Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Currently, it is treated with immunosuppressant or biologics that often induce severe adverse effects. Thus, there is an urgent clinical need for more specific treatments. To provide a valid therapeutic tool for IBD therapy, in this work we developed biomimetic nanovesicles by manipulating leukocyte membranes to exploit mechanisms of T-cell recruitment during inflammation. A subset of T-lymphocytes participates in homing to inflamed tissue in the gastrointestinal tract by overexpressing the α4β7 integrin, which is responsible for binding to its receptor on the endothelial membrane, the mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule 1. Based on this principle, we engineered biomimetic vesicles, referred to as specialized leukosomes (SLKs), which are leukocyte-like carriers 'doped' with the α4β7 integrin over-induced in purified immune cells. We tested SLKs in an in vivo murine model of IBD induced by treatment with dextran sulfate sodium. Notably, treatment of IBD mice with SLKs allowed us to observe a reduction of inflammation (favorable modulation of both pro- and anti-inflammatory genes, as well as reduction of immune cells infiltration into the colon tissue), and a consequent enhanced intestinal repair (low epithelial damage). In this study, we demonstrate that biological-derived nanoparticles can be used not only as naturally targeted drug delivery systems, but also as nano-therapeutics endowed with intrinsic anti-inflammatory properties.


Palavras-chave: factor comun, experiencia visual, introspeccion, superveniencia local. Abstract: Conjunctive philosophical theories of visual experience accept the common kind principle, according to which perceptions and their introspectively indiscriminable hallucinatory counterparts should be considered as mental states or events of the same kind. In this paper I criticize two strategies that allegedly entail the adoption of the common kind principle. First, I will take into account some causal considerations linked to vision science that might lead us to endorse the local supervenience of the phenomenal character and the sameness of experiential kind. Secondly, I discuss whether introspective indiscriminability is a sufficient criterion for the identity of phenomenal character and experiential kind. I point out that these strategies do not conclusively motivate the adoption of the common kind principle as it is often assumed.


ABSTRACT The genome of Streptococcus mutans encodes 4 LysR-type transcriptional regulators (LTTRs), three of which, MetR, CysR (cysteine synthesis regulator), and HomR (homocysteine synthesis regulator), are phylogenetically related. MetR was previously shown to control methionine metabolic gene expression. Functional analysis of CysR and HomR was carried out by phenotypical studies and transcriptional analysis. CysR is required to activate the transcription of cysK encoding the cysteine biosynthesis enzyme, tcyABC and gshT genes encoding cysteine and glutathione transporter systems, and homR. HomR activates the transcription of metBC encoding methionine biosynthesis enzymes, tcyDEFGH involved in cysteine transport, and still uncharacterized thiosulfate assimilation genes. Control of HomR by CysR provides evidence of a cascade regulation for sulfur amino acid metabolism in S. mutans. Two conserved motifs were found in the promoter regions of CysR and HomR target genes, suggesting their role in the regulator binding recognition site. Both CysR and HomR require O-acetylserine to activate transcription. A global sulfur amino acid supply gene regulatory pathway is proposed for S. mutans, including the cascade regulation consequent to transcriptional activation of HomR by CysR. Phylogenetic study of MetR, CysR, and HomR homologues and comparison of their potential regulatory patterns among the Streptococcaceae suggest their rapid evolution.


This dissertation explores the history and archaeology of a postemancipation community that developed around the Benjamin W. Jackson Plantation in Bethel, Texas, particularly concentrating on the transformation of the landscape through the rise of black land ownership and material culture collected at two households occupied by generations of the Davis family. The Davises were tenant farmers whose ancestors were previously enslaved on the plantation and members of the family continued to occupy the lands through the 1950s. In the decades following emancipation the antebellum landscape of the Benjamin Jackson plantation and the Bethel community in East Texas were slowly transformed and developed into an economically diverse community of African American tenants and independent landowners. Over generations, people who were formerly enslaved on the Jackson Plantation as well as people from neighboring plantations and communities built the infrastructure necessary for semi-autonomy, practicing subsistence agriculture and developing formal and informal economies, while in many instances continuing to labor through the production of commercial cotton on white owned land. Drawing upon diverse sources including archaeology, archival research, forms of oral history, art, and landscape, I consider how the material world functioned in the maintenance and reinforcement of unequal social and economic conditions, and also how over generations people engaged with the material world as a mechanism to reformulate and transform these conditions. The active participation of rural black farmers in consumer markets as a means to subvert and challenge day to day racism is explored, as are shifts in consumption from one generation to another following WWII and the accompanying increase in product diversity and availability


By taking an interdisciplinary approach — with methods drawn from narratology, aesthetics, social psychology, education, and the empirical study of literature — The Art of Sympathy in Fiction will interest scholars in a variety of fields. Its focus is the sympathetic effects of stories, and the possible ways these feelings can contribute to what has been called the "moral imagination." Part I examines the dynamics of readers' beliefs regarding fictional characters and the influence of those impressions on the emotions that readers experience. The book then turns its attention to sympathy, providing a comprehensive definition and considering the ways in which it operates in life and in literature. Part I concludes with a discussion of the narratological and rhetorical features of fictional narratives that theoretically elicit sympathy in readers. Part II applies these theories to four stories that persuade readers to sympathize with characters who seem unsympathetic. Finally, based on empirical findings from the responses of adolescent readers, Part III considers pedagogical approaches that can help students reflect on emotional experiences that result from reading fiction.


Nonlinear mode coupling among two beams of different wavelength that copropagate in a bimodal highly birefringent optical fiber may lead to the effect of modal attraction. Under such circumstances, the modal distribution of light at a pump wavelength is replicated at the signal wavelength, nearly irrespective of the input mode excitation conditions of the signal.


Cerebral infarction is one of the causes of ischemic stroke in the brain, and machine learning can be used in the detection of cerebral infarction in the brain. In diagnosing the presence of cerebral infarction in the brain, machine learning is used because it is not enough just to use a CT scan to diagnose. Support vector machine (SVM) is a machine learning method that is known for its high accuracy value. However, SVM can produce less optimal results if the data used is imbalanced. If imbalanced data is used, the resulting model will be biased. Therefore, this study uses a hybrid preprocessing method for SVM on the classification of an imbalanced cerebral infarction dataset obtained from the Department of Radiology at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. This method is a combination of several sampling methods that deal with the problem of imbalanced data and utilizes undersampling and oversampling techniques in combination with SVM. Oversampling modifying the infarction dataset through the duplication of data with a small number of classes to be balanced with a large number of data classes. While undersampling reducing data with a large number of classes to be balanced with a smaller number of data classes. Undersampling and Oversampling are combined into a hybrid method. This method is a hybrid method of the undersampling and oversampling that can be used in SVM. The results of hybrid method using SVM will be compared with the undersampling and oversampling using SVM, individually. And SVM method without preprocessing the imbalanced dataset. The accuracy of the proposed method reached 94% in our evaluations for SVM using a hybrid preprocessing method.


In recent years, microfluidic-based sample preparation techniques have emerged as a powerful tool for measurements at large scale X-ray facilities. Most often the microfluidic device was a form of hybrid system, i.e. an assembly of different materials, because a simple, versatile and inexpensive microfabrication method, on the one hand, and X-ray compatibility, on the other hand, cannot generally be achieved by the same material. The arrival of a new polymer family based on off-stoichiometric thiol-ene-epoxy (OSTE+) has recently redistributed the cards. In this context, we studied the relevance and the compatibility of OSTE+ for small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies. The material was characterized regarding its X-ray properties (transmission coefficient, attenuation coefficient, scattering pattern and polymer aging under X-ray light) and their comparison with those of the usual polymers used in microfluidics and/or for synchrotron radiation experiments. We show that OSTE+ has a better SAXS signal than polyimide, the polymer of reference in the SAXS community. Then a detailed protocol to manufacture a suitably thin full OSTE+ chip (total thickness <500 μm) is described and the potency of full OSTE+ devices for in situ SAXS studies is highlighted in two case-studies: the characterization of gold nanoparticles and the precipitation of cerium oxalate particles, both in moving droplets. Additionally, a method to analyze the scattering signals from droplet and carrier phase in a segmented flow is proposed.


In Microbiology and Virology courses, viral plaques are often presented to students as the way one can visualize viruses/bacteriophages. While students generally grasp the idea that counting plaques is essentially the same as counting viruses in their sample (assuming that one virus entering the cell is sufficient for productive infection), the process of plaque formation itself remains largely obscure. Many students fail to appreciate that viral plaques are actually a "laboratory-made" phenomenon allowing us to observe and study the growth of lytic viruses. The latter often presents a challenge for the interpretation of experimental data related to viral growth and drug discovery using plaque reduction assay. The hands-on model described here creates an opportunity for students to experience the process of viral plaque formation while engaging multiple senses and creating a lasting impression.


Want to learn how to develop Android apps? Then don't miss our new book: Murach's Android Programming (2nd Edition). It teaches you how to develop high-quality apps like the ones you can find in the Google Play store. The only prerequisite is a basic knowledge of Java. Everything else, including software installation, is covered. To start, this book shows the Android Studio and Java skills you need to develop a Tip Calculator app for a smartphone or tablet. Then, it expands upon this app to show must-have Android skills such as working with layouts, widgets, events, themes, styles, menus, preferences, and fragments. Next, this book presents two more apps that illustrate Android skills programmers use every day, such as working with threads, files, adapters, intents, services, notifications, broadcast receivers, SQLite databases, content providers, and app widgets. Finally, this book presents an app that uses the Google Maps API and shows you how to submit your finished apps to the Google Play store. The real-world apps let you see how the skills you're learning work together, and they illustrate how and when you'd use each skill. And all the content is presented in Murach's distinctive paired-pages style that developers find so clear and time-saving for both training and reference.


This paper employs event study methodology to investigate the impact of presidential elections on nominal currency values for a group of Latin American countries between 1980 and 1996. The results indicate that presidential elections are associated with a statistically significant decline in nominal currency values, which appears strongest around the time of inauguration. The results suggest that the stage of the political cycle in a country is an important factor influencing exchange rates and should be recognized when making trade and investment decisions. INTRODUCTION This paper examines the impact of presidential elections on nominal currency values for a group of fifteen Latin American countries between 1982 and 1996 using event study methodology. A total of forty-one separate presidential elections are examined. For each election in the sample, the monthly percentage change in nominal currency value is calculated for each of the sixty-one months surrounding the election itself and the inauguration of the winner. The cross sectional average monthly change in currency value is then examined statistically to investigate whether currency values experience abnormal declines in the months surrounding a presidential election. The statistical results of this study suggest that presidential elections often have a significant impact on nominal currency values. In general, the approach of a presidential election leads to larger than normal monthly decline in nominal currency value, with the largest declines occurring close to the time of inauguration. After inauguration, the rate of currency depreciation tends to diminish. METHODOLOGY In the past, the most common application of event study methodology has been to examine the impact of various events on common stock prices. For example, many studies have investigated the impact of dividend announcements, mergers, etc. on the share price of the announcing firms. However, the methodology is potentially useful in a wide range of cases where the intent is to observe the effect of some event on a market rate or price. Previous studies using the methodology with exchange rates include those by Kwok and Brooks (1990) and Cosset and de la Rianderie (1985). MacKinlay (1997) provides a good introduction to the use of event study methodology in the areas of Economics and Finance. The first step in an event study is to define the event of interest and identify a sample of such events. In the present case, we are interested in the impact of the presidential election process and we identify two separate events for each election cycle: the election itself and the inauguration of the winner. A separate statistical analysis is completed for each of these two events. In each case, the month in which the event occurs is designated as the event month and is given a time index of t=0. Months before and after the event month are identified by their relative place in time. For example, the month before the event month is month -1 and the month after is +1. The sample examined consists of forty-one presidential elections in fifteen Latin American countries. Countries in the sample include: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Of the Latin American countries located in Central or South America, only Nicaragua was excluded (due to lack of required data). For each of the fifteen countries included, all regular democratic presidential elections occurring between 1980 and 1996 were identified. The sample includes one election from Paraguay (`83); two elections each from Brazil (`89, `94), Chile (`88, `93), Honduras (`89, `93), and Uruguay (`89, `94); three elections each from Argentina (`83, `89, `95), Bolivia (`85, `89, `93), Ecuador (`84, `88, `92), El Salvador (`84, `89, `94), Guatemala (`85, `90, `95), Mexico (`82, `88, `94), Peru (`80, `85, `90) and Venezuela (`83, `88, `93); and four elections each from Colombia (`82, `86, `90, `94) and Costa Rica (`82, `86, `90, `94). …


Improving the quality of XL Axiata service is not as expected. Data abaout twitter and comments from XL Axiata, shows there are still complaints from customers related to the unstable 4G LTE internet network. The development of increasingly advanced technology and intense competition, make telecommunication companies always improve their services, ecpecially XL Axiata. But this 4G LTE service can not have a positive impact on the corporate image. This study aims to analyze and discuss the influence of rebranding and service quality on corporate image XL Axiata. This population in this study simcard users XL were at least 17 years, and who was visiting in XL Center Pemuda Surabaya. This study using 210 samples, the sampling method is non-probability sampling with incidental sampling technique. The data analisys technique using multiple linear regression.  Keywords: Rebranding, Service Quality, Corporate Image.


Abstract The burden of non‐communicable chronic disease (NCD) in India is increasing. Diet and body composition 'track' from childhood into adult life and contribute to the development of risk factors for NCD. Little is known about the diet patterns of Indian children. We aimed to identify diet patterns and study associations with body composition and socio‐demographic factors in the Mysore Parthenon Study cohort. We collected anthropometric and demographic data from children aged 9.5 years (n = 538). We also administered a food frequency questionnaire and measured fasting blood concentrations of folate and vitamin B12. Using principal component analysis, we identified two diet patterns. The 'snack and fruit' pattern was characterised by frequent intakes of snacks, fruit, sweetened drinks, rice and meat dishes and leavened breads. The 'lacto‐vegetarian' pattern was characterised by frequent intakes of finger millet, vegetarian rice dishes, yoghurt, vegetable dishes and infrequent meat consumption. Adherence to the 'snack and fruit' pattern was associated with season, being Muslim and urban dwelling. Adherence to the lacto‐vegetarian pattern was associated with being Hindu, rural dwelling and a lower maternal body mass index. The 'snack and fruit' pattern was negatively associated with the child's adiposity. The lacto‐vegetarian pattern was positively associated with blood folate concentration and negatively with vitamin B12 concentration. This study provides new information on correlates of diet patterns in Indian children and how diet relates to nutritional status. Follow‐up of these children will be important to determine the role of these differences in diet in the development of risk factors for NCD including body composition.


The acid test of humankind's relationship to natural systems is the degree to which ecological damage caused by humans is repaired by humans. Technology and science are available, so the remaining stimulus needed for implementation of ecological restoration is the ethical responsibility to do so. Ecological restoration can be regarded as enlightened self-interest for humankind since it increases both natural capital and ecosystem services. However, well-designed ecological restoration projects should have a major ethical component since the future of non-human life forms on Earth requires more than self-interest. Although the field of science has provided various rationales for ecological restoration, ethical issues associated with such activities must also be considered. If, as seems likely, human society and natural systems are co-evolving, restoration of damaged ecosystems will improve both ecological and human health. The term 'ecosocietal restoration' emphasizes this close relationship. However, if ecological restoration considers only human needs and does not emphasize ecological integrity, human-dominated ecosystems could become the norm. Such domination is already marked but the relationship could easily worsen. This article lists seven major ethical issues in ecological restoration. This list is not encyclopedic but illustrative. Finally, there are five questions that human society must address that require robust scientific information to make a sound ethical judgment.


Planners and policymakers in dozens of U.S. cities are considering making streetcar investments in the hope of promoting economic development, encouraging tourism, carrying transit riders, and/or achieving a host of other local objectives. Most observers look to Portland, Oregon, as a model of successful streetcar development, but this paper considers the experiences of two less successful communities, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Tampa, Florida. Using a combination of key informant interviews and local and national transit data, the authors assess the goals of streetcar implementation and the performance of the streetcars in these two cities, seeking to understand the reasons for their performance and identify lessons for other communities.


The Craco area displays some of the best outcrops of the frontal part of the Southern Apennines; it is therefore a key area for interpreting the evolution of a recent thrust belt. This paper reports the results of detailed geological mapping, accompanied by structural interpretations and biostratigraphic analyses. Geological mapping shows that the Craco area is characterised by laterally discontinuous contractional structures that include thrusts, backthrusts and folds. Steeply-dipping faults, striking N-S to N50E, offset the contractional structures. We propose an evolutionary scheme based on evidence on synsedimentary tectonics and biostratigraphy. The first tectonic stage (Early Pliocene) is documented by the onlap pattern of the Early-Late Pliocene succession (second cycle) on the Early Pliocene sediments (first cycle). Afterwards (Late Pliocene-Early Pleistocene), the Pliocene strata were steepened by the activation of backthrusts. This is displayed by the general attitude of the second cycle deposits, which dip of 25-30 degrees towards the NNE. In the south-western portion of the area movements along backthrusts follow intense thrusting and folding of the first cycle succession.


Most international crimes are committed with the support or under the control of collective entities, notably states. Yet, international law tends to hold only individuals, rather than states responsible for such crimes. This is well illustrated in the case of Darfur. The prosecutor of the ICC stated that 'The information gathered points to an ongoing pattern of crimes committed with the mobilization of the whole state apparatus'. Yet, in this case legal responsibility was 'only' channeled towards the president of Sudan, somehow presuming that his arrest would remove the involvement of the state apparatus. This paper reviews the various principles of reparation that allow international law to address the state for its involvement in international crimes, rather than only individuals. It also examines the role of the Security Council in this respect.


Chemotherapy, employing single-molecule or multidrug concoctions inspired by the diverse repository of plant chemicals, has been the mainstay of cancer treatment for years. However, isolating single molecules has proven to be expensive along with limited therapeutic window and toxicity. On the other hand, whole foods, while preserving the natural complex balance between their constituent phytochemicals and being non-toxic, have proven to impart better disease-fighting efficacies, thus leading to an increased focus on dietary interventions to both treat and prevent cancer. Owing to the complex interactions between their constituent phytochemicals, several dietary agents have been investigated for their therapeutic and preventive efficacies. However, due to lack of emphasis on confounding factors like bioavailability, absorption, metabolism, and excretion, essentially driven by phytocomplexity, incorporation of whole foods in therapeutic regimen has not been successful. This thesis exemplifies the need to investigate factors associated with the limitations in the current approach with respect to dietary agents. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of sweet potato greens extract (SPGE) led to the identification of ~100-fold more potent fraction in vitro. However, this efficacy could not be translated in vivo. We also studied whole ginger extract (GE) for its in vitro and in vivo prostate tumor growth-inhibitory and apoptosis-inducing effects. In addition, GE proved to be more efficacious as compared to its individual most-active constituents owing to the differences in their pharmacokinetic (PK) and bioavailability measurements. Hence, these studies emphasize the crucial role of synergistic/additive interactions among the constituents of whole foods in successful translation of their therapeutic benefits. Another factor that seeks further attention is the unique cellular mechanisms engaged by these phytochemicals to confer their remarkable effects. Phenolic compounds, the most-abundant of all phytochemicals, are well known for their antioxidant properties and act via reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated mechanisms. We however assert the underappreciated xenohormetic prooxidant role of phenolics, where cancer cell death is caused by induction of intolerable levels of ROS. We demonstrated that a Piper betel constituent, hydroxychavicol (HC), mediates cytotoxicity via ROS-induced DNA-damage. This thesis thus provides compelling grounds for future preclinical studies to validate their potential usefulness for cancer management. INDEX WORDS: Phytochemicals, Phytocomplexity, Sweet potato greens, Ginger, Betel leaves, Pharmacodynamic synergy, Pharmacokinetics, Enterohepatic recirculation, Xenohormesis, Reactive oxygen species, Pharmacokinetic synergy PHYTOCOMPLEXITY: IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL ANTICANCER THERAPEUTICS USING DIETARY AGENTS


Light emitted by an atomic source of radiation appears to travel along a straight line (ray) from the location of the source to the observer in the far field. However, when the energy flow pattern of the radiation is resolved with an accuracy better than an optical wavelength, it turns out that the field lines are usually curved. We consider electric dipole radiation, a prime example of which is the radiation emitted by an atom during an electronic transition, and we show that the field lines of energy flow are in general curves. Near the location of the dipole, the field lines exhibit a vortex structure, and in the far field they approach a straight line. The spatial extension of the vortex in the optical near field is of nanoscale dimension. Due to the rotation of the field lines near the source, the asymptotic limit of a field line is not exactly in the radially outward direction and as a consequence, the image in the far field is slightly shifted. This sub-wavelength displacement of the image of the source should be amenable to experimental observation with contemporary nanoscale-precision techniques.


The pathophysiology of schizophrenic shows the dysfunction of Glutamate receptors. The inotropic subtypes The NMDA, AMPA and kinate receptors out of various glutamate receptors are most commonly associated. In postmortem brain samples from schizophrenics and controls several levels of gene expression of glutamate receptors were studied. Even though there exist slight inconsistency from various studies certain points. There is an abnormal reduction in the AMPA receptor expression in the schizophrenic hippocampus, including reduced subunit transcript level, protein level and also binding sites. In hippocampus related changes are also seen in the kinate receptor expression. In some cortical regions in schizophrenia NMDAR1 shows abnormal expression. NMDDAR1 is the obligate NMDA receptor subunit. The current review ellustrates the theory of glutamate neurotransmission abnormality in schizophrenia.


Sited at the furthest limits of the Neolithic revolution and standing at the confluence of the two great sea routes of prehistory, Britain and Ireland are distinct from continental Europe for much of the prehistoric sequence. In this landmark study, Richard Bradley offers an interpretation of the unique archaeological record of these islands. Highlighting the achievements of its inhabitants, Bradley surveys the entire archaeological sequence over a 5,000 year period, from the last hunter-gatherers and the adoption of agriculture in the Neolithic period, to the discovery of Britain and Ireland by travellers from the Mediterranean during the later pre-Roman Iron Age. His study places special emphasis on landscapes, settlements, monuments, and ritual practices. This edition has been thoroughly revised and updated. The text takes account of recent developments in archaeological science, such as isotopic analyses of human and animal bone, recovery of ancient DNA, and more subtle and precise methods of radiocarbon dating.


Background. Previous research suggests that genetic influences on disordered eating may be greater in pubertal than pre-pubertal girls. Although these findings are consistent with pubertal activation of genetic influences on disordered eating, earlier studies were unable to directly test this hypothesis. The purpose of the present study therefore was to directly examine this possibility by investigating whether pubertal development moderates genetic influences on disordered eating. Method. Participants were 510 female adolescent twins from the Minnesota Twin Family Study. Disordered eating was measured with the Total Score of the Minnesota Eating Behavior Survey, while pubertal status was assessed with the Pubertal Development Scale. Results. Consistent with our hypothesis, model-fitting indicated significant increases in genetic influence on disordered eating with advancing pubertal development. Conclusions. These findings suggest that puberty influences the expression of genes for disordered eating.


A new species of Rhaphiostylis , R. minima sp. nov. from Liberia and Ivory Coast, is described and illustrated here. It is characterised by its comparatively small size, an ovate to lanceolate leaf blade with long drip tip and a partly glabrous ovary that is in shape in between those of R. elegans Engl. and R. preussii Engl. Rhaphiostylis elegans is lectotypified and illustrated here.


We analyze the effects of captive off-shoring of innovation activities on the firms' ability to adapt their organizational processes and structures. Starting from complexity theory, we use three consecutive waves of the German part of the Community Innovation Survey to test our hypotheses. We find an inverted u-shape of innovation off-shoring on the effectiveness of organizational adaptability, implying an optimal threshold value of innovation off-shoring. This value is 11% for share of off-shored R&D, 15% for downstream innovation activities such as local market adaptation, and 34% for design activities. We also analyze several contingency variables. In particular we show that the costs of innovation off-shoring in terms of reduced organizational adaptability are exacerbated by a strong focus on R&D and a strong embeddedness in on-shore networks. Smaller firms find it easier to deal with the management complexity induced by geographical dispersion of innovation activities because of their greater flexibility.


Foam has been widely used in petroleum industry. It could enhance oil recovery by the means of improving mobility ratio, selective plugging and lowering the interfacial tension(IFT) of oil and water. The influences of concentration, temperature, gas-liquid ratio, permeability and oil saturation on the plugging property of 3 foaming agents were studied experimentally. The foaming agent concentration and the ratio of steam to nitrogen for thermal foam flooding were optimized. Displacement experiments were performed to investigate the EOR effect of 2# foaming agent. It was shown that the resistance factor increased with the increase of the concentration, gas-liquid ratio and permeability and the increase velocity slowed down in the later period of experiments. The optimal concentration was 0.5wt% and the optimum gas-liquid ratio was 1:1. The resistance factor reduced with increasing oil saturation. The plugging ability lost when the oil saturation was greater than 0.2. The resistance factors of 1# and 2# foaming agents decreased with increasing temperature but 3# increased. The best concentration was 0.6wt% and the ratio of steam to nitrogen was 3:2 for steam and nitrogen foam flooding. In the process of thermal foam flooding, oil recovery increased by 20.82%, and the sweep efficiency and displacement efficiency was 13% and 24.6% , separately.


An objective classification of sequence patterns of 1000 hPa and 500 hPa geopotential heights associated with cold surges over Central Argentina was carried out. Polar Outbreaks during wintertime in Central Argentina (May to September) cause important damage to the regional agriculture and sometimes affect the energy supply. In particular, the consumption of natural gas is strongly dependent on significant temperature descents. The rotated Principal Components Analysis (PCA) was used to obtain the basic patterns of sequence of 1000 hPa and 500 hPa geopotential heights. The winter cold surges during the 1979-1993 period occur in seven patterns at 1000 hPa and three modes at 500 hPa. The combination of both levels shows three typical situations related to cold surges over Central Argentina. The most classic pattern shows an important ridge west of the Pacific coast of the continent at its upper level and a postfrontal anticyclone at its lower level producing cold air advection over Central Argentina. The other two patterns present a long wave trough at upper levels affecting the continent, one of them with the postfrontal anticyclone moving over middle and low latitudes, and the other with the migratory anticyclone affecting lower latitudes.


Parasitic roundworm infections plague more than 2 billion people (1/3 of humanity) and cause drastic losses in crops and livestock. New anthelmintic drugs are urgently needed as new drug resistance and environmental concerns arise. A "chokepoint reaction" is defined as a reaction that either consumes a unique substrate or produces a unique product. A chokepoint analysis provides a systematic method of identifying novel potential drug targets. Chokepoint enzymes were identified in the genomes of 10 nematode species, and the intersection and union of all chokepoint enzymes were found. By studying and experimentally testing available compounds known to target proteins orthologous to nematode chokepoint proteins in public databases, this study uncovers features of chokepoints that make them successful drug targets. Chemogenomic screening was performed on drug-like compounds from public drug databases to find existing compounds that target homologs of nematode chokepoints. The compounds were prioritized based on chemical properties frequently found in successful drugs and were experimentally tested using Caenorhabditis elegans. Several drugs that are already known anthelmintic drugs and novel candidate targets were identified. Seven of the compounds were tested in Caenorhabditis elegans and three yielded a detrimental phenotype. One of these three drug-like compounds, Perhexiline, also yielded a deleterious effect in Haemonchus contortus and Onchocerca lienalis, two nematodes with divergent forms of parasitism. Perhexiline, known to affect the fatty acid oxidation pathway in mammals, caused a reduction in oxygen consumption rates in C. elegans and genome-wide gene expression profiles provided an additional confirmation of its mode of action. Computational modeling of Perhexiline and its target provided structural insights regarding its binding mode and specificity. Our lists of prioritized drug targets and drug-like compounds have potential to expedite the discovery of new anthelmintic drugs with broad-spectrum efficacy.


We derive the time-dependent photo-detection probability equation of a superconducting single photon detector (SSPD) to study the responsive property for a pulse train at high repetition rate. Using this equation, we analyze the characteristics of SSPDs when illuminated by bright pulses in blinding attack on a quantum key distribution (QKD). We obtain good agreement between expected values based on our equation and actual experimental values. Such a time-dependent probability analysis contributes to security analysis.


We report the first experimental demonstration of simultaneous multi-impairment monitoring of phase-modulated 40 Gbit/s nonreturn to zero differential phase-shift keying (NRZ-DPSK) and 640 Gbit/s return-to-zero (RZ)-DPSK optical signals. Our approach exploits the femtosecond response time of the Kerr nonlinearity in a centimeter-scale, highly nonlinear, dispersion engineered chalcogenide planar waveguide to perform THz bandwidth RF spectrum analysis. The features observed on the radio-frequency (RF) spectrum are directly utilized to perform simultaneous group velocity dispersion and in-band optical signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) monitoring. We also numerically investigate the measurement accuracy of this monitoring technique, highlighting the advantages, and suitability of the chalcogenide rib waveguide.


Hypothesis is that reducing the density and the spacing between the lines, the period prior to the interference of weeds will be reduced by the bean crop. The aim of this study was to determine the period prior to weed interference (PPI) with the bean crop in terms of row spacing and population density. Treatments consisted of eight periods of weed coexistence with the crop: 0-10, 0-20, 0-30, 0-40, 0-50, 0-60, 0-70 and 0-80 days after crop emergence. The periods of coexistence were applied in two experiments, using two spacings, 0.45 and 0.60 m in two plant densities amounts per seed, 10 and 15 plants per meter. For each row spacing and seed density, the experimental design used was the randomized blocks, with four repetitions per treatment. Grain yield of the crop showed decreases of 16, 40, 36 and 58% when the coexistence with the weed was during all the cycle of the crop for row spacing of 0,45 m and seeding density of 10 and 15 plants per meter; and row spacing of 0,60 m and seeding density of 10 and 15 plants per meter, respectively. The period prior to weed interference (PPI) occurred in 28, 26, 22 e 14 days after crop emergence, respectively.


Over the last 10 yr, California has experienced a series of ever-worsening droughts. Rice, traditionally a flooded crop, has come under increasing scrutiny with respect to its water use, leading to proposals to evaluate alternative irrigation systems. For growers, weed competition is one of the most limiting factors to maintaining high yields, so understanding the shifts among species in weed communities under the proposed alternative irrigation systems is vital. A field study was conducted from 2012 to 2014 to compare weed population and growth dynamics with three irrigation systems: (1) a conventional water-seeded control system (WS-Control), with a permanent flood of 10 to 15 cm from planting until 1 mo prior to harvest; (2) a water-seeded alternate wet and dry system (WS-AWD), with the field flooded from planting until canopy closure, after which floodwater was allowed to subside and the field was reflooded when the soil volumetric water content reached 35%; and (3) a drill-seeded alternate wet and dry system (DS-AWD), with rice drill seeded and then flush irrigated to establish the crop, after which the field was flooded until canopy closure and then underwent an alternate wet and dry (AWD) treatment similar to WS-AWD. In the AWD treatments, there were two drying periods, neither of which occurred after the heading stage. The dynamics of major weed species were evaluated using plant density counts (2012) and relative cover and biomass (2013 and 2014). Grasses (sprangletop and watergrass species) dominated the DS-AWD system; sedges, broadleaves, and grasses dominated both WS systems. The WS-AWD system increased smallflower umbrella sedge relative cover at canopy closure, relative dry weight at harvest, and percent frequency when compared with the WS-Control system. Yields did not differ across treatments when weeds were controlled (P > 0.05); in the absence of herbicides, yields in the WS-AWD were equivalent to the WS-Control (ranging from 40 to 65% of the herbicide-treated yields) and zero in the DS-AWD due to weed pressure. Nomenclature: bearded sprangletop, Leptochloa fusca (L.) Kunth N. Snow; ducksalad, Heteranthera rotundifolia (Kunth) Griseb.; redstem, Ammannia coccinea Rottb.; ricefield bulrush, Schoenoplectus mucronatus (L.) Palla; smallflower umbrella sedge, Cyperus difformis L.; rice (Oryza sativa L.).


We have developed standardized procedures and practices for infection of SCID-hu Thy/Liv mice with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 for the prophylactic administration of antiviral compounds and for evaluation of the antiviral effect in vivo. Endpoint analyses included quantitation of viral load by intracellular p24 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, DNA PCR for the presence of proviral genomes, flow cytometry to measure the representation of CD4+ and CD8+ cells, and cocultivation for the isolation of virus. Efficacy tests in this model are demonstrated with the nucleoside analogs zidovudine and dideoxyinosine and with the nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor nevirapine. This small-animal model should be particularly useful in the preclinical prioritization of lead compounds within a common chemical class, in the evaluation of alternative in vivo dosing regimens, and in the determination of appropriate combination therapy in vivo.


There has been considerable excitement surrounding the regulation of space resource extraction and utilization activities since the 2012 debut of Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries – pioneering companies which shared the ambitious goal of mining asteroids. This excitement has spawned national legislation in the United States, Luxembourg and potentially more nations. It has also sparked considerable discussion at the main international forum for discussing the international governance of outer space, the Legal Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Additionally, The Hague International Space Resources Governance Working Group was established as a 'multistakeholder dialogue' with the aim of developing 'draft building blocks' for an 'international framework'. This article examines what resources exist within our solar system, and the viability of economic extraction of those resources. It considers the nature of celestial bodies and whether differing approaches to extraction and utilization are necessary or at least worthy of consideration. It also discusses the nature and necessity of an international framework, given the potential for conflict over space resources and the need to consider issues of sustainability and equity. Ultimately, this article argues that given the demise of the two asteroid mining pioneers, it is worth taking the time to step back and reconsider our approach to the governance
of space resource activities.


Supernumerary nostril is an extremely rare congenital anomaly. It can be unilateral or bilateral and it sometimes occurs in association with other congenital abnormalities. We describe a newborn infant with bilateral supernumerary nostrils together with oesophageal atresia and patent ductus arteriosus, an association that has not been reported previously in the literature.


We do not need to and should not have to choose amongst income, consumption, or wealth as the superior measure of well-being. All three individually and jointly determine well-being. We are the first to study inequality in three conjoint dimensions for the same households, using income, consumption, and wealth from the 1989-2016 Surveys of Consumer Finances (SCF). The paper focuses on two questions. What does inequality in two and three dimensions look like? Has inequality in multiple dimensions increased by less, by more, or by about the same as inequality in any one dimension? We find an increase in inequality in two dimensions and in three dimensions, with a faster increase in multi-dimensional inequality than in one-dimensional inequality. Viewing inequality through one dimension greatly understates the level and the growth in inequality in two and three dimensions. The U.S. is becoming more economically unequal than is generally understood.


River cane is one of three bamboos native to the United States. This species was
once ubiquitous across the southeastern US but has now been reduced to less than two
percent of its original coverage. This study is among research efforts to improve our
knowledge to help restore a native species, protect riparian habitats, and improve
materials needed for traditional Cherokee artisan crafts. The purpose of the project was to
describe recruitment patterns within canebrakes, and to determine if these patterns were
related to subsequent recruited culm morphology. Four canebrakes in western North
Carolina were intensively sampled by establishing 1 m2 plots every 3 m2 across the
entirety of each canebrake. All culms were counted within each plot and were categorized
as young (recruited within 3 years) or old. Culm diameter, branch free height, and total
height were measured for all young culms. Results showed young culms with larger
diameters had greater branch free height and were taller, particularly after the first 3 m
into a canebrake. This may be due to larger new rhizomes branching from older
rhizomes, with the new rhizomes supporting new larger culms that can compete with pre7
existing culms for light. However, culm diameter, branch free height, and total height
measures decreased in size in areas where there were greater than eight young culms/m2,
likely due to resource allocation trade-offs where greater recruitment occurred at the
expense of culm size. The density of old and young culms had a patchy distribution
within the canebrakes. This variation could be explained by clonal integration, which
allows river cane culms in areas of high resources to continue to spread and support
culms in resource poor areas. My results suggest creating thinned "gaps" in the interior of
existing canebrakes could lead to production of larger sized culms if competition for
resources is reduced and the older rhizomes support larger new rhizomes and greater
competitive regeneration. Additionally, if canebrakes are allowed to expand in area so
that greater interior area is created, overtime larger culms should be produced due to
continual competition within the canebrake.


Portsmouth Harbor, New Hampshire, is frequently used as a testing area for multibeam and sidescan sonars, and is the location of numerous ground-truthing studies. Having the ability to accurately position underwater sensors is an important aspect of this type of work. However, underwater positioning in Portsmouth Harbor is challenging. It is relatively shallow, approximately one kilometer wide with depths of less than 25 meters. There is mixing between fresh river water and seawater, which is intensified by high currents and strong tides. This causes a very complicated spatial and temporal sound speed structure. Solutions that use the time-of-arrival of an acoustic pulse to estimate range will require very precise knowledge of the travel paths of the signal in order to separate out issues of multipath arrivals. An alternative solution is to use the phase measurements between closely spaced hydrophones to measure the bearing of an acoustic pinger. By using two bearing measurement devices that are widely separated, the intersection of the two bearings can be used to position the pinger. The advantage of this approach is that the sound speed only needs to be known at the location of the phase measurements. Both time-of-arrival and phase difference systems may encounter difficulties arising from horizontal refraction due to spatially varying sound speed. To ascertain which solution would be optimal in Portsmouth Harbor, the time-of-arrival and phase measurement approaches are being examined individually. Initial field tests have been conducted using a 40 kHz signal to look at bearing accuracy. Using hydrophones that are spaced 2/3 wavelengths apart, the bearing accuracy was found to be 1.25° for angles up to 20° from broadside with signal to noise ratios (SNR) greater than 15dB. The results from the closely spaced hydrophones were used to resolve phase ambiguities, allowing finer bearing measurements to be made between hydrophones spaced 5 wavelengths apart. The fine bearing measurements resulted in a bearing accuracy of 0.3° for angles up to 20° from broadside with SNR greater than 15dB. Field tests planned for summer 2007 will include a more detailed investigation of how the environmental influences affect each of the measurement types including range, signal to noise ratio, currents, and sound speed structure.


We have shown that (a) mice lacking an intact immune system form more spontaneous and chemically induced tumors than wild type mice and (b) tumors from immunodeficient mice are more immunogenic than those from immunocompetent mice. Based on these observations we proposed the term "cancer immunoediting" to describe the dual host-protective and tumor-promoting actions of immunity on developing tumors. We now think of cancer immunoediting as a process comprised of three phases: Elimination−the host-protective phase comparable to cancer immunosurveillance; Equilibrium−a phase where residual tumor cells circumventing elimination may persist in the host and undergo immunologic sculpting; and Escape−the phase in which immunity can no longer restrain tumor growth permitting emergence of clinically-apparent, progressively-growing tumors. A large body of data now exists that demonstrates the existence of the elimination phase and identifies several immune components (such as the interferons, perforin and lymphocytes) that play obligate roles in the process. Similarly, a significant amount is known about mechanisms underlying progression of the immunoediting process into the escape phase involving alterations of either the tumor (via loss of immune recognition structures) or the host immune system (through the induction of cells with potent immunosuppressive activity). However, no experimental data currently exists that documents the existence of the equilibrium phase. We therefore treated large numbers of wild type mice and RAG2-/mice (that lack T cells, B cells and NKT cells) with low doses of 3'-methylcholanthrene (MCA) carcinogen and followed the clinical course of the two cohorts for more than 200 days. As expected, RAG2-/mice formed sarcomas at the site of MCA injection more rapidly and more frequently than the wild type cohort. However, when tumor-free, low-dose MCA-treated wild type mice were depleted at day 200 of CD4+ and CD8+ cells and IFN-γ, a high percentage rapidly developed sarcomas that displayed an unusual growth phenotype when transplanted into naïve recipients. These tumors did not form in wild type mice exposed to low-dose MCA and then treated at day 200 with control mAb or in MCA-treated RAG2-/mice injected with either control or anti-CD4/CD8/IFN-γ. These results demonstrate that the immune system is capable of maintaining cancer in a persistent sub-clinical state and thereby provide the first experimental support for the existence of the equilibrium phase of cancer immunoediting.


The use of mobile phones by students intended for various purposes such as camera, edit the document, download information, social media, and so on. Quantitative research aims to provide an overview of the attitudes and behavior of mobile use among students. The respondent 72 students from a private University in Depok, West Java. Research in methods of survey, the data collected by the scale of the Attitude and Behavior of Mobile Usage . The results of this research show that there is no difference in attitudes towards mobile between men and women, both in terms of ease of use, the benefits of using mobile phones as well as mobile usage frequency. Subsequent findings, the more positive attitude toward mobile phone, the more often students using mobile phone. Interesting things discovered that students who feel the use of mobile useful, does not correlate with the purchase of a data packet, while when the students find it easy to use mobile, followed by the high purchase of data packets. Similarly, in terms of the use of mobile phones as cameras, when the students find it easy to use mobile, then it will be more likely to use mobile phones as cameras.


Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) plays a crucial role in astrophysics, planetary magnetism, engineering and controlled nuclear fusion. This comprehensive textbook emphasizes physical ideas, rather than mathematical detail, making it accessible to a broad audience. Starting from elementary chapters on fluid mechanics and electromagnetism, it takes the reader all the way through to the latest ideas in more advanced topics, including planetary dynamos, stellar magnetism, fusion plasmas and engineering applications. With the new edition, readers will benefit from additional material on MHD instabilities, planetary dynamos and applications in astrophysics, as well as a whole new chapter on fusion plasma MHD. The development of the material from first principles and its pedagogical style makes this an ideal companion for both undergraduate students and postgraduate students in physics, applied mathematics and engineering. Elementary knowledge of vector calculus is the only prerequisite.


In a service-oriented architecture (SOA), parts of software applications are made available as services. These services can be combined across multiple applications, technologies, and organizations. As a result, functionality can be more easily reused, and new business processes can be assembled at a low cost. However, as more functionality is exposed outside of the traditional boundaries of applications, new approaches to security are needed. While SOA shares many of the security threats of traditional systems, the countermeasures to some of these threats may differ. Most notably, eavesdropping, data tampering, and replay attacks must be countered on the message level in a complex SOA environment. In addition, the open and distributed nature of SOA leads to new ways of handling authentication, authorization, logging, and monitoring. Web Services are the most popular way of realizing SOA in practice, and make use of a set of standards such as WS-Security, XML Encryption, XML Signature, and SAML for handling these new security approaches. Guidelines exist for development of secure software systems, and provide recommendations for things to do or to avoid. In this thesis, I use my findings with regard to security challenges, threats, and countermeasures to create a set of security guidelines that should be applied during requirements engineering and design of a SOA. Practical use of these guidelines is demonstrated by applying them during development of a SOA-based system. This system imports personal data into multiple administrative systems managed by UNINETT FAS, and is designed using Web Services and XML-based security standards. Through this practical demonstration, I show that my guidelines can be used as a reference for making appropriate security decisions during development of a SOA.


Tomato is one of the most important crops worldwide. DNA barcoding is a molecular based method that has been successfully used for species identification, but a few studies have used this method for cultivated varieties identification. The aim of this study was to test the utility of DNA barcoding for the identification of five local salt tolerant tomato varieties and two commercial varieties. To assess the genetic diversity of tomato varieties, the non-coding plastid trnH-psbA intergenic spacer and three plastid regions ( rbcL , rpoC1, rpoB ) were used. Based on the sequence variation of the trnH-psbA barcode, three haplotypes were detected among the seven tomato varieties. A neighbor-joining tree was generated and separated the local tomato varieties from the commercial varieties into two distinct clusters. We found very low levels of variation in the chosen plastial markers, but additional markers could be tested in order to assess the utility of DNA barcodes in tomato varieties identification.


Introduction: Cleft lip and palate is the most common craniofacial deformity, with an estimated incidence of 1 case per 600 live births in Brazil. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of fistula among patients undergoing palatoplasty with extended intravelar veloplasty. Methods: This retrospective descriptive study evaluated 25 patients operated between September 2011 and September 2012 by the same surgeon. The von Langenbeck technique combined with extended intravelar veloplasty was performed in all patients. The study excluded patients with palatal fistulas, syndromes, or other malformations. The age at palatoplasty varied between 12 and 159 months, and the average age was 30.6 months. Nineteen patients were selected, comprising 11 (58%) male patients and 8 (42%) female patients. Isolated cleft palate was the most common deformity, found in 9 (47%) patients. Unilateral (left) trans-foramen cleft was present in 7 (37%) patients, and bilateral trans-foramen cleft was seen in 3 (16%) patients. Results: Only 2 (11%) patients had palatal fistula in a postoperative follow-up period of 6 months. Conclusion: The von Langenbeck technique associated with extended veloplasty resulted in a low incidence of cleft palate fistulas (11%) compared with the rate found in previous studies (7%-42%).


With the rapid proliferation of social media, more and more people freely express their opinions (or comments) on news, products, and movies through online services such as forums, discussion groups, and microblogs. Those comments may be concerned with different aspects (topics) of the target Web document (e.g., a news page). It would be interesting to align the social comments to the corresponding subtopics contained in the Web document. In this paper, we propose a novel framework that is able to automatically detect the subtopics from a given Web document, and also align the associated social comments with the detected subtopics. This provides a new view of the Web standard document and its associated user generated content through topics, which facilitates the readers to quickly focus on those hot topics or grasp topics that they are interested in. Extensive experiments show that our proposed framework significantly outperforms the existing state-of-the-art methods in social content alignment.


Considered a standard industry resource, the Embedded Systems Handbook provided researchers and technicians with the authoritative information needed to launch a wealth of diverse applications, including those in automotive electronics, industrial automated systems, and building automation and control. Now a new resource is required to report on current developments and provide a technical reference for those looking to move the field forward yet again. Divided into two volumes to accommodate this growth, the Embedded Systems Handbook, Second Edition presents a comprehensive view on this area of computer engineering with a currently appropriate emphasis on developments in networking and applications. Those experts directly involved in the creation and evolution of the ideas and technologies presented offer tutorials, research surveys, and technology overviews that explore cutting-edge developments and deployments and identify potential trends. This second self-contained volume of the handbook, Network Embedded Systems, focuses on select application areas. It covers automotive field, industrial automation, building automation, and wireless sensor networks. This volume highlights implementations in fast-evolving areas which have not received proper coverage in other publications. Reflecting the unique functional requirements of different application areas, the contributors discuss inter-node communication aspects in the context of specific applications of networked embedded systems. Those looking for guidance on preliminary design of embedded systems should consult the first volume: Embedded Systems Design and Verification.


The complex hydrodynamics of water entry by a spinning sphere are investigated experimentally for low Froude numbers. Standard billiard balls are shot down at the free surface with controlled spin around one horizontal axis. High-speed digital video sequences reveal unique hydrodynamic phenomena which vary with spin rate and impact velocity. As anticipated, the spinning motion induces a lift force on the sphere and thus causes significant curvature in the trajectory of the object along its descent, similar to a curveball pitch in baseball. However, the splash and cavity dynamics are highly altered for the spinning case compared to impact of a sphere without spin. As spin rate increases, the splash curtain and cavity form and collapse asymmetrically with a persistent wedge of fluid emerging across the centre of the cavity. The wedge is formed as the sphere drags fluid along the surface, due to the no-slip condition; the wedge crosses the cavity in the same time it takes the sphere to rotate one-half a revolution. The spin rate relaxation time plateaus to a constant for tangential velocities above half the translational velocity of the sphere. Non-dimensional time to pinch off scales with Froude number as does the depth of pinch-off; however, a clear mass ratio dependence is noted in the depth to pinch off data. A force model is used to evaluate the lift and drag forces on the sphere after impact; resulting forces follow similar trends to those found for spinning spheres in oncoming flow, but are altered as a result of the subsurface air cavity. Images of the cavity and splash evolution, as well as force data, are presented for a range of spin rates and impact speeds; the influence of sphere density and diameter are also considered.


Many animals have a gradation of body color, termed "countershading," where the areas that are typically exposed to more light are darker. One hypothesis is that this patterning enhances visual camouflage by making the retinal image of the animal match that of the background, a fundamentally two-dimensional theory. More controversially, countershading may also obliterate cues to three-dimensional (3D) shape delivered by shading. Despite relying on distinct cognitive mechanisms, these two potential functions hitherto have been amalgamated in the literature. It has previously not been possible to validate either hypothesis empirically, because there has been no general theory of optimal countershading that allows quantitative predictions to be made about the many environmental parameters involved. Here we unpack the logical distinction between using countershading for background matching and using it to obliterate 3D shape. We use computational modeling to determine the optimal coloration for the camouflage of 3D shape. Our model of 3D concealment is derived from the physics of light and informed by perceptual psychology: we simulate a 3D world that incorporates naturalistic lighting environments. The model allows us to predict countershading coloration for terrestrial environments, for any body shape and a wide range of ecologically relevant parameters. The approach can be generalized to any light distribution, including those underwater.


The purpose of this study is twofold; firstly, the behavior of Turkish lira (TRL) forward rates against US Dollar (USD) and Euro will be evaluated; whether the interest rate parity holds and the market participants quote the forward foreign exchange rates according to the interest rate differentials. It is also analyzed whether the forward foreign exchange rate coincides with the spot exchange rate at the relevant maturity. Secondly, the unbiased forward rate hypothesis (UFH) is tested by the use of regression method. The finding is that for TRL against USD and Euro, the forward rate is a biased predictor of the future spot rate. Going the same way with the previous researchers, the source of the bias is examined. The explanations set by early researchers for the finding of bias in the forward markets for different currencies have been generally based on two different sets of explanations. The first category of explanation maintains the assumption of rational expectations and interprets the systematic component of the forward market's prediction errors as a risk premium. The second category attributes the systematic component of the forward rate's prediction errors to expectation errors on the part of market participants that are themselves systematic.


Juries in most American jurisdictions can inflict punitive damages awards against tortfeasors who have committed especially blameworthy torts. Sometimes their awards are startlingly large - multi-billion dollar awards have become increasingly frequent. Nonetheless, juries are generally under no obligation to explain their use of this vast power - a punitive damages verdict typically takes the form of an unexplained number. Courts can and should change this practice. Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 49(b) and analogous state rules, courts could require juries to return explanatory verdicts that set forth the bases for their punitive damages awards. Several advantages would flow from adopting this simple reform. First, taking a cue from the hard look doctrine of administrative law, courts could review such verdicts to ensure that juries exercise their punitive discretion reasonably and legally. In some cases, where an explanatory verdict revealed error, a court could correct it efficiently by asking the jury to reconsider in light of supplemental instructions. Second, punitive damages awards are supposed to send messages; these messages would be clearer if juries used words as well as numbers to express them. Third, the power of civil juries to inflict punitive damages is controversial. Finding out how real juries in real cases justify their verdicts would shed light on whether they should possess this power.


The ability to quantify three dimensional (3-D) soil porous architecture is a key requirement in the advanced understanding of soil functioning. Recent developments in the visualization of soil structure using tools such as x-ray Computed Tomography (CT) provide new opportunities for pore-scale modeling. Here we apply a novel complex network approach to examine soil pore architecture in both two (2-D) and three dimensions (3-D). Using images of soil structure obtained byx-ray CT, we constructed and successfully validated a complex network derived from a simple measure for network links between two pores in 2-D. We were able to illustrate that the soil comprised a spatially embedded scale-free network characterized by a power-law degree distribution. Computation of the degree dependent clustering coefficient of the constructed networks showed the hierarchical organization of the soil pore architecture. Finally, we derived an algorithm to generate a soil structure model built on the underlying scale-free network which was in close agreement with an actual 3-D reconstructed soil structure. Considering the soil system as a complex network with scale-free properties is likely to have important consequences for the further understanding of function, in particular transport in soils.


Background/Aims: In adults, lower vitamin D has been associated with increased albuminuria. This association has not been extensively studied in youth with or without type 1 diabetes. Methods: We examined the cross-sectional association between vitamin D and albuminuria (urine albumin to creatinine ratio ≥30 mg/g) in 8,789 participants of the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2001–2006 (NHANES), who were 6–19 years old. Further, we examined the association between vitamin D and albuminuria in 938 participants from the SEARCH Nutritional Ancillary Study (SNAS), a longitudinal cohort of youth with type 1 diabetes. Results: Of the NHANES participants, 5.3, 19.5, and 53.7% had vitamin D levels <30, 50 and 80 nmol/L, respectively. Albuminuria was present in 12.8% and was more common in younger children, females, non-Hispanic whites, non-obese children, and children with hypertension. After adjustments, there was no association between vitamin D and albuminuria. Among the SNAS participants with type 1 diabetes, we also found no association between baseline vitamin D and subsequent albuminuria in unadjusted or adjusted analyses. Conclusion: We did not find an association between serum vitamin D and albuminuria in either non-diabetic youth or those with type 1 diabetes. Further research is needed to more fully understand this relationship.


We propose a new kinematic framework for the East African rift system linking the development of the Eastern and Western rifts via stress transmission across the Archean Tanzania craton. The proposal is based on three observations. (1) A new map of uppermost-mantle P-wave velocities beneath Tanzania, in combination with the results of other seismic, gravity, heat-flow, and xenolith studies, reveals that the craton's thick, cold lithosphere has largely resisted modification by the Cenozoic extensional tectonism and has therefore behaved as a rigid tectonic block. (2) As the southward-propagating Eastern rift reached the craton margin ca. 12–10 Ma, the Western rift began to develop. (3) Subsequently, the Western rift enlarged into a 2500-km-long system of en echelon rift basins while development of the Eastern rift stalled where it ran into the craton. These observations suggest that when the Eastern rift reached the margin of the rigid craton ca. 12–10 Ma, the transmission of extensional stresses across the strong cratonic lithosphere caused rift faulting to develop in the weaker mobile-belt lithosphere on the west side of the craton. This new kinematic framework for rift development is consistent with models for both active and passive rifting in East Africa.


ABSTRACT In a competitive international education market, the opportunity to gain post-study work experience in the host country is one of the key drivers of international students' decision making and critical to education export, especially in top destination countries, such as Australia, Canada, the UK and US. Understanding the impacts of post-study work for international graduates is crucial for both host countries' international student recruitment and employment agendas and their ethical commitment to delivering on promise to the international cohort. Drawing on analysis of government policies and in-depth interview data, this study provides evidence about the effects of the post-study work policy in Australia. The overarching view from international graduates indicates that the temporary graduate visa does not seem to provide them with a competitive advantage in the Australian labour market as employers either are unclear about this visa or hesitate to recruit those on this visa. However, the visa brings multiple side benefits, including the chance to round off their employability skills, improve their English proficiency, and get a return on investment in overseas study. Many international graduates see the post-study work visa as a pathway to permanent residency despite the fact that visa reforms have broken the direct education-migration pathway.


As soil erosion is the major threat to one of the most essential resources of humankind, methods to quantify soil redistribution are crucial for agro-environmental assessment as well as for optimisation of soil conservation practices. The use of fallout radionuclides (FRN) as soil redistribution tracers is, next to modelling, currently the most promising approach for assessing soil erosion. This review aims to evaluate the suitability of Plutonium (Pu) in general and the 239 + Pu isotopes in particular as soil redistribution tracers. It provides information on its origin, distribution and behaviour in soils and in the environment. Analytical methods, their recent advances as well as limitations, are discussed. To establish the current state of knowledge and to deepen our understanding, particular attention is given to the main existing achievements and findings based on using 239 + Pu as soil erosion tracer in agroecosystems. We further discuss similarities and differences to other more mature FRN techniques such as the Cs based approach which has been until now the most widely used method. We conclude that 239 + Pu has the potential to become the next generation of soil redistribution tracer compared to the more mature FRN techniques mostly due to (i) its long half-life guaranteeing its long-term availability in the environment, (ii) its analytical advantage in terms of measurement precision and measurement time and (iii) its greater homogeneity at reference sites due to its main origin from past atmospheric nuclear weapon tests. In identifying some key future research opportunities and needs, we hope to refine the efficiency of this promising agro-environmental tracer for effective soil redistribution studies under future climate and land use change.


Reversible logic is a building block for adiabatic and quantum computing in addition to other applications. Since common functions are non-reversible, one needs to embed them into proper-size reversible functions by adding ancillary inputs and garbage outputs. We explore the Intellectual Property (IP) piracy of reversible circuits. The number of embeddings of regular functions in a reversible function and the percent of leaked ancillary inputs measure the difficulty of recovering the embedded function. To illustrate the key concepts, we study reversible logic circuits designed using reversible logic synthesis tools based on Binary Decision Diagrams and Quantum Multi-valued Decision Diagrams.


Unstable resonators with 90° beam rotation are discussed. Geometric properties of the forward and reverse modes are derived, and diffractive-optical properties are described. An equation for the equivalent Frensel number is obtained. Plots of eigenvectors of the resonator integral equation are included, and the equivalence of these resonators to a type of strip resonator is established.


Based on Foucault's exploration of the author-function, the current study investigates knowledge organization systems' treatment of persons. FRBR and FRAD do well to extend the information in library authority records beyond the personal name as a character string to include attributes of the person, yet aspects of the person as an author and of her author-function are still lacking. This paper briefly compares RDA/MARC and other current initiatives, and finds that Europeana, AustLit, The American Civil War: Letters and Diaries, and DBpedia all have the potential to record both attributes and relationships in authority records for persons. We conclude that additional attributes, relationships, and the previously unused category of events are pivotal to moving toward more Foucault-friendly KOSs in libraries.


I monitored survival of 34 female white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Bloomington, Minnesota, from October 1996 to December 1999. Twenty deer died: nineteen were killed by vehicles, and one was killed in a deer-removal program conducted by an adjacent suburb. Summer survival was high and varied little over the 3 years of study (range = 0.93 to 0.95). Fall survival ranged from 0.84 to 1.00, and winter survival was generally high during the 3 years of study, except during a severe winter (range = 0.72 to 0.95). I calculated population growth rates (λ) from Leslie matrix projections, using these survival estimates and productivity data collected from road-killed female deer in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, USA) metropolitan area. When winter survival was high (0.94), my model simulations indicated the Bloomington deer population increased by 21% when no deer management program was in place. When a low winter survival rate (0.72) was modeled, the population decreased by 7%, even when no deer management program was implemented. I modeled what impact contraception may have on population growth and concluded that treating >50% of adult female deer was necessary to stabilize population growth, and treating all females was necessary to decrease population growth under high winter survival conditions. I concluded that removal programs are more effective than immunocontraception programs because survival contributes more to population growth rates in deer populations than fecundity. I recommend removing 20% and 40% of adult female deer in the population to cause the population to stabilize or to reduce deer numbers, respectively. I recommend managers collect deer-vehicle collision data because these data potentially represent the most accurate and easily-obtainable life history component of an urban deer herd.


Due to its advantages, Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) is the most used generator in the wind power area. However, the DFIG provides electrical power at a constant frequency even if the rotor speed varies, also it allows a better capture of wind energy. Although the DFIG has a high sensitivity regarding the electrical faults, which brings up many challenges in terms of compliance: Power provider and electrical operator (in terms of production continuity and quality of energy). Actually, the grid connection requirements impose strict rules to respect for Low Voltage Ride Through (LVRT) and grid support capabilities following the Grid Code (GC). Therefore, it's crucial for wind turbines (WT) to propose an advanced control. In fact, when detecting voltage dips, WTs must stay connected to the grid to provide the required reactive power in order to have a safe and reliable operation. The objective of this article is to propose a new LVRT strategy able to keep WTs connected to the grid despite severe voltage dips. The principle of this strategy is to make a connection between the level of dips and the optimal solution to overcome the fault. For this reason, the proposed strategy is based on the combination of two solutions (an active and a passive method): The first aims to improve the control strategy to mitigate the over-current at low voltage dips. The second is applied for severe voltage dips using protection circuits: Series Dynamic Braking Resistor (SDBR) and DC-Chopper. LVRT control strategy of DFIG based wind turbines combined the active and passive protections


This paper explores the notions of active ageing and elder learning in Hong Kong where a strategic approach to elderly education is applied by the government to encourage lifelong learning. The paper outlines the policy development and support for elder learning in Hong Kong in two distinct periods: pre-1997 and post-1997. The post-1997 period is marked by the retrocession to China and the establishment of the Hong Kong Elderly Commission to provide advice on policies and programs for meeting the challenges brought about by an ageing population. The pertinent needs for research are identified to review the effectiveness and adequacy of the policies and provisions for elder learning in Hong Kong. To determine whether such policies and provisions have achieved the desired outcomes, they must be subjected to rigorous evaluation. Only then can these policies and provisions claim to have achieved significant and important outcomes for Hong Kong.


A local reform, with the vision to educate Sweden's most employable students was adopted by the board at a Swedish university. An important means for reaching the vision was a work placement. Students in all 28 programs at the university should be guaranteed at least five weeks supervised research based practice and learning in companies and organizations. Following the decision, activities were initiated in all Higher education programs to implement the placement reform. To document strategy work, yearly interviews were conducted with the head of the programs, course heads and teachers. Syllabi were collected and changes kept track of. Program dialogues were followed using ethnographic field work methods. University and program strategizing is explored from three questions: 1/ how did staff make sense of and turn strategy into practice? 2) what resources became important to strategy work? and 3) what kind of placement, what kind of examinations, what kind of supervision etcetera were the result. A strategy as practice-perspective is used to explore what became of the standardized model for placement envisioned in the university boards strategy. The result show that standardized placement was not possible for the programs. Instead different understandings of the reform based on the programs different conditions, led to a variation in what kind of placement they introduced.


A method for the radiometric correction of Raman spectra over a wide frequency range utilizing a standard lamp and a microprocessor data system is described. The spectral irradiance factors of the standard lamp are entered into the data system, and the lamp spectrum is run and divided by the irradiances to generate correction factors. These factors are then applied to the data. The effects of different excitation frequencies, slit widths, sample size and state, and collection optics are discussed. The estimated error in the corrected data is ±5% over the frequency range of 21 839 to 17 000 cm−1.


Thirty years ago, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) made a fateful decision: to allow newspapers, magazines, television, and radio stations to compete in the marketplace instead of being financed exclusively by the government. The political and social implications of that decision are still unfolding as the Chinese government, media, and public adapt to the new information environment. Edited by Susan Shirk, one of America's leading experts on contemporary China, this collection of essays brings together a who's who of experts-Chinese and American-writing about all aspects of the changing media landscape in China. In detailed case studies, the authors describe how the media is reshaping itself from a propaganda mouthpiece into an agent of watchdog journalism, how politicians are reacting to increased scrutiny from the media, and how television, newspapers, magazines, and Web-based news sites navigate the cross-currents between the open marketplace and the CCP censors. China has over 360 million Internet users, more than any other country, and an astounding 162 million bloggers. The growth of Internet access has dramatically increased the information available, the variety and timeliness of the news, and its national and international reach. But China is still far from having a free press. As of 2008, the international NGO Freedom House ranked China 181 worst out of 195 countries in terms of press restrictions, and Chinese journalists have been aptly described as "dancing in shackles." The recent controversy over China's censorship of Google highlights the CCP's deep ambivalence toward information freedom. Covering everything from the rise of business media and online public opinion polling to environmental journalism and the effect of media on foreign policy, Changing Media, Changing China reveals how the most populous nation on the planet is reacting to demands for real news.


Case-based reasoning solves new problems by re-using the solutions of previously solved similar problems and is popular because many of the knowledge engineering demands of conventional knowledge-based systems are removed. The content of the case knowledge container is critical to the performance of case-based classification systems. However, the knowledge engineer is given little support in the selection of suitable techniques to maintain and monitor the case base. This research investigates the coverage, competence and problem-solving capacity of case knowledge with the aim of developing techniques to model and maintain the case base. We present a novel technique that creates a model of the case base by measuring the uncertainty in local areas of the problem space based on the local mix of solutions present. The model provides an insight into the structure of a case base by means of a complexity profile that can assist maintenance decision-making and provide a benchmark to assess future changes to the case base. The distribution of cases in the case base is critical to the performance of a case-based reasoning system. We argue that classification boundaries represent important regions of the problem space and develop two complexity-guided algorithms which use boundary identification techniques to actively discover cases close to boundaries. We introduce a complexity-guided redundancy reduction algorithm which uses a case complexity threshold to retain cases close to boundaries and delete cases that form single class clusters. The algorithm offers control over the balance between maintaining competence and reducing case base size. The performance of a case-based reasoning system relies on the integrity of its case base but in real life applications the available data invariably contains erroneous, noisy cases. Automated removal of these noisy cases can improve system accuracy. In addition, error rates can often be reduced by removing cases to give smoother decision boundaries between classes. We show that the optimal level of boundary smoothing is domain dependent and, therefore, our approach to error reduction reacts to the characteristics of the domain by setting an appropriate level of smoothing. We introduce a novel algorithm which identifies and removes both noisy and boundary cases with the aid of a local distance ratio. A prototype interface has been developed that shows how the modelling and maintenance approaches can be used in practice in an interactive manner. The interface allows the knowledge engineer to make informed maintenance choices without the need for extensive evaluation effort while, at the same time, retaining control over the process. One of the strengths of our approach is in applying a consistent, integrated method to case base maintenance to provide a transparent process that gives a degree of explanation.


We present Brut, an algorithm to identify bubbles in infrared images of the Galactic midplane. Brut is based on the Random Forest algorithm, and uses bubbles identified by >35,000 citizen scientists from the Milky Way Project to discover the identifying characteristics of bubbles in images from the Spitzer Space Telescope. We demonstrate that Brut's ability to identify bubbles is comparable to expert astronomers. We use Brut to re-assess the bubbles in the Milky Way Project catalog, and find that 10%–30% of the objects in this catalog are non-bubble interlopers. Relative to these interlopers, high-reliability bubbles are more confined to the mid-plane, and display a stronger excess of young stellar objects along and within bubble rims. Furthermore, Brut is able to discover bubbles missed by previous searches—particularly bubbles near bright sources which have low contrast relative to their surroundings. Brut demonstrates the synergies that exist between citizen scientists, professional scientists, and machine learning techniques. In cases where "untrained" citizens can identify patterns that machines cannot detect without training, machine learning algorithms like Brut can use the output of citizen science projects as input training sets, offering tremendous opportunities to speed the pace of scientific discovery. A hybrid model of machine learning combined with crowdsourced training data from citizen scientists can not only classify large quantities of data, but also address the weakness of each approach if deployed alone.


In the debate on human rights the question is often raised – especially in philosophical and theological contexts – whether these rights require an ethical justification. In this form the question is misleadingly formulated, for it is necessary to distinguish between two dimensions of human rights, that of their genesis and of their validity. With regard to their emergence human rights have their grounds in moral claims. However, because in socio-cultural and political contexts there exist competing and conflicting moral intuitions, and there is no particular morality with a legitimate claim to universal validity in pluralistic societies, a system of positivised rights with a universal commitment is increasingly gaining in importance: the law of international human rights. Moral claims that justify the demands for human rights only attain their validity on account of their universalization by means of legalization. As juridical rights, the justification for the validity of human rights lies in themselves, they do not require any further ethical justification. From the perspective of a moderate form of legal positivism that does not separate rights and morality at the level of the genesis of norms and which is laden with human rights norms, the following topics will be discussed: 1. Moral intuitions and positive law; 2. Experience of injustice as a source of human rights; 3. The principle of neutrality in a democratic state under the rule of law; 4. Pluralism, relativism and law; 5. Human dignity as the foundation of human rights; 6. Justice and 7. Human dignity and social human rights and basic freedoms.


The horror of the puticuli, the mass burial pits, and their traditional association with the poor, has often led to this socio-economic group being viewed as somehow 'different' to the rest of the ancient urban community in the Italy of the Late Roman Republic. This is the theory questioned by the author of this volume. Why should this part of the community care so little about the disposal of the dead when other members of society were devoting huge amounts of time and money to ensuring that the deceased received not only burial, but also lasting commemoration? This volume emerged from the author's growing sense of unease at the way in which the urban poor of Rome seemed to be forgotten about, not only in discussions of burial practice, but also general societal trends. It stemmed from a wish to try to identify and re-humanise these often neglected people, as well as to use this information to more comprehensively assess the disposal practices of the ancient city dweller. The work goes some way to beginning this process. Much of the world of the ancient urban poor remains still to be explored, and, while not claiming to be comprehensive, the author hopes that it will re-insert the poor inhabitants of Rome into the consciousness of scholars of the ancient world, and contribute towards the development of new and exciting dialogues that take account of the attitudes and activities of all the varied members of ancient society.


Diabetes mellitus is found to be associated with oxidative damage which coexists with a reduction in the antioxidant status. The Malay folklore medicine in Malaysia
believes that by consuming the decoction of the vein and leaves (vascular bundle) of A. occidentale L. (cashew-nut), it is able to lower blood glucose level of diabetic
patients. The objective of this study was to verify the potential hypoglycemic and antioxidative effects of Anacardium occidentale L.leaves aqueous extract (AOE) in
Type 2 diabetes rat model.Freeze-dried AOE of various doses (50 mg/kg, 250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg body weight) were administered to streptozotocin induced Type 2 diabetic rats. The rats were force-fed with the extracts once daily for six weeks. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with 1.5 g/kg body weight of glucose challenge was then conducted to monitor the serum glucose level.Blood was collected through cardiac puncture to examine the levels of lipid peroxidation and the enzymatic activities in the experimental rats.The result showed an improvement in
the glucose tolerance after six weeks of treatment significantly as compared to the diabetes control (P<0.05). After treatment, the rats treated with AOE at all doses
have lower fasting glucose levels compared to the pre-treatment week.It was also noticed that all the doses of the leaves extract managed to delay the rise of glucose
level in oral glucose tolerance curve.Thus,A. occidentale leaves aqueous extract had suppression effect on the increase of serum glucose levels in oral glucose load.
The AOE at all doses exhibited low lipid peroxidation product indicated by serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels after six weeks of extract administration as compared to the pre-treatment week. The reduced MDA levels of group treated with AOE 250mg/kg, AOE 500 mg/kg and AOE 1000mg/kg are comparable to the MDA levels as obtained by the normal control groups after six weeks of extract treatment.
Serum catalase activities were found to be significantly elevated in diabetic groups treated with AOE as compared to the diabetic control groups whereas in the normal groups, the serum catalase activities in blood were much higher than the diabetic groups.Plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities of AOE treated were found to be higher than the diabetes control after three weeks of administration. The SOD activities were higher than the normal groups significantly (P<0.05).However,there were reductions on SOD activities at Week 6. Diabetes treated groups (AOE 50
mg/kg, AOE 250 mg/kg and AOE 500 mg/kg) showed an increased of plasma gluthathione peroxidase (GPx) activities at Week 3 as compared to the pre-treatment groups.Histological study of the pancreas showed an extensive damage of the islets of Langerhans and reduced dimensions of islet in the diabetic-induced rats.There were significant increase in the area, perimeter and diameter of pancreatic islets in both glybenclamide and AOE treated rats.The diabetic rats treated with AOE 250 mg/kg have the highest increase in area, perimeter and diameter of the islet of Langerhans
and have no significant difference compared to the normal control rats.This may suggest that AOE 250 mg/kg could improve and protect the islet Langerhans cells from oxidative degeneration resembling the normal rats.
The results of this study indicate that A. occidentale L. leaves might possess hypoglycemic activity.The alterations of the enzymatic antioxidant activities in the experimental animals provides evidence that the preventive effects of A. occidentale L.may be due to inhibition of lipid peroxidation by its antioxidant properties.Thus,
A. occidentale L.possesses antioxidant properties which counteract the oxidative damage in diabetic subjects.


Many constitutional principles apply to more than one level of government. This is true not only of Bill of Rights guarantees that have been incorporated against the States, but of many constitutional principles whose source lies outside of the Bill of Rights. The conventional wisdom is that such multi-level constitutional principles apply identically to all levels of government. The Article's thesis is that this One-Size-Fits-All approach is problematic because the different levels of government - federal, state, and local - sometimes are sufficiently different that a given constitutional principle may apply differently to each level. This Article critically examines an alternative approach to One-Size-Fits-All that it dubs "Tailoring." Tailoring refers to the possibility, though not the requirement, that a constitutional provision may apply differently to different levels of government. Tailoring thus would permit a situation where the federal government could regulate in ways unavailable to the sub-federal polities as a matter of constitutional law. Conversely, states or localities other times might be permitted to regulate in ways that the federal government could not. Though Tailoring might sound completely outlandish, the Article shows that more than a dozen Justices over the past century (including four who currently sit on the Court) have advocated that particular constitutional principle be tailored and that several discrete areas of contemporary constitutional law are best understood as examples of Tailoring. In the end, the Article concludes that the One-Size-Fits-All approach that is reflected in contemporary doctrine should be softened from a categorical requirement to a rebuttable presumption. Sensitivity to what level of government is acting - the conceptual core of Tailoring - is critical because the different levels of government are sufficiently dissimilar that a particular limitation as applied to one may have very different repercussions when applied to another. The Article identifies five respects in which the different levels of government systematically differ. Whether any or all of the differences justifies Tailoring a given constitutional principle ultimately turns on what is best characterized as pre-constitutional, political commitments. Interestingly, however, a broad array of competing approaches to ordering social life that often generates conflicting policy prescriptions - including public choice theory, law and economics, Robert Nozick's political philosophy, John Hart Ely's process theory, multi-culturalist theorists Will Kymlicka and Charles Taylor, and Rawlsian political thought - finds one or more of these distinctions sufficient to support Tailoring. The fact that many competing methodologies converge on the conclusion that Tailoring sometimes might be desirable counsels that constitutional doctrine should be responsive to potential differences among the various levels of government.