As a result of the pressures exerted by neoliberal economics and consumer capitalism, late-capitalist subjects are forced to compete in increasingly brutal circumstances in order to avoid the fate of symbolic and material annihilation. Economic and consumer engagement are not, however, solely based on coercion but are simultaneously facilitated by seductive ideals such as sovereignty. Conversations with those convicted for their involvement in investment fraud indicate the centrality of the notion of sovereignty to their subjective experience and, in turn, their motivation for fraud. The notion of economic sovereignty was key to their understanding of economic enterprise whereby they carved out spaces of extreme personal freedom in which they were free to engage in acts of serious and sustained economic predation. Similarly, perspectives on consumer sovereignty were characterised by a degree of excess whereby the individual who self-governs consumptive choices was replaced by the individual who is characterised by the absolute right to pursue pleasure in an unrestrained way. As a consequence, many personal barriers against harm and criminality were eroded. Thus, whilst acts of economic predation were driven by the deep-seated cultures of anxiety and insecurity produced within contemporary capitalism, they were also facilitated by the cultural profusion of notions of sovereignty in this context which ultimately served as a means of obfuscating the reality of the individual's relationship with capital.


Large-bowel cancer is a common disease, especially in ageing Western populations.
Diet is an important aetiological factor.
Screening is critical in order to reduce the incidence of the disease. In symptomatic patients (change of bowel habit, rectal bleeding), clinicians should have a high index of suspicion and refer patients for investigation.
There is good long-term survival after treatment of early lesions.
Advances in surgical techniques, especially the introduction of total mesorectal excision, have resulted in lower recurrence rates.
Improvements in the timing, and delivery of radiation have resulted in lower local recurrence rates and complication rates.
Recent developments in chemotherapy and targeted agents have produced a marked improvement in survival of patients with metastases, allowing patients with metastases to survive 2 years and more.
Multidisciplinary management improves outcomes of treatment by optimal co-ordination of all treatment modalities.


Popper was born in 1902 to a Viennese family of Jewish origin. He taught in Austria until 1937, when he emigrated to New Zealand in anticipation of the Nazi annexation of Austria the following year, and he settled in England in 1949. Before the annexation, Popper had written mainly about the philosophy of science, but from 1938 until the end of the Second World War he focused his energies on political philosophy, seeking to diagnose the intellectual origins of German and Soviet totalitarianism. The Open Society and Its Enemies was the result. In the book, Popper condemned Plato, Marx, and Hegel as "holists" and "historicists"--a holist, according to Popper, believes that individuals are formed entirely by their social groups; historicists believe that social groups evolve according to internal principles that it is the intellectual's task to uncover. Popper, by contrast, held that social affairs are unpredictable, and argued vehemently against social engineering. He also sought to shift the focus of political philosophy away from questions about who ought to rule toward questions about how to minimize the damage done by the powerful. The book was an immediate sensation, and--though it has long been criticized for its portrayals of Plato, Marx, and Hegel--it has remained a landmark on the left and right alike for its defense of freedom and the spirit of critical inquiry.


In this study, the mechanism of a slope instability, which occurred in the area of a stream type hydroelectric power plant and threatened its loading pool and power house, and triggering factors were investigated and the applicability of some remedial measures were assessed. An assessment of the geological and engineering data from the study site indicated that the instability has developed in a certain part of the slope cut along the bedding plane in a sedimentary sequence, where the dip directions of the slope and bedding planes coincide. The back-analysis of the instability proved that the residual shear strength of the bedding planes was a critical factor. A series of analysis conducted along different slope profiles indicated that the most critical mode of failure and colluvial deposits are not anticipated. Some remedial measures such as slope flattening, the use of rock bolts and slope rotation were also assessed based on preliminary analyses.


Electrolytic cells convert chemical energy directly into electrical energy cleanly and efficiently. An integral component of a fuel cell and an electrolytic cell is the electrolyte, a material that conducts ions. Liquid electrolytes can be aqueous as in the phosphoric acid and alkaline fuel cells, or molten, as in the molten carbonate fuel cells. A solid electrolyte is preferable because it allows sturdier, more efficient and corrosion resistant systems to be built. The main objective of this work is to develop a solid electrolyte for hydrogen production by electrolysis of hydrogen sulfide. Barium Hydrogen Phosphate, Barium Dihydrogen Phosphate, Cesium Hydrogen Carbonate, and Ammonium Iodide received brief attention but Cesium Hydrogen Sulfate was the primary candidate considered. Initial investigation has verified that Cesium Hydrogen Sulfate undergoes an impressive first-order phase transition at approximately 140°C at which the proton conductivity increases by almost four orders of magnitude. An electrochemical cell was designed and developed by Erik Todd for the production of hydrogen. Hydrogen sulfide can electrolyzed into hydrogen and sulfur in an electrochemical cell. Sulfur is in a low viscosity molten state at a temperature of 150°C. A cell with cesium hydrogen sulfate electrolyte can operate at this temperature where liquid sulfur and gaseous hydrogen can vii move out of the cell as they are formed. Consequently, the electrolyte must possess a high conductivity at this temperature to facilitate the migration of hydrogen ions to the negative electrode through the electrolyte. Cesium Hydrogen Sulfate is known to act as an insulator at room temperature and a protonic conductor at 140°C. Hence it comes as an obvious choice as an electrolyte in a hydrogen sulfide electrochemical cell. The structural and chemical properties of Cesium Hydrogen Sulfate were investigated. • The CsHSO4 electrolyte was prepared by the reaction of cesium carbonate and cesium sulfate with sulfuric acid respectively. • A punch, die and base were designed and fabricated to make 0.5" and 2.0" diameter pellets for that purpose. • X-ray diffraction was performed on the 0.5" diameter pellets to identify and characterize the polycrystalline phases of the solid acid electrolyte. • Differential Scanning Calorimetry was performed so as to ascertain the phase transition temperature. • The temperature at which the phase transition occurs was further confirmed by impedance measurements. A test setup was built in order to perform impedance measurements. An experiment to measure the impedance of a 0.5" diameter pellet of silver iodide was performed in order to test the validity of the setup. • An infrared analysis was performed on the prepared sample of CsHSO4 in order to identify the bond environment of the electrolyte. • Differential scanning calorimetry was performed with Barium Hydrogen Phosphate, Barium Dihydrogen Phosphate, Cesium Hydrogen Carbonate and Ammonium Iodide to identify their phase transition temperatures. viii • A successful electrolysis of steam experiment was carried out using the CsHSO4 electrolyte to evaluate its performance. • Finally, the CsHSO4 electrolyte was tested in the hydrogen sulfide electrochemical cell for the production of hydrogen and sulfur.


This thesis deals with issues of sport, gender and identity within schooling. It focuses on six physically active girls as they made the transition to secondary schools in London and considers the social and educational contexts that framed their involvement in physical activity and sport over this period.
The research involved in-depth interviews with the girls, and their parents, teachers and friends, over a period of four years, beginning when the girls were in Year 5 and finishing when the girls were aged 13 and in Year 8. Over this period I also carried out ongoing observations at physical education lessons, after-school sports activities and a local youth running group.
The analysis explores the social and emotional processes and identifications that made girls' participation more or less sustainable over this period of time. It considers how girls who had once found immense pleasure and joy from physical activities came to feel disinvested in the PE curriculum, unsure of their physical abilities and unable to see sport as relevant in their bids towards academic or social success. I look in particular at the girls' schooling contexts, their relationships with friends and peers, their parental and class aspirations and their access to outdoor space. The findings suggest that social class and privilege were particularly implicated in girls' involvement in sport and that decisions around their participation were often made within the overriding context of an achievement-oriented education system.
I draw attention to the broader context of girls' participation in sport and to the particular ways in which the girls' gendered, classed and racialised identities mediated their participation. I suggest that girls' contradictory positioning within dominant discourses of health, ability, sexuality and academic success held particular connotations for their participation, often making sport and physical activity difficult to access at the secondary school level.


Massive stars are the workhorse of the Universe. While accounting for a minute fraction of baryonic mass, their influence on the cosmos is profound. Their lives and deaths lead to nucleosynthesis of all elements heavier than helium, including those essential to life. They produce some of the most energetic eruptions and explosions, core-collapse (CC) supernovae (SNe) at the end of their life. These explosions are common, about once per century per galaxy, and are one of the primary drivers of the gas dynamics of their host galaxies. Despite their importance, many facets of the massive stars' evolution and their eventual death in CCSNe are still uncertain. In this thesis, I use a variety of observations in the infrared (IR) part of the electromagnetic spectrum to probe aspects of these stellar explosions elusive to visible light. IR observations of SNe remain sparse compared to the optical, even for the most nearby events. I present the first systematic study of CCSNe light curves from the Spitzer Space Telescope showing trends in IR properties of CCSNe and identifying outliers that exhibit signs of interactions between the SN shock and the circumstellar medium (CSM) ejected from the star. I also present in-depth explorations of nearby SN 2017eaw, a typical and common hydrogen-rich explosion; and SN 2014C, a hydrogen-poor explosion whose shock wave crashes into the CSM containing material lost from the star. IR observations provide insights into the chemical evolution and circumstellar environment in these SNe. In the second part of this thesis, I present the development and commissioning of a near-IR spectropolarimeter WIRC+Pol at Palomar Observatory. WIRC+Pol utilizes a novel, highly efficient polarization grating as its polarimetric beam splitter and spectral disperser. The resulting high sensitivity allows WIRC+Pol to observe sources as faint as J = 14.5 to 0.1% polarimetric accuracy in 2 hours. I also present the first scientific results from the instrument: the spectropolarimetric measurements of four nearby SNe, which are the first such observations in the IR. We detected polarization from SN 2018hna, which allowed us to constrain that its explosion geometry looks similar to the very well-studied SN 1987A observed from a different angle, suggesting the same underlying geometry.


Abstract. Variations of stable water isotopes in water vapour have become measurable at a measurement frequency of about 1 Hz in recent years using novel laser spectroscopic techniques. This enables us to perform continuous measurements for process-based investigations of the atmospheric water cycle at the time scales relevant for synoptic and mesoscale meteorology. An important prerequisite for the interpretation of data from automated field measurements lasting for several weeks or months is a detailed knowledge about instrument properties and the sources of measurement uncertainty. We present here a comprehensive characterisation and comparison study of two commercial laser spectroscopic systems based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy (Picarro) and off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (Los Gatos Research). The uncertainty components of the measurements were first assessed in laboratory experiments, focussing on the effects of (i) water vapour mixing ratio, (ii) measurement stability, (iii) uncertainties due to calibration and (iv) response times of the isotope measurements due to adsorption-desorption processes on the tubing and measurement cavity walls. Based on the experience from our laboratory experiments, we set up a one-week field campaign for comparing measurements of the ambient isotope signals from the two laser spectroscopic systems. The optimal calibration strategy determined for both instruments was applied as well as the correction functions for water vapour mixing ratio effects. The root mean square difference between the isotope signals from the two instruments during the field deployment was 2.3‰ for δ2H, 0.5‰ for δ18O and 3.1‰ for deuterium excess. These uncertainty estimates from field measurements compare well to those found in the laboratory experiments. The present quality of measurements from laser spectroscopic instruments combined with a calibration system opens new possibilities for investigating the atmospheric water cycle and the land-atmosphere moisture fluxes.


Zooplankton was studied seasonally between 2009 and 2011 in Iskenderun Bay in order to determine temporal variations in abundance, biomass, and size structure and their relationships with environmental factors. Zooplankton sampling was performed vertically using a WP-2 net (200-µm). A total of 30 zooplankton taxonomic groups were identified. Cladocera was the dominant group, and together with Copepoda and Appendicularia constituted approximately 90% of zooplankton. In respect to abundance and biomass values, 2 peaks were observed in 2009, the first in spring and the second in autumn. However, a second peak was observed in summer in both 2010 and 2011, due to increases in cladoceran abundance. During all seasons and years of the study period, small-sized organisms (200-500 µm) constituted the majority of the zooplankton. Zooplankton abundance was influenced by environmental factors. The relationship between the abundance of zooplankton groups and environmental parameters varied according to the groups. In conclusion, clear seasonal variation and slight differences among years were observed in terms of the examined properties of the zooplankton groups. Abiotic environmental variables and availability of food were considered to particularly affect this variability.


Football boot manufacturers can have an advantage over their competitors if they gain knowledge about the purchase decision-making process of their consumers. It is significant that marketers understand the important criteria of a consumer's purchase decision. This study aimed to investigate consumer behaviour in the football boot industry, to support football boot manufacturers with information of the purchasing behaviour of their consumers in order to establish product development and novel marketing strategies. The objective of the study was to identify expectations of survey respondents in terms of the factors which influence their purchasing behaviour of football boots in the federal state of Bavaria in Germany. In order to accomplish the objectives of the study, a quantitative study was conducted by means of self-administered questionnaires. A sample of 400 questionnaires was administered. The respondents were purposively selected. Conclusions and recommendations were thereafter drawn from the literature and the findings of the study. The results showed that quality and brand names were the major influential factors in the purchase decision. Adidas was the most popular brand, followed by Nike and Puma. Citing satisfaction with their purchases, consumers were brand loyal and repeated purchases occurred. The research recommended that football boot manufacturers need to invest constantly in its development and quality management program in order to meet consumers' expectations and international standards.


Technological Advancements in mechanical and electrical engineering has progressed to greater extent these days. The field of Robotics have increased drastically in its usage for various dangerous and repetitive tasks. It is known fact that many Industrial applications are risky and difficult for potential and hazardous environments. Hence there is a need to design a climbing robot wirelessly using RF technology to operate from any remote location for hazardous environments. However robots are faster and accurate in control theory practices with high performance advanced algorithms. The designed Robotic system includes various modules like wireless communication with RF module, DC motors for movements of robots in various angles and dimensions, ARM 8 microcontroller performs controlling and monitoring of operations, driving unit. This robotic unit is controlled and operated using smart phone keys using RF module. Based on the data received from RF module the ARM 8 microcontroller processes the resultant action. The Robotic arm acts accordingly as instructed from microcontroller to perform human user action. The embedded c is used for programming the controller. The controlled action performed by the robotic unit is recorded using wireless AV camera and transmitted as live audio and video in to the receiver section for display in to pc or laptop for a control and user action.


An error diffusion algorithm is used to design binary pixelated beam shapers. Beam shapers based on pixels with transmission equal either to 0 or 1 can be synthesized with this deterministic algorithm to provide continuous intensity shaping after Fourier filtering. The capabilities of these shapers are studied for high-power lasers. A particular emphasis is placed on the influence of the feature size on the performance of the designed shapers, and it is shown that the transmission degradation is highly predictable for this algorithm. Simulations demonstrating the possibility of precompensating for feature size when designing intensity shapers are presented.


We present a spatially resolved near-UV/optical study, using the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) on board the Hubble Space Telescope, of NGC 4150, a sub-L*, early-type galaxy (ETG) of around 6 × 109 M☉, which has been observed as part of the WFC3 Early-Release Science Programme. Previous work indicates that this galaxy has a large reservoir of molecular hydrogen gas, exhibits a kinematically decoupled core (a likely indication of recent merging) and strong, central Hβ absorption (indicative of young stars). While relatively uninspiring in its optical image, the core of NGC 4150 shows ubiquitous near-UV emission and remarkable dusty substructure. Our analysis shows this galaxy to lie in the near-UV green valley, and its pixel-by-pixel photometry exhibits a narrow range of near-UV/optical colors that are similar to those of nearby E+A (post-starburst) galaxies and lie between those of M83 (an actively star-forming spiral) and the local quiescent ETG population. We parameterize the properties of the recent star formation (RSF; age, mass fraction, metallicity, and internal dust content) in the NGC 4150 pixels by comparing the observed near-UV/optical photometry to stellar models. The typical age of the RSF is around 0.9 Gyr, consistent with the similarity of the near-UV colors to post-starburst systems, while the morphological structure of the young component supports the proposed merger scenario. The typical RSF metallicity, representative of the metallicity of the gas fuelling star formation, is ∼0.3–0.5 Z☉. Assuming that this galaxy is a merger and that the gas is sourced mainly from the infalling companion, these metallicities plausibly indicate the gas-phase metallicity (GPM) of the accreted satellite. Comparison to the local mass–GPM relation suggests (crudely) that the mass of the accreted system is ∼3 × 108 M☉, making NGC 4150 a 1:20 minor merger. A summation of the pixel RSF mass fractions indicates that the RSF contributes ∼2%–3% of the stellar mass. This work reaffirms our hypothesis that minor mergers play a significant role in the evolution of ETGs at late epochs.


This paper argues that the problematic of rule following in Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations and Heidegger's analysis of anxiety in Being and Time have analogous structures. Working through these analogies helps our interpretation of both of these authors. Contrasting sceptical and anti-sceptical readings of Wittgenstein helps us to resolve an interpretive puzzle about what an authentic response to anxiety looks like for Heidegger. And considering the importance of anxiety to Heidegger's conception of authenticity allows us to locate in Wittgenstein's later philosophy a covert appeal to something resembling Heideggerian authenticity.


This book aims to familiarize the reader with the essential properties of the chaotic dynamics of Hamiltonian systems by avoiding specialized mathematical tools, thus making it easily accessible to a broader audience of researchers and students. Unique material on the most intriguing and fascinating topics of unsolved and current problems in contemporary chaos theory is presented. The coverage includes: separatrix chaos; properties and a description of systems with non-ergodic dynamics; the distribution of Poincare recurrences and their role in transport theory; dynamical models of the Maxwell's Demon, the occurrence of persistent fluctuations, and a detailed discussion of their role in the problem underlying the foundation of statistical physics; the emergence of stochastic webs in phase space and their link to space tiling with periodic (crystal type) and aperiodic (quasi-crystal type) symmetries. This second edition expands on pseudochaotic dynamics with weak mixing and the new phenomenon of fractional kinetics, which is crucial to the transport properties of chaotic motion. The book is ideally suited to all those who are actively working on the problems of dynamical chaos as well as to those looking for new inspiration in this area. It introduces the physicist to the world of Hamiltonian chaos and the mathematician to actual physical problems. The material can also be used by graduate students.


This paper seeks to address whether or not there could be a common ground between applying Islamic Sharia law and gender equality through an examination of the textual Sharia rulings regarding polygamy and divorce, a comparison of this theoretical framework with the applied laws in Egypt and Tunisia, and, finally, an attempt to show the relationship between the divine texts, jurisprudence, and the role of Ijtihad in responding to social change. The paper argues that the deterioration of women's rights in many Islamic countries has nothing to do with their Islamic nature but rather with their patriarchal nature. Islam introduced a number of revolutionary rights to women at the time of revelation; therefore, the spirit of the Quran points towards ultimate equality between the sexes in a gradual process, similar to the case of slavery. As the Quran puts great emphasis on the right to seek justice and the duty to do justice, and because the first aim of Sharia is to maintain justice and defend public welfare, all means to achieve justice and public welfare are Islamic in nature. The dynamic nature of Islamic teachings, the evolving character of Sharia, the spirit of Islam towards women's rights, the principles of justice and public welfare, and the essentiality of feminist Ijtihad leave no room for doubt that a common ground could be found between Islamic law and gender equality.


The use of neural networks in the classification of human gait profiles has been in the past few years of interest to many researchers. Human gait has been used as a biometric measure to distinguish between known and unknown persons in cases where other biometric measures such as face are not available. In this research, we analyse simple gait data (cadence, cycle time, stride length, speed) of normal children of age range between 12 and 72 months. We examine how artificial intelligence, in the form of neural networks, can exploit such data with the objective to correctly identify a child's gender. Data collection and method We used the data set provided by Dr. Sang-hyun Cho for normal children available at http://guardian.curtin.edu.au/cga/data/index.html. We decided to concentrate only on primary gait parameters for simplicity and to examine the role the values of these parameters play in gender recognition. Thus, using the mean and standard deviations provided by Sang-hyun Cho for age, cadence, cycle time, stride length and speed, we generated data for females and males assuming a Gaussian distribution. We have normalised the data such that they would have a zero mean and a unit standard deviation. We have used two types of neural networks: multi-layer perceptron (MLP) and self-organising maps (SOM). For the MLP, we have experimented with various architectures and parameters of the network to try to achieve the best recognition rate possible. With a two--layer network and a tanh activation function for the hidden layer and a sigmoid for the output layer, 5 neurons in the hidden layer and a learning rate of 0.9, we achieved a typical testing recognition rate of 57.89% with a mean square error of 0.012 after 17000 epochs of training. An optimum recognition rate of 63.16% was achieved with 10 hidden nodes and learning rate of 0.5. We used the SOM on the same sets of normalised data as in the previous experiments with FFBP to examine how the same problem of gender classification, based on simple gait parameters, can be solved by this different type of neural network. A self--organising map does not need target outputs. It was trained only on inputs with the objective to learn their internal distribution and categorise them. We adopted a hexagonal arrangement as the topology of the neurons, since this is considered to avoid favouring of the diagonals. Then for the ordering phase, during which a rough order of the SOM is performed and the convergence phase which lasts much longer we chose the following values: Ordering phase learning rate=0.9, continuously during the gait cycle. Fig. 2 shows how the SOM projected the 43 curves into single trajectories. Similar gait patterns are located close to each other. Fig. 3 demonstrates that a SOM sensitised to ankle abnormality will separate the gait patterns dominated by abnormal ankle curves more clearly. The interpretation of the SOM trajectories of Fig. 4 together with those in Fig. 2 allow the identification of abnormal ankle patterns. The sensitisation factors can be applied to any groups of curves allowing a delicate tuning of the focus of visualisation. The combination of the QE, SOM projections and sensitisation to groups of curves provide a well controlled set of tools which handle the whole of the gait patterns and so allow a direct visualisation of the quality of gait.


Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties are entitled to participate in consensus-based governance of the continent through the annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings. To acquire consultative status, an interested Party must demonstrate "substantial research activity," but no agreed mechanism exists to determine whether a Party has fulfilled this criterion. Parties have generally demonstrated substantial research activity with the construction of a research station, as suggested within the Treaty itself. However, this largely demonstrates logistical capacity, rather than research activity, and often results in major and persistent impacts on Antarctic terrestrial environments. Our study found that national investment in Antarctic infrastructure, estimated by the number of bed spaces at stations, was not a reliable indicator of scientific output. Therefore, we investigated metrics to evaluate research activity directly, and identified both the overall number of Antarctic papers and the proportion of national scientific output these represented as meaningful metrics. Such metrics could (1) demonstrate a nation's level of research activity in Antarctica or (2) help Consultative Parties assess the level of research activity undertaken by a Party seeking to acquire consultative status. Our data showed that, even without land-based Antarctic infrastructure, Canada, Denmark and Switzerland may have reasonable grounds to demonstrate "substantial research activity" on a level comparable with existing Consultative Parties. The use of these metrics may help dispel any perceived requirement for the establishment of a research station to reach consultative status, by putting a greater emphasis on generation of scientific research outputs rather than construction of Antarctic infrastructure.


PAC-Bayes bounds have been proposed to get risk estimates based on a training sample. In this paper the PAC-Bayes approach is combined with stability of the hypothesis learned by a Hilbert space valued algorithm. The PAC-Bayes setting is used with a Gaussian prior centered at the expected output. Thus a novelty of our paper is using priors defined in terms of the data-generating distribution. Our main result estimates the risk of the randomized algorithm in terms of the hypothesis stability coefficients. We also provide a new bound for the SVM classifier, which is compared to other known bounds experimentally. Ours appears to be the first stability-based bound that evaluates to non-trivial values.


Cerivastatin is a synthetic and enantiomerically pure 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitor. It has been recognized for its high pharmacologic potency, uncomplicated pharmacokinetic profile, and low drug-interaction potential. The efficacy of cerivastatin has been demonstrated in a number of clinical trials involving patients with primary hypercholesterolemia and mixed dyslipidemia. Cerivastatin was found to have dose-dependent reduction in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. At the 0.4 mg daily dose, cerivastatin was found to lower LDL cholesterol by approximately 35% (mean reductions of 33-39%). The triglyceride-lowering effect of cerivastatin is also dose dependent; however, there is a much stronger association between baseline triglyceride levels and the triglyceride-lowering effect of cerivastatin. A dosage of 0.4 mg daily has been shown to reduce triglycerides by a mean of 28% in patients with baseline triglyceride levels of > 300 mg/dL. At the time of its initial approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1997, cerivastatin was available only in 0.2 mg and 0.3 mg strengths. The recent FDA approval of the 0.4-mg strength dose has made cerivastatin a more competitive drug in lipid-lowering efficacy among the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors.


Above- and belowground litter inputs in a temperate deciduous forest were altered for 20 yr to determine the importance of leaves and roots on soil C and soil organic matter (SOM) quantity and quality. Carbon and SOM quantity and quality were measured in the O horizon and mineral soil to 50 cm in five treatments (control, double litter [DL], no litter [NL], no roots [NR], no inputs [NI]). After two decades of doubled litter addition, soil C and SOM did not increase. However, leaf litter exclusions reduced soil C (O and mineral horizons combined) by 24% in NL and 33% in NI treatments. In the mineral soil, the largest declines occurred in the 0- to 10-cm depth (0.93–2.01 kg C m⁻²), although losses were observed throughout the entire solum. The NR treatments showed no losses of C. Thermal characterization of SOM quality differed among treatments in the 0- to 10-cm depth. Patterns of CO₂ evolution during SOM combustion revealed differences in SOM quality between surface and deeper horizons. Our work shows that the sources of litter are important in controlling soil C. Leaf litter made important contributions to maintaining current stocks of soil C; increased leaf litter did not increase soil C, but decreases in litter inputs resulted in rapid soil C declines. Root litter may ultimately provide more stable sources of soil C. Management activities or environmental alterations that decrease litter inputs in mature forests can lower soil C content; however, increases in forest productivity and the resulting increased litter production seem unlikely to increase soil C sequestration.


This study examines credit union size-growth relationships within the context of Gibrat's law of proportionate effect. This relates to the hypothesis that the growth of each firm in each period is random. The analysis covers the period 1994 to 2000 and is undertaken separately for the United Kingdom (UK) and its regions, Northern Ireland, England & Wales and Scotland. Sample attrition is a characteristic of the data and to avoid the problem of survivorship bias the inverse of the Mill's ratio, obtained from a probit regression for surviving credit unions, is introduced into the estimating relationship. In terms of the empirical results, little evidence emerged to support the law of proportionate effect as a theoretical paradigm. Although not universal, three broad findings emerged. First, small credit unions on average grow faster than their larger counterparts, although there was also some evidence of non-linearity in this relationship. Secondly, growth persistence pertained with credit unions which experienced above average growth (below average growth) in one period, experiencing above average growth (below average growth) in the next. Thirdly, variability of growth was not independent of size with the cross-sectional variance of the error term inversely related to size suggesting that small credit unions have greater growth variability than larger ones. Copyright Blackwell Publishers Ltd, 2005.


In this paper we present a novel, computationally efficient algorithm for nonrigid 2D image registration based on the work of Haker et al.[1, 2]. We formulate the registration task as an Optimal Mass Transport (OMT) problem based on the Monge-Kantorovich theory. This approach gives a number of advantages over other conventional registration methods: (1) It is parameter free and no landmarks need to be specified, (2) it is symmetrical and the energy functional has a unique minimiser, and (3) it can register images where brightness constancy is an invalid assumption. Our algorithm solves the Optimal Mass Transport program via multi-resolution, multi-grid, and parallel methodologies on a consumer graphics processing unit (GPU). Although solving the OMT problem has been shown to be computationally expensive in the past, we show that our approach is almost two orders magnitude faster than previous work and is capable of finding transport maps with optimality measures (mean curl) previously unattainable by other works (which directly influences the quality of registration). We give results where the algorithm was used to register 2D short axis cardiac MRI images and to morph two image sets from a SOHO solar flare image sequence.


Current empirical and theoretical understanding of the relation between age and crime is based almost entirely on data from the United States and a few prototypical Western societies for which age-specific crime information across offense types is available. By using Western databases, Hirschi and Gottfredson (1983) projected that the age distribution of crime is always and everywhere robustly right-skewed (i.e., sharp adolescent peak)—a thesis that is both contested and widely accepted in criminology and social science writings. In the study described here, we tested this age–crime invariance thesis by comparing age–crime patterns in Taiwan (a non-Western Chinese society) with those in the United States. In light of Taiwan's collectivist culture versus the U.S. individualist gestalt, we anticipated more divergence than homogeneity in their age–crime schedules. Our findings show robust divergence in Taiwan's age–crime patterns compared with U.S. patterns and the reverted J-shaped norm projected by Hirschi and Gottfredson. Implications for research and theory on the age–crime relation and for studying human development or life-course topics more broadly are discussed.


Sugarbush managers have long needed a guide for determining the stocking of their sugar maple stands. The question is: for desirable sugar maple sap production, how many trees per acre are needed? To provide information about stocking, the USDA Forest Service's sugar maple sap production project at Burlington, Vermont, has made a regionwide study of the relationships between crown diameter and d.b.h. (diameter breast high) of open-grown sugar maple trees (Acer saccharurn Marsh.). We found a strong relationship between crown diameter and d.b.h., and converted these data into stocking guides for various stand-size classes. The stocking guide are based on the assumption that trees with full crowns produce the best sap yields.


The critical starting point for lean thinking is value. All process improvement actions should focus on eliminating steps in the value stream that do not create value and make the value-creating steps flow smoothly toward the customer. This research reviews how Californian construction industry professionals understand lean and how these views correlate with the basic principles of lean. Research results are based on semi-structured interviews conducted in the San Francisco Bay Area (California, U.S.), where lean management practices have been applied in dozens of large and small construction projects. According to the interview data, there are three prevailing understandings of lean—eliminating waste, improving efficiency and implementing tools. This shows a limited understanding of lean as a value creation process that may hinder system-wide performance improvements and jeopardize the sustainability of lean transformation. By focusing more on providing customer value, companies could differentiate themselves, gain competitive advantage and increase profits.


What is the purpose of tax deductions? A common view among tax law scholars is that tax deductions are required to properly measure income. I present an alternative theory of tax deductions, relying on standard economic efficiency grounds. I develop a model which highlights the fact that economic activities have costs and benefits, but an income tax system taxes only some of those benefits. The efficient deduction rule allows the deduction of a share of the cost equal to the share of the benefit that is taxed. I also show that the deadweight loss due to a departure from the efficient deduction rule increases quadratically with the departure, making larger departures from the rule much more costly than smaller ones. I then review various tax deduction rules in the Internal Revenue Code, analyzing each rule under the two theories of tax deductions, and demonstrating that the efficiency theory is useful both for teaching tax deductions and as a guide to optimal tax policy.


Dressed in the familiar gray and green uniform and crowned with the traditional "Smokey the Bear" hat, the National Park Service Ranger is symbolic of many things in American culture: protection and preservation, education and enlightenment, solitude and self-sufficiency. In the past, rangers spent most of their working hours alone-patrolling miles of trails, often in dismal weather conditions, to force out wildlife poachers. Now, the modern ranger may be a law-enforcement official, naturalist, historian, or river guide. In this celebration of one of America's most enduring symbols, former ranger Butch Farabee briefly reviews the evolution of this national symbol. Packed with entertaining anecdotes and illustrated with over one hundred archival photographs, this book not only provides fascinating insight into the diversity of roles a park ranger must play, but also honors the unique people dedicated to guarding and maintaining this country's irreplaceable treasures.


#### Box 1 Surgical time and motion

Remember seeing those elegantly lined up surgical instruments at the start of an operation with the surgical nurse ready to hand the right instrument at the right moment to the surgeon.

Where did that idea and practice come from?

The advent of scientific management in operating rooms at the beginning of the 20th century was a part of the long history of applications of management methods and principles in healthcare. Early pioneers in this field were Frank and Lillian Gilbreth. The Gilbreths' primary focus was on work performance and worker satisfaction. They conducted pioneering research in the fields of time and motion study. This covered the livelong search for "The One Best Way" in organising and executing work flows and processes.12

Scientific management was a development of the 1880s and 1890s and is most closely associated with Frederick W. Taylor (1856–1915) whose Time Study method defined the field.34 His favourite example of this approach was observing the work of 75 men at the Bethlehem Steel Company who moved pig iron by shovel all day. After a careful analysis of this hard repetitive work, Taylor's engineers decided that great improvements in productivity could be achieved. One worker was carefully selected and asked to change the way he worked by following the engineer's directions exactly. "We want no back talk… When he tells you to walk, you walk, when he tells you to sit down, you sit down." As a result, this worker raised his productivity from 12.5 to 47 tons of pig iron moved per day. The worker, who was paid piece rate, thereby increased his pay from $1.15 to $1.85 per day.5 Taylor's approach also included the redesign of the equipment, such as the size and shape of the shovels in use. In another project …


The most recent IPCC assessment has shown an important role for negative emissions technologies (NETs) in limiting global warming to 2 °C cost-effectively. However, a bottom-up, systematic, reproducible, and transparent literature assessment of the different options to remove CO2 from the atmosphere is currently missing. In part 1 of this three-part review on NETs, we assemble a comprehensive set of the relevant literature so far published, focusing on seven technologies: bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), afforestation and reforestation, direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS), enhanced weathering, ocean fertilisation, biochar, and soil carbon sequestration. In this part, part 2 of the review, we present estimates of costs, potentials, and side-effects for these technologies, and qualify them with the authors' assessment. Part 3 reviews the innovation and scaling challenges that must be addressed to realise NETs deployment as a viable climate mitigation strategy. Based on a systematic review of the literature, our best estimates for sustainable global NET potentials in 2050 are 0.5–3.6 GtCO2 yr−1 for afforestation and reforestation, 0.5–5 GtCO2 yr−1 for BECCS, 0.5–2 GtCO2 yr−1 for biochar, 2–4 GtCO2 yr−1 for enhanced weathering, 0.5–5 GtCO2 yr−1 for DACCS, and up to 5 GtCO2 yr−1 for soil carbon sequestration. Costs vary widely across the technologies, as do their permanency and cumulative potentials beyond 2050. It is unlikely that a single NET will be able to sustainably meet the rates of carbon uptake described in integrated assessment pathways consistent with 1.5 °C of global warming.


The compilation of the current Red List of Estonia took place during 2006–2008; the IUCN system of categories and criteria (vers. 6.1), which is accepted worldwide, was applied. Out of the 1019 lichenized, lichenicolous and closely allied fungal species recorded in Estonia in 2006, 464 species (45.5%) were evaluated while 555 species remained not estimated – in the category Not Evaluated (NE). Of the evaluated species, 213 were assigned to the so-called red-listed categories: Regionally Extinct (RE), Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), Vulnerable (VU), Near Threatened (NT) and Data Deficient (DD). 113 of them were classified as threatened (belonging to the categories CR, EN, VU). 251 species were assigned to the category Least Concerned (LC). The full enumeration of the red-listed lichens of Estonia with appropriate category and criteria is presented.


The rise in the incidence of infections is caused by multi drug resistant (MDR) bacteria, it is essential to elucidate the basic mechanism of antibiotic resistance to discover effective methods for diagnosis and treatment of infections.

The use of pathogen-specific probes offers a faster alternative for pathogen detection and could improve the diagnosis of infection. High resolution melting analysis techniques are useful for the detection of multi drug resistant pathogens. Rational Structural Based Drug Design is a common method to identify a lead compound and take it forward for further developments.

This book provides information about recent strategies involved in the diagnosis and treatment of infections caused by MDR bacteria. The volume covers the use of molecular probes for the quantification of pathogenic bacteria, along with other techniques mentioned above. Chapters also cover the use of identification of novel drug targets from the Lipid A biosynthesis and also from quorum sensing mediated biofilm formation in MDR bacteria.

Chapters also cover herbal alternatives for the treatment of MDR bacteria like the use of Cassia aungustifolia in treatment of various diseases. The reference is suitable for biomedical students, cellular and molecular biologists.


One of the central issues in wirless sensor networks is track the location, of moving object which have overhead of saving data, an accurate estimation of the target location of object with energy constraint .We do not have any mechanism which control and maintain data .The wireless communication bandwidth is also very limited. Some field which is using this technique are flood and typhoon detection, forest fire detection, temperature and humidity and ones we have these information use these information back to a central air conditioning and ventilation. In this research paper, we propose protocol based on the prediction and adaptive based algorithm which is using less sensor node reduced by an accurate estimation of the target location. We had shown that our tracking method performs well in terms of energy saving regardless of mobility pattern of the mobile target. We extends the life time of network with less sensor node. Once a new object is detected, a mobile agent will be initiated to track the roaming path of the object.


Sign language interpreters monitor professional encounters to make informed choices in specific interactional constellations. For the profession, progress crucially depends on transcending individual intuitions and communicating experiential knowledge in the light of theory. Introducing a research perspective encourages the evolution of a practice-oriented research community and enables interpreters to substantiate notions of "best practice". To develop such a perspective, we need to impart standard methods and concepts of empiricism within and beyond interpreting studies, and to transmit a general research ethos informing the daily practice of practitioners. Here we report an attempt to enhance the research orientation of an international group of working professionals in the quest for a research ethos to be developed by the profession as a whole.


Objective: Impaired sleep quality is common, and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death, thought to be mediated by adverse effects on established vascular risk factors, particularly hypertension. The aim of this study was to determine if a web-delivered sleep intervention reduces blood pressure compared to vascular risk factor education alone (standard care), through modification of sleep quality. Design and method: Design/setting/participants: A Phase II, proof-of-concept, randomised, blinded controlled trial of 134 community-based participants with sleep impairment and systolic blood pressure (130–160 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (<110 mmHg) without cardiovascular disease. Intervention: Multi-component web-delivered sleep intervention Sleepio™ (sleep hygiene education, stimulus control and cognitive behavioural therapy) delivered over 8 weeks in addition to standard care (n = 67), compared to standard care alone (n = 67). Main Outcome Measures: Difference in the mean change in 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure (SBP) over 8 weeks between intervention and control groups. Secondary outcomes included mean change in measures of sleep quality and psychosocial health, including the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Results: Participants in the sleep intervention group showed significantly greater improvements in sleep quality (PSQI, 2.5 vs. 1.4, P = 0.04; ISI, 4.5 vs. 1.7, P < 0.001; sleep efficiency, 5.0 vs.0.5, P = 0.02) and psychosocial health (BDI, 2.5 vs. 0.5, P = 0.02; BAI, 2.2 vs. 0.8; P = 0.047) compared to control participants. Mean change in 24 hour ambulatory SBP over 8 weeks was not significantly different between the sleep intervention (0.9 mmHg) and control (0.8 mmHg) arms, difference 0.1 (95% CI −3.4 to 3.2). Conclusions: A simple, low-cost, web-delivered sleep intervention significantly improves sleep quality and measures of psychosocial health, but does not result in short term improvements in blood pressure. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01809821


This study aims to show how the concept of openness has been manifested and amplified in the universe of open access scholarly journals, pointing out emerging characteristics and practices linked to processes of submission, evaluation, revision, editing, publishing, editing, distribution, access and use of texts for publication. We proceeded to an overview and discussion of the pertinent literature and the identification and analysis of open access journals which have addressed the issue, and to the identification and analysis of cases of open access journals which have been adopting innovative practices, based on information on editorial policies available on their websites. Among the results, we have pointed out aspects of the publications examined, such as the types of licenses used, policies regarding access to research data, publishing formats, charges and alternative metrics of evaluation.


In the twentieth century, Taiwanese feminists have selectively appropriated various strands of Western feminism to improve women's status and meet women's needs. In this article, several scholarly works pertaining to the analysis of various strands of Taiwanese feminism, and the historical development of women's movements published in the 1990s, as well as after, will be reviewed and discussed. The lifting of martial law in 1987 created the political climate that enabled Taiwanese feminists to lift their self-censorship and contribute to the diversification of feminist discourses and NGO s in Taiwanese civil society. The mid-1990s was another watershed in the transformation of Taiwanese feminist discourses and women's movement strategies.


Complete collection of Tolkien's essays, including two on Beowulf, which span three decades beginning six years before The Hobbit to five years after The Lord of the Rings. The seven 'essays' by J.R.R. Tolkien assembled in this new paperback edition were with one exception delivered as general lectures on particular occasions; and while they mostly arose out of Tolkien's work in medieval literature, they are accessible to all. Two of them are concerned with Beowulf, including the well-known lecture whose title is taken for this book, and one with Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, given in the University of Glasgow in 1953. Also included in this volume is the lecture English and Welsh; the Valedictory Address to the University of Oxford in 1959; and a paper on Invented Languages delivered in 1931, with exemplification from poems in the Elvish tongues. Most famous of all is On Fairy-Stories, a discussion of the nature of fairy-tales and fantasy, which gives insight into Tolkien's approach to the whole genre. The pieces in this collection cover a period of nearly thirty years, beginning six years before the publication of The Hobbit, with a unique 'academic' lecture on his invention (calling it A Secret Vice) and concluding with his farewell to professorship, five years after the publication of The Lord of the Rings.


Abstract. Forests along the Amazon Basin produce significant quantities of organic
material, a portion of which is deposited in floodplain lakes. Deforestation
in the watershed may then have potentially important effects on the carbon
fluxes. In this study, a sediment core was extracted from an Amazon
floodplain lake to examine the relationship between carbon burial and
changing land cover and land use. Historical records from the 1930s and satellite
data from the 1970s were used to calculate deforestation rates between 1930
to 1970 and 1970 to 2010 in four zones with different distances from the
margins of the lake and its tributaries (100, 500, 1000 and 6000  m
buffers). A sediment accumulation rate of ∼4 mm yr−1 for
the previous ∼120  years was determined from the 240+239Pu
signatures and the excess 210Pb method. The carbon burial rates
ranged between 85 and 298  g C m - 2 yr - 1 , with pulses of high
carbon burial in the 1950s, originating from the forest vegetation as
indicated by δ13C and δ15N signatures. Our
results revealed a potentially important spatial dependence of the organic carbon (OC) burial
in Amazon lacustrine sediments in relation to deforestation rates in the
catchment. These deforestation rates were more intense in the riparian
vegetation (100  m buffer) during the period 1930 to 1970 and the
larger open water areas (500, 1000 and 6000  m buffer) during 1970 to
2010. The continued removal of vegetation from the interior of the forest was
not related to the peak of OC burial in the lake, but only the riparian
deforestation which peaked during the 1950s. Therefore, this supports the
conservation priority of riparian forests as an important management practice
for Amazon flooded areas. Our findings suggest the importance of abrupt and
temporary events in which some of the biomass released by deforestation,
especially restricted to areas along open water edges, might reach the
depositional environments in the floodplain of the Amazon Basin.


The European Metrology Research Program (EMRP) is a metrology-focused program of coordinated Research and Development (RD) funded by the European Commission and participating countries within the European Association of National Metrology Institutes (EURAMET). It supports and ensures research collaboration between them by launching and managing different types of project calls. Within the EMRP Call 2012 "Metrology for Industry", the joint research project (JRP) entitled "Multidimensional Reflectometry for Industry" (xD-Reflect) was submitted by a consortium of 8 National Metrology Institutes (NMIs) and 2 universities and was subsequently funded. The general objective of xD-Reflect is to meet the demands from industry to describe the overall macroscopic appearance of modern surfaces by developing and improving methods for optical measurements which correlate with the visual sensation being evoked. In particular, the project deals with the "Goniochromatism", "Gloss" and "Fluorescence" properties of dedicated artifacts, which will be investigated in three main work packages (WP). Two additional transversal WP reinforce the structure: "Modelling and Data Analysis" with the objective to give an irreducible set of calibration schemes and handling methods and "Visual Perception", which will produce perception scales for the different visual attributes. Multidimensional reflectometry involves the enhancement of spectral and spatial resolution of reference gonioreflectometers for BRDF measurements using modern detectors, conoscopic optical designs, CCD cameras, line scan cameras, and modern light sources in order to describe new effects like sparkle and graininess/coarseness. More information and updated news concerning the project can be found on the xD-Reflect website http://www.xdreflect.eu/.


Health system performance is currently high on national and international policy agendas. The past decades have seen a large development in the scope and use of performance measurement, which serves as an essential component of health system improvement. Information is crucial for the delivery of effective, equitable and efficient health care services, as well as for managerial purposes, such as ensuring accountability and transparency. Due to the complex nature of health systems, there are multiple information needs and uses which performance measurement must address. Health systems are extremely complex entities with multiple objectives. Most industrialized countries collect a variety of performance measures, both on the macro and micro levels, to adequately capture the different aspects and objectives that are important. Indicators range from population health measures and health status to nonmedical determinants of health, health system performance and patient accounts of experiences and satisfaction with their health system encounters. While this information is essential to health policy, there are several methodological challenges in developing and interpreting indicators, in particular composite indicators, that need to be recognized. Composite indicators of performance are an aggregation of a number of underlying performance indicators. Methodological challenges arise at each step in the process of calculating composite indicators. These include decisions about which indicators to choose and the quality of the data available, how to assign weights when aggregating the indicators, how to deal with collinearity among the indicators, and how to account for external factors impacting performance. Data limitations should be considered and explicitly presented before indicators are used, especially when they form a part of a composite measure. Proper risk-adjustment should also be used to control for variable patient characteristics and prevent problems of mis-attribution. In order to provide the most useful performance measures to help direct and plan health policy, these methodological issues must be taken into account, and and ideally composite indicators should be presented alongside indications of uncertainty.


The Radio Communication Project (RCP) in Nepal is an ongoing, theory-based, multimedia reproductive health campaign which began in 1995. It consists of two entertainment-education radio serials (a soap opera for the general public and a dramatized distance education serial for health workers), additional radio spot advertisements and promotions, and complementary print materials. This paper examines impact data from a variety of sources, including a pre- and postpanel survey of currently married women (N = 1905), three waves of clinic-based observations of client-provider interactions (N = 240 per wave) and client exit interviews (N = 240 per wave), and 2 years of clinic service statistics, in order to draw inferences about the separate and combined effects of the RCP components. The study found increased health worker interpersonal interaction skills, improved quality of client-provider interactions, increased client self-efficacy in dealing with health workers, improved client attitudes toward health services and toward the practice of family planning, increased adoption of family planning, and increased family planning service utilization, all attributable to the RCP. The panel data allowed statistical control of the influence of predisposing factors before the campaign on postcampaign ideation and behavior. The effect of the RCP on contraceptive behavior was largely indirect through its influence on ideation. Implications for the design of integrated, multimedia, entertainment-education campaigns and integrated evaluation designs are discussed.


The human chronic metabolic disease is predominantly associated with the disturbance in the lipid, proteins and nucleic acid biological balance due to the attack of free radicals generated from oxidative stress. Currently, the available synthetic antioxidants are synthesized by food industries are very effective and inexpensive but as chronic use, it exhibits many toxicological health effects like synthetic drugs. Hence, plant origin antioxidants gained increasing attention all over the world. In this regards, Olive tree ( Olea europaea L.) belongs to Oleaceae family and its by-products such as olive leaves and olive oil are highly focused by many researcher due to its potential therapeutic effects in a reversal of various chronic diseases without any side effects. Oleuropein and Oleic acid are the major components in the olive by products and attributes olive as a holly natural remedy and also olive oil considered as a potential food ingredient in the Mediterranean diet. The fat content in olive fruits is higher than olive leaves. Whereas, the protein ratio is higher in olive leaves and more abundance of Oleuropein, which contributes major health benefits as compared to olive oil. Oleic acid with high MUFA ratio contributes to the major health benefits of olive oil to several human chronic diseases.


We study the effects of anisotropic thermal conduction on magnetized spherical accretion flows using global axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. In low-collisionality plasmas, the Bondi spherical accretion solution is unstable to the magnetothermal instability (MTI). The MTI grows rapidly at large radii where the inflow is subsonic. For a weak initial field, the MTI saturates by creating a primarily radial magnetic field, i.e. by aligning the field lines with the background temperature gradient. The saturation is quasi-linear in the sense that the magnetic field is amplified by a factor of ∼ 10-30 independent of the initial field strength (for weak fields). In the saturated state, the conductive heat flux is much larger than the convective heat flux, and is comparable to the field-free (Spitzer) value (since the field lines are largely radial). The MTI by itself does not appreciably change the accretion rate M relative to the Bondi rate M B . However, the radial field lines created by the MTI are amplified by flux freezing as the plasma flows in to small radii. Oppositely directed field lines are brought together by the converging inflow, leading to significant resistive heating. When the magnetic energy density is comparable to the gravitational potential energy density, the plasma is heated to roughly the virial temperature; the mean inflow is highly subsonic; most of the energy released by accretion is transported to large radii by thermal conduction and the accretion rate M « M B . The predominantly radial magnetic field created by the MTI at large radii in spherical accretion flows may account for the stable Faraday rotation measure towards Sgr A* in the Galactic Centre.


Exploiting the power of gravitational lensing, the Hubble Frontier Fields (HFF) program aims at observing six massive galaxy clusters to explore the distant universe far beyond the limits of blank field surveys. Using the complete Hubble Space Telescope observations of the first HFF cluster A2744, we report the detection of 50 galaxy candidates at z ∼ 7 and eight candidates at z ∼ 8 in a total survey area of 0.96 arcmin2 in the source plane. Three of these galaxies are multiply imaged by the lensing cluster. Using an updated model of the mass distribution in the cluster we were able to calculate the magnification factor and the effective survey volume for each galaxy in order to compute the ultraviolet galaxy luminosity function (LF) at both redshifts 7 and 8. Our new measurements reliably extend the z ∼ 7 UV LF down to an absolute magnitude of MUV ∼ −15.5. We find a characteristic magnitude of mag and a faint-end slope , close to previous determinations in blank fields. We show here for the first time that this slope remains steep down to very faint luminosities of 0.01 L⋆. Although prone to large uncertainties, our results at z ∼ 8 also seem to confirm a steep faint-end slope below 0.1 L⋆. The HFF program is therefore providing an extremely efficient way to study the faintest galaxy populations at z > 7 that would otherwise be inaccessible with current instrumentation. The full sample of six galaxy clusters will provide even better constraints on the buildup of galaxies at early epochs and their contribution to cosmic reionization.


The design, optimization, and performance of a narrow-bandwidth high-repetition-rate singly resonant picosecond optical parametric oscillator, based on a noncritical phase-matched lithium triborate crystal and synchronously pumped by the second harmonic of a mode-locked Nd:YLF laser, is described. The spectral bandwidth of the signal output is reduced with an intracavity birefringent filter to 0.06 nm. Furthermore, the filter allowed fast scanning of the output wavelength within the phase-matching bandwidth. A maximum average signal output of 1.6 W in pulses with a duration of 22 ps was obtained when the optical parametric oscillator was pumped four times above threshold with a 4-W pump source. With the present mirror set the signal and the idler wavelengths were tunable from, respectively, 740 to 930 nm and 1220 to 1830 nm. The total external power conversion efficiency was better than 55%.


A simulator is a powerful tool for hardware as well as software development. However, implementing an efficient simulator by hand is a very labour intensive and error-prone task. This paper describes a tool for automatic generation of efficient instruction set architecture (ISA) simulators. A specification file describing the ISA is used as input to the tool. Besides a simulator, the tool also generates an assembler and a disassembler for the architecture. We present a method where statistics is used to identify frequently used instructions. Special versions of these instructions are then created by the tool in order to speed up the simulator. With this technique we have generated a SPARC V8 simulator which is more efficient than our hand-coded and hand-optimized one.


Mechanical harvesting of strawberries has been at the experimental stage since the early l960's, but has not attained any commercial success until recently. One of the main problems has been that the strawberries ripen successively during a couple of weeks, and that most harvesters are based on the once-over principle. This results in a decrease in yield at the same time as a relatively large quantity of green strawberries is harvested. It has frequently been considered profitable to hand-pick the first large berries and then harvest mechanically about one week later. Another approach frequently used by growers is to hand-pick several times and then harvest the remaining berries by machine. When a late harvesting of this kind is carried out, there are very few berries left, many of which are over-ripe or have not been picked because they are mouldy. In such a situation there are not only too few berries to pay for the machine-costs, but r also the berries are of such poor quality that extensive sorting is needed before they can be used. This type of mechanical harvesting has been found very unprofitable. The early trials are all centered on harvesting in normal row crops. During he l960's, prototype harvesters were developed at several universities in the USA and in Canada. All prototypes worked on the principle of stripping the berries from the plant. Fingers made of plastic or metal, placed at suitable intervals, combed through the plant and removed the strawberries. Tests were made of stripping forwards, backwards, and sideways, etc. Almost all possible approaches have been tested. Similar machines have been constructed also in Holland, Italy, the Soviet Union, and Denmark. The Danish machine is only a couple of years old, and this harvesting method is being tested actively in Denmark. One of the large problems with the stripping strawberry harvesters is their low capacity. Driving speeds are normally only 300-400 metres per hour. In order to be able to drive faster, the fingers which strip off the berries must also move faster, and then the number of berries thrown out and lost increases. Another problem is that the runners easily become entangled in the fingers and are pulled off, thus hindering the harvesting. In the late l960's, harvesters working on the principle of cutting off the entire plant started to appear. This method was developed simultaneously by the National Institute of Agricultural Engineering (NIAE) in England, and by growers and universities in Oregon, USA. The fundamental principle is as follows: strawberries and leaves are located on different stems, and if the plant is cut off close to the soil, the berries and leaves can be separated by blowing away the leaves and other light material. This harvesting method allows a considerable increase in the driving speed. Similar harvesters are being (or have been) developed also in Canada, Italy, and the Soviet Union. Other methods than the two described above have been tested: vibrating the stems of the plants, causing the ripe strawberries to fall off, for example; or lifting the berries with a net laid out on the ground in the spring. Whatever method is used, it has become apparent that growing technique must be modified if harvesting is to be carried out satisfactorily. There is probably no existing field that can be successfully harvested mechanically without modifications. In some cases, harvest-efficiency has been increased from 50 to 90%, simply by removing stones etc. and levelling out the beds. It became apparent that one of the largest problems is the lifting of the berries from the soil so they can be harvested. A large number of the berries lie on the outer edge of the row. Also, if the soil between the rows has been compressed by tractor wheels, this worsens matters. Great efforts have been made to breed varieties with an erect growth habit, but with little success. Various solutions have been tried for lifting the berries from the soil, different types of brushes and reels, for example. Fingers which comb through the plant (similar to the crop-lifter on a combine-harvester) are commonly used on the cutting harvesters. Air has also been used, both as a negative pressure (the vacuum cleaner principle) and by blowing compressed air from the sides of the row. Most of these methods have caused undesirable damage to the berries. Another problem with harvesting strawberries cultivated in rows, is the varying degrees of ripeness due to uneven exposure to sunlight. Berries on the outside of the rows ripen 3-4 days earlier than those in the middle. It is therefore difficult to find the optimum time of harvesting, with the maximum of ripe berries, but without any being over-ripe. A complete system of cultivation, of which the harvester is an integrated part, has been developed by Michigan State University in the USA. In this system, the strawberries are grown in a field without rows, thus covering the entire field. This solves a number of problems encountered in row-cropping. The increased number of plants (the aim is to have 150 established crowns per square metre in a fully-grown population) results in the straw-berries being raised higher from the soil, since the stems support the fruit. Moreover, the ripening is more uniform when all the berries are shaded beneath the foliage. Another important advantage is that the yield, according to American results, is twice as high as that obtained in the conventional row system. The rows cover only 40% of the field as opposed to the 100% coverage with the new system. This also means that the harvester doubles its capacity at the same driving speed and cutting width. Also, in the USA there are fewer problems with diseases as the berries do not lie directly on the soil. The fields are harvested with a machine developed at Michigan State University which cuts off the plant very close to the soil, preferably closer than 2 cm from the ground. To make this possible, it is vital that the field be absolutely level. The harvest is facilitated by crop-lifters which lift up the berries, and a reel which also lifts up the berries in front of the cutter bar, and feeds them into the harvester. Conveyors transport the straw-berries backwards into the machine, where they fall onto a grid conveyor. As they fall, they pass through a powerful current of air which blows away leaves and other light material. The grid conveyor transports the berries over two more fans which blow air from below, and raise the stems while the berries remain on the grid. A double-sickle shortens the stems to 3-4 cm. Bunches of berries are thus separated, giving individual berries with short stems. These fall onto a conveyor which transports them sideways out to storage boxes. Under normal conditions, the harvester has a capacity of approximately 2 tonnes per hour, and can harvest one hectare in approximately 6-8 hours. The harvesting efficiency is frequently higher than 90%. This figure can be compared with manual harvesting, where efficiency is often as low as 75%, ie one fourth of the strawberries are left in the field. Irrespective of whether the harvesting is done by stripping or by cutting, the berries must undergo further treatment before they can be frozen or processed in a factory. The harvester which gives the cleanest product is probably the one developed by Michigan State University. When these strawberries are to be used for making puree, for example, they can simply be tipped from the boxes into a tank of water for washing, after which all mouldy fruit is removed manually from an inspection belt. The remainder is fed into a puree-press. If the berries are to be IQF-frozen, a product which has a higher price, and probably also a wider market, both stem and cap must be removed. This can be done in a decapping machine. There are different types of decappers, one of which uses counter-rotating rubber rollers. When the stem is caught between two rollers, it is pulled off. On most varieties of strawberries the cap remains on the berries and they cannot be used for jam, for example. Another type of decapper has been developed at Michigan State University. This uses a conveyor with a number of smooth plastic-covered, counter-rotating rollers. When the stem is caught between two rollers it is held in place and transported past a band knife (a band saw without teeth) which cuts off the stem and cap. The capped berries can then be IQF-frozen, or used in making, for example, jam.


This paper presents a closed-form analytical method for the second-law-based thermoeconomic optimization of two-phase heat exchangers used as condensers or evaporators. The concept of internal economy as a means of estimating the economic value of entropy generated (due to finite temperature difference heat transfer and pressure drops) has been proposed, thus permitting the engineer to trade the cost of entropy generation in the heat exchanger against its capital expenditure. Results are presented in terms of the optimum heat exchanger area as a function of the exit/inlet temperature ratio of the coolant, unit cost of energy dissipated, and the optimum overall heat transfer coefficient. The total heat transfer resistance represented by (1/U = C1 + C2 Re{sup {minus}n}) in the present analysis is patterned after Wilson (1915) which accommodates the complexities associated with the determination of the two-phase heat transfer coefficient and the buildup of surface scaling resistances. The analysis of a water-cooled condenser and an air-cooled evaporator is presented with supporting numerical examples which are based on the thermoeconomic optimization procedure of this paper.


Aim: The present study aimed to explore the antitumor effect and action mechanism of cucurbitacin B (CuB) on human T-cell leukemia Jurkat cells. Methods: Cell proliferation was measured by the MTS assay. Cell cycle distribution, mitochondrial membrane potential and annexin V staining were analyzed using flow cytometry. Western blotting was used to determine the levels of apoptosis- and autophagy-related proteins. Results: CuB inhibited the proliferation of Jurkat cells in a dose-dependent manner and induced G2/M phase arrest as well as formation of tetraploid cells. Accompanied with these effects, the actin dynamics was disrupted, and cofilin, a key regulator of actin dynamics, was persistently activated (dephosphorylated). Although CuB induced around 10% cells undergoing apoptosis, most of the cells were alive after CuB treatment for 24 h. Induction of autophagy was also evident by accumulation of LC3-II. CuB-induced autophagy seemed to be a prosurvival response, since suppression of CuB-induced autophagy significantly increased the activation of caspase-3. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that CuB exhibited antitumor activity in Jurkat cells through induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis which was at least partly due to the disruption of actin dynamics.


Neurogenic bladder is associated with bacterial colonization and frequent urinary tract infections.

 To explore the effects of one to two doses of intravesical Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) on the urobiomes of adults with spinal cord injury/disease (SCI/D) who manage their bladders with intermittent catheterization (IC).

 This was a pilot substudy within an 18-month phase 1 clinical trial of self-instilled intravesical LGG for urinary symptoms as directed by the Self-Management Protocol using Probiotics (SMP-Pro). Urine samples were collected monthly when participants were asymptomatic. When SMP-Pro "trigger" symptoms (cloudier and/or more foul-smelling urine) occurred, urine samples were collected immediately pre-LGG instillation and 24 to 48 hours after LGG instillation. Urine was collected via a new catheter, immediately placed on ice/freezer, and processed within 12 hours. Genomic DNA was isolated, and the V4 region of the 16S rRNA bacterial gene was amplified and high throughput sequenced. Amplicon sequence variants were inferred and bacterial composition, community structure, and variation across clinical phenotypes were determined.

 126 urine samples were collected from 26 participants (SCI/D = 23; multiple sclerosis = 2; spina bifida = 1) between 20 and 57 years of age. The urobiomes were characterized by four dominant phyla (>1%): Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria, which were comprised of six dominant genera (>3%): Escherichia/Shigella (29.1%), Klebsiella (22.4%), Proteus (15.2%), Aerococcus (6.3%), Streptococcus (6.0%), and Pluralibacter (3.0%). Post-LGG samples were associated with a decline in Escherichia/Shigella predominance (p < .001) and altered bacterial diversity (p < .05).

 Among people with SCI/D who use IC, intravesical LGG alters the bacterial composition and diversity of the urine ecosystem, potentially disrupting the uropathogenic urobiome.


Canadian cattle finishers who wish to hedge their production must use the U.S. futures markets. Prior research has sugggested that Canadian Cattle investors cannot successfully hedge using the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) to manage risk due to variable basis assumed to be caused in part by variable exchange rates. This article reevaluates the use of the CME by Canadian cattle investors feeding heavy feeder steers to slaughter. The study evaluates basis variability, the effect of exchange rates on basis variability and hedging effectiveness. It is shown that Alberta basis is less variable in the latter 1980s than the latter 1970s, Alberta basis is not more variable than the basis at Omaha, variance minimizing hedge ratios are similiar between Alberta and Omaha, and changes in exchange rates have little relationship with changes in Alberta basis. These results suggest that the CME has a role in risk management in Canadian cattle feeding. An historical cattle feeding simulation in Alberta during 1980 to 1989 using heavy feeder steers shows that hedging reduces risk by up to 43%. Exchange rate risk is very low and contributes less than 7% to risk. Basis makes up slightly more than 50% of risk. These results indicate that the CME can be used to manage risk for the cattle investor in Alberta although basis risk is still significant.


Various Ru(II) complexes bearing functionalized 2,2′-bipyridine ligands were synthesized and fully characterized. Among them, a new N6,N6′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine-6,6′-diamine ligand was found to be the most electron-rich ligand as its corresponding Ru(II) complex (1a) displayed the lowest νco value and the highest efficiency in the β-alkylation of secondary alcohols with primary alcohols (TON = 98 860). Complex 1a also exhibited a greater reactivity in the monoalkylation of acetonitrile, α-alkylation as well as α-methylation of arylacetonitriles. Compared to the other reported systems, in α-methylation of nitriles complex 1a presented superior catalytic activity. The potential of complex 1a was extended further in N-methylation of amines using methanol as a green methylating agent.


Abstract.
 Occupancy statistics in ecology and paleontology are biased upward by the fact that we generally do not have solid data on species that exist but are not found. The magnitude of this bias increases as the average occupancy probability decreases and as the number of sites sampled decreases. A maximum-likelihood method is developed to estimate the underlying distribution of occupancy probabilities of all species based only on the sample of observed species with nonzero occupancy. The method is based on determining the probability that the number of occupied sites will take on any specific value for a given occupancy probability, integrated over the entire distribution of occupancy probabilities. If the shape of the underlying distribution is well modeled, the resulting occupancy estimates circumvent the bias inherent in failing to observe some species and the fact that this bias depends on the number of sites. For occupancy data on marine animal genera drawn from the Paleobiology Database, the underlying distribution is reasonably approximated as a right-truncated lognormal, but the methods developed can be extended to any distribution. Examples are presented to illustrate some observations that are robust and others that need to be revised in light of this bias correction. The method is compared to a recently developed, distribution-free approach to the same problem.


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Article history: Received August 3 2014 Received in Revised Format October 23 2014 Accepted October 23 2014 Available online October 24 2014 This paper focuses on the exploitation of the response surface methodology (RSM) to determine optimum cutting conditions leading to minimum surface roughness and cutting force components. The technique of RSM helps to create an efficient statistical model for studying the evolution of surface roughness and cutting forces according to cutting parameters: cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut. For this purpose, turning tests of hardened steel alloy (AISI 4140) (56 HRC) were carried out using PVD – coated ceramic insert under different cutting conditions. The equations of surface roughness and cutting forces were achieved by using the experimental data and the technique of the analysis of variance (ANOVA). The obtained results are presented in terms of mean values and confidence levels. It is shown that feed rate and depth of cut are the most influential factors on surface roughness and cutting forces, respectively. In addition, it is underlined that the surface roughness is mainly related to the cutting speed, whereas depth of cut has the greatest effect on the evolution of cutting forces. The optimal machining parameters obtained in this study represent reductions about 6.88%, 3.65%, 19.05% in cutting force components (Fa, Fr, Ft), respectively. The latters are compared with the results of initial cutting parameters for machining AISI 4140 steel in the hard turning process. © 2015 Growing Science Ltd. All rights reserved


This thesis examines participation by individuals and environmental groups in the present system of environmental law by focusing on water pollution law. The objectives are to ascertain whether the current law on water pollution as contained in
the common law and statutory law adequately provides for public participation, whether the enforcement of water pollution legislation by the National Rivers Authority (NRA) is so effective as to make public participation unnecessary, and finally, whether them are practical limitations on public participation in terms of the availability and accessibility of expertise in environmental law.
This thesis seeks to discuss the various avenues of public participation in water pollution law in the UK and the problems associated with them, as well as mentioning some proposals for reform which may provide for more effective participation by
individuals and environmental groups.
The common law of torts is examined as a means of protection of the water environment. A review of recent case law demonstrates the uncertain unpredictable nature of common law principles. Also, as only a limited range of persons with private rights can bring actions at common law, the present law of torts does not seem to be an adequate means of participation for individuals Or environmental groups.
The development of statutory and administrative regulation of water pollution demonstrates that whilst the concern of legislators has been mainly to create substantive law which would prohibit water poHution and to create bodies which could effectively enforce the legislation, the Control of Pollution Act 1974 provided for a participatory role for the public. Since then they have been able to participate in the control of water pollution through the discharge consent system, have been able to
bring private prosecutions against polluters, and obtain more easy access to environmental information through public registers on water pollution.
It appears that at present the most unrestricted way in which individuals and environmental groups can participate in the enforcement of water pollution law is through private prosecutions as there is no need to establish private rights or standing.
Public participation through private prosecutions has been facilitated by public registers on water poilution. As private prosecutions can play an important role in supplementing enforcement by public bodies such as the NRA or the proposed
Environment Agency, individuals and environmental groups need to be made more aware of the possibility of bringing private prosecutions against polluters and of obtaining access to environmental information.
Judicial review is another means for the public to participate in the enforcement of environmental legislation by ensuring that regulatory agencies are properly enforcing the legislation. Locus standi, however, still poses a hurdle especially to environmental groups with a general interest in environmental protection. Case law demonstrates that courts are recently taking a more liberal approach to the standing of environmental groups in judicial review cases. Even if judicial review cases do not result in a successful outcome for the environmental group, the recognition of standing by courts is still a victory as it emphasises the importance of enabling them to participate in the enforcement process and may trigger public bodies into properly carrying out their duties.
The NRA's enforcement and prosecution policy is examined in order to assess whether there is a lack of effectiveness on its part in enforcing the legislation which could support the argument for greater public participation in the enforcement process.
The NRA's prosecution policy and the low proportion of reported and substantiated pollution incidents actually prosecuted seem to indicate that the NRA does not carry out its role as effectively as could be hoped for. It appears, therefore, that the
significance of a supplementary role for individuals and environmental groups should be recognised and given greater emphasis in future, and that the great reliance placed by the public upon a public body to control water pollution needs to change.
An analysis is undertaken of the responses of questionnaires sent to and interviews conducted with solicitors in Preston. Manchester and London in order to ascertain the availability and accessibility of expertise in environmental law to individuals at a practical level. An assessment of the data collected leads the author to conclude that there appears to be a lack of legal practices wiffing and able to advise or take on environmental cases on behalf of ordinary citizens as opposed to commercial clients.
The role played by the Environmental Law Foundation in making legal practices with expertise in environmental law more available to ordinary citizens and local residents groups is also discussed.
Proposals for expertise in environmental law at a judicial level by the creation of an environmental court or tribunal which could encourage the public to pursue avenues of legal redress in relation to environmental cases is also examined.


Abstract In many large cohort studies, the night shift constitutes a risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes in workers. Current screening tests for people working in night shift include fasting glycaemia and electrocardiography. In fact, there are few studies focused on the description of the electrocardiographic changes after the night shift. This article describes the protocol of the "ECG modifications induced by the disturbance of the circadian rhythm in night-shift workers (ECGNoct)" study, which was initiated by the National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Prof. Dr. Matei Balș". Nurses represent the target population. The protocol includes a full medical and occupational history, lifestyle habits (smoking, alcohol, nutrition), anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, blood tests (fasting glycemia, total cholesterol, triglycerides and high density lipoprotein cholesterol) and electrocardiogram recording. For nurses working in (night) shifts, we will record the electrocardiogram before and soon after the night shift. A cross sectional study will analyze the incidence of the metabolic syndrome criteria, the cardio-metabolic diseases and the electrocardiographic modifications and will compare the results between the group of nurses working and the group of nurse who do not. Based on these results, a longitudinal study will test the hypothesis that night shift increases the risk for cardio-metabolic diseases and that the electrocardiographic modifications precede the clinical symptoms. The results of the study will provide data on the association of night shifts and other non-occupational risk factors with the cardio-metabolic diseases in this specific population of healthcare workers that potentially will integrate into the occupational medicine policies.


In this research, SnO2 and SnO2:Al thin films have been successfully deposited on quartz substrates. Starting from Tin (II) chloride dehydrate as precursor, ethanol as solvent, and AlCl3 as dopant substance. The film was deposited by spin coating method. Structural and morphological analysis was carried out by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) measurement and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Optical characteristics were analyzed from the study of transmission and absorption spectrum data obtained by UV-Vis Spectrophotometer. Aluminum was added by various concentrations (5%, 10%, and 15%). Transmissions of visible light were better on the low concentrations of Al, but absorptions were low too. The band gap energy was decreased by increasing the Al concentration. From XRD measurement, there were crystal system alterations. They were confirmed that SnO2 and SnO2 doped Al have cubic structure (by material phase classification of Al2O4Sn) because of the substrate compositions contained Al. In this study, XRD pattern indicates that grain size of thin film decreased just after the Al dopant was added. EDX analysis confirms the presence of SnO2 and Al in thin film material deposited on quartz substrate.In this research, SnO2 and SnO2:Al thin films have been successfully deposited on quartz substrates. Starting from Tin (II) chloride dehydrate as precursor, ethanol as solvent, and AlCl3 as dopant substance. The film was deposited by spin coating method. Structural and morphological analysis was carried out by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) measurement and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Optical characteristics were analyzed from the study of transmission and absorption spectrum data obtained by UV-Vis Spectrophotometer. Aluminum was added by various concentrations (5%, 10%, and 15%). Transmissions of visible light were better on the low concentrations of Al, but absorptions were low too. The band gap energy was decreased by increasing the Al concentration. From XRD measurement, there were crystal system alterations. They were confirmed that SnO2 and SnO2 doped Al have cubic structure (by material phase classification of Al2O4Sn) because of the substrate compositions contained Al. In this study, XRD pattern ...


B167 Objectives: Inadequate dietary folate intake has been implicated in the carcinogenesis of several organs. However, current data differs regarding the role of folate in prostate cancer risk. Alcohol consumption has been associated with increased risk of cancer in several organs as well, yet does not appear to be an independent risk factor for prostate cancer. However, high alcohol intake interferes with folate metabolism. Hence, we hypothesize that the joint effect of low folate intake and high alcohol intake may have a greater impact on prostate cancer risk then the independent effect of either. To address this hypothesis we analyzed folate intake and alcohol consumption in veteran participants in a case-control study of diet and prostate cancer risk. Methods: Prostate cancer cases were recruited upon referral for prostate biopsy and frequency age-matched; PSA normal controls were identified from the VA primary care clinic. Information on folate intake and alcohol consumption were obtained prior to cancer diagnosis using a modified National Cancer Institute Diet History Questionnaire. Alcohol consumption, demographics and other health characteristics were determined using a Risk Factor questionnaire. Dietary folate intake and alcohol consumption was categorized based on the distribution of intake among controls. Other variables were considered for inclusion as covariates and were maintained if they changed the odds ratio of the main predictor variable by greater than 10%. Unconditional logistic regression models were adjusted for age, family history of prostate cancer, race and vitamin B6. Folate intake was modeled as an independent predictor in the entire population and in models stratified by alcohol consumption. Tests for trend were conducted by entering quartiles of folate into the logistic model as different values of a single ordinal variable. Results: Data was analyzed for 137 incident prostate cancer cases, and 238 clinic controls. In multivariate models men in the highest quartile of total folate intake had a 79 percent lower risk of developing disease than men in the lowest quartile of intake. There was no independent association between alcohol consumption and prostate cancer risk. Yet, when stratified by tertile of alcohol intake, the effect of folate was significant only among those with a low to moderate intake of alcohol. Conclusions: Our r esults suggest a significant decrease in risk of prostate cancer with increasing total and dietary folate intake. We report no significant association between supplemental folate intake and prostate cancer risk. In addition, when stratified by alcohol consumption this association remains only in individuals with low to moderate levels of alcohol intake.