Abstract This paper studies the impact of foreign ownership on a firm's economic performance. We use a unique panel data set to test the foreign ownership premium by comparing our sample of firms based in Italy and owned by a foreign subject to a sample of purely domestic firms that, in order to have a proper counterfactual, were selected using propensity score matching. Our difference-in-differences results show the existence of a premium for the size, profitability, and financial soundness of the foreign-owned companies. The premium increases with time, is concentrated in the service sector, and disappears if the foreign investor is based in a fiscal haven.


Cream cheesecurd is a type of processed cheese, originally Brazilian, produced throughout the entire Brazilian territory with some technological variations. This is one of the main types of cheese produced and consumed in Brazil and it is known for presenting an elevated fat content. On the other hand, the fat plays a fundamental role in appearance, flavor and texture of cheese, then developing a light product with sensory quality similar to the traditional version is a major challenge to food industry. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and sensory acceptability of light cream cheesecurd with different levels of fat reduction for texture and overall impression. The experiment followed a design of response surface, the Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) with two factors (fat and moisture). The sensory acceptability was evaluated by 100 consumers, by the hedonic scale of nine points. The results showed that the cheesecurds with different levels of fat reduction had similar sensory acceptability when combined with a proportional increase in moisture content. The products that presented dry defatted extract (DDE) of approximately 19.3%, originated from different combinations of fat and moisture, were those with better acceptance by consumers, demonstrating the importance of DDE in sensory acceptance.


This thesis explores identity work employed to secure stability and coherence of self-identity. This is achieved through an exploration of professionals becoming managers' experiences of vulnerability, conceived as personal predicaments, as they make a transition into and progress within management. This thesis takes up the invitation to dialogue with scholars from disparate philosophical orientations and epistemological commitments (Alvesson, Ashcraft and Thomas, 2008a; Smith and Sparkes, 2008) by reviewing critically the shared and contested views on self-identity. A theoretical framework is developed that conceptualises identity work within a fusion of symbolic interactionist positioning theory (Davies and Harr& 1990, 1999; Hart-6 and van Langenhove, 1991, 1999c) and relational social constructionist identity work processes (Beech and McInnes, 2006). This study's emergent focus on vulnerability, as experienced during role transitions (Hill, 1992, 2003; Watson and Harris, 1999) and ongoing personal predicaments (Schlenker, 1980), builds on the analytical importance of vulnerability (Sims, 2003), insecurity (Collinson, 2003), self-identity and identity work processes. Accounts of vulnerability as professionals make a transition into and progress within management are explored through a two-stage interview process with experienced public sector middle and senior managers from previously under-researched professional backgrounds (Cohen et al, 2002; Casey, 2008). Existing identity-related studies into professionals becoming managers (Hill, 1992, 2003; Ibarra, 1999; Watson and Harris, 1999) considered only the first year of transition into management. This research, therefore, adds to existing literature both through the type of participant and the extended nature of the study. The framework of self-identity presented is offered as a theoretical and methodological heuristic device. The thesis also offers refined conceptualisations of personal predicaments and of identity work processes, and insights into identity work strategies related to professional becoming managers' experiences of vulnerability.


Supporting women's businesses has become a topic of growing interest to governments and mainstream development institutions in recent years. Declarations to address women's unequal access to economic opportunity at the G-20 Summit, the development of UN Women, and the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Initiative reflect that mainstream institutions are adopting a role in improving women's economic opportunities throughout the developed and developing world. This study aims to inform thinking around these initiatives, using a detailed case study in Colombia as a basis. We begin by posing the question, why support women's businesses as opposed to all small businesses in a developing country, arguing that there are multiple potential reasons including economic development, investment in families and promoting gender equality. We then discuss some of the success and failure factors that our case study identifies in women's and men's businesses and link these to potential interventions that can best serve women entrepreneurs. This understanding feeds into a parallel objective, to evaluate a business training and business strengthening program for women with small businesses in several cities in Colombia: Mujeres ECCO . Our study combines primary data analysis from the databases of the Chambers of Commerce of Bucaramanga and Cartagena with interviews with 120 small business owners as well as participants in the Mujeres ECCO program to gain further insight into the differences between men's and women's and successful and unsuccessful businesses and the factors influencing those differences, and to better understand how one program worked to specifically address women's business needs. These were complemented by a literature review and focus group discussions and interviews with business owners and stakeholders in Mujeres ECCO and other programs.


A diffused assumption within the Italian foreign affairs community argues that the relationship between Italy and Russia follows a generally cooperative attitude, fostered by strong cultural, economic and political ties. This narrative misses a significant part of the tale, which is at odds with the idea that the good offices with Moscow represent a 'constant feature' of Rome's foreign policy. Indeed, a competitive interaction has frequently emerged, as a number of events in the last decade confirm. To address this shortcoming, the article aims at providing a more nuanced interpretation of the investigated relationship. Focusing on the outcomes of structural changes on Italian foreign policy, it posits that Rome is more prone to a cooperative stance towards Moscow whenever the international order proves stable. By contrast, its interests gradually diverge from those of its alleged 'natural' partner as the international order becomes increasingly unstable. This hypothesis is tested by an in-depth analysis of Italy's posture towards Russia amidst the crisis of the international liberal order (2008-on). Furthermore, the recurrence of a similar dynamic is verified through a diachronic comparison with two other international orders in crisis, i.e. that of the interwar period (1936-1941) and that of the Cold War (1979-1985).


Epidemiological studies suggest that cooking with gas leads to an increase of air pollutants and may enhance symptoms of respiratory diseases. However, little experimental data are available concerning the emission of pollutants due to different cooking processes. The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of cooking under standardized conditions on the indoor air quality. A model kitchen was built and three different gas stoves and one electric stove were included in the study. Two different menus were prepared with different settings of the ventilation rate of the exhaust. Online measurements of NO, N02, CO, particles, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and climatic factors were performed on the side of the stoves. The results showed large differences between different gas stoves with respect to emission of gaseous pollutants. Particle concentrations depended strongly on the menu cooked independent of the stove used. An adequate exhaust hood and ventilation rate are required in order to reduce the air pollutants, in particular the fine particles, to tolerable concentrations.


Abstract The knowledge of the effectiveness of local landscape planning in Germany is in the main limited to particular cases and derives mostly from qualitative single case studies. This applies especially to the implementation of measures defined by landscape plans. To fill that gap, the paper focuses on the implementation of those measures. Furthermore, it discusses the factors and framework conditions which are crucial for this implementation. The potential factors and conditions of influence were derived from theory and compiled in 20 investigation hypotheses. In order to gain information on the execution of the measures, 28 randomly selected plans were first analysed, then interviews were carried out with administration representatives. It can be stated that landscape planning has positively influenced the development of nature and landscape in the investigated municipalities. A considerable number of measures had been implemented, although landscape planning as a supply-side instrument proposes generally a very large number of measures. Factors with a positive effect on the implementation of landscape planning measures are pointed out.


2007 marked the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum. Back on May 27th 1967, more than 90% of Australian eligible voters said "yes' to two changes of the Australian Constitution considered discriminatory to Aboriginal people. This event is often considered as the first stage of Reconciliation in Australia. 2007 also marked the 10th Anniversary of the release of the Bringing Them Home Report that highlighted the forced removal of Aboriginal children from their family as part of an assimilation policy. From 1997, the issue of an apology became a sine qua non condition to Reconciliation. It was an important element of the recommendations the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation submitted to Parliament in 2000. But, Liberal Prime Minister John Howard, in office for more than ten years, refused to say the word "sorry" on the basis that Australians of today are not responsible for the actions of the past and that guilt is not hereditary. His focus was on what is called "practical reconciliation". Some changes are now on the way as Labor leader, Kevin Rudd, who defeated him at the last federal election in November 24th 2007, has promised to make a formal apology to the stolen generation. Why is it important to say "sorry"? At a time of dramatic developments in Indigenous Affairs, this paper deals with the significance of an apology for Reconciliation in Australia.


Recent caselaw has restored the prominence of the fourth statutory factor – "the effect of the use upon the market for or value of the copyrighted work" – in the fair use analysis. The revitalization of the inquiry should also occasion renewed reflection on its meaning. As digital media bring to the fore new or previously under-examined kinds of harm, courts not only need to continue refining their appreciation of a work's markets. They must also expand their analyses beyond the traditional inquiry into whether the challenged use substitutes for an actual or potential market for the work. Courts should acknowledge that the statute's designation of "the value of the copyrighted work" identifies independent kinds of harm, and entails considerations distinct from market substitution. Those harms include the undermining of business models in which the "value of" the copied work may be its utility as a "draw" for goods or services other than the copied work. Relevant considerations also concern creators' economic and moral interests in being recognized as the authors of the copied works. This Essay explores the basis for and consequences of according autonomous value to the inquiry into the impact of the use upon the "value of the copyrighted work."


With the transition of patients with mental illness from the beds of psychiatric institutions into the community the need for knowledgeable mental health professionals continues to grow. Correctional psychiatry has evolved in recent years and presents special challenges for clinicians, which this handbook deftly addresses. Contributing authors with various backgrounds provide a broad range of expertise.


The acquisition of reading is a complex neurobiologic process. Identifying the most effective instruction and remedial intervention methods for children at risk of developing reading problems and for those who are already struggling is equally complex. This article aims to provide the clinician with a review of more current findings on the prevention and remediation of reading problems in children, along with an approach to considering the diagnosis and treatment of a child with dyslexia. The first part of the review describes interventions targeted at preventing reading difficulties in the at-risk younger child. The second part of the review discusses the efficacy of approaches to treat the older, reading-disabled child ("intervention studies"). Factors that impact the response to treatment are also discussed, as are neuroimaging studies that offer insight into how the brain responds to treatment interventions. With appropriate instruction, at-risk readers can become both accurate and fluent readers. In contrast, although intensive, evidence-based remedial interventions can markedly improve reading accuracy in older, reading-disabled children, they have been significantly less effective in closing the fluency gap. Owing to the dynamic course of language development and the changes in language demands over time, even after a child has demonstrated a substantial response to treatment interventions, his or her subsequent progress should be carefully tracked to ensure optimal progress toward the development of functional reading and written language skills. (J Child Neurol 2004;19:744—758).


Shot boundary detection (SBD) is an important preprocessing step for video manipulation. Here, each segment of frames is classified as either sharp, gradual or no transition. Current SBD techniques analyze hand-crafted features and attempt to optimize both detection accuracy and processing speed. However, the heavy computations of optical flow prevents this from happening. To achieve this aim, we present an SBD technique based on spatio-temporal Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). Since current datasets are not large enough to train an accurate SBD CNN, we are the first to present a very large SBD dataset that allows deep neural networks techniques to be effectively applied. Our dataset contains more than 3.5 million frames of sharp and gradual transitions. The transitions are generated synthetically using image compositing models. Our dataset contains additional 70,000 frames of important hardnegative no transitions. We perform the largest evaluation to date for one SBD algorithm, on real and synthetic data, containing more than 4.7 million frames. In comparison to the state of the art, we outperform dissolve gradual detection, generate competitive performance for sharp detections and produce significant improvement in wipes. In addition, we are up to 11 times faster than the state of the art.


The signing of the Good Friday agreement effectively brought an end to the widespread violence associated with the 'Troubles'. However, communities within Northern Ireland continue to be blighted by an insidious form of violence in the form of punishment beatings and intimidation. Anecdotal evidence published in news media have linked cases of such intimidation and violence to individual cases of suicide. However, to date, there has been a lack of empirical research examining this relationship. The aim of this seminar is to address this gap in our knowledge by examining these forms of violence among a cohort of individuals who died by suicide in Northern Ireland. Using data collected from Coroners and GP files and during interviews with family members, we use a modified version of the psychological autopsy method to explore how intimidation and/or beatings, at or around the time of the death, may have contributed to the suicides of individuals who died over a two-year period. We explore some of the specific features of these deaths and examine associated help seeking with primary care and other mental health professionals. We conclude by exploring ways in which this challenging issue might be tackled at a policy level.


Using empirical case materials from the Philippines and referring to rich experiences from different countries historically, this book offers conceptual and practical conclusions that have far-reaching implications for land reform throughout the world. Examining land reform theory and practice, this book argues that conventional practices have excluded a significant portion of land-based production and distribution relationships, while they have inadvertently included land transfers that do not constitute real redistributive reform. By direct implication, this book is a critique of both mainstream market led agrarian reform and conventional state-led land reform. It offers an alternative perspective on how to move forward in theory and practice and opens new paths in land policy research.


To investigate diel calcium carbonate (CaCO3) dynamics in permeable coral reef sands, we measured pore‐water profiles and fluxes of oxygen (O2), nutrients, pH, calcium (Ca2+), and alkalinity (TA) across the sediment‐water interface in sands of different permeability at Heron Reef, Australia. Background flushing rates were high, most likely as a result of infaunal burrow irrigation, but flux chamber stirring enhanced pore‐water exchange. Light and pore‐water advection fueled high rates of benthic primary production and calcification in sunlit surface sediments. In the light, benthic photosynthesis and calcification induced surface minima in Ca2+ and TA and peaks in pH and O2. Oxygen penetration depth in coarse sands decreased from ∼ 1.2 cm during the day to ∼ 0.6 cm at night. Total oxygen uptake (TOU) in dark chambers was three to fourteen times greater than diffusive uptake and showed a direct effect of pore‐water advection. Greater sediment oxygen consumption rates were observed in higher permeability sands. In the dark, TA release was not stimulated by increasing TOU because of a damping effect of pore‐water advection on metabolic CaCO3 dissolution efficiency. On a daily basis, CaCO3 undergoes net dissolution in Heron Reef sands. However, pore‐water advection can reverse the CaCO3 budget and promote CaCO3 preservation under the most energetic conditions.


This study simulates the evolution of artificial economies in order to understand the tax relevance of administrative boundaries in the quality of life of its citizens. The modeling involves the construction of a computational algorithm, which includes citizens, bounded into families; firms and governments; all of them interacting in markets for goods, labor and real estate. The real estate market allows families to move to dwellings with higher quality or lower price when the families capitalize property values. The goods market allows consumers to search on a flexible number of firms choosing by price and proximity. The labor market entails a matching process between firms (location) and candidates (qualification). The government may be configured into one, four or seven distinct sub-national governments. The role of government is to collect taxes on the value added of firms in its territory and invest the taxes into higher levels of quality of life for residents. The model does not have a credit market. The results suggest that the configuration of administrative boundaries is relevant to the levels of quality of life arising from the reversal of taxes. The model with seven regions is more dynamic, with higher GDP values, but more unequal and heterogeneous across regions. The simulation with only one region is more homogeneously poor. The study seeks to contribute to a theoretical and methodological framework as well as to describe, operationalize and test computer models of public finance analysis, with explicitly spatial and dynamic emphasis. Several alternatives of expansion of the model for future research are described. Moreover, this study adds to the existing literature in the realm of simple microeconomic computational models, specifying structural relationships between local governments and firms, consumers and dwellings mediated by distance.


Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the etiological agent of tuberculosis. It is a pathogen that continues to draw international concerns particularly due to the emergence of multi-drug resistance and to the difficulties associated with the diagnosis and treatment of latent tuberculosis. A key process in the pathogenesis of this disease is the interaction between this pathogen and host macrophages. Invasion of the macrophages protects the pathogen from attack by the immune system, allows it to multiply while protected within the macrophages, and alters the immune response as it influences the profiles of the cytokine and chemokine responses. Key to the intracellular survival of the pathogen within the macrophages is the specific interaction between the pathogen and its virulence factors with the host. This review provides an a summary of pertinent literature on the topic of macrophage receptors utilized by the pathogen, its survival strategies within the macrophage, and the general profile of immune signalling upon exposure to the pathogen. The importance of specific macrophage receptors and certain components of the pathogen to the direction of the immune response are also discussed.


One of the great benefits of virtual reality (VR) is the implementation of features that go beyond realism. Common "unrealistic" locomotion techniques (like teleportation) can avoid spatial limitation of tracking, but minimize potential benefits of more realistic techniques (e.g. walking). As an alternative that combines realistic physical movement with hyper-realistic virtual outcome, we present JumpVR, a jump-based locomotion augmentation technique that virtually scales users' physical jumps. In a user study (N=28), we show that jumping in VR (regardless of scaling) can significantly increase presence, motivation and immersion compared to teleportation, while largely not increasing simulator sickness. Further, participants reported higher immersion and motivation for most scaled jumping variants than forward-jumping. Our work shows the feasibility and benefits of jumping in VR and explores suitable parameters for its hyper-realistic scaling. We discuss design implications for VR experiences and research.


Dutch law seems to favour a primarily consensual approach to contractual liability as corrected by reliance in appropriate instances. However, the principle of good faith (reasonableness and fairness) plays a telling role in the creation and construction of contracts. The implication is that objective and normative considerations could influence the creation or interpretation of consensual contracts which have little to do with actual party intention. Similarly, the application of the Dutch version of the reliance theory is heavily tinged with notions of good faith. However, the primarily consensual approach to contract formation in Dutch law is largely grounded on the premise that in the majority of cases actual and declared intention coincide and, consequently, that reliance only serves a supplementary function in the exceptional cases where there is a divergence between actual and declared intention. This article examines the principles of contractual liability in the Dutch law and suggests that the treatment of specifically the principle of good faith in the Dutch law points the way forward for the development of this principle in the South African law of contract.


Susceptibility to asthma depends on variation at an unknown number of genetic loci. To identify susceptibility genes on chromosome 7p, we adopted a hierarchical genotyping design, leading to the identification of a 133-kilobase risk-conferring segment containing two genes. One of these coded for an orphan G protein–coupled receptor named GPRA (G protein–coupled receptor for asthma susceptibility), which showed distinct distribution of protein isoforms between bronchial biopsies from healthy and asthmatic individuals. In three cohorts from Finland and Canada, single nucleotide polymorphism–tagged haplotypes associated with high serum immunoglobulin E or asthma. The murine ortholog of GPRA was up-regulated in a mouse model of ovalbumin-induced inflammation. Together, these data implicate GPRA in the pathogenesis of atopy and asthma.


Advances in metering technology open up opportunities for alternative billing structures for electricity customers. Physical or virtual aggregation offer customers the chance to aggregate their electricity accounts that might otherwise be metered and billed separately. This can lead to financial savings as well as allow customers to more efficiently run and schedule their electric loads. Watauga County has a group of five accounts that are ideal candidates for virtual account aggregation. The Watauga County Courthouse and the Administration Building house these five accounts and these buildings are located on adjacent parcels of land. Detailed consumption records allowed for a thorough analysis of these accounts' electricity use patterns on an hourly, daily, and seasonal basis. The analysis shows that many of the accounts peak at different hours of the day, thus making them the perfect group to aggregate and see significant savings in demand charges. Aggregating the bills would also save the county money in the form of reduced facilities charges and one account being charged on a lower usage rate. Overall, the study found that energy consumption varied significantly based on the day of the week, hour of the day, and season. The analysis results anticipated approximately $8,500 worth of savings for the county with an aggregated billing approach.


Synchronous mode-locking was achieved in passively mode-locked semiconductor lasers using optical pulses with repetition rates at subharmonics of the cavity round-trip frequency. Stable and continuous mode-locked pulses at 8.5 GHz were generated when the repetition rate of the control optical pulses was 4.25 GHz (2nd subharmonic). The timing jitter of the mode-locked pulses was reduced to 1 ps. The relationship between repetition rates of the control pulses and the realization of stable and continuous mode-locking was examined.


In this paper, some definitions and traditional formulas for calculating the mobility of mechanisms are represented, e.g. Grubler formula, Somov - Malyshev formula, and Buchsbaum - Freudenstei. It is discussed that there are certain cases in which they are too ambiguous and incorrect to use. However, a matrix method is suggested based on the rank of the Jacobian of the mechanism and its application is investigated. It is shown that the matrix method will definitely lead to a correct answer; however, it is lengthy and consumes more computational effort. It is shown that in the cases the traditional formulas give a wrong answer and the matrix method gives the correct mobility. To compare the methods, several examples are given including the four bar planar linkage, the augmented four bar linkage, University of Maryland manipulator, Cartesian parallel manipulator (CPM), delta robot, orthoglide robot, and H4 parallel robot.


As the world's far most important superpower, the U.S. has the leading role in international relations in a foreseeable future, thus exposed to various 'new' and complex challenges. But although numerous research point out that the "war on terror" has been counterproductive, namely made the US less safe, created more anti-American sentiment and instability, many influential think-tanks and significant security advisers are now criticizing the present administration for being weak. By using similar arguments as in various historical examples, they urge the administration to take "new threats more seriously" and implement a more engaged foreign policy, including firmer military strategies. Simultaneously, an increasing number of policymakers and high ranked officers are questioning previous strategies and urged for a new policy. By interviewing influential policy makers and following the debate in Washington closely, this paper examine the ongoing political discussion on security matters and explore the dominating discourses regarding future strategies for U.S. to counter new threats. Furthermore it asks what possible outcomes the dominating perspectives might mean for the international security environment in the future. Is there a chance for a future build on diplomacy and off-shore balancing – or will future U.S. strategies (continue to) putt out fires with gasoline?Is there a risk that presented strategies will (continue to) put out fires with gasoline – or will new tactics build a future for peace and stability?


OBJECTIVE
To compare patient-level risk assessment at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with patients included in the Society for Thoracic Surgeons/American College of Cardiology Transcatheter Valve Therapy (STS/ACC TVT) registry.

METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of veterans with severe aortic stenosis (AS) receiving TAVR from 2012-2016 at eight VA hospitals and compared them with TVT registry outcomes from 2012-2015. Patients were identified via administrative data. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine 30-day and 1-year all-cause mortality, 30-day and 1-year transient ischemic attack/stroke rates, and permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation rates.

RESULTS
During the study period, a total of 726 veterans underwent TAVR including valve-in-valve procedures (n = 50). Patients were predominantly male (98.2%), with mean age of 78.5 ± 9.3 years; 49.1% were at prohibitive risk and 12.1% were at high risk for surgical aortic valve replacement; 30-day and 1-year all-cause mortality rates were 2.5% and 14.7%, respectively; 30-day and 1-year combined TIA/stroke rates were 6.5% and 13.5%, respectively. In the TVT registry, 15.8% and 37.8% of patients were at prohibitive and high risk, respectively; 30-day and 1-year mortality rates were 5.7% and 22.7%, respectively, and stroke rates were 2.1% and 4.0%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
This report on TAVR risk assessment within the VA system demonstrates that despite a large proportion of patients classified as prohibitive risk, TAVR was associated with favorable 30-day and 1-year all-cause mortality rates when compared with published outcomes from the STS/ACC TVT registry.


PURPOSE
The optimal timing of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) after radical prostatectomy (RP) is unclear. We hypothesized that a genomic classifier (GC) would provide prognostic and predictive insight into the development of clinical metastases in men receiving post-RP RT and inform decision making.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
GC scores were calculated from 188 patients with pT3 or margin-positive prostate cancer, who received post-RP RT at Thomas Jefferson University and Mayo Clinic between 1990 and 2009. The primary end point was clinical metastasis. Prognostic accuracy of the models was tested using the concordance index for censored data and decision curve analysis. Cox regression analysis tested the relationship between GC and metastasis.

RESULTS
The cumulative incidence of metastasis at 5 years after RT was 0%, 9%, and 29% for low, average, and high GC scores, respectively (P = .002). In multivariable analysis, GC and pre-RP prostate-specific antigen were independent predictors of metastasis (both P < .01). Within the low GC score (< 0.4), there were no differences in the cumulative incidence of metastasis comparing patients who received adjuvant or salvage RT (P = .79). However, for patients with higher GC scores (≥ 0.4), cumulative incidence of metastasis at 5 years was 6% for patients treated with adjuvant RT compared with 23% for patients treated with salvage RT (P < .01).

CONCLUSION
In patients treated with post-RP RT, GC is prognostic for the development of clinical metastasis beyond routine clinical and pathologic features. Although preliminary, patients with low GC scores are best treated with salvage RT, whereas those with high GC scores benefit from adjuvant therapy. These findings provide the first rational selection of timing for post-RP RT.


We examine tracks in crystals of muscovite of high energy charged
 particles, and of mobile lattice excitations created by kinetic
 atomic scattering. The mobile lattice excitations are interpreted as
 a type of breather, here called a quodon. The typical energy of a
 quodon can be found from the decay of potassium K 40 atoms in
 the crystal and supports their interpretation as a type of breather.
 In turn, this establishes a unique signature for energetic quodons,
 the 'kinked-line' tracks, allowing discrimination against tracks
 formed by charged particles. The stability of quodons against
 crystal defects and thermal motion is considered. Measurements on
 energetic quodon tracks, with flight paths up to 530mm, show that
 they can propagate more than 10 9 unit cells with no evidence of
 energy loss. This suggests that quodons might persist indefinitely
 in certain crystals of high quality. Evidence is presented for a new
 type of mobile lattice excitation that is capable of creating
 energetic quodons, which also is stable against lattice defects.
 Possible practical applications of quodons are considered briefly.
 Although quodons can induce fusion in deuterium or tritium, present
 indications are that the rate is too low to be of practical use.
 Finally, a nonlinear lattice effect that might increase this rate is
 suggested.


Stock exchange is traditionally considered as "Broker's club" which inconsequence tarnishes the images of this market in the mind of the people. The advancement of the technology and media explosion have broader the wisdom of business in the field of the stock markets. The demutualization is process where any shareholders become the member of company and receiving a mark able response in some countries of the world. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether demutualization lead to better performance of the stock exchanges in emerging economy? Sample of the study was comprised of three stock exchanges; Bombay Stock Exchange, National Stock Exchange of India and Tehran Stock Exchange respectively. The data of the study was collected from annual reports of these stock exchanges each two years before and after demutualization. A Paired Sample T-test and Wilcoxon sign rank were used to evaluate the empirical data regarding the financial performance of the stock exchanges and nominal data about itself changes in stock exchanges after demutualization. Paired Sample T-test results about the financial performance showed significant difference in all dimensions except the fixed assets turnover ratio difference. Similarly, Wilcoxon sign rank test showed that most of the stock exchanges are performing better after the demutualization in many dimension except in fixed assets utilization. The recommendations of the study are quite helpful for formulating policy of demutualization in Pakistan. The scope of the study can be extended to the other countries of the region and especially the developed countries where demutualization is being exercised.


Since 1980, private suits brought under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983 have been a prime vehicle for enforcing federal statutory norms against state and local government. Federal regulations, however, affect a vast cross-section of state conduct not directly controlled by federal statutes. It is therefore surprising to discover that, notwithstanding some occasional acknowledgments of the considerable importance of the issue, there is almost no scholarly discussion concerning to what extent federal norms embodied in regulations can be enforced through private Section 1983 litigation. The federal Courts of Appeals are badly divided over the question, and no coherent rationale for one approach or the other has emerged. This Article attempts to fill the existing theoretical gap by beginning with first principles of statutory interpretation. I argue that we should read the word laws in Section 1983 in light of two important canons of construction, one favoring executive interpretations of the law, and the other, favoring federalism. Contrary to common assumptions about Section 1983, permitting federal agencies to authorize private suit will actually further state autonomy. Agency-authorized suits create space for collaboration between federal and state regulators, empowering the States, and enhance accountability of otherwise politically remote state bureaucrats in ways that APA or due-process challenges cannot. Finally, by shifting the forum for disputes from federal agency rank-and-file to state or federal court, Section 1983 litigation affords States the benefit of the Court's recent developments in sovereign immunity jurisprudence. Thus, when we read laws, we should presume that Congress intended to capture these benefits, and to allow federal agencies to authorize suits under Section 1983.


Background Prior to the onset of human labour there is an increase in the synthesis of prostaglandins, cytokines and chemokines in the fetal membranes, particular the amnion. This is associated with activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB). In this study we characterised the level of NFκB activity in amnion epithelial cells as a measure of amnion activation in samples collected from women undergoing caesarean section at 39 weeks gestation prior to the onset of labour. Methodology/Principal Findings We found that a proportion of women exhibit low or moderate NFκB activity while other women exhibit high levels of NFκB activity (n = 12). This activation process does not appear to involve classical pathways of NFκB activation but rather is correlated with an increase in nuclear p65-Rel-B dimers. To identify the full range of genes upregulated in association with amnion activation, microarray analysis was performed on carefully characterised non-activated amnion (n = 3) samples and compared to activated samples (n = 3). A total of 919 genes were upregulated in response to amnion activation including numerous inflammatory genes such cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2, 44-fold), interleukin 8 (IL-8, 6-fold), IL-1 receptor accessory protein (IL-1RAP, 4.5-fold), thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1, 3-fold) and, unexpectedly, oxytocin receptor (OTR, 24-fold). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis of the microarray data reveal the two main gene networks activated concurrently with amnion activation are i) cell death, cancer and morphology and ii) cell cycle, embryonic development and tissue development. Conclusions/Significance Our results indicate that assessment of amnion NFκB activation is critical for accurate sample classification and subsequent interpretation of data. Collectively, our data suggest amnion activation is largely an inflammatory event that occurs in the amnion epithelial layer as a prelude to the onset of labour.


A practical activity at laboratory associated to the course of Electromagnetism is proposed in order to determine electrical resistivity of copper, taking into account the electromagnetic induction fenomena. For this purpose, it was applyied a physical model describing the movement of a  neodymium magnet through a vertical cylindrical pipe made of copper, considering the magnetic force acting on the magnet as a viscosity force. The model was numerically implemented and several simulations of the process were carried out. Direct measurements of several physical quantities such as length, thickness, mass, time and modulus of magnetic field, were required during the activity.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the interactions between different dietary fatty acids' (FAs) patterns, zinc sources and levels on carcass and meat quality traits of Cobb 500 broiler chicks. Broilers were fed diets contained two different oil sources (soybean oil mainly composed of unsaturated fatty acids, SO; or palm oil mainly composed of saturated fatty acids, PO) and within each studied FAs source, three sources of zinc (zinc sulphate, ZS; zinc methionine, ZM; or nano-zinc oxide, NZO), each at two levels, Recommended (R) equals to 100 mg Zn/kg diet for both ZS and ZM and 40 mg/kg diet for NZO or high (H) equals to 200 mg Zn/kg diet for both ZS and ZM and 80 mg/kg diet for NZO) in a factorial arrangement of 2 x 3 x 2. Results reveal that chicks fed diets contained SO had significantly lower percentage of thigh skin, while, it had higher drip loss and ultimate pH (pHu) of breast and thigh muscles and significantly improved all sensory values of cooked meat compared to those fed diets containing PO. While, those fed dietary PO significantly recorded lower MDA in meat compared to the others fed diets contained SO. Birds fed NZO diets significantly recorded the lowest carcass, breast and thigh skin percentages. Also, it significantly reduced breast drip loss and significantly enriched their meat with zinc by 41.4 and 10.6%, respectively relative to other two zinc sources. Concerning zinc levels, there were no significant differences between the two levels in all parameters studied except in muscles Zn content which was significantly increased by increasing dietary Zn level while, high dietary Zn level significantly reduced total lipids in muscles. It could be concluded that among the examined factors using palm oil, nano zinc oxide at level of 80 mg/kg diet improved carcass traits and meat quality of broiler reared under summer season conditions. While more researches concerning using nano-elements in broiler diets and its safety to human consumption are needed.


Root exudates (REs) of wheat seedlings were investigated for antioxidant, algecidic, antibacterial activity, as well as their influence on the proliferative activity of liver cells on the model of partial hepatectomy was studied. REs were obtained from 1-3-day-old wheat seedlings growing in aquatic culture. The RE of 1-3-day old wheat seedlings showed pronounced antioxidant and anti-radical activity in an in vitro system that was comparable to the activity of known antioxidants, such as tocopherol and free-radical scavenger - ethanol. RE of wheat seedlings had antibacterial activity against pathogens such as Staphyloococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogens , while they stimulated the growth of nodule bacteria Rhizobium leguminosarum . The administration of RE in different concentrations into the microalgae culture medium of Dunaliella viridis showed a U-stimulatory effect on its growth, at a concentration of 0.1-1%, it was increased by 50-57% compared to the control. However, these concentrations of wheat seedlings RE did not affect the growth rate of Chlorella vulgaris microalgae and Spirulina platensis cyanobacteria. Intraperitoneal injection of modified RE at a dose of 0.1 mg to 1 mg / 100 g of body weight of rats after removal of 2/3 of the liver mass (partial hepatectomy) led to an increase in the rate of DNA synthesis by of 7-8 and RNA synthesis by 3-4 times compared to control.


The past twenty years has seen the field of postharvest biocontrol evolve into a sophisticated science with global research programs worldwide, numerous yearly publications, patented technologies, and the development of new commercial products. The use of these products, however, still remains limited. The practical application of postharvest biocontrol has changed from a very classical view of using one organism to control another organism to a broader, more integrated approach where antagonists are combined with natural products, physical treatments, and used with both a pre- and postharvest application. These integrated approaches offer the potential of helping to overcome problems related to the performance of postharvest biocontrol agents and are generally used to increase reliability and efficacy. These integrated approaches, however, need to be standardized if they are to be readily adopted by industry. Continued research is needed on many aspects of the science and technology of postharvest biocontrol in order to integrate biocontrol agents into a combined pre- and postharvest production and handling system. The tools of molecular biology, such as genome sequences, microarrays, and genetic transformation now provide the ability to develop a better understanding of the mode of action of postharvest biocontrol agents as part of a tritrophic interaction between the host, antagonist, and pathogen. From an industrial viewpoint, knowledge regarding the short and long term effects of fermentation and packaging technologies on efficacy is still very rudimentary. These topics are reviewed with the objective of highlighting the barriers that need to be overcome for the widespread commercialization of postharvest bicontrol agents.


The role of the patent system in promoting pharmaceutical innovation is widely seen as a tremendous success story. This view overlooks a serious shortcoming in the drug patent system: the standards by which drugs are deemed unpatentable under the novelty and non-obviousness requirement bear little relationship to the social value of those drugs or the need for a patent to motivate their development. If the idea for a drug is not novel or is obvious, perhaps because it was disclosed in an earlier publication or made to look obvious by recent scientific advances, then it cannot be patented. Yet the mere idea for a drug alone is generally of little value to the public. Without clinical trials proving the drug's safety and efficacy, a prerequisite for FDA approval and acceptance by the medical community, it is unlikely to benefit the public. Given the immense investment needed to fund clinical trials on drugs, and the ability of generic manufacturers to rely on those tests to secure regulatory approval for their own products, pharmaceutical companies are rarely willing to develop a drug without patent protection. The novelty and non-obviousness requirements make no concession for the development costs of inventions, and thus withhold patents from drugs that are unlikely to reach the public without that protection. This gap in the patent system for drugs has created a pervasive problem in the pharmaceutical industry, causing firms to regularly screen through their drugs in R&D and discard ones with weak patent protection. The potential harm to the public from the loss of these drugs is likely significant. Congress can easily avoid this problem by ensuring that the successful completion of the FDA's rigorous clinical trial process is rewarded with a lengthy exclusivity period enforced by the FDA.


"This book constitutes only an introduction to the issues surrounding beneficence" rendered generously by the Ottoman sultans, their mothers or their wives, concludes Amy Singer (p. 159). Beneficence in this context means in particular the distribution of food to those deemed deserving, because supplying food "constituted a source of legitimacy for the Ottoman dynasty and reinforced its claim for sovereignty" (p. 131). Indeed, "the power to feed fed power" and "provisioning . . . [was] at the heart of Ottoman stability and legitimacy" (pp. 142–43). Food was distributed in the urban centers in public kitchens ('imarets), sufi lodges (zawiyas), medresses, etc. By 1530, there were no fewer than 83 'imarets throughout the empire, not counting those in Istanbul, Egypt, and the Hijaz (p. 152). With this background, it is possible to understand the establishment of a soup kitchen in Jerusalem. In 1552, Hurrem Sultan (known to Western readers as Roxelana), the favorite wife of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, established a soup kitchen in Jerusalem ('imaret, or Hasseki Sultan). The whole complex included a large kitchen, a guest house of 55 rooms, a mosque, a caravansary, two hammams, etc. (p. 46) Actually, it was established on the site of a mansion built about the end of the fourteenth century by a Mamluk woman called Tunshuq. Being a large public kitchen, the Hasseki Sultan could serve a loaf of bread and a ladle of soup to about 500 people each morning and evening as charity (pp. 3, 63). The recipients were people "deemed deserving because of their spiritual, social, or economic status" in the city (pp. 6, 64). The waqf assigned for


Natural killer (NK) cells provide a vital link between innate and adaptive immunity and play a specific role in protection against tumors and viruses. Several lines of study have shown that NK cells operate through signals delivered by inhibitory and activation receptors, yet direct evidence for activation receptors in protection against pathogens has been lacking. Brown et al. show that the NK activation receptor, LY-49H, plays a critical role in the resistance of mice to infection with cytomegalovirus. LY-49 contains immunoreceptor tyrosine activation motif normally found in lymphocyte membrane receptors, which suggests that NK cells may operate through similar pathways of cell signaling as the cells of the adaptive immune response. M. G. Brown, A. O. Dokun, J. W. Heusel, H. R. C. Smith, D. L. Beckman, E. A. Blattenberger, C. E. Dubbelde, L. R. Stone, A. A. Scalzo, W. M. Yokoyama, Vital involvement of a natural killer cell activation receptor in resistance to viral infection. Science 292, 934-937 (2001). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Cambodia has achieved food security with respect to rice production and now has an opportunity to pay more attention to boosting production of upland crops such as maize (corn), soybean, sesame, mungbean, cassava, peanut and cowpea. While rice remains the main crop in Cambodia, the production of other crops is undergoing a rapid expansion and will be especially important for the development of those parts of the Kingdom unsuited to lowland rice. We present results from socio-economic surveys carried out in the Battambang, Kampong Cham and Takeo Provinces to identify available resources, management practices and key constraints for emerging upland cropping systems. These are mainly cash crops, so the important issues to consider are profitability, technological and management changes, and household and social issues. The surveys were conducted in the Districts of Kamrieng, Sampov Lun, Rotonak Mondol and Banan in Battambang Province, Chamkar Leu, Ou Reang Ov and Tbong Khmum in Kampong Cham Province, and Tramkak in Takeo Province. Sample sizes were 181 in Battambang and Kampong Cham, and 50 in Takeo. Generally farm families had a male head aged in the mid-40s, with 3 to 4 years of schooling. However, there are significant numbers of female farmers among survey respondents. Family size averaged 5 to 6 persons; with 2 to 3 being dependents and levels of off-farm work very low. Average farm size was 2 to 8 ha, and capital items owned included draft animals, ox carts and mouldboard ploughs, as well as tractors and disc ploughs in some areas. The main reasons given for not growing crops were poor yield performance, lack of knowledge (especially about insects), concerns about profitability, land/soil constraints, labour/equipment issues, and agronomic and climate risk (including drought). These results point to the need for focused research on new technologies and management as they affect crop yields and profits, and for increased extension of this information to Cambodian farmers.


B cells regulate autoimmune pathologies and chronic inflammatory conditions such as autoimmune encephalomyelitis and inflammatory bowel disease. The potential counterregulatory role of B cells in balancing pathogen-specific immune responses and the associated immunopathology is less well understood owing to the lack of appropriate persistent infection models. In this paper, we show that B cells have the ability to negatively regulate adaptive immune responses to bacterial pathogens. Using mouse models of infection with Helicobacter felis, a close relative of the human gastrointestinal pathogen H. pylori, we found that B cells activated by Helicobacter TLR-2 ligands induce IL-10–producing CD4+CD25+ T regulatory-1 (Tr-1)–like cells in vitro and in vivo. Tr-1 conversion depends on TCR signaling and a direct T-/B-interaction through CD40/CD40L and CD80/CD28. B cell-induced Tr-1 cells acquire suppressive activity in vitro and suppress excessive gastric Helicobacter-associated immunopathology in vivo. Adoptive cotransfer of MyD88-proficient B cells and Tr-1 cells restores a normal gastric mucosal architecture in MyD88−/− and IL-10−/− mice in a manner that depends on T cellular, but not B cellular, IL-10 production. Our findings describe a novel mechanism of B cell-dependent Tr-1 cell generation and function in a clinically relevant disease model. In conclusion, we demonstrate that the B cell/Tr-1 cell axis is essential for balancing the control of Helicobacter infection with the prevention of excessive Th1-driven gastric immunopathology, promoting gastric mucosal homeostasis on the one hand and facilitating Helicobacter persistence on the other.


Libraries and information systems have been witnessing continuous transformation since the last two decades, particularly with regard to the collection of information resources and services. A spectrum of E-resources that have emerged during this time are chiefly responsible to this transformation and changed landscape of libraries in terms of collection development, storage and provisioning their access. It has created tremendous opportunities for librarians to be innovative in order to provide information services relevant to new situations and conditions like the discovery services. A study in this context was taken up to understand the efforts of librarians in travelling extra miles to accomplish the information needs of the generation z, also denoted as new millennial. The study presents the survey results obtained from 150 professionals from engineering college libraries in Karnataka, India. It describes the initiatives, taken by the librarians in e-resources collection building and efforts and work undertaken in providing access to e-Resources. It also examines barriers coming in the way of promoting the use of e-Resource services. Findings reveal that, majority of the librarians are providing digital library services in spite of lack of support from the management and also the diminishing demand of library users. The study concludes that the librarians of engineering colleges in Karnataka have been moderately successful in meeting the information needs of users efficiently and contextually observing the AICTE norms and guidelines in this regard.

 Key words: E-resources, digital resources, digital library services, engineering colleges.


Opaque-2 (o2) maize (Zea mays L.) contributed significantly to the quality improvement of maize breeding in the 1960s, but did not become popular because of a lower yield, a result of its shorter grain-filling period. This characteristic, however, could prove to be advantageous for use in corn cob mix (CCM), which is popular in the cold-wet regions of Europe. A research program including a 3-yr field trial, an in vivo pig (Sus scrofa) study with fermented CCM, and a farm-scale fattening test was conducted to evaluate the prospect of o2 for CCM production and utilization. Opaque-2 yielded as much CCM at the CCM ripening stage (600 g kg -1 grain DM) as did the normal version. Due to its shorter grain-filling period, o2 can accumulate more assimilates at a higher grain moisture content than the normal maize. Results from in vivo pig trials showed that o2 was superior in N retention and in the biological value of protein compared with the normal genotype. Consequently, using o2 can balance the feed value and reduce the soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] content in the ration for fattening pigs by 27%. The quality of the meat of slaughtered pigs fed with o2 and less soybean was comparable to that of pigs fed with normal maize and larger supplement of soybean protein. Improved o2 genotypes may be an alternative source of CCM production in countries where the climate is not very favorable for soybean production and where alternative protein supplements are not readily available.


, , , Abstract Background: Human prion diseases are a group of rare fatal neurodegenerative conditions with well-developed clinical and neuropathological diagnostic criteria. Recent observations have expanded the spectrum of prion diseases beyond the classically recognized forms. Results: In the present study we report six patients with a novel, apparently sporadic disease characterised by thalamic degeneration and rapidly progressive dementia (duration of illness 2 – 12 months; age at death: 55 – 81 years). Light and electron microscopic immunostaining for the prion protein (PrP) revealed a peculiar intraneuritic distribution in neocortical regions. Proteinase K resistant PrP (PrP res ) was undetectable by Western blotting in frontal cortex from the three cases with frozen tissue, even after enrichment for PrP res by centrifugation or by phosphotungstic acid precipitation. Conformation-dependent immunoassay analysis using a range of PK digestion conditions (and no PK digestion) produced only very limited evidence of meaningful D-N (denatured/native) values, indicative of the presence of disease-associated PrP (PrP Sc ) in these cases, when the results were compared with appropriate negative control groups. Conclusions: Our observation expands the spectrum of conditions associated with rapidly progressive dementia and may have implications for the understanding of the pathogenesis of prion diseases.


Aim/Purpose This qualitative study examines the discourse of study abroad (SA) electronic advertising and how it potentially constrains participation by students of color in education abroad using a critical race theory (CRT) perspective. Background Through visual and text communication, SA advertisements define the SA participant as affluent and White and construct SA as opportunities for tourism and recreation, while down-playing academic engagement along with other intellectual benefits. These practices can play a major role in determining who studies abroad. Methodology This qualitative study employed content and thematic analysis to examine and analyze advertisements for study abroad through a CRT lens. A review of online advertisements for study abroad made available on the selected institutions' websites, and those of their affiliated third party provider (TPP) was conducted. A line-by-line reading of collected advertisements led to the creation of identified themes which served as categories for analysis. Contribution Using documents from two institutions and two third party providers (TPP), the researchers explored the language and images used to advertise SA experiences in order to open discussions surrounding the issues related to current practices and the potential benefit addressing these practices could have on expanding SA experiences to more students of color. Findings Four major themes emerged from this research: homogenization of the study abroad population, study abroad as recreation, study abroad as tourism, and deaccentuation of academic learning. Exclusionist Framing of Study Abroad 60 The participant profile for study abroad is largely homogeneous, and advertising produced by SA offices and TPP often perpetuate this homogeneity. An analysis of electronic ads revealed an underlying assumption that SA participants are predominantly White students from affluent backgrounds, whose main objective for participating in SA is immersion in a "different" culture and to fulfill a thirst for adventure. From our analysis it was found that included images were overwhelmingly of non-Students of Color. Images found of students engaging in activities while abroad perpetuated wealth, class and Whiteness. The absence of images of Students of Color (SOC) was disturbingly conspicuous, while the heavy use of images of White students communicated to the researcher and to potential participants who view these ads, that the target population is middle to upper class, White students. Recommendations for Practitioners SA is a costly undertaking and the challenge of paying for an overseas educational experience cannot be overemphasized. For SOC and their families, paying for SA can seem like an unnecessary expense in addition to the increasing cost of higher education. When SA ads depict the experience as an adventure and emphasize recreational activities at the expense of academic engagement, students and their families often question the rationale for spending money to go abroad for recreation. Excursions can serve as a very important part of SA, particularly in helping students engage with the local community. However, their value can only be realized when they are clearly linked to the academic goals of the program. Such connections should be made explicit in SA ads if institutions expect to attract minority students who might be apprehensive about the value of SA. Providing opportunities for SOC to see themselves as possible SA participants has the potential to not only enrich their college experiences but encourage future SOC to explore these valuable educational opportunities. Recommendations for Researchers We recommend further study into the specific policy and practices used by institutions and TPPs to inform institutional community members of opportunities to study abroad beyond advertisements provided on websites. Additionally, further investigation is needed to better understand the specific feelings, emotions, and actions advertisements similar to the ones reviewed for this study develop within students of color and what can be done to advance study abroad as a more inclusive academic experience. Impact on Society Ultimately, increasing the number of students of color participating in study abroad can have a dramatic impact on who and how future cohorts of students participate. The more SA experiences are viewed and valued as an educational experience by SOC and their families, opportunities for future students to participate will be expanded. Furthermore, it is imperative for institutions to support and encourage students from diverse backgrounds to engage in study abroad as a mechanism for better preparing students for an ever-increasing competitive global workforce. Future Research Future research directed at better understanding the characteristics of SOCs that do choose to study abroad and insight into the added value these experiences have on students' academic experiences and professional development is needed. There is a dearth of literature related to these areas of interest that could expand our knowledge and understanding related to SA participation and its benefits to all students.


The aim of this Bachelor´s Thesis "Recession Agenda in Estonian Daily Newspapers in
2008" was to examine the coverage of recession agenda in the print media. To do this, I
conducted an empirical study with the aim to find out how the issue is constructed in the
media and how is it defined.
The theoretical basis of my thesis consisted agenda-setting theory and media roles from
normative theory.
In order to find the answers I reviewed the media coverage in the daily newspapers Eesti
Paevaleht and Postimees of 2008 when the dramatic recession in economy and the
assumed rise of the topic in the media took place. Altogether 160 articles were analysed
and on the basis of those I carried out the content-anaysis and the qualitative analysis of
the essence.
In the content analysis I observed the topic of recession in the context, the essence of the
media coverage and the changes in the coverages. In the qualitative analysis of the
essence it was observed how the economic recession was defined in the articles reflecting
the opinion of different politicians and which solutions were offered in the course of
those discussions in order to normalise the economic situation.
As it resulted from the content analysis, during the period of observation, the topic of the
economic recession claimed a significant position among the journalists and the opinion
leaders. In comparison with the beginning of the year the topic had become more
significant by the end of the year. The analysis also showed the media not being
consistent and persistent in keeping the public discussion of the recession.
The issue was sensational when initial facts of the drop in economy appeared, however,
the same kind of attention was not achieved in the further course of events. Different representatives of various status groups were given the possibility to express themselves,
which activity is considered a presumption for a public debate. The most of space in the
given newspapers was given to experts and therefore we can assume that in the given
period constructive criticism was offered by the media. Apparently, the most passive
group to give their opinion were the politicians. Concerning the reasons for the economic
recession, the most frequent reasons which were drawn and pointed out were the shortsightedness
and the inability of the government to handle and manage with these
problems.
The qualitative analysis of the content revealed that the dominant characteristics of the
interpretations of the recession by politicians and the offered solutions by them would be
characterized with the acts of populistic contrasting and opportunism. While the coalition
interpreted the negative situation and recess in economy as a natural phase in the market
economy and a good opportunity to change political directions, among the members of
the opposition parties the recession was mainly treated as the crisis and the result of the
operation and activities of the government. The analysis made clear that there was
practically no unison in the further economic-political problems and issues. The review
also brought out the principal difference between the solutions offered by the opposition
and the coalition parties, whereas the members of the opposition found that the
economical situation demanded the state interference, the coalition excluded the state
interference on the principles of free market economy. In addition the opposition found
that the initiative step to make, in order to improve the economic situation, is to change
the government.


In this note I review evidence suggesting that shortages of small change occurred in the territory of Argentina during the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth centuries. For the colonial period (until 1810) the main pieces of evidence are: (i) the widespread use of informal means of payment, (ii) the difficulties faced in retiring from circulation low quality subsidiary coins, and (iii) the numerous official resolutions banning the exporting of fractional money from the colonies. For the period from 1810 to 1825, the episodes surrounding the introduction of copper coins in 1821 and the issuing of low denomination circulating bank notes in 1823 appear as the main supporting evidence.


The interview was recorded at Amman, Jordan, on March 16, 1998 . The Interviewer was Jean Krasno. Dr. George Tomeh was appointed Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations in 1965. During his time as a delegate to the United Nations, which started in 1945, Dr. Tomeh participated in committees dealing with a wide range of subjects, from decolonization to multilateral action apartheid. Dr. Tomeh served as President of the Security Council in November 1970. He also served as Consul General of the United Arab Republic (made up of Syria and Egypt) in New York for a period of time. He became the Minister of Economics of Syria in 1964.
In this interview, conducted on 16 March 1998, Dr. Tomeh discussed the involvement of Syria in the first meetings of the United Nations, the Trusteeship Council and the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.


Traditional models of poroelastic deformation in porous media assume relatively homogeneous material properties such that macroscopic constitutive relations lead to accurate results. Many realistic applications involve heterogeneous material properties whose oscillatory nature require multiscale methods to balance accuracy and efficiency in computation. The current study develops a multiscale method for poroelastic deformation based on a fixed point iteration based operator splitting method and a heterogeneous multiscale method using finite volume and direct stiffness methods. To characterize the convergence of the operator splitting method, we use a numerical root finding algorithm to determine a threshold surface in a non-dimensional parameter space β separating convergent & divergent problems. We also use the method of manufactured solutions to verify the proposed multiscale algorithm. Results suggest that non-dimensional parameter values β above the threshold surface ensure convergence, with increasing rate of convergence as β → ∞. For a given spatial discretization ∆x, convergence can be ensured by choosing larger time stepsizes ∆t. The proposed multiscale algorithm converges for the decoupled solid deformation PDE with analogous behaviors as observed in Chu et al. (2012). We observed divergence in our multiscale algorithm for the decoupled fluid equation in the heterogeneous case and attribute it to lack of monotonicity preservation induced by the reaction term in the microscale model. An alternative cross-sectional flux estimator is proposed to improve convergence.


Introduction: Many countries adopted remote teaching upon the declaration of COVID-19 pandemic. Like many universities around the world, Sultan Qaboos University in the Sultanate of Oman shifted to emergency remote teaching (ERT) to contain the spread of the virus. In addition, anatomy classes were shifted to be taught online completely. This study aimed to explore students' perspective about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on anatomy learning. Methodology: Students enrolled in anatomy courses during spring 2020 semester were asked to fill a questionnaire within 4 weeks of the end of online classes. The questionnaire included questions about students' perceptions and preferences about learning anatomy during ERT. Results: Findings indicated that coronavirus pandemic was disruptive to students' anatomy learning. Fulfilling courses requirements, home environment, internet connection, the anatomy knowledge without exposure to cadavers, and other resources in the lab were their main concerns. The reliability of internet connection was a major factor affecting their way of studying anatomy and selecting learning resources. Social media platforms were helpful in assisting students in their study and communication between themselves and their instructors. However, assessment and practical part teaching were not satisfactory to the students and they urge improvement. Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic was disruptive to anatomy education. Internet connection was the major obstacles for the students, while the social media platforms were helpful tools in study and communication. Students urged improvement in the practical part teaching and assessment of the anatomy courses.


This paper investigates heterogeneity in residential property yields using rental and sale listings from the largest German internet real estate platform. Equipped with property-level rent-to-price ratios obtained via matching properties for sale and for rent, we show that they strongly co-move with local factors, such as population age structure, industry structure, housing supply rigidities, and the liquidity and size of the housing market. Regional differences are particularly pronounced between globally relevant cities and other areas. However, a large fraction of the variation of rent-to-price ratios can be explained neither by local factors nor by an extensive array of property-specific observable features, pointing to the crucial role of idiosyncratic factors and within-city aggregation economies. We then create a pseudo-panel to examine the time-series dimension of house prices and show that the ability of expectations about discount and rent growth rates impounded in rent-to-price ratios to predict return and rent growth is statistically significant but of limited economic magnitude.


The authors describe the implementation and performance of a three dimensional particle simulation distributed between a Thinking Machines CM-2 and a Cray Y-MP. These are connected by a combination of two high-speed networks; a high performance parallel interface (HIPPI) and an optical network (Ultra Net). This is the first application to use this configuration at NASA Ames Research Center. The authors describe their experience implementing and using the application and report the results of several timing measurements. They show that the distribution of applications across disparate supercomputing platforms is feasible and has reasonable performance. In addition, several practical aspects of the computing environment are discussed.<<ETX>>


In order to assess whether infant attention would be directed towards a visual stimulus that was categorically at odds with surrounding stimuli, 16 infants (mean age = 39 weeks) were presented with 5 displays, each comprising a pair of categorically related items (2 birds) and a pair of unrelated items (bird and cat). The infants displayed earlier and longer fixation to the latter pair, with primary response to the discrepant item in this pair (the cat). Three preliminary experiments with 30 infants (mean age = 38 weeks) discounted a priori preferences for the cat as an explanation of these results, and confirmed that infants were able to discern the categorical similarity amongst the bird items, while also being able to discriminate these items.


For some time, critics of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) have urged its arbitrators and litigants (particularly respondent states) to draw from other sources of international law, particularly human rights law, to promote interpretations of international investment agreements (IIAs) that cohere with other international legal regimes, including human rights values. Some have hoped that the use of human rights law would not only lessen the fragmentation of international law encouraged by self-regarding mechanisms such as ISDS but would also promote the "re-balancing" of IIAs to permit greater scope for sovereigns to regulate. This essay examines the ways European human rights law has been cited in publicly available investor-state awards. It finds considerable reliance on such citations in the largest known database of such awards. But close examination of such citations, including in the recent Philip Morris v. Uruguay case dealing with tobacco regulation, casts doubt on whether this reliance is likely to produce the results that some anticipate. Investor-claimants are as likely to cite to European human rights law as are respondent states. It is not at all clear from the results to date that recourse to human rights has either 'humanized' international investment law or made it more coherent.


A tomographic method for three-dimensional reconstruction of low density objects is presented and discussed. The experiment was performed in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral region using a desktop system for enhanced optical contrast and employing a compact laser-plasma EUV source, based on a double stream gas puff target. The system allows for volume reconstruction of transient gaseous objects, in this case gas jets, providing additional information for further characterization and optimization. Experimental details and reconstruction results are shown.


In this paper we study the existing CRT-RSA countermeasures against fault-injection attacks. In an attempt to classify them we get to achieve deep understanding of how they work. We show that the many countermeasures that we study (and their variations) actually share a number of common features, but optimize them in different ways. We also show that there is no conceptual distinction between test-based and infective countermeasures and how either one can be transformed into the other. Furthermore, we show that faults on the code (skipping instructions) can be captured by considering only faults on the data. These intermediate results allow us to improve the state of the art in several ways: (a) we fix an existing and that was known to be broken countermeasure (namely the one from Shamir), (b) we drastically optimize an existing countermeasure (namely the one from Vigilant) which we reduce to 3 tests instead of 9 in its original version, and prove that it resists not only one fault but also an arbitrary number of randomizing faults, (c) we also show how to upgrade countermeasures to resist any given number of faults: given a correct first-order countermeasure, we present a way to design a provable high-order countermeasure (for a well-defined and reasonable fault model). Finally, we pave the way for a generic approach against fault attacks for any modular arithmetic computations, and thus for the automatic insertion of countermeasures.


Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a special type of flow chart that uses symbols known as "the language of Lean" to depict and improve the flow of inventory. In this research, process time and other unnecessary non value added activities of a battery manufacturing company have been reduced by using various lean manufacturing tools. The current situation is analyzed by showing a current state map. Then after using several lean tools, a future state value stream map has been showed. A different layout of the industry especially assembly section has been suggested. The layout of the assembly section is time wasting in current situation. They could reduce their overall production lead time as well as wastes by considering the suggestions about using lean tools and improved layout.


Virtualization has great potential in the realm of scienti c computing because of its inherent advantages with regard to environment customization and isolation. Virtualization technology is not without it's downsides, most notably, increased computational overhead. This thesis introduces the operating mechanisms of grid technologies in general, and the Open Science Grid in particular, including a discussion of general organization and speci c software implementation. A model for utilization of virtualization resources with separate administrative domains for the virtual machines (VMs) and the physical resources is then presented. Two well-known virtual machine monitors, Xen and the Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM), are introduced and a performance analysis conducted. The High-Performance Computing Challenge (HPCC) benchmark suite is used in conjunction with independent High-Performance Linpack (HPL) trials in order to analyze speci c performance issues. Xen was found to introduce much lower performance overhead than KVM, however, KVM retains advantages with regard to ease of deployment, both of the VMM itself and of the VM images. KVM's snapshot mode is of special interest, as it allows multiple VMs to be instantiated from a single image located on a network store. With virtualization overhead shown to be acceptable for high-throughput computing tasks, the Virtual Organization Cluster (VOC) Model was implemented as a prototype. Dynamic scaling and multi-site scheduling extensions were also successfully implemented using this prototype. It is also shown that traditional overlay networks have scaling issues and that a new approach to wide-area scheduling is needed. The use of XMPP messaging and the Google App Engine service to implement a virtual machine monitoring system is presented. Detailed discussions of the relevant sections of the XMPP protocol and libraries are presented. XMPP is found to be a good choice for sending status information due to its inherent advantages in a bandwidth-limited NAT environment.


Extracted from text ... McKnight, S 2002 - Turning to Jesus: The sociology of conversion in the gospels
Publisher: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press. 214 Pages. Price: Unknown
Reviewer: Prof Glenna S Jackson (Otterbein College)
Scot McKnight argues in his most recent book that conversion (to Christianity) is a process and has been since the time of Jesus. Equally important, to McKnight, is his argument that the conversion process is experienced differently by various people and is, therefore, not necessarily a simple act of faith, but a complex development and all varieties should be understood and appreciated within the entire Christian family. ..


Indoor particulate matter exposure is one of the main environmental risk factors influencing human health. Previous studies have indicated that the degree of hazards about ultrafine particles was associated with the particle surface area and number concentration. Polydisperse submicron particles (PSPs) contribute most of the indoor aerosol particle number and are usually used for removal testing. However, the behaviors of monodisperse submicron particles (MSPs) are easier to analyze. This study aims to investigate the difference between the deposition removal efficiency of MSP and PSP by the negative air ionizer (NAI) under different settings of freestream air velocity (FAV). The particle-removal experiments were conducted in a stainless steel test chamber under the condition of 50% relative humidity and FAV of 0.56, 1.2 and 2.0 m/s. The NaCl and oleic acid PSPs were generated from a constant output atomizer and the NaCl MSPs (30, 50, 100, 170 and 300 nm) were generated by passing the polydisperse NaCl aerosol through a Differential Mobility Analyzer. The concentration and size distribution of the particles in the chamber were monitored with a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS). The decay constant of particles number concentration, particle removal efficiency (PRE), enhancement factor of deposition rate (EF) and air cleaner effectiveness (ACE) were determined from the SMPS data. The decay constant of particle number concentration increased with the decrease of FAV and decreased with the increase of particle size. Both of the PREs of MSP and PSP were quite high, especially for the smaller particles and under low FAV. The EFs ranged from 4.4 to 115.5 and were proportional to the particle size. In addition, the ACE ranged from 0.57 to 0.96 and increased as the particle size increased. These results give a better understanding of the deposition of 30– 300-nm particles enhanced by the NAI and the influential factors.


This paper describes a work at The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) to create an autonomous highly mobile amphibious robot. A first generation land-based prototype has been constructed and field tested. This robot design, based on a tracked element, is capable of autonomous waypoint navigation, self-orientation, obstacle avoidance, and has the capacity to transmit sensor (visual) feedback. A water-resistant second generation amphibious prototype design, based around the biologically inspired Whegstrade platform, has been completed. This design marries the unprecedented mobility of Whegstrade with the autonomous hardware and control architectures implemented in the first generation prototype. Furthermore, we have also implemented a dynamic simulation capturing salient features of Whegstrade for testing of robotic locomotion capabilities. The integration of these elements can lay the foundation for the development of a new generation of highly mobile autonomous amphibious robots


This Article examines the body of law emerging in cases brought by former criminal defendants once exonerated, often through DNA testing, which may fundamentally reshape our criminal justice system. Federal wrongful conviction actions share a novel construction - they rely on criminal procedure rights incorporated as an element in a civil rights lawsuit. During a criminal trial, remedies for violations of procedural rights are often seen as truth defeating, because they exclude evidence possibly probative of guilt. In a civil wrongful conviction action, that remedial paradigm is reversed. The exonerated defendant instead seeks to remedy government misconduct that was truth defeating and concealed evidence of innocence. This Article contends that in a civil case, the harmless error rules that limit remedies for violations of criminal procedure rights do not apply. Further, though not generally recognized as such, the Supreme Court has created internal harmless error rules to accompany each of the relevant fair trial claims: the Brady v. Maryland right to have exculpatory evidence disclosed; the right to effective assistance of counsel; the right to be free from suggestive eyewitness identification procedures; and the right not to be subject to a coerced confession. Civil claims suggest the transformative result that for each right, harmless error insulation is stripped away. This Article concludes by reflecting on how wrongful conviction suits may spearhead wide-ranging reform of our criminal justice system and renew substantive development of the constitutional right to a fair trial.


Aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen)-functionalised mesoporous silica nanoparticles were synthesized by post-grafting two types of tetraphenylethene derivatives on mesoporous materials. The fluorescent chemical sensors, denoted as FMSN-1 and FMSN-2, emitted strong blue fluorescence under UV irradiation. Both of them exhibited quick and sensitive responses to 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (PA) and 2,4-dinitrophenol (2,4-DNP) via a fluorescence quenching process. In particular, the obtained materials also showed remarkable sensing ability for the antibiotics furazolidone (FZD) and nitrofurazone (NF) with low detection limits. The highly efficient sensing abilities of FMSNs for PA, 2,4-DNP, FZD, and NF can be attributed to fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from AIEgens to analytes. These results demonstrate the potential value of AIEgen-functionalised mesoporous materials in environmental protection.


In an effort to produce interoperable products, firms frequently participate in Standard Setting Organizations (SSOs) to collaboratively set technical standards for products used by networks of consumers. Some SSO members say they suffer from a type of holdup: after they sink technology-specific investments in developing and implementing a standard using a particular patented technology the patent owner can set licensing terms that exploit those investments. These members have called on SSOs to enhance competition between patent owners by soliciting and considering licensing terms for competing technologies ex ante, before anointing one as "the standard." However, more competitive licensing terms may dampen incentives to innovate. This paper analyzes the balance between the welfare benefits of the added competition and the welfare costs of reduced innovation. The model of R&D investment and standard setting predicts that both total welfare and consumer welfare are higher when an SSO considered licensing terms ex ante as long as the cost of innovation is not "high." The model also predicts that the welfare benefits of ex ante consideration of licensing terms grow as the costs of innovation falls. However, when the cost of innovation is "high" the negative welfare effects are always small.


Interaction between in situ and distanced collaborators focused on the physical environment is an under-explored research area, where there is potential for novel mobile and indoor technologies to enhance activities. This paper describes research in progress to explore how new forms of collaborative learning in scientific fieldwork can be supported. We describe field trials of a prototype system designed to connect higher education students engaged in earth science fieldwork with peers based in a 'mission control' type environment. We discuss how analysis of these trials is leading us to identify new requirements to support effective collaboration between users based across contrasting locations, including issues of spatial coherence, deictic communication and reflection.


A profit and a demand are associated with each arc of a set of profitable arcs of a given graph. A travel time is associated with each arc of the graph. A fleet of capacitated vehicles is given to serve the profitable arcs. A maximum duration of the route of each vehicle is also given. The profit of an arc can be collected by one vehicle only that also serves the demand of the arc. The objective of this problem, that is called the Capacitated Arc Routing Problem with Profits (CARPP), is to find a set of routes that satisfy the constraints on the duration of the route and on the capacity of the vehicle and maximize the total collected profit. We propose a branch-and-price algorithm and several heuristics. We can solve exactly instances with up to 97 profitable arcs. The best heuristics find the optimal solution on most of instances where it is available.


Eugenia uniflora is a tree species native from Central and South America, largely employed in the popular medicine, in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries and also consumed in natura. Aiming to provide plant material with high sanity and genetic uniformity for the establishment of commercial plantations, we developed a protocol for seeds disinfestation, in vitro germination and in vitro propagation of this species through organogenesis. Fruits of E. uniflora were obtained from wild trees growing in the Pampa biome, Southern Brazil. Seeds were disinfested using ethanol 70% (10 min) and NaOCl 1.25% (10 or 25 min). Shoot apexes and nodal segments of non-contaminated plantlets were cultivated in verification medium AS30 during 20 days, posteriorly in ½MS medium supplemented with sucrose, IBA and BAP during 45 days and acclimatized in greenhouse. Disinfesting seeds with ethanol 70% (10 min) and NaOCl 1.25% (25 min) allowed germination with significantly lower contamination (2.0%) and production of healthy explants for the micropropagation. No difference concerning size and contamination was observed for the propagation using shoot apexes or nodal segments as explant. Acclimatized plants revealed normal phenotype and healthy appearance. This regenerative route can be applied for mass clonal propagation from seeds of cross-pollinated or self-pollinated selected trees aiming the establishment of commercial plantations of E. uniflora and other Myrtaceae species.


Conclusions * Ukraine's national security policy appears destined to be a balancing act between NATO and Russia, maintaining its own sovereignty while acting as a bridge and stabilizing force between East and West. * Ukraine needs both political and economic development in order to be a credible and viable regional actor, able to carry out this pivotal role, and to avoid becoming drawn into the Eastern fold. * NATO enlargement should be geared towards Ukraine's ability to play a bridging role. A precipitous enlargement would raise Russian concerns, thus threatening Ukraine's own security and Moscow's relations with the West to the detriment of overall European security. Historical Legacy Historically, Ukraine has been both the target of and the site of various conflicts among competing empires, most notably Czarist and Soviet Russia, seeking to expand their domains or to solidify borders. Caught in this vortex of conflict, Ukraine was able to gain freedom for approximately 10 years during the 700-odd year history in the wake of the decline of the Kievan-Rus Kingdom in the 13th century. Emerging as an independent state in 1991, Ukraine has not forgotten its past and has geared much of its security policy on this basis. Ukraine faces three potential external security threats: First, a unilateral threat from Russia; second, a concern of being caught in the crosshairs of a NATO-Russian conflict, reminiscent of its past; and, third, the eruption of irredentist claims along its borders, which were artificially created by the Soviet regime, and which can have claimants such as Russia and Romania, neither of which have signed bilateral treaties respecting Ukraine's borders. This security triad is complicated by the zone of instability that confronts Ukraine, ranging from the Transdniester problem in neighboring Moldova, to the conflicts in the Caucuses to the East, as well as in Russia itself, that can overflow to engulf it. The Russia Factor For Ukrainian policymakers Russia poses both the most imminent as well as long-term threat to Ukraine's national security. Prior to independence, the greater part of Ukraine had been under Russian control for over 300 years. Ukrainian policymakers are well aware of the actual and potential pressures that Russia has at its disposal. Economically, Ukraine is dependent on Russia for oil and gas, as well as a major share of its trade. Culturally, the two peoples share many common points: religious orthodoxy, customs, similarities of languages, and a high degree of intermarriage--all of which can be positive factors in preventing open conflict, but which, on the negative side, can draw Ukraine towards Russia at the expense of Ukraine's own sovereignty. The Black Sea Fleet issue, even after a mutually acceptable division, will give Russia a presence in Crimea and thus added leverage on Ukraine, as does the large Russian minority in Ukraine which comprises 22% of the population. Russia's geographic expanse also will guarantee Moscow a role in all regional affairs, including the Black Sea littoral, thus possibly making Russian interests compete against those of Ukraine. Kiev is aware that even in the optimal environment of membership in some form of Western alliance, its exposure to Russian influences will continue. The tentacles that link both states are numerous, many of which, such as customs and languages, will not diminish over time with the internal economic development of Ukraine or its integration into the world economy. Kiev, therefore, has recognized the need for astute diplomacy, the main goal being not to irritate its bilateral relationship with Russia. As a result, Ukraine has maintained a delicate balance of seeking to integrate itself into western structures, distancing itself from Russia, while also alleviating Moscow's concerns that a strong, pro-Western Ukraine will arise on its borders. …


Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a category of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine. However, the use of CAM by lay people is increasing worldwide. This study investigated the utilization pattern of CAM among registered psychologists, and level of training in delivering a CAM service. Psychologists (N 193) participated from Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. Almost all (99.6%) respondents reported using at least 1 CAM service in the past, and 64.2% indicate they were trained to deliver at least 1 area of CAM. Users of CAM were more likely to be female. Registered psychologists from New Zealand held less positive attitudes toward CAM, less belief in the scientific validity of CAM, and less willingness to recommend CAM, in comparison to registered psychologists from other countries. Health beliefs and willingness to refer or recommend CAM significantly predicted attitudes to CAM, and gender together with attitudes toward CAM and level of training in CAM significantly predicted attitudes toward CAM. Finally, post hoc analyses indicated that highest level of education achieved as well as attitudes toward CAM significantly contributed to level of skill achieved by practitioners. The findings from this study may be used to inform future policy that aims to encourage CAM use and training among registered psychologists.


In plastic injection molding, the ram position plays an important role in production quality. This paper introduces a new method, which is a combination of the current cycle feedback control (a PI controller) and a feed-forward higher-order iterative learning control (ILC), to control the ram position in injection molding. The PI controller is used to stabilize the system, and the feed-forward higher-order ILC control is used to compensate for nonlinear/unknown dynamics and disturbances, thereby gaining the precision tracking to ram position. The simulation results indicate that the new method outperforms the conventional PI controller. In addition, it outperforms the conventional ILC in the convergence performance.


This article traces a long history in Christian political thought of linking politics, statecraft, and worldly authority to the broader category of carnal literalism, typed as "Jewish" by the Pauline tradition. This tradition produced a tendency to discuss political error in terms of Judaism, with the difference between mortal and eternal, private and public, tyrant and legitimate monarch, mapped onto the difference between Jew and Christian. As a result of this history, transcendence as a political ideal has often figured (and perhaps still figures?) its enemies as Jewish.