J.K. Rowling's stories about Harry Potter and his friends are a global phenomenon. Harry's establishment as a cultural icon, however, has created a demand for ever more exploits, in much wider cultural contexts, than his creator can supply, even if she were willing to do so. Various translations have been made in different countries adding new plot twists, with the most creatively ambitious of the Harry Potter take-offs being the Tanya Grotter stories created in Russia. These stories bear so many similarities to the original that a court in Holland recently granted an injunction against the English translation of Tanya. The court based its opinion on the similarities between Tanya and Harry, noting similar enemies, antics, and even eyeglasses. This article considers whether these are the kind of similarities that copyright law is designed to protect against by first looking at which of the take-offs on Harry Potter are permitted under modern copyright law. The author then elaborates on which takeoffs, and under what conditions, should be permitted by a modern copyright law. The author concludes that courts should take the infringement analysis much more seriously, asking what the scope of protection is for a character like Harry Potter. When a Tanya Grotter appears on the scene, however, infringement simply should not be found. Moreover, even where the same character is used in a new story, the court should consider denying injunctive relief where the new work broadens in any meaningful way the qualitative cultural choices available to consumers. Injunctive relief should only be granted where the copyright owner demonstrates a real possibility of substantial future losses due to overexposure of the character, and should no longer be available at all after the death of the original author. And, following the lead set by moral rights protection for works of visual art, the no-injunction regime for new works based on protected characters should apply from creation in the case of works made for hire.


The initial shear modulus, Gmax, of soil is an important parameter for a variety of geotechnical design applications. This modulus is typically associated with shear strain levels about 5*10^-3% and below. The critical role of soil stiffness at small-strains in the design and analysis of geotechnical infrastructure is now widely accepted.

Gmax is a key parameter in small-strain dynamic analyses such as those to predict soil behavior or soil-structure interaction during earthquake, explosions, machine or traffic vibration where it is necessary to know how the shear modulus degrades from its small-strain value as the level of shear strain increases. Gmax can be equally important for small-strain cyclic situations such as those caused by wind or wave loading and for small-strain static situations as well. Gmax may also be used as an indirect indication of various soil parameters, as it, in many cases, correlates well to other soil properties such as density and sample disturbance. In recent years, a technique using bender elements was developed to investigate the small-strain shear modulus Gmax.

The objective of this thesis is to study the initial shear stiffness for various sands with different void ratios, densities, grain size distribution under dry and saturated conditions, then to compare empirical equations to predict Gmax and results from other testing devices with results of bender elements from this study.


This symposium article, the first of two on regulation of government's efforts to obtain paper and digital records of our activities, analyzes the constitutional legitimacy of subpoenas. Whether issued by a grand jury or an administrative agency, subpoenas are extremely easy to enforce, merely requiring the government to demonstrate that the items sought pursuant to the subpoena are "relevant" to a investigation. Yet today subpoenas and pseudo-subpoenas are routinely used not only to obtain business records and the like, but also documents containing significant amounts of personal information about individuals, including medical, financial, and email records. Part I provides an historical examination of how we got to this point. In the nineteenth century, the courts initially provided virtually absolute protection of papers held by the target of an investigation, first based solely on the Fifth Amendment's prohibition of compelled testimony and then, after Boyd v. United States, based on both the Fifth Amendment and the Fourth Amendment's prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures. In the twentieth century, the Supreme Court reversed itself, eventually eviscerating both Fourth and Fifth Amendment limitations on subpoenas. But the early cases doing so all involved government attempts to regulate businesses; not a single one of them involved searches of personal papers, which these cases routinely indicated were still protected from government seizure by the Fifth Amendment (although no longer by the Fourth). It has only been in the past three decades that the Supreme Court has also come close to eliminating the Fifth Amendment's protection of personal records held by the target. Far more importantly, the modernization of society has rendered the Fifth Amendment irrelevant in any event, because so much more of our personal information is now recorded and held by third parties, which can be forced to produce records without violating the ban on compelled self-incrimination. Since today most subpoenas for personal documents are aimed at third-party record-holders, the upshot of these developments is that government is almost entirely unrestricted, by either the Fifth or Fourth Amendment, in its efforts to obtain documentary evidence of crime. Part II identifies six possible reasons why subpoenas need not meet the traditional probable cause standard, ranging from the assumption that subpoenas are not "intrusive" or seek only information that has been "voluntarily" surrendered to a third party to the assertion that a probable cause standard would handcuff law enforcement. It concludes that at least some of these rationales are persuasive in the context which most commonly triggers the use of subpoenas and in which constitutional subpoena law developed - the investigation of corporate crime. But none of them is convincing when applied to demands for personal records. If these conclusions are correct, then distinguishing between impersonal and personal records is important, a task undertaken in Part III. Ironically, this part borrows heavily from the Court's old Fifth Amendment jurisprudence, which justified protection of records in large part based on a desire to create a "zone of privacy." The irony stems from the fact that today the Fifth Amendment is not about privacy at all, but rather about coercion. The fact that the Court's early Fifth Amendment decisions were focused on protection of privacy suggests that, had the Court of one hundred years ago known its Fifth Amendment jurisprudence would be jettisoned, its Fourth Amendment jurisprudence might have been much more protective of documentary evidence that is personal in nature.


Schema information about resources in the Linked Open Data (LOD) cloud can be provided in a twofold way: it can be explicitly defined by attaching RDF types to the resources. Or it is provided implicitly via the definition of the resources´ properties.
In this paper, we analyze the correlation between the two sources of schema information. To this end, we have extracted schema information regarding the types and properties defined in two datasets of different size. One dataset is a LOD crawl from TimBL- FOAF profile (11 Mio. triple) and the second is an extract from the Billion Triples Challenge 2011 dataset (500 Mio. triple). We have conducted an in depth analysis and have computed various entropy measures as well as the mutual information encoded in this two manifestations of schema information.
Our analysis provides insights into the information encoded in the different schema characteristics. It shows that a schema based on either types or properties alone will capture only about 75% of the information contained in the data. From these observations, we derive conclusions about the design of future schemas for LOD.


Abstract: We present experimental and theoretical results of a detailed study of laser-induced continuum structures (LICS) in the photoionization continuum of helium out of the metastable state 2s^1 S_0. The continuum dressing with a 1064 nm laser, couples the same region of the continuum to the 4s^1 S_0 state. The experimental data, presented for a range of intensities, show pronounced ionization suppression (by asmuch as 70% with respect to the far-from-resonance value) as well as enhancement, in a Beutler-Fano resonance profile. This ionization suppression is a clear indication of population trapping mediated by coupling to a contiuum. We present experimental results demonstrating the effect of pulse delay upon the LICS, and for the behavior of LICS for both weak and strong probe pulses. Simulations based upon numerical solution of the Schrodinger equation model the experimental results. The atomic parameters (Rabi frequencies and Stark shifts) are calculated using a simple model-potential method for the computation of the needed wavefunctions. The simulations of the LICS profiles are in excellent agreement with experiment. We also present an analytic formulation of pulsed LICS. We show that in the case of a probe pulse shorter than the dressing one the LICS profile is the convolution of the power spectra of the probe pulse with the usual Fano profile of stationary LICS. We discuss some consequences of deviation from steady-state theory.


Feeding the world, climate change, biodiversity, antibiotics, plastics - the list of concerns seems endless. But what is most pressing, what are the knock-on effects of our actions, and what should we do first? Do we all need to become vegetarian? How can we fly in a low-carbon world? Should we frack? How can we take control of technology? Does it all come down to population? And, given the global nature of the challenges we now face, what on Earth can any of us do? Fortunately, Mike Berners-Lee has crunched the numbers and plotted a course of action that is practical and even enjoyable. There is No Planet B maps it out in an accessible and entertaining way, filled with astonishing facts and analysis. For the first time you'll find big-picture perspective on the environmental and economic challenges of the day laid out in one place, and traced through to the underlying roots - questions of how we live and think. This book will shock you, surprise you - and then make you laugh. And you'll find practical and even inspiring ideas for what you can actually do to help humanity thrive on this – our only – planet.


This body of work is building on the systems described in a recent publication by Tsujino and Tomizaki [1]. They describe the application of acoustic levitation to support protein crystals for X-ray diffraction experiments carried out at Synchrotron light sources. For clarity, a typical acoustic levitation system generates intense acoustic waves which are reflected back from a mirroring surface set at a distance matched to the frequency of sound being used. In air the reflected acoustic waves generate locations of minimum pressure or 'nodes' which act as wells for micron sized particles in the solution such as crystals. Multiple nodes can be generated and the nodes can also be made to process. This system can localise crystals periodically in air and therefore have enormous potential as a crystal sample delivery system. The system described in this work is a varient from this, described by Marzo et al [2]and uses multiple transducers and there is no requirement for a mrror surface as the sound from multiple tranducers generates the accoustic trap. These acoustic traps also have the significant benefit of eliminating potential beam attenuation due to support structures or microfluidic devices. There is an additional need to eliminate sample environments when similar experiments are carried out using an X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFEL) such as the LCLS at Stanford California as any sample environment would not survive the exposure to the X Ray beam. At an XFEL the Xrays are a billion times brighter than synchrotron radiation sources. The application for this system will be to exmine turn over in Beta lactomase proteins. The system will allow for diffraction data to be collected before and after turnover. For clarity this protein is responsible for bacteria becoming antibiotic resistant and there for of significant importance to future world health.


Qualitative research methods have become increasingly important as ways of developing nursing knowledge for evidence-based nursing practice. Qualitative research answers a wide variety of questions related to nursing's concern with human responses to actual or potential health problems. The purpose of qualitative research is to describe, explore, and explain phenomena being studied.1 Qualitative research questions often take the form of what is this? or what is happening here? and are more concerned with the process rather than the outcome.2 This editorial provides an overview of qualitative research, describes 3 common types of qualitative research, and gives examples of their use in nursing.

Sampling refers to the process used to select a portion of the population for study. Qualitative research is generally based on non-probability and purposive sampling rather than probability or random approaches.3 Sampling decisions are made for the explicit purpose of obtaining the richest possible source of information to answer the research questions. Purposive sampling decisions influence not only the selection of participants but also settings, incidents, events, and activities for data collection. Some of the sampling strategies used in qualitative research are maximum variation sampling, stratified purposeful sampling, and snowball sampling.3 Qualitative research usually involves smaller sample sizes than quantitative research.4 Sampling in qualitative research is flexible and often continues until no new themes emerge from the data, a point called data saturation .

Many data collection techniques are used in qualitative research, but the most common are interviewing and participant observation.5 Unstructured interviews are used when the researcher knows little about the topic, whereas semi-structured interviews are used when the researcher has an idea of the questions to ask about a topic. Participant observation is used to observe research participants in as natural a setting as possible. The types of participant …


Many tying arrangements are used by firms that do not have substantial market power in either of the two markets linked together by the tie. Their function must be something other than the enlargement or perpetuation of power. A few ties do involve fairly explicit exercises of market power, but they need not be used for a different purpose than the ties imposed by more competitive firms. This paper considers firms' use of ties to exploit whatever power they already have over the tying product. The "leverage" theory sees ties as exploiting customers as a group via higher prices, whether or not the tie excludes any rival. By contrast, the foreclosure theory of ties is concerned with exclusion of rivals, mainly in the tied product market, with extension or perpetuation of monopoly as a long term goal. The dominant explanation for variable proportion ties is price discrimination, although it explains some fixed proportion ties as well. Like leveraging, price discrimination results in some customer exploitation. However, while some customers are injured, most price discrimination ties benefit an even larger number of customers and by a greater amount. As a result they are beneficial under both general welfare and consumer welfare antitrust tests. Also like leveraging, a tying firm can profit from price discrimination without foreclosing any rival. Indeed, even firms with small amounts of tying product market power can use price discrimination ties. Although a price-discriminating tie might cover most purchasers of a tied product and thus foreclose a substantial share of the tied market, effective price discrimination neither requires nor typically generates a significant foreclosure or other impairment of the tied market's structure or performance. Indeed, in many litigated cases the tying product was a common commodity such as dry ice, salt, or ordinary printing ink. The least warrant for antitrust intervention occurs when higher tied product prices fail to result from foreclosure of rivals and are not reflected in customer prices that are not higher overall. For example, most ties of complementary products (1) fail to foreclose any rival from anything because the tied product is a common ingredient or other common expendable input; and also (2) fail to result in higher consumer prices for the tying/tied combination because the firm is in competition with other firms and could not assess a monopoly price increase. The last conclusion is true even though a price discrimination tie typically results in higher prices for the tied product alone. Finally, an even stronger case for lower prices results in situations where the tied product is a manufactured good sold at prices above cost. In those cases tying can eliminate double marginalization, thus benefiting both consumers and the tying seller.


As a result of structural changes in financial markets and the introduction of mandatory central clearing obligations for standardised over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives, central clearing has expanded significantly in recent years. In parallel, public authorities have devoted greater attention to strengthening the global safeguards for central clearing, notably with the adoption of the CPMI-IOSCO Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures in 2012, a complementary CPMI-IOSCO report on recovery of financial market infrastructures in 2014, and dedicated Financial Stability Board guidance on how to apply the "Key Attributes of Effective Resolution Regimes for Financial Institutions" to financial market infrastructures in 2014. In 2015 global standard-setting bodies launched a comprehensive work plan on central counterparty (CCP) resilience, recovery, resolution and clearing interdependencies to further enhance this framework. This article takes stock of the latest achievements in this area and outlines future priorities, concerning the finalisation of the CCP work plan, interactions between requirements for central counterparties and those for banks, greater granularity of central counterparty supervision and oversight, cross-border cooperation between authorities as well as macroprudential safeguards for central clearing.


[1] Remotely sensed, multiannual data sets of shortwave radiative surface fluxes are now available for assimilation into land surface schemes (LSSs) of climate and/or numerical weather prediction models. The RAMI4PILPS suite of virtual experiments assesses the accuracy and consistency of the radiative transfer formulations that provide the magnitudes of absorbed, reflected, and transmitted shortwave radiative fluxes in LSSs. RAMI4PILPS evaluates models under perfectly controlled experimental conditions in order to eliminate uncertainties arising from an incomplete or erroneous knowledge of the structural, spectral and illumination related canopy characteristics typical for model comparison with in situ observations. More specifically, the shortwave radiation is separated into a visible and near-infrared spectral region, and the quality of the simulated radiative fluxes is evaluated by direct comparison with a 3-D Monte Carlo reference model identified during the third phase of the Radiation transfer Model Intercomparison (RAMI) exercise. The RAMI4PILPS setup thus allows to focus in particular on the numerical accuracy of shortwave radiative transfer formulations and to pinpoint to areas where future model improvements should concentrate. The impact of increasing degrees of structural and spectral subgrid variability on the simulated fluxes is documented and the relevance of any thus emerging biases with respect to gross primary production estimates and shortwave radiative forcings due to snow and fire events are investigated.


RELIGION Overview and Contact Information To major in religion is to ask questions about the many ways people have sought to make sense of their lives. Examining religious traditions—their notable leaders, their valued texts, and the social behaviors designed to embody their visions—is a central way to study the profound questions that direct so many areas of human endeavor. The study of religion is an excellent way of organizing a liberal arts education so that diverse cultures, artistic expressions, political forces, and gender assignments can be questioned and set in historical and changing contexts.


Hawking, Lucy and Stephen Hawking. George and the Big Bang . New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011. Print. This is the third installment in a trilogy about George's escapades and galactic adventures, though the book provides enough background that it can stand on its own without the reader needing the context provided in the first two books. George is best friends with his neighbour, Annie, whose father, Eric, is an eminent physicist and professor of mathematics. George and Annie secretly use her father's supercomputer, named Cosmos, not only to answer their questions but also to open windows and passageways into other parts of the world and outer space. In this story, when Eric and George are observed gallivanting on the surface of the Moon, a special meeting of the Order of Science to Benefit Humanity is called to discuss the consequences of Eric's actions. The Order is comprised of the world's leading scientists, and is designed to ensure that science is used for good and not evil. George and Annie must prevent the secret organization, called TOERAG (Theory of Everything Resists Addition of Gravity), from setting off a quantum mechanical bomb at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland where the meeting is to take place. The bomb is to be set off just as a very important experiment into the beginnings of the Universe is to be conducted.  The group's intent is to destroy science by killing the top physicists in the world (including Annie's dad), thereby permanently disrupting scientific investigation. George and Annie encounter much danger and a few close calls along the way. Black and white cartoon illustrations by Garry Parsons complement the story. Essays about some of the latest scientific theories, such as dark matter and wormholes, factual sections about various astronomical subjects, and colour photographs from space, are interspersed throughout the narrative. They appear when related concepts are presented in the story, though at times they interrupt the flow of the text. The inserts are written in a conversational tone and try to make complex topics comprehensible. However, some subjects will remain beyond the understanding of a young reader. There remains a dichotomy between the fiction and the non-fiction; younger children will appreciate the story, while older kids with an interest in science may learn a great deal about astronomy and physics, but the different elements may not appeal to all ages. Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Trish Chatterley Trish is a Public Services Librarian for the John W. Scott Health Sciences Library at the University of Alberta. In her free time she enjoys dancing, gardening, and reading books of all types.


Psalm 137 and metrical versions of imprecatory psalms This article discusses seven metrical versions of the im- precatory section of Psalm 137, two in Dutch (1773 and 1968), two in English (in the "Psalter hymnal" of the Christian Re- formed Church and in "Sing psalms" of the Free Church of Scotland) and three Afrikaans versions (J.D. du Toit, T.T. Cloete and Lina Spies), looking at the way in which these versions treated this section. This is done in the light of recent research on Psalm 137, and especially the imprecatory section. In the literature questions are asked about the singing of this kind of psalm in the church, but also about the omission or softening of this part of Psalm 137 in the versions of Cloete and Spies. The choice of melody, the number of strophes used and the division of the contents of the psalm in strophes play an important role in determining most of the omissions or alle- viations in the metrical versions. All seven the versions dis- cussed took the imprecatory section seriously. The problems raised against these versions can be ascribed to these choices, and not to a deliberate attempt to circumvent the problem of such an imprecatory section. The version of Spies is the only exception, with the omission of the last line of the psalm.


Orientation: From the perspective of positive psychology, it is important to evaluate people's strengths. There is, however, a lack of validated measures for these purposes in many of the South African official languages. As language is a medium for cultural meanings, measures of mental health should be validated in the mother tongue of the people involved. Research purpose: The aim of this study was therefore to explore the psychometric properties of Setswana versions of three measures of psychological wellbeing, namely the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC) (the 29-item version) (Antonovsky, 1987), Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener, Emmons, Larson & Griffen, 1985) and Affectometer 2 (AFM) (Kammann & Flett, 1983). Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional survey design was implemented for this study. Questionnaires were translated, back-translated and evaluated in a research-committee approach. A stratified sample of 738 Setswana-speaking participants completed the questionnaires in randomly selected sites of the North West province of South Africa as part of the multi-disciplinary Transition and Health during Urbanisation of South Africans project. Reliability indices, means, standard deviations, ranges of scores, patterns of correlations and factor structures were established for all the scales. Main findings: The present Setswana SWLS and AFM are reliable and valid for use in this group, as is, to some extent, the SOC. The factor structures of the three scales were also consistent with the latent factor structures of the original scales. Practical implications: These validated measures are instruments for use in the clinical, community and work contexts of Setswana-speaking people.


In this work we improve the existing tools for the recovery and prediction of human decisions based on multiple factors. We use a latent factor method and obtain the decision-influencing factors from the observed correlations in the statistical information by principal factor identification based on singular value decomposition (SVD). We generalize on widely used linear representations of decisionmaking functions by using adaptive high-order polynomial interpolation and applying iterative and adaptive post processing to obtain an estimated probability of every possible outcome of a decision. The novelty of the method consists in the use of flexible, nonlinear predictive functions and in the post processing procedure. Our experiments show that the approach is competitive with other SVD-based prediction methods and that the precision grows with the increase in the order of the polynomial basis. In particular, the method may be successfully applied when the objective is to get a high number of precisely exact predictions.


A sequence $u=u_{1}u_{2}...u_{n}$ is said to be nonrepetitive if no two adjacent blocks of $u$ are exactly the same. For instance, the sequence $a{\bf bcbc}ba$ contains a repetition $bcbc$, while $abcacbabcbac$ is nonrepetitive. A well known theorem of Thue asserts that there are arbitrarily long nonrepetitive sequences over the set $\{a,b,c\}$. This fact implies, via Konig's Infinity Lemma, the existence of an infinite ternary sequence without repetitions of any length. In this paper we consider a stronger property defined as follows. Let $k\geq 2$ be a fixed integer and let $C$ denote a set of colors (or symbols). A coloring $f:{\bf N}\rightarrow C$ of positive integers is said to be $k$ -nonrepetitive if for every $r\geq 1$ each segment of $kr$ consecutive numbers contains a $k$-term rainbow arithmetic progression of difference $r$. In particular, among any $k$ consecutive blocks of the sequence $f=f(1)f(2)f(3)...$ no two are identical. By an application of the Lovasz Local Lemma we show that the minimum number of colors in a $k$-nonrepetitive coloring is at most $2^{-1}e^{k(2k-1)/(k-1)^{2}}k^{2}(k-1)+1$. Clearly at least $k+1$ colors are needed but whether $O(k)$ suffices remains open. This and other types of nonrepetitiveness can be studied on other structures like graphs, lattices, Euclidean spaces, etc., as well. Unlike for the classical Thue sequences, in most of these situations non-constructive arguments seem to be unavoidable. A few of a range of open problems appearing in this area are presented at the end of the paper.


Canada's Indigenous languages and cultures are generally associated with Aboriginal communities and reserves outside of cities. Yet in both the 1996 and the 2006 Censuses, close to one in five persons who reported an Aboriginal mother tongue lived within the boundaries of a major Canadian city. This article explores the situation of Aboriginal languages within Canada's urban areas in general. It presents for the first time a demographic analysis of urban trends and changes in Aboriginal languages over the decade between 1996 and 2006. Results yield useful insights into how Aboriginal languages have been faring within Canadian cities, with respect to size and viability; language use, transmission and learning; and first and second language speakers. The implications of these findings for language prospects of Aboriginal peoples in Canada's cities suggest continued challenges, needs and requirements for support in maintaining their traditional languages within an urban environment.


InterfaceRAISE is a sustainability management consulting firm created to leverage the capabilities of its parent company Interface Inc., a carpet manufacturer recognized as a global leader in corporate environmental sustainability. This case illustrates the challenges of turning an internal capability into a client‐facing revenue stream. This is made especially difficult by the fact that the parent company is a manufacturing firm and InterfaceRAISE is a professional service firm (consulting). InterfaceRAISE is not being staffed by a traditional consulting firm model, relying instead on the part‐time availability of employees in the parent company. At the time of the case, InterfaceRAISE was grappling to identify the appropriate business model for the type of consulting firm it wants to be, to determine what its client portfolio should look like, and to set its pricing structure. InterfaceRAISE needed to decide how to accelerate its growth while better achieving its three objectives: improving its clients' sustainability performance, enhancing its parent company's brand image and sales, and increasing operating profits.Learning Objective:To expose students to the opportunities and challenges of creating a consulting business based on selling a manufacturing company's environmental and operational capabilities developed through years of learning how to improve environmental performance. To highlight the strategy of offsetting one firm's environmental impacts by reducing the environmental impacts of other firms, and contrasting this with the carbon offset market. To explore the differences in operational strategies between manufacturing and consulting companies, and the implications on investment, R&D, marketing, and human resources policies. To illustrate the different types of business models that exist for consulting firms and how these affect decisions about client selection and client portfolio.


Shakespeare Survey is a yearbook of Shakespeare studies and production. Since 1948 Survey has published the best international scholarship in English and many of its essays have become classics of Shakespeare criticism. Each volume is devoted to a theme, or play, or group of plays; each also contains a section of reviews of the previous year's textual and critical studies and of major British performances. The books are illustrated with a variety of Shakespearean images and production photographs. The current editor of Survey is Peter Holland. The first eighteen volumes were edited by Allardyce Nicoll, numbers 19-33 by Kenneth Muir and numbers 34-52 by Stanley Wells. The virtues of accessible scholarship and a keen interest in performance, from Shakespeare's time to our own, have characterised the journal from the start. For the first time, numbers 1-50 are being reissued in paperback, available separately and as a set.


An important dimension of the "modernization hypothesis" is the claim that there is a long-run positive relation between socio-economic development and political democracy. This research strand of the modernization hypothesis, however, has been challenged in a series of papers by Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, James Robinson, and Pierre Yared. Employing econometric specifications that condition on lagged democracy, income, education, time effects, and a proxy for the level of capitalist institutions, and applying the System Generalized Method of Moments estimator to a sample that spans recent decades, we find, in congruence with the modernization hypothesis, that income and education predict democracy.


Lexington, KY (February 9, 2011)—The population of aged persons worldwide is expanding rapidly, and it is becoming increasingly clear that there are many different diseases that affect the minds of these individuals. Researchers at the University of Kentucky are breaking new ground in the ongoing project of identifying and defining those diseases most likely to affect an aged population. Dr Peter Nelson of the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging is the lead author on a paper soon to be published in the journal BRAIN; the paper deals with the little-understood but serious condition hippocampal sclerosis (HS-AGING). He is also the recipient of a newly approved grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct a study of HS-AGING genetics. Many different diseases may produce symptoms of dementia—defined as cognitive decline and impaired memory— in aged persons. Although Alzheimer's disease is probably the most recognized cause of dementia, HS-AGING also causes serious cognitive impairment in older adults. In those who live to a very advanced age (beyond the age of 95), HSAGING is roughly as prevalent as Alzheimer's. It is important for physicians and scientists to understand the unique pathology of HS-AGING and to be able to differentiate it from other diseases, as it is only by making an accurate diagnosis that clinicians can hope to treat people who present with signs of cognitive decline. Nelson, a neuropathologist, analyzed autopsy data from 1100 individuals, each with substantial clinical data available from before death. The long-term clinical information was obtained through the University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Center, the Nun Study and the Georgia Centenarian Study (all autopsies were performed at the University of Kentucky). The large numbers of patients and the high quality of the data enabled the research team to gather new clues about the prevalence and impact of HS-AGING. ''We and others have shown previously that HS-AGING has a strong impact on cognition. The goal of the new study was to define HS-AGING as a distinct disease entity,'' said Nelson. ''There were some surprises. The high prevalence of HSAGING in individuals older than 95 was unexpected. In addition, by analyzing neuropathological data alongside clinical data, we were able to determine that there is a recognizable cognitive profile for individuals likely to develop HS-AGING,'' said Nelson. In the future, clinicians may be able to utilize cognitive tests with increased accuracy to differentiate a diagnosis of HS-AGING from a general diagnosis of cognitive decline. Being able to pinpoint the cause of cognitive decline may lead to better and more accurate diagnosis and treatment of aging individuals who present with signs of dementia. ''This is an extremely exciting paper because it provides the largest study of HS-AGING in the literature to date, by far. These studies help to define the cognitive features, pathological features, and risk factors that correlate with HS-AGING,'' said Linda Van Eldik, director of the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging and coauthor of the paper. The next step for Nelson will be to use a grant from the NIH (through the Alzheimer's Disease Genetic Consortium) to study HS-AGING from a genomic approach. ''We want to show the specific genetic fingerprint of HS-AGING so that we can begin to develop ways of better diagnosing and curing the disease during life,'' said Nelson. ''Our ultimate goal is to prevent or cure the disease, and a greater understanding of the disorder at the genetic and biological levels is critical. Dr Nelson's studies are providing the essential foundation required for translating the science into new therapies for the Commonwealth of Kentucky and well beyond,'' summarized Van Eldik. (Source: EurekAlert! A service of AAAS and The University of Kentucky.)


Contemporary combined heat and power (CHP) systems are often based on fossil fuels, such as natural gas or heating oil. Thereby, small-scale cogeneration systems are intended to replace or complement traditional heating equipment in residential buildings. In addition to space heating or domestic hot water supply, electricity is generated for the own consumption of the building or to be sold to the electric power grid. The adaptation of CHP-systems to renewable energy sources, such as solid biomass applications is challenging, because of feedstock composition and heat integration. Nevertheless, in particular smallscale CHP technologies based on biomass gasification and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) offer significant potentials, also regarding important co-benefits, such as security of energy supply as well as emission reductions in terms of greenhouse gases or air pollutants. Besides emission or air quality regulations, the development of CHP technologies for clean on-site small-scale power generation is also strongly incentivised by energy efficiency policies for residential appliances, such as e.g. Ecodesign and Energy Labelling in the European Union (EU). Furthermore, solid residual biomass as renewable local energy source is best suited for decentralised operations such as micro-grids, also to reduce long-haul fuel transports. By this means such distributed energy resource technology can become an essential part of a forward-looking strategy for net zero energy or even smart plus energy buildings. In this context, this paper presents preliminary impact assessment results and most recent environmental considerations from the EU Horizon 2020 project "FlexiFuel-SOFC" (Grant Agreement no. 641229), which aims at the development of a novel CHP system, consisting of a fuel flexible smallscale fixed-bed updraft gasifier technology, a compact gas cleaning concept and an SOFC for electricity generation. Besides sole system efficiencies, in particular resource and emission aspects of solid fuel combustion and net electricity effects need to be considered. The latter means that vastly less emission intensive gasifier-fuel cell CHP technologies cause significant less fuel related emissions than traditional heating systems, an effect which is further strengthened by avoided emissions from more emission intensive traditional grid electricity generation. As promising result, operation "net" emissions of such on-site generation installations may be virtually zero or even negative. Additionally, this paper scopes central regulatory instruments for small-scale CHP systems in the EU to discuss ways to improve the framework for system deployment.


A large proportion of jockeys report symptoms associated with mental health difficulties (MHDs), yet most do not seek help from professional mental health support services. Due to the paucity of literature in this field, this study sought to explore jockeys' barriers to, and facilitators of, help-seeking for MHDs. Twelve jockeys participated in semistructured interviews, subsequently analyzed via reflexive thematic analysis. Barriers to help-seeking included the negative perceptions of others (stigma and career implications), cultural norms (masculinity and self-reliance), and low mental health literacy (not knowing where to seek help, minimization of MHDs, negative perceptions of treatment, and recognizing symptoms). Facilitators to help-seeking included education (exposure to psychological support at a younger age), social support (from professionals, jockeys, family, and friends), and media campaigns (high-profile disclosures from jockeys). Findings are consistent with barrier and facilitator studies among general and athletic populations. Applied recommendations and future research considerations are presented throughout the manuscript.


This study is to investigate the influences of acupuncture for dyspepsia on the Radial Pressure Pulse (RPP) between the Chun, Guan and Chy positions of the right/left wrist. Two series of experiments were designed; for the first series, 30 patients with dyspepsia (Group P) and 30 normal subjects (Group N) were seated to undergo the measurements of pulse pressure waveforms from radial artery by sphygmograph. The parameters of RPP included the spectral energy of 0-10 Hz (SE(0-10 Hz)), 10-50 Hz (SE(10-50 Hz)) and 13-50 Hz (SE(13-50 Hz)). For the second series, acupuncture was administered at the right and left Tsu San Li (St-36) points for the same 30 dyspepsia patients, and then their pulse pressure waveforms were re-examined. The results showed that the SE(0-10 Hz) at Right Guan (RB) (p < 0.05), the SE(10-50 Hz) at RB (p < 0.01), and the SE(13-50 Hz) at RB (p < 0.01) and Left Guan (LB) (p < 0.05) of Group P were significantly greater than that of Group N. After the acupuncture, there were significant decreases in the SE(0-10 Hz) only at RB (p < 0.01), in the SE(10-50 Hz) at RB (p < 0.01), Right Chy (RC) (p < 0.05) and LB (p < 0.05), and in the SE(13-50 Hz) RB (p < 0.01), RC (p < 0.05) and LB (p < 0.01). We concluded that the pulse-frequency spectrum at RB was a more effective characteristic for dyspepsia patients, and the acupuncture had an effect on SE(10-50 Hz) and SE(13-50 Hz) more obviously than that on SE(0-10 Hz).


For many students, calculus can be the most mystifying and frustrating course they will ever take. The Calculus Lifesaver provides students with the essential tools they need not only to learn calculus, but to excel at it.

 All of the material in this user-friendly study guide has been proven to get results. The book arose from Adrian Banner's popular calculus review course at Princeton University, which he developed especially for students who are motivated to earn A's but get only average grades on exams. The complete course will be available for free on the Web in a series of videotaped lectures. This study guide works as a supplement to any single-variable calculus course or textbook. Coupled with a selection of exercises, the book can also be used as a textbook in its own right. The style is informal, non-intimidating, and even entertaining, without sacrificing comprehensiveness. The author elaborates standard course material with scores of detailed examples that treat the reader to an "inner monologue"--the train of thought students should be following in order to solve the problem--providing the necessary reasoning as well as the solution. The book's emphasis is on building problem-solving skills. Examples range from easy to difficult and illustrate the in-depth presentation of theory.

 The Calculus Lifesaver combines ease of use and readability with the depth of content and mathematical rigor of the best calculus textbooks. It is an indispensable volume for any student seeking to master calculus.

 Serves as a companion to any single-variable calculus textbook

 Informal, entertaining, and not intimidating

 Informative videos that follow the book--a full forty-eight hours of Banner's Princeton calculus-review course--is available at Adrian Banner lectures

 More than 475 examples (ranging from easy to hard) provide step-by-step reasoning

 Theorems and methods justified and connections made to actual practice

 Difficult topics such as improper integrals and infinite series covered in detail

 Tried and tested by students taking freshman calculus


[1] A comprehensive group of reactive nitrogen species (NO, NO2, HNO3, HO2NO2, PANs, alkyl nitrates, and aerosol-NO3−) were measured over North America during July/August 2004 from the NASA DC-8 platform (0.1–12 km). Nitrogen containing tracers of biomass combustion (HCN and CH3CN) were also measured along with a host of other gaseous (CO, VOC, OVOC, halocarbon) and aerosol tracers. Clean background air as well as air with influences from biogenic emissions, anthropogenic pollution, biomass combustion, convection, lightning, and the stratosphere was sampled over the continental United States, the Atlantic, and the Pacific. The North American upper troposphere (UT) was found to be greatly influenced by both lightning NOx and surface pollution lofted via convection and contained elevated concentrations of PAN, ozone, hydrocarbons, and NOx. Observational data suggest that lightning was a far greater contributor to NOx in the UT than previously believed. PAN provided a dominant reservoir of reactive nitrogen in the UT while nitric acid dominated in the lower troposphere (LT). Peroxynitric acid (HO2NO2) was present in sizable concentrations peaking at around 8 km. Aerosol nitrate appeared to be mostly contained in large soil based particles in the LT. Plumes from Alaskan fires contained large amounts of PAN and aerosol nitrate but little enhancement in ozone. A comparison of observed data with simulations from four 3-D models shows significant differences between observations and models as well as among models. We investigate the partitioning and interplay of the reactive nitrogen species within characteristic air masses and further examine their role in ozone formation.


BACKGROUND
Chitosan, a deacetylated chitin, is a dietary supplement reported to decrease body weight. It is widely available over the counter worldwide and although evaluated in a number of trials its efficacy remains in dispute.

OBJECTIVES
To assess the effects of chitosan as a treatment for overweight and obesity.

SEARCH STRATEGY
We searched electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIOSIS, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library), specialised web sites (Controlled Trials, IBIDS, SIGLE, Reuter's Health Service, Natural Alternatives International, Pharmanutrients), bibliographies of relevant journal articles, and contacted relevant authors and manufacturers.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Trials were included in the review if they were randomised controlled trials of chitosan for a minimum of four weeks duration in adults who were overweight or obese. Authors of included studies were contacted for additional information where appropriate.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Details from eligible trials were extracted independently by two reviewers using a standardised data extraction form. Differences in data extraction were resolved by consensus. Continuous data were expressed as weighted mean differences and standard deviations. The pooled effect size was computed by using the inverse variance weighted method.

MAIN RESULTS
Fifteen trials including a total of 1219 participants met the inclusion criteria. No trial to date has measured the effect of chitosan on mortality or morbidity. Analyses indicated that chitosan preparations result in a significantly greater weight loss (weighted mean difference -1.7 kg; 95% confidence interval (CI) -2.1 to -1.3 kg, P < 0.00001), decrease in total cholesterol (-0.2 mmol/L [95% CI -0.3 to -0.1], P < 0.00001), and a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with placebo. There were no clear differences between intervention and control groups in terms of frequency of adverse events or in faecal fat excretion. However, the quality of many studies was sub-optimal and analyses restricted to studies that met allocation concealment criteria, were larger, or of longer duration showed that such trials produced substantially smaller decreases in weight and total cholesterol.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is some evidence that chitosan is more effective than placebo in the short-term treatment of overweight and obesity. However, many trials to date have been of poor quality and results have been variable. Results obtained from high quality trials indicate that the effect of chitosan on body weight is minimal and unlikely to be of clinical significance.


Rainfall is a key parameter for understanding the water cycle. An accurate rainfall measurement is vital in the development of hydrological models. By means of indirect measurement, satellites can nowadays estimate the rainfall around the world. However, these measurements are not always accurate. As a first approach to generate a bias-corrected rainfall estimate using satellite data, the performance of Gaussian process and Bayesian regression is studied. The results show Gaussian process as the better option for this dataset but leave place to improvements on both modelling strategies.


Despite numerous studies, the effect of artificial incubation on the hatchability and survival of near-term ostrich chicks is still not well understood. Records from 13 975 eggs with embryos of 35 days and older, artificially incubated between 2006 and 2008, were analysed to determine the potential effect of pipping position upon the hatchability, and the subsequent survival of ostrich chicks. A total of 864 near-term chicks (6.9%) failed to pip. Chicks that pipped in the correct position had a higher probability of surviving hatching than those pipping in the incorrect position. Genotype did not affect the proportion of chicks pipping in the correct position, or the survival of hatching ostrich chicks pipping in either the correct or incorrect positions. Although female age had a significant effect on the proportion of chicks pipping, the survival of hatchlings was independent of female age. Chicks hatching during winter were more likely to pip than chicks hatching in spring, whereas chicks hatching in summer were more likely to pip in the correct position. In winter the proportion of chicks pipping in incorrect positions were significantly higher than in either summer or autumn. The survival rate of chicks hatching during winter was generally higher than those hatching in the other seasons. The transfer of eggs between setters during incubation, had a negative influence on the ability of ostrich chicks pipping in the correct position. Incubated ostrich eggs with intermediate levels of water loss, i.e. between 9.0 and 18.9% of fresh-egg weight, were more likely to pip in the correct position overall than those with higher or lower levels of water loss. Chicks from eggs stored for intermediate periods, i.e. 3, 4 and 6 days prior to being set, were more likely to pip than chicks from those eggs set directly after collection without storage. Storage time also affected pipping position, with chicks from eggs stored for five days being more likely to pip in the correct position than chicks from those eggs set directly after collection. These results emphasize the need for ostrich incubation facilities to avoid the transfer of eggs between setters during artificial incubation, strive to achieve an optimal level of water loss, and apply a protocol of not setting eggs immediately after collection to maximize the hatchability of chicks pipping in the correct position and post-hatching survival.


Spaces of transit and transportation are often thought of as one-dimensional and as defi ned by their functionality and rationality, but recent literary texts challenge such preconceptions by representing those spaces as multidimensional and meaningful. In this article, we examine literature through the lens of place making, seeking to understand in what ways literary representations are involved in renegotiations of transit space. Addressing two generic spaces of transit—the underground and the airport—we analyze a body of texts generated through initiatives relating to the London Underground and Heathrow Airport respectively. Arguing that literature contributes to a processual understanding of place, we conclude that literary texts should be considered as instances of place making, and thus deserve serious consideration in research.


OpenGL SuperBible, Fifth Edition is the definitive programmers guide, tutorial, and reference for the worlds leading 3D API for real-time computer graphics, OpenGL 3.3. The best all-around introduction to OpenGL for developers at all levels of experience, it clearly explains both the API and essential associated programming concepts. Readers will find up-to-date, hands-on guidance on all facets of modern OpenGL development, including transformations, texture mapping, shaders, advanced buffers, geometry management, and much more. Fully revised to reflect ARBs latest official specification (3.3), this edition also contains a new start-to-finish tutorial on OpenGL for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Coverage includes A practical introduction to the essentials of real-time 3D graphics Core OpenGL 3.3 techniques for rendering, transformations, and texturing Writing your own shaders, with examples to get you started Cross-platform OpenGL: Windows (including Windows 7), Mac OS X, GNU/Linux, UNIX, and embedded systems OpenGL programming for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad: step-by-step guidance and complete example programs Advanced buffer techniques, including full-definition rendering with floating point buffers and textures Fragment operations: controlling the end of the graphics pipeline Advanced shader usage and geometry management A fully updated API reference, now based on the official ARB (Core) OpenGL 3.3 manual pages New bonus materials and sample code on a companion Web site, www.starstonesoftware.com/OpenGL Part of the OpenGL Technical LibraryThe official knowledge resource for OpenGL developers The OpenGL Technical Library provides tutorial and reference books for OpenGL. The Library enables programmers to gain a practical understanding of OpenGL and shows them how to unlock its full potential. Originally developed by SGI, the Library continues to evolve under the auspices of the OpenGL Architecture Review Board (ARB) Steering Group (now part of the Khronos Group), an industry consortium responsible for guiding the evolution of OpenGL and related technologies.


The Brandeis Brief has long been central to historical accounts of the struggle and ultimate triumph of progressive jurisprudence over legal formalism. Yet this familiar storyline is difficult to reconcile with the historical record on two counts. The first is its incompatibility with the presence of extra-legal evidence in cases and briefs well predating that of Brandeis. The second is the fact that, contrary to the prevailing account, conservatives were not the vanguard of opposition to such extra-legal evidence. In practice, it was progressive defenders of social legislation who long sought to exclude proof regarding the alleged health and other benefits of legislation from judicial review. This article offers an alternative reading of the origins of the Brandeis Brief, and of its relation to the constitutional conflicts of the Lochner era. It argues that in marshalling the medical and social evidence on the dangers of long work hours, progressives implicitly capitulated on the most divisive issue in 19th-century police power debates: the authority of courts to distinguish true public health measures from "mere pretext." The article locates the origins of the scientific tradition on which the Brandeis Brief drew in early 19th-century British efforts to frame labor laws as health interventions in order to overcome barriers to interference with market relations. In turn, this strategy led to the emergence, first in Britain and later in the United States, of a conservative claim equating common law constitutionalism with the requirement that courts be made guardians against laws passed under the false pretext of public health. It was in response to this line of argument that American progressives, towards the end of the 19th century, came to insist that courts owed legislators deference regarding the existence of health justifications for legislation ranging from restrictions on the marketing of margarine to limits on work hours. Lochner's ultimate rejection of this presumption forced progressives to shoulder the burden of proof and gave rise to the Brandeis Brief. It was at this juncture that formalism emerged as an explanation for the delayed deployment of such briefs until then.


In a changing world everyone designs: each individual person and each collective subject, from enterprises to institutions, from communities to cities and regions, must define and enhance a life project. Sometimes these projects generate unprecedented solutions; sometimes they converge on common goals and realize larger transformations. As Ezio Manzini describes in this book, we are witnessing a wave of social innovations as these changes unfold -- an expansive open co-design process in which new solutions are suggested and new meanings are created. Manzini distinguishes between diffuse design (performed by everybody) and expert design (performed by those who have been trained as designers) and describes how they interact. He maps what design experts can do to trigger and support meaningful social changes, focusing on emerging forms of collaboration. These range from community-supported agriculture in China to digital platforms for medical care in Canada; from interactive storytelling in India to collaborative housing in Milan. These cases illustrate how expert designers can support these collaborations -- making their existence more probable, their practice easier, their diffusion and their convergence in larger projects more effective. Manzini draws the first comprehensive picture of design for social innovation: the most dynamic field of action for both expert and nonexpert designers in the coming decades.


A Pulitzer Prize-winning, #1 "New York Times" bestseller, "Angela's Ashes" is Frank McCourt's masterful memoir of his childhood in Ireland. " When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood. " So begins the luminous memoir of Frank McCourt, born in Depression-era Brooklyn to recent Irish immigrants and raised in the slums of Limerick, Ireland. Frank s mother, Angela, has no money to feed the children since Frank s father, Malachy, rarely works, and when he does he drinks his wages. Yet Malachy exasperating, irresponsible, and beguiling does nurture in Frank an appetite for the one thing he can provide: a story. Frank lives for his father s tales of Cuchulain, who saved Ireland, and of the Angel on the Seventh Step, who brings his mother babies. Perhaps it is story that accounts for Frank s survival. Wearing rags for diapers, begging a pig s head for Christmas dinner and gathering coal from the roadside to light a fire, Frank endures poverty, near-starvation and the casual cruelty of relatives and neighbors yet lives to tell his tale with eloquence, exuberance, and remarkable forgiveness. "Angela s Ashes, " imbued on every page with Frank McCourt s astounding humor and compassion, is a glorious book that bears all the marks of a classic."


Whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) optical resonators can be designed to exhibit continuous spectra over wide wavelength bands (in effect, white-light spectra), with ultrahigh values of the resonance quality factor (Q) that are nearly independent of frequency. White-light WGM resonators have potential as superior alternatives to (1) larger, conventional optical resonators in ring-down spectroscopy, and (2) optical-resonator/electro-optical-modulator structures used in coupling of microwave and optical signals in atomic clocks. In these and other potential applications, the use of white-light WGM resonators makes it possible to relax the requirement of high-frequency stability of lasers, thereby enabling the use of cheaper lasers. In designing a white-light WGM resonator, one exploits the fact that the density of the mode spectrum increases predictably with the thickness of the resonator disk. By making the resonator disk sufficiently thick, one can make the frequency differences between adjacent modes significantly less than the spectral width of a single mode, so that the spectral peaks of adjacent modes overlap, making the resonator spectrum essentially continuous. Moreover, inasmuch as the Q values of the various modes are determined primarily by surface Rayleigh scattering that does not depend on mode numbers, all the modes have nearly equal Q. By use of a proper coupling technique, one can ensure excitation of a majority of the modes. For an experimental demonstration of a white-light WGM resonator, a resonator disk 0.5-mm thick and 5 mm in diameter was made from CaF2. The shape of the resonator and the fiberoptic coupling arrangement were as shown in Figure 1. The resonator was excited with laser light having a wavelength of 1,320 nm and a spectral width of 4 kHz. The coupling efficiency exceeded 80 percent at any frequency to which the laser could be set in its tuning range, which was >100-GHz wide. The resonator response was characterized by means of ring-down tests in which the excitation was interrupted by a shutter having a rise and a fall time of 5 ns. The ring-down time of photodiodes and associated circuitry used to measure the interrupted excitation and the resonator output was <1 ns. Figure 2 shows the shapes of representative input and output light pulses. The average ring-down time was found to be 120 ns, corresponding to Q=2x10(exp 8). The variations of Q with the laser carrier frequency were found to be <5 percent. Hence, the resonator was shown to have the desired white light properties.


It becomes obvious that the critical problem of the governments in Nigeria is centred on how to sustain and maintain the territorial integrity of the country since we attained independence in 1960. The problem is traceable to the ethno-pluralistic and socio-cultural diversities among the various components that constitute the federal state. The British administration had profound influence on spatial imbalance and dualistic pace of the economy such that the country is polarized into poor rural, agricultural, disadvantaged on the one hand and urban, affluent, industrial and commercial on the other. The paper aimed at assessing the measures being adopted by successive governments in Nigeria towards national integration and stability in the midst of tribal, religious, and cultural differences. One made use of secondary information from official gazettes, journals, national dailies, literatures and research works. It was discovered that integrative measures such as adopting federal system of government, the issue of federal character, establishment of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and creation of more States and local governments have not yielded much improvements and achievement of maintaining unity, peace and progress. Instead, there has been political violence, ethnic clash, religious intolerance, civil unrests, armed robbery, leading to insecurity of life and properties. On this note, one recommends among other things an advocacy for holding national conference or referendum where rightful thinking stakeholders, elder-statesmen, political leaders and trade unions would put heads together and champion a new course for Nigeria to progress. Moreover, there should be social justice in the distribution and allocation of national resources to regions in the country without discrimination either on the ground of political, religious or tribal affiliations. The derivative principle should be strictly adhered to, such that wealth and mineral producing areas should have proportionate share of the national income. Finally, we should sink all differences in the country and allow democratic government to reign supreme in order to make Nigeria takes her rightful position in the world.


This set comprises 40 volumes covering nineteenth and twentieth century European and American authors. These volumes will be available as a complete set, mini boxed sets (by theme) or as individual volumes. This second set compliments the first 68 volume set of Critical Heritage published by Routledge in October 1995.


The economic analysis of contract law can be organized around two general questions: (1) what are the efficient or welfare-maximizing substantive rules of contract law; and (2) once those rules have been identified, when if ever should they be made mandatory and when should they be merely "default rules" that the parties can contract around if they wish? Much of contract theory over the past twenty years has been devoted to developing answers to those two questions. The same two questions can be posed with respect to the rules of insurance law. Although previous scholars have examined particular substantive doctrines of insurance law (such as contra proferentem and the "duty to settle"), insurance law scholars as well as courts and legislatures have largely ignored whether and under what circumstances rules of insurance law generally should be mandatory. This article begins to fill that gap in the literature. The article articulates a straightforward efficiency-based approach to drawing the line between which rules in insurance law should be considered mandatory and which should be changeable by agreement of the parties. Specifically, the article suggests drawing the line in a way that is consistent with the market-failure rationale that justifies making contract rules mandatory in the first place. This same principle would apply to all contracts, not only insurance contracts. The article describes how insurance law currently draws the line between mandatory rules and default rules and evaluates whether those boundaries are consistent with the applicable market failure rationales. In addition, the article takes into account the unique role that state insurance regulators can play in helping courts decide which rules of insurance law, or terms in insurance contracts, are mandatory and which are defaults. Finally, the article explains how the rules/standards distinction must be considered in the design of the optimal mandatory/default-rule boundary.


EMBOSS is "The European Molecular Biology Open Software Suite". EMBOSS is a free Open Source software analysis package specially developed for the needs of the molecular biology (e.g. EMBnet) user community. The software automatically copes with data in a variety of formats and even allows transparent retrieval of sequence data from the web. Also, as extensive libraries are provided with the package, it is a platform to allow other scientists to develop and release software in true open source spirit. EMBOSS also integrates a range of currently available packages and tools for sequence analysis into a seamless whole. EMBOSS breaks the historical trend towards commercial software packages. Stefan Steinigera and Erwan Bocherb, (2009), An overview on current free and open source desktop GIS developments , International Journal of Geographical Information Science, Volume 23, Issue 10, 2009, DOI:10.1080/13658810802634956


The privacy of patients' health information is an important aspect of the healthcare delivery. Within the health informatics community, there has been a debate about the role of health care policy in maintaining patients' privacy when using and sharing their health information by their clinicians. Some argue that stringent healthcare policies will empower the patients and improve the patient-clinician relationship. Others argue that having more health privacy policies will actually affect the patient–clinician relationship and will hinder the exchange of important information not to mention that it contradict with some of our cultural norms. These two arguments make valid points. Considering this debate, the purpose of this position paper is to provide an argument regarding the need for stringent healthcare policies. In this position paper, I argue that stringent healthcare policies are needed and will empower the patients and improve the patient-clinician relationship. Additionally, this paper continues the discussion that was raised by Almulhim's paper regarding the role of health policy in shaping health information technology uptake within healthcare.


The proposed Highveld National Park (HNP) is an area of high conservation value in South Africa, covering approximately 0.03% of the endangered Grassland Biome. The park is situated immediately adjacent to the town of Potchefstroom in the North-West Province. The objective of this study was to identify, classify, describe and map the plant communities in this park. Vegetation sampling was done by means of the Braun-Blanquet method and a total of 88 stratified random releves were sampled. A numerical classification technique (TWINSPAN) was used and the results were refined by Braun-Blanquet procedures. The final results of the classification procedure were presented in the form of phytosociological tables and, thereafter, nine plant communities were described and mapped. A detrended correspondence analysis confirmed the presence of three structural vegetation units, namely woodland, shrubland and grassland. Differences in floristic composition in the three vegetation units were found to be influenced by environmental factors, such as surface rockiness and altitude. Incidences of harvesting trees for fuel, uncontrolled fires and overgrazing were found to have a significant effect on floristic and structural composition in the HNP. The ecological interpretation derived from this study can therefore be used as a tool for environmental planning and management of this grassland area. Conservation implications: Grasslands are amongst the most threatened and least conserved vegetation biomes in South Africa, with less than 1.3% currently being conserved. The HNP has significant value for biodiversity conservation and the protection of this area will contribute to the preservation of the highly threatened Highveld vegetation types.


This study provides a comprehensive analysis of credit rating economics and draws conclusions on the nature of regulation. It starts with an overview of the credit rating industry and introduces a framework that structures multiple rating agency functions. At the heart of the credit rating business model lies the reputation mechanism, which is analyzed in detail. Despite several frictions in the process that give rise to entry barriers and market power, the quality assuring function of the reputation mechanism is very robust - contrary to the fear of many. After analyzing the reputation mechanism, the study takes a wider look at the industry and identifies the forces behind credit rating supply and demand. The structure of demand is dependent on the relation between the 'information value' and the 'license value' attached to ratings because they are used in 'rating-based regulations'. On the supply side the question is whether the high industry concentration is a 'natural' result of market forces or whether it is the result of state interference. Aspects such as economies of scale, switching costs, and market segmentation are discussed. From an industrial organization perspective competition in the credit rating industry is limited. A comprehensive review of potential reasons for regulating the credit rating industry reveals that there are only few compelling arguments despite the large number of different aspects discussed by practitioners and researchers. In general, the reputation mechanism and competition should be strengthened. Specifically, the study discusses five regulatory areas: the use of rating-based regulation, competition, official recognition, civil liability, and implementation methods. The regulatory approaches of the EU under the Capital Requirements Directive of 2005 and the USA under the Credit Rating Agency Reform Act of 2006 are contrasted against an optimal regulatory regime. The study closes with a summary and a tabular literature review.


In the fall of 2009, with the publication of her number 1 national bestselling memoir, Sarah Palin had the privilege of meeting thousands of everyday Americans on her extraordinary 35-city book tour. Inspired by these encounters, her new book, "America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag", celebrates the enduring strengths and virtues that have made the United States great. Framed by her strong belief in the importance of family, faith, and patriotism, the book ranges widely over American history, culture, and current affairs, and reflects on the key values - both national and spiritual-that have been such a profound part of Governor Palin's life and continue to inform her vision of America's future. Written in her own refreshingly candid voice, "America by Heart" will include selections from classic and contemporary readings that have moved her-from the nation's founding documents to great speeches, sermons, letters, literature and poetry, biography, and even some of her favourite songs and movies. Here, too, are portraits of some of the extraordinary men and women she admires and who embody her deep love of country, her strong rootedness in faith, and her profound love and appreciation of family. She will also draw from personal experience to amplify these timely (and timeless) themes - themes that are sure to inspire her numerous fans and readers around the world.


Do animals have cognitive maps? Do they possess knowledge? Do they plan for the future? Do they understand that others have mental lives of their own? This volume provides a state-of-the-art assessment of animal cognition, with experts from psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, ecology, and evolutionary biology addressing these questions in an integrative fashion. It summarizes the latest research, identifies areas where consensus has been reached, and takes on current controversies. Over the last thirty years, the field has shifted from the collection of anecdotes and the pursuit of the subjective experience of animals to a rigorous, hypothesis-driven experimental approach. Taking a skeptical stance, this volume stresses the notion that in many cases relatively simple rules may account for rather complex and flexible behaviors. The book critically evaluates current concepts and puts a strong focus on the psychological mechanisms that underpin animal behavior. It offers comparative analyses that reveal common principles as well as adaptations that evolved in particular species in response to specific selective pressures. It assesses experimental approaches to the study of animal navigation, decision making, social cognition, and communication and suggests directions for future research. The book promotes a research program that seeks to understand animals' cognitive abilities and behavioral routines as individuals and as members of social groups.


The recent development of commercial cloud computing environments has strongly impacted research and development in distributed software platforms. Cloud providers offer a distributed, shared-nothing infrastructure, that may be used for data storage and processing.In parallel with the development of cloud platforms, programming models that seamlessly parallelize the execution of data-intensive tasks over large clusters of commodity machines have received significant attention, starting with the MapReduce model very well known by now, and continuing through other novel and more expressive frameworks. As these models are increasingly used to express analytical-style data processing tasks, the need for higher-level languages that ease the burden of writing complex queries for these systems arises.This thesis investigates the efficient management of Web data on large-scale infrastructures. In particular, we study the performance and cost of exploiting cloud services to build Web data warehouses, and the parallelization and optimization of query languages that are tailored towards querying Web data declaratively.First, we present AMADA, an architecture for warehousing large-scale Web data in commercial cloud platforms. AMADA operates in a Software as a Service (SaaS) approach, allowing users to upload, store, and query large volumes of Web data. Since cloud users support monetary costs directly connected to their consumption of resources, our focus is not only on query performance from an execution time perspective, but also on the monetary costs associated to this processing. In particular, we study the applicability of several content indexing strategies, and show that they lead not only to reducing query evaluation time, but also, importantly, to reducing the monetary costs associated with the exploitation of the cloud-based warehouse.Second, we consider the efficient parallelization of the execution of complex queries over XML documents, implemented within our system PAXQuery. We provide novel algorithms showing how to translate such queries into plans expressed in the PArallelization ConTracts (PACT) programming model. These plans are then optimized and executed in parallel by the Stratosphere system. We demonstrate the efficiency and scalability of our approach through experiments on hundreds of GB of XML data.Finally, we present a novel approach for identifying and reusing common subexpressions occurring in Pig Latin scripts. In particular, we lay the foundation of our reuse-based algorithms by formalizing the semantics of the Pig Latin query language with extended nested relational algebra for bags. Our algorithm, named PigReuse, operates on the algebraic representations of Pig Latin scripts, identifies subexpression merging opportunities, selects the best ones to execute based on a cost function, and merges other equivalent expressions to share its result. We bring several extensions to the algorithm to improve its performance. Our experiment results demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of our reuse-based algorithms and optimization strategies.


Recent Presidents have claimed wide-ranging authority to decline enforcement of federal laws. The Obama Administration, for example, has announced policies of abstaining from investigation and prosecution of certain federal marijuana crimes, postponing enforcement of key provisions of the Affordable Care Act, and suspending enforcement of removal statutes against certain undocumented immigrants. While these examples highlight how exercises of executive enforcement discretion — the authority to turn a blind eye to legal violations — may effectively reshape federal policy, prior scholarship has offered no satisfactory account of the proper scope of, and constitutional basis for, this putative executive authority. This Article fills that gap. Through close examination of the Constitution's text, structure, and normative underpinnings, as well as relevant historical practice, this Article demonstrates that constitutional authority for enforcement discretion exists — but it is both limited and defeasible. Presidents may properly decline to enforce civil and criminal prohibitions in particular cases, notwithstanding their obligation under the Take Care Clause to ensure that "the Laws be faithfully executed." Congress also may expand the scope of executive enforcement discretion by authorizing broader nonenforcement. But absent such congressional authorization, the President's nonenforcement authority extends neither to prospective licensing of prohibited conduct nor to policy-based nonenforcement of federal laws for entire categories of offenders. Presuming such forms of executive discretion would collide with another deeply rooted constitutional tradition: the principle that American Presidents, unlike English kings, lack authority to suspend statutes or grant dispensations that prospectively excuse legal violations. This framework not only clarifies the proper executive duty with respect to enforcement of federal statutes but also points the way to proper resolution of other recurrent separation of powers issues.


Air Vehicle Technology Topic A1 The Air Vehicle Technology topic solicits cutting-edge research in aeronautics to overcome technology barriers and challenges in developing safe, new vehicles that will fly faster, cleaner, and quieter, and use fuel far more efficiently. The primary objective is the development of knowledge, technologies, tools, innovative concepts and capabilities needed as the Nation continues to experience growth in both domestic and international air transportation while needing to protect and preserve the environment.


On the basis of historical data aggregated over the period 1973 to 2000, we estimated four different equilibrium exchange rate models for the synthetic euro. Using the same data set, variable definitions and sample period offers the possibility to assess the uncertainty surrounding such equilibrium levels, both from a statistical and a theoretical perspective. We employed reduced form co-integration models, a structurla VAR, a Natrex model (estimated in structural form) and the ECB's small-sized euro area wide macro-economic model. In this order the approaches feature an increasing degree of 'structure', in the sense of the constraints based on economic theory embedded in the econometric models that were estimated. The results confirm the high leikelihood for the euro ahving been undervalued in Q4 2000, while stressing the significant empirical and theoretical uncertainty with respect to the equilibrium exchange rate level. JEL Classification: F31, F32


Quantificational determiners in Japanese can be marked with genitive case. Current analyses (for example by Watanabe, Natural Language and Linguistic Theory, to appear) treat the genetive case marker in these cases as semantically vacuous, but we show that it has semantic effects. We propose a new analysis as reverse partitives. Following Jackendoff (MIT-Press, 1977), we assume that partitives always contain two NPs one of which is phonologically deleted. We claim that, while in normal partitives the higher noun is deleted, in reverse partitives the lower noun is deleted.


Abstract. Time series of total column abundances of hydrogen chloride (HCl), chlorine nitrate (ClONO 2 ), and hydrogen fluoride (HF) were determined from ground-based Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra recorded at 17 sites belonging to the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) and located between 80.05° N and 77.82° S. By providing such a near-global overview on ground-based measurements of the two major stratospheric chlorine reservoir species, HCl and ClONO 2 , the present study is able to confirm the decrease of the atmospheric inorganic chlorine abundance during the last few years. This decrease is expected following the 1987 Montreal Protocol and its amendments and adjustments, where restrictions and a subsequent phase-out of the prominent anthropogenic chlorine source gases (solvents, chlorofluorocarbons) were agreed upon to enable a stabilisation and recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer. The atmospheric fluorine content is expected to be influenced by the Montreal Protocol, too, because most of the banned anthropogenic gases also represent important fluorine sources. But many of the substitutes to the banned gases also contain fluorine so that the HF total column abundance is expected to have continued to increase during the last few years. The measurements are compared with calculations from five different models: the two-dimensional Bremen model, the two chemistry-transport models KASIMA and SLIMCAT, and the two chemistry-climate models EMAC and SOCOL. Thereby, the ability of the models to reproduce the absolute total column amounts, the seasonal cycles, and the temporal evolution found in the FTIR measurements is investigated and inter-compared. This is especially interesting because the models have different architectures. The overall agreement between the measurements and models for the total column abundances and the seasonal cycles is good. Linear trends of HCl, ClONO 2 , and HF are calculated from both measurement and model time series data, with a focus on the time range 2000–2009. This period is chosen because from most of the measurement sites taking part in this study, data are available during these years. The precision of the trends is estimated with the bootstrap resampling method. The sensitivity of the trend results with respect to the fitting function, the time of year chosen and time series length is investigated, as well as a bias due to the irregular sampling of the measurements. The measurements and model results investigated here agree qualitatively on a decrease of the chlorine species by around 1% yr −1 . The models simulate an increase of HF of around 1% yr −1 . This also agrees well with most of the measurements, but some of the FTIR series in the Northern Hemisphere show a stabilisation or even a decrease in the last few years. In general, for all three gases, the measured trends vary more strongly with latitude and hemisphere than the modelled trends. Relative to the FTIR measurements, the models tend to underestimate the decreasing chlorine trends and to overestimate the fluorine increase in the Northern Hemisphere. At most sites, the models simulate a stronger decrease of ClONO 2 than of HCl. In the FTIR measurements, this difference between the trends of HCl and ClONO 2 depends strongly on latitude, especially in the Northern Hemisphere.


"Why aren't I as wealthy as I should be?" Many people ask this question of themselves all the time. Often they are hard-working, well educated middle- to high-income people. Why, then, are so few affluent. For nearly two decades the answer has been found in the bestselling The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy, reissued with a new foreword for the twenty-first century by Dr. Thomas J. Stanley. According to the authors, most people have it all wrong about how you become wealthy in America. Wealth in America is more often the result of hard work, diligent savings, and living below your means than it is about inheritance, advance degrees, and even intelligence. The Millionaire Next Door identifies seven common traits that show up again and again among those who have accumulated wealth. You will learn, for example, that millionaires bargain shop for used cars, pay a tiny fraction of their wealth in income tax, raise children who are often unaware of their family's wealth until they are adults, and, above all, reject the big-spending lifestyles most of us associate with rich people. In fact, you will learn that the flashy millionaires glamorized in the media represent only a tiny minority of America's rich. Most of the truly wealthy in this country don't live in Beverly Hills or on Park Avenue-they live next door.


Practical, Step-by-Step Scrum Techniques for Improving Processes, Actions, and Outcomes The widespread adoption and success of Scrum can be attributed in large part to its perceived intuitiveness and simplicity. But when new Scrum practitioners attempt to apply Scrum theory and high-level approaches in actual projects, they often find it surprisingly difficult. In Scrum Shortcuts without Cutting Corners, Scrum expert Ilan Goldstein helps you translate the Scrum framework into reality to meet the Scrum challenges your formal training never warned you about. Drawing on his extensive agile experience in a wide range of projects and environments, Goldstein presents thirty proven, flexible shortcuts for optimizing Scrum processes, actions, and outcomes. Each shortcut walks you through applying a Scrum approach to achieve a tangible output. These easy-to-digest, actionable patterns address a broad range of topics including getting started, quality and metrics, team members and roles, managing stakeholders, estimation, continuous improvement and much more. Whatever your role, Scrum Shortcuts without Cutting Corners will help you take your Scrum skills to the next level and achieve better results in any project you participate in.


Medical Policy provides general guidance for applying Blue Cross of Idaho benefit plans (for purposes of Medical Policy, the terms "benefit plan" and "member contract" are used interchangeably). Coverage decisions must reference the member specific benefit plan document. The terms of the member specific benefit plan document may be different than the standard benefit plan upon which this Medical Policy is based. If there is a conflict between a member specific benefit plan and the Blue Cross of Idaho's standard benefit plan, the member specific benefit plan supersedes this Medical Policy. Any person applying this Medical Policy must identify member eligibility, the member specific benefit plan, and any related policies or guidelines prior to applying this Medical Policy. Blue Cross of Idaho Medical Policies are designed for informational purposes only and are not an authorization, explanation of benefits or a contract. Receipt of benefits is subject to satisfaction of all terms and conditions of the member specific benefit plan coverage. Blue Cross of Idaho reserves the sole discretionary right to modify all its Policies and Guidelines at any time. This Medical Policy does not constitute medical advice.


The insulating materials of high voltage equipment are stressed in service over years by several environmental factors. One ageing factor is the humidity, which in combination with the electrical stress causes changes of the conditions on the insulating surface. Polymeric insulators are widely used because of their high contamination resistance and high tensile strength-to-weight ratio, while constituting an unattractive target for vandals. Especially with silicone rubber housings, polymeric insulators exhibit a high surface hydrophobicity. Water drops will be formed on the polymer surface when the insulator is exposed to rain and moisture, and hence the conductive contamination dissolved with water is discontinuous. Hydrophobicity is transferred to pollution layers and after loss of hydrophobicity under severe environmental stress, such as extreme continuous exposure to moisture, it will be recovered in a relatively short time. The aim of this work is to analyze the early ageing conditions of an electrically stressed silicone rubber surface. The influence of water drops under electric field stress on the partial discharge inception phenomena shall provide the focal point of the investigation. Around the water drops the electric field is intensified. The water drop will be deformed and elongated along the direction of the electric field lines. The deformations will cause local electric field intensifications; the critical point will be the triple point between the water drop, air and the insulating material. This will be a starting point for partial discharges, finally leading to material deterioration. The water drop movement on the insulating surface is observed and recorded using a high speed camera and a mirror system. The mirror system simultaneously records three different plane views of the water drop. In this way, a three dimensional recording is possible, while providing three dimensional information about the water drop movement. The recordings revealed that the water drops forms sharp edges at the triple point and elongate in the direction of the electric field lines. The partial discharge activity is analyzed using a standard partial discharge measurement system. As the discharges taking place at one water drop are marginal, the partial discharge system is not sensitive enough to detect the ignition of the discharge. Therefore, a photomultiplier module was used to detect the inception of the discharge activity on the surface. The first light emission of the partial discharges is amplified and converted into an electrical signal. It was revealed that the photomulti-plier module detects the first partial discharge at a voltage value which is up to 13 % smaller than the value measured using the standard partial discharge system. Using a UV camera it was observed that discharges take place on the surface starting from the TP of the drop towards electrodes, exactly where the sharp edges are present. During experiments the following parameters varied: water drop volume, water drop conductivity and ambient conditions. The effects of different parameters on the partial discharge inception conditions are analyzed. The inception electric field strength decreases by increasing the water drop volume. Small water drops exhibit a higher contact angle than larger water drops. The contact angle increase by decreasing the water drop volume. The ambient conditions also play an important role in determining the inception electric field strength at water drops and it is a parameter which changes very often in normal duty, especially for outdoor insulation. At high humidity and in the presence of the electric field, the oxygen molecules hydrate with the water molecules from moist air, forming large negative ions. As the production of large ions increases exponentially by increasing the humidity, the probability of an avalanche starting is higher at higher humidity than at lower ambient humidity. Hence, the inception electric field strength decreases by increasing the absolute humidity. Two different decay rates were measured. The humidity correction factors presented in this work can be used to predict exactly the inception electric field at the water drops on an insulating surface at a certain absolute humidity value. The practical importance is that the ambient conditions, i.e. absolute humidity, influence PD activities reversely compared with the general breakdown electric field strength. The ambient conditions should always be measured when PD measurements are carried out. Long-term observations and measurements on PD activity will only be of any relevance if the results are obtained under the same humidity conditions or if they are corrected with respect to the humidity level. The water drop deformations recorded with the high speed camera were modelled using a drawing tool, where the shape and volume of the drop are reproduced very accurately. The electrostatic simulations are carried out using the modells and the inception voltage values from the experiments. The simulation results show electric field intensification in the region of the TP. In order to verify the simulation results, an analytical calculation was carried out for an undeformed water drop having a contact angle of 120°. For the deformed water drop the theoretical calculation of the electric field distribution at the water drop is no longer possible. Therefore, the theoretical consideration revealed that criteria to verify the simulation results must be found. Two criteria are developed, one global and one local. If the simulation results fulfil both criteria, the values can be considered to evaluate the electric field intensifications in the region of water drop. The first criterion, named "integral criterion" is a global validation criterion, e.g. is valid for the whole path along the sample. The interesting point is near the water drop, where the electric field is intensified using a local validation criterion. As the TP is a singularity point, e.g. values of the electric field strength tend towards infinity, the values in the TP cannot be considered in the evaluation of the electric field intensification. The analysis of the electric field curves along the surface at different mesh settings revealed that up to a distance of 0,1 mm from the TP, the curves corresponding to the fine meshes converge and this point is named convergence point (CP). The CP is the point where the electric field intensifications are considered. The electric field intensifications analyzed at the CP show high electric field intensification in the presence of the water drop on the surface. The variation of the electric field strength with the contact angle and with the contour of the drop is shown by measurements and demonstrated by simulations. For deformed drops, the electric field intensifications are higher and can reach values eight times higher than the applied electric field. The tangential component of the electric field is the affected component by the local field intensifications. Taking into account the magnitude of the local electric field intensification, the deformation of the water drops on the insulating surface must be considered by electrical resistance of the polymeric insulating surfaces. The absolute value of the electric field is to be considered in order to compare the experimental measurements with the simulation results. For the deformed water drops the absolute values of the electric field are comparable with the inception electric field strength in air. The ageing model of a polymeric material was upgraded in the region of the early ageing phase. The water drop deformations, their implication on the local electric field intensification and the influence of the ambient conditions on the inception electric field are included in the ageing model for polymeric materials.