At the end of the past century the development of economics obtained some new trends. Three important processes proceeded: fast development of IT, globalization, and formation of stakeholders' groups. All economic sectors have to accept new principles and modus operandi as a sequence of these processes and forming environment as a worth. It appeared that a part of the pressures to which organizations had to react were beyond the grasp of their management. Sustainable business approach requires mega risks to be identified and their potential impact on the future of the business understood. Particular emphasis is made on compliance risk management and collaborating and engaging with organizations' stakeholders to manage and share the risks. The contemporary quality management should be discussed in context with the implementation of the triple-bottom line strategies for simultaneously creating economic, social and environmental value. TQM is one of the most commonly used change management tools. Therefore it becomes important to evaluate if the evolution of TQM is at the same pace with rapidly changing environment and business conditions. Traditional approach to evolution of the concept of quality management from inspection to control, assurance, and, finally, to total quality management, at first sight does not tell a lot about relation of quality function and external pressures for the organization. The recent goal of quality movement is achieving business excellence, and many of today's business excellence models are focusing strategies not just to financial results, but also attending to the social and environmental impact of businesses. However, the integrity and systematic approach to management of social and ecological risks are rather seldom seen as source of competitive advantage. Under the recent globalization of markets and businesses, the environment is one of the most significant components of businesses. TQM, as a management philosophy, has elevated the implementation of quality management practices from operational to strategic level. Sustainability cannot be separated from evolution of TQM, since sustainability itself should be defined as the ability of organization to adapt to change in the business environment, to capture contemporary best practices, and to achieve and maintain competitive performance. The evolution of TQM therefore always evolves along with the changes in the business environment. The scientific literature is assuming TQM to be evolved to strategic TQM and sustainable TQM, both of which may contribute to successful organization management and coping with emerging changes of business environment.


Although most older Chinese parents live with an adult son or daughter, most adult offspring do not live with parents. We examine the relations of these noncoresident offspring with parents in terms of proximity, frequency of contact, and exchange of help. Based on a 1993 random sample survey conducted in two major Chinese cities, we find that although rates of coresidence are high, noncoresident sons and daughters live close to parents, have frequent contact with their parents, and provide regular help to parents. Relationships with noncoresident sons and daughters are unaffected by whether parents coreside with another child. There is some evidence of closer relationships with sons than with daughters, but parents without a son receive as much help from all children as do parents with sons. The effects of these and other predictors are estimated in multivariate analyses, and results are interpreted in terms of the persistence or change of traditional family norms.


BACKGROUND
One way to address the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance is to revive old compounds that may have intrinsic lethal activity that is obscured by protective factors. Bicyclomycin is an old inhibitor of the Rho transcription terminator that by itself shows little rapid lethal activity. However, bicyclomycin participates in bacteriostatic synergy, which raises the possibility that conditions for lethal synergy may exist, perhaps through a suppression of protective factors.

METHODS
Bicyclomycin was combined with bacteriostatic inhibitors of gene expression, and bactericidal activity was measured with several cultured Gram-negative pathogens.

RESULTS
When used alone, bicyclomycin failed to rapidly kill growing cultures of Escherichia coli; however, the additional presence of bacteriostatic concentrations of tetracycline, chloramphenicol or rifampicin led to rapid killing. Four other pathogen species, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium and Shigella dysenteriae, also exhibited enhanced killing when bicyclomycin was combined with tetracycline or rifampicin. This lethal synergy was achieved at low concentrations (slightly above the MIC) for all agents tested in combinations. Follow-up work with E. coli indicated that lethal synergy arose from a blockage of transcription elongation. Moreover, lethal synergy was reduced when bicyclomycin was added 60 min before tetracycline, suggesting that bicyclomycin induces a protective factor.

CONCLUSIONS
The action of bicyclomycin illustrates the potential present in a largely abandoned antibacterial agent; it exhibits lethal synergy when coadministered with known, bacteriostatic inhibitors of gene expression. The identification of protective factors, which are currently uncharacterized, may reveal new ways to promote the lethal action of some old antibiotics.


: Thirteen pathologists with a variety of backgrounds met at the National Center for Toxicological Research in Jefferson, Arkansas, to discuss and exchange views on urothelial lesions in mice. Fifteen slides of urothelial lesions from mice were distributed to the participants prior to the meeting. A consensus was reached on 11 of the lesions, 8 of which were neoplastic and 3 of which were non-neoplastic. The author encourages such workshops and feels that they are meaningful and beneficial in understanding the significance of such lesions.


"Elizabeth Singer Rowe and the Development of the English Novel" is the first in-depth study of Rowe's prose fiction. A four-volume collection of her work was a bestseller for a hundred years after its publication, but today Rowe is a largely unrecognized figure in the history of the novel. Although her poetry was appreciated by poets such as Alexander Pope for its metrical craftsmanship, beauty, and imagery, by the time of her death in 1737 she was better known for her fiction. According to Paula R. Backscheider, Rowe's major focus in her novels was on creating characters who were seeking a harmonious, contented life, often in the face of considerable social pressure. This quest would become the plotline in a large number of works in the second half of the eighteenth century, and it continues to be a major theme today in novels by women. Backscheider relates Rowe's work to popular fiction written by earlier writers as well as by her contemporaries. Rowe had a lasting influence on major movements, including the politeness (or gentility) movement, the reading revolution, and the Bluestocking society. The author reveals new information about each of these movements, and Elizabeth Singer Rowe emerges as an important innovator. Her influence resulted in new types of novel writing, philosophies, and lifestyles for women. Backscheider looks to archival materials, literary analysis, biographical evidence, and a configuration of cultural and feminist theories to prove her groundbreaking argument.


OBJECTIVE
The authors examined the relationship between cholesterol metabolism and suicidality in carriers of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome and their families. This population has a partial deficiency in 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR7), the enzyme that catalyzes the last step in cholesterol biosynthesis.

METHOD
Suicidal behavior, depression, misuse of alcohol and drugs, and family history of psychopathology, including attempted or completed suicide, were assessed by structured interview in 51 carriers of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome and 54 matched comparison subjects.

RESULTS
There were significantly more suicide attempters and completers among the biological relatives of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome carriers than comparison subjects, but family history of psychopathology did not significantly differ between the groups. More suicide attempts were reported among Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome carriers than among the comparison subjects.

CONCLUSIONS
These results, based on a unique study design, provide additional evidence supporting the relationship between cholesterol metabolism and suicidal behavior.


Two CSCs related issues are investigated. The first is the reductions of Low Order Harmonics (LOH) in Low Switching Frequency (LSF) CSCs. High power CSCs operate with LSF. This is not an ideal scenario for Space Vector Modulation (SVM), resulting in non-characteristics LOH, 5 th and 7 th (HD 5-7 ). Researchers have attempted to reduce these harmonics by creating new sequences of space vectors (states) or different sampling techniques. New approaches based on the fact that HD 5-7 is affected by states ON times calculation process are proposed. Results show that by using a new technique called Record Middle (RM), one can obtain a smaller HD 5-7 . Also, results for calculating states ON times as the reference vector rotates by new SVM equations show that one can get a significant reduction in HD 5-7 . Another alternative effective with large overlap periods is minimizing LOHs in LSF-SVM-CSCs with Minimum Harmonic Tracking (MHT) technique. Fuzzy logic dependent states ON times calculation give fixed states ON times adjustment during steady state and fast response. Those techniques allowed the usage of reduced size ac-side filters with high cut-off frequencies. The second issue is on new hybrid current source converters (HCSCs). Three SCRs and four IGBTs HCSC has similar characteristics, less capital cost and less power losses compared to the 6-switches CSC. Two types of modulation are proposed. The first is Hard Switching Space Vector Modulation technique (HS-SVM). HS-SVM is presenting low maximum modulation index (m a.max ), resulting in LOH distortion and requiring multiple mandatory switching inside a cycle. The second modulation technique achieves line-commutation or soft switching (SS) of the SCRs whenever possible, thus being called Soft Switching Space Vector Modulation technique (SS-SVM). SS-SVM increases the m a.max while reducing LOH, the switching frequency and switching losses. Comparisons between the 6-switches CSC and the HCSCs are provided. Cost analysis showing the importance of HCSCs is carried out. A case study is presented to show that the HCSC is economically viable in medium and high power ranges. Besides having lower capital cost, the HCSC can operate with lower power losses than 6-switches CSC.


This book, intended for introductory classes in religious studies and complete with study questions and suggestions for further readings, discusses several fundamental, Christian religious issues without the encumbrance of technical theological jargon: the problem of evil, the theistic proofs, the authenticity of the Bible and its accounts of miracles, the question of life after death, etc. Purtill's treatment of these issues, however, while clearly argued, is rather terse, unashamedly subjective, and often overly conservative, despite his obvious knowledge of alternative academic views which are more widely accepted. It is, nevertheless, a stimulating and useful class text.


BACKGROUND
Postpartum depression (PPD) affects approximately half of new mothers. Chronic exposure to progesterone during pregnancy and its withdrawal following delivery increases depression and anxiety. In addition, there are complex interactions between hormones, neurotransmitters, and trace elements. Zinc (Zn) and magnesium (Mg) influence the nervous system by impacting synaptic neurotransmission in the brain. Thiamine (Vit B1) deficiency results in a high percentage of depressive behaviors. Elevated levels of reactive oxygen species in pregnancy are implicated in the pathogenesis of major depression.

METHODS
We examined the effects of different combinations of Zn, Mg, and Vit B1 in an animal model of PPD. ZnCl, MgCl, and thiamine-HCl were administered to PPD-induced mice. Depression, anxiety-related behavior, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were assessed. Depression and anxiety-like behavior were evaluated by the forced swimming test (FST) and elevated plus-maze, respectively.

RESULTS
The acute combined administration of Zn, Mg, and Vit B1 significantly decreased immobility time in FST, increased the percentage of both time spent in- and entries to open arms in the elevated plus-maze, and augmented TAC.

CONCLUSION
Our data suggest that acute administration of combined treatment with Zn, Mg, and Vit B1 on postpartum day 3 improves depressive symptoms and anxiety-like behaviors. Our evaluation of TAC is in accordance with behavioral results.


A balancing problem for paced production lines with workstations in series and blocks of parallel operations at the workstations is considered. The problem is to choose blocks from a given set and allocate them to workstations in such a way that all the operations are assigned, the precedence and compatibility constraints are satisfied, and the line cost is minimal. A method for solving the problem is based on its transformation to a constrained shortest path problem.


The evolution of e ngers in a double-diffusive system is investigated using numerical integration of two-dimensional equations of motion for an incompressible, Boussinesq e uid. The computational domain is periodic in the horizontal direction and is closed with no-e ux boundary conditions in the vertical direction. The main result of this study is the evolution of the system from initially linear proe les for both fast and slow diffusing components to a layered state characterized by a e nger zone sandwiched between two mixed layers. The horizontal boundaries in this system play an important role in the development of the layered state.At the top and bottom boundaries, light and heavy e nger e uxes accumulate leading to the formation of mixed layers exhibiting larger-scale eddies. In the quasi-equilibrium state, the e nger zone is characterized by broken wiggly e ngers which do not extend across the entire interface. The salinity e ux at the mid-depth of the domain is approximately proportional to the 4 A3 power of the salinity difference between the mixed layers, except for the initial phase and for the run-down phase.


This qualitative study examines the perspectives and assumptions of the appraisal professionals who are involved in and responsible for the evaluation of students with behavioral concerns. Appraisal professionals employed in two school districts participated in this study. Interviews were analyzed according to emergent themes that suggested two major assumptions of the participants. The first assumption involved the relationship between students' social location and the condition known as Emotional Disturbance. The second assumption focused on systemic or institutional issues of classification. Implications for appraisal professionals and limitations are also discussed.


The low affinity IgG receptor Fc gamma RII (CD32) represents the most widely distributed class of human Fc gamma R. To analyze the biologic functions of different Fc gamma RII isoforms, we stably transfected Fc gamma RIIb1, IIb1*, IIb2, IIa, and a IIa tail- mutant to the mouse IIA1.6 B lymphoma cell line. Of these, Fc gamma RIIb1* represents a receptor variant that is identical to IIb1 except for a single amino acid difference in the cytoplasmic tail (amino acid position 11) where a tyrosine (IIb1) is replaced by an aspartic acid (IIb1*). Evaluation of capping ability showed the Fc gamma RIIb1 molecules to cap effectively, which was even more apparent with IIb1*. None of the Fc gamma RIIa, IIa tail-, or IIb2 isoforms capped significantly. Internalization of Fc gamma R-antibody complexes proved very efficient for both the Fc gamma RIIa and IIb2 isoforms, whereas the IIb1 molecules internalized moderately compared with IIb1*, which internalized less efficiently. Notably, human IgG aggregates were internalized effectively by Fc gamma RIIa and moderately by IIb2. Neither Fc gamma RIIb1 nor IIb1* proved capable of internalizing such IgG aggregates. Cross-linking of the different Fc gamma R molecules showed Fc gamma RIIa capable of triggering increases in [Ca2+]i. Fc gamma R expressed on B cells were able to down-regulate [Ca2+]i on co-cross-linking with slgG. Notably, all three Fc gamma RIIb receptors proved active in this respect, in contrast to Fc gamma RIIa. The cell distribution of these Fc gamma RII isoforms was analyzed in a panel of human B cell lines to complement the IIA1.6 B cell model. Fc gamma RIIa was found expressed both at message and protein levels in all tested human B cell lines. In the pre-B cell lines evaluated, no Fc gamma RIIb molecules were detectable, whereas both Fc gamma RIIb1 and IIb2 molecules were found present in more mature B cell lines. These data support both a complex expression pattern of Fc gamma RII isoforms in B cell lines and functional differences between these B cell molecules.


River runoff is a key index of renewable water resources which affect almost all human and natural systems. Any substantial change in runoff will therefore have serious social, environmental, and ecological consequences. We estimate the runoff response to global mean temperature change implied by the climate change experiments generated for the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR4). In contrast to previous studies, we estimate the runoff sensitivity using global mean temperature change as an index of anthropogenic climate changes in temperature and precipitation, with the rationale that this removes the dependence on emissions scenarios. Our results show that the runoff sensitivity implied by the IPCC experiments is relatively stable across emissions scenarios and global mean temperature increments, but varies substantially across models with the exception of the high‐latitudes and currently arid or semi‐arid areas. The runoff sensitivities are slightly higher at 0.5°C warming than for larger amounts of warming. The estimated ratio of runoff change to (local) precipitation change (runoff elasticity) ranges from about one to three, and the runoff temperature sensitivity (change in runoff per degree C of local temperature increase) ranges from decreases of about 2 to 6% over most basins in North America and the middle and high latitudes of Eurasia.


: The current paper aims at exploring and investigating how teachers perceivethe integration and incorporation of ICT in the foreign language classroom in Morocco (EFL). In the current research study, we administered a questionnaire in a google form to efficiently and easily collect responses from teachers of English in Morocco. The study adopted both quantitative and qualitative research design methodologies. With a view to analysing the qualitative data,a coding system was used whereas the quantitative data were statistically measured and analysed with the use of SPSS software. To this end, 156 middle and high school Moroccan EFL teachers were requested to respond to an online questionnaire to seek evidence about their perceptions and attitudes towards the incorporation of ICT in EFL language classrooms for pedagogical purposes. For unknown reasons, only 75 teacher-respondents including both middle and high school teachers managed to fill out the questionnaire and send back their responses. The research study has come out with very promising findings highlighting the fact that teachers of English have positive attitudes towards the integration and use of ICT in their language classrooms. Most teacher-respondents reported observable positive impacts new technologies have on their learners. They have stressed the fact that when used appropriately, ICTs positively impact the students' learning as they seem to learn faster and with much excitment and enthusiasm. E-learning and ICT, according to most respondents, have also proved that students' soft and life skills get better as they play an undeniably imporatnt role in enhancing learning by increasing the learners' motivation and engagement. The study reports that thanks to these innovative learning strategies, knowledge retention seems better off and teachers feel more at ease. Therefore, the outcome is more recomforting for both teachers and learners. In a different vain, many respondents reported that many teachers do not have access to their school multimedia rooms which is either equipped with old-fashioned materials and outdated technology or completely transformed to an ordinary classroom with no equipement at all for reasons that are beyond those for which thoese rooms were designed. The research paper similarly assesses the different challenges and barrieres that teachers encounter while integrating ICT in their language classroom. Respondent-teachers have saliently showed that lack of training, ineffectice or accessive use of ICT might do more harm than good to the students' learning. The main conclusion that most teachers have drawn was that integratingand incorporating ICT in the EFL language classroom has been proven to pedagogically benefit the learners and the teachers in different ways despite the numerous challenges that the paper has investigated.


The ingress of chloride ions plays a crucial role for service life design of reinforced concrete structures. In view of durability design of concrete structures under marine environment, one of the most essential parameters is the surface chloride content of concrete. With the social and technical backgrounds, the research approach of this study starts with the calculation of the amount of chloride ingredients in normal sea water. The capillary pore structure is modeled by numerical simulation model HYMOSTRUC and it is assumed to be completely saturated by the salt ingredients of seawater. In order to validate this approach, the total chloride content of the mortar and concrete slim disc specimen was measured after the immersion into the artificial sea water solution. Additionally, the theoretical, the experimental and in-situ investigation results of other researchers are compiled and analyzed. Based on this approach, it will follow to calculate the maximum surface chloride content of concrete in the tidal zone, where the environment can be considered as subjected to dry-wetting cycles.


One of the most expensive steps in the bio-diesel value chain is the extraction of oil from the seeds. Simultaneous extraction and transesterification will lower the overall capital costs of the process while enhancing FAME conversion. In this study, the extraction of oil with supercritical CO2 was combined with the liquefaction of sunflower seeds and transesterification with sub-critical methanol to enhance biodiesel yield from sunflower seed oil. Supercritical CO2 was used as a reaction atmosphere at elevated pressures to extract oil from the seeds while continuously reacting the oil with methanol. Reaction temperature, biomass loading, catalyst loading and methanol to biomass loading were varied and the oil and fatty acid methyl acid (FAME) yields were determined using GC-MS. Biodiesel quality was assessed using FTIR and gas chromatography. All variables investigated had an effect on the FAME yield with 330°C, 2wt% CaCO3 as catalyst and a reaction time of 15 minutes resulting in the highest product (550 g.kg) and FAME (900 g.kg) yields. The FAME yields obtained indicated that both the oil originally present in the seeds and some of the lignocellulose parts of the seeds were converted to biodiesel. This result shows the potential of in-situ biodiesel production to increase production yields while lowering the overall capital cost and separation cost of the value chain.


BACKGROUND
Preterm neonates perceive multiple painful procedures during Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) stay, having long term neurobehavioral effects. This study aims to compare the analgesic efficacy of oral melatonin with 24% sucrose in neonates during retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening.

METHODS
A prospective, non-blinded, randomized controlled trial was conducted in a tertiary care NICU. All preterm neonates with gestational age (GA) < 34 weeks or birth weight (BW) < 2000 grams eligible for ROP screening were randomized into oral melatonin (4 mg/kg) and oral 24% sucrose (0.5 ml) groups. Both groups received standard non-pharmacological measures and topical proparacaine. The intensity of pain was measured by Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) score during the procedure, at 1st and 5th minutes following the procedure and compared between the two groups by Mann-Whitney U test with p value < 0.05 considered as significant.

RESULTS
A total of 60 preterm neonates were randomized with 30 neonates in the melatonin (median [interquartile range] GA: 30.86 [3.78] weeks, BW: 1160 [430] grams) and 30 neonates in the 24% sucrose (median [IQR] GA: 29.29 [4.68] weeks, BW: 1070 [315] grams) group. The median PIPP score during the procedure in the melatonin and sucrose groups were 17 and 16, respectively (p=0.64). The median (Q1-Q3) PIPP score at the 1st minute was significantly lower among the melatonin group (7 [5.25-10]) vs 24% sucrose group (9.5 [7.25-11]) (p=0.02); and at the 5th minute, the median (Q1-Q3) PIPP scores in the melatonin group (5 [4-6]) was comparable to the 24% sucrose group (5.5 [3.25-7]) (p= 0.52).

CONCLUSIONS
Oral melatonin is not inferior to oral 24% sucrose for pain management during ROP screening.


A non-contact liquid level measuring system is designed based on image processing technology, and it consists of three parts: a COMS camera, a laser source, and a PC. The work principle of the device is: the laser beam from the laser source is irradiated to the liquid at a certain angle, and the image of the tank's interior is picked up by the CMOS camera; then the light spot on the liquid surface is extracted by the technology of image processing; Through the center of the light spot, the information about liquid-level can be obtained. The model of the measurement system is proposed in the paper, and the method of the calibration is given by using the least square algorithm. Experiments tests that the liquid level measuring device can be used in strict and adverse environment.


The idea of emergence originates from the fact that global effects emerge from local interactions producing a collective coherent behavior. A particular instance of emergence is illustrated by a flocking model of interacting "boids" encompassing two antagonistic conducts—consensus and frustration—giving rise to highly complex, unpredictable, coherent behavior. The cohesive motion arising from consensus can be described in terms of three ordered dynamic phases. Once frustration is included in the model, local phases for specific groups of flockmates, and transitions among them, replace the global ordered phases. Following the evolution of boids in a single group, we discovered that the boids in this group will alternate among the three phases. When we compare two uncorrelated groups, the second group shows a similar behavior to the first one, but with a different sequence of phases. Besides the visual observation of our animations with marked boids, the result is evident plotting the local order parameters. Rather than adopting one of the consensus ordered phases, the flock motion resembles more an entangled dynamic sequence of phase transitions involving each group of flockmates. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity, 2015


ABSTRACT Introduction: Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir is a fixed-dose combination regimen of a new generation NS3/4A inhibitor and an NS5A inhibitor with potent antiviral activity against all hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes. This regimen offers a shorter course of therapy (8 weeks) for selected patients regardless of genotype and has demonstrated high virological efficacy for retreatment of individuals who previously failed an NS5A containing regimen. Glecaprevir and pibrentasvir are minimally excreted by the kidneys; thus this regimen can safely be used in individuals with severe chronic kidney disease (CKD), including those undergoing hemodialysis. Areas covered: This review covers the mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, clinical applications, efficacy, and safety profile of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir. It also covers key phase 2 and 3 clinical trials that led to licensure of this regimen. Expert opinion: Glecaprevir/pibrentasvir is the latest antiviral regimen licensed in the United States for treatment of HCV infection. Although several other direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) are currently available, glecaprevir/pibrentasvir has some unique characteristics that expand treatment options for HCV infection, including patients with comorbidities such as advanced stage CKD or prior treatment failure to antiviral regimens containing other DAAs.


This paper provides empirical evidence, from the study of sixteen major Indian states for the period 1980-2001, that under the economic reform process, the better institutional mechanism could actually help economies to grow faster with higher level of economic well-being. We estimate economic well-being index (by aggregating fifteen socio-economic variables, viz, education, infrastructure, technological progress, income, etc.) and also index of good governance (by aggregating thirteen variables indicating rule of law, government functioning, public services, press freedom, etc) by multivariate statistical measures. Panel regression showed that governance measures, and economic policy variables are crucial to explain differential level of development performance across states in India during the last two decades.


We present a new operative procedure using the Cotrel-Dubousset (CD) instrumentation in unstable sacral fractures, where the vertebral column is dissociated from the pelvis. This technique is based on screw fixation in the ileum and in the first sacral and the fifth lumbar vertebrae or the fifth and fourth lumbar vertebrae, with help of interconnecting rods. 3 patients were successfully treated.


Existing indices measuring the spatial distribution of economic activity such as the Krugman Specialisation Index, the Hirschmann-Herfindahl index and the Ellison-Glaeser index typically do not take into account the spatial structure of the data. In this paper, we first consider traditional measures of geographical concentration, and subsequently extend the analysis to take spatial dependence into account. Using data for Italy for the years 1991 and 2001, we apply exploratory spatial data analysis to identify sectoral location patterns in both the manufacturing industry as well as in services. We find that large differences prevail in the geographical concentration of production across sectors. The results of the exploratory spatial data analysis reveal the existence of well- defined clusters of economic activities.


Abstract 1Afghanistan's justice system is currently at a crucial and troubled stage of development that will determine its effectiveness. This article focuses on the phenomenon of corruption inside judicial institutions. By integrating the analysis of narratives of corruption with the observation of judicial practice and a critical approach to the reconstruction process, I argue that in Afghanistan, the phenomenon of corruption can be understood in terms of its "double institutionalisation", whereby mechanisms of exchange and of compensation, both already affirmed at the level of social practice, find a possibility of reaffirmation (of re-institutionalisation) in the legal system itself. The creation of an economic system that depends on international aid, the consolidation of a state apparatus over-determined by warlordism and foreign influences, and the process of legal modernisation itself all play an important role in the re-institutionalisation and radicalisation of corruption. By taking into consideration this scenario, I adopt an ethnographic perspective to explore some of the effects of corruption on the work of judges and on the access to justice itself.


on the many topics that are a matter of dispute." Extensive cross-referencing, numerous drawings, charts, maps, and photographs, and a writing style that is clear to the nonspecialist will certainly placate a Paleoindian specialist perplexed about Paleocene Pleisiadapiformes, as it will remedy the confusion felt over cladistics by one digging the Chatelperronian. And if more information is desired, key further readings, classic and current, are listed after most entries. This book is without a doubt a most valuable reference for archaeologists and paleontologists alike. Although some prehistorians may lament the omission of his or her pet site, artifact type, or term, all archaeologists requiring information for teaching and research outside of their speciality should make space for this book next to their dictionary.


The Indonesian throughflow is analyzed in an extended simulation with a coupled ocean-atmosphere model. The model, developed by the Max-Planck-Institut fur Meteorologie, Hamburg, Germany, combines an atmospheric general circulation model at T42 resolution (2.8° latitude by 2.8° longitude) and a primitive equation ocean model with zonal resolution of 2.8° and a meridional resolution of 0.5° in the tropics and is coupled without flux correction equatorward of a latitude of 60°. The onset and strength of the monsoon in the Indonesian waters agree well with climatology, and many aspects of the observed temperature fields in the eastern Indian Ocean and Timor Seas are found in simulation. Differences between simulation and observations of temperature occur in mean and seasonal cycles in the far western Pacific. The annual cycles of sea level along the coast of Sumatra and Java are simulated satisfactorily. The simulated throughflow transports on average 13.8 Sv (106m3S−1) from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. The vertically averaged (barotropic) component of the throughflow has a seasonal range of 13.1 Sv and is weakest in February and strongest in July. In contrast, deviations from the vertical average of the throughflow (baroclinic) are strongest in March and September. The average and seasonal cycle of the barotropic component of the throughflow are forced by winds over the Pacific and along the western coasts of Australia and South America, as described by the island rule. For closed Torres Strait, the contribution of the average bottom pressure torque is small, and friction closes the vorticity balance. For annual timescales, baroclinic flows affect the throughflow transport through the bottom pressure torque. The annual cycle of the baroclinic component of the throughflow is forced predominantly by winds over the Indonesian Seas. The throughflow exports 0.9 PW of heat from the Pacific into the Indian Ocean and is an important heat sink for the western Pacific. The throughflow is a major heat source for the Indian Ocean and is associated with reversal of the divergence of the meridional transport of heat south of 10°S that is balanced by heat fluxes from the ocean to the atmosphere.


BACKGROUND
Although configurations of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) and posterior communicating artery (PComA) have been extensively studied, reported rates of adult (AC), fetal (FC) and transitional configurations (TC) vary widely due to techniques used. A histological technique was applied to measure the circumference of the arteries and this was compared with caliper measurements taken from the same arteries.

METHODS
Ninety-five brains were examined. The external diameters of all pre-communicating, post-communicating PCAs and PComAs were measured under operating microscope with a micrometer caliper. After measurements, all arteries were prepared for histology, sections were stained with Verhoff's elastic technique and the circumferences were measured using the light microscope. In the caliper group, AC was found in 77.2%, FC was found in 17.3% and TC was found in 5.5% of the right hemispheres, while on the left AC was found in 81.7%, FC in 18.3% and no TC was found. In the histology group, AC was found in 78.3% and FC was found in 21.7% of the right, while on the left AC was found in 81.7% and FC was found in 18.3% of cases. No TC was found in any hemisphere. There was no statistical significance between the two groups.

RESULTS
Results of the present study reveal several important findings. When the PComA was absent in one hemisphere, the PComA was FC on the contralateral hemisphere.

CONCLUSIONS
Transitional configuration was found in a very small number of cases in the caliper group compared to previous studies, and no TC was found in the histology group.


BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Little is known about the evolution of bone marrow edema (BME) in osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCF) after percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) or about its relation with relief of pain. In this study, we prospectively assessed changes in BME with MR imaging at 3, 6, and 12 months after PV and related changes in BME with pain evolution and analgesic use over time. METHODS: BME percentage was assessed in 64 patients after PV of 89 VCF with serial MR imaging follow-up at 3, 6, and 12 months. Pain was assessed before PV and at every follow-up interval by visual analog scale for pain and type of analgesic used. Relation between changes in BME and pain evolution was assessed in a subgroup of 31 patients with a single treated VCF and neither new VCF at follow-up nor pain at another untreated level. RESULTS: BME gradually decreased over time. At 1 year after PV, 29% of treated VCF still demonstrated BME. Once BME disappeared, it did not return. Pain relief was most striking the first 3 months after PV and remained constant thereafter. There was no relation between relief of pain and extent, presence, or absence of BME after PV. CONCLUSION: A gradual decrease of BME in osteoporotic VCF treated with PV is apparent during 12 months of MR imaging follow-up. Decrease of BME is unrelated to relief of pain.


Polydimethylsiloxane/silica (PDMS/SiO2) particle-reinforced nanocomposites prepared at the present study are typical viscoelastic materials. Due to the high surface-to-volume ratio of the SiO2 nanoparticles, the interface effects on the overall properties of the nanocomposites cannot be ignored. In order to investigate the interface effects on the viscoelastic properties of the nanocomposites, a multiscale model is established at the present study, combining the molecular dynamics (MD) model of the interface at the nanoscale and the unit cell model of the nanocomposites at the mesoscale. In the MD model of the interface, the viscoelastic properties of the interphase region influenced by the interface are found to be different from that of the pure PDMS matrix and the bulk SiO2. Because of the polymer chains subject to different restrictions existing in the interphase region, this region can possess high stiffness and damping properties simultaneously. The interphase parameters can be determined by the inverse multiscale simulation method, taking advantage of both the numerical model and the experimental results. Due to the interface effects, as demonstrated by the unit-cell model, the dynamic shear dynamic moduli of the nanocomposites can be simultaneously improved by several times to an order of magnitude higher than that of the matrix, in consistent with experimental results. Thus, the mechanism of the interface effects enhancing the viscoelastic properties of the PDMS/SiO2 nanocomposites can be revealed at the present study, which can be useful for the design of viscoelastic nanocomposites with high stiffness and damping properties.


A $\textit{composition}$ $\sigma =a_1 a_2 \ldots a_m$ of $n$ is an ordered collection of positive integers whose sum is $n$. An element $a_i$ in $\sigma$ is a strong (weak) $\textit{record}$ if $a_i> a_j (a_i \geq a_j)$ for all $j=1,2,\ldots,i-1$. Furthermore, the position of this record is $i$. We derive generating functions for the total number of strong (weak) records in all compositions of $n$, as well as for the sum of the positions of the records in all compositions of $n$, where the parts $a_i$ belong to a fixed subset $A$ of the natural numbers. In particular when $A=\mathbb{N}$, we find the asymptotic mean values for the number, and for the sum of positions, of records in compositions of $n$.


BACKGROUND
Overall medical complications have been reduced after fast-track total hip (THA) and knee arthroplasty (TKA), but data on specific renal and urological (RU) complications are limited.

METHODS
To describe the incidence and consequences of serious RU complications resulting in length of stay > 4 days or 30-day readmissions after fast-track THA and TKA, we conducted a detailed observational study based upon prospectively collected pre-operative data and a complete 30-day follow-up on complications and re-admissions in a unselected cohort of 8,804 consecutive fast-track THAs and TKAs. Our main outcomes were incidence, types and consequences of RU complications.

RESULTS
Of 8,804 procedures, 54 (0.61%) developed serious RU complications resulting in 38 (0.43%) prolonged hospitalisations and 17 (0.19%) readmissions. Acute kidney injury (AKI), defined as an increase in serum creatinine by ≥ 0.3 mg/dl or ≥ 1.5 times baseline, accounted for complications (0.49%), and was most frequently associated with postoperative hypotension Of the AKI patients, 25 (58.1%) had a preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 2 43 ml/min/1.73 m and 16 of these had received a NSAID postoperatively. Seven complications . (0.08 %) were urological, mainly haematuria after bladder catheterisation, whereas 5 (0.06 were urosepsis/pyelonephritis.

CONCLUSION
The overall incidence of serious RU complications after fast-track THA and TKA was 0.61 %. AKI occurred in 0.49% and was most often due to pre-existing kidney disease and postoperative hypotension, calling for increased focus on perioperative fluid management and optimisation of the perioperative care of patients with pre-existing kidney disease.


AIM: To evaluate the effect of FSLLRY-NH2, a protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) inhibitor, on neurocognitive impairment and hippocampal neuronal degeneration in the setting of asphyxial cardiac arrest (ACA)-induced global cerebral ischemia (GCI) in rats. MATERIAL and METHODS: A total of 43 Sprague-Dawley male rats were used. Shams and rats resuscitated from 9 minutes of ACA were randomized to two separate experiments including time course and short-term neurological outcomes. FSLLRY-NH2 (50 microgram [μg] per rat) was administered intranasally at 1 hour postresuscitation. Neurological function and hippocampal neuronal degeneration were evaluated after ACA. RESULTS: Significant neurological function decline and hippocampal neuron degeneration were observed in ACA animals as compared with the shams. Treatment with FSLLRY-NH2 significantly improved neurological outcome and reduced the number of degenerating hippocampal neurons after ACA. CONCLUSION: Targeting PAR2 may be a novel therapeutic approach in the management of neurological dysfunction after cardiac arrest-associated ischemic injury.


Purpose
This paper aims to examine small- and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) strategic capabilities in terms of their marketing and management capabilities, their sources of environmental uncertainty and their organizational capabilities. Additionally, to what extent the effect differs across two sectors (manufacturing and service).

Design/methodology/approach
Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to conduct multigroup analysis for the two sectors. Data was collected from a sample of 315 Omani SMEs, 166 from manufacturing and 149 from services.

Findings
The results show that strategic capabilities have a significant positive effect on customer satisfaction. However, the effect differs between manufacturing and service SMEs; the effect is greater in service than in manufacturing SMEs. Furthermore, the effect of organizational capabilities on customer satisfaction was found to be positive. However, the effect is higher in manufacturing as the difference is statistically significant.

Originality/value
Due to the growing importance of the service and manufacturing SMEs in developing countries and their considerable involvement in economic development, it is important to understand the characteristics of the strategic capabilities in both sectors. Thus, according to the authors' knowledge, this paper is one of the first to propose a comprehensive framework that measures collectively the direct impact of strategic capabilities, organizational capabilities and environmental uncertainties on SMEs customer satisfaction and effectiveness.


Verifying the input-output relationships of a neural network so as to achieve some desired performance specification is a difficult, yet important, problem due to the growing ubiquity of neural nets in many engineering applications. We use ideas from probability theory in the frequency domain to provide probabilistic verification guarantees for ReLU neural networks. Specifically, we interpret a (deep) feedforward neural network as a discrete dynamical system over a finite horizon that shapes distributions of initial states, and use characteristic functions to propagate the distribution of the input data through the network. Using the inverse Fourier transform, we obtain the corresponding cumulative distribution function of the output set, which can be used to check if the network is performing as expected given any random point from the input set. The proposed approach does not require distributions to have well-defined moments or moment generating functions. We demonstrate our proposed approach on two examples, and compare its performance to related approaches.


CMC materials offer a unique combination of properties at high as well as at medium and low temperatures, which can not be achieved by any other materials like metals or monolithic ceramics. However, CMC materials are also very expensive materials due to high raw material and process cost. These drawback could be cut down partially by adding melt infiltration as an economically manufacturing process to well established CVI and PIP / LPI. MI processes are characterised by the use of low cost matrix precursors and carbon fibres, which, in some cases, even do not have to be coated, as well as by short process times. The SiC-matrix is build up almost simultaneously in the whole volume of the part in one single process step and no multiple infiltration cycles are needed to densify C- as well as SiC fibre reinforced CMC. Therefore, even very large, complex shaped and thin walled lightweight structures as well as very thick walled components can be realized in near net shape technique.
Compared to CMC materials derived from CVI and LPI, MI based C/SiC, C/C-SiC and SiC/SiC materials offer significantly lower open porosities, leading to higher shear strength and thermal conductivity. However, lower tensile strength of C/SiC and C/C-SiC as well as limited lifetime of SiC/SiC materials caused by free Si in the matrix, attacking the fibres in long term use at high temperatures are still a challenge.
After more than 20 years of development and of gaining operational experiences in first aerospace applications, MI-CMC materials have just found their way out of the laboratories into high performance products for industrial market. Typical application areas are TPS structures for spacecraft, hot structures for rocket propulsion, gas turbines and nuclear reactors, thermally stable structures and friction materials. The introduction of C/SiC automotive brake disks in serial production is a breakthrough and an important milestone in CMC technology, offering a high potential for further applications of C/SiC and C/C-SiC materials in other industrial areas.
The further development will not only be focused on low cost processes and the improvement of material properties and environmental barrier coatings, but will also concentrate on providing design and simulation tools in combination with convincing, non destructive evaluation methods. With the later, scientists and engineers should be able to reliable calculate lifetime as well as damage and failure behaviour, which is a basic prerequisite for future applications of CMC components in very promising, but challenging, safety critical applications fields.


This paper presents a survey of the main results obtained in the field of pseudo-haptic feedback: a technique meant to simulate haptic sensations in virtual environments using visual feedback and properties of human visuo-haptic perception. Pseudo-haptic feedback uses vision to distort haptic perception and verges on haptic illusions. Pseudo-haptic feedback has been used to simulate various haptic properties such as the stiffness of a virtual spring, the texture of an image, or the mass of a virtual object. This paper describes the several experiments in which these haptic properties were simulated. It assesses the definition and the properties of pseudo-haptic feedback. It also describes several virtual reality applications in which pseudo-haptic feedback has been successfully implemented, such as a virtual environment for vocational training of milling machine operations, or a medical simulator for training in regional anesthesia procedures.


Abstract. Alpine grasslands are an important source of fodder for the cattle of Alpine farmers. Only during the short summer season can these pastures be used for grazing. With the anticipated climate change, it is likely that plant production – and thus the fodder basis for the cattle – will be influenced. Investigating the dependence of biomass production on topoclimatic factors will allow us to better understand how anticipated climate change may influence this traditional Alpine farming system. Because small-scale topoclimatological variations of the main meteorological variables: temperature, humidity, precipitation, shortwave incoming radiation and wind speed are not easily derived from available long-term climate stations in mountainous terrain, it was our goal to investigate the topoclimatic variations over the pastures belonging to the Alp Weissenstein research station north of the Albula Pass in the eastern Swiss Alps. We present a basic assessment of current topoclimatic conditions as a site characterization for ongoing ecological climate change studies. To be able to link short-term studies with long-term climate records, we related agrometeorological measurements with those of surrounding long-term sites run by MeteoSwiss, both on valley bottoms (Davos, Samedan), and on mountain tops (Weissfluhjoch, Piz Corvatsch). We found that the Davos climate station north of the study area is most closely correlated with the local climate of Alp Weissenstein, although a much closer site (Samedan) exists on the other side of the Albula Pass. Mountain top stations, however, did not provide a convincing approximation for the climate at Alp Weissenstein. Direct comparisons of near-surface measurements from a set of 11 small weather stations distributed over the domain where cattle and sheep are grazed indicate that nocturnal minimum air temperature and minimum vapor pressure deficit are mostly governed by the altitudinal gradient, whereas daily maxima – including also wind speed – are more strongly depending on vegetation cover and less on the altitude.


BACKGROUND
Price affects the demand for cigarettes, indicating that smokers, perhaps especially lower income smokers, may choose low nicotine cigarettes (LNC) if they were commercially available and cost less than fully nicotinized conventional cigarettes. The present study tests the hypothesis that smokers will prefer purchasing LNCs at a lower price point than conventional cigarettes given a fixed budget.

METHOD
A laboratory-based, within-subject, 3 (nicotine level) × 3 (price) factorial design provided smokers opportunities to purchase standard (0.7 per mg tobacco), moderately reduced (0.3 mg), and very low-nicotine (0.03 mg). Spectrum research cigarettes according to an escalating price structure (low-nicotine costing the least, high-nicotine costing the most) given a fixed, laboratory-provided "income." Participants were 20 overnight-abstinent smokers who previously smoked and rated each of the three cigarettes.

RESULTS
Overall, smokers rated LNCs as less satisfying compared with standard nicotine cigarettes (SNC), t(18) = -5.40, p < .001. In the free-choice session, subjects were more likely to choose LNC that cost less compared with SNC that cost more, even after an 8-hour abstinence period, F(2, 19) = 4.32, p = .03. Those selecting LNC or moderate nicotine cigarettes after abstinence smoked more cigarettes per day, t(17) = 2.40, p = .03 and had higher dependence scores on the HONC, t(18) = 2.21, p = .04 that those selecting SNC.

CONCLUSION
The results indicate that smokers' response to price points when purchasing cigarettes may extend to LNC if these were commercially available. Differential cigarette prices based on nicotine content may result in voluntary selection of less addicting products.

IMPLICATIONS
The Food and Drug Administration has proposed a rule that would reduce nicotine content in commercially available cigarettes. However, it is not known how smokers may respond in an environment where products of differing nicotine content and of differing prices are available. This study demonstrates that price may be an important factor that could lead smokers to select reduced nicotine products voluntarily, even if those products are rated as inferior or less satisfying.


There remains a puzzle as to the status of Indigenous land rights in Australian colonial law. The common view is that the laws of the British colonies, and subsequently of the federated state, did not recognise Indigenous land rights until late in the 20th century. Against this, a smaller body of scholarship argues that recognition had already occurred much earlier, the clearest instance being in the colony of South Australia in the 1830s and 1840s. The result is an apparent duplicity in the colonial law, whereby Indigenous land rights appear to have been both recognised and denied. The article shows a tendency in the scholarly literature to resolve this duplicity in absolute terms, based on positivist analysis of law. In contrast, by taking a critical legal pluralist approach, the article shows how different and even contradictory manifestations of the same law subsisted simultaneously through time. This both sheds new light on the question of the recognition of Indigenous land rights in Australian colonial law, and contributes theoretically to 'critical legal pluralism' by developing its temporal dimension.


The Securities Regulation Panel (the Panel) is a regulatory body establishedin terms of s 440B of the Companies Act 61 of 1973 (the Act). Its function is,among other things, to regulate corporate mergers and takeovers. It ismandated to make rules relating to the effective monitoring of compliancewith, and enforcement of, the Securities Regulation Code on CompanyTakeovers and Mergers (the Code: see ss 440C (1)(a) and (4) (e) of the Act). The Panel was formed pursuant to a report made to the Standing Advisory Committee on Company Law by the Hon Mr Justice Cecil Margo and Professor Stefan Naude in 1983 (the Margo Report: see The Securities Regulation Code: Its Background, Implementation and the Role as Pertaining to Take-overs and Mergers, available at http://www.srpanel.co.za/Background.pdf accessed on 2 June 2008). In the report Margo J and Professor Naude did not consider it necessary to discuss the administrative and financial details of the Panel's organization because they did not foresee any insurmountable problems (see C Margo and S Naude 'Take-overs and Mergers: the City Panel and the Position in South Africa' in Report to the Standing Advisory Committee on Company Law (1983) 35). With the benefit of hindsight, one could say that they ought to have discussed the issue, for the Panel established as a result of their recommendation has faced, and continues to face, financial problems which threaten its continued financial viability. This in turn affects its ability both to monitor compliance with, and to enforce, the Code. In the course of events, details of the Panel's financing scheme were left to be determined by the legislature and the Panel itself.


Orthophosphate (Pi) modulates the activity and activation of ribulose 1,5-bis-phosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) via a mechanism that is still controversial. Whereas its effects on the higher plant enzyme have been described, little is known about Pi regulation of the structurally similar, yet kinetically different cyanobacterial enzyme. We found that RuBisCO of Synechocystis PCC6803 was affected by Pi in a paradoxical fashion. On the one hand, Pi inhibited catalysis by competing with the substrate RuBP, and on the other hand it stimulated enzyme activation in a dual manner manifested by multiphasic kinetics, which differed from the effect on activation of the higher plant enzyme. Pi concentrations > 5 mM promoted the carbamylation of the cyanobacterial enzyme and the binding of Mg2+ to the carbanion at suboptimal concentrations of CO2 and Mg2+. Surprisingly, Pi also increased the activation level of the carbamylated enzyme via another putative site of interaction. In contrast with the higher plant RuBisCO, RuBP did not inhibit the stimulatory effect of phosphate on activation of the cyanobacterial enzyme, suggesting a Pi effect through a site other than the sugar binding site. The dual effect on activation could be distinguished by the phosphate analogue vanadate, which inhibited only the stimulation achieved at high phosphate concentrations. The elevation of RuBisCO activation at suboptimal levels of CO2 and high concentrations of RuBP suggests that in cyanobacteria Pi may have a role analogous to that of RuBisCO activase in higher plants.


In this paper we present Doppelganger mining - a method to learn better face representations. The main idea of this method is to maintain a list with the most similar identities for each identity in the training set. This list is used to generate better mini-batches by sampling pairs of similar-looking identities ("doppelgangers") together. It is especially useful for methods, based on exemplar-based supervision. Usually hard example mining comes with a price of necessity to use large mini-batches or substantial extra computation and memory cost, particularly for datasets with large numbers of identities. Our method needs only a negligible extra computation and memory. In our experiments on a benchmark dataset with 21,000 persons we show that Doppelganger mining, being inserted in the face representation learning process with joint prototype-based and exemplar-based supervision, significantly improves the discriminative power of learned face representations.


Transfer spending among English Premier League clubs has increased drastically since the inception of the league, often funded by extremely wealthy owners who began purchasing majority stakes in clubs. Using data from the Deloitte Annual Review of Football Finance, we allow for different tiers of football clubs representing the haves and the have nots as well as a comparison between the first and second decades of the Premier League. Our finding that heightened spending has improved on-field performance only at the expense of hurting profitability is in line with win maximisation surmounting profit maximisation in today's Premier League.


Females are generally more affected by autoimmune diseases, a fact that underlines the relationship with pregnancy and the safety of anti-rheumatic drugs in pregnancy and lactation. Biologic therapies are increasingly prescribed to treat and maintain remission in a significant number of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases. The experience with the use of biologics during gestation is extremely lacking because of the observational nature of the available studies and the difficulty in designing proper clinical trials in pregnancy. Among the studied biologics, more information was published on TNFα inhibitors and, in particular, on their potential passage through the placenta and impact on the fetus. Currently, a fragment of anti-TNFα monoclonal IgG, certolizumab pegol, is considered safe with almost no placental transfer. Subsequent observations are suggesting a comparable safety for the soluble TNFα receptor etanercept. Another biologic, eculizumab, the anti-C5a antibody used to treat complement-mediated microangiopathies, is also considered safe due to the unique engineered IgG2/4κ formulation that limits its passage through the placental barrier. Still, long-term data about children born to women treated with biologics in pregnancy are not attainable. Data on breastfeeding are currently available for several biologics. This article reviews the literature available about which drugs are considered safe during pregnancy and lactation, which are not, and on future prospects.


Yardangs are wind‐eroded ridges usually observed in arid regions on Earth and other planets. Previous geomorphology studies of terrestrial yardang fields depended on satellite data and limited fieldwork. The geometry measurements of those yardangs based on satellite data are limited to the length, the width, and the spacing between the yardangs; elevations could not be studied due to the relatively low resolution of the satellite acquired elevation data, e.g. digital elevation models (DEMs). However, the elevation information (e.g. heights of the yardang surfaces) and related information (e.g. slope) of the yardangs are critical to understanding the characteristics and evolution of these aeolian features. Here we report a novel approach, using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to generate centimeter‐resolution orthomosaics and DEMs for the study of whaleback yardangs in Qaidam Basin, NW China. The ultra‐high‐resolution data provide new insights into the geomorphology characteristics and evolution of the whaleback yardangs in Qaidam Basin. These centimeter‐resolution datasets also have important potential in: (1) high accuracy estimation of erosion volume; (2) modeling in very fine scale of wind dynamics related to yardang formation; (3) detailed comparative planetary geomorphology study for Mars, Venus, and Titan.


INTRODUCTION: The strength training has been efficient in elderly women, however its relationship with the self-perception of health is not yet clear in the literature. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the effects of a training program with weights on muscle strength and the self-perception of health in elderly women in the city of Jequie-BA. METHODOLOGY: The sample was composed of 17 elderly women with a mean age of 68.76±5.95 years. The muscle strength was evaluated by the estimating test of maximum repetition (1MR). The training was performed in two weekly sessions, composed of two sets of 10 MR for each exercise, with intensity ranging from 50% to 70% of 1MR and duration of eight weeks. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, paired Student t-test and Chi-square non-parametric test with a significance level of p <0.05. RESULTS: The muscle strength increased significantly (p <0.05), there was also an increase in the proportion of elderly women people who reported positive self-perception of health, however there was no statistically significant difference after the training. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the strength training method promoted significant answers on the increase in muscle strength and positive changes on self-perception of health in elderly women.


Time-correlated single-photon counting techniques have been applied to time-of-flight ranging and imaging. This paper will describes recent progress in photon-counting systems performing surface mapping of non-cooperative targets. This includes systems designed for short ranges of the order of 1-50 meters, as well as measurements on distributed targets at longer ranges of the order of 100 meters up to ten kilometers. We describe the measurement approach, techniques used for scanning, as well as the signal analysis methodology and algorithm selection. The technique is fundamentally flexible: the trade-off between the integrated number of counts against range repeatability, or depth resolution allows its application in a number of diverse fields. The inherent time gating of the technique, allied to the spatial filtering provided by small active area single-photon detectors, can lead to operation under high ambient light conditions even with low average optical power pulsed sources. We have demonstrated three-dimensional imaging of meter-dimensioned objects where reverse engineering methods using cooperative targets cannot be routinely employed: e.g. mechanically delicate objects, or objects with more than one reflective surface. Using more advanced signal processing algorithms, we have been able to improve the system performance markedly, as measured by the depth resolution at short and long ranges. Furthermore, the application of these methodologies has allowed us to characterize the positions and amplitudes of multiple returns. Hence, the approach can be used for characterization of distributed non-cooperative targets at kilometer ranges, even in environments where low-light level and and/or eye-safe operation is necessary.


For high-quality general lighting, a white light source is required to exhibit good photometric and colorimetric performance along with a high level of electrical efficiency. For example, a warm white shade is desirable for indoors, corresponding to correlated color temperatures ≥4000 K, together with color rendering indices ≥90. Additionally, the luminous efficacy of optical radiation (LER) should be high, preferably ≥380 lm/Wopt. Conventional white LEDs cannot currently satisfy these requirements simultaneously. On the other hand, color-conversion white LEDs (WLEDs) integrated with quantum dots (QDs) can simultaneously reach such high levels of photometric and colorimetric performance. However, their electrical efficiency performance and limits have been unknown. To understand their potential of luminous efficiency (lm/Welect), we modeled and studied different QD-WLED architectures based on layered QD films and QD blends, all integrated on blue LED chips. The architecture of red, yellow and green emitting QD films (in this order from the chip outwards) is demonstrated to outperform the rest. In this case, for photometrically efficient spectra, the maximum achievable LE is predicted to be 327 lm/Welect. Using a state-of-the-art blue LED reported with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 81.3%, the overall WLED PCE is shown to be 69%. To achieve LEs of 100, 150 and 200 lm/Welect, the required minimum quantum efficiencies of the color-converting QDs are found to be 39, 58 and 79%, respectively.


A PHASE II STUDY OF METHANESULFONAMIDE, N-(4-(9 acridinylamino)-3-methoxyphenyl)-(m-AMSA) was undertaken by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. Thirty-five evaluable patients were studied, 18 of whom had had no prior therapy and eight of whom had been treated with only one cytotoxic drug. Thirty-one of these patients were ECOG performance status 2 or better.The dose of m-AMSA employed in this study was 40 mg/M2 as an I.V. infusion over 20 minutes daily for 3 days, repeated every 3 weeks.Leukopenia was found to be dose-limiting; thrombocytopenia and anemia were also observed. Other prominent toxicities included anorexia, nausea, and vomiting. No cardiovascular toxicity was observed in this study, but none of the patients had received prior anthracycline therapy.Only one partial response of measurable disease was observed, all other patients had progressive disease on m-AMSA therapy.No significant clinical activity of m-AMSA against malignant melanoma was demonstrated in this very favorable group of patients.


Much of our knowledge about the effects of coronary occlusion and reperfusion is derived from studies in experimental animals. The recent discovery that coronary thrombosis is usually present in clinical myocardial infarction and that thrombolysis represents an approach to therapy presents opportunities for further experimental work. Animal models are particularly suited to the study of pathogenesis of thrombus formation in atherosclerotic vessels, the role of coronary vasomotor tone, and the effects of restoration of flow upon ischemic myocardium. Although the value of thrombolytic therapy must be proved in the clinical setting, animal models provide an important resource for the study of basic mechanisms.


How can tertiary education in regions respond innovatively and collaboratively to issues regarding teacher supply and quality, especially in regions of teacher shortages? This research report focuses on one response. The Rotorua regional primary teaching flexible learning option was established by the Christchurch College of Education (CCE) in late 1996 and based at Waiarik Institute of Technology (Waiariki). It is an example of how one region in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) responded to two identified national concerns; first, a teacher shortage and second, the provision of a preservice teacher education programme that prepares teachers with particular skills to teach Māori children, who make up a substantial proportion of students in that region. This report is of a stocktake of the programme after 10 years of operation.


Small and shallow water bodies are common in Arctic lowland tundra landscapes whose thermal properties differ significantly from the surrounding tundra. Water bodies recharge their heat storage during warm summer months and act as a source of heat during winter. This can lead to continuously thawed sediments below the water body (talik).
A dynamic one dimensional heat transport model for permafrost soils was extended to include hydrothermal processes in water. It accounts for density driven advection, wind induced mixing, absorption of light and turbulent fluxes at the water surface. Model results were validated with field data from long term measurement stations on Samoylov Island in the Lena River Delta.
Simulation results reproduced the most important features of the thermal dynamics of Arctic ponds. Shortcomings in the representation of snow cover indicated the great importance of including time varying snow thermal properties due to metamorphosis processes of snow.
Long term simulations of the thermal regime below water bodies showed that there is a threshold behaviour with respect to talik development. A 10-20 cm increase in water body depth evoked the sudden appearance of a talik. Talik formation was possible within the course of 2-3 consecutive years if winter conditions were comparably warm or featured a thick snow cover. The development of talik is triggered by the succession of these short term events rather than by long term air temperature increase.
The presented model enhances our knowledge about the susceptibility of permafrost below shallow water bodies.


From the Publisher:
"Exploring the theme of the putative transformation of political modernity under the impact of 'new' media, this book adopts a questioning approach to the ways in which cultural and technological factors are affecting the temper of political life, and reflects the variety of normative thinking about and empirical research on the changing character of politics in mediatized cultures." "New Media and Politics examines: the extent to which commercial populism now dominates electoral and other political discourses; the ways in which the functions of leadership, government and political parties are modified by different forms of both old and new media; the democratic or undemocratic import of such changes; and the ways in which the dominant territorial paradigm of politics is challenged by the space and time devouring capacities of electronic media."--BOOK JACKET.


Not only has research over the past decade documented the emotional and behavioural consequences for children who witness domestic violence, but a number of studies have used children as participants thus, giving them an opportunity to describe their experiences in their own words. In policy terms, there has been a growing emphasis on children's rights and the importance and understanding of children's perspectives on their own lives. Consequently, children can no longer be perceived as forgotten victims where domestic violence is concerned. This paper explores practitioners' awareness of the needs of children and young people living with, and fleeing from, domestic violence. The research, conducted in a rural area in Wales, reveals that although the views of practitioners reflect the concerns reported by young people in other studies, there can be barriers to meeting these needs. While policy prescribes engaging with children, at the institutional level, operational priorities and increasing administrative demands can actually reduce opportunities for working directly with children. These demands may hamper the development of multi-agency practice. Language: en


A study of the drug susceptibility pattern of four blood isolates of Salmonella typhi in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, using the disc method, revealed that all strains were generally sensitive to all the Gram-negative drugs tested, except for nitrofurantoin, neomycin and streptomycin. Three strains were moderately sensitive to both streptomycin (10 mcg) and neomycin (30 mcg) and resistant to nitrofurantoin (300 mcg) while one strain was moderately sensitive to streptomycin and resistant to both neomycin and nitrofurantoin. The isolates were highly sensitive to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (25 mcg), ampicillin (10 mcg), ciprofloxacin (30 mcg), ceftazidime (30 mcg) and chloramphenicol (30 mcg). It is suggested that these strains of S. typhi could be used to develop antigens for more accurate results of the Widal test in Nigeria.


Conformal treatment for microwave ablation has been the research aim in the hyperthermia field. In this paper, a patient-specific temperature-based optimization algorithm is proposed, which can be applied to explore optimum thermal filed model covering entire tumor and minimizing the damage to healthy tissues. 50 optimization experiments were performed and the results indicated the algorithm mentioned above is fast and effective in the practice. Applying the algorithm, it may help physicians to establish optimum treatment scheme before hepatic tumor microwave ablation.


In IEEE 802.11 wireless local area networks (WLANs); the binary exponential backoff (BEB) algorithm is used in the medium access control (MAC) protocol to resolve contortion problems. Unfortunately, BEB has been shown to be highly short-term unfair. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic contention window control mechanism to improve the fairness of the backoff procedure and we evaluate its performance on real-time applications such as voice over IP and video conferencing. Simulation results reveal improvements in fairness and throughput, without detriment to delay and jitter.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to determine the potential added contribution of clinical breast examination (CBE) to invasive breast cancer detection in a mammography screening program, by categories of age and breast density.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
We prospectively followed 61,688 women aged 40 years or older who had undergone at least one screening examination with mammography and CBE between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2000, for 1 year after their mammogram for invasive cancer. We computed the incremental sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of CBE over mammography alone for combinations of age and breast density (predominantly fatty or dense).

RESULTS
Mammography sensitivity was 78% and combined mammography-CBE sensitivity was 82%, thus CBE detected an additional 4% of invasive cancers. CBE detected a minority of invasive cancers compared with mammography for all age groups and all breast densities. Sensitivity increased from adding CBE to screening mammography for all ages, from 6.8% in women ages 50-59 with dense breasts to 1.8% in women ages 60-69 years with fatty breasts. CBE generally added incrementally more to sensitivity among women with dense breasts. Specificity and positive predictive value declined when CBE was used in conjunction with mammography, and this decrement was more pronounced in women with dense breasts.

CONCLUSION
CBE had modest incremental benefit to invasive cancer detection over mammography alone in a screening program, but also led to greater risk of false-positive results. These risks and benefits were greater in women with dense breasts. The balance of risks and benefits must be weighed carefully when evaluating the inclusion of CBE in a screening examination.


Jasmine is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family (Oleaceae). Jasminum sambac, Jasminum auriculatum, Jasminum grandiflorum and Jasminum nitidum are the four cultivable species of Jasminum. The two-spotted mite, Tetranychus urticae, is a key pest of Jasminum sp. To compare the lifecycle of the notorious mite in all the cultivable Jasminum species, a detailed laboratory study was conducted at the Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India. The observations on lifecycle parameters of two-spotted mite, T. urticae, revealed that the life cycle consists of egg, larva, protochrysalis, protonymph, deutochrysalis, deutonymph, teleochrysalis and adult. The lifecycle and duration of each stage are found to be the shortest in J. nitidum and the longest in J. sambac.


Period. Polytech. Transp. Eng. J. Yang, X. Qiu, Z. Chen Abstract This paper takes the antiskid valve of braking system as the object of the research. Two parameter Weibull distribution is established through analyzing the operational principle of antiskid valve. According to the Bayesian Reliability, the cumulative failure probability of antiskid valve is calculated. Meanwhile, the posterior distribution is obtained through Markov Chain Monte Carlo. By contrast with these two methods that the reliability of antiskid valve is obtained. According to the least square method, the undetermined parameters of the two parameter Weibull distribution were solved. Then, through the sensitivity analysis, the mathematical model is proved more robust. This paper provides a certain theoretical basis for the assessment of antiskid valve's reliability, and it provides the reference to the other valve in braking system of rail transit vehicle. At the end of the paper, the reliability of the whole antiskid system is calculated through GO method on the basis of the parts' reliability is obtained by Bayes method.


Carbon fixation by chemoautotrophic bacteria represents an autochthonous source of organic matter, and may be of particular importance close to redox boundaries. Despite the known sediment chemoautotrophic potential, the quantitative role and the importance of dark carbon fixation (DCF) in lake sediments are still unknown. We provide here a method to measure DCF and bacterial production simultaneously in stratified sediment cores, using 14C labeled dissolved inorganic carbon (DI14C) and 3H‐leucine incorporation. Beyond the total activity, the method allows measurements of the processes over depth, as a profile into the sediment. DCF increased with depth in our profiles, indicating a predominance of anoxic processes. In addition, the method can yield information about the extent DI14C was allocated into the bacterial proteins (DCFp). Slurry and stratified core incubations were compared and yielded similar results for total DCF activity.


Failure to detect pregnancy in the emergency situations can have important consequences. These include missing of ectopic pregnancy (the leading cause of first-trimester pregnancy-related maternal death), administration of medications contraindicated in pregnancy, fetal radiation exposure, and medico legal problems. This in turn has led to the dictum to check for pregnancy in all women of child-bearing age group. Urine pregnancy (human chorionic gonadotropin [hCG]) test is the commonly used test to rule out pregnancy and has been reported by Griffey et al. in their study to achieve 100% sensitivity and 99.2% specificity in a clinical setting, resulting in a positive predictive value of 98.3% and a negative predictive value of nearly 100%. However, the sensitivity is influenced not only by the quantity of β hCG but on its variants that vary with different weeks of pregnancy. β hCG is present in several variant forms that change in their concentrations at different stages of pregnancy. In spite of its high sensitivity, in the presence of molar pregnancy that is associated with very high levels of β hCG it fails to detect the antigen (β hCG). This is explained by the phenomenon known as "high-dose hook effect" which further leads to delay in diagnosis and treatment. This can be overcome by dilution of the sample. In such cases, diagnosis will be made by serum β hCG and ultrasound (USG). Here, we present a case of gravida 2 para 1 living 1 with 2΍ months amenorrhea with bleeding p/v and pain abdomen of 20 days duration whose urine β hCG was repeatedly negative and diagnosis was made by serum β hCG and USG.


Objectives: The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors ("statins") have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with improved outcomes in critically ill patients. We investigated whether previous statin therapy affects outcomes in patients at risk for acute respiratory distress syndrome. Design: Patients were followed-up for the primary outcome of acute respiratory distress syndrome and secondary outcomes of intensive care unit and 60-day mortality, organ dysfunction, and ventilator-free days in a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study. Receipt of statin therapy was recorded. Propensity score matching was used to adjust for confounding by indication. Setting: Intensive care units at a tertiary care academic medical center. Patients: Critically ill patients (2,743) with acute respiratory distress syndrome risk factors. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Acute respiratory distress syndrome developed in 738 (26%) patients; 413 patients (15%) received a statin within 24 hrs of intensive care unit admission. Those who had received a statin within 24 hrs had a lower rate of development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (odds ratio 0.56; 95% confidence interval 0.43–0.73; p < .0001). After multivariate adjustment for potential confounders, this association remained significant (odds ratio 0.69; 95% confidence interval 0.51–0.92; p = .01). However, after propensity score matching, the association was not statistically significant (odds ratio 0.79; 95% confidence interval 0.57–1.10; p = .16). Statin use was not associated with reduced acute respiratory distress syndrome mortality, organ dysfunction, or ventilator-free days. Results of the study were presented in accordance with STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines. Conclusions: Statin therapy at the time of intensive care unit admission was not associated with a lower rate of development of acute respiratory distress syndrome after matching for patient propensity to receive statins. Statin therapy was not associated with improvements in acute respiratory distress syndrome mortality, organ failure, or days free from mechanical ventilation.


A method is presented to determine an appropriate portion that could be subtracted from the noise-contaminated autocorrelation functions before carrying out linear prediction analysis in coloured noise. This method guarantees the stability of the resulting linear prediction filter. The authors demonstrate the improvement using an objective measure based on a synthetic vowel.


Hepatic resection has become the mainstay of treatment for both primary and certain secondary malignancies. Outcomes after hepatic resection have significantly improved with advances in surgical and anesthetic techniques and perioperative care. Metabolic and functional changes after hepatic resection are unique and cause significant challenges in management. In-depth understanding of hepatic physiology is essential to properly address the postoperative issues. Strategies implemented in the postoperative period to improve outcomes include adequate nutritional support, proper glycemic control, and interventions to reduce postoperative infectious complications among several others. This review article focuses on the major postoperative issues after hepatic resection and presents the current management.


Topographic data collected using RTK-DGPS-equipped farm vehicles during field operations could addadditional benefits to the original capital investment in the equipment through the development of high-accuracy field DEMs. Repeated surveys of elevation data from field operations may improve DEM accuracy over time. However, minimizing the amount of data to be processed and stored is also an important goal for practical implementation. A method was developed to utilize repeated GPS surveys acquired during field operations for generating field-level DEMs. Elevation measurement error was corrected through a continuity analysis. Fuzzy logic (FL) and weighted averaging (WA) methods were used to combine new surveys with past elevation estimates without requiring storage and reprocessing of past survey data. After 20 surveys were included, the DEM of the study area generated with FL and WA methods had an average root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.08 m, which was substantially lower than the RMSE of 0.16 m associated with the DEM developed by averaging all data points in each grid. With minimum control of errors in elevation measurements, the effect of these errors can be reduced with appropriate data processing, including continuity analysis, fuzzy logic, and weighted averaging. Two years of GPS surveys of elevation data from field operations could reduce elevation error by 50% in field DEMs.


Over the last decade, a new reality has set in for the semiconductor industry. In a variety of application domains like wireless, multimedia, networking, and automotive, it has become more and more difficult to provide silicon solutions without the associated software executing on the hardware. Not only has software become the key functional differentiator in many areas; its development cycle now determines the overall project success. Market research firm International Business Strategies, Inc. claims that today at 90 nm the typical overall SoC-related development effort for software has already surpassed the effort for hardware. For 45 nm designs in the year 2011, IBS projects that less than 40 percent of the overall development efforts will be spent on hardware. Given the ever growing levels of complexity, traditional approaches to developing embedded software are failing to meet the challenge; a new era of software development has begun in which the majority of embedded software is developed with virtual prototypes, in contrast to traditional software development on hardware boards.


Traditionally, the assessment and learning science commu-nities rely on different paradigms to model student performance. The assessment community uses Item Response Theory which allows modeling different student abilities and problem difficulties, while the learning science community uses Knowledge Tracing, which captures skill acquisition. These two paradigms are complementary - IRT cannot be used to model student learning, while Knowledge Tracing assumes all students and problems are the same. Recently, two highly related models based on a principled synthesis of IRT and Knowledge Tracing were introduced. However, these two models were evaluated on different data sets, using different evaluation metrics and with different ways of splitting the data into training and testing sets. In this paper we reconcile the models' results by presenting a unified view of the two models, and by evaluating the models under a common evaluation metric. We find that both models are equivalent and only differ in their training procedure. Our results show that the combined IRT and Knowledge Tracing models offer the best of assessment and learning sciences - high prediction accuracy like the IRT model, and the ability to model student learning like Knowledge Tracing.


Purpose With rising healthcare costs limiting access to care, the judicious use of diagnostic tests has become a critical issue for many jurisdictions. Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus serum levels are regularly performed tests in the emergency department, but their clinical relevance have come into question. Authors sought to determine risk factors that could predict abnormal calcium, magnesium and phosphorus serum levels, as well as identify patients who may need corrective interventions. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted in two academic hospitals in Québec City. Demographic and clinical characteristics of 1008 patients who had serum calcium and/or magnesium and/or phosphorus levels drawn by an emergency physician were collected. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to obtain adjusted odds ratios for each risk factor for abnormal calcium or magnesium or phosphorus blood levels, and for a required intervention. Results Among patients for whom calcium, magnesium and phosphorus were tested in the Emergency Department, the most significant risk factors (OR>2) for electrolytic abnormality were as follows: hypocalcemia – respiratory distress, diuretics (excluding loop and thiazide), anti-neoplastic medication, long QTc, chronic kidney disease (CKD); hypercalcemia – bone pain, vitamin D, hallucinations; hypomagnesemia – diabetes, corticosteroids; hypermagnesemia – poor extremity perfusion, CKD, furosemide; hypophosphatemia – seizure; hyperphosphatemia – phosphate-binders, CKD, peripheral vascular atherosclerotic disease. Of all patients tested, 3.4% received a corrective intervention initiated by the emergency physician. Predictors of intervention on an electrolyte abnormality include poor peripheral perfusion, nausea and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Conclusion Emergency physicians can potentially reduce the unnecessary testing of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus blood levels by targeting patients with high-acuity conditions or chronic comorbidities such as CKD, diabetes and COPD.


Cellular automata (CA) is an example of cellular computing: large numbers of simple components, no central control, and limited communication among components. A CA consists of an array of cells, each in one of a finite number of possible states. The cells are updated synchronously in discrete time steps, according to a local, identical interaction rule. CA have been studied for years due to their architectural simplicity and the wide spectrum of behaviors. It can be difficult to design CA to exhibit a specific behavior, and there is no programming paradigm for implementing parallel computations in CA. This makes CA a prime candidate for adaptive programming methods such as evolutionary algorithms (EA). EA have been successfully used to evolve CA to perform computations, such as the majority problem. In problem solving like this, CA are treated as input-output systems and evolved to visit certain states given certain initial states. The n-th state of a CA is commonly treated as its output, such that one input gives one output. In this report a way to transform the output of CA such that multiple outputs emerge is investigated. The evolution of transformed CA is also investigated. Useful applications of this include controlling multi-variable systems such as a pole balancing system. The transformation process was tested in the elementary and 3-state rule spaces. Evolution of transformed CA was successful in the elementary rule space. This suggests there is a correlation between rules of CA and their transformed output. The evolution of transformed CA was unsuccessful in the 3-state rule space. This suggests the chosen evolutionary algorithm doesn't scale with the size of the rule space.


Based on apprehending the conception of intensive use of woodland, 12 indices are selected from the aspects of economy, society, ecology and so on according to the principles of scientific systematization, collectible index and system inner linkage. A scientific evaluation index system for woodland intensive use is constructed. Range Standardization Method is adopted in order to eliminate the differences among indices; index weight is calculated by the objective variation coefficient weight method. Physio geographic condition, woodland area and forest resource of Wenhe Operating Zone in Yakeshi City, China are introduced. According to the 2004-2008 relevant statistical data, intensive use level of Wenhe Operating Zone is evaluated. Result shows that the intensive use level of this zone shows a general upward trend with relatively fast increase in a particular year, and slight increase in woodland input every year. From the year 2004 to 2005, intensive level of woodland decreases slightly. From 2005 to 2006, intensive level of woodland rises with slight increase in woodland output. From 2006 to 2007, intensive level of woodland rises rapidly with a substantial upward trend in output. From 2007 to 2008, intensive level of woodland declines sharply. Based on this, related countermeasures are put forward for the intensive use of woodland in Wenhe Operating Zone. Firstly, strengthen the input in production factors of forestry, especially the mechanical input, in order to avoid unnecessary waste. Secondly, scientifically evaluate the development potential, breeding mode and planting program of woodland. Conduct a unified plan for market, and develop wildlife breeding properly. Thirdly, scientifically plan the plantation and guarantee the survival rate; increase the post investment in plantation; scientifically plan the logging quota, and ensure a reasonable output and intensive use of wood.


This paper presents a method for obtaining accurate dense elevation and appearance models of terrain using a single camera on-board an aerial platform. Applications of this method include geographical information systems, robot path planning, immersion and visualization, and surveying for scientific purposes such as watershed analysis. When given geo-registered images, the method can compute terrain maps on-line in real time. This algorithm, called the recursive multi-frame planar parallax algorithm, is a recursive extension of Irani et al.'s multi-frame planar parallax framework and in theory, with perfectly registered imagery, it will produce range data with error expected to increase between linearly and with the square root of the range, depending on image properties and whether other constants such as framerate and vehicle velocity are held constant. This is an improvement over stereo systems whose expected errors are proportional to the square of the range. We show experimental evidence on synthetic imagery and on a real video sequence taken in an experiment for autonomous helicopter landing.


The thesis investigates the relationship between the biomechanical properties of the anterior human sclera and cornea in vivo using Schiotz tonometry (ST), rebound tonometry (RBT, iCare) and the Ocular Response Analyser (ORA, Reichert). Significant differences in properties were found to occur between scleral quadrants. Structural correlates for the differences were examined using Partial Coherent Interferometry (IOLMaster, Zeiss), Optical Coherent tomography (Visante OCT), rotating Scheimpflug photography (Pentacam, Oculus) and 3-D Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Subject groups were employed that allowed investigation of variation pertaining to ethnicity and refractive error. One hundred thirty-five young adult subjects were drawn from three ethnic groups: British-White (BW), British-South-Asian (BSA) and Hong-Kong-Chinese (HKC) comprising non-myopes and myopes. Principal observations: ST demonstrated significant regional variation in scleral resistance a) with lowest levels at quadrant superior-temporal and highest at inferior-nasal; b) with distance from the limbus, anterior locations showing greater resistance. Variations in resistance using RBT were similar to those found with ST; however the predominantly myopic HKC group had a greater overall mean resistance when compared to the BW-BSA group. OCT-derived scleral thickness measurements indicated the sclera to be thinner superiorly than inferiorly. Thickness varied with distance from the corneolimbal junction, with a decline from 1 to 2 mm followed by a successive increase from 3 to 7 mm. ORA data varied with ethnicity and refractive status; whilst axial length (AL) was associated with corneal biometrics for BW-BSA individuals it was associated with IOP in the HKC individuals. Complex interrelationships were found between ORA Additional-Waveform-Parameters and biometric data provided by the Pentacam. OCT indicated ciliary muscle thickness to be greater in myopia and more directly linked to posterior ocular volume (from MRI) than AL. Temporal surface areas (SAs, from MRI) were significantly smaller than nasal SAs in myopic eyes; globe bulbosity (from MRI) was constant across quadrants.


In order to improve the dispersion of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), MWCNTs were physically modified by the surfactant of Poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP), cetyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), and were chemically treated by the acid oxidation. Measuring the zeta potential of the dispersions of modified MWCNTs and surface contact angle of modified MWCNT powders, influence of acting forces on the dispersions of modified MWCNTs was analyzed. The balance of electrostatic repulsion and van der Waals forces determines the stabilization of aqueous modified MWCNT dispersions. The sufficient reactive groups, ions and long molecular chains play important roles for such balance.