My thesis investigates the relationship between literary modernism and modernist theology, discussing the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, T. S. Eliot, and Jozef Wittlin in the context of the theological debates of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. I aim to establish parallels between contemporary theologians' and religious thinkers' attempts to rethink Christianity's place in modernity and the poetic explorations of similar issues in the works of Rilke, Eliot, and Wittlin.

The first chapter of my thesis discusses the debates surrounding the so-called 'Modernist crisis' in the Roman Catholic Church, in which two different visions of Catholicism – the neo-scholastic orthodoxy and the progressive Modernism – came into conflict. In the following years, similar disputes took place in the Church of England and the American Presbyterian Church. Thinkers associated with the 'Modernist' understanding of Christianity considered it necessary to develop a new apologetic that would be capable of responding to contemporary philosophy and recent developments in psychology and science. They drew attention to the value of personal experience and individual conscience, began reclaiming the mystical traditions of the past, and became increasingly interested in the psychology of religious experience.

In the three literary chapters of my thesis, I argue that the reconceptualisation of the relationship between the religious experience of contemporary Christians and the inherited doctrinal tradition – central to Modernist theologians' attempts to reconcile Christianity with the critical project of modernity – is also at the heart of the poetic projects of Rilke, Eliot, and Wittlin. I argue that Rilke's engagement with Orthodox iconography, Eliot's investment in the search for the meaning of mystical experience and its relation to Christian dogma, and Wittlin's reinterpretation of traditional hagiography are all attempts at reinterpreting medieval Christian traditions and reconceptualising their place in modernity. Their parallel poetic explorations of the relationship between Christianity and modernity, I argue, demonstrate the existence of a complex network of interactions and exchanges between theological and cultural modernisms of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.


The ferroelectricity of Bi3.25Eu0.75Ti3O12 (BET), and Bi3.25Eu0.75Ti2.97V0.03O12 (BETV) ceramics prepared at 1100°C by a conventional ceramic technique was investigated. These ceramics possess random-oriented polycrystalline structure. The remanent polarization (Pr) and coercive field (Ec) of the BET ceramics are 16 µC/cm2 and 62kV/cm, respectively. Furthermore, V substitution improves the Pr value of the BET ceramics up to 25 μC/cm2 which is larger than that of the BET ceramics. Therefore, co-sustitution of Eu and V in Bi4Ti3O12 (BIT) ceramic is effective for the improvement of its ferroelectricity.


ABSTRACT Anderson, A., Vilumaa, K., Tõnisson, H., Kont, A., Ratas, U., Suuroja, S., 2014. Geomorphology of coastal formations on present and ancient sandy coasts. In: Green, A.N. and Cooper, J.A.G. (eds.), Proceedings 13th International Coastal Symposium (Durban, South Africa), Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 70, pp. 090–095, ISSN 0749-0208. Many coastal sites are experiencing land uplift, so coastal formations can be found many kilometres inland from the present day shoreline. However, due to the relatively rapid, site specific and complicated development, their evolution is not very thoroughly studied yet. In this study, we analyse sediments and subsurface stratigraphy to explain the evolution and geomorphology of coastal formations (from present to ancient coastlines) located in sediment supply-limited areas. Several study sites were chosen on Tahkuna Peninsula, Hiiumaa Island in Estonia, where the rate of land uplift is 2.8 mm yr−1. Due to deficiency of sediment, dunes and old beach ridges that developed during the last 3,500 years are low (dunes up to 6–7 m, the studied ridges mostly less than 2 m). The coastal formations studied are located at different distances (up to 1 km) from the shoreline and at different altitudes (up to 13.2 m above sea level). In the current research, granulometric analysis was used for studying the coastal formations; grain size was determined by dry sieving of sediments. Additional studies were carried out with ground-penetrating radar (SIR-3000) to compare the present and former coastlines and to explain geomorphic differences. Drilling was also used and special pits were dug for the examination of mineral deposits. The preliminary results show that the sands on the present coastline are similar to those of former shorelines, which may be caused by the wind regime, time scale for coastal formation development, and underlying sediments.


The structure of the wall of the carotid humeral and femoral arteries and the aorta was studied by histological methods in 260 rabbits under effects of positive longitudinal unendurable stresses, stresses of the training character and hypokinesia. Under study also was the structure of components of the aorta adventitia microcirculatory bed with the impregnation of tissue sections after V.V. Kuprijanov. The reversibility of morphological changes in the wall was studied after effects of the above factors and their different combinations. The experiments have shown the morphological changes in the wall to be of similar type and to consist of hyperelastosis and atrophy of the media under chronic stimuli. In the microcirculatory bed there occurred dilatation of postcapillaries and venules, diapedesic hemorrhages suggesting phenomena of stagnation. All the morphological changes were reversible speaking of great adaptive potentialities of the vascular system.


Multichip module technology has been shown to offer significant improvements for electronics equipment in the areas of miniaturized size, reduced weight, capability for higher frequency operation, improved thermal performance, and improved reliability. Production applications for multichip modules (MCMs) have grown from high-end computer and aerospace modules to include such diverse products as telecommunications, automotive, and consumer electronics modules. One of the keys to economic success in all applications is the achievement of high manufacturing yields. Yield losses must be kept very low compared with module costs in order to remain economically competitive. Two parameters with a very strong impact on manufacturing yield, known-good components entering assembly and test strategies at various levels of assembly, are discussed. Current industry practice is surveyed and recent progress on MCM infrastructure development is summarized. >


Masonry retaining structure consists of precast concrete blocks, which has good looks and is in harmony with environment. Blocks with proper shape can be used in fluctuating belt of the reservoir area. The construction of masonry structure should conform to the following steps: first, excavate the foundation ditch, lay a cushion and arrange the controlling points, insuring the quality of the first layer of blocks; it would be better to choose inorganic coarse-grained soil as filler and to set a water filtering layer with a height more than 30cm behind the retaining wall; carry on the construction of earth filling behind the wall after the blocks are fixed as requested, and then fix the geotechnical grille when the height of earth filling reaches the elevation of the grille; put Geotechnical Fabric between permeable aggregate and the earth filling behind it to keep the two materials from mixing.


The Serum Lipid Lowering Effect of Rugosa Rose Petal Extract Rich in Polyphenols in Adults with High Serum Triglyceride Takashi YAMAGISHI1,2, Keiji TAKANO1,3, Sumio KONDO4 1 Harunire Bio Institute Ltd. 2 Kitami Institute of Technology 3 DRC Ltd. 4 Medical Corporation Kenshou-kai Fukushima Health Care Center Objective: Hypertriglyceridemia or elevated serum triglyceride (TG) is a leading risk factor for developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. This clinical study was designed to test the potential of polyphenol-rich extract from Rosa rugosa petals (PE) for improving hypertriglyceridemia and other types of dyslipidemia. Methods: An open-label clinical study was conducted on 19 male and female adult subjects with elevated serum TG (120–399 mg/ dL), who were intervened the study diet containing (in a daily dose) 200 mg of PE once daily for sss4 weeks. The serum levels of TG and cholesterols were measured at baseline and week-4. The efficacy was evaluated by comparing the measurements at these two timepoints. Results: A significant decrease (P < 0.05) in serum TG, as well as in serum total cholesterol and non HDL-cholesterol, and a marginally significant decrease (P = 0.070) in serum LDL-cholesterol were observed, while serum HDL-cholesterol was virtually not changed. The study diet was well tolerated without any untoward side effect. Conclusions: The PE-containing diet appears to have benefits in improving hypertriglyceridemia and hypercholesterolemia.


Robust Feedback Control vs Uncertainty Model Complexity: from Information Theory to Networked Control We develop a framework for designing controllers for general, partially observed nonlinear systems which are robust with respect to uncertainties. Most significantly we include both parametric as well as structural model uncertainties. A general deterministic model for uncertainties is introduced, leading to a dynamic game formulation of the robust control problem. This problem is solved using an appropriate information state. We then develop a stochastic framework for decision making under such uncertainties, by employing maximum entropy stochastic models for the nonlinear system. This leads naturally to a risk-sensitive stochastic control problem, which we formulate and solve. The most significant contribution of the paper is the subsequent linkage of the two approaches to designing controllers under model uncertainty via the Lagrange multipliers involved in the maximum entropy model construction. On the one hand they provide for the first time a rigorous justification for the 'randomization' involved. On the other hand, and again for the first time, they provide sensitivities of controller performance vs modeling uncertainty bounds (or the cost of uncertainty) - that is what is the relative value of a model for a particular control objective. This relationship is further established via duality theory. The result is a unified treatment of system performance robustness against uncertainty models of various complexities. We show how this framework captures several essential results from classical information theory, to modern robust control.


A scale-invariant algorithm of image description that is derived from the investigations of the neural structure of striate complex modules is proposed. First an image is preprocessed by difference-of-Gaussians functions, then the Gabor expansion in modules of different scales is used, and a group of the most excited modules is looked for with the help of scale weighting functions (SWF's). Finally, the image code is calculated as a linear combination of the output signals from the Gabor modules. The coefficients of this linear combination correspond to the SWF selected in the previous step. The scales of Gabor modules are chosen to be a logarithmic sequence with a half-octave step. Because of the SWF method, the described algorithm takes into account all the image sizes on a continuum between the minimum and the maximum scales of the Gabor modules.


Field studies indicate that nearly all eruptions in volcanic edifices and rift zones are supplied with magma through
fractures (dykes) that are opened by magmatic overpressure. While (inferred) dyke injections are frequent during unrest
periods, volcanic eruptions are, in comparison, infrequent, suggesting that most dykes become arrested at certain
depths in the crust, in agreement with field studies. The frequency of dyke arrest can be partly explained by the numerical
models presented here which indicate that volcanic edifices and rift zones consisting of rocks of contrasting mechanical properties, such as soft pyroclastic layers and stiff lava flows, commonly develop local stress fields that encourage dyke arrest. During unrest, surface deformation studies are routinely used to infer the geometries of arrested dykes, and some models (using homogeneous, isotropic half-spaces) infer large grabens to be induced by such dykes. Our results, however, show that the dyke-tip tensile stresses are normally much greater than the induced surface stresses, making it difficult to explain how a dyke can induce surface stresses in excess of the tensile (or shear)
strength while the same strength is not exceeded at the (arrested) dyke tip. Also, arrested dyke tips in eroded or active
rift zones are normally not associated with dyke-induced grabens or normal faults, and some dykes arrested within a few metres of the surface do not generate faults or grabens. The numerical models show that abrupt changes in Young's moduli(stiffnesses), layers with relatively high dyke-normal compressive stresses (stress barriers), and weak horizontal contacts may make the dyke-induced surface tensile stresses too small for significant fault or graben formation to occur in rift zones or volcanic edifices. Also, these small surface stresses may have no simple relation to the dyke geometry or the depth to its tip. Thus, for a layered crust with weak contacts, straightforward inversion of
surface geodetic data may lead to unreliable geometries of arrested dykes in active rift zones and volcanic edifices.


Diffusion in FePt has been studied with emphasis on the effect of order-disorder transition by interdiffusion experiments below and above the L10–A1 transition temperature. The chemical diffusion coefficient in the disordered state obeys the Arrhenius law with the effective activation energy of 3.1 eV (1 eV 1⁄4 1:6 10 19 J). Anisotropy of diffusion in the ordered state has been examined using monovariant singlecrystals of the tetragonal L10 structure. The coefficient of diffusion in the a-axis direction is slightly lower than the extrapolation of the diffusivity from the disordered state, while that of diffusion in the c-axis direction deviates significantly toward lower values. The apparent activation energy for the diffusion in the two directions is 3.2 and 3.8 eV, respectively.


Due to confidential information this paper is cut on results and findings. This version of the paper is a short version of the actual paper. In this summary the whole paper is described in short and some conclusions are given which are not confidential.
Introduction:
TenCate Geosynthetics Europe at Nijverdal assigned me to conduct research on declining yield figures at the weaving mill. One of the expected causes is that there is uncertainty regarding the number of weavers to schedule in relation to the given number of machines running and the desired output. For my research I used articles that looked to the allocation of labour at a given number of machines running. Reading these articles I found that the problem that I want to investigate, is known as the 'Machine interference problem' or 'Machine repairmen problem'. The authors Stecke & Aronson (1985) and of Hague & Armstrong (2007) give a summary for this problem and a list of authors that have researched this problem. The machine interference problem is described in short:
Take a simple system with N (number) machines and R (number) operators. A machine operates for a period of time until it stops. Then it needs repair by the operator or repairman. When there are more machines than operators, the chance arises that a machine stops but the operator or operators are all busy. This is called the interference of the machine and causes the machine to be idle, which leads to decreased productivity.
This also applies to the situation at the TenCate weaving mill where a weaver has to operate a given number of machines. These machines will sometimes break down and this results in interference of the machine. Based on the literature and the actual problem at TenCate I came up with the assignment to construct a model where variables like type of machine, type of yarn and type of personnel are input and the outcome is how to plan the workload at the weaving mill. From the problem statement I have come with the following problem statement:
To develop a model to allocate labour over a given number of machines running, taking into account the quality of the yarn.
Research:
The problem statement will be dealt with answering several research questions. Through the conclusions derived from the answers to the research questions I have come up with a model that gives a few outcome possibilities on how to allocate labour over the given number of machines running, taking into account the quality of the yarn. The problem is influenced by three main variables:
- Personnel.
- Machines.
- yarn.
These variables are the key objects of my research. In the research that is conducted I examined these variables on how the output is influenced by each of the variables. By working with the weavers of TenCate alongside of the machines I have experienced the problem myself. For my research and model this was very important to do. By experiencing the problem in reality I was able to adjust the model more to the situation at the weaving mill of TenCate. For engineering of the model I have used the literature on machine interference problems. The literature used describes the aspects of the machine
5
interference problem and how to build a machine interference model with several parameters. The information used is a mix of empirical articles and information from TenCate. In my research I have use this information to get four parameters that gives the input for the model. These parameters are:
- Breakdown frequency per product per shift.
- Service time per machine type per shift.
- Repair time per machine type per shift.
- Walk time per machine type per shift.
The measuring of data which is done by collecting the individual breakdowns per product per shift and the individual times per machine per shift. Several times I went to the weaving mill to measure the service, repair and walk time of the weavers. These individual measurements I put in a database from where I distracted the averages. The validation of these averages can be tested by using the Poisson or Erlang distribution. These distributions give a probability distribution for the found averages.
Conclusions and recommendations:
With the results of my research I subsequently answered the research questions which is used to build a model for TenCate to allocate the plan the correct number of weavers per shift per route of machines for a given objective. The model uses the input parameters to calculate the output produced per shift by one weaver per hour. Based on the output produced per hour for one weaver the model calculates the outcomes for the following objectives:
- Desired output for the next week.
- Maximum output for the next week.
- Maximum profit for the next week.
- Maximum weaver occupation for the next week.
For each of these objectives an overview is given per machine type per shift from which the management can decide what number of weavers they need to achieve an objective. Unfortunately the model is not perfect and needs some improvements for more accurate results. The model is based on certain assumptions which in reality are not applicable. One omission which has a huge impact is the assumption that when a weaver services the machine he also prevents any upcoming breakdown. This assumption ignores the fact that machines will break down randomly based on their break down rate and that not every breakdown is prevented. Further research is needed to deal with the fact that breakdowns occur randomly. Therefore I give TenCate the recommendation to investigate the model further by a candidate with more expertise in mathematical modeling and optimizationAnother recommendation of a list of recommendations is to split the model between an experienced and an inexperienced weavers. At last I have also do interesting analyses at TenCate where results are coming forward that are of interest in the study on the output yield at the weaving mill.
Enjoy the reading of this paper.


The main aim of this research is to establish whether personality traits can be predictors of desirable organizational culture, and, if so, which traits are related to particular factors of organizational culture. The research was conducted on a sample of 294 participants (94 males and 200 females). The sample comprised the senior students and graduates of the University of Novi Sad. Two instruments were employed : the Big Five Inventory (BFI) and a revised questionnaire for organizational culture assessment – Organizational Culture Profile. The latter measures seven factors: Competitiveness, Social Responsibility, Supportiveness, Innovation, Stability, Emphasis on Rewards and Performance Orientation. A two – way multivariate analysis of covariance was performed. Gender and the field of study were categorical predictors, the continuous predictors were the BFI scores, and the criteria were the scores on the seven organizational culture factors. The significant predictors of the desirable organizational culture were Agreeableness and Openness, while none of the categorical predictors was significant.


Blunt trailing edge airfoil modification methods have shown that a compromise between aerodynamic performance and structural benefits can be achieved. Two modification methods are studied: the cutting off method and the added thickness method. Twodimensional simulations were obtained in Ansys CFX® for a typical Reynolds number of 3.2 million. A Taguchi Method experiment is conducted for the study of the four-digit NACA airfoil family with the proposed modification methods. A detailed study for the NACA 4421 modified with several trailing edge thickness values was completed. The results obtained show that the increase in the maximum lift coefficient, the delayed stall and the drag coefficient increase are common to all modification methods studied, whereas it is proven that for the cutting off method the lift coefficient curve displacement to higher angles of attack is caused by the loss of camber. Finally, it was proved that the added thickness method produces larger maximum lift coefficients and larger critical angles of attack than the cutting off method.


By considering D.H. Lawrence's stories through the lens of critically neglected short films, this book provides a fresh, forward-looking approach to Lawrence studies which engages with current adaptation theory to reflect on the evolving critical reception of the author's tales.


This paper presents the results of calculations and optically determined experimental values of the initial director tilt, the layer thickness, and the phase lag for cells with a nematic liquid-crystal (LC). Layers of germanium monoxide (GeO), amorphous hydrogenated carbon (a-C:H), and a combination of them were used in the LC cells to vary the director tilt. Known methods for determining the director tilt are compared with a method proposed by the authors. The proposed method has an advantage in the case of oblique orientation of the slope angle of the LC for angles greater than 15° and is of interest for studying LC devices of adaptive optics, since, along with the main parameter—the maximum phase increment—it makes it possible to estimate the director tilt.


[in Russian]
In 2020, the world will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Roland Barthes's «Camera Lucida». In spite of all the criticism that it has encountered since 1980, many ideas that he develops in the book are still popular among the researchers. In this article, I am going to look at the corpus of images that Barthes is analyzing in this text. His choice seems a paradoxical one: creating a revolutionary affective discourse of research in photography theory, he analyzes mostly conventional modernist documentary black and white photography «with a referent» made by male authors. Such choice gives an opportunity to Barthes, who is going through the process of grief, to control the affective: he can feel at the same time certain affective pricks (punctum) and the calming effects of containment. Later, postmodernism criticised and deconstructed photography theories and practices of the previous epoch for their sexism, racism, elitism etc. Part of this process was the creation of «pictures without punctums» and deadpan photography. However, if in Western and some post-Soviet societies the peak of interest in such photography happened in the 1990s and at the moment is superseded by the diversity and oscillations of metamodernism, in Russia, it only started around the 2010s. In this article, I am analyzing the reasons for this delay including those connected to the collective trauma, lack of reflection on the Soviet destruction of documentary photography and current Russian political propaganda. At the same time, I pose a question as to the ways in which we can use theoretical concepts for such reflection from the «Camera Lucida» reading it through postmodern criticism and metamodern optics.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the course of visual functions in patients with Bardet-Biedl syndrome.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
The 21 patients with Bardet-Biedl syndrome seen at Children's Hospital, Boston, Mass, had optotype and grating acuities and dark-adapted thresholds measured over time. Their ages at first visit ranged from 2 weeks to 23 years (median age, 6 years). The courses of the visual functions were analyzed with a random-effects model.

RESULTS
Substantial declines in visual functions were found. On average, grating and optotype acuities declined 0.09 log units (roughly 1 line) per year, and thresholds increased about 0.19 log units per year. The rates at which these visual functions were lost and the predicted level of the visual functions at ages 11 to 12 years (the mean ages of measurement) varied among individuals.

CONCLUSIONS
The visual prognosis for children with Bardet-Biedl syndrome is poor. The course of both central and peripheral visual functions is variable.


Abstract. A total of more than 140 000 kg of small-magnitude rockfall deposits was measured in eight rockfall collectors of altogether 940 m2 in size between 1999–2003 below a 400–600 m high rock face in the Reintal, German Alps. Measurements were conducted with a temporal resolution up to single days to attribute rockfall intensity to observed triggering events. Precipitation was assessed by a rain gauge and high-resolution precipitation radar. Intense rainstorms triggered previously unreported rockfall intensities of up to 300 000 g/(m2h) that we term "secondary rockfall event." In comparison to dry periods without frost (10−2g/(m2h)), rockfall deposition increased by 2–218 times during wet freeze-thaw cycles and by 56-thousand to 40-million times during secondary rockfall events. We obtained three nonlinear logistic growth models that relate rockfall intensity [g/(m2h)] to rainfall intensity [mm/h]. The models account for different rock wall intermediate storage volumes, triggering thresholds and storage depletion. They apply to all rockfall collector positions with correlations from R2=0.89 to 0.99. Thus, the timing of more than 90% of the encountered rockfall is explained by the triggering factor rainfall intensity. A combination of rockfall response models with radar-supported storm cell forecast could be used to anticipate hazardous rockfall events, and help to reduce the exposure of individuals and mobile structures (e.g. cable cars) to the hazard. According to meteorological recordings, the frequency of these intense rockfall events is likely to increase in response to global warming.


Abstract : We all know the results of the 2 August, 1991, invasion of Kuwait. As events unfolded, it became clear that some form of U.S. military involvement would be required. Many commanders began immediate planning foreseeing the likely deployment of their units and questions immediately surfaced around the impacts of missions defend or attack. The implied mission of defend appeared to be the initial planning factor. As the commitment of U.S. forces began, a rotation concept was discussed. Most thought a one year rotation would be the likely outcome. In November, the decision was reached to mass sufficient power in the Gulf to allow sufficient flexibility to support an offensive option. Consequently, additional forces were identified and the implementation process began. The First Infantry Division was officially alerted on or about 8 November, 1990. I served as a battalion commander within the division. Sadly, I ruptured a lower disc while in the field on 17 October. 1 had the disc removed on 2 November. Normal recovery for such surgery is nine months to one year. A few days after the surgery, I was informed that I would be replaced after twenty-five months in command as I was non-deployable. The commanding general decided to make me the headquarters commandant since I knew the post and the base support structure plus I was an experienced commander. The Headquarters Command grew into a thirteen company organization of close to two thousand soldiers. It was a mix of active and reserve component units organized to support the post and the deployment.


A mathematical model for translating machine settings from universal Cradle-Type hypoid generator to Cartesian-Type hypoid generator is proposed in this paper. A mathematical model of universal Cradle-Type hypoid generator was proposed by Fong [12] to simulate conventional hypoid generators including face milling and face hobbing machines. A few years ago, the Gleason Works presented the Phoenix hypoid generator, which is a Cartesian-Type machine, and the machine is gaining good commercial success. Therefore, we proposed a mathematical transformation model to translate the machine settings from conventional Cradle-Type hypoid generator to the new Cartesian-Type CNC machine. The proposed mathematical equations can be used to implement the existing cutting method on the six-axis CNC machine


Emission from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and from neutral pion decay are the two most natural mechanisms that could establish a galaxy cluster as a source of gamma rays in the GeV regime. We revisit this problem by using 52.5 months of Fermi-LAT data above 10 GeV and stacking 55 clusters from the HIFLUCGS sample of the X-ray brightest clusters. The choice of >10 GeV photons is optimal from the point of view of angular resolution, while the sample selection optimizes the chances of detecting signatures of neutral pion decay, arising from hadronic interactions of relativistic protons with an intracluster medium, which scale with the X-ray flux. In the stacked data we detected a signal for the central 0.25 deg circle at the level of 4.3 sigma. Evidence for a spatial extent of the signal is marginal. A subsample of cool-core clusters has a higher count rate of 1.9 +/- 0.3 per cluster compared to the subsample of non-cool core clusters at 1.3 +/- 0.2. Several independent arguments suggest that the contribution of AGNs to the observed signal is substantial, if not dominant. No strong support for the large contribution of pion decay was found. In terms of a limit on the relativistic proton energy density, we derived an upper limit of similar or equal to 2% relative to the gas thermal energy density, provided that the spectrum of relativistic protons is hard (s = 4.1 in dN alpha p(-s) d(3) p). This estimate assumes that relativistic and thermal components are mixed. For softer spectra the upper limits are weaker and equal to 3% for s = 4.2. 4% for s = 4.3, and 6% for s = 4.4.


Abstract At the close of 1850 Mr. Stow and his party fell back into the interior to avoid the Kaffirs; in making the journey he collected largely the fossils on his route, and succeeded, with much trouble, in preserving them on his return. In a plain at the foot of the Rhenosterberg, a branch of the Sneewbergen Range (of which latter the Spitzkop is the culminating point), the author met with patches of ground strewed with nodular concretions and fossil wood (specimens 2 to 63) over an extent of about two miles in length and one in width. These fossils were on the surface, and had been probably derived from the neighbouring mountains. The plain was of a lozenge-shape, about twelve miles broad and twenty long; and was one of several of a similar kind that he had travelled through. It was bounded by the Rhenosterberg Mountains on the N.E., on the S.W. by a nearly parallel range, and on the S.E. was contracted to a narrow valley between low rocky hills. Two low volcanic dykes crossed the plain, one on the north-western, and the other on the south-eastern side. The strata forming the mountains are horizontal. There are about eight strata of sandstone forming the lower part of the Rhenosterberg. Immediately above there is a limestone full of rounded fragments of other calcareous and non-calcareous rocks, and sometimes containing bones (specimens 64, 65, 66). Of this pebbly limestone, or calcareous grit, there are four layers, separated one from another by several yards of strata, and varying in thickness from a few inches to about a foot. The mountains on the opposite side of the plain are apparently composed of the same strata as the Rhenosterberg; for, taking a commanding position on one of the dykes, one can distinctly count the strata in the mountains on either side ; and so uniform are they in colour and thickness, so alike in height, and equally horizontal in position, that the idea at once forces itself upon the mind that they must at one time have been continuous. At one spot on the side of the Rhenosterberg is a Kloof where the author found some fossils imbedded in the rock; and he often regretted when visiting the spot that the Kaffirs had left him nothing but a hammer and old chisel that were thrown into the waggon at starting, as with better tools he might have obtained many more specimens. Here he found the specimens 68, 69, which appear to be casts of stems of plants in sandstone. The first bones he here discovered were those of the skeleton, specimen No. 83 (a small Dieynodon). They were directly in the water-course, and only a small piece of one part was at first visible. By dint of hammering and chiseling each succeeding portion revealed itself to view. Unfortunately the skull was wanting. Underneath a large part of it there was a whitish scaly appearance on the rock, which might have been the remains of the covering that the animal had when alive. Many portions of the strata here were matted together with the stem-like fossils, such as specimens 70-75. Specimens 76 to 82 (nodular concretions)appear to have been washed from the same strata.


Conventional molecular methods, such as nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), are very sensitive for detection of malaria parasites, but require advanced laboratory equipment and trained personnel. Real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RealAmp), a loop-mediated isothermal amplification-based molecular tool (LAMP), facilitates rapid target amplification at a single temperature setting, reducing the need for sophisticated equipment. We evaluated the performance of a field-adapted RealAmp assay for malaria diagnosis in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre State, Brazil, a remote area in Brazil with limited laboratory capabilities. We enrolled 1,000 patients with fever (axillary temperature ≥ 37.5 C) or history of fever in last 24 h presenting for malaria diagnosis from February through June 2015. DNA was extracted from dried blood spots using a boil and spin method (heat treatment) at the sample processing site, and also using commercial kits at a Brazilian national reference laboratory. RealAmp was performed for Plasmodium genus, P. falciparum, and P. vivax identification. In addition, Giemsa-stained blood smears were prepared and examined by two independent well-trained study microscopists. A combination of Real-time PCR and nested PCR was used as reference test. The sensitivity and specificity of RealAmp in the field site laboratory were 94.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 90.1–96.8) and 83.9% (95% CI: 81.1–86.4), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of local microscopy were 87.7% (95% CI: 82.6–91.7) and 98.9% (95% CI: 97.8–99.4), respectively, while study microscopy showed sensitivity of 96.4% (95% CI: 93.0–98.4) and specificity of 98.2% (95% CI: 97.0–99.0). None of the three tests detected 20 P. falciparum and P. vivax mixed infections identified by the reference test. Our findings highlight that it is possible to implement simple molecular tests in facilities with limited resources such as Cruzeiro do Sul in Brazil. RealAmp sensitivity was similar to that of microscopy performed by skilled professionals; both RealAmp and study microscopy performed poorly in detection of mixed infection. Attempts to develop and evaluate simpler molecular tools should continue, especially for the detection of malaria infection in remote areas.


We investigate the recovery of 3D motion and structure from the stereo images of a stationary environment. A Kalman filter-based framework is proposed for the reconstruction of 3D structure from multiple visual cues, through the integration of image motion and stereo disparity with the shading flow that is induced by the rotational motion of the source. This allows the exploitation of available visual cues in the common scenario involving the coupled motion of artificial source(s) and stereo cameras that are installed on mobile submersible vehicles. Utilizing shading flow with the image motion leads to devising a more robust 3D motion estimation algorithm, in addition to the critical role in depth recovery/refinement by constraining the local surface gradients. Collectively, use of multiple cues enhances robustness with respect to perturbation in any of the cues. Results of experiments with real imagery are presented to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm.


This essay discusses some of the discursive practices associated with aspects of political, socio-economic and cultural relations between Canada's First Nations and the larger society over the past decade. Attention is drawn to dis- courses of reconciliation and healing, life-skills and survival economics and cultural revival prevalent during the 1990s, both in and away from the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Section Two identifies the key themes that run through this multi-disciplinary collection of writings by Aboriginal and also non-Aboriginal writers based in and outside Canada. Recurring links between aspects of changing policies, languages and identities are identified. Drawing upon perspectives from linguistics, law, sociology and popular cul- ture, Section Two highlights elements of continuity and change within con- temporary Aboriginal experience, namely the emergence of Aboriginal rock music, demographic shift and urbanising lifestyles, language practice and policy, culturally appropriate curriculum design and the use of official termi- nology used in relation to Canada's indigenous peoples.


This thesis aims to provide a broad overview of topics relating to desistance factors and strength-based approaches to working with male sex offenders. It incorporates diverse methods, including a systematic review, an empirical study, an individual case study, and a critique of an actuarial risk assessment.

Following an introductory chapter, Chapter 2 presents a systematic evaluation of 15 studies reporting on the relationship between denial or minimisation of offending and recidivism by adult male sex offenders. The highest quality studies (n = 5) do not find a consistent relationship between these variables. Some support for the view of denial as a protective mechanism against recidivism is found. Four studies exploring categorical denial find no relationship between denial and recidivism, lower recidivism rates by categorical deniers. Higher recidivism rates are found for low static risk and intra-familial offenders in categorical denial.

In Chapter 3, predictors of belief in sex offender redeemability are explored in participants working or volunteering with sex offenders, and participants not working or volunteering with offenders. For those working or volunteering with sex offenders, stronger redeemability beliefs were predicted by being less punitive, younger and having a professional role which involved delivering treatment or working with sex offenders in a therapeutic capacity. For participants who did not work or volunteer with offenders, belief in sex offender redeemability was predicted by being less punitive, male, younger and endorsing more situational (rather than dispositional) explanations for sex offending. For female participants, those working or volunteering with sex offenders were less punitive and held stronger redeemability beliefs than females who did not work or volunteer with offenders. This difference was not found for male participants.

Chapter 4 describes a strength-based approach to the assessment, formulation and treatment of an adult male sex offender with an intellectual disability in a prison-setting. The client was deemed to have responded positively to the strength-based treatment approach and progress was made in addressing his treatment need relating to offence-supportive attitudes, antisocial peer network and coping skills. Treatment need remained in relation to sexual interests and intimacy deficits. Positives in the strength-based approach included the use of the 'success wheel' to encourage focus on pro-social goals, encouragement to develop an adaptive, pro-social identity and the positive impact on the client's motivation for change. However, restrictions resulting from the prison setting and standardised framework were highlighted in terms of their impact on strength-based practice.

Chapter 5 critiques the Risk Matrix 2000 actuarial assessment tool for use with intellectually disabled sex offenders. It finds limited empirical support for using the Risk Matrix 2000 with this population and raises concern that high stake decisions are made based on information from this assessment. Further research to explore its reliability and validity for use with this client group is recommended. The Assessment of Risk Manageability for Intellectually Disabled Individuals who Offend Sexually is highlighted as an assessment tool with stronger empirical support in terms of predictive validity. It is found to be a more ethically defensible tool than the Risk Matrix 2000, given its holistic consideration of strengths in addition to deficits.

Chapter 6 concludes that the thesis achieves its overall aims of developing understanding of desistance factors and strength-based approaches to working with sex offenders. A model is developed which proposes several mechanisms through which the desistance process is enabled or impeded for sex offenders. This model incorporates consideration of denial, staff and public attitudes about sex offenders, community reintegration, social capital, self-identity, static risk, supervision, strength-based practice and treatment effectiveness. Future research is recommended to empirically test this model, through further exploration of the potential protective function of denial for sex offenders, exploration of additional variables explaining variation in redeemability beliefs and exploration of the effectiveness of strength-based approaches to assessment and intervention for sex offenders.


Corporation A, doing business in various states throughout the country, has installed local agents for the transacting of its business in two adjacent states, X and Y, neither of which is its state of incorporation. The local agent in X makes a contract for the sale of the corporation's goods to a local buyer, who subsequently refuses to pay for them; in Y the local agent deliberately withholds from the corporation monies collected for goods sold to local buyers. In a suit by the corporation against the buyer in X recovery may be had if the corporation pays certain fees and files certain papers in that state; 1 but recovery in the second action, for monies to which it would otherwise be equally entitled, is absolutely denied.2 Corporation B, similarly engaged in multistate commerce through local agents, requires all locally negotiated contracts for the sale of its goods to be accepted and verified by its office in its state of incorporation. When a buyer of its goods in one state defaults in payment, the corporation may sue in that state to collect the amounts due without filing or paying fees; 3 yet in another state the same business procedures may result in the corporation being brought into the court of each county in which its local agent dealt on its behalf, in an attempt to subject it to substantial fines for its conduct in each.4 Such diverse treatment of essentially identical conduct by a corporation doing business in a state other than that of its incorporation-a consequence of our federal system-is indicative of the problem facing any corporation venturesome enough to do business outside its state of incorporation. This same diversity accounts for the difficulties involved in any attempt to generalize as to the legal consequences attendant upon the failure of foreign corporations to comply with domestication statutes. 5


Enterprising students who understand the work environment are considered more employable. It is accepted that higher-education has a responsibility to produce career-ready-graduates. Practicum experience provides a critical role in this preparation. This study describes the development and implementation of the WIL instrument and WIL experience to assess the perceived skill development of students (n=19). This research utilized three data capture points; 1) employability skills cluster matrix-self-assessment tool (ESCM-SAT), 2) industry feedback from supervisors to develop a deeper understanding of the value of WIL; 3) students used the Gibbs reflective cycle (Gibbs 1988). There were improvements in all skills clusters, main gains were in career management (p<0.01). Supervisor feedback gave direction for improvement for; communication, preparation and organization skills. Student reflection suggests career management skills were strengthened, confidence increased, as did their value of academics. The ESCM-SAT, industry feedback and student reflection were deemed a suitable combination to measure the WIL experiences from a student perspective.


Presently, most of the treatment strategies for cancer are focused on the surgical removal of cancerous tumors, along with physical and chemical treatment such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, respectively. The primary issue associated with these methods is the inhibition of normal cell growth and serious side effects associated with systemic toxicity. The traditional chemotherapeutics which were delivered systemically were inadequate and had serious dose limiting side effects. Recent advances in the development of chemotherapeutics have simultaneously paved the way for efficient targeted drug delivery. Despite the advances in the field of oncogenic drugs, several limitations remain, such as early blood clearance, acquired resistance against cytotoxic agents, toxicity associated with chemotherapeutics, and site-specific drug delivery. Hence, this review article focuses on the recent scientific advancements made in different types of drug delivery systems, including, organic nanocarriers (polymers, albumins, liposomes, and micelles), inorganic nanocarriers (mesoporous silica nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, platinum nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes), aptamers, antibody–drug conjugates, and peptides. These targeted drug delivery approaches offer numerous advantages such as site-specific drug delivery, minimal toxicity, better bioavailability, and an increased overall efficacy of the chemotherapeutics. Graphical abstract Graphical abstract


Abstract. Over last decades, different types of remotely sensed data including lidar, radar and optical data were investigated for forest studies. Undoubtedly, lidar data is one of the promising tools for these purposes; however, the accessibility and cost of this data are the main limitations. In order to overcome these limitations, optical data have been considered for modelling lidar metrics and their use for inferring lidar metrics over areas with no lidar coverage. WorldView-2 (WV-2) data as a high resolution optical data offer 8 bands including four traditional bands, blue, green, red, and infrared, and four new bands including coastal blue, yellow, red edge and a new infrared band whose relationships with lidar metrics were investigated in this study. For this purpose, band reflectance, band ratios, and principal components (PCs) of WV-2 multispectral data along with 23 vegetation indices were extracted. Moreover, the grey level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) indices of bands, band ratios and PCs were also calculated for different window sizes and orientations. Spectral derivatives and textural attributes of WV-2 were provided for a stepwise multiple-linear regression to model 10 lidar metrics including maximum, mean, variance, 10th, 30th, 60th and 90th height percentiles, standard error of mean, kurtosis and skewness for a Pinus radiata plantation, in NSW, Australia. The results indicated that the textural-based models are significantly more efficient than spectral-based models for predicting lidar metrics. Moreover, the integration of spectral derivatives with textural attributes cannot improve the results derived from textural-based models. The study demonstrates that WV-2 data are efficient for predicting lidar metrics.


We study the coupling of N charged scalar particles plus the electro-magnetic field to ADM tetrad gravity and its canonical formulation in asymptotically Minkowskian space-times without super-translations. We make the canonical transformation to the York canonical basis, where there is a separation between the {\it inertial} (gauge) variables and the {\it tidal} ones inside the gravitational field and a special role of the Eulerian observers associated to the 3+1 splitting of space-time. The Dirac Hamiltonian is weakly equal to the weak ADM energy. The Hamilton equations in Schwinger time gauges are given explicitly. In the York basis they are naturally divided in four sets: a) the contracted Bianchi identities; b) the equations for the inertial gauge variables; c) the equations for the tidal ones; d) the equations for matter. Finally we give the restriction of the Hamilton equations and of the constraints to the family of {\it non-harmonic 3-orthogonal} gauges, in which the instantaneous Riemannian 3-spaces have a diagonal 3-metric. The non-fixed inertial gauge variable ${}^3K$ (the freedom in the clock synchronization convention) gives rise to a negative kinetic term in the weak ADM energy vanishing only in the gauges with ${}^3K = 0$: is it relevant for dark energy and back-reaction? In the second paper there will be the linearization of the theory to obtain Hamiltonian post-Minkowskian gravity with asymptotic Minkowski background, non-flat instantaneous 3-spaces and no post-Newtonian expansion. This will allow to explore the inertial effects induced by the York time ${}^3K$ in non-flat 3-spaces and to check how much dark matter can be explained as an inertial aspect of Einstein's general relativity.


In the vicinity of dense nonaqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) contaminant source zones, aqueous concentrations of tetrachloroethene (PCE) in groundwater may approach saturation levels. In this study, the ability of two PCE-respiring strains (Desulfuromonas michiganensis and Desulfitobacterium strain PCE1) to dechlorinate high concentrations of PCE was experimentally evaluated and depended on the initial biomass concentration. This suggests high PCE concentrations permanently inactivated a fraction of biomass, which, if sufficiently large, prevented dechlorination from proceeding. The toxic effects of PCE were incorporated into a model of dehalorespirer growth by adapting the transformation capacity concept previously applied to describe biomass inactivation by products of cometabolic TCE oxidation. The inactivation growth model was coupled to the Andrews substrate utilization model, which accounts for the self-inhibitory effects of PCE on dechlorination rates, and fit to the experimental data. The importance of incorporating biomass inactivation and self-inhibition effects when modeling reductive dechlorination of high PCE concentrations was demonstrated by comparing the goodness-of-fit of the Andrews biomass inactivation and three alternate models that do capture these factors. The new dehalorespiration model should improve our ability to predict contaminant removal in DNAPL source zones and determine the inoculum size needed to successfully implement bioaugmentation of DNAPL source zones.


The citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC), an important disease of citrus in Brazil, is caused by the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al. and transmitted by xylem-feeding sharpshooters (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). This study evaluated the fluctuation of populations of species of sharpshooters belonging to the tribes Cicadellini and Proconiini, from subfamily Cicadelinae, in a commercial sweet orange [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb.] grove, located in the Northwest Region of Parana State, Brazil, in four varieties: Valencia, Natal, Pera, and Folha Murcha. Sharpshooters population was monitored using yellow stick traps sampled at 15 day-intervals, in 24 traps, from November of 1999 to March of 2004. The most abundant species were Dilobopterus costalimai Young (tribe Cicadellini) and Acrogonia citrina Marucci & Cavichioli (tribe Proconiini). Both species were detected during the complete period studied, which is important because they have great potential for transmitting CVC. Thus, since more than a sharpshooter species were detected, more efforts are recommended to monitor and control these insects in citrus groves, aiming to reduce the dissemination of CVC.


According to data displayed by China Automotive Industry Association, the sales of automobile in 2013 is 120 million around the world, in which Chinese cars account for 19 million, ending up in the world's first place with a rate of four percent. Private car ownership in China has exceeded 100 million currently, which confirms China's status as a big automobile country. China will become the world's largest automobile potential market and ranks second in the world automobile market, therefore he market opportunities in China's auto market is unprecedented. As the automotive industry is speeding up the process of survival of the fittest, automobile marketing is essential for any brands, distributors and operators. How to sell a car and how to do marketing depends on the marketing talent and team execution ability. By mastering advanced marketing strategies, they are more likely to occupy a larger share of the market. The article firstly introduces related concepts, as well as automobile marketing mode, and at last put forward relevant proposals and measures by going through the dealers' competitive research.


SUMMARY Gastrointestinal vasculitis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is quite rare and almost always accompanied by evidence of active disease in other organs, although occasionally it may be the presenting feature of the disease. Gastrointestinal involvement in SLE may present as lupus peritonitis, non-necrotizing pancreatitis, gastrointestinal vasculitis or surgical abdomen. Here we report a severe case of SLE which presented initially with fever of unknown origin. Severe distress, abdominal pain, the presence of occult blood in the stool and high acute-phase proteins were explained by a lupus peritonitis and intestinal vasculitis resembling inflammatory bowel disease. Whereas high-dose prednisone treatment did not prevent a severe relapse, we observed a sustained remission following i.v. cyclophosphamide pulse therapy. In the literature, only two similar cases are reported: one died despite a change in the therapy of a bowel perforation; our case was the second that improved under pulse cyclophosphamide. We suggest the use of cyclophosphamide after failure of steroids early in the course of SLE gastrointestinal vasculitis to prevent devastating complications.


International trades rely on robust supply chains. However, supply chains are vulnerable to disruptions. Before implementing lean construction, identifying construction supply chain vulnerabilities (CSCV) is crucial to avoid failure. Meanwhile, an unfavorable macro-environmental context (e.g., challenging economic and political situations) can potentially affect the behavior of CSCV. This paper aims to identify and prioritize CSCV under an unfavorable macro-environmental context in a real-world case and then analyze the changes in CSCV in a period coinciding with the Covid-19 outbreak. A literature review led us to extract 26 variables that were then prioritized using the responses from questionnaires distributed among 72 participants in the studied country. A descriptive statistical approach was used to analyze the results, which showed that unlike the normal contexts mentioned in previous studies, under an unfavorable context, such CSCV as "price and exchange rate fluctuations", "supply-demand volatility", "financial issues", and "political challenges" gained priority. Moreover, analyzing the changes in CSCV indicated that the studied construction supply chain has become more vulnerable in the mentioned period. Considering the identified CSCV, this paper suggests that managers focus more on tools such as the Last Planner System and value stream mapping when implementing lean.


Introduction: Samples for diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 can be obtained from the upper (nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs) or lower respiratory tract (sputum or tracheal aspirate or broncho-alveolar lavage - BAL) Data from different testing sites indicates different rates of positivity1 Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) allows for semi-quantitative estimates of viral load as time to crossing threshold (Ct) is inversely related to viral load Objectives: The objective of our study was to evaluate SARS-CoV2 RNA loads between paired nasopharyngeal (NP) and deep lung (endotracheal aspirate or BAL) samples from critically ill patients Methods: SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR results were retrospectively reviewed for 51 critically ill patients from 5 intensive care units in 3 hospitals;Addenbrookes Hospital Cambridge (3 units), Royal Papworth Cambridge (1 unit), and Royal Sunderland Hospital (1 unit) At the times when paired NP and deep lung samples were obtained, one patient had been on oxygen only, 6 patients on non-invasive ventilation, 18 patients on ECMO, and 26 patients mechanically ventilated Results: Results collected showed significant gradient between NP and deep lung viral loads (Figure 1) Median Ct value was 29 for NP samples and 24 for deep lung samples Of 51 paired samples, 16 were negative (below limit of detection) on NP swabs but positive (above limit of detection) on deep lung sample, whilst 2 were negative on deep sample but positive on NP (both patients were on ECMO) Conclusion: It has been suggested that whilst SARS-CoV1 tends to replicate in the lower respiratory tract, SARS-CoV2 replicates more vigorously in the upper respiratory tract2 These data challenge that assumption These data suggest that viral migration to, and proliferation in, the lower respiratory tract may be a key factor in the progression to critical illness and the development of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) Factors which promote this migration should be examined for association with severe COVID-19 From a practical point of view, patients with suspected severe COVID-19 should have virological samples obtained from the lower respiratory tract where-ever possible, as upper respiratory samples have a significant false-negative rate (Table Presented)


Research Question: The introduction of the Big Data concept in the healthcare sector points to a major challenge and potential. Motivation: Our goal is to indicate the importance of analyzing and processing large amounts of data that go beyond the typical ways of storing and processing information. Тhе data have their own characteristics: volume, velocity and variety. There are different structures. Analysis of these data is possible with the Big Data concept. Its importance is most evident in the health sector, because the preservation of the health status of the population depends on adequate data analysis. Idea: The idea of the paper is that big health data analytics contributes to a better quality provision of health services. The process is more efficient and effective. Data: Health analytics suggests that more and more resources are being utilized globally. In order to achieve improvements, health analytics and Big data concepts play a vital role in overcoming the obstacles, working more efficiently and aiming at providing adequate medical care. Tools: The Big data concept will help identify patients with developed chronic diseases. Big data can identify outbreaks of flu or other epidemics in real time. In this way, they are managed by the healthcare system, reducing overall healthcare costs over time, and increasing revenues. Findings: A key policy challenge is to improve the outcomes of the healthcare system,  data collection and analysis, security, storage and transfers. Big data are the potential to improve quality of care, improve predictions of diseases, improve the treatment methods, reduce costs. Contribution: This paper points to the challenges and potentials of Big Health Data analytics and formulates good reasons to apply the Big Data concept in healthcare.


The rapid expansion of biotechnology-derived pharmaceuticals into the health care system presents new challenges and concerns in formulary selection, development of usage guidelines, and budgeting. A DUE/QA pharmacy network and a hospital association in a metropolitan area formed a Biotechnology Task Force, whose goals included: developing a forum for practitioners and administrators to exchange information; applying a strategy for evaluating and predicting usage patterns; promoting educational endeavors; and developing database technology to assist institutions with usage monitoring. The task force successfully educated health care professionals and administrators about the ramifications of biopharmaceuticals. Having this process defined will prove beneficial for future evaluation of other biopharmaceuticals.


Decentralisation policies have been adopted by most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in the expectation of improved service provision. The benefits expected are two-fold: a) decentralisation will lead to better coordination and collaboration between different parts of the state at the local level and b) decentralisation will lead to increased consultation and responsiveness of local governments to their citizens. In this thesis I seek to explain why these benefits are realised in some contexts and not others. In most parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, the predominant form of decentralisation is a combination of devolution and deconcentration. Often these two policies are ambiguous and sometimes contradictory. What are the processes through which such mixed systems work?

This thesis attempts to understand how mixed systems of devolution and deconcentration work in practice through a comparative study of Five Municipal Health Directorates in Ghana. The study explores the three sets of relationships that are critical for decentralisation to work well in such mixed systems a) between the Health Directorate and the District Assembly administration, b) between the Health Directorate and the elected members of the District Assembly and c) between the Health Directorate and selected civil society organisations working on health. The work is based on detailed qualitative interviews in the five municipalities.

The main finding is that informal ties between the Health Directorate and the three sets of actors mentioned above are helpful in explaining why coordination and consultation seem better in some municipalities than others. Four kinds of ties are found to be important: ethnic/tribal links, family/kinship/neighbourhood relations, political party affiliations, and old-school networks. These ties between Municipal Health Directorates and senior officers of the Municipal Assemblies were found to facilitate Municipal Health Directorates' access to District Assemblies' Common Fund, which was controlled by the Municipal Assemblies. The existence of these ties between Municipal Health Directorates and elected Assembly members of Municipal Assemblies were found to enhance the quality of Municipal Health Directorates' policies and helped to gain public support. Finally, such ties between Municipal Health Directorates and leaders of selected Civil Society Organisations that mobilised around HIV and AIDS programmes were found to facilitate implementation of Municipal Health Directorates' policies around HIV and AIDS.

The thesis' contribution is that it shows that informal linkages between different local bodies and between local government and civil society organisations seem important for improved coordination and collaboration among various actors, and better consultation with elected representatives of citizens and leaders of CSOs for effective service delivery at the local level.


The chromatic dispersion (CD) of a single mode fibre (SMF) is an important issue in a long haul optical communication system when the new generation of optical system is introduced operating at the wavelength of 1.55 /spl mu/m with the bit rate of 10 Gb/s. The CD effect will result in pulse spreading and causes inter-symbol interference (ISI). This paper proposes a promising technique to compensate CD by using an optical all pass filter (OAPF) as an equaliser. The phase response of OAPF will be designed to equalise the phase delay of SMF which is the main cause of CD. The simulation of the mathematical model of the optical system at 10 Gb/s employing the proposed OAPF will be presented. A minimum mean square error technique was used to optimise the equaliser and the simulation results show the pulse spread improvement of 33% and fully compensated were achieved at full-width half-maximum (FWHM) for 100 and 160 km of SMF. respectively. The eye diagram also shows an improvement of 32 dB in dispersion penalty when OAPF equaliser is used at a distance of 160 km.


See-through Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) offer interesting opportunities to augment the interaction space around screens, especially around horizontal tabletops. In such context, HMDs can display surrounding vertical virtual windows to complement the tabletop content with data displayed in close vicinity. However, the effects of such combination on the visual acquisition of targets in the resulting combined display space have scarcely been explored. In this paper we conduct a study to explore visual acquisitions in such contexts, with a specific focus on the analysis of visual transitions between the horizontal tabletop display and the vertical virtual displays (in front and on the side of the tabletop). To further study the possible visual perception of the tabletop content out of the HMD and its impact on visual interaction, we distinguished two solutions for displaying information on the horizontal tabletop: using the see-through HMD to display virtual content over the tabletop surface (virtual overlay), i.e. the content is only visible inside the HMD's FoV, or using the tabletop itself (tabletop screen). 12 participants performed visual acquisition tasks involving the horizontal and vertical displays. We measured the time to perform the task, the head movements, the portions of the displays visible in the HMD's field of view, the physical fatigue and the user's preference. Our results show that it is faster to acquire virtual targets in the front display than on the side. Results reveal that the use of the virtual overlay on the tabletop slows down the visual acquisition compared to the use of the tabletop screen, showing that users exploit the visual perception of the tabletop content on the peripheral visual space. We were also able to quantify when and to which extent targets on the tabletop can be acquired without being visible within the HMD's field of view when using the tabletop screen, i.e. by looking under the HMD. These results lead to design recommendations for more efficient, comfortable and integrated interfaces combining tabletop and surrounding vertical virtual displays.


ABSTRACT This paper investigates the role of cultural ecosystem services in heritage planning by examining daily working processes at the municipal and county planning levels. The focus was on the cultural ecosystem service dimensions of cultural heritage, place identity, and aesthetic and existential values. Cultural ecosystem service dimensions are currently inadequately represented in research and application of the ecosystem service concept. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with public officials with formal assignments directly related to heritage planning. The results show that cultural ecosystem services are indeed considered in the planning processes, even though the respondents did not actually use the ecosystem service approach. Despite institutional and methodological constraints, respondents were found to aim for a broad planning approach involving dimensions of the landscape such as historic time depth, human use of the landscape, place identity, landscape views, and a strong integration between culture and nature. Thus, the results indicate a potential for integration of cultural ecosystem service dimensions into the ecosystem service approach by utilizing existing knowledge and practices within heritage planning at the local and regional levels.


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This ground-breaking book presents a complete methodology for adaptive programming in any object-oriented programming language. Lieberherr's adaptive method signals a new approach to object-oriented program design that goes beyond object encapsulation and hard-coded navigation paths to achieve more flexible interactions among objects. Programmers using this method work at a higher, schematic level of abstraction; graph notation represents the class structure and a "propagation pattern" language tells how to distribute meaningful methods - including navigation - across the structure. Using this method, programmers can easily adapt and modify programs as they evolve. This book can be used with any object-oriented programming environment, or with the Demeter Tools Version 5.5, a complete, professional software system for creating and maintaining adaptive programs.


stable cardiac output values for both ventricles, when adjusted by estimated fetal weight. Finally, both left and right sphericity indices increased throughout gestation (p = 0.016 and 0.022), due to a constant decrease observed in both ventricular inlet measurements, with stable end-diastolic diameters. Conclusions: AVB fetuses present conventional Doppler parameters that tend to remain stable during pregnancy. Morphometric and functional cardiovascular parameters tend to evolve towards more large, rounded hearts with fetal heart rate decreasing but sustaining cardiac output values towards the end of gestation.


As with many endangered, long-lived iteroparous fishes, survival of razorback sucker depends on a management strategy that circumvents recruitment failure that results from predation by non-native fishes. In Lake Mohave, AZ-NV, management of razorback sucker centers on capture of larvae spawned in the lake, rearing them in off-channel habitats, and subsequent release ("repatriation") to the lake when adults are sufficiently large to resist predation. The effects of this strategy on genetic diversity, however, remained uncertain. After correction for differences in sample size among groups, metrics of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA; number of haplotypes, N H , and haplotype diversity, H D ) and microsatellite (number of alleles, N A , and expected heterozygosity, H E ) diversity did not differ significantly between annual samples of repatriated adults and larval year-classes or among pooled samples of repatriated adults, larvae, and wild fish. These findings indicate that the current management program thus far maintained historical genetic variation of razorback sucker in the lake. Because effective population size, N e , is closely tied to the small census population size (N c = ~1500-3000) of razorback sucker in Lake Mohave, this population will remain at risk from genetic, as well as demographic risk of extinction unless N c is increased substantially.


Aim This paper explores the variable provision of English health visiting services, despite government emphasis on the need to reduce health inequalities through early interventions and provide support to families with pre-school children. Background There is increasing evidence of the importance to later health of early child development; that is from prenatal to eight years of age. In this population group, the strongest evidence for health improvement emphasizes support for families (especially mothers) until the infant is at least two to three years of age. In the last four to five years, English government policy has focused strongly on this important life stage, particularly noting its relevance in reducing health inequalities. Simultaneously, the health visiting workforce, arguably the occupational group most closely associated with this form of work, has reduced by 10%; and there is evidence of extreme variability in the way services are provided across the country. Methods Three sources of data were analysed to discover whether the variation in health visiting services relates to need, levels of deprivation or whether other factors are influential in planning provision. The ratio of health visitors to pre-school children was mapped to indices of multiple deprivations across 144 Primary Care Trusts. Survey data were examined for evidence of links, or not, to levels of deprivation and, finally, 30 Children and Young People's Plans (CYPPs) were analysed to explore strategic planning about the distribution and type of services. Findings Health visiting service provision appears unrelated to areas of deprivation; although, the survey data offered some evidence that individual practitioners focused efforts on the most deprived clients on their caseloads, regardless of location. At a strategic level, the CYPPs made little mention of pre-school children or their needs and offered only limited descriptions of preventive health services. Policy recommendations are made about strengthening service provision in this field.


Allowing the energy of a gravitational field to serve partially as its own source allows gravitating bodies to exhibit stronger fields, as if they were more massive. Depending on degree of compaction of the body, the field could be one to five times larger than the newtonian field. This is a comfortable range of increase in field strength and may prove to be of convenience in the study of velocity curves of spirals, of velocity dispersions in clusters of galaxies and in interpreting the Tully-Fisher or Faber-Jackson relations in galaxies or systems of galaxies. The revised gravitation admits of superposition principle but only approximately in systems whose components are widely separated. The revised dynamics admits of the equivalence principle in that, the effective force acting on a test particle is derived from a potential, and could be eliminated in a freely falling frame of reference


Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia is a consequence of heterogeneous and complex interactions of age-related neurodegeneration and vascular-associated pathologies. Evidence has accumulated that there is increased atherosclerosis/arteriosclerosis of the intracranial arteries in AD and that this may be additive or synergistic with respect to the generation of hypoxia/ischemia and cognitive dysfunction. The effectiveness of pharmacologic therapies and lifestyle modification in reducing cardiovascular disease has prompted a reconsideration of the roles that cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular function play in the pathogenesis of dementia. Methods Using two-dimensional phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging, we quantified cerebral blood flow within the internal carotid, basilar, and middle cerebral arteries in a group of individuals with mild to moderate AD (n = 8) and compared the results with those from a group of age-matched nondemented control (NDC) subjects (n = 9). Clinical and psychometric testing was performed on all individuals, as well as obtaining their magnetic resonance imaging-based hippocampal volumes. Results Our experiments reveal that total cerebral blood flow was 20% lower in the AD group than in the NDC group, and that these values were directly correlated with pulse pressure and cognitive measures. The AD group had a significantly lower pulse pressure (mean AD 48, mean NDC 71; P = 0.0004). A significant group difference was also observed in their hippocampal volumes. Composite z-scores for clinical, psychometric, hippocampal volume, and hemodynamic data differed between the AD and NDC subjects, with values in the former being significantly lower (t = 12.00, df = 1, P = 0.001) than in the latter. Conclusion These results indicate an association between brain hypoperfusion and the dementia of AD. Cardiovascular disease combined with brain hypoperfusion may participate in the pathogenesis/pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. Future longitudinal and larger-scale confirmatory investigations measuring multidomain parameters are warranted.


In the companion paper, a new health monitoring system with five sub-systems is proposed for cable-stayed bridges. In this paper, for a health monitoring system of the cable-stayed bridge, it is classified four levels as excellent, good, fair, and poor base on the function of the system at the first time. The monitoring systems of the second Wujiang Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge with a low tower and a high tower, and the Shibangou Yangtze River Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge with regular double towers, are employed as two examples to narrate the determination of the monitoring parameters, monitoring contents and methods, the principles of the positions of measuring points, and evaluation of the system grade. The health monitoring system for the cable-stayed bridge sets up a good example for other types of bridges and has a reference value for the development of the bridge health monitoring systems.


Research in Humanities and Social Sciences is traditionally based on printed publications such as manuscripts, personal correspondence, first editions and other types of documents which are often difficult to obtain. An important step to facilitate humanities and social sciences scholarship is to make digital reproductions of these materials freely available on-line. The collection of resources available on-line is continuously expanding. It is now required to develop tools to access these resources in an intelligent way and search them as if they were part of a unique information space. In this paper we present Talia, a innovative distributed semantic digital library, annotation and publishing system, which is specifically designed for the needs of scholarly research in humanities. Talia is strictly based on standard Semantic Web technologies and uses ontologies for the organization of knowledge, which can help the definition of a highly adaptable and state-of-the-art research and publishing environment. Talia provides an innovative and flexible system which enables data interoperability and new paradigms for information enrichment, data-retrieval and navigation. Moreover, digital libraries powered by Talia can be joined into a federation, to create a distributed peer-to-peer network of interconnected libraries. In the first three paragraphs we will introduce the motivations and the background that led to the development of Talia. In paragraphs 4 and 5 we will describe the Talia's architecture and the Talia Federation. In paragraphs 6 and 7 we will focus on Talia's specialized features for the Humanities Domain and its relations with the Discovery Project.In paragraph 9 we will describe Talia's widget framework and how it can be used to customize Talia for other domains. In the final paragraph we will compare Talia with related technologies and platforms and suggest some possible future research and development ideas.


On the night of August 9–10, 1991, two rocket payloads were launched into simultaneously occurring noctilucent clouds (NLC) and polar mesospheric summer echoes (PMSE) above Esrange, a third rocket payload was launched into a NLC where a PMSE was detected 5 minutes later above Esrange, in Sweden as part of the NLC-91 campaign. An aim of this experiment was to compare the vertical structures and locations of the NLC and PMSE events. To this end, in situ optical photometers and particle impact sensors were used to measure the altitude and vertical structure of the NLC layer, while the Cornell University portable radar interferometer (CUPRI) was used to probe the PMSE. Although this comparison is complicated by the horizontal separations between the in situ measurements and the radar volume, and low electron densities which reduced the overall radar reflectivity, we conclude that the PMSE layer in the CUPRI radar volume remained above the NLC layer detected by the in situ instruments by 300 to 2000 m throughout the experiment. We interpret this result as supporting the view that PMSE are more likely to result from the presence of aerosols smaller than the ones optically detectable as NLCs.


Recently, given the increased integration of renewables and growing uncertainty in demand, the wholesale market price has become highly volatile. Energy communities connected to the main electricity grid may be exposed to this increasing price volatility. Additionally, they may also be exposed to local network congestions, resulting in price spikes. Motivated by this problem, in this paper, we present a coordination mechanism between entities at the distribution grid to reduce price volatility. The mechanism relies on the concept of duality theory in mathematical programming through which explicit constraints can be imposed on the local electricity price. Constraining the dual variable related to price enables the quantification of the demand-side flexibility required to guarantee a certain price limit. We illustrate our approach with a case study of a congested distribution grid and an energy storage system as the source of the required demand-side flexibility. Through detailed simulations, we determine the optimal size and operation of the storage system required to constrain prices. An economic evaluation of the case study shows that the business case for providing the contracted flexibility with the storage system depends strongly on the chosen price limit.


The research study described in this article is an extension of a yearlong mixed methods study of eight co-teaching pairs (four English and four science) and their implementation of co-teaching during the clinical experience. A year after these eight pre-service teachers participated in the co-teaching research study while enrolled in a teacher education program, they were interviewed at the conclusion of their first year of employed teaching with the goal of exploring the impact that the co-teaching experience had on their development as a teacher. Findings reveal that co-teaching during the clinical experience provides an opportunity to shape pre-service teachers to be collaborative, reflective practitioners who seek out opportunities to collaborate and position themselves as lifelong learners. However, teacher education programs that implement co-teaching during the clinical experience have a responsibility to ensure that co-teaching occurs with fidelity and that pre-service teachers are supported to transition to full-time employment where the day-to-day co-teaching opportunities may be more limited.


Developing strategies to reintroduce native species in invaded landscapes is a major challenge for ecological restoration, particularly in urban areas. Although complete eradication of invasive exotics is a common restoration goal, an emerging approach in heavily invaded landscapes is to plant native species likely to persist, even in the presence of exotic competition. Functional traits may be used to inform restoration strategies by indicating whether native and exotic species are likely to occupy different niches (i.e., dissimilar traits indicate different resource strategies). We adopted a functional trait approach to test whether planting species with dissimilar, as opposed to similar, traits to exotic species enhanced native species cover and diversity for an urban restoration project that is heavily invaded by Hedera helix (English ivy) and Hedera canariensis (canary ivy). We conducted a trait screening of Hedera and 37 candidate native understory plants and used trait values to select three species that were functionally dissimilar and three that were functionally similar to Hedera. We then tested their survival and growth when planted in and out of competition with Hedera over two years. Species with dissimilar traits to Hedera had high survival and growth across time and competitive environments, whereas species with similar traits to Hedera had significantly reduced survival when in competition with Hedera. Our results suggest that, in heavily invaded landscapes, restoration projects that plant species with complementary resource strategies to exotics may be most successful and that functional traits are a useful tool to select these species.


We show nanomechanical force is useful to dynamically control the optical response of self-assembled quantum dots, giving a method to shift electron and heavy hole levels, interval of electron and heavy hole energy levels, and the emission wavelength of quantum dots (QDs). The strain, the electron energy levels, and heavy hole energy levels of InAs/GaAs(001) quantum dots with vertical nanomechanical force are investigated. Both the lattice mismatch and nanomechanical force are considered at the same time. The results show that the hydrostatic and the biaxial strains inside the QDs subjected to nanomechanical force vary with nanomechanical force. That gives the control for tailoring band gaps and optical response. Moreover, due to strain-modified energy, the band edge is also influenced by nanomechanical force. The nanomechanical force is shown to influence the band edge. As is well known, the band offset affects the electronic structure, which shows that the nanomechanical force is proven to be useful to tailor the emission wavelength of QDs. Our research helps to better understand how the nanomechanical force can be used to dynamically control the optics of quantum dots.


Solutes and suspended material often experience delays during exchange between phases one of which may be moving. Consequently transport often exhibits combined effects of advection/dispersion, and delays associated with exchange between phases. Such processes are ubiquitous and include transport in porous/fractured media, watersheds, rivers, forest canopies, urban infrastructure systems, and networks. Upscaling approaches often treat the transport and delay mechanisms together, yielding macroscopic "anomalous transport" models. When interaction with the immobile phase is responsible for the delays, it is not the transport that is anomalous, but the lack of it, due to delays. We model such exchanges with a simple generalization of first‐order kinetics completely independent of transport. Specifically, we introduce a remobilization rate coefficient that depends on the time in immobile phase. Memory‐function formulations of exchange (with or without transport) can be cast in this framework, and can represent practically all time‐nonlocal mass balance models including multirate mass transfer and its equivalent counterparts in the continuous time random walk and time‐fractional advection dispersion formalisms, as well as equilibrium exchange. Our model can address delayed single‐/multievent remobilizations as in delay‐differential equations and periodic remobilizations that may be useful in sediment transport modeling. It is also possible to link delay mechanisms with transport if so desired, or to superpose an additional source of nonlocality through the transport operator. This approach allows for mechanistic characterization of the mass transfer process with measurable parameters, and the full set of processes representable by these generalized kinetics is a new open question.


This paper explores the emotions connected with music performance. Performing music provides the potential to attain wellbeing via the hedonic and eudaimonic routes, appealing to pleasure, engagement and meaning (Seligman, 2002). To date, most research exploring emotions amongst performers has focused on these components separately, exploring positive or negative affect, flow, or the development of performer identity. In the current study, 35 university students (mean age 20.6 years) gave free reports of their strongest, most intense experiences of performing music. Accounts were content analyzed using the Strong Experiences of Music Descriptive System (Gabrielsson & Lindström Wik, 2003), and also analyzed for the components of wellbeing using an idiographic approach. Four basic types of response were characterized, emphasizing: (1) negative and positive emotions and personal engagement; (2) negative and positive emotions, engagement and meaning; (3) positive emotion and meaning; or (4) positive emotions, engagement, and meaning. The emphasis on the eudaimonic route to wellbeing (through engagement and meaning) shows that young musicians do have valuable and rewarding experiences with the potential to sustain long-term motivation to engage with practical music-making. The value of the positive psychology framework is also demonstrated by its applicability to descriptions of strong experiences of performing music.


This study presents the performance of two innovative large-diameter (16-inch) demonstration reverse osmosis systems (known as Super-Flux RO systems) for water reclamation and seawater desalination in Singapore. Each 16-inch membrane element of the Super-Flux demonstration RO systems was fitted with patented flow distributors on both ends of each RO element to achieve even distribution of feed water into each membrane element. Electrical coils were embedded into the pressure vessels to produce electromagnetic field for fouling mitigation. Computational fluid dynamics results had verified that feed water was more evenly distributed at membrane inlet with the new flow distributor, compared to the commonly used anti-telescoping device. The operating data collected from the two demonstration RO systems over a period of 1,200 operating hours showed the excellent performance of the Super-Flux RO system regardless of the type of feed water. Both demonstration RO systems produced high quality permeate water and did not show any signs of membrane fouling, i.e., feed pressure, salt rejection and average permeate flux were consistent in the test periods. The average permeate flux of the Super-Flux demonstration RO system for water reclamation was about 2.6 times the value of the existing conventional 8-inch full-scale RO system.


Professor Dr Ulrich Karpen, Law faculty, University of Hamburg examines approaches to the problems of transitional justice which follow from major social and constitutional changes in a country. He considers aspects such as criminal justice, truth and reconcilation, access to information and rule of law  understandings and tolerance with reference to situations in Germany and Africa.


When shy young heir Patrick is orphaned at the age of ten, the only family he has is his wealthy and eccentric aunt, a New York socialite named Mame. Prone to dramatic costumes, flights of fancy and expensive whims, Mame will raise Patrick the only way she knows how - with humour, mishaps, unforgettable friends and lots of love. From progressive schooling and Mame's search for a husband to her short-lived literary career and the puncturing of some of Patrick's romances, "Auntie Mame" is the most magnificent and hilarious work of love, style, wit and the life of a modern American.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Successful community-based medical education requires an ongoing relationship among the school, medical students, and community preceptors. The use of medical school faculty as "circuit riders" helps to develop and maintain these relationships. We studied the benefits, challenges, and barriers as seen by faculty participating in circuit riding activities at the University of New Mexico.

METHODS
All 43 faculty circuit riders from the most recent academic year were asked to complete an anonymous electronic survey. Ranked responses and free text comments were included. Analysis of ranked items by years as university faculty and years of experience circuit riding was performed.

RESULTS
Commonly cited reasons for faculty participation in circuit riding included (1) enjoyment of working with medical students, (2) support for rural/community-based education, and (3) interactions with community preceptors. Barriers primarily related to time included (1) difficulty getting time away from clinical activities and (2) coordinating the faculty members', community preceptors', and students' schedules.

CONCLUSIONS
For faculty circuit riders, commitment to medical student education in the community is the most common reason for participation in this program. Schools using this model will need to address the time commitment involved.


TITLE: MultiLingual Interoperability in Speech Technology [1'Interoperabilite multilinguistique lans la technologie de la parole] To order the complete compilation report, use: ADA387529 The component part is provided here to allow users access to individually authored sections f proceedings, annals, symposia, ect. However, the component should be considered within he context of the overall compilation report and not as a stand-alone technical report.


Recently the issue on glacier retreats comes up and many factors should be relevant to the issue. The absorbing aerosols such as dust and black carbon (BC) are considered to be one of the factors. After they deposited onto the snow surface, it will reduce snow albedo (called snow darkening effect) and probably contribute to further melting of glacier. The Goddard Earth Observing System version 5 (GEOS-5) has developed at NASA/GSFC. However, the original snowpack model used in the land surface model in the GEOS-5 did not consider the snow darkening effect. Here we developed the new snow albedo scheme which can consider the snow darkening effect. In addition, another scheme on calculating mass concentrations on the absorbing aerosols in snowpack was also developed, in which the direct aerosol depositions from the chemical transport model in the GEOS-5 were used. The scheme has been validated with the observed data obtained at backyard of the Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, by Dr. Teruo Aoki (Meteorological Research Institute) et aL including me. The observed data was obtained when I was Ph.D. candidate. The original GEOS-5during 2007-2009 over the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau region showed more reductions of snow than that of the new GEOS-5 because the original one used lower albedo settings. On snow cover fraction, the new GEOS-5 simulated more realistic snow-covered area comparing to the MODIS snow cover fraction. The reductions on snow albedo, snow cover fraction, and snow water equivalent were seen with statistically significance if we consider the snow darkening effect comparing to the results without the snow darkening effect. In the real world, debris cover, inside refreezing process, surface flow of glacier, etc. affect glacier mass balance and the simulated results immediately do not affect whole glacier retreating. However, our results indicate that some surface melting over non debris covered parts of the glacier would be explained by the snow darkening effect. Further discussion and observations are necessary to assess the glacier issue.


INTRODUCTION
A greater understanding of Australian healthcare professionals' perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) is needed to identify the challenges ahead as this new technology finds its way into healthcare delivery.

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to identify healthcare professionals' perceptions of AI, their understanding of this technology, their education needs and barriers they perceived to its implementation.

DESIGN
Healthcare professionals in eight local health districts in New South Wales Australia were surveyed using the Shinners Artificial Intelligence Perception (SHAIP) tool.

FINDINGS
The study surveyed 176 participants from regional (59.5%), rural (36.4%) and metropolitan (4.0%) healthcare districts in Australia. Only 27% of all participants stated they are currently using AI in the delivery of care. The study found that Age, Discipline, Use of AI and Desire for Education had a significant effect on perceptions of AI, and that overall healthcare professionals believe AI will impact their role and they do not feel prepared for its use. The study showed that understanding of AI is varied and workforce knowledge is seen as the greatest barrier to implementation. More than 75% of healthcare professionals desire education about AI, its application and ethical implications to the delivery of care.

CONCLUSION
The development of education is needed urgently to prepare healthcare professionals for the implementation of AI.