Asset allocation advisers usually use the mean-variance framework to show the benefits of investing in hedge funds. We prove that this is not optimal and develop a method based on a modified Value-at-Risk model for non-normally distributed assets. We take the example of a Swiss pension fund investing part of its wealth in hedge funds. We also use a shortfall risk approach and show that investing in a diversified Hedge Funds portfolio is beneficial for lowering its modified Value-at-Risk. Then, we analyze several hedge fund strategies using local regression analysis. We obtain the payoffs of these strategies and compare them with the payoff of a standard Swiss pension fund portfolio. Finally, we compute for a representative hedge fund the price of the option like feature of the incentive fee and the premium paid to the investor by the fund for taking liquidity risk. We find that the return risk adjusted benefits of investing in hedge funds are reduced between 19% and 41% if we take into account the liquidity premium and the survivorship bias.


This paper surveys the current state of knowledge concerning the value of the Amazon rainforest, including a survey of work to date to quantify changes in economic values when the rainforest cover changes. The focus is on local and regional impacts of forest loss or protection, including both gross values of forest protection and opportunity costs of converting the forest to other uses including agriculture. Important gross value items surveyed are timber and non-timber product extraction from a sustainably maintained rainforest; local values of eco-tourism; biological resources including bio-prospecting; a range of hydrological impacts including watershed protection, hydropower production, and changes in rainfall patterns; and impacts of forest fires and their control. Mapping such values in geographical space is of high value for implementing efficient and effective (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation ) programs for protecting the remaining forest. The current data basis for such mapping is found to be quite weak and in need of improvement for all value elements.


All over the world water mains are under increasing threat due to aging, aggressive environmental factors, operational factors and inadequate maintenance. Extensive maintenance, repair and rehabilitation practices, or replacement of water mains are required to ensure an acceptable performance of water supply systems. Investment deficit for water system maintenance and rehabilitation has been estimated in billions. Small to medium sized water utilities are generally impacted more because of limited financial resources and lack of technical expertise. However, water mains integrity is of primary interest due to potential adverse consequences related to public health, safety, and heavy financial liabilities in case of a failure. This paper presents a user-friendly decision support tool to help managers of these water utilities to prioritize maintenance, repair, and replacement (M/R/R) strategies for water mains. This paper proposes a risk index approach which aggregates the water mains vulnerability and associated failure consequences. The developed tool can help decision-makers to rank the water mains and help to prioritize M/R/R strategies. The results have been integrated with a geographic information system that will allow a decision-maker to visualize the vulnerable zones within the network. The City of Kelowna water network is used to demonstrate the proposed approach.


A theoretical question that runs through the debate on the constitutionality of campus speech codes asks whether free speech values are best preserved by categorical rules or balancing factors. Whether campus codes are constitutional should be analyzed through a doctrinal and statutory framework developed outside university settings, in cases involving incitement and harassment. Passionate debates over these matters have in recent years drawn journalistic and legal attention with the burgeoning of clamorous national and local movements calling for university administrators to suppress microagressions, issue trigger warnings, and designate safe spaces.The context of the debate is informed by widely publicized verbal confrontations on U.S. campuses. Much disagreement exists about the legitimacy of universities hosting safe spaces and giving trigger warnings while prohibiting hate speech and microagressions. Various Supreme Court and lower court opinions inform the proper administration of university campuses in a manner conducive to the educational needs of student bodies.Doctrinal avenues exist for creating effective campus codes. Assessment of their constitutionality should be informed by the U.S. Supreme Court's true threats, fighting words, and defamation doctrines. In addition to the constitutional issues involved, college administrators should obtain guidance from federal statutory anti-harassment policy. Arguably, federal civil rights law requires colleges to take affirmative steps to prevent harassment on campuses. This framework provides the legal foundation for examining and analyzing the constitutionality of campus speech codes that have been promulgated by universities around the country, including the University of Chicago and the University of California.


Increasing the biomass of bivalve suspensions feeders has been proposed as a means to improve water quality in eutrophic estuaries such as the Chesapeake Bay. However, water quality impacts are likely to be determined by the balance of bivalve feeding and the deposition and sedi- ment regeneration of nutrients from particulate organic matter. In shallow-water environments, ben- thic and pelagic processes are closely coupled and water flow can regulate the supply of seston to the bivalves. In addition, such flow may regulate benthic-pelagic nutrient fluxes through mass transfer limitation and resuspension. We studied the interacting effects of juvenile oysters Crassostrea vir- ginica and bottom shear velocity on phytoplankton biomass and on nutrient regeneration in a series of three 4 wk long comparative experimental ecosystem experiments. All mesocosms had a 1000 l water volume, a 1 m 2 sediment surface area, and a 1 m water-column depth, and the same realistic water-column mixing (turbulence intensity 1 cm s -1 ). The systems included a multi-component meso- cosm with moderate bottom shear velocity (0.6 cm s -1 ) and 2 standard cylindrical tanks with an unre- alistically low bottom shear velocity (0.1 cm s -1 ). Oysters shifted processes to the sediments by decreasing phytoplankton biomass without stimulating additional blooms and by increasing light penetration to the bottom. Through complex and indirect relationships, the interaction of oysters and enhanced shear velocity significantly affected microphytobenthos biomass. Light, as enhanced by the oyster feeding on phytoplankton, increased microphytobenthos biomass; a moderate bottom- shear velocity eroded the biomass. Microphytobenthos biomass decreased nutrient regeneration from the sediments to the water column and may have implications for water quality in low-energy parts of shallow-water estuaries such as Chesapeake Bay. Enhanced bottom shear in more energetic parts of shallow estuaries negatively affects microphytobenthos biomass and may increase nutrient regeneration from the sediments.


Inherent to one-dimensional numerical models are the assumptions that hydraulic parameters can be assigned a characteristic average value, and that the flow is gradually varied so that the equations of motion can be applied between designated cross sections. The difficulty with gravel-bed streams begins with their lack of uniformity both in the lateral and longitudinal directions. Another problem is the lack of a generally applicable sediment transport function, and the collection of field data to verify a sediment transport function ranges from difficult to impossible. As a result, more careful attention to numerical model input must be exercised, and more judgment must be applied when interpreting calculated results.


New ignition delay time (IDT) data for stoichiometric natural gas (NG) blends composed of C1 – C5 n-alkanes with methane as the major component were recorded using a high pressure shock tube (ST) at reflected shock pressures (p5) and temperatures (T5) in the range 20–30 bar and 1000–1500 K, respectively. The good agreement of the new IDT experimental data with literature data shows the reliability of the new data at the conditions investigated. Comparisons of simulations using the NUI Galway mechanism (NUIGMech1.0) show very good agreement with the new experimental results and with the existing data available in the literature. Empirical IDT correlation equations have been developed through multiple linear regression analyses for these C1 – C5 n-alkane/air mixtures using constant volume IDT simulations in the pressure range pC = 10–50 bar, at temperatures TC = 950–2000 K and in the equivalence ratio (φ) range 0.3–3.0. Moreover, a global correlation equation is developed using NUIGMech1.0, to predict the IDTs for these NG mixtures and other relevant data available in the literature. The correlation expression utilized in this study employs a traditional Arrhenius rate form including dependencies on the individual fuel fraction, TC, φ and pC.


This paper develops and tests a model of how country characteristics, such as legal protections for minority investors, and the level of economic and financial development, influence firms' costs and benefits in implementing measures to improve their own governance and transparency. The model focuses on an entrepreneur who needs to raise funds to finance the firm's investment opportunities and who decides whether or not to invest in better firm-level governance mechanisms to reduce agency costs. We show that, for a given level of country investor protection, the incentives to adopt better governance mechanisms at the firm level increase with a country's financial and economic development. When economic and financial development is poor, the incentives to improve firm-level governance are low because outside finance is expensive and the adoption of better governance mechanisms is expensive. Using firm-level data on international corporate governance and transparency ratings for a large sample of firms from around the world, we find evidence consistent with this prediction. Specifically, we show that (1) almost all of the variation in governance ratings across firms in less developed countries is attributable to country characteristics rather than firm characteristics typically used to explain governance choices, (2) firm characteristics explain more of the variation in governance ratings in more developed countries, and (3) access to global capital markets sharpens firm incentives for better governance, but decreases the importance of home-country legal protections of minority investors.


Background Histidyl-transfer RNA synthetase (HisRS) is a major autoantigen in myositis with lung involvement1–4. Simultaneous presence of anti-HisRS and anti-Ro52 antibodies has been demonstrated in patients with myositis5–7. Objectives We investigated the presence of HisRS in the extracellular compartments plasma, sera and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL). In addition, the occurrence of anti-HisRS antibody isotypes as well as other auto-reactivities was evaluated in BAL and sera from patients with myositis. Methods HisRS was measured in sera, plasma and BAL from myositis (anti-HisRS antibody positive, anti-Jo1+ and negative, anti-Jo1-), sarcoidosis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy controls (HC) by dot-blot, western-blot, immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry. The presence in BAL and sera of anti-Jo1 isotypes and other ANA-associated autoantibodies was analysed by ELISA and addressable laser bead immunoassay. Results HisRS was detected in sera, plasma and BAL of patients with myositis, sarcoidosis and RA and in HC. HisRS systemic levels were elevated in anti-Jo1+ myositis (14 out of 20 sera) compared to anti-Jo1- myositis (10/18), sarcoidosis (0/8) and RA (3/15) patients, and HC (5/23). In BAL, significant levels of HisRS were detected in 6/8 HC and 5/8 sarcoidosis, compared to 4/8 myositis (2 anti-Jo1+ and 2 anti-Jo1-). Our results demonstrated the presence of a factor in BAL with high binding capacity for HisRS and HisRS complexed with anti-HisRS-N-terminal antibody. C1q-binding immune complexes (IC) containing HisRS were not the binding factor. However, anti-Jo1 isotypes as well as anti-Ro52 IgG were identified in both BAL (5/8 patients were positive for anti-Jo1 IgG, 3/8 for anti-Jo1 IgA, 3/8 for anti-Jo1 IgM and 4/8 for anti-Ro52 IgG) and sera (5/8 for anti-Jo1 IgG, 3/8 for anti-Jo1 IgA, 4/8 for anti-Jo1 IgM and 3/8 for anti-Ro52 IgG) from patients with myositis. Furthermore, a positive correlation between the presence of anti-Jo1 IgG and anti-Ro52 IgG in BAL was identified (r2=0,881; p=0,007). Conclusions HisRS was detected both in blood and BAL fluid. The identification of extracellular HisRS, anti-Jo1 isotypes and anti-Ro52 in myositis BAL may provide additional clues for the development of autoimmunity in the lungs. References Bernstein RM., et al. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1984 Jul 21;289(6438):151–2; Marguerie C., et al. Q J Med. 1990 Oct;77(282):1019–38; Hervier B., et al. Eur Respir J. 2013 Nov;42(5):1271–82; Hamaguchi Y., et al. PLoS One. 2013;8(4):e60442; La Corte R., et al. Autoimmunity. 2006 May;39(3):249–53; Brouwer R., et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2001 Feb;60(2):116–23; Rutjes SA., et al. Clin Exp Immunol. 1997 Jul;109(1):32–40. Disclosure of Interest None declared


This paper critically examines initial applications of Behavioural Economics (BE) to policymaking. It focuses primarily but not exclusively on what can be learnt from the early adopters of policies inspired by BE, notably America and Britain. BE is defined by its inductive scientific approach to economics, which can produce empirical demonstrations that are persuasive to policymakers facing practical problems. The analysis identifies three routes via which BE has influenced policy: (1) the theory of libertarian paternalism ("nudges"), (2) the provision of toolkits for policymakers seeking behavioural change, and (3) the expansion of the skill-set of applied economists (and scientists in related disciplines). The effectiveness of each route is assessed, in terms of the likelihood of successfully integrating scientific advances with policy development. The analysis concludes that (3) is the only route that can adapt to the ongoing and rapid evolution of what is a young science. Successful policy development is more likely where there is expert input and the capacity to engage in applied experimentation, piloting and evaluation. The implication is that countries, including Ireland, are more likely to reap the benefits of BE if they create an active and effective interface between applied economists and policymakers.


The osteoporosis associated with human hyperthyroidism has traditionally been attributed to elevated thyroid hormone levels. There is evidence, however, that thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which is low in most hyperthyroid states, directly affects the skeleton. Importantly, Tshr-knockout mice are osteopenic. In order to determine whether low TSH levels contribute to bone loss in hyperthyroidism, we compared the skeletal phenotypes of wild-type and Tshr-knockout mice that were rendered hyperthyroid. We found that hyperthyroid mice lacking TSHR had greater bone loss and resorption than hyperthyroid wild-type mice, thereby demonstrating that the absence of TSH signaling contributes to bone loss. Further, we identified a TSH-like factor that may confer osteoprotection. These studies suggest that therapeutic suppression of TSH to very low levels may contribute to bone loss in people.


Since China adopted its 'open door' policy in 1978, which altered its development strategy from self-sufficiency to active participation in the world market, its goal has remained unchanged: to assist the readjustment of China's economy, to coordinate its modernization programs, and to improve its quality of life. With the 1997 launch of the 'Going Global' policy, an outward focus regarding foreign investment was added, to circumvent trade barriers and improve the competitiveness of Chinese firms. In order to accommodate inward and outward investment, China's participation in the international investment regime has underpinned its efforts to join multilateral investment-related legal instruments and conclude international investment agreements.

This collection, compiled by award-winning scholar Professor Julien Chaisse, explores the three distinct tracks of China's investment policy and strategy: bilateral agreements including those with the US and the EU; regional agreements including the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific; and global initiatives, spear-headed by China's presidency of the G20 and its 'Belt and Road initiative'. The book's overarching topic is whether these three tracks compete with each other, or whether they complement one another - a question of profound importance for the country's political and economic future and world investment governance.


The EU Commission suggests to exclude CEC from the dynamic modulation mechanism, being part of the MTR package. This article looks at the distributional aspects of including the CEC into dynamic modulation. Under the current accession proposal the CEC would account for only 18% of the rural development budget by 2006. If modulation would be realised with the CEC being excluded this share would drop to 14% by 2010. According to the criteria proposed by the Commission for the distribution of the modulation budget the CEC would get a higher share of the modulation budget if they were included as they account for high shares in agricultural area and employment, and their GDP per capita is relatively low. Based on the assumptions made for this article they would be eligible for about 66% of the modulation budget. As a result of their participation in the modulation mechanism their share in the rural development budget would be at 30% by 2010. The financial net gains for the CEC from participation are estimated to be at 1.7 bln. €.


This edition of A Continent Transformed provides a readable, entertaining and scientifically grounded account of the fate of the Australian bush since the arrival of the Aborigines more than 40,000 years ago.

Have you ever wondered why the bush you love is changing or disappearing? How did it become the way it is? How can you help it have a future? Creative strategies for ensuring the future of Australia's wonderful bush are presented for all the interactions discussed, and these possibilities range from the local to the cosmic.

The past, present, and future interactions between the bush (and its native plant species) and farmers, foresters, gardeners, bushwalkers, pyromaniacs, and introduced organisms are the subject of this book. While A Continent Transformed includes a thorough appraisal of the harm that has often arisen from human impact, it nevertheless has a positive framework.

This is a fully revised and updated version of the original text of A Continent Transformed, with new chapters on the recovery of threatened species and the future of the bush. This book will continue to be read widely by students in biogeography, ecology, and the environmental sciences. For those interested in the Australian bush and its conservation, there is much in A Continent Transformed that will challenge and entertain.


BACKGROUND
Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) primarily sort into 3 genera: Alphapapillomavirus (α-HPV), predominantly isolated from mucosa, and Betapapillomavirus (β-HPV) and Gammapapillomavirus (γ-HPV), predominantly isolated from skin. HPV types might infect body sites that are different from those from which they were originally isolated.

METHODS
We investigated the spectrum of HPV type distribution in oral rinse samples from 2 populations: 52 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive men and women and 317 men who provided a sample for genomic DNA for a prostate cancer study. HPV types were detected with the MY09/MY11 and FAP59/64 primer systems and identified by dot blot hybridization and/or direct sequencing.

RESULTS
Oral rinse specimens from 35 (67%) of 52 HIV-positive individuals and 117 (37%) of 317 older male participants tested positive for HPV DNA. We found 117 type-specific HPV infections from the HIV-positive individuals, including 73 α-HPV, 33 β-HPV, and 11 γ-HPV infections; whereas, the distribution was 46 α-HPV, 108 β-HPV, and 14 γ-HPV infections from 168 type-specific infections from the 317 male participants.

CONCLUSIONS
The oral cavity contains a wide spectrum of HPV types predominantly from the β-HPV and γ-HPV genera, which were previously considered to be cutaneous types. These results could have significant implications for understanding the biology of HPV and the epidemiological associations of HPV with oral and skin neoplasia.


Getting to the heart of primary education: six contrasting studies of teachers, teaching, learning and classroom discourse, all set in a historical frame. Contains extended lesson transcripts for re-analysis. The five studies in this book span the tumultuous period from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s. This was a time when the dominant educational ideas and practices of the previous two decades were being questioned and primary teachers were being catapulted from the Plowden era into the very different ethos of the National Curriculum. The first four studies portray the ideas, practices and dilemmas of primary teaching at different points during this period. They also exemplify different approaches to classroom research, though all of them stay close to the interactions between teacher and child which are central to learning. They thus raise educational questions which are perennial and fundamental, rather than tied to policy or fashion. The final study uses a broader brush to provide a historical framework for understanding the particular blend of change and continuity which characterises English primary education as a whole.


Although cyclic animal dynamics have long been a focus of scientific interest, the variable cycle lengths are poorly understood. Based on a review of the literature, we suggest that period length in animals showing multiannual cycles is related to the life span of their food plant rather than to any trait of the animal, such as mass or fecundity. We envisage that this pattern is brought about by a prolonged mobilization of induced defenses in longer lived plants, which can better afford periods of low reproductive output than can short-lived plants. On the basis of this hypothesis we expect animals with similar diets to show similar cycle lengths, irrespective of taxonomy and size. A path analysis, on the vertebrate herbivores, shows that 92% of the variation in cycle length is explained by food-plant longevity and that body mass adds little to this.


Ecopoetics has to do with the realisation of the relationship between human beings and the biosphere. It reflects on what it might mean to dwell with the earth. Before one's country can become accepted as a dwellilng place for the writer's imagination, it must first be discerned, experienced, expressed, and as it were fully engaged. The foreignness of the Australian environment as envisaged by the early European settlers, together with the exploitive ideology of colonialism, proved challenging for colonial writers such as Charles Harpur who felt a sense of connection to the place.This paper examines Harpur's work to determine if it qualifies as ecopoetics as understood in recent studies of literature in relation to the environment. It also seeks to establish his work as a resource for current environmental thinkers, as a point of reference for the consideration of the pre-colonial communicative exchange with this land. His emphasis is on vision: both in a temporal and a transcendental sense.


ABSTRACT A consequence of shifting from a centralised to a decentralised market in China is the growing demand for legislation to regulate relationships between different market players. A system of consumer law is necessary to govern the dealings between business operators and consumers. In response to this need, a national consumer statute as well as statutes in other areas have been enacted to deal with various aspects of consumer protection. This paper discusses the roles of the relevant pieces of legislation in protecting consumers in China. This paper also discusses the recent developments in the Chinese consumer law under the revised criminal legislation and the consolidated contract statute, and their implications for investors. JEL: K39 Keywords: Business; China; Competition; Consumer protection; Contract law, Criminal law; Product quality I. INTRODUCTION There is a saying among foreign business operators that, even selling sewing needles, you can still make a fortune in China, if everyone buys one needle from you. This statement suggests the magnitude of the Chinese consumer market. China has nearly a quarter of the world's population. With its 1.25 billion people, all potential consumers, China has become a substantial world market. In addition to the huge population, China's market-oriented economic reform, its on-going open door policy for foreign investment, and its forthcoming entry to the World Trade Organisation is bringing about a blossoming of the commodity market. However, even under these favourable trading conditions, not all investments in China warrant a rich return. Instead some have suffered from crushing failure. One explanation for this is that foreign investors are unfamiliar with the legal environment in China, and are not aware of the growth of the Chinese consumer movement. Consumer protection is a relatively new area of law in China. In spite of its profound impact on traders in the Chinese market place, the study of Chinese consumer law is not popular amongst western scholars. Very little has been written in a foreign language about the legislation protecting consumers, even though it is part of the overall Chinese legal reform. (1) The primary aims of this paper are to increase foreign investors' awareness of legal protection of consumers in China, and to generate discussion in this area of law amongst foreign scholars. With these goals in mind, the paper is divided into four parts. In part one, the paper briefly discusses the major Chinese legislation relevant to consumer protection, such as the General Principles of Civil Law, the Product Quality Law, the Unfair Competition Law, the Advertising Law, and the Consumer Protection Law. In part two, the paper focuses on examining aspects of consumerism in recent enactments, namely, The Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China, and The Contract Law of the People's Republic of China. In part three, the paper discusses the implications of the Chinese consumer law and its latest developments for business operators. The final part submits that these legislations all have a distinct role in the consumer protection movement. They supplement rather than replace each other. II. THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF CHINESE CONSUMER PROTECTION--AN OVERVIEW The theory of consumer protection does not have a long history in contemporary China. This is partly because the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949 brought about a major change to the structure of the Chinese economy. From 1949 to 1978, the Chinese government adopted a model of planned economy, where the State controlled production and distribution of all commodities. (2) Since the government purchased all production from manufacturers, the latter were not concerned with profit-making. Furthermore, there was no incentive for business operators to behave unethically or dishonestly to obtain greater profits. …


Kiwiberry [Actinidia arguta (Siebold et Zucc.) Planch. ex Miq.] is – just like the green (Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa) and yellow (A. chinensis var. chinensis) kiwifruit – a fast-growing, deciduous climbing plant that requires adequate fertilizer management for optimum orchard production. However, compared with kiwifruit, very little is known about the fertilization needs of this crop. Since kiwiberry is gaining importance worldwide, a project was started at four mature orchards in Belgium and the Netherlands with a focus on the mineral status of kiwiberry plants. During two growing seasons, visual deficiency symptoms were recorded and the mineral composition of the first basal leaves on fruiting canes was monitored for three cultivars, 'Geneva', 'Weiki' and 'Issai'. We then assessed how these data correlated with each other and whether they were related to soil parameters. Additionally, the mineral composition of the fruits was determined and linked to fruit quality, which was evaluated by storage tests. Sufficiency ranges were set up for kiwiberry leaf composition based on hundreds of foliar analyses for three different timeframes during the growing season: pre-flowering, from flowering until 50 days after full flowering, and from 50 days after full flowering until harvest. The data showed that, in comparison with green and yellow kiwifruit, kiwiberry has a tendency to have higher B, higher Cl, and lower Zn levels in its leaves. Moreover, kiwiberry appeared to be very sensitive to Mn deficiency. Clear varietal differences were observed in the leaves for Mg and P. Sufficiency ranges are important to evaluate foliar analyses and, by consequence, the mineral status of kiwiberry orchards. Although the mineral fruit composition at harvest varied significantly depending on the location, Ca consistently played a key role in the storability of the berries. However, besides Ca, the ratios with, inter alia, K, Mg and N were also important.


In this study maximum-likelihood, supervised classification along with post-classification change detection was applied to satellite images for 1986, 1989, 1996, 2001, and 2009, in order to map land-cover changes within the Apodi Valley region of northeastern Brazil. The supervised classification was carried out on the six reflective bands and ground truthed. The classification results were then further refined using ancillary data, visual interpretation and expert knowledge of the area along with GIS. Post-classification change detection then generated a change image in the form of cross-tabulations. Fifteen land cover classes existed within the area, and reclamation processes during the 1990's changed them substantially, with conflicting changes being caused primarily by lack of both stability and consistency in the government's land use policies. The result was extensive vegetation degradation and water logging in parts of the study area.


The definition of Lutembacher's syndrome has undergone many changes. It refers to combination of congenital Atrial Septal Defect with acquired mitral stenosis. Lutembacher's syndrome is a very rare disease and in the past, it has been either overdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Here, we will discuss a case of a pregnant lady who developed breathlessness during her third trimester of pregnancy and on detailed examination and investigation, she was found to be having Lutembacher's syndrome.


The films of Andrei Tarkovsky have been revered as ranking on a par with the masterpieces of Russia's novelists and composers. His work, from films such as Ivan's "Childhood", "Andrei Rublev", "Solaris", "Mirror", "Nostalgia and Sacrifice", has had an enormous influence on the style of contemporary European film, with its open narrative structures and slow, pensive mood; yet Tarkovsky has remained an elusive subject for reflection and analysis. This book is a comprehensive, well-illustrated and much-needed account of Tarkovsky's entire film output. Robert Bird's analysis is centred around a detailed account of Tarkovsky's technique, which provides the best interpretive guide to both the director's films and his theoretical speculations. Integrating his idiosyncratic ideas with his films' irresistible sensuality, Bird highlights Tarkovsky's fascination with the elusive correlation between cinematic representation and the more primeval perception of the world. The book examines Tarkovsky's films elementally, grouping them into four sections: Water, Fire, Earth, and Air.It also discusses Tarkovsky's works for the radio, theatre and opera, and how he was in addition an accomplished actor, screenwriter, film theorist and diarist. The author's claim, however, is that Tarkovsky was a filmmaker before all else, and this book examines what Tarkovsky's cinema reveals about the medium in which he worked. A thorough yet accessible study, with a wealth of images including stills from films as well as the director and crew on set, this book will be of interest to all fans of Tarkovsky, students of film studies, and readers interested in European and Russian cinema.


Plant responses to herbivory and links to belowground nitrogen cycling were investigated at Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota. Laboratory estimates of net nitrogen mineralization were highest in soils from the more altered areas of prairie dog colonies (Cynomys ludovicianus) and lowest in the adjacent, lightly grazed, uncolonized grassland. The ratio of CO2: net nitrogen mineralized, an index of immobilization, was highest in the uncolonized grassland and lowest in the altered core areas. Soil moisture was an important modifier of in situ field estimates of net nitrogen mineralization. Root biomass, an important carbon source for decomposers in perennial grasslands, was lowest in the altered core area and highest in the adjacent uncolonized grassland. Decreased nitrogen immobilization and increased net nitrogen mineralization in the laboratory in- cubations likely resulted from decreased root carbon inputs in grazed areas, which limited carbon availability to decomposers. Such increases in plant-available nitrogen may partially explain the frequently reported grazing-induced increases in shoot nitrogen concentrations. These studies suggest that carbon allocation to roots is a key link determining nitrogen- cycling responses to herbivory.


Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) combustion has attracted considerable interest in recent years as a new combustion concept for internal combustion engines. On the other hand, two combustion concepts proposed for two-cycle spark-ignition (SI) engines are Active Thermo-Atmosphere Combustion (ATAC) and Activated Radical (AR) combustion. The authors undertook this study to examine the similarities and differences between HCCI combustion and ATAC (AR) combustion. Differences in the low-temperature oxidation reaction behavior between these two combustion processes were made clear using one test engine.


The involvement of service users in the education of healthcare students is an important aspect of modern clinical training both at undergraduate and postgraduate level (Department of Health, 2001). Available literature pertaining to the effectiveness of involvement in psychology training and education however is scarce (Townend, Tew, Grant & Repper, 2008). This thesis, presented in three parts, begins to address this dearth of research.
Part one presents a review of the literature on the methods and measures used to evaluate service user involvement in the training and education of healthcare professionals. Structured using 'Kirkpatrick's framework for evaluation' (Kirkpatrick, 1994), the review highlights that research has predominantly used single-group, retrospective designs, with systematic, experimental designs employed less often. The review concludes that a significant limitation of the evidence base is the use of study-specific outcome measures without established reliability and validity.
Part two is an empirical paper which investigates the effects of service user involvement on student empathy in an undergraduate and postgraduate psychology population. The paper also describes the development and psychometric evaluation of the Initial Assessment Questionnaire (Cabourne, Holford, Scior & Stott, 2010), used to assess the second research question: whether service user involvement influences student attitudes towards factors considered important when meeting with a service user for the first time within a clinical context.
Finally, part three presents a critical appraisal of the current research. Conceptual and methodological issues are discussed as well as implications for future research and training opportunities.


Short time work (STW) policies provide subsidies for hour reductions to workers in firms experiencing temporary shocks. They are the main policy tool used to support labor hoarding during downturns, and were aggressively used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, very little is known about their employment and welfare consequences. This paper leverages unique administrative social security data from Italy and quasi-experimental variation in STW policy rules to offer evidence on the effects of STW on firms' and workers' outcomes during the Great Recession. Our results show large and significant negative effects of STW treatment on hours, but large and positive effects on headcount employment. We then analyze whether these positive employment effects are welfare enhancing, distinguishing between temporary and more persistent shocks. We first provide evidence that liquidity constraints and rigidities in wages and hours may make labor hoarding inefficiently low without STW. Then, we show that adverse selection of low productivity firms into STW reduces the long-run insurance value of the program and creates significant negative reallocation effects when the shock is persistent.


OBJECTIVE
To study the phenotype characteristics of the largest to date cohort of patients with pediatric granulomatous arthritis (PGA) and documented mutations in the NOD2 gene.

METHODS
We analyzed merged data from 2 prospective cohorts of PGA patients, the International PGA Registry and a Spanish cohort. A systematic review of the medical records of interest was performed to identify phenotype characteristics.

RESULTS
Forty-five patients with PGA (23 sporadic cases and 22 from familial pedigrees) and documented NOD2 mutations were identified and formed the basis of the study. Of these 45 patients, 18 had the R334W-encoding mutation, 18 had R334Q, 4 had E383K, 3 had R587C, 1 had C495Y, and 1 had W490L. The majority of patients manifested the typical triad of dermatitis, uveitis, and arthritis. In contrast, in 13 patients, the following "atypical" manifestations were noted: fever, sialadenitis, lymphadenopathy, erythema nodosum, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, transient neuropathy, granulomatous glomerular and interstitial nephritis, interstitial lung disease, arterial hypertension, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, pericarditis, pulmonary embolism, hepatic granulomatous infiltration, splenic involvement, and chronic renal failure. In addition, 4 individuals who were asymptomatic carriers of a disease-causing mutation were documented.

CONCLUSION
NOD2-associated PGA can be a multisystem disorder with significant visceral involvement. Treating physicians should be aware of the systemic nature of this condition, since some of these manifestations may entail long-term morbidity.


About seventy years after the death of Jesus, John of Patmos sent visionary messages to Christians in seven cities of western Asia Minor. These messages would eventually become part of the New Testament canon, as The Book of Revelation. What was John's message? What was its literary form? Did he write to a persecuted minority or to Christians enjoying the social and material benefits of the Roman Empire? In search of answers to these penetrating questions, Thompson critically examines the language, literature, history, and social setting of the Book of the Apocalypse. Following a discussion of the importance of the genre apocalypse, he closely analyses the form and structure of the Revelation, its narrative and metaphoric unity, the world created through John's visions, and the social conditions of the empire in which John wrote. He offers an unprecedented interpretation of the role of boundaries in Revelation, a reassessment of the reign of the Emperor Domitian, and a view of tribulation that integrates the literary vision of Revelation with the reality of the lives of ordinary people in a Roman province. Throughout his study, Thompson argues that the language of Revelation joins the ordinary to the extra-ordinary, earth to heaven, and local conditions to supra-human processes.


Wearable computing continues to attract researchers' interests. In particular, the combination of biomedical applications and sensor networks has been in major focus, especially in the field of real-time health care monitoring. Various connection mediums have been proposed for such platforms. This includes wired and wireless communication schemes. The inconvenience of interconnecting sensors through wires, however, not only induces high maintenance costs, but also may limits the freedom of human activity. Utilizing wireless biosensors nodes removes such unnatural wire constraints. Yet, employing wireless sensors in the close proximity to the human body may introduce a new set of limitations. The goal of this work is to study how the human body affects the quality of the wireless links between nodes. Unlike wire connections, wireless connections are unstable and vulnerable to noise from environment. Throughout our experiments, we attach sensor nodes to different parts of the body and monitor the packet reception rate between various nodes. We envision that the experimental results can be used to assist designers construct reliable and efficient wireless wearable computing setups for related biomedical studies. Index Terms – Sensor Networks, Wearable Computing.


The Sanjiang metallogenic belt includes a variety of economically important carbonate-hosted Pb-Zn deposits that share some similarities with classic Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) ore deposits but are hosted within a thrust belt rather than an orogenic foreland. This study aims to clarify the origin of mineralizing fluids responsible for this style of mineralization. Fluid inclusions trapped in ore-stage carbonate and fluorite from these deposits have salinities of ~6 to 28 wt % NaCl equiv and homogenization temperatures of 70° to 370°C that extend to much higher values than are typical of MVT deposits. The majority of ore-stage samples have fluid inclusion molar Br/Cl ratios of between seawater (1.5 × 10 −3 ) and (2.86 ± 0.04) × 10 −3 , but low-salinity fluid inclusions in late calcite have lower Br/Cl of less than (0.55 ± 0.01) × 10 −3 . In contrast, fluid inclusion molar I/Cl ratios are uniformly greater than the seawater value of ~0.8 × 10 −6 and extend from (2.1 ± 1.1) × 10 −6 to (506 ± 12) × 10 −6 . This range of Br/Cl and I/Cl values is similar to what has been reported for fluid inclusions in other MVT districts and together with the fluid salinity implies the ore-forming fluids had a dominant origin from basinal brines (e.g., sedimentary formation waters) formed by the subaerial evaporation of seawater; all the fluids were influenced by addition of organic Br and I derived from the sedimentary host rocks and some fluids were locally modified by interaction with evaporites producing low Br/Cl ratios. The fluid inclusions have 40 Ar/ 36 Ar ratios of up to 441 that are higher than the atmospheric value of 296 and typical of carbonate sedimentary rocks. The fluid inclusions have high concentrations of atmospheric 36 Ar and variable 129 Xe/ 36 Ar and 84 Kr/ 36 Ar ratios that are outside the range expected from mixing air and air-saturated water. These data are likely to reflect a complex fluid history involving acquisition of atmospheric ( 36 Ar, 84 Kr, 129 Xe) and radiogenic (e.g., 40 Ar ✼ ) noble gases trapped in sedimentary rocks and fractionation of these gases between water and hydrocarbons. The 3 He/ 4 He ratios of fluorite fluid inclusions range from a typical crustal value of 0.061 ± 0.004 to values of >0.7 Ra, indicating a minor component of mantle-derived 3 He. The fluids with the highest 3 He/ 4 He also have 4 He/ 40 Ar ✼ close to the mantle value, suggesting the 3 He could have been introduced by a volumetrically minor fluid of either magmatic or deep metamorphic origin ( 40 Ar ✼ = radiogenic 40 Ar). The new halogen and noble gas data are consistent with a model in which regional Pb-Zn mineralization formed by mixing two modified basinal brines that were transported through independent aquifers and fluid pathways to the sites of mineralization. A low-temperature brine contained organic Br, I, and H 2 S, and a high-temperature metal-rich brine (>370°C) that included a volumetrically minor magmato-metamorphic component was channeled up deeply penetrating thrust structures.


Generating highly accurate predictions for missing quality-of-service (QoS) data is an important issue. Latent factor (LF)-based QoS-predictors have proven to be effective in dealing with it. However, they are based on first-order solvers that cannot well address their target problem that is inherently bilinear and nonconvex, thereby leaving a significant opportunity for accuracy improvement. This paper proposes to incorporate an efficient second-order solver into them to raise their accuracy. To do so, we adopt the principle of Hessian-free optimization and successfully avoid the direct manipulation of a Hessian matrix, by employing the efficiently obtainable product between its Gauss-Newton approximation and an arbitrary vector. Thus, the second-order information is innovatively integrated into them. Experimental results on two industrial QoS datasets indicate that compared with the state-of-the-art predictors, the newly proposed one achieves significantly higher prediction accuracy at the expense of affordable computational burden. Hence, it is especially suitable for industrial applications requiring high prediction accuracy of unknown QoS data.


This article is a review article on the optimal Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling. The focus is on homogeneous Markov chains. This article first reviews the problem of finding the optimal transition matrix, which is defined to minimize the asymptotic variance of MCMC estimators. The article later reviews the locally optimal sampler (LOS), an MCMC sampling that performs local updates based on the optimal transition matrix. We conducted a simulation study to compare the LOS with the Metropolis–Hastings and the Gibbs Sampler. The LOS was shown to provide an improved rate of convergence over these two most popular sampling schemes. The implementation of the LOS requires only minor modifications in existing Gibbs sampling code. WIREs Comput Stat 2013. doi: 10.1002/wics.1265


This article presents the findings of a Bachelor of Social Work honours research project that explored the importance of theoretical knowledge and the relationship between theory and practice for social workers in the field of health in the ACT and surrounding NSW. The research used a qualitative research methodology to interview six social workers. This study found all participants were effectively linking theory to practice. Participants viewed theoretical knowledge as important to their work and could clearly explain how theory informed their practice. For these social workers, reflecting on practice and supervising students helped increase their awareness of the theoretical knowledge they integrated in their practice. The article considers what is unique about these social workers and how social work educators can encourage students to understand theory and use it to inform their practice.


Huntingtin-interacting protein 1 (HIP1) is a cofactor in clathrin-mediated vesicle trafficking. It was first implicated in cancer biology as part of a chromosomal translocation in leukemia. Here we report that HIP1 is expressed in prostate and colon tumor cells, but not in corresponding benign epithelia. The relationship between HIP1 expression in primary prostate cancer and clinical outcomes was evaluated with tissue microarrays. HIP1 expression was significantly associated with prostate cancer progression and metastasis. Conversely, primary prostate cancers lacking HIP1 expression consistently showed no progression after radical prostatectomy. In addition, the expression of HIP1 was elevated in prostate tumors from the transgenic mouse model of prostate cancer (TRAMP). At the molecular level, expression of a dominant negative mutant of HIP1 led to caspase-9–dependent apoptosis, suggesting that HIP1 is a cellular survival factor. Thus, HIP1 may play a role in tumorigenesis by allowing the survival of precancerous or cancerous cells. HIP1 might accomplish this via regulation of clathrin-mediated trafficking, a fundamental cellular pathway that has not previously been associated with tumorigenesis. HIP1 represents a putative prognostic factor for prostate cancer and a potential therapy target in prostate as well as colon cancers.


Flourishing from A.D. 1 to 700, the Recuay inhabited lands in northern Peru just below the imposing glaciers of the highest mountain chain in the tropics. Thriving on an economy of high-altitude crops and camelid herding, they left behind finely made artworks and grand palatial buildings with an unprecedented aesthetic and a high degree of technical sophistication. In this first in-depth study of these peoples, George Lau situates the Recuay within the great diversification of cultural styles associated with the Early Intermediate Period, provides new and significant evidence to evaluate models of social complexity, and offers fresh theories about life, settlement, art, and cosmology in the high Andes.Lau crafts a nuanced social and historical model in order to evaluate the record of Recuay developments as part of a wider Andean prehistory. He analyzes the rise and decline of Recuay groups as well as their special interactions with the Andean landscape. Their coherence was expressed as shared culture, community, and corporate identity, but Lau also reveals its diversity through time and space in order to challenge the monolithic characterizations of Recuay society pervasive in the literature today.Many of the innovations in Recuay culture, revealed for the first time in this landmark volume, left a lasting impact on Andean history and continue to have relevance today. The author highlights the ways that material things intervened in ancient social and political life, rather than being merely passive reflections of historical change, to show that Recuay public art, exchange, technological innovations, warfare, and religion offer key insights into the emergence of social hierarchy and chiefly leadership and the formation, interaction, and later dissolution of large discrete polities. By presenting Recuay artifacts as fundamentally social in the sense of creating and negotiating relations among persons, places, and things, he recognizes in the complexities of the past an enduring order and intelligence that shape the contours of history."


The world's oceans account for roughly 71 percent of the planet's surface and 99 percent of its livable volume. Any study of this huge habitat requires a solid foundation in the principles that underlie marine biology and physical and chemical oceanography, yet until now undergraduate textbooks have largely presented compilations of facts rather than explanations of principles. How the Ocean Works fills this gap, providing a concise and accessible college-level introduction to marine science that is also ideal for general readers.

 How are winds and currents driven? What is the dilemma of the two-layered ocean? Mark Denny explains key concepts like these in rich and fascinating detail. He explores early scientific knowledge of oceans, photosynthesis, trophic interactions and energy flow, and the impacts of human activities on marine and atmospheric systems. Focusing each chapter on a major topic and carefully explaining the principles and theory involved, Denny gives readers the conceptual building blocks needed to develop a coherent picture of the living ocean. How the Ocean Works is an indispensable resource that teaches readers how to think about the ocean--its biology, mechanics, and conservation.

 Provides a concise, up-to-date introduction to marine science

 Develops the conceptual basis needed to understand how the ocean works

 Explains fundamental principles and theory

 Includes color illustrations and informative diagrams

 Serves as a college textbook and a reference for general readers


This work characterized airborne particles generated from the weighing of bulk, multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the manual sanding of epoxy test samples reinforced with CNTs. It also evaluated the effectiveness of three local exhaust ventilation (LEV) conditions (no LEV, custom fume hood, and biosafety cabinet) for control of particles generated during sanding of CNT-epoxy nanocomposites. Particle number and respirable mass concentrations were measured using an optical particle counter (OPC) and a condensation particle counter (CPC), and particle morphology was assessed by transmission electron microscopy. The ratios of the geometric mean (GM) concentrations measured during the process to that measured in the background (P/B ratios) were used as indices of the impact of the process and the LEVs on observed concentrations. Processing CNT-epoxy nanocomposites materials released respirable size airborne particles (P/B ratio: weighing = 1.79; sanding = 5.90) but generally no nanoparticles (P/B ratio ∼1). The particles generated during sanding were predominantly micron sized with protruding CNTs and very different from bulk CNTs that tended to remain in large (>1 μm) tangled clusters. Respirable mass concentrations in the operator's breathing zone were lower when sanding was performed in the biological safety cabinet (GM = 0.20 μg/m3 compared with those with no LEV (GM = 2.68 μg/m3 or those when sanding was performed inside the fume hood (GM = 21.4 μg/m3; p-value < 0.0001). The poor performance of the custom fume hood used in this study may have been exacerbated by its lack of a front sash and rear baffles and its low face velocity (0.39 m/sec).


Then I talk about modeling in choral directing, there are no Dior turns or runways required. No need to summon your inner fashionista. Instead, modeling is a pedagogical method that prefers demonstration to description. You can model the way you want your choir to sound through gestures, through playing performances by other ensembles, with graphics, by singing the line the way you wish it to sound, and through metaphor and hyperbole. A quick Google search on "modeling in music education" will yield an ample supply of scholarly and practical information on the subject. My purpose is to pique your interest. Conductors traditionally communicate with the choir through conducting gestures to cue entries and shape the melodic line. However, we often find that our "signals" are either ignored or completely misunderstood by our singers. When that happens, the temptation for directors is to talk. We try to "talk" our singers into the desired outcome. And we spend a lot of time doing that. A study found that forty percent of the rehearsal time for choruses was spent in speech. Sad to say, the one who's wasting the time is generally the director. I'm talking about our futile attempts to convince the sopranos to lighten up, the altos to sing gracefully, the tenors to cease warbling, and the basses to find the right notes and sing in the octave we have in mind. When dealing with a volunteer choir, we often make our corrections indirectly to avoid singling out difficult singers. This expands the "talk ratio" and rarely fixes that problem in the second row. Directors often find themselves chattering to the choir about the music because they are frustrated--frustrated with seemingly irreparable intonation problems, persistent sluggish rhythms, and their own inability to get things moving forward. Here is where modeling can help. It replaces our exhortations with other forms of imagery and communication. Instead of telling the singers what to do, show them what to do. You can do this in several ways. Draw shape of the musical line with your hand. Demonstrate the line for your singers, making sure that you sing it both correctly and beautifully. If you have an excellent singer and are not afraid of jealousy breaking out in the ranks, you can ask that individual to model the point you are trying to make. Caveat: Never ever demonstrate what you don't want. It has been shown that the subconscious mind does not hear negations. When you tell your altos "Don't sing flat," the message that remains in their subconscious minds is "Sing flat." Definitely not the result you were after. It is enormously difficult to train yourself to use only positive directions and examples, but make the effort. Another form of modeling is listening to excellent examples. While you may go home and curl up with the Tallis Scholars or the monks of Solesmes, it is unlikely that many of your singers do so. Find a recording of something you are working on or of a model ensemble. Take a few minutes and play a section of the piece during rehearsal. Both you and your singers may believe that it would be impossible to imitate a professional performance. The goal, however, is not imitation; it is inspiration. The listening exercise gives your singers something to emulate. Modeling is not rote learning, because "rote" learning is teaching a work beyond the abilities of the ensemble and is imitation with no transfer of knowledge. Instead, modeling involves giving an example, which your singers can then use intelligently to improve their performance, not only of the specific passage but in other contexts. …


Clinical efficiency is a desirable objective for dental practitioners. We seek efficiency in several ways: we want to be able to provide a service using simple techniques, with the smallest number of materials and in the fewest number of steps possible; we want treatment to be resolved in the fewest number of office visits, with high long-term success rates and clinically simple, effective, and predictable re-treatment options. Fiber posts have provided advantages in all of these aspects. Traditional approaches to providing a post/core restoration have required at least 2 office visits for a cast post/core with concomitant anxiety about passivity of fit, or the insertion of prefabricated metal posts that offered the advantage of assured fit and 1-visit convenience, but still threaten tooth longevity because of inherently poor stress transfer properties


We propose solutions to two recurring problems in cross-national research: response style differences and language bias. In order to do so, we conduct a methodological comparison of two different response formats – rating and ranking. For rating, we assess the effect of changing the commonly used 5-point Likert scales to 7-point Likert scales. For ranking, we evaluate the validity of presenting respondents with short scenarios for which they need to rank their top 3 solutions. Our results based on two studies of 1965 undergraduate and 1714 MBA students in 16 different countries confirm our hypotheses that both solutions reduce response and language bias, but show that ranking generally is a superior solution. These findings allow researchers to have greater confidence in the validity of cross-national differences if these response formats are used, instead of the more traditional 5-point Likert scales. In addition, our findings have several practical implications for multinational corporations, relating to issues such as selection interviews, performance appraisals, and cross-cultural training.


Abstract The Nanga Parbat Massif (NPM), Pakistan Himalaya, is an exhumed tract of Indian continental crust and represents an area of active crustal thickening and exhumation. While the most effective way to study the NPM at depth is through seismic imaging, interpretation depends upon knowledge of the seismic properties of the rocks. Gneissic, 'mylonitic' and cataclastic rocks emplaced at the surface were sampled as proxies for lithologies and fabrics currently accommodating deformation at depth. Mineral crystallographic preferred orientations (CPO) were measured via scanning electron microscope (SEM)/electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), from which three-dimensional (3D) elastic constants, seismic velocities and anisotropies were predicted. Micas make the main contribution to sample anisotropy. Background gneisses have highest anisotropy (up to 10.4% shear-wave splitting, AVs) compared with samples exhibiting localized deformations (e.g. 'mylonite', 4.7% AVs; cataclasite, 1% AVs). Thus, mylonitic shear zones may be characterized by regions of low anisotropy compared to their wall rocks. CPO-derived sample elastic constants were used to construct seismic models of NPM tectonics, through which P-, S- and converted waves were ray-traced. Foliation orientation has dramatic effects on these waves. The seismic models suggest dominantly pure-shear tectonics for the NPM involving horizontal compression and vertical stretching, modified by localized ductile and brittle ('simple') shear deformations.


A variety of bacteriocins have been discovered, however there is limited information
on their physico-chemical, biochemical and genetic characteristics. This study was
carried out to isolate bacteriocinogenic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from local
fermented foods (Tempeh, Tapai Ubi and Tapai Pulut) and food condiment (Chili
Bo). Selected bacteriocinogenic isolates and the bacteriocins produced were then
characterized. The bacteriocins were purified using Fast Protein Liquid
Chromatography (FPLC). Among 55 isolates isolated from the fermented foods, 20 of
the isolates were able to produce bacteriocins in the range of 200-800 AU/ml
inhibitory activity. Bacteriocins produced by UL4, UB6 and GB5 were tested against
selected gram-positive and -negative pathogens. Isolate UL4, which produced the highest antagonistic activity against Pediococcus acidilactici, Enterococcus faecalis,
Enterococcus faecium and Listeria monocytogenes was selected for further
characterization. The isolate UL4 was identified as Lactobacillus plantarum I using
API 50 CHL test kit. Lb. plantarum I-UL4 is a gram-positive cocco-bacilli facultative
anaerobe. The maximum bacteriocin production of 800 AU/ml was achieved after 12
h incubation at 30°C in neutralized MRS medium. The bacteriocin UL4 was
characterized physico-chemically and classified as Class IT, heat stable bacteriocin,
since it was able to maintain 200 AU/ml bacteriocin activity after being autoclaved at
121°C for 15 min. Bacteriocin UL4 was also able to tolerate a broad pH range, from
acidic pH 2-5 to basic pH 7-8. Bacteriocin UL4 was suitable to be applied in
refrigerated foods due to its stability at temperature below 15°C for 45 days.


Steganography, known as the art of covert communication, entered digital world about ten years ago. After gaining special interest of research groups around the world, steganography and steganalysis are slowly reaching maturity. Images produced by digital cameras are typical multimedia carriers where hiding secrets has been studied deeply. They contain a large amount of randomness that is hard to distinguish from telltale signs of hidden and eventually encrypted messages. The security requirement in steganography ultimately means that no such detection method should exist that would be able to tell carriers with hidden messages from innocent ones with a significant reliability. Introduction of every new steganographic scheme spurred a number of publications on steganalysis of that scheme. Empirically determined secure capacities shrink with advances in steganalysis. A hope for finding general optimal solutions is narrow since they have to be tied to carrier models. To achieve undetectability, steganographers minimize the impact of message data embedding on the carrier in two ways, by content-aware embedding in various transform domains and by applying advanced coding techniques. While the first is a kind of an art that needs to undergo the scrutiny of steganalysis testing and validating, the second is much more of a mathematical science. Theoretical bounds on coding efficiency are known but hard to achieve in practical schemes. Thus, secure steganographic capacity is difficult to determine for multimedia carriers and remains to be an open issue. We are delighted to present five papers devoted to the above mentioned aspects of steganography and its counterpart, steganalysis. Fontaine and Galand prove the power of established structured codes in "How can ReedSolomon codes improve steganographic schemes." While syndrome coding in steganographic schemes tends to reduce distortion during embedding, Miche et al. in "Reliable Steganalysis Using a Minimum Set of Samples and Features" push sensitivity of universal steganalysis a step further and reduce secure capacities of any steganography a bit. "Steganography in 3D Geometries and Images by Adjacent Bin Mapping" presented by Wu and Dugelay introduces a new countermeasure to steganography detection through histogram characteristic function. JPEG compression format for images became the one that attracts steganographers the most. Rossi, Garzia, and Cusani return to the topic with "Peak-Shaped-Based Steganographic Technique for JPEG Images." Their novel model-based steganographic technique for JPEG images involves heuristic assumptions about the shape of the DCT frequency histograms, and finally, both aspects—coding and embedding operation—are merged in the design of a new scheme by Chao et al. described in "A Novel Image Data Hiding Scheme with Diamond Encoding." Our thanks belong to the authors and to all reviewers for their contribution to this journal. We hope that readers will find the papers interesting at least and that blank pages in steganography area will continue being filled.


A temporal rainfall analysis was carried out for the study area, Rajahmundry city located in lower Godavari basin, India, during the period 1960–2013. Both the parametric and non-parametric approaches were envisaged for identifying the trends at different temporal scales. Linear and robust regression analysis revealed a negative trend at weekly scale during monsoon months, but failed to signify the slope at 95% confidence level. The magnitude of Sen9s slope was observed to be negative during the months of April–September. Results of the Mann–Kendall test ascertained the negative rainfall trends during the monsoon months of June and July with a significant trend at 95% confidence interval. Application of robust statistics for long term rainfall analysis helped to address the outlier9s problem in the dataset. The Mann–Kendall test rejected the null hypothesis for all months except February–May and August after exclusion of outliers. Overall, a negative trend during monsoon season and a positive trend during post-monsoon season were observed using a robust non-parametric approach. Further, good correlation was found between the total rainfall and rainy days during the study period. On average, 21.25% days of a year is considered as rainy, while heavy and extreme rainfall in this region together occupies nearly 15% of the rainy days.


As a game designer or new media storyteller, you know that the story is everything. However, figuring out how to tell it interactively-and in a way that keeps your audience coming back for more-can be challenging. Here to help you out (and to open your mind to ever more creative ways of producing those stories) is the man who created the cult publication The Art of Computer Game Design and who has devoted much of his career to that very topic: Chris Crawford. To highlight the path for future gains in the quest for a truly interactive story, Chris provides a solid sampling of what doesn't work, contrasting unsuccessful methodologies with those that hold promise for the future. Throughout you'll find examples of contemporary games that rely on different technologies-and learn the storytelling lessons to be garnered from each of the past methodologies. Within the context of interactive storytelling, Chris explores ways of providing conflict and challenge, the difference between low- and high-interactivity designs, the necessity to move beyond purely visual thinking (so that the player is engaged on multiple levels), and more.


The environmental health of aquatic ecosystems is critical to society, yet traditional assessments of water quality have limited utility for some bodies of water such as large rivers. Sequencing of environmental DNA (eDNA) has the potential to complement if not replace traditional sampling of biotic assemblages for the purposes of reconstructing aquatic assemblages and, by proxy, assessing water quality. Despite this potential, there has been little testing of the ability of eDNA to reconstruct assemblages and their absolute and relative utility to infer water quality metrics. Here, we reconstruct phytoplankton communities by amplifying and sequencing DNA from a portion of the 23S rRNA region from filtered water samples along a 2900-km transect in the Mississippi River. Across the entire length, diatoms dominated the assemblage (72.6%) followed by cryptophytes (8.7%) and cyanobacteria (7.0%). There were no general trends in the abundances of these major taxa along the length of the river, but individual taxon abundance peaked in different regions. For example, the abundance of taxa genetically similar to Melosira tropica peaked at approximately 60% of all reads 2750 km upstream from the Gulf of Mexico, while taxa similar to Skeletonema marinoi began to increase below the confluence with the Missouri River until it reached approximately 30% of the reads at the Gulf of Mexico. There were four main clusters of samples based on phytoplankton abundance, two above the confluence with the Missouri and two below. Phytoplankton abundance was a poor predictor of NH4 + concentrations in the water, but predicted 61% and 80% of the variation in observed NO3 -and PO4 3-concentrations, respectively. Phytoplankton richness increased with increasing distance along the river, but was best explained by phosphate concentrations and water clarity. Along the Mississippi transect, there was similar structure to phytoplankton and bacterial assemblages, indicating that the two sets of organisms are responding to similar environmental factors. In all, the research here demonstrates the potential utility of metabarcoding for reconstructing aquatic assemblages, which might aid in conducting water quality assessments.


Export Processing Zones (EPZs) are areas within developing countries where business is offered special incentives and a barrier-free environment in order to promote economic growth by attracting foreign investment for export-oriented production. Most developing countries now have EPZs, and the number of zones, number of firms operating within them, and volume of business are growing rapidly. Yet studies of the EPZ phenomenon by business researchers are virtually non-existent, leading to poor understanding of its role in international marketing. This paper draws from the economics literature to provide an integrative review of the EPZ concept, discusses its importance for host nations and international business, and provides suggestions for future research.


The study presented in this thesis compared the effectiveness of two teaching frameworks: Presentation Practice Production (PPP) and Observe Hypothesise Experiment (OHE). The investigation was conducted in the context of teaching formulaic sequences with pragmatic functions, in this case procedural language for two communication strategies (stalling and circumlocution) to twenty upper-intermediate students enrolled on an International Foundation Programme (IFP) in a UK university. The focus of this study was on the following areas: a) the effect of explicit instruction on productive and receptive acquisition of chunks b) the comparison of the effect of the frameworks to teach the same chunks c) the students' views on the usefulness of the chosen formulaic sequences and their opinions on the frameworks employed. In order to address the notions in focus, a mixed-methods design was used. First, the participants who were already assigned to two intact classes, completed productive and receptive vocabulary pre-tests, next they received a 90-minute instruction on the chunks (with the use of either PPP or OHE), then they completed post-tests, and after two weeks a delayed test was distributed. The pre-test-treatment-post-test-delayed test design allowed an assessment of the effectiveness of the frameworks within each group and their comparison against each other. The use of questionnaires and focus groups permitted an enquiry into students' views on the teaching frameworks employed and their attitudes with regards to teaching the chunks used in this study, as well as other kinds of formulae with pragmatic functions. The results revealed that both types of instruction had a short-term impact on the students' productive knowledge and a sustained effect on their receptive knowledge. However, no significant difference between the effect of each framework upon receptive and productive knowledge of the target forms was found. The qualitative data revealed that the learners were positive towards instruction on formulaic language and emphasised the need for instruction on interpersonal language within the context of IFP. In terms of evaluation of the teaching frameworks, PPP students expressed more positive views on the activities, due to the presence of output practice. The students' strong views on the place of practice in ELT highlighted the need for defining effective practice in a given context.


Abstract To what extent is a drive to appropriate the world's oil a driving force behind American foreign policy? This paper argues that rather than viewing US foreign policy as driven by the expansionary forces of US oil companies seeking new reserves and markets, or by rising concern about levels of import dependence, it is more illuminating to ask how the broader nature of American geopolitics shapes policies towards international oil. The United States does seek to exercise a degree of influence over world oil second to none, but the form of that influence is very ambiguous and very different from the kinds of control over raw materials traditionally associated with imperial powers.


Cells exposed to repeated stretching along a unidirectional axis reinforce their actin stress fibers and reorient them to run perpendicular to the direction of strain. The two aspects of the response are regulated independently, report Yoshigi et al. (page 209).Numerous tissues are exposed to repeated mechanical strain and respond by reorganizing their cytoskeletons. Researchers hypothesize that stretch-responsive channels or cell adhesion sites may detect the mechanical force and control downstream changes.

Figure

After stretching (bottom), relocalization of zyxin to stress fibers helps reinforce them.

When cells were exposed to mechanical stress, zyxin, a prominent component of focal adhesions, relocalized to actin stress fibers. Zyxin redistribution occurred only when cells were grown on a matrix that allowed integrin engagement, but blocking stretch-activated channels had no effect on zyxin mobilization. Zyxin movement also caused a similar relocalization from focal adhesions to stress fibers of vasodilator-stimulated protein (VASP), which promotes actin polymerization.

In mouse fibroblasts lacking a functional zyxin gene, VASP localization did not shift in response to cyclic stretch, nor did the actin fibers become thickened, as compared with wild-type cells. Significantly, the fibers in the mutant cells were reoriented normally in response to stretch, illustrating that reorientation and reinforcement are mechanistically distinct processes.

It is not yet clear whether zyxin is a mechanosensor itself or is an early protein in the response pathway, but the results do show that focal adhesions are a key factor for detecting and responding to mechanical stress.


This paper shows a detail implementation and lessons learned from the Last Planner System (LPS) in the context of a social housing program of the government of Chile. Specifically the "Condominio Juanita Aguirre" (CJA) project in the commune of Conchali in Santiago, Chile, which includes the construction of 80 apartments of 56 m2, in buildings of 4 stories high on a contractual period of one year. We followed the trajectory from the general contractor perspective, Oval Company, which has extensive experience in the construction of social housing. This company has obtained highly variable projects results in the past, and thus the company decided to implement the Last Planner System (LPS) in the CJA project. This research measures the results of the implementation throughout the construction process. Additionally, we make a comparison against previous projects of similar characteristics built by the same company with traditional management systems. Finally, the research shows that CJA project achieved significant improvements compared to previous projects, in the areas of: construction schedule, construction costs, safety, and final quality of housing.


This research offers an ethnographic analysis of twelve German-Turkish women who are members and also active workers of Turkische Gemeinde in Deutschland (TGD) association. This thesis is the product of the twelve in depth interviews conducted in Berlin. This thesis aimed to focus on three major discourses of immigrant women on three major debates; 1) diversity in terms of heterogeneous identities, 2) integration of foreigners 3) Gender equality. The primal aim of conducting in depth interviews with the intent of pursuing the life stories of these women was to follow their own discursive constructions regarding their status of "being an immigrant" and also their ensuing floating discourses on "honor". The rationale for the focus upon participants associated with TGD was to attain discursive constructions of honor which circulate within a homogenous association where participants share the communal workplace, but espouse different life narratives while defining their discursive constructions. Through in depth interviews, two recurring motifs significantly appeared spontaneously in narratives of these women: virginity and headscarf. These two notions were paramount in almost every interviewee's identification with the image of the German- Turkish immigrant woman Since the main research methodology was to track discursive constructions of immigrants about gender and social role, the structure as well as findings of this study mirrors the structure of the participants' own narratives. The women's narratives provided the conceptual framework for this study which differed substantially from some of the essentialist points of view. Apart from homogenous attributes as TGD members and heterogeneous ones as immigrants, these Turkish Muslim women voiced a common opposition to the stereotyping of nationality, presenting Turks as "resistant" to integration. Participants of this research were also were adamant in their counter-position against the representation of the German-Turkish women by the German media. The main goal of this research is to allow these women to speak out as individuals who wish to construct their own identities and definitions of honor as opposed to being confined by stereotypes.


Often times, we specify tasks for a robot using temporal language that can also span different levels of abstraction. The example command ``go to the kitchen before going to the second floor'' contains spatial abstraction, given that ``floor'' consists of individual rooms that can also be referred to in isolation ("kitchen", for example). There is also a temporal ordering of events, defined by the word "before". Previous works have used Linear Temporal Logic (LTL) to interpret temporal language (such as "before"), and Abstract Markov Decision Processes (AMDPs) to interpret hierarchical abstractions (such as "kitchen" and "second floor"), separately. To handle both types of commands at once, we introduce the Abstract Product Markov Decision Process (AP-MDP), a novel approach capable of representing non-Markovian reward functions at different levels of abstractions. The AP-MDP framework translates LTL into its corresponding automata, creates a product Markov Decision Process (MDP) of the LTL specification and the environment MDP, and decomposes the problem into subproblems to enable efficient planning with abstractions. AP-MDP performs faster than a non-hierarchical method of solving LTL problems in over 95% of tasks, and this number only increases as the size of the environment domain increases. We also present a neural sequence-to-sequence model trained to translate language commands into LTL expression, and a new corpus of non-Markovian language commands spanning different levels of abstraction. We test our framework with the collected language commands on a drone, demonstrating that our approach enables a robot to efficiently solve temporal commands at different levels of abstraction.


The hospitality industry relies on front-line staff members to provide high quality service experiences to encourage repeat business. Unlike the manufacturing industry that separates the production of goods from the delivery to customers, professionals in the hospitality industry realize that customers evaluate their "product" through perceived service quality levels (Ottenbacher & Howley, 2005). Although types of service may differ, industry operators and researchers agree that both customer satisfaction and service quality are critical prerequisites for customer retention (Cronin & Taylor, 1992). Consistent service quality demands a workforce with strong emotional display management skills; however, displays of unfelt feelings, or "acting", can create intense emotional strain for service providers. This paper will examine the emotional labour pressures experienced by service workers and outline theoretical mitigating influences provided by high performance work practices (HPWP). Links will be drawn between decreased employee turnover, increased customer satisfaction and customer retention.


The Gromov-Hausdorff distance provides a metric on the set of isometry classes of compact metric spaces. Unfortunately, computing this metric directly is believed to be computationally intractable. Motivated by applications in shape matching and point-cloud comparison, we study a semidefinite programming relaxation of the Gromov-Hausdorff metric. This relaxation can be computed in polynomial time, and somewhat surprisingly is itself a pseudometric. We describe the induced topology on the set of compact metric spaces. Finally, we demonstrate the numerical performance of various algorithms for computing the relaxed distance and apply these algorithms to several relevant data sets. In particular we propose a greedy algorithm for finding the best correspondence between finite metric spaces that can handle hundreds of points.


Composite materials are made up of two or more materials on a macroscopic scale. Polymer matrix composites are plastics (resins) within which there are embedded fibres. The plastic is known as the matrix, and the fibres orientated within it are known as the reinforcement. The reinforcement tends to be stiffer and stronger than the matrix providing stiffness and strength. Reinforcement is laid in a particular direction, within the matrix, so that the resulting material will have different properties in different directions i.e. composites have anisotropic properties. This characteristic is exploited to optimise the design and provide high mechanical performance where it is needed


Geospatial thinking skills inform a host of library decisions including planning and managing facilities, analyzing service area populations, facility site location, library outlet and service point closures, as well as assisting users with their own geospatial needs. Geospatial thinking includes spatial cognition, spatial reasoning, and knowledge discovery. A lack of understanding of librarians' geospatial thinking called for some preliminary investigation into the geospatial thinking skills of information professionals. Findings from this pilot study's performance task indicate geospatial thinking skills improved for ten information professionals tested after some training with geospatial technologies. A summary provides recommendations on how to both improve future study of geospatial thinking and suggestions on ways to incorporate geospatial thinking into library and information science curricula.Keywords: geospatial thinking, information literacy, geographic information systems, global positioning systems, performance taskLearning to Think GeospatiallyIn 2010, the ALISE Statistical Report stated that 38 LIS programs reviewed specific curriculum areas and a variety of courses were added (Wallace & Naidoo, 2010). Over a dozen courses related to literacy were either added or experimental. Geoliteracy, or spatial literacy, has emerged as a type of information literacy that librarians of all types need to understand in that geospatial data are sources of information and according to ACRL (2000) users need to be taught how to determine, access, evaluate, incorporate, and use this type of information. Therefore, many librarians who in their roles as educators need to teach these critical literacies would benefit from some training.The skills necessary to navigate today's world of information have changed, resulting in new critical literacies that include spatial literacy as a vital skill for 21st century learners (AASL, 2007; Jenkins, 2006; Jewitt, 2008; Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2009). Geospatial thinking and spatial literacy education have been infused in the K-12 curriculum in the United States because of the need for future knowledge workers to understand geography and how geography relates to environmental and economic issues (de Blij, 2005; National Academies Press, 2006; Pullen & Cole, 2010). Spatial thinking, as part of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) initiatives prominent in education, promotes spatial reasoning as a way for students to learn critical thinking and decision-making skills to apply to real-world problems (de Blij, 2005; National Science Board, 2010; Pullen & Cole, 2010; Wai, Lubinski, & Benbow, 2009). As the movement to infuse geospatial thinking expands to higher education (Jo, Klein, Bednarz, & Bednarz, 2012; Lloyd, 2001; Sinton, 2009, 2010, 2011), there are implications for multiple types of librarians - not just those serving the K-12 community - as information professionals to understand the concepts of geospatial thinking and spatial literacy. Incorporating geographic competencies into training and courses to foster geospatial thinking across the LIS curriculum is necessary to enable librarians to assist and teach users how to use information effectively.The increasing presence of technology and digital information in our society has necessitated changes in the LIS curriculum to address the needs of today's information professional. LIS is an ever-changing field and the curriculum to prepare future information professionals is constantly evolving to address these changes. In recent years there have been many movements implemented in the LIS curriculum to integrate new concepts into coursework to provide a relevant curriculum. Some of these efforts include topics such as Web 2.0, leadership, digital libraries, archival studies, cultural heritage, museum informatics, and information architecture (Bawden et al., 2007; Choquette, 2009; Everhart & Dresang, 2006; Latham, 2000; Long, 201 1; Marty, 201 1; Marty & Twidale, 20 1 1 ; Spinks & Cool, 1 999). …


This doctoral thesis looks at Labour politics and society in South Yorkshire between the start of the Second World War in September 1939 and the fall from office of the Attlee Labour Government in October 1951. While it accepts the predominating effects of national and international factors in providing challenges which Labour councils and local Labour Parties had to find solutions to - such as the effects of the Sheffield Blitz in 1940 and the need to re-plan Sheffield and the maintaining of the organisational existence of Labour Parties during the Second World War - it nevertheless examines those 'micro-historical' factors which made for the local diversity of the party in South Yorkshire. It tries to create a holistic and rounded portrait of the local Labour movement based mainly on fragmentary archival and newspaper evidence and examines current historical debates for local relevance such as whether a post-war consensus actually existed, whether popular political attitudes were radical or conservative and, whether such popular attitudes favoured or disfavoured Labour. It also looks at Marxist debates over the concept of 'Labourism' and whether Labour was narrowly culturally determined or whether other factors were equally important. Chapter One introduces the thesis. Chapter Two examines the fears over the post-war industrial future of Sheffield which took place during the Second World War within the City Council and between it and organisations like the trade unions and the Chamber of Commerce. It also looks at City Council debates over the proposed post-war regionalisation of local government and how that was prevented by a united council. This shows that the centralising tendencies of the London government could be resisted by the peripheries and that such tendencies were not inevitable. Chapter Three examines town planning in Sheffield during the Second World War after the Blitz in December 1940 provided an opportunity to create a more modem, better planned and less ugly city. The planning process is examined and the secrecy of the City Council noted at a time when the country was fighting to defend an open and democratic society from the Nazis. Chapter Three also looks at the wartime context of the acute post-war housing crisis. Chapter Four looks at the wartime Labour Party in South Yorkshire, its ebb in membership prior to 1942 and its resurgence after that date ending with an examination of the 1945 General Election in Sheffield. Chapter Five looks at local government between 1945 and 1951, examining the factors which prevented the reform of the local structure of local government, the effect on Sheffield and Rotherham Councils of the nationalisation of electricity, gas and local authority hospitals, and the attempts to implement the Butler Education Act of 1944 in South Yorkshire. Chapter Six looks at the attempts to implement the 1945 Collie town plan for Sheffield and the reasons for the lack of progress as well as at the contrasting housing records of Sheffield and Rotherham Councils. It attempts to account for the latter's better record when compared with the former. Chapter Seven looks the ideology and cultural determinants of the Labour Party in South Yorkshire between 1945 and 1951. It also examines Labour organisation noting the essential role of women as unpaid voluntary labour and contrasting it with their limited entry to local political office. Finally it looks at and comments on the municipal and general election results in Sheffield of the Labour Party between 1945 and 1951. Chapter Eight provides a conclusion.


Give your patrons access to the digital content they need Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries is an essential guide to the challenges of acquiring, licensing, and managing the electronic access and use of books and journals. Medical librarians working in a variety of settings, including academic health centers, hospital libraries, and government health associations, provide entry-level, mid-career, and experienced librarians with comprehensive information and advice on dealing with electronic resources. This invaluable resource examines a wide range of issues, including collection development, pricing, open access, licensing, remote access, statistics, publisher liability, and the Semantic Web. As healthcare professionals, researchers, educators, and students rely more and more on digital content, medical libraries spend more and more time dealing with the complexities surrounding the use of e-resources. Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries examines the issues they face everyday, including the shift from print to electronic materials, off-campus and cross-campus access, usage statistics, journal pricing, open-access publishing, licensing, collection development, and much more. Topics addressed in Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries include: how to negotiate consortial packages how to use an electronic resource management (ERM) system how to create a portal to share electronic resources how to consolidate costs and provide wide access how open access affects pricing how to establish and maintain access to licensed e-resources how to develop a combined e-journal Web page how off-campus students interact with a full-service document delivery option for electronic journals how to integrate e-resources into an online catalog how to apply emerging Semantic Web technologies to digital libraries and much more Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries is an invaluable professional guide for medical and academic librarians, and a helpful classroom resource for faculty and students in library schools.


Nursing aesthetics belong to the broader school of aesthetics, a branch of philosophy, as well as the nursing arts, an element of professional nursing. The philosophy of aesthetics recognizes the connection between an author and appreciators and identifies both substantive and abstract aesthetic experiences in interpersonal communication through the fine arts. Nursing aesthetics values the meaningful moments of patients, is sensitive to the influences of different circumstances and situations, and appreciates the unique qualities of humanness. Nursing aesthetics is emancipatory knowledge and involves empirical, ethical and personal knowing. The article is based on a search of OvidSP and Chinese Electronic Periodical Services (CEPS) database references using key words including aesthetic, aesthetics, art of nursing, or nursing aesthetics as well as a review of books related to aesthetics, knowledge construction, and nursing aesthetics. Authors determined definitions as defined by nursing experts and the applications thereof in clinical practice. This article aimed to illustrate that the ultimate concern of philosophy is "goodness" and that the foundation of caring behaviors is "love". In practice, nursing aesthetics is expressed through empathy, appreciation, inspiration and the therapeutic use of the self. Through aesthetic knowing and enhanced perceptual sensibility and reflection, nurses can transform intuitive knowing into art-acts and ultimately enhance nursing care quality.


Recent U-Pb high-precision geochronological studies have shown rapid emplacement of the intrusive doleritic component of the Karoo Large Igneous Province (KLIP) in Southern Africa. However, these studies focused on a relatively small geographic and altitudinal region of the KLIP. Additionally, the timing of initiation of extrusive volcanism, preserved in the Drakensberg-Lesotho highlands and its relationship to the intrusive suite, has only been imprecisely constrained by Ar-Ar dates. Here, we present new high-resolution U-Pb zircon ages on dolerite sills and dykes from across the central eastern Karoo Basin (South Africa) at elevations between mean sea level and 1 560 m, as well as U-Pb detrital zircon data that can be used to estimate the maximum age of volcaniclastic deposition near the base of the extrusive component of the KLIP. Dolerite samples were taken across two areas: (1) thick dykes exposed along the coast of the Indian Ocean to ~1 600 m flanking the Drakensberg Escarpment in the Eastern Cape; and (2) sills between 20 and 220 m below surface, in a borehole core within the interior of the Karoo Basin, 400 km hinterland from the coastline. Our estimated dolerite emplacement ages span a range of ca. 80 thousand years (Kyr), between 183.122 ± 0.029/-0.061 and 183.042 ± 0.042/-0.072 million years ago (Ma), and fall within the 331 +60/-54 Kyr age range previously established for magmatism related to the KLIP, despite the marked increase in sampling coverage in terms of area and altitude in this study. Therefore, KLIP geochronology is consistent with other LIPS such as the Siberian and Deccan Traps that supports the hypothesis of rapid emplacement timescales (<1 Myr). Additionally, these data are consistent with, but better delineate that the KLIP in southern Africa appears to be ca. 500 Kyr older than the main phase of magmatism in the Ferrar LIP of Antarctica. Detrital zircons from the basal volcanic sequence of the Drakensberg Group exhibit age peaks at ca. 1 and 0.5 Ga, typical of the surrounding Namaqua-Natal and Pan-African basement rocks, as well as younger peaks at ca. 260 and 200 Ma that likely relate to source provenances from south-western Gondwana and reworking of the Karoo Supergroup sedimentary rocks. High-precision U-Pb dates of the youngest zircon grains result in a maximum depositional age for the basal pyroclastics of 185.25 ± 0.25 Ma, allowing for a ca. 2 Myr offset with the intrusive Karoo dolerite suite.


In this Point–Counterpoint article we argue that institutional scholarship has become overly concerned with explaining institutions and institutional processes, notably at the level of the organization field, rather than with using them to explain and understand organizations. Especially missing is an attempt to gain a coherent, holistic account of how organizations are structured and managed. We also argue that when institutional theory does give attention to organizations it inappropriately treats them as though they are the same, or at least as though any differences are irrelevant for purposes of theory. We propose a return to the study of organizations with an emphasis upon comparative analysis, and suggest the institutional logics perspective as an appropriate means for doing so.