Purpose – to explore respondents' knowledge of regional meat, including the pre-product stage i.e. in the landscape. Herdwick Lamb is highly visible in the landscape and forms part of the 'lifescape' of local residents.
Method – means-end chain analysis was selected to gather customer values relating to this broader product concept. Twenty ladder maps and a hierarchical value map identified the most frequent connections made.
Findings – respondents hold a range of perceptions, experiences and associations with the 'pre-product', which influence their judgement of the quality of the meat. Satisfaction of other functions result from purchase of regional meat such as: the need to make a contribution to the local economy and ecology, and to know the place through community interaction. Respondents were found to interact with the landscape on two levels, perception and inner reflection.
Practical implications – effective regional food brands may not have the food product details at their core. The development of relationships, events and brand communities in a shared place may sustain producers who have their volume output limited by what the land will bear.
Originality and value –an opportunity for creation of a new category of attribute, relating to experience of 'pre-products' in the landscape is discussed.


This study describes the synthesis of well-defined nanocapsules via the miniemulsion technique. Pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate) (TetraThiol) or 1,6-hexanediol di(endo, exo-norborn-2-ene-5-carboxylate) (DiNorbornene) is used as the oil phase. TetraThiol is encapsulated via the miniemulsion technique without polymerization, as this monomer would simultaneously act as a chain-transfer agent, and DiNorbornene is encapsulated via miniemulsion polymerization of styrene. Various styrene-maleic anhydride (PSMA) copolymers and poly(styrene-maleic anhydride)-block-polystyrene (PSMA-b-PS) block copolymers were used as surfactant for the synthesis of well-defined nanocapsules with TetraThiol as the core material. The nanocapsules had a diameter of 150–350 nm and the particle size distribution was narrow. The use of PSMA-b-PS block copolymers as surfactant in combination with post-addition of formaldehyde provided improved stability to the nanocapsules. DiNorbornene was encapsulated via miniemulsion polymerization of styrene, and a stable latex with a bimodal particle size distribution was obtained. The distribution of small particles had a size of 60 nm and the distribution of large particles had a size of 150 nm. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010


This paper summarizes data from previous and current studies on two adjacent farms, one organically managed and the other conventionally managed, in the Palouse region of eastern Washington. The 320-hectare organic farm has been managed without the use of commercial fertilizers and only limited use of pesticides since the farm was first plowed in 1909. The 525-hectare conventional farm, first cultivated in 1908, began receiving recommended rates of commercial fertilizers and pesticides in 1948 and the early 1950's, respectively. The organically-farmed Naff silt loam soil had significantly higher organic matter, cation exchange capacity, total nitrogen, extractable potassium, water content, pH, polysaccharide content, enzyme levels, and microbial biomass than did the conventionally-farmed Naff soil. Also, the organically-farmed soil had significantly lower modulus of rupture, more granular structure, less hard and more friable consistence, and 16 centimeters more topsoil. This topsail difference between farms was attributed to significantly greater erosion on the conventionally-farmed soil between 1948 and 1985. The difference in erosion rates between farms was most probably due to their different crop rotation systems; Le., only the organic farm included a green manure crop in its rotation, and it had different tillage practices. These studies indicate that, in the long-term, the organic farming system was more effective than the conventional farming system in maintaining the tilth and productivity of the Naff soil and in reducing its loss to erosion.


Hyaluronic acid (hyaluronan, HA) is a component of the extracellular matrix and is also used clinically to treat joint and cartilage diseases such as osteoarthritis. Chang et al. show that high molecular mass HA (HMM-HA), but not low molecular mass HA, inhibited osteoclast differentiation of bone marrow-derived macrophages in response to macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL). HMM-HA did not block RANKL-stimulated osteoclastogenesis of RAW264.7 cells, which is independent of M-CSF. Although CD44 is one known receptor for HA, antibodies that block CD44 had no effect on the inhibition of osteoclast formation by HA. However, function-blocking antibodies against Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) blocked the inhibitory effect of HA, suggesting that HA was acting through the TLR4. TLR4-transfected cells bound labeled HA based on fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis, and osteoclastogenesis of cells from mice with a nonfunctional TLR4 were not inhibited by HA. HA decreased signaling pathways activated by M-CSF but did not inhibit those activated by RANKL unless the cells were pretreated with HA for 2 days before RANKL exposure. HA decreased the production of reactive oxygen species stimulated by the receptor tyrosine kinase activated by M-CSF and also inhibited activation of Rac and downstream kinases of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family (p38, ERK, and JNK). HA reduced the abundance of RANK and appeared to mediate this effect by its inhibition of M-CSF signaling, because M-CSF leads to the phosphorylation and activation of two transcription factors for which binding sites exist in the RANK promoter. Thus, M-CSF may stimulate osteoclastogenesis by increasing the responsiveness to RANKL through increased abundance of the receptor RANK, and HA blocks this pathway. In a mouse model for bone erosion, implantation of collagen films containing RANKL in the presence or absence of HA onto mouse skulls showed that HA decreased the RANKL-induced bone loss. These results show a possible mechanism by which HA is clinically useful, expand the role of innate immune receptors to regulation of bone metabolism, and provide a potential connection between bone metabolism and the innate immune system. E.-J. Chang, H. J. Kim. J. Ha, H. J. Kim, J. Ryu, K.-H. Park, U.-H. Kim, Z. H. Lee, H.-M. Kim, D. E. Fisher, H.-H. Kim, Hyaluronan inhibits osteoclast differentiation via Toll-like receptor 4. J. Cell Sci. 120, 166-176 (2007). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Anthropogenic nutrient enrichment of mountain grasslands has boosted grasses and fast‐growing unpalatable plants at the expense of slow‐growing species, resulting in a significant loss in biodiversity. A potential tool to reduce nutrient availability and aboveground productivity without destroying the perennial vegetation is carbon (C) addition. However, little is known about its suitability under severe climatic conditions. Here, we report the results of a 3‐year field study assessing the effects of sawdust addition on soil nutrients, aboveground productivity, and vegetational composition of 10 grazed and ungrazed mountain grasslands. Of particular interest was the effect of C addition on grasses and on the tall unpalatable weed Veratrum album. After 3 years, soil pH, ammonium, and plant‐available phosphorus were not altered by sawdust application, and nitrate concentrations were marginally higher in treatment plots. However, the biomass of grasses and forbs (without V. album) was 20–25% lower in sawdust‐amended plots, whereas the biomass of V. album was marginally higher. Sawdust addition reduced the cover of grasses but did not affect evenness, vegetation diversity, or plant species richness, although species richness generally increased with decreasing biomass at our sites. Our results suggest that sawdust addition is a potent tool to reduce within a relatively short time the aboveground productivity and grass cover in both grazed and ungrazed mountain grasslands as long as they are not dominated by tall unpalatable weeds. The technique has the advantage that it preserves the topsoil and the perennial soil seed bank.


HUME'S A TREATISE OF HUMAN NATURE constitutes a philosophical anthropology quite different from a philosophy of (self-)consciousness or of the subject. According to Hume, the Self or Subject is itself a product of human nature, that is, of the workings of a structured set of principles which explains all typically human phenomena. On the same basis, Hume discusses all "moral" subjects, such as science, morality and politics (including economics), art and religion as well as the different reflections about all these such as philosophy, criticism, political theory, history, theology, and so forth. The Treatise therefore is the study of the (de facto) possibility conditions of what is (typically) human. The principles of human nature are not primarily reason, or free will and reason, but the heart, (1) that is, a combination of principles concerning the imagination and the sensibility or the emotions, all of them irrevocably socially determined. I In terms of cognition, humans clearly surpass animals in complexity, even though animals are quite capable of transcending what is merely given at any moment. Already at the level of sensibility, there is--as Kant would also say--a synthesizing activity present in both humans and animals which transforms the mere givenness of similar data into a perception of similarity, and the mere givenness of data appearing next to and after one another into a perception of spatial proximity and temporal succession. The capacity to anticipate things that are not yet there or to postulate things that are not present (or no longer present) is extremely important for survival. This capacity depends on the ability to establish concrete causal links and on the expectations resulting from them. In this way, the domain of reality--what we take into account in our beliefs and actions--expands into a concrete past and a concrete future. The three "natural" relations ensure that what is given is not simply a mere multiplicity but forms an integrated totality of connections, that is, a world, indeed a world not limited to the present. (2) Hume devotes relatively little attention to the astonishing capacities for establishing spatio-temporal connections and connections of resemblance. He does not dwell on what everybody already agreed upon and which was only a subsidiary point as to his real topic: knowledge and probability. As is well known, his interest is directed more specifically to the relation of causality. (3) He asks himself what might be the basis of this transcendence of the given. (4) Contrary to what philosophers had previously thought, that basis is not the ratio, it is the factual psychological constitution of the human mind. The capacity to establish causal connections is of a piece with our ability to form beliefs or expectations concerning the necessity of these connections. The beliefs are of such a nature that what counts for us is not only what is directly present but also what is believed to belong to the past or the future. Belief is nothing other than a "lively idea": an imaginative activity in which what is not present is taken equally seriously (equally "lively") as what is present. (5) The principle that permits us to form expectations about the future and to take the past into account is called "reason" by Hume, and it should not be confused with Descartes's ratio since it is also at work in beings that are said to lack reason, such as animals, children, and insane persons. It is a kind of "animal reason," "a wonderful and unintelligible instinct in our souls." (6) In human beings, however, this natural or animal reason is transcended in two ways, discussed successively in book 1, part 3, "Of knowledge and probability" (that is, on the different forms of science), and part 4, "Of the sceptical and other systems of philosophy" (that is, on philosophy), which successively form a kind of nontranscendental analytic and dialectic. In fact, these transcendences of animal reason cannot be explained exhaustively on the basis of an investigation of the understanding or of the human ability to form and to link together various sorts of ideas. …


Empirical models of the federal funds rate almost uniformly use the quarterly or monthly average of the daily rates. One empirical question about the federal funds rate concerns the extent to which monetary policymakers smooth this interest rate. Under the hypothesis of rate smoothing, policymakers set the interest rate this period equal to a weighted average of the rate inherited from the previous quarter and the rate implied by current economic conditions, such as the Taylor rule rate. Perhaps surprisingly, however, little attention has been given to measuring the interest rate inherited from the previous quarter. Previous tests for interest rate smoothing have assumed that the quarterly or monthly average from the previous period is the inherited rate. The authors of this study, in contrast, suggest that the end-of-quarter level of the target federal funds rate is the inherited rate, and empirical tests support this proposition. The authors show that this alternative view of the rate inherited from the past affects empirical results concerning interest rate smoothing, even in relatively rich models that include regime switching.


Many real-world data mining tasks require the achievement of two distinct goals when applied to unseen data: first, to induce an accurate preference ranking, and second to give good regression performance. In this paper, we give an efficient and effective Combined Regression and Ranking method (CRR) that optimizes regression and ranking objectives simultaneously. We demonstrate the effectiveness of CRR for both families of metrics on a range of large-scale tasks, including click prediction for online advertisements. Results show that CRR often achieves performance equivalent to the best of both ranking-only and regression-only approaches. In the case of rare events or skewed distributions, we also find that this combination can actually improve regression performance due to the addition of informative ranking constraints.


The molecular mechanism by which hypolipidemic fibrates and antidiabetic thiazolidinediones exert their hypotriglyceridemic action are discussed. Increased activity of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), a key lipolytic enzyme, and decreased levels of apolipoprotein C-III (apo C-III) seem to explain the hypotriglyceridemic effects of compounds. Both fibrates and thiazolidinediones exert their action by activating transcription factors of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) family, thereby modulating the expression of the LPL and apo C-II genes. First, treatment of rats with PPAR alpha activators, such as fibrates induced LPL mRNA and activity selectively in the liver. In contrast, the thiazolidinediones, which are high affinity ligands for PPAR gamma, have no effect on liver, but induce LPL mRNA and activity levels in adipose tissue. In hepatocytes, fibrates, unlike the thiazolidinediones, induce LPL mRNA levels, whereas in preadipocyte cell lines the PPAR gamma ligand induces LPL mRNA levels much quicker and to a higher extent than fibrates. Second, apo C-III mRNA and protein production strongly decrease in livers of fibrate but not thiazolidinedione-treated animals. Fibrates also reduced apo C-III production in primary cultures of rat and human hepatocytes. The modulation of the expression of the LPL and apo C-III genes by either PPAR alpha or gamma activators, correlates with the tissue-specific distribution of the respective PPARs: PPAR gamma expression is restricted to adipose tissues, whereas PPAR alpha is expressed predominantly in liver. In both the LPL and apo C-III genes, sequence elements responsible for the modulation of their expression by activated PPARs have been identified which supports that the transcriptional regulation of these genes by fibrates and thiazolidinediones contributes significantly to their hypotriglyceridemic effects in vivo. Whereas thiazolidinediones predominantly affect adipocyte LPL production through activation of PPAR gamma, fibrates exert their effects mainly in the liver via a PPAR alpha-mediated reduction in apo C-III production. This tissue specific transcriptional regulation of genes involved in lipid metabolism by PPAR activators and/or ligands might have important therapeutic implications.


Abstract. Urban regions are responsible for emitting significant amounts of fossil fuel
carbon dioxide (FFCO2), and emissions at the finer, city scales are more
uncertain than those aggregated at the global scale. Carbon-observing
satellites may provide independent top-down emission evaluations and
compensate for the sparseness of surface CO2 observing networks in urban
areas. Although some previous studies have attempted to derive urban CO2
signals from satellite column-averaged CO2 data (XCO2) using simple
statistical measures, less work has been carried out to link upwind emission
sources to downwind atmospheric columns using atmospheric models. In addition
to Eulerian atmospheric models that have been customized for emission
estimates over specific cities, the Lagrangian modeling approach – in
particular, the Lagrangian particle dispersion model (LPDM) approach – has
the potential to efficiently determine the sensitivity of downwind
concentration changes to upwind sources. However, when applying LPDMs to
interpret satellite XCO2, several issues have yet to be addressed,
including quantifying uncertainties in urban XCO2 signals due to
receptor configurations and errors in atmospheric transport and background
XCO2. In this study, we present a modified version of the Stochastic Time-Inverted
Lagrangian Transport (STILT) model, "X-STILT", for extracting urban
XCO2 signals from NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2)
XCO2 data. X-STILT incorporates satellite profiles and provides
comprehensive uncertainty estimates of urban XCO2 enhancements on
a per sounding basis. Several methods to initialize receptor/particle
setups and determine background XCO2 are presented and discussed via
sensitivity analyses and comparisons. To illustrate X-STILT's utilities and
applications, we examined five OCO-2 overpasses over Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,
during a 2-year time period and performed a simple scaling factor-based
inverse analysis. As a result, the model is able to reproduce most observed
XCO2 enhancements. Error estimates show that the 68 % confidence
limit of XCO2 uncertainties due to transport (horizontal wind plus
vertical mixing) and emission uncertainties contribute to ∼33 %
and ∼20 % of the mean latitudinally integrated urban
signals, respectively, over the five overpasses, using meteorological fields
from the Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS). In addition, a sizeable
mean difference of −0.55 ppm in background derived from a previous study
employing simple statistics (regional daily median) leads to a ∼39 % higher mean
observed urban signal and a larger posterior
scaling factor. Based on our signal estimates and associated error impacts,
we foresee X-STILT serving as a tool for interpreting column measurements,
estimating urban enhancement signals, and carrying out inverse modeling to
improve quantification of urban emissions.


Background:
The prevalence of altered glucose states are rising exponentially due to population ageing, decreased physical
activity and increasing obesity levels (WHO, 2005). Altered glucose states are associated with increased
morbidity and mortality and place a major financial burden on healthcare budgetary resources (Rubin et al,
1994). Hospitalisation costs, to treat the avoidable complications of diabetes, are the most significant
contributor to the costs of diabetes related healthcare expenditure. This survey was undertaken to ascertain
the prevalence of altered glucose states in acute, medical, hospital admissions and to estimate the cost of this
care to the Irish healthcare system.
Methods:
A prospective survey of an unselected sample was undertaken in acute medical admissions to a Regional
hospital in Ireland. Between June 1st 2005 and 17th December 2006, 1273 individuals were enrolled in this
survey. Of these, 419 eligible individuals had a known or new diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes, impaired
glucose tolerance or impaired fasting glucose and a history of complication or risk factor for diabetes.
Findings:
34% of individuals hospitalised in this cohort had an altered glucose state. Type 2 diabetes was the most
prevalent and was recorded in 21%. Impaired glucose tolerance was the principal newly diagnosed altered
glucose state identified in 38% of individuals. All combined altered glucose states and type 2 diabetes alone
were more prevalent in males however, a new diagnosis following screening did nor vary according to
gender. Individuals with an altered glucose state were also older with new IGT becoming more prevalent with
age. This was in contrast to negative OGTT results which decreased with increased age. The cost of treating
individuals in this cohort was estimated at €501,124 or €3,458,144 million, when applied to the total
population of acute medical patients, admitted to this regional hospital.
Conclusions:
This study identified previously unavailable hospital admission data, for individuals requiring acute medical
care in Ireland. In this study 34% of all acute medical hospital admissions had an altered glucose state. In
addition, a significant number of individuals had a previously undiagnosed altered glucose state on admission.
This study confirmed the significant cost of hospitalisation care, for altered glucose states in association with microvascular and macrovascular complications and the impact of this on the healthcare system.


Globalization is changing the Indian legal profession through, among other things, its effects on the corporate legal sector and legal education. Although these changes have generated considerable discussion, relatively little is known about one of the critical channels through which they are occurring – the legal recruitment process in India. Understanding recruitment is important not only because it influences the membership of the profession, but also because it serves as a bridge between the profession and legal education. In this paper we explore this topic through a detailed description and analysis of recruitment in the corporate legal sector in India as well as through a series of detailed interviews of those involved in it.We find that recruitment processes at the elite law schools in India have changed substantially over the last 20 years. Prior to liberalization in 1991 most recruitment was rather ad hoc and geared to obtaining positions in litigation. After 1991 the recruitment process began to change to accommodate increasing demand from the corporate legal sector, which grew rapidly as the Indian economy increasingly interacted with global forces. This led to the current model where recruitment is largely organized through reliance on student run recruitment coordination committees (RCCs), which play important intermediation and facilitation roles for students and corporate legal employers. We explore the formation, structure, norms and functioning of RCCs in greater depth along with the question of why this recruitment structure may have developed in the 1990s in India.However, recruitment processes in India have continued to adapt so that now there appears to be an emerging and somewhat more mixed recruitment model where corporate legal sector employers rely on student-facilitated processes, but also appear to be making greater use of internships, professional recruitment services, and in-service training. This, we argue, is associated with changes wrought by India's increasing interaction with globalization over the last few years. Our analysis thus provides insights into India's recruitment processes, how they have changed over time, the role of globalization in them, and the impact of (and on) the corporate legal sector and legal education in India.


Michel de Montaigne's L'art de Conférer offers a moral groundwork for students' learning of havruta, a traditional Jewish form of studying in pairs, based on collaborative critical text-based learning, that can be applied to students everywhere. The article attends to the nature of havruta learning and to cultural norms that make it difficult for students to become open to their partners' opposing ideas. Students' critical discussion of Montaigne's essay is then conceptualized as a pedagogical tool for cultivating the welcoming of opposing viewpoints and opening their own ideas to critical scrutiny in text- and discussion-based learning. I draw on Wolfgang Iser's theory of reading as bringing the reader into deeper self-consciousness and calling into question implicit beliefs about the role of opposing ideas. The article provides an analysis of Montaigne's ideas and includes study questions to help students adopt a more constructive attitude toward opposing views and expand their understanding of the role of the confrontation of ideas in learning discussions.


In this unique insight into the history and philosophy of mathematics and science in the mediaeval Arab world, the eminent scholar Roshdi Rashed illuminates the various historical, textual and epistemic threads that underpinned the history of Arabic mathematical and scientific knowledge up to the seventeenth century. The first of five wide-ranging and comprehensive volumes, this book provides a detailed exploration of Arabic mathematics and sciences in the ninth and tenth centuries. Extensive and detailed analyses and annotations support a number of key Arabic texts, which are translated here into English for the first time. In this volume Rashed focuses on the traditions of celebrated polymaths from the ninth and tenth centuries 'School of Baghdad' - such as the Banu Musa, Thabit ibn Qurra, Ibrahim ibn Sinan, Abu Ja'far al-Khazin, Abu Sahl Wayjan ibn Rustam al-Quhi - and eleventh-century Andalusian mathematicians like Abu al-Qasim ibn al-Samh, and al-Mutaman ibn Hud. The Archimedean-Apollonian traditions of these polymaths are thematically explored to illustrate the historical and epistemological development of 'infinitesimal mathematics' as it became more clearly articulated in the eleventh-century influential legacy of al-Hasan ibn al-Haytham ('Alhazen'). Contributing to a more informed and balanced understanding of the internal currents of the history of mathematics and the exact sciences in Islam, and of its adaptive interpretation and assimilation in the European context, this fundamental text will appeal to historians of ideas, epistemologists, mathematicians at the most advanced levels of research.


While doing field work in the modernizing Javanese city of Solo during the late 1980s, Suzanne Brenner came upon a neighbourhood that seemed like a museum of a bygone era: Laweyan, a once-thriving production centre of batik textiles, had embraced modernity under Dutch colonial rule, only to fend off the modernizing forces of the Indonesian state during the late 20th century. Focusing on this community, Brenner examines what she calls the making of the "unmodern". She portrays a merchant enclave clinging to its distinctive forms of social life and highlights the unique power of women in the marketplace and the home - two domains closely linked to each other through local economies of production and exchange. Against the social, political and economic developments of late-colonial and post-colonial Java, Brenner describes how an innovative, commercially successful lifestyle became an anachronism in Indonesian society, thereby challenging the idea that tradition invariably gives way to modernity in an evolutionary progression. Brenner's analysis centres on the importance of gender to processes of social transformation. In Laweyan, the base of economic and social power has shifted from families, in which women were the main producers of wealth and cultural value, to the Indonesian state which has worked to reorient families toward national political agendas. How such attempts affect women's lives and the meaning of the family itself are key considerations as Brenner questions long-held assumptions about the division between "domestic" and "public' spheres in modern society.


Rationale Numerous factors have been identified as contributing to the development of bronchiectasis although their relative prevalence remains poorly understood. The Cambridge Centre for Lung Infection (CCRI) at Papworth Hospital has one of the largest specialist bronchiectasis units in Europe. All new patients referred with recurrent or severe chest infections undergo a systematic investigation protocol to determine an underlying cause for their lung disease involving: high-resolution CT (HRCT) scan; full pulmonary function tests; sweat testing and CFTR sequencing; nasal nitric oxide measurements; immunological test including serum immunoglobulins, specific antibody levels pre-and post vaccination, auto-antibody screening; Aspergillus serology and multiple sputum sample testing for conventional and mycobacterial microscopy and culture. We undertook an analysis of the results of these investigations to determine the relative contributions of causal factors in patients with bronchiectasis. Methods We examined the results and case notes of all 352 patients referred to the CCRI with recurrent chest infections between January 1st 2009 and May 31st 2011. Of these, 202 individuals had HRCT evidence of bronchiectasis. The results of their initial investigations were analysed to determine the proportion of patients we could ascribe a likely cause for their bronchiectasis and whether this affected their subsequent management. Results Using our investigation strategy, we were able to identify a likely cause in 139/202 (69%) patients, with 31% remaining idiopathic. Identifying an underlying cause frequently influenced subsequent patient management. Common causes included post-infection (22%), aspiration (7%), primary and secondary immune-deficiencies (4 and 6% respectively), and allergic broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis (6%). 5 new diagnoses of cystic fibrosis were made in patients aged 23, 26, 35, 53 and 64. Conclusion This study represents the largest analysis of causative factors of bronchiectasis to date. Using our current investigation algorithm, we can ascribe a cause for bronchiectasis in almost 70% of new patients. Many of the underlying conditions diagnosed require specialist management.


Efficiently Inefficient describes the key trading strategies used by hedge funds and demystifies the secret world of active investing. Leading financial economist Lasse Heje Pedersen combines the latest research with real-world examples and interviews with top hedge fund managers to show how certain trading strategies make money—and why they sometimes don't. Pedersen views markets as neither perfectly efficient nor completely inefficient. Rather, they are inefficient enough that money managers can be compensated for their costs through the profits of their trading strategies and efficient enough that the profits after costs do not encourage additional active investing. Understanding how to trade in this efficiently inefficient market provides a new, engaging way to learn finance. Pedersen analyzes how the market price of stocks and bonds can differ from the model price, leading to new perspectives on the relationship between trading results and finance theory. He explores several different areas in depth—fundamental tools for investment management, equity strategies, macro strategies, and arbitrage strategies—and he looks at such diverse topics as portfolio choice, risk management, equity valuation, and yield curve logic. The book's strategies are illuminated further by interviews with leading hedge fund managers: Lee Ainslie, Cliff Asness, Jim Chanos, Ken Griffin, David Harding, John Paulson, Myron Scholes, and George Soros. Efficiently Inefficient effectively demonstrates how financial markets really work.


Most research on parenting stress and abuse factors in parents of children with developmental disabilities has relied almost exclusively on Caucasian, middle-income, intact families. The current study investigated the generalizability of previous findings, examining the relations among parenting stress, abuse potential, and child's intellectual/adaptive functioning in a sample of low-income African American mothers of children with developmental delays. Thirty-three maternal caregivers completed the Child Abuse Potential Inventory and the Parenting Stress Index. Results indicated significant parenting stress, particularly aspects related to the child, as well as considerable physical abuse potential. Parenting stress was strongly correlated with abuse potential, particularly stress related to parental attributes. Neither parenting stress nor abuse potential were significantly correlated with the child's intellectual or adaptive functioning. Concerns regarding the appropriateness of these measures with this population and the need for controlled studies are discussed.


Increasing evidence suggests that the renin-angiotensin system modulates cardiovascular homeostasis both via its circulating, plasma-borne components and through locally present, tissue-resident systems with site-specific activity. The existence of such a system in the heart has been proposed, based on biochemical studies as well as on the demonstration of renin and angiotensinogen messenger RNA in cardiac tissue. We conducted the present study to determine whether biologically active angiotensin peptides may be cleaved within the heart from locally present angiotensinogen. Isolated, perfused rat hearts were exposed to infusions of purified hog renin; the coronary sinus effluent was collected and subsequently assayed for angiotensin I (Ang I) and angiotensin II (Ang II) by high-pressure liquid chromatography and specific radioimmunoassay. Both Ang I and II were undetectable under control conditions but appeared promptly after the addition of renin. Dose-dependent peak values for Ang I release ranged from 2.42 +/- 0.65 fmol/min to 1.38 +/- 0.18 pmol/min during renin infusions at concentrations between 10 microunits/ml and 5 milliunits/ml. Ang II levels measured in the perfusate reflected a mean fractional intracardiac conversion of Ang I to Ang II of 7.18 +/- 1.09%. Generation of Ang I and Ang II was inhibited in the presence of specific inhibitors of renin and converting enzyme, respectively. To investigate the source of angiotensinogen, we measured spontaneous angiotensinogen release from isolated perfused hearts. In the absence of renin in the perfusate, angiotensinogen was initially released in high, but rapidly declining, concentrations and subsequently at a low, but stable, rate. Prior perfusion with angiotensinogen-rich plasma resulted in enhanced early angiotensinogen release but did not alter the second, delayed phase, suggesting that, in addition to plasma-derived substrate, locally produced angiotensinogen may also participate in the intracardiac formation of angiotensin. Supporting this interpretation, hearts from animals pretreated with dexamethasone showed increased angiotensinogen messenger RNA concentrations as well as increased rates of angiotensinogen release not only during the early but also during the late phase. Our study newly demonstrates that Ang I and II may be formed within the isolated heart from locally present substrate, which appears to be derived in part from the circulating pool and in part from endogenous synthesis. These findings add support to the concept of a functionally active and locally integrated cardiac renin-angiotensin system and emphasize its potential physiological and pathological relevance.


Objectives/Scope: Ensuring people in an organisation are well connected has been shown in previous research to be vital for exchanging information, influencing attitudes, and improving safety. After an incident, information is often distributed within a company so that others can learn from that incident. While processes to share incident information often exist, there is a need to understand whether and how information reaches those who need it in their roles, as effective information exchange is a first step to building the knowledge of those not directly involved in an incident. Methods, procedure, process: To investigate this topic, the Open University, in collaboration with the Energy Institute, sent a survey to employees working in operational and maintenance teams at a European site of a multinational energy company, asking how they receive safety related information. Survey respondents included both front-line workers and managerial members of the teams. The surveys enquired how people receive information about incidents, focusing both on formal and informal channels. Here a formal channel refered to an email, document, or meeting where information on an incident is purposefully shared. Informal channels include, for example, discussing a safety concern with a colleague.

 Results, observations, conclusions: The data evidenced that plant operators and managers received information in different ways. Front-line workers appeared to have many connections within a team with whom they would discuss safety concerns, but mainly received information from outside their team only through official notifications distributed by the health and safety team. The managerial level members of the unit, on the other hand, often had a wide network of colleagues external to their immediate team, from whom they heard information about industry incidents in addition to the reports distributed by the health and safety team. How teams responded to an incident alert, and what additional knowledge was gathered by management was, nevertheless, not captured by a formal system. It is likely to be useful to formally record information on the actions taken in response to an incident by teams, as others could then learn not only from original incident information, but also from the responses of other teams within the organisation.

 Novel/ additive information: Consideration of the flow of information is vital if companies are to enable workers to learn from incidents which they weren't directly involved in. While health and safety are usually the source of information, all workers at a site have the opportunity to hear about industry incidents that could help to keep front-line workers safe. However, unless a procedure exists to record the actions taken by teams and additional useful information gathered by management, learning will be kept to a local level. A formal database or system could aid teams in understanding how others have learnt from an incident.


This thesis examines the nature and effects of current public information about food production, purchasing and sustainability that is available in Sweden. The thesis follows a two part structure based on the Action Research Cycle; it focuses predominantly on the initial diagnostic stage, using document review, questionnaires and Cultural Probes to examine what information is currently available to Swedish consumers, as well as how they respond to this information. The thesis then moves towards the action planning stage of the Action Research Cycle, using current academic literature in IS with the findings of my diagnostic research to suggest ways in which information-communication technology can be used to improve upon the current situation, and paving the way for future research in the area of public information and food sustainability.


Although biotechnologies and sustainable development are often considered as antagonists, there is increasing evidence for a role for this approach in the ecological intensification of oil palm culti- vation. Ecological intensification is based on the understanding of how nature functions so as to exploit its resources without destroying it. Living organisms are supported by the genome (DNA) through the action of the transcriptome (RNAs), proteome, metabolome, and ionome, the four basic pillars of func- tional genomics. These pillars represent the sum of all the expressed genes, proteins, metabolites, and elements within an organism. The dynamic response and interaction of these biochemical ''omes'' de- fines how a living system functions, and its study, systems biology, is now one of the biggest challenges in life sciences. In oil palm, as in many major crops, functional genomics is still at its beginning, al- though there are no reasons why oil palm should not rapidly benefit from the fast progresses generated by automated and high-throughput technologies. The success of sequencing projects on model plants has created a widespread interest in exploring the structure and expression patterns of the genome. Indeed, several institutions have now achieved the full sequencing of the oil palm genome, paving the way for the rapid evolution of various genomics-based approaches. Oil palm breeding has provided an average 1% of genetic gain per year since the early 1960s and such an impressive increase in oil yield will be maintained in future generations with a major contribution from biotechnology. Indeed, the re- cent adoption of biotechnological approaches has already proven very useful in major areas such as cloning of outstanding material, identity checking of progenies/mother palms, identification and characterization of genes underlying agricultural traits, etc. Phenotypic differences among individuals are partly the result of quantitative differences in transcript abundance. Using microarray technology, it is now possible to assess the abundance of many transcripts—and, indeed, of the entire known tran- scriptome—simultaneously. Studies which attempt to localize the genetic regulators of gene expression have been carried out in several species, including maize and eucalyptus. Microarrays have been used to determine gene expression levels in segregating populations and identify genomic regions (gene expression QTLs, or eQTLs) explaining transcript variation in co-regulated genes. Our article will focus on recent developments in various plant biotechnology areas in which applications for improving sustainability already exist or will be developed in the near future.


This thesis is comprised of five papers that all relate to bootstrap methodology in analysis of non-stationary time series.The first paper starts with the fact that the Dickey-Fuller unit root test using asymptotic critical value has bad small sample performance. The small sample correction proposed by Johansen (2004) and bootstrap are two effective methods to improve the performance of the test. In this paper we compare these two methods as well as analyse the effect of bias-adjusting through a simulation study. We consider AR(1) and AR(2) models and both size and power properties are investigated.The second paper studies the asymptotic refinement of the bootstrap cointegration rank test. We expand the test statistic of a simplified VECM model and a Monte Carlo simulation was carried out to verify that the bootstrap test gives asymptotic refinement.The third paper focuses on the number of bootstrap replicates in bootstrap Dickey-Fuller unit root test. Through a simulation study, we find that a small number of bootstrap replicates are sufficient for a precise size, but, with too small number of replicates, we will lose power when the null hypothesis is not true.The fourth and last paper of the thesis concerns unit root test in panel setting focusing on the test proposed by Palm, Smeekes and Urbain (2011). In the fourth paper, we study the robustness of the PSU test with comparison with two representative tests from the second generation panel unit root tests. In the last paper, we generalise the PSU test to the model with deterministic terms. Two different methods are proposed to deal with the deterministic terms, and the asymptotic validity of the bootstrap procedure is theoretically checked. The small sample properties are studied by simulations and the paper is concluded by an empirical example.


This study assessed how the personal value associated with local food messages in an online video format influenced U.S. consumers' attitudes toward local food. To accomplish this, we created two video treatments focusing on how local food supports the local economy and strengthens social connections, respectively. We developed two scales to measure the personal values (personal value of supporting the local economy and personal value of strengthening social connection). These values were associated to the video treatments' message frames. Descriptive analyses revealed a neutral personal value of supporting local economy and strengthening social connection among U.S. consumers, and a positive attitude toward local food. Multiple regression indicated that the personal value associated with the video treatment was not always a stronger predictor of attitude than the other personal value. In fact, we found that the personal value of supporting the local economy was a more significant predictor of local food attitude than personal value of strengthening social connection in both video treatments.


This is a new title in the fantastic "First Reading" series, based on an African folktale and part of the "Usborne Reading Programme". It is aimed at children who are beginning to read. Anansi, King of the Spiders, is given a bag of wisdom to share but selfishly decides to keep it for himself. But can he carry it up to his secret hiding place without dropping it? It is developed in consultation with Alison Kelly, who is Principal Lecturer in Education from Roehampton University and an early reading specialist. Every title in this series features clear and compelling text accompanied by charming and highly appealing illustrations. Designed to motivate children as they learn to read.


With the introduction of the JESSICA (Joint European Support for Sustainable Investments in City Areas) Initiative, the European Commission aimed at strongly enhancing investments in urban areas to meet the steadily increasing requirements, arising from urbanisation, for European cities. One major challenge now is to find out where the establishment of so called Urban Development Funds (UDFs), with their revolving nature, is a suitable means to achieve this goal. A concept for the determination of funding targets for UDFs is discussed in this paper with the help of three subsequent steps – distance, movability, and capital market imperfections of cities – which we name the DMI approach. The first step is the determination of urban differences by an indicator-based analysis with the definition of the distance to a benchmark city. This reveals cities which have a need for investments in urban areas. Second, the measurement of funding efficiency as a device to quantify movability of cities defines the next step. This step helps to identify cities which should be supported technically to achieve more impact from the funded investments. Finally, the third step is the provision of market imperfections given by the sensitivity of investment needs to the three market failures of external effects, imperfect competition and incomplete information. With the third step, cities which need investments in urban areas are separated into those which are finally eligible for UDFs and other funding candidates.With this overall approach we achieved to merge a high number of information into a neatly arranged separation of cities. As a final result, we obtain those cities which should be supported by UDFs and we also identify if further technical support is appropriate. This is demonstrated by an example on Italian cities. The DMI approach contributes to research on UDFs by introducing a conceptual way for the determination of urban funding target areas which is up to now absent in literature.


Purpose of reviewExtensive evidence indicates that receptor tyrosine kinases and nonreceptor tyrosine kinases underlie vascular damage in hypertension. However, recent clinical studies using vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor inhibitors (bevacizumab, axitinib) revealed the unexpected finding of increased blood pressure. Whether this is a generalized receptor tyrosine kinase phenomenon or a VEGF receptor-specific effect is unclear. The present review focuses on current findings regarding the role of tyrosine kinases and signaling in vascular pathobiology of hypertension. Recent findingsMultiple complex and interacting signaling pathways activated by receptor and nonreceptor tyrosine kinases are upregulated and have been implicated in vascular alterations associated with high blood pressure. Experimental evidence suggests that receptor tyrosine kinase activation by direct ligand binding as well as by ligand-independent mechanisms through transactivation by G protein-coupled receptors plays a role in vascular signaling and cardiovascular diseases. SummaryCellular mechanisms and signaling pathways mediated by tyrosine kinases involved in hypertensive vascular damage are currently the subject of intensive investigation. The unexpected finding of hypertension as a side effect in patients treated with VEGF receptor inhibitors suggests that some tyrosine kinases negatively regulate vascular function. Further characterization of these processes will provide greater understanding of the role of tyrosine kinases in vascular pathobiology in hypertension and should provide new insights on novel therapeutic targets.


Abstract. In this paper, we present measurements of total and tropospheric ozone, retrieved from infrared radiance spectra recorded by the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), which was launched on board the MetOp-A European satellite in October 2006. We compare IASI total ozone columns to Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 (GOME-2) observations and ground-based measurements from the Dobson and Brewer network for one full year of observations (2008). The IASI total ozone columns are shown to be in good agreement with both GOME-2 and ground-based data, with correlation coefficients of about 0.9 and 0.85, respectively. On average, IASI ozone retrievals exhibit a positive bias of about 9 DU (3.3%) compared to both GOME-2 and ground-based measurements. In addition to total ozone columns, the good spectral resolution of IASI enables the retrieval of tropospheric ozone concentrations. Comparisons of IASI tropospheric columns to 490 collocated ozone soundings available from several stations around the globe have been performed for the period of June 2007–August 2008. IASI tropospheric ozone columns compare well with sonde observations, with correlation coefficients of 0.95 and 0.77 for the [surface–6 km] and [surface–12 km] partial columns, respectively. IASI retrievals tend to overestimate the tropospheric ozone columns in comparison with ozonesonde measurements. Positive average biases of 0.15 DU (1.2%) and 3 DU (11%) are found for the [surface–6 km] and for the [surface–12 km] partial columns respectively.


The Yakataga Formation in southern Alaska contains the longest and most accessible record of late Cenozoic glaciation in the world; glacially influenced marine sedimentation began in the late Miocene (6 Ma) and continues in the area to the present day. Upper Yakataga Formation sediments (1.25 km thick) are exposed on Middleton Island, Gulf of Alaska. Facies are dominated by massive glaciomarine diamicts that record deposition in an outer shelf setting of terrigenous mud and ice-rafted debris released from expanded temperate glaciers around the gulf margin. Diamicts contain intraformational coquina beds as much as 1 m thick, composed of cemented bioclastic debris and ice-rafted boulders, that can be traced several kilometers along strike. Analysis of foraminifera contained within diamicts and coquinas suggests that coquinas record intervals of relative sea-level change, bottom winnowing and nondeposition of mud allowing molluscan communities to develop. Coquinas show graded beds produced by storms and wave-rippled, commonly "armored" upper surfaces composed of densely packed Chlamys valves. These bioclastic deposits are of considerable significance with regard to the origin of mixed glacial and carbonate successions in the rock record. Analogous depositional settings can be identified from the Permian of Australia.


This paper surveys recent approaches towards lobbying if interest groups influence the decision of an incumbent government. It describes the two main channels of influence which mainly exist in parallel, namely contribution payments and the transmission of information through lobbying. Recent extensions to the two basic lobbying models are discussed in great detail. Thereafter follows a short overview over current research, which tries to consolidate the two distinct branches of literature into a general lobbying model. The survey concludes with a summary of the main insights and indicates promising directions of further research.


Stacy A. Behlau LIFE SATISFACTION: A STUDY OF UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS 2009/10 Roberta Dihoff, Ph.D. and John Klanderman, Ph.D. Master of Arts in School Psychology The stresses of life that college students face can be overwhelming at times and may affect the student's satisfaction with life. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors in student's lives that diminish their life satisfaction, and to examine which group of students had a lower life satisfaction in each area. Participants in this study were all Rowan University undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in Psychology courses. Within the study, there were 57 total participants, 30 of which were undergraduate students and 27 graduate students. In addition, 47 participants were females while only 10 were males. Participants ranged in age from 20-49 years old. All participants of the study filled out a shortened version of the Quality of Life Questionnaire created by Bigelow, Olsen, Smoyer, and Stewart (1991), and also their own demographic information on the survey. Data derived was run through the SPSS analysis system, and T-Tests were conducted on the data. Results of this study both supported and disproved the hypotheses finding that graduate students do have lesser life satisfaction, but not in all areas of their lives. In addition it was also revealed that students who were working have a slightly lower life satisfaction level than those who were unemployed.


Introduction: Perforation of the uterus or fallopian tube during microinsert placement, with subsequent migration of the microinsert into the abdominopelvic cavity, is a known complication. Case Description: A 38-year-old woman underwent hysteroscopic tubal sterilization with Essure microinserts (Conceptus, Mountain View, California). She returned 4 months later for hysterosalpingography, during which only part of the right microinsert was identified in the right cornu of the uterus. The remaining part of the microinsert was suspected to be in the pelvic cavity. Laparoscopy showed one fragment of the right microinsert projecting from the right cornu; the remaining fragment was incorporated into the serosa of the distal ileum. After an intraoperative consultation with the colorectal surgery team, both fragments of the microinsert were left as is, and tubal fulguration for sterilization was performed. Discussion: Although perforated microinserts can cause small-bowel obstruction or perforation, our case highlights the asymptomatic incorporation of a microinsert into the serosa of the distal ileum.


Several human and animal Ebola outbreaks have occurred over the past 4 years in Gabon and the Republic of Congo. The human outbreaks consisted of multiple simultaneous epidemics caused by different viral strains, and each epidemic resulted from the handling of a distinct gorilla, chimpanzee, or duiker carcass. These animal populations declined markedly during human Ebola outbreaks, apparently as a result of Ebola infection. Recovered carcasses were infected by a variety of Ebola strains, suggesting that Ebola outbreaks in great apes result from multiple virus introductions from the natural host. Surveillance of animal mortality may help to predict and prevent human Ebola outbreaks.


As computing devices evolve with successive technology generations, many machines target either the mobile or high-performance computing/datacenter environments. In both of these form factors, energy consumption often represents the limiting factor on hardware and software efficiency. On mobile devices, limitations in battery technology may reduce possible hardware capability due to a tight energy budget. On the other hand, large machines such as datacenters and supercomputers have budgets directly related to energy consumption and small improvements in energy efficiency can significantly reduce operating costs. Such challenges have influenced research upon the impact of applications, operating and runtime systems upon energy consumption. Until recently, little consideration was given to the potential energy efficiency of algorithms themselves.A dominant idea within the high-performance computing (HPC) community is that applications can be decomposed into a set of key computational problems, called kernels. Via automatic performance tuning and new algorithms for many kernels, researchers have successfully demonstrated performance improvements on a wide variety of machines. Motivated by the large and increasingly growing dominant cost (in time and energy) of moving data, algorithmic improvements have been attained by proving lower bounds on the data movement required to solve a computational problem, and then developing communication-optimal algorithms that attain these bounds.This thesis extends previous research on communication bounds and computational kernels by presenting bounds on the energy consumption of a large class of algorithms. These bounds apply to sequential, distributed parallel and heterogeneous machine models and we detail methods to further extend these models to larger classes of machines. We argue that the energy consumption of computational kernels is usually predictable and can be modeled via linear models with a handful of terms. Thus, these energy models (and the accompanying bounds) may apply to many HPC applications when used in composition.Given energy bounds, we analyze the implications of such results under additional constraints, such as an upper bound on runtime, and also suggest directions for future research that may aid future development of a hardware/software co-tuning process. Further, we present a new model of energy efficiency, Cityscape, that allows hardware designers to quickly target areas for improvement in hardware attributes. We believe that combining our bounds with other models of energy consumption may provide a useful method for such co-tuning; i.e. to enable algorithm and hardware architects to develop provably energy-optimal algorithms on customized hardware platforms.


This paper deals with the problem of synthesizing a
robust adaptive controller for a specific class of single-input
single-output (SISO) time-invariant hybrid controlled object
(plant) which can operate under bounded disturbances and/or
unmodeled dynamics. The hybrid plant dealt with is composed of two
coupled subsystems, one of them being of continuous-time type
while the other is digital. As a result there are also mixed
continuous-time and discrete signals present in the system
associated either with the solutions of differential equations
which depend at the same time on both discrete-time and
 continuous-time forcing terms and on generalized
difference equations associated with discretized and digital
signals. The estimation algorithm is of a continuous-time nature
since the plant parameter estimates are updated for all time. It
also incorporates a relative adaptation dead-zone as a robust
stabilization mechanism which prevents against instability in the
presence of a common class of unmodeled dynamics and bounded
noise.


In the world of today, constant change is the "new normal". The context of our global economy calls for a new set of entrepreneurial leaders; leaders who embrace and diligently find the way forward for their organizations. In this context, leading decision makers need efficient tools for smart business model decision-making. (Ries, 2011) Thus, this thesis sets out to answer following questions, with the purpose to inform those seeking a fundament for advantageous business model decision-making.MAIN QUESTION: Can the Business Model Canvas be an advantageous tool for business model decision-making in large enterprises?SUB QUESTION 1: What are the limitations of the Business Model Canvas in the decision-making process?SUB QUESTION 2: What modifications might be applied to increase the relevance of the Business Model Canvas as a tool for large enterprises?To answer these questions, the thesis presents relevant theory regarding key concepts behind the business model, frameworks and tools commonly used in the startup community (the Business Model Canvas, Customer Development, Lean Startup, and Lean Canvas), as well as an overview of the concepts of strategy and dynamic capabilities.The empirical procedure begins with hybrid brainstorming sessions and in-depth interviews, and continues with a workshop and evaluation interviews and questionnaires. The empirical work is conducted with Microsoft Sweden Services' executive leadership team, spanning a time period of approximately one month.The results are derived by reviewing the empirical findings in light of theory.In short, the results show:(1) That five out of six leadership team members regarded the Business Model Canvas (BMC) as a 4 or 5 on a 1-5 scale, ranging from "Prefer traditional tools" (e.g. a business plan), to "Prefer the BMC"(2) That the following areas where identified as "Key areas of improvement" by the leadership team (number of members considering this a key area for improvement in brackets): Connection to strategy (4/6), Connection to organizational capabilities (3/6), Connection to values (2/6), Mixing different levels of abstraction (1/6), Connection to compete (5/6), Ability to track development over time (4/6)The results are then discussed and analyzed, presenting critique of and limitations to the tools, as well as suggesting modification and a new model, The Business Model House (The BMH), which was created by this researcher and is based on following decisions:Integrate chosen aspects of the BMC and the Lean CanvasAdd a foundation of valuesAdd a ceiling of strategyAdd an intersection of dynamic capabilitiesAdd a third, optional, dimension capturing the transition between business models and innovation accounting.The purpose of these development decisions is to offer a more holistic and yet simple tool for business model decision-making.


Abstract:  Roads affect animal populations in three adverse ways. They act as barriers to movement, enhance mortality due to collisions with vehicles, and reduce the amount and quality of habitat. Putting fences along roads removes the problem of road mortality but increases the barrier effect. We studied this trade‐off through a stochastic, spatially explicit, individual‐based model of population dynamics. We investigated the conditions under which fences reduce the impact of roads on population persistence. Our results showed that a fence may or may not reduce the effect of the road on population persistence, depending on the degree of road avoidance by the animal and the probability that an animal that enters the road is killed by a vehicle. Our model predicted a lower value of traffic mortality below which a fence was always harmful and an upper value of traffic mortality above which a fence was always beneficial. Between these two values the suitability of fences depended on the degree of road avoidance. Fences were more likely to be beneficial the lower the degree of road avoidance and the higher the probability of an animal being killed on the road. We recommend the use of fences when traffic is so high that animals almost never succeed in their attempts to cross the road or the population of the species of concern is declining and high traffic mortality is known to contribute to the decline. We discourage the use of fences when population size is stable or increasing or if the animals need access to resources on both sides of the road, unless fences are used in combination with wildlife crossing structures. In many cases, the use of fences may be beneficial as an interim measure until more permanent measures are implemented.


Imad Moosa challenges convention with this comprehensive and compelling critique of econometrics, condemning the common practices of misapplied statistical methods in both economics and finance. After reviewing the Keynesian, Austrian and mainstream criticisms of econometrics, it is demonstrated that econometric models can be manipulated to produce any desired result. These hazardous analyses may then be relied upon to support flawed policy recommendations, ideological beliefs and private interests. Moosa proposes that the way forward should instead be to rely on clear thinking, intuition and common sense rather than to continue with the reliance upon econometrics. The mathematization of economics has limited the accessibility of and participation in economic discussion by converting the area into a complex 'science' when it should not be. Appealing to both academics and practitioners of economics and finance, this book serves to challenge the acceptance of econometrics as offering trustworthy analysis. Any individual interested in empirical work will find this book a captivating read on the limitations of econometrics.


Introduction Graft versus host disease (GVHD) is a common complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), an established and potentially curative treatment for malignant and benign hematological disorders. As a part of this treatment, lymphocytes are introduced within an immunocompromised host, where they are able to recognize host antigens as foreign. This recognition has a beneficial effect, termed graft versus leukemia (GVL), which allows destruction of malignant cells and reduces the probability of relapse. However, the morbidity and mortality caused by GVHD limits the use of this treatment in a wide number of disorders. Separation of GVL and GVHD has been tried without success, given that the same immune mechanism is involved in both cases. Ocular involvement is present in 60-90 % of GVHD patients. This ocular GVHD (oGVHD) affects the ocular surface and lacrimal glands, as well as the Meibomian glands, leading to tear film instability. Hence, corneal tissues are exposed to stressful conditions that lead to the loss of the characteristic immune privilege of this part of the eye. The most frequent complication in oGVHD is dry eye, a multifactorial disease characterized by hyperosmolarity of the tear film and inflammation, with damage to the ocular surface. The consequences include the disruption of epithelial barrier, irritation and impaired vision. Although problems derived from oGVHD do not often include loss of vision, they are one of the main causes of deterioration of quality of life. As the treatment of oGVHD is palliative, usually based in tear substitutes, it is necessary to explore new treatments to improve the prognostic of this debilitating disease. Suppression of immune response has shown some good results, but medications like tacrolimus are not recommended for long-term use and some patients just do not respond to treatment. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are being used in medical trials as reparative treatment, given their ability to limit tissue destruction and enhance repair in various diseases. MSC, which were first described as resident cells in the bone marrow, have a great differentiation potential. In the last years, their immune-modulatory effects have received special attention and they are being used in a number of immune-mediated diseases with promising results. The goal of this thesis is to advance in the knowledge of GVHD events in the eye and explore the therapeutic potential of MSC in corneal damage caused by oGVHD, using a well stablished murine model of the disease. Material and methods Bone marrow and splenic cells from C57BL/6J mice (H2b) were used to induce GVHD in BALB/c mice (H2d) that received total body irradiation (TBI) as conditioning regimen (GVHD mice). No manipulated mice (Control mice) or mice that received only bone marrow cells after TBI (BM mice) served as controls. A group of mice with GVHD were treated with human MSC (hMSC) at day 10 post-transplantation by subconjunctival injection in the right eye (GVHD+MSC eyes). Systemic GVHD and oGVHD were monitored weekly, using previously stablished scoring systems. Tear condition was evaluated through tear osmolarity and tear volume assessment. Finally, we analyzed corneal damage and inflammation using immunofluorescence in sections and qPCR techniques. Transcription factor Pax6 and the corneal envelope protein SPRR1B where analyzed as markers of squamous metaplasia. Inflammation was studied through detection in the cornea of CD3, a marker of T lymphocytes, and expression of TNF-α and IL-1β. Gene expression of MMP9 was also analyzed in mice corneas, as this protease is involved in epithelial barrier disruption. In addition, we performed experiments with a human corneal-limbal epithelial (HCLE) cell line. These cells were exposed to TNF-α and IL-1β for 48 h and the effect in MMP9 levels were analyzed by PCR and gel zymography. PAX6 expression was also evaluated in these cells. Finally, we explored the possibility that MSC were able to engraft in the cornea. For this purpose, hMSC were transfected with a lentiviral vector to express green fluorescent protein (GFP). Hence, the presence of hMSC in corneal tissue was analyzed by immunofluorescence with antibodies against GFP and human mitochondria. In addition, we performed PCR to detect the possible expression of human GAPDH, which would demonstrate the presence of hMSC in the cornea. Results and discussion In the present work we have validated the use of the TearLab osmolarity System in mice. Readings with this system were similar to those obtained with other methods and we obtained good values for intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), suggesting a good reliability of the procedure. Two forms of GVHD were noticed, because of the use of two different doses of splenic cells to induce the disease. Mice transplanted with 5 x 106 splenocytes (5M) developed a more severe GVHD, where the treatment with MSC had no visible effect. Among the corneal alterations caused by the GVHD, thinning of the epithelium and loss of Pax6 was common. In the most serious cases, total loss of Pax6 in epithelial cells and epithelial thickening was observed, a characteristic of the pathological process of squamous metaplasia. Furthermore, we saw evidence of severe inflammation, with T cell invasion in almost all corneas analyzed. Transplantation with 4 x 106 splenocytes (4M) resulted in a milder form of GVHD. These mice showed an improvement when they were treated with MSC as reflected by a better evolution of the ocular disease score. Tear osmolarity was increased and tear volume was decreased in GVHD mice compared with BM mice. These are evidences that a process of ocular dryness takes place in this model of GVHD. In contrast, BM and GVHD+MSC eyes showed similar values in both parameters. A thinner epithelium was also observed in 4M mice, which was not affected by the treatment with MSC. However, detection of Pax6 in corneal epithelium showed a similar pattern in GVHD and Control mice, and its gene expression was enhanced in GVHD corneas. In contrast, Pax6 was reduced in GVHD+MSC corneal sections and a non-statistically significant decrease was observed in gene expression. As Pax6 loss has been proposed as a marker for squamous metaplasia, we analyzed SPRR1B to know if keratinization was occurring. Our results showed an increase in SPRR1B staining in GVHD eyes that was lower in GVHD+MSC mice, which demonstrate that corneal keratinization is less frequent after treatment with hMSC. These results indicate, also, that variations in the expression of Pax6 do not always correlate with the appearance of keratinizing proteins. Immune cell invasion also occurred in 4M mice, as shown by the presence of CD3+ cells in the cornea of GVHD mice. Interestingly, no GVHD+MSC cornea presented CD3+ cells. Gene expression of IL-1β was augmented in some non-treated eyes but not in any treated one. TNF-α expression was highly increased in all corneas but in Control and GVHD+MSC. These results demonstrate that hMSC exerted an anti-inflammatory effect in the cornea of mice with GVHD. As TNF-α was increased also in MO mice, we used animals that only received the TBI to know if irradiation was underlying this effect. Our results confirmed this, as well as the effect of irradiation on Pax6 expression, which was also increased in these TBI mice. The presence of hMSC in the cornea of treated mice was determined by the immunodetection with antibodies against GFP and human mitochondria. Only two 5M animals, strongly affected by the disease exhibited positive staining for both markers. No staining was found in 4M mice neither by immunofluorescence nor by PCR detection of the transcript for human GAPDH. Therefore, MSC do not migrate to the cornea and the observed effects might be brought about by an action at distance. Given the important role of MMP9 in epithelial barrier disruption, we analyzed its expression in the cornea of our animals. We found a decrease in MMP9 expression in MO and GVHD corneas, compared to Control group, but not in GVHD+MSC corneas. Since our results were contrary to what was observed in previous studies, we also performed experiments with HCLE cells, to know if the exposure to inflammatory cytokines could explain the decrease in MMP9 expression. These cells were exposed to TNF-α and IL-1β for 48 h and the effect in MMP9 levels were analyzed by PCR and gel zymography. The results point to a complex regulation of the expression of MMP9, given that the presence of IL-1β results in a decrease in gene expression but an increase in extracellular active MMP9. In summary, we found that the use of MSC could be an effective treatment in oGVHD, as some of its more relevant consequences were reverted or avoided. MSC-treated mice showed better results in tear film measurements, and they had fewer keratinization features. More importantly, inflammation was reduced, decreasing the expression of TNF-α and avoiding T-cell infiltration. However, the treatment had no effect in a more severe form of GVHD, generated with a higher dose of splenic cells. The observed effects were not attributable to migration of MSC to corneal tissue.


It is vital to revisit how confidence in the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) can be strengthened. To do that we need to ask challenging questions about what limits the relevance of Confidence Building Measures, and we need to identify what else is needed to establish and maintain confidence between states parties. This paper enables reflection on how those involved in the BWC process collectively assess issues affecting the convention. It focuses on the prevalence of defensive reasoning, which inhibits robust enquiry and encourages anti-learning practices. It argues that instead of more of the same, alternative types of discussions needed to be nurtured.


The Denmark Strait Overflow Water (DSOW) forms a substantial part of the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW).In order to permanently monitor the Denmark Strait Overflow (DSO), it has been observed by an array of moored ADCPs and Inverted Echo Sounders (PIESs) directly at the sill since September 1999. The DSOWtransport is derived by three independent methods: First, ADCP measured currents, integrated below the depth of maximum current shear, second, from acoustically determined interface depth and sea surface height, and, third, from the upstream reservoir height, observed by a thermistor chainmooring northeast of the sill. The optimum mooring positions were determined from comparisons with a high resolution model of the Denmark Strait.The first two sets of moorings cover the period from September 1999 to February 2000 and August 2000 to May 2001, thus gaining a DSOW transport time series of more than 14 months. As a result of these observations and model comparisons an average DSOW transport of 2.9 ± 1.0 Sv is calculated. The data confirm earlier short term observations, which showed large fluctuations on time scales of approx. 5 days. Longterm changes of DSOW properties could not be observed during this period yet. The role of hydraulic control in the correlation between reservoir height, observed by the mooring upstream of the sill, and the measured actual transport at the sill is addressed, as well as the correlation between interface depth and sea surface elevation.


"Governments are now shifting their role from direct management of irrigation systems to regulation of the water sector, provision of support services to water user associations, and capacity building among water user associations and irrigation service providers.... International experience suggests that successful irrigation sector reform programs establish both a policy working group and a national secretariat that help to guide and coordinate the planning and implementation of the reform process. The process should include: strategic, participatory planning; research and stakeholder consultations; mobilization of political support; design and adoption of an appropriate policy, legal, institutional, and regulatory framework; strategy to coordinate lending and technical assistance; public awareness campaigns; and monitoring, evaluations, and course corrections." from Text.


ABSTRACT This paper details a biographical approach to teaching entrepreneurship. After describing the use of biographies in other fields, we argue for the relevance of using biographies as a pedagogical tool for the entrepreneurs hip instructor. Using data collected from two semesters of a pilot course on the entrepreneurial life, it is demonstrated that students can both acquire an increased awareness of the necessary non-technical skills needed to recognize and exploit an opportunity and a reinforcement of more traditional technical entrepreneurial skills. INTRODUCTION Despite the continued debate about whether entrepreneurs are made or born, there is a continued rise in undergraduate entrepreneurship programs (Finkle, Kuratko, and Goldsby 2004; Honig 2004). Accordingly, an emerging question is how to best teach entrepreneurship. In one review of the research in this area by Bechard and Gregorie (2006:22) it was noted that "A whole corpus of research literature has been developing at the interface of entrepreneurship and education (cf. Greene et al., 2004). This research has been reviewed - and criticized - before." Bechard and Gregorie's (2006) approach to reviewing the literature of entrepreneurship education is distinct from other reviews because of their approach to the analysis. They integrate a framework from education pedagogy into the analysis of the articles they highlighted, addressing not only where the gaps were in the research, but also areas for enhancing the classroom. Specifically, they describe how the "socio-cognitive", "psycho-cognitive" and "ethical" dimensions are under-addressed in the literature of entrepreneurship education which is probably a reflection of the fact that they are not addressed as much in the practice of teaching entrepreneurship. For example, the authors note, "it means that what we know about counterfactual thinking - that is, the extent and kind of regrets that individuals may have about their education or career decisions (cf. Baron, 2000; Markman et al., 2002) - has found few echoes in how entrepreneurship educators approach the teaching of entrepreneurship" (Bechard and Gregorie 2005: 36). This points to the need for new directions that bring these and other aspects into the entrepreneurship classroom. With few notable exceptions (e.g. Honig 2004), innovative approaches to teaching entrepreneurship have not been well-documented in the literature of entrepreneurship. In this paper, we describe the use of biographies in the entrepreneurship classroom as an approach that addresses some of the shortcomings inherent in the normative approach to entrepreneurship education. We begin by describing the use of biographies in other fields and then present how biographies are used in a unique entrepreneurship course in a four-year university program. Implications and conclusions are presented at the close of this paper. THE USE OF BIOGRAPHIES While biographies are not a common tool in either entrepreneurship programs or in business schools generally, there is precedent for the successful use of biographies as a teaching tool. Leckie (2006) argues: (Biographies) are superb teachers' aids because as members of humankind we do not simply live out the life of our species. Instead, we display a variety of native abilities, and our personalities are shaped by our consciousness of our gender and race, environmental influences, and the choices we make. Leckie writes from the perspective of a history professor, yet many of the lessons that she noted in her use of biographies translate well across disciplinary lines. Biographies help deconstruct some of the myths around seminal figures. Biographies enable students become more aware of the social conditions that either facilitated or inhibited their actions. Biographies challenge some of the students' preconceived notions about the appropriate paths to success. This is helpful not only for history students but for entrepreneurship students as well. …


This paper proposes a robust position controller for compliant mechanical systems by combining a state feedback controller and Disturbance Observer (DOb) in state space. The vibration of a compliant mechanical system is simply suppressed by placing all poles of the closed loop system on the real axis via a state feedback controller. The robustness of the controller is improved by feeding back the estimations of disturbances and their successive time derivatives so that not only matched but also mismatched disturbances are eliminated. The robust state and control input references are generated by using the Brunovsky canonical form of the controllable system and the estimations of disturbances and their successive time derivatives. It is shown that the link of a compliant mechanical system can precisely follow its reference trajectory by suppressing the vibration and disturbances when the proposed robust controller is implemented. The validity of the proposal is verified by giving simulation results of a two-mass-spring-damper system.


Grape seed extract (GSE) is a rich source of proanthocyanidins, a class of natural antioxidants reported to have wide-ranging bioactivity as anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, and antimicrobial agents. The ability of GSE to rapidly inactivate Listeria monocytogenes in vitro and the generally recognized as safe status of GSE make this extract an attractive candidate for control of Listeria in or on foods. Previously, GSE has been used at relatively high concentrations (1%) in complex food matrices and in combination with other antimicrobials. We sought to characterize the antilisterial effects of a commercial GSE preparation (Gravinol-S) alone at much lower concentrations (0.00015 to 0.125%) in aqueous solution and to test its possible use as an antimicrobial wash for fresh produce surfaces. Based on broth microdilution tests, the MICs of GSE against L. monocytogenes Scott A and Listeria innocua ATCC 33090 were as low as 50 and 78 mug ml(-1), respectively. GSE was evaluated in 0.85% saline against live cells of L. innocua via flow cytometry, using propidium iodide as a probe for membrane integrity. At sub-MICs and after only 2 min of exposure, treatment with GSE caused rapid permeabilization and clumping of L. innocua, results that we confirmed for L. monocytogenes using fluorescence microscopy and Live/Dead staining. At higher concentrations (0.125%), GSE reduced viable cell counts for L. monocytogenes by approximately 2 log units within 2 min on tomato surfaces. These results suggest the potential for GSE as a natural control of Listeria spp. on low-complexity foods such as tomatoes.


Paleomagnetism is a versatile tool in the Earth sciences: it provides critical input to geological time scales and plate tectonic reconstructions. Despite its undeniable perks, paleomagnetism is not without complications. Remagnetizations overprinting the original magnetic signature of rocks are frequent, especially in orogens which tend to be the areas with better rock exposure. Unraveling the magnetic history of the rocks is a complicated task, especially in areas that underwent several orogenic pulses. In turn, constraining the timing of remagnetization represents an opportunity to solve post-magnetization structural and tectonic kinematics. Here, we evaluate the magnetization history of Silurian-Devonian carbonates from the Axial Zone of the Pyrenees. The Pyrenees are a multi-orogenic mountain belt where Silurian-Devonian rocks have seen the Variscan collision (late Paleozoic), the opening of the Atlantic/Bay of Biscay (early Cretaceous) and the Alpine orogeny (late Cretaceous to Miocene). Our results show widespread remagnetization(s) carried by magnetite and pyrrhotite in the Silurian-Devonian series of the Pyrenees. The majority of the samples show a post-folding but pre-alpine tilting magnetization. Considering the equatorial inclinations found in such samples, we suggest that they likely acquired their magnetization during the late Carboniferous and early Permian times. Two of the studied sites (located at the western Axial Zone) were subsequently remagnetized at the end of the Alpine orogeny. The paleomagnetic results constrained that the Variscan orogeny was responsible for the main folding event affecting Paleozoic rocks in the Axial Zone, whereas the Alpine orogeny produced the large-scale thrusting and antiformal stacking of these units. In addition, we observed a general clockwise rotational pattern which could be related with the formation of the Cantabrian Orocline and/or rotations associated with the Alpine orogeny. The Silurian-Devonian carbonates are thus useful to understand the tectonic evolution of the Pyrenean mountain range after a systematic combination of paleomagnetism with structural and petrological observations. In contrast, the secondary character of magnetization and complications associated with the Variscan tectonics indicate that a reassessment of Siluro-Devonian poles from the Variscan elsewhere in Europe might be appropriate.


The well-known fact that tropical sea level can be usefully simulated by linear wind driven models recommends it as a realistic test problem for data assimilation schemes. Here we report on an assimilation of monthly data for the period 1975-1992 from 34 tropical Pacific tide gauges into such a model using a Kalman filter. We present an approach to the Kalman filter that uses a reduced state space representation for the required error covariance matrices. This reduction makes the calculation highly feasible. We argue that a more complete representation will be of no value in typical oceanographic practice, that in principle it is unlikely to be helpful, and that it may even be harmful if the data coverage is sparse, the usual case in oceanography. This is in part a consequence of ignorance of the correct error statistics for the data and model, but only in part. The reduced state space is obtained from a truncated set of multivariate empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) derived from a long model run without assimilation. The reduced state space filter is compared with a full grid point Kalman filter using the same dynamical model for the period 1979-1985, assimilating eight tide gauge stations and using an additional seven for verification (Miller et al., 1995). Results are not inferior to the full grid point filter, even when the reduced filter retains only nine EOFs. Five sets of reduced space filter assimilations are run with all tide gauge data for the period 1975-1992. In each set a different number of EOFs is retained: 5, 9, 17, 32, and 93, accounting for 60, 70, 80, 90, and 99% of the model variance, respectively. Each set consists of 34 runs, in each of which one station is withheld for verification. Comparing each set to the nonassimilation run, the average rms error at the withheld stations decreases by more than 1 cm. The improvement is generally larger for the stations at lowest latitudes. Increasing the number of EOFs increases agreement with data at locations where data are assimilated; the added structures allow better fits locally. In contrast, results at withheld stations are almost insensitive to the number of EOFs retained. We also compare the Kalman filter theoretical error estimates with the actual errors of the assimilations. Features agree on average, but not in detail, a reminder of the fact that the quality of theoretical estimates is limited by the quality of error models they assume. We briefly discuss the implications of our work for future studies, including the application of the method to full ocean general circulation models and coupled models.


In this paper we document the role of Phormium tenax as a nurse plant in unimproved pasture. We show that for our study area the regeneration of woody species was limited solely to P. tenax clumps with 22 native and one introduced regenerating woody species present. The number of woody species and of individual woody plants regenerating within P. tenax is not correlated with distance from the edge of the remnant forest but is significantly correlated with P. tenax clump area. P. tenax is acting as a nurse plant facilitating the succession from pasture to forest and we suggest that this species has considerable potential for use in restoration plantings. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Nanotechnology allows for the possibility to manipulate and modify material and systems on the nanoscale to produce altered characteristics that may differ greatly from those on the macroscale. The potential applications of nanoscale science and technology in the food area are emerging in such areas as safety testing, packaging, authenticity/authentication, and product development through novel functional ingredients and nutrient delivery systems. However, as with all new technologies, it is these potentially new and unique properties that will require rigorous safety testing and risk/benefit analysis to ensure that public and environmental concerns are addressed. The latter will be of particular importance to research in food science and technology at the nanoscale level if products and/or technologies will ever become commercially viable and socially/environmentally accepted. This article briefly addresses some developments and issues for nanoscale science and technology: definitions, applications, education/communication strategies, risk assessment/management activities, and public perception/acceptability.


Bibliometrics is a research field that analyses bibliographic material from a quantitative point of view. Aiming at providing a comprehensive overview, this study scrutinises the academic literature in university business collaboration and technology transfer research for the period post the Bayh-Dole Act (1980-2016). The study employs the Web of Science as the main database from where information is collected. Bibliometric indicators such as number of publications, citations, productivity, and the H-index are used to analyse the results. The main findings are displayed in the form of tables and are further discussed. The focus is on the identification of the most relevant journals in this area, the most cited papers, most prolific authors, leading institutions, and countries. The results show that the USA, England, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands are highly active in this area. Scientific production tends to fall within the research areas of business and economics, engineering or public administration, and is mainly published in journals such as Research Policy, Technovation and Journal of Technology Transfer.


EVALUATION OF DOWNY MILDEW (PERONOSPORA FARINOSA F.SP. CHENOPODII) RESISTANCE AMONG QUINOA GENOTYPES AND INVESTIGATION OF P. FARINOSA GROWTH USING SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY Leilani Kitz Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences Master Science Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a pseudocereal native to the Andean region of South America and a staple crop for subsistence farmers in the altiplano of Bolivia and Peru. Downy mildew is the most significant disease of quinoa caused by the pathogen Peronospora farinosa f.sp. chenopodii Byford. This disease greatly impacts quinoa crops with yield losses up to 99%. As fungicides are expensive for farmers, the development of resistant cultivars appears to be the most efficient means for controlling downy mildew. The quinoa germplasm bank contains high amounts of genetic diversity, some of which exhibit mildew resistance. Methods for evaluating mildew severity are important for finding resistant genotypes that are useful in breeding programs. The main objectives of this study were to evaluate and investigate downy mildew resistance in quinoa through several different methods. A simple inoculation method was developed for downy mildew disease assessment by placing a damp piece of cheesecloth on a leaf, pipetting a known spore solution onto the cloth, and subjecting the plants to specific humidity cycles in a growth chamber. After inoculation of five quinoa-breeding lines in a growth chamber, accession 0654 was found to be the most resistant, while genotypes NL6 and Sayana showed moderate resistance. Each of these genotypes displayed some potential for resistance breeding programs. Investigation of the growth and development of P. farinosa through resistant and susceptible quinoa genotypes revealed fewer sporangiophores, hyphal strands, and haustoria among leaf tissues of accession 0654 than in the susceptible Chucapaca cultivar. Peronospora farinosa growth was detected in leaf, petiole, and stem tissues with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using ITSP primers designed from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the pathogen. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) also revealed that P. farinosa penetrated stomata via appressoria, secreted extracellular matrices during sporangia germination, grew intercellularly in leaf and petiole tissues, and exited leaf tissue through stomata. Future research requiring knowledge of resistant quinoa genotypes, P. farinosa growth and development, or inoculation methods for large numbers of small quinoa plants would benefit from this report.


This thesis describes research designed to quantify and describe the impact
of improved access to school water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) access
on pupils' helminth infection and diarrhoeal disease and absence from school.
The research was undertaken as part of a five-year cluster-randomized trial in
185 public primary schools in Nyanza Province, Kenya that addressed school
WASH impacts, knowledge diffusion, sustainability, and advocacy. One
hundred eighty-five schools were randomly selected and assigned to five
study arms to receive various water treatment, hygiene promotion, sanitation,
and water supply improvements. All pupils at enrolled schools were
dewormed at baseline and at two follow-up time pOints. A total of 11,458
pupils were interviewed over two years to compare rates of school absence,
rates and intensity of reinfection with soil transmitted helminths, and risk of
diarrhoeal disease.
We found no overall impact of our school-based WASH intervention on pupil
absence. However, a domain analysis revealed a substantial and significant
reduction in absence for girls attending schools that received WASH
improvements. Schools that received a hygiene promotion and water
treatment (HP&WT) intervention showed statistically similar reductions to
those that received HP&WT in addition to sanitation improvements.
Gender-specific effects were also found for reduced reinfection of soiltransmitted
helminth infection. Girls showed a significant decline in prevalence and intensity of infection with Ascaris lumbricoides, while boys
showed reduced reinfection for Hookworm. Household WASH characteristics
significantly modified the effect of the school-based intervention, revealing
potential questions about exposure to fecal pathogens at home and at school.
Schools that received HP&WT and those that received HP&WT plus
sanitation improvements showed no reduction in diarrhoeal disease
prevalence. However, schools allocated to the water "scarce" research group,
which received water supply improvements in addition to HP&WT and
sanitation, did show significant and substantial reductions in both prevalence
and duration of diarrhoeal illness.
While household-level WASH has been investigated extensively, this is the
first comprehensive study to investigate the impact of improved WASH at
schools. Overall, our results reveal the important role that school WASH can
play in mitigating disease burden and lowering pupil absence. Additional
research is necessary to fully explore these issues.


A Monte Carlo simulation has been developed to simulate and correct for Compton scattering effects in 3D acquired PET brain images. As input the routine requires the 3D reconstructed image volume of interest which is treated as a source intensity distribution for a photon-tracking Monte Carlo simulation. It is assumed that the number of counts in each pixel of the image represents the number of back-to-back 511 keV photon pairs being emitted at that location in the brain. The program then follows the history of each photons' interactions in the scattering medium and generates the sinograms for the scattered and unscattered photon pairs detected in a simulated 3D PET acquisition. The calculated scatter contribution is then subtracted from the original data set. The calculation is general and can be applied to any scanner configuration or geometry. In its current form the simulation requires 25 hours on a single SparclO CPU when every pixel in a 15-plane, 128x128 pixel image volume is studied, and less than 2 hours when sampled over regions of 4x4 pixels. Results of the correction applied to 3D human and phantom studies are presented.