ABSTRACT We examine whether firms use social media to strategically disseminate financial information. Analyzing S&P 1500 firms' use of Twitter to disseminate quarterly earnings announcements, we find that firms are less likely to disseminate when the news is bad and when the magnitude of the bad news is worse, consistent with strategic behavior. Furthermore, firms tend to send fewer earnings announcement tweets and "rehash" tweets when the news is bad. Cross-sectional analyses suggest that incentives for strategic dissemination are higher for firms with a lower level of investor sophistication and firms with a larger social media audience. We also find that strategic dissemination behavior is detectable in high litigation risk firms, but not low litigation risk firms. Finally, we find that the tweeting of bad news and the subsequent retweeting of that news by a firm's followers are associated with more negative news articles written about the firm by the traditional media, highlighting a potential downsi...


In our ongoing project on the autonomous guidance of Micro-Air Vehicles (MAVs) in confined indoor and outdoor environments, we have developed a bio-inspired optic flow based autopilot enabling a hovercraft to travel safely, and avoid the walls of a corridor. The hovercraft is an air vehicle endowed with natural roll and pitch stabilization characteristics, in which planar flight control can be developed conveniently. It travels at a constant ground height (∼2mm) and senses the environment by means of two lateral eyes that measure the right and left optic flows (OFs). The visuomotor feedback loop, which is called LORA(1) (Lateral Optic flow Regulation Autopilot, Mark 1), consists of a lateral OF regulator that adjusts the hovercraft's yaw velocity and keeps the lateral OF constant on one wall equal to an OF set-point. Simulations have shown that the hovercraft manages to navigate in a corridor at a "preset" groundspeed (1m/s) without requiring a supervisor to make it switch abruptly between the control-laws corresponding to behaviours such as automatic wall-following, automatic centring, and automatically reacting to an opening encountered on a wall. The passive visual sensors and the simple control system used here are suitable for use on MAVs with an avionic payload of only a few grams.


Abstract Two puzzles with regard to the Kritik der reinen Vernunft (KrV) are incongruent counterparts and causality. In De mundi sensibilis atque intelligibilis forma et principiis (MSI), Kant indicates that the experience of things like left and right hands, so-called incongruent counterparts, involve certain pure intuitions, and hence constitute one line of evidence for the claim that the concept of space itself is a pure intuition. In KrV, Kant again argues that the concept of space itself is a pure intuition, but does not cite the experience of incongruent counterparts as evidence for this claim. Since there is ostensibly nothing in KrV which tells against the existence of the experiences of incongruent counterparts, the natural question is: "Why, in KrV, does Kant not cite the experience of incongruent counterparts as evidence for the claim that the concept of space is a pure intuition?" The problem with causality is as follows. One of the most primary and basic claims of KrV is that empirical experience is structured by non-empirical concepts, such as substantiality and causality. In a portion of KrV entitled the Transcendental Deduction, Kant gives section 20 the heading "All sensible intuitions stand under the categories, as conditions under which alone their the manifold can come together in one consciousness". Since categories are those concepts which structure empirical experience, section 20 has demonstrated that all sensible intuitions are subject to substantiality and causality. However, there is a later portion of KrV entitled the Second Analogy with the heading "Principle of temporal sequence according to the law of causality: All alterations occur in accordance with the law of the connection of cause and effect". Thus, the natural question is: "What does the Second Analogy demonstrate about causality which the Transcendental Deduction did not already demonstrate about causality?"


This work examines the flux performance of organic solvents through a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite membrane. A selection of n-alkanes, i-alkanes and cyclic compounds were studied in deadend permeation experiments at pressures up to 900 kPa to give fluxes for pure solvents and mixtures between 10 and 100 l m -2 h -1 . Results for the chosen alkanes and aromatics, and subsequent modelling using the Hagen-Poiseuille equation, suggest that solvent transport through PDMS can be successfully interpreted via a predominantly hydraulic mechanism. It is suggested that the mechanism has a greater influence at higher pressures and the modus operandi is supported by the non-separation of binary solvent mixtures and a dependency on viscosity and membrane thickness. The effects of swelling that follow solvent-membrane interactions show that the relative magnitudes of the Hildebrand solubility parameter for the active membrane layer and the solvent(s) are a good indicator of permeation level. Solvents constituting a group (e.g. all n-alkanes) induced similar flux behaviours when corrections were made for viscosity and affected comparable swelling properties in the PDMS membrane layer.


HYPOTHESIS
p21-activated kinase (PAK) regulates signaling pathways that promote cell survival and proliferation; therefore, pharmacological inhibition of PAK will induce cell death in vestibular schwannomas (VS) and meningiomas.

BACKGROUND
All VS and many meningiomas result from loss of the neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) gene product merlin, with ensuing PAK hyperactivation and increased cell proliferation/survival.

METHODS
The novel small molecule PAK inhibitors PI-8 and PI-15-tested in schwannoma and meningioma cells-perturb molecular signaling and induce cell death. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, flow cytometry, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay analyzed PAK inhibitors' effect on cell viability, cell cycle, and cell death, respectively. Western blots evaluated activation and expression of cell proliferation, apoptotic, and mitotic catastrophe markers. Light microscopy evaluated cell morphology, and immunocytochemistry analyzed cellular localization of phospho-Merlin and autophagy-related protein.

RESULTS
Treatment with PI-8 and PI-15 decreased cell viability at 0.65 to 3.7 μM 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) in schwannoma and meningioma cells. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling and immunocytochemistry studies show that PI-8 and PI-15 induce mitotic catastrophe but not apoptosis in HEI193 cells while in BenMen1 cells, PI-8 induces autophagy and mitotic catastrophe. PI-15 induces apoptosis in BenMen1 cells. PAK inhibitor treated cells show phospho-Merlin localized to over-duplicated centrosomes of dividing cells, multiple enlarged nuclei, and misaligned/missegregated chromosomes-markers for mitotic catastrophe. Increased autophagy-related protein levels in the nucleus confirmed this cell death type. PI-8 and PI-15 inhibits PAK in both cell lines. However, only PI-15 inhibits v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog in BenMen1 cells.

CONCLUSION
PAK inhibitors induce cell death in schwannoma and meningioma cells, at least in part, by mitotic catastrophe.


This opinion addresses questions concerning the EU control strategy against Xylella fastidiosa: i) factors affecting symptom expression and spread of X. fastidiosa; ii) the aetiology of the CoDiRO (Complesso del Disseccamento Rapido dell'Olivo) disease; iii) host plant removal as an option for containment or eradication; and iv) secondary effects of pesticides. Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca was shown to be the causal agent of the CoDiRO disease of olives by recent biological assays fulfilling Koch's postulates. Symptoms in X. fastidiosa infected plants develop because of wilting from water stress induced by bacteria clogging the xylem vessels. Therefore, interventions supporting vigorous growth and development of the plant may improve its health status, its resilience, prolong its productive phase and extend the symptomless phase of the disease. The Panel considers removal of infected plants, in a system-based approach, as the only option to prevent further spread of the pathogen to new areas. In the outer strip of the containment area bordering the buffer zone, removal of infected plants and stringent monitoring can be effective in preventing pathogen spread into the buffer zone. In areas of recent introduction, such as new outbreaks in the buffer zone, the stringent removal of both infected plants and all host plants irrespective of their health status within a radius, as described in current EU legislation, can be effective in reducing pathogen spread, when rigorously administered and new infections are detected in time. Finally, the reduction of vector populations by application of chemical or biological means, mechanical treatments, or other sustainable methods, can have effects in slowing down the pathogen spread. Concerning the use of pesticides, there is currently no evidence of negative effects of such treatments on the interaction of X. fastidiosa with infected olive trees, the severity of symptoms and the outcome of the infection.


GUNER, NIHAT. Papaya Ringspot Virus Watermelon Strain and Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus Resistance in Watermelon. (under the direction of Dr. Todd C. Wehner) Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai) is a major crop in the southern United States. Papaya ringspot virus-watermelon strain (PRSV-W, formerly Watermelon mosaic virus-1) and Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) affect all agricultural species of the Cucurbitaceae and are of great economic importance because of their destructiveness. Watermelon has not been screened extensively for resistance to PRSV-W. Although there is a resistance source for ZYMV resistance, the identification of additional sources of resistance to ZYMV would be highly desirable since the initial sources of resistance are temperature dependent, or not resistant to some of the more severe strains of the virus. The objectives of this study were 1) to screen the USDA watermelon germplasm collection along with available watermelon cultivars for PRSV-W resistance; 2) to verify the disease rating for the most resistant and most susceptible accessions; 3) to determine the genetic control of PRSV-W resistance; and 4) to screen the U.S.D.A. watermelon germplasm collection along with available watermelon cultivars to identify additional sources of resistance to ZYMV. A total of 1275 plant introduction accessions and 44 watermelon cultivars were screened for PRSV-W resistance. The experiment was a randomized complete block with five replications. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed after the last rating to determine whether the virus was in the plant tissue. After the germplasm screening, the most resistant and most susceptible cultigens were retested to verify their reactions. Of the 60 resistant PI accessions in the final retest, eight had resistance with a rating of 3.6 or less for the best, average and maximum ratings: PI 244017, PI 244019, PI 482342, PI 482318, PI 485583, PI 482379, PI 595203, and PI 244018. None of the watermelon cultivars tested exhibited resistance to PRSV-W. Inheritance of PRSVW resistance was studied in three C. lanatus var. citroides accessions: PI 244017, PI 244019, and PI 485583. Three susceptible parent lines, 'Allsweet', 'Calhoun Gray', and 'New Hampshire Midget', were crossed with resistant accessions to develop F1, F2, and BC1 generations for six families. A single recessive gene was found to control resistance to PRSV-W in all three resistant PI accessions. A test of allelism indicated that resistance to PRSV-W in the three PI accessions was due to the same gene. Therefore, the gene symbol 'prv' is proposed for PRSV-W resistance in PI 244017, PI 244019, and PI 485583 in watermelon. The USDA germplasm collection of 1613 introduction accessions, as well as 41 watermelon cultivars, was screened for resistance to the Florida strain of Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV-FL). The experiment was a randomized complete block with four replications. A retest study was conducted after the germplasm screening to verify the reaction of the most resistant and susceptible accessions. The PI accessions with the highest resistance to ZYMV were PI 595203, PI 537277, PI 560016, PI 386016, PI 386019, PI 485580, PI 494529, and PI 595200. PI 595203 was the most resistant accession based on both the germplasm screening and the retest study. PI accessions with the highest resistance to ZYMV-FL that also had resistance to other watermelon viruses PRSV-W and WMV (Watermelon mosaic virus, formerly Watermelon mosaic virus-2) were PI 595203, PI 386015, PI 386016, PI 386024, PI 386025, PI 386026, PI 244018, PI 244019, PI 485583, and PI 494528, PI 494529. Papaya Ringspot Virus Watermelon Strain and Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus Resistance


The recession of 2008-2009 inflicted a larger cumulative loss of UK output than any of the other post-war recessions. Nevertheless, employment rates remained higher than might have been expected given the experience of previous recessions. The main reasons for this appear to be a combination of high firm profitability levels going into the recession, supportive monetary and fiscal policies during the recession, reductions in real producer wages and relatively buoyant real consumer wages. Unemployment had reached its lowest levels for thirty years going in to the latest recession and has also remained relatively subdued through the downturn, certainly compared to previous recessions. A combination of lower inflow rates into unemployment, allied with a relatively higher outflow rate into employment, underlie this. As government support for the economy is scaled back and productivity growth remains low, it may be that it will take a long time for employment to return to levels last seen before the recession.


The various possibilities for the origin ("progenitors") of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) manifest in differing observable properties. Through deep spectroscopic and high-resolution imaging observations of some GRB hosts, I demonstrate that well-localized long-duration GRBs are connected with otherwise normal star-forming galaxies at moderate redshifts of order unity. Using high-mass binary stellar population synthesis models, I quantify the expected spatial extent around galaxies of coalescing neutron stars, one of the leading contenders for GRB progenitors. I then test this scenario by examining the offset distribution of GRBs about their apparent hosts making extensive use of ground-based optical data from Keck and Palomar and space-based imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope. The offset distribution appears to be inconsistent with the coalescing neutron star binary hypothesis (and, similarly, black-hole-neutron star coalescences); instead, the distribution is statistically consistent with a population of progenitors that closely traces the ultra-violet light of galaxies. This is naturally explained by bursts which originate from the collapse of massive stars ("collapsars"). This claim is further supported by the unambiguous detections of intermediate-time (approximately three weeks after the bursts) emission "bumps" which appear substantially more red than the afterglows themselves. I claim that these bumps could originate from supernovae that occur at approximately the same time as the associated GRB; if true, GRB 980326 and GRB 011121 provide strong observational evidence connecting cosmological GRBs to high-redshift supernovae and implicate massive stars as the progenitors of at least some long-duration GRBs. Regardless of the true physical origin of these bumps, it appears that all viable alternative models of these bumps (such as dust scattering of the afterglow light) require a substantial amount of circumburst matter that is distributed as a wind-stratified medium; this too, implicates massive stars. Also suggested herein are some future observations which could further solidify or refute the supernova claim. In addition to the observational and modeling work, I also constructed the Jacobs Camera (JCAM), a dual-beam optical camera for the Palomar 200-inch Telescope designed to follow-up rapid GRB localizations.


Abstract. With the help of the regional climate model MAR (Modele Atmospherique Regional) forced by the ERA-Interim reanalysis (MARERA) and the MIROC5 (Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate) global model (MARMIROC5) from the CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) database, we have modelled the climate and surface mass balance of Svalbard at a 10 km resolution over 1979–2013. The integrated total surface mass balance (SMB) over Svalbard modelled by MARERA is negative (−1.6 Gt yr−1) with a large interannual variability (7.1 Gt) but, unlike over Greenland, there has been no acceleration of the surface melt over the past 35 years because of the recent change in atmospheric circulation bringing northwesterly flows in summer over Svalbard, contrasting the recent observed Arctic warming. However, in 2013, the atmospheric circulation changed to a south–southwesterly flow over Svalbard causing record melt, SMB (−20.4 Gt yr−1) and summer temperature. MIROC5 is significantly colder than ERA-Interim over 1980–2005 but MARMIROC5 is able to improve the near-surface MIROC5 results by simulating not significant SMB differences with MARERA over 1980–2005. On the other hand, MIROC5 does not represent the recent atmospheric circulation shift in summer and induces in MARMIROC5 a significant trend of decreasing SMB (−0.6 Gt yr−2) over 1980–2005.


We have been investigation the roles of cyclooxygenase-1 and 2 (COX-1 and COX-2) on the induction of collagen-induced arthritis, an animal model of rheumatoid arthritis and have demonstrated that COX-2 gene ablation suppresses susceptibility to CIA. The inhibition of CIA in COX-2-/- mice was associated with pronounced reduction in the production of anti-CII antibodies compared to that in COX-1-/- and WT mice. CIA could not be passively transferred to COX-2-/- mice using anti-CII monoclonal antibodies, but could not be passively transferred to WT and COX-1-/-littermates. These observations indicated that there must be a factor other than a suppressed anti-CII humoral response inhibiting susceptibility to this autoimmune disease in COX-2-/- mice

Therefore in order to examine the COX-2-/- phenotype with respect to suppression of autoimmune as well as systemic inflammatory responses we took the following approach. First we determined whether COX-2 deficiency alters the function of the immune system, due to a developmental defect in the production of lymphoid or myeloid cells, or impaired functions of lymphocytes and APC. Quantitative analysis of mononuclear cells in peripheral blood and lymphoid organs of WT and COX-null mice indicated no significant defect in the production of lympoid or myeloid cells in COX-2-/- mice to in vitro antigenic (CII) stimulation were comparable to WT cells. These observations suggest that the suppression of anti-CII humoral response in COX-2-/- mice is not caused by either a development defect of the immune system, or by a defect in the function of the recognition arm of the immune system. However our observations indicate a significant drop in the percentage of mature B cells and macrophages in tissues of COX-2-/- mice post-immunization. Previous studies have suggested an important role of p53 in promoting activation induced death of B cells and macrophages, as well as a role of COX-2 in counteracting p53-induced apoptosis. In view of these findings we propose that in the absence of COX-2 survival of B cells and macrophages post-immunization may be impaired, and this may be a factor suppressing the anti-CII humoral response as well as preventing an inflammatory response in the joints of COX-2-/- mice

Second we considered the possibility of suppressed effecter functions of the immune systems in COX-2-/- mice, due to altered production of soluble mediators like cytokines and eicosanoids by COX-2-/- cells. Analysis of eicosanoids produced by elicited peritoneal macrophages of WT, COX-1-/- and COX-2-/- mice indicated increased production of HETEs in COX-2-/- cells as compared to WT cells. In addition production of Th1 pro-inflammatory cytokines IFN and TNFa was significantly suppressed in COX-2-/- CD4 T cells. Previous studies have demonstrated a requirement of 5-lipooxygenase derived products especially leukotrienes for T cell activation including cytokine production, and have also indicated that certain isomers of HETEs like 15-HETE can inhibit 5-lipooxygenase activity. These results coupled with our observations suggest that COX-2 potential of imparting negative regulatory signals on effector functions of lymphocytes

We next addressed the question, whether the phenotypix characteristics of COX-2-/- mice can be attributed to an immediate deficiency of COX-2 derived products, or whether they are a result of physiological changes induced by COX-2 gene ablation. We compared the incidence of CIA in WT mice treated with a COX-2 selective inhibitor (Rofecoxib) as well as in COX-2-/- mice with respect to CIA susceptibility were only partially mimicked by prolonged administration of the COX-2 selective inhibitor to WT mice. These included suppression of the anti-CII humoral response, and reduced incidence and severity of disease. In addition an infusion of WT spleen cells could only partially restore susceptibility to CIA in COX-2-/- mice while the anti-CII humeral response remained suppressed

Taken together these findings suggest that the prevention of CIA in COX-2-/- mice appears to results from the cumulative effects produced by COX-2 deficiency and the alteration in the arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism induced by COX-2 gene ablation. While COX-2 deficiency appears to enhance the susceptibility of B cells and macrophages to activation induced apoptosis, the altered repertoire of eicosanoids produced in COX-2-/- mice may be selectively activating the negative regulatory circuits of the immune and inflammatory systems


This article reports on a research project aimed at assessing the impact of race and
class disparity in restorative justice processes in South Africa. It was conducted against
the backdrop of the inclusion of family group conferencing and restorative justice
policy in the Child Justice Bill 49-2002 and in various governmentally supported
initiatives. All known facilitators who had convened family group conferences in the
preceding year were requested to complete a questionnaire and to report on specific
cases in which a family group conference had been held where victims and offenders
were from different class or racial backgrounds. Six of the returned case studies are
detailed in the article. The authors conclude that, while inter-race and inter±class
restorative processes occur less frequently than might be predicted, the fact of these
differences is not necessarily an impediment to success. However, numerous other
factors, including language differences and transport difficulties, can limit the
effectiveness of this method of resolution of criminal justice disputes.


The analysis of univariate and multivariate longitudinal data (U/MLD) with censored and missing response has inspired considerable interest in the statistical community recently. In the case of MLD, estimating the contemporaneous correlation coefficient is of particular interest to applied researchers. In this dissertation, mixed model methodologies are investigated to analyze U/MLD with censored and missing response while accounting for complex features of longitudinal data such as serial correlation and/or heteroscedasticity of the measurement error, and multiple level of nesting in the random effects. We propose a computationally feasible expectation maximization (EM) algorithm for maximum likelihood (ML) and restricted maximum likelihood (REML) estimation for univariate and bivariate linear mixed effects models (U/BLMEMs) with censored and missing response. We implement our proposed methodology in an R function lmecm, which computes ML and REML for U/BLMEMs with censored and missing response and fits a wider class of models than existing computational tools. The performance of the proposed methods is evaluated through extensive simulation studies and analysis of real data from environmental and biomedical studies. Index words: Detection limit; R; lmecm; EM algorithm; Maximum likelihood; Heteroscedastic errors; Serial correlation.


Geodetic observations of crustal deformation through the earthquake cycle provide unique opportunities to gain essential knowledge of faulting mechanisms, lithospheric rheology, and fault interaction. Normal faults, an integral geologic unit responsible for crustal deformation, are specifically investigated in this thesis, via three case studies in two significantly different tectonic environments: the 2008 Mw 6.3 Damxung and Mw 7.1 Yutian earthquakes on the Tibetan Plateau, and the 2005 Mw 7.8 Tarapaca earthquake in the northern Chile subduction zone.

To move toward realistic slip models, I consider crustal layering for the Damxung earthquake, and non-planar rupture for the Yutian earthquake. The Damxung study shows that assuming a homogeneous crust underestimates the depth of slip and overestimates the magnitude, in comparison to a crustal model with a weak sedimentary lid. A curved fault model composed of triangular dislocation elements (TDEs) for the Yutian earthquake recovers the geodetic observation better than rectangular fault segments. Normal faulting earthquakes are characterized by shallow slip deficit, which is partially compensated by patchy afterslip around, but no deeper than, the coseismic rupture. The complementary and partially-overlapping relationship between coseismic slip and afterslip implies complexity of frictional properties in both down-dip and along-strike directions.

Postseismic deformation induced by viscoelastic relaxation (VER) following normal faulting earthquakes is fundamentally different in pattern from that produced by afterslip. This difference enables identification of afterslip as the major postseismic mechanism for the Damxung and Yutian earthquakes, and VER for the Tarapaca earthquake. In addition to understanding the faulting mechanism, I also place constraints on local rheological structure. In central Tibet, where the Damxung earthquake occurred, lack of noticeable VER-related signal allows a lower bound of 1 × 1018 Pa s for the viscosity of the lower crust/upper mantle. In northern Chile, geodetic observations following the Tarapaca earthquake indicate a weak layer with viscosity of 4 – 8 × 10^18 Pa s beneath a higher-viscosity lower crust and mantle lithosphere, and a strong continental forearc.

Based on the co- and post-seismic models, I investigate fault interaction from a perspective of static stress change. Stress computation suggests that the 2014 Mw 6.9 strike-slip event close to the Altyn Tagh fault occurred on a fault that was positively stressed by the Yutian earthquake, and the Altyn Tagh fault to the east of the 2014 rupture is a potential locus for future failure. Although the Coulomb stress change on the 2014 Iquique earthquake rupture is negative due to the Tarapaca earthquake and its postseismic VER process, positive loading on the shallow-dipping nodal plane of its M 6.7 preshock suggests that the Tarapaca earthquake may have acted as an indirect trigger of the 2014 Iquique earthquake. Both studies reveal the role played by normal faults in interacting with other types of faults and have implications for seismic hazard assessment.


We describe a new 4D-Var inversion framework for nitrous oxide (N2O) based on the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model and its adjoint, and apply it in a series of observing system simulation experiments to assess how well N2O sources and sinks can be constrained by the current global observing network. The employed measurement ensemble includes approximately weekly and quasicontinuous N2O measurements (hourly averages used) from several long-term monitoring networks, N2O measurements collected from discrete air samples onboard a commercial aircraft (Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container; CARIBIC), and quasi-continuous measurements from the airborne HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) campaigns. For a 2-year inversion, we find that the surface and HIPPO observations can accurately resolve a uniform bias in emissions during the first year; CARIBIC data provide a somewhat weaker constraint. Variable emission errors are much more difficult to resolve given the long lifetime of N2O, and major parts of the world lack significant constraints on the seasonal cycle of fluxes. Current observations can largely correct a global bias in the stratospheric sink of N2O if emissions are known, but do not provide information on the temporal and spatial distribution of the sink. However, for the more realistic scenario where source and sink are both uncertain, we find that simultaneously optimizing both would require unrealistically small errors in model transport. Regardless, a bias in the magnitude of the N2O sink would not affect the a posteriori N2O emissions for the 2-year timescale used here, given realistic initial conditions, due to the timescale required for stratosphere–troposphere exchange (STE). The same does not apply to model errors in the rate of STE itself, which we show exerts a larger influence on the tropospheric burden of N2O than does the chemical loss rate over short (< 3 year) timescales. We use a stochastic estimate of the inverse Hessian for the inversion to evaluate the spatial resolution of emission constraints provided by the observations, and find that significant, spatially explicit constraints can be achieved Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 3180 K. C. Wells et al.: Simulation of atmospheric N2O with GEOS-Chem in locations near and immediately upwind of surface measurements and the HIPPO flight tracks; however, these are mostly confined to North America, Europe, and Australia. None of the current observing networks are able to provide significant spatial information on tropical N2O emissions. There, averaging kernels (describing the sensitivity of the inversion to emissions in each grid square) are highly smeared spatially and extend even to the midlatitudes, so that tropical emissions risk being conflated with those elsewhere. For global inversions, therefore, the current lack of constraints on the tropics also places an important limit on our ability to understand extratropical emissions. Based on the error reduction statistics from the inverse Hessian, we characterize the atmospheric distribution of unconstrained N2O, and identify regions in and downwind of South America, central Africa, and Southeast Asia where new surface or profile measurements would have the most value for reducing present uncertainty in the global N2O budget.


This study focuses on the dominant definitions of nutritional and medical neglect used to identify child maltreatment. These originate from the United Kingdom and the United States, but are also utilised in the developing countries of the sub-Saharan region. Evidence adduced from secondary data gathered in five representative African countries seeks to demonstrate that the application of these dominant definitions of neglect is misleading in the socio-economic context which pertains in most of the sub-Saharan region. The statutes which domesticate the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in these African countries are examined to reveal some distinctive national variations in their child protection provisions. While predominantly reflecting Western definitions of neglect, some of the legal provisions embedded in African domestic laws offer insights into more functional concepts of child neglect. Notably some recognise a tension between deprivation which denies parents the resources to satisfactorily care for their child, and neglect whereby adequately resourced parents deny their child nourishment and medical assistance.


Tuberculosis (TB) is a global epidemic of considerable proportions. It is also closely entwined with the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). There is a great need for new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics in this therapeutic area, but there are many challenges in the successful operational execution of the requisite clinical trials in developing countries. This paper reviews these challenges and offers some 'lessons learned' in the execution of clinical trials for TB vaccines, treatment, and diagnostics across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and eastern Europe over the past 10 years. To set the scene for these discussions, the paper first provides some background on the disease itself, existing vaccines and drugs, and current research on new products. Extensive references are provided for readers who wish to pursue these topics in greater detail.


This essay responds to McCold's critique of community justice (McCold, 2004, this issue). First, McCold fails to define or portray community justice accurately, especially by failing to acknowledge seminal writings about the concept. His distorted portrait becomes a 'straw man' that exaggerates differences between community justice and restorative justice. Second, I identify several ways in which the models are complementary, and identify how community justice may support and enhance restorative practices. Finally, I argue that their commonalities far outweigh differences, and that the proper focus of action should be on both models' differences with the traditional, retributive court.


United States defense operations are greatly enhanced by satellites, however these key assets are vulnerable to perils such as space weather or acts of aggression. Unfortunately it is not only difficult to defend against such threats, it can be difficult to determine the cause from the ground. What may at first appear to be a routine system glitch may in fact be something much more serious. This situation is aggravated by the fact that Air Force satellite control centers use antiquated technology requiring multiple human controllers per satellite, each viewing alphanumeric displays that degrade situational awareness, increase crew workload and invite confusion during demanding wartime scenarios. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL/HECP) in conjunction with various organizations at Schriever Air Force Base are conducting research to increase situational awareness of the orbital battlespace by allowing operators to navigate through three-dimensional displays with voiceactivated commands. This speech interface to Satellite Tool Kit ‐ which will be discussed in this paper ‐ is intended to be an initial step at enabling operators to quickly gather information from satellites or constellations. Future research plans call for applying usability engineering techniques to the satellite attack identification and reporting process, and then applying the optimal configuration of human interface technologies.


The use of the partitive case, a typical case characterizing Finnic languages, remains a constant struggle for learners of Finnish as a foreign language. This paper reports on a study on the (under)use of partitive plural predicatives in the writings of Estonian, German and Dutch learners of Finnish as a foreign language. The overall aim of the study reported on in this paper was to identify and address similarities and differences between the use of partitive plural predicatives by learners of Finnish as a foreign language from related and non-related L1 backgrounds (Estonian vs. German/Dutch). Research materials (Estonian learner corpus 82,749 words; German learner corpus 60,490 words; Dutch learner corpus 47,753 words) were selected from the International Corpus of Learner Finnish and aligned to the CEFR proficiency scales. As will be discussed, all learner corpora were particularly at the lower proficiency levels characterized by frequent replacement of partitive plural predicatives by nominative predicatives. However, partitive plural predicatives were in the Estonian learner corpus generally substituted by nominative plural predicatives and in the remaining learner corpora mainly by nominative singular (i.e. uninflected) predicatives, suggesting reliance on L1 morphosyntax versus simplification. It will nevertheless be argued that these seemingly different phenomena also have much in common.


Purpose – This column aims to examine the influence of technology on copyright infringement and looks at the contemporary technology race between tools for rights enforcement and tools for copying and sharing.Design/methodology/approach – The method is fundamentally anthropological with strong consideration given to reports contemporary behaviors in law cases and news reports.Findings – The findings suggest that rights‐holder organizations like the Recording Industry Association of America are learning how to apply technology more effectively to their policing efforts. This could significantly alter the risk of infringement.Originality/value – Technology has long been recognized as a key factor in enabling copyright infringement. Some new technologies attempt to restrict copying (e.g. Digital Rights Management software). Now internet software is being used systematically for discovery and policing.


Traders using the electronic limit order book in the foreign exchange market can watch the posted price and depth of the best quotes change over the day. The authors use a structural errorcorrection model to examine the dynamics of the relationship between the best bid price, the best ask price, and their associated depths. They incorporate measures of the market depth behind the best quotes as regressors. They report four main findings. First, best prices and their associated depths are contemporaneously related to each other. More specifically, an increase in the ask (bid) price is associated with a drop (rise) in the ask (bid) depth. This suggests that sell traders avoid the adverse-selection risk of selling in a rising market. Second, when the spread-the error-correction term-widens, the bid price rises and the ask price drops, returning the spread to its long-term equilibrium value. Further, the best depth on both sides of the market drops, due to increased market uncertainty. Third, the lagged best depth impacts the price discovery on both sides of the market, with the effect being strongest on the same side of the market. Fourth, changes in the depth behind the best quotes impact both the best prices and quantities, even though those changes are unobservable to market participants.


Fully polarimetric L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar ( SAR ) backscatter was collected using NASA 's Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ( UAV ) SAR and regressed with in situ measurements of basal area ( BA ) and above ground biomass ( AGB ) of mature loblolly pine stands in North Carolina. Results found HH polarization consistently displayed the lowest correlations where HV and VV exhibited the highest correlations in all groups for both BA and AGB . When plantation stands were analyzed separately (plantation versus natural), correlation improved signifi cantly for both BA (R 2 = 0.65, HV ) and AGB (R 2 = 0.66, VV ). Similarly, results improved when natural stands were analyzed separately resulting in the highest correlation for AGB (R 2 = 0.63, HV and VV ). Data decomposition using the Freeman 3-component model indicated that the relative low correlations were due to the saturation of the L-band backscatter across the majority of the study area.


A new skeleton of Acrocanthosaurus atokensis is the most complete specimen collected and has the only known complete skull. Aspects of the new skeleton are described in detail, with special attention directed to the morphology of the skull and forelimb. Although unquestionably one of the largest theropods ever found, it is smaller than Carcharodontosaurus, Giganotosaurus and Tyrannosaurus. Comparison with other theropods suggests that Acrocanthosaurus bears a strong resemblance to these taxa because of characters that are size determinate, and the evidence suggests Acrocanthosaurus is more closely related to Allosauridae than to Carcharodontosauridae. Three families (Allosauridae, Carcharodontosauridae, Sinraptoridae) are recognized in the Allosauroidea.


Worldwide water resources are not uniformly distributed and are generally scarce in arid and semiarid zones such as the Middle East. Lebanon, which is located along the Mediterranean shores of the Middle East, remains blessed with relatively more water in comparison with its neighbouring countries. This paper examines increased pressure on Lebanon's water resources requiring the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive management plan to meet future water demands. Water resources are described with the corresponding present and future water balance, environmental stresses, and constraints facing the water sector in Lebanon.


We provide a brief overview of the history of the journal Contributions to Zoology and analyse the papers published in the last 27 years by topic. Founded in 1848 as 'Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde', 160 years and 76 volumes later it is one of the oldest zoological journals that is still regularly printed. Over the last decades most papers dealt with invertebrates (60%), followed by vertebrates (23%), insects (10%) and non-taxonomic papers. Contributions to Zoology has seen a change from a largely alpha taxonomic journal to one that is truly general in scope. Systematic Biology and Comparative Morphology of both extant and extinct taxa nowadays make up about half of the papers published. Ethology as a research subject has been gradually phased out, and judged by the number of papers published, Conservation Biology has seen its coming of age of as a mainstream biological science. With contributors from 36 countries, of which 40% from outside Europe, Contributions to Zoology is a truly international journal, for research and researchers from various parts of the world.


The purpose of the present project has been to carry out international studies on meaning-making coping among people who have been affected by cancer in a number of societies and, thereby, to try to understand the influence of culture on use of these coping methods. Five countries—Sweden, South Korea, China, Japan, and Turkey—are included in the project. Qualitative semistructured interviews have been conducted with persons with a cancer diagnosis. The research group in each country has used, as a foundation, the interview questions developed for the Swedish study. These questions were, however, modified to better suite the sociocultural context of each participating country. The results presented here concern only Turkey and are restricted to religious coping methods. The study consists of 25 cancer patients (18 females and 7 males) between 20 and 71 years of age. The results of the study in Turkey indicated that the RCOPE (Religious Coping) methods are highly relevant for the interviewees. A sociological analysis of the study made from a cultural perspective showed clearly the importance of the idea of being tolerant (Sabr) for patients when coping with the psychological problems brought about by cancer. The study made it clear that culture plays an essential role in the choice of coping methods.


Passive optical networks (PONs) are being widely considered as a means to implement fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and deliver broadband access to business and home users. However, technical and consequently regulatory and economic complexities arise in light of their deployment. In this paper, an evaluation of the business prospects of time division multiplexed (TDM) and wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) PON architectures for FTTH deployments under different rollout conditions is performed, based on the ECOSYS techno-economic methodology and tool. The importance of various cost components (fiber installation, optoelectronic components, etc.) is discussed. Using sensitivity analysis, the effect of various parameters such as duct availability, cost of civil works, etc. on the prospects of the investment are investigated. These results reveal several important techno-economic aspects that should be considered by telecom operators, regulators, and policy makers towards a successful FTTH deployment strategy.


The European railway sector is undergoing dramatic changes. During the still ongoing liberalization process most vertically-integrated railway operators have already been "unbundled". The shift from integrated to disintegrated companies coupled with the introduction of competition – so far in freight, but as of 2010 also in international passenger traffic – is having profound implications on the development and deployment of new technologies. In addition, within the framework of the Single European Market the main stakeholders have now to work under the constraint of interoperability. The paper examines railway standardization processes within an interoperable environment. So far, the railway sector has a strong history of national standards development. In the area of signalling, the result and current situation is therefore a patchwork of poorly interoperable systems. The paper builds on a case study of the development and deployment of a core signalling system – the European Rail Train Management System (ERTMS) – to illustrate the difficulties to coordinate a standardization process in such a liberalized and deregulated environment. The paper questions whether, in the framework of the emerging technological and institutional environment, the current governance of rail standards is suited to the EU's objectives of a competitive railway market. Through the introduction of ERTMS the paper discusses the role of the new European Rail Agency (ERA) as the locus for coordinating the ERTMS standardization process. It makes recommendations as to which actor(s) is/are best suited to govern the standardization of such highly complex and interdependent technical systems.


Really Responsive Regulation seeks to add to current theories of enforcement by stressing the case for regulators to be responsive not only to the attitude of the regulated firm but also to the operating and cognitive frameworks of firms; the institutional environment and performance of the regulatory regime; the different logics of regulatory tools and strategies; and to changes in each of these elements. The approach pervades all the different tasks of enforcement activity: detecting undesirable or non compliant behaviour; developing tools and strategies for responding to that behaviour; enforcing those tools and strategies; assessing their success or failure; and modifying them accordingly. The value of the approach is shown by outlining its potential application to UK environmental and fisheries controls. Putting the system into effect is itself challenging but failing to regulate really responsively can constitute an expensive process of shooting in the dark.


Panels of 40 to 60 "non-expert" consumers attempted to distinguish between the taste of organically and conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. Wherever possible, samples of the two types of produce were obtained by picking them in the growing orchards/fields to avoid any question of authenticity, and cold-stored without treatment under the same conditions, for periods reflecting their shipping time to markets. Some physical, chemical, and instrumental analytical tests were also performed. No consistent preference pattern emerged. For grapefruit, grapes, carrots, spinach, sweet corn and tomatoes, the differences in hedonic ratings and scores between the two types of produce were not significant. For mangoes and orange juice, the conventional type was preferred, while the reverse was true for bananas; in each of these three instances the result could be ascribed to fruit being tasted closer to its optimum maturity.Screening tests were performed to detect any traces, at the parts-per-billion level, of chlorinated hydrocarbons and organophosphorus compounds used as pesticides, or their degradation products. No traces were detected in any of the samples examined (bananas, grapes, carrots, spinach, sweet corn or tomatoes), whether organically or conventionally grown. In those samples examined (bananas, grapes, carrots, spinach, sweet corn and tomatoes) by quantitative tests for the three major fertilizer elements used conventionally (NPK), nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were not consistently greater, while potassium concentrations were either equal or greater, than in the organically grown samples. Among the anion analyses performed on orange juice, grapefruit juice, carrots, spinach and tomatoes, nitrates and particularly nitrites either were not detected, or occurred at negligible concentrations in all samples. Phosphates were found at higher concentrations, but not significantly so, in four of the five organic products tested; no phosphates were detected in either type of tomatoes.


Feminist writers have long engaged in critiques of private law. Surrogacy contracts or the "reasonable man" standard in torts, for example, have long been the subjects of thorough feminist analysis and critique. When private law issues touch on more than one jurisdiction, Conflict of Laws is the doctrine that determines which jurisdiction can try the case and—as separate questions—which jurisdiction's law should apply and under what conditions a foreign judgment can be recognized and enforced. Yet, there are virtually no feminist perspectives on Conflict of Laws (also known as Private International Law). This is still more surprising when one considers that feminist approaches to Public International Law have been developing for over a quarter century.

In this Article, I show that there is a fundamental need to rethink the image of the transnational individual in Conflict of Laws theory and methodology. It is here, I argue, that feminism— specifically relational, often known as cultural, feminism—has an important contribution to make to Conflict of Laws. I develop a relational feminist approach to Conflict of Laws and apply it to a pressing contemporary issue, namely transnational surrogacy arrangements.

Overall, this Article shows how relational feminism can illuminate the problems of adopting an atomistic image of the individual in a transnational context, as well as provide an outline for an alternative—a relational theory of the self that redefines autonomy and the law, creating an important shift in how Conflict of Laws perceives its regulatory dimensions. The Article connects three of relational feminism's core insights—the notion of relational autonomy, the focus on relationships, and relational theories of judging— to Conflict of Laws theory and methodology.


The cattle cycle was characterized by remarkable regularity throughout much of the twentieth century. More recently, inventory appears to lack its typical periodicity, and herd numbers decline despite above-average cattle prices. Historically, producers responded to high prices by expanding herds and to low prices by contracting them. These expansions and contractions resulted in the cattle cycle. Yet, currently, the price of beef continues to increase and inventory numbers continue to decline. This thesis seeks to identify the factors responsible for the apparent change in producer response, and to determine whether or not inventory is still cyclical. Spectral analysis is used to examine the cycle and identifies the early 1980s as the point of change. Next, Granger causality tests and autoregressive distributed lag models are used to estimate national and statelevel inventory responses to various factors. A change in producer response to feeder cattle prices, above-average hay prices, and expanded crop insurance use appear to be the primary factors that are causing changes in the cattle cycle.


The theory of general relativity describes macroscopic phenomena driven by the influence of gravity while quantum mechanics brilliantly accounts for microscopic effects. Despite their tremendous individual success, a complete unification of fundamental interactions is missing and remains one of the most challenging and important quests in modern theoretical physics. The spacetime explorer and quantum equivalence principle space test satellite mission, proposed as a medium-size mission within the Cosmic Vision program of the European Space Agency (ESA), aims for testing general relativity with high precision in two experiments by performing a measurement of the gravitational redshift of the Sun and the Moon by comparing terrestrial clocks, and by performing a test of the universality of free fall of matter waves in the gravitational field of Earth comparing the trajectory of two Bose–Einstein condensates of 85Rb and 87Rb. The two ultracold atom clouds are monitored very precisely thanks to techniques of atom interferometry. This allows to reach down to an uncertainty in the Eötvös parameter of at least 2 × 10−15. In this paper, we report about the results of the phase A mission study of the atom interferometer instrument covering the description of the main payload elements, the atomic source concept, and the systematic error sources.


Abstract This study examines the impact of early COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. and European stock indices, implied volatility (IV) indices, and forecasting accuracy of IV indices from daily data of January 2012 to December 2020, using an out-of-sample assessment of COVID-19. Our results show that COVID-19 death and recovery cases have had a significant positive impact on S&P 500, DJIA and NASDAQ 100. On the other hand, VIX, VXD and VXN show a negative association. Again, we also observe the significant impact of COVID-19 on stock trading prices and volatility expectations. Furthermore, the evidence of the point forecasts is more reliable for European IV indices than for U.S. IV indices. Finally, this study validates the informational efficiency of IV indices on the financial markets and has implications for investors regarding portfolio management and investment risk minimisation in similar future pandemic situations.


We address the problem of semantic segmentation: classifying each pixel in an image according to the semantic class it belongs to (e.g. dog, road, car). Most existing methods train from fully supervised images, where each pixel is annotated by a class label. To reduce the annotation effort, recently a few weakly supervised approaches emerged. These require only image labels indicating which classes are present. Although their performance reaches a satisfactory level, there is still a substantial gap between the accuracy of fully and weakly supervised methods. We address this gap with a novel active learning method specifically suited for this setting. We model the problem as a pairwise CRF and cast active learning as finding its most informative nodes. These nodes induce the largest expected change in the overall CRF state, after revealing their true label. Our criterion is equivalent to maximizing an upper-bound on accuracy gain. Experiments on two data-sets show that our method achieves 97% percent of the accuracy of the corresponding fully supervised model, while querying less than 17% of the (super-)pixel labels.


The Neolithic ferai Mouflon of Corsica shows that it took several thousand years after domestication for a fleece to develop. Although wool may first have been used as felt, suggested by the natural felting of a moulting coat, the earliest remains are of Bronze Age cloth that indicates the combing of underwool from the outer hair before the full development of the first (Hairy-medium) fleece. The later, Generalised-medium, fleeces were plucked. Twisted strands of wool formed when a sheep rubs a moulting fleece could have led to spinning, Hairy-medium fleeces giving worsted yarns and Generalised-medium fleeces, woollens. Breeding for continuous wool growth could not begin before the development of shears in the Iron Age and it led to a new, true Hairy type of fleece. This was also when breeding for white wool started along with the development of dyes.


Human activities, especially dam construction, have changed the nutrient cycle process at the basin scale. Reservoirs often act as a sink in the basin and more nutrients are retained due to sedimentation, which induces the eutrophication of the surface water system. This paper proposes an integrated methodology to analyze the total nitrogen (TN) accumulation in a drinking water reservoir, based on the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model driven by the China Meteorological Assimilation Driving Datasets for the SWAT model (CMADS). The results show that the CMADS could be applied to drive the SWAT model in Northeast China. The dynamic process of TN accumulation indicates that the distribution of TN inputted into the reservoir fluctuated with the dry and wet seasons from 2009–2016, which was mainly governed by the amount of runoff. The annual average TN input and output fluxes of the Biliuhe reservoir were 274.41 × 104 kg and 217.14 × 104 kg, which meant that 19.76% of the TN input accumulated in the reservoir. Higher TN accumulation in the reservoir did not correspond to a higher TN load, due to the influence of flood discharge and the water supply. Interestingly, a higher TN accumulation efficiency was observed in normal hydrological years, because the water source reservoir always stores most of the water input for future multiple uses but rarely discharges surplus water. The non-point sources from fertilizer and atmospheric deposition and soils constituted the highest proportion of the TN input, accounting for 35.15%, 30.15%, and 27.72% of the average input. The DBWD (Dahuofang reservoir to Biliuhe reservoir water diversion) project diverted 32.03 × 104 kg year−1 TN to the Biliuhe reservoir in 2015–2016, accounting for 14.05% of the total annual input. The discharge output and the BDWD (Biliuhe reservoir to Dalian city water diversion) project output accounted for 48.75% and 47.74%, respectively. The effects of inter-basin water diversion projects should be of great concern in drinking water source water system management. There was a rising trend of TN level in the Biliuhe reservoir, which increases the eutrophication risk of the aquatic ecosystem. The TN accumulated in the sediment contributed to a large proportion of the TN accumulated in the reservoir. In addition to decreasing the non-point source nitrogen input from the upper basin, discharging anoxic waters and sediment with a high nitrogen concentration through the bottom hole of the dam could alleviate the nitrogen pollution in the Biliuhe reservoir.


New nonperipherally and peripherally tetrasubstituted zinc(II) phthalocyanine complexes containing 1-benzylpiperidin-4-ol groups and their quaternized derivatives are reported in this work. These complexes were characterized successfully and their photophysical and photochemical properties were studied. These properties were determined in dimethylsulfoxide for all studied complexes and in water and water $+$ Triton X-100 solutions for ionic Zn(II) phthalocyanines. All studied zinc(II) phthalocyanine complexes generated high singlet oxygen, especially in dimethylsulfoxide, and these properties make them potential photosensitizers for use in the photodynamic therapy of cancer. The effects of the position and quaternization of the substituents on the photophysical and photochemical properties were also examined. The fluorescence of the tetrasubstituted zinc(II) phthalocyanine complexes is effectively quenched by addition of 1,4-benzoquinone. Furthermore, the water soluble Zn(II) phthalocyanines can bind to bovine serum albumin, which is a blood plasma protein.


Objective: The objective of this paper is to analyze the development of China's national essential medicines list (NEML) from 1979 to 2010. These findings were then used as a basis to provide suggestions on how to improve essential medicines selection in China. Methods: The literature search was conducted on the issues related to "essential medicines", "China" and "national essential medicines lists". The information on essential medicines principles, criteria and procedures was also reviewed. Literature review and key informants interview were also conducted. Key informants were interviewed mainly on how medicines are selected at central and provincial level and how medicine selection could be improved in China. Results: In the past, China's national essential medicines list has not been successful in promoting access to essential medicines. Reasons for this failure included biased selection and non evidence-based selection. Analysis of China's essential medicines list and WHO's generic essential medicines show that two lists varied substantially in disease coverage. The NEML failed to cover some diseases of public health significance in China such as cancers. The way medicines are classified and defined is also different between the two lists, e.g., medicines in the NEML are listed without defining the dose. There are differing levels in transparency, involvement, collaboration and accountability in the way the medicines are selected. Lastly, most of the provinces selected additional medicines to complement NEML. However, in 2009 version of Chinese essential medicines list, some improvements have been noted. Conclusions: There has been significant improvement in China's NEML. The latest NEML made progress by setting achievable targets, adopting balanced guidelines and updating principles and criteria. However, there is still need to increase evidence-based selection, reassess which diseases are in need to be covered and define medicines with dosage forms and doses. In selecting medicines, efforts should be made towards higher transparency, involvement, collaboration and accountability. Provincial selection should be improved by establishing relevant measures and receiving technical support from the national government.


The physical mechanisms that quench star formation, turning blue star-forming galaxies into red quiescent galaxies, remain unclear. In this Letter, we investigate the role of gas supply in suppressing star formation by studying the molecular gas content of post-starburst galaxies. Leveraging the wide area of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we identify a sample of massive intermediate-redshift galaxies that have just ended their primary epoch of star formation. We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array CO(2-1) observations of two of these post-starburst galaxies at z ∼ 0.7 with . Their molecular gas reservoirs of and are an order of magnitude larger than comparable-mass galaxies in the local universe. Our observations suggest that quenching does not require the total removal or depletion of molecular gas, as many quenching models suggest. However, further observations are required both to determine if these apparently quiescent objects host highly obscured star formation and to investigate the intrinsic variation in the molecular gas properties of post-starburst galaxies.


Unmet need for family planning is defined using survey data as the percentage of women who do not want to become pregnant but are not using contraception. Though the concept seems straightforward the calculation is extraordinarily complex and has changed over time. To address these issues DHS revised the definition of unmet need in 2012. Using the revised definition: Unmet need is calculated the same way in all DHS surveys. Unmet need is calculated the same way in DHS and the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). Unmet need can be used to reliably track trends over time and compare estimates across countries. This paper describes the rationale process and results of revising the definition of unmet need and compares estimates of unmet need using the original and revised definitions for all DHS surveys from 1990- 2010. The study also estimates unmet need for spacing and limiting unmet need by background characteristics total demand for family planning and the proportion of demand satisfied and unmet need for sexually active unmarried women all using the revised definition.


This paper discusses the validity of the tree model of evolution for the particular case of Sinitic languages (or Chinese dialects). Our approach is lexically based, using standardized word lists. First, these lists were tested for their congruence, as they are supposed to have evolved at different rates. Then, we undertook a phylogenetic analysis, using both a distance-based lexicostatistical method and a character-based maximum parsimony method. The traditional classification of Chinese dialects is recovered to various extents depending on the method and on the word list used, but the character-based analysis of the 200 Swadesh word list outperforms all other analyses. Finally, the validity of the branching patterns obtained was tested using a variety of techniques. Although the data fits the inferred trees well, the topology of these trees is collapsed to a star-like pattern when investigated through resampling methods. The application of a network method confirms that the development of these Sinitic languages is not tree-like, highlighting the fact that in cases like this tree-reconstruction methods can be misleading.


Cybersickness (CS) is one of the challenges that has hindered the widespread adoption of Virtual Reality and its applications. Consequently, a number of studies have focused on extensively understanding and reducing CS. Inspired by previous work that has sought to reduce CS using foveated rendering and Field of View (FOV) restrictions, we investigated how the presence and size of a static central window in peripheral FOV blurring affects CS. To facilitate this peripheral FOV blur, we applied a Gaussian blur effect in the display peripheral region, provisioning a full-resolution central window. Thirty participants took part in a three-session, within-subjects experiment, performing search and spatial updating tasks in a first-person, slow-walking, maze-traveling scenario. Two different central window sizes (small and large) were tested against a baseline condition that didn't feature display peripheral blurring. Results revealed that the baseline condition produced higher levels of CS than both conditions with a central window. While there were no significant differences between the small and large windows, we observed interaction effects suggesting an influence of window size on "adaptation to CS." When the central window is small, adaptation to CS seems to take more time but is more pronounced. The interventions had no effect on spatial updating and presence, but were detectable when the blurred area was larger (small central window). Lower sickness levels observed in both window conditions supports the use of peripheral FOV blurring to reduce CS, reducing our dependence on eye tracking. This being said, researchers must strive to find the right balance between window size and detectability to ensure seamless virtual experiences.


This paper starts from the IS existing literature about Strategic Alignment that is mainly built on Henderson and Venkatraman"s founding article (1993). Numerous models of alignment have been developed to guide managers" daily practices. These models prescribe the alignment of dimensions through measure instruments. Other studies investigate several of the antecedents of strategic alignment such as the intellectual and social dimensions. However we argue that most existing literature on strategic alignment is technically and managerially focused. It neglects an essential dimension in organizations: the "true" social dimension that takes all stakeholders into account, including users, and not only management. Using well-established Translation Theory, we develop three principles of method that aim at opening the models existing in the literature to this forgotten social dimension that is essential for practitioners. Our approach tends to suggest that strategic alignment needs to be constructed from a managerial, technical and stakeholders" perspective in order to be effective. We illustrate our argument through two case vignettes.


The many methods for merchandising a bed and breakfast inn embrace both traditional means and the growing areas available online. The key to all tactics is to show would-be guests how the B&B matches their lodging preferences. Getting that message to the proper guests is essential regardless of the approach. Despite the growing popularity of the internet, nearly three-quarters of B&B guests still prefer to telephone the innkeeper for a reservation. In many cases, however, such calls are influenced by an inn's internet presence. Traditional means for promoting a B&B are guidebooks and local associations' publications. The inn can also gain notice if it attracts the attention of travel journalists. The inn can present itself as a venue for special events, notably weddings and family dinners. In any case, the inn should participate in community events and be seen as a participant in the local business community. If an inn is large enough it might want to deal with tour wholesalers or incentive travel, but that is an entirely different world from the typical B&B guest. One traditional method of spurring reservations is to send a direct-mail piece, preferably to the inn's own list of previous guests or to a prequalified list of people who like to stay in B&Bs. The internet offers a more direct way to interact with would-be guests and to gain reservations, but it also has pitfalls-the most common being that the inn can be lost in the huge volume of websites. Thus, an innkeeper may wish to create a website with keywords that search engines will notice in conjunction with queries about lodging in the area. A welldesigned website is essential, and it must include a way for the guest to make a request for rates and availability. That request may be in the form of a web-based booking engine or an email link. Innkeepers can use email to send messages about upcoming promotions to a list of previous guests or those who have inquired about the inn-or purchase a third-party list for this purpose. A most important issue relating to email is to avoid being seen as a spammer. Moreover, the innkeeper must be in a position to respond to guests' email requests in a prompt and personal manner. In the midst of all this, the innkeeper must find time to operate the property. Thus, engaging outside professional help for many of the merchandising tasks may be appropriate, depending on the inn's size and situation.


The purpose of this study was to determine whether recovery knowledge in psychology doctoral students reduced stigma toward individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Participants of this study consisted of 287 psychology doctoral students who differed in theoretical orientation, program type, clinical experience, and program year. More specifically, this study examined differences between different levels of recovery knowledge (low, medium, high) and different diagnoses (major depressive disorder [MDD], generalized anxiety disorder [GAD], BPD) on expressed stigma. Each student completed the Recovery Knowledge Inventory (RKI), read a vignette describing either BPD, depression, or anxiety, completed the Attribution Questionnaire (AQ-27) based on the vignette, and completed a demographic questionnaire. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether recovery knowledge moderates the relationship between diagnoses and stigma. The results suggested that diagnosis and recovery knowledge independently affected the stigma ratings. BPD and MDD were more stigmatized than GAD; however, there was no significant difference between the stigma ratings for BPD and MDD. Those who had high recovery knowledge had lower stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs than those that had medium or low levels of recovery knowledge. Recovery knowledge did not moderate the relationship between diagnosis and stigma. Furthermore, participants who had DBT training did not have lower stigma ratings. This study revealed that although recovery knowledge reduces stigma, BPD is still highly stigmatized by psychologists-in-training. Future research on ways to train doctoral psychology students to increase self-awareness of their own stigmatizing attitudes, combat stigma, and implement recovery-oriented practices is needed.


Using the schemas of force dynamics to examine how the emotions are conceptualized in natural language, this essay conducts detailed analysis of the relationship between the metaphors of cause as force, and force ( qua opponent) as a source domain of emotions. The author's main thesis is that the emotions provide the best representation of force dynamics in the space of conceptualization, for the metaphors relative to them always display a tendency towards inaction, which corresponds to the rational self (Agonist), and an entity exerting force (Antagonist), which is the cause of emotions. In this respect Kovecses essay links closely with Albertazzi's (and its development of Talmy's theory of force dynamics) and Wildgen's (generic space as the space of force). It also exemplifies the construal structures described by Langacker. It is, in particular, the essay in the book that conducts closest examination of the key role performed by metaphor in the conceptualization expressed by natural language.


The adsorption and surface ordering of metal-free phthalocyanine (H2PC) on InAs(100)(4 × 2)/c(8 × 2) and InSb(100) c(8 × 2) is investigated using scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and synchrotron based photoelectron spectroscopy. The two systems show structural similarities; at submonolayer coverage the preferred adsorption site of H2PC is on top of the In rows, and above 1 monolayer and after thermal treatment the first molecular layer is ordered in a densely packed '× 3' structure observed with both low energy electron diffraction and STM. The electronic properties and the surface bonds of the two systems are quite different: the InAs–H2PC interface is semiconducting after room temperature adsorption but becomes metallic upon thermal treatment whereas InSb(100)–H2PC is semiconducting at all preparations. These differences are reflected in pronounced differences in the C 1s line shape between the two systems. N 1s core level spectra from both surfaces reveal deprotonation of the molecules, i.e. the central hydrogen atoms are lost upon thermal treatment.


Social insects are the target of numerous pathogens. This is because the high density of closely-related individuals frequently interacting with each other enhances the transmission and establishment of pathogens. This high selective pressure results in the rapid evolution of immune genes, which might be counteracted by a reduced effective population size (Ne) lowering the effectiveness of selection. We tested the effect of Ne on the evolutionary rate of an important immune gene for the antimicrobial peptide Hymenoptaecin in two common central European bumblebee species: Bombus terrestris and Bombus lapidarius. Both species are similar in their biology and are expected to be under similar selective pressures because pathogen prevalence does not differ between species. However, previous studies indicated a higher Ne in B. terrestris compared to B. lapidarius. We found high intraspecific variability in the coding sequence but low variability for silent polymorphisms in B. lapidarius. Estimates of long- and short-term Ne were three- to four-fold higher Ne in B. terrestris, although the species did not differ in census population sizes. The difference in Ne might result in less efficient selection and suboptimal adaptation of immune genes (e.g. hymenoptaecin) in B. lapidarius, and thus this species might become less resistant and more tolerant, turning into a superspreader of diseases.


Context: An ethnobotany-based approach in the selection of raw plant materials to study was implemented. Objective: To acquire raw plant materials using ethnobotanical field interviews as starting point to discover new bioactive compounds from medicinal plants of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. Methods: Using semi-structured field interviews with healers in the Lao PDR, plant samples were collected, extracted, and bio-assayed to detect bioactivity against cancer, HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria. Plant species demonstrating activity were recollected and the extracts subjected to a bioassay-guided isolation protocol to isolate and identify the active compounds. Results: Field interviews with 118 healers in 15 of 17 provinces of Lao PDR yielded 753 collections (573 species) with 955 plant samples. Of these 955, 50 extracts demonstrated activity in the anticancer, 10 in the anti-HIV, 30 in the anti-TB, and 52 in the antimalarial assay. Recollection of actives followed by bioassay-guided isolation processes yielded a series of new and known in vitro-active anticancer and antimalarial compounds from 5 species. Discussion: Laos has a rich biodiversity, harboring an estimated 8000–11,000 species of plants. In a country highly dependent on traditional medicine for its primary health care, this rich plant diversity serves as a major source of their medication. Conclusions: Ethnobotanical survey has demonstrated the richness of plant-based traditional medicine of Lao PDR, taxonomically and therapeutically. Biological assays of extracts of half of the 955 samples followed by in-depth studies of a number of actives have yielded a series of new bioactive compounds against the diseases of cancer and malaria.


A nonreceptor guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Gαi interacts with EGFR to tip cells from proliferating to migrating. Growth factor receptors, such as the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), can trigger either cell migration or cell division, but generally these two responses are exclusive, a phenomenon called the "migration-proliferation dichotomy." GIV, a nonreceptor guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Gαi, and Gαi have been implicated in the migratory response to EGF. By analyzing cultured cells (in which endogenous GIV was knocked down) expressing an siRNA-resistant GIV or a GEF-deficient mutant (GIV-FA), Ghosh et al. found that in response to EGF and scratch wounding, cells with the wild-type GIV exhibited a robust migratory response, whereas those expressing GIV-FA exhibited reduced migration but enhanced proliferation. A similar promigratory response was obtained by expressing either Gαi or a constitutively active mutant, and a proliferative response was obtained by expressing an inactivated Gαi. Analysis of the EGFR signaling pathways activated by addition of EGF indicated that GIV promoted migratory signaling events [phosphorylation of the EGFR at sites involved in the activation of Akt and phospholipase Cγ1 (PLCγ1), the phosphorylation and activation of which were also increased] and reduced mitogenic signaling [phosphorylation of the c-Src–dependent site on EGFR and phosphorylation and activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and the transcription factor STAT5b]. In contrast, the dominant-negative GIV-FA promoted mitogenic signaling and inhibited migratory signaling. In response to EGF, EGFR persisted longer at the plasma membrane in cells with GIV, but its overall stability was reduced, compared to cells with GIV-FA, which showed rapid internalization of EGFR but reduced EGFR degradation. Coimmunoprecipitation and in vitro binding studies showed that EGFR and GIV interacted directly, whereas Gαi associated with this complex indirectly through the GIV GEF domain. Analysis of the poorly invasive, but rapidly dividing, MCF7 (breast cancer–derived cell line) and Ls174T and HT29 (colon cancer cell lines) revealed an alternative splice variant for GIV, which resulted in the production of a truncated protein lacking the C-terminal GEF domain (GIVΔCT). Introduction of GIVΔCT into HeLa cells showed that, in the scratch wound assay, these cells were promitogenic, with enhanced ERK1/2 and STAT5b signaling and reduced receptor degradation, and were poorly motogenic, with reduced Akt and PLCγ1 phosphorylation. The importance of this GIV and the splice variant for cancer progression from dividing to metastatic was revealed by immunohistochemistry of human colorectal cancer samples at various stages. Noninvasive tumors were positive for the short form of GIV but not the GEF-containing form, whereas invasive tumors had the GEF-containing form. These results suggest that whether a cell chooses to respond to EGF with division or migration depends on the recruitment of Gαi to the GIV-EGFR complex. P. Ghosh, A. O. Beas, S. J. Bornheimer, M. Garcia-Marcos, E. P. Forry, C. Johannson, J. Ear, B. H. Jung, B. Cabrera, J. M. Carethers, M. G. Farquhar, A Gαi-GIV molecular complex binds epidermal growth factor receptor and determines whether cells migrate or proliferate. Mol. Biol. Cell 21, 2338–2354 (2010). [Abstract] [FullText]


Caveolae, "little caves" consisting of flask-shaped invaginations of the plasma membrane, form distinct membrane domains that have been implicated in nitric oxide (NO), insulin, and calcium signal transduction, presumably through localization of signaling proteins in caveolae and their specific interactions with caveolar proteins or lipids. Caveolins are integral membrane proteins that are found in caveolae and are required for caveolar formation in endothelial cells and myocytes. Elimination of caveolins thus interferes with both the formation of caveolae and any specific interactions between caveolins and signaling proteins. Bauer et al. therefore specifically overexpressed caveolin-1 (Cav-1) in mouse vascular endothelium to discriminate between the effects of caveolin per se and that of caveolar existence on endothelial cell signaling and angiogenesis. Cav-1 transgenic mice (Cav-1 TG mice), which showed enhanced expression of both endothelial Cav-1 and Cav-2, showed no increase in caveolae number compared with that in wild-type mice; however, they displayed impaired endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) signaling. Higher concentrations of acetylcholine were required to dilate aortic rings from Cav-1 TG, and constriction of aortic rings was less responsive to a NOS inhibitor. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-stimulated vascular permeability and both ischemia- and VEGF-mediated angiogenesis were attenuated in Cav-1 TG mice, as well as VEGF-mediated phosphorylation of Akt and of eNOS (an Akt substrate). VEGF-mediated phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), however, was enhanced. Thus, the authors conclude that Cav-1 likely exerts direct effects on cell signaling independent of its role in caveolar formation. P. M. Bauer, J. Yu, Y. Chan, R. Hickey, P. N. Bernatchez, R. Looft-Wilson, Y. Huang, F. Giordano, R. V. Stan, W. C. Sessa, Endothelial-specific expression of caveolin-1 impairs microvascular permeability and angiogenesis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102, 204-209 (2005). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Modern theoretical models of astrophysical jets combine accretion, rotation, and magnetic fields to launch and collimate supersonic flows from a central source. Near the source, magnetic field strengths must be large enough to collimate the jet requiring that the Poynting flux exceeds the kinetic energy flux. The extent to which the Poynting flux dominates kinetic energy flux at large distances from the engine distinguishes two classes of models. In magneto-centrifugal launch models, magnetic fields dominate only at scales ≲ 100 engine radii, after which the jets become hydrodynamically dominated (HD). By contrast, in Poynting flux dominated (PFD) magnetic tower models, the field dominates even out to much larger scales. To compare the large distance propagation differences of these two paradigms, we perform three-dimensional ideal magnetohydrodynamic adaptive mesh refinement simulations of both HD and PFD stellar jets formed via the same energy flux. We also compare how thermal energy losses and rotation of the jet base affects the stability in these jets. For the conditions described, we show that PFD and HD exhibit observationally distinguishable features: PFD jets are lighter, slower, and less stable than HD jets. Unlike HD jets, PFD jets develop current-driven instabilities that are exacerbated as cooling and rotation increase, resulting in jets that are clumpier than those in the HD limit. Our PFD jet simulations also resemble the magnetic towers that have been recently created in laboratory astrophysical jet experiments.


Based on the rent-seeking as research perspective in this paper, explored the relationship between political connections and over-investment, analyzed the effect that equity governance restrained over-investment. The empirical results showed that over-investment under political connections was a way of achieving interest demands between private enterprises and local government. Political connection strength and political connection hierarchy contributed to over-investment. The fundamental goal of large shareholders to establish political connections was to implement own maximized interests. In order to obtain exceeding profit, private enterprises implemented over-investment to meet investment demand of local governments with political connections. Exceeding profit conformed to the maximizing interests of major shareholders, the equity governance had incentive effect on over-investment with political connections. General meeting of shareholders and circulating shares had constraint effect on over-investment, Equity balance degree restricted overinvestment. The research conclusions of this paper enriched and deepened theory research on equity governance affected over-investment.


Abstract Despite robust data and influential arguments supporting the positive illusion theory, the potential benefits of self-enhancement have been a controversial research topic in social and health psychology. Some critics proposed that self-enhancement reflects little more than defensive denial and serves to camouflage psychological distress. We propose that anxiety related attentional biases, as valid implicit measures of distress, may help us see more clearly into this debate. Participants were 102 undergraduate students. Although results revealed that overall, high and medium selfenhancers had better performance on a color naming task and were less affected by emotionally arousing content compared to low self enhancers; high self enhancers were more affected by socially rejecting content. Discussion centers on the possible buffering effects of self-enhancing beliefs at unconscious levels. Keywords: positive illusions, psychological distress, attentional biases, implicit measures For the past 15 years, Taylor and her collaborators have studied the relation of positive illusions to mental health, gathering evidence for the many beneficial effects of self-enhancement on mental functioning and repeatedly reaching the conclusion that unrealistically optimistic beliefs are protective of health (Taylor, 2005). Despite their influential arguments, and the numerous studies supporting their model, the potential benefits of self-enhancement have been a controversial research topic in social psychology and health psychology. Critics have pointed out, that one major limitation of studying overly positive self-evaluations is that people prone to self enhancement, may display illusory responses to self report mental health measures items as well, leading to false positive biases. Thus, all measures that contain a self-evaluation component may well be positively biased and of questionable validity for individuals with self-enhancing tendencies. In a sharper version, self-enhancement has been characterized as reflecting defensive neuroticism that leads to self-deceptive suppression of negative information about the self (Colvin & Block, 1994; Colvin, Block & Funder, 1995; Myers & Brewin, 1996; Paulhus, 1998). This argument was most explicitly expressed by Shedler, Manis and Mayman (1993), who argued that positive illusions are characteristic of those, who are denying distress. "The presence of the defensive deniers would account for the paradoxical finding that normal subjects, distort more than depressive subjects. In short, positive illusion findings, may be nothing but artifacts, due to researchers' inability, to assess mental health in any meaningful way" (p. 1117). In this view, positive illusions are the result of the inadequacies of self-report scales to make a difference between genuine and fake mental health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relations of positive illusion to psychological distress in a Romanian (Transylvanian) sample, of mixed cultural background1. We proposed that an implicit measure of psychological distress may help us see more clearly into this debate. Social biases, positive illusion and mental health Taylor and Brown (1988) reviewed the current social psychological literature and synthesized social biases in an integrative model called the "Cognitive adaptation theory". Most importantly, in their view, biases are not just cognitive errors due to limitations of the human cognitive systems, but rather a basic ground for mental health. Taylor and Brown, drawing their first conclusion on studies demonstrating that depressed and low-self-esteem individuals manifest more accurate perceptions than non depressed people, asserted that the mild distortion of reality in favor of self is normal and promotes mental health. This tendency to perceive ourselves and the world through "rose colored glasses" was labeled in the literature positive illusions2. …


In the past two decades governments in Britain have launched a series of initiatives designed to reduce the disparities between areas of affluence and deprivation. These initiatives were funded by central government and were delivered through a series of partnership boards operating at the neighbourhood level in areas with high levels of deprivation. Drawing on similar approaches in the US War on Poverty, the engagement of residents in the planning and delivery of projects was a major priority. This chapter draws on the national evaluations of three of these programmes in England: the Single Regeneration Budget, the New Deal for Communities and the Neighbourhood Management Pathfinders.

The chapter begins by identifying the common characteristics of these programmes, known as area-based initiatives because they targeted areas of concentrated deprivation with a population of about 10,000 people each. It then goes on to discuss the three national programmes and summarises the main findings in relation to how far key indicators changed for the better. The final section sets out the ways in which policy objectives changed in 2010 after the election of a coalition government. This produced a shift to what was called the 'Big Society' where the rhetoric favoured a transfer of power away from central government towards the local, neighbourhood, level. This approach favoured self-help and a call to volunteering rather than channelling resources to the areas in greatest need. The chapter closes by reviewing the relatively modest achievements of this centralist, big-state approach to distressed neighbourhoods of 1990–2010.


We study the allocation and compensation of human capital in the finance industry in a set of developed economies in 1970-2005. Finance relative skill intensity and skilled wages generally increase but not in all countries, and to varying degrees. Skilled wages in finance account for 36% of increases in overall skill premia, although finance only accounts for 5.4% of skilled private sector employment, on average. Financial deregulation, financial globalization and bank concentration are the most important factors driving wages in finance. Differential investment in information and communication technology does not have causal explanatory power. High finance wages attract skilled international immigration to finance, raising concerns for "brain drain".


On June 17, 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. Curiously, unlike every previous milestone in the "space race," this event did not spur NASA to catch up by flying an American woman. Though there were suitable candidates-two years earlier, thirteen female pilots recruited by the private Woman in Space program had passed a strenuous physical exam and were ready for another stage of astronaut testing-American women would not escape earth's gravity for another twenty years. In Right Stuff, Wrong Sex, Margaret Weitekamp shows how the Woman in Space program-conceived by Dr. William Randolph Lovelace and funded by world-famous pilot and businesswoman Jacqueline Cochran-challenged prevailing attitudes about women's roles and capabilities. In examining the experiences of the Fellow Lady Astronaut Trainees (as the candidates called themselves), this book documents the achievements and frustrated hopes of a remarkable group of women whose desire to serve their country fell victim to hostility toward such aspirations. Drawing from archival research and interviews with participants, Weitekamp traces the rise and fall of the Woman in Space program within the context of the cold war and the thriving women's aviation culture of the 1950s. Weitekamp's study sheds light on a little-known but compelling chapter in the history of the U.S. space program and the rise of the women's movement in America.


Sign bilingualism is one of several approaches to the education of deaf children in the UK Sign bilingualism seeks to introduce British Sign Language (BSL) to deaf children from an early age in order to establish a first language from which English, the majority language, can be acquired. However, there is little concensus on how deaf children's BSL development should be measured and no practical tools available to assist practitioners in this task. BSL assessments are needed to make baseline assessments, facilitate identification of language difficulties, indicate targets for remediation and evaluate the outcome of educational and therapy programmes for deaf children. This study describes the development of an assessment of British Sign Language development. Issues relating to the type of test required and which aspects of BSL to include are raised. Selection of subjects upon whom to base test development and standardisation are discussed. The BSL test of receptive grammar was initially piloted on 40 children from native signing backgrounds. Revisions were made to the test procedure and a number of unsuccessful items were eliminated prior to standardising the test on 135 children aged 3-13 years. Subjects were carefully selected from the wider population of deaf children as being those who were in optimal language learning contexts. Although this may be considered a small sample for standardising a test, it reflects a high proportion of the population of children who are developing BSL under ideal conditions. Following publication of the test, analysis of data from its use with a larger unselected sample of deaf children allowed comparisons to be made with those in the standardisation study. The results provide insights into the conditions under which deaf children may acquire BSL naturally, even when BSL is not the home language. Areas explored by the study include the comparative language acquisition paths, as measured by the test, of deaf and hearing children from deaf families and deaf children from hearing familiesw ith diversee xperiences of BSL input


There is a debate about the advantages and disadvantages of using social media in education. Drawing on interviews and surveys with students and teachers in three Swedish schools, this study finds that students as well as teachers find much of the students' social media use distractive to learning. We investigate this by means of an interpretative study of students' and teachers' experiences. We find that concerns relate to how social media use makes students less social, how weaker students are more likely to get distracted, how teachers lack strategies for tackling the problem and how the responsibility of the use is delegated to the students. We discuss how the distractive use of social media is made possible as a result of education policies requiring a higher degree of individual work, individual responsibility, and educational choices for students. Teachers and school leaders need to jointly reclaim the students and coping strategies for the distractive use are urgently needed.