This paper analyzes the effects of market structure on price dispersion in the airline industry, using panel data from 1993 through 2006. The results found in this paper contrast with those of Borenstein and Rose (1994), who found that price dispersion increases with competition. We find that competition has a negative effect on price dispersion, in line with the textbook treatment of price discrimination. Specifically, the effects of competition on price dispersion are most significant on routes that we identify as having consumers characterized by relatively heterogeneous elasticities of demand. On routes with a more homogenous customer base, the effects of competition on price discrimination are largely insignificant. We conclude from these results that competition acts to erode the ability of a carrier to price discriminate, resulting in reduced overall price dispersion.


Abstract: The Typology of Islamic Thought in the 21st Century Indonesia. This article outlines the root of Islamic thought in Indonesia and offers a typology of its contemporary developments. Basically it follows the common traditional and modern strands; and although the author adds neo-modernism as a third type he leaves neo-traditionalism untouched. Realising the basic problems of the existing trends, he offers a method of reconciling them. Kata Kunci: Islam tradisional, Islam modernis, Islam neo-modernis


ABSTRACT Terrorist attacks carried out by individuals have significantly accelerated over the last twenty years. This type of lone-actor (LA) terrorism stands as one of the greatest security threats of our time. While the research on LA behavior and characteristics has produced valuable information on demographics, classifications, and warning signs, the relationship among these characteristics is yet to be addressed. Moreover, the means of radicalization and attacking have changed over decades. This study conducts an a-posteriori analysis of the temporal changes in LA terrorism and behavioral associations in LAs. We initially identify twenty-five binary behavioral characteristics of LAs and analyze 190 LAs. Next, we classify LAs according to ideology first, incident-scene behavior (determined via a virtual attacker-defender game) secondly, and, finally, the clusters obtained from the data. In addition, within each class, statistically significant associations and temporal relations are extracted using the A-priori algorithm. These associations would be instrumental in identifying the attacker's type and intervening at the right time. The results indicate that while pre-9/11 LAs were mostly radicalized by the people in their environment, post-9/11 LAs are more diverse. Furthermore, association chains for different LA types present unique characteristic pathways to violence and after-attack behavior.


Al-Zn-Si alloy coatings are widely used for the corrosion protection of steel sheets. In addition to the favorable corrosion properties, the Al-43wt%Zn-1.6wt%Si coatings present several features which are of metallurgical interest. The first one is their surface appearance dominated by the typical spangle morphology exhibiting dull and shiny areas on the coating surface. Further on, the dendrite tips do apparently not grow along the 〈100〉 crystallographic directions that are typical for fcc-metals, but rather along directions in between 〈100〉 and 〈110〉. In addition, continuous variations of the crystallographic orientation, up to 35°, are observed within individual grains of Al-Zn-Si coatings [Semoroz1 01]. The objective of the present study is to establish a better understanding of the microstructure development which is responsible for the formation of both the characteristic spangle pattern and the important variations of crystallographic orientation within the grains. In order to elucidate these questions, the present study includes three main axes, (i) a detailed microstructure characterization of industrially solidified samples, (ii) modeling work which encompasses microstructure modeling by the phase field method and a geometrical model, as well as the determination of the solid-liquid interfacial energy anisotropy by an inverse method, and (iii) re-solidification experiments aimed at studying the behavior of Al-Zn-Si layers under modified solidification conditions. The results show that the dendrite network spreads quickly in the coating layer at a temperature between 530 to 535°C. During growth, the dendrite tips are separated from the confining boundaries by a thin, solute-rich liquid film. It was found that the preferred dendrite growth directions are in between 〈100〉 and 〈110〉, 28.5° from 〈100〉. Further on, a mathematical expression for the interfacial energy anisotropy of the considered alloy has been determined. The combination of the geometrical model and surface topography measurements allowed concluding that the spangle pattern is due to preferential dendrite growth along one of the two boundaries confining the melt layer. In addition, the new experimental evidence forced to discard the mechanisms previously proposed for the formation of intragranular crystallographic misorientations. The experimental findings acquired during this study indicate that the solidification shrinkage occurring in the area of the grain envelope is the driving force for the formation of the observed intragranular misorientations. The solidification shrinkage leads to the development of tensile stresses in the oxide film covering the coating while it solidifies. These stresses apply on the dendrite network and lead to plastic deformation in the tip area of the growing dendrite arms.


Security Door Access System (SDA System) is a network device for validating,
monitoring and controlling the security within buildings. The ultimate purpose
of developing an SDA System is to enforce security features of the entire
building structure, equipped with appropriate management control, particularly
the network communication services. The basic mechanism of an SDA System
is to secure all entrance doors within the entire building. This research proposed
the SDA System to solve problems of illegal breaking and entering that are
commonly happened due to lacking of attention to the security issues. One of
the most pressing issues at hand is that many companies do not enforce a
proper security management services for the entrance doors, despite them being
the most obvious passing point. The SDA System focuses on the security and
safety of the entire building, precisely the effective way of managing and
organizing the security and works collaboratively with other subsystems by
means of local area network (LAN) communication.


Background: In the UK, a topical issue in recently published research is impaired sensation in the feet, which is a commonly reported symptom by people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Research into this phenomenon has so far focused upon potential interventions to assist with improving balance and gait, as reduced plantar sensation has been linked to a greater risk of falling. To date however, there is no published phenomenological research that has explored the experiences of people living with MS related impaired sensation in their feet.  Research Question: What are the lived experiences of impaired sensation in the feet related to MS? PPI: Interested patients and the public were involved from the research design stage to ensure the research was meaningful to all potential stakeholders.  Participants: Five English speaking adults (18+) with MS who self-reported impairments in the sensation of their feet (for example; numbness, pins and needles or burning), volunteered to take part in the study. The participants were recruited from a catchment of people living with MS, under the active care of a Community NHS Foundation Trust. Methodology & Method: Descriptive phenomenological research, although a less commonly used approach, is well placed to account for an essential structural description of a phenomenon, precisely as it is lived by patients, without interpretation, or application of theory, to contribute knowledge to the wider evidence base. Participants who provided written consent to take part in the study were interviewed in their home environment. Each participant was asked to describe their experience of living with impaired sensation in their feet, as concretely and in as much detail as possible. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and are being analysed by adopting the phenomenological attitude and reduction, and using the descriptive phenomenological method proposed by Giorgi (2009). An essential structure of the lived-through phenomenon will be created that aims to uncover, not define, how the phenomenon of interest is lived and intended meaningful by people with MS. This poster will focus upon the methodology employed as part of the research process.  Outcome: The study itself aims to produce phenomenological descriptive knowledge about the unifying structure of the lived-through phenomenon, based on the qualitative interview data. The findings of the study may have significant implications for the enhancement of meaningful practice; such as increasing the awareness of the phenomenon amongst clinicians, potentially improving therapeutic care and clinical interventions. It may also help to formulate ideas for future clinical research.


A family with a history of recurring thrombosis was studied to determine if a plasma protein deficiency could account for the observed disease. Protein C levels in plasma were determined immunologically using the Laurell rocket technique. The propositus, his father, and his paternal uncle, who are severely affected, had 38-49% of normal levels of protein C antigen, whereas unaffected family members had normal levels. There was no familial deficiency of antithrombin III and plasminogen. Because activated protein C is a potent in vitro anticoagulant enzyme and an in vivo profibrinolytic agent, it is suggested that the recurrent thrombotic disease in this family is due to an inherited deficiency in protein C.


Scholars who have studied the adoption of technology in educational settings, believe that professional development is necessary for its successful adoption. This paper addresses a need for an iPad Professional Development Program (iPDP) to support the adoption of iPad tablet computers in higher education teaching and learning. The proposed iPDP is a hybrid program involving both face-to-face learner interventions and online resources. The program is made up of three interrelated components: (a) an online resource that supports the entire program, (b) an introductory workshop (iPadogogy) targeted at pre-adoption learners; and, (c) a knowledge-sharing event targeted at all learners. This paper describes: the components of an iPDP; the design considerations for each of the components; and, the limitation of the proposed iPDP. Author


Purpose: We developed a tumor model for glioblastomas with the aim to study tumor growth, transition from avascular to vascular, oxygenation effects, cell repair, and to predict glioma control or recurrence when the malignancy is treated with ionizing radiation.Methods: Anatomical structures imaged using MRI were contoured and compartmentalized to simulate white matter, grey matter, and vasculature structures proximal to a simulated glioblastoma tumor. The gliomas were modeled using micro compartments to represent groups of tumor cells of the same structure and functionality. The model incorporates the interactions between healthy and tumor tissue using a mechanistic approach based on forces and link strengths between cells and the extra cellular matrix. The evolution and response of the cells to biomolecules, nutrients, and oxygen distribution were modeled through discrete transport and diffusion equations. Cell biology was simulated using parameters that represent nutrient consumption, cell cycle, cell history, and cell oxygenation. The delivered dose was modeled using a probabilistic approach to compute the likelihood of DNA damage and repair. Results: We successfully simulated tumor growth, invasion, and disruption of the local anatomy and tumorcontrol or recurrence under ionizing radiation stress. We modeled tumorradiotherapy under hypoxic and oxic conditions. Results of these numerical experiments show qualitative agreement with observed tumor evolution and response to ionizing radiationtreatment. Transition from an avascular to a vascular tumor and recruitment of blood vessels was also successfully modeled. Spatial resolution of compartments is higher than current imaging devices, making our model a valuable tool to link simulations with anatomical and functional imaging.Conclusions: We developed a micro compartmental model of glioblastoma tumors to evaluate the role of the local anatomy and the microenvironment oxygenation when the malignancy is treated with ionizing radiation. The model can be used to predict glioblastoma growth and response to radiotherapy.


Habitat complexity in temperate intertidal rockpools was manipulated to assess its effect on fish assemblage structure. We modified the complexity of the substratum within pools by adding or removing loose rocks. The complexity of the water column within pools was modified by the removal of macro-algae and the addition of artificial algae. We applied 5 treatments to 40 pools in 2 locations on the southeast Australian coast: addition of rocks and algae (+R+A), removal of rocks and algae (-R-A), removal of rocks but addition of algae (-R+A), addition of rocks and removal of algae (+R-A), and unmanipulated control pools (C). Changes in algal cover alone had no significant effect on fish assemblages. The total number of individual fishes, species richness, species composi- tion and abundance of the 4 most abundant species only differed in the -R-A treatment. There was no change in the length-frequency distributions of the most abundant species after habitat mani- pulations. The effects of manipulating substratum habitat complexity were investigated further by reversing the treatments in the same pools, i.e. by adding rocks to pools where rock had previously been removed and vice versa. This resulted in a significant increase in species richness and the num- bers of individuals in rockpools where substratum heterogeneity had been increased, relative to pools in which it had been decreased. This study revealed that rockpool fishes do not discriminate between the structural complexity within these 2 microhabitats (substratum and water column) so long as some shelter is available. However, substratum complexity may represent the most attractive shelter, since most species are benthic or at least demersal. We speculated that the lack of habitat specificity exhibited by fishes in this study may be due to many rockpool fishes only using rockpools as temporary refugia at low tide.


The main objective of this paper is to present sample conceptual propulsion engines that researchers can tinker with to gain a better engineering understanding of how to research propulsion that is based on gravity modification.
A Non- Inertia (Ni) Field is the spatial gradient of real or latent velocities. These velocities are real in mechanical structures, and latent in gravitational and electromagnetic field. These velocities have corresponding time dilations, and thus g=τc2 is the mathematical formula to calculate acceleration. It was verified that gravitational, electromagnetic and mechanical accelerations are present when a Ni Field is present. For example, a gravitational field is a spatial gradient of latent velocities along the field's radii. g=τc2 is the mathematical expression of Hooft's assertion that "absence of matter no longer guarantees local flatness", and the new gravity modification based propulsion equation for force field engines.
To achieve Force Field based propulsion, a discussion of the latest findings with the problems in theoretical physics and warp drives is presented. Solomon showed that four criteria need to be present when designing force field engines (i) the spatial gradient of velocities, (ii) asymmetrical non-cancelling fields, (iii) vectoring, or the ability to change field direction and (iv) modulation, the ability to alter the field strength. The importance of Podkletnov's gravity modification experiments is that they can lead to the confirmation that mass does not cause gravitational fields and therefore, matter and not mass is the cause of gravitational fields.
Two examples on how to construct Ni Field engines are presented. First, the Gravitational Column Launch, using Podkletnov-type devices to reverse the gravitational field above a launch vehicle and propel it into space. Second, the Unibeam Projector, a topological modification of Podkletnov's spinning superconducting disc, to create spacecraft artificial gravity, and tractor beams.


By providing Geo-referenced information, which serves as an important tool for decision-making in land use planning, national mapping agencies can help provide effective monitoring of environmental resources while in many parts of the world lack adequate information in clear. Their role in sustainability and development planning is thus unique and es- sential. National cartographic centers and national mapping agencies offers example of such national mapping agencies. Accurate information on land and environmental resources is essential to effective land use planning. Key sources of in- formation include topographic maps, aerial photos, satellite images, and data derived from geographic information sys- tems (GIS). At the national level, this information can be used to identify environmental resources, reveal the develop- ment potential of the country, and help promote effective ecological studies and sound land use planning with a land use planning approach. This article begins with some general comments on the importance of land use planning, and outli- nes some current environmental issues and also highlights the connection between roles of Geo-referenced information in land use planning with a sustainable development approach. The discussion describes several key methods of resour- ce identification, with particular emphasis on aerial photography and the existing potentials of Iran in this field. The ar- ticle also discusses the role that the Geo-referenced information and environmental planning play in developing and promoting geographic information system use to sustainable development and finally present proper models to use en- vironmental information and geo-referenced data for sustainable development.


The work presented on this thesis is focused on studies of the kinetics of electron transfer in bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs). Three different types of BLM were studied: i) tethered, ii) pore suspended (commonly known as 'black') and iii) based on the avidin – biotin interaction (these are part of the wider group of polymer cushioned BLMs).
In order to produce tethered BLMs (tBLMs) of the best quality possible, self – assembled monolayers (SAMs) of a thiolipid (1,2 dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-phosphothioethanol (DPPTE)) and of the same thiolipid mixed with L α phosphatidylcholine (EggPC) were characterised and their behaviour compared to that of SAMs of two alkanethiols (1 – heptanethiol and 1 – dodecanethiol). The SAMs that were formed by a mixture of lipids (DPPTE+EggPC) presented better kinetic parameters and were the chosen to produce tBLMs.
Tethered BLMs were made by using the SAM described above as the lower leaflet; the second leaflet was deposited by vesicle fusion, the vesicles were made of EggPC. tBLMs are commonly used as model membranes, however in biophysical studies free-standing membranes or 'black' lipid membranes are more realistic models of cellular processes. The rates of electron transfer in both types of bilayer lipid membranes are compared. These BLMs were modified using two very important mitochondrial membrane associated molecules – ubiquinone-10 (UQ10) and α-tocopherol (VitE). The studies involved the use three redox couples, Fe(CN)_6^(3-/4-), Ru(NH_3 )_6^(3+/2+) and NAD+/NADH using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The NAD+/NADH couple is of particular interest as it is the key to several important biochemical processes.
The last type of BLM that was studied was the BLMs based on the avidin – biotin interaction. Avidin was deposited on a platinum surface by electrodeposition and then vesicles composed of EggPC and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-(biotinyl) (sodium salt) (DOPE(B)) are burst by applying +0.7V (vs. Ag/AgCl, KCl 3.5M), leading to the formation of a supported BLM. The vesicles used had methylene blue (MB) inside; its release, when the vesicles burst, was monitored by cyclic voltammetry and UV-Vis. The kinetic parameters were determined based on the EIS measurements using Fe(CN)_6^(3-/4-) and Ru(NH_3 )_6^(3+/2+) as redox couples.


In this dissertation, we study self-adjusting algorithms for large-scale distributed systems. Self-adjusting algorithms enable distributed systems to adjust their properties dynamically as the input pattern changes. Self-adjustment is an attractive tool as it has the potential to significantly improve the performance of distributed systems, especially when the input patterns are skewed. We start with a distributed self-adjusting algorithm for skip graphs that minimizes the average routing costs between arbitrary communication pairs by performing topological adaptation to the communication pattern. Our algorithm is fully decentralized, conforms to the CONGEST model (i.e. uses O(log n) bit messages), and requires O(log n) bits of memory for each node, where n is the total number of nodes. Upon each communication request, our algorithm first establishes communication by using the standard skip graph routing, and then locally and partially reconstructs the skip graph topology to perform topological adaptation. We propose a computational model for such algorithms, as well as a yardstick (working set property) to evaluate them. Our working set property can also be used to evaluate self-adjusting algorithms for other graph classes where multiple tree-like subgraphs overlap (e.g. hypercube networks). We derive a lower bound of the amortized routing cost for any algorithm that follows our model and serves an unknown sequence of communication requests. We show that the routing cost of our algorithm is at most a constant factor more than the amortized routing cost of any algorithm conforming to our computational model. We also show that the expected transformation cost for our


Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) arise in the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) compartment as a result of the acquisition of somatic mutations in a single HSC that provides a selective advantage to mutant HSC over normal HSC and promotes myeloid differentiation to engender a myeloproliferative phenotype. This population of somatically mutated HSC, which initiates and sustains MPNs, is termed MPN stem cells. In >95% of cases, mutations that drive the development of an MPN phenotype occur in a mutually exclusive manner in 1 of 3 genes: JAK2, CALR, or MPL The thrombopoietin receptor, MPL, is the key cytokine receptor in MPN development, and these mutations all activate MPL-JAK-STAT signaling in MPN stem cells. Despite common biological features, MPNs display diverse disease phenotypes as a result of both constitutional and acquired factors that influence MPN stem cells, and likely also as a result of heterogeneity in the HSC in which MPN-initiating mutations arise. As the MPN clone expands, it exerts cell-extrinsic effects on components of the bone marrow niche that can favor the survival and expansion of MPN stem cells over normal HSC, further sustaining and driving malignant hematopoiesis. Although developed as targeted therapies for MPNs, current JAK2 inhibitors do not preferentially target MPN stem cells, and as a result, rarely induce molecular remissions in MPN patients. As the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the clonal dominance of MPN stem cells advances, this will help facilitate the development of therapies that preferentially target MPN stem cells over normal HSC.


Ensemble of burgundy crepe

a) Jacket is hip-length, and has round collar; bodice opens at center front, and has wide waistband that fastens with 2 self-buttons and loops. Gathered into waistband is peplum with circular ruffle; long sleeves are gathered at armhole have circular ruffles going down and around sleeves;

b) Dress is below-knee-lenght, and has low V-neck formed by wide shoulder straps which button to lower back of dress; set-in empire waistline; sleeveless; bias cut skirt; zipper at left side back.

Designer's label: "Ossie Clark / Paris" "Made in France"
Handwritten style label: "59115 - 38 - 97727/19.92"


Historians from Thucydides to William McNeill have pointed to the connections between disease and civil society. Political scientists have investigated the relationship of public health to governance, introducing the concept of health security. In Contagion and Chaos, Andrew Price-Smith offers the most comprehensive examination yet of disease through the lens of national security. Extending the analysis presented in his earlier book The Health of Nations, Price-Smith argues that epidemic disease represents a direct threat to the power of a state, eroding prosperity and destabilizing both its internal politics and its relationships with other states. He contends that the danger of an infectious pathogen to national security depends on lethality, transmissability, fear, and economic damage. Moreover, warfare and ecological change contribute to the spread of disease and act as "disease amplifiers." Price-Smith presents a series of case studies to illustrate his argument: the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918-19 (about which he advances the controversial claim that the epidemic contributed to the defeat of Germany and Austria); HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa (he contrasts the worst-case scenario of Zimbabwe with the more stable Botswana); bovine spongiform encephalopathy (also known as mad cow disease); and the SARS contagion of 2002-03. Emerging infectious disease continues to present a threat to national and international security, Price-Smith argues, and globalization and ecological change only accelerate the danger.


This project, entitled Modeling and Simulation of the Transmission System for a Chainless
Electric Bicycle, consists in the design of the controllers' logics governing a chainless electric
bicycle's transmission in order to accomplish certain behavior in front of inputs such as
pedaling torque, slope gradient, frontal wind, gear selected, etc.
To better understand it, a chainless electric bicycle replaces the conventional mechanical
transmission (chain) by two electric machines; one in-hub motor working as a propulsion
electric drive to move the bicycle and the other electric machine between the two pedaling cranks
working as a generator to supply energy coming from the rider to the system. Then, each machine is
controlled by a controller+power converter system. Besides, a battery is placed to act as an
energy balancer whenever there is exceeding energy supplied by the generator or there is energy
lack coming from the pedals and required by the motor.
The main goal of the project is to design a system that could emulate a conventional bicycle in
terms of cyclist feedback when riding it. One of the main problems of actual chainless electric
bicycles is that the feeling of torque and speed in the rear wheel does not always correspond to
the action being carried out in the pedals.
Moreover, the controllers are optimally designed, and a set of riding modes (both emulating
conventional bicycles and new modes thanks to the chainless proposed topology) are designed to show
the great possibilities this kind of bicycles can offer in front of other commuting vehicles.
The project summarizes as follows:

- Research of similar options currently in the market and their weaknesses.
- Mathematical model creation of the system.
- Design of control algorithms for the electrical drives.
- Complete system behavior checking with Matlab/Simulink.
- Riding modes definition.

Finally, some conclusions are presented and future related projects are brought forward to
give an idea of the opportunities a chainless electric bicycle can bring.


Purpose: This paper analyses the type and pace of organisational change expected in the Maltese budgetary framework. Drawing on the Greenwood and Hinings' (1996) model, the paper provides an examination of the internal dynamics surrounding the budgetary framework in Malta, including stakeholders' dissatisfaction, value commitments, power dependencies and capacity for action. The paper explores the different categories of performance budgeting systems (presentational, performance-informed and direct) and their bearing on the different levels of change. Design/methodology/approach: The study follows a qualitative approach using data gathered from documentary sources, corroborated with empirical evidence collected from in-depth, semi-structured interviews. The interviews comprised open-ended questions and they were conducted with senior politicians from the government and the opposition, including former ministers and Prime Ministers, and with senior civil servants. Findings: The findings indicate that a radical change to the existing Maltese budgeting system could be problematic, as the current system is an institutionalised practice and change could be resisted by the parties affected by the reform. The findings suggest that, within the Maltese scenario, the political ability required to make reforms happen is a further enabler of radical change. Originality/value: The paper provides an analysis of the expected change in the budgetary framework of a small EU country, identifying the enabling elements of such a change. The method of analysis could be extended to other countries which intend to embark on budgetary reforms. The study also assesses the relevant issues from a policy-making perspective, through access to senior politicians as policy makers, and senior civil servants who influence policy makers and are responsible for implementing policy.


This thesis explores the competing jurisdiction of courts and tribunals in situations of an alleged arbitration agreement. The primary purpose of this thesis is to illustrate how careful dispute planning at the front-end of a commercial arrangement can reduce the harm caused by any future dispute. In particular, this thesis illustrates how a well-considered arbitration clause will provide flexibility to suit the individual circumstances of each party and increase the likelihood of an enforceable award. A case study is introduced in Chapter Three and referred to throughout subsequent chapters to demonstrate some of the problems which parties may experience when future disputes are not carefully planned for in advance.

This thesis provides a detailed discussion of:

• arbitration in both a global and Australian context;
• the law which will govern the arbitration agreement, the arbitration proceedings and the enforcement of any award;
• the requirements of a valid arbitration agreement;
• the preliminary jurisdiction dispute which may emerge when the nature of the jurisdiction objection raises issues as to whether the court or the tribunal should hear that jurisdiction objection;
• the jurisdiction dispute itself, in particular the consent requirement in light of the doctrine of separability; and
• the remedies and reviews available in arbitration.


Several major reviews have recently highlighted the interest amongst life scientists in understanding the ecological and evolutionary significance of animal personality traits (e.g., Wilson 1998; Gosling 2001; Sih et al. 2004a). The term personality trait as it is used here simply refers to consistent individual differences in an animal's behavioural style (as opposed to its discrete acts), and therefore, represent a potential suite of behavioural traits that can describe behavioural individuality in animals. Using personality descriptors such as shyness-boldness, activity, etc., has the advantage in that we can describe holistic, aggregate behaviour of animals that may be important for selection between individuals. Understanding how animal personalities interact with life history strategies may help explain how individuals make-up populations, an important issue in evolutionary and population ecology.

While intuitively appealing, our knowledge of how intra-population individual differences in behaviour influence life histories is in its infancy (Wilson 1998). Cephalopods are well-known for their inter-individual variation in several key life history traits (e.g. growth and age-at-maturity), represent important commercial species in a number of worldwide fisheries, and also display complex individual behaviours (Sinn et al. 2001). Through a series of four experiments this project investigated personality traits in squid and their biological and ecological consequences.

Four traits (shy-bold, activity, reactivity, and bury persistence) were identified across two ecologically important contexts in wild-caught adult squid. Trait expression was sex-independent, context-specific (i.e. bold squid in threat tests were not necessarily bold in feeding ones), and was related to body size and reproductive maturity. There was high individual variability in developmental processes associated with all traits, but some of this variation was partially explained by context, age, and developmental groups of squid. A quantitative genetic study was undertaken to describe the genetic structure of traits, in order to understand the potential for traits to respond to selection as well as provide a genotypic basis to understand potential fitness-related processes. In general, there were significant patterns of additive genetic variance for threat traits but not their feed counterparts, while age-related patterns of heritability indicated age-specific genetic expression for traits in both contexts. Reproductive experiments indicated no direct relationship between a female squid's personality and her short-term fitness, but an individual's levels of feeding boldness did have consequences for its subsequent success in mate pairings. Finally, a three year field study examined the frequencies of personality phenotypes across two populations in relation to density, body size, and sex ratios of squid within each population. Observations indicated differences between years and populations in mean change and patterns of frequencies of behavioural phenotypes, but these changes appeared to be independent of patterns in population body size and sex-ratio.

This study is a first attempt to relate individualized behaviour to life history variables in a cephalopod mollusc, and the results should contribute to our knowledge of how individuals make up populations, a process that is of importance to a number of life sciences, including behavioural, population, fisheries and evolutionary ecology.


The National Flood Insurance Program is in flux — and under attack. On March 13, 2014, Congress passed the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act, delaying and dismantling many of the reforms it had put in place just twenty months earlier, when it passed the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012. Today, flood insurance is both a critical part of the country's approach to dealing with the rising flood threat posed by climate change and a beleaguered and perpetually broke symbol of governmental ineptitude, leading to calls for its elimination. By providing federally-subsidized flood insurance, critics argue, the National Flood Insurance Program has insulated flood victims from the risks they face, encouraged development in flood prone areas and, paradoxically, increased the country's overall exposure to flooding.This account, however, gives short shrift to the Program's sophistication and ability to discourage development in flood plains. In fact, the Program's woes can largely be traced to two intertwined flaws: its weak mechanism for requiring coverage and its hesitation to charge premiums that reflect the actual risk policyholders face. In this Article, I argue that establishing an individual mandate for flood insurance, which would require all property owners in flood-prone areas to maintain policies, would do much to solve these problems and make the National Flood Insurance Program a powerful tool in the ongoing effort to mitigate our growing flood risk. By mandating coverage and charging rates that reflect the risk faced by each property, the National Flood Insurance Program could strike the difficult balance between providing a safety net to flood victims and discouraging flood-prone development, a goal that has eluded the Program over the course of its forty-six year history.


Denmark has gathered more data on its citizens than any other country. Now scientists are pushing to make this vast array of statistics even more useful by easing restrictions on the use of data coded by personal identification numbers. But government officials are reluctant to do so, citing privacy concerns.


Two articles challenge the currently accepted model of interaction between the epithelial adherens junction and the actin cytoskeleton, in which α-catenin forms a stable link between β-catenin (which binds to the cytoplasmic tails of cadherins, junctional cell-cell adhesion proteins) and the actin cytoskeleton (binding to actin or to actin-associated proteins). Yamada et al. found that, in a pelleting assay, α-catenin pelleted with actin but did not promote pelleting with actin of an E-cadherin-β-catenin complex, whereas a chimeric protein in which α-catenin was covalently linked to β-catenin failed to bind actin. Thus, α-catenin bound to either actin or β-catenin but not to both simultaneously. Moreover, actin filaments failed to bind to E-cadherin-β-catenin-α-catenin complexes reconstituted on isolated patches of cadherin-containing epithelial cell membranes. Similarly, the actin-binding proteins α-actinin and vinculin failed to promote association between actin and the cadherin-catenin complex. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) analysis of MDCK cells stably expressing green fluorescent protein-labeled proteins indicated that E-cadherin, β-catenin, and α-catenin showed similar mobility; in contrast, membrane-associated actin at cell-cell contacts was much more dynamic. Further, disruption of actin organization failed to affect mobility of the cadherin-catenin complex. In the accompanying paper, Drees et al. found that cytoplasmic α-catenin was present as both a monomer and a homodimer. Consistent with the known overlap between the dimerization domain and the β-catenin binding domain, the authors found that the monomer bound more strongly to β-catenin. In contrast, α-catenin preferentially bound to actin as a homodimer. When actin filaments were incubated with cadherin-catenin complexes, some of the α-catenin dissociated from the complex and associated with actin; fluorescence loss in photobleaching (FLIP) analysis indicated that exchange of α-catenin associated with membrane proteins with that in a cytoplasmic pool occurred in living cells. The Arp2/3 complex nucleates actin filaments, a process that is regulated by Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome proteins (WASPs). α-catenin inhibited Arp2/3 binding to actin and suppressed the actin polymerization that occurred in the presence of Arp2/3 and the WASP activation domain, with the dimer suppressing polymerization more effectively. Thus, the authors conclude that the association between the cadherin-catenin complex and the actin cytoskeleton is likely dynamic. In their model, rather than linking the cadherin-β-catenin complex to the actin cytoskeleton, α-catenin--which exists in one form that is bound to β-catenin and another that can bind actin--may act as a molecular switch to regulate organization of the actin cytoskeleton. Gates and Peifer discuss the research in a minireview. S. Yamada, S. Pokutta, F. Drees, W. I. Weis, W. J. Nelson, Deconstructing the cadherin-catenin-actin complex. Cell 123, 889-901 (2005). [PubMed] F. Drees, S. Pokutta, S. Yamada, W. J. Nelson, W. I. Weis, α-Catenin is a molecular switch that binds E-cadherin-β-catenin and regulates actin-filament assembly. Cell 123, 903-915 (2005). [PubMed] J. Gates, M. Peifer, Can 1000 reviews be wrong? Actin, α-catenin, and adherens junctions. Cell 123, 769-772 (2005). [PubMed]


OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of two dosing regimens of oral ibrexafungerp (formerly SCY-078), a novel orally bioavailable β-glucan synthase inhibitor, in subjects with invasive candidiasis versus the standard of care (SOC) and to identify the dose to achieve target exposure (15.4 μM·h) in >80% of the intended population.

METHODS
In a multinational, open-label study, patients with documented invasive candidiasis were randomized to receive step-down therapy to one of three treatment arms: two dosing regimens of novel oral ibrexafungerp or the SOC treatment following initial echinocandin therapy. Plasma samples were collected to evaluate exposure by population pharmacokinetic (PK) modelling. Safety was assessed throughout the study and global response at the end of treatment.

RESULTS
Out of 27 subjects enrolled, 7 received ibrexafungerp 500 mg, 7 received ibrexafungerp 750 mg and 8 received the SOC. Five did not meet criteria for randomization. Population PK analysis indicated that an ibrexafungerp 750 mg regimen is predicted to achieve the target exposure in ∼85% of the population. The rate of adverse events was similar among patients receiving ibrexafungerp or fluconazole. Similar favourable response rates were reported among all groups: 86% (n = 6) in the ibrexafungerp 750 mg versus 71% (n = 5) in both the fluconazole and ibrexafungerp 500 mg treatment arms. The one subject treated with continued micafungin had a favourable global response.

CONCLUSIONS
The oral ibrexafungerp dose estimated to achieve the target exposure in subjects with invasive candidiasis is 750 mg daily. This dose was well tolerated and achieved a favourable global response rate, similar to the SOC.


By far the single largest application for GaAs RFICs in commercial/consumer platforms is in mobile telephone handsets covering several standards such as analog AMPS, digital PCS TDMA and CDMA, Japanese PHS, European GSM, DCS1800 and DECT. However, a considerable number of technologies are potentially availabie for RFIC designs such as Si BiCMOS, Si LDMOS, SiGe, GaAs MESFET, GaAs pHEMT, AIGaAs and InGaP HBT. After a brief review of competing technologies, emphasis in this paper is placed on describing a number of examples of GaAs RFiC designs used in present telephones concentrating on the highest performance parts required in PCS and dual-band CDMA platforms. Integration of receive and transmit functions, providing substantial area reduction and integration improvement for next generation platform applications, will be described such as a PCS transmitter module containing GaAs upconverter, driver amplifier and power amplifier ICs. Technologies are compared for future higher levels of integration allowing the production of "one-chip radios".


Estimation of fish stock size distributions from survey data requires knowledge about gear selectivity. However, selectivity models rest on assumptions that seldom are analyzed. Departures from these can lead to misinterpretations and biased management recommendations. Here, we use survey data on great Arctic char (Salvelinus umbla) to analyze how correcting for entanglement of fish and nonisometric growth might improve estimates of selectivity curves, and subsequently estimates of size distribution and age-specific mortality. Initial selectivity curves, using the entire data set, were wide and asymmetric, with poor model fits. Removing potentially nonmeshed fish had the greatest positive effect on model fit, resulting in much narrower and less asymmetric selection curves, while attempting to take nonisometric growth into account, by using girth rather than length, improved model fit but not as much. Using simulations we show that correcting for both entanglement and size selectivity produces accurate est...


The reform of higher education, that lasts for a long time, as well as changes in universities force university teachers to adapt to new circumstances and demands. The article analyses stress and job attitude of university teachers in Lithuania. 255 teachers of different universities (49 percent male and 51 percent female) have been surveyed. The survey has revealed that during the last few years the work load of university teachers has increased significantly in all kinds of activities (teaching, research, participation in projects, international collaboration, etc.). For this reasons most of university teachers dedicate their free time to work. A significant difference has been estimated between activities, which are considered prior by university teachers and work, which university administration considers as priority. This discrepancy of opinions may be the reason for job disappointment, disagreement with the administration and even disloyalty to the employer. The biggest stressors for university teachers are higher education system, low motivation of students and big work load. Women teachers are more stressed by different work range than men. The investigation revealed that university teachers are quite satisfied with their job. Non of university teachers indicated being highly discontent with their job, while 15,2 percents stated, that they are very satisfied with their job at the university. The research has detected, that older teachers and those, who work at the university for a longer time, are more satisfied with their jobs than the younger and less experienced colleagues. It was ascertained, that the more stress is felt, the less job satisfaction is experienced.


We study competition in a model with differentiated products, searching costs and sales agents. In this model firms charge a price above marginal costs. This positive mark-up gives firms incentives to steal consumers from their rivals. For this purpose, firms hire sales agents that contact customers personally to switch them from one firm to another and offer rewards to the switchers. These rewards can be interpreted as price cuts to rival's customers (price discrimination). The model generates endogenous customer-turnover among firms that may be completely inefficient from a social point of view. This model is applied to the Chilean pension funds industry by using a unique data set of customers cross flows among firms. Remarkably, in 1995 there was more than one sales agent per two hundred customers with a turnover between Pension Fund Administrators of more than 50 percent. This high turnover was associated with large costs, and the authorities reacted by imposing restrictions to switching by the end of 1997. The empirical section of the paper attempts to analyze the role of sales agents in this industry and the impact of such restrictions.


The aim of this research is to investigate possible relationships between religiosity levels, personal moral philosophies, ethical perceptions and intentions of associate's and bachelor's degree students. Therefore, a survey was conducted on 189 business administration students chosen through convenience sampling at Balikesir University. In order to measure the respondents' levels of religiosity and personal moral philosophies, some scales with established validity and reliability in literature were used. Religiosity variable was analyzed both uni- and multi-dimensionally to make a deeper analysis with multidimensional scales. To assess perceived ethical problem and ethical intentions variable, one question for each was developed with scenario method. Structural Equation Model was used in data analysis. The proposed model was composed of seven hypotheses. Religiosity level was independent variable in four of them. In the structure where religiosity variable was used uni-dimensionally, three of the hypotheses were accepted while one of them was rejected. On the other hand, in multidimensional construct three of the hypotheses were partly accepted whereas one of them was rejected. Regarding the three hypotheses without religiosity variable, perceived ethical problem was detected to have a relationship with ethical intentions; nevertheless, no relationship was found between personal moral philosophies (idealism and relativism) and perceived ethical problem.


The purpose of this study is to further investigate the seismic response of a set of parallel rock fractures filled with viscoelastic materials, following the work by Zhu et al. Dry quartz sands are used to represent the viscoelastic materials. The split Hopkinson rock bar (SHRB) technique is modified to simulate 1-D P-wave propagation across the sand-filled parallel fractures. At first, the displacement and stress discontinuity model (DSDM) describes the seismic response of a sand-filled single fracture. The modified recursive method (MRM) then predicts the seismic response of the sand-filled parallel fractures. The SHRB tests verify the theoretical predictions by DSDM for the sand-filled single fracture and by MRM for the sand-filled parallel fractures. The filling sands cause stress discontinuity across the fractures and promote displacement discontinuity. The wave transmission coefficient for the sand-filled parallel fractures depends on wave superposition between the fractures, which is similar to the effect of fracture spacing on the wave transmission coefficient for the non-filled parallel fractures.


This iPhone application, Space Junk Sammy, is intended to be an educational application designed for Apple iPhones and iPads. This new concept educates kids in an innovative way about how orbital debris affects space missions. Orbital debris is becoming a very significant concern for NASA and all Earthorbiting space missions. Spacecraft in low-Earth orbit are in constant danger of being potentially damaged or destroyed by debris. High-profile spacecraft such as the International Space Station (ISS) and Hubble Space Telescope are dealing with orbital debris on a regular basis. Other basic educational concepts that are portrayed are low-Earth orbits, satellites, ISS, attitude control, and other facts that can be presented in betweenlevel popup screens. The Orbital Debris Cleanup game is relatively simple from the user s technical standpoint. It is a 2D game where the user s avatar is a satellite buddy, named Sammy, in orbit around Earth. Sammy is controlled by the user with the device s gyroscope as well as touchscreen controls. It has equipment used for taking care of the space debris objects on the screen. Sammy also has a claw, a laser deflector, and hydrazine rockets to grab or push the debris objects into a higher orbit or into a lower orbit to burn up in the Earth s atmosphere. The user interface shows Sammy and space debris objects constantly moving from left to right, where Sammy is trying to catch the debris objects before they move off the right side of the screen. Everything will be in constant motion to increase fun and add to the realism of orbiting the Earth. The satellite buddy is used to clean up the space debris and protect other satellites. Later levels will include a laser deflector and hydrazine rockets instead of a robotic claw to push the orbital debris into a higher orbit and out of the path of other satellites


COVID-19, which also induced an economic downturn globally, has forced the organizations to suddenly implement remote working, creating many challenges for the employees. The fast spread of the virus may also create fear among the employees. It can have a detrimental impact on the mental well-being of employees. There exists inadequate research on this subject, which is not only new but also very important. The study aims to assess the impact of a sudden transition to remote working, economic downturn, and the fear of virus transmission on the mental well-being of employees in India, focusing on the triggers of anxiety & mental illness. The impact of anxiety-causing independent factors, including organizational support, worklife balance, isolation, fear of the virus, and recession, on mental well-being, was determined through a survey. The dependent factor, i.e., the severity of anxiety, was measured using GAD-7 questions. The independent factors were measured through structured questions. Statistical analysis of the data was carried out on SPSS. There were no significant differences in gender between severities of anxiety. Logistic regression revealed that Organizational Support significantly influenced the anxiety of employees. It was found that there exists a significant association between the severity of anxiety in Employee Assistance Program, Job Insecurity, Financial Impact, and Fear of getting the virus, Concern over Safety at Workplace, Home Environment and Deterioration in team collaboration.


Development environments for spoken dialogue systems are popular today because they enable rapid creation of the dialogue systems in times when usage of the voice AI Assistants is constantly growing. We describe a graphical Discourse-Driven Integrated Dialogue Development Environment (DD-IDDE) for spoken open-domain dialogue systems. The DD-IDDE allows dialogue architects to interactively define dialogue flows of their skills/chatbots with the aid of the discourse-driven recommendation system, enhance these flows in the Python-based DSL, deploy, and then further improve based on the skills/chatbots usage statistics. We show how these skills/chatbots can be specified through a graphical user interface within the VS Code Extension, and then run on top of the Dialog Flow Framework (DFF). An earlier version of this framework has been adopted in one of the Alexa Prize 4 socialbots while the updated version was specifically designed to power the described DD-IDDE solution.


Augmented reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified (possibly even diminished rather than augmented), by a computer. As a result, the technology functions by enhancing one's current perception of reality. By contrast, virtual reality replaces the real world with a simulated one. Augmentation is conventionally in real-time and in semantic context with environmental elements, such as sports scores on TV during a match. With the help of advanced AR technology (e.g. adding computer vision and object recognition) the information about the surrounding real world of the user becomes interactive and digitally manipulable. Artificial information about the environment and its objects can be overlaid on the real world.


Regulation of Skeletal Muscle Metabolism
— Supply and Demand
This thesis examines the regulation of skeletal muscle metabolism under
resting conditions. Previous studies have shown that vasoconstrictors stimulate [type
A] or inhibit [type B] metabolism of the constant flow perfused rat hindlimb. There is
evidence that this may be due to redistribution of blood flow between the two vascular
pathways in skeletal muscle, either increasing [type A] or decreasing [type B] the
extent of nutritive perfusion. It is not clear if enhanced nutritive perfusion and
therefore enhanced oxygen delivery is enough to account for the observed increase in
metabolism with type A vasoconstrictors. It has been proposed that a cellular
thermogenic mechanism is activated in addition to redistribution. The identity of this
mechanism is not clear. A number of possibilities are explored. The effects of varied oxygen delivery on hindlimb oxygen uptake were
examined. Flow was maintained at a constant level while arterial oxygen content was
varied. Three independent methods (1-MX metabolism, microdialysis and laser
doppler flowmetry) were utilized to rigorously monitor redistribution. A positive
relationship between oxygen delivery and hindlimb oxygen uptake was detected,
independent of redistribution. Cellular ATP levels were maintained, though PCr
stores were depleted at low oxygen delivery. Lactate efflux increased, but was not
considered great enough to fully compensate for diminished ATP production from
aerobic sources. In this regard, the perfused rat hindlimb may be considered as an
oxygen conforming tissue. Thus oxygen delivery is a key determinant of skeletal
muscle metabolic rate, and type A vasoconstrictors may effectively enhance oxygen
delivery by improving nutritive perfusion. Mechanisms accounting for increased oxygen consumption during enhanced
delivery were explored. The roles of sodium cycling and accompanying Na+/K+-
ATPase pump activity were assessed. Comparisons were made between type A
vasoconstrictors and the sodium channel labilizer veratridine in both skeletal and
cardiac muscle. In perfused skeletal muscle both vasoconstrictor- and veratridinemediated
metabolism were blocked by the sodium pump inhibitor ouabain, however
vasoconstrictor-mediated metabolism was resistant to sodium channel inhibition with
tetrodotoxin (TTX). The same TTX-resistant vasoconstrictor-thermogenic effect was
absent from perfused arrested rat heart, possibly due to differences in vascular
anatomy. Intracellular recording techniques failed to detect any change in skeletal
fiber membrane potential during type A vasoconstrictor infusion, but did detect
changes with veratridine. In summary the data supports the notion that metabolic
demand (sodium load with veratridine) can stimulate hindlimb metabolism. However,
there was no evidence for type A vasoconstrictor mediated changes in muscle sodium
cycling, Na+/K+-ATPase activity, or membrane depolarization.
Oxygen consumption of resting skeletal muscle is largely controlled by
oxygen delivery, whether this is by changes in bulk flow or flow redistribution.
Cellular thermogenic mechanisms may well be activated in response to increased
oxygen delivery, though sodium cycling/pumping is no longer a candidate.


This paper studies an approach to identify representative operating and contingency (OC) scenarios for the design of underfrequency load-shedding (UFLS) schemes. In small isolated power systems, contingency scenarios are outages of generating units. Usually, only N-1 outages are considered. In this paper, simultaneous outages of several units are also taken into account. Data mining techniques such as K-Means and Fuzzy C-Means algorithms are used to group scenarios in terms of system frequency and to identify representative OC scenarios. The approach has been applied to the design of UFLS schemes of two of the Spanish isolated power systems. The results have also been compared to the common practice of scenario selection. Clustering techniques yielded to satisfactory results, i.e., representative OC scenarios can be identified. Furthermore, these representative OC scenarios cover a wider range of possible system responses than the scenarios selected following the common practice.


Abstract Amyloid beta-protein^sub 1-40^ (AP40) is a low molecular weight peptide produced throughout life during normal cell metabolism and neurodegenerative diseases. Owing to its neurotrophic and neurotoxic effects, the present study was conducted to evaluate serum levels of AP40 in healthy subjects, autistic children and Alzheimer's disease patients. Serum AP40 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). AP40 was significantly higher in normal children compared to normal older controls, in normal children compared to autistic children, and in autistic children compared to Alzheimer's patients (p value was less than 0.05 for all groups). This finding suggests an age-related decline of serum AP40 in normal aging, as well as in autism and Alzheimer's disease. This decline may result from abnormal processing of amyloid beta-protein precursor (APP) during normal aging and age-related diseases such as autism in children and Alzheimer's disease in elderly. Possible explanations for this decline may include age-related increased interactions of AP40 with cytoskeletal proteins for brain tissue deposition, increased serine proteases for APP metabolism or hyperimmune reaction (antibodies to AP40) for removal of circulating AP40. To conclude, the AP40 metabolism declines with normal aging and in addition to its role in Alzheimer's disease this protein might also be a contributing factor in autism. Key Words: Autism; Amyloid-beta protein, Alzheimer's disease; Aging, Neuropathology (ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.) Introduction Accumulation of AP40 occurs in the brain during normal aging but its amount is increased in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease (1). In addition to brain, AP40 has been localized outside the brain in skin fibroblasts and biological fluids, including the blood serum. AP40 is well known to exhibit both neurotrophic and neurotoxic effects (2-4), including neurogenic action on neural stem cells (5). Considering these properties, we hypothesized that AP40 might play a pathogenic role in autism. Autism is an early-onset disorder of the developing central nervous system (CNS), manifesting both neurological and behavioral impairments. The disorder causes severe deficits of higher mental functions such as social interaction, language, cognition, communication, and imagination. Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability today. The disorder affects millions of people worldwide, but very little is known about the etiology and pathogenesis of the disorder. Current theories include genetic factors, immune factors, environmental factors and yet other unidentified factors. The evidence is rapidly accumulating to support "autoimmune hypothesis" in autism (6-10). Autoimmunity in autistic children is shown by several autoimmune factors: brain-specific autoantibodies, impaired lymphocyte functions, abnormal cytokine regulation, viral association, linkage of certain immunogenetic factors, and response to immune modulation therapy (6-10). The present study describes results of laboratory analysis of serum AP40, which was found to decline during normal aging, autistic children and Alzheimer's patients. Preliminary findings of this study were presented elsewhere (11). Human Subjects and Methods The study included 53 normal children (age 3-13 yrs), 9 normal adults (age 25-40 yrs), 9 normal aged controls (age 50-80 yrs), 53 autistic children (age 4-12 yrs) and 21 Alzheimer's disease patients (age 60-82 yrs). The clinical diagnosis of autism was made essentially according to the standard DSM-IV criteria of the American Association of Psychiatrists, Washington, DC. Neurologists made the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) according to the NINCDS-ADRDA criteria, which also included a 'Mini-Mental State' examination and a two-year downward course of the disease progression. The IRB of Utah State University and the University of Michigan reviewed and approved our research protocol involving the use of human blood samples (6-8). …


Mechanically driven glassy systems and complex fluids exhibit a wealth of rheological behaviors that call for theoretical understanding and predictive modeling. A distinct feature of these nonequilibrium systems is their dynamically evolving state of structural disorder, which determines their rheological responses. Here we highlight a recently developed nonequilibrium thermodynamic framework in which the structural state is characterized by an evolving effective disorder temperature that may differ from the ordinary thermal temperature. The specific properties of each physical system of interest are described by a small set of coarse-grained internal state variables and their associated energies and entropies. The dynamics of the internal variables, together with the flow of energy and entropy between the different parts of the driven system, determine continuum-level rheological constitutive laws. We conclude with brief descriptions of several successful applications of this framework.


The purpose of this ethnographic study was to describe older children's and adolescents' perceptions of the school-based physical therapy (PT) services they receive. Parents of 12 students who received PT in the schools responded to advertisements and agreed to allow their children to be interviewed. During nonstandardized, qualitative interviews, students were asked about their perceptions of 12 PT-related topics. These topics dealt with the students' feelings about their PT treatment, their feelings about their therapist, and the effect of having a disability on their day at school. Also, the students ranked, by preference, school activities including PT. A content analysis of the interview transcripts was conducted by a panel of physical therapist judges. The results demonstrated that the students perceived PT to be enjoyable, they recognized the value of PT, and viewed it as an established part of their school routine. In addition, students ranked PT in the upper third of their preferred daily activities. Physical therapists can use the descriptive data from this ethnographic study to facilitate positive interactions with the children they serve in the educational environment.


Reynolds' theory of relational parametricity captures the invariance of polymorphically typed programs under change of data representation. Reynolds' original work exploited the typing discipline of the polymorphically typed lambda-calculus System F, but there is now considerable interest in extending relational parametricity to type systems that are richer and more expressive than that of System F. This paper constructs parametric models of predicative and impredicative dependent type theory. The significance of our models is twofold. Firstly, in the impredicative variant we are able to deduce the existence of initial algebras for all indexed=functors. To our knowledge, ours is the first account of parametricity for dependent types that is able to lift the useful deduction of the existence of initial algebras in parametric models of System F to the dependently typed setting. Secondly, our models offer conceptual clarity by uniformly expressing relational parametricity for dependent types in terms of reflexive graphs, which allows us to unify the interpretations of types and kinds, instead of taking the relational interpretation of types as a primitive notion. Expressing our model in terms of reflexive graphs ensures that it has canonical choices for the interpretations of the standard type constructors of dependent type theory, except for the interpretation of the universe of small types, where we formulate a refined interpretation tailored for relational parametricity. Moreover, our reflexive graph model opens the door to generalisations of relational parametricity, for example to higher-dimensional relational parametricity.


Even as certain policy makers press for mandatory payouts from endowments, the concept of an endowment remains surprisingly elusive. In the absence of either operational concepts of endowments or well-established metrics for identifying and measuring endowments, public policy discussions proceed with an implicit model of an endowment as "money in waiting" that is not currently in use for exempt educational purposes. This Article suggests that endowments, however conceptualized or measured, are better understood as "money in use" even though it is not being distributed. It argues that most endowment money is currently in use for at least two purposes. The earnings on endowments are funding both current operations and long-term commitments. The endowment principle itself is used for various forms of credit enhancement for numerous forms of university borrowing. Because the endowment is in use, its distribution would have a far greater impact than policy makers understand. The Article also suggests that mandatory distributions would have little impact on the public policy issue of access to education. Very few universities have substantial endowments and even fewer have endowments that could make a difference over the long term. Although Congress has the authority to require mandatory distributions as a condition of continued tax exemption, such a requirement has been used only in cases where there was reason to doubt that various types of exempt entities are using their funds for exempt activities. This is not the case with colleges and universities. Recommendations for mandatory distributions do not address any problem with the operation of colleges and universities for exempt purposes and do not offer any realistic hope for a solution of the very serious problem of financing the education and research mission of universities. Professor of Law & Director, Graduate Program in Taxation, University of Miami School of Law. Thanks to David Kramarz, a student in the Graduate Program in Taxation, for research assistance. Thanks to Barbara Brandon, reference librarian at the University of Miami Law Library, for research in legislative history. NEW ENGLAND LAW REVIEW Universities depend fundamentally on government funding in the form of student loans and grants and contracts for research. Universities are "parastatal" enterprises that are publicly funded but privately operated. Much more research is needed on this aspect of university operations and on the actual uses of the endowment that are inconsistent with distribution. Imposing a mandatory distribution requirement on universities is not a substitute for public policies that offer realistic prospects for addressing the problems of access to education by students and adequate funding for research on which our economy and society depend.


GENERAL. Creating a Vision for the Future of Advanced Ceramics (F. Kuchinski, K. Hall). FIBERS, INTERPHASES AND INTERFACES. Measurement of Fiber Coating Thickness Variation (R.S. Hays, G. Fair, P. Mogilevsky, E. Boakye). Model of Deviation of Cracks at Interfaces or Within Interphases (J. Lamon, S. Pompidou). Preparation and Characterization of Magnesium-Silicon Based Oxide Coating on High-Crystalline SiC Fiber as an Interphase in SiC/SiC Composite (N. Igawa, T. Taguchi, R. Yamada, Y. Ishii, S. Jitsukawa). Polyborosilazane-Derived Ceramic Fibers in the Si-B-C-N Quaternary System for High-Temperature Applications (S. Bernard, D. Cornu, P. Miele, M. Weinmann, F. Aldinger). Microtextural and Microstructural Evolution in Poly[(Alkylamino)Borazine]-Derived Fibers During their Conversion into Boron Nitride Fibers (S. Bernard, F. Chassagneux, D. Cornu, P. Miele). Investigations on Growth of Textured and Single Crystal Oxide Fibers Using a Quadrupole Lamp Furnace (W. Yoon, W.M. Kriven). Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Super Sylramic SiC Fibers (H. Yun, D. Wheeler, Y. Chen, J. DiCarlo). High Temperature Tensile Testing Method for Monofilament Ceramic Fibers (M.-M. Yee, P. Sarin, W.M. Kriven). FRACTURE AND DAMAGE OF CERAMICS AND COMPOSITES. Computer Modeling of Crack Propagation Using Fractal Geometry (G.W. Quinn, J.B. Quinn, J.J. Mecholsky, Jr., G.D. Quinn). Geometry of Edge Chips Formed at Different Angles (J. Quinn, R. Mohan). Threshold Stress During Crack-Healing Treatment of Structural Ceramics Having the Crack-Healing Ability (W. Nakao, K. Takahashi, K. Ando). Ablation of Carbon/Carbon Composites: Direct Numerical Simulation and Effective Behavior (Y. Aspa, M. Quintard, F. Plazanet, C. Descamps, G.L. Vignoles). Modeling of Deformation and Damage Evolution of CMC With Strongly Anisotropic Properties (D. Koch, K. Tushtev, M. Kuntz, R. Knoche, J. Horvath, G. Grathwohl). MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION, NDE AND NOVEL TECHNIQUES. A Novel Test Method for Measuring Mechanical Properties at the Small Scale: The Theta Specimen (G.D. Quinn, E. Fuller, D. Xiang, A. Jillavenkatesa, L. Ma, D. Smith, J. Beall). Nondestructive Evaluation of Machining and Bench-Test Damage in Silicon-Nitride Ceramic Valves (J.G. Sun, J.M. Zhang, J.S. Tretheway, J.A. Grassi, M.P. Fletcher, M.J. Andrews). NDE for Characterizing Oxidation Damage in Reinforced Carbon-Carbon Used on the NASA Space Shuttle Thermal Protection System (D.J. Roth, N.S. Jacobson, J.N. Gray, L.M. Cosgriff, J.R. Bodis, R.A. Wincheski, R.W. Rauser, E.A. Burns, M.S. McQuater). Determination of Elastic Moduli and Poisson Coefficient of Thin Silicon-Based Joint Using Digital Image Correlation (M. Puyo-Pain, J. Lamon, F. Hild). Use of Rupture Strength Testing in Examining the Thermal Cycle Behavior of Various Types of Planar Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Seals (K.S. Weil, J.S. Hardy, G.-G. Xia, C.A. Coyle). Characteristics of Sealed Parts Under Internal Pressure in Super High Pressure Mercury Discharge Lamps (M. Kase, T. Sawa, Y. Iwama). PROCESSING AND PROPERTIES OF CERAMICS. Synthesis of Titanium Aluminate-Alumina Compositions for Low TEC Applications (J.A. Geodakyan, A.K. Kostanyan, K.J. Geodakyan, W.R. Cannon). Structuring Ceramics Using Lithography (M. Schulz, J. Haubetaelt, R. Heldele). The Notion of Densification Front in CVI Processing with Temperature Gradients (G.L. Vignoles, N. Nadeau, C.-M. Brauner, J.-F. Lines, J.R. Puiggali). Fabrication and Characterization of MGC Components for Ultra High Efficiency Gas Turbine (Y. Waku, N. Nakagawa, K. Kobayashi, Y. Kinoshita, S. Yokoi). Comparison of Sodium Caprylate and Sodium Stearate and the Effects of Their Hydrocarbon Chain Lengths on Adsorption Behavior and Alumina Paste Rheology (C.R. August, R.A. Haber, L.E. Reynolds). Formulation of Additives for Water-Based Tape Casting of Ceramics (M. Guiotoku, P. Lemes, C.M. Gomes, C.A. Valente, A.P.N. Oliveira, D. Hotza). A Non-Linear Programming Approach for Formulation of Three-Component Ceramics as a Function of Physical and Mechanical Properties (S.L. Correia, C.M. Gomes, D. Hotza, A.M. Segadaes). Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Directionally Solidified Ceramic in Al2O3-Al2TiO5 System (A. Sayir, M.H. Berger, C. Baudin). Study of the Relationship Between the Young's Modulus and Microstructure of Vacuum Plasma Sprayed Boron Carbide (H.R. Salimi Jazi, F. Azarmi, T.W. Coyle, J. Mostaghimi). Scalloped Morphologies of Ablated Materials (G.L. Vignoles, J.-M. Goyheneche, G. Duffa, A. Velghe, N.T.-H. Nguyen-Bui, B. Dubroca, Y. Aspa). Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Non-Aqueous Gel-Cast Celsian and Sialon Ceramic Materials (R. Vaidyanathan, T. Phillips, J. Halloran, L. Reister, W. Porter, M. Radovic, E. Lara-Curzio). Bend Stress Relaxation Creep of CVD Silicon Carbide (Y. Katoh, L.L. Snead). HARDNESS AND WEAR RESISTANCE OF CERAMICS. Mechanical Responses of Silicon Nitrides Under Dynamic Indentation (H. Wang, A.A. Wereszczak). Scratch Resistance and Residual Stresses in Longitudinally and Transversely Ground Silicon Nitride (G. Subhash, M.A. Marszalek, A.A. Wereszczak, M.J. Lance). Improving the Damage-Resistance of Si3N4-Based Ball and Roller Bearing Components and Their Non-Destructive Evaluation (R. Wagner, G. Wotting). PROPERTIES OF FIBER-REINFORCED COMPOSITES. Comparison of Elevated Temperature Tensile Properties and Fatigue Behavior of Two Variants of a Woven SiC/SiC Composite (S. Kalluri, A.M. Calomino, D.N. Brewer). Tensile and Thermal Properties of Chemically Vapor-Infiltrated Silicon Carbide Composites of Various High-Modulus Fiber Reinforcements (T. Nozawa, Y. Katoh, L.L. Snead, T. Hinoki, A. Kohyama). Preparation and Properties of Dense SiC/SiC Composites (M. Suzuki, M. Sato, N. Miyamoto, A. Kohyama). Fabrication of SiC/SiC with Dispersed Carbon Nano-Fibers Composite for Excellent Thermal Properties (T. Taguchi, N. Igawa, S. Jitsukawa, S.-I. Shamoto, Y. Ishii). Transpiration Cooling Structure Effects on the Strength of 3D-Woven SiC/SiC Composites Under Thermal Cycling (T. Hayashi). Constituent Properties Determination and Model Verification for Ceramic Matrix Composite Systems (G. Ojard, K. Rugg, L. Colby, M. Colby, L. Riester, Y. Gowayed). Short-Fiber Reinforced CMCs: Potentials and Problems (R. Weiss, M. Henrich). LAMINATED CERAMICS AND PARTICULATE-REINFORCED CERAMICS. Ceramic Laminates with High Mechanical Reliability by Design (V.M. Sglavo, M. Bertoldi). Methods of Residual Stress Analysis in Layer Composites and Their Application (M. Wenzelburger, M.J. Riegert-Escribano, R. Gadow). Potential Use of Mullite-SiC Whiskers-SiC Particles Multi-Composite as High Temperature Springs (W. Nakao, K. Takahashi, K. Ando, M. Yokouchi). JOINING. Brazing and Characterization of Advanced Ceramic Joints (J. Janczak-Rusch). Development of Joining and Coating Technique for SiC and SiC/SiC Composites Utilizing Nite Processing (T. Hinoki, N. Eiza, S. Son, K. Shimoda, J. Lee, A. Kohyama). Effect of Active Fillers on Ceramic Joints Derived from Preceramic Polymers (C.A. Lewinsohn, S. Rao, R. Bordia). Numerical Analysis of Single Lap Jointed Ceramic Composite Subjected to Tensile Loading (D. Fujita, H. Serizawa, M. Singh, H. Murakawa).


Questions are at the core of how we listen, behave, think, and relate--as individuals and organizations. Virtually everything we think and do is generated by questions. Questions push us into new territories. The future begins with our thinking, represented by the questions we ask ourselves. Change Your Questions, Change Your Life shows readers how to consistently choose the questions that can lead them to success, both personally and professionally. This technique, called ""QuestionsThinking,"" stimulates innovation, accelerate productivity, and create more rewarding relationships. Change Your Questions, Change Your Life is a personal growth fable that tells how a seasoned executive, Ben Knight, uses QuestionThinking to move into a higher leadership role and how the same methods of change help him and his wife, Grace, enrich their marriage.


The privacy interest recognized in medical records is in its infancy, as legal protections of personal information are relatively new. Major changes in medical technology, the introduction of third-party payment, government participation in medical care, and computerization of recordkeeping have expanded the amount, type and accessibility of health data available about a patient. Concurrently, health records are now requested for a number of purposes, such as, legal actions, law enforcement, public health evaluation, employment, credit-rating, etc. Only limited access to these records should be permitted in order to protect the patient, yet public policy concerns also call for the disclosure of such records. An individual may have legal recourse against invasions of this privacy interest, depending upon who is the party seeking or having obtained access to the records, the purposes for which the record is sought, and whether there are common law, statutory or constitutional protections available. Within the increase in computerized information, invasions of privacy are likely to rise. Courts must continue to balance the competing interests of privacy and public need, in order to stay abreast of this issue. By using special tactics such as retracting identifiable information and only requiring disclosure of absolutely necessary information, the courts can carefully balance the competing interests regarding private medical records. PRIVACY RIGHTS IN MEDICAL RECORDS


The two most prominent process mining tasks are process discovery i.e., learning a process model from an event log and conformance checking i.e., diagnosing and quantifying differences between observed and modeled behavior. The increasing availability of event data makes these tasks highly relevant for process analysis and improvement. Therefore, process mining is considered to be one of the key technologies for Business Process Management BPM. However, as event logs and process models grow, process mining becomes more challenging. Therefore, we propose an approach to decompose process mining problems into smaller problems using the notion of passages. A passage is a pair of two non-empty sets of activities X, Y such that the set of direct successors of X is Y and the set of direct predecessors of Y is X. Any Petri net can be partitioned using passages. Moreover, process discovery and conformance checking can be done per passage and the results can be aggregated. This has advantages in terms of efficiency and diagnostics. Moreover, passages can be used to distribute process mining problems over a network of computers. Passages are supported through ProM plug-ins that automatically decompose process discovery and conformance checking tasks.


In the eighteenth century, Britain became a world superpower through a series of sensational military strikes. Traditionally, the Royal Navy has been seen as Britains key weapon, but in Three Victories and a Defeat Brendan Simms argues that Britains true strength lay with the German aristocrats who ruled it at the time. The House of Hanover superbly managed a complex series of European alliances that enabled Britain to keep the continental balance of power in check while dramatically expanding her own empire. These alliances sustained the nation through the War of the Spanish Succession, the War of the Austrian Succession, and the Seven Years War. But in 1776, Britain lost the American continent by alienating her European allies. An extraordinary reinterpretation of British and American history, Three Victories and a Defeat is a masterwork by a rising star of the historical profession.


The Cu2+ or Fe3+ substituted Cs2HPMo12O40 was synthesized to study the effect of transitional metal cations on selective catalytic oxidation of methacrolein by polyoxometalates. Adding of Cu2+ could reduce acidity and enhance oxidizing ability of the catalyst. The catalytic experiments showed that the addition small amount of Cu2+ to the catalyst could increase the conversion of methacrolein from 65% to 96% and the selectivity to methacrylic acid to 55%, at 300-340°C. It is found adding of Cu2+ could promote the reduction process of catalysts should be the main reason of the performance enhancement. Adding of Fe3+ to the catalyst could induce some new weak acidic sites due to the formation of iron aqua complexes. Whereas, Fe3+ had no significant effect on redox ability of the catalyst. The conversion of methacrolein could reach 96% with the existence of Fe3+. However, the addition of Fe3+ had no significant effect on selectivity to methacrylic acid.


Ethnic groups of the geographical region of Manchuria can be understood in relation to their cultural, demographic, and linguistic differences and similarities; historical formation; and modern status. Manchuria is a macroscopic entity, Greater Manchuria, which comprises areas administered by China (the People's Republic of China) and Russia (the Russian Federation) as well as, until recently, by Japan. Geographically Manchuria is closely associated with the maritime dimension formed by the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese Islands as well as the island of Sakhalin.


GaInN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that employ a reflector consisting of an array of three-dimensional (3-D) SiO2 pyramids and a Ag layer are demonstrated to have enhanced light extraction compared with GaInN LEDs with planar Ag reflector. Ray tracing simulations reveal that the pyramid reflector provides 14.1% enhancement in extraction efficiency. Consistent with the simulation, it is experimentally demonstrated that GaInN LEDs with the pyramid reflector show 13.9% higher light output than LEDs with a planar Ag reflector. The enhancement is attributed to the appearance of an additional escape cone for light extraction enabled by the 3-D pyramid reflector


Access networks include modems, home gateways, and DSL Access Multiplexers (DSLAMs), and are responsible for 70-80% of total network-based energy consumption. In this paper, we take an in-depth look at the problem of greening access networks, identify root problems, and propose practical solutions for their user- and ISP-parts. On the user side, the combination of continuous light traffic and lack of alternative paths condemns gateways to being powered most of the time despite having Sleep-on-Idle (SoI) capabilities. To address this, we introduce Broadband Hitch-Hiking (BH2), that takes advantage of the overlap of wireless networks to aggregate user traffic in as few gateways as possible. In current urban settings BH2 can power off 65-90% of gateways. Powering off gateways permits the remaining ones to synchronize at higher speeds due to reduced crosstalk from having fewer active lines. Our tests reveal speedup up to 25%. On the ISP side, we propose introducing simple inexpensive switches at the distribution frame for batching active lines to a subset of cards letting the remaining ones sleep. Overall, our results show an 80% energy savings margin in access networks. The combination of B2 and switching gets close to this margin, saving 66% on average.


(a) Fisheries included in the final annual determination in a given year will remain eligible for observer coverage under this rule for five years, without need for NMFS to include the fishery in the intervening proposed annual determinations, to enable the design of an appropriate sampling program and to ensure collection of scientific data. If NMFS wishes to continue observations beyond the fifth year, NMFS must include the fishery in the proposed annual determination and seek comment, prior to the expiration of the fifth year. (b) A 30–day delay in effective date for implementing observer coverage will follow the annual notification, except for those fisheries that were included in a previous determination within the preceding five years or where the AA has determined that there is good cause pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act to make the rule effective without a 30–day delay.


BACKGROUND
Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Preliminary evidence suggests a role for global DNA hypomethylation in the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic complications in CKD. The aims of this study in patients with stage 2-4 CKD were (1) to assess the association between renal function and DNA methylation, (2) to assess the association between DNA methylation and two markers of atherosclerosis [common carotid intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT)] and brachial artery endothelium-dependent, flow-mediated dilatation (BA-FMD) and (3) to examine the effect of a multi-step treatment strategy on DNA methylation.

METHODS
In the Anti-Oxidant Therapy In Chronic Renal Insufficiency study (ATIC-study), 93 patients with stage 2-4 CKD were included. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, the treatment group received pravastatin to which vitamin E was added after 6 months and homocysteine-lowering B-vitamin therapy after another 6 months. DNA methylation was assessed using tandem mass spectrometry. CCA-IMT and BA-FMD were assessed using B-mode ultrasonography.

RESULTS
At baseline, global DNA methylation was not associated with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (P = 0.32) or with CCA-IMT (P = 0.62) or BA-FMD (P = 0.51). No effect of the treatment strategy including B-vitamin on global DNA methylation was found either in the total study group or within separate strata of homocysteine concentration and renal function.

CONCLUSION
In patients with stage 2-4 CKD, global DNA methylation is not associated with renal function or with CCA-IMT or BA-FMD. A treatment strategy that includes B-vitamins did not alter global DNA methylation in these patients. These data do not support the role of DNA hypomethylation in CKD-associated vascular disease in patients with stage 2-4 CKD.


The thesis aims at finding means for assessing and improving the requirements engineering (RE) process in order to enhance software product quality and increase the competitive edge of software organisations. Quality can be defined as the ability to satisfy the customers' expectations. Thus, from an RE perspective, improved quality implies improved requirements elicitation and prioritisation efforts. The thesis focuses on software-developing organisations that release their product in several releases on an open market. These market-driven organisations do not have one single customer to negotiate a contract with, but rather a set of potential customers with various wishes that need to be prioritised. The thesis is based on empirical research strategies, including both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The research results include a survey of current RE challenges in market-driven organisations in which issues such as lack of communication, turbulent markets and problems with release planning emerged. Process behaviour was explored in an analytical model using queuing theory to model three process phases: screening, evaluation and implementation. The model was validated in a survey. Furthermore, a case study using model building and simulation visualises relations between product quality and lead-time. A post-release analysis method, called PARSEQ, was introduced in a case study, with the intent to evaluate the requirements selection quality in prior releases and find improvement suggestions. Finally, a controlled experiment comparing two requirements prioritisation techniques was conducted, with the result that the simple and intuitive technique was superior regarding time-consumption, ease of use and accuracy. (Less)


Tight budgets are forcing NASA to consider turning off one or more planetary science projects that have completed their primary missions but still have life left in them. In an unprecedented move to save money for other mission extensions, the agency has already proposed killing the Opportunity rover on Mars, which has been hobbled by malfunctioning equipment, and a spacecraft that has been orbiting and mapping the moon. But officials are giving the two teams a chance to make the case for saving their science. The competition that a review panel is considering is tough: It includes the Cassini orbiter around Saturn, the Curiosity rover on Mars, and the two spacecraft orbiting Mars. Congress could extend all the missions if it were to provide more money, but tight spending caps could prevent that.


The shortage of water due to droughts could cause tremendous environmental and economical impacts to the affected area such as the unsuitability for aquatic life and the inadequacy for municipal and industrial water supply. Based on the method of truncation, the conditional drought probability was developed to evaluate potential drought occurrences in the Scioto River basin of Ohio and the Dar-Jai river basin of Taiwan. Occurrences of droughts in Taiwan, similar to those in the Ohio River Basin, are mainly due to uneven distributions of time and location. Experiences of drought study in Ohio were applied to the Dar-Jai river basin in central Taiwan. Time series of monthly precipitation were used to derive droughts based on truncation levels of 70%, 80%, 90%, and 95%, where a 70% truncation level means that 70% of the recorded monthly precipitations are greater than or equal to the value. Twenty one precipitation gaging stations from the Scioto River basin and twenty-six stations from the Dar-Jai river basin were selected for this comparative study. The kriging method based on the minimum unbiased estimation was used to obtain regional distributions of conditional probability at each drought severity level. Comparison of research results were made with regards to respective methods used for both drainage basins.


The global financial crisis has led to a sweeping reevaluation of financial market regulation and macroeconomic policies. Emerging markets need to balance the goals of financial development and broader financial inclusion with the imperative of strengthening macroeconomic and financial stability. The third in a series on emerging markets, New Paradigms for Financial Regulation develops new analytical frameworks and provides policy prescriptions for how the frameworks should be adapted to a world of more free and more volatile capital. This volume provides an overview of the global regulatory landscape from the perspective of Asian emerging markets. The contributors discuss the many challenges ahead in developing sound and flexible financial regulatory systems for emerging market economies. The challenges are heightened by the rising integration of these economies into global trade and finance, the growing sophistication of their financial systems as globalization and emergence processes accelerate, and their potential vulnerability to instability arising from the financial markets in the advanced economies. The contributors provide guidance about pitfalls to be avoided, general principles that should guide the creation of sound regulatory systems, and valuable analytic perspectives about how to continue to broaden the financial sector and innovate while still maintaining financial and macroeconomic stability.


This work builds a bridge between evolutionary theory and cultural psychology. The author is one of very few people to have done systematic research on the cognitive capacities of both nonhuman primates and human children. This work identifies what the differences are, and suggests where they might have come from. Tomasello argues that the roots of the human capacity for symbol-based culture, and the kind of psychological development that takes p[lace within it, are based in a cluster of unique human cognitive capacities that emerge early in human ontogeny. These include capacities fort sharing attention with other persons, for understanding that others have intentions of their own; and for imitating, not just what someone else does, but what someone else has intended to do. In this discussions of language, symbolic representation, and cognitive-development, the author describes with authority and ingenuity the "ratchet effect" of the capacities working over evolutionary and historical time to create the kind of cultural artifacts and settings within which each new generation of children develops. He also proposes a novel hypothesis, based on process of social cognition and cultural evolution, about what makes the cognitive representations of humans different from those of other primates.


Abstract White-nose syndrome (WNS) has had a devastating effect on North American bat populations. The causal agent of WNS is the fungal pathogen, Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), which has been shown to persist in caves after the eradication of host populations. As nonpathogenic Pseudogymnoascus spp. display saprophytic growth and are among the most commonly isolated fungi from caves, we examined whether Pd could grow in cave sediments and the contribution such growth could have to WNS disease progression. We inoculated a range of diverse cave sediments and demonstrated the growth of Pd in all sediments tested. These data indicate that environmental growth of Pd could lead to the accumulation of spores above the estimated infection threshold for WNS, allowing environment-to-bat infection. The obtained growth parameters were then used in a susceptible-infected-susceptible mathematic model to determine the possible contribution of environmental Pd growth to WNS disease progression in a colony of little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus). This model suggests that the environmental growth of Pd would increase WNS infection rates, particularly in colonies experiencing longer hibernation periods or in hibernacula with high levels of organic detritus. The model also suggests that once introduced, environmental Pd growth would allow the persistence of this pathogen within infected hibernacula for decades, greatly compromising the success of bat reintroduction strategies. Together these data suggest that Pd is not reliant on its host for survival and is capable of environmental growth and amplification that could contribute to the rapid progression and long-term persistence of WNS in the hibernacula of threatened North American bats.


Here we summarise our results for SmI2-induced 5-exo-trig to 8-exo-trig reductive cyclisations of suitably substituted indole and pyrrole derivatives. All precursors were easily prepared by simple N-alkylation or N-acylation of indole and pyrrole derivatives with the corresponding iodo alkanones, acid chlorides or lactones. The SmI2-induced cyclisations in most cases provided tri- and tetracyclic derivatives, even in the absence of HMPA, in good to very good yields and with excellent diastereoselectivities. Extensive investigations of the reaction conditions revealed that in the presence of different proton sources SmI2-induced cyclisations afforded mainly one major type of diastereomer (thermodynamic control), so the formation of three or four stereogenic centres is controlled in one step. The mechanism of the SmI2-induced ketyl coupling is discussed in more detail on the basis of these observations and two possible mechanistic pathways are compared. The assumed intermediate samarium enolates were also trapped with allyl iodide, furnishing interesting polycyclic N-heterocycles bearing newly formed quaternary centres as single diastereomers.