An understanding of the behaviour of newly deposited soil is important because of its direct applications in fields such as harbour siltation and storage of dredge slurries. In coastal regions the dominant mode for deposition of fine-grained cohesive material is through flocculation- the electrostatic aggregation of mud particles. The present study focuses on the measurement of both flocculation conditions and bed properties, towards the understanding of the influence of the former on the latter. A computerised laboratory setup, complete from sedimentation and flocculation to the long term consolidation allows each of these processes to be observed in instrumented perspex columns without the many variables present in an estuary. The bed deposition rates resemble those found in natural estuaries, and therefore this technique is a much improved method for examining natural processes than the method of slurry deposition, which is normally employed in soil mechanics. An image acquisition and analysis system has been designed specifically for this work. Image sequences are analysed in real time to give information about the dimensions and concentration of the particles, and the particle velocities. Floc sizes increase as the particle concentration increases in the column. Increasing the concentration further leads to an overall hindering of the sedimentation rate and breakup of the flocs. Images of beds formed through slow sedimentation clearly show aggregate features that are not present in slurry experiments. From low to medium sedimentation rates the bed height, normalised by the mass of sediment in the bed, increases. From medium to high rates of sedimentation, however, the normalised bed heights decrease. Overall slurry experiments have lower bed heights than slowly deposited experiments. Image analysis of the bed surface (top 0.5mm) has revealed that aggregates which are present immediately after deposition are broken down over tens of hours. The ISIS instrument has been modified to gather information about the resistance to erosion of the beds. A bed is more easily eroded after it has had a long period of consolidation. X-ray density measurements and imaging techniques are used to link the strength of the bed to biological factors. X-ray bulk density and pore pressure measurements allow calculations of void ratio, porosity, and effective stress. Bender element apparatus has been constructed to measure shear stiffness of the soil, and bed strength measurements are made using a shear vane. It is found that variations in the sedimentation conditions have significant effects on bed density and on void ratio. These effects continue to be visible in the consolidated bed, even after an order of magnitude increase in the total vertical bed stress (equivalent to the range of metres of overburden pressure). The variations in the bed structure can have profound effects on bed strength. Methods to compare floc measurements to bed measurements are complicated by the inherent variation in floc data. Possible techniques include the use of solids volume fraction, fractal dimension and intrinsic sediment properties. The usefulness of each of these is assessed. It is suggested that it is the frequency at which the bed is bombarded by flocs, and not the properties of the flocs themselves, that largely determines the bed properties.


A hallmark of neurodegeneration is the aggregation of disease related proteins that are resistant to detergent extraction. In the major pathological subtype of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), modified TAR-DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43), including phosphorylated, ubiquitinated, and proteolytically cleaved forms, is enriched in detergent-insoluble fractions from post-mortem brain tissue. Additional proteins that accumulate in the detergent-insoluble FTLD brain proteome remain largely unknown. In this study, we used proteins from stable isotope-labeled (SILAC) human embryonic kidney 293 cells (HEK293) as internal standards for peptide quantitation across control and FTLD insoluble brain proteomes. Proteins were identified and quantified by liquid-chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and 21 proteins were determined to be enriched in FTLD using SILAC internal standards. In parallel, label-free quantification of only the unlabeled brain derived peptides by spectral counts (SC) and G-test analysis identified additional brain-specific proteins significantly enriched in disease. Several proteins determined to be enriched in FTLD using SILAC internal standards were not considered significant by G-test due to their low total number of SC. However, immunoblotting of FTLD and control samples confirmed enrichment of these proteins, highlighting the utility of SILAC internal standard to quantify low-abundance proteins in brain. Of these, the RNA binding protein PTB-associated splicing factor (PSF) was further characterized because of structural and functional similarities to TDP-43. Full-length PSF and shorter molecular weight fragments, likely resulting from proteolytic cleavage, were enriched in FTLD cases. Immunohistochemical analysis of PSF revealed predominately nuclear localization in control and FTLD brain tissue and was not associated with phosphorylated pathologic TDP-43 neuronal inclusions. However, in a subset of FTLD cases, PSF was aberrantly localized to the cytoplasm of oligodendrocytes. These data raise the possibility that PSF directed RNA processes in oligodendrocytes are altered in neurodegenerative disease.


Two nonlinear models were developed at the national scale to (1) predict contamination of shallow ground water (typically < 5 m deep) by nitrate from nonpoint sources and (2) to predict ambient nitrate concentration in deeper supplies used for drinking. The new models have several advantages over previous national-scale approaches. First, they predict nitrate concentration (rather than probability of occurrence), which can be directly compared with water-quality criteria. Second, the models share a mechanistic structure that segregates nitrogen (N) sources and physical factors that enhance or restrict nitrate transport and accumulation in ground water. Finally, data were spatially averaged to minimize small-scale variability so that the large-scale influences of N loading, climate, and aquifer characteristics could more readily be identified. Results indicate that areas with high N application, high water input, well-drained soils, fractured rocks or those with high effective porosity, and lack of attenuation processes have the highest predicted nitrate concentration. The shallow groundwater model (mean square error or MSE = 2.96) yielded a coefficient of determination (R(2)) of 0.801, indicating that much of the variation in nitrate concentration is explained by the model. Moderate to severe nitrate contamination is predicted to occur in the High Plains, northern Midwest, and selected other areas. The drinking-water model performed comparably (MSE = 2.00, R(2) = 0.767) and predicts that the number of users on private wells and residing in moderately contaminated areas (>5 to < or =10 mg/L nitrate) decreases by 12% when simulation depth increases from 10 to 50 m.


Open Forum offers space for debate and controversy on topics ranging from the interpretation of a line or the history of a word, or the assessment of a major scholar's work, through the future of hispanism, to wider theoretical issues. Contributions may vary in length from a paragraph to several thousand words. Readers are encouraged to respond, and our aim is to publish a response in the next issue after we receive it, so as to keep up the momentum of debate.


The operation of the power grid is becoming more stressed, due to the addition of new large loads represented by electric vehicles (EVs) and a more intermittent supply due to the incorporation of renewable sources. As a consequence, the coordination and control of projected EV demand in a network of fast charging stations becomes a critical and challenging problem. In this paper, we introduce a game theoretic based decentralized control mechanism to alleviate negative impacts from the EV demand. The proposed mechanism takes into consideration the nonuniform spatial distribution of EVs that induces uneven power demand at each charging facility, and aims to: 1) avoid straining grid resources by offering price incentives, so that customers accept being routed to less busy stations; 2) maximize total revenue by serving more customers with the same amount of grid resources; and 3) provide charging service to customers with a certain level of quality-of-service (QoS), the latter defined as the long term customer blocking probability. We examine three scenarios of increased complexity that gradually approximate real world settings. The obtained results show that the proposed framework leads to substantial performance improvements in terms of the aforementioned goals when compared to current state of affairs.


This thesis is an analysis of the military activities of the federal government at Fort Hays, Kansas, 1865-1889, and demonstrates that the army played a significant role in the settlement of the West. Major sources used in this study were memoirs of army officers and the various microfilmed records available from the National Archives; special attention was given to the post returns, medical records, and official correspondence. Fort Hays (first called Fort Fletcher, 1865-1866) provided protection from Indians for travelers and stage lines along the central portion of the Smoky Hill Trail du ring the early years. Later, the advance of the Union Pacific Railroad, Eastern Division, across Kansas changed the activities conducted by the military at Fort Hays. The railroad was guarded during and after construction. The rail road assisted the army with both the supply of military forts and the movement of troops to areas where trouble had occurred. The aid given to the provisioning of outposts was especially shown at Fort Hays when it became the major point of supply for the Winter Campaign of 1868-1869. The presence of the fort attracted businesses and persons who supplied the wants of the military establishment as well as the desires of individual soldiers. Civilian laborers moved into the area to supply the manpower needed to construct post buildings and move the tons of supplies used yearly by the military. The development of Hays City was affected directly and indirectly by the presence of the troops. Relations were not always harmonious between Fort Hays and the community of Hays City, and fighting between fort and city elements was not unknown. The guardhouse at Fort Hays protected many lives, both civilian and military, from unruly mobs. However, the presence of a jail was not always enough to prevent violence; three Negro soldiers were lynched for the alleged murder of a government employee. Health was a vital issue in the understaffed frontier army. Disease was a more serious enemy than the Indian. Outbreaks of contagious diseases limited the strength of the military. The medical officers stationed at Fort Hays had to fight epidemics (such as the cholera outbreak in 1867), venereal disease, and influenza. They did an effective job and kept the post personnel in condition to fulfill their duties. Although the post could have been abandoned in the mid-1870's, when the Indian problem was settled in Kansas, it remained open until 1889. The federal army at Fort Hays, a partner of the pioneer, had assisted with the protection and settlement of the region.


Abstract:Text of a paper delivered at the symposium 'Disarmament and Non-Proliferation: Historical Perspectives and Future Objectives', which took place at the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, on 28 March 2014.


PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate sutureless keratoplasty using a chemically-defined bioadhesive (CDB) made from food or medical additives.

METHODS
Sutureless automated lamellar therapeutic keratoplasty (ALTK) using a CDB was performed on three rabbit eyes. Allogenic lamellar graft was transplanted onto the recipient bed using either suture fixation or a sutureless technique using the CDB. Slit-lamp examination was performed at selected intervals to evaluate the grade of epithelialization and the corneal clarity. The rabbits were killed at 90 days after operation and the eyes processed for histology, electron microscopic examination, and immunohistochemistry for cytokeratins and cell junction-related proteins.

RESULTS
Sutureless keratoplasty was successfully performed with appropriate handling time before the CDB gelatinized. All the glued grafts were rapidly epithelialized within 7 days, and thereafter remained clear and attached for 90 days. Histologic and ultrastructural findings on the sutureless group showed the normal feature of stromal and epithelial cells and the grafts to be closely adhered with no inflammatory or scarring changes on the interface. Immunohistochemistry of the epithelial cells on the sutureless group revealed a similar expression pattern to the control group.

CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate that sutureless keratoplasty using the CDB is easy to perform, with reliable attachment and no fear of toxic effects or disease transmissions. The authors expect the CDB to become a major choice for corneal treatment, especially in lamellar keratoplasty, posterior keratoplasty, and amniotic membrane transplantation on corneas.


This article uses the global value chain approach to analyse the upgrading trajectories of leading apparel exporters adapting to the end of textile and apparel quotas and the economic recession. These events have been coupled by the consolidation and reconfiguration of global supply chains. China has been the big winner while other Asian suppliers are expanding their roles, largely at the expense of regional suppliers. One key to Asia's competitive success vis-a-vis Mexico and Central America has been end market diversification. Regional trade agreements (NAFTA; DR-CAFTA) have provided the latter with preferential access to the US market and ties to brand manufacturers, but they also created a reliance on US exports and have hindered suppliers from developing regional linkages into textile production, apparel design and branding. Growing apparel demand in emerging Asian economies and a regionally integrated production network has allowed Chinese apparel suppliers to upgrade and expand global market share.


Summary 1.A study of the effects of fluorinated pyrimidines on nucleic acid biosynthesis has been carried out in suspensions of Ehrlich ascites cells incubated anaerobically with various labeled substrates. The drugs did not inhibit glycolysis. 2.The conversion of formate-C14 into DNA thymine was inhibited in increasing order of potency by 5-fluoroorotic acid, 5-fluorouracil, 5-fluorouridine, and 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine. This inhibition by 5-fluorouracil and 5-fluoroorotic acid was reversed by deoxyuridine. However, formate incorporation into nucleic acid adenine was not inhibited. 3.In studies of permeability it was found that 5-fluorouracil was taken up by the ascites cells to a greater extent than were uracil, orotic acid, and fluoroorotic acid. 5-Fluorouridine caused an increased cellular uptake of uracil and orotic acid. 4.The fluorinated pyrimidines did not affect the conversion of thymidine-6-H3 into DNA thymine, nor the incorporation of phosphate-P32 into DNA or RNA in these cell suspensions. 5.The fluorinated pyrimidines inhibited the metabolic conversion of uracil-2-C14 and orotic-6-C14 acid into DNA thymine and, with the exception of 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine, inhibited the incorporation of the same precursors into RNA uracil. The metabolic transformation of uracil and orotic acid into nucleic acid cytosine was not greatly affected by the drugs. 6.5-Fluorouracil-2-C14 was converted into 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine monophosphate and was also incorporated as such into RNA in these cell suspensions. 7.It is concluded that these fluorinated pyrimidines inhibit the metabolic methylation of deoxyuridine monophosphate to thymidine monophosphate. With the exception of 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine, the compounds inhibit the conversion of pyrimidines into RNA uracil. The exact metabolic locus of this block has not yet been determined. These biochemical observations have been discussed in the light of the tumor-inhibitory properties of these drugs.


Purpose To describe the findings and outcomes in eosinophilic granuloma (unifocal Langerhans-cell histiocytosis [LCH]) of the orbit and to explain the paradox of aggressive bone destruction responsive to minimal intervention. Methods Retrospective, consecutive, interventional case series of patients treated from 1985 to 2001. Minimum inclusion criteria were demonstration of CD1a positivity or Birbeck granules, treatment by a single surgeon, systemic evaluation by a pediatric oncologist, and follow-up of 12 months. A pathogenetic construct was assembled from general LCH concepts and the specific orbital findings. Results Seven patients met study criteria. All were male, 2 to 16 years of age. All had eyelid or forehead swelling and osteolytic defects, with symptoms of 2 to 6 weeks' duration. All underwent incisional biopsy, with frozen-section examination suggestive of LCH in 6 of 7 cases. The 2 earliest patients received low-dose irradiation after simple biopsy. The 5 most recent patients had subtotal curettage at the time of biopsy; 4 of 5 received simultaneous intralesional corticosteroid injection. In all cases, systemic evaluation showed no other focus of LCH, reossification was timely, and no local recurrence or additional focus was noted in follow-up of 1 to 17 years. Conclusions Transient immune dysfunction may provoke the cytokine-mediated proliferation of pathologic Langerhans cells within the hematopoietic marrow of the anterolateral frontal bone. These cells cause osteolysis through elaboration of interleukin-1 and prostaglandin E2. Corticosteroids can inhibit the mediators. We recommend incisional biopsy, frozen-section provisional diagnosis, subtotal curettage, intralesional corticosteroid instillation, postoperative systemic evaluation, and long-term surveillance.


Abstract The study carried out at the castle of Monzon (Huesca) while developing the Master Plan for the preservation of the site clearly aims at efficient interaction between different studies by several groups of experts in various disciplines. The various studies were coordinated jointly in order to offer a comprehensive analysis of the monument, intertwining approaches and points of views. Among the techniques used, thermography was especially interesting because of its flexibility and adaptability in several applications: from helping to identify materials to the detection of hidden pathologies. The efficiency of thermography for emphasizing different phenomena can only be improved by combining with other survey and analysis techniques. Synoptic plans allow these techniques to enrich the information available, reaching greater accuracy in determining materials and pathologies. Keywords : Infrared, Interpretation, Inventory, Recording.


In recent years, communicating with others online has grown exponentially and social networking sites such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook have now become popular forms of communication, especially among the youth. In social networking, communication mostly occurs within the public domain. Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, stated that 'privacy was no longer a social norm' (Johnson, 2010). If you sign up to any social networking site, it is expected of you to share information within the public domain. Why else would you have a Facebook account? Zuckerberg goes on to state that 'people have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people…' (The Guardian, 2010).


It is argued that females use more minimal responses such as mhm as a form of conversational support than men (Maltz & Borker 1982; Cameron 1989; Coates 1993; Tannen 1990; Graddol & Swann 1989). Past research has shown a large stratification between the frequency and type of male and female usage of minimal responses (Fishman 1983; Woods 1989; Zimmerman & West 1975; Maltz & Borker 1982). However, many studies neglect their usage in the media. The aim of this comparative study is to investigate the gender differential use of minimal responses in television interviews, hence the interview segments of two daytime television programs were analysed and compared. Key areas examined were the frequency of minimal responses according to gender of interviewer and interviewee, per second and per adjacency pair. Although in general the results loosely support those of Coates and Cameron (1989) and Zimmerman and West (1975), findings also indicate that the framework of an interview greatly influences minimal response usage, suggesting that status may also play a large role in the use of minimal responses.


The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of cycling exercise at different intensities and rest intervals on strength performance. Ten males, engaged in concurrent training for at least one month prior to testing, comprised the subject group for this study. Results show only leg press torque and leg press work to be decreased after cardiorespiratory exercise of moderate intensity. Leg extension average power, chest press torque, chest press power, and chest press work after cycling were not decreased from pre-exercise values. No significant effects were found for exercise intensity, testing times, or intensity by testing times. These results indicate that lower body strength is decreased by cycling and that one hour is not sufficient to restore leg strength.


We consider the optimal packet scheduling problem in a single-user energy harvesting wireless communication system. In this system, both the data packets and the harvested energy are modeled to arrive at the source node randomly. Our goal is to adaptively change the transmission rate according to the traffic load and available energy, such that the time by which all packets are delivered is minimized. Under a deterministic system setting, we assume that the energy harvesting times and harvested energy amounts are known before the transmission starts. For the data traffic arrivals, we consider two different scenarios. In the first scenario, we assume that all bits have arrived and are ready at the transmitter before the transmission starts. In the second scenario, we consider the case where packets arrive during the transmissions, with known arrival times and sizes. We develop optimal off-line scheduling policies which minimize the time by which all packets are delivered to the destination, under causality constraints on both data and energy arrivals.


Although the mechanical behaviour of particle-reinforced and fibre-reinforced composites have been studied extensively in infinitesimal deformation regime, their properties under finite deformation are still not well understood due to the complex interaction mechanisms between matrix and reinforcement, the intrinsic material and geometry nonlinearities. In this work, theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and experimental data in the literature are employed to investigate the mechanical properties of composites with reinforcement in finite deformation. First, a three-dimensional Representative Volume Element (RVE) is developed for neoHookean composite, in which the incompressible neo-Hookean matrix is reinforced with spherical neo-Hookean particles. Four types of finite deformation (i.e., uniaxial tension/compression, simple shear and general biaxial deformation) are simulated using the RVE models with periodic boundary conditions enforced. The simulation results show that the overall mechanical responses of the incompressible particle-reinforced neo-Hookean composite (IPRNC) can be well predicted by another simple incompressible neo-Hookean model. The results also indicate that the effective shear modulus of IPRNC with different particle volume fraction and different particle/matrix stiffness ratio can be well predicted by the classical linear elastic estimation. In the second half of the study, the significance of the fibre-matrix interaction in the Human Annulus Fibrosus (HAF) is identified and analysed in detail. Based on the experimental results in the literature it is shown that the mechanical behaviour of the matrix can be well simulated by the incompressible neo-Hookean type model, but the effective stiffness of the matrix depends on fibre stretch ratio, which can only be explained by fibre-matrix interaction. Furthermore, it is found that this interaction takes place anisotropically between the matrix and the fibres distributed in different proportions in different directions. The dependence of the tangent stiffness of the matrix on the first invariant of the deformation tensor can also be explained by this fibre orientation dispersion.


The fermion bag is a powerful idea that helps to solve fermion lattice field theories using Monte Carlo methods. Some sign problems that had remained unsolved earlier can be solved within this framework. In this work we argue that the fermion bag also gives insight into a new mechanism of fermion mass generation, especially at strong couplings where fermion masses are related to the fermion bag size. On the other hand, chiral condensates arise due to zero modes in the Dirac operator within a fermion bag. Although in traditional four-f ermion models the two quantities seem to be related, we show that they can be decoupled. While fermion bags become small at strong couplings, the ability of zero modes of the Dirac operator within fermion bags to produce a chiral condensate, can be suppressed by the presence of additional zero modes from other fermions. Thus, fermions can become massive even without a chiral condensate. This new mechanism of mass generation was discovered long ago in lattice field theo ry, but has remained unappreciated. Recent work suggests that it may be of interest even in continuum quantum field theory.


A new era of nuclear energy is emerging through innovative nuclear reactors that are to satisfy the new philosophies and criteria that are being developed by the INPRO program of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It is establishing a new paradigm in relation to nuclear energy. The future reactors should meet the new standards in respect to safety, economy, non‐proliferation, nuclear waste, and environmental impact. The fixed bed nuclear reactor (FBNR) is a small nuclear reactor that meets all the requirements. It is an inherently safe and passively cooled reactor that is fool proof against nuclear proliferation. It is simple in design and economic. It can serve in a dual purpose plant to produce simultaneously both electricity and desalinated water, thus making it especially suitable to the needs of the Middle‐East Countries. FBNR is being developed with the support of the IAEA under its program of small reactors without on‐site refueling. The reactor uses the pressurized water reactor technology. It fulfills the objectives of design simplicity, inherent and passive safety, economy, standardization, shop fabrication, easy transportability, and high availability. The inherent safety characteristic of the reactor dispenses with the need for containment; however, a simple underground containment is envisaged for the reactor in order to reduce any adverse visual impact. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Individuals enjoy privacy in their person, in their personal spaces, and also in their biographical core of personal information. A successful claim for the exclusion of evidence on the basis of an infringement of section 8 of the Charter requires that three questions be answered in the affirmative: (1) is there a reasonable expectation of privacy? (2) has there been an unreasonable interference with that expectation? and (3) does the infringement warrant exclusion of the evidence?
Turning to the first question, the determination of the issue ultimately rests on whether our societal values are such that we are prepared to acknowledge that the accused had a valid and enforceable expectation of privacy. Early on in the jurisprudence, the Supreme Court of Canada answered this question by resorting to a very general and normative form of analysis, largely disconnected from the actual facts of the case, leading to results that were unlikely to conform with societal expectations of what is just. Subsequently, the Court moved towards an approach that remained normative, but firmly rooted in the unique circumstances of the particular case. In deciding whether there is a reasonable expectation of privacy in information, the enquiry should be guided by the extent to which the information in question promotes the values protected by section 8, the dignity and autonomy of the individual. Not all information warrants protection, particularly that which actually undermines the values promoted by section 8.
Turning to the second question, the Supreme Court has recently introduced confusion into the law concerning searches in the regulatory context. Searches in the regulatory context were typically not required to comply with the requirement of prior judicial authorization, if they were necessary to ensure compliance with the regulatory framework. However, in the recent decision of R. v. Jarvis, a tax prosecution case, the Court has indicated that investigators must abandon the use of their audit and inspection powers, once their purpose shifts to the determination of penal, as opposed to tax, liability. Jarvis raises many questions and investigators will need to be very careful before relying on a warrantless power of inspection to build a case for prosecution purposes.
The decision whether to exclude evidence rests on a balancing of the state's interest in law enforcement against the privacy rights of the accused. Privacy rights are often subordinated to the state interest in law enforcement, as the Charter is not the only means by which society seeks to promote the dignity, integrity and autonomy of the individual. Conduct is often criminalized in order to protect individuals from having their rights, including privacy rights, invaded by wrongdoers. The individual who has committed an offence should not evade criminal liability for his acts by being permitted to shield himself behind rights he has himself invaded. The state interest in law enforcement should ordinarily prevail in the face of a claim of privacy infringement, unless the state's conduct is both egregious and deliberate.


The article develops a simulation model (based on the MatLab Simulink mathematical processor) of an information-measuring system of electrical characteristics (residual surface electric charge, surface layer capacity, etc.) of functional coatings of electronic devices. The main purpose of the simulation model was to determine the rational parameters of measurement and control of the informationmeasuring system developed by the authors, which would simplify the process of setting up such a system, as well as explore the dynamic modes of its operation. The main advantage of the developed simulation model is the ability to conduct an interactive study of the operation of the information-measuring system under various, including limiting, modes. Tests of the simulation model of the information-measuring system made it possible to study its operation under various conditions and modes of the measurement experiment, as well as to virtually determine the rational operating parameters of such a measurement and control system. A satisfactory discrepancy of 8-11,5% was established for the experimental results compared with the data obtained analytically, which proves the correctness and adequacy of the compiled model.


Propionic acidemia (PA) is a rare inborn error of metabolism (IBEM) identifiable by newborn screening (NBS). PA patients have variable clinical presentations and neonatal symptomology can be severe and potentially life threatening. Longitudinal data is being collected to learn more about the natural history of PA and current management of these patients. As care recommendations are being developed, it is important to understand patients' service utilization and current unmet needs.

This study describes the PA patient data from the Inborn Errors of Metabolism Information System (IBEM-IS), a database created to follow patients with conditions detected or detectable by NBS. Data from 46 PA subjects and 137 visits entered into IBEM-IS were analyzed for anticipated needs of PA patients based on the clinical spectrum and current published practice guidelines. Analysis of PA data in IBEM-IS revealed that the majority of the desired variables were absent. Thus, precise determination of service utilization by PA patients remains incomplete. There remains a need for comprehensive, uniform data collection and more detailed assessment of patients.

The original design of the study incorporated an interview of parents/guardians of PA patients to identify current service utilization for comparison to aggregate data in IBEM-IS. Due to recruitment challenges, two of three aims of this study were not achieved. The difficulties experienced with recruitment and collaborative work with a multi-center consortium are discussed.

This analysis of PA patient data in IBEM-IS augments the database and promotes future research studies. Learning more about service utilization and parents' perceived unmet needs for PA patients may also have implications for a broader group of IBEM identifiable by NBS. Further, the need to prove efficacy of NBS, as a public health program intended to decrease morbidity and mortality, can be supported by this analysis of outcomes and patients needs in those identified by NBS and those identified clinically. The improved long-term care and follow up resulting from focused research on current practices and needs in these patients will impact many individuals and their families.


Secondary malignant tumors of the kidney are uncommon. These secondary tumors are usually the result of hematogenous spread from solid or hematologic malignancies. These tumors are almost always discovered at autopsy, with only 40 cases diagnosed prior to death reported in the literature. Primary tumors of the lung, breast and gastrointestinal tract are the most common sources of renal metastases. The occurrence of a renal secondary from a primary hepatocellular carcinoma is the subject of this presentation. To the best of our knowledge, such an occurrence has not been reported previously.


Woodlands in Mediterranean mountains are undergoing succession and densification following the abandonment of traditional forest management. The consequences of these changes on ecosystem functioning remain poorly understood. Our survey of Alto Tajo Natural Park formed part of a wider project to quantify the effects of forest change on the hydrology of Spain. Processing of the data collected in an extensive field campaign accompanying this research is ongoing. The final objectives are to: (1) to map the trajectory of woodland biomass change; (2) to estimate woodland canopy water content, and other vegetation indices, from appropriately filtered and corrected hyperspectral data; (3) to measure woodland canopy transpiration from thermal imagery, and micro-meteorological data. Pre-processing of GNSS and remote sensing data was carried out by NERC-ARF-DAN.


delay relapse and thus reduce mortality from breast cancer (20 (23%) deaths from breast cancer in the group given adjuvant treatment compared with 35 (32%) in the group given tamoxifen after relapse), it also has a striking cardioprotective effect (one fatal myocardial infarction (no radiotherapy given) without relapse in those given adjuvant treatment compared with 12 (five with radiotherapy) in those given the drug after relapse). Together these benefits have produced, after a maximum follow up of 12 years, a significant prolongation ofsurvival, which was apparent only after three years from randomisation (hazard ratio 0 614 (95% confidence interval 0 41 to 0-92), p=0017 with the likelihood ratio test fitting Cox's proportional hazard model). This overall effect on total survival is seen regardless of oestrogen receptor status, although the number of patients who were oestrogen receptor poor is too small (total=31) for statistical evaluation. These results reinforce Dixon's comments regarding the potential benefits ofadjuvant tamoxifen for breast cancer in elderly patients and highlight the additional protective effect against fatal mnocardial infarction before relapse.'


We present a study of the optical brightness profiles of early type galaxies, using a number of samples of radio galax- ies and optically selected elliptical galaxies. For the radio galaxy samples - B2 of Fanaroff-Riley type I and 3C of Fanaroff-Riley type II - we determined a number of parameters that describe a "Nuker-law" profile, which were compared with those already known for the optically selected objects. We find that radio active galaxies are always of the "core" type (i.e. an inner Nuker law slope γ 0.5). This difference is not due to any effect with absolute magnitude, since in a region of overlap in magnitude the dichotomy between radio active and radio quiescent galaxies remains. We speculate that core-type objects represent the galaxies that have been, are, or may become, radio active at some stage in their lives; active and non-active core-type galaxies are therefore identical in all respects except their eventual radio-activity: on HST scales we do not find any relationship between boxiness and radio-activity. There is a fundamental plane, defined by the parameters of the core (break radius rb and break brightness µb), which is seen in the strong correlation between rb and µb. The break radius is also linearly proportional to the optical Luminosity in the I band. Moreover, for the few galaxies with an independently measured black hole mass, the break radius turns out to be tightly correlated with MBH. The black hole mass correlates even better with the combination of fundamental plane parameters rb and µb, which represents the central velocity dispersion.


Introduction Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a leading cause of acute viral hepatitis in the developing world and is a public health problem, in particular among pregnant women, where it may lead to severe or fatal complications. A recombinant HEV vaccine, 239 (Hecolin; Xiamen Innovax Biotech, Xiamen, China), is licensed in China, but WHO calls for further studies to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of this vaccine in vulnerable populations, and to evaluate protection in pregnancy. We are therefore conducting a phase IV trial to assess the effectiveness, safety and immunogenicity of the HEV 239 vaccine when given in women of childbearing age in rural Bangladesh, where HEV infection is endemic. Methods and analysis Enrolment of a target of approximately 20 000 non-pregnant women, aged 16–39 years, started on 2 October 2017 in Matlab, Bangladesh. Sixty-seven villages were randomised by village at a 1:1 ratio to receive either the HEV vaccine or the control vaccine (hepatitis B vaccine). A 3-dose vaccination series at 0, 1 and 6 months is ongoing, and women are followed up for 24 months. The primary outcome is confirmed HEV disease among pregnant women. After vaccination, participants are requested to report information about clinical hepatitis symptoms. Participants who become pregnant are visited at their homes every 2 weeks to collect information about pregnancy outcome and to screen for clinical hepatitis. All suspected hepatitis cases undergo laboratory testing for diagnostic evaluation. The incidence of confirmed HEV disease among pregnant and non-pregnant women will be compared between the HEV vaccinated and control groups, safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine will also be evaluated. Ethics and dissemination The protocol was reviewed and approved by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh Research Review Committee and Ethical Review Committee, and the Directorate General of Drug Administration in Bangladesh, and by the Regional Ethics Committee in Norway. This article is based on the protocol version 2.2 dated 29 June 2017. We will present the results through peer-reviewed publications and at international conferences. Trial registration number The trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov with the registry name "Effectiveness Trial to Evaluate Protection of Pregnant Women by Hepatitis E Vaccine in Bangladesh" and the identifier NCT02759991.


Amphiphilic polymers have been synthesised by controlled free radical polymerisation techniques. These polymers self-assemble into well-defined vesicles in aqueous conditions, enabling encapsulation of a model hydrophilic molecule. The polymeric vesicles show high stability against a range of aqueous conditions with marginal release of cargo, even in the presence of known cell-membrane disruptive polymers such as branched poly(ethylene imine) (b-PEI). This stability allows for inversion of the surface charge of the polymeric vesicles by a simple coating protocol leading to an enhanced uptake by mammalian cells.


During lumber rolling, a fixation device is typically installed just behind the work roll to set up the delivery thickness and to fix the thickness reduction. However, the accompanying resistance force into the fixation device can cause slippage between the roll and material, indicating a bound for the rolling conditions. Slippage can be avoided by decreasing the resistance force or by adding a pushing force on the lumber from the entry side of the rolling mill. This paper experimentally investigated the effects of these horizontal forces on the rolling force and roll torque. From these results, the roll torque was found to be directly affected by the horizontal forces, but the rolling force was not affected. Secondly, a new parameter μeq was introduced and a condition of non-slippage, in which μeq must be less than the coefficient of static friction to avoid slippage, was proposed. This condition was then used to predict and to protect against slippage by identifying when this condition was violated and then applying a horizontal force to decrease μeq.


A total of 68 patients have been examined. Of these, 21 had functional class (FC) I stabile angina, 23 presented with FC II angina, 24 had FC III angina. Instituted in the control group patients (n = 30) was standard antianginal therapy (SAT). Laser therapy against the background of SAT employed has been found to improve the functional state of the myocardium, enhance tolerance to physical loads, improve indices for intracardiac hemodynamics. He-Ne laser irradiation has an analgecizing effect. Patients with FC I-III exertional angina can derive benefit from laser therapy due to its cardioprotective effect. Positive hemodynamic shifts were accompanied by improvement in general health of patients manifested by lower frequency of angina attacks and episodes of pain-free ischemia of the myocardium. Laser therapy had an effect on relation between painful and painless ischemia of the myocardium as evidenced by a predominant decrease in pain-free episodes of myocardial ischemia, this being regarded as a prognostically favourable fact.


Studies in Kenya largely indicate that VSLA's have been adopted as a strategy to alleviate poverty in non-formal settlements like the slums in Mathare, Kibera, Korogocho and Kianduti villages or slums for more than 10 years now. Despite these gains there is very scanty information available on the financial literacy of the members of these groups and the impact it has on their performance. Establishment of Voluntary Savings and lending Associations has a had a great impact in ensuring there is economic empowerment of members and groups in the villages through donor fundings.It is from this background that this research intended to determine if there is an influence of financial literacy trainings on the financial performance of village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA's) projects in supported by NGO's in Kenya, a case study of Kwale county. The study was done on the members of the VSLA's in Kwale County who are registered within the groups in that region. There was a total of 73 participants in the study undertaken. The hypothetical question was to establish if financial knowledge has an impact on the financial performance of the VSLA's supported by NGO's in Kenya. The study used stratified sampling method and questionnaires in collecting required information through interviews. The findings showed that there was a strong relationship between financial literacy and financial performance of VSLA's. this led to a conclusion that there is need to ensure the groups are empowered properly since most of the VSLA that have not been performing well have their members not well trained on financial literacy components such as budgeting, expenditure control and savings.


Abstract Background/Objective: Determine the effects of a nutrition education and exercise intervention on the health and fitness of adolescents with mobility impairment due to spinal cord dysfunction from myelomeningocele and spinal cord injury. Subjects participated in a 16-week intervention consisting of a behavioral approach to lifestyle change, exercise, and nutrition education to improve fitness (BENEfit) program. Participants were given a schedule of aerobic and strengthening exercises and attended nutrition education and behavior modification sessions every other week along with their parent(s). Subjects: Twenty adolescents (aged 11–18 years, mean 15.4 ± 2.2 years) with spinal cord dysfunction. Methods: Subjects were tested immediately prior to starting and upon completion of the program. Aerobic fitness was measured using a ramp protocol with an arm ergometer. Heart rate and oxygen uptake were measured. Values at anaerobic threshold and maximum oxygen uptake were recorded. Peak isokinetic arm and shoulder strength were determined with a dynamometer. Body composition was estimated with dual–energy x–ray absorptiometry. Serum chemistry included measures of cholesterol, high–density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides. Results: Fourteen individuals completed all testing sessions. There was no significant overall change in weight, body mass index, body mass index z–scores, or serum chemistry. Overall, there was a significant increase in whole body lean tissue without a concomitant increase in whole body fat. Fitness measures revealed a significant increase in maximum power output, work efficiency as measured by the amount of power output produced aerobically, and resting oxygen uptake. Strength measurements revealed a significant increase in shoulder extension strength and a trend towards increased shoulder flexion strength. There were no significant changes in high–density lipoprotein, low–density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, or triglycerides. Conclusions: The BENEfit program shows promise as a method for improving the health and fitness of adolescents with mobility impairments who are at high risk for obesity and obesity-related health conditions.


Record linkage (or record matching) tries to identify the records in datasets which represent the same entity. These entities could be people or any other entity of interest. In this study, there has been processed a benchmark of clustering algorithms used in record linkage was conducted. The reason for the interest was that with the rise of the machine learning, record linkage has been considered as a classification problem with two classes of matched and unmatched pairs. The pairs to be compared are the entries in the dataset with a possible reduction of comparisons to avoid the quadratic complexity. The reason for the need for the clustering benchmark is that the experiments are processed by assuming that the experimenter has substantial training data for the classification procedure so that he can proceed in a supervised fashion. However, this is usually not the case in real life scenarios. For that reason, in this benchmarking study, the main three clustering algorithms are applied on three different datasets which are selected with different characteristics on purpose.


Education is a concept that can be as limited, or as expansive, as the current mindset of the individual or group who is involved seeks to realize, understand, define, undergo, use, or take in any given context. It is within the mindset of expansiveness, that this article seeks to explore the concept of education as it takes place outside of the formal, institutionalized curriculum—as well as how it relates to the formal curriculum. This theoretical exploration will begin by investigating the relevance of the topic. It will then consider a variety of meanings constructed around the concepts of formal education, informal education and non-formal education. The article concludes by addressing the need for rethinking the status of learning that emerges from outside the formal curriculum and discussing the potential affects of a more expansive approach to envisioning education.


Medical facilities use conventional intravenous (IV) infusion systems in cases where the patient needs some kind of programmed medicine or nutrition. Gravity controls the simplest and cheapest system. In this kind of system, however, the flow rate varies with the bottle's fluid volume and the hose's pressure. Adjusting the drip feed keeps the rate constant. This article details our development of a control system for conventional gravity-controlled infusion systems that guarantees a safe and accurate infusion process. The control system measures the current flow rate through an optical sensor in the drop window and controls it by compressing or decompressing the hose with a motor. We wanted the system to control conventional IV infusion systems with hardware and software. This kind of implementation creates a low-cost control system that resists software faults. Providing this kind of safety becomes crucial if the microcomputer is also used for other purposes. To analyze the various implementation possibilities, we used the PISH (integrated design of software and hardware) codesign methodology developed by our research group. This fault-tolerant system implemented in hardware and software and partitioned with a codesign methodology revolutionizes traditional IV infusion control systems.


Background. Renal osteodystrophy has been studied less extensively in predialysis than in dialysis patients. Different types of histological patterns in their natural evolution from moderate to advanced severity of renal insufficiency are only partially known, with special regard to adynamic bone disease and its relationship with osteomalacia. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study on 76 unselected patients with chronic renal failure undergoing conservative treatment, with a wide range of severity of renal insufficiency. All the patients were subjected to bone biopsy for histological and histomorphometric evaluation. The patients, 44 males and 32 females ranging in age from 18 to 72 years and with serum creatinine 1.2-11.4 mg/dl, had not been exposed to aluminium-containing drugs and had never been treated with vitamin D or calcitriol. Results. Ten patients had normal bone, nine were diagnosed with adynamic bone disease, 26 with mild mixed osteodystrophy, seven with predominant osteomalacia, 22 with advanced mixed osteodystrophy, and two with predominant hyperparathyroidism. Patients with adynamic bone disease had less severe chronic renal failure than the other pathological subgroups, intact PTH above the upper limit of normal, normocalcaemia, and reduced serum osteocalcin in line with a significantly lower ObS/BS. Osteomalacia was found in a more advanced stage of chronic renal failure with relative hypocalcaemia and more severe metabolic acidosis. A creatinine clearance of 20 ml/min served as a clear demarcation between this histological group and adynamic bone disease. Conclusions. It is postulated that adynamic bone disease is a form of renal osteodystrophy, separate from osteomalacia, appearing when bone resistance to PTH develops, probably a transient stage to more advanced Correspondence and offprint requests to: Prof. Giorgio Coen, Renal Pathophysiology and Hypertension Unit, Istituto di Clinica Medica II, Viale del Policlinico, 155, 00161 Rome, Italy. hyperparathyroid histological classes with increasing severity of chronic renal failure.


By way of a case study this paper illustrates and evaluates the Bibliographic Framework (or BIBFRAME) as means for harvesting and sharing bibliographic metadata over the Web for libraries. BIBFRAME is an emerging framework developed by the Library of Congress for bibliographic description based on Linked Data. Much like Semantic Web, the goal of Linked Data is to make Web "data aware" and transform the existing Web of documents into a Web of data. Linked Data leverages the existing Web infrastructure and allows linking and sharing of structured data for human and machine consumption. The BIBFRAME model attempts to contextualize the Linked Data technology for libraries. Library applications and systems contain high-quality structured metadata but this data is generally static in its presentation and seldom integrated with other internal metadata sources or linked to external Web resources. With BIBFRAME existing disparate library metadata sources such as catalogs and digital collections can be harvested and integrated over the Web. In addition, bibliographic data enriched with Linked Data could offer richer navigational control and access points for users. With Linked Data principles, metadata from libraries could also become harvestable by search engines, transforming dormant catalogs and digital collections into active knowledge repositories. Thus experimenting with Linked Data using existing bibliographic metadata holds the potential to empower libraries to harness the reach of commercial search engines to continuously discover, navigate, and obtain new domain specific knowledge resources on the basis of their verified metadata. The initial part of the paper introduces BIBFRAME and discusses Linked Data in the context of libraries. The final part of this paper outlines a step-by-step process for implementing BIBFRAME with existing library metadata.


Antisera to 21 synthetic peptides containing hydrophilic sequences of simian immunodeficiency virus strain mac251 (SIVmac251) gp120 and gp32 were tested for the ability to neutralize SIVmac251. Goat antisera raised to peptides SP-1 and SP-1V containing the carboxy-terminal portion of the V3 domain of SIVmac251 gp120 between amino acids 327 and 339 inhibited syncytium formation (90% inhibition at a 1/1024 dilution) and cell killing of CEMx174 cells by SIVmac251 (50%) inhibition of cell killing at a dilution of 1/5832), SIVDeltaB670 (1/568), and SIVsmH4 (1/740). Neutralizing antibodies to SIVmac251, SIVDeltaB670, and SIVsmH4 could be adsorbed by peptides containing a neutralizing V3 sequence of SIVmac251 gp120 (GLVFHSQPIND, amino acids 329-339) but not by peptides lacking this sequence. This V3 neutralizing region corresponds to a homologous V3 neutralizing site within HIV-2 gp120 reported by Björling et al. 1991, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 6082-6086, 1994, J. Immunol. 152, 1952-1959). Antibodies in 20 of 31 sera obtained from rhesus macaques infected with SIVmac251 reacted with a peptide containing the entire V3 sequence of SIVmac251 gp120, whereas no sera contained antibodies reacting with the V3 neutralizing site between amino acids 329 and 339. Low levels of antibody-mediated recognition and subsequent lack of selective pressure against this linear V3 neutralizing site might in part explain why this region is not a dominant neutralizing site and also why sequences within V3 do not vary during the course of SIV infection.


Electrical energy is the most common and widely used type of energy in the world. The subject of energy conservation is a concern for most energy users particularly industry. Energy conservation (ECON) becomes even more important for the third world, developing countries, where the rising energy costs and the use of efficient energy apparatus are of significant concern to both the industry and the utility. In this paper, the application of the ECON techniques by which electrical energy can be saved and made cost efficient from the industrial perspective are presented for a sheet-glass industry in a developing country (Pakistan-Asia). The selection, in particular, of a sheet-glass industry was done because electrical energy constitutes only a small amount of the overall energy used. A complete energy conservation guideline is recommended. The load profile and its overall improvement in light of these recommendations is also illustrated along with the proposed utilization of the techniques and their applications. Electrical energy management (EEM) approach for motors, PF, and tariff control is outlined and the emphasis on energy conservation technology has been elaborated. More findings of the application of energy conservation techniques of high significance are presented in the paper.


Embedded devices are generally small, battery-powered computers with limited hardware resources. It is difficult to run deep neural networks (DNNs) on these devices, because DNNs perform millions of operations and consume significant amounts of energy. Prior research has shown that a considerable number of a DNN's memory accesses and computation are redundant when performing tasks like image classification. To reduce this redundancy and thereby reduce the energy consumption of DNNs, we introduce the Modular Neural Network Tree architecture. Instead of using one large DNN for the classifier, this architecture uses multiple smaller DNNs (called modules) to progressively classify images into groups of categories based on a novel visual similarity metric. Once a group of categories is selected by a module, another module then continues to distinguish among the similar categories within the selected group. This process is repeated over multiple modules until we are left with a single category. The computation needed to distinguish dissimilar groups is avoided, thus reducing redundant operations, memory accesses, and energy. Experimental results using several image datasets reveal the effectiveness of our proposed solution to reduce memory requirements by 50% to 99%, inference time by 55% to 95%, energy consumption by 52% to 94%, and the number of operations by 15% to 99% when compared with existing DNN architectures, running on two different embedded systems: Raspberry Pi 3 and Raspberry Pi Zero.


This thesis discusses the issue of racial prejudice in America described in the novel The Color of Water written by James Mcbride. This analysis focuses on how blacks are perceived differently by other races in America such as whites. In this study, the authors analyzed three problems, the first why race prejudice occurred in America. How racial prejudices against blacks as uneducated people, how racial prejudice against blacks as criminal.
            In analyzing the literary work, the author uses postcolonial theory, it is this theory that allows us to see how the colonial influence both during colonization lasted, before, and after the colonialization ended like today. This theory has a very important meaning, The hidden problems contained behind the facts that have occurred, and very in accordance with the problems contained in the novel the color of water.
            In this study, the authors found a 1). bad relationship between the minority and the majority in the United States really happened. 2). Minorities such as blacks get white prejudices. This disharmony of relationships has some impact on the minority itself, the impact of which can be seen from how the quality of life of these minorities. 3).  Another consequence of the harmony of the relationship is the emergence of awareness and motivation in the minority to be equal to the majority.


Abstract The English law of property is often described as a "bundle of sticks" in which each "stick" represents a particular right. Gardens challenge these rights and wreak havoc on the "bundle of sticks." This article looks at the twenty-first century manifestations of community engagement with ground and explores how "gardening" is undermining concepts of ownership, possession and management of land and how the fence between what is private and what is public is being encroached and challenged by community and individual initiatives to cultivate. The garden in this article is therefore a place of questioning and redefining traditional legal concepts, but it also reflects contemporary concerns which go beyond the confines of the garden and the boundaries of the law. At the same time however, the garden represents a continuum between past struggles and ideals and future hopes, and so the cultivators of today are located in a continuing evolution of law, land and people. By considering the various ways in which people are engaging with land outside of the usual private land/person context and their motives for doing so, this article places present gardening in its historic context and analyses the challenges that various forms of gardening pose for established legal principles. In particular this article asks if present gardening demands a re-examination of property law and a re-evaluation of what is understood as "property" if the "bundle of sticks" is unpacked.


An ontology can be seen as a hierarchical description of concepts in a specific domain. One of the key issues in ontology construction is the acquisition of ontology hierarchy. Manual construction of ontology by experts is time-consuming and costly, and timely update is also difficult. In automatic or semi-automatic methods, the general procedure of ontology construction is to obtain domain specific terms first and then acquire the relations among them. Terms can be obtained through terminology extraction. Relationship among terms can then be acquired to construct an appropriate ontology hierarchy. Formal Concept Analysis (FCA) is an effective tool for the acquisition and visualization of ontology structure. In using FCA to acquire ontology structure, some existing methods are inclined to use a single type of attributes such as verbs or nouns or adjectives in the context of a term. This paper investigates the use of context words including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs as well as their combination. Experiments on a general corpus and a domain specific corpus show that the combined attributes of content word types give the best performance. Contrary to the belief that verbs serve as the best single type of attributes, nouns are better to use as they have overall better average performance over the whole spectrum of threshold values. Another experiment is conducted to examine context words which are qualified as domain specific terms from a so-called Core Term List which is acquired separately. The Core Term List contains terms complying with some specific standards as qualified domain terms. Experiments show a comparable or even better performance of using the Core Term List as context than using dynamically acquired nouns. In fact the core Term List approach gives comparable result to the combined content words. Thus, simple domain knowledge acquired apriori can serve as a good alternative attribute set especially in resource limited cases.


The use of approximate projection methods for modeling low Mach number flows avoids many of the numerical complications associated with exact projection methods, but introduces additional design choices in developing a robust algorithm. In this paper we first explore these design choices in the setting of inviscid incompressible flow using several computational examples. We then develop a framework for analyzing the behavior of the different design variations and use that analysis to explain the features observed in the computations. As part of this work we introduce a new variation of the approximate projection algorithm that combines the advantages of several of the previous versions.


Increasing emphasis is being placed on the concept of resilience in policy and practice relating to vulnerable children and their families yet little is known about how, and to what extent, the concept is actually being operationalised in child and family services. This article presents the findings from a study which aimed to analyse the ways in which 'resilience' as a concept is shaping practice in settings that explicitly espouse a resilience-led framework. The study included a UKbased and an Australian component, to allow for international comparisons and contrasts in the use of resilience as a concept in practice. The findings from a survey of 201 practitioners (108 in the UK; 93 in Australia) and 32 case studies (18 in the UK; 14 in Australia) are presented and considered in the light of the existing resilience literature in order to gauge the extent of congruence between practice as described and the principles indicated by the existing literature.


Ground level monitoring of Particulate Matter (PM) is limited by spatial coverage and resolution, in spite of possessing high temporal resolution and accuracy. Atmospheric Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), a product of space-borne remote sensing, has shown significant potential for estimating ground level PM concentrations. Several approaches have been used to improve the correlation between AOD-PM by providing corrections for the aerosol vertical profile and ground level humidity. However, the effects of the vertical profile of humidity and aerosol size on the AOD-PM relationship requires further study. In this paper, we propose a method for developing an AOD-PM_(2.5) relationship by retrieving the vertical profile of relative humidity via ground observation data and aerosol size distribution in Beijing. Moreover, a series of Hanel growth coefficients (γ) are applied to determine the specific value, which maximizes the correlation. The results show that applying our proposed method can improve the correlation from R = 0.610 to R = 0.707 for Terra and R = 0.707 to 0.752 for Aqua. The best correlations were obtained for γ = 1.2 and 1.3 for Terra and Aqua, respectively. A good correlation (R = 0.8) between ground based and MODIS based PM_(2.5) measurements, together with employing MODIS to predict true air pollution levels (65% accuracy), suggests that the vertical profile of RH derived via ground level observation and aerosol size should be considered and applied to models in future studies, which utilize satellite data for air pollution monitoring and controlling.


BACKGROUND
In Canada maternity care is publicly funded, and although women may choose their care providers, choices may be limited. The purpose of this study was to compare perceptions of maternity outcomes and experiences of those who received care from midwives with those who received care from other providers.

METHODS
Based on the 2006 Canadian census, a random sample of women (n = 6,421) who had recently given birth in Canada completed a computer-assisted telephone interview for the Maternity Experiences Survey. The sample was stratified according to province or territory where birth occurred, age, rural or urban residence, and presence of other children in the home. Those who were 15 years of age and older, gave birth to a singleton baby, and were living with their infant were eligible for inclusion.

RESULTS
Women whose primary prenatal providers were midwives had fewer ultrasounds and were more likely to attend prenatal classes and have at least five or more prenatal visits. They were also more likely to rate satisfaction with their maternity experience as "very positive" and be satisfied with information provided on a variety of pregnancy and birth topics if their primary prenatal provider was a midwife. They were almost half as likely to experience induction and 7.33 times more likely to experience a medication-free delivery. They were more likely to initiate and maintain breastfeeding at 3 and 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS
Evidence shows that midwifery outcomes and levels of satisfaction meet or exceed Canadian maternity care standards. Facilitation of the continuing integration of midwives as autonomous practitioners throughout Canada is recommended. (BIRTH 38:3 September 2011).


We present a coupled plasma and collisionless sheath model for the simulation of high-density plasma processing reactors. Due to inefficiencies in numerical schemes and the resulting computational burden, a coupled multidimensional plasma and sheath simulation has not been possible for gas mixtures and high-density reactors of practical interest. In this work, we demonstrate that with a fully implicit algorithm and a refined computational mesh, a self-consistent simulation of a reactor including both the plasma and sheath is feasible. We discuss the details of the model equations, the importance of ion inertia, and the resulting sheath profiles for argon and chlorine plasmas. We find that at low operating pressures (10-30 mtorr), the charge separation occurs only within a 0.5-mm layer near the surface in a 300 mm inductively coupled plasma etch reactor. A unified simulation eliminates the use of offline or loosely coupled and oversimplified sheath models which generally leads to uncertainties in ion flux and sheath electrical properties.


In the present study three dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship studies were performed on a series of 5,6-dihydropyran-2-ones as HIV protease inhibitors using CS Chem Office Version 6.0. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to derive quantitative structure activity relationship models which were further evaluated internally as well as externally for the prediction of activity. The best quantitative structure activity relationship model was selected having a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.8285 and cross-validated correlation coefficient (Q2) of 0.5169. The study indicates that thermodynamic descriptors (torsion energy, total energy, molar refractivity and Vander Waals energy) and electronic descriptor (lowest unoccupied molecular orbital) play an important role for the HIV Protease binding affinities. The information generated from the present study may be useful in the design of more potent protease inhibitors as antiHlV agents.


By quadrupling the number of people behind bars in two decades, the United States has become the world leader in incarceration. Much has been written on the men who make up the vast majority of the nation's two million inmates. But what of the women they leave behind? "Doing Time Together" vividly details the ways that prisons shape and infiltrate the lives of women with husbands, fiances, and boyfriends on the inside. Megan Comfort spent years getting to know women visiting men at San Quentin State Prison, observing how their romantic relationships drew them into contact with the penitentiary. Tangling with the prison's intrusive scrutiny and rigid rules turns these women into quasi-inmates, eroding the boundary between home and prison and altering their sense of intimacy, love, and justice. Yet Comfort also finds that with social welfare weakened, prisons are the most powerful public institutions available to women struggling to overcome untreated social ills and sustain relationships with marginalized men. As a result, they express great ambivalence about the prison and the control it exerts over their daily lives. An illuminating analysis of women caught in the shadow of America's massive prison system, Comfort's book will be essential for anyone concerned with the consequences of our punitive culture.


The rates of degradation of [3H]leucine-labelled proteins have been measured in cultures of skin fibroblasts obtained from normal controls (five subjects) and patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (six subjects). Cultures were incubated with [3H]leucine (10 microCi/ml) for 60 min to label "short-lived" proteins, and with [3H]leucine (5 microCi/ml) for 60 h to label "long-lived" proteins. Optimal wash procedures were devised for removal of [3H]leucine from the extracellular space and from cell pools before beginning degradation measurements. Re-utilization of [3H]leucine released from degraded labelled proteins was prevented by supplementing the medium with 4mM-leucine. Rates of degradation did not depend on the growth state of the cells or on cell age over the range used (passages eight-20). Degradation of long-lived proteins was approximately linear over a 24h period, at a rate of 1.0% per h. 30% of short-lived protein was degraded within 6h. No differences were observed between protein degradation in normal fibroblasts and in those from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.


Next generation RFID towards ubiquitous wireless sensing and identification requires high network throughput along with long operation range and ultra low energy consumption. In this paper, we review future RFID for ubiquitous intelligence and their technology needs from system to device perspectives. As a promising enabling technology, ultra wideband radio (UWB) and its use in various RFID implementations are investigated. A special focus on an UWB/UHF hybrid passive RFID and sensor system with asymmetric wireless links is studied as an example. Unlike conventional RFID systems relying on backscattering and narrowband radio, UWB is introduced as the uplink for tag to reader communication. It enables a high network throughput (2000 tag/sec), high data bandwidth (100 MHz pulse rate), under ultra low power and low cost constraint. The hardware implementation in silicon level is also presented. Finally, applications of the system in intelligent warehouse and fresh food tracker are introduced.


The hydrolysis of cephalosporins containing good leaving groups at the 3'-position [those used in this study were the chromogenic cephalosporin PADAC [pyridine-2-azo-4'-(N',N'-dimethylaniline) substituted on cephalosporin], cephaloridine, and cephalothin], catalyzed by the Staphylococcus aureus PC1 beta-lactamase, proceeds in two spectrophotometrically observable phases. The first involves formation of an acyl-enzyme intermediate while the second involves partitioning of this intermediate between two pathways. One path yields the normal cephalosporoate (3) from which the 3'-leaving group is spontaneously eliminated in solution to give the 3-methylenedihydrothiazine 2, while the second involves initial elimination of the 3' substituent, thus yielding a second acyl-enzyme intermediate, which then hydrolyzes to give the same final product as from the first pathway. The second acyl-enzyme is relatively inert to hydrolysis (t1/2 congruent to 10 min at 20 degrees C), and its formation thus leads to transient inhibition of the enzyme. The partition ratio between hydrolysis and elimination at the enzyme active site could be determined either spectrophotometrically from burst experiments or from measurements of residual beta-lactamase activity as a function of cephalosporin concentration. This ratio varied with the leaving group ability of the 3' substituent (acetoxy greater than N,N-dimethylaniline-4-azo-2'-pyridinium greater than pyridinium) in the anticipated fashion. The inert acyl-enzyme intermediate was isolated by exclusion chromatography and shown to contain the cephem nucleus, but not the 3' substituent, covalently bound to the enzyme. As would be expected, PADAC, cephaloridine, and cephalothin yielded the same inert intermediate. Cephalosporins with poor or no 3'-leaving groups, e.g., dansylcephalothin and desacetoxycephalothin, neither displayed the branched pathway nor yielded the long-lived acyl-enzyme.


Missing data is a pervasive problem in social science research. Many techniques have been developed to handle the problem. Different ways of handling missing data were shown to lead to different results in statistical models. A demonstration was given based on statistical modeling of the likelihood of a woman reporting having had an adolescent pregnancy by handling missing data with several different approaches. Results indicate that many of the independent variables in the model vary in whether they are, or are not, statistically significant in predicting the log odds of a woman having a teen pregnancy, and in the ranking of the magnitude of their relative effects on the outcome.


Organizational behavior studies have noted the positive effects of perceived support and employees' engagement towards the overall institutional performance. However, recent studies suggest that both the positive organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and the negative counterproductive work behavior (CWB) are also highly affected by job engagement. In the academic setting, maintaining a well-balanced work place is highly important. Recent studies in Taiwan have noted the moderate occurrence of CWBs within the academic setting; as students are greatly influenced by their teachers, it is imperative that CWBs be kept to a minimum. In light of the above-mentioned issues, the current study shall present the findings in determining the inter-relationships between perceived support (PS), job engagement (JE), OCB, and CWB Taiwan (CWB-T) model. Participants are 1,074 teachers from Taiwan. Structured equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyze the proposed mediation model. Instrument used are Hu, Hung, and Ching's (2015) CWB Taiwan scale , Eisenberger, Stinglhamber, Vandenberghe, Sucharski, and Rhoades' (2002) perceived support , Saks' (2006) job engagement , and Lee and Allen's (2002) organizational citizenship behavior . Lastly, findings suggest that job engagement seem to provide a negative effect on CWB-T, while at the same time provide a positive effect on OCB. In sum, appropriate organizational support is much needed in order to enhance workplace engagement. It is hoped that by pin-pointing the various determinants of CWBs, a clear understanding of the inter-relationships among the factors can be establish.


Background A project to study social cognition (Fisher, Lavis et al., 2018) in the messiness (Gabb, 2010) of real life is proposed; but doing this without stifling the natural activity and social functioning which is vital to the observations and demonstrating that the research will do no harm is a difficult balance to ascertain. Critics of international ethical review processes suggest that doing so is restrictive to many forms of qualitative methods (Allbutt, 2010). Aims To find methods which are true to the ethnographic methodology of the project but satisfy the principles of the World Medical Association Helsinki Treaty (World Medical Association, 2013) and American Anthropological Association (American Anthropological Association, 1998) ethical frameworks. Methods After a literature review of many of the ethical dilemmas posed by working with couples/families/people with HD and populations classed as hard to reach, there were still several outstanding questions which a review board could raise concerns about. However, the review also strongly indicated an answer to this conundrum – talk with your population, ask their opinion, after all you're studying and working alongside them. Results/Conclusion A precis of questions evolved from the review and has been put together for the UK HDA patient involvement group 'HD Voice' to comment on. Their critique and ideas will be integrated into the ethics application prior to submission. This work is ongoing at the time of writing this abstract. References. Allbutt H. Ethnography and the ethics of undertaking research in different mental healthcare settings. Journal of Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing2010;17(3):210–216.. American Anthropological Association. 1998-last update, Code of Ethics2018. Available: https://s3.amazonaws.com/rdcms-aaa/files/production/public/FileDownloads/pdfs/issues/policy-advocacy/upload/ethicscode.pdf. Fisher A, Lavis A, Greenfield S, Rickards H. Is social cognition in huntington's disease more than just a marker for disease progression? An exploration of social functioning in the day-to-day experiences of people with HD, their companions and friends 2018.. Gabb J. Home truths: Ethical issues in family research. Qualitative Research2010;10(4):461–478.. World Medical Association. 2013-last update, The Helsinki DeclarationFebruary, 2016. Available: http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/b3/index.html


A politically and socially violent landscape has long been an undeniable presence in Northern Ireland. For the younger generation, it has been a fact of life since birth. The start of "the Troubles" in Ireland can be dated back to 1968, although the current volatile political situation is underscored by centuries of conflict and the repeated failure of peaceful attempts at a solution. Hopes for peace remain dim, even after the promising Good Friday Agreement of 1998. The bombing in the town of Omagh that summer and continued violence, the problem of disarmament, and the ascent of splinter parties all point to the failure of the agreement to resolve the ideological divides. Considering the depth of this bloody, prolonged fighting and its widespread repercussions, the prospects for a lasting, peaceful resolution to the Northern Ireland conflict appear slim. Seeds of Unrest The groundwork for the Troubles was laid at the beginning of the 20th century. Two critical events crystallized all of the elements in the conflict. The first of these was the Easter Rising of 1916, a protest in Dublin against British rule in Ireland. Although the uprising failed, the brutality of the British crackdown had an unforeseen effect: it created a wave of sympathy for the Irish Republican Army (IRA), previously frowned upon as an extremist, violent organization with a weak constituency. Suddenly, the use of violence seemed not only justified but also essential if the objectives of the Catholic Irish were to be attained. In 1921, the partition of Ireland established the formal division of Northern Ireland (the six counties in Ulster province) from the rest of Ireland, which was afforded special dominion status as the Irish Free State. The control over Northern Ireland moved formally to London, while a subordinate government was created in Belfast. This arrangement exacerbated unrest and discontent among the Catholic minority in the North, which was faced with increasing (and legalized) economic and social discrimination. The aggressive IRA campaign for a unified Ireland now had a receptive audience and a fertile basis for justification. With the Catholic campaign against discrimination, the Troubles had begun. The More Things Change... Looking at the post-Good Friday political scene in Northern Ireland, it soon becomes apparent that the demands made by all sides involved seem irreconcilable. A study conducted by the University of Ulster showed that in a sample of 1,800 under-25 youths, 88 percent said they would never enter an area controlled by a group of the other religion. Furthermore, 58 percent said they would not use any of the other group's facilities (such as shops and restaurants). The younger generation of Northern Ireland is commonly thought to be more open to change, so the fact that even its members are still extremely militant does not bode well for peace. It is possible that the failure of peace is due not to any fault of the specific provisions of the Good Friday Agreement, but to the inadequacy of any agreement. Currently, the array of major and minor political parties in Northern Ireland represent the entire spectrum of political opinions, from those who still support unconditional union with Britain to those who continue the fight for united Irish independence. And though the larger moderate parties appear willing to compromise on the key issues of unity and independence, there remain numerous smaller radical groups that are not ready to give up any such claims. Neither side can be said to be more at fault than the other. Instead, the resolute refusal of groups to compromise on major claims has made peace difficult to enforce. The Good Friday Agreement was the product of moderate forces, but extremist parties currently render it useless. The main party of the pro-British Protestants, representing approximately 60 percent of the population, is the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). …


Originating in different depths of the very extended atmospheres of AGB stars, various molecular spectral lines observable in the near-infrared show diverse behaviours and can be used to probe atmospheric dynamics throughout the outer layers of these pulsating red giants. In Nowotny et al. (2005 , Paper I) time series of synthetic high-resolution spectra were presented, computed from a dynamic model atmosphere for a typical carbon-rich Mira. In this work, line profile shapes, th eir variations during the lightcycle and radial velocities der ived from wavelength shifts are analyzed and compared with results from observed FTS spectra of the C-rich Mira S Cep and other Miras. It is found that the global velocity structure of the mod el is in qualitative agreement with observations. Radial velocities of molecular lines sampling different layers behave comparably, although some differences are apparant concerning absolute values. A correction factor of p≈ 1.36 between measured RVs and actual gas velocities is derived for COv=3 lines. It is shown that dynamic model atmospheres are capable of reproducing Mira spectra without introducing an additional "static lay er" proposed by several authors.


Drinking alcohol to excess has been identified as a problem in the Turkish-Kurdish community in Hackney, East London. Whilst NHS services work to be inclusive, with the use of interpreters for example, there are still barriers, preventing this population from seeking help, which need to be explored and further understood. The single piece of research identifying the needs of the Turkish-speaking community in Hackney made recommendations for a more culturally appropriate care package, a more balanced range of effective therapies, and a more active role for BME community members in the training of health-care professionals.
This study aimed to understand more about alcohol use in the Turkish-Kurdish community by collating the opinions and experiences of members of the community and the health-care professionals that work with them. Three focus groups were conducted: one with men only, one with women only, and one with health-care professionals only (mixed gender). A total of thirteen participants contributed to this research. Analysis was conducted within a critical realist epistemology using thematic analysis.
Three main themes were identified: explanations for drinking, impact of drinking and help-seeking. Participants identified personality type, stress and culture as relevant to why an individual drinks alcohol. The impact of drinking was described as predominantly harmful, but positive accounts of drinking were also given. The findings suggest a need for NHS services to offer further support in helping the community to access services for alcohol treatment, but also to work alongside the community in creating more culturally appropriate services and to help reduce stigma associated with seeking help. A need to address wider societal concerns, such as unemployment, was also deemed important by the participants when considering factors that influence drinking alcohol. Future research might investigate how the impact of gender roles on help-seeking can be addressed in service provision planning.


Most models of sexual selection by female choice have considered discrete, homogenous populations. This paper studies the evolution of a female preference along a cline in the frequency of a preferred male trait. Single alleles control both the preference and preferred character.

Fisher's process initially causes the preference to spread to some 'maximum' frequency with a corresponding rise in character gene frequency. At this stage, the cline in preference does not necessarily mirror that of the trait. Then, however, preference frequency usually decreases, albeit very slowly, and the preference cline always comes to mirror that of the preferred character. Eventually, preference is completely lost from the cline and the character cline decays to that seen under random mating. This loss can only be prevented if the preference is initially frequent enough to push the character to fixation throughout the cline.

Consequently, a preference that arises after the preferred trait may increase very little in frequency itself and have a negligible effect on trait frequency before being lost from the population. Special conditions, such as cyclical natural selection, may be necessary to explain the spread of a preference in a cline from a low initial frequency to frequencies as high as those observed. A preference that predates the preferred trait can enter the population at a high frequency and radically alter a cline in the frequency of a preferred male trait, albeit often transiently.


Study design: This is a cross-sectional prospective study of diagnostic accuracy.
Objective: The aim of this study was to establish the diagnostic accuracy and cut-off points of the surface topography parameters.
Methods: Seventy-seven participants of both genders, aged between 7 and 18 years old, were consecutively included. Each participant was evaluated using two randomly-chosen consecutive procedures, by means of a surface topography scanner and a Scoliometer®. In this study, the angle of trunk rotation (ATR) determined using the Scoliometer® was taken as reference. For statistical purposes, a multiple linear regression analysis was made to establish which surface topography parameters have the highest standardized beta coefficients (β). Based on the β values, two topographic parameters were chosen (apex of the curve and trunk rotation) to compose the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis.
Results: The cut-off points for the topographic parameters were established as ATR <5° for subjects without scoliosis and ≥8° for severe scoliosis. The ROC curve analysis for the apex of the curve was significant (p<0.001) with an area under the curve (AUC) ranging between 76% [cut-off point 4.4 mm] for the subjects without scoliosis and 84% [cut-off point 9.4 mm] for the subjects with severe scoliosis. For the trunk rotation parameter, the AUC was also significant, ranging between 68% [cut-off point 1.5°, p=0.023] for subjects without scoliosis, and 73% [cut-off point 4.8°, p=0.018] for the subjects with severe scoliosis.

Conclusion: Surface topography provides adequate accuracy and can be used to evaluate the presence of the thoracic idiopathic scoliosis.


Purpose: Renal vasoconstriction with resultant tissue hypoxia, especially in the renal medulla, has been suggested to play a role in contrast media (CM)-induced nephropathy. Endothelin (ET) is released into the blood stream following CM injection and has been proposed as a potential mediator through its vasoconstrictive properties. Material and Methods: To investigate the possible protective influence of ET-receptor antagonists against CM-induced reduction in renal function, we studied the effects of injection of iopromide with and without pretreatment with BQ123 (ET-A antagonist) or BQ788 (ET-B antagonist) on renal superficial cortical flow (CBF), outer medullary blood flow (OMBF) and outer medullary oxygen tension (pO2) in normal rats. Results: Administration of CM (1600 mg I/kg b.w.) did not affect CBF in any of the groups. However, a transient decrease in OMBF occurred, which was unaffected by both BQ123 and BQ788. Also a transient decrease in outer medullary pO2 was induced by CM administration. The pO2 reduction was significantly smaller after pretreatment with BQ123, than after injection of CM alone or together with BQ788, and pO2 returned more rapidly to the control level. Neither receptor antagonist had an effect on CM-mediated increases in electrolyte excretion. Conclusion: In the normal rat, activation of ET-A receptors is partly involved in the depression of outer medullary pO2 caused by injection of iopromide. However, the decrease in OMBF after iopromide injection is not mediated by ET receptors. The beneficial effects of the ET-A receptor antagonist on CM-induced changes in outer medullary pO2 seem therefore not primarily mediated on the hemodynamic level but may rather involve tubular transport mechanisms.


For a turbine in unconstrained flow, the maximum power coefficient (CP ) is limited to 16/27 of the undisturbedkinetic energy flux through the rotor area according to work attributed to Betz, Lanchester, and Joukowsky [1].This maximum, often referred to as the Betz limit, occurs when the rotor presents the optimum resistance tothe incoming flow, imparting enough force to generate power without overly choking the flow through the rotor.However, in the context of tidal stream energy, the flow is often constrained by the seabed and the free surfacechanging the balance of optimal rotor resistance. Thus, the limit for maximum power extraction is modifiedto the form first presented by Garrett and Cummins, CP = (16/27)(1 − B)−2 [2]. The factor B, known as theblockage ratio, represents the fraction of the channel cross-section occupied by the rotor swept area, and allowsrotors operating in confined conditions to theoretically exceed the Betz limit. Subsequent theoretical work byNishino and Willden extended this model to demonstrate that constructive interference effects between closelyspaced turbines in a co-planar fence can allow efficiency increases above the Betz limit, even in an infinitely widechannel where the global blockage ratio is negligible [3]. This phenomenon, attributed to the concept of localblockage, defined as the ratio of rotor swept area to the surrounding flow passage area, has been observed byseveral studies both experimentally, and numerically using actuator disk and blade element momentum methods[4, 5, 6]. However, neither the experimental nor the numerical studies provided detail on unsteady loading effectsstemming from azimuthal variations in the flow field caused by anisotropy in the local blockage, such as whenthe rotor is not centred in the flow passage. In this study, a single tidal rotor is simulated using the actuatorline model embedded in a Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes solver with varying degrees of anisotropic blockageimposed by proximity to a non-deformable upper boundary. The investigation is carried out in the contextof the Supergen ORE Unsteady Tidal Turbine Benchmarking Project using a 1.6 m rotor in a computationaldomain equivalent to the towing tank dimensions at the Qinetiq Haslar facility in which the turbine was testedexperimentally [7]. The discrete blade representation and unsteady nature of the actuator line method allowsinvestigation of variations in loads and the importance of boundary proximity by extracting the spanwise loaddistributions and local flow parameters at different positions around the azimuth. The effects of two differenttip-loss correction models on the spanwise force distributions and overall loads are investigated. Analysis of theintegrated rotor loads shows potential for an increase in the maximum CP of ∼1% with changing proximity tothe upper boundary without any detriment to the power-to-thrust ratio. However, anisotropy in the local flowpassage can result in azimuthally varying blade forces, introducing an additional source of fatigue loading tothe rotor and drive train.


The BRITE (Building Research Information Technology and Environment) project was established by the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation to encourage innovation in the construction industry. While innovation is generally perceived to be broadly beneficial, there has been little formal study of its occurrence or impact in Australian construction or of the factors which foster an innovative atmosphere within an enterprise. In order to benchmark innovation performance, the BRITE project conducted a survey in 2004 into the nature, incidence and variety of technological and organisational innovations in various sectors of the industry. With some exceptions, the survey found that clients and consultants engaged in significantly higher levels of innovation than did suppliers, main contractors or trade contractors. Within the industry sectors those organisations classified as high innovators favoured the adoption of advanced management practices and had formal evaluation systems in place to judge their progress. They reported significant positive impacts on their profitability from innovation and can therefore provide instructive examples for the rest of the industry to follow.