ALTHOUGH A MOMENT OF CALM HAS DESCENDED ON FEDERAL LEGISLAtive efforts to overhaul our national health care system, a quiet revolution is still at work. The driving force of that change will be US business interests. Under a system pioneered by health maintenance organizations, doctors are now asked to deliver adequate care, instead of care that maximizes the use of advanced medical resources. Residency education has been caught in the crosshairs of this new paradigm. Cost consciousness in medicine was barely on the horizon 30 years ago. Residents were trained to recognize and treat improbable and rare diseases. Today, the medical case that does not fit a neat algorithm quickly comes to the attention of a small battalion of case managers. It is not unheard of for discharge planning to begin even before the patient enters the hospital. Perhaps more than anything, the hurried pace of health care delivery has changed the resident's appreciation of the course of illness. An increasing proportion of resident training now takes place in the outpatient setting. Diagnosis is quicker, and more time is spent with healthier patients. While these changes are not without benefit to patients, for medical trainees educational opportunities are lost by not being able to follow a particular illness until it is resolved. Today's decisions are made farther from the bedside and according to algorithms established by statisticians. While this reduces idiosyncrasies in treatment, it also tends to shortcut the process of thinking through complex problems and all their alternative solutions. At the same time, as Lloyd Krieger points out in this issue of MSJAMA, the increased supervision of residents demanded by third-party payers and government regulators has reduced the responsibility and autonomy of trainees. Funding for residency training is itself constrained and, as Bobby Jindal discusses, this leaves medical educators with little wiggle room from which to escape the intentions of those who would place profits ahead of sound medical education. As in any struggle, these changes lack moral certainty and immediacy of effect. Subtle effects lie hidden and sometimes unfold in further doubts. In this issue, Ivan Oransky discusses concerns over the number of residents leaving medicine. Perhaps this is one early indicator that something is amiss. The final outcome of current changes in residency training will not arrive soon. It will be heralded by neither a new, sweeping legislative bill nor another corporate initiative to trim spending on health care services. The final analysis will be made in another time, when today's medical trainees take the helm and exercise the knowledge, skills, and virtues that they are learning now.


"The Mellah Society" is a compact yet detailed and fascinating account of Jewish life in precolonial Morocco, based on the voluminous but rarely studied writings of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Judeo-Moroccan sages. Shlomo Deshen, author of several books on North African Jewish immigrants to Israel, here turns his attention to the past. Taking as his focus the tension between individualism and communal authority-symbolized by the walls of the "mellahs," the Jewish quarters-he applies to traditional Moroccan Jewish society questions of concern to sociologists everywhere regarding political organization, economic activity, religion, and the family. From such documents as private correspondence, archival photographs, and the legal commentaries of rabbis who served in the Jewish community courts, Deshen draws out details of daily life: disputes between spouses, businessmen, craftsmen, and inheritors; the ramifications of marriage contracts; and claims involving community taxes and extortions by Muslim potentates. Linking this material with recent historical and anthropological studies of the Maghreb, Deshen reconstructs a community about which little has been known and places it squarely within the context of traditional Moroccan society. Individual chapters deal with relations between Muslims and Jews, the material conditions of Jewish life, and the nature of politics within the mellah. Deshen devotes particular attention to the nature of the Moroccan rabbinate, the sociology of the mellah synagogue, lay community leadership, and the historic role of the Sephardic heritage in Morocco after the expulsion from medieval Spain. His close study of the nature of the extended family in traditional Morocco corrects popular misconceptions. Originally published in Israel in 1983, now translated and expanded by its author, "The Mellah Society" draws upon Middle Eastern and Jewish history, textual Judaic studies, and social anthropology to make an original contribution that will interest scholars of the Middle East and North Africa as well as anyone concerned with Jewish history and ethnicity.


Since the Chernobyl disaster in the Black Sea region, it has been understood that
environmental problems are not restricted to the countries of their origin. Research has
shown that international attention given to the Mediterranean Sea has generated a more
positive impact on environmental protection, as com-pared to that of the Black Sea.
Industrialization around the Black Sea during the Cold War, a lack of international
attention for long decades, and the region's position since the Second World War as a
crucial hub for the transport of the energy produced by Caucasian and Black Sea littoral
countries to the energy consuming countries in Europe aggravated the environmental
situation in the region. Pollutants created by chemical industries and oil leaking from
tankers have caused a decrease in biological diversity. Thus, increased pollution in the sea
en-tered the agendas of governmental and non-governmental international/regional
organizations and individual states in the last two decades. Unfortunately, after the end of
the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the main priorities of the newly
independent states included neither an increase of biological diver-sity nor a decrease in
pollution. As the regional states put their efforts into competing in the international liberal
market, they focused on increasing industrialization, trade and economic ties with the
energy demanding countries. There are ten wind farms mainly on land clustered together in
the west of the country and in the Aegean region, including in Canakkale, close to the site
of ancient Troy, Cesme, Akhisar and on the island of Bozcaada. Wind powe in Turkey is
gradually expanding in capacity. In 2006, 19 MW of wind power was installed, and in
2007, installed wind capacity increased to almost 140 MW. Turkey is set to double the amount of its electricity supplied by wind power with the construction of a wind farm in
southeast Turkey which will have an installed capacity of 135 megawatts (MW) when it is
completed in 2009. This very important project will use 52 of the latest generation of
turbines from GE Energy, each rated at 2.5 MW.] Installed wind power is expected to
reach 808.81 MW by the end of 2008.Wind energy potential for Turkey is 58GW. The
European Wind Energy Association stated that installed wind power capacity in Turkey at
the end of 2009 was 801 MW. A total of 343 MW of capacity was installed in 2009.
According to Official Transmission Reports, installed wind power capacity in Turkey at the
end of 2010 has increased to 1265 MW. The installed capacity is specified as 1645,30 MW
by October, 2011 by the same reports. At the end of 2012 there will be over 80 windfarms
in Turkey. At the end of 2012 Turkey will have 2 GWs of installed capacity. The Turkish
government has a target of a 20 times increase in wind capacity by 2020.
Keywords: environment, renewable energy, chernobyl disaster


Influenza viruses are an ongoing threat to humans and are endemic in pigs, causing considerable economic losses to farmers. Pigs are also a source of new viruses potentially capable of initiating human pandemics. Many tools including monoclonal antibodies, recombinant cytokines and chemokines, gene probes, tetramers, and inbred pigs allow refined analysis of immune responses against influenza. Recent advances in understanding of the pig innate system indicate that it shares many features with that of humans, although there is a larger gamma delta component. The fine specificity and mechanisms of cross-protective T cell immunity have yet to be fully defined, although it is clear that the local immune response is important. The repertoire of pig antibody response to influenza has not been thoroughly explored. Here we review current understanding of adaptive immune responses against influenza in pigs and the use of the pig as a model to study human disease.


A deflated polygon is a polygon with no visibility crossings.  We answer a question posed by Devadoss et al. (2012) by presenting a  polygon that cannot be deformed via continuous visibility-decreasing  motion into a deflated polygon.  We show that the  least n for which there exists such an n -gon is seven.  In  order to demonstrate non-deflatability, we use a new combinatorial  structure for polygons, the directed dual, which encodes the  visibility properties of deflated polygons.  We also show that any  two deflated polygons with the same directed dual can be deformed,  one into the other, through a visibility-preserving deformation.


The needs for digital models of real environment such as 3D terrain or cyber city model are increasing. Most of applications related with modeling and simulation require virtual environment constructed from geospatial information of real world in order to guarantee reliability and accuracy of the simulation. The most fundamental data for building virtual environment, terrain elevation and orthogonal imagery is acquired from optical sensor of satellite or airplane. Providing interoperable and reusable digital model is important to promote practical application of highresolution satellite imagery. This paper presents the new research regarding representation of geospatial information, especially for 3D shape and appearance of virtual terrain, and describe framework for constructing real-time 3D model of large terrain based on high-resolution satellite imagery. It provides infrastructure of 3D simulation with geographical context. Details of standard-based approach for providing infrastructure of real-time 3D simulation using highresolution satellite imagery are also presented. This work would facilitate interchange and interoperability across diverse systems and be usable by governments, industry scientists and general public.


Seismic activities leading to tremors have been a subject of interest in geophysical survey. Here in, we reported the (seismic) tectonic activities of Langbodo field, an area where tremors have occurred in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. The seismic data used in this research work were analyzed using the CPillar® and the Plaxis 2D® seismic softwares. These softwares are based on sensitivity, probabilistic and finite element analyses. The variation in the depth of the exploration boreholes for the five identified locations, LCT A, LCT B, LCT C, LCT D and LCT E with respective values 7525 km, 7000 km, 8000 km, 7600 km and 9000 km showed the extent to which the underlying crust can be pressurized. The seismic information from the drilled wells revealed that the tensional force created through stress ranges from 5.517 × 10^13 N to 6.130 × 10^14 N and that of compression ranges from 3.065 × 10^14 N to 5 517 × 10^14 N. The tectonic activities of each of the locations were recorded using the seismic reflection method. This study revealed that more than 50 % of the earth tremors experienced in the area were humanly triggered. Seismic records of the areas showed that human activities that result to rapid injection of fluid into the plates, if not controlled, can trigger tremors. The magnitudes of tremors that have occurred in the five identified locations LCT A, LCT B, LCT C, LCT D and LCT E are respectively 3.50 ML, 3.20 ML, 4.20 ML, 4.00 ML and 4.32 ML. This research work however concluded that the study area is likely to witness earthquakes of about 7.0 ML magnitude should explorations continue indiscriminately. Probable occurrence of earthquakes in this location can be nipped in the bud by setting up agencies that monitor and assess subsurface pressures, quantities of injected fluid, volume of extracted fluid, and the seismicity of vulnerable regions with time.


ABSTRACT Volcanic ocean crust contains a global chemosynthetic microbial ecosystem that impacts ocean productivity, seawater chemistry and geochemical cycling. We examined the mineralogical effect on community structure in the aquifer ecosystem by using a four-year in situ colonization experiment with igneous minerals and glasses in Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Hole 1301A on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Microbial community analysis and scanning electron microscopy revealed that olivine phases and iron-bearing minerals bore communities that were distinct from iron-poor phases. Communities were dominated by Archaeoglobaceae, Clostridia, Thermosipho, Desulforudis and OP1 lineages. Our results suggest that mineralogy determines microbial composition in the subseafloor aquifer ecosystem.


Actinomycetes are opportunistic pathogens in immunosuppressive patients. Pulmonary actinomycetes infections display symptoms that mimic Mycobacteria tuberculosis and can be misdiagnosed and treated as pulmonary TB. Actinomycetes can be co-infection with tuberculosis leading to delayed or inappropriate treatment. This study aimed to identify and determine antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Actinomycetes from the sputum of TB smear negative and re-treatment patients referred to TB reference facilities in Kenya. Sputum specimens were collected and direct smears stained with Gram's reagents. Culture was done on Mueller Hinton agar and incubated at 35°C for two weeks. Identification was done using phenotypic and biochemical procedures. Confirmation of the isolates was done using Polymerase Chain Reaction. A total of 52/385 (14%) Actinomycetes were isolated and subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing using broth microdilution method to determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration. Nine antibiotics were tested which included: Amikacin, Amoxicillin/Clavulanic acid, Ceftriaxone, Ciprofloxacin, Clarithromycin, Linezolid, Doxycycline, Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole and Gentamycin. Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923) was used as a control. Most of the isolates were susceptible to the test antibiotics. However, four isolates showed multidrug resistance to Ceftriaxone and Clarithromycin with resistance of 11.5% and 26.9% respectively. Gentamycin and Ciprofloxacin showed the highest susceptibility of 100% and 98.1% respectively. The findings of this study confirm that Actinomycetes are significant pathogens in TB smear-negative cases. Although most antibiotics were susceptible, resistance to few antibiotics was observed; hence, there is a need for proper screening of TB smear-negative cases to detect infections by Actinomycetes and also conduct the antimicrobial susceptibility test to determine which antibiotic is effective.


We report first-principles calculations of current-induced forces in Si atomic wires as a function of bias and wire length. We find that these forces are strongly nonlinear as a function of bias due to the competition between the force originating from the scattering states and the force due to bound states. We also find that the shorter the wire, the larger the average force in the wire, suggesting that the wires are more difficult to break under current flow with increasing length. The last finding is in agreement with recent experimental data.


The relationships between synoptic-scale air flow variability and surface temperature and precipitation simulated by the Hadley Centre's HadRM2 regional climate model (RCM; horizon- tal resolution 50 km) were compared with observed relationships for the UK. The aims of the work were to test how well HadRM2 replicated observed relationships between atmospheric circulation and surface climate at a daily scale and to compare the regional model's performance with the global climate model (GCM) within which the HadRM2 is nested (the HadCM2 GCM). Synoptic-scale air flow variability over the UK was measured on a daily time scale by 3 indices: geostrophic flow strength, vorticity and direction. The frequency distribution of these 3 UK air flow indices is well sim- ulated by HadRM2 in most seasons, with significant differences most noticeable in winter vorticity (the model has a bias to cyclonic vorticity) and in spring flow direction. Although HadCM2 also pro- duced a reasonable simulation of the major frequency distribution features, HadRM2 represents a significant improvement; in 8 of the 12 distributions the simulations were not significantly different from the observations. The relationship between temperature and air flow indices was very well sim- ulated by HadRM2, representing a marked improvement over HadCM2. However, similar relation- ships for precipitation were slightly less accurate in the RCM than the GCM, the main feature being overestimation of precipitation totals by between 20 and 50% in all seasons in the 2 regions studied. This is possibly due to propagation of GCM biases through the RCM boundary conditions, and may be overcome by running HadRM2 using observed rather than GCM data for the boundary conditions. Overall, the results show that more confidence could be placed in future UK climate change scenar- ios generated using HadRM2 rather than HadCM2 alone.


Malnutrition, poverty and lack of safe drinking water and sanitation are serious problems in developing countries, especially sub-Saharan Africa. The Moringa oleifera (MO) tree could be the solution to these problems due to its medicinal, nutritional and water purification. The aim of the study was to assess and promote the cultivation and utilisation of the MO in 5 SADC countries namely Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia. The study was done between September 2010 and March 2011. It was found that the tree is generally used for nutritional and medicinal purposes except in Namibia where another species is found. The prices of the products vary from country-to-country. The information about the benefits of the MO was well received although a lot still needs to be done in order to benefit from this sustainable resource.


Background: Phytanic acid produced in ruminants from chlorophyll may have preventive effects on the metabolic syndrome, partly due to its reported RXR and PPARa agonist activity. Milk from cows fed increased levels of green plant material, contains increased phytanic acid concentrations, but it is unknown to what extent minor increases in phytanic acid content in dairy fat leads to higher circulating levels of phytanic acid in plasma of the consumers. Objective: To investigate if cow feeding regimes affects concentration of plasma phytanic acid and risk markers of the metabolic syndrome in human. Design: In a double-blind, randomized, 4 wk, parallel intervention study 14 healthy young subjects were given 45 g milk fat/d from test butter and cheese with 0.24 wt% phytanic acid or a control diet with 0.13 wt% phytanic acid. Difference in phytanic acid was obtained by feeding roughage with low or high content of chlorophyll. Results: There tended to be a difference in plasma phytanic acid (P = 0.0730) concentration after the dietary intervention. Plasma phytanic acid increased significantly within both groups with the highest increase in control group (24%) compared to phytanic acid group (15%). There were no significant effects of phytanic acid on risk markers for the metabolic syndrome. Conclusions: The results indicate that increased intake of dairy fat modify the plasma phytanic acid concentration, regardless of cows feeding regime and the minor difference in dietary phytanic acid. Whether the phytanic acid has potential to affects the risk markers of the metabolic syndrome in human still remain to be elucidated. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01343576


In the paper, we examine the response of public entities to change of the funding system. Our goal is to assess whether the responses of the monitored entities are in line with the intentions of government efforts. In other words, whether the instruments used and the method of implemented changes have led to fulfilling the original intentions of the government. In this sense, we have focused on examining several factors: 1) clarity of goals for the representatives of public bodies, 2) harmony and differences in the reactions of selected entities to change of the funding system, 3) comparing the intentions of the government and the resulting state, 4) identification of successes and inconsistency in the resulting state and the original intention, but also other externalities. Our research is based on an analysis of government documents, the implementation of structured interviews with representatives of selected universities and ultimately also on quantitative analysis of the year-on-year outcomes of the monitored universities. The findings and the methodology of "New Public Management†with a focus on the area of performance financing are theoretical basis of the conducted research, which is a key element of changes of the funding of universities in the Czech Republic, put into practice in recent years.


Previous observations on Ni-based superalloys, obtained through the use of focussed ion beam (FIB) sample preparation and imaging, have reported the presence of sub-surface voids after oxidation. In this present study, oxidised specimens of the Ni-based superalloy, RR1000, were subjected to conventional sample preparation as well as both dual and single beam FIB preparation, with the aim of re-examining the previous observations of sub-surface void formation. It is clear from FIB preparations that features previously interpreted as networks of voids have been demonstrated to be internal oxides by varying the sample tilt angles and imaging signal using either secondary electrons (SE) or secondary ions (SI). Conventional preparation methods illustrate the presence of sub-surface alumina intrusions and the absence of voids, supporting previous evidence. The positive identification of voids and oxides by FIB can be complex and prone to misinterpretation and thus the use of several imaging conditions and tilt angles must be used, along with conventional preparation methods, to confirm or refute the presence of 'voids' underneath oxides.


Extrinsic compression of airways is one the most important causes of respiratory insufficiency in the perioperative period in children with congenital heart disease. This is especially true of pathologies that involve surgery of the aortic arch or conduit replacement of the right ventricular outflow tract. However bronchial obstruction is uncommon in the setting of bidirectional cavopulmonary shunt alone. We report the case of an infant with a functionally univentricular heart who had a bidirectional superior cavopulmonary shunt and disconnection of the main pulmonary artery from the ventricular mass with oversewing of pulmonary valve. Post-operatively the patient desaturated due to compression of left main bronchus by the left pulmonary artery anteriorly and the descending aorta posteriorly. This was clearly defined by CT based on 3D-modelling of the airways and great vessels. The child was managed conservatively by ventilator support, selective bronchial suctioning and systemic steroids with a successful outcome.


When Australia pledged to accept 15,000 Jewish refugees from Europe in 1938, it was applauded by the London Times as "a characteristically generous contribution" and an example for others. Australia's reputation for generous humanitarianism was solidified after the war when it absorbed more than 180,000 of Europe's Displaced Persons and committed to international human rights instruments designed to protect refugees and asylum seekers. This reputation has been used to both defend and critique the nation's contemporary responses to asylum seekers. Recent Australian Prime Ministers have invoked Australia's proud record of refugee resettlement to deflect criticism of their tough border control policies, policies which critics charge repudiate the nation's humanitarian traditions. This article critically reviews the history of Australia's responses to refugees and asylum seekers prior to 1951 and demonstrates that contemporary border control policies are neither a deviation from, nor defence of, a proud humanitarian record. Rather, they embody the migration management approach to refugees that provided impetus for Federation in 1901, governed Australia's response to the Jewish refugee crisis in the 1930s, and shaped its conditional acceptance of the Displaced Persons and the position it adopted in the drafting of the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees in 1951.


Student Bill of Rights - Directs the Secretary of Education to make annual determinations as to whether each State's public school system provides all its students with educational resources to succeed academically and in life. Requires such education to enable students to: (1) acquire knowledge and skills necessary for responsible citizenship; (2) meet challenging academic achievement standards; and (3) compete and succeed in a global economy.Requires each system to do so through: (1) providing specified fundamentals of educational opportunity to students at each public elementary and secondary school; (2) providing educational services in school districts that receive funds for disadvantaged students that are, taken as a whole, at least comparable to educational services provided in school districts not receiving such funds; and (3) complying with any final Federal or State court order in any matter concerning the adequacy or equitableness of the system.Requires withholding of specified portions of its Federal funding for administrative expenses if a system: (1) fails to meet a yearly interim goal; (2) does not remedy, after two school years, a failure to provide comparable educational services to schools that receive funds for disadvantaged children; or (3) does not comply with a court order.Allows students or parents aggrieved by violations of this Act to bring civil actions for enforcement in Federal district courts.Directs the Commissioner of Education Statistics to study the effects of educational disparities on economic growth and on national defense.


Thirty Astronomy enthusiasts, half of which were Cape Centre members, the other half made up of UCT and UWC students, left for Anysberg Nature Reserve on 17 March 2012 for two nights of stargazing. Two coaches were hired from UCT Transport and Cape Nature's reserve was taken over for the duration. This venue was chosen by organiser Kechil Kirkham as being ideal, having worked on the development of astronomy-based facilities at the reserve with Chris de Coning. The trip was subsidised by the SAAO and by the Cape Centre.


We present a theoretical and experimental analysis of the sensing capabilities of Raman-based distributed temperature optical fiber sensor (RDTS) systems using only the anti-Stokes (AS) component in loop configuration. In particular, the effects of time- and wavelength-dependent losses on the sensor performance are thoroughly investigated under different experimental conditions. As expected from the developed theory, experimental results demonstrate that using the loop AS-light only approach in RDTS systems can correct the impact of local and wavelength-dependent losses on the final temperature measurements, with the simple use of an internal calibration fiber spool at a known temperature value. Signal-to-noise ratio and temperature resolution analyses of the AS-only RDTS point out an improved temperature resolution in comparison to standard RDTS systems in loop configuration.


The Pierrot tradition, invented towards the end of the nineteenth century, established a prevalent but now largely forgotten mode of performance around the coastal resorts of Britain. In this article, Dave Calvert considers the relevance of this form in its historical context. Arguing that it observes the preservation of anachronism consistent with notions of invented traditions, he situates the Pierrot tradition within a symbolic network concerned with national identity and experience. This includes its declared links to the construction of royalty as the head of the imperial family, and both its schism and continuity with the tradition of blackface minstrelsy whose conventions it maintains. Its location at the seaside accentuates this network of relations and elevates it to a transcendental plane of the imaginary untroubled by the complexities of modern life. Dave Calvert is a Senior Lecturer in Drama at the University of Huddersfield. His research encompasses popular theatre, applied theatre and learning-disabled performance. He is also a member of The Pierrotters, the last remaining professional seaside Pierrot troupe.


It has been proposed that the endurance of long-term potentiation (LTP) depends on structural changes entailing reorganization of the spine actin cytoskeleton. The present study used a new technique involving intracellular and extracellular application of rhodamine-phalloidin to conventional hippocampal slices to test whether induction of LTP by naturalistic patterns of afferent activity selectively increases actin polymerization in juvenile to young adult spines. Rhodamine-phalloidin, which selectively binds to polymerized actin, was detected in perikarya and proximal dendrites of CA1 pyramidal cells that received low-frequency afferent activity but was essentially absent in spines and fine dendritic processes. Theta pattern stimulation induced LTP and caused a large (threefold), reliable increase in labeled spines and spine-like puncta in the proximal dendritic zone containing potentiated synapses. The spines frequently occurred in the absence of labeling to other structures but were also found in association with fluorescent dendritic processes. These effects were replicated (>10-fold increase in labeled spines) using extracellular applications of rhodamine-phalloidin. Increases in labeling appeared within 2 min, were completely blocked by treatments that prevent LTP induction, and occurred in slices prepared from young adult rats. These results indicate that near-threshold conditions for inducing stable potentiation cause the rapid polymerization of actin in mature spines and suggest that the effect is both sufficiently discrete to satisfy the synapse-specificity rule of LTP as well as rapid enough to participate in the initial stages of LTP consolidation.


Browsing is an essential component to discovery. Understanding the foundations of browsing patterns and preferences is crucial in developing effective e-browsing environments. It's important to understand how researchers in diverse disciplines have described their discoveries in terms of browsing, searching, and serendipitous encounters. Examining the works of scientists, social scientists, and humanists through the lens of discovery will reveal essential components to be aware of in developing e-browsing environments. In turning to a wide range of sources, often outside traditional library literature, we deepen our understanding of what it means to browse in an electronic environment. As librarians, we have an obligation to create physical and virtual spaces that cultivate wonder and curiosity and acknowledge varied paths to discovery. Electronic browsing options must become more robust if libraries are to be vital to scholarly communication. In this presentation we focus on the language and experience of browsing, with particular attention to serendipitous discovery, in order to encourage librarians, particularly those in public service, to more effectively articulate concerns and opportunities to developers.


ABSTRACT This case study explored the experience of learning portfolio practice and whether learning portfolio practice facilitated the development of critical thinking skills among online distance students. Data were generated using the participant learning portfolio entries and two-time semi-structured interviews. Five themes were constructed in the data-led thematic analysis: being an online distance student, the experience of learning with a learning portfolio, my approach to learning, thinking critically in my learning portfolio, the sociology discipline context. Findings indicate that learning portfolio practice can enhance the nature of the learning experience by providing students with a personal space to evaluate their own learning, to process their thoughts and experience and to document their lives and learning in an authentic and meaningful way. The findings suggest that learning portfolio practice can facilitate the development of critical thinking skills within a disciplinary context.


Coverage analysis measures how much of the target code is run during a test and is a useful mechanism for evaluating the effectiveness of a system test or benchmark. In order to improve the quality of the Linux® kernel, we are utilizing GCOV, a test coverage program which is part of GNU CC, to show how much of the kernel code is being exercised by test suites such as the Linux Test Project. This paper will discuss the issues that make code coverage analysis a complicated task and how those issues are being addressed. We will describe tools that have been developed to facilitate analysis and how these tools can be utilized for kernel, as well as application code coverage analysis.


The following contribution presents a new concept of an air conditioning device based on the elastocaloric cooling effect of shape memory alloys (SMA's). This technology provides an energy efficient and environment friendly alternative to conventional vapor compression based cooling principles. Starting from the thermodynamic investigation of the elastocaloric cooling process, a continuous operating elastocaloric air cooling device is developed. The device enables an optimized thermodynamic process control under various operating conditions as well as large temperature spans. This work presents the design process of such a system starting from SMA based heat engines to a thermodynamically optimized design of an elastocaloric air conditioning device.


Let $\tau$ be a fixed lattice path (called in this context string) on the integer plane, consisting of two kinds of steps. The Dyck path statistic "number of occurrences of $\tau$" has been studied by many authors, for particular strings only. In this paper, arbitrary strings are considered. The associated generating function is evaluated when $\tau$ is a Dyck prefix (or a Dyck suffix). Furthermore, the case when $\tau$ is neither a Dyck prefix nor a Dyck suffix is considered, giving some partial results. Finally, the statistic "number of occurrences of $\tau$ at height at least $j$" is considered, evaluating the corresponding generating function when $\tau$ is either a Dyck prefix or a Dyck suffix.


Complex collaborative activities such as treating patients, co-authoring documents and developing software are often characterized by teamwork that is loosely coupled and extends in time. To remain coordinated and avoid conflicts, team members need to identify dependencies between their activities -- which though loosely coupled may interact--and share information appropriately. The loose-coupling of tasks increases the difficulty of identifying dependencies, with the result that team members often lack important information or are overwhelmed by irrelevant information. This paper formalizes a new multi-agent systems problem, Information Sharing in Loosely-Coupled Extended-Duration Teamwork (ISLET). It defines a new representation, Mutual Influence Potential Networks (MIP-Nets) and an algorithm, MIP-DOI, that uses this representation to determine the information that is most relevant to each team member. Importantly, because the extended duration of the teamwork precludes team members from developing complete plans in advance, the MIP-Nets approach, unlike prior work on information sharing, does not rely on a priori knowledge of a team's possible plans. Instead, it models collaboration patterns and dependencies among people and their activities based on team-member interactions. Empirical evaluations show that this approach is able to learn collaboration patterns and identify relevant information to share with team members.


N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are critically involved in
synaptic transmission, neural development and various forms of neuronal
plasticity including long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression
(LTD). They are also involved in the production of neuronal damage
following excessive activation by glutamate released as a result of hypoxia
or ischaemia. Each heteromeric receptor includes one or two NRl
subunits, at least two of the four NR2A-D subunits and less usually the
NR3AJB subunits. This study demonstrates that the putative NR2B
subunit-containing NMDA receptor antagonist Ro 25-6981 potentiates the
effects ofNMDA on rat hippocampal slices. The NR2A subunit antagonist
PEAQX blocks the effects of NMDA alone and the potentiated response
following Ro 25-6981 application. Furthermore, Ro 25-6981 was not
neuroprotective as reported previously but unexpectedly precipitated
excitotoxicity. The potentiating effect of Ro 25-6981 required around 20
minutes to become apparent, took a further 30 minutes to reach its
maximum effect and was irreversible. It was not prevented by
staurosporine (a broad-spectrum protein kinase inhibitor), okadaic acid (a
potent inhibitor of the serine/threonine protein phosphatases types 1 and
2A) or anisomycin (a protein synthesis inhibitor). However, the
potentiation was prevented by cyclosporin A (an inhibitor of
Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase 2B [calcineurin]). The results indicate that in an intact neuronal network, NR2B subunits tonically gate
NR2A subunit-containing receptor function by a negative coupling
mechanism involving ca1cineurin activation.
NMDA receptor-dependent LTP induced by high frequency stimulation
was prevented by PEAQX, an NR2A antagonist. Ro 25-6981 was unable
to prevent L TP induction but was associated with a marginal reduction in
the magnitude of LTP induced.
There is evidence for the binding of homoquinolinic acid to an NMDAinsensitive
novel binding site in the brain. This study investigated the
pharmacology of homoquinolinate on the evoked field excitatory synaptic
potential (fEPSP) recorded from the CAl area of rat hippocampal slices.
Two NMDA receptor agonists, quinolinic acid 150/lM and homoquinolinic
acid 2.5/lM, caused an approximately 50% inhibition of fEPSP slope.
Paired-pulse studies suggested there might be a presynaptic component to
this action that is independent of presynaptic adenosine Al receptor
activation. The broad-spectrum EAA antagonist kynurenic acid and the
NMDA receptor blockers 2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid and
dizocilpine could prevent the inhibition of fEPSP slope. None of these
antagonists revealed any other NMDA-insensitive activity of
homoquinolinic acid. The use of 2-carboxy-3-carboxymethylquinoline
(CCMQ) to displace the reported NMDA-insensitive binding had no effect
on either baseline fEPSP slope or the depression caused by homoquinolinic acid. It was also apparent that responses to homoquinolinic acid were
blocked completely by the NR2A subunit-selective antagonist PEAQX, but
not by the NR2B subunit-selective blocker Ro 25-6981. It was concluded
that the novel binding site for homoquinolinic acid does not affect synaptic
potentials in the hippocampus and that homoquinolinic acid appears to be a
selective agonist at NMDA receptors that include the NR2A subunit.
Although the NR2B agonist site may be maximally activated under normal
conditions and therefore it is not possible to observe any additional effects
upon fEPSP slope.
This study next investigated the negative coupling between NR2B and
NR2A subunit-containing receptors, combining the NR2A1B subunit
selective agonist HQA with the NR2B and NR2A selective antagonists
Ro 25-6981 and PEAQX. The negative coupling observed previously with
applications of NMDA was also seen using HQA and QA. The
potentiation of responses to HQA by Ro 25-6981 application was also
associated with an enhancement of paired-pulse interactions. The
subsequent application of PEAQX was able to block both the depression of
fEPSP slope and the associated enhancement of paired-pulse interactions.
The presence of a presynaptic element during applications of HQA alone
and potentiated responses alike and the blockade of these effects by
PEAQX suggests the NR2A subunit-containing NMDA receptor is
responsible for the presynaptic effects acting either directly at presynaptic sites or indirectly at postsynaptic sites leading to the raising of a retrograde
signal. The NR2B subunit in both its activated and antagonised state was
associated with enhancements in paired-pulse interactions which suggest
that it is not able to modulate directly the presynaptic element. However,
whilst paired-pulse interactions are generally accepted to he presynaptic
phenomena, it does not follow that postsynaptic effects cannot influence
the appearance of changes in these interactions in field recordings. The
absence of any observable difference between HQA, QA and NMDA
results suggests that the NR2D subunit is not obviously involved in these
processes.


Instructions written in human-language cause no perception problems for humans, but become a challenge when translating them into robot executable format. This complex translation process covers different phases, including instruction completion by adding obligatory information that is not explicitly given in human-oriented instructions. Robot action ontology is a common source of such additional information, and it is normally structured around a limited number of verbs, denoting robot specific action categories, each of them characterized by a certain action environment. Semi-manual action ontology building procedures are normally based on domain-specific human-language text mining, and one of the problems to be solved is the assignment of action categories for the obtained verbs. Verbs in English language are very polysemous, therefore action category, referring to different robot capabilities, can be determined only after comprehensive analysis of the verb's context. The task we solve is formulated as the text classification task, where action categories are treated as classes, and appropriate verb context – as classification instances. Since all classes are clearly defined, supervised machine learning paradigm is the best selection to tackle this problem. We experimentally investigated different context window widths; directions (context on the right, left, both sides of analyzed verb); and feature types (symbolic, lexical, morphological, aggregated). All statements were proved after exploration of two different datasets. The fact that all obtained results are above random and majority baselines allow us to claim that the proposed method can be used for predicting action categories. The best obtained results were achieved with Support Vector Machine method using window width of only 25 symbols on the right and bag-of-words as features. This exceeded random and majority baselines by more than 37% reaching 60% of accuracy. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.itc.44.2.7322


The macrocyclic tetrapeptide cyclo[Phe-d-Pro-Phe-Trp] (CJ-15,208) and its stereoisomer cyclo[Phe-d-Pro-Phe-d-Trp] exhibit different opioid activity profiles in vivo. The present study evaluated the influence of the Phe residues' stereochemistry on the peptides' opioid activity. Five stereoisomers were synthesized by a combination of solid-phase peptide synthesis and cyclization in solution. The analogs were evaluated in vitro for opioid receptor affinity in radioligand competition binding assays, and for opioid activity and selectivity in vivo in the mouse 55 °C warm-water tail-withdrawal assay. Potential liabilities of locomotor impairment, respiratory depression, acute tolerance development, and place conditioning were also assessed in vivo. All of the stereoisomers exhibited antinociception following either intracerebroventricular or oral administration differentially mediated by multiple opioid receptors, with kappa opioid receptor (KOR) activity contributing for all of the peptides. However, unlike the parent peptides, KOR antagonism was exhibited by only one stereoisomer, while another isomer produced DOR antagonism. The stereoisomers of CJ-15,208 lacked significant respiratory effects, while the [d-Trp]CJ-15,208 stereoisomers did not elicit antinociceptive tolerance. Two isomers, cyclo[d-Phe-d-Pro-d-Phe-Trp] (3) and cyclo[Phe-d-Pro-d-Phe-d-Trp] (5), did not elicit either preference or aversion in a conditioned place preference assay. Collectively, these stereoisomers represent new lead compounds for further investigation in the development of safer opioid analgesics.


Origin-destination matrices describe the trafic demand between different zones of a net-
work. Their entries, the number of trips for every origin-destination pair, can be assigned to
a network to give corresponding link
ows and speeds. The OD matrix calibration problem is
the problem of finding an OD-matrix which after the assignment step corresponds as good as
possible with some given criteria. During this thesis, the only criteria considered are measured
values for
ow and speed on specific links of the network. This problem can be formulated as
a bi-level optimization problem. In the upper level, a minimization of the difference between
the estimated
ow and the measured
ow is done while in the lower level the relation between
the OD matrices and the link
ows is derived by means of a trafic assignment model.
Although there are good methods to solve the problem when using static trafic assignment
models, when it comes to (semi-) dynamic assignment models (such as STAQ), the problem
becomes more complex and computationally intense. (Semi-) dynamic assignment models
accurately model the primary effects of congestion (
ow metering and spillback), which, in the
context of matrix calibration, can cause a misinterpretation of the traffic
ow measurements.
In the situation of (semi-) dynamic models, the sensitivity of the assignment model plays a
crucial role in the minimization part in the upper level. This dependence makes the matrix
approximation more difficult. To hold the amount of required calculations low, the stochastic
approximation method SPSA is used in this thesis. This method requires less measures of the
objective function per iteration than other methods (like e.g. FDSA), hence less computations
of the assignment model.
Since the calculation times are still large for most networks and there are a lot of parameters
that need to be tuned, the further exploration of SPSA might be sensible. There also exist
modifications for SPSA that might help to reduce the computational time until convergence.
The aim of this master thesis is to implement and test the basic version of SPSA and its
modifications to minimize the differences in the upper level. This is done in combination with
the semi-dynamic assignment model STAQ for the traffic assignment part in the lower level.
Also some tests of the different parameters of the SPSA algorithm are performed to improve
the convergence of the method further.


This article explores the Qatari perception of the partnership with China on the basis of three factors: globalisation, the absence of a legacy of colonialism and the principles of non-intervention and respect for state sovereignty professed in China's foreign policy. China's perception of its relations with Qatar is embedded within its understanding of the regional order in the Middle East and reflects its assessment of the geopolitical factors that are transforming Gulf countries. It emerges from this analysis that the diplomatic and economic aspects of Qatar–China relations are substantial and well institutionalised. However, military cooperation is still underdeveloped despite the increase of military-to-military contacts.


We report stimulated Brillouin and Rayleigh scattering experiments in n-hexane for a wide range of subcritical and supercritical temperature and pressure conditions, including the near-critical region. The measurements were performed in a cell designed for operation at conditions near or above the critical point. An injection-seeded Nd:YAG laser was employed as the pump laser and an external cavity diode laser as the probe laser. The use of 1064-nm light enhances stimulated Rayleigh scattering through direct thermal absorption. Analysis of the recorded spectra yielded the widths, shifts, and heights of the electrostrictive Brillouin, thermal Brillouin, and thermal Rayleigh peaks. Comparison of these features with theory has showed consistency with the theoretical predictions of the relationships between the heights and widths of the thermal Brillouin and thermal Rayleigh peaks. Remarkable structure and sudden changes in the behavior of the Brillouin shifts, widths, and heights were observed in the vicinity of the critical region.


In order to track hematopoetic cells of all lineages unambiguously at all stages of development, we have developed C57BL/6 mice that express a transgene coding for green fluorescent protein (GFP) under control of the human ubiquitin C promoter. These mice, called UBI-GFP/BL6, express GFP in all tissues examined, with high levels of GFP expression observed in hematopoetic cells. UBI-GFP/BL6 mice are unique in that B cells, T cells, and dendritic cells have distinct levels of GFP fluorescence. In cell transfer experiments, leukocytes from UBI-GFP/BL6 mice are readily identified by FACS or fluorescence microscopy. We demonstrate that transplanted UBI-GFP/BL6 dendritic cells are easily identified in secondary lymphoid tissues. Direct interactions between individual dendritic cells and multiple naïve CD8+ T cells are observed in lymph nodes within 12 h of cell transfer and require loading of the dendritic cells with the appropriate peptide antigen. Dendritic cells undergo specific morphologic changes following interactions with antigen-specific T cells.


Neural conversational models are widely used in applications such as personal assistants and chat bots. These models seem to give better performance when operating on the word level. However, for fusional languages such as French, Russian, or Polish, the vocabulary size can become infeasible since most of the words have multiple of word forms. To reduce vocabulary size, we propose a new pipeline for building conversational models: first generate words in a standard (lemmatized) form and then transform them into a grammatically correct sentence. In this work, we focus on the morphological agreement part of the pipeline, i.e., reconstructing proper word forms from lemmatized sentences. For this task, we propose a neural network architecture that outperforms character-level models while being twice faster in training and 20% faster in inference. The proposed pipeline yields better performance than character-level conversational models according to human assessor testing.


Dialysis encephalopathy and fracturing osteomalacia, which occur in hemodialysis units that use dialysis fluid contaminated with aluminum, have largely disappeared. This has been accomplished by establishing standards for safe concentrations of aluminum in dialysates. Infants, children, and adults with chronic renal failure who are not receiving dialysis have been shown to be at risk for aluminum intoxication from the oral administration of aluminum-containing phosphate binders. This complication should be avoided with the use of phosphate binders that do not contain aluminum and the use of other measures to control hyperphosphatemia.
 A number of substances commonly administered intravenously, including calcium and phosphorus salts and albumin, have high levels of aluminum. Premature infants receiving intravenous fluid therapy may accumulate aluminum and show evidence of aluminum toxicity. Efforts are being made to reduce the levels of aluminum in products added to intravenous solutions; these efforts must continue.
 Some infant formulas may contain relatively high concentrations of aluminum. The reported concentrations of aluminum in soy formulas and premature infant formulas are higher than those in other infant formulas. The potential impact of these formulas on the aluminum intake of premature infants and infants with impaired renal function should be recognized, although it is not clear that toxic effects result from the use of the formulas in these situations.


In this study we use the experiences from the service industry and explore pre-requisites of the e-health market which will need to achieve to stimulate both sides of the market (vendors, healthcare organizations, government, institutions, corporations and services organizations) to interact with each other and develop demand driven services and social innovations. The results presented in this paper may be of interest for decision makers, industries (e.g. software or technology designers), small and medium enterprises (SME) and entrepreneurs with an interest in becoming a part of the e-health market, and for consumers (e.g. healthcare personnel and patients) that are willing to influence the market through their choices. The outcomes of the study shown that the role of virtual brokers is essential to the further development of a sustainable e-health market globally because its role as catalyst for interaction between the two-sides of the markets, its effects on the reduction of competitive constrains, its effects on the accessibility to broader network of actors and its effects on the support of public-private exchanges of knowledge and experience.


The Research Compliance Office (RCO) will be closed during Stanford?s Winter Closure from Monday, December 20, 2021 through Sunday, January 2, 2021. Major (Presented) Modifications and Continuing Review submissions must be submitted by November 15, 2021. Minor modifications will be reviewed prior to winter closure. The RCO will provide critical support on a limited schedule and email messages and HelpSU tickets [1] will be monitored during this time. Please contact your IRB [2] Panel Manager or IRB Education [3] if you have any general questions.


ABSTRACT Today, many of the world's river and lake basins are threatened by environmental problems such as change in river flow, water pollution, reduced water availability, salt water intrusion, or loss of plant and animal species. International river basin organizations (RBOs) governing such rivers are increasingly in need to address such challenges. At the same time many of them receive technical and financial support from international donor organizations. The paper therefore addresses the question of how international donor institutions support adaptation capacities of RBOs. The aim is to identify conditions under which donor support to RBOs can support adaptation to environmental changes and improve the resilience of international water basins. It does so by focusing on two cases in Southern Africa, including the Orange-Senqu Basin and the Orange-Senqu River Commission as well as the Cubango-Okavango Basin and the Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission. The findings of the paper illustrate an ambivalent role of international donors with regard to river basin adaptation. While they do provide important means for adaptation in form of knowledge, financial and technical resources, they can, at the same time, threaten the long-term sustainability of adaptation activities.


This chapter reviews the forces that have shaped current competition laws and initiatives, in particular those that may ease convergence and cooperation between the USA and the EU. Even if convergence is eased when countries are developed, the objectives and the means put in place to attain these objectives may differ across countries. Differences may in turn generate tensions, and therefore shape further developments of the law. Subsequently, this chapter discusses the specific case of state aid control, an EU specificity which has on the one hand helped to ensure the primacy of competition policy over industrial policy, and has prevented potential wasteful "subsidy wars" between member states. However, on the other hand, this policy has been accused at times of hurting the competitiveness of "European champions." Finally, the chapter looks at current challenges facing competition policy; focusing first on new developments as far as state aid control is concerned, namely the State Aid Action Plan, and the special case of aid to innovation. Here, the focus will be on the pros and cons of this policy, namely its potential ability to better address market failures, but also the potential risk of lax enforcement in the name of "aid to innovation." This danger might be particularly problematic in an era which has witnessed the fast rise to prominence of some emerging-economy powers (like Brazil, Russia, India and China) which do not necessarily share the competition-policy philosophy of the EU and USA. While the chapter discusses how the common ground reached by these two players could serve as the basis for a global competition policy, it also stresses the potential tensions that could arise from the assertiveness of state interests by public corporations and sovereign funds from these emerging countries.


Many biblical scholars who interpret the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 as yielding a continuous chronology from Adam to Abraham claim the Hebrew Masoretic Text (MT) preserves the original begetting ages for the patriarchs. The MT's total for this period is 2008 years. The Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) presents markedly different chronological data for each epoch, for a grand total of 2249 years. Calculations derived from the primary manuscripts (MSS) of the Greek Septuagint (LXX) yield a chronology of 3394 years for this period, 1386 years greater than the MT. The MT is classically represented by the Ussher chronology, which places creation at 4004 BC and the Flood at 2348 BC. Figures from the LXX place creation at ca. 5554 BC and the Flood at ca. 3298 BC (Table 1; Appendix, n. 1). This paper proposes that the LXX preserves (most of) the original numbers in Genesis 5 and 11. Most of the MT's chronology in Genesis 5 and 11 does not represent the original text, and is the result of a deliberate and systematic post– AD 70 corruption. Corroborating external witnesses, internal and external evidence, text critical and LXX studies, and historical testimonies will be presented, along with arguments rebutting LXX inflation hypotheses. Explanations for important, accidental scribal errors will be discussed, and a text critical reconstruction of Genesis 5 and 11 will be proposed.


This new edition of Anderson's Ancient Rhetorical Theory and Paul is the result of a considerable reworking and bringing up-to-date of many aspects of the original book. Anderson, after giving a brief critical introduction to the rhetorical approach generally, focuses upon the application of ancient rhetorical theory to the letters of the apostle Paul, paying particular attention to questions of methodology. He provides an extensive review of the sources of ancient rhetorical theory which may be considered most relevant to a Greek speaker of the first century AD such as Paul, carefully distinguishing between philosophical and school rhetorical theory. Having determined which aspects of ancient rhetorical theory may be most suitable in respect of Paul's letters, Anderson goes to examine the letters to the Galatians, the Romans, and the first letter to the Corinthians. In each case a critical assessment of recent literature concerning the application of ancient rhetorical theory to these letters is given. In addition, an enlightening rhetorical analysis of the doctrinal portions of the letters to the Galatians and Romans is provided from the perspective of contemporary rhetorical theory. Anderson approaches his analysis in terms of how a contemporary professor of rhetoric may have looked at Paul's letters. The study concludes by addressing difficult questions concerning the relationship of Paul's style and argumentation to rhetorical theory and the likelihood of his conscious use of such theory, as well as the overall value of an ancient rhetorical approach to Paul's letters.


Digital preservation research has increasingly been shifting focus from the preservation of data and static objects to investigate the preservation of complete processes and workflows. Capturing all aspects of a process to be preserved, however, is an extensive and difficult undertaking, as it requires capturing complete software setups with potentially complex setups. Further, the process might use external services that are not easy to capture and monitor. In this paper, we therefore investigate the applicability and usability of using Workflow Management Systems for executing processes in a standard environment where the state of the process can be closely monitored. To this end, we compare three popular workflow management systems. We use a scenario from eScience, implementing a data analysis process, to evaluate the challenges and implications for establishing sustainable and verifyable eScience processes.


This article examines the Canadian provocation defense and argues that the defense should be expanded to include consideration of racial contextualization. The provocation defense is a mitigating, not exculpatory, defense in Canadian criminal law and may reduce a charge of murder to manslaughter. Chief Justice Dickson stated that the defense "acknowledge[s] that all human beings are subject to uncontrollable outbursts of passion and anger which may lead them to do violent acts." In order to be provoked, one must be the victim of a wrongful act or insult that is "sufficient to deprive an ordinary person of the power of self-control."Currently, Canadian law has narrowly interpreted provocation to consist of a "single" or "immediate" provoking event. In the case of the Regina v. Smithers, Smithers - a black teenage boy - was subjected to racially provocative behavior and degrading language by a white teenage boy named Cobby during a hockey game. In a fight after the game, Smithers delivered a blow that resulted in Cobby's death. Smithers was denied the provocation defense because of the temporal distance between the incidents of racial abuse and the assault. However, there is no reason why the idea of provocation should be so confined. Such an approach ignores the corrosive and continuing psychological effects of societal racism.Furthermore, Canada's Supreme Court's interpretation of other criminal law defenses has made it possible for a provocation defense to consider racism and racial contextualization. The law of self-defense has tended to infuse the reasonable person with characteristics of the accused and has recognized the plight of women in situations of domestic violence. Similar strides could be made in racial contextualization in allowing expert testimony to elucidate the reality of racism. This article argues that contextualization of the provocation defense is the next logical step of the provocation defense, if any relevant racial context is to be appreciated.


Commemorations of the 1994 genocide are promoted by the Government of Rwanda as part of wider initiatives to address the legacies of genocide and transform national identity. This paper examines the contribution of the government to memorialisation and explores its aims. It argues that in contrast with its declared intentions, the government sets strict limits on public remembrance in Rwanda and uses commemoration as a political platform to constitute its legitimacy. However, it finds that the memorialisation was not conceived as a political instrument. Tracing the history of the memorialisation process, it shows that the demand for remembrance came from outside the government; and that genocide survivors and international agencies continue to contribute in important ways. There are debates between the government and its partners on difficult issues and there are differences of opinion within the regime, not least because some of its members have personal as well as political reasons to remember. In consequence, the paper suggests that the memorialisation may not serve as a means for the government to impose its narrative of the past and that assessments of its political possibilities should remain open.


For taphonomic and practical reasons, our understanding of morphological evolution within and among species is based primarily on measurements taken from one or a few morphological traits. However, patterns can be highly dependent on trait choice, making it difficult to draw conclusions about evolution of species or clades as a whole. In this paper, I test whether patterns of evolutionary change in the shape of a part are coincident with patterns of evolutionary change based on a more comprehensive description of the organism. The former is based on geometric morphometrics of the trilobite cranidium and the latter on discrete character data describing the exoskeleton, collected from species belonging to the Cambrian family Pterocephaliidae. Using these two datasets, I compare the amount of change occurring along phylogenetic branches, as well as changes in morphospace occupation and changes in different measures of disparity. Unlike previous studies, I apply as similar a data treatment as possible to each data set in order to facilitate the comparison and interpretation of discrepancies. Results suggest that cranidial shape is a robust proxy for species‐level disparity and rates of evolution in this family of trilobites. This indicates that studies that have relied on data collected from the cranidium may be representative of the patterns that would be detected if more comprehensive description of the specimens had been available.


The performance of a novel all-optical sampling orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system is proposed and analyzed. Time delays and phase shifters are used to realize all optical forward/inverse discrete Fourier transform (DFT/IDFT). Different system configurations are tested and analyzed to optimize the performance, including the system capacity, modulation formats, DFT/IDFT constructions, and the width of the sample pulse. The 50- and 100-Gb/s real-time all-optical sampling (AOS) OFDM systems are investigated. All results are analyzed, and useful suggestions are offered for future high-speed applications.


Abstract The design of network protocols is greatly accelerated by the use of simulators, particularly when studying a protocol's behaviour in a large internetwork topology. However, the accuracy of the simulation results is heavily affected by the input network topology. As taking a real map as an input is not always feasible, artificially created topologies are often used. There exist many network topology generators available, but recent discoveries on Internet topology have made most of them obsolete when it comes to modelling a typical part of the Internet. This paper presents a free open-source software designed for network topology analysis and modelling called network manipulator (Nem). It is capable of creating realistic Internet-like topologies and can check proof them on the fly by a thorough topology analysis. The paper especially focuses on the architecture and the capabilities of the software.


Research on knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) has been impeded by a limited vision of knowledge, inherited from machine learning (ML) and other branches of computer science. In contrast with KDD and ML, research on automation of scientific discovery (SD) took from natural sciences a broader perspective on knowledge. We analyze the typical ML view of discovery as supervised and unsupervised classification; the former viewed as concept learning, while the latter as clustering and formation of concept hierarchies. We suggest a number of steps that lead beyond concept definitions, towards a more meaningful knowledge. We argue that a narrow view of knowledge is accompanied by a narrow view of the discovery method. Systems that learn concepts, find clusters or build taxonomies, stay on a single task, even if the results are poor, while an autonomous discoverer should be able to conclude that a given hypotheses space does not match the data and move the search to other spaces. As an example we consider taxonomy formation which results in a reasoned choice between no taxonomy, one taxonomy, and several taxonomies. Finally, we briefly argue that SD can provide KDD with a broader vision of knowledge and discovery method. Limited view of knowledge in ML &


G protein coupled inwardly rectifying K+ channels (GIRK/Kir3.x) are mainly activated by a direct interaction with Gβγ subunits, released upon the activation of inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors. Although Gβγ binding domains on all four subunits have been found, the relative contribution of each of these binding sites to channel gating has not yet been defined. It is also not known whether GIRK channels open once all Gβγ sites are occupied, or whether gating is a graded process. We used a tandem tetrameric approach to enable the selective elimination of specific Gβγ binding domains in the tetrameric context. Here, we show that tandem tetramers are fully operational. Tetramers with only one wild-type channel subunit showed receptor-independent high constitutive activity. The presence of two or three wild-type subunits reconstituted receptor activation gradually. Furthermore, a tetramer with no GIRK1 Gβγ binding domain displayed slower kinetics of activation. The slowdown in activation was found to be independent of regulator of G protein signaling or receptor coupling, but this slowdown could be reversed once only one Gβγ binding domain of GIRK1 was added. These results suggest that partial activation can occur under low Gβγ occupancy and that full activation can be accomplished by the interaction with three Gβγ binding subunits.


Major projects are underway in our laboratory focusing on mildly acidic (pH>3) and alkaline (pH<10) pretreatments of hardwood chips prior to incineration for electric power or prior to pulping for paper manufacture. Production of lignocellulosic ethanol from the hemicelluloses in the hydrolyzates will be attempted. It is of great interest to quantify the concentrations of lignin in these hydrolyzates, since lignin fragments are suspected as fermentation inhibitors. UV spectroscopy is normally used to estimate the concentration of aqueous soluble lignin. However, the 203 nm absorbance gave unreliable results for these hydrolyzates, and on some occasions the 278 nm absorbance was unduly influenced by high absorbance in the 260-265 nm range. A credible method that uses chlorination to generate methanol from the methoxyl groups in lignin will be described. Model compound experiments showed that syringyl lignin units, with two methoxyl groups, gave a methanol yield of ~1.0 mmole/ mmole of aromatic rings.


The dynamic behavior of single-channel transmission on standard fibers with strong dispersion management has been theoretically and numerically analyzed. A single pulse and a pseudorandom pulse sequence have been compared in order to highlight the relevant role played by pulse interaction. A semianalytical theory of the bandwidth evolution demonstrates that the introduction of prechirp is very important for controlling the single pulse propagation and numerical results show that such a chirp also permits to limit the nonlinear pulse interaction when other pulses are present. Simulations of a 40 Gb/s return-to-zero (RZ) system operating in links encompassing step-index fibers, by adopting a periodical compensation of the chromatic dispersion have been performed and results show that a record distance of 1300 km can be achieved with an amplifier spacing of 100 km. A compensation of the fiber third order dispersion would extend the transmission to 1800 km, which corresponds to the limits imposed by the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise of the optical amplifiers.


Abstract Access to quality secondary schooling can be life changing for students in developing contexts. In Kenya, entrance to such schools was historically determined by performance on a high-stakes exam. Understandably then, preparation for this exam is a priority for families and educators. To increase the share of students entering these schools, some educational providers offer targeted instruction for students they believe have a chance of securing a spot. We use a randomized control trial to evaluate the impact of these "symposia" programs—week-long, sleep-away camps where eighth-grade students receive a burst of academic instruction from teachers who are selected based on merit. While similar models have been tested in the United States, less is known about this type of intervention in developing settings. We find these programs were not particularly effective for the average nominated student relative to a typical week of school. However, we find large, positive effects among students attending schools from which few students are nominated for symposia. We provide suggestive evidence that this was because students from low-representation schools had fewer pre-camp practice test resources outside of school. The results have implications for program design and the growing literature on the effectiveness of appropriately targeted individualized instruction.


Weakly supervised object detection (WSOD) using only image-level annotations has attracted growing attention over the past few years. Existing approaches using multiple instance learning easily fall into local optima, because such mechanism tends to learn from the most discriminative object in an image for each category. Therefore, these methods suffer from missing object instances which degrade the performance of WSOD. To address this problem, this paper introduces an end-to-end object instance mining (OIM) framework for weakly supervised object detection. OIM attempts to detect all possible object instances existing in each image by introducing information propagation on the spatial and appearance graphs, without any additional annotations. During the iterative learning process, the less discriminative object instances from the same class can be gradually detected and utilized for training. In addition, we design an object instance reweighted loss to learn larger portion of each object instance to further improve the performance. The experimental results on two publicly available databases, VOC 2007 and 2012, demonstrate the efficacy of proposed approach.


The contents of this thesis are a detailed study of the software
for the finite element method. In the text, the finite element method
is introduced from both the engineering and mathematical points of view.
The computer implementation of the method is explained with samples of
mainframe, mini- and micro-computer implementations. A solution is
presented for the problem of limited stack size for both mini- and
micro-computers which possess stack architecture.
Several finite element programs are presented. Special purpose
programs to solve problems in structural analysis and groundwater flow
are discussed. However, an efficient easy-to-use finite element program
for general two-dimensional problems is presented. Several problems in
groundwater flow are considered that include steady, unsteady flows in
different types of aquifers. Different cases of sinks and sources in
the flow domain are also considered. The performance of finite element
methods is studied for the chosen problems by comparing the numerical
solutions of test problems with analytical solutions (if they exist) or
with solutions obtained by other numerical methods. The polynomial
refinement of the finite elements is studied for the presented problems
in order to offer some evidence as to which finite element simulation
is best to use under a variety of circumstances.


This paper examines the timing of exit from the gold-exchange standard for European countries based on a panel of monthly observations 1928-1936 for two purposes: first it aims to understand the enormous variation in monetary policy choices across Europe. I show that the pattern of exit from gold can be understood in terms of variation in factors commonly suggested in the theoretical literature, which makes it possible to predict with reasonable accuracy the very month when a country will exit gold in the 1930s. Second, I analyse the case of Poland more closely because it appears to be an intriguing outlier. Poland did not leave gold until April 1936 and suffered through one of the worst examples of a depression, with massive deflation and a complete collapse of industrial production. The estimated model fares worst for Poland, and predicts an exit even later than April 1936. By closer inspection, the factors that drive this prediction are the non-democratic character of the regime and a surprisingly high degree of trade integration with France. I argue that Poland's monetary policy was determined by attempts of the Pilsudski regime to defend Poland against foreign (esp. German) aggression. I provide evidence that strongly supports this view until about mid-1933. Ironically, just when Poland had joined the gold-bloc there were signs of a broad strategic reorientation, which paved the way for an exit in 1936.


The study aimed at investigating the effect of employing the strategy (Formulate- Share- Listen- Create) (FSLC) on the 4thGraders developing their mathematical representation skills in governmental schools in Hebron governorate - Directorate of Education. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, it was applied on a purposive sample of (124) fourth graders in Al-Huda Basic Education for Girls School and El Amin Basic Education for Boys School in the Directorate of Education / Yatta. The sample included (67) Male students, and (57) Female students. The students distributed into four sections, one section in each school represented the control group (studied in the traditional method), and the other section represented the experimental group (studied according to the Form-Share-Listen and Create strategy (FSLC). The researcher designed the test of the skills of mathematical representation skills, the researcher verified the validity and reliability of the tool. The results revealed that there were statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α≤0.05) among the 4thGraders in the test of mathematical representation skills due to the teaching method and for the experimental group studied according to the strategy of the strategy (FSLC). The study revealed that there were no statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α≤0.05) in the test of mathematical representation skills due to gender, or the interaction between gender and the method.In the light of the results of the study, the researcher recommends using the teacher's guide to use the Form-Share-Listen and Create strategy (FSLC) in teaching mathematics, and training teachers to use the strategy in developing mathematical written skills (writing and presentation) and the verbal skills (speaking, listening and reading), as well as conducting further studies on the impact of this strategy in other variables and subjects. Such as solving life problems and making decision.


About 70 single-rod quench tests with fresh and pre-oxidized Zircaloy specimens are carried out at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe with water and steam as quench media. A number of mechanical effects are observed on the cladding of the test rods by posttest examination; the most important ones are the occurrence of through-wall cracks mainly for thick oxide scales and a severe degradation of the α-phase for water-quenched and steam-cooled tests. Calculations of some tests are done with the WSPAN one-dimensional rod mechanics code. This code calculates a very high stress pulse in the oxide scale occurring at the phase transition in the oxide phase. With the assumption ofpurely elastic behavior of the α-phase at the high strain rates occurring at the phase transition, the cracking in the α-phase and the formation of through-wall cracks can be understood.


Understanding physiological and biochemical factors involved in heat-stress injury would help improve heat tolerance of cool-season grasses. The objective of this study was to investigate lipid peroxidation of cell membranes in relation to heat-stress tolerance in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.). Two creeping bentgrass cultivars differing in heat tolerance, L-93 (heat tolerant) and Penncross (heat sensitive) were grown under two temperature regimes: 22/16 degrees C (day/night) and 35/25 degrees C for 56 d in growth chambers. Photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) and chlorophyll content of leaves; and electrolyte leakage (EL); content of the lipid peroxidation product, malondialdehyde (MDA); and activities of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) in leaves and roots were determined biweekly during heat stress. Leaf Fv/Fm ratio and chlorophyll content decreased, whereas EL and MDA contents of both leaves and roots increased under heat stress in both cultivars, but to a greater extent in Penncross. The activities of SOD and CAT decreased, whereas POD activity increased in both leaves and roots, which occurred to a greater extent for Penncross. The increases in MDA content and POD activity under heat stress were greater for leaves than for roots in both cultivars. These results suggest that decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes could result in an increased level of lipid peroxidation. Thus, decreased activities of antioxidant enzymes could contribute to damage of cell membranes and to leaf senescence as demonstrated by increased EL and reduced Fv/Fm, and by decreased chlorophyll content during heat stress. Cultivar variations in antioxidant enzyme activities were associated with their differences in heat tolerance as evidenced by Fv/Fm ratio, chlorophyll content, and EL.


This first published edition of the Latin cartulary of Godstow Abbey outside Oxford is an important text for the history of medieval religious women. Compiled in the early fifteenth century, and probably written by Godstow's prioress Alice of Eaton, it contains more than 900 documents written for and preserved by this well-known community of Benedictine nuns. The contents include a unique Anglo-Norman verse life of Ediva of Winchester, whose dreams prompted her to found the abbey in the early twelfth century. Numerous early charters in the cartulary identify other twelfth-century nuns and their relatives, and shed light on the founding of the abbey, its royal and private patronage, and its extensive real estate holdings. Other documents in the volume are excellent sources for women's literacy and culture, religious practices in the diocese of Lincoln, social relations between the nuns and the larger community, and the local urban and rural economy in Oxfordshire and nearby counties. The volume's introduction examines the founding of the abbey, dating it earlier than has previously been done, and provides new information about the abbesses of Godstow. In the text, documents dating from about 1225 or earlier are printed in full, in the original Latin, with English introductions and notes; later documents have been fully summarized in English, with complete witness lists. This is also an invaluable text for local history, topography, and genealogy. This text is the original of the Middle English translation that was published in the early twentieth century.


Fission of optical solitons in a glass fiber induced by the stimulated Raman effect is demonstrated by a theory, simulations, and experiments. The solitons born by fission retain the amplitudes predicted by inverse-scattering calculations. For n = 2 solitons, fission occurs within a distance of 15 km for an initial pulse width of 10 psec.


Objective To develop a relative value unit (RVU)-based tool for the measurement and reimbursement of pharmacy services for clinical trials. Methods A portfolio of activities was agreed by consensus in four tertiary hospitals. Related activities were pooled into several categories or intermediate products. We recorded the duration of each activity by multiple determinations. We then calculated the average time of all determinations. The reference activity was assigned a value of 1. All other activities were compared to the reference activity to obtain the RVU. To establish which items should be invoiced to third parties for the activities performed, we defined the final products (different types of clinical trials according to their complexity). Results Ten intermediate products and five final products were differentiated. Six intermediate products could be repeated over the course of a clinical trial and seven were performed whether or not the clinical trial had included patients. Each final product consisted of different categories. The total number of RVUs produced for a clinical trial was the sum of each constant category value plus the repetitive category values multiplied by the number of repetitions. Conclusion The application of RVU methodology in investigational drug services allows a more precise quantification of services performed. After a prospective validation to confirm the applicability of this tool, it may contribute to more appropriate invoicing to third parties for these services.


The concern regarding destabilizing ability of trading in futures markets in terms of increase in risk is still unresolved in developed and developing economies. This discussion also prevailed in Pakistan after the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). To investigates this concern with respect to Single Stock Futures (SSFs) and their impact on the underlying stocks, this study made use of data from 1999 to 2008. Speci cally, this study investigates the introduction of SSFs in relevance to their impact on the systematic and unsystematic risk of their counterparts. The statistical results of the study show that introduction of SSFs does not enhance the overall risk of the underlying stocks. Therefore, it can be concluded that SSFs cannot be blamed for any apparent volatility in the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) at and before GFC. There could be some other reasons for change in risk level (accounting and macroeconomic fundamentals or industry speci fic etc.). The results of this study are in line with a category of earlier studies, which show that introduction of futures do not destabilize the underlying market. The study implies that flexible regulated futures markets can improve price discovery and liquidity of the market, while acting as an agent for hedgers.


Benjamini, Lyons and Schramm (1999) considered properties of an infinite graph $G$, and the simple random walk on it, that are preserved by random perturbations. To address problems raised by those authors, we study simple random walk on the infinite percolation cluster in Cayley graphs of certain amenable groups known as "lamplighter groups''.We prove that zero speed for random walk on a lamplighter group implies zero speed for random walk on an infinite cluster, for any supercritical percolation parameter $p$. For $p$ large enough, we also establish the converse. We prove that if $G$ has a positive anchored expansion constant then so does every infinite cluster of independent percolation with parameter $p$ sufficiently close to 1; We also show that positivity of the anchored expansion constant is preserved under a random stretch if, and only if, the stretching law has an exponential tail.


This study scrutinized the reporting in the Sydney Morning Herald, a major NSW newspaper, in three periods between mid-2008 and early 2012, to examine Jay Rosen's clever question and answer: "What's the difference between climate science and climate journalism? The former is self-correcting, the latter has become self-destructive". The approach taken was to sample articles by science journalists that covered interesting stories that were independent of the subject of climate change, stories that mentioned climate change, and others where climate change was the central focus. This approach was rewarding in that it showed the quality and depth that the journalists displayed in their craft. The second step was to examine those journalists who occupied prime space in the opinion pages, and the subsequent letters to the editor. These opinion pieces not only cluttered the debate about climate change, which is serious enough, but cast the whole discipline of science, and those who work in the area, namely scientists, as being unreliable, even vicious and irrational. This puts science under siege and raises ethical issues for journalists of distorting the truth, getting the facts wrong, and being deliberately misleading and uncaring. It appears that editorial policy has exhibited Orwellian doublethink, i.e. the ability to accept contradictory facts simultaneously, and to discipline the mind to ignore the conflict between them. The results support Rosen's view, but with a caveat. The science journalism in the Herald, including the science writing on climate change, was not self-destructive. It was instructive, interesting, and the presentation was engaging. The destructive element came from the opinion writers, either challenging the science outright, or promoting just one scientist, a denier of human-induced climate change. The study was then extended to examine how journalists themselves are responding to the representation of climate change in the media, how scientists are viewing the matter, as well as a range of skilled commentators. Australia's Chief Scientist, Ian Chubb, in an address in 2011, was emphatic when he stated that all science risks damage when some science is attacked. Chubb said that climate change is the leading example because it is the very core of science that is being attacked, its principles, its processes, its standards, its ethics and its people. In contrast to such glum conclusions, I delighted in the intellectual rigour and excitement of a challenge that has been accepted by journalists themselves, by scientists, and by members of the community.


This study explores and examines the perceptions of students and tutors of the utilisation and purpose of student voice in higher education. It is conducted in a higher education department within a further education college.
Literature form a range of secondary sources explores how student voice is visible in higher education and draws on the drivers behind its increased focus. Specific emphasis is seen in the views of student voice in terms of rights, participation and inclusivity whilst also recognising the challenges this brings. The value of the student-tutor relationship is highlighted as vital in the successful utilisation of student voice. The distribution and impact of power on the use of student voice is fundamental to the examination of literature and is further clearly reflected in the subsequent findings of my study.
I have taken a critical ethnographic approach to the study and drawn on feminist research theory and auto-ethnography to collect and analyse qualitative data, using semi structured interviews, focus groups and a research journal.
Demonstrated within the emerging themes, was a clear indication of the growing attention to collecting student voice and the problems this raises for students and tutors in terms of rights, participation and power inequalities. Research within the literature review supports these notions and also highlights gaps which have been explored within this study as students and tutors raise concerns regarding their position within the classroom, their unease of accountability and the value of relationships in addressing these issues. Contribution to knowledge is clearly shown in the examination of power issues within student voice work and indeed in everyday practice. This is evidenced through examination of the relationship and the examples of power inequalities raised by tutors and students. Significant findings are demonstrated in the unexpected revelation that tutors and students both feel disciplined by the other and believe the other to be the holder of the power.
Whilst existing literature reports on the benefits and challenges of student voice work, my study goes further to examine the role of power in the relationship and the significance of this in terms of transformational practice.
I conclude the study by presenting an action plan to outline my recommendations for transformative practice which combines literature relating to existing studies, key theory in the field of power, and emerging ideas in relation to the perceptions of students and tutors in order to establish an inclusive conclusion to the study.


Using 'general trust in institutions' and 'concepts of nature' as examples, the article analyzes the influence of cultural factors on sense-making of food biotechnology and the resulting public attitudes in the USA and Germany. According to the hypotheses investigated, different levels of trust and appreciation of nature explain part of the well-known differences in attitudes between both countries. The analysis of a cross-cultural survey of the general population shows that appreciation of nature is a predictor of attitudes in both countries. The higher appreciation of nature in Germany partly explains why attitudes towards food biotechnology are more negative in Germany than in the USA. The relationship between trust and attitudes is more complex than expected, however. Institutional trust is a moderate predictor of attitudes towards food biotechnology in the USA but not in Germany. To explain the varying effectiveness of trust in resolving innovation-related uncertainty we refer to differences in issue framing in both countries and to the higher degree of universalism and individualism in the USA. We conclude that the higher relevance of trust and the lower appreciation of nature make the U.S. culture more apt to assimilate technical innovations than the German culture.


BACKGROUND & AIMS
Patients with cirrhosis are at high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and often have increased serum levels of estrogen. It is not clear how estrogen promotes hepatic growth. We investigated the effects of estrogen on hepatocyte proliferation during zebrafish development, liver regeneration, and carcinogenesis. We also studied human hepatocytes and liver tissues.

METHODS
Zebrafish were exposed to selective modifiers of estrogen signaling at larval and adult stages. Liver growth was assessed by gene expression, fluorescent imaging, and histologic analyses. We monitored liver regeneration after hepatocyte ablation and HCC development after administration of chemical carcinogens (dimethylbenzanthrazene). Proliferation of human hepatocytes was measured in a coculture system. We measured levels of G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER1) in HCC and nontumor liver tissues from 68 patients by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS
Exposure to 17β-estradiol (E2) increased proliferation of hepatocytes and liver volume and mass in larval and adult zebrafish. Chemical genetic and epistasis experiments showed that GPER1 mediates the effects of E2 via the phosphoinositide 3-kinase-protein kinase B-mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway: gper1-knockout and mtor-knockout zebrafish did not increase liver growth in response to E2. HCC samples from patients had increased levels of GPER1 compared with nontumor tissue samples; estrogen promoted proliferation of human primary hepatocytes. Estrogen accelerated hepatocarcinogenesis specifically in male zebrafish. Chemical inhibition or genetic loss of GPER1 significantly reduced tumor development in the zebrafish.

CONCLUSIONS
In an analysis of zebrafish and human liver cells and tissues, we found GPER1 to be a hepatic estrogen sensor that regulates liver growth during development, regeneration, and tumorigenesis. Inhibitors of GPER1 might be developed for liver cancer prevention or treatment.

TRANSCRIPT PROFILING
The accession number in the Gene Expression Omnibus is GSE92544.


As one of the best-known honky tonkers to appear in the wake of Hank Williams' death, Faron Young was a popular presence on Nashville's music scene for more than four decades. The Singing Sheriff produced a string of Top Ten hits, placed over eighty songs on the country music charts, and founded the long-running country music periodical Music City News in 1963. Flamboyant, impulsive, and generous, he helped and encouraged a new generation of talented songwriter-performers that included Willie Nelson and Bill Anderson. In 2000, four years after his untimely death, Faron was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Presenting the first detailed portrayal of this lively and unpredictable country music star, Diane Diekman masterfully draws on extensive interviews with Young's family, band members, and colleagues. Impeccably researched, Diekman's narrative also weaves anecdotes from Louisiana Hayride and other old radio shows with ones from Young's business associates, including Ralph Emery. Her unique insider's look into Young's career adds to an understanding of the burgeoning country music entertainment industry during the key years from 1950 to 1980, when the music expanded beyond its original rural roots and blossomed into a national (ultimately, international) enterprise. Echoing Young's characteristic ability to entertain and surprise fans, Diekman combines an account of his public career with a revealing, intimate portrait of his personal life.