Recent observations have accumulated compelling evidence that some short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) are associated with the mergers of neutron star (NS) binaries. This would indicate that the SGRB event is associated with a gravitational-wave (GW) signal corresponding to the final inspiral of the compact binary. In addition, the radioactive decay of elements produced in NS binary mergers may result in transients visible in the optical and infrared with peak luminosities on hours-days timescales. Simultaneous observations of the inspiral GWs and signatures in the electromagnetic band may allow us to directly and independently determine both the luminosity distance and redshift to a binary. These standard sirens (the GW analog of standard candles) have the potential to provide an accurate measurement of the low-redshift Hubble flow. In addition, these systems are absolutely calibrated by general relativity, and therefore do not experience the same set of astrophysical systematics found in traditional standard candles, nor do the measurements rely on a distance ladder. We show that 15 observable GW and EM events should allow the Hubble constant to be measured with 5% precision using a network of detectors that includes advanced LIGO and Virgo. Measuring 30 beamed GW-SGRB events could constrain H_0 to better than 1%. When comparing to standard Gaussian likelihood analysis, we find that each event's non-Gaussian posterior in H_0 helps reduce the overall measurement errors in H_0 for an ensemble of NS binary mergers.


Bill Gates, the founder and former CEO of Microsoft, has been a revered, and occasionally controversial, worldwide business icon for more than three decades. Recognized by most as an ingenious visionary, and painted by some as a tyrannical, less-than-scrupulous empire builder, Gates has had an unignorable impact on the growth of digital technology in daily life over the past 30 years. Even his sharpest critics have to acknowledge the obvious: Gates helped spearhead one of the greatest revolutions in modern history by seizing on the importance of software to the rise of the personal computer, along the way turning an arcane, specialized technology into a commonplace tool for the office and home. Gates has long been ranked as one of the world s wealthiest men--which gave him a name recognition far greater than that of most CEOs--and businesspeople of all stripes have looked to him as a role model, using his words and business strategies to help create, inspire, and grow their own companies. After he stopped running Microsoft's day-to-day operations in 2008 to devote himself full-time to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, a kinder, gentler Gates began to emerge. As a result, people actively involved in the philanthropic world, whether in professional, part-time, or personal capacities, began to develop a new appreciation for the man. Bill Gates s second act is no less compelling than his first. And whether you re interested in his personal life or looking for inspiration to drive you forward in your own business endeavors, "Impatient Optimist: Bill Gates in His Own Words" has much to offer. As the tech giants who distinguished the turn of the 21st century shape public life in ways that outstrip the efforts of the previous century's titans of industry, we look to figures like Gates for inspiration as one of America's greatest business icons. This book will surely feed the world's curiosity about one of the most important leaders of the digital age."


In this paper, we investigate the sequence estimation problem of binary and quadrature phase shift keying faster-than-Nyquist (FTN) signaling and propose two novel low-complexity sequence estimation techniques based on concepts of successive interference cancellation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first approach in the literature to detect FTN signaling on a symbol-by-symbol basis. In particular, based on the structure of the self-interference inherited in FTN signaling, we first find the operating region boundary defined by the root-raised cosine pulse shape, its roll-off factor, and the time acceleration parameter of the FTN signaling where perfect estimation of the transmit data symbols on a symbol-by-symbol basis is guaranteed, assuming noise-free transmission. For noisy transmission, we then propose a novel low-complexity technique that works within the operating region and is capable of estimating the transmit data symbols on a symbol-by-symbol basis. To reduce the error propagation of the proposed successive symbol-by-symbol sequence estimator (SSSSE), we propose a successive symbol-by-symbol with go-back-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K$ </tex-math></inline-formula> sequence estimator (SSSgb<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K$ </tex-math></inline-formula>SE) that goes back to re-estimate up to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K$ </tex-math></inline-formula> symbols, and subsequently improves the estimation accuracy of the current data symbol. Simulation results show that the proposed sequence estimation techniques perform well for low intersymbol interference scenarios and can significantly increase the data rate and spectral efficiency. Additionally, results reveal that choosing the value of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K$ </tex-math></inline-formula> as low as 2 or 3 data symbols is sufficient to significantly improve the bit-error-rate performance. Results also show that the performance of the proposed SSSgb<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K$ </tex-math></inline-formula>SE, with <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K = 1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> or 2, surpasses the performance of the lowest complexity equalizers reported in the literature, with reduced computational complexity.


RNAs are prone to misfolding and are often more challenging to crystallize and phase than proteins. Here, we demonstrate that tRNA fusion can streamline the crystallization and structure determination of target RNA molecules. This strategy was applied to the T-box riboswitch system to capture a dynamic interaction between the tRNA 3′-UCCA tail and the T-box antiterminator, which senses aminoacylation. We fused the T-box antiterminator domain to the tRNA anticodon arm to capture the intended interaction through crystal packing. This approach drastically improved the probability of crystallization and successful phasing. Multiple structure snapshots captured the antiterminator loop in an open conformation with some resemblance to that observed in the recent co-crystal structures of the full-length T box riboswitch–tRNA complex, which contrasts the resting, closed conformation antiterminator observed in an earlier NMR study. The anticipated tRNA acceptor–antiterminator interaction was captured in a low-resolution crystal structure. These structures combined with our previous success using prohead RNA–tRNA fusions demonstrates tRNA fusion is a powerful method in RNA structure determination.


We present a specific elaboration and partial defense of the claims that cognition is enactive, embodied, embedded, affective and (potentially) extended. According to the view we will defend, the enactivist claim that perception and cognition essentially depend upon the cognizer's interactions with their environment is fundamental. If a particular instance of this kind of dependence obtains, we will argue, then it follows that cognition is essentially embodied and embedded, that the underpinnings of cognition are inextricable from those of affect, that the phenomenon of cognition itself is essentially bound up with affect, and that the possibility of cognitive extension depends upon the instantiation of a specific mode of skillful interrelation between cognizer and environment. Thus, if cognition is enactive then it is also embodied, embedded, affective and potentially extended. Keywords: enactivism; embodied cognition; situated cognition; affective cognition


This article deals with the issue of the changing nature of the "public square'' of contemporary Jewry through an account of the Canadian Jewish Congress Plenary Assembly in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1998. The CJC Plenary has historically been, par excellence, Canadian Jewry's "public square." The program of the 1998 Plenary differed from that of previous plenaries in that a major portion of the event's schedule was shifted from i( tradition al" activities, such as speeches and resolutions, to a "talk show" format of sessions on issues of contemporary Jewish concern. This major shift in format raises questions ? most particularly that of the control of public discourse in the Jewish polity.


Acne vulgaris is a chronic and self-limiting disorder of the pilosebaceous unit which is primarily seen in adolescents. Acne vulgaris presents as polymorphic lesions, consisting of comedones, papules, pustules, cysts, nodules, scarring, and dyspigmentation. Acneiform presentation of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is extremely rare. The presentation of CLE is notoriously diverse and often mimics a broad range of unrelated skin disorders. We present a case by referring to American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); our patient's conditions did not meet any of the clinical criteria of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) for SLE. Subsequent to thorough history-taking, physical examination, and laboratory evaluations, the diagnosis of acne vulgaris was established, and a diagnosis of CLE was excluded. As acneiform presentation of CLE is rare, we here present a case which resembled both acne vulgaris and CLE. We describe our experience in establishing the diagnosis of severe acne vulgaris accompanied by scars in a 12-year-old boy with a malar rash and scars on his frontal and malar area who had initially been misdiagnosed as having CLE. This unusual case highlights the broad spectrum of adolescent acne and the importance of clinical identification of the disease so that unnecessary workups might be avoided.


The growing demand for biofuel production increased agricultural activities in South Dakota, leading to the conversion of grassland to cropland. Although a few land change studies have been conducted in this area, they lacked spatial details and were based on the traditional bi-temporal change detection that may return incorrect rates of conversion. This study aimed to provide a more complete view of land conversion in South Dakota using a trajectory-based analysis that considers the entire satellite-based land cover/land use time series to improve change detection. We estimated cropland expansion of 5447 km2 (equivalent to 14% of the existing cropland area) between 2007 and 2015, which matches much more closely the reports from the National Agriculture Statistics Service—NASS (5921 km2)—and the National Resources Inventory—NRI (5034 km2)—than an estimation from the bi-temporal approach (8018 km2). Cropland gains were mostly concentrated in 10 counties in northern and central South Dakota. Urbanizing Lincoln County, part of the Sioux Falls metropolitan area, is the only county with a net loss in cropland area over the study period. An evaluation of land suitability for crops using the Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) indicated a scarcity in high-quality arable land available for cropland expansion.


In order to optimize a steam generator tube bundle support system, it is necessary to understand the differences in vibration behavior of tube arrays subjected to a two-phase flow regime as compared to a single phase flow regime. The relationships discussed in this paper are based on findings derived from a comprehensive vibration testing program which included both water and simulated two-phase (air-water) flow regimes. Tube bundles of various configurations and spacings were tested in crossflow using 3/4 in. (1.9 cm) and 7/8 in. (2.2 cm) o.d. tubes with 36 in. (91 cm) span lengths and as many as 40 tubes per array. Sufficient test loop capacity was provided to drive most test array configurations up to and beyond fluid-elastic instability. Parameters obtained included displacement, effective force coefficients, damping coefficients, Strouhal numbers, and instability constants for various tube array configurations in both liquid and simulated two-phase flow mediums.


Microparticles (MPs) are shed membrane vesicles released from a variety of cell types in response to cellular activation or apoptosis. They are elevated in a wide variety of disease states and have been previously measured to assess both disease activity and severity. However, recent research suggests that they also possess bioeffector functions, including but not limited to promoting coagulation and thrombosis, inducing endothelial dysfunction, increasing pro-inflammatory cytokine release and driving angiogenesis, thereby increasing cardiovascular risk. Current evidence suggests that exercise may reduce both the number and pathophysiological potential of circulating MPs, making them an attractive therapeutic target. However, the existing body of literature is largely comprised of in vitro or animal studies and thus drawing meaningful conclusions with regards to health and disease remains difficult. In this review, we highlight the role of microparticles in disease, comment on the use of exercise and dietary manipulation as a therapeutic strategy, and suggest future research directions that would serve to address some of the limitations present in the research to date.


The United States has been the leader in fundamental research for the last seven decades. Fundamental research is overwhelming undertaken in or in conjunction with research-intensive universities, and since the 1950s they have depended on US Federal funding to make this possible. This support has been consistently championed by Congress, is popular across the political spectrum and enjoys long public backing, in no small part because there remains a widespread trust in the societal benefits it provides. Yet the US now faces a dilemma over the future of this national achievement and the supporting arrangements making it sustainable. The 'social contract' for science and research now looks more tentative than at any time since the Space Race. This paper examines why many US university leaders, faculty, experts and policy-makers are increasingly concerned, what is driving this and how they are responding. Building on 37 interviews with university, academic and government leaders, this study uses a mixed methodology to explore perceived institutional challenges and the politics around them, alongside the responses and strategies of US research-intensive universities in the context of global, national and regional policies. This paper examines tensions in the relationship between universities and government, and between researcher and public, combining perspectives from a sample of leading research universities and from national policy leaders to offer insight into the intersection of Federal policy and local operationalization. It concludes that for the future of US basic science and research two factors are likely to be decisive, being whether the strength of the public backing for funding university-based fundamental research continues, and how universities respond if, and in the assessment of many, when this support erodes. If the current research system is to remain viable, universities will need to make greater efforts to rebuild trust and understanding with the US public and litigate anew their raison d'etre at the center of US research.


L-Asparaginase is widely used enzyme for the treatment of ALL and thus its Production and activity plays a major role in its therapeutic use. Screening of the different sources for prominent L-Asn-ase production and high activity was done at different physiological conditions and high yield of the enzyme was obtained. The obtained enzyme from the two isolates are compared relatively on the basis of Km and Vmax values and one of them is being found to be more effective with low Km. This would serve as a good drug if tested and certified clinically restricting the ALL.


Abstract: In regulated rivers, managers must evaluate competing flow release scenarios that attempt to balance both human and natural needs. Meeting these natural flow needs is complex due to the myriad of interacting physical and hydrological factors that affect ecosystems. Tools that synthesize the voluminous scientific data and models on these factors will facilitate management of these systems. Here, we present the Riverine Environmental Flow Decision Support System (REFDSS), a tool that enables evaluation of competing flow scenarios and other variables on instream habitat. We developed a REFDSS for the Upper Delaware River, USA, a system that is regulated by three headwater reservoirs. This version of the REFDSS has the ability to integrate any set of spatially explicit data and synthesizes modeled discharge for three competing management scenarios, flow-specific 2-D hydrodynamic modeled estimates of local hydrologic conditions (e.g., depth, velocity, shear stress, etc.) at a fine pixel-scale (1 m2), and habitat suitability criteria (HSC) for a variety of taxa. It contains all individual model outputs, computationally integrates these data, and outputs the amount of potentially available habitat for a suite of species of interest under each flow release scenario. Users have the flexibility to change the time period of interest and vary the HSC. The REFDSS was developed to enable side-by-side evaluation of different flow management scenarios and their effects on potential habitat availability, allowing managers to make informed decisions on the best flow scenarios. An exercise comparing two alternative flow scenarios to a baseline scenario for several key species is presented. The Upper Delaware REFDSS was robust to minor changes in HSC (± 10 %). The general REFDSS platform was developed as a user-friendly Windows desktop application that was designed to include other potential parameters of interest (e.g., temperature) and for transferability to other riverine systems.


In his Discourses (1755), Rousseau argues that inequalities of rank, wealth, and power are the inevitable result of the civilizing process. If inequality is intolerable - and Rousseau shows with unparalledled eloquence how it robs us not only of our material but also of our psychological independence - then how can we recover the peaceful self-sufficiency of life in the state of nature? We cannot return to a simpler time, but measuring the costs of progress may help us to imagine alternatives to the corruption and oppressive conformity of modern society. Rousseau's sweeping account of humanity's social and political development epitomizes the innovative boldness of the Englightment, and it is one of the most provocative and influential works of the eighteenth century. This new translation includes all Rousseau's own notes, and Patrick Coleman's introduction builds on recent key scholarship, considering particularly the relationship between political and aesthetic thought. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.


Research summary: Based on a detailed database of a beverages producer-distributor that expanded its product variety by leveraging its logistic network, we show that product diversification generates economies of scope and also higher operational costs. The result is an inverted-U relationship between variety and productivity: When the firm offers few additional categories, productivity grows, but as the number of categories rises, the costs of executing the operational routines increase rapidly and productivity falls. The negative effect on productivity increases if the added product category is more dissimilar to previous ones, and decreases with learning from operational experience. Our results highlight how frictions at the operational level can limit the benefits of diversification, even in the absence of other sources of diseconomies, such as increased coordination needs.

Managerial summary: One of the prevalent reasons for companies to expand to adjacent product lines is attaining economies of scope. However, such growth strategy also generates operational frictions, even if the day-to-day routines do not appear to change at all. Product diversity is disruptive for routine execution, as it requires coordination and exception handling, and may ultimately overcome any efficiency obtained from growth. We estimate the relevance of such operational friction using data from a beverages distribution network. When product variety is low, additional categories do generate efficiency, but after reaching a given threshold, friction prevails. We find that operational friction increases when products are more dissimilar, but is attenuated when workers learn from their own and other's experience. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


A genetically attenuated Plasmodium falciparum strain called Pf GAP3KO is completely attenuated, safe, and immunogenic in adults. A triple punch knocks out the malaria parasite Vaccination with weakened infectious forms of the malaria parasite is the most promising approach to protect against malaria infection. However, creating genetically defined and weakened parasite strains that are safe for vaccination remains challenging. In a new study, Kublin et al. show that genetic engineering of the malaria parasite by the precise removal of three genes creates a parasite strain that infects humans and is well tolerated but cannot cause malaria. These genetically attenuated parasites thus appear safe for vaccination and stimulate the human immune system to generate responses that have the potential to block infection. Immunization of humans with whole sporozoites confers complete, sterilizing immunity against malaria infection. However, achieving consistent safety while maintaining immunogenicity of whole parasite vaccines remains a formidable challenge. We generated a genetically attenuated Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) malaria parasite by deleting three genes expressed in the pre-erythrocytic stage (Pf p52−/p36−/sap1−). We then tested the safety and immunogenicity of the genetically engineered (Pf GAP3KO) sporozoites in human volunteers. Pf GAP3KO sporozoites were delivered to 10 volunteers using infected mosquito bites with a single exposure consisting of 150 to 200 bites per subject. All subjects remained blood stage–negative and developed inhibitory antibodies to sporozoites. GAP3KO rodent malaria parasites engendered complete, protracted immunity against infectious sporozoite challenge in mice. The results warrant further clinical testing of Pf GAP3KO and its potential development into a vaccine strain.


Silicon dioxide has been used in aquaculture to increase the abundance of diatoms; however, its relationship with water quality or productive performance has not been investigated. Our study evaluated the effect of diatomite on water quality, growth performance and proximate composition of Penaeus vannamei reared in seawater (E1) and brackish water (E2) with biofloc. Two independent experiments (E1 and E2), each one with three treatments with biofloc were evaluated: treatments D with a weekly addition of diatomite (10 g m -3 ); the treatments D plus a continuous inoculum of diatom Chaetoceros muelleri (DD); and only biofloc like control, for E1 was used post-larvae with an initial body weight (IBW) of 0.0075 g; while in E2 was used juvenile with an IBW of 1.42 g. After seven weeks in E1, non-significant differences were registered in survival, weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR) and feeding conversion rate (FCR) between DD treatment and control. However, in E2, the treatment D showed significantly higher WG (9.83 g) and SGR (4.25% d -1 ) compared to control (7.64 g and 3.86% d -1 , respectively). Conversely, the FCR was lower in treatment D (1.16) compared to control (1.49). Non-significant differences were recorded in the proximate composition for shrimp, periphyton, and biofloc, among treatments in both experiments. Levels of nitrogenous wastes were similar among treatments. While in E2, the concentration of settleable solids was significantly higher in treatments with diatomite compared to control. Our results recommend the use of diatomite to improve the growth performance of shrimps cultured in brackish water with biofloc.


Indonesia considers the integration of IT curriculum integration is important in implementation of learning process in the classroom. Integrating IT can help teachers cultivate students' interest towards learning mathematics. Although the integration of IT in the learning of mathematics, ideas and learning devices are not yet available. t is difficult for teachers in implementing the learning process as expected. Integration of IT in learning mathematics can be done by utilizing the Autograph Software assisted Angry Birds Game in teaching Quadratic Functions. This paper some parts of the development process of the learning device by utilizing the Autograph Software assisted Angry Birds Game that is related to the content validity and construct a learning tool developed. At this stage, involves six; lecturers (mathematics and IT education), teachers, and peers. This research data in the form of Quadratic Functions learning device by using the Autograph Software assisted Angry Birds Game , comments of validators and improvements made. The results showed that the validators recommends that developed learning tools already valid the criteria, both from the aspect of content and construct. This recommendation is obtained after th o rough discussion and improvement s . The implication of this study is a learning device by utilizing the Autograph Software assisted Angry Birds Game can be tested to see the practicality and effectiveness.


The existence of the cigarette industry in Indonesia is very dilemma. On one side is expected to be one source of financing for the government because the cigarette tax is recognized to have an important role in state revenue, but on the other hand, campaigned to be avoided
for health reasons. The role of the tobacco industry in today's economy looks increasingly large, other than as an economic powerhouse also absorb a lot of manpower. In the last ten years the cigarette industry in Indonesia is experiencing phenomenal growth. In 2001, state revenues from cigarette excise tax at Rp. 2.9 trillion and in 2002 an increase of Rp. 4.153 trillion. In 2003 the state excise tax revenue from the tobacco industry reached Rp. 4.792 trillion and in 2004 it jumped again to $. 7.391 trillion. (Www.Indocommercial.com) In Indonesia in general there are four different types of cigarettes, the cigarettes, these cigarettes contain pure tobacco wrapped in cigarette paper and the manufacturing process almost 100% done with the engine of this type of cigarette smoked and taste bitter if not solid. Clove cigarettes, this cigarette is domestic production because it only exists in Indonesia. The term is taken because it sounds clove clove-cigarettes when burned. Cigarette contains tobacco that are mixed cloves and other spices and then wrapped in cigarette paper, giving rise to a sweet taste. Klobot Cigarettes, cigarettes are almost the same as cigarette smoking it's just that distinguishes this leather wrapped with corn. Rooms of this type typically found in many rural areas, it is because in addition to the low price is also a custom drop-down rural communities. Cigars, which contrasted with the cigar smoking is the size and packaging. The size of a cigar in general larger than cigarettes and tobacco wrapped in too, not like cigarette paper. Cigar tobacco contain a very dense, so usually one cigar can be smoked in stages. The development of tobacco production in Indonesia from 2003 until the year 2008 consists of clove cigarettes, cigarettes, and klobot. In the Table it can be seen that the development of tobacco production has increased from 2003 until at its peak in 2005. In 2006 the total production of cigarettes has decreased. Production decline significantly due to declining production of clove cigarettes is greater than the decrease in production of white cigarettes. PT. Djarum is a leading cigarette company in Indonesia and a market share of clove cigarette industry's third-largest in Indonesia. PT. Djarum founded by Oei Wie Gwan of a small cigarette factory in Kudus had bought in 1951. The company was almost extinct at the time burned and died while Oei Wie Gwan. Because the persistence of the two brothers son of Oei Wie Gwan that rebuild the ruins left over so that PT. Djarum can still survive. Starting a success with hand rolled cigarettes (SKT), Djarum also successfully penetrated then machine rolled cigarettes (SKM). (Www.Djarum.com) PT. Djarum occupies third position in the cigarette industry in Indonesia with total production of 20.9 billion cigarettes with SKM 9.3 billion portion of the stem (44.5%). In the Year 1985 and 1986 PT. Djarum has held the top spot in the domestic cigarette production leaving the PT. Gudang Garam. (Www.Djarum.com) Tobacco product produced by PT. Djarum among other L.A. Lights, Djarum Super, Djarum 76, Brown Djarum, Djarum Black Cappuccino, Cigarrilos, and Djarum Super Mezzo Djarum Black Tea's newest products. Of the various products of PT. Djarum, L.A. Lights are considered quite attractive many teenagers. This is evidenced in promoting L.A. Lights both electronic media and mass media always menginisialkan youth leaders so as to make the image (brand image) that is prioritized for cigarettes among young people. Another Promo often done that is sponsoring music events are often interested in young people, so get to know and
understand to cigarette LA Lights it. Djarum products are distributed to all corners of Indonesia and other countries through an integrated and computerized distribution network that was built to provide professional and timely service to customers. The distribution of the national market is managed by three companies namely: 1.PT. Anindita Multiniaga Indonesia, East Java, Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, Bali, Nusa Tenggara and Papua. 2.PT. Lokaniaga Adipermata, for the region of Central Java and West Java. 3.PT. Adiniaga Sentrapersada, for the greater Jakarta area, part of West Java, Sumatra, and West Kalimantan. (Www.Djarum.com) Based on the above description can be known that. Djarum trying to do the marketing mix strategy. Marketing mix consisting of product, pricing, distribution and promotion is a factor used to encourage consumers to give positive response to the products offered. Marketing mix of companies can be considered consumers in the purchase decision. Marketing mix can have a positive impact on consumer decision if the company can identify consumer purchasing behavior. Companies that learn to drive consumer purchasing patterns of consumers in making decisions consistent with company expectations. Decision buyers could include product selection, brand choice, store choice, and choice of number. Departing from the description above, so researchers are interested in knowing Factors Considered Purchasing Cigarettes Students In LA Lights, case studies conducted at the University of Malang, one of the largest private universities in Malang.


In recent years, workplace conflict has become increasingly manifest in individual employment disputes as collective labour regulation has been eroded. Accordingly, attention has been focused on finding ways to facilitate the early resolution of such disputes. Policy-makers have placed a particular emphasis on workplace mediation. However, the broader impact of mediation on conventional grievance and disciplinary processes and on the workplace relations that underpin them has been largely ignored. This article reports on research into the introduction of an in-house mediation scheme within a primary care trust. It explores the implications of the scheme for: workplace relations within the organization; the dynamics of conflict management; and trade union influence. It argues that the introduction of mediation provided a conduit through which positive workplace relations were rebuilt which in turn facilitated informal processes of dispute resolution. Furthermore, it allowed trade unions within the organization to extend their influence into areas traditionally dominated by managerial prerogative.


In the history of research on pulmonary hypertension, one of the key landmarks was the clinical description of the disease, which was made in 1901 by Abel Ayerza.

From then on, in the international medical literature (especially the French, British and American literature), so-called "Ayerza's disease" encompassed various aetiological forms of pulmonary hypertension, discriminated today thanks to developments in the understanding of this disease and its current classification.

Abel Ayerza was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1861. After achieving a doctorate with a gold medal in 1886 from the School of Medicine at the University of Buenos Aries, he travelled to Paris, France where he specialised with Jean Martin Charcot and Francois Joseph Babinski at the Hopital de la Salpetriere, Pierre Carl Edouard Potain at the Hopital de la Charite and Francois Sigismond Jaccoud at the Hopital de la Pitie. On his return to Argentina, he joined the Hospital de Clinicas at the University of Buenos Aires, where, at the age of 37, he was appointed Professor of the First Chair of Medicine.

Figure 1.
Portrait of Dr Abel Ayerza (courtesy of the Ayerza family).

On August 20, 1901, Dr Ayerza described a patient with a history of chronic cough and sputum, dyspnoea, severe cyanosis, profound daytime sleepiness and manifestations of right heart failure. The patient was a 38-yr-old male who had suffered from pneumonia at 20 and 32 yrs of age and since then had had respiratory symptoms. Dyspnoea was severe at rest and there was central cyanosis, clubbed fingers and tachypnea. In …


Behaving efficiently (optimally or near-optimally) is central to animals' adaptation to their environment. Much evolutionary biology assumes, implicitly or explicitly, that optimal behavioural strategies are genetically inherited, yet the behaviour of many animals depends crucially on learning. The question of how learning contributes to optimal behaviour is largely open. Here we propose an associative learning model that can learn optimal behaviour in a wide variety of ecologically relevant circumstances. The model learns through chaining, a term introduced by Skinner to indicate learning of behaviour sequences by linking together shorter sequences or single behaviours. Our model formalizes the concept of conditioned reinforcement (the learning process that underlies chaining) and is closely related to optimization algorithms from machine learning. Our analysis dispels the common belief that associative learning is too limited to produce 'intelligent' behaviour such as tool use, social learning, self-control or expectations of the future. Furthermore, the model readily accounts for both instinctual and learned aspects of behaviour, clarifying how genetic evolution and individual learning complement each other, and bridging a long-standing divide between ethology and psychology. We conclude that associative learning, supported by genetic predispositions and including the oft-neglected phenomenon of conditioned reinforcement, may suffice to explain the ontogeny of optimal behaviour in most, if not all, non-human animals. Our results establish associative learning as a more powerful optimizing mechanism than acknowledged by current opinion.


Policy making usually assumes that the best way to harness migrant remittances for development is by shifting them into the regulated money transfer sector. However, much research evidence concludes that alternative methods are often cheaper and more reliable, accessible and convenient. In this article, we explore this tension between policy objectives and evidence. Based on a review of remittance mechanisms in seven sub-Saharan African countries, we question the validity of the distinction between 'formal' and 'informal' remittances. We conclude that the formalization of remittance systems should not be approached as a regulatory task carried out from the top down, but as a bottom-up evolutionary and organic process that should be encouraged. We suggest that the current regulatory thrust in this area is likely to be counterproductive, since it risks undermining the many vibrant institutions emerging through the movement of migrants and their money, together with their potential to enhance much needed economic and social development.


Introduction: Protein energy malnutrition (PEM) is one of the most important public health problems in many developing countries including India, South East Asia and Africa. It is a wide-spread deficiency disease among children of low socio-economic groups. Oxidative stress might plays an important role in conversion of marasmus to kwashiorkor. Aim: Hence the aim of this present study is to assess serum levels of micronutrients which directly plays an important role as antioxidants so that, the cause of oxidative stress can be identified. Materials and Methods: For this study total 54 children (both male and female) of age between 1-5 years who were suffering from different degrees of PEM were selected and grouped into Marasmus (n=31) and kwashiorkor (n= 23). 15 children who had no signs of PEM were selected as control group. In all the participants we measured plasma vitamin A, C, E plasma zinc, selenium and antioxidant enzyme Glutathione Peroxidase (GSH-Px) and its co-substrate Glutathione (GSH). Observation: though we observed lower levels of vitamin A, C, E in both groups of PEM when compared to control, very least levels were observed in kwashiorkor when compared between three groups (P<0.01). And the same lowest levels of GSH-Px and its co-substrate GSH in kwashiorkor was observed (p<0.01). Conclusion: from the above results we demonstrate that oxidative stress might plays as important role in conversion of marasmus to kwashiorkor.


Making changes to source code is a central task in software maintenance. The potential effects of the changes can be revealed by impact analysis. Forward slicing is a well suited technique for impact analysis. We have earlier developed a tool called GRACE for slicing Visual Basic. Since Java-programs have become popular we have implemented its object-oriented extension for Java (GRACE-J). This paper represents its background and development. We apply program (system) dependence graphs (PDGs/SDGs). The implementation includes a parser, PDG/SDG-generator, static slicer, and user interface. We have selected the static approach since in impact analysis it is important to grasp the total potential effect of the suggested changes. We introduce PDG/SDG-based forward slicing, which is not supported by other Java slicers. The implementation validates in its part the feasibility of the selected approach.


Recent years have seen not just a revival, but a rebirth of the analogue record. More than merely a nostalgic craze, vinyl has become a cultural icon. As music consumption migrated to digital and online, this seemingly obsolete medium became the fastest-growing format in music sales. Whilst vinyl never ceased to be the favorite amongst many music lovers and DJs, from the late 1980s the recording industry regarded it as an outdated relic, consigned to dusty domestic corners and obscure record shops. So why is vinyl now experiencing a 'rebirth of its cool'? Dominik Bartmanski and Ian Woodward explore this question by combining a cultural sociological approach with insights from material culture studies. Presenting vinyl as a multifaceted cultural object, they investigate the reasons behind its persistence within our technologically accelerated culture. Informed by media analysis, urban ethnography and the authors' interviews with musicians, DJs, sound engineers, record store owners, collectors and cutting-edge label chiefs from a range of metropolitan centres renowned for thriving music scenes including London, New York, Tokyo, Melbourne, and especially Berlin, what emerges is a story of a modern icon.


Fruits are the seed dispersal units of flowering plants and fleshy fruits form an important part of the human diet. Ripening is a complex developmental process and involves many events such as textural and constitutional changes. The texture of fleshy fruits is one of the major criteria for consumer choice. However, the molecular determinants of ripening- associated changes in texture or "softening" are relatively poorly understood and seem to involve a large number of cell wall remodelling factors. The recent completion of the tomato genome sequence has revealed more than 50 cell wall structure-related genes that are expressed during fruit development and ripening and may impact texture changes in this fruit (Tomato Genome Consortium, 2012). The aim of the project was to compare, on a genome-wide scale, ripening-related gene expression in a range of fleshy fruits and especially those linked with cell wall remodelling. Then by identifying orthologous genes in different fruit species, to make predictions about those genes important for the softening process in all fleshy fruits. We hypothesise that there are a core set of genes that is always associated with fruit softening. Once this core set was identified we planned to use transgenic approaches to test the role of these cell wall genes in texture changes using tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) as a model system. Comparative genomics analysis of tomato (S. lycopersicum), banana (Musa acuminata), melon (Cucumis melo) and grape (Vitis vinifera), was undertaken using Inparanoid software. This analysis showed that a total of 8,982 (25.86%) gene models could be identified in common between all four genomes based on comparison of amino acid sequences. However, comparison of the expression patterns of cell wall remodelling genes across the various species revealed that most were expressed in tissues other than ripening fruits and of the fruit expressed genes only a small number were common between different species. We selected a CELLULOSE SYNTHASE (CESA) gene that was up-regulated in all fruit species for further analysis. The PHYTOENE SYNTHASE 1 (PSY1) was selected as a control, and PECTATE LYASE (PL) and POLYGALACTURONASE (PG) as genes that were highly expressed in many fruits including tomato. We then used the recently developed CRISPR/ Cas9 DNA editing technology to generate mutations in the target PSY1, CESA, PL and PG genes. A range of either single base insertions or deletions of more than ten bases were identified at Cas9 cleavage site in T0 plants in all cases except for the CESA lines where no mutant plants were recovered; suggesting that knocking out this gene gives a lethal phenotype. The efficacy of CRISPR/Cas9 constructs in tomato fruits was readily apparent when observing the phenotype in PSY1 line where yellow or orange fruits occurred in T0 individuals. In the PL lines, substantially firmer tomato fruits were produced at the red ripe stage. There were some much smaller impacts on texture in the PG CRISPR lines. The CRISPR approaches described in this thesis provide methods to enhance texture and extend shelf life in tomato without compromising fruit quality.


Oceanic islands are susceptible to invasion by exotic species of plants and animals that are introduced either intentionally or unintentionally by human action. Most tropical oceanic islands now have insect faunas that have changed markedly since their discovery by humans. The changes occurred with the introduction of foreign species by aboriginal peoples and later by colonization activities of Europeans (Carlquist 1965, 1974). For instance, the Hawaiian Islands now have more than 3,200 alien species of arthropods (Howarth 1990) and 2,621 species of introduced insects. Approximately 500 of these insects can be classed as pests (Beardsley 1991). More than 416 insect species were introduced intentionally (Nishida 1994), and it now is difficult to find indigenous insect species in most lowland areas of the Hawaiian islands. The faunal change in almost all tropical island insect faunas occurred before scientific inventories could document the processes and stages of change.


Objective:
This paper reports on models of health service delivery in remote or isolated areas of Queensland.

Background:
There is little research that investigates current models of health service delivery in remote or isolated areas of Australia.

Design:
A multiple case study research design was employed that included interviews and focus groups.

Setting:
Three types of health care facilities in remote or isolated Queensland.

Subjects:
Thirty five registered nurses.

Results:
Findings indicated that nurses and Indigenous health workers are predominantly resident and provide health services in this environment, while medical and allied health care services are usually provided by non‑resident visiting specialists.

Conclusions:
Findings suggest that meeting the needs of communities in remote and isolated areas of Queensland requires a change in the focus of health service delivery to accommodate a primary health care philosophy. The introduction of a new model of health service delivery is recommended; however this will only occur if resources are harnessed to prepare staff to reprioritise services offered.

Implications for Health Service Management:
Supporting community partnerships with shared responsibility between health service providers and community members for increasing primary care prevention practices is advocated.


This thesis focuses on self-stigma in psychosis. The first part, the systematic literature review, examines the theory of self-stigma and distinguishes between two processes described under this term: internalised stigma and stigma expectations. The literature review then focuses on evaluating available measures of internalised stigma and comments on their ability to capture the concept in question. Following this, empirical studies of the impact of internalising stigma on the lives of people with schizophrenia are reviewed. This constitutes a basis for drawing clinical implications and suggesting future research.
The empirical part focuses on the second mechanism of self-stigma, stigma expectations. This project builds on the data set collected for three previous D.Clin. Psy projects completed by Agnieszka Gunning (2007), Tristan Morland (2007) and Kate Theodore (2008). This part starts with a summary of findings from the studies on the impact of stigma expectations on people with mental illness. It then describes the research undertaken by the author: a cross-sectional study of stigma expectations in first episode psychosis. The aims of the study were two-fold. First, to establish whether hospitalisation and detention under the Mental Health Act impact on the strength of stigma expectations of individuals with first episode psychosis. Second, to determine whether the strength of stigma expectations impacts on the subjective sense of recovery. The results of the study, its clinical implications and limitations are then discussed. Future directions for research are suggested.
The thesis concludes with a critical evaluation of the entire project. The reasons for my interest in the stigma of mental health are presented. Decisions made and difficulties encountered during the project are discussed. An emphasis is placed on an evaluation of the measures used in the empirical study. The appraisal concludes with consideration of ethical issues and the author's reflections on the concept of recovery.


This paper investigates the effects of personality characteristics on individuals' abilities to resolve ambiguity in an information retrieval environment. In particular, this research examines the effects on query performance of the interaction of personality characteristics (as measured using the NEO PI-R) with information requests that contained extraneous, syntactic, or both extraneous and syntactic ambiguities. The results indicate that ambiguity affected performance. The results also show that various personality dimensions significantly affect end-users' abilities to compose accurate queries. Neuroticism, agreeableness, openness to experience, and conscientiousness affected the number of errors made in the query formulations. Conscientiousness affected the length of time taken to compose the queries and neuroticism affected the confidence end users had in the accuracy of their queries. In addition, the results indicated that, while the personality dimensions affected performance, there was no interaction between the personality dimensions and ambiguity.


Chickpea is recognized as most nutritious pulse crop and with respect to acreage, it ranks at the top among pulses in India. Realizing the significance of plant genetic resources, special efforts were made by the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) to collect the chickpea germplasm from different states of India including certain useful introductions from other countries. A large number of germplasm accessions including wild species were characterized and evaluated for various agro-morphological traits using chickpea minimal descriptor. Thus, extensive germplasm collections now exist in various gene banks of the world including India. As far as germplasm maintenance is concerned, a core set developed by ICRISAT comprising of 1956 accessions and mini core set of 211 accessions representing diversity for seed yield and its component traits. Further, core set developed by NBPGR consisting of 1103 accessions extracted from 14651 accessions conserved in the Indian National Gene Bank revealed that 70% of materials belong to Indian origin. The characterization and evaluation experiments of chickpea conducted across the country led to the registration of some unique germplasm accessions for different trait of interest. However, using crop wild relatives, several interspecific crosses and advance pre-breeding lines were developed by the pulse research institutions in India. The trait of interest incorporated especially from C. reticulatum, C. echinospermum and C. judaicum species for widening the genetic base of cultivated gene pool. Some pre-breeding lines have been suggested as useful donors in national chickpea crossing programmes.


In 1976 India and China resumed their diplomatic interactions, which had been interrupted by the 1962 War. For the ensuing three decades both sides have been engaged in discovering a process that can identify the contours of a solution to the boundary question. The orthodox historiography of the post-1976 phase portrays India as a relatively intransigent actor still clinging to the past (pre-1962) and unwilling to truly explore a solution to the dispute. India is also painted as an unimaginative interlocutor, unable to offer proposals or counter-proposals; it is China that has supposed to have steered India toward a common position. This paper offers a nuanced corrective. India was not the only unyielding actor in this dyad; China too, despite its oft-expressed intent for a comprehensive settlement has been less than enthusiastic in translating its principles toward concrete proposals. Nevertheless, a modicum of progress has been attained, which is reflected in important bilateral agreements in the 1990s and 2000s. The author gets to the essence of the dispute and attempts to interpret the negotiating postures of both sides and conjectures why progress might have stalled since the mid-2000s.


The purpose of the present study is to examine how risk is perceived and managed in one wilderness-based therapeutic program for at-risk teenagers, through the lens of high reliability theory. This theoretical framework has emerged through analyses of (usually technologically complex) organizations that are perceived as high-risk, yet appear to largely avoid negative outcomes. While outdoor adventure therapy programs for at-risk youth remain unstudied within the framework, I propose that they may fulfill some criteria associated with so-called high reliability organizations (HROs). A case study approach, applying a number of principles identified by Weick and Sutcliffe (2007) as key to organizational reliability, is taken. I use a set of surveys by the aforementioned authors along with semi-structured interviews to elicit front-line staff perspectives on risk, risk tolerance, risk management, and related communication and decision-making, thereby exploring the extent to which these principles are relevant and applicable in this setting. The characteristics and principles identified in the chosen literature on high reliability organizing appear to fit relatively well with this organization's risk management practices, as experienced and described by its front-line staff, however individual responses vary. The principles appear most relevant to risks related to client behaviours, less so to risks related to the wilderness environment, suggesting the framework used here may be usefully applied in a range of organizations where management of risky behaviours is key.


Regulation of albumin gene expression is believed to be mediated by multiple nuclear factors that interact with cis-acting DNA sequences within the first 160 base pairs (bp) of the promoter. The minimal promoter sequence required to generate tissue-specific expression has not been clearly defined. We have constructed a series of transient expression vectors containing progressive deletions of the mouse albumin gene 5'-flanking sequence fused to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene and include the Moloney murine leukemia viral (Mo-MuLV) enhancer. Promoter activity was determined in mouse hepatoma and fibroblast cell lines by chloramphenicol acetyltransferase and S1 nuclease analyses. All constructions were compared with -623 Albcat-Mo-MuLV which contains all the sequence homology between the rat and mouse promoters. Low levels of expression were observed with -60 Albcat-Mo-MuLV (10%) in hepatoma but not fibroblast cells. Addition of promoter sequence to -208 bp progressively increased activity to 190% in the hepatoma cells, while -308 and -1612 Albcat-Mo-MuLV had activity similar to the -623 Albcat-Mo-MuLV level, and -3000 Albcat-Mo-MuLV showed a 2-fold reduction in transcriptional activity. The inclusion of promoter sequences upstream of -60 generated low levels of expression in the fibroblasts. We also show that factors from mouse liver nuclear extracts protect at least five regions of the albumin promoter upstream of -160. Our results indicate that tissue specificity is established within the proximal promoter region and that additional cis-acting elements that may have a functional role in the efficiency of albumin gene expression are located upstream of -160 bp.


Harmonic monitoring has become an important tool for harmonic management in distribution systems. A comprehensive harmonic monitoring program has been designed and implemented on a typical electrical MV distribution system in Australia. The monitoring program involved measurements of the three-phase harmonic currents and voltages from the residential, commercial and industrial load sectors. Data over a three year period has been downloaded and available for analysis. The large amount of acquired data makes it difficult to identify operational events that impact significantly on the harmonics generated on the system. More sophisticated analysis methods are required to automatically determine which part of the measurement data are of importance. Based on this information, a closer inspection of smaller data sets can then be carried out to determine the reasons for its detection. In this paper we classify the measurement data using data mining based on clustering techniques which can provide the engineers with a rapid, visually oriented method of evaluating the underlying operational information contained within the clusters. The paper shows how clustering can be used to identify interesting patterns of harmonic measurement data and how these relate to their associated operational issues.


In many African countries, the crop commercialization is produced along a supply chain where farmers interact with intermediaries and traders. Using detailed panel data from Uganda 2009-12 (LSMS-ISA), this article examines whether farmer's participation (inside or outside) and position (downstream and upstream) to maize value supply chain (VC) affect their food security. The paper finds some evidence that farmers' food consumption, both in terms of level and variability, is affected by selling maize inside the VC. The results are suggestive that the gain from participation is driven by selling maize upstream in the VC.


Poor nutrient management is one of the key factors contributing to decline in the productivity of maize in Nepal. Few studies have been done on developing site and variety specific fertilizer recommendation. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted at National Maize Research Program (NMRP) Rampur, Chitwan during winter season in September 2016 to study the response of hybrid maize (RML95/RML96) to different doses of soil application of nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P). The treatments included were 120:60, 120 :( 40+20), 160:60, 160 :( 40+20), 200:60, 200 :( 40+20), 240:60, and 240 :( 40+20) N: P kg ha-1. Potassium fertilizer was fixed and applied as per the Government recommendation i.e., 40 kg K ha-1.Eight treatments were replicated three times in randomized complete block design and maize was planted in six rows of four meter long plot. The research findings revealed that each level of N significantly increased grain yield up to 240 kg N ha-1. The grain yield (8.8 t ha-1) obtained under 240 kg N ha-1 was significantly higher than that obtained under 120,160 and 200 kg N ha-1. However, the results revealed that split application of P failed to bring about any significant difference in the grain yield as well as yield parameters of maize. We can, thus conclude that the addition of increasing rate of N increases the yield and yield attributing characters of maize.  Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 5(4): 537-541


BACKGROUND
Previous research has demonstrated a relation between insufficient sleep and overall obesity. Waist circumference (WC), a measure of central adiposity, has been demonstrated to improve prediction of health risk. However, recent research on the relation of insufficient sleep duration to WC in adults has yielded inconsistent findings.

OBJECTIVES
To assess the magnitude and the consistency of the relation of insufficient sleep and WC.

METHODS
A systematic search of Internet and research databases using Google Scholar, Medline, PubMed, and PsycINFO through July 2013 was conducted. All articles in English with adult human subjects that included measurements of WC and sleep duration were reviewed. A random effects meta-analysis and regression analyses were performed. Heterogeneity and publication bias were checked. Results are expressed as Pearson correlations (r; 95% confidence interval).

RESULTS
Of 1,376 articles, 30 met inclusion criteria and 21 studies (22 samples for a total of 56,259 participants) provided sufficient data for meta-analysis. Results showed a significant negative relation between sleep duration and WC (r = -0.10, P < 0.0001) with significant heterogeneity related to sleep comparison method. Potential moderators of the relation between sleep duration and WC were not significant. Funnel plots showed no indication of publication bias. In addition, a fail-safe N calculation indicated that 418 studies with null effects would be necessary to bring the overall mean effect size to a trivial value of r = -0.005.

CONCLUSIONS
Internationally, cross-sectional studies demonstrate a significant negative relation between sleep duration and waist circumference, indicating shorter sleep durations covary with central adiposity. Future research should include prospective studies.


Most of the papers in this thematic section present regional perspectives that build on more than 100 years of geologic investigation in Long Island Sound. When viewed collectively, a common theme emerges in these works. The major geologic components of the Long Island Sound basin (bedrock, buried coastal-plain strata, recessional moraines, glacial-lake deposits, and the remains of a large marine delta) interact with the water body to affect the way the modern sedimentary system functions. Previous work, along with our present knowledge of the geologic framework of the Long Island Sound basin, is comprehensively reviewed with this theme in mind. Aspects of the crystalline bedrock, and the deltaic deposits associated with glacial Lake Connecticut, are examined with respect to their influence on sedimentation along the Connecticut coast and in the northern and western Sound. We also discuss the influence of the glacial drift that mantles the coastal-plain remnant along the north shore of Long Island and in the southern Sound. A total of approximately 22.7 billion m 3 of marine sediment has accumulated in the Long Island Sound basin. A significant portion (44%) of the fine-grained marine section in the central and western basins was redistributed there from the eastern Sound, as tidal scour removed slightly over 5 billion m 3 (5.3 X 10 12 kg) of fine material from glacial lake and early-marine deposits east of the Connecticut River. The remainder of the estimated 1.2 X 10 13 kg of fine-grained marine sediment that now resides in the central and western Sound can be accounted for by riverine input over the past 13.5 ka.


ABSTRACT Mixed methods surveys using multilingual assistants in areas without clear pre-defined sampling units are often difficult to manage and unpredictable, thereby threatening data quality. More so when such surveys are executed in unfamiliar territories where cultural and language barriers prevent direct communication between the principal researcher and the respondents, and field assistants act as cultural/language brokers. This paper provides a method to enhance data quality in such contexts through a reflection on the research design and data collection experience in our study on flood damage mitigation processes among households and businesses in Kampala. Associated field challenges included different disciplinary and language skills levels of assistants, their multiple positionalities when translating concepts from the inquiry language to the source language and vice-versa, low settlement permeability/accessibility, multiple households per sampling unit, and socio-psychological issues among respondents and research assistants. The available literature lacks comprehensive systematic methods to address the challenges above, using detailed research fieldwork management experiences in which data collection is outsourced from field assistants. Our application of an extended version of the briefing and debriefing technique closes this gap. As a guide to apply this approach, we conceptualize social science research into four inter-related dimensions – paradigm, people, process, and presentation.


This paper analyses the development of wind power in The Netherlands and Denmark in the period 1973-2000 with the cyclic innovation model (CIM). CIM regards innovation as a cyclic process in which different actors constantly develop and exchange knowledge through four different types of cycles: hard science cycle, soft science cycle, integrated engineering cycle, and differentiated valorisation cycle. The actors are located in four 'nodes': scientific exploration, technological research, product creation, and market transitions. In the centre of CIM is the 'system entrepreneur' who is responsible for the managerial tasks within the innovation system. Our main conclusion is that in the wind power case in The Netherlands, the knowledge cycles were not complete. For too long, science and technology were not connected well enough to society and market. The Danish wind power case shows initially separated development paths, but these gradually merged together, which resulted in a complete and well-functioning innovation system. The notion of the system entrepreneur is found to be less helpful for the analysis of these cases.


Three existing landfills for wastes from Carter Holt Harvey Pulp & Paper, Tasman have or are reaching the end of their lives. These landfills receive primary solids (boiler fly-ash, wood fibre and lime mud – dewatered to 25-30%), secondary solids (slurry of dewatered dredgings from wastewater treatment plant ponds) and dregs (sand, gravel and calcium compounds) are all typical of wastes for pulp and paper plants. New landfill capacity was required for these waste streams starting in 2013. An innovative design was conceptualised and underwent detailed design with the construction of stage 1 of the facility during 2011-2012 earthworks season. At the heart of this innovative design is the concept of retaining one type of waste by using another. In this case using the primary solids to retain the secondary solids utilising tailings dam design principles. This paper looks at the Environmental impact and Risk considerations which were considered in the design and provides an assessment of the operation of the after a year of operation. Design aspects, the current waste streams, the operational aspects and learnings are presented. The innovative design has been accepted by the authorities who have issued resource consents for construction and operation of a new landfill facility which is known as the North Valley Landfill (NVL).


One of the major fallouts of the new development paradigm in India is the huge displacement of human population. In the wake of this, the government has come up with the National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy. But the policy has failed to address most of the crucial issues of resettlement and rehabilitation, especially concerning gender. One important but often ignored reason behind this is the inadequate attention given to various local institutions that play a very crucial role in the everyday survival and coping of the displaced population, particularly women. Based on an ethnographic study of the women displaced by Ganga erosion in Malda district of West Bengal, the present paper examines the role of such local institutions in the everyday lives of these women. The main finding is that the degree of vulnerability of displaced women depends upon their institutional affiliations and hence any rehabilitation and resettlement policy should take into consideration the vitality of these institutions in its policy formulation.


The contribution is dealing with selected assessments of the most important risk in the banking sector in the Czech Republic. The aim of this article was to quantify capital requirement for individual methodologies of credit risk management on the designed portfolio with corporate loans with use of collateral using collaterals as techniques to reduce credit risk of commercial bank. Firstly, the aim of this article is to quantify the capital requirements using the Internal Rating Based Approach with collateral usage. Afterwards, achieved results have been compared with the methodology of the Standardized Approach and Internal Based Approach. The article is highlighted aspects of transition to developed methods of Internal Rating Systems with significant savings on equity, which allows banks accelerate lending activities and so increase provided services for small-medium sized companies.


Social Media, including wikis, micro-blogging, forums and social network services, plays an indispensable role in providing a platform to support user-generated and user-disseminated information through social interactions. Social Media provides participants faster and wider information spread and burst compared to traditional media channels, which has attracted significant attention from the research community. In addition, due to its diversity of representation and operation mechanisms, different kinds of tasks are usually supported by different Social Media services or sometimes combinations of them. For example, blogs are usually maintained by individuals while forums are maintained by "moderators" and all users may participate in discussions by writing posts and replies. The differences in design and structure permit them to serve different purposes. Therefore, people use blogs to express personal feelings, opinions and comments but use forums to discuss problems and receive suggestions, though there is no strict line between these two types of Social Media. Due to this diversity, research in Social Media in recent years mainly focuses in two directions: how to effectively support specific tasks that one or several particular Social Media services provide as the example mentioned above, and how to improve the effectiveness of search engines that can take advantage of rich information that Social Media generates. In both directions, research work is usually conducted on a small number of types of Social Media services. In fact, most of them focus on only one type of Social Media. For instance, work has been done to help Community Question Answering portals (CQA) like Yahoo! Answers to retrieve similar question-answer pairs more effectively (e.g., [4]). Researchers also pay attention to social bookmarking systems and try to use them to help users organize information. Blogs are used to track opinions and sentiments while micro-blogging tools like Twitter are used to identify emerging trends and hot topics. Although certain success has been shown in these distinct types of Social Media, little research work has been done to discuss whether or not we need a unified way to deal with all types of Social Media, which could then support notyet-imagined tasks rather than developing separate models for each Social Media service. Here, a unified model should provide a "baseline" model which


We present a new methodology for automatic verification of C programs against finite state machine specifications. Our approach is compositional, naturally enabling us to decompose the verification of large software systems into subproblems of manageable complexity. The decomposition reflects the modularity in the software design. We use weak simulation as the notion of conformance between the program and its specification. Following the abstract-verify-refine paradigm, our tool MAGIC first extracts a finite model from C source code using predicate abstraction and theorem proving. Subsequently, simulation is checked via a reduction to Boolean satisfiability. MAGIC is able to interface with several publicly available theorem provers and SAT solvers. We report experimental results with procedures from the Linux kernel and the OpenSSL toolkit.


Anticipating the availability of large questionanswer datasets, we propose a principled, datadriven Instance-Based approach to Question Answering. Most question answering systems incorporate three major steps: classify questions according to answer types, formulate queries for document retrieval, and extract actual answers. Under our approach, strategies for answering new questions are directly learned from training data. We learn models of answer type, query content, and answer extraction from clusters of similar questions. We view the answer type as a distribution, rather than a class in an ontology. In addition to query expansion, we learn general content features from training data and use them to enhance the queries. Finally, we treat answer extraction as a binary classification problem in which text snippets are labeled as correct or incorrect answers. We present a basic implementation of these concepts that achieves a good performance on TREC test data.


This article presents results from simulations studying the hypothesis that mechanisms for landmark-based navigation could have served as preadaptations for compositional language. It is argued that sharing directions would significantly have helped bridge the gap between general and language-specific cognitive faculties. A number of different levels of navigational and communicative abilities are considered, resulting in a range of possible evolutionary paths. The selective pressures for, resp. against, increased complexity in either faculty are then evaluated for a range of environments. The study aims specifically to identify whether there is a viable evolutionary path leading to compositional language, and if so, under what circumstances. The results show that environmental conditions can render a step towards more complex communication either desirable or harmul, and suggest that very specific initial conditions and changes in the environment, resp. the ecological niche occupied, would have been needed to select for compositional language. Subject to these conditions, a (proto)language using order, but no hierarchical structure could evolve. This represents a middle ground, which brings closer hypotheses about syntax that have so far appeared difficult to reconcile.


Groundwater Remediation at a Former Oil Service Site. (May 2005) Liping Han, B.S., Beijing University of Chemical Technologies; M.S., Harbin Institute of Technology Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Timothy Kramer As an intern with URS Corporation, I participated in several remediation and wastewater treatment projects during the year 2004. A groundwater remediation project was selected to present in this record of study for my Doctor of Engineering degree not only because I spent more time on it than any other project, but also because it represents the broadness and depth of a typical URS remediation project. In this report, findings from previous environmental investigations were summarized and used for computer modeling and remediation strategy evaluation. Computer models were used to simulate site conditions and assist in remedy design for the site. Current pump-and-treat systems were evaluated by the model under various scenarios. Recommendations were made for the pump-and-treat system to control the contaminant plume. Various remediation technologies were evaluated and compared for their applicability at the site. A combination of on-site remediation and downgradient plume control was chosen as the site remediation strategy. Treatability studies and additional modeling work are needed for the remediation system design and optimization.


This book provides an updated look at issues that comprise the online learning experience creation process. As online learning evolves, the lines and distinctions between various classifications of courses has blurred and often vanished. Classic elements of instructional design remain relevant at the same time that newer concepts of learning experience are growing in importance. However, problematic issues new and old still have to be addressed. This handbook explores many of these topics for new and experienced designers alike, whether creating traditional online courses, open learning experiences, or anything in between.


1. Repeated 15-min collections of gastric juice were made during the plateau of response to an intravenous infusion of histamine diphosphate 0·01 mg h−1 kg−1 and the samples measured and their electrolyte concentrations estimated. A linear relationship was found between chloride output and the volume-rate of overall secretion and between hydrogen ion output and the same rate of secretion, while a multivariate linear relationship was also found between all three variables. 2. A mathematical analysis of these results suggests that if gastric secretion consists of an acid and a non-acid component, each of fixed composition, then the acid component has the composition H = 143 mEq/l, K = 16 mEq/l, Cl = 169 mEq/l, and the non-acid component is secreted at the same rate in different subjects under these circumstances. 3. The data enable gross sampling and analytical errors to be detected; in particular, the volume-rate of secretion can be predicted from hydrogen ion concentration, better from chloride ion concentration, and best from the concentrations of both ions. 4. For single samples such predictions appear to be superior to the direct measurement of volume.


Building on decades of experience in the digital realm, leveraging its unique capacity to develop new tools and methods for conducting, publishing, and sharing art-historical research, and recognizing the importance of digital tools for the future of art history, the Getty Research Institute (GRI) established a Digital Art History1 (DAH) program in 2009. The newly-formed program at the GRI was fortunate to benefit from years of experience digitizing primary source materials, using principles of information science, and fostering a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that has characterized the Getty since the early days of the Art History Information Program (AHIP), later re-named the Getty Information Institute2 (GII); when the GII dissolved, its key staff with experience in the use of technology for art and cultural history transferred to the GRI. As the GRI's DAH program has evolved, its work has been increasingly informed by an emphasis on project planning and project management, an awareness of the issues and challenges surrounding publishing humanities resources online, and a prioritization of apparatuses for thinking critically about the intersections of the digital and the traditional in humanities scholarship.


Abstract This paper compares the rotomouldability and mechanical properties of conventional polyethylenes with metallocene polymers having a similar melt flowrate or the same density. The rotomouldability has been evaluated in terms of bubble removal, cycle times, and heat stability during the moulding process. The mechanical properties, such as tensile strength and peak impact energy, were measured on parts produced using a variety of moulding conditions. It was found that the metallocene polymers display greater toughness if subjected to the same moulding conditions as the conventional polymers. Conversely, the same toughness can be obtained in both materials if shorter cycle times are used for the metallocenes. This behaviour has been linked to the relaxation behaviour of the molecules in the solid state. Other material parameters, such as the nature of the comonomer, the long chain branching density, and the crystalline morphology were studied by NMR, DSC, and polarising light microscopy. The differences between the molecular structures of the two types of polyethylene can be used to explain why the metallocene materials possess many rheological and other characteristics that are desirable in rotational moulding.


We study the number of spanning forests on the Sierpinski gasket SGd(n) at stage n with dimension d equal to two, three and four, and determine the asymptotic behaviors. The corresponding results on the generalized Sierpinski gasket SGd;b(n) with d = 2 and b = 3 ; 4 are obtained. We also derive upper bounds for the asymptotic growth constants for both SGd and SG2,b.


Abstract Purpose: The article aims to examine the impact of women's decision-making power in families on their gender stereotypes about business executives in the promising but insufficiently explored regions of Central Europe (CE) and Central Asia (CA). Methodology: The study utilized multiple linear regression and Spearman's correlation coefficients to analyze survey data (No=6,869) from Central European (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) and Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan). Findings: Central Asian women demonstrated stronger gender stereotypes about business executives compared to the Central European sample. Equally shared power in decision-making with a partner has a positive impact on weakening women's gender stereotypes about top managers. Men's unilateral decision-making correlates with their spouses' higher gender bias, whereas independent women's decisions do not reveal a relationship with their gender stereotypes. Research limitations: The study does not control respondents' marital and mother's status and excludes one of the Central Asian states, namely Turkmenistan. Research implications: Policymakers can use the present findings to forecast how familialist policies reproduce gender stereotypes and inhibit gender equality. The research complements the specificity of the vicious cycle linking gender roles and stereotypes in the context of CE and CA and expands the "family cage" phenomenon. Originality/value: First massive research on gender stereotypes about business executives embracing the Visegrad Group and four Central Asian states. The study discovers the internal aspect of family impact on women's views of top managers that has been neglected before.


Recently, Jeremy Tanner has published a highly informative review article in the Journal of Hellenic Studies, in which he introduces and advertises "Sino-Hellenic Studies" as a new and upcoming subfield in academic inquiry. Tanner particularly focuses on what he terms "Sino-Hellenic comparative philosophy," while developing his perspective clearly from within contemporary Classicists' academic parameters. In this paper, I approach the matter precisely from the other end, i.e. from within contemporary comparative philosophy, distinguishing four different approaches in comparative philosophy, pointing out some pitfalls in comparison and offering a perhaps provocative conclusion by provincializing and politicizing "Sino-Hellenic Studies". The paper not only seeks to supplement Tanner's review, but also and more importantly to introduce some fundamental methodological problems to be dealt with in any comparative inquiry.


A workshop aiming to activate the sensory experience of individuals within the urban landscape was introduced to the students of a postgraduate course of architecture. The course seeks to explorecity complexity by mapping the urban phenomena. These readings provide the base for the creation of integral strategic interventions. In the two years it has run, students have shown a preference for analytical tools. This time however, they were asked to perform a series of exercises that sought to increase their body awareness, to help them navigate and read the landscape through their sensory perceptions. The authors of this paper contemplate on the use of mapping methodologies, embodied topography and its relation to the more hidden and imaginary landscapes of the city. They present the reader with a description of the workshop articulation, segments of the student projects and its pedagogical outcomes. KEYWORDS: Mapping methodologies, embodied topography, urban landscape, sensory perception.


A longstanding puzzle is that the United States is a net borrower from the rest of the world, yet continues to receive income on its external position. A large difference between the yields on direct investment at home and abroad is responsible and this paper examines potential explanations for this differential. We find that most of the differential disappears after one adjusts for the U.S. taxes owed by the parent on foreign earnings, the sovereign risk and sunk costs associated with investing abroad, and the age of foreign direct investment in the U.S.. Taken together, our results suggest most of the difference in yields should remain as long as there is a difference in tax rates between the United States and the countries in which U.S. firms invest, and U.S. investments are perceived as relatively safe. This has implications for the long-run sustainability of the U.S. current account deficit which will depend, in part, on the long-run behavior of this income.


Numerous studies have demonstrated that regularly playing action video games (AVGPs) is associated with increased cognitive performance. Individuals who play role-playing video games (RPGs) have usually been excluded from these studies. This is because RPGs traditionally contained no action components and were thus not expected to influence cognitive performance. However, modern RPGs increasingly include numerous action-like components. We therefore examined whether current RPG players (RPGPs) perform similar to action video game players (AVGPs) or nonvideo game players (NVGPs) on two cognitive tasks. Self-identified AVGPs (N = 76), NVGPs (N = 77), and RPGPs (N = 23) completed two online cognitive tasks: A useful field of view (UFOV) task and a multiple-object tracking task (MOT). The UFOV task measures the ability to deploy visuospatial attention over a large field of view while dividing one's attention between a central and a peripheral task. The MOT task measures the ability to use attentional control to dynamically refresh information in working memory. RPGPs performed similar to AVGPs and better than NVGPs on both tasks. However, patterns of covariation (e.g., gender and age) presented obstacles to interpretation in some cases. Our study is the first to demonstrate that RPGPs show similar cognitive performance to AVGPs. These findings suggest that regularly playing modern RPGs may enhance visuospatial abilities. However, because the current study was purely cross-sectional, intervention studies will be needed to assess causation. We discuss the implications of this finding, as well as considerations for how gamers are classified going forward. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)


In order to study controls on metabolic processes in soils, we determined the dynamics of CO2 production from two position-specific 13C-labeled pyruvate isotopologues in the presence and absence of glucose, succinate, pine, and legume leaf litter, and under anaerobic conditions. We also compared CO2 production in soils along a semiarid substrate age gradient in Arizona. We observed that the C from the carboxyl group (C1) of pyruvate was lost as CO2 much faster than its other C atoms (C2,3). Addition of glucose, pine and legume leaf litter reduced the ratio between CO2 production from 1-13C pyruvate and 2,3-13C pyruvate (C1/C2,3 ratio), whereas anaerobic conditions increased this ratio. Young volcanic soils exhibited a lower C1/C2,3 ratio than older volcanic soils. We interpret a low C1/C2,3 ratio as an indication of increased Krebs cycle activity in response to carbon inputs, while the higher ratio implies a reduced Krebs cycle activity in response to anaerobic conditions. Succinate, a gluconeogenic substrate, reduced CO2 production from pyruvate to near zero, likely reflecting increased carbohydrate biosynthesis from Krebs cycle intermediates. The difference in CO2 production rate from pyruvate isotopologues disappeared 4e5 days after pyruvate addition, indicating that C positions were scrambled by ongoing soil microbial transformations. This work demonstrates that metabolic tracers such as pyruvate can be used to determine qualitative aspects of C flux patterns through metabolic pathways of soil microbial communities. Understanding the controls over metabolic processes in soil may improve our understanding of soil C cycling processes. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


In humans, GH and cortisol are secreted in a pulsatile fashion and a mutual bidirectional interaction between the GH/IGF-I axis and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis has been established. Classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is characterized by a defect in the synthesis of glucocorticoids and often mineralocorticoids, and adrenal hyperandrogenism. Substitution therapy is given to prevent adrenal crises and to suppress the abnormal secretion of androgens and steroid precursors from the adrenal cortex. However, treatment with twice or three times daily oral hydrocortisone does not mimic physiological adrenal rhythms and may influence the activity of the GH/IGF-I axis. We investigated the pattern of GH and cortisol secretion and the synchrony of joint GH-cortisol secretory dynamics in 15 children with classic 21-hydroxylase deficiency (5 males and 10 females; median age 9.5 yr, range 6.1-11.0 yr) and 28 short normal children (23 males and 5 females; median age 7.7 yr, range 4.9-9.3 yr). All subjects were prepubertal. Serum GH and cortisol concentrations were determined at 20-min intervals for 24 h. The irregularity of GH and cortisol secretion was assessed using approximate entropy (ApEn), a scale- and model-independent statistic. The synchrony of joint GH-cortisol secretion was quantified using the cross-ApEn statistic. Cross-correlation analysis of GH and cortisol secretory patterns was computed at various time lags covering the 24-h period. Children with CAH had significantly lower mean 24-h serum cortisol concentrations (6.4 +/- 2.2 vs. 10.4 +/- 2.6 microg/dl, P < 0.001), ApEn (GH) (0.64 +/- 0.13 vs. 0.74 +/- 0.17, P = 0.04), ApEn (cortisol) (0.54 +/- 0.13 vs. 1.08 +/- 0.18, P < 0.001) and cross-ApEn values of paired GH-cortisol secretion (0.78 +/- 0.19 vs. 1.05 +/- 0.12, P < 0.001) than normal children. There was no difference in mean 24-h GH concentrations between the two groups (4.5 +/- 2.9 vs. 4.5 +/- 1.9 mU/liter). In children with CAH, a significant positive correlation between GH and cortisol was noted at lag time 0 min (r = 0.299, P < 0.01), peaking at 20 min (r = 0.406, P < 0.0001), whereas in normal children, a significant negative correlation between the two hormones was noted at lag time 0 min (r = -0.312, P < 0.01). The above findings suggest that children with classic CAH have a more regular pattern of GH secretion and a more synchronous joint GH-cortisol secretory dynamics than their normal counterparts. These differences reflect bidirectional interactions between the GH/IGF-I axis and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in humans, and are likely to evolve as a result of the exogenous administration of hydrocortisone at fixed doses and at specific time intervals, which leads to a more regular pattern in circulating cortisol concentrations, independent of variations in CRH and ACTH concentrations.


This research looks at the role of alcohol drinking in HIV transmission. A history of heavy alcohol drinking has been associated with a lifetime tendency toward high-risk sexual behaviors, including multiple sex partners, unprotected sexual intercourse, sex with high-risk partners, and the exchange of sex for money or drugs. The objective of the study was to investigate the role played by alcohol consumption in the promotion of high-risk sexual behavior and therefore transmission of HIV infection among sexually active moderate alcohol drinkers and abusers aged 15 – 49 years in Grootfontein district, Namibia. The study was a Knowledge, Attitude, Behaviour and Practice (KABP) survey. Data on individual knowledge about HIV/AIDS and alcohol drinking, personal attitudes towards HIV/AIDS and alcohol, beliefs about HIV/AIDS and sexual practices was collected on 217 study participants aged between 15-49 years through an intervieweradministered questionnaire and through the cluster sampling technique. The research findings showed that history of having practiced unprotected sex, having sex with total strangers, having multiple sex partners, having sex with high-risk sexual partners, low self risk perception and history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) was high among the alcohol abusers than moderate alcohol drinkers. For instance, the prevalence of multiple partnerships was 68(48.6%) among the moderate alcohol drinkers compared to 48(66.7%) among the abusers (p-value 0.012 at 95% confidence interval, Odds ratio: 2.118). The conclusion made was that alcohol abuse is associated with multiple risky sexual behaviours in Grootfontein and hence there is need to integrate alcohol abuse in HIV


Abstract: Benign and malignant tumors are rare conditions; it was not uncommonly occurs in salivary glands and usually presented as a painless mass. The presence of pain and facial nerve palsy may indicate malignant transformation. Diagnosis is made by imaging and biopsies. Objectives: This study aims to know the pattern of Benign and malignant tumors in salivary glands among Sudanese patients in Khartoum state according to many categories age, gender, clinical presentation and diagnosis. Methods: This is retrospective, crosssectional, analytic and hospital based study from January 2014 to May 2016. Conducted in Otorhinolaryngological, Head and neck and Oral Maxillofacial hospitals in Khartoum state in Sudan. Results: The highest percentage of neoplasm is benign more commonly as pleomorphic adenoma in minor glands. Malignant tumor is commonly affected the parotid glands of predominance in adenoid cystic carcinoma followed by mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Conclusion: Benign and malignant tumors which occur in salivary glands were commonly pleomorphic adenoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma respectively.


Protein microarrays offer a global perspective on the function of expressed gene products. However, technical issues related to the stability and dynamic range of microarrays printed with purified protein have hampered their widespread adoption. Taking an alternate approach, the Nucleic Acid Programmable Protein Array (NAPPA) is constructed by spotting protein‐encoding plasmid DNA at high density, in addressable fashion, on an array surface. Proteins are subsequently generated in situ just prior to experimentation using cell‐free expression systems. As such, the NAPPA platform offers a unique and viable alternative that circumvents many of the inherent limitations of spotted protein arrays, enabling diverse functional protein studies including protein–small molecule, protein‐protein, antigen‐antibody, and protein–nucleic acid interactions. It further offers a versatile and adaptable platform amenable to a variety of capture modalities and expression systems, and, most importantly, construction of the array is accessible to any lab with an array printer and laser slide scanner. This unit is intended to provide a reference for investigators wishing to generate arrays based on this platform, and details (1) the basic construction of cDNA‐based protein microarrays from DNA isolation to printing and development, (2) quality‐control efforts taken to ensure the usefulness and integrity of microarray data, and (3) a particular example of the application of self‐assembling protein arrays to screen for blood‐borne antibody biomarkers. Curr. Protoc. Protein Sci. 64:27.2.1‐27.2.26. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


We present superpixel-based segmentation frameworks for unsupervised and semi-supervised epithelium-stroma identification in histopathological images or oropharyngeal tissue micro arrays. A superpixel segmentation algorithm is initially used to split-up the image into binary regions (superpixels) and their colour features are extracted and fed into several base clustering algorithms with various parameter initializations. Two Consensus Clustering (CC) formulations are then used: the Evidence Accumulation Clustering (EAC) and the voting-based consensus function. These combine the base clustering outcomes to obtain a more robust detection of tissue compartments than the base clustering methods on their own. For the voting-based function, a technique is introduced to generate consistent labellings across the base clustering results. The obtained CC result is then utilized to build a self-training Semi-Supervised Classification (SSC) model. Unlike supervised segmentations, which rely on large number of labelled training images, our SSC approach performs a quality segmentation while relying on few labelled samples. Experiments conducted on forty-five hand-annotated images of oropharyngeal cancer tissue microarrays show that (a) the CC algorithm generates more accurate and stable results than individual clustering algorithms; (b) the clustering performance of the voting-based function outperforms the existing EAC; and (c) the proposed SSC algorithm outperforms the supervised methods, which is trained with only a few labelled instances.


Guest editor Alison Shames introduces this issue of Federal Sentencing Reporter , which focuses on sentencing and the last fifty years of programs developed by the Vera Institute of Justice. When a judge sentences a convicted defendant, he or she takes into account many factors and tries to achieve one or more of the oft-cited purposes of punishment: incapacitation (to protect the public from further crimes committed by the defendant), deterrence, restitution, retribution, and rehabilitation. The federal sentencing statute instructs the court not to impose a sentence greater than necessary to accomplish the goals the sentence is crafted to achieve. What the statutes, guidelines, case law, or even the defense attorney don9t mention, however, is that a criminal sentence imposed after a conviction does not fully define the punishment meted out to a defendant. People involved in the criminal justice system are, in fact, punished at multiple points.


A reverse phase liquid chromatographic (RP-LC) method was developed for the quantification of the related impurities of Fingolimod hydrochloride drug substance. The method was optimized using buffer (prepared by dissolving 2.72gr KH2PO4 and 2.0gm 1-Octane sulphonoic acid sodium salt anhydrous taken in 1000mL milli-Qwater and then pH was adjusted to ~ 3.0 with dilute orthophospharic acid solution) as mobilephase-A, and Acetonitrile: water in the ratio of 90:10 v/v as mobile phase-B. The flow rate was set at 1.2 mL min-1, wavelength at 220nm respectively and the column temperature was maintained at 45°C. The capability of stability indicating method developed was demonstrated by studying the degradation products generated during the forced degradation studies under the following conditions i) water hydrolysis, ii) at 75% relative humidity, iii) oxidative, iv) thermal v) photolytic, vi) acid, vii) base, and viii) photolytic degradation. The developed method can be used for the determination of synthetic and degradation impurities in the regular quality control analysis for the drug substance.