Having unique data we investigate the link between job separations (displacement and quits) and informal employment, which we define in several ways posing the general question whether the burden of informality falls disproportionately on job separators in the Russian labor market. After we have established positive causal effects of displacement and quits on informal employment we analyze whether displaced workers experience more involuntary informal employment than their non-displaced counterparts. Our main results confirm our contention that displacement entraps some of the workers in involuntary informal employment. Those who quit, in turn, experience voluntary informality for the most part, but there seems a minority of quitting workers who end up in involuntary informal jobs. This scenario does not fall on all the workers who separate but predominantly on workers with low human capital. We also pursue the issue of informality persistence and find that informal employment is indeed persistent as some workers churn from one informal job to the next. Our study contributes to the debate in the informality literature regarding segmented versus integrated labor markets. It also contributes to the literature on displacement by establishing informal employment as an important cost of displacement. We also look at the share of undeclared wages in formal jobs and find that these shares are larger for separators than for incumbents, with displaced workers bearing the brunt of this manifestation of informality.


The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre resulted in the looting, burning, and leveling of 35 square blocks of a once-thriving Black neighborhood. Not only did this lead to severe economic loss, but the massacre also sent a warning to Black individuals across the country that similar events were possible in their communities. We examine the economic consequences of the massacre for Black populations in Tulsa and across the United States. We find that for the Black population of Tulsa, in the two decades that followed, the massacre led to declines in home ownership and occupational status. Outside of Tulsa, we find that the massacre also reduced home ownership. These effects were strongest in communities that were more exposed to newspaper coverage of the massacre or communities that, like Tulsa, had high levels of racial segregation. Examining effects after 1940, we find that the direct negative effects of the massacre on the home ownership of Black Tulsans, as well as the spillover effects working through newspaper coverage, persist and actually widen in the second half of the 20th Century.


This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of a new type of hybrid nanocatalyst material that combines the high surface area of nanoparticles and nanotubes with the structural robustness and ease of handling larger supports. The hybrid material is made by fabricating palladium nanoparticles on two types of carbon supports: as-received microcellular foam (Foam) and foam with carbon nanotubes anchored on the pore walls (CNT/Foam). Catalytic reductive dechlorination of carbon tetrachloride with these materials has been investigated using gas chromatography. It is seen that while both palladium-functionalized carbon supports are highly effective in the degradation of carbon tetrachloride, the rate of degradation is significantly increased with palladium on CNT/Foam. However, there is scope to increase this rate further if the wettability of these structures can be enhanced in the future. Microstructural and spectroscopic analyses of the fresh and used catalysts have been compared which indicates that there is no change in density or surface chemical states of the catalyst after prolonged use in dechlorination test. This implies that these materials can be used repeatedly and hence provide a simple, powerful, and cost-effective approach for dechlorination of water.


Classrooms filled with glassy-eyed students provide an experiential base for Alice S. Horning s new comprehensive theory about basic writers.Horning explores the theory of writing acquisition in detail. Her examination of spoken and written language and redundancy give a theoretical base to her argument that academic discourse is a separate linguistic system characterized by particular psycholinguistic features. She proposes that basic writers learn to write as other learners master a second language because for them, academic written English is a whole new language.She explores the many connections to be found in second language acquisition research to the teaching and learning of writing and gives special attention to the interlanguage hypothesis, pidginization theory, and the Monitor theory. She also addresses the role of affective factors (feelings, attitudes, emotions, and motivation) in the success or failure of writing students."


Many indicators are helpful in improving statistical performance for forecasting and policy analysis. We do believe, however, no single indicator (or type of indicator) can do the necessary work by itself. Any new finding is likely to make a better contribution in combination with others that have been found to be useful. Timeliness, flexibility, and foresight are important properties of indicators, and we are especially interested in information that reflects subjective feelings of participants in the economy. Results of surveys covering consumers, producers or managers are useful in forecasting major macroeconomic variables, like personal consumption expenditures and personal income. Preliminary results indicate that models including survey results perform better than those that do not include survey results. Other surveys would be appropriate for such macroeconomic variables as industrial production, employment, and financial market averages.


Statistical and probabilistic methods are now recognized as a proper method to address the degree of randomness and complexity of the corrosion process. Nevertheless, the inclusion of this approach within corrosion model development is still rarely practiced in the structure assessment. This has led to the tendency by engineers and inspection personnel to use much simpler approaches in the assessment of corrosion progress. For example, the use of the linear model to predict the future growth of corrosion defects is widely practised despite its questionable accuracy. This work develops several corrosionrelated models based on actual metal loss data with objectives to improve the data interpretation as well as prediction of future defect growth. Although this work deals specifically with data from oil pipelines and vessel's ballast tanks, the models has been designed to be generic, with no restriction on the types of structure or inspection tool. The procedure consists of three stages: data sampling, data analysis and probabilistic-based prediction. A statistical approach has been applied to model the corrosion parameters as a probability distribution. The issues raised by the presence of negative growth rate and unknown corrosion initiation time have been addressed by the development of new correction methods and a new data sampling technique. The research also demonstrates how the simple linear model can be modified to account for errors arising from the randomness of corrosion growth data and the variation in measured growth for severe defects. A proposed development of the linear-based model has been extensively used in the simulation programme. New data sampling techniques, data correction approaches, and alternative linear models have been developed to improve the assessment work on corrosion data. To conclude, this research was able to demonstrate how inspection data can be more fully utilised to optimise the application of information of corrosion progress to structural analysis.


Throughout most of human history restorative justice was the dominant criminal justice model, as is evident from the ancient Arab, Greek and Roman civilisations, all of which required compensation for the victim. Restorative justice was also the main focus of various aboriginal communities in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Historically, African societies also mostly focused on the victims of crime, and restitution and reconciliation was considered as crucial to redress the harm caused by crime.
There has been a refocusing on restorative justice in Western countries since the early 1970s. Criminologists played a leading role in the modern revival of restorative justice by refocusing on the rights and needs of crime victims. It is also evident that South Africa is moving from a retributive to a restorative criminal justice system. It is, therefore, important to ensure that the judiciary becomes actively involved in the development of restorative justice in South Africa, in order to give effect to the government's shift from an offender-centred criminal justice system to a victim-centred restorative justice system as set out in the SA National Crime Prevention Strategy and other government reports as well as recent legal decisions and new draft legislation.
This article reviews the objectives of restorative justice as well as the South African New Sentencing Framework Bill, the Child Justice Bill and the draft Sexual Offences Bill, all of which make provision for restorative justice.


The seismic gap hypothesis states that earthquake hazard increases with time since the last large earthquake on certain faults or plate boundaries. One of the earliest and clearest applications of the seismic gap theory to earthquake forecasting was by McCann et al. (1979), who postulated zones of high, medium, and low seismic potential around the Pacific rim. In the 10 years since, there have been over 40 large (M ≥ 7.0) earthquakes, enough to test statistically the earlier forecast. We also analyze another forecast of long-term earthquake risk, that by Kelleher et al. (1973). The hypothesis of increased earthquake potential after a long quiet period can be rejected with a large confidence. The data suggest that, contrary to these forecasts, places of recent earthquake activity have larger than usual seismic hazard, whereas the segments of the circum-Pacific belt with no large earthquakes in recent decades have remained relatively quiet. The "clustering" of earthquake times does not contradict the plate tectonic model, which constrains only the long-term average slip rate, not the regularity of earthquakes.


Dynamic Systems Biology Modeling and Simuation consolidates and unifies classical and contemporary multiscale methodologies for mathematical modeling and computer simulation of dynamic biological systems - from molecular/cellular, organ-system, on up to population levels. The book pedagogy is developed as a well-annotated, systematic tutorial - with clearly spelled-out and unified nomenclature - derived from the author's own modeling efforts, publications and teaching over half a century. Ambiguities in some concepts and tools are clarified and others are rendered more accessible and practical. The latter include novel qualitative theory and methodologies for recognizing dynamical signatures in data using structural (multicompartmental and network) models and graph theory; and analyzing structural and measurement (data) models for quantification feasibility. The level is basic-to-intermediate, with much emphasis on biomodeling from real biodata, for use in real applications. * Introductory coverage of core mathematical concepts such as linear and nonlinear differential and difference equations, Laplace transforms, linear algebra, probability, statistics and stochastics topics; PLUS ...* The pertinent biology, biochemistry, biophysics or pharmacology for modeling are provided, to support understanding the amalgam of "math modeling with life sciences.* Strong emphasis on quantifying as well as building and analyzing biomodels: includes methodology and computational tools for parameter identifiability and sensitivity analysis; parameter estimation from real data; model distinguishability and simplification; and practical bioexperiment design and optimization.* Companion website provides solutions and program code for examples and exercises using Matlab, Simulink, VisSim, SimBiology, SAAMII, AMIGO, Copasi and SBML-coded models.* A full set of PowerPoint slides are available from the author for teaching from his textbook. He uses them to teach a 10 week quarter upper division course at UCLA, which meets twice a week, so there are 20 lectures. They can easily be augmented or stretched for a 15 week semester course. Importantly, the slides are editable, so they can be readily adapted to a lecturer's personal style and course content needs. The lectures are based on excerpts from 12 of the first 13 chapters of DSBMS. They are designed to highlight the key course material, as a study guide and structure for students following the full text content. The complete PowerPoint slide package (~25 MB) can be obtained by instructors (or prospective instructors) by emailing the author directly, at: firstname.lastname@example.com


OBJECTIVE
To measure spillover effects of Medicare inpatient hospital prices on the nonelderly (under age 65).

PRIMARY DATA SOURCES
Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases (10 states, 1995-2009) and Medicare Hospital Cost Reports.

STUDY DESIGN
Outcomes include nonelderly discharges, length of stay and case mix, staffed hospital bed-days, and the share of discharges and days provided to the elderly. We use metropolitan statistical areas as our markets. We use descriptive analyses comparing 1995 and 2009 and panel data fixed-effects regressions. We instrument for Medicare prices using accumulated changes in the Medicare payment formula.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Medicare price reductions are strongly associated with reductions in nonelderly discharges and hospital capacity. A 10-percent reduction in the Medicare price is estimated to reduce discharges among the nonelderly by about 5 percent. Changes in the Medicare price are not associated with changes in the share of inpatient hospital care provided to the elderly versus nonelderly.

CONCLUSIONS
Medicare price reductions appear to broadly constrain hospital operations, with significant reductions in utilization among the nonelderly. The slow Medicare price growth under the Affordable Care Act may result in a spillover slowdown in hospital utilization and spending among the nonelderly.


'Meeting the User' is a programme committee under the Danish Electronic Research Library. As a development group at a national level we see our role as facilitating an innovative culture within academic libraries, focusing on users' needs and the way libraries meet them. In collaboration with a consultancy firm, the committee organized a travelling workshop in four cities in 2010. The workshop introduced practical ways for library staff to get to know their users' needs for services and was based on anthropological methods. The travelling workshop was part of a larger project called 'A Journey of Discovery in Danish Library User Land' (translated from Danish Brugerkaravanen), which also included a national thematic day, a blog and the publication of a method guide. There is an ongoing need for academic libraries to improve their services. One strategy is to become more aware of the users' needs. On the one hand we have libraries which give access to a lot of information, offer courses in information literacy and strive to be a part of the learning environment. On the other hand we are not always certain of the needs of our users. If libraries want to improve the way they serve their users' needs, they must innovate their services, facilities and courses by building upon what you could call 'user logic' and not upon classical 'library logic'. 'User logic' is that which is meaningful for the user instead of what is traditionally meaningful for a library. Finding out what the users' needs are, requires methods to study the users. In order to discover the shortest route from knowledge via idea to action, we looked for methods that can be employed by librarians or library information specialists. This article describes how 110 librarians and information specialists acquired such methods in four cities and in four days, by means of a workshop structured like a guided tour through the land of library users. The goal of the article is to give other libraries inspiration for ideas, concepts and concrete tools to study user behaviour and become more aware of the user's needs for service. The article contains a description of the above-mentioned methods, valuable experiences from the workshop, a presentation of the concept and concrete tools, discussion of the concept of user logic and library services, and the seven principles for human-centred innovation in relation to libraries, a short list of studies carried out by librarians and discussion of further perspectives.


Abstract. Dactylotrochus cervicornis (= Tridacophyllia cervicornis Moseley, 1881), which occurs in Indo-Pacific waters between 73 and 852 m, was originally described as an astraeid but was later transferred to the Caryophylliidae. Assumed to be solitary, this species has no stolons and only one elongated fossa, and is unique among azooxanthellate scleractinians in often displaying extremely long thecal extensions that are septate and digitiform. Based on both molecular phylogenetic analyses (partial mitochondrial CO1 and 16S rDNA, and partial nuclear 28S rDNA) and morphological characteristics, we propose the transfer of D. cervicornis from the Caryophylliidae to the Agariciidae, making it the first extant representative of the latter family that is solitary and from deep water (azooxanthellate). The basal position of D. cervicornis within the agariciids implied by our analyses strengthens the case for inclusion of fossil species that were solitary, such as Trochoseris, in this family and suggests that the ancestor of this scleractinian family, extant members of which are predominantly colonial and zooxanthellate, may have been solitary and azooxanthellate.


OBJECTIVES
Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) plays a crucial role in the secretion of GH from the pituitary, acts as a growth factor in variety of cancer cells and possesses immunomodulatory activity. Interleukin(IL)-17 apart from its pro-inflammatory role has been also shown to play a role in carcinogenesis. The effect of GHRH on the IL-17 has not been studied so far.

AIM
To evaluate the effect of GHRH on the secretion of IL-17 from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in vitro.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The concentrations of IL-17 in supernatants from PBMC cultured for 24 hrs were assessed using ELISA kit.

RESULTS
We show for the first time that GHRH can stimulate the secretion of IL-17 from human PBMC in 24 hrs culture, and that GHRH antagonist counteracts this effect.

CONCLUSION
Our study further elucidates the immunomodulatory role of GHRH.


The current study investigated effect of fermented brown rice (Oryza sativa) flour (FBRF) at moderate acidity (pH 5.5) on the nutritional, rheological and textural properties of steamed brown rice bread (SBRB). Brown rice flour was substituted with 40% FBRF and its batter and steamed bread characteristics were evaluated. The results revealed that incorporation of 40% FBRF decreased breakdown, setback and final viscosity of brown rice flour, while its peak viscosity significantly increased. The batter system containing 40% FBRF had softer structure than the control, which was reflected by lower storage module (G′) and loss module (G′′). Furthermore, the crumb texture of its bread was also significantly (p< 0.05) improved, since it had higher chewiness, cohesiveness and spring-iness, as well as higher specific volume than the control. Incorporation of 40% FBRF significantly increased protein, zinc, nicotinic acid and pyridoxine contents of SBRB. However, its content of antioxidant activity, total γ‐oryzanol and phytic acid significantly decreased. This investigation approved that FBRF can be used as a valuable ingredient to modify technological and nutritional properties of steamed brown rice bread


We propose a metric for comparing the anthropomorphic motion capability of robotic and prosthetic hands. The metric is based on the evaluation of how many different postures or configurations a hand can perform by studying the reachable set of fingertip poses. To define a benchmark for comparison, we first generate data with human subjects based on an extensive grasp taxonomy. We then develop a methodology for comparison using generative, nonlinear dimensionality reduction techniques. We assess the performance of different hands with respect to the human hand and with respect to each other. The method can be used to compare other types of kinematic structures.


Zhou JS, Zhao Y, Zhou HB, Wang Y, Wu YF, Li ZY, Xuan NX, Zhang C, Hua W, Ying SM, Li W, Shen HH, Chen ZH. Autophagy plays an essential role in cigarette smoke-induced expression of MUC5AC in airway epithelium. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 310: L1042–L1052, 2016. First published April 1, 2016; doi:10.1152/ajplung.00418.2015.—Mucus hypersecretion is a common pathological feature of chronic airway inflammatory diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the molecular basis for this condition remains incompletely understood. We have previously demonstrated a critical role of autophagy in COPD pathogenesis through mediating apoptosis of lung epithelial cells. In this study, we aimed to investigate the function of autophagy as well as its upstream and downstream signals in cigarette smokeinduced mucus production in human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells and in mouse airways. Cigarette smoke extract (CSE), as well as the classical autophagy inducers starvation or Torin-1, significantly triggered MUC5AC expression, and inhibition of autophagy markedly attenuated CSE-induced mucus production. The CSE-induced autophagy was mediated by mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mitoROS), which regulated mucin expression through the JNK and activator protein-1 pathway. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was also required for CSE-induced MUC5AC in HBE cells, but it exerted inconsiderable effects on the autophagy-JNK signaling cascade. Airways of mice with dysfunctional autophagy-related genes displayed a markedly reduced number of goblet cells and attenuated levels of Muc5ac in response to cigarette smoke exposure. These results altogether suggest that mitoROS-dependent autophagy is essential for cigarette smoke-induced mucus hyperproduction in airway epithelial cells, and reemphasize autophagy inhibition as a novel therapeutic strategy for chronic airway diseases.


Metamaterials are artificial composites that acquire their electromagnetic properties from embedded subwavelength metallic structures. In theory, the effective electromagnetic properties of metamaterials at any frequency can be engineered to take on arbitrary values, including those not appearing in nature. As a result, this new class of materials can dramatically add a degree of freedom to the control of electromagnetic waves. The emergence of metamaterials fortunately coincides with the intense emerging interest in terahertz radiation (T-rays), for which efficient forms of electromagnetic manipulation are sought. Considering the scarcity of naturally existing materials that can control terahertz, metamaterials become ideal substitutes that promise advances in terahertz research. Ultimately, terahertz metamaterials will lead to scientific and technological advantages in a number of areas. This article covers the principles of metamaterials and reviews the latest trends in terahertz metamaterial research from the fabrication and characterization to the implementation.


Spices and herbs are considered rich sources of powerful antioxidants. Since 2000 years ago, spices and herbs have been utilized as fragrances, colourants, and medicines. Both natural and synthetic antioxidants inhibit or delay oxidation. Due to multiple adverse effects of synthetic antioxidants on human health, there is currently an ever-increasing demand for the natural antioxidants. One of the useful spices, turmeric, with the folk name of Curcuma longa belongs to the ginger family. Turmeric usually grows in tropical regions in India, China, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Antioxidant and medicinal substances are derived from turmeric's rhizome. Turmeric has been used to treat many diseases due to its wide range of medicinal applications. Turmeric has been used as herbal medicine. It is traditionally used to treat a variety of diseases such as head cold, cough, sinusitis, anorexia, diabetic ulcers, cramps, and liver obstruction of gastric ulcer. Three different types of curcuminoids exist as bioactive compounds in turmeric including curcumin as the main constituent, and dimethoxy curcumin, and bis-dimethoxy curcumin. These compounds differ in the position of the methoxy group. This study aimed at synthesizing and analyzing the curcuminoid using the HPLC technique and related tests. The results obtained from the analysis of the synthetic curcumin were consistent with those for the standard curcumin. The reaction was carried out at relatively milder conditions than earlier reported methods.


Over the last 60 years, male adolescent voice change (MAVC) has been well documented. Studies examining the extent and magnitude of the secondary descent and pubertal growth of the male laryngeal structure and its acoustical correlates have become plentiful and available for voice teachers in choral and studio-voice contexts to make use of. Conversely, information regarding the physiological and acoustical changes that occur in the female voice has as yet been sparsely researched. While there have been several seminal studies on this subject, there is much work to be done if we are to understand how the female voice is affected by pubertal growth during adolescence. As a part of his current PhD research (School of Music, University of Auckland), Calvin will describe the current state of knowledge surrounding female adolescent voice change (FAVC). An overview of the MAVC will also be briefly described. The research will then be viewed in a practical, pedagogical light. Ample time will be given at the end of this lecture for questions from attendees surrounding adolescent voice change (AVC) in general, and teaching studio voice in the secondary school context.


In what ways can medieval texts be looked at as fan works? How might the rhetorical tools of fan studies or affect theory aid in further understanding of these texts? Likewise, can we use medieval understandings of literary production to look at modern fan works in order to complicate our contemporary ideas of authorship? Here I consider how Christine de Pizan's The Book of the City of Ladies ( Le Livre de la Cite des Dames ) can be read as a reclamatory fan work addressing issues of representation and gender within both the texts it responds to and the larger culture within which the work is situated. Moreover, contextualizing de Pizan's work as fan work can help fan scholars by locating fan studies within a broader literary history. By reframing these earlier works of literature as part of a longer history of women's writing that also involves the works being done today within modalities of fan writing, and by reconsidering fan works as part of a historical continuum of women's writing, we, much as de Pizan herself did, create a theoretical space that historicizes, contextualizes, and indeed valorizes women writers of both fannish and nonfannish works.


The colour of chromatic afterimages is usually discussed as the inversion of the complementary hue without specifying clarity and chroma. After steady and prolonged perception, colours lose their initial strength due to a partial adaptation of the visual receptors. Under these circumstances the appearance of colours tends toward a neutral point, an achromatic grey equidistant to black and white. If the gaze is then directed towards a white or grey surface, the previous loss of chroma causes the complementary tone. To precisely determine the tone, clarity and chroma of afterimages seen on an achromatic surface, a model using equalisation tests compares their effect with an appropriately chosen sample colour. In many cases, after 20 seconds of fixed perception, the comparison sample results in a colour of complementary additive tone with a saturation of half the original sample and an inversion of clarity equivalent to the loss or gain in the adaptation colour. For this comparison sample to be reliable, it should not be affected by the border colour of the original sample. To this end, a medium grey that does not create an afterimage on the comparison sample is juxtaposed. The study shows that reds and greens give the expected results. However, yellows and blues give afterimages that deviate toward purples and oranges. The more saturated the yellows and blues are, the more severe is this effect.


The UK's counter-terrorism strategy (CONTEST) seeks to pursue individuals involved in suspected terrorism ('Pursue') and seeks to minimise the risk of people becoming 'future' terrorists by employing policies and practices structured to pre-emptively incapacitate and socially exclude them ('Prevent'). This article demonstrates that this two-pronged approach is based on a framework of counterinsurgency; a military doctrine used against non-state actors that encourages, amongst other things, the blanket surveillance of populations and the targeting of propaganda at them. The use of counterinsurgency theory and practice in the UK's 'war on terror' blurs the distinction between Pursue and Prevent, coercion and consent, and, ultimately, civilian and combatant. This challenges the liberal claim that counter-terrorism policies, especially Prevent, are about social inclusivity or 'safeguarding' and that the UK government is accountable to the people.


This is the second year of the first Asia Pacific regional security outlook to be produced by a multinational team of contributors from the region. The outlook contains an overview and chapters on security issues as seen from the perspective of the major countries involved in the intergovernmental ASEAN Regional Forum security consultations. The country chapters deal with three basic issues: changing perceptions of threat, defense doctrines and issues, and national contributions to regional and global security. This year's volume focuses on the developments in these areas during 1997 and projects their implications for the future. Michael Armacost, president of the Brookings Institution, says, "The Asia Pacific Security Outlook gives the reader a genuine taste of the many different security perspectives in the region." Tan Sri Dr. Noordin Sopiee of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies of Malaysia has called the book "essential reading for all those interested in Asia Pacific international relations: diplomats, businessmen, students, scholars, and the media." The regional overview aggregates and compares the country perspectives, pointing out differences of emphasis that affect the region's international relations. Last year's Security Outlook placed four broad issues on a "watchlist": the Korean peninsula, territorial disputes, changing large power roles and relations, and arms modernization programs.


Objective: Mandibular foramen (MF) is located on the internal surface of the ramus through which blood vessels and nerves pass. Determination of the anatomic position of the MF is very important in inferior alveolar nerve block anesthesia (IANBA), ramus osteotomy and surgical procedures of the posterior angle of mandibular ramus. The aim of this study was to determine anatomic position of the MF using anatomic landmarks on the three dimensional CBCT images.  Material and  Methods: A total of 103 CBCT images was evaluated. The NNT Viewer software program was used to measure the distances between the lines tangent on the MF periphery and the anterior border of the ramus, the posterior border of the ramus, the inferior border of the mandible, and the coronoid notch in mm by to age and gender.  Results: The results showed a slight difference in anatomic dimensions between the right and left sides, with no significant differences. The anatomic dimensions of the MF on both sides were a little bigger in males than in females. There were no significant differences in the anatomic dimensions of superior-inferior and anterior-posterior dimensions of the left and right sides in different age groups.  Conclusion: No significant changes occur in the position of the MF with age. The anatomic differences between males and females should be taken into account during IANBA procedures. Males have bigger jaws than females; therefore, there is a longer distance between the MF and the anatomic landmarks evaluated.  Keywords : Mandibular Foramen; Anatomic Landmarks; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography


Much has been written by policy makers, think tanks, practitioners, gerontologists and others about the importance of involving older people in deciding what is in their best interests in relation to their well being and care. The 'Better Life' programme funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation emphasises the increasing diversity amongst older people in the UK who have high support needs: for example differing lifestyles, past experiences, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, financial and other resources, family and network composition, education. They might face additional challenges resulting from complex health conditions as well as discrimination.

Within this 'Better Life' programme, The Open University team were tasked to focus on ascertaining whether older (and some younger) people with high support needs (PHSN) would validate aspirations and values previously identified in studies in what has been a generally under-researched area. Additionally it was important to explore whether individual OPHSNs might express previously unknown values or aspirations. This paper identifies some of the challenges of a) finding appropriate respondents who are not part of networks but have high support needs and b) interviewing people from different backgrounds with a wide range of high support needs, including severe communication or sensory difficulties. The Facets of Life Wheel (Peace, Holland and Kellaher, 2006) was adapted for this purpose and interviews were video and/or audio recorded. The paper will focus on the process of exploring values and aspirations with OPHSN who may have very limited experience of expressing their views.


Little is known about the impact of genetic counseling on parental uncertainty or perceived control regarding the prognosis of a child with a chromosomal disorder. By exploring the parents' concerns and needs surrounding the child's diagnosis, a genetic provider can help to facilitate effective coping. This study tested the association of measures of parental uncertainty and perceived control with the perceived helpfulness of the genetic counselor. A survey was distributed to 875 members of the Chromosome Deletion Outreach (CDO) support group. We hypothesized that parents' perceptions about the helpfulness of the genetic counselor would modify the relationship between perceived uncertainty, perceived control, and coping. Among the 363 respondents, there was a significant negative correlation of the perceived helpfulness of seeing a genetic counselor with the levels of uncertainty (rs = −0.20, P‐value < 0.001). Lower perceived helpfulness of the genetic counselor, along with less perceived personal control, less benefit of a diagnosis, and lower parental age were significant predictors of the highest perceptions of uncertainty. The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping was used as a framework for interpreting the relationships between parental uncertainty, perceived control, and outcome variables. There was a significant positive correlation between parents' perceived personal control and their reports of helpfulness of the genetic counselor (rs = 0.20, P‐value <0.0006). Genetic counseling can be enhanced for parents faced with rare disorders by using interventions focused on reducing feelings of uncertainty and enhancing feelings of control. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Cryptogams are rarely included in conservation planning and
management. This study aims to improve the data available for
cryptogam conservation by focusing on two groups of cryptogams,
mosses and macrofungi, to test the usefulness of vegetation type,
vascular plants and environmental variables, including substrate, as
surrogates for cryptogams in achieving satisfactory conservation
outcomes.
Sites from four vegetation types (wet forest, heathy woodland, grassy
woodland and alpine heath) in the Hobart region of Tasmania were
surveyed over a period of several years for vascular plants, mosses and
epigeous macrofungi using permanent plots. Repeated sampling of the
macrofungi ensured that a reasonable proportion of the taxa likely to be
present were recorded. A total of 284 vascular plants, 71 mosses and
233 macrofungi were recorded.
Ordination and analysis of similarity both showed that the four vegetation
types were significantly different from each other; this pattern occurred
for vascular plants, mosses and macrofungi. Congruence between the
three taxonomic groups was tested using Partial Mantel tests; all pairwise
associations were highly significant, showing highly predictive rvalues.
Significant and predictive associations occurred between
environmental and substrate variables and biotic groups (vascular plants,
mosses and macrofungi, and their various subsets). Canopy cover was
the best single predictor of most biotic groups. Particular combinations of
significant environmental variables had higher correlations with biotic
groups than single variables, for example the combination of altitude,
canopy cover and geology had higher r-values than any of these factors
individually. Mosses and macrofungi exhibited high substrate fidelity
across time and space. Substrate preferences of macrofungi did not vary
among vegetation types, but mosses in wet forest occurred on a wider
range of substrates than the same species in other vegetation types. Iterative, optimisation, fully random and stratified random methods were
compared for their effectiveness in the selection of sites for the
conservation of vascular plants, mosses and macrofungi. When 10% of
sites were selected for reservation there was little commonality in site
selection between the three taxonomic groups. When 30% of sites were
selected, at least 48% of all taxa were reserved by all approaches tested.
The most useful data sets for selecting sites representative of the three
taxonomic groups were vascular plants, named species from all three
taxonomic groups and sites selected randomly with equal proportions of
each vegetation type.
The results suggest that coarse scale conservation of vegetation types
with reservation of at least 30% of their area should conserve common
mosses and macrofungi. However, at the site scale, uncommon taxa (i.e.
taxa only found on a single site) of mosses and macrofungi are not
concordant with vascular plants. Associations of moss and macrofungal
species with particular substrates and microhabitats may assist with site
selections for reservation. For adequate management, further research is
required on the occurrence and substrate and habitat specificity of rare
taxa.


BACKGROUND
Metformin is a logical treatment for women with gestational diabetes mellitus, but randomized trials to assess the efficacy and safety of its use for this condition are lacking.

METHODS
We randomly assigned 751 women with gestational diabetes mellitus at 20 to 33 weeks of gestation to open treatment with metformin (with supplemental insulin if required) or insulin. The primary outcome was a composite of neonatal hypoglycemia, respiratory distress, need for phototherapy, birth trauma, 5-minute Apgar score less than 7, or prematurity. The trial was designed to rule out a 33% increase (from 30% to 40%) in this composite outcome in infants of women treated with metformin as compared with those treated with insulin. Secondary outcomes included neonatal anthropometric measurements, maternal glycemic control, maternal hypertensive complications, postpartum glucose tolerance, and acceptability of treatment.

RESULTS
Of the 363 women assigned to metformin, 92.6% continued to receive metformin until delivery and 46.3% received supplemental insulin. The rate of the primary composite outcome was 32.0% in the group assigned to metformin and 32.2% in the insulin group (relative risk, 0.99 [corrected]; 95% confidence interval, 0.80 [corrected] to 1.23 [corrected]). More women in the metformin group than in the insulin group stated that they would choose to receive their assigned treatment again (76.6% vs. 27.2%, P<0.001). The rates of other secondary outcomes did not differ significantly between the groups. There were no serious adverse events associated with the use of metformin.

CONCLUSIONS
In women with gestational diabetes mellitus, metformin (alone or with supplemental insulin) is not associated with increased perinatal complications as compared with insulin. The women preferred metformin to insulin treatment. (Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number, 12605000311651.).


In this dissertation project, I explore the effect that exposure to uncivil political talk has on deliberative attitudes and behavior. I hypothesize that incivility in political discourse can induce anti-deliberative attitudes among the public, and increases the use of incivility in political talk. I argue that an anti-deliberative spirit among the public helps fuel mass partisan polarization, and limits the positive effects that come from public deliberation.

Using survey data, I find that use of incivility by the public when talking politics has increased. This trend has come alongside changes in partisan polarization and media over the last few decades. A separate analysis confirms the tie between exposure to partisan, uncivil media and uncivil political talk; using panel data, I find that exposure to political talk radio and pundit-based television programming leads audience members with like-minded political views to mimic uncivil language and tactics when expressing their own political opinions.

I use experimental methods to explore incivility's effects more in-depth. Drawing from affective intelligence theory, I hypothesize that political incivility has the ability to induce anger, which in turn reduces deliberative attitudes. In one experiment, I manipulate the amount of incivility in an online message board. I find that uncivil political talk induced feelings of anger in individuals when one's partisan in-group was targeted, and led to an increased use of incivility when the partisan out-group was targeted. When feelings of anger are stimulated in people, they reprimand the uncivil "perpetrator" on the message board, and display anti-deliberative attitudes – including a reduced propensity to consider alternative views and lower levels of satisfaction with interactive online communication.

A second experiment, embedded in a national survey, confirms that disagreeable incivility and like-minded incivility have different effects. Uncivil messages that are disagreeable induce feelings of anger, decrease willingness to compromise, and boost use of incivility. While the connection between like-minded incivility, anger, and anti-deliberative attitudes is less clear, uncivil messages lead like-minded messages to mimic uncivil and anti-deliberative behavior.

My findings show that incivility limits political deliberation. I conclude by noting the consequences of this, as well as directions for future research.


Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is a cytokine released from monocytes, the release of which requires two signals: a priming signal that stimulates the synthesis of IL-1β precursor and a second signal that triggers release and activation of the precursor through cleavage to an active form. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) acting through purinergic P2X7 receptors is one of two known physiological signals that trigger release of active IL-1β. IL-1β is unusual for a secreted protein in that it lacks a secretory signal and is not released by classic calcium-stimulated secretion through fusion of vesicles formed during synthesis through the secretory pathway (endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi to regulated secretory vesicle). MacKenzie et al. show that human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells transfected to express the P2X7 receptors or monocytes, which endogenously express P2X7 receptors, undergo rapid microvesicle shedding and reversible exposure of the inner leaflet lipid phosphatidylserine upon exposure to ATP. In monocytes primed with lipopolysaccharide to stimulate IL-1β production, treatment with ATP led to release of precursor and cleaved active IL-1β in microvesicles shed from the membranes of the cells in a process that required extracellular calcium. Microvesicles were visualized by microscopy, and membrane loss was detected by a decrease in membrane capacitance. Medium containing the IL-1β microvesicles was capable of activating IL-1 receptors in two separate assays, suggesting that the microvesicles are a physiological delivery system for this cytokine. A. MacKenzie, H. L. Wilson, E. Kiss-Toth, S. K. Dower, R. A. North, A. Surprenant, Rapid secretion of interleukin-1β by microvesicle shedding. Immunity 8, 825-835 (2001). [Online Journal]


Discourse connectives are often said to be language specific, and therefore not easily paired with a translation equivalent in a target language. However, few studies have assessed the magnitude and the causes of these divergences. In this paper, we provide an overview of the similarities and discrepancies between causal connectives in two typologically related languages: English and French. We first discuss two criteria used in the literature to account for these differences: the notion of domains of use and the information status of the cause segment. We then test the validity of these criteria through an empirical contrastive study of causal connectives in English and French, performed on a bidirectional corpus. Our results indicate that French and English connectives have only partially overlapping profiles and that translation equivalents are adequately predicted by these two criteria.


We demonstrate the continuous multispectral imaging of surface phonon polaritons (SPhPs) on silicon carbide excited by an external cavity quantum cascade laser using scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy. The launched SPhPs were well characterized via the confirmation that the theoretical dispersion relation and measured in-plane wave vectors are in excellent agreement in the entire measurement range. The proposed scheme, which can excite and observe SPhPs with an arbitrary wavelength that effectively covers the spectral gap of CO2 lasers, is expected to be applicable for studies of near-field optics and for various applications based on SPhPs.


Extracted from text ... ESR Review ? Vol 3 No 3 7 Legislation Legislation Legislation Legislation Legislation and Policy and Policy and Policy and Policy and Policy T he long-awaited draft Commu- nal Land Rights Bill (the draft Bill) sets out the government?s proposals for resolving urgent land tenure problems in the former ?homeland? areas. The draft Bill has special significance for rural South Africans, most of whom still live in homeland areas, where land is registered in the name of the state. Land tenure problems derive from a lack of adequate legal recognition of communal tenure systems, abuse by powerful elites, the ..


The OA impact advantage arises from at least the following 6 component factors, three of them (2,3,5) temporary, three of them permanent (1,4,6): 1. EA: EARLY ADVANTAGE, beginning already at the pre-refereeing preprint stage. Research that is reported earlier can begin being used and built upon earlier. The result turns out to be not just that it gets its quota of citations sooner, but that quota actually goes up, permanently. This is probably because earlier uptake has a greater cumulative effect on the research cycle. 2. (AA): ARXIV ADVANTAGE, the special advantage of self-archiving specifically in Arxiv for physicists, because it is a central point of call: OAI-interoperable Institutional Repositories is likely -- for many reasons -- to supersede this, so it will eventually make zero difference which OAI-compliant IR one deposits in, as access will be through OAI cross-archive harvesters, not directly through individual OAI Archives. 3. (QB): QUALITY BIAS, arsing from article/author self-selection; this does not play a causal role in increasing impact: The higher-quality (hence also higher-impact) articles/authors are somewhat more likely to be self-archived/self-archivers in these early (15%) days of self-archiving: this bias will of course vanish as self-archiving approaches 100%). 4. QA: QUALITY ADVANTAGE, allowing the high-quality articles to compete on a level playing field, freed of current handicaps and biasses arising from access affordability differences. A permanent effect. 5. (CA): COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE, for self-archived papers over non-self-archived ones, in early (15%) days; this too will of course disappear once self-archiving nears 100%, but at this moment it is in fact a powerful extra incentive, for the low % self-archiving fields, institutions and individuals. 6. UA: USAGE ADVANTAGE: OA articles are downloaded and read three times as much. This too is a permanent effect. (There is also a sizeable correlation between early download counts and later citation counts.)


Economists are in danger of being outcompeted in environmental decision making by researchers from other disciplines. Decision makers need information to be able to evaluate and to make choice. Economists apply considerable effort to complete non market valuation studies, and cost benefit analyses, to inform decision makers but the information generated in those studies is often difficult for non-economists to understand. Decision makers may also have an aversion towards monetary valuation of preferences for aspects of the environment. Alternatives to non market valuation and cost benefit analysis, including cost effectiveness analysis (CEA) and cost utility analysis (CUA), provide low cost, practical ways to evaluate projects and provide information for decision makers. Economists need to think carefully what is most important, the need to evaluate and provide information to aid decision making, or pursuit of a gold standard of monetising Benefits and Costs in all evaluations.


Poor dietary behaviors put children at risk for obesity. The purpose of this intervention is to determine which behavioral economic strategies increase vegetable consumption among low‐income children (9‐12 years) in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. Caregivers (n=44) are randomly assigned 6 (of 10) in‐home behavioral economic strategies; one new strategy/week to be completed at 3 dinner meals for a total of 6 weeks. An example strategy is to make vegetables more available and visible than other foods during dinner. Intervention and control group (n=20) caregivers record child vegetable intake at 3 dinner meals and report intakes weekly to a trained researcher via telephone or in person. Researchers also inquire about barriers (e.g. lack of availability) and facilitators (e.g. time) for implementing strategies. Child vegetable liking, vegetable home inventory data, and three 24‐dietary recalls are also collected at baseline and immediately after the intervention. Most children reported liking more than 5 vegetable types; often the same vegetables available in the home and prepared by caregivers at dinner meals. Mean vegetable intake is being compared for each strategy across intervention and control groups to determine the effectiveness of each. The 6 most effective will be incorporated into the Cooking Matters for Families nutrition education program to increase vegetable intake among children.


An ongoing debate at the heart of intellectual property law pits those who argue for efficiency objectives versus those who seek to advance other social goals. Proponents of the former model focus on the need for intellectual property regimes to provide incentives, while proponents of the latter aspire to protect natural rights or secure an environment for greater human flourishing. Typically lost to both observers and participants in these disputes is that most conceptions of intellectual property actually share a common ambition - the desire to promote creativity. Promoting creativity serves both the incentive goals of intellectual property and advances more holistic personal, cultural, and social interests. Psychological, neurobiological, and cultural research now provide a wealth of information on how to actually promote creativity. Unfortunately, intellectual property law has failed to recognize these insights, instead remaining moored in doctrine derived from archaic stereotypes about creativity and the creative process. We see these distorting stereotypes, for example, in the law concerning joint authors and joint inventors. Based on historical, textual, temporal, and comparative law evidence, this article argues that joint creator law has evolved, at least in part, not from its traditionally identified sources, but from commonly held stereotypes about left-brain scientists versus right-brain artists. Modern research shows that these stereotypes of creativity are not only false, but that as a result, joint creator law specifically, and intellectual property law more generally, likely do not promote progress to the extent feasible, hindering both creativity and valuable collaboration in important contexts. Leveraging these interdisciplinary teachings yields valuable insight for how to revise patent and copyright law to better serve their creative objectives.


The single-room occupancy (SRO) tenements and welfare hotels located throughout New York City, but concentrated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, provided housing for many of society's troubled, marginal members in the late 1970s, when this book was originally published. The predominant population of these buildings was old, non-white, unemployed, disabled, and in poor health. What distinguished this community, however, was not that it is was part of a ghetto or slum, but that it was composed of poor people living amidst affluence, combining elements of both the law-abiding and criminal worlds. Institutionally, the SRO tenement world described in this book is seen as a half-way area between open society and the total institution. Without the support and control available in the SROs, confinement in a total institution would be a certainty for many of the residents. This book, a participant-observer journal as well as an ethnographic study, suggests an alternative to institutionalization. As Edward Sagarin notes in his preface, Siegal does not lack compassion for the sufferings of the people, but the focus is on the descriptions of their lives. Outposts of the Forgotten documents the circumstances of some of New York's forgotten residents.


AKT is a key node in themost frequently deregulated signaling network in human cancer. AZD5363, a novel pyrrolopyrimidine-derived compound, inhibited all AKT isoforms with a potency of 10 nmol/L or less and inhibited phosphorylation of AKT substrates in cells with a potency of approximately 0.3 to 0.8 mmol/L. AZD5363 monotherapy inhibited the proliferation of 41 of 182 solid and hematologic tumor cell lines with a potency of 3 mmol/L or less. Cell lines derived from breast cancers showed the highest frequency of sensitivity. There was a significant relationship between the presence of PIK3CA and/or PTENmutations and sensitivity to AZD5363 and between RAS mutations and resistance. Oral dosing of AZD5363 to nude mice caused doseand time-dependent reduction of PRAS40, GSK3b, and S6 phosphorylation in BT474c xenografts (PRAS40 phosphorylation EC50 0.1 mmol/L total plasma exposure), reversible increases in blood glucose concentrations, and dose-dependent decreases in 2[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (F-FDG) uptake in U87-MG xenografts. Chronic oral dosing of AZD5363 caused dose-dependent growth inhibition of xenografts derived from various tumor types, including HER2þ breast cancer models that are resistant to trastuzumab. AZD5363 also significantly enhanced the antitumor activity of docetaxel, lapatinib, and trastuzumab in breast cancer xenografts. It is concluded that AZD5363 is a potent inhibitor of AKT with pharmacodynamic activity in vivo, has potential to treat a range of solid and hematologic tumors as monotherapy or a combinatorial agent, and has potential for personalizedmedicine based on the genetic status of PIK3CA, PTEN, and RAS. AZD5363 is currently in phase I clinical trials. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(4); 873–87. 2012 AACR.


Every day companies and their leaders fail to capitalize on opportunities because they misunderstand the real sources of business success. Based on his popular column in Business 2.0, Jeffrey Pfeffer delivers wise and timely business commentary that challenges conventional wisdom while providing data and insights to help companies make smarter decisions. The book contains a series of short chapters filled with examples, data, and insights that challenge questionable assumptions and much conventional management wisdom. Each chapter also provides guidelines about how to think more deeply and intelligently about critical management issues. Covering topics ranging from managing people to leadership to measurement and strategy, it's good organizational advice, delivered by Dr. Pfeffer himself.


Command and Control is one of the core tenants of joint military operations, however, the nature of modern security threats, the democratization of technology globally, and the speed and scope of information flows are stressing traditional operational paradigms, necessitating a fundamental shift to better concurrently integrate and operate across multiple physical and virtual domains. In this paper, we aim to address these challenges through the proposition of three concepts that will guide the creation of integrated human-AI Command and Control systems, inspired by recent advances and successes within the commercial sector and academia. The first concept is a framework for integration of AI capabilities into the enterprise that optimizes trust and performance within the workforce. The second is an approach for facilitating multi-domain operations though realtime creation of multi-organization multi-domain task teams by dynamic management of information abstraction, teaming, and risk control. The third is a new paradigm for multi-level data security and multi-organization data sharing that will be a key enabler of joint and coalition multi-domain operation in the future. Lastly, we propose a set of recommendations towards the research, development, and instantiation of these transformative advances in Command and Control capability.


Zein is a major storage protein of corn, with unique
amphiphilic film forming properties. It is insoluble in water, but soluble in
70% ethanol and acetic acid, and has been declared 'generally recognized as
safe' (GRAS) by the FDA. Due to new advances in food nanotechnology, zein is
being investigated for various applications such as biodegradable packaging,
oral delivery of proteins and peptides, scaffold for tissue engineering, as
well as biodegradable sensor platforms. The time consuming and highly
complicated methods for toxin and allergen analysis in the food industry
necessitates the need for a rapid, selective, compact and easy-to-use method of
detection for analytes. In the scope of this dissertation, we investigated the
feasibility of functional zein nanocomposite films and formation of a zein
nanocomposite sensor assembly for rapid and highly selective electrochemical
measurements of food toxins and allergens. Fabrication of a zein based
electrochemical amperometric sensor assembly was studied, first through the
comparison of various zein film characteristics changes with the application of
Laponite®, graphene oxide and carbon nanotube nanoparticles, followed by a
proof-of-concept study by detecting the gluten allergen protein gliadin.

To mechanistically study the functional zein nanocomposite
films, Laponite®, a silica nanoparticle, was added in the presence of 70%
ethanol solvent and oleic acid plasticizer. The films were studied using
various characterization techniques like transmission electron microscopy
(TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy
(AFM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry
(DSC), water contact angle measurements etc. Through Si-N bond formation
between Laponite® and zein, fabricated zein nanocomposite films showed increase
in surface hydrophobicity, water vapor barrier properties, tensile strength and
Young's modulus. Graphene oxide (GO), a carbon nanoparticle, was also
incorporated into zein through the solvent casting process. Uniform dispersion
of GO nanoparticles within zein matrix were confirmed up to 1% GO loading, and
covalent and hydrogen bonding mechanisms were proposed. Similar to
zein-Laponite® (Z-LAP) nanocomposites, zein-GO (Z-GO) showed increase in
hydrophobic tendencies, rougher surface and a 300% improvement in Young's
modulus and 180% improvement in tensile strength at only 3% GO loading. Both
nanoparticles increased tensile strength, thermal stability and water vapor
barrier property of the films, indicating a potential for food packaging as an
alternative application for the nanocomposite films.

Finally,
the research focused on the fabrication of an electrochemical amperometric sensor,
capable of detecting the protein gliadin, which is responsible for the allergic
reaction with people having celiac disease. Novel biodegradable coatings made
from zein nanocomposites: zein-graphene oxide, zein-Laponite® and
zein-multiwalled carbon nanotubes (Z-CNT) using drop casting technique were
tested for fabricating the electrochemical sensors using cyclic voltammetry
(CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and square wave voltammetry
(SWV) techniques. As Z-CNT produced the strongest signals compared to other
nanomaterials, the active tip of the electrochemical sensor was functionalized
through a sequence of layer by layer deposition of Z-CNT nanocomposite,
antibody and target analyte. Here, Z-CNT acts as a natural linker molecule with
large number of functional groups, that causes immobilization of capture
antibody and target, to ensure high sensor performance. Both CV curves and SWV
curves indicated successful sequential immobilization of gliadin antibody onto
the Z-CNT coated electrode. The Z-CNT biosensor was successfully able to give
CV signals for gliadin toxins for as low as 0.5 ppm and was highly specific for
gliadin in the presence of other interfering molecules, and remained stable
over a 30-day period. The low-cost, thin, conductive zein films offered a
promising alternative for protein immobilization platforms used in sensors and
can be extended to other matrices in biosensors as well as other functional
film applications


I. INTRODUCTION II. BY THE NUMBERS: FEEBLE COMPETITION III. THE FUTURE IV. CONCLUSION I. INTRODUCTION The Telecommunications Act of 1996 ("1996 Act") replaced the regulatory framework of a monopoly era with a radical deregulatory approach that promised new consumer benefits through competitive market forces. This new competition has never arrived, in large part because politicians, regulators, and antitrust officials have allowed the telephone and cable companies to kill it. As a result, consumers are faced with few choices and high prices for many telecommunications services in today's marketplace. Supporters of the 1996 Act assumed that deregulation would spur competition--even in markets where competition has never existed or was just unfolding--and prematurely relaxed ownership limitation, while regulators allowed mergers based on theoretical and potential competition that never materialized. (1) This anticompetitive atmosphere has led to consolidation in the form of mergers that most recently eliminated the two largest competitors of the already consolidated Bell giants and possibly permanently undermined the last vestige of good intentions behind the 1996 Act. Instead of the predicted nirvana of a free and open market with numerous options for consumers and flourishing technology, we have concentration and little marketplace choice. Today, virtually all consumers have at most two choices for a full package of telecommunications services: the local telephone company or the cable company. (2) After more than a decade, the cable and telephone industries remain highly concentrated, and the numbers tell the story. Cable operators still have a seventy-two percent market share of the multichannel video market. (3) Telephone companies have an eighty-five percent share of local telephone subscribers, (4) seventy-five percent of long distance, (5) and more than fifty percent of wireless customers. High-speed Internet appears to be split more evenly between the local cable and telephone companies 60-40, but if one takes into account advanced services, it is closer to 80-20 in favor of cable. (7) The "cozy duopolies" that have been created have not brought benefits to large segments of the consumer market on price or innovation. (8) In video, consolidation and anticompetitive bundling of programming has led to cable rates increasing almost three times faster than the rate of inflation. (9) Even satellite subscriber growth has failed to check these huge increases. For the first time since the 1984 AT&T break-up, long-distance prices for low-volume phone users have been on the rise. The enormous price reductions for all phone revenue may be coming to an end as long-term contracts, early termination fees, and stagnating prices for low-volume options persist. (10) Each cable or telecommunications giant has protected its own base of services while staying out of others' service territory. In addition, they have bundled services (e.g., cable with broadband) in order to keep potential competitors, such as satellite service providers, at bay. This has resulted in a lack of service options for consumers. Instead of paying and getting the exact services they want, they must instead purchase packaged services--Digital Subscriber Line ("DSL") tied to local phone service, or cable modem service tied to a cable video package. Getting the benefits of a discounted bundle causes the average household to expend much more for a cluster of services, some of which they may or may not use. This is definitely not the competitive landscape that Congress intended when it passed the 1996 Act. II. BY THE NUMBERS: FEEBLE COMPETITION After passage of the 1996 Act, it was assumed that competition would flourish among telecommunications companies. As explained in the Wall Street Journal, "By sweeping away decades of regulation, Washington thought it was paving the way for a free-for-all among the [Bell companies], long-distance carriers, cable operators and other telecommunications providers. …


Relational aggression (RA) represents a distinct form of bullying and refers to behaviors that harm others through damaging their friendships, their inclusion in social groups, and their feelings of acceptance. RA has been recognized as a significant problem, which has psychosocial and academic consequences for perpetrators, victims and bystanders. This study evaluated a self-report inventory that examined RA in 219 females ages 10 through 18 from Central Pennsylvania. Inter-item correlations revealed that none of the scale's items were highly correlated and therefore repetitive. An Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with an oblique rotation was used to identify the factors within the Girls Relationship Scale. Two factors were revealed with a "lenient" alpha greater than .70, representing the factors of "Relationships" and "Substance Abuse." A Pearson Correlational analysis found a significant negative relationship between the Age and the Substance Abuse factor (Pearson Correlation= -.166, p=.001), indicating the fact that older girls were more likely to endorse the willingness to smoke cigarettes or use drugs or alcohol if meant being accepted by other girls. A significant correlation was also found between the Age and the Total Scale score (Pearson Correlation= .495, p=.001), indicating that older girls were more likely to answer questions in a more self-assured and knowledgeable manner, or in the desired direction. An ANOVA revealed significant differences between the roles involved in relational aggression including the "bully", "victim", "bystander" or "other", and the "Relationships" factor (p=.002) and between the roles and the Total Scale score (p=.001). Post hoc tests to examine the significant differences further could not be Relational Aggression Scale v performed, however, because of missing data caused by subjects not answering every question. Lack of significance was found between places and situations in which girls think that they have more problems with their relationships and their ethnic heritage and the factor and Total scale scores. Relational Aggression Scale vi


Author(s): Leventis, G; Schwartz, LC; Kramer, C; Deason, J | Abstract: Nonresidential buildings are responsible for over a quarter of primary energy consumption in the United States. Efficiency improvements in these buildings could result in significant energy and utility bill savings. To unlock those potential savings, a number of market barriers to energy efficiency must be addressed. Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing programs can help overcome several of these barriers with minimal investment from state and local governments. With programs established or under development in 22 states, and at least $521 million in investments so far, other state and local governments are interested in bringing the benefits of C-PACE to their jurisdictions. Lessons in Commercial PACE Leadership: The Path from Legislation to Launch, aims to fast track the set-up of C-PACE programs for state and local governments by capturing the lessons learned from leaders. The report examines the list of potential program design options and important decision points in setting up a C-PACE program, tradeoffs for available options, and experiences of stakeholders that have gone through (or are going through) the process. C-PACE uses a voluntary special property assessment to facilitate energy and other improvements in commercial buildings. For example: ~Long financing terms under C-PACE can produce cash flow-positive --projects to help overcome a focus on short paybacks. ~Payment obligations can transfer to subsequent owners, mitigating concern about investing in improvements for a building that may be sold before the return on the investment is fully realized. ~100% of both hard and soft costs can be financed. To capture the benefits of C-PACE financing, state and local governments must navigate numerous decision points and engage with stakeholders to set-up or join a program. Researchers interviewed experts (including state and local sponsors, program administrators, capital providers and industry experts) on their lessons learned and arrived at the following key takeaways for state and local leaders: Enabling legislation: Carefully developed enabling legislation (which includes certain key provisions) and early stakeholder input can greatly improve the chances of program success. Options for program administrative structure: At least four program administrative structures are in use; certain administrative structures inherently result in more standardized product offerings and, potentially, economies of scale. Approaches to program and project capitalization: Two approaches to capitalization have been used. Bonding (project capital is raised through a bond sale) and direct funding (capital providers fund projects directly); programs can rely on one capital provider (a closed market) or allow multiple capital providers to participate (an open market). What and who qualifies for the program: Some programs require a minimum project savings-to-investment ratio; other programs encourage it or are indifferent. Estimating and documenting project energy cost saving: Estimating and documenting energy and cost savings can add costs to projects but also demonstrate C-PACE program value. Stakeholder engagement: Key stakeholder groups to engage include community leaders, local governments, building owners, contractors, utilities, capital providers and mortgage holders; stakeholder engagement should be tailored to each particular group. Start-up and ongoing costs: Understanding set-up and ongoing costs can help program sponsors plan for funding C-PACE programs and projects. The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs funded the report.


Quantifying the strength of causal loops on a stock can help bring insights into the relationship between model structure and behavior. This paper uses mathematics to derive loop strengths in a number of generic small models using the relationship between the second and rst derivative from the Pathway Participation Metric method. The loop strengths are plotted in a System Dynamics (SD) simulator together with the stocks to help explain behavior in the Limits to Growth, Predator-Prey, Diusion and SIR models among others. Issues such as loop dominance, ow dominance and the change of polarity of higher order loops are used to explain behavior. In particular the identity of the causal loops in the Diusion and SIR models are discussed and compared with previous work. Finally a numerical method for computing loop strengths and identifying dominant loops within an SD simulator is presented and applied to the Yeast Model. It is hoped that the paper will inspire others to use loop strengths in their analysis and understanding of SD models.


In this essay I describe an original and sustained contribution to the methodology of research and design of electric machines, during a period of fundamental change in the technology itself; from pen and paper methods of design to a wholly computer-based methodology. This is paralleled by an even more dramatic transformation in analytical and numerical methods in engineering. The technological changes have arisen mainly in the growth of electronics, in connection with variable speed drives but also in new magnet and other materials.
The SPEED (Scottish Power Electronics and Electric Drives) Laboratory was founded in 1986 by Professor TJE Miller, to promote knowledge transfer between the University of Glasgow and a consortium of companies from the electric machine industry. A symbiotic relationship between Professor Miller and the author has arisen in the development of what the Laboratory is now principally known for: the SPEED software. In establishing this group, Professor Miller brought an international reputation in electrical machines theory and experience in writing FORTRAN programs for calculating the characteristics of motors. On joining the Laboratory in 1987, alongside a basic knowledge of motors, I brought a more specialised capacity in software design and development. This complementarity of roles and expertise has been a significant factor in the success of subsequent development over 27 years, enabling us to achieve more than either would have been able to do individually.
My major contributions are summarized as follows:
1. Initial implementation of the software: making the necessary engineering compromises and development to shoe-horn the code within the constraints of the early PC platform. This was a significant milestone in the genesis of SPEED. As the PC was becoming cheap and therefore ubiquitous, this direction enabled me to put design for electric machines ii on the desktop of every engineer in the consortium, numbering over 1500 in 2011.
2. The hardware and software platform of the PC has evolved at a rapid pace since the early development outlined above. My ongoing research and development has progressed in parallel enabling the SPEED software to grow into a software suite rather than functioning as individual programs. At each stage I have extended the capabilities and sophistication of the software while retaining the key attributes of speed and cost-effectiveness.
3. Contribution to research within the University of Glasgow through support of PhD and post-doctoral work and in the general research community through contributions to a wide range of technical papers as listed in the references of this essay.


The importance of family firms for the development of capitalism, both past and present, has in recent years become widely recognized. Today there is a fast increasing body of literature about forms of family business and variations in family capitalism. Despite this new interest, few of these studies have made the family itself the focus of enquiry – and how different types of family structures and cultural traditions may influence the strategies and development of the family firm. Such connections are explored by comparing and discussing two cases of family firms and their history, set in Norway and Italy, respectively. It is argued that these two cases may be seen as examples of quite different 'modes of familism', with different implications for the running of an economic enterprise. These differences concern, first and foremost, cultural conceptions of gender, forms of inheritance, and the role of marriage in constituting the family firm.


American marten (Martes americana) was listed as endangered in Vermont in 1987 due to an absence of detection since 1954. Between 1989 and 1991, marten from Maine were reintroduced into southwestern Vermont but studies deemed the reintroduction unsuccessful. However, since 1998 marten have been detected in northeastern Vermont and are thought to represent colonization from a northern New Hampshire population. As of 2010 marten have also been detected in southwestern Vermont. The objective of this study was to provide insight into the source of the recently discovered marten population in southwestern Vermont by testing three hypotheses: (1) the northern New Hampshire population as the source of the northeastern Vermont population; (2) the southwestern Vermont population being derived by long distance dispersal from northeastern Vermont and/or northern New Hampshire populations; and (3) the southwestern Vermont population being remnants of the reintroduction. Three microsatellite loci were compared among 12 marten samples from northeastern Vermont, 3 samples from southwestern Vermont, and 12 samples from northern New Hampshire. No significant genetic differentiation existed between the populations and no samples from northern Vermont could be excluded as members of the northern New Hampshire source population, therefore the first hypothesis could not be rejected. There was evidence of a founder effect (lower genetic variation and loss of rare alleles) shown by the lower effective number of alleles for both the southern Vermont population (3.024) and northern Vermont population (3.512) as compared to the New Hampshire population (4.169), along with the presence of heterozygosity excess for both Vermont populations. There was also evidence of migration and assignment of samples from southern Vermont to the northern Vermont and New Hampshire source populations, thus the second hypothesis could not be rejected. Similar findings (lower genetic variation and loss of rare alleles) could also result from a recent bottleneck due to the reintroduction program. The third hypothesis, therefore, could not be rejected and additional supporting evidence was exhibited by a presence of different alleles in the southwestern Vermont population. Comparing the second and third hypotheses, a found effect is more likely than a bottleneck due to the inability to exclude northern Vermont and/or northern New Hampshire as a source of the southern Vermont population.


Weeds pose a significant threat to biodiversity, but information on which species pose the greatest threat and the level of their impact is missing (i.e. only available for a few of the 3,100 plus naturalized plant species in Australia). Here we assessed the 1,665 naturalized plant species in NSW to ascertain their level of threat as well as their ability to impact on native species. First we excluded those species which were (i) not known to be invasive, (ii) known from only a few locations, or (iii) not environmental weeds. The remaining 340 species were then modelled to establish a prioritized list. While we did not assess the actual impacts, the five attributes used in the model (i.e. spatial threat, species impact, invasive ability, number of species at risk and habitat type), when combined, provide a reasonable assessment given the lack of robust data available on impacts. The modelling process identified three extreme and 19 very high priority species with respect to their ability to have negative impacts on biodiversity. Of these many have been identified in other weed lists (e.g. the three extreme species, Anredera cordifolia (madeira vine), Lantana camara (lantana) and Chrysanthemoides monilifera subsp. rotundata (bitou bush) were ranked as forty-first, fourth, and sixth, respectively, in the determination of the Weeds of National Significance). Our prioritized list of weed species based on their ability to impact on biodiversity will help to aid management decisions, especially for those weed species posing a landscape scale impact, in the absence of impact data.


Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) is a method that injects rhythmic currents into the human brain via electrodes attached to the scalp of a participant. This technique allows researchers to control naturally occurring brain rhythms and study their causal relevance for cognition. Recent findings, however, cast doubts on the effectiveness of tACS to stimulate the brain and its mode of action. Two new studies by Vieira and colleagues and Marchesotti and colleagues reported in the current issue report promising new results in showing that tACS can entrain single neuron activity and improve reading abilities in dyslexic individuals.


A sample of 10 Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) was taken for DNA resistance testing from an agricultural site in Kent where applications of the anticoagulant rodenticide bromadiolone had been unsuccessful. All animals tested were homozygous for the single nucleotide VKORC1 polymorphism tyrosine139phenylalanine, or Y139F. This is a common resistance mutation found extensively in France and Belgium but not previously in the UK. Y139F confers a significant level of resistance to first-generation anticoagulants, such as chlorophacinone, and to the second-generation compound bromadiolone. Another compound widely used in the UK, difenacoum, is also thought to be partially resisted by rats which carry Y139F. A silent VKORC1 mutation was also found in all rats tested. The presence of a third important VKORC1 mutation which confers resistance to anticoagulant rodenticides in widespread use in the UK, the others being Y139C and L120Q, further threatens the ability of pest control practitioners to deliver effective rodent control.


The infaunal bivalve Ruditapes decussatus (L.) was collected from Ria Formosa, Faro, southern Portugal, and subjected to a range of selected temperatures (20-35 °C). Physiological measurements (clearance rate, respiration rate, excretion rate and absorption efficiency) for the calculation of scope-for-growth were under taken at 20, 27 and 32 °C after 48 hours acclimation. Experiments on tolerance to air exposure were performed at 20, 28 and 35 °C. Increasing temperature resulted in lower clearance rates, leading to a marked reduction of scope for growth. At 32 °C scope for growth was negative indicating that clams were having to utilize their energy reserves. Respiration rate and excretion rate were temperature independent in the range 20 32 °C, due to seasonal thermal acclimation to environmental fluctuating temperatures. When exposed to air, shell valve gaping was observed at all experimental temperatures, resulting in the utilisation of aerobic metabolic pathways and the utilisation of energy reserves, desiccation and consequently death. Median lethal times were ca. 72 h, 48 h and 10 h at 20, 28 and 35 °C, respectively. Temperatures above 28 °C can therefore significantly weaken clams resistance to air exposure and affect their performance in water. Even if effects of exposure to high water and air temperatures, on the tidal flats in the summer, are unknown, raising temperatures constitute a significant physiological stress for the clams.


One of the biggest impacts on the performance of a Distributed Hash Table (DHT), once established, is its ability to balance load among its nodes. DHTs supporting range queries for example suffer from a potentially huge skew in the distribution of their items since techniques such as consistent hashing can not be applied. Thus explicit load balancing schemes need to be deployed. Several such schemes have been developed and are part of recent research, most of them using only information locally available in order to scale to arbitrary systems. Gossiping techniques however allow the retrieval of fairly good estimates of global information with low overhead. Such information can then be added to existing load balancing algorithms that can use the additional knowledge to improve their performance. Within this thesis several schemes are developed that use global information like the average load and the standard deviation of the load among the nodes to primarily reduce the number of items an algorithm moves to achieve a certain balance. Two novel load balancing algorithms have then been equipped with implementations of those schemes and have been simulated on several scenarios. Most of these variants show better balance results and move far less items than the algorithms they are based on. The best of the developed algorithms achieves a 15-30% better balance and moves only about 50-70% of the number of items its underlying algorithm moves. This variation is also very robust to erroneous estimates and scales linearly with the system size and system load. Further experiments with self-tuning algorithms that set an algorithm's parameter according to the system's state show that even more improvements can be gained if additionally applied. Such a variant based on the algorithm described by Karger and Ruhl shows the same balance improvements of 15-30% as the variant above but reduces the number of item movements further to 40-65%.


The goal of the O'Leary Series is to give students a basic understanding of computing concepts and to build the skills necessary to ensure that information technology is an advantage in whatever career they choose in life. The O'Leary Microsoft Office 2003 texts are crafted to be the true step-by-step way for students to develop Microsoft Office application skills. The text design emphasizes step-by-step instructions with full screen captures that illustrate the results of each step performed. Each Tutorial (chapter) combines conceptual coverage with detailed software-specific instructions. A running case that is featured in each tutorial highlights the real-world applications of each software program and leads students step-by-step from problem to solution.


To facilitate underwater acoustic measurements at Penn State, a five axis computer controlled positioning system has been developed by the author and installed in the new water tank facilities at the Applied Research Laboratory. Providing linear motion in three directions and rotations about two axes, the system allows an acoustic transducer to be positioned and oriented at virtually any position and direction within the water tank. Motion is controlled along each axis via programmable controllers (indexers) which are in turned accessed by a computer via RS 232. Resolution in the linear directions is 0.005 in. Angular resolution is 0.18°. Working in conjunction with the appropriate data‐acquisition hardware and software, the positioning system allows the entire measurement procedure to be automated. Although designed initially for use in monostatic and bistatic surface scattering experiments, the system is also being used for other interesting underwater experiments, including bottom sediment studies, and...


In this paper I elaborate on five philosophical perspectives on how teachers can respond to expressions of racism in education. By comparing them I wish to highlight the philosophical discussion on school as a moral and political space. In this research process, two tensions emerged: the first between different perspectives on moral/ethic, and the second between different perspectives on the effect of speech acts. Following John Dewey, I finally argue that these tensions could remind us that we need to reflect on our (choice of) action over and over again.


A laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV) using a semiconductor laser diode (LD) with its self-mixing effect has been developed. A Doppler signal, caused by mixing a returned wave with an originally existing wave inside the LD, is detected with a photodetector in the LD package; it is also picked up from the variation of the LD driving voltage. When the returned light is weak enough, it confirms that there is no change in the single-mode oscillation and its spectral width of the LD. A LDV of this type is compact enough for many applications.


The paper explores the potential of computational techniques in the modeling of overall volumetric oxygen transfer by plunging jets of different geometries, namely circular, square, rectangular and rectangular with rounded edge. The results predicted from neural network, support vector machines and Gaussian process techniques are compared in terms of correlation coefficient, root mean square error and coefficient of determination. The outcome suggests the utility of all these computational techniques in the designing and performance evaluation of plunging jets oxygenation systems of different geometric shapes. However, support vector machines have performed better in comparison to other techniques. It has predicted overall volumetric oxygen transfer coefficient with a correlation coefficient of 0.985, coefficient of determination of 0.968 and root mean square error of 0.002. Further, the scattering (within 15 percent) is lowest in case of support vector machines approach. A comparison of results suggests that support vector machines works well and can be successfully used in modeling oxygen transfer by plunging jets of different geometries and configurations.


We have recently quantified and validated the potential of the emerging compressed sensing (CS) paradigm for real-time energy-efficient electrocardiogram (ECG) compression on resource-constrained sensors. In the present work, we investigate applying sparsity models to exploit underlying structural information in recovery algorithms. More specifically, re-visiting well-known sparse recovery algorithms, we propose novel model-based adaptations for the robust recovery of compressible signals like ECG. Our results show significant performance gains for the recovery algorithms exploiting the underlying sparsity models.


Given the enduring educational legacies of apartheid and the continuing poor standards of secondary schooling in South Africa, the question of what constitutes appropriate academic development for educationally disadvantaged students in universities remains pertinent. This paper draws on the work of the Russian literary theorist, Mikhail Bakhtin, applying his concepts of dialogue, language types and speech genres to the context of student development. It illustrates how these concepts may be interpreted and applied pedagogically with reference to a certificate course in participatory development at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. It argues for a pedagogy which negotiates the boundary between formal and informal knowledge, taking into account both disciplinary foundations and studentsi?½ experiences.


Now, there's a comprehensive, objective, and reliable tutorial and reference for the entire field of technical analysis. For traders, researchers, and serious investors alike, this is the definitive book on technical analysis. Individual investors and professional investment managers are increasingly recognizing the value of technical analysis in identifying trading opportunities. Moreover, the SECs requirement for analysts and brokers to pass Section 86 exams can now be fulfilled with the Chartered Market Technician (CMT) certification.Author Charles D. Kirkpatrick II has spent decades using technical analysis to advise major investing institutions -- and he currently teaches the subject to MBA candidates, giving him unique insight into the best ways of explaining its complex concepts. Together with university finance instructor and CMT Dr. Julie Dahlquist, Kirkpatrick systematically explains the theory of technical analysis, presenting academic evidence both for and against it. Using 200+ illustrations, the authors explain the analysis of markets and individual issues, and present a complete investment system and portfolio management plan. Readers will learn how to use tested sentiment, momentum indicators, seasonal affects, flow of funds, and many other techniques. The authors reveal which chart patterns and indicators have been reliable; show how to test systems; and demonstrate how technical analysis can be used to mitigate risk.


We numerically demonstrate the formation of the spatiotemporal version of the so-called diffractive resonant radiation generated in waveguide arrays with Kerr nonlinearity when a long pulse is launched into the system. The phase matching condition for the diffractive resonant radiation that we have found earlier for CW beams also works well in the spatiotemporal case. By introducing a linear potential, one can introduce a continuous shift of the central wavenumber of a linear pulse, whereas in the nonlinear case one can demonstrate that the soliton self-wavenumber shift can be compensated by the emission of diffractive resonant radiation, in a very similar fashion as it is done in optical fibers. This work paves the way for designing unique optical devices that generate spectrally broad supercontinua with a controllable directionality by taking advantage of the combined physics of optical fibers and waveguide arrays.


1. In 37 patients with cirrhosis of the liver of different severity (11 in class A, 18 in class B, and 8 in class C, according to Child's criteria modified by Hobbs), inulin and p-aminohippurate clearances, total fractional protein excretion and the fractional clearances of alpha 1-acid glycoprotein, albumin, transferrin, alpha 2-macroglobulin and beta 2-microglobulin (in 20 patients) were determined. 2. Insulin clearance was lower than 70 ml/min in 19 patients had p-aminohippurate clearance was lower than 300 ml/min in 20 patients. Total fractional protein excretion was above normal in 19 patients; alpha 1-acid glycoprotein fractional clearance was above normal in 11, albumin fractional clearance in 10, transferrin fractional clearance in five, alpha 2-macroglobulin fractional clearance in three, and beta 2-microglobulin fractional clearance in 10. 3. The increases in protein excretion were independent of any impairment of renal tubular function. An inverse relationship between protein excretion and the clearances of inulin and p-aminohippurate was found. No difference in protein excretion was found between the three groups of patients with different degrees of liver damage. 4. The results suggest that in cirrhosis an increase in glomerular permeability is frequent, though generally slight; it is correlated with an impairment of kidney function and is independent of the severity of the liver damage.


Discretization is a crucial preprocessing technique used for a variety of data warehousing and mining tasks. In this paper, we present a novel PCA-based unsupervised algorithm for the discretization of continuous attributes in multivariate data sets. The algorithm leverages the underlying correlation structure in the data set to obtain the discrete intervals and ensures that the inherent correlations are preserved. Previous efforts on this problem are largely supervised and consider only piecewise correlation among attributes. We consider the correlation among continuous attributes and, at the same time, also take into account the interactions between continuous and categorical attributes. Our approach also extends easily to data sets containing missing values. We demonstrate the efficacy of the approach on real data sets and as a preprocessing step for both classification and frequent itemset mining tasks. We show that the intervals are meaningful and can uncover hidden patterns in data. We also show that large compression factors can be obtained on the discretized data sets. The approach is task independent, i.e., the same discretized data set can be used for different data mining tasks. Thus, the data sets can be discretized, compressed, and stored once and can be used again and again.


This work reports the synthesis of polycarbonates from 4-vinylcyclohexene oxide (VCHO)/carbon dioxide copolymerization catalyzed by new homogeneous chromium complexes with an [OSSO]-type bis(phenolato) dianionic ligand. Through the structural design, the ethylene-bridged ligands of the chromium complex exhibit the highest activity with the same axial anion Cl. The catalytic activity and product selectivity of these [OSSO]CrIII complexes have been systematically investigated under varied conditions. The 1H NMR spectrum of the obtained copolymers confirmed the resulting polycarbonate with high CO2 incorporation with a carbonate unit above 95%. This is one of the rare examples of a well-defined metal complex with a soft Lewis base as a donor for the efficient copolymerization of carbon dioxide and epoxides.