It has long been recognized that widely used contemporary systems have relatively weak security and stronger operating system security models are required. In particular, the design of widely-used security models is such that the highest level of privileges available on the system are often highly exposed. If an attack is successful and the attacker attains a high level of privilege, all of the security mechanisms on the system may typically be bypassed.

Despite such limitations, weak models remain ubiquitous as more secure alternatives are complex and therefore harder to configure and audit for correctness. This is especially problematic when the user and administrator are the same person, as is often the case in widespread workstation environments. To be used effectively, security models must be simple enough to be easily conceptualised by users and consistent with their requirements.

Careful application of cryptography can often improve security. However, in the domain of operating system security to date, the use of cryptography has largely involved the creation of ad hoc, standalone mechanisms. Cryptographic file systems exist to protect the confidentiality of data, but have little or no connection with existing access control theory. For example, some allow sharing of data between users but none provide all of the expected properties available in conventional, fully-fledged access control mechanisms such as secure and convenient revocation and prevention of authorisation transference. Filesystem integrity checkers use cryptographic hashes or digital signatures to ensure objects have not been modified, thereby protecting against substitution of malicious code. However, existing schemes lack the supporting infrastructure of an underlying security model to properly discriminate between verified and unverified objects. Furthermore, key management-related interdependencies between these different mechanisms have not been recognized and, as a result, work in this area has so far progressed in a somewhat disjointed and piecemeal manner.

This research describes a new security model, known as Vaults, that utilises cryptography to provide improved security. In particular, the new model aims to be secure against an attacker who has achieved a high level of privilege on the system. Vaults provides a cryptographically-enhanced access control model that protects files from unauthorised read and write access. It also facilitates secure, authenticated sharing of data between users using semantics consistent with traditional non-cryptographic access control models.

The Vaults access control mechanism is supported by a flexible and convenient key management architecture that can be used for both file access keys and generic application secrets. Access to these values is controlled by a mechanism for cryptographically verifying the integrity of programs and the data objects with which they interact. However, unlike previous schemes, Vaults not only prevents execution of illicitly modified trusted code, but also assigns different privilege levels to verified and unverified processes. Furthermore, partially-trusted processes can be confined to specifically defined objects if required. This approach provides a mechanism for authenticated user interaction with security-critical system components and therefore represents a new interpretation of the traditional notion of a physical trusted path that can be extended to any appropriate object on the system. Finally, all of these mechanisms apply on both a global and local level, allowing administrators to create system-wide policies, and users to extend and refine these to suit their own security needs.

However this flexibility does not come at the cost of great complexity and the basics of using the scheme can be easily explained to users as they can be expressed using conceptually simple abstractions such as "locking files" and "sharing keys". The use of cryptography in this way also serves to weaken the traditional association between privilege and identity, as access is permitted or denied based upon possession of the required token rather than the identity of the requesting process. Such a design has the dual effects of constraining the powers of privileged users and lowering their exposure to attack by reducing privileges to a token, which is generally easier to protect than an identity.

After developing the model, a series of large-scale attack trees were constructed to analyse its security. The attack trees were used to both refine the design of the security model and also evaluate the assertion that the model retains its security properties when under attack by a user who has gained the ability to bypass the security kernel and directly access the secondary storage device. The results of this analysis demonstrate the advantages of applying cryptography to the problem of operating system security and show that the Vaults model is able to maintain its security properties in the face of attacks that are normally excluded 'by assumption' under existing computer security models. Vaults is therefore a novel and comprehensive model for integrating cryptography into the operating system in a manner that improves security, while remaining both flexible and usable.


A promising paradigm in protocol design is to hold parties accountable for misbehavior, instead of postulating that they are trustworthy. Recent approaches in defining this property, called accountability, characterized malicious behavior as a deviation from the protocol that causes a violation of the desired security property, but did so under the assumption that all deviating parties are controlled by a single, centralized adversary. In this work, we investigate the setting where multiple parties can deviate with or without coordination in a variant of the applied-$\pi$ calculus.We first demonstrate that, under realistic assumptions, it is impossible to determine all misbehaving parties; however, we show that accountability can be relaxed to exclude causal dependencies that arise from the behavior of deviating parties, and not from the protocol as specified. We map out the design space for the relaxation, point out protocol classes separating these notions and define conditions under which we can guarantee fairness and completeness. Most importantly, we discover under which circumstances it is correct to consider accountability in the single-adversary setting, where this property can be verified with off-the-shelf protocol verification tools.


Nanoparticles (NPs) include a wide group of small structures composed by very different materials and characterized by peculiar properties that make them suitable for many applications, especially imaging and drug delivery. In this overview, we focus on the optical properties of fluorescent NPs available for in vivo, in vitro and ex vivo preclinical studies and detectable with the optical imaging technique alone or in combination with microscopic confocal imaging. We summarize here the basic principles of the optical detection of fluorescent NPs, elucidating which are the current issues to be resolved and possible solutions to achieve the highest sensitivity and specificity for an unbiased analysis. So far NPs application in clinic is in evaluation due to safety questions still unaddressed but in the future they could dramatically improve both preclinical research and patient clinical care.


AIM
To determine factors associated with microbiological safety of public drinking water systems in regional New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

METHOD
We analysed 107,000 end-user drinking water samples for an association between detection of Escherichia coli and drinking water system features, sample year and season using NSW Health Drinking Water Monitoring Program data, 2001-2007. We used negative binomial generalized estimating equations with adjustment for autocorrelation and clustering.

RESULTS
We detected E. coli in over 2% of samples from 40% (129/323) of systems. E. coli detection was significantly more common in earlier years and during summer (p<0.001). On multivariate analysis E. coli detection was significantly associated with smaller systems; watercourse sources; no disinfection or disinfection with ultraviolet only; and higher post-treatment mean turbidity (all p< or =0.01). Detection was most strongly associated with lack of disinfection (incidence rate ratio 12.6, p<0.001) and smaller supply systems (1% reduction in E. coli detection for each 1,000 person increase in supply population, p=0.004). Ultraviolet disinfection alone was the least effective disinfection method (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION
Even in developed countries, drinking water systems without disinfection or serving small populations appear vulnerable to the effects of faecal contamination, which presents a risk of waterborne disease outbreaks.


Copepods are well known to be the optimal live feed for most species of marine fish larvae. Still copepods are rarely used in marine hatcheries worldwide. Lack of efficient production techniques are among the reasons for this. Consequently, Artemia and rotifers are utilized in commercial settings. One problem in intensive production of copepods is contamination with rotifers. Rotifers have higher growth rates than copepods and consequently will compete out the copepods when accidentally introduced to the copepod production systems. Once contamination has occurred, the only cure has been to shut down production and subsequently use a therapeutic agent to eliminate all zooplankton in the system before restart with a stock culture free of rotifers. We tested flubendazole as a mean of controlling rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) in intensive laboratory cultures of the harpacticoid copepod (Tisbe holothuria). Flubendazole was lethal to rotifers in concentrations as low as 0.05 mg L−1. There was no significant effect on the concentration of copepods, even at the highest concentration tested, i.e. 5.0 mg L−1 flubendazole. We conclude that flubendazole is an effective drug for control of B. plicatilis in T. holothuriae batch cultures.


The importance of building maintainable software is being recognized in the community of software development. By developing software that is easy to maintain, the time and resources needed to perform the modifications may be decreased. This will in turn mean economical savings and increased profits. Architectural software patterns are said to promote the development of maintainable software. The aim of this project was therefore to investigate whether architectural software patterns possess this property or not. A case study was performed where two candidate architectures were compared using a method called Architectural analysis of modifiability. This method uses change scenarios and modification ratios to identify differences between candidate architectures. A system developed at Ericsson Microwave Systems AB was used for the case study. One of the candidate architectures consisted of two architectural software patterns: the Layers pattern and the Model-View-Controller pattern. The architecture analysis showed that the Layers pattern did promote maintainability whereas the Model-View-Controller pattern did not, from the basis of judgement associated with the method.


Objectives: To characterise productive technology and explain existing differences in cost efficiency levels in the provision of Spanish public hospital care. To measure and decompose change in the total productivity factor (TFP) index into its main components of cost efficiency change, technical change and economies of scale effect. Methodology: The structure of technology for a panel of 57 acute general public hospitals in Spain during the period 2002-2009 is approximated by means of a multi-product variable stochastic cost frontier under a normalised translog specification. Marginal costs, the degree of both economies of scale and scope are obtained. To control for the observed heterogeneity, a set of variables capturing differences in costs due to hospital characteristics and environmental factors are included. Within the latter, the influence of the activity of other health and social sectors agencies on costs and efficiency is explored. Analysis is undertaken following the Battese and Coelli (1995) approach. A measure of the TFP index change, as well as its decomposition into its components of cost efficiency change, technical change and economies of scale effect is obtained following the approach proposed by Bauer (1990). Results: Marginal cost estimates of a sample mean hospital indicated that an additional inpatient discharge had an impact on hospitals costs of 2,752 €. Concerning outpatient activity, this impact was equal to 124 € and 74 € for a first and a successive outpatient visit, respectively. A marginal cost of 743 € was obtained for ambulatory surgery. The impact on hospitals costs of additional day-hospital and emergency services were equal to 371 € and 181 €, respectively. A mean degree of economies of scale of 1.019 indicate that hospitals were operating at an optimal scale. High cost savings are derived from the joint production of hospital care for inpatient, outpatient and emergency activities, as indicated by the annual mean degree of economies of scope obtained (2.000). Mean average cost efficiency equal to 0.952 was obtained. Moreover, an annual average increase of 0.438% in productivity was observed. This was mainly due to an annual average technical progress, which offset the annual average regress observed in cost efficiency. Factors such as hospital complexity, teaching activities, insular location, activity of nursing homes and the externalisation of inpatient activity to private hospitals were found to increase hospital costs. On the other hand, higher concentration within the inpatient activity reduced hospital costs. Moreover, the variety in technology equipment, outsourcing non-medical services and outpatient care to private hospitals, nursing home activity and decentralization increased cost efficiency. Conversely, a negative relationship between quality and hospital cost efficiency was found. Conclusions: Efforts to improve the cost efficiency of public hospitals should focus on the reinforcement of the social care sector at a regional level, the promotion of externalisation of outpatient and non-clinical services and investment in a wider range of health technology equipment. Improvements in hospital productivity during the period of study are mainly driven by technical progress.


The biochemical mechanisms underlying cell wall expansion in plants have long been a matter of conjecture. Previous work in our laboratory identified two proteins (named "expansins") that catalyze the acid-induced extension of isolated cucumber cell walls. Here we examine the mechanism of expansin action with three approaches. First, we report that expansins did not alter the molecular mass distribution or the viscosity of solutions of matrix polysaccharides. We conclude that expansins do not hydrolyze the major pectins or hemicelluloses of the cucumber wall. Second, we investigated the effects of expansins on stress relaxation of isolated walls. These studies show that expansins account for the pH-sensitive and heat-labile components of wall stress relaxation. In addition, these experiments show that expansins do not cause a progressive weakening of the walls, as might be expected from the action of a hydrolase. Third, we studied the binding of expansins to the cell wall and its components. The binding characteristics are consistent with this being the site of expansin action. We found that expansins bind weakly to crystalline cellulose but that this binding is greatly increased upon coating the cellulose with various hemicelluloses. Xyloglucan, either solubilized or as a coating on cellulose microfibrils, was not very effective as a binding substrate. Expansins were present in growing cell walls in low quantities (approximately 1 part in 5000 on a dry weight basis), suggesting that they function catalytically. We conclude that expansins bind at the interface between cellulose microfibrils and matrix polysaccharides in the wall and induce extension by reversibly disrupting noncovalent bonds within this polymeric network. Our results suggest that a minor structural component of the matrix, other than pectin and xyloglucan, plays an important role in expansin binding to the wall and, presumably, in expansin action.


During a severe accident in a nuclear power plant, the degradation of fuel rods and melting of materials lead to the accumulation of core materials, which are commonly, called "debris beds". To stop core degradation and avoid the reactor vessel rupture, the main accident management procedure consists in injecting water. In the case of debris bed, the reflooding models used for Loss of Coolant Accident are not applicable. The IRSN has launched an experimental program on debris bed reflooding to develop new models and to validate severe accident codes. The PEARL facility has been designed to perform, for the first time, the reflooding of large scale debris bed (Ø540mm, h=500mm and 500kg of steel debris) in a pressurized containment. The bed is heated by means of an induction system. A specific instrumentation has been developed to measure the debris bed temperature, pressure drop inside the bed and the steam flow rate during the reflooding. In this paper, the results of the first integral reflooding tests performed in the PEARL facility at atmospheric pressure up to 700°C are presented. Focus is made on the quench front propagation and on the steam flow rate during reflooding. The effect of water injection flow rate, debris initial temperature and residual power are also discussed. Finally, an analytical model providing the steam flow rate and the quench front velocity is proposed to interpret these results.


Three species of Cornucoquimba Ohmert, 1968 are known from the Brazilian shelf: C. decorata, and C. nana in the north and northeast, and C. conulata in the south. An analysis of 339 samples collected between the international boundary at the Oiapoque river (Amapá State) and Cape São Roque (Rio Grande do Norte State), a distance of almost 1400 km, has discovered a new species of this genus, C. ramosae sp. nov. It is restricted to the equatorial shelf and prefers biodetrital sand, from 15 to 67 m water depth.


It has been hypothesized that ingestion of microplastic increases exposure of aquatic organisms to hydrophobic contaminants. To date, most laboratory studies investigated chemical transfer from ingested microplastic without taking other exposure pathways into account. Therefore, we studied the effect of polyethylene (PE) microplastic in sediment on PCB uptake by Arenicola marina as a model species, quantifying uptake fluxes from all natural exposure pathways. PCB concentrations in sediment, biota lipids (Clip) and porewater measured with passive samplers were used to derive lipid-normalized bioaccumulation metrics Clip, Biota sediment accumulation factor (BSAF), Bioaccumulation factor (BAF) and the Biota plastic accumulation factor (BPAF). Small effects of PE addition were detected suggesting slightly increased or decreased bioaccumulation. However, the differences decreased in magnitude dependent on the metric used to assess bioaccumulation, in the order: Clip > BSAF > BPAF > BAF, and were nonsignificant for BAF. The fact that BAF, that is, normalization of Clip on porewater concentration, largely removed all effects of PE, shows that PE did not act as a measurable vector of PCBs. Biodynamic model analysis confirmed that PE ingestion contributed marginally to bioaccumulation. This work confirmed model-based predictions on the limited relevance of microplastic for bioaccumulation under environmentally realistic conditions, and illustrated the importance of assessing exposure through all media in microplastic bioaccumulation studies.


Classical constraint systems require that the set of variables which exist in a problem be known ab initio. However, there are some applications in which the existence of certain variables is dependent on conditions whose truth or falsity can only be determined dynamically. In this paper, we show how this conditional existence of variables can be handled in a mathematically well-founded fashion by viewing a constraint network as a set of sentences in free logic. Based on these ideas, we have developed, implemented and applied, a constraint language in which any sentence in full first-order free logic, about a many-sorted universe of discourse which subsumes R, is a well-formed constraint.


Constance Fenimore Woolson, the grandniece of James Fenimore Cooper and a prolific author in her own right, was wandering through Cairo's Gizeh Museum in 1890 when she came upon a giggling, chatting group of "Cairo ladies" who were also exploring its collection of antiquities. Woolson writes of their chatter as a startling sound in the otherwise empty museum, "partly because of the echo, and partly also, I think, on account of the mystic mummy cases which stand on end and look at one so queerly with their oblique eyes." She draws attention to the way the women's conversation fills the silent space of the museum; their behavior is relaxed, and they experience relative freedom without their veils and eunuch attendants. Woolson remarks, "The most modest of men--a missionary, for instance, or an entomologist [sic]--would, I suppose, have put them to flight" (Mentone, Cairo and Corfu 174). (1) Because no men are present, she is able to observe the "Cairo ladies" more freely than she otherwise would. Soon thereafter, while the women are relaxing in the nearby museum garden, their eunuch attendants burst upon the scene and quickly veil them. Woolson remarks, [T]here was no real resistance; there was only a good deal of laughter. I dare say that there was more laughter still (under the veils) when the cause of all this haste appeared, coming slowly up the stairs. It was a small man of sixty-five or seventy, one of my own countrymen, attired in a linen duster and a travel-worn high hat; his silver-haired head was bent over his guide-book, and he wore blue spectacles. I don't think he saw anything but blue antiquities, safely made of stone. (178) Woolson's description of the man, who is older, "small" and "travel-worn" in appearance, and too focused on his book and the antiquities to notice the women, marks him as an antiquary, typically imagined as an older gentleman who takes an almost obsessive interest in antiquities. He interrupts the women's stolen moment of pleasure and, in spite of his less-than-masculine appearance and implied lack of virility, seems to restore patriarchal order in a space that had been given over temporarily to the women's relative ease and liberty. Their muffled laughter remains, however, as a sign that they find him a figure of ridicule rather than a true sign of male authority. This seemingly casual and humorous travel anecdote illuminates the critical connections Woolson had been making between antiquarianism and women's art in her short stories before 1890. These stories often turn thematically on the struggle by Woolson and other women writers to be acknowledged as artists in the literary establishment during a time when women's writing was often assigned second-class status. In the Cairo museum, the author notices how an institutional space dedicated to the great works and dusty civilizations of the past can be filled intriguingly by the voices of women, who must veil and silence themselves in the presence of the male antiquarian. Their laughter at the obvious absurdity of the situation, though, cannot be completely silenced. In her stories, Woolson equates contemporary literary and artistic criticism with the often-lampooned pastime of antiquarianism, revealing the absurdity of critical intrusion and misinterpretation in a literary establishment that, like the museum, would seemingly be improved if it could be filled with women's voices. Treasures, artifacts, and discoveries linked to her women characters are unearthed, interpreted, and assigned value, often by an antiquary-figure who intrudes just as arbitrarily as had the old man in her Cairo anecdote. Antiquarian misinterpretation consigns Woolson's women characters to artistic oblivion as their great works are undervalued and passed over. Worse, such misinterpretation can stunt the growth of an aspiring woman artist. Woolson presents the interpretive relationship between the male antiquary and women's art according to what she saw as the tendency of myopic critics to misinterpret, overlook, or undervalue her own art as well as that of other aspiring women artists. …


Abstract The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in peloids were studied to assess the radiologic hazard from 18 Turkish spas. The peloids are mainly used for therapeutic treatments, rheumatic diseases and aesthetic purposes. The concentrations of the natural radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs were determined with a gamma ray spectrometer using a HPGe detector. The average activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs in the peloids studied were 110.69, 71.52, 576.48 and 0.447 Bq/kg, respectively. The radium equivalent activities in the peloid samples ranged from 63.3 to 766.77 Bq/kg. The absorbed dose rate (Dout) varied between 37.52 and 330.67 nGy/h and most of the observed spa doses are greater than the worldwide recommended values. The annual effective dose values range from 0.26 to 2.78 μSv/y. The annual gonadal dose equivalents of the samples vary from 224.07 to 2283.55 with a mean of 821.99 μSv/y.


To investigate the potential of three-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiography (MRA) to complement SE imaging, 18 patients with intracerebral arteriovenous malformations were prospectively followed after undergoing radiosurgery. Vessel occlusion after stereotaxic single high dose radiotherapy develops slowly. The MRA detected signs of nidus obliteration earlier and with a higher sensitivity than did SE imaging. Six months after radiosurgery, MRA showed a reduction of the nidus flow signals in nine patients and after 1 year it showed reduction in 15 of the 18 patients. As shown by MRA, the loss of flow signals was related to a reduction of the nidus size in 4 patients after 6 months and in 11 after 1 year. The SE imaging revealed a reduction of the nidus size in only two patients after 6 months and in eight after 1 year. The signal intensity of the feeding arteries was reduced in nine patients and that of the draining veins was reduced in six. The T2-weighted images exhibited white matter lesions in eight patients after 1 year. For complete follow-up, SE imaging should be performed together with MRA.


Over the past several years, a number of information discovery and access tools have been introduced in the Internet, including Archie, Gopher, Nettnd, and WAIS. These tools have become quite popular, and are helping to redeene how people think about wide area network applications. Yet, they are not well suited to supporting the future information infrastructure, which will be characterized by enormous data volume, rapid growth in the user base, and burgeoning data diversity. In this paper we indicate trends in these three dimensions, and survey problems these trends will create for current approaches. We then suggest several promising directions of future resource discovery research, along with some initial results from projects carried out by members of the Internet Research Task Force Research Group on Resource Discovery and Directory Service.


Defending the Old Dominion: Virginia and Its Militia in the War of 1812. By Stuart L. Butler. (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2013. Pp. 642. Cloth, $95.00.)Reviewed by Gene Allen SmithIn the early 1960s, as Americans commemorated the sesquicentennial of the War of 1812, historians reexamined the causes of the conflict. Reginald Horsman, Bradford Perkins, and Roger H. Brown, among others, offered important contributions to our understanding of the nature and conduct of the war. In the 1970s and early 1980s, a new generation of political, military, and cultural historians, such as Don Hickey, J. C. A. Stagg, and Steven Watts presented new interpretations of the war. Still another group of historians dissected how the war impacted individual states. These included Sarah McCulloh Lemmon's Frustrated Patriots: North Carolina and the War of 1812 (Chapel Hill, NC, 1974); and Victor Sapio's Pennsylvania and the War of 1812 (Lexington, KY, 1982).The bicentennial of the War of 1812 witnessed more scholars offering nuanced interpretations about the conflict. Troy Bickham's The Weight of Vengeance: The United States, the British Empire, and the War of 1812 (New York, 2012); Kevin McCranie's Utmost Gallantry: The US. and Royal Navies at Sea in the War of 1812 (Annapolis, MD, 2012); Gene Allen Smith's The Slaves' Gamble: Choosing Sides in the War of 1812 (New York, 2013); and Nicole Eustace's 1812: War and the Passions of Patriotism (Philadelphia, 2012) all examine the war from nontraditional perspectives. Stuart L. Butler has dissected how the conflict impacted the state of Virginia, while setting the war in context for the mid-Atlantic region and the nation.Focusing on the military and political history of Virginia during the conflict, Butler's book highlights in great detail the many problems the state faced during the war. The greatest flaw was that the militia did not have adequate training to prevent British army and naval forces from landing wherever they wanted. The federal government had stationed very few army forces in Virginia, and the United States had scant naval forces on the Chesapeake Bay. This permitted the British to treat the estuary as their own private harbor. Using shallow-draft ships and small boats, the British landed anywhere water permitted and at almost any time. Ill-trained Virginia militia could not anticipate where the enemy would attack next. They could not assemble in a timely manner, nor did they have the training to defeat an experienced and capable British fighting force. Moreover, the state did not possess adequate manufacturing facilities or the ability to supply and distribute arms and ammunition to isolated and exposed state militia units. Whenever British forces landed, Virginia militia often retreated because they lacked sufficient ordnance, ammunitions, training, and confidence. British troops advanced into the Virginia countryside, requisitioning tobacco and other valuables, liberating slaves, and destroying plantations. In fact, Virginia suffered disproportionally during the war as the British devastated the local American economy. The conduct of the war also revealed the contentious relationship festering between the U.S. and Virginia governments. Finally, the conflict demoralized Virginians who suffered from the ravages of war. …


In the healthcare setting, parental decisions to size, shape, sculpt, and mine children's bodies through the use of non-therapeutic medical and surgical interventions are a matter of parental choice except in extraordinary cases involving grievous harm. This Article questions the assumption of parental rights that frames the current paradigm for medical decisionmaking for children. Focusing on cases involving eye surgery, human growth hormone, liposuction, and growth stunting, I argue that by allowing parents to subordinate their children's interests to their own, the current paradigm distorts the parent-child relationship and objectifies children in violation of the moral principle, deeply embedded in American legal tradition, that no person, even a parent, may subordinate the life, liberty, or body of another for his or her own purposes. I propose an alternative. Pushing analogies developed in family law and moral philosophy to respect children as complete but vulnerable human beings, I develop a trust-based construct of the parent-child relationship, in which the parents are assigned trustee-like powers and responsibilities over a child's welfare and future interests, and charged with fiduciary-like duties to the child. Application of the trust-based construct in the health-care setting separates medical decisions that belong to parents from decisions that belong to children and those that should be made by a neutral third party.


Background The aim of this review is to integrate research findings on the role of sociocultural factors in hallucinations and to relate these factors to current psychological theory and research. Method The literature was surveyed by manual search, and the more reliable studies selected for the review. Results One hundred and thirteen publications were scrutinised and 30 of them were included in this review. Conclusions Cross-cultural concepts of reality are related to the development and the threshold of hallucinations. Attitudes toward hallucinations tend to affect the emotional reaction to, and the degree of control of, these experiences. Awareness of these attitudes may help the diagnostician to distinguish between pathological and culturally sanctioned hallucinations. It is important that therapists consider the functional significance and meaning of hallucinations as well as the social context and the stimuli associated with them.


In this study, 21 wine samples obtained from wine manufacturers in Turkey and produced from different grape varieties cultivated in different geographical regions, were analysed to determine their resveratrol concentrations. The HPLC method was used to analyse the trans-resveratrol concentrations of wines. Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 20.0.0. Mean values were compared by using the Tukey test at a confidence level of p = 0.05. The resveratrol concentrations of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes were also determined. Since these two varieties are grown widely in many regions of Turkey, they were studied in terms of the relationship of the resveratrol concentrations with parameters such as time of vegetation, total effective temperature, sunshine duration and rainfall. Positive correlations were observed between resveratrol levels and grape varieties, geographical regions and total effective temperature. The results of the statistical analysis showed that resveratrol concentrations also varied depending on vegetation time, sunshine duration and amount of rainfall in the vineyards. This study aimed to identify the relationships between (1) resveratrol concentrations of wines, (2) vegetation time of the grapes and (3) climatic conditions of the respective regions. Moreover, the effects of grape types on resveratrol concentrations were investigated. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by providing results on the utilisation of grapes that have high resveratrol levels for producing wines that have functional properties that are increasingly in demand by consumers.


Objectives To study the analgesic effect of electroacupuncture (EA) as perioperative adjunctive therapy added to a systemic analgesic strategy (including tramadol and ketamine) for postoperative pain, opioid-related side effects and patient satisfaction. Methods In a sham-controlled participant- and observer-blinded trial, 75 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy were randomly assigned to two groups: (1) EA (n=37; tramadol+ketamine+EA) and (2) control (n=38; tramadol+ketamine). EA (100 Hz frequency) was applied at LI4 bilaterally during the closure of the abdominal walls and EA (4 Hz) was applied at ST36 and LI4 bilaterally immediately after extubation. The control group had sham acupuncture without penetration or stimulation. The following outcomes were evaluated: postoperative pain using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and McGill Scale (SF_MPQ), mechanical pain thresholds using algometer application close to the wound, cortisol measurements, rescue analgesia, Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI Y-6 item), patient satisfaction and opioid side effects. Results Pain scores on the NRS and SF_MPQ were significantly lower and electronic pressure algometer measurements were significantly higher in the EA group than in the control group (p<0.001) at all assessments. In the EA group a significant decrease in rescue analgesia was observed at 45 min (p<0.001) and a significant decrease in cortisol levels was also observed (p<0.05). Patients expressed satisfaction with the analgesia, especially in the EA group (p<0.01). Significant delays in the start of bowel movements were observed in the control group at 45 min (p<0.001) and 2 h (p<0.05). Conclusions Adding EA perioperatively should be considered an option as part of a multimodal analgesic strategy.


We here explore the link between individual concerns about crime and the distribution of income in Germany. We make use of 1995-2017 microdata from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) to show that both individual polarization and relative deprivation have statistically-significant effects on reported concerns about crime, while relative satisfaction plays no role. At the aggregate level, the main driver is equally income polarization, whereas the standard measure of inequality, the Gini index, plays no significant role.


is one of the important contaminating materials that has high toxicity level receiving in water resources. Photocatalytic degradation process is one of the developing technologies in treatment of wastes containing persistent organic materials. Investigations show that oxidative degradation of organic compounds with oxygen reduction is caused under irradiation of photocatalysts such as TiO2 suspended in aqueous solution containing organic compounds and oxygen. The main objective of this research is the study of photocatalytic oxidation of phenol in the presence of TiO2 and the factors affecting the process. In this study phenol solution (50 mg/L) was prepared and in separate stages was exposed to air, UV, TiO2 and a combination of them and various parameters such as exposure time, pH, and amount of TiO2 were studied in terms of their effects on reaction progress. The results show that UV/TiO2 process is most effective. This study shows that 83% of phenol was degraded by irradiation and air exposure for 9 hr in the presence of 0.1g TiO2 in alkaline medium (pH=11). It is also showed that the efficiency of phenol degradation is less than 9 % with a 3 hr exposure and pH of 11. Based on the results, UV/TiO2 process may be effectively applied in phenol removal from polluted water which is both technically and economically efficient.


Introduction Manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) is a standard treatment for arthrofibrosis after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), with reported rates of 1.5-6%.  Customized TKA may have better outcomes by matching individual patient anatomy.  However, a previous study reported an unacceptably high rate of MUA for customized TKAs.  This study reports the incidence of MUA in a large cohort of second generation customized TKAs.  Methods:Data was collected prospectively on 360 2nd generation ConforMIS iTotal cruciate retaining TKAs.  MUA was performed for clinically significant arthrofibrosis.  Range of motion (ROM) and New Knee Society Scores (KSS) were evaluated at regular intervals for two years.   Results: 11/360 (3.05%) knees underwent MUA.  ROM overall improved from 115° to 125°, and from 112° to 122° in patients undergoing MUA.  KSS objective and functional scores in MUA patients increased from 57 to 98 and 41 to 90, respectively, and in the entire cohort increased from 65 to 96 and 45 to 86 at 2 years (p<0.05). No MUA patients underwent revision surgery.   Discussion and Conclusion:Customized TKA with second generation ConforMIS iTotal implants results in a MUA rate consistent with the literature for all designs. Additionally, patients exhibit significant increases in ROM and Knee Society Scores.


BACKGROUND: To address prevailing gaps in employment rates between working-age people with disabilities and those without, vocational rehabilitation professionals can use targeted career development initiatives for their consumers as they progress through school and into the professional world. With education at the core, vocational rehabilitation counselors are poised to collaborate with teachers, employers, and policymakers to promote work experience and self-advocacy among their transition-age consumers, which has been shown to increase employment rates. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to present a synthesis focusing on the intersection of the career development and secondary transition literature to provide guidance for the evaluation and development of policy, to contribute to a needed area of knowledge generation in vocational rehabilitation, and to underscore the application of research-based practices in transition services. METHODS: The literature search, identification, and synthesis were guided by the overarching question, how can rehabilitation professionals use what is known about career development to assist with secondary transition preparation and planning through the services and resources they provide? RESULTS: The search resulted in the identification of 20 articles specific to the intersection of career development, secondary transition preparation and planning, and improving postsecondary outcomes. CONCLUSION: Suggestions for practices and further research are presented in the context of U.S. national rehabilitation law, specifically the recent (2014) Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. © 2017-IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved.


GABAA receptors (GABAARs) are usually formed by α, β, and γ or δ subunits. Recently, δ-containing GABAARs expressed in Xenopus oocytes were found to be sensitive to low concentrations of ethanol (1–3 mM). Our objective was to replicate and extend the study of the effect of ethanol on the function of α4β3δ GABAARs. We independently conducted three studies in two systems: rat and human GABAARs expressed in Xenopus oocytes, studied through two-electrode voltage clamp; and human GABAARs stably expressed in the fibroblast L(tk–) cell line, studied through patch-clamp electrophysiology. In all cases, α4β3δ GABAARs were only sensitive to high concentrations of ethanol (100 mM in oocytes, 300 mM in the cell line). Expression of the δ subunit in oocytes was assessed through the magnitude of the maximal GABA currents and sensitivity to zinc. Of the three rat combinations studied, α4β3 was the most sensitive to ethanol, isoflurane, and 5α-pregnan-3α,21-diol-20-one (THDOC); α4β3δ and α4β3γ2S were very similar in most aspects, but α4β3δ was more sensitive to GABA, THDOC, and lanthanum than α4β3γ2S GABAARs. Ethanol at 30 mM did not affect tonic GABA-mediated currents in dentate gyrus reported to be mediated by GABAARs incorporating α4 and δ subunits. We have not been able to replicate the sensitivity of α4β3δ GABAARs to low concentrations of ethanol in four different laboratories in independent studies. This suggests that as yet unidentified factors may play a critical role in the ethanol effects on δ-containing GABAARs.


The impact of the soil structure on flow and transport in partially water saturated soils is currently still a matter of scientific debate. The major aim of this thesis was to investigate the relation between heterogeneity and transport for a natural unsaturated heterogeneous Tertiary sand deposit. In the first part, we analyzed the flow and transport at the scale of an undisturbed monolith. Chloride breakthrough curve experiments were used to derive an apparent dispersion coefficient at the TDR sampling and monolith scale. Application of a Brilliant Blue pulse allowed further the visualization of flow distribution within the monolith. Small undisturbed soil cores were sampled throughout the monolith and the hydraulic characteristic curves at the scale of the cores were determined. Textural variability and structure as inferred from the inspection of the Brilliant Blue pattern and analysis of the small core sampling were subsequently implemented in a 3-D model and transport was simulated. The simulations clearly revealed the importance of the macro-structure on the transport behavior of the soil. We also showed that the micro-variability heterogeneity component was needed to assess the scaling of the effective and local scale dispersivity. In the second part, we studied in-situ chloride transport in the vadose formation separating the bottom of a lake and an unconfined aquifer. First the uncertainty generated by the undersampling of the lake chloride concentration time series were investigated. Subsequently, velocity and dispersivity profiles were assessed by inverse modeling of the soil chloride concentration time series. We observed that the clay layers induced an increase of the dispersivity below them. We hypothesize that fingering flow or convergence phenomena, occurring below sand-clay interfaces, lead to non-representative artificially high dispersivity values. Velocity and dispersivity values just above the clay layers however seem more reliable due to convergence phenomena and better lateral mixing induced by a larger water content. In this formation, the transport behavior could be characterized considering a hierarchical structure of the subsoil heterogeneity. In this model, the flow field micro-variability is influenced by pore structure (possibly characterized by scaling factors). The next complexity level is induced by the slight layering resulting from the sedimentation process (not investigated in this work). Then, the third hierarchical level is assessed by the macro-structure and the sequence of clay layers in the sand. Each of these levels is assumed to have an effect on the solute mixing process and effective macro-dispersivity.


Objective: The present study aimed to compare mental health of female athlete and non-athlete students in the city of Indica. The research methodology was a descriptive survey, which initially described the mental health and then compared it among the students. Methods: The statistical population of the study included all high school girls in the academic year of 2012-2013 in the city of Indica accounting for 919 subjects. The sampling was done in this study by two methods of census (enumeration) and multi-stage cluster random sampling. Due to the limited number of athletes (85 subjects), all were included in the study sample. Of the non-athletic population, 106 non-athlete subjects were selected using Cochran formula by multi-stage cluster random sampling method. The measurement tool in this study was the Goldberg and Hiller GHQ Standard Questionnaire (1979) consisting of two parts. The first part includes demographic information, including questions about demographic and individual characteristics of study samples such as age, type of illness, etc. The second part consisted of 28 questions to measure four subscales (somatic symptoms, anxiety, social functioning and depression). The reliability (reliability coefficient) of the questionnaire was obtained as 0.85 through Cronbach's alpha coefficient. For data analysis, the descriptive statistics was used in order to summarize the data, and the inferential statistics, including Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Mann-Whitney tests were used to test the hypotheses. Results: The results showed significant differences between physical symptoms, anxiety and insomnia, social dysfunction and depression in two groups of female athlete and non- athlete students.


Many questions related to the contribution and the role of the name of the Brand as a company asset, have not been explicitly answered through empirical research. This specific study attempts to provide some answers to these questions. Through the hypotheses tested, we came to the conclusion that the name is perceived by the executives as the most important defining element of the Brand (among others specified) and that the contribution of the Brand name to particular criteria of Brand success is significant according to all those aspects. Along these lines managerial insights into these findings could lead to a new role for the name in the context of the Strategic view of Brand building oriented to Brand Success.


To get insight into the potential risk of myopathy associated with therapy involving 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, we evaluated in vivo and in vitro the effects of a daily 2 to 3-month treatment with pravastatin (100 mg/kg) and with simvastatin (5, 10 and 50 mg/kg) on the electrical properties of rat skeletal muscle fibers. The electromyographic activity revealed no sign of myopathy during treatment with pravastatin and with simvastatin. At the end of the treatment, the passive and active membrane electrical parameters of the extensor digitorum longus muscles were measured in vitro by computerized two-intracellular-microelectrode technique. A dose-dependent reduction of membrane chloride conductance was recorded in extensor digitorum longus fibers of simvastatin-treated groups, and at 50 mg/kg the reduction of chloride conductance was significant in 6 out of the 7 treated rats. By contrast, none of the pravastatin-treated rats showed significant alteration of chloride conductance. Consequently, the excitability parameters were modified by simvastatin but not by pravastatin treatment, whereas the resting membrane potential was not affected. An increase in potassium conductance, reduced by in vitro application of glybenclamide, was recorded in 30% of the simvastatin-treated rats (50 mg/kg) and in only 15% of the pravastatin-treated rats. Our results suggest that the risk of myopathy is much higher with the lipophilic simvastatin than with the hydrophilic pravastatin and support the hypothesis that the muscle toxicity of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors is due to an intracellular action mediated by the inhibition of muscle cholesterol synthesis.


Tactile perception is considered an important contributor to the overall consumer experience of a product. However, what physical properties that create the specifics of tactile perception, are still not completely understood. This thesis has researched how many dimensions that are required to differentiate the surfaces perceptually, and then tried to explain these dimensions in terms of physical properties, by interconnecting human perception measurements with various physical measurements. The tactile perception was assessed by multidimensional scaling or magnitude estimation, in which methods human participants assign numbers to how similar pairs of surfaces are perceived or to the relative quantity of a specified perceptual attribute, such as softness, smoothness, coarseness and coolness. The role of friction and surface texture in tactile perception was investigated in particular detail, because typically tactile exploration involves moving (at least) one finger over a textured surface. A tactile approach for measuring friction was developed by means of moving a finger over the surfaces, mounted on a force sensor. The contribution of finger friction to tactile perception was investigated for surfaces of printing papers and tissue papers, as well as for model surfaces with controlled topography. The overarching research goal of this thesis was to study, systematically, the role of texture in tactile perception of surfaces.The model surfaces displayed a sinusoidal texture with a characteristic wavelength and amplitude, fabricated by surface wrinkling and replica molding techniques. A library of surfaces was manufactured, ranging in wavelengths from 270 nm up to 100 µm and in amplitudes from 7 nm up to 6 µm. These surfaces were rigid and cleanable and could therefore be reused among the participants. To my knowledge, this is the first time in a psychophysical experiment, that the surface texture has been controlled over several orders of magnitude in length scale, without simultaneously changing other material properties of the stimuli.The finger friction coefficient was found to decrease with increasing aspect ratio (amplitude/wavelength) of the model surfaces and also with increasing average surface roughness of the printing papers. Analytical modeling of the finger's interaction with the model surfaces shows how the friction coefficient increases with the real contact area, and that the friction mechanism is the same on both the nanoscale and microscale. The same interaction mechanism also explains the friction characteristics of tissue paper. Furthermore, it was found that the perceptions of smoothness, coarseness, coolness and dryness are satisfactorily related to the real contact area at the finger-surface interface. It is shown that it is possible to discern perceptually among both printing papers and tissue papers, and this differentiation is based on either two or three underlying dimensions. Rough/smooth and thin/thick were the two main dimensions of surface feel found for the printing papers, whereas friction and wavelength were strongly related to the perceptual cues employed in scaling the model surfaces. These experimental results support the duplex theory of texture perception, which holds that both a "spatial sense"; used to discriminate the roughest textures from the others, and a "vibration sense"; used to discriminate among the smoother textures, are involved. The perception of what is considered rough and smooth depends on the experimental stimulus context. It is concluded that friction is important for human differentiation of surface textures below about 10 µm in surface roughness, and for larger surface textures, friction is less important or can even be neglected.The finger friction experiments also allowed the following conclusions to be drawn: (i) The interindividual variation in friction coefficients is too large to allow direct comparison; however, the trends in relative friction coefficients for a group of participants are the same. (ii) Lipids are transferred to the test surface of study, and this lowers the friction. (iii) Many of the studies point to a characteristic frequency during sliding of about 30 Hz, which is both characteristic of the resonance frequency of skin and the expected frequency associated with the fingerprints. (iv) The applied load in surface interrogation is in fact regulated in response to the friction force.The limits in tactile perception were indirectly researched by similarity scaling experiments on the model surfaces. Wrinkle wavelengths of 760 nm and 870 nm could be discriminated from untextured reference surfaces, whereas 270 nm could not. The amplitude of the wrinkles so discriminated was approximately 10 nm, suggesting that nanotechnology may well have a role to play in haptics and tactile perception.


Coatings for exterior wood have two basic functions. One isto give an aesthetically acceptable surface appearance andcolour. The other is to provide protection against wooddegradation by microbiological or physical attack. Theseprotective properties, often called the barrier properties,play an important role in the selection of proper material forsupreme durability. The assessment of these barrier propertiesis of great importance. Within the CEN Technical Committee 139,Working Group 2, Coatings for exterior wood test methods andperformance specifications have been established. Forassessment of water protection efficiency a standard testprocedure, EN 927-5, has been launched. The present work hasfocused on its applicability in assessing water protectionefficiency in relation to the degradation of coatings duringexposure.Assessments according to EN 927-5 is shown to givesignificant differences in water absorption values fordifferent types of coatings on wood. The proposed performancespecifications in ENV 927 - 2 for the water absorption valuesfor coatings to be used in different constructions seem to beset at acceptable levels. It has been shown that there is agood correlation between the level of water absorption andpractical experience of the performance of paints inScandinavia. However, it has also been shown that thecombination of a standard procedure for water absorptionmeasurement and an artificial weathering procedure gives moreinformation regarding expected durability and longtermperformance than a single measurement of water absorption onfresh, unweathered coated wood. A combination of waterabsorption measurement and artificial weathering could become auseful tool in product development as well as in benchmarking.Together with statistical tools, such as reliability-basedservice life prediction methodologies for predicting theservice life of coating systems a reduction in testing timesmay be achieved.Surface-active substances in coatings have a negative effecton the coatings ability to prevent water ingress, which mostprobably is due to the hydrophilic character of thesesubstances. The presence of these substances, which are commonin waterborne coatings, alters the moisture sorptioncharacteristics of wood. Considering that these substancesoccur in waterborne coatings, may be mobilised during and afterfilm formation and accumulate at the coating/substrateinterface, there is a great probability that these substanceschange the moisture sorption characteristics of the woodsubstrate in an unfavourable way and create unexpected dynamicmoisture conditions at the coating/wood interface.Computerized tomography has been found to be a valuable,non-destructive tool for visualising the spatial moisturedistribution of water and moisture in coated wood panels. Themethod is suitable for recurrent testing of a specimen exposedto a series of processes of wetting, drying. This thesis showsthat high moisture contents occur locally at and around cracks.In these areas there is an increased risk of internal tensionand stress resulting in crack initiation and propagation andthat high moisture contents may occur in the first fewmillimetres under waterborne coatings despite intact coatingfilms. Even with good barrier properties of the coating,moisture may accumulate by water-vapour absorption in air gapsbehind the cladding thus causing favourable conditions formicrobiological colonization.The work that has been carried out regarding assessment ofthe water protection efficiency shows promising resultsregarding the possibility to use reliability-based service lifeprediction methodology for the assessment. The aim of futurework will be to establish more reliable techniques andprotocols for assessing service life expectancy and durability,especially for waterborne coatings with special focus ontendencies to early failure and robustness of the coatingsystems.Keywords:Coatings, surfactants, water absorption value,EN 927, paint, additives, moisture dynamics, absorption,desorption, artificial weathering, artificial exposure,computerized tomography, MRI.


We describe the development of a highly tunable, physiologically stable, and ultra-bright Raman probe, named as TARGET (Tunable and Amplified Raman Gold Nanoprobes for Effective Tracking), for in vitro and in vivo surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) applications. The TARGET structure consists of a gold core inside a larger gold shell with a tunable interstitial gap similar to a "nanorattle" structure. The combination of galvanic replacement and the seed mediated growth method was employed to load Raman reporter molecules and subsequently close the pores to prevent leaking and degradation of reporters under physiologically extreme conditions. Precise tuning of the core-shell gap width, core size, and shell thickness allows us to modulate the plasmonic effect and achieve a maximum electric-field (E-field) intensity. The interstitial gap of TARGET nanoprobes can be designed to exhibit a plasmon absorption band at 785 nm, which is in resonance with the dye absorption maximum and lies in the "tissue optical window", resulting in ultra-bright SERS signals for in vivo studies. The results of in vivo measurements of TARGETs in laboratory mice illustrated the usefulness of these nanoprobes for medical sensing and imaging.


Using Lumen gentium as a focus, what can we say about the unfinished business of renewal? How does it work, and how must we read Lumen gentium in order to grasp "what remains to be done"? We consider four issues, each of them in dialogue with one of four theologians who reached their 60th birthday in 1964, the year Lumen gentium was completed. Bernard Lonergan helps us come to terms with the historically conditioned nature of Lumen gentium itself. Karl Rahner points the way towards a better grasp of Lumen gentium's discussion of the place of other religions in the economy of salvation. John Courtney Murray's influence on the Council fathers is a case study in the importance of the local church. And Yves Congar's willingness to rethink his own positions testifies to the importance of not making Lumen gentium into unchanging truth. Overall, the unfinished business of the document on the Church is to learn to treat it, in Lonergan's words, as "not premisses but data."


Aim: To elucidate the protective effects of Matrine on atrial fibrillation (AF) induced by electric pacing in mice and underlying molecular and ion channel mechanisms. Methods: AF was introduced by electric pacing in mice and the incidence and duration of AF were evaluated. Functional expression of M3 receptor (M3-R) and Cav1.2 were explored by western and Real-time PCR, action potential (AP) and the density of (IKM3) L-type calcium channel (ICa-L) were both recorded using whole-cell patch in isolated atrial cardiomyocytes. Results: In control group, incidence and duration of AF induced by electric pacing were 50 ± 17% and 3.68 ± 1.84 s, respectively; after application of carbachol 50 µg/kg both incidence and duration of AF were significantly increased to 86 ± 24% and 65.2 ± 29.0 s. Compared with control group, pretreatment of Matrine for 15 days significantly reduced AF incidence and duration in dose-dependent manner. Atrial membrane-protein expression of M3-R was decreased and membrane Cav1.2 expression was up-regulated. In single Matrine-treated atrial cardiomyocyte the density of IKM3 was significantly decreased by 39% as well compared with control group, P < 0.05, whereas, ICa-L density of atrium was increased by 40%. Conclusion: These data demonstrated at the first time that the anti-AF effects of Matrine may due, at least in part, to down-regulation of IKM3 density and M3-R expression and up-regulation of ICa-L density and α1C/Cav1.2 expression.


Human epidemiologic studies reveal that fetal ethanol exposure is highly predictive of adolescent ethanol avidity and abuse. Little is known about how fetal exposure produces these effects. It is hypothesized that fetal ethanol exposure results in stimulus-induced chemosensory plasticity. Here, we asked whether gestational ethanol exposure increases postnatal ethanol avidity in rats by altering its taste and odor. Experimental rats were exposed to ethanol in utero via the dam's diet, whereas control rats were either pair-fed an iso-caloric diet or given food ad libitum. We found that fetal ethanol exposure increased the taste-mediated acceptability of both ethanol and quinine hydrochloride (bitter), but not sucrose (sweet). Importantly, a significant proportion of the increased ethanol acceptability could be attributed directly to the attenuated aversion to ethanol's quinine-like taste quality. Fetal ethanol exposure also enhanced ethanol intake and the behavioral response to ethanol odor. Notably, the elevated intake of ethanol was also causally linked to the enhanced odor response. Our results demonstrate that fetal exposure specifically increases ethanol avidity by, in part, making it taste and smell better. More generally, they establish an epigenetic chemosensory mechanism by which maternal patterns of drug use can be transferred to offspring. Given that many licit (e.g., tobacco products) and illicit (e.g., marijuana) drugs have noteworthy chemosensory components, our findings have broad implications for the relationship between maternal patterns of drug use, child development, and postnatal vulnerability.


Infectious Diseases of Wild Mammals and Birds in Europe is a key resource on the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases in European wildlife that covers the distinctive nature of diseases as they occur in Europe, including strains, insect vectors, reservoir species, and climate, as well as geographical distribution of the diseases and European regulations for reporting, diagnosis and control. Divided into sections on viral infections, bacterial infections, fungal and yeast infections, and prion infections, this definitive reference provides valuable information on disease classification and properties, causative agents, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and implications for human, domestic and wild animal health.


Papua is the most easterly province of Indonesia and has one of the highest burdens of malaria in Asia, with drug resistance documented for both P. falciparum and P. vivax. Improved surveillance systems are needed to overcome specific challenges arising from the declining transmission of malaria. This thesis aimed to investigate the benefits of incorporating molecular tools into traditional surveillance. Principal findings include the following: Firstly asymptomatic and submicroscopic infections in this area constitute two thirds of detectable parasitaemia and are associated with significant morbidity, highlighting the importance of identifying and treating patients with low-level asymptomatic infection. Secondly, co-endemic P. falciparum and P. vivax have contrasting micro-epidemiology. Molecular analyses demonstrate intense transmission of P. vivax, but more focal and lower transmission intensity in P. falciparum. Thirdly, parasites from asymptomatic and symptomatic patients are from genetically similar populations, demonstrating that passive sampling is appropriate for molecular parasite surveillance. Fourthly, the implementation of highly effective schizontocidal treatment with artemisininbased combination therapy (ACT) reduced the proportion of polyclonal infections in P. falciparum and P. vivax, suggesting reduction in transmission of both species. However, the reduction was greater in the P. falciparum population. Finally, the expression of the P. vivax chloroquine resistance transporter orthologue (pvcrto) is not a primary determinant of ex vivo response to chloroquine, and thus not an appropriate molecular marker of drug resistant P. vivax. This dissertation provides evidence of the benefit of incorporating molecular tools into malaria surveillance by characterising the asymptomatic reservoir and its impact on clinical disease and transmission dynamics, evaluating the suitability of passive molecular surveillance and its usefulness to measure the effect of malaria control interventions, and contributing to the validation of molecular markers of chloroquine resistance in P. vivax.


By making use of various social science research methods, in particular semi-structured interviews, this thesis reveals the main features of the Serbia's 15-year long transition experience, which took place against a background of frequent constitutional changes over the period 1989 to 2004. Serbia's transition began in December 1989 with the Markovic programme, while the Republic was a constitutive part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). The study confirms that the SRFY was the first country to start transition from a socialist to a market economy, but that this advanced position was lost due to a lack of political consensus, and the dissolution of the country in 1991.

As part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) which was formed in 1992, Serbia during the 1990s went through the most devastating period in its modern (economic) history, experiencing the second highest and the second longest hyperinflation ever registered (1992-94). The battle against (hyper) inflation and economic recovery took the form of the Avramovic programme of January 1994, but failed to delivery any prolonged stabilisation and growth. Additionally, during the period of FRY, when Slobodan Milosevic was in power, an extensive regime of economic and non-economic sanctions were imposed on Serbia by the international community (1991-2000). Moreover, in 1999, the country was faced with the seriousness of the Kosovo conflict and NATO bombing, and the concomitant impact of these events on economic life. As a result of all this, Serbia's transition process was stillborn throughout much of the 1990s and public confidence in the state institutions, including the National Bank of Serbia (NBS), was entirely lost.

Transition resumed in 2001, following the 'bulldozer revolution' of 5 October 200, and has since followed the main postulates of the transition blueprint which was based on the so-called "Washington Consensus". The exchange-rate based stabilisation programme brought positive results as early as 2002 and 2003, notably in bringing down inflation. The combination of a de facto fixed exchange rate regime (formally announced as a managed float) and gloomy prospects of an ever-raising current account deficit and public debt, however, gave rise to a wide-ranging debate on the role of exchange rate and monetary policy in the overall profess of economic recovery. Our analysis reveals that there is a space, although limited due to the high "euroisation" of the Serbian economy, for a more active monetary policy. This would allow a substantial depreciation of the real dinar exchange rate, of importance given the demands of WTO and EU membership, namely full capital account liberalisation.

Since February 2003, Serbia again changed its constitutional robe by becoming a member state of the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Following this constitutional change in June 2003, after a decade-long delay, Serbia's central bank reform was eventually initiated and the new NBS Law was enacted. The evidence contained in this work suggests that the NBS's legal independence perfectly matches the transitional average, but that the actual NBS's independence is a cause for concern. So as to prevent the inclusion of the 'systemic error' into the new Serbian constitution - by which a single person (i.e. the governor) is the sole source of monetary policymaking - the study proposes several principles which may guide the drafting process. Additionally, the thesis points to provisions of the current NBS Law which need to be adapted in line with the EMU acquis. The study concludes by rising the question of how the NBS's credibility can be restored, proposing a new NBS's approach to transparency as a possible solution.


1. Results are analysed from 11 experiments in which effects of fish addition and nutrient loading on shallow lakes were studied in mesocosms. The experiments, five in 1998, six in 1999, were carried out in six lakes, distributed from Finland to southern Spain, according to a standard protocol. 2. Effects of the treatments on 29 standard chemical, phytoplankton and zooplankton variables are examined to assess the relative importance of bottom-up (nutrient enrichment) and top-down (fish predation) effects. For each year, the experiments in different locations are treated as replicates in a meta-analysis. Results of individual experiments are then compared in terms of the patterns of significant influences of nutrient addition and fish predation with these overall results (the baseline), and between years in the same location. 3. The overall meta-analysis gave consistent results across the 2 years, with nutrient loading influencing all of the chemical variables, and on average 31% of primary producer and 39% of zooplankton variables. In contrast, fish influenced none of the chemical variables, 11% of the primary producer and 44% of the zooplankton variables. Nutrient effects on the system were thus about three times greater than fish effects, although fish effects were not inconsiderable. 4. The relative importance of nutrients and fish in individual experiments often differed between years at the same location and effects deviated to varying degrees from the baseline. These deviations were treated as measures of consistency (predictability) of conclusions in repeat experiments. Consistency increased southwards and this is interpreted as a consequence of more variable annual weather northwards. 5. The influence of nutrient loading was greater southwards and this was probably manifested through naturally greater annual macrophyte abundance in warmer locations in consequence of the longer plant growing-season. There was no trend in the relative importance of fish effects with latitude but this may partly be an artefact of the simple fish community used. These findings suggest that nutrient control should be a greater priority than biomanipulation in the restoration of eutrophicated shallow lakes in warm temperate regions. 6. Starting conditions affected the outcome of experiments. High initial concentrations of total phosphorus and planktonic chlorophyll a concentration (created by local conditions prior to the experiment) led to de-emphasis of the importance of nutrient loading in the experiment.


Abstract. Weekly cycles in aerosol concentration and corresponding cycles in precipitation have been reported over Europe, but results are conflicting. To obtain a large potential effect of aerosols on precipitation the focus will here be on a highly polluted region on the borders between Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. Meteorological parameters from 30 surface stations in a mix of urban, rural and remote locations were analyzed for the time period 1983–2008, using three different tests: the Kruskal-Wallis test, a spectral analysis and a comparison of the regular 7-day week to constructed 6- and 8-day weeks. A clear and statistically significant weekly cycle will be expected to pass all three tests. Precipitation amount as well as meteorological variables associated with convective conditions, such as the frequency of heavy precipitation events and observations of rain showers, showed two-peak weekly cycles with maxima on Tuesdays and during weekends. The amplitudes of the weekly cycles were in many cases larger for the heavily polluted 1983–1987 period than for the cleaner 2004–2008 period, but were equally often largest in the cleaner period. Moreover, of all the variables, periods and seasons investigated, the weekly cycles were statistically significant only for summertime values of light precipitation frequency and cloud amount, and only by one of the three tests applied (the Kruskal-Wallis test). Conclusively, clear weekly cycles in meteorological variables were not found in this polluted region of Europe.


The meiotic spindle in the oocyte is composed of microtubules and plays an important role during chromosome alignment and separation at meiosis. Polarized light microscopy (PLM) is used as a tool in human and, recently, in farm animals assisted reproductive technologies. PLM could be useful for a non-invasive evaluation of the meiotic spindle. The objectives of the present study were to assess the efficiency of PLM to detect microtubule-polymerized protein within in vitro-matured porcine oocytes and to examine the effects of PLM on the oocyte developmental competence. Cumulus-oocyte complexes from slaughterhouse ovaries were matured in vitro for 42 h as described by Gil et al. (2004 Theriogenology 62, 544-552). In the first experiment, a total of 97 oocytes from 6 replicates were placed individually in 10-μL drops of TCM-199-Hepes-FCS in a glass Petri dish. PLM was used to detect the presence of polymerized protein which could be forming a meiotic spindle. The presence of polymerized protein and a meiotic spindle was confirmed in individual oocytes by inmunostaining and chromatin detection as described by Morato et al. (2008 Mol. Reprod. Dev. 75, 191-201). In the second experiment, a total of 160 oocytes from 4 replicates were exposed or not (controls) to PLM for 10 minutes. Thereafter, the oocytes were parthenogenetically activated and cultured in vitro. Cleavage rate, total blastocyst rate, expanded blastocyst rate on Day 7 and total cell numbers in expanded blastocysts were assessed. Data were analyzed by GLM procedure of SAS. There was a positive correlation (r = 1; P < 0.0001) between the signal obtained by PLM and the presence of microtubule-polymerized protein as confirmed by inmunostaining. A positive PLM signal was detected in 98.9% of the oocytes. A barrel-shape spindle was observed in 94.8% of the individual samples by inmunostaining and all of these oocytes were positive to PLM. Moreover, oocytes exposed to PLM did not differ significantly from controls on cleavage rate (83.7 ± 1.5 v. 84.4 ± 1.5), total blastocyst rate (36.9 ± 3.6 v. 41.2 ± 3.6) and expanded blastocyst rate on Day 7 (21.9 ± 1.7 v. 26.2 ± 1.7), respectively. There were also no differences in total cell numbers counted in expanded blastocysts (32.8 ± 2.6 v. 35.6 ± 2.5). These results indicate that polarized light microscopy did not exert detrimental effects on porcine oocyte developmental competence and it seems an efficient system to detect polymerized protein in in vitro-matured porcine oocytes. Grant support: INIA: RZ2007-00013-00-00. I. Molina, M. Munoz, B. Trigal and D. Martin are sponsored by INIA, RYC08-03454, Cajastur and PTA2007-0268-I, respectively.


This latest edition is the resource for any practicing OB/GYN, family physician, midwife, or pharmacist who prescribes medicinal products to or evaluates environmental or occupational exposures in women who are or may become pregnant. Based on the highly successful seven German editions of this reference, the up-to-date drug listings have been revised into a handy pocket guide color tabbed for quick access to important information. Easy to reference each drug is listed discussing the side effects, general impact on organ systems, potential toxicity, and risks before offering dosage recommendations. It is the only book of its kind to provide conclusive information on treatments for diseases during pregnancy and lactation and actions to be taken after (inadvertant) exposure to drugs suspected to be developmentaly toxic.Unlike other dosage guides, this edition is an affordable, compact compendium of knowledge on the very latest drugs and their effects on pregnant/lactating women. It provides conclusive information on the prevention of birth defects through the safe use of drugs before pregnancy, as well as during pregnancy and lactation. It has essential new information on herbs, vitamins, and nutrition supplements used during pregnancy. It is structured according to indication group, rather than alphabetically, providing a more user-friendly guide that makes it easier to compare drugs. It also includes a conveniently removable 'quick reference' card of most frequently used drugs and their safety.


OBJECTIVE: To analyze physical activity in different domains (work, transportation, housework, and leisure) as a predictor of the absence of frailty. METHODS: An epidemiological cross-sectional study with a random sample of 622 individuals aged > 60 years was carried out in Uberaba, MG, Brazil. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated and compared with physical activity in different domains and the absence of frailty. Cutoffs points of physical activity (minutes/week) were established to predict the absence of frailty. A confidence interval of 95% was established in order to find the largest areas under the ROC curves for work, transportation, household, and leisure. The total physical activity and its domains were assessed by the international physical activity questionnaire. The index of frailty (unintentional weight loss, functional limitation to chair rise, handgrip strength, physical activity, and exhaustion) was based on the study by Fried; the participants were dichotomously classified as not frail and frail. RESULTS: The prevalence of frailty was 19.7% (men) and 20% (women). Physical activity of moderate or vigorous intensity accumulated in different domains for 145 minutes/week for women and 140 minutes/week for men or 85 minutes/week for women and 112.5 minutes/week for men for activities in the leisure domain showed the best cutoff to predict the absence of frailty. CONCLUSION: The practice of physical activity, especially in leisure time or accumulated in different domains, contributes to the prevention of frailty in the elderly.


This paper focuses on the evaluation of regional climate model simulation for Turkey for the 21st century. A regional climate model, ICTP-RegCM3, with 20 km horizontal resolution, is used to downscale the reference and future climate scenario (IPCC-A2) simulations. Characteristics of droughts as well as the crop growth and yields of first- and second-crop corn are then calculated and simulated based on the data produced. The model projects an increase in air temperature of 5 to 7°C during the summer season over the west and an increase of 3.5°C for the winter season for the eastern part of the country. Precipitation is predicted to be 40% less in the southwest, although it may increase by 25% in the eastern part of the Black Sea region and northeastern Turkey. Trends in drought intensity and crop growth are related to climate changes. The results suggest more frequent, intense and long-lasting droughts in the country particularly along the western and southern coasts under future climate conditions. A shift of climate classes towards drier conditions is also projected for the western, southern and central regions during the 21st century. Evaluating the role of the climate change trends in crop production reveals significant decreases in yield and shortened growth seasons for first- and second-crop corn, a likely result of high temperatures and water stresses. In addition to rising temperatures and declining precipitation, increasing frequency, severity and duration of drought events may significantly affect food production and socio-economic conditions in Turkey. Our results may help policy makers and relevant sectors to implement appropriate and timely measures to cope with climate-change-induced droughts and their effects in the future.


Although the instruments and transactions most closely associated with the financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 were novel, the underlying themes that played out in the crisis were familiar from previous episodes: Competitive dynamics resulted in excessive leverage and risk-taking by large, interconnected firms, in heavy reliance on short-term sources of funding to finance long-term and ultimately terribly illiquid positions, and in common exposures being shared by many major financial institutions. Understandably, in the wake of the crisis, financial supervisors and policymakers want to obtain better and earlier indications regarding these critical, and apparently recurring, core vulnerabilities in the financial system. Indeed, gaps in data and analysis, in a sense, defined the shadows in which the "shadow banking system" associated with the buildup in financial risks grew. We agree that more comprehensive real-time data is necessary, but we also emphasize that collecting more data is only part of the process of developing early warning systems. More fundamental, in our view, is the need to use data in a different way--in a way that integrates the ongoing analysis of macro data to identify areas of interest with the development of highly specialized information to illuminate those areas, including the relevant instruments and transactional forms. In this paper, we describe why we are concerned that specifying this second stage generically and prior to processing the first-stage signals will not be fruitful: We can easily imagine specifying ex ante a program of data collection that would look for vulnerabilities in the wrong place, particularly if the actual act of looking by macro- or microprudential supervisors causes the locus of activity to shift into a new shadow somewhere else--something we argue occurred during the buildup of risks ahead of this crisis.


The taxonomic identity of the dinoflagellate cyst genus Polygonifera Habib, 1972 is confirmed, through the recognition of additional morphological characters during the study of specimens from Early-Middle Cretaceous sediments of India. A revised definition of this genus is presented. Leberidocysta Stover & Evitt, 1978 is considered a subjective junior synonym of Polygonifera and its type species Leberidocysta (ex: Hexagonifera) chlamydata (Cookson & Eisenack) is transferred to Polygonifera. The other species placed in Leberidocysta are provisionally reattributed to other genera, becoming Craspedodinium (ex: Hexagonifera) defloccata (Davey), Craspedodinium (ex: Palaeostomocystis) pergamentacea (Burger), Hexagonifera laticaudata Vozzhennikova and Hexagonifera scabrata Jain & Taugourdeau-Lantz. A new species, Polygonifera eisenackii, is described. Morphological differences between the camocavate genera Polygonifera and Dingodinium are clarified.


The number of smartphones in use around the world is increasing daily, as are the apps that are available. Apps are being designed to aid in many aspects of health care practice, including anesthesia, to augment care of patients. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether student registered nurse anesthetist (SRNAs) enrolled in Rhode Island College School of Nursing/ St. Joseph Hospital School of Nurse Anesthesia program were using smartphones routinely in their practice, if they were using anesthesia-specific smartphone applications (apps), and if so, what types of apps they were using. Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations (2003) was the theoretical framework that guided this non-experimental quantitative descriptive study. Following review by the Rhode Island College IRB, 12 participants completed a survey developed by the researcher. Of the respondents, 100% reported using apps to assist in clinical practice, seven participants reported using drug specific apps more than seven times a week, and nine participants reported using apps for case specific information more than seven times a week. The decision to include anesthesia apps as part of a SRNAs clinical practice is one that each clinician must make based on knowledge, experience, and evidence-based care. However, further research is needed to understand the role of smartphone apps in anesthesia care by SRNAs and CRNAs.


The question of how to lead a happy and meaningful life has been at the heart of philosophical debate since time immemorial. Today, however, these questions seem to be addressed not by philosophers but self-help gurus, who frantically champion the individual's quest for self-expression and self-realization; the desire to become authentic. Against these new age sophistries, How to Stop Living and Start Worrying tackles the question of 'how to live' by forcing us to explore our troubling relationship with death. For Critchley, philosophy begins with the question of finitude and with his understanding of a key classical theme - that to philosophize is to learn how to die. Learning how to accept both our own and others' mortality as a part of life also raises the question of how to love. Critchley argues that the act of love requires us to give up something of ourselves, to lose control so as to be open to the demands of love. We will never be equal to this demand and so we are brought face to face with our own limitations - one form of which is what Critchley calls our 'originary inauthenticity'. By scrutinizing the very nature of humour, Critchley explores what we need to laugh at ourselves and presents the need to confront the inescapable ridiculousness of life. Reflecting on the work of over 20 years, this book provides a unique, witty and erudite introduction to the thought of Simon Critchley. It includes a revealing biographical conversation with Critchley and a fascinating debate with the critically acclaimed novelist Tom McCarthy about the nature of authenticity. Taken together the conversations give an intimate portrait of one of the most lucid, provocative and engaging philosophers writing today. (Less)


When C.M. Turnbull's A History of Singapore, 1819-1975 appeared in 1977, it quickly achieved recognition as the definitive history of Singapore. A second edition published in 1989 brought the story up to the elections held in 1988. In this fully revised edition, rewritten to take into account recent scholarship on Singapore, the author has added a chapter on Goh Chok Tong's premiership (1990-2004) and the transition to a government headed by Lee Hsien Loong. The book now ends in 2005, when the Republic of Singapore celebrated its 40th anniversary as an independent nation. Major changes occurred in the 1990s as the generation of leaders that oversaw the transition from a colony to independence stepped aside in favour of a younger generation of leaders. Their task was to shape a course that sustained the economic growth and social stability achieved by their predecessors, and they would be tested towards the end of the decade when Southeast Asia experienced a severe financial crisis. Many modern studies on Singapore focus on current affairs or very recent events and pay a great deal of attention to Singapore's successful transition from the developing to the developed world. However, younger historians are increasingly interested in other aspects of the country's past, particularly social and cultural issues. A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2005 provides a solid foundation and an overarching framework for this research, surveying Singapore's trajectory from a small British port to a major trading and financial hub within the British Empire and finally to the modern city state that Singapore became after gaining independence in 1965.


This theis was conducted in the sector of Chivatos, in the Canton of Olmedo in order to evaluate the effect of artificial feeding with brown sugar and sugar syrup on population trends of the Apis mellifera and on its honey production. Three treatments with five hives were conducted to evaluate each treatment. The hives were Langstroth standard types and Shalom style side bars identified with the letters T and C according to treatment and beehive number respectively, T0 for the control group, T1 for the supplement with sugar syrup, T2 for brown sugar supplement. A completely random experimental design was used and INFOSAT statistical software (version 2012) was employed to conduct variance analysis and comparison means test (Tukey). The variables evaluated were: colony size supported by: the number of Frames with Abundant Bees (FAB), Brood Frames (BF), Presence of Queen (PQ) and Honey Reserves (HR) and Pollen Reserves (PR); and the second variable was the feed intake per hive (Lt kg brown sugar and sugar syrup), honey production (HP / Lt) and profitability of treatments. There were significant findings (P <0.05) for the sugar syrup supplement over the size of the hive with respect to the FAB of T1 over T2 and T0. With respect to the BF there was a numerical difference between T1 and T2 but compared to T0 it was highly significant (P <0.05); and with respect to the HP, T1 demonstrated the highest production with a total of 71 Lt, followed by T2 with 61 Lt and T0 with 30 Lt. Based on these results, it was therefore concluded that the sugar syrup (T1 ) together with proper management, was indeed recommended to feed to the bees during the critical period and as a stimulant for the development of the colony, thus obtaining better production during nectar flow. T1 produced 69.6% profitability ratio in comparison to T2 which achieved 59.6% and T0 with a return of 34.5%.

Keywords: Queen, Breeding, Colony, Feeding, Management


Biochemical Analysis deals with a number of techniques used to analyse substances within living cells and the chemical processes that are associated with it. Technologies that stem from biochemical analysis include the engineering of microfluidic devices and other instrumentation that enable scientists to obtain information from assays in a laboratory environment. These methods however, involve the use of complex and precise machinery in their manufacturing, and are not always available in a resource-limited laboratory. This thesis comprises an extensive study in small liquid volume measurement specifically in the context of capillarity, fluorescence and optical microscopy. Robust novel designs, methods and concepts have been researched and are presented here for their viable use. Dynamic flow was investigated through coverslip fluidics under a controlled environment and through the generation of a squeeze flow. A microfluidic channel was constructed to be used in conjunction with an optical microscope for the viewing of flagellate algal cells, and a squeeze flow generation between a microscope slide and circular coverslip was found to be effective for collection of various preconcentrated samples. Additionally, a simple method to measure the contact angle in a capillary tube was developed by lighting up its corresponding meniscus with an LED. Fluorescent liquid sensing and detecting was done through the use of the capillary wells microplate and optical fibre light guide approaches. Standard wells of a microplate were substituted for capillary tubes enabling meniscus and bubble formation errors to be eliminated, and the use of light guide optical fibres placed in very close proximity to a fluorescent droplet, enhanced measurement sensitivity. Microplate technology was also studied and a transparency based microplate was developed. This design resulted in higher fluorescent intensity readings to a standard microplate and was due to liquids contained in incised wells adopting a convex meniscus form. Mixing was also accomplished in a microplate well by inserting a superhydrophobic rod at the centre of a droplet. Finally, a liquid between two glass rods microplate was established with the added benefits of mixing, fluorescent measuring and integration on to lab-on-a-chip (LOC) devices. Two glass rods were placed in parallel with one another and a fluorescent liquid was dispensed between them and held in place by capillary forces. By inserting an optical fibre (attached to an LED) into one of the capillary tubes, fluorescent readings were obtained with an optical microscope and through mechanical actuation, complete homogeneous mixing was achieved through the coalescence of droplets. Additionally, an open analyte system and prospects of a dynamic system suggested potential for integration on to LOC devices.


A large variety of organic and inorganic compounds may be found in wastewater which can contribute to environmental contamination. Oxidation processes with ozone (O3; O3/UV; O3/H2O2; O3/TiO2; O3/Mn+2) and the use of ozone in the pre- or post-treatment of wastewater combined with biological processes has been extensively studied for the treatment of effluents. The aim of this work was to evaluate the potential of the ozonation process in the treatment of several industrial wastewaters, namely effluents from paper mills, and textile, whey (dairy industry), pharmaceutic sand pesticides plants.


The reasonable certainty of no harm is the ultimate principle upon which all pesticides should be registered and regulated.
There is a multitude of reasons or causations that explains any appreciable human-health and environmental impact of pesticides beyond this principle. This review will only shed some light on these causations, but focus mainly on a misconception-based regulatory policy. The wrong assumption of treating adjuvants as inert materials leads regulatory authorities - worldwide - to assess the risk of exposure to 'pesticide formulation(s)' based on hazard data for its 'active ingredient alone'. Glyphosate is used in this review to prove the erroneousness and danger of this regulatory policy.

Shortly, the regulatory-set acceptable daily intake (ADI) of glyphosate 'alone' is 4-5 orders of magnitudes more hazardous when used within the context of its formulation(s) to which people are actually exposed. This erroneous policy, in addition to the recent findings which indicate that glyphosate is an endocrine disruptor with an epigenetic potential, make regulatory authorities responsible and accountable for any epigenetic harms caused by this herbicide. Unfortunately, epigenetic cases are not genuinely covered by the current legal systems; thus harmed or disadvantaged people may not have recourse to legal action. For example, under the tort law pesticide-related epigenetic cases will be lost in the context of statutory limits, liability dilution, victim attenuation, and lack of documented proofs for the cause-effect relationship. The most serious crime of pesticide epigenesis is that people may lose their lives for no good reason except that they were the descendants of those who had been exposed some years or decades ago to epigenetically-active pesticides. It is important that the tort law be amended to properly handle future claims of regulatory miscalculated risk and epigenetic effects of pesticides.

Equilibrium between harm discovery rules, statue limitations, and statute of repose must be reached to assure:
1. Litigation and stale claims of allegedly epigenetic harm over years or decades after memories have faded and witnesses
have disappeared; and
2. Economic environment is reasonably secure to support vibrant development of plant protection business.


The electronic, structural, and hyperfine properties of pure and Cd-doped lanthanide (Ln) sesquioxides with the cubic bixbyite structure (Ln${}_{2}$O${}_{3}$, Ln ranging from La to Lu) have been studied using the full-potential augmented plane wave plus local orbital (APW+lo) method within the local spin density approximation (LSDA) and the Coulomb-corrected LSDA+$U$. In the case of the pure systems, our calculations show that LSDA+$U$ gives a better representation of the band structure compared to LSDA. The predicted equilibrium structures and the electric field gradient (EFG) tensor at Ln sites were calculated and compared with those obtained by means of hyperfine techniques and with theoretical results obtained in In${}_{2}$O${}_{3}$, Sc${}_{2}$O${}_{3}$, and Lu${}_{2}$O${}_{3}$ reported in the literature. The origin of the EFG at Ln sites and the role played by the 4$f$ electrons on this quantity are discussed. In the case of the Cd-doped systems, the APW+lo method (also within LSDA and LSDA+$U$) was applied to treat the electronic structure of the doped system. The role of the Ln 4$f$ electrons on the EFG at Cd impurity sites, and other variables like structural distortions induced by the Cd impurity, were investigated in detail and are discussed and compared with available experimental results. An excellent agreement between the experimental and calculated EFGs was found for all Cd-doped systems.