Design and technology makes a unique contribution to a child's education, yet in England and Wales, the countries where the subject was first conceived, the subject faces a constant challenge to maintain itself as a subject of worth within both the primary and secondary age phase curriculum. Compounding issues surrounding its place within the curriculum, particularly in primary schools there are concerns that teachers are insufficiently trained to teach design and technology (D&TA 2015), and opportunities for teachers to undertake professional development are limited and unsupported. Whilst those in teacher education and the wider subject community have raised concerns, there is little empirical evidence available that makes clear primary teachers beliefs and perceptions in relation to the subject, and subsequently the nature of activities that are undertaken with pupils. Set within the context of education within England and Wales, this paper presents the preliminary findings from the first phase of a research project designed to establish the range of design and technology work currently undertaken in primary age phase settings. Constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz 2006) is the research approach, with qualitative and quantitative data being collected using a combination of online questionnaires and semi-structured interviews from both serving and trainee teachers from institutions across England and Wales. Findings are discussed in relation to design and technology?s purpose and value within the primary curriculum, and preliminary analysis of the data suggests there are pockets of excellent practice, but in the majority of instances reported by participants engaged in this study data suggest a restricted design and technology curriculum is in operation. Second phase work will seek to explore teacher perceptions to establish if they perceive that their personal subject knowledge has a direct impact upon the depth, breadth and quality of work undertaken in design and technology.


ABSTRACT Bacterial spores are considered prime candidates for Earth-to-Mars transport by natural processes and human spaceflight activities. Previous studies have shown that exposure of Bacillus subtilis spores to ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) characteristic of space both increased the spontaneous mutation rate and altered the spectrum of mutation in various marker genes; but, to date, mutagenesis studies have not been performed on spores exposed to milder low pressures encountered in the martian environment. Mutations to rifampicin-resistance (Rif(R)) were isolated in B. subtilis spores exposed to simulated martian atmosphere (99.9% CO(2), 710 Pa) for 21 days in a Mars Simulation Chamber (MSC) and compared to parallel Earth controls. Exposure in the MSC reduced spore viability by approximately 67% compared to Earth controls, but this decrease was not statistically significant (P = 0.3321). The frequency of mutation to Rif(R) was also not significantly increased in the MSC compared to Earth-exposed spores (P = 0.479). Forty-two and 51 Rif(R) mutant spores were isolated from the MSC- and Earth-exposed controls, respectively. Nucleotide sequencing located the Rif(R) mutations in the rpoB gene encoding the beta subunit of RNA polymerase at residue V135F of the N-cluster and at residues Q469K/L, H482D/P/R/Y, and S487L in Cluster I. No mutations were found in rpoB Clusters II or III. Two new alleles, Q469L and H482D, previously unreported in B. subtilis rpoB, were isolated from spores exposed in the MSC; otherwise, only slight differences were observed in the spectra of spontaneous Rif(R) mutations from spores exposed to Earth vs. the MSC. However, both spectra are distinctly different from Rif(R) mutations previously reported arising from B. subtilis spores exposed to simulated space vacuum.


Proving that there are problems in $\mathsf{P}^\mathsf{NP}$ that require boolean circuits of super-linear size is a major frontier in complexity theory. While such lower bounds are known for larger complexity classes, existing results only show that the corresponding problems are hard on infinitely many input lengths. For instance, proving almost-everywhere circuit lower bounds is open even for problems in $\mathsf{MAEXP}$. Giving the notorious difficulty of proving lower bounds that hold for all large input lengths, we ask the following question: Can we show that a large set of techniques cannot prove that $\mathsf{NP}$ is easy infinitely often? Motivated by this and related questions about the interaction between mathematical proofs and computations, we investigate circuit complexity from the perspective of logic.
Among other results, we prove that for any parameter $k \geq 1$ it is consistent with theory $T$ that computational class ${\mathcal C} \not \subseteq \textit{i.o.}\mathrm{SIZE}(n^k)$, where $(T, \mathcal{C})$ is one of the pairs: $T = \mathsf{T}^1_2$ and ${\mathcal C} = \mathsf{P}^\mathsf{NP}$, $T = \mathsf{S}^1_2$ and ${\mathcal C} = \mathsf{NP}$, $T = \mathsf{PV}$ and ${\mathcal C} = \mathsf{P}$. In other words, these theories cannot establish infinitely often circuit upper bounds for the corresponding problems. This is of interest because the weaker theory $\mathsf{PV}$ already formalizes sophisticated arguments, such as a proof of the PCP Theorem. These consistency statements are unconditional and improve on earlier theorems of [KO17] and [BM18] on the consistency of lower bounds with $\mathsf{PV}$.


Abstract. We study 41 d with daily median surface
accumulation mode aerosol particle concentrations below 50 cm−3
(ultra-clean conditions) observed at Ascension Island (ASI; 7.9∘ S, 14.4∘ W) between June 2016 and October 2017 as part of the
Layered Atlantic Smoke Interactions with Clouds (LASIC) campaign.
Interestingly, these days occur during a period of great relevance for
aerosol–cloud–radiation interactions, the southeast Atlantic (SEATL)
biomass-burning season (approximately June–October). That means that these
critical months can feature both the highest surface aerosol numbers, from
smoke intrusion into the marine boundary layer, as well as the lowest. While
carbon monoxide and refractory black carbon concentrations on ultra-clean
days do not approach those on days with heavy smoke, they also frequently
exceed background concentrations calculated in the non-burning season from
December 2016 to April 2017. This is evidence that even what become
ultra-clean boundary layers can make contact with and entrain from an
overlying SEATL smoke layer before undergoing a process of rapid aerosol
removal. Because many ultra-clean and polluted boundary layers observed at
Ascension Island during the biomass burning season follow similar isobaric
back trajectories, the variability in this entrainment is likely more
closely tied to the variability in the overlying smoke rather than
large-scale horizontal circulation through the boundary layer. Since
exceptionally low accumulation mode aerosol numbers at ASI do not
necessarily indicate the relative lack of other trace pollutants, this
suggests the importance of regional variations in what constitutes an
"ultra-clean" marine boundary layer. Finally, surface drizzle rates,
frequencies and accumulation – as well as retrievals of liquid water path
– all consistently tend toward higher values on ultra-clean days. This
implicates enhanced coalescence scavenging in low clouds as the key driver
of ultra-clean events in the southeast Atlantic marine boundary layer. These
enhancements occur against and are likely mediated by the backdrop of a
seasonal increase in daily mean cloud fraction and daily median liquid water
path over ASI, peaking in September and October in both LASIC years.
Therefore the seasonality in ultra-clean day occurrence seems directly
linked to the seasonality in SEATL cloud properties. These results highlight
the importance of two-way aerosol–cloud interactions in the region.


The purpose of this study was to present in what ways people are to deal with one another in light of the Quranic chapter of Al Hujurat, not intended to present evidence to prove or disprove theories. The researchers described four major issues associated with numerous social activities related to justice, peace and reconciliation, entertaining good intentions toward others, and rejecting all kinds of segregations. The results indicated that all four social activities extracted from this chapter are observed as VALUES. Such values could be converted into conducts and actions, which in turn, would be 'a way of life'; a diffused norm that is well respected by community members. Clues, meanings, suggestions, and signs through using Quranic terms and words could reflect social actions. Based on the study results, the researchers recommend conducting similar studies to present comparable social activities in light of further Quranic chapters in addition to theological scriptural verses reflected by other spiritual traditions.


There has been a long-standing discrepancy between the experimental measurements of the electron and muon anomalous magnetic moments and their predicted values in the Standard Model. This is particularly relevant in the case of the muon $g-2$, which has attracted a remarkable interest in the community after the long-awaited announcement of the first results by the Muon $g-2$ collaboration at Fermilab, which confirms a previous measurement by the E821 experiment at Brookhaven and enlarges the statistical significance of the discrepancy, now at $4.2 \sigma$. In this paper we consider an extension of the inverse type-III seesaw with a pair of vector-like leptons that induces masses for neutrinos at the electroweak scale and show that one can accommodate the electron and muon anomalous magnetic moments, while being compatible with all relevant experimental constraints.


To judge the impact and relevance of the results of the scientif ic work, the researchers are subjected to evaluation processes that involve records of publications and the corresponding citations. For this purpose, some index has been developed. Among them, the index proposed by Hirsch are considered in most evaluation processes. The analysis developed here concludes that the h-index does not measure the relative contribution of a researcher in publications, especially in those that are generated by groups of between 80 and 700 authors. Likewise, the aforementioned index does not consider book publications, nor the contribution of a researcher in the formation of human resources, nor the formation of scientif ic groups or societies. Nor does the h index value contributions in technological innovation, in the dissemination of scientif ic knowledge. In a relevant way, it must be emphasized that the h index does not take into account the contribution of a specif ic researcher to the establishment of public policies generated through scientif ic research, which can be strategic and of local, regional and even national relevance. Assessing the work of a researcher based primarily on its h-index is not only limited and unfair, but it is severely distorting the priorities of the new generations of scientists in Mexico. Scientists must not forget that we are subsidized with public resources, which leads to not only being widely cited at the international level, but also to contribute to the formation of human resources, to the resolution of local and national problems, to influence the generation of Public Policies and in the social appropriation of knowledge. Therefore, the need to manage a system that considers these aspects is essential in order to evaluate the possible impact of the work of each researcher.


The way in which forest land is owned directly influences the status of the forest, its condition and the way in which it is managed. The greater the security of local forest tenure, the stronger the interest and will of the community towards its security. One of four papers commissioned by IUCN towards building a comprehensive profile on the subject of community involvement in forest management in eastern and southern Africa, this publication addresses the function of property relations and State-people relations in matters of governance and management. The study is comparative in nature, with a continuing examination of commonality and difference in the handling of property rights in respect of rural communities.


Nowadays, serious games are present in almost every educational context. The current work deals with the design of serious games oriented towards getting transferable skills in different kinds of training settings. These games can be a valuable way of engaging citizens and workers in the learning process by means of metaphors or similar mechanisms close to their user experience. They also contain an encouragement factor to uptake generic job competencies. An approach is proposed to develop this type of game by mixing traditional design steps with an instructional strategy to provide structured learning bites in training settings. Several game prototypes have been developed to test this approach in the context of courses for public employees. The obtained outcomes reveal the wider possibilities of serious games as educational resources, as well as the use of game achievements to evaluate the acquisition of transferable skills.


We have shown that high-viscosity drops in two-dimensional linear creeping flows with a non-zero vorticity component may have two stable stationary states. One state corresponds to a nearly spherical, compact drop stabilized primarily by rotation, and the other to an elongated drop stabilized primarily by capillary forces. Here we explore consequences of the drop bistability for the dynamics of highly viscous drops. Using both boundary-integral simulations and small-deformation theory we show that a quasi-static change of the flow vorticity gives rise to a hysteretic response of the drop shape, with rapid changes between the compact and elongated solutions at critical values of the vorticity. In flows with sinusoidal temporal variation of the vorticity we find chaotic drop dynamics in response to the periodic forcing. A cascade of period-doubling bifurcations is found to be directly responsible for the transition to chaos. In random flows we obtain a bimodal drop-length distribution. Some analogies with the dynamics of macromolecules and vesicles are pointed out.


Though games have had popular use in primary schools over time, there is increased interest in using elements of gaming in the classroom to promote motivation and thinking skills. This paper reports on a mixed methods intervention pilot study in one primary school in Trinidad that explored the effects of a gamified classroom on reinforcing geometric concepts and skills. Familiar learning tools, like tangrams and origami, were used. A non-equivalent control group mixed method design was used with both groups taking the pre- and post-tests. Only the experimental group used the gamified activities. Qualitative data were obtained from the experimental group teacher's interview and observational notes, and analysed to reveal three interpretive themes about students' perspectives: favourable, unfavourable and change.  Overall, students reported that games made mathematics easier to remember. The teacher reported high student engagement, collaborative problem solving, and respectful competition among teams. Quantitative data were obtained from a pre/post achievement test. Analyses reveal significant differences in the experimental group's pre-test and post-test scores. Results from the pilot study were instrumental in developing the gamification approach for the larger study of 10 primary schools.


Healthcare for young children is highly subsidized in many public health insurance programs around the world. However, the existing literature lacks evidence on how the demand for young children?s healthcare reacts to these medical subsidy policies. This paper exploits a sharp increase in the required level of patient cost-sharing, the share of healthcare costs the patient must pay out of their own pocket, at age 3 in Taiwan that results from young children "aging out" of the costsharing subsidy. This price shock on the 3rd birthday allows us to use a regression discontinuity design to examine the causal e↵ect of cost sharing on the demand for young children's healthcare by comparing the expenditure and utilization of healthcare for young children right before and after the 3rd birthday. Our results show that the increase in the level of patient cost sharing at the 3rd birthday significantly reduces total outpatient expenditure. The implied price elasticity of outpatient expenditure is around -0.10. However, the demand for inpatient care for young children does not respond to a change in cost sharing at the 3rd birthday even though the price variation is much larger. This result implies that the full coverage of inpatient care could improve the welfare of young children. JEL Classification: G22; I12; I18; J13


More people are engaging in the online dating phenomenon nowadays. However, in most cases online dating applications require additional sensitive information such as a user's geographical location or sexual orientation. This situation raises concerns regarding users' privacy in the online dating environment. This article focuses on Tinder which is among the leading location-based real-time dating applications, especially in the Western society. This article analyses whether a user's privacy regarding the use of online dating applications such as Tinder matters or not. Hereby, the article distinguishes between social privacy - privacy related to other individuals - and institutional privacy - privacy related to organizations. This study shows that some users might perceive certain benefits of taking privacy very leniently. Although, collected personal information about users can be utilized to optimize the user experience of a service, users should consider possible future consequences when data is being collected about them. The issues such as little awareness of institutional privacy, unintentional disclosure of information, receiving unwanted, targeted advertising, knowing the users inside out, unsecured data retention, difficulties in accessing or manipulating personal information, and effects on users' existence through data gathering are very important to maintain any individual's privacy in an online environment and show that privacy in online dating applications matters.


Background: Master athletes (MAs), or athletes older than 40 years, make up a patient population whose outcomes after primary arthroscopic hip surgery are largely unknown. Purpose: To report minimum 2-year outcomes of MAs after primary hip arthroscopy and compare their results to a propensity-matched nonathlete (NA) control group. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Data were prospectively collected between February 2008 and April 2019 and retrospectively reviewed for all patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopy. Patients were included if they were older than 40 years and had preoperative data for the modified Harris Hip Score, Nonarthritic Hip Score, Hip Outcome Score–Sports Specific Subscale, and visual analog scale score for pain. MAs reported participating in organized sports competition within 1 year before surgery and were propensity matched to a control group of patients who did not report participating in organized sports competition (NAs). Patient characteristics, radiographic and intraoperative findings, surgical procedures performed, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were reported and compared between the groups. The rates of achieving the minimal clinically important difference and maximum outcome improvement satisfaction threshold were recorded. Results: A total of 366 hips were eligible; 328 (89.6%) had adequate follow-up data. 328 patients met inclusion criteria but 88 were not included due to the restrictions of the propensity score match ratio. Of these, 80 hips (76 patients) were classified as MAs (mean age, 48.9 ± 6.2 years) and were propensity matched 1:2 to an NA control group. Groups were comparable for baseline demographic and radiographic parameters, intraoperative findings, and procedures performed. MAs had significantly better baseline and minimum 2-year PROM scores (P < .05), higher satisfaction (P = .01), and higher rates of achieving clinically meaningful improvement across all the outcome tools used (P < .05). MAs, when compared with NAs, had lower rates of secondary arthroscopy (0% vs 7.5%, respectively; P = .001) and conversion to total hip arthroplasty (12.5% vs 26.9%, respectively; P = .011). Conclusion: MAs demonstrated favorable outcomes after primary hip arthroscopy. When compared with a propensity score–matched control group of NA patients, MAs demonstrated better preoperative and postoperative PROMs, higher rates of clinically meaningful improvement, and lower rates of secondary arthroscopy and conversion to total hip arthroplasty. Absolute improvements in PROM scores were similar between the groups.


Online search has become an important part of professional and daily life. With an endless amount of information available, terminating the search when sufficient information is gathered is critical for managing decision-making. So far, research has analyzed cognitive influences: how people process information and how their mental models influence stopping. However, little is known about motivational influences arising from individual desires, preferences, or incentives. In this research-in-progress paper, we consider the role of motivation on stopping behavior. Drawing on self-determination theory, we develop a structure of motivation, propose its influence on stopping behavior, and conduct exploratory case studies on an individual level in the software industry. Our results show that a more self-determined motivation results in a more intensive and longer information search – that is, in later stopping. This finding is the first step toward the development of motivational stopping rules.


A twin-core fiber Michelson interferometer is evaluated as a high-temperature sensor. Although linear and reproducible operation up to 300°C is obtained, at higher temperatures (700°C) the refractive index shifts plastically and hysteresis is observed, rendering an untreated sensor head unusable. The shift is shown to be greatly reduced by an annealing process of the fiber for 10 h at 900°C, with which the linear response is preserved.


Integrating heterogeneous data from sources as diverse as web pages, digital libraries, knowledge bases, the Semantic Web and databases is an open problem. The ultimate aim of our work is to be able to query such heterogeneous data sources as if their data were conveniently held in a single relational database. Pursuant to this aim, we propose a generalisation of joins from the relational database model to enable joins on arbitrarily complex structured data in a higher-order representation. By incorporating kernels and distances for structured data, we further extend this model to support approximate joins of heterogeneous data. We demonstrate the flexibility of our approach in the publications domain by evaluating example approximate queries on the CORA data sets, joining on types ranging from sets of co-authors through to entire publications.


Engineered structures, such as bridges, are excited by earthquakes at the base of the towers and the endpoint of decks. The different structural units of bridges, such as the towers and decks, are coupled. We extract the response of the towers and decks of the Bay Bridge in California from the motion of the bridge that is caused by earthquakes. This constitutes a multichannel deconvolution problem, which is, in general, ill-posed. We use the redundancy of the western half of the Bay Bridge, with near-identical towers and decks, to estimate the response of the upper towers, lower towers, and decks, from the transverse motion recorded in the bridge after four earthquakes. The extracted response functions for the four earthquakes show consistent wave arrivals that correspond to the waves that propagate through the towers and the decks. This method can, in principle, be used to monitor changes in the structural response.


Underregulation kills. When a sensible and effective rule is proposed but then not implemented, society loses whatever benefits the regulation would have provided. When those benefits take the form of saved lives — if, for example, the rule would have kept a carcinogen out of the workplace — failing to enact and enforce a regulation means people die. Unfortunately, federal agencies in the United States systematically undercount the benefits of rulemaking, causing regulators to forsake the implementation of lifesaving measures that would have been enacted were benefits estimated more accurately. The result is American lives lost, every year.This article presents two arguments against the "discounting" of future human lives as part of cost benefit analysis, or CBA. Our first argument is that because CBA has thus far ignored evidence of rising health care expenditures, it underestimates the "willingness to pay" for health and safety that future citizens will likely exhibit, thereby undervaluing their lives. Our second argument is that until recently CBA has ignored the trend of improved material conditions in developed countries, and most agencies continue to ignore it entirely. As time advances, residents of rich countries tend to live better and spend more, meaning that a strict economic evaluation of future lives would discount the relatively impoverished lives of present citizens compared to the projected luxurious and healthy existence of our expected descendents, just the opposite of what happens in agency practice.


From 1996–2006, excavators of the Mugello Valley Archaeological Project documented two important contexts for understanding Hellenistic period ceramic production at Podere Funghi near the sanctuary at Poggio Colla: a kiln-waster midden, and a series of kilns located in the vicinity of a small residential structure. This article consists of the results of a visual and metric examination of the fineware material from the midden. The examination assessed the nature and prevalence of specific firing flaws associated with the productive process, and the data derived from this study are used to reconstruct some of the technical challenges faced by the Podere Funghi potters and their firing equipment. The study documents a high prevalence of flaws associated with a rapid rise in temperature within the kiln at the beginning of firing process, while cataloguing few flaws associated with excessive sustained temperatures. This combination of flaws suggests poor pre-production drying of the wares, or the use of a fuel source that would have produced an initial high heat spike in temperature. In addition, it tells us much about craft production at satellite communities associated with large settlements, in this case, Poggio Colla.


With the use of a Bessel-like illumination beam produced by an axicon lens an extended depth of field can be achieved. The resulting illumination pattern exhibits a strong central lobe extending over 300um along the optical axis without diffraction. Here we present a fast digital focusing algorithm to correct for remaining out of focus artifacts, manifest in sidelobes for out of focus scatterers, due to the decoupled Gaussian detection. The waist of the detection in the focal plane is 2.1um, with a Rayleigh-range of  35um. The FDOCT data is Fourier transformed in the lateral spatial directions. Passing from the spectral (K) to the spatial (Z) domain, the correction term is implemented in a chirped z- transform algorithm, performing a resampling in the K domain. Finally the data is transformed back in the lateral direction to spatial coordinates. The illumination scheme provides a tightly focused spot over the whole axial extent of the illumination needle, providing the high signal to noise ratio necessary to correct for the diffraction effects of the detection. Signals from scatterers multiple Rayleigh distances away from the focal plane are recovered with minimal loss in resolution. With this digital focusing algorithm the performance of the physically extended depth of field is further enhanced, presenting a uniform high lateral resolution of 1.3um, corresponding to an effective numerical aperture of NA=0.24, over more than 300um in the axial direction.


The present paper analyses two cases exemplifying a possible use of survey and its elaborations in the field of conservation: the bell tower of the Basilica Santa Maria delle Vigne and the Chiesa di San Matteo, both situated in Genoa. In the first case, the threedimensional survey was used as a basis to build a model for the structural analysis. The need for an accurate database created with the three-dimensional survey allowed the research team to determine and highlight the critical points of the structure as the thickness of vaults and floors, the location of loads and the inclination of the walls. The data collected was used to create an accurate 3D model to be tested with simulations, in order to verify the stability of the bell tower when applying stress and limitations. In the second case, the three-dimensional survey was used as the basis for the collection, management and representation of the data derived from the survey on rising damp. The purpose was to test a dynamic data processing system that could be used as a tool to collect data on site as well as to access data remotely. By using software for three-dimensional representation and a node programming language, it was possible to define a system that offered dynamic viewing and was easy to use, through the use of chromatic scales and level curves, which can be generated starting from tables containing numerical data. Surveying, diagnostics, modelling and representation allow one to experiment with new ways of interaction within the common goal of conservation.


Milan is not only the golden location of the fashion and design industries as well as hightech research centres. What is peculiar about Milan, compared to London or Paris, is the contradiction between high density growth (made in the past by industry and the working class, today by finance and the creative class), and low polity. Milan is based on an external source of power corresponding to a weak nation-state. The local élites have been only partially able to negotiate with the central government. The past and recent history of Milan is one of fragmented urban expansion and limited vision. Here the urban contract is based on the (historically variable) social relationships and compromises between these main axial systems: infrastructures, knowledge, and creative industry. The first is representative of heavy capitalist and financial interests; the second is the expression of the intellectual capital of the city; the third has the flavour of the new emerging forces of the creative class. Analysing also some other Milan's features it is clear that the urban contract is made of both local and global players in an asymmetric game.


OBJECTIVES
The authors described a case of Hashimoto's disease during interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) treatment for chronic viral C hepatitis in a patient with the specific genetic susceptibility associated with the thyroid disease.

RESULTS
A 60-year-old woman with chronic active viral C hepatitis (HCV genotype = 3a) started IFN-alpha therapy in November '96. Before treatment thyroid function tests were normal and anti-thyroid (anti-thyroglobulin and anti-thyroid peroxidase) Abs were negative. During IFN therapy, serum aminotransferases fell within the normal range and viremia (serum HCV-RNA) became negative after one year. After 20 months, the patient presented clinical features of primary hypothyroidism. Anti-thyroid Abs were found positive. Hormonal, ultrasonographic, radioiodine scanning and fine needle aspiration findings were consistent with the diagnosis of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The tissutal typing of the patient showed the presence of Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) DRB1*11 gene (corresponding to DR5 antigen). IFN-alpha therapy was suspended and a treatment with l-T4 started. Chronic viral infection relapsed after the suspension of the IFN-alpha therapy.

CONCLUSIONS
This case report showed that the clinical appearance of Hashimoto's disease after IFN-alpha therapy for chronic C hepatitis in our patient was associated with a specific genetic predisposition (DR5) for this pathology. Further studies are necessary to evaluate whether the study of HLA antigens may be a very useful tool to detect the patients with a predisposition to develop autoimmune thyroiditis, in order to make a early diagnosis of thyroid disorders during the IFN-alpha treatment.


Aim: To isolate and identify marine actinomycetes with potential antibacterial activity. Materials and Methods: Marine actinomycetes were isolated from soil samples collected at the Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi coast of Tamil Nadu, India. The isolated strains were screened for antibacterial activity by cross-streaking method against Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus. Actinomycetes isolates demonstrated potential antibacterial activity were mass cultured and secondary metabolites were extracted using chloroform. The crude extract prepared was analyzed for antibacterial activity by well diffusion method (100 μg/0.1 ml) and also subjected to chemical characterization using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) JEOL (GCMATE II GC-MS, Agilent Technologies 6890N Network GC system for GC). Results: Among the five different isolation media used, composed Starch Casein Agar (composed) proved to be most effective for isolation of actinomycetes from Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi coastal soil samples. Among the 100 isolated strains, 10 isolates (LGK001 to LGK010) demonstrated a significant antibacterial activity with the zone of inhibition ranging from 8 to 12 mm against Escherichia coli and B. cereus. Based on the GC-MS analysis, all 10 isolates produced either gancidin-W (and/or) cyclo-pro-phe as major secondary metabolites in their crude extracts. Both these molecules are previously reported antibiotic compounds. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that Rameswaram and Dhanushkodi coastal soil samples are the rich sources for antibacterial bioactive compounds (gancidin-W and cyclo-pro-phe) producing actinomycetes.


A slow muscarinic EPSP, accompanied by an increase in membrane input resistance, can be elicited in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells in vitro by electrical stimulation of cholinergic afferents in the slice preparation. Associated with the slow EPSP is a blockade of calcium- activated potassium afterhyperpolarizations (AHPs) (Cole and Nicoll, 1984a). In this study a single-electrode voltage clamp was used to examine the currents affected by activation of muscarinic receptors, using either bath application of carbachol or electrical stimulation of the cholinergic afferents. The 3 main findings of this study are that (1) of the 2 calcium-activated potassium currents (termed IAHP and IC) in hippocampal pyramidal cells, only IAHP is sensitive to carbachol; (2) IAHP is approximately 10-fold more sensitive to carbachol than is another muscarine-sensitive current, IM; and (3) neither blockade of IAHP nor of IM can account for the production of the slow EPSP. Rather, the slow EPSP appears to be generated by the blockade of a nonvoltage- dependent, resting potassium current. We propose that the muscarinic blockade of IAHP, which largely accounts for spike frequency adaptation, is primarily involved in enhancing action potential discharge to depolarizing stimuli, while the slow EPSP acts directly to cause action potential discharge.


In Padilla v. Kentucky, 559 U.S. (March 31, 2010), the Supreme Court broke new ground in holding in a 7-2 decision that a criminal defense lawyer had failed to provide his noncitizen client effective assistance of counsel when he did not tell him that he was almost certain to be deported if he pled guilty. It is the first time that the Court has applied the 1984 Strickland v. Washington standard to a lawyer's failure to advise the client about a "collateral" consequence of conviction – something other than imprisonment, fine, probation and the like, that the court imposes at sentencing. While Padilla's implications for cases involving deportation are clear, it may also require lawyers to consider many other legal implications of the plea. The Padilla decision clearly governs cases where a noncitizen is threatened with deportation on the basis of conviction. But if that were all, it would not "mark a major upheaval in Sixth Amendment law," as the concurring Justices warned. While Padilla's effects will be felt most immediately in the tens of thousands of criminal cases involving noncitizen defendants, defense lawyers must now concern themselves more generally with the broader legal effects of a criminal conviction on their clients. The systemic impact of this new obligation cannot be underestimated. Padilla may turn out to be the most important right to counsel case since Gideon, and the "Padilla advisory" may become as familiar a fixture of a criminal case as the Miranda warning.


Roth is one of the founders of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford (the d.school) and is active in its development: currently, he serves as Academic Director. His design interests include organizing and presenting workshops on creativity, group interactions, and the problem solving process. Formerly he researched the kinematics, dynamics, control, and design of computer controlled mechanical devices. In kinematics, he studied the mathematical theory of rigid body motions and its application to the design of machines.


The Himmelbaach quarry is located in the Wiltz Synclinorium in Luxembourg. The rocks outcropping in this quarry correspond to the mid-Emsian Clervaux Shales Formation. Three different facies have been identified in the quarry. An argillaceous sandstone facies with oblique stratifications, cross-stratifications, herring-bones and erosive bases represent the first facies; the second facies is characterized by lenticular- (with connected lenses) to wavy-bedded sandy argillites, argillaceous sandstones and quartz arenites. The last facies corresponds to a quartz arenite with oblique stratification, planar laminations and mud drapes. The base of this facies shows flaser bedding and sigmoidally curved bed surfaces. The palaeoenvironmental study of this area is rather difficult because of the structural deformation and lateral variation of the facies. Due to this deformation, six partial sections (4a to 4f) were sampled here. In order to reconstruct a reliable vertical and lateral succession of the depositional setting, facies analysis and magnetic susceptibility were used. Magnetic susceptibility (MS) is generally applied as a tool for correlation in a deepwater carbonated environment. In this paper we used the MS technique successfully in a siliciclastic proximal setting. Analysis of MS curves as well as the recognition of three marker beds ((1) the last bed of argillaceous sandstones in Facies 1; (2) a thin horizon of carbonated sandstone within Facies 2; (3) the first appearance of the characteristics massive quartzitic beds in Facies 3) allowed the correlation of sections 4a, 4b and 4c. These correlations helped us to reconstruct a vertical and lateral succession of facies, which ultimately led to the recognition of a tide-dominated marginal-marine depositional model composed respectively of tidal channels (Facies 1), a tidal flat (Facies 2) and a tidal sand ridge (Facies 3). This example also shows the usefulness of magnetic susceptibility for small scale correlation, even in a proximal environment such as a marginal-marine setting.


Recently, the Office of Management and Budget projected that the fiscal 1985 federal budget deficit would exceed $200 billion and that out-year reductions would be gradual at best. These prospects have engendered a debate concerning the economic effects of government deficits and the attendant high level of government borrowing. In this article, Michael Dotsey investigates this topic theoretically using alternative macroeconomic models. Dotsey first examines a standard Keynesian model and finds that its prediction of a depressing future effect of government borrowing stems from its unrealistic view of the determinants of consumption. He then discusses the Ricardian equivalence idea that the economic effects are the same whether the government finances its expenditures by taxation or by borrowing. His discussion includes an evaluation of several objections that have been raised against Ricardian equivalence. Dotsey also suggests that one must estimate the optimal size of the government deficit as a necessary first step in evaluating current deficit levels.


A heart-warming classic full of animal antics by Jill Tomlinson. Otto is a penguin chick, that much he knows, but other than this he has a lot to learn. Life at the bottom of the world is a curious thing and life can change at a moment's notice. The next blizzard, the next meal and the threat of being orphaned are all challenges that must be faced. But how will Otto and his friends manage? The only way that penguins can do - by looking after each other. A perfect story for animal lovers young and old, filled with tenderness and love combined with a subtle humour. Jill Tomlinson's animal stories have been enjoyed by children who want to snuggle down with a good read for decades. This edition of The Penguin Who Wanted to Find Out is beautifully illustrated by Paul Howard.


Abstract. The ozone multi-sensor reanalysis (MSR) is a multi-decadal ozone column data record constructed using all available ozone column satellite data sets, surface Brewer and Dobson observations and a data assimilation technique with detailed error modelling. The result is a high-resolution time series of 6-hourly global ozone column fields and forecast error fields that may be used for ozone trend analyses as well as detailed case studies. The ozone MSR is produced in two steps. First, the latest reprocessed versions of all available ozone column satellite data sets are collected and then are corrected for biases as a function of solar zenith angle (SZA), viewing zenith angle (VZA), time (trend), and stratospheric temperature using surface observations of the ozone column from Brewer and Dobson spectrophotometers from the World Ozone and Ultraviolet Radiation Data Centre (WOUDC). Subsequently the de-biased satellite observations are assimilated within the ozone chemistry and data assimilation model TMDAM. The MSR2 (MSR version 2) reanalysis upgrade described in this paper consists of an ozone record for the 43-year period 1970–2012. The chemistry transport model and data assimilation system have been adapted to improve the resolution, error modelling and processing speed. Backscatter ultraviolet (BUV) satellite observations have been included for the period 1970–1977. The total record is extended by 13 years compared to the first version of the ozone multi sensor reanalysis, the MSR1. The latest total ozone retrievals of 15 satellite instruments are used: BUV-Nimbus4, TOMS-Nimbus7, TOMS-EP, SBUV-7, -9, -11, -14, -16, -17, -18, -19, GOME, SCIAMACHY, OMI and GOME-2. The resolution of the model runs, assimilation and output is increased from 2° × 3° to 1° × 1°. The analysis is driven by 3-hourly meteorology from the ERA-Interim reanalysis of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) starting from 1979, and ERA-40 before that date. The chemistry parameterization has been updated. The performance of the MSR2 analysis is studied with the help of observation-minus-forecast (OmF) departures from the data assimilation, by comparisons with the individual station observations and with ozone sondes. The OmF statistics show that the mean bias of the MSR2 analyses is less than 1 % with respect to de-biased satellite observations after 1979.


This paper studies the mobile Internet services in Spain. It deals mostly with overall consumer satisfaction as well as with some of its attributes. The study is based on Micro data from a survey conducted by the Spanish Center for Sociological Research (CIS, 2009). The analysis shows that communication quality and cost are the main attributes of the service involved in the overall satisfaction of the individual. The main model allows us to analyze to what extent different service providers generate different levels of satisfaction of individuals when controlling for other relevant variables. In this regard, statistically significant differences have been found for both overall satisfaction and for satisfaction with any other of its attributes. Taking into account that the dependent variable is somewhat ordinal, the model is estimated by three alternative methods: ordinary least squares (OLS), ordered probit and ordered logit. The three techniques produce fairly similar results


Continued technology scaling has led to exposure of many 'weak-points' in the designs fabricated in some of the most advanced technology nodes. Weak-points are certain layout patterns which are found to be sensitive to process non-idealities and have a higher tendency to cause defects. They may be coded in the form of Pattern Matching (PM) rules and included within the Design for Manufacturability Guidelines (DFMGs) to ensure product manufacturability. Often, during Integrated Circuit (IC) design, a trade-off is made between meeting performance specifications and complying with DFMGs. As a result, designs may reach the foundry with some DFMG violations. Fixing such violations generally causes a 'ripple effect' where one change requires many changes in other metal layers, making the process tedious. Therefore, providing a ranked list of guidelines to the designers helps them in assessing the criticality of violations, prioritizing, and fixing them accordingly. Past research suggests using diagnosis data to determine the impact of DFMG violations. However, this is a reactive approach wherein DFMGs are ranked only based on their hard-defect causing nature. To make the ranking process more robust, we propose a proactive silicon validation based approach which not only considers the yield loss due to hard-defects but also takes into account the parametric and reliability degradation caused by DFMG violations. We evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology through on-silicon experiments on an advanced Fully-Depleted Silicon-On-Insulator (FD-SOI) technology node.


The usefulness of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling in antimalarial drug research is evolving. Antimalarial agents are subject to drug-drug interactions (DDIs) and the resultant pharmacokinetics in special population groups is not well understood. To optimise antimalarial dosing in special population groups, the application of PBPK modelling has significant advantages towards improving clinical efficacy. This thesis addresses some of the drug therapy issues associated with antimalarial treatment in special populations using PBPK modelling. Firstly, it addresses the problem of the impact of DDI interaction between artemether and lumefantrine and rifampicin based anti-tuberculosis agent in children, then the effect of DDI perpetrated by efavirenz and ritonavir on the pharmacokinetics of piperaquine during pregnancy was evaluated. Finally, PBPK modelling was used to optimise the dose of chloroquine for the treatment of ZIKV disease during pregnancy.The fixed dosed combination of artemether and lumefantrine (AL) is widely used for the treatment of malaria in adults and children in sub-Sahara Africa, with lumefantrine day 7 concentrations being widely used as a marker for clinical efficacy. Both are substrates for CYP3A4 and susceptible to drug-drug interactions (DDIs) but the knowledge of the impact of DDIs is currently sparse in paediatric population groups therefore complicating the treatment of malaria in patients co-infected with other infectious diseases like tuberculosis. The concomitant treatment of AL with tuberculosis chemotherapy, which includes the CYP3A4 inducer rifampicin, increases the risk of parasite recrudescence and malaria treatment failure. This study developed a population-based PBPK model for AL in adults capable of predicting the pharmacokinetics of AL under non-DDI and DDI conditions, as well as predicting AL pharmacokinetics in paediatrics of 2–12 years of age. The validated model was utilised to assess the concomitant treatment of rifampicin and lumefantrine under standard body-weight based treatment regimens for 2–5 year olds, and demonstrated that no subjects attained the target day 7 concentration (Cd7) of 280 ng/mL, highlighting the importance of this DDI and the potential risk of malaria-TB based DDIs. An adapted 7-day treatment regimen was simulated and resulted in 63% and 74.5% of subjects attaining the target Cd7 for 1-tablet and 2-tablet regimens respectively. Antimalarial therapy during pregnancy poses important safety concerns due to potential teratogenicity and the impact of maternal physiological and biochemical changes during gestation. Piperaquine (PQ) has gained interest for use in pregnancy in response to increasing resistance towards sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine in sub‐Saharan Africa. Coinfection with HIV is common in many developing countries; however, little is known about the impact of antiretroviral (ARV) mediated drug–drug interaction (DDI) on piperaquine pharmacokinetics during pregnancy. This study applied mechanistic pharmacokinetic modelling to predict pharmacokinetics in non‐pregnant and pregnant patients, which was validated in distinct customised population groups from Thailand, Sudan and Papua New Guinea. In each population group, no significant differences in day 7 concentrations were observed during different gestational weeks (GW) (weeks 10–40), supporting the notion that piperaquine is safe throughout pregnancy with consistent pharmacokinetics, although possible teratogenicity may limit this. Antiretroviral‐mediated DDIs (efavirenz and ritonavir) had moderate effects on piperaquine during different gestational weeks with a predicted AUCratio in the range 0.56–0.8 and 1.64–1.79 for efavirenz and ritonavir, respectively, over GW 10–40, with a reduction in circulating human serum albumin significantly reducing the number of subjects attaining the day 7 (post‐dose) therapeutic efficacy concentrations under both efavirenz and ritonavir DDIs. This present model successfully mechanistically predicted the pharmacokinetics of piperaquine in pregnancy to be unchanged with respect to non‐pregnant women, in the light of factors such as malaria/HIV co‐infection. However, antiretroviral‐mediated DDIs could significantly alter piperaquine pharmacokinetics. Further model refinement will include collation of relevant physiological and biochemical alterations common to HIV/malaria patients.The treatment of tropical diseases is often faced with the problem of appropriate drug therapy. While researchers work to isolate new molecules that might be used to treat them, the benefits of using PBPK modelling for repurposing molecules with potentially efficacious and safe profiles against these diseases is yet to be explored. The insidious nature of Zika virus (ZIKV) infections can have a devastating consequence for foetal development. Recent reports have highlighted that chloroquine (CQ) is capable of inhibiting ZIKV endocytosis in brain cells. We applied pharmacokinetic modelling to develop a predictive model for CQ exposure to identify an optimal maternal/foetal dosing regimen to prevent ZIKV endocytosis in brain cells. Model validation used 13 non-pregnancy and 3 pregnancy clinical studies, and a therapeutic CQ plasma window of 0.3-2 μM was derived. Dosing regimens used in rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and malaria were assessed for their ability to target this window. Dosing regimen identified that weekly doses used in malaria were not sufficient to reach the lower therapeutic window, however daily doses of 150 mg achieved this therapeutic window. The impact of gestational age was further assessed and culminated in a final proposed regimen of 600 mg on day 1, 300 mg on day 2 and 3, and 150 mg thereafter until the end of trimester 2, which resulted in maintaining 65% and 94% of subjects with a trough plasma concentration above the lower therapeutic window on day 6 and at term, respectively.


Learning a distance function or metric on a given data manifold is of great importance in machine learning and pattern recognition. Many of the previous works first embed the manifold to Euclidean space and then learn the distance function. However, such a scheme might not faithfully preserve the distance function if the original manifold is not Euclidean. Note that the distance function on a manifold can always be well-defined. In this paper, we propose to learn the distance function directly on the manifold without embedding. We first provide a theoretical characterization of the distance function by its gradient field. Based on our theoretical analysis, we propose to first learn the gradient field of the distance function and then learn the distance function itself. Specifically, we set the gradient field of a local distance function as an initial vector field. Then we transport it to the whole manifold via heat flow on vector fields. Finally, the geodesic distance function can be obtained by requiring its gradient field to be close to the normalized vector field. Experimental results on both synthetic and real data demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm.


In spite of some pessimistic attitudes towards methodology of economics, it has succeeded as a central theme in numerous books, refereed journals, international conferences and symposiums whose volume is increasing at an unprecedented rate. The proliferation of methodological literature also is accompanied by a proliferation of issues that concern: the goals of economics, realism of economics, mathematics and economics, history and economics, ontology and complexity. Economics usually is associated with the hypothetical deductive method. But short-term and cycle analysis of macroeconomics and classical analysis of long-term development do not depend on this method, instead they are carried out within the methodological frameworks of historical-deductive, empirical- inductive or dialectics. This paper focuses on the status and diversity of methodology in economics


The article discusses the transformation of teaching in the transition from traditional material-object environment to learning in a digital synthetic environment. Attention is paid to the fact that, to date, students prefer online and mixed learning, in which human interaction with technical training tools creates not only new opportunities, but also requires the coordination of their interaction. A brief description of the main features of training usage of new technological capabilities is given, with emphasis on such aspects as virtual and augmented reality, as well as the use of game-oriented technologies with an emphasis on reflexive games. The analysis of the changes in the properties of the new learning environment is given from the standpoint of biotechnology, developing the principles of harmonizing human capabilities with technical systems (accounting for the human factor) in a digital learning environment, in which a person is transferred to a new interactive space using devices that reflect signals in his/her sensory organs, and devices that perceive different actions. The variants of teaching technologies on new principles are offered, which allow improving the quality of mastering the educational material. It is noted that the basis for the creation of complex synthetic learning environments are biotechnical systems, which a variety of means for controlling the content of images for the models of these environments are provided in, both by a researcher and a student. It is proposed to extend the concept of "biotechnical system" by including so-called "biotechnical technologies" in it, which becomes especially relevant in the digital world. The difference between these types of technologies is in the fact that great importance should be given to operations that are associated with ensuring the safety of work and creating optimal conditions for the life and work of a person. At the same time, the person interacts primarily with information technologies, with information and knowledge affecting him, but not with material objects, in both the process of management, and the process of studying the outside world for the purpose of its effective use.


Many Baby Boomers are finding (or may be finding) themselves in a difficult transition, as they lose their jobs in this listless economy. For most of them, not yet ready to retire, finding a new, equally well-paying job in their field will be extremely difficult. How can they go through the initial disbelief, anger, sadness and fear that come with losing their jobs; and rediscover their sense of direction, purpose, security and identity? As 8,000 Baby Boomers turn 60 each day for the next ten years, this question takes on enormous proportions. Positive psychology offers many insights and interventions for individuals who are facing such a challenging time. By identifying and focusing on their inherent strengths; developing ways to reflect more deeply; amplifying their optimism; enhancing their resilience; and connecting more genuinely with others, they may open themselves up to new possibilities – discovering a new sense of purpose and meaning in their next chapter. From there, they will be able to craft a compelling new vision of themselves, connecting who they are with what happened, where they are going, and how they plan to get there. The intention of this work is to provide hope, solace, insights, and direction for individuals who are feeling lost – helping them find their own compass, pointing in a new, more positive direction.


To reduce the spread of COVID-19, public health authorities across the country have recommended that Canadians keep their distance, wash their hands, and stay home. To enforce these measures, restrictions on outdoor behaviour have been implemented, limiting access to parks and recreational outdoor spaces. New evidence shows that COVID-19 restrictions are associated with an overall lower amount of time spent in outdoor play among Canadian children and youth. This is concerning, as outdoor play is important for children's physical and mental health and helps provide them with a sense of control during times of uncertainty and stress. As policies on access to the outdoors during the COVID-19 outbreak vary by province, it is possible that policy differences have led to regional differences in changes in outdoor play among children and youth. In this commentary, we examine regional differences in outdoor play among children and youth across Canada, and the association between provincial policies related to COVID-19 and outdoor play. We argue that through the recovery process, in the event of a second wave of infections, and in preparing for future public health challenges, policy decisions should consider ways to preserve outdoor play for Canadian children and youth.


The Caribbean region remains highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In order to assess the social and economic consequences of climate change for the region, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean( ECLAC) has developed a model for this purpose. The model is referred to as the Climate Impact Assessment Model (ECLAC-CIAM) and is a tool that can simultaneously assess multiple sectoral climate impacts specific to the Caribbean as a whole and for individual countries. To achieve this goal, an Integrated Assessment Model (IAM) with a Computable General Equilibrium Core was developed comprising of three modules to be executed sequentially. The first of these modules defines the type and magnitude of economic shocks on the basis of a climate change scenario, the second module is a global Computable General Equilibrium model with a special regional and industrial classification and the third module processes the output of the CGE model to get more disaggregated results. The model has the potential to produce several economic estimates but the current default results include percentage change in real national income for individual Caribbean states which provides a simple measure of welfare impacts. With some modifications, the model can also be used to consider the effects of single sectoral shocks such as (Land, Labour, Capital and Tourism) on the percentage change in real national income. Ultimately, the model is envisioned as an evolving tool for assessing the impact of climate change in the Caribbean and as a guide to policy responses with respect to adaptation strategies.


This research has shown that features extracted from color skin tumor images by computer vision methods can be reliable discriminators of malignant tumors from benign ones. Reliability was demonstrated by the monotonically increasing success ratios with increasing training set size and by the small standard deviations from the mean success rates. An average success rate of 70 percent in diagnosing melanoma was attained for a training set size of 60 percent. The presence or absence of atypical moles in the training and test sets was shown to have a dramatic impact on the effectiveness of the generated classification rules. This was the case with both AIM and lst-Class, and indicates a high potential for success if a method can be found for discriminating between atypical moles and melanoma. >


The purpose of this analysis is to investigate the characteristics of school infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean, using information from TERCE comparatively around the concepts of sufficiency, equity and effectiveness. We start by enquiring whether the physical spaces where
Latin American children and youth study are adequate and sufficient to ensure learning. Next, we examine how school spaces are distributed, both according to the geographical area of the students and their socioeconomic and cultural status. Finally, we look at the effectiveness of physical resources within schools, that is, the association between physical spaces and learning (using the results of the TERCE tests as proxy).


The project was carried out together with OC Off Course who manufactureand distribute mainly electric bikes.In today's society, alternative sources of transportation becomes more andmore present and several bicycle sharing programs arises in major citiesacross the world every year.Something that doesn't exist too much as of yet is bike sharing programsthat uses electric bikes. An electric bike is a convenient way oftransportation as well as a good way of avoiding traffic. With an electricbike you avoid having to sweat when biking over hills or when you need totravel over longer distances.The goal of this project is to develop a bike sharing station according tothe functions need to be met.This thesis Is based on Fredy Olsson´s methods principkonstruktion aswell as a couple of concept generating methods from Kenneth Osterlin.From this, a number of sketches were made that later was evaluated inseveral steps in conjunction to a set of specifications. A 3D model of theselected concept was later made in CatiaV5 for a complete product.


Acquirers of life settlements or investments linked to them rely on medical underwriters to help assess the mortality risk for each underwritten life. However, for the non-actuary investor, evaluating potential deviations in actual experience from the underwriters' assessment relative to the investors' risk tolerance is a critical challenge. This article provides a framework for the development of a methodology for the investment community to understand potential deviations from expected experience for a life settlement portfolio. When considering an investment in an asset in which cash flows are backed by the economics of life insurance policies, the investor should consider 1) eligibility guidelines for the pool of lives underlying the investment, and 2) expected return on the investment and related risks. Because mortality risk is the primary risk, an understanding of the underwriting process for each individual life insurance policy is a key to analyzing the investment.


This quantitative, cross-sectional research study explored students' perceptions of five different seating styles within typical classrooms in an urban public higher education institution. The five seating styles included: modern mobile chairs; tablet arm chairs; fixed tiered seating with tablet arms; rectangle tables with standard chairs; and trapezoid tables with chairs on casters. To operationalize measurement of student perceptions, the Classroom Seating Rating Scale for Students (CSRS-S) was developed from the classroom and seating design literature to measure the dimensions of Comfort & Space, Learning Engagement, and Interactivity. Across all dimensions, students rated significantly highest the modern mobile chairs and trapezoid tables with chairs on casters, while traditional tablet arm chairs and fixed tiered seating with tablet arms scored lowest. Results indicate the need for campuses to (re)consider the purposes and roles of seating styles within the 21 st century classrooms, with seating selection based on principles of universal design.


Statistical debugging identifies program behaviors that are highly correlated with failures. Traditionally, this approach has been applied to desktop software on which it is effective in identifying the causes that underlie several difficult classes of bugs including: memory corruption, non-deterministic bugs, and bugs with multiple temporally-distant triggers. The domain of scientific computing offers a new target for this type of debugging. Scientific code is run at massive scales offering massive quantities of statistical feedback data. Data collection can scale well because it requires no communication between compute nodes. Unfortunately, existing statistical debugging techniques impose run-time overhead that is unsuitable for computationallyintensive code despite being modest and acceptable in desktop software. Additionally, the normal communication that occurs between nodes in parallel jobs violates a key assumption of statistical independence in existing statistical models. We report on our experience bringing statistical debugging to the domain of scientific computing. We present techniques to reduce the run-time overhead of the required instrumentation by up to 25% over prior work, along with challenges related to data collection. We also discuss case studies looking at real bugs in ParaDiS and BOUT++, as well as some manually-seeded bugs. We demonstrate that the loss of statistical independence between runs is not a problem in practice.


Urban forests are a central element of the urban environment. Improved observations of historic tree cover dynamics are required to better understand how the urban environment changes though time. In this study, satellite remote sensing techniques were applied to observe past variability in tree cover area within the District of Columbia using highly calibrated Landsat data. Validation was performed with data from field surveys and public geospatial data on standing tree cover. Testing of alternate methodologies demonstrated that an approach utilizing support vector regression produced results with greater accuracy across the city when compared to linear spectral mixture analysis. Per-pixel uncertainty remained high using both techniques. Spectral mixture analysis overestimated tree cover in low population density areas and underestimated tree cover in the urban core, while support vector regression provided consistent accuracy across land use types. The consistent reliability allowed results from support vector regression to be used for observing tree cover changes between different land use zones. This will make it possible to identify past tree cover changes in low density residential zones within the District of Columbia. These results provide useful background information for maintenance and resource management as part of efforts to monitor and expand urban tree cover. Further development of these methods may enable their application with archival moderate resolution satellite remote sensing data for other study areas.


This issue of the Oxford Review of Economic Policy is the second in the Rebuilding Macroeconomic Theory project. The papers in the first issue proposed specific improvements to the New-Keynesian Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (NK-DSGE) framework, in response to the events of the 2008 crisis. This issue goes further. We, as editors, now argue that a new multiple-equilibrium and diverse (MEADE) paradigm is needed for macroeconomics. It will emphasize that economies can have more than one stable outcome, and study why. It will require using both toy models, which enable a quick, first-pass, intuitive understanding of a question, and policy models (aka structural economic models) which develop a detailed empirical understanding of the economy. We argue that the seminal IS/LM, Solow–Swan, Ramsey, Real Business Cycle, Taylor, and Clarida/Galí/Gertler models have all been toys, as is the benchmark NK-DSGE model. In the past the models have adapted as the questions changed, and the NK-DSGE model must now do this since it has failed to capture both the salient aspects of the lead-up to the 2008 crisis and the slow recovery afterwards. The way forward in the MEADE paradigm will be to start with simple models, ideally two-dimensional sketches, that explain mechanisms that can cause multiple equilibria. These mechanisms should then be incorporated into larger DSGE models in a new, multiple-equilibrium synthesis. All of this will need to be informed by closer fidelity to the data, drawing on lessons obtained from detailed work on policy models.


This paper addresses the problem of longevity risk — the risk of uncertain aggregate mortality — and discusses the ways in which life assurers, annuity providers and pension plans can manage their exposure to this risk. In particular, it focuses on how they can use mortality-linked securities and over-the-counter contracts — some existing and others still hypothetical — to manage their longevity risk exposures. It provides a detailed analysis of two such securities — the Swiss Re mortality bond issued in December 2003 and the EIB/BNP longevity bond announced in November 2004. It then looks at the universe of hypothetical mortality-linked securities — other forms of longevity bonds, swaps, futures and options — and investigates their potential uses. It also addresses implementation issues, and draws lessons from the experiences of other derivative contracts. Particular attention is paid to the issues involved with the construction and use of mortality indices, the management of the associated credit risks, and possible barriers to the development of markets for these securities. It suggests that these implementation difficulties are essentially teething problems that will be resolved over time, and so leave the way open to the development of flourishing markets in a brand new class of securities.


Contractile properties were determined for fast muscle fibres from short-horn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius L.) ranging from 5 to 35 cm total body length (L) and from 2.0 to 758 g body mass. Maximum unloaded shortening velocity (V0) decreased with increasing body size, scaling as 19.5L-0.34, and isometric twitch activation and tetanus relaxation times became longer, scaling as 12.0L0.31 and 19. 5L0.42 respectively. Myofibrillar Mg2+/Ca2+-ATPase activity scaled as 2.51L-0.28. In order to investigate the mechanisms underlying the scaling of contractile properties, myofibrillar protein composition and I filament lengths were determined. One-dimensional SDS-PAGE and two-dimensional isoelectric focusing/non-equilibrium isoelectric focusing-PAGE revealed no differences in the myofibrillar protein isoforms of myosin light chains, actin, tropomyosin, troponin-T and troponin-C in fish of differing body size. Peptide maps of purified myosin heavy chains digested with eight different proteolytic enzymes were also similar in all fish examined. Three isoforms of troponin-I were present in fish less than 20 cm in total length with relative molecular masses of 17 (TnIf3), 22 (TnIf2) and 23 (TnIf1). The ratio of TnI isoforms varied with body length, and only TnIf3 was present in fish greater than 28 cm total length. The length of I filaments was independent of body length. Thus, although the expression of TnI isoforms changes during growth, the underlying mechanism responsible for increased shortening velocity with decreased body size remains unknown.


In PROC SQL by Example: Using SQL within SAS, author Howard Schreier illustrates the use of PROC SQL in the context of the SAS DATA step and other SAS procedures (such as SORT, FREQ, MEANS, SUMMARY, APPEND, DATASETS, and TRANSPOSE) whose functionality overlaps and complements that of SQL. Using a side-by-side approach, this concise reference guide includes many extensively explained examples showing equivalent DATA step and SQL code, enabling SAS users to take advantage of existing SAS skills and knowledge while learning about SQL. Discussions cover the differences between SQL and the DATA step as well as situations where SQL and the DATA step are used together to benefit from the strengths of each. Topics addressed include working with joins and merges; using subqueries; understanding set operators; using the Macro Facility with PROC SQL; maintaining tables; working with views; using PROC SQL as a report generator; and more. This text is ideal for SAS programmers seeking to add PROC SQL to their SAS toolkits as well as SQL programmers striving to better integrate the SAS DATA step and SQL.


We consider the scattering of optical or electromagnetic waves from perfectly conducting rough surfaces modeled by a multiscale fractal function through the use of the extended boundary condition method. This exact method is developed here through the expansion of the surface field in terms of generalized Floquet modes, which results in a closed-form solution that can be evaluated numerically. The method is validated by comparison with the Kirchhoff (approximate) method in its regime of validity and by calculation of the energy balance parameter.


Religion, nationalism and authority were the traditional pillars of the old state-societies of Western Europe. Three generations ago it was still a sacrilege to critize them. The church sanctified the national community and legitimated the authority (a monarch or an authoritarian leadership). If one of these pillars had been removed, the entire system would have been weakened. During the last four decades these traditional values have declined simultaneously, at different speeds, in all Western European countries, without a single exception. Decline of Religious Beliefs Over the past 30 years a decline in religious beliefs has been observable in all the European countries. In some the erosion in faith had begun even earlier but it has accelerated to such an extent in recent decades that it has become detectable in opinion surveys held at close intervals, whereas previously it was a matter of more gradual trends charted by historical studies over longish periods. A decline in religious belief among the majority of the population is not incompatible with a revival of faith in small communities. These groups may attract the attention of the media with their sometimes spectacular activities but their relative weight in the population is so slight that they fail to show up in a survey based on representative sampling. This analysis relates to mass trends and disregards minor ones. Religious decline is shown clearly in religious practices, in particular celebrating mass and attending certain services. It is a well-known phenomenon and has long been a subject of study, particularly by the clergy themselves. As the sociologist S. Acquaviva has pointed out, it is practice which first declines, and then the beliefs themselves begin to crumble. Between the two types of decline there is a gap which time has not so far closed or narrowed. There is a strong relationship between the attitude toward the church and the religious feelings of the interviewed people. In eleven countries, the majority do not express full confidence in the ecclesiastical hierarchy, for a variety of reasons that cannot be detailed here. This is one of the most astonishing findings in the surveys on values. It raises an embarrassing question: Which is the real audience of the church in Western Europe? The Netherlands, after having been long divided in confessional compartments, has become one of the most agnostic countries in Europe. Similar trends have been observed in Sweden, Germany and Britain. This paper deals with religious beliefs and only infrequently refers to religious practice, about which there is a wealth of literature in almost all European countries. Suffice to note that the statistics available on attendance at mass, baptisms, marriages and religious burials and so on show clearly that the decline in religious practice measured over the last 40-50 years has steepened in recent years. No one can prove that God exists or does not exist. But sociologically it is possible to show whether God is present in or absent from people's minds. Belief in the existence of God is an observable social fact. The simplifying question "Do you believe in God?" elicits a massive majority of affirmative answers. But if people are asked to say where they come on a scale of 1 to 10 as regards the importance of God in their lives we see that it is only for a minority that God has very great importance. God is more or less present, or absent, in most people's minds. For the majority, then, belief in God is relative - neither "yes" nor "no." God may be present in the mind at a time of misfortune or absent at a time of happiness. The International Social Survey Programme found a subtle wording for the question on the perception of God by suggesting six different possibilities: (1) I don't believe in God; (2) I don't know whether there is a God and I don't believe there is any way to find out; (3) I don't believe in a personal God but I do believe in a higher power of some kind; (4) I find myself believing in God some of the time but not at others; (5) While I have doubts, I feel that I do believe in God; and (6) I know God really exists and I have no doubts about it. …


The study aims to investigate the relationship between perceived interactional justice and mass exodus of employees or employee's turnover intentions in the employees of private sector SMEs of Pakistan, while considering the mediating impact role of human dignity/self-interest of employees. Deductive research approach with quantitative methodology is used for conducting this study and responses from 50 employees working in 10 different SMEs located in twin-cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad were obtained through pre-structured questionnaires. Multiple regression and inter-variable correlation analysis were applied for evaluating the relationship between the given variables of the study. SPSS data analysis tool is used for the statistical evaluation of responses obtained from the participants of the study, which are then interpreted and explained under each relevant section. The findings of this study fully supported the conceptual framework by accepting all the three hypothesis of the study. Finally, the researcher has identified certain limitations related to the given evaluation and also provided explanations regarding the possible future implications of the given study, so that the future researcher can use this study as an effective pool of knowledge before starting their respective studies.


Albert Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Thus it is, through our imagination which transcends our knowledge, that the creative process begins.

This book captures the core of creativity in the contemporary teaching and learning domain. By acknowledging the wide range of subjects taught in the Primary, Secondary and PCET Education Sectors, readers are provided with the opportunity to explore the rich variety of creative and innovative approaches which can be applied to the teaching of ordinary and mundane aspects of any discipline. This book acts as a foundation upon which originality can be nourished, by revealing how today's imagination, knowledge and skills can be combined in order to enhance the teaching and learning practices for tomorrow's educational experience.


Cardiac hypertrophy in response to systolic pressure loading frequently results in contractile dysfunction of unknown cause. In the present study, pressure loading increased the microtubule component of the cardiac muscle cell cytoskeleton, which was responsible for the cellular contractile dysfunction observed. The linked microtubule and contractile abnormalities were persistent and thus may have significance for the deterioration of initially compensatory cardiac hypertrophy into congestive heart failure.


At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the traditional periodization of European music between 1700 and 1975——late Baroque; Classical; Romantic; modern——seems increasingly problematic.
 In place of the outmoded concept of "Classical Style" for Viennese music before and after 1800, I suggest "First Viennese Modernism." The argument comprises three stages: 1. A survey of music-historical
 periodizations of the later eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, together with comments on the current status of periodistic thinking in musicology in general. It is argued that with respect to European
 music as a whole, the older sense of "Baroque" lasting until ca. 1750 is untenable; it is better to understand a distinct period ca. 1720-80, centering around the Enlightenment, the galant, the international
 "system" of Italian opera, and (toward the end) the cult of sensibility. The consequence is that the years before and after 1800 must be understood as a period in their own right. 2. An interpretation
 of Viennese music during those years as an "emphatic" modernism. Its continuities with later nineteenth-century music are stressed. Each term in the concept "First Viennese Modernism" is critical: "First,"
 to distinguish it from the Schoenberg school; "Viennese," to distinguish its modest and local origins from its later dominance of the entire European continent; and "modernism," on four grounds: (a) its
 contemporary reception; (b) its status as the earliest repertory to have been cultivated unbroken from its own time to ours; (c) its status as the first autonomous (not primarily mimetic) instrumental music
 and as the earliest self-problematizing music; (d) its participation in the creation of modern (post-revolutionary) history, by means of what is (synecdochically) interpreted as Haydn9s sublime, in the
 Kantian sense. 3. A brief account of the crucial role of the 1790s in these developments, focusing on the complementary achievements of Haydn and Beethoven. For Beethoven, Haydn9s and Mozart9s music
 was, precisely, modern. Together, he and Haydn dominated the Viennese scene, producing ever-more-imposing masterworks in every genre except opera. This explicitly modernist orientation was fostered, if
 not indeed in part created, by their patrons. After 1800 Beethoven maintained and further developed this same tradition. These years "between" Enlightenment and Romanticism were no mere transition; they
 constituted an equally weighty phase, on the same historical-structural "level," as those that preceded and followed it. Concomitantly, Romanticism as such did not become predominant in music until 1815,
 in Viennese music (except for the Lied) perhaps not even until 1828/30. For both reasons, it makes sense to regard the beginning of the music-historical nineteenth century as having been "delayed," until
 around 1815 or 1830.


This article draws on four contrasting cases of value chain development (VCD) in Nicaragua to assess approaches and tools used in design and implementation. We interviewed 28 representatives from the international NGOs leading the interventions, the local NGOs that participated in implementation, principal buyers, and cooperatives. Despite the complexity of market systems, results showed a relatively basic approach to VCD, reflected in: 1) reliance on a single tool for design and implementation; 2) expected outcomes based on technical assistance and training for smallholders and cooperatives; 3) local NGOs and cooperatives with key roles in implementation; and 4) limited engagement with other chain actors, service providers, and researchers. We conclude with a call for a broader approach to VCD, based on a combination of tools to account for multiple, context-specific needs of diverse stakeholders, deeper collaboration between key actors within and outside the value chain, and evidence-based reflection an...


Three successive emergent macrophytes (Typha latifolia L., Phragmites australis (Cav.) Steudel and Glyceria maxima (Hartman) Holmbly) were each grown in substrates collected from three different zones of shoreline vegetation development (non- vegetated sediment, the interface between T. latifolia and P. australis, and degenerating P. australis). The aim of the study was to assess whether accumulation of litter changes growth conditions of P. australis, and to determine its effects on pre- and post successional plant species. The study was carried out by means of pot experiments in a glasshouse. Seedlings of the three species were cultured in fertilized and unfertilized substrates under both waterlogged and drained conditions. In its own litter, growth of P. australis was strongly reduced, compared with the productivity of plants in substrates from preceeding successional stages, and could not be compensated for by fertilization or soil drainage. The redox potential of the substrate was not strongly reduced and the sediment density was well above the critical level. Soil sterilization by gamma- irradiation did not improve growth substantially, although there was some positive effect in unfertilized substrate. Phytotoxic compounds might have caused poor growth of P. australis in its own litter. T. latifolia and G. maxima were relatively less affected by the P. australis litter. The possible importance of litter accumulation on species replacement in shoreline vegetation is discussed. It is concluded that the accumulation of organic matter should be considered as a factor affecting spatio-temporal processes in littoral vegetation owing to its specific impact on the functioning of individual dominant plant species. [KEYWORDS: littoral vegetation; succession; phytotoxins; Phragmites australis; anaerobe decomposition Spartina-alterniflora; soil; marsh; vegetation; sediment; plants; roots; reed; decomposition; netherlands]


No matter which way you look at it, Chiapas is the most backward of any state in Mexico. Its per capita income is the lowest of the 32 federal entities, at barely 40% of the national median (Figure 1). Its growth rate for the decade 2003-2013 was also the lowest (0.2%),1 causing the income gap separating Chiapas from the national average to increase from 53% to 60%. That is to say that today the average income for a worker in Mexico is two and a half times greater than the average in Chiapas. The two next poorest states, Oaxaca and Guerrero, are 25% and 30% above Chiapas.2 According to the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia de Mexico (INEGI, National Institute of Statistics and Geography), Chiapas is also the state with the highest poverty rate (74.7%) as well as extreme poverty (46.7%).3 These major differences in income levels among Mexican federal entities are reproduced as in a fractal within Chiapas. In fact, while the wealthiest entity (Mexico City) is wealthier than the poorest (Chiapas) by a factor of six, the difference within Chiapas between the wealthiest municipality (Tuxtla Gutierrez) and the poorest (Aldama and Mitontic) is by a factor greater than eight.4 As there are different "Mexicos" within Mexico,5 in Chiapas there are also different sorts of Chiapas (Figure 2). Income per capita in Tuxtla Gutierrez, to the right of the distribution, is five standard deviations above the state average. Next comes a series of intermediate cities, San Cristobal de las Casas, Comitan de Dominguez, Tapachula, and Reforma, between two and a half to four standard deviations above the average. The remaining municipalities of Chiapas follow (122 in all), clustered to the far left of the distribution. In addition, both the statistics available at the town level and our visits to various municipalities in Chiapas seem to indicate that significant differences also exist within these municipalities. From this vantage point, questions as to why Chiapas is poor, or what explains its significant backwardness compared to other areas of Mexico, become much more complex. Why do some regions in Chiapas have high income levels, while other regions remain stagnant, fully dependent on federal transfers and deprived from the benefits of modern life? 1 This is the non-oil gross domestic product growth rate reported by INEGI, considered to be more representative of the productive spectrum. In any case, the overall rate of growth in Chiapas (-0.2%) was also the lowest amongst all Mexican entities for the decade. 2 Refers to non-oil GDP; in general terms, Guerrero and Oaxaca are 19% and 16% above Chiapas. 3 Growth figures refer to the decade 2003-2013, poverty figures are those published by INEGI for 2012. 4 Comparisons of Chiapas municipalities are made based on the data from the 10% sample of the 2010 Population Census, which is representative at the state level. 5 This is a reference to the report, A tale of two Mexicos: Growth and prosperity in a two-speed economy, McKinsey Global Institute (2014).


By examining how narrative strategies reinforce or contest deterministic paradigms, this work describes modern Chinese fiction's unique contribution to ethical and literary debates over the possibility for meaningful moral action. How does Chinese fiction express the desire for freedom as well as fears of attendant responsibilities and abuses? How does it depict struggles for and against freedom? How do the texts allow for or deny the possibility of freedom and agency? By analysing discourses of agency and fatalism and the ethical import of narrative structures, the author explores how representations of determinism and moral responsibility changed over the 20th Century. She links these changes to representations of time and to enduring commitments to human-heartedness and social justice. Although Chinese fiction may contain some of the most disconsolate pages in the 20th Century's long literature of disenchantment, it also bespeaks, Knight argues, a passion for freedom and moral responsibility. Responding to ongoing conflicts between the claims of modernity and the resources of past traditions, these stories and novels are often dominated by challenges to human agency. Yet read with sensitivity to traditional Chinese conceptions of moral experience, their testimony to both the promises of freedom and the failure of such promises opens new perspectives on moral agency.


A dynamical description of an abstract cognitive system which should be closer to some cognitive considerations than pure automata or networks of automata is proposed. The system operates "sensory-motor" states, whose components are the state of the environment, its variation and the cerebral motor activity.

The main addition is the introduction of a "conceptual control" that is postulated in order to define a "learning process", which is a set-valued map associating conceptual controls with sensory-motor states.

A learning process must be consistent with a 'recognition mechanism" which determines at each instant the set of possible metaphors, linking the perception of the environment and its variations with conceptual controls, as well as with "viability constraints" describing the consumption of the cognitive system, associating with each state of the environment the set of viable motor activities.

It also has to be consistent with an 'action law", describing the evolution of the state of the environment in terms of the cerebral motor activity, and a "motor activity" law, describing the evolution of the motor activity in terms of the perception of the environment and the conceptual controls. It suggests also that the evolution of a learning process obeys an "inertia principle" which allows to select specific choices of learning procedures.

This paper justifies this approach, which can used to prove mathematically the existence of a largest learning process and of specific "heavy evolutions" obeying an "inertia principle".


Background & Aim: Momordica charantia (Karela) is a well-known medicinal plant with nutritional applications in southeast of Iran. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of fruit powder of Karela on serum malondialdehyde levels in rats fed a high-fat diet. Methods: In this experimental study, 40 male rats randomly divided into 4 groups of 10. Rats in the first group received normal diet and served as negative control group. Also, rats in the second group were treated only with high-fat diet and served as positive control group. The third group received high-fat diet containing 4% of Momordica charantia powder and finally the fourth group received high-fat diet containing 8% of Momordica charantia powder for 30 days. At the end of the study, blood samples were taken from the rats' hearts and serum levels of cholesterol,triglyceride and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined using commercial kits. Results: Serum levels of malondialdehyde had a significant difference in positive control group compared to negative control group (P<0.05). Serum levels of malondialdehyde in Karela-treated groups had a significant reduction compared to the positive control group. Fruit powder of Karela significantly decreased serum levels of cholesterol, trigelyceride and malondialdehyde in rats compared to the positive control group (p<0.05). No significant difference was observed in serum levels of cholesterol,triglyceride and malondialdehyde (MDA) between groups treated with high-fat diet containing 4% and 8% of Fruit powder of Karela (p˃0.05) . Conclusion: Having a diet containing unripe fruit powder of Momordica charantia can decrease lipid peroxidation and oxidative damage.


Newspaper clipping containing several letters to the editor published in a Waco newspaper, starting with a poem from " Portfolio of a Deceased Confederate Soldier " and commentary providing insight on the soldier's life, family, property, and death. Other letters and articles discuss horse thieves that were shot, the Election Law that had recently been passed on the front, with text on the back describing recent events and anecdotes and bounties, with advertisements.