This thesis develops a pentecostal ecclesiology using the structure of networks that leads to a fresh approach to contextualisation. It addresses the neglect in pentecostal scholarship of church structures beyond the congregation and of critical approaches to contextualisation. The pentecostal systematic methodology of Amos Yong is utilized, based on the synthesis of discerned experience (Spirit), biblical studies (Word) and the traditions of systematic and mission theology (Community). A trinitarian understanding of networks is developed and linked with an approach to the catholicity of the church that has a common essence and mission movement. This is shaped by the missionary nature of pentecostalism and rooted in an understanding of a church marked by Spirit baptism. The character of networks is defined in terms of partnership, a term with a rich mission understanding and seen also in the pentecostal tradition. A three-fold approach to contextualisation arises from the overlap between networks within and outside the church which is based on hospitality. Significantly, this thesis is the first in pentecostal ecclesiology to utilise a pentecostal methodology, to focus on structural and contextual issues and to develop a trinitarian network ecclesiology. It provides a fresh approach to catholicity, Spirit baptism, partnership and contextualisation.


Need answers quickly? Adobe Illustrator CS5 on Demand provides those answers in a visual step-by-step format. We will show you exactly what to do through lots of full color illustrations and easy-to-follow instructions. Includes Workshops ACE Exam Objectives More than 500 Essential Illustrator CS5 Tasks Inside the Book Improve publishing and productivity with the CS5 interface Browse, organize, and process files using Adobe Bridge Transform and reshape objects to create a new look Use Live Paint to create recolor and modify images Use Live Color to create color harmony in a design Create complex shapes and perspective objects Create text and apply style to display artistic text Apply appearances and graphic styles for a unique design Create eye catching special effects and filters Bonus Online Content Register your book at queondemand.com to gain access to: Workshops and related files Keyboard shortcuts


Ageing and Digital Technology: Designing and Evaluating Emerging Technologies for Older Adults, edited by Barbara Barbosa Neves and Frank Vetere, is a collection of 18 papers that describe the complexity of research and praxis of information and communication technologies co-design, implementation, evaluation, acceptance, and use by older adults. The book acknowledges the worldwide demographic trends of population ageing and technologization as well as the challenges and opportunities that they bring to societies. Digital technologies can potentially contribute to the well-being and quality of life, prolong and facilitate ageing in place, assist with physical and mental impairments, and, on the other hand, technology nonuse or lower use can be detrimental and lead to exclusion. The positive impact of technologies depends on the success and effectiveness of the design and its implementation, which are phenomena for interdisciplinary examination. This book is a unique integration of multiple fields including computer science, social sciences, engineering, and architecture, united together in an attempt to produce multisided knowledge on designing and tailoring the innovative digital devices, robots, websites, and services to the diverse needs and aspirations of older adults.
Text in English
DOI: 10.25285/2078-1938-2020-12-2-221-223


The method of potential solutions of Fokker-Planck equations is used to develop a transport equation for the joint probability of N coupled stochastic variables with the Dirichlet distribution as its asymptotic solution. To ensure a bounded sample space, a coupled nonlinear diffusion process is required: the Wiener-processes in the equivalent system of stochastic differential equations are multiplicative with coefficients dependent on all the stochastic variables. Individual samples of a discrete ensemble, obtained from the stochastic process, satisfy a unit-sum constraint at all times. The process may be used to represent realizations of a fluctuating ensemble of N variables subject to a conservation principle. Similar to the multivariate Wright-Fisher process, whose invariant is also Dirichlet, the univariate case yields a process whose invariant is the beta distribution. As a test of the results, Monte-Carlo simulations are used to evolve numerical ensembles toward the invariant Dirichlet distribution.


ABSTRACT We present here the objectives, organization and preliminary results of the invertebrate inventory of the Mercantour National Park ("Terrestrial Invertebrates Module" of the ATBI Mercantour/Alpi Marittime), carried out by 68 scientists and field-collectors from 2009 to 2012. The conceptual framework of an ATBI and the interactions between inventorying and frequently associated research aims are discussed. The sampling strategy adopted combined standardized multi-taxon sampling (continuous and occasional) with individual taxon-centred sampling. The successive tasks of field sampling, specimen coding, sorting and identification, molecular analysis and data management are briefly described. A coherent system of sample coding ensured the traceability of specimens. The project results in terms of sampling effort, abundance of collected invertebrate fauna and biological diversity are presented globally, by techniques, by sites and by higher taxonomic groups: 259,412 specimens were obtained from 761 sorted samples (out of 1243 samples collected), belonging to 1725 identified species and subspecies, in addition to which 37 species new to science have been recognized. These data are progressively being integrated into the CardObs database of the INPN and are partly accessible through the EDIT and GBIF websites. Molecular analyses (barcoding) have provided 2800 sequences (mostly for the COI gene in Gastropoda, Collembola and Hymenoptera). Analysis of these sequences indicates a significant amount of cryptic diversity in the material. From a macro-ecological perspective, endemicity in the park decreases globally from south to north and species richness decreases at higher elevations, but the data are uneven and patterns vary according to group. Based on this four-year experience, it appears that a smaller survey area with lower habitat diversity would be better suited to the aims of an ATBI when the available resources are limited, and would enhance the efficiency of collective work in the field.


In this timely and provocative book, James Stent, a banker with decades of experience in Asian banking and fluency in Chinese language, explains how Chinese banks work, analyzes their strengths and weaknesses, and sets forth the challenges they face in a slowing economy. Without minimizing the real issues Chinese banks face, China's Banking Transformation challenges negative media accounts and reports of "China bears". Based on his 12 years of service on the boards of China Minsheng Bank, a privately owned listed bank, and China Everbright Bank, a state-controlled listed bank, the author brings the informed view of an insider to the reality of Chinese banking. China's Banking Transformation demonstrates that Chinese banks have transformed into modern, well-run commercial banks, playing a vital role supporting China's extraordinary economic growth. Acknowledging that China's banks are different from Western banks, the author explains that they are hybrid banks, borrowing extensively from Western models, but at the same time operating within a traditional Chinese cultural framework and in line with China's governance model. From his personal experience working at board level, Stent describes the governance and management of China's banks, including the role of the Communist Party. He sees China's banks as embedded in ancient concepts of how government and society work in China, and also as actors within a market socialist political economy. The Chinese banking system today bears similarities with banking in Northeast Asian "developmental states" of recent past, and also pre-1949 Chinese banking. As the first account of Chinese banking by a Westerner who has worked in China's banks, China's Banking Transformation should be read by anyone interested in the political economy of contemporary China, in Asian development issues, and in banking issues generally. The book dispels misconceptions and provides insight into the financial aspects of China's economic growth story.


OBJECTIVE. To understand how two types of aerobic exercise affect upper-extremity motor recovery post-stroke. Our aims were to (1) evaluate the feasibility of having people who had a stroke complete an aerobic exercise intervention and (2) determine whether forced or voluntary exercise differentially facilitates upper-extremity recovery when paired with task practice. METHOD. Seventeen participants with chronic stroke completed twenty-four 90-min sessions over 8 wk. Aerobic exercise was immediately followed by task practice. Participants were randomized to forced or voluntary aerobic exercise groups or to task practice only. RESULTS. Improvement on the Fugl-Meyer Assessment exceeded the minimal clinically important difference: 12.3, 4.8, and 4.4 for the forced exercise, voluntary exercise, and repetitive task practice–only groups, respectively. Only the forced exercise group exhibited a statistically significant improvement. CONCLUSION. People with chronic stroke can safely complete intensive aerobic exercise. Forced aerobic exercise may be optimal in facilitating motor recovery associated with task practice.


The Transatlantic Orientation Exchange/Multiplikatorenschulung im transatlan‐tischen Austausch is a collaboration between volunteers and staff in both the US and German AFS organizations. The goal of the project is to increase the level of intercultural learning of German and US secondary education exchange participants and their host families. Germany and the US are among the largest country groups in mutual exchanges within the network: every year around 450 American families host a student from Germany and around 100 German families welcome somebody from the USA. The project was conceived in part as a result of a paradigm shift within AFS in which participants and host family members are now viewed as equal partners in the intercultural learning process. The material presented in this paper was developed in a dialogue process between the work groups in both countries who met virtually and in person multiple times over the course of the project. This construct allowed for group members to engage in a parallel process of intercultural learning and discovery as they identified and applied to their own experience the concepts that would be useful to host families and participants in their respective countries.


We used satellite data, typhoon-resolving atmospheric forcing and a data assimilating ocean model, the East Asian Seas Nowcast/Forecast System (EASNFS), to investigate circulation and three upwelling regions perturbed by tides and Typhoon Fanapi (2010) in the seas around Taiwan. The three upwelling areas located off northeast Taiwan, off southeast China and over the Penghu Channel off southwest Taiwan are normally limited in expanse before Fanapi. The tidal currents enhance all three. To cope with typhoon strength atmospheric forcing, we applied typhoon-resolving Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model wind fields that significantly enhanced Fanapi-induced upwelling. Approaching Taiwan, Fanapi induces a cold wake spreading preferably on the right side of the essentially westward running track in the western Pacific. The three upwelling areas in the East China Sea and Taiwan Strait subsequently become expansive as Fanapi approaches and enters the Taiwan Strait. The mechanisms leading to normal or Fanapi-perturbed upwelling and circulation in seas around Taiwan, especially the latter two mentioned above, are suggested. In essence, Fanapi disrupts circulation in the Taiwan Strait, and also the Taiwan Strait outflow entering the East China Sea, leading to expanded upwelling areas. We also suggest that high-resolution wind and tides application is essential for the upwelling modeling study and also the general circulation in the region with and without typhoons.


Trade–offs between defence and other fitness components are expected in principle, and can have major qualitative impacts on ecological dynamics. Here we show that such a trade–off exists even in the simple unicellular alga Chlorella vulgaris. We grew algal populations for multiple generations in either the presence ('grazed algae') or absence ('non–grazed algae') of the grazing rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus, and then evaluated their defence and competitive abilities. Grazed algae were better defended, yielding rotifer growth rate 32% below that of animals fed non–grazed algae, but they also had diminished competitive ability, with a growth rate under nutrient–limiting conditions 28% below that of non–grazed algae. Grazed algae also had a smaller cell size and were more concentrated in carbon and nitrogen. Thus, C. vulgaris genotypes vary phenotypically in their position along a trade–off curve between defence against grazing and competitive ability. This genetic variation underlies rapid algal evolution that significantly alters the ecological predator–prey cycles between rotifers and algae.


This thesis examines the history of architectural education and professionalism in Britain from the foundation of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 1834 to the Oxford Conference on education held by the RIBA in 1958. Between these dates, it investigates with primary source material drawn from the RIBA and the Architects Registration Council (ARCUK), the nature and development of these institutions in relation to one another in the evolution of an educational policy for the architectural profession. The scope of the work embraces an exploration both of the controls placed by the profession on education and of the statutory limits to professional control promulgated by the State. The thesis sets out, first, to analyse the links made between the formation of the RIBA and its search for an appropriate qualification and examination system which would regulate entry into the RIBA. It then considers the ways in which the RIBA sought to implement and rationalise this examination system in order to further educational opportunities for its members and restrict architectural practice. This is followed by an account of the means by which the profession began to achieve statutory recognition of its own knowledge and practice. This section also assesses the difficulties of holding the profession to account by lay opinion. An evaluation of the singular nature and practice of the RIBA Visiting Board then forms the basis for an analysis of the principal ways in which the profession sought to regulate standards within schools of architecture. Finally, an appraisal of the considerable influence of the Oxford Conference is made with reference to the adjustments of the architectural profession to the changed conditions imposed on practice and education by post-war Britain. Conclusions are then drawn in which the writer summarises the significance of the material in relation to the future of architectural education policy for the profession.


Ride faster and smarter than ever before! Olympian, former national champion, and elite cycling coach Ann Trombley is your authoritative guide to learning how with improved-selection and fitting of equipment for the optimal match of personal attributes with current technology, -technical maneuvers that maximize both speed and safety, -training methods and workouts that yield superior results, and-racing preparations and tactics that make competition more rewarding and more successful. "Serious Mountain Biking" gives you the answers to the questions and solutions to the problems you've encountered while participating in the sport. No need to continue learning by trial and error when such experience and expertise are at your fingertips. Make every minute and mile you invest on the bike more beneficial and enjoyable with the help of this invaluable resource on mountain biking.


This paper describes the design of a robot agent and associated learning algorithms to help children in handwriting acquisition. The main issue lies in how to program a robot to obtain human-like handwriting and then exploit it to teach children. We propose to address this by integrating learning from demonstrations paradigm, which allows the robot to extract a task index from intuitive expert (e.g., adults) demonstrations. We present our work on the development of an algorithm, as well as its validation by learning compliant robotic writing motion from the extracted index. Also discussed is the synthesis of the learned task in the prospective work of transferring the task skill to users, especially in terms of learning by teaching. The undergoing work about the design of a sensor-embedded pen is introduced. This will be used as an intuitive interface for recording various handwriting related information in the interaction.


Spatial (left or right) preferences were determined for rats given foot shock in a T-maze. The animals were killed, and left and right striata were assayed separately for dopamine and left and right teldiencephalic regions were assayed for norepinephrine. Dopamine content was significantly higher (by 12 percent) in the striata contralateral to rats' side preferences than in the ipsilateral striata; there was no such difference for teldiencephalic norepinephrine. The small asymmetry in striatal dopamine content is not due to any learning- or stress-related change induced by the testing procedure but is probably inherent in normal rats. Some spatial behavior appears to be the manifestation of a normal and specific difference in the activity of left and right nigrostriatal systems.


Global change increases both the number of threatened species and the impacts of invasives. These two problems are sometimes assumed to be opposite sides of the same coin, with invasive species having the opposite characteristics of endangered species. However, the validity of this assumption has never been tested. We analysed 20 life-history and other traits of all European and North American freshwater fish and birds. For these 1813 species, we compared the determinants of invasion success and IUCN-threat status and found that traits favouring invasion are not simply the opposite of those that favour endangerment. The size and life history of species are correlated more strongly with threat status than invasiveness. On the other hand, association with humans is the best predictor of invasiveness but is not correlated with threat status. Thus, the rise of invaders is caused by different aspects of global change than the imperilment of endangered species.


The literature on risk tolerance overwhelmingly justifies the use of questionnaires based on validity and reliability or psychometric testing, but there has been little research examining the relation between questions and actual investor portfolio behavior. This study examines risk tolerance questions based on economic theory, prospect theory, and client self-assessment to determine the extent to which they explain variation in portfolio allocation preference and recent investment changes. We conclude that risk tolerance questions based on loss aversion and self-assessment should be used when determining the portfolio allocation of clients. While questions based on economic theory should theoretically be the best measure of a client's portfolio allocation preference, the results of this study indicate that these questions are not very useful when both loss aversion and self-assessment questions are included in a risk tolerance questionnaire. Financial planners should begin to reassess the risk tolerance level of their clients around age 60, as there is evidence that risk tolerance declines later in life because of cognitive decline.


Designing and developing e-commerce websites is a puzzle with thousands of pieces. Not only are the layout and structure of your Web store important, but you also have to keep the user experience and conversion rates in mind. These are what, in the end, really convince your client's customers to click that shiny "Buy now" button.
In this eBook (eBook #5) you'll be studying the universal principles for successful e-commerce websites, which include improving your check-out process and making your product displays more attractive. In reality, optimizing your conversion rates takes little effort. Find out how to resolve small usability issues to immense effect. Are you familiar with A/B and multivariate testing? Use them to figure out how customers respond to minimal changes in design, content structure and check-out convenience.
Customers decide whether to stay on a page in just a few (milli)seconds, so you better make them count!Only outstanding articles have made it into the book, according to Smashing Magazine's high-quality standards. Our authors are professionals, and their careful research figures largely in the book. Take the advice of experts who know exactly what they're writing about.


2-pyridinethione (2-mercaptopyridine, H-2mp) undergoes rapid oxidative addition with 2 mol of the 17-electron organometallic radical *Cr(CO)3Cp (where Cp*=C5Me5), yielding hydride H-Cr(CO)3Cp* and thiolate (eta1-2mp)Cr(CO)3Cp*. In a slower secondary reaction, (eta1-2mp)Cr(CO)3Cp* loses CO generating the N,S-chelate complex (eta2-2mp)Cr(CO)2Cp* for which the crystal structure is reported. The rate of 2-pyridine thione oxidative addition with *Cr(CO)3Cp* (abbreviated *Cr) in toluene best fits rate=kobs[H-2mp][*Cr]; kobs(288 K)=22 +/- 4 M(-1) s(-1); DeltaH++=4 +/- 1 kcal/mol; DeltaS++=- 40 +/- 5 cal/mol K. The rate of reaction is the same under CO or Ar, and the reaction of deuterated 2-pyridine thione (D-2mp) shows a negligible (inverse) kinetic isotope effect (kD/kH=1.06 +/- 0.10). The rate of decarbonylation of (eta1-2mp)Cr(CO)3Cp* forming (eta2-2mp)Cr(CO)2Cp* obeys simple first-order kinetics with kobs (288 K)=3.1x10(-4) s(-1), DeltaH++=23 +/- 1 kcal/mol, and DeltaS++=+ 5.0 +/- 2 cal/mol K. Reaction of 4-pyridine thione (4-mercaptopyridine, H-4mp) with *Cr(CO)3Cp* in THF and CH2Cl2 also follows second-order kinetics and is approximately 2-5 times faster than H-2mp in the same solvents. The relatively rapid nature of the thione versus thiol reactions is attributed to differences in the proposed 19-electron intermediate complexes, [*(S=C5H4N-H)Cr(CO)3Cp*] versus [*(H-S-C6H5)Cr(CO)3Cp*]. In comparison, reactions of pyridyl disulfides occur by a mechanism similar to that followed by aryl disulfides involving direct attack of the sulfur-sulfur bond by the metal radical. Calorimetric data indicate Cr-SR bond strengths for aryl and pyridyl derivatives are similar. The experimental conclusions are supported by B3LYP/6-311+G(3df,2p) calculations, which also provide additional insight into the reaction pathways open to the thione/thiol tautomers. For example, the reaction between H* radical and the 2-pyridine thione S atom yielding a thionyl radical is exothermic by approximately 30 kcal/mol. In contrast, the thiuranyl radical formed from the addition of H* to the 2-pyridine thiol S atom is predicted to be unstable, eliminating either H* or HS* without barrier.


Abstract This paper challenges the belief that methods of teaching reading are the answer to raising age cohort standards of achievement, and that literacy, in the form of reading and writing, is based on spoken language. It is argued that documents, advising how to raise standards of literacy, have overlooked the way in which education systems work, and their relationship to large-scale testing, and have not considered methods which use real-life writing to establish literacy in young school children. The concept of a configuration of sites is presented as a way of understanding literacy in both its social and individual aspects, and for diverse population groups. Introduction This article is organised into three sections. In the first, I examine current beliefs about what literacy is, its relationship to reading and the so-called gap of achievement, and its supposed basis in spoken language. The second section adopts a broader definition of literacy: one arising from society's possession of a written script, the consequences of this for social institutions, and the claims for its effects on the constitution of minds. Developmental evidence is presented to show that children in literate societies take an early interest in the activity of writing. The third section draws conclusions from the broader definition of literacy, by illustrating the various social sites which incorporate written scripts. Individuals have access to differing configurations of these sites for literacy. The article concludes with brief reference to the "new literacy" and the use of writing to teach literacy in the early years. Current beliefs about literacy Literacy defined as reading Definitions, of course, are only relevant to the interests they are constructed to serve and it would be fruitless to enter a definitional argument as to what 'literacy' really is. (Street, 1984, p. 51) English in the New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 1994) broadens the scope of literacy, from the traditional reading and writing, by adding visual literacy. However, in New Zealand, literacy is generally restricted to reading. This is hardly new, and, as noted by Vygotsky (1997, p. 131), "the mechanics of reading is put forward so much that it shades written language". There are many reading experts in New Zealand, but early writing lacks its advocates (however, see Hood, 2003). One reason for the widespread emphasis on reading can be found in the history of schooling, and the origins of instruction in order to read the Bible, allied with a fear that writing would lead to political pamphleteering and deliver power into the hands of dissidents. Teaching today is likely to concentrate on areas of the curriculum that are assessed internationally, and there is greater difficulty in large-scale testing of writing than in testing for reading. For example, a report from the US on the reading of children aged 4-7 years, from 1998 to 2000, noted that: It is not feasible to include a sampling of children's writings given the practical constraints associated with the cost of scoring their samples. (National Center for Education Statistics, 2003, para. 5) Can methods of teaching reading close the achievement gap? The Government's goal, announced in October 1998, was that "by 2005, every child turning nine will be able to read, write and do maths for success". The Literacy Taskforce and the Literacy Experts Group were established to advise on the achievement of this aim. The main focus of both groups' reports was on how to teach reading, leaving discussion of methods of teaching writing to Dancing with the Pen (Ministry of Education, 1992). The report of the Literacy Experts Group (Ministry of Education, 1999) concentrates on methods, particularly those associated with phonics and with reading for meaning. International studies measure the performance of age or grade cohorts. …


The oceans cover approximately 71% of the Earth's surface and contain more than 97% of the planet's water, representing over 100 times more liveable volume than the terrestrial habitat. Approximately fifty percent of the species on the planet occupy this ocean biome, much of which remains unexplored. The health and sustainability of the oceans are threatened by a combination of pressures associated with climate change and the ever-increasing demands we place on them for food, recreation, trade, energy and minerals. The biggest threat, however, is the pace of change to the oceans, e.g., ocean acidification, which is unprecedented in human history. Consequently, there has never been a greater need for the rapid and widespread dissemination of the outcomes of research aimed at improving our understanding of how the oceans work and solutions to their sustainable use. It is our hope that this new online, open-access Journal of Marine Science and Engineering will go some way to fulfilling this need. [...]


Background and importance Extracranial carotid artery atherosclerotic stenosis typically occurs at the junction of the common carotid, external carotid and internal carotid arteries. Although rare, anatomical arterial variants can influence surgical strategy and can have a significant impact on surgical complications and patient outcome. An unusual case of atherosclerotic stenosis of the internal carotid artery (ICA) at the origin of a pharyngo-occipital variant off of the ICA is reported here. Clinical presentation A 60-year-old man presented with symptomatic severe left cervical ICA stenosis. The stenosis was related to the origin of the pharyngo-occipital common trunk which arose from the ICA rather than the typical origin off of the external carotid artery. The patient underwent successful left carotid endarterectomy with special attention to this variant anatomy. Conclusion Anomalies of the extracranial ICA, although rare, can influence the location of atherosclerotic disease and the surgical endarterectomy strategy. A detailed anatomical study should be performed prior to surgery to minimize risk and improve patient outcome.


An emotionally-competent computer agent could be a valuable assistive technology in performing various affective tasks. For example caring for the elderly, low-cost ubiquitous chat therapy, and providing emotional support in general, by promoting a more positive emotional state through dialogue system interaction. However, despite the increase of interest in this task, existing works face a number of shortcomings: system scalability, restrictive modeling, and weak emphasis on maximizing user emotional experience. In this paper, we build a fully data driven chat-oriented dialogue system that can dynamically mimic affective human interactions by utilizing a neural network architecture. In particular, we propose a sequence-to-sequence response generator that considers the emotional context of the dialogue. An emotion encoder is trained jointly with the entire network to encode and maintain the emotional context throughout the dialogue. The encoded emotion information is then incorporated in the response generation process. We train the network with a dialogue corpus that contains positive-emotion eliciting responses, collected through crowd-sourcing. Objective evaluation shows that incorporation of emotion into the training process helps reduce the perplexity of the generated responses, even when a small dataset is used. Subsequent subjective evaluation shows that the proposed method produces responses that are more natural and likely to elicit a more positive emotion.


We observed 13 Planck cold clumps with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope/SCUBA-2 and with the Nobeyama 45 m radio telescope. The N2H+ distribution obtained with the Nobeyama telescope is quite similar to SCUBA-2 dust distribution. The 82 GHz HC3N, 82 GHz CCS, and 94 GHz CCS emission are often distributed differently with respect to the N2H+ emission. The CCS emission, which is known to be abundant in starless molecular cloud cores, is often very clumpy in the observed targets. We made deep single-pointing observations in DNC, HN13C, N2D+, and cyclic-C3H2 toward nine clumps. The detection rate of N2D+ is 50%. Furthermore, we observed the NH3 emission toward 15 Planck cold clumps to estimate the kinetic temperature, and confirmed that most targets are cold (≲20 K). In two of the starless clumps we observed, the CCS emission is distributed as it surrounds the N2H+ core (chemically evolved gas), which resembles the case of L1544, a prestellar core showing collapse. In addition, we detected both DNC and N2D+. These two clumps are most likely on the verge of star formation. We introduce the chemical evolution factor (CEF) for starless cores to describe the chemical evolutionary stage, and analyze the observed Planck cold clumps.


In this essay, Professor Solove argues that the Fourth Amendment reasonable expectation of privacy test should be abandoned. Instead of engaging in a fruitless game of determining whether privacy is invaded, the United States Supreme Court should adopt a more pragmatic approach to the Fourth Amendment and directly face the issue of how to regulate government information gathering. There are two central questions in Fourth Amendment analysis: (1) The Coverage Question - Does the Fourth Amendment provide protection against a particular form of government information gathering? and (2) The Procedure Question - How should the Fourth Amendment regulate this form of government information gathering? The Coverage Question should be easy to answer: The Fourth Amendment should regulate whenever government information gathering creates problems of reasonable significance. Such a scope of coverage would be broad, and the attention wasted on the Coverage Question would be shifted to the Procedure Question. This pragmatic approach to the Fourth Amendment is consistent with its text and will make Fourth Amendment law coherent and comprehensive.


This thesis examines the multiplatform design issues of a development project using agile project methods and how they were resolved. Data was gathered through observation, photography and keeping of a journal using action research as a methodological framework. The thesis is concluded with recommendations on how to deal with these issues in similar projects under similar conditions.


The paper surveys the corporate opportunities doctrine in four jurisdictions: the US, the UK, Germany, and France. Our analysis enables us to trace the development of the doctrine, exposing the way in which certain models of dealing with a particular issue have arisen, and how these models have then spread. Fiduciary duties are often today held out as typical instruments of shareholder protection in the US and the UK, both of which are often held out as model jurisdictions in corporate governance internationally. However, fiduciary duties in these two jurisdictions often operate in strikingly different ways. While the US relies on an open-ended standard, the UK corporate opportunities doctrine effectively constitutes a rule.

We explore the transplantation of the corporate opportunities doctrine, largely based on the US model, to France and Germany. In Germany, the law historically prohibited officers of the corporation from engaging in competing business activities; the statutory prohibition applied to some but not all corporate opportunities, and also left open some space for the corporate opportunity doctrine to move into. The German version of the doctrine developed gradually over the past fifty years and owes its adoption to a number of academics who studied US law and reinterpreted a number of cases – where it was clear that an officer had violated his duties to the corporation – in light of the newly discovered doctrine. By contrast, it was not until late 2011 that French courts recognized for the first time that a director may not appropriate a corporate opportunity. Until then, self-dealing issues were dealt with under a statutory provision enacted in 1867 merely requiring corporate approval for conflicted transactions, not including corporate opportunities. As the core thesis of the paper, we show that there is a considerable degree of convergence relating to the corporate opportunities doctrine, which has radiated primarily from US law to the two civil law jurisdictions. Overall, we can thus identify an "export" of the US model, possibly signaling some convergence in corporate law. The paper compares the treatment of corporate opportunities problem in all four jurisdictions, explores why the US example may have been more attractive as a transplant than the UK model, and discusses possible implications for transplant theory and the debate about convergence in corporate governance.


Aim: To improve oral bioavailability of curcumin by a combination of approaches. Materials and Methods: Liposomes were prepared by thin film hydration method. Prepared liposomes were evaluated for its physical characteristics such as particle size, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency. Release study and bioavailability was also determined on rat. Blood samples were collected at specific intervals, and plasma was separated by ultracentrifugation. Plasma was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography at 420 nm taking acetic acid:acetonitrile (9:1) ratio as a mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.5 ml/min using C18 column. Result and Discussion: Increase in zeta potential indicates more uniform size distribution. From in-vivo study, it is clear that liposomal curcumin and piperine increases Cmax, area under the curve, and mean residence time significantly as compared to other approaches. Conclusion: Oral bioavailability of curcumin can be significantly increased by combining two approaches. The single approach may not be sufficient to overcome the hindrance of curcumin.


Background: Proteases constitute the largest product segment in the global industrial enzymes market; they are used in food, pharmaceutical, leather, textile, wood and detergent industries. Alkaline proteases improve the cleaning efficiency of detergents and represent one of the most successful applications of modern industrial biotechnology. The aim of this work was to study the performance of two alkaline phytoproteases, araujiain ( Araujia hortorum Fourn.) and asclepain ( Asclepias curassavica L.), for their potential application as additive in laundry detergent formulations. Results: The effect of pure non-ionic and ionic surfactants on proteolytic activity of araujiain and asclepain was analyzed measuring the remaining activity after 1 hr of incubation of those enzymes in aqueous solutions of surfactants at different concentrations (0.1, 0.4 and 1‰ v/v) and temperatures (25, 40 and 60o C). Besides, the compatibility of the enzymes with six commercial laundry detergents was also studied measuring the remaining proteolytic activity at 37o C after 1 hr. Commercial detergent components influenced in different ways on araujiain and asclepain, in spite of the similar behaviour of the two enzymes in buffer. In commercial detergent solutions, araujiain expressed between 60‰ and 140‰ of its remaining proteolytic activity in buffer (pH 8.5) at 37o C after 1 hr, while asclepain , was practically inactivate in most of them at the same conditions. Conclusions: Proteolytic extract of Araujia hortorum fulfilled all the requirements for its application as additive for laundry detergents: high stability in a broad temperature range (25-70o C), high activity in alkaline pH (7.5-9.5) and very good compatibility with the commercial detergent additives. Nevertheless, in spite of its high stability and activity in buffer, the proteolytic extract of Asclepias curassavica did not show the same performance than araujiain .


I present a robotics localization challenge based on the inexpensive Neato XV robotic vacuum cleaner platform. The challenge teaches skills such as computational modeling, probabilistic inference, efficiency vs. accuracy tradeoffs, debugging, parameter tuning, and benchmarking of algorithmic performance. Rather than allowing students to pursue any localization algorithm of their choosing, here, I propose a challenge structured around the particle filter family of algorithms. This additional scaffolding allows students at all levels to successfully implement one approach to the challenge, while providing enough flexibility and richness to enable students to pursue their own creative ideas. Additionally, I provide infrastructure for automatic evaluation of systems through the collection of ground truth robot location data via ceiling-mounted location tags that are automatically scanned using an upward facing camera attached to the robot. The robot and supporting hardware can be purchased for under $400 dollars, and the challenge can even be run without any robots at all using a set of recorded sensor traces.


The abstract paintings of Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Barnett Newman, Lee Krasner, Clyfford Still, Helen Frankenthaler, and others revolutionized the art world in the 1940s and 1950s and continue to inspire passionate arguments to this day. What were these artists trying to achieve? Who were the critical voices of the time that rallied public interest in Abstract Expressionism and sparked rancorous debate? Drawing on recent critical, historical, and biographical work, this lavishly illustrated book offers a sharp new focus on a pivotal art movement. It also presents an extensive commentary on the two most influential critics of postwar American art--Clement Greenberg and Harold Rosenberg--whose powerful views shaped perceptions of Abstract Expressionism and other contemporary art movements. In one essay, Norman L. Kleeblatt traces the influence of Abstract Expressionism into the mid-1970s and examines its connection to subsequent art styles. Other essays range from the literary and intellectual culture of New York during that period and an analysis of sculpture and representation to a discussion of Jewish issues in relation to postwar American Art. In addition, the book features a magisterial essay by eminent critic Irving Sandler and a copiously illustrated cultural timeline by Maurice Berger.


This book presents a series of thoughtful and revealing reflections - excerpts from the inner and outer lives of college teachers - from which emerges a common concern for the interactive and spiritual dimensions of the educational process, and a rich sense of the light which can and should illuminate it. Informed either by personal commitment to Quakerism, or by individual work within Quaker institutions, the contributors offer perspectives that are important for teachers, parents, and readers generally interested in the classroom experience as a process of growth and exploration. Minding the Light provides an inspiring outline of « friendly pedagogy, which deeply respects individual uniqueness while awakening learners to their active involvements with larger communities.


The light-limited environment of tropical coral reefs has not been intensively studied due to technical limitations. Studying this vast part of the coral reef is paramount to understanding the ecological and physiological significance of coral-algae symbiosis and defining the boundaries imposed on its bathymetric distribution by the underwater light field. In the present study we describe morphological changes in colonies of the coral Stylophora pistillata and track changes in its carbon sources (autotrophic/heterotrophic behavior) along its full bathymetric distribution. The growth form of hermatypic corals must compromise between an optimal light-trapping surface facil- itating photosynthesis and other structures and/or mechanisms that enhance exploitation of nutrient- rich sources such as zooplankton. That architectural modulation is constrained within the species- specific structural and biological characteristics. We found that the profusely branched S. pistillata colonies shift between subspherical morphology at high-light environments to a planar structure at depth. The stable carbon isotopic composition (δ 13 C) of the host coral tissue changed from a value of -15‰ in shallow water to -23‰ at the deep reef. The latter value indicates either a carbon source with a stable isotope composition equal or below -23‰ or, alternatively, internal carbon cycling between host and algae that involves isotopic fractionation (e). The δ 13 C values showed significant correlation to morphological traits, but contradicting trends were found within the traits. A clear shift to heterotrophy was not apparent, which, therefore, suggests that the internal cycling and Rubisco activity are the dominant processes determining isotopic composition.


Circuit engineering is a discipline that has done the job right, and genetic engineering is at least trying to do the job right. Both have managed vast complexity and achieved a high level of public trust. Software engineering could take lessons from either discipline, and this is not simply an academician's lament; the cost of software is enormous and risk to public safety daunting. Many of us regard the 1968 NATO conference as the birth of software engineering, which was then regarded as the design of computer programs and software-intensive systems within a performance, quality, and economical framework. Like circuit and genetic engineers, software engineers should look first to the underlying science for vocabulary, methods and tools. Software is the hope and means for progress in science and in better industrial products, yet software engineering seems to be languishing in a dark prison of its own making. Professional societies, industry associations and government regulators must certify products in narrow specializations. Programming language compilers is an area that is sufficiently mature to support effective certification protocols. The software field must find a way to bind university preparation with industry practice.


The ubiquity of digital sensors embedded in today's mobile and wearable devices (e.g., smartphones, wearable cameras, wristbands) has made technology more intertwined with our life. Among many other things, this allows us to seamlessly log our daily experiences in increasing numbers and quality, a process known as "lifelogging". This practice produces a great amount of pictures and videos that can potentially improve human memory. Consider how a single photograph can bring back distant childhood memories, or how a song can help us reminisce about our last vacation. Such a vision of a "memory augmentation system" can offer considerable benefits, but it also raises new security and privacy challenges. Maybe obviously, a system that captures everywhere we go, and everything we say, see, and do, is greatly increasing the danger to our privacy. Any data breach of such a memory repository, whether accidental or malicious, could negatively impact both our professional and private reputation. In addition, the threat of memory manipulation might be the most worrisome aspect of a memory augmentation system: if an attacker is able to remove, add, or change our captured information, the resulting data may implant memories in our heads that never took place, or, in turn, accelerate the loss of other memories. Starting from such key challenges, this thesis investigates how to design secure memory augmentation systems. In the course of this research, we develop tools and prototypes that can be applied by researchers and system engineers to develop pervasive applications that help users capture and later recall episodic memories in a secure fashion. We build trusted sensors and protocols to securely capture and store experience data, and secure software for the secure and privacy-aware exchange of experience data with others. We explore the suitability of various access control models to put users in control of the plethora of data that the system captures on their behalf. We also explore the possibility of using in situ physical gestures to control different aspects regarding the capturing and sharing of experience data. Ultimately, this thesis contributes to the design and development of secure systems for memory augmentation.


Coccolithophore fluxes were determined at a mooring site off Cape Blanc (21° 08.7' N, 20° 41.2' W) from March 1989 to November 1991 to reveal inter-annual and seasonal changes in species composition. In total, 74 coccolithophore species were recorded, with Emiliania huxleyi, Florisphaera profunda and Gephyrocapsa spp. dominating the assemblage. Two major conditions were identified, leading to three different intervals with characteristic species composition and associated changing environmental factors: a 'normal' condition characterized by fluctuating fluxes with rather constant species assemblage and a 'pulse-like event' that reveals a significant increase in coccolithophore fluxes and change in species composition. From March 1988 to October/November 1990 and from May 1991 the coccolithophore assemblage was dominated by E. huxleyi, F. profunda, G. flabellatus, G. oceanic, and G. ericsonii. Variability within this assemblage points to the occurrence of different surface waters, such as offshore meandering filaments. In winter 1990/1991 a 'pulse-like event' followed that was characterized by a significant increase in coccolithophore fluxes and in the contribution of species of the genera Ophiaster, Acanthoica, Calciosolenia, Calciopappus and Syracosphaera. It is assumed that a fast settling took place after enhanced production occurred. The third interval from May to November 1991 displays reduced fluxes of all coccolithophore species. However, the species composition is similar to the first interval, thus seemingly the assemblage converges back to 'normal' conditions. Statistical analysis revealed small correlations of the tested environmental parameters, such as sea surface temperature, nutrient availability and lithogenic fluxes. Nevertheless a certain seasonality of the assemblages was obvious in terms of different correlation of these environmental factors. In autumn the variability of the coccolithophorid assemblage is correlated more to sea surface temperature, whereas the spring assemblage of coccolithophores is related more to nutrient availability. In contrast, the summer assemblage is, to some extent, influenced by all tested environmental factors, suggesting that further environmental parameters are more important. This may also explain that although the observed mean coccolith fluxes off Cape Blanc are well within the range of those in the SW African upwelling, as well as in more oligotrophic sites of the temperate North Atlantic and the Canary Islands, the assemblage composition is conspicuously different. The region off Cape Blanc stands out in terms of a lesser content of E. huxleyi but an enhanced proportion of a number of small-sized coccolithophore species.


Eosin, if present in cultures containing tetanus spores, prevents the germination of these spores when its concentration (in glucose bouillon) reaches 0.2 per cent. When the concentration of the eosin sinks to 0.01 per cent., germination of the spores is no longer inhibited, but the vegetative bacilli developed from the spores execute a highly restrained form of multiplication. When the eosin concentration sinks to 0.001 per cent., vegetation and multiplication of the bacilli become more active, but no new spores are formed even after long periods of time. With glucose agar it is not until the concentration of the eosin in the cultures falls to .05 per cent. that sporulation again appears. At this concentration of the eosin, very few spores are formed ; but as the eosin sinks lower and lower, sporulation becomes more active, until with 0.001 per cent. it is essentially of normal degree. In concentrations of 0.003 per cent., eosin prevents perfect segmentation of the multiplying bacilli, with the result that, finally, long and convoluted threads of bacilli are produced. The spores which are formed in a medium containing 0.01 per cent. of eosin are often situated at the centre and not at one pole of the bacilli. Eosin in a strength of 2 per cent. is capable of destroying the vegetative bacilli, if the contact is prolonged to fifteen minutes, and in strength of 0.1 per cent., in twenty-four hours. Placing this latter mixture of bacilli and eosin in the sunlight greatly hastens the bactericidal effect, and the bacilli are found to be incapable of growth at the end of several hours. Eosin in high concentrations is not capable of killing the tetanus spores, even after long exposure to sunlight (thirty hours). The toxin production of tetanus bacilli grown in eosinized culture media diminishes as the concentration of the eosin increases. This effect is brought about partly by the restraining action of the dye on vegetation, and partly by its detoxicating action upon the poison., The toxin-producing power and the virulence of tetanus bacilli are not permanently modified by contact with eosin for a long period, or by successive cultivations in eosinized media. Eosin is likewise capable of restraining the vegetation of tetanus spores in the animal body. In spore threads inserted beneath the skin of rats, and surrounded with eosin in solution, a very restricted vegetation takes place. If the injections of eosin are repeated. vegetation soon ceases and the vegetated bacilli degenerate and disappear. The ungerminated tetanus spores remain alive in a latent condition indefinitely in the healed wound beneath the skin. These spores do not lose power to grow outside the body, or inside the body of animals under favorable conditions, or to produce toxin in a characteristic manner.


Background: Prostate cancer (PC) remains the second leading cause of male death in Western countries and has been on the rise in Qatar during the last decade. Recent studies established that unlike differentiated PC cells, PC stem cells (PCSC) display high tumorigenic and metastatic potential and become resistant to current therapy. Therefore therapeutic success depends on the ability to effectively kill PCSC. The disease progression to advanced stages is attributed to the development of anti-apoptotic signaling mechanisms in cancer cells activated by several growth factors and neuropeptides. Relatively little is known about the survival signaling mechanisms in PCSC. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the resistance of PCSC to current therapeutic regimens is of immense clinical interest. Objectives: The objectives of this study include the identification in PC stem cells of the anti-apoptotic mechanisms activated by growth factors and neuropeptides that overexpress in advanced PC, and to address how these survival agonists modulate self-renewal of PCSC. Methods: The PCSC were sorted from cancer cell lines and enriched. Apoptosis was induced in PCSC by inhibiting the survival of kinase PI3K using pharmacological inhibitor, LY294002. The cytoprotective and self-renewal effects of growth factors and neuropeptides were assessed. Results: Using stem cell specific markers, we isolated PCSC population (CD44+CD22-) form human PC cell lines, and enriched them by forming prostatospheres using anchorage independent serum free conditions. Treatment with LY induced apoptosis in PCSC, while EGF and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) protected PCSC from apoptosis. We show that the cytotoxic effects of LY are mediated by dephosphorylating a pro-apoptotic BCl-2 family protein BAD, while cytoprotective effects of both EGF and VIP are mediated by inducing re-phosphorylation of BAD. Both EGF and VIP enhanced the self-renewal capacity of PCSC by producing increased numbers of prostatospheres. Conclusions: EGF and VIP not only protect from apoptosis, but also increase self-renewal of PCSC. The BAD seems to act as a signaling node that control both apoptosis and survival, thus qualifies as a better therapeutic target. Attempts are being made to identify mechanisms induced by these survival agonists; and identify the correlation between disease progression and BAD expression/phosphorylation in PC clinical samples.


In the last few years, scholars have sought to revitalize a range of constitutional arguments against mounting economic inequality and in favor of labor rights. They urge contemporary worker movements to lay claim to the Constitution. But worker movements, for the most part, have not done so. This Essay takes seriously that choice. It examines reasons for the absence of constitutional argumentation by contemporary worker movements, particularly the role of courts and legal elites in our constitutional system, and it contends that labor's ongoing statutory and regulatory reform efforts are essential prerequisites to the development of progressive constitutional labor rights. This small-c constitutional effort — messy, conflictual, and tedious though it may be — is the constitutional work that prepares the ground for the big-C constitutional change scholars urge.


Before the referendum was adopted in Washington, legislative declarations of emergency were of little concern. The Legislature could freely legislate, and had discretion to put a law into effect immediately. However, that changed in 1912 when the people amended the constitution to provide for the initiative and referendum. The people reserved to themselves the power of referendum over any act, bill, or law passed by the Legislature. However, a referendum may not be had on bills that are "necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health or safety, [or] support of the state government and its existing public institutions," and such bills may take effect immediately. The Legislature has fashioned emergency clauses that parrot this constitutional language to mark bills that are excluded from referendum and take effect immediately. Over the years, the validity of theses emergency clauses have been challenged by citizens seeking to assert their right to referendum over bills they feel do not fit into the constitutionally enumerated exceptions to referendum. This article discusses the history and current use of emergency clauses in Washington. It finds that the frequent use of emergency clauses at best leads to a perception of the improper use of emergency clauses, and at worst is evidence that the people's right to referendum is being frustrated. The referendum is a vital part of Washington's political system, providing a check on unrepresentative legislatures and allowing direct public participation on important policy matters. Therefore, reforms are needed to ensure the referendum process is not weakened by the Legislature's use of emergency clauses, including more stringent judicial review of such clauses, requiring facts making up the emergency to be included in bills, and requiring supermajority approval of bills containing emergency clauses.


The term "isomorphism" is derived from the Greek "isos," equal or similar, and "morphe," form, so that in the literal sense isomorphous substances are those which have similar crystalline forms. Mitscherlich, in his "Law of Isomorphism," connected up the chemical constitution of a substance with its crystalline form. Since then the term "isomorphism " has acquired a still more restricted meaning. Truly, isomorphous substances should be capable of mutually replacing one another in varying proportions in a crystal while the crystal still remains physically homogeneous. The recognition of the principle involved in the last sentence has been of great service to mineralogy. It has rendered possible the arrangement of minerals into mineral groups. The rhombohedral carbonates provide a good illustration of a mineral group, consisting of isomorphous compounds. The similarity in chemical constitution is obvious, and the crystalline form—the rhombohedron—is the same in all the members of the group, thus— There is a slight variation in the rhombohedron angle, and a similar variation is found when the physical properties, such as the specific gravity, the refractive index, the thermal conductivity, &c, are examined. Since the compounds are isomorphous, they should be found replacing one another in crystals. Intergrowths of members of this group resulting in "mixed crystals" are common. Certain fairly well-defined mixtures are recognised, and names have been given to them, thus— In sideroplesite the main constituent is FeCO3, but MgCO3 up to about 12 per cent and CaCO3 in smaller amount are also present. The colour of a This 250-word extract was created in the absence of an abstract


My research PhD work is focused on the Electrochemically Generated Luminescence (ECL) investigation of several different homogeneous and heterogeneous systems.
ECL is a redox induced emission, a process whereby species, generated at electrodes, undergo a high-energy electron transfer reaction to form excited states that emit light. Since its first application, the ECL technique has become a very powerful analytical tool and has widely been used in biosensor transduction. ECL presents an intrinsically low noise and high sensitivity; moreover, the electrochemical generation of the excited state prevents scattering of the light source: for all these characteristics, it is an elective technique for ultrasensitive immunoassay detection.
The majority of ECL systems involve species in solution where the emission occurs in the diffusion layer near to the electrode surface. However, over the past few years, an intense research has been focused on the ECL generated from species constrained on the electrode surface.
The aim of my work is to study the behavior of ECL-generating molecular systems upon the progressive increase of their spatial constraints, that is, passing from isolated species in solution, to fluorophores embedded within a polymeric film and, finally, to patterned surfaces bearing "one-dimensional" emitting spots.
In order to describe these trends, I use different "dimensions" to indicate the different classes of compounds.
My thesis was mostly developed in the electrochemistry group of Bologna with the supervision of Prof Francesco Paolucci and Dr Massimo Marcaccio. With their help and also thanks to their long experience in the molecular and supramolecular ECL fields and in the surface investigations using scanning probe microscopy techniques, I was able to obtain the results herein described. Moreover, during my research work, I have established a new collaboration with the group of Nanobiotechnology of Prof. Robert Forster (Dublin City University) where I spent a research period. Prof. Forster has a broad experience in the biomedical field, especially he focuses his research on film surfaces biosensor based on the ECL transduction.
This thesis can be divided into three sections described as follows:
(i) in the fist section, homogeneous molecular and supramolecular ECL-active systems, either organic or inorganic species (i.e., corannulene, dendrimers and iridium metal complex), are described. Driving force for this kind of studies includes the search for new luminophores that display on one hand higher ECL efficiencies and on the other simple mechanisms for modulating intensity and energy of their emission in view of their effective use in bioconjugation applications.
 (ii) in the second section, the investigation of some heterogeneous ECL systems is reported. Redox polymers comprising inorganic luminophores were described. In such a context, a new conducting platform, based on carbon nanotubes, was developed aimed to accomplish both the binding of a biological molecule and its electronic wiring to the electrode. This is an essential step for the ECL application in the field of biosensors.
(iii) in the third section, different patterns were produced on the electrode surface using a Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy. I developed a new methods for locally functionalizing an inert surface and reacting this surface with a luminescent probe. In this way, I successfully obtained a locally ECL active platform for multi-array application.


In this article I show how the revolving restaurant view can be investigated media archeologically as an optical device. As a methodology media archeology enables me to "discover" or unpack hidden connections between architectural structures, mobile mechanical observation units and information technology, allowing the concept of the cinematic to be a concern also of the architectural. This preliminary comment is part of a bigger project where I show how a media archeologically motivated analysis of the parallel development of kinetic structures, aerial rides and new imaging technologies have the potential to confront and open up new perspectives on the increasing aero-visual predominance in our culture and society.


The largest economic cost of the COVID-19 pandemic could arise from changes in behavior long after the immediate health crisis is resolved. A potential source of such a long-lived change is scarring of beliefs, a persistent change in the perceived probability of an extreme, negative shock in the future. We show how to quantify the extent of such belief changes and determine their impact on future economic outcomes. We find that the long-run costs for the U.S. economy from this channel is many times higher than the estimates of the short-run losses in output. This suggests that, even if a vaccine cures everyone in a year, the COVID-19 crisis will leave its mark on the US economy for many years to come.


Modification of native enzyme has gone through various strategies and evolution of the process itself. Thermolysin (TLN) from Bacillus thermoproteolyticus rokko was modified as a semisynthetic metallothermolysin which comprises enzyme, ligand and metal ion. Ligands used were benzamidine (BEN), 1,10-phenanthroline (PHN), p-aminobenzamidine (PBZ) and ethanolamine (ETA). The metal ions chosen were magnesium (Mg2+), zinc (Zn2+), calcium (Ca2+) and nickel (Ni2+). The semisynthetic metallothermolysin activities were evaluated on hydrolysis reaction of azocasein. Among the four ligands, complex of TLN-PBZ showed the highest specific activity (2219.5 Unit per mg (U/mg)) at optimum PBZ concentration of 0.6 mM. The study followed by the attachment of Mg2+ to TLN-PBZ complex which gave the best specific activity compared to other metal ions (39406.4 U/mg). The optimum concentration of Mg2+ was found best at 0.08 mM. Several parameters were also investigated such as studies on effect of pH, temperature, time course and thermostability. As a result, the semisynthetic metallothermolysin maintained at pH surrounding of 7.0 in tris-HCl buffer and found optimum at 80oC for reaction up to 3 hours (96.7% of relative activity). For thermostability test, the semisynthetic metallothermolysin can retain its activity up to 90% at pre-heated temperature of 80oC.
Electronic absorption like the UV/Visible (UV/Vis) and UV/Fluorescence spectrophotometer and Circular Dichroism (CD) spectropolarimetry method were used to characterize the optical properties of metallothermolysin. In UV/Vis spectrophotometer, the binding of PBZ to TLN curve caused a bathocromic shift (λmax from 279 nm to 274 nm) and became hypsochromicsm (λmax from 274 nm to 272 nm) with the additional of Mg2+. Changes in UV/Vis were also supported by UV/Fluorescence, when changes happened to the emission characteristic of TLN-PBZ spectrum (373.2 nm) and the spectrum continues to shift (374.0 nm) for TLN-PBZ-Mg. The CD spectropolarimetry suggested some changes of α helix and β sheet at far UV molar ellipticity readings with decreased of α helix from 37% (TLN) to 20.6% (TLN-PBZ) and then to 19.8% (TLN-PBZ-Mg). Meanwhile, a further decrease of β sheet from 32.6% (TLN) to 18.7% (TLN-PBZ) and then to 11.0% (TLN-PBZ-Mg) was also observed.


Evolutionary algorithms (EAs) are very popular tools to design and evolve artificial neural networks (ANNs), especially to train them. These methods have advantages over the conventional backpropagation (BP) method because of their low computational requirement when searching in a large solution space. In this paper, we employ Chemical Reaction Optimization (CRO), a newly developed global optimization method, to replace BP in training neural networks. CRO is a population-based metaheuristics mimicking the transition of molecules and their interactions in a chemical reaction. Simulation results show that CRO outperforms many EA strategies commonly used to train neural networks.


This paper discusses the status of web-based education implementation in Japanese higher education institutions. It discusses that web-based education has not been adopted by Japanese universities wholeheartedly despite the availability of a highly developed ICT infrastructure nationwide. The main reasons for such gap between technological availability and its actual implementation can be attributable to the lack of support systems to facilitate the utilization of ICT in instructional processes and the lack of long term strategic visions to utilize ICT to enhance teaching and learning in many higher education institutions in Japan. These dilemmas are evaluated from the cultural, societal and managerial perspectives. Cultural perspectives included shared values and customs among policy makers and practitioners. Societal considerations involve the university system itself, its funding structure, and the demand of web-based education among potential students. From the managerial point of view issues such as leadership of university governance and long-term strategic visions of the institution are examined. Finally future prospects of e-learning in Japan are discussed.


In recent years room temperature Li+ ion conductors have been intensively revisited in an attempt to develop solid state batteries that can be deployed for vehicle electrification. Through careful modification on materials synthesis, promising solid Li+ conductors with competitive ionic conductivity to those of liquid electrolytes have been demonstrated. However, the integration of highly conductive solid electrolytes into the whole system is still very challenging mainly due to the high impedance existing at different interfaces throughout the battery structure. Herein, this work focuses on the overview of the interfacial behaviors between lithium ion (Li-ion) conductors and cathode/anode materials. The origin, evolution and potential solutions to reduce these interfacial impedances are reviewed for various battery systems spanning from Li-ion, lithium sulfur (Li–S), lithium oxygen (Li–O2) batteries to lithium metal protection.


For centuries, the food and culinary delights of the Byzantine empire - centred on Constantinople - have captivated the west, although it appeared that very little information had been passed down to us. Andrew Dalby's "Tastes of Byzantium" now reveals in astonishing detail, for the first time, what was eaten in the court of the Eastern Roman Empire - and how it was cooked. Fusing the spices of the Romans with the seafood and simple local food of the Aegean and Greek world, the cuisine of the Byzantines was unique and a precursor to much of the food of modern Turkey and Greece. Bringing this vanished cuisine to life in vivid and sensual detail, Dalby describes the sights and smells of Constantinople and its marketplaces, relates travellers' tales and paints a comprehensive picture of the recipes and customs of the empire and their relationship to health and the seasons, love and medicine. For food-lovers and historians alike, "Tastes of Byzantium" is both essential and riveting - an extraordinary illumination of everyday life in the Byzantine world.


The field of environmental equity investigates how environmental risk factors such as air pollution are associated with socioeconomic status (SES). This thesis examines current levels of inequity across income groups of the health risk caused by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution, in New York City (NYC) and surrounding areas, and identifies emission control measures that can improve equity in this region.
Results show that inequity persists in NYC, with low-income populations facing greater health risk than their higher-income counterparts. Adjoint sensitivity analysis was used to identify emission control measures that carry the greatest influence on the current levels of environmental inequity. It was found that emission reductions have positive impacts on public health, but the impact on environmental equity depends on the average income where the reduction occurs. By considering the impacts on public health and environmental equity together, major improvements can be yielded through one air quality management strategy.


Introduction: ASIA syndrome is the abbreviation for the adjuvant-induced autoimmune syndrome, a syndrome that encompasses autoimmune diseases triggered by silicone and other substances. Evidence shows the association of silicone breast implant with ASIA syndrome. The silicone prosthesis explant is an essential resource in treating ASIA syndrome; however, there are few studies analyzing the improvement in symptoms and the quality of life that surgery can provide. Methods: Fifteen patients with ASIA syndrome who underwent breast implant prosthesis and reconstruction with mastopexy were analyzed. During the 12-month followup, they were assessed for symptom evolution and, through the Breast-Q® questionnaire, for quality of life. Results: The most common symptoms, such as myalgia, arthralgia, chronic fatigue, dry skin, and hair, were improved in more than 80% of patients operated on after 12 months of followup. There was an improvement in the quality of life after the surgical procedure when compared to the preoperative. Conclusion: Breast prosthesis explants in patients with ASIA syndrome seem to be associated with improved quality of life and decreased symptoms related to the syndrome. ■ ABSTRACT


Neoliberal education policies have privatised, marketised, decentralized, controlled and surveilled, managed according to the business and control principles of new public managerialism, attacked the rights and conditions of education workers, and resulted in a loss of democracy, critique and equality of access and outcome. This book, written by an impressive international array of scholars and activists, explores the mechanisms and ideologies behind neoliberal education, while evaluating and promoting resistance on a local, national and global level.

Chapters examine the activities and impacts of the arguably socialist revolution in Venezuela, the Porto Alegre democratic community experimental model in Brazil, the activities of the Rouge Forum of democratic socialist teachers and educators in the USA, Public Service International, resistance movements against the GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services), and trade union and social movement and community/parental opposition to neoliberal education policies in Britain and in Latin America.


By far the commonest cause of impaired gas exchange in patients with lung disease is ventilation-perfusion inequality. This is a complicated topic and much can be learned from computer models. Ventilation-perfusion inequality always causes hypoxemia, that is, an abnormally low PO2 in arterial blood. However, it is also the commonest cause of an increased arterial PCO2, or hypercapnia, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There is often confusion in this area with some people attributing the CO2 retention to "hypoventilation" when in fact these patients are usually moving much more air into their lungs than normal subjects. A patient with COPD can often return the arterial PCO2 to normal by increasing the ventilation. However, this does not return the arterial PO2 to normal because of the different shapes of the oxygen and carbon dioxide dissociation curves. Increasing pulmonary blood flow in the presence of ventilation-perfusion inequality usually raises the arterial PO2 but much less than increasing ventilation. Raising the inspired oxygen concentration is typically very effective in increasing the arterial PO2. Ventilation-perfusion inequality interferes with the transfer of all gases by the lung including the anesthetic gases. The gas exchange behavior of a lung depends greatly on the pattern of ventilation-perfusion inequality. It is theoretically possible to find a distribution that improves the transfer of some gases but this requires bizarre conditions that can never occur in practice.


Donald Card (1928–) is a former policeman in South Africa who became the subject of international media attention on 21 September 2004. In a highly publicised and symbolic ceremony of reconciliation inaugurating the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory Project, he handed back to Mandela two notebooks containing 78 hitherto unknown letters written by Mandela on Robben Island. A starkly contrasting image of Card as a torturer had, however, come to light during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearings in the Eastern Cape in 1996 and 1997. This article begins by making a case for a direct connection between these two events. We argue that the sanitised version of his life history in recent scholarship traces back to his own attempts to defend his reputation from these allegations of torture and that the Mandela notebooks served both to obscure these allegations and provide Card with a respectable, even heroic, biography. We then present our alternative version of his life history. Drawing on Robert Morrell's periodisation of masculinities in southern Africa, we read the story of Card's life in early–mid-twentieth century South Africa in terms of changing masculine identities, each strongly associated with violence: first the 'oppositional' masculinity of a child growing up in an abusive patriarchal Irish settler family, second the 'settler' masculinity of an athletic teenager at a white school in the former Transkei, and third his 'hegemonic' white South African masculine identity defined in opposition to emergent black masculinities into which he was initiated as a young adult during four months of intensive training at a police college in Pretoria. It is in this context, along with extensive new independently acquired oral and documentary evidence of his human rights abuses in East London in the 1950s and the early 1960s, that we situate the TRC testimonies about Card's torture between 1962 and 1964.


""Dear Master"" is a rare firsthand look at the values, self-perception, and private life of the black American slave. The fullest known record left by an American slave family, this collection of more than two hundred letters--including seven discovered since the book's original appearance--reveals the relationship of two generations of the Skipwith family with the Virginia planter John Hartwell Cocke.The letters, dating from 1834 to 1865, fall into two groups. The first were written by Peyton Skipwith and his children from Liberia, where they settled after being freed in 1833 by Cocke, a devout Christian and enlightened slaveholder. The letters, which tell of harsh frontier life, reveal the American values the Skipwiths took with them to Africa, and express their faith in Liberia's future and pride in their accomplishments.The second group of letters, written by George Skipwith and his daughter Lucy, originate from Cocke's Alabama plantation, an experimental work community to which Cocke sent his most talented, responsible slaves to prepare them for the moral and educational challenges of emancipation. George, a "privileged bondsman," was a slave driver. His letters about the management of the plantation include reports on the slaves' conduct and any disciplinary actions he took. Readers can sense George's pride in his work and also his ambivalence toward his role as leader in the slave hierarchy.Lucy, Cocke's chief domestic slave, was the plantation nurse and teacher. Her letters, filled with details about spiritual, familial, and health matters, also display her skill at exploiting her master's trust and her uncommon boldness, for she spoke against whites to her master when she felt they hampered his slaves' education.""Dear Master"" affirms that these slaves and former slaves were not simply victims; they were actors in a complex human drama. The letters imply trust and affection between master and slave, but there were other motives as well for the letter-writing. The Liberian Skipwiths needed American-made supplies; moreover, the whole family may have viewed their relationship with Cocke as a chance to help free other slaves. In his new preface, Miller reevaluates his book in light of changes in the historiography of American slavery over the past decade.


A rapid and effective dissolution and activation of cellulose was demonstrated by a reversible reaction of CO2 with the hydroxyl groups of the cellulose backbone in the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU). The dissolved cellulose was subsequently subjected to in situ derivatization with succinic anhydride without the need of any additional catalyst under very mild conditions. As a result of our optimization studies, cellulose was successfully converted to cellulose succinates with degrees of substitution (DS) ranging from 1.51 to 2.59, depending on the reaction conditions and the molar ratio of succinic anhydride. The optimized reaction conditions were successfully applied to different types of cellulose samples including microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) and organosolv wood pulp (WP), exhibiting similar conversions. Furthermore, the carboxylic acid moiety, introduced by the succinylation, was further converted via Passerini three-component reactions (Passerini-3CR) and Ugi four-component reactions (Ugi-4CR). 31P NMR revealed the quantitative conversion of carboxylic acid moieties on the cellulose backbone under mild conditions. All obtained products were thoroughly characterized by ATR-IR, 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR spectroscopies as well as by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Thermal properties of the obtained products were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), revealing glass transitions (Tg) for all the Passerini and Ugi products between at 76–116 °C and high thermal stability between 263–290 °C. The reported methodology represents a very mild, highly efficient and sustainable route for the dissolution of cellulose and the synthesis of cellulose succinates. The subsequent modifications of the obtained cellulose succinates via multicomponent reactions resulted in materials with improved thermal properties and offers a straightforward and versatile modification strategy for cellulose.


The increasing urbanization results in a rising demand for smart city platforms that optimize limited resources and thus save resources and increase the quality of living at the same time. Several systems have evolved in the past to address such issues by providing platforms for collecting, sharing, and processing urban data. However, these existing platforms only partially address challenges like fostering the participation of citizens, protecting their privacy, and assuring certain levels of quality of information. In this paper, we present the architecture of SANE as an open, citizen-centric, scalable, and privacy-preserving smart city platform. SANE is intended as open platform on which citizens can contribute data but also hardware, without any central authority or control. Moreover, citizens maintain full control on their data and its usage. SANE comes with rich and distributed data analytics functionality that is intended to help citizens to answer data-related question in the context of smart cities.


The purpose of this thesis is to address the relative effectiveness and usefulness of intersectionality as an elastic concept which can span more than the theoretical arena. To do this, the prevailing social problem of violence against ethnicised women is examined in all its complexities. Intersectionality works on two strategic levels – firstly, the framework recognises that individuals are comprised of numerous identity markers and that these characteristics take on a multiplicative relationship, and secondly, that structural systems of power exist within society to reinforce hierarchical privileges and oppressions that are predicated on identity. This thesis presents intersectionality as a possible way of framing the various interactions of social divisions, and the regimes of inequality which cut-across them, in the context of violence against ethnicised women. This violence is analysed through theoretical, policy and practical responses with particular attention being paid to how the three spheres deal with difference on a variety of analytical levels. A content analysis of New Labour government policy adopts intersectionality as a lens with which to ascertain how valuable this frame is as a methodological tool. Ten interviews with service
providers from the violence against women field are conducted in order to gain experiential insight into how identity is seen to shape experience and appropriate responses. This thesis demonstrates that competing perceptions of identity, which are contextually and historically contingent, create a series of specific problems for ethnicised women that are frequently rooted in discourses of marginality, difference and homogeny. Intersectionality is a useful way of creating increased fluidity between theory, policy and practice, and of heightening an understanding of the heterogeneity of women's experiences. It
has much to offer the VAW field in the UK.


For eighty-six years up to the year 2000, the South African income tax system was based primarily on the source principle. This meant that only income which was from a source in the Republic or deemed to be from a source in the Republic was taxable in the hands of residents. The election of a new Government in 1994, and the subsequent relaxation in exchange controls, necessitated a change from the source-based system of taxation to a residence-based system of taxation. The residence-based system of taxation in turn necessitated the introduction of new legislation to ensure that South African residents were taxed on their foreign source income, and appropriate anti-avoidance provisions were in place in order to prevent an erosion of the South African tax base. The residence-based system of taxation was phased into South Africa by the introduction of section 9C to the Act. Section 9C was introduced in 1997 as an interim and partial provision which provided for the taxation of foreign passive income on a residence-basis. A possible loophole that the revenue authorities needed to deal with at the time was the fact that residents could establish controlled foreign companies in low tax jurisdictions and divert and accumulate income in such foreign jurisdictions, thereby escaping the South African tax net by avoiding or at least deferring South African tax on such income. Section 9D was introduced simultaneously with section 9C in 1997 as the specific antiavoidance provision in this regard.
With the introduction of a residence-based system of taxation effective from years of assessment commencing on or after 1 January 2001, section 9C was repealed. As a result section 9C and the concepts of 'active, and 'passive' income are of historical significance, and the main focus in terms of a residence-based taxation system now remains a decision regarding whether or not a taxpayer is a 'resident' as defined in the Act. This dissertation critically analyses the structure, application, exemptions and shortcomings of section 9D as an anti-avoidance provision consequential upon the introduction of a residence-based system of taxation, and states the law up to and including the Revenue Laws Amendment Act 74 of 2002, which took effect from the commencement of years of assessment ending on or after 1 January 2003.


One plausible mechanism through which financial market shocks may propagate across countries is through the effect of past gains and losses on investors' risk aversion. The paper first presents a simple model examining how heterogeneous changes in investors' risk aversion affects portfolio decisions and stock prices. Second, the paper shows empirically that, when funds' returns are below average, they adjust their holdings toward the average (or benchmark) portfolio. In other words, they tend to sell the assets of countries in which they were "overweight", increasing their exposure to countries in which they were "underweight." Based on this insight, the paper discusses a matrix of financial interdependence reflecting the extent to which countries share overexposed funds. Comparing this measure to indices of trade or bank linkages indicates that our index can improve predictions about which countries are likely to be affected by contagion from crisis centers.


This study examines students' reflections on how concepts covered in a marketing course are applied to the broader liberal arts curriculum. The objective was to demonstrate when given a chance with an Interdisciplinary Reflection Assignment, students can articulate interdisciplinary relevance. The study collected sample data from six classes over three years. The assignment embodies the areas of metacognition, reflection, and integration of interdisciplinary knowledge.A content analysis approach was utilized to review both quantitative and qualitative data. Students' comments are categorized as follows: 32 in "Humanities & Fine Arts"; 31 in "Natural Sciences & Mathematics"; 93 in "Social Sciences & History"; 6 in "Professional Studies" (College, 2019). The assignment results strongly suggest that, when asked, students can articulate the integration of a business marketing course with other liberal arts subject areas. Thus, demonstrating business has a legitimate place in the liberal arts curriculum. This study contributes to education literature by providing a specific pedagogical example that can be easily replicated by other educators at other higher education institutions. The assignment offers added value to enhance student learning and appreciation of how marketing concepts integrate with other academic disciplines.


The purpose of this study is to give an overview about iron fortification from the view of technique and health. Example of a technical aspect is different iron compounds which are used for fortification like ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate and elemental iron. In the aspect of health the big question is if iron fortification can improve the health in reducing the prevalence of anemia. The study focuses on flour fortification with iron in Egypt and Iran and involves a literature study with scientific articles. Also information from WHO (World Health Organization), FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) and FFI (Flour Fortification Initiative) are used.

Fortification means an intentionally increasing of the content of micronutrient in foods with the aim to improve the food quality and deliver a nutritional benefit to the consumer. It is very difficult to fortify flour with iron because the iron compounds that tend to be most bioavailable also tend to integrate with the food and form unfavorable taste- and color formations.

According to WHO and FAO (2006) the highest prevalence among micronutrient deficiency is iron deficiency and the problem exists both in industrialized and non-industrialized countries. In Egypt the frequency of malnutrition and anemia is very high and the iron fortified flour is used for the production of subsidized baladi bread in purpose to reduce the anemia with 28 % in five years. Iran has fortified the flour with iron since 2001 and evaluations have shown a decrease of iron deficiency, increasing of anemia and no change in the frequency of iron deficiency anemia. The diagnosis of anemia is low blood hemoglobin but the hemoglobin can negatively be affected by other things than iron deficiency like malaria, infections and inflammations. Therefore it is important to separate anemia and iron deficiency anemia from each other. It is difficult to say if the iron fortification will reduce the anemia in Egypt's population which the iron fortification in Iran not yet has shown. Egypt's government can need to take further steps than just iron fortification of flour in the work to reduce the anemia because iron deficiency is not always the reason to anemia.


Structural properties of large random maps and lambda-terms may be gleaned by studying the limit distributions of various parameters of interest. In our work we focus on restricted classes of maps and their counterparts in the lambda-calculus, building on recent bijective connections between these two domains. In such cases, parameters in maps naturally correspond to parameters in lambda-terms and vice versa. By an interplay between lambda-terms and maps, we obtain various combinatorial specifications which allow us to access the distributions of pairs of related parameters such as: the number of bridges in rooted trivalent maps and of subterms in closed linear lambda-terms, the number of vertices of degree 1 in (1,3)-valent maps and of free variables in open linear lambda-terms etc. To analyse asymptotically these distributions, we introduce appropriate tools: a moment-pumping schema for differential equations and a composition schema inspired by Bender's theorem.


This article reflects on the long-term and recent developments in the interdisciplinary field of American studies and its imbrications with its cultural and political contexts. Pushing back against premature assertions of feminism's obsolescence, I argue that scholars and teachers of American studies and media studies must take the popular seriously―popular film and television as well as popular political movements. Given the growing demand from students for a deeper and more sustained engagement with intersectional feminism, the article works through some short case studies to urge even the confirmed feminists to rethink and refresh their approaches to teaching and performing scholarship to best provide students with the theoretical tools to strengthen and define their feminism as a discipline as well as an attitude. Inspired by the popular 2014 movement, "The Year of Reading Women," the #metoo and #timesup phenomena, and the popularity of and backlash against celebrity feminism of Beyoncé and others, this article weaves together academic and pop-cultural sources such as Sara Ahmed and Roxane Gay to underscore our responsibility to maintain, nurture, and contribute to the progress made by previous generations of feminists.


The Bhagavad-gita is the main source-book on yoga and a concise summary of India's Vedic wisdom. Yet remarkably, the setting for this classic of spiritual literature is an ancient Indian battlefield. At the last moment, the great warrior Arjuna begins to wonder about the real meaning of his life. In the Bhagavadgita, Lord Krsna brings His disciple from perplexity to spiritual enlightenment. Bhagavad-gita As It Is is the largest-selling, most widely used edition of the Gita in the world.


This article focuses on the level of using creative teaching methodologies in second language classroom as studied by the researcher. A series of qualitative methods such as using newspaper, media, movies, interpreting advertisements, and creating Sandblot can be employed in the classroom in order to develop students' second language learning ability. The article focuses on how teaching methodologies should be modified and used in the classroom appropriately by understanding the learning capacity of students and their learning interest in the classroom.


ABSTRACT Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a transcriptional activator composed of HIF-1α and HIF-1β subunits. Several dozen HIF-1 targets are known, including the gene encoding vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Under hypoxic conditions, HIF-1α expression increases as a result of decreased ubiquitination and degradation. The tumor suppressors VHL (von Hippel-Lindau protein) and p53 target HIF-1α for ubiquitination such that their inactivation in tumor cells increases the half-life of HIF-1α. Increased phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and AKT or decreased PTEN activity in prostate cancer cells also increases HIF-1α expression by an undefined mechanism. In breast cancer, increased activity of the HER2 (also known as neu) receptor tyrosine kinase is associated with increased tumor grade, chemotherapy resistance, and decreased patient survival. HER2 has also been implicated as an inducer of VEGF expression. Here we demonstrate that HER2 signaling induced by overexpression in mouse 3T3 cells or heregulin stimulation of human MCF-7 breast cancer cells results in increased HIF-1α protein and VEGF mRNA expression that is dependent upon activity of PI3K, AKT (also known as protein kinase B), and the downstream kinase FRAP (FKBP-rapamycin-associated protein). In contrast to other inducers of HIF-1 expression, heregulin stimulation does not affect the half-life of HIF-1α but instead stimulates HIF-1α synthesis in a rapamycin-dependent manner. The 5′-untranslated region of HIF-1α mRNA directs heregulin-inducible expression of a heterologous protein. These data provide a molecular basis for VEGF induction and tumor angiogenesis by heregulin-HER2 signaling and establish a novel mechanism for the regulation of HIF-1α expression.


The, classical realist writings of E.H. Carr and constructivist publications of Alexander Wendt are extraordinarily influential. While they have provoked a great number of reactions within the discipline of International Relations, the ethical dimensions of their works have rarely been studied at length. This article seeks to remedy this lack of examination by engaging in an in-depth scrutiny of the moral concerns of these two mainstream International Relations scholars. On investigation, it is revealed that Carr demonstrates a strong commitment to the ethical principle of fairness and Wendt a moral concern for the prevention of the use of organized violence. These concerns are shared by Rawlsians and cosmopolitans in International Relations, and these findings may thereby encourage closer engagement between these diverse communities that rarely speak to one another and strengthen disciplinary research on morals.


In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the proper role of religion in the public square. This paper offers brief reflections on the role for religious entities to play in the process of law-making and the development of public policy. It addresses this question NOT from the perspective of the government looking at religion to see what role it should play. Rather, it examines this question from the perspective of a religious group assessing what its proper role and moral obligations might be in the public square. Much of this discussion is taken, specifically, from principles of Catholic social thought. It begins by discussing three valuable contributions that religious groups might make and then addresses a number of limitations on this role - not from the perspective of Constitutional law, but from the perspective of religious groups who should themselves understand the prudent limitations on their influence in shaping law.