Training is concerned with adopting the individual in the job, in the shortest possible time, consistent with good quality. Systematic training can bring effective quality, reduction in wastage (scrap), a greater job-knowledge with a sense of purpose and achievement. Training should improve workers' competences, equip them for higher level work, increase the quality of output or performance and enhance morale. A training need can be defined as the gap between the requirements for skills and knowledge inherent in the job and those possessed by the current job holder. Kenya Polytechnic has recently been upgraded to a status of University College. Thus, need to assess the training needs of its personnel. To ensure that resources do not go to waste, there is need to conduct a thorough analysis of training needs. Staff training is the key to any productive workforce in any organization. The staff needs to be self-propelled in updating themselves and rekindling their work morale and sharpening of their working skills. Technology is forever changing and work methodologies as the world continually becomes a global village. In this study, the extent of training needs analysis (TNA) conducted at Kenya Polytechnic University College which is undergoing transformation was established with the aim of find out why TNA was carried out. To achieve this, the study employed descriptive survey design where 73 questionnaires for data collection were administered. A pilot study was conducted to enhance validity of the instrument. The data was coded and entered in a statistical package for analysis. Simple descriptive statistics, frequencies and percentages were used in the analysis. The results showed that there was need to carry out TNA at KPUC in view of transforming it into University College. This was because most of the staff had not attended any TNA before, thus needed the training to enable them cope with the new rank of the college and its quality assurance demands, training needs were identified and this included need to revise the content, method of teaching, timing and duration of the training, From this study, it was concluded that there was need to carry out TNA at KPUC in few of transforming it into University College because most of the staff had not attended any TNA before thus needed the training to enable them cope with the new rank of the college and its quality assurance demands. Training needs were identified and this included need to revise the content, method, timing and duration of the training. KEY WORDS: Training needs analysis, training needs and work morale


We identify an aerosol of dielectric particles as a broadband, low-power nonlinear-optics medium. We demonstrate theoretically that a room-temperature volume of 5-μm-radius glass spheres will exhibit a third-order susceptibility in the visible equal to ~10f esu, where f is the volumetric packing fraction of the spheres. The response of the system is broadband throughout the visible, and the nonlinear-optic gain coefficient is shown to exceed the extinction coefficient because of scattering at pump-power levels on the order of 0.3 W/cm2. Two techniques for levitation of the aerosol are quantitatively evaluated.


When answering a question, humans utilize the information available across different modalities to synthesize a consistent and complete chain of thought (CoT). This process is normally a black box in the case of deep learning models like large-scale language models. Recently, science question benchmarks have been used to diagnose the multi-hop reasoning ability and interpretability of an AI system. However, existing datasets fail to provide annotations for the answers, or are restricted to the textual-only modality, small scales, and limited domain diversity. To this end, we present Science Question Answering (ScienceQA), a new benchmark that consists of ~21k multimodal multiple choice questions with a diverse set of science topics and annotations of their answers with corresponding lectures and explanations. We further design language models to learn to generate lectures and explanations as the chain of thought (CoT) to mimic the multi-hop reasoning process when answering ScienceQA questions. ScienceQA demonstrates the utility of CoT in language models, as CoT improves the question answering performance by 1.20% in few-shot GPT-3 and 3.99% in fine-tuned UnifiedQA. We also explore the upper bound for models to leverage explanations by feeding those in the input; we observe that it improves the few-shot performance of GPT-3 by 18.96%. Our analysis further shows that language models, similar to humans, benefit from explanations to learn from fewer data and achieve the same performance with just 40% of the data. The data and code are available at https://scienceqa.github.io.


This paper exploits data on the pattern of violence across regions and over time to estimate the impact of the peace process in Northern Ireland on house prices. We begin with a linear model that estimates the average treatment effect of a conflictrelated killing on house prices - showing a negative correlation between house prices and killings. We then develop an approach based on an economic model where the parameters of the statistical process are estimated for a Markov switching model where conflict and peace are treated as a latent state. From this, we are able to construct a measure of the discounted number of killings which is updated in the light of actual killings. This model naturally suggests a heterogeneous effect of killings across space and time which we use to generate estimates of the peace dividend. The economic model suggests a somewhat different pattern of estimates to the linear model. We also show that there is some evidence of spillover effects of violence in adjacent regions.


In decision-theoretic planning, plans are compared in terms of their expected-values. It has been supposed that this is justified by classical decision theory, but in fact this is incompatible with classical decision theory. Plan-based decision theory must be defended by showing that classical decision theory is wrong in ways that necessitate appealing to plans instead of actions in isolation. This paper proceeds by raising difficulties for classical decision theory and suggesting ways of meeting them which eventually lead to a kind of plan-based decision theory. The resulting plan-based decision theory differs in two way from more familiar versions proposed in the literature on decision theoretic planning. First, it evaluates plans in terms of their "expected utilities", which is different from the expected-value of executing the plan. Second, the objective is not to find optimal plans. It is argued that most plans cannot be compared by comparing their expected-utilities, and this makes optimality ill-defined. Instead, plans must be evaluated in terms of their contribution to the expectedutility of the agent's "master plan", which results from merging all of the agent's currently adopted plans into a single plan.


The experimental investigation of the hydrodynamics of a reversible pump-turbine reduced scale model in off-design operating conditions is presented. The onset and development of flow instabilities outside the "normal" operating range, in generating mode, involving runaway and "S-shape", are described. Wall pressure measurements, in the stator, are performed with the help of miniature piezoresistive sensors synchronized with high speed flow visualizations in the vaneless gap between the impeller and the guide vanes by air bubbles injection. The detailed analysis reveals that a rotating stall arises at runaway and increases in amplitude while the discharge is decreasing, reaching its maximum value near zero discharge. The pump-turbine experiences in the vaneless gap between the impeller and the guide vanes one rotating stall cell at sub-synchronous speed.


The innate immune system is the first line of defense against infectious agents. It is essential for protection against pathogens and stimulation of long-term adaptive immune responses. Therefore, deciphering the mechanisms of the innate immune system is crucial for understanding the integrated systems of host defense against microbial infections, which is conserved from insects to humans. Despite lacking a conventional adaptive immune system, insects can mount a robust immune response against a wide array of microbial pathogens. These innate immune mechanisms have been widely studied in Drosophila melanogaster , because of the model system's powerful genetic, genomic and molecular tools. The Drosophila immunity relies on cellular and humoral innate immune responses to fight pathogens. The hallmark of the Drosophila humoral immune response is the rapid induction of antimicrobial peptide genes in the fat body, the homolog of the mammalian liver. Expression of these antimicrobial peptide genes is controlled by two distinct immune signaling pathways, the Toll pathway and the IMD (immune deficiency) pathway. The Toll pathway is activated by fungal and Gram-positive bacterial infections, whereas the IMD pathway responds to Gram-negative bacteria. Both pathways culminate in activation of the Rel/NF-кB transcription factors DIF (Dorsal-related immunity factor), Dorsal and Relish, which in turn translocate to the nucleus to induce the antimicrobial peptide genes. DIF and Dorsal are activated by the Toll pathway and control induction of antimicrobial peptide genes such as Drosomycin . The NF-кB precursor Relish, which is composed of an N-terminal Rel homology domain and a C-terminal IкB-like domain, is activated by the IMD pathway and initiates transcription of antimicrobial peptide genes such as Diptericin . Although many components of the Drosophila immune signaling pathways have been identified, the detailed mechanisms of signal trans


Prior research provides evidence that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)-supportive corporate policies are related to important human resource functions, such as enhanced recruitment and retention. In addition, prior research indicates that investors view the adoption of such policies positively. We examine the firm-performance mechanisms underlying favorable stock-market reactions based on an integration of perspectives from corporate social responsibility and the business case for diversity. Specifically, we estimate a hierarchical linear model (HLM) to account for the nested nature of our data (firms nested within states) and find that (1) the presence of LGBT-supportive policies is associated with higher firm value, productivity, and profitability; (2) the firm-value and profitability benefits associated with LGBT-supportive policies are larger for companies engaged in research and development (R&D) activities; and (3) the firm-value and profitability benefits of LGBT-supportive policies persist in the presence of state antidiscrimination laws. In supplemental analyses, we find that firms implementing (discontinuing) LGBT-supportive policies experience increases (decreases) in firm value, productivity, and profitability. We are among the first to link LGBT-supportive policies specifically to financial performance outcomes as well as to develop and test a multilevel model of these relationships. Our results have important implications for theory and research on LGBT issues in organizations, human resource managers, and policymakers.


Abstract This paper describes a new general framework for the action of an automated driver (or driver model) to provide the control of longitudinal and lateral dynamics of a road vehicle. The context of the problem is assumed to be in high-speed competitive driving, as in motor racing, where the requirement is for maximum possible speed along a track, making use of a reference path (racing line) but with the capacity for obstacle avoidance and recovery from large excursions. While not necessarily representative of a human driver, the analysis provides worthwhile insight into the nature of the driving task and offers a new approach for vehicle lateral and longitudinal control; it also has applications in less demanding applications such as Advanced Cruise Control systems. As is common in the literature, the driving task is broken down into two distinct subtasks: path planning and local feedback control. In the first of these tasks, an essentially geometric approach is taken here, which makes use of a vector field analysis. At each location x the automated driver is to prescribe a vector w for the desired vehicle mass centre velocity; the spatial distribution and global properties of w(x) provide essential information for stability analysis, as well as control reference. The resulting vector field is considered in the context of limited friction and limited mass centre accelerations, leading to constraints on ∇w. Provided such constraints are satisfied, and using suitable adaptation of w(x) when required, it is shown that feedback control can be applied to guarantee stable asymptotic tracking of a reference path, even under limit handling conditions. A specific implementation of the method is included, using dual non-linear SISO (single-input single-output) controllers.


The use of microwave (MW) irradiation to assist the modified peroxide sol–gel synthesis of La1−xSrxMnO3 was shown to 1) improve crystallinity and 2) enhance the magnetic susceptibility and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of samples compared to those synthesised using the conventional method. The improvement in crystallinity of the samples synthesised using MW irradiation was evident in the structural characterisation conducted using SEM and XRD. Magnetic heating experiments on La1−xSrxMnO3 (x = 0.25, 0.35 and 0.4) showed that for the MW-assisted method, the most suitable material for magnetic fluid hyperthermia applications was La0.65Sr0.35MnO3. MW settings (time and power) were investigated in an attempt to further optimise the MCE. Increasing MW time settings used (10 min, 30 min and 2 hours) led to increased saturation temperatures (45.9 °C, 57.0 °C and 58.3 °C, respectively), with a linear relationship between the MW power settings used and the MCE also observed during the magnetic heating experiments. Specific absorption rates as high as 175 W gMn−1 were achieved compared to the conventional maximum of 56 W gMn−1 in previous work. The enhancement of MCE was ascribed to a greater core ferromagnetic contribution as a result of the improvement in the degree of crystallinity and magnetic susceptibility of the samples synthesised with MW irradiation.


Background: Attempted suicide is a major health problem internationally and a common cause of presentation to emergency department. The identification of the potential contributing factors associated with suicide attempts is of great importance for effective suicide prevention. Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with attempted suicide presenting in a Greek emergency department. Methods: A cross-sectional, retrospective study was conducted including all episodes of attempted suicide attending to emergency departments in a general hospital in Greece from January 2014 to December 2014. Data was collected using a standard registration form. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to identify the factors associated with attempted suicide. Results: A total of 203 suicide attempt presentations were made to the emergency department by 195 individuals. The male-to-female attempted suicide ratio was 1:1.5. The mean age of patients was 40.5 ± 15.6 years and the largest numbers by age groups were 25-34 year-old (28.6%). The most common method used for attempted suicide was self-poisoning (80.8%) mainly with benzodiazepines (36.6%) and analgesics (18.6%). The majority of self-harm involved self-cutting/stabbing (63.9%) and hanging (13.9%). The most frequently reported reason for attempted suicide was related to interpersonal relationships (59.6%). Psychosocial assessment by specialist mental health personnel occurred in 44.3% of cases. Self-poisoning were significantly associated with gender and education in multivariable analysis.Conclusions: Attempted suicide is a multi-determined act which results from an interaction between a wide range of socio-demographic and clinical factor. Further researches are required to enhance our understanding of patients' profile that predispose to suicide attempt and contribute to implementation of targeted treatment approaches.


Surveillance methods in the United States operate under the general principle that "use precedes regulation." While the general principle of "use precedes regulation" is widely understood, its societal costs have yet to be realized. In the period between "initial use" and "regulation," government actors can utilize harmful investigative techniques with relative impunity. Assuming a given technique is ultimately subjected to regulation, its preregulation uses are practically exempted from any such regulation due to qualified immunity (for the actor) and the exclusionary rule's good-faith exception (for any resulting evidence). This expectation of impunity invites strategic government actors to make frequent and arbitrary uses of harmful investigative techniques during preregulation periods. Regulatory delays tend to run long (often a decade or more) and are attributable in no small part to the stalling methods of law enforcement (through assertions of privilege, deceptive funding requests, and strategic sequencing of criminal investigations). While the societal costs of regulatory delay are high, rising, and difficult to control, the conventional efforts to shorten regulatory delays (through expedited legislation and broader rules of Article III standing) have proved ineffective. This Article introduces an alternative method to control the costs of regulatory delay: locating rights to be "protected" and "free from fear" in the "to be secure" text of the Fourth Amendment. Courts and most commentators interpret the Fourth Amendment to safeguard a mere right to be "spared" unreasonable searches and seizures. A study of the "to be secure" text, however, suggests that the Amendment can be read more broadly: to guarantee a right to be "protected" against unreasonable searches and seizures, and possibly a right to be "free from fear" against such government action. Support for these broad readings of "to be secure" is found in the original meaning of "secure," the Amendment's structure, and founding-era discourse regarding searches and seizures. The rights to be "protected" and "free from fear" can be adequately safeguarded by a judicially-created rule against government "adoption" of a method that constitutes an unregulated and unreasonable search or seizure. The upshot of this Fourth Amendment rule against "adoption" is earlier standing to challenge the constitutionality of concealed investigative techniques. Earlier access to courts invites earlier judicial regulation which, in turn, helps curb the rising costs of regulatory delay.


The attraction and retention of professionals generally in rural and regional Australia is an on-going concern. Recent attention has focused upon the recruitment of lawyers and legal professionals to rural and regional areas, where the proportion of lawyers practising has steadily declined over the past twenty years. While the precise extent of the decline is difficult to assess, and the causes of recruitment and retention issues for lawyers in rural and regional areas are nuanced and can vary from region to region, it is clear that concern about attraction and retention is a national one. A national survey conducted in 2009 by the peak national representative body of the Australian legal profession, the Law Council of Australia, revealed that 43 per cent of law firm principals in rural, regional and remote areas believed they had insufficient staff to service their existing clientele. In addition, the survey identified difficulties in filling vacancies and forecasted that the retirement of experienced law firm staff over the coming years would further exacerbate this problem, as 42 per cent of the current practitioners surveyed indicated they would retire within five to ten years. Moreover, 30 per cent of the younger lawyers surveyed indicated that they intended to remain in rural, regional or remote practice for only around two years before exploring employment options in larger centres.


Democracy is a social philosophy and the most geographic form of government in which people in role of arbitration hold the ultimate power to make decisions about issues of politics. Effectiveness of democracy and the development of democracy around the world have made the electoral geography the most flourishing trend of political geography over the past four decade. Since the politics is a plural phenomenon and geographic phenomena which are influenced by locationspace processes, have dynamic and changeable nature, the spatial patterns obtained from the plurality and dynamism are studied in political geography and consequently in the electoral geography. Despite of many researches in the area of electoral geography, fewer researches have been conducted on the nature and existential philosophy of the topic. This research is a fundamental study which through an explanatory approach assumed that the scientific description of electoral geography is possible in a combine conceptual form. Required data is collected by library research methods. The results showed that electoral geography as a subset of political geography studies the spatial distribution pattern of power in the context of mutual relations between geography, election and power.


Private Law and Property Claims sets out a distinctive analysis of some general issues in private law, including the nature of categories such as contract, tort and property, duties and liabilities as the basis of claims in private law, and the relationship between primary rights and remedies. In the light of this analysis, it offers a new approach to property in private law, including claims that arise to protect and recover property. It goes on to discuss the law of trusts, fiduciary relationships, and tracing; the remedial role of the trust; the nature of equity as a legal category; and the relationship between property and claims in tort to protect property. It also exposes the misconceptions underlying the modern approach to restitution and unjust enrichment and the problems this is causing in private law.


Background Seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV) coverage among young children remains low worldwide. Mobile social networking apps such as WhatsApp Messenger are promising tools for health interventions. Objective This was a preliminary study to test the effectiveness and parental acceptability of a social networking intervention that sends weekly vaccination reminders and encourages exchange of SIV-related views and experiences among mothers via WhatsApp discussion groups for promoting childhood SIV. The second objective was to examine the effect of introducing time pressure on mothers' decision making for childhood SIV for vaccination decision making. This was done using countdowns of the recommended vaccination timing. Methods Mothers of child(ren) aged 6 to 72 months were randomly allocated to control or to one of two social networking intervention groups receiving vaccination reminders with (SNI+TP) or without (SNI–TP) a time pressure component via WhatsApp discussion groups at a ratio of 5:2:2. All participants first completed a baseline assessment. Both the SNI–TP and SNI+TP groups subsequently received weekly vaccination reminders from October to December 2017 and participated in WhatsApp discussions about SIV moderated by a health professional. All participants completed a follow-up assessment from April to May 2018. Results A total of 84.9% (174/205), 71% (57/80), and 75% (60/80) who were allocated to the control, SNI–TP, and SNI+TP groups, respectively, completed the outcome assessment. The social networking intervention significantly promoted mothers' self-efficacy for taking children for SIV (SNI–TP: odds ratio [OR] 2.69 [1.07-6.79]; SNI+TP: OR 2.50 [1.13-5.55]), but did not result in significantly improved children's SIV uptake. Moreover, after adjusting for mothers' working status, introducing additional time pressure reduced the overall SIV uptake in children of working mothers (OR 0.27 [0.10-0.77]) but significantly increased the SIV uptake among children of mothers without a full-time job (OR 6.53 [1.87-22.82]). Most participants' WhatsApp posts were about sharing experience or views (226/434, 52.1%) of which 44.7% (101/226) were categorized as negative, such as their concerns over vaccine safety, side effects and effectiveness. Although participants shared predominantly negative experience or views about SIV at the beginning of the discussion, the moderator was able to encourage the discussion of more positive experience or views and more knowledge and information. Most intervention group participants indicated willingness to receive the same interventions (110/117, 94.0%) and recommend the interventions to other mothers (102/117, 87.2%) in future Conclusions Online information support can effectively promote mothers' self-efficacy for taking children for SIV but alone it may not sufficient to address maternal concerns over SIV to achieve a positive vaccination decision. However, the active involvement of health professionals in online discussions can shape positive discussions about vaccination. Time pressure on decision making interacts with maternal work status, facilitating vaccination uptake among mothers who may have more free time, but having the opposite effect among busier working mothers. Trial Registration Hong Kong University Clinical Trials Registry HKUCTR-2250; https://tinyurl.com/vejv276


Showing that dependable embedded systems fulfil vital quality attributes, e.g. by conforming to relevant standards, can be challenging. For emerging and increasingly complex functions, such as connected automated driving (CAD), there is also a need to ensure that attributes such as safety, cybersecurity, and availability are fulfilled simultaneously. Furthermore, such systems are often designed using existing parts, including 3rd party components, which must be included in the quality assurance. This paper discusses how to structure the argument at the core of an assurance case taking these considerations into account, and proposes patterns to aid in this task. The patterns are applied in a case study with an example automotive function. While the aim has primarily been safety and security assurance of CAD, their generic nature make the patterns relevant for multi-concern assurance in general.


Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) currently controls vast territories in Iraq and Syria with estimated population up to 5 million people. In June 2014, ISIS made a move to conquer Sunni areas of Iraq in provinces like Ninawa, Salah ad-Din, and al-Anbar. Until May 2015, there had been no significant military success combating ISIS. This paper argues that renewed Sunni insurgency in Iraq was indeed brewing for several years. ISIS campaign is described within the framework of the concept of insurgency. The text provides a comprehensive narrative of ISIS' and its organizational predecessors' insurgency in Iraq and Syria in the period of 2003-2015. As a conceptual background it utilizes a lifespan of insurgencies that argues that each insurgency must pass from proto-insurgency to large scale insurgency phase, and finally to a ―conventional stage‖ when insurgency is strong enough to meet counterinsurgent in open battlefield. A lifespan of ISIS insurgency indeed reached tipping point and entered ―conventional stage‖ in June 2014 when it assumed control over key Sunni areas of Iraq.


This book covers the whole of Hitler's life, from his obscure beginnings through his advance to supreme absolute power and then his final decline and suicide in the bunker as Russian shells fell around him. Bullock divides the narrative into three main sections. The first deals with Hitler's early life, his rise to party leader in the years following the First World War, and his gaining of the Chancellorship in 1933. The second part describes how he consolidated his position and extended his power once he was in office. The third and final part is about his actions in the Second World War.


Abstract
Objective: The study aimed to assess the short-term effects of apical RV pacing on LV function and twist mechanics using speckle tracking echocardiography.
Background: The myofibers of the heart has geometric orientation that induces its characteristic wringing motion around its long axis during contraction leading to the systolic LV twist. This motion is created by the apical and basal rotations that are oppositely directed and has an important role in regulation of LV function. Several studies have demonstrated that LV systolic function and mechanics had delayed deterioration after RV apical pacing with limited data regarding the acute effects.
Methods: This study was conducted on Twenty-Four patients who were indicated for pacemaker insertion due to complete heart block. Echocardiographic examination was done to measure the LV dimensions and ejection fraction (EF) before and 24 hours after RV apical pacing. LV twist changes were assessed by using speckle tracking imaging modality.
Results: Our study showed that the LV end diastolic dimension has a significant reduction acutely after RV apical pacing (p value=0.001) while the end systolic dimension significantly increased (p value=0.003). EF significantly decreased after pacing (p value=0.001).Also there was a significant reduction in LV apical rotation (p value=0.001), basal rotation (p value=0.012) and torsion (p value=0.034).
Conclusion: Pacing of RV apex impairs the LV rotational mechanics acutely which subsequently have a detrimental effect on LV function.


Limiting dilution assays are commonly used to measure the extent of infection, and in the context of HIV they represent an essential tool for studying latency and potential curative strategies. To assist investigators using dilution assays, we illustrate the major statistical method for estimating the frequency of infected cells (or other infectious units) from assay results, and we offer an online tool for computing this estimate. We then recommend a procedure for optimizing assay design to achieve any desired set of sensitivity and precision goals, subject to experimental constraints. We discuss challenges involved in interpreting experiments in which no viral growth is observed and explain how using alternative measures for viral outgrowth may make measurement of HIV latency more efficient. Finally, we discuss how biological complications – such as probabilistic growth of a small infection in culture – alter interpretations of experimental results.


The aim of this study was to estimate the distributions of spectral diffuse attenuation coefficient, attenuation depth and subsurface reflectance of Finnish lakes. In addition, the optimum empirical water quality interpretation algorithms employing reflectance ratios were investigated for the needs of remote sensing. Estimations of the optical properties were based on simple optical models and measured concentrations of optically active substances (the sum of chlorophyll a and phaeophytin a, total suspended solids and coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM)) at 1670 monitoring stations representing 1113 lakes. The models were parameterized using optical data from 10 lakes. The mean diffuse attenuation coefficient in PAR was 3.5 m −1 and the location of the maximum attenuation depth was in the range 564–714 nm. The simulated reflectance spectra showed a shift of the maximum value to longer wavelengths as trophic status changed from oligotrophic to hyper-eutrophic. High CDOM concentrations decrease the estimation accuracy of chlorophyll a from reflectance spectra using empirical algorithms, particularly in oligotrophic lakes. The models described can be used in studying light availability for photosynthesis at different depths, in the simulation of water temperatures, in estimating how different management alternatives affect light attenuation and Secchi depth, and in various remote sensing applications.


Common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), small New World primates, are increasingly attracting attention as potentially useful animal models for drug development. However, characterization of cytochrome P450 (P450) 3A enzymes involved in the metabolism of a wide variety of drugs has not investigated in marmosets. In this study, sequence homology, tissue distribution, and enzymatic properties of marmoset P450 3A4 ortholog, 3A5 ortholog, and 3A90 were investigated. Marmoset P450 3A forms exhibited high amino acid sequence identities (88–90%) to the human and cynomolgus monkey P450 3A orthologs and evolutionary closeness to human and cynomolgus monkey P450 3A orthologs compared with other P450 3A enzymes. Among the five marmoset tissues examined, P450 3A4 ortholog mRNA was abundant in livers and small intestines where P450 3A4 ortholog proteins were immunologically detected. Three marmoset P450 3A proteins heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli membranes catalyzed midazolam 1′- and 4-hydroxylation, alprazolam 4-hydroxylation, nifedipine oxidation, and testosterone 6β-hydroxylation, similar to cynomolgus monkey and human P450 3A enzymes. Among the marmoset P450 3A enzymes, P450 3A4 ortholog effectively catalyzed midazolam 1′-hydroxylation, comparable to microsomes from marmoset livers and small intestines. Correlation analyses with 23 individual marmoset liver microsomes suggested contributions of P450 3A enzymes to 1′-hydroxylation of both midazolam (human P450 3A probe) and bufuralol (human P450 2D6 probe), similar to cynomolgus monkey P450 3A enzymes. These results indicated that marmoset P450 3A forms had functional characteristics roughly similar to cynomolgus monkeys and humans in terms of tissue expression patterns and catalytic activities, suggesting marmosets as suitable animal models for P450 3A–dependent drug metabolism.


Fair value accounting has become predominant in accounting as a vast number of IAS/IFRS standards are based on fair value accounting, including IAS 36 Impairment of assets. Fair value accounting for goodwill is technically challenging, since market prices are not observable. Thus, valuation technologies must be applied in order to test goodwill for impairment. While prior research on goodwill has concentrated on either the (dis)advantages for each accounting procedure for goodwill or examined the value relevance of goodwill (amortization) and goodwill write-offs, little effort has been devoted to the technical problems in the implementation of IAS 36. However, recent research on the topic document that firms commit a variety of errors in applying IAS 36 (Petersen and Plenborg, 2007). We examine firm characteristics that might explain the frequency of errors that firms commit in applying impairment tests. Our findings suggest that at least two factors might explain why errors are present – the lack of an impairment manual and not involving employees with rigorous experience in firm valuation. Our research, which might be seen as the fist step toward guidelines in applying technically challenging accounting standards, should be of interest to firms, auditors and standard setters.


Teachers, especially those working in high-poverty, urban school districts, are given little if any voice in contemporary policy formation. Prevailing policies often ignore teachers' professional experience, and instead place heavy constraints on teachers' classroom practice, squelch professional decision-making, and limit the possibility of effectively implementing pedagogies aimed at ensuring the success of all students. Educational historians posit that the absence of teachers' voice in the policymaking process is largely due to the traditional isolation in teaching. This paper asserts that blogs written by teachers offer a way to share expertise and local knowledge with policymakers. The main objectives of this paper are to 1) offer an alternative to the enduring, counterintuitive practice of educational policymaking, and 2) explore blogs written by teachers as a way to "see" into the classroom.


ABSTRACT Health and well-being are vitally important aspects of people centric building design and are the roots of productivity. Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a collection of factors that can negatively affect physical health in several ways. Besides physical health is also related to psychological well-being because the human body is one interactive biological system. This paper focuses on reviewing the current state of knowledge on building sickness syndrome which has been prevalent as a building illness since the 1970s especially in offices and schools. While the concepts of intelligent, smart and sustainable buildings have gained considerable attention during recent decades, there is now increasing attention being given to designing healthy buildings. This study provides a review about SBS symptoms. Several negative effects of SBS are identified and potential solutions are advocated. Finally, the study stresses the role of built environment and concludes that ongoing research towards tackling SBS and developing healthy indoor environments should not be limited to a single formula as any health-related building design approach is dependent on several interacting factors.


We describe a new widget and interaction technique, known as a "Frisbee," for interacting with areas of a large display that are difficult or impossible to access directly. A frisbee is simply a portal to another part of the display. It consists of a local "telescope" and a remote "target". The remote data surrounded by the target is drawn in the telescope and interactions performed within it are applied on the remote data. In this paper we define the behavior of frisbees, show unique affordances of the widget, and discuss design characteristics. We have implemented a test application and report on an experiment that shows the benefit of using the frisbee on a large display. Our results suggest that the frisbee is preferred over walking back and forth to the local and remote spaces at a distance of 4.5 feet.


The aim of this study was to identify and understand the changes experienced in the scientific community groups of authors working in Spanish institutions and publishing articles in scientific journals included in the "Educational Psychology" in the Web of Science during the period 2004 till 2013 and its membership and permanence in different research groups. A comparative study of groups and their composition over the five-year periods 2004-2008 and 2009-2013 was performed. The results indicated that there is an increase in the number of researchers and research groups working in the field of educational psychology, which is accompanied by an increase in the number of items, although in some cases the increase in the number of members in the group does not correspond to a significant increase in scientific production. It is noticeable the incorporation of a greater number of Spanish journals in the Web of Science, as are those that concentrate most of the scientific production in this discipline and are responsible to influence growth in the foundation data from the Web of Science of the Spanish scientific production in educational psychology.


This work intent to discuss the contributions, productivity and economic growth, and challenges of intellectual assets. Intellectual assets do not have a real physical presence. They are resources used or employed to add a value to the business entity. Likewise tangible assets and intangible assets are also provide future benefit and play a significant role for success of the business. Due to information asymmetry, the traditional growth accounting has given a remarkable attention to tangible asset to measure the performance and economic growth. However, following an impressive increase in investment of intellectual assets, interest over financial information is growing and remarkable attempts have been made to identify and measure the contribution of intellectual assets. This work summarizes the growth of investment in intellectual assets in service and manufacturing sectors in selected countries. Most of the techniques used to classify and measure intangible assets are controversial. Despite the inexistence of common framework to measure and report, they have notable impact on financial reporting and governance of the company. For example, Alves and Martins (2014) use a cross-sectional data to examine the impact of the level and the type of the intangible assets on six major financial and governance policies. Similarly, Lev (1996), Smith and Parr (2000), Sullivan (2000), Zambon (2003-2004) have also discussed issues like measuring, reporting, and importance of intangible assets.


This is a minority report. I do not agree that there is any comprehensive reform in the new act. I distinguish between a change in the law that adds new provisions, and a reform that either clarifies and improves existing law or corrects defects in existing law. The new law may indeed comprise substantial changes, but it does not constitute reform. I assert one claim — the new Patent reform act is disappointing, but not fatal to real reform — in three parts. First, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) has transformed U.S. Patent law from the traditional first-to-invent system to something else. What we have wrought is not a first-to-file system as in other nations, but rather a non-standard "first to declare" system that will open up what I refer to as a new "petty priority contest" with petty interference proceedings. Second, the AIA leaves so much undone as to discourage anyone who hopes for real patent law reform. It is still fair to say that bad patents are not an abuse of the system; instead they are the system. But, third, there is a quasi-recodification solution that has worked in the past, in the field of federal securities law reform which was at least equally difficult, and that provides a realistic and practical roadmap for real reform of the patent laws. The Supreme Court's insistence upon applying all of the equitable factors before awarding injunctive relief can be the key to implementing reform. I conclude with a preview of real reform.Notes: (1) The "quasi-restatement" of patent law in Appendix B is qualified in its entirety by the rest of the article (and the semi-ironic description of the AIA in Appendix A is likewise qualified). (2) The corresponding hardcopy is in final galleys, and there may be some variations between this version and the final hardcopy.


A simple, precise, rapid, selective, and economic high-performance thin layer chromatographic method has been established for simultaneous estimation of Metformin Hydrochloride and Linagliptin in formulation. The chromatographic separation was performed on precoated silica gel 60 GF254 plates with acetone-methanoltoluene-formic acid 4:3:2:1 (v/v/v/v) as mobile phase. The plates were developed to a distance of 8 cm at ambient temperature. The developed plates were scanned and quantified at their single wave length of 259 nm. Experimental conditions such as band size, chamber saturation time, migration of solvent front, slit width, etc. was critically studied and the optimum conditions were selected. The drugs were satisfactorily resolved with Rf 0.61 and 0.82 for metformin hydrochloride and linagliptin respectively. The method was validated for linearity, accuracy, precision, and specificity. The calibration plot was linear between 400-2000 (ng/spot) and 20-100 (ng/spot) for metformin hydrochloride and linagliptin respectively. The limits of detection and quantification for metformin hydrochloride and linagliptin 20 (ng/spot) and 10 (ng/spot) respectively.


Two field trials were conducted with untreated coconut wood ("cocowood") of varying densities against the subterranean termites Coptotermes acinaciformis (Froggatt) and Mastotermes darwiniensis Froggatt in northern Queensland, Australia. Both trials ran for 16 weeks during the summer months. Cocowood densities ranged from 256 kg/m3 to 1003 kg/m3, and the test specimens were equally divided between the two termite trial sites. Termite pressure was high at both sites where mean mass losses in the Scots pine sapwood feeder specimens were: 100% for C. acinaciformis and 74.7% for M. darwiniensis. Termite species and cocowood density effects were significant. Container and position effects were not significant. Mastotermes darwiniensis fed more on the cocowood than did C. acinaciformis despite consuming less of the Scots pine than did C. acinaciformis. Overall the susceptibility of cocowood to C. acinaciformis and M. darwiniensis decreases with increasing density, but all densities (apart from a few at the high end of the density range) could be considered susceptible, particularly to M. darwiniensis. Some deviations from this general trend are discussed as well as implications for the utilisation of cocowood as a building resource.


A 76-year-old woman presented with a one-week history of dyspnea on minimal exertion and at rest. In the emergency room she underwent echocardiography and thoracic computed tomography scan with diagnosis of bilateral pulmonary embolism. Due to right ventricular dilatation and increasing values of NT-probrain natriuretic peptide, both markers of high risk that classify pulmonary embolism as "submassive" according to current international guidelines, we opted for thrombolysis. The patient underwent intra-arterial bilateral pulmonary thrombolysis facilitated by ultrasound, the first case in Italy. The patient recovered from pulmonary embolism after 10h of therapy, with improved gas exchange and symptoms. Subsequently, she developed arterial bleeding at the puncture site, due to accidental puncture of a branch of the femoral artery. The patient was treated with percutaneous embolization and transfusions. In patients with pulmonary embolism, even if not massive, thrombolysis should be considered, especially in the presence of high-risk markers. Direct intra-arterial pulmonary thrombolysis, facilitated by ultrasound, is an effective procedure that provides an alternative to conventional thrombolysis with the advantage of a lower thrombolytic dose.


`This time the fiction is founded upon facts' stated Wilkie Collins in his Preface to Man and Wife (1870). Many Victorian writers responded to contemporary debates on the rights and the legal status of women, and here Collins questions the deeply inequitable marriage laws of his day. Man and Wife examines the plight of a woman who, promised marriage by one man, comes to believe that she may inadvertently have gone through a form of marriage with his friend, as recognized by the archaic laws of Scotland and Ireland. From this starting-point Collins develops a radical critique of the values and conventions of Victorian society. Collins had already developed a reputation as the master of the `sensation novel', and Man and Wife is as fast moving and unpredictable as The Moonstone and The Woman in White. During the novel the atmosphere grows increasingly sinister as the setting moves from a country house to a London suburb and a world of confinement, plotting, and murder. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.


Predicting the effects of global increase in temperatures on disease virulence is challenging, especially for environmental opportunistic bacteria, because pathogen fitness may be differentially affected by temperature within and outside host environment. So far, there is very little empirical evidence on the connections between optimal temperature range and virulence in environmentally growing pathogens. Here, we explored whether the virulence of an environmentally growing opportunistic fish pathogen, Flavobacterium columnare, is malleable to evolutionary changes via correlated selection on thermal tolerance. To this end, we experimentally quantified the thermal performance curves (TPCs) for maximum biomass yield of 49 F. columnare isolates from eight different geographic locations in Finland over ten years (2003–2012). We also characterized virulence profiles of these strains in a zebra fish (Danio rerio) infection model. We show that virulence among the strains increased over the years, but thermal generalism, and in particular tolerance to higher temperatures, was negatively associated with virulence. Our data suggest that temperature has a strong effect on the pathogen genetic diversity and therefore presumably also on disease dynamics. However, the observed increase in frequency and severity of F. columnare epidemics over the last decade cannot be directly linked to bacterial evolution due to increased mean temperature, but is most likely associated with factors related to increased length of growing season, or other time‐dependent change in environment. Our study demonstrates that complex interactions between the host, the pathogen and the environment influence disease virulence of an environmentally growing opportunistic pathogen.


Observations and climate simulations exhibit epochs of extreme El Ni~ Oscillation (ENSO) behavior that can persist for decades. Previous studies have revealed a wide range of ENSO responses to forcings from greenhouse gases, aerosols, and orbital variations, but they have also shown that interdecadal modulation of ENSO can arise even without such forcings. The present study examines the predictability of this intrinsically generated component of ENSO modulation, using a 4000-yr unforced control run from a global coupled GCM [GFDL Climate Model, version 2.1 (CM2.1)] with a fairly realistic representation of ENSO.ExtremeENSOepochsfromthe unforced simulation arereforecastusingthesame(''perfect'') model but slightly perturbed initial conditions. These 40-member reforecast ensembles display potential predictability of the ENSO trajectory, extending up to several years ahead. However, no decadal-scale predictability of ENSO behavior is found. This indicates that multidecadal epochs of extreme ENSO behavior can arise not only intrinsically but also delicately and entirely at random. Previous work had shown that CM2.1 generates strong, reasonably realistic, decadally predictable high-latitude climate signals, as well as tropical and extratropical decadal signals that interact with ENSO. However, those slow variations appear not to lend significant decadal predictability to this model's ENSO behavior, at least in the absence of external forcings. While the potential implications of these results are sobering for decadal predictability, they also offer an expedited approach to model evaluation and development, in which large ensembles of short runs are executed in parallel, to quickly and robustly evaluate simulations of ENSO. Further implications are discussed for decadal prediction, attribution of past and future ENSO variations, and societal vulnerability.


[Extract] The head of the government's curriculum review, Kevin Donnelly, said yesterday that corporal punishment in schools was an effective way of disciplining children. The conversation continued, leading to the implication that Donnelly is not averse to reintroducing corporal punishment into Australian schools.

Australia is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Australia therefore has obligations to protect children from violence or abuse, by their parents or anyone caring for them (article 19); and discipline in schools should respect children's human dignity (article 28). There is no overarching statute however that implements the provisions of this Convention and regulation of schools and criminal laws that may apply, are left to the states.

A number of news outlets have conveniently summarised the legal framework on corporal punishment in schools - see eg Crikey's explainer. There seem to be examples in both West Australia and Queensland where corporal punishment is integral to some schools' program - including in one reported case, the requirement for parents to accept corrective punishment as a condition of enrolling their child.

For a government appointee ostensibly holding expertise in education and charged with advising government on matters of education, these comments and their implication are concerning. This is so despite Minister Pyne's rejection of the idea. What these views really tell us about the state of play in Australia at the moment is the resurgence of patriarchal views and patriarchal control. These views are apparent, for example, in the government's discourse around 'lifting and leaning'. Donnelly's views play into this discourse.

I'm interested in this post to explore the way in which this patriarchal attitude underpins support for corporal punishment in schools, and the lack of logic in Donnelly's ideas.


We determined key chemical parameters and thiosulfate oxidation in low-temperature hydrothermal fluids from the North Fiji Basin. In addition, the bacterial diversity (with the main emphasis on sulfur-oxidizing bacteria) was investigated. The hydrothermal fluids had low concentrations of sulfide (up to 50.0 µM) and increased counts of both total bacteria and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria compared to ambient seawater. Pure cultures of bacteria were isolated from these fluids on media suited for autotrophic, and potentially heterotrophic, sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Evidence for the abundance of α- and γ -Proteobacteria was obtained from identification of isolated pure cultures. A large number of 16S rDNA sequences of these groups were retrieved from environmental DNA. Representatives of the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium phylum were found by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and 16S rDNA sequence information of DGGE bands, although these bacteria could not be isolated with the media used in this study. Evidence for the presence of chemolithoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria was found by analysis of environmental DNA, using 16S rDNA-specific primers of various groups of chemotrophic sulfur bacteria. They were isolated in low numbers compared to chemoheterotrophic and mixotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. In addition, the formation of tetrathionate as major oxidation product of thiosulfate added to hydrothermal fluid samples and to pure cultures of new isolates indicates the importance of chemoheterotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria within the warm vent waters investigated during this study.


When considering the extremist turn of the Trump-era internet, it is critical to interrogate the influence of subcultural trolling on and around 4chan from 2008 to 2012. The troll space isn't the only space worth interrogating, however. During this same period, there was a marked overlap between subcultural trolling and the nebulous, discursive category known colloquially as "internet culture." Both were swiftly absorbed into broader popular culture. Both were characterized by overwhelming irony and detached, fetishized laughter. That participants in these early internet culture spaces (which included but were not limited to "classic" subcultural trolling) were overwhelmingly white, middle class, and felt comfortable enough in their subject positions to respond to the world with a blanket "lol" speaks to much deeper problems than the obvious problems. Pressingly, the things that were—and that for some people, still are—fun and funny and apparently harmless online need more careful unpacking. Fun and funny and apparently harmless things have a way of obscuring weapons that privileged people cannot see, because they do not have to see them. They also have a way of establishing precedent and a step-by-step media manipulation guide that is easily hijacked by those looking to do harm, whose actions often fly under the radar—because those actions look familiar, because they look like the things that used to be fun.


Abstract Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the acute healthcare costs of ischemic stroke during hospitalization and the quarterly all-cause healthcare costs for the first year after discharge by discharge status. Methods: Adult patients with a hospitalization with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke (ICD-9-CM: 434.xx or 436.xx) between 1 January 2006 and 31 March 2015 were identified from a large US commercial claims database. Patients were classified into three cohorts based on their discharge status from the first stroke hospitalization, i.e. dead at discharge, discharged with disability, or discharged without disability. Third-party (medical and pharmacy) and out-of-pocket costs were adjusted to 2015 USD. Results: A total of 7919 patients dead at discharge, 45,695 patients discharged with disability, and 153,778 patients discharged without disability were included in this analysis. The overall average age was 59.7 years and 52.3% were male. During hospitalization, mean total costs (third-party and out-of-pocket) were $68,370 for patients dead at discharge, $73,903 for patients discharged with disability, and $24,448 for patients discharged without disability (p < .001 for each pairwise comparison); mean third-party costs were $63,605 for patients dead at discharge, $67,861 for patients discharged with disability and $19,267 for patients discharged without disability (p < .001 for each pairwise comparison). During the first year after discharge, mean total costs for patients discharged with disability vs. without disability were $46,850 vs. $30,132 (p < .001). Mean third-party costs for patients discharged with disability vs. without disability were $19,116 vs. $10,976 during the first quarter after discharge, $10,236 vs. $6926 during the second quarter, $8241 vs. $5810 during the third quarter, and $6875 vs. $5292 during the fourth quarter (p < .001 for each quarter). Conclusion: The results demonstrated the high economic burden of ischemic stroke, especially among patients discharged with disability with the highest costs incurred during the inpatient stays.


TRAYKOV, I. and A. TOSHEVA, 2015. Trophic state and macrophyte based assessment of the ecological status of selected reservoirs in Bulgaria. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., Supplement 1, 21: 121–125 The objectives of the study were to assess the trophic state and to compare it to the ecological potential of the water bodies according to the macrophyte assemblages within selected reservoirs. The studied reservoirs varied greatly in their trophic status, as well as in species composition and abundance. Sampling was conducted between 2009 and 2014. The concentrations of nutrients and the Carlson's trophic state indices were used to assess the trophic state of the reservoirs. The trophic state varied between oligo-mesotrophic to hyper-eutrophic, with the majority being eutrophic. A discrepancy between the expected trophic state and the measured one was observed for each water body type. No correlation was observed between the trophic state and the ecological status of the water bodies. Trophic state assessment, traditionally, is focused on the "open water" conditions and not so on the littoral aquatic plant communities. The latter, on the other hand, can modify the trophic state by reducing the nutrient inputs to the water bodies. The two assessment schemes have different ecological meanings as the former assesses the algal biomass and the latter – the deviation from reference conditions. Our results show the need to further investigate the relationship between the different biological quality elements, and their response to the changes in the supporting physicochemical parameters.


This study examined Mandarin-speaking children's development in relating narrative events in terms of both global and local connections. Thirty Mandarin-speaking five-year-olds, 30 nine-year-olds and 30 adults participated. The narrative data were elicited using Frog, where are you? The plot-structure and the goal-plan schemes were used to examine participants' ability to maintain global connections; a complex event and a sequence of events were chosen to assess local connections. The results displayed children's significant progress in establishing global connections and in employing goal-plan knowledge. Regarding local connections, children exhibited increasing ability to encode and to integrate essential event components. Findings suggest that five-year-olds had insufficient ability to establish both global and local connections. Nine-year-olds were more advanced in encoding global connections; however, they were inadequate in integrating event components and in chaining a sequence of events at the local level. Adults could properly relate narrative events at both levels and were more likely to encode characters' internal responses to enhance thematic coherence. Results were considered in relation to capacities for working memory, theory of mind and integration. Narrators' differences in communicative competence and cognitive preferences were also discussed.


Several projects have tried to rework Linux time and timers code to add functions such as high-precision timers and dynamic ticks. Previous efforts have not been generally accepted, in part, because they considered only a subset of the related problems requiring an integrated solution. These efforts also suffered significant architecture dependence creating complexity and maintenance costs. This paper presents a design which we believe provides a generally acceptable solution to the complete set of problems with minimum architecture dependence. The three major components of the design are hrtimers, John Stulz's new timeofday approach, and a new component called clock events. Clock events manages and distributes clock events and coordinates the use of clock event handling functions. The hrtimers subsystem has been merged into Linux 2.6.16. Although the name implies "high resolution" there is no change to the tick based timer resolution at this stage. John Stultz's timeofday rework addresses jiffy and architecture independent time keeping and has been identified as a fundamental preliminary for high resolution timers and tickless/dynamic tick solutions. This paper provides details on the hrtimers implementation and describes how the clock events component will complement and complete the hrtimers and timeofday components to create a solid foundation for architecture independent support of high-resolution timers and dynamic ticks.


ABSTRACT
 Before beginning a series of presentations on evolution, it would be prudent to survey the general level of students' understanding of prerequisite basic concepts of reproduction, heredity, ontology, and phenotypic diversity so that teachers can avoid devoting time to well-known subjects of general knowledge and can spend more time on subjects that are unknown, forgotten, or misunderstood by most students. This article outlines a Socratic method for surveying and teaching to address these concerns.


A Fundamentals of Computing Theory course involves different topics that are core to the Computer Science curricula and whose level of abstraction makes them difficult both to teach and to learn. Such difficulty stems from the complexity of the abstract notions involved and the required mathematical background. Surveys conducted among our students showed that many of them were applying some theoretical concepts mechanically rather than developing significant learning. This paper shows a number of didactic strategies that we introduced in the Fundamentals of Computing Theory curricula to cope with the above problem. The proposed strategies were based on a stronger use of technology and a constructivist approach. The final goal was to promote more significant learning of the course topics.


Osteoclasts are multinuclear giant cells derived from osteoclast/macrophage/dendritic cell common progenitor cells. The most characteristic feature of osteoclasts is multinucleation resulting from cell-cell fusion of mononuclear osteoclasts. Osteoclast cell-cell fusion is considered essential for re-organization of the cytoskeleton, such as the actin-ring and ruffled boarder to seal the resorbing area and to secret protons, respectively, to resorb bone; the fusion process is thus critical for osteoclast function. Various molecules, such as E-cadherin and macrophage fusion receptor (MFR), have been identified as regulators of osteoclast or macrophage cell-cell fusion. Laboratory production of osteoclasts used to be performed in a co-culture of osteoclast progenitors with osteoblastic cells, but recent advances in the identification of nuclear factor of kappa B ligand (RANKL) enabled the isolation of osteoclast-specific molecules involving osteoclast cell-cell fusion and differentiation regulators from purified osteoclast mRNA, since osteoclasts can be formed without osteoblasts. The essential cell-cell fusion regulator, dendritic cell-specific transmembrane protein (DC-STAMP), was isolated by a cDNA subtractive screen between mononuclear macrophages and RANKL-induced multinuclear osteoclasts. The cell-cell fusion of osteoclasts and foreign body giant cells (FBGCs) was completely abrogated in DC-STAMP-deficient mice in vivo and in vitro. Bone resorbing activity was significantly reduced but was still detected in DC-STAMP-deficient osteoclasts. DC-STAMP expression is positively regulated by two transcriptional factors: nuclear factor of activated T cells 1 (NFATc1) and c-Fos, both of which are essential for osteoclast differentiation. Furthermore, a novel osteoclastogenesis-regulating pathway involving two transcriptional repressors [B cell lymphoma 6 (Bcl6) and B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein 1 (Blimp1)] under RANKL stimulation has been discovered. The expression of osteoclastic genes such as DC-STAMP, NFATc1, and Cathepsin K, as well as osteoclast differentiation, was inhibited by Bcl6. Bcl6-deficient mice showed enhanced osteoclastogenesis and reduced bone mass, whereas osteoclast-specific Blimp1-conditional knockout mice showed elevated Bcl6 expression, osteoclastic gene expression, and osteoclast differentiation and increased bone mass. In this review, recent advances in our understanding of the regulators of osteoclast differentiation and cell-cell fusion are discussed.


Nowadays, most proxy signature schemes are based on the difficulty of DLP (Discrete Logarithm Problem) or ECDLP (Elliptical Curve Discrete Logarithm Problem). As though many proxy signature schemes based on DLP or ECDLP have been proposed, it makes us discouraged that some disadvantages can be found after a new or modified proxy signature scheme was designed after short time. How to solve the question? How to design secure and valid proxy signature scheme? How to prove them secure? Now, it is too difficult for us to prove one scheme secure, but if we can have some principles to conform to when designing some proxy signature schemes based on DLP or ECDLP, it will be helpful. It will be able to make the scheme designer to make few mistakes, that's to say, by these principles, they can judge their schemes meet basic secure conditions. If designers don't conform to these principles, it can easily be seen that their schemes are definitely insecure. It is all known by us that until now there are not these principles in the real life. By some hints from some attacks, especially forgery attacks, it seems to us that we have found three basic principles which should be conformed to when proxy signature schemes are proposed. The first principle is that the existent forms of public parameters in proxy signatures in the proxy signature verification congruence make a key role on the security property of unforgeability. The second principle is that any public parameter in the proxy signature can't lonely exist in the proxy signature verification congruence in the form of bases or exponents. The third principle is that any public parameter in the proxy signature should exist in the proxy signature verification equation in the form of not only exponents and bases, but also hashes. In addition, some examples are given.


Abstract The emergence of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as the required convention for reporting to stock exchanges in the European Union (EU) and other important markets, together with the convergence programmes of major standard setters, has accelerated the reduction in differences in financial reporting between countries. The education of potential accountants would be expected to respond to these changes and, indeed, there is evidence that the teaching of accounting techniques now frequently draws on both IFRS and local GAAP. Perhaps a greater shift has been in the discipline of International Accounting (IA), which has moved from being an optional subject to being core to most programmes and an increasingly popular choice for more specialised degrees at both undergraduate and Master's levels. This article surveys the books that are available to support educators and learners in IA building on the analysis and classification of Laidler and Pallett (1998) Accounting Education: an international journal, 7(1), pp. 75–86. A range of IA textbooks is examined in detail, along with a more general review of reference works. The analysis finds that there has been a growth in the number, breadth and depth of texts serving the IA market. Authors have fallen upon a number of devices in their battle to keep their materials up to date in this dynamic environment. Some of Laidler and Pallett's (1998) criticisms of the writing and coverage of IA texts have been addressed, although not necessarily in the way that they envisaged. In spite of the growth of this section of publishers' catalogues, there remain a number of areas given scant coverage, notably enforcement and audit, and countries outside of the EU and US. The article concludes with recommendations for publishers, authors and educators to enhance the teaching of IA and the resources needed to support it.


Corporations are increasingly finding themselves caught in the crosshairs as they are asked by local authorities to carry out censorship and surveillance online. This chapter describes this growing, thorny problem and some possible means to resolve it. The most promising approach is neither local law nor a new international covenant, but rather a strong, enforceable code of conduct created by the corporations themselves, in concert with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), academics, states, and other stakeholders.


BACKGROUND
A malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is a rare sarcoma, characterized by an aggressive course and forms a diagnostic challenge, in view of its varied histomorphology. The present study is a comprehensive analysis, including histopathological spectrum of 63 MPNSTs that forms a substantial study from an Indian perspective.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Clinicopathological features of 63 MPNSTs, diagnosed during a period from January 2002 to December 2006, at a tertiary cancer referral center in Mumbai, India, were analyzed. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS (version 14) and STRATA. Difference in events was noted in 50 cases with selected variables. Disease free survival (DFS) was calculated by Kaplan-Meir analysis at the end of 1 year.

RESULTS
More cases were identified in > 30 years age (36 cases, 57.14%) group; in men (46 cases, 73%), and were deep-seated (38, 60.3%). Ten cases (15.9%) showed stigmata of multiple neurofibromatosis type 1. Average tumor (T) size was 9.9 cm, with 72.9% cases having T size > 5 cm. More cases were of high grade (56, 88.8%) and high stage (22, 34.9%). Histopathologically, most cases showed hypo- and hypercellular areas (marbleized appearance) of doubly indented spindle cells. Two cases showed epithelioid differentiation. Heterologous elements in the form of osteoid, chondroid, pigmented neuroectodermal (1 case), glandular (1 case) and rhabdomyoblastic differentiation (1 case) were identified in 14 cases (22.2%). S-100 protein positivity was noted in 38/54 cases (70.3%). Maximum cases (45, 71.4%) underwent surgery, including wide excisions and amputations (R0) in 20 cases, marginal excisions (R1) in 4, and intracapsular excision (R2) in 1 case. Nineteen cases underwent adjuvant treatment. A total of 29 cases (46%) showed recurrences and 22 (34.9%) showed multifocality and/or metastasis. Four patients succumbed to the disease in 1 year. The DFS was 53.1%. Cases ≤ 30 years of age (P- value = 0.007), T size > 5 cm, and with high grade (P = 0.18) and stage (P = 0.00) showed more recurrences, metastasis, and death.

CONCLUSIONS
A MPNST has multifaceted histomorphology. Its objective identification necessitates the incorporation of clinicopathological features and IHC with S-100 protein. Younger age, high grade and stage, and increased T size significantly relate to aggressive disease. Wide excision forms the optimal treatment with options of adjuvant CT/RT in individual cases.


Stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Despite intensive research into the development of treatments that lessen the severity of cerebrovascular injury, no major therapies exist. Though the potential use of adenosine as a neuroprotective agent in the context of stroke has long been realized, there are currently no adenosine-based therapies for the treatment of cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. One of the major obstacles to developing adenosine-based therapies for the treatment of stroke is the prevalence of functional adenosine receptors outside the central nervous system. The activities of peripheral immune and vascular endothelial cells are particularly vulnerable to modulation via adenosine receptors. Many of the pathophysiological processes in stroke are a direct result of peripheral immune infiltration into the brain. Ischemic preconditioning, which can be induced by a number of stimuli, has emerged as a promising area of focus in the development of stroke therapeutics. Reprogramming of the brain and immune responses to adenosine signaling may be an underlying principle of tolerance to cerebral ischemia. Insight into the role of adenosine in various preconditioning paradigms may lead to new uses for adenosine as both an acute and prophylactic neuroprotectant.


We apply the Ricardian approach to analyse the economic impact of climate change on agriculture using the 2007 World Bank Tajikistan Living Standards Survey. The study analyses data of 2557 farm households in 166 villages across the 10 agro-ecological country zones. In general, the results indicated that increasing temperature and precipitation will both be damaging to Tajikistan agriculture and consequently to the net revenue (NR) of farmers in the medium and long term. Regressing NR on climate parameters, household and soil variables showed that these variables have a significant impact on the farmers' NR per hectare. We examined the impact of the current climate on farmers' NR per hectare, and how that is affected by future climate scenarios: one +2.9°C warming and one 4.6°C warming scenarios. Although the analysis did not incorporate variables such as the carbon fertilization effect, the role of technology or the change in prices in the future, significant information for policy-making can be extracted. Tajikistan has very diverse regions in terms of geography, population density and socio-economic situation; our results will help policy-makers to anticipate the adaptation effort needed in different locations of the country.


The mechanisms by which arterial fate is established and maintained are not clearly understood. Although a number of signaling pathways and transcriptional regulators have been implicated in arterio-venous differentiation, none are essential for arterial formation, and the manner in which widely expressed factors may achieve arterial-specific gene regulation is unclear. Using both mouse and zebrafish models, we demonstrate here that arterial specification is regulated combinatorially by Notch signaling and SoxF transcription factors, via direct transcriptional gene activation. Through the identification and characterization of two arterial endothelial cell-specific gene enhancers for the Notch ligand Delta-like ligand 4 (Dll4), we show that arterial Dll4 expression requires the direct binding of both the RBPJ/Notch intracellular domain and SOXF transcription factors. Specific combinatorial, but not individual, loss of SOXF and RBPJ DNA binding ablates all Dll4 enhancer-transgene expression despite the presence of multiple functional ETS binding sites, as does knockdown of sox7;sox18 in combination with loss of Notch signaling. Furthermore, triple knockdown of sox7, sox18 and rbpj also results in ablation of endogenous dll4 expression. Fascinatingly, this combinatorial ablation leads to a loss of arterial markers and the absence of a detectable dorsal aorta, demonstrating the essential roles of SoxF and Notch, together, in the acquisition of arterial identity.


In our judgment, before any societal decision is made as to whether to institute a universal screening program for hearing impairment in young infants, many questions for which answers are not now available must be answered. To answer those questions will require extensive research. Clearly, the authors of the Consensus Statement were not unmindful of the scope of the problem, for they included in the Statement a listing of proposed future studies they considened important. Among these were: "controlled trials of screening by audiologists versus trained non-professionals on volunteers; controlled trials of the influence of different settings...on the effectiveness of screening procedures; comparison of early intervention with later intervention...; evaluate the validity and reliability of screening instruments...; test the feasibility of screening methods...in infant populations...in remote satellite clinics...; determine whether a two-tier screening system...wonks better than [a single scneen]...study the cost-effectiveness of universal screening for infant hearing impairment." We heartily agree that these studies, and other studies, are important—indeed, crucial. So crucial, in fact, that, until they have been conducted and their results tabulated, no rational decision on undertaking universal screening for infant hearing loss is possible. We, too, believe that early identification is important; however, the precipitate launching of mass screening could work to deter the eventual development of an effective early identification program. In the meantime, to identify infants at risk for hearing impairment, continued reliance on the high-risk register as recommended by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing,4 but in combination with an automated rather than conventional ABR screen, seems to be a more practical, cost-effective approach.


My paper addresses subtheme No. 2 of the conference: "The phenomenon found among some refugees of moving away from existing stereotypes, such as that of the victim, and its impact on successive generations." In line with this subtheme, it explores changes in the way Palestinian refugees have understond their refugee identity by focussing on the landscape of the refugee camp. After more than sixty years of exile, Palestinian refugees have either stopped living in camps or have seen gradual changes affect the landscape of their camps. These changes were brought about by refugees themselves, by UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) or by other outside interventions. Generally speaking, changes to the landscape of Palestinian refugee camps remain a sensitive issue and there are many examples in the past of Palestinian refugees resisting outside efforts to physically alter their camps. This is partly because historically, the landscape of the refugee camp has played an important role as a "witness" to the suffering their inhabitant have had to endure as a result of forced displacement. Another reason is the fear from refugees that such changes, often undertaken through outside interventions in the name of improving living conditions in the camp, might become a substitute to the right of return. Focussing on the experiences of Palestinian refugees in Syria, I argue that with the passage of time, growing integration into the host-state, and policy shifts within UNRWA, the role of physical space of the refugee camp as a signifier of of Palestinian identity has diminished. Palestinian refugees living in camps are increasingly expressing their refugee identity in more flexible and abstract terms. This does not signify the demise of the camp as a particular kind of space for Palestinian refugees. Rather, Palestinian refugees are increasingly departing from a notion of "camp" that is firmly grounded in the physical landscape they inhabit and the material suffering this landscape is supposed to connotes. My arguments are based on fieldwork carried out from 2004 to 2006 in Syria in the Palestinian refugee camps of Yarmouk, Neirab, and Ein el Tal. They engage especially with the UNRWA sponsored Neirab Rehabilitation Project taking place in the Palestinian refugee camps of Neirab and Ein el Tal. Characterized by UNRWA as a "development project" the Neirab Rehabilitation Project has sought to improve the infrastructure of both Neirab and Ein el Tal, improve the economic conditions of refugees, and encourage refugee activism around social and cultural issues. The debates and controversies surrounding UNRWA plans to raze the World War II era zinc-covered barracks that were at the origin of Neirab Camp and replace them with a more modern type of housing provide and especially insightful lens into understanding the shifts that have occured in the way Palestinian refugees relate to the space of the refugee camp.


Active galactic nuclei and bursts of star formation are two distinct phenomena that amply change their host environments. They are present in a significant number of galaxies at all redshifts. In this thesis, we aim toward a better understanding of the physical processes that allow for the formation and maintenance of these two phenomena. We focus on the study of the physical conditions of the interstellar gas in the central kiloparsec region of the barred active galaxy NGC 1097 (Paper I). In Paper I we present different CO transitions and the consequent analysis realized in order to derive the molecular gas content together with the molecular mass inflow toward the centre of the galactic gravitational potential well. To completely understand the physical processes that drive such gas rearrangement, a coherent picture for a dynamical system has to be considered. We have developed a code, Paper II, in order to model the dynamics of a predominantly rotating system with an arbitrary mass distribution. The formalism we have used is based on analytical solutions of the first order approximation of the equations of motion of a smooth medium that may be subject to dissipation. The most important free parameter to constrain the boundary conditions of the model is the angular frequency of the perturbing pattern, which may be assumed virtually invariant over significant ranges of galactocentric radii. We constrain the pattern velocity using the Tremaine-Weinberg method (Paper III). Hence, we have prepared all procedures needed to comprehend the physical processes that sustain the nuclear activity and bursts of star formation: the amount of gas in the region and the dynamics of the system. In Paper IV, we model the neutral and ionized gas kinematics in NGC 1097 and apply a combination of the methods described in Paper II and Paper III to comprehend the rearrangement of gas in the galaxy. In order to observationally discern the gas inflow in the nuclear region at a higher resolution, we apply the methods developed and used in this thesis to Cycle-0 ALMA observations of our target galaxy, and we confirm that we are able to follow the streaming of gas from 20 kiloparsec distances down to 40 parsecs from its central central supermassive black hole (Paper V).


Pulse radiolysis of dilute solutions of triphenylcarbinol in saturated hydrocarbon gives spectra of the triphenylmethyl free radical, (C6H5)3C�, and cation, (C6H5)5C+. The yield of the ion is independent of the carbinol concentration, and is thought to measure the yield of free ions generated in the solvent. The relative yields of ions thus found in cyclohexane and 2,2,4-trimethylpentane agree with measurements made by the clearing-field method.


Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) having high degree of adaptability under wide range of climatic conditions, high photosynthetic capacity, efficient stomatal conductance and hydraulic mechanism allow the crop to be productive in broad range of environments. Combined effects of environmental factors not only modify plant phenology but also cause many physiological and qualitative changes. Environmental variations affect crop growth, development, yield, oil and fatty acid accumulation through agronomic, physiological and qualitative functions of the crop plant. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate and document the physio-morphic expressions of sunflower in response to varying environments.
Field experiments were conducted at Agronomy Research Area, Pir Mehr Ali Shah, Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan one each in spring and autumn during 2007 and 2008. Four sunflower hybrids, Alisson-RM, Parasio-24, MG-2 and S-278 were planted in randomized complete block design with four replications. Data for various agronomic, physiological and quality parameters were collected during the course of study.
Results revealed statistically significant differences among hybrids for almost all parameter recorded during both the seasons (spring and autumn) during two years of study. Quantitative parameters like stem diameter, plant height, biological yield and achene yield of all hybrids were 26.14 % to 56.18 % higher in spring as compared to autumn season. Physio-morphic parameters like leaf area, leaf area index, specific leaf area, crop growth rate and net assimilation rate exhibited the similar trend of higher values during spring and lower during autumn but of sigmoid nature. Physiological attributes like chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, photosynthetic rate also followed the sigmoid curve pattern of growth and development during spring, where readings of all parameters were slow at the start of the season which gradually increased to the peak and thereafter decreased to the minimum at the end during spring season. However, trend of the above physiological parameters observed during autumn was opposite which touched the peak at the start and continuously decreased to the minimum at the end. The opposite trend of physiological parameters during two seasons may be related to the variable temperature during the two seasons. In spring, at the start temperature was low which gradually increased to the peak while during autumn temperature was relatively high at the start which gradually decreased as season proceeded. Qualitative parameters like oil content, oleic acid, stearic acid and palmatic acid of all the hybrids exhibited higher values during spring as compared to those during autumn season. However, linoleic acid showed inverse relationship with oleic acid as it increased during autumn than that observed during spring. Protein content showed opposite trend to oil content during the two seasons as higher protein contents were observed during autumn as compared to those during spring season. It may be concluded that spring crop is a better option for good economic and oil yield in high rainfall areas. However, autumn crop accumulated higher linoleic acid (poly-unsaturated fatty acid) than the spring crop, thus better in quality. Significant positive correlations were recorded among morphological attributes, achene yield and oleic acid, while negative for linoleic acid were observed during spring, however, during autumn oleic acid and linoleic acid showed opposite trend to each other. Similarly, significant positive correlations were exhibited among physiological attributes, achene yield and oleic acid, while negative for linoleic acid were expressed during spring, however, during autumn oleic acid and linoleic acid reversed each other.
In a separate experiment, oil and fatty acid contents in different circles of mature sunflower heads during spring and autumn seasons for both the years were determined. A progressive decrease in oil content, oleic acid, stearic acid was recorded from outer to central circle during spring for both the years. Contrary to spring crop, oil content showed increase from outer to central circle in autumn crop. However, rest of the attributes followed the similar trend of spring crop. Linoleic acid accumulation was opposite to that of oleic acid where central circles accumulated higher linoleic acid in all four hybrids as compared to middle and outer circles during both the seasons. The variation in oil and fatty acid in different circles may be the result of vascular connection which seems to be better in outer circles.


Computer games in general, and real time strategy games in particular is a challenging task for both AI research and game AI programmers. The player, or AI bot, must use its work- ers to gather resources. They must be spent wisely on struc- tures such as barracks or factories, mobile units such as sol- diers, workers and tanks. The constructed units can be used to explore the game world, hunt down the enemy forces and destroy the opponent buildings. We propose a multi-agent architecture based on artificial potential fields for a full real time strategy scenario. We validate the solution by participat- ing in a yearly open real time strategy game tournament and show that the bot, even though not using any form of path planning for navigation, is able to perform well and win the tournament.


The ascent of magmas in the sub-oceanic mantle to crustal-level magma chambers provides an opportunity for mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) to undergo crystallization at moderate (3 to 10 kbar) to high (10 to 25 kbar) pressures. Both MORB liquid lines of descent and oceanic cumulates record effects of crystallization at moderate to high pressures. These effects include the crystallization of magnesian pyroxenes, especially the magnesian clinopyroxene megacrysts common within MORBs. Many ultramafic and gabbroic cumulates include magnesian pyroxenes and would appear to have formed at moderate to high pressures as well. The onset of clinopyroxene crystallization can be detected in MORB liquid lines of descent by a decrease in the CaO contents. If the MgO content at which this decrease in CaO begins is significantly higher than is observed in 1 atm experiments, it is likely that the chemical variations in the suite of natural basaltic glasses were produced by crystallization at moderate to high pressures. As an example, the CaO contents of basaltic glasses from the Mid-Cayman Rise continuously decrease from 11.1% to 8.7% as MgO decreases from 7.7 to 5.4%, indicating that the apparent liquid line of descent for these glasses was produced by the co-crystallization of olivine, plagioclase, and clinopyroxene. This inference of early crystallization of clinopyroxene in Mid-Cayman Rise glasses contradicts petrographic data, calculated 1 atm liquid lines of descent, and 1 atm experimental studies, all indicating that clinopyroxene does not crystallize in these samples. It is proposed that the observed liquid line of descent for the Mid-Cayman Rise glasses was produced by the crystallization of basaltic liquids at ∼ 6 kbar, where clinopyroxene would be a near-liquidus phase


Clostridium difficile infection is the primary cause of nosocomial diarrhea in the United States. While C. difficile toxins A and B are the primary mediators of CDI, the overall pathophysiology underlying C. difficile associated diarrhea remains poorly understood. In inflammatory and infectious diarrhea, symptoms are caused by increased secretion and/or decreased absorption of water and solutes in the intestine. The functional coupling of intestinal luminal membrane transporters NHE3 (Na+/H+ exchanger) and DRA (Cl-/HCO3- exchanger) is the predominant route of colonic electroneutral NaCl absorption. Studies have shown that a decrease in both NHE3 and DRA are implicated in infectious and inflammatory diarrhea. Furthermore, studies have shown that NHE3 is depleted at the apical surface of intestinal epithelial cells and down-regulated in patients with CDI. Our data demonstrated that DRA protein levels were significantly reduced in the presence of TcdA and TcdB in intestinal epithelial cells. This effect was also specific to DRA, as NHE3 and PAT-1 (Putative Anion Transporter 1) protein levels were unaffected by TcdA and TcdB. The toxin-mediated downregulation of DRA likely occurred at the post-transcriptional level as DRA mRNA levels were unchanged in the presence of either toxin. Additionally, co-treatment of toxin-treated Caco2 monolayers with bafilomycin A1, a known inhibitor of lysosomal degradation, abrogated the effects of C. difficile toxins on DRA protein. Thus, C. difficile toxins may decrease total DRA protein levels via increased degradation in lysosomes. In a toxigenic mouse model of CDI, purified TcdA and TcdA + TcdB, but not TcdB alone, resulted in a decrease in colonic DRA and NHE3 protein levels. Colonic inflammatory markers (MPO release and inflammatory cytokine mRNA levels) were only increased in mice administered purified TcdA alone. Finally, patients with recurrent CDI also exhibited significantly reduced expression of colonic DRA protein. Together these findings indicate that C.
difficile toxins markedly downregulate intestinal expression of DRA which may contribute to the diarrheal phenotype of CDI.


Objective Research has consistently indicated that fear of stigma is a pertinent factor when understanding the poor prevalence of treatment seeking among individuals with mental illness, particularly eating disorders (EDs). The purpose of this study was to investigate the treatment experiences of ED sufferers within an Australian context, in addition to exploring patient views on framing EDs as biogenetic conditions, given the increased understanding and presentation of EDs as biologically based conditions. Methods Semi‐structured online data collection was conducted with 35 Australian women with a history of an ED (54.3% in treatment, 45.7% in "recovery" or "recovered"). The data were evaluated using a three‐phased coding system, allowing findings to emerge from significant themes inherent within the raw data (thematic analysis). Results Treatment was perceived as traumatic, punitive, blaming, lacking in understanding/education, and overemphasised the physical dimensions of the illness. The experience of volitional stigma in the healthcare system was frequent and expected, and for many sufferers had adverse effects. Biogenetic framing was perceived to be more likely to reduce (rather than exacerbate) stigma, particularly perceptions of volition and personal responsibility. Although reductions in blame and responsibility were welcomed, there was concern that biogenetic explanations could negatively impact recovery by endorsing genetic fatalism and encouraging self‐fulfilling prophecies via genetic essentialism. Conclusions Overall, findings highlight that attention to volitional stigma within the health system is required (particularly education) and that aetiological framing (with caution and sensitivity) is perceived to be a feasible stigma reduction method by ED sufferers.


The culmination of John Maynard Keynes's thought and lifework was The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money. Here, placing it in the context of his era, David Felix examines the evolution of Keynes's theorizing. He boldly claims that The General Theory lacks logical and factual support as pure theory, but is an achievement of great statesmanship in political economy. Felix argues that Keynes's ideas have misled successive generations of students and practitioners. He suggests that a more discriminating view of his thought can reconcile Keynesian views with neoclassical theory and replace the false synthesis that dominates contemporary text-books with a truer one. Biography of an Idea devotes four chapters to an analysis of The General Theory and an examination of the economic logic of Keynes. The author disentangles the work's fundamentally simple theses from its difficult technical pre-sentation. He shows how Keynes shaped his economic model as he did as an effort to win public support for sensible policies that clashed with generally accepted beliefs of the time. Biography of an Idea is bound to be controversial due to the many cohorts of economists who have been trained in macroeconomics according to Keynes. It will be of interest and ac-cessible to intellectually curious laymen and students, and important to economists, historians, and political scientists.


Tracing requirements to their implementation is crucial to all stakeholders of a software development process. When managing software variability, requirements are typically expressed in terms of features, a feature being a user-visible characteristic of the software. While feature traces are fully documented in software product lines, ad-hoc branching and forking, known as clone-and-own, is still the dominant way for developing multi-variant software systems in practice. Retroactive migration to product lines suffers from uncertainties and high effort because knowledge of feature traces must be recovered but is scattered across teams or even lost. We propose a semi-automated methodology for recording feature traces proactively, during software development when the necessary knowledge is present. To support the ongoing development of previously unmanaged clone-and-own projects, we explicitly deal with the absence of domain knowledge for both existing and new source code. We evaluate feature trace recording by replaying code edit patterns from the history of two real-world product lines. Our results show that feature trace recording reduces the manual effort to specify traces. Recorded feature traces could improve automation in change-propagation among cloned system variants and could reduce effort if developers decide to migrate to a product line.