Purpose To investigate the effect of change in portal vein flow rates on the size and shape of ablations created by a bipolar radiofrequency (RF) ablation device. Materials and Methods This study was exempt from institutional animal care and use committee review. An in vitro bovine liver model perfused with autologous blood via the portal vein at three flow rates (60, 80, 100 mL/min per 100 g of liver) was used. Four ablations, two bipolar and two monopolar (control probe), were made in each of five livers perfused at each flow rate. Short- and long-axis diameters were measured from gross specimens, and volume and sphericity index were calculated for each ablation. A general linear mixed model accounting for correlation within the liver was used to evaluate the effects of flow on ablations. Analyses were performed by using software. Results There was no significant difference in the size or shape of ablations created by the bipolar device at the different flow rates (P > .05 for all outcomes). The monopolar device demonstrated the expected inverse association between ablation size and change in flow (P < .01 for all outcomes). The mean ± standard deviation of short-axis diameter, long-axis diameter, volume, and sphericity index of the bipolar ablations was 4.3 cm ± 0.1, 4.2 cm ± 0.1, 41.0 cm3 ± 1.8, and 1.1 ± 0.1, respectively. Conclusion Unlike monopolar RF ablation, change in portal vein flow rates does not have a statistically significant effect on the size or shape of ablations created by the bipolar RF ablation device tested. © RSNA, 2016.


A Review of:
Kirker, M. J., & Stonebraker, I. (2019). Architects, renovators, builders and fragmenters: A model for first year students' self-perceptions and perceptions of information literacy. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 45(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2018.10.009
Abstract
Objective – To explore students' perceptions of their information literacy skills and how these change during the first-year experience.
Design – A longitudinal qualitative study using cognitive dissonance theory.
Setting – Two large public universities in the United States of America.
Subjects – Students enrolled in research methods and information literacy-based courses in their first semester.
Methods – Students were required to submit two written self-reflections as part of their course; the first was completed in the first two weeks of the semester and the second at the end of the semester. Informed consent was obtained for all reflections used for the study. The authors selected 12 students (6 from each institution) to participate in semi-structured interviews at the end of their first year. A total of 178 self-reflections were included in the analysis.
Main Results – The study found that students' understanding of research changed during the first-year experience, and that students had four main journeys related to their information literacy skills and perceptions. Instances of cognitive dissonance were observed. Students can consider themselves both good and bad researchers at the same time. The study also revealed the research process as an emotional labour, not just an intellectual one.
Conclusion – The study concluded that a shared understanding of "research" between librarians and students is needed in order to teach information literacy effectively. It is also important to recognise that students transform their information literacy over time (not just from a single class or program) and that teaching needs to meet students where they are on their journey, depending on their "developmental paths."


This paper presents space applications of the TWT from the point of view of the German Space Agency. Technical aspects like high reliability, high efficiency, low mass and long lifetime play an important role as well as space typical factors like small number of pieces qualified designs and short delivery. Typical applications of the different Satellite Services (BSS, FSS, MSS, Data Relay and Navigation) will be discussed as well as the corresponding frequency ranges and power demands. The paper shows the DLR programmatic strategy and will overview the funding and supporting activities of the TWT research and development in the satellite communication department of the German space agency. Most of these new technologies will be qualified in space on the German Heinrich Hertz Satellite Mission as technology verification platform.


Product tolerance is one of the important factors which affect the quality and cost of product. However, influenced by many complicated factors, there are still many problems which need to be resolved compared with other research works in CAD field. How to determine tolerances of product effectively is still a big problem. Based on exponent model of tolerance-cost, the relationships between tolerance and other characteristics influencing processing cost are studied in this paper. A relational model of tolerance-cost is come up with based on the above relationships. And then, internal relation between tolerance and lifetime is discussed. Meanwhile, along with the lifetime converted into the cost, the compensated relational model of tolerance-lifetime is presented. Finally, the method on the decision of tolerance grade is analyzed. This paper realizes the organic combination of tolerance, lifetime and cost, and effectively decides how to generate tolerance grades.


As a silicon-based chalcogenide, semiconducting Si2Te3 has recently attracted attention as an emerging layered 2D material. Here, single-crystalline Si2Te3 nanowires (NWs) are synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The Si2Te3 NWs grow along the [0001] direction, which is perpendicular to the 2D layers. The NWs exhibit a unique reversible resistance switching behavior driven by an applied electrical potential, which leads to switching of the NWs from a high-resistance state to a low-resistance state. This switched state is stable unless the opposite potential is applied to switch the resistance back. It is also noted that the polarity of the initially applied potential along the NWs defines the switch on and off directions, which become permanent once set. In combination with theoretical calculations, the resistance switching is explained by an internal structural change resulting from the applied potential. This novel resistance switching property for the silicon-based 2D materials is not only interesting for fundamental exploration but also holds promise for applications in memory devices.As a silicon-based chalcogenide, semiconducting Si2Te3 has recently attracted attention as an emerging layered 2D material. Here, single-crystalline Si2Te3 nanowires (NWs) are synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The Si2Te3 NWs grow along the [0001] direction, which is perpendicular to the 2D layers. The NWs exhibit a unique reversible resistance switching behavior driven by an applied electrical potential, which leads to switching of the NWs from a high-resistance state to a low-resistance state. This switched state is stable unless the opposite potential is applied to switch the resistance back. It is also noted that the polarity of the initially applied potential along the NWs defines the switch on and off directions, which become permanent once set. In combination with theoretical calculations, the resistance switching is explained by an internal structural change resulting from the applied potential. This novel resistance switching property for the silicon-based 2D materials is not only in...


We describe theoretically highly significant experiments on nematic elastomers that observe 2-D mechanical distortions in response to electric fields applied perpendicular to the initial director. As the director is induced to rotate by the field, the mechanical deformations are not complicated by geometrical constraints since the samples float in oil between the electrodes. We account for the unusual deformations and for the director first departing from its original direction rather sharply at a characteristic voltage and finally approaching the field direction slowly at higher voltages.


Employees in the health care industry, including physicians, have recently taken more interest in unions and collective bargaining. At the present time the health care industry is approximately 20 percent unionized. Labor leaders believe that existing conditions are fertile ground for significant union activity that has been on a recent upswing after a decline during the early 1980s. While current attention is being drawn to the shortage of and increased union organizational activities by nurses, physicians may not be far behind. It is conceivable that by the year 2000 the majority of physicians in the United States will work in full-time salaried positions. In addition, the antitrust laws that currently restrain independent physicians from collective bargaining are being challenged and are likely to change as more physicians become salaried and begin to resemble other professional employee groups. The ruling determining that interns and residents are students rather than hospital employees is also certain to be challenged and changed, especially as pressures on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) are brought by house staff union organizations. After a 1987 ruling that the NLRB had been improperly interpreting the 1974 amendments to the Taft-Hartley Act, the NLRB was ordered to exercise its rule-making power in defining bargaining units for health care workers in acute care hospitals. Physicians would then be one of eight occupations defined as a separate health care bargaining unit.


We introduce the Stochastic Asynchronous Proximal Alternating Linearized Minimization (SAPALM) method, a block coordinate stochastic proximal-gradient method for solving nonconvex, nonsmooth optimization problems. SAPALM is the first asynchronous parallel optimization method that provably converges on a large class of nonconvex, nonsmooth problems. We prove that SAPALM matches the best known rates of convergence --- among synchronous or asynchronous methods --- on this problem class. We provide upper bounds on the number of workers for which we can expect to see a linear speedup, which match the best bounds known for less complex problems, and show that in practice SAPALM achieves this linear speedup. We demonstrate state-of-the-art performance on several matrix factorization problems.


Multiple control groups in case-control studies are used to control for different sources of confounding. For example, cases can be contrasted with matched controls to adjust for multiple genetic or unknown lifestyle factors and simultaneously contrasted with an unmatched population-based control group. Inclusion of different control groups for a single exposure analysis yields several estimates of the odds ratio, all using only part of the data. Here the authors introduce an easy way to combine odds ratios from several case-control analyses with the same cases. The approach is based upon methods used for meta-analysis but takes into account the fact that the same cases are used and that the estimated odds ratios are therefore correlated. Two ways of estimating this correlation are discussed: sandwich methodology and the bootstrap. Confidence intervals for the pooled estimates and a test for checking whether the odds ratios in the separate case-control studies differ significantly are derived. The performance of the method is studied by simulation and by applying the methods to a large study on risk factors for thrombosis, the MEGA Study (1999–2004), wherein cases with first venous thrombosis were included with a matched control group of partners and an unmatched population-based control group.


Many National Tuberculosis Programmes (NTPs) receive Technical Assistance (TA) for the implementation and evaluation of their TB-control strategies. KNCV tuberculosis Foundation (KNCV) in the Netherlands is a TA organization providing assistance for many years in over 30 countries. The NTPs use their own surveillance data to assess TB control strategies. These data are not accurate enough to serve as valid epidemiological parameters. KNCV adds an epidemiological research component to the general TA. Epidemiological research does give the evidence-base needed for TB control. Embedding this research in continued programme support from TA consultants has been fruitful. This paper details KNCV's experiences with such TA plus epidemiological research approach, specially in conducting large-scale population-based surveys: tuberculin surveys, TB prevalence surveys, and drug resistance surveys. The lessons learned include the added value of long-term programme support, of a thorough knowledge of the survey's situational context, of in-country capacity building, and of guidelines for guiding, as opposed to dictating, research.


The prescription of optimally managing natural resource revenue windfalls by smoothing consumption across generations using an intergenerational sovereign wealth fund that only invests in foreign assets is not appropriate for resource-rich developing economies. It is better for these economies to use their windfalls to boost investment in the domestic economy, especially when they confront capital scarcity and have poor access to international capital markets. However, it is important for such economies to have a parking fund to temporarily 'park' funds until absorption constraints are alleviated, and a stabilization fund to smooth out volatile budgets given the high stochastic volatility of commodity prices, especially if the economy is inflexible and has few other ways of adjusting to shocks.


The aim of this thesis is to determine a comparative stylistic model that can be used in literary translation for analysing texts of a specific genre: alternative world fiction. The model consists of two parts, general stylistic analysis of prose fiction and specific stylistic analysis of alternative world fiction, which depend on the stylistic approaches suggested by Leech and Short, and Sandig and Sowinski, as well as Mandala's study of language in science fiction and fantasy. This is put to empiric use on the basis of George R. R. Martin's heroic fantasy A Clash of Kings, translated into Slovene by Branko Gradisnik. The thesis confronts the source text (original) with the target text (translation) from general as well as specific stylistic viewpoints. However, the emphasis of this stylistic analysis lies on the latter part that is text- and/or genre-specific. Within this part of the analysis, attention is directed toward geographic, character and other proper names, text- or genre-specific lexical and grammatical categories, use of archaic forms and language contact. These categories are considered from the translation viewpoint, thus revealing certain problems a translator faces while translating and/or adapting certain terms. The analysis merges literary linguistics with literary translation and confronts these with translator's creative freedom, an artistic function every literary translator should posses. The thesis thus deals in its separate parts with word-formation, grammatical structures, the lexicon of British and American English, archaisms and fictive languages, and compares them with corresponding translations. These comparisons are then used to yield important stylistic revelations a translator should abide while translating alternative world fiction.


Pure titanium and titanium alloys are materials widely used in orthopaedics and dental surgery because of their mechanical properties, chemical stability and biocompatibility. Although excellent clinical results have been shown, traditional porous metals have several inherent limitations (low volumetric porosity, relatively high modulus of elasticity and low frictional characteristics, availability as a coating only). With the aim of moving beyond these limits, improving the potentiality of osteointegration and consequently the stability of prosthetic implants, a new highly porous titanium biomaterial (Trabecular Titanium™, TT) has been developed. In this in vitro study, we are testing the effects of TT on osteoblast-like cells (MG63) cultured on disks of this biomaterial by using DNA microarrays containing 20,000 genes. We identified several genes covering a broad range of functional activities whose expression was significantly up- or down-regulated. Findings from this study can give a detailed description of the genetic effects TT has on human osteoblast-like cells in vitro. We demonstrated that TT stimulates osteoblast proliferation and differentiation, and reduces osteoblast apoptosis. Moreover, TT limits osteoclastogenesis, inflammation and reduces the immunologic events against the material, modulating genes related to the immune system. Therefore, all these effects contribute to improve osseointegration and consequently survival of the prosthetic implants. These reported data encourage the clinical application of Trabecular Titanium™ to prosthetic devices.


Aerosolized ribavirin was evaluated in the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus lower respiratory tract disease in 53 infants, 36 of whom had underlying diseases. Of the total infants, 26 were studied in a double-blind, placebo-controlled manner; 14 received ribavirin and 12 received placebo, a water aerosol, for an average of five days. When the infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and congenital heart disease treated with ribavirin were compared with those receiving placebo, the treated infants showed a significantly faster rate of improvement in their illness severity score. The degree of improvement in the total group of infants receiving ribavirin compared with those receiving placebo was similarly greater, and at the end of therapy significantly greater improvement was also demonstrated in their arterial blood gas values and in the amount of virus shed from their nasal washes. No toxic or adverse effects of the aerosol therapy were observed in any of the 53 infants studied, and resistance to ribavirin did not develop in any of the respiratory syncytial virus strains isolated, despite prolonged treatment in some of the more ill infants. (JAMA1985;254:3047-3051)


Motivational internalism is the thesis that captures the commonplace thought that moral judgements are necessarily motivationally efficacious. But this thesis appears to be in tension with another aspect of our ordinary moral experience. Proponents of the contrast thesis, motivational externalism, cite everyday examples of amoralism to demonstrate that it is conceptually possible to be completely unmoved by what seem to be sincere first-person moral judgements. This paper argues that the challenge of amoralism gives us no reason to reject or modify motivational internalism. Instead of attempting to diagnose the motivational failure of the amoral agent or restrict the internalist thesis in the face of these examples, I argue that we should critically examine the assumptions that underlie the challenge. Such an examination reveals that the examples smuggle in substantive assumptions that the internalist has no reason to accept. This argument has two important implications for the debate in moral motivation: first, it reveals that the motivational externalist needs a new argumentative strategy; and second, it shows that there is nothing especially problematic about a formulation of the thesis that captures the core internalist intuition that first-person moral judgements are necessarily accompanied by motivation.


The autoradiographic localization of α1- and α2-adrenoceptors was identified in 22-week-old Wistar – Kyoto rat kidney, using α1-selective ([3H]bunazosin) and α2-selective ([3H]yohimbine) antagonists. [3H]Bunazosin binding was distributed predominantly over the cortex, less over the outer medulla and was absent from the inner medulla. [3H]Yohimbine binding was distributed predominantly over the medulla, less over the renal cortex and was absent from the inner medulla. In addition, the distribution of renal α-adrenoceptors was investigated in 3-, 7- and 22-week-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) using a computerized image analysis system. Renal α-adrenoceptors were both found to be increased in SHRs at all ages tested compared with their respective controls and were increased in both the cortex and the outer medulla. The increase in renal α-adrenoceptors was already present in 3-week-old SHRs whose systolic blood pressures did not differ significantly from those of the controls. The results strongly suggest that these abnormalities of renal α-adrenoceptors may play a critical role in the development of hypertension in SHRs.


The political system in which it is possible to observe the similarities and differences between groups for and against presidential candidates based on processes of negotiation, mediation, conciliation and arbitration around the management and administration of Information Technologies and Communication is known as governance. This is a growing phenomenon as local or federal elections approach and digital networks are exacerbated as instruments for the promotion or dissuasion of a candidate. In this sense, the objective of the study was to optimize the Governance instrument of the Cyber Political Culture of Carreón (2016) in order to pay the reliability and validity of it; explore the relationship between preferences and expectations regarding voting intentions in a non-probabilistic sample of students using digital networks. From a structural model it was found that the consensus expectation factor determined the intentions to vote. The scope and limits of the exploratory factor analysis of main axes with a simple and oblique promax rotation regarding the confirmation of an orthogonal structure are discussed


At the heart of the airline revenue management problem (ARM) lies the seat allocation problem, which has the ultimate aim of finding the right combination of passengers that will result in maximum profit. Due to the dynamic nature of the problem, optimal seat allocations can change continuously over the reservation period. In addition, widely used bid-price booking control policy which necessitates the dual information is obliged to be updated as the demand and capacity values adjust over the reservation period. Thus, in order to make changes in an interactive basis, it is crucial to solve the seat allocation problem in a small amount of time. This study embodies column generation algorithms applied to ARM problems. Networkbased ARM problems are computationally hard to solve even if the airline network is small. However, in this study we challenged ourselves with large-scale airline networks. For computational efficiency, the network is divided into subnetworks by means of date and time information. The overall network is decomposed to origin destination pairs, so that each pair is treated as a single-leg problem. The resulting seat allocation models (static, dynamic and deterministic linear programming) having a non-linear objective function are linearized by means of the transformation technique proposed by Dantzig which embodies a transformation only by means of additional decision variables. Since column generation can not cope with problems extending row-wise, Dantzigs formulation is the perfect fit. After applying column generation, the numerical results for the models is demonstrated.


Social machine is a rather new approach to deal with relevant problems in society, blending computational and social elements into software. It can be an extension of the Semantic Web, creating processes in which people do the creative work and the machine does the data administration. This article presents a proposal to apply this approach in violence and criminality domain, a relevant matter to Latin America and Caribbean - LAC -- countries. It extends Social Machines by applying two published strategies to obtain semantics over social networks data. The development procedure was documented to provide a systematic procedure and an example application is presented to identify violence and criminality events. The resulting procedure validation was done by testing against developed formal models in the research area. Criminal activity data extraction results were also compared to official data, in order to identify similarities.


A selection of algorithms for the rational approximation of matrix-valued functions are discussed, including variants of the interpolatory AAA method, the RKFIT method based on approximate least squares fitting, vector fitting, and a method based on low-rank approximation of a block Loewner matrix. A new method, called the block-AAA algorithm, based on a generalized barycentric formula with matrix-valued weights is proposed. All algorithms are compared in terms of obtained approximation accuracy and runtime on a set of problems from model order reduction and nonlinear eigenvalue problems, including examples with noisy data. It is found that interpolation-based methods are typically cheaper to run, but they may suffer in the presence of noise for which approximation-based methods perform better.


The industry is moving towards maintenance strategies that consider component health, which require extensive collection and analysis of data. Condition monitoring methods that require manual feature extraction and analysis, become infeasible on an industrial scale. Machine learning algorithms can be used to automatically detect and classify faults, however, obtaining sufficient data for training is required for deep learning and other data-driven classification approaches. Data from healthy machine operation is generally available in abundance, while data from representative faultand operating conditions is limited. This limits both development and deployment of deep learning-based CM systems on an industrial scale. This paper addresses both the challenges of automated analysis and lack of training data. A deep learning classifier architecture utilizing 1-dimensional dilated convolutions is proposed. Dilation of the convolution kernel allows for analysis of raw vibration signals while simultaneously maintaining the receptive field of the classifier enough to capture temporal patterns. The proposed method performs classification in time domain on signal segments of 1 second or shorter. With knowledge of the bearing specification, artificial vibration signals with similar characteristics as an actual bearing fault can be created. In this work, generated fault signals are combined with healthy operational data to obtain training data for a deep classifier. Parameters of the vibration Martin Hemmer et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. model is chosen as distributions rather than fixed values. By using a range parameters in the vibration model, the classifier learns to recognize temporal features from the training data that generalize to unseen data. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by training classifiers on generated data and testing on real signals from faulty bearings at both low and high speed. One dataset containing seeded faults and three run-to-failure tests are used for the demonstration.


In this thesis the author has through a discourse analysis examined how the concept of culture has been used in the discourse of integration during the late twentieth century in Sweden. The author argues that the integration of immigrating people has been the fundamental method in creating Swedish citizens within the immigrant communities. In this discourse the concept "culture" has been a constant recurring way of explaining differences among the immigrants towards "ethnic swedes" and Swedish way of life and establishing difficulties in performing integration outside of governmental policies. When looked upon in terms of discourse the integration process is the possibilities, intents and interests and the actual creation i.e. when immigrants become citizens of Sweden. The main source material has been legislative reports and bills which point out viewpoints within political institutions. In the discourse culture as a concept has operated in numerous ways. One key aspect has been to point out deviations from the "Swedish viewpoints and behaviours" by describing these deviations as "cultural expressions". This in turn paved way for an ulterior nationalism and yet the legislative actors made it appear as a choice for the immigrants as well as an urge to keep an equivalence for all residents. Culture was also the main mode of giving the immigrants an identity. In turn the "Swedish" was both a culture that lacked a distinct content and something that was "beyond culture". Difficulties that immigrants would experience was in all circumstances a matter for the Swedish society as a whole but their presence was due to the immigrant's actions or the cultural diversity in Sweden i.e. not because of Swedish policies.


This paper examines the efficiency of the Tokyo Foreign Exchange Market from two perspectives. One is whether or not forward bias in this market has existed and the other is the effect of interventions in the market with a focus on whether or not a day-of-the-week anomaly exists in it. Empirical results show that forward exchange rates are a biased predictor of future spot exchange rates; however, there are some anomalies in the market. The findings suggest the conclusion that this market has not been completely efficient.


This paper presents results from a global ocean model with …8 resolution and 36 vertical levels, forced with European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) winds and with applied altimetric sea level anomalies and temperature profile assimilation over the period 1992‐96. Comparison with World Ocean Circulation Experiment data indicates the important role of temperature profile assimilation in maintaining the sharp thermocline gradients. Diagnostics of Walin-type water mass transformations over the North Atlantic are shown, which are implied by the procedure of assimilation. It is seen that the altimeter assimilation contributes very little to water transformation but the temperature profile assimilation effectively prevents all drift in water volumes for potential temperatures u 0 . 78C. Furthermore, the temperature profile assimilation is effective at producing subtropical mode waters at a rate of 16 Sv, which the poor representation of surface fluxes in this model run is unable to do. The possibility for interpreting the assimilation transformation fluxes in terms of deficiencies in physical processes such as air‐sea fluxes and internal mixing is then discussed. The paper represents a new use of data assimilation methodology in order to quantify the physical biases in the fundamental processes of surface forcing and mixing in a way that is independent of explicit model parameterizations.


In the era of Big Data, data collection underpins biological research more than ever before. In many cases, this can be as time-consuming as the analysis itself. It requires downloading multiple public databases with various data structures, and in general, spending days preparing the data before answering any biological questions. Here, we introduce Sherlock, an open-source, cloud-based big data platform ( https://earlham-sherlock.github.io/) to solve this problem. Sherlock provides a gap-filling way for computational biologists to store, convert, query, share and generate biology data while ultimately streamlining bioinformatics data management. The Sherlock platform offers a simple interface to leverage big data technologies, such as Docker and PrestoDB. Sherlock is designed to enable users to analyze, process, query and extract information from extremely complex and large data sets. Furthermore, Sherlock can handle different structured data (interaction, localization, or genomic sequence) from several sources and convert them to a common optimized storage format, for example, the Optimized Row Columnar (ORC). This format facilitates Sherlock's ability to quickly and efficiently execute distributed analytical queries on extremely large data files and share datasets between teams. The Sherlock platform is freely available on GitHub, and contains specific loader scripts for structured data sources of genomics, interaction and expression databases. With these loader scripts, users can easily and quickly create and work with specific file formats, such as JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) or ORC. For computational biology and large-scale bioinformatics projects, Sherlock provides an open-source platform empowering data management, analytics, integration and collaboration through modern big data technologies.


Since the Human Genome Project(HGP) has begun in the mid 1980s, the. sequencing of the hwnan genome has been finally completed in 2001. The knowledge developed from the HGP has revolutionized how health care professionals think about patient care, mandating a new paradigm of patient care in totally inconceivable ways from the past For instance, the patients at risk for disease can be identified early enough for intervention ; the medicine can be tailored for individual patients based on their own genetic information ; the gene therapy could be a common procedure in the near future. The advancement in genetics, therefore, requires the shift of paradigm not only in nursing education, practice, but also in nursing research.
 It is attempted, in this article to introduce briefly the basic knowledge of genetics, the pharmacogenomics, and the overview of national genetic research initiated and organized by the Center for Functional Analysis of Human Genome in Korea.
 The current state of nursing genetic knowledge and its implications on nursing education, practice, and research has examined. Furthermore, the visions and the opportunities for nursing science and practice to participate in this genetic revolution were also explored.


We investigate parents' perceptions of various educational
 systems and their impact on the decision to either send their children
 to school, or engage them in other childhood activities. Childhood
 activities are categorised as follows: secular schooling, religious
 (non- secular schooling), child labour, child labour combined with
 secular schooling, and leisure (inactivity). The paper uses the
 household survey data of 2,496 children, 963 households, and 40 villages
 in Pakistan. A Multinomial Probit Model analysed the impact of various
 socio- economic variables on the likelihood of choosing an activity for
 children. Results indicate that the following factors influence the
 parents' decisions in selection of activities for their children: the
 parents' level of education, mother's relative authority in household
 decisions, degree of religiosity of the head of household, beliefs in
 tribal norms, household income, and proximity to the school. The
 findings provide insignificant evidence to support the "luxury axiom"
 hypothesis that children only work when their families are unable to
 meet their basic needs.


Type II clathrate hydrates (CHs) were studied by thermal and dielectric measurements. All CHs amorphize, or collapse, on pressurization to 1.3 GPa below 135 K. After heating to 160 K at 1 GPa, the stability of the amorphous states increases in a process similar to the gradual high density to very high density amorphous ice (HDA to VHDA) transition. On a subsequent pressure decrease, the amorphized CHs expand partly irreversibly similar to the gradual VHDA to expanded HDA ice transformation. After further heating at 1 GPa, weak transition features appear near the HDA to low density amorphous ice transition. The results suggest that CH nucleation sites vanish on heating to 160 K at 1 GPa and that a sluggish partial phase-separation process commences on further heating. The collapsed CHs show two glass transitions (GTs), GT1 and GT2. GT1 is weakly pressure-dependent, 12 K GPa-1, with a relaxation time of 0.3 s at 140 K and 1 GPa; it is associated with a weak heat capacity increase of 3.7 J H2O-mol-1 K-1 in a 18 K range and an activation energy of only 38 kJ mol-1 at 1 GPa. The corresponding temperature of GT2 is 159 K at 0.4 GPa with a pressure dependence of 36 K GPa-1; it shows 5.5 times larger heat capacity increase and 4 times higher activation energy than GT1. GT1 is observed also in HDA and VHDA, whereas GT2 occurs just above the crystallization temperature of expanded HDA and only within its ∼0.2-0.7 GPa stable pressure range.


This research aims at examining biblical hermeneutics in Bembaland, Zambia. Home to 4.8 million people, 50%-75% of whom are nominally Christian and 44% Catholic, with literacy levels at 61.4%, this thesis explores the interplay of orality and scribality in the Bembaland experiences of biblical hermeneutics. The terminus a quo of this thesis is that the shift in preferred medium from orality to scribablity in Bembaland affected not only hermeneutical understandings of the Bible, but also the broader social praxis. This can be identified in changed ways both of thinking and the derivation of meaning, both in terms of heteroglossal interpretation and the patterning and understanding of authority. The terminus ad quem of the thesis is that rather than hold orality and textuality in an antithetical binarism, it is more fruitful to pursue a negotiated and hybrid approach which holds oral and textual poetics in constructive symbiosis.

In making this argument, rather than calling in the hermeneutical bulldozer of one single method, our approach is to unlock the Bemba experiences using a bricolage of analytical tools which have included contextual fieldwork, postcolonial critique, communication theory, spatial theory and linguistic analysis. In particular, the argumentation is alert first to the deconstruction of textual interpretations authored by the dominant and literate elite; secondly, the silencing of colonized 'others' as subjects of their own history; thirdly, the emancipation of misued biblical passages through hermeneutics of suspicion, retrieval, restoration and transformation. As a worked example, I have proposed a negotiated, oral-textual and hybrid hermeneutics of Rom 13:1-7.

The outcomes of the 'oral-scribal' analysis undertaken partially echo McLuhan's famous phrase, 'The medium is the message.' The evidence suggests that there has been a tectonic shift in the biblical hermeneutics of Bembaland. Succinctly, this may be characterised principally by the move from oral/aural to chirographical/typographical media management in which communication and space were utilised as a means of exerting power and control. In the particular Bemba context of > - 'Royalty is constituted by speech' the effect is seismic since tribal authority has hitherto been constituted by the spoken rather than the written word. Thus informed, the research proposes a rebalancing of this destabilizing shift using two metaphors. Firstly, hearing/reading the word under an African tree as > ['Hear the news'} has the potential to open up what James Maxey has referred to as the oral ethos of the Bible in a context that is still characterised by residual orality; secondly, hearing/reading the word in Terra Nullius, ['unclaimed land'] where both oral/textual media hybridity and community hybridity are the catchwords. In like manner, this allows for border-crossing or 'transgressive hermeneutics' that is meta-gendered and trans-ethnic in its redemptive power.


A degassing treatment is necessary to assure the quality of aluminum alloy castings. Its effect on the mechanical properties of the A356 alloys has been well studied and documented. This study assessed the effect of different degassing diffusers, a lance and a porous bar, on the areas of the foggy marks and the pore counts as revealed in the chilled Al-7Si and the A356 alloy sample sections. The degassing bubbles rose in the melt floating with induced convection loops during degassing. The porous diffuser generated a strong and wide convection loop in the melt. There are two bubble explosion sites when a porous diffuser was used: one in the area close to the wall of the crucible and another near the diffuser. Using a lance diffuser generated a coarse-bubble cloud near the diffuser during degassing. For Al-7Si alloy, different diffusers produced a close ratio of foggy marked area and a close pore count but the quality of A356 alloy melt was affected by diffusers and/or Sr addition. During rotating bending tests, the fatigue life of the specimens was affected by the pore count and the relative porosity, but was irrelevant to the foggy marks.


Objective: To assess whether risk-adjusted mortality in very low birthweight or preterm infants is associated with levels of nursing provision. Design: Prospective study of risk-adjusted mortality in infants admitted to a random sample of neonatal units. Setting: Fifty four UK neonatal intensive care units stratified by: patient volume; consultant availability; nurse:cot ratios. Patients: A group of 2585 very low birthweight (birthweight <1500 g) or preterm (<31 weeks gestation) infants. Main Outcome Measure: Death before discharge or planned deaths at home, excluding lethal malformations, after adjusting for initial risk 12 hours after birth using gestation at birth and measures of illness severity in relation to nursing provision calculated for each baby's neonatal unit stay. Results: A total of 57% of nursing shifts were understaffed, with greater shortages at weekends. Risk-adjusted mortality was inversely related to the provision of nurses with specialist neonatal qualifications (OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.42 to 0.97). Increasing the ratio of nurses with neonatal qualifications to intensive care and high dependency infants to 1:1 was associated with a decrease in risk-adjusted mortality of 48% (OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.33, 0.83). Conclusions: Risk-adjusted mortality did not differ across neonatal units. However, survival in neonatal care for very low birthweight or preterm infants was related to proportion of nurses with neonatal qualifications per shift. The findings could be used to support specific standards of specialist nursing provision in neonatal and other areas of intensive and high dependency care.


In this paper we derive a novel bound on the generalization error of Magnitude-Based pruning of overparameterized neural networks. Our work builds on the bounds in Arora et al. [2018] where the error depends on one, the approximation induced by pruning, and two, the number of parameters in the pruned model, and improves upon standard norm-based generalization bounds. The pruned estimates obtained using our new Magnitude-Based compression algorithm are close to the unpruned functions with high probability, which improves the first criteria. Using Sparse Matrix Sketching the space of the pruned matrices can be efficiently represented in the space of dense matrices of much smaller dimensions, thereby lowering the second criterion. This leads to stronger generalization bound than many state-of-the-art methods, thereby breaking new ground in the algorithm development for pruning and bounding generalization error of overparameterized models. Beyond this, we extend our results to obtain generalization bound for Iterative Pruning [Frankle and Carbin, 2018]. We empirically verify the success of this new method on ReLU-activated Feed Forward Networks on the MNIST and CIFAR10 datasets.


This thesis examines the role of weather forecasts in economic decision making and proposes a state-space model for evaluating multi-horizon forecasts. Our first application sets the scene by using mixed frequency real-time weather data to improve the predictive performance of retail sales forecasts. Our findings illustrate that significant improvements in predictive accuracy can be achieved when weather variables are incorporated into a mixed frequency forecasting model. However, once we move to a real-time environment, substituting meteorological forecasts for observed weather variables, meteorological forecast uncertainty leads to a somewhat muted improvement in predictive accuracy. The implication is that real-time data constraints are a limitation of forecasting models that use weather variables as an input. This points to a role for forecast evaluation and the need to better understand the structure of forecasting error. Our state-space model of multi-horizon forecasts is based on the forecast revision structure implied by forecast rationality. The parameters of this model allow us to identify rational forecast revision components, that we call information content, as well as residual forecasting error components, that we call implicit forecasting error. A key contribution of this thesis is the demonstration of how our model based approach to forecast evaluation nests existing test based approaches as special cases. We illustrate our proposed multi-horizon forecast evaluation approach using two empirical applications. First, we employ our model based approach to examine the structure of forecasting error in multi-horizon meteorological forecasts of daily temperature. Multi-horizon temperature forecasts are found to contain multiple sources of forecasting error. The structure of meteorological forecasting error depends on the length of the forecast horizon. Second, we employ our model to examine the information content of multi-horizon electricity demand forecasts for the New South Wales region of the Australian National Electricity Market. We discover that the information content of electricity demand forecasts depends not only on the length of the horizon at which the forecasts are made, but also the time of day the forecasts are made.


Seismic interferometry has become a technology of growing interest for imaging from borehole seismic data. We demonstrate that interferometry of internal multiples can be used to image targets above a borehole receiver array. We use an interferometry technique that targets the reconstruction of specific primary reflections from multiply reflected waves. In this target-oriented interferometry approach, we rely on shot-domain wavenumber separation to select the directions of waves arriving at a given receiver. We provide a description of this method along with two conceptual applications, and compare it to other approaches to seismic interferometry. Using a numerical walkaway VSP experiment recorded by a subsalt borehole receiver array in the Sigsbee salt model, we use the interference of internal multiples to image the salt structure from below. In this numerical example, the interferometric image that targets internal multiples reconstructs the bottom and top salt reflectors above the receiver array, as well as subsalt sediment structure between the array and the salt.


Fibroblasts have been investigated in 18-day-old embryos, in newborns, in 2-week-old and in 2-month-old rats of postnatal development. Comparison of fibroblasts population is specific for each stage. Average section area of the fibroblasts nucleus is progressively decreasing during ontogenesis. Average section area of cytoplasm reaches its maximum by the end of the second week of the life and then decreases sharply, and therefore the nucleus/cytoplasm ratio in the fibroblasts is minimal at the age of two weeks. The Golgi complex section area decreases significantly in mature animals as compared to the young ones. Summational extent of the granular endoplasmic reticulum membranes in the fibroblast section in the 2-week-old animals is 2.5 times as great as the corresponding parameters in the fetuses, newborns and mature animals. This parameter is greatly informative for determining the fibroblast type in accordance with its synthetic activity.


Infonnation accumulated during 20 years of investigations on the coast of County Wexford is summarised. Topics include shore descriptions, faunal records, transectal surveys on rocky shores and sandy beaches, cryptofaunal studies on rocky shores, and ecology, reproduction and population dynamics of many of the dominant species. Studies were mainly carried out on exposed and sheltered rocky shores in the region of Camsore Point, Forlorn Point and Hook Head, and sandy beaches at Kilmore Quay, Camsore, Came, Rosslare Harbour and Rosslare Point, but some collections were made in a wide range of habitats throughout the county. A total of 484 taxa were recorded. Carnsore is the type locality for four species of oligochaete and two more are yet to be described. The fauna lacks some of the elements of west Irish coasts but is richer than on the mid~eastern coast owing to the presence of southern species. Differences in species abundance and population structure on south and east coasts are described, and possible reasons for the differences are discussed.


This research work proposes a novel approach to estimate probabilities of availability states of the energy transfer network in marine energy conversion subsystems, using Bayesian Networks (BNs). The logical interrelationships between units at different level in this network can be understood through qualitative system analysis, which then can be modeled by the fault tree (FT). The FT can be mapped to a corresponding BN, and the condition probabilities of nodes can be determined based on the logic structure. A case study was performed to demonstrate how the mapping is implemented, and the probabilities of availability states were estimated. The results give the probability of each availability state as a function of time, which serves as a basis for choosing the optimal design solution.


The use of music as a therapeutic agent was an essential part of healing practices and rituals in Ancient Greece. Nowadays, there is a wealth of literature about these practices, as well as their philosophy with regards to music's healing powers and its connections to physiological, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of wellbeing (e.g., Georgiadi , Elpida, 2007; Kopsacheilis, 1996; Makris & Makri, 2003; Ntziouni, 2009; Polychroniadou, 1989; West, 1999). Of course, the very words "music" and "therapy" originate from the Ancient Greek words μουσική (mousike, meaning art of Muses) and θeραπeία (therapeia, meaning service, curing, healing) respectively – whose original meaning still inspires contemporary therapists worldwide. Music therapy in modern Greece (Hellas) draws on this rich background, and is currently in a formative and rather exciting stage of development.

This paper attempts to provide an overview of music therapy's development and current state as a contemporary profession and discipline in Greece. It addresses a spectrum of aspects with regard to music therapy services, education and research in Greece. Also, legal and professional issues are discussed and an outline of relevant Greek literature and publications is given which can guide the reader in other relevant sources of information.

The information provided through this paper is drawn from a range of sources, including official publications, anecdotal material, as well as my own personal experience. This range of sources aims to provide a clear and honest account of music therapy in Greece, where various perspectives are embraced (even when these may appear conflicting). It is worth clarifying that this paper does not attempt to make a detailed reference to the work of each individual who has contributed to the development of music therapy in Greece. However, I would like to warmly thank and express my appreciation to each one of them. I hope this paper will create a platform for further dialogue and discussion. Contributions from Greek music therapy practitioners are welcome.


The present study examined the association between sexual behavior and treatment improvement of institutionalized girls. Treatment files of 174 girls (M age = 15.71, SD = 1.14) were analyzed to obtain information about the sexual behavior of girls before admission. Based on their sexual behavior, girls were classified into three subgroups: girls showing sexually normative behavior (29%), girls showing promiscuous behavior (43%), and girls with a history of forced prostitution (29%). A subsample of 95 girls was also asked to complete questionnaires to measure treatment improvement. The findings revealed no differences in self-reported problem behavior between the subgroups at entrance. Over time differences between the subgroups were found, indicating that the girls in the different subgroups might require a different treatment approach. Further research that would include larger samples is needed to explore specific treatment needs.


In view of their unique characteristics and properties, silver nanomaterials (Ag NMs) have been used not only in the field of nanomedicine but also for diverse advanced catalytic technologies. In this comprehensive review, light is shed on general synthetic approaches encompassing chemical reduction, sonochemical, microwave, and thermal treatment among the preparative methods for the syntheses of Ag-based NMs and their catalytic applications. Additionally, some of the latest innovative approaches such as continuous flow integrated with MW and other benign approaches have been emphasized that ultimately pave the way for sustainability. Moreover, the potential applications of emerging Ag NMs, including sub nanomaterials and single atoms, in the field of liquid-phase catalysis, photocatalysis, and electrocatalysis as well as a positive role of Ag NMs in catalytic reactions are meticulously summarized. The scientific interest in the synthesis and applications of Ag NMs lies in the integrated benefits of their catalytic activity, selectivity, stability, and recovery. Therefore, the rise and journey of Ag NM-based catalysts will inspire a new generation of chemists to tailor and design robust catalysts that can effectively tackle major environmental challenges and help to replace noble metals in advanced catalytic applications. This overview concludes by providing future perspectives on the research into Ag NMs in the arena of electrocatalysis and photocatalysis.


A model of generalized optical anisotropy of polycrystalline networks of albumin and globulin of the effusion of appendicitis has been suggested. The method of Fourier phasometry of linear and circular birefringence with a spatial-frequency selection of the coordinate distributions for the differentiation of acute and gangrenous conditions have been analytically substantiated. A set of criteria of a polarization-phase differentiation of acute and gangrenous appendicitis states has been detected and substantiated.


The purpose of this practice-led research was to investigate the use of free improvisation within the context of repertoire interpretation. Through investigating an historical model in which these two approaches to music making co-exist, my aim was to increase my ability as an improviser and interpreter of original music.
Free improvisation can imply an absence of premeditated organisation and content. Performing a repertoire requires the observance of some fixed material - reconciling these two approaches can therefore prove difficult as each contains seemingly contradictory methodologies. By investigating Derek Bailey's Ballads, a seminal recording on which these two approaches to music making co-exist successfully, a set of key concepts were derived to inform music making that utilises free improvisation in the course of interpreting repertoire. These concepts provide much needed information on the materials and approaches used within the above musical context, and within free improvisation as a whole - an area of research that has thus far been under-represented within academia.
The weighting of this research is 80% folio and 20% exegesis. The exegesis is comprised of an investigation of Ballads through transcription and analysis, self-reflective analysis investigating the utilisation of the research findings in a practice-led capacity, and discussion of recordings produced throughout the course of this research. The folio consists of commercial and concert recordings made between 2013 and 2017.
Considering Bailey's key materials and organisational approaches has highlighted the importance of a considered and structured approach when combining free improvisation with repertoire interpretation. Investigating a limited set of materials for an extended duration enables any parameter to be improvised upon - be that material derived from a composition, from an established free improvisatory language, or a combination of the two. Applying this knowledge to the performance of my own compositions has greatly expanded my expressive and interpretative capability. Additionally, this research provides useful information for anyone wishing to investigate Bailey's improvisatory language in both practical and academic settings.


Abstract The synthesis of γ-glutamyl-7-amino-4-(trifluoromethyl)coumarin and its use as a substrate for γ-glutamyltranspeptidase is described. The reaction product 7-amino-4-(trifluoromethyl)coumarin was fluorescent at neutral pH values and with excitation and emission wavelengths of 400 and 490 nm, respectively, concentration was linearly related to fluorescence over the range of 10 to 300 pmol/3 ml reaction mixture. At pH 8.4, the optimum for purified γ-glutamyltranspeptidase, continuous fluorometric determination of enzyme activity with time could be carried out. This permitted accurate estimations to be made of initial reaction rates. Low levels of γ-glutamyltranspeptidase activity could be shown in isolated rat hepatocytes (1 × 10 5 cells). Such activity could be inhibited by the addition acivicine (α-amino-3-chloro-5-isoxazoleacetic acid), suggesting the absence of peptidase-like activity. Following 2-week pretreatment of rats with the antiestrogen, tamoxifen, a fourfold increase in γ-glutamyltranspeptidase activity was observed. The present method offers a convenient, sensitive method for the determination of γ-glutamyltranspeptidase activity without the need for elaborate workup procedures.


Background and Objective This study investigated the efficacy of mandatory seat belt use legislation on reducing traffic injuries and the intensity of road traffic injuries (RTIs). Materials and Methods Data on RTIs from 1 year before till 2 years after the implementation of mandatory seat belt use legislation were obtained from the police department. After data cleaning and stratification RTIs and moralities from 1 year before till 2 year after the implementation of mandatory seat belt use legislations was compared with those in year prior to the intervention. Results After the implementation of the mandatory seat belt use, traffic mortalities consisted of 13.3% of all RTIs in the year prior to the implementation, while this proportion decreased to 9.9% and 11.5% in the first and second years after the implementation, respectively. The trend of mortality reduction was not consistent for seat belt use, as we observed a slight increase in the proportion of moralities in the second year after the implementation of mandatory seat belt use, though they did not reach the levels for before implementation of those laws. Conclusion Our findings suggested that the mandatory of seat belt use was efficient in reduction of intensity of RTIs and it was also efficient in reducing the crude number of RTIs. However, in the second year after the implantation the efficiency of this intervention reduced.


Abstract The nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) diclofenac-sodium, in the galenic form of an eye drop solution (0.1%), has been tested in an open clinical trial in the following indications: episcleritis (30 patients), limbal corneal ulcer (9 patients), hay-fever conjunctivitis and/or conjunctivitis phlyctaenulosa (11 patients). The result of this clinical trial has shown that diclofenac-sodium eye drop solution fulfills all the requirements of a well-tolerated and effective NSAID. The application of diclofenac-sodium eye drop solution (3-5 times daily) resulted in a clear-cut reduction in the use of eye drops containing steroids and its prominent analgesic effect was impressive. Although a slight, transient burning sensation was noticed by a few patients shortly after instillation, no local or systemic adverse reactions were observed.


In this paper, we aim to design robust estimation techniques based on the compound-Gaussian (CG) process and adapted for calibration of radio interferometers. The motivation beyond this is due to the presence of outliers leading to an unrealistic traditional Gaussian noise assumption. Consequently, to achieve robustness, we adopt a maximum a posteriori (MAP) approach which exploits Bayesian statistics and follows a sequential updating procedure here. The proposed algorithm is applied in a multi-frequency scenario in order to enhance the estimation and correction of perturbation effects. Numerical simulations assess the performance of the proposed algorithm for different noise models, Student's t, K, Laplace, Cauchy and inverse-Gaussian compound-Gaussian distributions w. r. t. the classical non-robust Gaussian noise assumption.


Combined time‐lapse reservoir simulation and seismic modelling has been performed on both 1D and 3D models of a channelized turbidite reservoir. The models have been built using core, log, laboratory and seismic data from the Nelson Field (central North Sea) as a template. Oil and water movement in the main channels, channel margins and interchannel regions is investigated, with a particular focus being the effect of poor net‐to‐gross. The analysis confirms that saturation effects dominate the response whilst stress‐sensitivity effects play a minor role. The trough–peak signature in the seismic difference volumes formed by the sweep of the water can be continued and mapped slightly further than the channel margins. This characteristic 4D signature remains roughly intact, despite the complicated depositional architecture, and accurately delineates the area of moved fluid, but it needs additional calibration to combat the detrimental influence of the low net‐to‐gross. Signal strength is largely dependent on reservoir quality, but is also compromised by the net‐to‐gross, fluid distribution and, more critically, by the exact timing of the seismic survey. For example, a region of bypassed oil zone remains undetected as it forms early during the production. This work demonstrates that to understand fully the 4D signature at a quantitative level requires adequate knowledge of the fluid properties, but also, more critically, the geology.


Malicious Web activities continue to be a major threat to the safety of online Web users. Despite the plethora forms of attacks and the diversity of their delivery channels, in the back end, they are all orchestrated through malicious Web infrastructures, which enable miscreants to do business with each other and utilize others' resources. Identifying the linchpins of the dark infrastructures and distinguishing those valuable to the adversaries from those disposable are critical for gaining an upper hand in the battle against them. In this paper, using nearly 4 million malicious URL paths crawled from different attack channels, we perform a large-scale study on the topological relations among hosts in the malicious Web infrastructure. Our study reveals the existence of a set of topologically dedicated malicious hosts that play orchestrating roles in malicious activities. They are well connected to other malicious hosts and do not receive traffic from legitimate sites. Motivated by their distinctive features in topology, we develop a graph-based approach that relies on a small set of known malicious hosts as seeds to detect dedicate malicious hosts in a large scale. Our method is general across the use of different types of seed data, and results in an expansion rate of over 12 times in detection with a low false detection rate of 2%. Many of the detected hosts operate as redirectors, in particular Traffic Distribution Systems (TDSes) that are long-lived and receive traffic from new attack campaigns over time. These TDSes play critical roles in managing malicious traffic flows. Detecting and taking down these dedicated malicious hosts can therefore have more impact on the malicious Web infrastructures than aiming at short-lived doorways or exploit sites.


While the "value" style of investing fell on hard times in 1998-2000, the cornerstone of that approach--discounted cash-flow analysis--is still a sound valuation method and can be used to calcuate the fair value of "growth" as well as "value" companies. A DCF analysis of selected companies finds the growth stocks overpriced and the value stocks underpriced. Looking forward, however, values investors may need to retool their approach to fit today's market realities, including the possibility that some declining, old-line companies that appear to be good value are not.


Music, as part of the National Curriculum, is a compulsory subject of study for all pupils until the age of 14. Listening to music is an important part of adolescent leisure time, music can be a powerful identifier of youth culture and yet, few pupils associate their commitment to, or enjoyment of music, with the classroom context. 93% of pupils opt out of classroom music as soon as they are given the choice (Bray 2000). The question remains 'why?' Case studies in three secondary schools were carried out with a total sample of 249 Year 9 pupils. Pupils described their experiences of Key Stage 3 classroom music during interviews. Pupils completed questionnaires in which they described their own musical ability and the skills required to achieve in GCSE Music. Patterns in pupil responses across the population were identified and used to describe seven types of musical engagement. The tendency for a pupil to engage with Key Stage 3 Music was linked to (i) the pupil- teacher relationship, (ii) perceived task-based competency, (iii) perception of risk, (iv) peer support, (v) the dominant school-based genre. As a result of these findings a model of adolescent musical identity in school and other contexts was proposed that related the inter-personal perspective of the pupil's experience (Musics available to me) to an intra-personal perspective in which the individual forms a personal relationship with specific musical encounters (Me, and My music). It is proposed, that for many pupils, it is the 'goodness of fit' between the classroom experiences and 'Me and My music' that will determine the pupils' decisions to engage with the Key Stage 3 music classroom.


In Reply. —Our Editorial was not directed toward minimizing the significance of the findings in the article by Dr Mittelman and colleagues. 1 The specific comments to which Dr Butler refers were from our perspective to emphasize the importance of considering the differences between efficacy of an intervention trial vs effectiveness of replications in the community. The last paragraph of the editorial addresses this issue in greater detail. The financial and other barriers to nursing home admission (for example, spousal or family choice or medical necessity) are difficult to generalize from state to state. I personally find the "spend-down" regulation onerous. However, in frail elderly individuals with dementia, there is little or no evidence of a greater obstacle to nursing home admission than with nondemented persons, although anecdotal reports have occurred (oral communication, Katie Maslow, Alzheimer's Association of America, and oral communication, Lori Smetanka, The National Citizens Coalition for Nursing Home Reform,


The Occupational Health Surveillance System described herein has provided the experience and data to clearly demonstrate that prospective, epidemiological application to the problem of health surveillance in the occupational environment is feasible and economical. It has demonstrated that the approach is implementable in industries of any size or type, can be operated without interference with industrial productivity, is extremely cost-effective at the epidemiological surveillance program level, provides the best means to identify and characterize agents which may produce occupationally-related disease in the human population, provides an ongoing means of assessing the effectiveness of intervention or preventive measures and be provided through the expertise of health sciences centers with economic benefit to the universities and industry and a significant social benefit to the community.


Selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) uses orally administered antibiotics to eliminate or markedly reduce the number of aerobic gram-negative bacilli colonizing the digestive tract, thus preventing endogenous infection with these organisms. The selective activity of the drugs used allows retention of the normally predominant anaerobic flora of the tract, thus preventing overgrowth or colonization with organisms resistant to the decontaminating agents; this phenomenon is termed "colonization resistance" (CR). SDD has been increasingly applied to medico-surgical intensive care patients, a procedure that remains highly contentious. The concept of colonization resistance is central to the use of SDD. However, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are both complex and disputed. Further, the experimental basis for the clinical use of SDD is dependent to a surprising degree on a restricted series of studies involving total decontamination of the digestive tract of mice carried out by van der Waaij and colleagues between 1971 and 1974. This thesis described studies in two areas. First, repetition of the total decontamination studies of van der Waaij et al., (1971) in order to verify or modify their conclusions concerning colonization resistance. Second, the application of the same mouse model to the SDD regimen most commonly used in clinical ITU practice: orally administered mixture of polymyxin E, tobramycin, and amphotericin B (PTA) with or without the addition of systemically administered cefotaxime. Treated and untreated Balb / c mice were subjected to direct oral challenge with bacteria resistant to the decontaminating agents, together with detailed microbiological monitoring of the aerobic and anaerobic faecal flora. Throughout these studies the results were greatly influenced by the details of the technique employed. Untreated, control mice showed a very high CR. A challenge dose of 108-10 cfu of E. coli S-R21 was required to achieve colonization in 50% of mice, and 6 other challenge strains (Klebsiella pneumoniae S-R10, Pseudomonas aeruginosa S-R321, Proteus mirabiiis s-R9, Pseudomonas cepacia S-R13, Providencia stuartii s-R7 and Candida albicans s-R5) failed to colonize the control mice at a maximum test dose of 108-10cfu. TDD rapidly reduced the aerobic faecal flora to undetectable levels. A marked reduction in the numbers and diversity of anaerobic flora was also seen, but this effect was more variable and often incomplete. These changes were associated with a striking reduction in the CR for E.coli S-R21. Values of < 2 were obtained, together with extensive multiplication of the challenge in the gut of mice. However, there was a marked variation in the CR results with different challenge organisms. SDD rapidly eliminated indigenous E.coli from the faeces, but had little effect on the levels of enterococci. Effects on anaerobic flora were limited to some simplification in flora diversity. A small reduction in CR was noted in these mice, but this was much less than that seen with TDD and multiplication of the challenge organisms within the gut was not observed. Treatment with systemic cefotaxime alone was associated with elimination of faecal E.coli and overgrowth with enterococci. There was also a major reduction in the diversity of anaerobic flora, although the total viable count was unchanged. These changes were not associated with a significant reduction in CR. However, SDD supplemented with systemic cefotaxime produced striking and surprising results. As previously, E.coli was rapidly eliminated, but this was accopanied by a marked overgrowth with enterococci. In addition, there was either apparent elimination of anaerobic flora or a marked reduction in both the numbers and the diversity of these organisms. These changes were associated with a marked reduction in CR (to value < 4, the smallest challenge tested). These results are surprising in view of the clinical experience with this widely used regimen. They also give rise to clinical concern and they warrant further investigation.


Abstract. Remote sensing of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in cities, where high GHG emissions are typically associated with heavy aerosol loading, is challenging due to retrieval uncertainties caused by imperfect characterization of scattering by aerosols. We investigate this problem by developing GFIT3, a full physics algorithm to retrieve GHGs (CO2 and CH4) by accounting for aerosol scattering effects in polluted urban atmospheres. In particular, the algorithm includes coarse (including sea salt and dust) and fine (including organic carbon, black carbon, and sulfate) mode aerosols in the radiative transfer model. The performance of GFIT3 is assessed using high spectral resolution observations over the Los Angeles (LA) megacity made by the California Laboratory for Atmospheric Remote Sensing–Fourier Transform Spectrometer (CLARS–FTS). CLARS–FTS is located on Mt. Wilson, California, at 1.67 km a.s.l. overlooking the LA basin, and makes observations of reflected sunlight in the near-infrared spectral range. The first set of evaluations are performed by conducting retrieval experiments using synthetic spectra. We find that errors in the retrievals of column-averaged dry air mole fractions of CO2 (XCO2) and CH4 (XCH4) due to uncertainties in the aerosol optical properties and atmospheric a priori profiles are less than 1 % on average. This indicates that atmospheric scattering does not induce a large bias in the retrievals when the aerosols are properly characterised. The methodology is then further evaluated by comparing GHG retrievals using GFIT3 with those obtained from the CLARS-GFIT algorithm (used for currently operational CLARS retrievals) that does not account for aerosol scattering. We find a significant correlation between retrieval bias and aerosol optical depth (AOD). Comparison of GFIT3 AOD retrievals with collocated ground-based observations from AERONET shows that the developed algorithm produces very accurate results, with biases in AOD estimates of about 0.02. Finally, we assess the uncertainty in the widely used tracer-tracer ratio method to obtain CH4 emissions based on CO2 emissions, and find that using the CH4 / CO2 ratio effectively cancels out biases due to aerosol scattering. Overall, this study of applying GFIT3 to CLARS-FTS observations improves our understanding of the impact of aerosol scattering on the remote sensing of GHGs in polluted urban atmospheric environments. GHG retrievals from CLARS-FTS are potentially complementary to existing ground-based and space-borne observations to monitor anthropogenic GHG fluxes in megacities.


Numerous works have shown that under mild assumptions unitary dynamics inevitably leads to equilibration of physical expectation values if many energy eigenstates contribute to the initial state. Here, we consider systems driven by arbitrary time-dependent Hamiltonians as a protocol to prepare systems that do not equilibrate. We introduce a measure of the resilience against equilibration of such states and show, under natural assumptions, that in order to increase the resilience against equilibration of a given system, one needs to possess a resource system which itself has a large resilience. In this way, we establish a new link between the theory of equilibration and resource theories by quantifying the resilience against equilibration and the resources that are needed to produce it. We connect these findings with insights into local quantum quenches and investigate the (im-)possibility of formulating a second law of equilibration, by studying how resilience can be either only redistributed among subsystems, if these remain completely uncorrelated, or in turn created in a catalytic process if subsystems are allowed to build up some correlations.


In this paper, mobile robot navigation on a 3D terrain with a single obstacle is addressed. The terrain is modelled as a smooth, complete manifold with well-defined tangent planes and the hazardous region is modelled as an enclosing circle with a hazard grade tuned radius representing the obstacle projected onto the terrain to allow efficient path-obstacle intersection checking. To resolve the intersections along the initial geodesic, by resorting to the geodesic ideas from differential geometry on surfaces and manifolds, we present a geodesic-based planning and replanning algorithm as a new method for obstacle avoidance on a 3D terrain without using boundary following on the obstacle surface. The replanning algorithm generates two new paths, each a composition of two geodesics, connected via critical points whose locations are found to be heavily relying on the exploration of the terrain via directional scanning on the tangent plane at the first intersection point of the initial geodesic with the circle. An advantage of this geodesic path replanning procedure is that traversability of terrain on which the detour path traverses could be explored based on the local Gauss-Bonnet Theorem of the geodesic triangle at the planning stage. A simulation demonstrates the practicality of the analytical geodesic replanning procedure for navigating a constant speed point robot on a 3D hill-like terrain.


Bayesian optimization is a methodology for optimizing expensive objective functions that has proven success in the sciences, engineering, and beyond. This timely text provides a self-contained and comprehensive introduction to the subject, starting from scratch and carefully developing all the key ideas along the way. This bottom-up approach illuminates unifying themes in the design of Bayesian optimization algorithms and builds a solid theoretical foundation for approaching novel situations. The core of the book is divided into three main parts, covering theoretical and practical aspects of Gaussian process modeling, the Bayesian approach to sequential decision making, and the realization and computation of practical and effective optimization policies. Following this foundational material, the book provides an overview of theoretical convergence results, a survey of notable extensions, a comprehensive history of Bayesian optimization, and an extensive annotated bibliography of applications.


Greenland ice sheet meltwater runoff has been increasing in recent decades, especially in the southwest and the northeast. To determine the impact of this accelerating meltwater flux on Baffin Bay, we examine eight numerical experiments using an ocean‐sea ice model: Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean. Enhanced runoff causes shoreward increasing sea surface height and strengthens the stratification in Baffin Bay. The changes in sea surface height reduces the southward transport through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and strengthens the gyre circulation within Baffin Bay. The latter leads to further freshening of surface waters as it produces a larger northward surface freshwater transport across Davis Strait. Increasing the meltwater runoff leads to a warming and shallowing of the west Greenland Irminger water on the northwest Greenland shelf. These warmer waters can now more easily enter fjords on the Greenland coast and thus provide additional heat to accelerate the melting of marine‐terminating glaciers.


The formation of polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) wool fibers formed by dipping chitosan or gellan gum-treated wool fibers into biopolymer solutions of opposite charge is reported. Treating wool fibers with chitosan (CH) and gellan gum (GG) solutions containing food dyes resulted in improved mechanical characteristics compared to wool fibers. In contrast, pH modification of the solutions resulted in the opposite effect. The mechanical characteristics of PEC-treated fibers were affected by the order of addition, i.e., dipping GG-treated fibers into chitosan resulted in mechanical reinforcement, whereas the reverse-order process did not.


This work investigates the mechanisms of binding of T cell receptors (TCRs) to Class I MHC-peptide complexes (pMHC). The structure of a TCR specific for the Melan-A tumour antigen bound to its cognate pMHC was solved to a resolution of 2.5 A which gives insight into how this TCR could be mutated to optimize binding and subsequently used as a cancer vaccine. Detailed sequence and geometric analyses of all currently available structures of Class I TCR-pMHC complexes revealed that TCRs can bind to pMHC with a range of orientations, yet always focus on the central portion of the peptide and use a specific subset of six residues on the MHC helices for binding. The most striking finding was the use of aromatic residues in the TCR CDR loops to bind to residue Q155 on the MHC α2 helix. Attempts were also made to express and purify Toll-like receptors (TLRs) with the aim of solving one or more of these structures. However, despite testing of over 50 different constructs from 12 different TLRs or associated proteins, insufficient soluble protein expression was obtained for crystallization trials. Finally, a protein disorder prediction tool was developed to aid construct design for structural biology studies and improve the chances of obtaining protein crystals. This tool is based on a novel type of neural network and blind tests comparing it to 8 other disorder prediction tools showed it is one of the best in the field. It is freely available at www.strubi.ox.ac.uk/RONN. Analysis of large datasets revealed that the position of order/disorder transitions is quite precisely defined in amino-acid sequences and that transition regions have an amino acid composition distinct from that of bulk ordered and disordered sequences. There is a steady decrease in order-promoting residues on the ordered side of boundaries as well as a weak sequence signal, both of which signify the approaching disorder and may prove useful for improving existing disorder prediction tools.


Solar energy is too intermittent to be directly used on a large scale, and thus, a large energy storage system should be developed. One interesting approach is the use of sunlight to perform water splitting for hydrogen production. For such systems, developing an efficient and stable water-oxidizing catalyst is an essential task. Using K2FeO4, we report a simple method to deposit iron oxide on metallic nickel for water oxidation. The Fe/Ni-based electrode, at pH = 13, shows a current density of 1.9 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 250.0 mV, making it a promising anode for use in water-splitting systems. At a higher overpotential (700.0 mV), a current density of 23.5 mA cm−2 was observed.


In this paper we consider signal reception in multicarrier code-division multiple-access (MC-CDMA) systems. A blind adaptive algorithm is proposed to determine a weight vector which optimally combines the desired signal contributions from different carriers as well as suppresses noises and interference. No knowledge of the channel conditions (fading coefficients, signature sequences and timing of interferers, statistics of other noises, etc.), nor any training sequence is required. The performance is examined under Rayleigh fading channels. Results show that the proposed algorithm performs well and is robust to the near-far problem.


Hardware tessellation is de facto the preferred mechanism to adaptively control mesh resolution with maximal performances. However, owing to its fixed and uniform pattern, leveraging tessellation for feature‐aware LOD rendering remains a challenging problem. We relax this fundamental constraint by introducing a new spatial and temporal blending mechanism of tessellation levels, which is built on top of a novel hierarchical representation of multi‐resolution meshes. This mechanism allows to finely control topological changes so that vertices can be removed or added at the most appropriate location to preserve geometric features in a continuous and artifact‐free manner. We then show how to extend edge‐collapse based decimation methods to build feature‐aware multi‐resolution meshes that match the tessellation patterns. Our approach is fully compatible with current hardware tessellators and only adds a small overhead on memory consumption and tessellation cost.


The equilibration of IRI and NSILA between arterial plasma and lymph was studied at different sites in sixteen anesthetized dogs. Lymph was collected from the thoracic duct in one group, from the main hepatic lymph vessel in another, and from the leg lymphatic in a third group. No baseline gradients were observed between arterial serum and lymph IRI concentrations. Lymph/serum NSILA concentration ratios were 0.62 ± 0.29 for leg lymph, 0.66 ± 0.20 for thoracic duct lymph and 0.84 ± 0.63 for hepatic lymph. Two tests were carried out in each dog: (1) IVGTT (0.5 gm./kg.) Evans Blue was injected concurrently in some cases. Net glucose disappearance rate and serum IRI and NSILA patterns were similar in the three groups. Serum IRI passed rapidly into hepatic and thoracic duct lymph reaching plateau levels of 40 and 35 μU. per ml. respectively within 15 min. Leg lymph glucose concentration increased immediately but IRI appearance was delayed: A plateau of 20 μU, per ml. was reached after 30 min. No significant passage of Evans Blue into paw lymph was observed. Glucose injection was followed by a significant decrease in serum NSILA. Hepatic and thoracic duct lymph NSILA levels decreased slightly but NSILA concentration remained unchanged in leg lymph. (2) One hour after the first test 0.2 U. per kg. of pork insulin and 25 uc 14C-inulin were injected intravenously. The patterns of distribution of these two substances were similar. Both reached peak concentrations first in hepatic lymph then in thoracic duct lymph. In paw lymph their appearance was delayed and the maximum concentration achieved was lower. It is concluded that differences in capillary permeability are likely to determine in part the distribution of IRI and NSILA in body fluids and thus may influence their biological activity.


In a Phase I-II clinical trial, 19 ambulatory women with metastatic breast cancer were treated with a combination of mitoxantrone, 5-fluorouracil, and leucovorin (MFL). The planned schedule of mitoxantrone intravenously (i.v.) on day 1 with 5FU and leucovorin (days 1, 8, and 15) was better tolerated on a day 1 and day 8 schedule. Dose-limiting toxicity was found to be granulocytopenia with very little subjective toxicity encountered. Platelet toxicity and more profound granulocyte toxicity appeared to occur in patients with liver metastases. Since most patients did not have easily measurable disease, a response rate could not be determined, although at least four patients had probable antitumor responses. We conclude that doses of M (7.5 mg/m3 i.v. day 1) and 375 mg/m2 days 1 and 8 of F and L should be the starting doses for Phase II trials on this treatment schedule and should be well tolerated subjectively. Dose escalation and deescalation schemata should be included in a Phase II study design, recognizing that some patients may not encounter toxicity at these doses, while patients with liver metastases may develop inordinate toxicity.


ROGER FEDERER. RAFAEL NADAL. NOVAK DJOKOVIC. At the highest echelons of tennis, a few names stand out. Dominating the rankings, these famous big hitters are unarguably among the finest players in the world, with multiple Grand Slams to their credit. But how do today's champions compare with those of earlier eras? From 'Big' Bill Tilden and Pancho Gonzalez to Rod Laver and Pete Sampras, who makes the grade as the greatest male singles player of all time? Better known as the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow has enjoyed a successful dual career in the tennis world as competitive junior player and qualified coach. Ideally placed to argue the merits of the maestros, in this fascinating guide he sets out to determine just who is the greatest of the greats. It is no easy task. Court surfaces and ball speeds have changed, racket technology has revolutionised the game, and trying to distinguish the best from the rest is as challenging as it is enjoyable. Drawing on published records of past glories, and o ffering his own analysis and reasoning, Bercow describes the accomplishments of twenty all-time tennis heroes and suggests a hall of fame from the unashamed vantage point of the lifelong enthusiast. Let the debate begin -


This essay considers the relationship between two methods of valuing public companies in appraisal proceedings: the unaffected market price, the reliability of which depends on the applicability of the efficient capital markets hypothesis, and the deal price (less synergies, as applicable), the reliability of which depends on the robustness of the target's sales process. Following the landmark cases DFC and Dell, the Delaware courts have favored market-based methods of valuation in appraisal cases, and so they have commonly looked to both the market price and the deal price in valuing companies. When the preconditions for the reliability of one method have not been satisfied, courts have sensibly looked to the other method. There are many cases, however, where the preconditions of both methods are satisfied, and in such cases there should be some principled basis for using one method rather than the other. The deal price is routinely much greater than the market price, and any principled basis for using one price rather than the other will depend on how we account for this phenomenon. This essay argues that the explanations implicit in the caselaw (synergies, material non-public information) are manifestly inadequate, and the correct explanation is that shares of the company's stock have downwardly sloping demand curves arising from the fact that, even when sophisticated market participants have all the same information about the company, they will interpret it differently and so come to different judgments about the company's value. Adopting this heterogeneous expectations assumption, the essay argues that, when the preconditions of both methods of valuation are satisfied, courts should generally look to the deal price (less synergies, as applicable) rather than the unaffected market price to value the company in appraisal.


Presupposition is something that is used to make an assumption in a discourse. This thesis tries to describe presupposition in a play script titled The Wild Duck by Henrik Ibsen. This research object is chosen in order to show that presupposition does not only exist in real world conversation but also in a play script conversation. This thesis wants to show that presupposition is always needed in making conversation. The purpose of this research is to describe types of presupposition according to presupposition triggers proposed by Levinson (1983). The presupposition trigger is used to indicate presupposition in an utterance of play script. Besides, this research is also used to describe background knowledge of speaker and hearer. It supports presupposition that appears in an utterance of play script. The research uses identity method (metode padan) with referential and pragmatic sub-method. Besides, the research also uses distributional method (metode agih). The techniques of distributional method are substitution technique (teknik ganti), expansion technique (teknik perluas), interruption technique (teknik sisip), and paraphrase technique (teknik ubah ujud). Data of this research are all utterances of play script titled The Wild Duck by Henrik Ibsen that contains presupposition triggers. The sample is chosen by the writer according to purposive sampling technique. In this research, the writer also uses Simak Bebas Libat Cakap method and catat technique. The presented data are qualitative description. The result of this research shows that in the collected data, there are many utterances that contain presupposition triggers. The utterances can be classified into 13 types of presupposition triggers as Karttunen (in Levinson, 1983) proposed. They are questions consisting of yes/no question, WH question, and alternative question; definite description; comparison and contrast; iterative; temporal clause; non-restrictive relative clauses; factive verbs; counterfactual conditionals; change of state verbs; cleft sentence; implicit clefts with stressed constituents; implicative verbs; and verbs of judging.


The purpose of the present study is to review the feasibility of the political exegesis of the Qur'an. By answering to 5 questions in 3 related fields to the political exegesis, including the audience of the political exegesis, the source under study, and the relationship between the Qur'an and Islamic politics, the present research using a descriptive-analytical method showed that the Qur'an has as much political instructions to make political study possible. The political concepts of the age of revelation can be extended to the present age as well. The objectives of Islamic politics are consistent with the main objectives of the Qur'an and there is compatibility between the method of Islamic politics and the Qur'an comprehension. The validity and authenticity of the political propositions derived from the Qur'an and Islamic politics are appropriate to their essence so the political exegesis of the Qur'an would be feasible. The substantiation of this feasibility paves the way for proving other principles and finally gathering the principles of the scientific philosophy of political interpretation.


Flat optics have become capable of achieving unprecedented functionalities through electromagnetic (EM) wave manipulation by employing the metasurfaces. The most crucial part in the design of metasurface is the selection the constitutive component i.e. the meta-atom's material and structure so that it exhibits the precise operation as per the desired application. The unit-cell design calls for an iterative loop of simulations in order to explore the EM responses for intended operation. In this work, we have studied the absorption response of refractory materials under visible light radiations for their utilization in energy harvesting applications. The absorption response estimation using machine-learning techniques for the materials having very high melting-points, mechanical stabilities and inertness to the atmosphere has been carried out to investigate their performance in the broadband range. The presented regression models incorporate hybrid data format i.e. they simultaneously contend with 3-D and 1-D properties of various shapes of nano-resonators. The images' feature extraction is carried out by employing Singular Value Decomposition. The trained models are potent enough to bypass the repetitive sequence of optimization involved in conventional EM solvers. Additionally, the models are capable of predicting the optimum shape along with structural dimensions of unit-cell. For forward model, the MSEs for training and testing are 1.302×10-2 and 3.269×10-2 while R2 scores are 0.9804 and 0.8764, respectively. The approach applied is so robust that, irrespective of complexity of unit-cell structure is, it serves the purpose of predicting the distinct structure with highest performance while bypassing the time- and computationally-intensive EM simulations.


Abstract The clear majority of pre-existing work in the published domain of competitive bidding requires large sample sizes for reliable econometric, probabilistic or game-theoretic modelling techniques. Such unrealistic large data requirements have prevented the successful application of bid modelling in managerial practice. This article presents a new predictive analytics method for very small samples of historical bidding data. Requiring as few as nine competitive bid prices for a group of pooled/aggregated competitors over a 30-month period is the standout differentiator of this research from any previously published research. This minimizes the demands on competitive intelligence and, therefore, realistically enables its application in the real world of practice. Maximum likelihood estimations are used to evaluate two new, revolutionary bid strategies against a range of evaluation criteria, taking into account the pricing judgements made by competitors, including a degree of competitive reaction among them. Using off-the-shelf analytics software, a case study of a bidder from the telecommunications infrastructure sector demonstrates how commercial outcomes can be improved substantially: A 400 per cent improvement in win ratio, an 86 per cent increase in contribution margin and 76 per cent revenue growth. In addition, the difference between the submitted bids and the lowest-priced competing bids (which is an opportunity cost, sometimes referred to as the 'spread' or 'money left on the table'), has been reduced to 2 per cent on a total revenue of US$210 million.