Thomas C. Galligan, Jr. (Colby-Sawyer College), Phoebe A. Haddon (Temple), Frank L. Maraist (Louisiana State), Frank M. McClellan (Temple), Michael L. Rustad (Suffolk), Nicolas P. Terry (St. Louis), and Stephanie M. Wildman (Santa Clara) are pleased to announce the Fourth Edition of Tort Law: Cases, Perspectives, and Problems available from LexisNexis. The authors have dramatically revised the Fourth Edition of this unique casebook. Chapter One is unique among American torts casebooks in its examination of how the dominant twenty-first century tort theories influence judicial decisionmaking and scholarship. That chapter explains six key perspectives on tort law: Law and Economics; Corrective Justice; Critical Race Theory; Critical Feminism; Pragmatism; and Social Justice. This chapter references the famous McDonald's hot coffee litigation as a case study to illustrate these perspectives in action. Subsequent chapters continue to work through that case study and continually reference the perspectives to explain or challenge the decided cases. This new edition presents the important cases, statutes, empirical data, and competing tort theories in a problems-oriented format designed to help students acquire a sophisticated understanding of tort law through active learning. As before, the text includes a large number of problems. Now, however, problem sets at the end of each substantive chapter organize the updated and considerably expanded Problems. This extensively rewritten and reorganized edition includes the classic common law torts cases, but also presents updated and teachable, cutting-edge decisions that will demand student interest and hold their attention. Particular care has been to take account of the most recent commentaries on tort law, such as the growing importance of the Restatement (Third) of Torts. The authors seek to provide students with innovative cases and problems, empowering them with practical skills. By exposing students to the most important contemporary tort law theories, the Fourth Edition of this casebook encourages students to go beyond passively memorizing case holdings and the voyeuristic experience of reading appellate opinions and truly gain perspectives on tort law. The Table of Contents, Preface, and Chapter 1 are available to download here.


Krishkova, I. & Tsolova, E. (2020). Economic effect of foil mulching in organic raspberry production. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 26 (2), 339–345 The present study was conducted in an experimental biologically managed plantation, created in the autumn of 2010 in the experimental station field at Kostinbrod, affiliated to the Institute of Agriculture (Kyustendil, Bulgaria), during the period 2017–2018. The experiment was set up with raspberry plants of the Willamette variety by the method of the long plots. Four treatments, each in four replicates, were investigated: V0, control (flat bed, no mulching); V1, high bed, no mulching; V2, high bed, gray polyethylene mulching; V3, high bed, black polyethylene mulching. Foliar spraying with registered by the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) organic fertilizers were performed during the growing season. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an innovative technology for organic raspberry production with the use of polyethylene foil mulching and its impact on yield structure and economic performance. The additional costs incurred for the polyethylene foil mulching in the organic production of raspberries were estimated at 119 lv/da. Higher average yield was obtained in the mulching treatments. In the black polyethylene mulching, the additional fruit production reached 157 kg/da. The gross production of the experimental treatment was also higher than that of the control: 4.4% in the high-bed treatment; 32.7% in the high-bed treatment mulched with silver-gray polyethylene, and 53.8% in the high-bed treatment, mulched with black polyethylene. Therefore, from an economic point of view, the organic production of raspberries of the Willamette variety with black polyethylene mulching was the most effective among the treatments examined in this study. The findings of the present investigation can serve as a foundation and complement for further research on improving the economic performance parameters of organic raspberry production in Bulgaria through optimization of alternative agricultural management practices and contribute to the database of experimental results obtained on that topic across different agro-ecological, species, and varietal conditions in Europe and globally.


A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand in
fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION
in the Department of Educational Planning and Administration, 1985.


Abstract In highly evolved culture, discourse is made up of complexes of implicit and explicit inter-textual relations, which form the meanings for new signifiers. Meanings for common abstract nouns are derived from the modeling of typical situations in everyday narratives. However at a further level of abstraction, models of discourses, which themselves contain abstract concepts, provide meanings for what are called "hyper-abstract" nominals. Here a certain limit is reached, and it is argued that this diachronic, onomasiological process provides a constraint on the notion of "unlimited semiosis." This constraint has both natural and ethical aspects.


China's capital-intensive, export-oriented, spectacular economic growth since launching its open-door policy and economic reforms in late 1978 not only has created jobs and has lifted millions of the Chinese people out of poverty, but also has given rise to unprecedented environmental pollution and CO2 emissions. While estimates of the embedded CO2 emissions in China's trade differ, both single-country studies for China and global studies show a hefty chunk of China's CO2 emissions embedded in trade. This portion of CO2 emissions had helped to turn China into the world's largest carbon emitter, and is further widening its gap with the second largest emitter. This raises the issue of who should be responsible for this portion of emissions and bearing the carbon cost of exports. China certainly wants importers to cover some, if not all, of that costs. While China's stance is understandable, this paper has argued from a broad and balanced perspective that if this is pushed too far, it will not help to find solutions to this issue. On the contrary, it can be to China's disadvantage for a number of reasons. However, aligning this responsibility with China does not necessarily suggest the sole reliance on domestic actions. In that context, the paper recommends specific actions that need to be taken internationally as well as domestically in order to effectively control the embedded CO2 emissions in China's trade.


Background As the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement gains momentum globally, more attention and resources are being given to integrated nutrition interventions. In 2013, the government of Malawi, with support from the World Food Programme and partners, initiated such an intervention in Ntchisi district. Aimed to reduce the prevalence of stunting, the intervention has several components, including the provision of a smallquantity, lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) for children aged 6–23 months. Objective This paper describes formative research findings derived from a Rapid Assessment Procedures (RAP) approach to inform the integrated nutrition intervention. Methods With a three-phase, emergent research design, this study utilized qualitative methods including in-depth interviews, direct meal observations, and full-day child observations. Free lists and pile sorts were conducted to define food and illness domains through cultural domain analysis. Participants included community leaders, caregivers, health surveillance assistants, and children aged 6–23 months. Results Community members felt that nutrition-related illnesses were less salient and threatening than other illnesses, and food quality was less important than food quantity. Household food allocation occurred in predictable patterns and varied by type of household member and season. Considered an energy-giving food, the SQ-LNS was accepted, but health education and communications tailored to local understandings of nutrition and health are necessary to ensure its appropriate utilization. 113 Conclusions Tailoring a communications strategy to Ntchisi, Malawi could only be done through formative research to understand the sociocultural factors influencing nutrition-related behaviors. A RAP approach allowed for a comprehensive understanding of this local environment.


Policymakers and care providers all over the world recognize that the risk of infection and of death from the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) increases with age and among individuals with pre-existing conditions, especially diabetes and heart disease. Because many younger adults and children with physical or intellectual disabilities also have these and other medical conditions, they are also at higher risk of becoming seriously ill and dying from COVID-19 infections. Most highly developed countries as well as some countries with emerging economies are tracking rates of infection and deaths from COVID-19 among high-risk subsets of their populations. Due to the concern over infection rates in congregate settings, to date (October 2020) most of the focus has been on rates of infection and death in residential long-term care (LTC) facilities serving the elderly (persons 65 and older) exclusively or predominantly. However, despite the dearth of comparable statistics about rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths among LTC users not residing in nursing homes or related residential care facilities, the available evidence suggests that COVID-19 infection rates are likely to be lower among the elderly and people of all ages with disabilities and chronic medical conditions who reside and receive assistance "at home." In this brief, we summarize the available data and literature on the cross-national impact of COVID-19 in LTC settings as of October 2020 and the changes in reported death rates since June 2020.


1. Introduction and overview of the regulatory framework in Norway Norway has not introduced any national sports law nor a specific law regulating players' agents. There are, however, various national norms that might be applicable depending on the service provided by the agent and his role in the transaction such as the law on conclusion of contracts, agent authority and invalidity (1), the penal code (2), and the lawyers' code of conduct. (3) Although general national laws might be applicable in disputes concerning players' agents, the questions arising from these will generally be governed by the regulations of the sports associations. Furthermore the most developed set of regulations are those of the Norwegian Football Federation (hereinafter NFF). Therefore the structure in the following will be that the NFF regulations on players' agents (hereinafter NRPA) will serve as a starting point of the analysis, and problems caused by norms of a higher comparative value will be treated continuously. The current NRPA entered into force 1. January 2009. According to [section] 1-1 of these regulations they are designed with due consideration to the FIFAs regulations on Players' Agents (herinafter FRPA). The NRPA is, however, more detailed and at some points more restrictive than the FRPA. In the following a brief overview of the most important rules will be accounted for. Since the formal criterions as to who can obtain a license, the procedure for application and issuance of the license, the insurance requirement etc. generally coincides with the provisions of the FRPA, these matters will not be addressed in this contribution. 2. The scope of the regulations According to [section] 1-1 the NRPA aims at regulating the profession of agents in general. With regard to the extent of activities governed by the rules these are limited and developed by the introductory provisions in chapter 1, and the definitions in chapter 2. The first important limitation can be found in [section] 1-3, which sets out that NRPA only applies to agent services provided to players and coaches. This rule has its parallel in article 1 subparagraph 3 of the FRPA and implies that services rendered to coaches and managers fall outside the scope of the regulations. The provision in [section] 1-3 further limits the applicability of the NRPA by prescribing that the regulations do not apply to other services than those agreed between an agent and the player in connection with transfers, loan or contract negotiation. Hence, the regulations govern the work of agents in their role as intermediaries in transfers, implying that other services commonly conducted by agents such as management services, mediation of for instance sponsor agreements or representation in potential disputes fall outside the scope of the regulations. The second important element of importance when assessing the applicability of the NRPA, is the definitions in chapter 2 that underlines and develop the interpretation of the provision seen in the latter paragraph. The NRPA [section] 2-1 defines an agent as a person holding a valid license issued by one of FIFAs member associations. The wording does not distinguish between natural persons and legal persons. However, read in the context of the definition in FRPA paragraph 1 it should be clear that only natural persons may obtain status as agents. In [section] 2-2 agent conduct is defined. According to this article agent conduct includes the following activities: * Introduce/Market a club towards a player. * Introduce/Market a player towards a club. * Participate in meetings on behalf of, or together with a club or a player in connection with a transfer, loan or contractual terms. * Discuss or negotiate terms in a potential transfer or loan with a club or a player. * Negotiate with a club on behalf of a player or another club * Communicating with the media on behalf of a player or a club about a transfer/loan or the possibility of such a deal. …


Most computational models of musical understanding have focused on procedural aspects of analysis, suggesting techniques for parsing, comparing, and transforming various representations of a piece, or adapting discovery procedures of artificially intelligent (AI) inference systems, which plan and follow agendas and goals. Much contemporary AI research, however, also focuses on declarative aspects of knowledge, attempting to define data representations and relations that are commensurate with human cognition. Naturally, musical analysis has both procedural and declarative aspects: the declarative determines what the form of the analysis is, and the procedural determines how the analysis is obtained. However, a predominantly procedural analysis risks sacrificing the form of musical understanding to obtain efficiency or compatibility with a particular computer language. In this article I argue that, for a significant body of twentieth-century music, a declarative system models the structure of analytical understanding better than do existing procedural programs, and I present a functioning declarative system that infers complex musical structures from the elementary musical relations that it identifies.


Environmental fluctuations in operating fuel cells impose significant biaxial stresses in the constrained proton exchange membranes (PEM). The PEM's ability to withstand cyclic environment-induced stresses plays an important role in membrane integrity and consequently, fuel cell durability. In this thesis, pressure loaded blister tests are used to study the mechanical durability of Gore-Select series 57 over a range of times, temperatures, and loading histories. Ramped pressure tests are used with a linear viscoelastic analog to Hencky's classical solution for a pressurized circular membrane to estimate biaxial burst strength values. Biaxial strength master curves are constructed using traditional time-temperature superposition principle techniques and the associated temperature shift factors show good agreement when compared with shifts obtained from other modes of testing on the material. Investigating a more rigorous blister stress analysis becomes nontrivial due to the substantial deflections and thinning of the membrane. To further improve the analysis, the digital image correlation (DIC) technique is used to measure full-field displacements under ramped and constant pressure loading. The measured displacements are then used to validate the constitutive model and methods of the finite element analysis (FEA). With confidence in the FEA, stress histories of constant pressure tests are used to develop linear damage accumulation and residual strength based lifetime prediction models. Robust models, validated by successfully predicting fatigue failures, suggest the ability to predict failures under any given stress history whether mechanically or environmentally induced a critical step in the effort to predict fuel cell failures caused by membrane mechanical failure.


SMEDIS is an ongoing research project funded by the European Union under the Environment and Climate Research Programme for the period 1996-1999. The project is coordinated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE, UK) with two other main partners: Cambridge Environmental Research Consultants (CERC, UK) and Electricite de France (EDF, France). Ten additional partners from across Europe are also participants in the project. The main objective of the project is to develop a methodology for the evaluation of dense gas atmospheric dispersion models used in the study of accidental releases of explosive or toxic materials. This evaluation is composed of a scientific assessment of each model, together with a validation by comparison with available experimental data. This paper describes more specifically the database constructed, and the validation performed by the participants involved in the project. Preliminary results indicate that the restriction for arcwise concentrations leads to an optimistic view of model performance when complex effects are present and that, in general, statistical performance is better for more sophisticated models.


A study was carried out to identify microbiological hazards and assess their exposure associated with consumption of poultry based street food served in different localities of Hyderabad. The study indicated that chicken 65, chicken fried rice, chicken noodles, chicken Manchuria and chilly chicken are the most common recipes. A process flow diagram was developed to identify critical control points in the food item. After analysis of the samples at each level of preparation, it was observed that rice and noodles were kept at room temperature for about 5-6 hrs which was a critical control point. A total of 376 samples including chicken fried rice, chicken noodles, boiled noodles and boiled rice were collected from circle 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of Greater Hyderabad municipal corporation (GHMC) and analyzed for microbiological examination. The most prevalent pathogenic bacteria isolated were S. aureus (3.4 log 10 cfu/g) and B. cereus (3.4 log 10 cfu/g). Salmonella spp. was present in salads (3.2 log 10 cfu/g) and hand washings of the food handler (3.5 log 10 cfu/g). Salmonella contamination was found in salads served along with chicken fried rice and chicken noodles than in the food.


This study identifies earnings yield as a measure of financial performance that is based on a firm's ability to sell profitable goods. It excludes the irrationality that can confound market-based measures of financial performance by emphasizing a firm's ability to earn profits as the indicator of superior performance. For the full sample, the differential effects of earnings yield on return on assets, return on equity, stock returns, economic value added and the equity multiplier are determined for firms of different size and volatility. The analysis is conducted both across industries and within the oil and gas, computer software, biotechnology and retail industries. For the full sample of NASDAQ stocks from 2010-2014, earnings yield significantly explained return on assets, return on equity, stock returns, economic value added and the equity multiplier beyond book value and book to market. The influence of earnings yield on return on assets was predictable with linear relationships and autocorrelated residuals, while that for small firms was unpredictable with nonlinear relationships between earnings yield and all outcomes with heteroscedastic residuals. In the oil and gas industry, small producers with low market risk and high firm-specific risk, i.e. drillers in new locations with existing technology, found that earnings yield was related to all outcome measures, while large, high-market risk firms, or drillers using the new shale rock techniques strove for operational efficiency through higher return on assets and return on equity. Market risk demarcates small biotechnology firms with those with low market risk demonstrating the explanation of return on assets by earnings yield, while earnings yield is significantly related to economic value added for high market risk firms. In large biotechnology firms, earnings yield was significantly related to all outcomes. Similar results were obtained for the computer software industry. Retail is in retrenchment with small retailers selling traditional product lines emphasizing return on assets or being operationally efficient for survival, while large retailers borrow against large-scale investments in assets, as shown by the significant explanation of the equity multiplier by earnings yield. It may be concluded that earnings yield measures multiple dimensions of financial performance for firms of different size and volatility levels in multiple industries. For small firms, the ability of earnings yield to measure the productivity of capital through economic value added is noteworthy. For large firms, earnings yield is particularly effective in predicting operational efficiency or return on assets.


This final report contains research findings on the characterization of the quality and value of road weather information resources used by members of the surface transportation community in their decision-making process. The objectives of the project were to identify current road weather information resources, develop a process to measure the quality of road weather information, and establish a baseline metric of the existing resources, and the recommendation of a strategy for an ongoing monitoring program. The project evaluated the existing sources of road weather information and the methods used by departments of transportation (DOT) to use this information for both internal and external applications. The analysis of weather service provider sources, road weather products, and DOT uses of the data permitted the research team to define six quality attributes that could be used to measure DOT users' perception of road weather data quality and value. The road weather information that DOTs receive/use were separated into product type packages and the basic weather elements within the resource deliverables. The baseline assessment of quality was accomplished through an online survey. DOT personnel who use road weather information routinely as part of their daily operations participated in the survey. The report details the organization of the survey responses into a quality attribute matrix and then analyzes the results of the survey. The report addresses variable user responses within and amongst quality attribute classes that illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of specific products and weather elements. The resulting measures from the survey serve to establish quality markers and point out road weather products or elements that could benefit from improvement. The technique chosen to characterize the quality of existing road weather information for this study was evaluated as the project evolved to assess its viability for an ongoing quality characterization monitoring program. The team also looked at appropriate time intervals for regular quality assessment, and evaluated the potential impacts of issues that occurred during the quality characterization process. The report evaluates these factors and proposes a strategy for implementing a regular quality assessment monitoring program. Finally, the research report projects the team's anticipated outcomes from an ongoing road weather quality monitoring program.


We solve constraint satisfaction problems through translation to answer set programming (ASP). Our reformulations have the property that unit-propagation in the ASP solver achieves well defined local consistency properties like arc, bound and range consistency. Experiments demonstrate the computational value of this approach.


Objective: Pathologic ribonuclease H1 (RNase H1) causes aberrant mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) segregation and is associated with multiple mtDNA deletions. We aimed to determine the prevalence of RNase H1 gene (RNASEH1) mutations among patients with mitochondrial disease and establish clinically meaningful genotype-phenotype correlations. Methods: RNASEH1 was analyzed in patients with (1) multiple deletions/depletion of muscle mtDNA and (2) mendelian progressive external ophthalmoplegia (PEO) with neuropathologic evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction, but no detectable multiple deletions/depletion of muscle mtDNA. Clinicopathologic and molecular evaluation of the newly identified and previously reported patients harboring RNASEH1 mutations was subsequently undertaken. Results: Pathogenic c.424G>A p.Val142Ile RNASEH1 mutations were detected in 3 pedigrees among the 74 probands screened. Given that all 3 families had Indian ancestry, RNASEH1 genetic analysis was undertaken in 50 additional Indian probands with variable clinical presentations associated with multiple mtDNA deletions, but no further RNASEH1 mutations were confirmed. RNASEH1-related mitochondrial disease was characterized by PEO (100%), cerebellar ataxia (57%), and dysphagia (50%). The ataxia neuropathy spectrum phenotype was observed in 1 patient. Although the c.424G>A p.Val142Ile mutation underpins all reported RNASEH1-related mitochondrial disease, haplotype analysis suggested an independent origin, rather than a founder event, for the variant in our families. Conclusions: In our cohort, RNASEH1 mutations represent the fourth most common cause of adult mendelian PEO associated with multiple mtDNA deletions, following mutations in POLG, RRM2B, and TWNK. RNASEH1 genetic analysis should also be considered in all patients with POLG-negative ataxia neuropathy spectrum. The pathophysiologic mechanisms by which the c.424G>A p.Val142Ile mutation impairs human RNase H1 warrant further investigation.


As developments in magnetic recording increase, the demands for high density recording media continue to rise. One particular medium developed towards meeting these needs is the commercially successftil metal evaporated (ME) tape. To provide a deeper understanding of the magnetic processes occurring in recording media, theoretical studies are carried out to complement experimental observations. Therefore, this thesis is concerned with developing a micromagnetic model to simulate the magnetic behaviour of ME tape.
ME tape consists of bundles of granular columns which are tilted towards the film normal. The morphology of the film influences the magnetic behaviour and a 3D model is developed in this thesis to represent the columnar structure and the granular nature of ME tape. A Monte Carlo algorithm, consisting of a 'move and grow' procedure, is developed to generate an irregular system of spherical grains whose radii were generated from a log-normal distribution. This structure provides the foundation for modelling columns of ME tape.
Initially an isolated column of ME tape was investigated. Grains were considered to be single domain and the dynamic process of the magnetic moments was explored by the Landau-Lifschitz equation. The model demonstrated that as the strength of the exchange coupling parameter increased, then moments which were strongly coupled resisted large negative fields and square hysteresis loops with a high coercivity were produced.
Reversal of the moments was observed to be initiated at the ends of a column and then propagated throughout the column. This was attributed to large demagnetising fields and was particularly evident in the model with aligned easy axes. If the easy axes were randomiy orientated then more disorder was present in the model and moments rotated incoherently. This produced hysteresis loops that were less square than those of the aligned model. The results also showed how the microstructure influenced the reversal processes.
Simulations on assemblies of interacting columns of ME tape highlighted that, when exchange coupling was weak, moments reversed incoherently throughout the structure. However, increasing the strength of the exchange coupling caused a high degree of cooperative reversal to occur in individual columns. As moments reverse their direction they initially relax towards the long axis of a column due to column demagnetising effects. The model demonstrates that as moments reverse there is a changing balance between magnetostatic (demagnetising) and exchange interactions within and between columns.
The model was considered to be a good representation of ME tape, and the results obtained not only complement previous studies but provide a deeper understanding of the reversal processes occurring both within and between columns of ME tape.


Nonprofit organizations survive through grants and donations. As society progresses into the technology age, it is important for nonprofit organizations to follow suit and become more technologically adept. The days in which donations were obtained through direct mailings, phone calls, and emails are fading. In order to stay current with the most donors, nonprofit organizations need to have a presence on social media websites, and should explore the use of social media and text-to-give campaigns for the solicitation of donations. This paper attempts to provide insight to nonprofit organizations, on both national and local levels, regarding the advantages of using social media and mobile applications to solicit donations. To provide this insight, questionnaire results for four nonprofit organizations located in Chicago, Illinois were analyzed. All organizations that participated in this research have a significant presence on social media websites, two had previously explored using text-to-give campaigns, and two had experience with receiving donations through mobile applications.


Normalization is a fundamental operation throughout neuronal systems to adjust dynamic range. In the visual cortex various cell circuits have been identified that provide the substrate for such a canonical function, but how these circuits are orchestrated remains unclear. Here we suggest the serotonergic (5-HT) system as another player involved in normalization. 5-HT receptors of different classes are co-distributed across different cortical cell types, but their individual contribution to cortical population responses is unknown. We combined wide-field calcium imaging of primary visual cortex (V1) with optogenetic stimulation of 5-HT neurons in mice dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) — the major hub for widespread release of serotonin across cortex — in combination with selective 5-HT receptor blockers. While inhibitory (5-HT1A) receptors accounted for subtractive suppression of spontaneous activity, depolarizing (5-HT2A) receptors promoted divisive suppression of response gain. Added linearly, these components led to normalization of population responses over a range of visual contrasts.


The Andaman Sea and other macrotidal semi-enclosed tropical seas feature large amplitude internal waves (LAIW). Although LAIW induce strong fluctuations i.e. of temperature, pH, and nutrients, their influence on reef development is so far unknown. A better-known source of disturbance is the monsoon affecting corals due to turbulent mixing and sedimentation. Because in the Andaman Sea both, LAIW and monsoon, act from the same westerly direction their relative contribution to reef development is difficult to discern. Here, we explore the framework development in a number of offshore island locations subjected to differential LAIW- and SW-monsoon impact to address this open question. Cumulative negative temperature anomalies – a proxy for LAIW impact – explained a higher percentage of the variability in coral reef framework height, than sedimentation rates which resulted mainly from the monsoon. Temperature anomalies and sediment grain size provided the best correlation with framework height suggesting that so far neglected subsurface processes (LAIW) play a significant role in shaping coral reefs.


We consider the estimation of the entropy of a discretely-supported time series through a plug-in estimator. We provide a correction of the bias and we study the asymptotic properties of the estimator. We show that the widely-used correction proposed by Roulston (1999) is incorrect as it does not remove the $O\left ({N^{-1}}\right)$ part of the bias while ours does. We provide the asymptotic distribution and we show that it differs when the values taken by the marginal distribution of the process are equiprobable (a situation that we call degeneracy) and when they are not. We introduce estimators of the bias, the variance and the distribution under degeneracy and we study the estimation error. Finally, we propose a goodness-of-fit test based on entropy and give two motivations for it. The theoretical results are supported by specific numerical examples.


The Network of Sacred Heart Schools advances its education mission through a pivotal document entitled Goals and Criteria for Sacred Heart Schools in the United States (Society of the Sacred Heart, U.S. Province, 2005). The heads of school are the leaders and key decision makers who ensure that their leadership meets the expectations articulated in the five goals and criteria and that other personnel within their schools demonstrate an understanding of these pivotal guidelines in the process of their daily work. No research exists to date regarding the extent to which the heads of school apply the five goals and criteria during decisions critical to the school mission, and no empirical evidence regarding the manner in which these leaders render their decisions has been advanced. Consequently, this current study explored the extent to which heads of school within the Network of Sacred Heart Schools engage with the overarching goals and criteria when rendering decisions and whether they implement a consistent process for decision making. This study applied qualitative research methodology. After inviting 21 heads of school within the Network of Sacred Heart Schools to participate, four agreed to volunteer for the study. Two semistructured, one-hour interviews were conducted with each participant, the first in person and the second by telephone. The data collected from these interviews suggest that these leaders apply the five goals and criteria to all aspects of their leadership including decision making. They were not applied in any predetermined systematic manner throughout the process of making decisions, although each Head was able to identify a general system or process implemented. The findings of this study suggest that the Heads of Sacred Heart schools place appropriately high value on the five goals and criteria mandated by the Network mission because they permeate all aspects of their leadership including decision making. It was also noted that these leaders may benefit from an introduction to the current research, as it relates to methods of decision making, in order to ensure that they are aware of optimal methods.


When zealously advocating a client's position, the lawyer's ultimate goal is winning. To win, however, the lawyer must convince a judge or jury to accept the lawyer's (and reject opposing counsel's) position. The best type of advocate accomplishes this goal using various rhetorical techniques, attempting to manage other people's perceptions of such things as the facts, the lawyer's own theory of the case, the credibility of eyewitness testimony, the weaknesses of opposing counsel's claims, and the praiseworthiness of the lawyer's own client. By design, we have an adversary system.But how does the lawyer successfully convince the fact finder that the lawyer's (and not opposing counsel's) position is aligned with justice? Success inevitably boils down to persuasive legal argumentation. If the lawyer's ultimate goal is winning, the lawyer must master the art of persuasion. For the art of persuasion is intimately connected with the psychological process of perception. And perception is what convinces people whether to accept or reject the lawyer's argument.In this Comment, I propose an account of legal argumentation that explains the relationship between mental processes that psychologists label cognitive biases and legal arguments that philosophers label informal fallacies. Cognitive biases are errors in our thinking and reasoning, which alter our perceptions. Informal fallacies are verbal or written arguments containing material flaws, which enhance their persuasiveness. I also describe the process of persuasion at play when the lawyer uses legal arguments that contain informal (material) fallacies. By using legal arguments that contain informal fallacies, the lawyer can play upon the listener's inherent cognitive biases to persuade the listener to see things the same way the lawyer does. When lawyers use these rhetorical techniques — whether before or during trial proceedings — they induce in most listeners erroneous perceptions that can, and often do, powerfully alter their listeners' beliefs.My first general purpose is to explain what lawyers and judges can learn from psychologists' and philosophers' insights on legal argumentation. There is a connection between perception and persuasion — namely, that cognitive biases (linked to perception) and informal fallacies (linked to persuasion) are merely two different labels used to describe faulty reasoning as it occurs in one of three phases in the reasoning process: (1) the arguer's mental process in which a specific bias influences how she interprets her perceptions and how she is persuaded to believe something; (2) the arguer's rhetorical process in which she uses a specific tool or argument to persuade the listener to perceive and believe as she believes; and (3) the listener's mental process in which a specific bias influences his perceptions of the arguer's reasoning and persuades him to believe as she does.My second general purpose is to promote a new framework for viewing the use of informal fallacies in legal argumentation. Lawyers use informal fallacies as a strategy of persuasion to induce cognitive biases in other people's thinking, to effectively manage their perceptions, and to ultimately change their beliefs. While informal fallacies can be used deceptively — and philosophers condemn and try to excise them from argumentation completely — they can play an essential role in good legal argumentation and effective advocacy. Informal fallacies may help to persuade the listener to actually care about the outcome of a case and to see things the way the lawyer sees them. Similarly, while cognitive biases are generally viewed as a hindrance to the truth — and psychologists catalogue and study their negative impact on eyewitness testimony — they can play an essential role in good legal proceedings. Cognitive biases may help even the most simple-minded listener to perceive each lawyer's version of the case and to determine which to believe. Thus, good legal arguments and proper judicial proceedings can still involve both types of error in reasoning.


Supply chain excellence has a real impact on business strategy. Manufacturing is an integral part of this strategy, represents one of the most exciting opportunities to create value and one of the most challenging tasks for policy makers. In this paper, we consider a performance criterion for the flowshop scheduling problem that aims to minimise a complex cost function, i.e., the sum of weighted tardiness and weighted flow-time costs. A heuristic and hybrid genetic algorithms are proposed and experimental results are provided. We address this trade-off and propose solution techniques that are easy for the shop-floor manager to implement. As scheduling function is an integral part of supply chain, the proposed solution minimises the opportunity losses and improves cost based supply chain performance. This paper addresses this interesting and challenging domain.


ABSTRACT Objective: The management of and prognosis for delirium are affected by its subtype: hypoactive, hyperactive, mixed, and none. The DMSS–4, an abbreviated version of the Delirium Motor Symptom Scale, is a brief instrument for the assessment of delirium subtypes. However, it has not yet been evaluated in an intensive care setting. Method: We performed a prospective/descriptive cohort study in order to determine the internal consistency, reliability, and validity of the relevant items of the DMSS–4 versus the Delirium Rating Scale–Revised-98 (DRS–R-98) and the original DMSS in a surgical intensive care setting. Results: A total of 289 elderly, predominantly male patients were screened for delirium, and 122 were included in our sample. The internal consistency of the DMSS–4 items was excellent (Cronbach's α = 0.92), and between the DMSS–4 and DRS–R-98 the overall concurrent validity was substantial (Cramer's V = 0.67). Within individual motor subtypes, concurrent validity remained at least substantial (Cohen's κ = 0.65–0.81) and sensitivity high (69.8 to 82.2%), in contrast to those of the no-motor subtype, with less validity and sensitivity (κ = 0.28, 22%). Similarly, total concurrent validity between the DMSS–4 and the original DMSS reached perfection (Cramer's V = 0.83), as did agreement between the subtypes (κ = 0.83–0.92), while sensitivity remained high (88.2–100%). Only in those with delirium with no-motor subtype was agreement moderate (κ = 0.56) and sensitivity lower (67%). Specificity was high across all subtypes (91.2–99.1%). The DMSS–4 yielded very sensitive ratings, particularly for hypoactive and hyperactive motor symptoms, and interrater agreement was excellent (Fleiss's κ = 0.83). Significance of Results: We found the DMSS–4 to be a most reliable and valid brief assessment of delirium in characterizing the subtypes of delirium in an intensive care setting, with increased sensitivity to hypoactive and hyperactive motor alterations.


The localized lunar dark mantle deposits (DMDs) in Alphonsus, J. Herschel, and Oppenheimer craters were analyzed using visible‐near‐infrared spectroscopy data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper. Spectra of these localized DMDs were analyzed for compositional and mineralogical variations within the deposits and were compared with nearby mare basalt units. Spectra of the three localized DMDs exhibited mafic absorption features indicating iron‐rich compositions, although the DMDs were spectrally distinct from nearby mare basalts. All of the DMDs contained spectral signatures of glassy materials, suggesting the presence of volcanic glass in varying concentrations across the individual deposits. In addition, the albedo and spectral signatures were variable within the Alphonsus and Oppenheimer crater DMDs, suggesting variable deposit thickness and/or variations in the amount of mixing with the local substrate. Two previously unidentified localized DMDs were discovered to the northeast of Oppenheimer crater. The identification of high concentrations of volcanic glass in multiple localized DMDs in different locations suggests that the distribution of volcanic glass across the lunar surface is much more widespread than has been previously documented. The presence of volcanic glass implies an explosive, vulcanian eruption style for localized DMDs, as this allows volcanic glass to rapidly quench, inhibiting crystallization, compared to the larger hawaiian‐style eruptions typical of regional DMD emplacement where black beads indicate a higher degree of crystallization. Improved understanding of the local and global distributions of volcanic glass in lunar DMDs will further constrain lunar degassing and compositional evolution throughout lunar volcanic history.


The paper describes a Multi Plug-In Software Architecture, MAPISA, designed mainly to enable users and researchers involved with sensor network data to manage relevant information, thereby improving process interoperability, composition and heterogeneity. MAPISA can easily be extended to support new types of sensor data sources in such a
 way that is completely transparent for end users.
 MAPISA functional characteristics enable professional users to perform
 various specific tasks on a given sensor dataset, such as mathematical
 model uploading to perform simulations on different, dynamically selected datasets and data visualization. Even non-expert users can utilize applications based on MAPISA, since it stores all significant data collected from monitored sites which can easily be read and visualized in summarizing reports.
 The entire framework has been designed by applying modularity and the interoperability concepts have been given a fundamental role in order
 to facilitate the implementation of new features into the platform. In
 particular, MAPISA is ideal as a base framework for web 2.0 applications.
 Therefore MAPISA functions as a middleware that enables stored data
 to be exchanged between potential users and fully-deployed sensor
 networks so that relevant information can easily be accessed. In order to
 demonstrate the advantages of this framework, this study presents the
 development of a web application together with a plug-in and also the
 integration of a mathematical model. The latter application will also show
 the output graphs resulting from the running of the mathematical model.


Objective
Liquid biopsies are being rapidly used in adult cancers as new biomarkers of disease. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) levels have been reported to be proportional to disease burden, correlate with treatment response, and predict relapse. However, little is known about how frequently ctDNA is detectable in pediatric patients with solid tumors. Therefore, we developed a next-generation sequencing approach to detect and quantify ctDNA in the blood of patients with the most common pediatric solid tumors.

Methods
Detection of ctDNA requires assays sensitive to somatic events typically observed in the cancer type being studied. In pediatric solid tumors, structural variants are more common than recurrent point mutations. We adapted an ultralow passage whole-genome sequencing approach to capture copy number variants and a hybrid capture sequencing assay to detect translocations in liquid biopsy samples from pediatric patients.

Results
Copy number changes seen by ultralow passage whole-genome sequencing enabled detection of ctDNA in patients with osteosarcoma, neuroblastoma, alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, and Wilms tumor. In Ewing sarcoma, detection of the EWSR1 translocation was a more sensitive approach. For patients with samples collected at multiple time points, changes in ctDNA levels corresponded to treatment response. We also found that disease-specific genomic biomarkers of prognosis were detectable in ctDNA.

Conclusion
This study demonstrates that liquid biopsy approaches that detect somatic structural variants are well suited to pediatric solid tumors. We show that children with the most common solid tumor malignancies have detectable levels of ctDNA, which may be used to track disease response and identify genomic subclassifiers of disease. Efforts to profile larger collections of clinically annotated specimens are under way to validate the clinical use of these assays.


Abstract This paper examines the application of the latest iterations of EU data protection law – in the General Data Protection Regulation, the Law Enforcement Directive and the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the EU – to the use of predictive policing technologies. It suggests that the protection offered by this legal framework to those impacted by predictive policing technologies is, at best, precarious. Whether predictive policing technologies fall within the scope of the data protection rules is uncertain, even in light of the expansive interpretation of these rules by the Court of Justice of the EU. Such a determination would require a context-specific assessment that individuals will be ill-placed to conduct. Moreover, even should the rules apply, the substantive protection offered by the prohibition against automated decision-making can be easily sidestepped and is subject to significant caveats. Again, this points to the conclusion that the protection offered by this framework may be more illusory than real. This being so, there are some fundamental questions to be answered – including the question of whether we should be building predictive policing technologies at all.


Note: All chapters contain a Summary, Suggestions for Further Reading, and Exercises. 1. What Is Research? Research Is the Creation of Knowledge How Are Arguments Evaluated? Appendix 1A: The Range of Economic Methodologies 2. Overview of the Research Process Research in Science and Nonscience Disciplines Steps of the Research Process for Economics Appendix 2A: Writing the Research Proposal Appendix 2B: Questions for Evaluating a Research Proposal 3. Surveying the Existing Knowledge about a Topic Why Is a Literature Survey Necessary? Where to Search: Popular Versus Scholarly Literature How to Search: Developing an Effective Search Strategy Obtaining the Resources Appendix 3A: Scholarly References and Citation Styles 4. Using Writing as a Tool for Economic Research Writing to Learn Composition as a Creative Process The Structure of an Argument Examining an Argument Three Types of Reasoning: Deductive, Inductive, and Warrant-Based What Makes for a Persuasive Argument? Appendix 4A: Logical Fallacies 5. Economic Writing/Writing as a Product What is Economic Writing Writing the First Draft Revising the Paper Writing Style Writing Mechanics 6. Critical Reading or How to Understand Published Research Making Sense of Published Research Taking Research Notes and Writing Abstracts and Critical Reviews Appendix 6a: How to critically read a purely theoretical study 7. Conceptualizing the Model What Does It Mean to Apply Theory to a Research Topic? What Is Theorizing? Narrative Reasoning Mathematical Reasoning A Commonly Used Shortcut What Makes a Good Research Hypothesis? 8. Locating and Collecting Economic Data Data Creation The Structure of Economic Data Organizations That Collect and Publish Data Major Primary Data Collections Major Secondary Data Collections Appendix 8A: Overview of Data Sources 9. Putting Together Your Data Set Developing a Search Strategy for Finding Your Data Data Manipulation Constructing a Data Appendix to Your Research Appendix 9a: What Are Chained-Dollars? Appendix 9b: Example of a Data Appendix 10. A First Look at Empirical Testing: Creating a Valid Research Design Key Issues of Research Design How Does One Analyze Data? Random Variation in Human Behavior Statistical Methods Simple Statistical Hypothesis Training Confounding Variable Causal Validity Appendix 10A: Table of Critical t-Statistics 11. Introduction to Econometrics Steps in Regression Analysis Appendix 11A: Data Transformations for Regression Analyses Estimation Using Qualitative Variables 12. Communicating the Results of Economic Research Writing the Research Report Presenting Research Orally Appendix 12A: Rubric for Grading Research Papers Glossary Reference List Index


ABSTRACT This study investigates the level of women's empowerment in Omani society from the point of view of female university students from three public universities with respect to educational opportunity, equality in employment and their social status in the community. The study proposes a model for how to empower women based on the perceptions of university females and the factors that must be considered for improving the status of women in Oman. The model also provides indicators for social and community practices using confirmatory factor analysis and Path Analysis to determine pertinent factors and their effects on women's development. The results showed a strong direct effect of women's empowerment in Oman on community development. Despite the latest developments in Oman, as long as cultural rigidity remains, tradition upholds a conservative viewpoint of women, and families adhere to their uncompromised principles, women will remain subordinated by these factors according to the viewpoint of participants. This study concludes with recommendations for further research, including enrolment of females in all areas of specialisation creating more job opportunities for women, encouraging women's leadership, and additional education of women's rights and needs.


In the modern history of the Arab East, there has never been a time when wars were waged on three Arab societies at once. Nowadays, Palestine lives in a state of low intensity warfare; Iraq continues to experience a systematic process of devastation that has entered its fifth year; and Lebanon is suffering the repercussions of one of the most unrelenting and intense military campaigns ever mounted on a civil society this century. Is this a chance occurrence or is there a common thread that explains the causes, perpetrators, features and future settlement prospects of the three wars? This article will demonstrate that all three wars, notwithstanding their particularities, are impacted by similar forces. Consequently, an approach that attempts to deal with each conflict separately and without regard to the others will have little prospect of success. More alarming is the fact that there is a chance the region may witness the flare up of new wars if the present situation is left to fester.


Book description: The symposium Constructing Wooden Images. Organization of Labour and Working Process of Late Gothic carved altarpieces in the Low Countries was organized in Brussels on October 25 th and 26 th 2002 by the Department of Art Sciences and Archaeology of the Free University of Brussels and the Laboratory of Wood Technology of the University of Ghent . The symposium was part of a methodological and interdisciplinary research project on the characteristics, evolution and socio-cultural significance of the carved altarpieces of Brabant (15 th – 16 th centuries), conducted by both universities from 2001 to 2004, in collaboration with the Musees royaux d'Art et d'Histoire in Brussels and the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren. The research of the project, and consequently also of the symposium, which had the intention of making public its provisional results, focussed on the socio-economic background of the considerable production of carved wooden altarpieces of the late Middle Ages and the early Renaissance in the Low Countries, especially in the old duchy of Brabant, and also on the actual construction of such works.


This paper tests the significance of FDI as a way to alleviate credit constraints. Incoming foreign investment provides additional sources of capital. Specifically in the Chinese case, enterprises may look for foreign investors, being constrained in their activity due to distortions in the state-dominated system. First, the Chinese financial system allocates resources to the least efficient firms - state-owned enterprises - while denying the same resources to Chinese private enterprises, forcing them to look for a foreign investor. Second, the inefficient system of state investment planning leads to mismanagement of public enterprises, increasing 'insolvency-induced FDI'. We propose to analyse determinants of FDI in Chinese provinces to test the above hypotheses. We control for traditional determinants of FDI such as market access, labour costs, productivity, infrastructure, reform advances and banking sector size in order to assess the impact of inter-provincial heterogeneity in terms of the access that private enterprises have to credit and the distortive management in state-owned firms. Copyright 2007 The Authors Journal compilation 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd .


The evaluation of outstanding claims uncertainty plays a fundamental role in managing insurance companies. This topic has gained an increasing interest over last years because of the development of a new capital requirement framework under the Solvency II project. In particular, as results of main Quantitative Impact Studies showed, reserve risk is an essential part of underwriting risks and it has a prominent weight on the capital requirement for non-life insurance companies. To this end, we provide here a stochastic methodology in order to evaluate the distribution of claims reserve and to quantify the capital requirement for reserve risk of a single line of business. This proposal extends some existing approaches (see [12], [13], [17] and [19]) and it could represent a viable alternative to well-known methodologies in literature. Finally, a detailed numerical analysis shows a comparison between the proposed methodology and the widely used bootstrapping based on Over-Dispersed Poisson model.


We initially discuss the theory of three-level systems using the dressed state formalism. One of the dressed states, containing a ground state and a Rydberg state, does not couple with the probe laser; thus, the medium becomes transparent to the latter. This phenomenon is known as electro- magnetically induced transparency (EIT) and this dressed state is known as a Rydberg dark state. We show that EIT can be used to extract the reduced dipole matrix element for transitions to a Rydberg state. However, a prob- lem with three-level Rydberg EIT in a vapour cell is the occurrence of space charges caused by photoelectric ionisation of Rb metal deposited inside the cell. To avoid this problem, we consider adding a third laser resonant with a fourth level. This is to avoid using the laser whose wavelength is less than the threshold wavelength. In cold atoms, the effect of the third laser is to split the usual EIT resonance into a doublet. In thermal atoms, we observe narrow features due to electromagnetically induced absorption and electro- magnetically induced transparency in the Doppler-free configuration. Next we consider the action of a far off-resonance radio frequency (rf) field in the three-level system. We demonstrate the formation of rf-dressed EIT reso- nances in a thermal Rb vapour and show that such states exhibit enhanced sensitivity to dc electric fields compared to their bare counterparts. Fitting the corresponding EIT profile enables precise measurements of the dc field in- dependent of laser frequency fluctuations. We further investigate the theory of rf-dressed Rydberg EIT using the Floquet approach in order to understand the formation of the sideband structure of the Rydberg state. We find that if the time scale of the rf interaction is much shorter than that of the system evolution and decoherence, the sideband structure is well resolved. We also show that the intermediate state exhibits a sideband structure, induced by the Rydberg state, when the Rabi frequency of coupling laser is larger than twice the modulation frequency. Finally we consider resonant microwave cou- pling between the Rydberg states which leads to an Autler-Townes splitting of the EIT resonance in cold atoms. This splitting can be employed to vary the group index by ±10^5 allowing independent control of the absorptive and dispersive properties of the medium, i.e., one can switch the transparency of the medium or control the group velocity of a pulse propagation by tuning on and off the microwave field.


ABSTRACT Research Findings: This study investigated how mean classroom-level shyness scores moderated the impacts of INSIGHTS into Children's Temperament on instructional support and students' math and reading skills in kindergarten and 1st-grade classrooms. INSIGHTS is a temperament-based social-emotional learning intervention with teacher, parent, and classroom programs. A total of 22 low-income urban elementary schools, 90 teachers, and 435 children were included in the study. Schools were randomly assigned to INSIGHTS or an attention-control condition. Multilevel modeling demonstrated larger impacts of INSIGHTS on instructional support in 1st-grade classrooms with greater mean classroom-level shyness scores. A further set of multilevel analyses showed larger impacts of INSIGHTS on math skills for students in classrooms with greater mean classroom-level shyness scores. Practice or Policy: Results suggest the importance of considering temperament at the classroom level when deciding how to allocate limited resources to the implementation of temperament-based intervention and/or social-emotional learning programs. Moreover, providing professional development supports to teachers of shy students—who are at risk for poorer instruction and academic skills—should be considered by policymakers and practitioners.


From the outset, the European Union (EU) has been an integration project directed at preserving peace among its Member States – a fundamental objective that it has succeeded in achieving for over 60 years. As a community of like-minded states, the EU is also based on certain fundamental values, such as democracy and the rule of law, which the Union aspires to promote, both internally and externally, and which guide all its policies. In line with this vision, the EU has developed specific policies to support democracy and peace in the world. It also aims to integrate the pursuit of peace and democracy with all its other external actions in areas such as trade, development, enlargement and neighbourhood policies, its common foreign and security policy, and political and diplomatic relations with third countries and multilateral institutions. The EU has established a reputation as a soft power organisation guided by a normative vision and as an effective actor for peace and democracy. Strengthening peace and democracy globally has never been an easy task, however, and today's geopolitical context poses new challenges. The proliferation and increasing gravity and duration of conflicts – some in the EU's immediate neighbourhood, the emergence of new threats, such as terrorism or nuclear proliferation, and the crisis of liberal systems have driven the EU to widen and intensify its efforts. They have also led to a new vision for action revolving around the concept of 'resilient societies' based on the mutually reinforcing pillars of peace and democracy, and a special emphasis on fragile states. Against this background, recent surveys have shown that citizens expect the EU to be even more active in promoting peace and democracy externally – something that should surely strengthen its resolve to make further progress in this crucial area. This is an update of an earlier briefing issued in advance of the 2019 European elections.


Abstract Objectives: The objectives of the study were to determine the proportion and quality of breakfast intake in adolescents, and to determine the effect of breakfast intake and quality on overall diet quality. Design: A cross-sectional quantitative study design was used. Setting: The setting was seven public secondary schools in Potchefstroom and the surrounding areas in North West province. Subjects: The subjects were randomly selected adolescents in grades 9–11 (n = 244). Outcome measures: A self-administered demographic questionnaire was completed by the adolescents. Single 24-hour recall, using the four-stage multiple-pass method, was conducted to obtain information on breakfast and dietary intake for the day. Breakfast quality was measured by applying a breakfast quality score. The Diet Quality Index Revised was used to assess the quality of the overall diet. Spearman'srankcorrelationcoefficient was employed to assess an association between the continuous variables. The chi-square or Fisher's exact test was utilised to assess an association between the categorical variables. Results: The proportion of breakfast intake and skipping was 81% and 19%, respectively. The mean breakfast quality score was moderate (3.1). No significant difference was shown in the diet quality score for the breakfast eaters and skippers. The breakfast quality score was marginally associated with calcium intake (p-value < 0.0001, r = 0.418), phosphorous intake (p-value < 0.0001, r = 0.378) and total diversity score (p-value < 0.0001, r = 0.369). Conclusion: The proportion of breakfast skipping, moderate quality of the breakfast consumed and trend of improved nutrient intake with improved breakfast quality highlights the need for breakfast education and intervention as part of the Integrated School Health Policy.


This paper analyses the main fault lines of the industrial food system and the consequences of the absolute commodification of food. Then, using the food regime theory and exploring the developments in the industrial food system (mainstream) and the urban alternative food networks (AFNs) and rural food sovereignty movement (innovative niches), the author proposes a transition pathway (the re-commonification of food) towards a food commons regime in which primacy rests in its feature as human beings' absolute need and the different dimensions of food are properly valued, in opposition to the corporate mono-dimensional valuation of food as a commodity. In order to crowdsource this transition, this paper argues the food sovereignty movement and the AFNs need to grow together, beyond individual organisations, to knit a different and bigger food web capable of confronting the industrial food system for the common good. This ongoing transition that will span decades is to be steered by a tricentric governance system (urban and rural civic collective actions for food, partner states and social private enterprises) that enables access and promote food in all its dimensions through a multiplicity of open structures and sustainable peer-to-peer practices aimed at sharing, co-producing and trading food and knowledge. Unlike the market, the food commons are about cooperation, sharing, stewardship, equity, self-production, sustainability, collectiveness, embeddedness and direct democracy from local to global. Shifting the dominant discourse from the private sphere to the commons arena will open up a whole new world of economic, political and societal innovations, not least the Universal Food Coverage.


The beef industry is growing rapidly throughout the Aspen Parkland of Canada, leading to higher stocking rates on pastures and use of previously idled areas. Conversely, increased demand for pastureland has led to conversion of cropland that may have benefited upland nesting ducks by increasing the amount of perennial cover. We undertook the current study to evaluate the relationships of nest-site selection and nesting success of upland-nesting ducks to cattle grazing in the Aspen Parkland. Nearly 4,000 ha of upland cover were searched during the study. Vegetation physiognomy was quantified at each nest and at random points within each field. Despite extensive drought, nest searches located 309 duck nests. Grazing demonstrated a strong negative effect on duck nest densities, as did declining pasture health. Our best model of nesting success indicated an interaction between nest-site vegetation and residual cover. Across most values of residual cover, nesting success was positively influenced by nest-site vegetation. However, at high values of residual cover, nest-site vegetation negatively affected nesting success. Other negative effects on nesting success included cattle presence and grassland area within a 1-km radius. Field-scale wetland area, however, demonstrated a positive relationship with nesting success. Although previous work has demonstrated higher nesting success in pastures than other habitats in the Aspen Parkland, our study is the first that we know of that investigated grazing intensity as a continuous factor along the gradient from idle to > 90 % utilization across a large number of fields (n = 97).


INVESTIGATING THE DOMAIN OF GEOMETRIC INDUCTIVE REASONING PROBLEMS: A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING ANALYSIS Kairong Wang Department of Instructional Psychology and Technology Doctor of Philosophy Matrix inductive reasoning has been a popular research topic due to its claimed relationship with the general factor of intelligence. In this research, four subabilities were identified: working memory, rule induction, rule application, and figure detection. This quantitative study examined the relationship between these four subabilites and students' general ability to solve Matrix Reasoning problems. Using tests developed for this research to measure the identified subabilities, the data were collected from 334 Chinese students aged from 12 to 15. Structural equation modeling method was used to analyze the collected data and to evaluate the hypothesized models. Results from the analysis showed that a valid model existed to represent the construct of matrix inductive reasoning. Except for figural detection ability, the other three subabilities had significant direct effects on matrix inductive reasoning ability. Readers should interpret from this result with caution due to the unsatisfactory reliability of the Figure Detection scores. To improve the validity of the interpretation, a new model without the latent variable of figure detection was reexamined. In this analysis, significant relationships still existed from the three subablities to matrix inductive reasoning ability. The strongest relationship existed from working memory ability to matrix reasoning ability, with a standardized coefficient of .52. Effects from rule induction and rule application ability to matrix reasoning dropped to .36 and .34 respectively. These results suggested the important role of working memory on solving inductive reasoning problems. In addition, a significant and substantial indirect path was found that lead from working memory rule induction rule application matrix reasoning. The indirect path indicated that a process existed when students solved Matrix Reasoning tasks.


In many organisms, interactions between cells play a critical role in the specification of cell fates. In the sea urchin embryo, primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) regulate the developmental program of a subpopulation of secondary mesenchyme cells (SMCs). The timing of this cell interaction was analyzed by means of a fluorescence photoablation technique, which was used to specifically ablate PMCs at various stages of development. In addition, the PMCs were microinjected into PMC-depleted recipient embryos at different developmental stages and their effect on SMC fate was examined. The critical interaction between PMCs and SMCs was brief and took place late in gastrulation. Before that time, SMCs were insensitive to the suppressive signals transmitted by the PMCs.


Compressed sensing (CS) deals with the reconstruction of sparse signals from a small number of linear measurements. One of the main challenges in CS is to find the support of a sparse signal from a set of noisy observations. In the CS literature, several information-theoretic bounds on the scaling law of the required number of measurements for exact support recovery have been derived, where the focus is mainly on random measurement matrices. In this paper, we investigate the support recovery problem from an estimation theory point of view, where no specific assumption is made on the underlying measurement matrix. By using the Hammersley-Chapman-Robbins (HCR) bound, we derive a fundamental lower bound on the performance of any unbiased estimator which provides necessary conditions for reliable l2-norm support recovery. We then analyze the optimal decoder to provide conditions under which the HCR bound is achievable. This leads to a set of sufficient conditions for reliable l2-norm support recovery.


Gitelman syndrome (GS) is a genetic disorder that affects kidney and causes an imbalance of charged atoms (ions) in the body, including ions of potassium, magnesium, and calcium. GS is characterized by hypokalemia and metabolic alkalosis. GS is a rare autosomal recessive renal tubulopathy disease caused by loss-of-function mutations in the SLC12A3 gene. Objective of the present study is to find the genetic causes involved in a consanguineous Saudi family. Whole exome sequencing was done to find out the genetic mutation in the affected members of the family and the putative mutation was further validated by subsequent Sanger sequencing in other member of the family. We identified a novel homozygous mutation c.2686C>T as a result in p.Arg896* stop gained in exon 23 of SLC12A3 gene. The mutation was ruled out in 100 unrelated healthy controls. A novel homozygous stop gain mutation detected in this study has not yet been reported as pathogenic in literature or variant databases. Functional prediction of this mutation was performed using various online in silico prediction tools and all predicted it be disease causing. In conclusion, the here detected homozygous SLC12A3 mutation in the SLC12A3 gene as a result a truncated protein produced with a premature stop gain would expected to lead to functional loss to cause GS in Saudi family. This study will add more knowledge about GS in Arab populations' database of genetic disorders and will help in the genetic counselling of the families in Saudi Arabia.


We present a design of an easy-to-replicate glove-based system that can reliably perform simultaneous hand pose and force sensing in real time, for the purpose of collecting human hand data during fine manipulative actions. The design consists of a sensory glove that is capable of jointly collecting data of finger poses, hand poses, as well as forces on palm and each phalanx. Specifically, the sensory glove employs a network of 15 IMUs to measure the rotations between individual phalanxes. Hand pose is then reconstructed using forward kinematics. Contact forces on the palm and each phalanx are measured by 6 customized force sensors made from Velostat, a piezoresistive material whose force-voltage relation is investigated. We further develop an open-source software pipeline consisting of drivers and processing code and a system for visualizing hand actions that is compatible with the popular Raspberry Pi architecture. In our experiment, we conduct a series of evaluations that quantitatively characterize both individual sensors and the overall system, proving the effectiveness of the proposed design.


This article introduces surface textured polymer fibers as a new platform for the fabrication of affordable microfluidic devices. Fibers are produced tens of meters‐long at a time and comprise 20 continuous and ordered channels (equilateral triangle grooves with side lengths as small as 30 micrometers) on their surfaces. Extreme anisotropic spreading behavior due to capillary action along the grooves of fibers is observed after surface modification with polydopamine (PDA). These flexible fibers can be fixed on any surface—independent of its material and shape—to form three‐dimensional arrays, which spontaneously spread liquid on predefined paths without the need for external pumps or actuators. Surface textured fibers offer high‐throughput fabrication of complex open microfluidic channel geometries, which is challenging to achieve using current photolithography‐based techniques. Several microfluidic systems are designed and prepared on either planar or 3D surfaces to demonstrate outstanding capability of the fiber arrays in control of fluid flow in both vertical and lateral directions. Surface textured fibers are well suited to the fabrication of flexible, robust, lightweight, and affordable microfluidic devices, which expand the role of microfluidics in a scope of fields including drug discovery, medical diagnostics, and monitoring food and water quality.


Objective: To investigate whether traditional Chinese herbal formula Yupingfeng (YPF) powder has an anti-inflammatory effect on colonic inflammation, and to explore the mechanism involved. Materials and Methods: YPF powder was orally administrated to trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis mice at the dose of 3, 6, and 12 g/kg/d for 7 consecutive days. Body weight, stool consistency, histopathological score, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were tested to evaluate the effect of YPF powder on colonic inflammation while colonic enterochromaffin (EC) cell density and serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) content were investigated to identify the effect of YPF powder on colonic 5-HT availability. Results: The results showed that the body weight of colitis mice was markedly decreased by 10, 12, 14, and 17% at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days (P < 0.05), whereas stool consistency score (3.6 vs. 0.4, P < 0.05), histopathological score (3.6 vs. 0.3, P < 0.05), and MPO activity (2.7 vs. 0.1, P < 0.05) in colitis mice were significantly increased compared to that of the normal mice; YPF powder treatment dose-dependently increased the body weight (7–13% increase) and decreased the stool consistency score (0.4–1.4 decrease), histopathological score (0.2–0.7 decrease), and MPO activity (0.1–0.9 decrease) in colitis mice. Colonic EC cell density (70% increase) and 5-HT content (40% increase) were markedly increased in colitis mice (P < 0.05), YPF powder treatment dose-dependently reduced EC cell density (20–50% decrease), and 5-HT content (5–27% decrease) in colitis mice. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that the anti-inflammatory effect of YPF powder on TNBS - induced colitis may be mediated via reducing EC cell hyperplasia and 5-HT content. The important role of YPF powder in regulating colonic EC cell number and 5-HT content may provide an alternative therapy for colonic inflammation.


Successful lip reading requires a mapping from visual to phonological information [1]. Recently, visual and motor cortices have been implicated in tracking lip movements (e.g. [2]). It remains unclear, however, whether visuo-phonological mapping occurs already at the level of the visual cortex, that is, whether this structure tracks the acoustic signal in a functionally relevant manner. In order to elucidate this, we investigated how the cortex tracks (i.e. entrains) absent acoustic speech signals carried by silent lip movements. Crucially, we contrasted the entrainment to unheard forward (intelligible) and backward (unintelligible) acoustic speech. We observed that the visual cortex exhibited stronger entrainment to the unheard forward acoustic speech envelope compared to the unheard backward acoustic speech envelope. Supporting the notion of a visuo-phonological mapping process, this forward-backward difference of occipital entrainment was not present for actually observed lip movements. Importantly, the respective occipital region received more top-down input especially from left premotor, primary motor, somatosensory regions and, to a lesser extent, also from posterior temporal cortex. Strikingly, across participants, the extent of top-down modulation of visual cortex stemming from these regions partially correlates with the strength of entrainment to absent acoustic forward speech envelope but not to present forward lip movements. Our findings demonstrate that a distributed cortical network, including key dorsal stream auditory regions [3–5], influence how the visual cortex shows sensitivity to the intelligibility of speech while tracking silent lip movements. Highlights Visual cortex tracks better forward than backward unheard acoustic speech envelope Effects not "trivially" caused by correlation of visual with acoustic signal Stronger top-down control of visual cortex during forward display of lip movements Top-down influence correlates with visual cortical entrainment effect Results seem to reflect visuo-phonological mapping processes


Synthetic cationic polymers are commonly used vectors for non-viral gene delivery. However, the transfection efficiencies of such vectors are inevitably linked to their cytotoxicity, because the positive charge density of the polymers is the decisive factor of both. High charge density is necessary for gene condensation and intracellular internalization, while it also leads to undesired toxicity mainly due to membrane disruption. To address this problem, in this work, we introduced a new DNA binding driving force into the polymeric vector, using a guanidium-on-backbone polymer to facilitate efficient gene condensation. In addition to electrostatic interactions, polyguanidium provided extra affinity toward DNA by serving as a multivalent minor groove binder. It was shown that this polymer could tightly condense genes at relatively low charge ratios using an N/P ratio as low as 2.5 : 1 and give a gene transfection efficiency comparable to the commercially available reagent, 25 kDa polyethyleneimine. Such polymers also exhibited relatively low toxicity, benefited from their lower positive charge density.


Aortic intramural hemorrhage (IMH) is one of the disease processes that comprise the spectrum of acute aortic syndrome (AAS) with clinical manifestations and a mortality rate similar to those of classic aortic dissection (AD). However, IMH should be considered as a distinct disease entity rather than a precursor to classic dissection because of differences in their pathology, etiology, natural history, and imaging findings. Multidetector computed tomography (CT) is recommended as the first-line diagnostic imaging modality for IMH, but transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are also helpful. There is still debate over the appropriate treatment of IMH. Medical treatment of type B IMH appears effective and safe, while surgical treatment is recommended for type A IMH. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is a promising treatment for selected patients, and more clinical evidence needs to be assembled.


In the age of wireless technology, mobile devices have accelerated the pace and effectiveness of business transactions to an unprecedented level. Global Mobile Commerce: Strategies, Implementation and Case Studies provides a complete set of in-depth research investigations on global m-commerce strategies and technological standards, as well as case studies on the subject that elucidate the research through real-world examples. Comprehensively collecting theory, research, and practice, Global Mobile Commerce: Strategies, Implementation and Case Studies will prove to be a valuable reference to drive the current and future activities of academic researchers and practitioners alike, and a must-have addition to library collections.


In the ESPRIT II project SysMan, the EPFL was in charge of integrating the OSI and the distributed objects technologies for systems management. We worked on the specification translation between IDL and GDMO (in both directions), and on the provision of gateways. Adapter-agents allow distributed applications to be managed in OSI. Conversely, proxy-agents enable OSI managed objects to be accessed as ordinary distributed objects. Our work in SysMan convinced us that the OSI systems management architecture is not fully adequate in a distributed objects world. When integrating the worlds of distributed objects and OSI, we need to revisit the features of OSI rather than to blindly adopt them.


This paper analyzes the development trends of devices and processes for fabricating antenna-coupled microbolometers for the IR, submillimeter, and millimeter ranges. Depending on the problem to be solved, these thermal detectors can be self-contained or can be built into linear or two-dimensional arrays and can operate at temperatures of 300, 78, and 4 K. The temperature determines the choice of material of the thin-film heat-sensitive element—metal, semiconductor, high-temperature or classical superconductor. The planar antennas used in these detectors provide efficient reception of radiation in the specified spectral range. The achievable parameters and examples of the use of antenna-coupled microbolometers are discussed.


A comparative in-vivo efficacy of commonly used antibiotics was evaluated in the murine model of Klebsiella pneumonia. Six groups of immunosuppressed (cyclophosphamide 80mg/kg i.p. on -4 and -1 day) female Wistar rats (n=6-12) were employed to induce pneumonia. Bacterial inoculum of strength 1x 107 CFU/ml of Klebsiella pneumoniae strain isolated from sputum in the Department of Microbiology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore was injected intratracheally. Gentamicin (0.032g/kg body weight/day), Levofloxacin (0.036g/kg body weight/12hrly), Cefepime (0.18 g/kg body weight/12hrly), Aztreonam (0.18g/kg body weight/8hrly) and Meropenem (0.09 mg/kg body weight/8hrly) were administered i.p. within 4 hours following bacterial inoculation and continued for 5 days. On the sixth day, rats were sacrificed and the pneumonic lung tissues were used for bacterial count and histopathological studies. Levofloxacin significantly offered protection in Klebsiella pneumonia. Aztreonam seems to be a better choice to Cefepime and Gentamicin. Cefepime is found to be an effective antibiotic whereas Gentamicin is not effective against the local strains of K.pneumoniae. Thus in-vivo efficacy of antibiotic data may help to substantiate the choice of antibiotic against local strains of pneumopathogens. Also, these results may ensure more scientific authenticity than in-vitro bacteriological investigation reports.


The foraminifers of the Shahhat Member of the Al Bayda Formation exposed in three sections (at theWadi Az Zad quarry, and the Wadi Al Kuf and Al Hamamah road cuts) in the region of Jabal Al Akhdar in Libya have been investigated. The rock unit consists of marly limestone grading intomarl in places and is assigned a Late Eocene age according to the presence of forms suggesting the Nummulites fabianii Biozone, and suggesting also the Early Oligocene age, to which the Shahhat Member has been generally assigned in most previous publications should be revised. Nummulites ruetimeyeri de la Harpe 1883 and Chapmanina gassinensis (Silvestri 1904) has been recovered in association with Nummulites fabianii (Prever in Fabiani 1905). Gaziryina pulchellus (Hantken 1883) n. gen. in de la Harpe (1883) has also been retrieved in associationwith a Nonion-Uvigerina assemblage suggesting relatively deep marine conditions in the lower intervals of the investigated Late Eocene marly sequence. Nummulites gizehensis (Forskal) is found in the underlying Darnah Formation (Middle Eocene, Lutetian), and the overlying algal limestone of the remaining of the Al Bayda Formation includes species suggesting the Nummulites fichteli Biozone of Early Oligocene age.


We study, numerically, the influence of third-order dispersion (TOD) on modulation instability (MI) in optical fibers described by the extended nonlinear Schrödinger equation. We consider two MI scenarios. One starts with a continuous wave (CW) with a small amount of white noise, while the second one starts with CW with a small harmonic perturbation at the highest value of the growth rate. In each case, the MI spectra show an additional spectral feature that is caused by Cherenkov radiation. We give an analytic expression for its frequency. Taking a single frequency of modulation instead of a noisy CW leads to the Fermi-Pasta-Ulam (FPU) recurrence dynamics. In this case, the radiation spectral feature multiplies due to the four-wave mixing process. FPU recurrence dynamics is quite pronounced at small values of TOD, disappears at intermediate values and is restored again at high TOD when the Cherenkov frequency enters the modulation instability band. Our results may lead to a better understanding of the role of TOD in optical fibers.


The best value initiative has been designated as the key framework for improving service quality and effectiveness in UK local government. In support of the framework a number of measures have been introduced to measure effectiveness. However, there are problems with using comparative performance measures within the diverse grouping of local government services. Aims to measure the effectiveness of best value in a similar group of building control services by using a clustered benchmarking approach. The mainly qualitative research involves applying a strategic benchmarking approach to the 26 units or councils within the cluster and then comparing the cluster with the best practice UK measures for building control services. To facilitate the process a benchmarking measurement framework for building control was developed. The results indicate that the clustering approach is more beneficial than comparing the service of a single unit with best practice. Practices comparable with best practice for key measures can be identified for individual units or councils within the cluster. Moreover, there are more opportunities for generalising the findings and developing measurement frameworks within clusters. The cluster can internalise the benchmarked findings through mutually supportive programmes.


Caustic injury of the oesophagus and stomach is common among children and young adults. The morbidity associated with caustic injury can be severe. Due to improved management the mortality has decreased significantly. Alkaline agents tend to cause more severe injury than acidic agents.


"As practical as a Swiss Army knife for a power-hungry SysAdmin. For all the Sun gurus, veterans and newbies: This is for you. As a must-have in one's library, it'll be one of your most worn out references in your serious IT career. It is practical and very illustrative in its approach to solving sample problems." -Dexter D. LagguiHailed in its first edition as an indispensable reference for system administrators, Sun Performance and Tuning has been revised and expanded to cover Solaris 2.6, the newest generation of SPARC hardware, and the latest Internet and Java server technologies.Featuring a quick guide to get you started, as well as detailed reference information, this book is indispensable both for developers who need to design for speed and administrators who need to manage system and network performance.Performance guru Adrian Cockcroft brings his unique expertise and structured approach to this complex and rapidly changing topic, providing detailed information on key aspects of performance management and system behavior that is not available anywhere else. Rich Pettit, author of the SE performance toolkit, describes the performance interfaces in Solaris and how to use this freely available toolkit to build your own customized performance-monitoring tools.Key topics covered include: Performance Management and Measurement TCP and Internet Server Tuning JAVA Network Computer Server Sizing SPARC System Architectures Kernel Algorithms and Tuning How to Build Your Own Performance Tools Performance Rules and the virtual_adrian SE ToolTo get up to speed quickly on critical performance issues, this is the one book any Sun administrator, integrator or developer needs.


In the present work the characterisazion of reference electrode Ag/AgCl type dry by 0.01 M [Fe(CN) in 0.1 M KCl using the technique of cyclic voltammetry at potential range of -0.2 to 0.8 V and scan rate variation..The anodic (Epa) and the cathodic (Epc) peak potentials. as well as the corresponding anodic (ipa) and cathodic(ipc) peak currents. were obtained at different scan rates (10. 20. 25. 50. 100. and 200) mV/s . The half-wavepotentials (E1/2) of the [Fe(CN)6]4-/ [Fe(CN)6]3- couple in the investigated solvent media have been evaluated. Ipversus v1/2 have been calculated using the Randles-Sevcik equation..


In this study, the educational system that is in the term of Republic of Turkey was analyzed and the periodic process of education systems all around the world was presented. Afterwards, the process and the method modules began to be used at education with the information technologies. The Intelligent Tutor System is the application of A.I. and it is used for education and training. The aim of this study is to differentiate the Intelligent Tutor Systems in Turkey and all around the world, where suggested developing information and lists with dates are provided.


Background/Context A main objective of the Equality of Educational Opportunity Survey (EEOS), conducted in 1965, was to document the lack of availability of equal educational opportunities for minority students in public schools. Another equally important objective was to reveal specific inequalities in facilities and resources available to students in predominantly minority or predominantly White schools. Coleman et al. (1966) analyzed the EEOS data and found surprisingly few differences between the characteristics of schools attended by minority and White students. As a result, Coleman et al. concluded that school characteristics are not strongly related to student achievement in the presence of family background and that family inputs are much more valuable predictors of student achievement than school inputs are. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study The present study revisited this issue about the importance of schools in promoting student achievement and reanalyzed the EEOS 12th grade data using multilevel models. Our sample included 12th graders in public schools in the U.S. in 1965. We sought to determine the predictive efficacy of school characteristics on student achievement net of the effects of family background. The overarching question motivating this research is: Would Coleman and his colleagues have reached the same conclusions had they had available today's multilevel modeling statistical methods that are more appropriate for determining school effects? Research Design We used both regression and multilevel models to gauge school effects and compared our findings to those reported by Coleman et al. Our estimates infer strictly correlational, not causal, associations between school characteristics and achievement. Conclusions/Recommendations We found considerable and significant between-school variance in achievement, which suggests school effects. Similarly, the observed school characteristics used in our models explained a substantial proportion of the between-school variation in achievement. Our results also indicated that schools play meaningful roles in distributing equality or inequality of educational outcomes to females, minorities, and the disadvantaged. These results are in congruence with recent studies that examined school effects from the 1970s to the 1990s using U.S. national probability samples of students (Konstantopoulos, 2006; Konstantopoulos & Hedges, 2008).


Few urban areas are as economically and socially integrated as the New York City borough of Staten Island and the New Jersey communities of Bayonne and Jersey City just across the Hudson River. These strong links are illustrated by travel patterns across a north-south corridor from Staten Island up into Bayonne. Yet transit planning and development policy and implementation has been radically different in the two areas, with slow and, right now, stunted development of transit in Staten Island, New York City, as contrasted with the muscular and systematic approach taken in Bayonne and Jersey City, in New Jersey. This paper analyzes the links between the two areas, describes the different transit policies taken there, assesses the outcomes of these different policies and offers suggestions for ways in which transit and development links could be improved, in particular an extension of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail (HBLR) into Staten Island. The paper also discusses the interim use of buses as a pre-development phase for LRT or BRT, focusing on the relatively new S89 route in Staten Island that now links directly to the HBLR and which immediately attracted strong ridership.


Cross-talk between different cell types plays central roles both in cardiac homeostasis and in adaptive responses of the heart to stress. Cardiomyocytes (CMs) send biological messages to the other cell types present in the heart including endothelial cells (ECs) and fibroblasts. In turn, CMs receive messages from these cells. Recent evidence has now established that exosomes, nanosized secreted extracellular vesicles, are crucial mediators of such messages. CMs, ECs, cardiac fibroblasts, and cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) release exosomes carrying nonrandom subsets of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids present in their cells of origin. Exosomes secreted from CMs are internalized by fibroblasts and regulate gene expression in these cells as well as in ECs. CPC-derived exosomes protect CMs against apoptosis while also stimulating angiogenesis. They are rich in cardioprotective and proangiogenic microRNAs such as miR-146, miR-210, and miR-132. When injected into infracted hearts in vivo, CPC-derived exosomes reduce infarct size and improve cardiac function. Thus, exosomes are emerging both as key mediators of intercellular communication in the heart and as therapeutic candidates for heart disease.


Individual stories of women victims of violence from their partners should be analysed in the light of a commune denominator, their future in a social context, a culture, a system of roles, prejudices and stereotypes still marked by the idea of subalternity of the female gender. To support the women to cope in this perspective with the events that have wounded them represents a focal point of specialized reception, as it allows the "victims" to unravel a series of doubts, inadequacies and personal guilt in a clear vision of the general context, which formed the "background" of their biography. This allows the professional helper to address them with an empathic, non judging attitude and be able to tailor interventions and produce suitable personalized projects.