Instabilities operating in both the ionosphere and magnetosphere will produce an exponential growth of plasma waves. These waves could then act in resonance with pre¬ cipitating auroral electrons at their local plasma and cyclotron frequencies (.5-10 MHz) to produce a modulation of the electron flux. The design of a rocket-borne experiment to measure flux modulation of 4-8 keV auroral electrons in the pre¬ viously unexplored frequency range of 10 kHz-10 MHz is described. The detector proposed for the experiment is a Johnston Laboratory MM-1 Electron Multiplier. A hemi¬ spherical electrostatic deflection system is used to provide large count-rates of the appropriate electrons, and to reduce the apparent modulation in the flux due to the spin stabilization of the rocket. An on-board spectral analysis of the signal is performed, and the frequency spectrum is telemetered to the receiving station. Since the experiment is exploratory, the instrument is designed to measure only the amount and frequency of the occurring modulation.


Starting in 1970, Jean Genet-petty thief, prostitute, modernist master-spent two years in the Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan. Always an outcast himself, Genet was drawn to this displaced people, an attraction that was to prove as complicated for him as it was enduring. Prisoner of Love, written some ten years later, when many of the men Genet had known had been killed, and he himself was dying, is a beautifully observed description of that time and those men as well as a reaffirmation of the author's commitment not only to the Palestinian revolution but to rebellion itself. For Genet's most overtly political book is also his most personal-the last step in the unrepentantly sacrilegious pilgrimage first recorded in The Thief's Journal, and a searching meditation, packed with visions, ruses, and contradictions, on such life-and-death issues as the politics of the image and the seductive and treacherous character of identity. Genet's final masterpiece is a lyrical and philosophical voyage to the bloody intersection of oppression, terror, and desire at the heart of the contemporary world.


By the time Melville completed Pierre, he had become profoundly skeptical about the ability of language to penetrate beneath the surface of appearances and reveal something about the mystery underlying reality. His hero's dilemma expressed this skepticism. As far as one went down into the world, it was found to consist of "surface stratified on surface. To its axis, the world being nothing but superinduced superficies" (Melville 285). At the core of experience was a void. The center of the world had turned out to be an empty room containing a sarcophagus, but no body (285). Similarly, the fate of his hero as a young American author paralleled and parodied Melville's own literary career. After the dismal reception accorded to Pierre, Melville may have become exhausted by his efforts and, frustrated by his lack of critical and commercial success, turned away from novel writing and towards a new fictional form. He became a magazine writer.Melville's first published tale, "Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall-Street," appeared in Putnam Magazine, in November and December 1853, and seems to be both an outgrowth of the failure of Pierre as well as a continued exploration of conflicts already suggested in that novel. The narrator of Pierre had begun the section "Young America in Literature" by defiantly claiming: "I write precisely as I please" (244). But such an approach had resulted in severe criticism of the novel as well as of the mind that had produced it. Melville had asked himself if originality of form could compensate for the limitations of language itself, and the answer was no. The act of writing has been reduced to copying in "Bartleby." Similarly, the language of law had also become so rigid as to inhibit its flexibility in dealing with the most pressing conflicts of the period, particularly slavery. "Bartleby" then takes up where the ambiguities had led.It is surprising to note that despite the wide-ranging interest in "Bartleby," few critics have dealt specifically with the interconnection of representation, reproduction, and law which the text suggests.(1) I believe that after Pierre Melville further questioned the efficacy of writing as the predominant mode of discourse both for interpreting experience and for organizing society and, further, I believe that he concluded that written representation was challenged by a new mimetic mode, the mass-produced image. The consequences of automatic reproduction had affinities with what he regarded as negative developments within the sphere of legal discourse. The simultaneous development of various aspects of photography formed a constellation of innovations closely tied to industrialization, which was fueled by the positivism that also predominated in the legal sphere. The mass production of art, represented by magazine writing, the fusion of the machine and art in the form of photography and the mechanical encoding of law within reproduced copies of copied documents ultimately challenged prior concepts of man, the artist and the foundation of the society of which they were both a part. The suppositions upon which the mechanical reproduction of images were grounded were akin to those upon which legal formalism was based, and these concepts further threatened the predominance of writing as a mode of understanding experience. Ultimately this becomes the tragedy of Bartleby and of the humanity he comes to represent.Melville, like his juvenile author Pierre, turned to magazine writing. But he expressed disdain for the project in a tone not far removed from Bartleby's famous refusal to copy. In a letter to Evert Duyckinck of February 12, 1851, Melville rejected a request to submit some writing and a daguerreotype of himself to Holden's Dollar Magazine:How shall a man go about refusing a man?--...I cannot write the thing you want...I am not in the humor to write the kind of thing you need--and I am not in the humor to write for Holden's Magazine... …


The large waqf complex of Süleymaniye in Istanbul held vast agricultural lands and numerous revenue-yielding real estates. However, in 1586, it was mentioned as being in debt to butcher and grocer in an official document. The financial distress of the waqf around the 1580s could have not been determined although the waqf has been examined through its account books. The present study using the detailed registers shows that the waqf experienced serious difficulties in revenue collection. This study particularly emphasizes two points. First, the detailed registers are valuable sources supporting the financial analysis of the waqf institutions. Secondly, considering the fact that the Süleymaniye was deriving the major part of its income from the rural areas in the Balkans, the financial hardship of the waqf may imply deterioration in agricultural conditions. Therefore, future research analyzing the waqf for a longer term is significant to reveal economic conditions in the Balkans.


Optimal learning occurs when students are interested in the subject matter, are motivated with challenging and quality learning opportunities, and when immersed in atmospheres that make learning enjoyable. One technique to promote optimal learning is through the use of constructive controversies. The purpose of this study was to provide an example of a constructive controversy and to explore student perceptions regarding the learning format. The respondents (n=126 undergraduates) engaged in the constructive controversy assignment and completed a questionnaire to assess variables including new thinking, enjoyment, and demographic information. Regression analysis indicated that new thinking as a result of participation in the constructive controversy was a unique predictor of enjoyment. The findings suggested that students were actively engaged in the topic and constructed knowledge through the synthesizing of information. The activity allowed students the opportunity to practice the general skills of inquiry, communication, critical thinking, and problem solving. Implications of this study point to the advisability of including the constructive controversy activity into learning activities in higher education. ********** According to educational psychology, optimal learning occurs when students are interested in the subject matter, are motivated with challenging and quality learning opportunities, and when immersed in atmospheres that make learning enjoyable. (Barr & Tagg, 1995; Ediger, 2001; Wingspread Group on Higher Education, 1993). According to L. Dee Fink (2003) significant learning experiences in well-designed college courses challenge students to higher levels of learning such as decision making and critical and creative thinking; utilize active forms of learning such as problem solving; and provide a structured sequence of different learning activities, such as lecture, discussions, small groups, and writing that support different kinds of learning goals and styles. One technique to promote optimal learning is through the use of constructive controversies, as first reported by Johnson and Johnson in Joining together: Group theory and group skills (Johnson & Johnson, 2003). Constructive controversy is, "an instructional procedure that combines cooperative learning (in which students work together in small groups to develop a report on an assigned topic) with structured intellectual conflict (in which students argue the pro and con positions on an issue in order to stimulate problem-solving and reasoned judgment)" (Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 2000, 29). Purpose of Study The purpose of this study was 1) to present a lesson utilizing the constructive controversy format that can be used in many disciplines including but not limited to economics, ethics, and textiles and apparel studies and 2) to present student perceptions regarding the constructive controversy format. Constructive Controversy Format In the constructive controversy format, the instructor assigns students to groups of four, divides each group into two pairs, and then states the constructive controversy topic. The cooperative goal is for each student to reach a deeper understanding of the matter at hand. One pair of students in each group is given the assignment of developing and advocating for the best case possible of the pro position, while the other pair of students does the same for the con position. The instructor supervises as the pairs discuss the issue, construct persuasive arguments for their position, and refute the opposing position while rebutting attacks on their own. After consulting with their partners and arguing their positions, the pairs reverse perspectives; the proponents of a viewpoint became the opponents and vice versa. Students then seek an agreement that synthesizes both positions. The instructor monitors the groups to facilitate discussion and listen to students' arguments and perspective reversals (Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 2000). …


Parental care has evolved promote fitness gains. Burying beetles engage in extensive pre-
hatching and post-hatching parental care providing several avenues to transmit bacteria to their
offspring. One aspect of pre-hatching parental care consists of preserving a small vertebrate
carcass via oral and anal secretions, allowing the carcass to be used as a reproductive resource.
Post-hatching parental care consists in large part of parental regurgitations of the preserved
carcass. We sought to determine if pre-hatching parental care resulted in bacterial transmission
from adults to carcasses via anal secretions. We then sought to determine if lab-rearing conditions
affected the digestive tract bacterial communities of F1 and F2 generation adults. We finally sought
to determine if carcasses and post-hatching parental care in the form of parental regurgitations
resulted into bacterial transmission to larvae. Using High-Throughput Illumina MiSeq, we were
able to characterize bacterial communities of adult and larval digestive tracts, anal secretions, and
unprepared and prepared carcasses. Our results show that bacterial communities of adults are
dissimilar from anal secretions and prepared carcasses. We then show that lab-rearing conditions
do not significantly alter digestive tract bacterial communities of F1 and F2 generation adults
relative to wild caught adults. We proceed to show that larvae receiving parental regurgitations
have digestive tract bacterial communities similar to their parents whereas larvae that do not
receive parental regurgitations have dissimilar digestive tract bacterial communities from their
parents. We further show that bacterial communities of prepared carcasses are dissimilar from all
larvae. Our evidence suggests that anal secretions to preserve carcasses for the reproductive bout
and have no influence on bacterial transmission to neither carcasses nor larvae. Our evidence also
suggests that parental regurgitations influence bacterial transmission to offspring.


In a lucid dream the dreamer is aware of the dream state and can influence the dream content and events. The goal of this study was to investigate some applications of lucid dreaming. Our survey included 301 lucid dreamers who filled out an online questionnaire. The most frequent  application (81.4%) was having fun, followed by changing a bad dream or nightmare into a pleasant one (63.8%), solving problems (29.9%), getting creative ideas or insights (27.6%) and practicing skills (21.3%). Women used lucid dreams significantly more often than men for both work on nightmares and problem solving. Our results show that lucid dreams have a great potential for improving one's life in different ways. More research is needed to illuminate the possibilities of lucid dreaming, especially in the fields of nightmare treatment and practicing motor skills.


Samples were collected from the top 200 m of the water column at 50 stations during two cruises in different, near equinoctial seasons on an Atlantic transect near the 20°W meridian between 50°N and 50°S. These samples were analysed to determine characteristics of the heterotrophic bacterial populations. Flow cytometry was used to enumerate these bacteria and determine their average size so as to calculate their biomass. Heterotrophic bacterial production, and the rate of grazing of these bacteria by heterotrophic nanoplankton in the main depth layers, were determined using 3H thymidine and 14C leucine techniques. The biomass of heterotrophic nanoplankton in these layers was determined using a glucosaminidase assay. Five provinces were distinguished along the transect and characterized by average values of all measured parameters. The relative composition and activity of the microbial community in the water columns within each province changed little between the two cruises. Lowest heterotrophic bacterial biomass of 1–2 mg C m–3 and production of 0.1–0.2 mg C m–3 day–1 were found in the northern and southern Atlantic gyres, and were relatively similar in both seasons. Biomass and production were 2–4 times higher in the northern and southern temperate waters, and in equatorial waters, than in the gyres and tended to show more seasonal variation. Production and biomass in the layer below the pycnocline were lower by 10–30% and about 50%, respectively, than values determined in the surface mixed layer, and varied less with latitude. Depth-integrated values of these two parameters were generally of similar size in the mixed water layer and the layer of the chlorophyll maximum and pycnocline, and tended to vary with season. The specific growth rate of heterotrophic bacteria was in the range 0.05 to 0.12 day–1 in the top mixed layer at all latitudes. In spite of the elevated temperatures, bacterial growth appears to be restricted by a shortage of nutrients so that the microbial community cycles very slowly, with a turnover time of the order of 1 week or more. The depth-integrated biomass of heterotrophic nanoplankton was generally about 100% of the heterotrophic bacterial biomass in the same water. Grazing by these nanoplankton at the rate measured could consume all of the new production of heterotrophic bacteria in all waters, and they probably control the populations of both heterotrophic and phototrophic bacteria.


Margin loans have long been associated in the popular mind with instability in security markets, and the potential for margin lending to exacerbate the amplitude of cycles in stock prices has received considerable attention in the years since the Crash of 1929. Despite the many empirical studies of the association between margin loans or margin requirements and the volatility of stock returns, there has been no definitive answer, and the consensus among financial economists is that margin lending plays little, if any, role in shaping the probability distribution of returns on common stocks. Perhaps as a result of this, the Federal Reserve System's margin requirements have not been changed since 1974. ; This study addresses the role of margin requirements from the vantage points of economic theory and the historical record. The author reviews many of the key empirical studies of the link between margin requirements and stock prices. Economic theory suggests many reasons that the link might be weak, and this is supported by many of the empirical studies. ; The author estimates a model of the returns on common stocks in the period 1975-2001. The model includes information on the amount of margin debt outstanding. He concludes that margin loans are a statistically significant factor in the determination of stock returns, and that the effect is stronger and more reliable for the NASDAQ Composite index than for the S&P 500 index. However, the economic significance of margin debt is so low that this study is not able to support a return to the active margin policy that existed prior to 1974.


I aspire to become a lawyer one day. But as I check the boxes marked "other" on law school applications, I think back to when I first became aware of Romanil marginality in the legal system. I was a sophomore in college and was interning at the nearby family court. As the judge adjourned another case, the court reporter, clerk, and attorneys began to engage in the usual banter. After a case involving a rambunctious teen, an older white woman serving as the clerk said something to the effect of, "If that were my kid, I'd give him to the Gypsies." After crying in the bathroom, I returned to the courtroom and told them that unfortunately for them, I was "a Gypsy." 2 I tried to explain the term "Roma," our origins, and the problematic nature of what was said. I calmly explained that her statement presenting Romani parentage as a form of punishment is based on deeply-seated stereotypes of Roma as baby-thieves and generally suspect people. They responded defensively, and I quit my internship. Reflecting on the incident, I wondered, what if there was a Romani fortuneteller3 fighting to regain custody of her children from the state? Or what if the judge were in criminal court, and the defendant was Romani? With such stereotypes so deeply ingrained within the collective psyche, what prospects for justice are there for Roma and Romani women in particular? I have recently confronted this question again in the context of fortunetelling.


Artificial coastal defence structures are proliferating in response to rising and stormier seas. These structures provide habitat for many species but generally support lower biodiversity than natural habitats. This is primarily due to the absence of environmental heterogeneity and water‐retaining features on artificial structures. We compared the epibiotic communities associated with artificial coastal defence structures and natural habitats to ask the following questions: (1) is species richness on emergent substrata greater in natural than artificial habitats and is the magnitude of this difference greater at mid than upper tidal levels; (2) is species richness greater in rock pools than emergent substrata and is the magnitude of this difference greater in artificial than natural habitats; and (3) in artificial habitats, is species richness in rock pools greater at mid than upper tidal levels?


The evolution of human genetics, from the fifties onwards, acted as a trigger for multiple fields, especially for those dealing with bioethics and law. Many of the advances accomplished may touch human dignity and, at the same time, they impel the creation of new human rights. On the basis of these premises the author analyses the most significant impacts of the new genetics upon society: the danger of a new eugenism, genetic discrimination, manipulation of genetic information, problems derived from the investigation on the genome, the appropriation of human genetic material; indicating, in conclusion some paths to follow.


Abstract. pH is a fundamental aerosol property that affects ambient particle concentration and composition, linking pH to all aerosol environmental impacts. Here, PM1 and PM2. 5 pH are calculated based on data from measurements during the California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change (CalNex) study from 15 May to 15 June 2010 in Pasadena, CA. Particle pH and water were predicted with the ISORROPIA-II thermodynamic model and validated by comparing predicted to measured gas–particle partitioning of inorganic nitrate, ammonium, and chloride. The study mean ± standard deviation PM1 pH was 1.9 ± 0.5 for the SO42−–NO3−–NH4+–HNO3–NH3 system. For PM2. 5, internal mixing of sea salt components (SO42−–NO3−–NH4+–Na+–Cl−–K+–HNO3–NH3–HCl system) raised the bulk pH to 2.7 ± 0.3 and improved predicted nitric acid partitioning with PM2. 5 components. The results show little effect of sea salt on PM1 pH, but significant effects on PM2. 5 pH. A mean PM1 pH of 1.9 at Pasadena was approximately one unit higher than what we have reported in the southeastern US, despite similar temperature, relative humidity, and sulfate ranges, and is due to higher total nitrate concentrations (nitric acid plus nitrate) relative to sulfate, a situation where particle water is affected by semi-volatile nitrate concentrations. Under these conditions nitric acid partitioning can further promote nitrate formation by increasing aerosol water, which raises pH by dilution, further increasing nitric acid partitioning and resulting in a significant increase in fine particle nitrate and pH. This study provides insights into the complex interactions between particle pH and nitrate in a summertime coastal environment and a contrast to recently reported pH in the eastern US in summer and winter and the eastern Mediterranean. All studies have consistently found highly acidic PM1 with pH generally below 3.


Exposure-based therapies are considered to be most effective in the treatment of all phobias and have grown to become the psychological treatment of choice. A variable that is combined with exposure-based therapies and enhances phobic improvement is modelling. Past research has shown the mastery technique to be the most effective modelling procedure rather than the coping technique. A putative mechanism for treatment effect may be through the internalization of locus of control. Due to the prevalence of simple phobias, the logistic and economic demands in providing such a treatment make the delivery of therapy to sufferers difficult. Computer administered behaviour therapies represent an innovative solution and have been shown to be effective in controlled trials using subjects with clinical diagnoses.. The present research addresses the limitations of previous instructional computer programs through the development of a simulated computer program for the treatment of spider phobia combining the principles of exposure therapy and modelling techniques. The aims of the study include whether scenario specificity is important in the treatment of specific phobias, whether the program facilitates self-exposure in-vivo, and whether phobic improvement produces a complementary shift in ratings of locus of control.
Spider phobics (N=45) were randomly allocated ·to one of three treatment groups: elevator scenario (ES) ; spider scenario (SS); or spider scenario without treatment principles (SSWTP). All subjects completed three computer
treatment sessions. Thirty-eight subjects completed the 6 to 12 month follow up. Results showed a significant improvement rate for performance (time taken to reach the maximum score) within each group across the three
computer treatment sessions. No significant shift from external to internal locus of control was found within groups following treatment. Computer scenario specificity was found not to constitute an important factor in the treatment of spider phobics as in addition to the elimination of some important treatment principles. Exposure activities were facilitated to a degree by the treatmenl: program and maintained at the follow up. No additional reported exposure activities however, were endorsed during the follow-up period. Reported self-exposure activities were shown to correlate positively with phobic improvement. All groups showed significant phobic improvement following the treatment as measured on a variety of instruments. The methodological limitations of this study are discussed.


Appellate courts are a principal source of change and growth of the criminal law. In the course of resolving disputes, appellate courts announce rules that govern future cases. For the government, seeing that these rules develop in a favorable way is often more important than the outcome in the case before the appellate court. The government is charged with protecting the public, and developing generally applicable rules of criminal law often is more important in obtaining that goal than securing the conviction of one individual. In its efforts to ensure the development of government-friendly rules, the government does not depend solely on the merits of its substantive arguments; it also uses strategies on appeal, sometimes over the course of many appeals, to nudge courts to adopt rules that are favorable to the government or to establish obstacles designed to discourage courts from adopting unfriendly rules. This Symposium Article describes some of these strategies and discusses how those strategies may affect the development of the law.


The practice of dueling demolishes any happy notion that people are fundamentally the same regardless of the particular chronological moment in which they inhabit the world. Yet the duel flourished in the United States at least until the latter decades of the nineteenth century, when it died out in a regionally specific manner. This Article provides an antidote to static views of dueling by analyzing the duel as both a subject of legal regulation and a precursor to legal remedies for injuries to reputation. The duel carried profound public meaning; to duel was to perform the specific role of gentleman by asserting the right to vindicate personal honor in the realm of public notice. A subtle alchemy was therefore necessary for dueling to be viable as an institution: a translation from private dispute into public performance. This translation occurred frequently throughout the United States for much of the first half of the nineteenth century. By mid-century, however, growing dissonance between North and South led the two regions to diverge in their practice of dueling. Elite southerners embraced the duel as a symbol of southern exceptionalism and gentility, in contrast to what they viewed as the declining civility of northern industrial society. In clinging to the duel, southerners sought to maintain their traditional view of public and private as a single, coherent arena for human activity with a single code of behavior. Northerners, meanwhile, began to object to the duel because they viewed its merger of public and private realms as no longer appropriate for their increasingly urban, commercial, and industrial society. Instead, northern opinion gravitated toward an aspirationally modern and legal worldview in which only damage touching a male individual's public role as a merchant or a professional - and not the more diffuse persona of "gentleman" - qualified for public redress.


Longest Wooden Stick penetrating Sino-Orbital Region: Unbelievably Sparing Vital Structures
Objective: To report a unique case of a longest known broken wooden stick penetrating into the Sino-orbital region in an oblivious patient.
Method: Study of a case of forgotten foreign body (wooden stick) in sino-orbital region who, presented to us with discharging sinus at right upper eyelid near the medial canthus. CT Scan PNS and orbit revealed the wooden stick, which was removed intact surgically by external Lynch Howarth approach.
Results: The surgical procedure and recovery was uneventful without any complication.
Conclusion: Penetrating injuries of the Sino-orbital region are extremely rare. This paper sheds light on the importance of high index of suspicion for the presence of foreign body in unusual locations even in absence of history and early surgical removal leading to complete recovery. This case is peculiar because the wooden stick removed from Sino orbital region is the longest (9.5cms.x0.8cms.x0.8cms) reported as per our literature search and astonishingly it spared all the vital structures in spite of being in such a critical location.


The car rental agencies at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport have combined their service/filling facilities in the new terminal's parking garage. This permits customers to pick up and return their cars next to the terminal, where the cars remain close to customers. This eliminates both unnecessary rental auto traffic and the need for shuttle buses. The unconventional facility needed extra design care to make it safe. The only available space for fuel dispensing that was acceptable to the car-rental agencies was on the second floor of the new parking structure, and the six agencies required six segregated fueling islands, each with a dual dispenser. Both characteristics varied from the National Fire Prevention Code's NFPA 30A specification, which the city has adopted. We solved the emergency-exit/fire-fighter access problem by recommending two pedestrian walkways from the second floor to the adjacent overhead roadway via sliding steel bar gates. Other features include double-wall fiberglass tanks with sensors in the annular space capable of detecting leaks as small as 0.02 gal./hr.; six leak detection/inventory control systems; fire detectors that sense both infrared and ultraviolet light; switches throughout the fueling area that cut off the fuel flow to all six islands; remote fill piping and Stage I and II vapor-recovery systems.


Evapotranspiration (ET) from the wetland of the Yellow River Delta (YRD) is one of the important components in the water cycle, which represents the water consumption by the plants and evaporation from the water and the non-vegetated surfaces. Reliable estimates of the total evapotranspiration from the wetland is useful information both for understanding the hydrological process and for water management to protect this natural environment. Due to the heterogeneity of the vegetation types and canopy density and of soil water content over the wetland (specifically over the natural reserve areas), it is difficult to estimate the regional evapotranspiration extrapolating measurements or calculations usually done locally for a specific land cover type. Remote sensing can provide observations of land surface conditions with high spatial and temporal resolution and coverage. In this study, a model based on the Energy Balance method was used to calculate daily evapotranspiration (ET) using instantaneous observations of land surface reflectance and temperature from MODIS when the data were available on clouds-free days. A time series analysis algorithm was then applied to generate a time series of daily ET over a year period by filling the gaps in the observation series due to clouds. A detailed vegetation classification map was used to help identifying areas of various wetland vegetation types in the YRD wetland. Such information was also used to improve the parameterizations in the energy balance model to improve the accuracy of ET estimates. This study showed that spatial variation of ET was significant over the same vegetation class at a given time and over different vegetation types in different seasons in the YRD wetland.


This paper presents a new toolbox focussed on the teaching of robotic manipulators. The library works under Matlab and has been designed to strengthen the theoretical concepts explained during the theory lectures. The educational approach is focussed on teaching the main concepts through developing math modeling and simulation. In order to do this, the toolbox aims at the fulfillment of a set of practical sessions that allow the students to test most of the concepts of an introductory course in robotic manipulators. In addition, the library possesses features that typically needed the usage of proprietary software, such as the visualization of a realistic 3D representation of commercial robotic arms and the programming of those arms in an industrial language. The practices include the concepts of direct and inverse kinematics, inverse and direct dynamics, path planning and robot programming. As a transversal practice, during the sessions, the student is asked to choose and integrate a new robotic arm in the library, proposing a particular solution to the direct and inverse kinematic problem, as well as the inclusion of other important parameters. The library has been deployed during the last year in bachelor and master studies and has received a nice acceptance. Finally, the library has been assessed in terms of usefulness, design and usage by means of a student survey. In addition, the surveys were designed to establish a relation between the student perception of the system, the time spent on the tool and their learning achievements. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 23:443–454, 2015; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.21615


Extracted from text ... Thulani Masilela, Puleng Molefakgotla and Ronel Visser
Health Systems Trust
Voices of
District Managers
Introduction
Very little has been written about the
experiences of the
'lead actors' in the
task of turning the
District Health System (DHS) into reality, namely the
district managers (DMs). In this chapter, the
working life of the
DMs is
investigated, and the
pleasures, difficulties, challenges and frustrations of
their work are explored. the
information was gathered through facetoface
interviews with DMs in eight of the
nine provinces.
The major themes running through the
interviews relate to ..


The creation of a large-scale unskilled guest worker program has been a prominent element of comprehensive immigration reform proposals in recent years. This year it was featured as one of the "four pillars�? of a reform framework endorsed by the Obama Administration. The principal ills that are cited as justifying immigration reform include the deterioration of border security, the violence associated with human smuggling, and the widespread mistreatment of unauthorized immigrants. Many believe that a large-scale guest worker program will help to resolve these problems by providing a lawful channel to divert the flow of unauthorized workers. This article argues that such faith defies the evidence. Namely, a guest worker program will not quell the flow of unauthorized workers or secure the border, and will inevitably be accompanied by exploitation and abuse of guest workers, among other problems, even if it includes greater worker protections than existing programs. This article reaches these conclusions by examining past and present federal unskilled guest worker programs, as well as the guest worker program run by the Northern Mariana Islands, a Commonwealth of the United States. The Northern Marianas' guest worker program had in place many of the worker safeguards proposed by recent reform bills, and yet it, like all federal programs to date, contributed to widespread worker exploitation, depressed wages, predatory employment practices, a tremendous backlog of labor cases, and a high incidence of human trafficking. The Northern Marianas example illustrates that even a "worker friendly�? guest worker program will not solve the ills associated with unauthorized immigration, but, rather, will serve to perpetuate them with the aid of state apparatus.


Paper presented at the 12th National Conference of the Audiological Society of Australia. Brisbane, 29 April - 2 May 1996.


This program brief documents lessons for SBC programmers implementing multi-health, community-based SBC programming with integrated health services. An iterative process by Breakthrough ACTION Zambia, from October 2018 through March 2019, identified four design concepts with strong feasibility and potential for impact and scalability. This design process included a co-design workshop, iterative testing, validation, and finalization of each design concept. These four concepts were further refined in Breakthrough ACTION Zambia provinces and districts in collaboration with implementing partners (IPs) and the Ministry of Health (MoH) Department of Health Promotion, with the final intervention designs and implementation processes determined in close collaboration with MoH.


We study a prescriptive model for end-to-end design of a supply chain for medical countermeasures (MCM) to defend against bioattacks. We model the defender's MCM inventory prepositioning and dispensing capacity installation decisions, attacker's move, and defender's adjustable shipment decisions, so as to minimize inventory and life loss costs, subject to population survivability targets. We explicitly account for the strategic interaction between defender's and attacker's actions, assuming information transparency. We consider the Affinely Adjustable Robust Counterpart (AARC) to our problem, which enables us to deal with realistic networks comprising millions of nodes. We provide theoretical backing to the AARC performance by proving its optimality under certain conditions. We conduct a high-fidelity case study on the design of a MCM supply chain with millions of nodes to guard against anthrax attacks in the United States. We calibrate our model using data from a wide variety of sources, including literature and field experiments. We produce policy insights that have been long sought after but elusive up until now.


We study how organism traits and population densities of ecosystem engineering species, in combination with environmental factors, affect the formation and erosion rates of biogeomorphological structures, and focus on the widely distributed marine tube‐building polychaete Lanice conchilega, which lives in patches that form mounds up to 80 cm high in soft‐bottom sediments. We modeled the tube‐building worms as thin solid piles that affect drag and turbulence, and thereby the local sediment dynamics and thus mound dynamics. Hydrodynamic model predictions showed good agreement with flume experiments for flow‐velocity adaptations both within and in front of a patch of tube‐building worms. The modeled equilibrium mound height increased with the organism trait "tube length," and with population density, but was only little affected by the strength of the tidal current, water depth, and grain size. In all cases, the modeled mound heights were within the range of the mound heights observed in the field. The effect of the tube‐building worm L. conchilega reached beyond the spatial scale of their biogenic structures, and persisted longer than the lifetime of the engineering organism itself.


The challenge of climate change necessitates searching for solutions beyond those offered by natural science and economics. It requires critically examining the whole way of life and associated values and needs that drive the practices responsible for the damage to our planet's ecosystem. This research argues that there lies within the Critical Theory of Marcuse and ecological social theory such a challenge to dominant social practices, patterns of consumption, and needs. Thus, this thesis sets out the contribution that Marcuse makes to existing ecological theory through an examination his conceptualisation of nature and his theory of need, and, in so doing, explores the contribution a Marcusian approach can make to the empirical study of attempts to create more sustainable ways of life. A Marcusian theoretical framework is applied to an exploration of the relationships between social institutions and the needs and desires which issue from, or are accommodated by them by, adopting an ethnographic methodological approach to explore how individuals' understand and satisfy their needs and desires within the alternative social contexts constituted by green intentional communities; the aim being to evaluate the extent to which living in such communities allows for the redefinition of needs in a greener, more sustainable direction. The argument is made that intentional communities constitute spaces of and for difference that the social, material and ideological institutions of communities enable the interpretation and satisfaction of needs and desires in ecologically sensitive ways. Thus, in choosing to live in intentional communities, individuals place themselves in circumstances which demand the restructuring of the satisfaction of their needs and desires, and in doing so, create a situation in which they can live and be differently.


The methylation pattern of genes at CpG dinucleotide sites is an emerging area in epigenetics. Furthermore, the hypermethylation profiles of tumor suppressor genes are linked to specific tumor types. Thus, new molecular approaches for the rapid determination of the methylation status of these genes could provide a powerful method for early cancer diagnosis as well as insight into mechanisms of epigenetic regulation of genetic information. Toward this end, we have recently reported the first design of a split-protein sensor for the site-specific detection of DNA methylation. In this approach a split green fluorescent protein reporter provided a sequence-specific readout of CpG methylation. In the present work, we describe a sensitive second-generation methylation detection system that utilizes the split enzymatic reporter, TEM-1 beta-lactamase, attached to specific DNA binding elements. This system, termed mCpG-SEER-beta-Lac, shows a greater than 40-fold specificity for methylated versus nonmethylated CpG target sites. Importantly, the resulting signal enhancement afforded by the catalytic activity of split-beta-lactamase allowed for the sensitive detection of 2.5 fmol of methylated target dsDNA in 5 min. Thus, this new sensor geometry represents a 250-fold enhancement in assay time and a 2000-fold enhancement in sensitivity over our first-generation system for the detection of specific sites of DNA methylation.


Shortly after Terri Schiavo's autopsy was released, Not Dead Yet, a disability advocacy group, issued a press release asserting that the autopsy results "leave the central issues in her life and death unanswered." Not Dead Yet contested the view that the autopsy bolstered the diagnosis of a persistent vegetative state. It supported its contention by calling attention to comments by Stephen J. Nelson, the neuropathologist who examined Schiavo's brain during the autopsy. Nelson rightly noted that "The persistent vegetative state, and minimally conscious state, are clinical diagnoses, not pathologic ones," and that "Neuropathologic examination alone of the decedent's brain--or any brain, for that matter--cannot prove or disprove a diagnosis of persistent vegetative state or minimally conscious state." Nonetheless, the findings are consistent with the Multi-Society Task Force report on PVS published in 1994 in the New England Journal of Medicine and with Bryan Jennett's review of PVS pathology in his authoritative 2002 text, The Vegetative State: Medical Facts, Ethical and Legal Dilemmas. Jennett and Fred Plum coined the term "persistent vegetative state" in 1972 in an article in the Lancet. The autopsy reported that at her death, Terri Schiavo had a brain weight of 615 grams, half that of a normal brain and significantly less than Karen Ann Quinlan's, which weighed 835 grams. She had developed hydrocephalus ex vacuo, a condition marked by enlarged ventricles filled with cerebrospinal fluid, because of this profound loss of cortical volume. Her brain also revealed microscopic changes that would be expected in hypoxic-ischemic cases of PVS--cases, that is, in which the brain is damaged by oxygen deprivation. Schiavo sustained changes that were "striking in their appearance, and global in their distribution." Laminar necrosis--death in a midcortical level--had a patchy distribution in most cortical sections, with border zones between arterial blood supply especially affected. There was a "readily discernible noteworthy gradient loss when moving from anterior to posterior regions," with the occipital lobes in the back of the head responsible for vision being most severely affected. Remarkably, her brain showed a total loss of basal ganglia neurons, and her thalamus was "similarly affected." These observations are consistent with Jennett's research on the pathology of the vegetative state. He has noted that in nontraumatic cases of PVS, "the damage is usually extensive necrosis in the cerebral cortex, almost always associated with thalamic damage. …


Functional redundancy contributes to resilience if different species in the same functional group respond to disturbance in different ways (response diversity). If species in a functional group perform their functional role at different spatial scales (cross-scale redundancy), they are expected to respond differently to scale-specific disturbance. Consequently, variance in the spatial scales over which species perform their functional role may provide a proxy for resilience. Coral reefs are diverse systems that provide key ecosystem services and are subject to increasing anthropogenic disturbances. Algal grazing by herbivorous fish contributes to the maintenance of coral-dominated reefs. To date, there has been little evaluation of the traits driving response diversity among herbivorous fish and how this relates to coral recovery following acute disturbances. Using body size as a proxy for the spatial scale at which fish function, we tested whether cross-scale redundancy in herbivores was an effective indicator of response diversity and coral recovery on 21 reefs monitored through a climate-induced disturbance that caused coral bleaching and widespread coral mortality. When herbivorous fish assemblages that operated over a broader range of spatial scales were present on reefs prior to disturbance, the reefs were more likely to recover to coral-dominated states after the disturbance. After the temperature-induced disturbance, the loss of small herbivores was compensated for through increases in large herbivores. This was indicative of high response diversity and drove the overall increase in herbivore biomass at recovering sites. These compensatory mechanisms were not found at sites where herbivores operated over a narrower range of spatial scales. Synthesis and applications. Cross-scale redundancy provides managers with an indicator of coral reef resilience, although the contribution of cross-scale redundancy to resilience will vary among sites. Maintaining high cross-scale redundancy at a given site requires that no size classes of reef herbivores are disproportionately depleted by fishing. Balanced harvesting, where species are all fished in proportion to their potential production, would help achieve this.


This paper explores the need for an intercollegiate strategic plan grounded in sport marketing public relations, integrated marketing communication and community relations. By focusing on the Cal Poly Football team, this paper will provide insight into effective community relations tactics and integrated marketing communications strategies for an intercollegiate athletic program. Through expert testimony and research, as well as a thorough examination of the Cal Poly Football program, this paper will outline the essential elements of a strategic athletic plan with a foundation in sport marketing public relations. In order to achieve short and long term goals, particularly the aspiration of advancing to the Division I-A level of competition, Cal Poly Football should implement a comprehensive strategic plan that acknowledges the importance of community relations, integrated marketing communications and sport marketing public relations.


Online Material: Table of station parameters; figures of mean acceleration power differences, interpolated noise maps.

Seismographic coverage of Antarctica prior to 2007 consisted overwhelmingly of a handful of long running and sporadically deployed transient stations, many of which were principally collocated with scientific research stations. Despite very cold temperatures, sunless winters, challenging logistics, and extreme storms, recent developments in polar instrumentation driven by new scientific objectives have opened up the entirety of Antarctica to year‐round and continuous seismological observation (e.g., Nyblade et al. , 2012).

Motivations for these recent studies include improved understanding of seismogenic, volcanic, tectonic and glaciological processes, heat flow, dynamic glaciological/ocean interactions, and mantle viscosity. Such studies contribute generally to improvements in understanding the geophysical, geological, and glaciological history of the continent and how these processes interact with the past and present state of the glaciological and climate system (e.g., Winberry et al. , 2009; Hansen et al. , 2010; West et al. , 2010; Winberry et al. , 2011; Heeszel et al. , 2013; Lough et al. , 2013; Chaput et al. , 2014; Accardo et al. , 2014), including processes relevant to glacial isostatic adjustment and sea level rise (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC] Report, 2007). In addition, microseisms arising from ocean wave activity contain useful climate proxy information on the state and variability of the relatively poorly sensed southern oceans (Aster et al. , 2008; Stutzmann et al. , 2009; Aster et al. , 2010), and such observations are sensitive to sea ice concentration and areal coverage in the polar regions (Grob et al. , 2011; Tsai and McNamara, 2011; Koch et al. , 2013).

This characterization of the seismic noise environment of Antarctica, documentation of instrument performance, and comparisons of installation conditions (e.g., ice vaults vs. rock sites) is intended to facilitate optimization …


ABSTRACT The dawn of constitutional democracy in South Africa triggered a new wave of immigration into the country. Foreign migrants post-1994 now make up about seven per cent of the country's population. The majority of the new intake are Africans pursuing economic opportunities, or refugees seeking asylum. The convergence of South African citizens and foreigners, especially in the country's major cities, generates competition over space and limited social welfare services which at times degenerates into conflicts with dire consequences. Some South African Ministers and local government leaders have resorted to a nativistic discourse to address competition over limited welfare services and to shield themselves for the failures of the State to achieve the large-scale egalitarian transformation envisaged by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996. This article uses local government indigent policies to show how several South African municipalities use citizenship as a mandatory condition for accessing free basic services, and discusses how the institutionalised blanket exclusion of foreigners from accessing these services violates the obligation of non-discrimation which is protected in international and South African human rights law. Against the backdrop of the government's socio-economic rights obligations, this article argues that it is necessary for some municipal indigent policies to be amended to at least cater for the basic needs of indigent foreigners with a permanent residence permit and those with official refugee status in South Africa. It is argued that the blanket exclusion of these categories of destitute non-citizens without consideration of their immigration status fails to distinguish between those who have become part of South African society and have made their homes in the country and those who are in South Africa on a transient basis. Keywords: Nativism, municipal indigent policies, free basic municipal services, socioeconomic rights, foreigners, permanent residents, refugees, South Africa.


Takiscia is a program of student creativity and entrepreneurial use of MMT former patchwork made as eco-friendly business opportunity selling high value Unnes student. Takiscia bag is patterned images or writing our love of the homeland. Buyers can also order bags with motifs desired, the purpose entrepreneurial creativity of students this program, of which the former is to make use of MMT and patchwork to be used as a bag painting paintings show our love towards Indonesia, foster creativity and entrepreneurship for students to create business opportunities profit-oriented. The method used, the production preparation, production implementation, production and marketing. This program has been implemented three months, from month to month of production is increasing. This program has been running from April to July. In April production was held on Saturday April 26, 2014 with the results of 20 pieces of bags. But in April the bag just sold 15 pieces. The second production was held on Wednesday, June 14, 2014 with the results of 50 pieces of bags. In June the team was able to sell 50 pieces of bags coupled with the remaining 5 pieces bag in April. The third production held on Friday July 4, 2014 with the results of 60 fruit bags. PKM team sales efforts Takiscia hope this can continue with ways to expand their market, and follows the activities of the exhibition held government and private institutions. So it can evolve as expected. Based on the description above, the benefits of this program is to encourage people to love the country Indonesia with two new ways to love domestic products and motifs that show our love towards Indonesia, increasing the innovative creativity of students in finding work that can be exploited as a business opportunity, and improve high sales value by utilizing the former MMT to be used as a purse painted with good quality and fashion style can be interesting. Keywords : useful mm second, business opportunities


Protoplasts isolated from arugula leaves show the appearance of hydrophobic regions in the surface when cell volume is increased as detected using by Merocyanine 540 (MC540). The analysis of the equilibrium of the dye species indicates that MC540 monomers and dimers distribution varies at each osmotic stage. It is suggested that this is a consequence of the changes produced in the surface packing at the membrane level, due to the affinity of this dye with lipid environments, which could be important for the interaction of enzymes and other solutes produced by plants during hydric stress.


India is a pictorial kaleidoscope of landscapes, opulent historical sites and royal cities, golden beaches, misty mountain retreats, colourful people, rich cultures and festivities. India is rapidly gaining ground in the international scenario as a popular destination for foreign travellers, international students, and even for some others who choose to migrate to this mystical land for health and medical tourism.A trip to India is exceptional for tourists, as this wonderland has always been a prime travel destination for those who are charmed by exotic beaches of the south India, the mesmerising backwaters, the spell-binding remains of the ancient civilization in the north, the lofty mountain ranges along the Ghats, lush greenery, the tropical rain forests etc. It is said that if you have travelled the world then you have seen half the world, and if you have visited only the Indian subcontinent, you have seen the whole world! India has metamorphosised into one of the most sought after destinations for travel, much due to the presence of several renowned world heritage sites, and an inherent spiritualistic force, which pulls enthusiastic travellers towards it from all over the worl


ONC201 triggers an apoptotic cellular stress response in both solid and blood tumors. Stressing cancer cells to death The anticancer drug ONC201 triggers cell death in various tumor types. A pair of papers (see also the Focus by Greer and Lipkowitz) shows that ONC201 activated cell stress pathways that depended on the activation of the transcription factor ATF4. Kline et al. showed that this stress response to ONC201 occurred in cells derived from various types of solid tumors, in which ATF4 activation led to an increase in the abundance of the proapoptotic protein TRAIL and its receptor DR5. Ishizawa et al. demonstrated that in acute myeloid leukemias and mantle cell lymphoma, ONC201 triggered apoptosis and inhibited mTORC1 signaling, a pathway that promotes cell growth and proliferation. The findings reveal more details about ONC201's mechanism of action, potentially enabling patient stratification and future development to improve its efficacy. The clinical challenge posed by p53 abnormalities in hematological malignancies requires therapeutic strategies other than standard genotoxic chemotherapies. ONC201 is a first-in-class small molecule that activates p53-independent apoptosis, has a benign safety profile, and is in early clinical trials. We found that ONC201 caused p53-independent apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in cell lines and in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) samples from patients; these included samples from patients with genetic abnormalities associated with poor prognosis or cells that had developed resistance to the nongenotoxic agents ibrutinib and bortezomib. Moreover, ONC201 caused apoptosis in stem and progenitor AML cells and abrogated the engraftment of leukemic stem cells in mice while sparing normal bone marrow cells. ONC201 caused changes in gene expression similar to those caused by the unfolded protein response (UPR) and integrated stress responses (ISRs), which increase the translation of the transcription factor ATF4 through an increase in the phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor eIF2α. However, unlike the UPR and ISR, the increase in ATF4 abundance in ONC201-treated hematopoietic cells promoted apoptosis and did not depend on increased phosphorylation of eIF2α. ONC201 also inhibited mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling, likely through ATF4-mediated induction of the mTORC1 inhibitor DDIT4. Overexpression of BCL-2 protected against ONC201-induced apoptosis, and the combination of ONC201 and the BCL-2 antagonist ABT-199 synergistically increased apoptosis. Thus, our results suggest that by inducing an atypical ISR and p53-independent apoptosis, ONC201 has clinical potential in hematological malignancies.


Abstract:
 Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are widely distributed in all ocean basins, however, their occurrence, distribution, and ecology in the southeast Pacific, including Peru, is poorly defined. This study aims to describe the occurrence of killer whales in Peruvian waters, with additional description of predatory behaviors. Between 2003 and 2018 there were 29 reports of killer whales in Peruvian waters in which at least 110 individuals were observed, with pod sizes ranging between 1 and 15 individuals. Most sightings occurred in waters within the continental shelf or in close proximity to the shelf break. During eight of the sightings, killer whales displayed predatory behavior towards other marine mammals, including cetaceans (Megaptera novaeangliae and Balaenoptera musculus) and pinnipeds (Otaria flavescens and Arctocephalus australis). In addition, we present the first photo-analysis of the incidence of killer whale tooth rake marks on humpback whale flukes off northern Peru. Between 2009 and 2017, 897 unique individual humpback whales were photo-identified off northern Peru, of which 19.6% (n = 172) displayed rake marks in their flukes, suggesting that humpback whales in the southeast Pacific are exposed to the attack of killer whales. Our findings suggest that the occurrence of killer whales in Peruvian waters are more common than previously documented and that killer whales are preying marine mammals in this region. Further understanding killer whale distribution, foraging habitats, and movement patterns within Peruvian waters will be essential in promoting their conservation.


According to international statistics, nearly 50% of the world's urban population live nowadays in cities of less than 500,000 inhabitants. These small and medium-sized cities play a role of intermediation between rural regions, local economy and more extensed urban networks, with three spheres of influence: micro-regional, national and international. In many of these "intermediate cities", the main problem to reinforce them in their action is a lack of financial and human resources for managing the city in a comprehensive way, in order to tackle the demographic and spatial extension of these urban settlements, and avoid an increase of social segregation and fragmentation of territory. The example of Montes Claros, in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, helps us understand how a city of nearly 400,000 inhabitants, at the center of an economically prosperous region, tackles these issues through a current process of urban planning, having to take into account its historical, social and spatial context. Like most Brazilian and Latin American cities, Montes Claros-which acts as a transit hub at the State and national levels-is a rapidly growing intermediary city that has seen continued economic growth over the past two decades. However, this industrial and business growth has not resulted in a more inclusive distribution of the urban population. Considering the resulting growth from rural migration and new urban residents, the urban area of Montes Claros remains fragmented territorially, with neighborhoods more or less well equipped and served by public transport depending on the socio-economic status of their inhabitants. The current process of urban planning raises many issues, among them three crucial elements to improve in order to re-introduce planning as appropriate approach and instruments able to guide the decision makers towards the future of a city and its region: a medium and long-term vision for Montes Claros, its hinterland and the Northern region of Minas Gerais; a biased perception of Montes Claros in which only the dense areas in the city center are taken into account, with suburban areas still disconnected from the rest of the city and poorly integrated; a participatory process of urban planning involving all stakeholder and population, from the diagnostic till the definition of priorities in terms of urban policies, strategies and investments.


Abscission is the term used to describe the process of natural separation of organs from the parent plant. This may be part of the highly programmed development of a plant, or in response to environmental stress. It enables temperate plants to overwinter and hence survive, but in agricultural or horticultural environments premature abscission can lead to significant crop losses. Abscission is the culmination of changes in gene expression, which result in the loosening of adjacent cell walls within the zone and subsequent cell separation. For many years it has been recognized that the balance between the plant hormones ethylene and auxin determine where, and when, separation takes place. As we begin to understand the mechanisms by which plant growth regulator signals are perceived and transduced, we can begin to understand how the process of abscission itself may be induced and regulated. This review details what we know of the signals that lead to the differentiation of zone cells; the environmental signals that promote cell separation, and the possible intracellular signalling events that culminate in organ shedding.


Dr Hema Viswambharan, PhD, AFHEA, is a British Heart Foundation Research Fellow at the University of Leeds. She received her BSc from the University of Malaya and her PhD from University of Fribourg, Switzerland. Her research interests include mechanisms of insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction. Dr Viswambharan believes that the most challenging aspect of pursuing a successful career in academia is finding the perfect balance between the needs of her family and her children and pursuing a long-standing dream in science. Remarkable flexibilities in work–life balance provided by her mentors, Drs Mark Kearney and Helen Picton, have given her the best possible support to achieve high standards in both family and academia.


Lifestyle and consumer trends are part of people's everyday lives everywhere. Trends in media and politics, though perhaps less frequently acknowledged as trends, shape the way societies are perceived and the way humans interact. Moreover, although we may think of trends as a recent phenomenon of post-war globalization, trends have been crucial in societies across the globe for much longer. In short, trends matter. Yet, despite their crucial role worldwide, trends have been subject to fairly little research beyond the quantitative social sciences. This is especially true for transcultural trends. This essay prefaces a series of upcoming articles in this journal all of which discuss case studies of trends that travelled from Europe to Asia or from Asia to Europe since the late 19 th century to our current times. Why trends travel, who proliferates or obstructs trends, and how trends become popular are questions that are collectively addressed in all upcoming articles. This introductory essay discusses a series of analytical concepts that are all central to gaining a fuller understanding of the complex processes that underlie the transcultural travels of trends.


INTRODUCTION: Perinatal palliative care (PPC) is a multifaceted approach to providing healthcare to a fetus diagnosed with a life limiting illness as well as to the parents and family. To implement a PPC program, we must assess the attitudes and perceptions of our healthcare workers. This can be accomplished by using a previously validated scale, The Perinatal Palliative Care Perception and Barriers Scale (PPCPBS) ©. METHODS: Labor and delivery nurses, obstetric and gynecology residents and attendings at our hospital were asked to complete the PPCPBS using the Qualtrics online survey tool. The PPCPBS includes 61 items inclusive of two six-point Likert subscales measuring perceptions and barriers, three 100-point visual analog scales (VAS), and demographic items. Simple statistics were used to evaluate results. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (i.e., frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations). RESULTS: There were 52/160 (33%) respondents analyzed. Most providers indicated positive perceptions of PPC (via a 6 point Likert Scale). A majority felt PPC helps families prepare for the birth of their baby (M 5.74, SD .56) and that parents should be offered PPC (M 5.89, SD .32). Barriers included lack of educational materials (M 3.02, SD 1.59) and lack of knowledge among hospital administrators (M 3.19, SD 1.58). CONCLUSION: Our study will help to add to the body of literature regarding healthcare workers' perceptions of PCP. We will use this information in implementing a PPC at our hospital. Further research will include how perceptions change after the program is implemented, as well as how patients perceive PCP.


As Baby Boomers plan for their retirements, finance their children's educations, and provide for their families' medical expenses, they confront a fundamental reality: America today is a defined contribution society. We save for retirement, health care and educational savings through IRAs, 401(k) accounts, 529 programs, FSAs, HRAs, HSAs and other individual accounts which did not exist a generation ago. In its own way, the emergence of these accounts has been a revolution which has, step-by-step, without fanfare, cumulatively transformed tax and social policy in fundamental ways. The Origins of the Ownership Society describes the defined contribution revolution, its causes, and implications. For lawyers, the book provides useful insights into the network of individual accounts which are now central features of the U.S. income tax for retirement, medical, and health savings. For those concerned about public policy, the book provides useful guidance regarding our options in providing for the retirement of the mass numbers of Baby Boomers, and in preparing young Americans for the medical costs of their older years. The defined contribution format will, for good or for ill, be the framework governing the Baby Boomers' choices. For everyone else, including the Baby Boomers themselves, the book explains where we are, how and why we got there, and what our options are for the future.


Multiple research studies have been conducted that focus on various uses of collaborative learning in and out of the classroom in higher education institutions. The purpose of this article is to review previously published literature regarding group composition and how it affects student interaction and achievement. Group composition research has been focused on gender, ethnicity, member familiarity, ability level, as well as motivational level and source. Examples of student achievement often include test scores, grade point averages, and opinion-based surveys on group collaboration. Group composition is always associated with the effects of multiple confounding variables due to the overall nature of collaborative learning at the college level. ********** Collaborative learning is a widely used concept and teaching strategy in college classrooms today. Ormrod (2008) defines cooperative learning in terms of students working in small groups to achieve a common goal. This definition implies that there is some interaction that needs to take place in order for students to achieve a common goal. Webb (1982) asserts that the main feature that distinguishes cooperative setting from other learning settings is interaction among students. If students are not given clear guidelines of how they are expected to accomplish certain goals, then students may act in an uncooperative manner (Ormrod, 2008). A number of surveys have conducted at the college levels. According to the National Survey of Student Engagement (2005), 88% of first year (freshman) students and 89% of seniors have experienced in class group research projects. Stepping outside of the classroom, 85% of freshmen and 93% of seniors have worked on group research projects. With these high percentages, students have been exposed to various group situations and may display certain behaviors based on their prior experiences. Variations of collaborative learning can be found at the K-12 and college levels, as well as in the workforce. The introduction and use of collaborative learning in the classroom began due to concepts such as the nature of the workforce; individuals spending portions of their work time collaborating with colleagues. When considering the effects of collaborative learning, many variables play a role within the spectrum of student interaction and achievement. In terms of group composition, the learning process can be investigated based on major factors such as gender, ability level, and member familiarity, which is also known as natural selection (Gruenfeld et al., 1996). The breakdown of group composition has suggested that there is a correlation to student interaction and achievement at the college level. There are several major benefits of creating collaborative small groups in order to complete research projects, solve problems, or explore and develop new concepts. First, collaborative learning opportunities increase student learning and social-emotional outcomes such as social skills, self-esteem, and attitudes toward others (Bossert, 1988-1989; Slavin, 1990; Webb et al., 1998). Second, students acquire new skills, ideas, and knowledge by working closely together to build solutions to problems, resolving disagreements and conflicting perspectives, as well as giving and receiving assistance (Webb et al., 1995 and 1998; Webb and Palincsar, 1996; Webb & Farviar, 1999). Third, collaborative work helps prepare college students for the workforce due to the importance of teamwork in the workplace (Hackman, 1990). In response to growing demands for efficiency and flexibility, businesses and industries are implementing teams in the workplace based on the assumption that decisions made by groups of people with diversified expertise often yield higher quality than those made by people with more homogeneous backgrounds (Jackson, 1992; Boyett C Katzenhack & Smith, 1993; Gruenfeld et al., 1996). …


[1] Quantifying the impacts of remote sources on individual air quality exceedances remains a significant challenge for air quality forecasting. One goal of the 2006 Second Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS II) was to assess the impact of distant sources on air quality in east Texas. From 23 to 30 August 2006, retrievals of tropospheric carbon monoxide (CO) from NASA's Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) reveal the transport of CO from fires in the United States Pacific Northwest to Houston, Texas. This transport occurred behind a cold front and contributed to the worst ozone exceedance period of the summer in the Houston area. We present supporting satellite observations from the NASA A-Train constellation of the vertical distribution of smoke aerosols and CO. Ground-based in situ CO measurements in Oklahoma and Texas track the CO plume as it moves south and indicate mixing of the aloft plume to the surface by turbulence in the nocturnal boundary layer and convection during the day. Ground-based aerosol speciation and lidar observations do not find appreciable smoke aerosol transport for this case. However, MODIS aerosol optical depths and model simulations indicate some smoke aerosols were transported from the Pacific Northwest through Texas to the Gulf of Mexico. Chemical transport and forward trajectory models confirm the three major observations: (1) the AIRS envisioned CO transport, (2) the satellite determined smoke plume height, and (3) the timing of the observed surface CO increases. Further, the forward trajectory simulations find two of the largest Pacific Northwest fires likely had the most significant impact.


The paper focuses on the robustness of rankings of academic journal quality and research impact of 10 leading econometrics journals taken from the Thomson Reuters ISI Web of Science (ISI) Category of Economics, using citations data from ISI and the highly accessible Research Papers in Economics (RePEc) database that is widely used in economics, finance and related disciplines. The journals are ranked using quantifiable static and dynamic Research Assessment Measures (RAMs), with 15 RAMs from ISI and 5 RAMs from RePEc. The similarities and differences in various RAMs, which are based on alternative weighted and unweighted transformations of citations, are highlighted to show which RAMs are able to provide informational value relative to others. The RAMs include the impact factor, mean citations and non-citations, journal policy, number of high quality papers, and journal influence and article influence. The paper highlight robust rankings based on the harmonic mean of the ranks of 20 RAMs, which in some cases are closely related. It is shown that emphasizing the most widely-used RAM, the 2-year impact factor of a journal, can lead to a distorted evaluation of journal quality, impact and influence relative to the harmonic mean of the ranks.


We investigated whether comedians' mean level personalities differ from the general population, and based on recent studies which show that individuals regulate their personality to conform with situational and goal requirements, we predicted that professional comedians would show greater adaptiveness to stage requirements than amateurs. That comedians have a distinctive mean level personality profile is consistent with a variety of theories including P-E fit and the ASTMA framework. The few studies of comedians' personalities which exist, suggest that comedians are more neurotic, high on openness and less conscientious than the general population. In this study, the Big Five personality traits of 77 professional and 125 amateur stand-up comedians were compared to two large matched samples (N>100,000) using multi-group confirmatory factor analysis. Comedians were also observed whilst performing and their state personality was compared to situational requirements in terms of ten NEO-PIR facets, identified by 14 industry experts as important to effective stage performance, using MANOVA. Both professional and amateur comedians were more open-to-experience, less conscientious and more extraverted than their corresponding norm samples. Additionally, professionals showed greater neuroticism. Arguably a more significant finding was that professional comedians expressed a much more adaptive state personality on stage than was true for amateurs. The direction of shift was from a personality typical of creative writers to one typical of performers. This occurred despite their mean-levels of neuroticism and extraversion diverging more from stage requirements than was so for amateurs. Moreover, this greater adaptability was evidenced across six personality facets spanning all of the broad FFM factors of personality. This suggests the existence of a general mechanism for regulation of personality to situational requirements. This finding perhaps also sheds light on the apparent paradox that personality variability is both functional and dysfunctional. In short, match reflects functional variation whilst mismatch constitutes dysfunction.


The aim of this study was to illuminate the experience of early mothering for a small group of first-time mothers from the Southof England in 2001. Central to this were the
detailed descriptions, as recounted by the women, of the way in which they gradually adapted to being mothers. In this phenomenological inquiry seven women shared their stories with me. The interview took place at a time and place of the women's choosing and they were asked to
describe,in as much detail as possible, the way in which they had experienced "becoming a munf'. Each womantook a unique and circuitous journey to mothering and their
narratives were rich and evocative, revealing the complexity of the transformative process. The datawere analysed using a descriptive phenomenological approach, which revealed seven constituents contained within a general structure. Although the women interviewed
provided notably contrasting descriptions,underlying and uniting their individual experiences was the general structure. This can be summarised as, "Becoming a mother for the first time introduced some fundamental changes into the woman's manner of being in the world. Essentially,this concerned the development of a new becoming-a-mother-change-of-body subjectivity in which the woman was required to re-order her way of being in all its existential dimensions. The new mother sought to integrate and authenticate this challenging life event within her biography-she
manifested both an openness to the beloved child and a resistance to the truncation of her existential possibilities." This is not to say that the women all experienced the phenomenon in the sameway, instead there were particular essential constituents through which each woman negotiated her transforming journey into motherhood. Some women assimilated these changes to their embodied self with ease, others struggled and resisted, feeling assailed and overwhelmed.
The seven constituents are:
" Welcoming the intimate stranger
" Anxious loving
" The baby fills her vision
" Acceptance:from crisis to comprehension
" Exhaustion,recovery and the physical body
" Relationships:re-evaluation and conflict
" Isolation, ambivalenceandtears

The data also challenged mainstream understanding of postnatal depression as a discreet, diagnosable illness. Becominga mother is a transition that compels women to make
radical re-adjustments to every aspect of their manner of 'being-in-the-world'. It would be extraordinary if this did not cause significant levels of distress,dis-equilibrium and a sense of chaotic disorganisation.I propose that distress in early mothering is understood
as a normal reaction to a significant life-changing event. Implications for clinical practice and further research are also discussed.


As we know there is a lack of understanding in how structural systems perform under realistic, uncontrolled fire situations. Fire protection of steel structure is usually provided through prescriptive requirements. The development of performance-based standards and tools requires explicit consideration of the fire effects on structural components and systems. This consists a parametric study employing nonlinear finite element analysis to model the response of wide flange steel columns at elevated temperature. Different axial loads and different cross sections are included in the parametric study. The FEM modelling was used to conduct parametric studies to evaluate the effects of different heating configurations on steel column. The failure behaviour at elevated temperature depends on the column cross sectional area, axial load and temperature. Failure mode include flexural buckling about weak and strong axis. The column sections were uniformly heated until they exhibited either inelastic or elastic buckling failure. Typical cross sectional area is addressed through limiting the element width to thickness ratio, so only member buckling occurs. As the members are heated the Young's modulus and yield strength are reduced, which results in slender elements at elevated temperature. An indication about the column strength and failure behaviour at elevated temperature is the expected outcome of this thesis work. Keywords— Wide flange beam, axial loading, elevated temperature, local buckling, torsional buckling


Transposable elements (TEs) are repetitive sequences found within all eukaryotic genomes and possess the genetic mechanisms necessary to move locations within their host. The repetitive fraction of plant genomes has historically been viewed as "junk DNA". A growing body of evidencesuggests that repetitive sequences play a large role in the evolution of species and may influence diversification rates. Using bioinformatic approaches we mined nine million, 250 base pair illumina reads from four grass species closely related to maize (Zea mays) and have identified 121 Long Terminal Repeat-Retrotransposons (LTR-RTs). These include TE'spreviously identified in maize (3) and novel LTR-RTs (118) using the 80:80:80 homology rules for identification. Using these identified TE'swe are able to calculate the abundance of each element within the sampled grass genomes and using a phylogenetic framework, map changes in copy number to examine the dynamics of LTR-RTs proliferation and extinction within the grass lineages. Using this bioinformatic approach we can begin to examine the complex relationship between grass diversification and theproliferation of the TEs contained within their genomes.


This article introduces the notion of 'illegality regimes' and argues that the creation, enhancement, and strengthening of these regimes has a transformative, and perhaps even corrosive effect on the meaning and value of citizenship itself. The notion of illegality regimes refers to the complex normative and policy framework that is either intended to, or otherwise has the effect of marginalizing or otherwise excluding irregular migrants, and to assist the authorities in the process of localizing and deporting them. Much of the political and scholarly attention in the context of illegality is focused on how illegality regimes affect migrants and refugees, how these regimes weaken their human rights, and generally run contrary to liberal principles such as equality before the law and non-discrimination. However, the objective here is to explore how it is not just the undocumented migrant that is directly or indirectly affected by the illegality regimes, but also regular migrants, asylum seekers, and finally full citizens themselves. The ways in which this happens is by a progressive transformation of what it means to be a citizen, and by means of a re-accommodation of the relation between the citizen and the state. As globalization unleashes migratory processes, the state adapts. Citizenship adapts along.


Turn East-West Relations Into Win-Win Situations China has more than one billion people. That's one billion potential customers. China Now is your must-have guide to this exciting world of opportunity, written by a top corporate advisor and a renowned business professor who specialize in East-West business strategy. Together, Mark Lam and John Graham have worked with dozens of Fortune 500 companies and thousands of American and Chinese executives, and now share with you their most successful strategies, tactics, and insights. A comprehensive all-in-one tour of the world's fastest growing market, China Now is filled with everything you need to know about China's people, negotiation styles, culture, history, economics, and business dealings. You'll learn how to plan, where to go, and who to visit for the best results. And, unlike other books on the market, you'll discover the key differences between various regions and businesses that could make or break the deal. China Now includes: The best regions to do business Nonverbal cues and culture-based signals Important travel, meeting, and personnel tips Laws and regulations on customs, foreign trade, and investment Protecting your intellectual property rights Even if you've read Sun Tsu's The Art of War, this book will help you master the art of peaceful negotiations-and establish long-term partnerships that profit everyone involved. The advice you'll find here is not only invaluable; it's absolutely essential to the future of your business.


The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted an Arsenic Demonstration Program whereby the Agency purchased, installed, and evaluated the performance and cost of 50 small water arsenic removal treatment systems in the USA. A major goal of the program was to collect high-quality cost data (capital and operational and maintenance (O&M)) from the long-term operation (1–4 years) of these systems. The technologies consisted of adsorptive media (AM), iron removal (IR), coagulation/filtration (C/F), ion exchange (IX), reverse osmosis, and point-of-use devices, which reduced the arsenic to less than the EPA maximum contaminant level of 10 μg/L. This paper presents the capital and O&M cost of 48 treatment systems ranging in size from 10 to 770 gal/min (gpm) (38–2,915 L/min). The capital cost of the systems ranged from $477 to $6,171 per gpm ($126–$1,632 per L/min) of design flow and the O&M cost from $0.07 to $22.88 per 1,000 gal ($0.02–$6.05 per 1,000 L) of treated water. AM had a lower capital, but a higher O&M cost than IR, C/F, and IX. The media replacement cost for the AM systems averaged 80% of the O&M cost and was the main cause of the higher O&M cost of the AM systems.


In Storytelling in Bali, Hildred Geertz analyzes over 200 texts of popular stories dictated in 1936 by the painters of Batuan, Bali. The tales reveal strong ambivalences in the tellers regarding the magical powers of kings, priests and healers.


This thesis examines methods to aid in the non-visual browsing of web based documcnts, primarily using synthetic speech output. The serial nature of speech ensures that it is a difficult medium in which to browse documents. Much of the structure implied in the visual appearance of the content is not available through specch. Only a narrow region in the content is perceivable at any given time, and it can bc difficult to navigate to the important segments of the document. This is in contrast to visual interaction, where cues such as changcs in font or colour establish contextual changes in the content and guide the user accordingly.

A number of browsing/navigation strategies are presented to offset these problems. These are implemented through WebTree. This is a highly customisable web browser which rcnders documents through a dynamically expandable tree structural view. This mirrors the arrangement of mark-up elements in the source file. Contextual information about each element is provided as appropriate. By expanding and collapsing individual tree elements, thc user decides how much of the content is rendered at any given time. The user can also dctermine whether a certain element is automatically expanded in the rendcring when cncountercd, or whether it appcars in the rendering at all, effectively allowing for the easy gencration of alternative document views. To speed up navigation the user can move through the document based on the element of their choice. Specialiscd element search functions are also available. Additional navigational functionality is provided to deal with the specific requirements of or elements.

The thesis reviews different methods previously employed to offset problems with auditory interfaces and compares these with WebTree. Initial user tests and evaluations of WebTrec are prescnted, which show that the approaches taken provide a viable solution, particularly for thc browsing of large or complex wcb-bascd documcnts, by blind users.


Despite over 350 million people being safely treated with ivermectin, there have been rare cases of death post-treatment; these events are most often associated with high Loa loa microfilaremia. This first autopsy description of an encephalopathy case following the administration of ivermectin involves a 45-year-old male who became comatose 3 days after treatment. He slowly deteriorated over 5 weeks and died at 54 days after the anthelminthic treatment, probably as a result of a secondary skin or pulmonary infection exacerbated by malnutrition. The major pre- and post-autopsy findings included the presence of high loads of Loa loa, positivity for Plasmodium, the presence of a longstanding respiratory condition, and vascular pathology in the brain. The central nervous system lesions have similarities with those described in previously reported cases of Loa loa-associated death following diethylcarbamazine treatment.


Measuring the thermal performance of walls in-situ poses two separate problems: (1) how to measure time-varying surface temperatures and heat fluxes on both sides of the test wall; and (2) how to reduce this data set into a minimal number of parameters that effectively characterize the wall. A methodology is presented for interpreting field measurements of wall performance and an instrument developed for carrying out such measurements is described. The method is a simplified dynamic model that uses a small number of simplified thermal parameters (STP) - a steady-state conductance, a time constant and a few surface storage terms - to describe the thermal performance of a wall. This model simulates actual wall performance by comparing model predictions with results generated from conventional response-factor methods. The instrument developed for field measurements is the Envelope Thermal Test Unit (ETTU), which consists of two four-foot by six-foot blankets placed on either side of the test wall that are used to both measure and control the surface heat fluxes and surface temperatures of the wall. During a typical test, which lasts about 12 hours, one blanket imposes a specified flux through one surface of the test wall while the resulting heat flux onmore » the other surface and the surface temperatures on both sides are measured. The model presented can be used for both laboratory and field measurements and may be applied to any component of the building envelope.« less


The quintessential model-based reinforcement-learning agent iteratively refines its estimates or prior beliefs about the true underlying model of the environment. Recent empirical successes in model-based reinforcement learning with function approximation, however, eschew the true model in favor of a surrogate that, while ignoring various facets of the environment, still facilitates effective planning over behaviors. Recently formalized as the value equivalence principle, this algorithmic technique is perhaps unavoidable as real-world reinforcement learning demands consideration of a simple, computationally-bounded agent interacting with an overwhelmingly complex environment, whose underlying dynamics likely exceed the agent's capacity for representation. In this work, we consider the scenario where agent limitations may entirely preclude identifying an exactly value-equivalent model, immediately giving rise to a trade-off between identifying a model that is simple enough to learn while only incurring bounded sub-optimality. To address this problem, we introduce an algorithm that, using rate-distortion theory, iteratively computes an approximately-value-equivalent, lossy compression of the environment which an agent may feasibly target in lieu of the true model. We prove an information-theoretic, Bayesian regret bound for our algorithm that holds for any finite-horizon, episodic sequential decision-making problem. Crucially, our regret bound can be expressed in one of two possible forms, providing a performance guarantee for finding either the simplest model that achieves a desired sub-optimality gap or, alternatively, the best model given a limit on agent capacity.


The dramatic implosion and regionalization of international trade during the 1930s has often been blamed on the trade and foreign exchange policies that emerged in the interwar period. We provide new evidence on the impact of trade and currency blocs on trade flows from 1928 1938 that suggests a blanket indictment of interwar trade policies and payments arrangements is not warranted. Discriminatory trade policies and international monetary arrangements had neither a uniformly favorable nor unfavorable implication for world trade; instead the balance of trade-creating and trade-diverting effects depended on the motivations of policymakers and hence on the structure of their policies. We find, for example, that British Commonwealth tariff preferences affected trade more significantly than the sterling-bloc currency area, but both promoted within-group trade without diverting trade away from non-members. Exchange controls and bilateral clearing arrangements enacted by German and Central and Eastern European countries, by contrast, dominated other commercial policies in altering trade patterns, but curtailed trade with non-members with no offsetting trade-creating effects. We also find support for Ragnar Nurkse 's famous hypothesis that exchange-rate volatility in the interwar period diminished trade. Our results speak to the emerging regional trade and currency areas of today, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and the EC's Single Market and European Monetary System, and suggest that their impact lies not in the regional or global character of the policy initiative, but in the structure and design of the underlying policies.


This report has been produced by ZSL in collaboration with WWF, IUCN and SSC. It considers for the first time the current status and trends of global vertebrates in the context of human pressures, with a particular focus on threatened, novel and evolutionary distinct species.