In this article, Professor Chester first discusses the science of human full-body cloning and how the the technique could be used as a form of assisted reproduction. He then moves to problems of parentage, raising issues and attempting to draw conclusions about whose child the clone would be in cases where the cloned individual's spouse or partner does or does not consent to the cloning. He then addresses questions of surrogacy that arise when a male cloning himself cannot find a partner willing to carry the clone. In exploring these and related issues, Professor Chester argues that the same guiding principles of parental support and responsibility for offspring that he developed in his discussion of traditional reproductive technologies (see his article on posthumous conception at 33 Houston L. Rev. 967 (1996)) should be used for human whole-body cloning. This assumes that, in time, such cloning will become simply one more method of addressing human infertility - one not sufficiently different from existing technologies to require significantly different treatment by law and society. To be able to make such an assumption, Chester must, and does, attempt to show that much of the public outcry against the procedure is unwarranted. Many institutions, including the United States government, reacted to the cloning success with sheep by banning research on human whole-body cloning. Then many cries were heard demanding a ban on the procedure itself. Thus a real political problem has developed. Even if public fear subsides somewhat, Chester shows that practical problems remain in getting the organs of the state to regulate the technique and do so effectively. To demonstrate the difficulties involved, one only need look at the reluctance of government at both the state and federal levels to promulgate adequate regulation of even the most accepted of existing reproductive technologies.


Crawford v. Washington's historical approach to the confrontation clause establishes that testimonial hearsay inadmissible without confrontation at the founding is similarly inadmissible today, despite whether it fits a subsequently developed hearsay exception. Consequently, the requirement of confrontation depends upon whether an out-of-court statement is hearsay, testimonial, and, if so, whether it was nonetheless admissible without confrontation at the founding. A substantial literature has developed about whether hearsay statements are testimonial or were, like dying declarations, otherwise admissible at the founding. In contrast, this article focuses on the first question – whether statements are hearsay – which scholars have thus far overlooked. Courts currently treat two categories of statements as nonhearsay that they should treat as hearsay requiring confrontation under Crawford. The first category is that of statements which the FRE does not define as hearsay because they are "not intended as an assertion" or "not offered for their intended assertions." The common law treated those statements as hearsay at the founding because their probative value depends upon the credibility of the absent declarant. When those statements are testimonial, courts must require confrontation, contrary to current practice. Courts admit them because they conflate statements that are not hearsay under the FRE's definition excluding unintended assertions with those that are not hearsay under either definition because the proponent has not offered them to prove any beliefs of the declarant, whether intentionally asserted or unintentionally revealed. The second category that courts erroneously treat as nonhearsay is that of statements offered to explain investigators' conduct although the defendant raised no issue about why they acted as they did. While the prosecution purportedly offers the statements to establish a nonhearsay inference, they are nonetheless irrelevant for that purpose. Courts who admit testimonial hearsay supposedly to justify investigatory steps about whose propriety there is no contest invite juries to misuse the evidence to buttress the prosecution's case. Having been told that there is a permissible use for the proof, juries are certain to accept the judge's unwitting invitation to violate the confrontation clause by confusing evidence available to investigators with that admissible at trial to prove the defendant's guilt. Whether the jury uses the statements directly for their truth or indirectly to show a foundation for the investigators' conclusion that the defendant is guilty, it violates Crawford by crediting the statements of absent declarants. When the defendant has not challenged the investigators' actions in a way that makes the statements' nonhearsay inference relevant rebuttal, there is no justification for admitting them. The article makes two proposals to satisfy Crawford with a minimum of disruption. First, evidence rules should redefine hearsay according to the original definition at common law, which includes all out of court statements whose probative value implicates the declarant's credibility. Changing the statutory rule will familiarize courts and counsel with the definition of hearsay that the Constitution requires them to apply when prosecutors offer out-of-court testimonial statements against criminal defendants. Different jurisdictions can then choose whether to adopt a hearsay exception for nonassertive conduct. It will apply to all hearsay besides hearsay offered against criminal defendants whose admissibility depends only upon whether it is testimonial. Second, Courts should interpret Crawford to hold that admitting testimonial hearsay for its effect on investigators violates the confrontation clause unless the defendant first raises an issue about their conduct that renders the evidence's nonhearsay inference relevant rebuttal. Most courts routinely admit such proof without even considering the likelihood of unconstitutional use. Although other courts sometimes balk, their balancing approach to whether admission violates the confrontation clause effectively assures that the practice will continue. They fail to find error at all unless some further error – such as misuse on summation – compounded it, effectively creating a per se rule of admissibility where courts should require exclusion.


The purpose of this study was to investigate how student teaching experiences impact the sense of teaching efficacy and feelings of preparedness of pre-service teachers in a nearly and elementary teacher education program (EC-6). The study used an action research, mixed-methods design. Seventy-one pre-service teachers at a large public university in the southwest completed surveys about their preparedness to teach and teaching efficacy pre and post the student teaching semester. Findings indicate that pre-service teachers' perceptions of preparedness and sense of teaching efficacy both increased significantly (p < .5) from pre-student teaching to post-student teaching. In addition, three themes emerged from the answers to open-ended questions on learning components of student teaching experiences: opportunity for hands-on teaching, the opportunity to observe experienced teachers, and the relationship with their cooperating teacher.


One of the rare representational problems encountered during the construction of axial representations of architectural configurations in space syntax is the so called 'visibility accessibility problem'. This is the condition when it is possible to perceive a space but not be able to directly traverse to that space. This condition arises in a number of cases for example in an office with half height partitions, or glass walls, in an urban street where safety barriers prevent free pedestrian movement or in a multi-storey building with an atrium which permits the direct perception of spaces on the second or story but not provide direct access to them. This paper introduces a new spatial representation called the multi-layered network that is asserted to be a more general representation of topological spaces than previous representations. Proofs are argued for certain aspects of the representation that is based as an extension of current topological representations and computations. A software implementation of this representation is demonstrated with a number of examples from the problematic cases. Finally it is argued that this new multilayered representation could also be used as the basis for a spatial representation which included signage and so by extension could make testable conditions that could measure the effect of differing types of signage in a building context.


This paper addresses the problem of unsupervised video summarization, formulated as selecting a sparse subset of video frames that optimally represent the input video. Our key idea is to learn a deep summarizer network to minimize distance between training videos and a distribution of their summarizations, in an unsupervised way. Such a summarizer can then be applied on a new video for estimating its optimal summarization. For learning, we specify a novel generative adversarial framework, consisting of the summarizer and discriminator. The summarizer is the autoencoder long short-term memory network (LSTM) aimed at, first, selecting video frames, and then decoding the obtained summarization for reconstructing the input video. The discriminator is another LSTM aimed at distinguishing between the original video and its reconstruction from the summarizer. The summarizer LSTM is cast as an adversary of the discriminator, i.e., trained so as to maximally confuse the discriminator. This learning is also regularized for sparsity. Evaluation on four benchmark datasets, consisting of videos showing diverse events in first-and third-person views, demonstrates our competitive performance in comparison to fully supervised state-of-the-art approaches.


An automatic incident detection (aid) system, using computer based algorithms to identify the traffic disturbances following an incident, is being developed at TRRL. It incorporates two new algorithms, hiocc and patreg. The hiocc algorithm operates by detecting stationary or slow moving vehicles over individual vehicle detectors. It looks for several consecutive seconds of high detector occupancy to detect queues and incidents in high traffic flows. Off-line tests with recorded data show hiocc's detection ability to be very good and a low false alarm rate can be achieved. The patreg algorithm measures the average traffic speed between upstream and downstream detector stations using a pattern recognition technique, detecting incidents by identifying significant speed changes. Preliminary tests suggest that it performs satisfactorily in free-flow conditions up to about 1500 veh/h per lane, and has an acceptably low false alarm rate. By incorporating both hiocc and patreg in an aid system a wide range of traffic conditions can be catered for. A new aid site on the M1 in bedfordshire will be used to complete the development and testing of the algorithms.(a) (TRRL)


Various factors, such as identities, views (poses), and illuminations, are coupled in face images. Disentangling the identity and view representations is a major challenge in face recognition. Existing face recognition systems either use handcrafted features or learn features discriminatively to improve recognition accuracy. This is different from the behavior of human brain. Intriguingly, even without accessing 3D data, human not only can recognize face identity, but can also imagine face images of a person under different viewpoints given a single 2D image, making face perception in the brain robust to view changes. In this sense, human brain has learned and encoded 3D face models from 2D images. To take into account this instinct, this paper proposes a novel deep neural net, named multi-view perceptron (MVP), which can untangle the identity and view features, and infer a full spectrum of multi-view images in the meanwhile, given a single 2D face image. The identity features of MVP achieve superior performance on the MultiPIE dataset. MVP is also capable to interpolate and predict images under viewpoints that are unobserved in the training data.


Abstract. Japan's population has been declining since it reached its peak in 2008, and the annual decrease is expected to expand gradually in the future. In this situation, improvement in the fertility rate and intake of foreigners have attracted great attention. However, since the total fertility rate (TFR) has remained stagnant between 1.40 and 1.45 in recent years, more attention is being paid to the role of foreigners as "replacement migration," and the importance of this has even been highlighted by the United Nations (2001). Noteworthy trends in relation to this are the regional disparity of population decline and the distribution of foreign nationals in contemporary Japan. In particular, the issue of depopulation is serious in peripheral parts of the country because it has been occurring since the 1980s. Meanwhile, the monopolar concentration of population, including foreign residents, into Tokyo has also been a major issue.Keeping the above developments in mind, the first edition of Mapping Foreign Residents in Japan, which I edited, was published in 2011; thanks to its favourable reception, a revised edition was published in January 2019. Both editions were prepared especially for policy-makers of national and local government offices in charge of foreign residents. It includes more than 100 maps. This presentation aims to introduce the maps that visualize the status of foreign residents in Japan's major cities and to outline the distinctive features of the differentiation in their residential distribution.The work's chief sources are national government statistics such as population census (including microdata of foreign residents in the 2015 census), statistics on foreign residents, and vital statistics. The maps are arranged by six topics (distribution/changes, gender/age/nationality, status-of-residence, employment, life, and enclaves/migration), and each topic has several sub-topics. Maps of foreign residents in major cities are drawn on a municipality basis (city, ward, town, and village) or on a small-area unit basis (cho-cho and aza). Figure 1 shows an example from the second edition.Major findings obtained from the series of maps in the recently revised publication are summarized as follows.First, there are very few remarkably large enclaves composed of small-unit areas with a high ratio of foreign residents, suggesting that most foreign residents, even in such areas, tend to reside alongside Japanese residents. Second, major enclaves for 'oldcomers' (Korean and Chinese residents) are located in the inner-city areas of a few metropolises. Third, major enclaves for newcomers are confirmed to exist in four types of small-area units: downtown, public housing, around universities, and around factories.


Are memory capabilities of humans and monkeys similar or does one species have superior abilities? In particular, does language afford better memory facilities? We compared monkey and human memory capabilities in a delay-match-to-multiple-item memory task. In each trial, a series of samples was presented and participants detected and responded to a repetition of any previous item seen in the same trial. Two difficulties are included that are not present in standard delay-match-to-sample tasks: The repetition can be for any image in the trial, not only for the first, so participants must remember all seen images. Secondly, repetition of images that appeared in a previous trial are not considered valid, and should be ignored. Thus, participants need remember all the images of the trial and if the current repeated image was seen in the current trial. In general, we used novel images that had not been seen before, introducing a few catch images from previous trials, which should be ignored. Performance Hit rate is similar for monkeys and humans, about 90% except for the longest trials. The False Positive (FP) rate is very different, however, about 80% for monkeys, 30% for humans, for images from the preceding trial. When monkeys are intensively trained with a limited set of images, they necessarily develop a reset mechanism allowing them to reject the frequent presentation of images seen in earlier trials. Interestingly, they are able to transfer this reset capability to task performance with novel (and catch) images, reducing the FP rate to below 20%. Thus, there is a surprising similarity between human and monkey performance following intensive training with a limited set of images, forcing acquisition of a reset mechanism. This similarity is found even for human performance without such prior training. We conclude that human participants have an inherent reset mechanism before visiting our laboratory. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


Video generation and manipulation is an important yet challenging task in computer vision. Existing methods usually lack ways to explicitly control the synthesized motion. In this work, we present a conditional video generation model that allows detailed control over the motion of the generated video. Given the first frame and sparse motion trajectories specified by users, our model can synthesize a video with corresponding appearance and motion. We propose to combine the advantage of copying pixels from the given frame and hallucinating the lightness difference from scratch which help generate sharp video while keeping the model robust to occlusion and lightness change. We also propose a training paradigm that calculate trajectories from video clips, which eliminated the need of annotated training data. Experiments on several standard benchmarks demonstrate that our approach can generate realistic videos comparable to state-of-the-art video generation and video prediction methods while the motion of the generated videos can correspond well with user input.


Two new dialkyltin(IV) complexes of compositions [Me2Sn(LH)2(MeOH)] (1) and [nBu2Sn(LH)2(H2O)] (2) [LH– = 2-(2-(3, 5-dimethyl-4-oxocyclohexa-2, 5-dien-1-ylidene)hydrazinyl)benzoate] were prepared by the reactions of the carboxylate ligand (LHH′) and Me2SnO or nBu2SnO in toluene solution followed by recrystallization from methanol/toluene. In the crystal structures of 1 and 2, the central tin atom is chelated by two carboxylate anions, a solvent molecule derived from the crystallization medium, and two alkyl groups, giving rise to a distorted pentagonal bipyramidal coordination. The phenol hydrogen atom has migrated to the nitrogen atom nearest the carboxylate group, thus leading to the quinoid form of the ligand. Extensive π···π interactions between the planar ligands, coupled with O–H···O, C–H···O, and C–H···π interactions complete three-dimensional supramolecular frameworks in each case. The solution properties were assessed from 1H, 13C, and 119Sn NMR spectroscopy.


Based on recent ethnographic research, this article explores young people's opportunities of formal and informal democracy learning and expressions of such learning in the highly market-influenced Swedish upper secondary education. With its ambitious democracy-fostering goals and far-reaching marketisation, Swedish education constitutes an interesting case in this respect. The analysis indicates that 'voting with the feet' emerges as an important way of exerting student influence. At the same time, young people's voice is surprisingly neglected in classroom practice. Increased focus on performance and goal attainment tends to overshadow less 'rewarding' aspects of the curriculum, such as democracy teaching and learning, both from the side of teachers and students. Students are also increasingly expected to act as school representatives and to avoid giving negative impressions of their school.


An aging American population means more older adults will be entering the health care system. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the attitudes of nursing students toward older adults and to determine if these attitudes change over the course of a nursing program. This study was carried out in a university in the Midwest United States. A pre-test post-test single group design was used for this study. Students were surveyed three times throughout the program using Kogan's Old People scale (KOP) and a demographic questionnaire. Testing was conducted at the beginning and end of the sophomore geriatric course (T1 and T2) and prior to graduation (T3). The sample size for T1 and T2 was 40, and for T3 it was 35 students. The sample was predominantly female, under 25 years of age and Caucasian. The results indicate that students had positive attitudes which increased over the course of the program, as measured by the KOP scale. Implications are that more research should be done to determine the factors influencing student attitudes toward older adults and that schools of nursing should place more emphasis on geriatric/gerontology material in their curricula.


It is widely recognised that providing appropriate levels of skid resistance and surface texture across a road network can make a valuable contribution in securing positive road safety outcomes. Yet, the proactive management of skid resistance is often viewed within Australia as being within the domain and achievability of state road authorities only, despite knowledge and experience from other countries (e.g. United Kingdom and New Zealand) that a number of local road authorities (local councils) procure skid resistance testing and are actively using the data. This paper starts by introducing (and comparing) the highway network in Australia, before looking at current published guidance / good practice concerning the management of skid resistance. The many reasons for, and challenges to, the development and implementation of a skid resistance management strategy at national, state and local levels are then identified.


Abstract. Neutral temperatures at 90 km height above Tromso, Norway, have been determined using ambipolar diffusion coefficients calculated from meteor echo fading times using the Nippon/Norway Tromso Meteor Radar (NTMR). Daily temperature averages have been calculated from November 2003 to October 2014 and calibrated against temperature measurements from the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on board Aura. Large-scale periodic oscillations ranging from ∼ 9 days to a year were found in the data using Lomb–Scargle periodogram analysis, and these components were used to seasonally detrend the daily temperature values before assessing trends. Harmonic oscillations found are associated with the large-scale circulation in the middle atmosphere together with planetary and gravity wave activity. The overall temperature change from 2003 to 2014 is −2.2 K ± 1.0 K decade−1, while in summer (May–June–July) and winter (November–December–January) the change is −0.3 K ± 3.1 K decade−1 and −11.6 K ± 4.1 K decade−1, respectively. The temperature record is at this point too short for incorporating a response to solar variability in the trend. How well suited a meteor radar is for estimating neutral temperatures at 90 km using meteor trail echoes is discussed, and physical explanations behind a cooling trend are proposed.


This research is an empirical investigation on the Value at Risk disclosures of European banks between 2004 and 2011. It is based on the annual reports of fifteen banks during an eight years period. In a first time, it is using a content analysis to build a risk disclosure index, reflecting both the qualitative and the quantitative aspects of the annual report. This index is used to assess the evolution of VaR disclosures through time and illustrates the differences between Euro currency users and European countries using their own currency. This study is also utilizing this index as a dependent variable for a multiple regression analysis, which is performed to assess the relationship between the size, profitability, firm's level of risk, zone effect and the dependent variable index. A positive relationship was found for the size and the zone effect. On the other hand, a negative relationship was found for the profitability and an insignificant relationship with the level of risk.


Abstract Over the past few years, a significant global debate has developed over the classification of workers in the sharing economy either as independent contractors or as employees. While Uber and Lyft have dominated the spotlight lately, the worker classification debates extend beyond ridesharing companies and affect workers across a variety of sectors. Classification of a worker as an employee, rather than an independent contractor, can carry a range of implications for worker treatment and protections under labor law, anti-discrimination law, tort law, and tax law, depending on the legal jurisdiction. The debates, at least in the United States, have been incomplete due to the failure of policy makers and advocates to consider the scope and interconnectedness of the worker classification issues across the full sweep of legal arenas. There is time, however, to remedy the incompleteness of these policy conversations before worker classification decisions ossify and path dependence takes hold. Two interacting forces create the most serious risk for inadequate policy formulation: (1) silos among legal experts, and (2) first-mover effects. Both of these factors, silo and first mover, emerge in sharing economy debates in the United States. Tax experts and other legal specialists operate in distinct silos leading to a misunderstanding by non-tax analysts of the tax ramifications of worker classification, and to an under appreciation on the part of tax experts of the potential influence of "modest" tax rule changes on worker classification generally. The risks of such misunderstandings can be amplified by first-mover efforts, such as: (1) platforms' contractual designation of workers as independent contractors to bolster a claim of nonemployer/nonemployee status; (2) platforms' support for proposed tax legislation that would "clarify" the status of sharing workers as independent contractors for tax purposes if they satisfy a multiple-prong (relatively easy) safe harbor test; and (3) sharing economy worker litigation to secure employee status. This Article identifies the incompleteness in the worker classification debates and argues for the active formulation of policy through a process that looks beyond individual fields. A more complete conversation requires analytical engagement across multiple fields and recognition of the de facto power of reform in one arena to influence others. Moreover, it is by no means clear that just because tax might arrive at the legislative drawing table first (due to first mover effects), that it should drive or shape the broader worker classification debate.


Objectives: To determine if transfusing ABO compatible platelets has a greater effect on incremental change in platelet count as compared to ABO incompatible platelets in critically ill children. Design: Secondary analysis of a prospective, observational study. Transfusions were classified as either ABO compatible, major incompatibility, or minor incompatibility. The primary outcome was the incremental change in platelet count. Transfusion reactions were analyzed as a secondary outcome. Setting: Eighty-two PICUs in 16 countries. Patients: Children (3 d to 16 yr old) were enrolled if they received a platelet transfusion during one of the predefined screening weeks. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Five-hundred three children were enrolled and had complete ABO information for both donor and recipient, as well as laboratory data. Three-hundred forty-two (68%) received ABO-identical platelets, 133 (26%) received platelets with major incompatibility, and 28 (6%) received platelets with minor incompatibility. Age, weight, proportion with mechanical ventilation or underlying oncologic diagnosis did not differ between the groups. After adjustment for transfusion dose, there was no difference in the incremental change in platelet count between the groups; the median (interquartile range) change for ABO-identical transfusions was 28 × 109 cells/L (8–68 × 109 cells/L), for transfusions with major incompatibility 26 × 109 cells/L (7–74 × 109 cells/L), and for transfusions with minor incompatibility 54 × 109 cells/L (14–81 × 109 cells/L) (p = 0.37). No differences in count increment between the groups were noted for bleeding (p = 0.92) and nonbleeding patients (p = 0.29). There were also no differences observed between the groups for any transfusion reaction (p = 0.07). Conclusions: No differences were seen in the incremental change in platelet count nor in transfusion reactions when comparing major ABO incompatible platelet transfusions with ABO compatible transfusions in a large study of critically ill children. Studies in larger, prospectively enrolled cohorts should be performed to validate whether ABO matching for platelet transfusions in critically ill children is necessary.


A novel technique has been developed for the preparation of high molecular weight (HMW) DNA from plant nuclei. This technique involves physical homogenization of plant tissues, nuclei isolation, embedding of the nuclei in low-melting-point agarose microbeads or plugs, and DNA purification in situ. This technique is simple, rapid, and economical, and the majority of the DNA prepared is over 5.7 Mb in size. The genomic DNA content of the HMW DNA prepared by this technique is enriched by at least threefold and the chloroplast DNA content is reduced by over twofold relative to that prepared from plant protoplasts by existing methods. The DNA is readily digestible with different restriction enzymes and partial digestions of the DNA could be reproducibly performed. This method has been successfully used for the preparation of HMW DNA from a wide range of plant taxa, including grasses, legumes, vegetables, and trees. These results demonstrate that the DNA prepared by this technique is suitable for plant genome analysis by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and for the construction of yeast and bacterial artificial chromosomes.


After India re-elected Narendra Modi as Prime Minister in May 2019 in a landslide victory, President Trump congratulated him, tweeting that "great things are in store for the US-India partnership with the return of PM Modi at the helm." In June, Assistant Secretary of Defense Randall Schriver echoed this sentiment, anticipating "a lot of convergence on the strategic landscape" between the United States and India. Nevertheless, on the eve of Secretary of State Pompeo's June visit to New Delhi, analysts of the region warned that an emerging crisis could force a highly disruptive reckoning for the relationship. Recently, two of the original architects of US-India strategic alignment—former US ambassador to India, Robert Blackwill, and former senior advisor to the US embassy in New Delhi, Ashley Tellis—have warned of "creeping disappointment and doubt" from both countries. Publicly, the US-India relationship has achieved rare status, touted as one of the greatest bipartisan successes and crowning achievements across the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations. Yet privately, some US policymakers have raised "serious concerns" about India's defense decisions. Our own private conversations with US government officials and policy experts reveal frustration and concern over the supposed pattern of US concessions and Indian shortcomings— criticized as "all talk and no show."


We describe a very simple bag-of-words baseline for visual question answering. This baseline concatenates the word features from the question and CNN features from the image to predict the answer. When evaluated on the challenging VQA dataset [2], it shows comparable performance to many recent approaches using recurrent neural networks. To explore the strength and weakness of the trained model, we also provide an interactive web demo and open-source code. .


Our prior research indicates that there are periods within which nonlinear stock selection models outperform their linear counterparts in the South African equity market. In order to explore the nonlinearities in stock return prediction, we propose a blended stock selection technique that has the potential of diversifying the risk of inaccurate forecasts of the linear and nonlinear models. The proposed technique has an objective of optimizing the Qian and Hua (2003) information ratio, which constitutes to the maximization of the forecasting accuracy per unit of forecasting volatility. The blended stock selection model is found to outperform the respective linear and nonlinear models in an out-of-sample fractile analysis on a risk-adjusted basis for South African stocks over the period from 2002 to 2007.


Moisture content in the soil and snow in the alpine environment is an important factor, not only for environmentally oriented research, but also for decision making in agriculture and hazard management. Current observation techniques quantifying soil moisture or characterizing a snow pack often require dedicated instrumentation that measures either at point scale or at very large (satellite pixel) scale. Given the heterogeneity of both snow cover and soil moisture in alpine terrain, observations of the spatial distribution of moisture and snow-cover are lacking at spatial scales relevant for alpine hydrometeorology. This paper provides an overview of the challenges and status of the determination of soil moisture and snow properties in alpine environments. Current measurement techniques and newly proposed ones, based on the reception of reflected Global Navigation Satellite Signals (i.e., GNSS Reflectometry or GNSS-R), or the use of laser scanning are reviewed, and the perspectives offered by these new techniques to fill the current gap in the instrumentation level are discussed. Some key enabling technologies including the availability of modernized GNSS signals and GNSS array beamforming techniques are also considered and discussed.


Introduction. Acknowledgments. The Author. 1 Ethical Theories and Bioethics in a Global Perspective. Theories of Ethics. Are Theories of Ethics Global? Can Theories of Ethics Encourage People to Do the Right Thing? 2 Autonomy and Informed Consent in Global Perspective. Ethical Principles and Practical Issues of Informed Consent. Does Informed Consent Really Matter to Patients? Is Informed Consent a Universal Principle or a Cultural Value? 3 Withholding or Withdrawing Treatment and Physician-Assisted Suicide. Withholding or Withdrawing Treatment at the End of Life. Assisting Patients in Committing Suicide. 4 Ethical Issues in Reproductive Health. Ethics of Abortion in Different Times, Places, and Cultures. Current Ethical Issues in Abortion. Assisted Reproductive Technology and Stem Cell Research. Emergency Contraception. Ethics of Imposing Conditions on Funding. 5 Ethical Issues of Female Genital Mutilation. The Facts About FGM. FGM as a Challenge to Ethical Relativism. Ethics of FGM for Adult Women. 6 Ethical Issues of Research with Human Subjects. Background Information and the Belmont Report. Autonomy and Voluntary Informed Consent. Beneficence and Cost-Benefit Analysis. Issues of Justice and Fairness for Human Subjects. 7 The Right to Health Care, and Ethical Obligations to Provide Care. Is There an Ethical Right to Health Care? Ethical Obligations of Health Care Professionals. Ethical Obligations of for-Profit Health Care Providers. 8 Ethical Issues in Rationing and Allocation of Limited Resources. Levels of Allocating Resources. Methods of Rationing Health Resources. Comparative Effectiveness Research and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis. 9 Ethical Issues of Health Insurance and Health System Reform. Ethical Issues in Financing Health Services and Designing Insurance Systems. Fundamental Values of Health Systems. 10 Ethical Issues in the Movement of Patients Across National Borders. Ethical Duties to Provide Health Care to Undocumented Aliens. Ethical Issues in Medical Tourism. 11 Ethical Issues in the Movement of Health Care Professionals Across National Borders. Ethical Issues in the Migration of Health Professionals. Proposed Solutions and Their Ethical Implications. Fair Treatment of Health Care Workers from Other Countries. 12 Corruption and Informal Payments in Health Systems. Payment of Informal Fees by Patients and Their Families. Is Corruption Bad for Your (and Other People's) Health? References. Index.


Resonant nanogratings and periodic metasurfaces express diverse spectral and polarization properties on broadside illumination by incident light. Cooperative resonance interactions may yield shaped spectra for particular applications, in contrast to a multilayer dielectric mirror. Here, we provide guided-mode resonance filters with flat-top spectra suitable for wavelength division multiplexing systems. Applying a single one-dimensional grating layer sandwiched by two waveguides, we theoretically achieve high-efficiency flat-top spectra in the near-infrared region. This result is obtained by inducing simultaneous nearly degenerate resonant modes. The resonance separation under this condition controls the width of the flat-top spectrum. This means we can implement spectral widths ranging from a sub-nanometer to several nanometers applying fundamentally the same device architecture.


"Some 48 species and subspecies of planktonic foraminifera, eight of which are new, have been identified and their stratigraphic ranges established in a closely sampled sequence of Miocene rocks from southeast Australia. Zoning based on the ranges of these foraminifera is discussed and the use of initial appearances of evolving species is strongly advocated. Intercontinental correlation of the foraminiferal zones is feasible and comparison with the Caribbean is reasonably close."


2012 ABSTRACT Organic wheat yield is limited by climatic and agronomic factors including nutrient deficiency, weed competition and no suitable cultivars. The effects of organic manures and non-chemical weed control on grain yield of wheat were investigated during the 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09 growing seasons, in Erzurum (Turkey) rain-fed conditions. The experiment contained three experimental factors in a factorial design: (1) cultivar (Do ğ u 88, K ı rik), (2) weed control (weedy control, hand weeding, dense sowing) and (3) manure (unfertilized, mineral NP, Bio, Bio SR, Leonardit, Organic Manure, cattle manure). The modern cultivar Do ğ u 88 had significantly higher leaf area index, grain filling period, spikes per m 2 , kernels per spike, grain yield and harvest index than the local cultivar K ı rik. On average of years, hand weeding and dense sowing increased grain yield by 9.2% and 7.7% compared to weedy control, respectively. Application of mineral NP resulted in the highest grain yield. Among the organic manures, the highest grain yield was obtained at cattle manure and Organic Manure, respectively. Cattle manure and Organic Manure increased grain yield of wheat by 25.6% and 23.2%, respectively, compared to unfertilized treatment. Improved performance in response to treatments was generally related to spikes per m 2 . Do ğ u 88 should be preferred to local cultivar K ı rik. Dense sowing appears to be a useful method to provide the wheat a competitive advantage against weeds. As a result, cattle manure can be used for improvement of grain yield of wheat and soil fertility under rain-fed


The glycogen storage diseases (GSDs) are a group of inherited metabolic disorders that result from a defect in any one of several enzymes required for either glycogen synthesis or glycogen degradation. The GSDs can be divided into those with hepatic involvement, which present as hypoglycemia, and those which are associated with neuromuscular disease and weakness. The severity of the GSDs range from those that are fatal in infancy if untreated to mild disorders with a normal lifespan. The diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis for the common types of GSDs are reviewed.


This analytical country report is one of as eries of annual ERAWATCH reports produced for EU Member States and Countries
Associated to the Seventh Framework Programme for Research of the European Union (FP7). The main objective of the ERAWATCH Annual Country Reports is to characterise and assess the performance of national research systems and related policies in a structured manner that is comparable across countries.
The Country Report 2012 builds on and updates the 2011 edition. The report identifies the structural challenges of the nation al resea rch and innovation system and assesses the match between the national priorities and the structural challenges, highlighting the latest developments, their dynamics and impact in the overall national context. They further a nalyse and assess
the ability of the policy mix in place to consistently and efficiently tackle these challenges. These reports were originally produced in December 2012, focusing on policy developments over the previous twelve months.
The reports were pro duced by independent experts under direct contract with IPTS. The analytical framework and the structure of the reports have been developed by the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies of the Joint Research Centre (JRC - IPTS)and Directorate Gener
al for Research and Innovation with contributions from external expert.


The Tongwane Formation (~2.4 Ga) conformably overlies banded iron formations (BIF; Penge Iron Formation) on the Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa. As such, it provides a unique window into depositional processes and environmental conditions in the aftermath of major Archean-Paleoproterozoic BIF deposition, and on the eve of irreversible environmental oxygenation in the Great Oxidation Event (GOE, ~2.35 Ga). This study presents the first sedimentological and bulk-rock geochemical characterization of the Tongwane Formation to provide a sedimentological and stratigraphic framework for further studies of early Paleoproterozoic environments.
The Tongwane Formation is 220m thick and consists from the base up of shales, siliceous mudstones with local BIF facies, interbedded mudstones and dolomites, and a massive dolomite unit at the top. Strata record the progressive shallowing of depositional environments from deep shelf (BIF) to a wave-swept carbonate ramp. Intervening slope environments record increased detrital sedimentary input in the form of shales and distal turbidites. The carbonate ramp had a distally steepened margin as documented by an important margin collapse breccia. Extension due to seismic forces and/or slope steepening caused progressive deformation of slope deposits, from slumping and fracturing through sedimentary boudinage, to brecciation, and mass wasting.
Termination of BIF deposition could have been related to (a) shutdown of Fe-precipitating processes, (b) shutdown of the hydrothermal Fe source, (c) shallowing of environments to restrict BIF deposition to deeper parts of the basin, (d) masking of Fe deposition by increased detritus, or a combination of these. Although a partial or complete shutdown of the Fe source or of Fe precipitating processes cannot be excluded, the weight of evidence from the Tongwane Formation favors external factors such as relative sea level fall and Fe dilution by increased detrital input as the main drivers for the BIF-carbonate transition. All samples fall on a mixing curve between hydrothermal and detrital end members, and despite metamorphic overprint, a weak hydrothermal signature is observed up to below platform deposits. These results stress the importance of understanding sedimentary factors in studies of Archean-Paleoproterozoic environments.


Routine entomological monitoring data are used to quantify the abundance of Ae. aegypti. The public health utility of these indicators is based on the assumption that greater mosquito abundance increases the risk of human DENV transmission, and therefore reducing exposure to the vector decreases incidence of infection. Entomological survey data from two longitudinal cohort studies in Iquitos, Peru, linked with 8,153 paired serological samples taken approximately six months apart were analyzed. Indicators of Ae. aegypti density were calculated from cross-sectional and longitudinal entomological data collected over a 12-month period for larval, pupal and adult Ae. aegypti. Log binomial models were used to estimate risk ratios (RR) to measure the association between Ae. aegypti abundance and the six-month risk of DENV seroconversion. RRs estimated using cross-sectional entomological data were compared to RRs estimated using longitudinal data. Higher cross-sectional Ae. aegypti densities were not associated with an increased risk of DENV seroconversion. Use of longitudinal entomological data resulted in RRs ranging from 1.01 (95% CI: 1.01, 1.02) to 1.30 (95% CI: 1.17, 1.46) for adult stage density estimates and RRs ranging from 1.21 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.37) to 1.75 (95% CI: 1.23, 2.5) for categorical immature indices. Ae. aegypti densities calculated from longitudinal entomological data were associated with DENV seroconversion, whereas those measured cross-sectionally were not. Ae. aegypti indicators calculated from cross-sectional surveillance, as is common practice, have limited public health utility in detecting areas or populations at high risk of DENV infection.


Modularity is a key requirement for collaborative ontology engineering and for distributed ontology reuse on the Web. Modern ontology languages, such as OWL, are logic-based, and thus a useful notion of modularity needs to take the semantics of ontologies and their implications into account. We propose a logic-based notion of modularity that allows the modeler to specify the external signature of their ontology, whose symbols are assumed to be defined in some other ontology. We define two restrictions on the usage of the external signature, a syntactic and a slightly less restrictive, semantic one, each of which is decidable and guarantees a certain kind of "black-box" behavior, which enables the controlled merging of ontologies. Analysis of real-world ontologies suggests that these restrictions are not too onerous.


Purpose Little is known about knowledge translation processes within medical education. Specifically, there is scant research on how and whether faculty incorporate empirical medical education knowledge into their educational practices. The authors use the conceptual framework of affordances to examine factors within the medical education practice environment that influence faculty utilization of empirical knowledge. Method In 2012, the authors, using a purposive sampling strategy, recruited medical education leaders in undergraduate medical education from a Canadian university. Recruits all had direct teaching and curricular development roles in either preclinical or clinical courses across the four years of the undergraduate curriculum. Data were collected through individual semistructured interviews on participants' use of empirical evidence, as well as the factors that influence integration of empirical knowledge into practice. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Fifteen medical educators participated. The authors identified both constraining and facilitating affordances of empirical medical education knowledge use. Constraining affordances included poor quality and availability of evidence, inadequate knowledge delivery approaches, work and role overload, faculty and student change resistance, and resource limitations. Facilitating affordances included faculty development, peer recommendations, and local involvement in medical education knowledge creation. Conclusions Affordances of the medical education practice environment influence empirical knowledge use. Developing strategies for effective knowledge translation thus requires careful assessment of contextual factors that can enable, constrain, or inhibit evidence use. Empirical knowledge use is most likely to occur among medical educators who are afforded rich, facilitative opportunities for participation in creating, seeking, and implementing knowledge.


The purpose of this small scale study was to determine pre-service teachers' perceptions of classroom management, misbehaviour, and of their own ability to teach in relation to classroom management. Semi-structured interviews were conducted before and after teaching practice with eleven EFL (English as a Foreign Language) student teachers. Findings suggest that they have a narrow conception of classroom management, often focusing one aspect of it. Additionally, their confidence to teach seem to vary as well as their concerns about issues related to their teaching and class management.


Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen that causes wide range of infectious conditions both in nosocomial and community settings. The Gram-positive pathogen is armed with battery of virulence factors that facilitate to establish infections in the hosts. The organism is well known for its ability to acquire resistance to various antibiotic classes. The emergence and spread of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains which are often multi-drug resistant in hospitals and subsequently in community resulted in significant mortality and morbidity. The epidemiology of MRSA has been evolving since its initial outbreak which necessitates a comprehensive medical approach to tackle this pathogen. Vancomycin has been the drug of choice for years but its utility was challenged by the emergence of resistance. In the last 10 years or so, newer anti-MRSA antibiotics were approved for clinical use. However, being notorious for developing antibiotic resistance, there is a continuous need for exploring novel anti-MRSA agents from various sources including plants and evaluation of non-antibiotic approaches.


This paper examines the sensitivity of Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) brightness temperatures (Tbs) to surface roughness by a using radiative transfer model to simulate AMSR-E Tbs as a function of incidence angle at which the surface is viewed. The simulated Tbs are then used to examine the influence that surface roughness has on two operational sea ice algorithms, namely: (1) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Team (NT) algorithm and (2) the enhanced NT algorithm, as well as the impact of roughness on the AMSR-E snow depth algorithm. Surface snow and ice data collected during the AMSR-Ice03 field campaign held in March 2003 near Barrow, AK, were used to force the radiative transfer model, and resultant modeled Tbs are compared with airborne passive microwave observations from the Polarimetric Scanning Radiometer. Results indicate that passive microwave Tbs are very sensitive even to small variations in incidence angle, which can cause either an over- or underestimation of the true amount of sea ice in the pixel area viewed. For example, this paper showed that if the sea ice areas modeled in this paper were assumed to be completely smooth, sea ice concentrations were underestimated by nearly 14% using the NT sea ice algorithm and by 7% using the enhanced NT algorithm. A comparison of polarization ratios (PRs) at 10.7, 18.7, and 37 GHz indicates that each channel responds to different degrees of surface roughness and suggests that the PR at 10.7 GHz can be useful for identifying locations of heavily ridged or rubbled ice. Using the PR at 10.7 GHz to derive an "effective" viewing angle, which is used as a proxy for surface roughness, resulted in more accurate retrievals of sea ice concentration for both algorithms. The AMSR-E snow depth algorithm was found to be extremely sensitive to instrument calibration and sensor viewing angle, and it is concluded that more work is needed to investigate the sensitivity of the gradient ratio at 37 and 18.7 GHz to these factors to improve snow depth retrievals from spaceborne passive microwave sensors


The use of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for detecting domoic acid and saxitoxin was demonstrated and vibrational modes have been assigned based on the current literature. Silver nanoparticles were used to obtain the SERS spectra of domoic acid for the first time, which displayed enhancement of nearly 70 times the normal Raman spectra. Unique features in the SERS spectrum of domoic acid allowed the binding effect and orientation of the domoic acid to the metal surface to be analyzed. Saxitoxin exhibited an undetectable normal Raman signal but revealed very prominent SERS peaks. SERS peak positions closely matched published experimental and theoretical values, but with different peak ratios, indicating variance in molecule–nanoparticle interaction depending on the SERS substrate utilized. SERS is demonstrated as a powerful analytical tool for detecting toxins at low concentration with molecular specificity and shows immense potential for fast and remote sensing of toxins in various applications.


Facile and green syntheses of unsymmetrically substituted-3-(1-benzyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-2-(1- ethyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-acrylonitriles 5(a-d) is being reported. L-tryptophan has been utilized as an efficient and eco-friendly catalyst in the solvent free condition under the grind stone method at room temperature for Knoevenagel condensation of N-benzyl indole-3-carboxyaldehyde (2) with the active methylene compounds, 3-cyanoacetylindole 3(a-d) at room temperature to afford substituted- 3-(1-benzyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-2-(1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-acrylonitrile 4(a-d) respectively. Subsequently these products were treated with DES and K2CO3 in the solvent free condition under the grind stone method at room temperature to afford the corresponding substituted-3-(1-benzyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-2- (1-ethyl-1H-indole-3-carbonyl)-acrylonitrile 5(a-d). The antibacterial and antifungal activities of 4(a-d) and 5(a-d) have been studied.


This paper presents evidence on the failed initial public offerings that used best efforts contracts. Out of 732 best efforts IPOs attempted in 1980-84, 186 IPOs (about one fourth) failed to meet minimum sales requirement and were subsequently withdrawn. Offerings with greater uncertainty about their true value failed more frequently. The failure rate was not significantly different between "all or none" type offerings and "minimum and maximum" type offerings. Regional investment bankers managed the most of best efforts IPOs and the average underpricing of their offerings was smaller than that of offerings managed by submajor bracket investment bankers. It is noteworthy that bankers with a record of failed offerings did not seem to lose their future business and relatively small issuing firms continued to rely on these bankers to go public.


We demonstrate that, for the baseline design of the CORE satellite mission, the polarized foregrounds can be controlled at the level required to allow the detection of the primordial cosmic microwave background (CMB) B-mode polarization with the desired accuracy at both reionization and recombination scales, for tensor-to-scalar ratio values of r≳ 5× 10−3. We consider detailed sky simulations based on state-of-the-art CMB observations that consist of CMB polarization with τ=0.055 and tensor-to-scalar values ranging from r=10−2 to 10−3, Galactic synchrotron, and thermal dust polarization with variable spectral indices over the sky, polarized anomalous microwave emission, polarized infrared and radio sources, and gravitational lensing effects. Using both parametric and blind approaches, we perform full component separation and likelihood analysis of the simulations, allowing us to quantify both uncertainties and biases on the reconstructed primordial B-modes. Under the assumption of perfect control of lensing effects, CORE would measure an unbiased estimate of r=(5 ± 0.4)× 10−3 after foreground cleaning. In the presence of both gravitational lensing effects and astrophysical foregrounds, the significance of the detection is lowered, with CORE achieving a 4σ-measurement of r=5× 10−3 after foreground cleaning and 60% delensing. For lower tensor-to-scalar ratios (r=10−3) the overall uncertainty on r is dominated by foreground residuals, not by the 40% residual of lensing cosmic variance. Moreover, the residual contribution of unprocessed polarized point-sources can be the dominant foreground contamination to primordial B-modes at this r level, even on relatively large angular scales, ℓ ∼ 50. Finally, we report two sources of potential bias for the detection of the primordial B-modes by future CMB experiments: (i) the use of incorrect foreground models, e.g. a modelling error of Δβs = 0.02 on the synchrotron spectral indices may result in an excess in the recovered reionization peak corresponding to an effective Δ r > 10−3; (ii) the average of the foreground line-of-sight spectral indices by the combined effects of pixelization and beam convolution, which adds an effective curvature to the foreground spectral energy distribution and may cause spectral degeneracies with the CMB in the frequency range probed by the experiment.


We report the discovery and confirmation of a transiting circumbinary planet (PH1b) around KIC 4862625, an eclipsing binary in the Kepler field. The planet was discovered by volunteers searching the first six Quarters of publicly available Kepler data as part of the Planet Hunters citizen science project. Transits of the planet across the larger and brighter of the eclipsing stars are detectable by visual inspection every ∼137 days, with seven transits identified in Quarters 1–11. The physical and orbital parameters of both the host stars and planet were obtained via a photometric-dynamical model, simultaneously fitting both the measured radial velocities and the Kepler light curve of KIC 4862625. The 6.18 ± 0.17 R⊕ planet orbits outside the 20 day orbit of an eclipsing binary consisting of an F dwarf (1.734 ± 0.044 R☉, 1.528 ± 0.087 M☉) and M dwarf (0.378 ± 0.023 R☉, 0.408 ± 0.024 M☉). For the planet, we find an upper mass limit of 169 M⊕ (0.531 Jupiter masses) at the 99.7% confidence level. With a radius and mass less than that of Jupiter, PH1b is well within the planetary regime. Outside the planet's orbit, at ∼1000 AU, a previously unknown visual binary has been identified that is likely bound to the planetary system, making this the first known case of a quadruple star system with a transiting planet.


Previous work suggested that the pursuit and fixation systems are separate (e.g., Luebke & Robinson, 1988). Here we present evidence of interactions between these two systems. In separate blocks of trials, observers either pursued a spot that started at the edge of the display and moved across the screen at a constant velocity on every trial, or did so with randomly interleaved fixation trails. When fixation trials were included, anticipatory pursuit was reduced relative to when only pursuit trials were present. This suggested an active inhibition of pursuit by the fixation system. Alternatively, inserting the fixation trials may have simply allowed time for a stored velocity signal thought to drive anticipatory pursuit (e.g., Barnes & Asselman, 1991) to dissipate. To test this, we interleaved 'blank' trials (no stimulus), of the same duration as the fixation trials, with the pursuit trials. Anticipatory pursuit was high under this condition, suggesting that fixation trials actively inhibit anticipatory pursuit. If so, why does the fixation period that typically precedes movement of the target in pursuit trials not have the same inhibitory effect? One possibility is that separate fixation trials introduce uncertainty about whether the stimulus will move or not. To test this, we manipulated the level of uncertainty by changing the proportion of fixation trials within a block. We found that anticipatory pursuit decreased as the proportion of fixation trials increased, suggesting that uncertainty about whether the target will move plays a role. However, we also found that pursuit latency increased as the proportion of fixation trials increased, consistent with an active interaction between fixation and pursuit circuitry. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


Objective Although patients exercise greater autonomy than in the past, and shared decision making is promoted as the preferred model for doctor-patient engagement, tensions still exist in clinical practice about the primary locus of decision-making authority for complex, scarce, and resource-intensive medical therapies: patients and their surrogates, or physicians. We assessed physicians' attitudes toward decisional authority for adult venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO), hypothesizing they would favor a medical locus. Design, Setting, Participants A survey of resident/fellow physicians and internal medicine attendings at an academic medical center, May to August 2013. Measurements We used a 24-item, internet-based survey assessing physician-respondents' demographic characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes regarding decisional authority for adult VA-ECMO. Qualitative narratives were also collected. Main Results A total of 179 physicians completed the survey (15 percent response rate); 48 percent attendings and 52 percent residents/ fellows. Only 32 percent of the respondents indicated that a surrogate's consent should be required to discontinue VA-ECMO; 56 percent felt that physicians should have the right to discontinue VA-ECMO over a surrogate's objection. Those who self-reported as "knowledgeable" about VA-ECMO, compared to those who did not, more frequently replied that there should not be presumed consent for VA-ECMO (47.6 percent versus 33.3 percent, p = 0.007), that physicians should have the right to discontinue VAECMO over a surrogate's objection (76.2 percent versus 50 percent, p = 0.02) and that, given its cost, the use of VA-ECMO should be restricted (81.0 percent versus 54.4 percent, p = 0.005). Conclusions Surveyed physicians, especially those who self-reported as knowledgeable about VA-ECMO and/or were specialists in pulmonary/ critical care, favored a medical locus of decisional authority for VA-ECMO. VA-ECMO is complex, and the data may (1) reflect physicians' hesitance to cede authority to presumably less knowledgeable patients and surrogates, (2) stem from a stewardship of resources perspective, and/or (3) point to practical efforts to avoid futility and utility disputes. Whether these results indicate a more widespread reversion to paternalism or a more circumscribed usurping of decisional authority occasioned by VA-ECMO necessitates further study.


Abstract. We describe an assimilation system for atmospheric methane (CH4), CarbonTracker-CH4, and demonstrate the diagnostic value of global or zonally averaged CH4 abundances for evaluating the results. We show that CarbonTracker-CH4 is able to simulate the observed zonal average mole fractions and capture inter-annual variability in emissions quite well at high northern latitudes (53–90° N). In contrast, CarbonTracker-CH4 is less successful in the tropics where there are few observations and therefore misses significant variability and is more influenced by prior flux estimates. CarbonTracker-CH4 estimates of total fluxes at high northern latitudes are about 81 ± 7 Tg CH4 yr−1, about 12 Tg CH4 yr−1 (13%) lower than prior estimates, a result that is consistent with other atmospheric inversions. Emissions from European wetlands are decreased by 30%, a result consistent with previous work by Bergamaschi et al. (2005); however, unlike their results, emissions from wetlands in boreal Eurasia are increased relative to the prior estimate. Although CarbonTracker-CH4 does not estimate an increasing trend in emissions from high northern latitudes for 2000 through 2010, significant inter-annual variability in high northern latitude fluxes is recovered. Exceptionally warm growing season temperatures in the Arctic occurred in 2007, a year that was also anonymously wet. Estimated emissions from natural sources were greater than the decadal average by 4.4 ± 3.8 Tg CH4 yr−1 in 2007. CarbonTracker-CH4 estimates for temperate latitudes are only slightly increased over prior estimates, but about 10 Tg CH4 yr−1 is redistributed from Asia to North America. This difference exceeds the estimated uncertainty for North America (±3.5 Tg CH4 yr−1). We used time invariant prior flux estimates, so for the period from 2000 to 2006, when the growth rate of global atmospheric CH4 was very small, the assimilation does not produce increases in natural or anthropogenic emissions in contrast to bottom-up emission data sets. After 2006, when atmospheric CH4 began its recent increases, CarbonTracker-CH4 allocates some of the increases to anthropogenic emissions at temperate latitudes, and some to tropical wetland emissions. For temperate North America the prior flux increases by about 4 Tg CH4 yr−1 during winter when biogenic emissions are small. Examination of the residuals at some North American observation sites suggests that increased gas and oil exploration may play a role since sites near fossil fuel production are particularly hard for the inversion to fit and the prior flux estimates at these sites are apparently lower and lower over time than what the atmospheric measurements imply. The tropics are not currently well resolved by CarbonTracker-CH4 due to sparse observational coverage and a short assimilation window. However, there is a small uncertainty reduction and posterior emissions are about 18% higher than prior estimates. Most of this increase is allocated to tropical South America rather than being distributed among the global tropics. Our estimates for this source region are about 32 ± 4 Tg CH4 yr−1, in good agreement with the analysis of Melack et al. (2004) who obtained 29 Tg CH4 yr−1 for the most productive region, the Amazon Basin.


Seeds are very important part of the world's diet, contributing to half of the global per capita energy intake. Thereby, their study has a substantive relevance, reflected by numerous yearly publications. However, mysteries remain about the main molecular mechanisms involved in germination and dormancy. Seed is a completely independent living thing, and in suitable conditions, hatches and generates a new adult plant completely, identical to which they gave rise. And to do so requires only light and water in certain proportions. Theoretically, the seed has reserves of nutrients that allow it to grow, until their so‐called autotrophic features allow them to establish itself as a self‐ sufficient organism. So far, the above cannot be explained adequately, we only have abundant theories that come and go. However, our finding of the intrinsic property of melanin is that it transforms the visible and invisible light to chemical energy through the water molecule dissociation and marks a before and an after process in the study of the germination of the seeds. Nutrients that can be found in a seed not only provide energy but also elements to be biomass, that is, mainly carbon chains of different lengths and combinations, which eventually constitute the backbone of more than 95% of biomolecules. The chemical energy that the seed requires to carry out the highly complex chemical reactions necessary for hatching is taken from water, dissociating it through melanin.


This study examines the role of aspect in L2 acquisition within the framework of the Interpretability Hypothesis (Tsimpli 2003; Hawkins and Hattori 2006). Aspect in Greek is a grammaticalized, interpretable feature affecting the argument structure and the telic/atelic interpretation of manner-of-motion verbs. As such, aspect is relevant to the syntax-semantics and the syntaxdiscourse interfaces. Native speakers and L2 learners of Greek were tested on the comprehension and production of manner-of-motion verbs. The results show that aspectual distinctions are appropriately used by L2 learners, at both interfaces. However, unlike native speakers, L2 learners rely more on lexical properties of prepositions and verbs than on grammatical aspect to encode (a)telicity. Moreover, L2 grammars of Greek seem to involve a one-to-one correspondence between perfectivity and telicity.


Kinetic and equilibrium studies of the reactions between three trinitroaromatic species, 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, ethyl 2,4,6-trmitrophenyl ether and phenyl 2,4,6- trinitrophenyl ether and the ahphatic amines n-butylamine, pyrrolidine and piperidine, in acetonitrile were undertaken. It was found that the reactions between 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene and each amine were too fast to measure. However kinetic information was gamed from the decomposition of the c-adducts formed from1.3.5- trinitrobenzene and both pyrrolidine and piperidme. Both the 3-adduct and the 1-adduct are observed as intermediates m the reaction of the ethyl ether with each amine, though formation of the 3-adduct was too fast to measure by stopped flow spectrometry. Formation of the picramides is subject to general acid catalysis due to the poor leaving group ability of the ethoxide ion. Only the 3-adduct intermediate was observed in the formation of each picramide from the phenyl ether. The fact that the 1-adduct is not seen is attributed to the phenoxide ion being a weaker base and hence a much superior leaving group to the ethoxide ion. The equilibrium constants K(_c,3)o and K(_c,1)o are a factor of ca. 10(^4) smaller in acetonitrile than dimethyl sulphoxide. This is due to acetonitrile being inferior to dimethyl sulphoxide in its ability to solvate charged species. The value of k(AM) for reaction at an unsubstituted position approaches the diffusion controlled Unit of acetonitrile. The reactions of propanal, 2-chloroethanal, 2,2-dichloroethanal and 2,2,2- trichloroethanal (chloral) with ammonia and several primary amines were studied. Only the reactions of ammonia with propanal and 2-chloroethanal produced the corresponding 2,4,6-trisubstituted-l,3,5-hexahydrotriazme.Reactions of the aldehydes with primary ammes yield propylidene imines as relatively stable species. Trimerisation was not observed however the imine may undergo dimerisation together with elimination of amine. Kinetic and equilibrium studies are reported on the formation in acetonitrile of2.4.6- triethyl-l,3,5-hexahydrotriazine, (TEHT), from propanal and ammonia, and also the corresponding decomposition reaction. The equilibrium constant was found to decrease with increasing water content in the acetonitrile which can be attributed to stabilisation of ammonia by the water. Good correlation was achieved for values of the equilibrium constant calculated directly from absorbance measurements and from combination of rate constants obtained from the formation and decomposition reactions.


These studies define a new mechanism-based approach to radiosensitize tumor cure by single dose radiotherapy (SDRT). Published evidence indicates that SDRT induces acute microvascular endothelial apoptosis initiated via acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase) translocation to the external plasma membrane. Ensuing microvascular damage regulates radiation lethality of tumor stem cell clonogens to effect tumor cure. Based on this biology, we engineered an ASMase-producing vector consisting of a modified pre-proendothelin-1 promoter, PPE1(3x), and a hypoxia-inducible dual-binding HIF-2α-Ets-1 enhancer element upstream of the asmase gene, inserted into a replication-deficient adenovirus yielding the vector Ad5H2E-PPE1(3x)-ASMase. This vector confers ASMase over-expression in cycling angiogenic endothelium in vitro and within tumors in vivo, with no detectable enhancement in endothelium of normal tissues that exhibit a minute fraction of cycling cells or in non-endothelial tumor or normal tissue cells. Intravenous pretreatment with Ad5H2E-PPE1(3x)-ASMase markedly increases SDRT cure of inherently radiosensitive MCA/129 fibrosarcomas, and converts radiation-incurable B16 melanomas into biopsy-proven tumor cures. In contrast, Ad5H2E-PPE1(3x)-ASMase treatment did not impact radiation damage to small intestinal crypts as non-dividing small intestinal microvessels did not overexpress ASMase and were not radiosensitized. We posit that combination of genetic up-regulation of tumor microvascular ASMase and SDRT provides therapeutic options for currently radiation-incurable human tumors.


Perhaps the most widely held view of the Crash of 1987 is the Cascade Theory: the Crash emerged from the interaction of stock prices with new financial strategies such as program trading and portfolio insurance, which use new financial instruments including stock index options and futures. According to this view, a decline in stock prices initiated by fundamental factors led to an overreaction in stock index futures prices, due largely to portfolio insurance. This, in turn, created a negative spread between stock prices and futures prices, hence encouraging a further decline in stock prices through index arbitrage. In short, a moderate decline exploded into a severe Crash because of the existence of new financial instruments. ; This article concludes that while the reasons for the Crash are complex and cannot be disentangled, the markets for new financial instruments performed correctly during the Crash. The market that failed was the stock market itself. Trading mechanisms were not able to deal with the flood of selling orders, and the long delays in information about the actual prices at which stocks were trading created "stale prices," which were the primary reason for the large discount that emerged in stock index futures. These discounts acted as a signal for further sales, thereby creating pressures for further stock price declines. The article examines the efficacy of policy proposals designed to discourage future crashes, among them trading halts and margin requirements. It is argued that these are not likely to have a significant effect on the potential for crashes, and that they have the potential to exacerbate the problem.


Background. A significant increase in rape victim assessment referrals by the courts has been noted in recent years at Weskoppies Hospital. Rape victims are referred by courts to determine: ( i ) their competency as a witness; ( ii ) their ability to give consent to sexual acts; ( iii ) their mental age; and ( iv ) their level of mental retardation. These evaluations are done by psychologists and psychiatrists at state hospitals. The findings are reported to the courts in a report format. Objectives. To present the findings of the reports compiled by psychologists and psychiatrists on rape victims from 2009 to 2013 as they comment on the court's referral questions, and compare these findings with similar studies done at other psychiatric institutions. Methods. A total of 108 reports was obtained from the electronic database at Weskoppies Hospital. The findings of the reports were summarised on a datasheet and were categorised according to the referral questions of the courts.  Results. In the 68 reports where mention was made of mental age, almost three-quarters found it to be between 4 and 12 years. Intellectual disability was found as the diagnosis in the vast majority of reports. Of these, the most common severity of impairment was moderate ( n =22, 21.8%) and moderate to severe ( n =21, 20.8%) in nature. Most reports ( n =61, 56.6%) found that the rape victims were not able to consent to sexual intercourse. Seventy-one (65.7%) reports stated that victims were not able to testify in court. Conclusion. Most reports stated that victims suffered from intellectual disability and their capacity to testify in court was impaired. More than half of the victims evaluated did not have the capacity to give consent to sexual acts.


An experiment was conducted to study the effect of curcumin supplementation in expose monochromatic light on serum lipid concentrations of sexually mature female m agelang d uck . One hundred and ninety two femal e m agelang ducks were assigned into a completely randomized design with a 4×4 factorial arrangement and each experimental unit was repeated 3 times , each with 4 female magelang ducks. The first factor was dose of curcumin supplementation consisted of 4 levels i .e., 0, 9, 18, and 36 mg /duck/day . The second factor was the color of monochromatic light consisted of 4 levels i.e., white, red, green, and blue colors. The data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA. The result showed that serum concentrations of triglyceride, cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), and low density lipoprotein (LDL) were lower (P<0.05) while high density lipoprotein (HDL) were higher (P<0.05) in experimental ducks supplemented with a curcumin dose of 36 mg/duck/day in variety of monochromatic light colors compared to control experimental ducks without curcumin supplementation. T he curcumin doses of 18 or 36 mg/d uck /day with in red, green, or blue light ha d the potential to modulate lipid metabolism, as indicated by the increased serum concentration of HDL and the decreased serum concentrations of triglyceride, cholesterol, VLDL, and LDL of the experimental female m agelang ducks .


We examine the pricing of U.S. multinational firms' foreign earnings in regard to their risk of expropriation and unfair treatment by the governments of the countries in which their international subsidiaries are located. Using 8,891 firm-years observations during the 2001-2013 period, we find that the value relevance of foreign earnings increases with the improvement of the protection from state expropriation risk in the subsidiary host-countries. Our results are not driven by the earnings management practice, investor distraction, country informativeness, and political and trade relationship of a foreign country with the US. Furthermore, our results are robust to the confounding effects of country factors, measurement error in the variable of the risk of expropriation, influence of private contracting institutions, and endogeneity in the decision of location of subsidiaries.


Studies of mineral-forming processes in modern peat bogs can shed light on metal concentrations and their cycling in similar environments, especially in geological paleoanalogs. In terms of the mineralogical and geochemical evolution of peat bog environments, the Vasyugan Swamp in Western Siberia is a unique scientific object. Twelve peat samples were collected from the Vasyugan Swamp up to the depth of 275 cm at 25 cm intervals. The studied peat deposit section is represented by oligotrophic (0–100 cm), mesotrophic (100–175 cm), and eutrophic (175–275 cm) peat, and this is underlain by basal sediments (from 275 cm). About 30 minerals were detected using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. The observed minerals are divided into detrital, clay, and authigenic phases. The detrital minerals found included quartz, feldspar, ilmenite, rutile, magnetite, zircon, and monazite. When passing from basal to oligotrophic bog sediments, the clay minerals changed from illite-smectite to kaolinite. Authigenic minerals are represented by carbonates (calcite and dolomite), iron (hydro-)oxides, galena, sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, Zn-Pb-S mineral, barite, baritocelestine, celestine, tetrahedrite, cassiterite, REE phosphate, etc. The regular distribution of mineral inclusions in peat is associated with the (bio)geochemical evolution of the environment. The formation of authigenic Zn, Pb and Sb sulfides is mainly confined to anaerobic conditions that exist in the eutrophic peat and basal sediments. The maximum amount of pyrite is associated with the interval of 225–250 cm, which is the zone of transition from basal sediments to eutrophic peat. The formation of carbonate minerals and the decreasing concentration of clay in the association with local sulfide formation (galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, stibnite) begins above this interval. The peak of specific carbonation appears in the 125–150 cm interval of the mesotrophic peat, which is characterized by pH 4.9–4.5 of pore water. Kaolinite is the dominant clay mineral in the oligotrophic peat. Gypsum, galena, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and relicts of carbonate are noted in association with kaolinite. Changes in oxygen concentrations are reflected in newly formed mineral associations in corresponding intervals of the peat. This can be explained by the activity of microbiological processes such as the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) and bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR), expressed in specific carbonatization (100–225 cm) and sulfidization (175–250 cm), respectively.


This chapter focuses on management of emotions in an emergency setting. More specifically, how do emergency call takers manage double-faced emotional management – i.e., their own and the caller's emotions – simultaneously? By triangulating interviews, observations, and organizational documentation with theories on emotional management multiple strategies were identified. The range of strategies included hiving (selecting and modifying) calls, elaborating on (by deploying attention and reshaping/reappraising) content of calls, auralizing (by externalizing an emotional barrier) as well as taming emotional expression. The set of emotional management strategies are concluded in a Heat-model. The model is further discussed in terms of performance efficiency; in terms of how emotional aspects may interfere with decision-making capabilities as well as how wellbeing can be maintained for call takers.


Recent advances have increased the understanding that dysbiosis of the gut microbiome may be a significant contributor to the pathophysiology of ulcerative colitis. Because of this, the use of fecal microbiota transplants (FMT) has become more popular as a potential supplemental treatment option for patients suffering from this disease. Research has shown a possible benefit of FMT in conjunction with varying conventional therapies for patients with mild to moderate disease severity. However, there are scarce publications that have investigated the benefit of FMT in conjunction with a single conventional therapy for patients with moderate to severe disease, specifically. The proposed study is a multicenter, double blind, randomized controlled study of FMT, mercaptopurine (6-MP), and prednisone vs 6-MP and prednisone alone in patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis. The study subjects will have a baseline evaluation and the treatment trial will last 8 weeks with follow up throughout the study. Investigators will analyze the primary outcome of clinical remission and secondary outcomes of improvement of fecal calprotectin levels, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ) score, C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in the treatment vs control groups. The data from this study will help to identify if FMT would be an additional safe, efficacious treatment modality to the current medical management of ulcerative colitis.


The electronic structure of water is typically thought of exhibiting lone-pairs of electrons, described by some as "rabbit-ears'". This is not the universal view, and does not mesh with an interpretation based on the one-electron wavefunctions which emerge from molecular orbital theory. Here we show, by analysing the antisymmetrized wavefunction (Slater determinant) rather than the Hartree product, that the water wavefunction indeed exhibits equivalent lone pairs. The observed photoelectron spectrum is reconciled with this view in terms of a relaxation of this structure upon the loss of an electron. It is therefore shown that the lone-pair viewpoint is completely consistent with both the experimental results and the calculated wavefunction.


SUMMARY
We have developed a laboratory information management system (LIMS) for a next-generation sequencing (NGS) laboratory within the existing Galaxy platform. The system provides lab technicians standard and customizable sample information forms, barcoded submission forms, tracking of input sample quality, multiplex-capable automatic flow cell design and automatically generated sample sheets to aid physical flow cell preparation. In addition, the platform provides the researcher with a user-friendly interface to create a request, submit accompanying samples, upload sample quality measurements and access to the sequencing results. As the LIMS is within the Galaxy platform, the researcher has access to all Galaxy analysis tools and workflows. The system reports requests and associated information to a message queuing system, such that information can be posted and stored in external systems, such as a wiki. Through an API, raw sequencing results can be automatically pre-processed and uploaded to the appropriate request folder. Developed for the Illumina HiSeq 2000 instrument, many features are directly applicable to other instruments.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION
The code and documentation are available at http://tron-mainz.de/tron-facilities/computational-medicine/galaxy-lims/


There is growing evidence that fiscal consolidation may contribute to economic growth even in the short term. In this paper we review recent research on such non-Keynesian fiscal policy effects and apply panel data econometric techniques to examine the consequences of fiscal consolidation in the EU New Member States. We extend the analysis to test potential channels through which non-Keynesian effects may operate. The results confirm that composition of the consolidation determines the output response. Moreover, we find evidence that all types of fiscal consolidations stimulate private investments, while export acceleration is observed only when consolidations involve mostly expenditure curtailment. Private consumption reaction to fiscal policy shows signs of nonlinearity - in the case of minor adjustments Keynesian effects dominate, but they are cancelled out when sizable consolidations are considered.


Trypsin‐coated magnetic nanoparticles (EC‐TR/NPs), prepared via a simple multilayer random crosslinking of the trypsin molecules onto magnetic nanoparticles, were highly stable and could be easily captured using a magnet after the digestion was complete. EC‐TR/NPs showed a negligible loss of trypsin activity after multiple uses and continuous shaking, whereas the conventional immobilization of covalently attached trypsin on NPs resulted in a rapid inactivation under the same conditions due to the denaturation and autolysis of trypsin. A single model protein, a five‐protein mixture, and a whole mouse brain proteome were digested at atmospheric pressure and 37°C for 12 h or in combination with pressure cycling technology at room temperature for 1 min. In all cases, EC‐TR/NPs performed equally to or better than free trypsin in terms of both the identified peptide/protein number and the digestion reproducibility. In addition, the concomitant use of EC‐TR/NPs and pressure cycling technology resulted in very rapid (∼1 min) and efficient digestions with more reproducible digestion results.


Experience of deliberate animal harm has been found to be a risk factor for school-based violence and later criminality. However, much of the extant research is based on retrospective or caregiver reports with few studies surveying youth directly. The aim of the current study was to address this gap. Sixty-three Australian youth (47 females, 16 males) aged 14-18 years completed an online survey assessing their experience of engaging in and/or witnessing animal abuse (AA) and engaging in/being a victim of bullying. Levels of egoistic need for power and human-directed empathy were also assessed. Expected gender-based differences in experience of animal abuse (directly and as a witness) and personality variables were found. As a cohort, witnessing and/or directly engaging in AA significantly correlated with bullying, while engaging in (not merely witnessing) AA, lower affective empathy and a high need for power were found to predict perpetration of bullying for males. Disparity in findings reported in the literature as well as predictive links between bullying and animal abuse suggest the need for more research in this area. The inclusion of humane education content within extant anti-bullying interventions may prove efficacious in attending to multiple risk factors including empathy deficits.


Diallel analysis and field tests have not been used in selecting for resistance to fusarium wilt in common beans (dry beans, Phaseolus vulgaris). Our goal was to select parents and segregating populations of dry bean (common bean) with black seed coat that are resistant to fusarium wilt and have high yield and high seed weight. Eight common bean cultivars and elite lines with some level of resistance to fusarium wilt based on previous evaluations, were used to make crosses in a complete diallel scheme. The 28 populations obtained were evaluated with two controls in trials in the F3 (winter/2012), F4 (winter/2013), and F5 (winter/2014) generations in randomized blocks, with three replications, in plots of two 4-meter rows. The trials were conducted in Santo Antonio de Goias, GO, Brazil, in a field infested by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. phaseoli in the winter growing season. Data were obtained on reaction to fusarium wilt, yield, and 100 seed weight. Individual and joint analyses of variance and diallel analysis were conducted on these data regarding reaction to fusarium wilt. Mean values were clustered using the Scott-Knott test. Genetic variability was detected for the three traits. There were significant differences among the general combining abilities of the parents and specific combining abilities of the populations for reaction to fusarium wilt, and the additive and non-additive effects were significant. The CNFP 15867 line is recommended for performing new crosses, because it exhibited a positive estimate of general combining ability (0.39), which indicates that it contributes to obtaining more resistant populations. The populations BRS Esplendor x BRS Expedito and BRS Expedito x CNFP 15867 were the most promising for extraction of lines, because they present high resistance to fusarium wilt (-2.6 and -2.8) and high grain yield (2212 and 2270 kg.ha-1), and acceptable seed weight (21.1 and 20.5 g/100grains).


The 2014 EU Directive on Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) lays down obligations for the EU Member States to establish a maritime planning process, resulting in a maritime spatial plan by 2020. Consultation should be carried out with local, national and transnational stakeholders. Stakeholder engagement in MSP is complex because of the great number and diversity of maritime stakeholders and the unfamiliarity of some of these stakeholders with MSP and its potential impact. To facilitate stakeholder engagement in MSP, the 'MSP Challenge' table top strategy game was designed and played as part of several stakeholder events in different European countries. The authors study the efficacy of the game for stakeholder engagement. Background and evaluation data of nineteen game sessions with a total of 310 stakeholders with different backgrounds were collected through post-game surveys. Furthermore, the efficacy of the game for stakeholder engagement processes, organised by competent MSP authorities in Scotland and Belgium, is studied in more detail. The results show that the board game, overall, has been a very efficient and effective way of familiarising a great diversity of stakeholders with MSP and to create meaningful interaction and learning among stakeholders in formal planning processes. However, the case studies also show that contextual factors—the level of familiarity with MSP and participants' perception to sustainability—influences the efficacy of the game.


The European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) was established with the task of coordinating the supervisory activities of the national insurance regulators in the EU member states. EIOPA has a significant role in developing the Solvency II system for insurance regulation. One of its tasks is to issue guidelines and recommendations addressed to national supervisors and/or insurance undertakings. This paper examines the legal character of EIOPA's guidelines and recommendations. After a presentation of the legal framework concerning guidelines, the scope of EIOPA's competences to issue guidelines is analysed. Against this background, the paper examines whether guidelines constitute binding rules. A critical assessment of existing legal doctrine forms the starting point for a situation-based analysis from an addressee's perspective. It is suggested that depending both on the content of the guideline and, for insurance undertakings, on the statement given by the competent national supervisor whether a guideline enjoys a presumption of being correct and binding or whether compliance is in the addressee's discretion.


Debates about globalization have been accompanied by considerable critical assessment of the notion of cosmopolitanism. The upsurge in travel, trade, communication, and resettlement among non-elite individuals and groups has raised questions about the nature and form of 'bottom-up' or 'vernacular' cosmopolitanism. This article explores the ways in which the experiences of a group of young people (12–15 years of age) in south-western Sydney contribute to shared practices of membership in a culturally differentiated society. On one level, these young people display a de facto vernacular cosmopolitanism through familial experiences of migration. However, the article shows how these young people often move within socially and culturally bounded communities defined by ethnicity, language, socio-economic status, shaped by desires for safety, support and belonging, and maintained by propinquity, religion and the persistence of traditional expectations and patterns around gender and inter-marriage.


Libraries in prisons in Australia are traditionally repositories of old, second hand books, staffed (if at all) by an inmate who can hopefully read. The NSW Department of Corrective Services is attempting to change this situation with a number of innovative strategies. The first step was to centralise the management and budget of all libraries (staff and inmate) under a single manager. This has enabled the supply of new, good quality library resources in a cost effective and coordinated manner. It also quarantines the library budget from being used to pay for other prison related activities. The next step has been to provide properly qualified staff for these libraries, to ensure that these improved resources are used effectively. As the budget is not adequate to employ civilian staff for all the libraries (currently there are 48 libraries), inmates are recruited for the position of Inmate Library Clerk and offered the opportunity to complete a recognised training qualification in library science. This paper will discuss the challenges and opportunities of implementing and operating this system and the resulting short and long term advantages for the Inmate Library Clerk and the other inmates. It will also discuss the advantages of this system for the staff in the prisons as well as the society in general, to which most of the inmates will eventually return. It will also discuss the technical, legal, political and social implications of providing library services and inmate library training within the Prisons, and the challenges that are faced by the library staff, both inmate and civilian, when working in libraries in a correctional environment.


OBJECTIVES
To assess the health risks associated with consumption of drinking water with elevated nickel concentration in a NSW country town named Sampleton.

METHODS
We used enHealth Guidelines (2002) as our risk assessment tool. Laboratory test results for nickel in water samples were compared with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines 2004 and the World Health Organization's (WHO) Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality 2005.

RESULTS
The mean nickel concentration in the drinking water samples tested over a 4-year period (2002-2005) was 0.03 mg/L (95% CI: 0.02-0.04). The average daily consumption of two litres of water by a 70-kg adult provided 0.06 mg (0.03 mg x 2) of nickel, which was only 7% of the lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) based on experiments on nickel-sensitive people in a fasting state.

CONCLUSIONS
The mean nickel concentration in drinking water appears to have no health risks for the inhabitants of Sampleton.


The primary reason for establishing an institutional repository is to increase the visibility of the institution's research output by making it Open Access. Academic libraries are becoming very involved in managing electronic scholarly products and participating in the evolving scholarly communication process through institutional repositories. Although institutional repositories can make room for easier access to universities' research output, unfortunately it is not fully developed in some academic institutions. The origin of this problem is that there are known instances where librarians in-charge of institutional nrepository are unaware of their roles, and are unskilled in implementing the institutional repository. This paper describes a study conducted on the roles of librarians in the deployment and content recruitment of institutional repositories in eight (8) universities in Malaysia. Sample for this study are librarians who are involved with the development and implementation of institutional repository in their respective universities. The study reveals that the act of collecting materials for depositing is mainly done by librarians rather than the authors and researchers. Providing training sessions, holding meetings in departments and faculties, and also linking of the institutional repository website from the university and faculties' website have the highest rank in librarians' approach to promote the institutional repository. The paper also discusses the process of depositing, motivation factors, roles, marketing and benefits of institutional repository that will have reference value for the librarians who desire to embark on an institutional repository


At first blush, the Copyright Clause and the First Amendment of the United States Constitution appear to serve conflicting interests and to exist in irrevocable tension. On one hand, the Copyright Clause grants authors "the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries," thereby prohibiting others from utilizing certain forms of expression. On the other hand, the First Amendment prohibits Congress from "abridging the freedom of speech" and expression. Thus, by simultaneously prohibiting the use of another's expression and safeguarding expression, the two provisions appear to be on a constitutional collision course.