Summary In this work, reciprocal grafts between the chloride-tolerant Cleopatra mandarin ( Citrus reshni Hort. ex Tan.) and the chloride-sensitive Carrizo citrange ( Citrus sinensis [L.] Osb. × Poncirus trifoliata [L.] Raf.) rootstocks were grown under saline conditions to identify major transmissible salt tolerance traits in citrus. The data indicate that lower chloride levels in leaves, attenuated shoot growth and smaller vessel size in xylem were the most important transmissible salt tolerance traits. Other tolerance attributes such as larger leaf area and lower transpiration rates were non-transmissible charac teristics. Leaf cation levels and gas interchange parameters were unrelated to salt tolerance. In com parison with sensitive Carrizo, tolerant Cleopatra plants showed reduced capabilities for water uptake as well as lower leaf Cl-concentrations. Carrizo on Cleopatra grafts also possessed these two attributes although they were slightly less tolerant than Cleopatra plants, which had higher shoot to root ratios than the grafted plants. Cleopatra on Carrizo plants showed high sensitivity to salt because they had higher ability for water uptake and accumulated higher Cl-concentrations in leaves.


Excerpt] Despite international investments in development initiatives targeted to people who have a disability – investments by domestic governments in support to people who have a disability and commitments by governments to international and domestic human rights commitments – little if any progress has been made in improving the economic, political or social status of people who have a disability in developing countries. To understand why people with disabilities continue to be among the most disadvantaged people in the world we must consider how people with disabilities are perceived by policy makers and how development policy addresses disability. If real progress is to be made in achieving better lives for people with disabilities both the perception of people with disabilities and our policy objectives must change. This paper outlines the need for a shift from disability policy to inclusive development policy and proposes that civil society organizations require expanded strategies to contribute to this shift. The global strategy developed by Inclusion International to promote the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and their families in the UN Millennium Development Goals illustrates what this shift means for an international disability organization and demonstrates how we can "link local voices to global change". Disciplines Disability Law Comments http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/gladnetcollect/313 This article is available at DigitalCommons@ILR: http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/gladnetcollect/313 Sch werp unk tthe ma: Arm ut u nd B ehin deru ng Journal for Disability and International Development Zeitschrift des Netzwerks Menschen mit Behinderung in der Einen Welt AUSGABE 2/2005 16.JAHRGANG


ABSTRACT School-based comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) can help adolescents acquire crucial knowledge and skills to achieve their full potential, particularly in low- and middle-income countries with higher rates of negative sexual and reproductive outcomes. While many low- and middle-income countries have developed CSE curricula, little is known about how these are implemented in the classroom. This multi-country mixed-methods study analysed challenges to the implementation of national CSE curricula in schools in Ghana, Kenya, Peru and Guatemala, based on surveys of secondary school principals, teachers and students aged 15–17 years, and in-depth interviews with central and local government, NGOs and youth organisations. In all four countries, inadequate teacher training remained a major hurdle to effective implementation, manifesting in teacher discomfort and inaccurate messaging. This was compounded by a lack of comprehensive teaching resources. CSE classes were focused mainly on biology at the expense of contraception, gender and rights, despite students' desire for greater coverage of these topics. Teaching methods lacked interactive activities necessary to develop skills and values. Findings offer useful lessons to improve school-level implementation in these and other countries facing similar challenges. Increasing teacher training and distributing comprehensive CSE materials responsive to adolescents' needs remain priorities in all countries.


Background: A novel coronavirus (COVID-19) erupted in the latter part of 2019. The virus, SARS-CoV-2 can cause a range of symptoms ranging from mild through fulminant respiratory failure. Approximately 25% of hospitalized patients require admission to the intensive care unit, with the majority of those requiring mechanical ventilation. High density consolidations in the bronchial tree and in the pulmonary parenchyma have been described in the advanced phase of the disease. We noted a subset of patients who had a sudden, significant increase in peak airway, plateau and peak inspiratory pressures. Partial or complete ETT occlusion was noted to be the culprit in the majority of these patients. Methods: With institutional IRB approval, we examined a subset of our mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients. All of the patients were admitted to one of our COVID-19 ICUs. Each was staffed by a board certified intensivist. During multidisciplinary rounds, all arterial blood gas (ABG) results, ventilator settings and ventilator measurements are discussed and addressed. ARDSNet Protocols are employed. In patients with confirmed acute occlusion of the endotracheal tube (ETT), acute elevation in peak airway and peak inspiratory pressures are noted in conjunction with desaturation. Data was collected retrospectively and demographics, ventilatory settings and ABG results were recorded. Results: Our team has observed impeded ventilation in intubated patients who are several days into the critical course. Pathologic evaluation of the removed endotracheal tube contents from one of our patients demonstrated a specimen consistent with sloughed tracheobronchial tissues and inflammatory cells in a background of dense mucin. Of 110 patients admitted to our adult COVID-19 ICUs, 28 patients required urgent exchange of their ETT. Conclusion: Caregivers need to be aware of this pathological finding, recognize, and to treat this aspect of the COVID-19 critical illness course, which is becoming more prevalent.


This thesis addresses a need for further evaluation of existing and new innovation survey indicators, which now provide an important evidence base informing better policy approaches. The research focus is on indicators produced from large scale, economy-wide innovation surveys, which collect firm-level data, and move beyond traditional R&D, patent, and bibliometric approaches by providing a direct, "subject" approach to measurement. Such surveys are conducted in approximately 80 countries, producing numerous indicators, though many portray counterintuitive results, and are subject to various shortcomings. Consequently, this study seeks to explore how new indicators can improve understanding of innovation.

Three indicator categories are assessed, using microdata from two iterations of a large regional innovation survey, the Tasmanian Innovation Census (TIC). Results examine three degrees of innovation novelty, and show that R&D activity and intensity provide good measures of innovation capability. Complex "mode" indicators reveal the distribution of innovation characteristics at a "system" level, across sectors, and for firms of different sizes, with linear, chain-link and systems theories all underpinning selected indicators. Using panel data, "output" mode indicators reveal specific movement of both innovative and non-innovative firms between four innovation modes, providing a dynamic understanding of capability development and erosion over time, and suggesting that innovation capability for the most part develops cumulatively. Innovation based on diffusion is shown as most common in services. Composite indicator results provide a simple, visual picture of sectoral innovation performance, demonstrating usefulness beyond the typical macro-level of analysis. Results and discussion expose issues around theory, policy and practice with implications for related future research, including a need for further work to standardise different indicators for degrees of novelty and capability, and for research to understand the links between innovation modes and economic outcomes.


What is a fugue? What is the difference between a saxophone and a saxhorn? Who besides Puccini wrote an opera called "La Boheme"? In what year, was the National Broadcasting Company Orchestra formed under Arturo Toscanini's direction? These and thousands of similar questions are answered in this comprehensive dictionary that remains unrivaled as a single-volume summary. "A New Dictionary of Music" is a basic reference work for anyone interested in music, whether performer or layman.It covers orchestral, solo, choral and chamber music, opera, and (in its musical aspects) the ballet. There are entries for composers (with biographies and details of compositions); works well known by their titles, such as operas and symphonic poems; orchestras, performers and conductors of importance today; musical instruments (including those of the dance and brass bands); and, technical terms. English names and terms are used whenever possible, but foreign terms in general use are cross-referenced. Particular importance has been attached to bringing the reader abreast of new musical developments.The composers and musical works chosen were those most likely to be encountered. Where an opera is given an entry, a brief explanation of the title follows. Similarly explication is provided for other works bearing literary or otherwise allusive titles. Among performers and conductors, only the following are included: those who, although dead, continue to be prominent through recorded performances (e.g. Gigli); the highest-ranking international artists of today, plus a very few apparently on the verge of attaining that rank; and, a few who, though not necessarily at the very head of their profession, are closely associated with composers in bringing out new works, or are conductors in charge of important orchestras.


Plasma membranes were isolated from smooth muscles of rat mesenteric veins. The plasma membrane fraction is relatively pure according to its morphological and enzymatic characteristics. The membrane distribution, enzymatic activities, as well as calcium accumulation by the plasma membrane fraction from venous smooth muscle were compared to those from arterial smooth muscle. The isolated venous smooth muscle plasma membranes formed primarily closed vesicles which were capable of accumulating Ca2+ in the presence of ATP suggesting active transport of Ca2+ across the membrane vesicles. Evidence obtained from several approaches by studying the effect of A23187, phosphate ions and hypotonic shock on the Ca2+ accumulation in the presence of ATP revealed that there is an active transport of Ca2+ across isolated vascular smooth muscle membrane vesicles in addition to binding of Ca2+. However, venous smooth muscle plasma membrane fraction appears to be different from arterial smooth muscle plasma membrane fraction in its low activity of alkaline phosphatase, greater Ca2+ binding and lower Ca2+ transport. These and previous studies show that the plasma membrane of vascular muscles may play an important role in the steady state regulation of cellular calcium concentration during excitation-contraction coupling, especially in small arteries and veins.


We describe a device for random settling preparation of calcareous nannoplankton (coccolith) samples. The device allows easy draining and cleaning, as well as sedimentation at different heights of the water column through the use of different slide carriers. Reproducibility and accuracy of the device has been tested with standardised microbeads as spiking material. In applying counting techniques with different equations for determining absolute abundances, we discovered major anomalies in the calculated results that we interpreted as being due to the effect of convection currents within the device and the usage of elevated cover slides. A modified formula that corrects for the influence of elevated cover slides in random settling experiments is therefore proposed. Although the settling method is more time-consuming than standard smear-slide techniques, additional information is gained about the spatial and temporal distribution of coccoliths. These are important for palaeoecological and palaeobiogeographical interpretations.


By the end of the regal period (late 6th c. BC) Rome was by far the greatest non-Greek city in Italy. How she attained her enormous size was a problem for the ancients no less than for the moderns. The former agreed on Rome's birth (the first city of the 8th c. BC on the Palatine's 15 hectares) and completion (all the traditional Seven Hills, ca. 400 hectares); everything in-between was a matter of dispute. The latter, while agreeing on the point of arrival, evidenced by the archaic remains of the 'Servian Wall', reject the point of departure and so the whole literary tradition on Rome's growth, pointing out that the Palatine was inhabited much earlier and the Capitol earlier still; another argument is a hypothetical huge (200–300 hectares) 'proto-urban centre' on Rome's site. The aim of this study is to assess the worth of the ancients' certainty that the Palatine was the city's cradle and see if their writings preserved dependable information on her growth; the results – Rome was in fact founded on the Palatine and had one stage of growth between the 'Romulean' birth and the 'Servian-Tarquinian' achievement – pass well the test of confrontation with the archaeological material.


The system sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)/decanol (DeOH)/water presents, with temperature increase, an unusual phase transition between a stable biaxial phase and a coexistence region of the two uniaxial nematic phases (discotic ND + cylindrical NC). This has been detected previously by several methods for a sample with water/SDS molar ratio Mw = 36. Here, this system is investigated changing the ratio Mw to 32, where previously the coexistence region was reported after a discotic ND phase, without the biaxial phase. We report now the existence of a biaxial NB in the temperature range of ~2°C, defining for both values of Mw and the phase sequence as NB – (ND + NC) – NC. The change in temperature is followed by conoscopic and orthoscopic optical techniques and also analysed through the curve obtained by the technique of digital image processing of the textures, which reveals a continuous transition ND – NB – (ND + NC). While the biaxial phase is stable for at least 10 hours, in a reproducible way, the coexistence region evolves with time, and drops of the discotic phase grow immersed in a NC matrix. Results are explained in terms of recent theories dealing with stabilisation of mixtures of cylinders and discs.


Beth A. Lawrence MOTIVATING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN LITERACY: A STUDY ON DISCUSSION GROUPS 2003/2004 Dr. Robin McBee Master of Science in Teaching The focus of this research proposal was literacy motivation for students in elementary school. The researcher hypothesized that students who took part in a discussion group, which is a motivational technique used in literacy, would perform better on a comprehension test and had a higher level of motivation to read than students who did not participate in discussion groups. The proposed method included taking a stratified random sample of 6 second grade students that participated in discussion groups daily for two weeks. All students were required to keep a reading log of the books that they read in school and the amount of time that they read in school for 2 months. After a 2 week period, all students were given a comprehension quiz and small writing assignment. The data was analyzed by comparing the treatment group and control group, finding that the literature discussion group, especially male students, seemed to be motivated to read


This study aims to compare impacts of climate change on streamflow in four large representative African river basins: the Niger, the Upper Blue Nile, the Oubangui and the Limpopo. We set up the eco-hydrological model SWIM (Soil and Water Integrated Model) for all four basins individually. The validation of the models for four basins shows results from adequate to very good, depending on the quality and availability of input and calibration data. For the climate impact assessment, we drive the model with outputs of five bias corrected Earth system models of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) for the representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 2.6 and 8.5. This climate input is put into the context of climate trends of the whole African continent and compared to a CMIP5 ensemble of 19 models in order to test their representativeness. Subsequently, we compare the trends in mean discharges, seasonality and hydrological extremes in the 21st century. The uncertainty of results for all basins is high. Still, climate change impact is clearly visible for mean discharges but also for extremes in high and low flows. The uncertainty of the projections is the lowest in the Upper Blue Nile, where an increase in streamflow is most likely. In the Niger and the Limpopo basins, the magnitude of trends in both directions is high and has a wide range of uncertainty. In the Oubangui, impacts are the least significant. Our results confirm partly the findings of previous continental impact analyses for Africa. However, contradictory to these studies we find a tendency for increased streamflows in three of the four basins (not for the Oubangui). Guided by these results, we argue for attention to the possible risks of increasing high flows in the face of the dominant water scarcity in Africa. In conclusion, the study shows that impact intercomparisons have added value to the adaptation discussion and may be used for setting up adaptation plans in the context of a holistic approach.


Because of big internal differences in the production-resource structure, the former uniform Yugoslav market was characterized by intensive inter-republic trade. Given the controlled prices of agrarian products, their internal trade was frequently referred to as an example of non-equivalent exchange. After the violent secession and disintegration of the common country, the agrarian trade balances of the former republics and their positions in foreign trade essentially began to change. The relative changes of the agrarian-export positions of the republics/states are gained an insight into in the context of the market structure and the agrarian potentials of the former shared environment and the current new one. At the same time, we are comparatively analyzing the market structure and relations within the three status/systemically completely different conditions of these countries for the duration of an almost two-and-ahalf- decade-long period (from 1988 to 2010), namely: (1) the pre-transition position on the uniform market; (2) the transition period after the disintegration of the common state, and (3) the post-transition period of independence. The sectoral significance of the agrarian market is assessed via an analysis of the share of agrarian trade turnover in total foreign-trade turnover, as well as the movement of the net balance of agrarian trade, while positional changes in the spatial structure of the total and agrarian export and import are being gained an insight into via the relative share of some countries in the total trade turnover of the ex-YU market countries. Utilizing specific analytical methods, such a way to analyze the transition dynamic and structural changes of the agro-food sector in foreign trade offers a possibility of the identifying and objectivizing of the comparative advantage and export potentials of the agrarian foreign trade of these countries. The remarks and assessments derived on that basis are indicative of the consequences of the disintegration of the former uniform Yugoslav agrarian market.


For decades, the extent to which US courts should enforce antitrust laws against state-led export cartels has been a subject of intense debate among academics, courts, and policymakers. As defendants in such cases often invoke comity-related defenses, the outcomes of these cases have turned on fact-specific inquiries into the reach and meaning of foreign laws, as well as foreign sovereign involvement in the cartels. However, judicial focus on facts alone tends to obscure the fundamental question of whether granting the comity-based defense to the foreign exporters would maximize the interests of the United States. The US government's contrasting stance in the recent vitamin C case and as regards Japanese export cartels in the 1980s perfectly illustrates the changing nature of American interests in such cases. Thus, an optimal response to state-led export cartels not only turns on factual inquiries of the existence of state compulsion, but also its impact on trade policy and domestic politics in both the exporting and importing countries. Comity analysis therefore needs to be robust enough to accommodate and adapt to the particular economic and political circumstances. As the executive branch is in the best position to balance and reconcile competing interests of foreign relations, US courts should accord a high level of deference to the executive in cases involving state-led export cartels.


Despite their demonstrated potential through a range of early studies, on-line collaborative learning systems do not yet have the impact that many believe is possible. In particular, collaborative learning approaches cannot be readily applied to every e-learning experience, since they require a degree of presence and/or collaboration which may be difficult to achieve. In addition, collaborative learning systems often lack the challenging resources and tools required to fully support collaborations, making the experience unattractive to end-users and discouraging progression. Whilst the learner might expect to control the collaborative experience, often it is the collaborative experience that controls and limits the learner. As a result, collaborative learning resources can lack authentic interactivity, user empowerment and balanced levels of challenge, thus having a negative effect in learner motivation and engagement. To overcome these deficiencies, we propose a new paradigm named Collaborative Complex Learning Objects (CC-LO): a special type of Learning Object which aims to leverage the knowledge elicited during live sessions of collaborative learning, augmented with author- generated information, to produce interactive and attractive resources to be experienced and played by learners. During CC-LO execution, learners can observe how avatars discuss and collaborate, how discussion threads grow, and how knowledge is constructed, refined and consolidated. Furthermore, learners can interact with the CC-LO in order to modify some parameters observing the consequences and assessing their understanding. The research reported in this paper was undertaken within the European Framework 7 project ALICE (Adaptive Learning via Intuitive/Interactive, Collaborative and Emotional Systems).


We propose a dynamic structural model of a loan portfolio, secured by collaterals. Contrary to existing dynamic models, our model takes into account the time-dependence of the debtors' wealth and the fact that, due to defaults, the financial health within the portfolio improves in comparison to the population. As such, the model replicates the empirically observed decrease of loans' default rates in time.
In the model, the debtors' resources, insufficiency of which is assumed to cause defaults, and the prices of the collaterals, determining the losses given default (LGD), depend on common and individual factors. The individual factors follow an AR(1) vector process with general residuals, the common factors are general, possibly dependent on exogenous variables.
We show that the mapping transforming the common factors into the conditional probabilities of default (PD) and the LGDs is one-to-one monotonous continuously differentiable. As this transformation is not analytically tractable, we propose an approximation technique which is convergent with polynomial complexity.
To demonstrate a possible application of our model, we formulate a decision problem for optimal choice of loan candidates. Further, we discuss estimation of the model's parameters, we suggest ways of modelling heterogenous portfolios, and we give arguments supporting empirical validity of the model.


This paper presents a method for automatically calibrating and assessing the calibration quality of an externally tracked 2-D ultrasound (US) probe by scanning arbitrary, natural tissues, as opposed a specialized calibration phantom as is the typical practice. A generative topic model quantifies the posterior probability of calibration parameters conditioned on local 2-D image features arising from a generic underlying substrate. Auto-calibration is achieved by identifying the maximum a-posteriori image-to-probe transform, and calibration quality is assessed online in terms of the posterior probability of the current image-to-probe transform. Both are closely linked to the 3-D point reconstruction error (PRE) in aligning feature observations arising from the same underlying physical structure in different US images. The method is of practical importance in that it operates simply by scanning arbitrary textured echogenic structures, e.g., in-vivo tissues in the context of the US-guided procedures, without requiring specialized calibration procedures or equipment. Observed data take the form of local scale-invariant features that can be extracted and fit to the model in near real-time. Experiments demonstrate the method on a public data set of in vivo human brain scans of 14 unique subjects acquired in the context of neurosurgery. Online calibration assessment can be performed at approximately 3 Hz for the US images of  $640\times 480$  pixels. Auto-calibration achieves an internal mean PRE of 1.2 mm and a discrepancy of [2 mm, 6 mm] in comparison to the calibration via a standard phantom-based method.


Aims and Objective: A chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health problem globally. The patients with COPD usually have dependence on society due to its nature. This study was designed to determine the health-related quality of life among COPD patients and its relationship with severity of disease. Methods: Total 54 patients were recruited through simple random sampling from the outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital. St Georges Respiratory Quality life validated structured questionnaire was used to determine the quality of life under cross sectional study design. Kruskal Wallis test, Pearson correlation and linear regression analysis were used to determine the relationship between health-related quality of life with severity of the disease. Results: The mean score of symptoms, activity, impact and total on health-related quality of life score is 60.34±12.39, 27.53±2.78, 44.98±5.08 and 23.83±2.69, respectively.. There was statistically significant positive correlation between forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC and health-related quality of life score. After adjustment of covariate in regression analysis, the variables that predicted SGRQ scores in COPD patients are age (P-value <0.04), smoking (P-value <0.01) and spirometry values (FEV1 and FVC.) (P-value <0.05). The health-related quality of life scores were significantly different among mild, moderate severe disease patients (P-value <0.05). Conclusion: Among COPD patients, the health-related quality of life was impaired, and it has decreased as severity of disease increased. Proper management of disease and improved awareness among patients regarding factors which affect the health-related quality of life among COPD patients is necessary.


: Direct and indirect induced defense mechanisms against herbivores can be manifested in maize ( Zea mays L.) plants. Furthermore, there are constitutive defenses in which plants continuously express resistance traces. In recent decades has increased the production of transgenic maize plants that constitutively express proteins with insecticide action (Bt maize). The increase of the use of transgenic maize cultivars with the Bt ( Bacillus thuringiensis ) gene demand studies that evaluate the impacts caused by this technology on plant defense mechanisms and their impact on non-targeted organisms, as the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae). We tested the hypothesis that Bt maize plants (expressing Cry1F protein) would be capable of inducing direct defenses to T. urticae after being attacked by these mites. Thus, we used plants of a commercial maize hybrid (30F35 Hx - expressing Cry1F protein) and plants of its respective non-Bt isogenic line (control). We compared the survival and reproductive performances of T. urticae on plants of both lines that were previously infested with conspecifics and on plants that did not suffer pre-infestations. The previous infestation of maize plants by T. urticae did not impacted the survival and reproductive abilities of adult and immature forms of the conspecific in both genotypes. These results suggest that, Bt maize expressing the Cry1F insecticidal protein, does not interfere in the induction of direct defense by the T. urticae when compared with conventional maize plants.


The joint effects of feedback delay, limited feedback and channel estimation errors on the secrecy performance of a multiple-input–single-output (MISO) system employing transmit beamforming against passive eavesdropping are investigated. Closed-form expressions of the effective secrecy throughput which characterise the average rate of achieving reliable and secure transmissions are derived. Simulation results verify the theoretical analysis and show that different from feedback delay and limited feedback which degrade performance, imperfect channel estimation may not always harm the secrecy throughput. Furthermore, it is interesting to find that there exists an optimal transmit signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for achieving the maximal secrecy throughput and channel state information imperfections will increase the optimal value of the transmit SNR.


9 ABSTRACT Explaining appearances, the problem of specifying the relation between empirical appearances and abstract concepts, continues to confound scholars. Most thinkers concentrate on the terms to be related, as opposed to the structure of how the connection is to be made. Instead, I argue that the important focus should be on the third position that is required to connect the terms. Kant and Hegel both employ philosophical third positions, imagination and self-conscious explanation, respectively, to relate the sensibility and the intellect in the operation of cognition to explain appearances. Their accounts explain appearances by indicating how sensory representations that appear in perception are to be subsumed into abstract yet objective concepts. At the heart of explaining appearances is the problem of time. For Kant, the linchpin is that the understanding must unify time with the categories for any appearance to appear. For Hegel, knowing is a self-developing process, which as processual, is necessarily temporalized. Time (as history) becomes a philosophical object, and both the form and the content of experience are temporalized. It is precisely the problem of time that requires the specification of a philosophical third position to explain appearances, and ultimately deliver the higher-stakes objective conditions of knowing. Kant and Hegel treat the problem of time differently, but both specify a third position to relate determinate content and abstract form. For Kant, the imagination mediates between the sensibility and the understanding. For Hegel, self-conscious explanation provides intelligibility between external appearances and mental structures (concepts). Kant's conditions for object recognition involve the logical forms of judgment and the categories, and Hegel's objective conditions for all knowing integrate difference, necessity, otherness, and infinity in the movement of the Concept (a thinking substance and its object).In Chapter 1, I introduce the topic and the three main formulations of the explaining appearances problem. First is Kant's "Letter to Herz" specification as to the agreement between sense representations and abstract concepts. Second is the contemporary Conceptualism debate's formulation of the connection between non-conceptual sensibility and conceptual understanding. The Conceptualism debate is an argument about the degree to which the Kantian faculties of intuition (sensibility), imagination, and understanding incorporate conceptual content (the categories). Conceptual means conceptually-determined content per the involvement of the categories (the pure concepts of the understanding that Kant articulates (§10, B106, 212)). Third is the more general formulation of the Humean dilemma addressed by Hegel as the relation of determinate content and abstract form, which is a format that can be sufficiently resolved.In Chapter 2, I argue for a conceptualist reading of Kant's account of explaining appearances. I resolve some much-debated ambiguities that arise in §26 and the B160 note. The central issue in explaining appearances for Kant is the generation of the a priori unity of space and time, per the formal intuition of space and time as specified in §26 and the B160 note. I frame my argument in terms of the Conceptualism debate (the extent to which Kant's notion of intuition is category-determined and how this influences the unicity of time and space). I conclude that the explaining appearances problem cannot be fully resolved when specified as the Kantian "Letter to Herz" problem of how agreement is possible between sense representations and abstract concepts. Solution is possible, though, when the explaining appearances problem is recast as the Humean dilemma of the relation between determinate content and abstract concepts.In Chapter 3, I discuss how for Hegel, Kant fails to sufficiently surmount the problem of time (the conflict between time-bound intuitions and atemporal concepts). I argue that Hegel's advance is to specify the understanding conceiving of itself under the concept of infinity (universality), which allows the integration of appearance and concept in the process of consciousness's self-determination. I resolve the subjective conditions problem (the challenge of individual consciousness having only subjectively-applicable operations) that arises in Hegel's account with a Bildung-based reading of the Consciousness chapter, that does not rely on consciousness's progression to Self-Consciousness or external terms. In Chapter 4, I argue that a recurrent theme extending across Kant and Hegel's work regarding critical time enables the substantive progress that ultimately resolves the explaining appearances problem. Kant's Transcendental Aesthetic is the critical time formulation that brings time and space into subjectivity, as opposed to space and time being objective external facts. Hegel further incorporates time into subjectivity by defining history as a philosophical object, again, rather than as being external objective facts. In the same kind of structural move (internalization) that Kant and Hegel make with time, Hegel also brings the activity of explanation into subjectivity, as opposed to explanation being an external objective scientific process. Explanation is redefined as an agential self-conscious activity, whose validity (truth determination) is a function of consciousness's own satisfaction with the explanation, not with regard to some external metric. Self-conscious explanation resolves the explaining appearances 11 problem by providing the objective conditions for all knowing (through the movement of the Concept in its principles of difference, necessity, otherness, and infinity) as opposed to merely the objective conditions for object recognition as Kant supplies. The result is a shift from representational thinking to conceptual thinking (and epistemology to phenomenology). The important stakes of this work are that the explaining appearances problem is resolved. The solution reveals an even more crystallizing result of this analysis. This is that beyond what can be regarded as the already stunning importance of Kant's Transcendental Aesthetic in bringing time and space into subjectivity, as opposed to time being seen as objective external facts, which Hegel also similarly extends by rendering history as a philosophical object, the even more important critical benefit stemming from the Transcendental Aesthetic is as follows. The Transcendental Aesthetic forces the thinking of the conditions of possibility of experience, which also forces the thinking of the conditions of possibility for objects of experience. The implication is that there is no experience, or objects of experience, without the Transcendental Aesthetic. (Self-conscious explanation is just one of consciousness's objects, in its phase of evolving from consciousness to self-consciousness.) The Transcendental Aesthetic not only brings time and space into subjectivity, it enables the conditions of possibility of all experience and all objects of experience. This formulation leads directly into Hegel's articulation of the Concept as the persistent structure of the conditions of possibility for all experience and for all objects of experience. My overarching claim is that there is no Hegel without Kant, in the sense that there is no Hegelian Concept without the Kantian Transcendental Aesthetic. Hence, the Transcendental Aesthetic should be seen as a superlative critical time formulation that not only cannot be collapsed into the Transcendental Logic as some revisionist scholars propose, but whose greater philosophical import should be emphasized and further developed.


Abstract. The influence of spatial surface temperature changes over the Arctic Ocean on the 2-m air temperature variability is estimated using backward trajectories based on ERA-Interim and JRA25 wind fields. They are initiated at Alert, Barrow and at the Tara drifting station. Three different methods are used. The first one compares mean ice surface temperatures along the trajectories to the observed 2-m air temperatures at the stations. The second one correlates the observed temperatures to air temperatures obtained using a simple Lagrangian box model that only includes the effect of sensible heat fluxes. For the third method, mean sensible heat fluxes from the model are correlated with the difference of the air temperatures at the model starting point and the observed temperatures at the stations. The calculations are based on MODIS ice surface temperatures and four different sets of ice concentration derived from SSM/I (Special Sensor Microwave Imager) and AMSR-E (Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS) data. Under nearly cloud-free conditions, up to 90% of the 2-m air temperature variance can be explained for Alert, and 70% for Barrow, using these methods. The differences are attributed to the different ice conditions, which are characterized by high ice concentration around Alert and lower ice concentration near Barrow. These results are robust for the different sets of reanalyses and ice concentration data. Trajectories based on 10-m wind fields from both reanalyses show large spatial differences in the Central Arctic, leading to differences in the correlations between modeled and observed 2-m air temperatures. They are most pronounced at Tara, where explained variances amount to 70% using JRA and 80% using ERA. The results also suggest that near-surface temperatures at a given site are influenced by the variability of surface temperatures in a domain of about 200 km radius around the site.


An array of square apertures in a conducting film behaves as a high-pass filter element. By contrast, an array of cross-shaped apertures exhibits bandpass behavior. We have investigated experimentally how variations in the pattern periodicity, the crossarm width, and the separation between the crosses alter the spectral behavior. We find that these bandpass filters can have excellent peak transmission and good shortwave rejection. The wavelength of peak transmission is determined by the length of the crossarm (and not by the array period itself), while the bandwidth is determined chiefly by coupling between the crosses. These results are qualitatively consistent with a coupled-dipole model. This model appears to have more utility for practical filter design than the commonly used transmission-line model.


The article analyzes norms of spousal and parental behavior represented in Russian family law and contrasts them with the meanings young people invest in partnership, matrimony, and parenthood. Federal legislation and interviews with young middle-class residents of Saint Petersburg serve to explore similarities and differences between official discourse and young people's everyday views of their obligations and freedoms. The article discusses the applicability of the concept of a second demographic transition to gender relations in Russia. The subjects of the Russian demographic shift are young adults who, official discourse notwithstanding, base their reproductive decisions on professional, social, and economic status rather than age.


Build an online presence for your business with web marketingWhy buy several books on web marketing when you can buy just one? With this must-have resource, five marketing professionals team up to share their expertise in the field of web marketing so that you can benefit from their know-how. Covering everything from site building, search engine optimization, and web analytics to online advertising, e-mail marketing, and harnessing the potential of social media, this team of web marketing gurus brings their insight and experience to the table and it's yours for the taking. Provides invaluable advice for establishing a web presence and getting your message out with online advertisingZeroes in on search engine optimization so that your site can be discovered by search engines and, ultimately, consumersExplains how web analytics can offer you a better understanding of your web marketing effortsDetails ways to establish an online voice with blogging and podcastingWalks you through the potential of social media marketing with Facebook, Twitter, and Google+Looks at various options for getting your message onto mobile platformsWeb Marketing All in One For Dummies, 2nd Edition shows you how to get your online name out there so that customers can find you easily.


Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder resulting in part from loss of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons. Treatments act only to relieve symptoms. It is therefore essential to develop treatments that slow or reverse the neurodegenerative process. Here, I explored exercise as a potential treatment against a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat model. 6-OHDA causes selective loss of DA neurons, a PD model. Forced limb use after 6-OHDA ameliorates behavioral and striatal DA effects. Further, exercise increases trophic factors, such as GDNF, that have neuroprotective qualities in this model. I explored the effects of forced limb use prior to 6-OHDA on the effects of the toxin and GDNF levels in the striatum. I demonstrated that prior forced limb use attenuated the behavioral deficits and loss of DA typical of 6-OHDA and increased GDNF in the striatum of animals exposed to forced use. The protective effect of exercise could reflect a decrease in the vulnerability of DA neurons, a regeneration of axons, or sprouting of axon terminals from undamaged neurons. Thus, I investigated the hypothesis that casting induced neuroprotection was due to the preservation of DA cells and terminals. Here, I demonstrated that forced limb use protected from 6-OHDA induced loss of DA neurons and terminals. These findings suggest that exercise exerts its effects by decreasing the vulnerability of DA neurons and terminals to 6-OHDA. Because casting increased GDNF, I next examined the effects of GDNF on 6-OHDA neurotoxicity during the 8 wk period after 6-OHDA. Using phenotypic markers of the nigrostriatal system, a non-DA cellular marker, and striatal DA content, I demonstrated these markers in the striatum and SN were not protected at 2 wks after 6-OHDA but recovered by 8 wks. No loss of DA cells in the SN or DA content in the striatum was observed in animals pretreated with GDNF. These data suggest that GDNF prevents 6-OHDA-induced DA cell death, but that weeks are required before these cells begin to normally express phenotypic markers. In conclusion, exercise may function to enhance the brain's ability to produce trophic factors, which may slow or halt the degenerative process in PD.


Two polymers with polar side chains, namely poly[2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)-alt-5,5-(5',8'-di-2-thienyl-(2',3'-bis(3''-(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)phenyl)quinoxaline))] (P1) and poly[2,7-(9,9-bis(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl)fluorene)-alt-5,5-(5',8'-di-2-thienyl-(2',3'-bis(3''-(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)-ethoxy)phenyl)quinoxaline))] (P2), were synthesized for solar cell application. A series of bulk heterojunction solar cells were systematically fabricated and characterized by varying the electron-acceptor materials, processing solvents and thickness of the active layer. The results show that P1, with a higher molecular weight and good film-forming properties, performed better. The best device showed an open circuit voltage of 0.87 V, a short circuit current of 6.81 mA cm(-2) and a power conversion efficiency of 2.74% with 1:4 polymer:[6,6]-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM[70]) mixture using o-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB) as processing solvent. P2 on the other hand showed a poorer performance with chlorobenzene as processing solvent, but a much improved performance was obtained using o-DCB instead. Thus, an open circuit voltage of 0.80 V, short circuit current of 6.21 mA cm(-2) and an overall power conversion efficiency of 2.22% were recorded for a polymer:PCBM[70] mixing ratio of 1:4. This is presumably due to the improvement of the morphology of the active layer using o-DCB as processing solvent. (c) 2013 Society of Chemical Industry


Abstract:  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers and its incidence is increasing worldwide. Melatonin, an indoleamine hormone, exerts anti‐oxidant, immunomodulatory, anti‐aging, and antitumor effects. Previous studies have shown that melatonin can act through specific receptors, including MT1, MT2, MT3 receptors as well as a nuclear receptor belonging to the orphan nuclear receptor family. Recently, we have described their role in the oncostatic and pro‐apoptotic effects of melatonin on HepG2 human HCC cells. However, the potential role of the different melatonin cellular receptors on its antiproliferative effects remains unknown. In the present study, we examined the effect of melatonin treatment on HepG2 human HCC cells, analyzing cell cycle arrest and melatonin receptor expression. Melatonin was administered for 2, 4, and 6 days at 1000 or 2500 μm. Melatonin induced a dose‐ and time‐dependent inhibition on cell proliferation. This treatment caused an alteration in the cell cycle, with an increase in the number of cells in G2/M phase at both 1000 and 2500 μm melatonin concentrations, and a significant increase on S phase cell percentage by the highest dose. Furthermore, increases in protein expression of MT1, MT3, and retinoic acid‐related orphan receptor‐α were found after melatonin treatments. These increases were coincident with a significant induction in the expression of p21 protein, which negatively regulates cell cycle progression. Our results confirm the antitumor effect of melatonin in HCC cells, suggesting that its oncostatic properties are related, at least in part, to changes on the expression of their different subtypes of receptors.


Migratory shorebirds are notable consumers of benthic invertebrates on intertidal sediments. The distribution and abundance of shorebirds will strongly depend on their prey and on landscape and sediment features such as mud and surface water content, topography, and the presence of ecosystem engineers. An understanding of shorebird distribution and ecology thus requires knowledge of the various habitat types which may be distinguished in intertidal areas. Here, we combine Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 imagery and a digital elevation model (DEM), using machine learning techniques to map intertidal habitat types of importance to migratory shorebirds and their benthic prey. We do this on the third most important non-breeding area for migratory shorebirds in the East Atlantic Flyway, in the Bijagós Archipelago in West Africa. Using pixel-level random forests, we successfully mapped rocks, shell beds, and macroalgae and distinguished between areas of bare sediment and areas occupied by fiddler crabs, an ecosystem engineer that promotes significant bioturbation on intertidal flats. We also classified two sediment types (sandy and mixed) within the bare sediment and fiddler crab areas, according to their mud content. The overall classification accuracy was 82%, and the Kappa Coefficient was 73%. The most important predictors were elevation, the Sentinel-2-derived water and moisture indexes, and Sentinel-1 VH band. The association of Sentinel-2 with Sentinel-1 and a DEM produced the best results compared to the models without these variables. This map provides an overall picture of the composition of the intertidal habitats in a site of international importance for migratory shorebirds. Most of the intertidal flats of the Bijagós Archipelago are covered by bare sandy sediments (59%), and ca. 22% is occupied by fiddler crabs. This likely has significant implications for the spatial arrangement of the shorebird and benthic invertebrate communities due to the ecosystem engineering by the fiddler crabs, which promotes two vastly different intertidal species assemblages. This large-scale mapping provides an important product for the future monitoring of this high biodiversity area, particularly for ecological research related to the distribution and feeding ecology of the shorebirds and their prey. Such information is key from a conservation and management perspective. By delivering a successful and comprehensive mapping workflow, we contribute to the filling of the current knowledge gap on the application of remote sensing and machine learning techniques within intertidal areas, which are among the most challenging environments to map using remote sensing techniques.


Most microelectronic chips used today—in systems ranging from cell phones to desktop computers to supercomputers—operate in basically the same way: they synchronize the operation of their millions of internal components using a clock that is distributed globally. This global clocking is becoming a critical design challenge in the quest for building chips that offer increasingly greater functionality, higher speed, and better energy efficiency.
As an alternative, asynchronous or "clockless" design obviates the need for global synchronization; instead, components operate concurrently and synchronize locally only when necessary. This dissertation focuses on one class of asynchronous circuits: application specific dataflow systems (i.e. those that take in a stream of data items and produce a stream of processed results). High-speed stream processors are a natural match for many high-end applications, including 3D graphics rendering, image and video processing, digital filters and DSPs, cryptography, and networking processors.
This dissertation aims to make the design, analysis, optimization, and testing of circuits in the chosen domain both fast and efficient. Although much of the groundwork has already been laid by years of past work, my work identifies and addresses four critical missing pieces: (i) fast performance analysis for estimating the throughput of a fine-grained pipelined system; (ii) automated and versatile design space exploration; (iii) a full suite of circuit level modules that connect together to implement a wide variety of system behaviors; and (iv) testing and design for testability techniques that identify and target the types of errors found only in high-speed pipelined asynchronous systems.
I demonstrate these techniques on a number of examples, ranging from simple applications that allow for easy comparison to hand-designed alternatives to more complex systems, such as a JPEG encoder. I also demonstrate these techniques through the design and test of a fully asynchronous GCD demonstration chip.


Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) regulates dopamine neurotransmission and has been suggested to serve as a homeostatic target of chronic psychostimulant exposure. To study the role of Cdk5 in the modulation of the cellular and behavioral effects of psychoactive drugs of abuse, we developed Cre/loxP conditional knock-out systems that allow temporal and spatial control of Cdk5 expression in the adult brain. Here, we report the generation of Cdk5 conditional knock-out (cKO) mice using the αCaMKII promoter-driven Cre transgenic line (CaMKII-Cre). In this model system, loss of Cdk5 in the adult forebrain increased the psychomotor-activating effects of cocaine. Additionally, these CaMKII-Cre Cdk5 cKO mice show enhanced incentive motivation for food as assessed by instrumental responding on a progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement. Behavioral changes were accompanied by increased excitability of medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in Cdk5 cKO mice. To study NAc-specific effects of Cdk5, another model system was used in which recombinant adeno-associated viruses expressing Cre recombinase caused restricted loss of Cdk5 in NAc neurons. Targeted knock-out of Cdk5 in the NAc facilitated cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization and conditioned place preference for cocaine. These results suggest that Cdk5 acts as a negative regulator of neuronal excitability in the NAc and that Cdk5 may govern the behavioral effects of cocaine and motivation for reinforcement.


Educational reform is one of the most critical issues facing our cities, but some cities are better at it than others. To explain why, this book relates education to politics, showing how the "whole village" can be mobilized to better educate tomorrow's citizens. "City Schools and City Politics" is based on an eleven-city NSF study of civic capacity and urban education. As participants in that study, the authors conducted research in three rustbelt cities that have lost much of their tax base and have legacies of machine politics. They analyzed the ways in which government, business, and community leaders create, or fail to create, civic support for public education, focusing on why certain cities show greater initiative than others in addressing these problems. The authors reveal that, of the cities examined, Pittsburgh has made the most strides in educational reform, followed by Boston, while St. Louis has consistently lagged behind. Their observations show that cross-sectorial coalitions are essential for bringing about change; that organizational arrangements in the business community and their relationship to local government affect whether there is the capacity to address school reform; that leadership is critical in bringing about change; and that municipal institutions and culture influence a city's ability to take action. Packed with empirical data and analysis, "City Schools and City Politics" demonstrates the citywide and long-term character of successful efforts to reform public schools, relating education to the priorities of municipal governments and describing the conditions under which reform becomes possible. It extends regime theory to public education and shows that education policy is inextricably linked with urban political life and is an issue of real concern to political science.


Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CHRT) is the standard of care for unresectable locally advanced stage III non-small cell lung cancer. However, the optimal combination remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 2 induction chemotherapy cycles (days 1 and 22) with docetaxel 75 mg/m2 and cisplatin 75 mg/m2 followed by concurrent chemotherapy (weekly docetaxel-cisplatin, 20 mg/m2) and 3-D conformal radiotherapy for 6 weeks (66 Gy/5 fractions per week/2 Gy per fraction). The primary endpoint was the response rate. Secondary objectives were toxicity, time to progression, and overall survival. Forty-four patients were included and 40 were eligible. The mean age was 60.5 years (range 40.7–72.1), and 75% had stage IIIB disease. Six patients underwent complete R0 resection including 2 pathologic complete responses after a planned intermediate evaluation. Thirty-three patients completed CHRT. The objective response rate was 65% (95% CI 50.2–79.8). Grade 3–4 hematologic and digestive toxicities were observed mainly during the induction phase. Grade 3 esophagitis (5%) was experienced during CHRT. With a median follow-up of 38.7 months, the median progression-free survival was 28.3 months (95% CI 11.0–35.0) and the median survival rate was 31.4 months. Cisplatin-docetaxel induction followed by concurrent 3-D conformal radiotherapy and weekly chemotherapy is a feasible protocol associated with a promising response rate and acceptable toxicity.


Traditional training based on static models and case studies is the backbone of most teaching and training programs in the area of systems engineering. However, in order to teach and learn project management for systems engineering students, a new methodology based on dynamic models and real-time simulation is introduced. A project management course for students in systems engineering included learning how to use the Project Management Trainer (PMT) that simulates a dynamic, stochastic project management environment. The students used the simulator both in single-user mode (simple project management) and in multi-user multi-project mode. A class of 66 students performed repetitive simulation-runs (in single-user mode) with a break period of several weeks between the runs and repetitive simulation-runs in multi-user mode. The students used different history recording mechanisms. For the single-user mode, manual or automatic history recording mechanisms were used by the experimental group, while the control group did not use any history recording mechanism. The findings indicate that for the initial learning phase, the manual mechanism is better than the automatic mechanism. However, for the relearning phase, the break period length influenced the performance after the break. A comparison between the experimental group and the control group for both single-user mode and multi-user mode revealed that using any history recording mechanism reduced forgetting. Based on the findings, some practical implications of using simulators to improve the learning-forgetting process are discussed.


With the rise in popularity of public social media and micro-blogging services, most notably Twitter, the people have found a venue to hear and be heard by their peers without an intermediary. As a consequence, and aided by the public nature of Twitter, political scientists now potentially have the means to analyse and understand the narratives that organically form, spread and decline among the public in a political campaign.However, the volume and diversity of the conversation on Twitter, combined with its noisy and idiosyncratic nature, make this a hard task. Thus, advanced data mining and language processing techniques are required to process and analyse the data. In this paper, we present and evaluate a technical framework, based on recent advances in deep neural networks, for identifying and analysing election-related conversation on Twitter on a continuous, longitudinal basis. Our models can detect election-related tweets with an F-score of 0.92 and can categorize these tweets into 22 topics with an F-score of 0.90.


The Aleutian Archipelago is of global importance to seabirds during the northern sum- mer, but little is known about seabird use of these waters during winter. We compare summer and winter abundances of seabirds around 3 islands: Buldir in the western, Kasatochi in the central, and Aiktak in the eastern Aleutians. The density of combined seabird biomass in nearshore marine waters was higher in summer than in winter at Buldir and Kasatochi, but was higher in winter at Aiktak, despite the departure of abundant migratory species. Comparing foraging guilds, we found that only piscivores increased at the western and central sites in winter, whereas at the eastern site several planktivorous species increased as well. The only planktivore remaining in winter at the central and western sites in densities comparable to summer densities was whiskered auklet Aethia pygmaea. Crested auklet Aethia cristatella and thick-billed murre Uria lomvia showed the greatest proportional winter increase at the eastern site. The seasonal patterns of the seabird communities suggest a winter breakdown of the copepod-based food web in the central and western parts of the archipelago, and a system that remains rich in euphausiids in the eastern Aleutians. We suggest that in winter crested auklets take the trophic role that short-tailed shearwaters Puffinus tenuirostris occupy during summer. We hypothesize that advection of euphausiids in the Aleutian North Slope Current is important for supporting the high biomass of planktivores that occupy the Unimak Pass region on a year-round basis.


Introduction: Falciparum malaria is responsible for 1-3 million deaths annually worldwide. Liver involvement is common and may manifest as raised serum bilirubin, hepatomegaly and elevated liver enzymes. Unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia is usually seen leading to increased mortality. Alanine aminotransferase (SGPT) is a marker of liver damage. The present study was conducted on Plasmodium falciparum malarial patients to observe the correlation between liver enzymes and bilirubin. Objective: To observe the correlation coefficient of bilirubin with liver enzymes (SGPT, SGOT and Alkaline Phosphatase) in patients of falciparum malaria Design: A Descriptive study Place and duration of study: Department of Biochemistry, Basic Medical Sciences Institute, JPMC, Karachi from August 2005 to July 2006. Material and method: Total 81 patients of different ages and both sexes suffering from acute malaria, were selected by convenient sampling. Nine patients, infected by Hepatitis B and C infections were excluded from the study. Among remaining 72 cases, 48 (70%) were suffering from infection by Plasmodium falciparum and 24 (30%) from infection by Plasmodium vivax infection. The Falciparum infected patients were equally divided into two groups on the basis of duration of illness. Group I had duration of 17days illness and Group II had duration of 8-20 days. Patients suffering from plasmodium vivax infection had illness of 1 – 20 days duration were placed in Group III. Results: In the group I, SGPT and Alkaline phosphatase showed a statistically significant positive correlation (r=0.50 and r=0.054, respectively with bilirubin (P<0.05). In group II, the SGPT showed a statistically excellent positive correlation (r=0.88; P<0.01), while the SGOT and Alkaline phosphatase also showed a statistically significant positive correlation. In group III both aminotransferases and Alkaline phosphatase showed a statistically significant positive correlation r=0.82, 0.63 and 0.69 respectively. Conclusion: Positive correlation of liver enzymes and bilirubin shows that liver function tests should be performed along with early diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malarial infections in order to prevent complications and to reduce mortality.


In this paper, we present a novel implementation of the widely used Back-propagation neural net learning algorithm on the Connection Machine CM-2 - a general purpose, massively parallel computer with a hypercube topology. This implementation runs at about 180 million interconnections per second (IPS) on a 64K processor CM- 2. The main interprocessor communication operation used is 2D nearest neighbor communication. The techniques developed here can be easily extended to implement other algorithms for layered neural nets on the CM-2, or on other massively parallel computers which have 2D or higher degree connections among their processors.


Long-term biometric datasets for North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) are sparse and few have been analyzed to assess factors influencing harvest rates. We analyzed demographic data from over 6,000 trapper-harvested otter carcasses between 1997 and 2010 from a mandatory carcass submission program. Variations in annual harvest was most influenced (R2 = 0.74, P<0.001) by otter pelt value from the previous year. Average age of harvested otter was 2.36 for males and 2.31 for females over the 13-year period; the sex ratio was 1.13 males:1 female, and based on blastocyst counts, pregnancy rates were estimated to be 41% for females aged yearling and older. Pregnancy rate for ≥2.5-year-old otters was 55%, and litter size was 1.75 based on blastocyst counts. Over 15% of yearling females carried an average of 1.67 blastocysts and contributed 12% to the overall productivity. This is a greater contribution to productivity by yearling females than previously reported in scientific literature, and it should be considered in otter population models and harvest management strategies. We note existing disparities in approaches to otter data collection and suggest that managers and researchers use standardized methods for carcass analysis. In addition, otter harvest managers should consider previous year's otter pelt value when predicting potential harvest of otter populations. Correspondence: R. E. Cumberland, Maritime College of Forest Technology, 1350 Regent Street, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3C 2G6, Canada. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com CWBM 2017: Volume 6, Number 1 Original Research ISSN: 1929–3100 CUMBERLAND and DeVINK 32


Rainfed and irrigated agricultural systems have supported livelihoods in the five Central Asian countries (CAC) for millennia, but concerns for sustainability and efficient use of land and water resources are longstanding. During the last 50 years, resource conserving technologies were introduced in large parts of the rainfed areas while the irrigated areas were expanded largely without considering resource conservation. In more recent years, the use of conservation agriculture (CA) practices has been reported for the different agricultural production (AP) zones in CAC, albeit centering on a single AP zone or on single factors such as crop yield, implements or selected soil properties. Moreover, conflicting information exists regarding whether the current practices that are referred to as 'CA' can indeed be defined as such. Overall information on an application of CA-based crop management in Central Asia is incomplete. This discussion paper evaluates experimental evidence on the performance of CA and other resource conserving technologies in the three main AP zones of CAC, provides an overview of farmer adoption of production practices related to CA, and outlines technical and non-technical challenges and opportunities for the future dissemination of CA practices in each zone. Agronomic (e.g. implements, crop yields, duration, and crop residues), institutional (e.g. land tenure) and economic (e.g. short vs. long-term profitability) perspectives are considered. At present, adoption of CA-based agronomic practices in the rainfed production zone is limited to partial crop residue retention on the soil surface or sporadically zero tillage for one crop out of the rotation, and hence the use of single CA components but not the full set of CA practices. In the irrigated AP zones, CA is not commonly practiced and many of the pre-conditions that typically encourage the rapid spread of CA practices appear to be absent or limiting. Further, our analysis suggests that given the diversity of institutional, socio-economic and agro-ecological contexts, a geographically differentiated approach to CA dissemination is required in the CAC. Immediate priorities should include a shift in research paradigms (e.g. towards more participatory approaches with farmers), development of commercially available reduced and no-till seeders suitable for smaller-scale farm enterprises, and advocacy so that decision makers understand how different policies may encourage or discourage innovations that lead towards more sustainable agricultural intensification in the CAC. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


Resistance equations developed for pipe flows and open channel flows cannot be applied to model overland flows uncritically. The formulation of these equations employs several assumptions that are specific to the conditions in which they were developed and cannot be universally applied. The hydraulic behaviour of overland flow is distinct from that of pipe and channel flows and can be characterised by a high degree of variability both over space and over time as roughness elements are progressively inundated with increasing depth. A novel methodology of measuring overland flows in the field at a high- resolution permits examination of the interaction between flow variables and surface roughness. Reconstructing the water surface from elevation data and flow extent provides an estimation of the distribution of flow depths and offers a complementary perspective to more conventional approaches. Overland flows are observed to be highly variable both across and between hillslopes. The distribution of flow depths can be modelled using a two-parameter gamma distribution; both parameters show distinct variations with distance downslope and represent the progressive inundation of roughness elements with increasing depth. The flow interacts with soil surface form where it is capable of eroding its bed and the observed slope- independence of rill velocity can be explained by a feedback between flow state (as characterised by the Froude number) and surface roughness. While the existence of this interaction is affected by soil-type, the soil is observed to have little influence on the relationship between surface roughness and overland flow. Resistance is found to be spatially variable; some of this variability could be explained by the classification of areas of similar microtopogiaphy as identified in the field. This classification can be approximated by a thresholded index-based classification and provides a tool for up-scaling to the hillslope scale. Relating roughness to resistance is not straightforward. Complex natural soil surfaces vary in innumerable ways. Traditional roughness measures fall short of providing an adequate description of the complex soil surfaces observed in the field. A variety of alternative measures are developed, each of which captures a different attribute of surface form. These measures are tested to examine their influence on overland flow resistance and a suite of roughness-resistance models is developed which includes the effect of hillslope position to different degrees. Modelled flow resistance can be separated into a constant term and a depth-dependent term and can be easily incorporated into models of hillslope hydrology. This resistance is observed to decline where a hydrological connection, once established, is then maintained. Examination of the concept of hydrological connectivity in a semi-arid context suggests that the interaction between runoff generation and transfer determines not just flood peaks but also total flow amount. It is suggested that flow resistance and hence runoff transfer should be afforded the same detailed consideration as infiltration parameters, i.e. a spatially distributed and variable value (as a function of depth) that can be organised into discrete units akin to those developed for runoff generation. The parameterisation of both infiltration and resistance in this way provides a crucial interaction through the redistribution of soil moisture and runoff over hillslope surfaces. Through this mechanism, the observed complex and nonlinear runoff response to storm events may be explained as these attributes interact with rainfall characteristics and flow network development. Further understanding of this interaction could have practical implications for catchment management and affect the prioritisation of land management decisions.


Henri Pirenne is best known for his provocative argument - known as the "Pirenne thesis" and familiar to all students of medieval Europe - that it was not the invasion of the Germanic tribes that destroyed the civilization of antiquity, but rather the closing of Mediterranean trade by Arab conquest in the seventh century. The consequent interruption of long distance commerce accelerated the decline of the ancient cities of Europe. Pirenne first formulated his thesis in articles and then expanded on them in "Medieval Cities".In the book Pirenne traces the growth of the medieval city from the tenth century to the twelfth, challenging conventional wisdom by attributing the origins of medieval cities to the revival of trade. In addition, Pirenne describes the clear role the middle class played in the development of the modern economic system and modern culture. The "Pirenne thesis" was fully worked out in the book Mohammed and Charlemagne, which appeared shortly after Pirenne's death. Pirenne was one of the world's leading historians and arguably the most famous Belgium had produced. During World War I, while teaching at the University of Ghent, he was arrested for supporting Belgium's passive resistance and deported to Germany, where he was held from 1916 to 1918. In 1922, universities in various parts of the United States invited him to deliver lectures: out of these lectures grew "Medieval Cities", which appeared in English translation before being published in French in 1927.


Synaptic adaptations are thought to be an important component of the consequences of drug abuse. One such adaptation is an up-regulation of adenylyl cyclase that has been shown to increase transmitter release at several inhibitory synapses. In this study the effects of chronic morphine treatment were studied on mossy fiber synapses in the guinea pig hippocampus using extracellular field potential recordings. This opioid-sensitive synapse was chosen because of the known role of the adenylyl cyclase cascade in the regulation of glutamate release. Long-term potentiation (LTP) at the mossy fiber synapse was enhanced after chronic morphine treatment. In control animals, opioid antagonists increased LTP but had no effect in morphine-treated guinea pigs. In contrast, the long-lasting depression of transmission induced by a mGluR agonist and CA1 LTP were not altered. Chronic morphine treatment neither caused tolerance to mu- and kappa-receptor-mediated inhibition at the mossy fiber synapse nor modified total hippocampal dynorphin levels. The results suggest that the phasic inhibition of glutamate transmission mediated by endogenous opioids is reduced after chronic exposure to morphine.


Rehabilitation programme following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is multifaceted and may be influenced by a variety of factors. The role of the environment for care and the levels of supervision from physiotherapists on the outcomes of ACL rehabilitation, have not received robust attention in the literature. In this thesis, two trials were carried out to investigate the role of these factors on the outcomes of ACL rehabilitation. In the first trial, a total of 76 patients [hospital-based rehabilitation group, n = 48 (age: mean ± sd: 31.5 ± 12.1 yr, height: 1.74 ± 0.06 m, body mass: 78.2 ± 10.8 kg, waiting time: 37.3 ± 33.7 months) and community-based rehabilitation group, n = 28 (age: mean ± sd: 34.5 ± 9.9 yr, height: 1.71 ± 0.07 m, body mass: 75.2 ± 12.4 kg, waiting time: 31.1 ± 26.7 months)] self-selected themselves into the hospital- and the community-based rehabilitation programmes. The patients in both the hospital- and the community-based rehabilitation programmes were assessed by selected patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) included IKDC, KOOS, K-SES, VAS and Lysholm at four different occasions (pre-surgery and at the 6th, 12th and 24th weeks post-surgically). Significant differences at early phase of rehabilitation (up to 12th week post-surgery) on PROMs of function, favouring the outcomes of the hospital-based rehabilitation programme compared to the community-based rehabilitation programme, were observed. However, no differences between the outcomes of the latter two programmes were observed across 24 weeks rehabilitation programme following ACL reconstruction. This suggested that community-care had offered a similar environment to the hospital for achieving the outcomes of rehabilitation. In the second trial, the patients in the hospital-based rehabilitation programme (n=48) were
iii
further randomly allocated to the fully-supervised and the minimally-supervised rehabilitation groups [ fully-supervised rehabilitation group, n=24 (age: mean ± sd: 32.2 ± 11.1 yr, height: 1.73 ± 0.07 m, body mass: 75.8 ± 10.7 kg, waiting time: 35.8 ± 29.4 months), minimally-supervised rehabilitation group, n=24 (age: mean ± sd: 31.0 ± 13.2 yr, height: 1.75 ± 0.06 m, body mass: 80.6 ± 10.7 kg, waiting time: 28.8 ± 25.1 months)]. The patients in both the fully-supervised and the minimally-supervised rehabilitation groups were assessed on four different occasions (pre-surgery and at the 6th, 12th and 24th week post-surgery) on estimates of function (single-leg hop), physical performance (peak force, rate of force development, sensorimotor performance and electromechanical delay) and musculoskeletal performance (anterior tibio-femoral displacement) alongside the selected PROMs. Significant differences during the early phase of rehabilitation (up to 12th week post-surgery), favouring outcomes of the fully-supervised rehabilitation programme on some aspects and the outcomes of the minimally-supervised rehabilitation programme on other aspects, were observed. However, similar knee function across 24 weeks rehabilitation was observed on the selected objective measures and PROMs amongst the outcomes of the latter two rehabilitation programmes. This indicated that the outcomes of ACL rehabilitation had not influenced by the levels of supervision from the physiotherapists. In short, the environment and the levels of supervision from rehabilitation team were less likely to influence the final outcomes of ACL rehabilitation.


Different criteria for establishing ignition within reactive methane-air mixtures are discussed. It is shown that for relatively low initial mixture temperature using the different ignition criteria tends to produce very small relative differences in the values of the ignition delay. These differences can become very significant at relatively high initial mixture temperatures. Criteria for ignition based on sudden changes in pressure and temperature are recommended for reliably establishing the onset of autoignition, both in modeling and experimental studies.


In this paper, we shed light on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labor market, and how they have evolved over most of the year 2020. Relying primarily on microdata from the CPS and state-level data on virus caseloads, mortality, and policy restrictions, we consider a range of employment outcomes—including permanent layoffs, which generate large and lasting costs—and how these outcomes vary across demographic groups, occupations, and industries over time. We also examine how these employment patterns vary across different states, according to the timing and severity of virus caseloads, deaths, and closure measures. We find that the labor market recovery of the summer and early fall stagnated in late fall and early winter. As noted by others, we find low-wage and minority workers are hardest hit initially, but that recoveries have varied, and not always consistently, between Blacks and Hispanics. Statewide business closures and other restrictions on economic activity reduce employment rates concurrently, but do not seem to have lingering effects once relaxed. In contrast, virus deaths—but not caseloads—not only depress current employment, but produce accumulating harm. We conclude with policy options for states to repair their labor markets.


After the fall of the communist regime, Romania chose to adopt a very inclusive electoral system, namely PR with low threshold and a guaranteed representation of minorities. Since then, the story of the Romanian electoral system is the story of a movement to make the electoral law less inclusive. Legal thresholds have been introduced and raised, and proposals to shift to a majoritarian system are gaining ground among Romanian politicians. In this article, the main motivations pushing for a less inclusive electoral law are examined. It appears that the largest Romanian parties hope the reform will strengthen their political representation. Yet, by proposing a less inclusive electoral law, they are playing a risky game in a political system still marked by high electoral volatility. Furthermore, the dominant model of democracy that guides the choice of electoral rules has evolved. The new model of democracy gives a reduced role to parties and a bigger role to individual politicians. Finally, the memory of the democratic interwar period is losing influence among the Romanian political elite. Consequently, the proportional representation (PR) system in use during this period is losing its attractiveness.


. This study evaluated the effects of climate perturbations on snowmelt, soil moisture and streamflow generation in small Canadian Prairie basins using a modeling approach based on classification of basin biophysical and hydraulic parameters. Seven basin classes that encompass the entirety of the Prairie ecozone in Canada were determined by cluster analysis of bio-physical characteristics. Individual semi-distributed virtual basin (VB) models representing these classes were parameterized in 5 the Cold Regions Hydrological Model (CRHM) platform which includes modules for snowmelt and sublimation, soil freezing and thawing, actual evapotranspiration (ET), soil moisture dynamics, groundwater recharge and depressional storage dynamics including fill and spill runoff generation and variable connected areas. Precipitation ( P ) and temperature ( T ) perturbation scenarios covering the range of climate model predictions for the 21 st century were used to evaluate climate sensitivity of hydrological processes in individual land cover and basin types across the Prairie ecozone. Results indicated that snow accu-10 mulation in wetlands had a greater sensitivity to P and T than that in croplands and grasslands in all the basin types. Wetland soil moisture was also more sensitive to T than the cropland and grassland soil moisture. Jointly influenced by land cover distribution and local climate, basin-average snow accumulation was more sensitive to T in the drier and grassland-characterized basins than in the wetter basins dominated by cropland, whilst basin-average soil moisture was most sensitive to T and P perturbations in basins typified by pothole depressions and broad river valleys. Annual streamflow had the greatest sensitivities 15 to T and P in the dry and poorly connected Interior Grassland basins but the smallest in the wet and well-connected Southern Manitoba basins. The ability of P to compensate for warming induced reductions in snow accumulation and streamflow was much higher in the wetter and cropland-dominated basins than in the drier and grassland-characterized basins, whilst decreases in cropland soil moisture induced by the maximum expected warming of 6 °C could be fully offset by P increase of 11% in all the basins. These results can be used to 1) identify locations which had the largest hydrological sensitivities to changing 20 climate; and 2) diagnose underlying processes responsible for hydrological responses to expected climate change. Variations of hydrological sensitivity in land cover and basin types suggest that different water management and adaptation methods are needed to address enhanced water stress due to expected climate change in different regions of the Prairie ecozone.


Internationally universities are increasingly challenged by government and industry to boost their research profile. Undertaking successful research studies is a means of generating income while enhancing the credibility of both institutions and individual academic staff. Research training therefore is an important strategy to support this endeavour. Traditionally, the process of research training culminates in the completion of a doctoral qualification. Undertaking doctoral studies requires candidates to commit to an extensive period of indenture during which they develop their knowledge about a particular methodology, refine skills in using research methods, and produce research findings in the form of a dissertation. A key part of this process is developing skills in writing for publication and the dissemination of their doctoral research findings. We argue that using a traditional approach to the production of a doctoral dissertation develops student's knowledge and skills in conducting an independent piece of research. However, the production of a traditional thesis does not focus strongly enough on developing the important skills of writing for publication and knowing how to effectively and strategically disseminate research findings. Choosing to submit a doctoral dissertation by publication or partial publication provides candidates with the opportunity to complete research training and produce an authoritative research report, while at the same time developing skills in publishing journal articles and other manifests. Producing a dissertation by partial or full publication also opens the work up to independent scrutiny at various points during the candidate's research training which strengthens the final results.


[1] The Cook-Austral volcanic chains are situated in the South Pacific. They are composed of several volcanic chains and isolated volcanoes corresponding to distinct events from 55 Ma to present time. The tectonic history of the volcanoes emplacement is quite complex. It involves the activity of at least three hot spots, and sometimes several volcanic stages coexist on the same volcano. The purpose of this study is to bring new information on the loading history of the northern part of the Austral chain by studying the variation of the elastic thickness of the lithosphere. We have used the high-quality data acquired during the ZEPOLYF2 cruise which conducted in July 1999, a multibeam survey of this area, and we got several new ages on seamounts. In this region where several volcanic stages overlap, the simple elastic model applied on the present-day bathymetry is not appropriate. We then reconstructed the loading history of each volcano or group of volcanoes using information provided by the radiometric ages and chemical signature of the volcanic stages or the volcanoes morphology. We show that the lithosphere is characterized by normal elastic thickness if one correctly isolates the different volcanic stages occurring on this area. The abnormally low values of the effective elastic thickness obtained previously over this area may be explained either by not taking into account the overlapping volcanism or by poor quality of the geophysical data used for the determination.


We study the essential minimum of the (stable) Faltings height on the moduli space of elliptic curves. We prove that, in contrast to the Weil height on a projective space and the N{e}ron-Tate height of an abelian variety, Faltings' height takes at least two values that are smaller than its essential minimum. We also provide upper and lower bounds for this quantity that allow us to compute it up to five decimal places. In addition, we give numerical evidence that there are at least four isolated values before the essential minimum.
One of the main ingredients in our analysis is a good approximation of the hyperbolic Green function associated to the cusp of the modular curve of level one. To establish this approximation, we make an intensive use of distortion theorems for univalent functions.
Our results have been motivated and guided by numerical experiments that are described in detail in the companion files.


The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the LHC is planning an upgrade of its muon detection system aiming to extend the muon detection capabilities in the forward region with the installation of new muon stations based on Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) and Resistive Plate Chambers (RPC) technologies during the so-called Phase-2 upgrade scenario. With the imminent increase on luminosity to 5 × 1034cm-2s-1 and center of mass collision energy of 14 TeV an unprecedented and hostile radiation environment will be created, the most affected detectors will be the ones located in the forward region where the intense flux of neutrons and photons could potentially degrade the detector performance. Using FLUKA simulation the expected radiation environment is estimated for the regions of interest, possible shielding scenarios are proposed and the effect on the detector performance is discussed.


The aim of this study is to place in historical perspective the Allied (mainly British) occupation of key areas in southern French Indochina in 1945-1946. This occupation was of profound importance in the subsequent course of history in Vietnam. Although this work is concerned primarily with events in Indochina in and I946, earlier material is introduced in order to place these events in historical context. The relevant research spanned three continents, and was conducted in Saigon, Prance, Great Britain and the United States. Sources include newly-released archival material in the Public Record Office, London, and official and unofficial published material in the British Library, Imperial War Museum and the French Army's Historical Service in Paris. Personal interviews were also conducted with key contemporary British, French and Vietnamese military and civil officials. Of vital importance were the personal papers of the British Force Commander in Saigon, the late General Sir Douglas Gracey. These papers have never previously been examined, and they shed a great deal of light on events in Saigon in 1945-1946; they also refute much of what has been written on this period by various historians. It will be seen that divergent Allied policy, especially the narrow US "anticolonial" views which compelled America actively to support the Communists in Vietnam, were of fundamental importance to the formation and ultimate victory of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. It should also be apparent that the British Commander in Vietnam, General Gracey, who has consistently been inaccurately portrayed as a politically ignorant throwback to a simpler colonial past, was in fact a shrewd and farsighted officer of considerable ability who was fully attuned to the shifting tide of historical forces. It would not seem unreasonable to suggest that, in some measure, Douglas Gracey was directly responsible for South Vietnam enjoying three decades of freedom from Communist rule. This thesis is perforce based on predominantly British source material. This is because the occupation was primarily a British operation, and not to have observed this constraint would have resulted in a study of encyclopedic proportions.


Many bacteria produce and respond to the quorum sensing signal autoinducer-2 (AI-2). Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium are among the species with the lsr operon, an operon containing AI-2 transport and processing genes that are up regulated in response to AI-2. One of the Lsr proteins, LsrF, has been implicated in processing the phosphorylated form of AI-2. Here, we present the structure of LsrF, unliganded and in complex with two phospho-AI-2 analogues, ribose-5-phosphate and ribulose-5-phosphate. The crystal structure shows that LsrF is a decamer of (αβ)8-barrels that exhibit a previously unseen N-terminal domain swap and have high structural homology with aldolases that process phosphorylated sugars. Ligand binding sites and key catalytic residues are structurally conserved, strongly implicating LsrF as a class I aldolase.


This paper examines the effectiveness of worldwide banking regulations and supervisions in providing a balanced risk-reward trade-off to bank shareholders. Our comprehensive global analysis of 2,467 banks across the world identifies the regulatory frameworks that are associated with favorable risk-return profile trade-off during normal growth as well as financial crisis periods. Ownership structure and restrictions on types of business activities both stand out as the most effective regulatory mechanisms as they increase return and reduce risk. Auditing and disclosures are good regulations and enhance stock valuations in growth periods but ironically these measures bring problems to light more quickly in crisis environment and result in greater stock holder losses. Entry restrictions or blanket depositor insurance mechanisms are the worst forms of regulation from stock investor perspective because they lower return in growth periods and increase risk in the crisis periods. German legal origins and mandatory provisioning regulations signify conservative policies as they lower the return in times of growth but also lower the risk in crisis periods. Finally, we investigate whether recent regulatory interventions could effectively curtail bank shareholder wealth loss. We infer based on our findings that direct capital injection by government, or tax breaks did not boost stock valuations as much as government guarantees, infrastructure spending and initiatives to buy toxic assets did.


Various methods of monitoring slip movements on bedding planes, as well as examination of rock burst damage in stopes, suggest that many rock bursts in the Lucky Friday Mine are closely associated with these movements. Slip displacements along bedding simultaneously reduce the physical dimensions of stopes and increase compressive stress along stope margins. Such changes, in turn, contribute directly to sudden failures of rock and cemented sandfill surrounding stopes. We believe that the reduction of rock burst hazards must be based on a clear understanding of the basic mechanisms involved. The current work emphasizes the mechanical role of wall rock movement and seismicity in generating conditions that promote rock burst damage. Based on our interpretations of these mechanisms, we briefly address several hypothetical practices that could influence rock burst hazards in similar mining situations. The overall goal of this research is to advance the NIOSH mission of improving the health and safety of the nation's workers.


Even in a simple task such as drawing a circle, a graphic production rule governs the syntactical aspects of the movement sequence. The lawful relationship between starting position and rotational direction in circle production has been described as the start-rotation principle. The principle states that when subjects start drawing a circle at the top, it is most likely that they will use a counterclockwise rotational movement. When subjects start drawing a circle at the bottom, however, they will almost certainly use a clockwise rotational movement. The origin of the principle has been attributed to biomechanical differences between extension and flexion movements, planning activities prior to the initiation of the movements to set the upper limit of circles in space, and cultural factors such as the predominance of the counterclockwise rotational direction in cursive script. The latter, rather global, explanation of the start-rotation principle has been rejected on the ground that the principle holds for both children and adults, showing that it is not susceptible to development or training. We presently report observations of children's circle productions which do not support the latter argument. Our findings show that, although the start-rotation principle indeed governs circular movements of young children to some extent, the principle clearly becomes stronger with increasing age. We raise an alternative explanation of the start-rotation principle which is concerned with end-point accuracy and the role of visually monitoring trajectory formation. We tested our views in a control experiment with adult subjects.