Background The season of diagnosis of several forms of cancer has been observed to impact survival, supporting the hypothesis that vitamin D3 has a protective role in cancer survival. All previous studies demonstrating this seasonality were performed in European populations residing at latitudes upwards of 50°N. This study investigated whether seasonality of prognosis persists in populations residing in the lower latitudes of the contiguous United States (Latitude 21°N to 48°N). Material/Methods The 5-year survival data of 19 204 female breast cancer, 6740 colorectal cancer, and 1644 prostate cancer cases was analyzed. Results Female breast cancer patients exhibited improved survival when diagnosed in the summer as compared to the winter at all latitudes (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 0.940, 95%; Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.938 to 0.941, P=0.002). Colorectal cancer and prostate cancer also exhibited a similar seasonal pattern (HR: 0.978, 95% CI: 0.975 to 0.980, P=0.008 and HR: 0.935, 95%, CI 0.929 to 0.943, P=0.006), respectively, when the analysis was restricted to northern regions. Conclusions These observations contribute to the mounting evidence that vitamin D3 may affect the progression of cancer. Data also suggest that vitamin D3 status at the onset of treatment may synergistically improve the prognosis of several cancer types.


This paper investigates the effect of the 1997 Asian financial crisis on the levels of competition for various productions of food products. The study is undertaken using the concept of comparative advantage. In the context of competitiveness of the Malaysian food processing industry the evaluation of comparative advantage has been undertaken with special reference to the prior implementation of the scheduled liberalization of trade preferences under the WTO and AFTA in 2010. In order to penetrate a wider range of foreign markets, Malaysian food processors have to identify food sectors that are internationally competitive and could withstand internal and external shocks. The Malaysian competitiveness level was determined using the Domestic Resource Cost (DRC) and Social Cost Benefit (SCB) indicators. Twenty food sectors were assessed using the Malaysian food production and trade data from 2000 to 2005. The results indicate that in the post crisis period, Malaysia enjoys an above average level of comparative advantage in the production of edible oil and fat from vegetables and animals, fish and, glucose and maltose. As expected, Malaysia has a comparative disadvantage in the production of paddy.


We present a theoretical model of reappropriation—taking possession of a slur previously used exclusively by dominant groups to reinforce another group's lesser status. Ten experiments tested this model and established a reciprocal relationship between power and self-labeling with a derogatory group term. We first investigated precursors to selflabeling: Group, but not individual, power increased participants' willingness to label themselves with a derogatory term for their group. We then examined the consequences of such self-labeling for both the self and observers. Selflabelers felt more powerful after self-labeling, and observers perceived them and their group as more powerful. Finally, these labels were evaluated less negatively after self-labeling, and this attenuation of stigma was mediated by perceived power. These effects occurred only for derogatory terms (e.g., queer, bitch), and not for descriptive (e.g., woman) or majority-group (e.g., straight) labels. These results suggest that self-labeling with a derogatory label can weaken the label's stigmatizing force.


This thesis presents novel approaches for integrating context information into probabilistic models. Data from social media is typically associated with metadata, which includes context information such as timestamps, geographical coordinates or links to user profiles. Previous studies showed the benefits of using such context information in probabilistic models, e.g.\ improved predictive performance. In practice, probabilistic models which account for context information still play a minor role in data analysis. There are multiple reasons for this. Existing probabilistic models often are complex, the implementation is difficult, implementations are not publicly available, or the parameter estimation is computationally too expensive for large datasets. Additionally, existing models are typically created for a specific type of content and context and lack the flexibility to be applied to other data.
This thesis addresses these problems by introducing a general approach for modelling multiple, arbitrary context variables in probabilistic models and by providing efficient inference schemes and implementations.
In the first half of this thesis, the importance of context and the potential of context information for probabilistic modelling is shown theoretically and in practical examples. In the second half, the example of topic models is employed for introducing a novel approach to context modelling based on document clusters and adjacency relations in the context space. They can cope with areas of sparse observations and These models allow for the first time the efficient, explicit modelling of arbitrary context variables including cyclic and spherical context (such as temporal cycles or geographical coordinates). Using the novel three-level hierarchical multi-Dirichlet process presented in this thesis, the adjacency of ontext clusters can be exploited and multiple contexts can be modelled and weighted at the same time. Efficient inference schemes are derived which yield interpretable model parameters that allow analyse the relation between observations and context.


The vast majority of work on comparing program similarities to detect software piracy either assumes the availability of the program source code (e.g., Moss) or performs a complicated source program transformation to embed carefully designed signatures, or software watermarks, into the binary code. In this paper, we propose a new approach to detecting program similarities that requires neither the availability of the program source nor complicated compile-time watermarking techniques. Furthermore, in contrast to the alternatives, our framework is resistant to standard attacks such as code obfuscation. Our approach exploits the observation that the sequence of system calls performed by a program execution provides a strong signature of the program semantics or functionality, thereby using the inherent properties of a program to identify it. By statistically analyzing sequences of system calls, the relative similarities and differences of program regions can be automatically determined. We have developed a framework that automatically extracts system call sequences, computes the similarities between two binaries via statistical analysis, and maps dynamically similar regions onto textually similar source files. We present several case studies showing the applicability of our framework in pinpointing pirated segments. Our experimental study also shows that directly comparing the binary files of the programs without considering their dynamic behavior is ineffective, and demonstrates strong consistency between the output of our new framework and that of Moss.


Federal specifications restrict glare of reflected sunlight from certain automotive-trim items by calling for a maximum specular (mirrorlike) reflectance of 2% (40 gloss units), thus reducing glare by decreasing the luminance of the reflection. This approach, which requires the use of matte surfaces, has disadvantages. Observations showed that glare of sunlight reflected from bright surfaces could be reduced as effectively by demagnifying the sun's image by use of increased surface curvature. A glare comparator was constructed, by which glare control by restriction of luminance was related visually to control by restriction of angular area. About 1000 observations were made during the course of more than 150 tests. Results showed that glare was regulated to the same extent by a proportional change of either luminance or angular area.


A survey of diurnal primate species in Pandam wildlife park, Nigeria was conducted to determine its population density and structure. Eight transect lines (2.0km length, 0.02km width) at interval of 1.0km were located as representative samples in the park within the three range stratum (riparian forest, savannah woodland and, swampy area) based on proportional to size in providing information on the primate's species present in the park. These include (Cercopithecus mona, Erythrocebus pata, Papio anubis and, Chlorocebus tantalus). Direct method of animal sighting was employed. Data was collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA and diversity indices. The result showed that savannah woodland strata had more number of individual species encountered (132) and the lowest was the swampy area. Also the savannah woodland had the highest species diversity and richness while the riparian forest strata had the highest number of species evenness. More so, Cercopithecus tantalus was widespread throughout the park among other primates and Cercopithecus mona is most likely to decline even more rapidly than others since they inhabit the very tall trees. However, the variation in mean value of species sampled were not statistically significance (P>0.05). Generally, atleast one primate can be sighted in every km2 of range strata covered within the park. This census provides update information on the status of primate diversity and numbers within the park which can help to direct conservation efforts of the primates and other animals by the state government. This will further enhance the sustainability and elevation of the park to a National park.Keywords:  Population status, Diurnal Primates, ecology, Pandam Wildlife Park,


Abstract. High-Speed Biplanar Videoradiography (HSBV) is an X-ray based non-invasive imaging system that can be used to derive dynamic bony translations and rotations. The 2D-3D registration process matches a 3D bone model acquired from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scans with the 2D X-ray image pairs. This study focuses on the registration of MRI data as it can acquire detailed soft tissue contrast that cannot be easily discerned in CT scans. A novel 2D-3D registration method is reported in this paper that is suitable for the MRI-based bone models with high precision and high efficiency. In addition, an automatic initialization procedure with 64 starting poses is established to avoid user intervention in the registration. The method has been tested using the HSBV image sequence of a knee joint during walking. Thirty-five consecutive poses from the sequence were tested for the registration, and 50 non-consecutive poses randomly selected from the sequence were tested for the automatic initialization. The registration precision for each axis was 0.49 to 0.54 mm. For the initialization validation test, 48 over 50 frames were successfully initialized and two failed due to portions of the joint falling outside of the field-of-view of the system. The average time for each initialization is only about 6 min. The improved 2D-3D registration will allow determination of precise 3D kinematic parameters with high efficiency. These kinematic parameters can be used to calculate joint cartilage contact mechanics that provide insight into the mechanical processes and mechanisms of joint degeneration or pathology.


On December 13-14 2017, CAIDA hosted the 8th interdisciplinary Workshop on Internet Economics (WIE) at the UC San Diego's Supercomputer Center. This workshop series provides a forum for researchers, Internet facilities and service providers, technologists, economists, theorists, policy makers, and other stakeholders to exchange views on current and emerging regulatory and policy debates. The FCC's expected decision (released during the workshop, on 14 December 2017) - to repeal the 2015 classification of broadband Internet access service as a telecommunications (common carrier) service - set the stage for vigorous discussion on what type of data can inform debate, development, and empirical evaluation of public policies we will need for Internet services in the future.
 http://www.caida.org/workshops/wie/1712/.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate serum levels of calprotectin (S100A8/S100A9) and S100A12 as markers of disease activity or distinct clinical or radiographic features in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

METHODS
Serum levels of calprotectin and S100A12, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined in 119 patients with PsA. Correlations to clinical variables were calculated, and subgroups of patients were compared.

RESULTS
The correlations to clinical disease activity measures were stronger for CRP than for ESR and calprotectin. In the regression analysis, calprotectin was identified as an independently associated factor for presence of peripheral radiographic features of arthritis (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.01-1.76). S100A12 levels were also elevated in those with peripheral radiographic features (p = 0.036), but did not correlate with clinical variables of disease activity.

CONCLUSION
Calprotectin and S100A12 do not perform better than traditional biomarkers of disease activity in PsA, but were associated with presence of peripheral radiographic features in this cross-sectional study. The patients' low level of disease activity may have led to underestimation of the associations between any biomarker and disease measures.


Previous studies have shown that the fastidious bacterial plant pathogen 'Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum' (CLso) is transmitted circulatively and propagatively by the potato psyllid (PoP) Bactericera cockerelli. In this study, the temporal and spatial interrelationships between CLso PoP were investigated by scanning electron microscopy of the digestive system of PoP immature and adult instars and salivary glands of adults post CLso ingestion. CLso biofilms were not detectable on the outer midgut surface of the first and second instars; however, for third to fifth instars and teneral and mature adults, biofilms were observed in increasing numbers in each successive developmental stage. In adult PoP midguts, CLso cells were observed between the basal lamina and basal epithelial cell membranes; in basal laminar perforations, on the outer basal laminar surface, and in the ventricular lumen, epithelial cytosol, and filter chamber periventricular space. CLso were also abundantly visible in the salivary gland pericellular spaces and in the epidermal cell cytosol of the head. Collectively, these results point to an intrusive, systemic invasion of PoP by CLso that employs an endo/exocytosis-like mechanism, in the context of a propagative, circulative mode of transmission.


As defender of both the righteous and the questionable, Alan Dershowitz has become perhaps the most famous and outspoken attorney in the land. Whether or not they agree with his legal tactics, most people would agree that he possesses a powerful and profound sense of justice. In this meditation on his profession, Dershowitz writes about life, law, and the opportunities that young lawyers have to do good and do well at the same time.We live in an age of growing dissatisfaction with law as a career, which ironically comes at a time of unprecedented wealth for many lawyers. Dershowitz addresses this paradox, as well as the uncomfortable reality of working hard for clients who are often without many redeeming qualities. He writes about the lure of money, fame, and power, as well as about the seduction of success. In the process, he conveys some of the "tricks of the trade" that have helped him win cases and become successful at the art and practice of "lawyering."


Among those texts that vied for a position as authoritative Scripture, but were eventually rejected by ecclesiastical authorities, was the so-called Diatessaron of Tatian. Having been compiled from the four canonical gospels, Tatian's work occupies a liminal position between the categories of 'canonical' and 'apocryphal', since the majority of its content was common to users of the fourfold gospel, though this content existed in a radically altered form and was tainted by association with an author widely accused of heresy. In order to demonstrate the originality of Tatian's gospel composition, this article gives a close reading of the only surviving Greek witness to it, a fragment of parchment found in excavations at Dura-Europos. Dura's very location as a borderland between Rome and Persia corresponds with the fact that in this outpost garrison city Christians were using a gospel text that would have appeared markedly strange to those in the mainstream of the Christian tradition. The wording that can be recovered from the Dura fragment shows how Tatian creatively and intelligently combined the text of the four gospels to produce a new narrative of the life of Jesus, choosing to leave out certain elements and to make deliberate emendations along the way. However, it was precisely such originality that made his gospel appear problematic, so in order to rescue his text from censure, later scribes had to domesticate it by making it conform throughout to the canonical versions. Comparison of the Dura fragment with the medieval Arabic gospel harmony and with the Latin version in Codex Fuldensis illustrates well this process whereby Tatian's gospel went from being a rival to the fourfold gospel to a designedly secondary, and therefore acceptable, work.


ST is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and sales of LBS solutions for Near-to-Eye displays, LiDAR and 3D scanning ToF applications. This presentation will be a deep dive in the key technologies at the core of LBS, enabling high performances, lightweight, small form-factor and low power consumption display projectors for all-day-wearable AR glasses in addition to the more immersive HMDs. We will introduce the ST MEMS ScanAR technology platform and product family: MEMS micromirrors, MEMS drivers, Laser Drivers and Video Processing Units, specifically designed for the today and future needs of AR.


Hybrid fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) concrete steel, double skin tubular columns (DSTCs) are a new form of hybrid columns. The most common sectional form of hybrid DSTCs consists of a layer of concrete sandwiched between a circular inner steel tube and a circular outer FRP tube whose fiber directions are close to the hoop detection to provide effective confinement to the concrete. Much recent research has been conducted on circular hybrid DSTCs, which has demonstrated that the combination of the three constituent materials leads to several advantages not available with existing forms of columns. In practical applications, for aesthetic and other reasons, square hybrid DSTCs may be needed. This paper thus extends the existing work on circular hybrid DSTCs to square hybrid DSTCs in which the outer FRP tube is square while the inner steel tube is still circular. Results from a series of axial compression tests are presented and interpreted to examine the compressive behavior of square hybrid DSTCs. In these tests, FRP tubes formed through a wet-layup process were used instead of filament-wound FRP tubes because the latter were not readily available to the authors at the time of the study. The test results show that the concrete in these square hybrid DSTCs is effectively confined by the two tubes, and the behavior of the confined concrete is similar to that of concrete in FRP-confined solid columns. A stress-strain model for concrete in square hybrid DSTCs is also proposed and is shown to provide reasonably accurate predictions of the test results.


In light of the increasing and pressing need to efficiently manage scarce water resources, there has been renewed interest by water distribution network owners to develop and implement water management strategies and tools that would assist in the integrated and automated management of those networks. Such asset management strategies should assist the network owners to evaluate the condition of the water distribution network, assess historical incident data (leakage or breakage) and risk of failure, visualise areas of high risk, propose "repair or replace" strategies and prioritise the work based on the inherent risk and cost of action. The methodology and support system outlined in this paper can form an integral part of a leakage management strategy and provide a useful decision-making tool. The work presented outlines an integrated methodology and a decision support system for arriving at such "repair-or-replace" decisions, as part of a long-term pipeline asset management program that could be undertaken by a water utility to improve on the reliability of the water distribution networks.


Background: Skipping and shortening hemodialysis treatments are common and result in increased morbidity and mortality. Objective: The goal was to test whether a psychodynamic intervention reduced the number of skipped and the minutes of shortened hemodialysis sessions. Methods: A quasi-experiment conducted at one hemodialysis outpatient center was used to test a psychodynamic intervention. The intervention was delivered weekly for eight weeks to intervention group patients (n=13). Comparison group (n=8) patients received routine care. Results: Adherence improved for the intervention group from the Before Phase to the Treatment Phase and After Phase on all outcomes. The mean number of hemodialysis sessions skipped was 1.9 in the Before Phase and .9 in the Treatment Phase (p=.01) and .5 in the After Phase (p=.01). During the Treatment Phase the intervention group skipped less than one session while the comparison group skipped 3.5 hemodialysis sessions (p<.001). Adherence did not improve for comparison group patients. Conclusions: A psychodynamic intervention may be an acceptable and effective treatment for reducing nonadherence to hemodialysis.


The aim of this study was to analyze legislative proceedings on fluoridation policies in Brazil from 1963 to 2019. The theoretical reference was Pierre Bourdieu. A document search was performed on legislative proceedings that address the theme of fluoridation in Brazil as a public health measure and the discussions in the National Congress. The sources for the article were the official websites of the Chamber of Deputies (lower house) and the Senate to consult the legislative acts related to fluoridation in Brazil. The study showed that from 1963 to 2001 and in 2017 there was a dispute between fluoridation methods for the water supply, mineral water, and table salt fluoridation. However, there was a crosscutting understanding of the importance and benefits of systemic fluoride use. From 2003 to 2013, the bills challenged the use of systemic fluoride, proposing its use only in topical applications. In the 1960s, 1970, and 2017, the legislative bills showed a closer approach to the scientific field and were submitted by opposition members of Congress. Unlike the issue of water fluoridation, of the 6 legislative bills in favor of salt fluoridation, only one was drafted by a health professional da health, and only two by legislators from the Southeast region. There were more bills by legislators from the Central and Northeast. Those with training in health exhibited positions in defense of some method of systemic fluoridation. The analysis allowed interpreting the historical process of developing the response to the caries problem and the different strategies employed in this process.


The purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether labour mobility is likely to act as a sufficient adjustment mechanism in the face of asymmetric shocks in Euroland. To this end, we estimate the elasticity of migration with respect to changes in unemployment and income on the basis of regional panel data provided by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. Regression results are provided for Western Germany, France, and Italy. It is shown that labour mobility is highest in Germany, followed by France, and Italy. However, even in Germany, the accommodation of a shock to unemployment by migration takes several years. We conclude that labour mobility is extremely unlikely to act as a sufficient adjustment mechanism to asymmetric shocks in Euroland.


There has been enormous progress in the last few years in designing neural networks that respect the fundamental symmetries and coordinate freedoms of physical law. Some of these frameworks make use of irreducible representations, some make use of high-order tensor objects, and some apply symmetry-enforcing constraints. Different physical laws obey different combinations of fundamental symmetries, but a large fraction (possibly all) of classical physics is equivariant to translation, rotation, reflection (parity), boost (relativity), and permutations. Here we show that it is simple to parameterize universally approximating polynomial functions that are equivariant under these symmetries, or under the Euclidean, Lorentz, and Poincar\'e groups, at any dimensionality $d$. The key observation is that nonlinear O($d$)-equivariant (and related-group-equivariant) functions can be universally expressed in terms of a lightweight collection of scalars -- scalar products and scalar contractions of the scalar, vector, and tensor inputs. We complement our theory with numerical examples that show that the scalar-based method is simple, efficient, and scalable.


As part of a traveler's diarrhea study carried out in Guadalajara, Mexico, and Goa, India, we conducted a case control study to evaluate fecal markers of enteric inflammation in three groups. Forty-five cases of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) diarrhea were compared to 56 controls with enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) diarrhea, and 126 controls with diarrhea without identifiable pathogens. For EAEC cases we found fecal leukocytes, occult blood, and lactoferrin in 13 (28.9%), 14 (31.1%), and 27 (60.0%) patients, respectively; for ETEC controls they were 15 (26.8%), 16 (28.6%), and 15 (26.8%) respectively; and for patients without identifiable pathogens 19 (15.1%), 34 (27.0%) and 27 (21.4%) were seen for the presence of a positive fecal lactoferrin test in EAEC cases was statistically significant compared to both control groups. The study provides evidence that EAEC infection is associated with an intestinal inflammatory response.


In the land use sector mitigation, adaptation and development policies are all closely linked and can impact each other in positive and negative ways. It is therefore essential that these relationships are taken into account in order to enhance synergies and avoid or reduce trade-offs. This can be achieved through a specific form of Climate Policy Integration (CPI), which integrates first mitigation and adaptation policy processes and subsequently mainstreams climate policies into development processes. We have explored these processes through case studies in the land use sectors of Brazil and Indonesia. CPI in the land use sector presents a number of challenges related to cross-sectoral and cross-level integration. Unless a governmental CPI authority mandates that sectoral ministries integrate their efforts, sectoral competition over control of decision-making processes may prevail, hampering CPI. Cross-level integration is weakened by differences in understanding, priorities and power across levels of governance.


This paper provides a statistical analysis of high-dimensional batch Reinforcement Learning (RL) using sparse linear function approximation. When there is a large number of candidate features, our result sheds light on the fact that sparsity-aware methods can make batch RL more sample efficient. We first consider the off-policy policy evaluation problem. To evaluate a new target policy, we analyze a Lasso fitted Q-evaluation method and establish a finite-sample error bound that has no polynomial dependence on the ambient dimension. To reduce the Lasso bias, we further propose a post model-selection estimator that applies fitted Q-evaluation to the features selected via group Lasso. Under an additional signal strength assumption, we derive a sharper instance-dependent error bound that depends on a divergence function measuring the distribution mismatch between the data distribution and occupancy measure of the target policy. Further, we study the Lasso fitted Q-iteration for batch policy optimization and establish a finite-sample error bound depending on the ratio between the number of relevant features and restricted minimal eigenvalue of the data's covariance. In the end, we complement the results with minimax lower bounds for batch-data policy evaluation/optimization that nearly match our upper bounds. The results suggest that having well-conditioned data is crucial for sparse batch policy learning.


The conglutinating factor in sheep serum was characterized utilizing its ability to react with sensitized erythrocytes which had been alexinated with horse complement. The conglutinating substance in sheep serum was inactivated by the action of 2-mercaptoethanol, did not require calcium ions for its activity, was not inhibited by N-acetyl-D-glucosamine or L-fucose sugars and did not react directly with zymosan. All these activities distinguish this serum factor from bovine conglutinin. These data show that the conglutinating factor in sheep serum is an immunoconglutinin. Reactivity of sheep immunoconglutinin with both heterologous and autologous complement was demonstrated.


Value at risk (VaR) has become a standard measure of portfolio risk over the last decade. It even became one of the corner stones in the Basel II accord about banks' equity requirements. Nevertheless, the practical application of the VaR concept suffers from two problems: how to estimate VaR and how to optimize a portfolio for a given level of VaR? For the first problem, several approaches have been suggested including the historical simulation method. The optimization problem can be tackled using recent advances in heuristic optimization algorithms. However, our application to bond portfolios shows that a solution to the two aforementioned problems gives rise to a third one: the actual VaR of bond portfolios optimized under a VaR constraint might exceed its nominal level to a large extent. Thus, optimizing bond portfolios under a VaR constraint might increase risk. This finding is of relevance not only for investors, but even more so for bank regulation authorities.


I consider the possibility that people engaged in conservation and management of species and ecosystems are experiencing grief related to ongoing loss of species, assemblages, ecosystem integrity, and so on. In human psychology, five stages of the grieving process have been identified, namely denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Although presented as a series of stages, it is recognized that the progression through them is not linear and people can move quickly among them or experience more than one at any one time. I then consider whether current polarized debates in conservation and restoration, for instance in relation to non‐native species and novel ecosystems, result in part from people operating from different places in the grief spectrum. Throughout the grieving process, hope remains a constant feature, and it is important to recognize the place of hope in motivating and sustaining people engaged in conservation and restoration. Although restoration provides great hope that losses can be minimized and, in some cases, reversed, this hope needs to be grounded in a realistic assessment of what is possible in a rapidly changing world.


The debate over the orientation of modernization and development is one that has occupied scholars for over half a century. This thesis will explain how two main paradigms of modernization and dependency originated and of development models are inadequate as both focus on economic growth without considering social, cultural, and ideological values, or other national interests of security and citizen participation in society. Strategies of developmental success and the differences between development and growth shall be explained in making a case for sustainable development. In this light, the historical, political, and economic evolution of Mexico will be surveyed with particular attention paid to its Maquiladora assembly plants. The objectives of this program, its industrial impact, work force characteristics, and working conditions will be comprehensively evaluated along with the social, environmental, and cultural effects it has had on the nation. This thesis will argue that the proceeds from industrialization are insufficient to provide ample employment for all. By improving agricultural self-sufficiency through agrarian reform, many of the marginalized will return to the economic mainstream of Mexican society. Establishing rural workplaces and encouraging tertiary activities will further help mobilize and rebuild the countries labor base. By implementing an indigenous strategy that does not compromise the environment or deplete national wealth, Mexico can harness its large labor pool, utilizing its natural resources to great advantage in the International market place


Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations have declined throughout the western United States over the past century. Loss of large stands of sagebrush is a major factor leading to the decline of sage-grouse populations. We captured, marked, and tracked hen sage-grouse in Wyoming during the summer of 2012 to study where sage-grouse hens keep their chicks given the dual needs to provide them with food and to keep them safe from avian predators. Vegetation surveys and avian point counts were performed at earlyseason brood locations, late-season brood locations, and random locations. We conducted multinomial models to determine which habitat variables were most informative in predicting site selection by hen sage-grouse. Hens with and without broods selected sites that had more shrub cover during the early-brood season but not during the late-brood season. During the early-brood season, hens without broods avoided sites where there were American kestrels (Falco sparverius) and common ravens (Corvus corax), but brood hens did not avoid these sites. During late-brood season, brood hens chose sites with fewer small-avian predators (e.g., black-billed magpies [Pica hudsonia] and American kestrels), as well as medium-sized avian predators, such as common ravens, Buteo hawks (Buteo spp.), and northern harriers (Circus cyaneus). Our results suggest that habitat selection by sage-grouse hens is focused more on avoiding predators than on finding food.


Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) has achieved promising performance as an elemental imaging technology, and considerable progress has been achieved in the development of LIBS over the last several years, which has led to great interest in the use of LIBS in various fields of applications. LIBS is a highly attractive technology that is distinguished by its table top instrumentation, speed of operation, and operation in ambient atmosphere, able to produce megapixel multi-elemental images with micrometric resolution (10 μm) and ppm-scale sensitivity. However, the points that limit the development of LIBS are undeniably the expertise and the time required to extract a relevant signal from the LIBS dataset. The complexity of the emission spectra (e.g., elemental responses, structure of the baseline), the high dynamic range of measurement (i.e., possibility to image major to trace elements), and the large number of spectra to process require new data analysis strategies. Such new strategies are particularly critical for multi-phase materials. In this paper, we report a new methodology based on the well-known Principal Component Analysis (PCA) approach for the multivariate hyperspectral analysis of LIBS images. The proposed methodology is designed for large, raw, and potentially complex series of LIBS spectra, that allows various and exhaustive levels of information to be extracted (including the characterization of mineral phases, assessment of the measurement and identification of isolated elements) and facilitates the manipulation of such hyperspectral datasets.


The physical process of birth is no longer as mysterious as it once was. But many unanswered psychological questions still surround the birth of a child. In this remarkably appealing and personable book, pediatrician Aidan Macfarlane takes a careful look at a large number of these important psychological unknowns. On Macfarlane's agenda: Can a woman's emotional attitude toward pregnancy cause "morning sickness," influence the smoothness of labor and delivery, or shape the child's behavior after birth? Can the mother-child relationship be adversely affected by separation immediately after birth? Is the quality of the birth experience improved by home delivery? What are the psychological effects of pain-killing drugs on mother and child? What, if anything, does the unborn infant see, hear, and feel inside the womb? Is birth a psychological trauma for the child and, if so, how can it be alleviated? Although Dr. Macfarlane refuses to provide easy answers to any of these questions, his clear discussion of the available evidence is not without important consequences for the way in which we understand birth and manage it in our society.


PURPOSE
To evaluate geographic atrophy (GA) progression in eyes with dry AMD and to determine factors related to GA expansion, notably reticular pseudodrusen (RPD), also known as subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDD) or reticular macular disease (RMD).

METHODS
This was a retrospective cohort study of patients with dry AMD who were diagnosed with GA in at least one eye and were imaged with sequential fundus autofluorescence (FAF) and/or near infrared reflectance (NIR-R) imaging. Images were analyzed for the presence of GA within the macular region. Geographic atrophy progression was measured in the fields of a modified Wisconsin grid and spatially correlated with RPD. Factors also evaluated for association with GA progression included initial GA size and pattern.

RESULTS
The study sample included 126 eyes of 92 patients, with an average follow up of 20.4 months (SD = 11.7). At baseline, 93.6% of eyes had RPD, and the average GA area was 2.8 mm(2) (SD = 2.9). The average GA progression rate was 0.8 mm(2)/y (SD = 0.6), with a statistically significant difference between the unilobular and multilobular phenotype groups (0.3 mm(2)/y vs. 0.9 mm(2)/y, P = 0.02). Patients in the lower 50th percentile of initial GA area had a lower progression rate than patients in the upper 50th percentile (0.6 mm(2)/y vs. 1.1 mm(2)/y, P < 0.001). Geographic atrophy progression was more frequent in fields with RPD than in those without RPD (74.2% vs. 41.7%, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
The high correlation between the presence of RPD (also known as SDD or RMD) and the presence of GA, and the expansion of GA into areas with these lesions suggest that they are an early manifestation of the process leading to GA.


This is the first of a series of reports dedicated to the preparation and implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility of the EU. It sets out some of the main risks to the success of the recovery programmes, such as a lack of focus and mistargeting, maintaining unsustainable sectors, delays in implementation, and the lack of both a European dimension and the capacity to implement such a complex programme over and above the normal EU budget.

These risks can be mitigated or avoided, however. The report also presents a number of solutions to ensure that aspects critical to the recovery programmes – and the key objective of longer-term resilience – are implemented. It highlights the necessity for serious structural reforms in member states, better management and control systems at EU level, well-designed active labor market policies, and a clear framework for public private partnerships to ensure that they are used more effectively.


The present study aims to investigate Luke's theology of God in the accounts of the mission to the Gentiles in Acts. In Acts, God is portrayed as the cause of the mission. It is God who inaugurates and guides the Gentile mission. For Luke, God who acts is God who has fixed the times and seasons. The mission is described as part of God's times, past, present and future. It is mission by God. The Gentile mission is also mission about God. The "cause" of the mission becomes the content'. This fact is not widely recognised by studies in Luke-Acts. God' is prominent in the speeches in the Gentile mission narratives of Samaria (8: 4-25), Caesarea (10: 33- 43), Lystra (14: 8-18), Athens (17: 16-34) and Ephesus (19: 21- 41). We examine these narratives to analyse the speeches in their immediate contexts provided in the narrative itself. Except in Ac. 10, Luke's contexts contain details concerning Gentiles" belief and worship of god/goddess/gods which in Luke's view represent false notions about God. The fundamental issue in the theology of God in all these narratives is confusion of the human with the divine. That men and works of men are neither God nor manifestations of God is the essence of the theological kerygma. In Ac. 10, Peter's own wrong notion of God is corrected and his new knowledge about God leads to the conversion of the Gentiles. God who is proclaimed to the Gentiles is God who does 'mighty acts". We consider two more narratives, 12: 21-24 and 28: 1-10, in which Gentile notions of god are presented without kerygma attached to them. The former can be classified with the mission narratives since all of them function as model settings to Luke's readers, illustrating how mission ought to take place in circumstances in which similar false understandings of God are found. The latter episode is an example of Luke's positive use of Gentile notions of god as 'justice' to attest the innocence of Paul, the prisoner and missionary to Rome. In the description of the Gentile mission in Acts, Luke emerges as a theologian of God.


Sir Michael Dummett unfairly criticises Frank Ramsey for advocating full-fledged realism as a way to escape the problem of vicious circularity. Instead Ramsey uses a more moderate approach that only requires a thin commitment to theoretical terms. In 'Theories', Ramsey details a method to substitute observational terms for the theoretical terms appearing in a theory, but its early advocates, Rudolf Carnap and Carl Hempel, recognised that the resulting 'ramsey-sentence' does not intend to fully remove the theoretical content of the original theory. Through a model-theoretic approach, Jaakko Hintikka clarifies how the ramsey-sentence is embedded in the original theory, and, thereby, retains a commitment to the theoretical content that governs the substituted observable terms. By understanding how ramsey-sentences relate to the original theory, we will see that Ramsey need not assert a full-fledged realism to address vicious circularity. Instead of committing to the existence of all theoretical concepts involved in the original theory, ramseysentences assert the existence of an unspecified object that satisfies the substituted observable terms, and this commitment is sufficient to escape vicious circularity. Through this process of definition, Ramsey sidesteps Dummett's charge of full-fledged realism, and suggests a more moderate position that is consistent with Dummett's emphasis on domain specification. South African Journal of Philosophy 2014, 33(3): 365–374


Energy subsidy reform is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and tackling climate change. This paper sets out the evidence on the scale of subsidies and their impact. It then reviews the actions of donors in encouraging and supporting energy subsidy reforms. I find that, outside of analytical work in support of international diplomatic efforts, the donor community has devoted remarkably few resources to supporting developing countries to remove energy subsidies. This is despite the fact that energy subsidies exceed all bilateral aid in 59 per cent of recipient countries. The reason for this low level of effort is the political sensitivity of such reforms. The paper then draws on the recent literature on 'thinking and working politically' to provide recommendations about how donors might more effectively encourage politically sensitive energy subsidy reform.


I take as my text a number of recent court decisions in tort actions, about thirty of them. What characterizes the judgments I examine here is that in them claimants have argued (generally, though not invariably, with success) that something in their culture, their religion or both entitles them to either a finding of liability where liability would not be justified in the absence of that cultural or religious make-up, or, more commonly, greater damages than they would be entitled to in the absence of their specific cultural background.I am not considering claims for loss of culture. In loss-of-culture cases, plaintiffs complain that what they have been deprived of is the language, skills, attitudes, and stories of their ancestors. These plaintiffs have most commonly been First Nations people, but loss-of-culture allegations have not been limited to these groups. (1) Such arguments have been advanced both in the courts (2) and also in the public reparations scheme for government compensation in respect of mistreatment at residential schools. Claimants in those suits maintain that that they do not have a culture or, rather, they lack the intellectual and cultural inheritance they should rightfully have. They may assert that the theft of their cultural legacy from them is a stand-alone cause of action. More plausibly, they aver that their loss of their cultural birthright and its traditional narratives should be counted as a harm, and perhaps even as a distinct head of damages, in the context of some traditional ground of civil liability -- for instance, negligence, battery or breach of fiduciary duty.


The quest of `can machines think' and `can machines do what human do' are quests that drive the development of artificial intelligence. Although recent artificial intelligence succeeds in many data intensive applications, it still lacks the ability of learning from limited exemplars and fast generalizing to new tasks. To tackle this problem, one has to turn to machine learning, which supports the scientific study of artificial intelligence. Particularly, a machine learning problem called Few-Shot Learning (FSL) targets at this case. It can rapidly generalize to new tasks of limited supervised experience by turning to prior knowledge, which mimics human's ability to acquire knowledge from few examples through generalization and analogy. It has been seen as a test-bed for real artificial intelligence, a way to reduce laborious data gathering and computationally costly training, and antidote for rare cases learning. With extensive works on FSL emerging, we give a comprehensive survey for it. We first give the formal definition for FSL. Then we point out the core issues of FSL, which turns the problem from "how to solve FSL" to "how to deal with the core issues". Accordingly, existing works from the birth of FSL to the most recent published ones are categorized in a unified taxonomy, with thorough discussion of the pros and cons for different categories. Finally, we envision possible future directions for FSL in terms of problem setup, techniques, applications and theory, hoping to provide insights to both beginners and experienced researchers.


"Advanced Remote Sensing" is an application-based reference that provides a single source of mathematical concepts necessary for remote sensing data gathering and assimilation. It presents state-of-the-art techniques for estimating land surface variables from a variety of data types, including optical sensors such as RADAR and LIDAR. Scientists in a number of different fields including geography, geology, atmospheric science, environmental science, planetary science and ecology will have access to critically-important data extraction techniques and their virtually unlimited applications. While rigorous enough for the most experienced of scientists, the techniques are well designed and integrated, making the book's content intuitive, clearly presented, and practical in its implementation. This title provides a comprehensive overview of various practical methods and algorithms. It provides detailed description of the principles and procedures of the state-of-the-art algorithms. It includes real-world case studies that open several chapters. It presents more than 500 full-color figures and tables. It is edited by top remote sensing experts with contributions from authors across the geosciences.


Wnt signaling through the Frizzled (FZD) family of serpentine receptors is essential for embryogenesis and homeostasis, and stringent control of the FZD protein level is critical for stem cell regulation. Through CRISPR/Cas9 genome-wide screening in human cells, we identified TMEM79/MATTRIN, an orphan multi-span transmembrane protein, as a specific inhibitor of Wnt/FZD signaling. TMEM79 interacts with FZD during biogenesis and promotes FZD degradation independent of ZNRF3/RNF43 ubiquitin ligases (R-spondin receptors). TMEM79 interacts with ubiquitin-specific protease 8 (USP8), whose activating mutations underlie human tumorigenesis. TMEM79 specifically inhibits USP8 deubiquitination of FZD, thereby governing USP8 substrate specificity and promoting FZD degradation. Tmem79 and Usp8 genes have a pre-bilaterian origin, and Tmem79 inhibition of Usp8 and Wnt signaling is required for anterior neural development and gastrulation in Xenopus embryos. TMEM79 is a predisposition gene for Atopic dermatitis, suggesting deregulation of Wnt/FZD signaling a possible cause for this most common yet enigmatic inflammatory skin disease.


This thesis is a study of the importance of conflict in the Third World. It stresses ethnic conflict; conflict within classes, particularly within the bourgeosie; and the role of the 'professional' component in this middle-class struggle. It looks at these in respect of Pakistan and Nigeria, both of which have suffered major civil wars. Conflict is an inseparable part of the process of 'development'. It is argued in this thesis that the nature of conflict changes as societies develop. Third World societies tend to be riven by communal, especially ethnic divisions, while the class structure is ill-defined. Conflict is therefore often ethnic in nature. As the importance of these divisions recedes and the class structure begins to develop, the nature of conflict changes. However, classes are still little more than clusters of 'class fragments', not fully fledged classes in the Western sense. Each class fragment finds itself in competition, not with 'distant'- class fragments but with similar class fragments; resources are so scarce that fragments even within a single class 'group' fight over access to them. Conflict is, therefore, 'intra-class' (i. e. within broad clusters). This competition occurs all the way through the social hierarchy but reaches its climax at the top. Because of the scarcity of resources one of the main means of access to them is through power. The struggle for power between the various 'elite' (but basically bourgeois) fragments is, therefore, intense. Business, bureaucracy, the army and politics all form bases for different class fragments in their struggle against each other to control resources. Central to intra-class conflict is the 'professional' component of the bourgeoisie. In its strugglefor supremacy over the military, the bureaucracy, and businessmen, it seeks an expansion of democracy, politics being its only source of power against these other, stronger, elites. This struggle is carried over into the mass media, which are manned largely by this professional component of the middle class. The press in particular reflects both ethnic and intra-class struggle. This thesis describes in detail the connection between the press and conflict. Only as Third World societies develop more fully is class struggle likely to become 'inter-class', i. e. between classes. Then the various middle-class fragments might combine against the rising proletariat, and unite in their control and use of the mass media. The research incorporated into this thesis did not concern itself with this long-term possibility.


Down London Road is the unmissable sensual sequel to On Dublin Street by bestselling author Samantha Young. Johanna Walker knows what she wants. And that's a strong, steady, financially secure man who will treat her well and look after her and her little brother, Cole - something her parents have never done. But when she meets the gorgeous Cameron MacCabe, a new bartender at work, Jo can't deny the instant and undeniable attraction she feels. Cam doesn't fit into her strict specifications of her perfect partner at all - but for once she is tempted to let her heart rule her head. And as their intense connection grows, Jo has to stop hiding the truth about herself and her family. Is Cam prepared to accept Jo for who she really is? And is Jo willing to let someone into her life for keeps? Down London Road follows the lives of characters introduced in Samantha Young's bestselling romance prequel, On Dublin Street. Praise for Samantha Young: "Scotland's answer to E.L. James". (Sunday Post). "This extraordinary debut combines a true gift for storytelling with a liberal dose of racy encounters. But what really sets it apart is exquisite characterisation, so vivid that the cast seeps into the reader's psyche". (Daily Record). Samantha Young is a 27-year-old Scottish book addict who graduated from the University of Edinburgh. She currently lives in Scotland. Her previous novel, On Dublin Street, is also published by Penguin.


In 1936-1937, Justice George Sutherland wrote his only two United States Supreme Court opinions about freedom of expression. Sutherland's majority opinion in Grosjean v. American Press Co. (1936) and his dissent in Associated Press v. NLRB (1937) set forth a novel and hybrid constitutional concept, the business of expression, which melded economic liberty and freedom of expression and reflected Sutherland's aversion towards political factions and solicitude for private economic rights. In both cases Sutherland assessed economic regulations of the press through the prism of economic liberty and suggested that through partial laws – what Sutherland considered illegitimate class legislation – political factions sought to impede the business of expression. Sutherland's analysis underscored the interplay between economic liberty and freedom of expression.


In order to explore novel synthetic bone scaffolds as part of our ongoing research in the field of bone tissue engineering, we have synthesized a biomimmetic, osteoinductive, tricomposite scaffold incorporating Euryale ferox (EF) with nano-hydroxyapatite and chitosan. The surface morphology of the resultant nanocomposite was visualized via SEM and TEM studies which exhibited a rougher surface of n-HA/CS/EF compared to the n-HA/CS nanocomposite with the particle size ranging between 15 and 20 nm. The n-HA/CS/EF scaffold was degraded up to (16.9 ± 0.70)% in contrast to degradation of (7.4 ± 0.2)% for n-HA/CS. The in vitro SBF study exhibited excellent biomineralization capacity for n-HA/CS/EF which was further elucidated using the ARS staining procedure. The MTT assay illustrated significantly better cell viability compared to the n-HA/CS nanocomposite. A comparatively better antibacterial activity of n-HA/CS/EF was observed against a number of bacterial pathogens. The osteogenic differentiation test (ALP assay) assessed the osteoconductivity of the n-HA/CS/EF nanocomposite. Thus, the synthesized scaffold can be envisioned for potential use in reparation of bone defects.


Tomorrow is the big day! Little Bobby Missoula is going to turn ten tomorrow and his parents have promised to take him to Outlandish Adventures, an amusement park that Bobby has seen advertised on television. As Bobby drifts off to sleep, he begins to dream about the fun that he will have on his birthday. He dreams about the smell of cotton candy and the yells of carnies soliciting people in to play their games, but most of all, he dreams about the Lightning Bolt - the tallest, fastest, and scariest roller coaster that little Bobby has ever seen. In his dream, the Lightning Bolt whips Bobby around sharp angles, through upside down loops so close to water that Bobby's hair and face get wet, down vertical descents at speeds over 100 miles per hour, and finally to an abrupt stop where Bobby rushes to the end of the line to do it all over again.


A CRITIQUE OF HABERMAS' THEORY OF COMMUNICATIVE RATIONALITY The present hegemony of the West is assumed, that is, the outcome is determined, the "diagnosis" is complete. The task remains to account for why this outcome occurred. In short, the question is, "Why did the West rise to hegemony?" Past historical events are integrated selectively to answer this question.1 In the debates over postmodernism that have raged over the past ten years, those interested in defending rationality, and worried about the relativism they believe postmodemism to imply, have often turned to JOrgen Habermas for support.2 Throughout his work Habermas claims that there are universal standards that we can use in making judgments. He has seemed especially attractive as he shows a deep awareness of the limits to most traditional notions of reason. For Habermas, there is no a priori content to what views are to count as rational. Rather, for him, a rational viewpoint is one that was reached through a process of good argumentation. Thus, people are said to be rational to the extent that they are willing to defend their views through arguments and respond to the force of the arguments of the partner in argumentation. From this it would follow that we could engage in arguments to settle disputes, and could use this method to undermine the abuses we have uncovered in current discourses on rationality, while still engaging in legitimizing practices. Many of Habermas' followers hope that this view of rationality will allow us to make critical judgments, while avoiding the obvious problem of most rationalist systems that what is taken to be rational is usually based on the prejudices and "common sense" of a particular society. In this essay I will argue that Habermas' theory of communicative rationality relies strongly on notions of common sense and, more seriously, cannot stand without the notion of Western superiority on which it is founded. I Habermas' approach to epistemology has been described as an attempt to move beyond the dualism of objectivism and relativism.3 Habermas is critical of objectivist or transcendental approaches to epistemology, arguing that they ignore the inherent linguisticality of truth relations. However, in spite of his skepticism about the possibilities of a priori grounding for truth claims, he wants to preserve some form of universalism in order to preserve the possibility of making critical judgments. Therefore, as a way out of the dilemma of universalism and relativism, he proposes grounding judgments in the universal requirements of the use of language. The project of "universal pragmatics" then is to reveal these universal structures and the normative implications they carry with them. In The Theory of Communicative Action, Habermas claims that a rational discourse is one in which the result is based on the uncoerced consensus of the participants in the discussion. Habermas claims to derive the universal component of his theory of rationality from the notion of the force of the better argument and from a theory of human evolution-in which we develop as we come increasingly to accept argumentation as the court of appeals for all judgments. In his essay "Wahrheitstheorien," Habermas gives a critique of traditional approaches to epistemology and offers his consensus theory of truth as an alternative. In this essay, which is Haben-nas' clearest enunciation of his own epistemology, he attempts to ground his theory of truth in the rules of good argumentation. The relationships between argumentation and rationality on the one hand and rationality and progress on the other are left to be developed in the Theory of Communicative Action. In "Wahrheitstheorien," Habermas claims that sentences can have different meanings depending on the context in which they are uttered, he further claims that these differences of meaning effect the truth content of sentences. Because of this we need to look at truth claims as arising out of propositions, or speech acts, rather than out of de-contextualized sentences. …


Abstract Fission track (FT) thermochornology is essentially based on empirical fits to annealing data of FTs revealed by chemical etching, because, until now, unetched, latent FTs could not be examined analytically at the atomic-scale. The major challenge to such an analysis has been the random orientation of FTs and their extremely small diameters. Here we use high-energy ions (2.2 GeV Au or 80 MeV Xe) to simulate FT formation along specific crystallographic orientations. By combining results from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of single tracks and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) for millions of tracks, a precise picture of track morphology as a function of orientation is obtained. High-resolution analysis reveals that orientation affects the shape of tracks in apatite and zircon through the preferential creation of damage along directions with highest atomic density. However, track radius does not depend on orientation, contradicting previous reports. Independent of track orientation, track radii, as measured at each point along the entire length of 80 MeV Xe ion tracks in apatite, can be understood using the thermal spike model of Szenes. Thus, the well-known track annealing anisotropy of apatite is not due to track radius anisotropy. The combination of ion-irradiations with TEM and SAXS analysis provides a unique opportunity to understand and model track formation and annealing under various geologic conditions.


This paper looks at the effect of instructional supervision by school authorities on the pedagogical practices of teachers in public secondary schools in Uganda. To date, research into this field in the country has focused more on the technicalities of supervision rather than on how the teachers have been responding to it. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional survey design, in which both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis were applied . Study respondents included 934 teachers randomly selected from 95 public secondary schools, 76 head teachers, and two officials from the Directorate of Education Standards of the Ministry of Education and Sports. Ordered logistic regression technique was used to establish the effect of instructional supervision on the pedagogical practices of teachers. Findings of the study revealed that both classroom observation (odd ratio=4.1; p=0.000<0.05) and portfolio supervision (odd ratio=2.3; p=0.000<0.05) have statistically significant effect on the pedagogical practices of teachers in public secondary schools in Uganda. Furthermore, the study established that school authorities were inadequately carrying out instructional supervision, thereby leaving teachers to employ ineffective pedagogical practices. The study concluded that teachers' pedagogical practices are dependent on the manner in which they are supervised, other factor notwithstanding. Therefore, in order to augment the pedagogical practices of teachers, school inspection by the Directorate of Education Standards should be increased and regular in-service training needs to be provided to head teachers as well as subject heads on how to conduct classroom observations and portfolio supervision in schools. Keywords: Instructional supervision, classroom observations, portfolio supervision, pedagogical practices


This book provides a multidisciplinary approach to Corporate Social Responsibility. While for decades a purely mathematical-technical orientation dominated the business curriculum, this book presents CSR and sustainability as a business concept embedded in its cultural and spiritual context. It initially approaches practical wisdom from different cultural and religious traditions as a source of spiritual capital for sustainable business practices. Subsequently, it links current CSR concepts and the latest thinking in CSR with long-standing cultural and spiritual knowledge, promoting a more comprehensive view on sustainability management and its implementation at business enterprises. The book collects and unites viewpoints from various cultural and religious contexts, offering a comprehensive guide for international and globally active companies.


This Article explores a basic question of precedent formation: when a majority of the Supreme Court cannot agree on a rule of decision, can the Court nonetheless create a precedent? Under the Marks rule, the answer is yes: a fragmented Court decision stands for the "position taken by those members who concurred in the judgments on the narrowest grounds." But that approach shifts costly interpretive burdens to later courts, privileges outlier views among the justices, and discourages compromise. Instead, Court precedent should form only when a single rule of decision has the express support of at least five justices. That majority rule would promote decisional efficiency by placing the burden of precedent formation on the "cheapest precedent creators"—namely, the justices themselves at the time of decision. To support those conclusions, this Article presents the first systematic study of the Marks rule's operation in appellate courts, including the Supreme Court, the federal circuit courts, and state appellate courts. Lower courts are applying Marks with rapidly increasing frequency, including to construe state court decisions. Yet most appellate citations to the Marks rule involve a relatively small number of fragmented cases. These findings allow courts and scholars to evaluate the rule's practical operation, as well as the costs and benefits of abandoning it. The link between decisional efficiency and precedent formation also sheds light on a number of broader issues in the law of precedent, including: whether to adhere to the results of fragmented or unexplained rulings, when justices may legitimately compromise to form a majority, and how lower courts should discipline the justices' creation of precedent. But to make progress on these issues, we must first move beyond the Marks rule.


An updated, innovative approach to data structures and algorithms Written by an author team of experts in their fields, this authoritative guide demystifies even the most difficult mathematical concepts so that you can gain a clear understanding of data structures and algorithms in C++. The unparalleled author team incorporates the object-oriented design paradigm using C++ as the implementation language, while also providing intuition and analysis of fundamental algorithms. Offers a unique multimedia format for learning the fundamentals of data structures and algorithms Allows you to visualize key analytic concepts, learn about the most recent insights in the field, and do data structure design Provides clear approaches for developing programs Features a clear, easy-to-understand writing style that breaks down even the most difficult mathematical concepts Building on the success of the first edition, this new version offers you an innovative approach to fundamental data structures and algorithms.


Arkenstone fever is a phenomenon of a sudden boost of interest among many Indonesians towards the stones during 2014-2015. Accessories were equipped with them, minerals were hunt, and the economic for the small and medium-sized enterprises were expanded. In this study, we seek to determine and explain the underlying social psychological factors behind this trend. In 2015, we gathered 100 participants (Mage=22.61 years old, SDage=3.818 years) living in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia and possessing at least one arkenstone to examine their Aesthetic Style, Illusory Belief, Health Belief, and Connectedness to Nature to arrange a theoretical model explaining the Fondness of arkenstone. Using path analysis, we found out that Aesthetic Style primarily predicts the Fondness of arkenstone. Connectedness to Nature and Illusory Belief were found out to be able to predict Aesthetic Style, and finally, participant's Health Belief can predict their Illusory Belief. Overall, the theoretical model formed from these findings can be integrated into a model.


Mangosteen rind is currently widely used by people as an ingredient in health drinks. Therefore, it is necessary to standardize the quality of raw materials, extract preparations and their compounds in order to meet the quality requirements as stated in the Indonesian Herbal Pharmacopoeia. The content of mangosteen rind (Garcinia mangostana L.) consists of various kinds of xanthones, especially αmangosteen and γ-mangosteen. The presence of these two compounds can be a standard quality parameter of the mangosteen rind extract as an herbal medicinal ingredient. The method of determining the standard content in the methanol extract of mangosteen rind using the HPLC method. The extract was prepared by maceration method using methanol. Then fractionated and purified to obtain fractions into isolates using various chromatography techniques. The identification of isolated compounds by TLC used the mobile phase of hexane: ethyl acetate (2: 3), H-NMR and reverse-phase HPLC with the mobile phase of water: acetonitrile (80: 20). The assay results for the α-mangosteen standard compound had a mean value of 0.155 mg / mL. The validation of the α-mangosteen content determination method in methanol extract of mangosteen rind (Garcinia mangostana L.) was carried out by determining the values of linearity parameters, detection limits and quantitation limits. The αmangosteen linearity study shows that the analysis carried out in the concentration range (0.4; 0.2; 0.1; 0.05; 0.025) mg / ml provides a measurement of the relationship coefficient (r) of 0.993 with a detection limit (LOD). ) of 0.043 mg / ml and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) of 0.129 mg / ml. So that in this range α-mangosteen gives a linear response. The specificity value of the α-mangosteen spectrum purity test results obtained a correlation value above 0.99. The results of the α-mangosteen test met the validation criteria.


Poland is the sixth largest country in the EU and plays an increasingly important role in European affairs. Looking at its history and legacy, Poland has witnessed some of the most momentous events of the last century and in recent years has seen vast changes in its social, economic and political systems. Understanding developments in Poland can teach us important lessons about the past, present and future of contemporary Europe. Opposition to communism, the Polish transition to democracy, how the country has dealt with its communist past and its changing relationship with the EU all provide fascinating insights into the democratization and European integration processes. At the same time, high levels of societal religiosity in an apparently secularizing Europe and the importance of the Catholic Church have provided a distinctive backdrop ensuring that these processes have often worked themselves out in unique ways.


Fifty-six "experiment-years" of citrus data are presented which show that kilogram for kilogram, foliar-applied N was as effective as soil-applied N for fruit production. However, while one annual soil application sufficed to supply adequate N, three to six or more foliar sprays per year were required. "N-production efficiency" (kg fruit produced per kg applied N) varied from 97 to 484. At or near the maximum nutritionally-attainable yield, "fruit-N-removal efficiency" (kg N removed in fruit per kg applied N × 100) varied from 11 to 75%. The kg of N per 1,000 kg of fresh California citrus fruit varied from 1.15 to 1.73 and increased with increasing N rates.


Grid pricing improves the flow of information to producers, but market signals sent by grids may not be clearly understood. This study uses a two-stage Coefficients of Separate Determination process, four sets of fed cattle carcass data, and sensitivity analyses to identify market signals sent by grid pricing. Weight sends a stronger market signal than carcass quality characteristics such as quality and yield grade. Although grids are shaping production, market signals indicate that lower quality carcasses are penalized more than higher quality carcasses are rewarded. Sensitivity analyses suggest changes in quality and yield grade discounts have the greatest impact on market signals.


A three-dimensional deformable capsule convected through a square duct with a corner is studied via numerical simulations. We develop an accelerated boundary integral implementation adapted to general geometries and boundary conditions. A global spectral method is adopted to resolve the dynamics of the capsule membrane developing elastic tension according to the neo-Hookean constitutive law and bending moments in an inertialess flow. The simulations show that the trajectory of the capsule closely follows the underlying streamlines independently of the capillary number. The membrane deformability, on the other hand, significantly influences the relative area variations, the advection velocity and the principal tensions observed during the capsule motion. The evolution of the capsule velocity displays a loss of the time-reversal symmetry of Stokes flow due to the elasticity of the membrane. The velocity decreases while the capsule is approaching the corner, as the background flow does, reaches a minimum at the corner and displays an overshoot past the corner due to the streamwise elongation induced by the flow acceleration in the downstream branch. This velocity overshoot increases with confinement while the maxima of the major principal tension increase linearly with the inverse of the duct width. Finally, the deformation and tension of the capsule are shown to decrease in a curved corner.


This third edition reviews the epidemiology policies programs and outcome indicators that are used to determine improvements in nutrition and health that lead to development. This greatly expanded third edition provides policy makers nutritionists students scientists and professionals with the most recent and up-to-date knowledge regarding major health and nutritional problems in developing countries. Policies and programs that address the social and economic determinants of nutrition and health are now gaining in importance as methods to improve the status of the most vulnerable people in the world. This volume provides the most current research and strategies so that policy makers program managers researchers and students have knowledge and resources that they can use to advance methods for improving the public's health and the development of nations. The third edition of Nutrition and Health in Developing Countries takes on a new context where the word "developing" is now a verb and not an adjective. © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2001 2008 2017.


The genus Akodon is one of the most abundant and species-rich genus of Neotropical mammals. Its species-level taxonomy has been changing actively since its establishment. Currently, the genus is divided into five groups of species: aerosus , boliviensis , cursor , dolores , and varius. Most taxonomic studies of the genus Akodon have focused on boliviensis , varius , and cursor . Taxa from the aerosus group, including A . orophilus , remain largely unknown and poorly studied, even when several authors indicate that most species could constitute species complexes. Here we review populations currently assigned to A. orophilus ; our results allowed the description of a new species of Akodon . We carried out a complete and thorough revision of species of the Akodon aerosus group from the central Peruvian montane forests. We included external and craniodental characters and morphometric data for our analyses. Multivariate statistics and morphological characterizations were performed in order to find differences between species. A new species of Akodon from Peru is described based on combined analyses of cranial morphology and morphometric data. This new species was compared with other taxa from the aerosus species group, it is easily distinguishable from congeners by a unique combination of pelage coloration, body size, and cranial morphology. This new species is most likely endemic to montane forests from Huanuco, and its discovery contributes to uncover the real diversity of Peruvian rodents, adding up to nine species of Akodon from montane cloud forests. Moreover, it supports the previous hypothesis that montane rodent species are complex species; therefore, further research is necessary.


Vision-based depth reconstruction is a challenging problem extensively studied in computer vision but still lacking universal solution. Reconstructing depth from single image is particularly valuable to mobile robotics as it can be embedded to the modern vision-based simultaneous localization and mapping (vSLAM) methods providing them with the metric information needed to construct accurate maps in real scale. Typically, depth reconstruction is done nowadays via fully-convolutional neural networks (FCNNs). In this work we experiment with several FCNN architectures and introduce a few enhancements aimed at increasing both the effectiveness and the efficiency of the inference. We experimentally determine the solution that provides the best performance/accuracy tradeoff and is able to run on NVidia Jetson with the framerates exceeding 16FPS for 320 × 240 input. We also evaluate the suggested models by conducting monocular vSLAM of unknown indoor environment on NVidia Jetson TX2 in real-time. Open-source implementation of the models and the inference node for Robot Operating System (ROS) are available at https://github.com/CnnDepth/tx2_fcnn_node.


Additional neurological features have recently been described in seven families transmitting pathogenic mutations in OPA1, the most common cause of autosomal dominant optic atrophy. However, the frequency of these syndromal 'dominant optic atrophy plus' variants and the extent of neurological involvement have not been established. In this large multi-centre study of 104 patients from 45 independent families, including 60 new cases, we show that extra-ocular neurological complications are common in OPA1 disease, and affect up to 20% of all mutational carriers. Bilateral sensorineural deafness beginning in late childhood and early adulthood was a prominent manifestation, followed by a combination of ataxia, myopathy, peripheral neuropathy and progressive external ophthalmoplegia from the third decade of life onwards. We also identified novel clinical presentations with spastic paraparesis mimicking hereditary spastic paraplegia, and a multiple sclerosis-like illness. In contrast to initial reports, multi-system neurological disease was associated with all mutational subtypes, although there was an increased risk with missense mutations [odds ratio = 3.06, 95% confidence interval = 1.44–6.49; P = 0.0027], and mutations located within the guanosine triphosphate-ase region (odds ratio = 2.29, 95% confidence interval = 1.08–4.82; P = 0.0271). Histochemical and molecular characterization of skeletal muscle biopsies revealed the presence of cytochrome c oxidase-deficient fibres and multiple mitochondrial DNA deletions in the majority of patients harbouring OPA1 mutations, even in those with isolated optic nerve involvement. However, the cytochrome c oxidase-deficient load was over four times higher in the dominant optic atrophy + group compared to the pure optic neuropathy group, implicating a causal role for these secondary mitochondrial DNA defects in disease pathophysiology. Individuals with dominant optic atrophy plus phenotypes also had significantly worse visual outcomes, and careful surveillance is therefore mandatory to optimize the detection and management of neurological disability in a group of patients who already have significant visual impairment.


The Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency (BIAS) project is the first major opportunity to use a behavioral economics lens to examine programs that serve poor and vulnerable families in the United States. Sponsored by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation of the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and led by MDRC, the project applies behavioral insights to issues related to the operations, implementation, and efficacy of social service programs and policies. The goal is to learn how tools from behavioral science can be used to deliver programs more effectively and, ultimately, improve the well-being of low-income children, adults, and families.
This report presents findings from a behavioral intervention, developed in collaboration with the Washington State Division of Child Support (DCS), to increase the number of incarcerated noncustodial parents in Washington who apply for modifications to reduce the amount of their child support orders. Incarcerated noncustodial parents have a limited ability to pay their child support orders each month, due to their incarceration, which can lead to the accumulation of significant child support debt.
The BIAS project diagnosed bottlenecks in the process for applying for modifications, hypothesized behavioral reasons for the bottlenecks, and designed a sequence of behaviorally informed materials to be sent to incarcerated noncustodial parents. These materials provided incarcerated parents with a series of supports at different points in time to make them aware that they may be eligible for an order modification and to move them from intention to action. The materials included all the paperwork needed to request a modification, a tip sheet providing clear and succinct guidance on how to fill out the modification request, and reminders through electronic messages.
The test focused on 827 noncustodial parents who were incarcerated in Washington State prisons and were randomly assigned to one of two groups — the BIAS group or a control group. The BIAS group received the intervention materials, and the control group experienced DCS's typical approach to interaction with incarcerated parents, which consisted of ad hoc outreach and written materials sent to parents who requested them. The intervention increased the percentage of parents requesting a modification from 9 to 41 percent, a 32 percentage point increase. Additionally, the intervention resulted in a 16 percentage point increase in the number of incarcerated parents actually receiving a modification to their child support orders.
The statistically significant impact on requests for modifications echoes the results of a prior BIAS test in Texas, which also found impacts on modification requests. Furthermore, it builds on these results by demonstrating that behaviorally informed messaging can also increase the percentage of parents who actually receive modifications to their child support orders. Finally, the intervention demonstrates the possible value of electronic messages as a tool for government agencies seeking to communicate with incarcerated populations.


A total of 1,021 children attending 2 primary schools in districts in Erzurum were enrolled in a study evaluating the prevalence of otitis media with effusion (OME) and its relationship with various risk factors. The prevalence of OME in this study was 6.8% (69/1021). The difference in OME prevalence between age groups (<9 years, >9 years) was statistically significant (p<0.05). Parental smoking (p<0.001), history of acute otitis media (AOM) and recent history of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) (p<0.001), socioeconomic status (p < 0.05), family size (p<0.001), educational status of the parents (p<0.05) and breastfeeding history (p<0.05) were also statistically significant factors. Sex (p>0.05), consanguineous marriage (p>0.05) and history of hearing loss in the parents (p>0.05) were not statistically significant. Parents need to be informed about the symptoms of and risk factors for OME to avoid delayed diagnosis, which can lead to permanent hearing loss.


The development of next-generation sequencing has greatly expanded our understanding of genomic alterations in cancer. This has furthered a need for new research strategies, particularly the generation of animal models for novel genetic alterations such as insertions, deletions or chromosomal rearrangements. As sequencing technology has increased its efficiency and resolution in recent years, the classic generation of genetically engineered mouse models cannot keep up with the pace of new discoveries. Gene editing in embryonic stem cells using homologous recombination has provided excellent mouse models to study alterations in tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes, however this approach is time-consuming and costly. Another significant limitation to these models is that germline mutations are constitutively present throughout all tissues in the mouse, limiting their relevance to the organ-specific somatic mutations that produce most human cancers. cDNA-based over-expression and RNA interference-mediated knockdown have also allowed scientists to study particular genes or changes in expression of key drivers, but these models are far from physiological. Ideally, a successful model system would overcome these key limitations, and would also be able to adapt quickly to accommodate the plethora of new targets and growing diversity of genomic changes that have been implicated in cancer development.


Objective To develop normative ranges for citrate-modified and heparinase-modified thromboelastography (TEG) in term neonates. Design Prospective observational study. Setting An outborn neonatal and cardiac intensive care unit in a free-standing academic children's hospital. Patients Thirty term neonates were enrolled as control subjects. Seventeen infants with clinically documented bleeding requiring blood transfusion were enrolled in the comparison group. Main outcome measures Citrate-modified and heparinase-modified TEG parameters were calculated from blood specimens drawn via peripheral arterial stick or arterial line. Results TEG in neonates differs from older children and adults; clotting time (R) and clot kinetics (K) values are generally lower while fibrinolysis or rate of clot breakdown (LY30) and coagulation index (CI) are often higher in neonates. TEG values in term neonates calculated as median (Q1–Q3) are as follows: R 4.150 (3.200–6.200), K 1.550 (1.200–1.800), α angle (α) 70.100 (66.000–72.900), maximum amplitude (MA) 61.850 (59.400–66.000), LY30 1.050 (0.100–1.600) and CI 1.950 (0.100 to 2.900). Cut points selected for optimal predictive value for bleeding using receiver operating curve analyses were R>6.3 (sensitivity 82.4%, specificity 80%); K>2.5 (sensitivity 82.4%, specificity 96.7%); α<59 (sensitivity 82.4%, specificity 96.7%); MA<57 (sensitivity 82.4%, specificity 86.7%); CI<−0.15 (sensitivity 88.2%, specificity 83.3%). Conclusions The reference ranges and cut points for citrate-modified and heparinase-modified TEG can be used to diagnose and evaluate coagulopathy in term neonates.


Abstract. As routing applications become common on mobile devices, significant problems that remain are the sparse underlying data support for pedestrian-based routing and the inability to customize an existing route for specific individual accessibility needs. Cartographic researchers have repeatedly demonstrated methods for sophisticated modelling of infrastructure and have built routing portals and accessibility systems, yet these systems and their benefits have not been used widely, due to problems with underlying data support. This research reviews a few exemplar systems and presents a new routing study that uses the presence of overhead tree canopy to add a preference layer to individual routing. This allows individuals to plan and choose navigation pathways for purposes of body heat thermoregulation, a problem that exists for many individuals with mobility impairments, particularly those with spinal cord injuries. The study presented here demonstrates that successful routing underneath the tree canopy can be done in a way that only marginally increases the length of such routes. This study also demonstrates the need for detailed geographic data support for preference-based routing.


In a thoughtful review article, Barolo and Psakony ask some big questions about how the seven main signaling pathways that regulate development produce diverse and specific patterns of gene expression. They discuss three basis regulatory properties that are shared by many pathways even though the properties are mediated by very different machinery in the cell. The first, which they call activator insufficiency, means that a signal pathway response element (SPRE) alone is insufficient to drive gene expression through enhancer module in vivo. This leads to a requirement for the second property, cooperative activation. Full expression of target genes usually requires the presence of other transcriptional activators that are often expressed in a particular location of a group of cells. The powerful cooperative activation by the combination of these local factors with signaling to SPREs is then held in check by the third basic phenomenon, default repression. This means that transcription is actively repressed in the absence of an activating signal. In fact, the repressor is sometimes the same signal-regulated transcription factor that promotes activation in the presence of a signal. Together, the three properties may account for the diverse regulatory patterns and for sharp boundaries between developing tissues where even adjoining cells may adopt distinct cell fates. S. Barolo, J. W. Posakony, Three habits of highly effective signaling pathways: Principles of transcriptional control by developmental cell signaling. Genes Dev. 16, 1167-1181 (2002). [Full Text]


The May 2016 surveys of expectations conducted by Central Banks with inflation targeting regimes indicate that simple average growth expectations for 2016 for the eight countries covered by REVELA have remained constant at 1.7% compared to the previous month. Similarly, the GDP weighted average growth expectations remained stable at -0.7%. Also inflation expectations for 2016 remained stable in May compared to previous month both on the simple average basis at 5.3% and on the GDP weighted average basis at 5.5%. At the individual country level, growth expectations remained constant in six countries: Guatemala at 3.7%, Paraguay at 3.0%, Colombia at 2.9%, Mexico at 2.4%, Chile at 1.7% and Uruguay at 0.3% and decreased by 0.1% in both Brazil and Peru. Inflation expectations fell in Mexico by 0.1%, remained constant in Uruguay at 10.1%, in Colombia at 6.0%, in Paraguay at 4.8%, and in Chile and Peru at 3.5%. Finally, they increased in Paraguay by 0.2% and in Brazil and Guatemala by 0.1% in both countries. Expected growth for the region is as low as -3.9% for Brazil and as high as 3.7% in Guatemala, while expected inflation ranges from 3.1% in Mexico to 10.1% in Uruguay.


Meiotic crossovers (COs) are essential for proper chromosome segregation and the reshuffling of alleles during meiosis. In WT plants, the number of COs is usually small, which limits the genetic variation that can be captured by plant breeding programs. Part of this limitation is imposed by proteins like FANCM, the inactivation of which results in a 3-fold increase in COs in Arabidopsis thaliana. Whether the same holds true in crops needed to be established. In this study, we identified EMS induced mutations in FANCM in two species of economic relevance within the genus Brassica. We showed that CO frequencies were increased in fancm mutants in both diploid and tetraploid Brassicas, Brassica rapa and Brassica napus respectively. In B. rapa, we observed a 3-fold increase in the number of COs, equal to the increase observed previously in Arabidopsis. In B. napus we observed a lesser but consistent increase (1.3-fold) in both euploid (AACC) and allohaploid (AC) plants. Complementation tests in A. thaliana suggest that the smaller increase in crossover frequency observed in B. napus reflects residual activity of the mutant C copy of FANCM. Altogether our results indicate that the anti-CO activity of FANCM is conserved across the Brassica, opening new avenues to make a wider range of genetic diversity accessible to crop improvement.


Objective To examine the epidemiology of hypertension in women of reproductive age. Methods Using NHANES from 1999–2008, we identified 5,521 women age 20–44 years old. Hypertension status was determined using blood pressure measurements and/or self-reported medication use. Results The estimated prevalence of hypertension in women of reproductive age was 7.7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.9%–8.5%). The prevalence of anti-hypertensive pharmacologic therapy was 4.2% (95% CI 3.5%–4.9%). The prevalence of hypertension was relatively stable across the study period; the age and race adjusted odds of hypertension in 2007–2008 did not differ significantly from 1999–2000 (odds ratio 1.2, CI 0.8 to 1.7, p = 0.45). Significant independent risk factors associated with hypertension included older age, non-Hispanic black race (compared to non-Hispanic whites), diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and higher body mass index. The most commonly used antihypertensive medications included diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE), and beta blockers. Conclusion Hypertension occurs in about 8% of women of reproductive age. There are remarkable differences in the prevalence of hypertension between racial/ethnic groups. Obesity is a risk factor of particular importance in this population because it affects over 30% of young women in the U.S., is associated with more than 4 fold increased risk of hypertension, and is potentially modifiable.


This research study focuses on measuring the possible spillover effects of socio-economic interactions on COVID-19 pandemic vulnerability across Indonesia's regions by utilising a spatial simultaneous model. The COVID-19 pandemic vulnerability level here is used to indicate the extent to which a region is susceptible to the spreading COVID-19 pandemic, as determined by not only the region's COVID-19 related epidemiological factors but also by its relevant socio-demographic and economic aspects, housing, environmental health, and availability of health facilities. High COVID-19 pandemic vulnerability levels were mostly found in districts in Java Island and southern Sumatera, suggesting high population density and mobility in both regions. It was revealed that 31 districts have low COVID-19 risk levels (from epidemiological indicators-related measurements), but they have high COVID-19 vulnerability levels (from epidemiological and socioeconomic indicators-based measurements). Labour productivity was found to have a reciprocal relationship with COVID-19 vulnerability, proving that the COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on labour productivity and vice versa. On the other hand, regional independence affects COVID-19 vulnerability, but this does not apply the other way around. Moreover, this study has also proven that COVID-19 pandemic vulnerability levels have socio-economic spillover effects on neighbouring areas in Indonesia.


Abstract Because the 14C calibration curves IntCal and SHCal are based on data from temperate latitudes, it remains unclear which curve is more suitable for archaeological and paleoenvironmental records from tropical South America. A review of climate dynamics reveals a significant influx of Northern Hemisphere air masses and moisture over a substantial part of the continent during the South American Summer Monsoon (SASM). Areas affected by the SASM receive unknown amounts of input from both hemispheres, where an argument could be made for either curve. Until localized tree-ring data can resolve this, we suggest using a mixed calibration curve, which accounts for inputs from both hemispheres, as a third calibration option. We present a calibration example from a crucial period of environmental and cultural change in the southern Lake Titicaca. Given our current lack of data on past ∆14C variation in South America, our calibrations and chronologies will likely change in the future. We hope this paper spurs new research into this topic and encourages researchers to make an informed and explicit choice of which curve to use, which is particularly relevant in research on past human–environmental relationships.


Agile development methodologies have been gaining acceptance in the mainstream software development community. While there are numerous studies of agile development in academic and educational settings, there has been little detailed reporting of the usage, penetration and success of agile methodologies in traditional, professional software development organizations. We report on the results of an empirical study conducted at Microsoft to learn about agile development and its perception by people in development, testing, and management. We found that one-third of the study respondents use agile methodologies to varying degrees, and most view it favorably due to improved communication between team members, quick releases and the increased flexibility of agile designs. The scrum variant of agile methodologies is by far the most popular at Microsoft. Our findings also indicate that developers are most worried about scaling agile to larger projects (greater than twenty members), attending too many meetings and the coordinating agile and non-agile teams.