Abstract
From three different habitats in North Dakota 5,638 deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus, were examined for larval Echinococcus multilocularis infections during 1965 through 1972. Infection was found in 224 (4%) of these mice. Yearly differences in prevalence were evident, with a low of 1.1% during 1971 and a high of 7.8% in 1968. These yearly differences were partially attributable to host density, habitat sampled, and climatic season during which the mice were taken. Since the year was not a legitimate variable, the total over-years data were used to assess the relative influence of sex and age of the host, habitat, and climatic season on the prevalence of the larval parasite. The rate of infection varied significantly with habitat. Seasonally, the highest prevalence was observed during spring (6.5%), followed by summer (5.5%), autumn (2.2%), and winter (2.0%). The prevalence in adult mice was over 10 times greater than in juveniles (4.5% vs. 0.4%), while more males were infected than females (4.6% vs. 3.1%). A factorial analysis of variance showed the order of importance of these variables to be 1) age, 2) habitat, 3) season, 4) age by season, 5) age by habitat, and 6) habitat by season. A mathematical model based on the functions of these variables and accounting for about 74% of the variation is suggested for the prediction of prevalences of larval E. multilocularis in this intermediate host.


Data replication is used in distributed systems to maintain up-to-date copies of shared data across multiple computers in a network. However, despite decades of research, algorithms for achieving consistency in replicated systems are still poorly understood. Indeed, many published algorithms have later been shown to be incorrect, even some that were accompanied by supposed mechanised proofs of correctness. In this work, we focus on the correctness of Conflict-free Replicated Data Types (CRDTs), a class of algorithm that provides strong eventual consistency guarantees for replicated data. We develop a modular and reusable framework in the Isabelle/HOL interactive proof assistant for verifying the correctness of CRDT algorithms. We avoid correctness issues that have dogged previous mechanised proofs in this area by including a network model in our formalisation, and proving that our theorems hold in all possible network behaviours. Our axiomatic network model is a standard abstraction that accurately reflects the behaviour of real-world computer networks. Moreover, we identify an abstract convergence theorem, a property of order relations, which provides a formal definition of strong eventual consistency. We then obtain the first machine-checked correctness theorems for three concrete CRDTs: the Replicated Growable Array, the Observed-Remove Set, and an Increment-Decrement Counter. We find that our framework is highly reusable, developing proofs of correctness for the latter two CRDTs in a few hours and with relatively little CRDT-specific code.


The topic of Shakespeare and religion is a perennial one, and the recent "turn to religion" in historical and literary scholarship has pushed it to the fore. Besides speculating about Shakespeare's personal religious beliefs and allegiance, historians and literary critics writing about early modern England are reexamining the religious dynamics of the period and emphasizing the ways in which old, new, and emerging religious cultures coexisted in conflicting hybrid and unstable forms.The contributors to "Shakespeare and Religion: Early Modern and Postmodern Perspectives" deal with the topic of Shakespeare and religion from two points of view not always considered complementary--that of the historical approach to Shakespearean drama in its early modern contexts, and that of postmodern philosophy and theology. The first illuminates the culture-specific features of the plays, whereas the second emphasizes their transhistorical qualities and the relevance of the deep religious and philosophical issues surfacing in early modern culture to contemporary religious struggles and awareness."Religion has assumed a surprising centrality in contemporary Shakespeare studies, generating an abundance of historical insights alongside a burgeoning interest in the spiritual possibilities of the plays for us today. This collection eschews either take on the field, preferring a more comprehensive view. It brings together nearly all the people one would most want to read on the topic, and the essays are notable for their lively seriousness. Here, the topic of Shakespeare and religion is a burning brand with which to illuminate the past "and" the present. A stimulating book! -- Ewan Fernie, The Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham""Shakespeare and Religion: Early Modern and Postmodern Perspectives" is lively, provocative, and original, and sure to occupy an important scholarly place within ongoing efforts to reinterpret religion in Shakespeare's works and world. The authors push scholarship on religion and Shakespeare past new historicism in productive, compelling directions." --Phebe Jensen, Utah State University"This collection brings together a distinguished body of scholars to consider Shakespeare's treatment of religious issues, as read against his times and our own. its essays offer innovative, sharp, and sometimes startling revaluations offamiliar texts and topics, likely to capture the interest of students as wellas academic researchers. The recent 'turn to religion' in early modern literary studies, and the related move towards seeing Shakespeare as an author deeply engaged with religious matters, is powerfully exemplified in these pages." --Alison E. M. Shell, UniversityCollege London"


To evaluate the effect of sampling frequency on the global monthly mean aerosol optical thickness (AOT), we use 6 years of geographical coordinates of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) L2 aerosol data, daily global aerosol fields generated by the Goddard Institute for Space Studies General Circulation Model and the chemical transport models Global Ozone Chemistry Aerosol Radiation and Transport, Spectral Radiation‐transport Model for Aerosol Species and Transport Model 5, at a spatial resolution between 1.125°× 1.125° and 2°× 3°: the analysis is restricted to 60°S–60°N geographical latitude. We found that, in general, the MODIS coverage causes an underestimate of the global mean AOT over the ocean. The long‐term mean absolute monthly difference between all and dark target (DT) pixels was 0.01–0.02 over the ocean and 0.03–0.09 over the land, depending on the model dataset. Negative DT biases peak during boreal summers, reaching 0.07–0.12 (30–45% of the global long‐term mean AOT). Addition of the Deep Blue pixels tempers the seasonal dependence of the DT biases and reduces the mean AOT difference over land by 0.01–0.02. These results provide a quantitative measure of the effect the pixel exclusion due to cloud contamination, ocean sun‐glint and land type has on the MODIS estimates of the global monthly mean AOT. We also simulate global monthly mean AOT estimates from measurements provided by pixel‐wide along‐track instruments such as the Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor and the Cloud–Aerosol LiDAR with Orthogonal Polarization. We estimate the probable range of the global AOT standard error for an along‐track sensor to be 0.0005–0.0015 (ocean) and 0.0029–0.01 (land) or 0.5–1.2% and 1.1–4% of the corresponding global means. These estimates represent errors due to sampling only and do not include potential retrieval errors. They are smaller than or comparable to the published estimate of 0.01 as being a climatologically significant change in the global mean AOT, suggesting that sampling density is unlikely to limit the use of such instruments for climate applications at least on a global, monthly scale.


Metalloenzymes catalyze a wide range of chemical transformations. Their remarkable versatility is imparted to them by their metal centers that are redox active or function as Lewis acids. They utilize transition metals such as iron that has accessibility to a variety of redox states, allowing them to efficiently activate and insert molecular oxygen into a wide range of unactivated organic substrates. The work described in this dissertation is the structural and mechanistic characterization of both heme and non-heme iron-dependent metalloenzymes. Precisely, the focus is placed on three enzymes, a cytochrome P450, CYP121, a tyrosine hydroxylase, LmbB2, and an extradiol dioxygenase, 3-hydroxyanthranilate 3,4-dioxygenase (HAO). The first two enzymes expand the repertoire of activities performed by hemoproteins. CYP121 catalyzes an unusual C-C crosslinking reaction that is distinct from traditional oxygenase chemistry performed by this family. LmbB2 is one of the first enzymes that mediate aromatic amino acid hydroxylation without using a pterin cofactor. Finally, HAO serves as the prototype for type III extradiol dioxygenase chemistry. A broad spectrum of biochemical and spectroscopic techniques was used to investigate the oxygen activation techniques by both LmbB2 and CYP121 and the role of second sphere ligands in the HAO active site. Specifically, rapid-kinetic methods, EPR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography allowed the elucidation of enzyme structure and function properties. In CYP121, using peracetic acid as an oxidant, similarities with canonical P450 enzymes through the use of a catalytic shunt pathway were demonstrated. We also identify the first intermediate in this pathway, an alkyperoxo species with an unusual 5/2 spin signal observed by EPR spectroscopy. In the LmbB2 study, a compound ES-like species was observed by UV-Vis and EPR spectroscopy. This intermediate was shown to be catalytically competent and able to react specifically to the substrate L-tyrosine. Finally, the role of a second sphere Pro97 residue in the active site of HAO was investigated using enzymatic assays. Long-range remote structural influences were observed using protein crystallography techniques between the active site and the conformation of the surface residues. INDEX WORDS: Oxygenase, Hydroxylase, Heme, Non-heme Iron, P450, Oxygen Activation, Crystallography, Extradiol Dioxygenase, HEME IRON CATALYSIS: CONTRAST TO NON-HEME IRON ENZYMES


Herbivores regularly face imbalanced diets on a variety of timescales. They respond to such diets with reductions in growth and reproduction. The effect of exposure time to poor quality diets and recovery potential in herbivores has yet not been intensively studied. In order to investigate the response of herbivores growth and nutritional condition to phosphorus limited algal food, we fed the copepod Acartia tonsa with the autotrophic flagellate Rhodomonas salina, which was cultured towards high and low phosphorus content. To test the effect of the duration of the exposure to low and high P food on copepod growth, we also switched a subset of the copepods from high P to low P food for two to 12 days before putting them back on their original diet. Phosphorus limited prey clearly reduced copepod nutritional condition, expressed as their RNA:DNA ratio and consequently their growth rates. Several days after re-feeding on high P algae, the copepods were able to reach growth rates comparable to the control groups, but they were in no case able to over shoot the growth rates of the control groups. A dose of two days feeding on low P algae resulted in slightly less than one stage growth reduction compared to copepods exclusively reared on high P algae. Our results show that phosphorus limited food drastically reduces secondary production, and no compensatory growth occurs in the investigated copepod species. Hence, even short term exposure of herbivores to poor food has a lasting effect on secondary production.


A thoroughly revised and updated edition of one of the most trusted and authoritative strategic resources for church leaders In this second edition of his groundbreaking book, Kennon Callahan identifies the twelve essential qualities of successful, growing churches and offers all congregations a way to unlock their potential for effective ministry. The Twelve Keys program balances practical planning with theological understanding to help churches function more effectively as they seek to grow and better serve their members. Shows church leaders how to claim and expand upon their church's strengths and become a mission growth congregation Explores each of the twelve keys in depth, from mission to visitation to worship to relationships to programs to details of facilities maintenance Based on a time-tested approach that has been used by hundreds of thousands of churches Now incorporates the planning guide (previously a separate publication) The book includes solid, practical guidelines and tools to help any church become a strong, healthy congregation.


The Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF) is a membership organisation of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) from across the Asia Pacific region. As at the end of 2008, there were 14 full members and three associate members. The underlying eligibility criterion for membership is compliance with the United Nations Principles Relating to the Status and Functions of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (the Paris Principles). Full membership is open to those NHRIs which comply with the Paris Principles, candidate membership is available to those which do not do not fully comply with them but which could do so within a reasonable period of time, and associate membership is available to those NHRIs which do not comply with the Paris Principles and are unlikely to do so within a reasonable period. This article explores the way in which APF membership criteria have been applied by the Forum in its assessment of applications for membership and for upgraded membership (and in its other activities), and considers whether this has resulted in greater compliance by potential and existing members of the APF with the Paris Principles. It examines the APF's activities in relation to its membership procedures within the framework of writing about transnational government networks as a form of international governance.


THE DEVELOPMENT, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION OF AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO LEARNING FOR SELECTED STUDENTS by Carol Hartman The problem of the study was to describe the development, Implementa tion and evaluation of an alternative approach to learning for a selected group of students within the Kingsport, TenneBBee City School System. Literature was reviewed, researched, and presented the reader with Information concerning options in public education. An intact group consisting of 11 students enrolled in the Alternative School, Kingsport, Tennessee from August, 1979 through May, 1980 comprised the sample of the study. The students' ages ranged from 12 years through 15 years. All students were exposed to the program design. A program was developed which w s b based upon objectives designed to meet the needs of the subjects Involved in the study. The objectives and needs were established through psychological and vocational evaluations (pretests). Upon admittance to the program, an M-Team meeting was held in order to develop an individualized educational plan (IEP) for each student. At the conclusion of the year the subjects were posttested to determine the effects of the program on learning. Eight hypotheses were tested for significance at the ,05 level. The t-test for non-independent samples was utilized to analyze the data collected in the study. Analyses of the data indicated that: (a) there was positive change in students' attitudes toward school, but not at the .05 level of significance; (b) a positive but not statistically significant change of attitude toward self developed; (c) the mean gain scores of academic achievement were found to be lower than predicted; (d) the number of discipline referrals was significantly decreased at the conclusion of the program; (e) there was a significant reduction in suspensions/expul sions during the second semester; (f) there was a significant decrease In absenteeism during the second semester; (g) a positive, but not statistically significant, improvement was found in the analysis of data of potential dropouts; and (h) the subjects in the study showed a significant mean gain score of the potential salable skills. Based upon the findings of this study, the following conclusions were drawn: (a) evidence based on the study Indicated that the Alternative ill iv School program In Kingsport, Tennessee should be continued; (b) a significant gain In the mastery of academic skills appears to be of secondary Importance In alternative programs for disruptive students; (c) token economies permit students to meet requirements for success; (d) support services constitute an important element in ensuring student success; (e) alternative programs which contain career orientation provide a sense of responsibility and dignity to the students; (f) alter native programs provide supportive, accepting environments where students may succeed; (g) students appear to be happier in alternative schools and have more positive attitudes toward school; (h) alternative programs offer the expelled or suspended student an opportunity to continue his/her formal education; and (1) more positive attitudes are demonstrated by lower absentee rates, lower discipline referral rates and lower dropout rates. Recommendations for future research were offered. ? ? ? ? 7 ? ? 7 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 7 ? ? 7 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 7 ? ? 7 7 DEDICATION 7 ? 7 ?


In this study, based on Niger 2012 Labour force survey, we assess the importance of the effect of siblings' networks on Niger labour market integration and the potential heterogeneity of this effect. Our main result is that there is a spillover effect: for any given individual, having elder siblings in a given sector of activity increases his own probability of also integrating that sector. For those in particular whose siblings are in the fruitful public or private sectors, this means that they have additional chances to integrate these coveted sectors. We also show that siblings' network is gender sensitive: its effect is maximal when both siblings are of the same gender. Another important result which emerges from this study is that the siblings' network acts as a substitute in case of poor human capital or family background resources.


Human beings acquire the ability of image classification through visual concept learning, in which the process of concept formation involves intertwined searches of common properties and concept descriptions. However, in most image classification algorithms using deep convolutional neural network (ConvNet), the representation space is constructed under the premise that concept descriptions are fixed as one-hot codes, which limits the mining of properties and the ability of identifying unseen samples. Inspired by this, we propose a learning strategy of visual concept formation (LSOVCF) based on the ConvNet, in which the two intertwined parts of concept formation, i.e. feature extraction and concept description, are learned together. First, LSOVCF takes sample response in the last layer of ConvNet to induct concept description being assumed as Gaussian distribution, which is part of the training process. Second, the exploration and experience loss is designed for optimization, which adopts experience cache pool to speed up convergence. Experiments show that LSOVCF improves the ability of identifying unseen samples on cifar10, STL10, flower17 and ImageNet based on several backbones, from the classic VGG to the SOTA Ghostnet. The code is available at https: //github.com/elvintanhust/LSOVCF.


Study Design. A prospective, randomized, double-blind Institutional Review Board-approved study evaluating the efficacy of Amicar (epsilon aminocaproic acid), an antifibrinolytic agent, in decreasing perioperative blood loss in idiopathic scoliosis. Objectives. To compare the perioperative (intraoperative and postoperative) blood loss and the need for autologous and homologous blood replacement in two groups of essentially identical patients undergoing a posterior spinal fusion for idiopathic scoliosis. Summary of Background Data. Reducing perioperative blood loss and the need for transfusion in patients undergoing spinal surgery is important to orthopedic surgeons. Recently, there has been interest in pharmacologic agents, particularly Amicar and Aprotinin, to assist in decreasing perioperative blood loss. In 2001, in a preliminary study, we demonstrated that Amicar appeared to be effective in reducing perioperative blood loss in patients with idiopathic scoliosis undergoing a posterior spinal fusion and segmental spinal instrumentation. This was a study of 28 consecutive patients receiving Amicar compared to a historical control group of the 31 previous consecutive patients with the same study criteria. The current study was performed to confirm our preliminary findings. Methods. We analyzed the perioperative blood loss of 36 patients with idiopathic scoliosis who were blindly randomized by the operating room pharmacy into an Amicar and control group. The criteria to be included in the study was the same as the preliminary study: diagnosis of idiopathic scoliosis, age at surgery 11 to 18 years, posterior spinal fusion and segmental spinal instrumentation only, autogenous iliac crest bone graft or homologous cancellous bone graft, and a signed agreement to participate in the study. The patients in both groups had the same anesthetic technique, intraoperative procedure, instrumentation, postoperative management, and standardized indications for transfusions. Results. Before surgery, the patients in both groups were essentially identical. The distribution of patients and their results was not known until the completion of the study. Patients in the Amicar group demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in perioperative blood loss and the need for autologous blood transfusion. Interestingly, this decrease was predominantly in the postoperative suction drainage. This may be due to elevated fibrinogen levels induced by Amicar. The patients taking Amicar had no intraoperative or postoperative thromboembolic complications. Conclusions. The results of this study confirmed that the use of intraoperative Amicar is a safe, effective, and inexpensive method to significantly reduce perioperative blood loss in patients with idiopathic scoliosis undergoing posterior spinal fusion and segmental spinal instrumentation. The results have allowed us to reduce our recommendation for perioperative autologous blood donation, thereby further decreasing costs.


The sensitivity of tumour cells to X rays has been shown to be about three times as great when irradiated in a well-oxygenated medium as under anoxic conditions. The manner in which sensitivity depends on oxygen tension closely resembles that found by other workers for plant and insect tissues. The sensitivity of the tumour cells to fast neutron radiation is only slightly affected by oxygen tension. Consideration is given to the supply of oxygen to tissues as a factor in radiotherapy, and it is concluded on the basis of existing knowledge that in certain circumstances the effectiveness of X-ray treatment might be increased if the patient were breathing oxygen at the time of irradiation. The Ehrlich ascites tumour cells used in the in vitro experiments were grown as a solid tumour and exposed to X rays while the mice were inhaling various mixtures of oxygen and nitrogen at 1 atmosphere pressure and above. In all cases, except when the tumour was very large at the time of irradiation, the regression produce...


Transported cover is a persistent problem for mineral exploration in Australia and elsewhere in the world. Explorers are not confident in the current understanding of where, when, and how geochemical anomalies form (or don't form) in the cover and how to make the critical interpretive link to buried mineral deposits. Understanding how elements move through transported cover and their link to buried mineralization is increasingly important for exploration success in many regions of the world. At the Kintyre U deposits, groundwater, regolith, soil, Triodia basedowii (spinifex), Acacia ancistrocarpa foliage and litter, and termite (Nasutitermes triodiae) mound materials were sampled and analysed to test if near surface methods can detect mineralization through <1 to 80 m of cover. Near surface soil geochemistry, biogeochemistry and hydrogeochemistry weak anomalies did not correlate with primary mineralization through cover except in residual subcropping zones and the thin (<5 m) cover adjacent to these sites. Termite mounds, and to a lesser degree, A. ancistocarpa appear to reflect the mineralized signature in shallow cover (<10 m). A postulated metal migration model for this site links mechanical and chemical weathering and surface colluvial/alluvial down-slope dispersion, with U migration from the Kintyre Hill outcrop to the near surface environment. Plants, soils and groundwater are most likely cycling (near-background levels of) U in the cover at Kintyre. In shallow cover, plants and termite mounds are potential viable sample media. However, for exploration on sites with deep heterogeneous cover, geophysical responses or other new techniques will need to be developed to provide a traceable surface signature.


Fasteners, made in high-production progressive dies from 0.7 mm thick cold-rolled 1060 steel, were used to secure plastic fabric or webbing to the aluminum framework of outdoor furniture. It was found that approximately 30% of the fasteners cracked and fractured as they were compressed to clamp onto the framework prior to springback. The heat treatment cycle of the fasteners consisted of austenitizing, quenching, tempering to obtain a tempered martensite microstructure, acid cleaning, zinc electroplating, coating with a clear dichromate and thereafter baking to remove the nascent hydrogen. It was revealed that fasteners treated in this manner were brittle due to hydrogen embrittlement as the baking process was found to not be able to remove all the nascent hydrogen which had induced during acid cleaning and electroplating. The heat treatment cycle was modified to produce a bainitic structure and the method of plating the fastener with zinc was changed from electroplating to a mechanical deposition process to thus avoid hydrogen embrittlement.


Immigrants from the People's Republic of Poland Abstract This article deals with a dissertation that was awarded the Academic Award of the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Germany in 2013. The thesis focuses on a local study of the Saxon town of Riesa, where a group of Poles settled down after emigrating to East Germany between the mid-1960s and the late 1980s. On this basis, the author of the dissertation examines various stages of migration, along with the barriers faced by emigrants and the emigrants' motivations. The author has come to several conclusions: the Soviet Union did not intervene in this migration process; differing economic interests produced mistrust between Poland and East Germany; the processes by which immigrants were recognized were similar to those at work in West Germany; and the Stasi did not appear to be particularly interested in the new citizens. ----- Bibliographie: Klesmann, Christoph: Ubersiedlungen aus der Volksrepublik Polen in die DDR 1964-1987, JB historie, 1-2016, S. 213-216. https://doi.org/10.3224/jbh.v8-9i1.20


Mirka (2009) has recently argued that the 18th-century metrical theories of Heinrich Christoph Koch can be revelatory for a reconstruction of contemporary ways of hearing Viennese high classicism. Koch's claims revolve around interactions between the metrical placement of cadences and the articulation of specific beat levels, and these claims are most specific and testable for common time and 6/8. This paper reports two statistical surveys of works by Mozart that were designed to gauge the fit between the corpus and Koch's theory. In the works examined, the theory was strongly supported for common time, strongly disconfirmed for 6/8, and weakly supported for the other meters encountered. It is argued that these results point toward caution regarding the use of Koch's theories but not toward their outright rejection, and that unexpected statistical contrasts within the corpus indicate the need for a fine-grained approach to meter in music of the later 18th century.


As the Soviet Union broke up, Kaliningrad suddenly found itself separated from mainland Russia by new frontiers. Hardly any other Russian region has been hit as hard by the economic disruption as Kaliningrad. The geographical situation of the region meant that it was more highly exposed to the destabilising effects of post-communist economic transformation. Since then, a dramatic trade opening has occurred, and regional trade and production have undergone profound changes. Kaliningrad has experienced a major shift in its economic orientation towards the tertiary sector and a new industrial orientation based on its position as an intermediary in EU–Russian trade. In short, that is what this report is about: the present and future economic development of this Russian enclave during its integration into the world economy, its place in the international division of labour and in the Russian–EU economic interface. The major phenomenon relative to the economic development of the region is its enclave status. The report explores the specific features of enclave economies and specifically those of Kaliningrad. It argues that economic openness is a prerequisite for an enclave's prosperity and the enclave should develop a multi-vectored orientation towards both the Russian market and the EU market, complementing industrial specialisation targeting the mainland with new features. Moreover, as economic integration – with the surrounding state or on a non-discriminatory basis with the rest of the world – has significant positive effects on enclaves, the future of Kaliningrad's regional economy and its specialisation is profoundly connected to Russian–EU relations and the prospects for their economic cooperation.


The stability of a low-temperature Bose–Einstein condensate with attractive interactions in one- and three-dimensional double-well potentials is discussed. In particular, the tunnelling dynamics of a condensate under the influence of a time-dependent potential gradient is investigated. The condensate is shown to collapse at a critical potential gradient which corresponds to a critical number of atoms in one of the two wells. The sensitivity of this tunnelling-induced collapse could provide a useful tool in the study of condensates with attractive interactions.


Abstract. The base of the Emsian, which is defined by the first appearance of the conodont Polygnathus kitabicus, has never been successfully demonstrated in the South China Block (including Guangxi and eastern Yunnan). As a result, we studied conodonts from the lowermost part of the Shizhou Member of the Yukiang Formation at the Dacun-1 section in the Liujing area, Guangxi. This new investigation has revealed a conodont fauna only consisting of Polygnathus pireneae, P. sokolovi, P. kitabicus, P. sp. and Pandorinellina exigua philipi, which can be assigned to the uppermost part of the pireneae Zone and the lowermost part of the kitabicus Zone in ascending order. The Pragian/Emsian boundary at the Dacun-1 section is located in the highest thick-bedded limestone bed that can be observed in the lowermost part of the Shizhou Member. Therefore, this is the first time that the lower boundary of the Emsian defined by the lowest occurrence of P. kitabicus is reported in the South China Block. However, the scarcity of suitable limestone samples for conodont analysis in the middle and upper parts of the Shizhou Member precludes definitive identification of the upper boundary of the kitabicus Zone in the Liujing area.


Hemiparesis resulting from stroke presents characteristic spatiotemporal gait patterns. This study aimed to clarify the spatiotemporal gait characteristics of hemiparetic patients by comparing them with height-, speed-, and age-matched controls while walking at various speeds. The data on spatiotemporal gait parameters of stroke patients and that of matched controls were extracted from a hospital gait analysis database. In total, 130 pairs of data were selected for analysis. Patients and controls were compared for spatiotemporal gait parameters and the raw value (RSI) and absolute value (ASI) of symmetry index and coefficient of variation (CV) of these parameters. Stroke patients presented with prolonged nonparetic stance (patients vs. controls: 1.01 ± 0.41 vs. 0.83 ± 0.25) and paretic swing time (0.45 ± 0.12 vs. 0.39 ± 0.07), shortened nonparetic swing phase (0.35 ± 0.07 vs. 0.39 ± 0.07), and prolonged paretic and nonparetic double stance phases [0.27 ± 0.13 (paretic)/0.27 ± 0.17 (nonparetic) vs. 0.22 ± 0.10]. These changes are especially seen in low-gait speed groups (<3.4 km/h). High RSIs of stance and swing times were also observed (–9.62 ± 10.32 vs. –0.79 ± 2.93, 24.24 ± 25.75 vs. 1.76 ± 6.43, respectively). High ASIs and CVs were more generally observed, including the groups with gait speed of ≥3.5 km/h. ASI increase of the swing phase (25.79 ± 22.69 vs. 4.83 ± 4.88) and CV of the step length [7.7 ± 4.9 (paretic)/7.6 ± 5.0 (nonparetic) vs. 5.3 ± 3.0] were observed in all gait speed groups. Our data suggest that abnormalities in the spatiotemporal parameters of hemiparetic gait should be interpreted in relation to gait speed. ASIs and CVs could be highly sensitive indices for detecting gait abnormalities.


The Russian natural gas industry is the world's largest producer and transporter of natural gas. This paper aims to characterize the methane emissions from Russian natural gas transmission operations, to explain projects to reduce these emissions, and to characterize the role of emissions reduction within the context of current GHG policy. It draws on the most recent independent measurements at all parts of the Russian long distance transport system made by the Wuppertal Institute in 2003 and combines these results with information from the US Natural Gas STAR Program on GHG mitigation options and economics .With this background the paper concludes that the CH4 emissions from the Russian natural gas long distance network are at approximately 0.6 % of the natural gas delivered. Mitigating these emissions can create new revenue streams for the operator in the form of reduced costs, increased gas throughput, and earned carbon credits. Specific emissions sources that have cost-effective mitigation solutions are also opportunities for outside investment for the Joint Implementation Kyoto Protocol flexibility mechanism or other carbon markets.


The production of breast milk is physiologically influenced by prolactin hormone and breast milk is influenced by oxytocin hormone. Oxytocin massage can increase the oxytocin hormone. The increase in the oxytocin hormone can expedite the time of colostrum. The use of drugs in the post section cesarean (SC) will inhibit the formation of breast milk production. Oxytocin massage is one of the efforts to expedite the release of colostrum. Purpose: To analyze the implementation of oxytocin massage in accelerating the release of colostrum in post-SC and the effect of oxytocin massage, breast care and the frequency of breastfeeding simultaneously to accelerate the release of colostrum. Method: The design used quasi-experiment. The population were post-SC with a sample of 60 people (30 post-SC were treated with oxytocin massage and 30 post-SC were not treated). Both groups were interviewed and observed in breast care, the frequency of breastfeeding and the time of first colostrum discharge. Result: Analysis used independent T-test and double linear regression test with α = 0.05. The results showed significantly that expedite time of colostrum in the post SC group with oxytocin massage occurred 23.04 hours faster than the controlled group who were not treated with oxytocin massage and post SC who were given oxytocin massage accompanied by breastfeeding their babies as often as possible to be faster 2.6 hours when the colostrum was released with α value < 0.05. Conclusion: Massage oxytocin speeds up the release of colostrum in the post SC.


The third book in The Inheritance Series More awaits Eragon and Saphira following the colossal battle against the Empire's warriors. He's bound by promises he may not be able to keep, including his oath to his cousin Roran to rescue his beloved Katrina. When unrest claims the rebels and danger strikes, Eragon must make choices that take him across the Empire and beyond. Choices that may lead to unimagined sacrifice. Conflict, action, adventure and one devastating death await readers as Eragon battles on behalf of the Varden while Galbatorix ruthlessly attempts to crush and twist him to his own purposes. Can he become a leader who can unite the rebel forces and defeat the King?


Now you can understand the most complete, unique, and unusual divinatory deck ever, one that taps into the spirituality of the ancient Yoruba people of Africa, when you get The Tarot of the Orishas by Zolrak with art by Durkon. The Tarot of the Orishas is the book that explains the first authentic Tarot deck of Yoruba origins to employ the powerful energies of Brazilian Candomble, a religion that originated with the Yoruba people of western Africa. This book acts as a transformative aid that will open the door to the meaning and origin of each card of this new deck. Completely bilingual, The Tarot of the Orishascan be enjoyed in English or in Spanish. It uses a unique Tarot deck design with 77 cards, including: Thirteen cards showing the supernatural beings, or "Orishas," which represent archetypes of sacred, intense energy Twelve cards with meaningful symbols such as Karma, the Earth, and the Custodian Angel Fifty-two cards divided into four groups representing the four elements The rich and compelling Tarot symbols, which are fully illustrated in this book, incorporate the imagery of Candomble, numerology, astrology, and other aspects of metaphysics. They portray archetypes through which spiritual forces can be brought to bear on mundane concerns. The cards described in The Tarot of the Orishas, created by an initiate and high priest of Candomble, can be used for divination, magic, or meditation. To that purpose, this book describes four different ways that you can "throw the cards." You will learn to use them to divine answers to your questions and to gain powerful lessons for your day-to-day life. The information here goes beyond the material world. It gets to the essence of all things: the spirit. Considered by many to be a far more potent tool for magic and divination than the traditional Tarot, The Tarot of the Orishas will bring your own inner mysteries to light through images and stories that become richer over time. Get The Tarot of the Orishas today.


This paper describes the implementation in R of a method for tabular or graphical display of terms in a complex generalised linear model. By complex, I mean a model that contains terms related by marginality or hierarchy, such as polynomial terms, or main effects and interactions. I call these tables or graphs effect displays. Effect displays are constructed by identifying high-order terms in a generalised linear model. Fitted values under the model are computed for each such term. The lower-order "relatives" of a high-order term (e.g., main effects marginal to an interaction) are absorbed into the term, allowing the predictors appearing in the high-order term to range over their values. The values of other predictors are fixed at typical values: for example, a covariate could be fixed at its mean or median, a factor at its proportional distribution in the data, or to equal proportions in its several levels. Variations of effect displays are also described, including representation of terms higher-order to any appearing in the model.


Considerable progress has been made in identification and cloning of genes involved in plant defense responses. With the aid of plant molecular biology and biotechnology, a large number of antifungal proteins and peptides have been isolated and assessed through in vitro bioassays. Genes and gene products that are involved in signaling pathways have also been predicted. Strategies like enhancement of plant structural defense, neutralization of fungal toxins and exploitation of antifungal genes from non-plant sources have been used to produce transgenic plants. Exploitation of these approaches has shown significant reduction of fungal diseases in many cases. Moreover, using the knowledge gathered from characteristics of these transgenic plants, it has been possible to obtain better resistance. Co-expression of multiple genes rather than single, use of inducible promoters instead of constitutive ones have been shown to give superior performance of transgenic plants. Further improvement in above strategies are however still necessary because all the above approaches have only resulted in varying degree of resistance, not complete fungus tolerance. Key words: Antifungal proteins, Antimicrobial peptide, Induced expression, Phytopathogen, Genetic engineering DOI = 10.3329/ptcb.v16i2.1113 Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 16(2): 117-138, 2006 (December)


Measures of income, such as gross domestic product, have long helped governments gauge how well their policies serve the overall wellbeing of citizens. In recent decades, such measures have been joined by a variety of alternative and complementary measures of how well a life is going for a person, or for a group of people. Measures and their referents are generally categorised as subjective or objective. Subjective measures are attained by self-report methods and objective otherwise. What is measured is deemed subjective if it is a feeling or evaluation and objective if it is an observed outcome or characteristic. Q methodology's strength in the objective study of the subjective enables an enriched treatment of self- reported feelings or evaluations across the full spectrum of conceptual wellbeing referents. Q methodology also has potential in clarifying some of the challenges wellbeing researchers confront when trying to make clear distinctions between types of measures and referents. Against a backdrop of the policy relevance of various concepts and measures of wellbeing, I characterise, justify and illustrate some specific substantive and theoretical contributions that Q methodology offers.


This study aims to emphasize the effectiveness of volunteer teachers who undertake responsibilities related to the services of Enriched Libraries (ELs) by determining the effectiveness of librarianship. Quality and continuity of services will be possible with librarians who have degree in information management, and it is foreseen to increase the service quality in both current and future ELs. The population of the study consisted of 343 teachers working in primary and secondary schools; the sample consists of 79 teachers. Teachers responsible for EL services were found underqualified regarding titles (general approach to ELs, use of library, quality of services, management of library, collection, activities, professional knowledge about librarianship, budget), but interested in librarianship. In conclusion, it was shown that, qualified librarians should be appointed to Els; and lasting, quality services will be achieved with librarians alone


Spacecraft potential measurements by the EFW electric field experiment on the Cluster satellites can be used to obtain plasma density estimates in regions barely accessible to other type of plasma experiments. Direct calibrations of the plasma density as a function of the measured potential difference between the spacecraft and the probes can be carried out in the solar wind, the magnetosheath, and the plasmashere by the use of CIS ion density and WHISPER electron density measurements. The spacecraft photoelectron characteristic (photoelectrons escaping to the plasma in current balance with collected ambient electrons) can be calculated from knowledge of the electron current to the spacecraft based on plasma density and electron temperature data from the above mentioned experiments and can be extended to more positive spacecraft potentials by CIS ion and the PEACE electron experiments in the plasma sheet. This characteristic enables determination of the electron density as a function of spacecraft potential over the polar caps and in the lobes of the magnetosphere, regions where other experiments on Cluster have intrinsic limitations. Data from 2001 to 2006 reveal that the photoelectron characteristics of the Cluster spacecraft as well as the electric field probes vary with the solar cycle and solar activity. The consequences for plasma density measurements are addressed. Typical examples are presented to demonstrate the use of this technique in a polar cap/lobe plasma. Citation: Pedersen, A., et al. (2008), Electron density estimations derived from spacecraft potential measurements on Cluster in tenuous plasma regions,


Against a backdrop of ongoing educational reforms that seek to introduce Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in Albanian primary and secondary state schools, Albanian teachers, among others, are officially required to use communication-based textbooks in their classes. Authorities in a growing number of countries that are seeking to improve and westernise their educational systems are also using communication-based textbooks as agents of change. Behind these actions, there is the commonly held belief that textbooks can be used to support teacher learning as they provide a visible framework teachers can follow. Communication-based textbooks are used in thousands of EFL classrooms around the world to help teachers to "fully understand and routinize change" (Hutchinson and Torres, 1994:323). However, empirical research on the role materials play in the classroom, and in particular the role of textbook as an agent of change, is still very little, and what does exist is rather inconclusive. This study aims to fulfill this gap. It is predominately a qualitative investigation into how and why four Albanian EFL teachers use Western teaching resources in their classes. Aiming at investigating the decision-making processes that teachers go through in their teaching, and specifically at investigating the relationship between Western-published textbooks, teachers' decision making, and teachers' classroom delivery, the current study contributes to an extensive discussion on the development of communicative L2 teaching concepts and methods, teacher decision making, as well as a growing discussion on how best to make institutional reforms effective, particularly in East-European ex-communist countries and in other developing countries. Findings from this research indicate that, prompted by the content of Western-published textbooks, the four research participants, who had received little formal training in CLT teaching, accommodated some communicative teaching behaviours into their teaching. The use of communicative textbooks, however, does not seem to account for radical, methodological changes in teachers' practices. Teacher cognitions based on teachers' previous learning experience are likely to act as a lens through which teachers judge classroom realities. As such, they shape, to a great degree, the decisions teachers make regarding the use of Western-published textbooks in their classes.


We demonstrate that the Data Generating Process (DGP) of China's cumulated quarterly Gross Domestic Product (GDP, current prices), as it is reported by the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBSC), can be (very closely) approximated by a simple rule. This rule says that the annual growth in any quarter is equal to the annual growth in its previous quarter plus an error term that is only nonzero in the first quarter of each year and with small variance. We show that this rule fits the data well for the period 1992Q1–2005Q4 for total GDP. It also gives accurate forecasts for 2006Q1–2009Q4.


The present study was conducted to verify if the elevation of plasma concentrations of estradiol during superovulatory treatments affects the oocyte transport in buffalo females, as well as if the inferior quality of buffalo oocytes and/or some functional difference on the oviduct of these animals is responsible for the low embryo recovery rate in superovulated uffaloes when compared to cows subjected to the same treatment. Oviducts of 10 buffaloes and 15 of cows, treated to induce a single ovulation were used. The oviducts were placed on Petri dishes and received the following treatments: 5 buffalo oocytes with no E2 (G-BufBuf and G-BovBuf), 5 bovine oocytes with no E2 (G-BufBov and G-BovBov), 5 buffalo oocytes with E2 (G-BufE2Buf and G-BovE2Buf) and 5 bovine oocytes with E2 (G-BufE2Bov and G-BovE2Bov; factorial 2x2x2). Oocytes were incubated for 24h. Subsequently, oviducts were washed and oocytes were recovered and counted. Since no interactions were found between E2 treatment, oviducts and oocytes species, main effects were analyzed separately. Recovery rate and number of oocytes was higher on cattle compared to buffaloes (35.0+8.6% and 1.4+0.3 vs. 10.0±4.6% and 0.5±0.2, respectively; p 0.05); the number of buffaloes and bovine oocytes recovered were similar (1.4±0.4 and 0.6±0.2, respectively; p>0.05). Oocytes recovery rate showed a trend (P=0.07) to be higher when buffalo oocytes were implanted when compared to bovine oocytes (35.2±9.2% vs. 12.9±5.4%). Present results suggest that oocyte transport by the oviduct of buffaloes and bovine was not dependent on oocytes species or E2 supplementation to the culture medium.


More than a rulebook, this text discusses the remedies that are available in a particular fact setting. Illustrates possible applications of difficult rules, explains proof requirements, assesses arguments and offers options in uncertain situations. Coverage includes the particulars of damages, restitution and equitable relief, and remedial schemes for harms to tangible property. Also covers economic interests, intangible personal property, and compensatory and non-compensatory damages. Discusses remedies for economic torts, personal injury, breach of contract, and more.


"Value at Risk (VaR), despite its known shortcomings, has probably become the most widely used standard for assessing market risk exposure. One difficulty in using VaR that is not frequently considered explicitly, is that it must be estimated from observed data and is, therefore, subject to estimation error. A given VaR estimate should actually be thought of as a draw from a probability distribution around the true value. How accurate an estimate of the 1% tail of the returns distribution will be depends on the number of data points in the sample and the form of the returns distribution itself. In this article, Dowd shows how the theory of order statistics can be used to examine the sampling distribution of a VaR estimate. He finds that confidence intervals can be uncomfortably wide even for rather large sample sizes, and the problem is a lot worse for fat-tailed distributions than for the normal."


If you suggest some fresh and more ingenious reason for doubting that the author meant what he said, or that what he said had any truth content of the remotest kind, you win ten points by the rules of the modern critical game; you lose ten points if you suggest he said it because he meant it, and twenty if you suggest he said it because it was true. --George Watson, Times Literary Supplement The problem of interpretation, central to literary theory and critical practice, is one of the most difficult on anybody's research agenda. As if to illustrate the point, much like professional politicians, philosophers and literary scholars who write on interpretation appear to agree only to disagree. While there have always existed schools of interpretation, today's proliferation of positions, oppositions, suppositions, presuppositions, and propositions on the matter seems to flow from the centrality of the notion of text in critical theory and practice, and the corresponding marginalization of the concept of work. Arguing for a categorical distinction between texts and works, this paper points to an alternative to such textualism professed most frequently, though not exclusively, by scholars of poststructuralist persuasion. With this goal in mind, it discusses in turn the aesthetic distinction between works and texts, the role of intentions in interpretation, the distinction between work interpretations and textual readings, and the role of cognition in literary research. From Text to Work. What is a work of art? Is it identical with its structure (text)? If not, what is the relationship between the work and its structure? What elements other than textual may be constitutive of an artwork's identity? What is the interpretive relevance, if any, of the artist's intentions in the creation of the work? The merit of various theories of interpretation can be gauged roughly by their success in handling these questions while adhering to commonsensical critical intuitions and common critical practice. Elsewhere I have defended at length the view that a work of art is an aesthetic structure executed by the artist in a particular art-historical context. (1) While not highly regarded in literary theory, this view has traditionally underwritten our interpretive and critical practice, becoming in recent years the subject of intense study by philosophers in analytic aesthetics. (2) One thing that this new aesthetic paradigm makes clear is that works of art, and thus works of literature, are not equivalent to their structures (or texts) when considered from the point of view of identity. Building on this interdisciplinary research, I would like to focus on the interpretive aspects of this work-text nonequivalence. A good way to start may be to examine what features of a work of art are relevant to its aesthetic appreciation. Despite conclusive refutations (see below), a sizeable body of criticism continues to profess that, interpretively speaking, a work of art is equivalent to its structure. On this view a work of art, together with all its aesthetic and artistic features, is not distinct from the physical entity (the text) that we get at by means of purely sensory perception. I will apply the label of "aesthetic structuralism" to this family of views that holds that the evidence for interpretation rests solely on the evidence of the senses. For the aesthetic structuralist, even though artworks may indeed have features other than directly perceptible ones, which can even be of considerable historical or biographical interest, such properties have no bearing on these works' aesthetic or artistic properties. Such aesthetic or artistic properties are judged to be independent, for example, of the work's history of creation, including the significant subset of this history bracketed off by the artist's executive intentions. The inclusion of work-related facts, whether culled from the artist's life or from the history of the work's composition, would on such a view take us outside the perceived "art-ifact," contrary to the structuralist sine qua non. …


Increasing agricultural productivity and adapting farming to climate change are central to Africa's development prospects. There are important opportunities to enhance yields and increase resilience through the adoption of improved crop varieties. In some cases, biotechnology, and in particular genetic modification (GM), offers advantages over conventional plant-breeding approaches. Accordingly there are a various projects under way to develop new GM varieties for African farmers, ranging from drought-resistant maize to varieties of cassava, banana, sorghum, cowpea and sweet potato with resistance to pests and disease. In addition to government funds, these projects have also attracted the support of influential donor agencies and philanthropic foundations. However, despite the expenditure of considerable resources, the potential of GM in Africa is not being realized. So far no GM trait developed for African farmers has been put to use. Multiple barriers inhibit the development and adoption of pro-poor GM varieties in Africa. On the demand side, farmers may be reluctant to adopt GM varieties owing to a lack of export opportunities and distrust of the technology among local consumers. Farmers may also be concerned about exploitation by transnational seed companies (despite the fact that development of new GM technologies in Africa is dominated by the public sector). On the supply side, donor funding struggles to match the long timescales of research and development, while incentives among research scientists may be poorly aligned with farmer outcomes. Non-existent, poorly functioning or overly punitive regulatory regimes discourage investment. The most important barriers – such as regulatory constraints, consumer distrust and weak farmer demand – must be understood in the context of wider social and political dynamics surrounding GM, typified by misinformation, polarized public discourse, and dysfunctional and opportunistic politics. The result is most GM projects becoming 'stuck' at the field trial stage without ever progressing to release. This 'convenient deadlock' of continual field trials allows governments to manage political risks by effectively balancing the demands of pro-GM and anti-GM lobbies – proponents of GM have a pipeline of technologies, while opponents are appeased by the failure of any to gain approval. The disabling socio-political environment for GM development in Africa greatly reduces the efficacy of investment in this technology. This has two important implications. First, technology development needs to be located within a wider project of transformation that engages key actors – most notably politicians, policy-makers and farmers – as stakeholders from the outset, and includes strategies to address multiple demand- and supply-side barriers. Second, successful adoption is more likely in countries with less disabling political conditions, characterized by lower levels of consumer distrust and opposition, genuine farmer demand and demonstrable commitment from government. Focusing efforts and resources on a small number of 'best bet' countries will also allow donors and technology providers to support more ambitious, transformational projects led by national governments.


In his recent From Normativity to Responsibility Joseph Raz argues for three features of practical reasons: that they are facts; that they are facts that can motivate agents qua being reasons; and that they motivate agents in virtue of agents' capacity to reflect on them as reasons (which he labels 'Reason'). The paper identifies a tension between two conceptions of normativity that seem to co-exist in Raz's account: on the first of them, reasons remain psychologically efficacious albeit too subjective; the other, takes reasons to be objective normative facts which exist independently of our practical reasoning (or Reason). I caution against a conflation between mind-dependence (psychologism) and Reasondependence and suggest that practical reasons can remain simultaneously objective and motivating if we understand them in a Reason-dependent fashion. In the course of the paper a number of related questions on the nature of reasons are discussed and clarified.


X-ray analysis on iron ores and reduced iron powders revealed that around 60% acidinsoluble substances were hexagonal and tetragonal quartz, another 40% substances were sillimanite, alumina-silicate, an unnamed zeolite, all contained Si and Al. SEM images displayed that the particle size of them was in the range of 3~7 μm, which may be the initial source of the cracking in the sintered body. Statistics analysis showed that the Acid-Insoluble Content (AIC) for high-grade magnetite powder was (0.130±0.010) % during the latest five months. The predicting value for reduced iron powder from ore powders should be 0.179 %. However, the testing value for reduced iron powder was (0.192±0.014) %. The limited difference of 0.013% might imply rare pollution coming from the reduction and milling processes. The most important step for control AIC should be the separation process of iron ore powders.


The extraction of phospholipids (PL) from palm-pressed fiber (PPF) using ultrasound technology was evaluated and quantified using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with an evaporative light scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD). The PL sample was treated with diol solid phase extraction (SPE) to achieve better separation and higher PL recovery by removing neutral lipids. The types of PL that were considered in the recovery study included phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and lyso-phosphatidylcholine (LPC). A central composite design (CCD) was employed to study the effect of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) conditions, namely amplitude (20%-90%), cycle (0.2-1.0 W/s), and sonication time (5-30 min), on the PL extraction yield from PPF. The optimum parameters for PL extraction using the ultrasound system were 20% amplitude, 0.2 W/s cycle, and a sonication time of 30 min. Under these optimum conditions, the response values obtained for overall extraction efficiency and individual extraction yield of PE and PC were 110 mg/g, 12570, and 5426 mg/kg, respectively. In the purification of PL, it was observed that acetone can remove oil from the extract. Ethanol was used to fractionate PC and PI, as both PC and PI have different solubility in this solvent. In general, PC is more soluble in ethanol than PI. Therefore, the ethanol extract was the PC-enriched fraction and the ethanol precipitate was the PI-enriched fraction. The sample to ethanol ratio significantly (p < 0.05) affected the purity of PC in the PC-enriched fraction. The best ratio of sample/ethanol (g/mL) was 1:20, which resulted in the highest percentage of the PC fraction, with the highest PC level in the PC fraction and the highest PI level in the PI fraction. The PC-enriched fraction contained 45% PC, 2% PE and 5% PI based on the total extract content, whereas the PI-enriched fraction contained 13% PC, 8% PE, and 60% PI.


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 The investment world as we know it has changed, and the paradigm has shifted. What has worked in the past may no longer work in the future. No longer may bonds be regarded as a safe haven asset class, as for the first time in generations, investors in fixed income face losses as interest rates rise from historical all-time lows. For those adhering to a conventional Modern Portfolio Theory based investment approach to asset management, what was once regarded as safe and stable, may very well soon become our greatest impediment.

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This paper discusses a novel approach to elicit people's preferences for public goods, namely the life satisfaction approach. Reported subjective well-being data are used to directly evaluate utility consequences of public goods. The strengths of this approach are compared to traditional approaches and identification issues are addressed. Moreover, it is applied to estimate utility losses caused by terrorist activities in France, the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Terrorism in these countries depresses life satisfaction in a sizeable and robust way. However, the calculation of the trade-off between terrorism and income requires improved measurement of the marginal utility of income. JEL classification: D61, D74, H41, H56, I31.


There are many documented cases of transmission from birds to people, but as yet only rare instances of human to human transmission. Nonetheless, public health officials are concerned about the possibility of a human pandemic, and many countries have policies of banning imports of live birds and poultry meat from infected regions. The potential impacts on Indonesia of a production shock, a shift in consumption or a trade ban are assessed using a heterogeneous product model where imports are differentiated by source. Empirical results suggest the likely trade impacts in Indonesia are minimal because its trade is a small share of production.


This paper proposes a hybrid framework for fast and accurate performance estimation of OpenCL kernels running on GPUs. The kernel execution flow is statically analyzed and thereupon the execution trace is generated via a loop-based bidirectional branch search. Then the trace is dynamically simulated to perform a dummy execution of the kernel to obtain the estimated time. The framework does not rely on profiling or measurement results which are used in conventional performance estimation techniques. Moreover, the lightweight trace-based simulation consumes much less time than a fine-grained GPU simulator. Our framework can accurately grasp the variation trend of the execution time in the design space and robustly predict the performance of the kernels across two generations of recent Nvidia GPU architectures. Experiments on four Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) GPUs show that our framework can predict the runtime performance with average Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 17.04% and time consumption of a few seconds. We also demonstrate the practicability of our framework with a realworld application.


In a multilingual society dictionaries play an important role in assisting to achieve communicative success between the speakers of the different languages. Speakers in a multilingual society often employ a bilingual dictionary as the only instrument to meet their lexicographic needs. This implies that a bilingual dictionary becomes a polyfunctional instrument, presenting more information than just translation equivalents. This article focuses on the contents and the presentation of bilingual dictionaries. To achieve the optimal transfer of information for South African bilingual dictionaries, some general problems are identified and discussed. With the emphasis on the user perspective, metalexicographical criteria are used to investigate problems regarding the access structure and the addressing procedures in Afrikaans dictionaries. Suggestions are made to expand the outer access structure and to employ innovative methods, including the use of inserted inner texts, to improve the inner access structure. Changes in the addressing procedures to make provision for the more frequent use of nonlemmatic addressing procedures are also suggested.


Ascitic fluid and plasma from ovarian cancer patients, but not from patients with nongynecological tumors, contain elevated levels of the bioactive phospholipid lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). We show that ovarian cancer cells constitutively produce increased amounts of LPA as compared with normal ovarian epithelium, the precursor of ovarian epithelial cancer, or breast cancer cells. In addition, LPA, but not other growth factors, increases LPA production by the OVCAR-3 ovarian cancer cell line but not by normal ovarian epithelium or breast cancer cell lines. We show that phospholipase D activity contributes to both constitutive and LPA-induced LPA production by ovarian cancer cells. Constitutive and LPA-induced LPA synthesis by ovarian cancer cells is differentially regulated with respect to the requirement of specific phospholipase A2 (PLA2) subgroups. Group IB (pancreatic) secretory PLA2 plays a critical role in both constitutive and LPA-induced LPA formation, whereas group IIA (synovial) secretory PLA2 contributes to LPA-induced LPA production only. Calcium-dependent and/or -independent cytosolic PLA2s are required for constitutive LPA synthesis but do not play a role in LPA-induced LPA formation. LPA increases the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells, decreases sensitivity to cisplatin, the most commonly used drug in ovarian cancer, decreases apoptosis and anoikis, increases protease production, and increases production of neovascularization mediators. Thus, an understanding of the source and regulation of LPA production in ovarian cancer patients could identify novel targets for therapy.


The present investigation addresses instrumentality in multidimensional terminological definitions with a double aim. The first aim is to elaborate a cognitive framework of instrumentality in LSP. The second aim is to outline a usage-based linguistic typology of instrumentality. The study is based on a mixed methodology in which instrumentality is analyzed both on the conceptual level and the predicational level using corpus data. So far, instrumentality has merely been investigated in an indirect, not corpus-based manner so that this semantic role, more specifically its multilayered character, is underspecified. In order to provide a definition of instrumentality which incorporates instrumental subtyping and its salience, thus allowing for an extended view of instrumentality and so-called associative relations, we investigated a German-French multidisciplinary corpus composed of abstracts in the field of microsurgery and cardiosurgery. Our results have led to some recommendations for existing ontological knowledge management tools like i-Term and i-Model.


Anti-microbial activity of root, stem and leaf extracts of Phyllanthus amarus was studied with polar solvents such as ethyl acetate, dimethyl formamide and non-polar solvents such as chloroform, dichloromethane and n-Hexane extracts against Gram positive bacteria viz. Bacillus cereus ,Bacillus subtilis and Gram negative bacteria viz. Pseudomonas aeruginosa,, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae using Agar well diffusion method. Root, stem and leaf extracts of Phyllanthus amarus were evaluated separately to determine the best explant source for potential antimicrobial effect. Amikacin and Nitrofurantoin were the antibiotics that are used as positive control. Leaf extracts in dimethyl formamide and dichloromethane exhibited better antimicrobial activity compared to root and stem extracts. The extracts were further subjected to GC-MS analysis for identification of compounds responsible for anti-microbial activity. MIC and MBC studies were carried out by macrodilution method. The assessment of anti-microbial activity of this plant helps in correlating the ancient and modern way of disease treatment for large scale testing of novel pharmacopeia.


[PhD Dissertation] The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MET), a cooperative of retail and wholesale water utilities, serves 18 million people. This case study explains how MET - as a cooperative - is inefficient and how its member agencies suffer from this inefficiency. I show that MET is inefficient by demonstrating that its members have heterogeneous preferences over outcomes: Members that are more dependent on MET prefer policies that increase water supply; others prefer lower rates. Although heterogeneity had existed since at least the 1940s, MET avoided conflict well into the 1970s. I explore two possibilities for efficiency despite heterogeneity. First, MET had so much water that it could treat it as a club good, i.e., members did not need to agree on policies over non-rival water. Second, member agencies may have had social preferences (one for all and all for one). Shrinking subsidies and supplies in the 1960s changed water from a club to private good. The end of social preferences is not so obvious, so I asked MET's member agency managers to participate in public goods experiments. They do not appear to have social preferences. If MET is inefficient as a cooperative, we should see evidence of this inefficiency, and MET's pricing policies (setting annual prices in the prior year and selling water for the same price to all locations) provide this evidence. With increasing water scarcity, the damage from these policies is growing.I use 60 years of panel data to show that water increases land value, dependency lowers it, and water may have been misallocated during the 1987-1991 drought. I describe how marginal water can be auctioned after inframarginal, lifeline water is allocated and present experimental results for water auctions in which water managers suffer endowment effects but compete more (relative to students).In addition to the analysis of MET, other contributions are a quantification of bargaining power within an organization (dependency), measurement of water manager cooperation, estimation of the value of water on urban land, and design of auctions for equity and efficiency.


This analysis focuses on defining and describing the unique economic characteristics of agrifood supply chains. The analysis includes seven specific economic characteristics of agrifood supply chains that distinguish them from other industrial manufacturing and service supply chains. The seven characteristics are: 1) risk emanating from the biological nature of agrifood supply chains, 2) the role of buffer stocks within the supply chain, 3) the scientific foundation of innovation in production agriculture having shifted from chemistry to biology, 4) cyberspace and information technology influences on agrifood supply chains, 5) the prevalent market structure at the farm gate remains oligopsony, 6) relative market power shifts in agrifood supply chains away from food manufacturers downstream to food retailers, and 7) globalization of agriculture and agri-food supply chains.


The tumor suppressor protein p53 transcriptionally activates genes that control cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and other cellular processes that help to prevent tumor development. Teodoro et al. now show that p53 appears to keep tumors in check by activating the gene encoding α(II) collagen prolyl-4-hydroxylase. This enzyme is required for the extracellular release of collagen-derived peptides, such as endostatin and tumstatin, that are potent inhibitors of tumor angiogenesis. The p53 gene is inactivated in many human cancers, presumably leading to reduced production of endogenous antiangiogenic peptides that defend against tumor growth. J. G. Teodoro, A. E. Parker, X. Zhu, M. R. Green, p53-Mediated inhibition of angiogenesis through up-regulation of a collagen prolyl hydroxylase. Science 313, 968-971 (2006). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Let $f$ be a polynomial of degree $d$ in $n$ variables over a finite field $\mathbb{F}$. The polynomial is said to be unbiased if the distribution of $f(x)$ for a uniform input $x \in \mathbb{F}^n$ is close to the uniform distribution over $\mathbb{F}$, and is called biased otherwise. The polynomial is said to have low rank if it can be expressed as a composition of a few lower degree polynomials. Green and Tao [Contrib. Discrete Math 2009] and Kaufman and Lovett [FOCS 2008] showed that bias implies low rank for fixed degree polynomials over fixed prime fields. This lies at the heart of many tools in higher order Fourier analysis. In this work, we extend this result to all prime fields (of size possibly growing with $n$). We also provide a generalization to nonprime fields in the large characteristic case. However, we state all our applications in the prime field setting for the sake of simplicity of presentation.
As an immediate application, we obtain improved bounds for a suite of problems in effective algebraic geometry, including Hilbert nullstellensatz, radical membership and counting rational points in low degree varieties.
Using the above generalization to large fields as a starting point, we are also able to settle the list decoding radius of fixed degree Reed-Muller codes over growing fields. The case of fixed size fields was solved by Bhowmick and Lovett [STOC 2015], which resolved a conjecture of Gopalan-Klivans-Zuckerman [STOC 2008]. Here, we show that the list decoding radius is equal the minimum distance of the code for all fixed degrees, even when the field size is possibly growing with $n$.


From the editors of the highly successful LTE for UMTS: Evolution to LTE-Advanced, this new book examines the main technical enhancements brought by LTE-Advanced, thoroughly covering 3GPP Release 10 specifications and the main items in Release 11. Using illustrations, graphs and real-life scenarios, the authors systematically lead readers through this cutting-edge topic to provide an outlook on existing technologies as well as possible future developments. The book is structured to follow the main technical areas that will be enhanced by the LTE-Advanced specifications. The main topics covered include: Carrier Aggregation; Multiantenna MIMO Transmission, Heterogeneous Networks; Coordinated Multipoint Transmission (CoMP); Relay nodes; 3GPP milestones and IMT-Advanced process in ITU-R; and LTE-Advanced Performance Evaluation. Key features: * Leading author and editor team bring their expertise to the next generation of LTE technology * Includes tables, figures and plots illustrating the concepts or simulation results, to aid understanding of the topic, and enabling readers to be ahead of the technological advances


ESSENTIALS OF GEOLOGY, Fourth Edition is a shorter version of the authors' PHYSICAL GEOLOGY: EXPLORING THE EARTH, Fifth Edition text. In the same tradition, the authors present the content and material in a clear, consistent voice, focusing on plate tectonics in the first two chapters and offering more material on earth history than other texts in the market. The authors also draw the student into physical geology by providing engaging examples, as can be seen in the "Cultural Connection" boxes, a new pedagogical feature in this edition. Chapter opener objectives are now numbered so that students can easily recognize the crucial points of the chapter while reading and then they are numbered again in the chapter summary, for review. The Fourth Edition has numerous new photos that will be of interest to faculty and students alike and offers a new online student tutorial called GeologyNow. GeologyNow is the first assessment-centered student tutorial technology developed for the Geology market. The seamless integration of GeologyNow with chapter concepts emphasizes the connections between the content and students' own lives, through visual 3-D animations and chapter quizzes, in order to develop a greater appreciation for physical geology.


Phthalate diesters, widely used in flexible plastics and consumer products, have become prevalent contaminants in the environment. Human exposure is ubiquitous and higher phthalate metabolite concentrations documented in patients using medications with phthalate-containing slow release capsules raises concerns for potential health effects. Furthermore, animal studies suggest that phthalate exposure can modulate circulating hormone concentrations and thus may be able to adversely affect reproductive physiology and the development of estrogen sensitive target tissues. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of the epidemiological and experimental animal literature examining the relationship between phthalate exposure and adverse female reproductive health outcomes. The epidemiological literature is sparse for most outcomes studied and plagued by small sample size, methodological weaknesses, and thus fails to support a conclusion of an adverse effect of phthalate exposure. Despite a paucity of experimental animal studies for several phthalates, we conclude that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that phthalates are reproductive toxicants. However, we note that the concentrations needed to induce adverse health effects are high compared to the concentrations measured in contemporary human biomonitoring studies. We propose that the current patchwork of studies, potential for additive effects and evidence of adverse effects of phthalate exposure in subsequent generations and at lower concentrations than in the parental generation support the need for further study. Abstract


Background/Aims To compare several methods of macular hole measurement using optical coherence tomography (OCT), and to assess their predictive capability against anatomical and visual outcomes in a single cohort of patients. Methods A retrospective study of 50 eyes undergoing standardised macular hole surgery. All patients underwent preoperative OCT scanning with measurement of macular hole inner opening diameter, minimum linear diameter, base diameter and macular hole height. Values were calculated for the macular hole index and the tractional hole index. Results Logistic regression analyses indicated that the preoperative base diameter, macular hole inner opening and minimum linear diameter were associated with both anatomical and visual success. Derived parameters as alternatives to these basic ophthalmic parameters add little to the modelling of either anatomical or visual success. Conclusion Base diameter, macular hole inner opening and minimum linear diameter can each be used to predict anatomical and/or functional success in macular hole surgery. Preoperative base diameter is the most useful variable in this regard, as it holds the strongest association with anatomical and visual outcome and is easily measured on a OCT scan.


In this paper an attempt has been made for comprehensive numerical study of wind effects on tall building considering temperature effects. For that a tall structure having different geometric plan configuration of same plan area have been considered. All the tall buildings with different plan configuration have been modeled in CFD Code namely Fluent / Gambit and then comparative study has been executed. Distribution of the fluctuating surface pressure and the wind forces acting on bluff-shaped bodies are of great practical interest in the field of structural design in wind engineering because much civil and industrial structure can be assimilating to this shape. Computational wind engineering as a new branch of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been developed recently to evaluate the interaction between wind and buildings numerically. The techniques of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), such as Standard k-e Simulation, were adopted in this study to predict wind loads on and wind flow around the building. For the study, commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code Fluent has been used to generate computational domain around building then effect of temperature on static pressure, drag force and wind force coefficient on tall building has been examined.


Through analysis of the dispersion relation in a photonic bandgap structure, the effective optical Kerr nonlinearity that determines a Z-scan profile particularly near the stop-band edges, is derived. Near and inside the stop band, the nonlinear optical phase change that originates from an off-resonant response is converted into a change in nonlinear optical intensity through Bragg reflection. The Z-scan measurement of a cholesteric liquid-crystal photonic bandgap structure confirmed that off-resonant Kerr nonlinearity is responsible for the characteristic open-aperture Z-scan profiles near the stop-band edges.


ABSTRACT A comprehensive compendium on the taxonomy and biology of the 3106 living and fossil species of the worlds termites is presented, along with reviews of Isoptera morphology and evolution, identification keys, the history of termite systematics, and summary of the worlds 363 significant pest species. A complete bibliography is provided of nearly 5000 references covering virtually all aspects of termite taxonomy and biology through December 2011. The morphology of Isoptera is thoroughly reviewed and illustrated with original scanning electron micrographs and photomicrographs, covering the cuticular anatomy and those internal organs that are taxonomically and phylogenetically significant, including several new character systems. Terminology is presented for the systems of tibial spines and spurs so as to establish homologs. Keys are presented to the nine living families of termites, and the world subfamilies and genera of Archotermopsidae, Hodotermitidae, Kalotermitidae, Mastotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae, Serritermitidae, Stolotermitidae, and Stylotermitidae. A key to subfamilies of the Termitidae is included. A detailed morphological diagnosis for each family and subfamily is provided, along with images of exemplar species. The history of isopteran research in taxonomy, systematics, morphology, paleontology, and biology is reviewed from 1758 to the present, with emphasis on transformative workers such as Holmgren, Silvestri, Emerson, Roonwal, Noirot, and Sands. Evolution of the Isoptera is reviewed, including the diversity and natural history of genera and species in all Zoogeographic regions, major patterns in social biology, the phylogeny of Recent and fossil genera and families, and 135 million years of fossils preserved as compressions, mineralized replicas, and in amber. The definitive sister group to the Isoptera is the monogeneric family of wood roaches, Cryptocercidae (Cryptocercus), so the taxonomic ranks of the two groups are now Infraorder Isoptera and Infraorder Cryptocercoidea within Order Blattaria (roaches and termites). The compendium summarizes the taxonomic history, nomenclature, distribution, type locality, and repository, and all significant aspects of natural history and biology for each species of the world, exclusive of pest control and colony inquilines (termitophiles). The classification of Recent and fossil lower termites (all those exclusive of family Termitidae) used in the compendium is from Engel et al. (2009), which is based on morphology and largely congruent with molecular studies. Rhinotermitidae s.s. (exclusive of Stylotermitidae) may be paraphyletic with respect to Termitidae, although the six traditional subfamilies of the former are used here. A separate section summarizes the nomenclatural changes made in the compendium, including new synonymies, new combinations, status novus, lectotype selection etc. A detailed list is provided of museums and other institutional collections that house type specimens. An index is included. The Treatise is intended to provide an authoritative foundation for taxonomic work on the Isoptera, present and future.


The soldier returns from the front to the three women who love him. His wife, Kitty, with her cold, moonlight beauty, and his devoted cousin Jenny wait in their exquisite home on the crest of the Harrow-weald. Margaret Allington, his first and long-forgotten love, is nearby in the dreary suburb of Wealdstone. But the soldier is shell-shocked and can only remember the Margaret he loved fifteen years before, when he was a young man and she an inn-keeper's daughter. His cousin he remembers only as a childhood playmate; his wife he remembers not at all. The women have a choice - to leave him where he wishes to be, or to 'cure' him. It is Margaret who reveals a love so great that she can make the final sacrifice.


In writing the preface to his novel Caleb Williams in 1794, William Godwin
observed that "Terror was the order of the day." Political radicals of the
late eighteenth century, in fact, believed they were experiencing what was
later called the "English Reign of Terror," as the British government, supported
by loyalist associations and militant Church and King mobs,
mounted an official counter offensive against the burgeoning reform movement.
In the years between 1792 and 1800, no fewer than thirteen repressive
measures were enacted to suppress radical enthusiasms, which, for E.P.
Thompson, exposed a government taking "halting steps" away from legitimate
control and venturing toward a regime that would "dispense with
the rule of law, dismantle their elaborate constitutional structures, countermand
their own rhetoric and exercise power by force." Indeed, political
trials showed a marked increase during the 1790s, with Lord Eldon commenting
in 1795 "that there had been more prosecutions for libel within
the last two years than there had been for twenty years before." One
scholar has recently shown that the Court of King's Bench had conducted
an average of just over two libel trials per year for most of the eighteenth
century; in the decade after the French Revolution, however, this average
figure increased fivefold. Moreover, Clive Emsley has counted some two
hundred prosecutions for sedition from this period, although he contends
that this number "pales into insignificance beside the number of prosecutions
for sedition during the Jacobite emergencies of 1715 to 1716 and
1745 to 1746."


The aim of this paper is to develop a theory and taxonomy of auditory signs, based on semiotics. For more than two decades, the discourse on non-speech audio interfaces has been dominated by a dichotomy between auditory icons, which are based on everyday hearing, and earcons, which are based on musical hearing. The corresponding theory behind these concepts has to be revised for several reasons. First, the authors of these theories partly use semiotic concepts and terminology, but not always in a correct way. Second, the classification of auditory icons as "iconic", and earcons as "abstract" is too simple and based on the questionable premise that everyday sounds are per se iconic and musical motives are per se abstract and symbolic. Third, this widespread idea ignores the crucial role of the user in the process of perception. In addition, the users' perception of visual and auditory signs in computer interfaces is fundamentally different today, from how it was in the early years of graphical user interfaces — the time when the first auditory interfaces and the corresponding theories were developed.


Over the last twenty or so years, it has become standard to require policy makers to base their recommendations on evidence. That is now uncontroversial to the point of triviality—of course, policy should be based on the facts. But are the methods that policy makers rely on to gather and analyze evidence the right ones? In Evidence-Based Policy, Nancy Cartwright, an eminent scholar, and Jeremy Hardie, who has had a long and successful career in both business and the economy, explain that the dominant methods which are in use now—broadly speaking, methods that imitate standard practices in medicine like randomized control trials—do not work. They fail, Cartwright and Hardie contend, because they do not enhance our ability to predict if policies will be effective. The prevailing methods fall short not just because social science, which operates within the domain of real-world politics and deals with people, differs so much from the natural science milieu of the lab. Rather, there are principled reasons why the advice for crafting and implementing policy now on offer will lead to bad results. Current guides in use tend to rank scientific methods according to the degree of trustworthiness of the evidence they produce. That is valuable in certain respects, but such approaches offer little advice about how to think about putting such evidence to use. Evidence-Based Policy focuses on showing policymakers how to effectively use evidence. It also explains what types of information are most necessary for making reliable policy, and offers lessons on how to organize that information.


Current literature has not examined gender employment issues in Kuwait's banking industry. This is a key knowledge gap as many women are entering the sector and might be facing discriminatory conducts in comparison to their male colleagues. The scarcity of available literature regarding the Kuwaiti banking sector and its equality practices calls for more research attention to detect discriminatory conducts and improve governmental legislation. This paper builds an international comparison between Kuwait and Britain's established discrimination legislation. It uses a primary qualitative research method within two of Kuwait's private banks to address the following questions: firstly, what is the nature of implemented gender equality policies and practices within the banks? This includes patterns of gender segregation, recruitment and selection processes, promotional opportunities and gender pay gaps. And secondly, how do Islamic and conventional banks differ with regards to their equality practices and gender career opportunities? The findings of the study were similar within both Islamic and conventional banks. Results indicated a strong prevalence within Kuwait of social and cultural factors, which shape gender roles and ideologies. Occupational gender segregation and thus pay inequalities were found to be a distinct feature of the sector in both countries. And this was linked to long working hours cultures, the unbalanced load of domestic and care burden between males and females, as well as discretionary managerial practices for selection, hiring and promotions. The paper highlights key areas of improvements with regards to equality practices and legislative policy planning in Kuwait.


To determine how climate factors influence age, body size and sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in the Mediterranean region, we generated data on age and body size of the European Treefrog, Hyla arborea, in three Turkish populations with a latitudinal gradient. We estimated age structure (total n=154), using skeletochronology. Mean body size of both sexes was smaller in a southern population (Antalya) than in northern populations (Canakkale and Rize) with female-larger SSD in the northern populations. A positive correlation was found between age and body size in each sex of all the populations, save the Antalya females. Since amphibian growth is reduced after maturity but continues towards the asymptotic size, interpopulation size differences may partly be explained by differences in longevity with four years in Antalya and five years in the other two populations. Comparing age and body size in three Turkish populations with those in three different populations (Greece, Switzerland and Germany) from the literature, there was a trend of South-to-North increase in body size with increased latitude and decreased temperature and aridity. The same trend occurred also in age structure (e.g., age at maturity/first reproduction, longevity). These results suggest that a difference in age structure between populations is a main factor for the geographic variation in body size of this species.