ABSTRACT Recent workforce reform in England has sought to increase opportunities for practitioners who work outside the maintained (school) sector to gain graduate status. Whilst these opportunities have generally been welcomed within the sector, this has created dichotomous tensions for the ECEC workforce. The traditional construction of the ECEC practitioner assumes a lack of educational and social capital [Osgood, J. 2009. "Childcare Workforce Reform in England and 'the Early Years Professional': A Critical Discourse Analysis." Journal of Education Policy 24 (6): 733–751. doi:10.1080/02680930903244557]. Its associated dispositions do not necessarily fit with the alternative construct of the Early Years Professional or Teacher who, through gaining educational capital in the form of a university degree, will be sufficiently equipped to enact the normative and performative discourses which dominate educational and social policy. These tensions serve as the focus for this study, which was concerned with examining how a group of graduate practitioners were endeavouring to broker their competing professional constructs within their own workplace. The research argues for the necessity to establish professional, relational spaces within and across the field of Early Years Education and Care in order to have a greater understanding of the value that all early years professionals can contribute to pedagogical practice.


Oath taking for senior executives has been promoted as a means to enhance honesty within and toward organizations. Herein we explore whether people who voluntarily sign a solemn truth-telling oath are more committed to sincere behavior when offered the chance to lie. We design an experiment to test how the oath affects truth telling in two contexts: a neutral context replicating the typical experiment in the literature, and a "loaded" context in which we remind subjects that "a lie is a lie." We consider four payoff configurations, with differential monetary incentives to lie, implemented as within-subjects treatment variables. The results are reinforced by robustness investigations in which each subject made only one lying decision. Our results show that the oath reduces lying, especially in the loaded environment—falsehoods are reduced by 50%. The oath, however, has a weaker effect on lying in the neutral environment. The oath did affect decision times in all instances: the average person takes significantly more time deciding whether to lie under oath. This paper was accepted by Uri Gneezy, behavioral economics.


Section 36(b) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 creates a "fiduciary duty" on the part of an investment adviser with respect to the receipts of compensation for services or of payments of a material nature. The term "fiduciary," however, conveys a range of obligations, the breadth of which comes before the Supreme Court in Jones v. Harris, as two circuits diverge on the meaning of fiduciary duty under Section 36(b), and by doing so, call into question whether a fund's investment adviser breached its fiduciary duty by charging an excessive fee.Notably absent from the language of Section 36(b) is any description of substantive or procedural application of the term "fiduciary." Justice Kennedy pressed for such analysis in the Jones oral arguments: "Is Harris a fiduciary in the same sense as a corporate officer and a corporate director? Or does his fiduciary duty differ?" This article provides a comprehensive review of the legislative history creating the "fiduciary" obligation under Section 36(b) of the Investment Company Act. It identifies key Congressional and industry themes, and draws conclusions on the legislative intent of Section 36(b), in an attempt to clarify the use of "fiduciary."


Without very simple that, water hammer caused by the apparatus or the operation, so that also the emergency closing a fluid passage in a short period of time. To it, and studied for the actuator-operated valve and the actuator-operated valve via a fluid passage supplying the actuator operating pressure (Pa) on the 2-step conversion apparatus, the actuator operated by the attached removably to the upstream duct of the valve soon as the vibration detection signal (Pr) detected by the vibration sensor, the vibration sensor input as well as control signals for controlling the size of the step operating pressure (Ps') of the actuator operating pressure (Pa) on the step 2, the electro-pneumatic conversion device ( Sc) output, and outputs a vibration detected signal (Pr) the actuator operating pressure (Pa) on the step 2, the step operating pressure (Ps') is almost zero from the electro-pneumatic conversion device by adjusting said control signal (Sc) constitute a water hammerless closing device to the tuning box for.


Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the influence of inter-stakeholders' communication on universities which mutually collaborate with both internal and external stakeholders in frame of university – industry collaboration (UIC) and coordinate their internal structure in this direction . Design/methodology/approach: In this study, literature review and theoretical approach were applied to find out the interrelationships of four basic theories (i.e. Communicative Actions Theory, Media Richness Theory, Actor-Networks Theory, and Stakeholder Theory) that are located amongst inter-stakeholders communication and UIC. Findings: There is a strong nexus between stakeholder theory and other mentioned three theories. Stakeholder theory has a magnet role in combining UIC and inter-stakeholders' communication. Communicative actions theory, media richness theory and actor-networks theory have supportive and transformative effects on stakeholder theory to uphold the relationships at multivariate levels, actors and institutions. Research limitations/implications: The research was limited to the communication dimension of stakeholders and UIC. There are many other dimensions; such as, reciprocal trust, commitment, continuity and understanding. Investigators are encouraged to improve a reliable and valid scale and test these factors in an empirical way. Practical implications : The paper includes implications for the development of the position of managers in communicative activities in which universities build interactions with their stakeholders and create an open system that is a strategic point. Originality/value: The original contribution of this study is to attach considerable attention to university interfaces (e.g. UIC Centre, Technocity / Technopark, Technology Transfer Office, Incubation Centre) and the managers working in these institutions have very crucial functions to establish cooperation amongst university and industry, and contain multidimensional and multidisciplinary aspects of collaboration and communication.


Beyond The Marigolds "It was like nothing else I have ever seen - thought-provoking, emotional, wonderful" "This is not about age - it is about being human" "Thrilling" "Delightful and strangely moving" "Inspirational" Beyond the Marigolds peels off those iconic rubber gloves and dredges the nooks and crannies of daily life and fantasy. Revisiting times of love, intimacy and sheer boredom seven women reveal the rich emotional hinterland held secret by older women. Combining live and digital forms, the company takes their audience on a journey of life's messy acts of meaning – and attempt nothing less than to discover the purpose of life. Moving Memory Dance Theatre Company create high quality performance opportunities for older people. Working as co-authors, we celebrate the vitality of participants, challenging views of being an 'old' woman, providing a performance platform for those voices to be heard via movement, music and digital projection. We consider the funny side of things, the stuff of life, and all that moves us, producing work that is daring, comic, and moving. While the use of humour draws people in, the work often has a twist which challenges audiences to re-examine their pre-conceptions and assumptions.


Immigration histories typically endeavor to describe and hold a nation–state accountable not only for the laws and policies by which it admits some immigrants, but also for those by which it refuses, excludes, or deports other immigrants. This article explores immigration to Mexico and to the United States with attention to its implications for the status of persons, and also for the conventional historical narratives in each country. The article focuses on three techniques of governance that each country has engaged in regard to immigration. These techniques include: 1) the assignment of nationality as a singular attribute of personhood; 2) the use of demonstrable and documentable characteristics as criteria of admission; and 3) centralized registration procedures to monitor and control the immigrant population. The techniques are analyzed together because of their concurrent emergence in each country during the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The techniques are also complementary. They form a set that, although not unique to the United States and Mexico, nevertheless illustrates parallels and an interplay between the two countries, and, more broadly, illustrates how immigration presents a common predicament across different times, places, and forms of government.


Our current understanding of the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis suggests a prominent role for immune responses from its initiation through its complications. Given the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors worldwide, there is an urgent need to better understand the underlying mechanisms to improve current treatment protocols. A growing body of evidence suggests that endocannabinoid signalling plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of atherogenesis and its clinical manifestations. Blocking CB1 receptors has been shown to mediate not only weight reduction, but also several cardiometabolic effects in rodents and humans, indicating a potential relevance for the process of atherosclerosis. Activation of CB2 receptors with Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been shown to inhibit atherosclerotic plaque progression in mice, mainly by inhibiting macrophage recruitment. Endocannabinoids released from endothelial cells, macrophages or platelets, reduce hypertension in rodents, a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. In addition, anandamide inhibits inflammatory gene expression in endothelial cells, and consequently monocyte adhesion. Conversely, endocannabinoids might also mediate pro‐atherosclerotic effects by inducing platelet activation. In conclusion, the precise role of the endocannabinoid system during atherosclerosis is not yet understood. Whether increased endocannabinoid signalling is associated with disease progression and increased risk of acute thrombotic events remains to be determined.


Research interest in chiral pesticides has increased probably because enantiomers often exhibit different environmental fate and toxicity. An investigation into the enantiomer-specific bioactivity of chiral triticonazole enantiomers in agricultural systems revealed intriguing experimental and theoretical evidence. For nine of the phytopathogens studied ( Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium verticillioide, Botrytis cinerea (strawberry and tomato), Rhizoctonia cereali, Alternaria solani, Gibberella zeae, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and Pyricularia grisea), the fungicidal activity data showed ( R)-triticonazole was 3.11-82.89 times more potent than the ( S) enantiomer. Furthermore, ( R)-triticonazole inhibited ergosterol biosynthesis and cell membrane synthesis 1.80-7.34 times higher than its antipode. Homology modeling and molecular docking studies suggested the distinct bioactivities of the enantiomers of triticonazole were probably due to their different binding modes and affinities to CYP51b. However, field studies demonstrated that ( S)-triticonazole was more persistent than ( R)-triticonazole in fruits and vegetables. The results showed that application of pure ( R)-triticonazole, with its high bioactivity and relatively low resistance risk, instead of the racemate in agricultural management would reduce the application dosage required to eliminate carcinogenic mycotoxins and any environmental risks associated with this fungicide, yielding benefits in food safety and environmental protection.


The present paper expands the approach developed by Hidalgo et al. (2007), Hausmann et al. (2007) and Hidalgo and Hausmann (2009) to analyse the relationship between structural change and economic sophistication. To do so, the paper shows product space networks for each decade since the 1960's and analyses revealed comparative (dis)advantages indictors for Brazil and South Korea from the 1960s to 2000s. The results show that although having similar per capita GDPs in the beginning of the series, South Korea achieved faster growth than Brazil by specialising in high sophistication, technology intensive goods.


CLUSTER BIOGENESIS by SAJINI RANSARA RANDENIYA (Under the Direction of Prof. Michael K. Johnson) ABSTRACT The A-type proteins are a class of [Fe-S]-cluster biogenesis proteins which are found in all domains of life. However, the specific function(s) of these A-type proteins within the mitochondrial and bacterial Fe/S-protein biogenesis are still unknown. The ability of Azotobacter vinelandii(Av) IscA and Arabidopsis thaliana(At) SufA1 to bind Fe and [Fe-S]-cluster has been investigated to assess the potential role(s) of A-type proteins in [Fe-S]-cluster biogenesis. Both A-type proteins have been shown to bind one Fe(III) per homodimer with an intermediate-spin (S = 3/2) Fe(III) center that is most likely 5coordinate with two or three cysteinate ligands. Further, AtSufA1 is shown to bind one [2Fe-2S] 2+ -cluster with complete cysteinyl ligation. In addition, in vitro UV-visible CD studies of rapid cluster transfer from AtGrxS14 to AtSufA1 yielding a rate constant of 50000 M -1 min -1 and >95% completion within 3min indicate that these two classes of proteins work together in cellular [Fe-S]-cluster trafficking.


Summary
While developmental plasticity has been shown to contribute to sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in laboratory studies, its role in shaping SSD variation in wild vertebrate populations is unclear.
Here we use a field study and a laboratory experiment to show that resource availability influences the degree of SSD among insular populations of Anolis sagrei lizards in the Bahamas.
Total amounts of food biomass explained variation in male, but not female, body size on six Bahamian islands, giving rise to significant differences in SSD.
Laboratory experiments on a captive colony of A. sagrei confirmed that variation in SSD was mediated by the effects of prey biomass on developmental plasticity in males, but not females. Indeed, males grew faster and attained larger sizes as adults under high-food treatments than under restricted diets, whereas adult females retained similar body sizes under both conditions.
Our results indicate that the amount of food available can influence intersexual variation in body size within a vertebrate species. Sex-specific developmental plasticity may be favoured if it allows individuals to take advantage of varying levels of food opportunities offered by different habitats, by reducing competition between the sexes. As such, plasticity in response to food availability may have played a role in the invasion success of A. sagrei.
This study adds to our growing understanding of the effect of resource availability in shaping SSD in reptiles and lends further support to the condition-dependent hypothesis, according to which the larger sex should display greater plasticity in growth in response to environmental conditions.


The article contains the technologies of working out a program of analysis to assess the health of the children population in the Sverdlovsk region as well as to assess the related basic factors. The program is addressed to the managers of the regional hospital for children of the ministry for health of the Sverdlovsk region, and its purpose is to effectively manage the children's health condition and to regulate the medical-aid system. It is noteworthy, that the program can be adapted to the conditions of other subjects of the Russian Federation. The program makes it possible to accumulate the limited health care resources and to communicate, on the subject-oriented basis, with the municipal health-care authorities.


Energy security has become one of the world's foremost concerns and a potent source of international conflict. While potentially rich oil and gas resources lie within national maritime zones, they are inaccessible for exploitation so long as the hundreds of overlapping offshore boundary claims remain in dispute. This paper examines the long standing maritime boundary disputes in the South China Sea in respect of the Spratly Islands, the Paracels, the Ambalat offshore area, the Straits of Johore and Singapore, the Gulf of Thailand, Scarborough Shoal and the Malampaya and Camago Gas Fields. It is observed that 'Track 2' diplomacy, once thought likely to provide a solution, has not been successful. Rather, the international rules established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and subsequently developed by international tribunals, most particularly by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), provide relatively clear principles upon which questions of territorial sovereignty and the delimitation of the continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zones can be resolved. The recent decision of the ICJ in the Black Sea (Romania v Ukraine) case of 2008 is examined and the legal principles identified. It is argued that, if international law, for political and strategic reasons, is not acceptable to States in the South China Sea, it is time to look again at the benefits of 'sovereign neutral' joint development, either on a bilateral basis or multilaterally. Efforts by States in the Asian region over the last few years to work collaboratively on issues of mutual concern such as the marine environment, terrorism, piracy, drug trafficking and refugees may have fostered regional confidence to resolve the more intractable issue of maritime boundaries. The need for secure access to energy resources may speed this process.


This paper describes situations which lend themselves to the use of numerous cameras and techniques for displaying many camera streams simultaneously. The focus here is on the role of the "director" in sorting out the onscreen content in an artistic and understandable manner. We describe techniques which we have employed in a system designed for capturing and displaying many video feeds incorporating automated and high level control of the composition on the screen using radial basis function interpolation.


A method for programming current in DC/DC converters operating in discontinuous conduction mode is described in this paper. The control variable is the product of the square of the duty cycle and the switching period (D/sup 2/T), which is directly proportional to input and output currents of a discontinuous-mode converter. A method of controlling D/sup 2/T is applied to converters that utilize one switch (or one set of synchronous switches) for achieving two control functions. In particular a single-switch two-output boost converter is studied. In this system, current-mode control is used to regulate the output voltage of the continuous-mode converter and the proposed D/sup 2/T control is used to regulate the other discontinuous-mode converter. The result is a generic current-mode controlled dual-output converter.


Introduction The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Program of Cancer Registries is a federally funded surveillance program that provides support and assistance to state and territorial health departments for the operation of cancer registries. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's costs to report cancer cases during the first 5 years of the National Program of Cancer Registries. Methods Information on expenditures and number of cases reported through the National Program of Cancer Registries was used to estimate the average cost per case reported for each state program. Additional information was obtained from other sources, and regression analyses were used to assess the contribution of each factor. Results Average costs of the National Program of Cancer Registries differed substantially among programs and were inversely associated with the number of cases reported (P < .001). The geographic area of the state was positively associated with the cost (P = .01), as was the regional cost of living (P = .08), whereas the program type (i.e., enhancement or planning) was inversely associated with cost (P = .08). Conclusion The apparent existence of economies of scale suggests that contiguous state programs might benefit from sharing infrastructure and other fixed costs, such as database management resources, depending on the geographic area and population size served. Sharing database management resources might also promote uniform data collection and quality control practices, reduce the information-sharing burden among states, and allow more resources to be used for other cancer prevention and control activities.


A sequence of random variables is exchangeable if its joint distribution is invariant under variable permutations. We introduce exchangeable variable models (EVMs) as a novel class of probabilistic models whose basic building blocks are partially exchangeable sequences, a generalization of exchangeable sequences. We prove that a family of tractable EVMs is optimal under zeroone loss for a large class of functions, including parity and threshold functions, and strictly subsumes existing tractable independence-based model families. Extensive experiments show that EVMs outperform state of the art classifiers such as SVMs and probabilistic models which are solely based on independence assumptions.


This report describes a bachelor thesis in computer science performed at the system department within the product development unit for GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) at Ericsson in Linkoping.GSM can be considered a mature technology but it is still updated with new features on a regular basis. This requires that the technology also continuously is being tested. One technique that is used to perform quality tests is called PESQ (Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality). PESQ is a standardized algorithm to perform speech quality tests; it gives a score based on how a human would percept speech quality.The purpose of this thesis was to enhance the speech quality analysis process used when testing the GSM network. One goal was to analyze if it was possible to record and inject sound into a phone call and verify the possibility to execute the PESQ algorithm using a smartphone. Another goal was to develop a smartphone application to perform the described tasks.In order to do so an application for Android was developed. The development process included an investigation whether the Android platform supplies the functionality required. The investiga-tion showed that no general solution for recording and injecting audio into a phone call could be found. Recording was possible on some smartphones, but the characteristics of the recorded audio were not as desired. No solution for injecting audio into a phone call could be found for any of the tested smartphones.However, even though no solution for recording and injecting was found, an application was developed. The application was decided to be more of a proof of concept on how an application of this kind would work. It would also be a good foundation for future development. Suggested future work in order to integrate the application into the existing testing environment is to find alternative solutions for recording and injecting, maybe with the help of smartphone manu-facturers.


In this paper we focus on several techniques that improve deep neural network (DNN) acoustic modeling for low-resource languages. We explore the use of different features such as, fundamental-frequency variation (FFV), tonal features, and normalization of these features for deep neural network training. Specifically we study the impact of these features in conjunction with a tonal lexicon and several neural network architectures including hybrid and bottleneck feature-based configurations. We also explore the use of un-transcribed data and ways to balance it with transcribed data, to enhance the performance of the best performing LVCSR system. Results are presented in the context of the IARPA Babel program on development languages from Babel option period as well as on the surprise language from the base period of the program. We show that these improved methods can provide up to 15% relative reduction in WER and improvements in keyword search, in the languages explored under the BABEL program.


This paper investigates the impact of the abolition of the civil service exam on local governance in early twentieth-century China. Before the abolition, local elites collected surtaxes that financed local public goods, but they were supervised by the state and could lose candidacy for higher status if they engaged in corrupt behavior. This prospect of upward mobility (POUM) gave them incentives to behave well, which the abolition of the exam removed. Using anti-elite protests as a proxy for the deterioration of local governance, we find that prefectures with a higher POUM experienced more incidents of anti-elite protests after the abolition.


Deals with estimating motion parameters and the structure of the scene from point (or feature) correspondences between two perspective views. An algorithm is presented that gives a closed-form solution for motion parameters and the structure of the scene. The algorithm utilizes redundancy in the data to obtain more reliable estimates in the presence of noise. An approach is introduced to estimating the errors in the motion parameters computed by the algorithm. Specifically, standard deviation of the error is estimated in terms of the variance of the errors in the image coordinates of the corresponding points. The estimated errors indicate the reliability of the solution as well as any degeneracy or near degeneracy that causes the failure of the motion estimation algorithm. The presented approach to error estimation applies to a wide variety of problems that involve least-squares optimization or pseudoinverse. Finally the relationships between errors and the parameters of motion and imaging system are analyzed. The results of the analysis show, among other things, that the errors are very sensitive to the translation direction and the range of field view. Simulations are conducted to demonstrate the performance of the algorithms and error estimation as well as the relationships between the errors and the parameters of motion and imaging systems. The algorithms are tested on images of real-world scenes with point of correspondences computed automatically. >


51 women asking for refertilization were evaluated by means of a half-standardized questionnaire before laparoscopy. Special attention was directed towards the psychological situation at the time of sterilisation as well as the reasons for refertilization desired. In addition the Giessen-test was performed as standardized psychological personality inventory. In general, the sterilization was initiated by the women because of social, financial or marital difficulties. In 2/3 of the females sterilization was performed in association with other gynecological or obstetrical procedures. Most of the women did not have any kind of adequate psychological or social counseling. The desire for refertilization was mainly caused by changes in the personal situation. 29 of 51 women reported to have a new partner, 27 of them after divorce or separation, two after the previous partner's death. Ten women reported the loss of a child, however, 12 women desired refertilization without any obvious change in their private situation. In conclusion, it appeared that refertilization was desired and experienced as a real need as well as a result of a conflict in the women's self-understanding expressed by a tendency towards depression.


In Primary Aldosteronism (PAL) excessive amounts of aldosterone cause sodium and water retention and, in many individuals, this leads to moderate to severely high blood pressure. Although the chemistry and physiology are increasingly well understood, including the outcomes of treatment on physical health, there has been no systematic study of the psychological dimension of PAL. Anecdotally, patients exhibit symptoms such as angry outbursts, irritability, anxiety and defensiveness, and partners of these patients sometimes mention poor anger control and brittle or unpredictable moods. This thesis reports a systematic study of anger and anxiety among patients undergoing treatment for PAL. Eighty-three patients were recruited over an 11-month period to a prospective, pre-post design study to determine if treatment was associated with change in psychological state. Participants completed the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI-2), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS) questionnaires. Adrenal Vein Sampling confirmed overproduction of aldosterone in one or both adrenal glands. Patients with Aldosterone Producing Adenoma (APA) were offered adrenalectomy. As per usual treatment protocols, patients with Bilateral Adrenal Hyperplasia (BAH) were prescribed spironolactone or amiloride depending predominantly on severity of blood pressure and potassium levels. Post-test questionnaires were completed after 6-8 months. Analysis was by mixed design (between-within subjects) ANOVA. Participant numbers in the adrenalectomy group fell far short of expectations. Fourteen past patients who had undergone unilateral adrenalectomy completed a retrospective semi-structured questionnaire. This qualitative data was analysed to identify themes similar to quantitative data. At baseline, 'non-completers' (ie those who did not complete the post-test; n=19), were significantly more angry than 'completers' (n=50) in State Anger (p< .01), Trait Anger (p< .05) and Anger Expression Index (p< .001). Trait Anxiety was also higher (p< .05), as was Psychological Distress (p< .05). Among those who participated at both interviews, there was small but statistically significant adverse treatment effect with higher scores for State Anger (p< .05), and Feeling Angry (p< .05). However for Trait Anger (p< .01), and 2 of its 3 sub-scales Angry Temperament (p< .05) and Angry Reaction (p< .01) there was a slight to moderate decrease in negative affect with treatment. Psychological Distress scores also improved (p< .05). Across all ANOVAs, there were no significant interaction effects, suggesting that any treatment effect was equivalent for the two drugs. Qualitatively collected data elucidated participants' changes in approach to life and relationships since adrenalectomy. Themes that emerged in the data included improved ability to cope with external stress, better control of emotions, more relaxed relationships and attitude to work, and a greater vitality and quality of life. Generally the comments were consistent with the drug treatments; there was noticeable benefit, including perceived better anger control and less anxiety. Positive psychological effects of treatment observed in the two drug groups were triangulated with data from a qualitative study. The combined evidence suggests that when excess circulating aldosterone is reduced (adrenalectomy), or blocked (spironolactone), or aldosterone's salt and water retaining effects are minimised (amiloride), then nervous irritability and its subsequent psycho-behavioural manifestations are reduced. The effect however is slight and the conclusions are weakened by an apparent attrition bias, and the absence of a control group. Implications for further research are discussed.


Kerris is stabbing weapon for the archipelago wich have a term of religious, values, magical, aesthetic, and mysterious, but also have a politic value, economy, sociology, and art that not timeless. It prove that kerris existence still exists and continuous to exists. The one that get tracked is Tangguh Ngentha-entha Kerris of Yagyakarta. Who masters that become the supportersand how Tangguh Ngentha-entha Kerris rise back and found their identifycan be listened to in the following text. Keyword : Kerris, Tangguh Ngentha-entha, empu, Entha Wayang.


Marker-assisted selection (MAS) is a complementary tool for conventional breeding where a molecular marker linked to a trait is indirectly selected. Many studies conducted have been able to identify and develop markers for traits such as disease and pest resistance and other abiotic stresses. Despite the availability of these markers, the technology has been extensively used in tomato breeding for the identification of some economic traits in particular disease resistance. In developed countries, MAS is utilized routinely in breeding programs, but this cannot be said for developing countries such as Africa. It is high time Africa as a continent looks at the importance of the technology and invests in it. In addition to MAS, other strategies such as marker-assisted backcrossing and recurrent selection have also been employed for breeding in tomato. The use of MAS in crop improvement will not only reduce the cost of developing new tomato varieties but will also increase the precision and efficiency of selection in the breeding program as well as lessen the number of years required to come up with a new crop variety.


SUMMARY Visual search is well studied in human psychology, but we know comparatively little about similar capacities in non-human animals. It is sometimes assumed that animal visual search is restricted to a single target at a time. In bees, for example, this limitation has been evoked to explain flower constancy, the tendency of bees to specialise on a single flower type. Few studies, however, have investigated bee visual search for multiple target types after extended learning and controlling for prior visual experience. We trained colour-naive bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) extensively in separate discrimination tasks to recognise two rewarding colours in interspersed block training sessions. We then tested them with the two colours simultaneously in the presence of distracting colours to examine whether and how quickly they were able to switch between the target colours. We found that bees switched between visual targets quickly and often. The median time taken to switch between targets was shorter than known estimates of how long traces last in bees' working memory, suggesting that their capacity to recall more than one learned target was not restricted by working memory limitations. Following our results, we propose a model of memory and learning that integrates our findings with those of previous studies investigating flower constancy.


The banana weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus Germar, is an important pest of highland banana and plantain in Africa, but it exists in low densities in presumed area of origin in Southeast Asia such as in Indonesia. This suggests a possible existence of effective co-evolved natural enemies in the origin area of Indonesia, especially West Sumatra. The objectives of this study were: (1) to evaluate banana weevil pest status at selected sites in West Sumatra, (2) to survey parasitoids and predators, and (3) to determine the control potential of the most important natural enemies. Surveys were undertaken in March 2002-August 2003 in five locations in West Sumatra, i.e., Bukittinggi, Sitiung, Pariaman, Pasaman, and Batusangkar. Five farms per site were selected randomly among all farms that contained banana stands of > 0.5 ha. Sampling for banana weevil adults and damage, and for predators was done throughout small banana stands and within a 20 m x 40 m (0.08 ha) subplot on larger farms. Field-collected larvae were taken to the laboratory and reared on corm pieces (3 cm x 3 cm x 3 cm) until pupation. Larvae were collected from pseudostem as well as corm residues. To estimate the abundance of non-social predators, i.e., those other than ants, 10 residues each on each farm were examined from plants that had been harvested 1-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks or 9 or more weeks before our visit to the site. Samples of the different morphospecies were saved in alcohol for later identification. The result showed that the banana weevil incidence was found to be low,  0.6-1.7 adults per trap. Plant damage indices were below 2.2%. We collected and reared 24,360 eggs and 3118 larvae, but no parasitism was detected. Phorids (Megaselia sp.) and drosophilids were recovered from larval rearings, but most likely were scavengers. A complex of predators was detected, the most important of which was the histerid beetles,  Plaesius javanus Erichson. In laboratory tests, adults and larvae of P.  javanus attacked 75-88% and 38-53% of banana weevil larvae and pupae, respectively. Predatory ants, including species of Myrmicinae, Ponerinae, Formicinae, and Dolichoderinae, were found to be associated with banana plants and residues. Adults of Myopopone castanea Smith (Ponerinae) were directly observed attacking banana weevil larvae in crop residues. The adult banana weevil mortalities caused by the entomopathogen fungi of Beauveria bassiana from Baso, Sungaitarab, Sei Sariek, and Sikabau at highest density (3.2 x 108 spores ml-1) after two weeks were 96.67%, 90.00%, 60.00% and 83.33%, respectively. The high diversity of habitat conditions in which crop-pest-natural enemies systems exist, support the idea that banana weevil population and damage intensity in the study area is low due to active role of natural enemies.


BACKGROUND
The need for sedation for neonates undergoing uncomfortable procedures in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) has often been overlooked. Proper sedation may reduce stress and avoid complications during procedures such as mechanical ventilation. Midazolam is a short acting benzodiazepine that has been increasingly used in the NICU. However, the effectiveness of intravenous midazolam as a sedative in neonates has not been systematically evaluated.

OBJECTIVES
To determine whether intravenous midazolam infusion is an effective sedative, as evaluated by behavioural and/or physiologic measurements, for critically ill neonates undergoing intensive care, and to assess clinically significant short and long term adverse effects associated with its use.

SEARCH STRATEGY
Literature search according to the Cochrane Neonatal Collaborative Review Group search strategy. Randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials of intravenous midazolam use in neonates were identified by searching MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, reference lists of published studies, personal files, and abstracts published in Pediatric Research from 1990-1999.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomized controlled trials of intravenous midazolam infusion in infants </= 28 days of age for sedation during mechanical ventilation or radiologic investigations were selected for review. Studies on midazolam use as an anesthetic or an anticonvulsant were excluded. Studies involving neonates and older infants and children were excluded if data for neonates could not be extracted.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Data regarding the primary outcome of level of sedation (as evaluated by behavioural scales or physiologic parameters) were abstracted. Secondary outcomes including intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), death within 28 days of age, adverse effects associated with midazolam (hemodynamic and neurologic), days of ventilation, days of supplemental oxygen use, pneumothorax, length of NICU stay, and long term neurodevelopmental outcome were assessed. When appropriate, meta-analyses were performed using relative risk (RR), risk difference (RD), along with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for categorical variables and weighted mean difference (WMD) for continuous variables.

MAIN RESULTS
Two trials were eligible for inclusion in the review. Data on level of sedation from the two trials could not be combined because of differences in tools used to measure sedation levels. One study (Jacqz-Aigrain 1994) showed statistically a significant higher level of sedation in the midazolam group compared to the placebo group. The other study (Anand 1999) comparing midazolam to morphine and placebo found no statistically significant difference in sedation level among the three groups, but statistically significantly higher level of sedation was found in the midazolam group compared with the placebo group during the treatment infusion. However, since the sedation scales used in both studies have not been validated in preterm infants, the effectiveness of midazolam as a sedative in this population could not be ascertained based on the findings of these two studies. In the study by Jacqz-Aigrain (1994), blood pressures were statistically significantly lower in the midazolam group than in the placebo group on days 1 and 2, although there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of hypotension requiring albumin or vasoactive drugs between groups. The study by Anand (1999) showed a statistically significant higher incidence of adverse neurologic events (death, grade III-IV IVH, PVL) in the midazolam group compared with the other groups. In addition, the midazolam group had a statistically significantly longer duration of NICU stay compared to the placebo group (WMD 5.4 days, 95%CI 0.4, 10.5). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)


Foot-mounted inertial sensors combined with GPS-receivers, magnetometers, and barometric pressure sensors have shown great potential in providing high-accuracy positioning systems for first responder and military applications. Several factors, including the type of movement, surface, and the shape of the trajectory, can strongly influence the performance of foot-mounted inertial navigation systems. There is a need for realistic scenario-based evaluations as a complement to the controlled environment tests that have been published in the literature. In this work we evaluate the performance of a foot-mounted inertial navigation system using three-axis accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers during realistic scenario-based measurements. The position accuracy is evaluated by using a camera-based reference system which positions itself towards visual markers placed at pre-surveyed positions, using a slightly modified version of the ARToolKitPlus software. Maximum position errors of 2.5 to 5.5 meters were obtained during four separate high-tempo building clearing operations that lasted approximately three and a half minutes each. Further improvements in accuracy, as well as improved robustness towards different movement patterns, can be achieved by implementing an adaptive stand-still detection algorithm.


Background The risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes can be minimized through the adoption of healthy lifestyles before pregnancy by women of childbearing age. Initiatives for promotion of preconception health may be difficult to implement. Internet can be used to build tailored health interventions through identification of the public's information needs. To this aim, we developed a semi-automatic web-based system for monitoring Google searches, web pages and activity on social networks, regarding preconception health. Methods Based on the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines and on the actual search behaviors of Italian Internet users, we defined a set of keywords targeting preconception care topics. Using these keywords, we analyzed the usage of Google search engine and identified web pages containing preconception care recommendations. We also monitored how the selected web pages were shared on social networks. We analyzed discrepancies between searched and published information and the sharing pattern of the topics. Results We identified 1,807 Google search queries which generated a total of 1,995,030 searches during the study period. Less than 10% of the reviewed pages contained preconception care information and in 42.8% information was consistent with ACOG guidelines. Facebook was the most used social network for sharing. Nutrition, Chronic Diseases and Infectious Diseases were the most published and searched topics. Regarding Genetic Risk and Folic Acid, a high search volume was not associated to a high web page production, while Medication pages were more frequently published than searched. Vaccinations elicited high sharing although web page production was low; this effect was quite variable in time. Conclusion Our study represent a resource to prioritize communication on specific topics on the web, to address misconceptions, and to tailor interventions to specific populations.


Food-borne disease is an ever-present threat and is often associated with the consumption of fresh food such as horticultural products. Apart from chemicals, heavy metals, fungi and viruses, bacteria are the most common cause for food poisoning. A serious outbreak in Germany and neighbouring countries in 2011 when 3,950 people were affected and 53 died, was induced by a novel strain of E. coli bacteria and suggested fresh vegetables as the source of infection. However, due to global food logistics it is an increasing challenge to trace back the source of infected food. A German-Dutch team of scientists analysed the EHEC outbreak from 2011 in order to provide new insights about risk assessment and crises control as well as communication infrastructure and strategies between responsible authorities and to the public, even across borders. Besides preventive measures to avoid contamination of horticultural products and to impede the spreading of human pathogens, the team analysed deficits in the field of crisis communication in order to develop a communication plan for decision-makers in a crisis situation. Technical innovations that can be used for decision-relevant information at the right time, with the required quality, will support the communication strategy. In order to develop a communication plan tailored to the different stakeholders' needs and their knowledge, the informational needs of the public should also be taken into account. Thus, combining preventive measures with state of the art communication strategies, will reduce the time between the alerts and the scientific basis and proof.


A core–shell structured FeCo–N@N-doped carbon derived from biomass waste (sugarcane and palm kernel shell) is facilely prepared by hydrothermal carbonization and NH3 microwave ammoxidation methods. The fabricated carbons are thoroughly characterized by a variety of analytical techniques. The electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), methanol resistance and durability are also tested in alkaline electrolyte. Compared to the carbons without ammoxidation treatments, FeCo–N@N-doped carbons, which contain FeCo–N in the core (evidenced by X-ray absorption spectroscopy) and highly porous carbon (verified by N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms) in the shell, exhibit superior ORR performance. Among the FeCo–N@N-doped carbons, the sugarcane-derived FeCo–N@N-doped carbon has better ORR activity than palm kernel shell-derived FeCo–N@N-doped carbon, which may be due to the more exposed active FeCo–N sites. Accordingly, the sugarcane-derived FeCo–N@N-doped carbon with a FeCo alloy ratio of 1 : 1 shows a comparable activity (onset potential 0.91 V vs. RHE), a better stability (through a four-electron pathway) and excellent methanol tolerance as compared to commercially available Pt/C catalysts. These biowaste-derived carbons with a unique core–shell structure synthesized via a simple microwave-assisted ammoxidation route can provide a promising electrode for oxygen reduction in fuel cells.


PriView is an interactive personalized video consumption system that protects user privacy while recommending relevant content. It provides transparency of privacy risk, control of privacy risk, and personalized recommendations. It implements an information-theoretic framework to enable a utility-aware privacy mapping that distorts a user's video ratings to prevent attackers from inferring users' personal attributes (such as age, gender, or political views), while maintaining the distorted ratings' usefulness for recommendations. PriView uses convex optimization to create a probability mapping from actual ratings to distorted ratings that minimizes the distortion, subject to a privacy constraint. One practical challenge is scalability, when data comes from a large alphabet. Quantization combined with low-rank approximation of the rating matrix helps reduce the number of optimization variables. Evaluations showed that PriView can achieve perfect privacy with little change in recommendation quality. This article is part of a special issue on Security and Privacy on the Web.


Vehicle safety applications such as collision avoidance, emergency braking etc., based on vehicle-to-vehicle communications are promising new technology, diminishing the number of accidents on roads. The functioning of these safety applications depends on continuous exchange of Cooperative Awareness Messages (CAM) between the vehicles through wireless communications making them aware of each other. Messages are also logged by each vehicle in their log files. However reliability and availability of these applications depends on the quality of wireless communication between the vehicles. Wireless link tends to get vulnerable due to a number of static (building, terrains etc.) and dynamic obstacles (climatic conditions, traffic environments etc.) causing the effects of shadowing, reflection, scattering etc. These are examples of the different causes to communication disturbances between vehicles that indirectly also influence safety applications. It is therefore important to have better tools to examine the communication quality which might not be possible by manually scanning the log files.Our thesis work uses Visualisation technology to efficiently display the quality of communication within a range using log files generated from measuring the communication between the vehicles. We have investigated various Visualisation techniques and approaches appropriate for our task. However we choose to use the Pixel Map based approach, which is a combination of two technologies, Maps and computer graphics to precisely visualize quality at each location. By using this approach we are able to make a tool that show how communication quality is affected by various static and dynamic obstacles at different geographical locations leading towards the improvement of safety applications.


AIM
This paper is a report of a study to illuminate the experience of family members whose relatives survived the resuscitation in an accident and emergency department, and their preferences with regard to being present.

BACKGROUND
Family presence during resuscitation can offer benefits to both patient and family members, and large healthcare organizations support and recommend offering the option for their presence. However, many staff believe that this is too distressing or traumatic for families and that they would interfere with the resuscitation process.

METHODS
An interpretive phenomenological approach was used to collect data in 2007-2008 with 18 family members of patients who survived life-sustaining interventions in an accident and emergency department in Hong Kong. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim for thematic analysis and verified with the participants in second interviews.

FINDINGS
None of the family members was present in resuscitation room during the life-sustaining interventions, and five entered the room after the patients' condition was stable. The majority indicated a strong preference to be present if given the option. Three interrelated themes emerged: (i) emotional connectedness, (ii) knowing the patient, and (iii) perceived (in)appropriateness, with 10 subthemes representing affective, rational and contextual determinants of family presence preferences. The interplay of these determinants and how they contributed to strong or weak preference for family presence was analysed.

CONCLUSION
Variations among the contributing determinants to each family member's preference to be present were revealed. Appropriate nursing interventions, policy and guidelines should be developed to meet individualized needs during such critical and life-threatening moments in accident and emergency departments.


ABSTRACT The purpose of the present study was to understand the barriers that a particularly vulnerable sub-population of older adults experience in adhering to cancer treatments in rural eastern North Carolina. Qualitative descriptive interviews were completed with 16 individuals (8 cancer patients and their caregivers) about the challenges they face in adhering to cancer treatments. Three themes emerged based on the analysis which included transportation and financial barriers, and assistance that facilitated patients to adhere to treatment protocols. Transportation barriers were those associated with both the formal and informal systems. Financial barriers were related to costs associated with treatment. Participants also reported on ways in which adherence was facilitated via both formal and informal means. Our findings support those of previous research on treatment adherence and add information on the actions patients take in response to barriers that can negatively impact their disease trajectory. The knowledge gained can inform service providers about the issues in treatment adherence and help identify interventions that could support caregivers and patients to circumvent such challenges.


ABSTRACT Emerging evidence supports that exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can impact the interaction between the gut microbiota and host. Recent efforts have characterized the relationship between gut microbiota and environment pollutants suggesting additional research is needed to understand potential new avenues for toxicity. Here, we systematically examined the direct effects of POPs including 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB-123 and PCB-156) on the microbiota using metatranscriptomics and NMR- and mass spectrometry-based metabolomics combined with flow cytometry and growth rate measurements (OD600). This study demonstrated that (1) POPs directly and rapidly affect isolated cecal bacterial global metabolism that is associated with significant decreases in microbial metabolic activity; (2) significant changes in cecal bacterial gene expression related to tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle as well as carbon metabolism, carbon fixation, pyruvate metabolism, and protein export were observed following most POP exposure; (3) six individual bacterial species show variation in lipid metabolism in response to POP exposure; and (4) PCB-153 (non-coplanar)has a greater impact on bacteria than PCB-126 (coplanar) at the metabolic and transcriptional levels. These data provide new insights into the direct role of POPs on gut microbiota and begins to establish possible microbial toxicity endpoints which may help to inform risk assessment.


ABSTRACT The study of formal planning in nonprofits and the public sector is thriving, with management gurus providing abundant advice on its value and proper execution. We address a related, but broader issue: why has the management tool of formal planning become prevalent in organizations with a public goal in the first place? To answer this question, we draw on insights from institutional theories of organization, bringing a fresh perspective to the increasingly common practice of formal planning in the administration of public entities. Using a unique dataset constructed from interviews with a random, representative sample of the leaders of 200 nonprofits in the San Francisco Bay Area, we analyze the factors associated with the presence of a formal plan. We combine the interview data with details on organizational characteristics from tax reports and consider the features of nonprofits that plan using logistic regression. The findings reveal that size and capacity are important, but links to an external, rationalized environment dampen the effects of both. Thus, functional factors, while important, are insufficient to explain why nonprofits engage in planning. For those interested in promoting formal planning as a management tool, our findings provide insight into other organizational features that promote the use of planning. And for those concerned with the potentially deleterious effects of this tool in the nonprofit sector, we show that certain types of organizations seem adept at maintaining a less formal structure.


Cassava production has got an international attention and currently different organizations and foundations are involved in research and development activities. But cassava producers in the study area are facing different challenges in production system and marketing for cassava products. Hence, the main focus of this research paper is to see the determinants of cassava production and its marketing channel efficiency in the study area. Both primary and secondary data sources were used to address the objectives and the primary data was collected from 181 sample farmers drown from three cassava producer rural villages using multi-stage sampling technique. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation were used to summarize the data. Furthermore, inferential statistics like multiple linear regression model was employed to identify the determinants of cassava production. The study results indicate that the production trend of cassava in the area has been increasing time to time. The regression analysis results also disclosed that educational level, access to agricultural input, age of the farmers, pests attack, extension visit, fertility of the soil, farm size, irrigation, experience and family size were the variables that significantly influence households cassava production. It is also found that direct sale (producers sell their cassava products to the final consumers) brings the biggest price share (35%) for the farmers and it is the best channel to increase efficiency and the wealth of farmers. The challenging factors influencing the cassava producers in the study area are shortage of farm landholding, marketing chain efficiency, soil fertility, high population pressure, and drought etc. Therefore, the researcher recommends that the government, non-government, cooperatives and agricultural research centers should support the cassava producer farmers by giving improved variety and promote the non-producer farmers to participate in cassava production and create market chain in the study area.


There is ongoing interest in extending CT from anatomical to functional imaging. Recent successes with dual energy CT, the introduction of energy discriminating x-ray detectors, and novel, target-specific, nanoparticle contrast agents enable functional imaging capabilities via spectral CT. However, many challenges related to radiation dose, photon flux, and sensitivity still must be overcome. Here, we introduce a post-reconstruction algorithm called spectral diffusion that performs a robust material decomposition of spectral CT data in the presence of photon noise to address these challenges. Specifically, we use spectrally joint, piece-wise constant kernel regression and the split Bregman method to iteratively solve for a material decomposition which is gradient sparse, quantitatively accurate, and minimally biased relative to the source data. Spectral diffusion integrates structural information from multiple spectral channels and their corresponding material decompositions within the framework of diffusion-like denoising algorithms. Using a 3D, digital bar phantom and a material sensitivity matrix calibrated for use with a polychromatic x-ray source, we quantify the limits of detectability (CNR = 5) afforded by spectral diffusion in the triple-energy material decomposition of iodine (3.1 mg/mL), gold (0.9 mg/mL), and gadolinium (2.9 mg/mL) concentrations.


Culture, Power, & Pedagogy(s) in Market-Driven Times: Embedded Case-Studies of Instructional Approaches Across Charter Schools in Harlem, NY Terrenda Corisa White In the midst of market-based school reforms urging choice, competition, and high-stakes production of test scores, the complexities of pedagogy and its relationship to culture, power, and student learning are often overshadowed (Bernstein, 2000). While research on teaching in culturally diverse contexts has contributed to the development of inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogy (Banks et. al, 1995; Ladson-Billings, 1995; Gay, 2000), the fate of these practices in the face of market pressures require critical examination by those concerned with equity in schools serving disadvantaged children (Buras, 2010; Macrine, 2009; Picower, 2011). Based on a year of extensive interviewing with twenty-two instructional leaders across an urban market of charter schools, as well as interviews and participant-observations with twentyeight teachers in four purposefully selected charter schools, this study explores whether and how school leaders and teachers make sense of competition and student culture as resources for learning in classrooms, particularly in a predominantly low-income, black/African American, and Latino community in New York City. The study also made use of school documents and reports compiled overtime by schools and charter authorizers at the city and state level. Findings indicate that a heterogeneous charter sector of independent charter schools shifted overtime to reflect homogenizing tendencies associated with the rise and concentration of schools managed by an influential bloc of private charter management organizations (CMOs). At the intersection of such shifts were teachers and instructional leaders, many of whom describe 'trading-off' on inclusive and diverse approaches to teaching in an effort to yield more tangible and marketable outcomes in the form of test scores. Case studies in four schools, however, revealed important distinctions, as differently managed schools negotiated differently the degrees to which social and cultural boundaries were formed between schools, students, and the surrounding community in which it operated. These negotiations shaped different approaches to teaching and learning and outlooks on competition. The significance of the study is its negation of a culture-free and/or value-neutral assumption about market policies, primarily by illuminating the tension and impact of such policies on specific pedagogical forms and goals. More importantly, market policies are examined in light of social (re)production theory and the extent to which deregulation disrupts or perpetuates unequal social and cultural relations of power between schools and traditionally marginalized communities.


Using Difference-in-Differences estimation and data from the European Community Household Panel, this paper suggests that the fixed exchange-rate policy adopted by Italy in the 1997-2000 period has reduced the real hourly wage growth of Italian full-time workers with permanent contracts, on average, by 3%. Yet, the cost of the policy has been ultimately paid by the private sector where real wage growth has decreased by 5.4%.


Several aspects of plant-animal interaction were studied using terrestrial
molluscs and their food plants.
1. Seedling monocultures of 7 species of plants with different acceptability
(measured previously using leaf discs) were grazed by slugs (Agriolimax Caruanae)
for controlled periods.
(I) The risks of death due to slug grazing varied with plant size and growth
form. Acceptability was a poor predictor of the risks of death due to
grazing.
(ii) Seedlings were killed by slugs, remained intact or were damaged but
not killed; the acceptability to slugs of mature leaves was a poor predictor
of the damage done to seedlings.
(iii) Plants of at least some of the species had an increased risk of death
after grazing. Those grazed plants that survived were usually smaller.
(iv) It is suggested that for most species there is a 'critical size of escape'
when the plants are able to tolerate grazing without being killed.
2. Monocultures of Capsella bursa-pastoris and Poa annua were grown, at
densities high enough for plants to interfere with each other's growth and survival,
in the presence and absence of slugs (A. caruanae).
(1) Slugs behaved quite differently towards the two plant species. They
ate whole, or parts of, leaves of C. bursa-pastoris, but rarely killed the
plants. They ate P. annua (only after a 'starving threshold') by chewing
through shoots at ground level, 'felling' but not consuming the shoots;
many of the damaged plants of Poa died. Grazed and ungrozed populations
- II -
of both species conformed to the -3/2 thinning law.
(ii) The compensatory effects of competition and predation are discussed.
3. Populations of Capsella bursa-pastoris were grown at two densities in a
background of plant diversity given by the seedlings emerging naturally from soil
collected from areas where the slugs Agriolimax caruanae and A. reticulatus are
abundant. The populations were grazed by both slugs and the plants of Capsella
were monitored for most of their life cycle.
(i) C. bursa-pastoris was clearly the species most preferred by slugs.
(ii) Grazing of Capsella by slugs affected plant survival, rosette diameter,
number of flowering and fruiting plants and the number of capsules per
plant. The effects were almost exclusive to the populations of low density.
The reproductive potential of Capsella was also affected by defloration.,
(iii) It was suggested that the diversity of the vegetation that is relevant
to a given herbivore depends on its search and range and that studies on the
role of herbivores on a population must take into account the diversity of
the whole community (inter- and intraspecific).
4. The intraspecific variation in plant acceptability was studied by examining
the response of slugs to the cyanogenesis polymorphism in Trifolium repens.
(i) Molluscs failed to distinguish between cyanogenic and ocyanogenic leaf
discs or detached clover leaves but experiments with intact growing plants,
as well as field surveys, showed clearly that molluscs preferred the acyanogenic
morphs. The pattern of grazing was characterised by an excess of
nibbling on the cyanogenic plants and an excess of heavy damage on the
acyanogenic forms.
- III -
(ii) Animals fed on monotonous diets of lettuce grew considerably faster
than slugs feeding on diets of cyanogenic and acyanogenic clover leaves
but there was a marginally lower rate of growth of the slugs fed on
cyanogenic leaves.
(iii) There was a significant association between the spatial distribution of
mollusc activity and clover morphs in the field: areas of intense mollusc
activity had an excess of cyanogenic morphs while in areas of low mollusc
activity the acyanogenic morphs were represented in excess.
(iv) Homogenates mdde from the digestive tract of slugs produced cyanogenic
reactions with clover leaves that had cyanoglucosides but lacked hydrolising
enzymes.
(v) A tentative coevolutionary model of the clover-mollusc interaction is
suggested.
5. The performance of transplanted cuttings of cyanogenic and acyanogenic
morphs was observed in the field for 1 year.
(i) There was some superiority of the acyanogenic morphs for several growth
parameters and plant survival during the growing season of the sward.
(ii) There was much heterogeneity between clones of both morphs with
respect to their susceptibility to grazing by several herbivores; nevertheless,
there was a consistent preference for the acyanogenic forms by molluscs.
Weevils and sheep showed preference for one morph at one time of the
year, and for the other morph at another time.
(iii) Damage by the rust Uromyces trifoii was almost en%rety confined to
the cyanogenic morph.
- Iv -
(iv) It is concluded that studies on the interaction between clover and
mollusc must also take into account the intraspecific (or even intraclonal)
variation in reaction of clover to grazing, pathogenic infection and
response to competing neighbours.


In recent years, products have been miniaturized and multi-functionalized, and the importance of integration in compact machine tools has increased. In this study, we propose integration via laser hardening forming which combines laser hardening and laser forming on a compact machine toolfor thin steel sheets. For the processing, the deformation and quenching were considered during repeated laser scanning repeated at the same location. In addition, to apply laser quenching forming to origami engineering, a test piece with resilience was prototyped. As a result, problems in repeated laser scanning were clarified, and the tool's applicability to origami engineering was demonstrated.


Smoking is the main risk factor for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), formerly known as lung emphysema or 'chronic bronchitis'. Early detection of COPD and smoking cessation may result in significant health gain. In a thesis titled 'Detection of COPD in smokers' the results of 6 studies in middle-aged male smokers, conducted between 1998 and 2003 in IJsselstein, a town in the center of The Netherlands, are presented. At the baseline survey, among 702 male smokers, mean age 50 years, the prevalence of previously undetected COPD defined according to the GOLD criteria was high (30%). Smokers with undetected disease predominantly experienced mild airflow obstruction (87%). In multivariate regression analysis only age and cough were independently related to the presence of mild COPD. The ability of these determinants to discriminate subjects without COPD from those with mild COPD was relatively poor (ROC area 0.65). In 2003, 33 of 399 participants developed moderate COPD, i.e. a cumulative incidence of 8.3%. Notably, limitations of physical functioning measured by the MRC dyspnoea scale correlated more strongly with quality of life than the COPD severity staging. The risk of developing moderate COPD in smokers with baseline mild COPD was 5 times higher than in those with baseline normal spirometry (1 in 5 vs. 1 in 25). Age, cough, smoking before the age of 16 years, and ? 1 recent GP consultations because of lower respiratory tract (LRT) complaints were independently associated with development of moderate COPD. A prediction rule, based on these 4 patients characteristics, showed a reasonable discriminative ability (ROC area 0.72). Taking a cut-off of ? 2 points would identify as much as 79% (26/33) of the smokers actually developing moderate COPD in the next 5 years and 52% of the smokers not developing moderate COPD. Among smokers 45-64 years of age, nationwide screening in The Netherlands was expected to offer approximately 195,000 newly detected cases with COPD in one year and case finding in general practice among smokers with respiratory tract complaints over 78,000 new cases. Screening however showed a less favorable balance of costs and effects than case finding. The cost-effectiveness of intensive smoking cessation therapy – costs per newly detected subject with COPD who remained abstinent during at least 1 year - was markedly more favorable than the cost-effectiveness of short smoking cessation therapy. Main recommendations: - Intensifying smoking cessation interventions targeted at smokers with a high risk of developing COPD (55-64 years of age, smoking before the age of 16 years, respiratory symptoms) and at smokers with physician diagnosed COPD, should be encouraged. - Screening for COPD in middle-aged smokers can not be recommended. Case finding seems an attractive alternative, provided that intensive smoking cessation therapy is logistically possible and drug treatment for nicotine addiction is reimbursed. - Health care resources should preferably be applied to facilitate additional measures to prevent uptake of smoking or encourage smoking cessation in the population at large rather than to develop COPD screening programs in 'healthy' smokers.


SUMMARY: Pairs of non-tetracycline-producing mutants of Streptomyces rimosus or S. aureofaciens were grown side by side on agar. Their ability to produce antibiotic by cosynthesis was tested by placing a strip of agar cut from the combined culture on plates containing Bacillus subtilis. The activity was revealed as an inhibition halo formed on B. subtilis, opposite one or other mutant strain. The strain surrounded by the halo was considered as a converter of an intermediate product secreted by the other strain. Two types of mutants were observed: a rare type probably affecting the main pathway of antibiotic biosynthesis, and a more frequent type probably affecting some regulatory process.


A large protein was purified from bovine kidney, using selective extraction with EDTA to solubilize proteins anchored by divalent cation-dependent interactions. An antiserum raised against the purified protein labeled the apical cell surface of the epithelial cells in proximal tubules and the luminal surface of small intestine. Ten peptide sequences, derived from the protein, all matched the recently published sequences for rat (Moestrup, S. K., Kozyraki, R., Kristiansen, M., Kaysen, J. H., Holm Rasmussen, H., Brault, D., Pontillon, F., Goda, F. O., Christensen, E. I., Hammond, T. G., and Verroust, P. J. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 5235–5242) and human cubilin, a receptor for intrinsic factor-vitamin B12 complexes, identifying the protein as bovine cubilin. In electron microscopy, a three-armed structure was seen, indicating an oligomerization of three identical subunits. This model was supported by the M rvalues of about 1,500,000 for the intact protein and 440,000 for its subunits obtained by analytical ultracentrifugation. In a search for a potential assembly domain, we identified a region of heptad repeats in the N-terminal part of the cubilin sequence. Computer-assisted analysis supported the presence of a coiled-coil α-helix between amino acids 103 and 132 of the human cubilin sequence and predicted the formation of a triple coiled-coil. We therefore conclude that cubilin forms a noncovalent trimer of identical subunits connected by an N-terminal coiled-coil α-helix.


The Asian International Input-Output (IO) Table that is compiled by Institute of Developing Economies-JETRO (IDE), was constructed in Isard type form. Thus, it required a lot of time to publish. In order to avoid this time-lag problem and establish a more simple compilation technique, this paper concentrates on verifying the possibility of using the Chenery-Moses type estimation technique. If possible, applying the Chenery-Moses instead of the Isard type would be effective for both impact and linkage analysis (except for some countries such as Malaysia and Singapore and some primary sectors. Using Chenery-Moses estimation method, production of the Asian International IO table can be reduced by two years. And more, this method might have the possibilities to be applied for updating exercise of Asian IO table.


The question I would like to help answer is: What is the role and what can imaging do for systems biology? In recent years, the focus in biological sciences has shifted from understanding single parts of larger systems, sort of vertical approach, to understanding complex systems at the cellular and molecular levels, horizontal approach. Thus the revolution of "omics" projects, genomics and now proteomics. Understanding complexity of biological systems is a task that requires acquisition, analysis and sharing of huge databases, and in particular, high-dimensional databases. For example, in the current project on location proteomics, the fluorescence microscopy data sets can have a dimension as high as 5: two spatial dimensions, z-stacks, time series and different-color channels (different color probes for different proteins). Processing such huge amount of bioimages visually by biologists is inefficient, time-consuming and error-prone. Therefore, we would like to move towards automated, efficient and robust processing of such bioimage data sets. Moreover, some information hidden in the images may not be readily visually available. For example, in the same project, we use images of two proteins residing in the Golgi apparatus-giantin and gpp130. These two proteins cannot be distinguished better than randomly by humans, while when employing data mining methods, they can be told apart. Therefore, we do not only replace humans by machines for faster and more efficient processing but also because new knowledge is generated through use of sophisticated algorithms. The ultimate dream is to have distributed yet integrated large bioimage databases which would allow researchers to upload their data, have it processed, share the data, download data as well as platform-optimized code, etc., and all this in a common format, something akin to the DICOM format for clinical imaging. To achieve this goal, we must draw upon a whole host of sophisticated tools from signal processing, machine learning and scientific computing. While such tools are widely present in clinical (medical) imaging, they are not as widespread in imaging of biological systems at cellular and molecular levels. This is a huge challenge and requires integration of interdisciplinary teams. I will address some of these issues in this presentation


Kynurenines, products of tryptophan (TRP) metabolism, display neurotoxic (e.g., 3-hydroxykynurenine; 3-HK), or neuroprotective (e.g., kynurenic acid; KYNA) properties. Imbalance between the enzymes constituting the kynurenine pathway (KP) plays a role in several disease, including neurodegeneration. In this study, we track changes in concentrations of tryptophan and its selected metabolites after damage to retinal ganglion cells and link this data with expression of KP enzymes. Brown-Norway rats were subjected to intravitreal N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) injection or partial optic nerve crush (PONC). Retinas were collected 2 and 7 days after the completion of PONC or NMDA injection. Concentrations of TRP, kynurenine (KYN), and KYNA were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Data on gene expression in the rat retina were extracted from GEO, public microarray experiments database. Two days after NMDA injection concentration of TRP decreased, while KYN and KYNA increased. At day 7 compared to day 2 decrease of KYN, KYNA and further reduction of TRP concentration were observed, but on day 7 KYN concentration was still elevated when compared to controls. At day 2 and 7 after NMDA injection no statistically significant alterations of 3-HK were observed. TRP and 3-HK concentration was higher in PONC group than in controls. However, both KYN and KYNA were lower. At day seven concentration of TRP, 3-HK, and KYN was higher, whereas concentration of KYNA declined. In vivo experiments showed that retinal damage or optic nerve lesion affect TRP metabolism via KP. However, the pattern of changes in metabolite concentrations was different depending on the model. In particular, in PONC KYNA and KYN levels were decreased and 3-HK elevated. These observations correspond with data on expression of genes encoding KP enzymes assessed after optic nerve crush or transection. After intraorbital optic nerve crush downregulation of KyatI and KyatIII between 24 h and 3 days after procedure was observed. Kmo expression was transiently upregulated (12 h after the procedures). After intraorbital optic nerve transsection (IONT) Kmo expression was upregulated after 48 h and 7 days, KyatI and KyatIII were downregulated after 12, 48 h, 7 days and upregulated after 15 days. Collected data point to the conclusion that development of therapeutic strategies targeting the KP could be beneficial in diseases involving retinal neurodegeneration.


The accuracy, pitfalls, and limitations of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for diagnosing a tear in the nonoperated knee are well known. However, the diagnosis of a recurrent tear can be more difficult in the postoperative meniscus. Resection or meniscal repair results in postoperative changes that can mimic a recurrent tear. To serve as a foundation, the techniques of treatment for meniscal tears are reviewed. This is followed by a detailed review of the literature on the accuracy of diagnosis of a recurrent meniscal tear using MR imaging and MR arthrography. Finally, recommendations are given as to the circumstances in which MR imaging or MR arthrography should be used for evaluation of the postoperative meniscus.


Since the 2016 release of the Australian Guide to the Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), considerable progress has been made in the identification and diagnosis of the disorder. As part of a larger process to review and update the Guide, the aim of this study was to identify review priorities from a broad range of stakeholders involved in the assessment and diagnosis of FASD. Sixty-two stakeholders, including healthcare practitioners, researchers, other specialists, individuals with cultural expertise, lived experience and consumer representatives completed an online survey asking them to describe up to five priorities for the review of the Australian Guide to the Diagnosis of FASD. A total of 267 priorities were described. Content analysis of responses revealed priority areas relating to diagnostic criteria (n = 82, 30.7%), guideline content (n = 91, 34.1%), guideline dissemination (n = 15, 5.6%) and guideline implementation (n = 63, 23.6%). Other considerations included prevention and screening of FASD (n = 16, 6%). Engaging stakeholders in setting priorities will ensure the revised Australian Guide can be as relevant and meaningful as possible for the primary end-users and that it meets the needs of individuals with lived experience who will be most affected by the diagnosis.


Magnetic reconnection has been studied experimentally in a well-controlled, two-dimensional laboratory magnetohydrodynamic plasma. The observations are found to be both qualitatively and quantitatively consistent with a generalized Sweet-Parker model which incorporates compressibility, downstream pressure, and the effective resistivity. The latter is significantly enhanced over its classical values in the collisionless limit. This generalized Sweet-Parker model also applies to the case in which a unidirectional, sizable third magnetic component is present.


This article examines the fate of people who had escaped slavery in colonial Cartagena de Indias as well as that of their descendants. In the 1690s, colonial military troops captured many individuals of African descent who had long lived as free in the hinterlands and forcibly transported them to Cartagena city. In the aftermath of these military campaigns, some putative owners filed lawsuits claiming that their ancestors had never relinquished ownership claims to the ancestors of freeborn residents of the forests. Since many of the captives had lived in the hinterlands all their lives, strategies such as performing acts of possession over people of African descent were not available to the claimants. This essay shows how some claimants were nonetheless able to obtain rulings that granted them rights of ownership over free Afro-descended people who had been seized and exiled from their home communities in Cartagena province's hinterlands.


While Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) have demonstrated their efficacy in dealing with non-Euclidean structural data, they are difficult to be deployed in real applications due to the scalability constraint imposed by multi-hop data dependency. Existing methods attempt to address this scalability issue by training multi-layer perceptrons (MLPs) exclusively on node content features using labels derived from trained GNNs. Even though the performance of MLPs can be significantly improved, two issues prevent MLPs from outperforming GNNs and being used in practice: the ignorance of graph structural information and the sensitivity to node feature noises. In this paper, we propose to learn NOise-robust Structure-aware MLPs On Graphs (NOSMOG) to overcome the challenges. Specifically, we first complement node content with position features to help MLPs capture graph structural information. We then design a novel representational similarity distillation strategy to inject structural node similarities into MLPs. Finally, we introduce the adversarial feature augmentation to ensure stable learning against feature noises and further improve performance. Extensive experiments demonstrate that NOSMOG outperforms GNNs and the state-of-the-art method in both transductive and inductive settings across seven datasets, while maintaining a competitive inference efficiency. Codes are available at https://github.com/meettyj/NOSMOG.


Background: The use of ureteral stents after kidney transplantation (KTx) remains controversial. Methods: We reviewed urologic complications in 288 (83 cadaver {CAD}, 205 living related donor {LRD}), primary adult KTx performed at the University of Illinois at Chicago, between 1/02 and 1/06. The ureteral anastomosis consisted of a standardized ureteroneocystostomy according to the Lich technique. Double J (JJ), stents were placed across the anastomosis in 209 patients (Group A), and were not used in the remaining 79 patients (Group B). Stents were removed cystoscopically after 30 days. Immunosuppression consisted of Thymoglobulin induction and maintenance with Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) and Tacrolimus (TAC); steroids were discontinued on post-op day (POD) 6. The incidence of urinary tract infection treated on an out-patient basis (UTI/OPTX) or requiring hospitalization (UTI/HTX) during the first three months, hematuria, urinary leak and obstruction were recorded. A cost analysis was performed. Results: There was no difference in the incidence of UTI/HTX between the two groups. While not statistically significant, there was a trend toward a higher incidence of UTI/OPTX in the stent group (p=0.052). Furthermore, females in the stent group had a significantly higher incidence of UTI/OPTX (N=20, 10%) (p=0.002), and a significantly higher rate of UTI/HTX (N=9, 4%) (p=0.031). There was no significant difference in the rate of gross hematuria in the two groups. While there were no urologic complications in the stent group, one patient (1.3%), in the unstented group developed urinary obstruction due to stricture at the pyelo-ureteral junction, successfully treated by percutaneous stenting. Patient cost related to the use of stents was $1800.00. Conclusion: Routine use of stents may not be indicated after KTX since this practice did not significantly affect the rate of urologic complications and is associated with an increased incidence of UTI in females as well as increased patient costs.


The ion pair thermal model for MALDI MS is described. Key elements of the model include thermal desorption and ionization, strong tendency to neutralization via ion pair formation and proton transfer in the gas phase, thermal equilibrium, overall charge neutral plume, and thermal energy assisted free ion generation via ion pair separation by ion extraction potential. The quantities of ions in the solid sample and in the gaseous plume are estimated. Ion yields of different classes of molecules including peptides, nucleic acids, permanent salts and neutral molecules are estimated at the macroscale and single ion pair levels. The estimated ion yields are close to experimentally observed values under certain assumptions. Explanations of several observations in MALDI MS such as mostly single-charged peaks, improvement of spectra by ammonium cation, and ion suppression are provided. We expect that the model can give insights for the design of new conditions and systems for improving the sensitivity and resolution of MALDI MS and improving its capability and reliability to analyze large biomolecules.


A ferroelectric (Fe)-NAND flash memory with a batch write algorithm and a smart data store to the nonvolatile page buffer is proposed. An enterprise solid-state drive (SSD) for a data center is a future promising market of NAND flash memories. The critical problem for such an enterprise SSD is a slow random write. The write unit in a NAND flash memory is a page, 4-8 KBytes. Because the minimum write unit of the operating system is a sector, 512 Bytes, a random write to write a smaller data than a page size frequently happens, which creates a garbage. As a garbage accumulates, a garbage collection is performed to increase a workable memory capacity. The garbage collection takes as much as 100 ms, which is 100 times longer than a page program time, 800 μs, and thus causes a serious performance degradation. In the proposed Fe-NAND flash memory, the data fragmentation in a random write is removed by introducing a batch write algorithm where a page buffer in the Fe-NAND flash memory temporarily stores a program data. The memory cell program starts after the program data as much as the page size accumulates in page buffers. As the data fragmentation is eliminated, the SSD performance can double. In addition, the nonvolatile page buffer realizes a power-outage-immune highly reliable operation. With a low program/erase voltage of 6 V and a high endurance of 100 million cycles, the proposed Fe-NAND flash memory is most suitable for a highly reliable highspeed low-power data-center-application enterprise SSD.


There is no universal diagnostic and treatment strategy of subclinical hypothyroidism (SHT) in pregnant women and those who are planning pregnancy due to differences in population-specific and trimester-specific thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) reference values, influence of thyroid autoimmunity markers on pregnancy outcomes, adherence to fixed universal cutoff concentrations TSH in Russia and multidisciplinary team care with different treatment opinions involving. An absence of universal approach to SHT leads to excess treatment, financial and psychological burden on pregnant women. Up to American Thyroid Association (ATA) Guidelines 2017 and project of Clinical Guidelines of Russian Association of Endocrinologists 2019 a treatment strategy of SHT should be left up to the endocrinologist to choose. In our paper we systematize global scientific and clinical experience of planning and management pregnancies with SHT to help physicians to choose treatment option based on principals of evidence-based medicine.


The characters of C-V model are analyzed in this paper. Using the C-V technique to segment objects from an image, every pixel of whole image needed to be updated in each iterative calculation. The amount of iterative calculation is very large. So a computational method combine C-V model with the narrow band of level set is proposed. The segmentation iterative computation is defined on a narrow band, so the computation complexity is gotten lower. This segmentation algorithm is simulated in MATLAB. The simulation results shows that this segment arithmetic is efficiency, constringency fast and can get object integrally.


The no-insulation (NI) approach to winding (RE)Ba2Cu3Ox (REBCO) high temperature superconductor solenoids has shown significant promise for maximizing the efficient usage of conductor while providing self-protecting operation. Self-protection in a NI coil, however, does not diminish the likelihood that a recoverable quench occurs. During a disturbance resulting in a recoverable quench, owing to the low turn-to-turn contact resistance, transport current bypasses the normal zone by flowing directly from the current input lead to the output lead, leading to a near total loss of the azimuthal current responsible for magnetic field generation. The consequences are twofold. First, a long recovery process is needed to recharge the coil to full operational functionality. Second, a fast magnetic field transient is created due to the sudden drop in magnetic field in the quenching coil. The latter could induce a global inductive quench propagation in other coils of a multi-coil NI magnet, increasing the likelihood of quenching and accelerating the depletion of useful current in other coils, lengthening the post-quench recovery process. Here a novel graded-resistance method is proposed to tackle the mentioned problems while maintaining the superior thermal stability and self-protecting capability of NI magnets. Through computational modeling and analysis on a hybrid multiphysics model, patterned resistive-conductive layers are inserted between selected turn-to-turn contacts to contain hot-spot heat propagation while maintaining the turn-wise current sharing required for self-protection, resulting in faster post-quench recovery and reduced magnetic field transient. Effectiveness of the method is studied at 4.2 and 77 K. Through the proposed method, REBCO magnets with high current density, high thermal stability, low likelihood of quenching, and rapid, passive recovery emerge with high operational reliability and availability.


Private fund fee structures typically contain a catch-up—a widespread limited partner preference—despite the fact that it increases fund fees and misaligns incentives. By estimating carried interest paid based on published histories of real estate opportunity fund returns, this article shows that fee structures with no catch-up and a lower hurdle have been roughly 14% less costly to limited partners than structures with a catch-up and higher hurdle. Alignment of interests is generally optimized by a more linear non-catch-up compensation structure, although IRR-focused investors may prefer a catch-up.


This article provides an overview of securitization in Chinese climate and energy debates. Scholars have debated the merits as well as the potentially problematic implications of securitization, or framing issues as 'security,' since the early 1990s. Early concern focused on the potential problems with linking environmental issues with 'security,' and the debate has since also turned specifically to the climate and energy. However, it is only recently that this debate has begun to pay attention to China. Energy and climate concerns are of increasing importance to China: the sheer scale of its energy consumption and air pollution struggles dwarf the challenges seen by other states, and its policy choices play a key role in shaping global climate and energy dynamics. Thus, while securitization in the Chinese context is rarely studied, how China frames its energy and climate policy matters. Both energy and climate are taken increasingly seriously, and security plays an increasing role in debates. This review surveys the increasing popularity of linking security with climate and energy issues both in the academic debate on China and in official discourse, and some of the potential implications. WIREs Clim Change 2016, 7:301–313. doi: 10.1002/wcc.387


Context. Forced magnetic reconnection, a reconnection event triggered by external perturbation, should be ubiquitous in the solar corona. Energy released during such cases can be much greater than that which was introduced by the perturbation. The exact dynamics of magnetic reconnection events are determined by the structure and complexity of the reconnection region: the thickness of reconnecting layers, the field curvature; the presence, shapes and sizes of magnetic islands. It is unclear how the properties of the external perturbation and the initial current sheet affect the reconnection region properties, and thereby the reconnection dynamics and energy release profile. Aims. We investigate the effect of the form of the external perturbation and initial current sheet on the evolution of the reconnection region and the energy release process. Chiefly we explore the non-linear interactions between multiple, simultaneous perturbations, which represent more realistic scenarios. Future work will use these results in test particle simulations to investigate particle acceleration over multiple reconnection events. Methods. Simulations are performed using Lare2d, a 2.5D Lagrangian-remap solver for the visco-resistive MHD equations. The model of forced reconnection is extended to include superpositions of sinusoidal driving disturbances, including localised Gaussian perturbations. A transient perturbation is applied to the boundaries of a region containing a force-free current sheet. The simulation domain is sufficiently wide to allow multiple magnetic islands to form and coalesce. Results. Island coalescence contributes significantly to energy release and involves rapid reconnection. Long wavelength modes in perturbations dominate the evolution, without the presence of which reconnection is either slow, as in the case of short wavelength modes, or the initial current sheet remains stable, as in the case of noise perturbations. Multiple perturbations combine in a highly non-linear manner: reconnection is typically faster than when either disturbance is applied individually, with multiple low-energy events contributing to the same total energy release.


Summary form only given. The gap between peak and delivered performance for scientific applications running on microprocessor-based systems has grown considerably in recent years. The inability to achieve the desired performance even on a single processor is often attributed to an inadequate memory system, but without identification or quantification of a specific bottleneck. In this work, we use an adaptable synthetic benchmark to isolate application characteristics that cause a significant drop in performance, giving application programmers and architects information about possible optimizations. Our adaptable probe, called sqmat, uses only four parameters to capture key characteristics of scientific workloads: working-set size, computational intensity, indirection, and irregularity. This paper describes the implementation of sqmat and uses its tunable parameters to evaluate four leading 64-bit microprocessors that are popular building blocks for current high performance systems: Intel Itanium2, AMD Opteron, IBM Power3, and IBM Power4.