This thesis explores and analyzes the portrayal of women death and suffering through the experiences of male speakers in William Wordsworth Lord Byron and Edgar Allan Poe's poetry. These poets create bereaved male speakers who mourn the loss of a dead woman in order to present themselves as male poets who are capable of showing intense emotions. While all three poets construct speakers who express suffering each does so differently each highlighting a different idea about the relationship between death and nature.


Nanotechnology is an Interdisciplinary and integrates the science and technology. This technology is the materials at nanodimension. The approach at nanodimension towards manufacturing and fabrication will responds to the challenge for future competitiveness of much of the economy. Preparation of materials at nanodimension supports the growth of nanotechnology and which routes the nanotechnological applications. The emerging research materials are in the research stage and would be used in nanometer scale devices. Development of characterization technology is needed to understand the composition, structure, morphology and other requirements at nanodimension. This technology may be growing future and final technology and will be accessible out side the human regime.


Researchers at the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (USA-CERL) have been developing an expert system called Claims Guidance System (CGS) to provide claims analysis expertise at the field level of the Corps of Engineers. This system uses an expert system shell for IBM-compatible microcomputers, Personal Consultant Plus by Texas Instruments. The objectives of this system are (1) to provide an inexperienced project engineer with prelegal assistance in the analysis of potential claims from construction contracts and (2) to serve as a training device for new personnel in field offices, familiarizing them with the related legal issues.


One of NASA's research and development satellite communications projects is the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) program. Applications utilizing high speed networks will be developed using satellite links. One such application is a distributed coupled global climate model. Climate models to study phenomena such as El Nino have been extremely useful in developing predictions and understanding global climate change. The high cost of running extended simulations necessary to substantiate theories can be reduced by using a network of supercomputers. A coupled ocean-atmosphere model has been implemented on a network of three Cray supercomputers.


Women's health is highly influenced by early childbearing in 95% of developing countries such as Bangladesh. Women who have their first child at an early age receive fewer years of schooling, which also influences their employment life. Women's early age at first birth creates health complications, increases both maternal and child mortality, and prolongs the reproductive duration as well as a country's fertility rate. This is a major social and public health problem around the world. This study aims to investigate the existing situation in Bangladesh and to identify the triggering influencing factors of age at first birth. A cross-sectional study design was implemented in this study, where we used the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data from 2004, 2007, 2011, and 2014. Firstly, to identify different factors associated with first birth at an early age, the bi-variate analysis method was carried out. Then a logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the simultaneous effect of socioeconomic and demographic factors. Findings of the study reveal that respondent education level, partner's education level, religion, reading newspaper, and type of place of residence had significant contributions for early age at first birth among the female in Bangladesh. Based on the findings, there seems a decreasing trend of having early childbearing in Bangladeshi women over the years, but still, no optimal fertility rate has been achieved. For complex socio-cultural settings in Bangladesh, it is difficult to reduce the fertility rate. Hence, to reduce the prevalence of the age at early childbearing in Bangladesh, the Government and non-government organizations should take proper initiatives considering our study findings.


In multiple sclerosis (MS), a group of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their natural tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) may play a role in preventing tissue damage. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between the MMP-9, MMP-2, TIMP- 1, and TIMP-2 serum levels and the possible relationship to the type, severity, and progressive course of MS. Eighty-nine patients and 22 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. The MS patients were grouped as follows: 35 relapsing-remitting patients with shortdisease- duration (RRMS-SDD) (≤5 years), 23 patients with longer-disease-duration (RRMSLDD) (≥10 years), 21 secondary progressive patients (SPMS), 6 progressive relapsing patients (PRMS) and 4 primary progressive patients (PPMS). Serum levels were analysed by ELISA. Compared with the Control Group, the TIMP-1 serum levels (ng/ml) increased [Group I (RRMS-SDD), 2242.2; Group II (RRMS-LDD), 3108.3; Group III (SPMS), 3108.3; Group IV (PRMS), 3552.3; Group V (PPMS), 2068.6; and Group VI (control group), 1554.9] (p<0.01), and the MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratios decreased [Group I, 0.074; Group II, 0.055; Group III, 0.043; Group IV, 0.028; Group V, 0.116; and Group VI, 0.107] (p<0.05) in all patient groups except the PPMS group. We re-classified the patients to reflect the progressive disease course as non-progressive (all RRMS) and progressive (PPMS, SPMS, and PRMS) groups. Compared with the control group, we again found an increase in TIMP-1 serum levels (ng/ml) [Groups I-II (RRMS=SDD and LDD), 2726.6; Groups III-IV-V (SPMS, PRMS, and PPMS), 3100.9; and Group VI (control group), 1554.9] (p<0.001) and a decrease in the MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratios [Groups I-II, 0.064; Groups III-IV-V, 0.046; and Group VI, 0.107] (p<0.01). In our study, the MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-2 serum levels and MMP- 2/TIMP-2 ratio were not significantly different between the groups altough reclassification. These results mirror the clinical stability that is related to the disease remission status of our patient sample. Further clinical trials will be necessary to examine potential drug targets to prevent patient attacks involving this dynamic pathophysiologic process of MS.


ABSTRACT Immigrant adolescents are generally more ambitious but not as likely to achieve their career/occupational aspirations as their peers. The present study draws on self-discrepancy and social identity literatures to define and explore the role of mismatches between ethnic and aspiration-related ideal selves. In two samples recruited in Canada, 73% of immigrant adolescents aspired to a university-bound career (e.g., physician, engineer). As expected, adolescents reporting larger ethnic/ideal self-discrepancies were less engaged towards their aspiration (Sample 1, n = 73) and viewed school less favorably (Sample 2, n = 125). The present analyses suggest that actual/ideal self-discrepancies mediate these associations, thus extending prior findings and highlighting the role of self-discrepancies in immigrant adolescents' experiences.


Although many authors believe that their work has a greater research impact if it is freely available, studies to demonstrate that impact are few. This study looks at articles in four disciplines at varying stages of adoption of open access—philosophy, political science, electrical and electronic engineering and mathematics—to see whether they have a greater impact as measured by citations in the ISI Web of Science database when their authors make them freely available on the Internet. The finding is that, across all four disciplines, freely available articles do have a greater research impact. Shedding light on this category of open access reveals that scholars in diverse disciplines are adopting open-access practices and being rewarded for it.


We present in this paper results on a new dissemination system of ultra-stable reference signal at 100 MHz on a standard fibre network. The 100 MHz signal is simply transferred by amplitude modulation of an optical carrier. Two different approaches for compensating the noise introduced by the link have been implemented. The limits of the two systems are analyzed and several solution suggested in order to improve the frequency stability and to further extend the distribution distance. Nevertheless, our system is a good tool for the best cold atom fountains comparison between laboratories, up to 100 km, with a relative frequency resolution of 10-14 at one second integration time and 10-17 for one day of measurement. The distribution system may be upgraded to fulfill the stringent distribution requirements for the future optical clocks.


ABSTRACT Introduction: In the era of minimally-invasive surgery, urinary incontinence (UI) after radical prostatectomy (RP) still represents a troublesome issue for a considerable rate of patients. Factors associated with the risk of post-RP UI, need to be carefully assessed throughout the overall clinical management process thus including the pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative setting. Areas covered: This review analyses current published evidences regarding clinical and surgical aspects associated with urinary continence (UC) recovery after RP. A careful evaluation of patient's clinical characteristics should be carried out before surgery in order to properly counsel the patients regarding the risk of UI. In the last two decades, the advent of robotic surgery has led to an overall improvement of functional outcomes after RP, thanks to the development of different surgical strategies based on either the 'preservation' or the 'reconstruction' of the anatomical elements responsible for urinary continence. Finally, several therapeutic strategies including either a conservative approach, or pharmacological and surgical treatments, should be carefully considered for the post-operative management of UI. Expert commentary: A comprehensive pre-operative patient's clinical assessment, along with a proper and well-conducted surgical procedure and an effective post-operative care management are essential element to achieve a high probability of UC recovery.


Due to the ever expanding amount of data that is being generated in the "Big Data era" there is an ever increasing challenge of processing this data. This work aims to tackle the challenge of improving the performance of processing unstructured data being generated by combining two different technologies of General Purpose Graphics Processor Units (GPGPUs) and Apache Hadoop. Many researchers have focused on improving either the GPGPU or Apache Hadoop; very little amount of evaluation data is available in combination of the two technologies, which we aim to study in our work. JCuda, JCublas and JCuFFT were used in conjunction with the CUDA library to incorporate GPGPU computation within the Apache Hadoop framework. We utilized the Nvidia Tesla M2050 and up to 16 compute nodes to evaluate the integration of the GPGPU and Apache Hadoop framework with three different use cases. Two synthetic benchmarks, matrix multiplication, fast Fourier transformations, and a real world application, image processing using the Gaussian blur filter. We were able to achieve up to, 6.91×, 2.48× and 1.49× of overall performance improvements for matrix multiplication, FFT and Gaussian blur respectively. We expect that our work will be useful to the reader to gauge the amount of performance that they would be able to achieve under certain workloads for their own work with the combination of GPGPU and Apache Hadoop.


Communication is at the center of providing health with care. Good communication between nurses, patients, and among members of the health care team is paramount in delivering patient-centered care. The literature has demonstrated that mobile communication devices can improve quality and efficiency of communication among clinicians, mobilize information, improve clinical workflow, improve response time, and provide cost savings. The research has also revealed unintended consequences such as interruptions in care, increase in errors, caregiver distractions, and reductions in workflow processes. There is currently limited evidence in the literature regarding the perceptions of nurses regarding the use and satisfaction of mobile communication devices. This study examined a convenience sample of nurses (n=64) working in an acute care setting. Donabedian's process, structure, and outcome model was used to guide this exploratory research. Registered Nurses (RNs) participated in a self-reported one-time survey on perceptions of the use of wireless mobile communication devices. The survey consisted of a 34 response Likert questionnaire which included questions about the mobile devices' impact on communication, the personal impact the device had on nurses, the perceptions of training and implementation, the devices' involvement in patient safety, and the overall impact of using the device. The results suggest an increase in the speed and reliability of communication with the use of a mobile communication device, improved response time to patient issues, and improved communication. However, nurses responded unfavorably regarding the impact on patient safety. Trends in data demonstrated nurses with less experience scoring more favorably than nurses with more experience. Most nurses responded unfavorably to the overall impact these devices had.


Fair and Balanced. A History of Journalistic Objectivity. Steven R. Knowlton and Karen L. Freeman, eds. Northport, AL: Vision Press, 2005. 246 pp. $24.95 hbk. Fair and Balanced. A History of Journalistic Objectivity sets itself an unenviable task and comes to a brave conclusion. In analyzing the history of a concept one of the editors says is absent from almost all journalism textbooks, it tries, and generally succeeds, to extend the issues and background normally associated with the concept and to trace multiple interpretations of the term. Finally, it holds that while objectivity is for some, if not most, "pitiably passe," it has proven to be a "remarkably resilient concept," to quote co-editor Steven Knowlton's concluding chapter. Knowlton's conclusion, somewhat misleadingly titled "Into the 1960s-and into the Crucible," holds that a particular form of objectivity is still a worthwhile ideal. He strongly dismisses the claims by some that objectivity means the absence of reporters' values and that it means a lack of context for the reporting. That also is a theme of the book-that objectivity has existed alongside context or interpretation, even in eras when it was most often thought not to, such as during the Puritan era (Julie Hedgepeth Williams), the Patriot press (Williams), and periods of yellow journalism (Elliot King) and muckraking (Bruce J. Evensen). This anthology arose out of a panel discussion at an American Journalism Historians Association conference and includes a number of leading lights in the field. The writing styles vary, as is to be expected in an anthology, and the chapters contain different degrees of historical detail versus interpretation and analysis. At times, there is rather a lot of recounting of battles, both military and political, but this is, after all, a book for journalism historians first, and then perhaps for other theoreticians and researchers second. It assumes too much background knowledge for most undergraduate readers but would form a useful supplement to a graduate seminar. Knowlton, a journalism professor at Hofstra University, and Freeman, a staff editor at the New York Times, note in the preface that the book is also a response to, or extension of, Dan Schiller's Objectivity and the News and Michael Schudson's Discovering the News in its examination of the historical roots of the concept. Essentially Schiller pointed to the Penny Press and the 1830s and Schudson to the Progressive era and the 1920s as periods when objectivity came into being. Here it is argued that objectivity's roots run deeper, well before daily journalism was an established institution in the United States. It is worth inserting here that this is a book about the history of U.S. journalistic objectivity, with hardly a mention of practices and perceptions in other countries. That of course is not a shortcoming, as there is more than enough provocative material here, but it is to suggest that reference to that fact could have been made in the title or, failing that, in the book's introduction. …


The evaluation of the tumor protein p53 (TP53) codon 72 polymorphism (rs1042522) status in a population exposed to high background radiation was performed in this study. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) was used to genotype the rs1042522 polymorphism in 100 subjects from Takandeang, Salleto, and Ahu villages in Mamuju district, West Sulawesi. An in silico study was then conducted to identify the potential effects of the proline substitution associated with this polymorphism on protein stability. The in silico analysis was performed using three different computational tools, namely I-Mutant Suite, iStable, and Protein Variation Effect Analyzer (PROVEAN). Secondary and three-dimensional (3D) structural models for wild-type (WT) and variant TP53 were generated to predict potential structural changes in the protein. Electrostatic surface charge calculations were also performed to identify changes in the electrostatic charge of codon 72. The Pro72 and Arg72 frequencies among the inhabitants in the Takandeang, Salleto, and Ahu villages, who are Mandarese Austronesian-speaking ethnic group members, were 0.56 and 0.44, respectively. The in silico analysis revealed no negative effects on protein stability due to the proline substitution at codon 72, although molecular modeling showed several differences in the secondary and 3D structures of the TP53 variant compared with the structure of WT TP53. To determine the impact of the proline-coding allele on individual sensitivity to radiation exposure, we compared the micronucleus (MN) frequencies of each genotype. The results showed that the MN frequencies in individuals harboring the proline-coding allele were not significantly higher than those expressing the arginine-coding allele. In conclusion, this study revealed that the proline-coding allele for codon 72 of the TP53 gene represented the predominant genotype among Takandeang, Salleto, and Ahu villages inhabitants. The present study also demonstrated that individuals who carried the proline-coding allele were not more sensitive to radiation compared with those expressing the arginine-coding allele for codon 72 of the TP53 gene.


Although the foodservice industry creates livelihood for Americans of all genders, races, age, and backgrounds, conflict arises as language, media, and the established masculine kitchen culture continue to reinforce traditional gender roles. Aside from the common difficulties in kitchen workplaces, women chefs surveyed emphasize the discrimination felt in regard to their recognition, compensation, and support. Many writers and chefs discuss how the foodserivce industry claims gender no longer impacts one's success, but fail to recognize the subliminal ways gender roles impact the workplace. Research shows women remain in all areas of the food industry despite the challenges of the environment, although they commonly make sacrifices to become "one of the guys" or find alternate career paths in order to succeed. Baking and pastry work appears as one of these additional workplaces where women dominate, although the 2010 StarChefs Salary Report states that male pastry chefs still recieve 27% more pay than their female equivalents. How the baking and pastry industry has become a positive environment for many women chefs despite the historical marginalization of women who cultivate these positions has yet to be established. This thesis examines the genderization of food and the workplace by analyzing professional cooking interests, work ethics, management styles, and conflicts of work/life balance, sexual harassment, and discrimination. It also provides careful analysis of the experiences and observations from women and men currently working in various positions within the baking and pastry industry. These interviews present defined thoughts and understandings of gender held by pastry chefs and bakers as compared to the highly researched culinary workplace and restaurant cultures. Identifying reasons women may feel more comfortable within pastry work provides insight for how the industry is changing to become more inclusive and supportive for all culinary professionals.


Using commodity-level transaction data, we estimate aggregate demand and supply shocks. When using this for continuing goods, i.e., those that exist in both the current and the base periods, the demand shock preceding a change in the consumption tax rate in Japan on April 1, 2014 is negligible. This contradicts the conventional viewpoint on stockpiling behavior before a tax rate increase. However, when considering new goods appearing within a year, the estimated demand shock becomes positive, which suggests that product turnover is critical when estimating demand shocks. Following the sharp and temporary fall associated with the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, the estimated supply shocks were virtually zero until the end of 2013. The supply shocks then became negative and remained at a very low level until the change in the consumption tax rate, which suggests that the increases in the prices during this period reflect, at least in parts, an inward shift of the supply curves.


This essay outlines the formation of the Weusi Artists, begun in Harlem in 1965 as an African American artists' collective. The word Weusi translates as "blackness" in Swahili. Together the artists founded a gallery and academy of fine arts and studies, both of which became great motivating forces in the development, production, and dissemination of black art during the 1960s and 1970s.


Covalent linkage to members of the small ubiquitin-like (SUMO) family of proteins is an important mechanism by which the functions of many cellular proteins are regulated. Sumoylation has roles in the control of protein stability, activity and localization, and is involved in the regulation of transcription, gene expression, chromatin structure, nuclear transport and RNA metabolism. Sumoylation is also linked, both positively and negatively, with the replication of many different viruses both in terms of modification of viral proteins and modulation of sumoylated cellular proteins that influence the efficiency of infection. One prominent example of the latter is the widespread reduction in the levels of cellular sumoylated species induced by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) ubiquitin ligase ICP0. This activity correlates with relief from intrinsic immunity antiviral defence mechanisms. Previous work has shown that ICP0 is selective in substrate choice, with some sumoylated proteins such the promyelocytic leukemia protein PML being extremely sensitive, while RanGAP is completely resistant. Here we present a comprehensive proteomic analysis of changes in the cellular SUMO2 proteome during HSV-1 infection. Amongst the 877 potentially sumoylated species detected, we identified 124 whose abundance was decreased by a factor of 3 or more by the virus, several of which were validated by western blot and expression analysis. We found many previously undescribed substrates of ICP0 whose degradation occurs by a range of mechanisms, influenced or not by sumoylation and/or the SUMO2 interaction motif within ICP0. Many of these proteins are known or are predicted to be involved in the regulation of transcription, chromatin assembly or modification. These results present novel insights into mechanisms and host cell proteins that might influence the efficiency of HSV-1 infection.


By reacting an asymmetry semi-rigid Y-shaped/L-shaped linker H3cpta (H3cpta = 3-(4'-carboxyphenoxy)phthalic acid) and Co(CH3COO)2·6H2O under different N-donor ligands in different solvents, three new Co-based coordination polymers, [Co3(cpta)2(bpe)3(H2O)4] (1) [Co(μ2-H2O)(μ3-OH)(Hcpta)(bpe)(H2O)·3(DMF)3(H2O)] (2) and [Co3(cpta)2(bpa)4] (3) have been obtained. They exhibit trinodal topological nets/layer, based on Co(2+) ions and Y-shaped/L-shaped carboxylate linkers. 1 and 3 present 3D frameworks with the point symbol {4·10(2)}2{10(5)·12}{4·8(5)}2 for 1 and {4·8(2)}2{8(5)·9}{4·6(7)·9(2)}2 for 3. While, 2 exhibits a 2D layer with the point symbol {4·6·8}{4·6(2)·8(3)}{6(2)·8}. The magnetic studies indicate that all of the three complexes show antiferromagnetic exchanges transmitted through μ3-carboxylate/μ4-carboxylate bridges, μ2-H2O molecules and μ3-OH ions between Co(2+) ions, respectively. And the result of this research shows that the solvent and the secondary ligands could co-regulate coordination polymer with interesting properties, providing a constructive guidance when synthesizing versatile topologies with the same organic spacer but a different architecture.


Abstract A new silicate, colinowensite, BaCuSi2O6, has been found in the Wessels mine, Kalahari Manganese Field, South Africa. It is associated with effenbergerite, wesselsite, lavinskyite, scottyite, diegogattaite, as well as with pectolite, quartz, aegirine, richterite, minerals of the garnet group and a number of different manganese and iron oxides, especially hausmannite and hematite. The mineral was named for the mineral collector and finder of the new species, Colin R. Owens, of Somerset West, South Africa. Colinowensite is brittle, with uneven fracture, and the estimated Mohs hardness is ~4. It occurs as subhedral crystals <100 μm in size. The forms {100} and {110} are observed while {001} is always present in cleavage plates. The calculated density is 4.236 g cm−3. It is the natural analogue of the synthetic pigment referred to as Chinese or Han purple, which is found on artifacts from ancient and imperial China. The mineral is of dark blue to purple colour, with a purple streak, and is uniaxial (−), with ω = 1.740 (20), ε = 1.735 (20) (420 nm) and ω = 1.745 (20), ε = 1.730 (20) (650 nm). The lustre is vitreous and no fluorescence is observed under either shortwave or longwave ultraviolet radiation. Avery strong pleochroism occurs from purple along the c axis to blue in a perpendicular direction. Colinowensite is not soluble in acids except HF. Electron microprobe analyses gave an average composition (wt.%) of CuO 22.53, BaO 43.43 and SiO2 34.04 yielding the empirical formula (based on 6 O a. p.f.u.) BaCuSi2O6. The new mineral is tetragonal, space group I41/acd with Z = 16, and a = 9.967(1), c = 22.290 (2) Å. Colinowensite is a cyclosilicate with [Si4O12]8− 4-membered single rings, arranged in sheets parallel to (001). The structure is further characterized by CuO4 squares sharing corners with four neighbouring silicate rings within a sheet. Ba2+ cations are bonded to ten O atoms in irregular coordination. Average Si−O, Cu−O and Ba-O bond lengths are 1.619, 1.934 and 2.943 Å, respectively. Colinowensite belongs to subdivision 9. CE of the Strunz Mineralogical Tables. In addition, based on single-crystal X-ray work, new structural data for wesselsite of chemical composition Sr0.9Ba0.1CuSi4O10 are provided.


In Timor-Leste, visions of radical societal transformation and future wealth derived from gold and oil are accompanied by concerns that outsiders might be conspiring to rob the country of its riches, as well as conjuring up dystopian scenarios of sinister plots and future mayhem. Examining national narratives and local accounts, this article argues that visions of prosperity and visions of conspiracy are two sides of the same coin; both are embedded in an understanding that power works in invisible ways. In discussing these visions in relation to the literature on "conspiracy theories" and "cargo cults" (terms that have recently been imported to the study of Timor-Leste), it explores the critical potential of these visions. Whereas the labels "conspiracy theory" and "cargo cult" create distinctions between the "rational" perspective of the West and the "irrationality" of non-Western others, as practices these visions end up collapsing such distinctions by appropriating the power of the outside.


The objective of this study was to provide an update on milk production performance, heritability, genetic and phenotypic correlations among production traits that are valuable for management, breeding and selection decisions in pasture-based dairy systems. The study utilised a total of 106 990 lactation records of Holstein–Friesian (FF), Jersey (JJ) and their crossbreds (HF) from 428 Tasmanian dairy herds collected between 2000 and 2005. The data were analysed using the least-squares approach with a general linear model and restricted maximum likelihood approach with a linear animal model. Results indicated highly significant (P 1110 cows/herd) out-produced those in smaller herds. Heritability was highest for milk yield and lowest for somatic cell count ranging from 0.28 to 0.41. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between milk, fat and protein yields ranged from 0.41 to 0.85, and 0.66 to 0.92, respectively. However, genetic and phenotypic correlations between the log of somatic cell count and the production traits ranged from 0.03 to 0.09 and –0.03 to –0.05. We conclude that breed, herd size, parity, season and year of calving were among the main factors correlated with the productivity of dairy cows in Tasmania and adjustments for these factors would be mandatory for any unbiased comparison of lactation performance within and between pasture-based dairy production systems. The practical application of this information would be valuable to dairy farmers for decisions related to breeding, selection and management of their herds.


doublesex (dsx) is unusual among the known sex-determination genes of Drosophila melanogaster in that functional homologs are found in distantly related species. In flies, dsx occupies a position near the bottom of the sex determination hierarchy. It is expressed in male- and female-specific forms and these proteins function as sex-specific transcription factors. In the studies reported here, we have ectopically expressed the female Dsx protein (Dsx(F)) from a constitutive promoter and examined its regulatory activities independent of other upstream factors involved in female sex determination. We show that it functions as a positive regulator of female differentiation and a negative regulator of male differentiation. As predicted by the DNA-binding properties of the Dsx protein, Dsx(F) and Dsx(M) compete with each other for the regulation of target genes. In addition to directing sex-specific differentiation, Dsx(F) plays an important role in sexual behavior. Wild-type males ectopically expressing Dsx(F) are actively courted by other males. This acquisition of feminine sex appeal is likely due to the induction of female pheromones by Dsx(F). More extreme behavioral abnormalities are observed when Dsx(F) is ectopically expressed in dsx(-) XY animals; these animals are not only courted by, but also copulate with, wild-type males. Finally, we provide evidence that intersex is required for the feminizing activities of Dsx(F) and that it is not regulated by the sex-specific splicing cascade.


This paper investigates the role of campaign advertising and the opportunity of legal restrictions on it. An electoral race is modeled as a signalling game with three classes of players: a continuum of voters, two candidates, and one interest group. The group has non-verifiable insider information on the candidates' valence and, on the basis of this information, offers a contribution to each candidate in exchange for a favorable policy position. Candidates spend the contributions they receive on non-directly informative advertising. This paper shows that: (1) A separating equilibrium exists in which the group contributes to a candidate only if the insider information about that candidate is positive; (2) Although voters are fully rational, a ban on campaign advertising can be welfare-improving; and (3) Split contributions may arise in equilibrium (and should be prohibited).


This article provides a new cognitive- and discourse-based theory to memory research. Despite the fact that a large proportion of studies in memory research are based on investigations of (interactional) cognitive and discourse processes, neither linguistics nor cognitive and social psychologists have proposed an integrative, interdisciplinary and discursive-based theory to memory research. In this article I explore how groups of people who did not know each other jointly coordinate the interlocking of their individual experiences during a period of dictatorship and their self-positioning in the here and now. The interlocking of autobiographical memories is performed by discourse strategies such as agreements and corrections, which are dependent on the participants' shifting representations of the communicative interaction. The conversations were about personal experiences related to the 1976–83 military dictatorship in Argentina.


The business judgment rule, a cornerstone of the jurisprudence of the duty of care in the corporate context, holds a less defined role in the contractually driven realm of unincorporated business organizations such as the partnership, limited partnership, and limited liability company. This uncertainty has in recent years been exacerbated by rapid developments in statutory schemes. This article examines (1) the business judgment rule as applied in the corporate context, (2) the recent developments in the laws of unincorporated business organizations, and (3) the interplay of the business judgment rule and the often contractually defined (but at default fiduciary) models of the various unincorporated business organizations.


A new, PNNL-developed method provides direct, real-time detection of trace amounts of explosives such as RDX, PETN and C-4. The method selectively ionizes a sample before passing the sample through a mass spectrometer to detect explosive vapors. The method could be used at airports to improve aviation security.


We acoustically monitored a small mine in southeastern Nebraska known to be a hibernaculum for the Northern Long-eared Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) for two winters (2014-2015 and 2015-2016). Some M. septentrionalis emerged on nights with mild temperatures throughout both winters. There was an 89% probability of detecting this species when temperature at sunset was >5°C. Our results indicated that acoustical surveys outside mines or caves in winter, particularly on nights with mild temperatures, are an effective method of identifying hibernacula of M. septentrionalis and potentially other species without disturbing individuals by entering the hibernaculum or by netting individuals as they exit their winter quarters. However, the effectiveness of acoustical surveys is impacted by the certainty of identification of calls to species.


Proponents of Agile development processes claim that adhering to Agile principles leads to the delivery of high quality code in evolutionary increments. Confidence in resulting systems is mostly gained through the use of unit test suites, entrusted to catch regressions as soon as they occur. Consequently, the system can only be as trustworthy as its tests, meaning that measurements of the tests' quality is crucial. Whilst mutation testing has been proposed as a means of uncovering test suite defects, it has not been widely adopted in the industry; mainly due to its computational expense and manual effort required by developers investigating unkilled mutants. To make mutation testing affordable, we propose incremental mutation testing — a variation of mutation testing which leverages the iterative nature of agile development by limiting the scope of mutant generation to sections of code which have changed since the last mutation run. Preliminary results show that the number of mutants generated is drastically reduced along with the time required to generate mutants and execute tests against them.


The phytopathogenic bacteria Agrobacterium rhizogenes genetically transforms plants by transferring a portion of the resident Ri plasmid, the T-DNA to the plant. Plant species differ in their temporal competence for transformation. But various physical and chemical methods are found to enhance transformation frequency. Agrobacterium rhizogenes mediated transformation efficiency was assessed under the influence of sonication, calcium treatment, acetosyringone and macerating enzymes in suitable combinations in Nicotiana tabacum as a model system. Manual wounding resulted in 21% transformation frequency. Where as sonication resulted in 2.2 fold increase, followed by sonication with CaCl 2 treatment resulted in 2.5 fold increase and sonication with acetosyringone treatment resulted in 4.1 fold increase in transformation frequency. However, sonication with macerating enzyme treatment resulted in 1.5 to 5.25-fold decrease in transformation frequency. Micro wounding through sonication followed by acetosyringone treatment enhanced transformation frequency substantially. The results of this study may be very useful in genetic manipulation of plants by Agrobacterium rhizogenes mediated gene delivery to higher plants, which are recalcitrant to A. tumefaciens mediated genetic manipulation.


Aim: In 2009, a flu pandemic caused panic worldwide. Oseltamivir and zanamivir were widely used in this pandemic. Currently, there are a limited number of studies comparing the efficacy and tolerability of these two drugs. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and tolerability of these two drugs in the treatment of influenza. Materials and Methods: Patients diagnosed with influenza at our infectious disease outpatient clinic during the influenza season between October 1, 2009 and February 1, 2010 were included in the study. Study data were obtained retrospectively from files for consecutive patients. A total of 136 subjects were selected. After exclusion criteria were applied, 56 subjects were discarded. The information for 80 patients in whom oseltamivir or zanamivir therapy was initiated (40 for each therapy) was compiled, and the efficacy and tolerability of the drugs were compared. Results: There was no significant difference in efficacy for the two drugs (P > 0.05). Temperature normalization was significantly faster in patients taking zanamivir (P = 0.0157). Drowsiness was the most frequent adverse event for both drugs (38% for the oseltamivir group, and 22% for the zanamivir group). Respiratory distress was observed in five patients in the zanamivir group, whereas it was not observed in patients in the oseltamivir group (P < 0.05). One patient had to discontinue therapy in the zanamivir group due to respiratory distress. Conclusion: Efficacy (in terms of symptom relief and duration to resumption of work) and adverse events were similar for zanamivir and oseltamivir, but temperature normalization was much more rapid in patients using zanamivir. Patients using zanamivir should be monitored for respiratory distress.


Executive Summary Michael Singh is the chief executive officer for the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation in Belize, a Central American country with a population of about 320,000. He comes to government from the private sector with 20 years experience in transportation, real estate, construction, tourism, and technology. Mr. Singh holds a bachelors degree in international business with a concentration in finance from Loyola University in New Orleans, and has lived and worked in Belize as well as in various cities in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. In his early career, Mr. Singh served at senior management posts for Belize Electricity Limited, the primary utility in Belize before moving into the shipping industry, where he served in executive management positions for various major ocean carriers including being the country manager for Tropical Shipping among others. For the past 12 years, Mr. Singh has embarked on various entrepreneurial ventures resulting in the establishment of a significant holding company that owns and operates in full and in partnership a variety of businesses, and maintains partnerships with several global brands such as FedEx, Century21 Real Estate and Western Union. In February 2008, after the general elections in Belize, Mr. Singh realized that his specific expertise could best be used to serve his country and decided to join the government of Belize in this current capacity. Mr. Singh has set goals for significant improvement of tourism in Belize. He brings his entrepreneurial style and executive experiences combined with his hands-on approach that was instrumental in his business success to his new job. The first three months in office have been spent in detailed consultation with stakeholders in the industry, sector operators in Belize and abroad, and multilateral organizations involved in development. This approach has led to the creation of a strategic outlook in the form of an executive to-do list aimed at addressing specific industry issues in a proactive manner. This strategic approach and the resulting Tourism Development Strategy is underway, and has been endorsed by both the government of Belize and the industry sector in general. His leadership is critical as tourism is a leading driver for the country's economic growth. Mr. Singh also serves in the following organizations: * Board member and vice chairman - Kolbe Foundation (Non-profit foundation that manages the Belize Central Prison and various rehabilitation programs) * Board member and ex-officio- Belize Airports Authority * Board member and ex-officio - Border Management Authority * Member Rotary Club of Belize Authors: Tourism is about traveling and inviting people to come, relax, and leave with positive memories. What are some of your favorite places to travel and why? Singh: My favorite region in the world is Latin America. Although not of a Latin American ethnicity, I find the passion and vibrancy of Latin America to be intoxicating. The recent move toward liberalization of trade has spawned an entrepreneurial spirit that permeates the air around you. The mix of old world traditions with new world technology and media, along with the diversity through a mix of colonial charm and indigenous culture makes for exciting and memorable times. Authors: What can different countries do to build a brand name for their tourism? Singh: I believe a good tourism brand lies in the uniqueness in experiences that a country can offer to its guests. Today's traveler will react to that which evokes his or her emotion. Countries can no longer rely on the generic sun, sand, sea, and shopping, but must now mix in the active, the exciting, and the extraordinary. Most importantly a brand must emulate the essence of a country. In our case, the locals will tell you that once a friendship is cultivated with a visitor, an emotional bond is formed, which will not only keep them coming back, but will make them tell their friends. …


The rich dynamics of quantized vortices governed by the Ginzburg-Landau-Schrödinger equation (GLSE) is an interesting problem studied in many application fields. Although recent mathematical analysis and numerical simulations have led to a much better understanding of such dynamics, many important questions remain open. In this article, we consider numerical simulations of the GLSE in two dimensions with non-zero far-field conditions. Using two-dimensional polar coordinates, transversely highly oscillating far-field conditions can be efficiently resolved in the phase space, thus giving rise to an unconditionally stable, efficient and accurate time-splitting method for the problem under consideration. This method is also time reversible for the case of the non-linear Schrödinger equation. By applying this numerical method to the GLSE, we obtain some conclusive experimental findings on issues such as the stability of quantized vortex, interaction of two vortices, dynamics of the quantized vortex lattice and the motion of vortex with an inhomogeneous external potential. Discussions on these simulation results and the recent theoretical studies are made to provide further understanding of the vortex stability and vortex dynamics described by the GLSE.


Statistical Machine Translation (SMT) via deep syntactic transfer employs a three-stage architecture, (i) parse source language (SL) input, (ii) transfer SL deep syntactic structure to the target language (TL), and (iii) generate a TL translation. The deep syntactic transfer architecture achieves a high level of language pair independence compared to other Machine Translation (MT) approaches, as translation is carried out at the more language independent deep syntactic representation. TL word order can be generated independently of SL word order and therefore no reordering model between source and target words is required. In addition, words in dependency relations are adjacent in the deep syntactic structure, allowing the extraction of more general transfer rules, compared to other rules/phrases extracted from the surface form corpus, as such words are often distant in surface form strings, as well as allowing the use of a TL deep syntax language model, which models a deeper notion of fluency than a string-based language model and may lead to better lexical choice. The deep syntactic representation also contains words in lemma form with morpho-syntactic information, and this enables new inflections of lemmas not observed in bilingual training data, that are out of coverage for other SMT approaches, to fall within coverage of deep syntactic transfer. In this thesis, we adapt existing methods already successful in Phrase-Based SMT (PB-SMT) to deep syntactic transfer as well as presenting new methods of our own. We present a new definition for consistent deep syntax transfer rules, inspired by the definition for a consistent phrase in PB-SMT, and we extract all rules consistent with the node alignment, as smaller rules provide high coverage of unseen data, while larger rules provide more fluent combinations of TL words. Since large numbers of consistent transfer rules exist per sentence pair, we also provide an efficient method of extracting rules as well as an efficient method of storing them. We also present a deep syntax translation model, as in other SMT approaches, we use a log-linear combination of features functions, and include a translation model computed from relative frequencies of transfer rules, lexical weighting, as well as a deep syntax language model and string-based language model. In addition, we describe methods of carrying out transfer decoding, the search for TL deep syntactic structures, and how we efficiently integrate a deep syntax trigram language model to decoding, as well as methods of translating morpho-syntactic information separately from lemmas, using an adaptation of Factored Models. Finally, we include an experimental evaluation, in which we compare MT output for different configurations of our SMT via deep syntactic transfer system. We investigate various methods of word alignment, methods of translating morpho-syntactic information, limits on transfer rule size, different beam sizes during transfer decoding, generating from different sized lists of TL decoder output structures, as well as deterministic versus non-deterministic generation. We also include an evaluation of the deep syntax language model in isolation to the MT system and compare it to a string-based language model. Finally, we compare the performance and types of translations our system produces with a state-of-the-art phrase-based statistical machine translation system and although the deep syntax system in general currently under-performs, it does achieve state-of-the-art performance for translation of a specific syntactic construction, the compound noun, and for translations within coverage of the TL precision grammar used for generation. We provide the software for transfer rule extraction, as well as the transfer decoder, as open source tools to assist future research.


Article history: Received January 2, 2017 Received in revised form March 1, 2017 Accepted April 21, 2017 Available online April 22, 2017 The corrosion inhibition efficiencies of two novel Schiff bases, namely (E)-3-[thiophen-2ylmethyleneamino]benzoic acid (T2YMABA) and (E)-4-(5-[(2-phenylhydrazono) methyl]thiophen-2-yl)benzoic acid (PHMT2YBA) on mild steel (MS) in 1.0M HCl solution has been investigated and compared using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and potentiodynamic polarization analysis. The Schiff bases exhibited very good corrosion inhibitions on mild steel in 1.0M HCl medium and the inhibition efficiency increased with the increase in concentration of the inhibitor. Polarization studies revealed that T2YMABA acted as a mixed type inhibitor whereas PHMT2YBA molecules acted as anodic inhibitor. © 2017 Growing Science Ltd. All rights reserved.


Purpose: Authors' motivation to take up the subject of taxation of professional athletes comes from the Polish tax law which stipulates various manners of taxing incomes of professional athletes on their sports activity depending on what source of income they are classified under. These sources may include an employment relationship, activity performed personally or being self-employed (conducting an economic activity). Professional practice of sports may entail high earnings, which is why taxation of these earnings may translate into significant differences between due tax resulting from the application of a specific method of taxation. The research problem emerging from the above-mentioned circumstance involves establishing which form of taxation will be optimal for athletes-taxpayers depending on their earnings. Design/Methodology/Approach: To resolve the issue, relevant Polish regulations have been analysed by means of interpretation of applicable laws. Findings: The research results allowed authors to formulate a thesis according to which the due tax will be lowest where the athlete obtains income from a sports activity as part of his or her economic activity. Practical Implications: Impact on decisions of professional athletes in terms of legal optimisation of their personality under the tax law. Originality/value: This matter has not been a subject of scholarly research to date. The research effects will allow such organization of athletes' activity that will make it possible for them to legally lower their taxes.


An analytical formulation for the band structure and Bloch modes in elliptically birefringent magnetophotonic crystals is presented. The model incorporates both the effects of gyrotropy and linear birefringence generally present in magneto-optic thin-film devices. Full analytical expressions are obtained for the dispersion relation and Bloch modes in a layered-stack photonic crystal, and their properties are analyzed. It is shown that other models recently discussed in the literature are contained as special limiting cases of the formulation presented herein.


This research was conducted to provide empirical evidence to supplement advice available to the forensic community for the collection of muscle tissue for forensic analysis. This type of collection is normally carried out to determine the identity of individuals following mass disasters, such as plane crashes or natural disasters.

DNA degradation was assessed in two model organisms, pig and rabbit (with human DNA as a control), over various time points. Rabbit recombination activating gene (RAG 1) was aligned to identify conserved regions in pig, rabbit and human. Primers were designed and optimised to create a 4-plex PCR multiplex that can amplify 70 bp, 194 bp, 305 bp and 384 bp in three species. The 4-plex multiplex was found to work efficiently in all three species down to 0.3 ng of DNA template. The multiplex was used to assess whether DNA degradation can be predicted by accumulated degree-days (ADD), which provides a measure of both time and temperature. A series of field studies were performed to assess DNA persistence in pig and rabbit soft muscle tissues using a combination of whole animals, suspended muscle tissues (insect activity free) and muscle fragments. Field studies were carried out in: August-September 2009; February-May 2010; May-June 2010; June-July 2010 and September-November 2010. Soft muscle tissue samples were collected at different ADD.

4-plex multiplex results showed that DNA was more persistent in pig tissues compared to rabbit tissues. In the September 2010 experiments, full multiplex amplification was obtained from rabbit until 137 ADD (whole carcases) and 210 ADD (body fragments and suspended tissues), while in the August 2009 experiments, full multiplex amplification was obtained until 112 ADD (whole carcases and body fragments) and until 141 ADD (suspended tissues). In the June 2010 experiments, full multiplex amplification was possible until 64 ADD.

Pig whole carcases which were placed in the field in February 2010, showed multiplex amplification until day 90 (603 ADD), followed by September 2010 (until day 44 (490 ADD)) and May 2010 (until day 27 (338 ADD)). During the September 2010 project, body fragments produced full amplification until muscles were collected (342 ADD), while in case of whole carcases and suspended tissues; the amplification was possible until 490 ADD. There was complete failure of amplification of 305 bp and 384 bp in pig whole carcases after 342 ADD, while in suspended tissues, the amplification of 305 bp and 384 bp was possible until 420 ADD.

The statistical analysis showed that amplification success of larger amplicons (194 bp, 305 bp and 384 bp) reduces with increase in ADD in pig and rabbit whole carcases, body fragments and suspended tissues while 70 bp was more persistence. The results showed that there was no significant difference in DNA persistence between whole carcases verses suspended tissues (Z=0.57, p>0.05) and whole carcases verses body fragments (Z=1.71, p>0.05), There was however a significant difference (Z=2.31, p<0.05) in DNA persistence in suspended tissues and body fragments with increase in ADD. The results from field experiments suggested that muscle tissues, if available, should be collected for DNA profiling, since even if degraded, a profile can be obtained. The results also suggested that the isolation of tissues from insect activity as quickly as possible (even if immediate storage is not possible) may be beneficial for DNA persistence. Seasonal variation in DNA persistence was observed due to maggot mass growth which increases carcase decomposition and ultimately effect on DNA persistence.

Controlled incubation experiments were also performed at 27 °C, 37 °C and 47 °C until 21 days to assess DNA persistence, as these temperatures were not available under field conditions. The results showed that the amplification of 70 bp was more persistent compared to larger amplicons (194 bp, 305 bp and 384 bp). The drop-out in amplification of larger amplicons occurred more rapidly in samples incubated under laboratory conditions compared to the field samples. The statistical analysis showed species, ADD and temperature have strong effect (p<0.05) on DNA persistence under controlled conditions.

The appearance of 70 bp amplicons in all samples collected from field and in most samples from controlled incubation experiments suggested that soft muscle tissues exposed to different environments can be used to perform SNP analysis.
The full 4-plex multiplex amplification obtained from rabbit and pig preserved and dehydrated samples suggested that 96% ethanol, cell lysis solution (with and without 1% sodium azide) and dehydration can be used to preserve fresh and partially decomposed soft muscle tissues at room temperature for one year. The drop-out in amplification of larger amplicons in tissues preserved in 10% buffered formalin suggested that formalin was not suitable for long term storage. This system should therefore be considered as an additional method during Disaster victim identification (DVI) work to preserve fresh and partially decomposed samples. This study also suggested that the developed multiplex (4-plex) can be used to assess DNA persistence in human decomposing bodies and in experimental studies.


This pilot scale study evaluated the counting accuracy of two people counting systems that could be used in demand controlled ventilation systems to provide control signals for modulating outdoor air ventilation rates. The evaluations included controlled challenges of the people counting systems using pre-planned movements of occupants through doorways and evaluations of counting accuracies when naïve occupants (i.e., occupants unaware of the counting systems) passed through the entrance doors of the building or room. The two people counting systems had high counting accuracy accuracies, with errors typically less than 10%, for typical nondemanding counting events. However, counting errors were high in some highly challenging situations, such as multiple people passing simultaneously through a door. Counting errors, for at least one system, can be very high if people stand in the field of view of the sensor. Both counting system have limitations and would need to be used only at appropriate sites and where the demanding situations that led to counting errors were rare.


This study compiled the largest research sample on the gender gap in compensation at the 200 largest law firms by combining two large databases to examine the compensation disparities between men and women partners. The analysis elucidates the question of whether the difference is because women are less productive than men partners or because they are women. The Am Law 100 and 200 studies include gross revenue, profits, number of equity and non-equity partners, and the total number of lawyers at each firm. The Vault/MCCA Law Firm Diversity Programs study (Vault/MCCA) includes the gender ratios at each Am Law 200 firm. Our study covers the years 2002 through 2007, inclusive.We find that the ratio of women equity partners to women non-equity partners is 2.546 compared to a ratio of 4.759 for their men counterparts over the six year period studied. An increase of 1% in the proportion of women partners at a law firm is associated with 1.112% lowering of the overall compensation for all partners at the firm. This disparity in compensation between women and men partners exists even after controlling for the lower compensation of non-equity partners and the greater likelihood for women to remain non-equity partners. Furthermore, women partners are paid less despite the fact that they are not less productive than men partners in generating revenue per lawyer (RPL) for their firms.The average gross revenue of firms with the highest percentages of women lawyers was approximately $20 million dollars higher than firms with the lowest percentage of women lawyers, but the RPL of these firms dropped by approximately $120,000 per lawyer. The average compensation for the lawyers at a firm goes down as the proportion of women at a firm rises, indicating that women in all positions at a firm are paid less than their male counterparts. Nearly 80% of the Am Law 200 firms now utilize a two-tier structure of equity and non-equity partners. Firms are creating fewer equity partners and more non-equity partners. The development of two-tier partnerships, the lengthening of the time periods to make partner and equity partner, the reduction in the number of equity partners, the creation of new categories of permanent associates and permanent non-equity partners, the expanded number of permanent of counsel, and the demand for increased billable hours, have combined to increase income for a shrinking group of equity partners and to disadvantage women in large law firms.Our paper examines the gender differences in law firm compensation primarily through an empirical lens. The results have important implications in the area of economic discrimination research. Our statistical analysis concludes that women partners average compensation is less than that of men at the Am Law 200 firms, regardless of whether they are equity partners or non-equity partners. This gender disparity cannot be explained by lower productivity of women partners. It is more appropriately attributed to discriminatory practices under both disparate treatment and disparate impact analyses.


Summary This work explores self-employment in Britain across recent years with a particular focus on when individuals became self-employed, who is more or less likely to enter self-employment and why individuals choose to enter self-employment. It complements previous microeconomic studies that focus on transitions into and out of selfemployment and presents new evidence on the returns to selfemployment and how these compare to the returns to paid employment. Lifetime employment history data from the British Household Panel Survey suggest that the large increase in self-employment in the 1980's was due to increases in the inflow rate, while an increase in the outflow rate in the early 1990's has stopped this trend. Panel data from the same source indicate that gender, parents occupation, assets and considering the work itself, the use of initiative or hours of work to be the most important aspect of a job emerge as key determinants of self-employment entry. Gender, age, occupation and elapsed duration in self-employment emerge as important determinants of selfemployment exit. Our analysis reveals that, all else equal, the selfemployed report higher levels of job satisfaction with pay and with the work itself than employees, but lower levels of satisfaction with job security.


`The German Language and Reunification 1990: The Effect of Emotion on the Use of Modal Particles in East and West Berlin.' The thesis looks at the language of Germany before and after unification in 1990. In particular the language of the German Democratic Republic before the Wende is examined and the subsequent changes within it. Furthermore, the influence of emotion on the use of modal particles in East and West Berlin is analysed in order to ascertain how emotion can affect language use. The first section concentrates on the language of the German Democratic Republic and how this differed from the language of the Federal Republic of Germany. By looking at two such opposing political systems it is possible to see the effect of politics and the social, cultural and economic values of a state on its language. The second section analyses the language of Germany after the Wende in 1989 and unification in 1990. These changes in German society had profound effects on all aspects of East German life, and to a lesser extent in the Federal Republic of Germany. The citizens of the former German Democratic Republic had to learn to adapt to their new system and this is closely examined. Section three examines modal particles, what they are and how they are used in the German language. After a more general section, the particular modal particles examined in chapter 5: eben, halt, doch, denn and eigentlich are discussed and their usages examined. The fourth section concentrates on emotion and how it has been viewed in past and present research, in conjunction with thought and language. The fifth and final section is the analysis of a corpus of German language, interviews with citizens of East and West Berlin regarding 9 November 1989 and the period after. By examining this corpus, looking at the usage of the five afore-mentioned modal particles and tags and the emotion felt by the speakers, the connection between emotion and the use of modal particles is illustrated.


Assessment and reporting (A/R) initiatives such as State of the Environment Reporting, State of the Protected Area Reporting and Management Effectiveness Assessment provide protected area managers and their clients with tools and knowledge to better understand complex human-ecological relationships, and support efforts to achieve more sustainable living.

This research reports on the findings of a global survey of 62 A/R initiatives in 19 countries and a corresponding analysis of the application of the ecosystem approach in these initiatives. An organisational culture that supports evaluation and participation is an important ingredient for effective A/R. Survey respondents believe that participatory approaches yield many benefits despite greater complexity of the process and expenditure of time and resources. Benefits include: realising positive conservation outcomes; helping to enrich the organisation's technical capacity through the contributions of others; improving the accuracy, completeness, acceptance and use of information; and enhancing organisational transparency, cooperation and the capacity of the participants. On average, the A/Rs examined achieve a moderate to high degree of success in implementing the ecosystem approach through their A/Rs, as determined through a proposed composite index to assess application of the ecosystem approach.

An integrated planning and assessment model and a priority setting procedure were developed to simplify and improve requirements for protected area A/R while ensuring technical rigor. The results and lessons from field testing elements of the integrated model in four Egyptian National Parks are presented. Overall, the research suggests it is possible to integrate sophisticated management tools and achieve effective and efficient processes for performance assessment in protected areas.


This study aims to determine consumer attitudes towards Buavita Royale products, analyze the factors that influence willingness to buy consumer (WTB), and measure the maximum value of willingness to pay consumers' (WTP) towards Buavita Royale products. The results of research on consumer attitudes toward Buavita Royale products using the Fishbein analysis method found that overall obtained an assessment of 291.37 so that consumers remain willing to consume, buy and have the desire to pay for Buavita Royale products. Based on the research results of consumer attitudes with the Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) approach to find out what strategies can be carried out by the company is found packaging design variables, benefits, tastes, consumer experience and reputation of PT Unilever needs to be maintained, but the variables; recognition of product brands, availability in the market, and outstanding prices need to be improved. Factors that influence willingness to buy consumers'Buavita Royale products found that the variable that has a significant effect on consumers' desire to pay for Buavita Royale products is that the prices of products circulating in the market today are not a problem for respondents, so product prices tend to increase consumers' willingness to buy. Consumers also have a positive attitude towards Buavita Royale products. The maximum value of the consumer's WTP against Buavita Royale products for 250 ml size with an average value of maximum price of Rp8,226 while for the size of 1000 ml consumers are willing to pay the maximum price with an average price of Rp30,019.
Keywords: fishbein, IPA, consumer attitudes, willingness to pay, willingness to buy


Background and purpose: The use of an appropriate stimulus for increasing the rate of neural stem cell proliferation is one of the most important issues in cell therapy. This study aimed to investigate the effect of hydroethanolic extract of Stachys byzantina on hippocampus-derived neural stem cell proliferation and apoptosis. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, the neural stem cells were isolated from the hippocampus region of brain using enzymatic digestion. The neurospheres were dissociated to single cells and cultured on adherent plates. For these cells, immunocytochemical evaluation was performed for marker nestin. The isolated neural stem cells were pretreated with different doses of hydroethanolic extract of Stachys byzantina for 48 h, and then exposed to 125 μM of H2O2 for 30 min. The effects of this extract on cell survival and apoptosis were evaluated using MTT and TUNEL, respectively. To analyze the data, ANOVA and Tukey's tests were run in SPSS, version 15. Results: In the current study, 800 μg/ml of Stachys byzantina extract significantly increased the proliferation rate of the neural stem cells. Furthermore, the results of the TUNEL staining demonstrated that Stachys byzantina extract did not have any protective effect on hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis. Conclusion: Stachys byzantina extract increases the rate of neural stem cell proliferation. However, further studies are required to determine the effect of this extract on the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.


Recently, the capabilities of artificial neural networks (ANNs) in simulating dynamic systems have been proven. However, the common training algorithms of ANNs (e.g., back-propagation and gradient algorithms) are featured with specific drawbacks in terms of slow convergence and probable entrapment in local minima. Alternatively, novel training techniques, e.g., particle swarm optimization (PSO) and differential evolution (DE) algorithms might be employed for conquering these shortcomings. In this paper, ANN-PSO and ANN-DE models were applied for modeling groundwater qualitative parameters, i.e., SO 4 and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). Three statistical parameters including root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and the coefficient of determination (R 2 ) were used for assessing the models9 capabilities. The results showed that the ANN-DE presents more accurate results than ANN-PSO in modeling SAR and electrical conductivity (EC).


Node ranking in temporal networks are often impacted by heterogeneous context from node content, temporal, and structural dimensions. This paper introduces TGNet , a deep learning framework for node ranking in heterogeneous temporal graphs. TGNet utilizes a variant of Recurrent Neural Network to adapt context evolution and extract context features for nodes. It incorporates a novel influence network to dynamically estimate temporal and structural influence among nodes over time. To cope with label sparsity, it integrates graph smoothness constraints as a weak form of supervision. We show that the application of TGNet is feasible for large-scale networks by developing efficient learning and inference algorithms with optimization techniques. Using real-life data, we experimentally verify the effectiveness and efficiency of TGNet techniques. We also show that TGNet yields intuitive explanations for applications such as alert detection and academic impact ranking, as verified by our case study.


Discovering if hotspots observed on the Earth's surface are explained by underlying plumes rising from the deep
mantle or by shallow plate-driven processes continues to be an essential goal in Earth Science. Key evidence
underpinning the mantle plume concept is the existence of age-progressive volcanic trails recording past plate
motion relative to surface hotspots and their causal plumes. Using the icebreaker RV Polarstern, we sampled
scattered hotspot trails on the 2,000 km-wide southeast Atlantic hotspot swell, which projects down to one of the
Earth's two largest and deepest regions of slower-than-average seismic wave speed – the Africa Low Shear Wave Velocity Province – caused by a massive thermo-chemical 'pile' on the core-mantle boundary.We showed recently using Ar/Ar isotopic ages – and crustal structure and seafloor ages – that these hotspot trails are age progressive and formed synchronously across the swell, consistent with African plate motion over plumes rising from the stable edge of a Low Shear Wave Velocity Province (LLSVP) (O'Connor et al., 2012). We showed furthermore that hotspot trails formed initially only at spreading boundaries at the outer edges of the swell until roughly 44 million years ago, when they started forming across the swell, far from spreading boundaries in lithosphere that was sufficiently weak (young) for plume melts to reach the surface. We concluded that if plume melts formed synchronous age progressive hotspot trails whenever they could penetrate the lithosphere, then hotspot trails in the South Atlantic are controlled by the interplay between deep plumes and the shallow motion and structure of the African plate. If the distribution of hotspot trails reflects where plume melts could or could not penetrate the continental or oceanic lithosphere then plumes could have been active for significantly longer than indicated by their volcanic chains. This provides a mechanism for extended late stage interplay between deep mantle processes and the passive margin and adjacent continents that might explain extensive magmatism, lithospheric thinning and phases of post-rift uplift on continental margins and nearby continents.


We report on the polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSE) occurrence probability over SANAE (South African National Antarctic Expedition) IV, for the first time. A matching coincidence method is described and implemented for PMSE extraction from SuperDARN (Super Dual Auroral Radar Network) HF radar. Several SuperDARN-PMSE characteristics are studied during the summer period from years 2005-2007. The seasonal and interannual SuperDARN-PMSE variations in relation to the mesospheric neutral winds are studied and presented in this paper. The occurrence probability of SuperDARNPMSE on the day-to-day scale show, predominantly, diurnal variation, with a broader peak between 12-14 LT and distinct minimum of 22 LT. The SuperDARN-PMSE occurrence probability rate is high in the summer solstice. Seasonal variations show a connection between the SuperDARN-PMSE occurrence probability rate and mesospheric temperature from SABER (Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry). The seasonal trend for both meridional and zonal winds is very stable year-to-year. Analysis of the neutral wind variations indicates the importance of pole-to-pole circulations in SuperDARN-PMSE generation.


IEEE 802.1 has specified Connectivity Fault Management (CFM)
Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) facilities. CFM
messages are structured with an OpCode field and have provision for
the inclusion of TLV-structured information. IEEE 802.1 has allocated
blocks of CFM OpCodes and TLV Types to the IETF. This document
specifies the IANA considerations for the assignment of values from
these blocks.


The focus of the paper was to use an ethnobotanical approach to identify for conservation, priority medicinal plants used for respiratory diseases in Lake Victoria region of Tanzania. Recent incidences of respiratory diseases profoundly affect plant diversity as they lead to selective consumerism of plant species. Trend of respiratory diseases in Lake Victoria region is alarming due to highest HIV prevalence. Likewise, a trend in exploitation of medicinal plants for management of respiratory diseases is alarming. Open ended questionnaires and focus group discussions were used for collecting ethnobotanical information from 37 traditional health practitioners on the use of herbal remedies against various respiratory diseases. Guideline by the international union for conservation of nature (IUCN) medicinal plant specialist group was used to assess qualitative distribution of indicator species through ethnographic methods. A protocol for conservation assessment management plan was used to prioritize limited number of species for ex-situ conservation. Ethnobotanical parameters, value – index and legislation-index were used for scoring in two-dimensional manner. Scoring analysis highly prioritized non-timber plants including Rubia cordifolia, Crassocephalum manii and Pavetta crassipes for conservation over timber species. From the findings, it was recommended that conservation assessment of medicinal plants could be appropriately achieved by considering local uses of plants in participatory manner.


Recent advances in information theory show that the throughput of a multicast session can be improved using network coding. In overlay networks, the available bandwidth between sender and different receivers are different. In this paper, we propose a solution to improve the throughput of an overlay multicast session with heterogeneous receivers by organizing the receivers into layered data distribution meshes and sending substreams to each mesh using layered coding. Our solutions utilize alternative paths and network coding in each mesh. We first formulate the problem into a mathematical programming, whose optimal solution requires global information. We therefore present a distributed heuristic algorithm. The heuristic progressively organizes the receivers into layered meshes. Each receiver can subscribe to a proper number of meshes to maximize its throughput by fully utilizing its available bandwidth. The benefits of organizing the topology into layered mesh and using network coding are demonstrated through extensive simulations. Numerical results indicate that the average throughput of a multicast session is significantly improved (up to 50% to 60%) with only slightly higher delay and network resource consumption


The increasing need for a labour in the Czech Republic and other countries of Central Europe will lead to employing of foreigner workers. It is possible to assume that foreigners will be employed in positions, where the chosen decision can result in major accidents with fatal injuries followed by environmental or a property damage. These actors include operators in chemical or power plants, etc. As can be seen from foreign experience, poorly understood information leads to wrong decision-making process of operator resulting in accidents. The aim of this work is to map the situation in countries with traditionally large share of working foreigners (for example UK, France, Germany, etc.) and to identify the ways for prevention of these types of accidents. Subsequently, to create the set of recommendations for companies, which desire to employ foreign workers.


In December 2013 the National Bank of Belgium introduced a sectoral capital requirement aimed at strengthening the resilience of Belgian banks against adverse developments in the real estate market. This paper assesses the impact of this macroprudential measure on mortgage lending spreads. Our results indicate that affected banks reacted heterogeneously to the introduction of the measure. Specifically, mortgage-specialised and capital-constrained banks increase mortgage lending spreads by a greater amount. As expected, the impact of the measure on mortgage loan pricing has been rather modest in economic terms.


EPA appropriations are included in the annual VA-HUD-Independent Agencies Appropriation Bill. Two major issues were whether Superfund cleanups should be accelerated in the absence of statutory reforms and whether the requested state assistance funds are adequate. Because the House and Senate were in agreement on not granting the requested 50% increase in Superfund and in passing increased state funds, the chief conference issue was expected to focus on the roughly $225 million difference between the House and Senate versions. However, a veto threat over Superfund program funding made this a key conference issue.


Delayed explosions of accidental high pressure hydrogen releases are an important risk scenario in safety studies of production plants, transportation pipelines and fuel cell vehicles charging stations. Such explosions were widely explored in multiple experimental and numerical investigations. Explosion of high pressure releases in highly obstructed geometries with high blockage ratio is a much more complicated phenomenon. This paper is dedicated to the experimental investigation of the influence of obstacles on a delayed deflagration of hydrogen jets. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code FLACS is used to reproduce experimental data. In the current study the computed overpressure signals are compared to the experimentally measured ones at different monitoring points. Simulations are in close agreement with experimental results and can be used to predict overpressure where experimental pressure detectors were saturated. For homogenous stationary clouds a new approach of equivalent mixture of H 2 /air (~16.5%) to stoichiometric mixture of CH 4 /air is suggested. This approach is validated versus experimental data from the literature in terms of overpressure maxima. A parametric study is performed using FLACS for various concentrations in the same geometry in order to identify a possible transition from deflagration to detonation.


Too often, elections around the globe are, unfortunately, deeply flawed or even fail. What triggers these problems? In this second volume of her trilogy on electoral integrity, Pippa Norris compares structural, international, and institutional accounts as alternative perspectives to explain why elections fail to meet international standards. The book argues that rules preventing political actors from manipulating electoral governance are needed to secure integrity, although at the same time officials also need sufficient resources and capacities to manage elections effectively. Drawing on new evidence, the study determines the most effective types of strategies for strengthening the quality of electoral governance around the world. With a global perspective, this book provides fresh insights into these major issues at the heart of the study of elections and voting behavior, comparative politics, democracy and democratization, political culture, democratic governance, public policymaking, development, international relations and conflict studies, and processes of regime change.


John's year hasn't started off well. His sister died on New Years. He mentions the winter weather they have had. He hasn't been working much this winter because the mill hasn't been open. He then mentions some people he knows and how they are doing. He would love to go hunting with Moore, but will be unable to.


In this piece, Ruth Rubio-Mar[n discusses how emigrant citizenship (understood as emigrants' efforts to remain included in their national communities and the efforts by emigration states to encourage this) relates to the prevailing notion of the nationstate. She argues that emigrant citizenship challenges some of the traditional elements of the nation-state construct, such as the mutually exclusive and territorially bounded notion of political belonging, while, on the whole, reasserting the relevance of national membership. The piece then turns to the normative force of the concept of emigrant citizenship, focusing on two of the claims that are more commonly articulated by expatriates: absentee voting and a right to retain their nationality of origin even if they naturalize in the country of residence. Rubio-Marin argues that emigrants have a right to retain their nationality of origin, and with it, a sense of national identity, their ties with the country of origin, and the option to return, even if they naturalize abroad. Yet she finds that they do not have a similar right to absentee voting. Instead, absentee voting should only be seen as an option that, under certain circumstances, sending countries may legitimately embrace. This holds true, she claims, regardless of expatriates' contributions to the national economies through remittances or other forms of capital inflow.


A major challenge in studying social behaviour stems from the need to disentangle the behaviour of each individual from the resulting collective. One way to overcome this problem is to construct a model of the behaviour of an individual, and observe whether combining many such individuals leads to the predicted outcome. This can be achieved by using robots. In this review we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of such an approach for studies of social behaviour. We find that robots—whether studied in groups of simulated or physical robots, or used to infiltrate and manipulate groups of living organisms—have important advantages over conventional individual‐based models and have contributed greatly to the study of social behaviour. In particular, robots have increased our understanding of self‐organization and the evolution of cooperative behaviour and communication. However, the resulting findings have not had the desired impact on the biological community. We suggest reasons for why this may be the case, and how the benefits of using robots can be maximized in future research on social behaviour.


New methods for meta-analysis under a fixed effects framework, with frequentist and Bayesian estimation Clara P. Domı́nguez Islas Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Ph.D. Kenneth M. Rice Biostatistics Meta-analysis, as a pivotal component of systematic reviews, has been used extensively in recent years to synthesize the increasing amount of evidence produced in medical and health care research. The two main approaches to meta-analysis are based either on the assumption that all studies estimate a single common effect or on the assumption that the effects are sampled from an unknown distribution. In this dissertation, we propose and develop methods for an alternative approach to meta-analysis, based on the assumption that the effects estimated in the different studies are unknown, but fixed and not necessarily identical. In Chapter 1 we present a brief introduction and review of current methods for meta-analysis. In Chapter 2, we provide a novel yet simple justification for the precision weighted average estimator, commonly used in meta-analysis. Unlike standard arguments that require a homogeneity assumption on the study effects, our justification is based on an optimality property of this particular weighted average of the effect-size parameters, among the class of all affine combinations. We also propose a parameter to quantify the heterogeneity observed in the studies at hand, as an alternative to the classical betweenstudies variance in a random effects approach. We propose frequentist estimators of these parameters, illustrating their properties through an applied example and evaluating their performance in a simulation study. In Chapter 3, we propose Bayesian methods for estimation of the location and dispersion parameters. We discuss how different prior beliefs like homogeneity, exchangeability or correlation, can be incorporated through a variety of prior distributions that may or may not involve the use of hyper parameters. Important properties of the estimators obtained from a conjugate prior are derived analytically and then illustrated in an example. In Chapter 4, we explore methods to improve on the estimation of the individual effects themselves, rather than a summary of them. We discuss some ideas on shrinkage estimation and convex clustering adapted to meta-analysis, with particular attention to penalized estimation. We propose a loss function which takes into account the precision of the effect estimates, and can be seen either as a weighted version of the Fused Lasso Signal Approximator (FLSA) or a specific case of a Convex Cluster criterion. We derive some important properties of the solutions to the loss function, which allow us to construct an efficient algorithm to obtain the complete solution path. We also propose a novel procedure based on the parametric bootstrap for the estimation of the tuning parameter, and present results from a simulation study evaluating the proposed shrinkage estimation method. Finally, we conclude with a discussion and conclusions in Chapter 5.


This article considers the relationship between two processes—conflict resolution and counterterrorism—which conceptually share many common points, yet in practice do not necessarily proceed together easily towards a common goal. Considering particular cases of ethnic conflict in which terrorist factions exist, the article argues that while neither conflict resolution nor counterterrorism alone can adequately address the problem, simultaneously conducting both must keep in mind the processes' inherent differences and avoid excessive prioritizing of one over the other. By exploring recent Turkish governmental initiatives to address the Kurdish question, the article attempts to provide an outline for how to successfully cope with the two processes simultaneously.


E-Learning enrollments in post-secondary education are growing significantly but the annual cost of tuition continues to increase more than inflation. Does this mean that E-Learning cannot reduce costs? After describing some salient details of the tuition cost problem, this article examines four paradigms that have the potential to reduce tuition significantly over the long term, perhaps by half. First, it reviews the potentially game-changing effects of free Massively Open On-line Courses (MOOC's) and the new MIT/Harvard Ed X project. Both are very new and eventually target as many as a billion on-line students. Second, it describes the underutilized but highly scalable National Center for Academic Transformation's NCAT) course redesign paradigm, capable of reducing aggregate administrative and teaching costs by billions annually, and examines problems associated with its wider deployment. Third, Western Governors University's competency-based approach is presented as another way of drastically reducing labor costs while increasing availability of college courses to low income students. Finally, the export/import approach is introduced, in which MOOC's for credit become available (at a fee) beyond the offering institutions, thereby setting up a disruptive, but potentially highly economical reduction in faculty and administrative labor expense.


DESIGN OPTIMIZATION OF PERMANENT MAGNET MACHINES OVER A TARGET OPERATING CYCLE USING COMPUTATIONALLY EFFICIENT TECHNIQUES Alireza Fatemi, A.S., B.S., M.S. Marquette University, 2016 The common practices of large-scale finite element (FE) model-based design optimization of permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs) oftentimes aim at improving the machine performance at the rated operating conditions, thus overlooking the performance treatment over the entire range of operation in the constant torque and extended speed regions. This is mainly due to the computational complexities associated with several aspects of such large-scale design optimization problems, including the FE-based modeling techniques, large number of load operating points for load-cycle evaluation of the design candidates, and large number of function evaluations required for identification of the globally optimal design solutions. In this dissertation, the necessity of accommodating the entire range of operation in the design optimization of PMSMs is demonstrated through joint application of numerical techniques and mathematical or statistical analyses. For this purpose, concepts such as FE analysis (FEA), design of experiments (DOE), sensitivity analysis, response surface methodology (RSM), and regression analysis are extensively used throughout this work to unscramble the correlations between various factors influencing the design of PMSMs. Also in this dissertation, computationally efficient methodologies are developed and employed to render unprohibitive the problems associated with large-scale design optimization of PMSMs over the entire range of operation of such machines. These include upgrading an existing computationally efficient FEA to solve the electromagnetic field problem at any load operating point residing anywhere in the torque-speed plane, developing a new stochastic search algorithm for effectively handling the constrained optimization problem (COP) of design of electric machines so as to reduce the number of function evaluations required for identifying the global optimum, implementing a k-means clustering algorithm for efficient modeling of the motor load profile, and devising alternative computationally efficient techniques for calculation of strand eddy current losses or characterization of the mechanical stress due to the centrifugal forces on the rotor bridges. The developed methodologies in this dissertation are applicable to the wide class of sine-wave driven PM and synchronous reluctance machines. Here, they were successfully utilized for optimization of two existing propulsion traction motors over predefined operating cycles. Particularly, the well-established benchmark design provided by the Toyota Prius Gen. 2 V-type interior PM (IPM) motor, and a challenging high power density spoke-type IPM for a formula E racing car are treated.


Abstract For many years, researchers have studied the cardioprotective properties of adenosine and attempted to use the compound in the treatment of myocardial infarction. Adenosine exhibits many other effects, as well, which can be helpful in treating complications of myocardial infarction. Over the last decade, the results of over a dozen studies conducted on animal models evaluating the possibility of using adenosine receptor agonists and antagonists in the prevention and treatment of chronic heart failure and arrhythmias after myocardial infarction have been published. This is particularly important in view of the increasing number of patients suffering from such complications, associated with increased survival rates among patients due to advancements in diagnosis and treatment of myocardial infarction itself. Current treatments for chronic heart failure and arrhythmias are mainly symptomatic and frequently are not satisfactorily effective. Cardiac remodeling, an important mechanism behind the pathogenesis of post-myocardial infarction heart failure and arrhythmias, is a promising therapeutic target. This review presents current reports on the use of adenosine receptor agonists and antagonists as modulators of cardiac remodeling in post-myocardial infarction heart failure and arrhythmias.


The local interference method (LIME) is introduced as a tool for simulating guided mode excitation by finite gratings in monomode waveguides. This efficient and versatile calculation scheme considers each grating line as a scattering center radiating into and from the forward-traveling waveguide mode, neglecting multiple scattering processes. This approximation considerably speeds up calculation time while delivering very good results for a broad range of calculation tasks, including non-periodic gratings or waveguides exhibiting small variations of the propagation constant. The algorithm is presented in detail, and it is applied to the calculation of the coupling line shapes of waveguide grating structures used for biochemical sensors, having small spatial non-uniformities.


Reported data in this paper are about Nafion 112 membrane standard tests and MEA activation tests of PEM fuel cell in various operation condition. Dataset include two general electrochemical analysis method, Polarization and Impedance curves. In this dataset, effect of different pressure of H2/O2 gas, different voltages and various humidity conditions in several steps are considered. Details of experimental methods has been explained in this paper. Behavior of PEM fuel cell during distinct operation condition tests, activation procedure and different operation condition before and after activation analysis can be concluded from data. In Polarization curves, voltage and power density change as a function of flows of H2/O2 and relative humidity. Resistance of the used equivalent circuit of fuel cell can be calculated from Impedance data. Thus, experimental response of the cell is obvious in the presented data, which is useful in depth analysis, simulation and material performance investigation in PEM fuel cell researches.


What is meant by the term "intelligence" and, once defined, how do we go about achieving a valid measurement of this faculty? This classic textbook, originally published in 1979, and now reissued with a new preface by Sybil Eysenck, incorporates a broad range of findings and reanalyzes much of the existing literature in this area. In The Structure and Measurement of Intelligence, Hans Eysenck draws on methods for determining the effect of genetics and environment on the development of intelligence and examines the validity of the term as defined in relation to internal as well as external criteria. He tests a number of hypotheses on intelligence against empirical research findings and considers various criticisms in detail. The significance of intelligence and its measurement in society are explored in depth. Eysenck greatly expands upon such questions as: Does IQ measure intelligence? How valid is the nature versus nurture argument? and, How might socioeconomic status influence one's intelligence? Designed primarily for students and scholars in psychology and education, this text will make thought-provoking reading for all concerned with the development and measurement of intelligence in the individual.


Reduction in contact resistance is one of the foremost challenges for carbon nanotube/graphene nanodevices. In this study, we present a novel fabrication process for low-temperature, Ohmic contact between open-ended multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and metal interconnects using graphitic carbon deposited via electron beam-induced deposition (EBID). The electrical and structural properties of the contact interface are characterized for making connection to the single (outermost) shell only, as well as to multiple conducting shells of MWCNTs. In addition to establishing the scaling relationship between the carbon contact length and the resulting contact resistance, the magnitude of the contact resistance has been quantified with and without post-deposition thermal annealing. The results indicate that the contact is Ohmic in nature, and ranges from 26.5 kΩ for the connection made to the outermost shell of an MWCNT down to just 116 Ω for the multiple-shell connection performed via a process suggested through the EBID process simulations. These results provide a significant advance in application of MWCNTs to future interconnect technologies.