral selfhumans both in the affairs of the world and the affairs of the Hereafter later. The problem is related to morals or behavior possessed by humans. Modern society will tend to hold opinions and behave freely because all humans have the same rights and do not distinguish degrees or power. Such freedom can affect changes in human behavior which can also lead to deviant behavior in terms of religion. This freedom encourages society to be individualistic, materialistic and hedonism. The implementation of Sufism can be applied as a moral guidance for modern society to keep on doing world worship with the worship of the hereafter as well. Balance in life will happen well.


Volatile organic compounds are present in soils and ground water at the Centredale Manor Superfund Site in North Providence, Rhode Island. In September 1999, water-to-vapor diffusion samplers were placed in the bottom sediments of waterways adjacent to the site to identify possible contaminated ground-water discharge areas. The approximate12-acre site is a narrow stretch of land between the eastern bank of the Woonasquatucket River, downstream from the U.S. Route 44 bridge and a former mill raceway. The samplers were placed along a 2,250-foot reach of the Woonasquatucket River, in the former mill raceway several hundred feet to the east and parallel to the river, and in a cross channel between the river and former mill raceway. Volatile organic compounds were detected in 84 of the 104 water-to-vapor diffusion samplers retrieved. Trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene were the principal volatile organic compounds detected. The highest vapor concentrations measured for these two chemicals were from diffusion samplers located along an approximate 100-foot reach of the Woonasquatucket River about 500 feet downstream of the bridge; here trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene vapor concentrations ranged from about 2,000 to 180,000 and 1,600 to 1,400,000 parts per billion by volume, respectively. Upstream and downstream from this reach and along the former mill raceway, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene vapor concentrations from the diffusion samples were generally less than 100 parts per billion by volume. Along the lower reaches of the river and mill raceway, however, and in the cross channel, vapor concentrations of trichloroethylene exceeded 100 parts per billion by volume and tetrachloroethylene exceeded 1,000 parts per billion by volume in several diffusion samples. Although diffusion sample vapor concentrations are higher than water concentrations in surface waters and in ground water, and they should only be interpreted qualitatively as relative values, these values provide important information as to potential discharge areas of contaminants.


Progressive mucinous histiocytosis is a rare, benign, non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis limited to the skin. A total of ten cases, all women, in four families, and one sporadic case have been described in the English literature. The disorder usually begins in childhood and progresses slowly. We report two sporadic cases of adult-onset progressive mucinous histiocytosis in unrelated African American women, age 48 and 55 years old respectively, who developed red-brown and flesh-colored, asymptomatic papules on the face, arms and legs without truncal, mucosal or visceral involvement. The lesions show no spontaneous regression. Both patients lack associated systemic symptoms including polyuria, polydipsia or seizures. There is no underlying hyperlipidemia, paraproteinemia or lymphoproliferative disease. No family history of similar lesions can be identified. Light microscopy reveals dermal proliferation of spindle-shaped histiocytes with abundant mucin deposition. Electron microscopy demonstrates a high number of myelin-figures or zebra bodies in the cytoplasm of histiocytes. On immunohistochemistry, positive staining with macrophage markers CD68, HAM56 and lysozyme, and Factor XIIIa, a transglutaminase present in dermal dendrocytes, and negative staining with Langerhans cell markers CD1a and S100, and CD34, a marker present in dermal dendritic cells derived from uncommitted mesenchymal cells, are observed.


A new species of Reophax is documented from the shallow marine settings offshore Brunei Darussalam. The new taxon differs from other recent species of Reophax by its selective agglutination consisting mainly of tests of megalospheric specimens of Amphistegina. Reophax bruneiensis n.sp. differs from other known species in having a selectively agglutinated wall, few numbers of chambers increasing rapidly in size, and a terminal aperture not supported by any neck. This new species possibly acts as detritivore within the bottom sediments characterized by differentiated calcareous bioclasts and clay-sized siliciclasts derived by the river supply.


As part of the societal world, architecture and urban space do not have any 'objective' quality. They are representations. Their meaning is produced through the negotiation and interaction of individuals, groups and classes. Yet, such 'subjective' meanings do have a 'material' relevance, as they reflect a dialectical process between the functions, forms, ownership and practices of space. They reveal construal and construction: the way in which architectural spaces are represented on the one hand, and the way in which they are physically constructed and used on the other. Nowhere does this become more evident in our current society than in the arguments around urban renewal and regeneration. The Westfield Stratford City is a typical example. Part of the vast process of the urban regeneration of East London prompted by London 2012 Olympic Games, Westfield is a massive complex of luxury shops, restaurants, bars and five star hotels. It is seen by investors and local and national political authorities as capable of transforming Stratford into a site for shopping, tourism and leisure. It does this in numerous ways, one of which involves reconfiguring the image of the region through the press and media - through visual imagery and linguistic manipulations that promote a neoliberal agenda of gentrification that simultaneously devalue the existent societal structures and communities in the area. This paper offers a Critical Discourse Analysis of the manipulation of Stratford's image by government, business and the media and suggests that the purely financially motivated misrepresentation it reveals, is typical of the urban regeneration ethos at work across the developed world today.


STUDY QUESTION
Are the decreasing multiple birth rates after ART associated with a simultaneous drop in the incidence of cerebral palsy (CP) in ART children over time?

SUMMARY ANSWER
The relative odds of CP in ART children have declined in the Nordic countries over the past two decades concurrently with declining multiple birth rates.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
In the Nordic countries, the rate of twin pregnancies after ART has decreased from 30% in the early 1990s to 4-13% in 2014, following the implementation of elective single embryo transfer (SET). Consequently, preterm birth rates have declined substantially in ART pregnancies. However, whether the risk of CP, a known consequence of preterm birth, has decreased correspondingly is still unknown.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
Retrospective register-based cohort study based on data on all singletons, twins, and higher-order multiples born in Denmark (birth year 1994-2010), Finland (1990-2010), and Sweden (1990-2014), corresponding to 111 844 ART children and 4 679 351 spontaneously conceived children.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIAL, SETTING, METHODS
Data were obtained from a large Nordic cohort of children born after ART and spontaneous conception initiated by the Committee of Nordic ART and Safety-CoNARTaS. The CoNARTaS cohort was established by cross-linking national register data using the unique personal identification number, allocated to every citizen in the Nordic countries. Data from the National Medical Birth Registers, where information on maternal, obstetric, and perinatal outcomes is recorded, were cross-linked to data from the National ART- and Patients Registers to obtain information on fertility treatments and CP diagnoses. Relative risks of CP for ART compared to spontaneous conception were estimated as odds ratios from multivariate logistic regression analyses across all birth years, as well as for the following birth year categories: 1990-1993, 1994-1998, 1999-2002, 2003-2006, 2007-2010, and 2011-2014. Analyses were made for all children and for singletons and twins, separately.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
The main outcome measure was the relative odds of CP in different time periods for ART versus spontaneously conceived children. CP was diagnosed in 661 ART children and 16 478 spontaneously conceived children born between 1990 and 2014. In 1990-1993, the relative odds of CP were substantially higher in all ART children (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.76 (95% CI 2.03-3.67)) compared with all spontaneously conceived children, while in 2011-2014, it was only moderately higher (aOR 1.39 (95% CI 1.01-1.87)). In singletons, the higher relative odds of CP in ART children diminished over time from 1990 to 1993 (aOR 2.02 (95% CI 1.22-3.14)) to 2003-2006 (aOR 1.18 (95% CI 0.91-1. 49)) and was not significantly increased for birth cohorts 2007-2010 and 2011-2014. For ART twins versus spontaneously conceived twins, the relative odds of CP was not statistically significantly increased throughout the study period.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
The main limitation of the study was a shorter follow-up time and younger age at first CP diagnosis for ART children compared with spontaneously conceived children. However, analyses ensuring a minimum of bias from differences in age at CP diagnosis and follow-up time confirmed the results, hence, we do not consider this to cause substantial bias.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
A SET policy in ART treatments has the potential to reduce the increased risk of cerebral palsy in the ART population due to lower rates of multiple deliveries. At a time with high survival rates of frozen/thawed embryos, this study provides a strong argument against the continued use of multiple embryo transfer in most ART settings. Larger cohort studies including also the number of gestational sacs in early pregnancy will be preferable to show an effect of vanishing twins on the risk of CP in the ART population.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)
The study was financed by grants from NordForsk (grant number 71450), Elsass Foundation (19-3-0444), the ALF-agreement (ALFGBG 70940), and The Research Fund of Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital. There are no conflicts of interest to declare.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
ISRCTN11780826.


This study is a meta-research analysis that examined the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) as an enabler of supply chain integration. Our analysis covered 55 papers in 34 journals published between 2007 and 2017. RFID systems were the most investigated ICTs in the supply chain integration literature. Besides its impact as an independent variable, ICT's mediating and moderating roles are also noteworthy. Our study has demonstrated the underutilization of theories in general, dominance of surveys and single case studies, and future research opportunities for the underutilized IS types in SCI. Based on the findings, we proposed a research framework. Our framework illustrated two types of moderating factors between the use of ICT and level of SCI: (1) ICT-related factors as an enabler of SCI, and (2) other factors as an enabler of SCI. ICT-related factors are suitability, criticality, and maturity of ICT; ICT capabilities of, and integration within, an organization; ICT integration with SC partners; and technological differences among available ICT applications. Other factors are availability of industry standards; open information-sharing environment; institutional pressures and organizational culture; and involvement of top management.


ABSTRACT The material object of this research is the novel Salah Asuhan by Abdoel Moeis. The formal object is identity and mimicry. The research focuses on the question of how the postcolonial identity and the mimicry are expressed in the novel. The theoretical background was provided by the theory of postcolonialism, while the research has been carried out in a descriptive and qualitative way. The main problem of the postcolonial study in this research relates to one of the themes which are concerned with mimicry or imitation. The argument uses several dichotomies such as conception of East and West, subject versus object, one's self versus the other, the colonizer versus the person who are colonized and the speaker versus the listener. There are some issues which can be found through the postcolonial analysis. These are as follows (1) the relation which builds up between the colonizer and the colonized persons, (2) the postcolonial identity which the character Hanafi tries to develop by increasing his status to become equal wirh the colonizers and (3) the imitation or mimicry which is used by this character to reach the identity which he idealizes for himself. The outcomes of this result are as follows (1) the relationships between the colonizer and the colonized is that of a dominated hierarchy which can be called unique, because (a) Hanafi acts as a subject when he approaches Rapiah, his mother and the Minangkabau society, (b) Hanafi acts as an object when he approaches Corrie and other European societies. (2) The problem of Hanafi's own identity which relates to (a) how Hanafi looks at himself, (b) how other people look at Hanafi, (c) the desire that Hanafi shows to become somebody different, and (d) the steps which Hanafi takes to fulfill his desire to become somebody different. (3) The mimicry, which means the imitation that Hanafi uses, including (a) mimicry concerning the language, (b) mimicry concerning the view of the livehood, (c) mimicry concerning his way of life, and (d) mimicry concerning the system of society. Key words: identity, mimicry


After spinal cord injury (SCI), a fibrotic scar forms at the injury site that is best characterized by accumulation of perivascular fibroblasts and microglia/macrohpages as well as deposition of extracellular matrix proteins such as fibronectin. While the fibronectin marix plays a critical role in non-central nervous system (CNS) organ wound healing, whether or how fibronectin forms a matrix after SCI is not known. The mechanism by which perivascular fibroblasts are recruited to the fibrotic scar after SCI is also not clear. Using mutant mice and bone marrow transplantation in a mouse model of contusive SCI, we demonstrate that the fibrotic scar is associated with hematogenous macrophages (hMΦ) rather than microglia, which are limited to the surrounding glial scar. We also demonstrate that fibronectin is initially present in a soluble form and is assembled into a matrix after SCI. Assembly of the fibronectin matrix may be mediated by the canonical fibronectin receptor, integrin α5β1, which is primarily expressed by hMΦ in the fibrotic scar. Depletion of hMΦ leads to a reduction in fibroblast density, basal lamina formation and ECM deposition that is associated with increased axonal growth in the fibrotic scar. Cytokine expression analysis suggests that these effects may be due to decreased tumor necrosis factor superfamily (Tnfsf) members and increased bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) expression. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that hMΦ are necessary for fibrotic scar formation and macrophage depletion results in changes in multiple cytokines that make the injury site less fibrotic and more conducive to axonal growth.


Abstract. In Mediterranean regions, climate studies indicate for the future a possible increase in the extreme rainfall events occurrence and intensity. To evaluate the future changes in the extreme event distribution, there is a need to provide non-stationary models taking into account the non-stationarity of climate. In this study, several climatic covariates are tested in a non-stationary peaks-over-threshold modeling approach for heavy rainfall events in Southern France. Results indicate that the introduction of climatic covariates could improve the statistical modeling of extreme events. In the case study, the frequency of southern synoptic circulation patterns is found to improve the occurrence process of extreme events modeled via a Poisson distribution, whereas for the magnitude of the events, the air temperature and sea level pressure appear as valid covariates for the Generalized Pareto distribution scale parameter. Covariates describing the humidity fluxes at monthly and seasonal time scales also provide significant model improvements for the occurrence and the magnitude of heavy rainfall events. With such models including climatic covariates, it becomes possible to asses the risk of extreme events given certain climatic conditions at monthly or seasonal timescales. The future changes in the heavy rainfall distribution can also be evaluated using covariates computed by climate models.


ABSTRACT This is a conceptual paper that examines the origin and development of universities and their current role in global society. There has been an unprecedented and exponential growth of technology and artificial intelligence capabilities over the past ten years which is challenging current working practices and affecting all areas of society. The paper examines how this role may change to match the new demands placed on them by a digitally enabled society that has greater leisure time. The design of the paper is first to detail some of the changes in work practices that are taking place and how these will impact on society. It then offers several ways in which universities could modify their role to respond to these emerging challenges. This could include new courses, new organisational structures and new pedagogical practices. The paper provides a platform for discussion and debate around the strategic vision and direction of travel for higher education.


Based on the object of self-anchored suspension bridge constructed with long segment hoist method, the load-carrying characteristics and construction technique which is different from other self-anchored suspension bridge is analyzed, and the method of calculation and control on steel box girder configuration during the construction course of long segment hoisted are proposed. For different calculation methods of girder configuration lifting, the influences of the three manners of pre-cambering for steel girders on the configuration and internal force of finished bridge are analyzed. The results show that inverse erection— forward erection—unstressed state synthetic method can guarantee the minimum deviation of steel girder configuration of finished bridge with the design, and it is not necessary to adjust the suspension cable force, and there is no change in main cable configuration and internal force.


New technologies in bamboo utilization enrich the types and designs of bamboo products. This paper presents a visual typological analysis of currently existing engineered bamboo (EB) products in order to identify design development possibilities. Information on various EB products currently on the market, especially those being offered internationally, was collected for use as our primary data resource. Our analysis was conducted by dividing the observed products into existing categories, and then classifying them based on their surface appearance types, both in order to gain an understanding of current EB developments and to identify possibilities related to future product shaping and/or surface modifications. Our analysis results show that there are more surface types and modification possibilities for laminated bamboo (LB) products than other EB types.


Casino gambling is a social issue, because in addition to the direct benefits to those who own and use casinos, positive and negative externalities are reaped and borne by those who do not gamble. To correctly assess the total economic impact of casinos, one must distinguish between business profitability and social profitability. This paper provides the most comprehensive framework for addressing the theoretical cost-benefit issues of casinos by grounding cost-benefit analysis on household utility. It also discusses the current state of knowledge about the estimates of both the positive and negative externalities generated by casinos. Lastly, it corrects many prevalent errors in the debate over the economics of casino gambling. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The government of Spain has developed an energy strategy that includes a campaign of energy audits in water users associations (WUAs) in order to improve energy efficiency in irrigation. A guideline for energy audits has been developed, standardizing the audit process in WUAs. This guideline has been implemented in 22 WUAs in the Castilla-La Mancha, Valencia, and Murcia Regions. In this paper, an analysis of the indicators proposed in the guideline is performed, and the indicators that most represent energy efficiency of WUAs are identified. Also, the suitability of the proposed indicators and classifications under different conditions are discussed. In addition, a cluster analysis is performed on WUAs to classify them according to their energetic aspects. Results show that indicators global energy efficiency (GEE) and active energy consumed per hectare (EacSr) are not adequate for analysing the evolution of energy consumption in a WUA. The most representative energy indicators are those expressing ratios between energy consumption and water volume supplied to the users as the indicators active energy consumed per volume unit (EacVs) and energy cost per volume unit (CENVs). It is conclude that using the current methodology for calculate the supply energy efficiency indicator (SEE), GEE is not an adequate indicator for energy classification of WUAs, and also that the results of the energy analysis must be used to propose measures for energy conservation and energy cost reduction.