Infertility affects up to 15% of the sexually active population, and in 50% of cases, a male factor is involved, either as a primary problem or in combination with a problem in the female partner. Because many commonly encountered drugs and medications can have a detrimental effect on male fertility, the medical evaluation should include a discussion regarding the use of recreational and illicit drugs, medications, and other substances that may impair fertility. With the knowledge of which drugs and medications may be detrimental to fertility, it may be possible to modify medication regimens or convince a patient to modify habits to decrease adverse effects on fertility and improve the chances of achieving a successful pregnancy. Concern is growing that male sexual development and reproduction have changed for the worse over the past 30 to 50 years. Although some reports find no changes, others suggest that sperm counts appear to be decreasing and that the incidence of developmental abnormalities such as hypospadias and cryptorchidism appears to be increasing, as is the incidence of testicular cancer. These concerns center around the possibility that our environment is contaminated with chemicals--both natural and synthetic--that can interact with the endocrine system.


Based on an extensive set of density functional theory calculations it is shown that for a class of catalytic reactions there is a universal, reactant independent relation between the reaction activation energy and the stability of reaction intermediates. This leads directly to a universal relationship between adsorption energies and catalytic activity, which is used to pinpoint what it is that determines the best catalyst for a given reaction. The universality principle rationalizes a number of known facts about catalysts and points to new ways of improving them.


Hibiscus cannabinus , Hibiscus sabdariffa, and Cannabinus sativa, which are renewable non-woody fiber resources having characteristics similar to that of softwood (bast fibers), when used together with hardwood (core fibers), gave higher pulp yield with good mechanical strength properties when using an alkaline sulphite-anthraquinone (AS-AQ) pulping process rather than a conventional kraft pulping process and bleached more readily than kraft and soda pulps with a CEHH bleaching sequence. A comparison of properties AS-AQ pulping processes with soda and kraft pulping processes of H. cannabinus, C. sativa, and H. sabdariffa was made. All the properties were found to be better than soda and kraft pulps except tear index. All of the mechanical strength properties of handsheets of AS-AQ pulp improved except tear index. Therefore, the AS-AQ pulping process can be considered as ideal for manufacturing of paper grades like greaseproof, glassine, and high-quality writing and printing paper.


Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a lentivirus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) resulting in the progressive failure of the immune system. Due to its rapid replication rate and high mutation frequency, the virus is able to evade the immune system and thwart an efficacious response. Current HIV infection prophylaxes and therapeutics are not optimal and there is an urgent need to develop an efficacious HIV vaccine. Recently, high-throughput sequencing of the Immunoglobulin (Ig) repertoire from HIV-infected humans and immunized Rhesus macaques has led to important insights into vaccines against HIV-1. Further elucidation of the antibody response in these crucial animal studies will require substantially greater power to analyze the Ig repertoires than is currently possible. Reliable information on macaque Ig genes is insufficient due to the incompleteness of the whole genome sequence (WGS) and the inherent difficulty of obtaining complete Ig sequences due to its complex and repetitive nature. To address this issue, we have generated a high quality, annotated WGS with precisely annotated Ig loci from ten macaques. We used low error, synthetic long reads generated by Illumina TruSeq technology, Illumina 150bp, paired-end reads (110X coverage) and Irys genome mapping technology to assemble the genome de novo. We ix employed a bait-and-sequence strategy using human Ig probes to capture macaque Ig genes for the accurate assembly and annotation of Ig genes and alleles. Together, these data will generate a complete Rhesus macaque genome with detailed information on allelic diversity at the Ig loci. This study is essential for making the macaque a viable model for adaptive immunity. In addition, it will provide information on the similarities and differences between macaque and human Ig genes that will aid in the design and interpretation of vaccine studies.


ABSTRACT Universities of applied sciences in Europe face the challenge of preparing students in health and social care for working with older people and contributing to the innovations needed in light of the ageing of society, along with changes in the health and social care systems in many countries. Dealing with the special needs of older people and the increasing burden of chronic diseases requires specific competencies for health and social care professionals, as well as an integrated approach to health and social care. Research has found that many educational programs lack adequate preparation for students in health and social care when it comes to the correct competences. To identify the competences needed for all health and social care professionals in Europe, who work with older people, the European Later Life Active Network (ELLAN) has conducted research and developed a verified competence framework. This "European core competences framework for health and social care professionals working with older people" describes roles and competences that students in health and social care programs need to learn in order to provide good care and support for older people. Within the ELLAN consortium, 26 universities of applied sciences from 25 European countries collaborated in this research and development process. The framework has been verified by two Delphi rounds among a group of 21 experts and a group of 21 researchers from 19 countries. The framework includes awareness of diversity and different cultural backgrounds. This makes it a useful document for educational purposes all over Europe.


Foreign exchange carry trades involve buying high yielding currencies while selling low yielding currencies. Contrary to the implications of the uncovered interest parity condition, carry trades have generated consistent profits in the past decades. As foreign exchange has gained increased relevance as an asset class in its own, the carry trade emerged as a major driver of foreign exchange market turnover. Given the widespread use and ease of implementation of carry strategies, active currency managers should be evaluated relative to a benchmark which incorporates a proxy for carry trade returns.

Within this thesis we study the profitability of various carry portfolio strategies on a very recent data set ranging from the 1st of January 1999 to the 5th of March 2010. Within three distinct empirical chapters we analyse whether different asset allocation, market-timing and money management methodologies have the potential to improve the performance of a simple carry portfolio, such as the one implemented by the Currency Harvest exchange traded fund by Deutsche Bank.

Three main findings emerge from our investigation on carry trade portfolios. First, we find that a simple carry trade proxy is difficult to outperform with asset allocation and market-timing techniques. Nevertheless, we would not conclude that professional currency managers should cease to implement carry strategies, since they can add value to the investment process by successfully addressing the issue of optimal leveraging for carry trades. Second, we find that the portfolio flows of carry traders do uncover pockets of predictability in the FX market. Strategies which aim at front-running the trades of carry strategies, do generate positive returns with low correlations to traditional carry trade strategies and therefore offer good diversification vehicles for carry portfolios. Lastly, we find that while profitable market-timing seems feasible on historical backtests, the results are strongly dependent on the correctly timing the credit crisis. Thus, we note that our results are affected by a lookback bias. We posit that before the credit crisis, portfolio managers would not have had the foresight to select the correct market-timing indicators. We thus advocate a broad diversification of risk indicators for carry trade timing.


The biomedical sciences have recently undergone revolutionary change, due to the ability to digitize and store large data sets. In neuroscience, the data sources include measurements of neural activity measured using electrode arrays, EEG and MEG, brain imaging data from PET, fMRI, and optical imaging methods. Analysis, visualization, and management of these time series data sets is a growing field of research that has become increasingly important both for experimentalists and theorists interested in brain function. Written by investigators who have played an important role in developing the subject and in its pedagogical exposition, the current volume addresses the need for a textbook in this interdisciplinary area. The book is written for a broad spectrum of readers ranging from physical scientists, mathematicians, and statisticians wishing to educate themselves about neuroscience, to biologists who would like to learn time series analysis methods in particular and refresh their mathematical and statistical knowledge in general, through self-pedagogy. It may also be used as a supplement for a quantitative course in neurobiology or as a textbook for instruction on neural signal processing. The first part of the book contains a set of essays meant to provide conceptual background which are not technical and shall be generally accessible. Salient features include the adoption of an active perspective of the nervous system, an emphasis on function, and a brief survey of different theoretical accounts in neuroscience. The second part is the longest in the book, and contains a refresher course in mathematics and statistics leading up to time series analysis techniques. The third part contains applications of data analysis techniques to the range of data sources indicated above (also available as part of the Chronux data analysis platform from http://chronux.org), and the fourth part contains special topics.


In this paper, a report has been acclaimed on the structural, morphological and photoluminescence properties of the pure and Yb3+ (2, 5 and 10 wt %) doped gadolinium oxide nanophosphor, synthesized by the citrate-nitrate auto combustion method. The influence of doping concentration on the properties of the prepared phosphor was studied using different characterization techniques. Structural studies carried out using XRD revealed crystalline cubic phase for both the pure and doped Gd2O3 nanoparticles. The phase formation and purity were further confirmed from the FTIR spectra. Surface morphology was found using SEM analysis showed the clusters of tiny particles. Optical absorption measurements were recorded in the UV-Vis-NIR wavelength region and the optical band gap variations with dopant concentration were discussed. The probable mechanism for the visible PL emissions by Yb3+ doped Gd2O3 phosphors are explained by different transition phenomenon. Fluorescence lifetime along with energy transfer efficiency from Gd3+ to Yb3+ was determined.


The literature on authenticity of cultural production has systematically examined the perceived authenticity of both the producer and the cultural product but not of the creative process. This study aims to address this lacuna, adopting Carroll and Wheaton's typology of type and moral authenticity to examine how contemporary dance choreographers construct authenticity during the creation of a new choreography. Our analysis of data from 23 contemporary dance companies reveals that the two meanings of authenticity dynamically reconstitute one another in the creative process. First, choreographers construct moral authenticity through transformation of form, deconstructing established artistic dance forms and introducing new movements from a bricolage of techniques. Second, they construct type authenticity through wrapping expression, facilitating the deconstruction of the values attached to the bricolage of techniques into artistic dance aesthetics. Finally, choreographers evoke both moral and type authenticity through a creative process of reconstruction. Our noteworthy finding reveals how the construction of authenticity in the process of creating a new choreography, and the dynamics between the two meanings of authenticity, serve significantly as a means of communication among the involved actors, thereby enabling the creative process.


Chickpea is a good source of high quality protein, carbohydrates, vitamins (thiamine and niacin), and minerals. However, its use in industry has been limited by variation in composition with cultivar and also the presence of oligosaccharides, trypsin inhibitors, phytic acids, tannin, and haemagglutinin. Different technologies have been studied to eliminate or minimise the undesirable factors in chickpeas. None of the studied traditional technologies has been found to effectively eliminate or minimise all the undesirable factors in chickpeas. It is not clear whether a combination of these traditional technologies, more especially cooking of germinated and dehulled chickpeas, will significantly reduce all the antinutritional factors . The physical characteristics, stachyose, sucrose, phytic acid, fibrulose, and mineral content of different chickpeas cultivar were determined and compared with reference to infant and child nutrition. The selected cultivars were (1) dehulled and boiled before drying; (2) dehulled followed by soaking and boiling before drying; (3) boiled without dehulling before drying; and germinated, boiled followed by drying and dehulling . The effects of the processing on mineral, sugar, dietary fibre content were evaluated. Desi were found to have lower seed weight, hydration capacity and swelling capacity compared to kabuli . Seed density, hydration index and swelling index did not vary with cultivar. The mineral density, stachyose, fibrulose, and hull content increased significantly (p<0.05) with the decrease of seed weight whereas phytic acid content did not vary. All processes resulted in an increase in calcium, phosphorous, zinc, and phytic acid and a decrease in potassium, iron, magnesium, sucrose, stachyose and fibrulose content regardless of cultivar type. Germination for 72 hrs followed by boiling, drying and dehulling resulted in highest reduction in antinutritional factors with minimal nutrient loss. It is feasible to use chickpeas as an excellent source of infant follow -on formula/weaning food with minimal mineral fortification and use of low phytic acid cultivars.


This paper analyzes the term beauty in Charles Darwin's The Descent of Man (1871) using Kenneth Burke's rhetorical tool, the terministic screen. I argue that by establishing what meanings, ideologies and prejudices the term beauty alternately reveals and conceals in Darwin's prose, scholars can better understand how Darwin reinforced a number of racial, gender, and colonial stereotypes while subtly shifting Victorian British modernity away from anthropocentrism. Although Descent analyzes a variety of species to argue for the importance of sexual selection and its frequent instrument beauty, and argues that the principal function of beauty is sexual selection; a truth encompassing the animal kingdom and 'savage' races, yet innovatively stretched to include 'civilised' ( i.e. European) human beings. Focusing on beauty exposes Descent 's radical conclusion that while culture differentiates and ranks species, beauty connects and therefore humanity is neither separate from nor superior to the remainder of the animal kingdom. I compare the definitions and roles of beauty formulated by nineteenth-century cultural critics John Ruskin, Edmund Burke, William Paley, and evolution critic George Campbell with those of Darwin to illustrate the complexity of this terministic screen. By using an aesthetic concept familiar in Victorian England, then shifting and adding to this convention, Darwin changed beauty into a term that both filters and mediates meaning, resulting in both the alteration and reinforcement of multiple issues in the accepted ontology of nineteenth-century Europeans. Analyzing the intersection between Darwin's rhetoric and his theories regarding aesthetics in evolution and sexual selection is essential because, far from a passive descriptor of physical objects, the aesthetic terminology in Descent , and beauty in particular is both a dynamic and fraught terministic screen.


Report issued by the Bureau of Mines over the Salt Flat fields in East Central Texas. As stated in the introduction, "this report deals with the development and production history of the Salt Flat field and gives comparative data on five outstanding fault fields. Two of these fields are producing from limestone and three from sandstone reservoirs" (p. 2-3). This report includes tables, maps, photographs, and illustrations.


Many bondage-discipline, domination-submission, sadomasochism (BDSM) practitioners identify as primarily dominant or primarily submissive. In the current study, BDSM practitioners with self-identified preferences for dominance or for submission described the traits that they feel make them well suited for their preferred BDSM role, their perceptions of benefits and challenges of BDSM generally, and the benefits and challenges of their preferred role. Semi-structured interviews were completed with 9 dominants and 12 submissives and explored using thematic analysis. Participants described dominants as empathic and nurturing, desiring and able to take control, and attentive and responsible, while submissives were characterized as willing to give up control and having a desire to please. Interviewees described ways in which their BDSM role fit with their overall personality, as well as incongruities between their role in BDSM play and their day-to-day personas. The general benefits of BDSM mentioned by the participants for both roles were pleasure from pleasuring others, physical pleasure and arousal, fun, variety, and going beyond vanilla, personal growth, improved romantic relationships, community, psychological release, freedom from day-to-day roles, and being yourself. Participants also discussed the dominant-specific benefits of control or power, rewards, and confidence, and the submissive-specific benefit of giving up control. In addition to the shared challenges and risks of stigma, relationship problems, and accepting desires reported, dominant-specific issues of more work and responsibility and possessive submissives, and submissive-specific issues of vulnerability, bad dominants, and following orders and accepting decisions were addressed by participants. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.


ABSTRACT Attachment of microorganisms to surfaces is a prerequisite for colonization and biofilm formation. The hyperthermophilic crenarchaeote Sulfolobus solfataricus was able to attach to a variety of surfaces, such as glass, mica, pyrite, and carbon-coated gold grids. Deletion mutant analysis showed that for initial attachment the presence of flagella and pili is essential. Attached cells produced extracellular polysaccharides containing mannose, galactose, and N-acetylglucosamine. Genes possibly involved in the production of the extracellular polysaccharides were identified.


We present an algorithm for selecting an appropriate abstraction when learning a new skill. We show empirically that it can consistently select an appropriate abstraction using very little sample data, and that it significantly improves skill learning performance in a reasonably large real-valued reinforcement learning domain.


Abstract The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) had sought to augment intellectual property (IP) enforcement practices, to counter the proliferation of counterfeit and pirate goods and to regulate digital infringements. This paper examines the collapse of ACTA and challenges the traditional orientation of the debate concerning the tension between the 'enforcement' and 'development' agendas. The ACTA negotiating partners, mainly developed states, created a forum outside the aegis of international IP norm-making bodies to avoid the distractions posed by developing countries whilst promoting an alternative 'enforcement agenda'. Despite this effort, ACTA collapsed from 'within'. The paper argues that ACTA failed due to the extemporaneous emergence of a random configuration of civil society groups, academics, 'netizens' and legislators within ACTA negotiating countries independently pursuing an agenda that can be called the 'network agenda'. This new agenda aimed to protect the right to privacy, data protection and freedom of speech within the digital medium. While current debates on the global IP legal order are generally limited to, and characterised by the Global North-South considerations, the 'network agenda' cuts longitudinally through territorial configurations and squarely places the interests of the IP owner against those of the public. Consequently, the paper highlights the potential of the network agenda to dilute the existing polarities in the IP debate and impact on the dynamics of international intellectual property law by creating an inclusive platform within IP discourse that attempts to integrate colliding rationalities present within the world society.


It is proposed that knowledge specifications be used as bases for developing and maintaining expert systems. It is suggested that through knowledge acquisition, a knowledge specification representing the kinds of knowledge and reasoning processes used to perform a task can be produced. A prototype can then be built to test and improve the knowledge specification. When a stable and satisfactory specification is obtained, a production system for end users, based on the specification rather than on the prototype, can be implemented. The knowledge specification guides system changes during maintenance. An experimental study to assess and improve this methodology is reported. Prototyping is discussed, an expert system knowledge specification is presented, and a methodology for creating a knowledge specification using conceptual structures is described. The methodology is compared with a currently popular methodology for expert system development. The proposal is primarily intended for medium- to large-scale expert systems, which may have several developers and whose users will not be developing the systems.<<ETX>>


In Maryland v. King, 133 S. Ct. 1958 (2013), the Supreme Court narrowly upheld the constitutionality of routine collection and storage of DNA samples and profiles from arrestees. In doing so, it stepped outside the usual framework that treats warrantless searches as per se unconstitutional unless they fall within specified exceptions to the warrant and probable cause requirements. Instead, the Court balanced various individual and state interests. Yet, as regards the state interests, the Court confined this direct balancing analysis to the perceived value of using DNA to inform certain pretrial decisions. Oddly, it avoided relying directly on DNA's more obvious value in generating investigative leads in unsolved crimes. This Article suggests that this contrived analysis resulted from the structure of existing Fourth Amendment case law (and perhaps a desire to avoid intimating that a more egalitarian and extensive DNA database system also would be constitutional). It demonstrates that the opinion does not support a "no lines" system of ad hoc judgments about the reasonableness of every search using the totality of the circumstances. Recognizing that the existing framework of categorical exceptions to the warrant requirement diverges from an older "warrant preference" rule that demands a warrant whenever feasible, the Article shows that King leaves the current per se framework largely intact. Nevertheless, this Article questions the resort to direct balancing. It presents a more coherent doctrinal framework for scrutinizing not just DNA profiling, but all forms of biometric data collection and analysis. In this regard, it notes that the dissenting King opinion overstates the differences between fingerprinting and DNA profiling as currently practiced. Finally, it suggests that the cramped reasoning in both opinions limits the implications of the case for more aggressive DNA database laws — ones that cover more crimes, more people, more loci, and more methods for acquiring DNA samples.


Background Recent studies suggest that early modifications in metabolic pathways and behaviour, leading to energy conservation and reduced linear growth, could represent adaptations to nutritional constraints during foetal life and infancy. Impaired fat oxidation, low resting energy expenditure and reduced physical activity, resulting from these adaptations, could facilitate fat storage and development of overweight in growth-retarded children that consume more energy-dense food. This study aims at assessing whether: (1) dual-burden preschool children (simultaneously stunted and overweight) of Yaounde (Cameroon) have low birth-weight (indicator of foetal undernutrition) and reductions in fat oxidation, resting energy expenditure (REE) and physical activity, (2) fat oxidation, REE and physical activity are associated with foetal growth. Methodology/Principal Findings 162 children (24–72 months) were considered: 22 stunted-overweight (SO), 40 stunted (S), 41 overweight (O), and 59 non stunted-non overweight (NSNO). Nutritional status and body composition were assessed using anthropometry and multifrequency bioimpedance analysis. Fasting respiratory quotient (RQ) and REE were measured by indirect calorimetry. Physical activity was determined using accelerometers, food questionnaires were used for diet assessment and birth-weight was noted. Mean RQs and REE (weight adjusted) did not differ between stunted children (SO and S) and non-stunted children (O and NSNO). SO and S children spent more time in sedentary activities than O children (p = 0.01 and p = 0.02, respectively) and less time in moderate-to-vigorous activities than NSNO children (p = 0.05 and p = 0.04, respectively). SO children's diet was less diverse (p = 0.01) with less animal products (p = 0.006). Multiple linear regressions model revealed that birth-weight is predictive of RQ (β = 0.237, p<0.01, R2 = 0.08). Conclusions/Significance This study showed that growth retardation in stunted-overweight children could be associated with postnatal nutritional deficiencies. Overweight in stunted children could be associated with reduced physical activity in the context of nutrition transition. High birth-weight was a predictor of reduced lipid oxidation, a risk factor of fat deposition.


In the spirit of Boij–Söderberg theory, we introduce a recursive decomposition algorithm for the Betti diagram of a complete intersection using the diagram of a complete intersection defined by a subset of the original generators. This alternative algorithm is the main tool that we use to investigate stability and compatibility of the Boij–Söderberg decompositions of related diagrams; indeed, when the biggest generating degree is sufficiently large, the alternative algorithm produces the Boij–Söderberg decomposition. We also provide a detailed analysis of the Boij–Söderberg decomposition for Betti diagrams of codimension four complete intersections where the largest generating degree satisfies the size condition.


The emergence of public relations as an academic and practitioner discipline has benefited from input from many sources: social science, behavioural science, engineering, philosophy, business and management. One of the main theoretical underpinnings is systems theory, with parallels being drawn between systems and how communication is practised. Most public relations texts, however, including some of the most influential, do not do justice to the richness of systems theory, especially the most recent thinking on the subject. In this paper the author reviews the use of the better known systems theories, and examines some of the newer developments and applies these to the contemporary practice of public relations. The French school of thought called actor‐network theory is also alluded to in order to extend the discussion. The paper is in three sections. The first focuses on the older systems theories and their traditional application to public relations practice as propounded in the prevalent Grunig and Hunt public relations models. The second looks at some of the newer models in systems thinking, notes how they differ from the older ones and examines how they have relevance to modern practice. In the third section the author uses two practical examples, the breaking down of organisational barriers and current and potential uses of the Internet, to demonstrate the inadequacies of the older systems approach and the applicability of the new theories.


The implementation of sustainable development raises the issues of participatory mechanisms and territorial governance, which are the subject of much research. This article discusses the results of research carried out on the performative dynamics at work (understood as supervisory mechanisms aiming to generate support or to create incentives to act in a desired direction) involved in territorial sustainable development projects. By comparing three case studies, the author was able to analyse stakeholders' motivations and the forms of their debate and commitment. Over and above the diversity of purposes and commitment processes, the analysis made it possible to produce typologies relating to the level of commitment and to varying dialogical and collaborative positions within the systems. More generally, the article also demonstrates the existence of 'wear and tear' mechanisms and the introduction of some distance between participants according to their degree of professionalisation.


Ride-hailing drivers pay a proportion of their fares to the ride-hailing platform operator, a commission-based compensation model used by many internet-mediated service providers. To Uber drivers, this commission is known as the Uber fee. By contrast, traditional taxi drivers in most US cities make a fixed payment independent of their earnings, usually a weekly or daily medallion lease, but keep every fare dollar net of expenses. We assess these compensation models from a driver's point of view using an experiment that offered random samples of Boston Uber drivers opportunities to lease a virtual taxi medallion that eliminates the Uber fee. Some drivers were offered a negative fee. Drivers' labor supply response to our offers reveals a large intertemporal substitution elasticity, on the order of 1.2. At the same time, our virtual lease program was under-subscribed: many drivers who would have benefitted from buying an inexpensive lease chose to opt out. We use these results to compute the average compensation required to make drivers indifferent between ride-hailing and a traditional taxi compensation contract. The results suggest that ride-hailing drivers gain considerably from the opportunity to drive without leasing.


We show the anisotropic selective growth of gold tips onto semiconductor (cadmium selenide) nanorods and tetrapods by a simple reaction. The size of the gold tips can be controlled by the concentration of the starting materials. The new nanostructures display modified optical properties caused by the strong coupling between the gold and semiconductor parts. The gold tips show increased conductivity as well as selective chemical affinity for forming self-assembled chains of rods. Such gold-tipped nanostructures provide natural contact points for self-assembly and for electrical devices and can solve the difficult problem of contacting colloidal nanorods and tetrapods to the external world.


This article critiques New Zealand's cultural heritage politics by positing that vernacular items, like an iconic eatery called the White Lady, does not meet the legislative criteria enabling cultural heritage status. If vernacular artefacts, including 'kiwiana', are to be integrated within cultural heritage, then changes within legislation, definitions and participant preconceptions are necessary. This study argues that cultural heritage is dominated by artefacts and historic places; that 'kiwiana' and other vernacular items of social history, practice and tradition are relegated. Items of 'kiwiana' act as touchstones of identity for New Zealanders. Therefore, their omission distorts the view of New Zealand's cultural heritage. The application of cultural heritage status to the White Lady is important because of its transcendence of time and social change, its aesthetic, and also because of its present-day hospitality offering.


While management of concussion must begin with an objective diagnosis, the need for identification and testing of pharmacological concussion treatment options is a priority. Abstract The incidence of sport-related concussion coupled with a doubling of the participation rate in youth hockey over the past two decades provides impetus for the review of the most promising concussion treatment options. This narrative review summarizes the future treatment options for sport-related concussions in ice hockey, while acknowledging their generalizability to concussion in all sports. Symptom assessment, sign observation, as well as cognitive and balance testing, have historically been used to diagnose a concussion. These methods continue to improve, but the need for effective treatments is clear. Pharmacologic, transcranial light, and nutritional supplement treatment options for concussion warranting further investigation have been identified. Dimethyl fumarate is an immunomodulatory compound thought to trigger antioxidant gene expression. Memantine reduces apoptosis and astrogliosis by inhibiting the calcium influx into cells normally caused by glutamate's activation of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors. Thioredoxin-mimetic peptides and transcranial photobiomodulation temper the effects of the energy crisis by acting as free radical scavengers. In addition, seven neuroprotective nutritional supplements have been identified: berberine, creatine, curcumin, melatonin, omega-3 fatty acids, resveratrol, and vitamins. An estimated US $1.1 billion has been spent on unsuccessful traumatic brain injury clinical trials. As our ability to accurately diagnose concussion improves, dimethyl fumarate, memantine, thioredoxin-mimetic peptides, transcranial photobiomodulation, and nutritional supplements (berberine, creatine, curcumin, melatonin, omega-3 fatty acids, resveratrol, and vitamins) warrant further preclinical and clinical examination in advancing the treatment of sport-related concussions.


Numerous previous studies have proposed a role for angiotensin II (AII) in the renal regulation of salt balance. At least one nephron site, the proximal convoluted segment, has been implicated in this role. We used in vitro microperfusion of rabbit proximal convoluted tubules to further examine this question. To insure use of appropriate in vivo concentrations as well as potency of the hormone in vitro, we measured plasma AII levels by radioimmunoassay in normal, sodium-depleted, and adrenalectomized rabbits, and measured AII activity by bioassay after incubation in various microperfusion baths. Plasma levels ranged from approximately 2 X 10(-11) to 5 X 10(-11) M. AII activity was stable in Ringer's solution plus albumin, but not in rabbit serum or Ringer's solution plus fetal calf serum. In Ringer's solution plus albumin, physiologic concentrations of AII stimulated volume reabsorption (Jv). 10(-11) M AII increased Jv by 16% (P less than 0.01). 10(-10) M AII produced a lesser increase, 7.5% (P less than 0.05). At a frequently studied, but probably pharmacologic dose, 10(-7) M AII inhibited Jv by 24% (P less than 0.001). AII at 10(-11) M did not stimulate Jv in the presence of 10(-7) M saralasin. Though previous studies have suggested agonistic effects of saralasin alone in epithelia, we found no significant effect of 10(-7) M saralasin on Jv. None of the AII doses measurably changed transepithelial voltage. We conclude that AII in physiologic doses directly stimulates Jv in proximal convoluted tubules and this effect is probably receptor mediated and, within the limits of detection, electroneutral.


In ICRP Publication 60 the calculation of effective dose allows for the tissue weighting factor for remainder to be divided equally between the average dose to remainder tissues and the single most exposed remainder tissue if this receives the highest equivalent dose of all tissues. An investigation of the frequency and importance of this so-called 'split' remainder dose formulation is presented, with reference to the adult dose coefficients given in ICRP Publication 68. It is found that the 'split' remainder formulation is used more often than might first be expected. Although rare for ingestion dose coefficients, it is invoked in 65% of the inhalation dose coefficients considered.


Nd i and Nd ii spectra emitted by an electrodeless tube have been observed between 2450 and 40 500 A. By means of 25 000 wavelengths measured with an automatic comparator and of the Zeeman patterns of the strongest lines, about 1500 energy levels have been found. Their interpretation was carried out with the use of isotopic-shift data and empirical parametric calculations. The present state of the classification is described. The main features of the 15 known configurations and some results of theoretical calculations are given.


We report a unique study performed on the modal transition laser fluence of agglomerated nanoparticle size distributions and their averages in three-dimensional nanostructures that were formed on aluminosilicate ceramic using a megahertz femtosecond laser. At low repetition rates, bimodal particle distributions were obtained and changed to unimodal distributions with the increase in repetition rate. The distribution modals obtained depend only on the laser fluence and the presence of photoionized species were the possible reason for the formation of bimodal distributions. Laser fluence and heat accumulation could have played key roles in determining the average particle sizes. Our study would help to enhance the properties of 3-D agglomerated nanostructures.


Did the huge investment in telecommunications networks in the 1990s a ect subsequent total factor productivity? Using data from 13 European countries and the US, 1995-2013, we document the substantial growth and then slowdown in telecommunications capital and ask if this is related to the growth and slowdown in TFP. We explore this by disaggregating ICT equipment investment into IT and CT equipment investment. We test for distinct e ects from each using a simple framework where CT capital has network externalities and so potentially impacts TFP, with the marginal impact of CT capital growth being higher in countries spending more on renting CT capital. We nd: a) evidence of a robust correlation between (lagged) growth in (rental share-weighted) CT capital services and TFP growth; b) the estimated externality from CT capital potentially explains around 30-40% of TFP growth in North European countries, 60% in Scandinavia and around 90% in the US; c) CT capital has a social return around ve times its private return; and d) a slowdown in the accumulation of CT capital accounts for just over half of the post-2003 TFP slowdown in the US but only one-tenth of the TFP slowdown in the EU.


Objective. To determine whether structured assessment of outpatient endometrial biopsies decreases the number of inconclusive samples. Design. Retrospective cohort study. Setting. Single hospital pathology laboratory. Population. Endometrial biopsy samples of 66 women with postmenopausal bleeding, collected during the usual diagnostic work-up and assessed as insufficient for a reliable histological diagnosis. Methods. Endometrial biopsy samples were requested from the pathology laboratories. The retrieved samples were systematically reassessed by a single pathologist specialized in gynecology. Main Outcome Measure. Disagreement between initial assessment and conclusion after structured reassessment. Results. We retrieved 36 of 66 endometrial biopsy samples from six different pathology laboratories. Structured reassessment of the retrieved samples by a single pathologist specialized in gynecology did not change the conclusion in 35 of the 36 samples. The remaining sample contained a large amount of endometrial tissue and the diagnosis at reassessment was endometrial hyperplasia without atypia. All other samples contained insufficient material for a reliable diagnosis. Conclusion. A structured reassessment of endometrial biopsies samples, which were classified as inconclusive due to insufficient material, did not change the conclusion. Although it might be helpful for pathologists to have diagnostic criteria for adequacy and/or inadequacy of an endometrial biopsy sample, the gain in efficiency is likely to be small.


Abstract The current study was designed to investigate the effect of a 50% alcohol extract of Chlorophytum arundinaceum. Baker (CAE) against ethanol-induced pylorus ligation and cold stress–induced experimental gastric ulcer. The CAE was given at the dose of 100 mg/kg, p.o., in all the models, and results of those were compared with that of animals treated with omeprazole 20 mg/kg, p.o. (reference standard). Ulcer index was a common evaluating parameter in all the models. In the pylorus ligation model, acid secretory parameters (total acid, pepsin activity, and total acid output) and mucoprotective parameters (total carbohydrate, total protein, and mucin activity) were studied. In addition, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activity were specifically studied in cold stress–induced gastric ulcer model. Effects on vascular permeability as well as gastric emptying were also studied. CAE has shown significant protection in gastric ulceration as evident from reduction (p < 0.05) in ulcer index in all the models. In the pylorus ligation model, CAE showed significant increase in mucin activity, but no significant change was observed on acid secretory parameters. Besides, CAE has shown antioxidant activity in gastric mucosal homogenate where it reversed the increased level of malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the decreased level of catalase content. Further, CAE has shown reduction in vascular permeability and gastric emptying. Hence, it is suggested that Chlorophytum arundinaceum. possesses significant antiulcer activity. The mechanism of its activity is associated with strengthening of the gastric mucosal barrier.


Aim/Purpose: The aim of this article is to make a case of the role of validation in doctoral education. The purpose is to detail findings from three studies which explore PhD students' experiences and perceptions of belonging in one UK university-ty, in order to hypothesise how validation and self-validation could make a difference in doctoral education, and what practices might support this.

Background: The article draws on research into doctoral identity and work on 'doctoral capital' to explore how PhD students' perceptions and experiences of not belonging to doctoral communities negatively impacts on their wellbeing. It extends this research by incorporating theories from Education and Psychology to build a theory of validation in doctoral education.

Methodology: The article reports on three studies on PhD journeys and communities undertaken at one UK university. It draws on interview data from thirty doctoral candidates, which was thematically analysed using NVivo 12. Taking a qualitative approach to provide a rich and holistic focus on participant 'meaning making', the studies explore how PhD students understand belonging, where they receive validation and feel they need validation, and where self-validation can make a difference to their positivity about the PhD. Taking this approach to understand processes of 'meaning-making' paves the way to scaffold solutions through 'reframing' processes such as coaching and mentoring.

Contribution: Thinking about PhD students' belonging through the dimension of validation allows for practical support for developing belonging to be scaffolded, specifically through creating spaces to draw coaching skills into supervisory training and PhD student support (e.g., peer mentoring). This is significant as scholarship has shown that coaching has positive effects on wellbeing. This article contributes to understanding of where and how validation and self-validation manifest in doctoral education for PhD students. This contribution identifies ways in which external validation can help to scaffold internal self-validation; thus, offering a way of potentially mitigating risk factors to PhD students' wellbeing. Specifically, validation can be understood as a 'reserve' that can be drawn on for 'self-validation'. Validation is a solutions-focused theory. As a conceptual apparatus to understand doctoral students' perceptions, validation theory also provides a frame for scaffolding practical ways for PhD students to build doctoral identity.

Findings: The article focuses on challenges to PhD students building communities, supervisory relations and self-validation. It finds that supervisory feedback is a key area where PhD students seek validation. Two arguments are offered. First, that validation is a crucial process in (positive) doctoral identity work. Second, the argument is offered that making spaces for coaching skills to support PhD students can increase opportunities for validation (e.g., via supervisory training) and self-validation (e.g., via peer mentoring).

Recommendations for Practitioners: Those who support doctoral researchers can potentially support the development of validation skills and self-validation skills. Some recommendations are included around supporting supervisory training in feedback and listening skills, peer mentoring as a way to foster a transition between external validation and internal self-validation for PhD students, and a worksheet for students' self-validation is included as an appendix.

Recommendation for Researchers: This article extends existing literature on PhD students' emotion work by offering a new dimension to understand how belonging is developed amongst PhD students. Thinking about belonging through the dimension of validation shifts work on belonging towards possibilities of practical support.

Impact on Society: Whilst the term 'validation' has been used in undergraduate educational research, and in Psychology (in theory and in clinical contexts) drawing these terms together to create a theory to understand doctoral identity work in higher education has larger potential applications. 'Validation' could potentially prove useful within doctoral education context to understand and scaffold PhD students' development as they navigate transitioning identity positions during candidature. Thus, although the studies are limited in scope to the UK context, the findings could be more widely applied to other higher education contexts.

Future Research: Two areas for future research are identified. First, to understand whether and how different groups of doctoral candidates (e.g., such as international students, LGBTQ+ students, etc.) have different validation needs and priorities in their doctoral identity work. The second is to understand the possible impact of using coaching with PhDs in different contexts (e.g., through peer mentoring schemes, supervision, and self-validation).


I. INTRODUCTION Justice John Paul Stevens once noted that "[i]t is the confidence in the men and women who administer justice that is the true backbone of the rule of law." (1) This confidence gives legitimacy to courts at every level. But how is such confidence to be achieved and maintained? How do we instill trust and confidence in the judiciary in those members of the public with little knowledge of the court system or those who attain their knowledge from questionable sources? What kinds of information can be used to counterbalance the denigrating effect of judicial campaigns? This Article suggests that judicial performance evaluations, which meaningfully measure the traits that are essential to good judging, can serve to better inform the public of the role of the judiciary and to promote public trust and confidence in the courts. The purpose of this Article is not to distill all of the complex factors that enter into measuring the public's perception of state courts. Rather, its purpose is to consider how institutional legitimacy is likely affected by various cues and signals that the public receives about the judiciary. This Article also considers whether critically designed, appropriately administered, and widely disseminated judicial performance evaluations might supplement misleading cues. To that end, following an introductory section on institutional legitimacy, Section III discusses the effects of knowledge, goodwill, and judicial campaigns on the public's perception of the judiciary. Section IV focuses on how the tactics used by judicial campaigns send cues that undermine the public's trust in the judiciary. The last section discusses how more meaningful cues--particularly the results of valid judicial performance evaluation programs--can be used to inform the public and legitimize the judiciary. II. STATE COURTS: INSTITUTIONAL LEGITIMACY, IMPARTIALITY, AND INDEPENDENCE The public's trust, confidence, and understanding of the courts all play an essential role in preserving their unique and independent character in our system of government. Like any institution, courts need public support and participation to maintain their institutional legitimacy. (2) Institutional legitimacy has two components: the willingness of the public to accept and defer to the institution's judgment and the willingness of the public to participate in the institution. (3) To the extent state courts are viewed as legitimate government institutions, they remain viable dispute resolution systems, which command respect and deference and help to ensure stability and order. A loss of legitimacy leads to less peaceful dispute resolution and social and economic chaos. (4) Thus, it is essential not only to evaluate the legitimacy of state judicial systems but also to foster it. Most scholars who seek to measure the legitimacy of court systems focus on three aspects: confidence in the system's lawfulness, perception of the system's impartiality, and assessment of the system's propriety. (5) When the public's opinion of these three aspects of legitimacy is low, the institution's vitality and viability suffer. Conversely, when public perception is high, public trust and confidence is high. Moreover, a confident and trusting public more readily accepts the necessity for an independent judiciary. (6) While this Article does not undertake an exhaustive review of all factors that affect public perception of the courts, some of the research findings about public perception are highly relevant. Research indicates, for example, that the perception of, and thus respect for, the judiciary is influenced not only by the nature of the outcome of its work--that is, the public's agreement or disagreement with court decisions--but also by the degree to which the system is perceived to be procedurally and substantively fair. (7) Thus, institutions that are perceived to exercise their authority with both procedural and substantive fairness have a higher degree of legitimacy than those perceived to use unfair processes to reach unfair results. …


Fu et al. investigated the role of the ROP2 and ROP4 guanosine triphosphatases (ROP2/4; plant-specific Rho-family GTPases) in leaf cell morphogenesis and found that cell shape depended on two antagonistic ROP-mediated pathways. Arabidopsis leaf pavement cells grow in a jigsaw puzzle-like pattern, with lobes from one cell fitting into indentations (necks) on its neighbors. Inhibition of ROP2 with RNA interference (RNAi) in a ROP4 knockout mutant attenuated lobe development. Cortical microfilaments (associated with expanding regions of wild-type cells) were absent in cells lacking ROP2/4, whereas bundles of microtubules, normally associated only with neck regions, were found throughout the cell. ROP-interactive CRIB-motif-containing protein 4 (RIC4) was located at incipient lobes and lobe tips of wild-type cells, whereas expression of activated ROP2 [which interacted with RIC4 as monitored by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) analysis] caused RIC4 to distribute throughout the cell cortex. RIC4 overexpression enhanced microfilament accumulation and distribution, whereas RIC4 knockdown reduced microfilament accumulation and attenuated lobe formation. In contrast, RIC1, a ROP target that localized with microtubules, promoted microtubule bundling and inhibited lobe expansion. Plasma membrane-associated activated ROP2 bound to RIC1 and sequestered it from microtubules. FRET analysis together with evaluation of various mutant combinations indicated that RIC1 inhibited the interaction between ROP2 and RIC4, antagonizing their promotion of microfilament accumulation and lobe development; depolymerization experiments indicated that this depended at least in part on RIC1 promotion of microtubule organization. Thus, localized activation of ROP2/4, together with its regulation of the two antagonistic pathways, appears to define regions of the cell that form lobes and regions that form indentations. Settleman discusses the research in a Preview and comments on its relevance to animal development. Y. Fu, Y. Gu, Z. Zheng, G. Wasteneys, Z. Yang, Arabidopsis interdigitating cell growth requires two antagonistic pathways with opposing action on cell morphogenesis. Cell 120, 687-700 (2005). [Online Journal] J. Settleman, Intercalating Arabidopsis leaf cells: A jigsaw puzzle of lobes, necks, ROPs, and RICs. Cell 120, 570-572 (2005). [Online Journal]


Robust regional seismic-hazard assessments require millennial-scale paleoseismic histories that extend far beyond the range of historical and instrumental data. However, it is difficult to resolve the probability density functions for earthquake recurrence from the limited number of major to great earthquakes most paleoseismic records contain. Lake sediment records are repositories of information about paleoearthquake recurrence, with a sensitivity and fidelity over millennial time scales that suggest that they have the potential to yield reliable estimates of the recurrence distribution. We present a 7000 yr paleoseismic record from Lake Tutira (North Island, New Zealand) that ranks among the most detailed Holocene paleoearthquake chronologies available worldwide, and use it to empirically constrain the recurrence distribution of earthquakes with a minimum ground-shaking intensity of MMI 7 in one of New Zealand's most seismically active areas. Our analysis confirms that a Poisson process describes the waiting times of single moderate to major and/or great paleoearthquakes in the Hawke's Bay region.


In this paper, we explore Bayesian inference in models with many instrumental variables that are potentially weakly correlated with the endogenous regressor. The prior distribution has a hierarchical (nested) structure. We apply the methods to the Angrist-Krueger (AK, 1991) analysis of returns to schooling using instrumental variables formed by interacting quarter of birth with state/year dummy variables. Bound, Jaeger, and Baker (1995) show that randomly generated instrumental variables, designed to match the AK data set, give two-stage least squares results that look similar to the results based on the actual instrumental variables. Using a hierarchical model with the AK data, we find a posterior distribution for the parameter of interest that is tight and plausible. Using data with randomly generated instruments, the posterior distribution is diffuse. Most of the information in the AK data can in fact be extracted with quarter of birth as the single instrumental variable. Using artificial data patterned on the AK data, we find that if all the information had been in the interactions between quarter of birth and state/year dummies, then the hierarchical model would still have led to precise inferences, whereas the single instrument model would have suggested that there was no information in the data. We conclude that hierarchical modeling is a conceptually straightforward way of efficiently combining many weak instrumental variables.


In an era of heterogeneous data, novel methods and volunteered geographic information provide opportunities to understand how people interact with a place. However, it is not enough to simply have such heterogeneous data, instead an understanding of its usability and reliability needs to be undertaken. Here, we draw upon the case study of Rakiura, Stewart Island where manifested passenger numbers across the Foveaux Strait are known. We have built a population model to ground truth such novel indicators. In our preliminary study, we find that a number of indicators offer the opportunity to understand fluctuations in populations. Some indicators (such as wastewater volumes) can suggest relative changes in populations in a raw form. While other indicators (such as TripAdvisor reviews or Instagram posts) require further data enrichment to get insights into population fluctuations. This research forms part of a larger research project looking to test and apply such novel indicators to inform disaster risk assessments.


Description: CUL is replacing NetTracker, a commercial web analytics package, with an in-house system for producing reports on the use of resources that reside on CULcontrolled servers. This survey was conducted at the request of Adam Chandler as leader of the team developing the in-house product. The primary goals of the survey were to solicit feedback from former NetTracker users to enable the in-house replacement to carry over as many of its desirable features as possible, to eliminate as many of its weaknesses and limitations as possible, and to add missing functionality. Survey subjects were chosen from a group of the heaviest former NetTracker users, as determined by web log analysis. A majority of subjects described NetTracker as a less than optimum solution to their need for web analytics, finding it to be either overkill, or not up to the level of sophistication they needed. A desire was voiced for a replacement product that provides basic hit count data for arbitrary time intervals, is fast, reliable, deployable on any CUL web site, and usable without IT staff intervention.


Abstract More than ever, companies are confronted with the importance of developing and maintaining relationships with their strategic stakeholders, such as employees. These relationships should be aimed at balancing the interests of the company with the interests of said stakeholders. Managing relationships with stakeholders is difficult in itself and even more so within the complex context of the South African mining industry. The aim of this article is to determine guidelines that could be used to ascertain employer–employee relationship type and relationship quality in the mining sector. In 2004, a quantitative questionnaire survey was conducted with a stratified quota sample of 508 company employees as part of a commissioned stakeholder perception survey. In addition, qualitative focus-group sessions were conducted to contextualise and clarify the quantitative results. The research indicated that the employer–employee relationship at Lonmin Platinum could be classified as an exchange, rather than a communal relationship. Employees generally perceived the quality of their relationship with the company in a negative way. Employees from all job levels had low levels of trust in the company. This study contributes to a growing body of research aimed at trying to understand the nature of employer–employee relations within large companies in a developing society, where companies are faced with the challenge of communicating to and managing diverse workforces.


We study a duopoly model where consumers are heterogeneous with respect to their willingness to pay for two product characteristics and marginal costs are increasing with the quality level chosen on each attribute. We show that although firms seek to manage competition through product positioning, their differentiation strategies critically depend on how costly it is to provide higher quality. When the cost of providing quality is not too high, firms use only one attribute to differentiate their products: they maximally differentiate on one dimension and minimally differentiate on the other (a Max-Min equilibrium). Furthermore, they always differentiate along the dimension with the greater attribute range. As for the dimension with the smaller range and along which they agglomerate, firms either choose the highest quality level or the lowest quality level possible, depending on whether the marginal costs of quality provision are low or intermediate, respectively. However, for larger quality provision costs, firms exploit both dimensions to differentiate their products. In particular, we characterize a maximal differentiation equilibrium in which one firm chooses the highest quality level on both attributes while its rival offers the lowest quality level on both attributes (a Max-Max equilibrium). We discuss the managerial implications of our findings and explain how they enrich and qualify previous results reported in the literature on two-dimensional differentiation models.


AbstractReforestation and restoration efforts have traditionally relied on "local" seed sources as planting stock. The term "local" has different meanings in different locales, since no single set of seed-collection zones has yet been widely adopted across the eastern United States. Given concerns about mitigating the effects of climate change, forest managers are increasingly seeking to move seed sources in a process called assisted migration, which would be facilitated if a common set of seed-collection zones were available. We developed a map of 245 seed-collection zones for 37 states by combining two ecologically important layers: plant hardiness zones and ecoregions. These new seed-collection zones should be used by seed collectors and nurseries to describe the origin of seed for plants and trees in the eastern United States. Common garden studies remain the gold standard for determining how far to move seed from any particular seed-collection zone. For species that have not been field-tested, seed movement that is limited either within a seed-collection zone or between adjacent seed-collection zones is a reasonable general guideline.


Bollywood film is the national cinema of India, describing movies made in Mumbai, distributed nationally across India and with their own production, distribution and exhibition networks worldwide. This informative screen guide reflects the work of key directors, major stars and important music directors and screenplay writers. Historically important films have been included along with certain cult movies and top box office successes. No guide to Hindi film would be complete without discussing: Mother India, the national epic of a peasant woman's struggle against nature and society to bring up her family; Sholay, a 'curry western' where the all-star cast sing and dance, romance and kill; Dilwale Dulhaniya le jayenge, the greatest of the diaspora films, in which two British Asians fall in love on a holiday in Europe before going to India where they show their elders how to incorporate love into family traditions; Junglee, showing how love transforms a 'savage' (junglee) who yells 'Yahoo!' before singing and dancing like Elvis, creating a new youth culture; Pyaasa, dramatically shot in black and white film with haunting songs as the romantic poet suffers for his art in the material world; Fans of Bollywood film can debate Rachel Dwyer's personal selection of these 101 titles while those new to the area will find this an invaluable introduction to the best of the genre.


Bullying is a serious social problem at schools, very prevalent independently of culture and country, and particularly acute for teenagers. With the irruption of always-on communications technology, the problem, now termed cyberbullying, is no longer restricted to school premises and hours. There are many different approaches to address cyberbullying, such as school buddies, educational videos, or involving police in counseling; however, awareness continues to be insufficient. We have developed Conectado, a serious game to be used in the classroom to increase awareness on bullying and cyberbullying in schools. While playing the game, students gain a first-hand immersive experience of the problem and the associated emotions, fostering awareness and empathy with victims. This paper describes Conectado and presents its validation with actual students using game analytics.


In this thesis, I develop statistics capable of detecting peculiar features in current observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. Such tools scrutinise the very foundations of standard cosmological models. Evidence of peculiar features in the CMB may require a reassessment of these building blocks. More likely, any features may be artefacts of some non-cosmological signal. Nevertheless, whether the origin of these strange attributes is primordial or local, their discovery would be instructive. Existing statistical tools focus on the amplitude of the spherical harmonic coefficients, I look instead at their phases. The method I form checks for the uniformity of the distribution of phase angles using a non-parametric descriptor, which is known as Kuiper's statistic. The method is applied to the COBE-DMR and WMAP sky maps, and departures from uniformity are found in both. The results probably reflect Galactic contamination or the known variation of signal-to-noise across the sky rather than primordial non-Gaussianity. Next, the statistic is adjusted to probe the topology of the universe. The new method exploits the existence of correlations in the phases of the CMB temperature pattern associated with matched pairs of circles seen in the CMB in universes with non-trivial topologies. After this, I turn our attention to the issue of Galactic foreground signals. A diagnostic of foreground contamination is developed based around the Faraday rotation measures (RM) of extragalactic sources. Statistically significant correlations of RM with the preliminary WMAP individual frequency maps are found. These correlations remain significant in CMB-only maps. Later, I use catalogues of rotation measures to construct a template of the Galactic sky. The RM maps may be used as templates for CMB foreground analysis. This idea is illustrated with a cross-correlation analysis between the WMAP data and our maps. I find a significant cross-correlation, again indicating the presence of significant residual contamination. Problems and future developments are discussed at the end.


The Wallula fault zone is an integral feature of the Olympic-Wallowa lineament, an ∼500-km-long topographic lineament oblique to the Cascadia plate boundary, extending from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to Walla Walla, Washington. The structure and past earthquake activity of the Wallula fault zone are important because of nearby infrastructure, and also because the fault zone defines part of the Olympic-Wallowa lineament in south-central Washington and suggests that the Olympic-Wallowa lineament may have a structural origin. We used aeromagnetic and ground magnetic data to locate the trace of the Wallula fault zone in the subsurface and map a quarry exposure of the Wallula fault zone near Finley, Washington, to investigate past earthquakes along the fault. We mapped three main packages of rocks and unconsolidated sediments in an ∼10-m-high quarry exposure. Our mapping suggests at least three late Pleistocene earthquakes with surface rupture, and an episode of liquefaction in the Holocene along the Wallula fault zone. Faint striae on the master fault surface are subhorizontal and suggest reverse dextral oblique motion for these earthquakes, consistent with dextral offset on the Wallula fault zone inferred from offset aeromagnetic anomalies associated with ca. 8.5 Ma basalt dikes. Magnetic surveys show that the Wallula fault actually lies 350 m to the southwest of the trace shown on published maps, passes directly through deformed late Pleistocene or younger deposits exposed at Finley quarry, and extends uninterrupted over 120 km.


Co-produced water re-injection is a mature recovery technique for oil fields. Co-produced water that is not re-injected is the largest wastage stream in the oil industry. Handling, treatment and management (especially re-injection back into the reservoir) is an expensive operation. PWRI is a secondary oil recovery method with a small recovery factor in the range of 15-25% and contributes to many surface and subsurface issues, e.g., scaling and reservoir plugging, resulting in the decline of water injectivity, and thus lower oil recovery. This reduction, of course, impinges significantly on the revenue stream of major oil corporations.
However, low-salinity (LowSal) water injection is an emerging method that boosts oil recovery by reducing the downsides of produced water re-injection. Using forward osmosis to produce low-salinity water for injection is a novel idea, in which the co-produced water will be the draw solution. In this concept, low-salinity water from water wells (brackish water) is used as the feed to dilute the co-produced water. The diluted co-produced water will then be re-injected as LowSal water. The obviously cheaper alternative of direct dilution of the co-produced water with the brackish water might not produce a water compatible with the oil reservoir in both ionic composition and strength.
Data have been collected from different oil fields with various co-produced water and formation characteristics. Different co-produced water treatments were observed in each oil field due to differences in co-produced water chemistry. The water sample for analysis was taken at the skim tanks prior to the water injection stage.
A theoretical resistance-in-series model for the forward osmosis stage is presented, which has been adapted from the literature, which incorporates the mass transfer equations, in which the boundary layer and thin-film theory for the membrane intrinsic layers are integrated. An improved shell mass transfer correlation is introduced in addition to the incorporation of a modified reflection coefficient into the resistance-in-series model. The collected data were then incorporated into the theoretical model to calculate and evaluate the forward osmosis performance and, in turn, the water chemistry before re-injection.
A forward osmosis rig has been erected to use the latest hollow fibre membrane supplied by the Toyobo Company (Japan). Water and solute flux were measured to validate the model estimations. The model estimated results were at 95% confidence to the measured values. Analytical investigations (ion analysis) for the membrane filtrate at various flowrates and applied pressures were performed to determine the forward osmosis filtrate ion composition. The FO filtrate compositions were then simulated using ScaleChem studio software from OLI for scaling tendency. The software predicted a remarkable reduction in the scaling tendency in the injection water infrastructure (including the oil reservoir) and by more than 50% compared to conventional co-produced water re-injection.
Parallel to the ScaleChem predictions, the FO filtrate water was experimentally investigated for scaling using the Differential Scaling Loop rig, in a third-party lab. The DSL results are in good agreement with the ScaleChem predictions. The experimental scaling tendency results show that the injection of forward osmosis filtrate has the minimum occurrence of scaling both in the surface and subsurface.
This new concept to produce LowSal produced water re-injection has the potential to improve oil recovery by minimizing the oil reservoir plugging due to scaling.


In the pediatric population, ureteroceles may present with different clinical pictures, and the severity of the renal damage is greater than in adults. Ureterocele, an anomaly of ureteric budding, is likely a component of a spectrum of anomalies including vesicoureteral reflux and ureteral duplications. Both have been confirmed to have a genetic and familial basis. We document the largest series of familial cases of ureteroceles, giving evidence for genetic background. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of patients with familial ureteroceles seen between 1992 and 2002. Coexisting ureteral anomalies and features of the cases were documented and compared to sporadic cases and all familial cases within the literature. This is the largest series of familial ureterocele patients in the literature. The review of the literature revealed seven publications with seven ureterocele families (15 affected patients) between 1936 and 2002. Comparing sex, ureterocele location, and single versus duplex systems, familial series are similar to other sporadic cases. Three of the families have twin siblings with ureteroceles. Familial cases, despite their rarity, raise the issue of the genetic origin of uretereoceles. Family members of ureterocele cases should be informed and followed carefully, especially twins. Increased reporting and genetic analysis of familial ureteroceles may prove to link the genetic mouse models of abnormal ureteric budding to the human conditions.


This is the most informative book available for the collector of buttons, written by a second-generation collector who has traveled the world over to expand her knowledge of this exciting collectible. The book presents over 10,000 buttons of all imaginable materials from 150 AD to the present in full color and relates their history and development around the world. Buttons have been the fastest growing part of the collecting world for the last few years, and this book tells you about the trends in this vast field of collecting. A number of buttons have gone up ten times in value in the past few years alone! This book is certain to become the "Bible" for the button enthusiast, dealer, or anyone who loves beautiful objects.


Intralocus sexual conflict (IASC) prevents males and females from reaching their disparate phenotypic optima and is widespread, but little is known about its genetic underpinnings. In Rhizoglyphus robini, a mite species with alternative male morphs, elevated sexual dimorphism of the armored fighter males (compared to more feminized scramblers males) was previously reported to be associated with increased IASC. Because IASC persists if gene expression patterns are correlated between sexes, we compared gene expression patterns of males and females from the replicate lines selected for increased proportion of fighter or scrambler males (F- and S-lines, respectively). Specifically, we tested the prediction that selection for fighter morph caused correlated changes in gene expression patterns in females. We identified 532 differentially expressed genes (FDR < 0.05) between the F-line and S-line males. Consistent with the prediction, expression levels of these genes also differed between females from respective lines. Thus, significant proportion of genes differentially expressed between sexually selected male phenotypes showed correlated expression levels in females, likely contributing to elevated IASC in F-lines reported in a previous study.


Session types and typestate both promise a type system that can reason about protocol adherence. The complexity budgets of most programming languages, however, do not allow for new forms of types aimed at specific problem domains--even domains as broad as these. Classical F◦ --read "F-pop"--is a typed λ-calculus based on classical (i.e., full) linear logic, wherein session types arise naturally from the interaction between the usual sums, products, and implications of linear logic and a simple process model, with the dualizing negation of classical logic naturally accounting for how a protocol is seen by each of a channel's endpoints. Classical F◦ expressions evaluate to processes, reminiscent of those in the π-calculus, that communicate over channels, but source expressions, rather than including processes and channels, employ only two novel control operators that account for process creation and communication. F◦ is introduced by way of its intuitionistic fragment, which even on its own can account for typestate: the combination of linearity and polymorphism leads to natural encodings of many programmer-specified protocols. In fact, any protocol expressible as a regular language can be encoded in an intuitionistic F◦ type. F◦ distinguishes between linear and unrestricted types by using kinds together with a notion of subkinding, avoiding the pitfalls of approaches based on type qualifiers or modalities; kinds are related by a subkinding order that allows unrestricted types to be treated as though they were linear. Soundness for intuitionistic and classical F◦ is proved both in the standard operational sense of preservation and progress and for an augmented semantics that shows more directly that the expected properties of linearity are preserved. This establishes the absence of deadlocks in closed, well-typed F◦ programs; it also guarantees that such programs will not "leak" processes as long as their result types are unrestricted. This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/777 Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Computer and Information Science First Advisor Steve Zdancewic


This five case series, sold as a package, presents an opportunity for students to understand that leadership mindset is not going from crisis to crisis, but anticipating and shaping your organization. Through four case scenarios, students learn the need to recognize when there is a crisis situation, explore problems that often occur when issues are ignored, and take appropriate actions to remedy the situation. The setting for the (D) case is five months after the outbreak. There have been 20 reported deaths among colleagues, and 52% of Treading H2O's workforce is absent. A vaccine has been released in limited quantities. The provider of the corporate medical plan contacted Treading H2O's benefits coordinator and walked through the procedure for distributing allocated doses of the H2H vaccine. All employees and dependents were eligible to receive the vaccination. The company's allocation amounted to 1,000 vaccinations. The medical plan provider has asked how your H2O executives would like to select the recipients.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the accuracy of MR Imaging for needle depiction at 0.2 and 1.5 T with multiple pulse sequences and needle orientations. The goal was to provide a framework for biopsy approach and imaging technique parameter selection that will ensure the safety and accuracy of MR-guided procedures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Eight titanium and stainless steel alloy MR-compatible biopsy devices were immersed in fluid phantoms and placed into 1.5- and 0.2-T MR systems used for clinical imaging. Spin-echo, turbo spin-echo, and gradient-echo images were obtained with the needle shafts of the biopsy devices placed parallel to, perpendicular to, and at angles of 30 degrees and 60 degrees relative to the static magnetic field of the scanner. All images were obtained with the frequency-encoding direction parallel to and perpendicular to the needle shaft. Needle width and tip position were measured from images on a freestanding workstation, and the apparent tip position was compared with that obtained by direct measurement. The difference between these values was calculated for each needle type, imaging sequence, frequency-encoding direction, and needle orientation.

RESULTS
Artifactual widening was much more apparent at 1.5 T than at 0.2 T, as was error in determining needle tip position. Artifacts at both field strengths were most pronounced with gradient-echo sequences, less so with turbo spin-echo sequences, and least of all with spin-echo sequences. For spin-echo and turbo spin-echo sequences, when the frequency-encoding axis was perpendicular to the needle shaft, the apparent width of the needle was larger, but error in needle tip position was smaller. Artifacts were much less apparent, but error in tip position increased, as the orientation of the needle shaft became more parallel to the direction of the magnetic field.

CONCLUSION
Specific measurements differed with field strength, but needle tip localization within 1 mm was obtained at both 0.2 and 1.5 T with the appropriate frequency-encoding direction, pulse sequence, and imaging parameters. Orientation of the needle parallel to the magnetic field significantly reduced the apparent width of the needle at both field strengths but also decreased the accuracy of needle tip position localization.


The closed-form expressions of the probability density function (pdf) and the moment-generating function for the exact end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of variable-gain relay networks are unknown for generalized fading models; thus, the exact evaluation for the ergodic capacity of these systems is cumbersome. In this paper, we develop a new unified framework for the exact ergodic capacity of multihop networks equipped with variable-gain relays, assuming that channel-state information (CSI) is available only at the receiving terminals. The resulting expression (which is based on the exact end-to-end SNR) is in the form of a single truncated infinite series and is valid for an arbitrary number of hops and for various fading models that are typically encountered in realistic scenarios. Furthermore, we show that the exact ergodic capacity of dual-hop variable-gain relay networks can be written in terms of the ergodic capacities of two equivalent single-input-single-output (SISO) channels and one single-input-multiple-output channel (SIMO), the closed-form expressions of which are already available for many commonly used fading/shadowing models. Finally, we show that there is an exact match between the Monte Carlo simulation and theoretical results over a whole range of per-hop average SNR.


Shareholder Value presents a powerful and useful toolkit of market-based perspectives, analytic approaches, valuation techniques, and specific financial metrics for use in everyday business life. The author helps a broad spectrum of professionals understand the salient points and real world implications of a 'value management' movement which has taken hold in many corporations in the United States and around the world. This movement is being supported by some of the major institutional investors who influence financial markets. The main goal of 'Shareholder Value' is to help working professionals grasp the concept of value 'creators' and 'destroyers', along with the implications. He also provides tools to measure the success (or failure) of major strategic and operational initiatives and enables corporate managers to understand how shareholder value is created, and then directs behaviour toward 'value-based' planning and action. Although mainly aimed at the professional market, 'Shareholder Value' will also be of use to students of business and finance as it is intended to provide a comprehensive foundation for important elements of business strategy and acquisition valuation, corporate financial analysis, capital investments, corporate financing and economic value based metrics. AUTHOR'S REVIEW: When developing this book, I strived to achieve the following: Provide the finance professional and student of finance with a comprehensive template of shareholder value concepts and techniques - geared toward use in a corporate setting Give the non-financial professional an understanding of the underpinnings and behavioural aspects of economic value management Outline and provide details of an effective process for implementing a value-based financial performance system within a corporation ...And, combine learning with enjoyable reading by presenting technical material through a story. The "story" and "characters" are unique features of Shareholder Value - A Business Experience. The reader can get an appreciation of the environment surrounding value-based management, along with challenges that arise when transitioning from traditional "accounting" performance (where earnings and earnings per share reign supreme) to "economic" performance (where cash flow and return on investment are emphasized). Characters occupying operating and staff roles have been created to represent people that those working inside companies (large, medium and small) may encounter and, also, to invoke some humour. Insights into how to function in different corporate roles can be gained by following the characters through the story. Presents a combination of analysis and case study in which a strong technical treatment is blended with a fictional case study to offer clarity and explanation A practical and effective implementation process for a comprehensive financial performance system Offers a perspective of the role of different corporate and business unit functions in the implementation of value-based financial performance within a company


We analyze the output wavelength dynamics of the semiconductor laser (SL) in an optical feedback (OF) Michelson interferometer (OSMI) and explain the origin of the observed asymmetry of the OSMI interferogram that is also sensitive to the displacement direction of the sample mirror relative to the SL facet. The Kobayashi-Lang mode solutions indicate an SL wavelength that varies only slightly about its nominal value and insufficient to cause the asymmetry. The power spectrum of the interferogram displays the perturbed nominal SL peak as well as the standing-wave solutions for the external resonators formed by the two interferometric arms. The standing-wave solutions do not affect the SL output wavelength because they are not matched with the profile of the SL gain medium. Their presence however, causes the interferogram to become asymmetric.


Just last June, the Supreme Court decided that when prosecutors rely on lab reports they must call the experts who prepared them to testify. It was an important ruling, based on a defendant's right to be confronted with witnesses against him, but the court is about to revisit it. The justices should reaffirm that the Sixth Amendment requires prosecutors to call the lab analysts whose work they rely on.


A deep-tow sonar and photographic survey of 75 km 2 of the western Bermuda Rise, supported by limited coring and bottom-current measurements, mapped several types of bed forms molded by a northeasterly Antarctic Bottom Water current. Large-scale mud waves as much as 30 m high and 4 to 6 km apart are oriented 30° to the left of the mean current, and preferential deposition on their northwest faces has caused slow migration in that direction. Most of these faces have been dissected by straight parallel troughs or large furrows, as much as 50 m wide and 10 m deep, which form strips of roughened sea floor with anomalously high acoustic bottom loss. The "smooth" sea bed on the opposite faces of the mudwaves is lineated by lower amplitude, closely spaced "small furrows." The distribution of these intermediate-scale, furrow bed forms may correlate with variations in sediment erodibility or in current strength over the surface of the large-scale mud waves. Some recent current ripples, tool marks, and current-smoothed sea bed indicate continued local current activity. However, the site is exposed to variable and generally weak bottom currents, which now may only maintain furrows that formed under a different flow regime.


We argue the case that human social systems and social organizations in particular are concrete, non-metaphorical, cognitive agents operating in their own self-constructed environments. Our point of departure is Luhmann's theory of social systems as self-organizing systems of communications. Integrating the Luhmannian theory with the enactive theory of cognition and Simondon's theory of individuation, results in a novel view of social systems as complex, individuating sequences of communicative interactions that together constitute distributed yet distinct cognitive agencies. The relations of such agencies with their respective environments (involving other agencies of the same construction) is further clarified by discussing both the Hayek-Hebb and the perturbation-compensation perspectives on systems adaptiveness as each reveals different and complementary facets of the operation of social systems as loci of cognitive activity. The major theoretical points of the argument are followed and demonstrated by an analysis of NASA's communications showing how a social organization undergoes a process of individuation from which it emerges as an autonomous cognitive agent with a distinct and adaptive identity. With this example we hope to invite a debate on how the presented approach could inform a transdisciplinary method of cognitive modeling applied to human social systems.


Hewlett-Packard develops and markets a family of computer-aided engineering products used by high-frequency designers to model the signal path in contemporary communications systems. As design frequencies, clock speeds and packaging densities continue to increase, more designers are finding that system and circuit simulation products need to be complemented by electromagnetic simulation software to develop models for basic circuit functionality or to characterize and compensate undesired parasitic effects. The HP High-Frequency Structure Simulator (HP HFSS) is a frequency-domain, finite element-based simulator, which enables engineers to characterize high-frequency behavior in 2D (transmission lines) and arbitrary 3D structures. Links with mechanical computer aided design (CAD) software have also become more important as the 3D structures to be analyzed by HP HFSS can involve packaging parasitics when the housing in which the electrical circuitry is enclosed becomes an influence on the signal path. Depending upon the complexity of the structure to be analyzed, HP HFSS can require hundreds of Mbytes of RAM and disk during automated adaptive solution convergence processes which determine field and circuit parameter solution results to user-specified accuracies. Although computer resource requirements will always be an important consideration for users of this type of product, another important situation to address for the future involves the exchange of data between the different simulation and modelling tools required to take design from concept through simulation to manufacture. The introduction of physical simulation tools into the traditional circuit simulation arena changes the design process flow and increases the demand for improved integration and interoperability of circuit simulators, numerical EM simulators, and mechanical CAD software. This paper provides an overview of data exchange issues in high-frequency electrical–physical–mechanical design processes.


The Mansfeld region in Sachsen-Anhalt, Central Germany, has a long tradition of mining Kupferschiefer, a marine copper-containing black shale of Permian age. One of the residues from the processing of that low-grade copper ore is 'Theisen Sludge', a very fine-grained scrubber dust composed of metal sulphide particles in a matrix of highly viscous hydrocarbons. The Theisen Sludge is considered to be the main source for heavy metal releases into the local environment. The most important discharge point for contaminated water is the 'Stadtborn Spring'. The extremely high metal and sulphate concentrations in the spring water cause the precipitation of a mineral phase exceptionally rich in heavy metals. This precipitate is the focus of the current investigation. It is shown that a gel with adsorbed metals first is formed from spring water. Then zinc-copper-aluminium hydroxides start to crystallise from the gel at an early stage, forming (Zn,Cu,Al)(O,OH) 2 brucite-type layers, which are positively charged owing to a remarkable A1 content. These precursor layers take up SO 4 2 - for charge compensation and H 2 O into interlayers and begin to form zinc-copper-aluminium hydroxide-sulphates such as Al-rich zincowoodwardite within a few weeks of aging. Further maturation of the precipitate took place in the gaseous environment of atmospheric CO 2 after part of the brook dried up several decades ago. This 'maturation' due to the long-term interaction of the precipitate with atmospheric CO 2 is characterised by the transformation of the zinc-copper-aluminium hydroxide-sulphates into zinc hydroxide-carbonates with a residual copper content. The resulting crystalline phase is characterised structurally as disordered hydrozincite. The results described are the first step in a study which aims to optimise the natural precipitation process observed as a part of a remediation strategy for the local surface water system. It also is noticed that the fresh precipitate may be of use as a precursor material for copper/zinc co-precipitated oxide catalysts for industrial hydrogenation processes.


his thesis examines the representation of femininity in six French medieval bestiaries (Philippe de Phaon: Bestiaire, Gervaise: Bestiaire, Guillaume de Normandie: Bestiaire divin, Pierre de Beauvais: Bestiaire, Richard de Fournival: Bestiaire d'amour, pseudo-Pierre de Beauvais: Bestiaire) written in the 12th and the 13th centuries. In the Middle Ages the sexual difference was thought to have the essential influence on character and behaviour. Feminine beings were defined in comparison with masculine beings, they were and less valued and represented as inferior. French bestiaries examined in the thesis have the characteristics of medieval didactic literature (which have the sources in the naturalist texts of Antiquity and late Antiquity), religious and courtly tradition. By analysing the topics containing characteristics of femininity in the naturalist parts of the bestiary chapters (maternity, sexual difference, partnership and the representation of an independent feminine individual), we have concluded that the representation of female individuals contains socially constructed gender stereotypes, that the female individual is represented in implicit comparison with the male individual (which has a higher valorisation) and that there is metaphorical usage of femininity as a negative valorisation. The interpretative parts of bestiary chapters of traditional bestiaries (Philippe de Thaon, Gervaise, Guillaume of Normandy, Pierre de Beauvais, pseudo-Pierre de Beauvais) don"t make a difference between male and female recipients and dont"t systematically criticize females as inferior beings, however they introduce traditional misogynist characterization of females (lust, greed, duplicity). Eve and Virgin Mary are present as biblical female characters, even though there is no direct relation between them and women. The courtly interpretation of bestiary of Richard de Fournival contains the characterisation of female nature which has the characteristics traditionally attributed to women (talkativeness, duplicity, superficiality, instability). In this bestiary we have found that the nature of ideal love is described through the representation of motherly love towards the young, which we have named the female paradigm of love. The social and historical context of the feudal society can partly be constructed from the bestiaries dedicated to women. We have concluded that at all the levels of the analysis femininity is represented with misogyny, in comparison with masculine identity and less valued, which was a general opinion in the Middle Ages. From this point of view there is no difference between the traditional bestiaries, which interpret the universe symbolically, and the courtly bestiary influenced by Aristotelian naturalism.


Investments in local development and infrastructure projects often generate negative externalities such as pollution. Previous work has either focused on the potential for these investments to stimulate local economic activity or the health costs associated with air pollution. This paper examines the tradeoffs associated with the historical expansion in coal-fired electricity generation in the United States, which fueled local development but produced large amounts of unregulated air pollution. We focus on a highly responsive measure of health tradeoffs: the infant mortality rate. Our analysis leverages newly digitized data on all major coal-fired power plants for the period 1938-1962, and two complementary difference-in-differences strategies based on the opening of power plants and new generating units at existing sites. We find that coal-fired power plants imposed large negative health externalities, which were partially offset by the benefits from local electricity generation. We uncover substantial heterogeneity in these tradeoffs, both across counties and over time. Expansions in coal capacity led to increases in infant mortality in counties with high baseline access to electricity, but had no effect in low-access counties. Initial expansions in coal capacity led to decreases in infant mortality, but subsequent additions led to increases in infant mortality. These evolving tradeoffs highlight the importance of accounting for both current and future payoffs when designing environmental regulation.