Polynucleotide kinases (PNKs) are crucial enzymes involved in DNA and RNA repair, RNA maturation, as well as in RNA degradation processes. These enzymes have a conserved PNK domain, showing structural homology to the classical fold of P-loop kinases. PNKs catalyse the transfer of the γ-phosphate group of ATP molecule to the 5'-hydroxyl group of polynucleotide substrates. Depending on their in vivo function, PNKs show different substrate specificity. Interestingly, eukaryotic PNKs have recently been identified that specifically phosphorylate RNA substrates. These novel RNA-specific PNKs constitute the Clp1 subfamily of PNKs named after their first identified member. Human Clp1 was shown to participate in various RNA maturation pathways: (i) cleavage and polyadenylation of RNA polymerase II pre-mRNA transcripts, (ii) tRNA-splicing, and (iii) phosphorylation of synthetic siRNAs. Despite extensive studies on Clp1, the structural elements involved in RNA-specificity and the mechanism of the phosphoryl transfer reaction have remained elusive so far.
This thesis, therefore, aims for the structural and functional characterization of the RNA-specific Clp1 PNK. During this work, the three-dimensional structure of Clp1 from Caenorhabditis elegans was described for the first time at atomic resolution. Clp1 is a multi-domain protein that consists of a central PNK domain sandwiched by dditional N- and C-terminal domains. Clp1 was crystallized with various RNA substrates that differ in length and sequence. Based on these results, the structural features of Clp1's RNA-specificity were elucidated. Clp1 uses an "RNA-sensor" that recognizes the 2'-hydroxyl group of the RNA at the ultimate position. Additionally, Clp1 was also crystallized in enzymatically relevant states such as an inhibited substrate bound state, a transition state analog and a product bound state. A general model for enzyme catalysis of PNKs was derived from these structures. In contrast to other described PNKs, Clp1's ATP-binding site within the PNK domain is obstructed by the N-terminal domain. The crystal structures as well as activity assays with truncated variants of Clp1 showed a contribution of the N-terminal domain to ATP-binding by interactions with the nucleobase. The phosphate groups of the ATP molecule are anchored in the active site tunnel, which is formed by the common P-loop motif, a divalent metal cofactor (Mg2+), and an α-helical LID module. Structure-guided mutational analysis identified the essential role of the Walker A lysine for enzyme catalysis. Moreover, Clp1 crystal structures revealed a non-canonical Walker A lysine in an "arrested" conformation that acts as a molecular switch. Activation of the switch is only achieved in the transition state complex. In contrast to other nucleotide kinases, Clp1 seems to apply a substrate-gating mechanism that prevents futile ATP hydrolysis. In this context, the classical Walker A lysine seems to have a so far underestimated regulatory function. Such a molecular switch mechanism of the Walker A lysine is not restricted to Clp1 exclusively, since the PDB database provides a significant number of crystal structures showing a similar "arrested" conformation of the Walker A lysine. Thus, an additional function of the Walker A lysine as a molecular switch in enzyme catalysis is suggested. In conclusion, this thesis provides the first crystal structures of Clp1, elucidating its RNA-specificity as well as the phosphoryl transfer reaction mechanism.


Neuronal gap junction channels containing connexin 36 proteins participate in consolidation of fear memories. The role of chemical synapses in learning and memory in the adult mammalian brain is well established. In contrast, the more rapid neuronal transmission that is mediated by electrical synapses is not fully understood. Using a variety of different manipulations—including fear conditioning, drugs, and electrophysiological recordings—in freely moving rats, Bissiere et al. discovered that blocking neuronal gap junctions containing connexin 36 controls the acquisition and the consolidation of fear memories within the dorsal hippocampus. It appears that interfering with gap junction–mediated neuronal transmission selectively prevented the formation of a memory during aversive experiences such as fear conditioning. S. Bissiere, M. Zelikowsky, R. Ponnusamy, N. S. Jacobs, H. T. Blair, M. S. Fanselow, Electrical synapses control hippocampal contributions to fear learning and memory. Science 331, 87–91 (2011). [Abstract] [Full Text]


AIMS
Patients with heart failure and low income have a high mortality risk. We examined whether lower survival among low-income patients with heart failure could be explained by different use of β -blockers, renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASi), and implanted devices compared with high-income patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS
We linked Danish national registries to identify patients with new-onset heart failure between 2005 and 2016. A total of 18 308 patients was included in the main analysis. We collected information on medical treatment and device therapy after discharge. We investigated the remaining income disparity if everybody had the same probability of treatment as the high-income patients. We used causal mediation analysis to examine to what extent treatment differences mediate the association between income and 1-year mortality in strata defined by sex and cohabitation status. If low-income patients had the same probability of initiating β-blockers and RASi treatment as high-income patients, low-income men who lived alone would increase initiation of treatment by 12.4% (CI: 10.0% to 14.9%) and as a result reduce their absolute 1-year mortality by 1.0% (CI: -1.4% to -0.5%). If low-income patients had the same probability of not having breaks in medical treatment and getting device therapy, as high-income patients, low-income patients would increase the probability of not having breaks in treatment between 1.8% and 5.8% and increase the probability of getting device therapy between 1.0% and 3.8%, across strata of sex and cohabitation status.

CONCLUSION
Lower rates of treatment initiation appear to mediate the poorer survival seen among patients with heart failure and low income, but only in males living alone.


ABSTRACT Gene targeting was used to create mice lacking sperm-associated antigen 6 (Spag6), the murine orthologue of Chlamydomonas PF16, an axonemal protein containing eight armadillo repeats predicted to be important for flagellar motility and stability of the axoneme central apparatus. Within 8 weeks of birth, approximately 50% of Spag6-deficient animals died with hydrocephalus. Spag6-deficient males surviving to maturity were infertile. Their sperm had marked motility defects and was morphologically abnormal with frequent loss of the sperm head and disorganization of flagellar structures, including loss of the central pair of microtubules and disorganization of the outer dense fibers and fibrous sheath. We conclude that Spag6 is essential for sperm flagellar motility and that it is important for the maintenance of the structural integrity of mature sperm. The occurrence of hydrocephalus in the mutant mice also implicates Spag6 in the motility of ependymal cilia.


A multi objective Honey Bee Mating Optimization (HBMO) designed by online learning mechanism is proposed in this paper to optimize the double Fuzzy-Lead-Lag (FLL) stabilizer parameters in order to improve low-frequency oscillations in a multi machine power system. The proposed double FLL stabilizer consists of a low pass filter and two fuzzy logic controllers whose parameters can be set by the proposed multi objective optimization process. A multilayer adaptive network is employed to design the fuzzy logic controller with selflearning capability that does not require another controller to tune the fuzzy inference rules and membership functions. In the proposed online learning algorithm, two artificial neural networks are employed which this system makes the FLL stabilizer adaptive to changes in the operating conditions. Therefore, variation in the power system response, under a wide range of operating conditions, is less compared to the system response with a fixed-parameter conventional controller. The effectiveness of the proposed stabilizer has been employed by simulation studies. The effectiveness of the proposed stabilizer is demonstrated on Two-Area Four-Machine (TAFM) power system under different loading conditions.


The elasticity of minerals is central to our understanding of the structure and properties of the Earth, and other planets. In the last half-century, and in particular within the last 15 years, there have been many new developments in the experimental methods used to determine the elastic properties of minerals. Not only have new techniques become available, but the pressure and temperature ranges over which they can be applied have been greatly extended and the precision and accuracy of the results have been significantly improved. Given these rapid advances in measurement techniques we provide a brief guide to the theory of the elasticity of minerals, and we review and compare the physical principles and the capabilities of the experimental techniques now available.


Written in an informal yet substantive style that is a joy to read, this book provides a uniquely engaging, in-depth introduction to the concepts of quantum physics and their practical implementation, and is filled with clear, thorough explanations that help readers develop insight into physical ideas and master techniques of problem-solving using quantum mechanics. Fully explores the concepts and strategies of quantum mechanics, showing the connections among the physical concepts that govern the atomic and sub-atomic domain of matter, and examining how these concepts manifest themselves in the mathematical machinery of quantum mechanics. Focuses on the explanations and motivations of the postulates that underlie the machinery of quantum mechanics, and applies simple, single-particle systems in one dimension. Illuminates discussions of ideas and techniques with a multitude of examples that show not just the answers but also the reasoning behind them, and adds dimension to the subject with historical, biographical and philosophical references throughout. Designed for a wide range of readers interested in various branches of physics and engineering physics. DOWNLOAD http://ow.ly/ubaW3


A period life table provides an estimate of the probability that a person will die at a particular age. Using data available online, we examine tables of expected years to live for males and females against age for three populations: the United States in 2007, the U.S. at the turn of the twentieth century, and the Roman Empire. Scatter plots of males and females for each population show how life expectancy increases with age (e.g., U.S. 2007: 50 year-old female > 40 year-old female > 45 year-old male). The three data sets allow historical comparisons (e.g., of gender disparity, larger now; of infant mortality, smaller now). Regression lines for the linear portion of the plots (ages 5 to 70) show the annual increase in the years to live (e.g., U.S. 2007: 0.11 years for men, 0.07 years for women). Residual plots show that, even though the coefficients of determination of the line exceed 0.99, a concave-up, decreasing function would be a better model. The residual plots also reveal a curious inflection for the males that is not evident for the females. Such examples from period life tables might be presented in a discussion of life expectancy; alternatively, one or more could add to an introduction to regression, particularly illustrating the value of residual plots in understanding a data set.


Yes and no, or acceptance and refusal, are widespread communicative skills that are common across cultures. Although nodding and shaking the head are common ways to express these seemingly simple responses, these gestures develop later than others such as pointing. We analyzed diary observations from eight infants to investigate the origins of these gestures, why they develop later than other early gestures, and why nodding the head to indicate yes develops later than shaking the head for no. We found that young infants were able to shake their heads side-to-side, but they did not use this movement to communicate refusals at first. Infants had difficulty learning the nodding movement, but they could perform the physical movement before using it to communicate yes. These gestures developed along different trajectories with shaking the head for no emerging between 13 and 15 months and nodding for yes between 16 and 18 months.


The CEO of Enron Gas Services (EGS), a subsidiary of the largest U.S. integrated natural gas firm, considers the risks and opportunities of selling a variety of natural gas derivatives, both embedded in gas delivery contracts and as free-standing financial contracts. In its three years of existence, EGS had been successful by offering buyers and sellers of natural gas a variety of innovative pricing contracts. In order to mitigate the risks of having mismatch between its commitments to buy and sell gas, EGS established a system to decompose all of its commitments into a handful of different risks of exposures. Its centralized risk-management group not only measures the firm's exposures but also enters into financial contracts to offset the exposure brought about by the firm's business activities.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The financial literacy is required as an ability for investor who require making decisions in a complex financial scenario. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigation the effect of human resource's financial literacy and risk attitude on investment motivation in joint venture funds in Iran. METHODS: The present study is descriptive-applied. The data was gathered using the literature review and survey information and data gathering method, was according to semi-structural questionnaire. The population included all individuals and Mutual Funds (MF) investors. The sample size was selected using Morgan table and 384 people. In order to analyze data, SPSS19 statistical method and correlation coefficient test, multivariate regression analysis and determination coefficient (R2) and variance analysis were utilized. FINDING: Generally, the results indicated that the human resource's financial literacy and attitude toward risk has significant influence on investor motivation in joint venture funds in Iran. Because, determination coefficient (R2) resulting from regression suggests that variables related to investors financial literacy (as independent variables included: ability to interact and communication with financial concepts, financial concepts knowledge, skills in managing personal financial affairs, skillful in using appropriate financial decisions, confidence in effective planning for future financial needs, financial literacy in the field of financial jobs, knowledge of statistics and financial mathematics concepts and knowledge of computer concepts) explain 73% of motivation in joint venture funds in Iran (as dependent variable). CONCLUSION: The results showed that human resource's financial literacy and attitude influenced on risk attitude on investment motivation in joint venture funds in Iran. Hence, the outcome can be useful for investors in process of policy makers in joint venture funds from of in Iran. =============================================================================================== COPYRIGHTS: ©2021 The author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, as long as the original authors and source are cited. No permission is required from the authors or the publishers. ===================================================================================================


This publication assesses the potential for deployment of the leading Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) technologies including Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind, Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion across nine Countries of Interest (COI) in the Caribbean region. This is achieved by conducting a technology review, analysing resource levels in each of the COIs, and presenting the outputs of Locational Guidance work identifying preferred areas for potential future project development. This work concludes that MRE can offer a secure supply of indigenous clean energy, that resources are sufficiently abundant to meet the current and future energy demand of each of the COIs many times over, and that the leading MRE technologies are sufficiently advanced to be worthy of immediate prioritisation. This Technical Note draws on and presents outcomes from work undertaken in 2019 as part of a Technical Cooperation Agreement between the IDB and CDB under the Support for Sustainable and Resilient Projects in the Caribbean programme.


What were the twelve labors of Herakles? Why did Zeus turn himself into a shower of gold? What was the name of the guard-dog of the Underworld? Which two-faced Roman god gave his name to the month January? What is the answer to the riddle of the Sphinx? The myths of ancient Greece and Rome are the most dramatic and unforgettable tales of love, war, heroism and betrayal ever told. Whether it's Ikaros flying too close to the sun, Prometheus stealing fire from the gods or the tragedy of Oedipus, their characters have inspired art, literature, plays and films, and constellations named after them fill the night sky. But how much do you really know about them? From the clash of the Titans to the fall of Troy, here are the greatest legends of all time, brilliantly retold by classical scholar Jenny March. All the heroes, monsters, villains, gods and goddesses of classical civilization are included; the epic journeys of Odysseus and Aeneas; the founding of Athens and Rome; the quests of Jason seeking the Golden Fleece and Theseus slaying the minotaur. Giving the origins, development and interpretation of each myth, this is the essential guide to the stories that have shaped our world.


Many medicines in Sub-Saharan Africa lose their effectiveness along the supply chain. Some of the reasons are poor information flows, lack of temperature control systems as well as missing standardized processes including the measurement through performance indicators. Studies from the World Health Organization – executed in 70 countries – report that only 29% of these countries meet the minimum recommended standards for temperature control and levels. In order to meet these challenges, efficient and effective ways need to be found. Frequent power outages, low level of education of personnel and a high rate of warehouses without any ITinfrastructure need to be taken into account. This paper focuses on the usage of Raspberry Pis and Arduino (small, simple and low priced computers) in combination with sensor networking. An in-depth literature analysis as well as an onlocation inspection in Cameroon helped to detect the challenges African health supply chain managers face. The study of the possibilities of a Raspberry Pi in combination with Arduino and sensor networking is currently conducted in order to see if these hardware components could help to improve the cold chain challenges of high priced medicines (e.g. vaccines) in developing countries, e.g. in Sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of our research is to identify a fast, low-cost temperature control system in warehouses in developing countries and health supply chains which is easy to implement, to use, to maintain and works effectively (e.g. fast and reliable).


Energy migration between chromophores plays a prominent role in a range of energy harvesting assemblies. Recent advances in the design and production of light-harvesting polymers have led to the synthesis of novel two-photon absorbing dendrimers. To construct increasingly efficient multifunctional macromolecules of this type, understanding the inherent optical processes and disentangling them has become imperative. This paper explores the fundamental processes by means of which energy transfers from a donor chromophore to an acceptor through two-photon absorption from an input laser beam. It is determined that three distinct classes of mechanism can operate: (i) two-photon absorption by individual chromophores is followed by transfer of the energy to an acceptor group; (ii) a singly excited chromophore is excited to a virtual state by the additional absorption of a photon from the pump radiation field, coupled with resonance energy transfer to the acceptor, or; (iii) two-photon excitation of the acceptor results from acquisition of one quantum of energy from a singly excited neighbour group and another from the throughput radiation. These mechanisms may compete and, in certain cases, lead to manifestations of quantum interference. Generally, the most favoured mechanism is determined by a balance of factors and constraints. Principal amongst the latter are the choice of wavelength (connected with the possibility of exploiting certain electronic resonances, whilst judiciously avoiding others) and the precise chromophore architecture (taking account of geometric factors concerned with the relative orientation of transition moments). As the relative importance of each mechanism determines the key nanophotonic characteristics of the assembly, the principles and results reported here afford the means for expediting highly efficient two-photon energy migration.


Abstract Extending ASP with constraints (CASP) enhances its expressiveness and performance. This extension is not straightforward as the grounding phase, present in most ASP systems, removes variables and the links among them, and also causes a combinatorial explosion in the size of the program. Several methods to overcome this issue have been devised: restricting the constraint domains (e.g., discrete instead of dense), or the type (or number) of models that can be returned. In this paper we propose to incorporate constraints into s(ASP), a goal-directed, top-down execution model which implements ASP while retaining logical variables both during execution and in the answer sets. The resulting model, s(CASP), can constrain variables that, as in CLP, are kept during the execution and in the answer sets. s(CASP) inherits and generalizes the execution model of s(ASP) and is parametric w.r.t. the constraint solver. We describe this novel execution model and show through several examples the enhanced expressiveness of s(CASP) w.r.t. ASP, CLP, and other CASP systems. We also report improved performance w.r.t. other very mature, highly optimized ASP systems in some benchmarks.


: COBIT maturity model is to measure the state where the enterprise currently is, decide where it needs to go, and to measure the progress against that goal. The COBIT maturity model is measuring how well IT processes are managed. The specific models consist of a textual description of the target state for each level. Maturity levels designated by six levels from 0 through 5, there are 0 Non-existent, 1 Initial/Ad Hoc, 2 Repeatable but Intuitive, 3 Defined Process, 4 Managed and Measurable, 5 Optimised. This paper focus at PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) Daop 8 Surabaya. PT KAI Daop 8 Surabaya is one of the Indonesian railway operations area, under the environment of PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero) headed by an Executive Vice President (EVP). The result of this paper is maturity level at PT KAI Daop 8 Surabaya for internal perspective is at Level 3 (3 Defined Process—Procedures have been standardised and documented, and communicated through training. It is mandated that these processes should be followed; however, it is unlikely that deviations will be detected. The procedures themselves are not sophisticated but are the formalisation of existing practices), and for Customer Perspective is at Level 4 (4 Managed and Measurable—Management monitors and measures compliance with procedures and takes action where processes appear not to be working effectively. Processes are under constant improvement and provide good practice. Automation and tools are used in a limited or fragmented way).


The right of a person to a fair trial is absolute. This right has a long democratic history, without which no democratic society can be imagined. Without this constitutional scope, the right to a fair trial is the basis for the sustainable development of society, as it ensures legal stability. Litigation in the cassation instance is on the top of right-to-court pyramid. The cassation instance is the last instance in the national judicial system, the decisions of the cassation instance are not subject to appeal; secondly, the court ruling in the cassation instance constitute case law, which is an important auxiliary source of law. This confirms that litigation in the cassation instance is one of the most important tools in securing the right to have a court hearing. The extent of the quality of the legal framework regulating cassation litigation points to the right to a fair trial overall. The study focuses on the issues of cassation litigation. The issues of the right of parties to file a cassation appeal (cassation protest) in civil and criminal cases as well as the jurisdiction of the court in deciding the admissibility of a cassation appeal (cassation protest) are analyzed within the multidisciplinary perspective. The aim of the research is to study the legal framework, which determines the right of a party to submit a cassation appeal (cassation protest) in civil and criminal case in the context of court jurisdiction, when deciding on whether to adopt it in order to make proposals for enhancement of the legal framework. There were used the descriptive, analytical and deduction-induction methods as well as the methods of interpretation of legal norms. Using these methods, legislation and the views of legal scholars were analyzed, and conclusions were drawn.


An intensive dialogue between US, German and other European scholars on topics of didaktik and curriculum took place during 1990s. Here, we review this dialogue and extend it into current post-2000 conversations to examine how the two education traditions are being affected by global trends in education. We employ content analysis to examine publications that derived from previous curriculum-didaktik dialogue as well as recent education policy documents and education developments in U.S. and Germany, as two core curriculum and didaktik countries respectively. Then, we exemplify the initial state and the identified changes through two logical models, which compare and contrast didaktik and curriculum theory as two educational policy systems. The results point to two key educational changes, namely the introduction of common core educational standards, i.e. national educational standards in the U.S. and introduction of external assessments in Germany. While curriculum and didaktik still hold to their traditional conceptualizations of the field, we conclude that to some extent both traditions are moving towards one another as a result of global education trends such as international assessments and the coordination of teaching and learning around research-based learning trajectories and learning progressions, in math education and science education, respectively.


Experiments performed at the University of Missouri-Rolla's Waterjet Laboratory have demonstrated clearly the ability of waterjets to disaggregate, in a single step, four different mineral ores, including ores containing iron, lead and copper products. The study focused mainly on galena-bearing dolomite, a lead ore, and compared the new technology with that of traditional mining and milling to liberate the valuable constituent for the more voluminous host rock. The technical term for the disintegration of the ore to achieve this liberation is comminution. The potential for energy savings if this process can be improved, is immense. Further, if this separation can be made at the mining face, then the potential energy savings include avoidance of transportation (haulage and hoisting) costs to move, process and store this waste at the surface. The waste can, instead, be disposed into the available cavities within the mine. The savings also include the elimination of the comminution, crushing and grinding, stages in the processing plant. Future prototype developments are intended to determine if high-pressure waterjet mining and processing can be optimized to become cheaper than traditional fragmentation by drilling and blasting and to optimize the separation process. The basic new mining process was illustrated in testsmore » on two local rock types, a low-strength sandstone with hematite inclusions, and a medium to high-strength dolomite commonly used for construction materials. Illustrative testing of liberation of minerals, utilized a lead-bearing dolomite, and included a parametric study of the optimal conditions needed to create a size distribution considered best for separation. The target goal was to have 50 percent of the mined material finer than 100 mesh (149 microns). Of the 21 tests that were run, five clearly achieved the target. The samples were obtained as run-of-mine lumps of ore, which exhibited a great deal of heterogeneity within the samples. This, in turn, reduced the ability to apply detailed statistical tests to the product outcomes. Nonetheless, a regression analysis showed that operating pressures between 105 (10,000psi) and 140 (15,000psi) MegaPascals (MPa) at traverse speeds no greater than 10 cm/min (4 in/min), best generated the target result. Variation in other parameters, rotation speed, nozzle diameter, and nozzle separation angle, during the preliminary tests did not substantially change the product, and so were kept fixed during the ore mining tests. The experimental protocols were developed to include proper treatment of the lead-bearing materials, which may be considered hazardous. In anticipation of the creation of a mineral processing design for separation of the concentrates from the tailings (waste), assays were made of the metal content of each screen size for each of the 21 runs; with three screens and a pan for undersize, to give a total of 84 assays. This information will enable Dr. McNulty, project consultant, to create a flow sheet for the prototype mining machine. As a preliminary component to such a system, the experimental layout included a product-recovery system that delivered all of the fragmented product to the nest of screens which allowed study of the liberation at the different size levels. Where incomplete liberation is found, a secondary process was demonstrated for using pressurized cavitation to further comminute the material. This concept was successfully demonstrated, with a small cavitation chamber illustrating the much smaller space that such a tool requires, relative to conventional ball and rod mills. Additional testing is ongoing, external to this program, to find whether an one-step process using higher jet pressures and longer dwell times to achieve all the required comminution in mining, is more efficient than a two-step process in which normal jet pressures and feed rates do the initial mining, but full particle liberation is achieved only through secondary processing of the product in a cavitation chamber. Subsequent testing is also planned, to determine preferred methods for separating ore minerals from the waste. Tests with this system have included both the galena samples, and copper ores from Poland. The development of this tool lies within an expanding market for the use of high-pressure waterjet equipment across a broad spectrum of applications. As the industry develops new tools, it is anticipated that the research team will investigate the development of a prototype machine based on these tools, since this will simplify and speed up equipment development. It is hoped that once this is developed that can be taken into an active mine. Such a machine should be able to produce large enough samples to allow assessment of optimal operating conditions.« less


This study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) examines students' learning goals and attitudes toward mathematics in a first-year calculus course in undergraduate engineering education. Achievement motivation research using the Achievement Goal Questionnaire (AGQ) is advanced from current literature with two additions: (1) a course specific context using introductory college calculus students, and (2) participation of Norwegian students. Preand posttest measures of attitudes indicate that students do change learning goals over time, unfortunately opposite to the instructors' aspirations. A significant increase in "Mastery Avoidance" and "Work Avoidance" was accompanied with a drop in "Mastery Approach" and "Performance Approach". Variables such as value, motivation and enjoyment decreased along with a significant drop in self-confidence.


Through the combination of cheaply synthesized structural fragments, spiro[fluorene-9,9′-xanthene] – otherwise termed low-cost spiro – and cyanopyridone, herein we report a new, three-dimensional, small molecule non-fullerene electron acceptor, (5Z,5′Z,5′′E,5′′′E)-5,5′,5′′,5′′′-((((S)-spiro[fluorene-9,9′-xanthene]-2,2′,7,7′-tetrayl)tetrakis(thiophene-5,2-diyl))tetrakis(methaneylylidene))tetrakis(4-methyl-1-octyl-2,6-dioxo-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine-3-carbonitrile) [A1], which was synthesized for use in solution-processable bulk-heterojunction devices and was fully characterized by proton and carbon NMR spectroscopies together with elemental analysis. A1 was synthesized by a facile synthetic methodology using a Knoevenagel condensation reaction and was found to be highly soluble in a variety of common processing solvents such as chloroform and o-dichlorobenzene. Owing to its envisioned design, A1 displayed promising optoelectronic properties, and energy levels complementing those of the conventional donor polymers poly(3-hexylthiophene) [P3HT] and poly({4,8-bis[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl}{3-fluoro-2-[(2-ethylhexyl)carbonyl]-thieno[3,4-b]thiophenediyl}) [PTB7]. Given its energy levels, solubility and excellent film forming capability, A1 was used in bulk-heterojunction devices as an n-type semiconducting component. The device performances [D :  A 1 : 1.2 = 5.84% (P3HT); 7.21% (PTB7)] validated the design and use of A1 as an efficient non-fullerene acceptor.


Law is the expression of an artificial logic, and this is particularly evident in the field of substantive criminal law. Rules of law, and particularly those relating to criminal law, seldom, if ever, consist entirely of a purely logical application of a premise. There is always a tension between two forces: namely, first, abstract theory, adherence to legal dogma or systematic reasoning; and, secondly, the concrete or practical demands of social reality, pragmatism or policy considerations.
This tension is largely also a tension between subjectivism and objectivism. By 'subjectivism' is meant the approach to criminal liability which places the emphasis on the subjective considerations pertaining to the individual offender, and by 'objectivism' the approach which emphasises the expectation of society that the conduct of individuals should conform to certain basic standards, in order to ensure that society operates peacefully and that justice between individuals or between an individual and the state is upheld.
The purpose of this chapter is to consider some of the most important points of tension between legal theory and policy considerations within the framework of the general principles of South African criminal law. Most topics deal with aspects of the culpability element, because it is in this element of liability that the debate between subjectivism and objectivism is particularly evident. Subjectivism often flows from the dictates of criminal-law theory, and objectivism often, if not mostly, from policy considerations. The tension between subjectivism and objectivism is particularly evident in the rules relating to the defence of provocation. The recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal in Eadie highlights this tension. Later in this chapter this decision will come under close scrutiny.
Up to around 1950, subjective considerations pertaining to criminal liability played a subordinate role in the construction of criminal liability in South Africa. The subjective test for intention only developed in the course of the 1950s. From about this period it became clear that the courts regarded the test for determining intention to be purely subjective: in murder cases, for example, the question was no longer whether a reasonable person in the position of the accused would have foreseen that the act might lead to the victim's death, but whether the particular accused, in the light of all his personal characteristics such as intelligence or lack thereof, degree of intoxication, any possible degree to which he might have been provoked, his age and sex, had in fact appreciated the possibility that death might ensue.


High Integrity in Sensor Networks studies the effect of compromised data on sensor network data analysis and data fusion algorithms. We are at the start of a study to better understand the compromised data itself so that we can model it in such a way to characterize this affect on analysis. The accelerated life experiment we describe here was instrumented to see how the accuracy of a temperature and humidity sensor changes across mote and sensor systems and across time as the battery dies. We found that the error in the measurements was stable over time, but the bias in the measurements varied greatly across the motes. The experiment gave us more information on the important variables to include in calibration function, so that we can estimate the true measured value from the reported value of the sensor.


Banks that enjoyed generous external financial support tended to under-price risk in the international syndicated loan market and did not show signs of innovation in their loan participations. Loans arranged by such banks had on average lower spreads (controlling for risk and other characteristics) and these banks retained loans that were on average priced below market. When supported banks' investment strategy differed materially from that of the average bank it was in holding less specialised portfolios, in aligning more closely with market trends, and in exhibiting lower persistence in their sectoral allocations.


The subunit composition and pharmacological regulation of rat neuronal nicotinic cholinergic receptors were assessed. Specific immunoprecipitation was determined in solubilized rat brain homogenates using [3H]cytisine, a high affinity agonist at nicotinic receptors, in conjunction with polyclonal antisera generated against nonhomologous domains of the various subunits comprising this receptor class. In all brain regions tested, only antisera generated against the alpha 4 and beta 2 subunits were able to immunoprecipitate specifically receptors labeled by [3H]cytisine. Thus, these sera were further characterized in order to validate and optimize their use in the immunoprecipitation protocol. Preincubation of solubilized receptors from rat forebrain with antisera generated against the alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 5, beta 3, or beta 4 subunits did not decrease the amount of precipitable alpha 4 or beta 2 subunit. On the other hand, when either anti-alpha 4 or anti-beta 2 serum was used to immunoprecipitate solubilized receptors from rat forebrain, the supernatants contained little if any remaining receptors that could be specifically precipitated by either antibody. Because these antisera do not cross-react, the data indicate that alpha 4 and beta 2 subunits are associated with each other in at least one neuronal nicotinic receptor subtype that has high affinity for agonists. Moreover, these results imply that all alpha 4 subunits that are labeled by [3H]cystisine are coupled to beta 2 subunits. We also present evidence that the alpha 4/beta 2 subtype characterized in this report is significantly increased in the cortex of rats chronically treated with nicotine.


The Sun as climate driver is repeatedly discussed in the literature but proofs are often weak. In order to elucidate the solar influence, we have used a large number of temperature proxies worldwide to construct a global temperature mean G7 over the last 2000 years. The Fourier spectrum of G7 shows the strongest components as ~1000-, ~460-, and ~190 year periods whereas other cycles of the individual proxies are considerably weaker. The G7 temperature extrema coincide with the Roman, medieval, and present optima as well as the well-known minimum of AD 1450 during the Little Ice Age. We have constructed by reverse Fourier transform a representation of G7 using only these three sine functions, which shows a remarkable Pearson correlation of 0.84 with the 31-year running average of G7. The three cycles are also found dominant in the production rates of the solar-induced cosmogenic nuclides C and Be, most strongly in the ~190 year period being known as the De Vries/Suess cycle. By wavelet analysis, a new proof has been provided that at least the ~190-year climate cycle has a solar origin.


Over the past thirty years, the activities of the Federal Reserve System have undergone major change. Public interest and confidence in monetary policy have grown immensely. Low inflation has emerged, if not as the primary objective of monetary policy, at least as a more central focus than it was thirty years ago. The Federal Reserve System has also undergone changes. Reserve Banks now charge for many of their financial services, rather than providing them free to banks that are System members. Placed in competition with commercial banks in providing financial services, Reserve Banks have striven to be more efficient, more responsive, and more innovative. At the same time, Reserve Banks have played increasingly active and increasingly visible roles in their communities and their Districts, providing economic expertise and civic leadership. ; Frank Morris, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston from 1968 to 1988, was a key contributor to all these developments. His influence was felt most strongly in the conduct of monetary policy, in the evolution of the payments system, and in shaping the role that Reserve Banks play in their regions. Accordingly, this conference in his honor focused on these three areas and on the developments that have occurred since 1968 and the prospects and challenges ahead. Three sessions addressed issues in monetary policy, and one each tackled payments and the role of the regional Reserve Banks.


Hotels around the world have risen to the challenge of improving their sustainability and reducing their carbon footprint. Although many groups and customers are demanding sustainability, hotel operators are concerned about whether sustainable hotels increase or decrease their rates and bookings. To answer the question of whether going green hurts or helps revenues, this study used data provided by Sabre to determine the effect on bookings of widespread advertising of eco-certified hotels. Sabre's Travelocity site uses an ecofriendly hotel label to flag hotels that have earned any of a dozen environmental certifications, including LEED and EnergyStar. Based on an analysis of millions of individual bookings in over 3,000 eco-certified hotels (and a comparison group of 6,000 properties), the study finds that, on average, booking revenue neither increased nor decreased for the certified hotels. While this study doesn't address the situation of any individual hotel, we can conclude that going green is compatible with existing quality standards of hotel service, and that advertising green status doesn't hurt a hotel's revenues. Earning a green certification does not automatically result in a large revenue bump nor a revenue fall. In short, green is not a "silver bullet" strategy. Finally, although the average effect is revenue neutral, individual properties have widely varied experiences with ecocertification, depending on their individual situation.


This article analyzes the power of the President to create federal law on the foundation of the executive's status as the constitutional representative of the United States in foreign affairs. Executive branch advocates have claimed such a power throughout constitutional history. Recent events also have revived this constitutional controversy with particular vigor. In specific, President Bush recently issued a surprise "Determination" which asserted that the implied executive powers of Article II of the Constitution permit the President to enforce in domestic law the obligations owed to foreign states under international law. The article first sets the legal and factual context for the lawmaking powers of the President in foreign affairs. After a brief review of President's constitutional powers in foreign affairs, it reviews the historical assertions of executive lawmaking authority over foreign affairs lawmaking. The initial part of the article then examines the recent revival of the controversy by the Bush Administration in its claim to a unilateral, discretionary power to define and enforce international law. The article then develops three core principles of executive lawmaking on the foundation of the formal foreign affairs obligations of the United States. Briefly, these three principles hold: (1) that the Constitution does not vest in the President a general lawmaking authority in foreign affairs, even to enforce formal rights or obligations owed to other states under international law; (2) that the President nonetheless may obtain such a power through an express or implied delegation from Congress, including through the vehicle of a treaty; and (3) that the Constitution itself delegates to the President certain powers in foreign affairs, but the domestic incidents of these powers are both few and limited, and must yield to congressional power in any event.


ABSTRACT This paper theorises film festivals as distribution circuits, positioning film festivals in the broader cinema ecology to assess their role in delivering local films to local audiences. Recasting current research trends into film festivals through the lens of distribution enables us to see how festivals function as more than another exhibition screen – as a type of distributor. I offer a case study of Sydney Film Festival to explore the following research questions: What is the distributive function and nature of film festivals for Australian films? What happens to local titles following their festival runs? How can we explain the gap between Australian films' continued popularity at film festivals and their continued under-performance in the rest of the marketplace? In answering these questions, this article demonstrates how film festivals have become crucial to both the Australian film industry and the cinema industry at large over the last 10 years, to the point that they have almost replaced the art-house circuit and come to provide an essential, highly specialised distribution channel for small to medium budget films. For this reason, I argue that material and economic drivers are as essential to the current boon in film festivals as cultural ones, and that the film festival circuit has not been able to address the problem of distribution for auteurist, independent and art cinema in an age of digitisation. I present evidence that localises, concretises and specifies festival research, suggesting the major festivals in Australia are an increasingly discrete and self-contained distribution sector within the wider cinema ecology, which has significant implications for theorisations of festivals as feeders for theatrical circuits.


Abstract. The increasing diversity and resolution of spatially
distributed data on terrestrial systems greatly enhance the potential of
hydrological modeling. Optimal and parsimonious use of these data sources
requires, however, that we better understand (a) which system characteristics
exert primary controls on hydrological dynamics and (b) to what level of
detail do those characteristics need to be represented in a model. In this study we develop and test an approach to explore these questions
that draws upon information theoretic and thermodynamic reasoning, using
spatially distributed topographic information as a straightforward example.
Specifically, we subdivide a mesoscale catchment into 105 hillslopes and
represent each by a two-dimensional numerical hillslope model. These
hillslope models differ exclusively with respect to topography-related
parameters derived from a digital elevation model (DEM); the remaining setup and
meteorological forcing for each are identical. We analyze the degree of
similarity of simulated discharge and storage among the hillslopes as a
function of time by examining the Shannon information entropy. We
furthermore derive a "compressed" catchment model by clustering the
hillslope models into functional groups of similar runoff generation using
normalized mutual information (NMI) as a distance measure. Our results reveal that, within our given model environment, only a portion
of the entire amount of topographic information stored within a digital
elevation model is relevant for the simulation of distributed runoff and
storage dynamics. This manifests through a possible compression of the model
ensemble from the entire set of 105 hillslopes to only 6 hillslopes, each
representing a different functional group, which leads to no substantial
loss in model performance. Importantly, we find that the concept of
hydrological similarity is not necessarily time invariant. On the contrary,
the Shannon entropy as measure for diversity in the simulation ensemble
shows a distinct annual pattern, with periods of highly redundant
simulations, reflecting coherent and organized dynamics, and periods where
hillslopes operate in distinctly different ways. We conclude that the proposed approach provides a powerful framework for
understanding and diagnosing how and when process organization and
functional similarity of hydrological systems emerge in time. Our approach
is neither restricted to the model nor to model targets or the data source
we selected in this study. Overall, we propose that the concepts of
hydrological systems acting similarly (and thus giving rise to redundancy)
or displaying unique functionality (and thus being irreplaceable) are not
mutually exclusive. They are in fact of complementary nature, and systems
operate by gradually changing to different levels of organization in time.


With a set of material parameters and a material model called engineering model of hygrothermal material characteristics, both proposed in (Scheffler, 2004), the material functions used for input to hygrothermal building component simulation programs can be adjusted. Using inverse identification of functional parameters by simulation of laboratory experiments, the model is calibrated to reproduce measured water uptake and drying curves. The developed material functions contain an approach to describe the liquid water conductivity of building materials. In addition, moisture storage data approximated by a GAUSSian functional approach, showing sufficient flexibility in the whole moisture range, is available. There with the derivative of the moisture retention curve is known at high precision and the liquid water diffusivity can be derived, too. There exists a wide interest in applicable material functions based on literature data. But literature reviews of hygrothermal material parameters often yield incomplete datasets and experimentally determined curves are lacking or are available at lower accuracy only. Different authors introduced several diffusivity approaches requiring less input parameters for description of liquid water transport in building materials. These models are evaluated by means of diffusivity data derived from the calibrated liquid water conductivity function of the engineering model. A selection of four accurately measured materials is used for this investigation. The investigation is based on controlled laboratory data of high resolution. With the knowledge gained from this study, the uncertainties in interpretation of incomplete datasets frequently encountered in literature reviews shall be reduced.


SUMMARY Ho et al (2018) tackle a controversial and sensitive issue on which clinicians and the public have strong, often irreconcilable views, fuelled by their own experiences and political positions about the causes, consequences and necessary responses to political violence. This commentary explores some of the assumptions and uncertainties they present, as well as the framing of their position. DECLARATION OF INTEREST None.


This paper compares two general methods of privatization social security: forced participation in the new privatized system vs. letting people choose between the new system or staying in social security (i.e., opting out). Simulations are performed using a large scale perfect-foresight OLG simulation model that incorporates both intra-generational and inter-generational heterogeneity. The decision of any agent to opt out is endogenous and depends on the opting out decisions of all other agents vis-…-vis factor prices. Various tax bases are considered in financing the transition path, as well as the perceived tax-benefit linkage due to the informational problems inherent in many social security systems. We consider two cases: full and no perception Both methods of privatizing social security lead to large long- run gains for all lifetime income classes despite the intra-generational progressivity of social security, but differ in their short run effects due to adverse selection associated with opting out. Adverse selection is a key reason why many economists oppose opting out and why many plans to privatize social security systems mandate participation. This paper, however, shows this wisdom to be wide of the mark. Opting out is better at protecting the welfare of the initial elderly, even though forced participation protects their real value of social security benefits because opting out continues to collect payroll tax revenue from those who stay with social security. Opting out can mean quicker transition paths by reducing social security wealth faster than forced participation, because many will forfeit their accrued claims as the price of opting out. Yet opting out, along with a decrease in the payroll tax rate is better at shifting the burden to future workers who benefit from privatization.


Ransomware attacks – in contrast to other cyber attacks – must not be detected and especially not blocked or recovered on first sight. This relaxation is supported by the rareness of ransomware attacks. Certainly, the uprising of ransomware families, which are able to circumvent the detection mechanism, integrated into the local machine, prevents the approaches from taking advantage of the relaxation. Justified by the attack isolation, the move to the personal cloud storage is the reasonable way to gain as much as possible of the relaxation, the perfect protection of false positives and the simplified recovery. In this paper we investigate different ransomware families – with the help of realworld malware samples – to formulate a taxonomy of requirements for operation classes and indicator categories. Additionally, we propose an approach which moves the ransomware detection from the local system to the personal cloud storage. Utilizing the file versioning of the cloud storage, we can delay the recovery and reliably perform our content-based, metadata-based and behaviour-based analysis in combination with the 'guilt by association' assumption to improve the false positive rate. The new burden for the end-user is the responsibility of supervising the recovery; but the responsibilities are supported by the simplified recovery – offering the classification information – allowing the user to make a qualified decision and release the user from fighting with false classified operations. In summary, this leads to an improvement in the aspects of detection quality, usability and reliable recovery.


G protein βγ subunits have potential as a target for therapeutic treatment of a number of diseases. We performed virtual docking of a small-molecule library to a site on Gβγ subunits that mediates protein interactions. We hypothesized that differential targeting of this surface could allow for selective modulation of Gβγ subunit functions. Several compounds bound to Gβγ subunits with affinities from 0.1 to 60 μM and selectively modulated functional Gβγ-protein-protein interactions in vitro, chemotactic peptide signaling pathways in HL-60 leukocytes, and opioid receptor–dependent analgesia in vivo. These data demonstrate an approach for modulation of G protein–coupled receptor signaling that may represent an important therapeutic strategy.


In 1999, Gail Simone circulated a list of female comic book characters who had been "depowered, raped, or cut up and stuck in the refrigerator," sparking a dialogue about gender and comic book culture that continues today. In particular, 2011 and 2012 have been marked by an exponential growth in conversations and criticisms surrounding the state of women in comics, both as producers and consumers. Through a survey of how scholars have gendered comic book readership, an overview of recent incidents that have renewed concern about women in comics, and an analysis of one transformative intervention in the wake of these conversations, this essay broadly discusses the relative invisibility of female comic book fans as a market segment and how fangirls are actively striving to become a visible and vocal force within comic book culture. This essay suggests that we are currently witnessing a transformative moment within comic book industry, comic book fandom, and comic book scholarship, in which gender is one of the primary axes of change.


A semi‐continuous formulation is introduced for finding bases that minimise the error in a specific output functional of a reduced‐order model. The formulation is advantageous in that it can be used with arbitrary reference data and can be easily applied to nonlinear models and functionals. A general description of the approach is given; then, explicit formulations are derived for the advection‐diffusion and Burgers' equations. Numerical results are given for both linear and nonlinear functionals. These show substantial reductions in error when compared with POD modes, depending on the functional considered. The optimisation of bases for a reduced‐order model using an approximated governing equation is also described, for which large increases in accuracy are obtained relative to POD modes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


This project is an exploration of a research question in the environmental and economic domains. This project's intent is to explore a multi-objective optimization of the placement and installation of solar panels by analyzing the quantum of their energy production and the economic value of this energy for the grid. This is an idea that has received a considerable amount of attention in the literature. We build on this research by widening the scope of previous studies and incorporating other factors such as the stochastic aspects of weather and performance, price dynamics, terrain and urban influence, among others. In this report we do some observations about different parameters that have an influence on the production of the panel first and then on the economic part. The work focus on the following parameters: - The orientation of the panel in terms of tilt (vertical angle from horizontal position) and orientation (horizontal angle from North) obviously has a critical influence of the amount of production; what will be the optimal angles such that the production is optimized? - The location may have an influence on the production but in witch way; does close location in term of weather will produce at the same efficiency? - The technology may have a small impact on the production; what will be the main difference between a given technology and another? - The set-up of the panel will change the production as well and it is said to be really relevant in term of production; what will be the difference between a panel close to the roof to another free standing and ventilated? After having analyzed all those parameters in term of production, we investigate the relevance of our observations in term of financial yield. In order to answer those questions, we proceed with the approach: 1. Description of the technical aspects of energy production of a PV panel submitted to solar radiation a. Calculation of the raw irradiance on a tilted plane b. Calculation of panel efficiency itself for some given situations 6 EPFL 2. Description of the economic aspects of energy production and pricing 3. Optimization of the PV panel production through optimization of Tilt and Orientation angles 4. Optimization of the PV panel financial yield through the study of the effective cost of the installation for different economic scenarios. 5. Presentation analysis of the results and discussion


Intra-national conflicts with racial or ethnic elements can complicate post-war reconciliation. From 1992 to 1995, much of the former Yugoslavia, a nation largely drawn from three distinct ethnic groups, was embroiled in such a conflict. After the signing of the Dayton Peace Accord, it was feared that schools would become a surrogate battlefield for school-aged children within the newly created nation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Group threat theory and the imbalance of power thesis provide differing views on such conflicts. Group threat theory posits that as a population – in this case a school – approaches maximum ethnic diversity, the residents – in this case the students – will feel increasingly threatened, resulting in higher cross-group victimizations. The imbalance of power thesis suggests that a group's decision to victimize another group depends on the relative lack of ethnic diversity: the extent to which one ethnic group dominates a school, the likelihood of victimization of any smaller groups increases. We explore which of these two theories best explains victimization levels within a sample of 2003 school-aged BiH adolescents born in areas dominated by Muslim Bosnians, Eastern Orthodox Serbians, or Roman Catholic Croatians. We find that there is an ethnic component to victimizations: students born in Serbia face higher levels of victimization than do their Bosnian-born counterparts under conditions that fit better with group threat theory than the imbalance of power thesis. We speculate about the significance of these findings for national ethnic harmony in BiH.


© 2016 by ASME. The secondary flow increases the loss and changes the flow incidence in the downstream blade row. To prevent hot gases from entering disk cavities, purge flows are injected into the mainstream in a real aero-engine. The interaction between purge flows and the mainstream usually induces aerodynamic losses. The endwall loss is also affected by shedding wakes and secondary flow from upstream rows. Using a series of eddy-resolving simulations, this paper aims to improve the understanding of the interaction between purge flows, incoming secondary flows along with shedding wakes and mainstream flows on the endwall within a stator passage. It is found that for a blade with an aspect ratio of 2.2, a purge flow with a 1% leakage rate increases loss generation within the blade passage by around 10%. The incoming wakes and secondary flows increase the loss generation further by around 20%. The purge flow pushes the passage vortex further away from the endwall and increases the exit flow angle deviation. However, the maximum exit flow angle deviation is reduced after introducing incoming wakes and secondary flows. The loss generation rate is calculated using the mean flow kinetic energy equation. Two regions with high loss generation rate are identified within the blade passage: The corner region and the region where passage vortex interacts with the boundary layer on the suction surface. Loss generation rate increases dramatically after the separated boundary layer transitions. Since the endwall flow energizes the boundary layer and triggers earlier transition on the suction surface, the loss generation rate close to the endwall at the trailing edge is suppressed.


Two methods were established for the detection and estimation
of low levels of some of the spoilage fungi which are responsible
for severe crop losses during storage under tropical conditions.
The fungi examined produce the enzyme pectinesterase
(EC.184.108.40.206) and both methods described, made use of this fact.
A modification of the Most-Probable-Number technique (used
for estimating Coliform bacteria in liquid samples) was utilized and
this enabled low numbers of Aspergillus flavus to be detected and
estimated within 18 hours. This method was based on the use of a
medium supplemented with pectin in which the pectinesterase produced
by the fungus, hydrolyses the ester linkages of the pectin to produce
methanol and polygalacturonic acid. This results in pH depression
of the medium causing an indicator-dye to change colour. Counts by
this method were generally higher than traditional Surface and Pour
Plate methods but the method has the advantage of being capable of
accommodating large sample volumes.
In the course of the MPN work it was found that the amount of
methanol liberated varied with the size of the spore inoculum. A
dialysis-cell procedure was developed for the removal of the methanol
from the medium followed by its estimation by Gas Liquid Chromatography
and this formed the basis of the second method.
A relationship Y = ce -s/x was established; where y = log 10
of initial spore number/ml OR dry weight of spore material (mg/ml),
x =amount of methanol (~g/ml) released after a fixed incubation
time (15 hours) and c, e and e are constants.
Linearization of this function resulted in a straight line
relationship between spore numbers/ml of inoculum and methanol
production (R = -0.963). When dry weight of spores was plotted
against methanol production a better correlation (R = -0.988)
was obtained.
Either of these plots when used as a calibration graph
enabled the detection and estimation of spores of some spoilage
fungi belonging to the Aspergillus and Penicillium groups in the
range 20 - 106 spores/ml within 20 hours. The accuracy obtained was
comparable to traditional standard plating methods.
The spoilage Yeast strains examined did not obey the above
relationship, neither could a generalized equation be produced
solely for the yeasts.


By making the most of the versatility that the Internet provides, and following the latest guidelines developed by the European Union through the Inspire and PSI Directives, the Spanish Geographical Institute has been undertaking in the last few years the release of geographic information in a free and interoperable way. Essential factors for this task are both creating metadata to describe and better use that information, and applying standards, both in the data model and in the web services. In this piece of work we will explain the application of these principles on the historical information held in the Technical Archive of the Spanish Geographical Institute. We will present the recent publication of 120,000 metadata records described as ISO (NEM model), which can be accessed through an Inspire compliant discovery service. This service is interrogated by an open source software catalogue client developed by the Spanish Geographical Institute.


In the article it is argued that, contrary to what prominent animal law scholars such as Gary Francione claim, we have decided to criminalize harm to animals primarily because we are concerned about the wellbeing of such creatures, not because doing so furthers some other human interest. I do so in four parts. Part I provides a brief historical analysis of animal cruelty laws that will show that, although many of these statutes were originally enacted as a way to protect private property, there has been a marked trend, specially in recent times, to punish animal cruelty regardless, and some-times despite, the property interests involved. In Part II, the notions of harm, victimhood and consent will be explored in order to lay the groundwork for the claims that will be put forth in the remainder of the article. In light of the issues that animal cruelty statutes raise, particular attention will be paid to discussing John Stuart Mill's and H.L.A. Hart's conception of the harm principle. Part III examines five different theories that might be advanced in order to explain the interest that we seek to promote by punishing acts that are harmful to animals, namely: (1) protection of property, (2) protection against the infliction of emotional harm to those who have ties to the injured animal, (3) prevention of future harm to humans, (4) enforcement of a moral principle, and (5) protection of the animals themselves. In Part IV, I will try to explain why it is not necessarily the case, as many animal law scholars have argued, that because animal cruelty statutes allow for the infliction of harm to animals as a result of hunting, scientific and farming activities, the interest primarily sought to be protected by these laws is something other than the protection of animals. This argument is ultimately flawed because it is premised on a misunderstanding of the structure of criminal offenses in general and of anti-cruelty statutes in particular. Properly understood, the existence of privileges that allow people to infringe the prima facie norm against harming animals merely reveals that society (rightly or wrongly) believes that there are countervailing reasons that justify harming the interest sought to be protected by the offense, not that the prohibitory norm was not really designed to protect animals in the first place.


This letter investigates the phase velocity of an electromagnetic wave propagating between two sensors located on the human body surface by using the formulation of a creeping wave around a circular cylinder. The study is performed for both horizontal and vertical polarizations. The velocity is studied over the V-band. It is theoretically shown that the variation of the phase velocity is negligible over the bandwidth. Measurements are conducted on a metallic circular cylinder to assess the validity of these formulations. Then, an experimental validation of the circular cylinder assumption for the human body is performed. Deviation between the measurements and the theoretical circular model is between 2% and 3.5%.


This report summarizes findings detailed in Report Nos. 4 and 5 plus the work of Zawlocki on trace organics in highway runoff. Several hundred compounds tentatively, identified by GC-MS were grouped into nine categories, which were not mutually exclusive. Major components of these categories were petroleum products used by vehicles and incompletely combusted hydrocarbons. The concentrations of these trace organics groups were low compared to criteria proposed for protection of aquatic life.


Marine high-power on-board electrical systems are predominantly utilizing three-phase medium voltage alternating current (MVAC) distribution. Depending on the size and purpose of the ship, on-board electrical systems provide supply to loads in excess of 60MW. Increasingly, medium voltage direct current (MVDC) distribution systems are being considered as an alternative. An increase in the fuel efficiency of the prime movers, the removal of bulky low frequency transformer and the easier integration of different storage technologies are especially attractive. This paper discusses the opportunities but also the technical difficulties associated with the transition from an MVAC to an MVDC system, using an existing LNG tanker MVAC on-board distribution system, as example.


Since bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) was first described in 1967, the respiratory phenotype of the preterm infant has evolved.1 Over the past several decades, the management approach to treating these immature lungs, often in the saccular phase of development, has advanced leading to the survival of preterm infants born as early as 23–24 weeks gestational age. In the postsurfactant era, our understanding of the physiologic and structural pathogenesis of the respiratory system of these very low gestational age infants is poorly understood.

In this issue of Thorax , two Australian research teams delineate phenotypic features of the respiratory system in school age children and adolescents born prematurely. Simpson et al 2 present a case-control study evaluating a broad spectrum of lung function and imaging measures in former preterm (≤32 weeks gestation) school age (9–11-year-old) children born between 1997 and 2003. Doyle et al 3 present a prospective cohort study of lung function measures at school age (8 years) and again in late adolescence (18 years) in former premature children (≤28 weeks gestation and/or <1000 g birth weight) born between 1991 and 1992. Both preterm populations consisted of children with and without the diagnosis of BPD.

Prior investigators detail lung function impairment in school age, adolescent and adult individuals born prematurely.4 ,5 Unlike the two reports in this issue of Thorax , few prior studies evaluated participants born in the so-called postsurfactant or 'new BPD' era. Other confounding variables in prior studies include inconsistent definitions and application of the BPD diagnosis, as well as lack of uniform lung function reference values that span across all ages.6 Both Australian groups defined BPD based on …


This book gathers the latest experience of experts, research teams and leading organizations involved in computer-aided design of user interfaces of interactive applications. This area investigates how it is desirable and possible to support, to facilitate and to speed up the development life cycle of any interactive system: requirements engineering, early-stage design, detailed design, development, deployment, evaluation and maintenance. In particular, it stresses how the design activity could be better understood for different types of advanced interactive systems such as context-aware systems, multimodal applications, multi-platform systems, pervasive computing, ubiquitous computing and multi-device environments.


The Article debunks the highly publicized claim, within the academy and the legal profession, that the demise of Big Law is imminent. Critics have argued that large law firms face a near perfect storm that imperils their future. They argue that increasing sophistication and influence of in-house legal departments, and the exponential leap in legal technology, undermine large law firms' claims to expertise, market power, and profitability. At the same time, they argue, the internal weakness of large firms makes them less likely to perform the very tasks essential to sustaining large law firms' reputational capital because the traditional partnership tournament has collapsed in the face "eat-what-you-kill" compensation, significant lateral partnership movement, and the creation of non-equity positions. These developments arguably reduce the incentives of partners to serve their firms loyally and build them as institutions through organizational tasks that do not translate into immediate financial reward, including mentoring young lawyers, controlling quality, and promoting diversity. By focusing on big firm lawyers as autonomous individuals, and not on big firm lawyers as participants in relationships as members of organizations and networks, the critics make significant analytic mistakes. The actual empirical evidence supports the view that the elite market for legal services is dynamic and that while it is evolving, as it always has, many large firms have made changes that enable them to continue to prosper. For example, the significant power shift from outside counsel to their clients has often resulted in healthy, long-term, and mutually beneficial business relationships similar to those corporate clients have with other long-term suppliers. Similarly, Big Law has been proactive in replacing its dependency on high volume paperwork with highly specialized legal services as it embraces cutting edge technological changes, as well as by offering new and competitive fee arrangements. And changes in the partnership tournament have not reduced Big Law's reputational capital and its leadership in providing outstanding legal services to clients. Even where critics properly identify weaknesses, such as in management, training and diversity, they call for reforms, such as ethics rules to restrict lateral movement, that mistakenly rely on the false conception that big firm lawyers are atomistic individuals. Rather, as we suggest, law firms would better address these weaknesses by embracing the understanding that lawyers work with each other and clients through relationships that firms could strengthen and thereby improve both their economic health and their commitment to professional values. The Article offers a blueprint for relational infrastructure that includes policies applicable to training and mentoring, diversity and professionalism.


Internet of Things is an emerging technology having the ability to change the way we live. In IoT vision, each and every 'thing' has the ability of talking to each other that brings the idea of Internet of Everything in reality. Numerous IoT services can make our daily life easier, smarter, and even safer. Using IoT in designing some special services can make a lifesaver system. In this paper, we have presented an IoT enabled approach that can provide emergency communication and location tracking services in a remote car that meets an unfortunate accident or any other emergency situation. Immediately after an accident or an emergency, the system either starts automatically or may be triggered manually. Depending upon type of emergency (police and security, fire and rescue, medical, or civil) it initiates communication and shares critical information e.g. location information, a set of relevant images taken from prefixed angles etc. with appropriate server / authority. Provision of interactive real-time multimedia communication, real-time location tracking etc. have also been integrated to the proposed system to monitor the exact condition in real-time basis. The system prototype has been designed with Raspberry Pi 3 Model B and UMTS-HSDPA communication protocol.


Objective: Sex hormones are not only involved in the formation of reproductive organs, but also induce sexually-dimorphic brain development and organization. Cross-sex hormone administration to transsexuals provides a unique possibility to study the effects of sex steroids on brain morphology in young adulthood. Methods: Magnetic resonance brain images were made prior to, and during, cross-sex hormone treatment to study the influence of anti-androgen + estrogen treatment on brain morphology in eight young adult male-to-female transsexual human subjects and of androgen treatment in six female-to-male transsexuals. Results: Compared with controls, anti-androgen + estrogen treatment decreased brain volumes of male-to-female subjects towards female proportions, while androgen treatment in female-to-male subjects increased total brain and hypothalamus volumes towards male proportions. Conclusions: The findings suggest that, throughout life, gonadal hormones remain essential for maintaining aspects of sex-specific differences in the human brain.


The correspondence between Walter Benjamin and Theodor Adorno, which appears here for the first time in its entirety in English translation, must rank among the most significant to have come down to us from that notable age of barbarism, the twentieth century. Benjamin and Adorno formed a uniquely powerful pair. Benjamin, riddle-like in his personality and given to tactical evasion, and Adorno, full of his own importance, alternately support and compete with each other throughout the correspondence, until its imminent tragic end becomes apparent to both writers. Each had met his match, and happily, in the other. This book is the story of an elective affinity. Adorno was the only person who managed to sustain an intimate intellectual relationship with Benjamin for nearly twenty years. No one else, not even Gershom Scholem, coaxed so much out of Benjamin. The more than one hundred letters in this book will allow readers to trace the developing character of Benjamin's and Adorno's attitudes toward each other and toward their many friends. When this book appeared in German, it caused a sensation because it includes passages previously excised from other German editions of the letters--passages in which the two friends celebrate their own intimacy with frank remarks about other people. Ideas presented elliptically in the theoretical writings are set forth here with much greater clarity. Not least, the letters provide material crucial for understanding the genesis of Benjamin's "Arcades Project."


In most cases in a safety analysis the influences of security problems are omitted or even forgotten. Because more and more systems are accessible from outside the system via maintenance interfaces, this missing security analysis is becoming a problem. This is why we propose an approach on how to extend the safety analysis by security aspects. Such a more comprehensive analysis should lead to systems that react in less catastrophic ways to attacks.


The two most common non-motorized methods for transporting golf clubs in recreational and amateur golf are carrying a double strap bag or pushing a wheeled cart. The transportation method of golf clubs can have a direct impact on the necessary metabolic, musculoskeletal and cardiorespiratory requirements of golf performance. PURPOSE: To compare the metabolic cost of pushing versus carrying a golf bag. METHODS: Twenty two participants (18 Male, 3 Female, 24.2±8.9 yrs, 176.6±14.5 cm, and 76.2±14.5 kg) were recruited for one session in which they walked one mile while carrying and one mile while pushing a 25lb golf bag (determined as the average weight of a tournament bag for 5 male and 5 female collegiate golfers). Half of the participants completed the carrying condition first while the remaining participants completed the pushing condition first. All testing was performed on an indoor track. An approximate pace of 3.5mph during each walk was maintained by checking the time every 1/16 mile at which point feedback was provided to the participant to speed up, slow down, or maintain pace. It was required that each trial be completed with a time corresponding to ±5% of the 3.5 mph target pace. The walking trials were separated by a 10-minute recovery period. VO2 and HR were recorded for each transportation method using the PNOE (Athens, Greece) portable metabolic measurement system and Polar (Bethpage, NY) heart rate monitor. The use of the PNOE device required participants to breathe through a mask, which sealed the nose and mouth, for the duration of both walks. The device was removed during the recovery period. Steady state VO2 and average HR were computed for the five-minute period between minute 7 and minute 12 of each trial. Steady state VO2 and average HR were compared between walking conditions using a paired t-test. RESULTS: The mean±SD VO2 and HR were 1.48±0.19 L/min and 118.2±17.3 bpm, respectively for the carry condition and 1.34±0.17 L/min and 110.4±17.9 bpm, respectively for the push condition. Pushing the cart resulted in a significant 10.4% reduction in VO2 (t19=1.73, p<0.001, Cohen's d=1.72) and a significant 6.8% reduction in HR (t19=1.73, p<0.001, Cohen's d=1.35) as compared to the carrying condition. CONCLUSION: This study provides novel evidence that transporting a competition golf bag using a pushcart significantly reduces metabolic cost as compared to carrying. Thus, these data support utilizing a pushcart and shows that removing the load of equipment from the body has the potential to reduce fatigue experienced by the golfer. Currently within the golf community and especially within the demographic of college aged and younger golfers, there is a stigma around utilizing a pushcart. There has been no published study thus far that focuses on providing empirical evidence on the metabolic cost of pushing versus carrying a golf bag and therefore no evidence to support the choice of either method from an energy cost standpoint. Given the significant reduction in metabolic cost observed during the pushing method in this study, further study is warranted to see how the mode of transporting equipment would affect metabolic cost during an actual golf round.


We are often told that we are morally obligated to produce equal opportunity for all. Therefore, it seems we should examine what power we have to produce that desirable state. For it would be nonsense to say we are required to provide what is beyond our power to provide. When we examine this question, we find our power limited by two sets of constraints. One set comprises formal constraints upon the idea itself of equal opportunity. We cannot do the logically impossible. The other set comprises limits upon our ability to produce the directed socio-economic change, getting known outputs for known inputs. I illustrate the formal constraints by outlining the work of Douglas Rae. The constraints upon our abilities I illustrate with evidence from sociology and politics. At the end, we shall discover that our power to make opportunities equal is sharply though not unbearably limited. A critical but unbaised survey will reveal that in the past fifty years we have gone remarkably far towards doing all that we are presently capable of doing to equalize opportunities. Perhaps we shall go even farther when we learn how. The word 'real' in the title is opposed to 'ideal' or even 'chimerical'. It may seem an interesting question what equality of opportunity should consist in were we able to produce directed socio-economic change at will. But we are not. Therefore, a more interesting and more important question is what equality of opportunity consists in given the very large number of constraints within which we must work to achieve it.


1. The sound-pulse frequency, and by inference the wing-stroke frequency, in the song of the katydid, Euconocephalus nasutus , is 160 Hz. The thoracic temperature during singing is 36 °C, which represents a gradient between the insect's thorax and its environment of 12 °C.

2. Contraction kinetics were measured as a function of temperature for a singing muscle (first tergocoxal forewing muscle of males) and homologous, purely flight muscles (forewing muscles of females, hindwing muscles of males). Because the performance of the singing muscle was found to be easily degraded, the measurements were made from nearly intact animals.

3. At 35 °C the contraction rise time for an isometric twitch of a singing muscle is 7·7 msec. The twitch duration, measured from onset to 90% relaxation, is 12·2 msec. Purely flight muscles are about half as fast, but develop more tension per crosssectional area, both in twitches and tetani. The temporal characteristics of twitch contractions, including the delay between the onset of the muscle action potential and the onset of contraction, have Q10 values between 1·5 and 2.

4. At 35 °C a singing muscle contracts in an unfused tetanus when stimulated at 150 Hz, relaxing about half-way between tension peaks. This result suggests that this is the way the muscle operates during singing. At 25 °C the muscle contracts in a smooth tetanus when stimulated at 150 Hz. A warm thorax is not only a consequence of the intense activity during singing but also necessary for the performance achieved.

5. Isometric twitch tension is maximum at muscle lengths more than one-third greater than the in situ length. Twitch contraction time is nearly independent of muscle length but relaxation time increases as the muscle is stretched.


by Hannah Ssemwanga Najjemba This is a case-study investigation that proposes opportunities for researchers and educators in the fields of environmental gerontology, architectural studies, and interior design to promote design for aging education by linking the study aging bodies to the practice of house design. This study involved four universities and colleges in several Midwestern States of America. Research methods included case study and thematic analysis of study data. Research design involved semistructured interviews and document analysis. Critical case sampling was used for selecting participants for the interviews. Interview data revealed that Gerontology, Architectural Studies, and Interior Design faculty could further leverage their scholarly and professional backgrounds to increase program focus on design for aging topics. Results from document analysis showed that although, the Gerontology program faculty had more opportunities to teach their students about design for aging, there was still a need for more advanced aging-design courses in Interior Design programs. In light of that assessment, the researcher's recommendations included creation of more required courses that teach design for aging topics in Gerontology, Architectural Studies, and Interior design programs. This could be done through collaboration of educators from these disciplines. Limitations for this study included the study's small sample size and the lack of interview data from two of the case study universities. Future research opportunities in this arena include larger qualitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies relating to university-level aging-design education.


In fascinating new contextual readings of four of Herman Melville's novels - Typee, White-Jacket, Moby-Dick, and Pierre-Samuel. Otter delves into Melville's exorbitant prose to show how he anatomizes ideology, making it palpable and strange. Otter portrays Melville as deeply concerned with issues of race, the body, gender, sentiment, and national identity. He articulates a range of contemporary texts (narratives of travelers, seamen, and slaves; racial and aesthetic treatises; fiction; poetry; and essays) in order to flesh out Melville's discursive world. Otter presents Melville's works as 'inside narratives' offering material analyses of consciousness. Chapters center on the tattooed faces in Typee, the flogged bodies in White-Jacket, the scrutinized heads in Moby-Dick, and the desiring eyes and eloquent, constricted hearts of Pierre. Otter shows how Melville's books tell of the epic quest to know the secrets of the human body. Rather than dismiss contemporary beliefs about race, self, and nation, Melville inhabits them, acknowledging their appeal and examining their sway. Meticulously researched and brilliantly argued, this groundbreaking study links Melville's words to his world and presses the relations between discourse and ideology. It will deeply influence all future studies of Melville and his work.


In the field of motor control, two hypotheses have been controversial: whether the brain acquires internal models that generate accurate motor commands, or whether the brain avoids this by using the viscoelasticity of musculoskeletal system. Recent observations on relatively low stiffness during trained movements support the existence of internal models. However, no study has revealed the decrease in viscoelasticity associated with learning that would imply improvement of internal models as well as synergy between the two hypothetical mechanisms. Previously observed decreases in electromyogram (EMG) might have other explanations, such as trajectory modifications that reduce joint torques. To circumvent such complications, we required strict trajectory control and examined only successful trials having identical trajectory and torque profiles. Subjects were asked to perform a hand movement in unison with a target moving along a specified and unusual trajectory, with shoulder and elbow in the horizontal plane at the shoulder level. To evaluate joint viscoelasticity during the learning of this movement, we proposed an index of muscle co-contraction around the joint (IMCJ). The IMCJ was defined as the summation of the absolute values of antagonistic muscle torques around the joint and computed from the linear relation between surface EMG and joint torque. The IMCJ during isometric contraction, as well as during movements, was confirmed to correlate well with joint stiffness estimated using the conventional method, i.e., applying mechanical perturbations. Accordingly, the IMCJ during the learning of the movement was computed for each joint of each trial using estimated EMG-torque relationship. At the same time, the performance error for each trial was specified as the root mean square of the distance between the target and hand at each time step over the entire trajectory. The time-series data of IMCJ and performance error were decomposed into long-term components that showed decreases in IMCJ in accordance with learning with little change in the trajectory and short-term interactions between the IMCJ and performance error. A cross-correlation analysis and impulse responses both suggested that higher IMCJs follow poor performances, and lower IMCJs follow good performances within a few successive trials. Our results support the hypothesis that viscoelasticity contributes more when internal models are inaccurate, while internal models contribute more after the completion of learning. It is demonstrated that the CNS regulates viscoelasticity on a short- and long-term basis depending on performance error and finally acquires smooth and accurate movements while maintaining stability during the entire learning process.


Abstract. Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder 2 (SMILES-2) is a satellite mission proposed in Japan
to probe the middle and upper atmosphere (20–160 km). The main instrument is composed of 4 K cooled radiometers operating near 0.7 and 2 THz.
It could measure the diurnal changes of the horizontal wind above 30 km, temperature
above 20 km, ground-state atomic oxygen above 90 km and atmospheric density near the mesopause, as well as abundance of about 15 chemical species.
In this study we have conducted simulations to assess the wind, temperature and density retrieval performance in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (60–110 km) using the radiometer at
760 GHz. It contains lines of
water vapor ( H2O ), molecular oxygen ( O2 ) and nitric oxide (NO) that are the strongest signals measured with SMILES-2 at these altitudes. The Zeeman effect on the O2 line due to the geomagnetic field ( B ) is considered; otherwise, the retrieval errors would be underestimated by a factor of 2 above 90 km. The optimal configuration for the radiometer's polarization is found to be vertical linear. Considering a retrieval vertical resolution of 2.5 km, the line-of-sight wind is retrieved with a precision of
2–5 m s −1 up to 90 km and 30 m s −1 at 110 km.
Temperature and atmospheric density are
retrieved with a precision better than 5 K
and 7 % up to 90 km (30 K and 20 % at 110 km).
Errors induced by uncertainties on the vector B are mitigated by retrieving it. The retrieval of B is described as a side-product of the mission. At high latitudes, precisions of 30–100 nT on the vertical component and 100–300 nT on the horizontal one could be obtained at 85 and 105 km (vertical resolution of 20 km).
SMILES-2 could therefore provide the first measurements of B close to the electrojets' altitude, and the precision is enough to
measure variations induced by solar storms in the auroral regions.


Microfinance institutions (MFIs) provide small loans and other financial services to the poor. These institutions are established for helping the poor to raise income levels and to reduce poverty. Recently, MFIs are required to reduce their dependence on grants and subsidies. Consequently, they face conflicting objectives of improving reach and profitability. These can be achieved by improving productivity. This paper aims to investigate productivity change in 21 major MFIs in India which are rated by Credit Rating and Information Services of India Limited in 2014.,This paper attempts to examine total factor productivity change in 21 major Indian MFIs during the period from 2014 to 2016 using Malmquist productivity index. The inputs and outputs are selected considering objectives of outreach and financial sustainability. The authors have categorized MFIs in three categories, namely, large, medium and small, depending on asset size.,It is revealed that large MFIs are able to catch up with industry best practices by improving their systems and processes, but they need to improve scale efficiency. The Reserve Bank of India has recently initiated a policy of granting banking licenses to those financial institutions which have good outreach and are financially strong. It can be used for shortlisting MFIs before granting permission to operate as banks. The method can also be used for benchmarking them for productivity. It can also be replicated in other countries.,In India, MFIs are playing important role in economic development by providing microcredit to the poor. However, very few studies have been undertaken regarding productivity of MFIs in India. The present study intends to fill this gap. It will facilitate benchmarking of MFIs as competitive and sustainable financial institutions catering to the requirements of small borrowers.


Most cross-country studies of economic performance have focused on narrow economic variables. The present study emphasizes instead some quality dimensions of economic development, including health, fertility, income distribution, political institutions, crime, and religion. The data reveal a regular pattern in which economic development goes along with higher life expectancy and reduced fertility. Improvements in the standard of living are also associated with expansions of democracy, increased maintenance of the rule of law, and reductions in official corruption. Despite the presence of a Kuznets curve, little of the variations in income inequality are explained by the overall level of economic development. Crime rates, proxied by murder rates, also bear little relation with the level of development but are more closely associated with income inequality. Finally, there is some support for the secularization hypothesis, in that economic development is typically accompanied by lower levels of church attendance and religious beliefs. However, religiosity is positively related to education, holding fixed other indicators of economic development.