ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (Arf6) is a small GTPase that influences membrane receptor trafficking and the actin cytoskeleton. In adipocytes, Arf6 regulates the trafficking of the glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) and consequently insulin-stimulated glucose transport. Previous studies also indicated a role of Arf6 in adrenergic receptor trafficking, but whether this contributes to the control of lipolysis in adipocytes remains unknown. This was examined in the present study by using RNA interference (RNAi) and pharmaceutical inhibition in murine cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Downregulation of Arf6 by RNAi impairs isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis specifically but does not alter triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis or the insulin signaling pathway. Neither total TAG amounts nor TAG fatty acid compositions are altered. The inhibitory effect on lipolysis is mimicked by dynasore, a specific inhibitor for dynamin, which is required for endocytosis. In contrast, lipolysis triggered by reagents that bypass events at the plasma membrane (e.g., forskolin, isobutylmethylxanthine or 8-bromo-cAMP) is not affected. Moreover, Arf6 protein levels in white adipose tissues are markedly increased in ob/ob mice, whereas they are decreased in obesity-resistant CD36 null mice. These changes reflect at least in part alterations in Arf6 mRNA levels. Collectively, these results suggest a role of the endocytic pathway and its regulation by Arf6 in adrenergic stimulation of lipolysis in adipocytes and potentially in the development of obesity.


Book synopsis: This book constitutes the most comprehensive and authoritative single work on crime and punishment in contemporary Greece. Bringing together empirical and theoretical work, it sheds light on a wide array of themes, from trends in the quantity and nature of crime, to attitudes towards crime and criminal justice, to criminal justice policies and practices. Primary chapters are followed by discussant pieces from specialists of jurisdictions elsewhere in Europe and North America, a format designed to highlight the mutual relevance of criminological research on Greece and that addressing other contexts internationally.


We examine the relationship between immigration and attitudes toward redistribution using a newly assembled data set of immigrant stocks for 140 regions of 16 Western European countries. Exploiting within-country variations in the share of immigrants at the regional level, we find that native respondents display lower support for redistribution when the share of immigrants in their residence region is higher. This negative association is driven by regions of countries with relatively large Welfare States and by respondents at the center or at the right of the political spectrum. The effects are also stronger when immigrants originate from Middle-Eastern countries, are less skilled than natives, and experience more residential segregation. These results are unlikely to be driven by immigrants' endogenous location choices.


The Syrian regime's strategy of using sieges and bombardments to force rebel-held areas to surrender is bringing it closer to its goal of eliminating independent civilsociety engagement and alternative governance structures. Over the past six years, civil structures – that is, non-state non-military organisations and institutions – have been established and consolidated across Syria in areas out of government control to organise local affairs and provide the most essential community services. With the international debate on Syria concentrating on local military developments and regional power struggles, Syria's civil actors have been shifted out of focus. However, the marginalisation of these local and decentralised actors and structures represents a major risk for Syria's future. They not only constitute the bedrock for implementing any potential political agreement on the ground, they are also crucial for providing Syrians with an alternative to so-called Islamic State (IS) and other Islamist groups, which cannot be fought successfully by military means alone.


Description: Do I need to go into full-time ministry to live a truly Christian life? Am I really a Christian if I'm not out preaching the gospel in dangerous places where people have never heard of Christ? Can secular work benefit the kingdom of God? All Christians struggle to discern God's call on their life, but God does call all to live a Christ-centered life. Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis of Sales attempts to help Christians discern what it means to be a child of God in a secular world. We can glorify God in a secular world, and be a testimony to the world of God's abounding grace and love.


BACKGROUND
During the relapse of multiple sclerosis (MS), activated T cells, T cells autoreactive against myelin antigens as well as antigen-nonspecific lymphocytes and monocytes produce a number of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor). For a proinflammatory effect to take place TNF must bind together with appropriate receptors. The aim of the study was to assess value of serum sTNFR-1 and sFas levels with reference to clinical activation of disease.

MATERIAL/METHODS
Thirty-three patients with clinically documented diagnosis of relapsing-remitting MS and 22 healthy subjects were included in the study. In 15 patients the measurements of sTNFR-l and sFas levels were performed at the beginning of MS relapse and in 18 subjects--they were taken in MS remission. 'I'he levels of both soluble molecules were determined with the use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS
Mean serum sTNFR-1 levels in patients with MS relapse did not differ significantly from mean sTNFR-1 level in patients with MS remission and a control group. Mean serum sFas level in patients with MS relapse was significantly higher comparing with the results obtained in patients with MS remission and in control group.

CONCLUSIONS
The absence of changes in serum sTNFR-1 levels relative to clinical activation of the disease makes this measurement ineffective in the assessment of MS status. On the other hand, the measurement of serum sFas levels may be a valuable parameter for the monitoring of both MS clinical course and immune response to treatment when the symptoms of neurological deficit aggravate.


As the performances of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) get attractive, long term degradation becomes the main issue for this technology. Therefore it is essential to localise the origin of degradation and to understand its mechanisms in order to find solutions and to improve SOFC durability. Microstructural evolution of anode supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) during medium-term stack testing has been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A new technique is presented using low acceleration voltage SEM imaging to separate the three anode phases (nickel, yttria-stabilized zirconia and porosity). Microstructural quantification is obtained using a software code that yields phase proportions, particle sizes, particle size distribution and a direct measure of triple phase boundary (TPB) density (μm/μm3). In addition, an anode degradation model is developed. It describes the gradual degradation of the anode due to particle sintering and the concomitant loss of the three-phase-boundary. Fundamental, operational and structural parameters of the anode can be used to estimate the three-phase-boundary length evolution with time from the degradation rate. The combination of experimental results and modeling allows separating the degradation due to sintering of nickel particles from total stack degradation. Anode degradation occurs principally during the first 500 operating hours. For medium term stack operation (more than 1000 h), anode degradation is responsible for 18 % to 46 % of the total degradation depending on stack technology.


Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a non-invasive approach for measuring brainwaves applied extensively in cognitive studies. Intelligence, which is commonly gauged as intelligence quotient (IQ) is one of the human potential ability that originates from
cognitive functioning of the brain. Recent researches have shown that correlation exists between EEG and IQ. Furthermore, various advanced studies on the EEG signal are conducted using advanced computation methods. However, a systematic approach
for IQ classification based on brainwaves and intelligent modelling technique has yet to be studied. Hence, this thesis proposed a practical and systematic approach to develop IQ classification model via artificial neural network (ANN) based on EEG
sub-band features which then, can be related with brain asymmetry (BA) and learning style (LS). The protocols involved EEG recording during resting with eyes closed and answering the conventional psychometric test. Fifty subjects of UiTM students are divided into three IQ levels based on the IQ scores from Raven's Progressive Matrices as the control group. Power ratio (PR) and spectral centroid (SC) features of Theta, Alpha and Beta are extracted from left prefrontal cortex EEG signals. Then, the
distributions of sub-band features are examined for each IQ level. Cross-relational studies are also done between IQ and other cognitive abilities, which are brain asymmetry and learning style based on EEG features. Further, IQ classification models comprising of inputs based on PR and SC features (Model A and Model B) are developed using multilayer feedforward network. Findings from this research showed that sub-band PR and SC features are indeed correlated with IQ. Consequently, the
network models yielded low mean squared error (MSE) and fulfilled the correlation requirements in classifying IQ levels. In cross-relational studies, findings have also revealed that PR and SC in relaxed closed-eyes state reflect the relationship between
intelligence and other cognitive abilities. The results showed that different balanced states of the brain and learning styles can be mapped to distinct IQ levels using the developed models. Results also demonstrated that high IQ is obtained when subjects
maintain relatively balanced hemispheric control. Additionally, results also revealed that medium and high IQ levels are capable of utilising four learning styles compared to low IQ level where only three learning styles were utilised. In conclusion, this
research has proven that IQ level classification via EEG and ANN modelling is successful specifically the PR and SC features at resting EEG that can be considered as a stable biological marker in relation to cognitive performance. In addition, the study also confirmed that left hemisphere of the frontal region is adequate for IQ recognition.


Chronic liver disease has multiple causes, many of which are increasing in prevalence. The final common pathway of chronic liver disease is tissue destruction and attempted regeneration, a pathway that triggers fibrosis and eventual cirrhosis. Assessment of fibrosis is important not only for diagnosis but also for management, prognostic evaluation, and follow-up of patients with chronic liver disease. Although liver biopsy has traditionally been considered the reference standard for assessment of liver fibrosis, noninvasive techniques are the emerging focus in this field. Ultrasound-based elastography and magnetic resonance (MR) elastography are gaining popularity as the modalities of choice for quantifying hepatic fibrosis. These techniques have been proven superior to conventional cross-sectional imaging for evaluation of fibrosis, especially in the precirrhotic stages. Moreover, elastography has added utility in the follow-up of previously diagnosed fibrosis, the assessment of treatment response, evaluation for the presence of portal hypertension (spleen elastography), and evaluation of patients with unexplained portal hypertension. In this article, a brief overview is provided of chronic liver disease and the tools used for its diagnosis. Ultrasound-based elastography and MR elastography are explored in depth, including a brief glimpse into the evolution of elastography. Elastography is based on the principle of measuring tissue response to a known mechanical stimulus. Specific elastographic techniques used to exploit this principle include MR elastography and ultrasonography-based static or quasistatic strain imaging, one-dimensional transient elastography, point shear-wave elastography, and supersonic shear-wave elastography. The advantages, limitations, and pitfalls of each modality are emphasized.


As the Dead Sea scrolls have changed our understanding of Judaism and early Christianity, so a set of twenty-nine scrolls recently acquired by the British Library promise to provide a window into a crucial phase of the history of Buddhism in India. The fragmentary birch bark scrolls, which were found inside one of a set of inscribed clay pots, are written in the Gandhari Prakrit language and in Kharosthi script. Dating from around the beginning of the Christian era, the scrolls are probably the oldest Buddhist manuscripts ever discovered.The manuscripts and pots come from a region known in ancient times as Gandhara, corresponding to modern northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan. At the peak of its influence, Gandhara was the capital of a series of wealthy and powerful dynasties and became one of the world's most important centers of Buddhism and the gateway through which Buddhism was transmitted from India to China and other parts of Asia. Gandhara was also a principal point of contact between India and the Western world. Despite abundant archeological evidence of Gandhara's thriving culture, until now there has been virtually no documentary evidence of its literary and religious canon.This volume introduces a groundbreaking project to decipher and interpret the Gandharan texts. It provides a detailed description of the manuscripts and a survey of their contents, along with a preliminary evaluation of their significance. Also included are representative samples of texts and translations.This discovery sheds new light on the regional character of early Indian Buddhist traditions, the process of the formation of standardized written canons, and the transmission of Buddhism into central and east Asia. "Ancient Buddhist Scrolls from Gandhara" will appeal to a broad audience with interests in Buddhism, comparative religion, and Asian languages.For more information go to the Early Buddhist Manuscript Project web site at http: //www.ebmp.org/


Increasing evidence indicates that remarkable differences in cardiovascular risk between ethnic groups cannot be fully explained by traditional risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes or dislipidemia measured in midlife. Therefore, the underlying pathophysiology leading to this "excess risk" in ethnic minority groups is still poorly understood, and one way to address this issue is to shift the focus from "risk" to examine target organs, particularly blood vessels and their arterial properties more directly. In fact, structural and functional changes of the vascular system may be identifiable at very early stages of life when traditional factors are not yet developed. Arterial stiffening, measured as aortic pulse wave velocity, and wave reflection parameters, especially augmentation index, seem to be an important pathophysiological mechanism for the development of cardiovascular disease and predict mortality independent of other risk factors. However, data regarding these arterial indices in ethnic minorities are relatively rare and the heterogeneity between populations, techniques and statistical methods make it difficult to fully understand their role.


Domain names may have substantial economic and social value. They are often the objects of dispute, whether based on allegations of abuse or in contests over ownership. There is a recent judicial trend, particularly in the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, toward characterizing domain names as "property" (and more specifically, "intangible property") subject to rules of sale and transfer typical of personal property. This judicial characterization identifies "alienability" as a fundamental characteristic of domain names. This sets up a real or potential conflict with jurisdictions or forums where domain names have been judicially or administratively characterized as "contract rights" based on the legal relationship between the domain name registrant and the registrar. Pursuant to the contract rights characterization, sales and transfers of domain names are subject to rules flowing from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) that govern the relationship among registries, registrars and registrants, and prescribe certain representations and warranties in connection with sales and transfers. This includes subjecting domain name registrants to alternative dispute settlement under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP). Several recent decisions among Ninth Circuit courts applying the federal Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA), on one side, and administrative panels applying the UDRP, on the other, call attention to the possibility for different dispute settlement outcomes depending on whether domain names are treated as freely alienable property or contract rights incorporating various obligations on transferors and transferees. In this article, the author, an experienced administrative panelist for the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center, analyzes the legal bases used to characterize Internet domain names, and suggests that it may not be necessary to draw a line between "intangible property" and "contract rights". Domain names may be treated as both. There is nothing unique about attaching conditions to the transfer of intangible property. For example, US law that authorizes assignment and transfer of trademarks conditions the transfer on associating the goodwill of the business. Similarly, domain names in transfer may be treated as intangible property conditioned with contract representations and warranties made pursuant to ICANN rules. The UDRP and ACPA provide for flexible assessment of the rights and legitimate interests of domain name registrants. These rules have allowed UDRP panels to consider the circumstances prevailing when a domain name transfer takes place, whether between related or unrelated parties, and this type of flexibility should appropriately take account of rights of transferors and transferees. Given the different contexts in which the UDRP and ACPA were adopted, and in which they are implemented, it should be expected that jurisprudential conflicts will from time to time arise and require attention. This article calls attention to one such conflict and proposes to resolve it through recognition that the legal character of the domain name need not be limited to a single class of subject matter.


WhichPLM is an independent digital magazine dedicated to product development for the fashion industry. In this feature article we document the journey UoH has undergone to add PLM to the curriculum in fashion buying management. We have created a new, and we believe unique, learning programme for the next generation of industry professionals by using PLM as a framework and a platform to re-think the learning design of the course and to model wider future educational practice. PLM provides a framework that permeates all aspects of the body of knowledge and provides a holistic view of industry processes, an up-to-date context for study within a supportive network and the opportunity to critique traditional practices and thereby generate new practices. Following on from this innovation, we now anticipate the emerging possibilities of extended functionality of PLM with associated technologies of 3D, data analytics and the internet of things (IoT). In an era of smart, connected products we intend to establish a community of smart connected learners, working collaboratively within a data driven system blurring the lines between higher education and industry in the future.


Abstract If patents have been included in a technical standard and thus have become standard essential patents (SEPs), the SEP holders normally have to commit to the Standard Setting Organization (SSO) to license their SEPs on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms. Although the FRAND commitments already put constraints on the patentees, more and more disputes over FRAND licensing fees involving SEPs are reaching antitrust enforcement agencies and courts, perhaps due to the fact that the FRAND commitments are often not workable. As demonstrated in the case Huawei v. IDC in Chinese courts, SEPs have special characteristics compared to non-SEPs, i.e. the licensing of SEPs relates more to the public interest, the holders of the SEPs may be thought to have dominant positions in the licensing market of their SEPs, the holder of the SEPs often have made commitments to license on the FRAND terms, and the holder of the SEPs should be allowed to use the injunctive relief only in limited circumstances. This article also proposes that Article 55 of the Chinese Antimonopoly Law (AML) should be reconsidered because it exempts the undertakings who exercise their IPRs in accordance with the laws and administrative regulations on IPRs from the application of the AML. However, as this article shows, the excessive royalty requested or the injunction sought by the holder of SEPs may not violate the patent law, but nonetheless may violate the antitrust law.


Predicated execution is an effective technique for dealing with conditional branches in application programs. However, there are several problems associated with conventional compiler support for predicated execution. First, all paths of control are combined into a single path regardless of their execution frequency and size with conventional if-conversion techniques. Second, speculative execution is difficult to combine with predicated execution. In this paper, we propose the use of a new structure, referred to as the hyperblock, to overcome these problems. The hyperblock is an efficient structure to utilize predicated execution for both compiletime optimization and scheduling. Preliminary experimental results show that the hyperblock is highly effective for a wide range of superscalar and VLIW processors.


The pattern of frontal activation as measured by the ongoing electroencephalogram (EEG) may be a marker for individual differences in infant and adult disposition to respond with either positive or negative affect. We studied 48 4-year-old children who were first observed in same-sex quartets during free-play sessions, while making speeches, and during a ticket-sorting task. Social and interactive behaviors were coded from these sessions. Each child was subsequently seen 2 weeks later when EEG was recorded while the child attended to a visual stimulus. The pattern of EEG activation computed from the session was significantly related to the child's behavior in the quartet session. Children who displayed social competence (high degree of social initiations and positive affect) exhibited greater relative left frontal activation, while children who displayed social withdrawal (isolated, onlooking, and unoccupied behavior) during the play session exhibited greater relative right frontal activation. Differences among children in frontal asymmetry were a function of power in the left frontal region. These EEG/behavior findings suggest that resting frontal asymmetry may be a marker for certain temperamental dispositions.


Whether and to what extent people should be held personally responsible for their health has been a subject of debate in the United States for at least three decades. (1) In the last few years, however, a new crop of proposals to promote healthy behaviors has been testing both our collective tolerance for such policies and our public health values. These proposals take two basic forms. One waves carrots; the other wields sticks. Most proposals use some form of incentive to reward individuals for adopting behaviors that protect against disease and promote health. Others, thus far in the minority, take a more punitive tack. In these cases, people who do not adopt the specified behaviors or meet the specified health criteria may forfeit benefits, pay more for them, or even lose their jobs (and so their benefits). Examples of the carrot approach can be found in both public and private sectors. A number of state legislatures are planning or have implemented policies designed to encourage Medicaid beneficiaries to take up health-promoting behaviors and stop health-harming ones. Florida, for example, offers up to $125 per year in drug store credits as a reward for keeping primary care and annual screening appointments, getting flu shots, participating in smoking cessation and weight loss programs, and so on. Within the private sector, employers are ramping up wellness programs by, for example, offering everything from DVDs to iPods to plane tickets to employees who participate in on-site exercise programs and health screenings. Examples of the stick approach are also on the upswing, thanks in part to two recent government actions. First, the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act, signed into law in February 2006, gave states new options for reducing Medicaid benefits. West Virginia, one of the first states to act on the law, has scaled back the basic benefits package and offers an "enhanced" package of services to clients who sign (on behalf of themselves and their children) and comply with a "Medicaid Member Agreement" plan. This plan, now being implemented in three counties, requires physicians to monitor and report whether clients undergo screening exams, take prescribed medications, show up for appointments, and so on. Those who fail to do so risk being relegated to the basic package, which lacks some services that many would consider basic. Second, according to government-issued rules that became effective in July 2007, some forms of penalty-driven wellness programs do not run afoul of the nondiscrimination provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Although uncertainty remains about the limits and legality of such programs, business leaders have responded enthusiastically. One well-publicized example is the plan by Clarian Health, a large Indianapolis health system, to charge employees up to thirty dollars per paycheck when they fail to meet benchmarks related to body mass index, cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure. Other employers are taking aim at tobacco use. For example, the company that makes Scotts lawn care products screens potential and current employees for tobacco use and has fired them for it--a practice for which the company has been taken to court in Massachusetts. The social goal of promoting healthy behaviors is reasonable given the nature of the U.S. disease burden today. Behavioral patterns make an indisputably significant contribution to the origin and progression of chronic disease, which kills seven out of ten Americans. Daily choices related to diet, exercise, substance use, and risk-taking "represent the single most prominent domain of influence over health prospects in the United States." (2) Yet how to promote behavior change is a complex question. Health behaviors are notoriously difficult to change, even within the context of expertly designed and implemented interventions. This fact may be related to another: health choices and the outcomes to which they contribute tend to be structurally patterned by socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity. …


Today's liberal international institutional order is being challenged by the rising power of illiberal states and by domestic political changes inside liberal states. Against such a backdrop, this book offers a broader understanding of international institutions by arguing that the politics of multilateralism has always been based on ideology and ideological divisions. The book develops new theories and measures to make sense of past and current challenges to multilateral institutions. It presents a straightforward theoretical framework that analyzes multilateral institutions as attempts by states to shift the policies of others toward their preferred ideological positions. It then measures how states have positioned themselves in global ideological conflicts during the past seventy-five years. Empirical chapters illustrate how ideological struggles shape the design of international institutions, membership in international institutions, and the critical role of multilateral institutions in militarized conflicts. The book also examines populism's rise and other ideological threats to the liberal international order. It explores the essential ways in which ideological contestation has influenced world politics.


This article analyses how Budi County in Eastern Equatoria State (South Sudan) was governed during the 1990s and up to mid-2007. Because its capital Chukudum was the SPLM/A headquarters almost throughout that period, it provides us with an interesting case from which to explore how the SPLM/A governed during the war and how this impacts on the post-war peace. One observation is that the war, besides a period of devastation and human suffering, was also a time of economic opportunities and social differentiation. For that reason this article will also explore livestock trade as a new mode of wealth appropriation and the changing nature of cattle raiding, and how this interferes with the struggle for regulatory power and governable "spaces". This means that we comprehend the economy as a political terrain. At the same time we leave room for sociological perspectives, to complement the more restricted "competition for resources and gains" approach to conflict and violence. The article is written in three sections. In the first section we briefly clarify why in 1999 there was an uprising in Budi County against SPLM/A rule and why it engendered massive local support. In the second section we examine one of the most destructive manifestations of violence that affect Budi county: cattle raiding. We look at it from a perspective that has been under-researched in the field: that of trans-border trade. In the last section we look at how, after the peace of 2005, newly appointed local government authorities are (re)claiming domains of state regulation that previously lay firmly in the hands of the military. Particular attention is given to the capacity of the local authorities to guarantee security and provide protection.


Americans work more than Europeans. Using micro-data from the United States and 17 European countries, we document that women are typically the largest contributors to the cross-country differences in work hours. We also show that there is a negative relation between taxes and annual hours worked, driven by men, and a positive relation between divorce rates and annual hours worked, driven by women. In a calibrated life-cycle model with heterogeneous agents, marriage and divorce, we find that the divorce and tax mechanisms together can explain 45% of the variation in labor supply between the United States and the European countries.


Following uncomplicated root canal treatment on a lower molar tooth, the 14 year old patient presented a few weeks later, together with her mother, complaining about an ulcer on her palate. Her mother assumed the lesion was related to the earlier dental treatment. On examination, the ulcer on the palate appeared to be a syphilitic chancre. I informed the patient that I did not think that the lesion was related to the recent RCT but rather looked very much like a sexually transmitted lesion. I then carefully asked if she had recently had oral sex and she said "Yes, with my boyfriend, but please do not tell my mother!"


The term "the public interest" is oft-cited but seldom defined. It is in essence both an umbrella term and a short-hand for a concept (or concepts) that we know we need to understand but have difficulty explaining. However, given both the prevalence and the importance of the concept to the law in specific disputes, confronting its essential nature becomes imperative to resolving those clashes. One such instance comes in the form of the conflict of privacy and a free press. One of the foremost legal problems of our time, the clash of Article 8 and Article 10 rights does not lend itself to simple resolutions given the frequency of what might be described as 'intractable' or 'zero-sum' cases – where both rights cannot be simultaneously realised to the satisfaction of the parties involved. This thesis therefore seeks to understand where the elusive 'public interest' lies in such cases. To do so it firstly examines where the public interest is located in each of the respective rights, and then how those rights are to be balanced. This thesis contends that it is not enough simply to understand the nature of the two rights which are being balanced, but that it is crucial to understand how the act of balancing itself impacts upon the outcome. All of this cannot be divorced from the wider social and political context in which the contest between conflicting rights takes place. This thesis therefore systematically examines each of these pieces of the puzzle to garner an in depth understanding of them individually and how they react with each other. This is done in order to produce a set tools – definitions, understandings, and conclusions – which can be applied to factual situations in order to illuminate the location of the public interest in conflicts between privacy and a free press.


A wireless capsule endoscope (WCE) is a promising medical device for diagnosis of digestive organs, which takes pictures inside digestive organs, such as large and small intestines and transmits them through implant wireless communications. In a realistic WCE scenario, it is important to precisely estimate the WCE location. Generally, the superiority of TOA-based localization over RSSI-based localization has been pointed out in many papers in wireless communication systems. However, because the propagation speed inside of a human body varies due to the influence of its biological tissues (namely, the relative permittivity of human tissues), the realization of precise TOA-based localization needs to accurately estimate the propagation velocity of implant communication signals. So, in this paper, we propose a TOA-based method for joint location/relative permittivity estimation, and then compare the performances between TOA- and RSSI-based WCE location estimation methods. Our computer simulation results reveal that, the TOA-based localization with accurate relative permittivity information outperforms the RSSI-based localization in terms of the localization accuracy, whereas the RSSI-based localization is advantageous if accurate relative permittivity is not obtained. Additionally, the proposed TOA-based localization can achieve not only better localization accuracy than that of the RSSI-based localization but also accurate averaged relative permittivity estimation.


In realising the importance of the poultry industry in Malaysia and the
public health implication of C.jejuni in man, a study was undertaken to
determine the prevalence, antibiotic resistance and plasmid profiles of C.jejuni
isolated from chickens and to identify factors associated with the risk of
colonization or infection by the organisms in chickens.
It was shown in this study that 72.6 % and 81.9 % of the commercial
broiler and village chickens respectively were colonized with C.jejuni. Of the
seventy six C.jejuni strains tested, all ( 100 %) were found to be resistant to
tetracycline while resistance to other antibiotics, namely ampicillin,
chloramphenicol, erythromycin, gentamicin , kanamycin and streptomycin ,
ranged from 25 - 75 % . This study also showed a rather large number, that is,
42 % of C. jejuni isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid although a
distinguishing feature of this species is its susceptibility to nalidixic acid . It was
found that there was no correlation between the presence of plasmid and
resistance to antibiotics. This is because in some isolates which showed
antibiotic resistance, no plasmid was detected . An analysis of the plasmid profiles of seventy one C.jejuni isolates , 59 % harboured 1-4 plasmids,
demonstrating 14 different patterns with the sizes ranging from 4.5 to 70. 3 kb .
This study also demonstrated that colonization of chickens with C.jejuni
occurred at two to three weeks of age. The study could not identify clearly the
factors which acted as the sources of C.jejuni in chickens. However,
colonization is found to be associated with poor farm management and hygienic
practices. Farms which practise good management and hygienic procedures tend
to have low rate of colonization by C.jejuni . Such practices include the use of
treated water, control of pests and flying birds from entering poultry houses and
restriction in the movement of personnel .
This is the first time that a detailed study on Campylobacter in chickens
was conducted, particularly on factors associated with colonization by C. jejuni.
It can be concluded from this study that C. jenuni is prevalent and widespread in
chicken populations in Malaysia. During slaughtering of these chickens and
during processing, poultry carcasses and offals may become contaminated with
C. jejuni. Consequently if such poultry meat and offals are undercooked or
caused cross contamination of ready-to-eat food, then upon consumption of such
foods causes Campylobacter enteritis in man . Hence, it is recommended that
farmer s and poultry processing plant operators be made aware of the importance
of campylobacters to human health and to implement appropriate measures to
control the infection in poultry.


Most recently proposed methods for Neural Program Induction work under the assumption of having a large set of input/output (I/O) examples for learning any underlying input-output mapping. This paper aims to address the problem of data and computation efficiency of program induction by leveraging information from related tasks. Specifically, we propose two approaches for cross-task knowledge transfer to improve program induction in limited-data scenarios. In our first proposal, portfolio adaptation, a set of induction models is pretrained on a set of related tasks, and the best model is adapted towards the new task using transfer learning. In our second approach, meta program induction, a $k$-shot learning approach is used to make a model generalize to new tasks without additional training. To test the efficacy of our methods, we constructed a new benchmark of programs written in the Karel programming language. Using an extensive experimental evaluation on the Karel benchmark, we demonstrate that our proposals dramatically outperform the baseline induction method that does not use knowledge transfer. We also analyze the relative performance of the two approaches and study conditions in which they perform best. In particular, meta induction outperforms all existing approaches under extreme data sparsity (when a very small number of examples are available), i.e., fewer than ten. As the number of available I/O examples increase (i.e. a thousand or more), portfolio adapted program induction becomes the best approach. For intermediate data sizes, we demonstrate that the combined method of adapted meta program induction has the strongest performance.


With an emphasis on the accuracy and dynamic nature of no-radiation ultrasound, leading clinicians from around the world provide practical guidance on how to combine different multiplanar imaging modalities in the analysis and diagnosis of common musculoskeletal disorders. Organized by body region, each of the 13 chapters follows a consistent, easy-to-reference format. The authors guide the reader through clinical indications, technical guidelines, and normal anatomy followed by information on degenerative diseases, inflammatory conditions, traumatic injuries, tumors, and various other musculoskeletal problems. Clear, high-resolution ultrasound images appear side by side with MRI, and in some cases CT, images to teach and train readers how to perform musculoskeletal ultrasound in clinical practice while simultaneously sharpening their diagnostic skills. Features: *864 high-quality illustrations, including full-color patient photographs and ultrasound images with MRI correlation to help readers understand how to make an accurate diagnosis * Bullet points that highlight key facts to facilitate rapid reading and review * Tips on technique, such as how to position the transducer to obtain optimal scans * Imaging pearls and pitfalls at the end of every chapter As a handy reference for daily practice or as a review tool before exams, Musculoskeletal Ultrasound with MRI Correlations serves as an indispensable how-to manual for clinicians and residents in radiology, orthopedic surgery, and emergency medicine, as well as an accessible handbook for radiologic technologists.


The corporate law doctrine of limited liability has been much written about, but veil piercing as such has gotten far less academic scrutiny. This article addresses that lacuna, offering a doctrinal and economic analysis of veil piercing. It concludes that veil piercing cannot be justified and, accordingly, advocates abolishing the doctrine. The standards by which veil piercing is effected are vague, leaving judges great discretion. The result has been uncertainty and lack of predictability, increasing transaction costs for small businesses. At the same time, however, there is no evidence that veil piercing has been rigorously applied to effect socially beneficial policy outcomes. Judges typically seem to be concerned more with the facts and equities of the specific case at bar than with the implications of personal shareholder liability for society at large. Veil piercing thus has costs, but no social pay-off. Veil piercing tries to do too much. Allocating liability within a corporate group controlled by a publicly held corporation involves far different policy considerations than does holding liable the individual shareholders of a closely held corporation. These tasks should be unbundled. Intra-corporate group liability issues should be dealt with as a species of enterprise liability, while the liability of individual shareholders is the proper subject of veil piercing law. So defined and delimited, the survival of veil piercing is difficult-if not impossible-to defend. A standard academic move treats veil piercing as a safety valve allowing courts to address cases in which the externalities associated with limited liability seem excessive. In doing so, veil piercing is called upon to achieve such lofty goals as leading shareholders to optimally internalize risk, while not deterring capital formation and economic growth, while promoting populist notions of economic democracy. The task is untenable. Veil piercing is rare, unprincipled, and arbitrary. Abolishing veil piercing would refocus judicial analysis on the appropriate question-did the defendant-shareholder do anything for which he or she should be held directly liable. Did the shareholder commit fraud, which led a creditor to forego contractual protections? Did the shareholder use fraudulent transfers or insider preferences to siphon funds out of the corporation?


Abstract. We describe the University of Colorado mobile Solar Occultation Flux instrument (CU mobile SOF). The instrument consists of a digital mobile solar tracker that is coupled to a Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) of 0.5 cm−1 resolution and a UV–visible spectrometer (UV–vis) of 0.55 nm resolution. The instrument is used to simultaneously measure the absorption of ammonia (NH3), ethane (C2H6) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) along the direct solar beam from a moving laboratory. These direct-sun observations provide high photon flux and enable measurements of vertical column densities (VCDs) with geometric air mass factors, high temporal resolution of 2 s and spatial resolution of 5–19 m. It is shown that the instrument line shape (ILS) of the FTS is independent of the azimuth and elevation angle pointing of the solar tracker. Further, collocated measurements next to a high-resolution FTS at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (HR-NCAR-FTS) show that the CU mobile SOF measurements of NH3 and C2H6 are precise and accurate; the VCD error at high signal to noise ratio is 2–7 %. During the Front Range Air Pollution and Photochemistry Experiment (FRAPPE) from 21 July to 3 September 2014 in Colorado, the CU mobile SOF instrument measured median (minimum, maximum) VCDs of 4.3 (0.5, 45)  ×  1016 molecules cm−2 NH3, 0.30 (0.06, 2.23)  ×  1016 molecules cm−2 NO2 and 3.5 (1.5, 7.7)  ×  1016 molecules cm−2 C2H6. All gases were detected in larger 95 % of the spectra recorded in urban, semi-polluted rural and remote rural areas of the Colorado Front Range. We calculate structure functions based on VCDs, which describe the variability of a gas column over distance, and find the largest variability for NH3. The structure functions suggest that currently available satellites resolve about 10 % of the observed NH3 and NO2 VCD variability in the study area. We further quantify the trace gas emission fluxes of NH3 and C2H6 and production rates of NO2 from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) using the mass balance method, i.e., the closed-loop vector integral of the VCD times wind speed along the drive track. Excellent reproducibility is found for NH3 fluxes and also, to a lesser extent, NO2 production rates on 2 consecutive days; for C2H6 the fluxes are affected by variable upwind conditions. Average emission factors were 12.0 and 11.4 gNH3 h−1 head−1 at 30 °C for feedlots with a combined capacity for  ∼  54 000 cattle and a dairy farm of  ∼  7400 cattle; the pooled rate of 11.8 ± 2.0 gNH3 h−1 head−1 is compatible with the upper range of literature values. At this emission rate the NH3 source from cattle in Weld County, CO (535 766 cattle), could be underestimated by a factor of 2–10. CAFO soils are found to be a significant source of NOx. The NOx source accounts for  ∼  1.2 % of the N flux in NH3 and has the potential to add  ∼  10 % to the overall NOx emissions in Weld County and double the NOx source in remote areas. This potential of CAFO to influence ambient NOx concentrations on the regional scale is relevant because O3 formation is NOx sensitive in the Colorado Front Range. Emissions of NH3 and NOx are relevant for the photochemical O3 and secondary aerosol formation.


The purpose of this RFC is to focus discussion on authentication
problems in the Internet and possible methods of solution. The
proposed solutions this document are not intended as standards for the
Internet at this time. Rather, it is hoped that a general consensus
will emerge as to the appropriate solution to authentication problems,
leading eventually to the adoption of standards. This document
suggests mediated access-control and authentication procedures
suitable for those cases when an association is to be set up between
users belonging to different trust environments.


We consider the problem of indexing high-dimensional data for answering (approximate) similarity-search queries. Similarity indexes prove to be important in a wide variety of settings: Web search engines desire fast, parallel, main-memory-based indexes for similarity search on text data; database systems desire disk-based similarity indexes for high-dimensional data, including text and images; peer-to-peer systems desire distributed similarity indexes with low communication cost. We propose an indexing scheme called LSH Forest which is applicable in all the above contexts. Our index uses the well-known technique of locality-sensitive hashing (LSH), but improves upon previous designs by (a) eliminating the different data-dependent parameters for which LSH must be constantly hand-tuned, and (b) improving on LSH's performance guarantees for skewed data distributions while retaining the same storage and query overhead. We show how to construct this index in main memory, on disk, in parallel systems, and in peer-to-peer systems. We evaluate the design with experiments on multiple text corpora and demonstrate both the self-tuning nature and the superior performance of LSH Forest.


The present study involves the gathering of data and
information on book publishing in Thailand and an attempt to
systematically develop a data base on the book publishing industry.
The research gives emphasis to the private sector which has recently
been encouraged by the government to play a leading role in national
development. Critical analysis of the findings serves as a basis for
recommendations to promote and develop commercial book publishing.
Almost all commercial book publishers in Thailand are based
in the capital city of Bangkok. Regardless of the seemingly
continuing emergence and disappearance of publishing houses, the
number of publishers have been steadily increasing through the years. The newly established enterprises tend to be non-family business and
could successfully compete in the market, gradually catching up with
the older establishments. Most publishers are faced with problems
relating to manuscripts, either quantitatively or qualitatively or
both. The current general business practice is informal having no
written agreement between publisher and author. It is an exception
rather than a rule that books are edited by professional editors.
Distribution remains a major issue in the development of the
publishing industry. Consequently, publishers tend to carry out
their own distribution as soon as it becomes economically feasible.
It is noted that Thai women are active in book publishing
with the average rate of female employment among the majority of
publishers under study being slightly more than half of the total
employment.
Statistics on book production during the past two decades
show an overall increase of more than 600 percent. Commercial
publishers play an important role in the book publishing industry
with commercial book production accounting for half or more of the
total number of titles published, gradually increasing from slightly
over 50 percent in 1981 to over 70 percent in 1986. The annual trade
value is over 3,000 million bahts (US$ 124 million), with no less
than 20,000 titles in circulation. The survey indicates average spending on books is less than 1 percent of earning. There appears
to be a significant correlation between the GNP per capita and book
production. The study reveals that in 1986 there was one book for
every 2 to 3 people compared to one book for every 4 to 5 in 1977.
The publishing industry has been serving mainly the local market and,
as such, is significantly affected by government policy and planning.
The National Library of Thailand and the Book Development
Centre are the two major national organizations promoting book
development in addition to the relevant professional associations.
In anticipation of increasing potential market for commercial book,
certain major recommendations are proposed to further develop the
book publishing industry. These include:
1) Strengthening of the national machinery and
professional organizations.
2) Systematic collection and publication of national
statistics on book production.
3) Promotion of professional editorial in book publishing.


Threshold autoregressive (TAR) models can accommodate the asymmetric cycling behavior observed in some time series data. This study develops a procedure to estimate TAR models when the conditional mean of the dependent variable is function of one or more exogenous factors while allowing for heteroskedasticity, i.e. for different levels of variation in upward versus downward cycles. The formulas to obtain predictions from TAR models are derived. Monte Carlo simulation analyses suggest that TAR models can significantly improve forecasting precision. Substantial gains in forecasting precision, in comparison with AR models, are in fact found when applying the proposed procedure to the modeling of U.S. quarterly soybeans future prices and Brazilian coffee spot prices. The estimated TAR models also provide useful insights on the markedly different dynamics of the upward versus the downward cycles exhibited by U.S. soybeans and Brazilian coffee prices.


Cantonese Opera, as the sole cultural heritage of Guangdong Province of China so far, which was included in the World Intangible Cultural Heritage List by the UNESCO, bears the cultural memory of the Lingnan region and as well as the overseas Chinese worldwide. Located in the core historic urban area – Enning Road of Guangzhou, the Cantonese Opera Art Museum is designed in Lingnan traditional garden manner, through going deep into the Cantonese opera culture, Lingnan traditional garden culture and Lingnan cultural spirit. The design highlights the integrated conservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, to protect living history and build the historical environment and place spirit for the intangible cultural heritage. The Cantonese Opera Art Museum is not only a tangible space for exhibition, study, education and display of the Cantonese Opera art, but also a cultural space with the Lingnan cultural memory, gathering the Lingnan intangible heritage and closely linked with current life of successors and ordinary people.


Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the obstetric and neonatal outcomes of pregnant women who were screened with one or two-step screening programs for diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus.Study Design: A retrospective evaluation was made of pregnant women who were screened with one step [75 g oral glucose tolerance test] or two-step screening programs [50 g oral glucose challenge test and 100 g oral glucose tolerance test] depending on the preference of the physician between September 2016 and August 2017.Results: The one-step screening program was applied to 34.1% (n:1358) of the pregnancies and the remaining 65.9% (n=2623) were screened using the two-step program. The following results were obtained for the pregnant women applied with the one and two-step screening programs, respectively; mean age: 29.37±7.6 years and 28.1 ± 6.2 years, gestational diabetes mellitus: 8.8% and 4.8%, pre-term birth:5.2% and 6.9%, term birth: 89.8% and 85.5%, post-term birth: 5% and 7.6%, vaginal delivery: 74.8% and 67.5%, caesarean section delivery: 25.2% and 32.5%, birth weight: 3389±432 gr and 3234.1 ± 415.9 gr, and mean 5-minute APGAR score: 9.1 ± 0.4 and 9.2 ± 0.7. Comparisons showed statistically significant differences between the groups.Conclusion: The study results showed a significantly higher rate of gestational diabetes mellitus diagnosis for the pregnant women screened with the one-step screening program than the two-step screening program. Although the mean maternal age was significantly higher in the pregnant women screened with the one-step screening program, these pregnancies were observed to have better outcomes (low rates of preterm birth, post-term birth, caesarean delivery and high rates of term birth, vaginal delivery). These results can be attributed to the early referral to a treatment program and follow-up, even though more cases of gestational diabetes mellitus were diagnosed with the one-step screening program.


As physicians, we often face patients with cardiovascular risk factors or different kinds of heart disease. We prescribe statins, ACE inhibitors or β-blockers, but also (should) encourage our patients to engage in regular physical activity to reduce cardiovascular disease burden. Physical exercise, as a part of cardiac rehabilitation or a primary prevention programme, is seemingly one of a kind. 'For most health outcomes, additional benefits occur as the amount of physical activity increases through higher intensity, greater frequency, and/or longer duration'.1 No other known therapy offers such advantageous characteristics. This even led some researchers to speculate, some 40 years ago, that marathon runners were immune to atherosclerosis.2 Running a marathon was quite unusual at that time, and cardiovascular adaptation to such a high load of exercise had been scarcely explored. Since then, the late 70s, the number of non-professional runners finishing a marathon has increased 20-fold, and current observational studies are jeopardising the notion of exercise as risk-free. Increased sudden death risk during exercise bouts is well established but extremely rare. An evolving core of evidence supports the hypothesis that regular exercise increases the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), ventricular arrhythmias or even ischaemic heart disease.3 How do these findings fit with the well-known benefits of exercise? Two papers explore this subject4 ,5 and provide important insights.

By assessing outcomes such as AF incidence4 and cardiovascular or total mortality,5 both groups elegantly suggest in two large cohorts that exercise intensity and duration are key players in this association. They describe a similar U-shaped or reverse J-shaped pattern for the dose–response effect of exercise: maximum cardiovascular benefits are obtained if performed at moderate doses, while these benefits are lost with (very) high-intensity and prolonged efforts.

Both groups took previously collected data on exercise performance …


Although keeping up with them can present difficulty for some human brains, it is evident that there are not enough distinct signaling mechanisms to account for the elaborate range of regulatory events that are controlled in a living organism. Neves et al. show one way in which fine-tuning of the same signaling pathway can allow distinct patterns of control. They examined the way in which cell shape impacts a classical signaling pathway from the β-adrenergic receptor through the second messenger adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cAMP) to activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in neurons. Neves et al. used a combination of mathematical modeling of the system with measurements of temporal and spatial dynamics of signaling in isolated mouse hippocampal neurons with fluorescence resonance energy transfer imaging techniques. Their results show that the presence of adenylate cyclase activated by β-adrenergic receptors at the cell surface, with phosphodiesterase activity (which degrades cAMP) in the cytosol, along with other properties of the system, led to activation of gradients of signaling through cAMP to MAPKs. Furthermore, in part because the surface-to-volume ratio is very different in the narrow dendrites of a neuron compared with that in the neuronal cell body, there was a distinctly stronger signal in the dendrites than in the cell body, even though receptors are evenly distributed on the surface of the cell. Modeling indicated that the negative regulators would be key factors in controlling the size of microdomains of activation and propagation of spatially distinct signals through the pathway, and experimental manipulations verified this, with pharmacological inhibition of phosphodiesterase 4 allowing MAP kinase activation in the cell body as well as the dendrites. Kholodenko and Kolch provide commentary. S. R. Neves, P. Tsokas, A. Sarkar, E. A. Grace, P. Rangamani, S. M. Taubenfeld, C. M. Alberini, J. C. Schaff, R. D. Blitzer, I. I. Moraru, R. Iyengar, Cell shape and negative links in regulatory motifs together control spatial information flow in signaling networks. Cell 133, 666-680 (2008). [PubMed] B. N. Kholodenko, W. Kolch, Giving space to cell signaling. Cell 133, 566-567 (2008). [PubMed]


The survival of sea creatures depends on a delicate balance between food supply and food demand. In a Perspective,
 Druffel and Robison
 discuss a 7-year study, involving meticulous sampling of the deep ocean in the Northeastern Pacific, reported in this issue by
 Smith and Kaufmann. They posit reasons for a paradox revealed by the data: Although the food supply clearly declined, there did not seem to be a concomitant decrease in food demand. This suggests that deep-sea animal communities have not been affected so far by a reduction in nutrients. The Perspective also explores the implications of this food imbalance for the long-term survival of deep-sea animal communities.


Abstract Whiptail lizard guilds consisting of different combinations of parthenogenetic Aspidoscelis exsanguis, Aspidoscelis neomexicana, and Aspidoscelis tesselata pattern classes C and D and gonochoristic Aspidoscelis sexlineata viridis inhabit numerous sites in the immediate vicinity of Conchas Lake, San Miguel County, New Mexico. Based on morphological identification by other workers of specimens collected in 1978, A. neomexicana was the species most recently added to the list of whiptail lizards known to occur at Conchas Lake, about 190 km east of its main distribution area in the Rio Grande Valley. We sampled guilds consisting of A. neomexicana and its congeners at Conchas Lake from 2000 through 2003. In 2002 we also collected specimens of what appeared to be another tokogenetic array of A. neomexicana east of the Rio Grande Valley in syntopy with A. tesselata E and A. sexlineata viridis at Fort Sumner, De Baca County, New Mexico. Comparison of karyotypes revealed that individuals of A. tesselata and those assigned by their discoverers to A. neomexicana from Conchas Lake and Fort Sumner have identical diploid karyotypes (2n = 46) that include diagnostic haploid complements of chromosomes derived from independent hybridizations between species in the tigris and sexlineata species groups. Consequently, we used electrophoretic data for 23 gene loci, of which the sMDH, sMDHP, sIDH, ESTD, PEPA, PEPB, ADA, MPI, GPI, and PGM2 loci were definitive, to further validate the hypothesis that the disjunct groups of putative A. neomexicana in eastern New Mexico had been correctly identified. The specimens analyzed electrophoretically also indicated that the Conchas Lake clone of A. neomexicana is identical to the most widely distributed clone of the species in the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico and that the Fort Sumner clone possessed a distinctive allele. We describe the habitat for A. neomexicana at Conchas Lake at three sites north of the Canadian River and two sites south of the river. Two of the sites north of the Canadian River were studied as examples of guilds that did not include A. sexlineata viridis. The latter species was observed with A. neomexicana, A. tesselata, and A. exsanguis at one site north of the Canadian River and two sites south of the river. At Fort Sumner, we studied A. neomexicana at two sites where it was syntopic with A. tesselata E and A. sexlineata viridis. We identified 15 lizards from three sites at Conchas Lake as hybrids of A. neomexicana × A. sexlineata viridis. Most of these hybrids were found in either patchy or weedy chronically disturbed habitats in which the parental forms were forced into unusually close syntopic relationships. Hybrids between these parental forms were collected in each year from 2000– 2003 and represented a minimum of four and a maximum of five generations. Although hybrids of A. neomexicana × A. sexlineata viridis were characterized by distinctive color patterns, all were rather similar to maternal parent A. neomexicana, but with modifications resulting from the genetic contribution of its paternal parent A. sexlineata viridis. All specimens identified as hybrids by color pattern also possessed meristic characters that distinguished them from both parental forms. Univariate and multivariate analyses of scutellation also revealed evidence of the genetic effects of the parental species on the hybrids. One live hybrid male of A. neomexicana × A. sexlineata viridis was collected at Conchas Lake. The hybrid (American Museum of Natural History R-151739) was a triploid (3n = 69) including the complete diploid complement of A. neomexicana (= A. tigris marmorata × A. inornata) plus a second haploid complement of sexlineata group chromosomes. Karyotypically, in all details this triploid appeared to be an F1 hybrid of A. neomexicana × A. sexlineata viridis. This confirmed hybrid possessed a similar array of color pattern and scutellation characters observed in the other individuals of presumptive A. neomexicana × A. sexlineata viridis from Conchas Lake. Of the 23 allozyme loci analyzed, 9 showed no allelic variation among the individuals of the parental taxa and the hybrid examined; however, 12 loci were particularly informative for identifying the hybrid and its parental species. For most of these loci, the suspected hybrid (based on morphology and triploid karyotype) had electrophoretic banding patterns consistent with a triploid bearing a combination of alleles that included the two found in diploid A. neomexicana plus a third allele from the local A. sexlineata viridis. This is consistent with a cloned A. neomexicana ovum having been fertilized by a haploid A. sexlineata viridis spermatozoan. We present the first evidence of perennial hybridization in Aspidoscelis between a parthenogen and a species other than a progenitor. However, we found no evidence that occasional hybridization between A. neomexicana and A. sexlineata viridis has had a significant negative effect on either of these species at Conchas Lake.


Closed-face 37-mm polystyrene cassettes are often used for exposure monitoring of metal particulates. Several methods have been proposed to account for the wall loss in air sampling cassettes, including rinsing, wiping, within-cassette dissolution, and an internal capsule fused to the filter that could be digested with the filter. Until internal capsules replace filters, other methods for assessing wall losses may be considered. To determine if rinsing and wiping or wiping alone is adequate to determine wall losses on cassettes, we collected 54 full-shift area air samples at a battery recycling facility. We collected six replicate samples at three locations within the facility for three consecutive days. The wall losses of three replicate cassettes from each day-location were analyzed following a rinse and two consecutive wipes. The wall losses of the other three replicates from each day-location were analyzed following two consecutive wipes only. Mixed-cellulose ester membrane filter, rinse, and wipes were analyzed separately following NIOSH Method 7303. We found an average of 29% (range: 8–54%) recovered lead from the cassette walls for all samples. We also found that rinsing prior to wiping the interior cassette walls did not substantially improve recovery of wall losses compared to wiping alone. A rinse plus one wipe recovered on average 23% (range: 13–33%) of the lead, while one wipe alone recovered on average 21% (range: 16–22%). Similarly, we determined that a second wipe did not provide substantial additional recovery of lead (average: 4%, range: 0.4–19%) compared to the first wipe disregarding the rinse (average: 18%, range: 4–39%). We concluded that when an internal capsule is not used, wall losses of lead dust in air sampling cassettes can be adequately recovered by wiping the internal wall surfaces of the cassette with a single wipe.


The "gamification" is a strategy to use elements of the games outside the environment of games and can be applied as a teaching strategy. The application in the classroom as an active learning strategy is still a great challenge for education, especially in higher education in such a traditional context, as is the case with Law teaching. The present paper reports a case study on how it was applied a quiz using the kahoot platform as teaching learning strategy in the discipline Constitutional Law in a university in Portugal. The results showed that kahoot enhanced the use of gamification in the classroom by facilitating the use of elements of games such as immediate feedback, clear rules, and brings fun, pleasure and motivation. Students allude to competition as stimulus for learning and they realized the kahoot can be used as a replacement for traditional classroom once you can reach different levels of complexity that challenge students and make learning more efficient and durable. We conclude that the technique, however, presents some limitations. The perception and interests of students was a positive result from the experience.


Under the auspices of the Great Lakes International Multidisciplinary Program on Crustal Evolution, approximately 320 km of deep seismic reflection data were collected in Lake Huron along a profile that extends east from the Manitoulin terrane across the Grenville front to the interior of the Grenville orogen. The Manitoulin terrane is characterized by a series of gently east-dipping reflections at about 20 km depth that separate a highly reflective lower crustal layer from a markedly less reflective upper layer. Imaged by strong reflections at the western end of a spectacular band of moderately east-dipping reflections, the Grenville front clearly truncates Manitoulin terrane structures to the west. These data are interpreted in terms of a speculative two-stage model involving (1) creation of a major decollement during northward collision of an allochthonous terrane with the southern Superior cratonic margin (1.83-1.89 Ga; Penokean orogeny) and (2) northwest-directed stacking of microterranes at the southeastern margin of the craton, followed by crust-penetrating ductile imbrication under high-pressure-high-temperature conditions leading to the ramping of deeply buried rocks to the near surface (1.0-1.3 Ga; Grenvillian orogeny).


This monograph explores the interface between syntax and its related components through in-depth investigation of a sizable portion of the grammar of Indonesian and Javanese. It can be read on two levels. Theoretically, it proposes the minimalist interface thesis that syntax-external linguistic interfaces are endowed with domain-specific operations (insertion, deletion, and type shifting) to legitimize an otherwise non-convergent result of the syntactic derivation for phonological and semantic interpretation. Empirically, the monograph substantiates this thesis from detailed analyses of four phenomena (reduplication, active voice morphology, P-stranding under sluicing, and nominal denotation). The study not only contains a wealth of new insights into comparative syntax from the perspective of Indonesian and Javanese, but also necessitates serious reconsideration of the common view of the interfaces as merely ornamental components of natural language grammar. The monograph should appeal to syntacticians, linguists interested in linguistic interfaces and the organization of grammar, and researchers on Austronesian languages.


Genetic results have implications not only for the individual, but also for their family members. Research on family communication of genetic results has primarily focused on families affected by adult‐onset, dominant conditions as well as more common genetic conditions such as familial hypercholesterolemia, cardiomyopathies, and genetic hearing loss. This study therefore aimed to characterize genetic result communication in families with rare and undiagnosed conditions and identify factors that influence communication. One hundred and forty‐two individuals who received a diagnosis from the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN), a study focused on providing diagnoses to individuals with undiagnosed conditions, were eligible to complete a survey assessing genetic results communication. Survey items assessed if communication was discussed with healthcare providers, with whom participants communicated genetic testing, why they chose to communicate with these family members, and what information they communicated. All respondents (5 adult UDN participants, 38 parents/guardians of UDN participants, and 2 identifying as both) shared genetic results with at least one family member. Individuals who identified as both were considered exclusively adult participants for the purpose of these analyses. Adult participants and parents/guardians of participants reported high levels of understanding (96%), utility (96%), and comfort communicating genetic results (89%). Additionally, parents/guardians were more likely to disclose genetic results due to a general desire to share (60% of parents/guardians vs. 14% adult participants), while adult participants reported that they shared results to communicate risk to family members (86% of adult participants vs. 24% of parents/guardians). Many respondents did not recall discussing with a healthcare provider how (64%) or what (42%) to communicate about results. The results of this study provide insight into the practice of result communication by individuals with rare and previously undiagnosed conditions, which can ideally inform development of more effective counseling strategies and guidelines to aid family communication.


Palm vein feature extraction from near infrared images is a challenging problem in hand pattern recognition. In this paper, a promising new approach based on local texture patterns is proposed. First, operators and histograms of multi-scale Local Binary Patterns (LBPs) are investigated in order to identify new efficient descriptors for palm vein patterns. Novel higher-order local pattern descriptors based on Local Derivative Pattern (LDP) histograms are then investigated for palm vein description. Both feature extraction methods are compared and evaluated in the framework of verification and identification tasks. Extensive experiments on CASIA Multi-Spectral Palmprint Image Database V1.0 (CASIA database) identify the LBP and LDP descriptors which are better adapted to palm vein texture. Tests on the CASIA datasets also show that the best adapted LDP descriptors consistently outperform their LBP counterparts in both palm vein verification and identification.


The continuing expansion of research in dialectology, sociolinguistics and English as a world language has made the field increasingly difficult to survey. This bibliography is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the relevant publications of the past few years. Like its predecessor, it will prove an indispensable reference book. The collection is in four parts, dealing respectively with general studies, Britain and Ireland, the United States and Canada, and the rest of the world. There is a joint index in which the 2800 entries are classified according to specific areas, ethnic groups and major linguistic categories, thus making the bibliography easy to use with the greatest profit. The present bibliography complements the one compiled by W. Viereck, E.W. Schneider and M. Gorlach, which covered the period from 1965 to 1983 and was published in the same series in 1984.


In this study, we have synthesized dextran hydrogels by the crosslinking reactions of dextran with some selective Cl-, and N-containing functional monomers, such as epichlorohydrin (ECH), N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (MBAm), and glutaraldehyde (GA). Crosslinking reactions were carried out in the basic aqueous solutions (2.8NNaOH) at 25–50°C. The optimum conditions for effective crosslinking, i.e., temperature, crosslinking time, and amount of crosslinker, were determined for each system. The hydrogel discs of 3 mm diameter and 1.5 mm thickness were subjected to a number of Tris-buffer solutions of desired pH (2.0–9.0) at 37°C. Swelling kinetics of the hydrogels were evaluated with second–order swelling model. The pH-dependent swelling of hydrogels was strongly influenced by the functional group of crosslinker and crosslinker content. While the hydrogels prepared with ECH and MBAm shows higher swelling ability at basic medium than that of acidic medium, GA-containing hydrogels exhibited just the opposite behavior. Mesh sizes (ξ) and average molecular weights between crosslinks (Mc) were estimated from swelling data using the Flory-Rehner theory. Characterization studies were completed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102:4213–4221, 2006


In this paper we consider a class of Monge-Ampere equations with a prescribed contact angle boundary value problem on a bounded strictly convex domain in two dimensions. The purpose is to give a sharp necessary condition of solvability for the above mentioned equations. This is achieved by using the maximum principle and introducing a curvilinear coordinate system for Monge-Ampere equations in two dimensions. An interesting feature of our necessary condition is the need for a certain strong restriction between the curvature of the boundary of domain and the boundary condition, which does not appear in the Dirichlet and Neumann boundary values. ?


When purchasing a premium car for a substantial sum, first impressions count. Key to that first impression is a flawless exterior appearance, something self-explanatory for the customer, but a far greater challenge for production than one might initially assume. Fortunately, photogrammetric technologies and evaluation methods are enabling an ever greater degree of oversight in the form of comprehensive quality data at different automotive production stages, namely stamping, welding, painting and finishing. A drawback lies in the challenging production environment, which complicates inline integratability of certain technologies. In recent years, machine vision and deep learning have been applied to photogrammetric surface inspection with ever increasing success. Given comprehensive surface quality information throughout the entire production chain, production parameters can be dialed in ever tighter in a data-driven fashion, leading to a sustainable increase in quality. This paper provides a review of current and potential contributions of photogrammetry to this end, discussing several recent advances in research along the way. Particular emphasis will be placed on early production stages, as well as the application of machine vision and deep learning to this challenging task. An outline for further research conducted by the authors will conclude this paper.


This article approaches the question of 'which core attributes should young journalists offer' from the industry point of view. The answers by senior staff of leading newspapers are used to deduct a list of qualities cadets or young journalists are expected to offer. This study uses interviews at El Pais and Neue Z rcher Zeitung, Singapore's Straits Times and Hong Kong's South China Morning Post. Spain's El Pais and Switzerland's Neue Z rcher Zeitung are counted among the ten best papers in the world, but their histories are vastly different, as is their approach to the selection of cadets and beginning journalists. The Neue Z rcher Zeitung only takes graduates, but not those with a journalism degree, whereas El Pais has its own post-graduate journalism school from among whose graduates it selects the best to join its staff. The Straits Times and South China Morning Post have neither a preference for nor a rejection of journalism graduates. While the answers regarding the qualities of beginning journalists show a surprising unanimity, they also point to the fact that some attributes, possibly, can be encouraged but not taught.


Lead toxicity affects mainly the haematopoietic system, the central nervous system and the excretory system. Blood lead levels of 'b3 10.0 mg/dL can lower intelligence quotient (IQ), impair hearing ability and retard growth in children. Blood lead can also be transferred directly from pregnant mothers to their foetuses. The main objective of this prospective epidemiological study was to investigate the implications of blood lead concentrations among mothers in their third trimester of pregnancy and their infants on the mothers' neurobehavioral status as well as on the mental and physical development of their infants. The Neurobehavioral Core Test Battery (NCTB) was used to assess the neuropsychological status of the pregnant mothers, while the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID) was used to assess the mental, psychomotor and behavioural development of infants at 6 month of age. The study samples comprise 202 mothers in their third trimester of pregnancy and 195 infants born by them. The results of this study showed that the arithmetic mean for mothers' venous blood lead concentration was 7.78 mg/dL and its geometric mean was 6.19 mg/dL, while the arithmetic mean for the cord blood lead concentration was 14.05 mg/dL and its geometric mean was 12.44 mg/dL. The arithmetic mean for infants' capillary blood lead concentration was 2.80 mg/dL and its geometric mean was 2.33 mg/dL. The mean mothers' venous blood lead concentration (9.2 mg/dL) and cord blood lead concentration (15.5 mg/dL) among Indians were the highest in comparison with the Malays and Chinese. The cord blood lead concentration showed direct and significant relationships with mothers' venous blood lead concentration and with the capillary blood lead concentration of infants at the age of 6 months. All of the NCTB test scores showed significant (p < 0.001) inverse relationships with mothers' venous blood lead concentration, except for the Pursuit Aiming test and the Santa Ana Manual Dexterity test; whereas all scales of the BISD tests showed significant (p < 0.001) inverse relationships with infants' capillary blood lead concentration, except for the Emotional Regulations Scale which is a sub-test for the Behavioural Rating Scale (BRS). Mothers who delivered their babies abnormally were found to have a higher (19.0 mg/dL) mean cord blood lead concentration than mothers who delivered normally (13.6 mg/dL). After adjustment for the confounding factors that also influenced NCTB and BSID scores, each increment of I mg/dL in mothers venous blood lead concentration will decrease their mean NCTB scores by 0.56 point, while every increment of 1 mg/dL in infants' capillary blood lead concentration will decrease the PDI, BRS and MDI scores by 9.16, 6.77 and 4.64 points, respectively. In conclusion, low-level lead toxicity at below 10 mg/dL will result in more significant effects on the inhibition of psychomotor and behavioural development in infants as compared to their mental development. This also means that the blood lead guideline for children at 10 mg/dL may not be completely protective for infants against neurotoxin effects of lead.


ABSTRACT This article described adolescent girls' (n = 153) perceptions of the social climate that prevailed in their residential care unit and explored to what extent these perceptions related to their pre-treatment individual characteristics. Social climate was examined with a gender-responsive approach and through empathetic interactions with practitioners, healthy connections with the peer group, and just and collaborative practices within the residential care setting. Results indicated that adolescent girls' configuration of risks and needs impact how they perceive their program environment. We conclude the article with specific recommendations for enhancing gender-responsive programs in residential care setting in regard to non-programmatic features.


We propose FinFETs with unequal source and drain doping concentrations [asymmetrically doped (AD) FinFETs] for low-power robust SRAMs. The effect of asymmetric source/drain doping on the device characteristics is extensively analyzed, and the key differences between conventional and AD FinFETs are clearly shown. We show that asymmetry in the device structure leads to unequal currents for positive and negative drain biases, which is exploited to achieve mitigation of read-write conflict in 6T SRAMs. The proposed device exhibits superior short-channel characteristics compared to a conventional FinFET due to reduced electric fields from the terminal that has a lower doping. This results in significantly lower cell leakage in AD-FinFET-based 6T SRAM. Compared to the conventional FinFET-based 6T SRAM, AD-FinFET SRAM shows 5.2%-8.3% improvement in read static noise margin (SNM), 4.1%-10.2% higher write margin, 4.1%-8.8% lower write time, 1.3%-3.5% higher hold SNM, and 2.1-2.5 lower cell leakage at the cost of 20%-23% higher access time. There is no area penalty associated with the proposed technique.


The dynamic character of proteins strongly influences biomolecular recognition mechanisms. With the development of the main models of ligand recognition (lock-and-key, induced fit, conformational selection theories), the role of protein plasticity has become increasingly relevant. In particular, major structural changes concerning large deviations of protein backbones, and slight movements such as side chain rotations are now carefully considered in drug discovery and development. It is of great interest to identify multiple protein conformations as preliminary step in a screening campaign. Protein flexibility has been widely investigated, in terms of both local and global motions, in two diverse biological systems. On one side, Replica Exchange Molecular Dynamics has been exploited as enhanced sampling method to collect multiple conformations of Lactate Dehydrogenase A (LDHA), an emerging anticancer target. The aim of this project was the development of an Ensemble-based Virtual Screening protocol, in order to find novel potent inhibitors. On the other side, a preliminary study concerning the local flexibility of Opioid Receptors has been carried out through ALiBERO approach, an iterative method based on Elastic Network-Normal Mode Analysis and Monte Carlo sampling. Comparison of the Virtual Screening performances by using single or multiple conformations confirmed that the inclusion of protein flexibility in screening protocols has a positive effect on the probability to early recognize novel or known active compounds.


Being totally blind with no tail or pinnae, blind mole rats are the most specialised rodents for the subterranean lifestyle. However, they come to the surface occasionally due to unusual climatic events, for foraging, to collect hay for bedding material, for dispersal as subadults, due to intraspecific aggression, and in illness.
The only previous review suggests that surface activity of and predation on blind mole rats is rare and that they are preyed on mainly at night by owls.
Based on 57 scientific publications, 14 unpublished reports and several personal observations (from 15 countries), the present review reveals that altogether 26 species of bird and mammal prey on blind mole rats either regularly or occasionally. It is evidenced that not only the number of predators, but also the importance of blind mole rats in their diet has been seriously underestimated.
The tight relationship between the colour of the soil and the colour of the pelage of blind mole rats suggests the importance of diurnal raptors via their selective impact. Predation by mammals happens relatively often, and mustelids hunt blind mole rats not only on the surface, but probably also inside their burrows. The labyrinth-like structure of the burrows may play a vital role in confusing mammalian predators trying to hunt inside the burrows, and may increase the blind mole rat's chance of escape.
With the proven importance of blind mole rats as a food resource for several threatened species of birds of prey, the survival, reproductive success, and population size of these species may partly depend on the density of the rodents. Although many species within the blind mole rat subfamily are themselves threatened to various extents, the role of blind mole rat populations in carnivore and raptor conservation should be considered and evaluated.


While many protocols for sensor network security provide confidentiality for the content of messages, contextual information usually remains exposed. Such contextual information can be exploited by an adversary to derive sensitive information such as the locations of monitored objects and data sinks in the field. Attacks on these components can significantly undermine any network application. Existing techniques defend the leakage of location information from a limited adversary who can only observe network traffic in a small region. However, a stronger adversary, the global eavesdropper, is realistic and can defeat these existing techniques. This paper first formalizes the location privacy issues in sensor networks under this strong adversary model and computes a lower bound on the communication overhead needed for achieving a given level of location privacy. The paper then proposes two techniques to provide location privacy to monitored objects (source-location privacy)-periodic collection and source simulation-and two techniques to provide location privacy to data sinks (sink-location privacy)-sink simulation and backbone flooding. These techniques provide trade-offs between privacy, communication cost, and latency. Through analysis and simulation, we demonstrate that the proposed techniques are efficient and effective for source and sink-location privacy in sensor networks.


A common problem in Bayesian statistics is to determine whether a quantity obtained from a Bayesian posterior distribution is also meaningful in a frequentist context. In this thesis, we try to answer this question for credible sets in the so-called fixed design model. Taking a specific prior distribution, we study whether credible sets based on this prior can also be used as confidence intervals.

In particular, our aim is to construct a credible set for a parameter function. Under certain assumptions on the smoothness of the function, it turns out that we can obtain meaningful results about both the frequentist coverage and the width of the credible set.

We consider several different classes of functions in this thesis, each with a different set of assumptions. In the first chapter, we assume that we know rather a lot about the structure of the function, and use this to obtain a useful method. In chapter 2, we extend this to a method that adapts to the structure of the function. Finally, in the last chapter, we extend this to so-called credible bands, that describe the behaviour of the entire function, rather than at a specific point.


A survey was conducted of probabilistically determined fifty-seven hotels of various 'stars' in South-Western geo-political zone of Nigeria to assess the traits of the General Managers (GMs) and Facilities' Managers (FMs) who are regarded as key facilities management drivers in hotel organizations. Data were collected from hotel organizations through their general managers and facilities/engineers/maintenance managers with the aid of questionnaires. A combination of stratified and cluster sampling techniques were used. Kothari's formula was adopted to determine the appropriate sample size while descriptive statistics, ranking and spearman correlation were used for data analysis. Covey's generated traits for effective people were used as baseline parameters for the assessment. It was found that the GMs and the FMs background, training and features in South-Western Nigerian hotels cannot be said to be poor or low in that they compared favorably with what obtains in advanced countries particularly United State of America. However, they lack international exposure. In terms of traits, using Covey's model as benchmark, the duo are below average managerially, lacking the dynamism and the pizzazz that are required to propel them along; and since they are responsible for facilities management implementation, it then implies that the objectives of the facilities management may be extremely hampered from being achieved. In essence, the exposure of the GMs and the FMs must be deliberately improved upon while the duo must as a matter of urgency cultivate the habit of learning how to be effective.


Lactococcus is one of the lactic acid bacteria that are widely used in various food and
fermentation processes. They have been used for many centuries in food fermentation
processes and are considered as GRAS organisms that can safely be used in medical
and veterinarian applications. The anchoring of proteins to the cell surface of
Lactococcus using recombinant DNA techniques is an exciting and emerging research
area that holds great promise for a wide variety of biotechnological applications.
Presently available anchoring systems are based on recombinant bacteria displaying
proteins or peptides on the cell surface. The objectives of this study are to develop
surface display vectors and study the display of recombinant proteins on the surface of
Lactococcus lactis.
Several anchor proteins have been identified in L. lactis. In this study the gene coding
for the cell wall binding domain of L. lactis cell wall anchor proteins AcmA and NisP
were amplified by PCR and cloned into an E. coli expression vector. Sequencing results
showed 98% homology to published sequences. The plasmids designated as pSVacrn
and pSVnp were then transformed into E. coli where SDS-PAGE and Western blot
analyses showed that the cell wall binding domain of acmA and nisP genes were
successfblly expressed at the expected sizes 15 kDa and 18 kDa respectively. After
mixing of the purified recombinant AcrnA and NisP proteins with L. Iactis cells, their
presence on the bacteria cell surface was observed by whole cell ELISA, ~ i ~ ~ b i n d i n g
and fluorescence microscopy analysis.
The stability assay indicates that the binding of AcrnA protein to the lactococcal cell
surface was stable and can be retained on the cell wall surface for at least 5 days. The
results form the pH study indicatedthat low pH had no significant effect on the stability
of bound His-tag AcmA protein. Whilst the cell wall binding domain of AcmA was
shown to be able to anchor to the cell surface of other Gram-positive bacteria tested in
this study, AcrnA protein was not able to bind to the surface of E. coli (Gram-negative)
cells. Studies were also carried out to enhance the binding of AcmA protein to L. lactis
cells where pretreatment of L. lactis with 10% TCA was shown to improve binding of
the AcmA protein.
The new method developed for cell surface display of recombinant proteins on L. lactis
was evaluated for expression and display of foreign proteins. The gene coding for the
N-terminal epitope regions (VP11-67aaa nd VP13s-looaao) f VPl protein of Enterovirus 71
(EV71) were subcloned upstream to the cell wall binding domains sequences of
plasmids pSVacm and pSVnp. SDS-PAGE and Western blot results confirmed the
expression of N-terminal regions of VP1 protein as AcmA and NisP fusion proteins in
E. coli. Wholecell ELISA and imrnunofluorescence microscopy assays showed the
successfbl display of VPl protein of EV7 1 on the surface of L. lactis. The success of
docking VP 1 1-67aa and VP 1 35-100aa epitopes of VP 1 on the surface of L. lactis cells using
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the anchoring system developed in this study, open up the possibilities of peptide and
protein display for not only Lactococcus but of other Gram-positive bacteria.
Preliminary studies showed that mice immunized with L. Iactis displaying VP1147, or
VP13s-looafau sion proteins were able to induce an immune response against the VP11-
6 7 o~r V P135-100a(aa ntigens). The new method developed for surface display has the
potential to a variety of applications including screening of polypeptide libraries,
development of live vaccines, construction of whole cell allosteric biosensors, and
signal bansduction studies.


Aim and objectives: The overall aim of this research was to investigate maternal and paternal behaviours and attitudes and their influences on the diet and growth of infants in the first year of life. Specific objectives were to assess: maternal wellbeing and breastfeeding outcomes; weaning and supplementation practices; infant growth and body composition; and the views of fathers on having a breastfeeding partner. Methodology: The first study was a prospective observational study, involving the recruitment of 270 pregnant women from the public and semi-private antenatal clinics of the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital. Mother-infant dyads were then followed-up at birth and at four, nine and 12 months post-partum. Data were obtained on maternal wellbeing and on infant milk feeding, weaning practices and growth. The second study was a cross-sectional study in which a semi-quantitative questionnaire explored the feeding experiences of 417 men whose partner breastfed. Results: Of the sample of 270 pregnant women, 55.9% (n151) initiated breastfeeding. From this initial sample, 172 mothers were followed-up at four months post-partum, and 36.0% (n62) of these mothers were distressed. Controlling for other factors, distress was significantly (p=0.01) more likely at this time if a mother was breastfeeding. Only two in five (42.9%, n47) of these mothers put supports in place to help them to breastfeed, and of the 417 men whose partner breastfed, almost half (49.4%, n117) were unable to help their partner when she experienced breastfeeding difficulties. Of the 158 infants followed-up to one year of age, the average age at which they were weaned on to solid food was 20.7 weeks and 86.1% (n136) were weaned at or after 17 weeks of age. Only 57.6% (n91), 34.2% (n54) and 23.4% (n37) of infants were being correctly supplemented with vitamin D at four, nine and 12 months of age, respectively. Supplementing as recommended was significantly more likely if mothers had received advice on doing so from a health professional. Regarding growth, 28.5% (n45) of infants grew rapidly during the first year of life, with male infants having a significantly (p<0.01) higher fat-free mass at birth and at age one year, compared to females. Conclusions: Parents need structured guidance to assist them in preparing for breastfeeding. Health professionals must persist in promoting healthy weaning and vitamin D supplementation practices. Further research is needed to identify clinically useful ways in which the growth and body composition of infants can be assessed.