Background: Psychiatric research in the 1950s and 1960s showed potential for psychedelic medications to markedly alleviate depression and suffering associated with terminal illness. More recent published studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine when administered in a medically supervised and monitored approach. A single or brief series of sessions often results in substantial and sustained improvement among people with treatment-resistant depression and anxiety, including those with serious medical conditions. Need and Clinical Considerations: Palliative care clinicians occasionally encounter patients with emotional, existential, or spiritual suffering, which persists despite optimal existing treatments. Such suffering may rob people of a sense that life is worth living. Data from Oregon show that most terminally people who obtain prescriptions to intentionally end their lives are motivated by non-physical suffering. This paper overviews the history of this class of drugs and their therapeutic potential. Clinical cautions, adverse reactions, and important steps related to safe administration of psychedelics are presented, emphasizing careful patient screening, preparation, setting and supervision. Conclusion: Even with an expanding evidence base confirming safety and benefits, political, regulatory, and industry issues impose challenges to the legitimate use of psychedelics. The federal expanded access program and right-to-try laws in multiple states provide precendents for giving terminally ill patients access to medications that have not yet earned FDA approval. Given the prevalence of persistent suffering and growing acceptance of physician-hastened death as a medical response, it is time to revisit the legitimate therapeutic use of psychedelics.


Conventional wisdom says that equity concerns are beyond the scope of economic analysis and that achieving equity objectives will often come at a cost in terms of efficiency. Examination of the underlying meaning of efficiency and how it is defined, however, reveals that this tension between efficiency and equity is more apparent than real. The paper also explores the application of other economic concepts to the field of sustainable development, including the use of discounting for present value, Gross Domestic Product as a measure of well-being, and rational utility maximisation vs. bounded rationality as models of human behaviour.


. The last two decades have seen a proliferation of research frameworks that emphasise the importance of understanding adaptive processes that happen at different levels. We contribute to this growing body of literature by exploring how cultural (mal) adaptive dynamics relate to multilevel social-ecological processes occurring at different scales, where the lower levels combine into new units with new organizations, functions, and emergent properties or collective behaviors. After a brief review of the concept of "cultural adaptation" from the perspective of cultural evolutionary theory, the core of the paper is constructed around the exploration of multilevel processes occurring at the temporal, spatial, social, and political scales. We do so by using insights from cultural evolutionary theory and by examining small-scale societies as case studies. In each section, we discuss the importance of the selected scale for understanding cultural adaptation and then present an example that illustrates how multilevel processes in the selected scale help explain observed patterns in the cultural adaptive process. The last section of the paper discusses the potential of modeling and computer simulation for studying multilevel processes in cultural adaptation. We conclude by highlighting how elements from cultural evolutionary theory might enrich the multilevel process discussion in resilience theory.


Designing, developing and maintaining concurrent applications is an error-prone and time-consuming task; most difficulties arise because compilers are usually unable to check whether the inputs/outputs performed by a program at runtime will adhere to a given protocol specification. To address this problem, we propose lightweight session programming in Scala: we leverage the native features of the Scala type system and standard library, to introduce (1) a representation of session types as Scala types, and (2) a library, called lchannels, with a convenient API for session-based programming, supporting local and distributed communication. We generalise the idea of Continuation-Passing Style Protocols (CPSPs), studying their formal relationship with session types. We illustrate how session programming can be carried over in Scala: how to formalise a communication protocol, and represent it using Scala classes and lchannels, letting the compiler help spotting protocol violations. We attest the practicality of our approach with a complex use case, and evaluate the performance of lchannels with a series of benchmarks. 1998 ACM Subject Classification D.1.3 Concurrent Programming, D.3.1 Formal Definitions and Theory, F.3.3 Studies of Program Constructs – Type structure


Vegetation phenology is an important indicator of climate change and climate variability and it is strongly connected to biospheric–atmospheric gas exchange. We aimed to evaluate the applicability of phenological information derived from digital imagery for the interpretation of CO2 exchange measurements. For the years 2005–2007 we analyzed seasonal phenological development of 2 temperate mixed forests using tower-based imagery from standard RGB cameras. Phenological information was jointly analyzed with gross primary productivity (GPP) derived from net ecosystem exchange data. Automated image analysis provided reliable information on vegetation developmental stages of beech and ash trees covering all seasons. A phenological index derived from image color values was strongly correlated with GPP, with a significant mean time lag of several days for ash trees and several weeks for beech trees in early summer (May to mid-July). Leaf emergence dates for the dominant tree species partly explained temporal behaviour of spring GPP but were also masked by local meteorological conditions. We conclude that digital cameras at flux measurement sites not only provide an objective measure of the physiological state of a forest canopy at high temporal and spatial resolutions, but also complement CO2 and water exchange measurements, improving our knowledge of ecosystem processes.


This research involved an investigation of the alignment between performance measurement and strategy in central government agencies. A review of the literature suggested that, although the topic is of great interest and importance, it has been underresearched. The context of the existing studies appears to be based primarily on for-profits/business rather than not-for-profit/public sector domain. Moreover, the existing research is mainly normative lacking supporting empirical evidence.

The objectives of this research were to (1) develop greater understanding of performance measurement in the public sector, and (2) provide supporting empirical evidence in place of the normative arguments regarding the alignment between performance measurement and strategy.

This research aimed to answer the question, 'how, in central government agencies, is the alignment between performance measurement and strategy managed?'

This interpretive multiple-case research comprised of the studies of four central government agencies in Thailand. The primary data source was interview data supported by documentation. The interpretational analyses were conducted both at intra-case and inter-case levels.

This research found that public officials often regarded, 'strategy' as equivalent to 'policy' and that these terms were used interchangeably. The research also found that the existing definitions of fundamental performance measurement/management terminologies did not fit comfortably with public sector management owing mainly to their lack of practical perspectives. This research proposed refined terminologies.

Additionally, the research found eight advantages of stategy-misaligned performance measurement despite the absence of their recognition in the existing literature. As a result, misalignment could be preferable in some circumstances. However, public managers were under pressure to demonstrate alignment between performance measurement and strategy thus 'alignment tensions' occurred in practice.

In order to deal with these tensions, three strategies were identified including (1) neglecting the tensions (as in 'do-nothing strategy'), (2) attempting to realign performance measurement with strategy (as in 'realigning strategy', and (3) directing attention from the alignment issue (as in 'distracting strategy').


The Bulgarian village has been and always will be a building element in our social-household and economic relations. Despite of the number of problems and weaknesses that go hand in hand with its existence, it is still a living organism which, however, must be treated with more and more care. Undoubtedly, the migration processes, usually expressed in the young people outflow, outlines its modern look and categorize it as not a preferred place for living. The main weaknesses identified as a motive are the lack of opportunities for active social life, complications or lack of access to job vacancies, low income, poor infrastructure, etc. - all categories on which the individual can not influence or radically change. There is a spiraling downward development, where cause-and-effect relationships should be sought precisely in the outflow of people on the one hand and not the possibility of business activity as a function of it on the other. While there are many examples of successful people connected with the Bulgarian village, they are not mass, but rather isolated or specific cases. Undoubtedly, without active, adequate and rapid external interference, these processes will continue and problems will deepen.


Due to suburbanization and white flight, metropolitan regions suffer from great fiscal inequality. Wealthier, and oftentimes white, suburbs are able to keep their tax burdens low and receive high quality government services. In contrast, central cities, with many poorer and ethnic minority communities, face eroding tax bases and increased demand for social services. In response to this fiscal dilemma, central cities spend money to construct and operate assets, such as a sports stadium or music hall, in the hopes of spurring economic development that can create job opportunities for residents and increased tax revenues for the city. While such assets are desired and used by residents of the entire region, our current system of local government allows wealthier localities to enjoy these benefits without helping to pay for their costs. This dismal state of affairs is largely the product of localism, a descriptive and normative theory of a system of decentralized, independent local governments that fosters self-interest and unilateral decision making. Recently, a powerful critique of localism has emerged in the form of regionalism, a competing theory that recognizes the complexity and interdependence of cities. Regionalism argues that interlocal collaboration is necessary to address the ills of the modern metropolis, including the problem of fiscal inequality. Unfortunately, regionalism has failed to be adopted on a meaningful scale because it is politically or practically infeasible. Moreover, the regional governments that have been successfully formed have tended to reinforce inequality and free riding. In this Article, I propose a new, more viable theory of regionalism — "equitable fiscal regionalism." This theory envisions a regional government that better distributes the cost of regional benefits throughout the metropolitan area. In doing so, equitable fiscal regionalism seeks to address the free riding by wealthier localities and help reverse the fiscal inequalities that exist in most regions. By using the example of sports stadium districts, this Article demonstrates how equitable fiscal regionalism can help find theoretical common ground for localism and regionalism and move toward bridging the gap between scholarship and practice in this important area.


In 1998–99 the non-proliferation regime was in a state of crisis. While this crisis mostly has been blamed on the Indian and Pakistani nuclear test in May 1998, Sidhu argues that the reality is more complex. The regime's crisis was evident even before, and continued after, these events. In this study Sidhu asks what challenges were raised to the non-proliferation regime by the events in South Asia. And did these events also have positive impact on the regime?


A hybrid structure, a graphitic nanostructures@porous carbon framework, is developed by utilizing the bimetallic zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) as a solid precursor, simultaneously templating porous carbon and growing graphitic nanocarbon in a simplified chemical vapor deposition (CVD) fashion. A ligand, 2-methylimidazolate (2MIM), in the ZIF-8 decomposes above 600 C to yield active carbon/hydrocarbon radicals/vapour. With the idea of using the high catalytic activity of nickel to grow graphitic nanostructures in a CVD process from gaseous carbon feedstocks, a precursor, bimetallic ZIF8, is synthesized by partial substitution of zinc metal centres by nickel. Such nickel centres thus act as nanocatalysts to grow graphitic nanostructures from the carbon radicals arising from the partly decomposed ligand of the framework during the carbonization step. These hybrid structures show a highly enhanced electrocatalytic activity for the water splitting oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Furthermore the catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction and hydrogen evolution reactions (ORR and HER), and gas uptake capacities for H2 and CO2 are enhanced with respect to the increased porosity and nitrogen doping in the samples. We also show that not all the MOF-based precursors with nickel metal centres are suitable for producing nanographitic structures. Our further investigation suggests that the graphitization in the samples plays a critical role in enhancing the catalytic activities.


About the Authors. Contributors. Acknowledgements. General Introduction. Part One: A Psychoanalytic Perspective on Groups and Organisations ( Marie-Jeanne Vansina-Cobbaert ). Chapter 1: Original, Primary Mental Processes ( Marie-Jeanne Vansina-Cobbaert ). Illustrations. Stepwise transformations. Chapter 2: Languages from Another World ( Marie-Jeanne Vansina-Cobbaert ). The language of images. The language of actions. The language of relations. Putting the information from 'atlantis' to use. Chapter 3: Supportive 'Process Structures' ( Marie-Jeanne Vansina-Cobbaert ). Holding and containment. Transitional phenomena. Chapter 4: Defensive Processes and Behaviour ( Marie-Jeanne Vansina-Cobbaert and Leopold Vansina ). Individual defence mechanisms. Defence mechanisms in groups. Social defences. Social repression. Defensive strategies. Working with and through defences. Conclusions. Chapter 5: The Capacity for Creative Living and Its Importance in Organisational Life ( Marie-Jeanne Vansina-Cobbaert ). Origins and functioning of the capacity for creative living. Destructiveness in the context of creative living. Part Two: A Psychodynamic Approach. Introduction (Leopold Vansina). Chapter 6: Psychodynamics: A Field of Study and an Approach ( Leopold Vansina ). Some major differences with psychoanalysis. An attempt to define psychodynamics. Creating supportive process structures. Small things that matter: a look at some neglected potential benefits of a psychodynamic approach to organisational issues. Finalising comments. Chapter 7: 'Me' in the Problem Situation ( Leopold Vansina ). The problem with problem definition. Building continuation. 'Me' in terminating a project. What about transference and counter-transference in our practice? Chapter 8: Groups as the Tip of an Iceberg: Locating Issues in Their Context ( Leopold Vansina ). Introduction. Management teams as the tip of an iceberg. The iceberg in project teams. Import and export mechanism of problems. Chapter 9: Being in and Working with Experiences in the 'Here-and-Now' ( Leopold Vansina ). Various mental modes of being present. The relevance of working with or without specific frames in the 'here-and-now'. From interpretations to sense making. Chapter 10: The Art of Reviewing: A Cornerstone in Organisational Learning ( Leopold Vansina ). Reviewing. What could be reviewed? When to review and with what frequency? Special or institutionalised reviews. How to review? Conditions for reviewing. The role and stance of the person(s) leading the review. Limits to learning from reviewing. Part Three: The Psychodynamic Approach in Consulting and Action-Research Projects Introduction ( Leopold Vansina ). Chapter 11: Understanding and Working with Organisational Dynamics: Coping with Organisational Growth ( Leopold Vansina and Gilles Amado ). Part 1: Creating Awareness and a Base for Action within the Organisation. The pilot workshop. The second workshop. The third workshop. The relevance of the design. Part 2: Working Through the Draft Blueprint. The six two-day workshops. Understanding and working with organisational dynamics: discussion. Chapter 12: Transformations: Hope, Illusions and Reality. Transformations within a Family-Owned International Corporation ( Leopold Vansina and Marie-Jeanne Vansina-Cobbaert ). Part 1: The Consulting Project. The actors within the system. 'Minimal structures' and 'time and space'. Part 2: Making Sense of the Work. Transformation. What can be learned from the consulting experience and conceptual clarifications for advancing the practices of organisation consultants and managers? Chapter 13: Participative Redesign: Action-Research into the Strategic Restructuring of a Plant ( Leopold Vansina ). Part 1: The Project. History and context. My role, approach and intentions. Phase one: exploring the company in its environment. Phase two: engaging the employees to redesign the operations to meet the new production strategy. Phase three: change in ownership and implementation. Part 2: Organisational Results and Research Findings. Results from the participative redesign. The process of successful organisational change. Learning from the action-research itself. Chapter 14: Working Across Organisational Boundaries: Understanding and Working with Intergroup Dynamics ( Sandra G.L. Schruijer and Leopold Vansina ). Part 1: The Psychological Difficulties of Working Across Organisational Boundaries. The meaning of collaboration. The yacht club. Part 2: Helping Groups and Organisations in Developing Successful Collaboration. Shellfisheries: conflicts of interest between nature and economy. Collaboration in the building sector. Organisational change of a nursing home. Medical call centre. Part 3: Dynamics, Practices and Principles. Working with the whole system. Working with the psychodynamics of conflict and collaboration. Leading collaboration. Exploring the 'why?' Concluding remarks. References. Glossary. Index.


There is a perceivable trend for robots to serve as networked mobile sensing platforms that are able to collect data in aquatic environments in unprecedented ways. We argue that the effective transformation between Eulerian and Lagrangian data streams represents a fundamental principle underlying many ongoing research efforts. Timely transformation of data streams is the major challenge to construct cyber cycles that are needed by marine autonomy. Data driven machine learning methods have great potential, but are constrained by special difficulties for underwater communication. A distributed autonomy structure that is able to cope with the limited information sharing is envisioned as the future. This challenge can only be addressed by interdisciplinary efforts from researchers in underwater acoustics, underwater networking, and marine robotics. This talk will discuss recent advancements towards integrating marine robotic platforms with underwater communication and networking technology. In particular, we will address the influences from both environmental motions (caused by ocean flow) and controllable platform motion on the transformation of the data streams. Even though such motions have been known to degrade the performance of acoustic communication and networking, the quantitative relationships have yet to be established, calling for tremendous efforts for theoretical analysis, simulations, and experimental study. One of our approaches, named Motion tomography (MT), develop generic environmental models (GEMs) to combine computational ocean models with real-time data streams collected by mobile sensing platforms to provide high-resolution predictions of ocean current in a small spatial area around the mobile platforms. With better known environmental motion, the performance of acoustic networking can be better analyzed. This will be demonstrated through lab-based experiments leveraging micro autonomous vehicles equipped with acoustic modems. Our efforts also indicate that future research requires open and cost-effective experimental infrastructure that integrates marine robotic platforms, underwater acoustic device, and underwater networking equipment.


SUMMARY Coastal Erosion is a complex spatial dynamic phenomenon that threatens the coastal regions around the word and has a significant impact on social, economical and environmental aspects of people livings in these regions. Hence, coastal erosion risk assessment techniques require integrating several sources of data to provide a coherent and complete vision of potential risk regarding the phenomenon under study. This includes assessing possible damage on environmental, economical and social features as well as human-life losses. This fundamental information can then be analyzed at a higher hierarchical level to choose appropriate actions and strategies to protect the region, its environment, the people and their assets in an optimal way. Coastal regions are generally used by diverse habitats under authority of various organizations and stakeholders in local, provincial, and governmental levels. The main challenge arises when each organization prefers to take its own criteria and its own sources of data to assess the risk. The data and the criteria are often in conflict and it becomes difficult to provide a coherent vision of the overall risk as well as to support an efficient decision-making process. In addition, the way to represent risk zones is a challenging issue due to the complex hierarchical nature of risk as well as the existence of uncertainty. This complicates the adequate communication of risk values and their consequences to stakeholders and authorities. Therefore, an integrated information system is needed to manage the combination of several criteria, time periods and scales of information as well as the existence of uncertainty at different levels. Geographical Information System (GIS) are conventionally used for such purpose since they allow integrating the spatial and non-spatial data. However, on-the-fly multidimensional analysis of risk is only marginally supported by today's GIS and efficiency can only be achieved by integrating Business Intelligence (BI) concepts for spatial data exploration. In this paper we propose developing a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) that combines both GIS and BI capabilities to improve coastal erosion risk assessment. In particular, we propose to use Spatial On-Line Analytical Processing (SOLAP) Paradigm and Fuzzy Set Theory to improve the representation and analysis of coastal risk coastal infrastructures such as roads, buildings, plants, and people that are vulnerable to erosion.


The question of when an error will be sufficiently "material" to justify the quashing of a tainted decision has prompted some discussion and debate on the High Court of Australia in two important recent cases: Minister for Immigration and Border Protection v SZMTA [2019] HCA 3 and Hossain v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection [2018] HCA 34.

This is a difficult issue, which causes conceptual confusion and obscures important underlying issues.

By reference to material drawn from Australia, Canada, England, Ireland and New Zealand, I argue that there are three distinct types of materiality.

First, materiality can be used to denote whether an error is sufficiently serious to count as jurisdictional.

Second, materiality can be used to denote a causal link between the error complained of and the decision under review.

Third, materiality can be used to denote judicial discretion to refuse relief.

I suggest that distinguishing between these types facilitates clearer analysis and debate about the appropriate place of "material" error in judicial review of administrative action.


This paper will challenge the prevailing tendency to assume that we are shut up to a violent future with war and diplomacy as the only way to peace and call for a more hopeful counter-politics of love. Taking as its starting point Christopher Coker's recent Can War Be Eliminated (Cambridge: Polity, 2014) and John Dear's The Nonviolent Life (Long Beach, California: Pace e Bene Press, 2013), the paper will juxtapose evolutionary determinism and practical theopolitical re-imagination as explored by William Cavanaugh in Theopolitical Imagination (London and New York: T. & T. Clark, 2002). Resisting both the reduction of imagination to ideas and the acquiescence of politics to cultural evolution, the paper will draw on the work of Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict (New York: Columbia University Press, 2012) to argue from contemporary grassroots nonviolent experience and its recent historical genealogy that the key to eliminating war is a recommitment to applied nonviolence. In the attempt to further earth the discussion in the realities of current endemic conflict situations the paper will conclude with a brief evaluation of developments in practical nonviolent peacemaking emanating from Christian Palestinians and Israeli's in Bethlehem and the West Bank and draw on emerging literature from the contemporary Christian Palestinian movement for peace and reconciliation such as Salim Munayer and Lisa Loden Through My Enemy's Eyes: Envisioning Reconciliation in Israel Palestine (Milton Keynes: Paternoster, 2014).


The seminal question in modern developmental biology is the origins of new life arising from the unification of sperm and egg. The roots of this question begin from 19th to 20th century embryologists studying fertilization and embryogenesis. Although the revolution of molecular biology has yielded significant insight into the complexity of this process, the overall orchestration of genes, molecules, and cells is still not fully formed. Early mammalian development, specifically the oocyte‐to‐embryo transition, is essentially under "maternal command" from factors deposited in the cytoplasm during oocyte growth, independent of de novo transcription from the nascent embryo. Many of the advances in understanding this developmental period occurred in tandem with application of new methods and techniques from molecular biology, from protein electrophoresis to sequencing and assemblies of whole genomes. From this bed of knowledge, it appears that precise control of mRNA translation is a key regulator coordinating the molecular and cellular events occurring during oocyte‐to‐embryo transition. Notably, oocyte transcriptomes share, yet retain some uniqueness, common genetic motifs among all chordates. The common genetic motifs typically define fundamental processes critical for cellular maintenance, whereas the unique genetic features may be a source of variation and a substrate for sexual selection, genetic drift, or gene flow. One purpose for this complex interplay among genes, proteins, and cells may allow for evolution to transform and act upon the underlying processes, at molecular, structural and organismal levels, to increase diversity, which is the ultimate goal of sexual reproduction. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 76: 805–818, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Base-metal sulphides (BMS) are important host minerals for platinum-group elements (PGE) in orthomagmatic Ni-Cu-PGE deposits. The PGE distribution and concentration in the BMS provide important genetic, exploration and mineral processing information. Therefore, detailed mineralogical work and an in situ laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis of trace elements were conducted on the BMS of mineralised samples from the Overysel and Sandsloot localities of the Mogalakwena Platinum Mine. These localities access the Platreef of the northern Bushveld Complex. Platinum-group element enrichment trends in the BMS are similar in the Overysel and Sandsloot samples, although the overall PGE concentrations in the Overysel BMS are lower than those in the Sandsloot BMS. A general decoupling of the PGE from the BMS due to fluid activity, as advocated by other authors for the Sandsloot reef lithologies, was not observed in the samples studied. A major portion of the PGE mineralisation is associated with BMS as is indicated by the 'moderate' (Overysel r = +0.62) to 'very good' (Sandsloot r = +0.79) PPGE-S bulk-rock correlation, whereas an excellent PPGE-Ni correlation (especially at Overysel) indicates that pentlandite is a major PGE-carrier. These results are corroborated by the trace element contents of the BMS and by mass balance calculations. For instance, the LA-ICP-MS BMS study revealed average concentrations of 65 to 165 ppm Pd and 0.17 to 13 ppm Rh at Overysel, and 156 to 412 ppm Pd and 18 to 57 ppm Rh at Sandsloot in pentlandite of both the mineralized pyroxenites. In contrast, chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite are almost devoid of PGE. Platinum and the IPGE (Ir, Os, Ru) are very low in the BMS and, therefore, are thought to be hosted in discrete PGM grains. This conclusion is supported by the mass balance calculations for Pt and by the actual presence of PGM grains in both sample suites. The presence of discrete PGM grains explains the calculated gap between the whole-rock PPGE concentrations and the PPGE concentration in the mineral phases as revealed by the mass balance calculations. The PPGE concentrations in the BMS and the complementary mass balance calculations are in general agreement with those of the Merensky Reef and the UG-2, in both of which large proportions of the whole-rock Pd and Rh are hosted by pentlandite, whereas Pt and the IPGE mainly occur in discrete PGM rather than being hosted by BMS. However, comparison of our results with those of the Merensky Reef and the UG-2 indicates that the average maximum Pd and Rh concentrations in pentlandite are distinctly lower in the Platreef.


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INTRODUCTION
There is scarcity of data in literature regarding the treatment response with Sofosbuvir (SOF) based therapy in Indian patients with chronic Hepatitis-C Virus (HCV) infection.

AIM
This study was designed to observe initial treatment response to SOF based therapy in a "real-life" cohort of Indian patients with HCV infection.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This is a prospective, observational and single center study. A total of 107 patients who were diagnosed with chronic HCV infection and received SOF based treatment between March 2015 and December 2015 were included. The patients were treated with either triple drug regimen [SOF, Ribavirin (RBV) and Pegylated Interferon-α (Peg IFN-α)] or dual drug regimen (SOF and RBV) for either 12 or 24 weeks. The virological responses were obtained at baseline and thereafter weekly (up to four weeks) till viral load became undetected during treatment.

RESULTS
A total of 107 patients who received SOF based therapy for chronic HCV infection were included in the study. Mean age of the patients was 48.7±10.7 years. Among included patients, 24 (22.4%) patients were treatment-experienced. Majority of the patients (n=69; 64.5%) were infected with HCV genotype-3. Except one patient, all the included patients achieved virological response up to week-4 of the treatment. There was statistically insignificant association between virological response (up to four week of the treatment) and severity of the disease (cirrhosis and non-cirrhosis) or treatment status (treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced), or HCV genotype (genotype-1 and 3).

CONCLUSION
The results of this observational study demonstrated rapid initial virological response of SOF based therapy in "real-life" cohort of Indian patients with chronic HCV infection. However, long-term follow-up data are needed to ensure the sustained antiviral efficacy of SOF based therapy.


Traditionally, professionalism conceived of the professions as central to democratic society. Because professionals gained their status through reputation not wealth, they were in the best position to suppress their own self-interest in order to ascertain and pursue the public good. This Article argues that this traditional understanding of the professions was lost as a market ideology took hold in the 1970s. Professionalism gradually became synonymous with the delivery of services. This Article draws on this intellectual history to argue that aspects of the traditional concept of professionalism can and should be revived today.


Naugad is a remote rural municipality in the mountains of far west Nepal with poor accessibility and limited economic opportunities, especially for women and marginalized communities. Promotion of the natural resource-based value chain for allo (the Himalayan nettle, Girardinia diversifolia) was identified as an innovative livelihood strategy by the local community. Value chain development started in 2014. The project was designed to focus on women and include participation by the private sector. This paper analyzes the impact of the project, especially on women's lives, using primary and secondary data. A community-owned enterprise was established with private-sector support from the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation's Business Association of Home Based Workers (SABAH) Nepal. The enterprise now has 82 members (69 of them women), with 150 households benefiting directly and indirectly. SABAH Nepal provided training in sustainable harvesting and processing techniques and promotes the products in high-end international markets. A buyback guarantee scheme provides security to local artisans. The quality and range of allo products have increased markedly, as has the share in benefits for local people. Skills training and visits to trade fairs have helped women build their capacity and take a leading role in the value chain process. The community-owned enterprise members have earned up to NPR 4000 per month from sewing, more than the local rate for day labor and sufficient to cover general household expenses. More than 25 women entrepreneurs have started microbusinesses related to allo. Allo has become an important economic asset, transforming the lives of mountain women in this village area. The approach has potential for scaling up across the subtropical to temperate areas of the Himalayan region in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal.


To reduce interspecific competition, sympatric species must segregate their re sources in a variety of dimensions. Otariid seals (fur seals and sea lions) breed sympatrically in several regions and, where this occurs, differences in lactation length and body size (which in fluence foraging behaviour and diet) are apparent. However, congeneric Australian fur seals Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus (AUFS) and New Zealand fur seals A. forsteri (NZFS) breed sympatrically on several islands within south-eastern Australia, and display complete overlap in breeding period. How these populations segregate resources is unknown. We assessed the for aging ecology and diet of adult females of both species breeding on Kanowna Island, south-eastern Australia. Foraging locations and diving behaviour differed between species, with AUFS diving deeper (consistent with benthic foraging; 70.6 ± 2.3 m [SD]), while NZFS predominantly dived to shallow depths (16.9 ± 3.7 m), suggesting an epipelagic foraging mode. A bimodal pattern in foraging range was observed in NZFS, with animals either foraging near the colony (15.7 ± 13.0 km) or travelling beyond the continental shelf (363.4 ± 17.2 km), while AUFS foraged within 79.8 ± 8.8 km of the colony. Although dietary composition was similar, the relative importance of prey differed. NZFS predominantly consumed pelagic species, while AUFS primarily consumed a variety of benthic/demersal species (niche overlap 0.39). These differences coincide with the divergence in population demography of the 2 species (AUFS exhibit lower, more stable fecundity compared to NZFS) and are consistent with predictions that foraging mode influences life history traits in otariid seals.


Abstract Objective We examined whether diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a serious complication of type 1 diabetes (T1D) was more prevalent among Non-Hispanic (NH) Black and Hispanic patients with T1D and laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared with NH Whites. Method This is a cross-sectional study of patients with T1D and laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from 52 clinical sites in the United States, data were collected from April to August 2020. We examined the distribution of patient factors and DKA events across NH White, NH Black, and Hispanic race/ethnicity groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the odds of DKA among NH Black and Hispanic patients with T1D as compared with NH White patients, adjusting for potential confounders, such as age, sex, insurance, and last glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level. Results We included 180 patients with T1D and laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in the analysis. Forty-four percent (n = 79) were NH White, 31% (n = 55) NH Black, 26% (n = 46) Hispanic. NH Blacks and Hispanics had higher median HbA1c than Whites (%-points [IQR]: 11.7 [4.7], P < 0.001, and 9.7 [3.1] vs 8.3 [2.4], P = 0.01, respectively). We found that more NH Black and Hispanic presented with DKA compared to Whites (55% and 33% vs 13%, P < 0.001 and P = 0.008, respectively). After adjusting for potential confounders, NH Black patients continued to have greater odds of presenting with DKA compared with NH Whites (OR [95% CI]: 3.7 [1.4, 10.6]). Conclusion We found that among T1D patients with COVID-19 infection, NH Black patients were more likely to present in DKA compared with NH White patients. Our findings demonstrate additional risk among NH Black patients with T1D and COVID-19.


In an increasingly global community of researchers and practitioners, new technologies and communication means have made the transfer of policies from one country or region to another progressively more prevalent. There has been a lot of attention in the field of public administration paid to policy transfer and institutional transplantation. This book aims to create a better understanding of such transfers in the water management sector. These include the adoption of modern water management concepts, such as integrated water resources management and forms of water governance, which are strongly promoted and sometimes also imposed by various international organizations. Transfers also occur within the scope of development aid or for the purpose of creating business opportunities. In addition, many research organisations, consultancies and governmental agencies are involved in cross-border work.

The purpose of this book is therefore to present practical examples of the transfer of modern water management from one locality to another and to critically discuss the transferability of policy and governance concepts by analysing the contextual needs and factors. Case studies are included from North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It is argued that in many cases context matters in water management and that there is no panacea or universal concept that can be applied to all countries or regions with different political, economic, cultural and technological contexts. Yet it is also shown that some countries are facing pressing and similar water management issues that cut across national borders, and hence the transfer of knowledge may be beneficial.


Background Given the high budgetary impact of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the lack of adherence to sometimes complex HIV treatment, it is interesting to analyse the reasons for changes between different ARTs. Purpose To analyse the causes of change of ART in 439 patients over 16 months (January 2012–April 2013) in a general hospital. Materials and methods Retrospective observational study included all HIV patients in the Farmatools Applicative Outpatient module version 2.4. We defined 4 reasons for change in treatment and the following variables: –Treatment failure: CD4, viral load (CV). –Simplification of treatment: number of pills before/after the change. –Adverse effects (AEs) –Other Results Of the 439 patients included, 39 patients had treatment changes, with 161 modifications. Reasons for change: 11/161 for treatment failure. The median CV and CD4 were 13,997 copies/ml and 280 cells/mcL, respectively. 98/161, for simplicity. The commercial presentation was the most common reason for change (60/98). Of the 98 patients, 64 reduced 1 tablet in treatment, 32 reduced 2 tablets and 2 patients reduced 3 tablets. The mean reduction was 1.35. (SD = 0.53) 42/161 changes because of AEs: renal toxicity (14/44 patients), lipid disorders (8/44 patients), central nervous system disorders (6/44 patients), lipoatrophy (6/44 patients), osteopenia (3/44 patients) and others (5/44 patients). 10/161, changes for other reasons. 3/161 by treatment update. 5/161 for suspected interaction with other concomitant treatments (3 interactions with triple protease inhibitor treatment for hepatitis C, 1 interaction with omeprazole and another with methadone). 1/161, for dose adjustment in renal failure, 1/161 for unknown reasons. Conclusions The main cause of treatment change was simplification, because new commercial presentations reduced the number of pills/doses or shots/day. The second and third reasons were adverse effects and treatment failure, unlike those reflected in the literature. No conflict of interest.


Although experts agree that diverse stakeholder inclusion enhances quality and equity in evaluation designs and implementation, diverse voices are often omitted. Particularly antithetical to principles of youth character development, evaluations for these programs should strive to include voices from various social, economic, community, and demographic perspectives. One innovative national evaluation capacity building initiative, the Partnerships for Advancing Character Program Evaluation (PACE) project, paired practitioners from youth programs in community-based organizations with evaluation professionals to enhance stakeholders' roles in evaluation. PACE promoted stakeholder identification and inclusion through group exercises, partnership work, and coaching sessions. Using a mixed methods design with interviews, retrospective pretest–posttest surveys, and observational data, triangulated data addressed diverse stakeholders in the evaluation process, diverse perspectives on program performance, and connecting diverse input to evaluation design. Postprogram findings indicate that participants included more varied and diverse stakeholder perspectives in all the three areas. Implications for programs and evaluations are discussed.


Between 1990 and 2008, many industrializing countries have experienced tremendous economic growth, which coincided with a substantial increase in the use of materials. That poses the question how a continued economic convergence of developing nations will affect the use of biomass, fossil fuels, and minerals. Building on the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis, this study investigates whether material use reaches a maximum at a certain level of economic development and declines in income thereafter. Two indicators operationalize material use. Domestic Material Consumption (DMC) measures the apparent use of materials in a country. The Material Footprint (MFP) quantifies all materials extracted to produce a country's final demand, including materials embodied in imports. Employing a panel consisting of 144 countries, initial estimations results suggest an S-shaped (cubic) relationship between GDP per capita and material use, but the relationship is monotonically positive over most of the income range. The coefficients of the cubic model tend to become nonsignificant once endogeneity and non-stationarity are accounted for. A linear specification yields a significant (positive) coefficient irrespective of the estimation method and can thus be considered a satisfactory approximation to the income-material use relationship. The linear models that account for endogeneity and non-stationarity suggest a greater income-materials elasticity for MFP than for DMC. The long-run income elasticity is estimated to be 0.562 for DMC and 0.752 for MFP.


We discuss the behaviorist and empiricist foundations of the organizational routines and capabilities literature, specifically the extant emphasis placed on experience, repetition and observation as the key inputs and mechanisms of behavior, learning and change in organizations. Based on this discussion we highlight several concerns associated with specifying experience and repetition as antecedents of routines and capabilities, namely, (1) the problem of origins and causation, (2) the problem of extremes, (3) the problem of intentionality, (4) the problem of new knowledge, and (5) the problem of the environment. We highlight the "poverty of stimulus" argument and more generally discuss how internalist or rationalist, choice-based approach might provide a more fruitful (though preliminary) foundation for extant research on organizational routines and capabilities.


On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Hermann Grassmann (1809-1877), an interdisciplinary conference was held in Potsdam, Germany, and in Grassmann's hometown Szczecin, Poland. The idea of the conference was to present a multi-faceted picture of Grassmann, and to uncover the complexity of the factors that were responsible for his creativity. The conference demonstrated not only the very influential reception of his work at the turn of the 20th century, but also the unexpected modernity of his ideas, and their continuing development in the 21st century. This book contains 37 papers presented at the conference. They investigate the significance of Grassmann's work for philosophical as well as for scientific and methodological questions, for comparative philology in general and for Indology in particular, for psychology, physiology, religious studies, musicology, didactics, and, last but not least, mathematics. In addition, the book contains numerous illustrations and English translations of original sources, which are published here for the first time. These include life histories of Grassmann (written by his son Justus) and of his brother Robert (written by Robert himself), as well as the paper 'On the concept and extent of pure theory of number' by Justus Grassmann (the father).


Deep generative models have been wildly successful at learning coherent latent representations for continuous data such as video and audio. However, generative modeling of discrete data such as arithmetic expressions and molecular structures still poses significant challenges. Crucially, state-of-the-art methods often produce outputs that are not valid. We make the key observation that frequently, discrete data can be represented as a parse tree from a context-free grammar. We propose a variational autoencoder which encodes and decodes directly to and from these parse trees, ensuring the generated outputs are always valid. Surprisingly, we show that not only does our model more often generate valid outputs, it also learns a more coherent latent space in which nearby points decode to similar discrete outputs. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our learned models by showing their improved performance in Bayesian optimization for symbolic regression and molecular synthesis.


The presence of protein inclusions called Lewy bodies (LBs) that are mainly composed of misfolded and accumulated α-synuclein (αSyn) represents a hallmark of Parkinson´s disease (PD). Oligomeric αSyn species are thought to play a central role in the neurodegeneration of PD. Elevated levels of oxidative or nitrative stresses have been implicated in αSyn-related toxicity. Phosphorylation of αSyn on serine 129 (S129) is prominently found in Lewy bodies and modulates autophagic aggregates clearance. The neighboring tyrosine residues Y125, Y133 and Y136 are phosphorylation and nitration sites. Overexpression of αSyn in the unicellular eukaryotic model Saccharomyces cerevisiae results in growth impairment and cytoplasmic protein inclusions resembling the aggregates observed within LBs. In this study, yeast was used as reference cell to study the contribution of tyrosine modifications on αSyn-related toxicity. Y133 is required for protective S129 phosphorylation and for S129-independent proteasome clearance. αSyn can be nitrated and forms stable dimers originating from covalent crosslinking of two tyrosine residues. LC-MS analysis of tyrosine residues involved in nitration and crosslinking revealed that the C-terminus, rather than the N-terminus of αSyn, is modified by nitration and di-tyrosine formation. The nitration level of wild-type αSyn was higher than the A30P mutant that is non-toxic in yeast. A30P formed more dimers than wild-type αSyn supporting dimer formation as a cellular detoxification pathway in yeast. In contrast to A30P, expression of αSyn significantly increased the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, which was independent from tyrosine modifications. Deletion of the yeast flavohemoglobin gene YHB1 resulted in an increase of cellular nitrative stress and enhanced aggregation and cytotoxicity of A30P. Yhb1 protected yeast from A30P-induced mitochondrial fragmentation. Deletion of YHB1 elevated the level of reactive nitrogen species in A30P expressing cells, which can be diminished by mutating the nitration sites. Protein analysis showed that Yhb1 affects nitration but not dimerization levels of A30P indicating that nitrated tyrosine residues, but not di-tyrosine crosslinked dimers, contribute to αSyn cytotoxicity and aggregation. Under nitrative stress, deletion of YHB1 severely inhibited yeast growth in cells expressing wild-type and A30P αSyn. A30P was as toxic as wild-type αSyn indicating that increase in nitrative stress converts A30P to a toxic protein. Overexpression of neuroglobin, the human homolog of YHB1, protected against αSyn inclusion formation in mammalian cells. This study suggests that C-terminal Y133 plays a major role in αSyn aggregate clearance by supporting the protective S129 phosphorylation for autophagy and by promoting proteasome clearance. C-terminal tyrosine nitration increases pathogenicity and can be partially detoxified by αSyn di-tyrosine dimers. This novel complex interplay between S129 phosphorylation and C-terminal tyrosine modifications of αSyn likely participates in PD pathology.


Neighbourhood effects and worker mobility have been proposed as explanations for the pattern of employment in cities. This paper presents a theoretical framework within which the joint impact of these two factors can be analyzed. The evolution of unemployment patterns is modelled as a stochastic process, where workers sometimes make employment decisions influenced by local norms, and sometimes decisions of where to live based on neighbourhood characteristics. A long run outcome of full employment and complete segregation is found to be robust to a wide range of process specifications. More nonsegregated long run outcomes are possible if mobility decisions are based on neighbourhood employment rates than if they are based on other neighbourhood characteristics.


The attentional system allows individuals to bias and enhance the processing of a prede ned target in the visual eld. This capability can be demonstrated using visual search, where a single target is identi ed within a varying number of distractors, which can share features with targets. When the process of visual search is interrupted by temporarily eliminating all stimuli, participants can resume search when the visual array reappears. This rapid resumption of search is manifested in a shorter reaction time for a recurring search array. This phenomenon has been observed under many conditions, and traditionally explained in terms of visual prediction: with insu cient evidence for a target discrimination, the cognitive system relies on its limited information to direct attention towards where it hypothesizes the target will reappear. In the present study, we assessed how resumption is in uenced by spatial shifts in attention. Participants were requested to identify a target in a search array which appeared for 100ms and disappeared for 900ms, repeatedly until response. Between the reappearances we shifted the locations of the whole array. We demonstrate how resumption persists when the array expands over a lager space before shrinking back (Exp-1), and when the array shifts up and down in 5° visual angles (Exp-2). Finally, we manipulated the spatial shift systematically (10°/20°/30° visual angles) and found that resumption is eliminated only at the largest shifting distance (Exp-3). We discuss a theoretical account of the tradeo䄟 between spatial shifts of attention and the maintenance of memory representations. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2016 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.


The recent development of rapid prototyping technologies towards additive manufacturing reveals some major drawbacks of processes such as laser beam melting (LBM). This contribution focuses on the lack of suitable polymer material with a fine particle size and good flowability. Polymer particles obtained by a wet grinding process 1 are treated in a heated downer reactor. This treatment changes the particles' morphology from a chiselled state towards a spherical form by surface tension forces in a molten state 2 and leads to an improved flowability. To reach the required amount of rounded polymer powder, a downer reactor in semi-industrial scale has been established and will be characterized in this article. For the purpose of particle rounding it is necessary to avoid contact of molten particles with each other and with the hot reactor walls. Furthermore, the heat distribution has been investigated as one of the key parameters of the process. Finally, a proof of concept by rounding wet grinded PBT materia...


Cloud storage providers such as Dropbox and Google drive heavily rely on data deduplication to save storage costs by only storing one copy of each uploaded file. Although recent studies report that whole file deduplication can achieve up to 50% storage reduction, users do not directly benefit from these savings-as there is no transparent relation between effective storage costs and the prices offered to the users. In this paper, we propose a novel storage solution, ClearBox, which allows a storage service provider to transparently attest to its customers the deduplication patterns of the (encrypted) data that it is storing. By doing so, ClearBox enables cloud users to verify the effective storage space that their data is occupying in the cloud, and consequently to check whether they qualify for benefits such as price reductions, etc. ClearBox is secure against malicious users and a rational storage provider, and ensures that files can only be accessed by their legitimate owners. We evaluate a prototype implementation of ClearBox using both Amazon S3 and Dropbox as back-end cloud storage. Our findings show that our solution works with the APIs provided by existing service providers without any modifications and achieves comparable performance to existing solutions.


Abstract. Meteorological measurements were performed in a prominent ice cave (Eisriesenwelt, Austria) during a full annual cycle. The data show the basic features of a dynamically ventilated cave system with a well distinguished winter and summer regime. The calculated energy balance of the cave ice is largely determined by the input of long-wave radiation originating at the host rock surface. On average the turbulent fluxes withdraw energy from the surface. This is more pronounced during winter due to enhanced circulation and lower humidity. During summer the driving gradients reverse sign and the associated fluxes provide energy for melt. About 4 cm of ice were lost at the measurement site during a reference year. This was due to some sublimation during winter, while the major loss resulted from melt during summer. Small amounts of accumulation occurred during spring due to refreezing of seepage water. These results are largely based on employing a numerical mass and energy balance model. Sensitivity studies prove reliability of the calculated energy balance regarding diverse measurement uncertainties and show that the annual mass balance of the ice strongly depends on cave air temperature during summer and the availability of seepage water in spring.


The mitogenic effect of extracellular ATP was examined in cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). ATP, 2-methylthio-ATP, and ADP stimulated [3H]thymidine and [3H]leucine incorporation and cell growth. AMP, adenosine, UTP, and P2x agonists showed little of these effects. Reactive blue 2, a P2Y purinoceptor antagonist, was effective in suppressing the mitogenic effect of ATP and 2-methylthio-ATP, indicating that extracellular ATP-induced VSMC proliferation is mediated by P2Y purinoceptors. The P2Y purinoceptor activation was coupled to a pertussis toxin (PTX)-insensitive G protein (Gq) and triggered phosphoinositide hydrolysis with subsequent activation of protein kinase C (PKC), Raf-1, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in VSMCs. In response to ATP, both 42-and 44-kDa MAPKs were activated, and tyrosine was phosphorylated. Western blot analysis using PKC isozyme-specific antibodies indicated that VSMCs express PKC-alpha, PKC-delta, and PKC-zeta. A complete down-regulation of PKC-alpha and PKC-delta was seen after 24-hr treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. When cells were pretreated with 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate for 24 hr and subsequently challenged with ATP, Raf-1 activation and 42-kDa as well as 44-kDa MAPK tyrosine phosphorylation failed to be induced. These results demonstrate that ATP-induced Raf-1 and MAPK activations involve the activation of PKC-alpha and PKC-delta. P2Y purinoceptor stimulation with ATP also caused accumulation of c-fos and c-myc mRNAs. Both Reactive blue 2 and staurosporine significantly blocked this increase by ATP. In conclusion, the mitogenic effect of ATP seemed to be triggered by activation of the Gq protein-coupled P2Y purinoceptor that led to the formation of inositol trisphosphate and activation of PKC. PKC and, in turn, Raf-1 and MAPK were then activated, leading eventually to DNA synthesis and cell proliferation.


How do children learn a verb's argument structure when their input contains nonbasic clauses that obscure verb transitivity? Here we present a new model that infers verb transitivity by learning to filter out non-basic clauses that were likely parsed in error. In simulations with child-directed speech, we show that this model accurately categorizes the majority of 50 frequent transitive, intransitive and alternating verbs, and jointly learns appropriate parameters for filtering parsing errors. Our model is thus able to filter out problematic data for verb learning without knowing in advance which data need to be filtered.


Farmers in Korogwe in northeast Tanzania mostly have very limited smallholdings on which they grow maize, the staple food in this area, and have one or two cows with a few having up to eight cows. The farmers wanted to pool their resources to allow them to raise some revenue by selling their surplus milk. This research note outlines involvement with a scheme to assist the farmers, and confirms the significance of social impact assessment, even in small projects and apparently straightforward situations.


A novel and high-performance passive optical network (PON), the SUCCESS-DWA PON, employs dynamic wavelength allocation to provide bandwidth sharing across multiple physical PONs. In the downstream, tunable lasers, an arrayed waveguide grating, and coarse/fine filtering combine to create a flexible new optical access solution. In the upstream, several distributed and centralized schemes are proposed and investigated. The network performance is compared to conventional TDM-PONs under different traffic models, including the self-similar traffic model and the transaction-oriented model. Broadcast support and deployment issues are addressed. The network's excellent scalability can bridge the gap between conventional TDM-PONs and WDM-PONs. The powerful architecture is a promising candidate for next generation optical access networks.


Previous research on unethical behavior in organizations suggests that employees who engage in such behavior are motivated by the desire to advance their own self-interest, often acting selfishly at the expense of their own organizations. However, such behaviors also may be motivated by potential benefits or costs to other employees within the same organization. In this article, we provide a framework that shows how emotions resulting from upward social comparisons between one employee and others, namely envy, may motivate unethical behavior that is costly to coworkers. We discuss the consequences of such interpersonal unethical behavior in organizational settings. We also examine the interaction of these emotional reactions to social comparisons with characteristics of an organization's structure, related to pay, goals, and monitoring. Finally, we discuss the implications for future theory development.


Whether it's poker or trial law, wisecracking Rita Morrone plays to win, especially when she takes on the defense of the Honorable Fiske Hamilton, a prominent federal judge accused of sexual harassment. And it's no coincidence that the judge is her live-in lover's father. Then the action turns deadly, and Rita finds herself at the center of a murder case. She probes deep into the murder, uncovering a secret life and suspects in shocking places. When the killer viciously ups the ante, Rita decides to end this lethal game. She lays it all on the line for the highest stakes ever -- her life.


Geneticists and breeders have conventionally relied on multi-site experiments and structured populations to partition phenotypic variation into component traits, where variation can then be assigned to genotype and environment, with recent efforts focused on resolution of quantitative trait loci (QTL) and identification of underlying genes. For Brassica genomes, which are relatively large and complex, this process requires access to interconnected sets of platform experimental resources, including ongoing determination of the complete chromosomal DNA sequences. The B. rapa genome sequence has recently been used to provide valuable information for a number of studies. In coming years, the ability to navigate between the various genome sequences and trait genetics will contribute to understanding Genotype x Environment (GxE) interactions at the molecular level and benefit pre-breeding activities. Exploitation of the genome sequence for trait resolution is benefiting from recent integration of genetic maps for Brassica napus, as well as development of advanced recombinant and diversity populations. There is particular value in the combined screening of diversity collections and QTL analysis which can demonstrate the extent of variation and genetic basis for traits as diverse as oil composition and mineral nutrition. The availability of genome sequences provide the opportunity to understand GxE interactions at the molecular level, using genetical genomic techniques such as expression QTL (eQTL) analysis. Although the role that epigenetic regulation plays in GxE interactions is currently poorly understood, we are now starting to determine the distribution of heritable epigenetic marks superimposed on Brassica genomes, and to explore the scope for epigenetic intervention as contribution to crop improvement. The need for integrated data management that allows navigation from trait to underlying genes is discussed.


The feasibility of extractive reaction of methacrylic acid from aqueous solution using a quaternary amine, tri–octyl methyl ammonium chloride (TOMAC) as an extractant, was studied. The diluents chosen in the present work belong to different chemical classes, n–butyl acetate, carbon tetrachloride, isoamyl alcohol, methyl isobutyl ketone, and toluene. The effect of initial acid concentration in the aqueous phase, and initial extractant concentration in the organic phase were studied. The performances of physical and reactive extraction of individual diluents were reported in terms of overall distribution coefficient, overall loading ratios, and stoichiometric loading ratios. Maximum extractability was observed in case of methyl isobutyl ketone, while minimum with carbon tetrachloride. The remarkable feature of linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) modeling is that it takes into account physical interactions. To check the accuracy of the experimental observations, they were correlated with the LSER modeling parameters, and fairly good agreement was observed between them.


This report analyzes self-selection and motivations of emigrants from Denmark, one of the richest and most redistributive welfare states in the world. Authors Ilpo Kauppinen (EconPol Europe, VATT Institute for Economic Research), Till Nikolka (EconPol Europe, ifo Institute, LMU Munich) and Panu Poutvaara (EconPol Europe, ifo Institute, LMU Munich) present evidence on how migrants are self-selected with respect to their education, earnings, and unobservable abilities, measured by residual earnings. They document main motivations of emigrants, present evidence on how couples have self-selected into emigration, how couples decided on their emigration and how the partners' labor force participation changed after emigration. Finally, they ask whether emigrants differ from non-migrants in terms of their attitudes towards redistribution.


Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) is an integral-field spectroscopic survey that is one of three core programs in the fourth-generation Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV). MaNGA's 17 pluggable optical fiber-bundle integral field units (IFUs) will observe a sample of 10,000 nearby galaxies distributed throughout the SDSS imaging footprint (focusing particularly on the North Galactic Cap). In each pointing these IFUs are deployed across a 3° field; they yield spectral coverage 3600−10300 Å at a typical resolution R ∼ 2000, and sample the sky with 2″ diameter fiber apertures with a total bundle fill factor of 56%. Observing over such a large field and range of wavelengths is particularly challenging for obtaining uniform and integral spatial coverage and resolution at all wavelengths and across each entire fiber array. Data quality is affected by the IFU construction technique, chromatic and field differential refraction, the adopted dithering strategy, and many other effects. We use numerical simulations to constrain the hardware design and observing strategy for the survey with the aim of ensuring consistent data quality that meets the survey science requirements while permitting maximum observational flexibility. We find that MaNGA science goals are best achieved with IFUs composed of a regular hexagonal grid of optical fibers with rms displacement of 5 μm or less from their nominal packing position; this goal is met by the MaNGA hardware, which achieves 3 μm rms fiber placement. We further show that MaNGA observations are best obtained in sets of three 15 minute exposures dithered along the vertices of a 1.44 arcsec equilateral triangle; these sets form the minimum observational unit, and are repeated as needed to achieve a combined signal-to-noise ratio of 5 Å−1 per fiber in the r-band continuum at a surface brightness of 23 AB arcsec−2. In order to ensure uniform coverage and delivered image quality, we require that the exposures in a given set be obtained within a 60 minute interval of each other in hour angle, and that all exposures be obtained at airmass ≲ 1.2 ?> (i.e., within 1–3 hr of transit depending on the declination of a given field).


Background Pneumonia is the leading cause of childhood death in Bangladesh. We conducted a longitudinal study to estimate the incidence of virus-associated pneumonia in children aged <2 years in a low-income urban community in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods We followed a cohort of children for two years. We collected nasal washes when children presented with respiratory symptoms. Study physicians diagnosed children with cough and age-specific tachypnea and positive lung findings as pneumonia case-patients. We tested respiratory samples for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), rhinoviruses, human metapneumovirus (HMPV), influenza viruses, human parainfluenza viruses (HPIV 1, 2, 3), and adenoviruses using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays. Results Between April 2009–March 2011, we followed 515 children for 730 child-years. We identified a total of 378 pneumonia episodes, 77% of the episodes were associated with a respiratory viral pathogen. The overall incidence of pneumonia associated with a respiratory virus infection was 40/100 child-years. The annual incidence of pneumonia/100 child-years associated with a specific respiratory virus in children aged <2years was 12.5 for RSV, 6 for rhinoviruses, 6 for HMPV, 4 for influenza viruses, 3 for HPIV and 2 for adenoviruses. Conclusion Young children in Dhaka are at high risk of childhood pneumonia and the majority of these episodes are associated with viral pathogens. Developing effective low-cost strategies for prevention are a high priority.


In the recent work, stability of the Z- and the E- isomers were undertaken for the two rotational isomers of phosphorus ylides involving a 2- mercaptobenzimidazole [namely dimethyl 2-(2-mercaptobenzimidazole-syl)- 3-(triphenylphosphanylidene) succinate] by natural population analysis (NPA) and atoms in molecules (AIM) methods. Quantum mechanical calculationwas clarified howthe ylides exist in solution as amixture of the two geometrical isomers (Z- and E-) as amajor orminor form. In addition, kinetic studies were performed for the reaction between triphenylphosphine, dialkyl acetylenedicarboxilate in the presence of SHacid, such as 2-mercaptobenzimidazole by UV spectrophotometery technique. The values of the second order rate constant (k2) were calculated using standard equations within the program. All reactions repeated at different temperature range, the dependence of the second order rate constantwith temperature was in a good agreementwithArrhenius and Eyring equations. This provided the relevant plots to calculate the activation parameters (i"Hi€£, i"Si€£ and i"Gi€£) of all reactions. Furthermore useful information was obtained from studies of the effect of solvent and concentration of reactants on the rate of reaction. Proposed mechanism was confirmed according to the obtained results and steady state approximation and first step (k2) of reaction was recognized as a rate determining step on the basis of experimental data.


In Drosophila, the GATA family transcription factor Pannier and the Wnt secreted protein Wingless are known to be important for the patterning of the notum, a part of the dorsal mesothorax of the fly. Thus, both proteins are necessary for the development of the dorsocentral mechanosensory bristles, although their roles in this process have not been clarified. Here, we show that Pannier directly activates the proneural genes achaete and scute by binding to the enhancer responsible for the expression of these genes in the dorsocentral proneural cluster. Moreover, the boundary of the expression domain of Pannier appears to delimit the proneural cluster laterally, while antagonism of Pannier function by the Zn-finger protein U-shaped sets its limit dorsally. So, Pannier and U-shaped provide positional information for the patterning of the dorsocentral cluster. In contrast and contrary to previous suggestions, Wingless does not play a similar role, since the levels and vectorial orientation of its concentration gradient in the dorsocentral area can be greatly modified without affecting the position of the dorsocentral cluster. Thus, Wingless has only a permissive role on dorsocentral achaete-scute expression. We also provide evidence indicating that Pannier and U-shaped are main effectors of the regulation of wingless expression in the presumptive notum.


Anabolic steroids (AS) are synthetic derivatives of the male sex hormone testosterone. The use of AS is not limited to bodybuilders and athletes, but non-athletes also use them. It is used to enhance athletic performance, induce muscle hypertrophy, and augment male sexual characteristics. AS use is associated with a wide range of side effects and potential cardiovascular complications. In this article, we have searched the available literature to investigate the association between AS use and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The results revealed that AS was linked to lipid metabolism derangements, hypertension, coagulation disorders, and cardiomyopathy. We concluded, based on the relevant data, that there was evidence that suggests an association with CVD, primarily myocardial infarction, fatal arrhythmias, and cardiomyopathy in AS users. The general population should be informed of the risk. Also, methods of primary and secondary prevention should be implemented to mitigate the risk of CVD secondary to AS.


The emergence of video streaming over wireless home networks creates renewed interests in design and analysis of new MAC protocols toward QoS provisioning for video applications. IEEE 802.11e Hybrid coordination function Controlled Channel Access (HCCA) exhibits good QoS provisioning for constant bit rate (CBR) video streams in a single collision domain. However, its performance degrades significantly for variable bit rate (VBR) video streams particularly in multicollision domains. In addition, HCCA has the disadvantage of high complexity. In this paper, we introduce a deterministic backoff (DEB) method into the HCCA mechanism, which achieves virtual polling via carrier sense on the wireless channel. DEB intentionally sets each station's backoff counter to a different value, thus stations can access the shared wireless channel at different time slots, which avoids network collisions. By proper controlling of each station's backoff counter, DEB achieves polling like HCCA, but in a more flexible and efficient way. It considerably mitigates inter-AP interference as well due to its carrier sense nature. Results show that, compared to HCCA, DEB always exhibits improvement in performance, particularly in multicollision domains where improvement is remarkable.


Unified ubiquitous models have led to many essential advances, including redundancy and sen- sor networks. In fact, few developers would disagree with the understanding of cache coherence. In order to fulfill this goal, we prove that though the acclaimed homogeneous algorithm for the refinement of superpages by G. Wang et al. [14] is maximally efficient, replication and multicast systems can agree to surmount this issue.


This thesis describes an electronic voting system based on Damgaa rd, Jurik and Nielsen's generalization of Paillier's probabilistic public key system. A threshold variant of this homomorphic cryptosystem is used to provide universally verifiable elections, where zero-knowledge proofs are used for proving correctness of votes. Using this cryptosystem, an electronic voting system that supports voting for 1 out of $L$ candidates is described. Two types of encoding may be used to prove the validity of the votes. The number of proofs needed using normal encoding is linear in $L$, while the number of proofs needed using binary encoding is logarithmic in $L$. It is shown how to extend the system to allow casting a vote for $t$ out of $L$ candidates. This method may easily be used to carry out elections with weighted votes without any added complexity to the system. The system is shown to satisfy the requirements for elections at The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). A fully functional implementation of the electronic voting system as a distributed system, using Java Remote Method Invocation, is presented. The implementation is used to analyze the feasibility of using this voting system for future elections at NTNU. The implementation is tested using various keylengths and various election parameters. With a keylength of 1024 bits, the simulated time for verification of complex elections is small enough to be considered universally verifiable.


Microphysiological systems (MPS) offer great potential for improving pre-clinical testing for pharmaceutical treatments and novel therapies. These advanced in vitro models are designed to recapitulate the basic functions of living tissues or organs through dynamic culture and biomimetic microarchitecture. Increasing advancements in MPS design require advanced fabrication methods, such as extrusion bioprinting. Extrusion bioprinting presents the ability to automate fabrication of these systems in a simplified, one-step process, while providing the ability to fabricate complex, reproducible designs that incorporate dynamic culture, 3D microtissues and integrated sensors for analysis into a single system. This work reviews the main components that constitute these systems, current state-of-the-art MPS fabricated via extrusion bioprinting, and future considerations for the development of MPS.


Background HIV and herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) are infections transmitted predominantly through sexual intercourse. We explored the ecological association between the prevalence of HIV and HSV-2 among human populations through a global review. Methods We conducted a global systematic literature review of HIV and HSV-2 prevalence following the PRISMA guidelines. Sources of data used were Medline (PubMed) and Embase databases, and several country-level reports. No language, country, or year limitations were imposed. We included any publication with a serological measurement of HIV and HSV-2 prevalence in the same study population. Results A total of 2,927 records were screened. Based on preliminary descriptive analysis, we found that HIV prevalence increased steadily with HSV-2 prevalence in all populations where the dominant mode of transmission was sexual. HSV-2 prevalence was consistently larger than HIV prevalence. Overall, among high-risk populations, both infections prevalence was high. Among general population groups, HIV prevalence varied across settings, but was correlated with HSV-2 prevalence, which also varied widely. Though HIV and HSV-2 prevalence levels were correlated across populations, there were settings with very low HIV prevalence regardless of HSV-2 prevalence. For children and injecting drug users where the dominant mode of HIV transmission was not sexual, there was no apparent ecological association between the two infections. Conclusions Our findings support a strong ecological association between HIV and HSV-2 prevalence in all populations where the dominant mode of HIV transmission is sexual. Sexual networks conducive of HSV-2 transmission appear to be also conducive of HIV transmission. Further analytical work is needed to quantify the ecological association between the two infections, to determine whether HSV-2 could be predictive of HIV epidemic potential, and to assess whether there is a threshold of HSV-2 prevalence necessary for a sexual network to be sustainable for HIV transmission besides HSV-2 transmission.


In this article Professor Van Alstine explores the interaction between the limitations on the doctrine of federal common law and the power of federal courts to interpret the law within the scope of treaties. The article first reviews the constitutional foundation for the operation of treaties as directly applicable ("self-executing") federal law. It then explains that, notwithstanding the Erie doctrine, federal courts may obtain lawmaking powers from either a delegation by Congress or in certain areas of "uniquely federal interest." Professor Van Alstine then argues that the judicial relationship with self-executing treaty law in principle proceeds from the same source of authority as that for Article I legislation. No less than in the statutory context, therefore, a deliberate and circumscribed delegation of lawmaking powers by treaty does not run afoul of federalism or separation of powers limitations on federal common law. Even beyond such an express authorization, the special constitutional nature of treaties also profoundly affects the analysis of the lawmaking powers of federal courts in this context. As a formal expression both of national foreign affairs policy and of the international law obligations of the United States, treaty law operates at the intersection of the two most prominent fields of "uniquely federal interest." As a result, Professor Van Alstine concludes that the decisive interests of national uniformity which arise in the context of formal treaty obligations - and which animate the two noted fields of established federal common law - mandate a different, and ultimately more accommodating, calculus for the interstitial lawmaking powers of federal courts within the scope of self-executing treaties.


Systematic variations in annual growth increments, formed over a 16-year period in shells of the marine bivalve mollusc Spisula solidissima, reveal more growth in some years than others. Favorable years are indicated by larger than expected annual growth increments and successful recruitment of juveniles. Variations in the size of growth increments correlate negatively with sea surface temperatures. The results suggest that the annual growth increments in the shells of certain molluscs record changes in the marine environment and may be useful monitors of pollution and indicators of paleotemperatures.


Introduction Barack Obama's presidency is often described as a definitive affirmation of racial progress in the United States and a sign of a more inclusive future (Frank, 2008; Nagoumey, 2008; Herbert, 2008; Swarns, 2008; Dyson, 2008). While it is clear that not everyone agrees with this optimistic outlook and racial inequalities persist in the US, there should be little doubt that the election of America's first Black president, unimaginable just a few years ago, has inspired millions (especially younger generations of Americans) to believe that the country is currently on a path toward what Obama himself referred to in his famous "race speech" as a "more perfect union"--i.e., a new United States of America that will gradually break from its racist history. For this and other reasons, many of Obama's supporters describe him as a "transformational figure" whose presidency represents a "paradigm shift." Yet despite abundant public support for the new president and his call for "unity" and "change," discussions and debates in the blogosphere and mainstream press about the possibility for continued racial progress in the wake of Barack Obama's victorious presidential campaign often revolve around a number of interrelated themes/messages that can be quite problematic to those who seek to challenge the racial status quo in this country. These include : (1) the possibility for a "post-racial" society in which race and "racial politics" are no longer relevant (e.g., Cohen, 2008; Bai, 2008; Thernstrom and Thernstrom, 2008); (2) declarations about how Obama and his family will likely challenge racial stereotypes and hence improve the way Whites see Blacks (e.g., Mack, 2009; Givhan, 2009 ; Fletcher, 2009); and (3) statements about how Obama's presidency has rekindled African Americans' belief in American egalitarianism and the so-called American Dream (e.g., Dyson, 2008). Our central argument in this paper is that all of these positions, although typically well intended, are underpinned by a constellation of assumptions that, in various ways, reflect and support White hegemony. Namely, these discussions point to a type of "racial progress" that operates within the prevailing racial status quo by, among other things: (1) emphasizing racial accommodation and equal participation rather than social transformation; (2) measuring the worthiness and normalcy of Blacks along standards associated with Whiteness that are presumed to be apolitical and a-historical, thereby reaffirming the hegemonic stature of White privilege, and (3) assuming that an increase in racial tolerance will be enough to challenge racism, thus obscuring further the structural character of contemporary racism. We address how the Obama administration's "color-blind" style of governance inadvertently supports these problematic tendencies, and conclude with a brief statement about the possibility for an anti-racist future in the United States. Barack Obama and the US as a "Post-Racial" Society: Racial Progress or the Reinforcement of Color Blind Racism? Although undeniably a milestone in US history, Obama's presidency might further legitimize a problematic discourse on race that began in the aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement. As is well known, the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s had a profound impact in terms of eradicating legal racial segregation and challenging overt racial bigotry (e.g., Doane, 2003). Thus, for the past several decades, the claim is often made that Americans live in a so-called "post civil rights era" in which racism is an anomalous or statistically fortuitous practice that has little impact on people's life chances (Bonilla-Silva, 2006). As argued by William Julius Wilson (1980) three decades ago, race in the United States, although by no means irrelevant, has "declined in significance." At the same time, a large body of literature identifies various forms of racism that emerged during this post-civil rights era. …


1. The construction and use of a wind-tunnel apparatus is described in which measurements of evaporation under controlled conditions of temperature, humidity and air flow can be made.

2. Two mathematical formulae, applicable to evaporation in relatively low wind speeds, are described. It is suggested that a promising approach to evaporation from moist-skinned animals is provided by the application of Leighly's formula:

E = K(p-pd)c(v/x)n ,

where the rate of evaporation ( E ) is expressed in terms of the vapour pressure at the evaporating surface ( p ) and in the ambient air ( p d ), the wind speed ( v ) and the length of the evaporating surface parallel to the wind ( x ). The constant, K , is calculated independently and the terms n and c are left for empirical determination.

3. Values of n and c for different types of evaporating surface are given together with the method used in their calculation. Those relating to flat evaporators and to the snail, Helix aspersa , are shown to differ significantly.

4. In general n increases and c decreases as the amount of air disturbance caused by the snail increases.

5. The fact that n for flat surfaces is in good agreement with previously established theory is taken as evidence that Leighly's formula may be validly applied.

6. The combined determination of n and c is introduced as a convenient assessment of a complex form in terms of air flow and evaporation.


Land use change constitutes a primary driving force in shaping social-ecological systems world wide, and its effects reach far beyond the directly impacted areas. Graph based landscape ecological tools have become established as a promising way to efficiently explore and analyze the complex, spatial systems dynamics of ecological networks in physical landscapes. However, little attention has been paid to making these approaches operational within ecological assessments, physical planning, and design. This thesis presents a network based, landscape-ecological tool that can be implemented for effective use by practitioners within physical planning and design, and ecological assessments related to these activities. The tool is based on an ecological profile system, a common generalized network model of the ecological infrastructure, graph theoretic metrics, and a spatially explicit, geographically defined representation, deployable in a GIS. Graph theoretic metrics and analysis techniques are able to capture the spatio-temporal dynamics of complex systems, and the generalized network model places the graph theoretic toolbox in a geographically defined landscape. This provides completely new insights for physical planning, and environmental assessment activities. The design of the model is based on the experience gained through seven real-world cases, commissioned by different governmental organizations within Stockholm County. A participatory approach was used in these case studies, involving stakeholders of different backgrounds, in which the tool proved to be flexible and effective in the communication and negotiation of indicators, targets, and impacts. In addition to successful impact predictions for alternative planning scenarios, the tool was able to highlight critical ecological structures within the landscape, both from a system-centric, and a site-centric perspective. In already being deployed and used in planning, assessments, inventories, and monitoring by several of the involved organizations, the tool has proved to effectively meet some of the challenges of application in a multidisciplinary landscape.


The performance of an adaptive token passing bus protocol is analysed by modelling the behaviour of each node as an M/GI/1 queue and deriving a set of fixed point equations. The technique is shown to be applicable to the analysis of a number of variants of the token passing bus protocol which arise in communication networks and computer integrated manufacturing systems. The validity of the independence assumption underlying this approach is investigated by first examining the autocorrelation function of the simulated time series of token passing cycles. This indicates that cycles are not highly correlated except at high traffic loads. Mean message transmission times predicted by the models are compared with the corresponding results of simulation experiments and the performance of the adaptive protocol is compared quantitatively with that of the standard protocol.


There exists an unequivocal distinction between the sound produced by a static source and that produced by a moving one, especially when the source moves towards or away from the microphone. In this paper, we propose to use this connection between audio and visual dynamics for solving two challenging tasks simultaneously, namely: (i) separating audio sources from a mixture using visual cues, and (ii) predicting the 3D visual motion of a sounding source using its separated audio. Towards this end, we present Audio Separator and Motion Predictor (ASMP) -- a deep learning framework that leverages the 3D structure of the scene and the motion of sound sources for better audio source separation. At the heart of ASMP is a 2.5D scene graph capturing various objects in the video and their pseudo-3D spatial proximities. This graph is constructed by registering together 2.5D monocular depth predictions from the 2D video frames and associating the 2.5D scene regions with the outputs of an object detector applied on those frames. The ASMP task is then mathematically modeled as the joint problem of: (i) recursively segmenting the 2.5D scene graph into several sub-graphs, each associated with a constituent sound in the input audio mixture (which is then separated) and (ii) predicting the 3D motions of the corresponding sound sources from the separated audio. To empirically evaluate ASMP, we present experiments on two challenging audio-visual datasets, viz. Audio Separation in the Wild (ASIW) and Audio Visual Event (AVE). Our results demonstrate that ASMP achieves a clear improvement in source separation quality, outperforming prior works on both datasets, while also estimating the direction of motion of the sound sources better than other methods.


The two papers draw from the brief yet radical reform experiences of five countries-Bulgaria, former Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. The first paper describes the financial sector reforms untertaken by these countries since the 1980s, as well as the problems encountered. It also discusses the roles privatization, stabilization policies, and prudential supervision can play in the financial sector development of these countries. The second paper analyzes the different exchange arrangements as they apply to previously centrally planned economies; examines the general arguments for convertability in these countries; and considers the desirable degree of exchange rate flexibility.


This thesis consists of three chapters on the dynamics of asset returns, with a focus on global stocks and bonds. The first chapter investigates the contagion effect between the European stock and bond markets, and between the Greek bond market and other European bond markets. The perspectives of nonlinear contagion effects and the predictability of contagion are also investigated in the first chapter. The main findings are as follows. Firstly, the European sovereign debt crisis generally leads to contagion effects between domestic stock and bond markets, and this is more likely in relatively smaller countries. The financial crisis had generally led to a higher level of flight-to-quality, whilst this has also been found over the tranquil period, especially in the relatively larger countries. Secondly, the contagion effect between the Greek and other European bond markets started appearing at least four months earlier than the beginning of the European debt crisis. Thirdly, strongly significant copula estimation results reinforce the findings of the existence of nonlinear contagion effect in the Eurozone area. In addition, the information asymmetry carried by the counterpart of the GJR model significantly increases the ability of the Student-t copula to detect changes of dependence structure. Finally, conditional volatility as an explanatory variable is found to be statistically significant in explaining and predicting the contagion across at least five countries, and the level of exchange rate shows its predictive power in contagion for at least four countries. The interest rate (the level of risk free rate for the Eurozone area) is found to have the weakest predictive power amongst all the explanatory variables considered.

The second chapter examines the bi-directional relationships between stock returns and trading volume, and between trading volume and volatility. By using the nonlinear Granger causality test, we find the existence of both bi-directional relations between stock returns and trading volume, and between trading volume and volatility. Further to this, from limiting the sample period to the widely known tranquil period (1994 to 2006), an interesting result is found. In comparison to the full sample test, statistically significant nonlinear results are also observed from the tranquil period. However, the nonlinear feedback from stock returns to trading volume, and the nonlinear feedback from volatility to trading volume are shown to be much stronger during the tranquil sample period than the other way round.

The third chapter evaluates the effects of fundamental factors on international stock returns. Dividend, earnings and interest rate are considered as fundamental factors. The results from the international stock markets are mixed: some markets see dividends playing a more significant role in explaining the variation of stock returns, and some markets see earnings playing a more significant role. However, neither dividend nor earnings can predict the returns changes in a few markets. In order to investigate this problem, we take one step further through estimating the effects of changes of interest rates upon dividend and earnings discount models. However, our analysis only finds a slight influence there. This suggests that other unexamined factors are more important, consequently, further research is required for clarification.