This paper studies empirically the impact of mining on conflicts in Africa. Using novel data, we combine geo-referenced information over the 1997-2010 period on the location and characteristics of violent events and mining extraction of 27 minerals. Working with a grid covering all African countries at a spatial resolution of 0.5 0.5 degree, we find a sizeable impact of mining activity on the probability/intensity of conflict at the local level. This is both true for low-level violence (riots, protests), as well as for organized violence (battles). Our main identication strategy exploits exogenous variations in the minerals' world prices; however the results are robust to various alternative strategies, both in the cross-section and panel dimensions. Our estimates suggest that the historical rise in mineral prices observed over the period has contributed to up to 21 percent of the average country-level violence in Africa. The second part of the paper investigates whether minerals, by increasing the financial capacities of fighting groups, contribute to diffuse violence over time and space, therefore affecting the intensity and duration of wars. We find direct evidence that the appropriation of a mining area by a group increases the probability that this group perpetrates future violence elsewhere. This is consistent with feasibility theories of conflict. We also find that secessionist insurgencies are more likely in mining areas, which is in line with recent theories of secessionist conflict.


After a program has crashed, it can be difficult to reconstruct why the failure occurred, or what actions led to the error. We propose a family of analysis techniques that use the evidence left behind by a failed program to build a time line of its possible actions from launch through termination. Our design can operate with zero run time instrumentation, or can flexibly incorporate a wide variety of artifacts such as stack traces and event logs for increased precision. Efficient demand-driven algorithms are provided, and the approach is well suited for incorporation into interactive debugging support tools.


This thesis examines existing curricula at colleges and universities about sustainability and uses results to develop an introductory post secondary course curriculum. The proposed course is organized around three major elements - - science, philosophy, and economics - - all integral to understanding sustainability. Materials needed to teach the proposed 3-semester hour course including syllabus, teaching modules, transparencies, handouts, and exams were developed. Suggestions on how to teach a one-semester hour course on sustainability and a workshop on sustainability are also presented. The following research and curriculum development was a project established and funded by the Texas Energy Office, Renewable Resources and Sustainability Program.


The abundance in hydroxyl groups neighboring the hydrolytic site (β-1,4 glycosidic bonds) in cellulose forms a tightly packed crystalline structure, and hence, is a major challenge in cellulose depolymerization into fermentable sugars. Herein, we report on the synergistic effect of the carbocatalyst, graphene oxide (GO) and microwave irradiation (MW) on cellulose depolymerization in the absence of pretreatment. Results showed that microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) can be effectively depolymerized into glucose in as short as 30 s at 473 K (800 W). Generated yields without pretreatments were as high as 61 ± 4% within 60 min (200 W and 453 K), which has never been reported before to the best of our knowledge. The synergy of GO and MW was demonstrated by high heating rates and which allowed for the activation of in situ crystalline-to-amorphous transformations and suppressed immediate formation of degradation products. The activity of GO under MW was much higher than those of other solid acid catalysts such as Amberlyst 15, sulfated zirconia, and phosphotungstic acid due to the variety of surface functionalities and its high microwave absorptivity. The depolymerization mechanism was also discussed in terms of surface attrition of MCC as observed via scanning electron microscopy. On this basis, the proposed process offers an important strategy for cellulose depolymerization.


Abstract: Megalospheric specimens of Heterostegina from four localities in Western and Central Cuba were morphometrically investigated using test characters, which are described by 15 growth-independent and growth-invariant attributes that enable complete test reconstruction in equatorial sections. The species Heterostegina cubana, H. ocalana, and Heterostegina sp. indet. were classified by nonmetric multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis. Discriminant analysis yielded significant separators between species such as the perimeter ratio of the first chamberlets, the decrease in chamberlet length from the previous spiral to the marginal side, the chamber height at the spiral side of the previous whorl, and the proloculus size. Based on a further discriminant analysis, specimens of H. ocalana from different localities, including specimens from Panama, are strongly separated by the number of operculinid chambers, the extension grade of the marginal spiral and the backward bend of chambers, documenting paleogeographic differences and apparent evolutionary trends such as the reduction of the number of operculinid chambers. In Cuba, Heterostegina is represented by H. cubana and Heterostegina sp. indet. in the Bartonian to lower Priabonian (calcareous nannofossil Zones NP 16-NP 17), while Heterostegina ocalana ranges from Priabonian (nannofossil Zones NP 17 to NP 19-20/CP 15) to probably lower Oligocene (Rupelian) in the lower and middle part of the planktic foraminiferal Zone O 1 (P 18) and in the middle part of the calcareous nannofossil Zone NP 21 (CP 16).


Some of the major events in human evolution occurred during the Middle Pleistocene. These include the evolutionary rise of the Neanderthals in Eurasia and of anatomically modern humans either in Africa or on a broader geographical front, in addition to major biogeographic changes among mammals including the hominine colonization of Europe. Prior to the Middle Pleistocene, the application of Potassium-Argon and Argon-Argon dating has yielded a relatively detailed chronological picture for the earlier phases of hominid evolution, and from c. 50 ky radiocarbon dating provides the backbone of our chronology for the extinction of the Neanderthals, colonization of Europe by anatomically modern humans and all subsequent events. Between these, however, the Middle Pleistocene has only been amenable to precise chronometric dating for the past few decades. Before the advent of radiometric dating, as Glynn Isaac (1975) famously observed, the Middle Pleistocene was "the muddle in the middle."

U-series dating is one of a range of dating methods employed by archaeologists to provide a chronology for human evolution (Fig. 1⇓). Other applicable methods include optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), which can be used to date sediments perhaps back to about 0.5 My, measuring the time since the last exposure to sunlight. It is increasingly employed as a dating method especially since suitable sediments are common on archaeological sites (e.g., Aitken 1992). A related technique, Thermoluminescence (TL), can be used to date burnt flint artifacts (e.g., Aitken 1985), which provide a more direct date for specific human activity on a site, although material that is suitably burnt is relatively rare. Potassium-Argon and Argon-Argon dating have been the most useful techniques for calibrating early hominid evolution because its limit for dating extends considerably beyond the origins of the earliest hominids at around 5 My (e.g., Curtis and Hay 1972). Their application, however, is …


During the civilian smallpox vaccination program, CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, and state health departments are conducting surveillance for vaccine-associated adverse events. In the first stage of the program, active surveillance is being conducted for potentially life-threatening, moderate-to-severe, and other serious adverse events and for vaccinia transmission to contacts of vaccinees (Table). Nonserious events are reported through passive surveillance and are expected to be underreported. This report summarizes smallpox vaccine adverse events reported among civilians vaccinated as of February 28, 2003, and among contacts of vaccinees, received by CDC from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) as of March 3.


It is generally unquestioned that human subjects research review boards should assess the ethical acceptability of protocols. It says so right on the tin, after all: they are explicitly called research ethics committees in the UK. But it is precisely those sorts of unchallenged assumptions that should, from time to time, be assessed and critiqued, in case they are in fact unfounded. John Stuart Mill's objection to suppressers of dissent is instructive here: "If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error".1

Andrew Moore and Andrew Donnelly's compelling article, "The job of 'ethics committees'", is just this sort of challenge to conventional wisdom, a rejection of the notion that review boards should be considering ethical matters at all.2 If true, we should be substantially reforming our research ethics policies. And if false, rebuttals would help strengthen and ground the otherwise unquestioned assumption of the role of ethics committees. As it happens, I will argue that their critiques fall into the second category. While mistaken, they present a valuable opportunity to clarify the role of ethics committees and their relationship to relevant codes. In particular, I will defend a hybrid account where codes (those with regulatory force, in particular) have strict primacy, but leave significant room for review boards …


Community foundations bring together the resources of individuals, families, and businesses to support effective nonprofits in their communities. Over the years, foundations have come to engage community problem-solving through more than just grant-making. They have added a rich array of other activities, including programs of community capacity building, active modes of advocacy, and centres for meeting. In 2011, the 700+ institutions in the United States gave an estimated $4.2 billion to a variety of nonprofit activities in fields that included the arts and education, health and human services, the environment, and disaster relief. The origins of this book stem from conversations among the leadership of community foundations about the challenges they must overcome in order to make such "foundational" contributions to their communities. As community foundations enter the second century of their existence (the first foundation was formed in Cleveland in 1914), the need for knowledge and best practices has never been greater. This book, with expert authors representing the best and the brightest in this important field, fills that need.


Retail irrigation water management in the Jordan Valley has been subjected to a comprehensive program for improvement since 2001 aiming at improving the efficiency of water distribution. Participative irrigation management approach was selected as a strategic option. The implementation of the program was launched in 3 pilots (north, middle, and south). The program started by rebuilding trust and advancing mutual understanding between the farmers and the Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) after a few years of disparity. The program also included contributing in reclaiming the network and providing know-how transfer to bring the farmers to an appropriate operational position and cooperative mode. Water users associations (WUAs) were formed where a democratic process was instituted to select the members on duty and the management structure. Contracts were achieved with WUAs that reached tasks transfer; where WUAs became responsible for the distribution of the water for irrigation. Yet to ensure the sustainability of the experience, a bylaw for the WUAs was prepared in cooperation with the farmers, while a federation for WUAs will be reached in the near future. Farmers reported improved productivity due to availability of water on a regular basis. Illegal use of water was dramatically reduced and a fair water distribution was reached. Today 21 WUAs serve ¾ of the irrigated land in the Jordan Valley. WUAs and JVA established sort of a partnership for the efficient water use in irrigation by cooperating in retail water management. The step wise


A love of homeland or patriotism is a feeling that arises from the heart of a nation, to devote themselves, maintain, defend, protect the country from all threats and disturbances. What can be expressed about the love of homeland is the sense of pride, ownership, respect and loyalty possessed by every citizen in the country where he lives which is reflected in the behavior of defending their homeland, protecting his homeland, willing to sacrifice for the sake of the nation and his country, loves the customs or culture of his country by preserving it and preserving nature and the environment. The love of homeland is an experience of the Unity of Indonesia pinciple that can be realized in everyday life. The Indonesian constitution has laid the foundation for every citizen entitled and obliged to participate to defend the country, awareness of the love of the homeland is essentially devoted to the state and willingness to sacrifice to defend the country. Therefore, the love of the homeland needs to be developed in the soul of every individual from an early age so that the purpose of living together can be achieved. One way to European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine ISSN 2515-8260 Volume 7, Issue 2, 202


Spatial nonstationarity is a condition in which a simple "global" model cannot explain the relationships between some sets of variables. The nature of the model must alter over space to reflect the structure within the data. In this paper, a technique is developed, termed geographically weighted regression, which attempts to capture this variation by calibrating a multiple regression model which allows different relationships to exist at different points in space. This technique is loosely based on kernel regression. The method itself is introduced and related issues such as the choice of a spatial weighting function are discussed. Following this, a series of related statistical tests are considered which can be described generally as tests for spatial nonstationarity. Using Monte Carlo methods, techniques are proposed for investigating the null hypothesis that the data may be described by a global model rather than a non-stationary one and also for testing whether individual regression coefficients are stable over geographic space. These techniques are demonstrated on a data set from the 1991 U.K. census relating car ownership rates to social class and male unemployment. The paper concludes by discussing ways in which the technique can be extended.


At a time when critiques of free trade policies are gaining currency, this book helps make sense of the protectionist turn, providing the first intellectual history of the genealogy of neomercantilism. The book identifies many pioneers of this ideology between the late eighteenth and early twentieth centuries who backed strategic protectionism and other forms of government economic activism to promote state wealth and power. They included not just the famous Friedrich List, but also numerous lesser-known thinkers, many of whom came from outside of the West. The book's emphasis on neomercantilism's diverse origins challenges traditional Western-centric understandings of its history. It illuminates neglected local intellectual traditions and international flows of ideas that gave rise to distinctive varieties of the ideology around the globe, including in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia. This rich history left enduring intellectual legacies, including in the two dominant powers of the contemporary world economy: China and the United States. The result is an exceptional study of a set of profoundly influential economic ideas. While rooted in the past, it sheds light on the present moment. The book shows how we might construct more global approaches to the study of international political economy and intellectual history, devoting attention to thinkers from across the world, and to the cross-border circulation of thought.


The story revolves around the comings and goings at No. 44 Scotland Street, a fictitious building in a real street in Edinburgh. Immediately recognisable are the Edinburgh chartered surveyor, stalwart of the Conservative Association, who dreams of membership of Scotland's most exclusive golf club. We have the pushy Stockbridge mother, and her prodigiously talented five-year-old son, who is making good progress with the saxophone and with his Italian. Then there is Domenica Macdonald who is that type of Edinburgh lady who sees herself as a citizen of a broader intellectual world. In McCall Smith's hands such characters retain charm and novelty, simultaneously arousing both mirth and empathy. 44 Scotland Street is vintage McCall Smith, tackling issues of trust and honesty, snobbery and hypocrisy, love and loss, but all with great lightness of touch. Clever, elegant and funny, this is a novel that provides huge entertainment but which is underpinned by the moral dilemmas of everyday life and the characters' struggles to resolve them.


This Article argues employers should be required to engage in the same interactive process with employees seeking religious accommodations as they are with employees seeking disability accommodations. The interactive process generally obligates the employer and employee to work together in good faith to determine whether the employee can be reasonably accommodated. Neither the Americans with Disability Act nor Title VII of the Civil Rights Act explicitly mandates the interactive process, yet courts routinely read this requirement into the former statute but not the latter. The practical effect of this distinction is that religious accommodations generally are more difficult to obtain, and employees seeking such accommodations have less control over the process and outcome. Consequently, employees may be forced to choose between their jobs and their religious beliefs—the very conundrum Title VII seeks to avoid.

The legal justification for mandating the interactive process for disability accommodations but not religious accommodations is uncompelling, prompting a handful of courts to require the interactive process for both types of accommodations. More courts should follow suit. There is considerable upside, and virtually no downside, to extending the interactive-process requirement to religious accommodations. It benefits employees and employers alike by increasing the odds of a mutually agreeable accommodation, which in turn reduces the risk of litigation. Moreover, good-faith participation in the interactive process better positions a party to prevail when litigation does ensue. The interactive process also benefits courts, not only by lightening dockets through reduced litigation, but also by providing a straightforward, highly adaptable, and familiar framework through which to more effectively evaluate accommodation claims. As religious-accommodation requests increase, both in number and types, the interactive process can help reduce conflict by ensuring employers and employees work together to determine whether a reasonable accommodation is possible.


Supply chain management refers to the efficient integration of various processes involved in turning resources into consumer products. Effectiveness of the supply chain is more easily understood in terms of Value Chain Management, and the integration of processes that turn resources into consumer value. The current paper reports two studies into the value chain of organic produce in The Netherlands. The paper combines two different research approaches to study which consumer motives and values are the main drivers of organic consumption. In a qualitative laddering (N=72) study, three distinct groups of motives were identified. These motives are centred around hedonic, benevolent, and universalist values. In a quantitative survey (N=1453), the importance of naturalness and environmental friendliness as primary driver for organic was confirmed. The study reconfirms earlier findings that health and taste are important motives driving organic food consumption, and that next to this environmental friendliness and naturalness are important drivers. More fundamentally, the consumption value of organic food is strongly related to social and ethical principles and beliefs. By committing itself to superior ethical performance the organic supply chain could create a competitive advantage that is not easily copied by competing products.


To be sustainable, production in the traditional yam cropping system, faced with declining soil fertility, could benefit from yam–arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis, which can improve nutrient uptake, disease resistance, and drought tolerance in plants. However, only limited information exists about AM colonization of yam. A pot experiment was conducted to collect information on the response of two genotypes (Dioscorea rotundata accession TDr 97/00903 and D. alata accession TDa 297) to AM inoculation (with and without) and phosphorus (P) (0, 0.05, 0.5, and 5 mg P kg–1 soil). Factorial combinations of the treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design with four replicates. The percentage of AM colonization was significantly lowered at 5 mg P kg–1 soil rate in mycorrhizal plants of both genotypes. TDr 97/00903 showed more responsiveness to AM inoculation than TDa 297. The greatest AM responsiveness for tuber yield (52%) was obtained at 0.5 mg P kg–1 soil rate for TDr 97/00903. Mycorrhizal inoculation significantly increased root dry weight and tuber yield of TDr 97/00903 with the greatest values obtained at the 0.5 mg P kg–1 soil rate. Arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation did not lead to significant (P < 0.05) changes in root length and area. Phosphorus application significantly increased the shoot dry weight and root diameter of TDa 297. Uptake of P was greatest at 0.5 mg P kg–1 soil in both genotypes and was significantly influenced by AM inoculation. Nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) uptake were greatest in mycorrhizal plants at 0.05 mg P kg–1 soil for TDr 97/00903 but at 0.5 mg P kg–1 soil of nonmycorrhizal plants of TDa 297. The increased tuber yield and nutrient uptake observed in the mycorrhizal plants indicate the potential for the improvement of nutrient acquisition and tuber yield through AM symbiosis.


The earthquakes associated with continental deformation are spatially and temporally variable and are fundamental in understanding fault activity and seismogenic hazards. We conduct KK ‐means cluster analysis on seismicity in the African–Arabian rift systems to create the first computationally objective analysis of the pattern of earthquakes. We use seismic moment to compute spatial variations in maximum credible earthquake (Mcred) and likely time to the next major release of seismic energy. Our best‐fit model has 32 clusters of ∼100–400  km∼100–400  km in length, with cluster size decreasing northward along the rift and cluster boundaries correlating with major structural segmentation of the rift. Mcred varies between MwMw 5.2 and 7.4 across the whole dataset, with the highest values estimated in portions of the rift where the majority of extension is accommodated by seismogenic failure.


In this paper we provide detailed evidence on the importance and performance of exporters compared to non-exporters in Austrian manufacturing industries based on firm-level data. The centrepiece of the study is the issue of the export premium, i.e. the size and performance advantages of exporting firms compared to their purely domestic peers. We find evidence for the existence of large export premia for all seven size and performance premia considered. These results are largely in line with the results found for other European countries. When estimating the export premium at the level of individual industries, we find significant differences with respect to the magnitude of the export premia. Significant export premia are still found when controlling for other firm characteristics such as employment and R&D-related variables where we find lower but more plausible magnitudes for the size and performance premia of exporters. We further test the robustness of the export premium results using random and also fixed effects estimators. The random effects model delivers statistically significant export premia for all measures as well. Care has to be taken when interpreting the estimated coefficients in the firm fixed effects model as the coefficients signal differences in size and productivity for 'export switchers', i.e. firms changing their export status. Finally we employ a probit model to investigate the impact of past firm characteristics on the probability to export. The major result is that while lagged firm productivity and size matter, the most important factor influencing this probability is the past export status pointing to a strong persistence of exporting.


Due to the huge repercussion of football broadcast in society, an enormous number
of applications can be derived to both analyze the match and enhance the visual experience of the spectator. These applications request semantical information about
the content of the images. In particular, the type of view in a football image contains
valuable information about the game. Thus, the type of view must be automatically
computed to be able to process the large amount of information extracted from each
football match.
In this work, we propose a robust classification system that estimates the type of
view in football images in real time. For each frame of the sequence, a set of descriptors is extracted to characterize a specific part of the scene: the grass field.
Gathering all these descriptors and a few ones related with texture, a decision tree
determines the view that is shown in that frame. In order to improve the robustness
of the algorithm, the redundancy of the temporal domain is exploited.
The validity of the proposed algorithm has been tested on a large amount of frames
from broadcasted football sequences in a wide variety of scenarios (stadiums, light
conditions, ...). Promising results have been obtained with a 96% of accuracy in the
classification of these images.


This will be the first ever book on contemporary art in Bosnia & Herzegovina, in any language. The book derives from a period of three years of research and participatory observation around the differing art activities in BiH. In a challenging contextual essay, the key drivers of contemporary art in the country are considered. The main themes discussed are the legacy of the 1992-95 war, the collapse of infrastructure, informality, futavizam, art activism and politics, art and the environment, Yugoslavism, and diaspora. In addition to fleshing out these broader themes, the book will consider key works of contemporary art in grater detail, in order to open out the complex interplay of these themes in individual works. Lavishly illustrated, the book will provide a key starting point both for the general and the academic reader, and will stand as a guide to BiH art for many years to come.


Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are, with Latinos, the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S. workforce. In 2009, Asian American and Pacific Islanders were one of every 20 U.S. workers, up from one in 40 only 20 years earlier. AAPIs, again with Latinos, are also the fastest growing ethnic group in organized labor, accounting for just under one-in-20 unionized workers in 2009. Even after controlling for workers' characteristics including age, education level, industry, and state, unionized AAPI workers earn about 14.3 percent more than non-unionized AAPI workers with similar characteristics. This translates to about $2.50 per hour more for unionized AAPI workers. Unionized AAPI workers are also about 16 percentage points more likely to have health insurance and about 22 percentage points more likely to have a retirement plan than their non-union counterparts. The advantages of unionization are greatest for AAPI workers in the 15 lowest-paying occupations. Unionized AAPI workers in these low-wage occupations earn about 20.1 percent more than AAPI workers with identical characteristics in the same generally low-wage occupations. Unionized AAPI workers in low-wage occupations are also about 23.2 percentage points more likely to have employer-provided health insurance and 26.3 percentage points more likely to have a retirement plan through their job.


Objective: Isotretinoin is a 13-cis-retinoic acid (RA), a vitamin A derivative required for normal development of central nervous system (CNS) including the retina. However it is also known to be a teratogen specially affecting the craniofacial region and frontal cortex neurons. Since neuronal proliferation and apoptotic cell death occur continuously during early postnatal retinal development, we investigated the effect of prenatal isotretinoin on postnatal development of retina. Methods: Pregnant rat received isotretinoin during early or mid-gestational period and the control received an equal volume of vegetable oil instead. The histopathological and morphometric analysis of the retina was performed on postnatal day 7, 14 and 30 using haematoxylin and eosin staining. To evaluate the freshly formed neurons retinal sections were also stained with doublecortin (DCX) on day 14 and day 30. Results: A significant loss of neurons in inner nuclear and ganglionic cell layers was evident in both treatment regimes. The expression of DCX positive cells were confined to the inner nuclear layers in control group as well as in rats treated with isotretinoin during early gestation on postnatal 14. Postnatal day 30 did not showed any DCX positive cells. Conclusion: The present study clearly demonstrates that prenatal isotretinoin reduce the neuronal population in retina apart from usual apoptosis. It also confirms that the formation of new neurons occur more specifically in inner nuclear layer of the retina around second week of postnatal development.


We analyze the valuation effect of board industry experience and channels through which industry experience of outside directors relates to firm value. Our analysis shows that firms with more experienced outside directors are valued at a premium compared to firms with less experienced outside directors. Additional analyses, including a quasi-experimental setting based on director deaths, mitigate endogeneity concerns. The association between having directors with more industry experience and higher firm value is more pronounced for firms with larger investment programs, larger cash reserves, and during crises. In contrast, it is weaker in more dynamic industries, i.e., industries that rank high in terms of sales growth, R&D expenditures, merger activities, competitive threat, and product market changes, where the value of previously acquired experience is likely to be diminished. Overall, our findings are consistent with board industry experience being a valuable corporate governance mechanism.


Purpose: To analyze and conclude the medication characteristics and regularities of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) therapy for lung cancer based on data mining technology.
Method: The Chinese biomedical literature database was used as a channel for literature retrieval, the key words such as lung cancer were first input and then relevant literatures that could be incorporated into the standard were retrieved through the text data mining method. In addition, the main characteristics and relevant regularities of TCM therapy for treating lung cancer were observed and analyzed in aspects of traditional Chinese medicine, Western medicine, Chinese patent medicine and combination drug therapy.
Result: 6,421 relevant literatures were obtained through data mining in total. According to the analysis of all the literatures relevant to lung cancer, the main objective of TCM therapy is to tonify qi & yin and strengthen the body resistance with Astragalus mongholicus and ginseng as the most common traditional Chinese medicinal materials. Meanwhile, salviae miltiorrhizae and coix seeds were widely applied in the treatment to remove pathogenic factors and promote blood circulation. Moreover, the poisonous TCM was also added to resolve toxin and dissipate binds during the therapy. Among many Chinese patent medicines, compound Kushen injection, Aidi injection, Pingxiao capsule and Shenmai injection were generally used through the compatibility prescriptions to significantly improve the curative effects, reduce toxicity and support body resistance. Good curative effects were achieved and the incidence rate of adverse reactions were reduced by combining Western medicine with Chinese patent medicine in the treatment of lung cancer, wherein cis-platinum and Aidi injection were the most effective methods.
Conclusion: The principle of "supporting the health energy and eliminating pathogenic factors" is adopted when TCM is used for lung cancer therapy. The kind of therapy could improve the curative effects and help the patients get relatively ideal living quality. The application of text data mining technology could help to grasp the relevant characteristics and regularities of TCM therapy for treating lung cancer, thus providing guidance and reference for the scientific, reasonable and normalized clinical medication.


We discuss new collisional-radiative modeling calculations of tungsten at moderate temperatures of 1200 to 2400 eV. Such plasma conditions are relevant to ongoing experimental work at ASDEX Upgrade and are expected to be relevant for ITER. Our calculations are made using the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) collisional-radiative modeling ATOMIC code. These calculations formed part of a submission to the recent NLTE-8 workshop that was held in November 2013. This series of workshops provides a forum for detailed comparison of plasma and spectral quantities from NLTE collisional-radiative modeling codes. We focus on the LANL ATOMIC calculations for tungsten that were submitted to the NLTE-8 workshop and discuss different models that were constructed to predict the tungsten emission. In particular, we discuss comparisons between semi-relativistic configuration-average and fully relativistic configuration-average calculations. We also present semi-relativistic calculations that include fine-structure detail, and discuss the difficult problem of ensuring completeness with respect to the number of configurations included in a CR calculation.


Tactile graphics allow the visually impaired to perceive two-dimensional imagery, which is an essential part of experiencing the world and learning several subjects such as science and geography. In the developed world, such graphics are available to blind students from an early age, and students grow up familiar with tactile representations of images. The production of tactile graphics, however, requires extensive manual labor by sighted people, or costly graphical braille printers. Thus, blind students in developing regions often grow up without any exposure to these learning aids and as a consequence are often prevented from studying the sciences.
 In this work, we explore the potential of enhancing access to tactile graphics in the developing world through a software tool that can convert images to a form that can be printed as tactile images using lower-cost braille text printers. We investigate the effectiveness of this tool in producing different types of tactile graphics, and also explore the impact of these graphics on students and visually impaired teachers at a school for the blind in India. We find that our subjects are highly enthusiastic about tactile graphics, are quickly able to understand them, and learn how to write the alphabet using them.


The widespread emergence of computing devices that go beyond the capabilities of traditional desktop computers has created a challenge for user interface (UI) developers who face the problem of a lack of a unified development process for building these UIs. This dissertation research focuses on creating a simplified development process for building UIs for multiple platforms. As part of this, the necessary building blocks (and their relationships) that can be used in a process to develop multi-platform UIs (MPUIs) are identified and specified. A task model, which is an abstract representation of the tasks that users perform with a system, is used as a high-level platform-independent specification for representing UIs for multiple platforms. The task model is supplemented with additional navigation attributes and containment operators for each target platform to facilitate the UI development process. This contribution is based on the insight that an uncontaminated task model, in conjunction with additional operators, allows different styles of UIs to be derived for different platforms.
This development process is evaluated by functional comparison with a few other multi-platform development processes, based on a set of criteria. In particular, a detailed comparison of this approach is performed with the approach used in the TERESA development environment. The process is also evaluated by demonstrating how the new features of this approach allow different styles of UIs to be built not only for a single platform, but also for different platforms. The two underlying notations that are used in this work include the Concurrent Task Tree (CTT) modeling notation for the task model and an intermediate language for UIs, the User Interface Markup Language (UIML). This research associates a new vocabulary with the UIML language to facilitate a multi-step transformation-based MPUI development process.


E-Procurement is more than just a system for making purchases online. Some companies implement e-procurement and succeed while others fail. This study was carried out on the adoption of e-procurement among large scale manufacturers in Nairobi, Kenya. The study had three objectives: To ascertain the extent to which large scale manufacturers in Nairobi have adopted e-procurement; to determine the critical success factors influencing the success of e-procurement in large manufacturing firms in Nairobi and to establish the challenges that face e-procurement adoption in large scale manufacturing firms in Nairobi. The research involved a cross-sectional survey of the large manufacturing companies operating in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive approach in trying to establish the factors that influence the success of e-procurement projects. A sample size of 46 respondents was selected from a list of 455 large manufacturing companies. Data was collected from the respondents through a questionnaire. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS and presented in tables. The study revealed that majority of the large scale manufacturers in Nairobi, Kenya has adopted e-procurement with the following e-procurement practices: online advertisement of tenders, receiving online submission of proposals for the tenders, and short listing suppliers online among others. The five critical success factors identified were: employees and management commitment to success of adoption; reliability of information technology and supplier performance; monitoring the performance of e-procurement systems; European Scientific Journal May 2013 edition vol.9, No.13 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 (Print) e ISSN 18577431 376 user acceptance of e-procurement systems and top management support. The challenges established are: resistance to change from employees, lack of e-procurement approval by company board, existence of old IT equipment among the firms that need overhaul and lack of managerial support. The study recommends that large scale manufacturers in Nairobi need to incorporate all the e-procurement activities into the system; they need to find out ways of encouraging employees to make use of e-procurement systems as well as find ways of addressing the factors that are critical to the success of e-procurement. This will enable them to improve adoption of e-procurement.


As the twenth-first century begins, Latinas/os represent 45 percent of the residents of Los Angeles County, making them the largest racial/ethnic group in the region. At the same time, the shift from manufacturing to a service-based economy in the area has contributed to a decline in good-paying jobs, significantly impacting working class families. These transformations have created a backlash that has included state propositions impacting Latinas/os and escalating anti-immigrant rhetoric, nd Latina/os of all backgrounds are making their voices heard. Until recently, most research on Latinas/os in the U.S. has ignored historical and contemporary dynamics in Latin America, just as scholars of Latin America have generally stopped their studies at the border. This volume roots Los Angeles in the larger arena of globalization, exploring the demographic changes that have transformed the Latino presence in LA from primarily Mexican-origin to one that now includes peoples from throughout the hemisphere. Bringing together scholars from a range of disciplines, it combines historical perspectives with analyses of power and inequality to consider how Latinas/os are responding to exclusionary immigration, labor, and schooling practices and actively creating communities. The contributors examine Latina/o Los Angeles in the context of historical, economic and social factors that have shaped the region. The first section provides contexts for understanding Latina/o migration, with chapters focusing on such factors as U.S. economic and military domination, labor and economic integration in the Americas, and Los Angeles economic history. The second section considers how various Latina/o groups have settled and formed communities and interacted with the existing Mexican-origin populations, showing how Zapotecs, Salvadorans, and other peoples are remaking urban demographics. The final section on labor organizing and political activism examines the role of Latina/o immigrants in such actions as the janitors strike and also considers the contemporary role of students in political activism. The volume concludes with an up-to-date compilation of contemporary scholarship on immigration, the economy, schools, neighborhoods, gender and activism as they relate to Central American and Mexican immigrants. Reflecting a range of methodologies'statistical, historical, ethnographic, and participatory research this collection is relevant not only to ethnic studies but also to broader concerns in political science, sociology, history, economics, and urban studies. In addition, some chapters focus explicitly on women, and gender issues are interwoven throughout the text. Latino Los Angeles is an important work that contributes to contemporary scholarship on transnationalism as it reexamines the changing face of America's largest western metropolis.


The body temperature of five normal subjects was raised to levels above 100.0°F through the use of a rubberized anti-exposure suit. The induced hyperkinetic cardiovascular state was studied on an ultra-low-frequency force ballistocardiogram. The ejection deflection (HI wave) consistently increased in amplitude and became more vertical during the hyperthermic state. The time duration from the onset of ventricular ejection to the J wave peak generally was shortened. These changes were interpreted in terms of the known cardiovascular response to the hyperkinetic state. Diminished peripheral resistance and its sequelae seemed to play a major role in the ballistocardiographic changes seen with hyperthermia. Submitted on November 23, 1959


Abstract. Regional and global chemical transport models underpredict NO x (NO + NO 2 ) in the upper troposphere where it is a precursor to the greenhouse gas ozone. The NO x bias has been shown in model evaluations using aircraft data (Singh et al., 2007) and total column NO 2 (molecules cm −2 ) from satellite observations (Napelenok et al., 2008). The causes of NO x underpredictions have yet to be fully understood due to the interconnected nature of simulated emission, transport, and chemistry processes. Recent observation-based studies, in the upper troposphere, identify chemical rate coefficients as a potential source of error (Olson et al., 2006; Ren et al., 2008). Since typical chemistry evaluation techniques are not available for upper tropospheric conditions, this study develops an evaluation platform from in situ observations, stochastic convection, and deterministic chemistry. We derive a stochastic convection model and optimize it using two simulated datasets of time since convection, one based on meteorology, and the other on chemistry. The chemistry surrogate for time since convection is calculated using seven different chemical mechanisms, all of which predict shorter time since convection than our meteorological analysis. We evaluate chemical simulations by inter-comparison and by pairing results with observations based on NO x :HNO 3 , a photochemical aging indicator. Inter-comparison reveals individual chemical mechanism biases and recommended updates. Evaluation against observations shows that all chemical mechanisms overpredict NO x removal relative to long-lived methanol and carbon monoxide. All chemical mechanisms underpredict observed NO x by at least 30%, and further evaluation is necessary to refine simulation sensitivities to initial conditions and chemical rate uncertainties.


We are developing a new voice communication medium called voiscape. Voiscape enables natural and seamless bi-directional voice communication by using sound to create a virtual sound room. In a sound room, people can feel others' direction and distance expressed by spatial sounds with reverberations, and they can move freely by using a map of the room. Voiscape enables multi-voice-conversations. In a virtual market place that will be realized by voiscape, people can not only buy goods or information but also enjoy talking with merchants and people there. In this demo, a voiscape prototype called VPII is used for realizing such an environment. Unfortunately, because prerecorded voices are used in this demo, the participants cannot talk with merchants. However, the participants can talk each other with small end-to-end latency (less than 200 ms) and will feel the atmosphere of the virtual market place. Prerecorded people and merchants talk each other in English, Japanese and Chinese in parallel and with crossovers, and participants can virtually walk among them and can selectively listen one voice or hear multiple voices at once.


Mono and bimetallic catalysts based on Pt and Pd were prepared by a co-precipitation method. They were tested in liquid phase hydrogenation reactions of glucose and furfural at low temperature and pressure. The bimetallic PtPd/TiO2 catalyst proved to be an efficient material in selectively hydrogenating glucose to sorbitol. Moreover, high furfural conversion was attained under relatively soft conditions, and the furfuryl alcohol selectivity was strongly affected by the chemical composition of the catalysts. Furfuryl alcohol (FA) was the major product in most cases, along with side products such as methylfuran (MF), furan, and traces of tetrahydrofuran (THF). These results showed that the PtPd bimetallic sample was more active relative to the monometallic counterparts. A correlation between the catalytic results and the physicochemical properties of the supported nanoparticles identified key factors responsible for the synergetic behavior of the PtPd system. The high activity and selectivity were due to the formation of ultra-small particles, alloy formation, and the Pt-rich surface composition of the bimetallic particles supported on the TiO2 nanowires.


Graphite is a well-known solid lubricant and can be as important as clay minerals in reducing the frictional strength of faults. Some natural fault zones contain carbonaceous material (CM) even where host rocks do not contain it, and seismic fault motion can promote the graphitization of low-grade CM. Thus, the origin of CM in fault zones is an important issue in fault mechanics. Previous high-velocity friction experiments have revealed various chemical reactions in fault zones during seismic fault motion, but most experiments have been conducted in an atmosphere under oxic conditions. Here we report experimental results on Carrara marble (free of CM), conducted under N2 or H2 atmospheres at a slip rate of 1.3 m/s and normal stresses of 2.0–3.1 MPa. A small amount of blackish material formed in generated gouge only under reducing conditions with the H2 atmosphere, and Raman spectroscopic analysis revealed the presence of CM (amorphous carbon) in the material. The CM is attributable to (1) the generation and pyrolitic dissociation of CH4, and/or (2) a reduction reaction of emitted CO2 due to calcite decomposition. We confirmed the formation of CH4 using gas chromatography. The CM produced in experiments resembles CM in the Nojima fault (Japan) gouge in terms of Raman spectra. The granitic host rock of this fault is free of CM, and calcite is precipitated close to the CM; therefore, the CM probably formed through processes similar to those simulated in our experiments. Future research should investigate the amount and origin of CM in natural fault zones.


A selection of 147 wheat D-genome and 130 barley genomic simple sequence repeat (gSSR) markers were screened for their utility in Hordeum chilense, as an alien donor genome for cereal breeding. Fifty-eight wheat D-genome and 71 barley PCR primer pairs consistently amplified products from H. chilense. Nineteen wheat D-genome and 20 barley gSSR markers were polymorphic and allowed wide genome coverage of the H. chilense genome. Twenty-three of the wheat D-genome and 11 barley PCR primer pairs were suitable for studying the introgressions of H. chilense into wheat, amplifying H. chilense products of distinct size. In 88% of the markers tested, H. chilense products were maintained in the expected homeologous linkage group, as revealed by the analysis of wheat/H. chilense addition lines. Twenty-nine microsatellite markers (eight gSSRs and 21 expressed sequence tags-SSRs) uniformly distributed across the genome were tested for their utility in genetic diversity analysis within the species. Three genetic clusters are reported, in accordance with previous morphological and amplified fragment length polymorphism data. These results show that it is possible to discriminate the three previously established germplasm groups with microsatellite markers. The reported markers represent a valuable resource for the genetic characterisation of H. chilense, for the analysis of its genetic variability, and as a tool for wheat introgression. This is the first intraspecific study in a collection of H. chilense germplasm using microsatellite markers.


Given the multifaceted nature of physical activity behavior in children and adolescents, researchers have conducted myriad intervention studies designed to increase physical activity across many populations, study designs, contexts, and settings. This narrative review overviews the characteristics, conclusions, and research gaps/future directions indicated in prior reviews of interventions to promote physical activity in youth and identifies potential knowledge gaps. Seven databases were searched for articles published between January 2012 and September 2022. A predetermined list of characteristics of included reviews was extracted. Reviews (n = 68) concluded that interventions were generally effective. Little attention was paid to implementation, theoretical framework was only addressed in about half of reviews, and only a quarter specifically examined individuals from underrepresented groups. Family, community, and policy work are needed, and overarching reviews such as this study should occasionally occur given the high number of reviews focusing on specific populations or settings.


This volume brings together interdisciplinary perspectives from critical social science and humanities scholars to provide answers to the following questions: what role does law play within art or aesthetics? Where does aesthetic judgement lie? How do artists and/or activists engage with the location of power within and beyond law? To what extent do negotiations of law provide new spaces for action? How does street art traverse the thin line between legality and illegality in different geographic contexts? What role does protest play in distinguishing art from law, or does it further demonstrate their similarities? What spaces and boundaries are created by real or imagined forms of aesthetics and resistance? What role does property play in delineating orders of acceptable and unacceptable art?

This collection comes at a poignant juncture in contemporary power and politics, seeking to contribute a call to renegotiate and cross old boundaries between the disciplines and practices of art and law in the hope of demonstrating the agential nature of the aesthetic, the legal, and the political as a locus for change.


This paper describes the design and control of a water-based multimodal haptic display. The system is able to provide temperature and pressure (pulse) cues through a finger-sized display. Temperature feedback is obtained by mixing hot and cold water stored in two water tanks. The heating and cooling of the water is performed with a Peltier whose two surfaces are used, thus increasing the energetic efficiency of the system. Mixing the hot and cold water allows for very rapid temperature changes essential in applications such as object discrimination. The device can provide cooling rates sufficient to mimic the contact with any object found in our daily lives. Tactile (pulse) feedback is achieved by closing the circuit with a valve while building up the pressure with the pump. Results show that temperature is controlled with a precision of ±1°C in the range of 20°C to 40°C while simultaneously generating sensible pulses. In addition, this display is MRI-compatible as it is remotely actuated using water. These characteristics make the system suitable for psychophysics experiments, which are considered to be one of the goals and the next logic step of this work.


Beyond their status as classic children's stories, Laura Ingalls Wilder's ""Little House"" books play a significant role in American culture that most people cannot begin to appreciate. Millions of children have sampled the books in school; played out the roles of Laura and Mary; or visited Wilder homesites with their parents, who may be fans themselves. Yet, as Anita Clair Fellman shows, there is even more to this magical series with its clear emotional appeal: a covert political message that made many readers comfortable with the resurgence of conservatism in the Reagan years and beyond.In ""Little House, Long Shadow"", a leading Wilder scholar offers a fresh interpretation of the ""Little House"" books that examines how this beloved body of children's literature found its way into many facets of our culture and consciousness - even influencing the responsiveness of Americans to particular political views. Because both Wilder and her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, opposed the New Deal programs being implemented during the period in which they wrote, their books reflect their use of family history as an argument against the state's protection of individuals from economic uncertainty. Their writing emphasized the isolation of the Ingalls family and the family's resilience in the face of crises and consistently equated self-sufficiency with family acceptance, security, and warmth.Fellman argues that the popularity of these books - abetted by Lane's overtly libertarian views - helped lay the groundwork for a negative response to big government and a positive view of political individualism, contributing to the acceptance of contemporary conservatism while perpetuating a mythic West. Beyond tracing the emergence of this influence in the relationship between Wilder and her daughter, Fellman explores the continuing presence of the books - and their message - in modern cultural institutions from classrooms to tourism, newspaper editorials to Internet message boards.""Little House, Long Shadow"" shows how ostensibly apolitical artifacts of popular culture can help explain shifts in political assumptions. It is a pioneering look at the dissemination of books in our culture that expands the discussion of recent political transformations - and suggests that sources other than political rhetoric have contributed to Americans' renewed appreciation of individualist ideals.


Liquid Core Waveguide Sensors with Single and Multi-Spot Excitation Lynnell Uilani Wai Yee Zempoaltecatl Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, BYU Master of Science Using silicon based microfabrication and materials, a photonic platform, capable of single bioparticle analysis, has been developed. This platform combines liquid and hollow core waveguides on the micron-scale (5 μm x 12 μm) to isolate femtoliter sized sample volumes. Fluorescence excitation and signals in the visible range are directed into and out of the sample volume at an orthogonal angle to maximize signal-to-noise. In order to guide light in a low-index material antiresonant reflecting optical waveguides (ARROWs) were incorporated into the platform. This thesis reveals the development path of these structures over several device generations including innovations in material, geometries, and fabrication techniques to increase detection sensitivity. As a result of these developments, this photonic platform has shown to successfully detect virus samples and other particles. This thesis also presents a new idea for increasing the signal to noise ratio (SNR) by incorporating Y-splitter devices into the design. Specifically, the 1 x 2 and 1 x 4 splitter structures can be used as orthogonal excitation points to the liquid core waveguide. When fluorescently tagged particles are introduced into the hollow core, these points create an optical signal that is correlated in time and space. The data collected by a photodetector can then be processed by an algorithm to increase SNR. Such advancements have shown to increase the SNR by 175 times.


The growing migration in European Countries and other continents increased the need of foreign language interpretation services in investigative interviews and added to the continuous commitment in helping front line interviewers of children. Although interpreters are expected to literally interpret what is being said from one language to another, applied forensic linguistics suggests that things are not that simple! If interviewers, interpreters and children are not prepared for this group effort to extract forensic details, interpretation may lead to misinterpreted testimonies. This project was funded by the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group to explore the challenges faced by interviewers' and interpreters' collaboration and support them within the various difficulties in which they function. A short educational video on Interviewers' and Interpreters' Collaboration in Investigative Interviews of Children (ICIC) will be developed based on interviewers and interpreters responses on our survey as well as a review of the literature. It is expected that ICIC will have a practical value by complementing practitioners' training. Interviewers and interpreters may watch ICIC during training or importantly prior an interview reminding them the basic principles of their collaboration. Perhaps the most important benefit for practitioners its ICIC's potential impact on the quality of police interviews with children.


Preliminary notes This paper proposes new static resource utilization (SRU) approach by using the fractional frequency reuse (FFR) technique to enhance resource exploitation in Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) 802.16e. This approach not only efficiently enhances resource exploitation in the base station (BS) but also increases the data rate and number of served users. This work considers the downlink sub-frame of WiMAX BS by using the partial usage of sub-channel mode and the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access. Five cases were included as a trade-off study to identify the best way of utilizing BS resources in the FFR technique. Theoretical analysis was conducted to present a new formula for the FFR data rate. Simulation results (cases 5 and 4) reveal that the proposed approach has an advantage over the traditional FFR technique in various metrics. The number of served users and slots utilized was increased by 100 % when case 5 was considered. By contrast, the data rate (8,69 Mbit/s), subcarrier efficiency (2,02 bit/subcarrier/burst), and spectral efficiency (0,869 bit/s/H) were enhanced when case 4 was considered. The efficient utilization of bandwidth and resources has made the proposed approach a compelling candidate for cellular network deployment.


Trophinin, tastin, and bystin comprise a complex mediating a unique homophilic cell adhesion between trophoblast and endometrial epithelial cells at their respective apical cell surfaces. In this study, we prepared mouse monoclonal antibodies specific to each of these molecules. The expression of these molecules in the human placenta was examined immunohistochemically using the antibodies. In placenta from the 6th week of pregnancy, trophinin and bystin were found in the cytoplasm of the syncytiotrophoblast in the chorionic villi, and in endometrial decidual cells at the utero placental interface. Tastin was exclusively present on the apical side of the syncytiotrophoblast. Tissue sections were also examined by in situ hybridization using RNA probes specific to each of these molecules. This analysis showed that trophoblast and endometrial epithelial cells at the utero placental interface express trophinin, tastin, and bystin. In wk 10 placenta, trophinin and bystin were found in the intravillous cytotrophoblast, while tastin was not found in the villi. After wk 10, levels of all three proteins decreased and then disappeared from placental villi.


Abstract. As temperature extremes have a deep impact on environment, hydrology, agriculture, society and economy, the analysis of the mechanisms underlying their occurrence, including their relationships with the large-scale atmospheric circulation, is particularly pertinent and is discussed here for Europe and in the period 1961–2010 (50 yr). For this aim, a canonical correlation analysis, coupled with a principal component analysis (BPCCA), is applied between the monthly mean sea level pressure fields, defined within a large Euro-Atlantic sector, and the monthly occurrences of two temperature extreme indices (TN10p – cold nights and TX90p – warm days) in Europe. Each co-variability mode represents a large-scale forcing on the occurrence of temperature extremes. North Atlantic Oscillation-like patterns and strong anomalies in the atmospheric flow westwards of the British Isles are leading couplings between large-scale atmospheric circulation and winter, spring and autumn occurrences of both cold nights and warm days in Europe. Although summer couplings depict lower coherence between warm and cold events, important atmospheric anomalies are key driving mechanisms. For a better characterization of the extremes, the main features of the statistical distributions of the absolute minima (TNN) and maxima (TXX) are also examined for each season. Furthermore, statistically significant downward (upward) trends are detected in the cold night (warm day) occurrences over the period 1961–2010 throughout Europe, particularly in summer, which is in clear agreement with the overall warming.


We have isolated one member of the frizzled family of wnt receptors from Xenopus (Xfz7) to study the role of cell-cell communication in the establishment of the vertebrate axis. We demonstrate that this maternally encoded protein specifically synergizes with wnt proteins in ectopic axis induction. Embryos derived from oocytes depleted of maternal Xfz7 RNA by antisense oligonucleotide injection are deficient in dorsoanterior structures. Xfz7-depleted embryos are deficient in dorsal but not ventral mesoderm due to the reduced expression of the wnt target genes siamois, Xnr3 and goosecoid. These signaling defects can be restored by the addition of beta-catenin but not Xwnt8b. Xfz7 thus functions upstream of the known GSK-3/axin/beta-catenin intracellular signaling complex in vertebrate dorsoventral mesoderm specification.


Initially associated with hi-tech irrigated agriculture, drip irrigation is now being used by a much wider range of farmers in emerging and developing countries. This book documents the enthusiasm, spread and use of drip irrigation systems by smallholders but also some disappointments and disillusion faced in the global South. It explores and explains under which conditions it works, for whom and with what effects. The book deals with drip irrigation 'behind the scenes', showcasing what largely remain 'untold stories'. Most research on drip irrigation use plot-level studies to demonstrate the technology's ability to save water or improve efficiencies and use a narrow and rather prescriptive engineering or economic language. They tend to be grounded in a firm belief in the technology and focus on the identification of ways to improve or better realize its potential. The technology also figures prominently in poverty alleviation or agricultural modernization narratives, figuring as a tool to help smallholders become more innovative, entrepreneurial and business minded. Instead of focusing on its potential, this book looks at drip irrigation-in-use, making sense of what it does from the perspectives of the farmers who use it, and of the development workers and agencies, policymakers, private companies, local craftsmen, engineers, extension agents or researchers who engage with it for a diversity of reasons and to realize a multiplicity of objectives. While anchored in a sound engineering understanding of the design and operating principles of the technology, the book extends the analysis beyond engineering and hydraulics to understand drip irrigation as a sociotechnical phenomenon that not only changes the way water is supplied to crops but also transforms agricultural farming systems and even how society is organized. The book provides field evidence from a diversity of interdisciplinary case studies in sub-Saharan Africa, the Mediterranean, Latin America, and South Asia, thus revealing some of the untold stories of drip irrigation.


Background The theory has been put forward that if a null hypothesis is true, P-values should follow a Uniform distribution. This can be used to check the validity of randomisation. Method The theory was tested by simulation for two sample t tests for data from a Normal distribution and a Lognormal distribution, for two sample t tests which are not independent, and for chi-squared and Fisher's exact test using small and using large samples. Results For the two sample t test with Normal data the distribution of P-values was very close to the Uniform. When using Lognormal data this was no longer true, and the distribution had a pronounced mode. For correlated tests, even using data from a Normal distribution, the distribution of P-values varied from simulation run to simulation run, but did not look close to Uniform in any realisation. For binary data in a small sample, only a few probabilities were possible and distribution was very uneven. With a sample of two groups of 1,000 observations, there was great unevenness in the histogram and a poor fit to the Uniform. Conclusions The notion that P-values for comparisons of groups using baseline data in randomised clinical trials should follow a Uniform distribution if the randomisation is valid has been found to be true only in the context of independent variables which follow a Normal distribution, not for Lognormal data, correlated variables, or binary data using either chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests. This should not be used as a check for valid randomisation.


Unlike the colonialism of Africa, where Africans were the majority population, enslaved Africans began populating the U.S. colonies of North America along with English settlers and emerging as a domestic colony. While in the early stages, Africans in the U.S. colonies were classified as indentured servants, the distinction as slaves began to sharpen in 1640 "when three runaway servants, two white and one black were recaptured, [and] the court ordered the white servants to serve their master one additional year. The black servant, however, was ordered 'to serve his said master or his assigns for the time of his natural life here or elsewhere.'" (1) The Africans were a very significant part of the development of the United States. "Slaves supplied the foundation of the American economy in three ways: as a basic commodity in the New England-West Indian trade, as workers producing agricultural commodities for the market, and as property." (2) While they were considered non-persons, they were "personal (or 'chattel') property that could be bought sold, moved about, inherited, given away, insured, and used as collateral for all kinds of business transactions. As items of trade, producers of agricultural commodities, and capital, slaves fed the American and British economies and made possible the industrial revolution of both countries." (3) Dialectics of Racism and Resistance The clearly delineated categorization based on color intensified the development of structural violence against African people enslaved in the colonies. Basic rights weren't granted to the slaves and educating them was made illegal. Unlike contract labor whose basic human rights were guaranteed under law, slaves were given no such protection. The violent exploitation and forced labor of Africans enslaved in the U.S. produced "two decisive political options ... resistance and accommodation." (4) Racism ensued from racial prejudice towards a particular socio-political category (called the Negro or Black race) which was coupled with the power of the states to institute laws limiting the behavior of this group. Color connotations further reinforced the sense of social purity of whites versus the negative, evil connotation of blackness. Racism, as it has developed over the centuries, unveiled its dialectical character. it has imbued a sense of superiority within whites while dialectically causing blacks to internalize a sense of their own inferiority. The depersonalization of the society says to the blacks, "I don't see you." The master's conversation about freedom and liberty in the presence of the slave says, "You don't exist." However, the master's very privilege and position are inextricably tied to the existence of the slave. Once the slave resists or refuses to accept his condition the relationship is forever transformed. No matter whether in a direct colonial or domestic context, the basis of the superior/ inferior relationship existed. The master/ slave relationship carried with it very similar socio-political dynamics as those implied in the colonizer/colonized relationship. The post reconstruction status of the population of African descent in the U. S. has effectively been a domestic colonial relationship to the white settler colonial population. This continues to carry with it the dialectical contradictions of racism discussed above. The internalized oppression and rage retained among the colonized (or domestic colonial) has been expressed in a range of different forms which Fanon has addressed. "The black man among his own in the twentieth century does not know at what moment his inferiority comes into being through the other." (5) The racism and violence of the developing economy of the United States did not go unanswered. "Many slaves responded to the daily exploitation of the work place by resisting--running away, destroying machinery, burning crops, killing the master and his family. …


The borrowing and application of concepts and theories from underlying disciplines, such as psychology and sociology, is commonplace in organization theory. This article critically reviews this practice in organizational research. It discusses the borrowing of theoretical perspectives across vertical (cross-level) and horizontal (cross-context) boundaries and makes an associated distinction between theories in organizations and theories of organizations. It also explicates several unintended consequences and metatheoretical challenges associated with theory borrowing and highlights the legitimate reasons and ways for borrowing theories. By way of example, this article reviews how theories and concepts have been borrowed and applied in organizational research from two different literatures: individual identity and social movements. Overall, it is argued that treating organizations as social actors is the key to appropriate horizontal and vertical theory borrowing in organizational studies, in that it highlights the distinctive features of the organizational social form and organizational social context.


Autism is complex and heterogeneous in origin and proposed to be due to interaction of genetic and environmental factors [2]. The incidence of autism has risen ~10-fold since the early 1980s, with most of this rise not explainable by changing diagnostic criteria. Is there any explanation for that? Clinical and epidemiological studies and post-market pharmacovigilence are of utmost importance in detection of unrecognized or missed drug-induced side effects. Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is a widely used over-the-counter (OTC) analgesic and antipyretic that was introduced since 1955 [3]. Unfortunately the recent mechanistic evidence suggests correlation between acetaminophen exposure and increased incidence and risk of autism [4-6]. Considerable evidence supports this contention, most notably the exponential chronological rise in acetaminophen consumption for infants and young children since 1980s when it began to replace aspirin [7]. For instance, this compound has been taken, at least once, by more than 85% of children under the age of 91 months in the UK [8]. Children who are poor metabolizrs of acetaminophen may be at higher risk even under therapeutic doses [5]. There are four major pathways for acetaminophen detoxification namely; the major pathways of glucuronidation or deacetylation to a phenol, and sulfation catalyzed by phenolsulfotransferase, and the minor toxic pathway by the cytochrome P450 (CYP2E1) enzyme producing N-acetylpbenzoquinone imine (NAPQI) Glucuronidation is commonly present at low capacity in the fetus, newborns, and young infants, such that exposure to acetaminophen at these times leads to greater metabolism by other pathways [9]. One key piece of evidence came from the observation that sulfation pathway catalyzed by phenolsulfotransferase is proved to be deficient in autism. This leads to overproduction of the toxic metabolite NAPQI from acetaminophen with a subsequent depletion of glutathione the main source of sulfhydryl groups with reduction in the ability to detoxify a host of toxic chemicals in the environment, increasing oxidative stress, which leads to protein, lipid, and nucleic acid damage from free radicals [5]. The characteristic loss of Purkinje cells in the brains of autistic cases is consistent with depletion of brain glutathione and as of 2012; there are many articles that indicated an association between toxic chemical exposure and autism. For example, exposure to NAPQI derived from acetaminophen, competitively inhibits the reaction of metals (such as mercury) with the sulfhydryl groups in children with autism [10]. Importantly, NAPQI also inhibits the isomerase and the biological activities of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) [11]. Polymorphism of MIF has recently been associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) [8]. In addition, oxidative damage of mitochondrial proteins and DNA by acetaminophen leads to activation of DNase (s) which is typically responsible for nuclear DNA fragmentation and apoptosis [12]. There are several studies had shown an association between mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis with autism [13]. Also, cetaminophen has been found to induce apoptosis-dependent neurotoxicity by increasing neuronal CYP2E1 enzymatic activity, leading to neuronal death through mitochondrial mediated mechanisms that involve cytochrome c release and caspase-3 activation. One of the prominent features of autism is immune system dis-ccregulation [14]. Recently, acetaminophen has been postulated to provoke autism through neuroimmunomodulatory effect that may be mediated by activation of endocannabinoids system. Acetaminophen metabolite p-aminophenol can conjugate with arachidonic acid in the brain and spinal cord resulting in inhibition of the cellular uptake of anandamide, a naturally occurring endocannabinoid [15]. The cannabinoid CB2 receptors are primarily located in immune tissues and cells and may serve a regulatory function [16]. To this point of information, safety of acetaminophen becomes questionable and acetaminophen/autism alarm should be paid more attention.


We argue that identification problems bedevil most applied spatial research. Spatial econometrics solves these problems by deriving estimators assuming that functional forms are known and by using model comparison techniques to let the data choose between competing specifications. We argue that in most situations of interest this, at best, achieves only very weak identification. Worse, in most cases, such an approach will simply be uninformative about the economic processes at work rendering much applied spatial econometric research 'pointless', unless the main aim is simply description of the data. We advocate an alternative approach based on the 'experimental paradigm' which puts issues of identification and causality at centre stage.


ABSTRACT: Early treatment with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)--alone or in combination-- can prevent joint damage and minimize disability. Until recently, the DMARDs used predominantly in patients with rheumatoid arthritis had been methotrexate, sulfasalazine, and hydoxychloroquine. Older DMARDs such as gold, d-penicillamine, and azathioprine have fallen out of favor because of their long- term toxicities or modest benefit. Six newer DMARDs--leflunomide, etanercept, infliximab, adalimumab, rituximab, and anakinra--have greatly expanded the current treatment options.


Growing evidence supports the importance of ubiquitin ligases in the pathogenesis of muscular disorders, although underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive. Here we show that the expression of RNF5 (aka RMA1), an ER-anchored RING finger E3 ligase implicated in muscle organization and in recognition and processing of malfolded proteins, is elevated and mislocalized to cytoplasmic aggregates in biopsies from patients suffering from sporadic-Inclusion Body Myositis (sIBM). Consistent with these findings, an animal model for hereditary IBM (hIBM), but not their control littermates, revealed deregulated expression of RNF5. Further studies for the role of RNF5 in the pathogenesis of s-IBM and more generally in muscle physiology were performed using RNF5 transgenic and KO animals. Transgenic mice carrying inducible expression of RNF5, under control of β-actin or muscle specific promoter, exhibit an early onset of muscle wasting, muscle degeneration and extensive fiber regeneration. Prolonged expression of RNF5 in the muscle also results in the formation of fibers containing congophilic material, blue-rimmed vacuoles and inclusion bodies. These phenotypes were associated with altered expression and activity of ER chaperones, characteristic of myodegenerative diseases such as s-IBM. Conversely, muscle regeneration and induction of ER stress markers were delayed in RNF5 KO mice subjected to cardiotoxin treatment. While supporting a role for RNF5 Tg mice as model for s-IBM, our study also establishes the importance of RNF5 in muscle physiology and its deregulation in ER stress associated muscular disorders.


Collaberative Design and construction of a non-reinforced marble pavilio, by Cultural Geometries.  Aims: The design aimed to test marble's contemporary relevance to architecture by testing at 1:1 a) marble as primary architectural structure, b) the feasibility of reusing waste marble c) the feasibility of building method & instruction of building method. Methodology: Creativity: stimulate remote associations & lateral thinking through 'out of the ordinary' environments and 'on the spot' problem solving. (K.Sawer "Creativity & Development",2003) Participation: Engage communities, experts & governing authorities (J. Gehl, "Human Scale" 2012) Time: Projects builds on from previous through continuity and reflection. (S.Egashira, Koshirakura 1996) This project was an experiment. We had no precedent for laminating natural stone. We studied references like Gustavino 'tile arch system' patented in 1885, Anthony Gaudi's chain models 1889 and more recently the ceramic tile work of work of Block Research Group ETH (and others) to give us theoretical certainty. We also compared fabric folds in marble sculptures (e.g. Veiled Christ). Everything was cross-referenced with the marble factory experience and our own 1:1 testing. The project was achieved through 3 design workshops, 4 building trips within and outside semesters. Findings: We planned 3 layers of laminate and designed 3 tile patterns. When working 1:1 we judged 2 layers would suffice (less material). We designed the tile to fit a variety of marble waste, machinery and design typology. Other factors were handling weight and structural integrity. The 10x10x1cm was quick to cut for the factory. It took them 2 days to cut 10,000 tiles involving 4 different people. We discovered the material had retained some translucency, visible at night when lit up from inside (to be explored in future work). Factors influencing building accuracy were skills, guide work, weather and construction time (four trips). Being able to discuss and 'sketch' 1:1 proved very useful as we could make decisions based on actual experience in relation to design. Outcomes: The pavilion was completed successfully and is weathering well. The 2-3cm thick non re-enforced laminated structure is thin for masonry construction. The building method could well mean that marble has a structural future in architecture. We also believe this experiment is transferable to other natural stone types. The feasibility of using waste marble has been proven and was far more efficient than we had anticipated. The 3rd ambition was harder to achieve. Building accuracy and time of construction need to improve. We suggest improved guide work design, construction training and working with the same construction team though build period. Impact: The impact of the project is primarily regional but has global relevance in dealing with stone waste and innovation in architecture. The pavilion's primary purpose is as an educational tool within the quarry and factory. The pavilion is also used educationally externally (American Architects visited June 2016). The engineering firm BuroHapold is now a research collaborator. A reflective exhibition was part of London Festival of Architecture 2016. The work is also listed under AJ's small projects. A film of the project is available on You Tube along side a film about the marble from quarry and through factory to tile.
 Dates: Completed june 2016 Participating Organisations: OBU, SoAD, Freehaus Design, CG Architecture, Solubema, Etma.
 Project Leaders: C. Godiksen, M. Brown & M. Howe Tutor Names / Team: M. Brown, C. Godiksen, J. Hagos, M. Howe, T.Yudin Team: see film credits & www.cg-architecture.com/research


An integrated water quality model system (WQ Shell) has been developed for the PC. The system is designed to provide an easy-to-use graphical interface which integrates geographical and environmental data, hydrodynamic and water quality model data and impact analysis. The system will run on a 386/486 platform, running DOS version 3.0 or later, with VGA graphics and a mouse. The software is composed of four components; a geographical information system (GIS), an environmental data system (EDS), a pollutant transport model (PTM) and an impacts analysis package (IAP). The GIS allows the user to display natural resources (beaches, shellfish areas, etc.) and engineered structure locations (outfalls, intakes, etc.) on a screen showing the region of interest. The EDS component allows the user to input a model grid and hydrodynamic data. The PTM calculates the fate of a chosen constituent. Pollutant source strengths as functions of space and time can also be input. Various graphical outputs are available to display hydrodynamic model current vectors and surface elevations. The graphical output also displays pollutant transport model result either by concentration levels or pollutant particle trajectories. The IAP component allows the user to visually examine impacts of the pollutant distribution. This includes generating overlays of pollutant levels in relation to natural or engineered resources; or before and after displays of pollutant levels in response to mitigative measures. Analysis products such as area exceeding a given concentration versus time are also possible. The software has been designed in an open format to interface with a variety of hydrodynamic and pollutant transport models. The range of models foreseen encompasses box model approaches with simplified conservation equations to full, time dependent, three-dimensional models on a variety of grid formats.


Abstract Canadian society is characterised by a plurality of immigrants and Canadian migration policy and corresponding recognition approaches are strongly geared to economic criteria, qualifications and skills. This paper addresses the question how immigrants who have acquired their highest qualification outside Canada are able to use their foreign qualifications and skills in their current job. The analyses are conducted to verify the assumptions of human capital theory as well as the lack of transferability of human capital across country borders. To answer these questions a labour market success index is developed, which is used as a dependent variable in regression models. The results show that traditional operationalisations of human capital (years of education, years of work experience and skills) have a positive effect on individual labour market success. At the same time, being born abroad and having acquired one's highest qualification abroad in comparison to Canada, especially in a Non-Western country, has negative effects on the overall labour market success of an individual. Detailed comparisons regarding different indicators of labour market success also prove these comparatively negative effects. The results demonstrate the limited explanatory power of human capital theory and the necessity to complement it with Bourdieu's concepts of social and cultural capital.


CrossFit is a metabolically demanding strength and conditioning method which performance may benefit from a carbohydrate (CHO)-rich diet. This study investigated the effect of three consecutive days of high CHO intake on CrossFit performance and corresponding metabolically -related variables in strength trained individuals. Eighteen subjects with a CHO intake of <6 g/kg/day were randomly assigned into a CHO (n = 9) or control (C) group (n =9) and underwent a 9-day training protocol. During days 1, 5, and 9, performance was measured as repetitions completed during a 12 minute CrossFit workout. Oxygen consumption (VO2), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and blood lactate (BL) were also measured. Days 6–8, the CHO group increased CHO intake from <6 g/kg/day to 6–8 g/kg/day; the C group maintained their current intake of <6 g/kg/day. On days 6 and 7 both groups performed CrossFit workouts followed by a day of rest prior to day 9. There was a significant increase in repetitions completed in both groups in day 9 (vs. means score of day 1 + 5) (p = 0.002), but no differences between C and CHO groups (p = 0.111). However, the CHO group displayed a 15.2 repetition increase (+10.9%) in day 9, compared to 5.7 (+4.2%) by the C group. VO2, RER, and BL were not influenced by the experimental intervention. Our results suggest that the CrossFit-embraced practice of moderately-low CHO diets may be adequate in CHO during short periods of training, however, given the noted trend, extended training periods may be effected.


The prevalence of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in the general population presents a significant clinical challenge given the high rate of progression to full-blown diabetes and the associated increase in cardiovascular risk and other complications, and  justifies the need for early corrective intervention based on lifestyle changes supported by supplements to modulate postprandial glycemic peaks. This open-label study, based on a cross-over model, was conducted on a sample of 25 overweight patients with IFG taking part in a standardized lifestyle intervention program in order to analyze its effectiveness in modulating postprandial glycemic peaks as well as the gastrointestinal tolerability of a specific, standardized polyphenolic supplement (extracted from Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosus). The trend in capillary blood glucose values measured in patients enrolled in the study confirms the ability of the product used to modulate glycemic fluctuations both after ordinary meals consumed in real-life conditions and after a standard meal with controlled intake of carbohydrates, compared to observed values after consuming the same meals without supplements. The homogeneity of the glycemic values observed three hours after the standard meal, both with and without supplementation, also confirms the absence of late hypoglycemic effects.


The rapid rise in obesity, particularly among children is a major public health concern that adversely affects vital organs including the liver. We sought to investigate the effect of exercise on the healing of liver cells from damage induced by high fat diet (HFD) in a rat model of hepatic steatosis. Rats were randomly divided into four groups (n=6 in each group); control group fed on a low fat diet (LFD), LFD plus exercise group (LFD+EX), model group fed on HFD, and swim exercise treated group (HFD+EX). Training swim exercise started from the 11th week up until the end of week 15. Liver index and body mass index (BMI) were determined, and harvested liver tissues were examined using basic histological staining and visualised under light microscopy. In addition, collected blood samples were assayed for biomarkers of liver injury. Histological images from the model group showed accumulation of lipid droplets in the hepatocytes (steatosis) and damaged liver cells that were inhibited by swimming exercise. Compared to control groups, HFD caused an increase in BMI and liver weight but not in liver index. In addition, HFD significantly (p<0.05) increased liver injury biomarkers; high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) that were effectively (p<0.05) decreased by swimming exercise. Furthermore, a negative correlation between these biomarkers and the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protein adiponectin was observed. Thus, HFD-induced hepatic steatosis is treated by swim exercise.


No political concept is more used, and misused, than that of democracy. Nearly every regime today claims to be democratic, but not all 'democracies' allow free politics, and free politics existed long before democratic franchises. This book is a short account of the history of the doctrine and practice of democracy, from ancient Greece and Rome through the American, French, and Russian revolutions, and of the usages and practices associated with it in the modern world. It argues that democracy is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for good government, and that ideas of the rule of law, and of human rights, should in some situations limit democratic claims. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.


We use panel data for Brazilian states from 1995 to 2009 to analyse the impact of economic growth and income inequality on poverty change in Brazil, seeking to evaluate the Bourguignon (2003) hypothesis that the more unequal a country is, the less effective economic growth will be at reducing poverty. To this end, we estimate poverty elasticities relative to income and inequality, specifying two dynamic econometric models estimated via the generalized method of moments (GMM) system developed by Arellano and Bond (1991), Arellano and Bover (1995) and Blundell and Bond (1998). The model-estimated results prompt the conclusion that the income growth effect on poverty reduction is smaller when the initial development level is low. The same is found when the initial inequality level is high. Therefore, regions with a low initial development level, high initial inequality or both present less favourable conditions for reducing poverty through income growth.


ABSTRACT Cancer patients in intensive care unit (ICU) are vulnerable for developing multidrug resistant nosocomial infections. The antimicrobial resistance due to inappropriate use of antibiotics results in significant morbidity and mortality in these cancer patients. The present retrospective study was done to describe the antimicrobial sensitivity pattern of common organisms in isolates of clinical samples of patients admitted in ICU at our tertiary care cancer center. Materials and methods The study was carried out at ICU of a regional tertiary care cancer center for a period of 1 year from October 2016 to September 2017. All clinical samples were collected and processed for culture and antibiotic susceptibility testing were carried out on isolates as per Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute guidelines. Results A total of 644 specimens were collected. Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus spp. were most commonly encountered. In positive bacterial cultures, majority were Gram-negative isolates (84.14 %). Klebsiella was the most common gram-negative isolate (34.78%) and Enterococcus spp. were the most common Gram-positive isolates (61.53%). A high level of resistance to various antibiotics was noted among Gram-negative bacteria compared to Gram-positive isolates. Majority of the Gram-negative isolates were sensitive to Imipenem, Meropenem, and Colistin sensitivity among Gram-negative isolates was 100%. Linezolid, Teicoplanin and Vancomycin were most sensitive antimicrobials against the Gram-positive bacteria. Conclusion Regular monitoring of the pattern of resistance of bacteriological isolates in cancer patients is critical to develop antibiotic policy to combat these infections and reduce morbidity and mortality. How to cite this article Garg VK, Seema M et al. Microbial and Antibiotic Susceptibility Profile among Isolates of Clinical Samples of Cancer Patients admitted in the Intensive-care Unit at Regional Tertiary Care Cancer Center: A Retrospective Observational Study. Indian J of Crit Care Med 2019;23(2):67-72.


PATHWAYS OF HIV RISK AND VULNERABILITY AMONG NEW FEMALE SEX WORKERS IN NORTHERN KARNATAKA, INDIA. Jordan A. Sloshower and James F. Blanchard, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Canada. (Sponsored by Kaveh Khoshnood, Yale University School of Public Health). This qualitative research project sought primarily to understand why female sex workers (FSWs) from northern Karnataka, many of whom are Devadasi sex workers, seem to experience an elevated risk of contracting HIV in the initial period after starting sex work. More specifically, it attempted to elucidate key processes and moments of vulnerability around the time period of initiating sex work and how this vulnerability varies based on Devadasi status and migration pattern. Twelve semi-structured interviews and three focus group discussions were conducted with FSWs from northern Karnataka who were within the first two years of practicing sex work. The interrelationship between financial problems, familial obligation and unfavorable social conditions were found to be primary drivers of Devadasi dedication, non-Devadasi sex work initiation, and decisions made regarding migration. In turn, dedication and initiation into sex work, combined with migration to destination places of sex work, was associated with a range of challenges and problems that could produce risk of HIV infection. Despite facing such difficulties, study participants described following a sex work "learning curve" to overcome such problems and potentially gain self-efficacy and control over one's life and sex work practice. Numerous important actors and other variables, or "risk modifiers," were found to hamper or promote the sex work learning curve. These actors included peers, clients, lovers and brothel madams or gharwalis. Other important risk modifiers included HIV-related services and education, Devadasi status, migration status, and sex work setting. In sum, FSWs from northern Karnataka are enmeshed in a complex web of social relations and power structures that influence and sometimes constrain their behavior and decisionmaking. Novel structural interventions should take the sex work learning curve into account in order to speed up the processes through which women gain essential protective skills and knowledge. This temporal approach would entail targeting key actors and critical time points to decrease future Devadasi dedication and avoid high-risk sexual encounters during the initial period of sex work.