I. INTRODUCTION Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England is comprised of four books, written in two volumes, running well over 1500 pages in length. Within this enormous work there may be no more well-known or more memorable line than that which has come to be known as the Blackstone Ratio: "the law holds that it is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer." (1) The Blackstone Ratio clearly acknowledges that there are two kinds of errors that can be made within the criminal justice system, and that one, the false conviction, is far worse than the other, the false acquittal. Two other points are also implicit within the Blackstone Ratio, specifically that there is a trade-off relationship between false convictions and false acquittals, and the criminal justice system has some control over that trade-off in terms of the kinds of errors, false acquittals or false convictions, it will allow. The implication of the Blackstone Ratio is that the criminal justice system could reduce the number of false convictions, but in the process would lose some correct convictions. Alternatively, the criminal justice system could increase the number of correct convictions, but would likely convict more innocent people as well. Without these two assumptions, regarding the trade-off between false convictions and false acquittals, and regarding the criminal justice system's role in determining that trade-off, the Blackstone Ratio would be meaningless. There would be little point in considering the proper relationship between false convictions and false acquittals to the extent that it was possible to reduce both errors simultaneously, or if the criminal justice system was powerless to control the relationship between the two. Of course, much has happened since Blackstone wrote those famous words. Technological advances in forensic science in just the last thirty years do make it possible to reduce both errors simultaneously, DNA evidence being the obvious example. For other forms of evidence, however, the trade-off implied by the Blackstone Ratio may operate today much as it did almost 250 years ago. The focus here is on eyewitness identification evidence for three reasons. First, the connection between eyewitness identification and wrongful conviction is well-established. In approximately 75% of the 261 cases in which innocent people were convicted and later exonerated through DNA evidence, the original conviction was obtained in whole or in part through mistaken eyewitness identification. (2) These and other archival analyses of false convictions have led to a consensus among legal scholars that mistaken eyewitness identification is one of the primary causes of wrongful convictions in the United States. (3) This dubious distinction begs the question, why does eyewitness identification contribute to so many wrongful convictions? An answer to this question brings us to the second reason for focusing on eyewitness evidence: it is extremely malleable, both in terms of the underlying information in memory and in the decision processes that operate on that information. This malleability not only affects the outcome of the identification procedure, in terms of whether a witness fails to identify the guilty or falsely identifies the innocent, but also influences the way eyewitness evidence flows through the criminal justice process. Third, this malleability of information and decision processes connects eyewitness identification to the two components of the Blackstone Ratio--the trade-off between false convictions and false acquittals, and the criminal justice system's control over that trade-off. The relationship between mistaken identification and wrongful conviction is often described retrospectively by starting with the wrongful conviction and tracing the path backwards to the cause of that wrongful conviction. The statistic linking wrongful convictions to mistaken identifications is such a retrospective analysis. …


The purpose of this study was to examine whether dog walking is beneficial for dog owners' health by providing sufficient physical activity for health benefits and improving their psychological health immediately after dog walking. The sample was comprised of 61 dog walkers who wore an accelerometer for one week on all of their dog walks and completed seven visual analogue scales assessing their psychological health before and after each of their dog walks. Slightly more than half of the time spent dog walking was at the moderate- to vigorous-intensity level recommended for health benefits. Furthermore, through dog walking alone, approximately two in five dog walkers met Canada's 150-minute physical activity guideline for health benefits. Analyses comparing dog walkers' psychological health before and after their dog walks revealed an improvement on six out of seven psychological health measures. Dog walkers felt less stressed after walking their dog and experienced an increase in their energy, self-esteem, social life satisfaction and overall life satisfaction as well as a more positive mood. Taken together, these findings provide objective evidence that dog walking is a viable means of attaining the physical activity needed for health benefits and highlight the need to further explore the short-term health benefits of dog walking.


Inverse methods can be used in solidification and related processes for the estimation of boundary conditions or physical properties of materials. For heat flow problems, these methods are based upon a minimisation of the errors between calculated and measured temperatures at given locations and times of the space-time domain, the calculated values being obtained from a numerical solution of the heat flow equation. In the present case, a maximum a posteriori technique has been implemented into a finite element code. This method is then applied to several situations for the determination of : i) the time-dependent heat-transfer coefficient at the surface of a steel rod which has been water-cooled after induction heating (non-stationary situation) ; ii) the space-dependent heat flow at the surface of a direct chill cast aluminium slab (stationary situation) ; and iii) the temperature-dependent thermal conductivity of aluminium-silicon alloys. In this latter case, the influence of the silicon concentration on the thermal conductivity is clearly revealed.


Infection with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) producing the heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) is one of the most important causes of childhood diarrhoea in low- and middle-income countries. Here, we undertook a controlled human infection model (CHIM) study to investigate whether ST-producing ETEC strain TW11681 would be suitable for testing the protective efficacy of new ST-based vaccine candidates in vaccine challenge models. In groups of three, nine volunteers ingested 1 × 106, 1 × 107, or 1 × 108 colony-forming units (CFU) of TW11681. Flow cytometry-based assays were used to measure CD4+ T cell responses and antibody levels targeting virulence factors expressed by the strain. We found that infection with TW11681 elicited few and mild symptoms, including mild diarrhoea in two volunteers, both of whom ingested 1 × 106 CFU. Averaged across all volunteers, the CD4+ T cell responses specific for E. coli YghJ mucinase peaked 10 days after infection (3.2-fold (p = 0.016)), while the CD4+ T cell responses specific for Colonization Factor Antigen I (CFA/I) major fimbrial subunit (CfaB) peaked after 28 days (3.6-fold (p = 0.063)). The serum CfaB-specific anti-IgA and anti-IgG/IgM levels were significantly increased and peaked 3 months after infection. Both remained elevated for the duration of the 12-month follow-up. The corresponding anti-YghJ serological response was strongest after 10 days, although a significant increase was seen only for IgA levels (3.2-fold (p = 0.008)). In conclusion, due to its low diarrhoea attack risk, TW11681 is probably not suitable for testing the efficacy of new vaccines in human challenge studies at doses 1 × 106 to 1 × 108. However, the strain may still be useful in CHIMs for studying ETEC host-pathogen interactions.


In wireless multi-hop networks such as ad hoc networks and sensor networks, backoff-based opportunistic routing protocols, which make a forwarding decision based on backoff time, have been proposed. In the protocols, each potential forwarder calculates the backoff time based on the product of a weight and global scaling factor. The weight prioritizes potential forwarders and is calculated based on hop counts to the destination of a sender and receiver. The global scaling factor is a predetermined value to map the weight to the actual backoff time. However, there are three common issues derived from the global scaling factor. First, it is necessary to share the predetermined global scaling factor with a centralized manner among all terminals properly for the backoff time calculation. Second, it is almost impossible to change the global scaling factor during the networks are being used. Third, it is difficult to set the global scaling factor to an appropriate value since the value differs among each local surrounding of forwarders. To address the aforementioned issues, this paper proposes a novel decentralized local scaling factor control without relying on a predetermined global scaling factor. The proposed method consists of the following three mechanisms: (1) sender-centric local scaling factor setting mechanism in a decentralized manner instead of the global scaling factor, (2) adaptive scaling factor control mechanism which adapts the local scaling factor to each local surrounding of forwarders, and (3) mitigation mechanism for excessive local scaling factor increases for the local scaling factor convergence. Finally, this paper evaluates the backoff-based opportunistic routing protocol with and without the proposed method using computer simulations. key words: ad hoc network, wireless sensor network, opportunistic routing, backoff time, scaling factor control, binary feedback, duplicate packet forwarding


Eight member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) have recently concluded the Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) and SAARC Agreement on Trade in Services (SATIS). To date, the progress of sub-regional trade integration in South Asia appears to be rather lacklustre. This book critically analyses the international legal aspects of economic integration in South Asia. It argues that although there are economic constraints in bringing about greater economic integration in South Asia, those constraints are not insurmountable. Many of the constraints are merely outcomes of dubious policies pursued by the policy makers in the sub-region and can be tackled with sustained political commitment towards the cause of the South Asian economic integration.


In this contribution a mathematical model for the simulation of a blood separation process is presented. The simulation algorithm calculates the time-dependent three-dimensional distribution of red blood cells in the sedimentation centrifuge from the geometry of the centrifuge and the dynamic process parameters such as the rotation velocity of the centrifuge or the volume flow of supplied patient blood. The resulting process model is the basis for a stepwise optimisation and automation of the complex centrifugal blood sedimentation process. The presented results were achieved in a research and development cooperation between the Institute for Process Automation and one of the leading producers of autologuous blood salvage systems (FRESENIUS AG).


We demonstrate group-velocity-matched second-harmonic generation of 80-fs pulses under noncollinear quasi-phase-matching (QPM) geometry. Second-harmonic pulses of 100-fs duration, 11-nm bandwidth, and0.78-µm center wavelength were generated with 50% efficiency with 3-mm-long periodically poled lithium niobate. We have also numerically studied the dependence of conversion efficiency and pulse durations on pump intensity, propagation length, and noncollinear angle. It is confirmed that our group-velocity-matching scheme requires a much lower pump intensity than the conventional collinear QPM scheme.


The crisis in legal education has been defined and accentuated by urgent and existential critiques. This body of complaint and suggestion — in the form of books, foundation reports, law review articles, major media entries, and blog posts — has two gaping holes that this Essay seeks to fill. First, the critiques fail to attend to the diminishing of social justice values and commitments in legal education in the period leading up to the 2008 recession, especially as clinical education — often designated as the carrier of justice values in law schools — faced generational shifts and law schools extended "practical" education to more students. Second, with the exception of the work of Robin West, there is little in the way of a forward-looking, progressive, and justice-oriented response to the crisis of legal education. The reform discourse since the 2008 recession is composed almost exclusively of proposals, such as those by William Henderson and Brian Tamanaha, undergirded by neoliberal assumptions and constructs. Leading reformers accept the accelerated disaggregation and commodification of legal practice without attention to aspects of the profession that privilege the public good over market norms and rationales. This Essay draws on clinical practice rooted in pedagogies focused on the development of critical analysis and political engagement to make the case for a progressive vision of law school reform — and, more generally, the legal profession — that emphasizes justice, connection, and cogeneration by lawyers and communities of approaches to entrenched social problems.


Computer users have become accustomed to the writing of documents being regarded as a separate activity from the reading of documents. We believe that this division is unnecessary and limits the effectiveness of virtually every computer user. It is time for a rethink of underlying concepts. A key concept for integrating reading with writing is a general mechanism for annotation. This general mechanism can be combined with hyperlinking to create a single unifying super-concept that provides a base for integrating reading and writing. The paper explains the underlying ideas, and describes the results of a small experiment that supported the viability of the super-concept. We believe that the super-concept might possibly provide the foundations for a revolution in thinking about documents, which would benefit everyone.


Guided by the premise that the best information about the experience of young people would come from young people contacted directly in the field, An ethnography of youth texts on gangs, trouble and rehabilitation focuses on the thesis that by carefully reading and attending to the spoken texts of youth, psychologists can enhance their understanding, learn from, and improve their relationships with them. Youth texts were generated from fifty three recorded interviews, one month participant-observation in a .Jesidential unit, one month participant observation with a neighbourhood gang, photography and many casual conversations in the field. Thematic analysis was used as a method for carefully reading participant texts and attempting to develop an understanding of what Geertz ( 1 983) called local knowledge. Rehabilitation at Te Whakapakari Youth Programme (Great Barrier Island, New Zealand) was the first site where youth texts were gathered and discussed with an aim of capturing the richness of experience that exists in the lives of the programm e participants. Looking back on their experience of the youth programme two years later participants described healing themes related to the experience of whaanau (extended family), helping, talking, listening, trusting, respecting and disciplined working. Trouble is the second site in which I tapped youth texts. I found trouble was conceptualised as fun, easy, and about being seen to be "bad." Participants did not perceive themselves to be "in trouble" unless they had been caught, although trouble was seen as a way to make money, a form of vulnerability and part of their social niche. The third site in which I probe for youth texts is in youth gangs. Over-riding most gang activity there seemed to be a desire for affiliation and belonging. They talked about the parties, hanging with "the boys," girls, telling jokes together, laughing, meeting new people, talking, arguing and public recognition or "fame." In terms of gender sub themes of "gangs are for men" and "caring for women" emerged as complimentary forms of exclusionary talk. If women crossed the gender line to attempt to function in "men's space" (as tomboys) they lost their supportive and prized sexual value but were still forced into a sexual role by the


Narcissism and physical self-efficacy and exercise commitment were investigated in 'addicted' and 'non-addicted' runners (n = 112) and aerobics exercisers (n = 57) and compared to a control group of non-exercisers (n = 42). Runners and aerobics exercisers were assigned to an 'addicted' or 'non-addicted' group using Hailey and Bailey's (1982) Negative Addiction Scale. All subjects completed biographical questionnaires, the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) and the Physical Self-Efficacy Scale (PSE). Although both narcissism and physical self-efficacy were found to play a significant role in exercise adoption, narciss\ism was the only significant variable when comparing 'addicted' and 'non-addicted' exercisers. Differences between the runners and aerobics exercisers were found with the aerobics exercisers exhibiting higher narcissistic tendencies than the runners. The runners were assigned to one of four quadrants based on their level of commitment and addiction to running and the Perceived Physical Ability subscale of the PSE and the Self-Sufficiency subscale of the NPI produced significant differences between the four quadrants. Taken together, the results suggest that addicted exercisers have the tendency to exhibit narcissistic traits, however the interaction with physical self-efficacy is equivocal. The findings are discussed with reference to relevant personality theory and implications for future research in this area.


Economic development is a political process. The transformation from mass poverty to mass prosperity requires an active and effective state, able to win the compliance of citizens. The empires that have ruled Africa did not bequeath such states, and few African political leaders have chosen to build them. The economic consequences of post-colonial politics can be divided into two distinct phases. From independence to the wave of democratization following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989, in most countries increasingly autocratic leaders presided over increasingly ineffective states. Post-1989, under donor pressure to hold multi-party elections, they faced the dilemma of how to satisfy voters while lacking the effective public organizations necessary for them to do so. Gradually, a few countries have found routes out of this dilemma.


This work involves the characterisation of novel electroanalytical techniques, and the combined use of these and more standard methods in studying different electrochemical systems. Ferrocene carboxylic acid (FCA) was studied extensively using cyclic voltammetry, rotating disk electrochemistry, differential pulse voltammetry, a microelectrode, UV-Vis and I.R. spectroelectrochemistry, and convolution.

In chapter 2, various qualitative and quantitative studies were performed on aqueous solutions of FCA using the above techniques in an effort to explain the occurrence of an oxidation post-peak in the cyclic voltammogram. It was found that the conditions necessary for the post-peak to occur were; high pH (>9), and the presence o f oxygen. Although attempts to gain spectral characterisation of the species responsible were unsuccessful, it is proposed that the post-peak is a result of the oxidation of oxygen to ozone - a reaction which is mediated by the ferrocene carboxylate.

In chapter 3, a three-electrode electrochemical cell with a platinum microelectrode of radius 5 x l0 "6m as the working electrode was used for the study o f ferrocyanide. This system was examined using both direct and differential pulse voltammetry experiments. Theory was postulated for applying a differential pulse waveform to a micro electrode and simulations were carried out and compared with the experimental results. While Cottrell behaviour was assumed for the first set of simulations, it later became necessary to modify the theory to allow for a steady state current occurring at the microelectrode after the pulse. This modified theory concurred well with the experimental results, and the sensitivity of the experiment was found to be 8.1 x 1CT7 AM' 1, while that predicted from the simulations was 8.4 x 10~7 AM '1. Concentrations as low as 5 x 10"5M [Fe(CN) 6]4 were clearly observed.

In chapter 4, a ferrocyanide system was examined using both direct and differential pulse voltammetry experiments at a rotating disk electrode. Two theoretical models were postulated for applying a differential pulse waveform to a rotating disk electrode, and simulations were carried out and compared with the experimental results. It was found that Model 1 applies when pulse widths are short and/or when rotation rates are low, and conversely, Model 2 applies when pulse widths are long and/or when rotation rates are high. In this case the experimental results seemed to be governed by an overlap of both models.

In chapter 5, the semidifferentiation of cyclic voltammograms for the further elucidation of electrochemical processes was explored, with ferrocyanide and FCA as the analytes. Many simulations were carried out and compared to experimental data. The simulation of a bulk species with a subsequent catalytic current and an irreversible adsorbed species seemed to fit the experimental cyclic voltammogram and semiderivative of FCA in 0.2M Na2HP0 4 /H20 best. Also in chapter 5, HPLC experiments using an electrochemical detector for the detection o f ascorbic acid were carried out. Both direct and differential currents were applied, with the direct current experiments being used as a standard technique for the characterisation of the differential current experiments. Although both techniques did yield peaks for ascorbic acid, a much larger signal was observed for the direct current experiments.


A Research Project Submitted To The School Of Education In Partial Fulfilment Of The Degree Of Master Of Education In The Department Of Educational Management, Policy And Curriculum Studies Of Kenyatta University, December, 2015


Introduction: The patients should be in anesthetic state achieved through spinal or general anesthesia for surgical procedures due to stimulation of pain in this process. As each anesthetic method has its own complications and there is no specific formula for selection of anesthesia type that can be generalized to everyone, this study was a comparative examination of the hemodynamic status of patients with general and spinal anesthesia during surgeries.
 Methods and materials: In this descriptive cross sectional study, 126 patients to undergo surgery under general and spinal anesthesia were examined. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, Map, pulse and Spo2 of the patients were measured and recorded before surgery, at minutes 10 and 20 after spinal and general anesthesia; data analysis was done with SPSS v22 and using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: The results indicated that systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased in both types of anesthesia with a significant difference in spinal anesthesia (P<0.0001). Pulse also reduced in both methods with a significant statistical difference in general anesthesia (P=0.006). There were statistically significant differences between two groups in the reduction of Map. Spo2 was relatively constant in general anesthesia but reduced in spinal anesthesia, with a statistically significant differences in both methods (P<0.0001).
 Conclusion: The results showed that some hemodynamic indices are related to the type of anesthesia method (general or spinal).


PURPOSE
Trachoma remains a leading cause of blindness. Determining the most effective antibiotic treatment strategy is essential for the success of country-based trachoma control programs.

METHODS
Baseline and 2-month follow-up examinations were performed in a trachoma-hyperendemic village. All residents were offered azithromycin for trachoma after baseline was determined. Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis and chlamydial load were determined by PCR. Clinical trachoma status was evaluated. A high chlamydial load was defined as a higher than median chlamydial load among those with infection. Risk factors were examined in multiple logistic regression models. Associations are presented as odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS
At baseline, 57% of participants were infected with C. trachomatis. Although clinical trachoma correlated with infection, 23% of participants with high chlamydial loads showed no clinical signs. Adults represented only 10% of the population with high loads. Treatment significantly decreased the proportion positive in the community and the load in the community. However, 27% of individuals with high loads at baseline who received treatment also were infected at 2 months. Of those, 93% with high loads at 2 months were aged < or =10 years.

CONCLUSIONS
Although most of the chlamydial load in this community resided in children, 10% of the high load resided in adults, most of whom did not have follicular trachoma and in whom the infection would be missed under treatment strategies that focus on clinical disease or children. These data support a mass treatment strategy for hyperendemic communities, at least as a first approach. In addition, treatment of children age < or =2 years should be reexamined, as >30% with high loads at baseline remained infected at 2 months, despite monitored treatment according to weight.


This is not an article! With this evident contradiction inspired by René Magritte's painting of a pipe, I will underline the special conditions I was given by the editor. The intention is that I shall review my own work and career, to articulate key ideas and to tell what I see as future challenges in my area. Therefore the use of 'I' is in a non-traditional form. The object of this article is the author's Weltanschaung concerning design and designing as it has developed over a 45 years period as teacher and researcher. Three dimensions are treated in an attempt to answer the following questions: how can we establish rigour and strong foundation for researching design? How to explain to industry what they are doing, and how to create industrial support? And what to tell the students about designing? I will focus upon the dislocations which have led to the development of the current state and what we see as a comprehensive school of designing. Details about established results can be found in the literature; I will focus upon the questions, thoughts, problems and beliefs behind the answers, and unsolved or non-clarified aspects. The article follows three lines of development, labelled Theory of Technical Systems, Engineering Design and Product Development, and our attempts to create a totality out of design philosophy, Domain Theory, Theory of Properties and our understanding of product development. Together they are the main part of 'our school', namely the foundation of the group 'Engineering Design and Product Development' at the Technical University of Denmark; the 'Copenhagen School' as our friends often refer to us. The conclusion attempts to balance in a joint model what I see as the role of design research in the worlds of teaching and practice, and where I see the challenges for the future.


Comparative studies on plant species have not distinguished between two inherently different applications of the idea of a trade-off. In the first case, the theoretical trade-off between two variables leads to a trend line, about which there is a degree of scatter. Any two species in the study are expected, in theory, to show a true trade-off, i.e. feature A must decrease for feature B to increase. This I call the 'trend line' type of plot. In the second case, the species are expected to fill a considerable part of the space defined by two axes and the theoretical trade-off leads to a boundary line which limits the extent of the cloud of points. In this case, many interspecific comparisons are not expected to show evidence of a trade-off, but those on the boundary line are expected to do so. This I call the 'boundary line' type of plot. In both types of plot, species within a given clade may show a true trade-off, while large numbers of unrelated species do not. First, I undertake to show, by means of examples, the reality of the distinction made above, and to demonstrate that statistically significant and ecologically important negative correlations between features A and B in the 'trend line' type of plot can be accompanied by huge variation from the trend line. Second, for plots of the 'boundary line' type, I undertake to show that authors have not always tested sufficiently rigorously the constraint lines concerning combinations of supposedly incompatible tolerances, and have not allowed for the absence of certain combinations of unfavourable conditions in the field and consequent lack of selection pressure for the evolution of species with a combination of extreme tolerances. I review two examples of each kind of constrained evolution. First, I take the worldwide leaf economics spectrum and the negative correlation between growth rate in high light and survival rate in deep shade. Second, I review the supposed incompatibilities between shade tolerance and drought tolerance, and between waterlogging tolerance and drought tolerance. I conclude that the term 'trade-off' is used too loosely. The common lack of true trade-offs has made possible the species richness of present-day vegetation. Also, small numbers of species have evolved combinations of tolerances that might seem improbable. Not enough research is being aimed at understanding the mechanistic basis of variation about trend lines, and the crossing of supposed boundary lines.


How have the lyrics of poets and songwriters, traditionally voices of protest against domination and exploitation in Chinese society, responded to the forces of cultural imperialism and nationalistic ideology that have accompanied the modernization of Chinese society in the last half of this century. Gregory B. Lee suggests that the response can be seen in a proliferation of hybrid lyric forms and cultures--from both within China and beyond--and that China's "culture of lyricism" contributes in powerful, significant, and often resistant ways to the nation's sense of itself and its encounter with modernity.Lee's broad definition of lyric includes the work of poets, amateur versifiers, and all manner of popular songwriters, and his inclusive sense of nation refers to all Chinese communities regardless of geographic location. Whether examining the globalized consumption of satellite-broadcast pop music or the heroic efforts of little-known poets on the margins of the Chinese diaspora, he finds a questioning and contesting of both the Orientalist construction of a mythic monolithic China invented by the West and the Chinese obsession with ideas of authenticity and purity of nationhood. Lee explores the lyrical transgression of these ideological boundaries in China, in the Chinese communities of America and Britain, and in other marginalized communities, before using the examples of Hong Kong and other non-nationalistic sites to discuss the creative possibilities of hybrid cultures and societies.


Two hundred years after Parliament passed the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, over 27 million people worldwide languish in slavery, forced to work, under threat of violence, for no pay. In Africa, hundreds of thousands are considered chattel, while on the Indian subcontinent millions languish in generational debt bondage. Across the globe, women and children, sold for sex and labour, are already the second most lucrative commodity for organised crime. Through eviscerating narrative, A Crime So Monstrous paints a stark picture of modern slavery. Skinner infiltrates trafficking networks and slave sales on four continents, exposing a flesh trade never before portrayed with such vivid detail. From mega-harems in Khartoum to illicit brothels in Bucharest, from slave quarries in India to urban child markets in Haiti, he lays bare a parallel universe where lives are bought, sold, used and discarded. The personal stories related here are heartbreaking but in the midst of tragedy Skinner also discovered a quiet dignity that leads some to resist and aspire to freedom. He bears witness for them and for the millions that are held in the shadows - all victims of what is the greatest human-rights challenge facing our generation.


Innovative strategies were used to inform coaching practices regarding the skill of set-shot goal kicking in Australian Football (AF). An action learning approach was adopted including planning, data gathering, analyses and dissemination phases. Three distinct approaches were used to inform AF coaches of evidence and strategies to guide implementation, a) applying statistical trend data, b) applying expert knowledge, and c) applying biomechanical principles. Trend data from a full AFL season consisting of over 4,000 set-shots was used to inform coaches on numerous performance related parameters (e.g., distance, angle). Expert insider perspectives were generated through in-depth interviews with eight retired AF goal kicking champions. The past players had all kicked over 500 goals at the elite level and four had obtained AFL Hall of Fame or AFL Legend status. The related analyses produced six primary themes (a) correct technique (b) incorrect technique, (c) pre-kick routine, (d) mental skills (e) challenge...


Fire is one of the most important natural disturbance processes in the western United States and ecosystems differ markedly with respect to their ecological and evolutionary relationships with fire. Reference fire regimes in forested ecosystems can be categorized along a gradient ranging from "fuel-limited" to "climate-limited" where the former types are often characterized by frequent, lower-severity wildfires and the latter by infrequent, more severe wildfires. Using spatial data on fire severity from 1984–2011 and metrics related to fire frequency, we tested how divergence from historic (pre-Euroamerican settlement) fire frequencies due to a century of fire suppression influences rates of high-severity fire in five forest types in California. With some variation among bioregions, our results suggest that fires in forest types characterized by fuel-limited fire regimes (e.g., yellow pine and mixed conifer forest) tend to burn with greater proportions of high-severity fire as either time since last fire or the mean modern fire return interval (FRI) increases. Two intermediate fire regime types (mixed evergreen and bigcone Douglas-fir) showed a similar relationship between fire frequency and fire severity. However, red fir and redwood forests, which are characterized by more climate-limited fire regimes, did not show significant positive relationships between FRI and fire severity. This analysis provides strong evidence that for fuel-limited fire regimes, lack of fire leads to increasing rates of high-severity burning. Our study also substantiates the general validity of "fuel-limited" vs. "climate-limited" explanations of differing patterns of fire effects and response in forest types of the western US.


In the present study, variable-temperature Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of a poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) homopolymer and a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) blend were analyzed by generalized two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS) and perturbation-correlation moving-window two-dimensional (PCMW2D) correlation spectroscopy. The C=O stretching vibration bands of PCL and PHB were employed to explore the structural changes in the PCL homopolymer and the PHB–PCL blend during the heating process. For the melting of PCL homopolymer in the temperature range of 50 to 70 °C, we observed in the synchronous and asynchronous 2D correlation spectra one crystalline (1724 cm−1) and one amorphous (1737 cm−1) C=O stretching vibration band, which are also detectable in the one-dimensional FT-IR spectra. This result was also confirmed by PCMW2D correlation spectroscopy. During the heating process of the PHB–PCL blend in the temperature range 30–200 °C, the PCMW2D correlation analysis provided detailed information. Thus, in the synchronous PCMW2D correlation spectrum the melting of PCL was observed in the temperature region between 30 and 70 °C. The recrystallization of PHB in the blend in the temperature range 70–120 °C was accompanied by a shift of the C=O stretching band from higher wavenumber (1724 cm−1) corresponding to an imperfect crystalline state to the lower wavenumber (1721 cm−1) characteristic of a well-ordered crystalline state. In the temperature range 120–200 °C the melting process of PHB in the blend is captured by a sharp transition from the crystalline (1722 cm−1) to the amorphous (1747 cm−1) C=O stretching band.


This article briefly describes the revolutionary potential of the Supreme Court's Kodak decision. It discusses the dramatic changes in antitrust that would occur if the field took concepts such as imperfect information, lock-in effects, strategic behavior, and other post-Chicago ideas seriously. Among the effects of this decision could be: (1) Imperfect information could substitute for traditional market share-based market power and reveal that a market that structurally appeared competitive in fact was behaving anticompetitively. Market share-based safe harbors are more likely to be inappropriate. (2) This imperfect information-based market power also can lead to relatively direct harm to consumers by allowing price increases or by distorting consumers' choices among differentiated products. (3) Imperfect information also can create more narrowly defined relevant markets because it can effectively prevent customers from turning to certain potential substitutes. They may not know of an option's existence or, more likely, that it is a cost/effective option. A finding of narrower markets usually will have the effect of making it more likely that a firm will be found to have market power. (4) Businesses, like individual consumers, can make information-based mistakes that can cause them to be exploited. Consumer protection law's assumptions about individuals' capabilities, vulnerabilities, and needs can apply to businesses as well. (5) Information problems can be so great that they can affect the competition in entire markets. A broad interpretation of Kodak could shake the antitrust world. In addition to tying analysis, at least four areas of antitrust could be profoundly affected, including vertical restraints analysis, franchiser/franchisee relationships, predatory pricing analysis, and Robinson-Patman Act and other antitrust situations involving price discrimination, such as bundled and single product discounting. This article shows that these topics all require considerable additional analysis by the antitrust community.


Abstract Measurements and modeling of the nonlinear viscoelastic properties of a high viscosity silicone oil (polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS) are reported. LAOS test were performed with a high precision rotational rheometer to probe the nonlinear response. The measurements show that the material can be safely considered linear below strain amplitude 1. The viscous Lissajous-Bodwitch curves indicate intracycle shear thinning, whereas the elastic Lissajous-Bodwitch curves indicate intracycle strain stiffening in the nonlinear regime. Secondary loops in some of the measured viscous stress curves are attributed to a non-sinusoidal shear rate signal. A multi-element White-Metzner model is used as a constitutive equation, which accurately describes the LAOS data in all measured cases. Based on the extension of the measured data by simulations, nonlinear properties are analyzed both for the elastic and for the viscous part. It is observed that the nonlinearity considerably increases the weight of the higher harmonics in the shear stress signal. It is predicted that the viscous nonlinearity has a maximum around 50 rad/s angular frequency, and that the elastic nonlinearity becomes nearly independent of the angular frequency above 30 rad/s.


The effects on climate of land-cover change, predominantly from the conversion of forests to crops or grassland, are reasonably well understood for low and high latitudes but are largely unknown for temperate latitudes. The main reason for this gap in our knowledge is that there are compensating effects on the energy and water balance that are related to changes in land-surface albedo, soil evaporation and plant transpiration. We analyse how vegetation height affected the response of vegetation during the 2003 European drought using precipitation data, temperature data, normalized difference vegetation index data and a new vegetation height data set obtained from the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) on the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat). At the height of the 2003 drought we find for tall vegetation a significantly smaller decrease in vegetation index and a smaller diurnal temperature (DTR) range, indicating less water stress and drought impacts on tall vegetation. Over Germany for example, 98% of significant correlations showed a smaller anomaly in vegetation index anomaly with greater height, and 95% of significant correlations showed a smaller DTR with greater vegetation height. Over France the equivalent percentages were 94 and 88%, respectively. Vegetation height is likely associated with greater rooting depth, canopy heat capacity or both. Our results suggest that land-surface models can be improved by better estimates of vegetation height and associated with this a more realistic response to drought.


This paper studies global ranking problem by learning to rank methods. Conventional learning to rank methods are usually designed for 'local ranking', in the sense that the ranking model is defined on a single object, for example, a document in information retrieval. For many applications, this is a very loose approximation. Relations always exist between objects and it is better to define the ranking model as a function on all the objects to be ranked (i.e., the relations are also included). This paper refers to the problem as global ranking and proposes employing a Continuous Conditional Random Fields (CRF) for conducting the learning task. The Continuous CRF model is defined as a conditional probability distribution over ranking scores of objects conditioned on the objects. It can naturally represent the content information of objects as well as the relation information between objects, necessary for global ranking. Taking two specific information retrieval tasks as examples, the paper shows how the Continuous CRF method can perform global ranking better than baselines.


The domestic patent applications by region (DPAR) are complex to conduct due to its nonlinearity of influenced factors. It is necessary to make a trade off among these factors when some of them conflict. A novel way about nonlinear regression modeling of DPAR with the potential support vector machines (P-SVM) is presented in this paper. In the model development, a simulated annealing (SA) algorithm is employed to optimize P-SVM parameters selection. Using a set of real data from China, simulation results show that the SA optimization algorithm is robust. The results also indicate that methods based on the P-SVM perform are better than the ones based on the standard SVM in both model generalization and DPAR forecasting accuracy.


The key to achieving effective weed control is to target them when they are young. Understanding their temperature and moisture requirements for emergence will help growers to develop timely control strategies. This study examined the emergence requirements of four key species: Conyza bonariensis, Sonchus oleraceus, Echinochloa colona and Chloris virgata. Two experiments were conducted in a growth room with temperatures of 25/15 and 30/20°C day/night with a photoperiod of 12 h. The first experiment examined emergence under single rainfall events of 0, 2, 5, 10, 20, 30 and 50 mm. The second experiment examined emergence under accumulated rainfall events of 0 mm, 5 mm × 2 (consecutive) days, 5 mm × 4 days, 5 mm × 6 days, 10 mm × 1 day, 10 mm × 2 days and 10 mm × 3 days. The temperature was not significant on emergence in both experiments. In the first experiment, at least 10 mm of rainfall was required for the emergence of all the species, with significantly higher germination rates at rainfall amounts of >20 mm. In the second experiment, the species had higher emergence rates with accumulated rainfall over consecutive days, rather than single rainfall events of the same amount. The length of time that the soil surface remained above the permanent wilting point, allowing the imbibition of water, was also an important factor. This study has provided information on the drivers for emergence of these species and will assist growers in determining what rainfall events are likely to trigger emergence in the field and make timely weed management decisions.


Acoustics play a central role in mankind's interactions with the ocean and the life within. Passive listening to ocean "soundscapes" informs us about the physical and bio-acoustic environment from earthquakes to communication between fish. Active acoustic probing of the environment informs us about ocean topography, currents and temperature, and abundance and type of marine life vital to fisheries and biodiversity related interests. The two together in a multi-purpose network can lead to discovery and improve understanding of ocean ecosystem health and biodiversity, climate variability and change, and marine hazards and maritime safety. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) of sound generated and utilized by marine life as well as other natural (wind, rain, ice, seismics) and anthropogenic (shipping, surveys) sources, has dramatically increased worldwide to enhance understanding of ecological processes. Characterizing ocean soundscapes (the levels and frequency of sound over time and space, and the sources contributing to the sound field), temporal trends in ocean sound at different frequencies, distribution and abundance of marine species that vocalize, and distribution and amount of human activities that generate sound in the sea, all require passive acoustic systems. Acoustic receivers are now routinely acquiring data on a global scale, e.g., Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization International Monitoring System hydroacoustic arrays, various regional integrated ocean observing systems, and some profiling floats. Judiciously-placed low-frequency acoustic sources transmitting to globally distributed PAM and other systems provide: 1) high temporal resolution measurements of large-scale ocean temperature/heat content variability, taking advantage of the inherent integrating nature of acoustic travel-time data using tomography; and 2) acoustic positioning ("underwater GPS") and communication services enabling basin-scale undersea navigation and management of floats, gliders, and AUVs. This will be especially valuable in polar regions with ice cover. Routine deployment of sources during repeat global-scale hydrographic ship surveys would provide high spatial coverage snapshots of ocean temperatures. To fully exploit the PAM systems, precise timing and positioning need to be broadly implemented. Ocean sound is now a mature Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) "essential ocean variable", which is one crucial step toward providing a fully integrated global multi-purpose ocean acoustic observing system.


Based on most of the literature, this paper reviewed the progress made in following aspects: cognition to cyanobacteria recruitment, various traps for studying cyanobacteria recruitment in lakes, recruitment patterns of some species of cyanobacteria and the driving factors for recruitment. Additionally, perspective studies of cyanobacteria recruitment in lakes were pointed out. In light of the existing knowledge, cyanobacteria recruitment could be regarded as a process that benthic overwintering cyanobacteria migrated to the pelagic phase after germination and growth renewal under suitable conditions. This process was divided into three consecutive phases: germination, a potential growth phase and migration to the pelagic phase. Previous studies mostly focused on the migration from sediments to water. To date, several kinds of traps had been designed to investigate cyanobacteria recruitment. Some studies showed that amounts of cyanobacteria recruitment were higher in shallow regions than deep regions of lakes and the recruitment rates mostly peaked in a given time of year before blooms onset. Temperature, resuspension and bioturbation had been recognized to be the most important factors for driving cyanobacteria recruitment. Other factors (such as light, nutrients, anoxia, etc.) also played a role.


Abstract As expectations within the area of smart textiles increasingly become informed and driven by technological developments, the disciplinary boundaries and relationship between user and technological innovation will unavoidably transform. The authors venture that new paradigms of collaborative practice will inevitably develop between design and science, to more fully realize both the opportunities and contexts that wearable textiles offer. Drawing on previous work by the authors namely Molecular Imprinted Textiles (MIT – 2009/10), Future Textile Visions (FTV – 2010/11), Design Specks: Connecting People with Speckled Computing (2012/13), Second Skin (2013/14), and The S*** Word: Designing the Empathic Underwardrobe (2014), a model is proposed to more clearly understand and navigate between design, technology and application, and more importantly, between our cultural understanding of the user and the wearer. This paper reflects on a series of projects that inform a methodological approach: a process of asking questions; developing scenarios; exploring materials and making; generating concepts and building prototypes. Each project involved collaborations between design, academics, users and industry, and a form of co-design, where knowledge exchange was central, design was the intermediary, and the goal was to understand the drivers and the stakeholders. Simultaneously, this research sought to better understand and communicate the development of more empathic textile and fashion artifacts, and solutions. Co-design in this context is seen as a core approach to shifting the balance from technology as merely adjunct, or as a "hook" for marketers and users, to a more informed and harmonised position, where technology sits proximally and comfortably. The notion of interdisciplinary understanding, which tracks across domains of product, fashion and textiles, presents an approach where the application is still emerging. Through analysis of this progressive series of projects, the authors suggest that there is an opportunity to explore the inherent connectedness that textiles might offer for the integration and embedding of technology within material as a means to embrace these affordance opportunities. Central to this notion is the realisation of opportunities arising from dialogue and collaborative making (i.e. co-design), and for exploring the transformative notions of the user and the wearer. This paper led the authors to pose a set of questions that align to a four stage design process: Research, Define, Develop, Reflect, to frame findings and insights, and to outline the potential for future opportunities of working with technology to achieve the making and wearing of desirable materializations on the body.


Farmers' perceptions of changes in their climate are inextricably linked to the livelihood decisions that they make and their ability to bolster their adaptive capacity and reduce their vulnerability to climate variability and change. Yet research has shown that smallholder farmers' experiences and interpretations of climate variability and change do not translate into perceptions that accurately align with the climate record and thus have considerable consequences for their ability to adapt and reduce their vulnerability to climatic stresses and
shocks. Moreover, research has tended to concentrate on farmer's experiences of weather and climate as the principal factor in the construction of their perceptions, whilst overlooking the role of non-climatic factors. The study takes a social constructivist approach and gendered perspective to investigate farmer perceptions of climate variability and change in the
communal areas of agro-ecological zones II and III of Zimbabwe, the climatic and nonclimatic factors that lead to the gendered construction of perceptions and the relationship that exists between farmers' perceptions and those held by research, development and extension
actors. Utilizing a mixed methods approach that integrated participatory research tools, a farmer questionnaire, in-depth interviews with farmers and a range of actors and historical climate analysis, the study found no significant change in long-term rainfall trends, but clearly significant increases in temperatures were observed. Farmer's perceptions of temperature
aligned more closely with the climate record than their perceptions of changes in rainfall parameters. Importantly, farmer's perceptions of changes in rainfall and temperature parameters and overall belief that the climate is changing were significantly gendered, with
male farmers' perceptions tending to be more heightened and negative than those of female farmers, whose overall perceptions tended to align more closely with the climate record. Findings emphasize a number of cognitive mechanisms and mismatches that distort, amplify
and attenuate farmer's experiences of weather and climate and contribute to heightened negative perceptions of climate variability and change. The study demonstrates that these experiences contribute to farmer belief that the climate is changing to a far lesser extent than
was originally assumed and that perceptions of temperature change play no statistically significant role in the construction of overall farmer belief that that the climate is changing. Further, findings illustrate the tendency of farmers to attribute changes in the environment and farming system directly to changes in climatic parameters, overlooking a host of non-climatic
stressors that have complex and interrelated impacts on the communal farming system. Notably, changes in communal demographics and the broader economic environment have
the ability to impact the manner in which farmers perceive weather and climate, with these factors contributing significantly to the construction of farmer belief that the climate is changing. Additionally, the role of weather and climate information was explored,
demonstrating that male farmers had greater access to and trust in formal sources of information and consequently had greater exposure to inaccurate climate forecasts and
emerging climate change narratives, leading to heightened expectations of climatic change. Findings demonstrate the centrality of gender in determining the ability of individuals to interact with and process experiences of weather and climate, weather and climate information, normative perceptions and mythologies that exist around past climate and agricultural production. Lastly, findings demonstrate that the absence of accurate and timely historical and short-term weather and climate information increases the potential for farmer (mis)perceptions to be incorporated into the perceptions held by research, development and extension actors, increasing the likelihood that actors will transfer misperceptions back to farmers in the work they carry out, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of misperception that contributes to farmer's heightened negative perceptions of climate variability and change. The
study highlights the importance of provision of timely historic and short-term weather and climate information to farmers and actors, as a means of reducing farmer misperception and increasing their capacity to make appropriate livelihood decisions that will reduce their
vulnerability to climatic variability and change.


The Staufer exhibition in Stuttgart in 1977 was a historical blockbuster exhibition, which established a type of state exhibitions in public's consciousness and in historical culture. It contributed to the rising interest in History in the public and played a vital part in rediscovering the Middle Ages in Germany. It is asked who took the initiative to put it on? Which were the aims intended by this exhibition and did the exhibition meet its set goals? The research in the archives showed that what is said in the catalogue about the initiative, is not the whole truth, because at first it was the wish of the then State Prime Minister for a representative exhibition, but the theme and the connection with the 25 th anniversary of the state Baden-Wurttemberg were proposed by others.


Objective: Osteoporotic fracture is one of the most common health risks and aggravates the quality of life among postmenopausal women worldwide. In this study, osteoporosis-associated protein biomarkers were identified from urine of osteoporotic female Sprague-Dawley rats developed by ovariectomy. Method: Four months after the operation, the bone mineral density of the femur of ovariectomized rats was significantly lowered in comparison with that of the sham operated rats. The protein profiles of the urine samples collected from the sham, ovariectomized (OVX) and 2 month-old non-operated (Young) rats were compared by 2-D gel and MS spectrometry. Results: Proteins consistently expressed between Young and sham but differentially expressed in OVX rats were selected and identified. One down-regulated 21 kDa protein, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and 1 up-regulated 53-54 kDa protein, alph-1-antitrypsin (A1AT), were selected from urine of the ovariectomized rats by 2-D gel analysis. Further, a total of 30 with 19 up-regulated and 11-down-regulated proteins were selected by LC-MS analysis with more than 2-fold differences in spectral counts. The fact that SOD and A1AT are also listed in the 30 differential proteins suggests that our biomarker isolation procedure suitably represents osteoporosis-associated proteins in urine. Conclusion: Supporting the facts, the differential expressions of SOD and A1AT in urine could be validated by Western blotting. These urinary osteoporosis-associated proteins have high potentials to become candidates for non-invasive diagnosis of osteoporosis from urine.


We develop discontinuous Galerkin framework for solving direct and inverse problems in fluorescence diffusion optical tomography in turbid media. We show the advantages and the disadvantages of this method by comparing it with previously developed framework based on the finite volume discretization. The reconstruction algorithm was used with time-gated experimental dataset acquired by imaging a highly scattering cylindrical phantom concealing small fluorescent tubes. Optical parameters, quantum yield and lifetime were simultaneously reconstructed. Reconstruction results are presented and discussed.


Classical ballet is generally defined as a form of art although it has been found to be more physically demanding than most sports, perhaps due to its very precise technique that differs considerably from normal movement. Epidemiological studies investigating ballet injuries in other countries suggest that the incidence and prevalence of injuries among ballet dancers is high. However, no such studies had been conducted in South Africa. Consequently the purpose of this study was to determine the lifetime incidence and prevalence of ballet injuries in the greater Durban area, and to examine the association between certain individual factors and ballet injuries, in order to identify potential risk factors.


Prolonged immobilization plays an important role in negative outcomes of critically ill patients. Immobility is widely documented in the literature as a cause of increased mortality and complications. Despite the growing evidence in support of early mobility, many ICUs are unable to effectively integrate early/progressive mobility into their daily practice. Literature supports early mobilization and physical therapy as a safe and effective intervention that can have a significant impact on functional outcomes. A progressive mobility tool may help to force a daily structured assessment of current mobility status, which supports the critical thinking process by the nurse and team to ensure effective and safe evaluation of the mobility level. The purpose of this project was to increase critical care nurses' understanding of the concept and benefits of early mobility during an educational program in which a nurse-driven progressive mobility protocol was introduced. Nurses were asked to voluntarily take a preand posttest surrounding the implementation of the protocol. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze study variables and differences between pre and post scores. Nurses' knowledge regarding mobility of critical care patients increased and 83.3% of nurses responding felt they provided earlier mobility.


Globally, there is growing focus by governments and tertiary education institutions to increase the participation, retention and success rates of students from disadvantaged communities. Concerted efforts are being made to ensure the disadvantaged students gain tertiary qualifications and join various professions where they are under-represented. However, despite various government and university initiatives, students from disadvantaged communities are still facing numerous barriers that is impacting on their participation and completion of a university qualification. This study investigates potential learning barriers through the lived experiences of students from a particular minority group. The objective of the study is to propose strategies that will enhance students' success and completion rates of university qualifications. The study recognises that student perceptions through their lived experiences are beneficial to educators. Hence, data was collected via a survey questionnaire and focus group meetings. This research has the potential to make a significant contribution to the design and implementation of actionable strategies to help achieve better outcomes for the minority grouping of students struggling to complete a university qualification. It is anticipated that this research will help implement teaching and learning strategies that positively impacts students' participation and completion of a university qualification. This will in turn help inform government tertiary education policy for the benefit of the wider community


Abstract Machining is the process of shaping materials into useful articles by removing the unwanted material. In traditional machining processes such as in cutting and grinding, the unwanted material is removed by mechanical means using a cutting tool. Since the tool makes contact with the workpiece and either the tool, the workpiece, or both are in motion, tribology (i.e., the study of rubbing or sliding) becomes an important issue. Tribology has a crucial and significant role as an enabling technology, since tool wear is a major problem in the production of reliable and cost-effective products. This paper reviews recently published articles related to the wear of cutting tools and grinding wheels. These papers are classified into such areas as the wear process, measurement of wear, reduction of wear through the use of different cutting tools and abrasive materials, strategies used to monitor wear during machining and grinding, and in-process control of machining to compensate for tool wear.


The use of biodegradable polymers in biomedical applications has been successful in nonload bearing applications, such as biodegradable implants for local drug delivery, and in simple load bearing situations such as surgical sutures and orthopedic fixation screws. The desire to incorporate these materials in more complex load bearing situations, such as tissue engineering scaffolds and endovascular or urethral stents, is strong, but the lack of constitutive models describing the evolution of biodegradable polymers over the course of degradation has severely hampered the rational design process for these more complex biodegradable medical applications. With the objective of predicting biodegradable stent behavior, we incorporated constitutive models of biodegradable polymeric materials in a computational setting and the mechanical response of three different stent designs were analyzed as degradation progressed. A thermodynamically consistent constitutive model for materials undergoing deformation-induced degradation was applied to a commonly employed biodegradable polymer system, poly(L-lactic acid), and its specific form was determined by corroboration against experimental data. Depreciation of mechanical properties due to degradation confers time-dependent characteristics to the response of the biodegradable material: the deformation imparted by a constant load increases over time, i.e. the body creeps, and the stress necessary to keep a fixed deformation decreases, i.e. the body relaxes. Biodegradable stents, when subjected to constant pressure in its exterior, deflect inwards and ultimately fail as the structure loses its mechanical integrity. The complex geometry of endovascular stents and their physiological loading conditions lead to inhomogeneous deformations, and consequently, inhomogeneous degradation ensues. Degradation is mostly confined to the bends of the stent rings and junction points, which are the locations that carry most of the deformation, whereas mostly undeformed connector bars remain less degraded. If failure occurs, it will occur most likely at those sensitive locations and large, nondegraded pieces can provoke severe embolic problems. Highly nonuniform degradation indicates that some stent designs are at higher risk for complications. Deformation patterns of stents made of a material that loses its integrity are different than those of permanent stents. Blind adaptation of permanent stent design concepts is ill-suited for biodegradable stent design. The time-dependent aspect of the implant not only must be taken into account but should also be used to interact with the body's reaction and to enhance healing.


Climate change will have a considerable impact on the constructed environment. More specifically, policies and regulations made will impact on construction labour and have future implications for the delivery of climate adaptive property. This paper will examine the implications of climate change policy for the constructed environment labour market. It discusses whether policymakers and regulators are sufficiently informed and aware to accommodate the requirements of a low carbon workplace and whether the actors in the workplace can effectively implement the technical, regulatory and social reforms. The paper concludes that the current initiatives are individually suitable but government models are generally incomplete, lack cohesion and so do not deliver to the extent required by industry or the workplace actors. The labour market: Recent studies find that there are changes occurring in the labour market as a consequence of climate change (GHK Consulting 2007; ETUC, 2007; Worldwatch Institute, 2008). They also find that skills shortages are a binding constraint on the sector, and that it will continue to be difficult to source workers in the number and with the skills required. These changes are a reflection of the industry's moves to adapt to the new conditions, and the scaling up required to undertake the work that will reduce the energy consumed and the volume of emissions for which the constructed environment is responsible. Employers' organisations and trade unions play an active role in the provision of sector and labour market information to policy makers, advocating the collective interests of their constituents who otherwise do not have the opportunity for input on policy and regulatory matters. They also serve as the interface between business and labour interests, and policy makers and regulators. Employers' organisations and trade unions responsibilities include labour relations and social dialogue in respect of climate change. The paper finds these objectives overlap in some areas and therefore create the potential to infringe regulatory jurisdictions. Diligence is necessary to ensure that labour and management can remain focussed on the delivery of goods and services, while also undertaking the measures necessary to adapt to the requirements of a low carbon economy. The constructed environment: is a major contributor to economic growth and employment, providing 10% of global gross domestic product and employing 5-10% of total employm


This study uses elliptic Fourier analysis (EFA), an outline method of shape analysis, for describing hoof contours symmetries in the Catalan Pyrenean Horse ("Cavall Pirinenc Catala", CPC), a breed from the Spanish Pyrenees. Hoof outlines of 54 limbs (26 forelimbs and 28 hindlimbs, including the same number of left and right limbs) obtained from 15 CPC horses were compared using EFA. Symmetry was assessed in right-to-left harmonic differences. There appeared no contour differences between right and left hooves. So it can be concluded that CPC presents homogenous hoof shapes and a high level of symmetry in hoof sole outline. This study is the first to describe hoof sole outline and symmetry in unshod, young CPC horses, reared under semi-extensive conditions.


We present new, more precise measurements of the mass and distance of our Galaxy's central supermassive black hole, Sgr A*. These results stem from a new analysis that more than doubles the time baseline for astrometry of faint stars orbiting Sgr A*, combining 2 decades of speckle imaging and adaptive optics data. Specifically, we improve our analysis of the speckle images by using information about a star's orbit from the deep adaptive optics data (2005–2013) to inform the search for the star in the speckle years (1995–2005). When this new analysis technique is combined with the first complete re-reduction of Keck Galactic Center speckle images using speckle holography, we are able to track the short-period star S0-38 (K-band magnitude = 17, orbital period = 19 yr) through the speckle years. We use the kinematic measurements from speckle holography and adaptive optics to estimate the orbits of S0-38 and S0-2 and thereby improve our constraints of the mass (Mbh) and distance (Ro) of Sgr A*: Mbh = (4.02 ± 0.16 ± 0.04) × 106 M⊙ and 7.86 ± 0.14 ± 0.04 kpc. The uncertainties in Mbh and Ro as determined by the combined orbital fit of S0-2 and S0-38 are improved by a factor of 2 and 2.5, respectively, compared to an orbital fit of S0-2 alone and a factor of ∼2.5 compared to previous results from stellar orbits. This analysis also limits the extended dark mass within 0.01 pc to less than 0.13 × 106 M⊙ at 99.7% confidence, a factor of 3 lower compared to prior work.


In May 1999 the Scottish Parliament opened with high expectations. The decade since has seen a transformation in Scottish politics. As the Parliament's 10th anniversary approaches, now is the perfect time to reflect on its role in the Scottish and wider UK political process. What have been the challenges and its achievements? Have expectations been met? The Scottish Parliament's four Founding Principles - access and participation, equal opportunities, accountability and power sharing - aimed to establish a body answerable to the people of Scotland. This project, run by the Hansard Society, will bring together a group of varied and distinguished commentators to discuss some of the key issues in the development of the Scottish Parliament over the past decade. They will explore whether initial expectations have been met and analyse how the Parliament has evolved at the core of a new Scottish political process.


Bringing renewed attention to the anemic representation of Black women within the teaching profession, this chapter begins by chronicling the history of Black women in teacher education – from the Reconstruction Era to the 21st century – in an effort to highlight the causes of their conspicuous demographic decline. Next, it is argued that increasing the number of Black women in the teaching profession is a worthwhile endeavor although the rationales for such targeted efforts may not be obvious or appreciated by the casual observer. It is, therefore, important to illuminate the multiple justifications as to why it is essential to improve the underrepresentation of Black women in America's classrooms. Lastly, it is asserted that serious attention is required to reverse the dramatic exodus of Black women from the teaching profession. In conveying this issue, the author shares special emphasis recruiting tactics, for the national, programmatic, and local school district levels, as promising proposals to enlist and retain more Black women in the teaching profession.


Kernel dimensionality reduction (KDR) algorithms find a low dimensional representation of the original data by optimizing kernel dependency measures that are capable of capturing nonlinear relationships. The standard strategy is to first map the data into a high dimensional feature space using kernels prior to a projection onto a low dimensional space. While KDR methods can be easily solved by keeping the most dominant eigenvectors of the kernel matrix, its features are no longer easy to interpret. Alternatively, Interpretable KDR (IKDR) is different in that it projects onto a subspace \textit{before} the kernel feature mapping, therefore, the projection matrix can indicate how the original features linearly combine to form the new features. Unfortunately, the IKDR objective requires a non-convex manifold optimization that is difficult to solve and can no longer be solved by eigendecomposition. Recently, an efficient iterative spectral (eigendecomposition) method (ISM) has been proposed for this objective in the context of alternative clustering. However, ISM only provides theoretical guarantees for the Gaussian kernel. This greatly constrains ISM's usage since any kernel method using ISM is now limited to a single kernel. This work extends the theoretical guarantees of ISM to an entire family of kernels, thereby empowering ISM to solve any kernel method of the same objective. In identifying this family, we prove that each kernel within the family has a surrogate $\Phi$ matrix and the optimal projection is formed by its most dominant eigenvectors. With this extension, we establish how a wide range of IKDR applications across different learning paradigms can be solved by ISM. To support reproducible results, the source code is made publicly available on \url{https://github.com/ANONYMIZED}.


FRAME is a statistical Lagrangian model, which describes the main atmospheric processes (emission, diffusion, chemistry and deposition) taking place in a column of air. The model is used to calculate maps of dry and wet deposition for sulphur and nitrogen. Historical emissions data are used in the model to calculate changes in deposition of sulphur and oxidised and reduced nitrogen for the UK at a 5 km x 5 km resolution for the years 1990-2005. Emissions of SO2, NOx and NH3 in the UK have fallen by 77%, 47% and 18% during this period. FRAME calculated reductions in wet deposition to the UK of 56%, 17% and 16% for SOx, NOy and NHx respectively. Inter-annual variation in meteorology was found to have a significant influence on pollutant transport and the national wet and dry deposition budget. This occurred due to differing wind direction frequency as well as annual precipitation. When using year with specific wind conditions, wet deposition can even change by more than 20%. It was also observed that wind conditions have a greater influence on deposition budget than precipitation data. Modelled trends in nitrogen and sulphur wet deposition have been compared with measurements from the national acid deposition monitoring network during this period. A more comprehensive monitoring network has been used to verify model results for deposition of SO4, NO, and NH for the year 2005.


Heterochromatin is composed of transposable elements (TEs) and other repeats and was once considered to be a wasteland of redundant genetic material and potentially harmful TE. Therefore, the reprogramming of heterochromatin and subsequent reactivation of TE in the immature seed and pollen is paradoxical in plants. Recent studies have shown that reactivation of TE occurs specifically in germline companion cells, the vegetative nucleus (VN) in pollen (Slotkin et al. 2009) and the endosperm in seed (Gehring et al. 2009). In the ovule, ARGONAUTE 9 (AGO9) not only has a role in silencing TE in the egg cell but also in preventing the formation of multiple asexual gametophytes (Olmedo-Monfil et al. 2010). We propose that reprogramming of heterochromatin in germline companion cells reveals TE in a controlled manner to expose them within the germline and, by the production of small interfering RNA (siRNA), ensures TE silencing in the next generation. We also propose that the mechanisms evolved to silence TE may actually promote sexual reproduction by inhibiting the formation of asexual gametes.


The number of network users is expected to triple between 1998 and 2002 (Cullinane, 1998). While a
vision of the future Internet offers the potential to break traditional barriers in communications and
commerce, the current level of service does not satisfy the requirements of many users (Network
Reliability Steering Committee, 1998, Cullinane, 1998).
This thesis is concerned with users' perceptions of Quality of Service (QoS), and their attitudes to
charging mechanisms applied to wide-area networks. Whilst the majority of research in this area has been
conducted from a technical point of view, studies addressing issues of QoS and charging from a users'
perspective are limited. The aim of this research was to investigate the latter issue to provide a more
complete and integrated perspective on QoS and charging in the user-network system.
The thesis first addresses previous work that looks at QoS and charging, establishing a justification for the
new research. This part of the thesis concludes that, whilst part of our understanding of QoS requirements
can be explained by technical and economic paradigms, additional research is required to examine the
perceptions and concomitant behaviour of users. The methodology employed is outlined in relation to
obtaining this objective.
The second part of the thesis details work undertaken. This work has made the following main
contributions:
*Developed a set of conceptual models that describe users' perceptions of network QoS.
*Shown that these models can be used to predict users' behaviour in different contexts by
capturing subjective evaluations of QoS.
* Shown how a combination of established and new methods can be successfully applied in
capturing and assessing users' perceptions of QoS.
*Shown how the new data relates to technical and econometric research.
*Provided concrete examples of how the new research can inform network systems design.
The work documented in this thesis has implications for user-centred, technical and econometric research.
This thesis therefore contributes, not only to the field of HCI to which it is most closely related, but
provides guidelines that can be used by econometricians and network designers. The research from all
three of these perspectives is concerned with the efficient function of network resource allocation systems.
The work documented in this thesis has suggested how it is possible to integrate these perspectives to
provide valued levels of QoS to users.


We study the problem of electric vehicle route planning, where an important aspect is computing paths that minimize energy consumption. Thereby, any method must cope with specific properties, such as recuperation, battery constraints (over- and under-charging), and frequently changing cost functions (e. g., due to weather conditions). This work presents a practical algorithm that quickly computes energy-optimal routes for networks of continental scale. Exploiting multi-level overlay graphs [25, 30], we extend the Customizable Route Planning approach [7] to our scenario in a sound manner. This includes the efficient computation of profile queries and the adaption of bidirectional search to battery constraints. Our experimental study uses detailed consumption data measured from a production vehicle (Peugeot iOn). It reveals for the network of Europe that a new cost function can be incorporated in about five seconds, after which we answer random queries within 0.3 ms on average. Additional evaluation on an artificial but realistic [21, 35] vehicle model with unlimited range demonstrates the excellent scalability of our algorithm: Even for long-range queries across Europe it achieves query times below 5 ms on average---fast enough for interactive applications. Altogether, our algorithm exhibits faster query times than previous approaches, while improving (metric-dependent) preprocessing time by three orders of magnitude.


Multiple endocrine neoplasia, type I (MEN1) is an inherited cancer syndrome characterized by tumors arising primarily in endocrine tissues. The responsible gene acts as a tumor suppressor, and tumors in affected heterozygous individuals occur after inactivation of the wild-type allele. Previous studies have shown that Men1 knockout mice develop multiple pancreatic insulinomas, but this occurs many months after loss of both copies of the Men1 gene. These studies imply that loss of Men1 is not alone sufficient for tumor formation and that additional somatic genetic changes are most likely essential for tumorigenesis. The usual expectation is that such mutations would arise either by a chromosomal instability or microsatellite instability mechanism. In a study of more then a dozen such tumors, using the techniques of array-based comparative genomic hybridization, fluorescent in situ hybridization, loss of heterozygosity analysis using multiple microsatellite markers across the genome, and real time PCR to assess DNA copy number, it appears that many of these full-blown clonal adenomas remain remarkably euploid. Furthermore, the loss of the wild-type Men1 allele in heterozygous Men1 mice occurs by loss and reduplication of the entire mutant-bearing chromosome. Thus, the somatic genetic changes that are postulated to lead to tumorigenesis in a mouse model of MEN1 must be unusually subtle, occurring at either the nucleotide level or through epigenetic mechanisms.


This paper analyses the disciplines of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) stipulated in Chapter 17 of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP). The introduction of the extensive disciplines on SOEs was led by the concern that SOEs are likely to disturb fair international competition regime by conducting business activities not depending on economic rationality and anticompetitive activities. Major provision of this chapter includes definitions and the scope of application, commercial considerations and non-discriminatory treatment, non-commercial assistance, and transparency. While Chapter 17 can be appreciated as the first comprehensive and detailed discipline on SOEs including that of the WTO-plus, it still has problems and remaining issues concerning the disciplines. Nevertheless, the very fact that the TPP includes specific rules for SOEs is appreciated as a first step towards disciplining them in the future.


To effectively identify and filter out attacks from known sources like botnets, spammers, virus infected systems etc., organizations increasingly procure services that determine the reputation of IP addresses. Adoption of encryption techniques like TLS 1.2 and 1.3 aggravate this cause, owing to the higher cost of decryption needed for examining traffic contents. Currently, most IP reputation services provide blacklists by analyzing malware and spam records. However, newer but similar IP addresses used by the same attackers need not be present in such lists and attacks from them will get bypassed. In this paper, we present Dynamic Attribute based Reputation (DAbR), a euclidean distance based technique, to generate reputation scores for IP addresses by assimilating meta-data from known bad IP addresses. This approach is based on our observation that many bad IP's share similar attributes and the requirement for a lightweight technique for reputation scoring. DAbR generates reputation scores for IP addresses on a 0–10 scale which represents its trustworthiness based on known bad IP address attributes. The reputation scores when used in conjunction with a policy enforcement module, can provide high performance and non privacy-invasive malicious traffic filtering. To evaluate DAbR, we calculated reputation scores on a dataset of 87k IP addresses and used them to classify IP addresses as good/bad based on a threshold. An F-1 score of 78% in this classification task demonstrates our technique's performance.


Rivers in arid and semiarid regions often traverse saline aquifers, creating buoyant freshwater lenses in the adjoining riparian and floodplain zones. The occurrence of freshwater lenses where the river is otherwise gaining saline groundwater appears counterintuitive, given that both hydraulic and density forces act toward the river. In this paper, an analytical solution is presented that defines the extent of a stable, sharp‐interface terrestrial freshwater lens (in cross section) in a riverine environment that otherwise contains saline groundwater moving toward the river. The method is analogous to the situation of an island freshwater lens, except in the riverine setting, the saltwater is mobile and the lens is assumed to be stagnant. The solution characterizes the primary controlling factors of riverine freshwater lenses, which are larger for situations involving lower hydraulic conductivities and rates of saltwater discharge to the river. Deeper aquifers, more transmissive riverbeds, and larger freshwater‐saltwater density differences produce more extensive lenses. The analytical solution predicts the parameter combinations that preclude the occurrence of freshwater lenses. The utility of the solution as a screening method to predict the occurrence of terrestrial freshwater lenses is demonstrated by application to parameter ranges typical of the South Australian portion of the River Murray, where freshwater lenses occur in only a portion of the neighboring floodplains. Despite assumptions of equilibrium conditions and a sharp freshwater‐saltwater interface, the solution for predicting the occurrence of riverine freshwater lenses presented in this study has immediate relevance to the management of floodplains in which freshwater lenses are integral to biophysical conditions.


We report a simple method for forming surface corrugation of microlenses based on a volume growth effect of sol-gel glass. The volume growth effect was fully calibrated with a high-energy beam-sensitive grayscale mask, where the amount of growth was determined as a function of electron-beam-induced optical densities in the mask. This technique provides an excellent surface smoothness compared with other development based fabrication techniques. For example, a refractive microlens with a diameter of 140 microm and a sag height of 2.13 microm was demonstrated.


In the attempt to alleviate poverty and empower the deprived, many non-governmental organizations and Government line agencies have been providing revolving funds and social services to rural dwellers in Kenya. The role of these funds is to help the rural poor, to earn a decent living, through their on-going income-generating activities. The government of Kenya overtime has formulated a series of revolving funds to counter the problem. The most notable and current, is the Youth Enterprise Development Fund and the Women Enterprise Fund which were both conceived in 2006 and 2007 respectively. In these programmes, identifying the marginal borrower has not been a simple case owing to the complex interplay of costs, returns, and risks in credit markets. The role of the government in providing start-up funds and their relationship to sustainability is crucial. The main focus of this study was to analyze the loan repayment and sustainability issues of government revolving funds in Murang'a County. The study was guided by the following specific objectives; to analyse the effect of loan repayment and sustainability of government revolving funds; to examine the implication of socioeconomic functions of groups to government revolving funds sustainability; to establish the effect of borrower characteristics to government revolving funds sustainability and to determine the effect of technology on government revolving funds sustainability in Murang'a County. The study adopted a positivism philosophy of research, where the researcher was independent on what was being observed and studied. Descriptive survey design was used to determine the level of government revolving fund repayment and its effect on sustainability for other borrowers. The target population was 1520 social and economic groups in Murang'a County. Clustering and Simple Random Sampling techniques were applied to select a sample size of 307 groups, in addition a census of 16 constituency credit officers, who were also interviewed. This, in total accounted to 19.5% of the total population. A questionnaire and an interview schedule were used to collect data. Descriptive data were analysed using tables and charts. Quantitative data were analysed using Chi-square, Analysis of Variance and Logit Regression Model. The results indicated that government revolving funds operation procedure, socio-micro group functions and borrowers' characteristics were statistically significance to loan repayment and sustainability. The influence on technology to government revolving fund was statistically non-significant to repayment and sustainability. The study recommended training of young individuals on how to run businesses at the earliest time possible for them to appreciate owning and running own businesses. The review of the education curriculum to reverse the teaching business studies in primary schools was recommended. The study conclude that the WEF and the YEDF need to be institutionalized to increase the overall amount and efficacy in projects launched by the groups and individual beneficiaries; that there is a dire need to reduce external reliance by weaning the WEF and YEDF away from dependence of


Extracted from text ... SA Fam Pract 2005;47(8) 24
CPD
Drug and Contact
Lens Interactions
Muntingh GL, BPharm, MSc(Med)(Pharmacology), PhD(Pharmacology)
University of Limpopo, Medunsa Campus.
Keywords: drugs, contact lens, interactions
Reprint request: Dr G.L. Muntingh, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, P Box 225, MEDUNSA, 0204.
Tel: +27(0)12 521-4359, Fax: +27(0) 12 521-4121, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
(SA Fam Pract 2004;47(8): 24-28)
Introduction
"A patient who damages or loses his
or her expensive hydrophilic contact
lens will be annoyed - but the
complaint will be much louder if the
damage is caused by drugs without
appropriate warning". This opening
sentence from a short article by DV
Ingram from the ..


A survey was conducted to investigate the indigenous methods or measures adopted by urban livestock owners in the control of mosquito in Sokoto metropolis. Fifty (50) respondents who were engaged in urban livestock production were conveniently sampled, In addition, five (5) locations (Sidi farm, Kara market, Sokoto Cinema, Gidan Ashana, U/Rogo) where animals were kept overnight in large flocks/herds were purposively selected. Data was collected on size and type of animal kept, methods of mosquito control, strategies for eliminating breeding sites, methods of protecting animals from mosquito bite etc. Descriptive statistics and chi-square test was used to analyse the data collected. Results showed that the majority of the respondents raised cattle, goats and sheep due to economic benefit obtained from them. Respondents were small scale cattle and average goat and sheep farmers that generally kept their animals tethered at night. It was observed that the population density of mosquitoes was higher in the animal pen than the human room and among the preventive measures employed by the respondents, most used smoke to repel mosquitoes from both animal pen and human room. It can therefore be concluded that there exists a link between human and livestock population particularly in diverting the vector host (mosquito) away from the humans. The livestock are prevented from mosquito bite by smoke, spray and clean environment.


In this paper, we derive the material parameter formulae for designing an electromagnetic invisibility anti-cloak of two-dimensional arbitrary geometry, which is conformal with the cloaked object. Different shapes of electromagnetic invisibility anti-cloaks are proposed to verify the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed formulae. The simulation results show that the invisibility anti-cloak can break cloak shielding and make the external electromagnetic waves into the cloak. This is not only to realize the transfer of information, but will not affect the role of cloak of stealth.


What is the bottom line on Artificial Intelligence? The AI Business offers a comprehensive summary of the commercial picture, present and future, for Artificial Intelligence in the computer industry, medicine, the oil industry, and electronic design. AI's brightest and best -- financiers, researchers, and users -- analyze current projects, speculate on trends in factory automation, compare research in Japan and the U.S., and note the pros and cons of investment opportunities.Contents: Expert Systems. Amplifying Expertise with Expert Systems, Randall Davis (MIT). XCON: An Expert Configuration System at Digital Equipment Corporation, Arnold Kraft (DEC). DIPMETER ADVISOR: An Expert Logo Analysis System at Schlumberger, James D. Baker (Schlumberger). CADUCEUS: An Experimental Expert System for Medical Diagnosis, Harry E. Pople, Jr. (University of Pittsburgh). The Low Road, the Middle Road, and the High Road, John Seely Brown (Xerox).Work and Play. Inventing the Future, Alan Kay (Atari). The Engineer's Apprentice, Aryeh Finegold (Daisy Systems Corporation). The Programmer's Apprentice, Charles Rich (MIT). Intelligent Advisory Systems, Roger Schank (Cognitive Systems, Inc. and Yale University). Natural Language Front Ends, Larry R. Harris (Artificial Intelligence Corporation).Robotics. Intelligent Robots: Connecting Perception to Action, ). Michael Brady (MIT). Intelligent Robots: Moving toward Megassembly, Philippe Villers (Automatix, Inc.). Intelligent Robots: Myth or Reality, Paul M. Russo (GE).Today and Tomorrow. The Problems and the Promise, Marvin Minsky (MIT). An Investment Opportunity? Frederick R. Adler (Adler & Company). Financing the Future, William H. Janeway (F. Eberstadt & Co., Inc.) From the Blocks World to the Business World, Patrick H. Winston and Karen A. Prendergast (MIT). How to Learn More.


The 'quality' of novel technological innovations is extremely variable, and the ability to measure innovation quality is essential to sensible, evidence-based policy. Patents, an often vital precursor to a commercialised innovation, share this heterogeneous quality distribution. A pertinent question then arises: How should we define and measure patent quality? Accepting that different stakeholders have different views of this concept, we take a multi-dimensional view of patent quality in this work. We first test the consistency of popular post-grant outcomes that are often used as patent quality measures. Finding these measures to be generally inconsistent, we then use a raft of patent indicators that are defined at the time of grant to dissect the characteristics associated with different post-grant outcomes. We find broad disagreement in the relative importance of individual characteristics between outcomes and, further, significant variation of the same across technologies within outcomes. We conclude that measurement of patent quality is highly sensitive to both stakeholder viewpoint and technology type. Our findings bear implications for scholarly research using patent data as well as for policy discussions about patent quality.


Self-promotion is the way to get ahead during bone development, according to Asagiri and colleagues. They show on page 1261 that the inducible transcription factor NFATc1 must turn on its own expression for bone-resorbing osteoclasts to form. NFATc1 drives osteoclast-specific gene expression and is essential for the development of these cells in vitro. But whether NFATc1 is required in vivo was unknown, as deletion of the NFATc1 gene is lethal in mice. Another open questions was whether NFATc2—NFATc1's closest relative—can drive osteoclast formation in the absence of NFATc1. Asagiri and colleagues now show that NFATc1 is indeed essential for osteoclast formation in vivo, as only NFATc1-expressing stem cells rescued osteoclast development when transferred into osteoclast-deficient mice. NFATc1-deficient stem cells failed at this task, despite having normal expression of NFATc2. Transcriptional regulation explained why only NFATc1 could do the job. Stimulation of bone marrow cells with the osteoclast growth factor RANKL (receptor activator of NFB ligand) caused the NFATc2 protein in the cell— along with RANKL-induced NFB proteins—to pile onto the NFATc1 promoter at the expense of the NFATc2 promoter. This binding induced the expression of NFATc1, which then bound back to its own promoter, thus amplifying NFATc1 production. The NFATc1 promoter also hoarded histone acetylases, whose DNA modifications facilitate transcription. The authors are now analyzing the chromatin structure of the two promoters, which might help explain why these proteins avoid the NFATc2 promoter. NFATc1-deficient mice (right) lack osteoclasts and thus have abnormally dense bones.