Cirebon is one of the centers of Islamic civilization in the past. This is at least evidenced by the founding of the Sultanate of Cirebon in the 15th century AD. The Sultanate of Cirebon plays a major role in spreading Islam in the western region of Java. Under the Sultanate of Cirebon Islamic traditions grow and flourish in society. Although the Sultanate of Cirebon split into two parts namely Kasepuhan Sultanate and Kanoman Sultanate, but the traditions are still preserved. Among these traditions is the tradition of Rajaban, a tradition that is held on 27 Rajab each year which aims to commemorate the events of Isra Mi'raj Prophet Muhammad SAW. Implementation of Islamic tradition in Cirebon is currently getting a pretty fierce challenge both from Islamic circles themselves, i.e. from the purification of Islam, as well as from the flow of globalization that tends to leave something that is considered ancient and traditional. This paper shows that the Rajaban tradition is still preserved by Kanoman Sultanate and Cirebon people. The procession of the Rajaban tradition itself is done with the core event of the reading of Isra Mi'raj chronicle, which is delivered in the old Cirebon language. The tradition of Rajaban can survive in the midst of various obstacles because it is still considered to have value by the community. The values include a pleasure value, vital value, spiritual value and value of holiness.


Considering the effects of globalization on the political performance opportunities of nation states, we may detect a more transnational orientation in policy formulation as a challenging factor. In Malaysia, e.g., issues of nationbuilding might be affected in various ways, reflecting either the chances offered by globalization or the structural strains accompanying this process while questioning the resilience of nation states as sovereign political actors. The paper thus inspects in how far strategies of nationbuilding change when the external conditions of diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational framing change. Malaysia offers a case in point, it is argued, to demonstrate the ever dynamic process of nationbuilding and change of the concept of nation. – The concept of nation is challenged constantly and hence embedded in an ongoing struggle for modification and renewal. The adjustment of nationbuilding strategies to changing conditions of shaping the concept of nation is examined with the help of the sociological approach of analyzing framing processes.


Evidence shows that parental financial investments increase college attendance, but we know little about how these investments shape postsecondary achievement. Two theoretical frameworks suggest diametric conclusions. Some studies operate from a more-is-more perspective in which children use calculated parental allocations to make academic progress. In contrast, a more-is-less perspective, rooted in a different model of rational behavior, suggests that parental investments create a disincentive for student achievement. I adjudicate between these frameworks, using data from nationally representative postsecondary datasets to determine what effect financial parental investments have on student GPA and degree completion. The findings suggest seemingly contradictory processes. Parental aid decreases student GPA, but it increases the odds of graduating—net of explanatory variables and accounting for alternative funding. Rather than strategically using resources in accordance with parental goals, or maximizing on their ability to avoid academic work, students are satisficing: they meet the criteria for adequacy on multiple fronts, rather than optimizing their chances for a particular outcome. As a result, students with parental funding often perform well enough to stay in school but dial down their academic efforts. I conclude by highlighting the importance of life stage and institutional context for parental investment.


Abstract This article takes an interest in how teachers handle new challenges. The challenge in focus is a nonmandatory yet widespread subject in Swedish education called Livskunskap, Life Competence Education (LCE). The purposes of the present study are to identify and discuss notions of being a teacher actualized in teachers' narratives about the challenge of LCE, and to discuss how narration may help teachers to handle and reflect upon professional challenges. Seven teachers were interviewed about their experiences from teaching LCE. The analysis showed how acts of defending, exploring, presenting, or resisting LCE were performed in the teachers' narratives. LCE seems to actualize a narrative tension between two dominant aspects of teacher identity. On the one hand, there is an image of a socially committed teacher who cares about the emotional well-being of and relations to his/her students. On the other hand, there is an image of a knowledge-oriented teacher who connects with the students mainly by focusing on subject matters. Drawing upon the theoretical work, mainly by Michalinos Zembylas, I found that the teachers had opportunities to use narration as an arena for personal agency, but these opportunities were not necessarily taken in the present narratives.


The study examines the joint and relative effects of procedural justice, distributive justice, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction upon organizational citizenship behaviors of blue-collar workers in manufacturing industry. The basic postulate of our research is that, employee perceptions of managerial fairness (i.e., distributive justice and procedural justice) will surpass the effects of the traditional attitudinal factors (i.e., job satisfaction and organizational commitment) as they jointly influence organizational citizenship behaviors. Results of hierarchical regression analysis provide strong support for our central research thesis: among the four major antecedent constructs, employee perceptions of distributive justice are found to exert the strongest effect on organizational citizenship behaviors of the blue collar workers in our sampling context. Based on these results, we suggest that incorporating contingency explanations for workplace, job, and general environmental conditions could contribute substantially to the current state of knowledge about methods of promoting organizational citizenship in the workplace. Managerial and theoretical implications of study findings are discussed.


1. Bacillus malleiand its poison produce a variety of vascular lesions in the rabbit and the guinea pig. 2. The type of the lesion depends upon, (a) the virulence of the culture, (b) the sex of the animal and (c) the degree of acquired immunity. 3. The vascular changes of a proliferative and degenerative nature produced by the slow action of the glanders poison in rabbits and guinea pigs are analogous to the vascular lesions caused by sub-acute glanders infection in man. 4. The most common site of the glanders vascular lesions of animals and man is the peripheral vessels, and especially the smaller visceral arteries. 5. The aorta is a less common site of the experimental lesions. 6. The vascular lesions produced experimentally by Bacillus mallei and its poison consist of three processes, (a) exudation, (b) proliferation, (c) degeneration. 7. The lesions produced by sub-acute glanders in man consist of two processes, proliferation and degeneration. 8. The primary reaction of the vessels in experimental animals and in sub-acute human glanders consists of a proliferation of the endothelium of the intima. 9. The first degenerative changes observed in experimental animals and in sub-acute human glanders occur in the "innermost layer" of the media and not in the so-called " middle zone." 10. The cause of the degenerative change in the inner layer of the media appears to be interference with the nourishment of the circular muscle fibres of the media by proliferation of the endothelium of the intima.


AIM
This study evaluated the clinical and economic outcomes of ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Patients diagnosed with ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections for the first time between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2011 were included in this study. Demographic, clinical, and economic data were analyzed retrospectively. A cost coefficient (total cost/follow-up period) and hospitalization coefficient (duration of hospitalization/follow-up period) were calculated for each patient.

RESULTS
In total, 132 shunt infections (mean follow-up, 734 ± 367 days) were evaluated in 51 patients (mean age, 16.6 ± 9.22 months; median age, 3 months; range, 1-88 months; 28 females, 21 males). In 23 patients (45%), shunt infections were seen in the first 2 months following shunt placement. Seven patients died during the follow-up. There was a negative correlation between the age at diagnosis and the hospitalization duration (p = 0.005, r = -0.381). The average cost of hospitalization per patient was 6397 ± 4338 TL. There was a negative correlation between the cost index and the age at diagnosis (p = 0.04, r = -0.292).

CONCLUSION
Ventriculoperitoneal shunt infections have significant medical and economic impacts. Younger the diagnosis of patients, the hospitalization duration and treatment cost were higher.


First described in 1954 by Theresa Kindler, Kindler syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive genodermatosis characterized by congenital acral skin blistering, photosensitivity, progressive poikiloderma, and diffuse cutaneous atrophy. The syndrome is a combination of features of inherited blistering skin disorders (eg, dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa) and congenital poikilodermas (eg, Rothmund-Thompson syndrome). Kindler syndrome is identified as entry 173650 in the Online Mendelian Inheritance of Man database.


The aim of this project was to investigate a possible link between environmental phosphorus status and the root surface phosphatase activities of three species of emergent macrophytes, with a view to assessing their potential for use as "biondicators". c / Analyses of water phosphorus concentrations and rates of surface phosphatase activities of Juncus ejfusus, Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia were carried out on samples from Bakethin Reservoir, Northumberland and Durham University Botanic Garden. Differences were found in water phosphorus concentrations at the sites. Water from Bakethin Reservoir was found to have lower levels of P than water from the Botanic Garden. Interspecific differences at p = 0.0002 were discovered in rates of phosphatase activity between Juncus, Phragmites and Typha. Juncus and Typha were found to exhibit significantly lower rates of phosphatase activity at the Botanic Garden than at Bakethin reservoir (p = 0.026 for Juncus, p = 0.037 for Typha). High rates of phosphatase activity in Juncus and Typha at Bakethin Reservoir conesponded with low concentrations of environmental phosphorus, so it is possible that root surface phosphatases of both species are inducible in conditions of Plimitation. Juncus and Typha may therefore have the potential for use as bioindicators of environmental phosphorus status. Several practical problems were encountered, and may be of general significance. Rates of phosphatase activity declined rapidly in 100 | i M pNPP assays. As a consequence, assays were terminated after 10 min. It was also observed that roots removed after assays had been terminated often showed a yellow coloration, presumably due to the retention of pNP. The accuracy of the pNPP assay relies upon all the pNP produced by the hydrolysis of pNPP being released into solution. The apparent retention of pNP by roots therefore brings the use of the pNPP assay, as a method for determining rates of phosphatase activity in eukaryotes, under scrutiny. One preliminary experiment carried out showed that more pNP was retained by roots under conditions of low pH.


The present work focuses on mineral reactions and slag formation of LKAB olivine iron ore pellets (MPBO) subjected to reducing conditions in the LKAB experimental blast furnace (EBF). The emphasis is on olivine reactions with surrounding iron oxides. Many factors influence the olivine behaviour. The study was performed by use of micro methods; optical microscopy, micro probe analysis, micro Raman and Mossbuer spectroscopy and thremodynamic modeling. During manufacturing, in oxidising atmosphere at high temperature (1350°C), olivine alterations occur through slag formation and rim reactions with iron oxides and other additives. To be able to describe olivine behaviour in the rather complex blast furnace reduction process one has to consider factors such as reactions kinetics, reduction degree of iron oxides, vertical and horizontal position in the furnace and reactions with alkali. Samples were collected from the EBF both from in shaft probing during operation and from excavation following quenching of the EBF.The initial slag forming olivine consist of primary forsterite – (Mg1.9Fe0.1)SiO4 – with inclusions of hematite and an amorphous silica rich phase, a first corona with lamellae of magnesioferrite, olivine and orthopyroxene, a second corona of amorphous silica and magnesioferrite. During reduction in the upper shaft in the EBF (700-900°C) Fe3+ reduces to Fe2+. The amorphous silica in the second corona absorbs alkali, Al, Fe2+, Mg, and Ca and form glasses of varying compositions. The lamellae in the first corona will merge into a single phase olivine rim. With further reduction the glasses in the second corona will merge with the olivine rim forming an iron rich olivine rim and leaving the elements that do not fit into the olivine crystal lattice as small silicate glass inclusions. Diffusion of magnesium and iron between olivines and iron oxides increase with increasing temperature in the lower shaft of the EBF (750-1100°C). In the cohesive zone of the EBF (1100-1200°C) Fe2+ is not stable any longer and Fe2+ will be expelled from the olivine as metallic iron blebs, and the olivine will form a complex melt with a typical composition of alkali-Al2O3-MgO-SiO2. Alkali plays an important role in this final olivine consumption.The quench time for samples collected with probes and excavation are minutes respectively hours. A study of the quench rate's effect on the phases showed no differences in the upper shaft. However, in the lower shaft wustite separates into wustite and magnetite when wustite grows out of its stability field during slow cooling of excavated samples. There is also a higher alkali and aluminium deposition in the glass phases surrounding olivines in excavated pellets as a result of alkali and aluminium gas condensing on the burden in the EBF during cooling.Coating applied to olivine pellets was studied in the EBF with the aim to investigate its behaviour, particularly its ability to capture alkali. The coating materials were kaolinite, bauxite, olivine and limestone. No significant reactions were observed in the upper shaft. In the lower shaft a majority of the phases were amorphous and reflecting the original coating compositions. Deposition from the EBF gas phase occurs and kalsilite (KAlSiO4) is found in all samples; coating used for binding alkali is redundant from a quality perspective.


This study investigated the use of effective soil hydraulic properties (expressed in terms of hydraulic parameters) applicable to large‐scale transient infiltration problems in a landscape with horizontally heterogeneous soil hydraulic properties. The heterogeneous landscape was conceptualized as an equivalent homogeneous medium with effective hydraulic properties. The main objectives were to investigate: (i) which effective soil hydraulic property schemes are suitable to represent average behavior of large‐scale infiltration processes, (ii) how the effective hydraulic parameters are sensitive to the process time frame, and (iii) how hydraulic parameter variability and correlation impact the effective hydraulic parameters. The heterogeneous landscape was represented by a series of vertically homogeneous stream tubes or parallel columns. Large‐scale average infiltration behavior in the heterogeneous soils was quantified through Monte Carlo simulations of multiple realizations (stream tubes) of local‐scale infiltration. The optimal effective hydraulic parameters were then calculated with an inverse procedure that minimized the difference between average cumulative infiltration and cumulative infiltration based on a single set of effective parameters. Three scenarios were used to optimize either two hydraulic parameters simultaneously or only one hydraulic parameter while using the arithmetic mean for the other parameter. Results indicate that while the effective hydraulic parameters could simulate average infiltration more closely when multiple parameters were optimized together, the effective parameter values were more variable as time evolved. Optimizing only one hydraulic parameter while keeping the arithmetic mean for the other parameter produced more uniform effective hydraulic parameters with time, but this approach did not represent average infiltration behavior of the heterogeneous soils as well as when multiple hydraulic parameters were optimized simultaneously.


In the nineteenth century hundreds of thousands of Africans were forcibly migrated northward to Egypt and other eastern Mediterranean destinations, yet relatively little is known about them. Studies have focused mainly on the mamluk and harem slaves of elite households, who were mostly white, and on abolitionist efforts to end the slave trade, and most have relied heavily on western language sources. In the past forty years new sources have become available, ranging from Egyptian religious and civil court and police records to rediscovered archives and accounts in western archives and libraries. Along with new developments in the study of African slavery these sources provide a perspective on the lives of non-elite trans-Saharan Africans in nineteenth century Egypt and beyond. The nine essays in this volume examine the lives of slaves and freed men and women in Egypt and the region. Contributors: Kenneth M. Cuno, Y. Hakan Erdem, Michael Ferguson, Emad Ahmad Helal Shams al-Din, Liat Kozma, George Michael La Rue, Ahmad A. Sikainga, Eve M. Troutt Powell, and Terence Walz.


One of the main target of smart grids consists in deploying efficient demand-side management strategies. Several communication technologies are used to transfer monitoring data and control commands from and to smart meters with different quality of service depending on the technology. The quality of service provided by cyber-physical networks can significantly impact the performance of demand-side management strategies. But, this quality of service is rarely considered in research works on smart grid management, leading to over-estimating the advantages of smart grid technology. Therefore, the goal of our work is to quantify the performance degradation on demand-side management due to the quality of service provided by three communication technologies used for smart grids – namely PLC, Wi-Fi and Ethernet. This quantitative analysis relies on a residential grid congestion management case study and a coherent co-simulation environment. Two simple energy management policies (one centralized, the other decentralized) are considered. In addition, we present a sensitivity analysis over several parameters to highlight the limitations of communication technologies in this context of power congestion management.


Among the most prevailing assumptions in science and society about the human reading process is that sound and sound-based phonology are critical to young readers. The child's sound-to-letter decoding is viewed as universal and vital to deriving meaning from print. We offer a different view. The crucial link for early reading success is not between segmental sounds and print. Instead the human brain's capacity to segment, categorize, and discern linguistic patterning makes possible the capacity to segment all languages. This biological process includes the segmentation of languages on the hands in signed languages. Exposure to natural sign language in early life equally affords the child's discovery of silent segmental units in visual sign phonology (VSP) that can also facilitate segmental decoding of print. We consider powerful biological evidence about the brain, how it builds sound and sign phonology, and why sound and sign phonology are equally important in language learning and reading. We offer a testable theoretical account, reading model, and predictions about how VSP can facilitate segmentation and mapping between print and meaning. We explain how VSP can be a powerful facilitator of all children's reading success (deaf and hearing)-an account with profound transformative impact on learning to read in deaf children with different language backgrounds. The existence of VSP has important implications for understanding core properties of all human language and reading, challenges assumptions about language and reading as being tied to sound, and provides novel insight into a remarkable biological equivalence in signed and spoken languages. WIREs Cogn Sci 2016, 7:366-381. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1404 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.


A survey of the field of Interlanguage Pragmatics (ILP) shows that the Discourse Completion Test (DCT)2, also referred to as a 'discourse completion task' or a 'production questionnaire', has been the most frequently used instrument to evaluate second/foreign language learners' ability to perform speech acts in a target language, despite the harsh criticism leveled against its low construct validity and its failure to represent the features of authentic discourse. Interestingly, focusing on the statement of objectives of a number of ILP studies using DCTs, one can notice that such studies rarely refer to the DCT as a language test. In addition, an overview of the DCT design process as described in several ILP studies shows that ever since its adaptation for the study of pragmatic ability (Blum-Kulka, 1982), there has been a tendency to use or adapt one of the existing DCT versions used in previous studies based on the argument of comparability of results. While a number of ILP researchers tried to improve the design of the DCT by the inclusion of rejoinders or by enhancing the prompt material (e.g. Billmyer and Varghese, 2000), few attempts have been made to reconsider the DCT development process. McNamara and Roever (2006: 253) urge for the need for "more research on testing of sociopragmatic knowledge and design of discourse completion tests for testing purposes."The present paper starts with an overview of the literature about DCTs with special reference to the cognitive validity of the instrument and to previous studies dealing with DCT structure and content. Then, with reference to research in the fields of language testing and psychometrics, it shows that, whether used for research or instructional purposes, the DCT shares several qualities with language tests. As such, it is argued that the DCT should be treated as a language test and not as a questionnaire and should, thus, undergo a rigorous developmental process. Based on recent models of language test construction, the paper concludes with an overview of the stages of DCT development.


The Town Energy Balance (TEB) model (Masson, 2000) is a physically based single layer Urban Canopy Model (UCM) to calculate the urban surface energy balance at neighborhood scale assuming a simplified canyon geometry. It includes several capabilities (Table 1) that have been extensively evaluated offline with flux observations (Lemonsu, Grimmond, & Masson, 2004; Leroyer, Mailhot, Belair, Lemonsu, & Strachan, 2010; Masson, Grimmond, & Oke, 2002; Pigeon, Moscicki, Voogt, & Masson, 2008) and online coupled to atmospheric models such as ALARO (Gerard, Piriou, Brožkova, Geleyn, & Banciu, 2009) in ALARO-TEB (Hamdi, Degrauwe, & Termonia, 2012), the Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM; Cote et al. (1998)) in GEM-TEB (Lemonsu, Belair, & Mailhot, 2009), Meso-NH (Lac et al., 2018; Lafore et al., 1998) in TEB-MesoNH (Lemonsu & Masson, 2002), the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS; Pielke et al. (1992)) in RAMS-TEB (Freitas, Rozoff, Cotton, & Dias, 2007), the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS; Xue et al., (2000)) in ARPS-TEB (Rozoff, Cotton, & Adegoke, 2003), and the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF; Skamarock et al. (2019)) in WRF-TEB (Meyer et al., 2020).

Here, we present an enhanced software and platform for the TEB model to help scientists and practitioners wishing to use the TEB model in their research as a standalone software application or as a library in their own software. This includes several features such as crossplatform support for Windows, Linux, and macOS using CMake (Kitware Inc., 2020), static and dynamic library generation for integration with other software/models, namelist-based configuration, integration with MinimalDX (Meyer & Raustad, 2019) and PsychroLib (Meyer & Thevenard, 2019) to improve the modelling of air conditioners (AC) and psychrometric calculations respectively, a thin interface used in the coupling with WRF-CMake (Riechert & Meyer, 2019), helper functions for Python for pre- and post-processing inputs and outputs files, and a tutorial in Jupyter Notebook to allow users to quickly become familiar with the general TEB modeling workflow. In the new platform we implement testing at every code commit through continuous integration (CI) and automate the generation of documentation. The project is developed as a free, open source, community-driven project on GitHub (https://github.com/teb-model/teb) to support existing and new model applications with enhanced functionality. We welcome contributions and encourage users to provide feedback, bug reports and feature requests, via GitHub's issue system at https://github.com/teb-model/teb/issues


Skewed sex ratios often result from conflict, disease, and migration, yet their long term impact remains less understood. The War of the Triple Alliance (1864-1870) in South America killed up to 70% of the Paraguayan male population. According to Paraguayan national lore, the skewed sex ratios resulting from the confliict are the cause of present-day low marriage rates, high rates of out-of-wedlock births and a generally male chauvinist culture. We collate historical and modern data to test this conventional wisdom in the short and the long run. We examine both cross-border and within-country variation in child-rearing, education and labor force participation in Paraguay over a 150 year period. We find that more skewed post-war sex ratios are associated with higher out-of-wedlock births, more female-headed households, and better female educational outcomes, even after the first returned to normal. Cross-country comparisons suggest that Paraguayan women are less likely to be employed than those in neighboring districts in Argentina and Brazil, but that within Paraguay, they are more likely to be employed where the sex ratio shock was more severe. The impacts of the war persist into the present, and are seemingly unaffected by variation in economic openness, uncertainty, or traditional norms.


Since telecommunication is one of the main drivers of economic growth and globalization, WTO (World Trade Organization) negotiations and New Age FTAs (Free Trade Agreements) have focused on liberalizing trade in this sector. The present paper analyses the possibilities of liberalizing trade in telecommunication services if India and its largest trading partnerthe USenter into a bilateral agreement. The study found that India and the US have trade complementarities in telecommunication services and that it should be a priority sector in the FTA negotiations. The study identified certain areas such as R&D related to telecommunication and broadband infrastructure where collaboration between companies of both countries would be mutually beneficial. The study found that telecommunication services have been significantly liberalized in the US FTAsmuch beyond the scope of the GATS and the Reference Paper on Basic Telecommunications. While the current policy regime in India is consistent with some of the requests made by the US in its bilateral negotiations, for meeting others, the policy regime needs to be examined and, if required, reformed. The present paper suggests certain reforms which would enhance the productivity, efficiency and global competitiveness of the sector and enable the country to benefit from the bilateral liberalization.


The canonical text relating experience to knowledge for the philosophers of the High Middle Ages was Aristotle's Metaphysics A.1.1 The very first remarks in First Philosophy describe how humans, after repeated exposure to the world, come to have art and then science through experience: hominibus autem scientia et ars per experientiam evenit (981a2–3: apobainei d' epistêmê kai technê dia tês empeirias tois anthropois). Aristotle explains this process in terms of cognitive capacities and their objects: sense, memory, and imagination give rise to experience, which is directed to particulars; reason gives rise to art and science, each directed to universals, the former being the exercise of practical reason and the latter of speculative reason.2 So much is familiar. Mediaeval philosophers who read Aristotle's text generally followed his lead, to the point where Robert Kilwardby, around the middle of the thirteenth century, begins his explanation of the origin of the sciences by simply giving a close paraphrase of Metaphysics A.1 (De ortu scientiarum 1.8–11). The philosophers of the High Middle Ages offered analyses of cognition whose details, meant to flesh out Aristotle's account, were elaborated in their debates over the role of the agent intellect, the need for species in perception and in thought, the reliability of the cognitive apparatus for induction, the nature and function of memory, and so on.3


Tropical peatlands, which coexist with swamp forests, have accumulated vast amounts of carbon as soil organic matter. Since the 1970s, however, deforestation and drainage have progressed on an enormous scale. In addition, El Niño and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) drought and large‐scale fires, which grow larger under the drought condition, are accelerating peatland devastation. That devastation enhances decomposition of soil organic matter and increases the carbon release to the atmosphere as CO2. This phenomenon suggests that tropical peatlands have already become a large CO2 source, but related quantitative information is limited. Therefore, we evaluated the CO2 balance of a tropical peat swamp forest in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, using 3 years of CO2 fluxes measured using the eddy covariance technique from 2002 through 2004. The forest was disturbed by drainage; consequently, groundwater level (GL) was reduced. The net ecosystem CO2 production (NEP) measurements showed seasonal variation, which was slightly positive or almost zero in the early dry season, and most‐negative late in the dry season or early the rainy season. This seasonality is attributable to the seasonal pattern of climate, tree phenology and fires. Slightly positive NEP resulted from smaller ecosystem respiration (RE) and larger gross primary production (GPP) under conditions of high photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and large leaf area index (LAI). The most‐negative NEP resulted from smaller GPP and larger RE. The smaller GPP was related to high vapor pressure deficit (VPD), small LAI and low PPFD because of smoke from fires. The larger RE was related to low GL. Annual NEP values were estimated respectively as −602, −382 and −313 g C m−2 yr−1 for 2002, 2003 and 2004. These negative NEP values show that the tropical peat swamp forest, disturbed by drainage, functioned as a CO2 source. That source intensity was highest in 2002, an ENSO year, mainly because of low PPFD caused by dense smoke emitted from large fires.


Background/aim To demonstrate the feasibility of a sleeveless phacotip-assisted approach to levitate dropped nucleus. Methods This single-centre, retrospective, interventional, non-comparative case series reviewed the medical records of 34 eyes of 34 patients. Corrected and uncorrected distance visual acuity (CDVA, UDVA), early and late postoperative complications and ultrasound biomicroscopic (UBM) evaluation of the sclerotomy site was analysed. Results At 18 months follow-up, the mean postoperative UDVA and CDVA in Snellen's decimal equivalent was 0.42±0.16 and 0.91±0.2, respectively. There was a significant improvement in the UDVA (p=0.001) and CDVA (p=0.002). Nucleus drop occurred following intraoperative posterior capsular rupture in 25 eyes (73.5%), zonular weakness in 5 eyes (14.8%) and post-trauma in 4 eyes (11.7%). In the early postoperative period, corneal oedema was seen in 2 eyes, pigment dispersion in 3 eyes and vitritis in 2 eyes. There was loss of CDVA in 1 (2.9%) eye due to persistent cystoid macular oedema. UBM did not reveal any vitreous incarceration into the sclerotomy site. Conclusion Dropped nucleus was successfully levitated into anterior chamber with this technique, resulting in a significant visual outcome with a favourable complication rate.


This article addresses one of the central contemporary debates over the nature of the practice of law, reflected in the business/profession dichotomy. Specifically, the article presents an exploration of the discourse and underlying attitudes of early twentieth century legal professionalism, in the context of a close analysis of Cohen's 1916 classic, The Law: Business or Profession?, a highly influential work that is a standard citation in the contemporary debate. The article contrasts Cohen's rhetoric and underlying approach to professionalism against the anti-Semitism, nativism, classism, economic protectionism, and general elitism often expressed by leaders of the early twentieth century bar who, like Cohen, promoted the notion that law is a profession rather than a business. Although Cohen shared and relied upon many of the concerns of his contemporaries over the commercialization of legal practice, he offered a unique vision of professionalism, one that eschews notions of bias and self-interest in favor of intellectual honesty and a sincere concern for the good of society. The article suggests that, although Cohen's unique approach may have resulted largely from various ways in which his personal life and experiences differed from those of the typical member of the elite legal establishment, a more interesting and more important lesson may be found in Cohen's ability to maintain his own rhetorical integrity and intellectual independence while allying himself with many who shared his goals, if not his sensibilities and sensitivities.


Abstract. Fireworks degrade air quality, reduce visibility, alter atmospheric
chemistry, and cause short-term adverse health effects. However, there have
not been any comprehensive physicochemical and optical measurements of
fireworks and their associated impacts in a Southeast Asia megacity, where
fireworks are a regular part of the culture. Size-resolved particulate
matter (PM) measurements were made before, during, and after New Year 2019
at the Manila Observatory in Quezon City, Philippines, as part of the Cloud,
Aerosol, and Monsoon Processes Philippines Experiment (CAMP2Ex). A high-spectral-resolution lidar (HSRL) recorded a substantial increase in
backscattered signal associated with high aerosol loading ∼440 m above the surface during the peak of firework activities around 00:00 (local time). This was accompanied by PM2.5 concentrations peaking at
383.9 µg m−3. During the firework event, water-soluble ions
and elements, which affect particle formation, growth, and fate, were mostly
in the submicrometer diameter range. Total (>0.056 µm)
water-soluble bulk particle mass concentrations were enriched by 5.7 times
during the fireworks relative to the background (i.e., average of before and
after the firework). The water-soluble mass fraction of PM2.5 increased by 18.5 % above that of background values. This corresponded
to increased volume fractions of inorganics which increased bulk
particle hygroscopicity, kappa (κ), from 0.11 (background) to 0.18
(fireworks). Potassium and non-sea-salt (nss) SO42- contributed
the most (70.9 %) to the water-soluble mass, with their mass size
distributions shifting from a smaller to a larger submicrometer mode during
the firework event. On the other hand, mass size distributions for
NO3-, Cl−, and Mg2+ (21.1 % mass contribution) shifted
from a supermicrometer mode to a submicrometer mode. Being both uninfluenced
by secondary aerosol formation and constituents of firework materials, a
subset of species were identified as the best firework tracer species (Cu,
Ba, Sr, K+, Al, and Pb). Although these species (excluding K+)
only contributed 2.1 % of the total mass concentration of water-soluble
ions and elements, they exhibited the highest enrichments (6.1 to 65.2)
during the fireworks. Surface microscopy analysis confirmed the presence of
potassium/chloride-rich cubic particles along with capsule-shaped particles
in firework samples. The results of this study highlight how firework
emissions change the physicochemical and optical properties of water-soluble
particles (e.g., mass size distribution, composition, hygroscopicity, and
aerosol backscatter), which subsequently alters the background aerosol's
respirability, influence on surroundings, ability to uptake gases, and
viability as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN).


The main objective of the research reported in this article was to investigate whether a proposed online reputation management framework can be implemented for an NPO to effect stakeholder engagement in social media content and conversations. The research further assessed whether an NPO can afford greater control of the social web by tracking critical comments and negative publicity and by utilising this information to manage its reputation. The latter was achieved by exploring the Facebook page of a South African trade union, Solidarity, to determine the impact of online conversations on the reputation of the NPO, regardless of the content. A case study methodology was used for the research. The research, which departed from an interpretivist tradition, aimed at analysing the online interactions of stakeholders and their impact on the reputation of the organisation. Data was elicited through interviews with administrators and the content of conversations on Facebook. The latter was analysed through content analysis. The outcomes of the research and the ideas presented in this article might assist NPOs with reputation management by implementing the online reputation management framework as a tool to manage and direct their online content and conversations for improved reputation.


Proven and effective, cognitive-behavior therapy is the most widely taught psychotherapeutic technique. General Principles and Empirically Supported Techniques of Cognitive Behavior Therapy provides students with a complete introduction to CBT. It includes over 60 chapters on individual therapies for a wide range of presenting problems, such as smoking cessation, stress management, and classroom management. Each chapter contains a table clearly explaining the steps of implementing each therapy. Written for graduate psychology students, it includes new chapters on imaginal exposure and techniques for treating the seriously mentally ill.


COVID-19, the novel of all respiratory pandemics, has since its global invasion remained a significant threat in all spheres of human endeavour. This phenomenon has led to short-term and long-term psychosocial and mental health implications for many populations, particularly vulnerable groups, of which older people form part. This paper fills the lacuna in research on how the pandemic is breeding psychological distress among older people. Cross-sectional data were obtained from an Ageing, Health, Lifestyle and Health Services (AHLHS) study conducted between June 2020 and August 2020 (N = 400) in the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions of Ghana. Sequential logistic regression models were performed to estimate the variables that predict psychological distress, whereas descriptive statistics were used to determine the extent of psychological distress among the study population. This study revealed that psychological distress was somehow prevalent, necessitating early intervention to minimise the risks of the said health risk. Additionally, gender, employment status, chronic NCDs, perceived health status and receipt of COVID-19 information were significantly associated with psychological distress among the respondents. It is necessary to employ strategies to minimise the psychological distress in Ghana during this pandemic.


While many studies have attempted to characterize the mechanical behavior of passive prosthetic feet to understand their influence on amputee gait, the relationship between mechanical design and biomechanical performance has not yet been fully articulated from a fundamental physics perspective. A novel framework, called Lower Leg Trajectory Error (LLTE) framework, presents a means of quantitatively optimizing the constitutive model of prosthetic feet to match a reference kinematic and kinetic dataset. This framework can be used to predict the required stiffness and geometry of a prosthesis to yield a desired biomechanical response. A passive prototype foot with adjustable ankle stiffness was tested by a unilateral transtibial amputee to evaluate this framework. The foot condition with LLTE-optimal ankle stiffness enabled the user to replicate the physiological target dataset within 16% RMS error. Specifically, the measured kinematic variables matched the target kinematics within 4% RMS error. Testing a range of ankle stiffness conditions from 1.5 to 24.4 Nm/deg with the same user indicated that conditions with lower LLTE values deviated the least from the target kinematic data. Across all conditions, the framework predicted the horizontal/vertical position, and angular orientation of the lower leg during mid-stance within 1.0 cm, 0.3 cm, and 1.5 degrees, respectively. This initial testing suggests that prosthetic feet designed with low LLTE values could benefit users. The LLTE framework is agnostic to specific foot designs and kinematic/kinetic user targets, and could be used to design and customize prosthetic feet.


This cross-national exploratory study was carried out to assess the nature of traumatic experiences, psychological reactions and challenges related to coping among police officers from Pakistan and the United Kingdom. The existing gap in available literature limits our understanding about how police officers involved in traumatic work experiences, cope and achieve resilient emotional reactions. The
comparison of data obtained from five police officers of each country was made to assess similarities and differences in phenomenon. Analyses identified some of the main challenges to coping were negative public image, lack of logistic facilities and psychological support systems, and other personal and professional difficulties. These challenges are discussed from the perspective of trauma experiences in the two countries and coping strategies employed by security personnel to deal with the psychological outcomes. The findings have revealed that stigmatization was associated with psychological help and police officers consult their families and friends instead of professionals for mental health issues.


This chapter examines the effects of metacognitive instruction on the provision and use of interactional opportunities in learner-learner interactions in the task-based EFL classroom. Learners (N = 39) drawn from three intact speaking classes in an intensive academic EFL program were divided into a treatment group and a control group. Learners in both groups completed a pretest and posttest. The treatment group participated in a metacognitive instruction session, which demonstrated to learners the benefits of interactional feedback and presented tips and practice on how to provide feedback to their peers. Overall, findings indicate that metacognitive instruction led to greater provision and use of interactional feedback in subsequent interactions, and that learners recognized the benefits for their second language learning.


This article presents the results of a landscape archaeology project from Provence in the south of France. Data from field survey and excavation are discussed. Settlement patterns and human/landscape dynamics from the protohistoric periods through to the end of the Roman period are assessed. Trends in settlement expansion and contraction are analyzed along with the relationships that might have existed between this area and urban centers at Aix-en-Provence and Massilia (Marseille). Geoarchaeological work informs our appreciation of this enigmatic and dynamic landscape. This supposedly marginal micro-region 15 km to the east of Aix is characterized by a series of erosion surfaces and stable, economically productive plains. This contribution considers the relationship between settlements and the geomorphic system, and makes a first attempt at an assessment of the evolution of organization and management of this landscape. The conclusion to this article reasserts the potential for dynamic and rich discourses that landscape archaeology can engender in the study of period "transitions" and human/environment relationships.


Surface soils developed in Sicily Island loess (thermoluminescence age 75 000–95 000 yr B.P.) and Peoria loess (thermoluminescence and ¹⁴C age 9000–22 000 yr B.P.) were sampled to study a chronosequence in the lower Mississippi River valley. A toposequence composed of an Udalf and an Aqualf was sampled in each of the loesses to evaluate relationships between topography and soil formation. Morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties were examined to determine the influence of time and topography on soil formation. Soils developed in the older Sicily Island loess had thicker argillic horizons and sola, a greater degree of horizonation, and greater maximum and total sola clay contents than younger Peoria loess-derived pedons. Chemically, soils developed in the older loess had less exchangeable Ca, more exchangeable Al, lower mean effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) per unit clay for the whole argillic horizon, lower base saturations, and were more acidic than their younger counterparts. Kaolinite and vermiculite were more abundant in the older Sicily Island loess-derived soils while smectite and mica percentages were higher in Peoria loess-derived pedons. Topography influenced soil formation through differences in soil drainage conditions. Soils occupying better-drained sites had thicker sola and argillic horizons, thinner total surface (A + E) horizons, redder hues, and were more acidic with less exchangeable Ca, lower base saturations, and lower mean ECEC per unit clay for the whole argillic horizon than soils forming under poorly drained conditions. Kaolinite and mica were more abundant in the better-drained soils while smectite was in greater quantities at the poorly drained sites.


The dicarbonyl compound methylglyoxal is a natural constituent of Manuka honey produced from Manuka flowers in New Zealand. It is known to possess both anticancer and antibacterial activity. Such observations prompted to investigate the ability of methylglyoxal as a potent drug against multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A total of 12 test P. aeruginosa strains isolated from various hospitals were tested for their resistances against many antibiotics, most of which are applied in the treatment of P. aeruginosa infections. Results revealed that the strains were resistant to many drugs at high levels, only piperacillin, carbenicillin, amikacin and ciprofloxacin showed resistances at comparatively lower levels. Following multiple experimentations it was observed that methylglyoxal was also antimicrobic against all the strains at comparable levels. Distinct and statistically significant synergism was observed between methylglyoxal and piperacillin by disc diffusion tests when compared with their individual effects. The fractional inhibitory concentration index of this combination evaluated by checkerboard analysis, was 0.5, which confirmed synergism between the pair. Synergism was also noted when methylglyoxal was combined with carbenicillin and amikacin.


This thesis concerns the different ideas, and relationships -to people, plants and knowledge -that -'biopiracy' brings together in Peru. Through assessing different concerns over the use of 'traditional knowledge', the thesis examines the multiple meanings of biopiracy which emerge through particular bundles of relationships. Contribution is made to existing literature concerning indigenous peoples and biodiversity by illustrating the complexity and multiplicity of understandings of 'biopiracy'. The thesis identifies contested meanings of 'biopiracy' and produces a typology of 'biopiracies' through an application of Tsing's (2005) concept of 'friction', and also an analysis of 'biopiracy' as an empirical subject of enquiry in the patent system. In Part One I consider 'biopiracy' and 'traditional knowledge' in international debates, and so establish the main ideological concepts that frame 'global' biopiracy. The thesis explores the plurality of biopiracy by providing nuanced accounts of 'biopirates' and 'traditional knowledge'. Part Two, is an analysis of the work of the Peruvian National Commission Against Biopiracy. This section examines the role of patent searches and of knowledge registers in producing accounts of biopiracy that: reify traditional knowledge, fracture connections with indigenous communities, and that represent the economic interests of the state. The thesis presents a quantitative account of original patent research into 'biopiracy', with an accompanying qualitative analysis that highlights the connections produced - and denied - through 'biopiracy work'. The final section presents ethnographic data from two Amazonian communities - San Francisco de Yarinacocha, and Calleria. This data indicates that particular forms of relationships to people, plants, and knowledge are privileged, as well as cast aside in the mobilisation of 'biopiracy'. Chapter Six presents an analysis of two distinct 'biopiracies': 'Biopiracies of theft' and 'biopiracies of economic opportunity'. These in turn characterise the different, contingent features of 'biopiracy' in Peru.


Online self-administered data collection, by reducing the logistic burden and cost, could advantageously replace classical methods based on dietitian's interviews when assessing dietary intake in large epidemiological studies. Studies comparing such new instruments with traditional methods are necessary. Our objective was to compare one NutriNet-Santé web-based self-administered 24 h dietary record with one 24 h recall carried out by a dietitian. Subjects completed the web-based record, which was followed the next day by a dietitian-conducted 24 h recall by telephone (corresponding to the same day and using the same computerised interface for data entry). The subjects were 147 volunteers aged 48–75 years (women 59·2 %). The study was conducted in February 2009 in France. Agreement was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for foods and energy-adjusted Pearson's correlations for nutrients. Agreement between the two methods was high, although it may have been overestimated because the two assessments were consecutive to one another. Among consumers only, the median of ICC for foods was 0·8 in men and 0·7 in women (range 0·5–0·9). The median of energy-adjusted Pearson's correlations for nutrients was 0·8 in both sexes (range 0·6–0·9). The mean Pearson correlation was higher in subjects ≤ 60 years (P = 0·02) and in those who declared being 'experienced/expert' with computers (P = 0·0003), but no difference was observed according to educational level (P = 0·12). The mean completion time was similar between the two methods (median for both methods: 25 min). The web-based method was preferred by 66·1 % of users. Our web-based dietary assessment, permitting considerable logistic simplification and cost savings, may be highly advantageous for large population-based surveys.


ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to analyze the destination image of Uzbekistan presented by the DMO and the destinations images emerging from user generated content in social media posts. In this study, promotional images and user-generated images on the platform Instagram were examined by using content-semiotic analysis. The main findings show that the destination image of Uzbekistan is dominated by heritage and reference to ancient cultural traditions of the region. However, the image represented through user generated content on Instagram is more diverse and to a larger extent depict the destination through natural heritage and experiences in the natural landscape. Furthermore, Uzbekistan is concurrently trying to create a post-Soviet identity through a focus on its history prior to the Soviet past, with focus on heritage of the Great Silk Road which highlight that destination image construction is related to geo-political processes in society which includes contestations of national identity.


Greater Mexico refers both to the geographic region encompassing modern Mexico and its former territories in the United States, and to the Mexican cultural diaspora. Exhibitions of visual and material culture from greater Mexico have played an important role in articulating identities and affiliations that transcend limited definitions of citizenship. Following an introductory text by Jennifer Josten, five scholars offer firsthand insights into the intellectual, diplomatic, and logistical concerns underpinning key border-crossing exhibitions of the "NAFTA era." Rubén Ortiz-Torres writes from his unique perspective as a Mexico City–based artist who began exhibiting in the United States in the late 1980s, and as a curator of recent exhibitions that highlight the existence of multiple Mexicos and Americas. Clara Bargellini reflects on a paradigm-shifting cross-border exhibition of the viceregal arts of the missions of northern New Spain. Kim N. Richter considers how the arts of ancient Mesoamerica and the Americas writ large figured within the Getty Foundation's 2017 Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA initiative. Xóchitl M. Flores-Marcial offers insights into productive institutional collaborations with transnational Indigenous stakeholders, focusing on two recent Southern California exhibitions of the Oaxaca-based Tlacolulokos collective. Luis Vargas-Santiago discusses how Chicana/o/x art entered Mexico City's Palacio de Bellas Artes in 2019 as a crucial component of an exhibition about how Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata's image has migrated through visual culture. Together, these texts demonstrate how exhibitions can act in the service of advancing more nuanced understandings of cultural and political interactions across greater Mexico.


The world population is concentrated near the coasts, as are a large number of Cultural World Heritage sites, defined by the UNESCO. Using spatially explicit sea-level estimates for the next 2000 years and high-resolution topography data, we compute which current cultural heritage sites will be affected by sea-level rise at different levels of sustained future warming. As indicators for the pressure on future cultural heritage we estimate the percentage of each country's area loss, and the percentage of current population living in regions that will be permanently below sea level, for different temperature levels. If the current global mean temperature was sustained for the next two millennia, about 6% (40 sites) of the UNESCO sites will be affected, and 0.7% of global land area will be below mean sea level. These numbers increase to 19% (136 sites) and 1.1% for a warming of 3 K. At this warming level, 3–12 countries will experience a loss of more than half of their current land surface, 25–36 countries lose at least 10% of their territory, and 7% of the global population currently lives in regions that will be below local sea level. Given the millennial scale lifetime of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, our results indicate that fundamental decisions with regard to mankind's cultural heritage are required.


The Singular Value Decomposition expresses image data in terms of number of eigen vectors depending upon the dimension of an image. The psycho visual redundancies in an image are used for compression. Thus an image can be compressed without affecting the image quality. This paper presents one such image compression technique called as SVD. Basic mathematics of SVD is dealt with in detail and results of applying SVD on an image are also discussed. The MSE and compression ratio are used as thresholding, parameters for reconstruction. SVD is applied on variety of images for experimentation. The work is concentrated to reduce the number of eigen values required to reconstruct an image.


Integrin αvβ5 mediates pulmonary endothelial barrier function and acute lung injury (LI), but its roles in cell apoptosis and autophagy are unclear. Thus, the aims of this study were to investigate the significance of αvβ5 in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R)-induced apoptosis and LI and to explore the relationship between αvβ5 and autophagy. Human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMVECs) were pretreated with an αvβ5-blocking antibody (ALULA) and challenged with oxygen-glucose deprivation/oxygen-glucose restoration, which mimics I/R; then, cellular autophagy and apoptosis were detected, and cell permeability was assessed. In vivo, mice were pretreated with the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CLQ), followed by treatment with ALULA. The mice then underwent operative lung I/R. LI was assessed by performing a pathological examination, calculating the wet/dry lung weight ratio and detecting the bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) protein concentration. αvβ5 inhibition promoted HPMVEC autophagy under I/R in vitro, alleviated cell permeability, decreased the apoptosis ratio, and activated caspase-3 expression. These outcomes were significantly diminished when autophagy was inhibited with a small-interfering RNA construct targeting autophagy-related gene 7 (siATG7). Moreover, ALULA pretreatment alleviated I/R-induced LI (I/R-LI), which manifested as a decreased wet/dry lung weight ratio, an altered BALF protein concentration, and lung edema. Preinhibiting autophagy with CLQ, however, eliminated the protective effects of ALULA on I/R-LI. Therefore, inhibiting αvβ5 effectively ameliorated I/R-induced endothelial cell apoptosis and I/R-LI. This process was dependent on improved autophagy and its inhibitory effects on activated caspase-3.


The anatomy and morphology of leaves in Carex have the potential to be taxonomically useful. However, studies on the variability of leaf characteristics in the genus are sparse. Researchers therefore risk using leaf anatomical characters without the knowledge of whether they are consistent in a species. We examined 22 qualitative and seven quantitative leaf anatomy characters from transverse leaf sections to test their consistency across 11 Carex spp. The characters were clearly described and primarily microscopic. Some characters were found to exhibit high levels of intraspecific variation, whereas other characters exhibited high levels of consistency in a species, including the shape of the leaf section, the density of papillae and the size of epidermal cells. Caution must be applied when choosing leaf anatomy to delimit taxa because of the intraspecific variability found in some characters, but sufficient numbers of invariant characters exist to provide useful taxonomic separation.


We use a series of credit and insurance simulation games to test the role of access to credit and insurance on magnitude and timing of farm technology uptake with small-scale farmers in South Africa. Using Cumulative Prospect Theory, we assess how insurance impacts technology uptake given risk preferences. Our findings suggest that risk aversion is linked to lower uptake of the insured technology. while loss averse farmers are more likely to adopt technology bundled with insurance. Higher weighting of small probability events leads to later uptake of the uninsured technology option. We further find that wealth is critical in uptake of technology, with cumulative experimental income and real household income stifling investment in insured and uninsured technology options even when real wealth is not at stake. Overall, we find that insurance is not sufficient to counter the behavioural factors linked to asset constraints and risk preferences that suppress modern farm technology uptake.


Cluster headache affects 0.1% of the population and is a severe form of primary headache. This volume of Frontiers in Headache Research is the only up-to-date and comprehensive review of the condition and its related disorders. The book begins with a discussion of the basic circadian biology of the condition followed by an overview of relevant epidemiological studies. Cluster headache is then described in comparison with related disorders, including paroxysmal hemicrania, SUNCT, hemicrania continua and hypnic headache, and the system of classification discussed. The volume then moves on to look at the wealth of basic research into cluster headache, including, animal studies, work on the autonomic nervous system in man, neuropeptide research, studies of biological rhythms, the associated endocrinology, information derived from neuroimaging and the influence of genetic factors. The final sections of the book examine acute treatment, prophylaxis, the potential for surgical treatment and the opportunities for further innovative therapies. The contributing authors are all international specialists in this field.


The main objective of this thesis was to develop a method to place individual building- blocks onto pre-ordinate positions on a templating nanopattern so that the building- blocks replicated the templating structures. The templating substrate was fabricated by a series of different processes conducted in the following sequence: electron-beam lithography, etching, chromium/gold evaporation and resist lift-off. The gold nanopatterns were functionalised with oligonucleotides (DNA) using thiol-gold chemistry and the building-blocks (DNA modified gold nanoparticles) were assembled onto the templating nanostructure by DNA-DNA interaction. The templating nanopattern consisted of gold features on a silicon substrate. A method to passivate the surrounding silicon surface was developed and the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) hybridisation conditions were optimised. An assessment of the DNA-directed self-assembly of AuNPs was conducted. The hybridisation efficiency onto each adsorption site was 80% while the non-specific adsorption was 0.7%. Approximately 50% of all the six-dot lines had five AuNPs immobilised, while roughly 20% had six particles. The occurrence of defects could be repressed by modifying the geometry of the templating nanostructures. An additional objective was to develop a method to assemble AuNP structures into more complex structures that potentially could be used as building-blocks for additional self-assembly. For the nanostructures to be used as building-blocks they would have to be covalently interconnected (e.g. by cross-linking) prior to being released from the templating substrate, to ensure that their configuration remained intact upon release. Following the release, the templating substrate could be reused for additional AuNP self-assembly cycles. The release of the AuNPs and the reusability of DNA functionalised substrates was investigated on non-patterned substrates. It was found that AuNPs could be immobilised and released ten times without a statistically significant decrease in the number of particles immobilised per μm2. A covalent cross-linking concept was developed and investigated for AuNPs im- mobilised onto non-patterned substrates. A clear difference in the release behaviour between AuNPs immobilised on substrates subjected to and not subjected to the cross- linking conditions was observed, which suggested that the cross-linking strategy was successful.When released AuNPs were recollected on capture substrates, no difference in the configuration of the released AuNPs was established between nanopatterns subject to and not subjected to the cross-linking conditions. It was found that the AuNPs were not stable at the temperatures required to drive the AuNPs release from the templating substrate and thus the temperature induced release of assembled nanostructures was not a viable option. Alternative systems, in which temperature is not used to drive the release of cross- linked nanostructures, could potentially circumvent the thermal instability of the particles. For example by using fuel-DNA to drive the desorption of cross-linked nanostructures, according to the work of Hazarika et al., or by using nanoprinting techniques to directly transfer the nanoparticle assemblies onto a capture substrate.


Rates of return to investments in schooling have been estimated since the late 1950s. In the 60-plus year history of such estimates, there have been several attempts to synthesize the empirical results to ascertain patterns. This paper presents comparable estimates, as well as a database, that use the same specification, estimation procedure, and similar data for 139 economies and 819 harmonized household surveys. This effort to compile comparable estimates holds constant the definition of the dependent variable, the set of control variables, the sample definition, and the estimation method for all surveys in the sample. The results of this study show that (1) the returns to schooling are more concentrated around their respective means than previously thought; (2) the basic Mincerian model used is more stable than may have been expected; (3) the returns to schooling are higher for women than for men; (4) returns to schooling and labor market experience are strongly and positively associated; (5) there is a decreasing pattern over time; and (6) the returns to tertiary education are highest.


Bhutavidya (Ayurvedic psychiatry) is one among the eight specialties of Ayurveda (an ancient Indian system of medicine). Bhutavidya deals with the diseases (psychiatric or neuropsychiatric) caused by "bhuta" or "graha" (idiopathic factors) and their management. Unmada (broad term which includes various psychiatric conditions) is a disease characterized by deranged mental functions. "Bhutonmada" (psychiatric conditions caused by idiopathic factors) is a type of unmada caused by affliction of "bhuta" or "graha." Eighteen types of bhutonmada are explained in samhita's (ancient Ayurvedic texts). Previous works have explored these 18 grahonmadas and compared them with various psychiatric and neuropsychiatric conditions. Vishesha or Upa grahonmadas are the subtypes of these 18 grahonmadas, and their description is found only in "Ashtanga sangraha" (Ayurvedic textbook of medicine written by Vriddha Vagbhata). Description of 16 "Vishesha" or "Upa grahonmadas" is available in "Ashtanga sangraha." Till date, no studies have been conducted on Vishesha grahonmadas, and the present study aims at exploring Vishesha grahonmadas with contemporary psychiatric conditions. Ayurvedic literature related to "Vishesha grahonmadas" has been collected from major classical Ayurvedic texts and from their commentaries. Electronic databases "Google" and "Google Scholar" have been searched to find out the relevant studies using appropriate keywords. Sixteen Vishesha grahonmadas explained in Ashtanga sangraha have shown resemblance with various psychiatric and neuropsychiatric conditions such as mood disorders, schizophrenia, frontotemporal dementia, Tourette's syndrome, extra pyramidal movement disorders, temporal lobe epilepsy, autism, personality disorders, Parkinson's disease, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The contemporary perspective of ancient psychiatric concepts as demonstrated in the present article provides new insights and paves way further studies.


In addition to organotrophic denitrification, alternative pathways, such as anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) or sulfide‐dependent denitrification may be important modes for the removal of fixed nitrogen (N) from lakes. We used Lake Lugano as a model system with which to assess possible controls on the concurrence of multiple suboxic N2 production pathways in a lacustrine water column. In the northern basin of Lake Lugano, concentration gradients of dissolved inorganic N toward the hypolimnetic redox transition zone (RTZ) indicate ammonium oxidation and nitrate reduction occurring in close vicinity. Ammonium reaches undetectable levels 15 m below the depth of oxygen disappearance, indicating its anaerobic consumption. The presence of anammox bacteria was confirmed by 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequencing. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed a maximum in anammox bacterial abundance at the same water depth where ammonium becomes exhausted. 15N‐labeling experiments indicate that anammox activity within the Lake Lugano RTZ can contribute up to ∼ 30% of total N2 production. Incubation experiments with various potential electron donors—glucose, acetate, Mn(II), Fe(II), and H2S—revealed that N2 formation was sulfide‐dependent and that organotrophic denitrification is only of minor importance for the elimination of fixed N from the Lake Lugano north basin. Maximum potential rates of anammox and chemolithotrophic denitrification were comparatively low but consistent with nutrient fluxes calculated from concentration gradients. This study provides evidence for the coexistence of anammox bacteria and sulfide‐dependent denitrifiers in the stratified water column of a lacustrine environment.


The grazing lands of northern Australia contain a substantial soil organic carbon (SOC) stock due to the large land area. Manipulating SOC stocks through grazing management has been presented as an option to offset national greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and other industries. However, research into the response of SOC stocks to a range of management activities has variously shown positive, negative or negligible change. This uncertainty in predicting change in SOC stocks represents high project risk for government and industry in relation to SOC sequestration programs. In this paper, we seek to address the uncertainty in SOC stock prediction by assessing relationships between SOC stocks and grazing land condition indicators. We reviewed the literature to identify land condition indicators for analysis and tested relationships between identified land condition indicators and SOC stock using data from a paired-site sampling experiment (10 sites). We subsequently collated SOC stock datasets at two scales (quadrat and paddock) from across northern Australia (329 sites) to compare with the findings of the paired-site sampling experiment with the aim of identifying the land condition indicators that had the strongest relationship with SOC stock. The land condition indicators most closely correlated with SOC stocks across datasets and analysis scales were tree basal area, tree canopy cover, ground cover, pasture biomass and the density of perennial grass tussocks. In combination with soil type, these indicators accounted for up to 42% of the variation in the residuals after climate effects were removed. However, we found that responses often interacted with soil type, adding complexity and increasing the uncertainty associated with predicting SOC stock change at any particular location. We recommend that caution be exercised when considering SOC offset projects in northern Australian grazing lands due to the risk of incorrectly predicting changes in SOC stocks with change in land condition indicators and management activities for a particular paddock or property. Despite the uncertainty for generating SOC sequestration income, undertaking management activities to improve land condition is likely to have desirable complementary benefits such as improving productivity and profitability as well as reducing adverse environmental impact.


Argument The article examines the organizational patterns of nineteenth-century Swiss Alpine geology. It argues that early and middle nineteenth-century Swiss geognosy was shaped in genealogical terms and that the patterns of genealogical reasoning and practice worked as a vehicle of transmission toward the generalization of locally gained empirical knowledge. The case study is provided by the Zurich geologist Albert Heim, who, in the early 1870s, blended intellectual and patrilineal genealogies that connected two generations of fathers and sons: Hans Conrad and Arnold Escher, Albert and Arnold Heim. Two things were transmitted from one generation to the next, a domain of geognostic research, the Glarus Alps, and a research interest in an explanation of the massive geognostic anomalies observed there. The legacy found its embodiment in the Escher family archive. The genealogical logic became visible and then experienced a crisis when, later in the century, the focus of Alpine geology shifted from geognosy to tectonics. Tectonic research loosened the traditional link between the intimate knowledge of a territory and the generalization from empirical data.


Women's purses are uniquely personal statements. Many antique beaded, textile, and leather purses have survived as treasured collectibles and new styles are fashion icons. This exquisite new book examines the passionate history, art, and design of antique, vintage, and contemporary purses in an informative and accessible format. Over 700 high quality purses were chosen from private collections, including Cora Ginsburg LLC, the premier dealer of antique textiles and costume in the United States. Many have never been published before, providing a fresh resource for collectors. Many pre-date 1860. Chapters cover the history of purses; pockets; misers; chatelaines; fabric, tapestry, and needlework purses; leather bags; dance, compact, and evening purses; wirework and mesh bags; beaded purses; tortoiseshell, shell, and ivory styles; souvenir and even plastic purses; and unique and very rare examples. Detail photos show particularly unusual features. A section on beaded purse repair, by Terri Lykins and the Antique Purse Collector's Society, offers tips and a new opportunity for collectors. Each caption provides detailed descriptions and current values, and the extensive bibliography gives many resources for further reading.


Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) data are used to evaluate the effectiveness of TB program interventions, identify deficiencies, and inform policies and programs. These data are also used for advocacy, resource mobilization, and allocation, both nationally and internationally. This study is aimed at verifying the reliability of the data collated and submitted from the direct observation therapy strategy (DOTS) facilities to the National TB Program (NTP) in some selected states in Southern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A total of 29 facilities providing TB services were purposively selected from six states in Southern Nigeria, based on the treatment success rate as reported in 2009. In each selected facility, the following records were reviewed for concordance: Patient treatment cards and facility TB register, facility TB register and facility laboratory register, facility TB register and local government area (LGA) TB register, and LGA TB register and TB quarterly reports. Furthermore, a total of 273 patients were selected for interview to validate the information contained in the treatment cards. Results: Agreement between the data sources was relatively high, though higher in some states than the others. Agreement between patient treatment card and facility TB register, and facility TB register and laboratory register were 97% and 85%, respectively. The lowest concordance was observed between the facility TB register and the LGA TB register. All the patients interviewed confirmed the information as recorded in their treatment cards. Conclusion: The study revealed that NTP data in Southern Nigeria is fairly reliable; however, there are variations observed among the states and at various levels. This study underlines the need to improve TB surveillance data in some states, particularly at the facility and at the LGA levels.


Medicine and the occult in the Renaissance were conceptually related. They were both considered as etiological pursuits that investigate the manifest and hidden causes of human conditions. Astrological medicine specifically depends on the notion that the stars are higher causes of human ailments. This notion permeated the medical thought of the Renaissance. But how can astrology be reconciled with medicine? During the Golden Age of Islam, some Arabic astrologers justified the belief in astral influences by composing a theory that explains 'scientifically' why the stars above had such a strong influence on the sublunary world and how their influence could be utilized and harnessed for the benefit of man generally and his health specifically. These Arabic astrologers considered medicine and astrology as complementing one another; the former investigates terrestrial causes and the latter the celestial ones which themselves determine the conditions surrounding human beings. During the Western Renaissance, many of the physicians and occultists were acquainted with the works of such Arabic astrologers and appropriated their theory of astral influences to defend their occult thought and practices. In this article, I discuss the impact of the Arabic theory of astral influences on the medicine of Marsilio Ficino (1433–1499) and Jean Fernel (1497–1558).


This paper presents a comprehensive study of a full bridge (FB) zero-current switched (ZCS) PWM converter which is suitable for high-voltage and high-power DC application that achieves ZCS for all active switches, and zero-voltage-switched (ZVS) operation for all diodes on the high voltage side. The given converter utilizes component parasitic parameters, particularly for the high-voltage transformer, and employs fixed-frequency phase-shift control to implement soft-switching commutations. Detailed steady state analysis of the converter power stage is presented for the first time and the major features of the converter's power stage are discussed. Small-signal characteristics are also presented and accompanied by a discussion of the controller design and implementation. A design example is also presented based on the steady state analysis and is validated by simulation. Theoretical and simulated results are in good agreement.


The object function for Boosting training method in acoustic modeling aims to reduce utterance level error rate. This is different from the most commonly used performance metric in speech recognition, word error rate. This paper proposes that the combination of N-best list re-ranking and ROVER can partly address this problem. In particular, model combination is applied to re-ranked hypotheses rather than to the original top-1 hypotheses and carried on word level. Improvement of system performance is observed in our experiments. In addition, we describe and evaluate a new confidence feature that measures the correctness of frame level decoding result.


Information appliances, which provide simplified, easy access to specific information such as e-mail and Web sites, promise to bring the benefits of computing to a wide customer base, including some computer-averse people who have hitherto avoided buying a computer. Internet appliances are evolving from personal computers, game stations, digital mobile phones, and server technologies. While this allows us to apply well-known quality assurance techniques, including testing techniques, the software quality professional must remember that the risks to product quality are different; the quality bar is higher, especially in terms of usability, robustness, and harmonizing the appliance with the dynamic Internet. Customers will assess the quality of information appliances by the degree to which the appliance reliably, quickly, transparently, and intuitively provides them with access to the desired information, and we expect them to be much less understanding of glitches than the current PC user. Information appliances are gaining wide acceptance—millions will hit the market in the next few years—so many of us who practice software quality professions will spend time working on projects to develop them. Indeed, we expect that information appliances will present tremendous opportunities to those who seek to bring quality to software in the new millenium. This paper presents the test team's findings on one such project.


For two weeks in August 1936, Nazi Germany achieved an astonishing propaganda coup when it staged the Olympic Games in Berlin. Hiding their anti-Semitism and plans for territorial expansion, the Nazis exploited the Olympic ideal, dazzling visiting spectators and journalists alike with an image of a tolerant country. Thousands of foreigners went away wondering why the Hitler regime had been vilified, unaware that not far from the stunning Olympic Stadium lay a concentration camp full of 'enemies of the state'. In Hitler's Olympics, Anton Rippon tells the story of those remarkable Games, the first to overtly use the Olympic festival for political purposes. His account looks at how the rise of the Nazis affected German sportsmen and women in the early 1930s. And it reveals how the rest of the world allowed the Berlin Olympics to go ahead despite the knowledge that Nazi Germany was a police state.The Nazis threw all their resources into staging the most remarkable Olympics seen so far. Hitler was closely involved in the grandiose planning of an event that was designed to glorify the new Nazi state, and this book describes the process in fascinating detail. The political drama of the event is matched by the intense competition of the athletes on the field and track. Here the two sides of the story come together, most famously in the person of Jessie Owens, the black quadruple gold medal winner.Hitler's Olympics is featured on the Sports Journalists' Association website:www.sportsjournalists.co.uk/olympics/should-we-send-a-jew-to-cover-the-berlin-olympics/


Abstract : This paper examines the scientific, social and digital processes that shape multiple forms of biovalue evident in the development, participation and use of the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC), the largest autism genetic databases in North America. Based on interviews with SSC study participants and investigators, as well as a content analysis of a range of SSC materials, this empirical study makes visible the various contours of biovalue that are entangled between scientists who use this data for autism research, families who donate their blood and medical information to gain access to needed resources, and digital networks of exchange that make hybrid connections between and among these emergent biosocial communities. By examining the production of and interactions between scientific, social and digital forms of biovalue this paper highlights the constraints embedded within this heterogeneous assemblage to offer a critical account of the limits of the SSC and subsequent knowledge production. I contend that while the multi-dimensionality of biovalue built into the fabric of the SSC structure creates various contours of biovalue, it structurally constrains the types of production and knowledge flows that are allowed to be conceived and generated. Keywords : autism; genetic database; biovalue; biosociality; digital networks.


Abstract This article analyzes Oscar Bony's work La Familia Obrera (1968), in which a working class family sat on view in the gallery of the Instituto Di Tella in Buenos Aires. What might be read from the transformation of a working class family into a work of art? How was Bony's own artistic labor reconfigured in the process? How did Bony's display of a working class family engage with both the context of the Instituto Di Tella—an extension of Argentina's most prominent industrial company—and the demands for productivity made by the developmentalist dictatorship of Juan Carlos Onganía? In other words, how was this work entangled in the contradictions of modernization and, more specifically, the transnational corporations with which the Di Tella family's operations were collaborating? By May of 1968, the Instituto Di Tella had become notorious not purely for its often outrageous experiments with media and performance art but also for its funding sources, namely the Ford and Rockefeller foundations. Amidst the mobilization of the Left, many artists in Argentina that year would reject cultural institutions in favor of quasi-activist projects in the public realm, so as to imagine themselves as cultural workers. With La Familia Obrera, Bony, by contrast, produced an institutionally- reflexive gesture, negotiated from within. But much as artists and intellectuals began to understand the Di Tella as a Trojan Horse of transnational capital, so too was Bony's work not exactly what it appeared, manipulating its public through processes of surrogation.


In January 2020, we convened the UCLA Law Review Symposium, entitled Transnational Legal Discourse on Race and Empire. In this Article, which also serves as an introduction to the issue that resulted from the symposium, we seek to do two things. Our first objective is to situate this Symposium Issue within its broader intellectual context: renewed momentum among Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL) scholars to engage Critical Race Theory (CRT) scholars in collaboration aimed at deeper understanding of issues of shared concern. Our second objective, is to offer a concrete example of the insights to be gained from TWAIL-CRT analysis through a brief consideration of the Libyan case, where humanitarian intervention, counter-terrorism, and migration control regimes in international law cannot be fully assessed absent engagement with empire and race. Mainstream and official analysis casts the international system and its hegemonic actors in the role of humanitarian responders to a Libyan crisis not of their making. Instead, we draw attention to the ways in which the racial framing of Libya—and its subordination to imperial prerogatives—proved critical to international governance regimes for managing the country—and the bodies and territory within it—from 2011 to the present.


This empirical study aims to shed light on the dynamic linkages between innovation and efficiency at individual farm level. We use a comprehensive dataset for dairy farms in Germany for the period 1995 to 2010. Based on a directional distance function framework we estimate the changes in efficiency, technical change and productivity over the period considered. In a second step we then investigate possible factors for technically efficient milk production at farm level before we finally try to identify those farms that are capable of translating investments in innovative technologies into actual efficiency gains over time applying a multinomial logit approach. Our empirical findings reveal that investments in innovative dairy technologies are only reflected in higher profitability if sufficient Know-How for the efficient use of these innovations is available.


Teo et al. (see IEEE Trans. on Medical Imaging, 1997) proposed an efficient image segmentation technique that anisotropically smoothes the homogeneous posterior probabilities before independent pixel wise MAP classification is carried out. In this paper we develop the mathematical theory underlying the technique. We demonstrate that prior anisotropic smoothing of the posterior probabilities yields the MAP solution of a discrete MRF with a non-interacting, analog discontinuity field. In contrast, isotropic smoothing of the posterior probabilities is equivalent to computing the MAP solution of a single, discrete MRF using continuous relaxation labeling. Combining a discontinuity field with a discrete MRF is important as it allows the disabling of clique potentials across discontinuities. Furthermore, explicit representation of the discontinuity field suggests new algorithms that incorporate properties like hysteresis and non-maximal suppression.


This paper continues the study of how the ideal structure of a Chevalley algebra (a Lie algebra obtained by transferring the scalars of a finite dimensional simple Lie algebra over C to a commutative ring R with identity in which 2 and 3 are not zero divisors) depends on the ideal structure of R. Spe-cifically, we find that composition series of ideals for the Chevalley algebras exist only in case R has composition series of ideals, and in the latter case give explicit descriptions of the composition series in the Chevalley algebras. We also give a necessary and sufficient condition for the composition series in the algebra to exactly parallel those in the ring.


The lower Paleozoic rocks that host gold deposits along the Getchell gold belt in Humboldt County, Nevada, represent several allochthonous terranes rather than a sequence of continuous deposition. The term "terrane" is used only in a descriptive sense. Evidence for allochthonous terranes in this area includes fault boundaries and differences in age, lithology, and structural style among several rock sequences. The two most widespread and distinct terranes in the area are (1) the Osgood terrane, which consists of intensely deformed, regionally metamorphosed, marine rocks (Lower Cambrian Osgood Mountain Quartzite, Lower Cambrian to Lower Ordovician Preble Formation, and some rocks currently mapped as Comus Formation) and (2) the Getchell terrane, which consists of less deformed chert, clastic sedimentary rocks, and volcanic rocks (rocks mapped as Valmy and Vinini Formations, including Lower and Upper Ordovician and Lower Silurian strata in this region). Osgood-terrane bedding and foliation dip predominantly eastward, and folds verge westward. Getchell-terrane folds verge southeastward. The Comus Formation, which is Middle Ordovician at its type locality on Edna Mountain, represents a third terrane (Iron Point terrane) situated structurally between the Osgood and Getchell terranes. Use of the unit name Comus Formation outside the type locality has created confusion and needs reexamination. Some of the rocks currently mapped as Comus Formation might really be part of the other terranes.


DrugScan is a review of the international literature on therapeutics. Leading pharmacy practitioners scan the literature and present information on major clinical trials, important pharmacoepidemiology studies, and pharmacoeconomic research in a succinct format. Interested readers are encouraged to explore the original publications in greater detail.


Background: Research indicates that although 50-60% of people who have had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience changes in sexual functioning, sexuality issues remain largely unaddressed in rehabilitation. Studies have
investigated professionals' perspectives about communicating about sexual issues with service-users2 post-TBI, with a number of barriers being identified. However, as studies have tended to use quantitative methodologies, it was felt
that qualitative research would provide a richer understanding.
Aim: This study aimed to explore professionals' perceptions and experiences of discussing sexuality with service-users who have had a TBI.
Method: This study employed a qualitative design. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 24 participants from two local National Health Service (NHS) trusts, and from a national charity. Four focus groups were carried out with pre-existing teams of professionals, using a semi-structured interview schedule. Focus group data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.
Results: Six main themes were derived from the analysis: 1) Sexuality after TBI is a specialist issue; 2) Sexuality is a sensitive subject; 3) Practicalities of discussing sexuality; 4) Roles and responsibilities; 5) Dilemmas about risk and
vulnerabilities, and 6) Organisational and structural factors. Each of these themes have between two and five subthemes.
Conclusions and recommendations: In order that sexuality becomes accepted as an integral part of holistic rehabilitation, it is recommended that a more proactive approach is taken. It is recommended that sexuality is
incorporated into assessments, and that written information is available for service-users. Support for professionals is also needed in the form of the development of policy, on-going training, and supervision.


Designated by King George V to replace Calcutta as capital of British India, New Delhi was constructed between 1912 and 1929 under the steady eye of architect Sir Edward Lutyens who sought to bring to this British colony a sense of classicism, order, and institutional beauty. Featuring more than 300 colour and black-and-white illustrations, plans and photographs, this volume presents a comprehensive examination of how this city was envisioned, planned and constructed. From the massive war memorial arch to the spacious gardens and the gloriously imposing Viceroy's House, the evidence of Lutyen's architectural genius is everywhere throughout New Delhi. Architectural historian Andreas Volwahsen discusses the importance of Lutyen's work and provides an account of the making of a city: the contentious debates and cultural considerations, the inspiration and the painstaking construction, and finally the ways in which New Delhi has evolved into a modern city.


Phalaenopsis, with long arching sprays of flowers, is among the most beautiful flowers in the world. Phalaenopsis is an important genus and one of the most popular epiphytic monopodial orchids, grown commercially for production of cut flowers and potted plants. Most of them have different and interesting morphological characteristics which have different value to the breeders.
Study was carried out using molecular characterization through Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analyses for 20 species of Phalaenopsis was conducted to determine their genetic variation and relationships. Among the 20 primers used for these analyses, 10 showed polymorphism, with 26 to 54 DNA fragments amplified per primer. A total of 414 polymorphic fragments were generated by these 10 primers and then they were used for correlation grouping analysis. The highest value of Similarity index was 0.28 between Phalaenopsis violacea malaysia and Phalaenopsis violacea witte. The dendrogram resulting from UPGMA hierarchical cluster analysis separated the species into three groups: the first group consisted of five species of Ph. violacea blue, Ph. belina, Ph. violacea malaysia, Ph. violacea witte, and Ph. gigantea; the second group included Ph. lamelligera, Ph. amabilis, Ph. parishii, Ph. labbi nepal, Ph. speciosa, Ph. lobbi yellow, Ph. venosa, Ph. hieroglyphica, and Ph. maculata; the third group consist of Ph. Minho Princess, Ph. Leopard prince, Ph. mannii, Ph. modesta, Ph. cornucervi and Ph. pantherina. RAPD markers can thus be successfully applied to this economically important group of orchids to determine relationship between species of these orchids.
Phalaenopsis gigantea one of the most difficult to grow and has the potential of producing beautiful hybrids was selected for further study in developing a rapid and efficient in vitro propagation technique, this technique can also be tested for other species in the future.
Ripe capsules of Phalaenopsis gigantea were collected and sterilized. Seed germination was conducted using Vacin and Went (VW) medium supplemented with coconut water (CW) and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and kinetin (KIN). Protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) were successfully induced and plantlets were produced after 60 days. BAP at 1 mgL-1 in combination with 2 mgL-1 KIN produced the highest number of plantlets followed by treatment 1 mgL-1 BAP and 1 mgL-1 KIN. Protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) were successfully induced from leaf segments using New Dogashima medium (NDM) with BAP, Thidiazuron (TDZ), and KIN, each at 0.01, 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/L alone and in combination with naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), at 0.01, 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mgL-1, within 6-8 weeks of culture. The highest percentage of callus formation (100%) was obtained from treatment containing 1 mgL-1 NAA in combination with 0.1 mgL-1 TDZ followed by treatment supplemented with 1 mgL-1 NAA and 0.5 mgL-1 TDZ (76.56%).Plant regeneration from PLBs was achieved in PGR-free NDM basal medium.
There was no PLB observed on full and half-strength MS media supplemented with different concentrations of 2, 4-D, BAP and TDZ. Similarly, no PLB was observed on VW and ½ MS media supplemented with different concentrations and combinations with 2, 4.-D, BAP, TDZ and CW or NAA. No PLB was also observed on NDM medium with different concentrations and combinations with BAP and NAA. However multiplication of PLB was observed in liquid media of basal MS, VW, and NDM with or without sucrose. The highest fresh weight of PLBs was obtained from VW medium supplemented with CW.