The behaviour of heated structures is strongly governed by thermal induced deformation and degradation of material properties. This thesis presents an augmentation of the software framework OpenSees to enable thermomechanical analysis of structures. The developments contributed to OpenSees are tested by series of benchmark cases and experimental results. OpenSees is an object-oriented, open source software framework developed at UC Berekeley for providing an advanced computational tool to simulate non-linear response of structural frames to earthquakes. OpenSees was chosen to be extended to enable the modelling of structures in fire. The development of this capability involved creating new thermal load classes to define the temperature distribution in structural members and modifying existing material classes to include temperature dependent properties according to Eurocodes. New functions were also added into the existing corotational beam/column element (2D and 3D) to apply temperature related loads. A new geometrically nonlinear shell element was created (based on the existing linear MITC4 shell element in OpenSees) using total Lagrangian formulation. Appropriate thermal load, material and section classes were also developed for enabling thermomechanical analysis using the nonlinear shell element. A number of benchmark tests were carried out to verify the performance of the new developments implemented in OpenSees. The benchmark tests involved subjecting beams and plates to a range of through depth temperature gradients with OpenSees results compared against closed form solutions. Further verification was also carried out by comparing OpenSees results with ABAQUS results. The extended OpenSees framework was also used to model experiments such as two plane steel frames at elevated temperatures, the Cardington Restrained Beam Test and the Cardington Corner Test and an earthquake damaged reinforced concrete (RC) frame subjected to a subsequent fire. The existing DruckerPrager material class in OpenSees was used to the model concrete in the composite floor in the Cardington tests and in the RC frame. The pinching material available in OpenSees was used to model the beams and columns in the RC frame to consider the cyclic degradation of strength and stiffness during the increasing cyclic displacements imposed on the RC frame before the fire. In all cases the results from OpenSees show good agreement with test data.


From the 1890s to the 1930s, Claude Bragdon enjoyed an international reputation as an architect, designer, and critic working in the progressive tradition associated with Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright, and the Prairie School. In 1915 Bragdon created 'projective ornament', a system of geometric patterns designed to serve as a universal form-language integrating not only architecture, art, and design, but also a society divided by differences of class, gender, religion, culture, and national origin. Spreading across the surfaces of buildings, posters, books, and the settings Bragdon designed for massive community singing festivals, projective ornament came to symbolize the progressive potential of modernity for thousands of Americans. Bragdon disappeared from memory when mid-century histories promoted a narrow view of modern architecture that emphasized functional planning, industrial building technique, continuous space, and the suppression of ornament. But his work left an ongoing legacy when younger architects such as Buckminster Fuller found new ways of using geometric pattern to promote architectural and social integration. Now that architects and designers are once again generating innovative work based on geometry, ornament, and pattern, Crystal and Arabesque draws on a rich trove of previously unpublished work to show how American modernists committed to social reform used ornament in new ways to engage the media and audiences of mass society.


Determining threshold for speech in quiet and as a function of increasing noise levels has been used to quantify the effects of hearing loss in terms of attenuation and distortion [R. Plomp, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 63, 533–549 (1978)]. The speech recognition threshold (SRT) in noise has also been found to be a sensitive measure of electroacoustic changes in amplification [D. Van Tasell and J. Yanz, J. Speech Hear. Res.30 , 377–386 (1987)]. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was close correspondence between the laboratory measure of SRT in noise and a shortened clinical version using the Van Tasell and Yanz monosyllabic, high‐frequency words. The clinical procedure was based on the SRT method recommended by the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association and involved two conditions, quiet and speech‐shaped noise at a moderate intensity level. The derived values of attenuation and distortion were significantly correlated across the two procedures. [Research supported by NIDCD of NIH.]


A variety of interventions to mitigate the increasing impact of the HIV and AIDS epidemic on smallholder agricultural production and food security are currently implemented in sub-Saharan Africa. However, documentation and dissemination of such interventions is limited and patchy. Building on emerging experiences from the field, this article seeks to move beyond charting the impacts of HIV and AIDS on rural livelihoods to review existing mitigation policies and programmes, identify the challenges to mitigation, and provide suggestions for future mitigation strategies and policy priorities. The experiences cited in the article are mainly drawn from the hardest-hit regions in Southern and Eastern Africa, but they provide useful lessons for AIDS-affected rural communities in other contexts. The main conclusion is that, as current initiatives are to a large extent ad hoc and localised, there is a need for documentation, dissemination, and scaling up of existing interventions, as well as greater coherence and co-ordination in policies and programmes to extend their reach and make the most of limited resources.


Objective : Distal sensory polyneuropathy (DSP) and neuropathic pain are important clinical concerns in virally suppressed people with HIV. We determined how these conditions evolved, what factors influenced their evolution, and their clinical impact. Methods : Ambulatory, community-dwelling HIV seroposi-tive individuals were recruited at six research centers. Clinical evaluations at baseline and 12 years later determined neuropathy signs and distal neuropathic pain (DNP). Additional assessments measured activities of daily living and quality of life (QOL). Factors potentially associated with DSP and DNP progression included disease severity, treatment, demographics, and co-morbidities. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated for follow-up neuropathy outcomes. Results : Of 254 participants, 21.3% were women, 57.5% were non-white. Mean baseline age was 43.5 years. Polyneuropathy prevalence increased from 25.7% to 43.7%. Of 173 participants initially pain-free, 42 (24.3%) had incident neuropathic pain. Baseline risk factors for incident pain included unemployment (OR [95% CI], 5.86 [1.97, 17.4]) and higher baseline body mass index (BMI) (1.78 [1.03, 3.19] per 10-units). Participants with neuropathic pain at follow-up had significantly worse QOL and greater dependence in activities of daily living than those who remained pain-free. Interpretation : HIV DSP and neuropathic pain increased in prevalence and severity over 12 years despite high rates of viral suppression. The high burden of neuropathy included disability and poor life quality. However, substantial numbers remained pain-free despite clear evidence of neuropathy on exam. Protective factors included being employed and having a lower BMI. Implications for clinical practice include promotion of lifestyle changes affecting reversible risk factors.


Road traffic injuries are on the rise in developing countries with a disproportionately high number of crashes involving commercial vehicles. Baseline information on risk factors is necessary to develop targeted prevention programmes. A survey of commercial drivers was conducted at the largest bus and truck station in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Structured interviews elicited information from 857 drivers on their socio-demographics, high-risk driving behaviours, fatigue, use of drugs while driving, vehicle maintenance and health conditions, as well as crash involvement. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the factors associated with crash involvement in the last five years. Overall, 92 (11.2%) drivers reported having had a road crash in the last 5 years. Factors independently associated with the occurrence of crashes were alcohol use (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.1–4.4), poor vehicle maintenance (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.7–7.01) and lack of seat belt use (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.3–5.6). The high prevalence of high-risk attributes in the study population indicates a great need for targeted risk prevention.


By 2002, all but a handful of countries were connected to the Internet. The intertwining of the Internet and the globalization of finance, corporate governance, and trade raises questions about national models of technology development and property rights. The sudden ability of hundreds of millions of users to gain access to a global communication infrastructure spurred the creation of new firms and economic opportunities. The Internet challenged existing institutions and powerful interests: Technology was global, but its economic and business development was molded in the context of prevailing national institutions. Comparing the experiences of seven countries—France, Germany, India, Japan, Sweden, South Korea, and the United States—this book analyzes the rise of the Internet and its impact on changing national institutions. Each country chapter describes how the Internet developed, evaluates the extent to which the Silicon Valley model was adopted, and suggests why certain sectors and technologies developed faster than others. The book also analyzes specific Internet sectors and regulations across countries. It shows that the Internet's effects are more evolutionary than revolutionary. At the same time, the impact of broad cultural change on entrepreneurial aspirations is clearly visible in certain nations, especially India and Sweden.


Cerebral palsy (CP) affects 2/1 000 live-born children. There are several antenatal factors, including preterm delivery, low birth weight, infection/inflammation, multiple gestations, and other pregnancy complications, that have been associated with CP in both the preterm and term infant, with birth asphyxia playing a minor role. Due to the increasing survival of the very preterm and very low birth weight infant secondary to improvements in neonatal and obstetric care, the incidence of CP may be increasing. The topics of neonatal encephalopathy and CP, as well as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, are of vital importance to anyone who ventures to deliver infants. Criteria sufficient to define an acute intrapartum hypoxic event as sufficient to cause CP have been advanced previously by both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the International Cerebral Palsy Task Force. This review will cover the progression toward defining the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of cerebral palsy. Four essential criteria were advanced as prerequisites if one is to propose that an intrapartum hypoxic-ischemic insult has caused a moderate to severe neonatal encephalopathy that subsequently results in CP. Importantly, all four criteria must be met: 1) evidence of metabolic acidosis (pH <7.0 and base deficit of 12 mmol/L or more); 2) early onset of severe or moderate neonatal encephalopathy in infants born at 34 or more weeks' gestation; 3) CP of the spastic quadriplegic or dyskinetic type, and 4) exclusion of other identifiable etiologies, such as trauma, coagulation disorders, infectious conditions, or genetic disorders. Other criteria that together suggest intrapartum timing are also discussed. The focus of this paper is to explore antenatal antecedents as etiologies of CP and the impact of obstetric care on the prevention of CP.


Interleukin 2 (IL-2), or T-cell growth factor (TCGF), represents the first identified, fully-characterized, purified human interleukin. It is produced mainly by T helper (CD4+) lymphocytes, stimulates cell-mediated immune responses, controls growth and differentiation of B lymphocytes, and intensifies proliferation and activity of all cytotoxic cell clones. IL-2 is a growth factor in vitro and a mediator of self-tolerance in vivo, and therefore interests tumor immunotherapy investigators. The role of IL-2 in the cell cycle of neoplastic cells remains unclear. IL-2 inhibits growth of certain human tumor cells while proliferation of other cells remains intact or is even stimulated. Decreased IL-2 production is often observed in the more advanced clinical stages of human tumors, which provides rational for inclusion of recombinant IL-2 in the immunotherapy for some tumors. On the other hand, tumor cells themselves may produce IL-2 and promote tumor growth. This article summarizes the current physiological role of IL-2 and its role in the pathogenesis of select human diseases. Many papers (including reviews) pertain to the IL-2R receptor. The soluble form of the alpha subunit of the IL-2 receptor (sIL-2Ralpha) is elevated in most proliferative disturbances of the hematopoietic system and in many solid tumors. Special reference to the most important discoveries and our own experience in intracellular detection of IL-2 and IL-2Ralpha are included. IL-2 properties, cellular sources, and targets, including data on its expression in pathological conditions, continue to be supplemented. Attempts to treat tumors are also discussed, using modified varieties of therapy that use IL-2 itself and/or its receptor.


In the course of research work, the author's group observed a fact that seemed very significant. A certain compound, phenyl-β-D-thiogalactoside, devoid of inductive capacity, proved capable of counteracting the action of an effective inducer such as methyl-β-D-thiogalactoside. The study of galactoside permease was to reveal another fact of great significance. Several years earlier, following Lederberg's work, the group had isolated some "constitutive" mutants of β-galactosidase, that is, strains in which the enzyme was synthesized in the absence of any galactoside. The author then had to admit that a constitutive mutation, although very strongly linked to the loci governing galactosidase, galactoside permease, and transacetylase, had taken place in a gene (i) distinct from the other three (z, y, and Ac), and that the relationship of this gene to the three proteins violated the postulate of Beadle and Tatum. The model that the group had studied is interesting primarily because it proposes a functional correlation between certain elements of the molecular structure of proteins and certain of their physiologic properties, specifically those that are significant at the level of integration, of dynamic organization, of metabolism. If the proposed correlation is experimentally verified, then it is an additional reason for having confidence in the development of our discipline which, transcending its original domain, the chemistry of heredity, today is oriented toward the analysis of the more complex biological phenomena: the development of higher organisms and the operation of their networks of functional coordinations.


By the mid-eighteenth century, a transatlantic dialog on the importance of hemp as a strategic commodity developed in the British Empire. This article addresses questions pertaining to the role hemp played in the social, cultural, and political lives of people across the Atlantic by introducing a series of treatises, which appeared on both sides of the ocean that urged farmers to become hemp cultivators. Due to the fear of relying too heavily on Russia for their much needed supply of good quality hemp for naval stores, the British developed a dialogue concerning the importance of increasing hemp cultivation within the empire that travelled across the Atlantic and later influenced Americans' perception of the crop after the Revolutionary war. Moreover, both the British and the Americans looked to France for new methods of cultivation, making the circulation of ideas a truly transatlantic phenomenon. Although a comprehensive understanding of the political, economic, and cultural history of hemp in many parts of the Atlantic world will require more extensive research on a much broader scale, the questions posed in this article illustrate the contribution that such a wide-ranging study will have to transatlantic history.


A rigorous definition of the noise figure of radio receivers is given in this paper. The definition is not limited to high-gain receivers, but can be applied to four-terminal networks in general. An analysis is made of the relationship between the noise figure of the receiver as a whole and the noise figures of, its components. Mismatch relations between the components of the receiver and methods of measurements of noise figures are discussed briefly.


This paper argues that incorporating information about the financial cycle is important to improve measures of potential output and output gaps. Conceptually, identifying potential output with non-inflationary output is too restrictive. Potential output is seen as sustainable; yet experience indicates that output may be on an unsustainable path even if inflation is low and stable whenever financial imbalances are building up. More generally, as long as potential output is identified with the non-cyclical component of output fluctuations and financial factors play a key role in explaining the cyclical part, ignoring these factors leaves out valuable information. Within a simple and transparent framework, we show that including information about the financial cycle can yield measures of potential output and output gaps that are not only estimated more precisely, but also much more robust in real time. In the context of policy applications, such "finance-neutral" output gaps are shown to yield more reliable estimates of cyclically adjusted budget balances and to serve as complementary guides for monetary policy.


The work of the poet, theoretician, and political activist Tanigawa Gan (1923–95) played a decisive role in postwar Japanese intellectual and political life, deeply influencing the politics of 1968. By interrupting the prevailing discourses of democratic reconstruction, high economic growth, and the cosmopolitan Marxism of urban life, Tanigawa (along with the other members of his commune) practiced a rigorous subtraction from the dominant ideological and aesthetic discourse of postwar Japanese life. Remapping their politics by imbricating activism with the line of writing, they moved into the rural and isolated villages, the utterly deprived and depleted "forgotten" zones of the countryside, where Tanigawa attempted to discover an "origin," not in a romantic or nativist sense, but as a source of human energy for the active aesthetic creation of life practices in exodus from the dominant society. Tanigawa's writing itself—his practice of holding politics and poetics immanent to the flux or energy of the historicity of the struggle of the oppressed, to the historical event of their dispossession—remains a powerful site of analysis for us today. In contemporary Japan, where the struggles of the unemployed, the homeless, and the semipermanently underemployed have emerged sharply against the backdrop of the turn to neoliberalism and dismantling of social policy, Tanigawa's work has seen a sudden resurgence. But his work is frequently being presented as "utopian," "nativist," "romantic," and so forth. In examining a sequence of Tanigawa's poetry and certain of his critical essays, the author tries to disrupt such readings by arguing that his attempt to conceive of a practice of writing, not focused on the substantialization of "the people" or the region but, rather, on the dynamic flux of energy produced by this tension of exile itself, inaugurates a series of potential moments through which the possibilities of resistant mappings can be understood. For Tanigawa, the political potential of this mapping rather lies in mobilizing the histories of the affective memory of struggle that are sedimented in the communities of the dispossessed, what he called "operating" (kosaku) on the situation.


This article focuses on the increasing effects of carcinogens and toxins into the environment on the public health, particularly the hazards of radiation. Utilizing the Three Mile Island nuclear power accident as a case study, it examines the theoretical battles over nuclear power production. It analyzes whether residents living near the Three Mile Island facility were entitled to a health warning due to the radiation emitted by the accident. The article proposes that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission should be the body that issues such a warning, and examines whether the issuance of a health warning is a nondiscretionary duty of the NRC or whether it is in the NRC's discretion to issue a health warning. Finally, it discusses whether a district court or a court of appeals is the appropriate forum in which to bring an action, on the assumption that the NRC is the proper defendant.


A participant observation method was employed :in the study of a 20-week stoppage at Ansells Brewery Limited, a constituent company of Allied Breweries (U.K.). The strike, :involving 1,000 workers, began :in opposition to the implementation of a four-day working week and culminated in the permanent closure of the brewery. The three main phases of the strike's development (i.e., its :initiation, maintenance and termination) were analysed according to a social-cognitive approach, based on the psychological imagery, beliefs, values and perceptions underlying the employees' behaviour. Previous psychological treatments of strikes have tended to ignore many of the aspects of social definition, planning and coordination that are an integral part of industrial action. The present study is, therefore, unique in concentrating on the thought processes by which striking workers .make sense of their current situation and collectively formulate an appropriate response. The Ansells strike provides an especially vivid illustration of the ways in which the seminal insights of a small number of individuals are developed, via processes of communication and:influence, into a consensual interpretation of reality. By adopting a historical perspective, it has been possible to demonstrate how contemporary definitions are shaped by the prior history of union-management relations, particularly with regard to: (a) the way that previous events were subjectively interpreted, and (b) the lessons that were learned on the basis of that experience. The present approach is psychological insofar as it deals with the cognitive elements of strike action. However, to the extent that it draws from relevant sections of the industrial relations, organizational behaviour, sociology, anthropology and linguistics literatures, it can claim to be truly interdisciplinary.


We analyse the evolving pattern of Hungary.s agri-food trade using recently developed empirical procedures based on the classic Balassa index and its symmetric transformation. The extent of trade specialisation exhibits a declining trend; Hungary lost comparative advantage for a number of product groups over the 1990s. The indices of specialisation have also tended to converge. For particular product groups, the picture is mixed: indices are reasonably stable for product groups with comparative disadvantage, but those with weak to strong comparative advantage show significant variation. The results reinforce the finding of a general decrease in specialisation, but do not support the idea of self-reinforcing mechanisms, emphasised strongly in much of the endogenous growth and trade literature.


Background and Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to investigate effects of various heat shock conditions and fast freezing and subsequent thawing on the viability and recovery of Bacillus coagulans and Bacillus subtilis as probiotic sporeformers, and also to compare spore plate and microscopic counts. Materials and Methods: After preparing the final suspensions of B. coagulans and Bacillus subtilis subsp. Natto spores, they were spread-plated before and after fast freezing treatment (-70°C for about 1 min). Heat shock treatments of the spores were carried out at 68C for 15, 20, and 30 min as well as at 80C for 10 and 15 min. Concentrations of the examined probiotic sporeformers were determined simultaneously by plate enumerations and microscopically determined counts. Student's t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) of SPSS were used for statistical analysis of the data. Analysis of DoE results was carried out using Minitab. Results: The results presented here show that the highest recovery rates for B. coagulans (14.75 log CFU/mL) and B. subtilis spores (14.80 log CFU/mL) were under a heat shock condition of 68°C for 20 min in nutrient agar (p<0.05). In addition, the survival rates of B. coagulans and B. subtilis spores under the fast freezing and subsequent thawing condition were about 90% and 88%, respectively. Plate counts differed significantly from counts determined microscopically, with differences of almost 0.5 and 0.8 log for B. coagulans and B. subtilis spores, respectively (p<0.05). In addition, DoE results of the study revealed that both factors of spore count method and only freezing factor in fast freezing treatment have a significant effect on concentrations of the spores examined (p<0.05). Conclusions: Heat shock conditions, freezing and subsequent thawing circumstances, and plate counts or enumerations determined microscopically have significant influences on the viability of probiotic sporeformers and should be considered in determining of their accurate concentrations.


Males of the marine copepod species Temora longicornis have been seen to track the chemical trails of females in order to locate the female for mating. The males of one freshwater copepod, Hesperodiaptomus shoshone, have recently been observed to track the chemical trails of females. The actual following behaviors with respect to the trail were previously unknown, and have now been documented. Methods have been developed to allow for the analysis of the orientation with respect to a chemical trail. H. shoshone spends more time on the outside of the chemical trail when tracking than T. longicornis, which spins in a helical fashion on the inside of the trail. With a chemical trail of radius 0.5 mm, H. shoshone has an average distance from the trail of 0.90 mm ± 0.11, whereas T. longicornis has an average distance from the trail of 0.49 mm ± 0.39. Future studies will further elucidate the mechanisms used by these copepods and others to accurately locate mates, in an attempt to create models of mechanisms to be used in biologically-inspired chemical detection devices.


It is commonly agreed that the abrupt appearance of a new object captures attention, whereas the mere presence of a singleton object that differs in color or motion from other objects does not capture attention. Franconeri and Simons (2003, P&P) challenged this view presenting findings where moving or looming stimuli captured attention. They used the irrelevant feature search task, where one stimulus is singled out by its unique color, motion, or by its sudden onset. A trial started with figure-eight placeholders, which turned into letters after 1000 ms by the removal of some segments of the placeholders. They found that sudden onsets as well as motion singletons, but not color singletons, captured attention. The present study replicated and extended these results by showing that the timing of events is critical to obtain capture. Color did not capture attention when the singleton differed in color from the others from the beginning of the trial, or when the singleton changed its color at the same time as the letters appeared. However, color did capture attention when the change occurred 150 ms before or even 150 ms after the letters appeared. We suppose that all sudden, not only color, changes capture attention when it does not coincide with other changes in the display. Similar results emerged with singletons that moved for 150 ms. As in the color experiment and in accordance with Franconeri and Simons results, motion captured attention when it started 150 ms before the letters appeared. However, as argued above, this might simply be due to a sudden change (like motion onset) in the display. In the last Experiment we showed that motion did also capture attention when it started simultaneously with letter appearance. Whether this latter result supports Franconeri and Simons view that dynamic events capture attention, or whether it means that other aspects of motion captures attention, like the sudden offset of motion, is subject of further investigations.


Reliable determination of material properties is a key component for modelling and performance prediction of asphalt pavements. This paper deals with the potential use of instrumented indentation tests for viscoelastic characterisation of asphalt mortar as a new alternative to existing techniques. The main focus lies on the potential of indentation tests for multi-scale measurement of the shear relaxation modulus. A three-dimensional finite element model of a rigid spherical indenter penetrating an asphalt mortar sample is developed and used to model indentation tests performed at different material scales. The asphalt mortar is modelled as an idealised fine aggregate composite with elastic spheres, suspended within a viscoelastic bitumen mastic matrix. Based on the obtained numerical results the scale-dependency of the shear relaxation modulus measured with the indentation test is investigated. It is shown that the measurement scale is effectively controlled by the size of the indenter-specimen contact area, while the effect of indentation depth is minimal. The minimum contact area size required for obtaining representative properties, measured at the mortar scale, is determined. The viscoelastic parameters obtained from the indentation model are compared to those obtained using a representative volume element (RVE) for the asphalt mortar. In this way, the paper provides a new impulse for linking the mortar and asphalt scales in the multiscale modelling of asphalt mixtures. Feasibility of the proposed testing technique is further evaluated experimentally. Viscoelastic indentation tests are performed on asphalt mastics and mortar at two different sizes of contact areas. Experimental results indicate that indentation tests allow reliable characterisation of mortars relaxation modulus on both macro-scale as well as on individual component level.


This paper analyses to what extent the aid and development effectiveness agenda has been applied in the area of capacity development support, with a specific focus on the use of developing country systems. The paper is based on a literature review and a limited number of semi-structured interviews, as well as a review of available research evidence on capacity development support practices in Mozambique, Nepal, Rwanda and Vietnam. Three main conclusions are drawn from this paper. First of all, available research confirms that aid and development effectiveness achievements in the area of capacity development have been slow and disappointing, owing to reform-resistance of key stakeholders involved. Secondly, considerable potential remains to strengthen the effectiveness of capacity development support by further adapting approaches to design, deliver and evaluate interventions in reference to key aid and development effectiveness principles. Third, a lack of disaggregation of statistics and low investments in evaluation inhibits learning and accountability, and ultimately the improvement of capacity development results.


Cryptographic protocols are utilized for establishing a secure session between "honest" agents which communicate strictly according to the protocol rules as well as for ensuring the authenticated and confidential transmission of messages. The specification of a cryptographic protocol is usually presented as a set of requirements for the sequences of transmitted messages including the format of such messages. Note that protocol can describe several execution scenarios. All these requirements lead to a huge formal specification for a real cryptographic protocol and therefore, it is difficult to verify the security of the whole cryptographic protocol at once. In this paper, to overcome this problem, we suggest verifying the protocol security for its fragments. Namely, we verify the security properties for a special set of so-called traces of the cryptographic protocol. Intuitively, a trace of the cryptographic protocol is a sequence of computations, value checks, and transmissions on the sides of "honest" agents permitted by the protocol. In order to choose such set of traces, we introduce an Adversary model and the notion of a similarity relation for traces. We then verify the security properties of selected traces with Tamarin Prover. Experimental results for the EAP and Noise protocols clearly show that this approach can be promising for automatic verification of large protocols.


There is considerable debate at present, particularly in the Member States of the European Union, concerning the necessity and appropriateness of imposing custodial sentences upon individuals who have engaged in cartel activity. The vast majority of those contributing to this debate have focused on the punishment theory of (economic) deterrence. Little room is devoted to the punishment theory of retribution or to consideration of the 'moral wrongfulness' of cartel activity. This article posits that the issue of 'moral wrongfulness' is a central issue in the debate on cartel criminalization, irrespective of whether it is deterrence theory or retribution theory that informs the debate. By employing a norms-based approach, this article then examines the extent to which cartel activity can indeed be interpreted as conduct that is 'morally wrong' due to its violation of the moral norms against stealing, deception and/or cheating. By doing so, this article not only challenges traditional views of the nature of cartel activity but also provides scholars, legislatures and policymakers with specific analyses which are crucial to a decision whether to justify (or indeed to oppose) the introduction and maintenance of criminal cartel sanctions.


A free and open-source software tool is presented that facilitates the analysis and the visualisation of data in basic life science. Daniel's XL Toolbox is an add-in for the Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet software. It enables scientists to store their data in one place and obviates the need to use separate tools for the analysis and presentation of the data. The Toolbox offers analysis of variance with post hoc multiple comparison testing and linear correlation and regression analyses. It can apply error bars to the graphs automatically, and style the graphs in a way suitable for publication. The graphs can be exported in high resolution to TIFF, PNG, as well as to EMF file types. Finally, the Toolbox offers several work flow and productivity features such as automatic time-stamped backups, transposition assistant, worksheet management, and much more. The Toolbox is available at http://xltoolbox.sourceforge.net.


Background Pertussis is highly contagious respiratory disease. Healthcare workers (HCWs) can be an important mediator of the disease. A seroprevalence of pertussis was investigated in HCWs to determine the immune status against pertussis and to detect the unidentified pertussis. Methods This study was conducted for HCWs at a hospital located in Korea in 2011. After obtaining written informed consent for HCWs voluntarily participating in the study, 10 mL of blood was collected from each subject. Demographic and medical data were collected using questionnaire. Data on the underlying disease and vaccination history were reviewed again through medical records. The presence of anti-pertussis toxin (anti-PT) immunoglobulin G (IgG), and immunoglobulin A (IgA) was detected by quantitative analysis using a commercially available ELISA kit (EUROIMMUN, Lübeck, Germany). Results A total of 412 HCW participated in the study. Among them, 14 were excluded due to the inadequate sample amount or medical history not secured. Of the 398 HCWs analyzed, 16.6% (66/398) were men and the mean age was 33.82 ± 9.10 years (range, 21–67). The mean anti-PT IgG titer was 8.32 ± 20.40 IU/mL (range, 0.4–287.5 IU/mL). The overall seroprevalence (rate of anti-PT IgG antibody [Ab] titer > 5 IU/mL) was 33.7%. Three (0.8%) HCWs had the Ab level > 100 IU/mL indicated acute infection. There was no statistically significant difference in the seroprevalence and mean titer of anti-PT IgG Ab according to age group, type of occupation, patient-facing position, or working in the pediatric department. Conclusion The seroprevalence of pertussis of the HCWs of a university hospital in Korea was low, and there were some unrecognized acute infections. Therefore, booster immunization of pertussis to HCWs should be actively considered.


Herb Di Gioia is a key figure in the tradition of observational cinema. The films that he made with David Hancock in the early 1970s laid the foundations for a different kind of observational documentary than one identified with the more well-known work of David and Judith MacDougall. Following Hancock's untimely death, Di Gioia channeled most of his energies into teaching. He was a central figure in Britain's National Film and Television School, training anthropologists in filmmaking techniques and fostering ethnographic sensibilities among filmmaking students—most notably Molly Dineen. Despite the importance of Di Gioia's film work and his enormous influence as a teacher, his contribution has been largely overlooked in histories and accounts of ethnographic cinema. This conversation offers an introduction to Di Gioia's work and to his unique approach as a teacher.


Current guidance in the UK (1) (NICE guidelines) and the US (2) recommends the use of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in the treatment of anatomically complex triple vessel disease. The UK also prefers CABG for the treatment of coronary artery disease in those >65 and those with diabetes (1), whilst the US recommends a heart team approach (2). Having made the decision to operate the next question that arises is whether to perform this with (on pump) or without (off pump) cardiopulmonary bypass. The attraction of off pump CABG is a reduction in the inflammatory response in combination with minimal aortic manipulation and avoidance of aortic cannulation, which may reduce the risk of stroke (3). However, many surgeons would argue that cardioplegic arrest provides the best conditions for optimal revascularisation (3,4). The debate as to which method is superior has been ongoing for the past 25 years.


The purpose of this study was to characterize the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the Barnowpara Sanctuary, Raipur district, Chhattisgarh, India through the use of satellite remote sensing and GIS The total storage of nutrients in vegetation (OS + US + GS) varied from 105.1 to 560.69 kg ha −1 in N, 4.09 kg ha −1 to 49.59 kg ha −1 in P, 24.59 kg ha −1 to 255.58 kg ha −1 for K and 7310 to 4836 kg ha −1 for C in different forest types. They were highest in Dense mixed forest and lowest in Degraded mixed forest. The study also showed that NDVI and carbon storage was strongly correlated to Shannon Index and species richness thus it indicates that the diversity of forest type play a vital role in carbon accumulation. The study also developed reliable regression model for the estimation of LAI, biomass, NPP, C & N storage in dry tropical forests by using NDVI and different vegetation indices, which can be derived from fine resolution satellite data. The study shows that dry tropical forests of Central India are quite immature and not in standing state and have strong potential for carbon sequestration. Both quantitative and qualitative information derived in the study helped in evolving key strategies for maintaining existing C pools and also improving the C sequestration in different forest types. The study explores the scope and potential of dry tropical forests for improving C sequestration and mitigating the global warming and climatic change.


A great place to start any research project, this guide will give you and overview of the resource process, help you find relevant, scholarly materials, and contains writing resources, citation help, and writing help


I describe a partial skeleton of a theropod from the Later Jurassic Morrison Formation of Converse County, Wyoming. Collected material included 17 vertebrae, three ribs, two associated left metatarsals and an incomplete ilium of an Allosaurus in a gray silty-mudstone containing conchostraca. Several vertebrae are deformed with transverse processes broken and pressed against the neural spine, or twisted transverse processes from lateral or dorso-venteral compression. The material has evidence of erosion prior to deposition, as well as during postfossilization. I propose the deformation of the vertebrae is due to a demineralization of the bones. The flattened surfaces appear to have been exposed prior to deposition while residing in a low energy alkaline lacustrine environment; causing the vertebrae to become malleable and susceptible to deforming under their own weight. There is also evidence of interaction between two of the vertebrae, where one was resting on top of the other, causing the transverse processes to become twisted. Examination of the neurocentral sutures and length of metatarsal IV indicate this Allosaurus is a maturing sub-adult. This specimen represents the first documented occurrence of Allosaurus in Converse County and the third dinosaur documented from the property.


Many assistive robotic devices have been developed to augment or assist human locomotion. Despite advancements in design and control algorithms, this task remains challenging. Human walking strategies are unique and complex, and assistance strategies based on the dynamics of unassisted locomotion typically offer only modest reductions to the metabolic cost of walking. Recently, human-in-the-loop (HIL) methodologies have been used to identify subject-specific assistive strategies, which offer significant improvements to energy savings. However, current implementations suffer from long measurement times, necessitating the use of low-dimensional control parameterizations, and possibly requiring multiday collection protocols to avoid subject fatigue. We present a HIL methodology, which optimizes the assistive torques provided by a powered hip exoskeleton. Using musculoskeletal modeling, we are able to evaluate simulated metabolic rate online. We applied our methodology to identify assistive torque profiles for seven subjects walking on a treadmill, and found greater reductions to metabolic cost when compared to generic or off-the-shelf controllers. In a secondary investigation, we directly compare simulated and measured metabolic rate for three subjects experiencing a range of assistance levels. The time investment required to identify assistance strategies via our protocol is significantly lower when compared to existing protocols relying on calorimetry. In the future, frameworks such as these could be used to enable shorter HIL protocols or exploit more complex control parameterizations for greater energy savings.


We analyze a class of estimators based on convex relaxation for solving high-dimensional matrix decomposition problems. The observations are noisy realizations of a linear transformation $\mathfrak{X}$ of the sum of an approximately) low rank matrix $\Theta^\star$ with a second matrix $\Gamma^\star$ endowed with a complementary form of low-dimensional structure; this set-up includes many statistical models of interest, including factor analysis, multi-task regression, and robust covariance estimation. We derive a general theorem that bounds the Frobenius norm error for an estimate of the pair $(\Theta^\star, \Gamma^\star)$ obtained by solving a convex optimization problem that combines the nuclear norm with a general decomposable regularizer. Our results utilize a "spikiness" condition that is related to but milder than singular vector incoherence. We specialize our general result to two cases that have been studied in past work: low rank plus an entrywise sparse matrix, and low rank plus a columnwise sparse matrix. For both models, our theory yields non-asymptotic Frobenius error bounds for both deterministic and stochastic noise matrices, and applies to matrices $\Theta^\star$ that can be exactly or approximately low rank, and matrices $\Gamma^\star$ that can be exactly or approximately sparse. Moreover, for the case of stochastic noise matrices and the identity observation operator, we establish matching lower bounds on the minimax error. The sharpness of our predictions is confirmed by numerical simulations.


In each bead of the nucleolar necklace, using adenosine analog DRB-treated PtK1 cells, we investigated the three components of rDNA transcription, i.e. the gene, transcription factor UBF and transcripts. In situ hybridization revealed the unraveling and 3-D dispersion of most of the rDNA coding sequences within the nucleus. The signals were small, of similar intensity and tandemly organized in the necklace. This observation is compatible with the fact that they might correspond to single gene units. Active transcription was visualized in these units, demonstrating that they were active functional units. Transcript labeling was not similar for each unit, contrary to UBF labeling. UBF and rRNA transcripts were only partially colocalized, as demonstrated by 3-D image analysis and quantification. As visualized by electron microscopy, the necklace was composed of a small fibrillar center partially surrounded by a dense fibrillar component. The 3-D arrangement of this individual unit in the necklace, investigated both by confocal and electron microscopy in the same cells, showed that the individual beads were linked by a dense fibrillar component. The reversibility of this organization after removal of DRB indicated that the beads in the necklace are certainly the elementary functional domain of the nucleolus. In addition, these results lead us to suggest that the organization of a functional domain, presumably corresponding to a single gene, can be studied by in situ approaches.


Species structure and composition in Mediterranean riparian forests are determined by hydrological features, longitudinal
zonation, and riverbank topography. This study assesses the distribution of four native riparian plants along the riverbank
topographic gradient in three river stretches in southern Spain, with special emphasis on the occupation of adult and young
feet of each species. The studied stretches suffered minimal human disturbances, displayed semi-arid conditions, and had
wide riparian areas to allow the development of the target species: black alder (Alnus glutinosa), salvia leaf willow (Salix
salviifolia), narrow-leafed ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), and oleander (Nerium oleander). Thalweg height was used to define
the riverbank topographic gradient. The results showed a preferential zone for black alder and salvia leaf willow in the range
of 0-150 cm from the channel thalweg, with adult alders and willows being more common between 51 and 150 cm and
young alders being more common under 50 cm. Conversely, narrow-leafed ash and oleander were much more frequent, and
showed greater development, in the ranges of 151-200 cm and 201-250 cm, respectively, whereas the young feet of both
species covered the entire topographic range. Adult feet of the four species were spatially segregated along the riverbank
topographic gradient, indicating their differential ability to cope with water stress from the non-tolerant alders and willows to
more tolerant narrow-leafed ash trees and oleanders. Young feet, however, showed a strategy more closely linked to the initial
availability of colonisation sites within riparian areas to the dispersion strategy of each species and to the distribution of adult
feet. In Mediterranean areas, where riparian management has traditionally faced great challenges, the incorporation of species
preferences along riverbank gradients could improve the performance of restoration projects.


The monographic book addresses the basics of the charge carrier photoemission from one solid to another - the internal photoemission, (IPE) - and different spectroscopic applications of this phenomenon to solid state heterojunctions. This is the first book in the field of IPE, which complements the conventional external photoemission spectroscopy by analysing interfaces separated from the sample surface by a layer of a different solid or liquid. IPE is providing the most straightforward and, therefore, reliable information regarding the energy spectrum of electron states at interfaces. At the same time, the method provides the unique capability of analysing the heterostructures relevant to the modern micro- and nano-electronic devices as well as new materials involved in their design and fabrication. In addition to the discussion of fundamental physical and technical aspects of IPE spectroscopic applications, several "hot topics are addressed. These include development of new insulating materials for advances Si MOS technology (both high-k gate insulators and low-k dielectrics for interconnect insulation), metal gate materials, development of heterostructures based on high-mobility semiconductors, etc. Thanks to a considerable activity in this field over the last few years, the recent results concerning band structure of most important interfaces involving novel materials can now be documented. - First complete description of the internal photoemission phenomena - A practical guide to internal photoemission measurements - Describes reliable energy barrier determination procedures - Surveys trap spectroscopy methods applicable to thin insulating layers - Provides an overview of the most recent results on band structure of high-permittivity insulating materials and their interfaces - Contains a complete collection of reference data on interface band alignment for wide-bandgap insulating materials in contact with metals and semiconductors


Article history: Received December 26, 2019 Accepted March 17, 2020 Available online November 1, 2020 This study aimed to assess the acute toxicity in rats of heated and un heatedbutylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Sunflower oil dissolved BHT, heated at 98±2oC by a water bath. The animals were divided into five groups. The control group dosage orally with sunflower oil, the first group treated with 250 mg/kg BHT, the second group treated with 250 mg/kg heated, BHT the third group treated with 500 mg/kg BHT and the fourth group treated with 500 mg/kg heated BHT. All groups received oral treatment. The results showed a substantial reduction in motor activity relative to other groups at a dose of 250 mg/kg heated BHT. There was a substantial distinction in the negative geotaxis test in groups of 500 mg/kg heated and un-heated BHT, while a cliff avoidance test in the heat treated dose of 250 and 500 mg/kg was observed in the cliff avoidance test compared to other groups. A significant reduction occurred in all groups in the pocketing and dorsal tonic immobility test. The pathological changes of heated BHT groups were more severe than those of un-heated BHT groups especially the dose of 500 mg/kg heated BHT. It represented by coagulative necrosis, muscle atrophy in heart, interstitial pneumonia, serofibrinous exudate, pulmonary emphysema in lung and neuronal degeneration, microgliosis, myelin vacuolation and satellitosis in the brain. The study concluded that heated BHT at a dose of 250 and 500 mg/kg had toxic effects to motor and neurobehavioral activity, and histopathological changes in the brain, heart, and lung.


The search for substellar companions around stars with different masses along the main sequence is critical to understanding the different processes leading to the formation of low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and planets. In particular, the existence of a large population of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs physically bound to early-type main-sequence stars could imply that the massive planets recently imaged at wide separations (10-100 AU) around A-type stars are disc-born objects in the low-mass tail of the binary distribution and are thus formed via gravitational instability rather than by core accretion. Our aim is to characterize the environment of early-type main-sequence stars by detecting substellar companions between 10 and 500 AU. The sample stars are also surveyed with radial velocimetry, providing a way to determine the impact of the imaged companions on planets at ≲10 AU. High-contrast and high angular resolution near-infrared images of a sample of 38 southern A- and F-type stars were obtained between 2005 and 2009 with the instruments NaCo on the Very Large Telescope and PUEO on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Direct and saturated imaging were used in the J to K s bands to probe the faint circumstellar environments with contrasts of ~5 × 10 -2 to 10 -4 at separations of 0".2 and 1", respectively. Using coronagraphic imaging, we achieved contrasts between 10 -5 and 10- 6 at separations >5". Multi-epoch observations were performed to distinguish comoving companions from background contaminants. This survey is sensitive to companions of A and F stars in the brown dwarf to low-mass star mass regime. About 41 companion candidates were imaged around 23 stars. Follow-up observations for 83% of these stars allowed us to identify a large number of background contaminants. We report detection of 7 low-mass stars with masses between 0.1 and 0.8 Mo in 6 multiple systems: the discovery of an M2 companion around the A5V star HD 14943 and detection of HD 41742B around the F4V star HD 41742 in a quadruple system. We resolve the known companion of the F6.5V star HD 49095 as a short-period binary system composed of 2 M/L dwarfs. We also resolve the companions to the astrometric binaries i Crt (F6.5V) and 26 Oph (F3V), and identify an M3/M4 companion to the F4V star o Gru, associated with an X-ray source. The global multiplicity fraction measured in our sample of A and F stars is >16%. This has a probable impact on the radial velocity measurements performed on the sample stars.


ABSTRACT The waste management is a challenge for any future fusion facility including ITER. Detritiation could allow easier procedures since the practices in different countries already limit tritium contents and releases for disposal in nuclear waste storage. The experience developed in steel-making processes, for liquid steel degassing by gas injection, has been applied for modeling of tritium removal. A numerical model, initially developed at IRSID (USINOR's Process Research Center) for hydrogen removal, is adapted to determine detritiation efficiency. The hydrogen isotope transfer between liquid metal and injected gas occurs in two elementary steps, liquid phase mass transfer and interfacial reaction driven by Sievert's law for H2 and T2. In the gas phase, H2 and T2 react to give HT, according to the thermodynamic equilibrium and the isotopic exchange. The model takes into account the change in bubbles swarms (sizes and velocities) as they ascent from the bottom of the vessel to the metal free surface. It is thus possible to predict the tritium content evolution during the treatment as a function of process parameters. Duration and inlet gas mixture, which have the major influence on detritiation efficiency, must be set according to the tritium initial concentration and the activity expected in the final waste.


The culture of the organization can be a strategic tool for the success of organization, because it influences how the organization conduct its business and helps regulate, control and model of the behavior in each subculture of the organization. Often, the subcultures are viewed by management as the representing tolerated deviations that do not disrupt the normative solidarity of the overall corporate culture's dominant values. However, these deviations may become intolerable when there is significant value misalignment among the various subcultures within the organization. In such conditions, the lack of the subcultures' alignment in organization is considered critical and important to manage. While diagnosing culture alignment of the "Pro Credit" bank in Albania, the article focuses on problems of alignment and techniques that improve the alignment of subcultures. For this purpose we estimate the extent to which individuals in each gender and generational subcultures agree or disagree with the culture's dimensions. While, assess of the extent to which organization vision and values are understood and shared by subcultures within the organization, is in core of practical study.


This paper examines the performance of Indian manufacturing sector in terms of economic capacity utilization (CU), over 1974-1998. An attempt is also made to understand the impact of policy changes, inter alia, on the observed movements of CU. The economic CU, defined as the realization of output at which the short run average total cost is minimized, is estimated using a translog cost function. We observe cyclical movements in CU over the period. Three distinct phases have been identified with regard to the movements in CU. While phase one (1974-1984) is characterized by relatively wide fluctuations, phase two (1985-1990) witnessed a roughly stable level of utilization. In the third phase (1991-1998), a variant of the fluctuations witnessed in the first phase is seen to have resurfaced. Interestingly, there has not been any significant correspondence between the observed phases of CU with the corresponding policy environment. While supply and demand side factors are significant in determining CU in Indian manufacturing, the impact of economic reforms per se is not remarkable.


This brief highlights emerging evidence of the impact of the recent global pandemic of COVID-19 on violence against women and girls. It makes recommendations to be considered by all sectors of society, from governments to international organizations and to civil society organizations in order to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls, at the onset, during, and after the public health crisis with examples of actions already taken. It also considers the economic impact of the pandemic and its implications for violence against women and girls in the long-term.


This wide ranging sourcebook draws together a range of recent and specially commissioned pieces which examine how policy development and research findings have influenced planning and assessing learning for young children. Topics covered include standards, quality control, league tables, teacher and performance assessment. It also looks at the enabling of learning, focusing on authentic activity and learning, implicit values, the role of learner choice and classroom management. The book also raises which will effect assessing and planning learning into the next century, and sets an agenda for reform and development including teacher training, funding of primary education, early years education and entitlement in primary school.


The studioli of the ducal palaces at Urbino and Gubbio, Italy, demonstrate architecture's capacity to transact between the mental and physical realms of human experience. Constructed between 1474 and 1483 for the military captain Federico da Montefeltro and his young motherless son, the studioli may be described as treasuries of emblems: they contain not things but images of things, rendered with remarkable perspectival exactitude. These small, image-filled chambers reflect how architecture and its ornament equipped a quattrocento mind with metaphors for wisdom and methods for statecraft and intellectual activity. Drawing on the densely layered imagery in the studioli and text sources readily available to the Urbino court, Robert Kirkbride examines the position of the studioli in the Western tradition of the memory arts, considering how architecture bridged the mathematical arts, which lent themselves to mechanical pursuits, and the art of rhetoric, a discipline central to memory and eloquence. As subtle ramifications of material and mental craft, the studioli provided ideal methods for education and prudent governance, extending an ancient legacy of open-ended models that were conceived to activate the imagination and exercise the memory. At the time of their construction, the studioli represented the leading edge of technologies of visual representation and offer a case study of how contemporary advances in interactive technologies reactivate and transform ancient metaphors for thought and learning.


Objectives: To investigate barriers to utilization of a pharmacist-led fitness, nutrition, and weight management coaching program, as well as describe patient reported expectations and explore the patient characteristics potentially associated with a higher willingness to participate in the future.
Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive study using an anonymous, electronic survey.
Setting: A large, national, grocery store chain.
Participants: Employee benefit plan members, eligible for a pharmacist-led fitness, nutrition, and weight management (FNWM) coaching program, who were not currently or previously enrolled in the program, and met coaching program qualifications.
Intervention: Peer-reviewed, electronic survey administered and collected using an Internet survey analysis software.
Main Outcome Measures: Barriers to enrollment in the pharmacist-led fitness, nutrition, and weight management coaching program.
Results: Of 1,130 emailed employees, 352 responded and 133 met study inclusion criteria and completed the whole survey. Of those who fit inclusion criteria, the majority (53.4%) of the respondents were aware of the coaching program (75.2%) and expressed interest in future participation (53.4%). "I am already taking steps to improve my health" and "I do not have time to participate in the program" were the highest rated barriers for both those interested and not interested in participating in the coaching program. The majority of participants believed pharmacists were qualified to provide the coaching service (78.2%) and preferred one-on-one coaching with the pharmacist (67.7%). Key topics respondents wanted the pharmacist to cover included general diet and nutrition, weight management strategies, and vitamins and supplements.
Conclusion: The two major barriers reported in the study were lack of time and the use of other health improvement methods; however, a large number of respondents indicated future interest in participating. Future programs may be able to increase utilization by focusing on programming that is more accommodating to participants' schedules and integrating along with other weight loss programs. This study also provides some support regarding patient acceptance of pharmacists in innovative roles, such as fitness, nutrition, weight management coaching.
Conflict of Interest
We declare no conflicts of interest or financial interests that the authors or members of their immediate families have in any product or service discussed in the manuscript, including grants (pending or received), employment, gifts, stock holdings or options, honoraria, consultancies, expert testimony, patents and royalties

Type: Original Research


Over the past few years, scientists have discovered that a new class of genetic regulators called "microRNAs" influences normal human growth and development. Now, researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and their colleagues have found that microRNAs also play an important role in human cancer. The findings are published in the June 9, 2005 issue of the journal Nature. " These studies change the landscape of cancer genetics," says cancer expert Dr. Paul Meltzer, who did not participate in the studies. In one of the new studies, researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, led by Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Dr. Gregory Hannon, and at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, led by Dr. Scott Hammond, focused on a segment of human chromosome 13 that was known to be amplified (i.e. present in excess) in several tumor types including B-cell lymphoma. The researchers observed that this DNA segment, referred to as the mir-17-92 cluster, has the potential to encode seven microRNAs. To determine whether excess expression of microRNAs encoded by the mir-17-92 cluster might be involved in cancer, the scientists first examined whether one or more of the microRNAs was expressed at abnormally high levels in four B-cell lymphoma cell lines in which the mir-17-92 cluster was amplified, compared to normal B-cells and to five leukemia and lymphoma cell lines in which the mir-17-92 cluster was not amplified. The researchers found that indeed, five microRNAs encoded by the mir-17-92 cluster were overexpressed specifically in the B-cell lymphoma cell lines bearing an amplified mir-17-92 cluster. Next, the scientists examined the expression levels of the mir-17-92 microRNAs in human tumor biopsies including 46 lymphomas and 47 colorectal carcinomas. They observed significant (greater than fivefold) overexpression of the mir-17-92 microRNAs in 65% of the lymphomas, with an average mir-17-92 microRNA overexpression of 10-fold in those lymphomas (and a high of 82-fold microRNA overexpression). In contrast, 15% of the colorectal carcinomas displayed greater than fivefold mir-17-92 microRNA overexpression. " These findings suggested that mir-17-92 microRNA overexpression might contribute to human cancer, particularly to B-cell lymphoma but also to other forms of the disease," says Hannon. "And they gave us confidence that we might be looking at something that would be clinically relevant." To test that idea directly, the researchers examined whether elevated expression of mir-17-92 or other microRNAs could accelerate the onset of cancer and/or decrease survival in a mouse model of B-cell lymphoma. As expected, control animals developed B-cell lymphoma after about 2 months, and the overall survival of this group (n = 12) after 3 months was 75%. In stark contrast, animals in which the mir-17-92 microRNAs were overexpressed experienced accelerated development of B-cell lymphoma (40 days compared to 2 months), and--significantly--none of the animals in this group (n = 14) survived after 3 months, compared to the 75% survival rate of the control animals in which the mir-17-92 microRNAs were not overexpressed. Moreover, tumors induced in mir-17-92 microRNA-overexpressing animals consistently invaded organs outside the lymphoid compartment (including liver, lung, and kidney), and lacked the extensive "programmed cell death" or apoptosis observed in the control tumors and which helps keeps tumors in check. These findings indicate that overexpression of the mir-17-92 microRNAs can contribute to highly malignant tumors. Collectively, the results of the study establish that microRNAs can function as bona fide oncogenes, leading the researchers to propose that such oncogenic microRNAs be designated "oncomiRs," with mir-17-92 being oncomiR-1. "This is by no means a final answer about the role of microRNAs in cancer," says Hannon. "But it's the first definitive demonstration that microRNAs can act as oncogenes." Media Contact: Peter Sherwood; 516-367-6947; email@example.com


Based on archival research and interviews with leading participants in the movement, Masters of the Universe traces the ascendancy of neoliberalism from the academy of interwar Europe to supremacy under Reagan and Thatcher and in the decades since. Daniel Stedman Jones argues that there was nothing inevitable about the victory of free-market politics. Far from being the story of the simple triumph of right-wing ideas, the neoliberal breakthrough was contingent on the economic crises of the 1970s and the acceptance of the need for new policies by the political left. This edition includes a new foreword in which the author addresses the relationship between intellectual history and the history of politics and policy. Fascinating, important, and timely, this is a book for anyone who wants to understand the history behind the Anglo-American love affair with the free market, as well as the origins of the current economic crisis.


Using a sample of US noncash acquirers, we find significant evidence of upward earnings management prior to announcing merger and acquisition deals. In this event study, we adopt an industry adjusted leverage proxy. No evidence of premerger earnings management is found in highly leveraged firms. The results indicate significant evidence of a negative relationship between earnings management and leverage. The evidence remains robust after replacing the leverage proxy with a high/low leverage binary variable, as well as after controlling for the relative size of the deal and profitability of acquirers. No evidence on earnings management by cash acquirers is reported. These findings are consistent with Jensen's Control Hypothesis as well as advocate the view that creditors play crucial roles in monitoring the firm, which would increase the credibility of corporate reports and restrict the use of management's discretionary power to manipulate earnings prior to special business events such as mergers and acquisitions.


The present work aims to elucidate the emerging role played by cannabimimetic compounds in the control of mast cell activation. Mast cells are immune competent cells strategically located at sites directly interfacing with the external environment which, in case of injury, may regulate the immune response by the release of a plethora of both pre-formed and newly-synthesised mediators. However, although the main goal of mast cell activation is to initiate the inflammatory reaction, and thus to maintain internal homeostasis, the consequences of deregulated mast cell activation could led to chronically activate the inflammatory response, as it occurs in arthritis, inflammatory bowel diseases, atherosclerosis and asthma. Therefore, much effort has been made to develop compounds able to regulate mast cell degranulation.
Several evidences suggested that cannabinoids as well palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), a fatty acid amide sharing several biological activities with cannabinoids, are considered as an emerging class of modulators of mast cell behaviour. We, firstly, focus our study on the effect of cannabimimetic compounds in the control of mast cell isolated both from human biopsies of endometritis and from rats and appropriately stimulated in vitro. Since to study mast cell functionality in vitro is sometime inappropriate in view of the considerable degree of mast cell heterogeneity, both in respect to their morphology, expression of proteins and, primarily, in respect to their different sensitivity to stimuli, therefore the study continued in an animal model of mast cell dependent chronic inflammation, as granuloma. The activation of endocannabinoid system or the up-regulation of PEA tone significantly reduced granuloma formation in rat through the control of mast cell activation preceding the release of pro-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic mediators.
Moreover, our data evidenced that mast cells modulation by PEA resulted useful also in the management of pain associated to granuloma-formation. In fact PEA, through the control of the recognized "cross-talk" existing between mast cell-nerves, reduced mechanical allodynia in inflamed rats. These data are in well accordance with recently described deregulation of the neuro-immune axis occurring in the aetiology of inflammatory disease.
The cannabimimetic control of neuro-immune axis was finally studied in a model of acute intestinal inflammation in mice. The administration of cannabidiol in septic mice, by the blockage of fatty acid amide hydrolase, prevented the activation of enteric glial cells in parallel to the immune cells (mast cell and macrophages) activation. The control of neuro-immune axis by cannabidiol finally resulted in its anti-inflammatory and protective effect in septic mice.
According to the here reported evidences for a cannabimimetic control of mast cell, it is reasonable to propose these compounds, including PEA and its congeners, as possible candidate for treating several acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, recognizing in mast cell activation a common origin, such as dermatitis, inflammatory gastrointestinal syndrome and granuloma formation.


We examine the role of host countries' academic research strengths in global R&D location decisions by multinational firms. While we expect that a firm's propensity to perform R&D in a host country increases with the strength of local academic research, firms are expected to be heterogeneously positioned to benefit from academic research strengths due to differences in the capacity to absorb and utilize scientific knowledge. We find support for these conjectures in an analysis of foreign R&D activities in 40 host countries and 30 technology fields by 176 leading European, US and Japanese firms during the periods 1995-1998 and 1999-2002. Controlling for a wide range of host country factors, the number of relevant ISI publications by scientists based in the host country has a substantial positive impact on the propensity to conduct foreign R&D. The effect of academic research is significantly larger for firms with a stronger science orientation in R&D - as indicated by citations to scientific literature in prior patents. For host countries with a strong relevant science base, this greater responsiveness of science oriented firms more than offsets a generally greater inclination to concentrate R&D at home. The findings appear robust across a variety of specifications.


The prediction and computation of the vibration structural intensity have been accomplished for simple structures, such as beams, rods, plates, and shells. These structures, even when connected to other simple structures, were amenable to analytic solutions, which allowed the researchers to obtain exact analytic expressions for the power flow and the structural intensity vector maps for these structures. A calculation of the structural intensity by the use of finite‐element methods (FEM) is proposed. This hybrid method requires that one must delve into the FEM codes to retrieve all the resultant moments, shears, normal forces, as well as the transverse, tangential, and rotational velocities. These quantities are processed to result in complete structural intensity maps. The influence of mesh size, the use of resultants at the mid of the elements, and mesh size requirements as a function of axial, flexural, and torsional wavelengths are explored. An example of a connected branched structure undergoing coupled flexural, longitudinal, and torsional vibration is analyzed to illustrate the influence of these parameters on the accuracy of the structural intensity calculations.


IPsec is specified as the means of securing signaling messages between
the Mobile Node and Home Agent for Mobile IPv6 (MIPv6). MIPv6
signaling messages that are secured include the Binding Updates and
Acknowledgement messages used for managing the bindings between a
Mobile Node and its Home Agent. This document proposes an alternate
method for securing MIPv6 signaling messages between Mobile Nodes and
Home Agents. The alternate method defined here consists of a
MIPv6-specific mobility message authentication option that can be
added to MIPv6 signaling messages. This memo provides information for
the Internet community.


In American country clubs, there is a long tradition of discrimination against racial minorities and women. These clubs maintain that they are private and thus able to operate free from government sanction. In 2004, the Supreme Court of Kentucky ruled that the state's Commission on Human Rights had the statutory authority to investigate private country clubs to determine if they discriminate in their membership practices. In Kentucky, if a club is found to discriminate, its members are disallowed certain tax deductions. While this is a step in the right direction to end discriminatory practices at country clubs, the Supreme Court of Kentucky still points out that private clubs have the right to discriminate without fear of legal liability. This Note evaluates other states' reactions and statutes regarding discrimination at private clubs and contends that such approaches are more effective in eradicating discrimination in these clubs than tax consequences.


This study presents a new method for knowledge transfer in Multi-Population Cultural Algorithms (MPCA) through agent migration. This agent-based algorithm involves having individual agents using one of multiple pre-defined knowledge algorithms to de-termine behavior, and using the success of it and other agents to decide on which knowledge algorithms to use next. Two or more subpopulations with their own knowledge algorithm are created. The agents work in the same environment by only communicating with agents within their own subpopulation, and with two global belief spaces monitoring the effectiveness of each subpopulation. Agents transfer between the sub-populations regularly to further improve individual success. We use the "cone's world" problem as test-bed. Experimental results reveal the impact of indi-vidual knowledge transfer on the target subpopula-tion's belief space.


Previous accelerated volume rendering techniques have used auxiliary hierarchical datastructures to skip empty and homogeneous regions. Although some recent research has taken advantage of more efficient direct encoding techniques to skip empty regions, no work has been done to directly encode homogeneous but not empty regions. 3D distance transforms previously used to encode empty space can be extended to preprocess homogeneous regions as well, and these regions can be efficiently encoded and incorporated into volume ray-casting and back projection algorithms with a high degree of flexibility.


Commercially available Co-base powder was modified with the addition of 10 wt. percentage WC which was further modified with 5 and 10 wt. percentage CrC addition in order to obtain three coatings namely Co+10 wt. percentage WC, Co+10 wt. percentage WC+5 wt. percentage CrC and Co+10 wt. percentage WC+10 wt. percentage CrC. The coatings were deposited by flame spraying process. The microstructure of these coatings mainly showed eutectic containing Co with almost same amount in three coatings. Other phases such as W dominated and Cr dominated carbides were also observed. The 10 wt. percentage CrC coating showed the highest Vickers hardness and lowest wear rate. The coefficient of friction was also observed low in the 10 wt. percentage CrC coating as compared with other coatings.


The main aim of the thesis is to study and replicate quadruped movement in the hopes of utilizing its biological behaviour to integrate in machinery and aid work undertaken in industrial environments. The thesis focuses on the design, build and programming of a quadruped walking platform for the main purpose of showcasing, industrial grade carrying purposes as well as a potential teaching tool. Inspired by the biological movements of quadruped animals, the machine must be able to efficiently move from one point to another with sufficient reactive control, while simultaneously carrying significant weight. The control of the overall machine will be done through a microcontroller, actuating different parts of the machine while sensing its current states.

The challenges faced during this thesis centred on the mimicking of biological behaviour and motion: Quadrupeds move around using a combination of synchronised leg movements and environmental sensory feedback. Replicating this behaviour proved to be difficult, even at a simpler scale.

Ideally the project must be able to accommodate the continuation of work by future students, by providing any additional appropriate documents.


Andy Warhol was complex and enigmatic despite his claims to the contrary. His art, lifestyle, distinctive wig, humble beginnings in Pittsburgh and 'superstardom' were a calculated combination of media manipulation, determination and talent. His intricate self-fashioning is subtly revealed in the Warhol and the Diva exhibition at The Lowry. The Factory Diary Andy in Drag (October 1981), Christopher Makos' Altered Images series (1981-2) and the Self Portrait in Drag polaroids shot on two separate days in 1981 offer telling insights into Warhol's desires, sensibilities and work ethic. His expressions and postures as he 'gets into role' are captured as his heavily made up face is transformed from a pale middle-aged man to female 'Diva'.


Summary
1. Indices of abundance offer cost effective and rapid methods for estimating abundance of endangered species across large landscapes, yet their wide usage is controversial due to their potential of being biased. Here, we assess the utility of indices for the daunting task of estimating the abundance of the endangered tiger at landscape scales.

2. We use double sampling to estimate two indices of tiger abundance (encounters of pugmarks and scats per km searched) and calibrate those indices against contemporaneous estimates of tiger densities obtained using camera-trap mark–recapture (CTMR) at 21 sites (5185 km2) in Central and North India. We use simple and multiple weighted regressions to evaluate relationships between tiger density and indices. A model for estimating tiger density from indices was validated by Jackknife analysis and precision was assessed by correlating predicted tiger density with CTMR density. We conduct power analysis to estimate the ability of CTMR and of indices to detect changes in tiger density.

3. Tiger densities ranged between 0·25 and 19 tigers 100 km−2 were estimated with an average coefficient of variation of 13·2(SE 2·5)%. Tiger pugmark encounter rates explained 84% of the observed variability in tiger densities. After removal of an outlier (Corbett), square root transformed scat encounter rates explained 82% of the variation in tiger densities.

4. A model including pugmark and scat encounters explained 95% of the variation in tiger densities with good predictive ability (PRESS R2 = 0·99). Overall, CTMR could detect tiger density changes of >12% with 80% power at α = 0·3, while the index based model had 50% to 85% power to detect >30% declines. The power of indices to detect declines increased at high tiger densities.

5. Synthesis and applications. Indices of tiger abundance obtained from across varied habitats and a range of tiger densities could reliably estimate tiger abundance. Financial and temporal costs of estimating indices were 7% and 34% respectively, of those for CTMR. The models and methods presented herein have application in evaluation of the abundance of cryptic carnivores at landscape scales and form part of the protocol used by the Indian Government for evaluating the status of tigers.


This study investigates the internet habits of students in the Swedish gymnasium. The part that internet plays in their lives and their attitude towards the educational system is reflected upon the philosophical background that stretches from Kant to postmodern philosophers such as Baudrillard. The aim is to create knowledge about how the social aspects of the internet affects their concepts of reality and their own and others identities. The method used for the collection of empirical data has been semi-structured interviews, preformed with students in a Swedish gymnasium. The data is then interpreted against the theoretical and philosophical background. The results show that the internet has created a new arena for interaction and construction of identity, reality and knowledge among the youths. The results of the study are then put in relation to the Swedish educational system and aims to investigate how education can be put in context to the internet habits of the students.


Azerbaijan has developed gatekeeping systems to keep the number of children in state care at a minimum level. By developing a filter system in each region and at each point of entry into and exit out of the system, United Aid for Azerbaijan has developed a gatekeeping system in Guba and based this system on a number of components of entry/exit mechanisms. First, there is an agency coordinating the assessment of children's situations, considering possible alternatives to institutional placement and referring to appropriate service providers. In Guba this is provided by the Internat (institution) in the absence of any governmental coordination at this stage, which although may not be viewed as ideal, means that a gatekeeping policy has been introduced. Second, a range of services have been developed in the community to provide help and support to children and their families. In addition, decision-making is based on assessment and review of children's needs and family circumstances through the development of a Child Protection Council, which reviews care plans and ensures each child's needs are being met as well as highlighting the needs of families whose children are at risk of institutionalisation. Finally, there has been the development of a simple information system which keeps track of all children that enter and exit state care. This provides the necessary information for performance indicators which are useful for assessing the role of social workers, the changing function of an institution and the efficacy of each service within a community.


Heroines and History is a comparative study of the images of Laura Secord and Madeleine de Vercheres, symbols respectively of the nationalism of English-Canadian and French-Canadian loyalism and national identity. The authors explore the relations of gender, race/ethnicity, and imperialism in defining national identity and shaping the past by looking at such things as the role of local historical societies, the formation of narratives of Loyalism and the War of 1812 in school texts, the use of historical figures in the services of twentieth-century consumer capitalism (e.g. the Secord chocolate company), and the development of tourism. This is a fascinating comparison of the histories of Ontario and Quebec as seen through the handling of their best-known heroines. The story of Laura Secord and her cow bravely crossing the American lines to warn the British during the War of 1812 is well known in Ontario; most of us also grew up with the legend of Madeleine de Vercheres defending Montreal against the Iroquois in 1692. Although both tales are dubious, the authors show how the images of these heroines were used for nationalistic purposes in both provinces, and how their images changed down through the ages. Heroines and History is a unique work, one which makes a significant contribution to the growing body of literature on commemoration, as well as to the literatures of gender, cultural, and aboriginal studies. It is accessible both to an audience of specialist academic readers and to a wider readership of those interested in Canadian history and society. Winner of the Prix Lionel-Groulx -- Fondation Yves-Saint-Germain 2003, awarded by l'Institute d'histoire de l'Amerique franaaise


Purpose

This paper aims to explore the effectiveness of children as advertisement endorsers in the airline context, including images of safety and reliability.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is intended to examine the advertising effect of endorsers (celebrities, CEOs, experts, consumers and children) in the context of the airline industry. A factorial experiment was conducted to test the communication effect (CE) of ten groups of advertisement combinations (five endorser types – with/without safety attribute).

Findings

The results indicate that a child endorser yielded a better CE than celebrity, CEO or typical consumer endorsers. Second, advertisements that emphasized safety had better CE than those without this emphasis. The group combining children and safety generated a better CE than most of the other groups comprising different combinations.

Practical implications

A child endorser and a safety message are recommended to be used in advertisements for airlines because flight passengers place importance on safety. Fragile image of child reinforces safety of an airline.

Originality/value

The integration of advertising endorsement and message into a conceptual model allows the current results to provide meaningful theoretical and practical implications.


We have used low stringency screening with the Drosophila melanogaster s36 chorion gene to recover its homologue from genomic and cDNA libraries of the medfly, Ceratitis capitata. The same gene has also been recovered from a genomic library of D. virilis. The medfly s36 gene shows similar developmental specificity as in Drosophila (early choriogenesis). It is also specifically amplified in ovarian follicles; this is the first report of chorion gene amplification outside the genus Drosophila. Alignments of s36 sequences from three species show that, in addition to its regulatory conservation, the s36 gene is extensively conserved in sequence, in a region corresponding to a central protein domain, and in short regions of 5' flanking DNA that might correspond to cis-regulatory elements.


A soil moisture retrieval algorithm for bare surface using the L-band radiometer dual-polarization measurements was developed in this study. The newly developed algorithm is based on a simple semi-empirical model, the Hp model. Through analyzing the simulated database of the Advanced Integral Equation Model (AIEM) under SMAP (Soil Moisture Active and Passive) sensor configurations, it was found that the surface roughness can be cancelled out using the relationship between the V and H polarization surface reflectivity. This leads to a new method for estimation of the soil dielectric properties directly from the radiometer measurements. The simulated data and ground radiometer measurements of bare surface obtained from Beltsville Agriculture Research Center (BARC) during 1979-1981 were used for validation. The inversion accuracy with RMSE (root-mean-square error) for simulated data and bare surface experimental data are 0.014 m3 /m3 and 0.036 m3 /m3 , respectively. The soil moisture retrieval in vegetated area was performed using the PALS radiometer measurements at L-band during Soil Moisture Experiments in 2002 (SMEX02). The retrieval error was higher for the SMEX02 data, with overall RMSE of 0.043 m3 /m3 , due to the high vegetation water content. Using SMOS data in Yanco region soil moisture was retrieved and evaluated, the results are encouraging, with the RMSE of 0.043 m3 /m3 and 0.041 m3 /m3 for ascending and descending, respectively. However, the algorithm performed satisfactorily over the all surface cover conditions including bare and vegetated region.


This study is centered on assessment of the fatigue strength of titanium fusion welds for deep-water riser's applications. Deep-water risers are subjected to significant fatigue loading.Relevant fatigue data for titanium fusion welds are very scarce. Hence there is a need for fatigue data and life prediction models for such weldments.The study has covered three topics: Fatigue testing, Fractography and defect assessment, and Fracture Mechanics modelling of fatigue crack growth.Two series of welded grade of titanium consisting of 14 specimens in each series were fatigue tested under constant amplitude loading. Prior to fatigue testing, strain gauge measurements of some specimens was conducted to enable the definition of stress range in the fatigue assessment procedure. The results were compared with finite solid element analysis and related to fatigue stresses in a riser pipe wall.Distribution and geometry of internal and surface defects both in the aswelded and in the post-welded machined conditions were assessed using fractography. This served as a tool to determine the fatigue initiation point in the welds.Fracture mechanics was applied to model fatigue strength of titanium welds with initiation from weld defects. Two different stress intensity factor formulations for embedded eccentrically placed cracks were used for analysis of elliptical cracks with the major axis parallel and close to one of the free surface. The methods were combined to give a satisfactory model for crack growth analysis.The model analyses crack growth of elliptical and semi-elliptical cracks in two directions, with updating of the crack geometry. Fatigue strength assessment was conducted using two crack growth models, the Paris-Erdogan relation with no threshold and the Donahue et al. relation with an implied threshold.The model was validated against experimental data, with a discussion on the choice of crack growth model.


There are different types of energy storage devices which are used in today's hybrid and electric vehicles. Batteries, ultra capacitors and high speed flywheels are the most commonly used ones. While batteries and supercapacitors store energy in the form of electric energy, the flywheel (FW) is the only device that keeps the energy stored in the original form of mechanical energy the same as the moving vehicle. The flywheel needs to be coupled to the driveshaft of the vehicle in a manner which allows it to vary its speed independently of the moving vehicle in order to vary its energy content. In other words a continuously variable transmission (CVT) is needed. The common mechanical variators used in automotive applications, namely the rolling traction drives and the belt drives, have the disadvantage that their speed ratio range defined as the maximum to minimum speed ratio is generally not sufficient for flywheel energy storage system (FESS). One of the ways to improve the ratio range is by using a dual mode transmission, where the ratio coverage of the variator is exploited twice. This paper presents the fundamental kinematics of such a transmission including its variants. The equations of speed ratio, power flow and efficiency are derived for a variator only transmission and a power split CVT (PSCVT) used in dual mode and the results compared.


Uganda has seen the number of those accessing antiretroviral (ARV) drugs jump from 45 000 in 2004 to 121 200 in September 2007--a bit more than one-third of some 312 000 who need it. Although drug supplies have increased in volume, the national programme faces delays in procurement and distribution, poor storage and weak quality control, stock-outs and a chronic lack of manpower. "The management of the whole supply chain is very weak and problematic," Dr Elizabeth Madraa, manager of Uganda's AIDS Control Programme in the health ministry, told the Bulletin. "We are now moving slowly as a result of the stock-outs because if we spread out rapidly and ran out of drugs, it would be disastrous." "I think Uganda is making a lot of progress with regard to access to ARVs," the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative Dr Melville George says, adding that: "This in itself calls for a number of things like a good and reliable supply of drugs ... because if patients run out of ARVs they may develop resistance." George suggested that Uganda needs to put in place a good community-based care system that will look at a comprehensive package to include nutrition, social support for patients, management of other opportunistic infections and other social responsibilities. One of the beneficiaries of the government ARV programme is Elinah Kasubo. Access to ARVs has enabled the primary school teacher to live longer and continue working. But she complains of irregular drug supplies and a lack of antibiotics to fight infections that are a constant risk to people like her with weakened immune systems. "We want a stable and consistent supply of ARVs and treatment for opportunistic diseases." Kasubo also complains of the queues teachers face when they fetch the drugs from government hospitals. "It takes a whole day lining up for ARVs in government hospitals because we are many. As if that is not enough, pupils missing their teacher for a whole day is too much." AIDS and malaria are the biggest threats to the health of Ugandans and account for over 50% of the national health budget, according to the health ministry. The Ugandan government has committed itself to providing free ARVs and--to treat malaria--free artemisinin combination therapy to all those who need them. This is only possible if these remedies are available at prices the government can afford. Uganda imports most of its drugs. But that may be about to change, q-he first batch of locally produced generic ARVs and antimalarial drugs are expected to be delivered to the health ministry this year in a move that will see the cost of these life-saving remedies dropping from between USS 15 and USS 9 to between USS 9 and USS 2 per patient per month, Ugandan officials say. The drugs are to be produced by a pharmaceuticals factory in Kampala, a joint venture between Quality Chemical Industries Ltd. (QCIL), a local company, and Indian generics manufacturer, Cipla. The plant--the first of its kind in east Africa--opened in October 2007 in Luzira, a suburb of the city, to manufacture mainly ARV and antimalarial drugs. In time, the plant is expected to lower the cost of these drugs and make them more widely available in Uganda. At one time, ARVs cost USS 1500 per month, far beyond the pocket of the average Ugandan. The Ugandan government and QCIL signed an agreement in 2006 committing the government to buy ARVs and antimalarial drugs from the Luzira-based company. Approved in March 2008 by the National Drug Authority on behalf of the Uganda government, the new plant aims to produce two million tablets a day, once it achieves full capacity. This year the government budgeted for an extra 50 000 patients out of the expected production in Luzira. Uganda's ARV programme is 95% donor funded which raises the issue of sustainability. The programme is funded by the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and the USA President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. …