Field investigations following the 2003 M(subscript w)=6.8 Chengkung earthquake in eastern Taiwan revealed some interesting observations of surface geological processes closely related to the co-seismic deformation. We discovered that the Tama Fault, which is about 15 km east of the causative Chihshang Fault, underwent shortening of about 15.5 mm locally in 2001-2006, particularly during the 2003 earthquake. This shows that ESE-WNW compression affects the upper crust of the Coastal Range and produces significant shortening in addition to that of the major Chihshang Fault. On the hanging wall of the Chihshang Fault, we also found vigorous activities of the two major mud volcanoes during the main shock, lasting several days. To the north, the Luoshan Mud Volcano, a large mud basin, erupted noisily with water and gases during the earthquake. To the south, in the Leikunghuo Mud Volcano, two sets of fractures, one aligned with the N16°E right-lateral fault and the other with the N80°E left-lateral fault, occurred during the earthquake. This conjugate system revealed a strike-slip stress regime with NESW compression and NW-SE extension. We interpret it to be the result of local stress permutation rather than regional tectonic stress. We conclude that deformation did occur inside of the Coastal Range, especially during the co-seismic event. Therefore, a better understanding of the internal deformation of the Coastal Range is an important target for future studies, particularly across three mapped faults: the Yungfeng, Tuluanshan and Tama faults. We also want to draw attention to the stress analysis in the mud volcanoes area, where the local stress perturbation plays an important role.


We present a theory of local optical spectroscopy in quantum wires taking into account structural disorder. The calculated spatially resolved spectra show the individual spectral lines due to the exciton states localized by the disordered potential in agreement with experimental findings. We investigate systematically the influence of the potential profile and of the spatial resolution on the local optical spectra. Several line scans along the wire axis are obtained for different spatial correlations and strength of the disorder potential and for different spatial resolutions ranging from the subwavelength to the diffraction limit. Lowering the spatial resolution causes the disappearance of many spectral lines due to destructive spatial interference. However, our results show that information on the individual eigenstates of this quasi one-dimensional quantum system can be obtained at also resolutions significantly lower than the correlation length of interface fluctuations.


The foodborne pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 is increasingly associated with fresh produce (fruit and vegetables). Bacterial colonization of fresh produce plants can occur to high levels on the external tissue but bacteria have also been detected within plant tissue. However, questions remain about the extent of internalization, its molecular basis, and internal location of the bacteria. We have determined the extent of internalization of E. coli O157:H7 in live spinach and lettuce plants and used high-resolution microscopy to examine colony formation in roots and pathways to internalization. E. coli O157:H7 was found within internal tissue of both produce species. Colonization occurred within the apoplast between plant cells. Furthermore, colonies were detected inside the cell wall of epidermal and cortical cells of spinach and Nicotiana benthamiana roots. Internal colonization of epidermal cells resembled that of the phytopathogen Pectobacterium atrosepticum on potato. In contrast, only sporadic cells of the laboratory strain of E. coli K-12 were found on spinach, with no internal bacteria evident. The data extend previous findings that internal colonization of plants appears to be limited to a specific group of plant-interacting bacteria, including E. coli O157:H7, and demonstrates its ability to invade the cells of living plants.


The present study is the result of 4 years experimental research study aimed at understanding the hydrodynamic and heat transfer phenomena of a Diesel fuel droplet during the impact process with a heated flat and spherical surface. Such a phenomena are of a direct relevance to many engineering problems such as IC engines and fluid catalytic cracking (FCC). Due to the fact that the spray systems in the aforementioned applications may be comprised of millions of interacting droplets that prohibit detailed identification of the flow conditions during the impact of individual droplets, the current study focus on the characterisation of the impact dynamics of single droplets under well-controlled conditions. Several parameters, such as droplet velocity and diameter, liquid physical properties, surface conditions and geometry, wall surface temperature and ambient pressure are of key importance for the deformation of droplets upon impact and thus, define the impact outcome.

An experimental investigation of micrometric Diesel droplets impacting on a heated aluminium and a millimetric brass particle surface was carried out. Dual view high-speed imaging has been employed to visualise the evolution of the impact process at various conditions. The parameters investigated include wall surface temperature ranging from room temperature to above Leidenfrost temperature (~420°C), impact Weber, and Reynolds numbers and ambient pressure of 1 and 2 bar. The observed post-impact outcome regimes are defined by means of hydrodynamic regimes and droplet morphology (stick, splash, break-up and rebound); then for each surface geometry, the identified impact outcomes were illustrated on regimes maps as a function of surface temperature and impact Weber number. Comparisons with the available experimental data for the single component fluids clearly shows significant differences, especially in terms of transition to Leidenfrost and breakup regimes; differences in liquid composition and non-homogeneity of the Diesel fuel droplet at the temperature above any of its component's boiling temperature, results in different flow process and evaporating behaviour during the impact, and consequently the final outcome.

Moreover, the temporal variation of the apparent dynamic contact angle and spreading factor has been determined as a function of the impact Weber number and surface temperature. The experimental results were compared against available numerical simulations, performed using a two-phase flow model with interface capturing, phase-change and variable physical properties in order to fully understand the physical mechanism behind the observed results; Increased surface temperature resulted to different spreading dynamic, in particular induced quicker and stronger recoiling behaviour, mostly attributed to the change of liquid viscosity. It has been also shown that the extension of the lamella spreading diameter on a spherical surface is larger than on a flat surface, which is due to the presence of the gravitational and centrifugal forces; yet the centrifugal force is the dominant effect.

In addition, a series of experimental results focusing on: (i) the effect of physical properties and additives on isothermal impact of fuel droplets onto the flat and inclined substrates and (ii) oblique droplet-particle impact, are reported. These parts of the work are included in the appendices as such results were known already from the literature (Appendix A and B), or a pilot study and thus not conclusive (Appendix C) to be presented in the main body of the thesis.


A model was developed to compute the two-dimensional velocity profiles in hot fuel channels of a pressurized water reactor core following a small-break loss-of-coolant accident (SBLOCA). Following an SBLOCA, the transient two-phase level in the core recedes below the top of the core, exposing the core to steam cooling and heatup of the fuel. To compute the velocity distributions, the Navier-Stokes equations were solved in vorticity form using an explicit upwind finite difference numerical scheme. The model was applied to the well-known lid-driven cavity problem and the data in the literature for vertically heated channels. Comparison of the model to the data in the literature provided validation of the approach. Application of the model to the conditions at the time of the peak clad temperature during core uncovery for a typical limiting small cold-leg break in a pressurized water reactor further revealed that the hot-channel steam flow can vary dramatically at the hot spot due to the severe distortion in the axial steam flow that is characteristic of asymmetrically heated channels. The results of the evaluation support the need for a thorough technical basis for the steam flow rates that are typically assumed to cool the hot rods in many commercial fuel rod heatup codes. These codes typically assume a constant mass flow along the axis of the fuel rod to compute the cladding temperature response. Mixed convection is shown to reduce the channel average velocity along the axis of the fuel rod by as much as 15%. The reductions in channel velocity will produce an attendant increase in the peak clad temperature achieved during an SBLOCA. The results of this study suggest that for the steam velocities used to cool hot rods during an SBLOCA, one needs to consider the mixed-convection behavior that can affect the convective heat transfer in the upper portions of exposed nuclear fuel bundles.


Methods for the halftoning of images on multi-level printing devices such as multi-level inkjet printers are presented. Due to the relatively large size of single droplets, halftoning algorithms are still needed. However, since halftoning occurs between the basic levels attainable by printing one, two or several droplets at the same position, artefacts are less visible than in equal resolution bilevel printers. When dithering algorithms are used for the halftoning task, the dither threshold tiles should have oblique orientations so as to make the halftoning artifacts less visible. They should be designed so as to break up the inherent artifacts of variable dot size printers, such as for example continuous lines made up of elongated elliptic dots. Error-diffusion in colour space is also appropriate for multi-level halftoning. Visual artifacts can be reduced by introducing dot over dot colour inhibiting constraints.


Arrays of tidal energy converters have the potential to provide clean renewable energy for future generations. Benthic communities may, however, be affected by changes in current speeds resulting from arrays of tidal converters located in areas characterised by strong currents. Current speed, together with bottom type and depth, strongly influence benthic community distributions; however the interaction of these factors in controlling benthic dynamics in high energy environments is poorly understood. The Strangford Lough Narrows, the location of SeaGen, the world's first single full-scale, grid-compliant tidal energy extractor, is characterised by spatially heterogenous high current flows. A hydrodynamic model was used to select a range of benthic community study sites that had median flow velocities between 1.5–2.4 m/s in a depth range of 25–30 m. 25 sites were sampled for macrobenthic community structure using drop down video survey to test the sensitivity of the distribution of benthic communities to changes in the flow field. A diverse range of species were recorded which were consistent with those for high current flow environments and corresponding to very tide-swept faunal communities in the EUNIS classification. However, over the velocity range investigated, no changes in benthic communities were observed. This suggested that the high physical disturbance associated with the high current flows in the Strangford Narrows reflected the opportunistic nature of the benthic species present with individuals being continuously and randomly affected by turbulent forces and physical damage. It is concluded that during operation, the removal of energy by marine tidal energy arrays in the far-field is unlikely to have a significant effect on benthic communities in high flow environments. The results are of major significance to developers and regulators in the tidal energy industry when considering the environmental impacts for site licences.


Bifunctional catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are highly desirable for rechargeable metal–air batteries and regenerative fuel cells. However, the commercial oxygen electrocatalysts (mainly noble metal based) can only exhibit either ORR or OER activity and also suffer from inherent cost and stability issues. It remains challenging to achieve efficient ORR and OER bifunctionality on a single catalyst. Metal-free structures offer relatively large scope for this bifunctionality to be engineered within one catalyst, together with improved cost-effectiveness and durability. Herein, by closely coupled computational design and experimental development, highly effective bifunctionality was achieved in a phosphorus and nitrogen co-doped graphene framework (PNGF) – with both ORR and OER activities reaching the theoretical limits of metal-free catalysts, superior to their noble metal counterparts in both (bi)functionality and durability. In particular, with the identification of active P–N sites for OER and N-doped sites for ORR, we successfully intensified these sites by one-pot synthesis to tailor the PNGF. The resulting catalyst achieved an ORR potential of 0.845 V vs. RHE at 3 mA cm−2 and an OER potential of 1.55 V vs. RHE at 10 mA cm−2. Its combined ORR and OER overpotential of 705 mV is much lower than those previously reported for metal-free bifunctional catalysts.


We describe the case of a patient with a chronic pulmonary infection due to a mycobacterium tentatively identified as Mycobacterium flavescens, but finally shown to be Mycobacterium szulgai; this is the first M. szulgai infection reported in Italy. The patient responded to treatment with multiple antituberculosis drugs only after two cycles of 10 and 6 months, respectively. The literature concerning previous case reports in which M. szulgai is involved is revised and the difficulty concerning the identification of this rare mycobacterium, along with its in vitro and in vivo susceptibility, are discussed.


Objectives
 Thrombospondin 1 (TSP1) is a matricellular glycoprotein present in injured arteries, and acts as a chemoattractant for vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). Migration of VSMCs to an area of injury plays a role in the development of intimal hyperplasia. We have recently shown that acute treatment of VSMCs with statins leads to a decrease in TSP1-induced VSMC chemotaxis. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the acute statin effect is dependent on the mevalonate pathway or is a pleiotropic effect.

 Methods
 Quiescent VSMCs were treated for 20 hours (standard time) or 20 minutes (acute treatment) with 100μM mevalonolactone, 0.5 μM fluvastatin, or mevalonolactone and fluvastatin combined. Migration of VSMCs towards 20 μg/ml TSP1 was assessed using a modified Boyden microchemotaxis chamber. Data was recorded as cells migrated per 5 high power fields and converted to percent positive control. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK 1/2) activation was determined by Western blot. Densitometry is presented as percent positive control.

 Results
 TSP1 induced VSMC migration compared to SFM, 100% + 7.6 vs. 35.3% + 4.5. Treatment with fluvastatin for 20 hours (34.3% + 6.9) or 20 minutes (38.4% + 9) inhibited TSP1-induced VSMC migration. 20 hour mevalonate treatment together with fluvastatin restored the migratory effect of TSP1, 81% +9.9, p=0.11. Addition of mevalonate to acute fluvastatin treatment, did not reverse the anti-migratory effect of fluvastatin compared to TSP1 alone, 35.6% + 9.9, p<0.0001. TSP1 significantly activated ERK 1/2 compared to basal medium, p42: 100% + 0 vs. 62.3% + 12.6; p44: 100% + 0 vs. 56.9% + 8.7. Acute fluvastatin did not inhibit ERK1/2 activation compared to TSP1, p42: 86.7% + 12.7; p44: 81.7% + 9.9.

 Conclusion
 These data indicate long-term fluvastatin inhibition of TSP1 stimulated migration is at least partially dependent on the mevalonate pathway. In contrast, acute fluvastatin inhibition of TSP1-induced chemotaxis involves an alternate pathway resulting in pleiotropic statin effects. Previous studies found that standard treatment time with statins inhibited ERK 1/2 activation. Our current study found that acute fluvastatin inhibition of TSP1-induced chemotaxis does not appear to be ERK1/2 dependent.


The environmental fragility of cities under advanced urbanization has motivated extensive efforts to promote the sustainability of urban ecosystems and physical infrastructures. Less attention has been devoted to neighborhood inequalities and fissures in the civic infrastructure that potentially challenge social sustainability and the capacity of cities to collectively address environmental challenges. This article draws on a program of research in three American cities—Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles—to develop hypotheses and methodological strategies for assessing how the multidimensional and multilevel inequalities that characterize contemporary cities bear on sustainability. In addition to standard concerns with relative inequality in income, the article reviews evidence on compounded deprivation, racial cleavages, civic engagement, institutional cynicism, and segregated patterns of urban mobility and organizational ties that differentially connect neighborhood resources. Harnessing "ecometric" measurement tools and emerging sources of urban data with a theoretically guided framework on neighborhood inequality can enhance the pursuit of sustainable cities, both in the United States and globally.


To read Emma Speed Sampson's novel The Comings of Cousin Ann today is to discover an intriguing link between sentimental southern fiction popular at the turn of the nineteenth century and the more honest appraisals of the South credited to writers of the twentieth-century Southern Renaissance. I use the word discover deliberately, for though the novel attracted favorable reviews and a general audience when published in 1923, it has gathered dust for the past seventy years. Dated in some ways but modern in many others, it deserves a new audience. It will fascinate scholars and students of southern literature, cultural studies, and women's studies. The author, Emma Speed Sampson, was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1868, married a Virginian and spent most of her adult years in Richmond, and died in 1947. Between 1916 and 1940, she published at least twenty-eight novels. Most of these were designed for children and adolescents, including the popular Miss Minerva and Billy series, which Sampson created as a sequel to a novel by Frances Boyd Calhoun following Calhoun's death. She also continued three series begun by her sister Nell: the Molly Brown books, The Tucker Twins series, and The Carter Girls series. But Sampson's most original and serious novel is The Comings of Cousin Ann. Fast moving and playful, it deconstructs the southern belle in particular and the southern romance in general. At first glance, however, the easy-to-read novel may appear to be another of Sampson's works of interest chiefly to youngsters. In outline, the plot involving the young heroine Judith Buck is predictable: the reader never doubts that this beautiful Cinderella will get her Prince Charming or that all will be right with the world by novel's end. But Sampson complicates the narrative by parodying, rather than replicating, the sentimental romance. Rather than a fairy godmother, she gives her Cinderella a chorus of elderly godfathers who, in a nurturing feminine gesture, host a ball for Judith and even design and order the dress, hair ornament, slippers, and hose she will wear to it. Moreover, Sampson refers to the Cinderella story directly several times in the novel, but only to mock it. In excited anticipation of her first ball, Judith says to her mother: I'm going to dance my dress to a rag. Did you ever think that Cinderella may have just danced her dress to rags by twelve o'clock and after all the fairy godmother had nothing to do with it? Cinderella danced every dance with the prince and perhaps he was an awkward prince and tangled his feet in her train. In fact, I am sure he was awkward or he would have caught up with her when she tried to run away, and she with one shoe off and one shoe on. (146) Judith's cleverness and realism here are refreshing, and so are the author's: the godfathers she gives her southern anti-Cinderella are elderly Civil War veterans who, rather than being a momentary convenience to a romantic plot, are fixtures on the porch of a local hotel, where they entertain themselves, as folks so often do in small towns, by gossiping about local happenings and by creating happenings--such as a debutante ball for social outsider Judith--to add excitement to their days. Not that the novel escapes all vestiges of sentimentality. Cousin Ann Peyton's servant Billy is, in some ways, the stereotypical faithful darky of post-Civil War southern romance. And there is no accounting for young Judith Buck's perpetual self-confidence, goodness, and good humor. But the novel's sentimentality is more than balanced by a modernism evident even to its contemporary reviewers. Upon its publication in 1923, a writer for The Literacy Review described the novel as "a sort of quite grown up and more or less up to date Louisa M. Alcott novel" (166). And in The Reviewer the same year, Hunter Stagg praised the novel for its tart tone--"a tartness," he said, that is "not usually found in a Southerner's writings about the South" (68-69). …


Electrification of atmospheric dust influences the coagulation, wet removal and fall speeds of dust particles. Alignment of dust particles can also occur in fair weather atmospheric electrical conditions if the particles are charged. However, very few electrical measurements made in elevated dust layers exist. Balloon-borne charge and particle instrumentation have been used to investigate the electrical properties of elevated Saharan dust layers. Soundings from the Cape Verde Islands, which experience frequent Saharan dust outbreaks, intercepted several dust layers. Two balloon soundings during summer 2009 detected dust particles in layers up to 4 km altitude. Simultaneous electrical measurements showed charge inside the dust layers, with a maximum measured charge density of 25 pC m − 3, sufficient to influence wet removal processes.


We present a new algorithm for the conformant probabilistic planning problem. This is a planning problem in which we have probabilistic actions and we want to optimize the probability of achieving the goal, but we have no observations available to us during the course of the plan's execution. Our algorithm is based on a CSP encoding of the problem, and a new more efficient caching scheme. The result is a gain in performance of several orders of magnitude over previous AI planners that have addressed the same problem.

We also compare our algorithm to algorithms for decision theoretic planning. There our algorithm is faster on small problems but does not scale as well. We identify the reasons for this, and show that the two types of algorithms are able to take advantage of distinct types of problem structure. Finding an algorithm that can lever both types of structure simultaneously is posed as an interesting open problem.


Discrete ordinates solutions of the neutron transport equation require the solution of the within-group transport equation by the method of iteration on the scattering source. Scattering source iterations are hampered by extremely slow convergence rates when the medium is highly scattering. Among the methods proposed for the acceleration of the scattering source iterations, the coarse mesh rebalance and the diffusion synthetic acceleration techniques appear to be the most prominent ones. Thus, one or the other has been adopted in most of the SN codes. The numerical studies concerning the effectiveness of these acceleration methods have been made mostly for the planar geometry. There are some studies also for the multidimensional Cartesian geometries. In this study we have tried to assess the merits of these acceleration techniques in a curvilinear coordinate system that is spherical geometry. The performance of both of the acceleration methods have been determined by varying the scattering to total cross section ratio, the mesh size, the degree of anisotropy in scattering for a uniform spherical system. Then the study is extended to multiregion systems some of which are diffusive and in some of which transport effects are important.


Informed Cities looks at the knowledge brokerage processes between cities and higher education institutions, and in particular evaluates governance mechanisms for monitoring local sustainability and the role of research within this.

The first part of the book provides an analysis of tools for governing sustainable cities and develops a typology of existing tools. It then considers approaches to monitor local sustainability on a European level, focusing on a number of key tools such as the Covenant of Mayors, Reference Framework for Sustainable Cities, and Green Capital Award. The second part of the book introduces an explorative application of two tools that the author team have used in practice to monitor local sustainability, Urban Ecosystems Europe and Local Evaluation 21, presenting and evaluating European level data collected from local governments.

The third part of the book looks deeper into a number of case studies discussing how a working and rewarding city-university connection can be created and nourished in an administrative and political setting. Finally, the last part of the book reflects on lessons learned from the application of the tools and accompanying research process and makes recommendations for further developing monitoring tools for urban sustainability on a European level.


This paper assesses the debt restructuring mechanisms available to companies in English law, compares these mechanisms with the Chapter 11 procedure in the US, and makes some suggestions for reform of the English system in this context. Rehabilitating a company in financial difficulties will almost always be preferable to liquidation for companies and their creditors, at least where the company is merely financially distressed, i.e. it is cash flow insolvent but nevertheless economically viable, so that there is a business worth saving. Five debt restructuring mechanisms are available to companies in English law: workouts, Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs), schemes of arrangement, administration and, lastly, a recent innovation of practitioners has been to twin a scheme of arrangement with administration. None of these devices are ideal as debt restructuring tools, as explained in this paper. Lessons can be learned from the US Chapter 11 process, although a simple transplantation of this procedure into English law is not recommended, as there are also disadvantages to the US procedure. Instead it is suggested that the English scheme of arrangement be reformed to allow a cramdown of whole classes to take place, to attach a moratorium to this procedure and to enhance the valuation process where restructuring takes place. Making these changes would provide English law with a stronger and more effective debt restructuring procedure.


Abstract Background and Purpose: Tourists from the Islamic world are significant stakeholders in the tourism market. The purpose of this paper is to identify the key aspects of halal tourism in connection with the hotel industry. Furthermore, we want to determine whether hotel managers are familiar with halal certification and on what basis they would opt for it. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research focuses on halal goods, services, and facilities, in general, and specifically in Slovenian hotels; concepts, contemporary trends, and the situation in Slovenia are presented. In response to the literature review, we applied the analysis of the factor loadings to define the important factors that influence the decision-making process; by applying PCA, we reduced the dependent variable to a single factor (although predictions were slightly different). Findings: The most important elements in the adoption of the certificate are the simplicity and efficiency of the procedure itself and the fact that the process does not require major financial investments. The element that significantly influences the managers' decision-making process is the possibility of adjusting to the standard of the certificate. Conclusion: The paper's main contribution is to deepen the perspective of the development of tourism in an area that remains a relatively undeveloped and unknown niche within the Slovenian tourism/hospitality industry but very promising in the global context.


Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was developed in the early 1990s with a combination of previously published models for predicting the effect of management decisions on water, sediment, nutrient and pesticide yields with reasonable accuracy on large, ungaged river basins. The model grew up as one of the most accurate predictionable model for nutrient flux in watershed-scale today because it has improved by many contributors with its opened source code. One of the advantages of using the model is to estimate of nutrient flux from non-point sources because it could consider various agricultural activities including plant nutrition. This is a reason that the model is able to simulate nutrient dynamics in watersheds, especially in agricultural watersheds, with reasonable accuracy. The model basocally simulates dynamics of water and related substances using physically-based equations. However, some of empirical equations based on observation in U.S. are adopted as well. Hence, it is necessary to confirm capability of the model when it's applied outside U.S. The objective of this study was to reveal capability of SWAT on estimation of nutrient flux from watersheds outside U.S. We reviewed peer-reviewed papers published in international journals which targeted various conditions from mountanious and hilly area dominated watershed to relatively flat area such as typical continental watersheds.


WOMEN ON THE DEFENSIVE: LIVING THROUGH CONSERVATIVE TIMESSylvia BashevkinChicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998; 318 pp.Reviewed by Lois HarderDepartment of Political ScienceUniversity of AlbertaEdmonton, AlbertaSylvia Bashevkin's Women on the Defensive analyses the impact of Conservative governments on women's demands for equal rights, family law reform, reproductive choice, protection against violence and employment rights in Britain, the United States and Canada. Bashevkin's book is systematic. She provides a recounting of women's movement successes previous to the election of Conservative governments, an analysis of feminist encounters with the Thatcher/Major, Reagan/Bush and Mulroney administrations and a discussion of the dynamics of women's interaction with their successors. On the basis of interviews with over 100 activists, the biographies, autobiographies and public statements of Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan and Brian Mulroney and the analysis of public documents and judicial decisions, Bashevkin reveals that while women's groups in each country faired worse under Conservative regimes than they had under their predecessors, the specificities of Conservatism in each country were key to determining the character and degree of resistance to feminist gains. The book would be particularly useful for second or third year political science classes concerning women and politics, comparative politics, and social movements. Chapters might also be usefully extracted for women's studies courses addressing feminism and social change and as an example of liberal feminist analysis.Women on the Defensive's primary theoretical engagement is not with feminist work but with the literature of comparative federalism and systems of government. In this context, Bashevkin challenges David Truman's assertion that unitary governments, such as that of Britain, are more responsive to social movement demands than federal governments (the U.S. and Canada) due to the centralization of decision-makers. Truman is a peculiar choice. He was writing in the early 1950s when the welfare state was only beginning to take shape and well before the social movements that would eventually insist on the egalitarian promise of liberal democratic welfare states were asserting their demands. Certainly the Canadian literature on feminist organizing has long acknowledged the usefulness to activists of playing two levels of government against each other. Secondly, and, as she asserts, more importantly, Bashevkin challenges the assertion that congressional forms of government, with their weak party discipline and distinct separation of powers among the judicial, legislative and executive branches of government, are more responsive to diffuse interest group demands than Parliamentary systems, due to the multiple points at which group representatives may assert their claims. Women on the Defensive, she argues, reveals that the presence or absence of constitutionally guaranteed rights was a better indicator of the ability of women to defend equality gains from conservative attack than a particular institutional configuration.The cases of Britain, the United States and Canada are considered in each chapter of Women on the Defensive. In the first chapter, Bashevkin traces the emergence of the women's movement beginning with suffrage struggles, through the second wave and their subsequent encounters with conservatism in the 1980s. …


The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) REFER extension as defined in
RFC 3515 automatically establishes a typically short-lived event
subscription used to notify the party sending a REFER request about
the receiver's status in executing the transaction requested by the
REFER. These notifications are not needed in all cases. This
specification provides a way to prevent the automatic establishment of
an event subscription and subsequent notifications using a new SIP
extension header field that may be included in a REFER request.
[STANDARDS-TRACK]


The foundations of the doctrine of possessory rights are centuries old, yet, as Mr. Bucknall establishes, Ontario courts frequently have difficulty in applying both the common law tests and the statutory changes enacted in the Limitations Act. A critical examination of several cases reveals startling judicial inconsistency and demonstrates the need for a clearer analytical framework within which to determine questions of possessory title. Mr. Bucknall sets out this framework in a series of principles designed to restate and clarify the interaction of the common law maxims and the statutory enactments. This commentary is available in Osgoode Hall Law Journal: http://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/ohlj/vol22/iss2/9 TWO ROADS DIVERGED: RECENT DECISIONS ON POSSESSORY TITLE


The extension of Cagan and Vogel's "Value Creation Model" with culture as an additional component may enhance the search for superior value and competitive advantage. However, to manage different judgments and positioning of different evaluators, contextual research on users is needed in order to find more valid classifications. It is important to understand how users consider each of these dimensions when they want to define an identity for a product. As a case, cellular phones were used for discussing cultural factors as well as relationships among values, lifestyles and consumer behaviour. With respect to individual features and components, no specific design recommendation can be made at this point of time. Attribute based methods were not enough for understanding users' real behaviour and tendencies towards a product. A product is more than just a combination of its components or attributes. However, a more elaborate mapping of hardware and software components onto Hofstede's cultural dimensions can lead to interesting findings based on the identification of cultural specific components, especially when comparing between Asian and Western likings and requirements.


Egyptian youth played a central role in the Arab Spring (AS) uprisings, yearning for changes in the political system and for better economic conditions. This paper investigates the perceptions of young Egyptians about the AS. The empirical analysis uses a bivariate ordered probit model to examine the factors influencing these perceptions through proxies that cover political, social, and economic conditions. The results reveal that social values and ideological characteristics matter more than the standard socio-economic attributes in understanding the perceptions of young Egyptians. They indicate that individuals with secularist, non-traditionalist, and gender equality inclinations formed more favourable perceptions about the AS. Also, they suggest that the AS has led to unfavourable perceived circumstances for the Arab Nationalism and pan-Islamism ideologies, and propitious perceived conditions for further connection with the global system. These findings signal that the AS may have set a path toward a significant transformation in the Egyptian society.


The optimisation of recombinant protein production by animal cell cultures is important for the
economic feasibility of these processes. Simultaneously with product yield, product
authenticity is a crucial aspect to consider as it may per se affect the therapeutic value of such
proteins. More defined culture media are being developed, particularly to ensure batch product
consistency. A Chinese Hamster Ovary cell line (CHO 320) producing human interferon-γ
(IFN-γ), a glycosylated protein, was chosen to investigate the effects of the culture
environment on (I) cell growth, (2) product yield and (3) product authenticity.
A statistical approach was used to identify important culture components for cell growth and
IFN-γ production. When the concentration of the resulting positive variables was initially
increased in culture, improvements of approximately 40% in both of these parameters were
achieved; the glycosylation of IFN-γ was not affected. The former analysis also indicated that
different stimuli were required for growth and production. Fed-batch feeding of glucose and
glutamine, components depleted early from culture, did not prolong cell growth or IFN-γ
production but the initial glycosylation pattern of IFN-γ was a function of glutamine
concentration.
Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was shown to have important role(s) in culture and cell growth
was not possible in its absence. Pluronic F68, alone or in combination with a lipid mixture or
linoleic acid, was able to restore cell growth in low BSA (1 mg/ml) cultures. However, IFN-γ
production was significantly reduced and the extent of IFN-γ glycosylation also changed.
These effects were related to: (1) BSA concentration, (2) BSA type, and ultimately, (3) lipid
composition of the culture.
The results reported in this thesis exhibit the necessity to consider the effects of the culture
environment not only on cell growth and product yield but also on product authenticity
throughout any optimisation process.


Leyland cypress, laurel oak and slash pine were grown for 18 months in plastic containers, in fabric containers or directly in the field and then transplanted into field soil. There was no difference in growth between field-grown and fabric container-grown trees for laurel oak or slash pine, but field-grown leyland cypress were taller than fabric containergrown trees. Container-grown trees were smallest for all three species. Shoot : root dry weight ratio was smallest on container-grown trees because little of the root system is lost during transplanting compared to fabric and field-grown trees. Ten weeks after transplanting, weight of regenerated roots on fabric container-grown leyland cypress and slash pine was greater than on field-grown trees. Field-grown slash pine regenerated less root weight than trees produced by other production methods. Production method did not affect root regeneration of laurel oak.


"Eco-urbanization" emphasizes the importance of the ecological and environmental aspects of urbanization, which is to approach a balanced and healthy ecosystem through paying attention to the ecological intercorrelation of many factors. This involves balancing the stocks and utilization of multi-resources and balancing the efficiency and equality of multi-resources allocation to improve the quality of life for both urban and rural areas. In this dynamic process, resource allocations are carried out at different administrative levels, which have posed challenges of developing an integrated approach for eco-urbanization. Due to interaction and intersection of ecological activities among adjacent regions, a complex ecosystem tends to be in a fluid catchment area with dynamic flows of activities that transcend rigid administrative boundaries. The management of ecosystem sensitively impinges on the effectiveness of having an integrated approach of land governance in a comprehensive planning of urban–rural development. This will require scientific findings to support a policy-oriented management approach, which can take account of land use/cover changes (LUCC), ecosystem services and functions, interactive impacts of socio-economic transformation and climatic variations for optimum land use allocation to achieve the objective of ecosystem conservation and socio-economic development for both urban and rural area in a sustainable approach. Three aspects of development are identified as the importance of achieving advanced land governance for eco-urbanization. This paper aims to discuss these in turn: first, to find the adaptive measures in response to the uncertainty of climatic variation; second, to understand and research the scale and level of sustainable consumption for balancing resource saving and consumption; and third, to study ecological intercorrelation among multiple factors. We, therefore, argue that the far insight of "economic growth" via an ecologically-centered approach based on scientific solutions of all three aspects and intergovernmental consultations is important to support land governance for eco-urbanization and to strike a balance between environmental conservation and economic development.


INTRODUCTION TO MATHEMATICAL PROGRAMMING, APPLICATIONS AND ALGORITHMS (SECOND EDITION) by Wayne L. Winston Duxbury Press, Belmont, CA 94002, 1995, 818pp. This is not a new book, but I feel it is so outstanding that it should receive some attention. Recently, I had the opportunity to teach a class on linear optimization. Most of the students in this course are industrial engineering majors. I required a textbook that contained the necessary mathematics, but would be accessible to my class, and this book was an ideal match. The biggest asset of this text is the vast collection of applications that the author uses in the exercises and in the context of each subsection. There is an excellent mix of textbook problems as well as applications that come from industry and science. The familiar question, "Where am I going to use this stuff?" was never uttered in this class since the book did such a wonderful job of tying everything to applications. Many textbooks for this kind of class contain examples of applications, but Winston makes a notable effort in casting a wide net when finding applications for the material. This is a particularly perspicuous textbook. Students seemed to have an easy time reading it since it has small chapter sections, skillfully selected examples, and accessible prose. As a result, I was able to rely on the students reading their book, which allowed me to allocate more class time for small group work and to strive for a higher level of comprehension of the material. The text is not without difficulties. Although the title includes the words "Mathematical" and "Programming", it would be fair to say the book is not highly mathematical nor does it involve a whole lot of programming. The author avoids content that is mathematically intensive and keeps his focus on an audience that would prefer to avoid mathematical details. There is little in the way of programming, with some consideration on interpreting the results from pre-packaged software. However, I believe that a majority of students taking linear programming match this target audience quite well. Winston provides enough material to accommodate a year-long course. For a semester course, there is a dilemma as to what to cover. Chapter 1 is a short introduction and Chapter 2 is a crash course in matrix theory. The third chapter covers what a linear programming (LP) problem is and introduces the vocabulary that is used in the subsequent chapters. A complication with this chapter is that considerable time is spent formulating numerous examples of LP problems, whereas the algorithm used to solve these problems awaits, but in Chapter 4. It might be advisable to cover only part of Chapter 3 in order to move more quickly onto solving LP problems. …


An electromagnetic vector-field model for design of optical components based on the finite-difference time-domain method and radiation integrals is presented. Its ability to predict the optical electromagnetic dynamics in structures with complex material distributions is demonstrated. Theoretical and numerical investigations of finite-length surface-relief structures embedded in polymer dielectric waveguiding materials are presented. The importance of several geometric parameter dependencies is indicated as far-field power distributions are rearranged between diffraction orders. The influences of the variation in grating period, modulation depth, length, and profile are investigated.


A Bumpy Road Toward Political Reform Had there been no 1997 Question, the first step toward democratization in Hong Kong in the early 1980s would never have been taken. As the return of the capitalist enclave to communist rule on July 1, 1997, became inevitable, the paramount concern of the British colonial administration was to ensure an honorable exit and to install firmly rooted democratic institutions to safeguard against communist control after the takeover. Local Western-minded elites were scared by the notoriously autocratic rule of the Chinese Communist Party and woke up to the need to participate in politics. Beginning in the early 1980s, the first-generation political groups formed by these elites presented their thoughts on how Hong Kong should be run. Resisting communism emerged as the driving force for democratization. China is not opposed to democracy per se. To the late patriarch Deng Xiaoping, who masterminded the "One Country, Two Systems" concept, pragmatism made more sense than dogmatism in securing a smooth takeover. Allowing "Hong Kong people to rule Hong Kong" would dispel fears of Beijing intervention. Furthermore, mainland officials admitted they simply did not know how to run the capitalist enclave. During the 13-year transition, the political debate was not so much about whether Hong Kong should be a democracy, but how and when. Specifically, the discussion was centered on the timetable of introducing universal suffrage for electing the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council (LegCo). In the present LegCo, chosen in 1998, 20 of its 60 seats were elected directly through Geographical Constituencies (GCs). Another 10 were elected from a grand Election Committee (EC), comprised of 800 members drawn from business, professional, grassroots, and political groups. The other 30 seats were chosen from Functional Constituencies (FCs), which cover subsectors in commercial and professional sectors such as business chambers, wholesale and retail, doctors, and teachers. (Generally only corporate members of these designated organizations can vote, though professional groups usually allow all of their members to vote.) Under a ten-year timetable in the Basic Law, the number of directly elected GC seats will go up to 24 in the next LegCo elections in September 2000, with the additional seats being subtracted from the EC's allotment. In the third term (2004-07), LegCo will comprise of 30 directly elected seats and 30 FC seats. After 2007, the law allows Hong Kong to switch to a fully elected legislature and a one-man, one-vote system for choosing the Chief Executive. With fears of communist intervention gradually evaporating in the years after the changeover, the China factor has become less relevant in local politics. Subtle changes have emerged in the democracy debate. Behind the latest push for fresh reforms were systemic failures of the political framework as well as two decades of greater political awareness and cultural change. Many politicians fear that Hong Kong's government could be paralyzed by friction and hostility between the administration of Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa and the LegCo. A decade after popular elections were introduced for the LegCo in 1991, democracy and participatory culture have become firmly embedded at the community level. A record 54 percent of voters cast their ballots in the first post-handover LegCo elections in 1998. District Council elections in 1999 recorded a 35.8 percent turnout, compared to 33.1 percent in 1994. Local Chinese who had acquiesced to a limited say under British rule have become more demanding of their own government and more vocal in airing their grievances about the way Hong Kong is run. The media, meanwhile, is becoming more assertive in functioning as the fourth branch of power to ensure that politics becomes more accountable and open. Without an electoral mandate, the Hong Kong executive authorities--the Chief Executive, his advisory Executive Council (ExCo) and principal officials from the Civil Service--are severely challenged by their perceived lack of legitimacy and accountability. …


OBJECTIVE--To test the assumption that patients will become unduly anxious if they are given detailed information about the risks of surgery in an attempt to obtain fully informed consent. DESIGN--Preoperative anxiety assessed before and after patients were randomly allocated an information sheet containing either simple or detailed descriptions of possible postoperative complications. SETTING--Four surgical wards at two Sheffield hospitals. SUBJECTS--96 men undergoing elective inguinal hernia repair under general anaesthesia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Change in anxiety level observed after receiving information about potential complications. RESULTS--Detailed information did not increase patient anxiety (mean Spielberger score at baseline 33.7 (95% confidence interval 31.3 to 36.2), after information 34.8 (32.1 to 37.5); p = 0.20, paired t test). A simple explanation of the facts provided a statistically significant degree of reassurance (mean score at baseline 34.6 (31.5 to 37.6), after information 32.3 (29.8 to 34.9); p = 0.012), although this small effect is likely to be clinically important only in those whose baseline anxiety was high (r = 0.27, p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS--In men undergoing elective inguinal hernia repair a very detailed account of what might go wrong does not increase patient anxiety significantly and has the advantage of allowing patients a fully informed choice before they consent to surgery, thus reducing the potential for subsequent litigation.


Background: The level of Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) in identifying patients at high risk for prostate cancer has always been a controversial issue. This study was designed in order to assess the relationship between PSA levels with age and Body Mass Index (BMI) in symptom free men. Methods: In this cross sectional study, demographic data and PSA levels in 180 men referred to Rasoul Akram Hospital with analysis, data description, chi-square and correlation tests with SPSS software were used. Results: The mean age of men was 60.7±9 years and the mean of BMI was 26.1±3.5 kg/m2. This study showed inverse correlation between PSA and BMI which was very low and insignificant (p=0.141). But the correlation between PSA and age were significant and positive. Conclusion: This study showed there is no correlation between PSA and BMI. However studies which have been conducted in symptomatic patients have shown a correlation between PSA and BMI. This may result from PSA level above 10 and leading to the ambiguity that it is perhaps due to high levels of PSA.


High-quality coast-effective virus-free blood transfusion is the major goal in blood banks - here, a comparative evaluation of Nucleic acid testing (NAT) versus the currently implemented enzyme immunoassays (EIA) was carried out utilizing three thousands donors' samples for detection of HBV and HCV. Study design was based on obtaining two samples from each donor, a serum sample for EIA screening of HbsAg, Hbs Ab, HBcAb and HCV Ab, and plasma for NAT. Individual plasma specimens were pooled to make 125 pools (24 specimen/pool) for HBV-DNA and HCV-RNA testing. According to the results, donors pools were categorized into seven groups: Group 1; included 97 seronegative HCV Ab, among them one pool (1.03%) was found HCV-NAT positive, Group 2; included 28 seropositive HCV Ab, among them 26 (92.9%) were HCV-NAT positive, Group 3; demonstrated that the detection limit of a single HCV-PCR -positive sample per pool (> 103 IU/ml), Group 4; included 85 seronegative HBV pools, among them 5 (5.9%) were HBV-NAT positive, Group 5; included 40 pools positive only for HBc IgG and 29 (72.5%) HBV-NAT positive, Group 6; included 16 pools seropositive for HBc Ab and HBs Ab - which are allowed for transfusion an allarming result of 12.5% (2 pools) were HBV-NAT positive. Finally, group 7; demonstrated that the detection limit of one single HBV-PCR positive sample per pool was 103 copy/ml. It is concluded that, implementation of NAT screening for HBV and HCV targets in blood banks would provide more conclusive data and consequently reduce the risk of post-transfusion infections. Optimization of pooling size versus detection limit is needed specially in endemic area.


Fabulous Food from Every Small Garden shows how to grow food at home in even the smallest of spaces. It explores the reasons for growing your own food, including the many potential benefits such as improved taste, freshness and nutrition. Many types of food are covered, including vegetables, fruits, herbs, bush tucker plants and edible flowers.

The book provides detailed instructions for successfully growing plants from seeds, and explains the use of organic pest and weed control and efficient watering methods. In addition, readers are shown how to improve soil fertility by making their own fertiliser.

Written by the author of the best-selling Creating Your Eco-friendly Garden, this practical book also offers solutions on incorporating food plants with other plants to create beautiful gardens in spaces such as balconies and flowerbeds. This is complemented with information on innovative techniques such as aquaponics, hydroponics, wicking beds and grid gardening to achieve high productivity in small spaces. The final chapters concern growing, harvesting and storing produce, and contain some simple recipes.


We report on the characterization of an epitaxial layer of InAs0.94Sb0.06 grown on semi insulating GaAs by metal organic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE). Transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, photoluminescence and photoconductivity spectroscopy were used to characterize the layers in terms of its structural and luminescent properties, with emphasis on residual stress/strain, extended defects like dislocations, band gap energies and impurity states. Temperature dependant Hall measurements were also performed. The composition of the layer as well as strain relaxation was confirmed by High resolution X-ray diffraction. Photoluminescence produced a broad emission peak which was shown to be a convolution of extrinsic recombination and band-to-band transitions. A comparison between photoluminescence and photoconductivity results confirmed this analysis. The absorption edges, determined from photocurrent spectroscopy measurements at different temperatures, were fitted with an Einstein single oscillator model, yielding a 0 K band gap energy of 355 meV. Hall mobility results showed a peak mobility of 9.5 × 103 cm2 /V.s at 115 K; results were fitted with a two-layer Hall model yielding a bulk peak mobility of 22.4 × 103 cm2 /V.s at 88 K, with a majority donor carrier concentration of roughly 5 × 10-15 cm-3. These results continue to show that InAs1-xSbx has great potential for use within mid-wave infrared detectors, however further improvement in deposition growth is still needed for final device manufacture.


The foot forms the dynamic base upon which a sprinter functions. The actions that occur within the foot are of critical importance to the task of sprint running, since they influence the functional mechanisms of the entire body and especially the lower extremity. The aim of this research was to evaluate how foot function may contribute to sprinting performance and the interaction between the mechanical properties of sprinting footwear and performance, with a focus on the role of the metatarsophalangeal joint (MPJ). Currently, little is known about the effect of footwear upon the normal biomechanical function of the MPJ during sprinting, as this joint has often been neglected in previous biomechanical studies of lower limb energetics. A series of empirical and theoretical investigations were therefore undertaken to advance the understanding in this area. The initial study revealed the importance of two important methodological issues on the analysis of MPJ function during sprinting. Appropriate MPJ axes representation and appropriate data processing procedures are vital to ensure the accurate assessment of joint kinetics. Empirical investigations on eight trained sprinters performing maximal sprint trials, both in barefoot and sprint spike conditions determined normal patterns of foot behaviour and the role of the MPJ during sprinting. Several aspects of foot function, including kinematic, kinetic and pressure characteristics, were determined. Sprint spikes reduced MPJ range of motion and dorsiflexion velocity but increased total energy generated during the push-off phase, biomechanical measures which may be linked to sprinting performance. To investigate whether manipulations in the mechanical properties of sprinting footwear may influence sprinting performance and MPJ function, sprint spikes with insoles of varying stiffness's were manufactured and mechanically tested. For a group of sprinters increasing the sprint spike stiffness did not elicit an improved sprinting performance. Due to the high variability between athletes and highly individualised responses to perturbations in footwear a single- subject analyses was undertaken. This study demonstrated that individual sprinting performance may be improved by implementation of relevant shoe mechanical characteristics. Whilst varying the mechanical characteristics of sprint spikes clearly showed controlling influences over the natural motion of the MPJ, the relatively minimal effect on the resultant MPJ energetics, potentially suggests that sprint spikes do not minimise energy loss during sprinting. The combined empirical and theoretical understanding therefore highlighted several aspects of MPJ function which could be altered by footwear in an attempt to improve sprint running performance.


Maglev (>400 km/h) refer to Maglev such as the Japanese JR-Maglev MLX, the German Transrapid and the USA Inductrack. The Swissmetro Project, presenting a unique aspect of Maglev, is designed to work under partial vacuum ( 400 km/h). The authors investigate the combination of the propulsion with the levitation. To minimize the heat due to the iron and copper losses, a polarized excitation is proposed with NdFeB PM for the magnetic way poles. This paper emphasis the determination of the passive guidance forces of the active magnetic way, based on 3D FEM analysis. The possibility, to use these passive forces to guide the vehicle, is presented. This paper describes the issues related to such technical choices.


Background Pet keeping has been linked with decreased risk of allergic sensitization, which has been associated with the Hygiene Hypothesis; and more recently, by ourselves and others, to particular home microbiome patterns. Another factor possibly associated with pet ownership is increased Vitamin D among family members as pet keeping may be correlated with lifestyles involving increased outdoor exposure, such as dog walking. Prenatal vitamin D inadequacy has been hypothesized as a risk factor for pediatric atopy and asthma. Methods To investigate potential relationships between household pet exposure and cord blood vitamin D concentrations, we analyzed information from a large, geographically-based, general risk birth cohort. Household pets were assessed during pregnancy and serum level of 25 (OH)D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) in cord blood was used as the measure of vitamin D and a marker of maternal level. Because of notable differences in vitamin D concentrations between African Americans and Whites, analyses were stratified by race. Results A total of 1055 newborns were included in the study: 62.4% were African Americans and 49.4% were female. For Whites, but not African Americans, having no pet compared to 1 or >1 pet during pregnancy was associated with lower cord blood vitamin D concentrations (37.7, 45.2, 47.0 nmol/L, respectively, P = 0.001). Considering type of pet, the relationship for no pet compared to 1 or >1 dog (37.7, 46.1, 49.9 nmol/L, respectively, P = 0.001) was similar to that for no pet versus 1 or >1 cat (37.7, 43.0, 46.5 nmol/L, respectively, P = 0.065). Conclusions In a large ethnically diverse cohort of newborns, the presence of a pet in the home during the prenatal time period was associated with higher cord blood vitamin D, but only among Whites. This racial difference may reflect an impact on pet owner behavior resulting in increased outdoor exposure that is limited to lighter skinned individuals. However, as the effect doesn't vary by cats versus dogs, differences by race in factors correlated with pet ownership or variations in pet keeping styles may be more important. Vitamin D should be considered in studies of pets and atopic conditions.


Recently, researchers interested in personality development have begun to acknowledge the roles of motivation and self–regulation for why traits change across adulthood. We propose three preconditions under which individuals may change their own levels of a personality trait through self–directed efforts. Firstly, individuals need to desire changing their trait–related behaviours either as an end in itself or in order to achieve other goals. Secondly, they need to consider behavioural changes feasible and be able to implement the desired changes. Thirdly, behavioural changes need to become habitual in order to constitute a stable trait. After elaborating on these three conditions, we review evidence attesting to the importance of motivation and self–regulation for trait development. We conclude with a discussion of the mutual interdependence of traits and goals, as well as the limits of self–regulated personality change. From our framework, we derive why personality changes across adulthood tend to be small to medium only, namely because they may require that all three preconditions for self–regulated personality change are fulfilled. We provide reasons for why people might not view change as desirable, feasible or fail to maintain it over time. Finally, we propose ideas for potential study designs to research self–regulated personality change. Copyright © 2014 European Association of Personality Psychology


Centrosomes, each containing a pair of centrioles, organize microtubules in animal cells, particularly during mitosis. DNA and centrosomes are normally duplicated once before cell division to maintain optimal genome integrity. We report a new role for the Orc1 protein, a subunit of the origin recognition complex (ORC) that is a key component of the DNA replication licensing machinery, in controlling centriole and centrosome copy number in human cells, independent of its role in DNA replication. Cyclin A promotes Orc1 localization to centrosomes where Orc1 prevents Cyclin E-dependent reduplication of both centrioles and centrosomes in a single cell division cycle. The data suggest that Orc1 is a regulator of centriole and centrosome reduplication as well as the initiation of DNA replication.


Abstract This article examines the widespread hypothesis that German-speaking Swiss cantons exhibit radical-democratic characteristics, while the Latin cantons possess stronger liberal-representative democratic profiles. Empirical and multi-dimensional measuring of the quality of democracy in the cantons shows that this hypothesis does not do the complexity of cantonal democracy justice. Today's position of the cantons along the axes of liberal and radical democracy is best explained with reference to the strong liberal and democratic constitutional movements within the cantons during the middle of the 19th century.


'One of the most fascinating travel books of all time' Times Literary Supplement 'He could not have been more 'modern' if he had been born in the twentieth century' Evening Standard Ibn Battuta was the only medieval traveller who is known to have visited the lands of every Muhammadan ruler of his time and the extent of his journeys is estimated to be at least 75,000 miles. His work presents a descriptive account of Muhammadan society in the second quarter of the fourteenth century, which illustrates, among other things, how wide the sphere of influence of the Muslim merchants was. Ibn Battuta's interest in places was subordinate to his interest in people and his geographical knowledge was gained entirely from personal experience. For his details he relied exclusively on his memory, cultivated by the system of a theological education. This edition, translated afresh from the Arabic text, provides extensive notes which enable the journeys to be followed in detail. Important historical and religious background to the Travels is also added by H. A. R. Gibb.


Abstract Crop-livestock systems under no till (NT) could negatively affect soil physical prop-erties and crop performance, due to the additive effects of reduced soil cover and cattle trampling due to livestock grazing, and the absence of tillage. We evaluated the effects of four grazing strategies and of a shallow tillage (ST) on soil physical properties and corn (Zea mays L.) performance for a mollisol after 15 years under crop-livestock systems under NT in Argentina. Grazing strategies evaluated were: closure (C), one grazing (OG), high stocking rate (HR) and farmer's management (FM), and the tillage systems were: NT and ST. Bulk density (BD), penetration re-sistance (PR), hydraulic conductivity ( k s ), plant population, surface root distribution, aboveground dry matter accumulation, aboveground total N (TN) accumulation and corn yield were evaluated. High stocking rate and FM increased RP. On the other hand, ST decreased PR and BD and increased k s . Corn yield was higher under ST than under NT, and under HR than under the other grazing strategies. Total N ac-cumulation was higher under HR than under the rest of grazing strategies. Rational grazing management and use of tillage systems on resilient soils could have pre-vented soil physical properties be affected beyond critical thresholds.


This paper presents a new vector quantization (VQ) algorithm exploiting the features of tree-search as well as finite state VQs for image/video coding. In the tree-search VQ, multiple candidates are identified for ongoing search to optimally determine an index of the minimum distortion. In addition, the desired codebook has been reorganized hierarchically to meet the concept of multipath search of neighboring trees so that picture quality can be improved by 4 dB on the average. In the finite state VQ, adaptation to the state codebooks is added to enhance the hit ratio of the index produced by the tree-search VQ. Thus, compressed bits can be further reduced. An identifier code is then included to indicate to which output indexes belong. Therefore, this modified algorithm not only reaches a higher compression ratio, but also achieves better quality compared to conventional finite-state and tree-search VQs. Finally, suitable VLSI architectures for real-time performance are proposed here (1) to remove the bottleneck of iteration bound in finite-state VQ and (2) to provide parallel computing structure for tree-search VQ to meet computational requirements.


Parker Palmer writes, "Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique; good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher" (1998, p. 10)--a simple premise with complex implications. Teachers aren't mere technicians who simply replicate a series of routines that result in higher student test scores. Teaching requires a proper balance of art and science that is achieved through deep pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, 1986) and virtuous instruction. In addition to teaching knowledge and skills, teachers are responsible for developing the character of students in four dimensions: intellectual--habits of mind; moral--desire for goodness; civic--community and global engagement; and performance--dispositions, virtues, and qualities to accomplish goals (Shields, 2011). Frequently, efficacy around these diverse responsibilities is what draws people into teaching (Johnson, Berg, & Donaldson, 2005). Because teachers are defined by their identity and integrity, who they are is dependent on what they believe. What teachers believe may matter more than how they're prepared and how they're developed professionally (Haberman, 2011). What draws and retains many teachers in the profession is a view of teaching as a vocation or calling (Hansen, 1995). For people of faith, the call to a vocation cannot be separated from the vocation, nor should it be. Faith and religious beliefs have long been an impetus for serving the public good and participating in a world that is larger than our own lives. From Martin Luther's call for German public schools to the first school started by Puritans in the 1600s, religious belief has driven public education. While the history of religious influence on public education is long, it has also changed significantly over time. From the founding of the United States, a separation of religion and state has been implicit. The courts have repeatedly supported this mutual protection of state from church and church from state. The First Amendment Center, with 24 national organizations spanning the political spectrum, has defined the role of religion in education. "Public schools may not inculcate nor inhibit religion. They must be places where religion and religious conviction are treated with fairness and respect" (Haynes, 2008, p. 5). Trust has been placed in public school teachers--trust that they won't indoctrinate nor proselytize students. This trust is essential for schools to remain open forums, a prerequisite for maintaining a democracy. For this reason, teachers of different faith backgrounds should not be viewed as threats to the beliefs of students and families; instead, they are the ethical stewards of democratic education in this open forum. Faith and teaching As a graduate of a faith-based liberal arts teacher preparation program with 12 years of teaching experience in public schools, a fellowship at the U.S. Department of Education, and now as an education professor at my alma mater, these issues concerning the intersection of faith and public schools are very important and real for me. If not for my faith and the sense of purpose I derive from my faith, I would not be teaching. I would have pursued more lucrative and likely less-demanding employment. Simply put, I see teaching as a calling and a vocation, and I continue to teach because of the joy and satisfaction I receive from seeing students become who they were created to be. I believe that my students have been created in the image of God (Genesis 1: 26-27) and therefore have significant potential. Teachers of various faith backgrounds are likely to share this perspective. This perspective requires teachers of faith to provide rich learning experiences that will allow each student to flourish. The fact that teachers of faith view their students as having been created with inherent dignity leads to a high view of the potential and value of each individual student. This does not imply that all teachers of faith are strong teachers. …


Nearshore turbidity owing to suspended fines is a natural phenomenon around much of the western coast of southern Africa. However, the potential impacts of diamond-mine-related sediment tailings on local biotic communities at Elizabeth Bay in Namibia have been the subject of comprehensive ongoing assessment. This paper discusses field measurements and mathematical modelling carried out to quantify the extent and relative influence of sedimentation and turbid plumes associated with the mining operation. Following validation of the various mathematical models using available field measurements, the models are used to predict shoreline evolution and nearshore turbidity response for various scenarios, including the situation towards the end of mining operations. The principal finding is that, although the mine discharge causes significant shoreline accretion and elevated turbidities in the nearshore regions of the bay, turbidity levels in the region of concern beyond the confines of the bay will remain below critical threshold levels for impacting on local biota.


Abstract. Lack of knowledge about the mechanisms underlying new particle formation and their subsequent growth is one of the main causes for the large uncertainty in estimating the radiative forcing of atmospheric aerosols in global models. We performed chamber experiments designed to study the contributions of sulfuric acid and organic vapors to the formation and early growth of nucleated particles. Distinct experiments in the presence of two different organic precursors (1,3,5-trimethylbenzene and α-pinene) showed the ability of these compounds to reproduce the formation rates observed in the low troposphere. These results were obtained measuring the sulfuric acid concentrations with two chemical ionization mass spectrometers confirming the results of a previous study which modeled the sulfuric acid concentrations in presence of 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene. New analysis methods were applied to the data collected with a condensation particle counter battery and a scanning mobility particle sizer, allowing the assessment of the size resolved growth rates of freshly nucleated particles. The effect of organic vapors on particle growth was investigated by means of the growth rate enhancement factor (Γ), defined as the ratio between the measured growth rate in the presence of α-pinene and the kinetically limited growth rate of the sulfuric acid and water system. The observed Γ values indicate that the growth is already dominated by organic compounds at particle diameters of 2 nm. Both the absolute growth rates and Γ showed a strong dependence on particle size, supporting the nano-Kohler theory. Moreover, the separation of the contributions from sulfuric acid and organic compounds to particle growth reveals that the organic contribution seems to be enhanced by the sulfuric acid concentration. Finally, the size resolved growth analysis indicates that both condensation of oxidized organic compounds and reactive uptake contribute to particle growth.


The development of the DOTS Expansion Plan has been a milestone in tuberculosis (TB) control at the global and national levels. Key challenges that remain are overcoming the weakness of a strategy built on case management, sustaining commitment, competing priorities, the threat of HIV, maintaining high quality of care and preventing drug resistance, building human resource capacity, improving diagnosis and fostering operations research. The ability to address these challenges will determine the success or failure of the Global Plan to Stop TB, 2006-2015.


The current admissions process at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) like that of many other AACSB accredited graduate business programs, relies heavily on Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores as predictor of success. To be admitted into the MBA program at UTC, prospective students must complete standard admission forms and submit their GMAT scores. Students are admitted into the MBA program by one of two methods, the index system or the petition process. In the index system of acceptance, a point index for each prospective student is computed. To calculate the index, the applicant's undergraduate GPA (based on a 4.0 scale) is multiplied by a factor of 200. This number is added to the applicant' GMAT score producing a total index score. All applicants meeting the minimum score of 950 are admitted. A second index is calculated if the prospective student's score is less than 950. This second index is based on the GPA of the last 60 undergraduate credit hours (typically representing major business courses). This 60 hour based GPA is then multiplied by 200 and added to the GMAT score. If the total index is at least 1000 points the applicant is admitted. If the prospective student meets neither requirement, he or she may appeal the admissions process by petitioning the Graduate Council. The Graduate Council, at their discretion, accepts or denies the petition. Only a very small percentage (less than 10%) are admitted to the program through petition. The benefits of this study will allow the directors of MBA programs to reassess their admission requirements and make policy changes if necessary. By improving admission criteria and standards, more promising candidates will be admitted to the program, leading to a higher quality of MBA graduates. Background of Standardized Testing Standardized testing has been utilized for over a century. Providing many functions, testing can be used to sort people into groups, classify and rank employees, or admit students into educational programs. Tests can be designed to measure aptitude, personality, achievement, or even competency. There are many advantages to standardized testing; however, standardized testing does have drawbacks. Some business schools accept the Miller's Analogies Test (MAT). In a Pepperdine study, Graham (1991) found a significant relationship between MAT scores and graduate GPA, but the correlation was not as strong as that found between GMAT scores and graduate GPA, particularly when these scores were combined with undergraduate GPA. The Graduate Management Admission Test was first administered in 1954 by the Educational Testing Service in conjunction with the Graduate Management Admission Council. The GMAT scores range from 200 to 800 points, with a mean of 500 and a standard deviation of 100. The GMAT and MBA Admission The GMAT is designed to measure the ability and knowledge of the student. The test is all multiple-choice questions covering two sections, verbal and quantitative. The score a prospective student earns usually determines whether he or she is admitted into a school or university. Other factors such as grade point average may also be considered. Each school or university has its own policy and requirements. In a study (Edwards, 1990) done to gather information concerning MBA programs, 657 accredited institutions were surveyed. Out of the 333 responses received, all but one of the responding schools used some sort of pre-admission testing. Johns Hopkins does not require candidates to submit a pre-admission test score such as GMAT. Some other graduate programs including Standford, Boston College, and University of Indiana at Bloomington require submission of GMAT score for consideration, but do not mandate a minimum acceptable score. The most popular decision method for most MBA programs is an index system based on GMAT scores and undergraduate GPA's. From the responding schools, 177 respondents used an index, 81 imposed a minimum test score in addition to applying an index, and the rest used a minimum test score without applying an index. …


Fire affects the quantity and quality of soil organic matter (SOM). While combustion of the O-horizon causes direct losses of SOM, fire also transforms the remaining SOM into a spectrum of thermally altered organic matter. Pyrogenic carbon (PyC) can resist degradation and may have important effects on soil carbon cycling. The objectives of this study are to examine the mobility of PyC. Studying the effects of wildfire is challenging due to the rapid post-fire changes in the ecosystem and lack of robust controls. We overcame those limitations by examining the Chimney Tops 2 Fire which burned 4,617 ha of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSMNP), including a National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) site, in November 2016. We examined PyC in soils from three time points from an area burned at low-severity (pre-, immediate post-, and 11 months post-fire) and two time points from areas burned at lower to higher severity (immediate post- and 11 months post-fire). At locations with pre-fire soil samples we found that PyC increased in the O-horizon (2.22 g BPCA/kg soil) after low severity fire, which resulted in higher PyC concentrations at 5–10 cm (0.73 g BPCA/kg soil and 17.79 g BPCA/kg C) and 10–20 cm (12.19 g BPCA/kg C) of depth in the mineral soil. Sites burned at higher severity had more PyC in the O horizon relative to sites burned at lower severity (10.29 g BPCA/kg soil and 29.89 g BPCA/kg C). As a result of higher concentrations of PyC in the O-horizons burned at higher severity, statistically more PyC moved from the O-horizon to the 0–10 cm horizon from immediate to 1-year post-fire (1.37 g BPCA/kg soil and 16.10 g BPCA/kg C). Lastly, the depth profile of C and BPCA suggest a shift in the source and amount of PyC in these soil profiles over time—possibly as a result of fire suppression. Results indicate that low severity fire may be an important mechanism by which PyC is produced and transported into mineral soils.


The aim of the present work was to evaluate the association between coffee consumption and the development of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) in patients who had had an acute coronary syndrome. During 2006-2007, 144 male (65 +/- 14 years) and 50 female (71 +/- 12 years) post-acute coronary syndrome patients who developed LVSD (ejection fraction <40%) after the cardiac event and 129 male (64 +/- 12 years) and 51 female (67 +/- 10 years) post-acute coronary syndrome patients without LVSD (ejection fraction >50%) were included in the study. Participants were consequently selected. Detailed information regarding their medical records, sociodemographic and anthropometric data, and various psychological and lifestyle characteristics (physical activity, smoking habits, etc.) were recorded. In particular, nutritional habits, including coffee consumption, were evaluated using a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Multi-adjusted analysis revealed that in normotensive patients coffee consumption of 1-2 cups/day was associated with 88% (95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.84) lower likelihood of developing LVSD and consumption of >3 cups/day with 90% (95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.88) lower likelihood for LVSD, compared with no history of consumption of coffee and after adjusting for various confounders. In contrast, in hypertensive patients coffee consumption of >3 cups/day was associated with 4.5-fold higher likelihood for developing LVSD (95% confidence interval, 0.89-22.58) as compared with no history of coffee consumption. Coffee consumption has opposite effects on the likelihood of developing LVSD in post-acute coronary syndrome patients depending on their blood pressure levels.


This article attempts to place the PCE in the generally‐held views of Eurocommunism and explore the current orientation of the party. Focusing on the ideology and the political practice of the PCE, the thesis is that the PCE is a 'Eurocommunist' party in the mould of the French and Italian parties but with obvious differences arising from nearly forty years of underground existence under Franco. The perspectives attached to Eurocommunism in many ways do not represent a sharp departure from the past history of the PCE. The major strength of the PCE today is not in the electoral arena where it receives only about 10 per cent of the vote, but rather in the trade union movement where it enjoys a hegemonic position in the largest trade union federation, the Workers' Commissions (CCOO).


The literature on the deaf fictional characters portrayed in short stories is reviewed to see what images of deaf people are presented. The images are grouped into categories useful for discussion purposes; stories that do not easily fit into groups are discussed separately. The findings are supported by research from the fields of deafness, literature, folklore, sociology, and rehabilitation. Images of the deaf are found to be portrayed largely in stereotypes that have little basis in reality, although some stories do offer images based on an understanding of deaf culture. Both major and less-known writers' works are reviewed; stories discussed and references are presented at the end of the paper.


Spreadsheets store a tremendous amount of important data. One reason spreadsheets are so successful is that they are both easy to use and allow users great expressiveness in storing and manipulating their data. This flexibility comes at a price, as presentation elements are often combined with the underlying data model. As a result, many spreadsheets contain data in ad-hoc formats. These formats complicate the use of traditional relational tools which require data in a normalized form. Normalizing data from these formats is often tedious or requires programming, and often, a user may prefer the original presentation. We describe an approach that allows users to easily extract structured data from spreadsheets without programming. We make two contributions. First, we describe a novel domain specific language called FLARE that extends traditional regular expressions with spatial constraints. Second, we describe an algorithm called FLASHRELATE that can synthesize FLARE programs from user-provided positive and negative examples. Using 43 benchmarks drawn both from a standard spreadsheet corpus and from Excel user-help forums, we demonstrate that correct extraction programs can be synthesized quickly from a small number of examples. Our approach generalizes to many data-cleaning tasks on semi-structured spreadsheets.


The Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) technique is a well-established "key tool" [1] for risk assessment and management in the field of engineering that has been 'borrowed' extensively in recent years by other areas such as the field of medicine, chemical process industries, and the automotive industry, where it has been utilised as a quality improvement tool. In a very structured way the FMEA enables a team of individuals to assess and manage risk by clarifying potential failures or problems with the product, service or process under review, highlighting the effects or consequences of those failures, and agreeing procedures to be put in place to either eliminate the occurrence of those effects or mitigate the severity of their consequences. In the absence of a standardised risk assessment strategy in the field of higher education (HE) and research, this paper details a study undertaken at a HE institute in Ireland that 'borrowed' the FMEA technique and modified it for use in the field of HE and research specifically, in order to evaluate its potential role and value for the field. Once modified in ways that supported the epistemological assumptions of the borrowing discipline, the technique was used to carry out a risk assessment of the strategies in place at the institute in question to implement its elearning initiative. Subsequently, how the research process itself ran, as well as the type and quality of the data the technique helped generate, were analysed in depth. The key finding of the study emerged as the high level of reflection that the modified FMEA technique encouraged unexpectedly amongst the participants. It provided them with a rare and invaluable opportunity to reflectively analyse the strategies in question, which led to significant outcomes for them. This in turn led to the design of the Failure Mode Effects Reflective Analysis (FMERA) qualitative research technique for the field of HE and research, which holds huge potential for the field in this era of great change and need for continuous quality improvement. This paper will introduce the technique and provide practical recommendations for its use.


In this paper, the response of a tapered optical fiber humidity sensor is optimized, attending to the thickness of the sensitive coating, the dimensions of the taper, the light source, and the utilization of sensitive materials with different refractive indexes. The main novelty of this study is that the thickness of the sensitive layer is on the order of magnitude of the light wavelength used to excite the sensor. It is shown here that an estimation of the sensor sensitivity can be deducted from the transmitted optical power curve obtained during the layer-by-layer construction process. Theoretical and experimental results are presented


[1] Little is known about the tropical forests that undergo clearing as urban/built-up and other developed lands spread. This study uses remote sensing-based maps of Puerto Rico, multinomial logit models and forest inventory data to explain patterns of forest age and the age of forests cleared for land development and assess their implications for forest carbon storage and tree species richness. Accessibility, arability and spatial contagion emerge strongly as overriding spatial controls on tropical forest age, determining (1) the pattern of agricultural abandonment that permits forest regrowth, and (2) where humans leave old-growth forest remnants. Covariation between the factors patterning forest age and land development explains why most forest cleared for land development is younger. Forests are increasingly younger in more accessible and fertile areas where agriculture has lasted longer and land development is most common. All else equal, more species-rich older forest on less arable lands are somewhat less likely to undergo development, but they are still vulnerable to clearing for land development if close to urban centers and unprotected. Accounting for forest age leads to a 19% lower estimate of forest biomass cleared for land development than if forest age is not accounted for.


After the Asian currency crisis, most Asian economies have adopted managed float regimes, with notable exception of China, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. Various studies have examined the weights of the dollar, the yen, and the euro, regarding floating is loosely managed with reference to the basket currency system. However, results are mixed, in that in some periods, the yen weight seems to be higher in some countries, and in some other periods, the Asian currencies seem to have gone back to the dollar peg. This paper seeks the determinants of the yen weight in Asian currencies. It is found that the yen weight tends to increase when the yen depreciates and when the domestic interest rates rise. The yen weight tends to decrease when the US interest rate rises. Asymmetry is observed among coefficients of variables between the lower and higher yen periods. In addition, the yen weight is less susceptible to the overall position of the US dollar vis-a-vis major currencies. It should also be noted that the peculiarity among countries seems large in handling the currency weights in the basket.


In this paper, a sliding mode control (SMC) design approach using embedding process, measure theory and optimal control techniques is proposed. In this method, a state trajectory starting from a given initial point reaches a definite point on a surface, the so-called sliding surface, in a finite time, and then tends to the origin along the sliding surface (SS). A measure theory approach with embedding process is used to solve such a problem in two phases. In the first phase, using an appropriate measure, an embedding is constructed to solve an appropriate optimal control problem such that the system trajectory reaches the SS in a finite time, and in the second phase, using measure theory, a control is usually designed such that the system trajectory tends to the origin along the SS. It is well-known that the main disadvantage of the use of the traditional SMCs is the chattering phenomenon. The proposed SMC is piecewise continuous and chattering free. Also, the sliding mode reaching point is selected prior to the design of the SMC and it is not necessary to verify the sliding mode reaching condition as it is guaranteed during the design process. In addition, a numerical example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.


In this paper, I give an account of the conditions for rationally changing your beliefs that respects three constraints; 1) that rational believing is a matter of respecting your evidence, 2) that evidence seems to have both objective and subjective features, and (3) that our set of beliefs seem to rationally commit us to certain propositions, regardless of the evidential support we have for these propositions. On the view I outline, rationally believing or giving up a belief is a matter of your inferences tracking your rational commitments, and that these rational commitments account for the evidence you must respect. These rational commitments are subjective in that they are relative to the totality of your beliefs, but also objective in the sense that what counts as a commitment is true for everyone everywhere.


Student perceptions of a character education program utilized at a southeastern North Carolina public high school were gathered and analyzed from an initial exploratory survey. The instrument gathered student responses to statements regarding character education, school climate, and factors that influence students' decision-making processes. Results showed that while students were generally positive about school climate and personal interactions at school, they do not perceive that the character education program influences their school climate or their decision-making processes, at least on a conscious level. Recommendations for possible modification of the character education program are proposed, as well as avenues for further research in this area.


Much controversy has emerged on the demarcation between legal positivism and non-legal positivism with some authors calling for a ban on the -as they see it- nonsensical labelling of legal philosophical debates. We agree with these critics; simplistic labelling cannot replace the work of sophisticated and sound argumentation. In this paper we do not use the term 'legal positivism' as a simplistic label but identify a specific position which we consider to be the most appealing and plausible view on legal positivism. This is the view advocated by Gardner in his paper 'Legal Positivism: 5½ Myths' (Gardner 2001, 199), where he carefully scrutinises the most convincing and unifying postulates of legal positivism, which he calls "the thin view". The study shows that this thin view presupposes an empirical conception of action that is untenable and implausible since it makes acts of engagement with the law unintelligible to an observer of such acts. The paper is divided into six sections. §1 aims to give an accurate and charitable explanation of Gardner's thin view of legal positivism, which includes the possibility of recognising actions of engagement with the law that are inert. Section 2 sets the stage for the critical discussion using the example of a fictional country called DYSTOPIA where King Positus promulgates law with the aim of causing chaos in the activities of the citizens. The question we ask is, 'What enables an imaginary observer to recognise what Gardner calls 'acts of engagement' with the law? In order to provide a plausible answer to this question we argue in sections 3 and 4 both that Gardner's thin conception of legal positivism presupposes an empirical view of human action and that the sound conception of human action cannot be an empirical one. We use what we call Anscombe's 'institutional transparency thesis' defended in 'On Brute Facts' (Anscombe 1958, 69) to show that the intelligibility of human action presupposes an institutional context but does not entail a description of that context. In §4 we stay with the example of DYSTOPIA to show that an imaginary observer cannot know whether or not there is a legal system in DYSTOPIA unless he/she understands the purpose of an institution that has already been learned within an institutional context. This conception of action is purposeful as opposed to empirical. §5 argues that the paradigm or central-case methodology, as opposed to the necessary and/or sufficient conditions methodology, used to understand social practices, including law, has at its centre the non-empirical view that human action and its purpose is given rather than discovered. Through this indirect argumentative strategy one myth of classical natural law is therefore dispelled. We argue that classical natural law does not aim to discover through moral facts or moral ideals the suitable ends to the kind of creatures we are, because this is not how ends participate in our practical reasoning and actions. On the contrary, ends are already given and our laws, games, ways of loving, thinking, enjoying and living our lives all aim at better understanding these given ends.