Abstract Many researchers have investigated learning through playing games. However, after playing games, players often go online to establish and participate in the online community where they enrich their game experiences, discuss game-related issues, and create fan-fictions, screenshots, or scenarios. Although these emerging activities are an essential part of gaming culture, they have not attracted much attention from researchers and only a few empirical studies have been done on learning through beyond-game culture. Language learning in particular has not been extensively researched despite the proliferation of game players who speak English as a foreign language within this community. To address how non-native English speaking (NNE) game players participate in language learning through game play and beyond-game culture, three generations of activity theories and a multiple-case study design were employed in this study. The asynchronous computer-mediated discourses were repeatedly reviewed, and email interviews with participants were conducted over three stages. The discourse analysis of interaction data and interview scripts showed how participants were engaged in language learning through gaming culture. First, words or phrases used in game play could be learned while playing games. Second, sentences or discourses could be practiced through interaction with native or more fluent peers in the online community after playing games. Third, these two types of engagement in gaming culture were closely related to influencing language learning through repeated practices and collaborative interactions. In conclusion, language learning through gaming is appropriately understood when ecological perspectives are adopted to look at both sides of gaming culture.


This article analyzes the relationship between structured finance par coupon spreads at issuance and the securities' credit performance. Using floating and fixed rate structured finance securities that include asset-backed, mortgage-backed, and collateralized debt obligations issued in the U.S. during 1998-2004, we find spreads vary substantially by rating, over time, and across asset classes; the spreads on structured finance securities are correlated with, and generally wider than, those on similarly rated corporate securities. Highly rated securities such as those rated Aaa contain more systematic risk components than do lowly rated ones such as those rated Baa. Spreads are backward looking in the sense that new issue spreads widen after downgrade rates rise on outstanding securities within the same asset class. Spreads also anticipate future credit performance in the sense that securities with wider spreads at issuance (conditional on sector, rating, and general market conditions) are more likely to experience subsequent rating downgrades than other securities.


Stability in gut ecosystems is an important area of study that impacts on the use of additives and is related with several pathologies. Kefir is a fermented milk drink made with a consortium of yeast and bacteria as a fermentation starter, of which the use as additive in companion and livestock animals has increased in the last few years. To investigate the effect of kefir milk on foregut and hindgut digestive systems, an in vitro approach was followed. Either rumen fluid or horse fecal contents were used as a microbial inoculate and the inclusion of kefir (fresh, autoclaved, or pasteurized) was tested. Gas production over 72 h of incubation was recorded and pH, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), lactate and ammonia concentration as well as lactic acid (LAB) and acetic acid bacteria, and yeast total numbers were also measured. Both direct and indirect (by subtracting their respective blanks) effects were analyzed and a multivariate analysis was performed to compare foregut and hindgut fermentation models. Addition of kefir boosted the fermentation by increasing molar concentration of VFAs and ammonia and shifting the Acetate to Propionate ratio in both models but heat processing techniques like pasteurization or autoclaving influenced the way the kefir is fermented and reacts with the present microbiota. In terms of comparison between both models, the foregut model seems to be less affected by the inclusion of Kefir than the hindgut model. In terms of variability in the response, the hindgut model appeared to be more variable than the foregut model in the way that it reacted indirectly to the addition of different types of kefir.


A restrained relationship between the Soviet Union and Japan great military and economic powers and geographically close neighbors in Northeast Asia -is an international anomaly of considerable magnitude. Resolution of this anomaly has been delayed for the last 40 years by several factors, some bilateral and others involving third parties. Yet, it would be surprising if the two nations were anything but restrained and suspicious of each other. Historically they fought each other in East Asia since the turn of the century. The two countries have very little in common in social, political, and cultural spheres. For this and other reasons, the Soviet image in Japan is extremely unfavorable. Yet the growth of both nations' power -militarily for Moscow and economically for Tokyo - has gradually and steadily increased the mutual necessity for improving relations. Given Soviet military strength in the Pacific, Tokyo has attempted, without much success, to have its relations with Moscow in a "self-confident and unhostile" manner.f Moscow's policy toward Tokyo was somewhat inactive, if not negative, resulting in more damage to itself than to the Japanese. Recently this policy appears to be changing. This essay examines the probable causes of this change, actual processes of improvement, remaining obstacles, and future prospects.


Does enhanced shareholder liability reduce bank failure? We compare the performance of around 4,200 state-regulated banks of similar size in neighboring U.S. states with different liability regimes during the Great Depression. The distress rate of limited liability banks was 29% higher than that of banks with enhanced liability. Results are robust to a diff-in-diff analysis incorporating nationally-regulated banks (which faced the same regulations everywhere) and are not driven by other differences in state regulations, Fed membership, local characteristics, or differential selection into state-regulated banks. Our results suggest that exposing shareholders to more downside risk can successfully reduce bank failure.


It has been argued that European Spanish plural indefinite noun phrases including algunos convey a partitive effect because the restrictor alg- provides additional properties. The reason that algunos implicates a "non-all-things" effect is because it refers only to an indeterminate part of the whole. The scope of bare plurals and unos , in contrast, does not exhibit this characteristic. This article argues that, contrarily to this claim, the scope of bare plurals and unos also induces partitivity because occurrences of these words include unarticulated constituents. Therefore, European Spanish indefinite noun phrases pragmatically presuppose the relevant part of what the speaker intends to refer, which is also shared by the audience since it is part of the common ground both occupy. Hence, bare plurals and unos are always contextually restricted, since a covert (optional) variable present in the logical form cannot capture this contextual restriction.


The past decade of dramatic growth in Medicaid managed care reveals much about how states and federal officials have worked together through the waiver granting process. States have successfully navigated the waiver process to implement managed care programs and several have introduced genuine innovations to enhance the operation and effectiveness of their Medicaid programs. States have generally proven themselves to be responsible, though at times overly ambitious, innovators. States have learned from one another and often draw on other states' earlier experiences in Medicaid managed care programs. Managed care innovation has been an especially challenging enterprise for states as providers enter and leave the health care market. Forays into managed care amplified variations in state Medicaid programs that would not have been possible without the waiver process.


Building on a brief illustration, this article discusses the need for new empirical fields and methods in project management research. This would not only provide novel insights into project practices and management, but would also entail questioning the hegemony (Gramsci, 1988) of project management and project research. We argue that the hegemony is upheld by, or perhaps even constructed through, the language and the ideal images of the area, developed by project researchers and used by project practitioners; adding to what could be called 'the social power' (Bourdieu, 1991) of those involved in what are called 'projects' and 'project management'. It is also argued that the social power of those familiar with 'projects' and 'project management' is sustained by the silence of all those involved in similar practices, but who do not master the terminology of project work.


This paper presents theoretical and practical aspects in conjunction with hardware implementation of wavelet based denoising filters. The wavelets can tackle the denoising problem optimally from the point of view that the wavelet based denoising attempts to remove whatever noise is present and retain whatever signal is present regardless to the frequency content of the signal. In the field of designing signal processing systems, "time to market" represents a key factor. Hardware implementation using field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) can reduce time to market for signal processing systems. The paper analyzes and compares different solution for hardware implementation of wavelet based denoising filters using FPGAs.


Crop production under Ultisols in the humid tropics is usually limited by N
deficiency and acid soil infertility problems. Effectiveness of legume residues as
a nitrogen source is generally known to improve crop productivity by enhancing
the availability of soil N where chemical fertilizer use often leads to deterioration
in environmental quality. The aim of the study was to evaluate Gliricidia sepium
residues (leaves and roots) as a potential source of N for a sustainable grain
maize production in an alley cropping system in the tropics. In order to identify
the determinants of the N dynamics of the Gliricidia sepium residues (leaves and
roots), a laboratory incubation experiment was carried out with an Ultisols
amended with Gliricidia sepium leaves, roots and their mixtures for 50 days.
Quality of Gliricidia sepium residues was in order of leaves > mixtures > roots.
The nitrogen and carbon mineralization also followed the same sequence
(P<0.05) and this observation suggests that the potential of Gliricidia sepium
residues to increase soil inorganic N depends on their quality. Results obtained showed that the Gliricidia sepium residues treatment was able to mitigate the soil
acidity. The addition of Gliricidia sepium residues also increased major soil
nutrient availability such as N, P, K, Ca and Mg. An experiment was carried out
in semi-field conditions to compare the 15N labeling technique for estimating
maize crop N uptake from Gliricidia sepium leaves and roots using direct 15N
labeling and 15N dilution method. Results indicate that N contributed by
Gliricidia sepium leaves to maize measured by direct 15N labeled and 15N
dilution method were not significantly different (P>0.05). The percentage of
nitrogen derived (%Ndfr) from the Gliricidia sepium 15N labeled leaves (direct
labeling) was 26.9% and 41.9% from unlabeled leaves (15N dilution) in maize
stover. Meanwhile, in maize cob, the %Ndfr from Gliricidia sepium leaves was
24.3% using 15N direct labeling and 46.4% using 15N dilution method. A field
study was conducted using the 15N dilution method on N contribution from
Gliricidia sepium leaves either integrated with or without additional urea
fertilizer, or, with or without the presence of hedgerows. There was no
significant difference (P>0.05) in maize yield upon application of Gliricidia
sepium leaf mulch with urea fertilizer (LM+FERT) compared to Gliricidia
sepium leaf mulch only (LM), suggesting that without additional amount of urea,
in situ Gliricidia sepium leaf pruning is equally effective in maize production.


A series of peracylated glycosamine-derived thioureas have been synthesized and their behavior as bifunctional organocatalysts has been tested in the enantioselective nucleophilic addition of formaldehyde tert-butyl hydrazone to aliphatic α-keto esters for the synthesis of tertiary azomethyl alcohols. Using the 1,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-2-amino-2-deoxy-β-d-glucosamine derived 3,5-bis-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl thiourea the reaction could be accomplished with high yields (75-98%) and moderate enantioselectivities (50-64% ee). Subsequent high-yielding and racemization-free tranformations of both aromatic- and aliphatic-substituted diazene products in a one pot fashion provide a direct entry to valuable azoxy compounds and α-hydroxy-β-amino esters.


High-quality piezoelectric (Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Zr0.1Ti0.9)O3 thick films with dense and homogenous microstructures were fabricated at a low sintering temperature (900°C) using a CuBi2O4 sintering aid. The 10 μm thick film exhibited a high longitudinal piezoelectric constant d33,eff of 210 pC/N with estimated unconstrained d33 value of 560 pC/N very close to that in the corresponding bulks. Such excellent piezoelectric effect in the low-temperature sintered (Ba0.85Ca0.15)(Zr0.1Ti0.9)O3 thick films is comparable to the case of lead-based PZT thick films, and may be a promising application in lead-free microdevices such as piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).


In this paper messages from viewers of the popular Korean historical TV drama — Dae Jang Geum (Da Chang Jin) — in a Hong Kong web-based discussion forum are analyzed to see how some Hong Kong viewers construct their Chinese cultural identities through discursive moves of positioning (Harre and van Langenhove, 1999). Different subject positions are adopted by these forum discussion participants to draw, maintain, and shift the boundary between "self" and "other" in different storylines projected in their messages. In asserting their Chinese cultural identities they also seem to be engaged in discursive construction of cultural others (e.g. Japanese, Koreans). We problematize these constructions as double-edged in their possible consequences: while they seem to cultivate a sense of Chinese cultural solidarity (albeit only temporarily), they also show the danger of constructing a hegemonic Sino-centric discourse of Great China culturalism. The cultural identification patterns of these Hong Kong viewers also seem to be unstable, ambivalent and contradictory, perhaps reflecting Hong Kong people's general sense of ambivalence and fluidity in their negotiation of cultural identities.


Dronning Louise Land includes a well-exposed part of the marginal thrust zone that defines the western limit of the NE Greenland Caledonides. The autochthonous Laurentian craton west of the thrust zone comprises an orthogneissic basement which is overlain unconformably by sedimentary rocks of the Mid-Proterozoic Trekant Series and the Skolithos-bearing Zebra Series of probable latest Precambrian-early Cambrian age. This cover-basement sequence becomes strongly folded towards the thrust zone. The zone is characterized by numerous east-dipping thrust slices of mylonitized basement and metamorphosed equivalents of the Trekant and Zebra Series. Allochthonous rocks above the thrust zone are mainly heterogeneously reworked basement gneisses which in areas of low strain are similar in character and pre-Caledonian history to those of the foreland. Synclinal inliers of metasedimentary cover rocks include sequences correlated with the Zebra Series. The Caledonian thrust zone in NE Greenland does not therefore separate markedly different geological terrains. The orogen-parallel, sinistral Storstrømmen shear zone lies east of Dronning Louise Land, and it appears that the Caledonian deformation pattern in this part of the orogen is the product of sinistral transpression. The sequence of structures can be interpreted in terms of early low-angle sinistral strike-slip, followed by partitioned sinistral strike-slip and oblique thrusting, and later more or less orthogonal thrusting and folding. This sequence may indicate a significant component of oblique collision between Lauren tia and Baltica during closure of the Iapetus Ocean.


Business Process Reengineering (BPR) is a systematic approach to helping an organization analyze and improve its processes. All systems are designed, developed and engineered to support business processes. Therefore, an understanding of the business processes for engineering students is crucial to choosing how to build and manage systems. BPR was an important activity 1990s and there is a dramatic re-emergence of organizations' interest in the topic 1 . At Stevens Institute of Technology we, at the under graduate program in Engineering Management felt the need to provide our students the bridge between the design and engineering of systems and business operations. As a result, the primary author was involved in the design, development, and now, the teaching of this course in the senior year. This paper will share the experiences of the author in designing such a course, its relevance to the engineering management undergraduate students, and future benefits to the potential employers of these undergraduate students. The course was offered in the Fall of 2006 for first time to the senior year Engineering Management students. Business Process Reengineering targets to achieve quantum improvements by rethinking and redesigning the way that business processes are carried out with the help of information technology (IT) as the primary facilitator. To remain competitive in today's global economy, there is an urgent need to rethink and transform the existing business processes for improved quality and efficiency, reduced costs, and increased profitability. This provides an opportunity to view the organization-wide processes from a systems perspective. A systems perspective focuses on looking at a set of problems as a whole and the context that creates the holistic view rather than looking at a set of problems as individually isolated events. The course called Business Process Reengineering – EM435 at Stevens is specially tailored to this need; it provides knowledge about BPR and its main concepts, the technologies and the strategies for implementing business transformation, and best practices on BPR. It emphasizes the role of BPR in managing technology and the engineering functions. The course covers the strategic, operational and technological aspects of BPR by relating it to quality improvement and Information Technology. It introduces the main concepts underlying the transformation of business processes, explains the enabling role of IT, and demonstrates the application of different tools to the redesign of business processes. The major learning objectives of the EM435 course are: • To understand the importance of processes and BPR and appreciate how BPR bridges the business operations and engineering of systems. • To understand how business processes can be radically improved, dramatically reducing process cycle time and cost, and improving the quality of the process products or outcomes. • To identify business processes that are candidates for improvement • To model current business processes and diagnose problems • To model and develop improved business processes that require IT and organizational redesign • To develop measures and benchmarks for business processes The pedagogical strategy of the course is to combine the lecture style of teaching and in-class case discussions. Each lecture starts with a presentation of major concepts underlying the subjects to be covered by the instructor and accompanied with in-class discussion of the case studies related to these concepts. The course also provides the students with the success and failure factors of BPR through the case studies. This facilitates the students' ability to relate the course topics to real-world context. The course is designed to teach students BPR methodologies and the modeling technique that accompanies the methodology. The students are required to apply the concepts covered in the class to a real-life process to analyze, model, and optimize it in their final team projects. The implementation of BPR (EM 435) course at the undergraduate level was assessed using the Stevens' School of Engineering assessment system designed to evaluate the educational outcomes of various undergraduate engineering programs. The Course Outcomes Assessment process at Stevens includes a two-pronged approach the course survey and the Student Performance Assessment (SPA). In this paper we focus on the SPA approach of course assessment. Since the course was taught for the first time it makes sense to focus on the appropriateness of the content as demonstrated by student learning in their assignments, exams, and the final project.


The results of economic models of greenhouse gas reduction depend sensitively on the assumptions embedded in the energy scenarios chosen, both for business-as-usual and emission reduction scenarios. In this paper, some of the basic requirements of useful scientific models are reviewed and then, as a case study, applied to the MEGABARE computer model of greenhouse response in the global economy. At the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997, the Australian Government used MEGABARE as a basis for its successful demand that Australia, as a fossil fuel "dependent" country, should be permitted to increase its greenhouse gas emissions. However, it is shown here that several of MEGABARE's basic assumptions fail to meet basic criteria for useful modelling. Two alternative, low-cost, emissions reduction scenarios for Australia, which contain fewer ad hoc assumptions than MEGABARE, are presented: 1. A "moderate" reduction scenario that is equivalent to the pre-Kyoto European Union target stretched out to 2020. In this scenario, improvements in the efficiency of energy use per person compensate for population increase. The additional reduction in emissions is achieved by a modest 15% reduction of the greenhouse intensity (emissions per unit of energy generation) of the electricity sub-sector; 2. A "strong" (50% reduction in CO22 emissions) scenario, which is achieved by reducing energy use per person by 40% and greenhouse intensity by 38%, the latter being achieved mainly in the electricity sub-sector, with significant reductions also coming from the transport and non-electrical heating sub-sectors. This scenario offers a feasible pathway to a sustainable energy system, based on small improvements to existing technologies. Its additional costs, compared with those of business-as-usual, are likely to be much smaller than those of the two less effective MEGABARE scenarios.


We propose a parallel tree search algorithm based on the idea of tree-decomposition in which different processors search different parts of the tree. This generic algorithm effectively searches irregular trees using an arbitrary number of processors without shared memory or centralized control. The algorithm is independent of the particular type of tree search, such as single-agent or two-player game, and independent of any particular processor allocation strategy. Uniprocessor depth-first and breadth-first search are special cases of this generic algorithm. The algorithm has been implemented for alpha-beta search in the game of Othello on a 32-node Hypercube multiprocessor. The number of node evaluations grows approximately linearly with the number of processors P, resulting in an overall speedup for alpha-beta with random node ordering of P.75. Furthermore we present a novel processor allocation strategy, called Bound-and-Branch, for parallel alpha-beta search that achieves linear speedup in the case of perfect node ordering. Using this strategy, an actual speedup of 12 is obtained with 32 processors.


Like many countries, Botswana is no exceptions when it comes to experiencing energy challenges due to fossil fuel depletion and increase in prices. The world is shifting to green energy due to growing environmental concerns over global climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels. Besides fossil fuels, biogas can be utilised to meet the rising energy challenges. Biogas can be obtained from anaerobic digestion of biodegradable waste in the absence of oxygen. Different feedstock's can be used to produce biogas through anaerobic digestion and this is referred to as co-digestion. Though it is not a new method of producing biogas, studies showing process simulation and analysis are limited, in particular the co-digestion of food waste and cow-dung. This paper evaluates the amount of biogas produced from co-digestion of cow dung and food waste using Advanced System for Process Engineering (Aspen) Plus software. The stoichiometry method is used to estimate the amount of biogas released from co-digestion and the electrical production potential also calculated.


Introduction I spent two months in Bagamoyo in 2003 together with the Department of Architecture and Development Studies, LTH/LU when I participated in a project about streetscape of Bagamoyo. I became interested to continue working with spatial planning in Bagamoyo for my diploma work, as the town has as well an interesting history as a future. The small Swahili coastal town Bagamoyo, has a rich cultural heritage as once one of the most important trading harbours in East Africa. The importance of Bagamoyo stagnated as a new harbour was built in Dar es Salaam in the late 19th century. Today Bagamoyo grows rapidly because of its good connections to Tanzania's most important city Dar es Salaam. Bagamoyo has got a nicer climate, more vegetation and a calmer atmosphere compared to the larger city. Bagamoyo attracts both visitors from Dar es Salaam during the weekends and far away visitors from Europe and other parts of the world. The visitors spend most of their time at the beach, which also is an important working area for the fishing industry. Many people visit Bagamoyo for the historical buildings in the town. Stone town, from the late 19th century, is a potential Cultural Heritage of the World and the visitors of Bagamoyo are expected to increase more in the future if Bagamoyo is accepted. The beach in Bagamoyo is a great resource not fully used. The sea breeze does however not reach interior parts of the town partly because of vegetation between the beach and the centre. In many places in the inland of Bagamoyo the view over the sea is blocked, only the closest parallel streets to the beach provide a view over the sea. Also the connections between other parts of Bagamoyo are today poor. For a visitor it is difficult to find one's way to different places in town because of this and also because Bagamoyo has no clear structure and few landmarks. aim of the project This project is carried out at two different levels. An overall plan concerns how to orientate in the town and the connection between different areas in Bagamoyo and the coast. For a number of places detailed plans are presented. These detailed plans concern the connection between the centre of the town and the coast and the connections to the old Stone town. The main aim of the project is to enhance the orientation and connections between different areas in Bagamoyo. In order to do this I have come to the conclusion that it is important to find areas or aspects which can work as connectors. Another aim of the project is to create a public meeting place. A place to gather what Bagamoyo is known for- history, culture and art- and at the same time open one of the historical buildings for the public. Another meeting place wich Bagamoyo is in need of, according to me, is a large outdoor space with nice climate and shadow. Also a place to grow plants later used in the streetscape of the town, is suggested in this project.


Preface to the Second Edition. Prologue: Clockwork or Chaos? 1. Chaos from Order. 2. Equations for Everything. 3. The Laws of Error. 4. The Last Universalist. 5. One-way Pendulum. 6. Strange Attractors. 7. The Weather Factory. 8. Recipe for Chaos. 9. Sensitive Chaos. 10. Fig-trees and Feigenvalues. 11. The Texture of Reality. 12. Return to Hyperion. 13. The Imbalance of Nature. 14. Beyond the Butterfly. 15. Von Neumann's Dream. 16. Chaos and the Quantum. 17. Farewell, Deep Thought. Epilogue: Dicing with the Deity. Further Reading. Illustration Acknowledgements. Index.


How Juries Decide is a pathbreaking work of empirical scholarship based on experiments conducted with more than 8,000 jury-eligible citizens and more than 600 mock juries. Its basic premise - that cognitive flaws in human decisionmaking, especially those affecting the translation process by which moral judgments are transformed into dollar awards, lead to erratic and unprincipled punitive damages awards - has already had an important impact not only on scholarly literature but also on judicial decisionmaking in high profile suits. This Review offers a methodological, doctrinal, and institutional critique of this widely influential study, with particular emphasis on the discrepancies between the empirical data presented and the policy reforms advanced - which include, at the extreme, a call to banish the jury from punitive damages decisionmaking. The Review examines critically the authors' conclusions that jurors are intuitive retributionists and unable (or unwilling) to follow instructions based on the non-retributive optimal deterrence theory of punitive damages. More fundamentally, the Review challenges the authors' rigid separation between retributive-based punitive damages, which are linked to jurors' moral evaluations, from remedial-based compensatory damages (including pain and suffering), which are not. Although the authors fashion a seemingly narrowly tailored attack on jurors' assessments of punitive damages, in fact they raise fundamental questions about the civil jury system as a whole, questions that are in no relevant way confined to punitive damages. Conversely, to the extent that there is any non-retributive component to punitive damages, their attack upon the jury's ability to assess punitive damages might not be warranted across the board. What emerges is the distinct possibility that a system of non-retributive punitive damages might survive the authors' empirical challenges. Finally, How Juries Decide pays too little attention to institutional context and wholly overlooks potentially effective reforms within the existing jury system, such as those that take into account anchoring effects and regional differences among jurors - reforms that are clearly supported by their empirical findings.


Mitochondria, the powerhouses of cells, have their own DNA (mtDNA). They regulate the transport of metabolites and ions, which determine cell physiology, survival, and death. Mitochondrial dysfunction, including impaired oxidative phosphorylation, preferentially affects heart function via imbalance of energy supply and demand. Recently, mitochondrial mutations and associated mitochondrial dysfunction were suggested as a causal factor of cardiac manifestations. Oxidative stress largely influences mtDNA stability due to oxidative modifications of mtDNA. Furthermore, the continuous replicative state of mtDNA and presence of minimal nucleoid structure render mitochondria vulnerable to oxidative damage and subsequent mutations, which impair mitochondrial functions. However, the occurrence of mtDNA heteroplasmy in the same mitochondrion or cell and presence of nuclear DNA-encoded mtDNA repair systems raise questions regarding whether oxidative stress-mediated mtDNA mutations are the major driving force in accumulation of mtDNA mutations. Here, we address the possible causes of mitochondrial DNA mutations and their involvement in cardiac manifestations. Current strategies for treatment related to mitochondrial mutations and/or dysfunction in cardiac manifestations are briefly discussed.


Technology stimulates minds in ways that make a profound and lasting difference, especially in the classroom. It can be used to adapt curriculum to diverse learners or to express material in ways not possible prior to the creation of new technologies. Learning Tools and Teaching Applications through ICT Advancements provides research regarding introducing, collaborating, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating innovative contributions to the theory, practice, and research of technology education applicable to K-12 education, higher education, and corporate and proprietary education. It grows this body of research, proposing new applications of technology for teaching and learning, and documenting those practices that contribute irrefutable verification of information technology education as a discipline.


This paper introduces a topological approach to local invariant feature detection motivated by Morse theory. We use the critical points of the graph of the intensity image, revealing directly the topology information as initial interest points. Critical points are selected from what we call a tree-based shape-space. In particular, they are selected from both the connected components of the upper level sets of the image (the Max-tree) and those of the lower level sets (the Min-tree). They correspond to specific nodes on those two trees: 1) to the leaves (extrema) and 2) to the nodes having bifurcation (saddle points). We then associate to each critical point the largest region that contains it and is topologically equivalent in its tree. We call such largest regions the tree-based Morse regions (TBMRs). The TBMR can be seen as a variant of maximally stable extremal region (MSER), which are contrasted regions. Contrarily to MSER, TBMR relies only on topological information and thus fully inherit the invariance properties of the space of shapes (e.g., invariance to affine contrast changes and covariance to continuous transformations). In particular, TBMR extracts the regions independently of the contrast, which makes it truly contrast invariant. Furthermore, it is quasi-parameter free. TBMR extraction is fast, having the same complexity as MSER. Experimentally, TBMR achieves a repeatability on par with state-of-the-art methods, but obtains a significantly higher number of features. Both the accuracy and robustness of TBMR are demonstrated by applications to image registration and 3D reconstruction.


The chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) have been implicated as both positive and negative modulators of axonal growth; however, the functional properties of only a few specific CSPGs have been investigated. Here we demonstrate that NG2, an integral membrane CSPG expressed on the surfaces of glial progenitor cells, inhibits neurite growth from neonatal rat cerebellar granule neurons when presented to the cells as a component of the substrate. Growth inhibition occurred when NG2 was mixed with either laminin or L1, two potent promoters of axonal extension. Moreover, when given a choice between surfaces coated with NG2 and laminin or L1, the axons of the cerebellar neurons extended preferentially on laminin or L1 and avoided areas of the substrate containing NG2. The NG2 proteoglycan inhibited neurite growth after digestion with chondroitinase ABC, demonstrating that the inhibitory activity is a property of the core protein and not the covalently attached chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycan chains. NG2 also inhibited neurite growth from embryonic rat dorsal root ganglia neurons on substrates containing laminin. However, when the sensory neurons were plated onto surfaces containing the L1 glycoprotein and NG2, neurite growth was not inhibited. These results demonstrate that the NG2 proteoglycan provides an unfavorable substrate for axonal growth. Cells that express this proteoglycan in vivo may participate in axonal guidance by defining areas of the developing CNS that are nonpermissive for axonal extension from specific classes of developing neurons.


Egyptian communities are increasing in Europe, and Italy is the first European country targeted by a number of Egyptians. While other Arab countries (i.e. Morocco) are experiencing a progressive "feminization of migration", Egyptian migration remains a male-dominated phenomenon. One of the main issues around the big presence of young Egyptian single men in Italy is that of transnational marriages, which migrants engage in with women from their original villages. In this paper I focus on the families that are created through what I call "marriage with an absentee", investigating the value of transnational marriages both for migrants and for Egyptian women who marry men who are working abroad. I describe those marriages in their organizational aspects—entering into the details of the rituals of the engagement and of the marriage. I also discuss some of the consequences of this practice. I.e., on one hand the creation of a transnational family (characterized by the new bride staying in Egypt), and on the oth...


Radio frequency microelectromechanical system (RF-MEMS) switches have demonstrated superior electrical performance (lower loss and higher isolation) compared to semiconductor-based devices to implement reconigurable microwave and millimeter(mm)-wave circuits. In this chapter, electrostatically actuated RF-MEMS switch conigurations
that can be easily integrated in uniplanar circuits are presented. The design procedure and fabrication process of RF-MEMS switch topologies able to control the propagating modes of multimodal uniplanar structures (those based on a combination of coplanar waveguide (CPW), coplanar stripline (CPS), and slotline) will be described in
detail. Generalized electrical (multimodal) and mechanical models will be presented and applied to the switch design and simulation. The switch-simulated results are compared to measurements, conirming the expected performances. Using an integrated RF-MEMS surface micromachining process, high-performance multimodal reconigurable circuits, such as phase switches and ilters, are developed with the proposed switch conigurations. The design and optimization of these circuits are discussed and the simulated results compared to measurements.


In this article, Professor Crawford reviews ten excellent estate and gift tax-related law review articles published in 2016 in student-edited law reviews. They are (in alphabetical order by author's last name): (1) Evelyn Brody & Marcus Owens, "Exile to Main Street: The I.R.S.'s Diminished Role in Overseeing Tax-Exempt Organizations," 91 Chi.-Kent L. Rev. 859 (2016); (2) Richard Gershon, "The Socio-Economics of the Federal Estate Tax: Why do so Many People Hate (or Love) this Centenarian," 49 Akron L. Rev. 329 (2016); (3) Iris J. Goodwin, "Access to Justice: What to Do About the Law of Wills," 2016 Wis. L. Rev. 947; (4) Lily Kahng, "The Not-So-Merry Wives of Windsor: The Taxation of Women in Same-Sex Marriages," 101 Cornell L. Rev. 325 (2016); (5) Gerald Korngold, Semida Munteanu & Lauren Elizabeth Smith, "An Empirical Study of Modification and Termination of Conservation Easements: What the Data Suggest About Appropriate Legal Rules," 224 N.Y.U. Envtl. L.J. 1 (2016); (6) Stephen J. Leacock, "Lack of Marketability and Minority Discounts in Valuing Close Corporation Stock: Elusiveness and Judicial Synchrony in Pursuit of Equitable Consensus," 7 Wm. & Mary Bus. L. Rev. 683 (2016); (7) F. Philip Manns, Jr. & Timothy M. Todd, "Issues Arising Upon the Death of the Sole Member of a Single-Member LLC," 99 Marq. L. Rev. 725 (2016); (8) Lloyd Hitashi Mayer, "Fragmented Oversight of Nonprofits in the United States: Does It Work? Can It Work?" 91 Chi.-Kent L. Rev. 937 (2016); (9) Goldburn P. Maynard, Jr., "Perpetuating Inequality by Taxing Wealth," 84 Fordham L. Rev. 2429 (2016); (10) Lee-ford Tritt, "Moving Forward by Looking Back: The Retroactive Application of Obergefell," 2016 Wis. L. Rev. 873.


INTRODUCTION
The Ishihara Test (IT) is arguably the most sensitive and commonly used color vision test within aviation and other occupational environments, but when no errors are allowed -20% of normal trichromats fail the test. The number of allowed errors varies in different occupations and sometimes within the same environment (such as aviation) in order to reflect the difficulties of the color-related tasks. The implicit assumption is that the plates can be ranked in order of difficulty. The principal aim of this study was to investigate whether appropriate "weights" can be attached to each IT plate to reflect the likelihood of producing a correct response. A second aim was to justify the use of color thresholds for quantifying the loss of red-green (RG) and yellow-blue (YB) chromatic sensitivity.

METHODS
We investigated 742 subjects (236 normals, 340 deutans, and 166 protans) using the first 25 plates of the 38-plate IT and measured RG chromatic sensitivity using the Color Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) test. The IT error scores provided plate-specific "weights" which were used to calculate a Severity Index (SI) of color vision loss for each subject.

RESULTS
Error scores, SI values, and CAD thresholds were measured and compared in each of the three subject groups.

CONCLUSIONS
Color thresholds can provide a good measure of the severity of both RG and YB color vision loss. Neither the number of IT plates failed nor the SI value computed in this way can be used to determine reliably the severity of color vision loss.


The Buddhist practice of mindfulness is being used more often both to help clients and to facilitate counselor effectiveness. A growing body of research supports these uses of mindfulness. Most authors also emphasize that those who teach mindfulness must also apply it themselves. However, little is known about how counselors and counselor educators incorporate mindfulness into their personal and professional lives. The current study used semistructured interviews to elicit such information from 6 counselors and counselor educators. A constant comparative method was used to analyze the data and synthesize themes. Emergent themes included practices used to cultivate mindfulness and the results of mindfulness practices.


Targeted agricultural education programs can play a role in solving complex water issues. This article applies importance-performance analysis to examine dimensions of water resources that may inform local water conservation campaigns in the United States. The purpose of this study was to generate a deep understanding of home irrigation users' preferences and perceptions about water to inform landscape irrigation water best practices campaigns among this audience nationwide. Importance-performance analysis was conducted using quantitative survey research. Responses were drawn from 2,675 people who use home landscape irrigation in all states nationwide and from three areas experiencing serious water issues: Florida, California, and the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. There were differences among respondents as a function of geographical location, which revealed people are likely influenced by their exposure to and experience with water issues. There were significant differences between respondents' perceived importance with clean water for different purposes and plentiful water for different purposes. We identified gaps between importance of and satisfaction with clean and plentiful water for different purposes which demonstrate dissatisfaction around important water topics, such as clean water for local and large water bodies. The findings provide insight for targeted programs surrounding local needs and issues. Agricultural education professionals who work on water issues should emphasize home irrigation users' influence on water quality issues over water quantity issues, and should incorporate locally specific findings into programs.


The problem of syntactic heterogeneity among geographic
datasets emerged as a result of native data formats and the
development of monolithic and proprietary systems. Although
SDIs provide the basis for syntactic interoperability the
usability of information that is created in one context has
often limited use in other contexts. One important reason for
this is semantic heterogeneity. This problem could be solved
using ontologies and their implementation in the context of
cartographic visualization. The first step is to identify and
analyze existing problems caused by semantic heterogeneity in
several risk management use cases. Based on results of this
analysis, the project focuses on developing methods for
overcoming these problems during service discovery, composition
and execution. The viability of the developed approaches will
be illustrated by prototypically implemented web services for
intelligent search and semantic translation and by applying
them to the use cases. This paper describes the basis of the
context cartographic visualization and also ontologies with
focus on geographic ontologies. There is a need for explicit
specification of ontology that supports understanding, sharing
and exchange between different users and databases. The basic
requirement is the possibility of ontology formulation in other
languages. A key aim in geographic ontology is the development
of a search engine that displays some intelligence in the
interpretation of geographical terminology. The assumption is
that people may wish to find information about something that
relates to somewhere. It is also proposed that ontology should
be used to assist in a process of metadata extraction whereby
the geographical context of resources is determined for the
purpose of search engine indexing as well as providing the
potential to annotate a resource to improve its future
geographical visibility. One aspect of generalization concerns
the semantic level of detail. In general it can be assumed that
people are interested in information at different levels of
semantic detail. In order to be really useful and beneficial,
the ontology should therefore be able to encode geographic data
at multiple levels of semantic generalization. This research
has been supported by funding from Project No. MSM0021622418
called Dynamic geovisualization in risk management.


The present article puts psychoanalytic theory in dialogue with Christian theology in order to enrich both. When psychoanalysis is left to its own devices it exhibits a Nietzschean emotivism in which all ethical claims are ultimately reduced to individualistic expressions of preference. By placing psychoanalysis into conversation with the Christian tradition, clinicians will have a thick epistemology from which to make ethical claims. The worship practices of many evangelical Christians may implicitly deny the role of grief and anger as part of a relationship with God. By placing Christianity into conversation with psychoanalysis, Christians will have a rich, practical understanding of how an embodied and relational model can assist in allowing the full range of human emotions and in illuminating the connection of grieving with hope. Specifically, Peter Shabad's psychoanalytic work on grief and the return of hope will be used in conjunction with the prophetic tradition as outlined by Walter Brueggeman as a kind of "test case" for this project. A therapeutic vignette will illustrate the clinical work. The Loss of Tradition and Ramifications for Psychoanalysis Over the past 40 years there has been a profound shift in the manner in which the philosophy of the natural and social sciences has been understood (Bernstein, 1983). There has been a gradual moving away from understandings of science as providing an "objective", "neutral", and pristine picture of the natural and social world towards understandings that view the scientific endeavor as always being reliant on paradigms, interpretations, and metaphors (Kuhn, 1970). Part of what this critique has revealed is the manner in which moral assumptions inherent in the scientific method and its theoretical outcomes are never examined but taken to be "natural". Thus, the autonomous, neutral, rational, utilitarian, and self-interested individual is taken to be the norm and morality and meaning-making are assumed to be secondary to a scientific knowledge which provides individual and technical control over one's world. Adding to this critique of the hidden moral assumptions of scientific theories is the critique from social constructivism, which suggests that all theory is socially/culturally/historically embedded and makes sense only within those particular dynamics. Thus, for the constructivist, modern scientific method and theory need to be embedded and understood within the historical and cultural milieu characterized by the period of the Enlightenment in the West, but cannot be easily generalized across time, history, and culture. Psychoanalytic theories are not immune from these critiques, as implicit in most of these theories are universal assumptions about human nature as well as a vision of the good life or what type of life humans should live. That is, psychoanalytic theories often fail to situate themselves historically and culturally, as well as fail to state the moral background of their assumptions. These failures reflect the manner in which the discipline of psychoanalysis is a descendant of what Alasdair Maclntyre (1984) calls the "Enlightenment Project" as well as a descendant of the successor to the Enlightenment which he broadly terms "emotivism." The Enlightenment Project was largely an attempt to discover universal truth disconnected from history, culture, and tradition. For Maclntyre (1984), the problem with this approach was that moral and ethical terms became disconnected and unmoored from the larger moral scheme and context which had made sense of them in the first place. Within the former Aristotelian traditions, according to Maclntyre, there was a three-fold moral scheme 1) untutored-humannature-as-is, 2) human-nature-as-it-could-be-if-it-realized-its-telos, and 3) the virtues, ethical precepts, and moral injunctions by which one moved from untutored human nature towards one's purpose or telos. When the notion of telos "was rejected during the Enlightenment, moral philosophy attempted to hold together notions of human nature with moral injunctions (often at odds with human nature) through appeal to universal rationality. …


Abstract. A small airplane made 597 aerosol optical property (light absorption and light scattering) vertical profile measurements over a rural Oklahoma site between March 2000 and December 2007. The aerosol profiles obtained during these 8 yr of measurements suggest significant seasonal differences in aerosol loading (scattering and absorption). The highest amounts of scattering and absorbing aerosol are observed during the summer and the lowest loading occurs during the winter. The relative contribution of aerosol absorption is highest in the winter (i.e., single scattering albedo is lowest in winter), particularly aloft. Aerosol absorption generally decreased with altitude below ~1.5 km and then was relatively constant or decreased more gradually above that. Aerosol scattering decreased sharply with altitude below ~1.5 km but, unlike absorption, also decreased at higher altitudes, albeit less sharply. Scattering Angstrom exponents suggest that the aerosol was dominated by sub-micron aerosol during the summer at all altitudes, but that larger particles were present, especially in the spring and winter above 1 km. The seasonal variability observed for aerosol loading is consistent with AERONET aerosol optical depth (AOD) although the AOD values calculated from in situ adjusted to ambient conditions and matching wavelengths are up to a factor of two lower than AERONET AOD values depending on season. The column averaged single scattering albedo derived from in situ airplane measurements are similar in value to the AERONET single scattering albedo inversion product but the seasonal patterns are different – possibly a consequence of the strict constraints on obtaining single scattering albedo from AERONET data. A comparison of extinction Angstrom exponent and asymmetry parameter from the airplane and AERONET platforms suggests similar seasonal variability with smaller particles observed in the summer and fall and larger particles observed in spring and winter. The observed seasonal cycle of aerosol loading corresponds with changes in air mass back trajectories: the aerosol scattering was higher when transport was from polluted areas (e.g., the Gulf Coast) and lower when the air came from cleaner regions and/or the upper atmosphere.


Domes are efficient structural systems for long clear-span buildings. The introduction of laminated timber highlighted the economic advantages of this material and led to the use of timber domes even for very large spans. In this paper, reticulated timber domes of triangular network shape with decking and bottom tension ring are considered. These types of domes have high stiffness in all directions along the surface and are kinematically stable. The dome is subjected to uniformly distributed load over the entire structure. The dome model is generated with a preprocessor program called DOME-IN and analysed with ABAQUS. The focus of this paper is to evaluate the behaviour of reticulated timber domes with respect to different stiffnesses of the bottom ring beam, here defined as a non-dimensional ring beam area parameter Ar*, which is shown to be a very well adapted design parameter for the ring beam. As far as global buckling is concerned, the critical pressure is sensitive to the bottom ring beam stiffness only if the latter is within a certain range. In terms of design, the stiffness of the ring beam should exceed A* > 2 in order to utilise the full buckling load capacity of the dome system itself. The maximum deflection, normal forces and bending moments versus the ring beam area parameter are also evaluated. The maximum values of the deflection and the internal actions next to the bottom ring are very sensitive to the bottom ring beam stiffness only if the latter is less than about Ar* < 10. A recommended value for the design of the bottom ring beam is A* > 20.


Research on children with language impairment (LI) and bilingual children is important for both clinical and theoretical reasons (Paradis, 2010). For example, identifying similarities and differences between the two child populations can support the clinical challenge of diagnosing LI in bilingual children, but can also inform us about the nature of LI. Additionally, such research can determine whether effects of bilingualism and LI accumulate and whether bilingualism aggravates or alleviates the symptoms of LI, strengthening our knowledge of children who are both dual language learners and diagnosed with LI. In the past few years, there has been a growing body of work that tackled these issues, focusing mostly on children's language abilities. The current dissertation contributes to this body of work by investigating the effects of LI and bilingualism on children's skills in both linguistic and cognitive domains, including studies that evaluated promising clinical tools, that made cross- and within-domain comparisons, and that took a developmental perspective. In doing so, we aimed to (1) support a reliable diagnosis of LI in bilingual contexts, (2) identify the risks and strengths of bilingual children with LI, and (3) provide insight into the origins of the partially overlapping language profiles of bilingual children and children with LI. The results of the studies in the present dissertation show that three recently developed instruments can contribute to a reliable diagnosis of LI in (monolingual and) bilingual learning contexts. Combining parental report on a child's early language development with the child's performance on a quasi-universal nonword repetition task and a narrative task testing macrostructure demonstrated excellent clinical accuracy, irrespective of the linguistic background of the child (or parents). In addition, our results indicate that vocabulary may be a particular risk area for bilingual children with LI, as the effects of bilingualism aggravated the effects of LI in this domain. In contrast, working memory was found to be a relative strength of bilingual children with LI, who performed better in this area than monolingual peers with LI when controlling for language ability. Finally, our findings suggest that the overlapping language profiles of children with LI and bilingual children may be explained by the weakened ability of children with LI to maintain attention to the stream of linguistic information, interfering with how well incoming language is processed. While reductions in input frequency cause language delays in bilingual children, the functional equivalent, i.e., incomplete processing of input, may impair the language proficiency of children with LI.


2021 Abstract: By considering the case of rural South India, this study analyses whether individual skills and personality traits are able to facilitate labour market mobility of disadvantaged groups in the presence of constraining social structures. We use an individual panel dataset built on two household surveys carried out in 2010 and 2016-2017 in Tamil Nadu. We explore the relationship between individual cognitive skills (Raven, literacy and numeracy scores), personality traits (Big Five Inventory) and earnings mobility. We first assess the extent of gender and caste-based labour market segmentation using transition matrices. Then, we take advantage of intra-group heterogeneity in terms of cognitive skills and personality traits to explore whether these personal characteristics can enable individuals to overcome rigid social structures. Results show that personality traits are important determinants of labour mobility. Nonetheless, we observe a strong rigidity of the labour market structure in terms of gender and caste, and its relative stillness over


How can the needs and perspective of patients be incorporated in the design and redesign of health services?. Health organizations are focusing more and more on patients - and requiring their employees to practise patient focused care. The Modernisation Initiative described in this book explores in three health service areas (kidney, stroke and sexual health services) how patients' and carers' involvement may inform and shape quality improvement work. This book guides you through the issues and challenges that teams seeking to involve users in changing health services are likely to face. It offers a wealth of practical knowledge about involving users. Those undertaking similar programmes, whether in primary care or hospital based, will find ideas and examples in this book to inspire and guide them. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.


Crop growth is a multifactorial nonlinear process and different kinds of models have been developed to predict crop yield. In recent years, crop growth models have become increasingly important as major components of agriculture-related decision-support systems. Moreover, clustering is a multivariate analysis technique widely adopted in agricultural studies. Using this method, different genotypes (accessions) of crops can be classified and characterized. This paper discusses the use of soft computing techniques such as artificial neural networks (ANN) and fuzzy logic based approaches in regression and clustering problems. The ANN technology was used for modeling the correlation between crop yield and 10 yield components of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Also, the fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering technique was used for the classification of 362 chickpea genotypes based on their agronomic and morphological traits. The ANN performed very well. Among the various ANN structures, a model of good performance was produced by 10-14-3-1 structure with a training algorithm of back-propagation and hyperbolic tangent transfer function in the hidden and output layers. The model was able to predict the chickpea yield data of 0.32 to 14.38 g plant -1 with a RMSE and T value of 0.0195 g plant -1 and 0.988, respectively. T statistics measures the scattering around line (1:1). When Tis close to 1.0, the fitting is desirable. The mean absolute error, relative error, and coefficient of determination between actual and predicted data were 0.0109 g plant -1 , -1.07%, and 0.991, respectively. The ANN model predicted 90.3% of the yield data with relative errors ranging between ±5%. The consequent reduction in the number of training data from 250 to 50, decreased the training RMSE, but increased the prediction error. It was found that even with a few number of patterns in the training dataset (50 patterns), the prediction error of the ANN model was in the range of acceptance for yield modeling. Obviously, with 25 x 10 3 iterations, the ANN models with 5 and 10 input variables gave almost the same estimation of the chickpea yield. The results of clustering showed that the FCM clustering technique can be successfully applied to classify chickpea genotypes in terms of agronomic and morphological traits.


Interocular contrast gain-control (interocular-CG) was first used to model binocular phase combination (Ding & Sperling 2006), and later modified to explain both phase and contrast combination in binocular vision (Huang et al 2010, Ding et al 2013). In the present study, we demonstrate that, by adding monocular luminance gain-control (monocular-LG), the interocular-CG model can also explain binocular luminance summation. Luminance disks were used as stimuli. The target luminance was either increased by 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 cd/m2 against a darker background (0, 2, 4, 8, 16 cd/m2) or decreased against a lighter background (4, 8, 16 cd/m2). Experimental trials consisted of two stimulus intervals, one with a standard luminance which was identical in the two eyes, and the other with a test luminance presented to both eyes. The interocular ratio of the test luminance varied from trial to trial. The observer's task was to judge which interval had the higher luminance increment or decrement. Consistent with previous studies, we found that binocular luminance summation behaves very differently depending on the background luminance. Fechner's paradox was observed on the equal-luminance-increment contour with the dark background (0 cd/m2), while an apparent winner-take-all phenomenon was observed on both increment- and decrement-contours with the light background (16 cd/m2). Using one set of model parameters, 3 parameters for monocular-LG and 3 parameters for interocular-CG, the combined model provides a unified explanation of binocular combination of both luminance increments and decrements over a large range of luminance input (reduced-chi-square = 2.35). Combined with previous studies on phase (Ding & Sperling 2006), contrast matching (Huang et al 2010, Ding et al 2013), contrast discrimination (Ding et al 2013), stereovision (Hou et al 2013), and second-order stimuli (Zhou et al 2014), we conclude that the interocular-CG can provide a unified explanation of binocular combination for multiple binocular tasks. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


A growing problem with drug resistance in Human African Trypanosomiasis has necessitated the implementation of screening programmes to monitor for its spread. This thesis describes the study of several factors that can influence the selection and propagation of drug resistance in T. brucei.
Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) is caused by T. brucei gambiense and T. brucei rhodesiense. The few drugs used for the treatment of the disease are either toxic, cause severe side effects or suffer from parasite resistance. The T. brucei P2 transporter, which is encoded by the gene TbAT1, mediates uptake of melaminophenyl arsenicals and diamidines. Reduced P2 uptake is associated with drug resistance. A number of point mutations found in a laboratory derived melarsoprol resistant T. brucei stock (STIB 777R) allowed development of a PCR/RFLP based molecular method to identify resistance alleles. By 1999, 20-30% of patients treated in Omugo, NW Uganda were failing to respond to melarsoprol. PCR/RFLP analysis indicated that mutant alleles accounted for 58.5% of those in circulation. Melarsoprol was withdrawn in 2001 and by 2003 mutant TbAT1 alleles accounted for only 14% of those in circulation in NW Uganda. The current study aimed to determine the incidence of the PCR/Sfa NI TbAT1 mutant alleles in 2006, some five years after melarsoprol had been withdrawn as first-line treatment. Successful molecular analysis of 91 of 132 (68.9%) T. b. gambiense field isolates from Omugo and Moyo in NW Uganda indicated the presence of only TbAT1 wild type alleles. Mutant alleles thus appear to have disappeared. This may be the result of parasite fitness cost following the withdrawal of melarsoprol as a stage II first-line drug from Omugo health centre, Arua, since 2001. This apparent instability of TbAT1 mutants in the field may be exploited for rational or alternating use of melarsoprol and eflornithine (DFMO) to ensure a longer life for eflornithine, delaying the onset of resistance.
Insight into the overall population structure of the T. b. gambiense from Omugo, Arua (N=54) and Moyo (N=17) was obtained using mini/microsatellite marker analysis. Genetic diversity was observed to be more intra than inter regional. Multilocus genotype data analysis revealed the Omugo, Arua, population was genetically distinct from the Moyo population (Nei's genetic distance=0.176). The evidence indicated surprisingly little genetic exchange with an excess in homozygosity (Fis >0) and alleles in linkage disequilibrium (P<0.05) within the Omugo, trypanosome population. This excess in homozygosity may be due to population sub-structuring, trypanosome inbreeding, or migration of patients. The latter is likely occurring from the neighbouring T. b. gambiense endemic disease focus in Southern Sudan. The findings suggested that the T. b. gambiense from Arua is not panmictic, clonal or epidemic but there is some level of genetic exchange.
The possibility that T. b. gambiense can infect animals raises the prospect that wild or domestic animals may act as a reservoir and that a veterinary link to gambiense Human African Trypanosomiasis exists. Treatment of animals for babesiosis and trypanosomes with diminazene, uptake of which is mediated through TbAT1/P2 could select for P2-defective drug resistant trypanosomes, thereby threatening control of the human disease as well. Species detection by PCR for animal and human trypanosomes in dog isolates (N=190) from the tsetse fly endemic Jos Plataeu, Nigeria did not reveal T. b. gambiense, but multiple infections with T. brucei (95%), T. vivax (89%), and subspecies T. congolense forest (54%) and savannah (50%) were detected. The dogs were also infected with other parasites, including Babesia canis (22%) and Hepatozoon canis (16%). Multiple infections can make correct diagnosis difficult and the infections are likely to be missed by the less sensitive microscopy method.
The trypanocidal action of the diamidine group of trypanocides, diminazene, pentamidine and furamidine (DB75) are principally mediated through the TbAT1/P2. In addition, pentamidine is taken up by two additional T. brucei transporters called High Affinity Pentamidine Transporter (HAPT1) and the Low Affinity Pentamidine Transporter (LAPT1). DB75 also has a secondary unknown route. Loss of TbAT1/P2 leads to significant resistance to DB75 and diminazene but not pentamidine. Identification of other markers of resistance is necessary to determine if other routes of drug entry do exist apart from P2 and whether these can be exploited for the delivery of new trypanocides into the trypanosomes. Adaptation of the T. brucei tbat1 knock-out cell line to higher concentrations of diminazene by in vitro selection for resistance led to loss of HAPT1. The resultant phenotype was similar to the previously characterised pentamidine resistant clone B48, but more resistant to diminazene and DB75. The adapted line was still capable of accumulating 1 µM radiolabelled diminazene suggesting both HAPT1 and LAPT1 as possible routes for diminazene uptake. Adaptation of the T. brucei tbat1 knock-out cell line to a high concentration of DB75 over the same 6 months period did not lead to increased resistance.
Overall the project has confirmed an important role for tbat1/P2 in development of resistance to melarsoprol in the field. Importantly, it appears that removal of the selection pressure of melarsoprol leads to a loss of tbat1 alleles associated with resistance in a population of trypanosomes capable of genetic exchange in NW Uganda. Although evidence for a dog reservoir for T. b. gambiense in Nigeria was lacking in this study, a risk of selecting resistance in animals must remain high on any list of consideration. I have further shown that the diamidine drug, diminazene, used in veterinary medicine also appears to enter T. brucei via the HAPT1 transporter, as well as the P2 transporter. Loss of HAPT1 through selection with diminazene leads to high level pentamidine resistance, which could indicate a further risk in selection of human infectious trypanosomes also resistant to drugs like pentamidine.


The present study reports 188 species and 2 subspecies of lichens and allied fungi from forest rocky communities of the hill Muroigora situated in the Arkhangelsk part of the National park "Vodlozersky" (Arkhangelsk Region, NW Russia). Lepraria ecorticata is new to Russia, and 13 more species are new for the mainland area of the Arkhangelsk Region: Arthonia mediella, Arthonia vinosa, Bacidia igniarii, Bryoria vrangiana, Chaenothecopsis pusiola, Cladonia caespiticia, Lecidea plana, Lepraria borealis, Micarea misella, Pertusaria pustulata, Schaereria cinereorufa, Xanthoparmelia pulla and Xylographa trunciseda . Two lichen species, Bryoria fremontii and Lobaria pulmonaria , are in the Red Data Books of the Arkhangelsk Region and Russian Federation. A total of 89 species are reported as new for the Vodlozersky National Park.


The home Internet user faces a hostile environment abundant in potential attacks on their computers. These attacks have been increasing at an alarming rate and cause damage to individuals and organizations regularly, and have the potential to cripple the critical infrastructures of entire countries. Recent research has determined that some individuals are not utilizing additional software protections available to mitigate these potential security risks. This paper seeks to further examine the reasons by proposing a conceptual framework that utilizes the Health Belief Model as a possible way to explain why some people do not perceive a threat sufficient to prompt the adoption of computer security software.


Master every aspect of the powerful Google AdWords platform with this one-of-a-kind guideAdWords expert Brad Geddes, the first and only Advanced AdWords Seminar leader for Google, shares his detailed instruction and insights to get new users up and running quickly and teach AdWords pros some slick new tricks. This must-have new edition offers 50+ pages of fresh material on such topics as retargeting, tracking for analytics, video ad features, ad extensions, and much more.The ultimate guide to advanced Google AdWords techniques authored by a respected AdWords expert who is the Advanced AdWords Seminar leader for Google and a well-known internet marketing consultantOffers insight, direction, and strategies for using every aspect of AdWords to create and manage successful pay-per-click marketing campaignsGoes well beyond the basics and offers tips and tactics that you can apply immediately to your own campaigns Updated and better-than-ever Second Edition features 50+ pages of new material, including targeting capabilities and remarketing, ad extensions, bidding features, tracking for analytics, video ad features, reporting features, and more Provides busy marketers, consultants, PR professionals, web developers, and others with an invaluable, step-by-step guide to keep on handIncludes a Google Adwords coupon If you want to drive the traffic you choose to your website, then this is the guide to get you there.


ABSTRACT A series of scuba dives surveyed patches of black corals and their associated deep-reef fish community in the channel waters (50–73 m depth) of Maui, Hawai'i. Most of the corals were identified as Antipathes dichotoma and averaged 76 cm (±0.37) in height. Forty fish taxa were surveyed in the patches. Only Oxycirrhites typus was found exclusively within these coral trees. Sixty percent of the fish taxa surveyed were observed to frequent and pass through the coral branches. However, only four fish species were documented to reliably take shelter in the coral branches when evading an approaching diver. An archival video monitored movement patterns of fishes around a cluster of black coral trees for a 60-hr period. During daylight hours Dascyllus albisella, Centropyge potteri, Forcipiger flavissimus, Aulostomus chinensis, and Canthigaster jactator were observed to be the routine users of the coral patch, but only Dascyllus albisella and Centropyge potteri appeared to be resident to specific trees. At night Sargocentron sp. were observed feeding around the base of the coral trees, and Heniochus diphreutes dropped from their daytime position high in the water column to hide in the tree branches throughout the night. These observations indicate that black coral trees are used by many fishes as a general form of habitat, and if the coral trees are the largest relief feature at a site, their removal will likely impact the fish assemblage.


This article focuses on aspects of belonging the producers of reality TV programmes address in the staging of emotions. Based on interview statements by 12 experts from the field of national and international reality TV format production, we argue as follows: on the one hand, producers in reality TV shows address belonging as a perceived cultural proximity to trans-local meta-narratives of a longing for change, romantic love, competition and victory. The producers associate these trans-local meta-narratives with allegedly universal emotions. On the other hand, the producers address belonging as a perceived cultural proximity to local cultural discourses on beauty ideals and combine these with a specific local cultural performance of emotions. The results show that an emotional repertoire is developed and negotiated in the adaptation process of trans-local formats. It refers to universalistic understanding of emotional display and negotiates specific "feeling rules" accordingly.


Summary Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by a disruption of the alveolar-capillary barrier, due to both an epithelial and an endothelial dysfunction. Whereas epithelial apoptosis seems to be mainly mediated by Fas ligand, the mediators of endothelial damage remain to be identified. Angiostatin, a powerful inhibitor of angiogenesis in vivo, also specifically induces apoptosis in endothelial cells. The concentration of various enzymes that cleave angiostatin from plasminogen was reported to be significantly increased in bronchalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids from patients with ARDS. Therefore, in this study, we investigated whether angiostatin was generated during the pulmonary inflammatory response of both healthy subjects challenged with endobronchial endotoxin and in patients with ARDS. We found significantly elevated angiostatin levels in BAL fluids from patients at risk for and with early ARDS (up to 0.022% and 0.018% of total protein, respectively), as well as in BAL fluids from volunteers treated with endotoxin (up to 1.17% of total protein), as compared to BAL fluids from control patients (<0.005% of total protein). These data suggest that angiostatin may contribute to the endothelial damage observed in ARDS, probably via an increased permeability of the alveolar capillary barrier, allowing for an intra-alveolar processing of its precursor plasminogen.


Abstract
Purpose
This paper presents the results of research carried out by the Media Education for Sustainability Project, based at the Federal University of Triangulo Mineiro (UFTM). The project investigated the potential for engaging marginalized communities with educational centers to generate and utilize media and networks, which can be used to promote healthier and resilient lifestyles in the community.

Methodology/approach
The project's activities used the "Design of Meaning" theoretical framework to design collaborative group work in order to foster key skills for promoting agency and awareness of local problems affecting the environment. Underpinned by Action Research methodology, a series of workshops were piloted with the participation of 20 secondary school students.

Findings
Results suggested that such a creative learning environment can help students develop the skills needed to be active citizens, such as the ability to access, evaluate, use, and contribute to public information addressing issues of democratic participation and accountability. Nevertheless, challenges centered around student motivation and difficulties in engaging with their communities' contexts will need to be dealt with in future Action Research cycles.

Originality/value
Based on our observations during the workshops, and subsequent feedback from participants, we suggest that Media Education tools show potential for improving school learning, encouraging the community in the search for answers based on local knowledge, and engaging students in a debate about critical issues and challenges at the local level. We believe that this outcome was achieved in part due to the deployment of multimodal languages and creative use of technologies.


ABSTRACT Forest rehabilitation activities within centrally controlled state-owned forests in Ethiopia could not deliver communities with increased income. A study aiming to assess the benefits of forests for smallholder farmers whose land falls close to the state forest was conducted in Hugumbirda and Endedo kebele, two villages located adjacent to the Hugumbirda forest. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 251 randomly selected households living near or adjacent to the state forest. A logit model was used to analyze factors affecting household's willingness to scale up forests at the communal level. Most of the respondents living near or adjacent to the national forest were found to be dependent on the forest for fuelwood and therefore energy, timber products, and farming equipment. Furthermore, households were found to perceive that communal intervention management is a significant factor in attempts to further scale up forests. Scale-up of forests at the community was one option to enhance the vegetation cover and therefore increase primary production by promoting infiltration and decrease evaporation and runoff water. Finally farmers have suggested the state forest should be devolved to the community to improve the current level of forest contributions to the livelihood of smallholder farmers.


An efficient method to generate cardiac tissue from other tissues has great therapeutic potential for patients suffering from cardiovascular disease. Pluripotent stem cells, such as embryonic stem (ES) cells, and so-called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can be differentiated into multiple cell types, including cardiac myocytes. However, therapeutic use of these cells has several important risks, including cancer as well as loss of differentiated cell identity and function or "drift." Transdifferentiation, the generation of cell types from other differentiated cell types, is an attractive alternative because it poses little risk of cancer and may give rise to cells whose identity is locked in. However, the direct reprogramming of adult fibroblasts into cardiac myocytes is inefficient and the transcription factors that drive this process are unknown. To circumvent these hurdles we hypothesized that fetal derived cells may be more amenable to reprogramming into cardiac myocytes with defined transcription factors. To this end, fetal derived fibroblasts and mesenchymal cells were transduced with transcription factors that have been shown to play a role in myocyte specification and maintenance, including GATA4, Mef2c, Tbx5 and Nkx2.5. To test this hypothesis, the transcription factors were cloned into lentiviral vectors, which were used to infect fibroblasts and mesenchymal cells. Infected cells were then cultured in different media. To assess the efficiency of the reprogramming, RNA was extracted from infected and uninfected cells, and quantitative RT-PCR was used to evaluate the expression levels of the transcription factors and known cardiac genes. We expected to observe higher levels of the transcription factors and cardiac markers in the infected cells relative to the uninfected cells. The results showed that the infected cells expressed higher levels of the transcription factors and a few cardiac markers relative to the uninfected cells. However, due to the small increase in the levels of only a few cardiac markers, the reprogramming was concluded to be inefficient. To make the reprogramming more efficient, other as yet unrecognized transcription factors possibly in the GATA family of transcription factors and culture conditions are currently being considered.


[1] In recent studies, anthropogenic aerosols have been recognized as important radiative forcing factors of climate because of their ability to scatter and/or absorb sunlight. At clear-sky conditions the direct aerosol forcing at ground is negative and implies less solar heating of the surface because of aerosols. In this study, an intensified direct aerosol forcing of −7 to −8 W/m2 has been detected in the United States for the interval from 1960 to 1990. In Germany a weakened aerosol forcing of +3 W/m2 was observed during the same time period. Even though the aerosol forcing is stronger in the eastern United States compared to the western United States, the positive trend is almost equal. We attained these results by scrutinizing clear-sky global solar radiation recordings for these regions and this time period. Additionally, the diurnal cycle and the direct to diffuse ratio of solar radiation were used for constraining the observed trends. Increased absorption and declined light scattering are presumably responsible for the intensified direct aerosol forcing in the United States. While at the same time in Germany, both aerosol absorption and scattering must have declined to explain the parallel weakened aerosol forcing and the increased direct/diffuse ratio. To estimate the possible anthropogenic portion of these observed changes, we compared the observational results with modeled aerosol forcing scenarios retrieved from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies general circulation model (GISS GCM). Modeled surface solar radiation, aerosol optical thickness, and single-scattering albedo are derived from emission trends of anthropogenic sulfate and carbonaceous aerosols. The emission distributions are calculated from fossil fuel consumption databases. On the basis of these simulations we suspect that the declining trend of sulfate burden over Germany between 1960 and 1990 was stronger than estimated with the model. Over the United States the simulated small increase in the carbonaceous aerosol burden was exaggerated in order to explain the observed changes in surface solar radiation, diurnal cycle, and direct/diffuse ratio of surface solar radiation. In addition to emission changes from fossil fuel burning, other reasons explaining the solar radiation trends are also discussed.


Self-management is crucial for people living with chronic diseases, but the actual process of integrating self-management has not been explored in depth. In this article, we investigate the integration of self-management into the lives of people with chronic illness. In this longitudinal study, we used an interpretive description approach. Twenty-one individuals were interviewed regularly during the first 3 years after they were diagnosed with a chronic condition. We found self-management integration to be an ongoing process that included four phases: seeking effective self-management strategies, considering costs and benefits, creating routines and plans of action, and negotiating self-management that fits one's life. The participants managed the phases according to their context, e.g., illness experience, life situation, personal beliefs, and social support. Health care providers should therefore facilitate self-management integration by providing support that is adjusted to the person's phase of self-management integration and life context.


Series–series (SS) and series–parallel (SP) topologies are widely used in resonant inductive coupling wireless power transfer systems for various applications. However, the selection of an appropriate topology to achieve higher output power or higher efficiency is typically difficult because design optimization of the circuit parameters (e.g., characteristic impedance, load resistance, and mutual inductance) for each topology is generally separately discussed using different equivalent circuits with multiple resonance modes. Therefore, the purpose of this study involves proposing a simple strategy to select an appropriate topology. The proposed strategy is based on quasi-duality between the SS and SP topologies that are elucidated from the novel equivalent circuits derived using Lagrangian dynamics. Based on the quasi-duality, the output power and efficiency of the SP topology are calculated via the equivalent circuit of SS topology. Thus, the quasi-duality offers a simple comparison between the SS and SP topologies. The proposed strategy selects an appropriate topology by comparing only the equivalent ac load resistance, which is the ac resistance including the rectifying circuit and the load resistance, the characteristic impedance, and the ac load resistance that achieves the maximum efficiency or maximum output power of the SS topology. Experiments verify the appropriateness and effectiveness of the proposed strategy.


This study evaluated the antimicrobial activity of propolis and honey samples of stingless bee, Dactylurina schimidti collected from 4 colonies in Tana River district along the Kenyan Indian Ocean Coast. Ethanolic extract of Propolis (EEP) was extracted using 70 % ethanol. Pure honey and concentrations of 75 %, 50 % and 25 % honey in distilled water were prepared. These preparations were tested for antimicrobial activity against five different types of bacteria; Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Salmonella typhi , Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis and two types of fungi; Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans . The disc diffusion method using filter paper discs was employed. Antimicrobial activity was determined as an equivalent of the inhibition zones diameters (in millimeters) after incubation of the cultures at 37 0 C for 24 hours for bacterial species and 48 hours for fungal species. EEP exhibited highest inhibitory effect on Gram positive bacteria compared to all other bacterial and fungal strains. Pure honey had more effect in inhibiting bacterial growth than different dilutions of honey. Pure honey did not inhibit growth of A. niger and C. albicans . Generally, our findings indicate that propolis from D. schimdti had higher antimicrobial activity against the microbes compared to its honey.


Many cyanobacteria are capable of utilizing light energy for nitrogen fixation. As a by-product of this nitrogenase mediated catalysis, hydrogen gas is produced. Several approaches to increase hydrogen production from cyanobacteria exist. Usually, these approaches are non-targeted. Here we exemplify how DNA-microarray based gene-expression analysis and bioinformatic visualization techniques can be used to analyze nitrogen and hydrogen metabolism from the filamentous, heterocyst forming cyanobacterium Nostoc PCC 7120. We analyzed the expression of 1249 genes from major metabolic categories under nitrogen fixing and non-nitrogen fixing growth. Of the selected genes, 494 show a more than 2-fold expression difference in the two conditions analyzed. Under nitrogen-fixing conditions 465 genes, mainly involved in energy metabolism, photosynthesis, respiration and nitrogen-fixation, were found to be stronger expressed, whereas only 29 genes showed a stronger expression under non-nitrogen fixing conditions. To help understanding probe hybridization, all expression data were correlated with potential target secondary structures and probe GC-content. For the first time the expression of high light-induced stress proteins (HLIP-family) is shown to be linked to the nitrogen availability.


The impact of school resources on the quality of education in developing countries may depend crucially on whether resources are targeted efficiently. In this paper we use a randomized experiment to analyze the impact of a school grants program in Senegal, which decentralized a portion of the country's education budget. We find large positive effects on test scores at younger grades that persist at least two years. We show that these effects are concentrated among schools that focused funds on human resources improvements rather than school materials, suggesting that teachers and principals may be a central determinant of school quality.


In this study, the functional priority of wetlands was determined through analysis of previous research. To determine relative importance, three processes were performed. First, quantitative values from the case studies were normalized. Second, non-quantitative values were prioritized based on standard criteria. Third, equal weight was applied as long as there was no special consideration regarding a particular value`s disproportionate priority in the research. Finally, results were grouped into large, medium, and small classes.In this study, the functions of the medium class were found to be the most significant, in the following order of priority: water supply and ground water recharge; culture and recreation; biodiversity; product; water quality control; flood control; erosion control; moderation of climate change; and provision of biochemical matter. To verify these results, we compared our findings with those of an assessment that used the Rapid Assessment Method (RAM) on the same type of study area. Whereas this comparison indicated some correlations by the culture, water storage, and genetic sustainability functions, it suggested a lack of such relationship by the water purification and flood prevention functions.


DNA-TEMPLATED SURFACE ALIGNMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CARBON NANOTUBES Huijun Xin Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Doctor of Philosophy Carbon nanotubes are appealing materials for nanofabrication due to their unique properties and structures. However, for carbon nanotubes to be used in mass-fabricated devices, precise control of nanotube orientation and location on surfaces is critical. I have developed a technique to align single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on surfaces from a droplet of nanotube suspension under gas flow. Fluid motion studies indicate that alignment is likely due to circulation of SWNTs in the droplet. My work provides a facile method for generating oriented nanotubes for nanodevice applications. I have also devised an approach for localizing SWNTs onto 1pyrenemethylamine-decorated DNA on surfaces. I found that 63% of SWNTs on surfaces were anchored along DNA, and these nanotubes covered ~5% of the total DNA length. This technique was an initial demonstration of DNA-templated SWNT localization. In an improved method to localize SWNTs on DNA templates, dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide was utilized to suspend SWNTs in aqueous media and localize them on DNA electrostatically. SWNT positioning was controlled by the surface DNA arrangement, and the extent of deposition was influenced by the SWNT concentration and number of treatments. Under optimized conditions, 83% of the length of surface DNAs was covered with SWNTs, and 76% of the deposited SWNTs were on DNA. In some regions, nearly continuous SWNT assemblies were formed. This approach should be useful for the fabrication of nanotube nanowires in nanoelectronic circuits. Using my improved procedures, I have localized SWNTs on DNA templates across electrodes and measured the electrical properties of DNA-templated SWNT assemblies. When a DNA-templated SWNT was deposited on top of and bridging electrodes, the measured conductance was comparable to literature values. In contrast, SWNTs with end-on contacts to the sides of electrodes had conductances hundreds of times lower than literature values, probably due to gaps between the SWNT ends and the electrodes. This work provides a novel approach for localizing SWNTs across contacts in a controlled manner. These results may be useful in the fabrication of nanoelectronic devices such as transistors with SWNTs as active components. Moreover, this approach could be valuable in arranging SWNTs as electrical interconnects for nanoelectronics applications.


The environment in which we live greatly influences our health. One particular factor that has been related to morbidity and mortality is dwelling crowding. A range of mechanisms have been proposed as links between dwelling crowding and disease, including increased exposures to allergens, respiratory irritants and infectious agents in crowded dwellings. While studies of dwelling crowding have been conducted in many locations around the world, this factor has received little attention in Australian health studies. We examine relationships between dwelling crowding and health in Sydney, using three case studies at the local government area (LGA) level within the Sydney Statistical Division. Dwelling and demographic data from the 1996 Australian census are used, along with four socio-economic indexes produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and hospital inpatient data for the period 1 July 1994 to 30 June 1997 as the health indicator. Results suggest that dwelling crowding is a significant factor in certain diseases in Sydney. Asthma hospital separations are not correlated with dwelling crowding, although multiple linear regression analysis produces three models which include crowding and three of the socio-economic indexes as significant variables. Separations for bronchitis and emphysema, and all causes combined, are positively correlated with dwelling crowding. Dwelling crowding is strongly negatively correlated with all but one of the socio-economic indicators.


Itea virginica L. 'Sprich' (virginia sweetspire), Salix alba L. (white willow), and S. gracilistyla var. melanostachys (Mak.) Miq. (black pussywillow) were treated with a 4 mg·L -1 suspension of two herbicides, isoxaben and oryzalin, a water control (water) or a nonsaturated control (control) for 9 days. Growth and photosynthetic responses were monitored before, during and after the 9-day treatment for a total of 51 days. Growth index of white willow and virginia sweetspire was only reduced by isoxaben treatment while both herbicides reduced the growth index for black pussywillow compared to control. Plant dry weights of the willows were not affected by day 9. Final dry weight was lower for both herbicide treatments for all taxa. The water treatment resulted in lower total dry weight than control only for virginia sweetspire. Isoxaben reduced photosystem II efficiency (Fv/Fm) and CO2 assimilation (A) following release from treatments of virginia sweetspire and black pussywillow. There were few differences in Fv/Fm and A for white willow. The response to oryzalin was similar to water for most parameters measured for virginia sweetspire and white willow. Growth was more strongly affected by oryzalin for black pussywillow than for other taxa but there were few differences in Fv/Fm or A between oryzalin and control for any of the taxa. Virginia sweetspire and white willow showed promise for use in phytoremediation of oryzalin but none of the taxa performed well under the levels of isoxaben used. Chemical names used: isoxaben (N-(3-(1-ethyl-1-methylpropyl)-5-isoxazolyly)-2,6-dimethoxybenzamide); oryzalin (4-(dipropylamino)-3,5- dinitrobenzenesulforamide).


To use a catchment‐scale model to delineate areas with high and low denitrification capacities in the saturated zone of a catchment, the model must have an accurate spatial description of both general large‐scale flow patterns on catchment scale and small‐scale flow patterns locally within the catchment. In this study, a coupled groundwater‐surface water model based on the MIKE SHE code was developed for the 4.7 km2 Lillebæk catchment in Denmark, where tile drain flow is a major contributor to the stream discharge. The catchment model was calibrated in several steps by incrementally including the observation data into the calibration to see the effect on model performance of including diverse data types, especially tile drain discharge. For the Lillebæk catchment, measurements of hydraulic head, daily stream discharge, and daily tile drain discharge from five small (1–4 ha) drainage areas exist. The results showed that including tile drain data in the calibration of the catchment model improved its general performance for hydraulic heads and stream discharges. However, the model failed to correctly describe the local‐scale dynamics of the tile drain discharges, and, furthermore, including the drain data in the calibration did not improve the small‐scale spatial dynamics. This is mainly believed to be caused by the model's inadequate simulation of local spatial dynamics in hydraulic heads, which we argue is likely due to the lack of sufficient heterogeneity in the geological model.