The present study was carried out to demonstrate the optimization of growth conditions of bacteria with high cellulase activity. Cellulose degrading bacteria were isolated from soil samples collected from different areas of Guntur district, A.P. The bacteria were isolated using serial dilution and pour plate methods. The isolated bacteria were identified by morphological, biochemical and molecular procedures. The isolated bacterial species were screened for cellulase production in sub-merged fermentation process. The two tested bacterial species showed maximum yield for cellulase production. These two bacteria were identified as Bacillus anthracis and Ochrobactrum anthropi (YZ1). Supplementation of glucose, peptone, tyrosine and EDTA to the fermentation medium is favoured enzyme secretion. The optimum pH and temperature for the activity of crude enzyme was 8 and 45°C, respectively for Ochrobactrum anthropi (YZ1) while for Bacillus anthracis , it was 8 and 4°C, respectively.14% of inoculum level and 96 h of incubation period showed the maximum yield by both the species bacteria for cellulase production. The results of present study indicated that favorable fermentation conditions and the selection of a suitable growth medium played a key role in the production of cellulase from newly isolated Bacillus anthracis and Ochrobactrum anthropi (YZ1). Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol 3(2): 272-284 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v3i2.12616


In this Essay I argue that originalism conflicts with the Supreme Court's current jurisprudence defining the scope of Congress' power to enforce the Fourteenth Amendment. Under the standard established in Boerne v. Flores, the Court limits congressional power under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment to statutory remedies premised on judicially defined interpretations of Fourteenth Amendment rights. A commitment to originalism as a method of judicial constitutional interpretation challenges the premise of judicial interpretive supremacy in Section 5 jurisprudence in two ways. First, as a matter of history, an originalist reading of Section 5 provides support for broad judicial deference to congressional constitutional interpretive authority. Second, even if one accepts originalism as the best way for courts to interpret the Constitution, this assumption does not necessarily apply to nonjudicial actors when they are fulfilling their own constitutional responsibilities—such as members of Congress acting to enforce the provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment. Placing judicial originalism into the foreground of our discussion of Section 5 jurisprudence thus offers additional support for a broader reading of the congressional enforcement power than exists today under Boerne.


In the midst of a global fisheries crisis, there has been great interest in the fostering of adaptation and resilience in fisheries, as a means to reduce vulnerability and improve the capacity of fishing society to adapt to change. However, enhanced resilience does not automatically result in improved well-being of people, and adaptation strategies are riddled with difficult choices, or trade-offs, that people must negotiate. This paper uses the context of fisheries to explore some apparent tensions between adapting to change on the one hand, and the pursuit of well-being on the other, and illustrates that trade-offs can operate at different levels of scale. It argues that policies that seek to support fisheries resilience need to be built on a better understanding of the wide range of consequences that adaptation has on fisher well-being, the agency people exert in negotiating their adaptation strategies, and how this feeds back into the resilience of fisheries as a social-ecological system. The paper draws from theories on agency and adaptive preferences to illustrate how agency might be better incorporated into the resilience debate.


Reviews briefly the origins of the Scottish Information Literacy Project from its origins in 2004 as a project solely devoted to developing a National Information Literacy Framework for Scotland to the present time. The project now encompasses workplace information literacy, the skills agenda, lifeong learning and media literacy. The article concentrates on current activity: the restructuring of the first draft of the Framework to make it a genuine lifelong learning document and the pursuit of the workplace agenda, following a successful research project. This now focuses strongly on having information literacy recognised as an essential workplace skill. Work is also being undertaken with public library partners to develop information literacy training in public libraries. The policy implications of the work are reviewed.


We present theoretical and experimental studies of the process of two-wave mixing of broadband radiation in BaTiO3. We show that the energy exchange in such a process can be calculated on the basis of a system of coupled-wave equations in which phase-mismatch diffraction processes are taken into account. Good agreement of the model predictions and measurements performed with a variable-bandwidth Ti:sapphire laser is reported. Reasonable amplification of light with a FWHM spectrum of as much as 10 nm is reported in a standard copropagation scheme; above this value a considerable gain decrease and significant spatial profile changes occur.


A first meeting with Alec Bangham would leave an impression of a larger-than-life scientist with a penetrating curiosity and formidable features characteristically portrayed in the dramatic portrait painted by his nephew, Humphrey Bangham, which currently hangs in one of the Royal Society's rooms. Or, as Jeffrey Watkins (FRS) experienced on reaching the Institute of Animal Physiology at Babraham in September 1963, 'at the moment of my arrival he was avidly peering down a microscope and excitedly proclaiming the wonders of myelin figures as viewed through crossed polaroids … [and that] they might prove useful as model systems for the study of structure and function in biological membranes. It was decided that I should work immediately along these lines.' So what were the formative events that led to these first impressions? What had contributed to the formation of a scientist who became known worldwide as the father of liposomes, the inventor of Artificial Lung Expanding Compound (ALEC)—and someone who never stopped thinking about membranes, surfactant, anaesthetics, cricket, vegetables, family and friends?


Trial design Hypoglossal–facial nerve (HN-FN) neurorrhaphy is a method commonly used to treat facial palsy when the proximal stump of the injured FN is unavailable. Since the classic HN-FN neurorrhaphy method that needs to section the injured FN is not suitable for incomplete facial palsy, we investigated a modified method that consists of HN-FN 'side'-to-side neurorrhaphy, retaining the remaining or spontaneously regenerated FN axons while preserving hemihypoglossal function. Methods To improve axonal regeneration, we used for the first time a predegenerated sural autograft for performing HN–FN 'side'-to-side neurorrhaphy followed by postoperative facial exercise. We treated 12 patients who had experienced FN injury for 1–18 months as a result of acoustic tumour removal. All patients experienced facial grade V–VI paralysis according to the House-Brackmann scale, but their FN was anatomically preserved. No spontaneous facial reinnervation was detected before repair. Results Although we did not perform fresh nerve grafts and HN–FN 'side'-to-end neurorrhaphy as controls for ethical reasons, the reparative outcomes after nerve reconstruction were remarkable: functional improvements were detected as soon as 3 months after repair, House-Brackmann grade II or III FN functions were achieved in five and four patients, respectively, and there were no apparent signs of synkinesis. The three patients who experienced less satisfactory outcomes had exhibited facial palsy for more than 1 year accompanied by muscle atrophy, consistent with a need for rapid surgical intervention. Conclusions Based on fundamental concepts and our experimental results, this new surgical method represents a major advance in the rehabilitation of FN injury. Trial registration number JS2013-001-02.


This document describes the registration of the Multipurpose Internet
Mail Extensions (MIME) sub-types to be used by the international
astronomical community for the interchange of Flexible Image Transport
System (FITS) files. The encoding is defined by the published FITS
standard documents. The FITS format has been in use since 1979, and
almost all data from astronomical observations are interchanged by
using FITS. This memo provides information for the Internet community.


The purpose of this review is to assist FCDO in understanding the evidence of impact and any valuable lessons regarding the effect equitable quality education can have on 'open society'. The search revealed that there is a considerable volume of evidence which focuses on education's ability to reduce poverty, increase economic growth, boost employability and achieve better health outcomes. There is less which focuses on the aspects of 'open society' as defined in this paper. The scope of this review was narrowed to focus upon areas of the 'open society' definition where the most evidence does exist, given the timeframe for the review. The scope was narrowed to focus on: democracy, civic engagement, and social cohesion. The review of the literature found strong evidence that equitable quality education can have a range of positive impacts on democracy (specifically, its institutions and processes), civic engagement and social cohesion. There is a considerable body of evidence which indicates that there is a correlation between equitable quality education and benefits to societies (more peaceful, higher levels of trust, greater participation in politics, etc). However, there was no clear evidence that investment in equitable quality education directly leads to positive societal outcomes. This is because there are so many other factors to account for in attempting to prove causation. The lack of rigorous studies which attempt to attribute causation demonstrates a clear evidence gap. It is important to note that education systems themselves are politicised and cannot be divorced from the political process. The extent to which education can impact positively on open society depends a great deal on the value education has within the political system in which it is operating.


Convolutional neural networks (CNN)s have become the go-to choice for most image and video processing tasks. Most CNN architectures rely on pooling layers to reduce the resolution along spatial dimensions. The reduction allows subsequent deep convolution layers to operate with greater efficiency. This paper introduces adaptive wavelet pooling layers, which employ fast wavelet transforms (FWT) to reduce the feature resolution. The FWT decomposes the input features into multiple scales reducing the feature dimensions by removing the fine-scale subbands. Our approach adds extra flexibility through wavelet-basis function optimization and coefficient weighting at different scales. The adaptive wavelet layers integrate directly into well-known CNNs like the LeNet, Alexnet, or Densenet architectures. Using these networks, we validate our approach and find competitive performance on the MNIST, CIFAR-10, and SVHN (street view house numbers) data-sets.


Cybersemiotics constructs a non-reductionist framework in order to integrate third person knowledge from the exact sciences and the life sciences with first person knowledge described as the qualities of feeling in humanities and second person intersubjective knowledge of the partly linguistic communicative interactions, on which the social and cultural aspects of reality are based. The modern view of the universe as made through evolution in irreversible time, forces us to view man as a product of evolution and therefore an observer from inside the universe. This changes the way we conceptualize the problem and the role of consciousness in nature and culture. The theory of evolution forces us to conceive the natural and social sciences as well as the humanities together in one theoretical framework of unrestricted or absolute naturalism, where consciousness as well as culture is part of nature. But the theories of the phenomenological life world and the hermeneutics of the meaning of communication seem to defy classical scientific explanations. The humanities therefore send another insight the opposite way down the evolutionary ladder, with questions like: What is the role of consciousness, signs and meaning in the development of our knowledge about evolution? Phenomenology and hermeneutics show the sciences that their prerequisites are embodied living conscious beings imbued with meaningful language and with a culture. One can see the world view that emerges from the work of the sciences as a reconstruction back into time of our present ecological and evolutionary self- understanding as semiotic intersubjective conscious cultural and historical creatures, but unable to handle the aspects of meaning and conscious awareness and therefore leaving it out of the story. Cybersemiotics proposes to solve the dualistic paradox by starting in the middle with semiotic cognition and communication as a basic sort of reality in which all our knowledge is created and then suggests that knowledge develops into four aspects of human reality: Our surrounding nature described by the physical and chemical natural sciences, our corporality described by the life sciences such as biology and medicine, our inner world of subjective experience described by phenomenologically based investigations and our social world described by the social sciences. I call this alternative model to the positivistic hierarchy the cybersemiotic star. The article explains the new understanding of Wissenschaft that emerges from Peirce's and Luhmann's conceptions.


Taking the case of the heart-related deaths of Alan Thicke, Carrie Fisher, and Debbie Reynolds; working from a critical, constructivist approach; and applying a qualitative, inductive framing analysis to a sample of online news and audience reactions, this contribution analyzes the role of celebrities, media, and audiences in framing health narratives relating to a celebrity death from cardiovascular issues. It identifies several frames developed by media and audiences in narrating the celebrity's health and passing. It shows how framing is affected by knowledge of and views on cardiovascular conditions, by a celebrity's life story and audiences' appreciation of the celebrity, and by audiences' views on the media they consume, their personal experiences with cardiovascular related illness and death, and their conversations with peers. The article finishes with a discussion of how these results have relevance for health communication objectives.


Background: Prolong obstructed labor is a preventable obstetric complication in the developing countries with devastating consequences and comorbidities. This study aimed to determine the frequencies of the common comorbidities in patients managed for obstetrics fistula at Maryam Abacha Women and Children Hospital, Sokoto, and also to identify the association of age and parity on the occurrence of some of the comorbidities observed. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 179 patients with obstetric vesicovaginal fistula seen at Maryam Abacha women and Children VVF center, Sokoto, from January to December 2017. A proforma was used to assess the sociodemograhic features and also to record comorbidities during preoperative evaluation. Results: Foot drop was the commonest comorbidity seen in 106 (59.2%), followed by depression in 104 (58.1%). There was statistically significant association between age, parity, and foot drop P = 0.025. Depression was found to be higher in the primipara P = <0.001.Urinary dermatitis occurred more frequently in the older age group and multipara 62.7% and 80%, respectively. Amenorrhea was commoner among age group 30 years and above 62.7%. Out of 179 patients analyzed, 36 (20.1%) had eclampsia whereas gynaetresia was present in 29 (16.2%). Conclusion: Significant comorbid conditions accompany obstetrics trauma and vesicovaginal fistula. Foot drop had statistically significant association with age. Depression was common in all age groups. There was significant association between depression and parity. Urinary dermatitis occurred more frequently in the older age group and multiparae.


Recent excavations at Coedmore Quarry, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, have revealed the presence of tempestites and complex, large-scale deformation features in the Dwyka Group. The striated surface of the underlying Natal Group sandstone, upon which the Dwyka Group rests, is clear evidence of glacial erosion during the advance of a glacial ice sheet. However, the glaciation was interrupted by an interglacial (the Ethekwinian Interglacial) that probably resulted in a significant sea-level rise (±100 m). During the interglacial period, a sedimentary succession, characterized by resedimentation products, tempestites and relatively rare stadials (thin diamictites and varvites), was laid down. Subsequently, during a further glacial period, large-scale soft sediment deformations occurred in the region. We suggest that the deformed sedimentary sequence represents an olistostrome. This feature was most probably initiated by ice-push and/or earthquake activity at the basin margin, but reached its final position (at Coedmore) through gravity sliding into the main Karoo Basin, the Coedmore region may have been a localized palaeodeep (Coedmore Deep) within this part of the main Karoo Basin.


We present the idea of scheduling a control network in a first-come first-serve manner, and demonstrate a way to implement this over a wireless link. This achieves realtime guarantees and tightly bounded jitter for control applications. Further, how to design systems using this network is discussed, and the benefits compared to a standard priority MAC protocol are examined through simulations and a prototype implementation. The prototype is implemented using the reactive Timber programming model on a lightweight 8-bit platform.


Blastocystis is a common intestinal parasite infecting humans and different animal
species. The purpose of this study was to investigate the molecular epidemiology of
Blastocystis infection in Malaysia and Libya, and to investigate the occurrence of
Blastocystis sp. in water sources from Malaysia. Two groups of stool samples were
collected from 300 primary schoolchildren in Pahang, Malaysia and 380 outpatients
attending the Central Laboratory in Sebha, Libya. While for water, a total of 65 samples
were collected from different water sources in the study areas of Pahang, Malaysia. The
stools and water samples were processed accordingly and were subjected to in vitro
cultivation in Jones' medium followed by PCR, cloning, sequencing. The DNA
sequences were phylogenetically analyzed using the neighbor-joining method. The
questionnaire data of demographic, socio-economic, environmental and personal
hygiene factors associated with intestinal parasitic infections were also analyzed.
In Malaysia, the overall prevalence of Blastocystis infection among rural primary
schoolchildren was 25·7%. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the
absence of a piped water supply (OR = 3·13; 95% P < 0·001) and low levels of
mothers' education (OR = 3·41; P < 0·01) were the significant predictors of Blastocystis
infection. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Blastocystis isolates were classified into
three distinct subtypes (ST); ST3 (39.4%) followed by ST1 (36.4%) and ST2 (18.2%)
while 6.0% of the isolates were mixed subtype infections. ST1 was more common
among schoolchildren aged 10 years (P = 0.012), those who lack piped water supply
(P = 0.026) and toilet facility (P = 0.037) in their households. While ST3 infection was
more common among schoolchildren aged >10 years (P = 0.042).
As for water samples, it was found to be 92.3% (60/65) were contaminated with
Blastocystis species. These were 32.3% in river water, 27.7% tap water, 16.9% rain
iv
water storage and 15.4% wells. The most predominant Blastocystis subtype was ST4
(80.4%) followed by ST1 (19.6%). Nucleotide sequences of Blastocystis ST1 from
water samples were 100% identical to that of Blastocystis found in schoolchildren
providing molecular-based evidence supporting waterborne potential of Blastocystis.
While in Libya, the overall prevalence of Blastocystis infection among outpatients was
22.1%. The prevalence was significantly higher among males (P = 0.036) and patients
aged ≥18 years (P < 0.001). Univariate analysis showed significant associations
between Blastocystis infection and the occupational status (P = 0.017), family size (P =
0.023) and educational level (P = 0.042). Multivariate analysis confirmed that the age of
≥ 18 years (OR = 5.7; P = 0.001) and occupational status (OR = 2.2; P = 0.045) as
significant predictors of Blastocystis infection. The prevalence of gastrointestinal
symptoms among Blastocystis-infected patients was higher compared to uninfected
patients (P < 0.001). The most common symptoms were abdominal pain (76.4%),
flatulence (41.1%) and diarrhea (21.5%). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that
Blastocystis isolates were assembled under three subtypes; ST1 (51.1%) followed by
ST2 (24.4%), ST3 (17.8%) and mixed subtype infections (6.7%). ST1 infection was
significantly associated with female gender (P = 0.009) and educational level (P =
0.034). ST2 was also significantly associated with low level of education (P = 0.008)
and ST3 with diarrhoea (P = 0.008).


Weakly alkaline lavas erupted in the Pliocene Cerros del Rio and El Alto volcanic fields in the Espanola basin of the Rio Grande rift have the unusual trace element signature of approximately chondritic K/Nb combined with high La/Nb and Th/Nb. These lavas have previously been interpreted as the products of modified arc-source–like mantle, ultimately related to subduction of the Farallon plate beneath North America during the early Cenozoic. We show that the chemical signature can be produced by contamination of strongly silica undersaturated K-depleted magmas by continental crust, and that there is no need to invoke a subduction component in Rio Grande rift magma genesis. The same signature appears among voluminous Miocene lavas of the Jemez Mountains volcanic field. Hence, while nephelinite and basanite magmas resembling oceanic island basalts have been recognized as trace components in Rio Grande rift magmatism, our results may require a drastic upward revision of their volumetric significance in the northern rift through late Miocene-Pliocene time.


Aim/Purpose The purpose of this mixed method study was to evaluate the intensity and frequency of moral distress in medical surgical nurses using the Moral Distress Scale (MDS). The study also included three qualitative questions to obtain descriptions of situations of moral distress, its impact on the nurse physically, emotionally, and spiritually and the effect on others (i.e. patient, family, colleagues, manager, organization, etc.).
Method The study was conducted on a random sample obtained from the North Carolina Board of Nursing database. The survey, containing a section for demographic questions, the MDS scale, and qualitative questions, was mailed to a sample of 1,000 self-identified medical surgical nurses who reside in the state of North Carolina
The mean and standard deviation were done on both the intensity and frequency of each of the 38 questions. Correlations were determined between each of the demographic characteristics and the intensity and frequency of the 38 questions. ANOVA single factor variance was analyzed between respondents and questions to verify there was statistically significant variance.
11
The three qualitative questions were evaluated for common themes using phenomenological methods. Triangulation was done to ensure the trustworthiness of the themes.
Results The results of the study indicated there were statistically significant correlations in the demographics and responses. Using Pearson?s correlation coefficient and a p < 0.01, there was no significant correlations between demographics and the frequency of factors of the MDS. There was one positive and six negative correlations between age and experience related to intensity of moral distress. Overall medical surgical nurses in the study experienced low intensity and frequency of moral distress (M = 2.17, M = 1.32). Comparatively, respondents reported greater experiences of intensity than frequency. Moderate levels of moral distress related to staffing, incompetence of nurses, nursing assistants and physicians and futility of care. The most frequent distress centered on inadequate staffing, incompetence, and futility.
The most prominent theme in morally distressing situations was the lack of informed consent/disclosure. Nurses described how they were impacted emotionally, physically, and spiritually as well the effects of moral distress on colleagues, patients, and families. There were also accounts of burned out nurses leaving a unit or the profession.
Implications The implications of this study revealed that medical surgical nurses experienced moral distress with more intensity than frequency. This is vital information for nursing leaders concerned about turnover and the impact on staff. Nurse administrators have a responsibility to create a healthy organizational climate to alleviate burnout and prevent distressing situations.
Keywords: burnout, ethical climate, medical surgical nurses, moral distress, turnover


McCloud, Sean. Making the American Religious Fringe: Exotics, Subversives, and Journalists, 19551993. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2004. 288 pp. $19.95. Few stories challenge journalists more than religion. War, politics, and the workings of government are the mainstays of news coverage, and journalists are generally good at explaining what is happening and what it means. When religious beliefs and practices become the story, however, the results are often less than satisfying. Magazines particularly have long struggled to keep stones about faith and valvies in context and to avoid overplaying, or oversimplifying, complex beliefs without preying on the fears of their readers. Indeed, the magazines one reads can often be as telling as any personality test, so it stands to reason that the stories magazines choose to tell-and how they tell them-will say a great deal about where society draws its social boundaries of what is acceptable and what lurks out there on the fraying edges of acceptability. Scan McCloud turns a critical and historical eye not merely at how magazines covered religion over nearly forty years but how such coverage established some faiths as mainstream and others as existing just beyond the norm. In Making the American Religious Fringe, McCloud is less interested in fringe religions than "the characteristics that many of the largest and most influential magazines attributed to groups that they labeled fringe." I Ie casts a wide net, seeking out portrayals of various religions from 1955 to 1993 to argue that magazines pushed to the margins those religious movements that tended to attract individuals often viewed as living outside mainstream America, primarily the working class and ethnic minorities. Journalists encouraged this sense of the "fringe" by concentrating on a number of factors inherent in certain religious movements: the expressions of emotion, the geographic location of where movements could be found (particularly in the South and in California), and die socioeconomic status of those fueling such movements (particularly among the poor). Even more interesting and important, he underscores how fluid this Une became as scandals emerged in so-called "mainstream" religions. While this book is an important addition to the sociology of religion, there is little here to surprise media scholars familiar with the classic work of Herbert Gans, who long ago noted that among the shared values of journalists are a suspicion of those with extreme beliefs and a preference for maintaining social order. McCloud argues often, and compellingly, that magazines portrayed new religious movements in a skeptical, if not antagonistic, manner as a response to the perception that these movements threatened mainstream America. Magazines used labels such as "cult" and stones on brainwashing, despite scant evidence that such incidents occurred, to push certain emerging movements to the fringe. McCloud provides ample evidence of negative coverage of the Nation of Islam and then dips into the Louisiana Legislative Committee on Un-American Activities and its interest in that group in the 1960s. While he concedes the report is a state government document and not a magazine article, he concludes that the similarities between the government's position and that of many general-interest magazines is suggestive of "shared ideological commitments" during the Cold War. …


of thesis entitled ―Failure Prediction of Dental Restoration Using a CT-based Finite Element and Damage Mechanics Approach‖ submitted by CHAN Yiu Pong for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in August, 2011 To perform dental research on living subjects is expensive and needs to take ethical issues into account. Usage of computer simulation offers a better alternative with the capability of detailed stress analysis. In this study, a computational approach has been developed for failure prediction of dental restoration so that experimental effort can be minimized. The unit cell modeling method has been applied to predict the constitutive relations of dental composites, enamel and dentin. For most dental composites, particles have high loading and are non-spherical in shape, so a CAD-based modeling technique has been utilized to assist in the preparation of the unit cell models. Through employing the inter-part parametric assembly modeling characteristics of CAD tools, modeling of 3D triphasic unit cells with various particle morphologies and particle volume fractions can be achieved effectively and efficiently. The particles are packed using body centered cubic (BCC) or face centered cubic (FCC) packing architectures instead of traditional simple cubic (SC) architecture which has a low packing efficiency. The effect of interfacial debonding damage on the mechanical behavior of a dental composite has been predicted with the application of FE analysis. The mechanical behavior includes elastic modulus, tensile strength, and stress-strain relations for different particle morphologies and volume fraction cases. In addition, the stress ii concentration, stress distribution, and damage mechanism of the composite at the microscale have been predicted. In view of the hierarchical structure of enamel and dentin, columnar unit cell models have been designed to determine the anisotropic mechanical behavior. The model for enamel consists of rod and interrod constituents, peritubular and intertubular constituents are used for dentin. In this project, a new method, which integrates nanoindentation, finite element modeling, and artificial neural network techniques, is proposed to determine the elastoplastic stress-strain relations of the four constituents. Thus, the resulting mechanical properties of enamel and dentin in multi-scale include their anisotropic elastoplastic mechanical description parameters and the isotropic elastoplastic stress-strain relations of their four constituents. To build up a solid computational model of a tooth and its corresponding mandible, a method has been proposed to construct 3D models from 2D scanned images. The models established using the proposed method are characterized by the ease of performing modifications. Facilitated by the CAD tools, the 3D tooth model has been virtually restored with a Class II mesio-occlusal (MO) restoration. This is done through five procedures, i.e. data point extraction, tissue surfaces construction, NURBS object modeling, assembly modeling, and FE model construction. The generated mandible assists in defining the boundary conditions of the tooth model. The tooth model is triphasic, including the enamel, dentin, and pulp phases. The determined anisotropic elastoplastic mechanical properties of enamel and dentin have also been incorporated into the model. Concerning the radial variation structure of the enamel and dentin, the tooth model has been partitioned into 18 regions, with a specific local coordinate system for each region. Stress analysis and failure iii prediction of the restoration have then been conducted using the established 3D assembly FE model. The simulation result showing the interfacial debonding occurred once the mastication loading exceeded a critical value of 140N is in a good agreement with the experimental findings. The deliverables of the proposed method in modeling mechanical properties using unit cell models can facilitate the design of dental composites and other particulate reinforced composites systematically rather than performing development experimentally by means of trial-and-error. Regarding the method used to determine the mechanical properties of the micro-scale constituents of enamel and dentin, it can also benefit other applications involving the determination of the elastoplastic mechanical properties of isotropic materials having small volume. For the established 3D assembly FE model, it also can be applied to other research studies where a tooth model is required. The application of the new method in constructing 3D FE models from 2D scanned images is not limited to the dental industry but also to other medical applications. It can be applied in creating patient-specific models of any body tissue part using CT scanning images.


A key lesson from failure at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to negotiate a multilateral agreement on investment is that attempts to reduce barriers to trade and investment will fail without broad-based domestic support for open markets. This article applies that lesson to the faltering Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations and argues that the deadlock is due to the collective failure to make-the-case for liberalization rather than, as is commonly suggested, the systemic constraints of a 'single undertaking' or the ascendancy of emerging powers. Deadlock in the Doha Round has triggered the pursuit of alternatives to multilateral negotiation. The result is increased emphasis on plurilateral approaches and the further entrenchment at the centre of trade diplomacy of preferential trade agreements (PTAs) - such as those being negotiated across the Pacific and the Atlantic. This article outlines the powerful motivations behind PTAs but also the dangers, including of limited welfare gains, disincentives to non-discriminatory liberalization and increased complexity and discord in international rule making. Plurilateral agreements involve particular risks for developing countries, whether through marginalization from single-issue agreements or asymmetric pressure within multi-issue PTAs. This article concludes that an effective, first-best, multilateral response to the challenge of the political economy of trade will require that trade liberalization be placed more firmly within the framework of sound domestic economic policy and that top-down liberalization, including through the G20 process, be accompanied by more effective bottom-up advocacy of the gains from market opening.


In its infancy in the late 19th century, the game of football was still a work in progress that only remotely resembled the sport millions follow today. There was no common agreement about many of the game's basic rules, and it was incredibly violent and extremely dangerous. An Americanized version of rugby, this new game's popularity grew even as the number of casualties rose. Numerous young men were badly injured, and dozens-the cream of the crop of America's prep schools and colleges-died playing it in highly publicized incidents. Objecting to the sport's brutality, a movement of proto - Progressives, led by Harvard University president Charles W. Eliot and the editors of The Nation, tried to abolish it. President Roosevelt, a vocal advocate of the strenuous life and proponent of risk, acknowledged football's dangers but admired it's potential for building character. A longtime fan of the game who purposely recruited men with college-football experience for his Rough Riders, Roosevelt fought to preserve the game's manly essence, even as he understood the need for reform. In 1905, he summoned the coaches of Harvard, Yale, and Princeton to the White House and urged them to act. The result was the establishment of the NCAA, as well as a series of rule changes - including the advent of the forward pass-which ultimately saved football and transformed it into the quintessential American game. "The Big Scrum" reveals the fascinating details of this little-known story for the first time.


This article concerns metaphorical extensions of two verbs of consumption in Korean, mek- 'to eat ' and masi- 'to drink' and, to a less extent, metonymic processes built on the verb mek- . It begins with a description of the basic syntax and semantics of the two verbs with a view to understanding similarities and differences between them and also between the acts denoted by them. It also discusses the different aspects of eating and drinking with an eye to their implications for metaphorical extensions. The discussion also explains why some metaphorical extensions are possible while other seemingly plausible ones are not. The article then shifts its focus to metonymic processes based on the social/cultural significance of the act of eating.


Water demand management can be effective as a resource management approach if demand estimation is accurate and consumption determinants are defined. While determinants such as household income, regional climate, water price, property size and household occupancy have been comprehensively studied and modelled, other determinants such as swimming pools and intra-city climates have not. This study examines residential water consumption in the City of Cape Town in 2008/2009, under property size regimes, to separately determine whether the presence of pools or occurrence of different intra-city precipitation patterns have an influence on water consumption. A sample of 14 233 properties is analysed, with 20.86% having swimming pools within their boundaries. Overall, those properties with swimming pools used 37.36% or 8.85 kl per month more water than those without, with pools having a larger influence on household consumption on smaller properties. These results were statistically significant. Different precipitation patterns occurred over the study period, and while there were indications that consumption may be lower if there is more rainfall, limited evidence was found to support the hypothesis. Keywords: water consumption, water demand management, swimming pools, precipitation, Cape Town


The effect of cancer cachexia on protein metabolism has been studied in mice transplanted with the MAC16 adenocarcinoma. The progressive cachexia induced by the MAC16 tumour was characterised by a reduction in carcass nitrogen between 16-30% weight loss and a reciprocal increase in tumour nitrogen content. Carcass nitrogen loss was accompanied by a concomitant decrease in gastrocnemius muscle weight and nitrogen content and also by a decrease in liver nitrogen content. The loss of gastrocnemius muscle throughout the progression of cachexia was attributable to a 60% decrease in the rate of protein synthesis and a 240% increase in the rate of protein degradation. The loss of skeletal muscle protein that may be partially mediated by an increased rate of protein degradation has been correlated with a circulatory catabolic factor present only in cachectic tumour-bearing animals, that degrades host muscle in vitro. The proteolysis-inducing factor was found to be heat stable, not a serine protease and was inhibited by indomethacin and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in a dose-related manner. The proteolytic factor induced prostaglandin E 2 formation in the gastrocnemius muscle of non tumour-bearing animals and this effect was inhibited by indomethacin and EPA. In vivo studies show EPA (2.0g/kg-1 by gavage) to effectively reverse the decrease in body weight in animals bearing the MAC16 tumour with a concomitant reduction in tumour growth. Muscle from animals treated with EPA showed a decrease (60%) in protein degradation without an effect on protein synthesis. In vivo studies show branched chain amino acid treatment to be ineffective in moderating the cachectic effect of the MAC16 tumour. The action of the factor was largely mimicked by triarachidonin and trilinoleia. The increased serum levels of arachidonic acid in cachectic tumour-bearing animals may thus be responsible for increased protein degradation through prostanoid metabolism. The understanding of protein metabolism and catabolic factors in the cachectic animal may provide future avenues for the reversal of cachexia and the treatment of cancer.metabolism and catabolicmetabolism and cat


In arid to semi-arid grasslands and savannas, plant growth, population dynamics, and productivity are consistently and strongly limited by soil water and nutrient availability. Adaptive traits of the root systems of grasses in these ecosystems are crucial to their ability to cope with strong water and/or nutrient limitation and the increasing drought stress associated with ecosystem degradation or projected climate change. We studied 18 grass species in semi-arid savanna of the Kalahari region of Botswana to quantify interspecific variation in three important root system traits including root system architecture, rhizosheath thickness and mycorrhizal colonization. Drought- tolerant species and shorter-lived species showed greater rhizosheath thickness and fine root development but lower mycorrhizal colonization compared to later successional climax grasses and those characteristic of wetter sites. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between root fibrousness index and rhizosheath thickness among species and a weak negative correlation between root fibrousness index and mycorrhizal colonization.These patterns suggest that an extensive fine root system and rhizosheath development may be important complementary traits of grasses coping with drought conditions, the former aiding in the acquisition of water by the grass plant and the latter aiding in water uptake and retention, and reducing water loss in the rhizosphere. Within species, both rhizosheath development and mycorrhizal colonization were significantly greater in a wet year than in a year with below-average precipitation. The observed patterns suggest that the primary benefit of rhizosheath development in African savanna grasses is improved drought tolerance and that it is a plastic trait that can be adjusted annually to changing environmental conditions. The functioning of mycorrhizal symbiosis is likely to be relatively more important in infertile savannas where nutrient limitation is higher relative to water limitation.


This thesis examines the phenomenon of sell-side financial analysts (analysts hereafter) "doing" corporate governance. The term "doing" is used in the current study to designate the various ways in which some analysts in the US and the UK, across the past decade or so, have made corporate governance visible. The thesis examines how this has occurred, and the mechanisms and devices that have made it possible. Analysts, it is suggested, can be viewed as "agents of transparency", in so far as they have taken the evaluation of companies beyond the financials, to include corporate governance issues. The thesis focuses primarily on the corporate governance reports produced by analysts, the official documents issued by various organisations and institutions, selected financial and business newspapers and magazines, together with other documents such as textbooks of corporate governance, as well as academic and practioner publications on corporate governance. Through an examination of these materials, the thesis investigates the pre-conditions that made possible the appearance and development of the corporate governance work pursued by analysts in the early twenty-first century. It examines the evaluations performed by analysts of the corporate governance procedures adopted by companies. In particular, it focuses on the ways in which analysts benchmarked the corporate governance procedures of companies against formal regulations, and how comparisons of the governance procedures adopted by different companies were undertaken and facilitated by analysts. Benchmarking, and the making of comparisons of corporate governance practices through a range of devices, are examined. The thesis also examines the linking of corporate governance to the financials (such as profitability, stock price performance, and equity valuation) in the investment analyses performed by analysts. It concentrates on the way in which analysts integrated corporate governance issues in the investment decision making process. Attention is paid to the ideas that shaped and articulated the integration, as well as to the tools and devices deployed by analysts. This thesis argues that greater attention is needed to the "doing" of corporate governance by analysts, and its implications for these "agents of transparency" that have broadened the parameters through which transparency is assessed.


A new genus and species of primitive cryptodiran turtle, Siamochelys peninsularis n. g. n. sp., from the Middle Jurassic Mab Ching locality, in the southern peninsula of Thailand, is described on the basis of complete shells. They are characterized by a combination of primitive features (the presence of a pair of mesoplastra meeting on the midline) and a series of derived characters (loose plastron–carapace attachment, short diamond-shaped entoplastron, dorsal thickening of the lateral edge of the second to seventh peripheral plates, expanded seventh to eleventh peripheral plates, extension of the anal scute to the hyo-hypoplastral suture or onto the hypoplastron, midline sulcus sinusoidal), and thus closely resemble Chengyuchelys, from the Middle Jurassic of China, and more particularly Xinjiangchelys and its relatives from the Middle and Late Jurassic of China and Central Asia. This supports a Middle Jurassic age for the locality and suggests that the Sibumasu (Shan-Thai) block was in contact with the Asian mainland by that time.


This article describes the religious worldview of the residents of three rural villages, established since 2010 in Southern Israel. Focusing on religious authority, the article traces the complex relationship between rabbis to their communities which is rarely a simple "top - down" tr aditional authority model. On the contrary, both the rabbis and their communities are aware of the fragility of their relationship, and therefore created a complex belief system in which the rabbis' recommendation is sought, but not n ecessarily considered binding. In addition, the article describes the "Datlshim" (Hebrew acronym for "Ex - religious"). This liminal identity characterizes individuals who grew up within these religious communities but decided to dissent in their adulthood. They do not feel committed to, and sometimes openly reject Jewish religious code. The article contributes to the scholarly understanding of religious authority, as well as the diversity within the religious-Zionist community in Israel, which has become increasingly influential is Israeli politics and society.


The idea of a new evolutionary algorithm with memory aspect included is proposed to find multiobjective optimized solution of vehicle routing problem with time windows. This algorithm uses population of agents that individually search for optimal solutions. The agent memory incorporates the process of learning from the experience of each individual agent as well as from the experience of the population. This algorithm uses crossover operation to define agents evolution. In the paper we choose as a base the Best Cost Route Crossover (BCRC) operator. This operator is well suited for VPRTW problems. However it does not treat both of parent symmetrically what is not natural for general evolutionary processes. The part of the paper is devoted to find an extension of the BCRC operator in order to improve inheritance of chromosomes from both of parents. Thus, the proposed evolutionary algorithm is implemented with use of two crossover operators: BCRC and its extended-modified version. We analyze the results obtained from both versions applied to Solomon's and Gehring & Homberger instances. We conclude that the proposed method with modified version of BCRC operator gives statistically better results than those obtained using original BCRC. It seems that evolutionary algorithm with memory and modification of Best Cost Route Crossover Operator lead to very promising results when compared to the ones presented in the literature.


This research study focuses on the importance of teaching our students pronunciation, on looking at the difficulties students have, and finding solutions for them. In the past, questions were raised about the importance of pronunciation as an instructional focus. Recent discussions have focused on whether or not to teach pronunciation. Today learners too are seen as active learners with needs, not passive recipients. The results from the survey questions in this study show the importance of teaching pronunciation today, difficulties students are facing in this area of English language learning, and some possible solutions. In the past, we knew little about pronunciation, how it was taught or learned, although it was emphasized in language teaching at the time of the audio-lingual approach. Today, students can go online and get pronunciation practice too. Our goal is not to make our students perfect, but it is to make them intelligible and communicative users of English to serve their purposes in and outside the classroom.


Neonatal ichthyosis and sclerosing cholangitis syndrome (NISCH), also known as ichthyosis, leukocyte vacuoles, alopecia, and sclerosing cholangitis (ILVASC), is an extremely rare disease of autosomal recessive inheritance, resulting from loss of function of the tight junction protein claudin-1. Its clinical presentation is highly variable, and is characterized by liver and ectodermal involvement. Although most ILVASC cases described to date were attributed to homozygous truncating variants in CLDN1, a single missense variant CLDN1 p.Arg81His, associated with isolated skin ichthyosis phenotype, has been recently reported in a family of Moroccan Jewish descent. We now describe seven patients with ILVASC, originating from four non consanguineous families of North African Jewish ancestry (including one previously reported family), harboring CLDN1 p.Arg81His variant, and broaden the phenotypic spectrum attributed to this variant to include teeth, hair, and liver/bile duct involvement, characteristic of ILVASC. Furthermore, we provide additional evidence for pathogenicity of the CLDN1 p.Arg81His variant by transmission electron microscopy of the affected skin, revealing distorted tight junction architecture, and show through haplotype analysis in the vicinity of the CLDN1 gene, that this variant represents a founder variant in Jews of Moroccan descent with an estimated carrier frequency of 1:220.


The European power systems are in the process of a new orientation which will facilitate and promote exchange of electric power between Eastern and Western European nations. One such example is the 4 GW HVDC link from Russia to Germany where a 1 GW power converter substation has been proposed for Central Poland. This paper considers the impact of the proposed 4 GW Russia-Germany HVDC link on the Polish grid network and possible excitation of torsional vibrations in shafts of steam turbine-generator exciter units connected to the system by noncharacteristic currents due to the link. Excitation of torsional vibrations in machine shafts due to modulating currents and the level of risk of damage to machine shafts due to subsynchronous currents injected into the network by the inverter is assessed. Dynamic parameters of system loads and the power factor of loads which influence system scaling factors are also discussed. The paper also examines the most probable location of the proposed 1000 MW converter on the Polish grid network. System scaling factors are evaluated for different system configurations for each generator at risk and generators most at risk are identified. The paper then investigates transient behaviour of the Polish power system following loss of the proposed link at full import. Transient stability performance is also evaluated for a range of system faults of different fault durations, distances and locations from power plants.


In 1897 the promising young sociologist William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (1868-1963) was given a temporary post as Assistant in Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania in order to conduct in-depth studies of the Negro community in Philadelphia. The product of those studies was the first great empirical book on the Negro in American society. More than one hundred years after its original publication by the University of Pennsylvania Press, The Philadelphia Negro remains a classic work. It is the first, and perhaps still the finest, example of engaged sociological scholarship-the kind of work that, in contemplating social reality, helps to change it. In his introduction, Elijah Anderson examines how the neighborhood studied by Du Bois has changed over the years and compares the status of blacks today with their status when the book was initially published.


This book highlights the cogency and urgency of the protection of indigenous peoples and discusses crucial aspects of the international legal theory and practice relating to their rights. These rights are not established by states; rather, they are inherent to indigenous peoples because of their human dignity, historical continuity, cultural distinctiveness, and connection to the lands where they have lived from time immemorial. In the past decades, a new awareness of the importance of indigenous rights has emerged at the international level. UN organs have adopted specific international law instruments that protect indigenous peoples. Nonetheless, concerns persist because of continued widespread breaches of such rights. Stemming from a number of seminars organised at the Law Department of the University of Roma Tre, the volume includes contributions by distinguished scholars and practitioners. It is divided into three parts. Part I introduces the main themes and challenges to be addressed, considering the debate on self-determination of indigenous peoples and the theoretical origins of 'indigenous sovereignty'. Parts II and III explore the protection of indigenous peoples afforded under the international law rules on human rights and investments respectively. Not only do the contributors to this book critically assess the current international legal framework, but they also suggest ways and methods to utilize such legal instruments towards the protection, promotion and fulfi lment of indigenous peoples' rights, to contribute to the maintenance of peace and the pursuit of justice in international relations.


Abstract. Recent research on the bivariate flood peak/volume frequency analysis has mainly focused on the statistical aspects of the use of various copula models. The interplay of climatic and catchment processes in discriminating among these models has attracted less interest. In the paper we analyse the influence of climatic and hydrological controls on flood peak and volume relationships and their models, which are based on the concept of comparative hydrology in the catchments of a selected region in Austria. Independent flood events have been isolated and assigned to one of the three types of flood processes: synoptic floods, flash floods and snowmelt floods. First, empirical copulas are regionally compared in order to verify whether any flood processes are discernible in terms of the corresponding bivariate flood-peak relationships. Next the types of copulas, which are frequently used in hydrology are fitted, and their goodness-of-fit is examined in a regional scope. The spatial similarity of copulas and their rejection rate, depending on the flood type, region, and sample size are examined, too. In particular, the most remarkable difference is observed between flash floods and the other two types of flood. It is concluded that treating flood processes separately in such an analysis is beneficial, both hydrologically and statistically, since flood processes and the relationships associated with them are discernible both locally and regionally in the pilot region. However, uncertainties inherent in the copula-based bivariate frequency analysis itself (caused, among others, also by the relatively small sample sizes for consistent copula model selection, upper tail dependence characterization and reliable predictions) may not be overcome in the scope of such a regional comparative analysis.


W–Nb/TiC composites were prepared by mechanical milling and conventional sintering. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, microhardness, and Charpy impact test analyses were used to characterize the samples. Results showed that W–1wt%Nb/TiC exhibited the maximum relative density (94%) and impact energy (116 KJ/m2) and that (Nb, Ti) C solid solution and Nb2C formed in the W–Nb/TiC composites. However, the density and impact energy decreased when the Nb content exceeded 1 wt% because the second-phase particles agglomerated at the grain boundaries (GBs) with increased Nb content. This agglomeration caused stress concentration of the GBs, which easily initiated cracks. The microhardness did not change significantly with the increased Nb content of the W–Nb/TiC composites.


We present new measurements of the inclusive forward-backward ttbar production asymmetry, AFB, and its dependence on several properties of the ttbar system. The measurements are performed with the full Tevatron data set recorded with the CDF II detector during ppbar collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.4 fb^(-1). We measure the asymmetry using the rapidity difference Delta-y=y_(t)-y_(tbar). Parton-level results are derived, yielding an inclusive asymmetry of 0.164+/-0.047 (stat + syst). We observe a linear dependence of AFB on the top-quark pair mass M(ttbar) and the rapidity difference |Delta-y| at detector and parton levels. Assuming the standard model, the probabilities to observe the measured values or larger for the detector-level dependencies are 7.4*10^(-3) and 2.2*10^(-3) for M(ttbar) and |Delta-y| respectively. Lastly, we study the dependence of the asymmetry on the transverse momentum of the ttbar system at the detector level. These results are consistent with previous lower-precision measurements and provide additional quantification of the functional dependencies of the asymmetry.


Food safety is an essential element of food security, since "adequate" food means food that is not only available, but also safe. Food safety systems have traditionally focused on end- product testing, which is an unsatisfactory means of ensuring safe food. An increasing focus on prevention has spurred interest in a food chain approach, which aims to control all steps in the food chain from production to consumption. Although the approach has drawn international attention in recent years, national lawmakers have lacked guidance on its implementation. This Article serves that need. Part II of the Article describes the international backdrop to the food chain approach, discusses the main characteristics of the approach, and considers how the food chain approach is, in some respects, already being implemented in some specific areas. As these implementations are only partial solutions, Part III outlines four areas for legislative action to implement the food chain approach more fully. Part IV concludes by raising some outstanding questions linked to the food chain approach while noting some of the advantages its implementation is likely to offer.


Abstract Edible dormice (Glis glis) are exposed temporally and spatially to a tremendous variation in food resources. This variation strongly influences reproduction; in edible dormice reproduction is tightly linked to the availability of energy-rich seeds. Although most dormice reproduce in full mast years of beech or oak, entire populations skip reproduction in years without seed production; however, nearly 50% of all years are intermediate mast years, during which only part of the dormouse population reproduces. We investigated how the beech mast pattern, local habitat characteristics, and individual traits (body mass and age class) influence whether individual female edible dormice invest in reproduction in intermediate mast years. Our field study, conducted during 2006–2009 in the Vienna Woods, revealed that in intermediate mast years the probability of females reproducing increased with the age of trees but not with the proportion of beech trees within their home ranges. Mean litter size was larger in years with higher seed availability and also increased with the mean age of trees within the home range of the dormice. More adult than yearling females reproduced, but this effect was modulated by yearly and local variation in food availability. Whether a female edible dormouse reproduces in an intermediate mast year depends mainly on the local food availability and age of the individual.


This paper studies the labour force participation dynamics of older couples in the United States. Longitudinal data from the five available waves of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is used to investigate if the dynamics introduced by considering both spouses' behavior provide additional information in trying to fit observed participation sequences. The paper uses a bivariate dynamic binary choice model with unobserved heterogeneity and serial correlation to disentangle the many sources of dynamics and correlation in a couple's decision making. First, strong true state-dependence is found and results in a bunching of participation and non-participation sequences. Cross-spouse state-dependence is also found which points to indirect effects of social security and pension incentives through complementarity in leisure. Second, the Spouse Allowance program is found to have predicted effects on participation of the couple and these effects are statistically significant. A simulation exercise presents evidence that the elimination of the spouse allowance can raise participation of wives at age 62 by more than the decrease in participation of husbands at age 65.


A new methodology for estimation of solvatochromic properties of micelles has been proposed. Two environment sensitive emission properties of a single indicator molecule have been used for this purpose. The hydrogen bond donating ability ( �) and dipolarity- polarizability (� * ) of associated water molecules at the SDS micellar interface has been estimated. The obtained result has been compared to the literature values. Effect of methodology and choice of indicator molecule has also been discussed.


Video summarization has unprecedented importance to help us digest, browse, and search today's ever-growing video collections. We propose a novel subset selection technique that leverages supervision in the form of humancreated summaries to perform automatic keyframe-based video summarization. The main idea is to nonparametrically transfer summary structures from annotated videos to unseen test videos. We show how to extend our method to exploit semantic side information about the video's category/ genre to guide the transfer process by those training videos semantically consistent with the test input. We also show how to generalize our method to subshot-based summarization, which not only reduces computational costs but also provides more flexible ways of defining visual similarity across subshots spanning several frames. We conduct extensive evaluation on several benchmarks and demonstrate promising results, outperforming existing methods in several settings.


The experience of giving birth prematurely presents a stressful and challenging time for new mothers, who often spend extensive time with their children in specialist intensive care hospital settings. This can impact the wellbeing of the mother and complicate the process of bonding between mother and child. Despite a high prevalence rate in the UK of prematurity in twin births, very limited research exists on the actual experiences of these mothers.  A hermeneutic phenomenological method is employed to explore the lifeworld experience of becoming a new mother of premature twins. It offers a lived experiential lens that highlights similarities to the contemporary research on mothers of premature singletons, as well as differences within the interpersonal dynamics between a new mother and her two babies that impact on wellbeing.  Semi-structured interviews with three mothers of premature twins elucidates their experience through the transition of 'becoming' to 'being' a mother. Emotional conflict alienates them from their new motherhood and separates their sense of closeness between their babies.  A fragile sense of coping contains their distress and self-efficacy is drawn from the ability to mother at least one of their twins. The validation of a separated motherhood entwines the haunting of prematurity within their separate relationships with each child.  Implications of this research suggest further exploration of the experiential context is essential to promote a wider inclusion and swift access to appropriate psychological therapies for women presenting to primary care psychological services within their perinatal period.


Chronic pain is a serious debilitating condition that affects ∼20% of the world's population. Currently available drugs fail to produce effective pain relief in many patients and have dose-limiting side effects. Several voltage-gated sodium (NaV) and calcium (CaV) channels are implicated in the etiology of chronic pain, particularly NaV1.1, NaV1.3, NaV1.7-NaV1.9, CaV2.2 and CaV3.2. Numerous NaV and CaV modulators have been described, but with few exceptions, they display poor potency and/or selectivity for pain-related channel subtypes. Here we report the discovery and characterization of two novel tarantula-venom peptides (Tap1a and Tap2a) isolated from Theraphosa apophysis venom that modulate the activity of both NaV and CaV3 channels. Tap1a and Tap2a inhibited on-target NaV and CaV3 channels at nanomolar to micromolar concentrations and displayed moderate off-target selectivity for NaV1.6 and weak affinity for NaV1.4 and NaV1.5. The most potent inhibitor, Tap1a, nearly ablated neuronal mechanosensitivity in afferent fibers innervating the colon and the bladder, with in vivo intracolonic administration reversing colonic mechanical hypersensitivity in a mouse model of irritable bowel syndrome. These findings suggest that targeting a specific combination of NaV and CaV3 subtypes provides a novel route for treatment of chronic visceral pain.


Two primary issues are examined ln this study. Firstly, which financial variables are associated with the success of a rights issue. The results suggested that the market capitalisation, relative size of the issue and the return on capital employed were of importance. The statistical significance of the discount, measured as the difference between the current market price and the subscrip tion price and the importance of the pre-issue share price was difficult to explain. Secondly, a postal questionnaire (n = 110) was used to determine private shareholders' knowledge of rights issues with particular reference to the importance of the issue price. The respondents were randomly chosen from two public companies and the data did not exhibit a statistically significant difference between the two groups Over half of the respondents showed an ill-informed view and were classed as naive. The naive view was independent of the shareholders' characteristics. We have strong evidence to argue that the sample is representative of private shareholders as a population. The respondents' attitude towards the new issue was in accord with the perfect market model. Three supplementary topics were examined. A superior method to measure the discount offered in a rights issue showed that the subscription price chosen by a sample of the rights issues in 1976 was not inconsistent with that expected from perfect market theory. Theoretical evaluation of The Stock Exchange's procedure to adjust traded call option contracts when the underlying security is subject to a rights issue argued that an inconsistent method was used. The examination of the equilibrium between the direct and indirect routes of equity purchase during the subscription period of a rights issue produced re ults that were not inconsistent with the mooted option characteristic of a right.


This book proposes a new kind of democracy for the modern era, one that not only gives citizens more power but also allows them more opportunities to exercise this power thoughtfully. James S. Fishkin here suggests an innovative solution to the problem of inadequate deliberation, in particular within our presidential nomination system. His reform involves a well-publicized national caucus in which a representative sample of American citizens would interact directly with presidential contenders in order to reflect and vote on the issues and candidates. In adapting democracy to the large scale nation state, says Fishkin, Americans have previously had two choices. They could participate directly through primaries and referenda or they could depend on elite groups-such as party conventions and legislatures-to represent them. The first choice offers political equality but little chance for deliberation; the second offers the participants an opportunity to deliberate but provides less political equality for the electorate. The national caucus that Fishkin proposes-an example of what he calls a "deliberative opinion poll"-combines deliberation with political equality and reveals what the public would think if it had better conditions and information with which to explore and define the issues with the candidates. Arguing persuasively for the usefulness of deliberative opinion polls, Fishkin places them within the history of democratic theory and practice, exploring models of democracy ranging form ancient Athens and the debates of the American founders to contemporary transitions toward democracy in Eastern Europe.


The peroxometalate-based polymer immobilized ionic liquid phase catalyst [PO4{WO(O2)2}4]@PIILP has been prepared by anion exchange of ring opening metathesis-derived pyrrolidinium-decorated norbornene/cyclooctene copolymer and shown to be a remarkably efficient system for the selective oxidation of sulfides under mild conditions. A cartridge packed with a mixture of [PO4{WO(O2)2}4]@PIILP and silica operated as a segmented or continuous flow process and gave good conversions and high selectivity for either sulfoxide (92% in methanol at 96% conversion for a residence time of 4 min) or sulfone (96% in acetonitrile at 96% conversion for a residence time of 15 min). The immobilized catalyst remained active for 8 h under continuous flow operation with a stable activity/selectivity profile that allowed 6.5 g of reactant to be processed (TON = 46 428) while a single catalyst cartridge could be used for the consecutive oxidation of multiple substrates giving activity-selectivity profiles that matched those obtained with fresh catalyst.


Title of Document: DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF THE TOXIC LEADERSHIP SCALE Andrew A. Schmidt, Master of Science, 2008 Directed By: Professor Paul J. Hanges, Department of Psychology While many publications focus on traits and behaviors that make leaders effective, some leaders engage in dysfunctional and destructive behaviors. These "toxic leadership" styles have been largely unexplored. The goals of this study were to empirically derive the dimensions of toxic leadership, to create a reliable and valid survey that measures the construct, to explore convergent and discriminant construct validity, and to perform a preliminary examination of subordinate outcomes that may result from working under a toxic leader. Using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies across military and civilian sectors, this study suggests that toxic leadership is composed of the following five dimensions: abusive supervision, authoritarian leadership, narcissism, self-promotion, and unpredictability. Toxic leadership is differentiable from other leadership constructs (e.g., transformational, LMX) and its dimensions significantly predict employee outcomes such as turnover intentions, job satisfaction, and satisfaction with the supervisor. Implications for future research are discussed. DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF THE TOXIC LEADERSHIP SCALE


While text-to-speech software has largely made textual information accessible in the digital space, analogous access to graphics still remains an unsolved problem. Because of their portability and ubiquity, several studies have alluded to touchscreens as a potential platform for such access, yet there is still a gap in our understanding of multimodal information transfer in the context of graphics. The current research demonstrates feasibility for following lines, a fundamental graphical concept, via vibrations and sounds on commercial touchscreens. Two studies were run with 21 blind and visually impaired participants (N = 12; N = 9). The first study examined the presentation of straight, linear lines using a multitude of line representations, such as vibration-only, auditory-only, vibration lines with auditory borders, and auditory lines with vibration borders. The results of this study demonstrated that both auditory and vibratory bordered lines were optimal for precise tracing, although both vibration- and auditory-only lines were also sufficient for following, with minimal deviations. The second study examined the presentation of curving, non-linear lines. Conditions differed on the number of auditory reference points presented at the inflection and deflection points. Participants showed minimal deviation from the lines during tracing, performing nearly equally in both 1- and 3-point conditions. From these studies, we demonstrate that line following via multimodal feedback is possible on touchscreens, and we present guidelines for the presentation of such non-visual graphical concepts.


In order to ensure the sustainable exploitation and use of water resources Vietnam has started to elaborate a legal framework of the water sector during recent years. This new legal framework includes a large set of regulations that deals with waste water management, including the treatment and disposal of waste waters from industries, agriculture and households. The protection of water resources, particularly with respect to water quality and the prevention of water pollution, is a crucial and serious issue due to the country's rapid development and industrialization. Nevertheless, the quality of the current regulations (issued by both national and local levels) on water resources management in Vietnam does obviously not meet reality requirements. Furthermore, there is evidence that the enforcement of the national framework encounters various problems when it comes to the implementation by local governments. In recent years, more than 300 legal documents required to implement the Law on Water Resources have been developed as secondary regulations to protect and use water resources in a sustainable manner in different legal aspects. Among these 300 legal documents, over 60 are related to wastewater and water pollution management. Moreover, at local level important regulations on water resources protection, particularly regulations on water pollution management have been developed to implement national regulations at sub-national scales of government. In Can Tho City, located in the Mekong Delta, 100 water-related legal documents have been issued by the People's Committee of the city that claim creating a comprehensive legal system on water resources protection for the city's jurisdiction. By using Can Tho City as a case study, this paper intends to analyze contradictions and conflicts between the national and local regulations, specifically in the field of wastewater management. It will be discussed how the provincial government of Can Tho City enforces the national law on water resource management and how national regulations are interpreted and newly defined in the context of local governance. Furthermore, the study aims at contributing to the debate on how to create a comprehensive and coherent legal framework of the water sector at both national and local scale of government.


Information and communications technology (ICT) has increasingly influenced higher education. Computer-based packages and other learning objects provide a useful supplement to students studying conventionally by illustrating aspects of the curriculum. Other packages are directed at aspects of course administration such as automated assessment (for example, see Randolph et al. (2002)). Initially such software and materials played only a supplementary role in course offerings, but this has changed rapidly. For example, Coleman et al. (1998) describe a successful early attempt to replace all lecturing with computer-aided learning. Remote delivery of courses also became a viable option because of the advent of the WWW. For example, Petre and Price (1997) report on their experiences conducting electronic tutorials for computing courses. Online education of various sorts is now routinely available to vast numbers of students (Alexander, 2001; Chen & Dwyer, 2003; Peffers & Bloom, 1999). Various terms have been used to label or describe forms of education supported by information technology. These include e-learning (e.g., Alexander, 2001; Campbell, 2004), Web-based learning (e.g. Huerta, Ryan & Igbaria, 2003; Khosrow-Pour, 2002), online learning (e.g., Simon, Brooks & Wilkes, 2003), distributed learning and technology- mediated learning (e.g., Alavi & Leidner, 2001); with e-learning probably the most commonly used term used to describe education and training that networks such as the Internet support. E-learning has become of increasing importance for various reasons. These include the rise of the information and global economy and the emergence of a consumer culture. Students demand a flexible structure so that they can study, work and participate in family life at the same time (Campbell, 2004). This flexibility is reflected in alternative delivery methods that include online learning and Internet use. We have also become more sensitive to cultural and gender differences, and to the learning needs of the challenged. These needs may be addressed by e-learning (Campbell, 2004).


Aims: The antimicrobial efficacy of intracanal medicaments such as calcium hydroxide, propolis with moxifloxacin, and triple antibiotic paste (TAP) was assessed against Streptococcus spp. and Enterococcus faecalis in chronic apical periodontitis (AP) patients with Type II diabetes mellitus (DM). Settings and Design: This study design was a randomized clinical trial. Subjects and Methods: Forty-five Type II DM patients with single-rooted teeth diagnosed as AP were instrumented, randomly divided into three groups, and medicated with either TAP, propolis with moxifloxacin, or calcium hydroxide. Bacteriological samples obtained from the root canals after instrumentation (S1) in the first treatment session, and after medication (S2) in the second session 1 week later, were assessed for bacterial growth of E. faecalis and Streptococcus spp., by viable colony-forming unit counts. Statistical Analysis Used: Intragroup, intergroup, and pair-wise comparisons were done by Wilcoxon's signed ranked test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Mann–Whitney test, respectively (P > 0.05). Results: The microbiological analysis showed a significant reduction in microbial count from (S1) to (S2) in all the study groups. However, intergroup comparisons revealed no significant difference in decrease of microbial load between all three groups at the end of 1 week. Conclusions: Within the limitations of the study, it was concluded that antimicrobial efficacy of TAP, propolis with moxifloxacin, and calcium hydroxide were comparable.


In a liability problem, the asset value of an insolvent firm must be distributed among the creditors and the firm itself, when the firm has some freedom in negotiating with the creditors. We model the negotiations using cooperative game theory and analyze the Shapley value to resolve such liability problems. We establish three main monotonicity properties of the Shapley value. First, creditors can only benefit from the increase in their claims or of the asset value. Second, the firm can only benefit from the increase of a claim but can end up with more or with less if the asset value increases, depending on the configuration of small and large liabilities. Third, creditors with larger claims benefit more from the increase of the asset value. Even though liability games are constant-sum games and we show that the Shapley value can be calculated directly from a liability problem, we prove that calculating the Shapley payoff to the firm is NP-hard. JEL codes: C71, C78


This thesis is a reassessment of British foreign policies from the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 until the Treaties of Locarno in 1925. It initially argues that much of the historiography of this period is unbalanced in its judgement of the different governments because it views them from a teleological perspective that fails to differentiate this period from the inter-war years as a whole. The problem with this approach is that the rise of Hitler and the causes of the Second World War became so dominant in such analyses that most issues within these years have only been judged within that wider context.

The thesis argues that an assessment of the foreign policies between 1919 and 1925 must take greater account of all the diplomatic, military and economic difficulties in the years after the Great War, and also recognise the degree of stability achieved by the end of 1925. The difficulties included the expansion of the British Empire as a result of Versailles, ongoing financial and economic problems including wartime debts, the complexities of the Irish negotiations, and the major European issues that had not been resolved at Versailles.

Britain was still a great power and its foreign policies are analysed both as an imperial power, including the newly acquired territories in the Middle East, and as a major European power. After an analysis of primary and secondary sources, it is argued that despite all the difficulties, and the seeds of long-term decline in imperial matters, British foreign policies contributed to greater stability in international affairs by the end of 1925. This is especially true of the achievements at Locarno in respect of Germany's western borders and in establishing Germany as an equal diplomatic partner. There were also no obvious new diplomatic hostages to fortune. Whether Britain and other powers could build on this greater stability after 1925 is a different issue, but that should not detract from recognition of the achievements during these six years.


Toward drugging the undruggable in cancer Many human cancers are characterized by inappropriate activity of transcription factors. These proteins are attractive drug targets in principle, but normalizing their function requires drugs that modulate specific protein-protein interactions, a goal that has been challenging. In acute myeloid leukemia, a chromosomal translocation creates an aberrant form of the transcription factor CBF-beta, which outcompetes "normal" CBF-beta for binding to another transcription factor called RUNX1, thereby deregulating its activity. Illendula et al. identified and chemically optimized a small molecule that selectively disrupts the interaction between the aberrant CBF-beta and RUNX1 (see the Perspective by Koehler and Chen). This molecule restored normal gene expression patterns and delayed leukemia progression in mice. Thus, transcription factors may not be as undruggable as once thought. Science, this issue p. 779; see also p. 713 A small molecule inhibits leukemia in mice by targeting a transcription factor, a class of proteins thought to be undruggable. [Also see Perspective by Koehler and Chen] Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common form of adult leukemia. The transcription factor fusion CBFβ-SMMHC (core binding factor β and the smooth-muscle myosin heavy chain), expressed in AML with the chromosome inversion inv(16)(p13q22), outcompetes wild-type CBFβ for binding to the transcription factor RUNX1, deregulates RUNX1 activity in hematopoiesis, and induces AML. Current inv(16) AML treatment with nonselective cytotoxic chemotherapy results in a good initial response but limited long-term survival. Here, we report the development of a protein-protein interaction inhibitor, AI-10-49, that selectively binds to CBFβ-SMMHC and disrupts its binding to RUNX1. AI-10-49 restores RUNX1 transcriptional activity, displays favorable pharmacokinetics, and delays leukemia progression in mice. Treatment of primary inv(16) AML patient blasts with AI-10-49 triggers selective cell death. These data suggest that direct inhibition of the oncogenic CBFβ-SMMHC fusion protein may be an effective therapeutic approach for inv(16) AML, and they provide support for transcription factor targeted therapy in other cancers.


The present study examined college tennis players' experience of the 6-hr sport-tailored mindfulness- and self-compassion-based intervention Mindfulness Meditation Training for Sport 2.0 (MMTS 2.0). Nine college athletes participated in individual semistructured interviews. Interview results revealed that the athletes perceived the mindfulness and self-compassions skills as valuable tools to respond optimally to adversity through observing, accepting, and offering self-compassion toward negative internal states on and off the court. The mindfulness and self-compassion skills were described as creating enhanced ability to overcome challenges and improve focus on the court and an enhanced quality of life off the court, including self-reported well-being markers. The participants also noted several challenges in completing the program (i.e., discomfort meditating, lack of independent practice, and hectic schedule as a student-athlete). These findings provide insight into how the delivery of mindfulness and self-compassion skills in a time-limited environment helps male and female athletes combat competition distress.


Inorganic arsenic is metabolized to monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA). Limited evidence suggests that the ability to fully metabolize arsenic into DMA influences susceptibility to disease. To determine whether percentage of MMA was predictive of disease, the authors used data from a case-control study conducted in Bangladesh (2001–2003). Persons who were diagnosed with keratosis, melanosis, Bowen's disease, or squamous cell carcinoma were matched on age, sex, and village to persons without these conditions. This analysis was restricted to persons who had no missing data on covariates (859 cases, 868 controls). A path analysis was used to evaluate simultaneously the association between the percentage of all urinary arsenic metabolites and the odds of skin lesions using PROC CALIS in SAS, version 9.1 (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, North Carolina) and Mplus, version 6.1 (Muthén & Muthén, Los Angeles, California). The odds of skin lesions were significantly associated with log10 percentage of MMA (adjusted odds ratio (ORadj)1⁄4 1.56, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15, 2.12) but not log10 percentage of inorganic arsenic (ORadj 1⁄4 1.06, 95% CI: 0.75, 1.50) or log10 percentage of DMA (ORadj 1⁄4 1.07, 95% CI: 0.33, 3.46). This novel analysis confirmed that persons who excrete a higher proportion of MMA have a greater risk of skin lesions after data are adequately controlled for urinary arsenic metabolites, current arsenic exposure, and other risk factors.


Trends in the planet population with host star mass provide an avenue to constrain planet formation theories. We derive the planet radius distribution function for Kepler stars of different spectral types, sampling a range in host star masses. We find that M dwarf stars have 3.5 times more small planets (1.0–2.8 R⨁) than main-sequence FGK stars, but two times fewer Neptune-sized and larger (>2.8 R⨁) planets. We find no systematic trend in the planet size distribution between spectral types F, G, and K to explain the increasing occurrence rates. Taking into account the mass–radius relationship and heavy-element mass of observed exoplanets, and assuming those are independent of spectral type, we derive the inventory of the heavy-element mass locked up in exoplanets at short orbits. The overall higher planet occurrence rates around M stars are not consistent with the redistribution of the same mass into more, smaller planets. At the orbital periods and planet radii where Kepler observations are complete for all spectral types, the average heavy-element mass locked up in exoplanets increases roughly inversely with stellar mass from 4 M⨁ in F stars to 5 M⨁ in G and K stars to 7 M⨁ in M stars. This trend stands in stark contrast with observed protoplanetary disk masses that decrease toward lower mass stars, and provides a challenge for current planet formation models. Neither models of in situ formation nor migration of fully formed planets are consistent with these results. Instead, these results are indicative of large-scale inward migration of planetary building blocks—either through type-I migration or radial drift of dust grains—that is more efficient for lower mass stars, but does not result in significantly larger or smaller planets.


A feasible and fast method to fabricate hydrogen peroxide sensor was investigated by graphene-manganase nanocomposite carbone paste electrode. In the present work, in first step, the graphene was synthesized by chemical method and in second step, manganese oxide nanoparticle was doped on graphene. graphene-manganase nanocomposite was characterized by FTIR and SEM. The nanocomposite shows a high conductive and sensitivity for hydrogen peroxide determination as shown by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Graphene-manganase nanocomposite carbone paste electrode was used for sensing of hydrogen peroxide by choronoamperometry with a potential of 250 mV (Ag/AgCl), in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution at pH= 7. The linear concentration rang of sensor is 8.8-263.3 μM, and with detection limit of 1.04 μM. Also, the life time of sensor is infinite.


The copper-promoted cascade radical reaction of N-sulfonyl-2-allylanilines with [60]fullerene has been developed to efficiently provide novel and scarce (2-indolinyl)methylated hydrofullerenes, featuring a broad substrate scope and excellent functional group tolerance. A plausible reaction mechanism for the formation of (2-indolinyl)methylated hydrofullerenes is proposed on the basis of the experimental results. In addition, further transformation into other carbocyclic derivatives of [60]fullerene as well as their applications in organic photovoltaic devices of the obtained products has also been explored.


The generation of naive T cells is dependent on thymic output, but in adults, the naive T cell pool is primarily maintained by peripheral proliferation. Naive T cells have long been regarded as relatively quiescent cells; however, it was recently shown that IL-8 production is a signatory effector function of naive T cells, at least in newborns. How this functional signature relates to naive T cell dynamics and aging is unknown. Using a cohort of children and adolescents who underwent neonatal thymectomy, we demonstrate that the naive CD4+ T cell compartment in healthy humans is functionally heterogeneous and that this functional diversity is lost after neonatal thymectomy. Thymic tissue regeneration later in life resulted in functional restoration of the naive T cell compartment, implicating the thymus as having functional regenerative capacity. Together, these data shed further light on functional differentiation within the naive T cell compartment and the importance of the thymus in human naive T cell homeostasis and premature aging. In addition, these results affect and alter our current understanding on the identification of truly naive T cells and recent thymic emigrants.


BACKGROUND
DNA typing in forensic analysis is a useful tool to analyze paternity due to its high discrimination power.

AIM
To report the experience of Servicio Medico Legal in Santiago, resolving cases of dubious paternity.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Four highly polymorphic loci, amplified by polymerase chain reactions, were analyzed in 153 cases of uncertain paternity. The paternity index was calculated for each case.

RESULTS
The four genetic markers analyzed provided an exclusion probability of 0.933 for the general population in Santiago. Thirty-seven cases were excluded as parents. In 31 cases, the paternity index ranged from 19 to 100, considered as probable paternity and 77 cases had an index of over 100, considered as almost certain paternity. Eight cases had an index between 0.5 and 19, considered as inconclusive. All loci met Hardy-Weinberg expectations and their frequencies were similar to other data from people living in Santiago.

CONCLUSIONS
The use of these genetic markers proved to be very useful, reliable and with a high exclusion power for paternity analysis.


A historical review and philosophical look at the introduction of "negative probability" as well as "complex probability" is suggested. The generalization of "probability" is forced by mathematical models in physical or technical disciplines. Initially, they are involved only as an auxiliary tool to complement mathematical models to the completeness to corresponding operations. Rewards, they acquire ontological status, especially in quantum mechanics and its formulation as a natural information theory as "quantum information" after the experimental confirmation the phenomena of "entanglement". Philosophical interpretations appear. A generalization of them is suggested: ontologically, they correspond to a relevant generalization to the relation of a part and its whole where the whole is a subset of the part rather than vice versa. The structure of "vector space" is involved necessarily in order to differ the part "by itself" from it in relation to the whole as a projection within it. That difference is reflected in the new dimension of vector space both mathematically and conceptually. Then, "negative or complex probability" are interpreted as a quantity corresponding the generalized case where the part can be "bigger" than the whole, and it is represented only partly in general within the whole.


In a nuanced exploration of how Western cinema has represented East Asia as a space of radical indecipherability, Homay King traces the long-standing association of the Orient with the enigmatic. The fantasy of an inscrutable East, she argues, is not merely a side note to film history, but rather a kernel of otherness that has shaped Hollywood cinema at its core. Through close readings of The Lady from Shanghai , Chinatown , Blade Runner , Lost in Translation , and other films, she develops a theory of the "Shanghai gesture," a trope whereby orientalist curios and decor become saturated with mystery. These objects and signs come to bear the burden of explanation for riddles that escape the Western protagonist or cannot be otherwise resolved by the plot. Turning to visual texts from outside Hollywood which actively grapple with the association of the East and the unintelligible—such as Michelangelo Antonioni's Chung Kuo: Cina , Wim Wenders's Notebook on Cities and Clothes , and Sophie Calle's Exquisite Pain —King suggests alternatives to the paranoid logic of the Shanghai gesture. She argues for the development of a process of cultural "de-translation" aimed at both untangling the psychic enigmas prompting the initial desire to separate the familiar from the foreign, and heightening attentiveness to the internal alterities underlying Western subjectivity.


The huge economic significance of longevity risk for corporations, governments and individuals is beginning to be recognized and quantified. The traditional insurance route for managing this risk is capacity constrained, leaving the capital markets to provide an effective solution. We consider what capital markets need to both start and evolve. We then look at the first generation of bond-based capital market solutions that have been tried so far and examine their success or failure. The lessons learned here have informed the design of the second generation of derivatives-based capital market solutions. Although there remain barriers to surmount, we are witnessing the birth of the life market, the market in longevityrelated financial instruments.