Semidefinite programming (SDP) is a unifying framework that generalizes both linear programming and quadratically-constrained quadratic programming, while also yielding efficient solvers, both in theory and in practice. However, there exist known impossibility results for approximating the optimal solution when constraints for covering SDPs arrive in an online fashion. In this paper, we study online covering linear and semidefinite programs in which the algorithm is augmented with advice from a possibly erroneous predictor. We show that if the predictor is accurate, we can efficiently bypass these impossibility results and achieve a constant-factor approximation to the optimal solution, i.e., consistency. On the other hand, if the predictor is inaccurate, under some technical conditions, we achieve results that match both the classical optimal upper bounds and the tight lower bounds up to constant factors, i.e., robustness. More broadly, we introduce a framework that extends both (1) the online set cover problem augmented with machine-learning predictors, studied by Bamas, Maggiori, and Svensson (NeurIPS 2020), and (2) the online covering SDP problem, initiated by Elad, Kale, and Naor (ICALP 2016). Specifically, we obtain general online learning-augmented algorithms for covering linear programs with fractional advice and constraints, and initiate the study of learning-augmented algorithms for covering SDP problems. Our techniques are based on the primal-dual framework of Buchbinder and Naor (Mathematics of Operations Research, 34, 2009) and can be further adjusted to handle constraints where the variables lie in a bounded region, i.e., box constraints.


We develop the noncausal polyphase-with-advance representation that underlies the theory of lifted filter banks and wavelet transforms used in the ISO/IEC JPEG 2000 image coding standard. The theory includes a matrix algebra framework for analyzing linear phase two-channel filter banks. Whole- and half-sample symmetric filter banks are characterized completely in terms of the theory, and linear phase lifting factorizations are developed for both classes of linear phase filter banks.


ABSTRACT In situ measurements of lakebed sediment erodibility were made on three sites in Hamilton Harbour, Lake Ontario, using the benthic flume Sea Carousel. Three methods of estimating the surface erosion threshold (τc(0)) from a Carousel time series were evaluated: the first method fits measures of bed strength to eroded depth (the failure envelope) and evaluates threshold as the surface intercept; the second method regresses mean erosion rate (Em) with bed shear stress and solves for the floc erosion rate (Ef) to derive the threshold for Em = Ef = 1 × 10−5 kg m−2 s−1; the third method extrapolates a regression of suspended sediment concentration (S) and fluid transmitted bed shear stress (τ0) to ambient concentrations. The first field site was undisturbed (C) and acted as a control; the second (W) was disturbed through ploughing and water injection as part of lakebed treatment, whereas the third site (OIP) was disturbed and injected with an oxidant used for remediation of contaminated sediment. The main objectives of this study were: (1) to evaluate the three different methods of deriving erosion threshold; (2) to compare the physical behaviour of lacustrine sediments with their marine estuarine counterparts; and (3) to examine the effects of ploughing and chemical treatment of contaminated sediment on bed stability. Five deployments of Sea Carousel were carried out at the control site. Mean erosion thresholds for the three methods were: τc(0) = 0·5 (±0·06), 0·27 (±0·01) and 0·34 (±0·03) Pa respectively. Method 1 overpredicted bed strength as it was insensitive to effects in the surface 1–2 mm, and the fit of the failure envelope was also highly subjective. Method 2 exhibited a wide scatter in the data (low correlation coefficients), and definition of the baseline erosion rate (Ef) is largely arbitrary in the literature. Method 3 yielded stable (high correlation coefficients), reproducible and objective results and is thus recommended for evaluation of the erosion threshold. The results of this method correlated well with sediment bulk density and followed the same trend as marine counterparts from widely varying sites. Mass settling rates, expressed as a decay constant, k, of S(t), were strongly related to the maximum turbidity at the onset of settling (Smax) and were also in continuity with marine counterparts. Thus, it appears that differences in salinity had little effect on mass settling rates in the examples presented, and that biological activity dominated any effects normally attributable to changes in salinity. Bedload transport of eroded aggregates (2–4 mm in diameter) took place by rolling below a mean tangential flow velocity (Uy) of 0·32 ms−1 and by saltation at higher velocities. Mass transport as bedload was a maximum at Uy = 0·4 ms−1, although bedload never exceeded 1% of the suspended load. The proportion of material moving as bedload was greatest at the onset of erosion but decreased as flow competence increased. Given the low bulk density and strength of the lakebed sediment, the presence of a bedload component is notable. Bedload transport over eroding cohesive substrates should be greater in estuaries, where both sediment density and strength are usually higher. Significant differences between the ploughed and control sites were apparent in both the erosion rate and the friction coefficient (φ), and suggest that bed recovery after disruption is rapid (< 24 h). τc(0) increased linearly with time after ploughing and recovered to the control mean value within 3 days. The friction coefficient was reduced to zero by ploughing (diagnostic of fluidization), but increased linearly with time, regaining control values within 6 days. No long‐term reduction in bed strength due to remediation was apparent.


This paper examines the evolution of emotion intensity in dialogs occurring on Twitter between customer support representatives and clients ("users"). We focus on a single emotion type— frustration, modelling the user's level of frustration (on scale of 0 to 4) for each dialog turn and attempting to predict change of intensity from turn to turn, based on the text of turns from both dialog participants. As the modelling data, we used a subset of the Kaggle Customer Support on Twitter dataset annotated with per-turn frustration intensity ratings. For the modelling, we used a machine learning classifier for which dialog turns were represented by specifically selected bags of words. Since in our experimental setup the prediction classes (i.e., ratings) are not independent, to assess the classification quality, we examined different levels of accuracy imprecision tolerance. We showed that for frustration intensity prediction of actual dialog turns we can achieve a level of accuracy significantly higher than a statistical baseline. However we found that, as the intensity of user's frustration tends to be stable across turns of the dialog, customer support turns have only a very limited immediate effect on the customer's level of frustration, so using the additional information from customer support turns doesn't help to predict future frustration level.


Abstract Soccer is the biggest sport in the world, resulting in a large number of injuries occurring in this game. Many soccer players today are ready physically, but not mentally, to return to play. The aim of this study was to investigate injured players' perception of their time after a sports injury has occurred. The study was conducted using a qualitative approach. Eight soccer players, four male and four female, aged 14–25 years, were interviewed individually. The material was analysed using manifest content analysis. The participants reported on various psychological aspects that affected them both positively and negatively during the rehabilitation period. Individual factors included the injured players' reaction, motivation and fear. Situational factors, such as their coach, the team, their family and the physiotherapist, also influenced the participants. In conclusion, several psychological factors affect young soccer players' perception of rehabilitation after a severe injury. This study found that support from the team and the coach is often lacking in a soccer player's rehabilitation.


This study investigates the influence of board monitoring and management contracting on earnings management. The strengthening of corporate governance following the Enron era was designed to gain investors' confidence and ensure the truthfulness of financial information. Contracting is employed as an instrument to align the interests of agents with those of shareholders which are ultimately to maximise the value and minimise monitoring costs. By developing measures of board monitoring in accordance with the Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations (CGPR) released by the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) Corporate Governance Council (2009) and management contracting, this study presents evidence in an Australian context that both board monitoring and management contacting influence the extent of earnings management individually and collectively. Using a sample of 138 ASX listed companies, this study finds that discretionary accruals have shown various patterns across a range of observation periods. A higher incidence of CEO duality is significantly related to lower levels of earnings management. The independence of the boards is associated with higher levels of earnings management. The results show that managerial ownership has a positive effect on discretionary accruals. Furthermore, the impact of managerial ownership outweighs the impact of board monitoring on returned earnings, particularly on the reporting of income-increasing accruals. It is observed that the strategic shareholdings of senior management have more impact on earnings than short-term incentives. This demonstrates that long-term managerial ownership is a more effective way of aligning the interests of mangers with those of shareholders than short-term compensation such as bonus plan.


Science fiction about intelligent aliens has long imagined a science of sociology with typologies that apply universally, much as the periodic table of the elements applies to atoms on all planets. The GRIN model purports to offer such a universal typology. This study offers the first instrument to measure its manifestation in humans: the Gadfly-Relational-Institutional-Negotiator Self-Quiz (GRINSQ). It reports evidence of the GRINSQ's reliability, as well as its structural, content, convergent and pragmatic validity, including relationships to the Moral Judgment Test (MJT), Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ), and Big Five personality traits. The evidence supports the hypotheses that humans specialize by GRIN-type, and that this specialization relates to differences in personality, morality, political orientation, career, religion, family type, and identification with crime.


Prepare your students for physical therapy practice with this up-to-date and accessible introduction to the major diseases and disabilities common to children who require physical therapy and the examination techniques and interventions commonly used in their rehabilitation. This is the fifth edition of Tecklin's Pediatric Physical Therapy. Pediatric Physical Therapy provides basic medical information regarding common clinical diagnostic categories, followed by coverage of physical therapy evaluation, treatment, and special issues within each diagnostic group. In addition, case studies accessible online at thePoint support the book's strong focus on clinical decision-making. Featuring new chapters on autism and obesity, new authors, the latest research, and much more, this fifth edition continues to provide just the right amount of information needed to prepare students for practice without overwhelming them with unnecessary detail. The fifth edition enables you to: extend your students' learning online with robust learning resources, including: a wide range of Case Studies that help students build their clinical decision-making skills; and anywhere, anytime access to the full book online. You can save time planning and spend more time with your students with online Instructors' Resources including: PowerPoint slides Image Bank.


The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the role of spirituality in coping among women with breast cancer and their families. This phenomenological study was guided by family systems theory and the recognition that a family is a complex system whereby family members interact with one another as well as with the outside world. A change in any of these interactions/relationships can affect the rest of the system, and the diagnosis of breast cancer in mothers within the family system is no exception. Five families (five women, five men and six children) comprising a total of 16 participants took part in this study. The women in this study reported using a number of methods to cope with their illness, one of which was utilising their spiritual beliefs. Although they placed a great deal of importance upon their spiritual beliefs, their families did not. The implications of this reality upon nursing practice will be discussed here.


Everyday listening is the experience of hearing events in the world rather than sounds per se. In this article, I explore the acoustic basis of everyday listening as a start toward understanding how sounds near the ear can indicate remote physical events. Information for sound-producing events and their dimensions is investi- gated using physical analyses of events to inform acoustic analyses of the sounds they produce. The result is a variety of algorithms which enable the synthesis of sounds made by basic-level events such as impacts, scraping, and dripping, as well as by more complex events such as bouncing, breaking, spilling, and machinery. These algorithms may serve as instantiated hypotheses about the acoustic infor- mation for events. Analysis and synthesis work together in their development: Just as analyses of the physics and acoustics of sound-producing events may inform synthesis, so listening to the results of synthesis may inform analysis. This raises several issues concerning evaluation, sp...


Recent Government funding in the UK has enabled 22 low carbon community organisations to work with the private and academic sector to understand and reduce energy consumption in domestic and non-domestic buildings. This has helped communities prepare for policy mechanisms such as the national Green Deal programme which aims to improve existing housing and non-domestic buildings by offering up-front loans to be repaid by energy savings. This paper presents the role and application of a unique carbon mapping approach, which has enabled five of these low carbon communities to rapidly assess on a house-by-house level, the potential for improving the energy efficiency of their housing stock. DECoRuM, an award-winning GIS-based carbon counting model is used to measure, model, map and manage energy use and CO2 emission reductions from approximately 1,300 houses across five communities, displaying estimates of energy use and carbon emissions before and after community action. Incremental packages of energy saving measures and low carbon technologies are assessed for their impact on CO2 emissions to reveal further potential for large-scale refurbishment in the local area. Eligibility for the Green Deal is tested to show that on average 72 per cent of homes over all communities are suitable for finance. Through community events, results are visualised and fed back to the householders using colour-coded spatial maps along with thermal imaging. Findings from this study are relevant for policy-making and practitioners engaged in area-based carbon reductions.


The role of the glutathione (GSH) redox cycle and vitamin E as antioxidant defense systems was studied in normal human cultured skin fibroblasts infected by virulent Mycoplasma pneumoniae. In cells infected for 20 h, catalase activity was inhibited by 75% and the intracellular GSH decreased to 32% of its normal values. GSH peroxidase and oxidized glutathione (reductase activities in the infected cells were unaffected.) GSSG glutathione in the medium of the infected cells rose in accordance with the intracellular GSH decrease. The observed elevation in GSSG/GSH ratio was attributed to the increase in intracellular H2O2 content in M. pneumoniae-infected cells due to the marked inhibition in their catalase activity. The protective effect of the GSH redox cycle in infected cells was studied by depletion of cellular GSH, prior to their infection with M. pneumoniae, using buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), a selective inhibitor of gamma-glutamyl cysteine synthetase. After 16 h of incubation with BSO, the GSH levels were reduced to 38% of their normal value and recovered to 55% during 24 h after removal of the inhibitor. BSO had no effect on GSH peroxidase and catalase activities in either infected or noninfected cells. The level of malonyldialdehyde (an indicator of membrane lipid peroxidation) in BSO-treated cells infected by M. pneumoniae was 1.8 times higher than in infected controls. Cells enriched with 0.25 and 2.25 micrograms of vitamin E per mg of protein prior to their infection by M. pneumoniae revealed the following: a lesser degree of catalase inhibition, 46 and 30%, respectively, versus 64% in infected control cells that were not supplemented with vitamin E; lower levels of malonyldialdehyde, 55 and 20% increments, respectively, versus a 140% increment in infected controls; higher residual activity of lactate dehydrogenase, 76 and 96%, respectively, versus 58% in infected controls. Our data indicate that the oxidative damage induced in M. pneumoniae-infected cells due to the increase in intracellular levels of H2O2 and O2- is limited by the host cell GSH redox cycle and by supplementation with vitamin E.


Much of the business transacted on the Web today takes place through information exchanges made possible by using documents as interfaces. For example, what seems to be a simple purchase from an online bookstore actually involves at least three different business collaborationsbetween the customer and the online catalog to select a book; between the bookstore and a credit card authorization service to verify and charge the customer's account; and between the bookstore and the delivery service with instructions for picking up and delivering the book to the customer. Document engineering is needed to analyze, design, and implement these Internet information exchanges. This book is an introduction to the emerging field of document engineering. The authors, both leaders in the development of document engineering and other e-commerce initiatives, analyze document exchanges from a variety of perspectives. Taking a qualitative view, they look at patterns of document exchanges as components of business models; looking at documents in more detail, they describe techniques for analyzing individual transaction patterns and the role they play in the overall business process. They describe techniques for analyzing, designing, and encoding document models, including XML, and discuss the techniques and architectures that make XML a unifying technology for the next generation of e-business applications. Finally, they go beyond document models to consider management and strategic issuesthe business model, or the vision, that the information exchanged in these documents serves.


ADL disability is an age-related condition that leads to poor quality of life, increased health-related care costs, and increased mortality. The proportion of older adults are increasing worldwide, and it is therefore important both for society and the individual that research provide us with information about the process leading to ADL disability and how to identify persons at risk. The most effective design for following the aging process is found in population-based studies that include all older persons, both those living at home and those in residential care. This thesis uses data from three populationbased studies: the Kungsholmen Project (KP), the Nordanstig Project (NP) and the SNAC-N study. The aims of the thesis was to examine temporal changes in physical functioning in older adults, to identify underlying development of new disability and functional decline, as well as to explore geographical variation in physical functioning between urban and rural elderly habitats. We also wanted to describe the amount of informal and formal care in relation to levels of ADL disability. The ultimate aim was to identify factors suitable for prevention. Study I: We I compared two populations of older adults, 75 years and older (the KP and the NP) from different living areas (urban and rural) and found differences in ADL disability, morbidity and disease patterns. The most common health problem in both areas was cardiovascular diseases (39.9% in the urban area and 45.2% in the rural area). There were great differences, urban vs rural, in the prevalence of stroke (7.4% vs 14.0%), diabetes mellitus (6.3% vs 16.1%), and Parkinson's disease (1.0% vs 3.7%). Having two or more diseases vs. no disease was more common in the rural area than in the urban area, odds ratio (OR) = 1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.4-2.4. Living area differences (urban vs rural) were found in population attributable risk (PAR) for disability due to stroke (5.6 vs 32.2), diabetes mellitus (1.2 vs 6.1), fractures (1.4 vs 10.7), and hearing impairment (8.7 vs 22.0). Study II: Data were gathered from a population-based study of adults 60 years and older, the SNAC-Nordanstig (SNAC-N), and the study explored the association between ADL disability, muscle strength, disease severity and mortality. Upper and lower muscle strength decreased with increasing age, with a tendency for lower performance in women than in men. A significant association was found between ADL disability and having reduced lower muscle strength. Having an increased number of diseases increased the risk of being ADL disabled. Diseases with the greatest impact on ADL disability were musculoskeletal diseases, hypertension and dementia. ADL disability and being unable to perform the gait speed test were factors that increased the risk of death. Inability to perform the chair stand test or weaker grip strength increased the risk of death for men. Study III: Data from two populations, 78 years and older, the NP (1995-1998) and the SNAC-N study (2001-2003), were used to study time trends in the prevalence of ADL disability and survival, comparing two cohorts. The prevalence of ADL disability was stable from 1995-1998 to 2001-2002 for men, while women became more disabled in ADL over the time period, (OR 2.36; CI 1.12-4.94). No significant difference was found in survival time between the cohorts in either ADL-disabled or non-disabled persons. There was a tendency for increased survival for non-disabled persons in the SNAC-N study compared with the NP, although it was not significant; this was particularly true for women. In general, women survived longer than men did regardless of whether they were ADL disabled or not. Study IV: The aims were to examine the incidence of ADL disability, to explore whether being physically active earlier in life is a significant predictor of being disability free at follow-up, and to describe the amount of informal and formal care received in relation to ADL disability. Data were gathered from persons 78 years and older in the SNAC-N study. The incidence rates for men were almost the same in the age group 78-81 compared with the age group 84 years and older, 42.3 vs. 42.5/1000 person-years. For women the incidence rate for ADL disability increased significantly from the age group 78-81 to the age group 84 years and older, 20.8 vs. 118.3/1000 person-years. In the age group 78-81 years, being physically active earlier (aOR 6.2) and during the past 12 months before the baseline examination (aOR 2.9) were both significant preventive factors for ADL disability. The amount of both informal and formal care increased with the number of ADL activities the persons were dependent on and the amount of informal care was greater than the amount of formal care. Conclusions: This thesis shows an increase in ADL disability due to increased age, and that women are more ADL disabled than men, but also shows how diseases affect ADL disability. The diseases that negatively affect ADL are often due to unhealthy lifestyle, e.g. physical inactivity, obesity and smoking, etc. The results show the importance of prevention of the factors that cause ADL disability, preferably already in midlife. The amount of both informal and formal care increased significantly with the number of ADL activities the persons required help with. Regarding prevention of becoming ADL disabled, it is of importance to find ways to postpone the onset of ADL disability so that we can live longer without disability.


Approximately 150 triatomine species are known to be infected with the Chagas parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, but they differ in the risk they pose to human populations. The largest risk comes from species that have a domestic life cycle and these species have been targeted by indoor residual spraying campaigns, which have been successful in many locations. It is now important to consider residual transmission that may be linked to persistent populations of dominant vectors, or to secondary or minor vectors. The aim of this project was to define the geographical distributions of the community of triatomine species in Latin America. Presence-only data with over 12, 000 observations of triatomine vectors were extracted from a public database and target-group background data were generated to account for sampling bias in the presence data. Geostatistical regression was then applied to estimate species distributions and fine-scale distribution maps were generated for thirty triatomine vector species. The results for Panstrongylus geniculatus, P. megistus, Triatoma barberi, T. brasiliensis, and T. pseudomaculata are presented in detail and the model validation results for each of the 30 species are presented in full. The predictive maps for all species are made publicly available so that they can be used to assess the communities of vectors present within different regions of the endemic zone. The maps are presented alongside key indicators for the capacity of each species to transmit T. cruzi to humans. These indicators include infection prevalence, evidence for human blood meals, and colonisation or invasion of homes. A summary of these indicators shows that the majority of the 30 species mapped by this study have the potential to transmit T. cruzi to humans. Author summary The Pan American Health Organisation's Strategy and Plan of Action for Chagas Disease Prevention, Control and Care highlights the importance of eliminating those triatomine vector species that colonise homes, and has had great success in many locations. Since indoor residual spraying campaigns have targeted these species, their importance relative to other vectors has diminished and their geographical distributions may also have changed. It is now vital to consider the full community of vector species, including previously dominant vectors as well as secondary or minor vector species, in order to target residual transmission to humans. Our aim was to define the geographical distributions of the most commonly reported triatomine species in Latin America. We extracted reports of triatomine vector species observed at specific locations from a public database and we used a geostatistical model to generate fine-scale predictive maps for thirty triatomine vector species. We present these maps alongside a summary of key indicators related to the capacity of each species to transmit the Chagas parasite to humans. We show that most of the 30 species that we have mapped pose a potential threat to human populations.


Special problems arise when analyzing supply chains because of the complexity of the relationships in the system. In addressing this concern for a research project on a vegetable supply chain in Mindanao, the authors of this paper use a pluralistic methodology. A soft-systems framework was used to structure and analyze the problem and identify relevant systems. Issues addressed are the extent of efficiency along the supply chain (including input supply (issues), output marketing, quality control and transport) and the relationships between the various participants in the supply chain. Qualitative and quantitative data collection methods have been used.


Lord Hoffman, in the context of the expression-ideas dichotomy in copyright law, and while pointing out that originality tends to lie in the detail with which the basic idea is presented, added somewhat enigmatically that copyright law protects foxes better than hedgehogs (Designers Guild Ltd v Russell Williams (Textiles) Ltd 2000 UKHL 58, 2001 FSR 11). The point of this note is that for a lawyer of the common or garden variety, the simile is rather perplexing and its relevance elusive.
It is generally assumed that Lord Hoffman had the rather lengthy and learned essay by Berlin, entitled The Hedgehog and the Fox (1953), which is available in book form, in mind. As Berlin's subtitle indicates, the essay is about Tolstoy's view of history based chiefly on an analysis of his War and Peace, one of those books everyone knows of but nobody reads (cf Proust and Joyce). But before dealing with Berlin's use or abuse of the tale of the fox and the hedgehog, let us begin at the beginning.


Background
Publication bias is an over-representation of statistically significant results in the published literature and may exaggerate summary effect estimates in oncology systematic reviews. Omitting non-significant results in systematic reviews may therefore affect clinical decision-making. We investigate ways that systematic reviewers attempted to limit publication bias during the search process as well as the statistical methods used to evaluate it. For a subset of reviews not reporting publication bias evaluations, we carried out our own assessments for publication bias to determine its likelihood among these reviews.

Design
We examined systematic reviews from the top five highest impact factor oncology journals published between 2007 and 2015. Systematic reviews were screened for eligibility and qualifying reviews (n = 182) were coded for relevant publication bias study characteristics by two authors. A re-analysis of reviews not initially evaluating for publication bias was carried out using Egger's regression, trim-and-fill, and selection models.

Results
Of the 182 systematic reviews, roughly half carried out a hand search to locate additional studies. Conference abstracts were the most commonly reported form of gray literature, followed by clinical trials registries. Fifty-one reviews reported publication bias evaluations. The most common method was the funnel plot (80%, 41/51) followed by Egger's regression (59%, 30/51) and Begg's test (43%, 22/51). Our publication bias evaluations on non-reporting reviews suggest that the degree of publication bias depends on the method employed.

Conclusion
Our study shows publication bias assessments are not frequently used in oncology systematic reviews. Furthermore, evidence of publication bias was found in a subset of non-reporting reviews. Systematic reviewers in oncology are encouraged to conduct such analyses when appropriate and to employ more robust methods for both mitigating and evaluating publication bias.


Spectroscopic surveys of the Galaxy reveal that its disc stars exhibit a spread in [α/Fe] at fixed [Fe/H], manifest at some locations as a bimodality. The origin of these diverse, and possibly distinct, stellar populations in the Galactic disc is not well understood. We examine the Fe and α-element evolution of 133 Milky Way-like galaxies from the EAGLE simulation, to investigate the origin and diversity of their [α/Fe]–[Fe/H] distributions. We find that bimodal [α/Fe] distributions arise in galaxies whose gas accretion histories exhibit episodes of significant infall at both early and late times, with the former fostering more intense star formation than the latter. The shorter characteristic consumption time-scale of gas accreted in the earlier episode suppresses its enrichment with iron synthesized by Type Ia SNe, resulting in the formation of a high-[α/Fe] sequence. We find that bimodality in [α/Fe] similar to that seen in the Galaxy is rare, appearing in approximately 5 per cent of galaxies in our sample. We posit that this is a consequence of an early gas accretion episode requiring the mass accretion history of a galaxy's dark matter halo to exhibit a phase of atypically rapid growth at early epochs. The scarcity of EAGLE galaxies exhibiting distinct sequences in the [α/Fe]–[Fe/H] plane may therefore indicate that the Milky Way's elemental abundance patterns, and its accretion history, are not representative of the broader population of ∼L disc galaxies.


The central hypothesis of this paper is that both the extent and speed of adjustment of the real exchange rate is affected by the way the central bank manages the nominal exchange rate. Specifically, a large discrete adjustment of the nominal exchange rate is more likely to result in fast adjustment of prices as opposed to a policy of smooth and continuous crawling peg. In the context of a monopolistic price adjustment framework, it is shown that a discrete and unexpected devaluation of the exchange rate shortens implicit price contracts and increases the rate of price adjustment in the nontraded goods sector, because firms tend to strengthen their expectations about an overall increase in costs and about an aggregate as opposed to a local shift in the demand curve for the firm's output. A discrete change in the exchange rate acts as an "information signal" that leads to fast overall adjustment of nontraded goods prices. The hypothesis is tested and not rejected at the macro, sectoral and firm level using macro and microdata on Greek prices prior to and after the January 1983 discrete devaluation.


Due to threats from local warlords, influential politicians and, wealthy migrant capitalists, media practitioners in Cotabato are generally conservative and tend to be pragmatic. While not direct party to the peace talks, the media's role as a vehicle of information on the peace negotiations between the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) was crucial. However, the local NGOs and POs generally think that media coverage of the peace process was insufficient because it overlooked their related activities and the historical roots of the Mindanao conflict. For their part, the media perceive the NGOs and Pos as leftist and not as sources of vital information. The media attributed the inadequate reportage of the peace talks to lack of creativity among local journalists, secrecy of the negotiations, government's lack of transparency, and the media owners capitalist orientation. They believed that the management had the prerogative to set what to print and to air but it appeared that self-censorship was more at work. To be truly facilitative, media must seek out NGOs and Pos which in turn, must build friendly ties with the former. The peace process, being a delicate matter, requires media persons to be sensitive to the various ramifications of their news coverage.


The quality of water resources has a direct impact on the daily life of mankind and the sustainable development of society. However, with the rapid development of national industrialization, the current industrial wastewater discharge and improper handling have become more and more serious, especially for the growing domestic water pollution today, it is an urgent need for an efficient water quality monitoring system. With the rapid development of wireless sensor network application technology, people put forward higher requirements for the quality of water environment, wireless sensor network can be used in water environment for real-time monitoring of water quality.


Carl Julius Senff was a talented artist with wide-ranging knowledge of art and architecture, who first received art lessons from his father Carl August Senff in Tartu. From 1823 to 1827, Carl Julius Senff studied philosophy at the University of Tartu and illustrated several publications while still a student. For example, in 1825 he published a textbook on perspective called Perspective fur Landschaftsmaler zum  Selbststudium . Although Carl Julius Senff's life was cut short, he was still able to travel extensively. In 1829, he travelled to Jena for three years where he acquired a doctoral degree in philosophy. His earliest drawings also date from this period and, based on them, we can also partially reconstruct the route of his travels. From Jena, he travelled to Prague, Vienna and Munich. In 1831, he travelled to Italy where he lived in Rome. The young artist and scholar was destined to become the new professor of architecture at the University of Tartu but, unfortunately, Carl Julius Senff fell ill during his last trip and died in Milan. The article is based to a great degree on unpublished archival documents as well as the personal correspondence of Carl Julius Senff and his father Carl August Senff.


In 1987, the University of Chicago Press published "Primate Societies", the standard reference in the field of primate behavior for an entire generation of students and scientists. But in the twenty-five years since its publication, new theories and research techniques for studying the Primate order have been developed, debated, and tested, forcing scientists to revise their understanding of our closest living relatives. Intended as a sequel to "Primate Societies", "The Evolution of Primate Societies" compiles thirty-one chapters that review the current state of knowledge regarding the behavior of nonhuman primates. Chapters are written by leading authorities in the field and organized around four major adaptive problems primates face as they strive to grow, maintain themselves, and reproduce in the wild. The inclusion of chapters on the behavior of humans at the end of each major section represents one particularly novel aspect of the book, and it will remind readers what we can learn about ourselves through research on nonhuman primates. The final section highlights some of the innovative and cutting-edge research designed to reveal the similarities and differences between nonhuman and human primate cognition. "The Evolution of Primate Societies" will be every bit the landmark publication its predecessor has been.


This paper evaluates the differences in the degree to which the preferences of the Slovak right-wing and left-wing parties are affected by the development of consumer prices and unemployment. Using the linear regression approach, it provides evidence that Slovak left-wing voters are resistant to economic voting, which is demonstrated by the fact that changes in the preferences of the Slovak left-wing government during 2006-2008 did not react to changes in the CPI and the unemployment rate. By contrast, the Slovak right-wing is held accountable by its voters both for rising prices and unemployment. Thus, our research unveils a new, unexpected difference between left- and right-wing voters. Furthermore, it is argued that, under constantly decreasing monetary and fiscal sovereignty in EU member states, political parties that have voters highly responsive to economic conditions are in a disadvantage as their preferences are dependent on factors they can influence less than in the past.


The higher our aspirations, the higher the probability that we have to adjust them downwards when forming more realistic expectations later on. This paper shows that the costs induced by high aspirations are not trivial. We first develop a theoretical framework to identify the factors that determine the effect of aspirations on expected utility. Then we present evidence from a lab experiment on the factor found to be crucial: the adjustment of reference states to changes in expectations. The results suggest that the costs of high aspirations can be significant, since reference states do not adjust quickly. We use a novel, indirect approach that allows us to infer the determinants of the reference state from observed behavior, rather than to rely on cheap talk. JEL classification: D11, D84, C91


The objective of the paper is to study the changes in the real estate financing in the post crisis period in Slovakia. Slovak transition to market economy enabled to create the booming real estate markets in the 21st century. The FDI inflows and the integration processes, inclusion to Euro zone, were the important catalysts of such progress. Yet the global financial crisis substantially decelerated existing development and revealed the vulnerabilities of the economic growth model, the institutions, public finance and banking systems. The changing macroeconomic fundamentals negatively influenced the real estate vacancies, returns, and investments. The global financial crisis had revealed the serious problems of financial markets, such as the inadequate oversight, and banking regulations. Three new important regulations: Alternative Investment Fund Manager Directive, Basel III, Solvency II aim to prevent the risky behavior of banks. Based on them, many banks have implemented very restrictive criteria for the provision of the real estate credits. At the same time banks had to resolve the problems of distressed loans. This is the opportunity for the debt companies, private equity groups, the sovereign wealth funds, the insurance companies, mezzanine lenders and other investors with flexible capital to step into the market and to take the larger role in financing the real estate developments. This tendency is well observed in the developed countries with stabilized real estate markets, good returns or low risk return, while they are less obvious in CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) region. The consequence of restrictions on the provisions of banking property credits opens the new business opportunities in real estate sector for insurance companies, debt funds, off shore funds, mezzanine funds, private equity funds, etc. The serious problem is still the high public debt, and its negative impact on Eurozone. Many investors had fled from the European periphery into the EU core also because the competitiveness issues of European periphery, including the CEE countries, are not resolved. Recovery of real estate markets in Slovakia is under the way, yet the attainment of the pre-crisis real estate boom is not very probable. Much will depend on economic growth, important institutional reforms, especially in banking, economics, and in European Union as well.


This thesis examines the strategy formulation of small and medium enterprises in Greece by measuring the two principal dimensions of the strategy formulation process, the normative/descriptive dimension and the individual/collective dimension. For the purposes of the thesis a theoretical model of strategy formulation is proposed and evaluated, drawing upon the principles of contingency theory which presumes that there is no exclusive approach to strategy formulation which applies likewise to all firms in all circumstances. According to contingency theory there are many variables or factors which predict and influence the decision of formulating a strategy.

Furthermore, the thesis investigates the role of accounting information on the process of strategy formulation by examining the relationship between the adoption of a specific strategy formulation approach and the information sources that SMEs use, the extensiveness of accounting information usage and the perceived usefulness of accounting information to SME managers. Using a data-triangulation (semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire), the findings of the study show the following:

First, organizational size, perceived environmental volatility, the level of technology and specific owner manager characteristics (experience and education) are all significant predictors of SMEs adoption of a specific strategy formulation approach. Second, accounting information usage is positively associated with the normative and collective strategy formulation approaches. More specific, SMEs which utilize a broad range of information sources, which engage in extensive accounting information utilization and which perceive accounting information as very useful are positively correlated with the normative and collective approaches of strategy formulation.

Third, financial performance was found to have a positive relationship with the descriptive and individualistic approach to strategy, meaning that SME owner managers who
employ emergent strategies without the collaboration and participation of others in the process tend to achieve higher levels of profitability. Fourth, significant differences were found between SMEs having a different ownership status (family and non-family SMEs) and belonging to different business sectors (retail, construction and service providing firms) in relation to strategy formulation approach.


BACKGROUND
Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is characterized by an initial chronic phase that invariably evolves to the more aggressive phase of blast crisis. Although the determinants of this transition are still unknown, it has been shown that the blast crisis is accompanied by genetic instability.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The expression and activity of the error-prone DNA polymerase beta (pol beta) were investigated in blood samples from CML patients, by Western blotting and by an in vitro replication assay, respectively.

RESULTS
Pol beta expression and activity were significantly higher in CML samples compared to those of healthy donors.

CONCLUSION
Our results suggest that the excess of pol beta in CML could contribute to the genetic instability observed during the evolution of the disease from the chronic phase to blast crisis.


Neural message passing is a basic feature extraction unit for graph-structured data considering neighboring node features in network propagation from one layer to the next. We model such process by an interacting particle system with attractive and repulsive forces and the Allen-Cahn force arising in the modeling of phase transition. The dynamics of the system is a reaction-diffusion process which can separate particles without blowing up. This induces an Allen-Cahn message passing (ACMP) for graph neural networks where the numerical iteration for the particle system solution constitutes the message passing propagation. ACMP which has a simple implementation with a neural ODE solver can propel the network depth up to one hundred of layers with theoretically proven strictly positive lower bound of the Dirichlet energy. It thus provides a deep model of GNNs circumventing the common GNN problem of oversmoothing. GNNs with ACMP achieve state of the art performance for real-world node classification tasks on both homophilic and heterophilic datasets.


The control of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) has been mostly done with chemical insecticides and some selected natural enemies. However, these control methods are not popular because of the adverse effects of chemical controls and the unreliability of some natural enemies (Spalangia sp. and Pachycrepoideus sp.: Hyme- noptera: Pteromalidae). The generalist parasitoid, Muscidifurax raptor (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), has been used successfully for biological control of the house fly (Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae)) pupae in poultry houses. Our study investigated the use of this parasitoid to control C. capitata in a vineyard. Parasitoids were released at rate of 5, 10, and 20 per m 2 in a vineyard and in laboratory cages to parasitize pupae of C. capitata and M. domestica, respectively, for 2 days. The number of killed pupae of both host pests increased with the number of released parasitoids in the field. The highest rate of 20releasedM.raptorresulted in 23.52%(±0.30 SE) killedpupae, respectively, for house fly and fruit fly. M. raptor parasitized indiscriminately host species of pupae and the daily oviposition rate was 4.9 (±0.07 SE) eggs per female. The parasitoid laid the same number of eggs as when released in poultry houses for the control of M. domestica. We conclude that M. raptor constitutes a promising biocontrol agent for the control of C. capitata in vineyards.


We study the role of non-cognitive skills in academic performance of students who are the first in their family to attend university. We collected survey data on an incoming student cohort from a leading Australian university and linked the survey with students' administrative entry and performance records. First-in-family students have lower grade point averages by about a quarter of a standard deviation than the average student. This performance penalty is larger for young men. The penalty is strongest in the first semester but disappears over time. Some non-cognitive skills (Conscientiousness, Extraversion) predict academic performance almost as strongly as standardised university admissions test scores. High levels of Conscientiousness over-compensate for the performance penalty experienced by first-in-family students, while very low levels exacerbate it. However, adjusting for extreme responses in self-assessed Conscientiousness with anchoring vignettes eliminates the performance advantage of disadvantaged, but highly conscientious students. Overall, our findings accentuate the importance of non-cognitive skills as key indicators of university readiness, and their potential for closing the socioeconomic gap in academic performance.


This thesis consists of a critical examination and comparison of Hegel's philosophy of history and Nietzsche's doctrine of nihilism. The thesis argues that the result of Hegel's thought is the collapse of the transcendent dualist world-view, with the resultant need to project values attached to life: Nietzsche's positive philosophy is such an attempt. Hegel's philosophy of history is followed in the Master/Slave dialectic as elaborated in the Phenomenology of Spirit. This leads to an examination of the notion of the end of history, which is the culmination of the dialectic as the State, politically, and as the Sage, philosophically. The thesis argues that despite Hegel's thoroughgoing appropriation of values, accessible to humanity through Reason, our practical experience is of loss only: of the disappearance of an objective world of values. Far from realising the inherently meaningful nature of the human world, the result of the Hegelian revolution is nihilism. The discussion of Nietzsche's notion of nihilism turns on his distinction between the 'other-worldly' nihilism inherent in the transcendent dualist world view, and the radical nihilism which is the effect of expecting values to emerge from such a world, but despairing of ever knowing them. Nietzsche's solution is to perceive values as the projection of a beyond from out of the richness and fullness of life---what he calls 'will to power. ' And this, the thesis argues, is a return to Hegel, giving content to the Idea, to the relation of selves in the world which is one of actual freedom, and complete responsibility. Both philosophers approach the question of meaning from the same negatively conditioned perspective of the collapse of transcendent dualism. Their positive philosophies are their attempts to adopt an attitude towards the objectivity of values as the beyond within life.


Grazing livestock in openly accessible areas is a common practice in the multiple-use forests of India; however, its compatibility with the reintroduction of tigers to these areas requires examination. Here, we investigated the diet of tigers in a livestock-dominated multiple-use buffer zone of the Panna Tiger Reserve, India. We hypothesised that the presence of feral cattle, along with open-access grazing practices in multiple-use forests, would increase the incidence of predation on livestock by tigers, even when wild prey are available. We used generalised linear models to test whether predation of livestock versus wild animals was influenced by (1) the sex and age class of tigers, (2) season, and (3) the distance of prey from the core-zone boundary of the reserve. Overall, sub-adult tigers and male tigers killed more livestock than wild prey, even when wild prey was available. In the winter and rainy seasons livestock were killed in higher numbers in the buffer zone than in summers, this may be because of the seasonally changing livestock herding patterns in the area. Further, with increasing distance from the core-zone boundary, all tigers killed more livestock, possibly because livestock were more easily accessible than wild prey. Our results show that open-access and unregulated livestock grazing is not currently compatible with large carnivore conservation in the same landscape. Such practices will lead to an increase in negative tiger-human-livestock interactions. In conclusion, we suggest the need to encourage locals to corral valuable cattle, leaving feral/unwanted livestock for tigers. This simple strategy would benefit both local inhabitants and tiger conservation in the multiple-use forests of India.


The continued and ever growing involvement of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to complex peacekeeping operations over the African continent has opened a platform in the academic field to better sharpen the SANDF's performance and contribution to achieve peace in Africa. Previous deployments to various African countries has tested the SANDF's level of preparedness. Although the organisation gives effort to train its forces to reach the desired level of combat readiness, the nature of the operations to which soldiers partake in has proven to be more demanding. This study was driven by the need to explore and provide a broader perspective of what constitute combat readiness. Utilising the SANDF, the study aimed to explore the relationship between the soldier's relationship with the spouse (RWS) and the soldier's relationship with the unit (RWU), and hardiness as a possible mediator variable to combat readiness (CR). Previous research and theories were explored to provide a theoretical background for the study variables. A non-experimental controlled inquiry was used to test the hypothesised relationship among the variables. A sample of 363 participants (across ranks, gender and race) was randomly selected from South African Infantry Battalion Group mobilising for a deployment to Sudan. Hypothesised relationships among the independent variables, mediator variable and dependent variable was determined using the correlational analysis (Spearman correlation). Partial Least Squares (PLS) – measurement and structural model was used to test the study model for combat readiness. The results showed significant correlations between the soldier's RWS and CR. Furthermore, significant correlations were found between soldier's RWU and CR. Partial mediation was explained by the path coefficients from RWU>hardiness>CR. No full mediating effect was found. The results also showed insignificant correlations between soldiers RWS and hardiness (rather than between soldier's RWS and CR. These results were in support to previous research and proved to add insight to future research on CR. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za


Background - Magnetic Resonance Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MRMPI) has been used for the detection of reversible myocardial ischaemia in humans since the early 1990's. This non-invasive method of diagnosing reversible myocardial ischaemia has a number of advantages over the other more commonly used non-invasive tests such as ETT, stress echocardiography and radionuclide single photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT). There is no need to perform physical exercise, no image orientation constraints, excellent spatial and temporal resolution, no photon scatter or attenuation artefacts and no exposure to ionising radiation. The use of MRMPI for the detection of reversible myocardial ischaemia has been extensively investigated in the past using other non-invasive tests as the gold standard namely PET and SPECT. Invasive comparisons have been made with visual coronary angiography and quantitative coronary angiography (QCA). This previous work has been summarised in a meta-analysis which estimated the sensitivity and specificity to be 84% and 85% respectively. The majority of previous studies have used QCA or visual estimation of stenosis severity to determine the diameter of stenosis (DS). This however has been shown to correlate poorly with the functional significance of disease within a coronary artery. Prior to the commencement of this study no comparison had been made with the invasive gold standard of FFR. This is measured using a coronary pressure wire at the time of coronary angiography and is regarded by many cardiologists to be the current invasive gold standard for determining if coronary artery disease (CAD) is physiologically significant. We therefore undertook the present study to determine the true accuracy of MRMPI for the diagnosis of physiologically significant CAD. We also assessed the ability of MRMPI to detect isolated microcirculatory disease as determined by thermodilution derived CFR. Our other aims included an analysis of troponin release following PCI and its relation to QCA, pressure wire data and the occurrence of new late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). New LGE post CABG was also quantified and compared with that encountered post-PCI.

Methods - One hundred and three patients with chest pain were referred for coronary angiography and underwent MRMPI in the week prior to the angiogram. This was performed on a Siemens Sonata 1.5Tesla scanner (Erlangen, Germany). Scanning commenced with localisers and cine long and short axis scans (TrueFISP sequence) to provide left ventricular mass, volume and ejection fraction data. This was followed by perfusion imaging of 3 short axis slices using a turboFLASH sequence (TI 90ms, TE 0.99ms, TR 173ms, Flip Angle 8 degrees, Matrix 80 x 128). Thereafter long and short axis slices were acquired for the detection of LGE (turboFLASH). Maximal hyperaemia was achieved using intravenous adenosine (140µg/kg/min). The first pass bolus contained 0.1mmol/kg of gadolinium (Omniscan, Amersham Health, Oslo, Norway) power injected at 5ml/sec (Medrad, Pittsburgh, PA) followed by a 20ml saline bolus. Twenty minutes after the initial bolus of gadolinium a further bolus was administered to obtain rest perfusion images. During coronary angiography the FFR was recorded in all patent major epicardial coronary arteries using a coronary pressure wire (RADI Medical Systems Ltd, Uppsala, Sweden) with hyperaemia induced using intravenous adenosine as above. An FFR value of <0.75 was taken as the cut off for the diagnosis of significant CAD. CFR measurements were obtained at rest and during maximal hyperaemia by means of thermodilution using 3ml boluses of saline. Following coronary angiography those patients who underwent PCI returned for a repeat MRMPI scan at 24 hours and 4 weeks and CABG patients returned for a 4 week scan. PCI patients had a troponin I measurement performed at approximately 24 hours, just prior to their repeat MRMPI. Qualitative MRMPI analysis, left ventricular mass, volume and ejection fraction analysis and QCA were all performed by two blinded independent experienced observers.

Results - Of the 103 enrolled patients, two were excluded from the final analysis. Seventy-six (74%) were male with a mean age of 60 years (SD = 9). 25 (24.8%) of 101 scans were normal, 40 (39.6%) had single-vessel disease, 26 (25.7%) had two-vessel disease and 10 (9.9%) had triple-vessel disease. 121 perfusion defects were reported in 300 coronary territories (3 patients had complete data for only 2 coronary territories) of which 110 had an FFR 0.8 and a CFR<2.0 indicative of isolated microcirculatory disease with no physiologically significant epicardial disease. No coronary territories were found to have a perfusion defect on MRMPI suggesting that by visual analysis MRMPI is unable to detect isolated microvascular disease. The median post PCI troponin level was 0.57µg/L (SD=2, Range undetected - 13.1). The only parameters found to correlate with troponin I levels post-PCI were increasing lesion length (r=0.6, p<0.0001) and increasing total stent length (r=0.37, p=0.02). We compared the increase in mass of LGE between the post-PCI scans and the pre-PCI scan and compared this with the troponin measurement. No significant correlation was found to exist between these parameters at 24 hours (r=0.25, p=0.07) or at 4 weeks (r=-0.19, p=0.2). The change in mass of LGE was calculated for the PCI and CABG patients. The mean difference in the PCI group was -0.12g (Median=0, SD=0.8, Interquartile Range 0 – 0) and for the CABG group was 1.08g (Median=0.11, SD=2.3, Interquartile Range -0.11 – 1.38). There is a trend towards the development of more LGE following CABG than PCI however the difference between groups did not reach statistical significance (p=0.07).

Conclusion - MRMPI can accurately detect significant CHD with excellent results using FFR as the gold standard. Interobserver agreement is also very good even when examining individual coronary artery territories. Qualitative analysis of MRMPI is unable to detect isolated microcirculatory disease as defined by an FFR>0.8 and a CFR<2.0. Small troponin releases are common post-PCI and are related to the length of the lesion being treated and the length of stent deployed to treat the lesion. These small troponin releases do not accurately correlate with the occurrence of new LGE. CABG did result in a trend towards more new LGE compared to PCI.


Related receptor-like tyrosine kinases are differentially required in male and female gametophytes for fertilization. In flowering plants, fertilization occurs after the male gametophyte (pollen) germinates and produces a pollen tube, which grows through the pistil to reach the female gametophyte, where it ruptures to deliver sperm cells to the ovule. The receptor-like tyrosine kinase (RLK) FER is required in the female gametophyte of Arabidopsis thaliana for termination of pollen tube growth and the subsequent fertilization process, but little is known about the male gametophyte–specific factors required for fertilization. Boisson-Dernier and colleagues have identified two RLKs related to FER, ANX1 and ANX2, which are required in the male gametophyte for pollen tube growth. Microarray and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses showed that anx1 and anx2 were expressed in pollen, and transgenically encoded fluorescent ANX1 and ANX2 fusion proteins were enriched in the plasma membrane at the tip of the pollen tube. Although mutation of either ANX1 or ANX2 had no effect on fertilization, anx1;anx2 double mutants exhibited male sterility, and, although anx1;anx2 pollen germinated on wild-type pistils, it failed to grow or fertilize the female gametophyte. In an in vitro pollen tube assay, anx1;anx2 pollen germinated and initiated tube growth, but the mutant pollen tubes grew slowly and burst prematurely compared with wild-type or single-mutant pollen. Pollen tube bursting in anx1;anx2 mutant pollen was morphologically similar to wild type, suggesting that only the timing of pollen tube rupture was affected in the mutants. The authors propose that signaling through the RLKs ANX1 and ANX2 in the male gametophyte sustains pollen tube growth and that signaling through this pathway is deactivated when the pollen tube reaches the female gametophyte, thus inducing the pollen tube to rupture and deliver its cargo of sperm. A. Boisson-Dernier, S. Roy, K. Kritsas, M. A. Grobei, M. Jaciubek, J. I. Schroeder, U. Grossniklaus, Disruption of the pollen-expressed FERONIA homologs ANXUR1 and ANXUR2 triggers pollen tube discharge. Development 136, 3279–3288 (2009). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Abstract This paper investigates whether Burkinabe maize farmers' fertiliser-use decisions are correlated with their risk and time preferences. We conducted a survey and a series of hypothetical experiments on a sample of 1500 farmers. We find that more patient farmers do use more fertiliser, but it is only because they plant more maize (a fertiliser-intensive crop) rather than because they use more fertiliser per hectare of maize planted. Conversely, we find no statistically significant link between risk aversion and fertiliser use. We use a simple two-period model, which suggests that risk aversion may indeed have an ambiguous effect on fertiliser use.


This thesis is located within the context of contemporary New Zealand early childhood education assessment discourse which invites teachers to notice, recognise and respond to children's learning by responding to multiple voices. In this location I interrogate the dialogic nature of interpretation. To do this I dialogue with an early childhood education teacher and parent(s) as together we seek to notice and recognise the metaphoric acts of two toddlers in an early childhood education and care setting.
I draw extensively on the dialogic philosophy of Mikhail Bakhtin and his notion of utterance as the unit of analysis. Consistent with this philosophy, I employ genre as the central framework for analysis in order to explore the oriented use of language in which metaphoricity can or cannot be seen. Bakhtin's promotion of artistic appreciation, underpins this approach, requiring participants to suspend finalising judgments in favour of polyphony – where 'voices' are viewed as complex, internal/external, organic, interanimated and potentially transgressive. With this philosophical stance, metaphoricity can be viewed as a social, aesthetic and deeply embued act and a communicative exchange that generates a degree of incongruity, surprise or wonderment in its delivery.
The results of the study highlight the deeply ethical and confronting nature of early childhood education assessment discourse, revealing the dilemmas facing toddlers, parents and teachers when authoritative discourse permeates pedagogy. I claim that metaphoricity, and its potential to illuminate assessment, can only be seen when adults are open to multiple genres, their orientation and symbolic potential. Conversely, when language acts are interpreted as merely transmissive and fixed within adult culture, the symbolic quality of the act is dismissed or ignored. As such, this thesis suggests that uncertainty is an essential feature of assessment practice. In this state adults are able to appreciate toddlers as personalities at play rather than objectified characters in monologically constructed centre narratives that are based on 'activities'.
The implications for early childhood pedagogy that arise from this investigation suggest that meaningful assessment practice is a more complex process than official New Zealand education discourse and praxis would suggest. One of the greatest challenges for assessment is that it requires adults to take both insider and outsider positions, and to embrace ideologies that exist within internally persuasive discourse. When freed up through dialogue, competing discourses re-caste the early childhood education curriculum, and learning, as negotiable, contestable and open-ended. In this location, teachers can dialogue with the priorities of families, and toddlers as dialogic subjects in their own right, in conjunction with their own appreciative and detailed inquiries. Seen in this light assessment offers an important 'transitory gift' to other, but does not finalise the child or their learning.
The affordance given to adults by toddlers through their genres invites teachers to linger over everyday acts and their symbolic qualities, as a central means of communication for children of this age. This process of dialoguing together, embracing uncertainty while recognising the significance of assessment as authorship in the lives of young children and their families, lies at the heart of dialogic pedagogy. As a commitment to transformative and creative meaning-making, this thesis concludes that such pedagogy is essential if toddlers are to be noticed, recognised and responded to in early childhood education settings. Accompanying DVD not available online. Manuscript is accompanied by the DVD, available via the Monash University Library catalogue.


This book is the first survey in English of literature and film in Nazi Germany. It treats not only works sympathetic to National Socialism, but also works of the so-called Inner Emigration, of the resistance, and those written in prisons and concentration camps. Much of this literature is not easily accessible in German, and not available at all in English translation. Historical and ideological context is provided in chapters covering influential works of the time such as Alfred Rosenberg's The Myth of the Twentieth Century and Houston Stewart Chamberlain's The Foundations of the Nineteenth Century. Schoeps also analyzes Nazi cultural policies, fascist histories of literature, and the role of German studies and Germanists in the Nazi movement. A major section of the book is devoted to film, then a relatively new medium of communication whose propaganda value was clearly recognized by Goebbels, the minister for propaganda and president of the Reich's Chamber of Culture. One of the most interesting areas of research in recent years is the relationship between Hitler's cultural commissars, in particular Goebbels, and the literature and film production of the Nazi years. This book is based on the revised and expanded second German edition, Literatur im Dritten Reich (1933-1945), but has again been revised and expanded, especially the chapter on film and Nazi policies toward the film industry. The chapter on cultural policies has also been expanded to include Himmler's efforts to meddle in this area. New also are sections dealing with Jewish entertainers in concentration camps (for example, Kurt Gerron) and activities of the Jewish Cultural League. Karl-Heinz Schoeps is professor of German at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.


We determined the distribution and abundance of pelagic copepods in the eastern equatorial Pacific between the coast of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands under oceanographic conditions associated with the weak La Nina event of 2001. In September-October 2001, negative anomalies of sea surface temperature from this event still remained in the eastern equatorial Pacific, mainly between Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. The event allowed the incursion of the Humboldt Current farther north and of the Equatorial Undercurrent into the study area, favouring a strong Equatorial Front and upwelling processes. There was evidence of mesoscale eddies in the study area and of the presence of the South Equatorial Current going westward at about 1°N. We identified 107 copepod species and analyzed the distribution of the 10 most abundant ones: Oncaea venusta, Subeucalanus pileatus, S. crassus, S. subtenuis, Paraeucalanus attenuatus, Pleuromamma borealis, Scolecithrix danae, Clausocalanus farrani, Temora discaudata and Calanus chilensis . Copepod distribution and abundance exhibited marked latitudinal differences related to the oceanographic conditions; abundance was highest to the southeast of the Galapagos Islands. Oncaea venusta, Pleuromamma borealis, Calanus chilensis , and Subeucalanus subtenuis were the species that best defined the Equatorial Front and the upwelling process.


Radiogenic and stable isotopic studies of zircon are a powerful tool to investigate geologic processes because data can be placed in a temporal context using U-Pb ages. However, when zircon data lack information on the spatial distribution of the parent rock(s) (e.g., detrital data sets), interpreting changes in isotopic composition through time is not always straightforward. To evaluate and improve the utility of zircon isotopic data, we present a regional data set consisting of new zircon U-Pb, εHf(t), and δOzrc data in 31 Triassic to early Miocene igneous rocks from a >1300-km-long transect in the southwestern U.S. Cordillera. This data set is combined and compared with a compilation of whole rock isotopic data from the same transect. Orogen-scale spatial and temporal isotopic trends are identified and interpreted, both in terms of the underlying mechanisms that generated the trends and the tectonic processes that have shaped this part of the Cordillera. Most Cordilleran magmatism originates in the upper mantle and zircon εHf(t) primarily reflects the isotopic composition of the mantle source region. East of ~114°W longitude in the southwestern U.S. Cordillera, the continental mantle lithosphere remained coupled to the crust until the late Miocene and zircon εHf(t) reflects the age of the lithosphere. Because the mantle lithosphere remained intact, zircon εHf(t) and δOzrc of igneous rocks associated with low-angle to flat-slab subduction and crustal thickening during the Laramide orogeny are not significantly different from igneous rocks associated with Farallon slab rollback/foundering. Temporal isotopic trends identified in rocks east of ~114°W longitude are related to migration of magmatism into lithospheric terranes of a different age. West of ~114°E longitude, in regions like the Mojave Desert in southern California, USA, the continental mantle lithosphere is interpreted to have been partially removed and replaced by underplated Pelona–Orocopia–Rand schist and isotopically depleted asthenosphere or oceanic lithosphere during the Laramide orogeny. There is a temporal isotopic shift to more juvenile zircon εHf(t) and higher δOzrc in igneous rocks west of ~114°W, which is used to estimate the position of the western edge of intact North American continental mantle lithosphere before and after the Laramide orogeny. The results suggest that regional (spatial) trends in zircon εHf(t) and δOzrc data can be significantly larger than isotopic shifts at a specific location within a Cordilleran orogenic system. By accounting for regional spatial variations, temporal isotopic trends in zircon data can be more confidently interpreted in terms of tectonic and geodynamics processes.


[1] The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) measured the global distribution of stratospheric HNO3 through more than seven complete annual cycles in both hemispheres. Here we present an overview of the seasonal, interhemispheric, and interannual variations in the distribution of HNO3 throughout the lower and middle stratosphere from 420 to 960 K potential temperature based on the UARS MLS version 6 HNO3 measurements. The version 6 MLS data have much better precision and a larger vertical range than previous MLS HNO3 data sets and have also been corrected to account for an oversight in the retrieval algorithms that led earlier versions to overestimate HNO3 abundances by as much as 35% at some levels in the stratosphere. HNO3 exhibits little vertical, seasonal, or interannual variability in the tropics. For the first ∼1.5 years of the mission, however, a persistent enhancement is seen at low and middle latitudes that we attribute to perturbations in reactive nitrogen chemistry under conditions of high aerosol loading from the eruption of Mount Pinatubo. The signature of Pinatubo-induced HNO3 enhancement is considerably weaker at 420 and 465 K than it is at higher altitudes, and it is also considerably weaker at northern middle and high latitudes than it is in the Southern Hemisphere. HNO3 abundances increase toward the pole in both hemispheres at all levels and in all seasons, with the exception of the severely denitrified region inside the Antarctic vortex. A pronounced seasonal cycle is present at middle and high latitudes up to at least 960 K (∼34 km), with a winter maximum and a summer minimum. Large interannual variability in the timing, magnitude, and duration of enhanced wintertime HNO3 abundances is seen in both hemispheres. Even in the coldest Arctic winters, HNO3 depletion is modest and limited in both horizontal and vertical extent. In contrast, virtually complete removal of gas-phase HNO3 occurs at the highest southern latitudes by July in every year throughout the lower stratosphere. Indications of denitrification are present up to at least 740 K, well above the highest altitude at which dehydration is observed, providing further evidence that denitrification can proceed in the absence of dehydration.


The disclosure of compensation peer groups is argued to provide shareholders with valuable information that can be used to scrutinize chief executive officer (CEO) compensation. However, research suggests that there are substantial incentives for executives and directors to bias the compensation peer group upward such that the CEO can extract additional rent. We leverage the idea that reciprocated peer nominations are unlikely to be biased to construct counterfactual peer groups that allow us to measure the bias of disclosed peer groups. Analyses of 11 years of comprehensive data on compensation peer groups demonstrate that the average firm uses an upwardly biased peer group. The size of the bias increases when incentives and opportunities to do so are more pronounced. Specifically, results show that bias is larger when financial targets are not met and when exercising discretion in the selection of peer firms is justifiable. More importantly, upward bias in compensation peer groups is highly predictive of an increase in CEO compensation, suggesting that there is a strong incentive for CEOs to strategically select peers. Finally, although average peer group bias has gone down in recent years, the predictive effect of bias on pay has gone up. These findings call into question the practical impact of recent efforts to introduce greater transparency into the process for determining executive compensation. This paper was accepted by Olav Sorenson, organizations.


Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also referred to as drones, equipped with various kinds of advanced detecting or surveying systems, are effective and low-cost in data acquisition, data delivery and sharing, which can benefit the building of infrastructures. This paper will give an overview of applications of drones in planning, designing, construction and maintenance of infrastructures. The drone platform, detecting and surveying systems, and post-data processing systems will be introduced, followed by cases with details of the applications. Challenges from different aspects will be addressed. Opportunities of drones in infrastructure include but not limited to the following. Firstly, UAVs equipped with high definition cameras or other detecting equipment are capable of inspecting the hard to reach infrastructure assets. Secondly, UAVs can be used as effective tools to survey and map the landscape to collect necessary information before infrastructure construction. Furthermore, an UAV or multi-UVAs are useful in construction management. UVAs can also be used in collecting roads and building information by taking high-resolution photos for future infrastructure planning. UAVs can be used to provide reliable and dynamic traffic information, which is potentially helpful in building smart cities. The main challenges are: limited flight time, the robustness of signal, post data analyze, multi-drone collaboration, weather condition, distractions to the traffic caused by drones. This paper aims to help owners, designers, engineers and architects to improve the building process of infrastructures for higher efficiency and better performance. Keywords—Bridge, construction, drones, infrastructure, information.


Objectives To examine the associations between modern imaging modalities and joint damage measured as 1-year MRI erosive progression, in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Methods 84 RA patients with disease duration of less than 1 year were included in this inception cohort. Patients were evaluated at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months by core measures of disease activity, MRI and ultrasound grey-scale (USGS) of inflammation, conventional radiography and digital x-ray radiogrammetry (DXR) bone mineral density (BMD) of cortical hand bone. Results 53 of the 79 patients (67%) who completed the follow-up had MRI erosive progression (dependent variable). USGS and MRI bone marrow oedema (BME) were in multivariate analyses independent predictors of 1-year MRI erosive progression. There was a trend towards higher MRI synovitis score and 3-month DXR BMD loss in patients developing MRI erosions. On an individual level, USGS inflammation, MRI synovitis and MRI BME also somewhat better predicted outcome than rheumatoid factor, anticitrullinated protein antibodies and disease activity score 28. Conclusions USGS inflammation and MRI BME were independent predictors of MRI erosive progression in early RA patients on a group level. The exact prognosis of the individual patients could not be determined by imaging alone.


Excerpt] There is no question that some unions, such as the UAW in auto-transplants and auto-parts, CWA/ IUE in high tech and electronics, USWA in metal production and fabrication or the UFCW in food processing, face much greater challenges organising in their primary jurisdictions because they are confronted with more mobile, more global, and more powerful and effective employer opposition, and, in some cases, a workforce less predisposed to unionisation. Yet, as we have seen, even in the most adverse organising environments, union organising success can dramatically improve when unions utilise a comprehensive campaign strategy. Given these differences, what is perhaps most striking about our findings is how few unions are actually running comprehensive campaigns, or even consistently using any of the ten elements of our comprehensive campaign model. Most significant of all, only a smattering of unions today see themselves as global unions taking on global employers. They are not doing the strategic corporate research necessary to develop the kind of critique of the company needed to launch a truly multifaceted comprehensive campaign. They are not developing lasting labour and community networks, locally, nationally and internationally to help them build and leverage their power in the company and the industry. And they are not getting out in front on the issues that resonate with workers and the public ranging from universal health care, to the war in Iraq, global outsourcing, to affordable higher education.


Patocka, like few others before or since, combined what was best in Husserl and Heidegger, but at the same time found for himself a distinct, original philosophical voice. Both his originality and his synthesis of the two dominant strands of classical phenomenology are evident here, as Patocka pursues the threefold theme of subject body, human community, and the phenomenological understanding of "world." This volume is an excellent introduction to philosophy in the phenomenological tradition.


Abstract:The so-called chapter on the wayward son (ben sorer u-moreh) is a foundational and popular text for study in rabbinic schools of learning, wherein the ancient rabbis grappled with a severe biblical law that punished the willfully disobedient son with death (b. Sanhedrin 68b–75a). The discussion touches on many social issues, but the topics of gender and sexuality tend to be neglected in these institutional settings due to their uncomfortable misogynistic undertones. A feminist analysis attuned to philological, historical, and Talmudic research highlights the misinterpretations that result from neglecting direct engagement with these aspects of the text. This article unpacks the logical shortcuts that the rabbis have used to describe gender relations in one particular unit, but in doing so highlights the significance of analogical thinking in rabbinic literature more broadly. The rabbis have employed violent analogies as shortcuts to describe gender relations, and, unexposed, they continue shaping the imagination of readers and students today.


The game of football has undergone massive changes in the past few decades. The creation of the F.A. Premier League, the influx of television revenue, the commercialization of the game, and the growth in the numbers of foreign players have all left their mark. One area that has attracted increasing interest in the media and amongst the pages of football magazines is the issue of race and racism in football. But until now, the complexities of the situation have often been neglected in the midst of moral activism. Why has football become such an important arena for the expression of racist and xenophobic attitudes? How are racial and ethnic identities constructed and re-constructed in everyday social interactions and ritual gatherings? This highly readable and accessible book provides the first systematic and empirically grounded account of the role of race, nation and identity within contemporary football cultures. Focused around the four clubs on which the authors did their research, the book shows how different clubs understand and experience race in different ways. Looking at football at a national level, the authors trace the history of racism and its impact on the contemporary game. The emphasis throughout is on the changing role of racial and ethnic identity in football over the years. This book draws on research conducted at the height of campaigning activity within the game, as well as on contemporary scholarship about racism and sport. It will be essential reading for anyone interested in football, sport, race and ethnic studies.


Abstract This study investigates the acoustic properties of vowels in 2 Modern Greek varieties: Standard Modern Greek (SMG) and Cypriot Greek (CG). Both varieties contain in their phonetic inventories the same 5 vowels. Forty-five female speakers between 19 and 29 years old participated in this study: 20 SMG speakers and 25 CG speakers, born and raised in Athens and Nicosia, respectively. Stimuli consisted of a set of nonsense CVCV and VCV words, each containing 1 of the 5 Greek vowels in stressed and unstressed position. Gaining insights from the controlled experimental design, the study sheds light on the gradient effects of vowel variation in Modern Greek. It shows that (1) stressed vowels are more peripheral than unstressed vowels, (2) SMG unstressed /i a u/ vowels are more raised than the corresponding CG vowels, (3) SMG unstressed vowels are shorter than CG unstressed vowels, and (4) SMG /i·u/ are more rounded than the corresponding CG vowels. Moreover, it shows that variation applies to specific subsystems, as it is the unstressed vowels that vary cross-varietally whereas the stressed vowels display only minor differences. The implications of these findings with respect to vowel raising and vowel reduction are discussed.


The thermal conductivity κ(T ) of the fully ordered stable phase II, the metastable phase III, the orientationally
disordered (plastic) phase I, as well as the nonergodic orientational glass (OG) phase, of the glass former
cyclohexanol (C6H11OH) has been measured under equilibrium vapor pressure within the 2–200 K temperature
range. The main emphasis is here focused on the influence of the conformational disorder upon the thermal
properties of this material. Comparison of results with those regarding cyanoclyclohexane (C6H11CN), a
chemically related compound, serves to quantify the role played by the terminal groups -OH and -CN on
the phonon scattering processes. The picture that emerges shows that motions of such groups do play a minor
role as scattering centers, both within the low-temperature orientationally ordered phases as well as in the OG
states. The results are analyzed within the Debye-Peierls relaxation time model for isotropic solids comprising
mechanisms for long-wave phonon scattering within the OG and orientational ordered low-temperature phases,
as well as others arising from localized short-wavelength vibrational modes as pictured by the Cahill-Pohl model.
By means of complementary neutron and Raman scattering we show that in the OG state the energy landscapes
for both compounds are very similar.


Runtime verification can be used to find bugs early, during software development, by monitoring test executions against formal specifications (specs). The quality of runtime verification depends on the quality of the specs. While previous research has produced many specs for the Java API, manually or through automatic mining, there has been no large-scale study of their bug-finding effectiveness. We present the first in-depth study of the bug-finding effectiveness of previously proposed specs. We used JavaMOP to monitor 182 manually written and 17 automatically mined specs against more than 18K manually written and 2.1M automatically generated tests in 200 open-source projects. The average runtime overhead was under 4.3x. We inspected 652 violations of manually written specs and (randomly sampled) 200 violations of automatically mined specs. We reported 95 bugs, out of which developers already fixed 74. However, most violations, 82.81% of 652 and 97.89% of 200, were false alarms. Our empirical results show that (1) runtime verification technology has matured enough to incur tolerable runtime overhead during testing, and (2) the existing API specifications can find many bugs that developers are willing to fix; however, (3) the false alarm rates are worrisome and suggest that substantial effort needs to be spent on engineering better specs and properly evaluating their effectiveness.


As antimicrobial resistance increases, it is crucial to develop new treatment strategies to counter the emerging threat. In this paper, we consider combination therapies involving conventional antibiotics and debridement, coupled with a novel anti-adhesion therapy, and their use in the treatment of antimicrobial resistant burn wound infections. Our models predict that anti-adhesion–antibiotic–debridement combination therapies can eliminate a bacterial infection in cases where each treatment in isolation would fail. Antibiotics are assumed to have a bactericidal mode of action, killing bacteria, while debridement involves physically cleaning a wound (e.g. with a cloth); removing free bacteria. Anti-adhesion therapy can take a number of forms. Here we consider adhesion inhibitors consisting of polystyrene microbeads chemically coupled to a protein known as multivalent adhesion molecule 7, an adhesin which mediates the initial stages of attachment of many bacterial species to host cells. Adhesion inhibitors competitively inhibit bacteria from binding to host cells, thus rendering them susceptible to removal through debridement. An ordinary differential equation model is developed and the antibiotic-related parameters are fitted against new in vitro data gathered for the present study. The model is used to predict treatment outcomes and to suggest optimal treatment strategies. Our model predicts that anti-adhesion and antibiotic therapies will combine synergistically, producing a combined effect which is often greater than the sum of their individual effects, and that anti-adhesion–antibiotic–debridement combination therapy will be more effective than any of the treatment strategies used in isolation. Further, the use of inhibitors significantly reduces the minimum dose of antibiotics required to eliminate an infection, reducing the chances that bacteria will develop increased resistance. Lastly, we use our model to suggest treatment regimens capable of eliminating bacterial infections within clinically relevant timescales. PLOS Computational Biology | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1007211 July 23, 2019 1 / 39 a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111


Successful surgical repair of the unilateral cleft lip and nose deformity, defined as normal orbicularis oris function and near-perfect symmetry of the repaired lip and nose, demands that the surgeon possess complete understanding of the embryology and anatomy of the midfacial defects. The surgical approach to repair of the unilateral cleft lip/nose should place great emphasis on achieving symmetry, not only with the lip segments but also perhaps even more importantly with the nasal tip. The reconstruction should recreate an intact fully functional orbicularis oris muscle across the cleft and camouflage the scar optimally. We have found that modification of the Millard rotation-advancement flap technique, with particular attention to the primary nasal repair, provides the best outcomes. In patients who have undergone primary repair of the lip and/or nose deformity, secondary rhinoplasty is generally required, regardless of the technique used at the primary repair. The degree of nasal deformity, however, is less severe following primary repair of the asymmetric nasal tip. We have found that the sliding flap cheliorhinoplasty, Wang's modification of the Vissarionov technique, provides excellent results for most secondary cleft rhinoplasties.


As an area of research, specifying crucial conditions under which international public administration (IPA) may enjoy independence from member-state governments has become an increasingly vibrant research area. This special issue responds to three yet unresolved research tasks: (i) Systematically comparing IPAs by offering large-N data across cases; (ii) Taking organization seriously by identifying how the organisational architectures of IPAs affect decision-making processes and subsequently the pursuit of public policy making; (iii) Examining the varied consequences of the autonomization of IPAs, notably for member-state public sector governance and for the integration of transnational regulatory regimes.


These essays (and a ballad) have their origins in Terry Eagleton's continuing engagement with the possibilities of a literary criticism that is both materialist and open to diverse currents of thought in the human sciences. Eagleton's combative intelligence here explores the encounter between Marxism and contemporary European and American literary theory. Included are a survey of the Althusserian contribution to literary analysis; thoughts on the fraught relations between Marxism and poststructuralism; and a brilliant evocation of the affinities and tensions between Wittgenstein, Derrida and Bakhtin. Intellectual figures in this wide-ranging topography include Jacques Derrida; the radical critic Fredric Jameson; the apostle of deconstruction, Paul de Man; the liberal humanist John Bayley; Bertoit Brecht; William Empson and Pierre Machersy. The volume also includes Eagleton's brilliant reading of Conrad's The Secret Agent. Against the Grain is an excellent introduction to the range of Terry Eagleton's thought and his considerable body of work. It is also a useful primer for all readers interested in the vitality of literary theory today.


On December 16, 2014, in Kosilek v. Spencer, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit held that refusing to provide a transgender prisoner sex reassignment surgery did not violate the Eighth Amendment. The court reasoned that the prisoner's claim did not amount to an Eighth Amendment violation because she received adequate treatment for gender dysphoria and prison officials were not deliberately indifferent to her medical needs. This Comment argues that the First Circuit erred by ignoring medical consensus and relying on an outlier medical opinion when determining that sex reassignment surgery was not constitutionally required. Further, the majority's decision will have the unforeseen consequence of preventing other prisoners in the First Circuit from successfully bringing an Eighth Amendment claim for sex reassignment surgery in the future.


We survey the existing techniques for calculating code distances of classical codes and apply these techniques to generic quantum codes. For classical and quantum LDPC codes, we also present a new linked-cluster technique. It reduces complexity exponent of all existing deterministic techniques designed for codes with small relative distances (which include all known families of quantum LDPC codes), and also surpasses the probabilistic technique for sufficiently high code rates.


Under a narrow set of assumptions, Chamley (1986) established that the optimal tax rate on capital income is eventually zero. This study examines and extends that result by relaxing Chamley's assumptions, one by one, to see if the result still holds. It does. This study unifies the work of other researchers, who have confirmed the result independently using different types of models and approaches. This study uses just one type of model (discrete time) and just one approach (primal). Chamley's result holds when agents are heterogeneous rather than identical, the economy's growth rate is endogenous rather than exogenous, the economy is open rather than closed, and agents live in overlapping generations rather than forever. (With this last assumption, the result holds under stricter conditions than with the others.)


This study aimed to develop a better understanding of organic sea bream aquaculture production in Greece, in particular its consequences for fish growth, health and body composition, and to propose and update standards for sustainable organic sea bream farming. Gilthead sea bream were kept in sea cages at densities of 4 kg m –3 (organic) and 15 kg m –3 (conventional), and were fed organically produced feed (45% crude protein, 14% fat) or conventional feed (46% crude protein, 17% fat). The amino acid profile of the conventional diet, particularly the lysine content, which is one of most important dietary amino acids for sea bream, appeared to be unsatisfactory. "Organic" sea bream stored less fat content in their white muscle than the conventional sea bream. The liver lipid content was lower and the hepatosomatic index was higher for the organic sea bream. The microbiological analysis showed that both Enterobacteriaceae and Escherichia coli on the skin were below the enumeration detection limit in both the organic and conventional sea bream. Total viable counts on the skin and muscle of both the organically and conventionally cultured sea bream were approximately 3 log cfu g –1 , which is well below the acceptable limit (7 log cfu g –1 ) for marine species. The results showed that the combination of a low stocking density and feed with a different ingredient composition but similar nutritional value resulted in similar growth rates and nutrient profiles of the final product. Further research on nutrition is required to provide information on setting the appropriate standards for organic sea bream aquaculture to ensure that the final product is in line with the consumers' preferences.