The stability criteria for single-mode standing-wave laser oscillators in the homogeneously broadened limit are reported, and two types of criteria are distinguished. The first type (type 1) corresponds to the minimum value of the threshold parameter for which an infinitesimal perturbation away from steady state grows into an oscillatory solution. A second type (type 2) corresponds to the minimum value of threshold parameter for which large-amplitude oscillations do not decay to the steady-state solution. Undamped pulsations in single-mode homogeneously broadened standing-wave laser oscillators are found to occur at a much higher excitation level than in ring-laser oscillators with homogeneous broadening. The effects of detuning on the stability criteria are also investigated.


The biblical concept of stewardship has been subjected to some misunderstanding. Each time the word stewardship is mentioned, the meaning that easily comes to mind is that of money. One of the means through which Christians express their appreciation to God is through dedicated and trustworthy stewardship. In the book of Malachi the focus on the tithe in particularly in the fifth disputation oracle (3:6–12) is closely associated with the issue of disrespect for the Lord. The people's perspective with respect to and use of their wealth and/or personal effects was simply a symptom of the viability of their covenant relationship with Yahweh. An acknowledgement of Yahweh's ultimate ownership and/or proprietorship over all things, his generosity and faithfulness in juxtaposition to the deceitfulness of the people as demonstrated by Malachi serves as enough motivation for total Christian stewardship. This article highlights the economic reality of Yehud during Malachi's day, the intricacies of the prophet's accusations of hypocrisy concerning the tithe, and in an attempt to be dispassionate as well as careful, the article concludes by emphasising some underlying principles with regard to Christian stewardship which will serve as a reminder to Christians about their ethical responsibility.


Microorganisms living within the body can either be probiotic, pathobiotic or eubiotic. A probiotic is a microorganism that contributes positively to the body's health. These "friendly" bacteria are also called flora. A pathobiotic, on the other hand, harms or impedes the body in one way or another. A eubiotic can be either harmful or helpful to the body, depending upon their colony size and location. A healthy body contains a substantially greater number of probiotics than pathobiotics.
Probiotics are designed for, and most effective in the small intestine. Prebiotics are specifically targeted to act on the flora of the large intestine. Synbiotics are a combination of a prebiotic and a probiotic in a single product. The rationale is that the product contains a beneficial agent in the small intestine (the probiotic) and one in the large intestine (the prebiotic), and that the two therefore act synergistically (hence the name "syn"-biotics).
There is growing public and scientific interest in probiotics and prebiotics. Researchers are studying whether these products taken as foods or supplements can help treat or prevent illness. Probiotics will be discussed first, followed by a discussion on prebiotics.


Lock-in, the escalating commitment of decision makers to an ineffective course of action, has the potential to explain the large cost overruns in large-scale transportation infrastructure projects. Lock-in can occur both at the decision-making level (before the decision to build) and at the project level (after the decision to build) and can influence the extent of overruns in two ways. The first involves the 'methodology' of calculating cost overruns according to the 'formal decision to build'. Due to lock-in, however, the 'real decision to build' is made much earlier in the decision-making process and the costs estimated at that stage are often much lower than those that are estimated at a later stage in the decision-making process, thus increasing cost overruns. The second way that lock-in can affect cost overruns is through 'practice'. Although decisions about the project (design and implementation) need to be made, lock-in can lead to inefficient decisions that involve higher costs. Sunk costs (in terms of both time and money), the need for justification, escalating commitment, and inflexibility and the closure of alternatives are indicators of lock-in. Two case studies, of the Betuweroute and the High Speed Link-South projects in the Netherlands, demonstrate the presence of lock-in and its influence on the extent of cost overruns at both the decision-making and project levels. This suggests that recognition of lock-in as an explanation for cost overruns contributes significantly to the understanding of the inadequate planning process of projects and allows development of more appropriate means.


After decades of civil war and instability, the African country of Angola is experiencing a spectacular economic boom thanks to its most valuable natural resource: oil. But oil extraction--both on- and offshore--is a toxic remedy for the country's economic ills, with devastating effects on both the environment and traditional livelihoods. Focusing on the everyday realities of people living in the extraction zones, Kristin Reed explores the exclusion, degradation, and violence that are the fruits of petrocapitalism in Angola.


Purpose: To investigate the correlation of serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] with leptin (LEP) and visceral fat area (VFA) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with osteoporosis (OP). Methods: A total of 135 T2DM patients with newly diagnosed admitted to the Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical College. The patients were divided into three groups according to BMD status: (1) DMNB group, n=45; (2) DMLB group, n=45; and (3) DMOP group, n=45. The control group consisted of 50 age and gender matched subjects recruited from the Physical Examination Center (NC group). All patients were examined for general biochemical indicators and QCT was used to measure VFA. Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to evaluate the serum levels of 25 (OH)D and LEP, respectively. Results: Compared with NC group, the levels of 25 (OH)D, L1-L4 lumbar vertebrae and left femoral neck BMD in DMNB group, DMLB group and DMOP group were significantly lower (P<0.05), the LEP and VFA levels were significantly increased (P<0.05). Conclusions: Our data showed a strong correlation between decreased 25 (OH)D and increased LEP serum levels in T2DM patients presenting with comorbid OP. This patient cohort also exhibited significantly higher VFA, which is symptomatic of imbalanced glucose and lipid metabolism.


Consumer protection acts (CPAs) developed with the goal to protect American consumers from fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices. Initially, Congress, through the FTC Act, sought to define and deter conduct that the existing legal system largely failed to remedy. Subsequently, states localized and individualized these rights while maintaining a careful balance between protecting consumers and preventing the proliferation of lawsuits that harm both consumers and businesses. But in recent decades, this thoughtful balance has yielded to damaging legislative and judicial overcorrections at the state level with a common theoretical mistake: the assumption that more CPA litigation automatically yields more consumer protection. The result has been an explosion in consumer protection litigation, which serves no social function and for which consumers pay indirectly through higher prices and reduced innovation. Using data on state and federal CPA litigation from 2000-2013, we find substantial increases in CPA litigation in both, with federal litigation growing almost twice as fast in federal than state courts (a cumulative average growth rate of 6.1 percent vs. 3.4 percent). We also find that the financial crisis appears to have played a large role in the recent growth in CPA litigation — the financial services industry is the most common target for private CPA actions in a set of cases we sample, and a large proportion of these cases involve debt collection or federal lending or housing statutes. We conclude that although the entire suite of expansive provisions in CPAs — enhanced damages, class actions, attorneys fees, and eliminating the need to show harm — are responsible for the explosion in private CPA litigation, from a social standpoint, requiring consumers to show cognizable harm would be the most efficient reform.


This article identifies ten myths about Internet Art, and explains the difficulties museums and others have understanding what it means to make art for the Internet. In identifying these common misconceptions, the author offers insight on successful online works, provides inspiration to Internet artists, and explains that geographical location does not measure success when making art for the Internet. The article also mentions that the World Wide Web is only one of the many parts that make up the Internet. Other online protocols include e-mail, peer-to-peer instant messaging, video-conferencing software, MP3 audio files, and text-only environments like MUDs and MOOs. The author concludes his list of myths with the idea that surfing the Internet is not a solitary experience. Online communities and listservers, along with interactive Internet artworks that trace viewers and integrate their actions into respective interfaces, prove that the Internet is a social mechanism.


Mathematical skills that we acquire during formal education mostly entail exact numerical processing. Besides this specifically human faculty, an additional system exists to represent and manipulate quantities in an approximate manner. We share this innate approximate number system (ANS) with other nonhuman animals and are able to use it to process large numerosities long before we can master the formal algorithms taught in school. Dehaene´s (1992) Triple Code Model (TCM) states that also after the onset of formal education, approximate processing is carried out in this analogue magnitude code no matter if the original problem was presented nonsymbolically or symbolically. Despite the wide acceptance of the model, most research only uses nonsymbolic tasks to assess ANS acuity. Due to this silent assumption that genuine approximation can only be tested with nonsymbolic presentations, up to now important implications in research domains of high practical relevance remain unclear, and existing potential is not fully exploited. For instance, it has been found that nonsymbolic approximation can predict math achievement one year later (Gilmore, McCarthy, & Spelke, 2010), that it is robust against the detrimental influence of learners´ socioeconomic status (SES), and that it is suited to foster performance in exact arithmetic in the short-term (Hyde, Khanum, & Spelke, 2014). We provided evidence that symbolic approximation might be equally and in some cases even better suited to generate predictions and foster more formal math skills independently of SES. In two longitudinal studies, we realized exact and approximate arithmetic tasks in both a nonsymbolic and a symbolic format. With first graders, we demonstrated that performance in symbolic approximation at the beginning of term was the only measure consistently not varying according to children´s SES, and among both approximate tasks it was the better predictor for math achievement at the end of first grade. In part, the strong connection seems to come about from mediation through ordinal skills. In two further experiments, we tested the suitability of both approximation formats to induce an arithmetic principle in elementary school children. We found that symbolic approximation was equally effective in making children exploit the additive law of commutativity in a subsequent formal task as a direct instruction. Nonsymbolic approximation on the other hand had no beneficial effect. The positive influence of the symbolic approximate induction was strongest in children just starting school and decreased with age. However, even third graders still profited from the induction. The results show that also symbolic problems can be processed as genuine approximation, but that beyond that they have their own specific value with regard to didactic-educational concerns. Our findings furthermore demonstrate that the two often con-founded factors ꞌformatꞌ and ꞌdemanded accuracyꞌ cannot be disentangled easily in first graders numerical understanding, but that children´s SES also influences existing interrelations between the different abilities tested here.


A novel concept of soft secondary electron programming (SSEP) is introduced and shown to be a promising programming scheme for scaled NOR flash electrically erasable programmable read-only memories. Although the mechanism is similar to that of the channel-initiated secondary electron (CHISEL) programming, SSEP uses an "optimum" substrate bias that results in a lower drain disturb compared with both channel hot electron (CHE) and conventional CHISEL programming schemes. The concept behind minimizing drain disturb is discussed. SSEP is shown to give faster programming and lower disturb than CHE at all operating conditions, as well as better program/disturb margin compared with conventional CHISEL programming at similar program speed or disturb time. The effect of repeated program/erase cycling using SSEP is compared against CHE and CHISEL cycling.


Atmospheric oxidation of isoprene produces significant yields of eight unique nitrate 11 compounds, each with a β- or δ-hydroxy group. These isoprene hydroxy nitrates (ISOPNs) 12 significantly impact upon global NOx budgets, O3 levels, and aerosol formation. 13 Uncertainties exist, however, in our understanding of ISOPN chemistry, particularly in their 14 yields from the reaction of isoprene peroxyl radicals with NO. This study describes novel 15 isomerization reactions of the ISOPNs, identified through the application of computational 16 chemistry techniques. These reactions produce saturated polycyclic orthonitrite compounds 17 via attack of the R–NO2 group on the vinyl moiety. For the δ-hydroxy nitrates, low-energy 18 isomerization pathways exist to six-membered ring compounds that are around 5 kcal mol-1 19 exothermic. These reactions proceed with barriers around 15 kcal mol-1 below the 20 respective peroxyl radical + NO reactants and yield orthonitrites that can further isomerize 21 to β-hydroxy ISOPNs. Moreover, the δ-hydroxy nitrates can directly interconvert with their β 22 substituted counterparts via NO3 group migration, with barriers that are lower yet. It follows 23 that β-hydroxy nitrates may be stabilized in the δ-hydroxy form, and vice versa. Moreover, 24 the lowest-energy pathway for dissociation of the δ-hydroxy ISOPNs is for the formation of 25 β-hydroxy alkoxyl radicals, and because of this established branching fractions between the 26 various isoprene peroxyl radicals may require re-evaluation. The results presented here also 27 suggest that ISOPNs may be stabilized to some extent in their saturated orthonitrite forms, 28 which has implications for both the total nitrate yield and for their subsequent removal by 29 OH, O3, and photolysis.


This thesis examines MTFC (Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care), a multi-modal treatment programme for youth with severe behaviour problems) in a Swedish context. In the United States, the programme has demonstrated encouraging treatment results using specialized foster homes as an alternative to restrictive residential care or group care. The foster parents provide a structured and therapeutic living environment. The first study explores the frequency of premature termination – placement breakdown – for teenagers placed in different types of out-of-home care in Sweden: between 30 and 37% of all placements were prematurely terminated. The lowest rates of breakdown were found in kinship care and secure units, the highest in non-kinship foster homes. Antisocial behaviour increased the risk of breakdown. The results indicated that placement breakdown is a major problem in the Swedish child welfare system. The second study compares placement breakdown rates between three samples of antisocial youth: a Swedish MTFC programme, a MTFC programme in United States, and a sub sample from a Swedish national cohort study. Irrespective of gender, type of care, and time of breakdown, MTFC youth in Sweden showed lower breakdown rates compared to the youth in the other two studies. The third study examines how foster parents worked in a manual-based treatment programme for antisocial youth. As a group, 80% of the foster parents rated all the programme components the highest possible positive value. The highlight of the study is the positive attitude towards the MTFC programme manual. The fourth study examines two years post-treatment outcomes for 35 Swedish antisocial youth. They were randomly assigned to MTFC or treatment as usual (TAU). The treatment results, mostly in favour of MTFC showed both statistically and clinical significant positive treatments effects. The effect size favoured MTFC in all variables. This thesis indicates that MTFC is an effective method in treating youth with behavioural problems. It has shown good potential in keeping youth in treatment. The majority of foster parents are very optimistic about using the MTFC manual and the evaluation of the programme indicates promising treatment results. This programme ought to be of great interest for Swedish social services as an alternative to traditional care. (Less)


Diachronic construction grammar addresses a range of theoretical topics from lexicalization to grammaticalization. In most cases, a historical dimension has been added to a largely synchronic theory, or construction grammar has been seen as a tool for diachronic analysis. In the spirit of rethinking grammaticalization in construction grammar terms, the present chapter focuses on how a constructionalization approach can inform certain debates in the grammaticalization literature. The specific debates addressed are: (1) Is it possible to reconcile the two current main views of grammaticalization as (a) reduced form and increased dependency (Lehmann 1995; Haspelmath 2004), or (b) expansion of contexts (Himmelmann 2004)? (2) Is there "pure" grammaticalization without analogy (Haspelmath 2004; Lehmann 2004)? (3) What relative weight should be given to reanalysis and analogy (Fischer 2007)? The answer to the first question is that from a constructional perspective the two approaches to grammaticalization can indeed be reconciled. With respect to the second and third questions, there can be no "pure" grammaticalization without analogy understood as a motivation (analogical thinking). Since reanalysis can occur independently of analogy and accompanies analogy understood as a mechanism (analogization), it encompasses more changes and is therefore primary. This approach is illustrated with a new look at the development of BE going to in English.


World trade is not only an economic but also a social, political, environmental, labor and legal matter. Economists and government planners aim at finding the efficient trade policy which enhances economic welfare and growth in a more harmonious and sustainable way. This book contains 12 articles from internationally renowned experts in the field of world trade. The contributions cover a variety of pressing topics related to trade theory, trade policy, WTO and their relationship. They provide in-depth analysis of some of the trade issues currently discussed by academics and politicians, such as resource allocation, income distribution, employment, growth, technology transfer, heterogeneous markets, intra-industry trade as well as environmental issues. This chapter is a comment on the article: Two Elementary Propositions an Customs Unions by Pascalis Raimondos-Moller and Alan D. Woodland


Enzymatic biocatalysis has a vast reputation on an industrial scale. The major hindrance faced by enzymes is their denaturation under various conditions. In this study, we report that the activity and stability of enzymes can be enhanced by their immobilization on a novel synthesized polypyrrole–methyl anthranilate-titanium oxide nanocomposite containing amine groups. We demonstrated this by successfully immobilizing lipase from Rhizopus oryzae on a Ppy–MA/TiO2 NC by physical adsorption and a glutaraldehyde-activated covalent coupling procedure. The catalytic efficiencies of the free and immobilized preparations were determined for the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl palmitate. The covalently immobilized lipase displayed a significantly higher activity yield (effectiveness factor of 0.97) in comparison with the adsorbed counterpart (effectiveness factor of 0.86). The binding of lipase to the Ppy–MA/TiO2 NC was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. TGA and DTA were performed to investigate the thermal stability of the synthesised biocatalysts. The storage stability, solvent tolerance, and reusability of the resulting nanobiocatalyst and the effect of pH and temperature on its catalytic activities were also investigated. The prepared nanobiocatalysts displayed remarkably improved activity in terms of solvent tolerance (activity recovery of 150% and 125% in acetone and isopropanol, respectively) in comparison with its free counterpart. We envisage that the covalent binding method played a profound role in enhancing the properties of the enzyme immobilized on the Ppy–MA/TiO2 NC. In view of the abovementioned results, a hydrolytic enzyme immobilized on this functionalized TiO2 nanocarrier can be used as a stable and effective nanobiocatalyst with vital implications for industrial biotechnology.


Fracture mechanics approaches are needed to determine material parameters which are related to the brittleness of concrete and its structural response. The size effect method is used to determine these fracture parameters for typical high strength silica fume concrete. The method requires only the peak loads of geometrically similar fracture specimens that are significantly different in size. Three-point bending tests of notched specimens are used. Comparison with data of normal strength concrete shows that for an increase in compressive strength of about 160%, the fracture energy and fracture toughness increase by only 12% and 25%, respectively. The brittleness more than doubles, and the effective fracture process zone length decreases by about 60%.


Recent ab intio studies of the magnetic properties of all 3d transition metal (TM) freestanding atomic chains have predicted that these nanowires could have a giant magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) and might support a spin-spiral structure, thereby suggesting that these nanowires would have technological applications in, e.g. high-density magnetic data storage. In order to investigate how the substrates may affect the magnetic properties of the nanowires, here we systematically study V, Cr and Mn linear atomic chains on a Cu(0 0 1) surface based on the density functional theory with the generalized gradient approximation. We find that V, Cr and Mn linear chains on the Cu(0 0 1) surface still have a stable or metastable ferromagnetic state. However, the ferromagnetic state is unstable against the formation of a noncollinear spin-spiral structure in the Mn linear chains and also the V linear chain on the atop sites on the Cu(0 0 1) surface, due to the frustrated magnetic interactions in these systems. Nonetheless, the presence of the Cu(0 0 1) substrate does destabilize the spin-spiral state already present in the freestanding V linear chain and stabilizes the ferromagnetic state in the V linear chain on the hollow sites on Cu(0 0 1). When spin–orbit coupling (SOC) is included, the spin magnetic moments remain almost unchanged due to the weakness of SOC in 3d TM chains. Furthermore, both the orbital magnetic moments and MAEs for V, Cr and Mn are small, in comparison with both the corresponding freestanding nanowires and also the Fe, Co and Ni linear chains on the Cu(0 0 1) surface.


Extracted from text ... 42 IMFO ? Winter 2006
In the recent local government
elections, disgruntled citizens chose to
demonstrate their displeasure at governance
and service delivery by not
turning out to vote.
In Gauteng, the country's
powerhouse and fastest-growing province,
voter turnout was particularly
low, a fact that worries local government
MEC Qedani Mahlangu,
especially as the African national
Congress (ANC) government has
made it clear that municipalities are the
key to delivery and accelerated
economic growth.
With the new local government
term only recently started, Mahlangu,
in a straight-talking speech to Gauteng
local government officials and
members of the South African ..


Effective communication is an important social skill that facilitates us to interpret and connect with people around us and is of utmost importance in employment based interviews. This paper presents a methodical study and automatic measurement of communication skill of candidates in different modes of behavioural interviews. It demonstrates a comparative analysis of non-conventional methods of employment interviews namely 1) Interface-based asynchronous video interviews and 2)Written interviews (including a short essay). In order to achieve this, we have collected a dataset of 100 structured interviews from participants. These interviews are evaluated independently by two human expert annotators on rubrics specific to each of the settings. We, then propose a predictive model using automatically extracted multimodal features like audio, visual and lexical, applying classical machine learning algorithms. Our best model performs with an accuracy of 75% for a binary classification task in all the three contexts. We also study the differences between the expert perception and the automatic prediction across the settings.


Abstract Despite their pivotal role as primary producers, there is little information as to the diversity and physiology of cyanobacteria in the meltwater ecosystems of polar regions. Thirty cyanobacterial mats from Adelaide Island, Antarctica were investigated using 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing and automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis, and screened for cyanobacterial toxins using molecular and chemical approaches. A total of 274 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were detected. The richness ranged between 8 and 33 cyanobacterial OTUs per sample, reflecting a high mat diversity. Leptolyngbya and Phormidium (c. 55% and 37% of the OTUs per mat) were dominant. Cyanobacterial community composition was similar between mats, particularly those obtained from closely adjacent locations. The cyanotoxin microcystin was detected in 26 of 27 mats (10–300 ng g-1 organic mass), while cylindrospermopsin, detected for the first time in Antarctica, was present in 21 of 30 mats (2–156 ng g-1 organic mass). The latter was confirmed via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and by the presence of the cyrAB and cyrJ genes. This study demonstrates the usefulness of pyrosequencing for characterizing diverse cyanobacterial communities, and confirms that cyanobacteria from extreme environments produce a similar range of cyanotoxins as their temperate counterparts.


Young companies are difficult to value for a number of reasons. Some are start-up and idea businesses, with little or no revenues and operating losses. Even those young companies that are profitable have short histories and most young firms are dependent upon private capital, initially owner savings and venture capital and private equity later on. As a result, many of the standard techniques we use to estimate cash flows, growth rates and discount rates either do not work or yield unrealistic numbers. In addition, the fact that most young companies do not survive has to be considered somewhere in the valuation. In this paper, we examine how best to value young companies. We use a combination of data on more mature companies in the business and the company's own characteristics to forecast revenues, earnings and cash flows. We also establish processes for estimating discount rates for private capital and for adjusting the value today for the possibility of failure. In the process, we argue that the venture capital approach to valuation that is widely used now is flawed and should be replaced.


Across states, there is substantial variation in the degree to which immigrants and their children are offered public assistance. We present a theoretical framework for analyzing the effects of policy decisions about immigrant inclusion. We apply the framework to investigate the effect of the state safety net on educational attainment. We focus on the years following welfare reform in 1996, when states gained considerable autonomy over welfare policy, including decisions about the eligibility of immigrant residents. Leveraging state-level data from before and after reform, we estimate a difference-in-difference model to identify the effect of variation in immigrant inclusivity on educational attainment. We find that when states broaden the inclusivity of the social safety net to immigrants, young Latinos are more likely to graduate from high school. This effect is present beyond the group of Latino residents who receive additional benefits, suggesting that policy decisions about immigrants spill over to broader communities and communicate broader messages about social inclusion to racial and ethnic groups. We find similar patterns among Asian youth, but not among black and non-Hispanic white youth. We conclude that immigrant inclusion has consequences for the life prospects of the growing population of youth in high-immigrant ethnic groups.


Abnormal origin of the right coronary artery (RCA) from the left side of ascending aorta and continuing between the aorta and the truncus pulmonalis is a very rare congenital anomaly. Systolic expansion of the aorta and pulmonary trunk may lead to compression of the coronary artery and result in myocardial ischemia, particularly with exertion. A 59-yearold man admitted to cardiology department with prolonged chest pain during exercise. Abnormal origin of RCA with an interarterial course between the aorta and pulmonary artery was observed on coronary angiography and multi-detector computed tomography coronary angiography (MCTCA). In addition, RCA output compression was reported on MCTCA.


Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) plexiform neurofibromas (pNFs) are associated with a variety of symptoms and concerns that affect patients' quality of life (QOL), highlighting the value of incorporating the patients' perspective when evaluating treatment outcomes. To better conceptualize the experience of patients with pNFs, this qualitative study sought to identify the most important outcomes to assess from the perspective of patients, families, and clinicians. Clinicians, patients age 5 years old and above, and parents of patients aged 5–17 years participated in semi‐structured interviews to elicit the pNF symptoms/concerns considered most important to assess. The data were analyzed using an iterative coding procedure and the frequency with which symptoms/concerns emerged was tabulated. Eight clinicians, 31 patients, and 17 parents of patients participated in semi‐structured interviews. The most frequently reported concerns raised by patients across all age groups included pain, appearance/disfigurement, social activity/role participation, stigma, and anxiety. For parents, physical functioning was the primary concern, followed by pain, social activity/role participation, appearance/disfigurement, and social relationships. The resulting conceptual framework included five domains to represent the most important identified symptoms/concerns: pain, social functioning, physical function impact, stigma, and emotional distress. This conceptual framework describing the symptoms/concerns of patients with pNF can help investigators create a measurement system to improve assessment of aspects of QOL only patients can report on. It may also provide the ability to identify symptoms/concerns that might warrant referrals to various clinical disciplines. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


The recent Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa was the first that reached epidemic size resulting in more than 28,000 suspected and confirmed cases and more than 11,000 deaths. Here, we performed a meta-analysis to determine the role of preparedness in the course of the epidemic. Relevant research articles were identified using the search terms "Ebola 2014 preparedness", "Ebola 2014 treatment and diagnosis", "Ebola 2014 isolation", "Ebola 2014 culture", and "Ebola 2014 Health Care Workers" in PubMed. 21 relevant original articles in English were identified and analysed. Results revealed that a lack of preparedness substantially contributed to the scale of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa. Studies consistently reported on shortcomings in the availability and use of personal protective equipment, transportation and communication systems, surveillance, patient isolation and treatment, training of healthcare workers, and public awareness and perception in the affected West African countries. Effective surveillance and patient isolation enabled outbreak control. In conclusion, effective health care systems and procedures for early detection and containment of outbreaks, in combination with education of the population will be needed to better control future Ebola outbreaks and outbreaks of other (novel) pathogens for which no effective treatment is available.


The perception that South Africa is subjected to a pervasive culture of violence some would even typify the country as the most violent society in the world has gained considerable momentum over the past few years. Violence has indeed characterised South African society over many decades of repression and resistance. During the struggle (for and) against apartheid, structural, political and social violence dominated the South African scene, while various other manifestations of violence continued backstage. Contrary to expectations the demise of apartheid and the advent of democracy did not result in an overall decrease in violence. In fact, since the introduction of a new socio-political dispensation in 1994, South Africa has been caught up in an escalating and unprecedented spiral of violence, and violent crime in particular.


The European Stability Mechanism (ESM) is the latest in a series of EU financial crisis legal resolution measures through binding EU law. Various aspects of Euro-zone decision-making take place in the margins of the EU Treaties or are not strictly provided for (Snyder, 2010). The legal form of the ESM Treaty was exceptional but not beyond the letter of the Treaties (De Witte, 2012). However, some suggest that the use of a European Council decision to amend the treaties to create the ESM was intended to avoid referenda in the Member States. Judicial review of the ESM had the capacity to unsettle controversial, fragile and esoteric legal texts. The ESM has been the subject of constitutional challenges and/or sovereignty analysis in no less than five Member States by courts and parliamentary committee at various levels of the individual legal order (Germany, Ireland, Estonia, Finland and the UK). Only one of those five bodies – the Supreme Court of Ireland - decided to ask the Court of Justice of the European Union for a preliminary ruling (Pringle v. Ireland, 2012). Some national high courts (the German Bundesverfassungsgericht, the Estonian Riigikohus, seemingly, did not even consider the possibility of referring a question, the two Member States Legislative Committees found that no questions worth referring were raised. There was little doubt in legal, political or economic circles that the Court of Justice in Pringle would "uphold" the validity of the ESM Treaty, a legal formula which tested the limits of its jurisdiction via the preliminary reference mechanism. An adverse decision would have delivered adverse consequences for markets and lending rates. However, the nature of the EU financial crisis measures appeared to prompt minimal inter-court interaction or "dialogues" with the Court of Justice, less still constitutional crisis or turmoil. The deployment of the preliminary reference tool has been a central one for EU integration. Constitutional dialogues embody the formula du jour to assess integration through EU law. The ESM saga demonstrates how precarious and esoteric arrangements for the euro-zone in law remain. More fundamentally, it demonstrates how the preliminary reference mechanism has structural flaws which adversely affect the unity of EU law. The paper considers caselaw in five Member States national courts and legislatures hearing challenges to European financial crisis measures. We ask, why did some courts refer and not others? What does this reveal about the structural flaws of the preliminary reference mechanism? More substantively, we ask about the availability of depicting the EU multi-level constitutional legal order within the rubric of dialogue, given this infrastructure? What does the ESM saga indicate about the controversial taxonomy of euro-zone law and its wider impact on the character of postnational law?


The concept of typological prefiguration is based on the Christian belief that components of the Old Testament are prophecies or symbols of those events in the New Testament that constitute the main tenets of the Christian faith. Within the context of the Mass, tropes in a prefigurative function manipulate Old Testament texts used in the parts of the Mass preceding Communion, reframing them to forecast the upcoming commemoration of Jesus Christ. Most commonly, this form of prefiguration occurs in tropes of the Introit, in which both psalm and antiphon texts are derived primarily from the Old Testament. My paper focuses on a representative sample of medieval Introit tropes from southern Italy are presented. In my analysis, I identify four primary forms of prefiguration are identified: nominal, analogical, contextual, and prophetical. Essentially, tropes may alter the original context of an antiphon in one or more of the following ways: by making a textual reference to Christ, by drawing parallelisms between Christ and the antiphon's original subject matter, by resetting and / or temporally displacing the antiphon, or by presenting the antiphon text as a quoted prophecy. Textual examples provided throughout the discussion illustrate these different methods of prefigurative technique and the resulting relationships created retroactively between original antiphons and the subsequent Communion. The diversity of these techniques, each with their various intrinsic complexities, offers insight into the heavy role of the prefigurative function in medieval troping practices.


The US Military's ability to meet its mission critical requirements calls for increased agility in its information technology development process. The purpose of this case study is to better understand how agile principles, specifically eXtreme Programming (XP) practices, can be effectively introduced and implemented into government organizations that have historically embraced the plan-driven traditional software development environment. In particular, we studied the eXtreme Programming process to develop a new capability for USSTRATCOM's premier knowledge management system, SKIWeb. There were several lessons learned that will assist practitioners in future implementations of XP and new research questions emerged that suggest further study.


Across several meta-analyses, MAOA-uVNTR genotype has been associated with an increased risk for antisocial behavior among males who experienced early life adversity. Subsequently, early life stress and genetic susceptibility may have long-term effects on stress sensitivity later in life. In support of this assumption, a recent study found evidence, in two independent samples, for a three-way interaction effect (cG × E × E) such that proximate stress was found to moderate the interactive effect of MAOA-uVNTR and distal stress on crime and delinquency among males. In light of recent developments in cG × E research, we attempted to replicate these findings in an independent sample of university students. Our results failed to support any cG × E or cG × E × E effects reported in the original study. Implications of a failed replication and general concerns for future cG × E research are discussed.


Visual tracking of unknown objects in unconstrained video-sequences is extremely challenging due to a number of unsolved issues. This thesis explores several of these
and examines possible approaches to tackle them.
The unconstrained nature of real-world input sequences creates huge variation in the appearance of the target object due to changes in pose and lighting. Additionally,
the object can be occluded by either parts of itself, other elements of the scene, or the frame boundaries. Observations may also be corrupted due to low resolution,
motion blur, large frame-to-frame displacement, or incorrect exposure or focus of the camera. Finally, some objects are inherently difficult to track due to their (low) texture, specular/transparent nature, non-rigid deformations, etc.
Conventional trackers depend heavily on the texture of the target. This causes issues with transparent or untextured objects. Edge points can be used in cases where standard feature points are scarce; these however suffer from the aperture problem. To address this, the first contribution of this thesis explores the idea of virtual corners, using pairs of non-adjacent line correspondences, tangent to edges in the image. Furthermore, the chapter investigates the possibility of long-term tracking, introducing a
re-detection scheme to handle occlusions while limiting drift of the object model. The outcome of this research is an edge-based tracker, able to track in scenarios including
untextured objects, full occlusions and significant length. The tracker, besides reporting excellent results in standard benchmarks, is demonstrated to successfully track the longest sequence published to date.
Some of the issues in visual tracking are caused by suboptimal utilisation of the image information. The object of interest can easily occupy as few as ten or even one
percent of the video frame area. This causes difficulties in challenging scenarios such as sudden camera shakes or full occlusions. To improve tracking in such cases, the next
major contribution of this thesis explores relationships within the context of visual tracking, with a focus on causality. These include causal links between the tracked
object and other elements of the scene such as the camera motion or other objects. Properties of such relationships are identified in a framework based on information theory. The resulting technique can be employed as a causality-based motion model to improve the results of virtually any tracker.
Significant effort has previously been devoted to rapid learning of object properties on the fly. However, state-of-the-art approaches still often fail in cases such as rapid out-of-plane rotations, when the appearance changes suddenly. One of the major contributions of this thesis is a radical rethinking of the traditional wisdom of modelling 3D motion as appearance change. Instead, 3D motion is modelled as 3D motion. This intuitive but previously unexplored approach provides new possibilities in visual
tracking research.
Firstly, 3D tracking is more general, as large out-of-plane motion is often fatal for 2D trackers, but helps 3D trackers to build better models. Secondly, the tracker's internal model of the object can be used in many different applications and it could even become the main motivation, with tracking supporting reconstruction rather than vice versa.
This effectively bridges the gap between visual tracking and Structure from Motion. The proposed method is capable of successfully tracking sequences with extreme out-of-plane rotation, which poses a considerable challenge to 2D trackers. This is done by creating realistic 3D models of the targets, which then aid in tracking. In the majority of the thesis, the assumption is made that the target's 3D shape is rigid. This is, however, a relatively strong limitation. In the final chapter, tracking and dense modelling of non-rigid targets is explored, demonstrating results in even more generic (and therefore challenging) scenarios. This final advancement truly generalises the tracking problem with support for long-term tracking of low texture and non-rigid objects in sequences with camera shake, shot cuts and significant rotation. Taken together, these contributions address some of the major sources of failure in visual tracking. The presented research advances the field of visual tracking, facilitating tracking in scenarios which were previously infeasible. Excellent results are demonstrated in these challenging scenarios. Finally, this thesis demonstrates that 3D reconstruction and visual tracking can be used together to tackle difficult tasks.


Subsemble is a flexible ensemble method that partitions a full data set into subsets of observations, fits the same algorithm on each subset, and uses a tailored form of V-fold cross-validation to construct a prediction function that combines the subset-specific fits with a second metalearner algorithm. Previous work studied the performance of Subsemble with subsets created randomly, and showed that these types of Subsembles often result in better prediction performance than the underlying algorithm fit just once on the full dataset. Since the final Subsemble estimator varies depending on the data used to create the subsetspecific fits, different strategies for creating the subsets used in Subsemble result in different Subsembles. We propose supervised partitioning of the covariate space to create the subsets used in Subsemble, and using a form of histogram regression as the metalearner used to combine the subset-specific fits. We discuss applications to large-scale data sets, and develop a practical Supervised Subsemble method using regression trees to both create the covariate space partitioning, and select the number of subsets used in Subsemble. Through simulations and real data analysis, we show that this subset creation method can have better prediction performance than the random subset version.


This chapter presents a sociolinguistic analysis of Uruguayan Portuguese, a variety that has been in contact with Spanish in bilingual communities along the Uruguayan-Brazilian border. First, it discusses the historical reasons behind the presence of Portuguese in Uruguay, and the social context that has allowed for the maintenance of Portuguese-Spanish bilingualism. Next, it summarizes the main features of Uruguayan Portuguese, i.e., rural characteristics and contact phenomena, and presents sociolinguistic patterns that represent sociolinguistic continuities with Brazilian Portuguese. This study concludes that even when two cognate languages are in contact, the linguistic systems will not necessarily converge into one, due to social and ideological factors that may keep the separation of languages socially relevant.


The pointwise error of a finite-difference calculation of supersonic flow is discussed. The local truncation error is determined by a Taylor series with the remainder being in a Lagrange form. The contribution of the local truncation error to the total pointwise approximation error is estimated via adjoint parameters. It is demonstrated by numerical tests that the results of the numerical calculation of gasdynamics parameter at an observation point may be refined and an error bound may be estimated. The results of numerical tests for the case of parabolized NavierStokes (PNS) are presented as an illustration of the proposed method.


A novel conceptual design is presented for a research platform for Autonomous Transient Ocean Event Monitoring (ATOEM). In simplest form, ATOEM would be an autonomous diesel-electric submarine of conventional design, but stripped of all of its requirements for human occupation and life support, and whose "torpedo" tubes would instead be loaded with a variety of AUV configurations ( e.g. , benthic, photic zone and midwater) capable of autonomous docking with the "mother ship". Global deployment of a large fleet of modular, low-cost, highly-manufacturable ATOEM platforms has the potential to transform oceanographic research by providing coordinated, comprehensive, time-series, spatiotemporal measurements of all key ocean properties on an unprecedented scale.


The surface charges of cellulosic fibers contribute to several papermaking operations that influence the manufacture and final properties of paper. This thesis investigates the effect of the surface charges on wet-end chemistry, e.g. through the interaction of cationic polyelectrolytes with the fiber surface charges, and on the network strength of pulp suspensions. The polyelectrolyte titration method was used to investigate the interaction of the fiber charges with cationic polyelectrolytes. Techniques were developed to fluorescent label the adsorbing cationic polyelectrolyte in order to visualize the adsorption behavior. Fluorescent confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was used to determine the extent to which the cationic polyelectrolyte adsorbs into the porous fiber wall. It was shown that the polyelectrolyte charge density limits the adsorption to the surface under electrolyte-free conditions. Adsorption into the fiber wall only occurs for two conditions: 1) if the molecular mass is sufficiently low or 2) the electrolyte concentration is high enough to screen the charges along the polyelectrolyte backbone but not the interactions between the polyelectrolyte and the fiber charges. Aside from the polyelectrolyte properties, the fiber charge density contributes to the adsorption behavior of cationic polyelectrolytes. The fiber charge profile was altered by bulk and surface carboxymethylation. The electrolyte concentration at which a deviation from 1:1 stoichiometry occurs was shown to be dependent on the amount of surface charges, such that the deviation in stoichiometry occurs at a higher electrolyte concentration for pulps having a higher surface charge. A hypothesis was developed to test the conditions at which the deviation in adsorption stoichiometry occurs, which was defined as the critical electrolyte concentration (CEC). It was found that the CEC corresponded to the electrolyte concentration at which the distance between the fiber charges was on the order of the Debye length. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) was used as an independent calibration procedure to validate for which a 1:1 stoichiometry occurs. The analysis with ESCA agreed well with the polyelectrolyte titration method for measurement of fiber surface charges. When measured under appropriate conditions, i.e. electrolyte concentration and molecular properties, the fiber surface charge can accurately be measured by the polyelectrolyte titration method. The charge profiles of various pulp types and treatments were also examined. Having been established as a valid technique, the polyelectrolyte titration method was again used to measure the surface charge while conductometric titration was used to measure the total charge content. The amount of bulk and surface charges vary depending on the pulping method and type of wood, although the ratio between the bulk and surface charge (i.e. the charge ratio) is similar for chemical pulps. The mechanical pulp has a higher charge ratio because it contains more fines material than chemical pulp. Bleaching of the chemical pulp decreases the amount of bulk and surface charges, although the charge ratio remains essentially constant. However, methods such as beating or carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) grafting are available to increase the charge ratio. The effect of the charge profile on fiber-fiber interactions was studied on both a microscopic and macroscopic level. Colloidal probe microscopy (CPM) was used to investigate the microscopic interactions between two cellulose surfaces. Cellulose surfaces, prepared by spin-coating a dissolving pulp onto silica, were used to model the fiber surface, which is too rough for surface force measurements. The charge density of the model surface was increased by CMC grafting. Results showed that increasing the surface charge density created large electrosteric repulsions, due to CMC the chains protruding out from the surface. These interactions on the microscopic scale affect the fiber network strength, which was measured with a parallel plate rheometer. When the repulsion is increased between the fibers, caused by the increase in the surface charge, fiber flocs break apart more easily due to a reduced friction between the fiber surfaces. The forces acting on the fiber network can also be mechanical in origin. The fiber length and flexibility were altered in order to study the influence of mechanical surface linking and elastic fiber bending on the fiber network strength. Using the storage modulus (G'0) as a measure of fiber network strength, longer fibers were found to create a stronger network due to an increased amount of fiber contacts. Flexible fibers have a lower network strength than stiff fibers because the fibers come to rest in a less strained position such that the the influence of elastic fiber bending on the fiber network strength is predominant.


In order to strengthen biological and social success of community-based marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Philippines, many organizations have begun instituting MPA networks. In the Central Visayas Region, Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation and Fisheries for Improved Sustainable Harvest are implementing socioecological networking initiatives. Educational programs, employing diverse methods such as cross visits and community MPA monitoring, are integral components of these projects. This article analyzes the relationship between education, information diffusion, and standard measures of MPA success (e.g., MPA rule compliance and fish abundance) in communities participating in these networks. Surveys were conducted with 13 individuals per community in 36 communities. Statistical tests reveal that the presence of a clear MPA leader, participation in cross visits, and presence of community environmental education programs were the strongest predictors of social and biological MPA success. Formal education programs (e.g., management committee member trainings) independent of other processes did not demonstrate strong statistical relationships with MPA success. Overall, the findings of this study demonstrate the current and potential benefits and efficacy of education programs for communities in MPA networks. When linked to a strong infrastructure for information diffusion, education programs have the potential to increase both biological and social MPA success.


This article explores the features of religiousness as it is supported by governmental policies in Hungary. The research interprets the values held by social actors in terms of their relationship to violations of norms that are sanctioned and those that are not sanctioned by the state. The analyses of our representative sample revealed a type of secularised religiousness in more than one dimension. The value orientations of religious people in Hungary appear to be aligned with secular society. The main trend seems to be that the moral judgements of religious people do not differ from those of the people who consider themselves not religious or atheist. Religious people in Hungary no longer find guidance in their religious tradition – which is regarded as obsolete in today's secularised public discourse – but are oriented by the values of the secularised world, inevitably drifting away from their Christian roots. Differences between religious and not religious people appear only in certain position statements relating to homosexuals.


Light emitting diode (LED) lamp has attracted increasing interest in the field of lighting systems due to its low energy and long lifetime. For different functions (i.e. illumination and color), it may have two or more performance characteristics. When the multiple performance characteristics are dependent, it creates a challenging problem to accurately analyze the system reliability. In this paper, we assume that a product has two performance characteristics, and each performance characteristic is governed by a random effected Wiener process where random effects capture the unit to unit differences. The random effected model is fitted to the actual data and corresponding goodness of fit tests are carried out. The dependency of performance characteristics is described by a Frank copula function. The inference for margins method and Markov chain Monte Carlo method are used to obtain the estimators of the corresponding model unknown parameters. A numerical example about an actual LED lamps experiment data is given to demonstrate the usefulness and validity of the proposed model and method.


When Dr. John Hope Franklin died on 25 March 2009, the historical profession lost a true pioneer, a "historian's historian," and one of the most important scholars of the 20th century. For over 70 years, John Hope Franklin contributed major works to African American and American history, and the history of the U.S. South. Dr. Franklin achieved numerous "firsts" as an African American in his illustrious career including what he termed "the triple crown" as president of the three leading professional organizations--American Historical Association (AHA), the Organization of American Historians (OAH), and the Southern Historical Association (SHA). I had the privilege of knowing and interacting with Dr. Franklin over the years in his capacity as mentor and educator, and his scholarship had a profound impact upon me and the research projects I undertook. I first met Dr. Franklin at the annual meeting of the AHA in Washington, DC, in 1969. I was a graduate student who was attending my first major professional conference. That experience was transformative for me and confirmed that I had carved out a niche in the academic world that would be quite satisfying. I was impressed by meeting all of those prominent historians and pleased that I was able to reconnect with Dr. Herbert Gutman for whom I had worked as an undergraduate research assistant and who encouraged me to pursue graduate studies at the University at Buffalo. It was Dr. Gutman who introduced me to Dr. John Hope Franklin. I had become familiar with Dr. Franklin's work beginning with the high school text Land of the Free when I served on the Social Studies Textbook Review Committee for the Buffalo Board of Education. (1) At this meeting, Dr. Franklin was cordial and I was struck by his regal demeanor. Upon learning that I was a student at the University at Buffalo, he inquired about his friend Robert Lively, who was then chair of the Department of History. As I recall, the conversation centered on the history department, the Livelys, and the progress of my research projects. Always formal, Dr. Franklin addressed me as "Miss Williams" and continued to do so for many years. These brief meetings at professional conferences were important to me, for I appreciated the fact that Dr. Franklin seemed genuinely interested in my work, and was willing to discuss it and to mentor a young scholar who was not one of his already numerous students. It was common knowledge that he valued his role as mentor and embraced it wholeheartedly. And he continued his mentoring even after his "students" had become "seasoned scholars." I always appreciated his wise counsel. When Dr. Franklin finally addressed me as "Lillian," I felt that I had his seal of approval and I came to be considered a colleague. That was one of my most joyful days. At an ASALH plenary session in Orlando. Florida, in October 2004, John Hope Franklin shared the challenges he faced as he was writing his autobiography Mirror to America. (2) He reminded the audience of historians and social scientists how important it is for us to take the time to record and preserve our personal histories and to document our activities. Many of us had been participant-observers in the civil rights and Black Power campaigns and were the first generation of African American scholars at many of the nation's leading universities. Some of us were the catalysts that brought curricular change to elementary and secondary education, and founded and staffed the newly created Black Studies programs and departments in colleges across the nation and we need to document these activities. John Hope Franklin paved the way by precept and by example in using his scholarship to transform the pre-collegiate and collegiate curricula nationwide. Dr. Franklin was in a unique position to both observe and write about many of the major historical events of the 20th century. In many ways, he was a participant-observer from his childhood days in Oklahoma to the historic election of Senator Barack Obama to the presidency. …


Aims Exposure to Lead is still an ongoing problem in children. High blood levels have been associated with global developmental delay and learning difficulties. In the UK there is no reliable data on the current prevalence of clinically significant lead toxicity or elevated blood lead concentration in children. British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU) has just completed a surveillance programme which aimed to estimate the extent of the problem using a blood lead levels (BLL) cut off of >0.483 μmol/L. Currently, Centre for Disease Control, USA (CDC) recommends a BLL of 0.24 μmol/L to be used to trigger lead education, environmental investigations, and medical monitoring. According to WHO a BLL <0.483 μmol/L is agreed upon as the level which can cause neuro-cognitive effects in children. This study was aimed at determining the prevalence high BLL in children being investigated for unexplained global developmental delay and learning difficulties in Leeds & Wakefield, UK. Methods Lead levels were requested for children being investigated for global developmental delay or learning difficulty in Leeds and Wakefield areas. Number of children with high lead levels were identified using cut offs of 0.24 and 0.483 μmol/L and the prevalence was calculated over a period of 18 months. Results 104 children were included (76% males). The mean BLL (+/- Standard Deviation) was 0.12 +/- 0.14. Nine (9%) children had BLL >0.24 and 1 (1%) >0.483 μmol/L. All of them were males. Conclusion Our study showed that the prevalence of high BLL as per criteria used by BPSU is low in Leeds & Wakefield region but it is 9 times higher if we use a lower BLL (i.e. 0.24 μmol/l) as the cut off as recommended by WHO. We suggest inclusion of BLL as a standard investigation for global developmental delay and learning difficulty, acting as a targeted screening tool, and to start environmental investigations as per HPA protocol at a lower BLL of 0.24 μmol/l.


Not much is known about participatory journalists in Germany or further afield. We conducted a standardized quantitative online survey of participatory journalists at the German-language website myheimat, a German-based hyperlocal participatory journalism portal with about 37,000 contributors (as at September 2010). The purpose of the survey was to examine the individual characteristics of participatory journalists (sociodemographics, expertise, qualification and gender aspects). The survey also explored why they write articles for myheimat (societal/individual motivations), what they think about their role and function as grassroots journalists (identity/self-concept), what they know and what they think about established editorial practices (attitudes toward traditional professional journalism), how they think about their audience and how they differ in all these aspects from traditional professional journalists – if at all. Our results contribute to the understanding of the participatory system in general and of the forces behind the enormous popularity of participatory journalism, as well as its conditions and its future development.


Ubiquitous computing and Internet-of-Things (IoT) implies an untapped opportunity in the realm of information and communication technology, in which a large number of micro-devices with communication and/or computing capabilities, provides connectivity for anything, by anyone at anytime and anywhere. Especially, these devices can be equipped with sensors and actuators that interact with our living environment. Barcode, smart contactless card, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems, wireless sensor network (WSN), and smart mobile phones are some examples which can be utilized in ubiquitous computing. RFIDs and WSN have been recognized as the two promising enablers for realization of ubiquitous computing. They have some great features such as low-cost and small- size implementation, non-line of sight operation, sensing possibilities, data storing ability, and positioning. However, there are several challenges which need to be addressed, such as limited life time for battery powered device, maintenance cost, longer operation range, higher data rate, and operation in dense multipath and multiuser environment. Ultra-Wideband Impulse Radio (UWB-IR) with its huge advantages has been recognized as a great solution for future WSN and RFID. UWB-IR technique has the possibility of achieving Gb/s data rate, hundreds of meter operation range, pJ energy per bit, centimeter accuracy of positioning, and low cost implementation. In this work utilization of UWB-IR in WSN and RFID is investigated. A wireless sensor network based on UWB-IR is proposed focusing on low-cost and low-power implementation. Our contribution is to imply two different architectures in base station and sensor nodes to satisfy power, complexity and cost constraints. For sensor nodes, an autonomous UWB-IR detection is proposed, which detects the UWB signal autonomously and no restrict synchronization is required. It reduces the circuit complexity significantly. The performance in term of bit-error-rate is compared with two other common detection techniques. It is shown that the new detection is more robustness to timing jitter and clock skew, which consequently reduces the clock and synchronization requirements considerably. A novel wireless sensing and identification system, based on remote-powered tag with asymmetric wireless link, is proposed. Our innovative contribution is to deploy two different UWB and UHF communication techniques in uplink and downlink respectively. In the proposed system, tags capture the required power supply from different environmental sources (e.g. electromagnetic wave transmitted by a reader) and transmit data through an ultra-low power impulse UWB link. A new communication protocol is devised based on slotted-aloha anti-collision algorithm. By introducing several improvements including of pipelined communication, adaptive frame size, and skipping idle slots, the system throughput of more than 2000 tags/s is achieved. To prove the system concept a single chip integrated tag is implemented in UMC 0.18μm CMOS process. The measurement results show the minimum sensitivity of -18.5 dB (14.1 μW) and adaptive data rate up to 10 Mb/s. It corresponds to 13.9 meters operation range, considering 4W EIRP, a matched antenna to the tag with 0dB gain, and free space path loss. This is a great improvement in operation range and data rate, compared with conventional passive RFID, which data rate is limited to a few hundreds of Kb/s. System integration in a Liquid-Crystal-polymer (LCP) substrate is investigated. The integration of a tunable UWB-IR transmitter and a power scavenging unit are studied. Our contribution includes embedding and modeling the RF components and antenna in substrate and co-optimizing the chip and package with on-chip versus off-chip passives trade-offs. Simulation results verify the potential of system-on-package solution for UWB integration. The effect of antenna miniaturization in a UWB system is studied. Our focus is to scale down a UWB antenna and optimize the performance through the chip-antenna co-design. A tunable impulse- UWB transmitter is designed in two cases - a conventional 50Ω design and a co-design methodology. The simulation results show that the standard 50Ω design technique can not reach the best condition in all cases, when a real antenna is placed into the system. The performance can be improved significantly when doing codesign. The antennas and UWB transmitter performances are evaluated in a given UWB systems. It is shown that the operation distance at a target performance is reduced with antenna scaling factor and it can be compensated by antenna-transceiver co-design. The result proves the importance of antenna-transceiver codesign, which needs to be addressed in the earliest phases of the design flow.


Big Data deals with enormous volumes of complex and exponentially growing data sets from multiple sources. With rapid growth in technology, we are now able to generate immense amount of data in almost any field imaginable including physical, biological and biomedical sciences. With the diversity and amount of data in health care industry there is an increasing need to evaluate the components in big data frameworks and gauge their adaptability to analytics techniques. However, a key step in adapting big data tools is the portability of relational databases to big data environment. Since SQL is considered to be the de-facto language for interactive queries, in this paper, we evaluate the performance of SQL-like big data solutions for the portability of existing relational databases. Our work focuses on benchmarking multiple SQL-like big data technologies over Hadoop based distributed file system (HDFS) for Study Data Tabulation Model (SDTM) used in clinical trial databases for improving the efficiency of research in clinical trials. We use publically available clinical trial data (from National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)), which follows SDTM, as a test bed to measure key parameters like usability, adaptability, modularity, robustness and efficiency of these solutions. With the intention to demonstrate how current clinical trial functionality can be replicated on a big data backend with high SQL-like functionality, we evaluate several types of ad-hoc SQL queries.


Foreword. Introduction. Part I: A Bicycle Race Unlike Any Other. Chapter 1: Answering All Your Tour Questions. Chapter 2: Understanding the Tour de France Race Routes. Chapter 3: The Races within the Race. Part II: How the Race Is Run and Won. Chapter 4: It's All about the Team. Chapter 5: More Tour Rules Than You Ever Want to Know. Chapter 6: Understanding Race Strategies. Part III: Loving the Ride: A Man and His Bike. Chapter 7: Who Are These Guys and How Do They Do It? Chapter 8: Spending a Day in the Life of a Rider. Chapter 9: Having the Best Equipment in the Bunch. Part IV: Watching the Race. Chapter 10: Perfecting the Art of Spectating from Home. Chapter 11: Going to the Tour: A Brief Guide. Part V: The Part of Tens. Chapter 12: Ten Greatest Riders in Tour History. Chapter 13: The Ten Most Important Tours in History. Chapter 14: Ten Unique Tour de France Statistics. Chapter 15: Ten Dramatic Tour de France Moments. Chapter 16: Ten Great Tour Climbs and Mountaintops. Chapter 17: Ten Other Important Races. Glossary. Index.


Wavelet analysis represents a new approach to investigating the empirical relationship between the Sharpe ratio and the investment horizon for portfolios of small stocks, large stocks, and intermediate–term and long–term bonds. A wavelet multiscale approach decomposes a given time series on a scale–by–scale basis. Empirical results indicate that the wavelet variance declines as the wavelet scale increases, implying that an investor with a short investment horizon must respond to every fluctuation in realized returns, while an investor with a much longer horizon faces much less significant long–run risk associated with unknown expected returns. The long scale Sharpe ratio is much higher than the short scale, implying that the Sharpe ratio is not time–consistent. Finally, stock portfolios have higher Sharpe ratios than bond portfolios, except in certain–length periods, indicating that evaluation of the performance of stock and bond portfolios should account for investment horizon.


Ad-hoc networks and mobile devices have become a crucial part of our daily lives. The low cost of wireless devices and free use of ad-hoc networks open an unlimited horizon to create new applications. Moreover, integrating several technologies can achieve almost unthinkable solutions. This paper presents a mobile solution framework to monitor human brain functions during real-life activities. The framework utilizes the internet, GSM wireless networks, Bluetooth technology and a number of data protocols, and consists of three main parts: a Bluetooth portable near-infrared light sensor; a personal digital assistant (PDA) and a personal computer (PC). The real-time data acquisition is performed by the sensor while mobility is provided by the GSM PDA. The data is sent over a various-protocol stack until it reaches the final destination (the host PC). The system provides a powerful light-weight human-brain-function monitoring system in real-life situations outside a lab environment. Several software components have been developed to achieve the integration of all these technologies and devices.


Answering a question by Honsell and Plotkin, we show that there are two equations between lambda terms, the so-called subtractive equations, consistent with lambda calculus but not simultaneously satisfied in any partially ordered model with bottom element. We also relate the subtractive equations to the open problem of the order-incompleteness of lambda calculus, by studying the connection between the notion of absolute unorderability in a specific point and a weaker notion of subtractivity (namely n-subtractivity) for partially ordered algebras. Finally we study the relation between n-subtractivity and relativized separation conditions in topological algebras, obtaining an incompleteness theorem for a general topological semantics of lambda calculus.


Two pools of synaptic vesicles are identifiable in synapses: the readily releasable pool (the so-called ECP) that is located at the periphery of the neuron that undergoes rapid exocytosis and endocytosis upon depolarization, and the reserve pool (RP) that is located more centrally and that is released upon high-frequency tetanic stimulation. Kuromi and Kidokoro used uptake of the fluorescent dye FM1-43 into neuromuscular junction synaptic boutons under different stimulation conditions and at different times to analyze how calcium controls the replenishment of the ECP and RP. The ECP was selectively labeled by simultaneous incubation with FM1-43 during depolarization by high K+ or during tetanic stimulation, whereas the RP was selectively labeled if FM1-43 was added after a tetanic stimulation. Altering external calcium altered the labeling of the ECP and RP, with labeling of the ECP decreasing with decreasing [Ca2+]o and the RP labeling decreasing when [Ca2+]o was high. Several experiments using different stimulation conditions and changing external calcium concentrations suggested that the ECP was selectively affected by changes in [Ca2+]o. When internal calcium stores in the endoplasmic reticulum were depleted by application of either cyclopiazonic acid or thapsigargin, the labeling of the RP during the late phase of tetanic stimulation was inhibited, suggesting that replenishment of the RP requires calcium released from internal stores. Conditions that promoted release of calcium from internal stores or photorelease of caged calcium inside the boutons promoted the redistribution of peripheral FM1-43-labeled structures to the center of the bouton, presumably representing a movement of ECP vesicles into the RP. H. Kuromi, Y. Kidokoror, Selective replenishment of two vesicle pools depends on the source of Ca2+ at the Drosophila synapse. Neuron 35, 333-343 (2002). [Online Journal]


ABSTRACT In the last 30 years, environmental challenges in the Asia-Pacific have gone from sitting at the margins of political discourse to featuring prominently in academic and policy debates about institutional capacity, economic sustainability and regional futures. Those challenges are extensive: they include loss of biodiversity and species, land degradation and deforestation, water pollution and scarcity, drought, wildlife smuggling, ozone depletion, other forms of atmospheric pollution, and climate change. This article explores regional responses to environmental challenges through a global governance lens. It examines the ways in which vertical and intergovernmental arrangements have been supplemented by institutions and networks that reflect horizontal and transnational approaches. It reveals that this has been an uneven process, with coherence and fragmentation equally represented. In its focus on the two key subregions of Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, it shows how environmental cooperation has been implicated in a crisis of regionalism and caught up in states' efforts to demonstrate that governance can still be effective in the absence of binding multilateral agreements.


I INTRODUCTION We are at a time of the triumph of conservative judicial ideology. Thirty-two years ago, when William Rehnquist joined the Supreme Court, he was perceived as the far right on the Court. Now, virtually every view that he expressed has come to be the majority position. The Court has significantly limited federal power under the Commerce Clause and section five of the Fourteenth Amendment, (1) tremendously expanded the scope of state sovereign immunity, (2) ordered the end of school desegregation orders, (3) limited access to the courthouse for civil rights plaintiffs, (4) and significantly relaxed restrictions on government aid to religion. (5) Having taught constitutional law for the last twenty-three years, I have a sense of a major overall shift to the right in constitutional law. In 1980, when I taught my first constitutional law class, the Court had liberals such as William Brennan and Thurgood Marshall. William Rehnquist, without question, was the most conservative member of the Court. Today, there are no liberals in the mold of Brennan or Marshall; there are Justices, such as Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, who are further to the right than Rehnquist and perhaps any other Justices in U.S. history. Yet, the popular perception, and maybe even the perception among some academics, is that the Supreme Court has not moved all that far to the right. What explains the failure to recognize how much conservatives have triumphed in constitutional law? In part, the incremental nature of constitutional law explains why the overall conservativism has not been recognized. Constitutional law, of course, develops case-by-case, not all at once. No single decision changes the nature of constitutional law. Also, the conservative position has not triumphed in some of the most politically visible and controversial areas; the Court has not ended the constitutional right to abortion, affirmative action, or the restrictions on school prayers. It is easy for people to generalize from these examples, failing to recognize all of the other areas where conservative views have won out on the Supreme Court. Additionally, political rhetoric about the judiciary has not caught up to the current reality; conservatives continue to rail against judicial activism, (6) even at a time when the activism on the Supreme Court--overturning laws, overruling precedents--is all in a conservative direction. (7) Finally, many of the Rehnquist Court's most dramatic changes have been procedural in nature, such as in restricting habeas corpus, (8) limiting access to the courts, (9) and expanding sovereign immunity. (10) These do not capture public attention in a way likely to change overall perceptions of the Court. This essay makes three main points. First, there are major differences between progressive and conservative judicial philosophies. (11) Second, the differences stem from ideology and are not a product of varying methods of judicial interpretation; the differences in methodologies between conservatives and progressives are driven by the desired results each contingent wants to reach. Third, the challenge for progressive academics is to figure out how to respond to the reality of a conservative Supreme Court for the foreseeable future. II THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CONSERVATIVE AND PROGRESSIVE CONSTITUTIONALISM Six major differences exist between progressives and conservatives in their views about Supreme Court decisionmaking. These, of course, are not exhaustive of all the differences that exist, but they do capture many of the most important issues facing the Supreme Court today. First, conservatives seek to narrow the reach of federal power and protect "states' rights." For example, conservatives want to limit the scope of Congress's powers under the Commerce Clause and section five of the Fourteenth Amendment and use the Tenth Amendment as a limit on federal power. …


In order to test whether phytoplankton such as the red tide dinoflagellate Karenia brevis negatively affect rotifer grazers and what mechanisms are involved in these interactions, we conducted laboratory feeding experiments using K. brevis cultured from Gulf of Mexico coastal waters and two species of rotifers, one cooccurring and the other from an inland sea in Russia. The co‐occurring rotifer Brachionus ibericus did not ingest K. brevis as a sole diet but tolerated K. brevis in a diet mixed with Rhodomonas lens, whereas the allopatric rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis, rejected K. brevis in either diet, although B. plicatilis started feeding on the mixed diet after a delay of 4 days. The deterrence of K. brevis was mediated by its cellular organic extracts and not by exudates, with compounds other than brevetoxins PbTx‐2, PbTx‐3, and PbTx‐9 implicated in deterrence. The finding that closely related rotifers respond differently to K. brevis and to its chemical defense suggests that a shared evolutionary history may have led B. ibericus to tolerate K. brevis in a mixed diet.


THE DOCTOR OF MINISTRY: THE IMPACT OF MARTYN LLOYD-JONES' MEDICAL TRAINING ON HIS HOMILETICAL METHODOLOGY Benjamin Randolph Bailie, Ph.D. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2014 Chair: Dr. Robert A. Vogel This dissertation examines the impact of Martyn Lloyd-Jones' medical training upon his homiletical methodology. Chapter 1 sets forth the thesis and charts the course forward. Chapter 2 reconstructs the intellectual culture of Lloyd-Jones' youth, both at home and at school. It also introduces the most significant intellectual influence in LloydJones' early life, his medical chief Thomas Horder. Chapter 3 reconstructs the decade that Lloyd-Jones spent at Saint Bartholomew's Hospital with an emphasis on both the institutional context and the educational content of his medical training. Chapter 4 moves into the central focus of the dissertation, demonstrating how his medical training shaped his homiletical practice. In this chapter Lloyd-Jones' definition of preaching is expounded. After clearly defining what preaching is, Chapter 5 demonstrates how Lloyd-Jones went about doing it. It focuses on his sermons in general, while Chapter 6 focuses on his actual preparation and delivery of sermons. Chapter 7 investigates how Lloyd-Jones' medical training shaped his pastoral ministry in a more general fashion by demonstrating that in all of his ministerial activities he was always 'The Doctor.' And Chapter 8 offers some concluding reflections.


Patient: Male, 33 Final Diagnosis: Superior mesenteric vein syndrome Symptoms: Epigastric pain Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy Specialty: Surgery Objective: Rare co-existance of disease or pathology Background: Duodenal compression between the superior mesenteric vessels and aorta or its branches is a rare disease in which the angle between the superior mesenteric vessels and aorta becomes acute, resulting in duodenal obstruction. Reduction in retroperitoneal fat due to several debilitating conditions is considered to be the cause of the decreased angle between the 2 vessels. Nutcracker phenomenon is the asymptomatic compression of the left renal vein (LRV) between the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery. Case Report: We report the case of a 33-year-old man who presented with postprandial abdominal pain, mainly at the epigastric region, colicky in nature, without radiation, accompanied by nausea, postprandial vomiting, and loss of weight. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed duodenal compression between the SMV and the right common iliac artery, which has never been reported before. Laparoscopic duodenojejunostomy was performed. Conclusions: Vascular compression of the duodenum presents with manifestations of proximal small bowel obstruction, which may have chronic, intermittent, or acute symptoms. Diagnosis is difficult due to the lack of knowledge of this rare disorder. Most of these symptoms can be present in other diseases, and symptoms sometimes do not correspond with imaging findings. Therefore, for a better outcome, the clinician should have a high index of suspicion and should be able to exclude other causes with similar manifestations.


Angelica shikokiana (Apiaceae) is a Japanese traditional herb and widely marketed as a dietary food supplement as a health tea preparation consumed as a daily beverage for its health benefits. Our previous research showed that the methanol extract of the aerial parts of A. shikokiana and its major coumarin, isoepoxypteryxin had a significant cytotoxicity against HepG2 cell line. In this study, we investigated the hepatoprotective activity more deeply by the in vitro inhibition of HepG2 cells invasion assay and in vivo using thioacetamide-induced hepatocellular carcinoma model in rats. The ex vivo levels of nitric oxide production, inducible nitric oxide synthase, vascular endothelial cell growth factor-C and caspase-3 were also estimated to investigate the possible mechanisms of hepatoprotection. The methanol extract of A. shikokiana and isoepoxypteryxin concentration-dependently depressed the invasion of HepG2 cells induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate. In vivo, they significantly reduced the levels of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, total bilirubin and nitric oxide production when compared with hepatocellular carcinoma group. Besides, the thioacetamide-injected groups treated with methanol extract of A. shikokiana and isoepoxypteryxin exhibited a significant increase in the level of caspase-3 protein and a significant decrease of inducible nitric oxide synthase and vascular endothelial cell growth factor C levels when compared with hepatocellular carcinoma group. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the hepatoprotective effect of A. shikokiana and isoepoxypteryxin against hepatocellular carcinoma.


BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (m-, p-xylene and o-xylene)) in shallow groundwater were investigated in 16 monitoring wells of the Songyuan region (Songhua River basin). Mean concentrations of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes were found to be 1.53 μg/L, 1.76 μg/L, 2.11 μg/L and 0.30 μg/L, respectively. Ecological and human health risk assessments were conducted to evaluate potential adverse effects of the BTEX compounds in terms of toxicity. Toluene posed a severe ecological risk, xylenes a moderate risk, while benzene and ethylbenzene were both considered to be a low risk. The mean cancer risk for benzene was estimated to be 1.14 × 10−6, which is higher than the acceptable risk level of 1.0 × 10−6. The mean non-carcinogenic risks for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes were lower than the standard threshold level of 1.0, both individually and cumulatively. In terms of a screening assessment, these results indicate that BTEX in groundwater may pose a threat to the ecosystem and residents in the Songyuan region of the Songhua River basin. This information will be useful for the further evaluation and risk management of groundwater in this area.


Populations of rusty grain beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus, a cosmopolitan grain insect pest, have recently developed a very high-level of resistance (1300×) to fumigant phosphine in Australia, threatening the country's international grain market worth of 8 billion per year. Due to the failure of the registered rates of phosphine, industry urgently needed alternative strategies to manage this new resistance. To address this, an integrated resistance management strategy (IRM) was developed with three core components: 1. regular monitoring and characterization of resistance, 2. developing effective phosphine protocols, and 3. exploring alternative fumigants and treatments. Resistance was monitored across Australia in pest samples collected from farms and centrals storages using a modified FAO method as well as quick knockdown tests. Our results indicated that high-level resistance in C. ferrugineus is prevalent in eastern Australia, particularly in Queensland and New South Wales, particularly in the bulk handing sector. Time to population extinction was assessed in field-derived reference resistant strains using higher dosages (c) and exposure times (t) and the effective c x t regimes were validated in the field for the use by the grain industry. A phosphine concentration of 720 ppm (1 mg L-1) over 18 days was found to be effective in controlling all life stages of phosphine-resistant C. ferrugineus at 25°C. In a parallel research, the suitability of sulfuryl fluoride (ProfumeTM), as an alternative fumigant to phosphine was assessed through laboratory and field efficacy trials. Our results showed that phosphine-resistant insects are highly susceptible to sulfuryl fluoride and a CT of 750 g hm-3 (5.2 mg L-1) over 6 days at 25˚C would be sufficient against all phosphine-resistant pests including C. ferrugineus. While sulfuryl fluoride has promising potential as a "phosphine resistance breaker" the team is currently exploring ways of co-treating phosphine and sulfuryl fluoride, in order to reduce the overall selection pressure against these two fumigants in insects.


In the Nordic countries, activities for newly arrived refugees and family migrants are organized within introduction programmes and the question of which type of activities works for this group has recently gained increased attention. The programmes typically include language training, courses in civic orientation and labour-market-related activities. This contribution first describes how the introduction programmes are organized and which activities are included. It then summarizes research findings concerning the effectiveness of these activities. A recurring conclusion is that subsidized employment in the private sector is effective but that there is scope for increasing its use among immigrants.


The AAPM and other associated professional societies and governmental bodies (ACR, ASTRO, ABS, NCRP, IAEA, ICRP, and NRC) are fully committed to providing the highest quality brachytherapytreatments in an effective and safe manner. Although the history of our profession can demonstrate extraordinary effectiveness in our conscientious and comprehensive approach to the radiation treatment of cancer, there have been accidents and misadministrations in brachytherapy, and we must be committed to understanding and learning from the open communication of reported medical events, whether through the media or in reports issued by national and international bodies. In this presentation several medical events in brachytherapy that have occurred and been reported will be presented and coupled with corrective actions that should have been in place. The established literature on safety and quality assurance for brachytherapy is also presented. Learning Objectives: 1. To review and understand the root causes of brachytherapy medical events that have been reported in the media and to governmental and associated bodies. 2. To review and understand corrective actions that should be in place in order to safely administer brachytherapytreatments. 3. To review and understand the various established recommendations for the safe delivery of brachytherapy from the AAPM and associated bodies in order to foster a culture of safety surrounding brachytherapytreatments. 4. To discuss communication that needs to take place among users, treatment planning system makers, and seed vendors in order to foster the use of identical terminology so that a possible source of treatment error can be eliminated.


Today, the world uses more cotton than any other fiber, and cotton is a leading cash crop in the U.S. At the farm level alone, the production of each year's crop involves the purchase of more than $5.3 billion worth of supplies and services. This stimulates business activities for factories and enterprises throughout the country. Processing and handling of cotton after it leaves the farm generates even more business activity. Annual business revenue stimulated by cotton in the U.S. economy exceeds $120 billion, making cotton America's number one value-added crop. Cotton is a part of our daily lives from the time we dry our faces on a soft cotton towel in the morning until we slide between fresh cotton sheets at night. It has hundreds of uses, from blue jeans to shoe strings. Clothing and household items are the largest uses, but industrial products account from many thousands of bales. All parts of the cotton plant are useful. The most important is the fiber or lint, which is used in making cotton cloth. Linters – the short fuzz on the seed – provide cellulose for making plastics, explosives and other products. Linters also are incorporated into high quality paper products and processed into batting for padding mattresses, furniture and automobile cushions. The cottonseed is crushed in order to separate its three products – oil, meal and hulls. Cottonseed oil is used primarily for shortening, cooking oil and salad dressing. The meal and hulls that remain are used either separately or in combination as livestock, poultry and fish feed and as fertilizer. The stalks and leaves of the cotton plant are plowed under to enrich the soil. Some cottonseed also is used as high-protein concentrate in baked goods and other food products. History of Cotton


This article looks at the development and utility of celebrity among high-profile political interviewers. Offering the revised description "public inquisitor," the article presents an overview of the rise of the political interviewer as a celebrity form of the "tribune of the people" (Clayman 2002). It focuses on the UK-based journalists and broadcasters Jeremy Paxman and John humphrys, and looks at the expansion of their professional activities and their attendant construction as media personalities. It argues that the forms of celebrity presented by Paxman and humphrys draw upon discourses of integrity and authenticity associated with practices of advocacy, and suggests that their extension beyond the formal political realm into media genres traditionally excluded from the established political domain might work to consolidate the public inquisitor as a discursive figure. Therefore, while acknowledging that this depends on the effective management of individual media profiles, the article proposes a critical reappraisal of the place of the celebrity personae in political communication in order to account for the possibility of constructive modes of media performance.


Linear arrays in lead isotope space for mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) converge on a single end-member component that has intermediate lead, strontium, and neodymium isotope ratios compared with the total database for oceanic island basalts (OIBs) and MORBs. The MORB data are consistent with the presence of a common mantle source region for OIBs that is sampled by mantle plumes. 3He/4He ratios for MORBs show both positive and negative correlation with the 206Pb/204Pb ratios, depending on the MORB suite. These data suggest that the common mantle source is located in the transition zone region. This region contains recycled, oceanic crustal protoliths that incorporated some continental lead before their subduction during the past 300 to 2000 million years.


It has long been an article of faith that the United States does not talk to terrorists - that to engage in dialogue with groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Muslim Brotherhood would be tacitly to acknowledge their status as legitimate political actors. Not so, argues Middle East expert Mark Perry. In the absence of dialogue, we have lumped these groups together with Al Qaeda as part of a monolithic enemy defined by a visceral hatred of American values. In reality, while they hold deep grievances about specific US policies, they are ultimately far more defined by their opposition to the deliberately anti-political Salafist ideology of Al Qaeda. Drawing on extensive interviews with Washington insiders, Perry describes fruitful covert meetings between members of the US armed forces and leaders of the Iraqi insurgency to demonstrate that talking to terrorists may be best way to end terrorism - controversial wisdom we ignore at our peril.


Paper presented at the Zimbabwe University Libraries Consortium (ZULC)International Conference on " Open Access and Creating a Knowledge Society", held at the Crowne Plaza Monomatapa Hotel, Harare, Zimbabwe,24 - 26 April, 2006