Two quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling differences in plant and inflorescence architecture between maize and its progenitor (teosinte) were analyzed. Complementation tests indicate that one of these, which is on chromosome arm 1L, is the locus for the maize mutant teosinte branched1 (tb1). This QTL has effects on inflorescence sex and the number and length of internodes in the lateral branches and inflorescences. This QTL has strong phenotypic effects in teosinte background but reduced effects in maize background. The second QTL, which is on chromosome arm 3L, affects the same traits as the QTL on 1L. We identify two candidate loci for this QTL. The effects of this QTL on several traits are reduced in both maize and teosinte background as compared to a maize-teosinte F2 population. Genetic background appears to affect gene action for both QTL. Analysis of a population in which both QTL were segregating revealed that they interact epistatically. Together, these two QTL substantially transform both plant and inflorescence architecture. We propose that tb1 is involved in the plant's response to local environment to produce either long or short branches and that maize evolution involved a change at this locus to produce short branches under all environments.


In econometrics, heteroskedasticity refers to the case when the variances of the error terms of the data in hand are not equal. Heteroskedastic time series are challenging to different forecasting models. However, all available solutions adopt the strategy of accommodating heteroskedasticity in the time series and consider it as a type of noise. Some statistical tests were developed over the past three decades to determine whether a time series features heteroskedastic behaviour. This paper presents a novel strategy to handle this problem by deriving a quantifying measure for heteroskedasticity. The proposed measure relies on the definition of heteroskedasticity as a time-variant variance in the time series. In this work, heteroskedasticity is measured by calculating local variances using linear filters, estimating variance trends, calculating changes in variance slopes, and finally obtaining the average slope angle. The results confirm that the proposed index complies with the widely popular heteroskedasticity tests.


Urea is an extremely versatile molecule that has been widely used for many years in a diverse range of applications. The physicochemical properties of urea have been well studied with respect to the role of hydrogen bonding in biological and chemical systems. Urea-based amphiphiles, in contrast, have received little attention with respect to physicochemical properties. Studies reported in the last few years have demonstrated that specific urea amphiphiles display interesting lyotropic liquid crystalline phase behaviour. These nanostructured self-assembly phases are potential candidates for a number of novel applications. In this work, we review the physicochemical properties of non-ionic urea-based amphiphiles, including those of the solid state, insoluble monolayers residing at the air-water interface, Langmuir-Blodgett films deposited on solid substrates and lyotropic liquid crystalline phases. In addition, we present new data that extends the characterisation of the solid state and lyotropic properties of isoprenoid branched urea surfactants.


—In class imbalance learning problems, how to better recognize examples from the minority class is the key focus, since it is usually more important and expensive than the majority class. Quite a few ensemble solutions have been proposed in the literature with varying degrees of success. It is generally believed that diversity in an ensemble could help to improve the performance of class imbalance learning. However, no study has actually investigated diversity in depth in terms of its definitions and effects in the context of class imbalance learning. It is unclear whether diversity will have a similar or different impact on the performance of minority and majority classes. In this paper, we aim to gain a deeper understanding of if and when ensemble diversity has a positive impact on the classification of imbalanced data sets. First, we explain when and why diversity measured by Q-statistic can bring improved overall accuracy based on two classification patterns proposed by Kuncheva et al. We define and give insights into good and bad patterns in imbalanced scenarios. Then, the pattern analysis is extended to single-class performance measures, including recall, precision and F-measure, which are widely used in class imbalance learning. Six different situations of diversity's impact on these measures are obtained through theoretical analysis. Finally, to further understand how diversity affects the single class performance and overall performance in class imbalance problems, we carry out extensive experimental studies on both artificial data sets and real-world benchmarks with highly skewed class distributions. We find strong correlations between diversity and discussed performance measures. Diversity shows a positive impact on the minority class in general. It is also beneficial to the overall performance in terms of AUC and G-mean.


Much research has suggested that venture capital (VC) investors can contribute post-investment to the success of new ventures in ways other than financing, but the specifics of such post-investment non-financial value-added (NFVA) are still not well understood. We systematically review, organize and evaluate the empirical research on VC NFVA, and compile together results that were previously scattered across many papers. In the 20 salient studies of VC NFVA published between 1986 and 2005, we observe little consensus regarding the definition and measurement of value-adding inputs and value-added outcomes, and little consensus regarding which of the VCs' value-adding inputs are most important. We further observe that NFVA studies have employed either qualitative methods or quantitative measures of retrospective perceptions. To guide future research, we propose a provisional model of VC exit success and a provisional eight-category typology of value-adding inputs that accommodates the findings in the literature. Two categories of the typology (legitimation and outreach) have an external orientation and six categories (recruiting, mandating, strategizing, mentoring, consulting and operating) have an internal orientation. The empirical evidence to date suggests that operating, outreach, consulting, mentoring and recruiting may be the most influential categories, but the evidence is far from definitive. We argue that future studies should examine 'VC exit success' as a high-impact dependent variable, and place greater emphasis on the measurement of directly observable events for both value-adding inputs and value-added outcomes.


With JSON's increasing adoption, the need for structural constraints and validation capabilities led to JSON Schema, a dedicated meta-language to specify languages which are in turn used to validate JSON documents. Currently, the standardisation process of JSON Schema and the implementation of adequate tool support (e.g., validators and editors) are work in progress. However, the periodic issuing of newer JSON Schema drafts makes tool development challenging. Nevertheless, many JSON Schemas as language definitions exist, but JSON documents are still mostly edited in basic text-based editors. To tackle this challenge, we investigate in this paper how Model-Driven Engineering (MDE) methods for language engineering can help in this area. Instead of re-inventing the wheel of building up particular technologies directly for JSON, we study how the existing MDE infrastructures may be utilized for JSON. In particular, we present a bridge between the JSONware and Modelware technical spaces to exchange languages and documents. Based on this bridge, our approach supports language engineers, domain experts, and tool providers in editing, validating, and generating tool support with enhanced capabilities for JSON schemas and their documents. We evaluate our approach with Shipyard, a JSON Schema-based language for the workflow specification for Keptn, an open-source tool for DevOps automation of cloud-native applications. The results of the case study show that proper editors and language evolution support from MDE can be reused and, at the same time, the surface syntax of JSON is maintained.


One of the most unique and robust experimental facts about iron-based superconductors is the renormalization of the electronic band dispersion by factor of 3 and more near the Fermi level. Obviously related to the electron pairing, this prominent deviation from the band theory lacks understanding. Experimentally studying the entire spectrum of the valence electrons in iron arsenides, we have found an unexpected depletion of the spectral weight in the middle of the iron-derived band, which is accompanied by a drastic increase of the scattering rate. At the same time, the measured arsenic-derived band exhibits very good agreement with theoretical calculations. We show that the low-energy Fermi velocity renormalization should be viewed as a part of the modification of the spectral function by a strong electronic interaction. Such an interaction with an energy scale of the whole d band appears to be a hallmark of many families of unconventional superconductors.


This article deals with one of the most controversial issues within the generational planning world: how best to decide what and how much to give to children? It starts with a description of major parental themes throughout the ages and closes with a focus on the child. What is the obligation of parents to their children? How is law involved in setting those obligations? Why do parents assume that too much wealth can ruin a child? What is viewed as a "successful life"? What are a child's expectations? What are a child's rights? What role do parents play in encouraging or discouraging those expectations? When should children be entitled to rely on their expectations? When might the law enforce those expectations? The author hopes that her discussion will shift the focus of today's debate ("How much is 'too much' to leave to children?") to the basic issues of justice and fairness.


The degree of neuropsychological dysfunction across multiple domains was examined in individuals suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). In this descriptive study, a similar series of neuropsychological tests was administered to a group of CFS patients and healthy participants. More specifically, CFS patients (n = 141) who met the 1994 Case Definition criteria were compared to 76 healthy control participants on tests of memory, attention (concentration), speed of information processing, motor speed, and executive functioning. On the 18 measures administered, CFS patients scored 1 standard deviation below the healthy mean on nine measures and scored 2 standard deviations below the healthy mean on four of the measures. Moreover, results indicated that CFS patients were more likely than healthy controls to fail (1.6 SD below the healthy mean) at least one test in each of the following domains: attention, speed of information processing, and motor speed, but not on measures of memory and executive functioning. Finally, CFS patients demonstrated a greater total number of tests failed across domains. (JINS, 2004, 10, 278–285.)


The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of conflict of interest to the level of IPO price determined by managers. This experiment divides treatment group (the group of participants who have economic benefit from their decision making), and control group (groups with no economic benefit from their decision making). In experiment scenario for treatment group, the managements of IPO companies tend to decrease the price of IPO in order to get financial benefit. Using experimental design, this research shows that participants in treatment group determine lower IPO price than control group. This evidence confirms IPO phenomenon around the world. This research also makes supplementary analysis. The results show that alternative statistical test using GPA and gender of participants as control variable are not statistically significant. It means that the level of IPO price isn't determined by GPA and Gender, but conflict of interest.


Abstract—In the present paper, a large turbo-generator shaft train including a heavy-duty gas turbine engine, a coupling, and a generator is established. The method of analysis is based on finite element simplified model for lateral and torsional vibration calculation. The basic elements of rotor are the shafts and the disks which are represented as circular cross section flexible beams and rigid body elements, respectively. For more accurate results, the gyroscopic effect and bearing dynamics coefficients and function of rotation are taken into account, and for the influence of shear effect, rotor has been modeled in the form of Timoshenko beam. Lateral critical speeds, critical speed map, damped mode shapes, Campbell diagram, zones of instability, amplitudes, phase angles response due to synchronous forces of excitation and amplification factor are calculated. Also, in the present paper, the effect of imbalanced rotor and effects of changing in internal force and temperature are studied.


This article describes the role of generics in the Australian prescription drug market and patterns of business activity in this dynamic market segment. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is the central mechanism for the supply of prescription medicines. PBS prices are arrived at through cost-effectiveness analyses comparing new products against already available products and therapies. In this system, prices do not operate effectively as incentives for consumers or prescribers to choose generics, and their market share was historically marginal. In recent years, generics suppliers achieved a growing market share through discounts (trading terms) to pharmacists. It is estimated that around 30% of PBS scripts, representing around 15% of PBS sales by value, are now filled with generics. Complex changes to the PBS were introduced in 2007, to be phased in over the period to 2012, aimed at increasing the scope for cost benefits to the government, and to lesser extent consumers, from the expanding availability of generic medicines.


This study identifies 37 central banks that added China's renminbi (RMB) to their reserve portfolio since 2010. Why do some states diversify into new reserve currencies at an early stage while most continue to take a wait-and-see approach? We argue that state preferences regarding international order influence decisions to invest in RMB. While some states support the liberal, US-led status quo, others prefer an emerging Chinese alternative order. We contend that as state preferences for international order move away from the US model (and toward China), the likelihood of diversifying reserves into RMB should increase. Thus, the decision to invest in RMB is not simply an economic choice. It is also a political act that signals and symbolizes a state's preferences for a diminution of American global influence and support for a revised order. Employing new United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) ideal points data, we find that states with larger (smaller) ideal point distance with the United States (China) are more likely to adopt RMB as a reserve currency. Furthermore, political consideration—rather than economic concerns about transaction needs, optimal portfolio considerations, or instrumental calculations—best explains emergent demand for the RMB as a reserve currency.


This study investigates the control of atmospheric circulation patterns on rainfall incidence in Spain. The main objective of the research is to evaluate a range of statistical synoptic approaches with the aim of identifying the scheme that best models circulation to association.
Spatial patterns of rainfall in Spain are first investigated using Principal Components Analysis and Cluster Analysis. Distinct precipitation affinity groups emerge that display covariant rainfall behaviour and reflect differences in latitude, the influence of topography and distance from the synoptic feature responsible for rainfall. The method allows seasonal redefinition of boundaries and the investigation of the effect of climate change.
In total 24 synoptic models are investigated. The best performing models (a daily weather type model and a monthly airflow index model) use standardized data and the 500hPa contour surface. Some of the problems associated with non-stationarity are attempted by modifying models using kinematic information. Adjustments to the models (inclusion of frontal information and stochastic modelling) can improve results on a sub-regional scale.
Effective models are then used to empirically downscale from General Circulation Model (GCM) scenarios obtained from the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis. The downscaling procedure is of limited use due to errors in GCM output but results suggest strongly increasing anticyclonicity in the Iberian area and a decrease in rainfall in many areas. There are uncertainties associated with regional scale climate change estimation using current empirical methods, nevertheless as GCM output inevitably becomes more accurate the scope for detailed regional assessment will improve


The expanded use of platinum group elements (PGEs), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), and rhodium (Rh), in automobile catalysts has led to increased levels of these metals in aquatic environments. However, data regarding acute toxicity and the sublethal effects of these metals on aquatic biota are limited. This study aimed to explore the response of the freshwater amphipod Gammarus pulex to PGEs. Investigations included the 96 LC50 test and several behavioural (vertical movement and feeding activity) and biochemical (acetylcholinesterase (AChE); osmoregulation; 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction; reduced glutathione (GSH); glutathione-S-transferase (GST); thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS); heat shock proteins (HSPs) and protein phosphorylation) endpoints. Pd caused a significant reduction in the survival of G. pulex with a 96 h LC50 of 0.52 mg/L (4.89 μM). Pt or Rh increased the survival of G. pulex exposed to Pd. However, this was not associated with reduced Pd uptake. Exposure for 24 h to 0.5 mg/L Pd (4.69 μM) significantly decreased the vertical movement (64%) and feeding activity (95%) of G. pulex. However, lower Pd concentrations (≥0.25 mg/L (2.3 μM)) took 72 h to induce significant inhibition in feeding activity (50%). AChE activity was significantly increased (40%) following 72 h exposure to 0.5 mg/L Pd. GST activity was significantly inhibited (≥32%) following 72 h exposure to ≤0.25 mg/L Pd. The concentration of GSH was significantly increased (22 and 35%) following 72 h exposure 0.1 (0.94 μM) and 0.5 mg/L Pd2+, respectively. Exposure to ≤0.1 mg/L Pd caused a significant decrease (≤27%) in MTT reduction and significant increase (≤70%) in HSP60 content in mitochondrial extract (pellet) after 72 and 24 h exposure, respectively. The reactivity of anti-phosphoserine bodies with protein bands corresponding to 245 kDa in the pellet was significantly increased (38%) by exposure of gammarids to 0.5 mg/L Pd. Exposure to 0.1 mg/L Pd significantly increased (32%) the intensity of a 30 kDa anti-phosphothreonine reactive protein band in the post-mitochondrial extract, but higher Pd doses had no effect. In conclusion, this study provides original data suggesting the mitochondria as a main target of Pd toxicity. Further studies of Pd toxicity, under both laboratory and field conditions, are needed including the effect of long-term exposure to low Pd concentrations.


Light Strings is an interactive immersive installation that consists of thousands of fiber optics and a computer mediated virtual agents system that responds to the participant's movement (Ambient, Exploration, Play, Meditation modes). The fiber optic environment creates a floating 3D light surface that emits interactive lights. Participants and multimedia agents co-exist and meet in Light Strings through touching and using their whole bodies. Full freedom of physical body movement, creating relations to the physical installation and a virtual world is a critical condition of Light Strings.


Ice sheet histories and palaeocenographic interpretations based on sediment cores from high southerly latitudes have been stymied by imprecise chronological control, due in large part to lack of foraminiferal carbonate for isotopic analyses. The chronological problem can now be partially offset by using relative geomagnetic palaeointensity records. Previous coring on ODP Leg 178 demonstrated that sediment drifts off the Antarctic Peninsula carry a continuous, high-resolution Miocene to Recent archive of palaeoceanographic conditions and history of the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet. However, the potential of existing ODP cores is compromised by two factors: (1) incomplete composite sections and (2) lack of precise chronological control.We propose to drill a series of new sites on these sediment drifts, and on ones further to the southwest that contain records of West Antarctic Ice Sheet fluctuations. Six proposed sites target expanded Pliocene-Quaternary sequences, with two sites targeting the pre-Pliocene record at locations characterized by relatively thin younger sequences.There are few targets in the circum-Antarctic region that rival the potential offered by these sediment drifts. Recovery of these sediment cores and integration of data from them with polar ice cores will contribute significantly to our understanding of the role of West Antarctica and the adjacent Southern Ocean in global atmospheric and oceanographic processes.


This paper outlines a collaborative course design process to develop and implement a required IS course in an online cohort-based MBA program using principles of The Agile Manifesto. The primary goal of this study is to analyze how students in traditionally developed courses and those in collaboratively developed courses differ. Specifically, we sought to reduce variability in student satisfaction across multiple sections offered by instructors who hail from different universities. We compared three semesters of students who took the course before (n = 101) and after (n = 162) use of the agile course development process. We found less variability in student evaluations in the 'after' group as compared to the 'before' group, providing support that the agile course development process provided a more consistent and similar experience for students. The second goal is to evaluate changes in student evaluations, comparing 'before' and 'after' groups. We did not expect to see substantial improvement since all instructors already received very high evaluations. Scores for all questions on the student evaluations increased after using the agile process, but the increases were not statistically significant. The final goal is to prepare an agenda for future research on agile course development based on components of The Agile Manifesto that were not used in the course development process. Opportunities include: comparing the agile course development process to other methods; adding more targeted questions to the student survey to better gauge changes in student satisfaction; partnering with alumni, current students, and industry to develop more relevant course material; and extending the process to other contexts.


Surprisingly little known, the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-20 was to change the course of twentieth-century history. In White Eagle, Red Star, Norman Davies gives a full account of the War, with its dramatic climax in August 1920 when the Red Army - sure of victory and pledged to carry the Revolution across Europe to 'water our horses on the Rhine' - was crushed by a devastating Polish attack. Since known as the 'miracle on the Vistula', it remains one of the most decisive battles of the Western world. Drawing on both Polish and Russian sources, Norman Davies illustrates the narrative with documentary material which hitherto has not been readily available and shows how the War was far more an 'episode' in East European affairs, but largely determined the course of European history for the next twenty years or more.


PURPOSE
This paper describes the development of a new training model: namely one which is local and open to everyone; in which people learn through seeing and doing; with the focus on information that is practical and relevant to them. A package of video and workbooks enables the courses to be presented by local tutors who have taken part in a training workshop to prepare them for the task.

METHOD
This model was applied to an eight unit course on working with children who have cerebral palsy. It was presented in 13 locations by 19 tutors in four southern African countries to over 150 participants within a 6 month period. A developmental approach was adopted which involved working with partners to identify training needs, develop and field test the video course. Tutors and participants evaluated the course separately using quantitative and qualitative methods.

RESULTS
Overall tutors and participants rated the course positively. They identified elements which they found particularly useful along with those which were considered less useful. Course results and outcomes are discussed.

CONCLUSIONS
The findings indicated that the training model was effective and five further courses have been developed about disability issues. These are described in the Appendix.


Handbook on European Competition Law: Enforcement and Procedure sets out in detail the procedural aspects of EU competition law, ranging from fines, remedies and judicial review. It also gives unique insight into both private and public enforcement of completion law, and offers commentary on the relationship between EU competition law and national competition law, and on the relationship between competition law and private international law.


Laser diodes and light-emitting diodes capable of continuous sub-300 nm radiation emission will ultimately represent optimal excitation sources for compact and fieldable bio-aerosol monitors. However, until such devices are routinely available and whilst solid-state UV lasers remain relatively expensive, other low-cost sources of UV can offer advantages. This paper describes one such prototype that employs compact xenon discharge UV sources to excite intrinsic fluorescence from individual particles within an ambient aerosol sample. The prototype monitor samples ambient air via a laminar sheathed-flow arrangement such that particles within the sample flow column are rendered in single file as they intersect the beam from a continuous-wave 660nm diode laser. Each individual particle produces a scattered light signal from which an estimate of particle size (down to ~1 um) may be derived. This same signal also initiates the sequential firing (~10 us apart) of two xenon sources which irradiate the particle with UV pulses centred upon ~280 nm and ~370 nm wavelength, optimal for excitation of bio-fluorophores tryptophan and NADH respectively. For each excitation wavelength, fluorescence is detected across two bands embracing the peak emissions of the same bio-fluorophores. Thus, for each particle, a 2-dimensional fluorescence excitation-emission matrix is recorded together with an estimate of particle size. Current measurement rates are up to ~125 particles/s (limited by the xenon recharge time), corresponding to all particles for concentrations up to ~2 x 104 particles/l. Developments to increase this to ~500 particles/s are in hand. Analysis of results from aerosols of E.coli, BG spores, and a variety of non-biological materials are given.


This article analyses students' thoughts and feelings about online assessment. This article uses Disruptive Innovation theory as a lens through which to analyse students' responses to online assessment, in a case study of a Leadership course. The sources of data for this article comprise annual course evaluation surveys, a one-off assessment survey and a focus group. Qualitative content analysis with a directed approach is used to analyse the data. The results show students are capable of undertaking a range of online assessments but are, in general, reluctant to utilise the innovative possibilities of different forms of online assessment. This article adds to our understanding of online assessment by placing it within a distinct theoretical framework, offering explanations for why students may not be seeking-out innovative forms of assessment.


Background— Cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) possess the insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)-IGF-1 receptor system, and IGF-1 can be tethered to self-assembling peptide nanofibers (NF-IGF-1), leading to prolonged release of this growth factor to the myocardium. Therefore, we tested whether local injection of clonogenic CPCs and NF-IGF-1 potentiates the activation and differentiation of delivered and resident CPCs enhancing cardiac repair after infarction. Methods and Results— Myocardial infarction was induced in rats, and untreated infarcts and infarcts treated with CPCs or NF-IGF-1 only and CPCs and NF-IGF-1 together were analyzed. With respect to infarcts exposed to CPCs or NF-IGF-1 alone, combination therapy resulted in a greater increase in the ratio of left ventricular mass to chamber volume and a better preservation of +dP/dt, −dP/dt, ejection fraction, and diastolic wall stress. Myocardial regeneration was detected in all treated infarcts, but the number of newly formed myocytes with combination therapy was 32% and 230% higher than with CPCs and NF-IGF-1, respectively. Corresponding differences in the volume of regenerated myocytes were 48% and 115%. Similarly, the length density of newly formed coronary arterioles with both CPCs and NF-IGF-1 was 73% and 83% greater than with CPCs and NF-IGF-1 alone, respectively. Importantly, activation of resident CPCs by paracrine effects contributed to cardiomyogenesis and vasculogenesis. Collectively, CPCs and NF-IGF-1 therapy reduced infarct size more than CPCs and NF-IGF-1 alone. Conclusions— The addition of nanofiber-mediated IGF-1 delivery to CPC therapy improved in part the recovery of myocardial structure and function after infarction.


The instantaneous force-velocity relations of cat papillary muscles were studied at different times in the twitch in normal and in postextrasystolic potentiated contractions. Fourteen to sixteen different loads were used to define each of the force-velocity curves. The curves were fitted by a least-squares procedure to the hyperbolic (Hill equation). The hyperbolae were extrapolated to obtain maximum velocity and isometric force and interpolated to obtain maximum power. All three of these values rose more quickly than developed force. Maximum velocity reached 77% of its peak at the earliest time studied, 20-25% of the time to peak force. Developed force achieved 22% of its final value at this time, while extrapolated isometric force and maximum power both reached 44% of their peak values. Postextrasystolic potentiation sufficient to produce a 1.5 to twofold increase in peak developed force produced less than a 20% increase in extrapolated maximum velocity. The results can be interpreted in terms of a model in which the maximum velocity of the contractile elements remains constant during the twitch. Variation in maximum velocity is attributed to a small internal load, equivalent to 6% of twitch force. Since maximum velocity is relatively constant, it does not give a good measure of changes in the force-velocity curves. By contrast, the extrapolated isometric force and maximum power are much more sensitive to changes in the force-velocity curves, and they vary in proportion to each other. The advantage of using interpolated maximum power rather than isometric force to define changes in the curves is that it can be normalized to muscle mass.


This article examines legal authority and policy to determine whether transgender students in K-12 schools must be permitted to participate in athletics according to their gender identity, and without any requirement for medical intervention. The articles concludes that such a policy is consistent with legal authority under Title IX and Title VII and, more importantly, best advances the well-being of already vulnerable transgender youth by helping to incorporate and include such students in activities that are critical to physical, social, mental, emotional development, and health. Part II of this article briefly details the history of Title IX with respect to athletics, including the historical justifications for separating the sexes for purposes of athletic competition, and challenges that have been made to that practice. Part III analyzes the case law that has developed under Title IX and other sex-discrimination laws, which has increasingly recognized that discrimination against transgender people is a cognizable form of sex discrimination. Part IV delves into the possible justifications for barring transgender student-athletes from participating on the team that matches their gender identity, concluding that the purported concerns about safety and privacy have little basis in fact, particularly when applied to students in primary and secondary school. Indeed, for that reason, school districts and athletic associations across the country have begun adopting policies — many of which are described in Part IV, as examples of "best practices" — that allow transgender students to participate on athletic teams based on their gender identity. Finally, Part V looks at the developmental benefits of participation in sports, concluding that equal access to athletic competition is critically important for the well-being of transgender young people.


A sample from near the base of the sedimentary Hammamat Group at Gebel Umm Tawat, North Eastern Desert, Egypt, contains detrital zircons with sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U–Pb ages as young as 585 ± 13 Ma. This age is within error of recent SHRIMP dates from the adjacent Dokhan Volcanic Series and establishes that they contributed material to the sediments. It is also c. 45 Ma younger than any zircon analysed from the upper part of the sedimentary sequence, suggesting that the volcanic source was either totally eroded or lay buried beneath the evolving Hammamat Group. Zircon populations in both samples show age peaks at 640 and 680 Ma; the former not previously identified as the time of major igneous activity in the North Eastern Desert. Both samples also contain zircons with ages ranging between c. 750 and c. 2630 Ma, indicating contributions from Proterozoic and Archaean sources unknown in the North Eastern Desert. The source of these zircons may lie to the SE in the Central and South Eastern Desert, to the SW in the Nile Craton, where sparse zircons of this age have previously been recorded, or they may be derived from further afield in the Arabian–Nubian Shield, from earlier continental nuclei incorporated during crustal accretion. Alternatively, as sedimentary clasts in the Hammamat samples indicate erosion of earlier sedimentary rocks, also unknown in the area, these may have been the direct source of the older zircons. However, whichever interpretation is correct, it appears likely that the Hammamat Group was deposited in a major fluvial system of continental proportions and not in isolated basins as previously believed.


Roof support systems, longwall shields in particular, have persistently grown in size and capacity for the past 25 years. Why is this? Is it a good thing or is it unnecessary? What are the consequences of this " bigger-the-better " design philosophy? Rarely do we see a " one size fits all " approach to roof support except when it comes to longwall shields, where the historical trend for new procurements is to simply purchase the highest capacity support you can buy. Does high capacity ensure failures will not occur? The answer is no! The highest capacity tailgate supports are typically the ones that fail the most often. What does this tell us? It tells us that there are fundamental aspects of support design and ground control that we still do not understand or recognize when designing a support system. This paper provides an interesting evaluation of these issues and proposes a different approach to support design that attempts to match the support performance characteristics to the ground behavior. Along the way, some of the old premises of support design will be discarded, and new " controversial " ideas developed. Thinking outside the box never hurt any industry. Mining has made it a common practice.


This issue's forum continues a lively discussion of Nigel Rapport's notion of 'cosmopolitan politesse' that was previously featured in these pages in the summer of 2018. Rapport has long proposed this sort of politesse as a 'form of virtue' and 'good manners' (2018: 93) premised on 'the ontological reality of human individuality', which in turn necessitates an 'interactional code' according to which we must presume both 'common humanity' but also 'distinct individuality' to the point where we 'classif[y] the Other in no more substantive fashion than this' (92). Given anthropology's history of intricately taxonomising humans according to various criteria, this is indeed a challenging proposal – all the more so in the context of legal anthropology, where being subject to specific norms and laws is often taken to be constitutive of distinctive subjectivities, sensibilities and survival strategies. In this issue, Don Gardner responds, directing his critical attention towards the notion of personhood undergirding Rapport's plea for a revitalised Kantian liberalism in an era of resurgent xenophobia and ethnonationalism. In the process, we see two accomplished scholars taking positions within (and consciously outside of) a whole range of classical debates in the Western philosophical cannon with pressing relevance for contemporary legal anthropology, from nature versus nurture to free will versus determinism, individualism versus collectivism and structure versus agency.


The current report deals with the effect of transport time and associated transport conditions on animal welfare and meat quality. The work is part of the EU EU and Animal Welfare Agency /Swedish Board of Agriculture, funded project CATRA (QLK5—1999-01507: Minimising stress inducing factors on cattle during handling and transport to improve animal welfare and meat quality: www.bt.slu.se/catra/). The project was composed of eight work packages: Baseline survey, Effect of transport time (below 14 hours and long distance more than 14 hours), Effect of vibration and motion (to be conducted both in laboratory and field conditions), Optimising pre-and post-transport handling, Air quality in the vehicles, cattle transport logistics including route optimisation, and development of control system. The purpose of the project was to gather sufficient data and to develop methods for controlling and minimizing stress inducing factors during handling and transport of cattle; develop guide-lines and recommendation for end-users, such as meat and vehicle industries and the policy makers, to improve animal welfare and meat quality on the European level. This could be fulfilled through optimization of design of handling areas, transport vehicles, and transport-associated conditions, and by promoting an IT-supported effective logistic system. Hence cattle welfare and meat quality will be improved, thereby enhancing the economic competitiveness of producers and abattoirs. As part of CATRA, this part of the project is the work done in Sweden regarding the effect of transport time, with the objective of determining the effect of transport time (up to ll hours) on animal welfare and post mortem meat quality, when cattle are transported from farms to abattoirs by commercial vehicles. The ultimate objective is to optimise transport time in relation to welfare and meat quality taking into consideration other stress inducing factors. Animals on which the experiments performed were cows, heifers, bulls and calves. Response parameters that were considered were: blood parameters (cortisol, glucose, lactate, CK,), clinical parameters (heart rate, postural stability), meat parameters (bruising score, PH-24, tenderness), and ethological parameters. Input parameters considered were parameters for loading facilities (ramps, lifts), penning systems (stocking density, social group, standing orientation, design of loading compartment), air quality (air speed, relative humidity, evenness of temperature in the compartment, level of NH3, CO2), vibration, transport time, resting time, and feeding regimes. Simultaneous and continuous measurement of heart rate, body temperature, air quality parameters, and video recording was conducted from farm to the abattoirs. Blood samples were taken before and after transport, and also during resting. The results obtained indicated that the transport and handling events are stressful for the animals as a whole, and loading and un-loading are among the most stressful events in the studied conditions. Regarding transport time, the results showed that transport time after six hours is particularly stressful for the animals when transported with usual vehicles without special equipments. In this case, it was reported a significant correlation between transport time and animal stress evaluated by physiological parameters. However, less detrimental effect of transport time on meat quality has been observed. It may therefore be concluded that transport time has influences more on animal welfare than meat quality when transported in conventional vehicles. Transport preceding and initiating conditions and processes such as keeping system, preparation, loading, planning and management, as well as unloading and lairage at the end of the transport chain are important challenges bearing various possibilities to improve welfare and meat quality. Loading and unloading facilities (such as ramp, driveways, and side-block) and quality, of floor have significant influence on both welfare and meat quality. Cattle from tied housing systems are more stressed by transport than untied cattle and there is a greater risk to develop bad carcass- and meat quality. As regard to air quality, the concentration level of ammonia and carbon dioxide increase with transport time and it occasionally passes the acceptable level when only natural ventilation is used. During the field experiment no detectable methane has been found. To prevent thermal stress, the installation of mechanical ventilation system (both for cooling and heating purposes) is recommended. The conclusions deduced from the current studies are as follows: - Transport conditions, as a whole is stressful for animals and compromise their welfare. - Loading and unloading activities are the most stress inducing factors identified using the heart rate measurements and behaviour observations - Result of the analysis of blood parameters showed that level of stress correlates with transport time. Calves are most sensitive to transport time followed by bulls, and cows are relatively less sensitive to transport length. - Transport time after six hours is stressful for the animals when transported with usual vehicles without special equipments. However, less detrimental effect of transport time on meat quality has been observed, - The evenness of temperature in the loading pens depends on season and number of stops - Concentration level of ammonia and carbon dioxide increase with transport time and it occasionally passes the acceptable level.


This study illustrates a basin-scale sequence stratigraphic framework based on wireline well-logs, cores and outcrops from the Early Triassic Montney Formation in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. A very dense and well-constrained database (2200 wells, 18 cores and 4 outcrops) derived from petroleum exploration made it possible to implement and test common workflows and terminologies used for sequence stratigraphic analysis along an ancient wave-dominated margin. Following facies definition from cores and outcrops and recognition of associated well-log patterns, a two-step approach allows for the reconstruction of large-scale geometries: 1) the model-independent definition of surfaces and units; and 2) the interpretation of the sequence boundaries and systems tracts based on a depositional sequence model.

The typical facies association and log pattern of different sedimentary environments including tidal, as well as wave-dominated foreshore, shoreface and offshore settings are presented. The spatial distribution of characteristic sedimentary environments associated with stratigraphic surfaces and systems tracts is also detailed at the basin scale. Among other results, this study highlights the differences in the sedimentary facies geometries across two different types of sequence boundaries: the facies geometries of the first sequence boundary are quite similar to Haq et al. (1988) sequence model, whereas the geometries of the second are similar to the Hunt and Tucker (1992) sequence model. This work shows that during a rapid, high amplitude base level fall on a high gradient slope, turbidites are more likely to occur, whereas, during slow, low amplitude base level fall on a low gradient topography, forced regressive shoreface will be more likely to occur.


Security video surveillance systems, such as homeland security and national defense, rely on specific mathematical algorithms in order to run effectively. It is essential for these parameters to be understood in order to design and create a successful system.Video Surveillance Techniques and Technologies presents empirical research and acquired experience on the original solutions and mathematical algorithms for motion detection and object identification problems. Emphasizing a wide variety of applications of security systems, this book is an essential tool for graduate students and professionals in the field of signal and image processing applied in static/moving object detection, tracking, and identification.


Abstract We present new state records for 3 crayfish species in the Tennessee River basin in Mississippi, and the first drainage-specific distributional information in the state for a fourth. The species—Cambarus girardianus, Cambarus rusticiformis, Orconectes spinosus, and Orconectes wright,—are all known from the Tennessee River basin in Tennessee, while all but O. wrighti are also known from Alabama. We also expand the distribution of Procambarus viaeviridis in the state to include the Tennessee River drainage in Alcorn and Tishomingo counties, MS. We briefly discuss taxonomic issues involving C. girardianus and O. spinosus. Based on their distributions in neighboring states, we suspect that several other species may occur in the Mississippi portion of the basin.


Content-Centric Network (CCN), one of the current research hotspots, is known as the network architecture with the best development prospects. As an important part of CCN, the performance of cache decision strategy directly affects the whole performance of CCN. A hierarchical caching decision algorithm (HCDA) is proposed to solve the problem of existing cache decision strategies in CCN. The strategy grades contents and nodes in network topology so that the content can be hierarchically cached. Doing so solves the redundancy caused by LCE (Leave Cache Everywhere). Simulation results show that compared with LCE and ProbC (Probabilistic Caching), HCD effectively raises the cache hit ratio and reduces the cache content redundancy; thus, the user requests hop is reduced.


Cancer cells have been observed to undergo a metabolic reprogramming in which glycolytic fluxes are upregulated whereas oxidative phosphorylation is downregulated. This metabolic phenotype is known as the Warburg effect and it is observed even under high oxygen conditions. To study the mechanism behind this metabolic reprogramming: - We build a reduced model (RedHuman) from the GEM Recon 2 that is representative of the central carbon metabolism of mammalian cells; - We combine fluxomics and metabolomics data to simulate a normal mammalian cells metabolic phenotype during exponential growth phase and the metabolic phenotype of a cancer cell; - We then analyze the feasible flux ranges of the two simulated metabolic phenotypes.


Formalities are back in fashion. Their acolytes fall into two camps, reflecting their different objectives. For formalities, which we shall define as conditions on the existence or enforcement of copyright, can divest authors of their rights, or instead enhance authors' exploitation of their works by alerting their audiences to the authors' claims. For one camp, formalities' confiscatory consequences, once perceived as barbaric, are to be celebrated. A second camp enlists formalities to populate not the public domain, but the public record. Notice, registration and recordation, as declaratory measures, inform the public of the author's claims and, by facilitating rights-clearance, help the author disseminate and derive compensation from her work. I prefer to call title-searching information "declaratory measures" rather than "formalities" because only "formalities," in their Berne Convention sense, entail the loss of copyright or the limitation of remedies. The aspirations of the second camp tend toward information rather than confiscation, but many may be concerned that only the threat of the latter will impel provision of the former. The perceived need to give title-searching measures teeth by penalizing authors who fail to declare or to register their claims allows the rhetoric of reformalization to conflate formalities' two distinct goals. Recognizing that the "good cop" face of formalities tied to title-searching may attract more followers than the "bad cop" function of expropriating authors, some reformalizers may offer the kinder, gentler rationale of reducing search costs in support of declaratory obligations whose non fulfillment will confiscate the copyright. Not all the laments about high transactions costs, however, withstand analysis. For even were authors easily found and negotiations simplified, the real problem for many enthusiasts of formalities is having to transact at all, when in their view the object of the proposed translation should not, or should no longer, be protected in the first place. This paper addresses the Berne Convention's prohibition on the imposition of "formalities" on the "enjoyment or exercise" of copyright, and the compatibility with that cornerstone norm of declaratory measures to enhance title-searching. In the Berne context, "enjoyment" means the existence and scope of rights; "exercise" means their enforcement. Voluntary provision of title-searching information on a public register of works and transfers of rights is fully consistent with Berne, and should be encouraged. But may a member State impose sanctions or disabilities for failure to supply that information? The first Part of this paper will address conditions on the existence or enforcement of rights. I conclude that "formalities" prerequisite to the initial attachment or persistence of protection, or that limit the scope of minimum rights or the availability of remedies, violate the norms of Berne and subsequent multilateral instruments. By contrast, it may be permissible to condition "Berne " subject matter, rights, or remedies on compliance with declaratory measures. The "Berne" path, however, risks descending into controversies of characterization, as one contender's "plus" proves another's "minimum" norm. The second Part of this paper will consider declaratory measures regarding ownership of rights under copyright. The Berne Convention generally does not cover copyright ownership, and one may urge that conditions on who may enjoy or exercise rights are a matter distinct from disabilities imposed on existence or enforcement in general. Accordingly, sanctions against the failure to provide information pertaining to the transfer of rights should be Berne-compatible. Specifically, I propose making the validity of a transfer of copyright depend on the transferee's recordation in the Copyright Office of "a note or memorandum of the transfer" containing sufficient information to permit third parties to ascertain who owns what rights in the work. The second Part then endeavors to resolve some of the practical problems a mandatory recordation of transfer obligation might engender. These include time limits for recording the transfer, gaps in the title-searching record, and effect on transfers of rights in non-U.S. works when the United States is one of the territories covered by the grant.


Although environmental stress likely plays a significant role in promoting aging, the relationship remains poorly understood. To characterize this interaction in a more comprehensive manner, we examined the stress response profiles for 46 long‐lived yeast mutant strains across four different stress conditions (oxidative, ER, DNA damage, and thermal), grouping genes based on their associated stress response profiles. Unexpectedly, cells lacking the mitochondrial AAA protease gene AFG3 clustered strongly with long‐lived strains lacking cytosolic ribosomal proteins of the large subunit. Similar to these ribosomal protein mutants, afg3Δ cells show reduced cytoplasmic mRNA translation, enhanced resistance to tunicamycin that is independent of the ER unfolded protein response, and Sir2‐independent but Gcn4‐dependent lifespan extension. These data demonstrate an unexpected link between a mitochondrial protease, cytoplasmic mRNA translation, and aging.


Free space optical communication through the atmosphere has the potential to provide secure, low-cost, rapidly deployable, dynamic, data transmission at very high rates. Despite the ability for free space optical technology to transmit a narrow beam of light to a specific destination, it is still possible for an eavesdropper to gather light and decode information intended for another user. This paper addresses the use of spatial diversity to improve confidentiality, thereby impeding potential eavesdroppers. We find that spatial diversity with coherent detection and wavefront predistortion based on turbulence state feedback is an effectively technique to improve the confidentiality of free space optical communication.


The purpose of this study was to identify how pelvic organ prolapse (POP) impacts the lives of women, to understand the barriers and frustrations that women encounter in seeking diagnosis and intervention and to determine priorities consumers consider most important for future research and government action. Between May and November 2006, the National Association For Continence (NAFC) distributed a survey via the association's quarterly public newsletter, Quality Care. Surveys were completed and returned by 6.8% of the female readership who self-reported symptoms of POP. A total of 97 women agreed to participate in an in-depth telephone interview. Telephone contact was successfully made and interviews were completed by a single interviewer with one-third, or 33, of the 97 women. Respondents reported issues that limit quality of life including urinary and faecal incontinence, inability to enjoy sport and dissatisfaction with conservative management and surgical treatment. Respondents also reported difficulty in discussing symptoms with their doctors and a lack of recognition of the severity of POP by primary care physicians. In addition, adequate public health education and promotion on the subject is lacking, according to respondents. There is an identified need for health professionals to recognise the importance of prompt diagnosis and treatment of POP. In addition, there is a need to develop educational material for both primary care health professionals and consumers in order to encourage more open dialogue between providers and their patients on the subject. By identifying barriers and frustrations encountered in seeking diagnosis and intervention, the research findings also indicate the need for developing an instrument to assess consumer attempts to access diagnosis and intervention for POP.


Taking a control theory view of software process innovation, we tested prevalent beliefs regarding software process maturity and Information Systems employee attitudes and perceptions by surveying 736 IS professionals in 10 organizations at varying levels of the CMM (capability maturity model). Although anecdotal reports and the scant empirical studies to date suggest job attitudes and perceptions are more positive for employees in organizations at higher levels of software process maturity, we found evidence of a more complex picture. While our data supported expectations that role conflict and perceived work overload were lower for IS professionals in organizations at a level of maturity where software process behavioral controls are implemented, other results were not fully in line with prevalent beliefs. Most notably, IS workers reported significantly lower professional efficacy and lower job satisfaction in organizations at CMM Level 3, where behavioral controls are the dominant form of formal control, than in organizations at Level 1, which is relatively free of formal controls. Some anticipated positive attitudes and perceptions surfaced in organizations at the highest rungs of software process maturity (CMM Levels 4/5), where the established behavioral controls are supplemented by substantial outcome controls, as IS professionals reported lower role ambiguity and higher job satisfaction than did their counterparts in organizations at CMM Level 3.


Through undefined mechanisms, dominant mutations in (Cu/Zn) superoxide dismutase‐1 (mSOD1) cause the non‐cell‐autonomous death of motoneurons in inherited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Microgliosis at sites of motoneuron injury is a neuropathological hallmark of ALS. Extracellular mutant SOD1 (mSOD1) causes motoneuron injury and triggers microgliosis in spinal cord cultures, but it is unclear whether the injury results from extracellular mSOD1 directly interacting with motoneurons or is mediated through mSOD1‐activated microglia. To dissociate these potential mSOD1‐mediated neurotoxic mechanisms, the effects of extracellular human mSOD1G93A or mSOD1G85R were assayed using primary cultures of motoneurons and microglia. The data demonstrate that exogenous mSOD1G93A did not cause detectable direct killing of motoneurons. In contrast, mSOD1G93A or mSOD1G85R did induce the morphological and functional activation of microglia, increasing their release of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and free radicals. Furthermore, only when microglia was co‐cultured with motoneurons did extracellular mSOD1G93A injure motoneurons. The microglial activation mediated by mSOD1G93A was attenuated using toll‐like receptors (TLR) 2, TLR4 and CD14 blocking antibodies, or when microglia lacked CD14 expression. These data suggest that extracellular mSOD1G93A is not directly toxic to motoneurons but requires microglial activation for toxicity, utilizing CD14 and TLR pathways. This link between mSOD1 and innate immunity may offer novel therapeutic targets in ALS. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Communicating science to scientists works well thanks to well-defined communication structures based on both printed material in peer-reviewed publications and oral presentations, e.g. at conferences and seminars. However, when science is communicated to practitioners, the structures become fuzzy. We are looking at how to implement Web2.0 technologies to Danish seed scientists communicating to seed consultants, agricultural advisors, and seed growers, and we are met with the challenge of securing effective knowledge diffusion to the community. Our investigation's focal point is on Rogers' theoretical framework "Diffusion of Innovation" (DOI), as we look at how DOI may affect the Danish seed industry if science communication is redesigned in accordance with the framework. During our project workshop, participants recognized trends and characteristics from DOI in the Danish seed community and argued for more collaboration between scientists and practitioners. This can be done by implementing fast-learning via online website, but it needs to be assisted by slowerpaced face-to-face learning to lessen the risk of a digital knowledge divide within the community.


The strongly chelating anionic beta-diketiminate ligand has been employed to formulate complexes involving almost every metal of the periodic table; however, the heavier metals of the d block remain relatively unexplored. This paper describes the synthesis and characterization of the first two osmium, beta-diketiminato compounds, including a coordinatively unsaturated cationic complex. In parallel to the analogous Ru(II) complexes, the cationic (eta(6)-arene)osmium(II) complex demonstrates bifunctional behavior through [4 + 2] cycloaddition with ethylene, cleavage of dihydrogen under mild conditions, and protonation/chloride addition with [Et2OH]Cl. Metal-centered activity in both the Ru(II) and Os(II) beta-diketiminates has until now remained elusive, as the cationic Os complex is shown to readily coordinate an aryl isonitrile. The applicability of Os(II) beta-diketiminato complexes in catalytic olefin hydrogenation demonstrates significantly greater activity in terms of conversion and TOF for a range of substrates, including styrene, cyclohex-1-ene, and 1-methylcyclohex-1-ene. Moreover, selective hydrogenation of the exocyclic alkenyl group in limonene was observed, whereas the corresponding isostructural Ru(II) complexes are inactive. In contrast, the cationic (eta(6)-arene)ruthenium(II) beta-diketiminato complex proved more active for the catalytic dehydrogenation of N,N-dimethylamine borane (Me2NBH3) than the equivalent Os(II) species. A detailed DFT study of the Ru(II) and Os(II) beta-diketiminato species using charge decomposition analysis (CDA) demonstrates differences in metal ligand interactions, which in turn considerably influences the extent of bifunctional reactivity.


Al Qaeda's dispersal and the rise of regional terrorist groups such as al Shabab in Somalia have raised the stakes for defining an "organized armed group" (OAG). The law of armed conflict applies to violence between OAGs. If an entity fails the OAG test, a state may use only traditional law enforcement methods in responding to the entity's violence. A narrow definition of OAG would thus undermine the United States' reliance on targeted killings in states like Somalia that are remote from "hot" battlefields. That result might please human rights advocates, who critique targeted killing as posing an unacceptable risk of civilian casualties. However, constraining the United States and other nations could also give carte blanche to terrorist groups. This paper argues that both case law and social science literature support a broadly pragmatic reading of the OAG definition. While the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has cited factors such as existence of a headquarters and imposition of discipline, ICTY decisions have found organization when evidence was at best equivocal. Moreover, terrorist organizations reveal surprisingly robust indicia of organization. To deal with the agency costs generated by personnel with disparate agendas and backgrounds, terrorist groups monitor, assess, and document performance, even when this bureaucratic turn endangers the groups' security. A transnational network like al Qaeda operates in a synergistic fashion with regional groups. While al Qaeda does not micromanage most individual operations, it exercises strategic influence, e.g., through a focus on targeting Western interests. When such strategic influence can be shown, the definition of OAG is sufficiently flexible to permit targeting across borders.


Social impacts resulting from policy changes and other interventions interact and aggregate, and are influenced by additional interventions and exogenous factors, leading to cumulative social impacts. We explored these complex impacts through a case study of forest policy changes introduced in the state of Western Australia between 1999 and 2004. In this process, we both drew on and modified the recently-proposed Cumulative Effects Assessment and Management (CEAM) framework, to improve its utility as an analytical tool for exploring cumulative social impacts that arise from policy changes in natural resource sectors. Our findings highlight the complexity of the pathways that lead to social impacts and the significant influence of individuals' responses. The findings also demonstrate the importance of considering cumulative impacts - negative and positive, and intended and unintended – when designing and implementing mitigation strategies, emphasizing the value of adaptive management approaches. Our results suggest that the CEAM framework, appropriately contextualized and adapted, is relevant to the assessment of social impacts associated with interventions in complex natural resource management cases, and probably more widely.


The article offers author's insights on the alliance governance and performance in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It states that throwing some light on the process of alliance governance mechanism selection is the objective of the research by SMEs. It adds the evidence provide by the study on the effect of relational and formal governance on the alliance performance.


Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are closely associated in plants and animals with disease, stress, and cell death. Wagner et al. now show in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana that stress reactions formerly attributed to physicochemical damage caused by one of these ROS, singlet oxygen, is the result of an actively pursued genetic program that requires a chloroplast protein, EXECUTER1. Inactivation of the EXECUTER1 gene was sufficient to protect plants from the damage normally induced by singlet oxygen. D. Wagner, D. Przybyla, R. op den Camp, C. Kim, F. Landgraf, K. P. Lee, M. Würsch, C. Laloi, M. Nater, E. Hideg, K. Apel, The genetic basis of singlet oxygen-induced stress responses of Arabidopsis thaliana. Science 306, 1183-1185 (2004). [Abstract] [Full Text]


The Fifteenth Amendment to the Bangladesh Constitution removed the provision for elections under a non-political caretaker government, which allowed for three successful elections in the country. The removal of the non-political caretaker government provision resulted in countrywide violence and an election without participation by the major opposition groups in 2014. This article studies the context in which recent constitutional amendments, (in relation to the non-political caretaker government) have been passed, particularly the Fifteenth Amendment to the Bangladesh Constitution. The article argues that constitutional amendments in Bangladesh have been used in an instrumentalist way for political expediency which, in turn, gives electoral advantage to the ruling party. Democratic institutions and institutions of accountability have been utilised by successive governments in order to pass constitutional amendments that favour the ruling party. The article highlights the Special Committee Report on the F...


PURPOSE
Psychosocial stress has been related to impaired immunity in cancer patients. However, the extent to which these relationships exist in immune cells in the tumor microenvironment in humans has not been explored. We examined relationships among distress, social support, and natural killer (NK) cell activity in ovarian cancer patients in peripheral-blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), ascitic fluid, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients awaiting surgery for a pelvic mass suspected of being ovarian cancer completed psychological questionnaires and gave a presurgical sample of peripheral blood. Samples of tumor and ascites were taken during surgery, lymphocytes were then isolated, and NK cytotoxicity and percentage were determined. The final sample, which was confirmed by surgical diagnosis, included 42 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer and 23 patients with benign masses.

RESULTS
Peripheral NK cell activity was significantly lower among ovarian cancer patients than in patients with benign masses. Among ovarian cancer patients, NK cytotoxicity in TIL was significantly lower than in PBMC or ascitic fluid. Social support was related to higher NK cytotoxicity in PBMC and TIL, adjusting for stage. Distress was related to lower NK cytotoxicity in TIL. A multivariate model indicated independent associations of both distress and social support with NK cell activity in TIL.

CONCLUSION
Psychosocial factors, such as social support and distress, are associated with changes in the cellular immune response, not only in peripheral blood, but also at the tumor level. These relationships were more robust in TIL. These findings support the presence of stress influences in the tumor microenvironment.


Background: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) varies among ethnic groups. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes mellitus, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) for the first time in an ethnic population, specifically Zoroastrian citizens in Yazd, Iran whose ages were 30 or older. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, participants aged≥30 years were selected using systematic random sampling. An inventory, including socio-demographic data, was completed. Weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure (BP) were measured using standard methods. Also, blood levels of glucose, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), urea, creatinine (Cr), and uric acid were measured. The latest criteria established by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) were used to diagnose DM. Results: The mean age of the participants (n=403) was 56.9±12.8 years. The total prevalence of diabetes, including previously diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes, IFG, and IGT was 26.1%, 18.6%, 7.5%, 34.7% and 25.8%, respectively. Participants with diabetes had higher fasting blood sugar (FBS) (P<0.001), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) (P<0.001), urea (P=0.019), BMI (P=0.001), systolic blood pressures (P<0.001), TG (P=0.007) and lower HDL (P=0.034) than patients with IFG, IGT, and normoglycemic subjects. Conclusions: The current study showed a high prevalence of T2DM in the Zoroastrian population of Yazd, Iran. One-third of the total cases with diabetes were undiagnosed.


The institutionally powered Personal Learning Environment (iPLE) constitutes our vision of how Web 2.0 technologies, people arrangement and data sharing could be applied for delivering open, flexible, distributed and learner-centred learning environments to university members. Based on the iPLE, this paper explores a strategy approach that universities could follow in order to deploy eLearning 2.0 tools and services. With that aim in mind, we review the patterns that Web 2.0 has successfully applied, and have been proved to encourage people to interact and to share information. Then, we present an eLearning 2.0 provisioning strategy based on iPLEs. Finally, we explain how this strategy can help translating Web 2.0 patterns to learning, and positioning universities as eLearning 2.0 providers.


The analysis of the demographic transition of the past century and a half, using both empirical data and mathematical models, has rendered a wealth of well-established facts, including the dramatic increases in life expectancy. Despite these insights, such analyses have also occasionally triggered debates which spill over many disciplines, from genetics, to biology, or demography. Perhaps the hottest discussion is happening around the question of maximum human lifespan, which --besides its fascinating historical and philosophical interest-- poses urgent pragmatic warnings on a number of issues in public and private decision-making. In this paper, we add to the controversy some results which, based on purely statistical grounds, suggest that the maximum human lifespan is not fixed, or has not reached yet a plateau. Quite the contrary, analysis on reliable data for over 150 years in more than 20 industrialized countries point at a sustained increase in the maximum age at death. Furthermore, were this trend to continue, a limitless lifespan could be achieved by 2102. Finally, we quantify the dependence of increases in the maximum lifespan on socio-economic factors. Our analysis indicates that in some countries the observed rising patterns can only be sustained by progressively larger increases in GDP, setting the problem of longevity in a context of diminishing returns.


With healthcare moving toward greater outpatient and preventative approaches, hospitalizations are increasingly intended for those who are critically ill. Frequently this requires the need for highly specialized nursing as well as resource utilization. Technological advances have aided in providing this type of intensive care but they have also compelled practitioners to make treatment decisions that did not previously exist. The conflict of maintaining one's life without ascertaining whether there will be quality of life is just one example of a difficult situation that can lead to moral distress. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of moral distress on critical care nurses. The project employed a survey design. After obtaining IRB approval, a convenience sample of 28 nurses was obtained from a small community hospital's ICU and CCU. Each participant completed the Moral Distress Scale-Revised (MDS-R) measure and some demographic questions. Results confirmed that moral distress was present among the participants at low to moderate levels: 18 nurses (64%) scored low with seven nurses (25%) scoring in the moderate range. The most morally distressing experiences were related to end of life care. The most morally distressing and frequent event was that of "follow the family's wishes to continue life support even though I believe it is not in the best interest of the patient". There was no correlation between nurses' age, level of experience and moral distress. Limitations included a small sample size and lack of diversity in age and experience. It is possible that the researcher's affiliation with the unit could have affected participants' responses regarding leaving their current position. The findings suggest that more research should be done on exploring the ethical climate and other factors that effect moral distress.


This research aims to analyze the degree of importance of investment and expenditure on innovation activities for entrepreneurial innovative capability, in the scope of Portuguese services firms. The literature review considers three main approaches regarding service innovation: assimilation, demarcation and synthesis. A conceptual model was proposed and several research hypotheses were empirically tested using secondary data, belonging to the 4th CIS 4, supervised by EUROSTAT. The method used will be the logistic regression model. According to the results obtained, the greater the financial investment in acquisition of machinery, equipment and software, in internal research and development, in acquisition of external knowledge, in marketing activities and other procedures, the greater the propensity for firms to innovate in terms of services. This study highlights the contributions that innovation activities can provide in what regards the development of innovation process, giving special emphasis to their service innovation.


Background: The move for educational reform to improve student outcomes and learning has been the subject of ongoing debate over the last 15 years in Australia and internationally. In Australia, Game Centred Approaches (GCA) such as Game Sense have been positioned by advocates as having the capacity to achieve these characteristics in physical education. However, despite some 15 years of exposure to, and professional development in, GCA in Australia, there has been very little change in teaching practices in games and sports. Purpose: The paper will focus on physical education teacher education (PETE) undergraduates' attitudes to games and sports and analyse key issues related to their understandings relating to the use of a GCA. Participants: The participants were second and third year PETE undergraduates during their practical studies courses in Games and Sports. Data collection: Data was collected from PETE undergraduates over a three-year period. The exchanges used in this paper were from recordings of consultations, interactions in tutorials and in assessment presentations. They were supported by the first author's own observations on students' understandings of the GCA during and following tutorials. Intervention: PETE students were involved in four practical studies courses in games and sports with the first author using a GCA approach. Required readings and journal articles on GCA were used to support course content. Research design: To understand the students' understandings of games and sports using a GCA and the qualitative nature of inquiry, an ethnomethodological approach was used. Data analysis: The analysis of the data based on Lemke's theory of social semiotics was conducted to develop an understanding of what using a GCA meant to the students in action (the events in which the meanings are used) and in context (how the meaning is demonstrated when connected to an event). Findings: The findings of this paper were threefold. Firstly, the influence of traditional approaches to games and sports in the physical education and sporting backgrounds of the PETE students is a very powerful force in determining how games and sports should be taught and understood. Secondly, the students' capacity to productively and consistently use a GCA to create these learning environments is contingent on the depth of their content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. Thirdly, there is a considerable emotional cost to the students when challenging their embodied investments in a traditional sports model. Conclusion: Understanding and developing sustainability to use a GCA requires more than simply exposing students to the approach. If GCAs are to be used appropriately to enhance the quality of teaching and student learning and create the environments advocates believe are possible, then how we teach PETE students to teach games and sports in our courses must be examined and we must ask ourselves this question in relation to teaching using a GCA: How do we do what we do?


UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU/WIDER) was established by the United Nations University as its first research and training centre and started work in Helsinki, Finland, in 1985. The principal purpose of the Institute is policy-oriented research on the main strategic issues of development and international cooperation, as well as on the interaction between domestic and global changes. Its work is carried out by staff researchers and visiting scholars in Helsinki and through networks of collaborating institutions and scholars around the world. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s). Publication does not imply endorsement by the Institute or the United Nations University of any of the views expressed.


The observed and predicted increase in urban population in the world is creating and will further create severe stress on existing water infrastructures and available water resources. Singapore9s population has increased from about 1 million people in the 1950s to almost 5 million currently. The city state has invested massively in a sustainable water supply system, and is regarded by many as a role model for future cities with respect to this topic. Solutions like water reuse, desalination and water demand management have already been implemented. However, city dwellers use much more additional water in the form of virtual water. Their actual water footprint is much higher than only domestic water. Water required for the generation of agricultural and industrial products are imported to cities, and can put a heavy burden on water resources in surrounding and even distant (rural) regions. The city state provides a unique opportunity to analyse virtual water consumption for a city, as required statistical data are available through the national Department of Statistics. For other cities such detailed data are rarely available. Mostly these data are only provided on a national level. This analysis provides a quantification of the actual water use of a future city. The paper describes whether the consumption of agricultural products (in the sense of water for food) is also sustainable in Singapore. The agricultural products that contribute largely to the total water footprint of Singapore – wheat, rice, livestock products and cotton–are analysed and discussed in detail. A sustainable city of the future should account for its impacts beyond its borders. Whether the world can provide for the water and food for an increasing population highly depends on consumption patterns within future cities.


In today's highly competitive market, organizations increasingly need to innovate in order to survive. Drawing on a wealth of psychological research in the field of creativity, David H. Cropley and Arthur J. Cropley illustrate practical methods for conceptualizing and managing organizational innovation. They present a dynamic model of the interactions among four key components of creativity – product, person, process, and press – that function as building blocks of innovation. This volume sheds new light on the nature of innovative products and the processes that generate them, the psychological characteristics of innovative people, and the environments that facilitate innovation. It also fills a significant gap in the current literature by addressing the paradoxical quality of organizational innovation, which may be both helped and hindered by the same factors. The authors demonstrate that, with proper measurement and management, organizations can effectively encourage individuals to produce and take advantage of novel ideas.


One approach to 3D technology is chip stacking using through-silicon vias (TSVs). Interconnects in a 3D assembly are potentially much shorter than in a 2D configuration, allowing for faster system speed and lower power consumption. However, it is extremely important to use cost-effective process technologies in practical use. Therefore, in our study, we propose a basic concept for interconnecting stacked chips with TSVs using a cost-effective process technology. The principal feature is to use a ldquomechanical-caulkingrdquo technique, which has been used widely in the mechanical-engineering field, enabling 3D interconnections between stacked chips. This makes it possible to interconnect them by only applying compressive force at room temperature. This paper presents the results obtained by using mechanical-caulking connections at room temperature accomplished by manufacturing a prototype of a chip-stacked package with TSV interconnections. A 3D-SiP composed of an existing MCU, an interposer, and an SDRAM chip with TSV interconnections was also manufactured. However, a customized design, assuming TSV interconnections in the existing MCU, needs to be introduced for practical use to achieve SiO2 etching with shorter turn around time (TATs) and high TSV yields of more than 99%.


Background Few studies have considered source-specific micronutrient intake in relation to mortality under the consideration that dietary and supplemental intake could exhibit different effects. Objective To evaluate the association between intake of vitamin C, E, folate, beta-carotene from diet and supplements, and overall mortality. Furthermore, to examine effect modification by smoking, alcohol intake, and BMI and to investigate if the effect of supplement use differs with dietary micronutrient intake. Methods and Material In a prospective cohort study of 55,453 middle-aged Danes, information regarding diet, supplement use, and lifestyle was collected through questionnaires. During follow-up, 6,767 deaths were identified and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) of mortality related to micronutrient intake were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models. Results The present study found no effect of dietary vitamin C, E, folate, or beta-carotene in relation to mortality. In contrast, supplemental folic acid was associated with a significantly increased mortality, whereas no other micronutrient supplement was associated with mortality. Effect modification by smoking and alcohol intake, but not BMI, was suggested in relation to some dietary micronutrients. The effect of supplements did not differ in groups defined by dietary micronutrient intake. Conclusion This study suggests no effect of dietary micronutrients in relation to overall mortality. Supplemental folic acid was found to be associated with increased mortality, but further studies are required. No other supplemental micronutrient was associated with mortality.


The optimal prepayment model asserts that rational homeowners would refinance if they can reduce the current value of their liabilities by an amount greater than the refinancing threshold, defined as the cost of carrying the transaction plus the time value of the embedded call option. To compute the notional value of the refinancing threshold, researchs have traditionally relied on a discrete option-pricing model. Using a unique loan level dataset that links homeowner attributes with property and loan characteristics, this study proposes an alternative approach of estimating the implied value of the refinancing threshold. This empirical method enables us to measure the minimum interest rate differential needed to justify refinancing conditional on the borrower's creditworthiness, remaining maturity, and other observable characteristics.


With energy use growing rapidly around the world, building energy conservation is becoming a great concern especially for large commercial buildings. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop appropriate methods for energy use assessment of commercial buildings. In recent years, energy monitoring system (EMS) has been applied in some large-scale commercial buildings, which has laid the foundation for exhaustive and authentic evaluation. However, most of the current studies are only focused on annual or monthly aggregated energy consumption. Though end-use data are monitored in some buildings, only major categories or equipment are included. Little has been done to analyze the energy performance of numerous buildings with detailed hourly end-use data. With the access to hourly sub-metered data of detailed end uses, this study aims to introduce a comparing method to evaluate building energy performance through a case study. Information on selected buildings in the case was introduced. The research intends to compare energy use intensity (EUI) of the 19 malls based on a uniform energy data model, from total energy to detailed end-uses. It was shown that there is a significant discrepancy on the total energy use among these buildings, mainly due to HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) and public lighting. Then an in-depth comparative study was conducted on the energy consumption of public lighting and HVAC respectively. An unexpectedly remarkable discrepancy was illustrated on the EUI of public lighting. Thus the daily and hourly energy of public lighting were compared to identify the discrepancy in management mode. The study on HVAC was focused on the comparison of daily and hourly EUI in terms of four subordinate end uses (chillers, chilled water pumps, fans and cooling systems). The result showed that chillers accounts for larger proportions of total energy use, and the daily and hourly data were compared between buildings with similar climate. At last, the methods were summarized and challenges were discussed.


The most significant problem of the tanning industry is waste generation. The presence of chromium in leather waste represents a potential hazard due to the possibility of Cr(III) being converted to its toxic state, Cr(VI). The treatment of chrome-tanned leather waste described in this research occurs in three phases: dechroming; isolation of gelatin, and application of the gelatin produced in the finishing of leather.
Chrome-tanned shavings were dechromed and subsequently used for the production of gelatin. Gelatin was isolated from dechromed shavings in a one-step process, through thermal and chemical hydrolysis, using the hydrolytic agents ammonia, sodium hydroxide and acetic acid. The gelatin obtained through thermal hydrolysis exhibited better properties, in terms of gel strength, melting point, swelling and thermal properties, than the gelatin obtained through chemical hydrolysis and the former process was more cost-effective in terms of time, chemicals and waste production.
The use of gelatin may be limited by its poor mechanical properties. The introduction of chemical modifications, using the crosslinking agents glutaraldehyde (GTA), oxazolidine II, ethylene glycol cliglycidyl ether (epoxy compound), hexamethylene dii socyanate (HMDC) and I -ethyl-3 -(3 -dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC), improved the performance in terms of strength and stability of the gelatin: oxazolidine and ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether are the most suitable since they confer plasticising properties in addition to stabilising the gelatin. A plasticiser (glycerol) was added into the matrix network of gelatin, increasing its flexibility.
The isolated gelatin and a mixture of gelatinlglycerol were compared in use as a replacement for the commercial protein binder, casein, for glazed finishing. The finishing formulations were crosslinked with epoxy compound and oxazolidine. Physical tests carried out on the finished product showed promising results, with the gelatin/epoxy formulation showing potential for application.
Ihe potential fbr gelatin isolated from chrome shavings to he produced as a high-added value material lor new applications in the future, such as a component tor finishing Formulations in the leather industry, was demonstrated


Quota-share and stop-loss/excess-of-loss reinsurances are two important reinsurance strategies. An important question, both in theory and in application, is to determine optimal retentions for these reinsurances. In this thesis, we study the optimal retentions of quota-share and stop-loss/excess-of-loss reinsurances under ruin-related optimization criteria. We attempt to balance the interest for a ceding company and a reinsurance company and employ an optimization criterion that considers the interests of both a cedent and a reinsurer. We also examine the influence of interest, dividend, commission, expense, and diffusion on reinsurance retentions.


The onset of mountain building in the western part of the Himalayan orogenic belt has been documented in the synorogenic stratigraphic record of northern Pakistan and India as Early to Middle Eocene (~52 Ma). Eocene strata in the Tethyan portion of the central part of the Himalayan orogenic belt consist of shallow marine carbonate rocks that lack evidence for initial Himalayan orogenesis, thus leaving open the possibility that the onset of orogeny was significantly diachronous along strike. We report U–Pb ages of detrital zircons and Nd-isotopic and trace element data from associated mudrocks in Cretaceous– Paleocene(?), Eocene, and lower Miocene strata of the southern Lesser Himalayan zone of central Nepal. The Cretaceous– Paleocene(?) Amile Formation is dominated by zircons with Archean–Early Proterozoic U–Pb ages. An abrupt influx of Cambrian–Ordovician and Middle to Late Proterozoic zircons marks the transition into the Eocene Bhainskati Formation, and indicates the onset of erosion of Tethyan rocks in the nascent Himalayan thrust belt. An increased proportion of Late Proterozoic zircons in fluvial litharenites of the lower Miocene Dumri Formation signals initial erosion of Greater Himalayan protoliths. The Nd-isotopic and trace element data support the unroofing history documented by the U–Pb zircon ages. The fact that middle Eocene strata in Nepal were derived from the Himalayan thrust belt reduces the maximum time lag between the onset of orogenesis in the northwest and central Himalaya to no more than ~2 My. D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


Rotationally resolved infrared–ultraviolet double-resonance effects have been observed in D2CO vapor by using pulsed radiation from a The infrared laser pumps CO2 laser and a tunable dye laser. D2CO molecules in the ν4 rovibrational band, and subsequent excitation by the dye laser in the 365-nm 410 vibronic band is detected by fluorescence at 420 nm. The results consolidate assignments from high-resolution absorption spectra and yield estimates of rotational-relaxation rates.


A new learning paradigm has been tested in the delivery of services. It identifies that the act of directing and influencing a vendor or an individual to increase their performance is not effective or efficient. It is based on a deductive logic methodology called "Information Measurement Theory" (IMT) which has been developed over the past 46 years through one of the author's personal and family life, the delivery of services in the construction industry, and in Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University (ASU). IMT identifies that the concepts of influence, randomness, chance, or one person attempting to change another person are inaccurate concepts. These facets occur when one party attempts to forcibly change another party, which is a form of abuse. When tested out in the industry, these concepts returned 5 to 50% reduction in cost, simultaneously lowering owner costs, increasing value and resulting in higher profits for the expert vendor. When practiced in the honors education program at ASU, students were able to learn concepts five times as quickly and understand complex concepts with very little detailed data. In 2015, the IMT author brought the education to his alma mater, Saint Louis High School, and the first full year of IMT concepts were tested at the high school level. The results were consistent with the results from industry tests, the honors program at ASU, and the Kashiwagi family.


Zareian G., Farpoor M.H., Hejazi-Mehrizi M., Jafari A. (2018): Kinetics of non-exchangeable potassium release in selected soil orders of southern Iran. Soil & Water Res., 13: 200−207. Non-exchangeable K release can greatly influence soil K fertility. This study was carried out to study the release of non-exchangeable K from 22 surface and subsurface soils of southern Iran using successive extraction with 10 mmol/l of CaCl2 and oxalic acid in a period of 2−1368 h at 25 ± 1°C. Alfisols, Aridisols, Entisols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, and Histosols were among the studied soil orders. Illite, smectite, chlorite, vermiculite, kaolinite and palygorskite clay minerals were identified. The amount of non-exchangeable K varied from 95 to 506 mg/kg. Results showed that CaCl2 and oxalic acid released 60 and 55% of non-exchangeable K from soils, respectively. The discontinuity in slope was found when the cumulative amount of released K was plotted versus time, supporting the multi-reactive nature of K exchange sites. The cumulative K release in soils ranged from 87 to 300 mg/kg for CaCl2 and 78 to 300 mg/kg for oxalic acid which was well described by simplified Elovich and power function equations. The b constant of simplified Elovich as an index of non-exchangeable K release rate was in the range of 10 to 36 mg/kg for CaCl2 and 11 to 36 mg/kg for oxalic acid. The highest b constant was measured in Inceptisols and Alfisols, while the lowest values were found in Entisols and Histosols. In conclusion, the K release pattern was similar for both extractants and affected by clay content and type, and soil depth.


This paper studies the sources of agglomeration economies in cities. We begin by introducing a simple dynamic spatial equilibrium model that incorporates spillovers within and across industries, as well as city-size effects. The model generates a dynamic panel-data estimation equation. We implement the approach using detailed new data describing the industry composition of 31 English cities from 1851-1911. We find that industries grow faster in cities where they have more local suppliers or other occupationally-similar industries. Industries do not grow more rapidly in locations in which they are already large, though there can be exceptions. Thus, dynamic agglomeration appears to be driven by cross-industry effects. Once we control for these cross-industry agglomeration effects, we find a strong negative relationship between city size and city-industry growth. This allows us to construct the first estimate of the aggregate strength of the cross-industry agglomeration forces. Our results suggest a lower bound estimate of the overall strength of agglomeration forces equivalent to a city-size divergence rate of 2.1-3.3 % per decade.


The objective of this study is to develop an open access web-based conceptual Xinanjiang model for supporting calibration process with user-friendly interfaces. This makes it possible to calibrate the model for any user irrespective of the location, resource availability or technical capability. This interface not only allows the user to run the model in a user-friendly environment, but also provides useful support for better calibration by suggesting parameter settings based on observed hydro-climatic data, calculating Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency at daily, monthly and annual scales using time series of observed and simulated discharge data for every successful model run and hydrograph visualization. Moreover, the user can further verify the agreement between the observed and simulated discharge by visually inspecting the hydrograph. The interface allows rendering hydrographs using simulated and observed discharge for a respective model run or group of model runs. The user can perform repeated model runs with different parameter sets until it achieves a satisfactory accuracy. The user can download the result and parameter files for all or any specific model run.