Abstract Understanding how shallow reservoirs store and redirect magma is critical for deciphering the relationship between surface and subsurface volcanic activity on the terrestrial planets. Complementing field, laboratory and remote sensing analyses, elastic models provide key insights into the mechanics of magma reservoir inflation and rupture, and hence into commonly observed volcanic phenomena including edifice growth, circumferential intrusion, radial dyke swarm emplacement and caldera formation. Based on finite element model results, the interplay between volcanic elements – such as magma reservoir geometry, host rock environment (with an emphasis on understanding how host rock pore pressure assumptions affect model predictions), mechanical layering, and edifice loading with and without flexure – dictates the overpressure required for rupture, the location and orientation of initial fracturing and intrusion, and the associated surface uplift. Model results are either insensitive to, or can readily incorporate, material and parameter variations characterizing different planetary environments, and they also compare favourably with predictions derived from rheologically complex, time-dependent formulations for a surprisingly diverse array of volcanic scenarios. These characteristics indicate that elastic models are a powerful and useful tool for exploring many fundamental questions in planetary volcanology.


Aerosol particle number concentrations have been measured at Halley and Neumayer on the Antarctic coast, since 2004 and 1984, respectively. Sulphur compounds known to be implicated in particle formation and growth were independently measured: sulphate ions and methane sulphonic acid in filtered aerosol samples and gas phase dimethyl sulphide for limited periods. Iodine oxide, IO, was determined by a satellite sensor from 2003 to 2009 and by different ground‐based sensors at Halley in 2004 and 2007. Previous model results and midlatitude observations show that iodine compounds consistent with the large values of IO observed may be responsible for an increase in number concentrations of small particles. Coastal Antarctica is useful for investigating correlations between particles, sulphur, and iodine compounds, because of their large annual cycles and the source of iodine compounds in sea ice. After smoothing all the measured data by several days, the shapes of the annual cycles in particle concentration at Halley and Neumayer are approximated by linear combinations of the shapes of sulphur compounds and IO but not by sulphur compounds alone. However, there is no short‐term correlation between IO and particle concentration. The apparent correlation by eye after smoothing but not in the short term suggests that iodine compounds and particles are sourced some distance offshore. This suggests that new particles formed from iodine compounds are viable, i.e., they can last long enough to grow to the larger particles that contribute to cloud condensation nuclei, rather than being simply collected by existing particles. If so, there is significant potential for climate feedback near the sea ice zone via the aerosol indirect effect.


In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a unitary reliance on Land Mobile Radio systems (LMRs) failed public safety agencies, leaving them without any source of communications once they lost transmission capability. Unfortunately, in the wake of this tragedy, many have dusted off traditional prescriptions for improving public safety communications, such as more dedicated spectrum and more money for single-purpose LMRs (or LMRs based on technology that fails to facilitate broader functionalities). As we explain, however, both the needs underscored by Katrina and the capabilities made possible by emerging technologies call for a different strategy. In this paper, we argue that sound policy favors adoption of a next generation flexible architecture strategy for public safety communications. Such a flexible architecture embraces technological convergence and, accordingly, strives to coordinate existing LMRs, commercial terrestrial services, satellite technology, and wireless broadband systems to provide a robust, reliable, secure, and interoperable broadband communications system. Additionally, this approach would take advantage of "multi-mode" radios which are already a reality in most segments of the marketplace (except for public safety). Such multi-mode radios are expected to be even more robust once the recently authorized "ancillary terrestrial component" (ATC) of mobile satellite services becomes an option for public safety agencies. Notably, the flexible architecture that we advocate does not necessarily require additional spectrum dedicated for public safety agencies nor prohibitive financial investment in the equipment needed to use spectrum effectively. Rather, public safety agencies can leverage networks provided by commercial providers - particularly hybrid satellite and terrestrial systems - to satisfy many public safety needs in a cost-effective fashion. To advance this vision, policymakers should ensure that (1) satellite and terrestrial providers are afforded the opportunity - through pro-market and innovative spectrum policies - to develop effective offerings for public safety agencies; and (2) public safety agencies receive sufficient financial support to promote this type of a hybrid, next generation architecture.


Most of the existing crowd models were designed for specific behaviors or scenarios (e.g., emergency evacuations and bi‐directional crowd flows). Significant modifications were often required to accommodate new behaviors or new scenarios. This article proposed a generic crowd model with the flexibility to incorporate different behaviors under different scenarios. At the higher level of the proposed crowd model, the agent‐based modeling method was used to enable the individual heterogeneity and decision making. At the lower level, a unified mechanism to represent the effects of different individual behaviors was introduced. A core formula with seven generic parameters (i.e., agent's position, target's position, behavior angle, effect of base speed, agent factor, target factor, and distance factor) has been developed to form the basis of the unified mechanism. This article also presented a Behavior Library that consisted of a set of basic behaviors that were able to construct complex behaviors through their combinations. To demonstrate the capability of the model in various scenarios, the following simulations have been implemented and discussed: queuing at an exit, bi‐directional pedestrian walk flow, evacuation in a building, and consensus decision making in a large group.


Latinos are the largest minority group in the US and childhood obesity is a huge problem for that group mostly because of the easy access to unhealthy and high-calorie dense foods and lack of opportunities and willingness for exercise. The rates of obesity among Latino adolescents (12-19 years old) are 22.8% which is the higher rates of obesity among all adolescent groups in the country.
We investigated the association between Body Mass Index (BMI) in Latino adolescents and demographical and social factors such as family income, geographic location, parental education, gender, the language of interview, family size, and household structure. Participants in this research study were Latino adolescents between the ages of 13-17 years who lived with single mothers, single fathers, married, and unmarried couples, step-parent, or with extra adults in the home. Household structure has been shown to be related to childhood obesity in the general population, but data is limited for adolescents and nonexistent for Latinos. Responses from 2008-2015 were collected in the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and then multiple NHIS surveys have been combined into one system called the Integrated Health Interview Survey (IHIS) from which we obtained data. Bivariate analysis at first showed some association between household structure and BMI, but in the final model, the association disappeared in favor of the other covariates, mostly education and income. In families with parents who had at least a college degree, children had 48% lower odds of becoming obese. Also, after controlling for all the potential confounding variables, females had 18% lower odds of being obese compared to males.
Therefore, interventions to this Latino population should be targeted to increase opportunities for education for Latino parents, incorporating messages about weight management and the importance of having a normal BMI for children.


Despite systemic therapy and cystectomy, bladder cancer is characterized by a high recurrence rate. Serum glycomics represents a promising source of prognostic markers for monitoring patients. Our approach, which we refer to as "glycan node analysis", constitutes the first example of molecularly "bottom-up" glycomics. It is based on a global glycan methylation analysis procedure that is applied to whole blood plasma/serum. The approach detects and quantifies partially methylated alditol acetates arising from unique glycan features such as α2–6 sialylation, β1–4 branching, and core fucosylation that have been pooled together from across all intact glycans within a sample into a single GC-MS chromatographic peak. We applied this method to 122 plasma samples from former and current bladder cancer patients (n = 72 former cancer patients with currently no evidence of disease (NED); n = 38 non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients; and n = 12 muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients) along with plasma from 30 certifiably healthy living kidney donors. Markers for α2–6 sialylation, β1–4 branching, β1–6 branching, and outer-arm fucosylation were able to separate current and former (NED) cases from certifiably healthy controls (ROC curve c-statistics ~ 0.80); but NED, NMIBC, and MIBC were not distinguished from one another. Based on the unexpectedly high levels of these glycan nodes in the NED patients, we hypothesized that recurrence of this disease could be predicted by some of the elevated glycan features. Indeed, α2–6 sialylation and β1–6 branching were able to predict recurrence from the NED state using a Cox proportional hazards regression model adjusted for age, gender, and time from cancer. The levels of these two glycan features were correlated to C-reactive protein concentration, an inflammation marker and known prognostic indicator for bladder cancer, further strengthening the link between inflammation and abnormal plasma protein glycosylation.


Lebanon's unique political system and its laissez-faire political economy took shape during the period between the two great wars. Based on hitherto unstudied material, this work examines the inter- and intra-sectarian relations in Lebanon against the backdrop of the conflicting pressures from Damascus and Paris, the stands of the Christians and Muslims towards the Lebanese state, the ideological and political trends that emerged within each community and the rise of the political and economic elites in Beirut. It also analyzes Lebanese politics in the wider context of the Franco-Syrian confrontation, France's Middle East policy, the roots of Syria's hostility towards the Lebanese state and the attempts of its leaders to link it politically to Syria.


HIV-1 strains that use CCR5 predominate after transmission and during the asymptomatic period of disease. However, in up to half of infected people, variants that use CXCR4 emerge, coincident with accelerated disease progression. The earliest CXCR4 using strains to appear, called R5X4 viruses, usually retain CCR5 use. Prototype R5X4 HIV-1 isolates infect macrophages using CCR5 and CXCR4, but CD4+ lymphocyte infection by these viruses is mediated predominantly by CXCR4. Here, we sought to identify obstacles to CCR5 use on CD4+ lymphocytes by R5X4 HIV-1. Using a panel of R5X4 Envs we found that, although CXCR4 was the predominant coreceptor used to infect CD4+ lymphocytes, there was a spectrum of CCR5 use. Greater CCR5 use on lymphocytes correlated with relative resistance to inhibition by CCR5 mAbs and small molecule antagonists in CCR5+ indicator cells. Increasing CCR5 expression on primary lymphocytes through cytokine stimulation or lentiviral transduction increased the proportion of entry mediated by CCR5 for all R5X4 isolates except 89.6. Env dependence on CCR5 density was then evaluated using a cell line in which levels of CD4 and CCR5 could be independently regulated. At non-limiting CD4 levels, strains with greater lymphocyte CCR5 use were better able to exploit limiting levels of CCR5, whereas those that used lymphocyte CCR5 poorly were more sensitive to reductions in CCR5 levels. Evaluation of the V3 sequences of the R5X4 viruses using algorithms that ... Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Cell & Molecular Biology First Advisor Ronald G. Collman


The objective of this study was to develop principles and practices which could improve the efficiency and reliability of alpine ski equipment rental facilities operating in compliance with ASTM or ISO rental standards. Tests were conducted using a commercially available device to measure the release moments of boot/binding combinations, with contact areas between boot and binding alternately in clean and lubricated conditions. Bindings were also tested in combination with a test sole adjustable for length. The study provided a measure of the variability of the components of the release system and an estimate of the system variability experienced by rental facilities using various inspection, maintenance, and dispatch procedures. It also produced guidelines for reducing the need for applying correction factors to the release indicator scales of bindings in the rental inventory. Among 60 boot/binding combinations the study found that the difference between clean and lubricated tests ranged from 0% to 34% with an overall average difference of 7%, half that observed twenty years ago. The difference in tests comparing actual boots in a lubricated condition with a test sole of the same length in a lubricated condition ranged from +3 Nm to −3 Nm with a mean and standard deviation of less than 1 Nm, a fraction of differences noted in years past. However, release value selection tables currently in common use do not accurately reflect the relationship between boot sole length, release indicator value, and the target release torque. The study found the indicator value displayed in 64 % of the most commonly used cells in these charts varied from the optimal by release indicator increments ranging from −0.5 to +2.5. The release characteristics of modern alpine rental boot/binding combinations are more predictable and reliable than ten or twenty years ago. However, inspection, maintenance, and dispatch procedures currently in use do not take full advantage of these capabilities. A simple procedure exists for the routine documentation of boot/binding compatibility so that rental procedures can be updated to reflect the true characteristics of contemporary rental products and thereby minimize the potential for time-consuming correction procedures and improve the release retention performance of equipment dispatched to the rental customer.


Cognitive technology is an increasingly important form of technology that can deal with meaning by either replicating or simulating human cognition. Cognitive technology can make use of information technology, but it strives to go beyond mere information processing by recognizing, changing, and creating meaning. This presents us with a two-sided challenge: On the one hand, cognitive technology is challenged to "understand" meaning in ordinary language. And on the other, it challenges us to rethink fundamental questions of human cognition and sense-making. Both challenges demand a better understanding of the difference between the technical transformation of symbols and the understanding of meaning in the ordinary sense. After explaining the topic in relation to both the insights and the limitations of the reflections by Turing, Searle, and Heidegger, this paper primarily builds on Wittgenstein's contributions to a better understanding of the difference between two conceptions of meaning and their implications for technical replication and simulation. The paper shows that Wittgenstein developed his early calculus account of meaning into that of language games and that language games not only come in many different varieties, but are also much more flexible than calculi. Of particular interest will be the difference between rigid and creative rule-following. Creative rule-following involves an intricate interplay of very different bodily, mental, and cultural constituents, so that its simulation is not merely a technical problem but also requires clarification of a number of profound philosophical questions. It will become clear that the challenge of cognitive technology shows up at unexpected places and that is much bigger than usually assumed. 1 Christoph Durt, Institute of Philosophy, University of Vienna, Austria; email@example.com/www.durt.de


Electronic Commerce (e-commerce) has become the trendy tools for businesses all around the world nowadays. Ever since 1970's, we have seen tremendous growth of e-commerce. However, with the growth in trade across border thru e-commerce there are arguments that the tax system is conventional to the 21st century technologies. Evidently, referring to the guideline on taxation of electronic commerce produce by the Inland Revenue Board on 1 January 2013, (Sec 4, Subsection 4.1) "There are no specific provisions under the ITA 1967 which address e-commerce transactions. Therefore, the general provisions and interpretations of the ITA 1967 will be applicable". Existing tax rules are designed for a face-to-face conventional interaction scenario between customer and supplier. New development of business method triggered the important of imposing taxes on profitable income. Cyberspace trading and cross border trading are engaged in a trade without having a physical presence which has altered the normality of conventional tax rule, which is the recognition of physical existence (permanent establishment). This has led the government in many countries to face a new challenge of tax problems i.e. loss of tax revenue. The aim of this study (i) is to determine whether the conventional tax regime adequately supports the proliferation of e-commerce; (ii) to discover existing and emerging problems in e-commerce to the present taxpayers, tax agents and tax administrators and (iii) to investigate potential challenges to the tax system as a result of the expansion in e-commerce. This study is based on primary data from the questionnaires handed over to a group of sample from the officers' Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (IRBM), academicians, tax payer and tax practitioners.


How did socialism come to be an increasingly legitimate political option in the United States? Why did Bernie Sanders emerge as a serious candidate for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, but ultimately fail to become the nominee? This analysis incorporates a cyclical theory of the presidency and evaluates pertinent changes in American political cultural opinions, social attitudes and economic trends, using historic data and 2016 election-cycle opinion polls and statistics. Increased receptiveness toward socialism and Bernie Sanders in 2016 occured due to the convergence of widespread economic hardship and discontent, and a desire for nontraditional political alternatives. There was not an overt increase in support for socialism. Similarly, standard electoral factors, and Sanders' pursuit of a style of presidential authority and leadership that was ill-suited for the current political climate, were to blame for his loss in the nomination process.


In this study, we examined the ordering of 2D colloidal particle monolayer structures formed atop polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEM) constructed by layer-by-layer deposition. We focused on the interactions between the particles and the substrate surface by changing the top layer of PEMs, along with the fabrication procedure for the PEMs. For PEMs prepared by rinsing with pure water in the fabrication process, the 2D assembly of negatively charged colloidal spheres exhibited a disordered state for positively charged PEM surfaces, whereas a well-ordered structure was formed on a negatively charged surface. Investigations with a colloid-probe atomic force microscope technique revealed that the friction force between the colloid and substrate at a zero load condition strongly affects the ordering state of the particle monolayers for relatively rigid surfaces. However, swollen PEM surfaces that were prepared by rinsing the layers with a salt solution rendered disordering of the colloidal monolayer for both positively and negatively charged surfaces and shifted to a less ordered state as the number of polyelectrolyte layers increased. For the salt-rinsed PEMs, we found that the range of the steric force of the PEMs rather than the friction force appears to be critical for the ordering of the 2D colloidal assemblies. For such swollen PEMs, we consider that the entanglement of the polymers to the colloidal particles invokes the hindrance of the particle ordering in the 2D colloidal assembly formation even though electrostatic repulsion between the colloids and the polymer layer takes place.


Hong Kong lies on the SE margin of the Cathaysia Block and straddles the NE-trending Lianhuashan Fault Zone, one of the dominant structural features of SE China. Isotope signatures of the Mesozoic granites have indicated that the zone overlies a major crustal discontinuity. The proposed gravity model of Hong Kong consists of a heterogeneous upper crust underlain by middle to lower crust composed of a felsic Archaean segment, approximately 25 km wide, flanked by more mafic Proterozoic crust. The southern boundary of the felsic segment dips steeply to the north, whereas the northern boundary is subvertical. Euler gravity anomalies define the fundamental faults in the upper crust, and many of these can be correlated with faults that have been mapped at surface. The middle to lower crustal discontinuities are considered to be associated with a major shear zone within the Cathaysia Block that has similar dimensions to transcratonic structures in other Precambrian shield areas. The geological development of Hong Kong and neighbouring SE China has largely been controlled by periodic reactivation of this deep crustal shear zone since the late Neoproterozoic.


Financial crises tend to be followed by a protracted period of debt reduction in the nonfinancial private sector. We find that a period of debt reduction followed 17 out of 20 systemic banking crises that were preceded by surges in credit. Debt/GDP ratios fell by an average of 38 percentage points, returning to approximately the levels seen before the increase. If history is any guide, we should expect to see a much more significant reduction in private sector debt, particularly of households, than has so far taken place after the recent crisis. The costs of this process in forgone output are difficult to pin down, but there are reasons to believe that they need not be high provided that the banking sector problems that led to the crisis are fixed.


An international conference on education, professional development and ethical values is the ideal place to make a panorama, unavoidably subjective, of the main trends in Romanian public and institutional morality, and the way we could influence its evolution. First, let me design a general framework for my subject. Two researchers (Rossouw and van Vuuren) elaborated a study where they endeavour to offer a scale of moral development of institutional morality in five stages. 1) The first was labelled "immorality phase" (having as defining slogan "Immoral conduct is the most profitable activity" or "The business-men's goal is profit, not the soul of his employees"). 2) The second was called "reactive stage" (its slogan is: "Let's create the impression that we have some interest towards ethics; in reality, we don't need it"). This sort of mentality is accompanied by a plethora of formal ethics codes and ethics committees – never used professionally - as well as by the tendency to substitute the term "ethics" with the more comforting one of "integrity".3) the third stage is designated as the "compliance phase". (At this level ethical conduct is assured by giving moral rules and punishments). 4) The following stage is that of "integrity" (the ethical conduct isn't assured anymore trough regulation, but by creating an institutional climate and guiding-values favourable to morality). 5) The last stage is that of "full integration" (in this case the integration of ethics within organization's life is organic, its presence being perceptible in organization's strategies, internal operational fluxes & in relation with stakeholders). Assuming all risks, I shall extrapolate this institutional model to society at large. I will ask you in which phase of moral maturation the Romanian society of today is? I will say that we are somewhere between the first and the second stage. We indulge in praising our "traditions" without improving them; we do not hesitate to claim that we are the most "pure" people on this planet, but in the same time, some of us horrify Europe by their immoral behaviour; we like to say that morality is an important thing but we do nothing to study and manage it to diminish the moral risks of immoral behavior.


Improving the environmental life cycle performance of buildings by focusing on the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions along the building life cycle is considered a crucial step in achieving global climate targets. This paper provides a systematic review and analysis of 75 residential case studies in humid subtropical and tropical climates. The study investigates GHG emissions across the building life cycle, i.e., it analyses both embodied and operational GHG emissions. Furthermore, the influence of various parameters, such as building location, typology, construction materials and energy performance, as well as methodological aspects are investigated. Through comparative analysis, the study identifies promising design strategies for reducing life cycle-related GHG emissions of buildings operating in subtropical and tropical climate zones. The results show that life cycle GHG emissions in the analysed studies are mostly dominated by operational emissions and are the highest for energy-intensive multi-family buildings. Buildings following low or net-zero energy performance targets show potential reductions of 50–80% for total life cycle GHG emissions, compared to buildings with conventional energy performance. Implementation of on-site photovoltaic (PV) systems provides the highest reduction potential for both operational and total life cycle GHG emissions, with potential reductions of 92% to 100% and 48% to 66%, respectively. Strategies related to increased use of timber and other bio-based materials present the highest potential for reduction of embodied GHG emissions, with reductions of 9% to 73%.


Until recently, optimization was regarded as a discipline of rather theoretical interest, with limited real-life applicability due to the computational or experimental expense involved. Practical multiobjective optimization was considered almost as an utopia even in academic studies due to the multiplication of this expense. This paper discusses the idea of using surrogate models for multiobjective optimization. With recent advances in grid and parallel computing more companies are buying inexpensive computing clusters that can work in parallel. This allows, for example, efficient fusion of surrogates and finite element models into a multiobjective optimization cycle. The research presented here demonstrates this idea using several response surface methods on a pre-selected set of test functions. We aim to show that there are number of techniques which can be used to tackle difficult problems and we also demonstrate that a careful choice of response surface methods is important when carrying out surrogate assisted multiobjective search.


Multicomponent Fe(II)-iminopyridine-based self-assemblies have been synthesized with variably sized internal functionality. Larger internal functions provide increased strain to the complex and confer diastereocontrol upon the assembly process. Complete diastereocontrol is possible upon the introduction of large achiral groups on the cavity interior.


Incentives, such as the Feed-in-tariff are expected to lead to continuous increase in the deployment of Small Scale Embedded Generation (SSEG) in the distribution network. Self-Excited Induction Generators (SEIG) represent a significant segment of potential SSEG. The quality of SEIG output voltage magnitude and frequency is investigated in this paper to support the SEIG operation for different network operating conditions. The dynamic behaviour of the SEIG resulting from disconnection, reconnection from/to the grid and potential operation in islanding mode is studied in detail. The local load and reactive power supply are the key factors that determine the SEIG performance, as they have significant influence on the voltage and frequency change after disconnection from the grid. Hence, the aim of this work is to identify the optimum combination of the reactive power supply (essential for self excitation of the SEIG) and the active load (essential for balancing power generation and demand). This is required in order to support the SEIG operation after disconnection from the grid, during islanding and reconnection to the grid. The results show that the generator voltage and speed (frequency) can be controlled and maintained within the statuary limits. This will enable safe disconnection and reconnection of the SEIG from/to the grid and makes it easier to operate in islanding mode.


We examined the effect of shrinkage on Na(+)-H+ exchange in single muscle fibers at intracellular pH (pHi) values of 6.8, 7.2, and 7.6 using pH microelectrodes and internal dialysis. Under normotonic conditions (975 mosmol/kgH2O) at pHi 6.8, the amiloride-sensitive acid-extrusion rate (JAmil/s) averaged 17 microM/min. Exposure to hypertonic solutions (1,600 mosmol/kgH2O) increased JAmil/s to 304 microM/min at pHi 6.8. At pHi approximately 7.2 and 7.6, hypertonicity increased JAmil/s from approximately 0 to approximately 172 microM/min (pHi 7.2) and approximately 0 to approximately 90 microM/min (pHi 7.6). Thus, under normotonic conditions, Na(+)-H+ exchange activity is slight at pHi approximately 6.8 and virtually nil at higher pHi values. Shrinkage stimulated Na(+)-H+ exchange, more at low pHi values. We also examined the Cl- dependence of the Na(+)-H+ exchanger's response to shrinkage. Our results indicate that shrinkage-induced activation of Na(+)-H+ exchange requires Cl-, specifically intracellular Cl-. These results establish that shrinkage is both pHi dependent and requires intracellular Cl-.


For many aggregate mining facilities, the stockpile is the preferred method of storing rock. In many aggregate mines, as well as other mines using stockpiling techniques, understanding the timing and flow of particles through a stockpile is important for correctly timing samples, making proper process adjustments and overall stockpile safety. Because much of the research of today lacks important information regarding actual interior particle movement within a stockpile, a series of Real Time Distribution (RTD) analyses and stockpile flow models have been prepared and analyzed for this study in order to better understand the flow characteristics of a stockpile. A series of three RTD analyses performed on three separate stockpiles provides information leading to the assumption that stockpiles tend to operate similar to a plug flow system. While conveyor loading techniques may lead to separation of rocks prior to traveling through the stockpile, the majority of the rock particles entering the pile remain near the point of entry, or within the "action" area, and will travel through the pile in a plug flow, rather than a mixed flow, manner. High Peclet number results for each analysis prove this assumption to be accurate. A series of models on three separate stockpiles have been created using PFC3d. Mainly, the simulations prove PFC3d is capable of showing how stockpile particles move in three dimensions while monitoring specific particles within the pile. In addition, these models provided simulation results similar to the results obtained within the RTD analyses. Results show that particles located directly above the discharge point, or "action" area, travel through the pile at a faster rate than particles surrounding this area. Velocity results obtained from the simulations show particles accelerating as they get closer to the discharge points while also providing evidence of "arching" during the simulation process. These findings provide a better understanding of internal flow within the stockpile and ways to possibly predict future stockpile flow issues that may be encountered.


It has been argued and empirically documented that with a looming financial crisis, the risk-reward trade-off of market participant changes, resulting in a decrease in market sentiment. Traders flock towards less risky securities which drives the returns of such securities higher. In this paper, based on a methodology developed by Persaud [1996], by correlating the riskiness and returns of securities in various international equity markets, an index to measure the sentiment of market participants is constructed. We use the breaking point of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy as the onset of the financial crisis in 2008. We track the market sentiment that we construct in months leading to the bankruptcy. We find that while market sentiment was high at the beginning of the year it started declining drastically many months prior to the bankruptcy, indicating that market participants were behaving as if a financial crises was approaching. Market sentiment remains low in a few months after the crisis, shows some improvement thereafter in anticipation of policies to address the crisis, but still remains depressed as compared to pre-crisis levels as policy makers struggle to formulate regulatory changes. The findings in this paper are consistent with an emerging strand of finance literature [see, e.g., Bezemer, 2009] which disputes the notion that the financial crisis could not be foreseen. Market participants were convinced of the impending crisis and were behaving in a manner consistent with that, even when policy makers and senior executives the financial services seemed oblivious. Page 3 of 19 –Financial Crises and Investor Sentiment Bandopadhyaya and Truong


Microsomal prostaglandin synthase (EC 220.127.116.11) from rabbit kidney medulla was assayed with [5,6,8,9,11,12,14,15-3H]and [1-14C]-arachidonic acid as the substrate. The ratios of prostaglandin F2. to prostaglandin E2 and to prostaglandin D2 were determined by both 3H and 14C labelling. When 3H was used as a label the ratios were much higher than with 14C labelling indicating that the removal ofhydrogen at C-9 or C-11 was the ratelimiting step in the biosynthesis of prostaglandin E2 or prostaglandin D2. This finding shows that the octatritiated arachidonic acid is not the appropriate substrate marker for studying the regulation of the synthesis of different prostaglandins by various agents. When the enzyme assay was carried out in the presence of SnCl2, which was capable of accumulating exclusively prostaglandin F2. at the expenses of prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin D2, the addition of L-adrenaline to the microsomal fraction either alone or with reduced glutathione equally stimulated the formation of prostaglandin F2a, whereas the addition of reduced glutathione to the microsomal fraction either alone or with Ladrenaline produced no additional effect. Theseresults suggest that endoperoxide is formed as thecommon intermediate for the biosynthesis ofthree different prostaglandins in rabbit kidney medulla, and that L-adrenaline stimulates the synthesis of endoperoxide, whereas reduced glutathione facilitates the formation of prostaglandins from endoperoxide.


In repeated stochastic games (RSGs), an agent must quickly adapt to the behavior of previously unknown associates, who may themselves be learning. This machine-learning problem is particularly challenging due, in part, to the presence of multiple (even infinite) equilibria and inherently large strategy spaces. In this paper, we introduce a method to reduce the strategy space of two-player general-sum RSGs to a handful of expert strategies. This process, called MEGA, effectually reduces an RSG to a bandit problem. We show that the resulting strategy space preserves several important properties of the original RSG, thus enabling a learner to produce robust strategies within a reasonably small number of interactions. To better establish strengths and weaknesses of this approach, we empirically evaluate the resulting learning system against other algorithms in three different RSGs.


In this paper, we will discuss metaphors based on some semantic domains such as codes, threats, pride and so on, in two Tibeto-Burman languages, Dimasa and Rabha. An example of a Dimasa metaphor of threat is illustrated here. The literal meaning of daudI daInba is "cutting of egg" while the figurative meaning is 'killing somebody with spell'. The vehicle here is 'cutting of egg' which is similar in meaning to the topic 'killing somebody'. Nowadays, in Dimasa society, this is used to threaten somebody indirectly so that, that threatened person will not bother him again. In Rabha, a metaphor of pride kumpak kut∫uŋ literally means 'enlarging somebody's nose', whose figurative meaning is 'flattery and self-pride'. This is used when a person is flattered by another. In this example, the vehicle is 'enlarging somebody's nose' and the topic is 'pride'. Morphological processes and a comparative study of the metaphors in these two languages will be discussed here besides their socio-cultural relevance in the present world.


This study scrutinizes the relationship between language and ideology and how such relationship is represented in the analysis of texts, following Systemic Functional Linguistics and transitivity analysis developed by M.A.K. Halliday. It shows that news structures are working apparatuses of ideology and store meanings which are not always obviously recognized by the readers. Through a comparative analysis of two Yemeni English newspapers with seemingly opposing ideologies, the study uncovers how these ideologies are represented in a different way in these printed media with regards to southern demonstrations in 2009. Though both newspapers are not with those seeking secession, the study aims to reveal how the two newspapers represent events to serve its purpose and ideology, blaming some for such actions. It also shows that these printed materials highly mystify the agency of processes by using various strategies such as nominalization and passivization. That is to say, critical text analyses reveal how the choices used by writers enable them to manipulate the realizations of agency and power in the representation of action to produce particular meanings that are not always explicit for all readers. Such analysis will reveal and unmask the hidden ideologies


Abstract Due to climate change, the ranges of many North American tree species are expected to shift northward. Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall) reaches its northern continuous distributional limit in northeastern North America at the transition between boreal mixed‐wood and temperate deciduous forests. We hypothesized that marginal fragmented northern populations from the boreal mixed wood would have a distinct pattern of genetic structure and diversity. We analyzed variation at 18 microsatellite loci from 23 populations distributed along three latitudinal transects (west, central, and east) that encompass the continuous–discontinuous species range. Each transect was divided into two zones, continuous (temperate deciduous) and discontinuous (boreal mixed wood), based on sugar maple stand abundance. Respective positive and negative relationships were found between the distance of each population to the northern limit (D_north), and allelic richness (A R) and population differentiation (F ST). These relations were tested for each transect separately; the pattern (discontinuous–continuous) remained significant only for the western transect. structure analysis revealed the presence of four clusters. The most northern populations of each transect were assigned to a distinct group. Asymmetrical gene flow occurred from the southern into the four northernmost populations. Southern populations in Québec may have originated from two different postglacial migration routes. No evidence was found to validate the hypothesis that northern populations were remnants of a larger population that had migrated further north of the species range after the retreat of the ice sheet. The northernmost sugar maple populations possibly originated from long‐distance dispersal.


Viktor Tausk was an early member of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Society whom Freud described as "clever and dangerous." In his now famous paper "On the Origin of the 'Influencing Machine' in Schizophrenia," Tausk discussed a rare variant of schizophrenia in which patients hallucinated persecution by a mysterious cinematographic machine. As Kirkwood argues, the paper surreptitiously offered the first psychoanalytic theory of film by explaining how a machine-and particularly an image-machine-could produce conditions of subjective identification, even if only in cases of extreme pathology. This was a threatening proposal to Freudian orthodoxy, as it not only drew an analogy between psychoanalysis and the cinema, which had long remained a forbidden object for members of Freud's circle but also seemed to resolve, at least partially, the long-standing agon between the psychophysiological apparatus and the symbolic operations of the ego.


Abstract. This paper presents a method for attributing regional trends in the frequency of extremely hot days (EHDs) to changes in the frequency of the atmospheric patterns that characterize such extraordinary events. The study is applied to mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands for the extended summers of the period 1958–2008, where significant and positive trends in maximum temperature (Tx) have been reported during the second half of the past century. First, the study area was split into eight regions attending to their different temporal variability of the daily Tx series obtained from the Spain02 gridded data set using a clustering procedure. Second, the large-scale atmospheric situations causing EHDs are defined by circulation types (CTs). The obtainment of the CTs differs from the majority of CT classifications proposed in the literature. It is based on regional series and on a previous characterization of the main atmospheric situations obtained using only some days classified as extremes in the different regions. Three different atmospheric fields (SLP, T850, and Z500) from ECMWF reanalysis and analysis data and combinations of them (SLP–T850, SLP–Z500, and T850–Z500) are used to produce six different CT classifications. Subsequently, links between EHD occurrence in the different regions and CT for all days have been established. Finally, a simple model to relate the trends in EHDs for each region to the changes in the CT frequency appearance has been formulated. Most regions present positive and significant trends in the occurrence of EHDs. The CT classifications using two variables perform better. In particular, SLP–T850 is the best for characterizing the atmospheric situations leading to EHD occurrences for most of the regions. Only a small number of CTs have significant trends in their frequency and are associated with high efficiency causing EHD occurrences in most regions simultaneously, especially in the northern and central regions. Attribution results show that changes in circulation can only explain some part of the regional EHD trends. The percentage of the trend attributable to changes in atmospheric dynamics varies from 15 to 50 %, depends on the region and is sensitive to the selected large-scale variables.


Nanohybrids fabricated with upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and gold nanoparticles (NPs) hold great promise for near-infrared photothermal therapy (NIR-PTT) and upconversion fluorescence imaging. However, the obstacles of poor solubility in water and finite hydrophilic modification method for UCNPs limit their application in biological fields. Herein, we report a novel UCNP@Al(OH)3/Au nanohybrid mediated by a highly hydrophilic and biocompatible Al(OH)3 layer to realize a synergistic targeted PTT and fluorescence imaging capability to U87MG tumor-bearing mice under NIR light irradiation. The modification with Al(OH)3 layers can improve the water solubility of UCNPs. And cytotoxicity assays and hemolysis assay showed that the modification with Al(OH)3 layers makes UCNPs have low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility. In addition, the Al(OH)3 layers are thin enough to allow fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between UCNPs and gold NPs to occur, giving the NPs a good PTT effect for tumor-bearing mice. Meanwhile, as the pH-sensitive Al(OH)3 layers decompose in acidic tumor microenvironments with Au NPs detached from their surface, the FRET effect no longer occurred, subsequently leading to the fluorescence intensity of naked UCNPs being recovered for good imaging effects. The study suggests that Al(OH)3 mediation layer as a promising hydrophilic nanoplatform can potentially be used for the preparation of superior hydrophilic NPs and pH-stimulated drug release carriers for theranostic application in vivo.


Background Despite enormous efforts to develop new therapeutic strategies for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the large number of non responding patients to currently available drugs underlies the unmet need to identify new therapeutic targets. Objectives Certain CD4+T cell subsets, especially Th17 cells, have been shown to be major drivers of inflammation in patients with RA. The expression of their key transcription factors is controlled by histone modifications which includes acetylation of lysine residues mediated by histone deacetylases (HDAC). Indeed, pan HDAC inhibitors have been shown to be a potential therapeutic strategy. However, major side effects limited the clinical use and underline the need of more specific HDAC inhibitors. We therefore addressed the individual role of HDAC1 on the development of collagen-induced arthritis model (CIA). Methods Mice with a T cell specific deletion of HDAC1 (HDAC1 cKO) were generated by using the CD4Cre/LoxP system. Collagen induced arthritis (CIA) was induced at week 8. Animals were scored for paw swelling and grip strength. After 10 weeks, mice were sacrificed and paraffin sections of the affected joints were analysed for histomorphologic signs of inflammation, cartilage and bone destruction. Anti-CII antibody levels were determined by ELISA. Serum samples were analysed for various cytokines by multiplex assays. CCR6 expression in CD4 T cells was analysed by flow cytometry. Results To address potential effects of HDAC1 in the pathogenesis of RA, CIA was induced in HDAC1cKO mice and WT mice. Surprisingly HDAC1cKO mice were completely protected from the development of arthritis. In line with the clinical data, histological analysis revealed no signs of inflammation, no bone erosion and no osteoclasts in the joints of HDAC1cKO mice. Anti-CII antibodies, including total IgG and igG2c were detected in HDAC1cKO and WT mice. Surprisingly, IL-17 was significantly decreased in the serum of HDAC1 cKO mice as compared to WT mice, suggesting a role of HDAC1 in the development of Th17 cells. To see whether HDAC1 is involved in the regulation of the chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6), the main marker of Th17 cells, we compared the upregulation of CCR6 in CD4+ T cells from WT and HDAC1cKO mice. Indeed, CCR6 could not be upregulated in CD4+ T cells from HDAC1cKO mice upon IL-6 in vitro. These data support the role of HDAC1 in the regulation of CCR6, an important chemokine receptor, which is necessary for the migration of pathogenic Th17 cells and therefore for the development of arthritis. Conclusions Our data show the importance of HDAC1 as a key immune regulator in the pathogenesis of T cell driven collagen induced arthritis. Therefore, it might be considered as an interesting novel therapeutic target in RA. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Pavement preventive maintenance is an important tool for extending the service life of pavements in a cost effective manner. Many of the available treatments are currently used by state highway agencies for pavement preservation. However, to be effective as a preventive maintenance practice, these treatments must be placed on the pavement much earlier in the pavement service life than is currently the practice. The purpose of this document is to describe the need for and benefits of preventive maintenance, discuss the engineering applications of these treatments, review the materials used for preventive maintenance, and describe the application process for these treatments. The treatments described in this document include: fog seals, slurry seals, micro-surfacing, chip seals, thin hot-mix overlays, and crack sealing of flexible pavements; crack and joint sealing, subsealing, and retrofit of dowel bars of rigid pavements. This Participant's Handbook was developed to support a one day workshop on Pavement Maintenance Effectiveness - Preventive Maintenance Treatments.


A contraction metric for an autonomous ordinary differential equation is a Riemannian metric such that the distance between adjacent solutions contracts over time. A contraction metric can be used to determine the basin of attraction of a periodic orbit without requiring information about its position or stability. Moreover, it is robust to small perturbations of the system. In two-dimensional systems, a contraction metric can be characterised by a scalar-valued function. In [9], the function was constructed as solution of a first-order linear Partial Differential Equation (PDE), and numerically constructed using meshless collocation. However, information about the periodic orbit was required, which needed to be approximated. In this paper, we overcome this requirement by studying a second-order PDE, which does not require any information about the periodic orbit. We show that the second-order PDE has a solution, which defines a contraction metric. We use meshless collocation to approximate the solution and prove error estimates. In particular, we show that the approximation itself is a contraction metric, if the collocation points are dense enough. The method is applied to two examples.


Abstract Listening comprehension in a second language (L2) is a complex and particularly challenging task for learners. Because of this, L2 learners and instructors alike employ different learning supports as assistance. Captions in multimedia instruction readily provide support and thus have been an ever-increasing focus of many studies. However, captions must eventually be removed, as the goal of language learning is participation in the target language where captions are not typically available. Consequently, this creates a dilemma particularly for language instructors as to the usage of captioning supports, as early removal may cause frustration, while late removal may create learning interference. Accordingly, the goal of the current study was to propose and employ a testing instrument, the Caption Reliance Test (CRT), which evaluates individual learners' reliance on captioning in second language learning environments; giving a clear indication of the learners' reliance on captioning, mirroring their support needs. Thus, the CRT was constructed comprised of an auditory track, accompanied by congruent textual captions, as well as particular incongruent textual words, to provide a means for testing. It was subsequently employed in an empirical study involving English as a Foreign Language (EFL) high school students. The results exhibited individual variances in the degree of reliance and, more importantly, exposed a negative correlation between caption reliance and L2 achievement. In other words, learners' reliance on captions varies individually and lower-level achievers rely on captions for listening comprehension more than their high-level counterparts, indicating that learners at various comprehension levels require different degrees of caption support. Thus, through employment of the CRT, instructors are able to evaluate the degree to which learners rely on the caption supports and thus make informed decisions regarding learners' requirements and utilization of captions as a multimedia learning support.


In a group of haemodialysis patients who were iron loaded secondary to parenteral iron administration a slight but significant increase in red cell size was noted when compared to a normal population. This macrocytosis was not related to serum B12 or folate levels, or to the reticulocyte count. On stopping iron therapy both mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) values declined significantly as did serum ferritin and iron levels. Bone marrow smears were of normal or increased cellularity. When iron therapy was discontinued there was a steady fall in serum ferritin levels without a drop in haemoglobin values suggesting that the excess iron was available for haemopoiesis. These findings suggest that the increase in red cell size in this group of patients may have been induced directly by iron overload.


We demonstrate a Single-Mode (SM) Large-Mode-Area (LMA) ytterbium-doped PCF rod fiber laser with stable and close to diffraction limited beam quality with 110W output power. Distributed-Mode-Filtering (DMF) elements integrated in the cladding of the rod fiber provide a robust spatial mode with a Mode-Field-Diameter (MFD) of 59μm. We further demonstrate high pulse energy Second-Harmonic-Generation (SHG) and Third Harmonic Generation (THG) using a simple Q-switched single-stage rod fiber laser cavity architecture reaching pulse energies up to 1mJ at 515nm and 0.5mJ at 343nm.


The house fly, Musca domestica L., is a very important insect because of its role as a vector of several human, livestock, and poultry diseases. Different groups of insecticides, including the pyrethroids, are used to control house flies. The objective of the current study was to conduct a survey of the kdr insecticide resistance gene in the house fly population in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Flies were collected from five locations (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, Ajman, and Ras Al- Khaymah). Genomic DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of specific allele (PASA) was performed. The maximum percentage (70%) of homozygous genotype (kdr/kdr) occurred at Ajman, followed by Dubai (59.5%), and the minimum percentage occurred at Ras Al-Khaymah (14.3%). Resistant insects of the genotype kdr/kdr were detected in all of the tested house fly populations. Ajman and Fujairah house fly populations were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The resistance kdr allele was found at a high frequency (0.54 - 0.8) at all locations except at Ras Al-Khaymah (0.21). Together, this study demonstrated that the pyrethroid insecticide resistance kdr allele was found in UAE house fly populations, strongly suggesting that a countrywide pyrethroid insecticide resistance management program needs to be implemented.


'I do not pretend to have given an exhaustive picture of the Polish Underground, its organization and its activities. Because of our methods, I believe that there is no one today who could give an all-embracing recital...This book is a purely personal story, my story'. Jan Karski's 1944 war memoir is a heroic act of witness: the courageous testimony of a man who risked everything for his country. At times overwhelming in the details it reveals of the suffering of ordinary people, it is an unforgettable and deeply affecting record of brutality, courage, and survival under conditions of extreme bleakness. During the first four years of World War II, Karski worked as a messenger for the underground, risking his life in secret missions. He was captured, tortured, rescued, smuggled through a tunnel into the Warsaw ghetto and, finally, disguised himself as a guard to infiltrate a Nazi death camp. Then, travelling across occupied Europe to England, with his eye-witness report smuggled on microfilm in the handle of a razor, he became the first man to tell the Allies about the Holocaust - only to be ignored.


Electrical layouts have a significant impact on the investment cost and electrical losses of wind farms, and therefore, layouts should be optimized for reducing their share in the project budgets. In this study, a two-stage method for electrical layout optimization is given. In the first stage, the total trenching length between wind turbines and substation is minimized and in the second stage, the cabling process is performed. The contribution of this article with respect to earlier studies is twofold: First, a new theory for cabling is given and it has shown that determination of the best type of electrical cable is a priori. The suggested cabling theory reduces the complexity of the electrical layout problem since the cable related variables and constraints are avoided. Second, a new bi-objective problem is defined which allows parallel cabling over the previously defined paths. The cabling problem defined aims to minimize the net present cost of the electrical losses and initial investment costs over a known path. Moreover, a novel 3D methodology is introduced for calculating the total length of cables and trenching over the surface of the ground more accurately. All theoretical work is applied on a real onshore wind farm.


Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the main leading cause of global mortality. Several causes of NCDs emerge from social and commercial determinants of health. Many of these causes cannot be tackled by the health sector alone. Most of data in this report were collected from the preparatory meeting of the Prince Mahidol Award Conference (PMAC) 2019, under the theme 'Political Economy of NCDs: A Whole Society Approach' with the main objective to accelerate implementation of NCDs prevention and control around the world. This paper concluded examples of NCD interventions that were presented at the conference. The article demonstrates how the non-health sectors can take a pivotal role in NCDs prevention. The key non-health sectors include, but are not limited to, the Ministry of Finance, private enterprises, communities and media. Public policies such as taxation on unhealthy commodities like alcohol, tobacco, and sugar sweetened beverages, helps reduce consumption of these products. Company's voluntary policy to provide a lactation room in the workplace presents a strong vision of balancing company profits and well-being of the employees. Community intervention helps engage all relevant stakeholders to take part in NCDs prevention. The role of media is one of the powerful strategies to raise awareness in the population. These exemplified interventions have established ideas on how multi-sectoral actions are one of the key players that help topple down NCDs crisis in Thailand.


To perform a fetotomy means to dissect (to cut apart) a dead fetus in utero. Fetotomy is applicable particularly to cows because of the size of the uterus and the opportunity to introduce instruments to the full depth of the fetus. Fetotomy is an obstetric procedure that should only be performed by a trained veterinarian or under a trained veterinarian's supervision. This 4-page fact sheet lists the circumstances when a fetotomy can be performed to save the life of the dam, the tools needed, fetotome preparation, the sequence of cuts for anterior presentation, and final comments. Written by Myriam Jimenez, Carlos Risco, and Klibs N. Galvão, and published by the UF Department of Veterinary Medicine-Large Animal Clinical Sciences, August 2015.
VM224/VM224: How to Perform a Fetotomy in Cattle: An Illustrated Guide (ufl.edu)


Geoelectric survey employing Vertical Electrical Sounding(VES) was carried out in parts of Ikot Abasi Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria. In this area there is no borehole that has been drilled until now, the main objectives of this study is to be a guide for the suitable position of borehole in order to avoid wild cat drilling and also to avoid salt intrusions using the VES geophysical techniques. Schlumberger electrode configuration was used in acquiring the data. Four to five geoelectric layers were delineated from the interpreted results. It shows the topsoil having resistivity range of 80.64-2810.23 Ωm, with a thickness and depth ranging from 0.13-2.26 m. The second layer has resistivity range of 12.48-2802.61 Ωm, the third layer shows a resistivity range of 9.08-2534.06 Ωm, whereas the fourth layer with a resistivity of 0.53-1483.27 Ωm, harbours most of the aquifers in the study area and is highly resistive. The geoelectric parameters obtained were also used to estimate the longitudinal conductance and transverse resistance. This result shows that most parts of the study area have aquifer with poor protecting capacity (<0.1 mhos) resulting in high salt intrusion. The groundwater potential is high in VES 3 and 4,and moderate in others. Curve types: HAA, KHKH, KHK and HKH, were obtained.


Analysts of cluster-randomized field experiments have an array of estimation techniques to choose from. Using Monte Carlo simulation, we evaluate the properties of point estimates and standard errors (SEs) generated by ordinary least squares (OLS) as applied to both individual-level and cluster-level data. We also compare OLS to alternative random effects estimators, such as generalized least squares (GLS). Our simulations assess efficiency across a variety of scenarios involving varying sample sizes and numbers of clusters. Our results confirm that conventional OLS SEs are severely biased downward and that, for all estimators, gains in efficiency come mainly from increasing the number of clusters, not increasing the number of individuals within clusters. We find relatively minor differences across alternative estimation approaches, but GLS seems to enjoy a slight edge in terms of the efficiency of its point estimates and the accuracy of its SEs. We illustrate the application of alternative estimation approaches using a clustered experiment in which Rock the Vote TV advertisements were used to encourage young voters in 85 cable TV markets to vote in the 2004 presidential election.


This Article seeks to address important questions raised by pretrial detention and judicial reform in Latin America. It analyzes the potential impact of criminal procedure reforms on pretrial detention rates. It also discusses whether more general 'rule of law' reforms promoted by international donor organizations like the World Bank can affect the abuses associated with prolonged pretrial detention–whether, in other words, the circle may be squared between economic development and human rights. In addition, this Article describes the adoption of central elements of an American-style adversarial system in Latin America and its prospects for influencing judicial reform. It argues that while human rights advocacy and formal criminal procedure reforms constitute an integral part of combating prolonged pretrial detention, they must be accompanied by meaningful structural reforms that promote the independence of the judiciary, the adaptation of reforms to each country's unique political, social, and cultural history, the establishment of effective provisions for pretrial release such as bail statutes, and the adoption of lending policies by donor organizations that encompass criminal as well as civil law reform. Part I describes the problem of prolonged pretrial detention and its link to other human rights abuses in Latin American prisons. It also describes the causes of extraordinarily high pretrial detention rates, including the absence of effective provisions for pretrial release and the slow, archaic procedures of civil law inquisitorial criminal justice systems. Part II outlines the international human rights norms governing the detention of accused persons. It also summarizes legal challenges to excessive pretrial detention in Latin America as well as in other regions. Part III discusses the criminal procedure reforms adopted in several Latin American countries. It focuses on how the reforms affect not only pretrial detention but also the country's criminal justice system as a whole. This Part then discusses the more general judicial reform policies of international donor organizations and their potential impact on human rights abuses like prolonged pretrial detention. Part IV describes several strategies for reducing pretrial detention in the future. It underscores the need to establish effective mechanisms for pretrial release such as bail statutes. It also discusses the need to alter the behavior of key actors in the criminal justice system, especially judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys, and to adapt reforms to the particular political and social climate within the target countries. Finally, it underscores the role leading international donor organizations can play by linking ongoing judicial reform projects with human rights abuses like pretrial detention. PRETRIAL DETENTION, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND JUDICIAL REFORM IN LATIN AMERICA


The field of few-shot learning has recently seen substantial advancements. Most of these advancements came from casting few-shot learning as a meta-learning problem. Model Agnostic Meta Learning or MAML is currently one of the best approaches for few-shot learning via meta-learning. MAML is simple, elegant and very powerful, however, it has a variety of issues, such as being very sensitive to neural network architectures, often leading to instability during training, requiring arduous hyperparameter searches to stabilize training and achieve high generalization and being very computationally expensive at both training and inference times. In this paper, we propose various modifications to MAML that not only stabilize the system, but also substantially improve the generalization performance, convergence speed and computational overhead of MAML, which we call MAML++.


Research activity in the optics field has been lively in France for a long time; the following names may be recalled: Fermat, Descartes, Fresnel, Arago, Cornu, Savart, Deslandres, Cotton, Fabry, Lyot, de Gramont, Cabannes. Even at the present time a relatively important number of research workers are dealing with optical problems; among the 550 physicists at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), 125 are working in the field of spectroscopy and optics, and this is at least partly due to the fact that a larger part of the curriculum is still devoted to such classical subjects as optics. The present paper deals with optics in the usual sense and also with that area of spectroscopy that includes the regions outside the so-called luminous optics, i.e., from ultraviolet to infrared. It is divided into seven sections: (A) instrumental optics, (B) optics for radioastronomy, (C) spectroscopic instrumentation, (D) atomic spectroscopy, (E) solid-state spectroscopy, (F) molecular spectroscopy, and (G) microwave spectroscopy. In each section, a summary of present activity is given, omitting that which is well known or obsolete. A comparison of the above divisions and the authors' names will lead the reader to an unambiguous conclusion about writing responsibilities.


There has been a resurgence of interest in constitutional theories about the role of the judge in the Anglo-American tradition in recent years. Another recurrent theme in contemporary American constitutional writing is the construction of fiduciary theories of government to limit and guide public officials' discretion. Hence, the emergence of a unified fiduciary theory of judging—able to account for the responsibilities judges possess and the nature of the judicial office itself—was almost inevitable. After several initial and immature attempts to develop the theory, mostly as an inspiring metaphor, Ethan J. Leib, David L. Ponet, and Michael Serota have presented the most direct and well-developed judge-as-fiduciary model. According to their model, the judge is a fiduciary since he is empowered over the assets and legal interests of the public.
This article examines the judge-as-fiduciary model, and explores the ways it resolves disagreements about the role of the judge in the Anglo-American tradition. The judge-as-fiduciary model is rooted in private English and American law. "A fiduciary relationship emerges in contexts where one person (the fiduciary) has discretionary power over the assets or legal interests of another (the beneficiary)." In these settings, private law traditionally imposes substantial duties (duty of loyalty, duty of care, and duties of candor, disclosure, and accounting) upon fiduciaries, incentivizing them to prioritize their beneficiaries' interests above their own.
Leib, Ponet, and Serota argue that their judge-as-fiduciary model "offers important insights into what it means to be a judge in [the Anglo-American tradition], while providing practical guidance in resolving a range of controversial constitutional . . . issues surrounding judicial [performance] . . . ." This article argues that, notwithstanding shedding light on some important features of judging in the Anglo-American tradition (i.e., discretion, public trust, and vulnerability), the judge-as-fiduciary model fails to provide a convincing unified theory of the judicial role, which puts into question its attractiveness in resolving current disagreements. The reasons for this failure lie in the reductionist nature of the judge-as-fiduciary model of Leib, Ponet, and Serota. Reducing the private fiduciary principle to a unified system of duties and goals provides a unified theory of the role of the judge in modern democracies.
This article will revisit the private fiduciary principle, focusing on other characteristics of the principle, and will enrich it by our understanding of the judicial role. That goal is achieved by reviewing the methods by which fiduciary duties have been developed over time in the Anglo-American jurisprudence, the different kinds of fiduciaries acknowledged by courts (i.e. principle, trustee, guardian), and the plurality of justifications used to account for fiduciary duties and remedies. However, this "new" fiduciary principle will question the soundness of creating a unified constitutional theory of "the Anglo-American judge" as fiduciary. The article concludes with remarks about the constitutional theory's inability to break free from judicial tools and limitations: The fiduciary principle in private law is a judicial product, hence it is engraved by the same problems, controversies, and dilemmas that characterize the constitutional law debates regarding the judge's role.


61 tunisian autochton grapevine varieties have been collected for biochemical identification. Isozymes analysis with starch gel electrophoresis technique was used to confirn or to cancel random denominations awarded to the majority of these local varieties. In our conditions, concentrated plant extracts were obtained from vigorous donnant canes newly cut off from selected mother plants during automn. These allowed us to dispose of rigorously interpretable isozyme banding patterns of GPI and PGM systems and to overcome difficulties often related to the use of PGM system. The study of GPII and PGM enzyme systems allowed us to classify the autochton accessions into 16 different groups from which 5 groups containing only 2 or 3 varieties.On the other hand, the study of AAT and peroxydase enzyme systems has shown stable and legible isozyme banding patterns allowing to discriminate between equivalent accessions such as Sakasly and Kahli (two black local vines very similar), 3 varieties of Bidh Hamem (Bidh Hamem, Bidh Hamem Rafraf and Bidh Hamem Sfax), and 2 varieties of Bezzoul Kelba Bidha (Sfax and Gabes). In addition, certain varieties having for longtime the same denominations were characterized. A case of point the 4 varieties Khalt meaning mixture (Bouchemma, Abiedh, Mdaouer and Souche 1) and the 3 varieties of Arich (Ahmar, Dressee, and Jerba) were proved to be completely different from each other. In the same way, Bezzoul Khadem has been differed from Hemri variety. The complementary use of berry colour allowed to discriminate between Saouadi, Khdhiri and Jebbi varieties and to subdivise the remainig groups into sub-groups.The study of GPI, PGM, AAT and peroxydase isozyme banding patterns in combination with berry colour has led to establish a classification of the 61 autochton varieties into 37 groups including 26 varieties definitely differentiated through the results of this biochemical study.


We provide direct estimates of how agents trade off immediate costs and uncertain future benefits that occur in the very long run, 100 or more years away. We exploit a unique feature of housing markets in the U.K. and Singapore, where residential property ownership takes the form of either leaseholds or freeholds. Leaseholds are temporary, pre-paid, and tradable ownership contracts with maturities between 99 and 999 years, while freeholds are perpetual ownership contracts. The difference between leasehold and freehold prices reflects the present value of perpetual rental income starting at leasehold expiry, and is thus informative about very long-run discount rates. We estimate the price discounts for varying leasehold maturities compared to freeholds and extremely long-run leaseholds via hedonic regressions using proprietary datasets of the universe of transactions in each country. Agents discount very long-run cash flows at low rates, assigning high present values to cash flows hundreds of years in the future. For example, 100-year leaseholds are valued at more than 10% less than otherwise identical freeholds, implying discount rates below 2.6% for 100-year claims. Given the riskiness of rents, this suggests that both long-run risk-free discount rates and long-run risk premia are low. We show how the estimated very long-run discount rates are informative for climate change policy.


It is estimated that 10 per cent of the world's population, approximately 650 million people live with disability. Eighty per cent of them live in developing countries. The needs and rights of persons with disabilities have been high on the United Nations agenda for at least three decades. This concern of the United Nations raises the question of the missional role of the church in addressing the spiritual, social and emotional needs of people with disabilities. "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute" (Prov. 31:8). In this light, the article discusses the missional role of the church in promoting the rights of people with disabilities, by engaging literature on disability, the rights of people with disability, the biblical view of humanity, and the missional agenda of the church from an ecumenical and theological perspective. The article concludes that the church has a missional call to serve as the home and prophetic voice for the marginalised in society.


Domestic regulatory institutions are essential components of emissions trading systems (ETS). Not only do they shape the ways that markets operate, they also condition the environmental value of the carbon credits they produce. However, the literature on global carbon politics has paid little attention to local ETS regulators. In a decentralized system increasingly based on a noodle bowl of diversified environmental markets, the study of carbon markets must integrate the institutions in which they operate. This article focuses on China, which, due to its size, is both keen to and expected to have a significant impact on the global system of market-based instruments. We examine how China's regulatory institutions have worked to implement the seven ETS pilots launched since 2012, and tease out some implications regarding how China's national ETS may contribute to global climate change governance. In this study, we analyze both formal and informal regulatory institutions, through the practice of local actors. The main finding is that the tension between the state and markets in China's ETS implementation has resulted in a reinforcement of state domination rather than the emergence of robust regulatory institutions. The contribution that the ETS makes to China's emissions reduction is also limited by more pressing environmental and industrial policies that local regulators must prioritize. Local nonregulatory implementation practices could undermine the long-term objective to integrate China's ETS with others under article 6 of the UNFCCC.


Cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) complexes are essential activators of cell cycle progression in all eukaryotes. In contrast to mammalian cells, in which multiple cdk's contribute to cell cycle regulation, the yeast cell cycle is largely controlled by the activity of a single cdk, CDC28. Analysis of the putative G1 cyclin PCL2 (ORFD) identified a second cyclin-cdk complex that contributes to cell cycle progression in yeast. PCL2 interacted with the cdk PHO85 in vivo and in vitro and formed a kinase complex that had G1-periodic activity. Under genetic conditions in which the Start transition was compromised, PHO85 and its associated cyclin subunits were essential for cell cycle commitment. Because PHO85 and another cyclin-like molecule, PHO80, also take part in inorganic phosphate metabolism, this cdk enzyme may integrate responses to nutritional conditions with the cell cycle.


The coastline constitutes a very sensitive geomorphic domain which is constantly subjected to dynamic coastal processes and stores vital information regarding past sea level fluctuations. A ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey was carried out along the northern coast of the Gulf of Kachchh which is one of the largest macrotidal inlets of the Arabian Sea, Western India. Our studies have delineated several radar surfaces and radar facies which reflect the internal architecture and sediment body geometry, which can be related to the processes acting along this coastline. Various radar facies, namely, beach ridge (Br), washover (Wo), coastal dune (Cd), swale (Sw), berm plain (Bp), and sandsheet facies (Ss) have been identified. The GPR studies successfully documented the subsurface presence of ancient beach ridge system towards the sea, and the coastal dunes towards the land side. The results are suggestive of signatures of changes in sea level and the coastline being prone to high energy events in the recent past. The GPR has been found to be an important non-invasive geophysical tool in the study of past coastal dynamics.


OBJECTIVE
According to recent findings, clinical symptoms in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) seem be related with dissociation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship of psychological dissociation and clinical characteristics in OCD.

METHODS
The study sample comprised of 49 patients with OCD (55.1% females) and 45 healthy controls (66.7% females). All participants were assessed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Dissociation was quantified by the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES).

RESULTS
Psychological dissociation assessed with the DES was associated with the severity of anxiety symptoms (beta=0.49, t=3.89, df=47, p<0.001), but not with the level of OCD symptoms. Patients had higher level of dissociation than healthy controls.

CONCLUSION
Our results suggest that the level of psychological dissociation is associated with the severity of anxiety symptoms rather than with OCD symptoms. Further investigation of association between dissociative and anxiety states is needed.


: To study the use of electromagnetic scanning in prediction of lean content in beef carcasses and cuts, 100 beef cattle (60 steers and 40 heifers), representing a broad range in external fat thickness (. 1 to 2.9 cm) and live weight (414 to 742 kg), were selected. Chilled right sides were divided into streamlined (foreshank, brisket, and ventral plate removed) forequarters (FQ) and full hindquarters (HQ) and scanned. Primal rounds, loins, ribs, and chucks were fabricated from the right side, scanned, and physically separated into lean, fat, and bone. Prediction equations for dissected lean content and percentage of lean included the peak of the electromagnetic scan re-sponse curve (obtained from scanning the HQ or FQ), length, temperature and weight of the scanned cut, and fat thickness at the 12th rib. Using the coefficient of determination, root mean square error, and Mal-lows' Cp statistic, the best model for each dependent variable (weight and percentage of lean) that included up to five independent variables was selected. Prediction equations for the HQ or FQ of steers accounted for 84 to 93% of the variation in lean weight of beef sides and quarters and 71 to 93% of primals. Sixty-one to 75% of the variation in percentage of lean in sides and quarters and 48 to 65% of primals was also explained. Similar results were obtained for heifer carcasses. Predicting percentage of lean in any scanned cut, rather than weight of lean, accounted for less of the variation. Weight and fat thickness contributed significantly when predicting percentage of lean. These data indicate that electromagnetic scanning is capable of objectively measuring lean content in beef quarters and primals.


Abstract Single grains of detrital white mica from the lowermost Upper Cretaceous Sinaia Flysch have been dated using the 40Ar/39Ar technique. The Sinaia Flysch was deposited in a trench between the Danubian and Getic microcontinental pieces after the closure of the Severin oceanic tract. The Danubian basement is largely composed of a Panafrican/Cadomian basement in contrast to the Getic/Supragetic units with a Variscan-aged basement, allowing the distinction between these two blocks. Dating of detrital mica from the Sinaia Flysch resulted in predominantly Variscan ages (329 ± 3 and 288 ± 4 Ma), which prove the Getic/Supragetic source of the infill of the Sinaia Trench. Subordinate Late Permian (263 ± 8 and 255 ±10 Ma), Early Jurassic (185 ± 4 and 183 ± 3 Ma) and Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous (149 ± 3 and 140 ± 3 Ma) ages as well as a single Cretaceous age (98 ± 4 Ma) are interpreted as representing the exposure of likely retrogressive low-grade metamorphic ductile shear zones of various ages. Ductile shear zones with similar 40Ar/39Ar white mica ages are known in the Getic/Supragetic units. The Cretaceous ages also show that Cretaceous metamorphic units were already subject to erosion during the deposition of the Sinaia Flysch.


Government-related announcement is one of the determinants that potentially affect capital market. This research aims to see the reaction of stock market to Yuan Devaluation on August, 11 2015. The market reaction in this study is indicated by the presence of abnormal retun and abnormal trading volume activty. The approach taken in this research is the quantitative approach with event study method by using one sample t-test and paired sample t-test analysist. The variables in this research are Yuan Devaluation, AAR, and AATVA. The issuers observed in this research are stock listed on JII during the period of study. Results showed that stock listed on JII reacted to Yuan Devaluation, that is showed by significant results both in the AAR and AATVA, which means Yuan Devaluation bears valuable information for investor.


The American law of arbitration has for some reason been replete with what we have become accustomed to call "trilogies" – and the last two terms of the U.S. Supreme Court have curiously continued that pattern. Once again the Court has handed us three leading cases on closely-related themes – and these decisions have turned out in fact to be in many ways the most interesting of the lot. (I am referring of course to Stolt-Nielsen, Rent-A-Center, and Concepcion.) All three amount to extended riffs on the Question of Questions – the scope of arbitral power: And so the Court has continued to dip its finger into this rich mixture – compounded of notions of judicial review, "arbitrability," "separability," competence/competence, and the preemption of state law – all of our hard-earned lore and learning is there. Apparently it is now well beyond the power of arbitrators to hold that "classwide proceedings are permitted," at least without some pretty special authorization (Stolt-Nielsen) – while it is well beyond the power of courts to hold that they must be – certainly not when the parties have agreed to an arbitral determination (Rent-A-Center), and even when they haven't (Concepcion). It seems reasonably clear that these cases will continue to generate endless discussion. Undoubtedly for the moment the greatest salience will be with respect to arbitration clauses in contracts of adhesion entered into by consumers and employees – although this recent jurisprudence has the potential of sweeping far more broadly. Things now seem curiously muddled: If our law of arbitration no longer seems to have any clear unifying theme, this suggests that private adjudication – rather than presenting us as it once did us with a coherent and self-contained body of doctrine – has become a hostage to a game played out on a larger stage, a pawn of wider, systemic "political" concerns. Throughout the "trilogy" we have seen much familiar learning yoked to the service of a market-driven political agenda, in the process inevitably becoming warped and almost unrecognizable. And so – yet another untoward result – these cases will require the reevaluation of what seemed, for a while, to constitute comfortably settled certainties. Here is at least one step in that direction.


This paper describes FPGA based control system for a piezoelectric motor, commercially available Piezo LEGS motor. Driving voltages waveforms are defined as a combination of linear functions. This definition provides possibility for easy implementation on very simple hardware. Linear functions parameters allow forming of the driving voltages according to desired trajectory of motor's legs. Considering that FPGA technology offers many advantages over the classical microprocessor based systems, it is used as control system implementation hardware. Realized control system can be very easily expanded to control multiple motors, if hardware resources are big enough. Also modularity is provided, making the future application very simple. In the paper control system structure is described in detail along with a very simple control algorithm for Piezo LEGS motor positioning control. Experimental results are given to validate designed control system. They showed satisfying control performance, responses with no overshoot and expected steady state error.


Abstract There are three key deficiencies in the existing body of international humanitarian law (IHL) relating to protection of the environment during armed conflict. First, the definition of impermissible environmental damage is both too restrictive and unclear; second, there are legal uncertainties regarding the protection of elements of the environment as civilian objects; and third, the application of the principle of proportionality where harm to the environment constitutes 'collateral damage' is also problematic. These gaps present specific opportunities for clarifying and developing the existing framework. One approach to addressing some of the inadequacies of IHL could be application of international environmental law during armed conflict. The detailed norms, standards, approaches, and mechanisms found in international environmental law might also help to clarify and extend basic principles of IHL to prevent, address, or assess liability for environmental damage incurred during armed conflict.


According to the Nyquist theorem, the highest signal frequency which can be represented without foldover (aliasing) in a Fourier transform frequency-domain discrete spectrum is one-half of the time-domain sampling frequency. For example, since ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) frequency is inversely related to ionic mass-to-charge ratio, m/z, the highest ICR frequency (corresponding to the lowest correctly represented m/z) in direct-mode Fourier transform ICR mass spectrometry is restricted to one-half of the maximum sampling frequency, or about m/z ≥ 18 at 3.058 tesla (T) for a maximum sampling frequency of about 5.2 MHz. In this paper, we show that interleaved addition of two digitized time-domain transient signals, one of which is delayed by one-half of one sampling period (i.e., half of one cycle of the time-domain sampling frequency) with respect to the other, generates a time-domain discrete waveform which is indistinguishable from a single waveform produced by sampling at twice the original sampling rate. Thus, provided that the two transients have (or have been normalized to) the same magnitude, one can double the Nyquist-limited frequency range. If the sampling period is divided into three or more equal parts, with interleaved addition of three or more correspondingly delayed transients, the same method can further increase the upper frequency limit. The method is applied to the experimental doubling or quadrupling of FT/ICR direct-mode frequency range, as for example in the extension of the lower mass limit to below m/z = 12 at 3.058 T with a sampling rate of only 4.0 MHz.


One of the conditions of naturalization is a requirement to live in Lithuania permanently. The requirement to have a permanent residential place in Lithuania during the last ten years determined in the Law on Citizenship is based on the provision that permanent living in Lithuania during the time determined by the Law is a precondition for a foreigner to integrate himself into the Lithuanian society, to perceive mentality of the people and their aspirations, to make oneself ready for assuming the responsibility for the state's present and future, to enter into effective factual relations with the Lithuanian state. In the article legal norms determining the requirement to live in Lithuania permanently as well as the content of the above requirement are dealt with and the shortcomings of legal regulation of residential qualification are revealed. It is underlined that the main prerequisite of ¥The Law on the Persons Permanently Living or Living in the Republic of Lithuania" having to confirm that a person lives in Lithuania permanently, i. e. his factual living in Lithuania for a certain time is consolidated not clearly enough. It is maintained that the legal regulation of residential qualification determined in the Law forms preconditions to consider a foreigner as permanently living even in cases when he, though satisfies the formal legal prerequisites determined in the Law, however, in fact lives not in Lithuania but in another state. In the article suggestions are presented how to amend and supplement the Law so that legal description of permanent living in Lithuania would better correspond to the purpose and essence of residential qualification.


Recently, most wireless network security schemes merely based on physical layer characteristics tackle the two fundamental issues-device authentication and secret key extraction separately. It remains an open problem to simultaneously achieve device authentication and fast secret key extraction merely using wireless physical layer characteristics, without the help of advanced hardware or out-of-band channel. In this paper, we answer this open problem in the setting of wireless body area networks (BANs). We propose MASK-BAN, a lightweight fast authenticated secret key extraction scheme for intra-BAN communication. Our scheme neither introduces advanced hardware nor relies on out-of-band channels. To perform device authentication and fast secret key extraction at the same time, we exploit the heterogeneous channel characteristics among the collection of on-body channels during body motion. On one hand, MASK-BAN achieves authentication through multihop stable channels, which greatly reduces the false positive rate as compared to existing work. On the other hand, based on dynamic channels, key extraction between two on-body devices with multihop relay nodes is modeled as a max-flow problem, and a novel collaborative secret key generation algorithm is introduced to maximize the key generation rate. Extensive real-world experiments on low-end commercial-off-the-shelf sensor devices validate MASK-BAN's great authentication capability and high-secret key generation rate.


Each year, eligible veterans are referred to the gastroenterology department for colorectal cancer screening, primarily for colonoscopy. Once the colonoscopy is completed and is found to be unremarkable, the patient is asked to return in 10 years for a follow-up colonoscopy. However, if problems are found on the original colonoscopy, such as polyps, the patient enters a surveillance period where more frequent colonoscopy monitoring occurs. While primary care providers are aware of the monitoring guidelines, many providers unnecessarily order fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) during this period of surveillance. Unnecessary costs to the Veterans Affairs Health System (VAHS) include cost of the kit, time for the provider to order the test, technician time to run the test, patient mailing costs to send the kit to the patient, patient time and expense to return the kit, and time interpreting and reporting the results, which ultimately do not change the course of treatment. This project assessed retroactive VAHS data on appropriate utilization of the FIT. Results showed that within the Veteran Affairs Sacramento system, inappropriate FIT utilization existed. Interventions, such as annual colorectal cancer symposiums and ongoing training as part of educational efforts to increase knowledge of guidelines, were implemented. Post-intervention data indicated the effectiveness of interventions through an 8% decrease in the rate of inappropriate FIT ordering. Ensuring appropriate utilization of the FIT improves standardization of care and decreases health care costs.


From booties and scarves to art and fashion, "The Culture of Knitting" addresses knitting as art, craft, design, fashion and performance, and as an aspect of the everyday. Drawing on a variety of sources, including interviews with knitters from different disciplines as well as amateurs, the text breaks down hierarchical boundaries and stereotypical assumptions that have previously negated the academic study of knitting. The book also highlights the diversity and complexity of knitting in all its guises. "The Culture of Knitting" investigates not merely why knitting is so popular now but also the reasons why knitting has such longevity. By assessing the literature of knitting, manuals, patterns, social and regional histories, alongside testimonial discussions with artists, designers, craftspeople and amateurs, the book offers new ways of seeing and new methods of critiquing knitting - without the constraints of disciplinary boundaries - in the hope of creating an environment in which knitting can be valued, recognized and discussed.


Objective Perinatal mental illness presents challenges to obstetricians. Mental illness of all severities can have in impact on maternal and infant outcomes. There is an increasing evidence for the use of anti-depressants in pregnancy, but a paucity of data for women using anti-psychotics. Design A retrospective casenote review of all cases attending an antenatal mental health clinic between April 2011–12. Setting Background fetal growth restriction rate 13% Results 282 women were referred to the clinic. 215 had depressive disorders, with 139 (76.2%) on psychotropic medication. 132 (87.4%) of the women were on antidepressants and 18 (12%) on anti-psychotics. 28 (20%) babies were below the 10th customised centile & 19 (13%) were diagnosed with a congenital abnormality at birth. 72 had anxiety disorders with 32 (63%) on antidepressants and, 10 (20%) on atypical anti-psychotics, 5 (10%) had babies diagnosed with anomalies at delivery. 14 (29%) babies in this group were below the 10th. 5 women with psychotic disorders were all on antidepressants and anti-psychotics. 2 (40%) of the babies were below the 10th centile. Ten women had bipolar disease and 6 used anti-psychotics. One (16%) baby was below the 10th percentile. In total 12 women took olanzepine and of these 8 (66%) babies had a congenital anomaly, 4 had tongue tie but 3 babies (on fluoxetine and olanzepine) had major congenital heart disease. Conclusion Women referred to a mental health clinic had increased rates of growth restriction compared with the general population. Numbers are small but association of antenatal anti-psychotics with fetal growth restriction and congenital anomalies needs to be considered.