People with disabilities are vulnerable to experience exclusion and discrimination in society. Likewise in Indonesia, a common condition for people with disabilities is the low level of participation in various sectors, such as the economy, education, healthcare, and public infrastructure. However, Indonesia has committed and started efforts to improve the equality of people with disabilities' access. One institution that plays an important role in this regard is the social welfare institution. On a related note, this study discusses the dynamic of the social welfare institution's roles in Indonesia in providing welfare for people with disabilities. Furthermore, the roles are explored based on the current context of society, which over the last few years, has been changing rapidly due to technological advancements, information acceleration, and big data utilization. This study argues building an inclusive social welfare institution is fundamental to fulfill the people with disabilities' welfare. This study uses a qualitative approach with literature review and secondary data analysis as data collection methods.


This paper presents the first printed organic 13-MHz RFID on flexible substrate. The proposed sol ution includes a planar near field antenna bonded to an R FID tag, which is printed on flexible foil using an organic complementary TFT technology. Thanks to an active envelope detect or, ASK modulation with modulation depth as low as 20% can be adopted to increase the available input power for the recti f er. The RFID functionality is demonstrated at the internally generated supply voltage of 24 V, for a reading range of 2-5 cm and a bit-rate up to 50 bit/s. With more than 250 transistors on the same foil, this work represents the most complex circuit ever publi shed in a printed organic complementary TFT technology.


This research explores the multiplicity of diversity based on gender, ethnicity, and age, and how it is reflected among leaders with an arts degree. They include leaders who are managers, arts administrators, curators, arts educators, theatre producers, and stage directors. In this quantitative study, the aggregated data of arts alumni, nearly 65,000 respondents from three consecutive years (2015, 2016, and 2017) from the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP), are analyzed using a descriptive method. The study shows that 45.7% of art alumni are in management positions, of whom 78.5% are white, and the remaining 21.5% are fairly evenly distributed among other ethnicities. Therefore, there is a lack of diversity in the positions of leadership. This paper suggests the need for inclusive leadership, in which diversity is encouraged.


A novel method named matrix assembly method is proposed for insulating glass sound transmission. Firstly, acoustic principle and boundary condition are applied to form acoustic equations. Using the matrix assembly method, these acoustic equations can be composed a universal procedure with a general format for insulating glass sound transmission. Efficiency and general capability of this novel method are very high. Lastly, universal procedure is used to solve insulating glass in the code for insulating glass of People's Republic of China. Subsequently some very useful conclusions are conducted for insulating glass, which shows that this novel method for insulating glass is feasible. Furthermore, efficiency and general capability of this novel method are high


Wetlands constitute one of the most important ecosystems on Earth yet two thirds of Europe's wetlands have been lost in the past 100 years. Europe's wetlands are still under threat from land use change and pollution and are among the most endangered ecosystems. Urbanisation in Mediterranean coastal wetlands has resulted in the destruction or fragmentation of valuable habitats and in particular coastal lagoons are among the most threatened. Careful planning and management of tourism and regional development can contribute to the safeguard of wetlands and also benefit the local community and economy. Oropos lagoon located in NE Attica, Greece, constitutes one of the few remaining wetlands within Attica. Within the last 30 years the original size of the lagoon decreased to nearly half due to urbanization and vehicular trafficking. Currently the lagoon occupies an almost flat coastal area of approximately 65 ha that hosts important bird species and coastal plant communities and continues to be under pressure. A design approach aimed to protect and enhance the lagoon is presented based on a detailed study of the lagoon and its uses. For this purpose a field survey was performed in year 2012 during two periods, spring and mid-summer with an aim to identify and record the plant species and map the habitat types in the area. A total of 130 plant specimens were collected and identified. A site analysis was also undertaken. The results obtained by the field survey and site analysis formed the basis of a design proposal to develop a wetland park that aimed to inhibit further degradation, protect and enhance the remaining wetland of Oropos.


What we are proposing in this paper is the concept, architecture and application of a Web-based simulation meta-synthesis (WebSMS). The motivation of the WebSMS system is to provide services for distributed and secure sharing and reuse of resource, distributed collaboration, and distributed execution and observation of simulation. In this paper, our initial work designing and developing a web-based simulation meta-synthesis system is described. An overlay architecture which combines shared resource, simulation and specialist synthesis is provided. At last, conclusions with our experiences and some raised issues are given. We argue that although some of the used techniques maybe still are a bit immature and need further improvements, a system; like this has a lot of potential and can also be used in other domains than modeling and simulation.


Abstract. This paper reviews the possible functions as well as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for robust flood defenses in the rural riverine areas of the Netherlands on the basis of the recent literature and case studies at five locations in the Netherlands where dike reinforcement is planned. For each of the case studies semi-structured interviews with experts and stakeholders were conducted. At each of the five locations, suitable robust flood defenses could be identified that would contribute to the envisaged functions and ambitions for the respective areas. Primary strengths of a robust, multifunctional dike in comparison to a traditional dike appeared to be the more efficient space use due to the combination of different functions, a longer-term focus and greater safety.


Adaptive model for maintaining the processes in the ecological-economic system connected the "Land–Sea" system industrial output, on the one hand, and the contamination level and the marine environment biodiversity index, on the other, is proposed. The paper contains the development of modeling results of such systems obtained using the adaptive method of causes method (the results were published in the 3 number of this journal, 2015). More complex model of the "Land" economic subsystem which had a great number of logical agents of production profitability management is applied. In the "Sea" ecologic subsystem a model for monitoring over biochemical processes forming the marine environment biodiversity index is proposed. These processes are: the concentrations of phytoplankton, zooplankton, bioresource, biogenic elements, oxygen, carbon dioxide and detritus. Biodiversity index, along with contamination level, was applied for ecological control of marine environment quality. External impact on the "Sea" subsystem is represented by solar radiation, sea upper layer temperature and wind velocity modulus. Being based on analysis of the effect of economic sanctions for pollution upon the processes in marine ecosystem, the model is intended to find a rational balance between the income from marine resources use and the expenditures for preserving marine environment quality. Management agents controlling balance between consumption and reproduction of marine resources are applied in the models of "Land" and "Sea" subsystems, as well as in the integrated system model. The results of great number of simulation experiments demonstrating the possibility of complex "Land–Sea" system management in the modes of rational natural resource use are given. Scenarios of ecological-economic processes arising at transferring industrial production on ecologically clean technologies are constructed, and advantages of such a variant of nature management are shown.


Acquiring degraded images with paired high-resolution (HR) images is often challenging, impeding the advance of image super-resolution in real-world applications. By generating realistic low-resolution (LR) images with degradation similar to that in real-world scenarios, simulated paired LR-HR data can be constructed for supervised training. However, most of the existing work ignores the degradation uncertainty of the generated realistic LR images, since only one LR image has been generated given an HR image. To address this weakness, we propose learning the degradation uncertainty of generated LR images and sampling multiple LR images from the learned LR image (mean) and degradation uncertainty (variance) and construct LR-HR pairs to train the super-resolution (SR) networks. Specifically, uncertainty can be learned by minimizing the proposed loss based on Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence. Furthermore, the uncertainty in the feature domain is exploited by a novel perceptual loss; and we propose to calculate the adversarial loss from the gradient information in the SR stage for stable training performance and better visual quality. Experimental results on popular real-world datasets show that our proposed method has performed better than other unsupervised approaches.


Magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is a promising memory technology, which has fast read access, high density, and non-volatility. Using 3D heterogeneous integrations, it becomes feasible and cost-efficient to stack MRAM atop conventional chip multiprocessors (CMPs). However, one disadvantage of MRAM is its long write latency and its high write energy. In this paper, we first stackMRAM-based L2 caches directly atop CMPs and compare it against SRAM counterparts in terms of performance and energy. We observe that the direct MRAM stacking might harm the chip performance due to the aforementioned long write latency and high write energy. To solve this problem, we then propose two architectural techniques: read-preemptive write buffer and SRAM-MRAM hybrid L2 cache. The simulation result shows that our optimized MRAM L2 cache improves performance by 4.91% and reduces power by 73.5%compared to the conventional SRAM L2 cache with the similar area.


The vestibular system is a complex set of structures and neural pathways that serves a wide variety of functions that contribute to our sense of proprioception and equilibrium. These functions include the sensation of orientation and acceleration of the head in any direction with associated compensation in eye movement and posture. These reflexes are referred to as the vestibulo-ocular and vestibulospinal reflexes, respectively. The centrally located vestibular system involves neural pathways in the brain that respond to afferent input from the peripheral vestibular system in the inner ear and provide efferent signals that make these reflexes possible. Current data suggest that the vestibular system also plays a role in consciousness, and dysfunctions of the system can cause cognitive deficits related to spatial memory, learning, and navigation.


The equivalent circuit model is widely used in high-voltage (HV) engineering to simulate the behavior of HV applications for insulation/dielectric materials. In this study, equivalent circuit models were prepared in order to represent the electric and dielectric properties of minerals and voids in a granite rock sample. The HV electric-pulse application shows a good possibility of achieving a high energy efficiency with the size reduction and selective liberation of minerals from rocks. The electric and dielectric properties were first measured, and the mineral compositions were also determined by using a micro-X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Ten patterns of equivalent circuit models were then prepared after considering the mineral distribution in granite. Hard rocks, as well as minerals, are dielectric materials that can be represented as resistors and capacitors in parallel connections. The values of the electric circuit parameters were determined from the known electric and dielectric parameters of the minerals in granite. The average calculated data of the electric properties of granite agreed with the measured data. The conductivity values were 53.5 pS/m (measurement) and 36.2 pS/m (simulation) in this work. Although there were some differences between the measured and calculated data of dielectric loss (tanδ), their trend as a function of frequency agreed. Even though our study specifically dealt with granite, the developed equivalent circuit model can be applied to any other rock.


The induction of "bystander effects" i.e. effects in cells which have not received an ionizing radiation track, is now accepted but the mechanisms are not completely clear. Bystander effects following high and low LET radiation exposure are accepted but mechanisms are still not understood. There is some evidence for a physical component to the signal. This paper tests the hypothesis that bioelectric or biomagnetic phenomena are involved. Human immortalized skin keratinocytes and primary explants of mouse bladder and fish skin, were exposed directly to ionizing radiation or treated in a variety of bystander protocols. Exposure of cells was conducted by shielding one group of flasks using lead, to reduce the dose below the threshold of 2mGy 60Cobalt gamma rays established for the bystander effect. The endpoint for the bystander effect in the reporter system used was reduction in cloning efficiency (RCE). The magnitude of the RCE was similar in shielded and unshielded flasks. When cells were placed in a Faraday cage the magnitude of the RCE was less but not eliminated. The results suggest that liquid media or cell-cell contact transmission of bystander factors may be only part of the bystander mechanism. Bioelectric or bio magnetic fields may have a role to play. To test this further, cells were placed in a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine for 10min using a typical head scan protocol. This treatment also induced a bystander response. Apart from the obvious clinical relevance, the MRI results further suggest that bystander effects may be produced by non-ionizing exposures. It is concluded that bioelectric or magnetic effects may be involved in producing bystander signaling cascades commonly seen following ionizing radiation exposure.


Soil microbial communities are highly diverse and implicated in delivering many ecosystem services including the degradation of pesticides. The aim of this thesis was to study the relationship between microbial species richness and pesticide biodegradation kinetics in order to contribute to the understanding of the causes of variability in pesticide degradation kinetics between test systems used as a component part of the discovery process for new crop protection active ingredients. This thesis was in collaboration with Syngenta who were keen to gain an understanding of the importance of soil microbial diversity for pesticide biodegradation function in order to underpin the design of improved test systems for screening pesticides at an early stage of their development. A series of soils encompassing a microbial diversity gradient using a dilution to extinction approach were created, in which the soil was y-irradiated/lautoclaved and then re-inoculated with a suspension of serial dilutions of fresh soil (la', 10', 106, 10', 101"). Illumina MiSeq sequencing demonstrated gradual decrease of bacterial OTUs of 45, 54, 66, 83 and 88 % in the dilutions compare to the control fresh soil while the y-irradiated control soils showed a reduction of 97% after a soil equilibration period of 20 weeks to allow microbial re-colonisation of the soil. These manipulated soils were used to conduct pesticide degradation studies following the OEC0307 guideline using radio labelled compounds: 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyaceticacid (2,4-0), Terbuthylazine (TBA), Azoxystrobin (AZ) and Bicyclopyrone (BIR). The degradation of 2,4-0 was robust up to 106 dilution, but was disrupted beyond 10'. Conversely, AZ half-life was much prolonged (>388 days) in all diluted soils compared to the 'fresh control' DT50 of 77 days, indicating a high dependency on microbial diversity. TBA was degraded similarly in all soils (DT50 range 75-166 days) suggesting a possible reliance on microbial community structure. BIR degradation was slower than the other compounds with half-life exceeding the duration of the study, however, a reduction in the extrapolated half-life in diluted soils compare to the fresh control was recorded. Analysis of compound degradation kinetics therefore revealed pesticide-specific sensitivity to microbial diversity erosion. The findings of this project contribute to the understanding of the causes of variability in pesticide biodegradation behaviour between the test systems component to the pesticide discovery pipeline. The dilution to extinction system that was evaluated in this thesis could potentially provide a valuable tool to agrochemical R&D through providing a means to identify (and discard) compounds not displaying robust biodegradation kinetics at an early stage in the discovery process.


This paper presents a systematic methodology to derive and classify fast algorithms for linear transforms. The approach is based on the algebraic signal processing theory. This means that the algorithms are not derived by manipulating the entries of transform matrices, but by a stepwise decomposition of the associated signal models, or polynomial algebras. This decomposition is based on two generic methods or algebraic principles that generalize the well-known Cooley-Tukey fast Fourier transform (FFT) and make the algorithms' derivations concise and transparent. Application to the 16 discrete cosine and sine transforms yields a large class of fast general radix algorithms, many of which have not been found before.


To explore the relationship between axon arbor growth and synaptogenesis, developing retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axon arbors in zebrafish optic tectum were imaged in vivo at high temporal and spatial resolution using two-photon microscopy. Individual RGC axons were dually labeled by expression of a cytosolic red fluorescent protein (DsRed Express) to mark arbor structure and a fusion of the synaptic vesicle protein synaptophysin with green fluorescent protein (Syp:GFP) to mark presynaptic vesicles. Analysis of time-lapse sequences acquired at 10 min intervals revealed unexpectedly rapid kinetics of both axon branch and vesicle cluster turnover. Nascent axonal branches exhibited short average lifetimes of 19 min, and only 17% of newly extended axonal processes persisted for periods exceeding 3 h. The majority (70%) of Syp:GFP puncta formed on newly extended axonal processes. Syp:GFP puncta also exhibited short average lifetimes of 30 min, and only 34% of puncta were stabilized for periods exceeding 3 h. Moreover, strongly correlated dynamics of Syp:GFP puncta and branch structure suggest that synaptogenesis exerts strong influences on both the extension and the selective stabilization of nascent branches. First, new branches form almost exclusively at newly formed Syp:GFP puncta. Second, stabilized nascent branches invariably bear Syp:GFP puncta, and the detailed dynamics of branch retraction suggest strongly that nascent synapses can act at branch tips to arrest retraction. These observations thus provide evidence that synaptogenesis guides axon arbor growth by first promoting initial branch extension and second by selective branch stabilization.


The article studies how visual images and their use in explaining field-specific terms can be analyzed with the concept of discourse patterns. When expounding and demonstrating the meaning of specialized terminology in popular non-fiction, different kinds of pictures are utilized to scaffold the reader-in-the-text's understanding of the meanings of such field-specific terms. In the article, explanation sequences are analyzed as multimodal discourse patterns, where verbal text and images together produce knowledge-constructing interaction. Diverse resources of presenting information (e.g. genre features of written text, coding orientations of visual image) construct the interactive functions of a multimodal text. For example, a technologically oriented image can realize both functions in the introduction–description pattern whereas an image depicting a particular situation can function as an exemplification in the introduction–exemplification pattern. The analysis of discourse patterns aims to examine the ways of representing conceptual knowledge in research popularizations.


Background and purpose Moyamoya disease is a cerebrovascular disorder characterized by bilateral progressive stenosis and occlusion of terminal portions of internal carotid artery (ICA) accompanying by typical net-like collateral vessels. Patients with both the characteristic moyamoya vasculopathy and the associated conditions are categorized as moyamoya syndrome. These conditions include sickle cell disease, neurofibromatosis type 1, Down's disease, cranial therapeutic irradiation and other rare diseases. Moyamoya syndrome associated with Graves' disease has been rarely reported and the underlying coexisting mechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study is to identify the clinical and radiological findings of the patients with simultaneous diagnosis of moyamoya syndrome and Graves' disease. Possible mechanisms predisposing these individuals to ischemic accidents are discussed. Methods We retrospectively identified 12 patients in Peking Union Medical College Hospital and 4 patients in 307 hospital of PLA between May 2000 and December 2010. All patients were female and mean age (range) was 35.13±12.34 years (11-57 years). The patients were diagnosed with Graves' disease in endocrinology clinic which meet the full diagnostic criteria and no atherosclerotic factor was found in them. Moyamoya vasculopathy was definitely or probably diagnosed by digital subtract angiography or magnetic resonance angiography. The clinical characteristics and prognosis, laboratory data, vascular radiological characteristics were all collected. Results Stenosis or occlusion of bilateral distal ICA and/or proximal anterior /middle cerebral arteries was found in 13 patients. Three patients had unilateral distal ICA stenosis and abnormal collateral vessels. PCA stenosis was found in 2 patients. Fifteen patients presented with infarction or transient ischemic attack and one with dizziness. Interestingly, thyroid function tests demonstrated predominantly elevated thyroxine and suppressed thyroid stimulating hormone level in 15 patients when cerebrovascular accidents occurred. All patients received antithyroid therapy and two had recurrent ischemic attack after several months of drug withdrawal. Four patients underwent revascularization procedures after normalization of their hormonal conditions in 307 Hospital of PLA and their neurologic status has remained stable during follow-up. Conclusions: Compared with classical moyamoya disease, moyamoya syndrome associated Graves' disease more commonly presented asymmetric stenosis or occlusion and PCA lesions. Cerebrovascular hemodynamic changes attributable to thyrotoxicosis might be responsible for ischemic attack and further studies are required to verify this hypothesis.


The combined effects of the devaluation of the CFA franc in 1992, the food crisis of 2008 and the strong demand for grain products developed urban dwellers have proven to be a necessity of development of grain products manufacturing units marketable and storable without any risk of alteration for cereal craftsmen. This contribution conducted at 40 ° C and 55 ° C with air speeds of 1m / s 2m / s and 3m / s is in the kinetic study of a technological process couscous drying to determine the optimum conditions of the process of dehydration. She found that the drying kinetics of couscous takes place in three phases; indicating that couscous is rich in water and that it can be stored at room temperature unless it is dried. Henceforth it is imperative to have a good knowledge and mastery of these three phases that impact on product quality This study showed that the experiments performed at a speed of air 3m / s at 40 ° C temperatures and 55 ° C, show a brown coloration due to Maillard reactions. We see that the browning phenomena are more pronounced at the speed of 3m / s and 55 ° C. It is found that the slow drying is better suited to the quick dry couscous. In addition to further drying the air velocity of 1m / s correlated with the temperature of 40 ° C is the most suitable as well as good monitoring of the evolution of the temperature during the drying phase warm up for a good product.


A discrete three-degree-of-freedom model of a wood frame shear wall has been developed that is suitable for design-type analyses. The model captures the salient features of the wall response, is amenable to exact closed-form solution, and has the flexibility to account for variations in wall geometry, framing and sheathing materials, fastener type, and spacing. Sheathing-to-stud connections are modeled using a linear viscoelastic element; a method is presented for determining the connection properties using the results of full-scale shear wall tests and a closed-form solution for the test excitation. Results show that the model accurately predicts the hysteretic behavior of the wall for low to moderate displacements; at larger displacements the linear model captures the overall behavior (effective stiffness and energy dissipation), but, as would be expected, fails to predict the pinched hysteresis observed in the tests. Finally, a response spectrum analysis is conducted of a single-story wood frame structure to demonstrate how the model can be used for design-type analyses.


Abstract By sharing the experiences of women and the black community of her time, represented as a journey towards womanhood on stage, Afro- American playwright Ntozake Shange deconstructs the patriarchal structure of language, by pushing the boundaries of genres as she assembles prose, poetry and stage performance in a "choreopoem" capable of empowering and liberating the trajectories of the represented black women. The present study explores the semiotic and linguistic deconstructions of the patriarchal ideology in for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, aiming at a discussion of the author's experimentalism with language outside instituted discursive paradigms regarding women. Considering that the concept of the liberation of the individual is strongly historicized in the play, the characters of the seven ladies are focalized as being tightly related to the feminist movement in North America in the seventies. Furthermore, the implications of ideological impositions and limited roles for women in society are analyzed.


DT log is one of the most frequently used wireline logs to determine compression wave velocity. This log is commonly used to gain insight into the elastic and petrophysical parameters of reservoir rocks. Acquisition of DT log is, however, a very expensive and time consuming task. Thus prediction of this log by any means can be a great help by decreasing the amount of money that needs to be allocated for acquisition. Support vector machine (SVM) is one of the best artificial intelligence techniques proven to be a reliable method in the prediction of various real world problems. The aim of this paper is to use SVM to predict the DT log data of a well located in the southern oilfields of Iran. By comparing the results of SVM with those obtained by a Back Propagation Neural Network (BPNN) we were able to verify the accuracy of SVM in the prediction of P-wave velocity. Hence, this method is recommended as a cost effective tool in the prediction of Pwave velocity.


This paper studies the relationship between the development of textile industry and the macroeconomic growth. By establishing the VAR model and co-integration test, the paper systematically describes the dependency between them. It also applies the method of impulse response function and variance decomposition to analyze their dynamic correlations. The result shows that there exists a long-term relationship between the textile industry and macroeconomic in China. But the relevance between them has something alike as well as something different through the analysis of impulse response function and variance decomposition. The good functioning of macroeconomic creats favourable conditions for the development of the textile industry. However, the influence on the textile industry of macroeconomic has a time-lag effect.


Abstract
 The lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) content in soil can qualitatively and quantitatively affect the microbial community and, therefore, the normal functioning of the soil ecosystem. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of long-term Pb and Zn contamination on soil fungi isolated by the dilution plate method, also in relation to vegetal topsoil. We analysed soil samples collected near dominant plant species (Pistacia lentiscus L., Quercus ilex L., Arbutus unedo L., and Phillyrea angustifolia L.) in soils suffering from heavy metal pollution as well as in unpolluted sites. The study area is located in the mining district of Ingurtosu (South-West Sardinia), where the polluted sites were severely contaminated by lead extraction activities that probably began before the Roman era. The obtained data were subjected to multivariate analysis, using Canonical Correspondence Analysis, to determine the relationship between the soil biota and the environmental variables. High concentrations of lead and zinc, with some variation with respect to the vegetation, were found in the topsoil of all polluted sites. Soil pollution places stress on sensitive microorganisms, which causes a change in the diversity of soil mycota. A significant decline in micro-fungal abundance was observed in all polluted soils tested in this study. In addition, some interesting fungal species are discussed.


The potential of the coincidence technique in positron imaging was recognized early on and pilot experiments were performed as early as the 1950s. In combination with the tomographic technique, it was possible in the late 1970s to demonstrate a new principle for medical diagnosis, positron emission tomography (PET). In more recent years PET has matured and has become an important clinical research tool, as well as a routine diagnostic modality. PET is a multidisciplinary undertaking. However, in this paper we mainly emphasize the contribution from nuclear physics, radionuclide production and detector development. New crystal materials with high density, high light output and short pulse length will, in the near future, improve the resolution and counting properties of PET instrumentation. The experience gained in the development of -detectors in nuclear and particle physics is applied to increase the solid angle and hence the sensitivity. Other factors must also be considered. There is interest in using positron-emitting nuclides with longer half-lives than those mainly associated with PET. Many of these long-lived nuclides, e.g. ( h) and ( h), emit high-energy gamma radiation in coincidence with the positron radiation, which will affect the detection and quantification abilities of PET. PET primarily yields functional and physiological information, and anatomical structures are sometimes difficult to identify. High-quality PET data usually have to be combined with an anatomical method like CT or MRI. The future will, besides highly sophisticated and dedicated PET systems for research, probably see clinically suited rotating gamma cameras integrated with CT or MR, which can efficiently be used both for SPECT and PET.


The gastrointestinal surface is in constant interaction with various exogenous molecules. Exogenous components are discriminated in the GI context, as good, in case of nutrients and fibers, and bad, when they negatively affect host integrity. During this tolerogenic process, they also train the host's immune system. The immune system is a morpho-physiologic unit driven by immune cells with the assistance of commensal organisms. Several species of commensal microorganisms have been used for centuries as probiotics due to their beneficial effects on human health. Lowering local levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines has a systemic effect, which is one of the fundamental characteristics associated with probiotics. Still, the primary mechanisms wiring those regulatory circuits as a unit remain unclear. Modulation of the innate immune system, via regulation of inflammasome assembly is emerging as a critical driver of this interaction. Stimulation of toll like receptors (TLR) and inner cell sensors like NLRP3 connect probiotics with essential host systems. In this context, the mTOR-regulated circuits, an intricate network modulating a cascade of protein phosphorylations, could be an


Introduction: Plants of the genus Grewia have been used as medicinal agents to treat several diseases. Grewia species are reported in use as folk medicine for the treatment of malaria, diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid fever, small pox, cough, irritable condition of intestine and bladder among others. Methods: The stem back material of Grewia plagiophylla was extracted using CH 2 Cl 2 : MeOH (1:1). Fractionation and Isolation of the extract was done using column chromatography with silica gel and eluting with hexane-ethyl acetate solvent system in increasing polarity. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated on the basis of NMR experiments and the comparison of their spectroscopic data with literature values. Results: Studies on bioactive components of the stem back of Grewia plagiophylla led to isolation of three triterpenoids: stigmasterol (I), butelin (II) lup-20(29)-en-3-ol (III). The triterpenoids have been isolated for the first time from this species with compound (III) being reported for the first time from the genus of Grewia . The isolated compounds showed varying degrees of in vitro antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine-sensitive D6 and chloroquine-resistance W2 strains with significant cytotoxic activity against Vero cells.


Machine learning (ML) sensors offer a new paradigm for sensing that enables intelligence at the edge while empowering end-users with greater control of their data. As these ML sensors play a crucial role in the development of intelligent devices, clear documentation of their specifications, functionalities, and limitations is pivotal. This paper introduces a standard datasheet template for ML sensors and discusses its essential components including: the system's hardware, ML model and dataset attributes, end-to-end performance metrics, and environmental impact. We provide an example datasheet for our own ML sensor and discuss each section in detail. We highlight how these datasheets can facilitate better understanding and utilization of sensor data in ML applications, and we provide objective measures upon which system performance can be evaluated and compared. Together, ML sensors and their datasheets provide greater privacy, security, transparency, explainability, auditability, and user-friendliness for ML-enabled embedded systems. We conclude by emphasizing the need for standardization of datasheets across the broader ML community to ensure the responsible and effective use of sensor data.


This article develops and empirically implements an arbitrage-free, dynamic term structure model with 'priced' factor and regime-shift risks. The risk factors are assumed to follow a discrete-time Gaussian process, and regime shifts are governed by a discrete-time Markov process with state-dependent transition probabilities. This model gives closed-form solutions for zero-coupon bond prices, an analytic representation of the likelihood function for bond yields, and a natural decomposition of expected excess returns to components corresponding to regime-shift and factor risks. Using monthly data on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon bond yields, we show a critical role of priced, state-dependent regime-shift risks in capturing the time variations in expected excess returns, and document notable differences in the behaviors of the factor risk component of the expected returns across high and low volatility regimes. Additionally, the state dependence of the regime-switching probabilities is shown to capture an interesting asymmetry in the cyclical behavior of interest rates. The shapes of the term structure of volatility of bond yield changes are also very different across regimes, with the well-known hump being largely a low-volatility regime phenomenon. , Oxford University Press.


In this paper, a scheduling method for heterogeneous embedded systems is developed. At first, an internal representation model called FunState is presented which enables the explicit representation of non-determinism and scheduling using a combination of functions and state machines. The new scheduling method is able to deal with mixed data/control flow specifications and takes into account different mechanisms of non-determinism as occurring in the design of embedded systems. Constraints imposed by other already implemented components are respected. The scheduling approach avoids the explicit enumeration of execution paths by using symbolic techniques and guarantees to find a deadlock-free and bounded schedule if one exists. The generated schedule consists of statically scheduled basic blocks which are dynamically called at run time.


S U M M A R Y Most studies of the seismic structure of continental crust assume that the wave speeds are isotropic at seismic wavelengths. The ability to measure surface wave propagation speed from the cross-correlation of ambient seismic noise provides new opportunities to image the crust and uppermost mantle. We investigate radial anisotropy in the continental crust of northwestern Canada from group-velocity curves of Love and Rayleigh waves obtained from ambient-noise cross-correlation. We test the null hypothesis that the Love and Rayleigh group-speed curves can be simultaneously fit by an earth model containing isotropic seismic velocities throughout the crust. Group velocity is predicted for 200 000 one-dimensional earth models, which are generated by randomly varying the crustal shear velocity and radial anisotropy within a prescribed range. The goodness-of-fit of the predictions is assessed by comparison with two sets of observed dispersion curves that correspond to two tectonically distinct terranes: the Archean/early Proterozoic craton and the transition from craton to Cordillera. The majority of best-fitting models contain VSH > VSV (4–5 per cent) in the middle crust. The finding that the middle/lower crust is seismically anisotropic across a large swath of northwestern Canada, combined with recent observations of anisotropic crust in much of the western United States, suggests that anisotropy may be ubiquitous in the continental crust.


On the Measure of Man: Challenge and Response in the Anthropocosmos SYNOPSIS: The anthropocosmos (nature, man, society, functions and buildings) is currently not shaped to the measure of man. In order to deal with the future population growth and to accommodate our means of transportation, man needs to change the younger elements of the anthropocosmos, that is, the machines, the roads and the cities. The human body provides the model man needs to look at in order to build contained, human cities. The aim is to move toward a new centralization which will preserve older centers within a new higher order.


Abstract. The effect of grain size on strain rate of ice in the upper 2207 m in the North Greenland Eemian Ice Drilling (NEEM) deep ice core was investigated using a rheological model based on the composite flow law of Goldsby and Kohlstedt (1997, 2001). The grain size was described by both a mean grain size and a grain size distribution, which allowed the strain rate to be calculated using two different model end members: (i) the micro-scale constant stress model where each grain deforms by the same stress and (ii) the micro-scale constant strain rate model where each grain deforms by the same strain rate. The model results show that basal slip accommodated by grain boundary sliding produces almost all of the deformation in the upper 2207 m of the NEEM ice core, while dislocation creep (basal slip accommodated by non-basal slip) hardly contributes to deformation. The difference in calculated strain rate between the two model end members is relatively small. The calculated strain rate in the fine grained glacial ice (1419–2207 m) varies strongly with depth and is about 4–5 times higher than in the coarser grained Holocene ice (0–1419 m). Two peaks in strain rate are predicted at about 1980 and 2100 m of depth. The results from the rheological model and microstructures in the glacial ice indicate that fine grained layers in the glacial ice will act as internal preferential sliding zones in the Greenland ice sheet.


Temporal and image resolution are the key problems in retrieving optical properties and in imaging of structural or functional changes within tissue from a set of received signals using a time-resolved spectroscopy (TRS) system. An adaptive light pulse compression filter applied to the signal processing of a TRS system is introduced, which was based on the analysis of temporal characteristics of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) signal. Moreover, an improved LMS algorithm having fast tracking ability and permitting large dynamic range input is also presented in this paper. The results of computer simulation, show that the filter has good tracing compression performance for diffusely reflected or transmitted signal received from the surface of the tissue and the temporal or image resolution of TRS system can be improved significantly.


Requirements elicitation has been identified by researchers as a highly critical and error-prone phase of IT development projects. Many challenges are rooted in the human and social dimension of this phase, which requires intensive communication activities between stakeholders with different backgrounds and perspectives. The conduct of a systems analysis supports stakeholders in reaching a shared understanding about crucial elements. The aim of this paper is to identify and describe recurring issues in requirements elicitation, and to better understand the potential of systems analysis efforts for addressing these issues. While literature provides plenty of high-level categorizations of requirements elicitation issues most often the argumentation is not complemented with concrete, real-world examples. Therefore five interviews with IT practitioners have been conducted in order to back-up a theoretical framework of problem areas elaborated by Saiedian and Dale (2000) with practical insights. This approach enabled a thorough analysis of four major issues in requirements elicitation covered by this research: Problem Perspective Differences, Resistance, Poor Communication and Articulation/Expertise Problems. Finally, a first linkage between a specific systems analysis method, the Work System Method, and its potential for addressing these problem areas has been established.


The 6.6 km gross thickness of the Palaeogene lava field of the Faroe Islands Basalt Group was erupted in the initial phases of North Atlantic rifting. Thin interlava sedimentary rocks yield palynofloras that vary in composition and diversity with the duration of the interlava period. Long-term trends in plant ecological succession occur within the record, each reflecting initially rapid and subsequently slowing eruption tempo. TiO2 and MgO plots derived from the basalt lava flows show corresponding fractionation trends. These link melt column processes to vegetation ecosystem dynamics via controls on eruption tempo, thermal support and substrate disturbance. Supplementary material: Further data are available at www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18538.


This chapter considers the Nash equilibrium strategy profiles that are Pareto optimal with respect to the rest of the Nash equilibrium strategy profiles. The sufficient conditions for the existence of such pure strategy profiles are established. These conditions employ the Germeier convolutions of the payoff functions. For the noncooperative games with compact strategy sets and continuous payoff functions, the existence of the Pareto-optimal Nash equilibria (PoNE) in mixed strategies is proven.


Aims: This article presents the findings of a qualitative study investigating the clinical utility of the Handicap Assessment and Resource Tool (HART). Clinicians' perceptions of the HART were explored in its use in acute hospital settings in a regional health service in New South Wales, Australia.

Methods and Results: The study, which used in-depth, structured interviews with clinicians working in acute aged care, identified key themes, which point to an overall positive perception of the HART's clinical utility. The themes, identified through thematic analysis were: responses to structural features of the HART; processes of administration; perceived benefits for clients; and clinical utility in context. The article concludes with recommendations for the assessment of aged people in acute hospitals and the need for occupational therapists to continue analysing and establishing the clinical utility of the profession's assessment tools.

Conclusion: The findings of the study support the clinical utility of the HART when used with aged people in acute care settings. Overall, though participants found it time consuming to administer, they judged the HART to be a context sensitive tool that addressed the complex needs of their patients.


This guide list resources that will get you started on doing historical research. Some sources will be more specific on certain periods and geographical locations.


In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of grain refining of 3003 core alloy on forming and brazing characteristics of 4343/3003/4343 aluminum clad sheet. Ti inoculation level was changed up to 0.1wt% by adding Al-10Ti master alloy into 3003 aluminum melt as grain refiner. The three-layer aluminum clad sheets of 0.7 mm thickness were fabricated by hot roll bonding process. The forming and brazing characteristics were evaluated by measuring FLD (forming limit diagram), bonding strength and sagging resistance.


This thesis examines the literary genre of biblical verse paraphrase as practised in England between 1550 and 1640, and focuses on the social setting and function of such works from the last decade of Elizabeth's reign to the Civil War. The little attention that these works have received has generally been hampered by a desire to ascertain their poetic worth rather than recognize their historical importance. This thesis attempts to redress that tendency by considering the social conditions out of which these paraphrases arose: such aspects as the publication and patronage of them, and what part they played in a poet's career; whether that career was literary, courtly or clerical. Such an approach recognizes the paraphrases as religious, social and political, as well as poetic activities. It also examines the literary context ofthese paraphrases: that is, not only what part they played in the individual poetic career, but how they functioned in the development of sacred poetry in English. The thesis concludes that biblical verse paraphrase, especially in the reign ofKing James I, was recognized as a literary task of public as well as religious importance. The thesis proceeds by considering a broad range ofparaphrasers, from such well-known poets as Michael Drayton, Thomas Middleton and John Donne, to many obscure ones, some of whose work has never reached print.


This report examines the multiple barriers for vulnerable, informal quarry mining workers in Rajasthan to gain concrete improvements in their working conditions and redress for serious human rights harms suffered. it presents guidance about the role of non-judicial redress mechanisms that aim to hold transnational business who sell, buy and process stone mined in Rajasthan responsible for these conditions. It also provides proposals about ways that businesses can be encouraged to adopt practices of human rights due diligence in relation to their supply chains. Due diligence is an ongoing, proactive and reactive process through which companies can ensure that they respect human rights.


Flight data obtained between 1995 and 1997 from the Cosmic Radiation Environment Monitors CREAM and CREDO carried on UoSat-3, Space Shuttle, STRV-1a (Space Technology Research Vehicle) and APEX (Advanced Photovoltaic and Electronics Experiment Spacecraft) have been added to the dataset affording coverage since 1990. The modulation of cosmic rays and evolution of the South Atlantic Anomaly are observed, the former comprising a factor three increase at high latitudes and the latter a general increase accompanied by a westward drift. Comparison of particle fluxes and linear energy transfer spectra is made with improved environment and radiation transport calculations which account for shield distributions and secondary particles. While there is an encouraging convergence between predictions and observations, significant improvements are still required, particularly in the treatment of locally produced secondary particles.


Six compositions in (Cu49Zr45Al6)100 − x − yNixTiy (x = 0, 5, 10; y = 0, 5, 10) system were selected in order to investigate the amorphization progress caused by milling. The initial structure of the powders before milling, type, and composition of the phases and their influence on the amorphization process were examined. CuZr phase was found to be determinative phase of amorphization process; however, its size does not influence it significantly in this system. CuZr fully dissolved the alloying elements, so that Ni and Ti phases do not appear as independent phases. In most cases, after 15 h of milling, the powders had amorphous structure with a few nanosized crystalline particles. It was shown that addition of both 10% Ti and 10% Ni to the alloy was an optimum condition to get stable, amorphous structure already after 12 h of ball milling.


This paper is a slightly revised version of a Memorandum requested by the House of Commons Social Services Select Committee to assist the Committee in its analysis of the White Paper Working for Patients (Cm 555). It was submitted to the Committee on 28 February 1989. The paper follows up the authors'earlier study of the reform of the NHS (Barr, Glennerster and Le Grand, 1988), prepared at the request of the Select Committee prior to the publication of the White Paper. The success or failure of the White Paper depends crucially on the precise details of the way in which its proposals are implemented. The Working Papers, although providing some more information as to how the White Paper's proposals will be implemented, do not in the main address the issues that concern us here. Given the inescapable tension between cost and quality, quality control will be absolutely critical if the incentives to economize on the use of resources are not on occasion to lead to unacceptable reductions in quality — reductions which might well apply differentially by socioeconomic group.


Ball lightning is a naturally occurring atmospheric event that has perplexed researchers for centuries, and there is to date no complete explanation (chemical, physical, or otherwise) as to why ball lightning behaves the way that it does. There has been considerable effort to try to both produce and measure the properties of ball lightning type discharges over recent years, and this collected work has begun to reveal some interesting physical and chemical phenomena. We are able to produce water-based plasma ball discharges using high-voltage equipment, and these self-contained plasmoids are considered to be similar to natural ball lightning. In this article we present the first mass spectrometric analysis of water-based ambient ball plasmoids. Using an extremely simple sampling technique, we were able to detect several chemical species within the interior of the plasmoid. Several molecules that are common to plasmas generated in air were observed in the mass spectra, such as [NO 2 ] + and [NO 3 ] +. More interestingly, we observed the protonated water clusters [(H 2 O) 2 H] + and [(H 2 O) 3 H] + , ammonia (NH 3) as a component of a copper cluster, and several anions. Furthermore, many species observed in the mass spectra are in the form of hydrated clusters.


A structural study was performed by 13C-n.m.r. spectroscopy and methylation analysis of the O-chain of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Vibrio bioserogroup 1875 possessing antigenic factor(s) in common with O1 Vibrio cholerae. It was demonstrated to contain a linear homopolymer of (1-->2)-linked N-3-hydroxypropionyl-alpha-D-perosamine [4-(3-hydroxypropanamido)-4,6-dideoxy-alpha-D-mannopyranose], which is very similar to, but not identical with, both (1-->2)-linked linear N-3-deoxy-L-glycero-tetronyl(S-2,4-dihydroxybutyryl)-alpha-D - perosamine homopolymer and (1-->2)-linked linear N-acetyl-alpha-D-perosamine homopolymer which constitute the O-chains of O1 V. cholerae and non-O1 V. cholerae bioserogroup Hakata LPS respectively.


Abstract Introduction In 2017, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed lowering the amount of nicotine in combusted cigarettes to minimally addictive levels. If used, to encourage cessation and maximize the benefits of this action, the FDA needs to determine the most effective way to communicate to the public the practical impact of this nicotine tobacco product standard. Methods Data were collected in 2018 from a nationally representative, online probability sample of 1198 adult smokers (aged ≥18 years old) in the United States. Smokers were randomly assigned one of five versions of the question regarding what they would most likely do if nicotine in cigarettes was reduced (nicotine levels were reduced by 95%; the government reduced nicotine levels by 95%; cigarettes were no longer addictive; cigarettes no longer relieved cravings; cigarettes were changed so that you would be able to quit more easily). Effects of framing on anticipated tobacco use intentions and perceived risk of very low nicotine cigarettes (VLNCs) were evaluated with multinomial logistic regressions. Results Framing the nicotine tobacco product standard as cigarettes no longer relieved cravings resulted in the highest proportion of smokers reporting they intend to quit in response to this standard (43.9%), lowest proportions reporting anticipated intentions to continue using combusted tobacco products (45.3%), and lowest proportion believing that VLNCs are less harmful than regular cigarettes (26%). Conclusions Different frames of nicotine reduction in cigarettes differentially affected smokers' anticipated tobacco use intentions and perceived risk of VLNCs. Presenting reduction as making cigarettes unable to relieve cravings might be particularly effective at motivating cessation.


Introduction: This thesis looks at how the people of Grand Bassa County perceive the work of the United Methodist Church in Grand Bassa County. The introductory chapter gives a full outline of the thesis and highlights the profile of the thesis. It also states the problems, study objectives, research question and an overview of the literature which forms the basis for the study. Methodology: The method used in was a qualitative approach where a semi-structure interview style of interviewing was employed. Semi-Structure Interviewis typically refers to a context in which the interviewer has a series of questions that are in a general form of an interview guide but is able to vary the sequence of questions. The interviewer also has some latitude to ask further questions in response to what are seen as significant replies. Findings: The research finds out that the United Methodist Church (UMC) in Grand Bassa County is participating in the transformation of lives of the Bassa people according to the five marks of global mission. However, the people of Grand Bassa County perceive the UMC to be more engaged in transformation through Proclamation, Teaching, Baptism and Nurturing its members and as well as other Christian and the Respond to Human needs by loving service such as the provision of schools, awarding of scholarships to the poor and disinherited in Grand Bassa County, health services delivery, improving their living conditions through the construction of Hand Pumps, connecting farms to market roads and building bridges, which the people believe are crucial to their survival. However, the study further find out that not much has been done in the areas of transforming the unjust Structures of Society as the people are divided on the topic. While some feel that the church is playing her role in addressing the unjust structure of society, there are many others who believe that the church is silent and needs to wake up if the church must be the voice of the voiceless. On the fifth mark of mission, the people believe that the church has not and is not doing much to educate the people on the danger of climate change. Conclusion: The thesis concludes with a summary and cite some observations and suggests where the church needs to pay attention in it mission based on the five marks of Walls and Ross five marks of mission. Thesis finds out that the church is making significant progress in light of the first, second and third marks of mission. However, according to the interviewees, the church needs to do more when it comes to the church the church addressing the social structure of society in Grand Bassa county and to enlighten people on sustaining the earth.


from the local nursing home physician in collaboration with a nurse and two research physicians, who offered collegial mentoring. Patients in a control group received treatment as usual. The primary outcome measure was mean change from baseline to 4 months in the number of prescribed psychotropic drugs, while secondary outcomes included changes in BPSD as measured by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home Version and the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, and changes in ADL as measured by the Physical Self-Maintenance Scale. A total of 428 patients with a mean age of 86 years participated. Thirty-four percent of patients in the intervention group had discontinued at least one prescribed psychotropic drug by month 4, compared with 14% of patients in the control group. Patients in the intervention group who were regularly prescribed three or more psychotropic drugs at baseline saw a significantly higher reduction in mean prescriptions compared with the control group. Changes in BPSD did not differ between the two groups, and the level of functioning in ADL improved in the intervention group and worsened in the control group. "Even though we acknowledge that psychotropic drugs are beneficial for some, our findings emphasize that less inappropriate psychotropic drug prescription has the potential for more and better physical function in nursing home patients," the study's authors wrote. [Gedde M, et al. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2020; published online Jul 11; doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2020.07.004]


These studies develop a more open way of reading China's traditional narrative literature, in which publishing culture, religious culture, historical circumstance and social institutions all play a part. The concept of vernacular culture is discussed in broad terms and explored through particular examples. This volume, which marks Glen Dudbridge's retirement as Shaw Professor of Chinese at Oxford University, brings together fourteen of his research papers published over more than thirty years. They form three themed groups: books and publishing; medieval narrative and religious culture; vernacular culture. Each group presents a mixture of discursive pieces with more technical and empirical research, and most of the papers also have links that reach across the division into groups.


The social eugenics is the real face of the biomedical application of an ideological paradigm, self-styled like "progressive", that claims the radical transformation of the western society from laicist and utilitarians positions. This article tries to decipher the historical roots, the bioethical language and the political - social implications of this paradigm, which questions the essential dignity of any human life in benefit of "new rights", constructed ex professo. For it, it exposes three analytical dimensions of his "historical possibilities" (retrospective, perspective and Forward studies), taking as an example the role of the social Policy, and especially, the doctrinal and institutional paradoxes of the "Welfare state" in Spain.


In-situ marine biogeochemical sensing allows measurement at high frequency to investigate short and long-term variability in processes in ocean waters. In trace analyses, not only the low concentrations of analytes but also possible interferences from the matrix and other elements must be considered, therefore a pre-concentration step prior to the determination of trace metals needs to be implemented. The way forward for improved in-situ analyses of manganese in seawater was to build on the existing technology of the Sensors Group at NOC, Southampton and develop a pre-concentration system for coupling to spectrophotometric Lab on a Chip (LOAC) technologies. This thesis describes the development and optimisation of LOAC analyser for manganese determination in aquatic environments, integrated with pre-concentration. Optimised conditions for the extraction of manganese from seawater with a Toyopearl iminodiacetate resin column were developed using Mn-54 tracer. Conditions evaluated were optimal pH for manganese removal, optimal flow rate required for full recovery of manganese, and the concentration and the volume of the acid solution needed for quantitative elution of manganese from the resin. The LOAC system used the colorimetric 1-(2-Pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) method for Mn determinations. The modified method was used for manganese determinations, when sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was used as surfactant, with calibration curves constructed and precision (in the range 1.08 - 3.81 % RSD) and the LOD of the method assessed (3SD, typically 14 nM with 10 cm cell). Results of the adaptation of the modified PAN method on the chip and its coupling to a resin column for collection of manganese proves the concept of on-chip pre-concentration. The design and production method of the microfluidic chips and the operation procedure of the bench-top LOAC manganese determination system with the resin column implemented on the chip are described. The LOAC system coupled with the resin column and PAN chemistry was used for manganese determination with calibration curve constructed and precision of the method determined (0.86 - 2.69 % RSD).


We develop a quality adjusted professional sports franchise price index for North America based on the repeat sale method and a hybrid method originally applied to house prices. For the repeat sale method, the index reflects trends in the general price of franchises holding market, facility and team quality constant. The constant quality constant assumption in the repeat sale model may affect the price index, so we also use a hybrid model as an alternative. The repeat sale method price index exhibits considerable volatility but no upward trend over time, unlike previous quality adjusted price indexes based on hedonic models. The lack of an upward trend in the index indicates that franchise quality drives observed increases in prices over the past 40 years. The hybrid method exhibits price index shows a steady increase beginning in about 1990. This difference can be explained by changes in market population and facility characteristics.


The Blue Mountain province of western Idaho and eastern Oregon is composed of a mélange of geologic terranes that represent Permian and Triassic island arcs that collided with North America in the Mesozoic, resulting in westward growth of the continent. Separating these accreted rocks from North America are the midcrustal metamorphic rocks of the Salmon River suture zone. Containing units and features associated with the accreted island arc terranes and suture zone is the Heavens Gate 7.5-minute quadrangle, located in Idaho county, Idaho. Within the quadrangle the Salmon River suture zone is divided into structural blocks by a series of N-S trending, east dipping thrust faults, the Morrison Ridge, Rapid River, and Pollock Mountain thrust faults (west to east). Formal units mapped within the quadrangle include the Hunsaker Creek and Wild Sheep Creek Formations (Seven Devils Group), the Morrison Ridge Formation, Lucille Slate, the Lightning Creek, Fiddle Creek, and Squaw Creek Schists (Riggins Group), and the Imnaha Basalt. Informal units mapped include tonalitic and quartz diorite plutons, quaternary deposits, and the Pollock Mountain Amphibolite and Cold Springs Orthogneiss and migmatite. Rocks of the Seven Devils Group, part of the Wallowa oceanic island arc, are folded into a north plunging anticline within the central portion of the map, with folding bracketed by zircon geochronology at 140-130 Ma. The anticline is cut by the Morrison Ridge thrust fault, emplacing the Martin Bridge Formation and Lucille Slate above the Seven Devils Group. Structurally above these units lies the Riggins Group, exposed east of the Rapid River and above the Rapid River thrust fault. The highest structural sheet contains the Pollock Mountain Amphibolite and Cold Springs orthogneiss. Zircon geochronology of volcanic, deformed and undeformed plutonic, and metamorphic rocks were used to determine that thrust fault development in the Salmon River suture zone occurred out of sequence with nearly synchronous activation along the Morrison Ridge thrust to the west (pre-123 Ma) and the Pollock Mountain thrust to the east (117 Ma). The approximately 109 Ma. Rapid River thrust was the final thrust fault to develop in the region.


ABSTRACT Goodrow, S.M.; Procopio, N.A.; Korn, L.; Morton, P.; Schuster, R.; Pang, H.; Kunz, C.; Ingelido, P., and Heddendorf, B., 2017. Long-term temporal water-quality trends within the Barnegat Bay watershed, New Jersey. In: Buchanan, G.A.; Belton, T.J., and Paudel, B. (eds.), A Comprehensive Assessment of Barnegat Bay–Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey. This regional water-quality assessment compiles and analyzes water-quality data within the Barnegat Bay watershed (Ocean County, New Jersey) to determine if significant changes and trends occurred over decadal spans. Data evaluated spanned from the 1970s through July of 2013. Trends were evaluated after regionalizing sampling locations into 17 geographic zones. Over 1700 sampling stations within freshwater and Bay zones provided over 280,000 data results for 20 parameters. The parameters evaluated include: temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, nutrients, indicator bacteria, and solids. Temperature data comparing the 1970s with the present show statistically significant increasing trends in 13 of 17 zones during the summer months. Seven of those zones also saw increasing temperatures in at least one other season. Increasing trends were also seen for salinity in 8 of the 10 estuarine zones for two or more seasons. Potentially related to the increasing trends in salinity and temperature, DO concentrations were often decreasing or unchanged. Significant decreases in DO concentration can be seen in 12 of the 17 zones for one or more seasons. The pH was shown to be increasing in 10 of the 17 zones during one to four seasons. Four zones experienced a decreasing trend in pH, but only during one to two seasons. The interpretation of the nutrient data over this long time period proved to be a challenge, with multiple species of nitrogen and phosphorus reported but often with insufficient data to draw significant conclusions. Where data were sufficient, nutrient results were mixed, with many zones showing no changes in trends.


Abstract. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the possibilities of monitoring crustal movement, during collective evaluation of first- and second-order GPS densification networks. The new criteria, which are independent from the network datum, are widely used for the evaluation and quality processing of geodetic networks. In this study, the values of detectable minimum displacement for a real GPS network are investigated as well as how sensitivity levels are affected by additional datum conditions, which are added to the adjustment model.


. (THIS IS THE FIRST VERSION, I WILL PROVIDE A CORRECTION IN A FEW DAYS TIME, AND THE RESULTS WILL BE DESCRIBED IN DETAIL)The idea of classification based on simple granules of knowledge (CSG classifier) is inspired by granular structures proposed by Polkowski. The simple granular classifier turned up to be really effective in the context of real data classification. Classifier among others turned out to be resistant for damages and can absorb missing values. In this work we have presented the continuation of series of experimentations with boosting of rough set classifiers. In this work we have checked a few methods for classifier stabilization in the context of CSG classifier - Bootstrap Ensemble (Simple Bagging), Boosting based on Arcing, and Ada-Boost with Monte Carlo split. We have performed experiments on selected data from the UCI Repository. For the smaller radii we have huge unprecise classificaiton granules, and the best result was obtain for the first radius after 0.5, where the size of classification granules was about 4,5 percent of size of original decision system. For the higher radii starting from 0.642857 classification granule size is really small and the classification is worse. *extended version of paper "Ensemble of Classifiers Based on Simple Granules of Knowledge" presented at the 23rd International Conference on Information and Software Technologies (ICIST 2017) held on 12-14 October, 2017 in Druskininkai, LithuaniaDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.itc.47.2.19675


Tackling the decision-making problem faced by a prosumer (i.e., a producer that is simultaneously a consumer) when selling and buying energy in the emerging smart electricity grid, is of utmost importance for the economic profitability of such a business entity. In this paper, we model, for the first time, this problem as a factored Markov Decision Process. By so doing, we are able to represent the problem compactly, and provide an exact optimal solution via dynamic programming - notwithstanding its large size. Our model successfully captures the main aspects of the business decisions of a prosumer corresponding to a community microgrid of any size. Moreover, it includes appropriate sub-models for prosumer production and consumption prediction. Experimental simulations verify the effectiveness of our approach; and show that our exact value iteration solution matches that of a state-of-the-art method for stochastic planning in very large environments, while outperforming it in terms of computation time.


This study probed to identify the problems of recruitment in Nigerian federal civil service and to determine the extent of the utilization of job description and job specification in the recruitment process. Stratified random sampling method was used to draw a sample of 190 from five federal ministries grouped into the four major categories of grade levels. Descriptive survey design was employed and descriptive statistics used for the analysis. The survey identified factors such as increasing pressures for employment, utilization of informal sources of recruitment, long military era, federal character principle, lack of independence of the service commission and delegation of recruitment functions as the prevalent problems affecting recruitment in Nigerian federal civil service. As results of these problems, job description and standard personnel requirements were not adequately used in the recruitment process, especially at the lowest category of grade levels. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the federal government should promulgate laws that will protect employees in the private sector in order to reduce consistent pressures for employment in the public sector. Subjective and informal sources of recruitment should be de-emphasized, and instead sources from educational institutions and professional organizations should be encouraged. The number of federal civil service commissioners should be increased with the establishment of zonal and state offices. It was also recommended that the remuneration of the federal civil servants should be increased. Federal civil service should utilize job description when embarking on actual recruitment exercise and personnel requirements should be developed to match position classification in the service. Finally, a proposal of further research agenda was made on the re-examination of the reliability and validity of employee selection instruments in the civil service.

 Key words: Civil service, recruitment.


The Five Islands - Caledonia, Nelson, Lenagan, Pelican, Craig and Rock + - are located just off the north-western peninsula of Trinidad. The Chaguararnas Peninsula and all the off-shore islands are situated in the rain shadow of the Northern Range and receive less than 200 mm of rainfall per annum (Beard 1946). The parent rock is a slow-weathering limestone and the soil is very poorly developed. Because of this combination of poor soil and dry weather, the Five Islands present a rather hostile environment for plant and animal life. The islands have all had a history of occupation and so the vegetation is not pristine. On the 1974 field course held on Nelson Island by the Zoology Department of The University of the West Indies a plant species list w!ls drawn up. This comprised some 48 species in 30 families. Five of these were noted as introduced. On the 1987 field course held by the Zoology Department in this area, the author set out to draw up species lists for all the islands and to examine some of the adaptive features of the plants found in this harsh environment.


How can organisations survive not only the substitution of members, but also other dramatic changes, like that of the norms regulating their activities, the goals they plan to achieve, or the system of roles that compose them? This paper is as first step towards a well-founded ontological analysis of the persistence of organisations through changes. Our analysis leverages Kit Fine's notions of rigid and variable embodiment and proposes to view the (history of the) decisions made by the members of the organisation as the criterion to re-identify the organisation


Glaucoma is a chronic optic neuropathy that affects an estimated 70 million
people worldwide of which 7 million are blind. The only proven modifiable risk
factor is raised intra-ocular pressure (IOP) and treatment to reduce IOP can
be in the form of eye drops, laser or surgery. Scarring and the development of
fibrous encapsulation at the surgical site complicate glaucoma surgery.
Development of a drug delivery platform to modulate the wound healing
response may improve surgical outcomes. Potential materials include
hydrogels, three-dimensional cross-linked networks of water-soluble
polymers, as well as 3D printed resins that are an increasingly popular
approach for rapid prototyping and manufacture.
The aim of this thesis was to assess the in vitro biocompatibility of 3D
printed and phosphorylcholine (PC) based materials compared to materials
used in current ophthalmic devices including polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE),
polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), silicone,
2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). Sterility testing was performed using
ethanol and autoclaving processes. Adhesion of monocytes, macrophages
and fibroblasts to material surfaces was assessed using various assays and
fluorescent microscopy. Adsorption of albumin and fibrinogen was assessed
using SDS Page gel electrophoresis, UV photospectrometry, fluorescein
isothiocyanate labelled bovine serum albumin (FITC-BSA) and micro
bicinchoninic acid (BCA) techniques.
It was observed that PC based materials demonstrated less cellular and
protein adhesion than materials used in current ophthalmic devices but more
than a contact lens of similar composition suggesting that the manufacturing
process may play a role in the biocompatibility response. Similar levels of cell
adhesion and protein adsorption were observed between 3D printed materials
and materials used in current ophthalmic devices, but cytotoxicity is a
potential concern and further testing is warranted.
Our results demonstrate that PC hydrogels and 3D printed materials can
potentially be used in drug delivery devices to treat ophthalmic conditions.
Future work will focus on optimising the device design, hydrogel formulation
and ultimately assessing biocompatibility response in an in vivo setting.


Fiducial tracking is a common target tracking method widely used in image-guided procedures such as radiotherapy and radiosurgery. In this paper, we present a multifiducial identification method that incorporates context information in the process. We first convert the problem into a state sequence problem by establishing a probabilistic framework based on a hidden Markov model (HMM), where prior probability represents an individual candidate's resemblance to a fiducial; transition probability quantifies the similarity of a candidate set to the fiducials' geometrical configuration; and th.e Viterbi algorithm provides an efficient solution. We then discuss the problem of identifying fiducials using stereo projections, and propose a special, higher order HMM, which consists of two parallel HMMs, connected by an association measure that captures the inherent correlation between the two projections. A novel algorithm, the concurrent viterbi with association (CVA) algorithm, is introduced to efficiently identify fiducials in the two projections simultaneously. This probabilistic framework is highly flexible and provides a buffer to accommodate deformations. A simple implementation of the CVA algorithm is presented to evaluate the efficacy of the framework. Experiments were carried out using clinical images acquired during patient treatments, and several examples are presented to illustrate a variety of clinical situations. In the experiments, the algorithm demonstrated a large tracking range, computational efficiency, ease of use, and robustness that meet the requirements for clinical use.


The phenomenon of enhanced flow of phosphosilicate glass (PSG) by ion implantation is reported here. By implanting As into PSG, excellent reflow has been obtained in inert ambients at temperatures as low as 750C. Sensitivity of reflow to percentage of oxygen (in nitrogen ambient) as well as to the energy of the As ions has been investigated. For the case of B, BF2, F, Ar, Se, and Sb implants, no similar reflow has been observed. CV and conduction experiments have shown the dielectric integrity to be unaffected by the implant. RBS depth profiling and resistivity measurements show As redistribution with no penetration to the substrate. This technology has been implemented into a VLSI process.


This study assessed the adherence to food handlers hygienic practice in relation to
Microbial prevalence in catering premises at Ilala Municipal Council. The magnitude
of the problem in the study area is estimated to be significantly high due to nature of
the city. Two hundred and six individuals participated in the study. 200 (97.1%) were
food handlers and 6 (2.9%) of the respondents were Health officials. The sex
distribution of the respondents was almost the same, female were 102 (49.5%) and
male were 104 (50.5%). The Microorganisms of interest which are mostly causatives
of diarrhoea diseases isolated during this study among food handles were
Staphylococcus aureus 26 (13.0%); Escherichia. colli 7 (3.5%); and Staphlococcus
spp. 120 (60.0%); However are other species isolated that are Proteus spp. 8 (4.0%);
Klebsiella spp. 32 (16.0%); Pseudomonas aeruginosa spp. 6 (3.0%); Streptococcus
pneumonia 1 (0.5%). These findings were somehow similar with study findings by
Omemu et al., (2014) in Nigeria; Andargie et al., (2008) in Ethiopia and Mensah et
al., (2002) in Accra. Majority of respondents 185 (92.5%) who had hand washing
facilities in their working premises were found contaminated with microbes as
compared to 15 (7.5) respondents with no hand washing facilities. The study findings
revealed that there is an existence of poor food hygiene practice among food
handlers. The study recommends development of training/orientation programs for
food handlers, develop training manuals on food hygiene and safety practices
including strengthening of supervision and regular monitoring of food premises.
Findings of this study may help in planning health intervention programs for food
handlers.


We show for the first time in hardware that in contrast to conventional stochastic gradient descent (SGD), our modified SGD algorithm (TTv2) together with a co-optimized ReRAM material achieves respectable accuracy (98%) on reduced MNIST classification (0 & 1), approaching a floating point (FP) baseline. To extrapolate these insights towards larger DNN training workloads in simulations, we establish an analog switching test sequence and extract key device statistics from 6T1R ReRAM arrays (up to 2k devices) built on a 14nm CMOS baseline. With this, we find that for larger DNN workloads, device and algorithm co-optimization shows dramatic improvements in comparison to standard SGD and baseline ReRAM. The gap to the reference floating-point accuracy across various tested DNNs indicates that further material and algorithmic optimizations are still needed. This work shows a pathway for scalable in-memory deep learning training using ReRAM crossbar arrays.


Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 (eIF3) is a large multisubunit protein complex that plays an essential role in the binding of the initiator methionyl-tRNA and mRNA to the 40S ribosomal subunit to form the 40S initiation complex. cDNAs encoding all the subunits of mammalian eIF3 except the p42 subunit have been cloned in several laboratories. Here we report the cloning and characterization of a human cDNA encoding the p42 subunit of mammalian eIF3. The open reading frame of the cDNA, which encodes a protein of 320 amino acids (calculated M r 35 614) has been expressed in Escherichia coli and the recombinant protein has been purified to homogeneity. The purified protein binds RNA in agreement with the presence of a putative RNA binding motif in the deduced amino acid sequence. The protein shows 33% identity and 53% similarity with the Tif35p subunit (YDR 429C) of yeast eIF3. Transfection experiments demonstrated that polyhistidine-tagged p42 protein, transiently expressed in human U20S cells, was incorporated into endogenous eIF3. Furthermore, eIF3 isolated from transfected cell lysates contains bound eIF5 indicating that a specific physical interaction between eIF5 and eIF3 may play an important role in the function of eIF5 during translation initiation in eukaryotic cells.


Spanning a period of four tumultuous decades from the mid-1930s through the mid-1970s, this study reassesses the ways in which Chicagoans negotiated the extraordinary challenges of rape, as either victims or accused perpetrators. Drawing on extensive trial testimony, government reports, and media coverage, Dawn Rae Flood examines how individual men and women, particularly African Americans, understood and challenged rape myths and claimed their right to be protected as American citizens--protected by the State against violence, and protected from the State's prejudicial investigations and interrogations. Flood shows how defense strategies, evolving in concert with changes in the broader cultural and legal environment, challenged assumptions about black criminality while continuing to deploy racist and sexist stereotypes against the plaintiffs. Uniquely combining legal studies, medical history, and personal accounts, Flood pays special attention to how medical evidence was considered in rape cases and how victim-patients were treated by hospital personnel. She also analyzes medical testimony in modern rape trials, tracing the evolution of contemporary "rape kit" procedures as shaped by legal requirements, trial strategies, feminist reform efforts, and women's experiences.


The effects of cogongrass foliage and root residue extracts on germination and radicle and coleoptile growth of barnyardgrass, browntop millet, bermudagrass, hemp sesbania, Italian ryegrass, and prickly sida were investigated in laboratory experiments. Liquid extracts of cogongrass foliage and root residues at concentrations of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8% were evaluated on bermudagrass and Italian ryegrass. Effects of 8% foliage or root residue extracts were investigated on hemp sesbania, prickly sida, barnyardgrass, and browntop millet. Cogongrass residue (foliage and root) extracts at concentrations as low as 0.5% inhibited germination and seedling growth of bermudagrass and Italian ryegrass. Germination of bermudagrass and Italian ryegrass was reduced by as much as 62% and radicle and coleoptile growth by as much as 96% at the highest extract concentrations. Foliage and root residue extracts reduced germination of barnyardgrass, browntop millet, and prickly sida 52 to 64% and seedling growth by as much as 96%. Cogongrass extracts had no effect on germination or seedling development of hemp sesbania. Results indicate that extracts of cogongrass may contain allelochemicals that may contribute to its invasiveness and extreme competitiveness. Nomenclature: Barnyardgrass, Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. #3 ECHCG; bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. # CYNDA; browntop millet, Brachiaria ramosa (L.) Stapf. # PANRA; cogongrass, Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv. # IMPCY; hemp sesbania, Sesbania exaltata (Raf.) Rydb. Ex A. W. Hill # SEBEX; Italian ryegrass, Lolium multiflorum Lam. # LOLMU; prickly sida, Sida spinosa L. # SIDSP. Additional index words: Allelopathy, coleoptile, germination, plant extracts, plant residues, radicle.


The reality confronting ecosystem managers today is one of heterogeneous, rapidly transforming landscapes, particularly in the areas more affected by urban and agricultural development. A landscape management framework that incorporates all systems, across the spectrum of degrees of alteration, provides a fuller set of options for how and when to intervene, uses limited resources more effectively, and increases the chances of achieving management goals. That many ecosystems have departed so substantially from their historical trajectory that they defy conventional restoration is not in dispute. Acknowledging novel ecosystems need not constitute a threat to existing policy and management approaches. Rather, the development of an integrated approach to management interventions can provide options that are in tune with the current reality of rapid ecosystem change.


This paper describes a flip chip technology representing a technological breakthrough compared with conventional method such as soldering or the bonding through conductive adhesives. Electrical connections are performed by the insertion of metallic micro-tips in ductile solder material. As low temperature and fluxless technology, this method is adapted to fine pitch and large devices. Here we present our technological investigations to perform electrical conductive micro-tips such as plasma etching, chemical etching, lift-off, and an innovated use of nanoimprint technology of metallic materials. Gold appears as a good choice of material for micro-tips performing, because an intermetallic phase is formed with solder materials such as tin, lead, or indium based solder and ensures the mechanical and electrical contact. Finally we present the bonding results of our test vehicle which validate the principle of the electrical connection through insertion for a 15mum pitch. The resistance value of such a connection has also been measured for a 30mum pitch


Proteasome inhibitors (PIs) are approved backbone treatments in multiple myeloma. More recently, inhibition of proteasome activity with the PI bortezomib has been clinically evaluated as a novel treatment strategy in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, we lack a marker that could identify ALL patients responding to PI-based therapy. By using a set of activity-based proteasome probes in conjunction with cytotoxicity assays, we show that B-cell precursor ALL (BCP-ALL), in contrast to T-ALL, demonstrates an increased activity of immunoproteasome over constitutive proteasome, which correlates with high ex vivo sensitivity to the PIs bortezomib and ixazomib. The novel selective PI LU015i-targeting immunoproteasome β5i induces cytotoxicity in BCP-ALL containing high β5i activity, confirming immunoproteasome activity as a novel therapeutic target in BCP-ALL. At the same time, cotreatment with β2-selective proteasome inhibitors can sensitize T-ALL to currently available PIs, as well as to β5i selective PI. In addition, levels of total and spliced forms of XBP1 differ between BCP-ALL and T-ALL, and only in BCP-ALL does high-spliced XBP1 correlate with sensitivity to bortezomib. Thus, in BCP-ALL, high immunoproteasome activity may serve as a predictive marker for PI-based treatment options, potentially combined with XBP1 analyses.


Effects of silicon powder additions on the phase composition and microstructure of silicon- corundum-silicon nitride composite refractories were investigated guided by the theory of metal transient plastic phase and the Si-O-N phase diagram. On this basis, silicon-corundum-silicon nitride composites were prepared under air atmosphere. The results showed that the addition of silicon powder could reduce the width of the oxidized film and improve the densification; silicon addition could decrease the oxygen partial pressure in the specimens and contribute to the sintering of the materials. Part of silicon could remain in the materials. The industrial experiments suggested that silicon powder mostly filled in the interstices of the matrix of the sintered products with addition of less than 8 wt.% Si powder, and with increasing Si powder additions the densification of the product was improved, cold strength increased, and hot strength also increased due to the in-situ formed fibrous SIALON by silicon powder; silicon powder formed continuous phase which led to the decrease in densification and hot strength when more than 8 wt.% silicon powder was added.


SIR,-In his review of maternal serum afetoprotein (AFP) screening in pregnancy (17 May, p 1199) Rodney Harris concludes that one potential benefit of population screening might be the identification of fetuses at risk of spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, or perinatal death. He bases this conclusion on the increased incidence of these problems among women who have a high maternal serum AFP concentration but a normal result on amniocentesis. The possibility that the prenatal diagnostic intervention may have caused the subsequent problems is discounted by reference to the significantly better pregnancy outcome of women who have amniocentesis for other reasons. An outcome measure which receives no attention in Harris's review, but which I have found to be significant in differentiating women with high serum AFP concentrations from those with other indications for amniocentesis, is the woman's emotional reaction to the diagnostic intervention.' The data in the table are based on interviews with 90 women who had a normal result on amniocentesis. Although nearly all women were worried about


BACKGROUND Treatment of colorectal injuries (CRIs) remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present study was to analyze treatment trends of Turkish surgeons and effects of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST), Injury Severity (ISS), and Penetrating Abdominal Trauma Index (PATI) scoring systems on decision-making processes and clinical outcomes. METHODS Data regarding high velocity missile (HVM)-related CRIs were retrospectively gathered. Four patient groups were included: Group 1 (stoma), Group 2 (no stoma in primary surgery), Group 2a (conversion to stoma in secondary surgery), and Group 2b (remaining Group 2 patients). RESULTS Groups 1, 2, 2a, and 2b included 39 (66%), 20 (34%), 6 (30%), and 14 (70%) casualties, respectively. Ostomies were performed in casualties with significantly higher AAST scores (p<0.001). However, PATI and ISS scores were not decisive factors in the performance of ostomy (p=0.61; p=0.28, respectively). Ostomy rates of civilian and military surgeons were 62% and 68%, respectively (p=0.47). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that AAST score was a more accurate guide for performing ostomy, with sensitivity and specificity rates of 80% and 92.9%, respectively. CONCLUSION Clinical significance of diversion in HVM-related CRIs remains. Stomas were associated with lower complication rates and significantly higher AAST colon/rectum injury scores.


We introduce a new approach to semantics which combines the benefits of distributional and formal logical semantics. Distributional models have been successful in modelling the meanings of content words, but logical semantics is necessary to adequately represent many function words. We follow formal semantics in mapping language to logical representations, but differ in that the relational constants used are induced by offline distributional clustering at the level of predicate-argument structure. Our clustering algorithm is highly scalable, allowing us to run on corpora the size of Gigaword. Different senses of a word are disambiguated based on their induced types. We outperform a variety of existing approaches on a wide-coverage question answering task, and demonstrate the ability to make complex multi-sentence inferences involving quantifiers on the FraCaS suite.


Non-specific lipid transfer proteins is a large and diverse protein family found in plants, with roles in biological systems ranging from long distance signaling to plant pathogen defense. Little is known about the roles of nsLTPs, but recent studies have cast some light on the issue, among other things proposing that they may be involved in the cutice formation on land-living liverworts, mosses and non-seedbearing plants. Increased cuticle formation is thought to be a part of a plants defense system against stress. In this experiment, the expression of nsLTPs type G in the moss Physcomitrella patens was examined by qRT-PCR on cDNA synthesized from already existing mRNA samples from moss under different abiotic stresses. The different stresses were UV-light, salt (ion toxicity), heavy metal, cold drought, plant hormone and osmosis. House-keeping gene P. patens beta-tubuline 1 was used as reference and relative expression analysis was performed. The study showed a general down-regulation of PpLTPg's in the abiotically stressed samples, and the possible coupled regulatory response of PpLTPg3 and PpLTPg5. The results imply that the PpLTPg's in Physcomitrella patens could be connected to biological processes that cease during stress, or that they worl through negative feedback to support plant defense against stress.


Eretiscus tonnii (Simpson) (Aves, Sphenisciformes): additional materials, taxonomic  status and geographic distribution. Additional material of the small Latest Oligocene-Earliest Miocene  fossil penguin, Eretiscus tonnii (Simpson, 1981) Olson, 1986, is described. The new and previously  known specimens allow us to refer this species to the subfamily Palaeospheniscinae, which contains the  genera Palaeospheniscus and Eretiscus. Previous references to the presence of the genus Eretiscus in New Zealand, based on an isolated humerus (Hakataramea bird) are revised and dismissed here. As a  consequence, no fossil penguins in common between Patagonia andNew Zealandare known. Thus, the  genus Eretiscus and the entire subfamily Palaeospheniscinae are restricted toSouth America.  Key words: Fossil penguins, Spheniscidae, Palaeospheniscinae, Miocene,Patagonia, New Zeland.


This Article addresses the substantive question, "Does the death penalty require death row?" and the procedural question, "Who should decide?"In most capital punishment states, prisoners sentenced to death are held, because of their sentences alone, in far harsher conditions of confinement than other prisoners. Often, this means solitary confinement for the years and even decades until their executions.Despite a growing amount of media attention to the use of solitary confinement, most scholars and courts have continued to assume that the isolation of death-sentenced prisoners on death row is an inevitable administrative aspect of capital punishment. To the extent scholars have written about death row, they have focused on its harshness. None has objected to the fact that prison administrators are the ones who have decided to maintain death row in most capital punishment states.This Article addresses for the first time the authority of prison administrators to establish or retain death row. It begins by exploring the nature of this death row decision, and concludes that death row is rational only if its intended purpose is to punish. This conclusion leads to the second and more significant claim in the Article: that only legislatures are competent to require death row. This claim is grounded in the need for democratic legitimacy and public deliberation in the imposition of punishment, in the separation of powers, and in the principle of legality.Death row should be abolished unless legislatures choose to retain it, expressly and deliberately, for retributive or deterrent reasons.