The historical entanglement of indigenous and colonial societies in South Africa created not only multiple points of social and cultural interaction, but also a repository of interconnected material, oral and documentary records. A multi-source, comparative approach across disciplinary boundaries is, therefore, essential to achieve a full and seamless account of late precolonial and early colonial African history. Oral tradition could serve as a bridge between archaeology and text-based history, thereby enabling historically known political lineages to be connected with the archaeological ruins of specific precolonial African towns. Similarly, documentary sources on African societies of the interior are often very limited in scope even deep into the nineteenth century, as a result of which the complementary use of archaeological methods and data becomes a methodological imperative. Three case studies from the South African interior, Marothodi, Kaditshwene and Magoro Hill, are presented to illustrate the explanatory potential of an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the more recent African past.


We performed an investigation on Bragg reflection gratings recorded in blue-sensitive holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystals. The use of a position-sensitive detector allows selective measurements of the reflected light, never before reported in these materials, to our knowledge. We can show that by using this experimental technique it is possible to detect the formation of multiple gratings, even when the transmission spectrum does not show multiple peaks. The results are discussed in the frame of existing coupled-wave theory for anisotropic materials, allowing us to obtain the optical characterization of the gratings.


By examining a large number of Swedish listed firms, we analyse how institutional and foreign owners affect investment performance. To measure investment performance Mueller and Reardon's (1993) marginal q is used, although derived directly from Tobin's average q. Marginal q measures the ratio of the return on investment to the cost of capital. Our findings show that both domestic and foreign institutional owners positively influence firm performance. Furthermore a non-linear relation between institutional ownership concentration and performance is found. This is consistent with positive incentive effects and negative entrenchment effects. During the last decades the ownership structure of Swedish firms has undergone dramatic changes: institutional and foreign investors have been increasing their stakes, whereas Swedish households have decreased in importance. Controlling owners, often founding families, remain in control by resorting to an extensive use of dual-class shares. The practice of dual-class shares which separates cash-flow rights and control rights is also found to be an important determinant of firm performance that eradicates the positive influence of institutional ownership.


Polyamide 6 (PA6), polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and cellulose acetate (CA) have been prepared by electrospinning. Electrospun CA nanofibres are deacetylated to obtain cellulose nanofibres. Polyaniline (PANI)-based composite nanofibres have been prepared by in situ polymerization of aniline with the electrospun PA6, PAN and cellulose nanofibres separately. Structural and chemical examinations of the prepared composite nanofibres are conducted by scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The sensing properties of the PANI-based composite nanofibres to ammonia are evaluated by a home-made sensor test system. It is found that PA6/PANI, PAN/PANI and cellulose/PANI composite nanofibres respond to ammonia. Cellulose/PANI composite nanofibres show the best ammonia sensing properties among them, whose response to 250 ppm ammonia is found to be 2.70, followed by PA6/PANI (1.52) and PAN/PANI's (1.23).


Over time astrocytes have been thought to function in an auxiliary manner, providing neurons with metabolic and structural support. However, recent research suggests they may play a fundamental role in the generation and propagation of focal epileptic seizures by causing synchronized electrical bursts in neurons. It would be helpful to have a simple mathematical model that represents this dynamic and incorporates these updated experimental results. We have created a two-compartment model of a typical neuron found in the hippocampal CA1 region, an area often thought to be the origin of these seizures. The focus is on properly modeling the astrocytic input to examine the pathological excitation of these neurons and subsequent transmission of the signals. In particular, we consider the intracellular astrocytic calcium fluctuations which are associated with slow inward currents in neighbouring neurons. Using our model, a variety of experimental results are reproduced, and comments are made about the potential differences between graded and "all-or-none" astrocytes.


ABSTRACT This article reports on the evaluation of a new partnership between the University of the Witwatersrand's Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre (WDGMC) and the Music Division at the Wits School of Arts (WSOA) in Johannesburg, South Africa. Established in 2015, the partnership aims to bring live music to the wards of WDGMC through a student placement in the hospital, which forms part of the Bachelor of Music students' fourth year Community Music course. The article examines the effects of live music performances on patients, staff, and hospital spaces more broadly. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire, nurse, and student focus groups, as well as student academic essays. The results revealed a range of benefits and suggest that live music performances may be able to humanise hospital spaces, enabling different modes of musical engagements that confer agency and control to patients, their carers, and nurses. The article concludes by advocating for a mutually-beneficial relationship between the health sciences and the arts, through community music interventions such as this pilot Wits "music in hospital" project.


In August 1985, the Law Reform Commission of Canada released a working paper entitled "The Legal Status of the Federal Administration." The working paper calls for a re-examination of the concept of the federal Crown in Canadian law. In this article, Professor Cohen undertakes a critical examination of the focus and methodology of the Commission's work Professor Cohen commends the Commission for its excursion into the field of law reform and the state but points out that this working paper represents an incomplete and flawed treatment of the subject In light of this; Professor Cohen proceeds to describe and evaluate what in his view are the more significant ideas involved in the study of law reform and the state This article is available in Osgoode Hall Law Journal: http://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/ohlj/vol24/iss2/5 THINKING ABOUT THE STATE: LAW REFORM AND THE CROWN IN CANADA


Objective Water-pipe and smokeless tobacco use have been associated with several adverse health outcomes. However, little information is available on the association between water-pipe use and heart disease (HD). Therefore, we investigated the association of smoking water-pipe and chewing nass (a mixture of tobacco, lime and ash) with prevalent HD. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Baseline data (collected in 2004–2008) from a prospective population-based study in Golestan Province, Iran. Participants 50 045 residents of Golestan (40–75 years old; 42.4% men). Main outcome measures ORs and 95% CIs from multivariate logistic regression models for the association of water-pipe and nass use with HD prevalence. Results A total of 3051 (6.1%) participants reported a history of HD, and 525 (1.1%) and 3726 (7.5%) reported ever water-pipe or nass use, respectively. Heavy water-pipe smoking was significantly associated with HD prevalence (highest level of cumulative use vs never use, OR=3.75; 95% CI 1.52 to 9.22; p for trend=0.04). This association persisted when using different cut-off points, when restricting HD to those taking nitrate compound medications, and among never cigarette smokers. There was no significant association between nass use and HD prevalence (highest category of use vs never use, OR=0.91; 95% CI 0.69 to 1.20). Conclusions Our study suggests a significant association between HD and heavy water-pipe smoking. Although the existing evidence suggesting similar biological consequences of water-pipe and cigarette smoking make this association plausible, results of our study were based on a modest number of water-pipe users and need to be replicated in further studies.


Copy negative of a black and white portrait of a newlywed couple, Marius Christensen and Thora Marie Jorgine Frederiksen, on their wedding day. Thora is wearing a white wedding dress and a veil; a floral boutonniere is attached to her dress at the chest. Marius, standing to the left, is wearing a dark suit and is also wearing a boutonniere. The two are holding hands, as if to shake them in agreement. A painted backdrop is visible behind them.


Secure vehicular communication has been discussed over a long period of time. Now,- this technology is implemented in different Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) projects in europe. In most of these projects a suitable Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) for a secure communication between involved entities in a Vehicular Ad hoc Network (VANET) is needed. A first proposal for a PKI architecture for Intelligent Vehicular Systems (IVS PKI) is given by the car2car communication consortium. This architecture however mainly deals with inter vehicular communication and is less focused on the needs of Road Side Units. Here, we propose a multi-domain PKI architecture for Intelligent Transportation Systems, which considers the necessities of road infrastructure authorities and vehicle manufacturers, today. The PKI domains are cryptographically linked based on local trust lists. In addition, a crypto agility concept is suggested, which takes adaptation of key length and cryptographic algorithms during PKI operation into account.


This paper gives an analytical description of the integral and effective irradiance factors of the outer housing of a spacecraft-based telescope as a function of the orbital altitude. These factors determine the incident fluxes of the intrinsic thermal radiation of the earth and the solar radiation reflected by the earth. Formulas are given for calculating the total heat flux absorbed by the telescope housing and its temperature level. Calculations are carried out for the case of a solar-synchronous orbit.


The case study presented in this paper focuses on the so-called "Vela roof". This roof is part of a larger project under construction in Bologna. The focus of the study concerns the use of on-site renewable climate (energy) resources for thermal comfort with special attention given to passive cooling and heating. The very first conceptual design developed by the architectural office is assumed as a starting point for the inclusion of performance criteria at this stage in the process, taking into account a large chain of dependencies that need to be integrated in the design process. Due to extremely low wind speeds on-site, early evaluations pointed out how wind should be caught in order to provide some cooling effect; secondly, side openings at the wrong location on the roof would contribute to a green house effect more than to a passive cooling effect. As a result, in the preliminary design of the roof uncomfortable conditions were highly expected under the whole roof in the summer, with an even higher critical level in the space between the lower buildings' roof and the Vela. Two main issues of the Vela are therefore highlighted especially related to the improvement of the existing design (configuration and shape). On one hand, in the preliminary design the overheated air was going to be kept at the top enclosed spaces without being passively extracted. On the other hand, the system of side openings could be related better to the local wind behaviour. The latter has been analyzed and digitally simulated and the first results are presented in this paper. Integration of these main issues in larger strategies was also investigated, considering both active solar technologies and passive systems for heating and cooling.


The need to develop the skills in students for smooth progression from higher education into employment are even more important in today's economic climate. Students need to be increasingly adaptable and entrepreneurial in their ability to locate and create employment opportunities. Consequently, efforts are afoot throughout the higher education sector to develop measures to 'broaden the curriculum' addressing the holistic development of the student. In an attempt to prepare these students to manage their work and learning throughout all stages of their lives, lecturers now recognise the importance of fostering key skills and competencies. However, supporting and implementing these measures necessitates a shift in the academic and professional role of lecturers. This paper considers this shift in roles, illustrated through an institutional initiative 'Get Smart!', designed to develop personal and professional key skills, and close the loop between students perception of the fit between self, programme and career.


Hox genes encode a family of transcription factors responsible for the establishment of the animal body plan. Their organisation in genomic clusters is conserved during evolution and is instrumental in defining the domain of activity of each gene in the embryo: the place and time of Hox gene expression is dictated by the position of each gene within the cluster. A unique set of Hox genes is active at each axial level along the embryonic anterior to posterior axis. These diverse complements of Hox proteins determine morphological identities by controlling the transcription of specific target genes. Changes in Hox genes number, expression and function likely participated in morphological diversification during animal evolution.

Key Concepts

Hox genes determine the identity of structures along the anterior–posterior embryonic axis.
Hox genes are widely conserved among animal species and are organised in genomic clusters.
Colinearity is the correspondence between the order of Hox genes within the cluster and their time and place of expression along the embryonic axis.
Loss or gain of function of Hox genes lead to homeosis, the morphological transformation of a body structure into another one.
Hox proteins regulate specific sets of target genes by interacting with dedicated cofactors.
Hox gene regulation integrates multiple inputs via complex sets of local and long-range cis-acting regulatory elements.
Chromatin modifiers of the Polycomb and Trithorax families are critical in controlling the onset and maintenance of Hox gene transcription.
Changes in Hox gene expression and function accompanied major morphological transitions during animal evolution.

Keywords:

gene clusters;
homeosis;
homeobox;
homeodomain;
transcription factors;
patterning;
gene regulation;
enhancer;
embryogenesis;
morphological evolution


Obesity represents a major global challenge from both healthcare and economic perspectives. Although lifestyle modifications aimed at reducing calorie intake and increasing energy expenditure remain the cornerstone of obesity management, pharmacotherapy can serve as a useful adjunct. Until recently, orlistat was the only medication registered for the treatment of obesity in the European Union (EU). A deeper understanding of the complexity of energy homeostasis has resulted in new pharmacological options for weight reduction. In 2015, two new antiobesity drugs were approved in the EU. These are a fixed combination of naltrexone/bupropion (Mysimba®) and liraglutide at a dose of 3.0 mg (Saxenda®). In addition, lorcaserin (Belviq®) and a fixed combination of phentermine/topiramate (Qsymia®) were introduced into the US market in 2012. However, the European Medicines Agency did not approve their use in the EU. The burden of previous weight loss agents that have been withdrawn due to safety concerns underlines the need for caution and close follow-up of patients undergoing pharmacological interventions for obesity treatment. This article provides an overview of the efficacy and safety of currently available weight loss pharmacotherapies.


Prairie and oak (Quercus spp.) savanna are important disturbance-dependent habitats in the Willamette Valley–Puget Trough–Georgia Basin ecoregion (WPG). Estimates of previous extent and current cover of prairie habitat suggest that between 2% and 10% of presettlement prairie remains (Dunwiddie and Bakker 2011; Vesely and Rosenberg 2010; Intertwine Alliance 2013). Previous to Euro-American settlement, Native Americans burned prairies to discourage encroachment of trees and shrubs, maintain habitat for grazing ungulates, and increase productivity and diversity of herbaceous plant species. Due to conversion to agriculture, land development, invasion by nonnative vegetation, reduction in elk (Cervus canadensis) numbers, and fire exclusion, native prairie and savanna have declined dramatically in this ecoregion. Several state and regional species of concern are reliant on prairie and savanna habitats (ODFW 2016; Altman 2011), and restoration of prairies remains a top priority for agencies and organizations with a conservation mission. The focus on prairie and savanna conservation in the WPG ecoregion over the past several decades has led to the development of many prairie-oak focused partnerships, emerging science and management practices, and increased protection and restoration of these habitats (Dunwiddie and Bakker 2011; Stanley et al. 2011; Intertwine Alliance 2013). Land managers of these properties are tasked with…


For hydrocarbon exploration, large volumes of data are acquired and used in physical modeling-based workflows to identify geologic features of interest such as fault networks, salt bodies, or, in general, elements of petroleum systems. The adjoint modeling step, which transforms the data into the model space, and subsequent interpretation can be very expensive, both in terms of computing resources and domain-expert time. We propose and implement a unique approach that bypasses these demanding steps, directly assisting interpretation. We do this by training a deep neural network to learn a mapping relationship between the data space and the final output (particularly, spatial points indicating fault presence). The key to obtaining accurate predictions is the use of the Wasserstein loss function, which properly handles the structured output — in our case, by exploiting fault surface continuity. The promising results shown here for synthetic data demonstrate a new way of using seismic data and suggest more d...


Two concurrent but incompatible trends have emerged in development in recent years. Firstly, evidence-based policy and the results agenda have come become ubiquitous amongst government policymakers in recent years including in development. Secondly, there has been a realisation of the utility of systemic approaches to development policy and programming in order to bring about sustainable change for larger numbers of people. This paper highlights the negative impacts of this former trend on development and, more acutely, its incompatibility with the latter trend. The paper then highlights positive signs of a change in thinking in development that have begun to emerge to lead to a more pragmatic and contextually nuanced approach to measuring progress and identifies the need for further research in this area, calling for evaluation of approaches rather than searching for a silver bullet. The paper draws on a review of the evidence together with a number of key informant interviews with practitioners from the field.


INTRODUCTION
In Taiwan, severe enteroviral infections must be reported to the government within 24 hours to ensure that severe enterovirus 71 (EV71) infections can be detected early. The objective of this research was to ascertain whether over-reporting is a problem in mandatory disease-reporting systems.

METHODOLOGY
A multiyear cross-sectional study methodology was applied based on secondary data analyses. Data from the national notifiable communicable disease surveillance system of Taiwan Centers for Disease Control were analyzed to assess the trends and factors influencing reporting accuracy.

RESULTS
From July 1999 to December 2008, 2,611 cases of severe enteroviral infection were reported in Taiwan. Among these cases, 1,516 were confirmed to be EV71 cases, and the remaining 1,095 were confirmed to be non-EV71 infections. The overall accuracy rate was 58%. The accuracy rate was 60%-70% higher during epidemics (2000-2002, 2005, and 2008) and high seasons than it was in other seasons. The accuracy rate was highest among medical centers and lowest among district hospitals.

CONCLUSIONS
The results indicated that reports are more accurate during high seasons and peak years than during other periods. This might be attributable to the adequate level of specific educational programs for professionals when more cases occur, which could facilitate identification. Based on experiences in Taiwan, optimal training can ensure that surveillance systems are not inundated by false-positive reports.


A replication of the Helsingborg study (Tideman, et al., 2011) was conducted in the municipality of Norrköping in 2008–2011. Results confirm the conclusions from the original study that children in foster care can benefit from a working model aimed to improve school performance. Furthermore, a possible way to address poor numeracy skills by computerised working memory training was identified. Implications for further research in active interventions to address underachieving foster children are discussed.


Alberta's law of civil procedure, and summary judgment in particular, has experienced a culture shift since the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling in Hryniak v. Mauldin. This article asks whether litigation directed toward a conventional trial is now, or is soon to be, a thing of the past. Although intended to revive traditional trials as a realistic and timely resolution option, it is impossible to say yet if this will be Hryniak's legacy in Alberta. Three things are clear in post-Hryniak Albertan jurisprudence, however: first, the Hryniak test governs the determination of summary judgment applications in Alberta; second, Alberta courts have embraced the call for proportionality in litigation procedure; and third, the Hryniak culture shift creates uncertainty for Alberta litigants.


Introduction Two commonly used labels for low back pain (LBP) are that of 1Cmechanical 1D (1) or 1C inflammatory 1D (2). These labels have no universally accepted definitions. However, there are two distinct types of treatment for low back pain that seem to follow this definitional separation. That is, mechanical treatments (mobilisation, manipulation, traction and exercise) contrasted with anti-inflammatory treatments (medication and injections). The objective of this study was to obtain the opinion of five groups of experts about symptoms/ signs that may identify inflammatory and mechanical LBP.

Methods A convenience sample of 125 practitioners including spine surgeons, rheumatologists, musculoskeletal physicians, chiropractors and physiotherapists was asked to complete a questionnaire. Participants were asked to use a Likert (0 1310) scale to indicate the strength of agreement or disagreement with respect to potential signs/symptoms identifying inflammatory or mechanical LBP. Ethics approval was obtained.

Results One hundred and five practitioners responded (81% response). No signs/symptoms were found to clearly distinguish between inflammatory and mechanical LBP. Nevertheless, seven signs/symptoms did show a higher score for either inflammatory or mechanical LBP, and a lower score for the other. Morning pain on waking, pain that wakes the person up, constant pain, and stiffness after resting (including sitting) were more likely to suggest inflammatory LBP, while intermittent pain during the day, pain when lifting and pain on repetitive bending were more likely to suggest mechanical LBP. There was however some disagreement between professions about the extent to which these signs/symptoms indicated mechanical or inflammatory LBP.

Discussion There was no clear agreement either within or between professions regarding the signs and symptoms that suggest mechanical or inflammatory low back pain. There was however weak agreement on seven signs/symptoms. Further research should be aimed at testing these for their ability to predict the outcome of mechanical and anti-inflammatory treatments of LBP.


In this paper, we explored the role of wildlife in adaptation to climate change in areas predominantly used for livestock production in South Africa. Using a sample of 1071 wildlife and livestock farms we estimated a multinomial choice model of various adaptation options including livestock and wildlife farming choices. The results indicate that mixed livestock-wildlife farms are less vulnerable to climate change when compared to specialized livestock or wildlife farms. However, net farm revenues per hactare are higher for specialized wildlife ranches when compared to mixed wildlife-livestock ranches or livestock ranches. The results further show that temperature increase will influence most livestock farmers to change land use to wildlife ranching. At farm level, land size and social networks are also likely to play a bigger role in land use change as climate changes. Using climate models, we establish that livestock farmers in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa will be most affected by climate change and will subsequently change land use.


Previous research has suggested that critical care nurses' close and prolonged contact with
patients places them in a unique position of improving patient outcomes and reducing the demand on critical care beds by detecting subtle signs of deterioration in a timely manner and
identifying patient progression and readiness for less intensive care. Nonetheless, nurses rarely
take decisions about patients' treatment modalities on their own, and constantly need to seek advice or authorisation. Indeed, several studies suggested that one of the most frequent
decisions taken by nurses during clinical practice is that of referring to medical, nursing or other health care practitioners. However, there is very limited research around the factors
related to, and the actual process of, such referring. In view of this gap in the literature, the purpose of this study was to explore and explain the process of referring in the context of an intensive care unit by means of a substantive theory derived from the data. The principal research question was: What are the factors associated with critical care nurses' decisions to seek help from medical practitioners?


Copyright © 2017 The Hospital Practices and Research. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Dear Editor, Despite advancements in medical science, the treatment of AIDS remains a public health problem, and the number of cases has been rising steadily in recent years. Although there is no consensus, statistics collected by the Universities of Medical Sciences and Health Services indicate that, as of 2012, a total of 27 041 people with HIV/AIDS had been identified in Iran, 89.3% of whom were men and 10.7% were women. In 2009, 19 774 people had been recognized.1 Statistics show that the third wave of AIDS continues until women are its silent victims. Addicts and their wives have also been afflicted as have their children, and this completes the cycle of disaster. The percentage of women who have contracted HIV infection from sexual relations has risen to 60%.2 Data shows that transmission through the sharing of injecting needles is 56%.3 Growth in the number of patients involved, the increasing number of drug users, the sharing of needles, increased sexual contact, the rise in the age of marriage, and increases in the divorce rate have caused the rate of sexually transmitted infections to rise. Evidence offers that in addition to the development of patients, the risk of transmission is driven by unprotected sexual contact. Programs to control and prevent HIV/AIDS and educate the public, with a special emphasis on prevention, are top priority.4 Stopping unprotected sex is of specific importance. Results of another study indicated that only 5.2% of female sex workers use a condom, and 90% of them are addicts. Drug users are sexually active and have multiple partners; thus, unprotected sex is quite common. More than 35% of addicts are married and 40% are not; 27% had more than 5 sexual partners. The rate of men who have had sex with other men at least once was reported to be 7% in prison and 67% outside of prison.5 Prostitutes and injecting addicts are very worrying. Based on studies, it is clear that the need for educational measures to raise public awareness and expertise in the field of AIDS prevention are warranted. This is particularly true for women who are victims of these new waves; the World Health Organization and the Joint United Nations Program on AIDS (UNAIDS) emphasized the fact that sexually transmitted diseases, one of the problems in society today, necessitates integrated health care that provides peer education, empowerment, promotion of condom use, and effective treatment of sexually transmitted diseases in high-risk groups such as female sex workers.6 Studies conducted to evaluate the awareness of women sex workers have shown that these women have information about AIDS, but because of financial need and addiction they do not use the information they have. Due to cultural constraints and hidden relationships,4 a comprehensive plan to prevent and detect HIV/AIDS and to promote the use of health services among members of this group is essential. Due to the growing HIV epidemic in this group of people, there is a possibility that a subsequent increase in cases may follow.


Since the crisis of 2015/2016, asylum has become the focus of attention in the European Union (EU). The right to seek refuge raises issues of sovereignty and control of the territory; hence, with the gradual integration of European member states into a single area free of internal borders, there has been a functional pressure to harmonize domestic asylum policies. However, this process of integration continues to be highly contested on two main axes: the extent of harmonization (how much should the EU do in the area of asylum) and the content of the policies (should the emphasis lie on territorial security or individual rights). The tension between this "core state power" status and the EU's international obligations has shaped both policy developments and academic debates since the emergence of asylum as an EU policy field in the mid-1990s.
 The integration of asylum policies is intimately linked to the emergence of Schengen as a borderless zone. Indeed, the idea that, in a Europe without borders, member states cannot control the flow of migrants led national governments to find common rules on ascribing responsibility for international protection claims. The rules agreed in the Dublin Convention of 1990 have become the core pillar that structures the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). This system aims to harmonize the definition of a refugee and the procedures and rights that need to be followed when considering asylum requests, as well as the conditions for receiving asylum seekers (e.g., housing, access to healthcare, and the job market). This process of harmonization has not been uncontested: while the first legislative phase (2001–2005) remained highly intergovernmental and was characterized by little progress being made in the approximation of domestic asylum systems, the second phase (2008–2013) showed an increased reluctance of member states to strengthen the powers of the EU in this field. As a result, the CEAS has been epitomized by faulty implementation and weak approximation—especially among those member states that did not have strong asylum systems in place before integration began. These gaps have left the CEAS in a dangerous position, since they have created incentives for those who benefit the least from EU cooperation to bypass their obligations. There, the principles underpinning the Dublin regime have been at the core of the functional crises that have recurrently emerged in the EU. The so-called "asylum crisis" has shown the weaknesses of the CEAS as well as the incapacity of member states to reform the system and find a solution that addresses the current imbalances. The main solutions have come via externalization, whereby the EU has sought to strengthen the responsibility of third countries like Turkey and Libya.
 These trends have also been the focus of attention in this highly interdisciplinary field. Debates have generally concentrated on either the internal or the external dimension of EU policy-making. When it comes to the internal dimension, early scholarship centered on the process of integration and the development of asylum into a new policy field. They showed how the major drivers of integration followed functional logics of spillover from the single market and Schengen—but that the nature of this policy area called for different political dynamics. This process remained highly intergovernmental until the early 2000s, which gave interior ministers the power to escape domestic constraints (e.g., civil society, national parliaments, and courts) and shape EU policies in relative isolation. This does not mean, however, that this intergovernmental process was uncontentious. Indeed, it has been shown how the core principles of EU asylum respond to a public goods logic, whereby member states try to shift their responsibility for asylum seekers away from their territory and onto that of their neighbors. Although the idea of "burden-sharing" (and hence a generalized negative perception of asylum) is shared by most member states, the processes of uploading and downloading policies between the domestic and the EU level have been more complicated than just building a "Fortress Europe." Among those who were traditional recipients of asylum seekers and had strong asylum systems, there has been a clear game of regulatory competition that has sometimes led to a race to the bottom. In comparison, those that had no experience with international protection and lacked a strong asylum system have generally struggled to adapt to EU standards, which has reinforced the imbalances and weaknesses of the Dublin regime. Given these dynamics, most scholars expected the shift to a fully supranational decision-making process to produce far-reaching policy changes and have a rights-enhancing effect. The outcomes have not always fulfilled expectations, which underlines the importance of opening up the black box of preference formation in the EU institutions and member states. What scholars do agree on is that policy outputs on the EU level have often failed to materialize into policy outcomes on the domestic level, which has led to processes of informal adaptation and the strengthening of EU operational agencies like Frontex and the European Asylum Support Office (EASO). In addition, these internal failures have pushed the EU to externalize border controls as well as push the responsibility for international protection toward third countries. There has been a clear case of policy diffusion toward neighboring countries, but also an increased dynamic of policy convergence among hosting countries like Australia and the USA. These policies tend to emphasize exclusionary practices, notably extraterritorial processing and border control—leading to major questions about the survival of asylum as an international human right in the years to come.
 These trends show that asylum continues to be a highly contested EU policy both in its internal and external dimensions. We need, therefore, to look more closely at the impact of polarization and politicization on EU policy-making as well as on how they might affect the role played by the EU and its member states in global debates about migration and the right to seek asylum.


This paper proposes a new modeling and animation method of botanical tree for interactive virtual environment. Some studies of botanical tree modeling have been based on the Growth Model, which can construct a very natural tree structure. However, this model makes it difficult to predict the final form of tree from given parameters; that is, if an objective form of a tree is given and it is to be reconstructed into a three-dimensional model, we have to change the parameters to reflect the structure by a trial-and-error technique. Thus, we propose a new top-down approach in which a tree's form is defined by volume data that is made from a captured real image set, and the branch structure is realized by simple branching rules. The tree model is described as a set of connected branch segments, and leaf models that consist of leaves and twigs that are attached to the branch segments. To animate the botanical trees, dynamics simulation is performed on the branch segments in two phases. In the first phase, each segment is assumed to be a rigid stick with a fixed end on one side, and rotational movements from influence of external forces are calculated in each segment independently. And the forces propagated from the tip of a branch to the root are calculated from the restoration force and thickness of the branch. Finally, the rotational movements of segments are executed in order from the base segment, and the fixed end of each segment is moved to the free end of the segment to be connected so as to maintain the relative angles between the segments. The proposed model is applied to many kind of botanical trees, and the model can successfully animate tree movements caused by external forces such as winds and human interaction to the branches.


Due to demand for high performance inside and outside of the classroom, student-athletes are a unique subsection of college students. Researchers have focused on investigating protective factors, which may enhance student-athlete well-being and academic success in higher education and reduce athlete burnout. The current study examined grit as a mediator between parenting behaviors and academic success, mental health outcomes, and burnout in higher education among National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and Division II student-athletes (N = 202). Overparenting behaviors were negatively associated with psychological autonomy granting, mental health outcomes, and athlete burnout. Psychological autonomy granting behaviors were positively associated with grit and negatively associated with mental health outcomes and athlete burnout. Student-athlete grit mediated the relationship between overparenting behaviors and mental health outcomes. Clinical implications include improving student-athlete parent onboarding protocol; student-athlete psychoeducation; and preventative outreach and health promotion among athletes, athletic staff, and university practitioners. In summary, these findings suggest that parenting behaviors and grit are factors that require more attention in fostering student-athlete success.


Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is the most common leukaemia of the Western world, and unfortunately despite advances in chemotherapeutic agents CLL remains incurable to date. CLL is a highly heterogeneous disease. CLL patients exhibiting progressive disease often become refractory to standard first line therapies, underpinning the need for novel drugs. An emerging field is targeted monoclonal antibody (MAb) development. Rituximab (RTX) a chimeric anti-CD20 MAb is registered as a first line therapy in combination with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide. A next generation type I, human IgG1 anti-CD20 MAb, ofatumumab (OFA), binds to a novel epitope of CD20 resulting in higher potency of complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) induction. OFA has recently been given FDA approval for treatment in combination with chlorambucil for previously untreated CLL patients when fludarabine based regimes are not appropriate. OFA is also licensed as a single agent for the treatment of CLL patients refractory to both fludarbine and anti-CD52 MAb alemtuzumab.
This research was conducted to establish what factors within CLL biology may influence RTX or OFA efficacy, in order to highlight the improved activity of OFA in comparison to RTX for the treatment of CLL. The ability of OFA to elicit a CDC response is an important part of its efficacy. Within this study we have demonstrated that OFA activity is limited in the treatment of CLL by several different factors including; complement levels, CD20 expression, microenvironmental stimulation and CLL genetic mutations.
Our study identified that a large proportion, 37.5%, of CLL patients harbour complement deficiencies within their sera, this then led to a significant amount of complement exhaustion with successive OFA treatments, abrogating CDC induction. The detection of excessive complement exhaustion potentially has a clinical impact on the administration of anti-CD20 MAbs.
CD20 expression levels also impact upon CDC induction by OFA, CD20 expression levels display a positive linear correlation with the percentage of CDC induction. Importantly OFA is superior in the induction of CDC in CLL patients with low CD20 expression levels in comparison to RTX. It is well established that CLL patients have lower CD20 expression compared to other B cell malignancies, which is an important factor for anti-CD20 MAb efficacy as CDC induction is critically dependent on the expression levels of the target antigen on the surface of the cell.
Recurrent mutations within NOTCH1 (NOTCH1MUT) have recently been identified as a poor prognostic marker within CLL. Emerging data suggests this mutation confers resistance against anti-CD20 MAbs, possibly through a down-regulation of CD20. We demonstrate that NOTCH1MUT CLL cells do display reduced expression levels of CD20, however this alone did not appear to contribute to all the reduced susceptibility towards anti-CD20 MAb activity. Preliminary gene expression data in combination with Ca2+ flux analysis suggest that NOTCH1MUT CLL cells have deregulated Ca2+ signalling which highlights the role of CD20 as a store-operated Ca2+ channel, and provides another mechanism for their resistance.
Microenvironmental stimulation also impacts upon CLL cell response to RTX and OFA. Mimicking CLL cell interaction with their microenvironmental niche, caused an increase in CDC induction within different CLL cytogenetic subsets, independently to changes in CD20 expression. This is important as the interaction of CLL cells with other components of the microenvironment cause an up-regulation of anti-apoptotic proteins aiding CLL survival and promoting drug resistance.
In conclusion this study highlights the increased efficacy of OFA as a chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of CLL in comparison to RTX. Collectively these results also demonstrate that a change within the dosing schedule of OFA and complement supplementation using an exogenous source such as fresh frozen plasma could diminish some of the limitations in CDC induction, and potentially lead to enhanced clinical efficacy.


No current laboratory test can reliably identify patients with schizophrenia. Instead,
key symptoms are observed via language, including derailment, where patients cannot follow
a coherent storyline, and delusions, where false beliefs are repeated as fact. Brain
processes underlying these and other symptoms remain unclear, and characterizing them
would greatly enhance our understanding of schizophrenia. In this situation, computational
models can be valuable tools to formulate testable hypotheses and to complement clinical
research. This dissertation aims to capture the link between biology and schizophrenic
symptoms using DISCERN, a connectionist model of human story processing. Competing
illness mechanisms proposed to underlie schizophrenia are simulated in DISCERN,
and are evaluated at the level of narrative language, the same level used to diagnose patients.
The result is the first simulation of a speaker with schizophrenia. Of all illness
models, hyperlearning, a model of overly intense memory consolidation, produced the best
fit to patient data, as well as compelling models of delusions and derailments. If validated
experimentally, the hyperlearning hypothesis could advance the current understanding of
schizophrenia, and provide a platform for simulating the effects of future treatments.


It has been said that the Second World War saved the Russian Orthodox Church from extermination. Ever since the Revolution of 1917, the religious peoples of Russia were constantly persecuted by Soviet ideologists and politicians. Prior to Operation Barbarossa, in 1941, it seemed that the days of the Russian Orthodox Church, the largest religious institution in the Soviet Union, were numbered. However, the unique climate of the Second World War forced the Soviet government to end its war against the church. The Kremlin soon saw the Church as a useful tool to help aid in the re- occupation of Eastern Europe.


1. This result is adequate for an indoor environment under normal conditions. The PNN-JBD method results have higher accuracy than PNN and both produced slightly better accuracy than the kNN stand-alone method. 2. We are in the process of investigating position prediction error distributions and in need to quantify the localization variation of the WiFi signal distribution in space. For decades, humans have been keen on creating smart spaces where advanced technology is utilized to provide enhanced services Indoor positioning systems (IPS) can be used to provide a wide range of user navigation and directions services, particularly in abnormal conditions such as needing emergency healthcare services. IPS also can be a friendly tool for people with vision impairment to allow for better livable communities for them. Other applications for IPS fall under tracking applications which may include activity recognition for security purposes and observation for the elderly or infirmed individuals. An indoor positioning system can be a hybrid system that uses multiple technologies such as wireless LAN, vision via cameras, motion sensors, or lasers to name few. In this paper we propose a technique for IPS using WiFi. The technique is based on a probabilistic neural network (PNN) scheme in which we incorporate the Jensen-Bregman divergence method. To validate our proposed method, we compare our results with the nearest neighbor method. Results indicate that our integrated system outperforms this method in terms of nearest neighbor estimation. Our results show that this method has the ability to achieve less than 1m accuracy in an academic building.


In Canada, the tax system is not used just to raise revenue; it is also an important instrument for achieving various social policy objectives. As a result, the tax system has become closely intertwined with the income support system; it now serves as the delivery mechanism for many key income support benefits. As a benefit administration tool, the tax system has advantages, but it is also problematic. First, it relies on self-assessment, which means that the onus is on individual taxfilers to provide complete and accurate information to the government on the income taxes that they owe. However, persons who have no tax liability are not legally required to file tax returns, and therefore many may not do so. In the context of benefit delivery, the reliance on self-assessment risks missing many individuals who are eligible to receive income benefits. Second, individuals generally file a self-assessed tax return only once a year. As a result, the tax system could not respond to the dramatic in-year income shocks that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. We identify ways to modernize Canada's tax system and make it more responsive and streamlined for the purposes of benefit delivery. Reforms such as pre-filled tax forms and real-time reporting could greatly improve the ability of the Canada Revenue Agency to deliver income benefits, and the ability of the federal and provincial governments to meet social objectives, including those set out in Canada's and the provinces' poverty reduction strategies.


Most active plants are toxic at high doses and it is therefore important to investigate the preliminary toxicity of plant extracts. The Rourea induta species is a potential drug with no phytochemical or biological studies registered in the literature. Thus, a phytochemical study and a toxicity analysis of the ethanolic extract obtained from the leaves of Rourea induta Planch., Connaraceae, was run. A long chain hydrocarbon, n-tetracosane, and four flavonoids were identified: quercetin, and three glycosylated derivates, quercetin-3-O-α-arabinofuranoside, quercetin-3-O-β-xyloside and quercetin-3-O-β-galactoside. This is the first time these have been isolated in this species. The structures were elucidated by 13C NMR, 1H NMR, UV and IR spectroscopy. The toxicity evaluation of extracts was performed by the brine shrimp method and determination of hemolytic activity. The samples demonstrated no toxic potential by the analyzed methods.


Autophagy Delivers Viral Antigens for MHC Class II Presentation and is Regulated by Viral Infection Dorothee Schmid, Ph.D. The Rockefeller University 2007 MHC class II molecules generally present peptides derived from exogenous antigens after endocytosis. However, biochemical studies have revealed that MHC class II ligands are frequently derived from intracellular proteins after endogenous processing. Endogenous MHC class II antigen presentation has been described for viral and model antigens and might represent an important mechanism to initiate CD4 T cell responses to intracellular pathogens. We studied this unusual MHC class II presentation pathway using the EpsteinBarr virus nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) as a model antigen with relevance for human disease. We found that EBNA1 was degraded by lysosomal proteases and detected EBNA1 in double membrane structures by immuno-electron microscopy. Furthermore, inhibition of autophagy led to reduced stimulation of EBNA1-specific CD4 T cells, suggesting that EBNA1 was delivered for MHC class II presentation by autophagy. This defines a new endogenous MHC class II processing pathway and EBNA1 is the first pathogen-derived antigen found to follow this pathway. To address the general relevance and the efficacy of this novel MHC class II pathway, we quantified autophagy in MHC class II-positive human cells and demonstrated constitutive autophagosome formation in epithelial, B and dendritic cells. The autophagosome marker Atg8/LC3 strongly overlapped with markers of MHC class II loading compartments (MIICs) by confocal and immuno-electron microscopy, suggesting that autophagosomes frequently fuse with MIICs. Furthermore, this pathway was of functional relevance, because targeting of influenza matrix protein 1 to autophagosomes via LC3 fusion led to strongly enhanced CD4 T cell stimulation. This suggests that autophagy constitutively and efficiently delivers cytosolic antigens for MHC class II presentation and can be harnessed for improved helper T cell stimulation. In addition to its role in antigen presentation, autophagy might be an innate immune mechanism to restrict virus replication. We found that autophagosomes strongly accumulated in influenza A virus-infected lung epithelial cells, most likely because they do not fuse with lysosomes anymore. Infected cells contained unusually large autophagosomes filled with amorphous protein or nucleic acid, possibly of viral origin. Inhibition of autophagy led to an increase in influenza virus replication, suggesting that autophagy might be a mechanism to restrict or delay virus replication.


Typically, forward error correction codes are designed based on the minimization of the error rate for a given code rate. However, for applications that incorporates hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) protocol, the throughput is a more important performance metric than the error rate. Polar codes, a new class of error correction codes with simple rate matching and low complexity decoders, can be optimized efficiently for maximization of the throughput. In this paper, we first introduce a method to design throughput-maximizing polar codes for successive cancellation decoding (SCD). Furthermore, since the optimized codes for SCD are not optimal for SC list decoders (SCLD), we propose a rate matching algorithm to find the best rate for the SCLD decoders while using the polar codes optimized for SCD. The resulting codes provide throughput close to capacity with low decoding complexity when used with Type-I HARQ.


Forest harvesting and acidic deposition can cause substantial decreases in the calcium (Ca) inventory of for- est soils if such losses are not replenished through mineral weathering, atmospheric deposition, or fertilization. The net balance between losses and gains defines the forest Ca status. Site-specific studies have measured Ca pools and fluxes in Maine forests, but no synthesis has been published. In this paper, I review the literature on forest Ca and assess the current status and potential future trends. Forest soils in Maine are currently at lesser risk of Ca depletion compared with many forest soils in the central and southeastern United States, because levels of acidic deposition and rates of Ca accumulation in trees are lower in Maine. The rate of Ca accumulation in trees is reduced in Maine as a result of lower growth rates and a higher proportion of conifer trees that require less Ca than hardwoods. However, field-scale biogeochemical studies in Maine and New Hampshire, and regional estimates of harvest removals and soil inventories coupled with low weathering estimates, indicate that Ca depletion is a realistic concern in Maine. The synthesis of site- specific and regional data for Maine in conjunction with the depletion measured directly in surrounding areas indicates that the Ca status of many forest soils in Maine is likely declining. Ca status could decrease further in the future if forest growth rates increase in response to climate trends and recovery from insect-induced mortality and excessive har- vesting in recent years. Proposed climate change induced reductions in spruce and fir and increases in hardwoods would also increase the risk of Ca depletion.


Damage assessment of components or systems is strongly related to the way components fail. Thus, an appropriate understanding of failure degradation of components is necessary. Furthermore, most of the failures are related to fatigue cracks that develop on components under service. This paper is concerned with the fatigue degradation of metallic components. Its emphasis is on the different ways in which the fatigue damaging mechanisms occur, being the main responsible for the failure of components. This paper has two main sections: one section deals with the fatigue mechanisms and their definition; the second section focuses on the failure analysis of components affected by those mechanisms.


The combined offshore wind and wave energy on an integrated platform is an economical solution for the offshore energy industry as they share the infrastructure and ocean space. The study presents the dynamic analysis of the Submerged Tension-Leg Platform (STLP) combined with a heaving-type point absorber wave energy converter (WEC). The feasibility study of the hybrid concept is performed using the aero-servo-hydro-elastic simulation tool FAST. The study analyses the responses of the combined system to understand the influence of the WECs on the STLP platform for various operating conditions of the wind turbine under regular and irregular waves. A positive synergy is observed between the platform and the WECs, and the study also focuses on the forces and moments developed at the interface of the tower and platform to understand the effect of wind energy on the turbine tower and importance of motion amplitudes on the performance of the combined platform system. The mean and standard deviation for the translation and rotational motions of combined wind and wave energy converters are determined for different sea states under both regular and irregular waves to analyse the change in responses of the structure. The study observed a reduction in motion amplitudes of the hybrid floating system with the addition of the wave energy converters around the STLP floater to improve the energy efficiency of the hybrid system. The study helps in understanding the best possible arrangement of point absorber type wave energy converters at the conceptual stage of the design process.


Background: Parsley is one of the medicinal herbs used for gastrointestinal disorders. However, spasmolytic activity of Petroselinum crispum (parsley) extract has been reported, there is a lack of information to support the mechanism of this antispasmodic activity. Taking this into account, the purpose of the present work was to investigate the role of GABAA receptor on antispasmodic activity of the hydroalcoholic extract of parsley seed in isolated rat ileum. Materials and Methods: In this study, terminal portion of ileum (2 cm) was dissected out and mounted in an organ bath containing air bubbled Tyrode solution (37C, pH=7.4). Under 1gr resting tension, ileal contraction was induced by KCl (60 mM) and recorded isotonically. The effects of noncumulative (0.1-0.5 mg/ml) concentrations of extract on KCl-induced contractions were examined. After evaluating the effect of agonist and antagonist GABAA receptor, the effect of parsley extract was assessed in the presence of muscimol (25 μM) and bicuculline (10 μM) as agonist and antagonist of GABAA, respectively. Results: Parsley seed extract reduced the KCl-induced ileal contraction in a concentrationdependent manner (n=7, p<0.001). Both muscimol and bicuculline exerted relaxant effect on ileal contraction (n=7, p<0.05, p<0.01, respectively). Surprisingly, agonist and antagonist of GABAA both potentiated the spasmolytic effect of extract (0.2 mg/ml). Altogether, spasmolytic effect of extract was not attenuated in the presence of GABAA antagonist. Conclusion: It seems that GABAA receptor is not involved in the antispasmodic effect of parsley seeds extract in rat ileum.


Topical corticosteroids are some of the most common drugs used in oral medicine for treating atrophic and erosive lesions that affect the mucosa. Adverse effects of these drugs include oral candidiasis with associated burning mouth and hypogeusia, hypersensitive reactions to the drug, and inhibition of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and secondary adrenal insufficiency. The ocular side effects of oral topical steroids are less documented. This short communication describes a case of central serous retinopathy that developed following administration of oral topical steroid.


Industrial Control Systems (ICSes), networked through conventional IT infrastructures, are vulnerable to attacks originating from network channels. Perimeter security techniques such as access control and firewalls have had limited success in mitigating such attacks due to the frequent updates required by standard computing platforms, third-party hardware and embedded process controllers. The high level of human-machine interaction also aids in circumventing perimeter defenses, making an ICS susceptible to attacks such as reprogramming of embedded controllers. The Stuxnet and Aurora attacks have demonstrated the vulnerabilities of ICS security and proved that these systems can be stealthily compromised. We present several run-time methods for preemptive intrusion detection in industrial control systems to enhance ICS security against reconfiguration and network attacks. A run-time prediction using a linear model of the physical plant and a neural-network based classifier trigger mechanism are proposed for preemptive detection of an attack. A standalone, safety preserving, optimal backup controller is implemented to ensure plant safety in case of an attack. The intrusion detection mechanism and the backup controller are instantiated in configurable hardware, making them invisible to operating software and ensuring their integrity in the presence of malicious software. Hardware implementation of our approach on an inverted pendulum system illustrates the performance of both techniques in the presence of reconfiguration and network attacks.


Some thirty years ago, A. Dwight Culler suggested that the "Thunderer" seen as "fulminat[ing]" at Arnold's persona "to join the modern world" near the conclusion of "Stanzas from the Grande Chartreuse" (lines 163-68) be identified as the voice of The Times (27). Since "Stanzas" was composed between September 1851 and March 1855, and since The Times, whose "circulation in 1853 and 1854 was far greater than that of all its rivals put together" (History 167), did its most resounding and-memorable thundering during that period about the Crimean War (1854-1856), an analysis of the possible role played by The Times pronouncements on the Crimean seems to be a way in which to augment Culler's very suggestive observation. Indeed, it appears that the famous newspaper whose coverage of and commentaries on the Crimean War brought down a government not only offers deeper insights into what might have made the persona of "Stanzas" seek refuge in the world of the Carthusians, but also provides a tantalizing clue as to the identity of "Achilles" in "Achilles ponders in his tent" (115), Arnold's famous allusion to a central tragic figure and motif in the Iliad that has puzzle dreaders of "Stanzas from the Grande Chartreuse" ever since that poem was published.(1) A specific candidate for Arnold's "Achilles" who has managed to escape critical notice is a person who was the focus of intense criticism by The Times when Arnold may have been putting the finishing touches on "Stanzas": Lord Fitzroy James Henry Somerset Raglan, Commander-in-Chief of the British forces during the Crimean War. The Crimean War resulted from a series of irresolute, wrongheaded, and duplicitous maneuvers by Britain, France, Russia, and Austria as those great powers attempted to employ balance-of-power diplomacy to cope with the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire.(2) In Friendship's Garland (1866-70; 1871) Arnold, looking back on the causes of the Crimean War, has Arminius von Thunder-ten-Tronckh, his satirical spokesperson, single out the informal talks on the ultimate fate of Turkey held between Tsar Nicholas I and British Ambassador Sir Hamilton Seymour in January of 1853: I always suspect that your sly old Sir Hamilton Seymour, in his conversations with the Emperor Nicholas before the Crimean war, had at last your Philistines and your press, and their unmistakable bent, in his eye, and did not lead the poor Czar quite straight. If ever there was a man who respected England, and would have gone cordially and easily with a capable British minister, that man was Nicholas.... Nicholas wished nothing better. Even if you would not thus settle the question, he would have forborne to any extent sooner than go to war with you, if he could only have known what you were really at. To be sure, as you did not know this yourselves, you could not possibly tell him, poor man! Louis Napoleon, meanwhile, had his prestige to make. France pulled the wires right and left. (CPW 5.336) According to Arminius, Nicholas I could not have gained a realistic assessment of British reactions to provocative Russian moves in the Crimea because the British government was little more than "the mouthpiece of... Philistines." Even though the "best" foreign governments would have liked to "deal with England seriously and respectfully," they had instead been compelled to deal with those "dozen men sitting in devout expectation to see how the cat will jump,--and that cat the British Philistine!" Arminius, goes on to assert that such a dependence upon shifting Philistine opinion "demoralises your Ministers themselves in the end, even your able and honest ones, and makes them impossible to deal with" (5.335-36). Turkey, having been influenced at least partially by British Ambassador Stratford de Redcliffe's irresponsible and ill-considered assurances of European support, declared war on Russia on 23 October 1853. On 30 November 1853, the Russian fleet from Sebastopol destroyed a Turkish naval squadron lying off the town of Sinope (located on the southern shore of the Black Sea in Asia Minor), and then bombarded Sinope itself. …


Mast cells are protective against snake venom sarafotoxins that belong to the endothelin (ET) peptide family. The molecular mechanism underlying this recently recognized innate defense pathway is unknown, but secretory granule proteases have been invoked. To specifically disrupt a single protease function without affecting expression of other proteases, we have generated a mouse mutant selectively lacking mast cell carboxypeptidase A (Mc-cpa) activity. Using this mutant, we have now identified Mc-cpa as the essential protective mast cell enzyme. Mass spectrometry of peptide substrates after cleavage by normal or mutant mast cells showed that removal of a single amino acid, the C-terminal tryptophan, from ET and sarafotoxin by Mc-cpa is the principle molecular mechanism underlying this very rapid mast cell response. Mast cell proteases can also cleave ET and sarafotoxin internally, but such "nicking" is not protective because intramolecular disulfide bridges maintain peptide function. We conclude that mast cells attack ET and sarafotoxin exactly at the structure required for toxicity, and hence sarafotoxins could not "evade" Mc-cpa's substrate specificity without loss of toxicity.


Decision procedures for various logics are used as general-purpose solvers in computer science. A particularly popular choice is propositional logic, which is simultaneously powerful enough to model problems in many application domains, including formal verification and planning, while at the same time simple enough to be efficiently solved for many practical cases. Similarly, there are also recent interests in using QBF, an extension of propositional logic, as a modeling language to be used in a similar fashion. The hope is that QBF, being a more powerful language, can compactly encode, and in turn, be used to solve, a larger range of applications. Still, propositional logic and QBF are respectively complete for the complexity classes NP and PSPACE, thus, both can be theoretically considered intractable. A popular hypothesis is that real-world problems contain underlying structure that can be exploited by the decision procedures. In this dissertation, we study the impact of structural constraints (in the form of bounded width) and heuristics on the performance of propositional and QBF decision procedures.
The results presented in this dissertation can be seen as a contrast on how bounded-width impacts propositional and quantified problems differently. Starting with a size bound on BDDs under bounded width, we proceed to compare symbolic decision procedures against the standard DPLL search-based approach for propositional logic, as well as compare different width-based heuristics for the symbolic approaches. In general, symbolic approaches for propositional satisfiability are only competitive for a small range of problems, and the theoretical tractability for the bounded-width case rarely applies in practice. However, the picture is very different for quantified satisfiability. To that end, we start with a series of "intractability in tractability" results which shows that although the complexity of QBF with constant width and alternation is tractable, there is an inherent non-elementary blowup in the width and alternation depth such that a width-bound that is slightly above constant leads to intractability. To contrast the theoretical intractability, we apply structural heuristics to a symbolic decision procedure of QBF and show that symbolic approaches complement search-based approaches quite well for QBF.


The locality of Volax situated in eastern Macedonia, Greece, in a small karstic-tectonic basin. The Volax horse is a large-sized horse with moderately plicated enamel in the upper teeth, short protocone with flat lingual border, hypsodont teeth, slightly plicated flexids in the lower teeth, as well as short and robust metapodials. The dental and postcranial characters of the Volax horse indicate that it is a stenonoid horse with greatest similarities to the horse from Dafnero (Greece) and La Puebla (Spain). It is also close to E. s. vireti from Saint-Vallier, as well as to the horse from Olivola and Matassino (Italy). The study of the Volax equid adds to our knowledge about the Villafranchian horses and their relationships. The age of the Volax locality is also discussed and a middle Villafranchian age (MN17) is proposed.


A teacher is vested with the power and privilege to shape students' perceptions of themselves and the learning process. What is more, we are entrusted with the task of preparing our classes to navigate an increasingly complex world. Empathy is essential to that task.
When we teach with empathy we unleash empathy in our students' learning pathways, allowing both cognitive and emotional aptitudes to align. That alignment facilitates the development of the hard and soft skills essential to understanding and participating in interconnected spheres of exchange and influence. Empathic learning deepens our students' abilities to cultivate more nuanced, conceptual, and resonant understanding of subject matter. It facilitates the process of deriving meaning from context, allowing our classes to feel into settings and experiences different from their own. Empathy cultivates proximity to the "other," however conceived, thereby reminding our students that the burdens of their own struggles do not relieve them of the responsibility to see others in theirs and, from that shared perch, to find common ground.
Our students deserve to be seen through the lens of a benevolent witness, and to learn how to apply that lens to others. We are that witness when we choose to see our students as they are and as they could be. With that frame, we are better able to teach and also show our students that it is indeed possible to be wise and compassionate, effective and gentle, and accomplished while also kind.


We have studied the application of an independent component analysis (ICA) approach to the identification and possible removal of artifacts from a magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recording. This statistical technique separates components according to the kurtosis of their amplitude distributions over time, thus distinguishing between strictly periodical signals, and regularly and irregularly occurring signals. Many artifacts belong to the last category. In order to assess the effectiveness of the method, controlled artifacts were produced, which included saccadic eye movements and blinks, increased muscular tension due to biting and the presence of a digital watch inside the magnetically shielded room. The results demonstrate the capability of the method to identify and clearly isolate the produced artifacts.


This article discusses resistance movements carried out by residents of the Morro da Providencia, Rocinha and Morro dos Prazeres favelas, in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Such actions have intensified during the last decade in reaction to the deepening of the inherent contradictions in capitalism, as authoritarian management of social conflicts have intensified in the city in defense of the neoliberal offensive, to increase capital's profitability, in order to contain disputes and control the use of urban space. The empirical references utilized are derived mainly from the dialogue between activists and favela scholars working on research proposals and university extension programs, and who are accompanying the struggle for the realization of the right to the city for the poorest segments of the population. This approach led to a diversity of sources and methods used to collect the necessary information.


This 1996 essay reviews three books: Anthony T. Kronman, 'The Lost Lawyer: Failing Ideals of the Legal Profession' (Belknap 1993); Steven Brint, 'In an Age of Experts: The Changing Role of Professionals in Politics and Public Life' (Princeton 1994); and Christopher Lasch, 'The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy' (WW Norton 1995). The review essay argues that lawyers in the United States should be seen as part of the professional New Class who use the law as a monopoly in the management by elites of the rest of society. The review examines the history of New Class theory - especially as criticized by Steven Brint - and locates lawyers within it as a group characterized by claims to expertise. The essay suggests that, contrary to Kronman, the dissatisfactions of American lawyers has to do less with the loss of calling of a profession than with the simultaneous demand of New Class lawyers to be simultaneously therapeutic-legal managers of society while commanding market rate compensation for apparent legal expertise that consists in large part of rent-seeking for access to the public-private divide that the law polices. The requirements of the older form of the lawyer as respected authority within a particular community restricts the mobility essential to securing market compensation for expertise and access. The unhappiness that Kronman identifies within the legal profession is, according to the conclusion of the article, best explained that it is not a glorious profession because it is not a glorious class, and lawyers are right to be unhappy. This article predates the increasing focus of social theory on the globalized professional - lawyers, managers, NGO workers - but it points toward a form of critical analysis in social theory of the horizontal integration of a globalized bourgeois class that seeks to manage global masses at the expense of vertical leadership and integration with particular national and local communities.


(Abridged:) The paradox of apparent optical associations of galaxies with very different redshifts, the so-called anomalous redshift problem, is around 35 years old, but is still without a clear solution and is surprisingly ignored by most of the astronomical community. Statistical correlations among the positions of these galaxies have been pointed out by several authors. Gravitational lensing by dark matter has been proposed as the cause of these correlations, although this seems to be insufficient to explain them and does not work at all for correlations with the brightest and nearest galaxies. Some of these cases may be just fortuitous associations in which background objects are close in the sky to a foreground galaxy, although the statistical mean correlations remain to be explained and some lone objects have very small probabilities of being a projection of background objects.
The sample of discordant redshift associations given in Arp's atlas is indeed quite large, and most of the objects remain to be analysed thoroughly. For about 5 years, we have been running a project to observe some of these cases in detail, and some new anomalies have been added to those already known; For instance, in some exotic configurations such as NGC 7603 or NEQ3, which can even show bridges connecting four object with very different redshifts. Not only QSOs but also emission-line galaxies in general are found to take part in this kind of event. Other cases are analyzed: MCG 7-25-46, GC 0248+430, B2 1637+29, VV172 and Stephan's Quintet.


Necrotizing fasciitis, a devastating progressive destructive infection of subcutaneous tissue and fascia, is a surgical emergency with a high mortality and morbidity. To analyze the location of necrotizing fasciitis, mode of presentation, microbiological characteristics, comorbid conditions, morbidty and mortality, records were reviewed retrospectively of all ninety-five patients admitted with necrotizing fasciitis to the surgical intensive care unit of Hamad General Hospital between January 1995 and February 2005. Fifteen patients died (15.1%). All patients had leucocytosis and fever on admission with a mean SOFA score varying from 8 to 10.3 according to the type of necrotizing fasciitis involved (Type 1 or 2) and the regions affected. All received aggressive fluid replacement therapy and all underwent debridement at least twice. The most common comorbid condition was Diabetes mellitus. Type 1 necrotizing fasciitis was common in gluteal, cervical and perineal regions; Type 2 was common in chest, axilla, leg and foot regions. Necrotizing fasciitis of the chest, axilla and gluteal regions had the highest mortality while necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum and genitalia had the lowest mortality.


A nonlinear finite element (NLFE) simulation using DIANA software [1] was performed in order to estimate the temperature which produced the first transverse crack at the bar surface and the corresponding tensile stress. It was also used to predict the extent and direction of the thermally induced cracking due to thermal incompatibility between the concrete and GFRP bars when the temperature increases. The NLFE results were verified by comparing the output of the proposed 2D NLFE model with experimental results. The results confirmed the influence of temperature variations on the state of stress within the GFRP reinforced concrete slabs, and the necessity for a recommended minimum concrete cover to avoid the formation of through cracks. The NLFE model generally shows good agreement with the experimental results for a concrete cover of 1.5 x bar diameter db.


The article considers the development of land registration in Scotland, beginning with the Registration Act 1617. This introduced the Register of Sasines, a deed-based register. In the twentieth century, it was decided to move over to a register of title allowing all land to be mapped, but the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979, which introduced the new Land Register, was inadequate and problematic. In particular, it was inconsistent with underlying Scottish property law. In addition, the speed at which properties have moved from the old register to the new has been slow. The 1979 legislation has now been replaced with the Land Registration etc. (Scotland) Act 2012. This is a far more impressive piece of legislation. It reforms the Land Register so that it fits with general property law and simultaneously speeds up the process of moving properties into it. The 2012 legislation also brings Scottish land‑registration law closer to its German and Estonian counterparts.


Abstract Widening participation (WP) in higher education (HE) is an increasingly important policy issue, with interventions to increase participation from minority ethnic, low-income and other under-represented groups undertaken in HE sectors in many countries. In the UK there is a large amount of WP activity but a lack of robust evidence of its effectiveness. This article presents a systematic review in the topic area of WP in HE. We included studies of systematic review, randomised controlled trial (RCT) and quasi-experimental (QE) designs, and assessed evidence of the effectiveness of university access strategies and approaches in relation to the participation of disadvantaged students at university. We searched for, quality appraised and synthesised the international evidence, that is, evidence published in any country, in the English language. The findings from 4 systematic reviews and 12 experimental studies (4 RCTs, 4 RDDs and 4 QEDs) are presented as narrative syntheses in a series of thematic sub-topics. We found some evidence of effectiveness for a number of university access interventions. 'Black box' WP programmes (those with multiple elements in a single programme) and financial incentives were found to be effective. However, much of the evidence had design limitations and the majority were conducted in the US. The article concludes with research recommendations in relation to UK interventions, including suggested designs for future quasi-experimental evaluation.


The August 28 coup attempt revealed the fragility of the democratic experiment that was embarked on after the popular uprising. Combat units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines decided on which side on the factional confrontation. The civilian leadership seemed helpless to take the initiative in quelling an armed rebellion. The democratic political arrangement was severely weakened and under great pressure from right wing forces. Relationship between the military establishment and the civilian leadership has become seriously strained. Right wing discontent has found a charismatic symbol in Colonel Gringo Honasan. The author challenges progressive activists if the democratic space, won by a popular uprising, worth defending. He suggests that in the present crisis, progressive forces must quickly mobilize to defend the democratic space.


Since the first reports of novel coronavirus in the 2020, public health organizations have advocated preventative policies to limit virus, including stay-at-home orders that closed businesses, daycares, schools, playgrounds, and limited child learning and typical activities. Fear of infection and possible employment loss has placed stress on parents; while parents who could work from home faced chal-lenges in both working and providing full-time attentive childcare. For pregnant individuals, fear of at-tending prenatal visits also increased maternal stress, anxiety, and depression. Not surprising, there has been concern over how these factors, as well as missed educational opportunities and reduced interaction, stimulation, and creative play with other children might impact child neurodevelopment. Lev-eraging a large on-going longitudinal study of child neurodevelopment, we examined general childhood cognitive scores in 2020 and 2021 vs. the preceding decade, 2011-2019. We find that children born during the pandemic have significantly reduced verbal, motor, and overall cognitive performance com-pared to children born pre-pandemic. Moreover, we find that males and children in lower socioeconom-ic families have been most affected. Results highlight that even in the absence of direct SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 illness, the environmental changes associated COVID-19 pandemic is signifi-cantly and negatively affecting infant and child development.


This paper presents fundamental design criteria used to evaluate the operational and economic feasibility of installing a variable frequency drive (VFD) on a petroleum products pipeline. A case study is presented in order to demonstrate the application of the design criteria. The operating data is used to compute the electrical power consumption for a conventional control system versus a VFD control system. The operating costs are then analyzed using power company billing information and financial analysis techniques to confirm the economic advantage of utilizing VFD's. The secondary benefits of operating at reduced speeds, soft motor starts and increased throughput flexibility are also presented.


Abstract Previous studies found that girls have higher academic achievement than boys in most school subjects. Teachers' grading of academic achievement seems to be based not only on students' knowledge but also their social skills, and teachers tend to assess girls as having better social skills than boys. The main aim of this study was to examine through multilevel analysis the extent to which teacher-rated social skills predicted teacher-rated academic achievement in Norwegian, mathematics and English over two years when controlling for age, cultural background and previous academic achievement. Possible gender differences were also investigated. Few studies on student achievement in school subjects have included multiple grades, but this study included 1st–8th grade at time point 1 (TI) and 3rd–10th at time point 2 (T2). Data on 2,266 Norwegian students were gathered in the autumn of 2012 and 2014. The results showed that teacher-rated social skills at T1 had a significant influence on boys' and girls' academic achievement two years later, but the fixed effect varied by subject. Social skills seemed to explain the variance in mathematics and Norwegian but not English, when controlling for previous academic achievement. There were no gender differences in the influence of social skills on academic achievement.


CONTEXT
Muscle imbalances aid in the identification of athletes at risk for lower-extremity injury. Little is known regarding the influence that leg preference or playing position may have on lower-extremity muscle strength and asymmetry.

PURPOSE
To investigate lower-extremity strength profiles in rugby union athletes and compare isokinetic knee- and hip-strength variables between legs and positions.

METHODS
Thirty male academy rugby union athletes, separated into forwards (n = 15) and backs (n = 15), participated in this cross-sectional analysis. Isokinetic dynamometry was used to evaluate peak torque, angle of peak torque, and strength ratios of the preferred and nonpreferred legs during seated knee extension/flexion and supine hip extension/flexion at 60°/s.

RESULTS
Backs were older (ES = 1.6) but smaller in stature (ES = -0.47) and body mass (ES = -1.3) than the forwards. The nonpreferred leg was weaker than the preferred leg for forwards during extension (ES = -0.37) and flexion (ES = -0.21) actions and for backs during extension (ES = -0.28) actions. Backs were weaker at the knee than forwards in the preferred leg during extension (ES = -0.50) and flexion (ES = -0.66) actions. No differences were observed in strength ratios between legs or positions. Backs produced peak torque at longer muscle lengths in both legs at the knee (ES = -0.93 to -0.94) and hip (ES = -0.84 to -1.17) than the forwards.

CONCLUSIONS
In this sample of male academy rugby union athletes, the preferred leg and forwards displayed superior strength compared with the nonpreferred leg and backs. These findings highlight the importance of individualized athletic assessments to detect crucial strength differences in male rugby union athletes.


Capillary zone electrophoresis was evaluated as a method for the analysis of wine proteins. Seven wines from three different varieties, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, and Muscat of Alexandria, were used in this systematic analysis of the effect of variables of capillary electrophoresis conditions on wine protein profiles. While there was some differences in the magnitude of protein peaks as a function of vintage and winemaking conditions, each of the varieties displayed a distinct and distinguishable protein profile. If wine is analyzed directly, both proteinaceous and nonproteinaceous UV-absorbing materials are detected. The protein fraction can be obtained from wines by ultrafiltration and analyzed separately. Resuspension of the retentate proteins following ultrafiltration under conditions allowing sample stacking yielded the greatest number and sharpest separation of peaks. The electrophoresis running buffer impacted protein profiles and number of peaks, as expected. Protein peaks were found to be protease-sensitive, suggesting that wine proteins are not intrinsically resistant to protease degradation. Hazes induced by heat/chill treatment effectively stripped the wines of protein content. Capillary zone electrophoresis represents an excellent tool in the analysis of wine proteins and has the potential to differentiate wine varietals.


Legal descriptions of land are used in many legal documents, including contracts, deeds, mortgages, and others. The article first describes several commonly used description methods, including the metes and bounds, U.S. Government Survey, plat reference, and surveyor's or angular description. A suggested method of drawing descriptions is provided. Many types of errors can occur in legal descriptions. Errors can be made because the description is too informal, is ambiguous, or contains mistakes in numbers. Sometimes errors are made when the description is valid in and of itself, but is not the one intended by the parties. Courts have devised canons and aids in construction of land descriptions that contain patent or latent errors. When errors are made, several parties may be adversely affected, including buyers and sellers, mortgagors and mortgagees, lawyers, and land surveyors. For lawyers, errors can implicate both legal and professional ethics violations. Surveyors may be liable in malpractice. The article concludes with some suggestions on methods to avoid making errors in land descriptions.


Abstract. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle have found their usage in various academic and industry domains, mainly due to the versatility of options that one aircraft can offer from onboard sensors for data acquisition and positioning, through different weight and size categories allowing different applications, including landslide mapping and surveying. Survey-grade UAVs can provide very precise flight and data but usually are very costly, and their use can be further bounded by many regulations. In this work, we have adopted a low-cost consumer-grade UAV to do multitemporal monitoring of an active landslide (Ruinon) in Northern Italy to evaluate the applicability of such setup in the landslide hazard domain. Moreover, for flight planning, photogrammetric reconstruction, and comparative analyses we have adopted free and open-source software solutions. The resulted dense point clouds and orthophotos yielded very satisfactory results from accuracies of few meters and even sub-meter level when reconstructed with field-surveyed ground control points. As a result, from the two surveys comparisons, July and October 2021, several displaced boulders and debris were detected where no significant reactivations were detected from our surveys. Such low-cost setup can be used also from non-professionals and in citizen science campaigns which can significantly contribute to additional landslide mapping and analyses by providing valuable datasets.


Objective To evaluate the sustained remission and low disease activity after discontinuation of tocilizumab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis who were treated with tocilizumab alone or in combination with methotrexate. Methods The SURPRISE study was a 2-year, open-label randomised controlled study. Among patients who had been randomised to additional tocilizumab (ADD-ON) or switch to tocilizumab (SWITCH) in the first year, those who achieved remission based on the disease activity score for 28 joints (DAS28-ESR<2.6) discontinued tocilizumab at week 52 and were observed for the following 52 weeks. The endpoint of the second year included tocilizumab-free remission and low disease-activity rates, functional outcome, radiological outcomes assessed with the modified total Sharp score (mTSS) and safety. The efficacy of reinstituted tocilizumab/methotrexate was also evaluated. Results A total of 105 patients who achieved remission at week 52 discontinued tocilizumab; 51 in ADD-ON continued methotrexate and 54 in SWITCH received no disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Sustained DAS28 low disease-activity rates were significantly higher in ADD-ON than in SWITCH (55%vs27%, p=0.005). Sustained remission rates at week 104 were 24% for ADD-ON and 14% for SWITCH (p=0.29). Radiological progression was comparable between both groups (mTSS; 0.37vs0.64, p=0.36). The restart of tocilizumab induced remission in all except two patients after 36 weeks, irrespective of concomitant methotrexate. Conclusion Sustained low disease activity after tocilizumab discontinuation could be maintained with continued methotrexate in more than half of the patients. Retreatment with tocilizumab led to remission in more than 90% of patients. Trial registration number NCT01120366; Results.


We describe a new and accurate algorithm for computing translational gradients of incoming radiance in the context of a ray tracing-based global illumination solution. The gradient characterizes how the incoming directional radiance function changes with displacement on a surface. We use the gradient for a smoother radiance interpolation over glossy surfaces in the framework of the radiance caching algorithm. The proposed algorithm generalizes the irradiance gradient computation by [Ward and Heckbert 1992] to allow its use for non-diffuse, glossy, surfaces. Compared to previous method for radiance gradient computation, the new algorithm yields better gradient estimates in the presence of significant occlusion changes in the sampled environment, allowing a smoother indirect illumination interpolation.


Since the first Falcon AGG survey in 1999 (van Leuwen et al., 2000), fixed-wing airborne gravity gradiometry (AGG) has proved to be a valuable tool for mining and oil and gas explora¬tion (Dransfield, 2007). The more compact digital Falcon AGG allowed the system to be installed in a helicopter and helicopter AGG surveys began in 2006 (Boggs et al., 2007). Compared with fixed-wing aircraft, the helicopter platform can fly surveys low and slow, offering superior spatial resolution as well as an improved signal-to-noise ratio (Dransfield, 2007). The superior spatial resolution and improved signal-to-noise ratio provided by helicopter AGG enhances its capability to detect smaller targets and better delineate subtler features. Dransfield and Christensen (2013) reported a HeliFalcon performance of 6 Eo RMS at 45 m resolution in vertical gravity gradient, by far the finest spatial resolution of any airborne AGG system.
Another advantage afforded by helicopter AGG is its capa¬bility to follow terrains more closely especially in areas of high relief. Christensen and Hodges (2013) compared the vertical grav¬ity gradient from HeliFalcon with the simulated fixed-wing result over the Iron Range survey in the Canadian Rocky Mountains where the terrain variation reaches 1900 m. They showed that in this terrain, a fixed-wing survey would have to fly at ground clearances of more than 1000 m for much of the survey area. This high ground clearance would have greatly suppressed the signal at short wavelengths and degraded the spatial resolution.
In this paper, we look at the HeliFalcon AGG survey conducted in the Aso-Oguni area exploring for geothermal fields, examin the technical challenges presented by the rugged terrains, describe some aspects of the data acquisition and processing, and present the survey results.


Abstract Glass fiber reinforced polymer composites are used as different structural components and machining processes are generally performed to fixing and assembling operations. Milling is one of them used in reaching the final dimensions and shapes of these composites. In this study, glass fiber reinforced polymer composite plates were milled under different cutting parameters such as depth of cut, feed and cutting speed. High speed steel and tungsten carbide cutting tools were used in the experiments. Relation between cutting parameters with surface roughness were investigated in details. Design of experiment was also used to determine the optimal cutting condition for minimum surface roughness. Analysis of variance was applied to determine the effectiveness of the parameters. Finally, cutting performance of the fibers along the edges of the milled surfaces was investigated according to selection of the tool and milling conditions.


How did Nietzsche the philosopher come into being? The Nietzsche known today did not develop "naturally," through the gradual maturation of some inborn character. Instead, from an early age he engaged in a self-conscious campaign to follow his own guidance, thereby cultivating the critical capacities and personal vision which figure in his books. As a result, his published works are steeped in values that he discovered long before he mobilized their results. Indeed, one could argue that the first work which he authored was not a book at all, but his own persona. Based on scholarship previously available only in German, this book examines Nietzsche's unstable childhood, his determination to advance through selfformation, and the ways in which his environment, notably the Prussian education system, alternately influenced and impeded his efforts to find his own way. It will be essential reading for all who are interested in Nietzsche.


Online social networks like Google+, Twitter, and Facebook allow users to build, organize, and manage their social connections for the purposes of information sharing and consumption. Nonetheless, most social network users still report that building and curating contact groups is a time consuming burden. To help users overcome the burdens of contact discovery and grouping, Google+ recently launched a new feature known as "circle sharing." The feature makes it easy for users to share the benefits of their own contact curation by sharing entire "circles" (contact groups) with others. Recipients of a shared circle can adopt the circle as a whole, merge the circle into one of their own circles, or select specific members of the circle to add.
 In this paper, we investigate the impact that circle-sharing has had on the growth and structure of the Google+ social network. Using a cluster analysis, we identify two natural categories of shared circles, which represent two qualitatively different use cases: circles comprised primarily of celebrities (celebrity circles), and circles comprised of members of a community (community circles). We observe that exposure to circle-sharing accelerates the rate at which a user adds others to his or her circles. More specifically, we notice that circle-sharing has accelerated the "densification" rate of community circles, and also that it has disproportionately affected users with few connections, allowing them to find new contacts at a faster rate than would be expected based on accepted models of network growth. Finally, we identify features that can be used to predict which of a user's circles (s)he is most likely to share, thus demonstrating that it is feasible to suggest to a user which circles to share with friends.