In eukaryotes, lipids are not only an important constituent of the plasma membrane but also used to generate specialized membrane-bound organelles, including temporary compartments with critical functions. As such, lipids play a key role in intracellular homeostasis—the ability of a cell to maintain stable internal conditions upon changes in its extracellular environment. Autophagy, one of the cellular processes through which eukaryotic cells strive for survival under stress, is heavily dependent on lipid and membrane trafficking through the de novo formation of autophagosomes—temporary, large, and double-bilayered organelles in which materials are encapsulated for recycling. This chapter discusses what we know about lipid homeostasis and trafficking during autophagy and autophagosome formation and comments on future directions of the field.


The aim was to study reading comprehension and its correlation with general and specific subjects in 18 women Psychology students from a private college. The conventional Cloze test (total possible score = 40) was applied at the beginning and the end of the academic course. Evaluations conducted for the Reading and Writing course and one diagnostic test were also taken into consideration. In the pre-test, comprehension varied between 13 and 23 correct responses, while in post-test the range was from 12 to 22. In Reading and Writing, the results ranged from 6 to 9.5. In the diagnostic evaluation, the scores went from 5.5 to 9. The correlation between pre- and post-tests in reading comprehension was significant (p=0.05 used in the whole study) (ro= 0.51), but not so between the two subjects (r= 0.32). Diagnostic evaluation vs. pre-test was 0.42 and vs. post-test 0.38. Overall, the T test was 58 (n=17) with Tc=35. The Ho was not rejected, as there was no difference between the two measurements. It is also possible to conclude that there was no improvement in reading and that the level of reading was not satisfactory.


Improvements in the resolution of satellite imagery have enabled extraction of water surface elevations at the
margins of the flood. Comparison between modelled and observed water surface elevations provides a new
means for calibrating and validating flood inundation models, however the uncertainty in this observed data has
yet to be addressed. Here a flood inundation model is calibrated using a probabilistic treatment of the observed data.
A LiDAR guided snake algorithm is used to determine an outline of a flood event in 2006 on the River
Dee, North Wales, UK, using a 12.5m ERS-1 image. Points at approximately 100m intervals along this outline are
selected, and the water surface elevation recorded as the LiDAR DEM elevation at each point.
With a planar water surface from the gauged upstream to downstream water elevations as an approximation,
the water surface elevations at points along this flooded extent are compared to their 'expected' value. The
pattern of errors between the two show a roughly normal distribution, however when plotted against coordinates
there is obvious spatial autocorrelation. The source of this spatial dependency is investigated by comparing errors
to the slope gradient and aspect of the LiDAR DEM.
A LISFLOOD-FP model of the flood event is set-up to investigate the effect of observed data uncertainty
on the calibration of flood inundation models. Multiple simulations are run using different combinations of
friction parameters, from which the optimum parameter set will be selected. For each simulation a T-test is used to
quantify the fit between modelled and observed water surface elevations. The points chosen for use in this T-test
are selected based on their error. The criteria for selection enables evaluation of the sensitivity of the choice of
optimum parameter set to uncertainty in the observed data.
This work explores the observed data in detail and highlights possible causes of error. The identification of
significant error (RMSE = 0.8m) between approximate expected and actual observed elevations from the remotely
sensed data emphasises the limitations of using this data in a deterministic manner within the calibration process.
These limitations are addressed by developing a new probabilistic approach to using the observed data.


Epistatic interactions and changes in the selection environment facilitate the experimental evolution of β-lactamase. In the basic fitness landscape metaphor for molecular evolution, evolutionary pathways are presumed to follow uphill steps of increasing fitness. How evolution can cross fitness valleys is an open question. One possibility is that environmental changes alter the fitness landscape such that low-fitness sequences reside on a hill in alternate environments. We experimentally test this hypothesis on the antibiotic resistance gene TEM-15 β-lactamase by comparing four evolutionary strategies shaped by environmental changes. The strategy that included initial steps of selecting for low antibiotic resistance (negative selection) produced superior alleles compared with the other three strategies. We comprehensively examined possible evolutionary pathways leading to one such high-fitness allele and found that an initially deleterious mutation is key to the allele's evolutionary history. This mutation is an initial gateway to an otherwise relatively inaccessible area of sequence space and participates in higher-order, positive epistasis with a number of neutral to slightly beneficial mutations. The ability of negative selection and environmental changes to provide access to novel fitness peaks has important implications for natural evolutionary mechanisms and applied directed evolution.


Objective. To evaluate the efficacy/safety of belimumab plus standard therapy in patients (n = 449) with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) treated up to 7 years (n = 177 currently ongoing). Methods. Patients (n = 345) who completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 52-week study of belimumab 1, 4, or 10 mg/kg and 24-week extension of belimumab (placebo switched to 10 mg/kg; belimumab same dose or switched to 10 mg/kg) could receive belimumab 10 mg/kg in an open-label continuation study (n = 296). Disease activity was analyzed in patients with active SLE at baseline of the initial study. Biomarker and SLE medication changes were evaluated, and adverse events (AE) were monitored throughout the study. Results. Total belimumab exposure over 7 years (double-blind and open-label periods): 1746 patient-years. SLE Responder Index (SRI) response rates at Week 52 in autoantibody-positive patients: placebo, 29%; belimumab, 46% (p < 0.05). In the continuation study, 57% of auto-antibody-positive patients had an SRI response by Year 2 and 65% by Year 7; severe flares occurred in 19% with placebo and 17% with belimumab during the first year, with the annual rate declining to 2%–9% during years 2–7. Anti-dsDNA autoantibodies in patients positive for them at baseline had a progressive decline of 40%–60% from baseline over 2–7 years with belimumab. Corticosteroid use decreased over time with ≥ 50–55% reduction in median dose during years 5–7. Serious and overall annual AE rates, including infections, were generally stable or decreased during 7-year treatment. Conclusion. Disease control and safety profile were maintained in patients with active SLE taking belimumab plus standard therapy for up to 7 years. [ClinicalTrials.gov numbers: NCT00071487 and NCT00583362]


A novel indirect building localization technique based on a prominent solid landmark from a forward-looking infrared imagery is proposed to localize low, deeply buried, or carefully camouflaged buildings in dense urban areas. First, the widely used effective methods are applied to detect and localize the solid landmark. The building target is then precisely indirectly localized by perspective transformation according to the imaging parameters and the space constraint relations between the building target and the solid landmark. Experimental results demonstrate this technique can indirectly localize buildings in dense urban areas effectively.


The paper focuses on the role of disconnectors for load transfer duties in the operation of MTDC meshed grids. As there are no topology existing today and no standard, some switching duties are presented for which disconnectors could act instead of using circuit breaker. Based on an empirical model relying on tests performed in air, severity of the different switching duties are presented and first conclusions are proposed.


In the bestselling tradition of Stuff Matters and The Disappearing Spoon: a clever and engaging look at materials, the innovations they made possible, and how these technologies changed us. In The Alchemy of Us, scientist and science writer Ainissa Ramirez examines eight inventions?clocks, steel rails, copper communication cables, photographic film, light bulbs, hard disks, scientific labware, and silicon chips?and reveals how they shaped the human experience. Ramirez tells the stories of the woman who sold time, the inventor who inspired Edison, and the hotheaded undertaker whose invention pointed the way to the computer. She describes, among other things, how our pursuit of precision in timepieces changed how we sleep; how the railroad helped commercialize Christmas; how the necessary brevity of the telegram influenced Hemingway's writing style; and how a young chemist exposed the use of Polaroid's cameras to create passbooks to track black citizens in apartheid South Africa. These fascinating and inspiring stories offer new perspectives on our relationships with technologies. Ramirez shows not only how materials were shaped by inventors but also how those materials shaped culture, chronicling each invention and its consequences?intended and unintended. Filling in the gaps left by other books about technology, Ramirez showcases little-known inventors?particularly people of color and women?who had a significant impact but whose accomplishments have been hidden by mythmaking, bias, and convention. Doing so, she shows us the power of telling inclusive stories about technology. She also shows that innovation is universal?whether it's splicing beats with two turntables and a microphone or splicing genes with two test tubes and CRISPR.


During animal development the establishment of a functional nervous system is an absolutely crucial step. Neurons send axons, sometimes over long distances to reach a certain target with very high accuracy. If errors occur during this process a wide range of neuronal defects can appear ranging from simple motor dysfunction to severe psychological diseases in humans. While increasing anatomical complexity is usually accompanied by increasing complexity in the nervous system the developmental cues that orchestrate the establishment of nervous systems are amazingly conserved from animals as simple as Caenorhabditis elegans all the way to humans. Therefore studies in model organisms have revealed a fair number of conserved major axon guidance cues. However it seems unlikely that these major cues are the only ones responsible for building the nervous system. In order to achieve the complexity of an adult nervous system there must be other mechanisms that fine-tune the major cues. We have identified Syndecan and Glypican, two Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycan (HSPG) core proteins, plus a number of Heparan Sulfate (HS) modifying enzymes as minor modulators of axon guidance. Typically mutations in genes coding for these proteins do not lead to severe defects in axon guidance. However, since there are multiple HS related pathways acting in parallel mutations in more than one branch of these pathways lead to clear defects. Since little is known about downstream factor of HS signalling we designed screens to find such components, e.g. axon guidance cues that could interact with HS or other components of established axon guidance pathways. We were able to find a large number of candidates with a possible link to axon guidance (Chapter III) and still did not saturate the genome with the mutagenesis. We also found a mutation in the gene called zfp-1 for which there has not been any indication so far that it would play a role in axon guidance. Furthermore a mutation in the C. elegans homologue of the Retinoblastoma protein lin-35 results in comparable defects. Both genes play roles in vulval development and the RNAi pathway. We decided to focus on these two genes (Chapter IV) because they were the most unexpected ones and a possible involvement of the RNAi pathway in nervous system development certainly seemed to be an interesting topic to explore. In order to visualize the neurons that we were focusing our study on (D-type motor neurons) we used the transgene oxIs12 labelling these neurons with green fluorescent protein (gfp). Initially we assumed that this transgene is not interfering with the phenotype we screened for and for the average candidate this also seems to be true. However for mutations in zfp-1 and lin35 we found that they only exhibited axon guidance defects if combined with oxIs12 and not with other transgenes labelling the same neurons. Our efforts to shed light onto this surprising effect led to the conclusion that the integration site of oxIs12 is playing a role. We also gained considerable insight to the nature of oxIs12 being a large multi copy transgene spanning roughly 3.6Mb enlarging the X chromosome by about 20%. Nevertheless, mechanistically the transgene dependent effect of zfp-1 and lin-35 mutations remains a mystery. Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-59152


Much has been written about migrant flows from Africa to Europe in the past years. The news coverage and policy writing alike have been dominated by the competing narratives of securitisation and victimisation the former framing migrants as a threat to European political and economic system and the corrosive element in the European societies, the latter depicting them predominantly as victims of poverty, human smugglers or EU migration policies. Both these narratives however fail to do justice to the extent of migrants' agency and, once they have settled in the host countries the degree to which they exert economic and political influence on their countries of origin, to which many remain closely connected. One of the most striking examples of these dynamics is Senegal. [1]


Lower bounds on the fractal dimension of level sets of advecting passive scalars in turbulent fields are derived, in the limit that the scalar diffusivity kappa goes to zero. The main result is as follows: denote the Holder exponent of the velocity field u by zeta (u), with 0 or=d-1+ zeta (T)+ zeta (u), where d is the dimension of space. The validity of this bound depends on some conditions concerning the limit kappa to 0; when these are satisfied the bound is obtained throughout the range of zeta (u), between the smooth (but random) velocity field with zeta (u)=1 to the extremely rough field with zeta (u)=0. The derivation of the lower bound calls for the introduction of a measure on the level sets and a careful treatment of the singular limit of the scalar diffusivity going to zero. Together with the upper bounds which were derived previously, i.e. D<or=d-1/2+ zeta (u)/2 we discover, when there is no multiscaling, the scaling relation 2 zeta (T)+ zeta (u)=1, which then means that the lower and the upper bounds in fact coincide.


The public offering of truly new securities involves purchases by investors in sufficient number and in small enough blocks that each purchaser's shares can reasonably be expected to be freely tradable in a secondary market that did not exist before the offering. Increasing the ability of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to make such offerings has been the subject of much recent discussion.
At the time that a firm initially contemplates such an offering, unusually large information asymmetries exist between its insiders and potential investors. These can lead to severe adverse-selection problems that prevent a substantial portion of worthy offerings from being successfully marketed. A regime relying solely on market-based antidotes to this problem — signaling, underwriter reputation, and accountant certification — and backed only by liability for intentional affirmative misrepresentation will fall well short of being a solution. This shortfall suggests a role for regulation.
This Article goes back to first principles to determine the proper content of such regulation. The relevant questions include: What should issuers be required to disclose at the time of the offering and thereafter? Under what circumstances should various offering participants be liable for damages if, at the time of the offering, there were misstatements or omissions? And should this regime be mandatory or optional? The answers are then used to critically evaluate a number of recent U.S. reforms aimed at increasing SME offerings by lessening regulatory burdens. These include Securities Act Rule 506(c), Regulation A, and the new crowdfunding rules.


Aim/Purpose: This paper aims to analyze the availability and pricing of perishable farm produce before and during the lockdown restrictions imposed due to Covid-19. This paper also proposes machine learning and deep learning models to help the farmers decide on an appropriate market to sell their farm produce and get a fair price for their product.

Background: Developing countries like India have regulated agricultural markets governed by country-specific protective laws like the Essential Commodities Act and the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act. These regulations restrict the sale of agricultural produce to a predefined set of local markets. Covid-19 pandemic led to a lockdown during the first half of 2020 which resulted in supply disruption and demand-supply mismatch of agricultural commodities at these local markets. These demand-supply dynamics led to disruptions in the pricing of the farm produce leading to a lower price realization for farmers. Hence it is essential to analyze the impact of this disruption on the pricing of farm produce at a granular level. Moreover, the farmers need a tool that guides them with the most suitable market/city/town to sell their farm produce to get a fair price.

Methodology: One hundred and fifty thousand samples from the agricultural dataset, released by the Government of India, were used to perform statistical analysis and identify the supply disruptions as well as price disruptions of perishable agricultural produce. In addition, more than seventeen thousand samples were used to implement and train machine learning and deep learning models that can predict and guide the farmers about the appropriate market to sell their farm produce. In essence, the paper uses descriptive analytics to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on agricultural produce pricing. The paper explores the usage of prescriptive analytics to recommend an appropriate market to sell agricultural produce.

Contribution: Five machine learning models based on Logistic Regression, K-Nearest Neighbors, Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, and Gradient Boosting, and three deep learning models based on Artificial Neural Networks were implemented. The performance of these models was compared using metrics like Precision, Recall, Accuracy, and F1-Score.

Findings: Among the five classification models, the Gradient Boosting classifier was the optimal classifier that achieved precision, recall, accuracy, and F1 score of 99%. Out of the three deep learning models, the Adam optimizer-based deep neural network achieved precision, recall, accuracy, and F1 score of 99%.

Recommendations for Practitioners: Gradient boosting technique and Adam-based deep learning model should be the preferred choice for analyzing agricultural pricing-related problems.

Recommendation for Researchers: Ensemble learning techniques like Random Forest and Gradient boosting perform better than non-Ensemble classification techniques. Hyperparameter tuning is an essential step in developing these models and it improves the performance of the model.

Impact on Society: Statistical analysis of the data revealed the true nature of demand and supply and price disruption. This analysis helps to assess the revenue impact borne by the farmers due to Covid-19. The machine learning and deep learning models help the farmers to get a better price for their crops. Though the da-taset used in this paper is related to India, the outcome of this research work applies to many developing countries that have similar regulated markets. Hence farmers from developing countries across the world can benefit from the outcome of this research work.

Future Research: The machine learning and deep learning models were implemented and tested for markets in and around Bangalore. The model can be expanded to cover other markets within India.


Prospects for the development of the country outlined in reports Poland 2030 Development Challenges, and Poland in 2050  indicate that the desired change processes, assume an important involvement of the educational system. At the same time, as one of the most important obstacles of economic and cultural development, the reports show a low level of social capital in Poland, manifesting itself in the form of very low rates of social trust. The authors present thesis that the necessary condition for the effectiveness of Polish educational system in stimulating desired changes is creating trust in both, the relationships between all participants of the system, as well as in relations of educational institutions with the wider environment. When education is based on mutual trust, the school will be able to not only become a ground for talents, but also a mainstay of the culture of cooperation and community.


This research was carried out to identify the income smoothing and non-smoothing companies listed in the KLSE first board using Eckel's Index (1981) and to examine the relationship between the income smoothing and shareholder wealth (companies' share price). 298 listed companies have been selected as samples in the current study. Income before extraordinary items (El), pretax income (PI) and net income (NI) are used as an income measurement in Eckel's Index. Based on descriptive statistic, it was found that there are more smoothing than non-smoothing companies, based on all three income measurement. Based on t-test and Wilcoxon sign-rank test, the results indicated that there is no significant difference between cumulative abnormal return for smoothing and nonsmoothing companies at any income measurement (El, PI and NI). Furthermore, when size (measured by market equity) is examined between smoothing and non-smoothing companies, it was found that income smoothing does not depend on the size of the company. Further test indicates that there is no significant difference between cumulative abnormal return of large and small companies. Based on the results obtained from ANOVA, it showed that there is no significant difference of cumulative abnormal return between groups when income before extraordinary items and pretax income was used as income measurement in detecting the presence of income smoothing. However, there was a difference in cumulative abnormal return between industries when net income was being used as an income measurement. The univariate regression confirms the earlier result that there is no significant relationship between cumulative abnormal returns, income smoothing, firm size and industry. Thus, the result in the current study provides evidence that there is more smoothing than non-smoothing companies. However, investors in Malaysia during the study period (1994 1999) seem to ignore the smooth income streams. Thus, improvement in shareholders wealth is not the motivation for smoothing in Malaysia.


Tremella encephala is a haustorial biotrophic fungal parasite which grows both in the yeast and mycelial form during its life cycle. Biology of such non-commercial parasitic and dimorphic fungi is poorly known. We examined the effects of different nitrogen and carbon sources on growth and morphogenetic switch in T. encephala, as well as its host-specificity, host-parasite interaction and the effect of media on parasitism by culturing it alone, together with the known host Stereum sanguinolentum and with the possible host Stereum hirsutum on two different media. Tremella encephala utilized many organic and inorganic nitrogen sources and showed high variation in cellular nitrogen concentrations. Only glucose, glycerol and D-mannitol were exploited as the sole sources of carbon. Remarkable variation in dimorphism was observed between and within the strains. Parasitic interaction was not manifested in this laboratory study. Tremella encephala is not a strictly obligate parasite. Under laboratory conditions it grew prevailingly in the yeast form which may be more common in nature than currently known.


The Notch signaling pathway and the delta-like 4 ligand (DLL4) play key roles in embryonic vascular development. Many of the pathways involved in embryonic vascular development also play important roles in tumor angiogenesis. In this study, we assessed the expression of DLL4 in primary renal cancer and investigated the biological function of DLL4 in primary endothelial cells. Using real-time quantitative PCR and in situ hybridization, we showed that the expression of DLL4 was up-regulated within the vasculature of clear cell-renal cell carcinoma almost 9-fold more than normal kidney and was correlated with the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The expression of DLL4 in endothelial cells was up-regulated by VEGF and basic fibroblast growth factor synergistically, and by hypoxia through hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha. Down-regulation of DLL4 expression with RNA interference led to decreased expression of HEY1 and EphrinB2, and the inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and network formation, all of which are important processes in tumor angiogenesis. The inhibition of proliferation occurred via the induction of cell cycle arrest in G0-G1 by increased expression of p21 and decreased phosphorylation of retinoblastoma. We conclude that an optimal window of the DLL4 expression is essential for tumor angiogenesis and that selective modulation of the DLL4 expression within human tumors may represent a potential novel antiangiogenic therapy.


Seega is an ancient Egyptian two-phase board game that, in certain aspects, is more difficult than chess. The two-player game is played on either a 5 × 5, 7 × 7, or 9 × 9 board. In the first and more difficult phase of the game, players take turns placing one disk each on the board until the board contains only one empty cell. In the second phase players take turns moving disks of their color; a disk that becomes surrounded by disks of the opposite color is captured and removed from the board. We have developed a Seega program that employs co-evolutionary particle swarm optimization in the generation of feature evaluation scores. Two separate swarms are used to evolve White players and Black players, respectively; each particle represents feature weights for use in the position evaluation. Experimental results are presented and the performance of the full game engine is discussed.


This article examines the place of African Traditional Religion in Nigerian video films. It argues that Nigerian video films tend to stigmatize African traditional religion and African ethical values generally as inferior to those of Christianity and as a crude and underdeveloped system to which Christian ethics must introduce love, family life, interpersonal relationship and the right attitude to materialism. The paper, therefore, advocates for a rethink.


With the advent of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, it is now feasible to generate iPSCs with a defined genotype or disease state. When coupled with direct differentiation to a defined lineage, such as hepatic endoderm (HE), iPSCs would revolutionize the way we study human liver biology and generate efficient "off the shelf" models of human liver disease. Here, we show the "proof of concept" that iPSC lines representing both male and female sexes and two ethnic origins can be differentiated to HE at efficiencies of between 70%–90%, using a method mimicking physiological relevant condition. The iPSC‐derived HE exhibited hepatic morphology and expressed the hepatic markers albumin and E‐cadherin, as assessed by immunohistochemistry. They also expressed alpha‐fetoprotein, hepatocyte nuclear factor‐4a, and a metabolic marker, cytochrome P450 7A1 (Cyp7A1), demonstrating a definitive endodermal lineage differentiation. Furthermore, iPSC‐derived hepatocytes produced and secreted the plasma proteins, fibrinogen, fibronectin, transthyretin, and alpha‐fetoprotein, an essential feature for functional HE. Additionally iPSC‐derived HE supported both CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 metabolism, which is essential for drug and toxicology testing. Conclusion: This work is first to demonstrate the efficient generation of hepatic endodermal lineage from human iPSCs that exhibits key attributes of hepatocytes, and the potential application of iPSC‐derived HE in studying human liver biology. In particular, iPSCs from individuals representing highly polymorphic variants in metabolic genes and different ethnic groups will provide pharmaceutical development and toxicology studies a unique opportunity to revolutionize predictive drug toxicology assays and allow the creation of in vitro hepatic disease models. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.)


The integrated intensity of the central peak is calculated as a function of temperature in the ferroelectric phase (T < TC) of nearly stoichiometric LiTaO3. This calculation is performed using the temperature dependence of the order parameter obtained from the mean field theory at temperatures lower than the transition temperature TC (TC = 963 K) of this crystal. The calculated values of the order parameter (squared) are fitted to the integrated intensity of the central peaks as observed from the Raman and Brillouin scattering experiments as reported in the literature in the ferroelectric phase of nearly stoichiometric LiTaO3. Our results are in good agreement with the observed behavior of LiTaO3 crystal. Because of the applications of LiTaO3 in several academic disciplines including the material science and thermal science, it is beneficial to investigate dynamic properties of this crystal such as the damping constant, inverse relaxation time and the activation energy as also we studied here.


At a remote United States (US) air base in northern Greenland, 700 miles inside the Arctic Circle, a Danish contractor worked with US engineers and US materials to construct a radar tower and supporting equipment building. Problems with site access, material shipping constraints, a short construction season, and aggressive project delivery schedule necessitated a change to European building materials partway through the building erection. The changes were not routine substitutions because the structure needed to withstand extreme sub-freezing temperatures and wind conditions. The designer, owner, contractor, and fabricator worked closely during construction to: (1) select materials suitable for arctic conditions; (2) re-detail a building designed with US steel shapes to utilize European steel shapes; (3) detail connections between the elevated US steel floor frame and European steel superstructure; (4) design components and cladding for high wind pressures; (5) meet a tight fabrication and material delivery schedule; and (6) collaborate to address multiple technical, delivery, and constructability challenges.


The complex interaction between an ultrasound-driven microbubble and an enclosing capillary microvessel is investigated by means of a coupled, multi-domain numerical model using the finite volume formulation. This system is of interest in the study of transient blood–brain barrier disruption (BBBD) for drug delivery applications. The compliant vessel structure is incorporated explicitly as a distinct domain described by a dedicated physical model. Red blood cells (RBCs) are taken into account as elastic solids in the blood plasma. We report the temporal and spatial development of transmural pressure (Ptm) and wall shear stress (WSS) at the luminal endothelial interface, both of which are candidates for the yet unknown mediator of BBBD. The explicit introduction of RBCs shapes the Ptm and WSS distributions and their derivatives markedly. While the peak values of these mechanical wall parameters are not affected considerably by the presence of RBCs, a pronounced increase in their spatial gradients is observed compared to a configuration with blood plasma alone. The novelty of our work lies in the explicit treatment of the vessel wall, and in the modelling of blood as a composite fluid, which we show to be relevant for the mechanical processes at the endothelium.


Natural gas has become a commodity of extraordinary volatility, with a growing share of demand met by imports. Demand growth resulting from the rapid expansion of gas-fired power-generation capacity over the last decade has introduced a substantial element of fuel price risk into basic goods (natural gas and electricity) required by consumers, exacerbating the already-high level of price volatility in natural gas used for heating. Because of the highly inelastic nature of both electricity and home-heating demand, volatility in natural gas prices can be a particular burden to residential and commercial consumers. Despite the potentially significant value to be gained from developing a means of limiting price risk for consumers, there are very few alternatives available for long-term hedging of natural gas prices. Coal gasification represents not only a means of obtaining a large long-term supply of natural gas at a reasonable price, but also one of the few alternatives available as a long-term physical hedge for natural gas price volatility. In this paper we determine the value of using coal gasification as a long-term hedge to consumers and discuss the potential value to gas utilities. Although the results presented in this paper can be applied generally, our analysis focuses specifically on the value to Indiana residential and commercial heating consumers of a proposed SNG project in Southwest Indiana.


Background. It is not known whether psychiatrists' approach to religious matters in clinical practice reflects their own identification or non-identification with religion or their being active in religious activities. Objective. This question was investigated among South African (SA) psychiatrists and psychiatry registrars, including the importance they attach to the religious beliefs of patients for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Methods. Respondents from the SA Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP) completed a purpose-designed questionnaire anonymously online. Respondents were compared statistically with regard to whether they identified with a religion, and the regularity of their participation in religious activities. Further comparisons were made based on gender and years of clinical experience. Results. Participants who identified with a religion showed no statistical differences in comparison with those who did not, regarding: how they viewed the importance of a patient's religious beliefs for purposes of diagnosis, general management, psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, recovery from an acute episode, maintenance of recovery or remission, time to be spent on religious education, referral for religious/ spiritual counselling according to patient's own beliefs; referral when patient and participant are of different religions; and whether referral is considered harmful when a patient's religious beliefs are similar to or different from the participant's. Statistically significant differences were found where participants who did not identify with a religion were more likely to indicate religion had 'little importance' for the purpose of understanding the patient and to indicate 'no' when asked if they would refer a patient for religious/spiritual counselling. When comparing regularity of participation in religious gatherings, participants who indicated their participation as 'no/never' were more likely to answer 'no' when asked if they would refer a patient for religious/spiritual counselling, even when of a similar religion to that of their patient. In comparing genders, males were more likely to answer 'yes' than females when asked if they considered religious/spiritual counselling (in accordance with the patient's own religious beliefs) potentially harmful when the patient's religion was different from the participant's. Conclusion. It appears that SA psychiatrists' identification with religion and regularity of participation in religious gatherings do not influence their approach to religious matters of their patients in most respects. The exception seems to be for those psychiatrists who do not identify with a religion (~16%), who tend to respond that they do not refer for religious counselling and that they consider the patient's religious identification to be of little importance in understanding the patient.


The project "Chloride reduction from brackish water by hollow fiber supported liquid membranes (HFSLM) using ionic liquids as a carrier " is about developing an alternative and cost effective solution for the Abrera drinking water treatment plant to desalinate water from Llobregat river while accomplishing drinking water standards. With a constant increase of the world's population, the demand for drinking water also increases. However, the supply of drinking water is limited, so desalination as one part of water treatment is of essential need. The Llobregat river water, as one of the main sources of drinking water in the Barcelona metropolitan area, has a high content of dissolved salts wherefore even already treated water does not always fulfill the quality standards set by the European Union to be classified as "drinking water". This is why the Abrera water treatment plant currently has to clean its water using the energy – intensive technique electrodialysis reversal.
Therefore an alternative technique, called Hollow Fiber Supported Liquid Membrane (HFSLM), has been investigated. This is a specialized application of new high – tech membrane technology supplying substance transport between two separated fractions using permeable membranes filled with ionic liquids. These liquids are characterized by a high concentration of available carrier – molecules which enable these chemical systems to carry out mass transport particular selectively via ionic exchnage between both the phases. Several experiments, using Aliquat® 336 as a representative phase transfer catalyst, have been conducted in order to obtain deepest understanding of the process taking place. As results, on one hand the functionality of this technique was proved and on the other hand delivered enough useful data to develop a scientific model of the transfer mechanism to predict its efficiency in a feasible up – scaled version for industrial use. Since the HFSLM technique as a concentration driven operation needs far less electricity than the common techniques electrodialysis reversal and reverse osmosis, it is already competitive in terms of running costs. The implementation costs on the other hand contain a big potential for improvement.


An interferometric Rayleigh scattering system was developed to enable the measurement of multiple, orthogonal velocity components at several points within very-high-speed or high-temperature flows. The velocity of a gaseous flow can be optically measured by sending laser light into the gas flow, and then measuring the scattered light signal that is returned from matter within the flow. Scattering can arise from either gas molecules within the flow itself, known as Rayleigh scattering, or from particles within the flow, known as Mie scattering. Measuring Mie scattering is the basis of all commercial laser Doppler and particle imaging velocimetry systems, but particle seeding is problematic when measuring high-speed and high-temperature flows. The velocimeter is designed to measure the Doppler shift from only Rayleigh scattering, and does not require, but can also measure, particles within the flow. The system combines a direct-view, large-optic interferometric setup that calculates the Doppler shift from fringe patterns collected with a digital camera, and a subsystem to capture and re-circulate scattered light to maximize signal density. By measuring two orthogonal components of the velocity at multiple positions in the flow volume, the accuracy and usefulness of the flow measurement increase significantly over single or nonorthogonal component approaches.


Have a Google Maps mashup that youd like to expose to millions of users on maps.google.com? New to the mapping craze, but have an idea for a killer mapbased application? Want to learn how to create GeoRSS and KML feeds with your geotagged content, exposing your customer to new ways of exploring and navigating your content? Google Maps Mashups with Google Mapplets Is the first book to cover Googles new Mapplet technology Shows you how to create Google Mapsbased applications and publish to maps.google.com Provides a singlesource resource and practical guide to Mapplets and mashups Teaches you how to mash up Mapplets using locationspecific data Includes examples of realworld applications What youll learn Readers will be taken through the process of building a mashup of multiple data sources and APIs, using Tourfilters concert and event data to map concerts and venue information happening nearby. Creating GeoRSS and KML files will also be covered, showing readers how to publish their content with geographic metadata and encouraging their users to interact with their data in new and interesting ways. Who is this book for? This book is aimed at developers, designers, and technologists looking to explore Googles new Mapplet technology. The book will be a great resource for those just getting into Mapbased applications and mashups, as well as for seasoned Maps developers looking to reach an extended audience with their mashups on maps.google.com. Readers of the book should be familiar with JavaScript, basic HTML and CSS, PHP, and some SQL.


We propose an extension to the Assignment Game [37] in which sellers provide indivisible heterogeneous goods to their buyers. Each good takes up various amounts of resources and each seller has capacity constraints with respect to the total amount of resources it can provide. Hence, the total amount of goods that the seller can provide is dependent on the set of buyers. In this model, we first demonstrate that the core is empty and proceed to suggest a fair allocation of the resulting utility of an optimal match, using the Shapley value. We then examine scenarios where the worth and resource demands of each good are private information of selfish buyers and consider ways in which they can manipulate the system. We show that such Shapley value manipulations are bounded in terms of the gain an agent can achieve by using them. Finally, since this model can be of use when considering elastic resource allocation and utility sharing in cloud computing domains, we provide simulation results which show our approach maximizes welfare and, when used as a pricing scheme, can also increase the revenue of the cloud server providers over what is achieved with the widely-used fixed pricing scheme.


This paper looks at the subject of green consumers and how the different green consumer segments can be profiled. As environmental issues have become more critical to the sustainability of business there are greater implications for marketers to determine how to adequately advertise to different green consumer segments. This paper attempts to segment and profile different types of green consumers, as well as to predict consumer reactions to environmentally-friendly products, eco-labels, and cause-related campaigns. This research indicates there are clear differentiations in attitudes, behaviors, and psychographics between the separate green consumer segments and outlines what those key differences are.


This paper analyses the variety of different external aid initiatives and financing mechanisms of the European Commission addressing climate change and development objectives, such as those stemming from the 2004 EU Action Plan on Climate Change and Development, from the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) and those under the Thematic Programme for Environment and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (ENRTP). The paper also outlines related Commission commitments with the European Investment Bank (EIB), the World Bank and the United Nations. While the European Commission has advanced a number of new initiatives, it seems that the complexity of responsibilities in the management of the current financing instruments requires organisational restructuring, a more transparent reporting mechanism and the development of better indicators to evaluate the impacts of those initiatives. Overall it appears that the Commission is just at the beginning of taking full account of climate change in development cooperation. Its contribution is rather limited in view of the financing needs related to climate change in developing countries, and innovative financing mechanisms should be sought together with member states and the private sector.


The discovery of shared behavioral processes across phyla is an essential step in the establishment of a comparative study of behavior. We use immobility as an origin and reference for the measurement of locomotor behavior; speed, direction of walking and direction of facing as the three degrees of freedom shaping fly locomotor behavior; and cocaine as the parameter inducing a progressive transition in and out of immobility. In this way we expose and quantify the generative rules that shape part of fruit fly locomotor behavior, bringing about a gradual buildup of freedom during the transition from immobility to normal behavior and a precisely opposite narrowing down during the transition into immobility. During buildup the fly exhibits enhancement and then reduction to normal values of movement along each degree of freedom: first, body rotation in the horizontal plane, then path curvature and then speed of translation. Transition into immobility unfolds by narrowing down of the repertoire in the opposite sequential order, showing reciprocal relations during both buildup and narrowing down. The same generative rules apply to vertebrate locomotor behavior in a variety of contexts involving transition out and into immobility. Recent claims for deep homology between the arthropod central complex and the vertebrate basal ganglia provide an opportunity to examine whether the generative rules we discovered also share common descent. Neurochemical processes mediating the buildup of locomotor behavior in vertebrates could guide the search for equivalent processes in arthropods. The measurement methodology we use prompts the discovery of candidate behavioral homologies. Significance Statement Do flies and mice share the same behavior? By defining immobility as an intrinsic reference point for locomotor behavior we show that the rules that generate the transition from immobility to full blown normal behavior, and from full blown behavior to immobility are shared by fruit flies and mice. These rules constitute a much desired aim of evolutionary biology: the discovery of behavioral homologies across distant phyla. The methodology we use facilitates the discovery of cross-phyletic behavioral homologies, shedding light on the problem of the evolution of behavior.


Effective from 1 July 2017, the CAAI Arbitration Rules 2017 are enacted for CAAI (Chinese Arbitration Association, International), a separate entity related to CAA (Chinese Arbitration Association, Taipei). The CAAI Arbitration Rules 2017 represent the most recent (re)consideration of issues and (re)balance of interests in international arbitration. They apply to arbitrations seated outside Taiwan, and will assist any future proposal to revise Taiwan's laws relating to arbitration. Distinctive features of the CAAI Arbitration Rules 2017 include a three-tiered (and semi-bilingual) approach to the language of arbitration; double time limits for the closure of proceedings and award-making; unified criteria for commencing single arbitration under multiple contracts (at the initial stage) and consolidating arbitrations (at a later stage); comprehensive provisions for emergency measures (before the arbitral tribunal's constitution) and interim measures (after the arbitral tribunal's constitution), in contrast with concise provisions for expedited procedure. They seek to ensure party autonomy, impartiality, efficiency and enforceability of CAAI arbitration.


A parallel zero voltage switching (ZVS) forward converter with half-bridge topology is presented in this paper. Two converter modules are connected in parallel in the output side to share the load current. In the primary side, two converter modules use the same power switches so that the semiconductor devices are reduced in the proposed converter compared with the conventional interleaved half-bridge converter. The asymmetrical pulse-width modulation (APWM) is used to regulate the output voltage and realize the ZVS turn-on of switches at the transition interval. The voltage stress of switches is clamped at the input source voltage. The system analysis, operation principle and design consideration of the proposed converter are presented. Finally experimental results based on a laboratory prototype are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed converter.


An appropriate battery model is crucial for accurate state of charge (SOC) estimation of lithium-ion batteries. A complex battery model can improve the accuracy, however, it leads to high computational cost. In this paper, the second-order resistor-capacitor (RC) model is selected due to its superiority in good balance between accuracy and complexity. Different factors, including RC parameters of battery model, relationship between open circuit voltage (OCV) and SOC, and measurement noise are investigated to extract the ones that significantly affect the accuracy of SOC estimation based on Kalman filters. The results revealed that in comparison with the resistors, the polarization capacitors have no obvious influence on the SOC estimation. In addition, the voltage measurement noise has greater influence on the SOC estimation compared with the current measurement noise. These results can be potentially used to guide us in deciding which parameters should be separately identified online and offline so as to achieve a proper balance between model accuracy and complexity.


Transcultural Landeskunde? New concepts in the subject Landeskunde in German as a Foreign Language
Based on a lecture at a workshop at Stellenbosch University in September 2007, the article discusses various concepts of Landeskunde in German as a Foreign Language. It focusses on Landeskunde as Kulturwissenschaft and argues in favour of a dynamic and open concept of culture. A 'national culture' can not be described as a totality, and to claim 'cultural standards' as empirical entities is also problematic. Rather, as it is argued with Claus Altmayer's concept of Culture as Hypertext (2004), patterns of cultural knowledge can only be indirectly traced in a dialogical process of production and reception of texts. Consequently, Landeskunde should not aim to achieve a compilation of cognitive knowledge about 'a culture', but aim to engage in a dynamic exploration of differing and converging cultural interpretations, thus allowing different degrees of closeness and distance and transgressing the rift between the 'self' and the 'other' in a transnational Landeskunde.


Flipped classroom has gained attention in recent years as a teaching method in which the time allocated for introducing new concepts and the time used for practicing them are inverted, in order to provide more time for problem based learning and class interaction under direct supervision of the instructor. The implementation of this teaching method is comprised of two main components, the pre-class activities, which consist of individual student work and are largely based on pre-recorded videos, and in-class activities, which are group activities supervised by the instructor. This paper discusses the implementation of the flipped classroom method in a Fluid Mechanics course in an Engineering Technology program at a midsize university. The study presented was conducted over four consecutive semesters, the data representing four different groups of students. In the study presented, an important percentage of the students took the course in an online setting, either synchronous or asynchronous mode, which created an atypical situation compared to other implementations of flipped classroom method presented in the literature. It was found that the length or the format of the pre-recorded videos were not critical factors in determining the students to review them before the class. The unconventional setting of the class, including both in class and online students, required originality in handling the in-class activities. The best approach was to delegate students to lead the group discussions associated with solving the problems, while the instructor acted as an observer when the discussions were constructive and as a guide when the solution was getting out of rail or when the students were struggling. A survey was distributed to the students at the end of the course as a post-class activity, concluding the implementation considered in the study. The results of the survey showed that the students were satisfied with the teaching method and found it important in their learning process.


The 160,000 LGBT adults in Missouri would benefit from an expanded state non-discrimination law that includes sexual orientation and gender identity. There is currently no Missouri law protecting LGBT people from discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations. A uniform state-wide law would maximize protection for Missouri's LGBT population, and provide them the same recourse available to their non-LGBT counterparts. Media reports and lawsuits document that a number of Missourians have faced discrimination in housing, public accommodations, and the workplace because they are LGBT. Complaints have been filed against hotels, landlords and retail stores; and teachers, law enforcement, truck drivers, and attorneys have filed workplace discrimination complaints. Eighteen Missouri localities currently provide protection from sexual orientation discrimination by local ordinance, sixteen of which also provide protection against gender identity discrimination, but the ordinances are inconsistent, and less effective than a state-wide law would be. In many cases, the local ordinances do not fully cover public and private employment, housing, public accommodations, and government services, and Missouri state law provides stronger remedies, and a private right of action that many of the local ordinances do not provide.


It's not easy; the current local community really is that climate change and associated disasters are becoming more intense, unpredictable, frequent and costly impacting on rural and urban areas. How can we help communities? Many rural communities, particularly in low income countries and their local governments, residents and small to medium business enterprises (SMEs), find in the context of climate change adaptation that shifting towards Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) difficult. Local governments in rural areas particularly in developing countries and SMEs are often exposed and cannot better protect and prepare themselves. However, there are many resilient rural communities, farmers, businesses and good tools and examples where more public-private sector partnerships can help local government and business shift to DRR. This paper/presentation will review 3 case studies, based on research in this area at CESDI – Griffith University's' Centre for Sustainable Development for Indonesia with its main office in Brisbane, Australia


Two simple, sensitive, rapid spectrophotometric methods have been developed for simultaneous estimation of Atazanavir Sulfate (ATV) and Ritonavir (RTV) in tablets. First method involves solving simultaneous equations based on measurement of absorbance at two wavelengths 249.5 nm and 238.5 nm λ max of ATV and RTV, respectively. Second method is based on area under curve(AUC) and the wavelength ranges selected for analysis were 254.5-244.5 nm for Atazanavir Sulfate and 243.5-233.5 nm for Ritonavir. Beer's law was obeyed in the concentration range of 10-50 μg/ml and 10-50 μg/ml for ATV and RTV, respectively. The methods were validated as per ICH guidelines. Statistical analysis proved that the methods were accurate, precise, and reproducible for analysis of ATV and RTV in tablets. The wide linearity range, sensitivity, accuracy and simple procedure imply that the proposed technique demonstrated to be appropriate for routine analysis and quality control assay of tablets.


Objective—To determine the pharmacokinetics of voriconazole administered PO with or without food to red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) and whether any observed variability could be explained by measured covariates to inform dose adjustments. Animals—Seven adult red-tailed hawks. Procedures—In a crossover study design, hawks were randomly assigned first to receive voriconazole (15 mg/kg PO) injected into a dead mouse (n 1⁄4 3; fed birds) or without food (4; unfed birds). Sixteen days later, treatments were reversed. Blood samples were collected at various points to measure plasma voriconazole concentrations by ultraperformance liquid chromatography. Pharmacokinetic data were analyzed by noncompartmental methods and fit to a compartmental model through nonlinear mixedeffects regression, with feeding status and body weight investigated as covariates. Results—Voriconazole was well absorbed, with quantifiable plasma concentrations up to 24 hours after administration. Mean plasma half-life was approximately 2 hours in fed and unfed birds. Administration of the voriconazole in food delayed absorption, resulting in a significant delay in time to maximum plasma concentration. The final compartmental model included a categorical covariate to account for this lag in absorption as well as body weight as a covariate of total body clearance (relative to unknown bioavailability). Conclusions and clinical relevance—A single dose of voriconazole (15 mg/kg) administered PO to redtailed hawks resulted in mean plasma voriconazole concentrations greater than the targeted value (1 lg/ mL). Additional studies with larger sample sizes and multidose regimens are required before the model developed here can be applied in clinical settings.


Fifty primigravidae were interviewed within 3 days of giving birth about their eating habits and attitudes to shape and weight during pregnancy. Dieting was not found to be common, whereas a quarter reported episodes of bulimia which in some cases were associated with excessive weight gain. This phenomenon was largely confined to those who had dieted in the past. The past dieters also differed from the remainder in their response to the changes in shape and weight. In addition, their plans differed: of those who intended to diet following pregnancy, the majority had dieted in the past. The findings of this study suggest that women who have previously been concerend about their shape, weight, and eating respond differently to being pregnant from those who have not had such concerns and that these differences may be of medical and psychiatric significance.


Almost twenty years ago the Maastricht Treaty introduced procedures for European Social Dialogue, as part of a larger package of measures to strengthen the social dimension of European integration. Through the Treaty provisions (articles 154-155 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union), the European social partners received the competence to become, in principle, co-regulators of the European labour market. The conventional reading of the evolution of European social dialogue since its inception is that it has evolved from a relationship of dependency of the European social partners on the European institutions for the implementation of their framework agreements, towards a more autonomous position in which the social partners themselves take charge of implementation. Since the early 2000s, the argument continues, the social partners have taken a more proactive and independent stance and opted to focus on autonomous framework agreements, and other 'new generation texts', including joint reports, recommendations, compendia of good practices, etc., which are not directed at the European institutions in order to secure implementation. In this paper we want to challenge and move beyond this rather linear and one-dimensional conceptualisation of the evolution of European social dialogue. Empirically, we will show that there has not been a straightforward move away from the 'implementation through Directive' mode in favour of autonomous agreements. Whereas this may seem the case if we take a view of the cross-sector dialogue only, the picture changes when we have a closer look and include developments in the European sector social dialogue in the analysis. Analytically, we will argue that framing the issue in terms of dependency or autonomy does not do justice to the complexity of relationships that are involved in the European social dialogue and the European sector social dialogue, and in the implementation of framework agreements and other new generation texts. Also it accords little attention to the role of power in the relationships involved. We draw on a multi-governance perspective to analyse the dynamics of European social dialogue, which allows us to capture the relevant multiple horizontal and vertical relationships, or interdependencies, between the European and national, and public and private, actors involved. Interdependency implies the presence of both autonomy and dependence in a relationship, and our central proposition is that these interdependencies simultaneously enhance and limit the capacity of the European social partners to make and implement agreements.


Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used in electrical vehicle, portable electronic products and energy storage devices. It is in urgent need to develop novel battery materials with higher energy density, preeminent rate performance and better safety performance. Traditional experimental methods for developing new materials are time-consuming, while for conventional simulation methods a huge gap remains between computations and practical materials. In this regard, machine learning becomes promising due to its flexibility in dealing with complex problems. Since machine learning is a data driven method, no physical or chemical models are needed in the process. The results will be reliable as long as the data are consistent with the practical situation. An encouraging example is AlphaGo [1] that has exhibited the charm of machine learning.


Dana Louise Raphael was an anthropologist and breastfeeding advocate in the US during the twentieth century. After she was unable to breastfeed her own infant, Raphael began to research why breastfeeding was more common in other cultures than in the US. As part of that research, Raphael cofounded the Human Lactation Center, where she studied the breastfeeding habits of mothers around the world. Through that research, she coordinated with formula manufacturers to educate women on the benefits of breastfeeding and formula supplementation to reduce infant mortality in developing nations. In addition, Raphael was the first person to use the word doula to describe a childbirth support companion for laboring women. Raphael was an advocate for the acceptance of breastfeeding around the world, and asserted the importance of doula support for new mothers in the form of breastfeeding education.


With shades of both "The Book Thief" and "The Lovely Bones", James Kimmel Jr.'s first novel, "The Trial of Fallen Angels", is a story about what happens when we can't - or won't - let go. I remembered telling my husband I loved him and knowing I did. I remembered picking up my daughter at the end of the day and her squeals of delight when she saw me...And then my memories vanished, as if a plug had been pulled. When young lawyer Brek Cutler finds herself covered in blood and standing on a deserted railway platform, she has no memory of how she got there...For one very good reason: she's dead. But she's not allowed to grieve for her lost life, her widowed husband, or her beautiful but now motherless baby daughter - because she has a job to do. She's been chosen to join the elite lawyers who prosecute and defend souls at the Final Judgement. In a seemingly deliberate coincidence, her first client seems to hold the key to unlock the chain of events that led to Brek's death...A chain that stretches far back into the past and an array of shocking, secret crimes. And so Brek embarks on a quest that sees her traverse Heaven and Earth to bring her killer to justice. If she's ever to learn the whole truth about her death, though, she must also place her own soul on trial - and make a choice that will potentially echo throughout eternity. Telling a story of life, death and ever after, James Kimmel Jr.'s "The Trial of Fallen Angels" is unique, haunting and utterly unforgettable. James Kimmel Jr. received a doctorate in jurisprudence from the University of Pennsylvania and now works as a lawyer. This is his first novel. He lives in the United States.


Obesity is increasing in prevalence in many countries around the world. Its causes have been traditionally ascribed to a model where energy intake exceeds energy consumption. Reduced energy output in the form of exercise is associated with less sun exposure as many of these activities occur outdoors. This review explores the potential for ultraviolet radiation (UVR), derived from sun exposure, to affect the development of obesity and two of its metabolic co-morbidities, type-2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. We here discuss the potential benefits (or otherwise) of exposure to UVR based on evidence from pre-clinical, human epidemiological and clinical studies and explore and compare the potential role of UVR-induced mediators, including vitamin D and nitric oxide. Overall, emerging findings suggest a protective role for UVR and sun exposure in reducing the development of obesity and cardiometabolic dysfunction, but more epidemiological and clinical research is required that focuses on measuring the direct associations and effects of exposure to UVR in humans.


In an increasingly urbanized world, urban terrain has become a greater factor in military operations. Simultaneously, advances in military technology have given military forces sharply increased capabilities. The conflict comes from how urban terrain can negate or degrade many of those increased capabilities. What happens when advanced weapons are used in a close-range urban fight with an abundance of cover?
Storming the City explores these issues by analyzing the performance of the US Army and US Marine Corps in urban combat in four major urban battles of the mid-twentieth century (Aachen 1944, Manila 1945, Seoul 1950, and Hue 1968). Alec Wahlman assesses each battle using a similar framework of capability categories, and separate chapters address urban warfare in American military thought.
In the four battles, across a wide range of conditions, American forces were ultimately successful in capturing each city because of two factors: transferable competence and battlefield adaptation. The preparations US forces made for warfare writ large proved generally applicable to urban warfare. Battlefield adaptation, a strong suit of American forces, filled in where those overall preparations for combat needed fine tuning. From World War Two to Vietnam, however, there was a gradual reduction in tactical performance in the four battles.


An investigation has been conducted in the Langley stability tunnel on a vertical-tail model with a stub fuselage in combination with various horizontal tails to determine the effect of horizontal-tail span and vertical location of the horizontal tail relative to the vertical tail on the aerodynamic characteristics of an unswept tail assembly in sideslip. The results of the investigation indicated that the induced loading carried by the horizontal tail produced a rolling moment about the point of attachment to the vertical tail which was strongly influenced by horizontal-tail span and vertical locations. The greatest effect of horizontal-tail span on the rolling-moment derivative of the complete tail assembly was obtained for horizontal-tail locations near the top of the vertical tail. Span loadings which were reduced to the static-stability derivatives were calculated for each configuration tested by applying the well-known finite-step method used for wings to the intersecting surfaces of the vertical and horizontal tails. The finite-step method provides a simple and effective means of investigating the span loadings of intersecting surfaces.


Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a common reason for the withdrawal of a drug from the market. Early assessment of DILI risk is an essential part of drug development, but it is rendered challenging prior to clinical trials by the complex factors that give rise to liver damage. Artificial intelligence (AI) approaches, particularly those building on machine learning, range from random forests to more recent techniques such as deep learning, and provide tools that can analyze chemical compounds and accurately predict some of their properties based purely on their structure. This article reviews existing AI approaches to predicting DILI and elaborates on the challenges that arise from the as yet limited availability of data. Future directions are discussed focusing on rich data modalities, such as 3D spheroids, and the slow but steady increase in drugs annotated with DILI risk labels.


The Khoy complex in NW Iran has been widely regarded to consist of both Jurassic and Cretaceous ophiolites, but whereas the western Late Cretaceous ophiolite is unequivocal the nature of the eastern Jurassic body has been unclear. Field observations show that the presumed eastern meta-ophiolite has no similarities to an ophiolite sequence. Here, we report geological and zircon–rutile–titanite U–Pb data for rocks from the presumed Jurassic ophiolite obtained to verify whether these are real ophiolitic units and to understand their relations either to the Late Cretaceous Zagros–Bitlis ophiolites in western Iran–southern Anatolia or to the Sevan–Akera (northern Armenia) and Izmir–Ankara (southern Pontides) complexes. The new U–Pb ages show that the 'presumed' ophiolite is in fact a collage of Ediacaran to Cambrian (c. 606–517 Ma) and Jurassic (c. 160 Ma) meta-igneous rocks, similar to ages obtained for igneous rocks of the Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone, which has been interpreted as a Jurassic continental rift. The Jurassic igneous rocks contain abundant Ediacaran, Ordovician–Silurian and Carboniferous–Permian inherited zircons, further suggesting involvement of pre-existing continental crust. Our results indicate that Jurassic continental rifting provided a lithospheric weakness along which a new subduction zone formed in Late Cretaceous times.


Background and Aim: Since managers' efficiency depends on their communication skills suitable for their employees, this study was conducted to determine such skills among Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS) managers. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 298 SUMS employees working at different departments were selected through simple random sampling technique. The data-collection device was a 21-item questionnaire having 3 parts: verbal skill, effective listening, and feedback communication skills. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. Statistical tests employed included Pearson correlation, T-Test and ANOVA, and the level of significance was determined at 0.05. Results: The respondents' mean age was 32.7 years. Most of them were female, had a bachelor's degree, and worked in logistics department. According to their judgment, their managers had good verbal and effective listening skills, but were average in their feedback. The highest score for communication skills was reported for the students' department and the lowest score for the research department. Older and more experienced employees evaluated their manager's feedback skill (p= 0.001) at a lower level. The statistical test indicated a significant relationship between feedback and level of education (p= 0.001). Conclusion: It seems that the intermediate level of effective listening and feedback skills are due to the managers' lack of sufficient scientific and practical attention to the issue of communication. Therefore, it is recommended that educational workshops be held for managers to make them familiar with the importance of effective communication skills.


The marine invertebrate fauna of the Cape Verde Islands contains many endemic species due to their isolated location in the eastern Atlantic, yet research has not been conducted on most taxa here. One such group are the zoanthids or mat anemones, an order of benthic cnidarians (Hexacorallia: Zoantharia) common in many marine environments. In this study, the diversity of zoanthids in the Cape Verde Islands is specifically examined for the first time. Field images and sampling are combined with molecular phylogenetic analyses utilizing two mitochondrial DNA markers (cytochrome oxidase subunit I and 16S ribosomal DNA) to determine the number of species present. Specimens from eight species (Palythoa caribaeorum, Palythoa sp. 265, Zoanthus aff. pulchellus, Isaurus tuberculatus, Parazoanthus sp. 269, Parazoanthus sp. 1401, Antipathozoanthus macaronesicus, Terrazoanthus sp. 276) were identified, including two to four species that are likely new to science. Additional examinations of Symbiodinium endosymbionts in zooxanthellate species showed that clades A, B, and C were present; this is the first report of clade B associating with a zoanthid species. An appendix describing the eight zoanthid species found in the Cape Verde Islands is included to provide a base for future zoanthid research in this region.


The haliya and kamaiya systems in Nepal are often labelled as modern forms of slavery, or simply as agricultural bonded labourers. The former exists among various caste/ethnic groups, including the Musahar people, while the latter primarily affects a section of the Tharu ethnicity. The Nepali government has outlawed both practices, but the haliya and kamaiya contract agreements have largely moved from adults to children. This empirical study presents an alternative perspective by taking into account of ethnic Musahar and Tharu children's understanding of the negative and positive aspects of their daily life-worlds. In doing so, this paper shows a rather complex picture of bonded labour than the ones presented by various advocacy groups, and in particular, it echoes the voices of research participants that unless better alternatives are available, a completely abolitionist stance actually puts their immediate livelihood strategies in serious jeopardy.


Triassic dinosaurs of Brazil are found in Santa Maria and Caturrita formations, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. There are three species known from the Santa Maria Formation (Staurikosaurus pricei, Saturnalia tupiniquim and Pampadromaeus barberenai), and two from Caturrita Formation (Guaibasaurus candelariensis and Unaysaurus tolentinoi). These dinosaur materials are, for the most part, well preserved and allow for descriptions of musculature and biomechanical studies. The lateral rotation of the Saturnalia femur is corroborated through calculations of muscle moment arms. The enhanced supracetabular crest of Saturnalia, Guaibasaurus, Staurikosaurus, Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis, Efraasia minor and Chormogisaurus novasi suggests that basal dinosaurs may have maintained an inclination of the trunk at least 20o on the horizontal axis. The pectoral girdle articulation of basal sauropodomorphs (Saturnalia and Unaysaurus) was established using a new method, the Clavicular Ring, and the scapular blade remains near 60o on the horizontal axis. This is a plesiomorphic condition among sauropodomorphs and is also seen in the articulated plateosauridae Seitaad ruessi. The Brazilian basal dinosaurs were lightweight with a body mass estimated around 18.5 kg for Staurikosaurus, 6.5 kg for Saturnalia, and 17 kg for Guaibasaurus. Pampadromaeus probably weighed 2.5 kg, but measures of its femur are necessary to confirm this hypothesis. The Triassic dinosaurs from Brazil were diversified but shared some functional aspects that were important in an evolutionary context.


Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an approach for assessing the comprehensive environmental impacts of human activities; effects are quantified along the life cycle from extraction of raw materials, through processing, manufacturing, transportation, use and on to final disposal. LCA was developed for assessing industrial systems, and agricultural systems are sufficiently different that this area of application introduces new methodological issues for all phases of LCA. These issues are addressed in the thesis; additionally, it explores issues related to the wider use of LCA in decision-making. New methods are presented for assessing use of solar energy and water, soil quantity and quality, and biodiversity. Use of solar energy is assessed in relation to total incident radiation, and use of water in relation to average annual rainfall reaching land in a system under analysis. Soil quantity and quality are assessed assuming that soil is an ancillary item in LCA; this requires careful modelling, use of Organic Matter and Soil Compaction Indicators, and inclusion of eroded soil in assessing abiotic resource depletion. A method for assessing physical habitat maintenance and change is presented which highlights some generic features of LCA mitigating against its acceptance among some stakeholders. A case study of breadmaking wheat production demonstrates practical application of the methods. This suggests it may be equally, or even more, relevant to determine preferred locations of production rather than preferred farming practices in seeking to maximise the environmental performance of agricultural systems. More attention is needed to ensuring the usefulness of LCA results. They should be accurate, relevant, understandable and meaningful to stakeholders, and the LCA approach must be accepted as a legitimate form of analysis. This requires more flexibility in LCA methodology to adapt it to different decision-making contexts, balanced by a greater focus on the process of undertaking LCA.


Stem-boring insects and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) are thought to induce similar complex chemical and anatomical defenses in conifers. To compare insect- and MeJA-induced terpenoid responses, we analyzed traumatic oleoresin mixtures, emissions of terpenoid volatiles, and expression of terpenoid synthase (TPS) genes in Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) following attack by white pine weevils (Pissodes strobi) or application of MeJA. Both insects and MeJA caused traumatic resin accumulation in stems, with more accumulation induced by the weevils. Weevil-induced terpenoid emission profiles were also more complex than emissions induced by MeJA. Weevil feeding caused a rapid release of a blend of monoterpene olefins, presumably by passive evaporation of resin compounds from stem feeding sites. These compounds were not found in MeJA-induced emissions. Both weevils and MeJA caused delayed, diurnal emissions of (−)-linalool, indicating induced de novo biosynthesis of this compound. TPS transcripts strongly increased in stems upon insect attack or MeJA treatment. Time courses and intensity of induced TPS transcripts were different for monoterpene synthases, sesquiterpene synthases, and diterpene synthases. Increased levels of weevil- and MeJA-induced TPS transcripts accompanied major changes in terpenoid accumulation in stems. Induced TPS expression profiles in needles were less complex than those in stems and matched induced de novo emissions of (−)-linalool. Overall, weevils and MeJA induced similar, but not identical, terpenoid defense responses in Sitka spruce. Findings of insect- and MeJA-induced accumulation of allene oxide synthase-like and allene oxide cyclase-like transcripts are discussed in the context of traumatic resinosis and induced volatile emissions in this gymnosperm system.


This paper concerns questions about whether blended learning (comprising the designed amalgamation of face-to-face and digital learning components) can be matched with the delivery of online feedback. In the architecture and engineering (architectural) field where there are complex design problems presented to students, design studios with instruction and feedback often one-on-one over the drawing board and feedback personalised to each student's design, are there mechanisms for delivery of online feedback which suit this mode of learning and will improve students' satisfaction with the quantity, frequency, timeliness and quality of feedback? National Course Evaluation Questionnaire data highlights the need for improvement in feedback quality and delivery in University architecture and engineering fields, due to low overall satisfaction compared with other professional education fields. University and School student evaluation supported this feedback deficit. This paper looks at courses where modes of meaningful digital feedback (including audio feedback and online staff and peer feedback) have been introduced, and compares students' satisfaction with feedback in these courses over five-year periods. The paper evaluates new ways of providing digital feedback in a resource-constrained University environment and proposes eight recommendations for the delivery of blended feedback and assessment.


Galactic cirrus emission at far-infrared wavelengths affects many extragalactic observations. Separating this emission from that associated with extragalactic objects is both important and difficult. In this paper we discuss a particular case, the M81 group, and the identification of diffuse structures prominent in the infrared, but also detected at optical wavelengths. The origin of these structures has previously been controversial, ranging from them being the result of a past interaction between M81 and M82 or due to more local Galactic emission. We show that over an order of a few arcmin scales, the far-infrared (Herschel 250 μm) emission correlates spatially very well with a particular narrow-velocity (2–3 km s−1) component of the Galactic H i. We find no evidence that any of the far-infrared emission associated with these features actually originates in the M81 group. Thus we infer that the associated diffuse optical emission must be due to galactic light-back scattered off dust in our galaxy. Ultraviolet observations pick out young stellar associations around M81, but no detectable far-infrared emission. We consider in detail one of the Galactic cirrus features, finding that the far-infrared H i relation breaks down below arcmin scales and that at smaller scales there can be quite large dust-temperature variations.


Near-surface seismic surveys often employ hammer impacts to create seismic energy. Shearwave surveys using horizontally polarized waves require horizontal hammer impacts against a rigid object (the source) that is coupled to the ground surface. I have designed, built, and tested a source made out of aluminum and equipped with spikes to improve coupling. The source is effective in a variety of settings, and it is relatively simple and inexpensive to build.


The private health sector is an important player in the DRC's health system, but the extent of its contribution remains largely unknown. Private providers, especially faith-based organizations (FBOs), grew in scale during the late 1990s and early 2000s to fill gaps that emerged in the public health sector as a result of political and civil destabilization. As the government sought to reestablish itself and improve health outcomes, it recognized the importance of private providers and sought to integrate them into the larger health system—the private sector is now mentioned as a key partner in several MSP strategies, policies, and plans. However, public–private engagement for health remains nascent, with the notable exception of FBOs. Efforts by the central level to improve engagement have been slow as the government simultaneously seeks to decentralize the health system to provincial and lower levels of government. Overlapping areas of responsibility between these levels, combined with financial and human resource deficits, as well as limited data about who and where the private sector is, have all further decelerated efforts to engage and regulate the private sector. The private health sector itself faces numerous constraints related to the availability of commodities, shortages of adequately trained staff, and financial affordability of private health care. Furthermore, continued political uncertainty has deterred increased corporate investment in the health system. Despite these obstacles, there are numerous opportunities for the DRC's government and donors to better leverage private actors and improve health outcomes.


We propose a model for short duration gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs) based on the formation of a quark star after the merger of two neutron stars. We assume that the sGRB central engine is a proto-magnetar, which has been previously invoked to explain the plateaulike X-ray emission observed following both long and short GRBs. Here, we show that: (i) a few milliseconds after the merger it is possible to form a stable and massive star made in part of quarks; (ii) during the early cooling phase of the incompletely formed quark star, the flux of baryons ablated from the surface by neutrinos is large and it does not allow the outflow to achieve a bulk Lorentz factor high enough to produce a GRB; (iii) after the quark burning front reaches the stellar surface, baryon ablation ceases and the jet becomes too baryon poor to produce a GRB; (iv) however, between these two phases a GRB can be produced over the finite time scale required for the baryon pollution to cease; a characteristic time scale of the order of 0.1 s naturally results from the time the conversion front needs to cover the distance between the rotational pole and the latitude of the last closed magnetic field line; (v) we predict a correlation between the luminosity of the sGRB and its duration, consistent with the data; (vi) our model also predicts a delay of the order of ten seconds between the time of the merger event and the sGRB, allowing for the possibility of precursor emission and implying that the jet will encounter the dense cocoon formed immediately after the merger


How people achieve long-term goals in an imperfectly known environment, via repeated tries and noisy outcomes, is an important problem in cognitive science. There are two interrelated questions: how humans represent information, both what has been learned and what can still be learned, and how they choose actions, in particular how they negotiate the tension between exploration and exploitation. In this work, we examine human behavioral data in a multi-armed bandit setting, in which the subject choose one of four "arms" to pull on each trial and receives a binary outcome (win/lose). We implement both the Bayes-optimal policy, which maximizes the expected cumulative reward in this finite-horizon bandit environment, as well as a variety of heuristic policies that vary in their complexity of information representation and decision policy. We find that the knowledge gradient algorithm, which combines exact Bayesian learning with a decision policy that maximizes a combination of immediate reward gain and longterm knowledge gain, captures subjects' trial-by-trial choice best among all the models considered; it also provides the best approximation to the computationally intense optimal policy among all the heuristic policies.


This thesis presents an analysis method for determining the whipping response of a hull girder to underwater explosion (UNDEX) bubble pulse loading. A potential flow-based UNDEX bubble model capable of calculating the behavior of a migrating bubble for up to three pulses is developed. An approximate vertical plane ship vibration model is derived using fundamental beam theory by representing the ship as a free-free beam with varying cross-sectional properties along its length. The fluid-structure interaction is approximated using strip theory and the distant flow assumption. The most severe predicted whipping load conditions are applied to a MAESTRO finite element model of the ship as a quasi-static load case to determine the response of the structure to the whipping loads. The calculated hull girder bending moments are compared to the ultimate bending strength of the hull girder to determine if the girder will collapse. The analysis method is found to be a useful method for determining preliminary UNDEX-induced whipping design load cases for early-stage ship design. However, more detailed and accurate data is needed to validate and verify the predicted whipping responses. It is found that the most severe whipping loads occur as the result of an UNDEX event that occurs under the keel near midship and produces a bubble with a pulsation frequency similar to the natural vibration frequency of the ship in its third mode. Significant damage to the ship structure and hull girder collapse is possible as a result of these loads.


Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genome instability syndrome that has been associated with both cancer predisposition and bone marrow failure. FA proteins are involved in cellular response to replication stress in which they coordinate DNA repair with DNA replication and cell-cycle progression. One regulator of the replication stress response is the ATP-dependent DNA translocase FANCM, which we have shown to be hyperphosphorylated in response to various genotoxic agents. However, the significance of this phosphorylation remained unclear. Here, we show that genotoxic stress-induced FANCM phosphorylation is ATR-dependent and that this modification is highly significant for the cellular response to replication stress. We identified serine (S1045) residue of FANCM that is phosphorylated in response to genotoxic stress and this effect is ATR-dependent. We show that S1045 is required for FANCM functions including its role in FA pathway integrity, recruiting FANCM to the site of interstrand cross links, preventing the cells from entering mitosis prematurely, and efficient activation of the CHK1 and G2-M checkpoints. Overall, our data suggest that an ATR-FANCM feedback loop is present in the FA and replication stress response pathways and that it is required for both efficient ATR/CHK1 checkpoint activation and FANCM function.


Many enterprises implemented Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems as a bedrock strategy with a view to integrating all data and bringing an organization into a joint system. However, most enterprises in an attempt to carry out ERP often end up in failure and it seems the probability of the mishaps is considerably high. This paper applies the Organization Fit Theory to examine an organization characters and features beforehand can present a clearer picture for the ERP designers. This paper is to sort out key variables in Organization Fit corresponding to successful ERP cases. Questionnaires are sent through conventional postal means and electronic networks. Its samplings include top 500 enterprises in Taiwan with data regarding successful working experience of ERP as well as impacts on the ERP process as a result of the related variables. The research result shows that organizational fit of ERP has a positive influence on implementation success. The research result also shows that none of ERP adaptation, process adaptation, and organizational resistance has any moderating effect on organizational fit of ERP and ERP implementation success.


This paper discusses how Switzerland is branded by the Swiss state under late capitalism. Drawing on discursive data collected in the framework of a research project investigating the international promotion of Switzerland, I particularly focus on how multilingualism and cultural diversity are constructed by the Swiss government as a capital belonging to Switzerland and its history and on how and why this imagined historical capital is reframed in promotional terms. In doing so, I question the function of the historicity of Swiss multilingualism and cultural diversity in nation branding practices and analyze the logics making that specific tokens of multilingualism and cultural diversity emerge as desirable promotional features. Finally, I research how the promotional investment in Swiss multilingualism and cultural diversity affects the status and value of this historical capital and how this has consequences for what can be said (or not) about Switzerland and its history.


Accurate stellar parameters are important not just to understand the stars themselves, but also for understanding the planets that orbit them. Despite the availability of high quality spectra, there are still many uncertainties in stellar spectroscopy. In this thesis, the finer details of spectroscopic analyses are discussed and critically evaluated, with a focus on improving the stellar parameters. Using high resolution, high signal-to-noise HARPS spectra, accurate parameters were determined for 22 WASP stars. It is shown that there is a limit to the accuracy of stellar parameters that can be achieved, despite using high S/N spectra. It is also found that the selection of spectral lines used and the accuracy of atomic data is crucial, and different line lists can result in different values of parameters. Different spectral analysis methods often give vastly different results even for the same spectrum of the same star. Here it is shown that many of these discrepancies can be explained by the choice of lines used and by the various assumptions made. This will enable a more reliable homogeneous study of solar-like stars in the future. The Rossiter-McLaughlin effect observed for transiting exoplanets often requires prior knowledge of the projected rotational velocity (v sin i). This is usually provided via spectroscopy, however this method has uncertainties as spectral lines are also broadened by photospheric velocity fields known as "macroturbulence" (vmac). Using rotational splitting frequencies for 28 Kepler stars that were provided via asteroseismology, accurate v sin i values have been determined. By inferring the vmac for 28 Kepler stars, it was possible to obtain a new calibration between vmac, effective temperature and surface gravity. Therefore macroturbulence, and thus v sin i, can now be determined with confidence for stars that do not have asteroseismic data available. New spectroscopic vsini values were then determined for the WASP planet host stars.


Anglican clergymen in Britain's Australian colonies in their earliest years faced very particular challenges. Lacking relevant training, experience or pastoral theology, these pioneer religious professionals not only ministered to a convict population unique in the empire, but had also to engage with indigenous peoples and a free-settler population struggling with an often inhospitable environment. This was in the context of a settler empire that was being reshaped by mass migration, rapid expansion and a widespread decline in the political authority of religion and the confessional state, especially after the American Revolution. Previous accounts have caricatured such clerics as lackeys of the imperial authorities: "moral policemen", "flogging parsons". Yet, while the clergy did make important contributions to colonial and imperial projects, this book offers a more wide-ranging picture. It reveals them at times vigorously asserting their independence in relation both to their religious duties and to humanitarian concern, and shows them playing an important part in the new colonies' social and economic development, making a vital contribution to the emergence of civil society and intellectual and cultural institutions and traditions within Australia. It is only possible to understand the distinctive role that the clergy played in the light of their social origins, intellectual formation and professional networks in an expanding British World, a subject explored systematically here for the first time. Michael Gladwin is Lecturer in History at St Mark's National Theological Centre, Charles Sturt University, Canberra.