Introducing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to engineering students at the undergraduate level has become more common in recent years, although there are significant barriers for doing so using a generalized CFD solver. A common constraint is the quantity of material to be covered in a fixed amount of time in a given course, which leaves little time left for learning the use of a generalized CFD package. With this consideration in mind, FlowLab (www.flowlab.fluent.com ) was introduced by Fluent Inc. FlowLab may be described as a virtual fluids laboratory—a computer based analysis and visualization package. Using FlowLab, students solve predefined CFD exercises. These predefined exercises facilitate teaching and provide students with hands-on CFD experience. Through the design of each FlowLab exercise, students are introduced to engineering problems and concepts as well as CFD via a structured learning process. In the fall 2003 semester at Purdue University, FlowLab was used in CHE 540, a transport phenomena course offered within the School of Chemical Engineering. This course is open to advanced undergraduate engineering students and graduate students. Students were exposed to eight separate FlowLab exercises in this course. This paper gives a detailed summary of one of these specific exercises, developing flow in a pipe with and without heat transfer. The paper emphasizes how the use of CFD via FlowLab enhanced the teaching of specific concepts in transport phenomena as well as concepts in CFD such as creating a parametric geometry, discretizing the geometry, specifying boundary conditions, material properties and operating conditions, numerical solution techniques and post-processing. Experiences from this course are that FlowLab is a positive force for creating student interest and excitement in the area of fluid mechanics and transport phenomena. Using FlowLab's post-processing capabilities, students were able to visualize complex flow fields and make direct comparison to analytical theory and experimental correlation. In addition, FlowLab provided a structured learning experience which reinforced proper pedagogy for applying CFD to engineering problems. Upon completion of the course, a student survey was performed in CHE 540 focusing on FlowLab integration and usage, and survey responses are summarized in this paper.© 2004 ASME


The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (formerly Advanced Technology Solar Telescope) will be the world's largest solar telescope and polarimeter when completed in 2019. Efficient use of the telescope to address key science priorities calls for polarization measurements simultaneously over broad wavelength ranges and calibration of the telescope and polarimeters to high accuracy. Broadband polarization modulation and calibration optics utilizing crystal optics have been designed for this application. The performance of polarization modulators and calibration retarders is presented along with a discussion of the unique challenges of this application. Polarimeters operate over the ranges of 0.38-1.1 microns, 0.5-2.5 microns, and 1.0-5.0 microns. Efficient polarization modulation over these broad ranges led to modulators utilizing multiple wave plates and that are elliptical, rather than linear, retarders. Calibration retarders are linear retarders and are constructed from the same sub-component wave plate pairs as the polarization modulators. Polarization optics must address efficiency over broad wavelength ranges while meeting beam deflection, transmitted wave front error, and thermal constraints and doing so with designs that, though large in diameter, can be affordably manufactured.


Although there is an abundance of data for equilibrium adsorption of inorganic ions on hydrous oxides and surface complexation models are capable of fitting the data with only a few adjustable parameters, these models have not been used in practice because of the lack of consensus as to the "best" model and the lack of a coherent compendium of equilibrium adsorption constants. To remedy this situation, a thermodynamic data base for inorganic adsorption is being developed from original data using a simple yet widely applicable model. The resulting data base can be included in general chemical equilibrium computer programs and used to predict adsorption (outside as well as within the range of calibrating data) in aqueous systems containing oxide surfaces. Both the model and the parameter extraction procedure are presented, and results for adsorption of some cations on hydrous ferric oxide are reported and discussed.


The emotion of the children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) cannot be identified and recognized easily. The research in automated emotion recognition methods is steadily growing thrust in the last few years due to applicability in various domains which would benefit from a clear understanding of human emotional states. The studies have shown that a human's physiological parameters are directly related to his/her psychological reaction from which the emotions can be estimated. There is a strong relationship between human emotion and physiological signals. The major aim of this work is to identify preferable Artificial Intelligent Ensemble Feature Selection (AIEFS) framework and Heterogeneous Ensemble Classification (HEC) model for such a concept. The experiment was necessary to achieve the uniformity in the various aspects of emotion elicitation, data processing, feature selection using EFS, and estimation evaluation using HEC and in order to avoid inconsistency problems. Here, three base classifiers such as Support Vector Regression with Genetic Algorithm (SVR-GA), Multinomial NaiveBayes (MNB) and Ensemble Online Sequential Extreme Learning Machine (EOS-ELM) that learn different aspects of the emotion dataset samples are used together to make collective decisions in order to enhance performance of health-related message classification. The results indicate that the combination of AIEFS with HEC exhibited the highest accuracy in discrete emotion classification based on physiological features calculated from the parameters like ECG, respiration, skin conductance and skin temperature. Specific discrete emotions were targeted with stimuli from the IAPS database. This work presents experiment based comparative study of four feature selection methods and five machine learning methods commonly used for emotion estimation based on physiological signals.


The aims of this research were to study the effect of temperature and storage on the oxidative stability of crude and refined canarium nut oil extracted from the seeds of Canarium indicum and Canarium vulgare. The experiment was designed to include storage of two type of canarium nut oil at two different temperatures for up to 35 days. The oils (crude and refined) used had the similar condition. Parameter used for oxidative deterioration indicators were two peroxide value, TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances), and free fatty acid value. The result showed that refining oil can decrease component natural antioxidant of canarium oil cause more sensitive to the oxidation. Increased storage temperature can raise oxidation of crude and refined oils from both species Canarium. The peroxide values of crude and refined oils both Canarium indicum and Canarium vulgare stored at 30 °C were 2.17, 4.35, 3.36 and 3.77 meq O2/kg oil, respectively. When they were stored at 4?C the similar results were 6.21, 19.09, 8.12 and 17.23 meq O2/kg oil. Furthermore, TBARS value of crude and refined oils both for Canarium indicum and Canarium vulgare stored 30?C were 4.55, 7.78, 5.70 and 6.58 µmol MDA/kg oil. When they were stored at 40 °C the similar results were 9.99, 55.46, 12.46 and 43.62 µmol MDA/kg oil. Key words: Canarium nut oil, peroxide value, TBARS


THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SERVANT LEADERSHIP AND TEAM EFFECTIVENESS OF DEACON MINISTRIES IN SOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCHES Francis Gerard Trascritti, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2009 Chairperson: Dr. Hal K. Pettegrew This dissertation contained quantitative research elements to determine correlations between servant leadership practices and team effectiveness in deacon ministries in the local church. This study attempted to advance the base of knowledge for deacon ministry teams in the areas of servant leadership practices and team effectiveness. The research was a survey of Southern Baptist church pastors within the state of Ohio (n=156). The pastors were asked to complete a professional survey which combined and modified the Servant Leadership Profile Revised (Wong and Page, 2003) and the Team Effectiveness Survey (Adkinson, 2006). An online survey delivery methodology was utilized. Descriptive statistics and correlation testing was used in order to find statistically significant mean differences and a correlative relationship. The total scores of the servant leadership subscales were compared to the team effectiveness subscales to determine the relationship between the two. In addition, respondents were subdivided based on the servant leadership subscale totals and compared to each team effectiveness subscale to seek if a relationship exists. Finally, both the servant leadership and the team effectiveness subscales were compared to selected demographic variables among the respondents. The findings of the research demonstrated a very significant relationship between the servant leadership practices of deacon ministry teams and team effectiveness in the churches studied within the state of Ohio (p < .001). In deacon teams that demonstrated a high level of servant leadership, there was also a high level of team effectiveness (p < .001). In teams that practiced a low level of servant leadership, there existed a low level of team effectiveness. The research has shown that servant leadership teams existed across all selected demographic categories. In a similar manner, the research indicated that deacon teams were effective regardless of the demographic variable. It was concluded that servant leadership and team effectiveness in deacon ministry teams had a very high correlative relationship.


Why were seventeenth-century antiquarians so spectacularly wrong? Even if they knew what ancient monuments looked like, they deliberately distorted the representation of them in print. Deciphering the printed reconstructions of Giacomo Lauro and Athanasius Kircher, this pioneering study uncovers an antiquity born with print culture itself and from the need to accommodate competitive publishers, ambitious patrons and powerful popes. By analysing the elements of fantasy in Lauro and Kircher's archaeological visions, new levels of meaning appear. Instead of being testimonies of failed archaeology, they emerge as complex architectural messages responding to moral, political, and religious issues of the day. This book combines several histories - print, archaeology, and architecture - in the attempt to identify early modern strategies of recovering lost Rome. Many books have been written on antiquity in the Renaissance, but this book defines an antiquity that is particularly Baroque.


The effects of prior high-intensity cycle exercise (85% VO2 max) to muscular exhaustion on basal and insulinstimulated glucose metabolism were studied in obese, insulin-resistant, and normal subjects. Six obese (30.4% fat) and six lean (14.5% fat) adult males underwent two separate, two-level hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies (100-min infusions at 40 and 400 mU/m2/min), with and without exercise 12 h earlier. Carbohydrate oxidation was estimated by indirect calorimetry using a ventilated hood system, and endogenous glucose production by D-(3-3H)-glucose infusion. Glycogen content and glycogen synthase activity (GS %l) were measured in vastus lateralis muscle biopsies before and at the end of each insulin clamp procedure. After exercise, the obese and lean subjects had comparably low muscle glycogen concentrations (0.10 versus 0.08 mg/g protein, respectively), and equal activation of muscle GS activity (54.4 versus 45.3 GS %l, respectively). In the obese subjects, insulin-stimulated glucose disposal was increased significantly, but not totally corrected to normal. In both groups there was a comparable increase in nonoxidative glucose disposal (NOGD), whereas glucose oxidation was decreased and lipid oxidation was increased. Thus, the major effect of prior exercise was to increase insulin-stimulated glucose disposal in the obese subjects and to alter the pathways of glucose metabolism to favor NOGD and decrease glucose oxidation. No correlation was found between the exercise-induced increase in GS %l and NOGD, except in the normal subjects during maximal insulin stimulation. Thus, glycogen synthase activity does not appear to be ratelimiting fpr NOGD at physiologic insulin concentrations. Our findings suggest that a single bout of glycogendepleting exercise can increase glucose disposal for at least 12–14 h in obese subjects with insulin resistance.


We explore the impact of campaign effort on constituency-level turnout variation in Britain, under the premise that higher levels of campaign visibility stimulate electoral participation. We focus on the relationship between the competitiveness of the race and campaign effort as a provider of electoral information on the one hand, and voter turnout on the other hand. In doing so, we address the role of campaign effort and competitiveness in shaping turnout both independently as well as jointly. Further to this, we seek to add nuance to our understanding of how electoral campaigns mobilise voters by evaluating the comparative ability of different parties – based on whether or not they are 'viable' contenders in a particular constituency – to stimulate turnout. We find evidence that campaign effort mobilises voters and has a significant positive effect on voter turnout; this effect is independent from, and unconditioned by, the competitiveness of the race. However, we do find that this effect is mostly driven by the campaign effort of the 'viable' contenders in the constituency.


Significant time is spent by companies trying to reproduce and fix the bugs that occur for released code. To assist developers, we propose the BugNet architecture to continuously record information on production runs. The information collected before the crash of a program can be used by the developers working in their execution environment to deterministically replay the last several million instructions executed before the crash. BugNet is based on the insight that recording the register file contents at any point in time, and then recording the load values that occur after that point can enable deterministic replaying of a program's execution. BugNet focuses on being able to replay the application's execution and the libraries it uses, but not the operating system. But our approach provides the ability to replay an application's execution across context switches and interrupts. Hence, BugNet obviates the need for tracking program I/O, interrupts and DMA transfers, which would have otherwise required more complex hardware support. In addition, BugNet does not require a final core dump of the system state for replaying, which significantly reduces the amount of data that must be sent back to the developer.


Battle Creek is a four mile urban stream that had an erosion problem that was accelerating with urbanization of its watershed. Erosion created unstable ravine slopes over 60 feet high, destroyed a valuable regional park, endangered public utilities and damaged private property. A watershed district, a form of regional government based on watershed divides, was created to plan the construction and financing of the necessary channel stabilization. Over a seven year period, the District defined the scope of the project, prepared construction plans and implemented construction. After considering the positions of city, county and regional agencies, the district coordinated agency input and established a successful cost allocation formula for the project. Several erosion control techniques were employed including grade control, pipe enclosure, and a combination of grade control and pipe. In the worst areas, an 8 ft diameter pipe was buried in the ravine, which was completely regraded and backfilled to restore stable slopes without removal of remaining vegetation. Above the buried conduit, the base flow of the creek was carried in a channel, which featured six waterfalls for grade control and park aesthetics. A formula was developed to allocate the costs of channel stabilization on the basis of contribution to peak discharge, contribution to runoff volume, location, effects of upland storage and mainstream reservoirs, land use and parcel size. The assessment formula was applied to more than 6,000 parcels. Only 11 of the 6,000 parcels filed appeals to the allocated cost. Although administrative costs were high, the lengthy public participation helped implement a project which deferred up to $6 million in sewer relocation costs and permitted redevelopment of a regional park.


This paper presents a critical review on indicators for measuring sustainable urban tourism development in Malaysia. It has been debated that the contribution of urban tourism in the economy and local community's development are difficult to be determined due to the multiple discipline that clouds the existence of urban tourism as an independent sector. Arguably, these indicators failed to measure the level of achievement for urban tourism activities, and the economic terms are less justified. Since the concept of sustainable tourism is introduced, the role of indicator is increasingly important in measuring economic and social advantages, thus the development of the city also needs to be monitored with suitable indicator. The idea is to assess and monitor changes in urban economies for tracking the progress towards sustainable development. Therefore, the center of debate in developing urban tourism indicators are (1) to identify and measure the entire range of interrelated environmental, social and economic impacts in tourism development, and (2) to obtain accurate information for responsible decision. Several approaches have been made in the context of Malaysia although the indicators are not directly related to the perspective of urban tourism, such as Malaysian Quality of Life Index (MQLI) and Malaysian Urban Indicators Network (MURNINet). For example, MURNINet identified heritage and tourism as a sub-component of the indicator. As there is need to improve these indicators, situational analysis based on literature review in this paper will highlight the use of existing sustainable indicators and their relevancy to urban tourism development and economy.


Objective: To understand the molecular profile by identifying the mutation of KRAS and BRAF in borderline type ovarian tumor. Method: In the study, we examined paraffin tissue sample from Department of Pathology Anatomy, University of Indonesia/Dr. Cipto Mangunkususmo Hospital, Jakarta, that was diagnosed as borderline epithelial ovarian tumor. Seventeen samples were taken to Sandya Laboratory in Bandung for examination of PCR BRAF exon 15 codon 600, and KRAS in exon 2 codon 12 and 13, as well as exon 3 codon 61. Result: Mutation of KRAS occurred in 94% of subjects (serous borderline 62.5%, mucinous bordeline 37.5%), of which 70.6% mutation happened in exon 2 codon 12 (serous borderline 33.3%, mucinous borderline 66.7%), 52.9% mutation in exon 2 codon 13 (serous borderline 33.3%, mucinous borderline 66.7%), and 76.5% mutation in exon 3 codon 61 (serous borderline 30.8%, mucinous borderline 69.2%). Mutation of BRAF occurred only in 47% of subjects, but the results of Exact Fisher test showed that mutation in BRAF gave significant result, while other variables did not give significant result (p=0.009). Conclusion: Molecular pathology in borderline ovarian tumor related with BRAF mutation is more likely to occur in serous borderline type, while KRAS mutation is more likely to occur in mucinous borderline type. Keywords: borderline ovarian tumor, BRAF, KRAS


The long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) and Alu elements are the most abundant mobile elements comprising 21% and 11% of the human genome, respectively. Since the divergence of human and chimpanzee lineages, these elements have vigorously created chromosomal rearrangements causing genomic difference between humans and chimpanzees by either increasing or decreasing the size of genome. Here, we report an exotic mechanism, retrotransposon recombination-mediated inversion (RRMI), that usually does not alter the amount of genomic material present. Through the comparison of the human and chimpanzee draft genome sequences, we identified 252 inversions whose respective inversion junctions can clearly be characterized. Our results suggest that L1 and Alu elements cause chromosomal inversions by either forming a secondary structure or providing a fragile site for double-strand breaks. The detailed analysis of the inversion breakpoints showed that L1 and Alu elements are responsible for at least 44% of the 252 inversion loci between human and chimpanzee lineages, including 49 RRMI loci. Among them, three RRMI loci inverted exonic regions in known genes, which implicates this mechanism in generating the genomic and phenotypic differences between human and chimpanzee lineages. This study is the first comprehensive analysis of mobile element bases inversion breakpoints between human and chimpanzee lineages, and highlights their role in primate genome evolution.


The ability to use a chemical structure to predict and explain phenomenon is essential to a robust understanding of chemistry; however, previous research has shown that students find it difficult to make the connection between structure and properties. In this study we examine how student recognition of the connections between structure and properties evolves during the first two years of college chemistry courses. In addition, we investigate how an alternative general chemistry curriculum (Chemistry, Life, the Universe and Everything (CLUE)) impacts students' understanding during these first two-years. Using discrete-time survival analysis to analyze student responses to the Implicit Information from Lewis Structures Instrument (IILSI), we found that it takes multiple semesters for students enrolled in a traditional curriculum to recognize that chemical structures can be used as models to predict chemical and physical properties. Students in the CLUE curriculum, however, tend to make this connection earlier than a matched cohort of students from a traditional curriculum, and this advantage is maintained throughout the two semesters of organic chemistry. In general, the control group takes an additional year of organic chemistry to reach the same level as the CLUE students after a year of general chemistry.


This paper attempts to engage with the established debate on the nature of heterodox economics. However, it starts from the position that previous attempts to classify and identify heterodox economics have been biased towards a priori definition. The paper aims to inform the discussion of the nature of heterodoxy with some empirical analysis. The paper examines survey data collected from a small/medium-sized sample of AHE members on the core concepts in economics. The paper applies factor analysis to the data. It also applies principles of biological taxonomy, and thence cluster analysis to the problem. The paper finds that within the self-identified community of self-identified heterodox economists there is little agreement as to whether members are pluralist, or what their attitude is to the mainstream. Indeed, there is little agreement on any core concepts or principles. The paper argues that there is little structure to heterodox economics beyond that provided by pre-existing (or constituent) schools of thought. Based on this study, heterodox economics appears a complex web of interacting individuals and as a group is a fuzzy set. These results would lead us to question further strict distinctions between heterodox, mainstream and pluralist economists.


Reductions in function within the serotonin (5HT) neuronal system have long been proposed as etiological factors in depression. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most common treatment for depression, and their therapeutic effect is generally attributed to their ability to increase the synaptic levels of 5HT. Tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) is the initial and rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of 5HT in the CNS, and losses in its catalytic activity lead to reductions in 5HT production and release. The time differential between the onset of 5HT reuptake inhibition by SSRIs (minutes) and onset of their antidepressant efficacy (weeks to months), when considered with their overall poor therapeutic effectiveness, has cast some doubt on the role of 5HT in depression. Mice lacking the gene for TPH2 are genetically depleted of brain 5HT and were tested for a depression-like behavioral phenotype using a battery of valid tests for affective-like disorders in animals. The behavior of TPH2(-/-) mice on the sucrose preference test, tail suspension test, and forced swim test and their responses in the unpredictable chronic mild stress and learned helplessness paradigms was the same as wild-type controls. While TPH2(-/-) mice as a group were not responsive to SSRIs, a subset responded to treatment with SSRIs in the same manner as wild-type controls with significant reductions in immobility time on the tail suspension test, indicative of antidepressant drug effects. The behavioral phenotype of the TPH2(-/-) mouse questions the role of 5HT in depression. Furthermore, the TPH2(-/-) mouse may serve as a useful model in the search for new medications that have therapeutic targets for depression that are outside of the 5HT neuronal system.


Each president has his own style. We've all seen this reflected in the speeches which presidents give--whether it's delivering a highly formal address such as the "State of the Union," making informal remarks at a stop on a campaign tour, or creating monumental memories out of unimaginable and unexpected moments. The picture of President Reagan standing in front of the Berlin Gate and stating in a voice that was clear, strong and full of conviction, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall," has become emblematic of the Fall of the Soviet Union and the victory of democracy over tyranny. The words of this speech reverberate in our national memory. Many Americans also remember other major speeches by President Reagan, such as those commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of D-Day in June 1944 and honoring the crew of the Challenger after the space shuttle exploded upon takeoff in January 1986. ********** American presidents are regularly called upon to share their thoughts, ideas, and sentiments both with the nation and the world. This prompts the questions: How are these speeches written? Who writes them? What other resources, texts, conversations, and experiences do presidents use to help them create these famous speeches? Who helps the president put his thoughts and ideas on paper? Who gives a memorable speech that "magic touch"? These are the questions addressed in the "Great Communicator Files"--a series of teaching materials and primary source documents on presidential speechwriting and speechmaking that can be accessed online at ReaganLibrary.com. The purpose of these curriculum materials is two-fold, to examine presidential speechwriting efforts and to gain insight into President Reagan's personal speechmaking style. Inside the files, educators and students uncover original documents from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Archives, including copies of original speeches, backup copies of speeches, letters to the president, stories and experiences shared with the president which were incorporated into his speeches, written notes from the president's staff, White House Staffing Memoranda, quotations from historical figures, and other documents. This article focuses on the "Omaha Beach Memorial Remarks," delivered in Normandy, France, for the 40th anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1984. There are currently two additional "Great Communicator Files": one on the "Challenger Speech" and one on the "Pointe du Hoc Address," an additional World War II commemorative speech. The Speechwriting Process: President Reagan's speechwriting office was made up of a collection of carefully selected speechwriters. Some, such as Anthony (Tony) Dolan, had experience working with the presidential campaign. Others, such as Peggy Noonan, who had worked with Dan Rather at CBS, were newcomers to the Reagan team. No matter who the speechwriter was, each was expected to understand both the Reagan ideology and the Reagan speechmaking style. The head speechwriter (in this case Ben Elliott) would check the president's schedule and assign each upcoming speech to a staff writer based on his or her personal backgrounds and strengths. Quotes and references were drawn from a variety of sources, some of which students will discover in the "Great Communicator Files." Often times, past speeches were examined and aspects were incorporated. In the files, students will also notice pages from Bartlett's Book of Quotations, pages from the Bible, poems, speeches by other presidents, and, in this case, a letter from Lisa Zanatta Henn and a story she sent to President Reagan. The speechwriter did not work alone. Usually, he or she would draft the speech and then it would be sent to a variety of White House staff, including members of the National Security Council, Deputy Chief of Staff Michael Deaver, and others (See "White House Staffing Memorandum" on p. 379). In all cases, President Reagan would be sent a copy of the speech as well. …


Synopsis We investigated fracture intensity of the Cambrian Eriboll Formation sandstone exposures west of the Palaeozoic Moine Thrust Belt (MTB) in NW Scotland, by measuring the number and size of fractures encountered per unit length along lines of observation orientated perpendicular to fracture strike. Eriboll Formation sandstones have at least five fracture sets, each of which includes penetrative arrays of opening-mode microfractures (quartz-filled micro-veins). The size distributions of the fractures can be described by power laws over more than three orders of magnitude. The observed power-law equation parameters suggest that strain is dominated by the largest fractures present in each set; however, field evidence suggests that opening-mode fractures with apertures greater than 1 cm are rare. Strain from microscopic fractures is heterogeneous compared with strain caused by fractures that are sufficiently wide (0.1 mm and above) to be measured on exposures, reflecting greater variation in fracture size apparent at microscopic scales. Although size patterns are from sets formed at different times, consistent cumulative frequency versus aperture slopes suggests that a common mechanism governs organization of fracture sizes. The penetrative sets of natural fractures within the Eriboll Formation record a strain history spanning burial, Caledonian orogenesis, and uplift.


Background and aims: Evidence-based practice (EBP) is widely accepted within patient care as it ensures health care professionals remain informed of recent evidence and research relating to their clinical practice. However, the particular characteristics detrimental to the successful implementation of EBP within Allied Health Professionals' (AHP) clinical practice are unknown.
The purpose of this study was to assess and characterise adoption of EBP within AHP's clinical practice.

Methods: Questionnaires comprising the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (EBPQ; Upton and Upton, 2006a) were administered to 154 (response rate=27.3%) newly qualified practitioners (NQPs) from NHSScotland. Data were analysed to determine attitudes, knowledge and skill of EBP; K-means cluster and chi-square analyses were conducted in order to differentiate profiles of NPQs within high-, medium- and low- categories on the EBPQ practice and knowledge/skills sub-sections.

Findings: Moderate scores were recorded for NQP's implementation, knowledge, and attitudes toward EBP. Chi-square analysis performed on the high-, moderate- and low- practice and skills' profiles revealed no significant results for NQP's year qualified, age, or year of clinical practice.

Conclusions: The findings illustrate that the majority of NQPs have a good understanding of the application and importance of EPB, and suggests the improvement in NQPs training with regards to EBP enables them to successfully transfer acquired knowledge within their clinical practice.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a critical analysis to address cultural metaphors – a much overlooked aspect of cross-cultural studies. Mainstream cultural metaphors (e.g. the iceberg, the software of the mind, the onion, and the distance) are not only limited in number, but are also overwhelmingly based on the static paradigm – as opposed to the dynamic paradigm that is often sidelined in academic discourse.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper introduces the Diagram of Diversity Pathways – an interdisciplinary framework that sheds some light on how the inherent meaning and heuristic orientation of static cultural metaphors may stand at odds with evidence from the newly emerged field of neurobiology.

Findings

The implications of these metaphors are called into question, namely, culture is all about differences; values are stable; values guide behaviors; and values are seen as binaries.

Research limitations/implications

The paper suggests that theorists and practitioners should pay more attention to the contribution and scholarly work of the dynamic paradigm since there appears to be substantial compatibility between them.

Originality/value

The matching of neurobiology and dynamic paradigm brings into focus alternative metaphors which not only offer insightful perspectives but also may open doors to perceive culture in a new way. Furthermore, cultural metaphors deserve more academic scrutiny because metaphors and theory development can have a symbiotic existence.


Ethnographic interviews have become a commonly used qualitat ive methodology for collecting data (Aronson, 1992). Once the information is gathered, res earchers are faced with the decision on how to analyze the data. There are many ways to anal yze informants' talk about their experiences (Mahrer, 1988; Spradley, 1979; Taylor & Bogdan, 1984), a nd thematic analysis is one such way. Although thematic analysis has been described (Benner, 1985; Leininger, 1985; Taylor & Board, 1984), there is insufficient literature that outlines the pragmatic process of thematic analysis. This article attempts to outline the procedure for perform ing a thematic analysis. Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. This article is available in The Qualitative Report: http://nsuworks.nova.edu/tqr/vol2/iss1/3 A Pragmatic View of Thematic Analysis by Jodi Aronson The Qualitative Report, Volume 2, Number 1, Spring, 1994 Ethnographic interviews have become a commonly used qualitative methodology for collecting data (Aronson, 1992). Once the information is gathered, researchers are faced with the decision on how to analyze the data. There are many ways to analyze informants' talk about their experiences (Mahrer, 1988; Spradley, 1979; Taylor & Bogdan, 1984), and thematic analysis is one such way. Although thematic analysis has been described (Benner, 1985; Leininger, 1985; Taylor & Board, 1984), there is insufficient literature that outlines the pragmatic process of thematic analysis. This article attempts to outline the procedure for performing a thematic analysis. Performing a Thematic Analysis The ethnographic interview is a commonly used interviewing process employed by researchclinicians (Kuehl & Newfield, 1991; Kuehl, Newfield & Joanning, 1990; Newfield, Joanning, Kuehl, & Quinn, 1990; Newfield, Kuehl, Joanning & Quinn, 1991; William, 1992). From the conversations that take place in a therapy session or those that are encouraged for the sake of researching a process, ideas emerge that can be better understood under the control of a thematic analysis. Thematic analysis focuses on identifiable themes and patterns of living and/or behavior. The first step is to collect the data. Audiotapes should be collected to study the talk of a session or of an enthnographic interview (Spradley, 1979). From the transcribed conversations, patterns of experiences can be listed. This can come from direct quotes or paraphrasing common ideas. The following is an example. A family was interviewed to get a better understanding of their experience with a juvenile justice system. The entire interview was transcribed. The first pattern of experience listed, was the process of the juvenile being arrested, and the different explanations from the various family members. The second pattern of experience listed was the attitude that each family member had toward the process (Aronson, 1992). The next step to a thematic analysis is to identify all data that relate to the already classified patterns. To continue the above example, the identified patterns are then expounded on. All of the talk that fits under the specific pattern is identified and placed with the corresponding pattern. For example, each family member somehow named their "attitude" while they were speaking. The father stated that he is "anti-statist," the mother said that she is "protective," and the son stated that "felt bad for what he had done" (Aronson, 1992). The next step to a thematic analysis is to combine and catalogue related patterns into sub-themes. Themes are defined as units derived from patterns such as "conversation topics, vocabulary, recurring activities, meanings, feelings, or folk sayings and proverbs" (Taylor & Bogdan, 1989, p.131). Themes are identified by "bringing together components or fragments of ideas or experiences, which often are meaningless when viewed alone" (Leininger, 1985, p. 60). Themes that emerge from the informants' stories are pieced together to form a comprehensive picture of their collective experience. The "coherence of ideas rests with the analyst who has rigorously studied how different ideas or components fit together in a meaningful way when linked together" (Leininger, 1985, p. 60). Constas (1992) reiterates this point and states that the "interpretative approach should be considered as a distinct point of origination" (p. 258). When gathering sub-themes to obtain a comprehensive view of the information, it is easy to see a pattern emerging. When patterns emerge it is best to obtain feedback from the informants about them. This can be done as the interview is taking place or by asking the informants to give feedback from the transcribed conversations. In the former, the interviewer uses the informants' feedback to establish the next questions in the interview. In the latter, the interviewer transcribes the interview or the session, and asks the informants to provide feedback that is then incorporated in the theme analysis. The next step is to build a valid argument for choosing the themes. This is done by reading the related literature. By referring back to the literature, the interviewer gains information that allows him or herself to make inferences from the interview or therapy session. Once the themes have been collected and the literature has been studied, the researcher is ready to formulate theme statements to develop a story line. When the literature is interwoven with the findings, the story that the interviewer constructs is one that stands with merit. A developed story line helps the reader to comprehend the process, understanding, and motivation of the interviewer. References Aronson, J. (1992). The interface of family therapy and a juvenile arbitration and mediation program. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Benner, P. (1985). Quality of life: A phenomenological perspective on explanation, prediction, and understanding in nursing science. Advances in Nursing Science, 8(1), 1-14. Constas, M. A. (1992). Qualitative analysis as a public event: The documentation of category development procedures. American Educational Research Journal, 29(2), 253-266. Kuehl, B. P., & Newfield, N. A. (1991). Family listeners among the Nacirema: Their curative ceremonies and how the natives view them. Family Therapy Case Studies, 6(1), 55-66. Kuehl, B. P., Newfield, N. A., & Joanning, H. (1990). Toward a client-based description of family therapy. Journal of Family Psychology, 3(3), 310-321. Leininger, M. M. (1985). Ethnography and ethnonursing: Models and modes of qualitative data analysis. In M. M. Leininger (Ed.), Qualitative research methods in nursing (pp. 33-72). Orlando, FL: Grune & Stratton. Mahrer, A. R. (1988). Discovery-oriented psychotherapy research. American Psychologist, 43(9), 694-702. Newfield, N. A., Kuehl, B. P., Joanning, H., & Quinn, W. H. (1990). A mini-ethnography of the family therapy of adolescent drug abuse: The ambiguous experience. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 7(2), 57-80. Newfield, N. A., Kuehl, B. P., Joanning, H., & Quinn, W. H. (1991). We can tell you about psychos and shrinks: An ethnography of the family therapy of adolescent substance abuse. In T. C. Todd & M. D. Selekman (Eds.), Family therapy approaches with adolescent substance abusers (pp. 277-310). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Spradley, J. (1979). The ethnographic interview. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Taylor, S. J., & Bogdan, R. (1984). Introduction to qualitative research methods: The search for meanings. New York: John Wiley & Sons. William, J. L. (1992). Don't discuss it: Reconciling illness, dying, and death in a medical school anatomy laboratory. Family Systems Medicine, 10(1), 65-78. Jodi Aronson, Ph.D., LMFT is the Clinical Director of MCC Behavioral Care, 3313 West Commercial Boulevard, Suite 112, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309.


Recent high pressure experimental work in the Hawaiian pyrolite+H20+C02 system
(Wallace and Green, 1988; Falloon and Green, 1990) has revealed the presence of a
stability field for high Mg/(Mg+LFe), sodic dolomitic carbonatite melt in equilibrium
with pargasitic lherzolite at pressures greater than the decarbonation reaction opx + dol
= ol + cpx + C02. Carbonatite melts could therefore be formed as low degree primary
melts of carbonated peridotite at depths greater than -60km, or by crystallization and
reaction of amphibole+clinopyroxene from carbonated, undersaturated silicate melts
within the upper mantle at depths of 60-90 km. Such carbonatite melts could segregate
and ascend from their source regions at very low melt fractions ( <0.02%; Hunter and
MacKenzie, 1988). Analogy with natural eruptive carbonatites suggests that primary
carbonatites would possess extreme LILE enrichment, and may therefore have an
important role in metasomatism of the lithosphere at pressures of 15-20 kbars (Green
and Wallace, 1988).
A suite of mantle xenoliths (apatite+amphibole bearing magnesian wehrlites,
lherzolites and harzburgites) from western Victoria, Australia, display the predicted
(Green and Wallace, 1988) petrographic and geochemical signatures of carbonatite
metasomatism, namely, an unusual assemblage of magnesian olivine and diopsidic
clinopyroxene in the absence of orthopyroxene (wehrlites), textural evidence of
replacement of primary orthopyroxene by jadeitic clinopyroxene and forsteritic olivine
(lherzolites and harzburgites), the almost ubiquitous presence of significant accessory
apatite,.unusually high whole-rock CaO/Al203 and Na20/Al203 values~ and extreme
LILE enrichment without concomitant TiO2 enrichment.
Comparison of the trace element and isotopic characteristics of this carbonatite
metasomatised suite of apatite+amphibole-bearing magnesian spinel wehrlites with
other, previously reported (O'Reilly and Griffin, 1988; Stolz and Davies, 1988),
southeastern Australian spinel peridotite xenoliths, suggests that those containing
apatite+low-Ti pargasite have also been metasomatised by ephemeral, dolomitic
carbonatite melts. Low Ti/Eu, high Zr/Hf, and restricted bulk earth-like Sr-Nd
isotopic characteristics are characteristic of t~is metasomatic style within the
southeastern Australian lithosphere. This con~rasts with metasomatism related to
hydration or basaltic intrusion of the lithosphere, in which Ti/Eu and Zr/Hf remain
unfractionated at primitive mantle values of around 7740 and 36 respectively.
A model for carbonatite metasomatism is proposed in which undersaturated mafic
silicate melts, derived from asthenospheric upwelling or diapirism, crystallize
clinopyroxene + amphibole ± phlogopite as they ascend into the stability field of
hydrous garnet peridotite+carbonatite melt at P~30 kbars. The residual liquid evolves
to sodic dolomitic carbonatite with low Ti/Eu, high Zr/Hf, and extreme enrichment in
Sr and REE. This carbonatite melt segregates at low melt fractions and ascends
rapidly, finally being absorbed by the lithosphere as it intersects a series of end-member
decarbonation reactions at around 15-20 kbars. The nett effect of these is to
react the enstatite and Mg-Tschermak's components of primary orthopyroxene, and
MgAl204 component in spinel, with sodium carbonate and dolomitic components of
the carbonatite, producing jadeite-ureiite solid solution in clinopyroxene, forsteritic
olivine and C02-rich fluid. Evolution of the reacting carbonatite leads to deposition of
pargasitic amphibole and apatite. In some cases, replacement of primary
orthopyroxene by sodic Cr-diopsidic clinopyroxene and forsteritic olivine was
complete. Subsequent annealing produced the texturally equilibrated wehrlites.
Interruption of the metasomatic process by entrainment in the host magma produced
apatite+amphibole-bearing spinel lherzolites and harzburgites which retain direct
textural evidence of the decarbonation reactions, namely rims and veins of
olivine+clinopyroxene on primary orthopyroxene grains. The extreme LILE
enrichment of the carbonatite, and the ephemeral style of metasomatism resulted in
imposition of its distinctive trace element and isotopic signature onto refractory spinel
peridotite at this level.
This model was tested experimentally by reversing the decarbonation .. reactions.
Synthetic amphibole±apatite bearing wehrlite compositions with 1, 5 or 7 wt% C02
were run at PT conditions within the carbonatite melt stability field of Wallace and
Green (1988). This produced lherzolite or harzburgite residue in equilibrium with
sodic dolomitic melt. The model implies the release of large C02 fluxes of the order of
several wt% in the lithosphere in regions of carbonatite metasomatism (<15-20
kbars). This may provide a mechanism for incorporating a carbonatite component into
some intra-plate volcanic products as has recently been proposed by Nelson et al.
(1988) and Dupuy et al. (1992).
A second major theme of this study relates to the fate of subducted carbonate. Many
DSDP reports allude to the presence of calcitic carbonate in veins and vugs in oceanfloor
basalts, related to low temperature alteration processes. A series of high pressure
experiments was conducted at 1525 kbar and Tg50°C.
Reconnaissance experiments using magnesite instead of calcite revealed the presence
of a bulk compositional control on the equilibrium carbonate composition. A shift to
more magnesian bulk compositions resulted in stabilization of Ca-bearing magnesite,
whereas runs conducted at identical PT conditions using calcite contained Mg-bearing
calcite as the equilibrium carbonate composition.
The results of the hydrous basalt+carbonate experiments are supported by a study of a
suite of natural carbonate-bearing eclogites from the Krusne hory Mountains in the
Bohemian part of the Czechoslovakian segment of the Saxothuringicum (Klapova,
1990). The suite contains textural and mineralogical evidence of the above
garnet+carbonate reactions in both the prograde and retrograde senses. For example,
some samples show patches of calcite, surrounded by magnesite, surrounded in tum
,by thin rims of dolomite, in contact with garnet. The garnet is often markedly pyroperich
on the rim, compared with the core. Textures and compositions imply prograde
conversion of primary calcite to magnesite, with retrograde conversion to dolomite.
Analysis of garnet and carbonate compositions and textures in these samples, and
comparison with the basalt+carbonate experimental data suggest that the rocks
achieved peak metamorphic conditions of 25 kbar and 650-700°C, followed by a near-isobaric
heating event, and subsequent uplift and retrogression.
The study suggests that at least some carbon involved in the Earth's carbon budget
can be recycled through subduction related processes. The ultimate fate of subducted
carbon may depend on oxygen fugacity conditions in the deeper mantle. Recycled
carbonate may result in diamond formation at low f02 conditions, in particular those
diamonds included in eclogitic xenoliths hosted by kimberlites, or containing
garnet±omphacite inclusions. Alternatively, if f02 is sufficiently high, carbon could
be fixed in the mantle as dolomite or magnesite, and may be involved in carbonatite or
fluid metasomatism, or in petrogenesis of undersaturated silicate melts (melilitites,
nephelinites) or carbonatites (Brey and Green, 1976).


The Reed-Solomon decoder IP core is a highly versatile core generator for creating hardware Reed-Solomon decoder circuits suitable for high speed decoding of the ubiquitous Reed-Solomon Forward Error Correction (FEC) code. This code is used in a wide variety of data storage and transmission applications, such as the Compact Disc, DVD, various kinds of magnetic storage, digital subscriber lines and satellite communications. The core generator is a Java application generating highly comprehensible, standard, deviceand technology-independent VHDL code ready for consumption by industrial FPGA synthesis tools or ASIC processes, while also being suitable for educational use. Generated cores meet the requirements of various standards that specify Reed-Solomon codes, including ATSC, CCSDS1, DVB, IESS-308 and Intelsat channel coding modes.


The study estimates, compare and analyse the food demand patterns of households in the rural and urban Sindh. Estimates of the study are based on data of Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) 2010-11, using Linear Expenditure System (LES). The results show that substantial quantities of milk, eggs, vegetables, salt, sugar, wheat, and pulses are taken by households in both the urban and rural Sindh; whereas formers add vegetable oil and later, fruits to this list. There is a visible difference in the marginal budget share and luxuries, necessities, substitutes and complements for both types of households. The difference in results of both the rural and urban recommends that, separate policies should be chalked out for the two areas.


The resilience of China's investments in African infrastructure has been called into question in the light of its own economic slowdown. The substantial reduction in Chinese demand for African commodities has resulted in a significant drop in commodity prices, causing an adverse economic outlook in many commodity-dependent African economies and potentially decoupling the African growth story from China's influence and economic engagement. This policy insights paper argues that China's infrastructure-based economic statecraft in Africa has shown and will continue to show resilience in the face of new economic realities in the China–Africa relationship, as these projects fit into China's broader goals of reshaping global norms.


Guessing the meaning of unknown words is an essential process in L2 comprehension. At the same time, guessing is considered a nuisance in L2 vocabulary tests. This raises the question of the nature and causes of guessing in L2 vocabulary tests. The traditional claims in language testing are that guessing is (1) a function of proficiency and (2) a function of the test taker's risk attitude. To investigate these claims in the context of standardized vocabulary testing, 135 advanced EFL learners participated in a computer-based yes/no vocabulary test combined with a translation task and a risk test. Stepwise regression analyses suggest that about 60% of the variation in yes/no test guesses are attributable to inappropriate or lack of semantic word knowledge. However, there was no systematic effect of risk attitude and guessing was largely independent of general lexical proficiency level. Methodological and inferential consequences for L2 vocabulary testing are discussed.


Certain of the many procedures for indirect estimation of consumptive use are discussed including the Blaney-Criddle, Thornthwaite and Penman methods as well as evaporimeters such as atmometers and evaporation pans. The applicability and limitations in use of these procedures are analyzed including type and quality of data available, microclimatic effects and use of derived information. Problems involved in determining evapotranspiration or consumptive use by irrigated crops are discussed and their implications in use of data obtained for specific situations are analyzed. These include sampling precision, frequency and time of sampling, crop rooting depth and stage of growth, type of crop, moisture status effects, climatic effects including advected heat, and percolation losses beyond the sampling zone.


ABSTRACT Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) continue to represent the gold standard for the evaluation of comparative diagnostic, therapeutic and preventative strategies. However, generalizable data from large, well-designed RCTs are often unavailable or conflicting on major clinical questions in oncology. In addition, a number of important limitations to RCTs are recognized including high costs, time to completion, narrow eligibility criteria, and limited attention to treatment-related toxicities and quality of life. Therefore, RCTs often do not adequately address effectiveness and safety in the broader cancer population and important safety issues may not emerge until years later. A variety of approaches to making RCTs more relevant, generalizable, and rapid and to reduce their complexity and costs have been proposed. Nevertheless, the limitations of RCTs necessitate consideration of a broad range of research approaches in an effort to gather reliable evidence on critical questions related to the comparative benefit, harm, and value of available interventions. When properly applied, such approaches may provide reasonable, valid, and more generalizable estimates of comparative effectiveness, safety, and cost and may also generate hypotheses that form the basis of future confirmatory RCTs. However, non-randomized approaches such as prospective and retrospective observational studies and clinical models come with their own set of important limitations. Such studies can readily be biased by the inappropriate section of patients as well as controls and, as the intervention is not randomly assigned, the results may be influenced by confounding factors impacting on both treatment selection as well as clinical outcome. Clearly, there is a need to design better, more efficient, relevant, and generalizable RCTs and to complement them with other comparative effectiveness approaches utilizing creative but equally rigorous methods while understanding and disclosing the limitations of those methods and the conclusions derived. Such results may provide patients, providers, and policy makers with the most reliable information upon which to base valid recommendations on optimal management of patients with cancer. Disclosure: The author has declared no conflicts of interest.


Background : There is no data on the bacteriology of postsurgical orofacial infections at our institutions. Uncontrolled use of antibiotics may lead to development of resistance with the resultant increase in morbidity and cost of treatment. We aimed to determine the aerobic bacterial agents and antibiotic sensitivity of post-surgical infections in the orofacial region. Methodology : Patients were evaluated for post-surgical wound infection from the 5th to 30th post-operative day. In cases where a surgical implant was placed the period of review was extended for up twelve months. The specimens were collected using sterile swabs and transported to the  microbiology laboratory within two hours of collection. The specimens were then analyzed for bacteriology according to the standard bacteriological  techniques. A wide range of antibiotics including those commonly used to treat orofacial infections were tested for sensitivity against the isolates obtained using the disk diffusion test (Kirby-Bauer procedure, using CLSI protocols). Results : Staphylococcus aureus accounted for 40% of the isolates followed by Klebsiella species (23%) and the Pseudomonas species (19%).  Amoxycillin/clavulinic acid, the 2nd and 3rd generation cephalosporins were effective against most of the bacterial infections from the orofacial region. Conclusion : Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas species are the commonest isolates from the oral facial region. Antibiotics which showed adequate efficacy against them were the augmented Penicillins and newer generations Cephalosporins. Key Words : Oro-facial infection, Post-surgical, Antibiotics


Sunflower cultivation is a viable alternative for the second crop in Campo Novo do Parecis, state of Mato Grosso; however, its low contribution to the land cover after harvest is an obstacle for the practice of the no - tillage system, which favors the maintenance of straw on the soil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the intercropping on the agronomic performance and yield of sunflower under different populations of Urochloa ruziziensis in the region of Parecis. The experiment was carried out in the experimental field in the Instituto Federal do Mato Grosso, campus Campo Novo do Parecis, state of Mato Grosso in the second crop of the 2016/17 agricultural year. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with six treatments (0, 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 points of cultural value ha -1 of U. ruziziensis ) and four replications. Sowing was performed on March 10 th , 2017 using variety Helio 250. No significant effect was found among treatments neither did the mathematical regressions present statistical significance. The agronomic characteristics of the sunflower are not influenced by Urochloa ruziziensis sowing rates when sowed simultaneously due to the slow initial growth of the grass and the competitive efficiency of the sunflower after 30 days of the cycle.


This paper describes and analyzes an investment strategy that, when combined with simple Roth IRA conversion planning, can substantially reduce the tax costs of Roth conversions. The strategy leverages, through the combination of volatily and negative correlation, the put option feature inherent in Roth IRA recharacterizations. The only significant risk to taxpayers who execute the strategy is that the IRS might assert that the recently codified economic substance doctrine (and its strict liability penalty) applies to disallow the tax benefit. However, the doctrine appears not to be relevant in this context, where Congress has given taxpayers an explicit election to recharacterize Roth IRA conversions. Even if the doctrine were to apply, it would not likely increase current year tax liability.


Many recent breakthroughs in deep learning were achieved by training increasingly larger models on massive datasets. However, training such models can be prohibitively expensive. For instance, the cluster used to train GPT-3 costs over \$250 million. As a result, most researchers cannot afford to train state of the art models and contribute to their development. Hypothetically, a researcher could crowdsource the training of large neural networks with thousands of regular PCs provided by volunteers. The raw computing power of a hundred thousand \$2500 desktops dwarfs that of a \$250M server pod, but one cannot utilize that power efficiently with conventional distributed training methods. In this work, we propose Learning@home: a novel neural network training paradigm designed to handle large amounts of poorly connected participants. We analyze the performance, reliability, and architectural constraints of this paradigm and compare it against existing distributed training techniques.


A basic investigation into the removal of copper ions from aqueous solutions by Sargassum sp. was conducted in batch conditions. The influence of different experimental parameters such as initial pH, shaking rate, sorption time, temperature, equilibrium conditions and initial concentrations of copper ions on copper uptake was evaluated. Results indicated that for shaking rates higher than 100 rpm no significant changes in copper accumulation were observed, as well as for pH values between 3.0 and 5.0. No marked effect on the biosorption of copper was detected for temperatures between 298 and 328K. The Langmuir model better represented the sorption process, in comparison to the model of Freundlich. The process followed a second-order kinetics and its calculated activation energy was 5.2 kcal/mol. Due to its outstanding copper uptake capacity (1.48 mmol/g biomass) Sargassum sp. proved to be an excellent biomaterial for accumulating and recovering copper from industrial solutions.


This is an instrumental exploration of theoretical issues related to the vocal performance of Mediaeval Hebrew pegs-and-cords meter, of which we have neither authentic recordings, nor verbal descriptions of actual performances of the time. Consequently, I am exploring only possibilities implied by poetic structures as embodied in later performances, not in actual authentic performances. But, in my earlier writings, I have extensively explored similar issues in English, Hungarian and modern Hebrew poetry, as recorded by experienced readers. The pegs-and-cords meter is a unique quantitative system based on systematic (not necessarily regular) alternation of schwa mobile and full vowels. The time ratio between the two is supposed to be 1:2, 1:3 or 1:4. Some scholars believe that in Jewish Yemenite liturgy the authentic performance has been preserved. This article is focused on one brief liturgical masterpiece by Shlomo Ibn Gabirol, submitting to computer analysis a modern recital of it, and a sung performance of a Yemenite master. Regarding the correspondence of language and versification, eleventh-century Hebrew poets explicitly distinguished between two possibilities: word endings may or may not coincide with the ending of a metric foot. I have investigated on the computer whether it is possible to convey continuation and discontinuation at the same time by a single voice, where word endings and metricfoot endings do not coincide. Neither performer observed the conflicting endings consistently, but both provided evidence that it is possible to identify the problems and solve them by vocal manipulation. In the Yemenite masters' performances, computer measurements could not establish that the schwas are consistently shorter than the vowels. Furthermore, poetic rhythm requires the simultaneous perception of two versification levels at least: a wider unit (the verse line or a hemistich), and the metric feet that divide it. Psychologically, simultaneous presence implies being contained within the same span of short-term memory. In the Yemenite masters' performances, the wider units exceed by far the span of short-term memory, owing to repetition of phrases and drawn-out embellishments, so that the poems' rhythms could not be preserved. In the 16th–17th century there were Jewish musicians in Western Europe who composed liturgic music in the baroque tradition, some of it to pegs-and-cord texts. In a brief pilot I point out the differences in aesthetic conception between this baroque music and the Yemenite master. Finally, Mediaeval poets treated a schwa+vowel as a unit called "peg". Here the question of psychological reality arises. The issue at stake is whether two immediately-observable constituents can be experienced at a more abstract level as one unit. The precedent of what generative metrists call "disyllabic * Author's address: Reuven Tsur, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; email: email@example.com.


Bedding-parallel stylolites typically represent the product of chemical compaction (overburden weight-induced pressure solution) experienced by carbonate successions during their burial history, when bedding is still horizontal. Due to their common occurrence in carbonate rocks, with lateral extents that can exceed 1 km, bedding-parallel stylolites are of special interest for the hydrocarbon industry because they may affect the regional fluid flow in the subsurface. Aimed at assessing the development and distribution of bedding-parallel stylolites in shallow-water, platform limestone successions, field and laboratory studies were carried out on Cretaceous limestones originally pertaining to the Apulian Carbonate Platform realm and now exposed in three distinct Italian locations: Maiella Mountain, Gargano Promontory and Murge Plateau.

Results point to a prominent role played by the geological characteristics of limestones on development and localization of bedding-parallel stylolites within shallow-water, platform limestone successions. In particular, bedding-parallel lamination and fine rock grain size, co-occurring in stromatolitic limestones, determined there laterally more extensive and closely spaced stylolites than in the associated calcilutites and calcarenites. Large fenestral pores, which are ubiquitous in stromatolitic limestones, represent rock heterogeneities able to influence the roughness of individual stylolites.

Laboratory measurements revealed that the permeability of the studied Cretaceous limestones is very low (<10 μD). Pilot tests suggest that bedding-parallel stylolites in stromatolitic layers are not barrier to fluid flow but may represent pathways through low-permeability, platform limestone successions in the subsurface.


The novels of Walker Percy-The Moviegoer, Lancelot, The Second Coming, and The Thanatos Syndrome to name a few-have left a permanent mark on twentieth-century Southern fiction; yet the history of the Percy family in America matches anything, perhaps, that he could have created. Two centuries of wealth, literary accomplishment, political leadership, depression, and sometimes suicide established a fascinating legacy that lies behind Walker Percy's acclaimed prose and profound insight into the human condition. In The House of Percy, Bertram Wyatt-Brown masterfully interprets the life of this gifted family, drawing out the twin themes of an inherited inclination to despondency and an abiding sense of honor. The Percy family roots in Mississippi and Louisiana go back to "Don Carlos" Percy, an eighteenth-century soldier of fortune who amassed a large estate but fell victim to mental disorder and suicide. Wyatt-Brown traces the Percys through the slaveholding heyday of antebellum Natchez, the ravages of the Civil War (which produced the heroic Colonel William Alexander Percy, the "Gray Eagle"), and a return to prominence in the Mississippi Delta after Reconstruction. In addition, the author recovers the tragic lives and literary achievements of several Percy-related women, including Sarah Dorsey, a popular post-Civil War novelist who horrified her relatives by befriending Jefferson Davis-a married man-and bequeathing to him her plantation home, Beauvoir, along with her entire fortune. Wyatt-Brown then chronicles the life of Senator LeRoy Percy, whose climactic re-election loss in 1911 to a racist demagogue deply stung the family pride, but inspired his bold defiance to the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s. The author goes on to tell the poignant story of poet and war hero Will Percy, the Senator's son. The weight of this family narrative found expression in Will Percy's memoirs, Lanterns on the Levee-and in the works of Walker Percy, who was reared in his cousin Will's Greenville home after the suicidal death of Walker's father and his mother's drowning. As the biography of a powerful dynasty, steeped in Sou8thern traditions and claims to kinship with English nobility, The House of Percy shows the interrelationship of legend, depression, and grand achievement. Written by a leading scholar of the South, it weaves together intensive research and thoughtful insights into a riveting, unforgettable story.


Background There is no consensus on the best treatment for periprosthetic supracondylar fracture. Material and methods We systematically summarized and compared results of different fixation techniques in the management of acute distal femur fractures above a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Several databases were searched (Medline, Cochrane library, OTA and AAOS abstract databases) and baseline and outcome parameters were abstracted. Results We extracted data from 29 case series with a total of 415 fractures. The following outcomes were noted: a nonunion rate of 9%, a fixation failure rate of 4%, an infection rate of 3%, and a revision surgery rate of 13%. Retrograde nailing was associated with relative risk reduction (RRR) of 87% (p = 0.01) for developing a nonunion and 70% (p = 0.03) for requiring revision surgery compared to traditional (non-locking) plating methods. Point estimates also suggested risk reductions for locking plates, although these were not statistically significant (57% for nonunion, p = 0.2; 43% for revision surgery, p = 0.23) compared to traditional plating. RRRs for nonunion and revision surgery were also statistically significantly lower for retrograde nailing and locking plates compared to nonoperative treatment. Interpretation Modern-day treatment methods are superior to conventional treatment options in the management of distal femur fractures above TKAs. The results should be interpreted with caution, due to the lack of randomized controlled trials and the possible selection bias in case series.


This thesis is a study of the Kathiawad Vaghri, a depressed community of itinerant traders who hail from Gujarat and engage in various forms of trade all over India. It explores the history of the caste, examining their social marginalisation and ambiguity from the 1700s. As forest hunters and itinerant traders who maintained patron-client relationships with local Rajputs, worshipped goddesses and held origin myths connecting them to the Middle East, the Vaghri did not fit easily into the category of caste or tribe as these categories became more rigidly codified during the colonial era. At the same time, their ambiguous
marginality is picked up by a regime that articulated a fantasy of occult criminality in the nineteenth century figure of the thugg. This resulted in the Criminal Tribes Act (CTA)(1871) through which the social marginalisation of the Vaghri was greatly extended and a stigma attached that persists into the present day.

The second section of the thesis considers the adaptive responses of the Vaghri to this history of alterity, stigma and persecution. It traces their departure from Gujarat in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the nature of their migration, their emergence as hawkers and petty traders on the streets of Mumbai and their continuing connections with their original villages in Gujarat. These new practices made control under the CTA more possible as the Vaghri are increasingly identified as petty thieves who use trade as a cover for theft. De-notification of the criminal tribes occurs in 1952. However, the stigma of
criminality persists and is reproduced in the development agenda, which the Vaghri largely reject. Their response was to create a caste for themselves, the Vaghri Sarvodaya Samaj
through which a new Vaghri identity was imagined through a partial internalisation of the colonial surveillance apparatus as a moralistic and welfare-oriented control apparatus that articulates the Vaghri with the national project.

The removal of the Act also sees the Vaghri return to forms of mobility and trade not seen since the beginning of the century, through which an earlier Vaghri pattern of itinerant trade with a fairly strong sense of community is reproduced. Trade in embroidered Gujarati textiles and antiques emerges in the 1970s as a response to the presence of a new and comparatively wealthy client base in the form of international tourists whom Vaghri call "the Hippies". Bolstered by the careful arrangement of marriages within the caste and the role of the Vaghri Samaj as a trade guild, extensive familial and caste-based trade networks
continue to develop and by the 1980s an increasing number of families are moving into handicrafts and travelling to tourist centres throughout India. However, the perils and
ambiguity of itinerant trade continue. This is explored through a case study of a small tourist centre in Kerala, dominated politically and economically by members of the Ezhava community—a depressed caste with a history of exp loitation and oppression who, unlike Vaghri, chose the affirmative action path. The thesis shows that social change in contemporary India continues to reflect the problems and difficulties of bureaucratic 'capture'. The story of the Vaghri is one of struggle, prejudice and victimisation. It is also a story of adaptation and resilience that provides an ethnographic account of the history and contemporary practices of a depressed community.


Most organisms possess bifunctional FolD [5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate (5,10-CH2-THF) dehydrogenase-cyclohydrolase] to generate NADPH and 10-formyltetrahdrofolate (10-CHO-THF) required in various metabolic steps. In addition, some organisms including Clostridium perfringens possess another protein, Fhs (formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase), to synthesize 10-CHO-THF. Here, we show that unlike the bifunctional FolD of Escherichia coli (EcoFolD), and contrary to its annotated bifunctional nature, C. perfringens FolD (CpeFolD) is a monofunctional 5,10-CH2-THF dehydrogenase. The dehydrogenase activity of CpeFolD is about five times more efficient than that of EcoFolD. The 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate (5,10-CH+-THF) cyclohydrolase activity in C. perfringens is provided by another protein, FchA (5,10-CH+-THF cyclohydrolase), whose cyclohydrolase activity is ∼ 10 times more efficient than that of EcoFolD. Kinetic parameters for CpeFhs were also determined for utilization of all of its substrates. Both CpeFolD and CpeFchA are required to substitute for the single bifunctional FolD in E. coli. The simultaneous presence of CpeFolD and CpeFchA is also necessary to rescue an E. coli folD deletion strain (harbouring CpeFhs support) for its formate and glycine auxotrophies, and to alleviate its susceptibility to trimethoprim (an antifolate drug) or UV light. The presence of the three clostridial proteins (FolD, FchA and Fhs) is required to maintain folate homeostasis in the cell.


Which have been the consequences of the euro for integration and economic performance in the Baltic Sea region? After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the three Baltic states and Poland have been rapidly catching-up with Western Europe. The Great Recession became a great setback for the former, while less so for Poland. A difference is the monetary policy: the Polish zloty depreciated in the critical moment of the crisis, while currency boards with the aim of joining the euro bestowed appreciation for the Baltics and Finland. Contrary to the purpose, monetary integration has not fostered integration in trade, and the share of the Eurozone in Baltic trade has stagnated. A comparison with other countries in the Baltic Sea region suggests that the euro provides "the golden fetters" of our time. Emigration, also a kind of integration, has become a safety valve with severe social and economic consequences for the Baltic states.


We present a new class of methods for identification and inference in dynamic models with serially correlated unobservables, which typically imply that state variables are econometrically endogenous. In the context of Industrial Organization, these state variables often reflect econometrically endogenous market structure. We propose the use of Generalized Instrument Variables methods to identify those dynamic policy functions that are consistent with instrumental variable (IV) restrictions. Extending popular "two-step" methods, these policy functions then identify a set of structural parameters that are consistent with the dynamic model, the IV restrictions and the data. We provide computed illustrations to both single-agent and oligopoly examples. We also present a simple empirical analysis that, among other things, supports the counterfactual study of an environmental policy entailing an increase in sunk costs.


In this study, an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system ANFIS including five process variables, such as influent chemical oxygen demand, influent flow rate, influent total Kjeldahl nitrogen, effluent volatile fatty acids and effluent bicarbonate, was described to predict the effluent chemical oxygen demand load from a full-scale expanded granular sludge bed reactor EGSBR treating corn processing wastewater. The proposed ANFIS model was conducted by applying hybrid learning algorithm and the model performance was tested by the means of distinct test data set randomly selected from the experimental domain. The ANFIS-based predictions were also validated using various descriptive statistical indicators, such as root mean-square error, index of agreement, the factor of two, fractional variance, proportion of systematic error, etc. The lowest root mean square error RMSE = 0.03655 and the highest determination coefficient R2 = 0.958 were achieved with the subtractive clustering of a first-order Sugeno type fuzzy inference system. ANFIS predicted results were compared with the outputs of multiple nonlinear regression analysis-based models derived in the scope of the present work. Statistical performance indices computed for the testing data set proved that the developed ANFIS-based model exhibited a very good precision in predicting the effluent chemical oxygen demand, load for the EGSBR system. Due to high capability of the ANFIS model in capturing the dynamic behavior and non-linear interactions, it was demonstrated that a complex system, such as anaerobic digestion, could be easily modeled.


Larval fly neurons degenerate and produce a signal that directs the adult neurons where to migrate. Brain development involves a complex interplay of cell growth, death, and migration and synapse formation. Sweeney et al. used the Drosophila olfactory circuit to study signals that direct axons to the proper site in the developing antennal lobe. Development of the olfactory circuit occurs in two phases—an early phase in which projection neurons (PNs) migrate independently of the adult olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) and a later phase in which the ORN axons and PN dendrites interact with each other. In the early phase, larval ORNs degenerate, allowing the embryonic PN dendrites to remodel. Semaphorin-1a (Sema-1a) is a transmembrane protein present in a graded distribution on PNs that instructs PN dendrites to migrate along the dorsolateral-ventromedial axis, such that PNs with high Sema-1 project to the dorsolateral antennal lobe and those with low Sema-1a project to the ventromedial lobe. Although Sema family proteins typically interact with plexins, Sweeney et al. used a soluble fusion protein of Sema-1a to show that this protein bound to cells heterologously expressing a form of Sema-2a engineered to be membrane-tethered (Sema-2a and Sema-2b are naturally secreted proteins). Before the arrival of adult ORNs in the antennal lobe, Sema-2a and Sema-2b were enriched medially and vetromedially, which is the opposite pattern observed for Sema-1a. Flies lacking Sema-2a and Sema-2b (either genetically or through targeted knockdown) exhibited inappropriate ventromedial targeting of PNs in the antennal lobe, whereas deficiency in plexinA or plexinB failed to impair PN targeting. Targeted knockdown experiments showed that PNs and ORNs were a source of Sema-2a. Cellular ablation experiments with larval ORNs and targeted knockdown experiments indicated that Sema-2a and Sema-2b produced by larval ORN were important for proper dorsolateral targeting of the PNs. Thus, the authors propose that the degenerating larval ORNs produce Sema-2a and Sema-2b, which directs the PNs to form appropriate dendritic connections in the developing adult olfactory system. L. B. Sweeney, Y.-H. Chou, Z. Wu, W. Joo, T. Komiyama, C. J. Potter, A. L. Kolodkin, K. C. Garcia, L. Luo, Secreted semaphorins from degenerating larval ORN axons direct adult projection neuron dendrite targeting. Neuron 72, 734–747 (2011). [Online Journal]


PURPOSE Health literacy is associated with a range of poor health-related outcomes. Evidence that health literacy contributes to disparities in health is minimal and based on brief screening instruments that have limited ability to assess health literacy. The purpose of this study was to assess whether health literacy contributes, through mediation, to racial/ethnic and education-related disparities in self-rated health status and preventive health behaviors among older adults. METHODS We undertook a cross-sectional study of a nationally representative sample of 2,668 US adults aged 65 years and older from the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess for evidence of mediation. RESULTS Of older adults in the United States, 29% reported fair or poor health status, and 27% to 39% reported not utilizing 3 recommended preventive health care services in the year preceding the assessment (influenza vaccination 27%, mammography 34%, dental checkup 39%). Health literacy and the 4 health outcomes (self-rated health status and utilization of the 3 preventive health care services) varied by race/ethnicity and educational attainment. Regression analyses indicated that, after controlling for potential confounders, health literacy significantly mediated both racial/ethnic and education-related disparities in self-rated health status and receipt of influenza vaccination, but only education-related disparities in receipt of mammography and dental care. CONCLUSIONS Health literacy contributes to disparities associated with race/ethnicity and educational attainment in self-rated health and some preventive health behaviors among older adults. Interventions addressing low health literacy may reduce these disparities.


Abstract. Five crises affecting ammonite evolution occurred during the Late Pliensbachian to Late Toarcian stages (Early Jurassic). The first two (Gibbosus and end-Spinatum zones) occurred during highly cold and regressive conditions which were followed by a global anoxic event generated during a supergreenhouse warm event (Levisoni subzone) concomitant with a worldwide transgressive event. The last two (Late Variabilis and Late Insigne zones) are related to regressive events. We present new carbon isotope data from Southern Peru that demonstrate that most of the major Toarcian crises affecting ammonite evolution can be correlated with the variations affecting the δ13C during that unstable period. The morphogenetic reactions of the ammonites during the five different upper Liassic critical episodes are analysed, showing how this group can be used as stress indicators.


Treatment of myeloma has benefited from the introduction of more effective and better tolerated agents, improvements in supportive care, better understanding of disease biology, revision of diagnostic criteria, and new sensitive and specific tools for disease prognostication and management. Assessment of minimal residual disease (MRD) in response to therapy is one of these tools, as longer progression-free survival (PFS) is seen consistently among patients who have achieved MRD negativity. Current therapies lead to unprecedented frequency and depth of response, and next-generation flow and sequencing methods to measure MRD in bone marrow are in use and being developed with sensitivities in the range of 10−5 to 10−6 cells. These technologies may be combined with functional imaging to detect MRD outside of bone marrow. Moreover, immune profiling methods are being developed to better understand the immune environment in myeloma and response to immunomodulatory agents while methods for molecular profiling of myeloma cells and circulating DNA in blood are also emerging. With the continued development and standardization of these methodologies, MRD has high potential for use in gaining new drug approvals in myeloma. The FDA has outlined two pathways by which MRD could be qualified as a surrogate endpoint for clinical studies directed at obtaining accelerated approval for new myeloma drugs. Most importantly, better understanding of MRD should also contribute to better treatment monitoring. Potentially, MRD status could be used as a prognostic factor for making treatment decisions and for informing timing of therapeutic interventions. Clin Cancer Res; 23(15); 3980–93. ©2017 AACR.


In recent times, it has become crucial to protect soil, surface and groundwater reserves from pollution due to the consequential effects of landfilling operations. In a bid to safeguarding environmental and human health, various technologies have been employed in waste containment over the years. Significantly, geomembranes/ mineral composites liners have been employed. Sequential tests using a small-scale laboratory bespoke column hybrid permeameter device was conducted on the impact of infusion of pollutant species in a geocomposite lining system/ mineral barrier through a circular destructed polyethylene membrane. The imposition of pressure as a simulation for waste load on the pollutant infusion rate, pollutant transport and the buffering capability of natural-mineral soil profile were studied. Infusion through the geocomposite liner-buffering system (BS) was measured for tests with the destructed membrane under simulated waste loads of up to 150 kPa. Results and analysis showed significant reduction in infusion rate with increased pressure on the system. This reduction is attributed to the reduced barrier transmissivity, θ and soil liner compressibility alterations in the soil barrier. The infusion rate data for tests with the destructed membrane in this study were compared with predicted values from equations provided by Forchheimer and Giroud et al. The comparison showed inapplicability to this study and also showed imperfect contact conditions at the membrane/soil interface if assumed in practice. Nevertheless, equations from Giroud for good contact conditions revealed rational infusion rate predictions through the destructed membrane of the geocomposite media.


Objective: It is important to detect allergens that cause sensitization to decrease the morbidity of allergic diseases and to prevent or to delay the development of the disease in already sensitized patients. In this study, we aimed to evaluate which aeroallergens cause sensitization in allergic patients in the Akdeniz Region, Turkey, as well as their frequency of occurrence. Materials and Methods: The demographic properties, diagnoses, total IgE levels, sensitization against aeroallergens detected via EPT (Epidermal prick test), the dates of EPT application and peripheral eosinophil counts at the time of EPT application were analyzed in 510 patients aged 2-18 years who presented to the Akdeniz University Pediatric Allergy – Immunology and Pulmonology Departments and Antalya Education and Research Hospital Pediatric Allergy - Immunology Department with an allergic history or diagnosis between January 2014 and July 2015. All patients underwent EPT during their follow-up and sensitivity against at least one aeroallergen was detected. The seasonal distribution of these aeroallergens was also analyzed. Results: A total of 1180 children to which an allergic skin test had been applied between January 2014 and July 2015 were included in this study. It was seen that 510 patients (43.2%) had a positive response to at least one aeroallergen and 402 patients among them (78.8%) had a positive response to more than one aeroallergen. Males made up 58.4% and females 41.6% of the patients who showed a positive EPT. Sensitivity was most frequently (69%) against house dust mites, followed by tree pollen mix (54.9%) and grass/weed mix (52.5%). Other allergens were animal dander (45.3%), fungi mix (43.4%), herb/pollen mix (34.9%), cockroach (16.9%) and olea (6%). Further, by analyzing the seasonal distributions of allergens, it was seen that sensitivity was most frequently against house dust in all seasons. Conclusion: Avoiding specific allergens is important in eliminating and managing the symptoms in allergic patients. Determining the regional differences regarding allergen sensitivity is therefore critical.


Introduction: Celastrus paniculatus seed oil, commonly known as Malkangni or Jyotishmati, was in use from time immemorial to treat brain related disorders. Celastrus paniculatus seed oil has significant antidepressant-like activity in chronic unpredictable stressed mice. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the antidepressant-like effect of Celastrus paniculatus seed oil in unstressed mice and to explore its mechanism of action. Methods: The seed oil (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg, PO) and fluoxetine per se were administered for 14 successive days to Swiss young albino mice. On the 14th day, 60 min after drug administration, animals were subjected to Tail Suspension Test (TST) and Forced Swim Test (FST). The mechanism of action was also studied. Results: The oil significantly decreased immobility period of mice in both tail suspension test and forced swim test, indicating its significant antidepressant-like activity. The efficacy was found to be comparable to fluoxetine (P<0.0001). ED50 value of celastrus seed oil using FST and TST were 17.38 and 31.62 mg/kg, respectively. The oil did not show any significant effect on locomotor activity. It significantly inhibited brain MAO–A activity and decreased plasma corticosterone levels. Sulpiride (selective D2-receptor antagonist), p-CPA (tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor), and baclofen (GABAB agonist) significantly attenuated the oil-induced antidepressant-like effect, when assessed during TST. Discussion: Celastrus paniculatus seed oil produced significant antidepressant-like effect in mice possibly through interaction with dopamine D2, serotonergic, and GABAB receptors; as well as inhibition of MAO–A activity and decrease in plasma corticosterone levels.


Extracted from text ... NEWS & VIEWS FOR MAGISTRATES NEWS & VIEWS FOR MAGISTRATES NEWS & VIEWS FOR MAGISTRATES 4
J udge van der Merwe's decision to
acquit former Deputy President
Jacob Zuma on charges of rape was
met with jubilation by his supporters,
condemnation by the women's rights
movement and a groan of disappointment
among his opponents. For all of us
though the Zuma trial should serve as a
cautionary tale because of what it has
revealed about the continuing fragility of
the rule of law, democracy and an individual's
right to justice in South Africa.
Separating Judicial & Political
In a ..


The Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey is a multiwavelength photometric and spectroscopic survey, using the AAOmega spectrograph on the Anglo-Australian Telescope to obtain spectra for up to ∼300 000 galaxies over 280 deg2, to a limiting magnitude of rpet < 19.8 mag. The target galaxies are distributed over 0 < z ≲ 0.5 with a median redshift of z ≈ 0.2, although the redshift distribution includes a small number of systems, primarily quasars, at higher redshifts, up to and beyond z = 1. The redshift accuracy ranges from σv ≈ 50 km s−1 to σv ≈ 100 km s−1 depending on the signal-to-noise ratio of the spectrum. Here we describe the GAMA spectroscopic reduction and analysis pipeline. We present the steps involved in taking the raw two-dimensional spectroscopic images through to flux-calibrated one-dimensional spectra. The resulting GAMA spectra cover an observed wavelength range of 3750 ≲ λ ≲ 8850 A at a resolution of R ≈ 1300. The final flux calibration is typically accurate to 10–20 per cent, although the reliability is worse at the extreme wavelength ends, and poorer in the blue than the red. We present details of the measurement of emission and absorption features in the GAMA spectra. These measurements are characterized through a variety of quality control analyses detailing the robustness and reliability of the measurements. We illustrate the quality of the measurements with a brief exploration of elementary emission line properties of the galaxies in the GAMA sample. We demonstrate the luminosity dependence of the Balmer decrement, consistent with previously published results, and explore further how Balmer decrement varies with galaxy mass and redshift. We also investigate the mass and redshift dependencies of the [N II]/Hα versus [O III]/Hβ spectral diagnostic diagram, commonly used to discriminate between star forming and nuclear activity in galaxies.


The hypothalamus is a key integrative center in the brain consisting of diverse cell types that differ in morphology and the neuropeptides they produce. These neuropeptides
are required for the pivotal functions of the hypothalamus including homeostasis, reproduction, cognitive behavior and stress response. Despite the knowledge of several transcription factors important for the hypothalamic neuronal development, little is known about how these transcription factors act in concert to generate the amazing
diversity of neuron types present in the hypothalamus. In this study, I focus on the development of two hypothalamic areas in zebrafish, the preoptic area and the posterior
hypothalamus. The preoptic area plays an important role in homeostasis and stress response whereas the posterior hypothalamus is important for cognitive behavior in
mammals. Consistent with their different functions, these two areas are composed of distinct neuron types. However, the mechanism that contributes to this difference remains
largely unknown. In this thesis, I characterize the roles of four transcription factors, Fezf2, Otp, Sim1a and Foxb1.2, for the development of the preoptic area and posterior hypothalamus. I show that early in development Fezf2 is important for the regionalization of the posterior hypothalamus, while later Fezf2 interacts with Otp, Sim1a and Foxb1.2 to specify distinct neuron types. Interestingly, these regulatory interactions change during
development and vary between the anterior and the posterior hypothalamus, contributing to the formation of regional differences in these areas. Further, these interactions generate different domains in the posterior hypothalamus and contribute to the specification of distinct neuron types such as those that produce vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and urotensin 1 (Uts1). In summary, this study provides the first regulatory and molecular map of the posterior hypothalamus and demonstrates that the specification of preoptic and posterior hypothalamic neurons require the dynamic regulatory interactions of Fezf2
together with Otp, Sim1a and Foxb1.2.


In this article we argue that judicial efforts to eliminate bad behaviours on thepart of police personnel have a negative, as opposed to a positive, effect onthe attempt to reduce such problems.Since bad behaviour often fails to constituteoutright illegality, it is difficult to tackle within the juridical forum. Itseems to be easier and therefore more attractive to commanders to hand oversuch problems to departments of internal affairs to be processed externally,rather than to try to act to get rid of such matters within the organization viaa more comprehensive approach designed to motivate police personnel tobehave more appropriately. While definitely not the only reason for the currentstate of affairs, the present juridical system is an important factor.*


The prototype of the gamma-class of carbonic anhydrase has been characterized from the methanogenic archaeon Methanosarcina thermophila. Previously reported kinetic studies of the gamma-class carbonic anhydrase are consistent with this enzyme having a reaction mechanism similar to that of the mammalian alpha-class carbonic anhydrase. However, the overall folds of these two enzymes are dissimilar, and apart from the zinc-coordinating histidines, the active site residues bear little resemblance to one another. The crystal structures of zinc-containing and cobalt-substituted gamma-class carbonic anhydrases from M. thermophila are reported here between 1.46 and 1.95 A resolution in the unbound form and cocrystallized with either SO(4)(2)(-) or HCO(3)(-). Relative to the tetrahedral coordination geometry seen at the active site in the alpha-class of carbonic anhydrases, the active site of the gamma-class enzyme contains additional metal-bound water ligands, so the overall coordination geometry is trigonal bipyramidal for the zinc-containing enzyme and octahedral for the cobalt-substituted enzyme. Ligands bound to the active site all make contacts with the side chain of Glu 62 in manners that suggest the side chain is likely protonated. In the uncomplexed zinc-containing enzyme, the side chains of Glu 62 and Glu 84 appear to share a proton; additionally, Glu 84 exhibits multiple conformations. This suggests that Glu 84 may act as a proton shuttle, which is an important aspect of the reaction mechanism of alpha-class carbonic anhydrases. A hydrophobic pocket on the surface of the enzyme may participate in the trapping of CO(2) at the active site. On the basis of the coordination geometry at the active site, ligand binding modes, the behavior of the side chains of Glu 62 and Glu 84, and analogies to the well-characterized alpha-class of carbonic anhydrases, a more-defined reaction mechanism is proposed for the gamma-class of carbonic anhydrases.