For conflict resolution scholars, the idea of focusing on the media is a logical one. After all, the media is the primary method through which the public and political leadership perceive and understand conflicts at home and abroad. If we are working to better handle these conflicts, the way that these conflicts are explained and understood is a crucial part of that process. Do the media have a responsibility to report all sides, even if one side is "wrong"? Do the media share in responsibility for escalation of a conflict if the reporting is incendiary? (The conviction of certain media figures involved in the Rwandan genocide and the use of "Tokyo Rose" during World War II are only two stark examples of how media can be directly involved in conflict.) And what of the responsibility of conflict specialists - are those of us in the conflict resolution field ignoring the media at our peril? Many commentators on the media - from journalists to lawyers to conflict resolution scholars - have argued about the proper role of journalists and decried the common "if it bleeds, it leads" approach to reporting. Can journalists play a different role in informing the public, moderating the debate, creating understanding? In answering this question, we wanted to take a broader approach and bring a variety of disciplines and experiences to bear. So, we start this symposium with four different disciplinary looks at the linkage between media and conflict. We then spread across the world, with case studies from five different continents to illuminate the concepts while providing important insight into the actual functions performed by the media. The case studies we include also raise interesting points on the types of media. As media have evolved from newspapers to three primary television stations to cable news to the Internet, we also need to understand how that evolution has impacted the reporting on conflict.


This volume examines the relationship between privacy, surveillance and security, and the alleged privacy–security trade-off, focusing on the citizen's perspective.

Recent revelations of mass surveillance programmes clearly demonstrate the ever-increasing capabilities of surveillance technologies. The lack of serious reactions to these activities shows that the political will to implement them appears to be an unbroken trend. The resulting move into a surveillance society is, however, contested for many reasons. Are the resulting infringements of privacy and other human rights compatible with democratic societies? Is security necessarily depending on surveillance? Are there alternative ways to frame security? Is it possible to gain in security by giving up civil liberties, or is it even necessary to do so, and do citizens adopt this trade-off? This volume contributes to a better and deeper understanding of the relation between privacy, surveillance and security, comprising in-depth investigations and studies of the common narrative that more security can only come at the expense of sacrifice of privacy. The book combines theoretical research with a wide range of empirical studies focusing on the citizen's perspective. It presents empirical research exploring factors and criteria relevant for the assessment of surveillance technologies. The book also deals with the governance of surveillance technologies. New approaches and instruments for the regulation of security technologies and measures are presented, and recommendations for security policies in line with ethics and fundamental rights are discussed.

This book will be of much interest to students of surveillance studies, critical security studies, intelligence studies, EU politics and IR in general.


How many of us sometimes feel that we are scratching at the walls of this life, seeking to find our way into a wider space beyond? That our mild, polite existence sometimes seems to crush the breath out of us? Feral is the lyrical and gripping story of George Monbiot's efforts to re-engage with nature and discover a new way of living. He shows how, by restoring and rewilding our damaged ecosystems on land and at sea, we can bring wonder back into our lives. Making use of some remarkable scientific discoveries, Feral lays out a new, positive environmentalism, in which nature is allowed to find its own way.


In this article is presented the solution of occipito-cervical stabilization with help of OCAM/DERO anchors in many different pathology of cranio-cervical junction, and they are compared with the solutions practiced up to now. The estimation was made on the base of biomechanical and clinical research. Between 2000 and 2009, in Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Department Medical College, Jagiellonian University 25 patients (9 females, 16 man) underwent occipito-cervical stabilization and posterior fusion. Mean patient's age was 40 years (from 8 to 72). The reason of surgery was many different pathology: fractures C1/C2 – 15 patients, pathology fractures (metastases of cancer) – 4 patients, intramedullare tumor – 1 patient, subluxation C1/C1 because of rheumatoid arthritis – 1 patient, congenital defect cranio-cervical junction – 3 patients, tuberculosis of C1/C2 – 1 patient. The occipital anchor is an element intended for connecting an occiput with occipital rod. The anchor replaces bone screws, wires or hooks. Because of a small height above the squama of occipital bone it isn't risky to make disorders with postoperative wound healing. Giving stable osteosynthesis it isn't necessary to use a collar during postoperative period. Introduced solution of stabilization cranium and spinal column can be used for internal stabilization of cranio-spinal union, and it is construction which allows to get correct union of fractured bones. During the follow up period 1 year proper bone healing was observed and posterior fusion revealed. Patients after pathology fractures were send to Rehabilitation Department to continue treatment.


The effects of various socioeconomic characteristics on Willingness-to-Pay (WTP) values for service attributes of Solid Waste Management (SWM) were evaluated in this study. The Stated Choice (SC) data collected from respondents in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) area, India were analyzed using Random Parameter Logit (RPL) models. Education and household income were found to have statistically significant decomposition effects on mean estimates of several SWM attributes. High income and/or high education were well-correlated to higher WTP values for most of the service attributes. The results show that due consideration to socioeconomic characteristics is necessary while formulating measures for improvement of SWM service in an urban area. This work also demonstrates potential application of RPL models for investigating the effect of socioeconomic characteristics on WTP values, and successful application of constrained triangular distribution in RPL models.


In 2008, I was appointed as Japan's Minister of Defense, a post that oversees the 270,000 members of the Japanese Army, Navy, and Air Force--Japan's self-defense forces--as well as thousands of civilian defense officials within the ministry. Since I was the first woman ever to hold that office in Japanese history, I believe that my appointment opened up great new opportunities for Japanese women. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] My appointment came about in an abrupt way. Fumio Kyuma, the then Minister of Defense, made a speech at a college where he said, "I now have come to accept in my mind that in order to end the war, it could not be helped that an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and that countless numbers of people suffered great tragedy." Appearing on a TV morning news show soon after, he said that he did not think an apology would be necessary for that statement. Voters were appalled, and so was the government. The statements seemed especially callous considering the fact that he had been elected to represent Nagasaki. Kyuma was forced to resign his post. Although I was serving in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's office as Special Adviser for National Security Affairs at the time, my sudden nomination came as a complete surprise. Both domestic and international media widely reported the news of my appointment and a photograph of me receiving the salute from a military honor guard. Many wondered if a woman would be able to take command of Japan's entire armed forces. I assumed my post at a time when Japan's security concerns in Asia were growing both in depth and complexity, with China's continuing its vast military build-up, North Korea's showing no sign of stopping its push to develop a nuclear weapon, and some strains appearing in the US-Japan alliance due to ongoing negotiations about the location of a US military base on Okinawa. These were merely a few among the many issues confronting me. Besides those major security concerns, I had other, more mundane but unique worries: what, for example, should I wear to take the salute from the honor guard? The traditional formal attire for women in Japan is a kimono bearing the family crest. As a child, my mother had taught me to walk in the short, pigeon-toed way you do while wearing a kimono, but somehow I felt that neither the kimono nor the posture it demands were well-suited to the ceremony marking my appointment as Minister of Defense. I simply did not want to shake the morale of the men and women of Japan's armed forces. After researching the dress code of my female counterparts around the world, I finally decided to wear my favorite black pants suit. Unfortunately, the thick suit was designed for winter wear, and I found myself overheated in an atmosphere that was already tense and solemn. The summer of 2008 was also hot in the world of Japanese politics. The Liberal Democratic Party, which had been in power for more than half a century, lost its majority in the House of Councilors in the general election in August. My mission as Minister of Defense was over too soon. A Mother's Wisdom During my 18 years as a Japanese Member of Parliament prior to serving as Minister of Defense, I served in several senior posts, including Minister of the Environment, Minister of State for Okinawa and Northern Territories Affairs, and Special Adviser to the Prime Minister for National Security Affairs. As a minister, I had a rather unusual educational background, having majored in sociology at Cairo University. The reason I dared to live and study in the Arab world was simple. My mother, Emiko, who is now 86-years-old, advised me that I should always aim to be the best that I could be in life, beyond the strict confines of Japanese society's expectations of women. She envied me; she had not enjoyed the same freedoms as were available to me when she was my age, mainly because of the war and the social environment. …


Purpose: Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) using very high b-values and long diffusion times (Δ) typically uses the stimulated echo (STE) in order that large diffusion encodings can be produced without incurring excessive T2-related signal loss. For long Δ a significant bias can be introduced through the diffusion encoding effect of the slice selection gradients that are typically used in multi-slice implementations of the STE scheme. Compensation of this effect has recently been achieved by adjustment of the prescribed diffusion encoding gradients [1], but the nature of the adjustment is specific to the exact choice of experimental parameters. In this report we show that the effect can simply be minimized through reduction of the diffusion encoding effect of the slice selection gradients themselves, as often implemented in STEAM MRS, thus providing a more straightforward method for maintaining suitable control over the applied diffusion encoding scheme.


Microscopic images of a test chart hidden behind a slab of a highly scattering medium were significantly improved by incorporation of a spatial filter located at the back Fourier-transform plane of the objective lens of a microscope. The image quality was shown to be improved further by detection of only the early-arriving photons through time-resolved detection in combination with spatial filtering.


The burial of animals is attested in Egypt from the pre-Dynastic period through to Roman times. This phenomenon is observed across different animal species and involves varied funerary practices, although mummification is the most significant. Against this background, a series of burials of small animals, under excavation since 2011 at Berenike, suggests a unique example of pet-keeping rather than the religious or magical deposits found in the Nile Valley.


The measurement of charged-particle event shape variables is presented in inclusive inelastic pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The observables studied are the transverse thrust, thrust minor and transverse sphericity, each defined using the final-state charged particles' momentum components perpendicular to the beam direction. Events with at least six charged particles are selected by a minimum-bias trigger. In addition to the differential distributions, the evolution of each event shape variable as a function of the leading charged particle transverse momentum, charged particle multiplicity and summed transverse momentum is presented. Predictions from several Monte Carlo models show significant deviations from data.


Today homosexuality and queer identity is acceptable in more Indian youths than before, but still when it comes topics families, home or even school, acceptance to their sexuality and also freedom to express it openly is of constant struggle. To a society which is bound by strict and rigid norms culturally and socially, especially which dictates the terms and conditions of careers, education, marriage and even the family after, it becomes really difficult to not follow the main stream. Despite the symbol given for progressive acceptance of homosexuality rights in India, it is really difficult to understand and watch the reaction of society when it comes to accepting it culturally. In recent research, it is observed that, major stagnation to the acceptance of the rights are due to the ignorance of families altogether. Lack of support from family can be depressing and may effect mental and physical health. Theoretically, most educated people seems to accept and support alternate sexuality and gender identities, when it comes to day to day behaviour, but there is an urgent need to change the reality when it comes to a larger picture. This research paper analysis the Indian families and Indian culture all together in homosexual context which is an important layer of family and society but are kept under cover successfully. A queer approach to homosexuality in India is required to bring it near to main stream and uncover it.


Games, e.g. like Pokémon Go, use Augmented Reality (AR). The functionality that allows one to "see" an object through an application on a mobile phone, can also be used to test out the visual portrayal of e.g. where to put a sauna on a property. It separates itself from Virtual Reality (VR) by being a representation on top of the real world picture. VR portrays a complete virtual reality where all you can see is programmed. Since AR allow the real world to be the basis of the visual image, it provides us with a tool for different uses. Currently one uses AR to organize training for rescue operations at the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. Up to four different people can work in the same "world" at the same time with different vehicles; one can drive the police car, one can fly the helicopter, one can drive the ambulance, etc. All of the participants can sit in their own room and watch what the other "players" are doing in the same visual area. This provide the students with unique insight and training regarding e.g. crisis management. However, how can we support the students attending the Real Estate Study Program by using AR? One option is to place a building in an environment in order to "see" it in a particular setting. Can we cater for other needs by utilizing AR? This paper present a pre-study regarding using AR and we will here investigate the different ways AR may support the students in the Real Estate Study Program. We have discussed the use of AR with students and Real Estate Agents that may be our students' future work places. We have investigated their needs, and have in the paper presented and proposed how AR can be a support in the education in order to support the worklife for our students. We also suggest how data can be collected from the different uses and support Knowledge Management processes in the Real Estate Agencies.


While the last years have seen increased engagement with gaming in relation to extremist attacks, its potential role in facilitating radicalization has received less attention than other factors. This article makes an exploratory contribution to the theoretical foundations of the study of gaming in radicalization research. It is argued that both top-down and bottom up gamification have already impacted extremist discourse and potentially radicalization processes but that research on gamification in other contexts points to a much wider application of gamification to extremist propaganda distribution tools in the future. The potential influence of video games on radicalization processes exceeds the transfer of the popular argument that exposure to violent media leads to desensitization to the context of radicalization and includes the exploitation of pop culture references, increases in self-efficacy regarding violence, and the direct experience of retropian visions through the content of games.


Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is painful contractions of the lower abdomen without abnormal pelvic pathology. Aims: Because high prevalence of dysmenorrhea and its effects on women's social activities, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of separate and concurrent supplementation of n-3 fatty acid and Rosa damascene extract (RDE) on primary dysmenorrhea complaints. Study design: Double blind clinical trial. Methods: In this study, 120 university students were randomly allocated with equal size into two groups [Fish oil (FO) Factor groups: one with one-gram soft gel capsule of fish oil (60) and other without it (60)], then each group was randomly allocated with equal size into two groups (RDE Factor groups: one with one-gram capsules of RDE (30) and other without it (30)), for 2 months. And all data was measured three times in these four groups, at the beginning of the study 30th day and 60th day. Pain intensity and quantity of bleeding were measured by visual analog scale (VAS), Higham Pictorial blood loss assessment charts methods respectively. Results: After 2 months treatment, pain intensity was decreased significantly in FO (p=0.02), and RDE (p<0.01) groups but remained high among those who received both of FO and RDE (p=0.27). Reduction of bleeding days was significant (p<0.01) with separate supplementation of FO and RDE but concurrent use of them has no significant effect (p=0.75) on bleeding duration. The amount of bleeding does not changed significantly in any groups. Conclusion: Our results suggest, omega-3 fatty acids and RDE separately have analgesic effect on pain severity and can decrease bleeding duration of dysmenorrhea as nutritional supplements only when used separately.


To enhance the basal vocabulary instruction for kindergarten students at risk for reading difficulties, lessons provided in typical curricular materials can be supplemented with instructional elements derived from research. This article addresses how teachers can add 15 minutes of higher order instructional activities to daily reading lessons to deepen students' understanding of target vocabulary and offer multiple exposures to the words in different contexts. This enhanced basal vocabulary instruction model was field tested in two configurations of the kindergarten reading block to refine the procedures. These experiences provide insights into how the model can feasibly be implemented in small- or whole-group formats to improve students' learning and engagement.


The study of the relationship between natural language and spatial cognition has the potential to yield answers to vexing questions about the nature of the mind, language, and culture. The fifteen original contributions in Language and Space bring together the major lines of research and the most important theoretical viewpoints in the areas of psychology, linguistics, anthropology, and neuroscience, providing a much needed synthesis across these diverse domains. Each chapter gives a clear up-to-date account of a particular research program. Overall, they address such questions as: how does the brain represent space, how many kinds of spatial representations are there, how do we learn to talk about space and what role does culture play in these matters, should experimental tests of the relations between space and language be restricted to closed-class linguistic elements or must the role of open-class elements be considered as well? Throughout authors speak to each other's arguments, laying bare key areas of agreement and disagreement. Contributors: Manfred Bierwisch, Paul Bloom, Melissa Bowerman, Karen Emmorey, Merrill Garrett, Ray Jackendoff, Philip Johnson-Laird, Barbara Landau, Willem Levelt, Stephen Levinson, Gordon Logan, Jean Mandler, Lynn Nadel, John O'Keefe, Mary Peterson, Daniel Sadler, Tim Shallice, Len Talmy, Barbara Tversky.


Bioengineers and biophysicists from the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, the Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, the Universite de Reims ChampagneArdenne in France, and the University of Tubingen in Germany have discovered that the toxicity of nanoparticles depends more on their size and the extent to which their surface area is charged than on their chemical composition. [42]


Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) has been widely used in polymer science to study the nano-scale morphology of various polymers. The data obtained from SAXS give information about sizes and shapes of macromolecules, characteristic distances of partially ordered materials, pore sizes, and so on. The understanding of these structural parameters is crucial in polymer science in that it will help to explain the origin of various properties of polymers, and guide design of future polymers with desired properties. We have been able to further develop the contrast variation method in SAXS to study the morphology of Nafion 117CS containing different alkali metal ions in solid state. Contrast variation allows one to manipulate scattering data to obtain desired morphological information. At room temperature, only the crystalline peak was found for Na-form Nafion, while for Cs-form Nafion only the ionic peak was observed. The utilization of one dimensional correlation function on different counterion forms of Nafion further demonstrates the necessity of contrast variation method in obtaining more detailed morphological information of Nafion. This separation of the ionic peak and the crystalline peak in Nafion provides a means to independently study the crystalline and ionic components without each other's effect, which could be further applied to other ionomer systems. We also designed time resolved SAXS experiments to study the morphological development during solution processing Nafion. As solvent was removed from Nafion dispersion through evaporation, solid-state morphological development occurred through a variety of processes including phase-inversion, aggregation of interacting species (e.g., ionic functionalities), and crystallization of backbone segments. To probe the real-time morphological development during membrane processing that accurately simulates industrial protocols, a unique sample cell has been constructed that allows for through-film synchrotron SAXS data acquisition during solvent evaporation and film formation. For the first time, this novel experiment allows for a complete analysis of structural evolution from solution/dispersion to solid-state film formation, and we were able to show that the crystallites within Nafion develop later than the formation of ionic domains, and they do not reside in the cylindrical particles, but are dispersed in solution/dispersion. Besides bulk morphology of Nafion, we have also performed Grazing Incident SAXS to study the surface morphology of Nafion. We were able to manipulate the surface morphology of Nafion via neutralizing H-form Nafion with different large organic counterions, as well as annealing Nafion thin films under different temperatures. This not only allows to obtain more detailed information of the nano-structures in Nafion thin films, but also provides a means to achieve desired morphology for better fuel cell applications. We have also been able to study the polymer chain conformation in solution via measuring persistence length by utilizing solution SAXS. Different methods have been applied to study the SAXS profiles, and the measured persistence lengths for stilbene and styrenic alternating copolymers range from 2 to 6 nm, which characterizes these copolymers into a class of semi-rigid polymers. This study allows to elucidate the steric crowding effect on the chain stiffness of these polymers, which provides fundamental understanding of polymer chain behaviors in solution. Self-assembling in block copolymers has also been studied using SAXS. We established a morphological model for a multiblock copolymer used as a fuel cell material from General Motors, and this morphological model could be used to explain the origins of the mechanical and transport properties of this material. Furthermore, several other block copolymers have been studied using SAXS, which showed interesting phase separated morphologies. These morphological data have been successfully applied to explain the origins of various properties of these block copolymers, which provide fundamental knowledge of structure-property relationship in block copolymers.


Galicia, an eastern European region that has been ruled by Poland, Austria, and the USSR at various times, has played an important and often crucial role in the Ukrainian historical development. This is the first comprehensive bibliographic guide to its history. The over-all arrangement is chronological and within that by theme. The book emphasizes political, socioeconomic, literary, linguistic, and archeological developments as they are recorded in fourteen languages. It contains more than 3000 references, 1000 notes, a detailed thematic and name of index, and six maps which trace the historical development of Galicia. Although Ukrainians have traditionally made up the largest part of Galicia's population, substantial minority populations of Poles, Germans, Armenians, Karaites, and most especially Jews have lived in the region at various times. The extensive literature on Galicia's Jews is brought together in this volume for the first time. This volume is published in association with the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute and the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies. It won the 1982 Cenko Prize for the best work published in Ukrainian bibliography.


The parameters for an effective laser-induced forward-transfer (LIFT) process of aluminum thin films using a femtosecond laser are studied. Deposited feature size as a function of laser fluence, donor film thickness, quality of focus, and the pulse duration are varied, providing a metric of the most desirable conditions for femtosecond LIFT with thin aluminum films.


In relation to any claims about "child-centred" research, the present article stresses the need to reflect on what is actually at stake in terms of participation and the meaning-making processes that evolve in a certain research setting. Our experiences with photo-taking methods are based on two separate studies involving children (age 5-8 years) and young adolescents (age 12-16 year). Taking a constructivist approach, the article draws special attention to issues related to the age of the children, the type of camera used, the researcher's status in the fieldwork and the type of data acquired through these children's photos. The article stresses the need to perceive the story behind the photo as an outcome of how the child chose to position him/herself within a certain research context, which in turn affects how the child sees, thinks and acts, but also what he/she sees.


Advanced electron microscopy reveals a unique structural relaxation mechanism in a magnetic skyrmion domain boundary core. Skyrmions are topologically protected nanoscale magnetic spin entities in helical magnets. They behave like particles and tend to form hexagonal close-packed lattices, like atoms, as their stable structure. Domain boundaries in skyrmion lattices are considered to be important as they affect the dynamic properties of magnetic skyrmions. However, little is known about the fine structure of such skyrmion domain boundaries. We use differential phase contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy to directly visualize skyrmion domain boundaries in FeGe1−xSix induced by the influence of an "edge" of a crystal grain. Similar to hexagonal close-packed atomic lattices, we find the formation of skyrmion "Σ7" domain boundary, whose orientation relationship is predicted by the coincidence site lattice theory to be geometrically stable. On the contrary, the skyrmion domain boundary core structure shows a very different structure relaxation mode. Individual skyrmions can flexibly change their size and shape to accommodate local coordination changes and free volumes formed at the domain boundary cores. Although atomic rearrangement is a common structural relaxation mode in crystalline grain boundaries, skyrmions show very unique and thus different responses to such local lattice disorders.


The purpose of this study is to explore whether tour operators work with CSR within their organizations in Mexico, and describe how they implement it as well as why they work with it. Furthermore, the paper will analyze similarities and differences between the Swedish and Mexican tour operator's CSR strategies as well as the reasons for this. Lastly, recommendations will be made to the Mexican tour operators on how they can gain knowledge from Swedish tour operators on CSR strategies and the development of these.The theoretical framework contains descriptions of theories on strategy, competitive advantage, the CSR Pyramid, stakeholder theory as well as CSR in the context of developing countries, which are all relevant theories for the issue studied as well as for answering the research questions. The empirical findings that have been collected through interviews with two Swedish, and two Mexican tour operators address the respective tour operator's work with CSR in Mexico.In the analysis the theoretical framework has been put in relation to the empirical evidence. The analysis consists of how and why CSR activities are implemented in the respective organization. It also addresses the difficulties tour operators from developed countries face when implementing CSR on destinations in developing countries.Lastly, our conclusions show that there are several ways of implementing CSR in developing countries, as well as different views on why taking social responsibility within the tourism industry is important. Moreover, the main reason for this divergence lies in different perspectives, which has also been shown to be a contributing factor to the challenges faced by Swedish tour operators in the context of a developing country.In the end of the thesis recommendations will be made to Mexican firms on how to develop, and implement CSR strategies more successfully as well as recommendations for further research within the field of CSR in developing countries.


The use of plants in variety of rituals is common practice in the Antiquity. Numerous archaeobotanical remains from different archeological sites presented evidences that some plants were particularly introduced to the religious rituals. The goal of the present study is to identify specific plants and food that was subject of ritual practices. The paper will discuss similarities and differences between different plant remains in the archaeological contexts and will identify which plants were in use as a ritual food. The study is based on a comparative archaeobotanical analysis of several Bronze Age –Iron Age sanctuaries in the therritory of Bulgaria and gives a clear indication of certain similarities and differences between the different regions, which will be discussed as well. The current paper attempts to summarize and make a synthesis of archaeobotanical data, provided from 12 sanctuaries.
On the basis of the evidence currently available, there are several main differences in regard to the cultivated plants that are established. The recorded variety of plant species used in ritual context – cereals, pulses, fruits, etc., mainly depends on the location of the sacred place and the ecological characteristics of the region. In pit sanctuaries einkorn was more frequently used in rituals, as in mountaintop and rock sanctuaries free threshing wheat is dominant along with barley and millet that also occur in the studied samples. Barley is also recorded in archaeobotanical material, collected at the site of Nessebar "Kindergarten" / site "Detska gradina", Kabyle and Krepost.
Presence of millet in some Late Iron Age sites like Koprivlen and Svilengrad, indicates that it was among the cultivated cereals in the region and was used even in ritual practices.
Although most of the botanical remains found in sanctuaries are quite common, they evidence diversity in characteristics of the floristic assemblages.
Analyzed material includes numerous findings of four types of wheat: einkorn, emmer, spelt wheat and free threshing wheat.
Millet, naked and hulled barley, rye, oat also occur, along with some Leguminous plants presented by: pea, lentil, bitter vetch, chickpea and grass pea (Lathyrus sativus). A wide range of fruits and nuts that grow wild in the vicinity of forest habitats is also represented – such as wild grape, blueberry, raspberry, wild cherry, plums, acorn, walnut, etc.
A matter of interest are the plant remains from jujube (Zizyphus vulgaris), pink rockrose (Cistus incanus), European nettle tree or the so called Mediterranean hackberry (Celtis australis), that were recorded for the first time and were probably used with purpose in ritual practices.
Some of the studied archaeological structures can be interpreted as special sacred places, while other, according to the analyzed material, cannot be defined with certainty. That means plant remains in these contexts may be used as offerings, other could be part of food storage.
The current overview provides evidence that cultivated plants, even in small amounts, were common element of ritual practices. Big amounts of grass pea and chickpea, recorded in samples from Ovtschartzi and grass pea in Debrashtitza evidence their use with ritual purpose.


Praise for this book: "This is an excellent and beautifully illustrated atlas for understanding the subtleties of the core open and minimally invasive spinal procedures." -- AANS Newsletter Specifically designed for use in a fast-paced clinical setting, Pocket Atlas of Spine Surgery is a concise surgical guide that gives readers the essential tools needed to successfully perform spine surgery. It provides a distinctive view of complex spinal anatomy that facilitates a better understanding of the subtleties of both open and technically demanding minimally invasive spine procedures. Key Features: * An introductory chapter on patient positioning covers the basics for common cervical, thoracic, and lumbar procedures * Detailed illustrations with unique anatomical overlays are provided for each step in a surgical procedure * The procedures included represent most of those encountered in a typical spine surgery practice * Tips and Pearls before you begin, key steps with visuals, and Potential Pitfalls are included for each procedure This atlas will serve as a valuable resource to orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, and surgical trainees as well as physician assistants, surgical nurses, and all those involved in the operative care of patients undergoing spine surgery.


Introduction: Solid and cystic papillary epithelial neoplasm of pancreas is a rare neoplasm with low malignant potential which often occurs in young women. The tumor is usually large and encapsulated. Microscopic examination reveals small round cells with papillary-configuration in a delicate vascular stroma. Case Report: The cases presented in this report were 2 women at the age of 15 & 26 who were both injured by striking. Radiologic findings revealed retroperitoneal mass. Both patients have not had any problem after surgery yet. Conclusion: In this neoplasm, surgery is treatment of choice and definite diagnosis is made by histology and immunohistochemistry. Patients have excellent long-time prognosis.


Software itself is very complex and studying its failure is much more complex. Complexity is a relative concept and defining complexity in software failure is chaotic in nature. Software failure of complex systems and understanding the complex system needs some sort of theoretical support for analyzing the nonlinearity in the system. Complex systems have attributes like subsystems, composed of nonlinear dynamic elements and feedback loops. Software Failure is highly disorganized and unmanageable so the chaos theory is used to study the behavior of software.


More than 90 people attended a March 25–27, 2004, conference on Ethics and Epidemics. This conference was sponsored by the Albany Medical College–Graduate College of Union University Masters in Bioethics Program, the University at Albany School of Public Health, the New York State Department of Health, and the Wadsworth Laboratories. Attendees came from Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe, Canada, and the United States. Among the 24 papers and panels, presentations were made by George Annas, professor and chair of Health Law at the Boston University School of Public Health; Ezekiel Emanuel, chair of the Department of Clinical Bioethics of the Magnuson Center of the National Institutes of Health; Thomas R. Freiden, commissioner, New York City Department of Health; Matthew Wynia, director of the Institute of Ethics of the American Medical Association; Kenyan bioethicist Angela Wassuna associate for International Affairs of the Hastings Center; and 19 other bioethicists and health professionals.

Presentations ranged from case studies to health policy debates. Many reviewed the history of epidemics, emphasizing their global nature and the imperative of global strategies for epidemic control. Several papers examined recent epidemics and explored new strategies for dealing with epidemic control while respecting human rights. The consensus was that the old policeman model of public health needs updating. Discussion focused on how best to balance public safety, professional responsibility, personal liberty, and human rights, while effectively containing epidemics. Emanuel and Wynia reaffirmed the responsibility of physicians and first responders to put their health and lives at risk in combating epidemics. Yet, noting the vulnerability of first responders (in the Toronto severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS] outbreak and elsewhere), they distinguished between bravery and foolhardiness, arguing that just as professionals have a responsibility to protect the public from disease, the public, in turn, has a responsibility to provide the training, equipment, and resources to minimize the need to take risks.

Virtually all conferees observed that the public health infrastructure needs substantial rebuilding to cope effectively with epidemics. Annas, however, noted that in bioterrorist assaults the control of biologic agents is a public health problem to be dealt with by public health officials, not by the U.S. Department of Defense or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He further stated that policies on epidemic control that involve consistent, open, and truthful communication with the public—like those used in New York and Toronto during the recent SARS outbreak—create cooperative environments that minimize conflicts between freedom and safety and limit the effects of isolation and quarantine. However, Emanuel et al. asserted that the traditional enforcement authority of public health law was essential and needed as a fallback. The result of the debate was that 21st century methods need to be developed to control infectious disease epidemics that reconcile the need to protect public health and respect human rights.

The conference program is available on http://www.bioethics.union.edu under "News." For further information contact email@example.com or 518-388-8045.


Latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is the most common source for active tuberculosis (TB), and its treatment remains an important cornerstone of global TB eradication. Although pregnancy may represent a unique time during which LTBI may be treated successfully, pregnancy and the postpartum period have been recognized as periods during which the risk of hepatitis from isoniazid (INH), the drug of choice for LTBI, may be increased. Thus, recommendations have suggested postponing treatment of LTBI until the postpartum period. Recent programs indicate that in properly designed surveillance programs, the risk of INH-induced hepatitis is low. Similar to other ongoing clinical encounters in which targeted LTBI screening and treatment may be accomplished, such as methadone and needle exchange clinics, antenatal clinics represent an opportunity to establish trust between clinician and patient for ongoing surveillance for complications and compliance. Furthermore, the addition of a newborn into the household where LTBI has been found poses new implications for eradication of TB. Prospective data collection on outcomes for such programs will be invaluable in assessing the efficacy of these efforts.


This paper analyses the relevance of federalism to the circumstances of conflict in the Caucasus. It examines the Soviet federal traditions, and the use made of various federal models by the parties in conflict when they address the tasks of conflict resolution, state-building and regional integration. The paper concludes with the examination of some federal principles and techniques which have not been taken into account in the Soviet model and considers their application to the Caucasus.


Human matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) belong to the M10 family of the MA clan of endopeptidases. They are ubiquitarian enzymes, structurally characterized by an active site where a Zn 2+ atom, coordinated by three histidines, plays the catalytic role, assisted by a glutamic acid as a general base. Based on their structure and substrate specific - ity, they can be categorized into five main subgroups, namely (1) collagenases (MMP-1, MMP-8 and MMP-13); (2) gelatinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9); (3) stromelysins (MMP-3, MMP-10 and MMP-11); (4) matrilysins (MMP-7 and MMP-26) and (5) membrane-type (MT) MMPs (MMP-14, MMP-15, MMP-16, MMP-17, MMP-24 and MMP-25). MMPs can act on extracellular matrix (ECM) and non-ECM components affecting degradation and modulation of the ECM, growth-factor activation and cell-cell and cell-matrix signalling. In skin, MMPs are secreted by different cell types such as fibroblasts, keratinocytes, mac -rophages, endothelial cells, mast cells, and eosinophils. This chapter reviews the role of MMPs in maintaining


The incidence of prostitution and all forms of promiscuous behaviour associated with students of tertiary institutions and other anti-social sexual behaviours, coupled with the widespread of sexually transmitted infections and teenage pregnancy amongst undergraduates is of great concern to the society. Consequently this study attempts to investigate the attitude of undergraduates towards contraceptive use. The study is a survey study which employed the use of questionnaire in sampling the attitude of 1,500 students from six tertiary institutions in Delta State. Two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the investigation. The analysis revealed that one of the hypothesis was rejected while the other was accepted leading to the findings that: the attitude of students towards contraceptive use do not differ significantly on the basis of gender; There is a significant relationship between students' attitude and their knowledge of contraceptives. Given the above findings the study recommends that sex education should be taught in secondary schools both by teachers and parents; The teachers and parents require specific training on the subject so as to impact correct information to the students; The government should be actively involved in awareness programmes on contraceptives so that the vulnerable group will be properly informed.


Introduction: The demand for genetic counseling has been greatly increased in the recent years in Iran and the entire world. However, there are no systematic training courses for genetic counseling in the country. The purpose of this research was compiling the curriculum for the Master of Science (MSc) in genetic counseling. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in 2010 and 2011 in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. A questionnaire with 25 questions was prepared based on the literature review. The assessment was conducted by using the questionnaire as well as outcome of group discussions with three geneticist groups including, members of the board of medical genetics, genetics graduate students, and practitioners in genetic counseling. The curriculum was designed after determining the educational needs and priorities by the genetic board. Results: The results of this research led to set the educational goals for the MSc in genetic counseling. Finally, the course curriculum was compiled. Discussion: The designed MSc in genetic counseling in this study was generally similar with the courses in other universities. Although, the assessment results were different in some cases with the same academic courses such as to give more importance to basic medical needs in comparison with the needs of clinical sciences. Therefore, more attention should be paid on prerequisite courses rather than the rotational periods in the hospital. Among the reasons for this difference, it could be noted to the differences in undergraduate educations and differences in the status of provided genetics services in Iran. The final conclusion of this research was to design a fundamental course to overcome one of the severely tangible requirements in the country field of health, namely genetic counseling.


Abstract. This paper reports on the initial findings of an interdisciplinary study exploring perceptions of space and place through alternate ways of mapping. The research project aims to bring depth and meaning to places by utilising a combination of diverse influences and responses, including emotional, sensory, memory and imaginary. It investigates mapping from a designer's perspective, with further narration from both the cartographic science and fine art perspectives. It examines the role of design and artistic expression in the cartographic process, and its capacity to effect and transform the appearance, reading and meaning of the final cartographic outcome (Robinson 2010). The crossover between the cartographic sciences and the work of artists who explore space and place enables an interrogation of where these fields collide or alternatively merge, in order to challenge the definition of a map. By exploring cartography through the overlapping of the distinct fields of science and art, this study challenges and questions the tipping point of when a map ceases to be a map and becomes art.


There has been considerable controversy over several years regarding the use of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. In a recently published technology appraisal, NICE has reversed previous guidance on the use of these drugs in England and Wales. In this article, aspects of the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease in the light of this guidance are reviewed.


Theme Computer vision has made significant progress in locating and recognizing objects in real images. However, beyond the scope of this "what is where" challenge, it lacks the abilities to understand scenes characterizing human visual experience. The mission of this workshop is to (a) identify the key domains in which human visual perception and cognition outperform computer vision; (b) formalize the computational challenges in these domains; and (c) provide promising frameworks for solving these challenges by conducting cognitive science and computer vision studies.


Transition-metal carbides have been proven to be efficient catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER); however, their application as a bifunctional electrocatalyst towards the HER and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) altogether remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report unique heterostructures comprising cobalt-doped molybdenum-carbide (Co-Mo2C) nanorods encapsulated in nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon shell (NGCS) through one-step pyrolysis of a Co–adenine–MoO3 hybrid. The as-synthesized Co-Mo2C@NGCS heterostructures could be directly used as a catalyst for overall water splitting. Low overpotentials of 161 and 360 mV are needed for the HER and OER to reach 10 mA cm−2, and the corresponding Tafel slopes are just 60 and 54 mV dec−1, respectively. Theoretical simulations implied that the synergistic effects between the cobalt heteroatoms, NGCS and Mo2C resulted in the enhanced catalytic performance. Our work not only provides a facile method to construct hybrid electrocatalysts with inexpensive metals, but also gives new insights into the mechanism of the HER and OER in alkaline media.


Although punishment can promote cooperative behavior, the evolution of punishment requires benefits which override the cost. One possible source of the benefit of punishing uncooperative behavior is obtaining a positive evaluation. This study compares evaluations of punishers and non-punishers. Two hundred and thirty-four undergraduate students participated in two studies. Study 1 revealed that, in the public goods game, punishers were not positively evaluated, while punishers were positively evaluated in the third-party punishment game. In Study 2, where the non-cooperator was a participant of a public goods game, we manipulated the punishers participation in the game. The results showed that punishers received no positive evaluations, regardless of their participation in the game, indicating that negative evaluation may not be a reaction toward aggression with retaliatory intentions.


In the seventeenth century, Amsterdam and London developed distinctive innovations in finance through both banks and markets that facilitated the growth of trade in each city. In the eighteenth century, a symbiotic relation developed that led to bank-oriented finance in Amsterdam cooperating with market-oriented finance in London. The relationship that emerged allowed each to rise to unprecedented dominance in Europe, while the respective financial innovations in each city provided the means for the continued expansion of European trade, both within Europe and with the rest of the world. The increasing strains of war finance for the competing European powers over the course of the eighteenth century stimulated fresh financial innovations in each city that initially reinforced the symbiosis of the two centers. The external shocks arising from revolutionary movements in America and France, however, interrupted the relationship long enough to leave London as the supreme financial center.


The controversy surrounding stem cell research led to an intense debate about ethics. Up until the recent years, the research method mainly focused on Embryonic Stem Cells, which involves taking tissue from an aborted embryo to get proper material to study. This is typically done just days after conception or between the 5th and 9th week. Since then, researchers have moved on to more ethical study methods, such as Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPS). iPS is artificially derived from a non-pluripotent cell, such as adult somatic cells. This is probably an important advancement in stem cell research, since it allows researchers to obtain pluripotent stem cells, which are important in research, without the controversial use of embryos. Nowadays stem cell treatment has been spreaded throughout the world. It has also been grown commercially in developed countries. This paper assesses the stem cell treatment as well as its impact in human life. It also examines specific stem cell therapy market that proves far reaching effect in world economy. Though various organizations have made it as a controversial issue the analysis shows that stem cell treatment has brought positive dimension in human society. A discussion has been made about the ethical issues of stem cell research and therapy; which focus how recent biotechnology and biological understandings of development narrow the debate. It is thought that one day it may be the major key to treat various diseases. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bioethics.v1i3.9631 Bangladesh Journal of Bioethics 2010; 1(3): 22-34


In orthodox economics, honesty or integrity is treated as either part of the constraint function or the objective function. This is at the origin of the statement, "every man has his price." However, if integrity has a price, why do agents experience shame when they sell it while they do not when they sell other possessions? If agents are rational, why do they resort to self-rationalization to avoid shame? The proposed view, called "quantum," avoids these anomalies. Further, the quantum view avoids another set of anomalies that face heterodox models based on the multiple-self framework. The quantum view sheds light on heroism, self-identity, self-cheating (procrastination), etiquettes, taboos, and identity switch.


A problem of enormous proportions in the U.S. has grown even larger during the past two years. The ranks of the uninsured have increased every year, recently passing the 20% threshold, representing 45 million nonelderly persons. Even though no dramatic annual changes have occurred, the trend is not favorable (Figure 1). The problem has persisted and steadily worsened despite expansions of Medicaid and the introduction of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in the late 1990s and early 2000s.


A soluble monomeric form of Alzheimer's amyloid-beta (1-40) peptide (sAbeta1-40) is present in the circulation and could contribute to neurotoxicity if it crosses the brain capillary endothelium, which comprises the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vivo. This study characterizes endothelial binding and transcytosis of a synthetic peptide homologous to human sAbeta1-40 using an in vitro model of human BBB. 125I-sAbeta1-40 binding to the brain microvascular endothelial cell monolayer was time dependent, polarized to the apical side, and saturable with high- and low-affinity dissociation constants of 7.8+/-1.2 and 52.8+/-6.2 nM, respectively. Binding of 125I-sAbeta1-40 was inhibited by anti-RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products) antibody (63%) and by acetylated low density lipoproteins (33%). Consistent with these data, transfected cultured cells overexpressing RAGE or macrophage scavenger receptor (SR), type A, displayed binding and internalization of 125I-sAbeta1-40. The internalized peptide remains intact > 94%. Transcytosis of 125I-sAbeta1-40 was time and temperature dependent, asymmetrical from the apical to basolateral side, saturable with a Michaelis constant of 45+/-9 nM, and partially sensitive to RAGE blockade (36%) but not to SR blockade. We conclude that RAGE and SR mediate binding of sAbeta1-40 at the apical side of human BBB, and that RAGE is also involved in sAbeta1-40 transcytosis.


Public–private partnerships (PPPs) have long been advocated and analyzed as organizational solutions to pressing societal problems that call for the comparative advantages of government, business, and civil society. However, ongoing questions remain about how to design, manage, and assess PPPs. The large literature on PPPs suffers from conceptual imprecision, and is weakly integrated. This article seeks to address these problems. It offers a discussion of partnership definitions and builds a framework that examines the features of PPPs as they relate to achieving particular purposes: policy, service delivery, infrastructure, capacity building, and economic development. The article summarizes the contributions to the symposium: social enterprise PPPs that target poverty reduction, health service delivery partnerships with faith‐based organizations, diasporas as partners for international development, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and the Better Factories Cambodia partnership. In examining cross‐cutting themes, the analysis focuses on publicness and potential to promote international norms associated with good governance. Conclusions address the role of new partners in PPPs, the difficulties in finding a balance of interests and incentives among partners, the implications of embodying and promoting international good governance norms and values, the different sources of authority that operate within PPPs, and the trade‐offs among PPPs' advantages. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Abstract
 Analyzing pollen morphological data on a contemporary phylogenetic framework can enhance our understanding of the distribution, diversity, and evolution of palynological characters. In this paper, the sixth in a series detailing pollen morphological characters across angiosperms, we focus on the Celastrales, Oxalidales, and Malpighiales (COM) clade and Zygophyllales, together comprising ca. 20,000 species in 47 families within fabids. We first examined pollen grains from 21 species with light, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy, to illustrate pollen diversity within the COM clade and Zygophyllales. Second, based on a reexamination of previously published pollen data and our new observations, we optimized 21 pollen characters on a maximum likelihood (ML) tree of 169 genera in 45 families representing all four orders, using Fitch parsimony, ML, and hierarchical Bayesian inference. The pollen morphology of this group displays great diversity, particularly in size, aperture number, supratectal element shape, and tectum sculpture. Plesiomorphic states for 18 characters were inferred unambiguously under all methods for the COM clade, and over 300 character state changes were hypothesized by each analysis on lineages at different levels within the group. Changes of state were found to occur most frequently in the characters outline in polar view, pollen size, and tectum sculpture; changes of state occurred least frequently in the characters dispersal unit, symmetry, and tectum presence/absence. We identified diagnostic character states for several monophyletic clades and explored palynological evidence to shed light on some unresolved relationships. For example, the previously poorly resolved Malpighiales were found to be distinguished by a single pollen character state change (from annulus absent to present). Patterns of evolutionary change in several notable pollen characters, such as the number of pollen apertures (from three to other states) and tectum sculpture (from perforate to reticulate), were further confirmed, and their possible adaptive functions are proposed. Reflecting current interest in the relationship between pollen morphology and pollination syndrome, we conducted tests of correlated evolution between pollen morphology and pollination syndrome, with results demonstrating significant correlations between a thin exine and anemophily and, unexpectedly, between presence of supratectal elements and anemophily. Evidence for previously postulated evolutionary trends in aperture number (increasing), tectum sculpture (from perforate to reticulate), and infratectum structure (from columellate to granulate) is discussed. The relatively high frequency of state changes in presence or absence of supratectal elements may be linked to switches in pollination syndrome within this group.


Importance
A bidirectional brain-computer interface that performs neurostimulation has been shown to improve seizure control in patients with refractory epilepsy, but the therapeutic mechanism is unknown.

Objective
To investigate whether electrographic effects of responsive neurostimulation (RNS), identified in electrocorticographic (ECOG) recordings from the device, are associated with patient outcomes.

Design, Setting, and Participants
Retrospective review of ECOG recordings and accompanying clinical meta-data from 11 consecutive patients with focal epilepsy who were implanted with a neurostimulation system between January 28, 2015, and June 6, 2017, with 22 to 112 weeks of follow-up. Recorded ECOG data were obtained from the manufacturer; additional system-generated meta-data, including recording and detection settings, were collected directly from the manufacturer's management system using an in-house, custom-built platform. Electrographic seizure patterns were identified in RNS recordings and evaluated in the time-frequency domain, which was locked to the onset of the seizure pattern.

Main Outcomes and Measures
Patterns of electrophysiological modulation were identified and then classified according to their latency of onset in relation to triggered stimulation events. Seizure control after RNS implantation was assessed by 3 main variables: mean frequency of seizure occurrence, estimated mean severity of seizures, and mean duration of seizures. Overall seizure outcomes were evaluated by the extended Personal Impact of Epilepsy Scale questionnaires, a patient-reported outcome measure of 3 domains (seizure characteristics, medication adverse effects, and quality of life), with a range of possible scores from 0 to 300 in which lower scores indicate worse status, and the Engel scale, which comprises 4 classes (I-IV) in which lower numbers indicate greater improvement.

Results
Electrocorticographic data from 11 patients (8 female; mean [range] age, 35 [19-65] years; mean [range] duration of epilepsy, 19 [5-37] years) were analyzed. Two main categories of electrophysiological signatures of stimulation-induced modulation of the seizure network were discovered: direct and indirect effects. Direct effects included ictal inhibition and early frequency modulation but were not associated with improved clinical outcomes (odds ratio [OR], 0.67; 95% CI, 0.06-7.35; P > .99). Only indirect effects-those occurring remote from triggered stimulation-were associated with improved clinical outcomes (OR, infinity; 95% CI, -infinity to infinity; P = .02). These indirect effects included spontaneous ictal inhibition, frequency modulation, fragmentation, and ictal duration modulation.

Conclusions and Relevance
These findings suggest that RNS effectiveness may be explained by long-term, stimulation-induced modulation of seizure network activity rather than by direct effects on each detected seizure.


The Chinese construction industry is China's third biggest industrial killer. Accidents causation analysis revealed that more than 80% of accidents are caused by unsafe human behaviour. The current research was focused on exploring and examining the factors affecting safety rule violations among Chinese construction workers through four main studies in which a combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies were used. In the first study, on-site observation and organisational document analysis were conducted in fourteen construction companies to familiarise the author with the research settings and to obtain triangulation evidence for the following studies. It was followed by the second study in which interviews and focus groups were conducted among 97 managers, safety officers and workers in order to explore the factors associated with workers' rule violation. Thematic analysis revealed four main categories of factors, i.e., individual factors, managerial factors, sectoral and labour market factors, and national and cultural factors. The qualitative study was followed by questionnaire surveys (n = 700) to test in a larger management sample the qualitative study's results. Survey results complemented the qualitative study's findings. Based on the obtained results, a fourth study using the Delphi method and the modified G1 method was conducted among 17 experts in order to calculate the importance levels of each factor in influencing workers' rule violation. Although managerial factor was ranked as the most influential factor compared with other categories, some extra-organisational factors and situations were ranked at high positions amongst 24 specific factors. The results suggested that workers' behaviour need to be scrutinised not only within the context of organisational safety management, but also from the particular background and characteristics of Chinese migrant workers, Chinese construction sector, as well as the society and the culture.


Angiotensin II, a vasoconstrictor and the main effector molecule of the renin–angiotensin system, is known to influence inflammation, thrombosis, low-density lipoprotein oxidation and growth factors, all of which contribute to cardiovascular disease. The associations of polymorphisms in the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) gene with cardiovascular risk have not been fully determined. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ACE2 were genotyped in participants of the prospective MORGAM study (n = 5092) from five cohorts: ATBC, FINRISK, Northern Sweden, PRIME/Belfast and PRIME/France. Using a case-cohort design, associations were sought between SNPs and haplotypes with cardiovascular events during follow-up (Cox proportional hazards model). The comparison group were a subset of all MORGAM participants who were selected to ensure similar age and sex distributions among the cases and controls. The A allele of the rs2285666 SNP (HR = 0.3, p = 0.04) was significantly associated with the risk of cardiovascular death in female subjects. These findings complement those found in other studies of SNPs in the ACE2 gene in relation to cardiovascular disease risk. As females carry two copies of the ACE2 gene, and given its plausible biological role in cardiovascular disease risk, further studies of ACE2 should be prioritised.


The aim of an automatic video-based facial expression recognition system is to detect and classify human facial expressions from image sequence. An integrated automatic system often involves two components: 1) peak expression frame detection and 2) expression feature extraction. In comparison with the image-based expression recognition system, the video-based recognition system often performs online detection, which prefers low-dimensional feature representation for cost-effectiveness. Moreover, effective feature extraction is needed for classification. Many recent recognition systems often incorporate rich additional subjective information and thus become less efficient for real-time application. In our facial expression recognition system, first, we propose the double local binary pattern (DLBP) to detect the peak expression frame from the video. The proposed DLBP method has a much lower-dimensional size and can successfully reduce detection time. Besides, to handle the illumination variations in LBP, logarithm-laplace (LL) domain is further proposed to get a more robust facial feature for detection. Finally, the Taylor expansion theorem is employed in our system for the first time to extract facial expression feature. We propose the Taylor feature pattern (TFP) based on the LBP and Taylor expansion to obtain an effective facial feature from the Taylor feature map. Experimental results on the JAFFE and Cohn-Kanade data sets show that the proposed TFP method outperforms some state-of-the-art LBP-based feature extraction methods for facial expression feature extraction and can be suited for real-time applications.


This dissertation compares the emerging attempts at social mobilisation among Travellers and people out of work claiming social-security benefits in Norway. This analysis is carried out against the backdrop of a discussion of social marginality, integration and citizenship. It traces how the organisations could promote fuller citizenship on the part of marginalized sections of the population, in spite of the obstacles they might face.


The social, economic and technological growth of a developing society has resulted in rapid product obsolescence which in turn has become a new environmental challenge – i.e., 'electronics waste' (e-waste). Electronic waste has not been a problem as long as there were a few computers or other electronic devices on earth. With the increasing use of computers/electronic devices, our planet has become a dump house for electronic wastes. Electronic products often contain hazardous materials that lead to environmental degradation when they are destroyed. It is an emerging problem given the volumes of e-waste being generated. E-waste, particularly, computer waste has complicated the immense task of solid waste management, with the developed countries dumping their outdated electronic products in developing countries as one of their e-waste management techniques. This paper highlights the damaging impact of e-waste on environment and human health as well as various approaches to deal with it, in the light of initiatives in developing countries. It broadly discusses the composition, criticality and control of e-waste in developing countries, particularly in India.


In the paper finite-dimensional stationary dynamical control systems described by linear stochastic ordinary differential state equations with single point delay in the control are considered. Using notations, theorems and methods taken directly from deterministic controllability problems, necessary and sufficient conditions for different kinds of stochastic relative controllability are formulated and proved. It will be proved that under suitable assumptions relative controllability of a deterministic linear associated dynamical system is equivalent to stochastic relative exact controllability and stochastic relative approximate controllability of the original linear stochastic dynamical system. Some remarks and comments on the existing results for stochastic controllability of linear dynamical systems with delays are also presented. Finally, minimum energy control problem for stochastic dynamical system is formulated and solved.


Among the wide range of factors related to the acquisition of statistical knowledge, competence in basic mathematics, including basic probability, has received much attention. In this study, a mediation model was estimated to derive the total, direct, and indirect effects of mathematical competence on statistics achievement taking into account probabilistic reasoning ability. The participants were psychology students enrolled in an undergraduate introductory statistics course. At the beginning of the course, all students completed a questionnaire to measure their proficiency in the basic probabilistic reasoning and mathematics skills required in introductory statistics courses. At the end of the course, the students' final grades were collected. The hypothesized mediation model was tested using a bootstrapping procedure (with 5000 bootstrap samples). Results showed a significant positive, indirect effect of mathematical competence on students' final grades, with probabilistic reasoning ability acting as a mediator. This study suggests that interventions designed to promote the mathematical prerequisites necessary to probabilistic reasoning can have a positive effect on achievement in statistics.


Introduction: The lower life expectancy in elderly patients (> 75 years) with chronic respiratory failure has been argued as possible limiting the use of Non-invasive domiciliary ventilation (NIDV). The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome-including long term effects of NIDV- in our elderly patients. Methods: Prospective study of patients who started NIDV at 75 years of older. Data recorded included: demographic data, comorbidities, compliance, admissions and survival at the end of follow-up. Analysis of survival was undertaken using Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression. Results: 82 patients were included (72% women, mean age: 79.9 ±3, 7 years). Diagnosis included: Obesity hypoventilation Syndrome (65,9 %) and restrictive diseases (17,1 %). Significants improvements were obtained in diurnal blood gases at discharge and in the follow-up as well as a significant decrease in the number of hospital admissions. The compliance at home was considered poor in 50 %. At the end of the follow-up the mortality was 63,4 %. The estimated survival at 1o year, 2 o year and 3 o year was 62 %, 53 % and 43 %, respectively. It was independently associated with: good compliance (OR: 0,46; CI 95 %: 0,24-0,87), restrictive disease (OR: 0,36; CI95 %: 0,16-0,82), EPAP level (OR: 1,6; CI 95 %: 1,1-2,3) and dyspnea level (mMRC) in the follow-up (OR 2,1; IC95 %: 1,2-3,6). Conclusions: 1.-In our experience, the results of the NIDV in elderly patients were satisfactory improving arterial blood gases and readmissions. 2. Global compliance was poor (50%). In spite of that, NIDV obtained long survival in these patients. 3. Survival was better in "good compliance" patients, in restrictive diseases and with less functional impairment.


Over the last two decades, those at the bottom of the income scale have seen their incomes stagnate, while those at the top have seen theirs skyrocket; without intervention, the recession that began in December 2007 was likely to exacerbate this trend. Will the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) be able to keep the situation from getting worse for those at the bottom of the income scale? Will ARRA reverse the upward trend in inequality that we've seen in the recent past? The authors of this new working paper employ a microsimulation of ARRA to address these questions. They find that, despite a large amount of job creation, ARRA is likely to have little impact on overall income inequality, or on the income gaps between relatively advantaged and disadvantaged groups.


Background Neuroimaging in older adults commonly reveals signs of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). SVD is believed to be caused by chronic hypoperfusion based on animal models and longitudinal studies with inter-scan intervals of years. Recent imaging evidence, however, suggests a role for acute ischaemia, as indicated by incidental diffusion-weighted imaging lesions (DWI+ lesions), in the origin of SVD. Furthermore, it becomes increasingly recognised that focal SVD lesions likely affect the structure and function of brain areas remote from the original SVD lesion. However, the temporal dynamics of these events are largely unknown. Aims (1) To investigate the monthly incidence of DWI+ lesions in subjects with SVD; (2) to assess to which extent these lesions explain progression of SVD imaging markers; (3) to investigate their effects on cortical thickness, structural and functional connectivity and cognitive and motor performance; and (4) to investigate the potential role of the innate immune system in the pathophysiology of SVD. Design/methods The RUN DMC – InTENse study is a longitudinal observational study among 54 non-demented RUN DMC survivors with mild to severe SVD and no other presumed cause of ischaemia. We performed MRI assessments monthly during 10 consecutive months (totalling up to 10 scans per subject), complemented with clinical, motor and cognitive examinations. Discussion Our study will provide a better understanding of the role of DWI+ lesions in the pathophysiology of SVD and will further unravel the structural and functional consequences and clinical importance of these lesions, with an unprecedented temporal resolution. Understanding the role of acute, potentially ischaemic, processes in SVD may provide new strategies for therapies.


For more than 30 years, college administrators and health communicators have used binge drinking prevention campaigns on university campuses to deter students from this dangerous and life-threatening habit. Despite the prevalence of such campaigns (Wechsler, Seibring, Liu & Ahl, 2004), binge drinking remains the top public health threat for this population (Wechsler, Dowdall, Davenport, & Castillo, 1995). In this study, the researcher conducted an experiment using fear appeals to see if these messages were more effective than social norms messages, which are often used in college binge drinking prevention campaigns (Real & Rimal, 2007), at prompting higher message credibility and intentions to change behavior for a sample of college students. Overall, students in this experiment who viewed messages containing fear, either alone or combined with social norms, reported higher message credibility scores, and students who received a message using only fear reported higher intentions to change behavior than students who received a message with only social norms. This study offers experimental evidence that fear appeals could be an effective health communication strategy for binge drinking prevention campaigns aimed at college students. viii


This paper presents a new, inexpensive, mechanism for constructing a complete call graph for Java programs at runtime, and provides an example of using the mechanism for implementing a dynamic reachability-based interprocedural analysis (IPA), namely dynamic XTA.

Reachability-based IPAs, such as points-to analysis and escape analysis, require a context-insensitive call graph of the analyzed program. Computing a call graph at runtime presents several challenges. First, the overhead must be low. Second, when implementing the mechanism for languages such as Java, both polymorphism and lazy class loading must be dealt with correctly and efficiently. We propose a new, low-cost, mechanism for constructing runtime call graphs in a JIT environment. The mechanism uses a profiling code stub to capture the first execution of a call edge, and adds at most one more instruction to repeated call edge invocations. Polymorphism and lazy class loading are handled transparently. The call graph is constructed incrementally, and it supports optimistic analysis and speculative optimizations with invalidations.

We also developed a dynamic, reachability-based type analysis, dynamic XTA, as an application of runtime call graphs. It also serves as an example of handling lazy class loading in dynamic IPAs.

The dynamic call graph construction algorithm and dynamic version of XTA have been implemented in Jikes RVM. We present empirical measurements of the overhead of call graph profiling and compare the characteristics of call graphs built using our profiling code stubs with conservative ones constructed by using dynamic class hierarchy analysis (CHA).


Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a hypervascular tumor, and tumor progression and prognosis is associated with angiogenesis. Extracellular matrix remodeling and inflammation play important roles in hepatocarcinogenesis. Some ingredients of extracellular matrix such as endostatin and sulfated polysaccharide, some immunomodulatory agents and cox-2 inhibitor suppress the angiogenesis of HCC. Because vasculogenic mimicry is associated with high tumor grade, some differentiation agents are used to inhibit antiagiogenesis. Besides suppressing the proliferation directly, somatostatin inhibits angiogenesis to suppress growth indirectly. Copper chelator prevents copper from functioning as a cofactor in angiogenesis. The renin-angiotensin system is frequently activated in patients with chronic liver diseases. Perindopril, an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, inhibits angiogenesis by reducing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production. Kinase inhibitors of VEGF and epidermal growth factor receptors are expected to be of benefit for some patients. Following transarterial embolisation and/or resection, antiangiogenic therapy could prevent the recurring and metastasis. Hypoxia enhances the proliferation, suppresses the differentiation and apoptosis, and induces multidrug resistance of HCC. Because antiangiogenic therapies induce hypoxia, it should be borne in mind the side affects of antiangiogenic therapy. Because long-acting antiangiogenent are needed to control cancer, it needs more clinical studies to confirm the drug resistance of antiangiogenetic therapy.


East Belfast Mission is a church based in East Belfast. Connected to the Methodist Church in Ireland it is the youngest of five inner city missions in Ireland; their purpose is to show the love of God in practical and social ways. The east of Belfast is an extremely proud area of the city. For many years it has been the hub of Belfast's industry, with trades such as shipbuilding and aeroplane manufacturing being major employers in the area. It is also a mainly Protestant/loyalist area of Belfast. As many other areas of Belfast have experienced relative poverty and depression, the east of the city took pride in its industrial success. The people of the east have also always been very proud of the sons and daughters they have given to the world. Internationally renowned musician Van Morrison, the world famous soccer star George Best, and literary genius C. S. Lewis are all men who have hailed from the east. All these factors have fed the pride of a once prosperous area. As we move into the 21st century, that pride still exists but the factors that created it have all but disappeared. The big industries of the area have moved out, or are in the process of doing so. Once large and strong workforces are now almost extinct. For example, the shipyard of Harland and Wolfe employed over 30,000 labourers in the early 1970s. Today that mighty workforce is no more and there are now less than one hundred staff at the yard, which is facing closure. Today, East Belfast is a depressed area. As industry has moved out, high rates of unemployment have moved in, and this is most certainly a factor in the high rate of alcohol abuse in the area. There is also a growing drug and substance abuse issue and, on top of all this, the breakdown of many family units. These are all typical problems of the inner city but in East Belfast we add to this list the problem of local paramilitary groups who hold on to a massive influence and power in the area. The militaristic and threatening murals of these groups on gable walls are enough to put any investor off the area. The paramilitary groups have also been infamously involved in the pushing of illicit drugs and the running of protection rackets over the years. All of this has led to the breakdown of family and community life in inner East Belfast. The area retains a fierce pride based on its background and history, but the reality is that East Belfast is now a place of deep depression and massive deprivation. To the naked eye, the situation could be considered as hopeless. At this point you may wonder what the church is doing in the midst of all this. I am happy to be able to report that the East Belfast Mission is spearheading much of the community work in the area through its commitment to the social outworking of God's love. We have projects such as Job Bridge, which is an outreach programme to the unemployed that trains and prepares people for employment. Hosford House is a homeless unit with space for up to 21 people. We run family-based projects, as well as a strong programme to care for the frail, elderly and lonely of our area. Alongside all of this we also have the youth project that I run. Our youth ministry has been in existence now for just under three years. I want you to know some of the young people I work with, to hear their stories and be encouraged by the fact that, in the midst of depression and deprivation, and perceived hopelessness, God is at work. I work with two distinct groups of young people and, while I hate these terms, they are best described as a "churched" group and an "unchurched" group. The guys that have been around the church for all of their lives are a real privilege to be with. In all the time I have known them, I have found them easy to come alongside and eager to know God. They are the type of young people to whom we all like to attach ourselves. The "unchurched" guys are, as you might imagine, a little bit different. …


Multiwavelength lidar observations of Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs) are performed by the AWI at Ny-Alesund, Spitsbergen (78.9°N, 11.9°E) since winter 1991/92. PSCs are the most important contribution to the polar stratospheric aerosol content, since volcanic aerosols from Mt. Pinatubo eruption decreased to background values. Lidar measurements of the backscatter ratio at three wavelengths and the depolarisation allow the characterisation of PSCs with respect to their abundance, shape (spherical or aspherical) and optical characteristics. Model calculations and above all back trajectory analysis of the temperature history of the PSCs permit conclusions about their chemical composition. A comparison of first results of the actual winter 1995/96 with previous winter periods will be given. The relevance of the occurance of the PSCs for the chemistry of stratospheric ozone and trace gases will be discussed.


Porous MgF2-over-nanoparticles (MON) surfaces are fabricated from immobilized gold nanoparticles of different sizes on a glass surface by coating them with a magnesium fluoride layer. High mechanical stability of the resulting plasmonic surface is obtained, and optical spectroscopy across a very wide optical window is enabled. The nanoscopic characterization by scanning force microscopy and electron microscopy shows a uniform assembly of the gold nanoparticles in monolayers and a complete coating by magnesium fluoride. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) experiments provide evidence that organic analyte molecules have free access to the gold surface, and interact with the immobilized nanoparticles in a very similar fashion as with uncoated surfaces. As the spectroscopic results indicate, the coating leads to properties that are favourable for plasmonic enhancement of optical processes excited in the visible and near-infrared. As demonstrated by experiments using SERS, as well as by finite difference time domain (3D-FDTD) simulations, enhancement factors are obtained that allow for analytical applications with optical excitations ranging from the visible to the near infrared.


The theory of linear poroelasticity describes the interaction between mechanical effects and adding or removing fluid from rock. It is critical to the study of such geological phenomena as earthquakes and landslides and is important for numerous engineering projects, including dams, groundwater withdrawal, and petroleum extraction. Now an advanced text synthesizes in one place, with one notation, numerous classical solutions and applications of this highly useful theory. The introductory chapter recounts parallel developments in geomechanics, hydrogeology, and reservoir engineering that are unified by the tenets of poroelasticity. Next, the theory's constitutive and governing equations and their associated material parameters are described. These equations are then specialized for different simplifying geometries : unbounded problem domains, uniaxial strain, plane strain, radial symmetry, and axisymmetry. Example problems from geomechanics, hydrogeology, andpetroleum engineering are incorporated throughout to illustrate poroelastic behavior and solution methods for a wide variety of real-world scenarios. The final chapter provides outlines for finite-element and boundary-element formulations of the field's governing equations. Whether read as a course of study or consulted as a reference by researchers and professionals, this volume's userfriendly presentation makes accessible one of geophysics' most important subjects and will do much to reduce poroelasticity's reputation as difficult to master.


Multisymplectic methods have recently been proposed as a generalization of symplectic ODE methods to the case of Hamiltonian PDEs. Their excellent long time behavior for a variety of Hamiltonian wave equations has been demonstrated in a number of numerical studies. A theoretical investigation and justification of multisymplectic methods is still largely missing. In this paper, we study linear multisymplectic PDEs and their discretization by means of numerical dispersion relations. It is found that multisymplectic methods in the sense of Bridges and Reich Phys. Lett. A, 284 (2001), pp. 184-193] and Reich J. Comput. Phys., 157 (2000), pp. 473-499], such as Gauss-Legendre Runge-Kutta methods, possess a number of desirable properties such as nonexistence of spurious roots and conservation of the sign of the group velocity. A certain CFL-type restriction on $\Delta t/\Delta x$ might be required for methods higher than second order in time. It is also demonstrated by means of the explicit midpoint method that multistep methods may exhibit spurious roots in the numerical dispersion relation for any value of $\Delta t/\Delta x$ despite being multisymplectic in the sense of discrete variational mechanics [J. E. Marsden, G. P. Patrick, and S. Shkoller, Commun. Math. Phys., 199 (1999), pp. 351-395].


In two-server password-authenticated key exchange (PAKE) protocol, a client splits its password and stores two shares of its password in the two servers, respectively, and the two servers then cooperate to authenticate the client without knowing the password of the client. In case one server is compromised by an adversary, the password of the client is required to remain secure. In this paper, we present two compilers that transform any two-party PAKE protocol to a two-server PAKE protocol on the basis of the identity-based cryptography, called ID2S PAKE protocol. By the compilers, we can construct ID2S PAKE protocols which achieve implicit authentication. As long as the underlying two-party PAKE protocol and identity-based encryption or signature scheme have provable security without random oracles, the ID2S PAKE protocols constructed by the compilers can be proven to be secure  without random oracles. Compared with the Katz et al.'s two-server PAKE protocol with provable security without random oracles, our ID2S PAKE protocol can save from 22% to 66% of computation in each server.


Private financing and operations of public infrastructures – often also called Public-Private Partnerships or PPPs – are becoming increasingly important, especially in the case of developing countries. Different types of PPP instruments – among which in particular BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) and BOOT (Build-Own-Operate-Transfer) instruments – have been tried and will be used in major infrastructure projects, ranging from dams, power plants, roads, and railways to telecommunications infrastructures and others more. Little however is known about critical success factors. In this paper, the authors will focus on BOTs for both thermal and hydraulic plants. Empirically the paper will be grounded on selected cases in Africa, as well as on World Bank data. More precisely, the authors will compare such BOTs and seek to identify the relevant success factors. It is generally admitted that BOTs work better in the case of thermal plants than in the case of hydraulic plants. It is assumed that this is mainly because, in the case of thermal plants, more limited initial investment is needed and therefore less financial and other risks (e.g., climate, geology) are being incurred. However, there is generally more uncertainty about fuel price evolution in the case of thermal plants. The paper will seek to determine which are the relevant criteria that influence the choice for BOTs in either thermal and hydraulic plants. We anticipate that such criteria pertain to the amount of kWh needed, the type of energy needed (e.g., continuous vs peak-load), oil price, regulatory factors (e.g., CO2 tax), and others more. Overall, it will appear that risk management is the key to successful BOTs. Therefore, in conclusion, the paper will make related recommendations.


Abstract:  An ossified auditory bulla of a basal carnivoran is described for the first time. Although broken, the bulla of Viverravus acutus (Viverravidae, Carnivora) appears to have enclosed the middle ear and to have been composed exclusively of an ectotympanic bone. The structure of the bulla and other basicranial features support the hypothesis that viverravids lie phylogenetically outside crown‐group Carnivora and that the last common ancestor of living carnivorans may have existed as recently as 42 million years ago, not 60–70 million years ago as suggested by some authors.


This study seeks the best economic returns of a company's sustainable business process, employs the Triple Bottom Line Model using the Global 100 Index as the decision variable, and follows the Geometric Brownian Motion, so as to determine the optimal timing for the input of environmental and social costs. The results of the sensitivity analysis show that when the average growth rate of the Global 100 Index is low, the optimal timing for the company's input of environmental costs and social costs can be obtained. Analysis of the numerical example shows that, based on the financial value of the economic factor, companies should invest in environmental costs as soon as possible. This study replaces the conventional net present value model with the options evaluation model, uses the Global 100 Index as the threshold for decision-making evaluation to provide a more complete decision-making evaluation reference for enterprises, and makes up for the gap in recent research regarding investment time and decision variables. The study results introduce potential strategic value evaluations into the evaluation model of long-term uncertain sustainable operation value, which is more appropriate for the evaluation of the real sustainable operation value. It also provides implementation strategies for decision-makers to mitigate risks under uncertain environments and is the major difference and value of the Real Options Approach (ROA) to supplement Net Present Value (NPV) principles. The results of this study provide a reference for the sustainable development decision-making of corporate sustainability and feasibility and offer an important link in the value chain of food industry operations and management.


Abstract. Atmospheric CO 2 retrievals with peak sensitivity in the mid- to lower troposphere from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) have been assimilated into the GEOS-5 (Goddard Earth Observing System Model, Version 5) constituent assimilation system for the period 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2006. A corresponding model simulation, using identical initial conditions, circulation, and CO 2 boundary fluxes was also completed. The analyzed and simulated CO 2 fields are compared with surface measurements globally and aircraft measurements over North America. Surface level monthly mean CO 2 values show a marked improvement due to the assimilation in the Southern Hemisphere, while less consistent improvements are seen in the Northern Hemisphere. Mean differences with aircraft observations are reduced at all levels, with the largest decrease occurring in the mid-troposphere. The difference standard deviations are reduced slightly at all levels over the ocean, and all levels except the surface layer over land. These initial experiments indicate that the used channels contain useful information on CO 2 in the middle to lower troposphere. However, the benefits of assimilating these data are reduced over the land surface, where concentrations are dominated by uncertain local fluxes and where the observation density is quite low. Away from these regions, the study demonstrates the power of the data assimilation technique for evaluating data that are not co-located, in that the improvements in mid-tropospheric CO 2 by the sparsely distributed partial-column retrievals are transported by the model to the fixed in situ surface observation locations in more remote areas.


The debate about the moral and legal nature of the prohibition on torture and about the permissibility of carving out exceptions to that ban is generally conceptualized as a clash between two opposing poles with no middle ground between them. One may support an absolute ban on torture. Alternatively, one may believe that the duty not to torture, even if generally desirable and laudable, does not apply in certain exceptional circumstances, or, even if it does apply, is overridden, canceled or trumped by competing values. This paper defends an absolute prohibition on torture while, at the same time, arguing that truly catastrophic cases, such as the paradigmatic ticking-bomb scenario, should not be brushed aside as merely hypothetical or as either morally or legally irrelevant. The paper suggests that the way to deal with the "extreme" or "catastrophic" case is neither by reading it out of the equation nor by using it as the center-piece for establishing general policies. Rather, the focus is turned to the possibility that truly exceptional cases may give rise to official disobedience, i.e., public officials may step outside the legal framework and be ready to accept the legal ramifications of their actions. I argue that the prospect of extralegal action supports and strengthens the possibility of formulating and maintaining an absolute prohibition on torture.