Peat horizons provide a wide range of critical environmental and direct archaeological information for both archaeologists and Quaternary geologists. At present, such data are typically obtained from terrestrial exposures or cores, and occasional offshore cores. These data can provide invaluable and detailed site‐specific environmental information but require a relatively high spatial sampling strategy to provide more regional‐scale information. Through a comparison of laboratory, in situ acoustic and sedimentary analyses, this paper presents evidence to suggest that peat buried in fine to medium grained, marine, siliciclastic sediments has an easily identifiable acoustic signature. The very low densities recorded by buried peats result in a distinct negative peak in the reflectivity series. Comparison of synthetic seismograms with in situ seismic data confirms that this negative peak can be easily identified from seismic profiles. Reanalysis of a decade of Chirp (sub‐bottom) data, acquired from the Solent Estuary, indicates that possible extensive peat deposits, dating from the Late‐glacial to early Holocene, can be traced at depth in this estuary using geophysical methods. The results of this study could be significant for future research into submerged landscape reconstructions. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


This article describes an interdisciplinary approach to computer modelling of large-scale power systems over a long-term horizon. The goal is to simulate the interplay between the economic, technical and environmental factors in the system. Our approach is illustrated with a model based on data from the Western Electric Coordination Council (WECC). We present simulations to show the change in the WECC system over 20 years. We explain the challenge of simulating short-term behaviour such as hourly wholesale electricity prices within the longer-term model. The usefulness of the model is illustrated by showing simulated impacts on the WECC system due to a market for carbon allowances. This research demonstrates the importance of simulation models that are designed for interactive use by policymakers, engineers and researchers.


OPYRIGHT law may not be the answer, but what is the question? Dotan Oliar and Christopher Sprigman explore an example of a norm system—the one among stand-up comedians against joke theft— and show why it is likely superior to use of copyright to protect rights in jokes. In the course of their study they document both how formal copyright law is unsuited to protecting comedic material and what type of norm system, enforced by other comics and booking agents, has sprung up in its stead. From a property point of view, the likely bi-causal relationship between the development of the antiplagiarism norm and the rise of narrative, observational, and social commentary-style comedy out of earlier vaudeville and post-vaudeville styles is now, thanks to Oliar and Sprigman, one of the better documented cases of Demsetzian development we have. Oliar and Sprigman also argue that for all its dangers of mob justice and extreme simplicity, the norm system does protect investments in developing comedic material and is likely more C


Biostratigraphy and paleoecology of the Burdigalian-Serravallian sediments in Wadi Sudr (Gulf of Suez, Egypt): comparison with the Central Paratethys evolution Two main Miocene facies were recorded in the Gulf of Suez area: a deep marine and a coastal facies. The analysed sections in the Wadi Sudr area belong to the marine facies. The Lower Miocene (Burdigalian) is represented by coastal, shallow marine sediments, rich in coral, algae, gastropods and large pectinids followed by Langhian open marine sediments and Serravallian lagoonal carbonates. The open marine sediments contain well preserved planktonic and benthic foraminifers and abundant ostracods. The parts of the sections containing foraminifers have been correlated with three planktonic foraminiferal zones (Praeorbulina glomerosa Zone, Orbulina Zone and Globorotalia praemenardii-Globorotalia peripheroronda Zone). Two benthic ecozones were defined (Heterolepa dutemplei-Laevidentalina elegans Zone and Bolivina compressa-Elphidium spp. Zone). Two cycles of sea-level changes can be distinguished and correlated with global sea-level cycles Bur5/Lan1 and Ser1. The first (Langhian) cycle culminated in open marine sublittoral to upper bathyal well aerated sediments. The second (Serravallian) cycle was shallower, littoral suboxic sediments were overlaid by euryhaline carbonates. The studied foraminifera-bearing sediments can be correlated with the lower and Middle Badenian of the Central Paratethys. Though the area of the Gulf of Suez and the Central Paratethys were situated in different climatic zones, and influenced by different tectonic events, the main paleoenvironmental events (sea-level changes, oxygen decrease, salinity changes) are comparable. This correspondence shows that the decisive factors triggering these events were global climatic events.


If you want to ride like a pro, you should learn from a pro! In Mastering Mountain Bike Skills, Third Edition, world-champion racer Brian Lopes and renowned riding coach Lee McCormack share their elite perspectives, real-life race stories, and their own successful techniques to help riders of all styles and levels build confidence and experience the full exhiliration of the sport.
 Mastering Mountain Bike Skills is the best-selling guide for all mountain biking disciplines, including enduro, pump track racing, dual slalom, downhill, cross-country, fatbiking, and 24-hour races. It absolutely captures the sport and offers everything you need to maximize performance and excitement on the trail. Learn how to select the proper bike and customize it for your unique riding style. Develop a solid skills base so you can execute techniques with more power and precision. Master the essential techniques to help you carve every corner, nail every jump, and conquer every obstacle in your path. Last, but not least, prepare yourself to handle every type of weather and trail condition that the mountain biking world throws at you.
 Whether you're a recreational rider looking to rock the trails with friends, are a seasoned enthusiast, or are aspiring to be a top pro, Mastering Mountain Bike Skills will improve your ride and dust the competition. Don't just survive the trail–own the trail, and enjoy the thrill of doing it.


We provide a new method of identifying the level of relative bargaining power in bilateral negotiations using exogenous variation in the degree of conflict between parties. Using daily births data, we study negotiations over birth timing. In doing so, we exploit the fact that fewer children are born on the "inauspicious" dates of February 29 and April 1; most likely, we argue, reflecting parental preferences. When these inauspicious dates abut a weekend, this creates a potential conflict between avoiding the inauspicious date (the parents' likely preference), and avoiding the weekend (the doctor's likely preference). Using daily births data, we estimate how often this conflict is resolved in favor of the physician. We show how this provides an estimate of how bargaining power is distributed between patients and physicians.


Computing of partition function is the most important statistical inference task arising in applications of graphical models (GM). Since it is computationally intractable, approximate methods have been used in practice, where mean-field (MF) and belief propagation (BP) are arguably the most popular and successful approaches of a variational type. In this paper, we propose two new variational schemes, coined Gauged-MF (G-MF) and Gauged-BP (G-BP), improving MF and BP, respectively. Both provide lower bounds for the partition function by utilizing the so-called gauge transformation which modifies factors of GM while keeping the partition function invariant. Moreover, we prove that both G-MF and G-BP are exact for GMs with a single loop of a special structure, even though the bare MF and BP perform badly in this case. Our extensive experiments indeed confirm that the proposed algorithms outperform and generalize MF and BP.


Motivating people to contribute knowledge has become an important research topic and a major challenge for organizations. In order to promote knowledge sharing, managers need to under-stand the mechanism that drives individuals to contribute their valuable knowledge. Several theories have been applied to study knowledge-sharing behavior. However, the research set-tings and findings are often inconsistent. In this study, we use the social exchange theory as the basis to develop an extended model to explain knowledge-sharing behavior and include IT con-text as a moderator. A meta-analysis on 52 reported studies was conducted to examine how different factors in the social exchange theory affect knowledge-sharing behavior. The findings indicate that the social exchange theory plays an important role underlying individuals' knowledge-sharing behavior. The results also demonstrate that social interaction and trust can enhance individual's knowledge-sharing behavior. Furthermore, IT facilitation can moderate the effect of social interaction.


The equity lending literature has assumed that equity loan supply is static due to institutional constraints. Instead, we show that reduced stock lending (both at the margin and in levels) causes increased stock loan fees and stock overpricing. We find the strongest effect among stocks with the highest disagreement, as suggested by theory. Investors buy and do not lend for two reasons. First, they prefer positive skewness: loan-supply-constrained stocks exhibit increased lottery-like return distributions. Second, loan supply restrictions cause short-term positive holding period returns, implicating them in stock overpricing.


How do curatorial initiatives in public spaces balance the critical pursuit of art and the professional ethics of the exhibition context? What are the pros and cons of conducting attention-grabbing guerrilla campaigns versus infiltrating politically sensitive public arenas with long-term initiatives? What happens when corporate sponsors of art become trapped in the battlefield of art-fueled media controversy? This article expands on such inquiries by analyzing the collision of two artistic urban interventions, Open Sky Project and the Countdown Machine campaign—a collision that took place within the delicate political context of Hong Kong in 2016.


In Cajetan's Biblical Commentaries, Michael O'Connor argues that Cajetan's motive was more 'Catholic Reform' than 'Counter-Reformation', and that his method was a bold hybrid of scholasticism and Renaissance humanism, correcting the Vulgate's errors and expounding the text according to the literal sense.


Our fast-paced age of electronic agreements that ostensibly govern transactions as diverse as downloading software, ordering goods, and engaging in collaborative development projects raises questions regarding the suitability of contract law as the appropriate legal framework. While this question arises in many settings, we focus here on the free and open source software (FOSS) movement because of the maturity and success of its model and the ubiquity of its software. We explore in particular whether open source licenses are supported by consideration, and argue that they are, and that open source licenses are contracts. We further argue that a contractual framework working in tandem with the intellectual property laws is the appropriate legal structure to govern FOSS transactions. Our discussion holds implications for the understanding of consideration doctrine and contract law generally outside of the FOSS example and, indeed, for collaborative development and electronic agreements generally. The article is thus an exercise in understanding consideration doctrine's past and future.


Exploiting the playfulness of games has been extremely successful in bringing humans "in the loop" to solve complex computational tasks that would otherwise be hardly tractable. Although many proposals and systems after this paradigm have been developed, deployed, and tested, the relationship between play and human computation still deserves more investigations. Most work in human computation focuses on the ability for the machine to exploit, or learn from, humans. The workshop has a slightly different focus: the exploration of extending "I learn" ("disco" in Latin) to machines and humans alike. Games hold tremendous potential for discovery related to human and machine computation because of the intrinsic relation between play and learning. Extending and building upon the focus of past workshops on games and human computation Disco aims at exploring the intersection of entertainment, learning and human computation.


Hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and conservative care are nowadays the main treatment options to help persons suffering from advanced kidney diseases. The Authors intend to deal with ethical issues concerning decision-making process about these treatments. Data confirmed that among patients who have the choice between two medically accepted and available options that are believed to have a chance of promoting the patient's welfare some patients prefer a treatment option; the other option is the treatment of choice for the others. In decision-making process, a prominent role must be given to patient's values and his/her judgment about the impact of the treatment options on his/her quality of life, in personal assessment of benefits and burdens. Thus, share decision-making is the recommended model for decision-making in this context; the physician has the important role to guide this process, ascertaining the patient's preferences and personal values.


We investigate learning at the workplace. To do so, we use German administrative data that contain information on the entire workforce of a sample of establishments. We document that having more‐highly‐paid coworkers is strongly associated with future wage growth, particularly if those workers earn more. Motivated by this fact, we propose a dynamic theory of a competitive labor market where firms produce using teams of heterogeneous workers that learn from each other. We develop a methodology to structurally estimate knowledge flows using the full‐richness of the German employer‐employee matched data. The methodology builds on the observation that a competitive labor market prices coworker learning. Our quantitative approach imposes minimal restrictions on firms' production functions, can be implemented on a very short panel, and allows for potentially rich and flexible coworker learning functions. In line with our reduced‐form results, learning from coworkers is significant, particularly from more knowledgeable coworkers. We show that between 4 and 9% of total worker compensation is in the form of learning and that inequality in total compensation is significantly lower than inequality in wages.


The antigenic relationships among Hart Park (HP) virus strain AR 70, Flanders virus strain 61-7484, and other related strains were investigated. Strains AR 70 and 61-7484 were shown to be antigenically related but different from each other in neutralization, complement fixation, and double-diffusion tests. Two strains isolated in Texas and one strain each, isolated in Illinois and Florida, appeared to be closely related if not identical to Flanders virus (61-7484) and antigenically related but different from HP virus AR 70. Ten additional strains isolated in 10 different states were compared to the two prototype strains. Seven of the 10 could not be distinguished from Flanders virus, and all 10 strains were different from HP virus. The results indicate that a virus-type consisting of viruses antigenically related if not identical to Flanders virus is widely distributed within the United States, whereas HP virus is antigenically related but different from this type.


Nigeria is highly endowed with a lot of biological resources of both plants and animal species. There have been many studies to document these biological resources in terms of quantity and location across the country. There had also been several efforts by the Nigerian government towards the conservation of these resources. However, this effort is not gaining the desired outcome, as the biological resources are constantly at the risk of depletion or even threatened with extinction. It was identified that lack of clear understanding of the ecological utility of these natural resources is the main reason for their abuse. This work is therefore an attempt to bring out the numerous uses and importance of biodiversity to the Nigerian ecosystem. It started with an overview of the biodiversity, then went ahead to review the causes of its depletion, before dwelling on the various utilities of the biodiversity in sustaining the ecosystem integrity of the Nigerian fragile environment. The impact of biodiversity in reversing the process of desertification was explained. Similarly, the role of biodiversity in water conservation, erosion management, soil fertility, food security and domestic energy were explained. The paper is hoped to serve as an advocacy tool for environmental conservation.


The methodology developed within the FrameNet project is being used to compile resources in an increasing number of specialized fields of knowledge. The methodology along with the theoretical principles on which it is based, i.e. Frame Semantics, are especially appealing as they allow domain-specific resources to account for the conceptual background of specialized knowledge and to explain the linguistic properties of terms against this background. This paper presents a methodology for building a multilingual resource that accounts for terms of the environment. After listing some lexical and conceptual differences that need to be managed in such a resource, we explain how the FrameNet methodology is adapted for describing terms in different languages. We first applied our methodology to French and then extended it to English. Extensions to Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese were made more recently. Up to now, we have defined 190 frames: 112 frames are new; 38 are used as such; and 40 are slightly different (a different number of obligatory participants; a significant alternation, etc.) when compared to Berkeley FrameNet.


Abstract Gold-bearing mineral deposits occur over a strike distance of >300 km within the Grampian Terrane of Scotland and Ireland. This terrane consists of Neoproterozoic–Lower Ordovician rocks of the Dalradian Supergroup that were polyphase deformed and metamorphosed during the c. 470 Ma Grampian Orogeny. Sulphide-rich Au–Ag deposits occur in Scotland at Calliachar–Urlar Burn, Tombuie, Tyndrum and Cononish, and in Ireland at Curraghinalt (Omagh), Cavanacaw, Croagh Patrick, Cregganbaun and Bohaun. They are hosted by 0.1–6 m thick quartz veins and have a similar overall mineralogy, including native gold, As, Cu, Fe, Pb and Sn sulphides, with hessite, tetrahedrite and electrum present in the first six localities above. The mineralized quartz veins, which are characterized by open-space textures, crystallized at c. 3–5 km depth in the crust. All of the deposits were structurally controlled and, apart from Curraghinalt, occur within second-order Riedel R, R′ and T fractures resulting from a regional N–S-trending maximum principal stress. These deposits are of Upper Silurian to Lower Devonian (post-Scandian) age, and are inferred to have crystallized from hot, silica-rich metamorphic fluids derived from dehydration reactions at the greenschist/amphibolite-facies boundary. Curraghinalt is an older, Grampian, thrust-related deposit. Plutonic igneous rocks (mainly granitoid) contributed in part to the fluids, which were channelled into major orogen-parallel, strike-slip faults, to be injected by fault-valve pumping into the damage zones and fault breccias of newly formed Riedel fractures. Any residual fluid probably percolated to the ground surface to form Rhynie chert-type hot-springs.


This paper situates its analysis in a case study of the three watershed moments arising from the sixteenyear history of the Boise Pride Celebration. These moments reveal the impact that the tension between assimilation and liberation strategies have had in the birthing, changing, and shaping of both the Boise Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community's struggles and its successes in becoming increasingly visible. Interviews and archival research demonstrate that the Pride Celebration originated in, grew and essentially thrived from this tension proving it necessary to transform the Boise LGBT community from a fearful, invisible minority functioning despite a conservative climate, into an increasingly visible, viable community and constituency. The balance between assimilation and liberation strategy, as evidenced by this case study, was and remains crucial to liberate and protect LGBT people from the threat and reality of legal discrimination and the de-humanizing stereotypes used to deny them their civil and human rights.


This article is the first in a trilogy dealing with three major theoretical problems confronting modem comparative legal methodology. The premise of the trilogy is that contrary to certain views, there are definite paradigmatic differences in approach to comparative law. These reflect the theoretical assumptions and points of departure subjacent to the use of the comparative method by modem exponents of the schools of thought in comparative law, and therefore, in legal science as such. Comparative legal thought is besieged by methodological relativism, or even 'anarchism'. There is an astonishing disregard, denial, or simply a total ignorance of the fact that methodologies are formulated in, determined by and to a large extent comprehensible only within, the ambits of the philosophical frameworks within which they are generated. These philosophical frameworks determine the use of concrete comparative methods or techniques in trans-theoretical or non-theoretical contexts in relation to the objects of investigation. This leads to the general , almost apologetic, reduction of those methods and techniques to the subjective preferences, interests and aims of individual comparatists.


A study was conducted to describe the experiences of primiparous women with the support they received from their birth companions during labour and delivery in Malawi. The study design was descriptive and utilized qualitative data collection and analysis method on a sample of 20 primiparous women. The women were recruited from the postnatal ward of Bwaila hospital and were interviewed regarding their experiences on the support they received from their birth companions during labour and delivery using an open ended interview guide. Data was manually analyzed using content analysis. Primiparous women described the support they received from their birth companions as useful and beneficial. Birth companions provided advice, physical, emotional and spiritual support to the women during their labour and delivery. In addition, the birth companions were viewed as guardians of the women during labour and delivery. Results however, show that some women were not properly assisted by their companions because both the mothers and companions lacked knowledge on birth companionship. The results further show that birth companions play important roles during the birth and delivery of primiparous women and thereby improving birth outcomes. Therefore, there is a need to train the companions regarding support to a woman during labour and delivery. Primiparous women also need to be trained during antenatal care education so that they properly understand the roles of a birth companion as opposed to those of the midwives.


Competencies related to operating systems and computer security are usually taught systematically. In this paper we present a different approach, in which students have to remove virus-like behaviour on their respective computers, which has been induced by software developed for this purpose. They have to develop appropriate problem-solving strategies and thereby explore essential elements of the operating system. The approach was implemented exemplarily in two computer science courses at a regional general upper secondary school and showed great motivation and interest in the participating students.


Jean-Paul Goude is one of the world's most brilliant and unorthodox imagemakers. This book assembles a collection of advertising artwork he created over a ten-year period for Galeries Lafayette, Paris' most celebrated department store. Around 150 works, including 75 working documents, are on show here: drawings, sketches and final images that sparkle with creative vigour. Selected and arranged by Goude himself, they present a gallery of artworks that have not only defined a brand, but have redefined advertising and brand photography as we know them. This book will inform and instruct all those concerned with the art of image-making, whether design professionals or simply those prepared to be delighted and entertained by chic, witty images that work.


We demonstrate ultrafast dynamical imaging of surfaces, using a scanning tunneling microscope with a low-temperature-grown GaAs tip photoexcited by 100-fs, 800-nm pulses. We use this setup to detect picosecond transients on a coplanar stripline and demonstrate a temporal resolution (full width at half-maximum) of 1.7 ps. The temporal waveform resulting from our low-temperature-grown GaAs tip is compared with waveforms obtained by means of photoconductively gated metal tips in the same setup. By dynamically imaging the stripline we demonstrate that the local conductivity in the sample is reflected in the transient correlated current and that 20-nm spatial resolution is achievable for a 2-ps transient correlated signal. Finally, we report the characterization of a picosecond pulse propagating along the stripline for millimeter-scale distances.


Introduction: Theoretically, caring relationship between faculty – student generates a caring moment. However, there is a scarcity of empirical evidence about how caring interactions with faculty can enhance students' caring outcomes. Aim: The aim of this study was to identify the levels of students' and instructors' caring behavior and to explore the correlations between instructors' and students' caring behavior. Methods: A descriptive, non – experimental design has been used in this study. Data collection was based on interviews using two standardized questionnaires; the Nursing Students' Perception of Instructor Caring (NSPIC) and the Caring Behavior Inventory (CBI). Respondents were consisting of nursing students from identified schools and colleges of nursing in different countries. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 21.0 Results: The sample was consisted of 368 nursing students (91% female, 9% male) from seven countries (26% Philippines, 31.5% Greece, 1% Kenya, 0.5 Oman, 35.5% India, 5% Nigeria, 0.5% Saudi Arabia). Forty two percent of students are in the second year of studies, 13% in the third year and 45% in the fourth year. The mean score of NSPIC was 4.02±0.30 and the mean of CBI was4.56±0.13. The mean for each factor of NSPIC was 4.39±0.13 for the factor "instills confidence through caring", 3.92±0.212 for "supportive learning climate", 4.06±0.06 for "appreciation of life's meaning", 3.66±0.11 for "control versus flexibility" and 4.01±0.48 for "respectful sharing". The mean for each factor of CBI was 4.63±0.11 for the factor "assurance", 4.58±0.06 for "knowledge and skills", 4.55±0.18 for "respectful" and 4.47±0.14 for "connectedness". Correlation analysis showed statistically significance between relevant variables.


What is good practice when handling a complaint? What is the ethical basis of such practice? Fiona Palmer-Barnes pays equal attention to both these issues which are essential for psychotherapists and counsellors practising today. Drawing on her considerable experience of managing complaints for both the British Association for Counselling and the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy, she delineates the basics for putting in place a professional and ethical system of investigation and action. Illustrated by case examples, the handbook covers all aspects of complaints and grievance management: * competence * contract * confidentiality * mistakes or malpractice * principles for dealing with complaints * investigation * adjudication * sanctions * outcomes * appeals It includes useful addresses, current codes of ethics from major umbrella organizations, protocols and sample letters.


Purpose:The aim of this research is to develop a conceptual framework that incorporatesa new understanding of key elements that address and realign the roles of a school as a community hub in promoting community cohesion.
Findings:The final finding is a new conceptual framework for the understanding of local community perspectives on the role of the school as a community hub.This framework enhances significant values and leads to the creation of guidance to promote community cohesion and to sustain opportunities for existing and future development of schools. Detailed themes in the findings demonstrate a need to propose significant strategies to address the key challenges of the role of school as a community hub.
Research limitations / implications:This study looks at the relationships that underlie the visions to see the capabilities of school roles as community hub which then highlights significant ways of delivering efforts to promote cohesion in the community. The implementation of the research will depend upon the extent to which stakeholders discern and accept the new inter-relationships and community cohesion principles proposed.
Design / methodology / approach:Grounded Theory Methods (GTM) and Rich Picture Diagrams (RPD) were the approaches taken to collecting and analysing the data from two case studies, one situated in the United Kingdom and the other in Malaysia.
Practical implications:Promoting community cohesion requires the role of school to be rediscovered as a concept of a community hub that potentially meets current social needs and those of future generations. Practitioners and policy makers need to be aligned with the new conceptual framework as its represent the engagement of the local communities with the strategies and agendas of sustainable communities.
Originality / value In the world of social and culture diversity, this study lays out new understanding and strategies on the conceptual framework of a school as a community hub facility on promoting community cohesion.


Unlike anything currently available in the market, Dr. Sally A. Moody and a team of world-renowned experts provide a groundbreaking view of developmental genetics that will influence scientific approaches in embryology, comparative biology, as well as the newly emerging fields of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. "Principles of Developmental Genetics" highlights the intersection of developmental biology with new revolutionary genomic technologies, and details how these advances have accelerated our understanding of the molecular genetic processes that regulates development. This definitive resource provides researchers with the opportunity to gain important insights into the clinical applicability of emerging new technologies and animal model data.This book is a must-have for all researchers in genetics, developmental biology, regenerative medicine, and stem cell biology. It includes new research not previously published in any other book on the molecular genetic processes that regulates development. It contains chapters which present a broad understanding on the application of animal model systems, allowing researchers to better treat clinical disorders and comprehend human development. It relates the application of new technologies to the manipulation of stem cells, causes of human birth defects, and several human disease conditions. Each chapter includes a bulleted summary highlighting clinical aspects of animal models.


Covering 19 years of excavations, this volume provides an invaluable collection of Moore's pioneering archaeological investigations along Alabama's waterways.In 1996, The University of Alabama Press published "The Moundville Expeditions of Clarence Bloomfield Moore," which covered a large part of Moore's early archaeological expeditions to the state of Alabama. This volume collects the balance of Moore's Alabama expeditions, with the exception of those Moore made along the Tennessee River, which will be collected in another, forthcoming volume focusing on the Tennessee basin. This volume includes: "Certain Aboriginal Remains of the Alabama River "(1899); "Certain Aboriginal Remains of the Tombigbee River"(1901); a portion of "Certain Aboriginal Remains of the Northwest Florida Coast "(1901); "The So-Called "Hoe-Shaped Implement"" (1903); "Aboriginal Urn-Burial in the United States" (1904); "A Form of Urn-Burial on Mobile Bay "(1905); "Certain Aboriginal Remains of the Lower Tombigbee River "(1905); "Certain Aboriginal Remains on Mobile Bay and on Mississippi Sound" (1905); a portion of "Mounds of the Lower Chattahoochee and Lower Flint Rivers "(1907); a portion of "The Northwest Florida Coast Revisited"(1918). Craig Sheldon's comprehensive introduction focuses both on the Moore expeditions and on subsequent archaeological excavations at sites investigated by Moore. Sheldon places Moore's archaeological work in the context of his times and against the backdrop of similar investigations in the Southeast. Sheldon discusses practical matters, such as the various assistants Moore employed and their roles in these historic expeditions. He provides brief vignettes of daily life on the "Gopher "and describes Moore's work habits, revealing professional and personal biographical details previously unknown about this enigmatic archaeologist. "


In 1958, a search of the Barberousse Prison in Algiers led to the confiscation of the journal, notes, and correspondence of Baya Hocine, a 17-year-old female detainee who had been sentenced to death for an attack. Written in the intimate style of a personal diary, Hocine's papers are a valuable source for the historiography of prisons during the Algerian War of Independence (1954–1962). The purpose of this article is to reconstruct the trajectory from prison to the French Archives, where they appear in typed form, as well as to shed light on the circumstances under which they were written. While they may be insufficient to reconstitute the actual conditions of life in the prison because they communicate private thoughts, they highlight the radical specificity of Barberousse in these wartime years as a place where people who had been sentenced to death were detained and executed and where death was omnipresent.


Canada is experiencing population aging and evidence on the provision of care is based on data collected from majority populations. This analysis compared social networks and patterns of care provision between heterosexual and lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) Canadians between the age of 45 and 85 years. Data were drawn from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), a large national study of health and aging. The results from analysis of baseline data showed that LGB participants were less likely to have children and reported seeing their friends more recently than heterosexual participants. Gay and bisexual men were more likely to provide care support in comparison to heterosexual men. LGB participants were more likely to provide care to friends. The results highlight the importance of considering distinct social networks in the development of policy and practice approaches to support a diverse aging population.


In this paper, I provide a basic, preliminary financial analysis of several prominent, independent investment banks: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, and Bear Stearns. I provide the following data: (1) segmentation of net revenue by products and services, (2) return on average equity, (3) leverage ratio, and (4) debt to equity ratio. Although the data analysis here is very basic, it still tells an interesting narrative of the evolution of the investment banking industry. The investment banking industry has undergone significant change in the twelve-year period 1996 to 2008. In the mid-1990s, banks had a balance mix of the three major product lines: trading, asset management, and investment banking. In the past few years, trading has become the primary business activity of major investment banks. It has overshadowed the other two major products and services of full service firms, investment banking and asset management. In essence, the executives at these firms made "bet the company" type decisions through heavy reliance on trading and increased leverage to boost profitability. This is a new phenomenon. In fact investment banks had changed their business models. In hindsight, with a collapse of the housing and credit bubbles, pure investment banks were especially vulnerable in a way that they were not only a few years ago.


This article presents comparative and diachronic evidence indicating that substratum patterns played a significant role in the development of the copula in Hawai'i Creole English. The predominantly Cantonese, Portuguese, Hawaiian, and Japanese substrate did not contribute much to the innovation of lexical forms since HCE drew on a pre-existing pidgin, but the transference and reinforcement of semantic and syntactic properties from these languages – with the exception of Japanese – is detectible in the copula system that arose in HCE. After a survey of the copula in modern HCE and in attestations in early texts, a detailed comparison of substratal patterns for the creole copula follows in Section 5. The paper concludes with a discussion of bilingualism in the early phase of creole formation and how it led to the transference and selection of features.


Faced with economic decline following the Soviet Union's collapse, Russia is energetically seeking ways to develop its economy and stimulate trade. In order to accomplish these goals, Russia has taken a number of steps to improve its interactions with its trading partners and reform its internal economic structures. Among the most sweeping areas of change are Russia's steps toward bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements and the proposed changes to its Forest Code. Externally, Russia has signed an agreement with China to stabilize relations, increase trade, and address shared environmental concerns, and has taken steps toward membership in the World Trade Organization ("WTO"). Internal reforms include revising Russia's Forest Code to enhance the productivity of the Russian forest sector, encourage investment, and discourage the problems of wasteful production and illegal logging. Unfortunately, this simultaneous reform effort may be too ambitious. Given Russia's underdeveloped institutions and proclivity for corruption, Russia's new Forest Code may exacerbate rather than solve some of the problems it is designed to address, particularly that of illegal logging in the Russian Far East. Russia should take steps to ensure the protection of its Far Eastern forest resources from illegal exploitation prior to exposing them to the full effects of the regional and global free markets.


Drawing on techniques familiar from quantitative morphological typology (Greenberg 1960), this contribution marshals usage- and frequency-based, aggregative measures of grammatical analyticity and syntheticity to profile the history of grammatical marking in English between circa AD 1100 and AD 1900, tapping into the Penn Parsed Corpora of Historical English series. Results indicate that the post-Old English period is clearly not characterized by a linear drift towards more analyticity and less syntheticity. Instead, analyticity was on the rise until the end of the Early Modern English period, but declined subsequently; the reverse is true for syntheticity. In terms of typological analyticity-syntheticity coordinates, 20th century English texts are actually fairly similar to 12th and 13th century English texts. I suggest that this historical pattern can be interpreted in terms of a Gabelentz-type spiral.


The study examines internet memes as a form of representational discourse that subverts dominant media messages to create new meaning. The study draws parallels between memes and other forms of visual communication in the physical world. Using constructionist approaches to representation, the study makes a comparison of theoretical approaches to the study of memes, including semiotics and discourse. Based on the literature, the paper introduces a new theoretical approach for the study of memes by describing the theory of visual rhetoric as an appropriate theoretical and methodological lens for research on memes.


Analyses provided in this paper test the possibilit y of morphological conditioning for vowel durations in Erzya. The duration of stressed first-syllable a nd unstressed second-syllable vowels in disyllabic 'root' and 'inflectional form' tokens is compared. Material consisted of one-word utterances produced in spontaneous speech by speakers of different dialects. Vowel durations in the interidiolect data tended to equalize within the root. A t the boundary of the root and a suffix (or in the suffix), vowels were shorter than in the stressed first syllable. Manifestations of the tendency vari ed across four idiolect groups representing the main language varieties. The results suggest that there is causal relationship between unstressed vowel reduction and the domain of morphology. Dialects revealing variability in the manifestation of the general tendency towards vowel duration asymmetry in the root and inflectional forms also display differences in the mobility of stress, as suggested in previous research.


In this paper, the social web as a work context for scientific research and the methodological features accrued to researchers by those work contexts are analyzed. Asociated concepts to e-Science, Science 2.0 and Shared Science and their characteristics are proposed. Virtual Research Environments (VREs) are defined and analyzed taking into account their historical development since the first primitive environments based on messaging service and gopher, up to the current ones that use social web tools and services, focusing on the features accrued to VREs by the social web as regards the shared nature of science and research. Special emphasis on support to digital scientific edition is made -mainly on peer review- and a proposal for revision through social networks is made. On this point, some of the most frequent objections -mainly on experimental areas- are mentioned. The coincidence of methods and objectives between these environments and those of the revisions in Social Sciences in which Formative Research has more relevance are also analyzed. Furthermore, in this sense the meaning, importance and possibility of having live information from a research beyond what is published and that is on the cloud stand out. Finally, the paper concludes with the need for suppport from agencies and research institutions to open edition as well as toVREs infrastructure and digital edition in environments with standards for communication in the social network as regards funding and projects.


The foundation of irreversible, probabilistic time -- the classical time of conscious observation -- is the reversible and deterministic quantum time of the wave function. The tendency in physics is to regard time in the abstract, a mere parameter devoid of inherent direction, implying that a concept of real time must begin with irreversibility. In reality time has no need for irreversibility, and every invocation of time implies becoming or flow. Neither symmetry under time reversal, of which Newton was well aware, nor the absence of an absolute parameter, as in relativity, negates temporal passage. Far from encapsulating time, irreversibility is a secondary property dependent on the emergence of distinct moments from the ceaseless presence charted by the wave function.


This review article focuses on scholarship that lies at the intersection of histories of climate and British settler colonization in Australia and New Zealand. It first discusses the role of climate in their colonial histories and then developments in the field of climate history, examining similarities and differences within and between Australia and New Zealand. Next, it outlines two significant recent themes in climate history in both places: contested climate debates and perceptions, and social impacts and responses to climate. The article finishes by recommending future areas for research. Throughout, we stress the importance of local‐level approaches to climate as a means of understanding past and present, popular and scientific, interpretations of climate. We also emphasize the role that imperatives of colonization have played in shaping particular kinds of climate knowledge, including in overwriting nonelite views of climate. WIREs Clim Change 2016, 7:893–909. doi: 10.1002/wcc.426


The possible release of engineered nanomaterials was investigated based on a previously developed but now refined methodology. Data from altogether eight industrial work areas in production plants of nanostructured TiO_2 and Al_2O_3 particles were obtained and used to test the methodology and to derive a first assessment of possible exposure of workers. Particle size distributions were determined in work area environments with concurrent measurements at a comparison site. Data from the comparison site were used to estimate the particle background level in the work area and distinguish it from potentially released nanomaterial. The analysis is based on the comparison of time resolved data from the work area and the comparison site as well as data determined during periods with and without work activities in the work area. The data analysis method introduced delivers size-resolved information on the potential nanoparticle exposure of workers. A significant release of particles in the size range 100-562 nm was observed in the work area of bagging aluminum oxide and is stemming from damaging or overfilling of bags, and the necessary activities during the cleaning of the work area. The maximum particle diameter of these particles was around 340 nm. At all other investigated locations no significant releases of particles in the size range 100-562 nm were determined. Also, no significant release of particles < 100 nm was observed in all work areas. The average PM_10 exposure during the work activities varied from 48 to 1,330 μg/m^3 in the different work areas. The maximum concentrations of aluminum were 118 μg/m^3 and 58 μg/m^3 for PM_(10) and PM_1, respectively, during the bagging of Al_2O_3 in small bags. In comparison, the maximum concentrations of titanium were 550 μg/m^3 and 434 μg/m^3 for PM_(10) and PM_1, respectively, during the bagging of TiO_2 and indicate a significant release of coarser particles.


This paper proposes a novel architecture for coherent optical code-division multiple-access passive optical networks (OCDMA-PON). As optical spreading sequences, a recently introduced prime code family hereby referred to as double-padded modified prime code (DPMPC) has been employed and analyzed. The transceivers operate under homodyne dual-balanced detection scheme. For coherent modulation, binary phase-shift keying is employed where the phase is modulated by Mach-Zehnder external phase-modulator. The proposed architecture for optical network units and line terminals are also presented and analyzed. The network scalability of fiber link distances as well as bit-error rate, considering (1) fiber link noise e.g., amplifier spontaneous emission noise; (2) thermal noise; (3) photo-detectors' shot-noise; (4) relative intensity noise; and (5) mainly multiple-access interference, have been investigated. The results have indicated that this architecture can improve the network scalability, capacity and transmission performance, leading to the promising scheme for optical transport networks.


Preface Committees Cosmic Microwave Background Enrique Martinez-Gonzalez and Patricio Vielva The Gravitational Lensing Effect in Cosmology Genevieve Soucail The PLANCK Mission J.A. Tauber Surveys of Extragalactic Sources with Planck G. De Zotti, C. Burigana, M. Negrello, S. Tinti and R. Ricci, L. Silva, J. Gonzalez-Nuevo and L. Toffolatti New Physics in Clusters of Galaxies M. Douspis Emission Line Galaxies in Clusters Bianca M. Poggianti Active Galactic Nuclei and Surveys: the View from the New X-ray Observatories X. Barcons Star-Forming Complexes in Galaxies Bruce G. Elmegreen Star Formation and Infrared Emission in Galaxies Nikolaos D. Kylafis and Angelos Misiriotis Evolution of the MilkyWay Disk B. Nordstrom, J. Andersen Massive Stars in the Galactic Center F. Najarro The Mass Spectrum of X-Ray Binaries Jorge Casares Massive Stars in Starbursts Alan Pedlar The Hot Content of Planetary Nebulae Martin A. Guerrero, You-Hua Chu and Robert A. Gruendl The Hidden Life of Massive Stars A. Lenorzer, A. Bik, M. R. Mokiem, A. de Koter, L. Kaper, L.B.F.M. Waters What can we learn about the Sun from observations in the near ultraviolet? Achim Gandorfer Our Magnetic Sun E.R. Priest Moist Convective Storms in the Atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn Ricardo Hueso and Agustin Sanchez-Lavega Exploring the Solar System beyond Neptune Jose L. Ortiz and Pablo Santos-Sanz Planet Detection with Large Telescopes and Interferometry Andreas Quirrenbach AVO First Science Mark G. Allen, Paolo Padovani, Piero Rosati, Nicholas A. Walton Euro50: A European 50 m Adaptive OpticsExtremely Large Telescope Arne Ardeberg and Torben Andersen


We propose in this paper an interactive sketch-based system for simulating oriental brush strokes on complex shapes. We introduce a contour-driven approach where the user inputs contours to represent complex shapes, the system estimates automatically the optimal trajectory of the brush, and then renders them into oriental ink painting. Unlike previous work where the brush trajectory is explicitly specified as input, we automatically estimate this trajectory given the outline of the shape to paint. Existing methods can be classified into: (1) methods that explicitly model a virtual 3D brush and mimic its effect on a paper [Wang and Wang 2007], and (2) methods that simulate the rendering effect on a 2D canvas without an explicit 3D brush model [Okabe et al. 2007]. Our approach falls into the second category. Figure 1 shows four results generated by our algorithm.


The model of traditional contracts is that of two individuals negotiating terms that are to each party's advantage. This model persists even though it no longer reflects the reality of consumer contracts. This Article traces the evolution of modern day consumer contracts and explains how courts have accommodated business needs by distorting contract law. This Article argues that the doctrine of consideration should be reconceptualized in light of new technologies and changes in doctrinal application. It concludes that in order to restore contract law's legitimacy, courts must allocate the burdens of technological and doctrinal changes in a more evenhanded manner. One way to do this is to require that websites use their technical advantage to enable the consumer to indicate bargaining.


This case presents symptom resolution for a long-distance runner with chronic Achilles tendinopathy (AT), following a partial tear of his Achilles tendon. The patient reported a sudden pain during a morning run, with preserved function. Three hours postinjury, he was reviewed in a musculoskeletal clinic. An ultrasound scan confirmed a partial Achilles tear, associated with significant Doppler activity. His index of AT severity The Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment - Achilles Questionnaire (VISA-A) 4 hours postinjury was markedly higher compared with 2 weeks preinjury, indicating reduced symptom severity. A follow-up scan 4 weeks postinjury showed minimal mid-portion swelling and no signs of the tear. His VISA-A score showed continued symptom improvement. This case represents resolution of tendinopathic symptomatology post partial Achilles tear. While the natural histories of AT and Achilles tears remain unknown, this case may indicate that alongside the known role of loading, inflammation may be a secondary mediator central to the successful resolution of AT pain.


Study Design. A rabbit model was used to assess the efficacy of linezolid and vancomycin for the treatment of discitis due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Nontreated controls were used for comparison. Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a therapeutic difference between using linezolid and vancomycin in the treatment of MRSA discitis. Summary of Background Data. Vancomycin is currently the gold standard treatment for medical management of MRSA discitis. Linezolid is a relatively new drug that has been approved for treatment of MRSA infections, but currently there is no research demonstrating its efficacy at treating infections of the disc space. Methods. Twenty-four rabbits were inoculated with MRSA at two adjacent lumbar disc spaces via an anterior retroperitoneal approach. Six rabbits were to receive only pain medication and to serve as controls. Ten rabbits were assigned to a 5-day course of intravenous vancomycin, and 8 were assigned to a 5-day course of intravenous linezolid. Disc spaces were sent for quantitative culture after the 5-day treatment course. Results. The mean culture growth for the disc spaces was not statistically different between the linezolid treated group and the nontreated controls. While vancomycin treatment did lead to lower bacterial loads when compared with controls, the reduction was not statistically significant. When bacterial counts for the vancomycin group and linezolid group were compared, vancomycin treatment resulted in less bacterial growth. This difference was statistically significant. Conclusions. Linezolid is a clinically attractive alternative to vancomycin due to its mild side effect profile and oral bioavailability. However, in this MRSA discitis model with a short treatment course, vancomycin was superior to linezolid.


Explore the foundations and modern applications of Galois theory

 Galois theory is widely regarded as one of the most elegant areas of mathematics. A Classical Introduction to Galois Theory develops the topic from a historical perspective, with an emphasis on the solvability of polynomials by radicals. The book provides a gradual transition from the computational methods typical of early literature on the subject to the more abstract approach that characterizes most contemporary expositions.

 The author provides an easily-accessible presentation of fundamental notions such as roots of unity, minimal polynomials, primitive elements, radical extensions, fixed fields, groups of automorphisms, and solvable series. As a result, their role in modern treatments of Galois theory is clearly illuminated for readers. Classical theorems by Abel, Galois, Gauss, Kronecker, Lagrange, and Ruffini are presented, and the power of Galois theory as both a theoretical and computational tool is illustrated through:

 A study of the solvability of polynomials of prime degree

 Development of the theory of periods of roots of unity

 Derivation of the classical formulas for solving general quadratic, cubic, and quartic polynomials by radicals

 Throughout the book, key theorems are proved in two ways, once using a classical approach and then again utilizing modern methods. Numerous worked examples showcase the discussed techniques, and background material on groups and fields is provided, supplying readers with a self-contained discussion of the topic.

 A Classical Introduction to Galois Theory is an excellent resource for courses on abstract algebra at the upper-undergraduate level. The book is also appealing to anyone interested in understanding the origins of Galois theory, why it was created, and how it has evolved into the discipline it is today.


Erosion of the north shore of Flathead Lake, Montana, is caused by summer wind waves generated along a 22-mile fetch. The preferred method for arresting erosion there is a beach composed of gravel and cobbles designed to be in equilibrium with the high summer pool elevations and high summer wave heights. A 200-foot-long demonstration site was selected on the north shore for testing the dynamic equilibrium beach concept. Initially 1 cubic yard of well-graded gravel per linear foot of shoreline was placed. Gravel was placed on the site and graded to establish the beach face slope of 4.5 horizontal to 1 vertical. After one season 3 cubic yards of material per linear foot of shoreline was placed. The particle size of the facing material was increased to a gravel-cobble mixture. Preliminary results of monitoring indicate that guidelines presented by Pilarezyk and den Boer result in successful gravel beach design.


New Zealand's per capita greenhouse gas emissions are usually calculated by taking total emissions as reported under the Kyoto Protocol or the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and simply dividing by population. However this focuses on emissions associated with production within New Zealand. From the point of view of individuals, these are not the emissions they control, and hence can mitigate. Individuals can calculate their "carbon footprint" but tools to do this typically focus on a few categories of emissions (mostly electricity, direct fuel use and waste) and emissions footprints are not available for a wide range of households so cannot be used for comparative analysis. This paper explores how the carbon emissions related to the consumption categories of households in New Zealand vary with household characteristics. We use product consumption data from the 2007 Household Economic Survey. Consumption within each category is linked to a carbon intensity multiplier (tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per dollar of consumption) which is derived from: the official 2007 input–output table of 106 industries produced by Statistics New Zealand; energy data on carbon dioxide per petajoule of fuel in each industry from the Energy Data File; and the Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report both provided by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Previous literature has used similar methods to calculate the incidence of a carbon tax (e.g. Creedy and Sleeman [2006]). This paper uses these methods in order to study which sectors of household expenditure offer the greatest opportunities for mitigation and how these opportunities vary with household characteristics such as income decile, region and household composition.


Artificial food patches were used to examine whether red bellied-pademelons (Thylogale billiardierii) and Bennett's wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus) altered their foraging behaviour in an open habitat (a young plantation) in response to distance from cover, used as a surrogate for predation risk. Analyses using the full dataset showed no significant relationship between the amount of food eaten at a station and any of the cover variables. In contrast, regression analyses of the upper bounds dataset indicated that both increased distance from windrow (2.5-m-high stacks of burnt wood) and from nearest cover (windrow or forest at plantation edge) significantly reduced the amount of food consumed at a station. This indicates that distance from cover acts as a constraint on the amount of food eaten. When the feeding-station data were overlayed onto a map of scat densities across the study site, the amount of food eaten was positively related to the density of scats of both red-bellied pademelons and Bennett's wallabies. Our results demonstrate that these macropods trade-off increased foraging benefits in order to forage closer to protective cover. Furthermore, they represent the first time that artificial food patches, with progressively decreasing reward per search effort, have been used to assess foraging behaviour in macropods. This opens up a wide range of research opportunities aimed at examining macropod foraging, with both ecological and practical applications.


Background: We aimed to evaluate effect of Euphorbia royleana exposure on histocytology of corpuscles of Stannius in fish, Heteropneustes fossilis. Methods: Fish were subjected to 2.47 mg/L and 0.618 mg/L of E. royleana for short-term and long-term exposure, respectively. Blood samples were collected on 24, 48, 72 and 96 h in shortterm and after 7, 14, 21, and 28 d in long-term experiment and analyzed for serum calcium levels. Corpuscles of Stannius were fixed on these intervals. Results: Serum calcium levels of H. fossilis decline progressively from 48 h until 96 h following the E. royleana exposures. Serum calcium levels decreased on 7 d. This decrease continued until close of the experiment. After 96 h treatment, AF–positive cells of CS exhibit increased granulation. Nuclear volume of these cells exhibited no change throughout short-term treatment. Increased nuclear volume of AF– negative cells of CS is noticed at 96 h. Nuclear volume of AFpositive cells decreases after 14 d and onwards. The AF–positive cells exhibit increased granulation following 21 d exposure. After 28 d these changes are intensified and few degenerating cells have been encountered. AF–negative cells of CS increase in their nuclear volume 21 d onwards. Conclusion: The botanical pesticide induced severe changes in the corpuscles of Stannius of catfish. This gland controls the calcium level in fish and thus the use of E. royleana should not be done near water reservoirs.


Data scientists often implement machine learning algorithms in imperative languages such as Java, Matlab and R. Yet such implementations fail to achieve the performance and scalability of specialised data-parallel processing frameworks. Our goal is to execute imperative Java programs in a data-parallel fashion with high throughput and low latency. This raises two challenges: how to support the arbitrary mutable state of Java programs without compromising scalability, and how to recover that state after failure with low overhead.

Our idea is to infer the dataflow and the types of state accesses from a Java program and use this information to generate a stateful dataflow graph (SDG). By explicitly separating data from mutable state, SDGs have specific features to enable this translation: to ensure scalability, distributed state can be partitioned across nodes if computation can occur entirely in parallel; if this is not possible, partial state gives nodes local instances for independent computation, which are reconciled according to application semantics. For fault tolerance, large inmemory state is checkpointed asynchronously without global coordination. We show that the performance of SDGs for several imperative online applications matches that of existing data-parallel processing frameworks.


The presence of the genus Nanna in Gabon is treated. Four species are recorded, two of which are new to science ( N. molouba sp. nov. and N. semigrisea sp. nov.), and the hitherto unknown female of Nanna ceratopygia is described. A checklist and a key to the species of the genus Nanna are provided.


Excess transport vesicles circulate constantly through the axon and nerve terminal as though on a conveyer belt, based on work from Dinara Shakiryanova, Arvonn Tully, and Edwin Levitan (University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA). The constant stream gives active synapses immediate access to a boost in neuropeptides.

Synapses were thought to be at the mercy of the cell soma for the delivery of vesicles containing neuropeptides, which are released upon synapse activation. Levitan and others wondered how this set up allows synapses to be dynamic, since the soma can be far from a nerve terminal. "It can take days," says Levitan, "to get stuff shipped down there, even with fast axonal transport."

The new results "recast the relationship between the terminal and the soma," says Levitan. "The soma sends out excess resources, and terminals decide for themselves how much to use."

Vesicles entered synapses in constant numbers, but after synapse activation their transport out of the synapse was inhibited. Very little is known about regulated retrograde transport, but the authors suggest that the dynein motor might release vesicles—or any cargo, for that matter—upon activity-induced calcium influx.

The excess vesicle flow might seem like a waste of energy, but Levitan compares the scheme to a water plant running water from house to house so everyone gets immediate access. "Each synapse can tap in and get extra vesicles immediately whenever they need it."

Reference:

Shakiryanova, D., et al. 2006. Nat. Neurosci. doi:.10.1038/nn1719 [PubMed] [Cross Ref]


Temperature (20-80°C) and pH (2-12) profiles of amylase and lipase at three stages (10-dayold, 1.5-month-old and 3-month-old) in Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens Regan, 1910) were studied. At least nine amylase activities were observed during development: pH 7 at 40°C, pH 9 at 30°C and 50° C, pH 8 and pH 11 at 50°C in females and pH 8 and pH 11 at 40°C and 60°C in males. At the younger stage (≤ 1.5 month old), activity at pH 7 and 40°C, and at pH 9 and 30°C and 50°C was observed. At the older stage (≥ 1.5 month old), amylase activity at pH 8 and pH 11 in the temperature range of 40-60°C was found. Lipase had at least five levels of activity: pH 7 at 20°C and 40°C, pH 8 at 20-40°C and 60°C, and at pH 11, where the activity peak disappeared in the maturing stage (3 month old) in both sexes. Amylase had very low specific activity at the 10-day-old stage, while lipase had a high specific activity, similar to older stages. The most suitable pH to determine amylase and lipase activity in Siamese fighting fish was pH 8, whereas a temperature of 50°C was appropriate for amylase and 40°C was suitable for lipase, regardless of sex and age. This information is a prerequisite for future studies of the in vitro


Nuclear energy, in comparison with other modes of energy generation such as hydro, thermal and non-conventional sources, has high energy density with little environmental pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. The methodologies to check the problems of nuclear radiation hazards and waste associated with this technology are continuously being developed towards perfection. The nuclear plants are generally built to high safety standards and many lessons have been learned from the past. The latest development of a new concept, i.e., floating nuclear power plants, to make more effective use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes is discussed in this paper, highlighting its method, development status, advantages and limitations.


Donor agencies invest considerable financial and human resources to evaluate the outcome of their development activities. To derive institutional conditions conducive to an efficient use of these resources, we develop a multi-level principal-agent model focusing on the various interests of the different actors involved in the evaluation process. The model highlights two central problems: (i) the aid agencies' conflicting objectives of transparency and self-legitimization, and (ii) the potential collusion between the evaluator and the project manager. Empirical evidence for the World Bank and different German donor agencies reveals concrete institutional requirements for a reduced evaluation bias and increased transparency.


In the current economic crisis, higher education graduates need transferable professional skills more than ever. They need resourcefulness, an ability to work reflectively, a sense of civic awareness and an impressive curriculum vitae. This case study analyses how Dublin Institute of Technology's Programme for Students Learning With Communities provides cost-effective, sustainable solutions to these needs, offering an alternative to industrial work placement. Community-based learning and research involve collaboration between staff and/or students and community partners to design real-life, course-based projects which meet the learning needs of the students and those of the community. The programme not only enriches the curriculum; it also builds links with communities and brings additional resources to the educational institution, while allowing the institution to fulfil its three main roles of teaching, research and outreach, simultaneously.


This study investigates and analyses the positive and negative effects of social media on students' academic and social lives. With the adoption of survey methodology, 204 students from University of Ghana and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology were randomly selected to participate in this study. The results of this study indicate that the positive effects of social media outweigh its negative counterpart hence, students should not be entirely discouraged from visiting social media sites. Among the following are some of the positive and negative effects of social media revealed in the study; the ability to seek the views of course mates on a certain topic at the comfort of their rooms , the opportunity to make more friends than in real life and the ability to be able to participate in group discussions were found to be the positive effects of social media on students in both institutions while reduction in the level of concentration in class, wasting of valuable time that could have been used to study, reduction in physical interaction (face-to-face interaction) and the promotion of shorthand writing which has the ability to affect the writing of good grammar were also found to be the negative effects of social media usage on students in both institutions.


Social policies, particularly environmental and labour issues, are not new to trade policy fora including the GATT. However, they are likely to have a more prominent role in trade policy discussions in the years ahead for the new World Trade Organization. Many developing countries perceive the entwining of these social issues with trade policy as a threat to both their sovereignty and their economies, while significant groups in advanced economies consider it unfair, ecologically unsound, even immoral to trade with countries adopting much lower standards than theirs. This paper examines why these issues are becoming more prominent, whether the WTO is an appropriate forum to discuss them, and how they affect developing and other economies. It concludes that (a) the direct effect on developing economies is likely to be small and for some may even be positive through improved terms of trade and/or compensatory transfer payments, but (b) there is an important indirect negative effect on them and other economies, namely, the potential erosion of the rules-based multilateral trading system that would result from an over-use of trade measures to pursue environmental or labour market objectives.


BACKGROUND
We previously reported the safety of concurrent cetuximab, an antibody against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), pemetrexed, and radiation therapy (RT) in patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). In this non-comparative phase II randomized trial, we evaluated this non-platinum combination with or without bevacizumab, an inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients with previously untreated stage III-IVB SCCHN were randomized to receive: conventionally fractionated radiation (70 Gy), concurrent cetuximab, and concurrent pemetrexed (arm A); or the identical regimen plus concurrent bevacizumab followed by bevacizumab maintenance for 24 weeks (arm B). The primary end point was 2-year progression-free survival (PFS), with each arm compared with historical control. Exploratory analyses included the relationship of established prognostic factors to PFS and quality of life (QoL).

RESULTS
Seventy-eight patients were randomized: 66 oropharynx (42 HPV-positive, 15 HPV-negative, 9 unknown) and 12 larynx; 38 (49%) had heavy tobacco exposure. Two-year PFS was 79% [90% confidence interval (CI) 0.69-0.92; P < 0.0001] for arm A and 75% (90% CI 0.64-0.88; P < 0.0001) for arm B, both higher than historical control. No differences in PFS were observed for stage, tobacco history, HPV status, or type of center (community versus academic). A significantly increased rate of hemorrhage occurred in arm B. SCCHN-specific QoL declined acutely, with marked improvement but residual symptom burden 1 year post-treatment.

CONCLUSIONS
RT with a concurrent non-platinum regimen of cetuximab and pemetrexed is feasible in academic and community settings, demonstrating expected toxicities and promising efficacy. Adding bevacizumab increased toxicity without apparent improvement in efficacy, countering the hypothesis that dual EGFR-VEGF targeting would overcome radiation resistance, and enhance clinical benefit. Further development of cetuximab, pemetrexed, and RT will require additional prospective study in defined, high-risk populations where treatment intensification is justified.


The overall goal of this study was to explore the influence of situated learning experiences on pre-service teachers' perceptions and understandings of their future Arab students. This study investigated in part the interaction between culturally diverse families and pre-service teachers. It also explored changes in pre-service teachers' attitudes and knowledge, their perceived applications of the situated experience to their future teaching, and the families' reactions to this experience. Twelve Arab families volunteered to host 25 pre-service teachers as participants of this study. Results showed that the situated learning experience helped the pre-service teachers develop their cultural knowledge as well as learn about Arab families, Arab culture, and their future classrooms. The study concluded that the experience helped the pre-service teachers gain new knowledge, positive attitudes, and some ideas for their future diverse classrooms. It offered a great opportunity for families to explore how important it is to meet with teachers and it also empowered pre-service teachers with some powerful authentic experiences including meeting the family, sharing their knowledge, exploring their understandings, and discussing and comparing their knowledge with each other.


On 12 May 2008 the magnitude 8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake erupted on the eastern fringe of the Tibetan Plateau in China, triggering many landslides onto towns and villages, leading to substantial loss of life and damage to property and the infrastructure. Local characteristic cloudy weather posed serious difficulties upon regional remote observation for disaster rescue in the mountainous region. To overcome weather limits to remote sensing, the study advanced one quick methodology to extract primary regional landslides with 8-day Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and terrain slope information. The threshold of temporal NDVI jump (value of 0.4) was introduced to discriminate landslide induced sharp NDVI decline from seasonal variations of vegetation cover, while slope information can be used to further confirm land cover change caused by a landslide. The study indicated that the Wenchuan Earthquake induced about 170 km2 of landslides in the southern half of the Longmenshan Fault Zone, most of which was formerly covered by forest or shrub. An ecological restoration of the areas affected by landslides will therefore be quite difficult. In addition, the result emphasizes that regions with slopes over 15° are exposed to high landslide risk, which should be carefully taken into account for settlement and transportation planning.


Most official seasonal adjustments are based on the X-11 method and its extensions. An important pro blem with the use of this method is how to estimate the mean square error (MSE) of the estimators of the seasonal effects and other components. Wolter and Monsour (1981) assumed that the estimators are unbiased and proposed an approach for variance estimation that uses the linear approximation to X-11 and accounts for the variability of the sampling errors. Pfeffermann (1994) and Bell and Kramer (1999) extend this approach (see below). In this paper we show that the seasonal and trend components can be defined in such a way that the X-11 estim ators of these components are almost unbiased at the center of the series and consequently, Pfeffermann (1994) method produces unbiased estimators for the MSE of the X-11 estimators at the center of the series but not at the two ends. We propose, therefore, bias corrections for the MSE estimates at the ends of the series. Similar bias corrections are proposed for Bell and Kramer (1999) method.


Propagation of short pulses in birefringent single-mode fibers is considered. Initial pulses are assumed to be linearly polarized at an arbitrary angle with respect to the polarization axes. The Kerr nonlinearity leads to a substantial interaction between the partial pulses in each of the two polarizations. When the amplitudes of the partial pulses are equal, it is found that above a certain amplitude threshold, whose size increases with birefringence, the two partial pulses lock together and travel as one unit. This unit can be a single soliton or, at higher amplitudes, a breather. At the same time, the central frequencies of both polarizations shift just far enough so that, if a rapid oscillation is ignored, their group velocities become identical. When the initial amplitudes are unequal, it is found as before that above a certain threshold one or more solitons emerge from the initial pulse. However, the breathers that appeared when the amplitudes were equal are unstable; they break up into two distinct solitons moving at different velocities when the amplitudes become slightly unequal. It is further shown that realistic fiber attenuation has little effect on these results. The numerical method used to obtain these results is described in detail.


Coptic Christians comprise the largest non-Muslim population in Egypt (12-17% of Egypt's total population). For over a millennium, the Coptic Church has administered and adjudicated personal status matters (i.e., family law) for its members using Biblically-based principles that are vastly different from those of Shari'a Law. The Egyptian government, however, has advocated for a universal right of divorce for all Egyptians modeled on Shari'a Law, a development that would significantly impact Coptic Personal Status Law. Using interviews conducted with Coptic bishops, priests, and parishioners in Egypt, along with primary and secondary sources, this article traces the development of Coptic Personal Status Law from its origins to the present day. Particularly noteworthy is the examination of the Bill of Personal Affairs for Copts, the current code governing Coptic Personal Status Law. The authors conclude that the establishment of a universal right of divorce in Egypt is incompatible with Coptic laws designed to protect the inviolability of divine, sacramental marriage and will significantly undermine the Coptic Church's jurisdiction and authority.


The account of a visit to India in 1583 by the Elizabethan leather seller, Ralph Fitch, is justly famous for the view it contains of India in the sixteenth century. Yet, the account has not been seen for the traces it has of Indians talking to Fitch in India, in the repeated intrusions of the phrase "They say." This essay argues that snippets of street level Indian back talk make for a kind of Indiaspeak; these phrases are valuable for the reverse view they offer of the first English probing of India that led to the English colonization of the subcontinent over the next two centuries. In the absence of official Indian responses to the initial English contacts, the phrases allow us to see the protocolonial English observer observed, and through the character of their contents foretell the nature of the subsequent Indian struggle against English dominion.


The Gram negative bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular human pathogen that can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility and blinding trachoma. C. trachomatis encodes a homolog of the dithiol oxidoreductase DsbA. Bacterial DsbA proteins introduce disulfide bonds to folding proteins providing structural bracing for secreted virulence factors, consequently these proteins are potential targets for antimicrobial drugs. Despite sharing functional and structural characteristics, the DsbA enzymes studied to date vary widely in their redox character. In this study we show that the truncated soluble form of the predicted membrane anchored protein C. trachomatis DsbA (CtDsbA) has oxidase activity and redox properties broadly similar to other characterized DsbA proteins. However CtDsbA is distinguished from other DsbAs by having six cysteines, including a second disulfide bond, and an unusual dipeptide sequence in its catalytic motif (Cys-Ser-Ala-Cys). We report the 2.7 Å crystal structure of CtDsbA revealing a typical DsbA fold, which is most similar to that of DsbA-II type proteins. Consistent with this, the catalytic surface of CtDsbA is negatively charged and lacks the hydrophobic groove found in EcDsbA and DsbAs from other enterobacteriaceae. Biochemical characterization of CtDsbA reveals it to be weakly oxidizing compared to other DsbAs and with only a mildly destabilizing active site disulfide bond. Analysis of the crystal structure suggests that this redox character is consistent with a lack of contributing factors to stabilize the active site nucleophilic thiolate relative to more oxidizing DsbA proteins.


Tourpedia (http://tour-pedia.org) is an open initiative which contains a linked dataset of tourism places, i.e. accommodations, attractions, points of interest (POIs) and restaurants. Tourpedia extracts and integrates information about places from four different social social media: Facebook, Foursquare, Google Places and Booking.com. The resulting knowledge base currently consists of more than 6M RDF triples and describes almost 500.000 places, each of which is identified by a globally unique identifier, which can be dereferenced over the Web into a RDF description. This paper gives an overview of the Tourpedia knowledge base and illustrates how new relations are discovered among places through Named Entity Recognition (NER) tools.


One-dimensional (1D) electrode materials have attracted much attention recently because of their potential application in flexible battery technology. Many 1D anode materials based on carbon and metal oxides have been synthesized for flexible batteries, however only limited studies on the cathode side have been conducted. Here, we report the synthesis of high-rate cathode electrodes based on Mg-modified LiMnPO4 nanofibers. The nanofibers are embedded inside a nanostructured conducting carbon matrix to enhance their electronic conductivity and structural integrity while retaining flexibility. As a result, a 50% increase in capacity is obtained, achieving an outstanding performance of 135 mA h g−1 at a C/10 rate (15 mA g−1). This nanostructured Mg-modified LiMnPO4 matrix also exhibited superior rate capability and much better cycleability compared to its LiMnPO4 counterpart. Even at a high charge/discharge rate of 5C (750 mA g−1), 80% of the capacity (107 mA h g−1) is still retained, representing, to the best of our knowledge, the best rate performance for LiMnPO4-based electrodes. More importantly, such a superior rate capability is achieved with an excellent cycleability (no capacity fading for 200 deep cycles).


This work focuses on the thermal diffusion behavior of biological and synthetic bio-compatible systems using a holographic grating technique Thermal Diffusion Forced Rayleigh Scattering (TDFRS). Most biological systems are water-based and the thermodiffusion behavior of aqueous systems is less understood than organic systems, which can often be described by empirical correlations. Therefore, our study focuses on the investigation of four different aqueous systems in order to get a deeper microscopic understanding of the thermophoretic behavior. The thesis starts with small bio-molecules nucleotides, the building blocks of nucleic acids. Five nucleotides with systematically varied structures are investigated to make the connections between the thermodiffusion and their physical properties such as acidity, solubility, hydrophobicity and their capability to form hydrogen bonds. We find a correlation between the thermal diffusion coefficient and the ratio of the thermal expansion coefficient and the kinematic viscosity. Besides the capability to form hydrogen bonds, the charge effect is another important parameter that complicates the situation in aqueous systems. In this context aqueous electrolyte solutions are a simple model system, which can be investigated by computer simulations and experimentally. We study alkali halide aqueous solutions (Na+/K+-Cl-) by both non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations and TDFRS measurements. We find that the Soret coefficient decreases with increasing concentration at temperatures higher than 315 K, whereas it increases at lower temperatures. In agreement with previous experiments, we find a sign inversion. We use computer simulations as a microscopic approach to establish a correlation between sign and magnitude of the Soret coefficient and ionic solvation and hydrogen bond structure of the solutions. Additionally, the analysis of heat transport in ionic solutions by quantifying the thermal conductivity as a function of concentration is provided. The simulations accurately reproduce the decrease of the thermal conductivity with increasing salt concentration that is observed in experiments. Charged colloids and proteins in aqueous electrolyte solutions are always surrounded by an electric double layer. Their contribution to the thermodiffusion of colloids and proteins have also to be considered. We investigate the charge effect using a charge stabilized rod-like colloid (fd-virus), which can be modeled theoretically. The Soret coefficient of the charged rods is measured as a function of the Debye screening length, as well as the rod-concentration. The Soret coefficient of the rods increases monotonically with increasing Debye length, while there is a relatively weak dependence on the rod-concentration when the ionic strength is kept constant. An existing theory for thermodiffusion of charged spheres is extended to describe the thermodiffusion of long and thin charged rods, leading to an expression for the Soret coefficient in terms of the Debye length, the rod-core dimensions, and the surface charge density. The thermal diffusion coefficient of a charged colloidal rod is shown to be accurately represented, for arbitrary Debye lengths, by the thermal diffusion coefficient of a superposition of spherical beads with the same diameter and the same surface charge density as the colloidal rod. Additionally, a fd-virus grafted with a water soluble polymer polyethylene oxide (PEO) is investigated as a function of ionic strength. For a low ionic strength corresponding to a large Debye length we find the same behavior as in the case of the bare virus, while with increasing ionic strength the Soret coefficient increases, which is the opposite trend compared to the bare fd-virus. PEO is a non-ionic water soluble, bio-compatible polymer with the capability to form hydrogen bonds with water. Only low molar mass ethylene oligomer is soluble in ethanol, while water is a good solvent for the whole molar mass range. To study the solvent quality effect we investigate the thermodiffusion of ethylene oxide oligomers and PEO at different temperatures in water, ethanol and in a water/ethanol mixture with a water content of 70% in a molar mass range from monomer up to M_w=180000 g/mol. The specific water/ethanol concentration has been chosen, because the thermal diffusion coefficient of the water/ ethanol mixture vanishes, so that the system can be treated as a pseudo binary mixture. In pure ethanol, a sign change of the Soret and thermal diffusion coefficient as a function of molar mass from positive to negative is found for a molar mass around 2200 g/mol. In water/ethanol mixtures, PEO of all molar masses accumulate at the warm side, while in pure water they all enrich at the cold side. The interaction energies e_s (solvent-solvent) and e_p (polymer-solvent) are determined from a theoretical model derived by Wurger [Phys. Rev. Lett., 102, 078302, 2009]. e_s and e_p are positive under good solvent conditions and negative otherwise.


This paper tries to identify factors and understand dynamics on enhancing agency (will and ability to pursuit for personal or social goals), commonly understood also as empowerment. Specifically, the question asked is if the 'black boxes' existing in current theoretical explanations in the field of empowerment and agency development can be opened up by connecting practice and research, with clarifying context specific factors. For this purpose, the author first reviews the literature relating to empowerment and agency development to reach a common understanding and to identify the discrepancies between the two schools, as well as to extract a theoretical model of agency development. Second, the paper identifies two dimensions and three factors for analyzing a case study to understand what is unclear from theory can be understood in reality. These are the initial context for developing the project, the actual development of an agency development project, and possible mechanisms of agency development for community members. Subsequently, a case study of the development of a training program called MMO (Metodologia de Motivacion y Organizacion) in Nicaragua is reported on, and the processes of its inspiration, development, execution and diffusion are documented in detail. Finally, the possible dynamics of each process of agency development, which are black boxes of the reviewed theories, are to be extracted through analyzing the case. The author also clarifies context specific factors which may have influenced the agency development process as described in the case study. The major findings are as follows: first, the context specific factors that influence the whole process of agency development of people (both community members as well as support members), such as the upbringing and experiences of the key person and the socio-cultural and economic features of Nicaragua are identified; second, the process of agency development experienced by the aid providers/supporters (core facilitators and village level facilitators), which can be explained by self-determination theory as well as by explanatory frameworks related to social communication such as concientizacion (a Brazilian consciousness-raising methodologies and movement) and storytelling, is outlined; and, finally, the plausible mechanisms of agency development perhaps experienced by the community members is explained. This final outcome is divided into four categories relating to discussions on agency development, to promote the understanding of what is actually done on the ground beyond theoretical explanations. In other words, what is actually done in practice to foster the four types of power in relation to agency: "power from within," "power with," "power to" and "power over."


The Drama of South Africa comprehensively chronicles the development of dramatic writing and performance from 1910, when the country came into official existence, to the advent of post-apartheid. Eminent theatre historian Loren Kruger discusses well-known figures, as well as lesser-known performers and directors who have enriched the theatre of South Africa. She also highlights the contribution of women and other minorities, concluding with a discussion of the post-apartheid character of South Africa at the end of the twentieth century.


A gripping fantasy, The Moon Pool embodies all the romanticism and poetic nostalgia characteristic of A. Merritt's writings. Set on the island of Ponape, full of ruins from ancient civilizations, the novel chronicles the adventures of a party of explorers who discover a previously unknown underground world full of strange peoples and super-scientific wonders. From the depths of this world, the party unwittingly unleashes the Dweller, a monstrous terror that threatens the islands of the South Pacific. Although Merritt did not invent the lost world novel, following in the footsteps of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Burroughs and others, he greatly elaborated upon that tradition. This new edition includes a biography of the author, and an introduction detailing Merritt's many sources and influences, including the occult, mythological and scientific discourses of his day.


Low cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) is an important risk factor for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers, making lifestyle interventions especially relevant. There is purported to be substantial inter-individual differences in how VO2max responds to lifestyle/exercise interventions. Recently, we described the appropriate approach for quantifying these inter-individual differences. Therefore, we aimed to apply this approach to quantify inter-individual differences in the responses of VO2max. We re-analysed data from the influential 'Activity Counselling Trial' (ACT), which was designed to determine the effects of general lifestyle assistance as well as formal counselling on physical activity and VO2max in 479 men and 395 women. Importantly, an appropriate comparator group was also present in order to quantify 'true' inter-individual differences in VO2max response. For women, the 'true' inter-individual responses in VO2max (expressed as a SD) were found to be±129 (95% Confidence interval: −40 to 187) ml/min in the general lifestyle assistance group and±93 (−91 to 160) ml/min in the formal lifestyle counselling group. For men, true individual differences in response were±116 (95%CI: −130 to 210) ml/min and±148 (−105 to 234) ml/min in the assistance and counselling groups, respectively. Although the mean increase in VO2max was greater in women, this increase corresponded to a trivial effect size. This application of the appropriate analyses to the ACT dataset indicate that, on average, the effects of activity counselling on VO2max were small, although there were moderate 'true' inter-individual differences in the VO2max response in women (0.34 SD) and small 'true' inter-individual differences in men (0.27 SD). Further genotype investigation may therefore be warranted in order to determine the mediators of this observed heterogeneity in response.


Background Exercise intolerance is a major issue affecting many people with COPD. Six-minute walking distance (6MWD) is a widely used indicator of exercise capacity in patients with COPD. The process is strenuous and time-consuming, especially for patients who have muscle wasting. Anthropometric indicators that reflect body lean mass, such as body mass index (BMI), mid-arm circumference (MAC), and calf circumference (CC), may have value in predicting exercise intolerance. Purpose This study attempted to determine the abilities of simple anthropometric indicators including BMI, MAC, and CC in reflecting the exercise intolerance of COPD patients. Methods We recruited 136 nonhospitalized ambulatory COPD patients without acute conditions from a general hospital in Taiwan. Each subject's BMI, MAC, and CC were measured, and they were examined with pulmonary function tests and a 6-minute walk test. Results Among the three anthropometric indicators examined, CC showed the strongest correlation with the 6MWD, followed by MAC and BMI. CC was also strongly associated with functional capacity, followed by MAC, according to the receiver operating characteristic curves. CC and MAC, but not BMI, were significantly associated with exercise intolerance according to logistic regression models that controlled for potential confounders. Conclusion Among the three variables examined, CC and walking distance may have the strongest association in COPD patients. CC may have value in serving as an adjunct to 6MWD in evaluating exercise intolerance of patients with COPD.


One of the challenges facing great ape conservation is the rising level of interaction between humans and great apes, and the resulting conflicts that emerge. It is essential that we develop a comprehensive understanding of existing and potential conflict situations, and their current or future impacts on both great apes and humans. This will require the integration of quantitative and qualitative data on multiple aspects of human and great ape behaviour and ecology, along with a good understanding of local people's perceptions of the situation. Such knowledge can then be used to develop effective, locally-adapted, management strategies to prevent or mitigate human-great ape conflicts, whilst respecting both conservation objectives and socio-cultural-economic contexts. These guidelines outline a sequence of logical steps that should be considered prior to any form of human-great ape conflict intervention, and propose possible counter-measures to be used in the management of human-great ape conflicts.


Recent direction dealing with climate change has changed more to focus on carbon uti- lization rather than the direct carbon capture and storage. Conceptually converting CO 2 to sellable chemicals or fuels should be more benign to environment by substituting the fossil raw materials like oil, natural gas, or coal. Instead of converting CO 2 fully to valuable chemicals or fuels, it is much easier to employ a portion of CO 2 with existing raw materials in many natural gas conversion processes. Dimethyl ether (DME) and gas-to-liquids (GTL) are most prominent processes that can be modified to accommodate CO 2 as a reacting raw material. There are already several successful technology developments in using CO 2 -rich natural gas for DME and liquid fuels, although they are not yet fully reached the commercialized level. This chapter highlights recent developments in utilizing CO 2 -containing natural gas and landfill gas to yield valuable chemicals and fuels like diesel or DME.