The Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell has a great potential in leading the future energy generation due to its advantages of zero emissions, higher power density and efficiency. For a PEM fuel cell, the Membrane-Electrode Assembly (MEA) is the key component which consists of a membrane, two catalyst layers and two gas diffusion layers (GDL). The success of optimum PEM fuel cell power output relies on the mass transport to the electrode especially on the cathode side. The carbon based GDL is one of the most important components in the fuel cell since it has one of the basic roles of providing path ways for reactant gases transport to the catalyst layer as well as excess water removal. A detailed understanding and visualization of the GDL from micro-scale level is limited by traditional numerical tool such as CFD and experimental methods due to the complex geometry of the porous GDL structural. In order to take the actual geometry information of the porous GDL into consideration, the x-ray tomography technique is employed which is able to reconstructed the actual structure of the carbon paper or carbon cloth GDLs to three-dimensional digital binary image which can be read directly by the LB model to carry out the simulation.
This research work contributes to develop the combined methodology of x-ray tomography based the three-dimensional single phase Lattice Boltzmann (LB) simulation. This newly developed methodology demonstrates its capacity of simulating the flow characteristics and transport phenomena in the porous media by dealing with collision of the particles at pore-scale. The results reveal the heterogeneous nature of the GDL structures which influence the transportation of the reactants in terms of physical parameters of the GDLs such as porosity, permeability and tortuosity. The compression effects on the carbon cloth GDLs have been investigated. The results show that the c applied compression pressure on the GDLs will have negative effects on average pore size, porosity as well as through-plane permeability. A compression pressure range is suggested by the results which gives optimum in-plane permeability to through-plane permeability. The compression effects on one-dimensional water and oxygen partial pressures in the main flow direction have been studied at low, medium and high current densities. It s been observed that the water and oxygen pressure drop across the GDL increase with increasing the compression pressure.
Key Words: PEM fuel cell, GDL, LB simulation, SPSC, SPMC, x-ray tomography, carbon paper, carbon cloth, porosity, permeability, degree of anisotropy, tortuosity, flow transport.


A fundamental task of the visual system is to infer depth by using binocular disparity. To encode binocular disparity, the visual cortex performs two distinct computations: one detects matched patterns in paired images (matching computation); the other constructs the cross-correlation between the images (correlation computation). How the two computations are used in stereoscopic perception is unclear. We dissociated their contributions in near/far discrimination by varying the magnitude of the disparity across separate sessions. For small disparity (0.03°), subjects performed at chance level to a binocularly opposite-contrast (anti-correlated) random-dot stereogram (RDS) but improved their performance with the proportion of contrast-matched (correlated) dots. For large disparity (0.48°), the direction of perceived depth reversed with an anti-correlated RDS relative to that for a correlated one. Neither reversed nor normal depth was perceived when anti-correlation was applied to half of the dots. We explain the decision process as a weighted average of the two computations, with the relative weight of the correlation computation increasing with the disparity magnitude. We conclude that matching computation dominates fine depth perception, while both computations contribute to coarser depth perception. Thus, stereoscopic depth perception recruits different computations depending on the disparity magnitude.


Abstract Religious and cultural values have been used as a yardstick to disregard the rights and freedoms of people in non-normative sexual relationships in many African countries. However, little is known about the extent to which this assertion is empirically buttressed by public opinion in the Kumasi Metropolis in Ghana. Employing in-depth interviews and a focus group discussion, this study sought public opinion on how religious and cultural precepts informed attitudes and perception on same-sex sexuality. Twenty people who were aged 19 to 60 years participated in the study. The phenomenon of same-sex sexuality was expressively distasteful to majority of participants on grounds of religious and cultural values. Same-sex sexuality was considered as something orchestrated by the "devil" and a cultural taboo. Participants either directly—being friends, or by inference—living in the same house, generally detested association with non-heterosexuals. Legitimisation of rights and freedoms for homosexuals was therefore not an option for majority of the participants except for those that had attained tertiary level education who demonstrated some level of tolerance despite their religious and cultural inclinations. Notwithstanding the religious and culturally founded despise for same-sex sexuality, some participants justified the need to embrace non-heterosexuals based on same values. These social institutions largely prohibit same-sex sexuality. However, they also offer opportunities to tactfully address discrimination and stigmatisation of sexual minorities within the confines of the prevailing value system in Kumasi.


Beautiful, twisted and brilliant - discover Yoko Ogawa. A lonely teenage girl falls in love with her foster-brother as she watches him leap from a high diving board into a pool - sparking an unspoken infatuation that draws out darker possibilities. A young woman records the daily moods of her pregnant sister in a diary, but rather than a story of growth the diary reveals a more sinister tale of greed and repulsion. Driven by nostalgia, a woman visits her old college dormitory on the outskirts of Tokyo. There she finds an isolated world shadowed by decay, haunted by absent students and the disturbing figure of the crippled caretaker.


Pioneers of early cinema are shown alongside leading contemporary artists in a new display at the Whitechapel Gallery.

Twixt Two Worlds is drawn from the collections of Contemporary Art Society member museums across the south of England and is part of the Whitechapel Gallery's programme opening up public and private collections for everyone.

The exhibition – which takes its title from a book about the famous 19th century medium William Eglinton – maps the pivotal moment in cinema history when still photography evolved into moving images. Inspired by John and William Barnes' collection of early moving image apparatus held in Hove Museum, this shift is explored through objects, photographs and film.

Highlights of the Contemporary Art Society exhibition include magic lanterns and slides from the late 19th century, films and photographs by pioneers such as William Friese-Greene, Eadweard Muybridge and Albert Smith. Alongside these influential figures are works by contemporary artists including Susan Hiller, Saskia Olde-Wolbers and Steven Pippin who revisit the history and techniques of early film.

Founded in 1910, the Contemporary Art Society supports public museums and galleries across the UK, through new acquisitions, gifts, advocacy and advice.

Contemporary Art Society: Twixt Two Worlds is conceived by Arts Council-funded Curatorial Fellow Gaia Tedone in collaboration with the Whitechapel Gallery. It is the fourth and final exhibition in a year-long series of displays showcasing important works of art from regional museums across England. This year-long series of displays is supported by a major grant from Arts Council England. The Whitechapel Gallery's programme of collection displays is supported by specialist art insurer Hiscox.


Purpose: In order to achieve good long-term results from dental implant therapy a sufficient amount of bone is needed around the correct implant position. Therefore, various procedures were introduced to augment the horizontally deficient mandibular ridge. The Upside Down Cylinder Technique makes use of localized autologous bone transfer in order to prevent the otherwise inevitable grafting procedure. In this retrospective study, clinical results and oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) are being reported.
Method: 44 Patients received horizontal bone augmentation and 29 Patients (22 female, seven male) with 43 implants could be followed up (dropout rate 34 %). The mean observation time was 93,6 +/- 36,3 months. Periimplant bone resorption (PBR), implant stability, periodontal probing depth (PPD), gingival recession (GR), implant survival, implant success and the state of OHRQoL were evaluated, respectively.
Results: Within the observation period two implants were lost due to biological complications. This study shows an implant survival rate of 93 %. The implant success rate was 88,1 % according to Jahn/d'Hoedt criteria and 76,2 % according to Naert/Snauwaert criteria regarding patient level observation. Mean PBR was 2,57 +/- 1,93 mm, PPD accounted to 2,68 +/- 0,91 mm and GR was 0,75 +/- 1,26 mm. In order to assess patients OHRQOL, the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) was used. Separated by prostetic indication classes, patients with installed FPD scored 9,2; patients with implant retained removable partial dentures and total prostheses scored 15,5 and 17,3; respectively. Corresponding scores were 30, 20 and 20 percentiles higher than median of reference values from non - treatment - seeking patients
Conclusion: Upside Down Cylinder Technique delivers comparable implant long-term results compared to other autologous augmentation procedures without having to raise a flap for bone grafting. OHRQOL was high compared to reference values from non - treatment - seeking patients. Patients satisfaction and recommendation was also high. This study suggests a higher success rate in the posterior mandibular ridge.


A total of 27 species belonging to 4 subfamilies of robber flies (Asilidae: Diptera) are currently known from Vietnam. This paper deals with the result of the first study on the species composition of Robber flies from four provinces in Central Vietnam: Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien - Hue, and Quang Nam collected during the time from 2004 to 2006. Specimens of Robber flies were collected mainly from natural habitats and at altitude range from 300 up to 1100 m a.s.l. This study provided a list of 64 species belonging to 32 genera and 5 subfamilies recorded in central Vietnam, including 25 recognisable taxonomic units which open up a whole range for the description of new species. Of which 31 species and 9 genera including Ammophilomima , Goneccalypsis , Laphystina , Merodontina , Michotamia , Neoitamus , Neolaparus , Philonicus , and Scylaticus as well as subfamily Leptogastrinae are newly recorded for the Asilidae fauna of Vietnam. The Robber fly fauna of Central Vietnam is characterized by the species richness of the genus Ommatius (Ommatini, Asilinae); Philodicus and Promachus (Apocleini, Asilinae); Damalis (Damalini, Trigonominae) and Choerades (Laphriini, Laphrinae). Of the genus Microstylum (Saropogonini, Dasypogoninae), besides two common species Microstylum dux (Wiedemann) and Microstylum oberthueri Wulp, other two species Microstylum sp.1 and Microstylum sp.2 were recorded. Of the genus Eultolmus (Asilini, Asilinae), Eutolmus sp.1. was found but not Eutolmus maximus Hradsky et Geller-Grimm, 1998. robber flies of Ommatius scinius Oldroyd; Philodicus fuscipes (Ricardo); Philodicus longipes Schiner; Promachus apicalis (Macquart); Astochia enermis Hermann; Machimus aurimystax (Bromley); Damalis vittripennis Osten-Saken; Microstylum sp.2; Choerades conopoides Oldroyd; Maira aurifacies (Macquart), and Pagidolaphria gigas (Macquart) are collected concurrently in the forest and the agricultural habitats; whereas another species found only in the natural habitats. Key to the 32 genera of Asilidae is also compiled.


Background and Objectives: Although a number of studies have been conducted on the prevalence of hypertension (HTN) and diabetes on tribal populations in different parts of India, comparative tribe-specific information is very meager. The main objective of this study is to generate tribe-specific information on the noncommunicable disorders (NCDs) and associated risk factors in scheduled tribes (STs) in Coastal and Western Maharashtra. Methods: The study was conducted on 1864 (females 960) adults (≥18 years) of both sexes in four dominant tribes in the region, namely, Bhils (748), Katkaris (560), Kokana (352), and Thakars (204), using the protocols approved by the Institutional Review Board. The study areas were geographically separated by large distances (250–500 km apart). Prevalence of overweight, diabetes, HTN, and hypercholesterolemia was measured using standard field-based techniques described in our earlier publication. Results: All STs in this study are grossly underweight; the Katkaris are worst affected. The prevalence of obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2), HTN (blood pressure ≥140 mmHg), diabetes (capillary blood glucose >126 mg/dl), and hypercholesterolemia (cholesterol ≥200 mg/dl) was 0.9%, 11.7%, 6.7%, and 0.6% respectively. There are no statistically significant inter-tribal differences in the prevalence of these parameters. Age and obesity appeared to be the most dominant risk factors for HTN. However, there is no clear-cut picture about the influence of risk factors on diabetes or hypercholesterolemia. Interpretation and Conclusion: The prevalence of NCDs is still very low in STs, probably due to near absence of the risk factors such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and hyperlipidemia. STs are highly endogamous, and the study areas are separated by large distances ruling out intermingling of tribes. Yet, there is no consistent inter-tribal prevalence pattern for NCDs. Although the sample size is small, the results support the view that environmental factors are likely to be more important than host genetics in the causation of NCDs.


The focus of this research is to help explain the effects that war has on children and child soldiers. The effects being researched include those of psychological, physical, emotional, economical, and educational effects. The type of war being analyzed in this research is civil war with case studies of countries such as the Syrian Arab Republic, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Somalia, South Sudan, and the lraqi war. These cases are among the most violent, oppressive, cases involving children and/or child soldiers. The ultimate goal of this research is to discover and better understand what these children experience and how that will affect them and continue to affect them as they grow older. The way this research paper is organized as such that is consistent with the table of contents ending with a list of references. Degree Type Open Access Senior Honors Thesis Department Political Science


Distance education is institutional concept of education centered round self-directed learning by means of correspondence courses with an integrated element of communication technology and facilitated with tutorial sessions, seminars etc. to meet need for enlargement of teaching force, improved professional standards and modernization of teaching methods, distance learning system provides alternative ways of gaining established qualifications. The content of such courses cannot depart from the normal; the difference of learning experience arises from the presentation of the course materials and from the situation of students and, therefore, different pedagogic skills are required. The term instructional material is used for the specific items used in a lesson and delivered through various media formats such as video, audio, print and so on. This paper discusses the presentation of instructional material for distance teacher education.


This thesis examines older drivers and navigation. Over more recent times the
proportion of older people in the UK population has risen. This effect is carrying over
into the driving population. Due to changing demographics, increased longevity and
the increased universality of driving there will be many more older drivers than
before. Older drivers find the navigation task of finding their way on unfamiliar routes
very demanding due to declines in sensory and cognitive abilities. New technology
such as route guidance systems could aid the older driver in this task, by reducing
uncertainty when meeting decision points on the road network. However such systems
can also cause distraction. This has led to concern over the safety implications of the
implementation of route guidance systems into cars. If route guidance systems are to
be designed safely then the characteristics and needs of the driver have to be
identified. The aim of this thesis was to provide human factors knowledge in this area
so that route guidance systems can be designed to meet the needs of older drivers. [Continues.]


Internationally research on masculinity in schools has become an area of increasing interest. Little such research has been carried out in South Africa. This thesis investigates teachers ' perceptions of masculinity in a broad range of schools in KwaZulu-Natal. It was investigated whether perceptions of masculinity might vary by type of school. In addition, within the historical context of schooling in South Africa, it was investigated whether differences in constructs of masculinity across sites might reflect a complex interplay of race, class and gender. A qualitative methodology was adopted for this investigation and semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen teachers at ten different schools. These interviews were auditotaped and transcribed. Analysis of these transcripts revealed that interviewees speak with multiple voices, reflecting conflict and contradiction in their constructs of masculinity. Results do, however, reveal core commonalities in concepts of masculinity across sites as well as a number of important contrasts. 11


We study the melting of skyrmions in a two-dimensional Heisenberg chiral magnet with bi-axial Dzyaloshinskii--Moriya interactions. These topological excitations may form at zero temperature a triangular crystal with long-range positional order. However, we show using large-scale Monte Carlo simulations that at small finite temperature, the skyrmions rather form a typical two-dimensional solid: Positional correlations decay with distance as power laws while the orientational correlations remain finite. At higher temperature, we observe a direct transition from this two-dimensional solid to a liquid with short-range correlations. This differs from generic two-dimensional homogeneous particle systems, where a hexatic phase is realized between the solid and the liquid.


Traditionally, in older children and adults, spirometry has been an integral part of the clinical assessment of respiratory diseases; however these tests are relatively novel for preschool children. Like most medical observations, reliable interpretation of spirometry
testing in very young children are accompanied by a relative dearth of suitable reference data.
To address the lack of appropriate spirometry reference data for young children, this thesis aims to collate available spirometry data from healthy children to develop updated reference centiles for this age group.

The Asthma UK collaborative group contributed >10 000 spirometry measurements in healthy children between 2-10 years. These data were used to develop more spirometry centiles using the LMS method with the GAMLSS technique.
To address the discontinous paediatric and adult equations, the highly flexible modelling techniques were also applied to develop the first continuous and smoothly changing spirometry centiles between 4-80 years. In this case, the American NHANES Ill dataset was extended with paediatric data and re-modelled. The resulting centiles improved the interpretation of spirometry during childhood and early adolescence.
Application of these centiles in clinical practice should facilitate more accurate detection and quantification of lung disease in both children and adults. Furthermore, this thesis provides a foundation from which future international studies can be established to maintain an up-to-date database of reference data for lung function.


Bacteria are small, prokaryotic, microorganisms that are ubiquitous in surface and subsurface terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Prokaryotes comprise two Domains (Superkingdoms) in the biological taxonomic hierarchy, the Bacteria and the Archaea. They exhibit remarkable diversity both genetically and metabolically even within the same microenvironment and they are thought to play a major role in the deposition and weathering of minerals in the earth's crust. The synthesis of minerals by prokaryotes can be grouped into two canonical modes: 1) biologically induced mineralization (BIM) and 2) biologically controlled mineralization (BCM) (Lowenstam 1981; Lowenstam and Weiner 1989). In this chapter, we focus on biologically induced mineralization.

Minerals that form by biologically induced mineralization processes generally nucleate and grow extracellularly as a result of metabolic activity of the organism and subsequent chemical reactions involving metabolic byproducts. In many cases , the organisms secrete one or more metabolic products that react with ions or compounds in the environment resulting in the subsequent deposition of mineral particles. Thus, BIM is a presumably unintended and uncontrolled consequence of metabolic activities. The minerals that form are often characterized by poor crystallinity , broad particle-size distributions, and lack of specific crystal morphologies. In addition , the lack of control over mineral formation often results in poor mineral specificity and/or the inclusion of impurities in the mineral lattice. BIM is, in essence, equivalent to inorganic mineralization under the same environmental conditions and the minerals are therefore likely to have crystallochemical features that are generally indistinguishable from minerals produced by inorganic chemical reactions. In some cases, the metabolic products diffuse away and minerals form from solution. However , bacterial surfaces such as cell walls or polymeric materials (exopolymers) exuded by bacteria, including slimes, sheaths, or biofilms, and even dormant spores, can act as important sites for the adsorption of ions …


Owing to their high water retention, the volcanic ash-soils of the Northern Andean highlands (paramos) can be considered as natural 'water storage tanks' for drinking water and for irrigation. Vegetation plays an important role in transferring rain to the soil and in controlling the soil water content. To assess this role, we quantified the stemflow process under rainfall simulations for seven of the main plants along an altitude gradient on the Pichincha volcano in Ecuador. The volume of water transferred into the soil was higher at the lower rainfall intensity than at the higher intensity. The results were compared to the stemflow measured with potato and maize crops growing in the lower altitude range. The results showed that the relative volume of stemflow increased with altitude from 8% in the crop area to 58% in the upper part of the catena. Low values of stemflow were associated with potatoes and maize annual short-cycle crops while high values were associated with the natural vegetation. For cultivated crops rainwater interception by stemflow delayed the soil surface crusting and runoff process. This study shows that rainwater interception by vegetation is of great importance for soil water recharge in these Andisols.


Introduction: Recently, some authors have described high definition liposuction in the abdominal region, achieved by the vigorous marking of the grooves of the linea alba, linea semilunaris, and transverse tendinous intersections within the rectus abdominis muscle. The aim is to present a pilot study of high-definition abdominal liposuction technique using conventional material and silicone tubing in the dressings . Methods: Twenty cases were submitted to conventional liposuction, followed by superficial liposuction under the linea alba, linea semilunaris, and tendinous intersections, until a groove was formed at these sites. Flexible silicone tubing was externally fixed with Micropore tape in the linea alba, bilateral linea semilunaris, and tendinous intersections, and removed after 5 days. Results: A mean increase of 20 minutes was required to perform these steps. The marks of the silicone tubing were evident at the first follow-up, and less prominent at the second follow-up. No color change, ischemia, or significant pain was observed using this technique. After 3 months, there were no cases of dermatitis, cutis marmorata, seroma, infection, contour irregularity or need for additional procedures. Conclusion: High-definition abdominal liposuction was performed using conventional materials and externally fixed temporary silicone tubing.


This article first describes two studies previously published in English (Lyster, 2004; Lyster & Izquierdo, 2009) and then synthesizes their results to discuss how research setting and participants' age interact to differentially influence the effects of different types of corrective feedback. Both studies investigated the effects of form-focused instruction delivered in tandem with different types of corrective feedback on the acquisition of grammatical gender by classroom learners of French as a second language. Participants in Study 1 were eight classes of 179 French immersion students in Grade 5, while participants in Study 2 were two classes of 25 undergraduate students enrolled in a post-secondary intermediate-level French course. In both studies, classroom teachers provided form-focused instruction designed to draw attention to selected noun endings that reliably predict grammatical gender and also provided two different feedback treatments (recasts or prompts). Analyses of pretest, immediate-posttest, and delayed-posttest results showed a significant increase in the ability of students in both studies exposed to form-focused instruction to correctly assign grammatical gender. In the classroom study, however, child learners in French immersion classes benefited more from prompts than recasts, whereas in the lab study, university-level adult learners benefited equally from both prompts and recasts.


OBJECTIVES: To characterize the epidemiology of genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in children without previous consensual sexual activity, comparing HPV prevalence by certainty of child sexual abuse (CSA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients presenting for evaluation of CSA in 8 sites in Atlanta, Houston, Harrisburg, and New York City were recruited along with patients presenting for unrelated health visits. CSA certainty was classified as definite, probable, possible, or no evidence following published guidelines and the results of history, physical examination, and laboratory tests. Urine and swabs of external genitalia were tested for HPV using L1 consensus polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The study included 576 participants (89.9% female) aged 6 months to 13 years (mean: 7.9); 534 of whom were evaluated for CSA and 42 for unrelated reasons. Of those evaluated for CSA, 14 had genital warts. One or more HPV types were detected in 11.8% (61 of 517) of participants with adequate samples. HPV detection was more likely among abused participants (definite, probable, or possible) than among participants without evidence of CSA (13.7% and 1.3%, respectively; P < .0001) and increased with certainty of abuse (8.4%, 15.6%, and 14.5% in participants with possible, probable, and definite CSA, respectively; P < .0001). Participants aged 10 years or older had a higher prevalence of HPV (20.6%) than others (5.6%) (P < .0001). CSA, anogenital warts, and age were independently associated with HPV detection. CONCLUSIONS: HPV detection was associated with CSA and increased with CSA certainty. In this population, genital HPV seemed to behave as a sexually transmitted infection.


In this paper we examine the potential of combining 2D shape packing algorithms and evolutionary methods in the design process. We investigate the ways such algorithms can be used in architectural design and how they may influence it. In the first part of this paper we introduce the theoretical framework of packing algorithms and genetic algorithms as well as the traditional design process and the nature of design problems. In the second part of the paper we introduce a software prototype that tests these algorithms in two contexts: the preliminary design of a shading facade pattern and the design of commercial housing layouts. The aim for both experiments was to generate optimal configurations based on user-defined criteria without resorting to exhaustive search. Several lessons were learned that point to the potential of evolutionary methods in architecture as well as the limitations of such methods. We conclude the paper with recommendations for further developing this research project.


Within the complex and competitive semiconductor manufacturing industry, lot cycle time (CT) remains one of the key performance indicators. Its reduction is of strategic importance as it contributes to cost decreasing, time-to-market shortening, faster fault detection, achieving throughput targets, and improving production-resource scheduling. To reduce CT, we suggest and investigate a data-driven approach that identifies key factors and predicts their impact on CT. In our novel approach, we first identify the most influential factors using conditional mutual information maximization, and then apply the selective naive Bayesian classifier (SNBC) for further selection of a minimal, most discriminative key-factor set for CT prediction. Applied to a data set representing a simulated fab, our SNBC-based approach improves the accuracy of CT prediction in nearly 40% while narrowing the list of factors from 182 to 20. It shows comparable accuracy to those of other machine learning and statistical models, such as a decision tree, a neural network, and multinomial logistic regression. Compared to them, our approach also demonstrates simplicity and interpretability, as well as speedy and efficient model training. This approach could be implemented relatively easily in the fab promoting new insights to the process of wafer fabrication.


For over a hundred years, the lighting industry has primarily been driven by illumination aesthetics, energy efficiency and product cost with little consideration of the effects of light on health. The recent widespread replacement of traditional light sources by blue-enriched LED lights has heightened concerns about the disruption of the blue-sensitive human circadian system by these LED lights and their impact on the multiple health disorders linked to circadian disruption. Despite these health concerns, less than 0.5% of the lighting sold today modifies spectral content and intensity between day and night. We report that 248 scientists, with a total of 2,697 peer-reviewed publications on light and circadian clocks since 2008, reached consensus on 25 statements about the impact of light on circadian rhythms and health based on accumulated scientific evidence, including support for the widespread introduction of circadian lighting and warning labels on blue-enriched LED lights indicating they "maybe harmful if used at night".


The public forum doctrine protects a right of access - "First Amendment easements" - to streets and parks and other traditional places for public expression. It is well known that the doctrine was articulated by the Supreme Court in a series of cases in the 1930s and 1940s. Lesser known are the historical circumstances that surrounded its creation. Critics believed that in a modern world where the mass media dominated public discourse - where the soap box orator and pamphleteer had been replaced by the radio and mass circulation newspaper - mass communications had undermined the possibility of widespread participation in politics, public life, and democratic "public discussion." The public forum doctrine was one response to this concern. This paper describes the development of the public forum doctrine in the context of a larger story about the nation's efforts in this period to come to terms with its first modern crisis of communication. This crisis was precipitated by a growing public perception of a fundamental contradiction of mass communications. Without the mass media, a culturally diverse and geographically dispersed public could not communicate across social and spatial boundaries. At the same time, the mass media undermined the public's ability to communicate meaningfully. The street-corner preacher and town square speaker could not compete with the mass media for a public audience. Poor and disfavored groups could not use the media to express their views, and media owners skewed the news to suit their political interests. This crisis of communication spawned a national debate on the meaning of freedom of speech under the new system of modern mass communications - radio, motion pictures, and mass publishing. The rise of media empires in the 1930s demonstrated how an unregulated press could dominate public discourse, distort public opinion and quash the expression of non-media speakers. Intellectuals and activists on the left offered a theory of the First Amendment as an affirmative state obligation to provide the public with the means to carry out public discussion. This "public forum movement" argued that the state must compel privately-owned media to facilitate the speech of non-media speakers and itself provide alternative means of communication to those unable to access the mass media - it must create "public forums" on the radio, in print journalism, and in public space. A broadcast reform effort in the 1930s pressured the Federal Communications Commission to use its licensing authority to compel radio station owners to present diverse views on public affairs and to represent the interests of minority groups. There were similar, ultimately unsuccessful campaigns to turn newspapers into public forums through right of access laws and balanced content requirements enforced by the state. The public forum doctrine similarly reflected an emerging awareness of the link between material and communicative inequalities in the mass media age. Because average citizens could not access the mass media to express their interests and views, the Court concluded, freedom of speech protects a right to reach a public audience in the streets, commons, and parks.


We determined the mutant fractions (MF) and mutational specificities in the cII gene in histologically confirmed normal, non-involved and tumor mammary tissues of female transgenic (Big Blue F344 x Sprague-Dawley)F1 rats treated with the environmental pollutant 6-nitrochrysene (6-NC). At 30 days of age, three groups were set up for oral treatment with 6-NC dissolved in trioctanoin, or trioctanoin alone once a week for 8 weeks. Two dose levels of 6-NC (100 and 200 micromol/rat) were selected on the basis of our previous carcinogenicity bioassays with CD rats. The rats were decapitated 32 weeks after the last carcinogen dose. Both incidence and multiplicity of mammary adenocarcinomas were significantly elevated in the high dose (36%, 0.57, P < 0.01) group but at the low dose these outcomes (16%, 0.23, P < 0.1) were not significantly different from those of control rats (3%, 0.03). The MF in normal, non-involved and tumor tissues from the mammary glands of 6-NC-treated rats were comparable. At the high and low doses, respectively (4.8 +/- 2.0, 3.2 +/- 2.1) the MF of 6-NC-treated rats, were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that observed in control rats (1.2 +/- 0.6). Control mutants consisted primarily of GC --> AT transitions, whereas 6-NC-induced mutants were comprised of several major classes of mutations with GC --> TA, GC --> CG, AT --> GC and AT --> TA as the most prevalent. Further studies indicated that the structures of 6-NC-DNA adducts in the mammary tissue are consistent with the mutational specificities. This is the first report that defines the relationship between carcinogenesis and mutagenesis, as well as between structures of 6-NC-DNA adducts and mutation characteristics in the target organ in vivo.


Henry Vaughan's Silex scintillans (1650 and 1655), a collection of 129 devotional poems, is essentially an imaginative account of the poet's spiritual regeneration. Vaughan lived at a time when traditions were threatened by the rising tides of rationalism and materialism; an authoritarian and hierarchical pattern of life was shattered by the tumultuous Civil War in the 1640's. Inspired by the example and guided by the poetry of George Herbert, Vaughan abandoned secular verse and chose to counter the multiplicity and confusion of an increasingly godless age with the unity and order of his own private world of religious poetry, a world fully imbued with the divine presence. Although the influence of Herbert's The Temple may explain much about Vaughan's predilection for certain formal characteristics and something of his partiality for homely imagery and highly Biblical English, it is in the very finest achievements in Silex scintillans--such as "The Morning-watch", "The Night", and "Unprofitablenes"--that Vaughan stands most firmly upon his own considerable poetic abilities. -- Vaughan's personal afflictions and the collective misfortunes of the unsettled times moved him to action only after his sensitivity was sharpened by the dawn of religious consciousness. The extreme tension between the worlds of matter and of the spirit, revealed to Vaughan by his new awareness, provides not only a fruitful subject but also appears in the contrasting nature of the symbolism of light and darkness, which in almost every poem modifies the imagery. Vaughan's important images are taken from external nature and are in themselves constant throughout Silex scintillans. But because a poem is a composition of images which stand as a manifestation of the poet's subjective impressions of reality as perceived as a particular time, the metaphorical implications of Vaughan's images grow proportionately to his developing attitudes. -- A study of the relationship of imagery, prosody, and meaning in Silex scintillans suggests that Vaughan's collection has perhaps a more subtle but certainly no less valid unity than that in The Temple. As a work entire and sufficient in itself, Silex scintillans owes its continuity to a configuration of images ordered about the central metaphors of the divine spark, the spiritual pilgrimage, and the ultimate union with God who is Light. A careful consideration of representative pieces in parts I and II (originally published, respectively, in 1650 and 1655) indicates that the greatest of Vaughan's poetic achievements, when he attains it, is the felicitous articulation of sound and meaning which produces a whole so very much more grand in the experience of it than the sum of contributive elements seem to warrant. part I is the product of an immutable faith in battle with a recalcitrant will; in Part II, Vaughan's state of mind is such that there is no doubt that the conflict is finished and that the city of palms is in sight.


The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), was associated with symptoms of a silverleaf disorder of acorn squash (Cucurbita pepo L. cvs. Table King Bush and Table Ace) in cage studies in the greenhouse. Symptoms appeared on un- infested leaves that developed after plants were infested with the whitefly. When the infested lower leaves were removed and the young leaves protected from infestation with insecticides, new growth was asymptomatic or nearly so and symptomatic leaves remained symptomatic. Symptom expression was related more to nymphal density than to adult density since the relationship between log nymph density and symptoms was linear when adult densities were equal.


Popular perceptions about the recidivism of homicide offenders are contradictory, varying from one extreme – that such offenders rarely commit further violent offences – to the opposite, where it is thought that they remain at a high risk of serious reoffending. The present study draws on the records of 1088 persons arrested in Western Australia over the period 1984–2005 for domestic murders and other types of homicides (robbery and sexual murder), including attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, manslaughter (unintentional homicide) and driving causing death. Our database provides up to 22 years follow-up time (for those arrested in 1984) and accounts critically for the first and any subsequent arrests, if they occur. Of the 1088 persons, only 3 were subsequently arrested and charged with a homicide offence event in the follow-up period. Among those arrested for a murder and subsequently released, we estimate a probability of 0.66 (accounting for censoring) of being rearrested for another offence of any type. The corresponding probabilities for those originally arrested for manslaughter or for driving causing death were equal, at 0.43. A dynamic analysis of the longitudinal data by survival analysis techniques is used to reliably estimate these probabilities. Having a prior record increased the risk of re-arrest; for example male non-Aboriginals arrested for murder with at least one prior arrest have an estimated probability of 0.72 of being rearrested for another offence of any type. Their estimated probability of being rearrested for another serious offence was 0.33. These findings should be of interest to courts and correctional agencies in assessing risk at various stages of the administration of criminal justice.


Abstract Background It is a common experience for reconstructive surgeons to feel the necessity for large flaps and minimal donor-site morbidity at the same time. In the reported cases where we felt this call intraoperatively, we have met our need by applying the "propeller concept" to fasciocutaneous or composite flaps, separating and rotating its different tissue components. Methods We present a series of five cases in which we separated and rotated diversely fascial and cutaneous components of free perforator flaps to enhance the extension of the flap or to tailor it better on the tissue gap for optimal functional and aesthetic results. We also propose a simple nomenclature system for rotation angles' definition, summarized as the "clock flap" classification, where the different components of the flap represent the arms of a clock which has the main vessel axis on the 12–6 line. Results All reconstructive procedures succeeded with only minor complications. No partial failure due to vessel rotations was noticed. Conclusion Applying "propeller style" rotations to different components of free flaps seems to be a safe procedure which may help maximize flap performance in terms of coverage of the recipient site, while minimizing scars and impairment of the donor site. Also, the proposed nomenclature gives the opportunity to record and compare surgical procedures for statistical analysis.


PURPOSE
The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of 13N-ammonia positron emission tomography (PET) myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) on clinical decision making and its cost-effectiveness.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
One hundred consecutive patients (28 women, 72 men; mean age 60.9 +/- 12.0 years; range 24-85 years) underwent 13N-ammonia PET scanning (and computed tomography, used only for attenuation correction) to assess myocardial perfusion in patients with known (n = 79) or suspected (n = 8) coronary artery disease (CAD), or for suspected small-vessel disease (SVD; n = 13). Before PET, the referring physician was asked to determine patient treatment if PET would not be available. Four weeks later, PET patient management was reassessed for each patient individually.

RESULTS
Before PET management strategies would have been: diagnostic angiography (62 of 100 patients), diagnostic angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; 6 of 100), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG; 3 of 100), transplantation (1 of 100), or conservative medical treatment (28 of 100). After PET scanning, treatment strategies were altered in 78 patients leading to: diagnostic angiography (0 of 100), PCI (20 of 100), CABG (3 of 100), transplantation (1 of 100), or conservative medical treatment (76 of 100). Patient management followed the recommendations of PET findings in 97% of the cases. Cost-effectiveness analysis revealed lower costs of 206/patient as a result of PET scanning.

CONCLUSION
In a population with a high prevalence of known CAD, PET is cost-effective and has an important impact on patient management.


Microvirga lotononidis is a recently described rhizobial species within the Methylobacteriaceae that is an effective nitrogen-[N2] fixing microsymbiont of the symbiotically specific African crotalarioid legume Listia angolensis. M. lotononidis possesses several properties that are unusual in root nodule bacteria, including pigmentation and the ability to grow at temperatures of up to 45 °C. The high-quality-draft genome sequence of M. lotononidis strain WSM3557T was recently determined. Here we describe the features of WSM3557T, together with genome sequence information and annotation. The genome is 7,082,538 nucleotides with 63.08% G + C content. It is comprised of 18 scaffolds of 104 contigs with a total of 7036 genes, 6952 of which are protein encoding and 84 RNA-only encoding genes. WSM3557T possesses a multipartite genome, consisting of a chromosome and four plasmids. Genes encoding lipo-chitooligosaccharide Nod factors are present. The symbiotic regions of the genome have a mosaic structure, with large numbers of transposases, integrases, recombinases and inactivated derivatives present. Genes for nodulation and nitrogen fixation [nod, nif and fix genes] are clustered together on several scaffolds. Elements of several types of secretion systems have been identified, including a general (type I) system with a remarkably large number of genes [36] predicted to encode exported RTX toxins and related Ca2+-binding proteins, a putative type III secretion system and a putative type IV conjugal transfer system. These and other general features of the WSM3557 genome will be presented.


This study evaluated the effects of image pansharpening on Vegetation Indices (VIs), and found that pansharpening was able to downscale single-date and multi-temporal Landsat 8 VI data without introducing significant distortions in VI values. Four fast pansharpening methods—Fast Intensity-Hue-Saturation (FIHS), Brovey Transform (BT), Additive Wavelet Transform (AWT), and Smoothing Filter-based Intensity Modulation (SFIM)—and two VIs—Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Simple Ratio (SR)—were tested. The NDVI and SR formulas were both found to cause some spatial information loss in the pansharpened multispectral (MS) bands, and this spatial information loss from VI transformations was not specific to Landsat 8 imagery (it will occur for any type of imagery). BT, SFIM, and other similar pansharpening methods that inject spatial information from the panchromatic (Pan) band by multiplication, lose all of the injected spatial information after the VI calculations. FIHS, AWT, and other similar pansharpening methods that inject spatial information by addition, lose some spatial information from the Pan band after VI calculations as well. Nevertheless, for all of the single- and multi-date VI images, the FIHS and AWT pansharpened images were more similar to the higher resolution reference data than the unsharpened VI images were, indicating that pansharpening was effective in downscaling the VI data. FIHS best enhanced the spectral and spatial information of the single-date and multi-date VI images, followed by AWT, and neither significantly over- or under-estimated VI values.


Extracted from text ... July 2005 11
PENSIONS
British pensioners
unite!
By STEVEN JONES
ARE you currently receiving a
British state pension, or about to
receive one? Read on.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the then
South African Government made it
very attractive for Britons to emigrate
to South Africa. Whilst the
drive from Government at the time
was ostensibly to bring much-needed
skills into the country, it is no
small coincidence that the wave of
new immigrants from Britain consisted
almost entirely of white people.
However, leaving aside the
political considerations of the day,
for many of those Britons making
South Africa ..


Optimism is mounting for the existence of intermediate mass black holes (IMBH), which occupy the mass spectrum somewhere between the stellar-mass and supermassive varieties. IMBH are naturally predicted by theoretical stellar and black hole evolution models, but the strong attention to them began only recently with the discovery of ultraluminous x-ray sources (ULX). If isotropic and accreting normally, ULX have luminosities tens to thousands of times greater than the Eddington luminosity of a neutron star or stellar-mass black hole. A standard interpretation of their x-ray flux implies that they are powered by IMBH. On the other hand, they may be stellar-mass black holes that are beamed or emit anisotropically. Therefore, the exact nature of ULX is highly controversial. ULX are common in starburst galaxies. At a distance of only 3 Mpc, NGC 253 is bright, nearby, and one of the best-studied starburst galaxies. Approximately 50 distinct x-ray point sources are detected in or near the plane of the galaxy. At least six of these are ULX, with luminosities greater than 10 times that expected for a stellar-mass, accreting compact object. We present new Chandra data from an 80 ksec observation of NGC 253 obtained in 2003 that provides high quality spectra of these sources. Comparing the 1999 and 2003 Chandra observations, the sources have varied significantly over the course of four years, with one of the ULX disappearing completely. The ULX spectra are similar to black-hole XRBs and at least one appears to possess an iron K line. We will discuss what insight these data provide for the nature of ULX in NGC 253 .


We report measurements of the linear electro-optic coefficients of temperature- and/or static-electric-field-poled bulk fused silica. The values for r31 and r33 are 0.1 ± 0.03 and 0.3 ± 0.1 pm/V, respectively, in agreement with extrapolations from measured second-harmonic generation coefficients. Measurements were performed by use of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer with LiNbO3 as a reference material.


In October, 1995, 3,565 head of freshly weaned, British-breed calves were received into a weaning facility in southwest Nebraska. Calves were determined to be preconditioned if they had received both viral an d Pasteurella vaccines prior to weaning (PREWEAN; n = 2,315), and all other calves were considered to have no preconditioning (CRTL; n = 1,250). Cattle were processed within 24 hours of arrival, and booster vaccinations were given when appropriate. Average days on feed at the weaning facility were similar between PREWEAN and CTRL calves (52.4 and 50.3 days, respectively), but average daily gain (2.24 vs 1.87 kb) and cost per lb of gain ($.64 vs $.81) were improved (P<.01) for PREWEAN. Processing ($7.48 vs $9.10/hd) and medicine costs ($1.39 vs $5.27/hd) were lower (P<.01) for PREWEAN calves during the weaning phase. Only 10.6% of the PREWEAN calves were treated for sickness, whereas 34.7% of the CTRL calves were treated a t least once (P<.01). Mortality tended to be lower for PREWEAN calves compared to CTRL calves, although it was low for both groups (.26% v s .48%, respectively). The average total cost per head was similar for PREWEAN and CTRL calves ($73.62 vs $72.79, respectively). Theoretical breakevens reflected lower costs and increased performance in PREWEAN cattle . These results suggest that producers should get a return on their money invested in preconditioning programs that include protection against IBR, BVD, PI3, BRSV, and Pasteurella.


Objective: To examine health service delivery in a Canadian province (British Columbia) to consider how Canadian health care services might be developed to best address the large number of individuals with mildly to moderately severe depressive illnesses. Method: We used provincial administrative data to describe patterns of medical services provided to individuals suffering from depression during 3 different time periods (1991–1992, 1995–1996, and 2000–2001) and to determine the frequency with which depression patients receive treatment from primary care physicians and psychiatrists. We then used these findings to consider the feasibility and potential applicability of the various approaches that have been described to decrease the burden of disease related to depression. Results: In the fiscal year 1991–1992, the "treated prevalence" rate was 7.7%; in 1995–1996, it was 8.7%; and in 2000–2001, it was 9.5%. In each cohort over the 10-year period, the proportion of individuals who received a diagnosis of depression and who were then treated by primary care physicians alone (no psychiatric services were provided) remained constant at 92%. Conclusions: Supported self-management is identified as a promising intervention that could be integrated into primary health care within the context of the Canadian health care system. It constitutes a feasible and practical approach to enhance the role of family physicians in the delivery of services to individuals with milder forms of depression and promotes the active engagement of individuals in their recovery and in prevention of future episodes.


This paper presents a fuzzy multiple-reference-model generator-based Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC) framework for controlling systems that perform a wide range of operating conditions. Following a rule base, the Fuzzy Logic Switching Scheme (FLSS) effectively monitors changes in operating conditions or such drastic changes in plant parameters, and generates a fuzzified reference model output. Then, a single adaptive controller forces the plant output to track the reference, even when plant mode changes. The proposed fuzzy switching Multiple Reference Model Adaptive Controller (MRMAC) is effective as well as feasible for online application, monitoring the plant output at selected control intervals. Unlike static multiple-model algorithms for switching (individual model-based filters do not interact) or switching dynamic algorithms (which are susceptible to numerical overflow), this scheme provides an interactive multiple model generator with soft switching. The strength of the scheme is demonstrated by an application to a theoretical system with disturbed model parameters and for the position tracking of a single-link manipulator. Investigation results show that the proposed scheme performs very positively at different operating modes.


We examine the current status of greenhouse gas inventories of the sector Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF), in European countries, with specific focus on the utilization of National Forest Inventory (NFI) programs. LULUCF inventory is an integral part of the reporting obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol. The analysis is based on two questionnaires prepared by the COST Action E43 "Harmonisation of National Forest Inventories in Europe", which were answered by greenhouse gas reporting experts in European countries. The following major conclusions can be drawn from the analysis: 1) definitions used to obtain carbon pool change estimates vary widely among countries and are not directly comparable 2) NFIs play a key role for LULUCF greenhouse gas estimation and reporting under UNFCCC, and provide the fundamental data needed for the estimation of carbon stock changes covering not only living biomass, but increasingly also deadwood, litter and soil compartments. The study highlights the effects of adopting different definitions for two major reporting processes, namely UNFCCC and FAO, and exemplifies the effect of different tree diameter thresholds on carbon stock change estimates for Finland. The results demonstrate that more effort is needed to harmonize forest inventory estimates for the purpose of making the estimates of forest carbon pool changes comparable. This effort should lead to a better utilization of the data from the European NFI programs and improve the European greenhouse gas reporting.


This article investigates a lost ideal—citizen participation in health policy. We begin by mapping the different types of participation. We then suggest what direct citizen action has achieved in the past, why it ought to be restored today, and how we might go about reviving it. A changing social environment—marked by globalization, immigration, a culture war, and managed care—could be addressed by robust, local, democratic health reforms. Finally, we contrast the top-down health sector with education and crime policies that take communities far more seriously.


Named-Data Networking (NDN) is proposed as an approach to evolve the Internet infrastructure from a host- to an information-centric (ICN) approach, which is better suited to the current usage of the Internet. However, the deployment of a global NDN-based Internet is still a long way out of reach. The most likely scenario for a global NDN network will be the one based on NDN 'islands' or domains, where interior forwarding and routing of packets is based on NDN principles. The interconnection of NDN domains involves human configuration to set up IP tunnels, implying an unscalable, tedious and error-prone process resulting in static configuration incapable of reacting to ad-hoc requirements or network changes. Leveraging the flexibility of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) can solve aforementioned problems. Due to its dynamic nature, SDN can automatically recognize an NDN service and instruct switches to set up the configuration for actual service deployment. Such a solution significantly eases the deployment of NDN networks. In this paper, we propose a hybrid solution where we combine Software-Defined Networking, more specifically OpenFlow, and eBPF to perform control plane configuration and data plane programmability respectively, to realize connectivity within and across NDN domains. To do so, we have designed eBPF filters that match on NDN traffic, extended the OpenFlow protocol to configure switch data planes with these match filters and enhanced an OpenFlow switch to act accordingly. Our OpenFlow controller written for Ryu performs routing on NDN names and configures switches correspondingly. Additionally, our controller detects NDN domains and sets up IP tunnels between them. Our evaluation shows that our proof-of-concept on, among others, the SciNet testbed autoconfigures an NDN network, successfully providing end-to-end NDN network functionality across multiple domains.


Background— Percutaneous epicardial access and mapping/ablation of cardiac arrhythmias are being increasingly performed. Although complications such as pericardial effusion are relatively common, other unusual complications may occur due to the complex anatomic architecture of the heart and surrounding tissues. In this report, we report a series of rare and unusual complications related to percutaneous epicardial procedures. Methods and Results— Between 2006 and 2011, 334 patients underwent attempts at percutaneous, subxiphoid access for epicardial mapping/ablation at 5 experienced centers. Seven selected complications are highlighted in this case series. Patient 1 had a 1-cm right ventricular pseudoaneurysm after several unsuccessful attempts at epicardial access. This was successfully managed conservatively. Patient 2 had intra-abdominal bleeding related to puncture of the left lobe of the liver during access that required surgical repair. Patient 3 had a subcapsular hepatic hematoma that was probably related to percutaneous access and was successfully managed conservatively. Patient 4 had severe pericardial bleeding followed by ventricular fibrillation, immediately after obtaining percutaneous epicardial access. A lacerated middle cardiac vein was repaired surgically. However, the patient ultimately died of complications. Patient 5 had a history of cardiothoracic surgery and developed a right ventricle-abdominal fistula after multiple attempts at percutaneous access. This was surgically repaired without major sequelae. Patient 6 had cardiac tamponade caused by a lacerated coronary sinus branch during epicardial catheter ablation and required surgical repair. Patient 7 had severe left coronary vasospasm and ventricular fibrillation during catheter manipulation in the pericardium. This complication was successfully managed with intracoronary nitrates. Conclusions— Though generally safe, percutaneous epicardial access and mapping/ablation can result in uncommon complications. Awareness of these rare complications may facilitate early detection and successful management.


Through-wall imaging (TWI) is important from the point of view of rescue operations and surveillance. Several researchers have been working in this field but have still not obtained any concrete results. TWI using narrow band radar faces the problem of low resolution whereas ultra-wideband (UWB) radar provides better resolution, classification and low loss for the imaging signals. TWI faces many challenges in collecting the scattered electromagnetic fields from objects located behind the wall and also in processing the data in order to detect, locate and image the object. One of the important factors for achieving a high-quality image is to use clutter reduction techniques so that clutter as well as false target detection can be minimized. Therefore, in this paper, an attempt has been made to develop a clutter reduction technique for TWI in the UWB range for target detection. For this purpose, an experiment has been carried out with a TWI system in the UWB range for determination of the target position and size along with the development of the signal processing technique to minimize the clutter. A singular value decomposition (SVD) algorithm has been applied for clutter reduction. Encouraging results have been obtained from a metallic target behind a plywood wall of thickness 12 mm and a brick wall of thickness 110 mm. Application of the SVD approach provides a powerful technique for minimizing clutter and false detection for the TWI system in the UWB range. The position of the target behind the wall is predicted quite accurately by taking into account the propagation speed of waves through-walls. The approximate size of the target is also predicted successfully.


By including local knowledge, integrated fire management is sustaining an ancestral practice for reducing forest fires and conserving ecosystems. In private areas, however, it is necessary to develop programmes that include land owners, and to evaluate ways of expanding the proposed system. Reintroducing integrated fire management in the Cerrado has brought new tools and technologies that improve planning and implementation. Investment in research and development must be continuous, in order to advance technologically, and to train technicians, traditional communities and land owners. And it remains essential to reconcile new technologies and methodologies with traditional knowledge about fire management


The balance between civil and military structures is central to understanding the development of Georgian statehood since the beginning of the 20th century. The first modern independent Georgian state was established after the 1917 Russian Revolution. The Democratic Republic of Georgia declared its independence in May 1918. In February 1921, the young republic was incorporated into the Soviet state and had no separate army of its own. Since regaining its independence in 1991, Georgia has experienced multiple administrations, and despite significantly different policies on the military, the overall pattern has been one of civilian (though not always democratic) control. Georgian militias and paramilitaries, between 1918 and 1921 and again between 1991 and 1995, played important roles in determining political power at times of revolutionary or constitutional crises. Since 1991 there have been three presidents - Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Eduard Shevardnadze, and Mikheil Saakashvili - with strong executive authority. In 2013, the position of president was made semi-ceremonial and a prime-ministerial system was instituted. Since 2013, there have been multiple prime ministers. Bidzina Ivanishvili was the first and the most powerful. All of Georgia's leaders have shifted from a Soviet to pro-Western orientation. Since the second half of the 1990s, the relationship with NATO has grown closer, which has had a major impact on the structure of the Georgian armed forces and on their relationship with Georgia's civil authorities. The 2008 war with Russia had a major impact on the Georgian military, and, since then, the level of professionalization of the Georgian armed forces has increased dramatically. Samuel Huntington, Eric Nordlinger, and other Western students of civil-military relations have pointed to the important balance required between civil and military authorities for a stable democracy. Georgia still displays continuing features of nepotism, clientelism, corruption, and dominant political personalities, which has significant consequences for the independence of the Georgian military and for civil-military relations more generally. Western states such as the United States and Germany, and international organizations like NATO continue to urge reform and provide training to the Georgian armed forces


Surveys were conducted over a four year period to assess the abundance of sharks at various remote coral reefs in the Western Indian Ocean, including the Jeddah region of the Red Sea; the isolated islands of Bassas da India, Europa and Aldabra; and the southern three atolls of the Maldives. Two methods were used: direct observation (UVS) by SCUBA divers following chumming, and Baited Remote Underwater Videocameras (BRUVs). Combined these recorded some 795 sharks of 11 different species. Three findings were notable: i) in some locations, especially those receiving more effective protection, medium-sized sharks such as blacktip reef shark, Carcharhinus melanopterus, and grey reef shark, Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, were relatively abundant, with the main species observed probably depending on habitat factors, such as the presence of extensive lagoons and channels; but ii) shark community composition varied considerably between areas, with for example blacktip reef shark being most abundant at Aldabra, and Galapagos shark, Carcharhinus galapagensis, most abundant at Bassas da India; nevertheless iii) in all locations the largest predatory sharks such as tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier, appeared either scarce or absent, potentially a consequence of their wide-ranging movements combined with shark fishing activities in adjacent areas.


Targeted delivery of an active ingredient to plant systems required extensive studies in areas of soil mobility, plant root adhesion and encapsulation. To accomplish the aims of mobility and adhesion to roots, specific surface charges and colloidal forces are required. These charges are required to provide sufficient repulsive forces preventing adhesion to soil and attractive forces allowing adhesion to roots. To accomplish the aims of synthesising colloids for mobility, adhesion and also encapsulation we formed a specific strategy. We aimed to increase the anionic surface charge on colloidal nanoparticles as a means to aid mobility studies of colloids through soil by providing increased repulsive forces to prevent adhesion to both air interfaces and soil. We also designed a way to decorate colloidal nanoparticles with microgel particles thus forming a soft adhesive surface layer with which further functionality could be incorporated i.e. surface charges. Finally we designed a simple methodology for the encapsulation of oil with post functionalisation in mind.

We synthesised colloidal nanoparticles, less than 200 nm, using soap-free emulsion polymerisation of styrene where up to 50 wt% of protected ethyl styrene sulphonate monomer was incorporated. The nanoparticles were hydrolysed to release the sulphonic charge using thermolysis in an autoclave. Soap-free emulsion polymerisation was used to synthesise raspberry-like and core-shell morphology decorated nanoparticles by the adhesion of crosslinked nanogel particles to a range of hydrophobic and hydrophilic seeds. Poly(acrylic) and poly(styrenic) seeds were synthesised with a range of hydrophobicities whereby more decoration of nanogel particles was achieved for hydrophilic seeds. The nanogel decoration was studied using di-, tri- and multi-functional acrylates and the morphologies changed from raspberry-like to core-shell as the functionality of the crosslinker increased. The presence of Vinyl functional groups was proved using Raman microscopy. Post functionalisation with different thiols was carried out using nucleophilic thiol-Michael addition chemistry and a loss of vinyl groups was shown. Encapsulation of aromatic oil was carried out using an interfacial thiol-Michael addition reaction between a tetra- functional thiol and a penta-/hexa- functional ene using an amine nucleophilic catalyst. A microfluidic device was used to control the capsule sizes and dispersity and light microscopy was used to study capsule sizes and dry-down properties. No rupture was observed for the millimetre and microcapsules produced but unfortunately size scale-down could not be accomplished for the current system using high shear homogenisation.

In conclusion we increased the loading of sulphonate charge for colloidal poly(styrene) nanoparticles and we successfully increased the surface area of styrenic and acrylic seed nanoparticles using nanogel particle adhesion. We post functionalised decorated nanoparticles using thiol-Michael addition reactions and synthesised capsules using thiol-Michael addition reactions confined in a microfluidic device.


Shanghai's urban environmental management in the past three decades has been focused primarily on the environmental problems at the intra-urban level. While this 'end of pipe' approach greatly mitigated domestic and industrial pollution, progresses were much slower in dealing with environmental impacts both at a smaller (i.e., those related to people's daily activities) scale and at a larger (i.e., those related to inter-urban/regional or global issues) scale. Urban environmental management policies in Shanghai and China should prioritize and address urban environmental impacts at continuous geographic scales to achieve long-term 'triple bottom line' sustainability.


Objective To determine the frequency of survival, stroke, atrial fibrillation, structural valve deterioration, and length of hospital stay after surgical replacement of an aortic valve (SAVR) with a bioprosthetic valve in patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Data sources Medline, Embase, PubMed (non-Medline records only), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Cochrane CENTRAL from 2002 to June 2016. Study selection Eligible observational studies followed patients after SAVR with a bioprosthetic valve for at least two years. Methods Reviewers, independently and in duplicate, evaluated study eligibility, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias for patient important outcomes. We used the GRADE system to quantify absolute effects and quality of evidence. Published survival curves provided data for survival and freedom from structural valve deterioration, and random effect models provided the framework for estimates of pooled incidence rates of stroke, atrial fibrillation, and length of hospital stay. Results In patients undergoing SAVR with a bioprosthetic valve, median survival was 16 years in those aged 65 or less, 12 years in those aged 65 to 75, seven years in those aged 75 to 85, and six years in those aged more than 85. The incidence rate of stroke was 0.25 per 100 patient years (95% confidence interval 0.06 to 0.54) and atrial fibrillation 2.90 per 100 patient years (1.78 to 4.79). Post-SAVR, freedom from structural valve deterioration was 94.0% at 10 years, 81.7% at 15 years, and 52% at 20 years, and mean length of hospital stay was 12 days (95% confidence interval 9 to 15). Conclusion Patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis undergoing SAVR with a bioprosthetic valve can expect only slightly lower survival than those without aortic stenosis, and a low incidence of stroke and, up to 10 years, of structural valve deterioration. The rate of deterioration increases rapidly after 10 years, and particularly after 15 years.


Soldier crabs are challenging marine organisms to sample as they do not fit neatly into established faunal behavioural categories. Information on the soldier crab life cycle, ichnological products, and behaviour is a prerequisite to designing appropriate sampling, involving the consideration of the study objective (what to sample), temporal factors (when to sample), spatial factors (where to sample) and sampling method (how to sample). Largely infaunal for most of their life cycle, soldier crabs may be relatively sessile or quite vagile within the substrate, and epifaunal (emergent) for late stages of their life cycle. They also exhibit population partitioning, based on sex and size classes (when there are mixed cohorts); for example, it is mostly adult males that emerge in swarms, and mainly females and juveniles that remain in the subsurface. This behaviour has implications for studies of population dynamics that involve abundance, population structure, and sex ratios. To date, there has been emphasis on sampling while the crabs are emergent (forming so called "armies", or surface swarms), with the assumption that the whole population emerges. When infaunal and mobile, soldier crabs also present challenges to sampling in that they can vary in abundance laterally and vertically in a short time, and they can respond to prolonged sampling, or to researcher-induced perturbations during sampling, by burrowing downwards to avoid being collected (resulting in potentially spurious data with respect to their depth of occurrence and abundance). The complexity in behaviour of soldier crabs, the partitioning of populations, and the response to sampling have not been addressed to date by researchers elsewhere whereas it is an important component in the design of sampling methods.


Abstract Objective: Dietary pattern analysis constitutes a suitable method for identifying complex food preferences as well as a useful tool for comparing dietary behaviour across individual populations. In addition to a lack of information on Central European dietary patterns, dietary data featuring a longitudinal aspect are likewise largely unavailable for the region. Our study thus strives to address this gap by analysing children's dietary patterns, their stability and possible changes at 7, 11 and 15 years in the Czech part of the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC–CZ). Design: We analysed dietary data based on the self-reported semi-quantitative FFQ obtained in 1998, 2002 and 2006. Dietary patterns were derived using factor analysis for each period, followed by the determination of dietary pattern stability across the individual periods. Setting: The analysis of dietary patterns was based on longitudinal children's dietary data from the geographical region that was undergoing massive socio-economic changes at the time of birth of the study subjects. Participants: All participants were children. At 7 years the analysis included 3220 children, at 11 years the analysis included 2509 children and at 15 years the analysis included 1589 children. Results: Two stable children's dietary patterns labelled as 'prudent' and 'junk food' were identified across all three time points (7, 11 and 15 years). Conclusions: This study identifies stable longitudinal trends in the dietary behaviour of children enrolled in the ELSPAC-CZ study.


We investigated the effects of the ratio of water depth (H) to coral height (h) on the drag coefficient (Cd) for unidirectional flow over the coral species Porites compressa. Cd, measured in a laboratory flume at several different flow rates and depths over a coral canopy, varied from 0 to 1.68 with a clear dependence on H: h. At higher Reynolds numbers Cd was inversely proportional to H: h and showed signs of becoming Re‐independent. Cd was dependent on both Re and H: h at lower Reynolds numbers, indicating laminar or transitional flow within the coral canopy. The relationship between Cd and H: h at the highest available Re for each depth ratio is described by the power law: Cd = 1.01(H: h)‐2.77 + 0.01. This result should be applied with caution, however, as different coral species and bottom roughness may cause a deviation from this relationship.


This paper, based especially upon the material in the Leyden Museum, may be regarded as a little attempt to show how much a revision of the Pycnonotidae is needed. A fundamental revision only, embracing the whole group, will be able to thoroughly differentiate the many genera, and it will be a thankful task, for instance, to thoroughly separate Xenocichla from Criniger ¹) and Pycnonotus. This latter genus is very unsatisfactorily defined, and undoubtedly contains too many heterogenous elements, which ought to be just as well excluded as are Otocompsa and Kelaartia. In fact the genus Pycnonotus should be restricted to the African and Syrio-Arabian species, which are sufficiently characterized by their plain earthy brown or sandy brown color, without white upper tail-coverts, without whitetipped tail and without any olive-green on the quills ²). The Asiatic forms with paler edgings to the feathers on the mantle, with white or ashy white upper tail-coverts and white tips to the tail-feathers, combined with the absolute want of any olive-green in their plumage should form a separate group with the generic name Molpastes Hume.


Some of the methodologies used to assess journal quality include citation analysis, peer analysis, circulation and coverage in indexing or abstracting services. (Ali, Young et al. 1996, p.41). Both quantitative and qualitative measures such as these are widely discussed in the literature. From a study conducted in the UK, Swan and Brown (1999) found that authors tended to consider firstly the reputation of the journal by using the impact factor, followed by international reach and coverage by abstracting and indexing services. They also found that "Scientists are much more concerned about the availability of an electronic version of the journal than are workers in the arts. Publication speed is also significant to scientists, particularly chemists, whereas it is much less important to people working in social sciences or the humanities". (Swan and Brown 1999 cited in Houghton, Steele et al. 2003, p.62). In Australia: "Using simple quantitative publications measures in research evaluation and the distribution of funding in Australia has recently been criticised by the Australian Academy of Social Sciences (Mann 2002), Academy of Science (Barber 2002) and the Academy of the Humanities, particularly in relation to publication patterns and the impact on early career researchers. It appears to be leading to increased publication in 'second tier' journals" (Houghton, Steele et al. 2003, p.63). Researchers need, therefore, to consider the various methodologies appropriate to their discipline and be aware of the tools available to assist in identifying 'quality' journals in which to publish. This report focuses on the measures used by the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) and the role of peer review as two primary indicators. It includes: • an overview of ISI • a section on peer review – including DEST and Ulrich's • a UK perspective • an appendix of articles from non-scientific disciplines • an appendix of journal impact in relation to library holdings


Main research question of this study is "How do programmers in artistic residencies select and host artists in the context of globalization of the high arts?" In literature concerning high arts globalization the focus had fallen on the art markets, commercial galleries and art fairs. The current research aims to shed light on the previously unknown gatekeeping roles in not for profit organizations in the context of high arts globalization. Further, the research investigates the understudied role of the cultural programmer as an actor in the art world. Finally, this master thesis aims to create new academic insights about how artistic residencies operate.
Empirically the research is based on nine semi-structured interviews with cultural programmers working in AiRs in The Netherlands. Grounded theory was used as analysis method, the coding took place in Atlas.ti.
The research has shown that programmers operate in programming committees which are themselves matched to each institution by its directors. The committees are formed based on multiple considerations such as diversity in occupation, diversity in gender, social capital and work experience. Smaller residencies built a committee on national level, while larger residency aim to gather actors on international level. This shows interconnectedness between different regions, but the actors do not operate in one global field, instead each contributes to the committee with local expertise. The key findings show that the two main practices that cultural programmers engage in when selecting and hosting artists involve processes of matching and facilitating. Those practices encounter specific opportunities and constraints and are balancing act between pragmatic requirements and constraints and ideal visions.


The global expansion of the European state system suggests strong connections between political "life chances" and international status. Polities recognized as sovereign within the Western international community are much less likely than unrecognized polities to be colonized and are much less likely than dependencies to merge or dissolve. These variations in stability are difficult to understand through balance-of-power politics. They may be more plausibly explained through the institutional structure of the state system and, in particular, the organization of the system as a community of mutual recognition. Sovereign members of this community are treated in fundamentally different ways than are those seen as outside Western state society or as the dependent possessions of sovereign states.


We demonstrate sub-picosecond wavelength conversion in the C-band via four wave mixing in a 45cm long high index doped silica spiral waveguide. We achieve an on/off conversion efficiency (signal to idler) of + 16.5dB as well as a parametric gain of + 15dB for a peak pump power of 38W over a wavelength range of 100nm. Furthermore, we demonstrated a minimum gain of + 5dB over a wavelength range as large as 200nm.


Our recent studies of infant captive baboons (Garcia et al., 2008; 2009) found that infant to maternal mass was positively associated with reproductive parameters, e.g. duration of postpartum amenorrhea and interbirth interval. Baboon mothers resumed cycling and reconceived when their infants attained a relatively consistent threshold mass, as predicted from interspecific life history theory. We suggested that the duration of investment acted as a facultative adjustment to infant growth rates, and depended on maternal physical and social characteristics, such as size and dominance rank. What was surprising was the relatively low energetic costs associated with reproduction; mothers' intake and energy expenditure measured by the DLW method (Rosetta et al., 2011) did not closely predict the time to resumption of cycling. Energy expenditure was correlated with maternal body mass both during early lactation and after the resumption of cycling and there was a relationship between maternal energy expenditure and infant growth rates; mothers with rapidly growing infants had higher energy expenditure than did those with slowly growing infants. Here we place these results on infant growth and reproductive energetics into a broader primate life history perspective, and explore the question of how costly are non-human primate infants? I partition expenses into time costs and energy costs and look at each of these over the early phase of growth, using the baboon model.


This article analyzes the impacts of child labor on the interaction between the quantity and quality of children in the spirit of Becker and Lewis. It shows that, without child labor, the quantity of children can be a normal good so that it increases with parental income under some fairly standard formulations. However, the correlation between fertility and parental income becomes negative when the role of child labor is considered. The model also implies that fertility increases with the wage rate of child labor. Moreover, it suggests that government intervention not only directly affects the supply of child labor but also influences parents' decisions on fertility, which indirectly determines children's labor market participations.


This original collection examines the managerial and organizational implications of international terrorism and threats to security. When Islamic terrorists flew hijacked airplanes into the World Trade Center on 9/11, it changed much of the world forever. The number of deaths and the financial losses resulting from the attack was unprecedented. 9/11 highlighted how risky life in organizations had become.


Phase diagrams for multi-component systems represent crucial information for understanding and designing materials but are very time consuming to assess experimentally. Computational modeling plays an increasingly important role in this regard but has been largely focused on systems with matching lattice structures and/or stable boundary phases. Here, using a combination of density functional theory calculations, alloy cluster expansions, free energy integration, and Monte Carlo simulations, we obtain the phase diagram of W-Ti, a system that features metastable boundary phases on both sides of the phase diagram. We find that the mixing energy on the body-centered cubic (BCC) lattice is asymmetric and negative with a minimum of about -120 meV/atom, whereas for the hexagonal closed packed (HCP) lattice the mixing energy is positive. By combining these data with a model for the vibrational free energy, we propose a revision of the W-rich end of the phase diagram with a much larger solubility of Ti in BCC-W than previous assessments. Finally, by comparison with the W-V and W-Re system we demonstrate how strongly asymmetric phase diagrams can arise from a subtle energy balance of stable and metastable lattice structures.


These chapters consider how art can provide a space for wider critical debate on established patriarchal power relations, which have operated in Western culture since the Enlightenment period. As a female artist, I want to explore the space in art of both the female body and the community body. This work seeks to position the female body within the "form" of her subjectivity, to destabilize patriarchal strongholds through the displacement of the traditionally aestheticised female "nude". That is, I examine the (historicized) notion of a "subject" and the representation of an "object', and understand the female "nude" as a representation of patriarchal dominance to this day. I use my art work of women to explore recent feminist theory that investigates these historicized notions, hoping to present images that critique rather than wholly participate in the tradition of objectifying women without question. Ultimately, I move to a broader field, to incorporate an idea of a community "body" that is embracing of those bodies culturally precluded from subjective empowerment. My attention is specifically focused on the remediation of the once "derelict" land and "polluted" waterways of East Perth, to the "pristine" condition of what is now an exclusive corporate and residential site. I intend to address my art to the many "marginalized" bodies, traditionally and presently obstructed from subjective representation within our Western culture. In bringing both "bodies" together, my art aims to help disrupt the patriarch from his central subjective stronghold. Chapter 1 explores the (assumed) privileged "gaze" of the Western male artist (and my own na"ive participation in this practice), which transforms the "deformed" physical "matter" of women into the "iconic", conceptual "form" of the patriarch's "Woman". Chapter 2 examines the space for a female voice that recent psychoanalytic theory evokes in challenging the conventions of patriarchy. At this point in particular, my praxis seeks to reflect this emergence for women, as reconnections to the "matter" of the maternal body are made. Chapter 3 investigates how feminist theory resists the patriarchal icon for female "beauty" (in the classical "nude"), through its representation of new bodily images and identities for women. Subsequently, I journey in my visual practice in responding to this "resistance", and focus specifically on the feminist notion of "ambiguity" for female self-expression, as a means to subversively obstructing patriarchal hegemony. Chapter 4 articulates the significance of "desire" for women in their discovery of themselves at an intimate level, without the intervention of masculine visual penetration. I represent this intimacy (this "divinity" for women), through tactile qualities in my practice, which serve to connect women to themselves, whilst interrupting the penetration of the patriarchal gaze. Finally, Chapter 5 shows how the resistance and corporeality of the female body comes to symbolize the existence of the "community body" that works to reclaim a "presence" (a place of domicile) within the redeveloped site of East Perth.


Operation of ground vehicles in remote unstructured terrains is a challenging task. While information on terrain parameters such as elevation, slope, and soil content and its use in tasks such as path planning and vehicle simulation is immensely useful, it requires detailed analyses that are computationally expensive and time-consuming. At the same time, higher-level decisions made without a full understanding of the terrain properties and vehicle capabilities are bound to be suboptimal, possibly even leading to mission failure. In this paper, we approach the problem from a decision-making standpoint to address both the aspects described above. The approach divides a given terrain into smaller cells and progressively finds the path to the goal. At each step, the operator's utility between competing immediate terrain cells is compared so that the vehicle chooses the best next step considering detailed vehicle simulation. To account for the increased computational effort, a pool-based distributed computing architecture is employed to speed-up pathfinding and provide resilience towards failure of processors and communication links. The pool architecture also admits heterogeneous, geographically distributed processors and storage locations. Concurrently, the multiattribute utility formulation takes into account the tradeoff between different attributes and the uncertainty in the vehicle performance. The proposed method can be used for medium and long-range navigation in unstructured environments for efficient rough path planning or re-planning based on changing mission requirements and dynamically arriving terrain data. The method is demonstrated on data acquired from USGS sources.


Rather than isolate Achilles' prayer to Zeus in Book 16 of the "Iliad" from its immediate context, this paper analyzes the passage as an integrated whole. Recent work on the Homeric simile shows that Homer links images by an "associative technique," sometimes in the service of characterization. Additionally, Phillip Stambovsky's study of literary imagery suggests that such imagery often contributes to characterization insofar as it "presentationally depicts" (at a "prediscursive" level of an audience's awareness) important themes of the literary work. I argue that indeed the imagery in the passage of Achilles' prayer dramatizes a great theme connected with his characterization: his indecision between desire for warfare and desire for safety. The elements of the passage repeatedly refigure Achilles' dissonant state of mind. The wolf simile, for example, opposes pure and defiled, to point proleptically to the combat that destroys Patroclus after Achilles dispatches him, the very outcome Achilles wishes to avert through ritual and prayer. The Myrmidon catalogue juxtaposes its first two entries, those of Menesthios and Eudoros, to highlight Eudoros' lack of a human father and alienation from his mother, a scenario which recalls Achilles' experience. Thus the catalogue reconstitutes in a separate fiction Achilles' own personal history in order to expose the sources of conflict there. Finally, the wasp simile, when contextualized according to the characterization of Achilles, also figures oppositions like those Achilles enacts when he urges on the war while at the same time seeking to mitigate its violence. The passage's imagery is itself a vivid narrative depicting Achilles' strenuous attempt to resist the violence of heroic combat as well as his own imminent death within it.


This study examines how the East Asian winter climate response to the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) varies with the 11‐year solar cycle. The results indicate that the ENSO and East Asian climate relationship is robust and significant during winters with low solar (LS) activity, with evident warming in the lower troposphere over East Asia, which can be closely linked to the decreased pressure gradient between the cold Eurasian continent and the warm Pacific. Moreover, during the LS and El Niño winters, there is a typical rainfall response in Southeast Asia, with wet conditions over South China and dry conditions over the Philippines, Borneo, Celebes, and Sulawesi, which can be explained by the anticyclone over the western North Pacific (WNP). However, during high solar activity winters, both the surface temperature and rainfall anomalies are much less closely associated with the ENSO. The possible mechanism for this solar modulation of the ENSO‐related East Asian climate anomalies may be the change in the tropospheric circulation with the ENSO in both tropical and extratropical regions. Particularly, in the LS cases, an anomalous WNP anticyclone is intensified and a noticeable cyclone occupies northern Northeast Asia, resulting from the changing location and strength of the large‐scale Walker circulation induced by the more pronounced sea surface temperature anomalies associated with the ENSO. Further investigation with long historic data confirms that the relationship between the ENSO and the East Asian winter climate anomalies depends on the phases of 11 year solar cycle, with enhanced East Asian climate variation during the LS winters.


By the 1920s, it was well understood by missionaries, scientists and botanists that the spread of grazing and agriculture into the interior posed the final threat to the remaining Aboriginal populations. Botanists were also aware that Aboriginal economies were collapsing with the increasing competition for the plants which formed the staples of Aboriginal diet, and that the cattle herds were in large part responsible for this economic disaster. This paper examines the work of these botanists for an ethnohistorical understanding of the demise of Aboriginal economic activities. Their records represents a rich record of the nature of the Aboriginal plant food economy and a window on the competition of the most educated colonists for the resources that would support ever-expanding herds of cattle and food for the colonists and the English market.


The massive relocation of industrial activities from Hong Kong to mainland China that followed in the wake of China's acceptance of foreign investment has given rise to two different sets of cross-border familial relations. In the first case, middle-class managers and technicians from Hong Kong have taken "second wives" during their stay in southern China. Hong Kong's mass media have been generally tolerant of this second-wife phenomenon, seeing it merely as a case of funglau (sexually potency), justifying it in terms of middle-class men's "soft spot," and blaming the first wives for neglecting their duties. In the second case, workers from Hong Kong have crossed into the mainland in search of spouses because they believe that women in China are more affordable than those in Hong Kong. Hong Kong's restrictive immigration policies result in these mainland wives and children having to wait for ten years or more before receiving a one-way permit to migrate to Hong Kong. When they do arrive in Hong Kong, they have been discriminated against and condemned as causing Hong Kong's social and economic problems. This article examines how social class and politics have affected the way in which the mass media and the Hong Kong government have dealt with these two sets of cross-border families.