Background and purpose: Imidacloprid (IM) is a systemic insecticide that is widely used to control a large number of pests in agriculture. It has toxic effects, therefore, it should be removed using appropriate methods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of electrochemical degradation process to remove IM from aqueous solutions. Materials and methods: In this experiment, a glass reactor and different combinations of electrodes were used to assess process efficiency in batch mode. The effects of various parameters were studied to determine the optimum conditions. We used the combinations of lead and stainless steel electrodes as the anode and the cathode, respectively. Then, under optimum conditions, the efficiencies of other electrodes including copper, iron, aluminum, steel and graphite in removal of IM were simply compared. Results: The analysis showed that in the optimal conditions, the maximum removal efficiency of IM and COD were 97.2% and 88.57%, respectively. The data followed the pseudo first order reaction kinetics model. Among the electrodes investigated, lead followed by copper, iron, stainless steel, graphite, and aluminum showed the highest efficiency. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis showed that due to IM degradation, the functional groups have been changed, and the results of GC/MS analysis confirmed the degradation of the compound to the final products. Conclusion: The results indicated that electrochemical process is an effective process in Imidacloprid removal which could remove ≈ 97% of IM.


In the EBN notebooks that have appeared in the previous 2 issues of the journal, we outlined 3 steps to help us to determine whether to apply the results of a research study to our patients.1 Firstly, we should consider whether the study results are valid. For articles about the effectiveness of healthcare interventions, the 3 key validity issues are whether the patients were randomly assigned to different treatments, whether they were analysed according to the groups to which they were assigned, and the extent of follow up. Secondly, if we judge the study to be valid, we examine the study results to determine whether the new treatment is effective, the size of the effect, and whether the effect is clinically important. When determining the clinical significance of effective treatments, findings can be expressed in 3 ways: as a change in relative risk, change in absolute risk and number needed to treat (NNT). Abstracts in Evidence-Based Nursing that describe effective treatments include these numbers, when data permit their calculation. The third step, the application to an individual patient, requires knowledge about both the study and the patient. This involves consideration of both the extent to which the patient resembles those who were enrolled in the study and the patient's risk for the event for which the treatment was designed.2 This notebook will explain the concepts that help us to determine whether study findings should be applied to our own individual patients.

Let's work through a randomised controlled trial abstracted in this issue of the journal (p52) that evaluates the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioural family intervention in reducing psychological distress and depression in caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease.3 Addressing first the validity of this trial, we find that patient-caregiver dyads were randomly assigned to the 14 …


Students are increasingly expected to use electronic resources while at
University. This study was undertaken to discover the information needs and the
information-seeking behaviour of students utilizing the electronic resources at the
Library of UiTM, Section 17, Shah Aiam. It was to determine the level of use of
this type of resource, how students feel about various issues surrounding
electronic resources and whether their knowledge and skills helps them in the
utilisation of the electronic services provided by the library.
A questionnaire survey was used for this study. Data were gathered from 180
students from various programmes who came to register at the Information
Service Department where these electronic resources are placed.
The data resulting from this survey revealed that within the survey population
several significant relationships existed between major, gender, semester, year
of respondents and the search strategies they employed as well as the ways they
approached the electronic resources to search for information and the library that
provides the service. Some of the findings were consistent with earlier studies;
others reflected unanticipated trends in the information-seeking behaviour of the
students. The findings also indicate that guidance in the use of electronic
resources is necessary to help students meet some of their information
requirements.
Based on these findings, it was recommended that a more aggressive user
education programmes should be developed and to propose an Information
Literacy Course to be offer to students. This study updates the literature of the
subject and may help the library of UiTM Section 17 to improve the electronic
services to the students.


With the rise of big data sets, the popularity of kernel methods declined and neural networks took over again. The main problem with kernel methods is that the kernel matrix grows quadratically with the number of data points. Most attempts to scale up kernel methods solve this problem by discarding data points or basis functions of some approximation of the kernel map. Here we present a simple yet effective alternative for scaling up kernel methods that takes into account the entire data set via doubly stochastic optimization of the emprical kernel map. The algorithm is straightforward to implement, in particular in parallel execution settings; it leverages the full power and versatility of classical kernel functions without the need to explicitly formulate a kernel map approximation. We provide empirical evidence that the algorithm works on large data sets.


Just as in fiction, discursive strategies in history can reveal the very nature of a project. The positivist historiography that prevailed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries regarded historical facts as givens. Accordingly, it held as its ideal of writing the objective text, that is. the text from which the historian's mediation would be carefully erased. The New History, on the other hand, considers all research to be grounded in a researcher and seeks to indicate by various means that the text does not generate itself. In Carnival in Romans, for example, Le Roy Ladurie explicitly resorts to various facets of the "I": that of the histor, going about the job of uncovering the evidence: that of the commentator, providing historical parallels and explanations; and even that of the emotional self (Barthes' personne passionnelle), making judgments on events and people in the narrative. These changes in writing conventions point to the emergence of a new historical paradigm. At the same time, they overturn the view of the historical text as a non-problematic vehicle for reporting "reality": this text, for the New Historians, becomes a construct, and is presented as such.


The Kentucky Criminal Justice Council, a constitutional body in Kentucky, undertook this project to examine the problems with Kentucky criminal law and to rewrite the Kentucky criminal code. This two-volume Final Report of the Kentucky Penal Code Revision Project proposes a new criminal code, in volume 1, together with an official commentary, in volume 2, that explains each provision and how and why it differs from existing law.The introduction to the Report summarizes the reasons for and the importance of criminal code reform, and describes the techniques used in this rewrite project, including both the project's drafting principles and the methods by which the Council organized its work on the project.


We tackle in this work the problem for a player to efficiently bid in Simultaneous Ascending Auctions (SAA). Although the success of SAA partially comes from its relative simplicity, bidding efficiently in such an auction is complicated as it presents a number of complex strategical problems. No generic algorithm or analytical solution has yet been able to compute the optimal bidding strategy in face of such complexities. By modelling the auction as a turn-based deterministic game with complete information, we propose the first algorithm which tackles simultaneously two of its main issues: exposure and own price effect. Our bidding strategy is computed by Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) which relies on a new method for the prediction of closing prices. We show that our algorithm significantly outperforms state-of-the-art existing bidding methods. More precisely, our algorithm achieves a higher expected utility by taking lower risks than existing strategies.


Abstract: Modeling and simulation of natural cracks and its propagation for glulam beams in numerical method frame work have been studied in this thesis. The aim of this study was to find out the influence of formed cracks on the Glulam beam load-carrying capacity. The simulation has been developed with the finite element calculation software ABAQUS. First the simple simulations were compared with previous available experimental results to achieve calibrated simulation model. Then simulation of long glulam with different natural cracks has been done based on calibration. This project has been focused on fracture mechanics and its effects on shear and bending capacity of the cracked glulam beam used in practical application by extended finite element method.


CD40 is a prominent member of the TNFR family due to its ability to be expressed by and regulate the fate of not only immunocytes, but also non-lymphoid cells. Previous studies have demonstrated that CD40 ligation by cell-surface presented agonists, and in particular membrane CD40L (mCD40L), caused extensive apoptosis specifically in a variety of malignant epithelial cells (including bladder and colorectal). By contrast, soluble CD40 agonists are weakly pro-apoptotic and only become significantly pro-apoptotic by pharmacological intervention. Recent work from our laboratory has shed light onto the tumour-specificity of CD40 as well as the differences in soluble versus membrane-presented agonists in terms of pro-apoptotic capacity. As the role of CD40 in prostate cancer remains unknown, the main aim of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that the CD40/CD40L dyad regulates prostate carcinoma (PCa) cell fate and to explore the mechanisms of this in a panel of well-characterised human PCa lines.

In order to achieve CD40 ligation by mCD40L, a co-culture in vitro model was used, whereby target PCa cells were co-cultured with third-party (murine fibroblasts 3T3CD40L (engineered to express mCD40L). This mode of ligation was compared to agonistic CD40 antibody. Flow cytometry allowed detection of CD40 expression in a panel of PCa lines, comprising DU145, LNCaP and PC-3 cells. Apoptosis was detected using several assays, focusing on classical hallmarks of apoptosis (loss of cell membrane integrity, caspase activation, and DNA fragmentation). ELISA assays were employed for detection of pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and spectrophotometry and flow cytometry were used for detection of ROS. Immunoblotting techniques were also standardised and utilised for the accurate and sensitive detection of intracellular proteins involved in CD40 signalling. Experiments using retroviruses were also employed to engineer CD40 expression in negative PCa cells.

Ligation of CD40 caused apoptosis in DU145 cells and LNCaP cells. By contrast, CD40-ve cells PC-3 were refractory to CD40 ligation. Restoration of CD40 expression restores susceptibility to CD40 apoptosis. Importantly, receptor ligation by mCD40L, and not soluble agonist, could cause cell death, as soluble agonist (cross-linked G28-5 mAb) was not pro-apoptotic. mCD40L, but not G28-5, induced rapid secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8 and GM-CSF, thus CD40 killing was pro-inflammatory. CD40 induced apoptosis as evident by membrane integrity loss and DNA fragmentation, both hallmarks of apoptotic death. Yet, it was found that CD40 triggers a death type that is caspase-independent. The work showed that CD40 in PCa cells triggers death that does not involve cross-talk with the extrinsic pathway, but via a direct signal that involved the mitochondrial pathway as indicated by the induction of Bak and Bax proteins. mCD40L triggered rapid induction of TRAF1 and TRAF3 whilst TRAF2 expression was downregulated. ASK1 was activated which was subsequently followed by MKK7 but not MKK4 activation and this was followed by JNK phosphorylation. Functional inhibition experiments showed that both JNK/AP-1 and p38 are important for death induction. ROS production could not be detected upon CD40 activation and functional inhibition experiments showed ROS is not critical for CD40 mediated death in PCa cells, observations raising the possibility of ROS-independent ASK1 activation. Finally, preliminary experiments using prostate cancer stem cells (CSC), well-established 'drivers' of PCa, showed that CSCs were CD40+ve, however, within the time constraints of this project, it was not possible to assess whether CD40 ligation could induce CSC-targeted cell death.

These findings have not only generated novel observations in terms of the ability of CD40 to induce PCa cell death, but have also added to our knowledge of the intriguingly multifaceted effects of CD40 in carcinoma cells. These fascinating observations imply that CD40, whilst engaging signalling pathways with some common intracellular mediators, its precise death pathways can differ both in their exact nature and their exact features. Moreover, in addition to providing biological evidence for the mechanisms of CD40 apoptosis, these observations may represent a promising targeted approach for PCa therapy as the ability to lead to extensive apoptosis in PCa cells. Equally importantly, by efficiently killing PCa cells and causing rapid pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, whilst at the same time targeting what is potentially the cellular driver of carcinogenesis (CSCs), CD40-mediated killing represents a very promising potential therapeutic tool for PCa therapy in the near future.


After fertilization, the development of a zygote depends upon both gene products synthesized by its maternal parent and gene products synthesized by the zygote itself. To analyze genetically the relative contributions of these two sources of gene products, several laboratories have been isolating two classes of mutants of Drosophila melanogaster: maternal-effect lethals and zygotic lethals. This report concerns the analysis of two temperature-sensitive mutants, OX736hs and PC025hs, which were isolated as alleles of a small-disc mutant, l(3)1902. These alleles are not only zygotic lethals, but also maternal-effect lethals. They have temperature-sensitive periods during larval life and during oogenesis. Mutant larvae exposed continuously to restrictive temperature have small discs. One-or two-day exposures to the restrictive temperature administered during the third larval instar lead to a homeotic transformation of the midlegs and hindlegs to the pattern characteristic of the forelegs. Mutant females exposed to the restrictive temperature during oogenesis produce eggs that can develop until gastrulation, but do not hatch.--The existence of these mutants, and one that was recently described by another group, implies that there may be a class of genes, heretofore unrecognized, whose products are synthesized during oogenesis, are essential for embryogenesis and are also synthesized during larval stages within imaginal disc cells.


Thermoregulatory responses of eight healthy subjects (six men and two women) were compared when they were head-out immersed in 15 degrees C water at both 1 and 6 ATA. Both trials were conducted in a hyperbaric chamber. During the immersions, esophageal temperature (T(es)) and skin temperature at two sites (chest and calf) were recorded at minute intervals. Oxygen uptake was determined at 5-min intervals with the Douglas bag method. The order of the two trials was alternated. The rate of T(es) cooling was greater during the 6-ATA trial [2.1 +/- 0.5 degrees C/h (SE)] than during the 1-ATA trial (1.3 +/- 0.5 degrees C/h; P < 0.01). Despite the greater rate of core cooling, and presumably a greater thermal drive for shivering, the oxygen uptake response for a similar decrement in T(es) was lower during exposure to 6 than to 1 ATA (P < 0.05). Also, for similar displacement in T(es), the subjects perceived the immersions at 6 ATA to be less cold than those at 1 ATA (P < 0.05). It is concluded that the development of hypothermia in compressed-air divers may be due, in large part, to the attenuation of heat production and cold perception. Most likely, the observed effects on the autonomic responses and thermal perception are due to an inhibitory action of hyperbaric nitrogen on central neural structures involved in temperature regulation.


The reconstruction of patterns of physical activities, behaviour, and lifestyle in past populations is one of the goals most often pursued by bioarchaeologists. This study considers the presence of a group of markers of occupational stress (MOS) that are accepted by many in bioarchaeology as representing the impact of physical activity. To examine their presence, two past populations from northern Chile who practised two contrasting subsistence economies such as marine hunting and gathering with agricultural farmers were compared. The skeletal markers analysed were enthesophytes, osteoarthritis, spondylolysis, os acromiale, osteochondritis dissecans as well as changes in size, shape and robusticity of long bones. The aim of this study was to compare the pattern of these MOS in archaic coastal fishers (3rd-2nd millennium BC) with inland agriculturalists (1st millennium AD). One hundred and seventy-five skeletons of adult males and females curated at the Museo Arqueologico San Miguel de Azapa in Arica, Chile were analysed. It was found that early coastal populations were in general significantly more affected by these MOS when compared with later inland agriculturalists thus suggesting that the archaic way of life based on marine hunting and gathering was more physically demanding than that practised by later agricultural and farming populations. The intra-group analysis between sexes revealed that coastal males showed higher prevalence rates of these markers compared with coastal females but comparisons between agricultural males and females failed to demonstrate any significant difference in the prevalence rates for these markers. Thus suggesting a more marked sexual division of labour among the former group compared to the latter. Inter-group sex comparisons revealed that males from both groups were generally similarly affected by the MOS whereas females displayed a more varied pattern. Assuming that these markers result from physical activity and occupation, regardless of the subsistence economy practised, men from both populations performed the most physically demanding activities. Women on the other hand, would have changed their roles in society with the arrival of agriculture, thus getting progressively more involved and participating more in the demanding tasks required by the agricultural way of life. In conclusion, this study showed that the arrival of agriculture in northern Chile resulted in differences in the patterns and prevalence of activity-related pathological conditions.


The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this report are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official Department of the Army position, policy or decision unless so designated by other documentation.


Responses to the mortgage market crisis of the past decade led to myriad changes in the structure of the industry, expanded market regulations, and resulted in a shift in the composition of products being offered to borrowers. To name but a few changes, the subprime market virtually disappeared, the Dodd-Frank bill added both Qualified Mortgage ("QM") and Qualified Residential Mortgage ("QRM") requirements to the regulatory environment, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage ("FRM") almost monopolized product space, and lenders significantly tightened their underwriting standards. On the positive side, these changes reduce the likelihood of another foreclosure crisis, but they do so at the cost of significantly reducing access to credit for borrowers making small down payments or those with poor credit histories.

Mortgage histories from the past decade now contribute to unique data on the performance of a wide variety of products during stressful economic environments. The aim of this paper is to assess whether these data can be leveraged in a traditional automated underwriting system to responsibly extend credit to underserved borrowers.

We find that traditional automated underwriting systems do offer potential for addressing access to credit concerns for these borrowers. They are unlikely to be a panacea by themselves, but they appear to offer a valuable tool to those trying to extend credit to targeted borrowers at acceptable risks.


We consider the problem of recovering a set of correlated signals (e.g., images from different viewpoints) from a few linear measurements per signal. We assume that each sensor in a network acquires a compressed signal in the form of linear measurements and sends it to a joint decoder for reconstruction. We propose a novel joint reconstruction algorithm that exploits correlation among underlying signals. Our correlation model considers geometrical transformations between the supports of the different signals. The proposed joint decoder estimates the correlation and reconstructs the signals using a simple thresholding algorithm. We give both theoretical and experimental evidence to show that our method largely outperforms independent decoding in terms of support recovery and reconstruction quality.


Does democracy encourage free trade? It depends. Broadening the franchise involves transferring power from non-elected elites to the wider population, most of whom will be workers. The Hecksher-Ohlin-Stolper-Samuelson logic says that democratization should lead to more liberal trade policies in countries where workers stand to gain from free trade; and to more protectionist policies in countries where workers will benefit from the imposition of tariffs and quotas. We test and confirm these political economy implications of trade theory hypothesis using data on democracy, factor endowments, and protection in the late nineteenth century.


ii
ABSTRACT
Hedgerows have been a feature of the British countryside for many centuries and their value to wildlife particularly in farmed areas is long acknowledged. But farmland hedgerows experienced dramatic decline in the 20th century and efforts to halt this decline have been a focal point for agri-environmental activities, with hedge planting and management amongst the most popular options amongst farmers. Despite restoration of many thousands of kilometre of hedgerow under environmental stewardship, the rate of hedgerow loss exceeds the current rate of replacement.
Information regarding the 'performance' of hedgerows as habitat for a range of wildlife is not lacking, although there is less current information regarding the biodiversity of the woody hedgerow itself as opposed to the grassy hedge bottom; I examine both elements of the hedgerow. There is less current information regarding invertebrates than for birds, plants or mammals. A lack of general monitoring has produced a deficit of knowledge of the role farmland hedgerows currently play in maintaining invertebrate biodiversity and what agri-environmental options have achieved.
My objective was to compare and contrast the invertebrate faunas of hedgerows relatively newly-planted under agri-environmental schemes with existing hedgerow stock in order to investigate the biodiversity gains achieved by creation of new habitat. While it was true that overall the diversity of mature hedgerows was greater than that of new hedgerows, for some taxa newer hedges were 'preferred'. There was evidence for the value of even relatively immature (~10 year-old) hedgerow habitats to overall invertebrate diversity.
I did not use a single taxonomic group such as butterflies to 'indicate' diversity, but instead chose to take a view of the broad spectrum of invertebrates collected from both the hedge bottom and hedge top based on higher taxon approaches (notably order), which have been proposed as an adequate means of rapidly assessing the diversity of agricultural land.
A suite of habitat variables including botanical diversity at hedge bottom and top, structural features including the height, width and density of vegetation, as well as weather data were recorded. While weather will always have the ultimate decisive influence on invertebrate activity, structural elements such as the sward height at hedge bottom and the density of the canopy are important to the invertebrate assemblage.
As hedgerow conservation and management become increasingly important in the light of continuing declines, the ability to evidence the effects of interventions efficiently will be crucial. This research underscores the ongoing need for monitoring of hedgerow creation in order to verify whether biodiversity gains are achieved.


Particularly in the fields of software engineering, virtual reality, and computer science, data mining techniques play a critical role in the success of a variety of projects and endeavors. Understanding the available tools and emerging trends in this field is an important consideration for any organization.Data Mining and Analysis in the Engineering Field explores current research in data mining, including the important trends and patterns and their impact in fields such as software engineering. With a focus on modern techniques as well as past experiences, this vital reference work will be of greatest use to engineers, researchers, and practitioners in scientific-, engineering-, and business-related fields.


Summary
The causes of bark beetle outbreaks – particularly the role of disturbances – are poorly understood. Stand-scale disturbances, like fires, can suddenly improve local host susceptibility and may attract beetles; however, whether such increases can lead to outbreaks in post-disturbance stands is unclear.
Using low-density Dendroctonus ponderosae mountain pine beetle populations in Pinus contorta lodgepole pine forests in western Canada, we investigated whether prescribed fires promote outbreaks or provide only short-term resources.
Proportionally more burned than non-burned trees were attacked. At one site, beetle attacks increased in response to a resource pulse, but the proportions of attacked trees and numbers of attacks per tree declined over four years after fire. Elsewhere, beetle attacks remained very low.
As the resource (phloem) quality of burned trees remained high three years after fire, we propose that post-fire mortality, resulting in fewer available host trees, can at least partially explain why D. ponderosae did not build up populations in burned stands.
Synthesis and applications. Our study emphasizes the importance of examining long-term trends in fire–bark beetle interactions, and of understanding low-density beetle populations. Because fire does not seem to promote mountain pine beetle outbreaks, we recommend the continued use of prescribed fire for the general management of P. contorta forests with low-density beetle populations.


OBJECTIVE
To compare clinical characteristics of youths who had attempted suicide recently, previously but not recently, repeatedly, or never.

METHOD
The sample comprised 4,677 youths receiving services between 1993 to 1998 in 22 communities and participating in the national evaluation of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program. Data on suicide attempts, demographics, and clinical characteristics were obtained from intake interviews and referring agencies. Chi-square and univariate analyses of variance were used for between-group comparisons.

RESULTS
Twenty-one percent of the sample had a history of attempted suicide. Previous and repeat attempters were more likely to have a history of family violence and substance abuse. Repeat attempters were most likely to have depression, while never and previous (but not recent) attempters were more likely to have conduct disorder. Other clinical differences were also found.

CONCLUSIONS
Among children receiving mental health services, those who attempt suicide experience more and different types of distress, depending on the recency and frequency of attempts. Clinicians should be aware that depression is not a necessary factor in predicting suicide attempts and that suicide risk is also associated with violent and aggressive behaviors.


Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a clinically-approved but rather under-exploited treatment modality for cancer and pre-cancerous superficial lesions. It utilises a cold laser or LED to activate a photochemical reaction between a light activated drug (photosensitiser-drug) and oxygen to generate cytotoxic oxygen species. These free radical species damage cellular components leading to cell death. Despite its benefits, the complexity, limited potency and side effects of PDT have led to poor general usage. However, the research area is very active with an increasing understanding of PDT-related cell biology, photophysics and significant progress in molecular targeting of disease. Monoclonal antibody therapy is maturing and the next wave of antibody therapies includes antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), which promise to be more potent and curable. These developments could lift antibody-directed phototherapy (ADP) to success. ADP promises to increase specificity and potency and improve drug pharmacokinetics, thus delivering better PDT drugs whilst retaining its other benefits. Whole antibody conjugates with first generation ADP-drugs displayed problems with aggregation, poor pharmacokinetics and loss of immuno-reactivity. However, these early ADP-drugs still showed improved selectivity and potency. Improved PS-drug chemistry and a variety of conjugation strategies have led to improved ADP-drugs with retained antibody and PS-drug function. More recently, recombinant antibody fragments have been used to deliver ADP-drugs with superior drug loading, more favourable pharmacokinetics, enhanced potency and target cell selectivity. These improvements offer a promise of better quality PDT drugs.


PURPOSE
An increased aqueous level of TGF-β2 has been found in many primary open-angle glaucoma patients. Secreted Protein, Acidic, and Rich in Cysteine (SPARC)-null mice have a lower intraocular pressure. The mechanistic relationship between SPARC and TGF-β2 in trabecular meshwork (TM) is unknown. We hypothesized that TGF-β2 upregulates SPARC expression in TM.

METHODS
Cultured TM cells were incubated with selective inhibitors for p38 MAP kinase (p38), Smad3, p42, JNK, RhoA, PI3K, or TGF-β2 receptor for 2 hours, and then TGF-β2 was added for 24 hours in serum-free media. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and immunoblot analysis were performed. Immunofluorescent microscopy was used to determine nuclear translocation of signaling proteins. Ad5.hSPARC and Lentiviral shRNA for p38 and Smad3 were constructed, and infected human TM cells.

RESULTS
SPARC was upregulated by TGF-β2 in the human TM cells (3.8 ± 1.7-fold, n = 6, P = 0.01 for protein and 7.1 ± 3.7-fold, n = 6, P = 0.01 for mRNA), while upregulation of SPARC had no effect on TGF-β2. TGF-β2-induced SPARC expression was suppressed by inhibitors against p38 (-40.3 ± 20.9%, n = 10, P = 0.0001), Smad3 (-56.2 ± 18.9%, n = 10, P = 0.0001), JNK (-49.1 ± 24.6%, n = 10, P = 0.0001), and TGF-β2 receptor (-83.6 ± 14.4%, n = 6, P = 0.003). Phosphorylation and translocation of Smad3, p38, and MAPKAPK2 were detected at 30 minutes and 1 hour, respectively, following TGF-β2 treatment. Phosphorylation of JNK and c-jun was detected before TGF-β2 treatment. SPARC was suppressed 31 ± 13% (n = 5, P < 0.0001) by shRNA-p38 and 41 ± 3% (n = 5, P < 0.0001) by shRNA-Smad3.

CONCLUSIONS
TGF-β2 upregulates SPARC expression in human TM through Smad-dependent (Smad2/3) or -independent (p38) signaling pathways. SPARC may be a downstream regulatory node of TGF-β2-mediated IOP elevation.


With the deep attention to the logistics by our government, Each local governments have enacted lots of policies to accelerate the process of modernization of logistics. Although these measures more or less have promoted the development of the logistics industry, The phenomena of over-investment which has led to a waste of regional resources have emerged in some areas because of the lack of rational understanding of balanced development and equilibrium situation and level of their own logistics system. For this, the paper applies equilibrium ideology which comes from economics to logistics system and presents a new theory which named Logistics equilibrium. According to this theory, the comparative indicators of regional logistics system are constructed from three aspects: regional logistics system equilibrium posture indicators, equilibrium level indicators and equilibrium running results indicators. Furthermore, the method of TOPSIS is introduced to form a complete compare model with the comparative indicators above. Finally, an example is used to verify the model above. This paper aims to provide a basis for some places which could recognize the shortcomings of their own logistics system by comparison and then put forward some practical policies and measures.


Most U.S. multinationals avoid current U.S. taxation of their foreign business income by accumulating such income in controlled foreign subsidiaries; in essence, their offshore piggybanks. It is estimated that nearly $650 billion in foreign earnings is held offshore by foreign subsidiaries of U.S. corporations and out of reach of U.S. taxation. This represents $68 billion in lost tax revenue between 2007 and 2011. Deferral could be quite simply addressed by requiring immediate taxation of all foreign business income. But completely eliminating deferral has never been a politically feasible option. The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 took a different approach to the problem. The Act contained a provision that gave U.S. corporations a one-year window during which to repatriate earnings from their foreign subsidiaries at a fraction of normal tax rates. The provision, new Code section 965, was intended to encourage U.S. multinationals to voluntarily end their deferral of taxation on foreign business income. Certain characteristics of section 965 make it remarkably similar to another well-known tax collection device, the tax amnesty, that typically offers a temporary reprieve from some sanction associated with tax evasion in order to encourage persons who have evaded taxes to come forward voluntarily and pay what they owe. This Article explores the underlying structure of corporate and tax law that permits deferral, assesses the cost of the deferral problem, and reviews the development of current limitations on deferral. The article then surveys the substantial literature on tax amnesties to develop a theory of the optimal tax amnesty against which to evaluate section 965. The article concludes that, on balance, a provision like section 965 is not likely to be effective in ending deferral.


Abstract
 Geckos are among the most diverse radiations of lizards; however, the lack of baseline natural history data on the reproductive biology for many species creates a challenge for predicting their long-term persistence. This study aims to fill a gap in our understanding of the reproductive biology of an enigmatic nocturnal gecko endemic to the islands of Curaçao and Bonaire: Gonatodes antillensis. Using radiographs of specimens from natural history collections, we conduct the first investigation of the potential role of endolymphatic sacs in the reproduction of the species. We find that females have larger endolymphatic sacs than males, with further quantification of endolymphatic sac sizes between females with or without visible eggs supporting the hypothesis that calcium stores are built up in the early reproductive phase and depleted during the development of the egg. Additionally, we combined data on endolymphatic sacs sizes with examinations of gravidity to expand the known reproductive interval of the species into fall and winter months and suggest the possibility of year-round reproduction. Along with providing baseline data, our findings raise a new conservation concern for the species. The spread of the invasive gecko Hemidactylus mabouia has resulted in a notable decline in the abundance of Gonatodes antillensis across its native range. This decline has been attributed to Hemidactylus mabouia acting as both a competitor and possible predator of Gonatodes antillensis. However, stress can inhibit calcium uptake in endolymphatic sacs, and these findings raise the possibility that Hemidactylus mabouia may also be indirectly affecting the reproductive success of this species.


Village doctors (VD) are an integral source of healthcare in the rural areas. The VDs are mainly unregulated, less than fully quali ed non-physician practitioners and vendors of modern (allopathic) medicine who provide a signi cant proportion of health care. It was evident from a recent study in Chakaria, a rural area in Bangladesh, that the VDs were providing care of questionable quality with considerable over prescription of drugs and the choice of drugs used for treatment were mostly inappropriate and at times harmful. To reduce the harmful practices of the VDs, an intervention was undertaken to improve the knowledge and skills of the unquali ed providers through training; and to increase accountability of the VDs in the community, the local government and leaders were involved in monitoring the healthcare related activities of the providers. In addition, a network of the village doctors named as Shayshta Shenas was established to ensure strict adherence to treatment guidelines provided. Training in treatment guidelines for relevant common illnesses was provided to 125 out of 135 eligible village doctors in the intervention area. To assess the usefulness, relevance and the issues related to the intervention i.e. the training sessions, in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were carried out with the village doctors, villagers and the members of the local union level committee. The feedback from the interviews/discussions with the different stakeholders provides important insights on the reasons for poor adherence to treatment guidelines offered and ways to improve the training intervention and health care practices of the VDs. Engaging with Village Doctors to Improve Quality of Healthcare in Chakaria 4 December 2009


This publication presents 18 case studies to demonstrate how Protected Areas (PAs) can be better managed for disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA). The chapters vary from scientific studies to good practices, as well as (existing or required) policy frameworks that enable appropriate management. The book presents approaches from different regions and aims to cover a range of hazard events as well as a variety of ecosystem types. Emerging practices, lessons learnt and key recommendations are also included in all chapters, and are summarized in the concluding chapter.


The use of advanced pedagogical methodologies in connection with advanced use of modern information technology for delivery enables new ways of communicating, of exchanging knowledge, and of learning that are gaining increasing relevance in our society. Remote laboratory exercises offer the possibility to enhance learning for students in different technical areas, especially to the ones not having physical access to laboratory facilities and thus spreading knowledge in a world-wide perspective. A new "Remote Flutter Laboratory" has been developed to introduce aeromechanics engineering students and professionals to aeroelastic phenomena in turbomachinery. The laboratory is world-wide unique in the sense that it allows global access for learners anywhere and anytime to a facility dedicated to what is both a complex and relevant area for gas turbine design and operation. The core of the system consists of an aeroelastically unstable turbine blade row that exhibits self-excited and self-sustained flutter at specific operating conditions. Steady and unsteady blade loading and motion data are simultaneously acquired on five neighboring suspended blades and the whole system allows for a distant-based operation and monitoring of the rig as well as for automatic data retrieval. This paper focuses on the development of the Remote Flutter Laboratory exercise as a hands-on learning platform for online and distant-based education and training in turbomachinery aeromechanics enabling familiarization with the concept of critical reduced frequency and of flutter phenomena. This laboratory setup can easily be used "as is" directly by any turbomachinery teacher in the world, free of charge and independent upon time and location with the intended learning outcomes as specified in the lab, but it can also very easily be adapted to other intended learning outcomes that a teacher might want to highlight in a specific course. As such it is also a base for a turbomachinery repository of advanced remote laboratories of global uniqueness and access. The present work documents also the pioneer implementation of the LabSocket System for the remote operation of a wind tunnel test facility from any Internet-enabled computer, tablet or smartphone with no end-user software or plug-in installation.


Background Prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay is a predictor of mortality. The length of ICU stay has never been considered as a variable in an additive scoring system. How could this variable be integrated into a scoring system? Does this integration improve mortality prediction? Material/Methods The 'modified CArdiac SUrgery Score' (CASUS) was generated by implementing the length of stay as a new variable to the 'additive CASUS'. The 'logistic CASUS' already considers this variable. We defined outcome as ICU mortality and statistically compared the three CASUS models. Discrimination, comparison of receiver operating characteristic curves (DeLong's method), and calibration (observed/expected ratio) were analyzed on days 1–13. Results Between 2007 and 2010, we included 5207 cardiac surgery patients in this prospective study. The mean age was 67.2±10.9 years. The mean length of ICU stay was 4.6±7.0 days and ICU mortality was 5.9%. All scores had good discrimination, with a mean area under the curve of 0.883 for the additive and modified, and 0.895 for the 'logistic CASUS'. DeLong analysis showed superiority in favor of the logistic model as from day 5. The calibration of the logistic model was good. We identified overestimation (days 1–5) and accurate (days 6–9) calibration for the additive and 'modified CASUS'. The 'modified CASUS' remained accurate but the 'additive CASUS' tended to underestimate the risk of mortality (days 10–13). Conclusions The integration of length of ICU stay as a variable improves mortality prediction significantly. An 'ICU-day' variable should be included into a logistic but not an additive model.


Introduction In today's highly competitive, rapidly changing global economy organisations have been focused to consider and implement a wider variety of innovative management philosophies and techniques. One such technique is benchmarking which has been attracting considerable attention for it's effectiveness (Sisson et al., 2003; Rohlfer, 2004; Anderson and McAdam, 2004; Anderson and McAdam, 2004; Rohlfer, 2004; Yasin, 2002). Benchmarking is a relatively new concept and practice "through which organisations continually review the outputs from their operations and identify ways to make changes in their processes so that better outputs result" (Holloway et al., 1998: 2). Benchmarking is identified as one of an ever-growing number of management practices aimed at improving performance (Fong et al., 1998; Cassell et al., 2001; Francis et al., 2002). As Zairi stated that, "Benchmarking has truly revolutionized the culture of businesses in the West and the way with which it is organized, managed and run. This is very evident when one looks at the number of conferences being organized, the formation of clubs, associations and the launch of journals and magazines specially devoted to the subject of benchmarking" (Zairi, 1996, cited in Jarrar and Zairi, 2001: 907). Benchmarking has been gaining attention among managers as a means of strengthening a company's ability to compete and achieve superior performance. It has rapidly gained acceptance world-wide as a tool of continuous improvement. As Francis et al. (2002: 239) stated that "benchmarking has become an increasingly important performance management tool that can be used to enable managers to both monitor and improve aspects of their own operational performance by reference to, and learning from, other organisations"". Therefore, benchmarking activities in different organisations deserve attention and critique (Willmott, 1993; Steingard and Fitzgibbons, 1993; Cox et al., 1997). However, there are many organisations in the USA and Europe that promote the use of benchmarking, such as The International Benchmarking Clearing House or The European Network for Advanced Performance System (ENAPS), which provide benchmarking databases and assistance in identifying partners (Carpinetti and De Melo, 2002). Also there are a variety of studies undertaken in the UK (e.g. Ogden and Wilson, 2000; Jones, 2002; Bovaird, 2000; McAdam and O'Neill, 2002; Cassell et al., 2001; Francis et al., 2002), USA (e.g. Min et al., 1997; Gruca and Wakefield, 2002; Siguaw and Enz, 1999; Kumar and Chandra, 2001), Korea (e.g. Min et al., 2002), Singapore (e.g. Brah et al., 2002), Hungary (e.g. Tolosi and Lajtha, 2000; Pataki et al., 1998), Australia (e.g. Gilmour, 1999; Ralston et al., 2001; Godfrey and Godfrey, 1999), Greece (e.g. Papalexandris and Nikandrou, 2000), Brazil (e.g. Carponetti and De Melo, 2002), and Turkey (e.g. Ulusoy and Ikiz, 2001) to explore different aspects of benchmarking. Despite the number of publications and the amount of research into benchmarking, little empirical research has been carried out in the Arab World and more specifically Egypt. There is very little known about benchmarking activities, benefits, and drawbacks in Egypt. Therefore, the focus of the present study was to examine the state of benchmarking in Egypt. In order to investigate the state of benchmarking in Egypt, data will be provided through current practices of benchmarking, benefits of benchmarking, driving forces of initiating benchmarking and the various problems associated with benchmarking in benchmarking and non-benchmarking organizations. Research Methodology and Organizational Profile This study is exploratory in nature and seeks to collect data about the state of benchmarking in Egypt. In deciding on the most suitable method for collecting the required data, it is important to note that based on the literature review it was clear that the majority of research about benchmarking has been conducted via quantitative approaches, predominantly through postal questionnaires (Vermeulen, 2003; Kumar and Chandra, 2001; Lee et al. …


Abstract Two female woolly mammoth neonates from permafrost in the Siberian Arctic are the most complete mammoth specimens known. Lyuba, found on the Yamal Peninsula, and Khroma, from northernmost Yakutia, died at ages of approximately one and two months, respectively. Both specimens were CT-scanned, yielding detailed information on the stage of development of their dentition and skeleton and insight into conditions associated with death. Both mammoths died after aspirating mud. Khroma's body was frozen soon after death, leaving her tissues in excellent condition, whereas Lyuba's body underwent postmortem changes that resulted in authigenic formation of nodules of the mineral vivianite associated with her cranium and within diaphyses of long bones. CT data provide the only comprehensive approach to mapping vivianite distribution. Three-dimensional modeling and measurement of segmented long bones permits comparison between these individuals and with previously recovered specimens. CT scans of long bones and foot bones show developmental features such as density gradients that reveal ossification centers. The braincase of Khroma was segmented to show the approximate morphology of the brain; its volume is slightly less (∼2,300 cm3) than that of neonate elephants (∼2,500 cm3). Lyuba's premaxillae are more gracile than those of Khroma, possibly a result of temporal and/or geographic variation but probably also reflective of their age difference. Segmentation of CT data and 3-D modeling software were used to produce models of teeth that were too complex for traditional molding and casting techniques.


A. rhombea occurs in small quantities in the Kakinada Bay and is incidentally collected
while fishing for the more abundant A. granosa- Males attain maturity at 22 mm and females at
24 mm length. It spawns during December-April (rarely in May) and major spawning Is indicated in
January-March. A single or two reproductive cycles occur during the spawning period. Increase in the
ambient water temperature and salinity seem to induce spawning The proportion of males and females
during different months, years and also in different length groups generally conforms to 1:1 ratio.
The average monthly condition index (CI) expressed as percentage of wet flesh weight in total weight,
varies from 9 6 to 15 7. The CI does not vary in relation to length. It is high before or at the
beginning of spawning and low when majority of the clams hive released bulk of the gametes. In
the post-spawning period the CI Is again high, probably due to the accumulation of body reserves.
The estimatad values of the parameters of the yon Beitalanffy growth equation ate Lco'=90.2mm,
K = 04573 per year and t" = "0 6315 yr. A. rhombea axxa'ms 47.4,63.1 and 73.1mm on completion
of 1, 2 and 3 years respectively. Various morpho netric and length-weight relationships are studied


The course of the alkaline hydrolysis of methyl-2-(1-methylpyrrolyl)-diphenylphosphonium iodide proceeds with exclusive loss of 1-methylpyrrole whilst in the corresponding alkaline hydrolysis of benzyltri-2-(1-methylpyrrolyl) phosphonium bromide cleavage of the heterocyclic substituent occurs to a minor extent; both toluene and 1-methylpyrrole are formed in a 3:2 molar ratio. These results indicate that the stabilities of the forming carbanions are in the order benzyl > 2-(1-methylpyrrolyl) > phenyl, in contrast with earlier studies on related 2-furyl and 2-thienyl systems which have shown the heteroaryl carbanions to be more stable than either benzyl or phenyl carbanions. The ability of the heterocyclic systems to stabilise the forming negative charge in the 2-position is discussed in terms of the sigma-inductive effect of the heteroatom and the electron moment of each ring system and is further related to the direction of the dipole moment of each heteroaryl group. The rates of alkaline hydrolysis of methyltri-2-(1-methylpyrrolyl)- phosphonium iodide and triphenyl(1-methylpyrrol-2-yl)methylphosphonium iodide have been determined and compared with the corresponding data for 2-furyl- and 2-thienylphosphonium salts. The findings are discussed in terms of the stabilities of the forming carbanions in the rate-determining step of the reaction, and also with regard to the electronic effect of the substituent on the position of the equilibria which precede the rate-determining step. Studies of the [31]Pn.m.r. spectra of the salts have been made, and the results are discussed in relation to the apparent electronic effects of the heteroaryl substituents on the adjacent phosphonium centre. The effect of the 2-(1-methylpyrrolyl) substituent at phosphorus on the course of the Uittig reaction in pro tic solvents has been investigated. The reaction of me thyltri-2-(1-methylpyrrolyl) phosphonium iodide and methy1-2-(1-methylpyrrolyl)diphenylphosphonium iodide with benzaldehyde in alcoholic alkoxide media proceed with loss of 1-methylpyrrole and the formation of di-2-(1-methylpyrrolyl)-beta-styrylphosphine oxide and diphenyl-beta-styrylphosphine oxide respectively, indicating that these reactions involve vinylphosphonium intermediates. In contrast, the reactions of the corresponding 2-furyl-phosphonium salts proceed via collapse of the cyclic oxaphosphetan and yield normal Wittig products. Since loss of the 1-methylpyrrolyl substituent from the intermediate vinylphosphonium salt takes place rather than migration from phosphorus to ex-carbon, a steric effect by the 1-methyl group is suspected. This is supported by results obtained for related t-butyl and o-tolyl systems. Diethyl and Diphenyl esters of 2-furyl-, 2-thienyl-, 2-(1-methylpyrrolyl)- and phenylphosphonic acids have been synthesised and a study of the kinetics of alkaline hydro lysis lias been made. The results are discussed in relation to the electronic effect of the heteroaryl substituent on the approach of the nucleophile and also on the departure of the leaving group in the reaction. The results for the hydrolysis of the corresponding carboxylic acid esters are introduced into the discussion together with infrared and [31]P n.m.r. spectroscopic data for the phosphonate esters.


Encoder-decoder design is considered for a closed-loop scalar control system with feedback transmitted over a binary symmetric channel. We propose an iterative procedure which can jointly optimize adaptive encoder-decoder pairs for a certainty equivalence controller. The goal is to minimize a design criterion, in particular, the linear quadratic (LQ) cost function over a finite horizon. The algorithm leads to a practically feasible design of time-varying non-uniform encoding and decoding. Numerical results demonstrate the promising performance obtained by employing the proposed iterative optimization algorithm


Bathymetry and magnetic anomalies indicate that a seamount on the Juan de Fuca plate has been subducted beneath the central Cascadia accretionary complex and is now located ∼45 km landward of the deformation front. Passage of this seamount through the accretionary complex has resulted in a pattern of uplift followed by subsidence that has had a profound influence on slope morphology, gas hydrate stability, and sedimentation. Based on potential-field data and a new three-dimensional seismic velocity model, we infer that this is the most recent of several seamounts subducted over the past several million years beneath this segment of Cascadia. More deeply subducted seamounts may be responsible for recent earthquake activity on the plate boundary in this region and for along-strike variations in the thickness of the subduction channel, which may affect coupling across the plate boundary.


Context. Galaxy-wide outflows driven by star formation and/or an active galactic nucleus (AGN) are thought to play a crucial rule in the evolution of galaxies and the metal enrichment of the inter-galactic medium. Direct measurements of these processes are still scarce and new observations are needed to reveal the nature of outflows in the majority of the galaxy population.
Aims. We combine extensive, spatially-resolved, multi-wavelength observations, taken as part of the Close AGN Reference Survey (CARS), for the edge-on disc galaxy HE 1353−1917 in order to characterise the impact of the AGN on its host galaxy via outflows and radiation.
Methods. Multi-color broad-band photometry was combined with spatially-resolved optical, near-infrared (NIR) and sub-mm and radio observations taken with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopy Explorer (MUSE), the Near-infrared Integral Field Spectrometer (NIFS), the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to map the physical properties and kinematics of the multi-phase interstellar medium.
Results. We detect a biconical extended narrow-line region ionised by the luminous AGN orientated nearly parallel to the galaxy disc, extending out to at least 25 kpc. The extra-planar gas originates from galactic fountains initiated by star formation processes in the disc, rather than an AGN outflow, as shown by the kinematics and the metallicity of the gas. Nevertheless, a fast, multi-phase, AGN-driven outflow with speeds up to 1000 km s−1 is detected close to the nucleus at 1 kpc distance. A radio jet, in connection with the AGN radiation field, is likely responsible for driving the outflow as confirmed by the energetics and the spatial alignment of the jet and multi-phase outflow. Evidence for negative AGN feedback suppressing the star formation rate (SFR) is mild and restricted to the central kpc. But while any SFR suppression must have happened recently, the outflow has the potential to greatly impact the future evolution of the galaxy disc due to its geometrical orientation.
Conclusions.. Our observations reveal that low-power radio jets can play a major role in driving fast, multi-phase, galaxy-scale outflows even in radio-quiet AGN. Since the outflow energetics for HE 1353−1917 are consistent with literature, scaling relation of AGN-driven outflows the contribution of radio jets as the driving mechanisms still needs to be systematically explored.


Urban transport systems are facing seemingly irreconcilable problems.Sustainable transport policies are necessary to address this sustainability challenge. However,their effectiveness highly depends on the public attitude towards them. A method combiningboth qualitative and quantitative research was used to redefine a sustainable transport policybased on sustainability principles, and find out the key factors of public attitude towardssustainable transport policies. Furthermore, the interrelations between these factors arerevealed by using structural equation modelling. 1685 questionnaires were sent to fourrepresentative cities in Sweden: Stockholm, Goteborg, Uppsala and Karlskrona. By using thisfirst hand data, we discovered some differences between Karlskrona and these other threecities. The negative attitudes towards reducing car use and promoting public transport inKarlskrona is opposite to the positive attitudes in other cities. The acceptance of taxes, speedlimitation and parking regulation is notably different as well. The results also indicate that citycharacteristics influence public attitudes towards sustainable transport policies more thancitizens' characteristics. The functionality of a city is the most significant factor. Moreover,the results show a high dependence on individual car use. This suggests that planners shouldnot use the experience gained from other cities without investigating actual local conditions.


It is generally maintained that learning should be a part of the daily routines of many organizations; this is often referred to as lesson learned processes. The purpose of organizational learning is to foster improvements that seek to both reduce incidents and accidents and reduce their consequences when they nevertheless happen. Safety work is widespread among many organizations, e.g. aviation, hospitals, process industry, fire departments and several armed forces. A considerable part of safety work involves accident prevention, and aims to investigate why and how previous accidents and incidents happened, in order to learn how to avoid them, or minimize losses when they do occur. The collection of information after incidents represents one of the first steps in a lessons learned process, and the result is crucial for further work. Unfortunately, incident reports often tend to be unfocused (they represent a very wide area of issues) and, for that reason, cannot be clustered. They also frequently lack by analysts required information. The overall research objective in this thesis was to develop a report structure that enables the individuals who participated in or observed an incident to provide more information that is relevant about that incident. The first research question seeks to identify whether the Swedish Armed Forces face the kinds of problems that have been identified in earlier research on attempts to learn from accidents and incidents. The second and third research questions aim to ascertain whether the scope and quality of collected information in incident reports can be improved and if the number of incident reports can be increased. The results agree with earlier research and show that many of the problems that are common in other organizations (e.g. aviation, hospitals and the process industry) can also be observed and are a reality within the SwAF. In addition, the results showed that both scope and quality of collected information can be influenced. Group reporting using a consensus process neither had an appreciable effect on the quality of collected information, nor on the quantity of the reports. On the other hand, the new reporting form, which was based on interview and questionnaire methodology, and to some extent witness psychology, significantly improved the quality of the information collected after incidents. The new form proved to be superior, regardless of the character and context of the incidents. The information collected was also in accordance with what had actually happened and, finally, the form proved to be useful when various military "real world" incidents were reported. Finally, the results also provide new insights into the problems and possibilities associated with acquiring useful incident reports. The problem seems not only to be that people may be unwilling to report incidents that they have participated in or witnessed; it is also that they may be unable to do so. Consequently, it may not be sufficient to change the culture of the organization into a learning culture to receive by analysts required information. It is also necessary to help people report what they actually know by means of an improved report structure.


Microalgae have higher growth rates and higher lipid content than terrestrial plants and the yield per unit area is even higher by several orders of magnitude. Furthermore, the production of microalgae does not compete for fertile land for food production. Therefore, microalgae are in the focus of research for biodiesel production, nutritional supplements and aquaculture approaches. However, after almost half a century of research the full promise of microalgae as a feedstock for biofuel production has remained largely unfulfilled. My research was motivated by the obvious gaps in the application of ecological pros of microalgae.

DIVERSITY-PRODUCTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS: THE ROLE OF DIVERSITY FOR MICROALGAL LIPID PRODUCTION
The relationship between diversity and productivity within terrestrial and algal primary producers has been well documented in ecology. However, the importance of diversity for lipid production for biofuel remains limited. Hence, I set out to investigate, experimentally, whether diversity may also affect lipid production in microalgae. Microalgae from all major algal groups were grown in a large number of treatments differing in their diversity level. Additionally, I compared the growth and lipid production of laboratory communities with the lipid production of natural lake and pond phytoplankton communities along a diversity gradient. This comparison showed that the lipid production of selected laboratory monocultures was not significantly higher than that of natural phytoplankton communities.
The lipid production in general increased with increasing diversity in both natural and laboratory microalgal communities. The underlying reason for the observed 'diversity-productivity' relationship seems to be resource use complementarity. Additionally, a very important observation was that diversity also influences the specific lipid production of each microalgae in the high diverse communities.

DIVERSITY- LIGHT- LIPID RELATIONSHIPS: LIPID PRODUCTION IN THE RIGHT LIGHT
The knowledge about the relationship between diversity and biomass/lipid production in primary producer communities for biofuel production is underestimated. However, basic ecological research studies on the growth of microalgal communities provide evidence of a positive relationship between diversity and biomass production and show that the observed positive diversity-productivity-relationships are related to an increase in the efficiency of light use by diverse microalgal communities. I cultivated microalgae from all major freshwater algal groups in treatments that differed in their species richness and functional group richness. Polycultures with high functional group richness showed higher light use and algal lipid content with increasing species richness. Additionally, I could show a clear correlation between light use and lipid production in functionally diverse communities. Therefore, a powerful and cost effective way to improve biofuel production might be accomplished by incorporating diversity related resource-use-dynamics into algal biomass production.

DIVERSITY AND FOOD QUALITY: ADVANTAGES FOR AQUACULTURE FOOD WEBS
Determining the factors that control the energy transfer at the plant-animal interface is a key issue in ecology, because this transfer is highly variable and despite its global importance it is still not well understood. Food quality of primary producers seems to be a crucial factor influencing the transfer efficiency towards higher trophic levels. One major aspect of food quality is the biomass fatty acid composition in terms of essential ω3-polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3-PUFAs) of primary producers, because all animals are incapable to synthesize them de novo. However, the influence of diversity on phytoplankton food quality in terms of lipid composition (e.g. ω3-PUFAs) remains unclear. I tested via a series of experiments controlled for diversity how the diversity of microalgal communities influences their fatty acid composition. My study shows the significant influence of diversity of primary producer communities on their fatty acid composition; especially on essential ω3-PUFA content.

MICROALGAL BIOMASS CONTROL VIA GRAZING: IMPACT OF MICROALGAL SIZE
The direction and strength of phytoplankton community responses to zooplankton grazing most probably depend on the size of phytoplankton species. To examine the influence of migrating (diel vertical migration, DVM) and non migrating zooplankton communities on different sized phytoplankton communities, I designed an experiment where I manipulated the size distribution of a natural phytoplankton community a priori in field mesocosms. Comparison of "migration" and "no migration" zooplankton treatments showed that nutrient availability and total phytoplankton biovolume were higher in "no migration" treatments with phytoplankton communities comprising mainly small algae and in "migration" treatments with phytoplankton communities of a broader size spectrum of algae. Additionally my results showed experimentally that food size selection and migration behavior of Daphnia hyalina can cause a shift from small sized microalgae towards larger species.

NEW CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES FOR BIOMASS AND LIPID YIELD OPTIMIZATION IN MICROALGAE
For the installation of infrastructure for the large-scale production of biofuel from microalgae is essential to establish cultivation methods that maximize lipid production but which are also economically viable in terms of energy demand and resource supply. For this purpose, I compared different cultivation systems (semi-batch, continuous) to optimize simultaneously growth and biomass lipid content of Botryococcus braunii. To enhance both, biomass accumulation and lipid production at the same time I further investigated a two-stage cultivation method to replace one stage semi-batch cultivation systems. In the first step of this cultivation method a full growth medium allows an enhancement of biomass accumulation. In the next step, the culture was transferred into nitrogen limited growth medium, where a further accumulation of photosynthetic products in the form of lipids occurred. Two-stage cultivation cultures resulted in higher nutrient specific biomass production and lipid content of B. braunii compared to one stage cultivation. If a continuous cultivation of cultures with high biomass in stage one can be assured, an almost constant supply of huge amounts of algae with even high lipid content in the second step could be guaranteed.

My results clearly show that a better understanding of general ecological principles for biomass and lipid production of microalgae provides a cost effective and environmental friendly way to cultivate high yielding microalgal communities for commercial approaches. The enhancement of the yield efficiency of lipid production in diverse microalgal communities would be difficult to do only by technical means such as increasing resource supply. In addition, increasing the supply of resources is usually correlated with high energy requirements and therefore cost intensive. It is therefore important for biomass production systems to utilize all possible ecological options to increase the efficiency of the use of the supplied resources by integrating basic ecological principles into the cultivation systems.


Abstract:Debt and imperialism have long been crucial questions for transnational feminism. This article attends particularly to recent and historical traditions of resistance in Puerto Rico and the wider Caribbean. It argues that part of the intellectual and political struggle has been to identify debt as an extractive enterprise and seize hold of a notion of freedom that is robust enough to resist what Jodi Kim and Michael Hudson have called "debt imperialism." Paying attention to the recent Puerto Rican revolt against the governor, the fiscal control board, the management of hurricane relief, femicide, and policing, this article attends to deep histories of slavery, revolt, and marronage as resources for a feminist rejection of the liberal notions of freedom that make indebtedness possible.


An experiment to study acoustic backscattering from deep‐ocean sediments was conducted in July 1993 as part of the Acoustic Reverberation Special Research Program (ARSRP). An acoustic source transmitting chirp signals in the frequency range 250–650 Hz and a 24‐element vertical receiving array attached to the source were suspended near the seafloor over a sediment pond in the vicinity of the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge. In a previous paper [Tang et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 98 508–516 (1995)], a study on bottom scattering due to sediment volume inhomogeneities in this area was presented. Here, the spatial and temporal coherence of the scattered field using the data collected on the vertical array will be examined. The scatterers are modeled as point scatterers. It is shown that when the coherently reflected signals due to sediment layering are removed from the measurements, the results of the point scatter coherence model agree satisfactorily with data. [Work supported by ONR.]


Background: Many randomised control trials and systematic reviews have examined the benefits of glucocorticoids for the treatment of croup in children, but they have reported mainly on dexamethasone as an oral treatment for croup. No systematic reviews have examined prednisolone alone. Aim: To determine in a systematic review of the literature whether a single dose of oral prednisolone is as effective as a single dose of dexamethasone for reducing croup symptoms in children. Search Strategy: A detailed search was conducted on the following databases: CINAHL, MEDLINE EBSCO, MEDLINE, OVID, PubMed, The Cochrane Library, ProQuest, EMBASE, JBI, Sum search, and OpenGrey. Study authors were contacted. Selection Criteria: Randomised Controlled Trials, clinical trials or chart reviews which examined children with croup who were treated with prednisolone alone, or when prednisolone was compared to a dexamethasone treatment and the effectiveness of the intervention was objectively measured using croup scores and re-attendance as primary outcomes. Data Collection and Analysis: Following PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews, relevant studies were identified. Scores were graded agreed by two independent reviewers using QualSyst. Main Results: Four studies met the inclusion criteria, but were too heterogeneous to combine in statistical meta-analysis. The result suggests that although prednisolone appears as effective as dexamethasone when first given, it is less so for preventing re-presentation. Trial sample sizes were small, making firm conclusions difficult, however, a second dose of prednisolone the following day may be useful. More research including cost-benefit analysis is needed to examine the efficacy of prednisolone compared to dexamethasone.


This study examined the professional learning of participants in a science and pedagogical content knowledge-based graduate degree program, specifically the Master of Science in Science Education (MSSE) at Montana State University. The program's blended learning model includes distance learning coursework and laboratory, field and seminar experiences. Three-quarters of the faculty are scientists. The study sought to identify program components that contribute to a graduate course of study that is coherent, has academic rigor, and contributes to educator's professional growth and learning. The study examined the program from three perspectives: recommendations for teachers' professional learning through professional development, components of a quality graduate program, and a framework for distance learning. No large-scale studies on comprehensive models of teacher professional learning leading to change in practice have been conducted in the United States. The literature on teachers' professional learning is small. Beginning with a comprehensive review of the literature, this study sought to identify components of professional learning through professional development for teachers. The MSSE professional learning survey was designed for students and faculty, and 349 students and 24 faculty responded. The student survey explored how course experiences fostered professional learning. Open-ended responses on the student survey provided insight regarding specific program experiences influencing key categories of professional learning. A parallel faculty survey was designed to elicit faculty perspectives on the extent to which their courses fostered science content knowledge and other aspects of professional learning. Case study data and portfolios from MSSE students were used to provide deeper insights into the influential aspects of the program. The study provided evidence of significant professional learning among science teacher participants. This growth occurred in key categories defined in the literature including inquiry, building social capital, critical and responsive learning, valuing learning and building content knowledge. In general, findings from students and faculty were well aligned. Based on respondents' recommendations, the author recommended a stronger emphasis on pedagogical content knowledge, analysis of student work, and strategies for differentiating instruction for diverse learners. Conclusions include a framework and roadmap elements to inform those working to improve graduate education or professional development for science teachers.


While the voxel-based methods have achieved promising results for multi-person 3D pose estimation from multi-cameras, they suffer from heavy computation burdens, especially for large scenes. We present Faster VoxelPose to address the challenge by re-projecting the feature volume to the three two-dimensional coordinate planes and estimating X, Y, Z coordinates from them separately. To that end, we first localize each person by a 3D bounding box by estimating a 2D box and its height based on the volume features projected to the xy-plane and z-axis, respectively. Then for each person, we estimate partial joint coordinates from the three coordinate planes separately which are then fused to obtain the final 3D pose. The method is free from costly 3D-CNNs and improves the speed of VoxelPose by ten times and meanwhile achieves competitive accuracy as the state-of-the-art methods, proving its potential in real-time applications.


Parents and prospective parents who speak a language other than English in New Zealand are in something of an
 information desert when it comes to how and why they might go about raising their children bilingually. While the official
 languages, Te Reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language, have special status among the languages of New Zealand, other languages are
 viewed very much as the responsibility of ethnolinguistic communities. To support the intergenerational transmission of minority
 languages in New Zealand, research-informed material has been created for dissemination in a website, an associated Facebook page
 and a series of lecture-workshops for parents and professionals which have been made available in digital form in this website.
 Workshops continue to be offered to professionals such as speech-language therapists, early childhood educators, midwives,
 doctors, and nurses who work with families with young children. Questions asked during these workshops help to select the myths
 about multilingualism we need to address in this outreach to irrigate and green the information desert. Already, a bilingual
 French class and a Swedish playgroup have been set up as direct results of the parents' workshop events. Individual parents have
 reported feeling empowered to persevere in their efforts to raise their children as speakers of their language. Invitations to
 contribute to education programs for the professionals who work close to young children are beginning to arrive.


Blooms of the diatom genus Pseudo-nitzschia have been recognized as a public health issue in California since 1991 when domoic acid, the neurotoxin produced by toxigenic species of Pseudo-nitzschia, was first detected in local shellfish. Although these blooms are recurring and rec- ognized hazards, the factors driving bloom proliferation remain poorly understood. The lack of long- term field studies and/or deficiencies in the scope of environmental data included within them hin- ders the development of robust forecasting tools. For this study, we successfully developed predictive logistic models of toxigenic Pseudo-nitzschia blooms in Monterey Bay, California, from a multi-pro- ject dataset representing 8.3 yr of sampling effort. Models were developed for year-round (annual model) or seasonal use (spring and fall-winter models). The consideration of seasonality was signifi- cant: chlorophyll a (chl a) and silicic acid were predictors in all models, but period-specific inclusions of temperature, upwelling index, river discharge, and/or nitrate provided significant model refine- ment. Predictive power for 'unknown' (future) bloom cases was demonstrated at ≥75% for all models, out-performing a chl a anomaly model, and performing comparably to, or better than, previously described statistical models for Pseudo-nitzschia blooms or toxicity. The models presented here are the first to have been developed from long-term (>1.5 yr) monitoring efforts, and the first to have been developed for bloom prediction of toxigenic Pseudo-nitzschia species. The descriptive capacity of our models places historical and recent observations into greater ecological context, which could help to resolve historical alternation between the implication of freshwater discharge and upwelling processes in bloom dynamics.


Sampling from an unnormalized probability distribution is a fundamental problem in machine learning with applications including Bayesian modeling, latent factor inference, and energy-based model training. After decades of research, variations of MCMC remain the default approach to sampling despite slow convergence. Auxiliary neural models can learn to speed up MCMC, but the overhead for training the extra model can be prohibitive. We propose a fundamentally different approach to this problem via a new Hamiltonian dynamics with a non-Newtonian momentum. In contrast to MCMC approaches like Hamiltonian Monte Carlo, no stochastic step is required. Instead, the proposed deterministic dynamics in an extended state space exactly sample the target distribution, specified by an energy function, under an assumption of ergodicity. Alternatively, the dynamics can be interpreted as a normalizing flow that samples a specified energy model without training. The proposed Energy Sampling Hamiltonian (ESH) dynamics have a simple form that can be solved with existing ODE solvers, but we derive a specialized solver that exhibits much better performance. ESH dynamics converge faster than their MCMC competitors enabling faster, more stable training of neural network energy models.


The purity of cetrimide, trimethyl tetradecyl ammonium bromide (TTAB), which is an important preservative of many cosmetic and pharmaceutical products, was determined by three independent methods of titration. Traditionally, cetrimide was analysed by an assay method of the European Pharmacopoeia, which showed consistently a low purity of cetrimide with associated large standard deviations, however. A systematic 3% bias of the European Pharmacopoeia assay method was identified by comparing the result with results of two alternative methods of titration that exhibited high precision and high accuracy. Titration by perchloric acid showed a 99.69% +/- 0.05% purity of cetrimide, and titration by silver nitrate showed a 99.85% +/- 0.05% purity, while the traditional assay method predicted a purity of only 97.1% +/- 0.4%. It was found that the discrepancy could be identified as differences in selectivity during the extraction step of the European Pharmacopoeia assay method. The distribution coefficients between chloroform and water of cetrimide and the corresponding iodide species (TTAI) were thus determined as 2150 +/- 50 M(-1) and 68000 +/- 4000 M(-1), respectively.


Background— No studies have comprehensively examined the prevalence of dyslipidemia, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, among diverse racial/ethnic minority groups. The primary aim of this study was to identify racial/ethnic differences in dyslipidemia among minorities including Asian Americans (Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese), Mexican Americans, and blacks compared with non-Hispanic whites. Methods and Results— Using a 3-year cross section (2008–2011), we identified 169 430 active primary care patients (35 years or older) from an outpatient healthcare organization in northern California. Age-standardized prevalence rates were calculated for 3 dyslipidemia subtypes: high triglycerides (fasting laboratory value ≥150 mg/dL), low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (fasting laboratory value <40 mg/dL [men] and <50 mg/dL [women]), and high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (fasting laboratory value ≥130 mg/dL or taking low-density lipoprotein–lowering agents). Odds ratios were calculated by multivariable logistic regression, with adjustment for patient characteristics (age, measured body mass index, smoking). Compared with non-Hispanic whites, every minority subgroup had an increased prevalence of high triglycerides except blacks. Most minority groups had an increased prevalence of low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, except for Japanese and blacks. The prevalence of high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was increased among Asian Indians, Filipinos, Japanese, and Vietnamese compared with non-Hispanic whites. Conclusions— Minority groups, except for blacks, were more likely to have high triglyceride/low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol dyslipidemia. Further research is needed to determine how racial/ethnic differences in dyslipidemia affect racial/ethnic differences in cardiovascular disease rates.


I. INTRODUCTION In 1985, the Kentucky Court of Appeals was struggling with a backlog of an estimated 1,000 appeals. In response, the Kentucky Supreme Court established the expedited appeals process. (1) The overall goals of this new process were: (1) to continue to provide full appellate review for all cases which came to the Court; (2) to resolve cases in as short a time frame as possible without any sacrifice in the quality of review or fairness to the parties involved; (3) to promote a decrease in the amount of time to be spent by the attorneys in preparing their appeals and a commensurate decrease in costs to the litigants; and (4) to dispose of the growing backlog, which was assuming alarming proportions. (2) The new program gave expedited treatment to appeals that involved relatively simple issues, did not require extensive transcription of the record, and were previously briefed in the court below. The special appeal procedure, outlined in Kentucky Civil Rule 76.05, (3) called for abbreviated pleadings and oral arguments before a special panel of judges. However, effective February 1, 2001, the Kentucky Supreme Court repealed Civil Rule 76.05 in its entirety. (4) And, for the first time in recent memory, the backlog that was such a concern in the late eighties and early nineties was suddenly non-existent. This Article will explore the original procedure set out by Civil Rule 76.05, and compare it to the method used now to advance appeals in Kentucky. This information will be useful in case the backlog ever returns and for comparison to other states. II. CASE SELECTION UNDER FORMER CIVIL RULE 76.05 Civil Rule 76.03 requires a preheating statement to be filed in every civil case within twenty days of filing a notice of appeal. (5) Although nothing in Civil Rule 76.03 or Civil Rule 76.05 authorized requests for special appeals, the rules did not specifically prohibit a party from asking for a special appeal. Regardless of any request, the court granted expedited appeals after reviewing the prehearing statement. The staff reviewed the nature of the appeal to determine if it involved single or non-complex issues that could be resolved quickly without further briefing or record additions. Until 1986, the designation of a special appeal often occurred at the preheating conference as a suggestion of the presiding judge or conference attorney or by agreement of the parties. (6) Thereafter, special appeals were designated by court of appeals staff after undergoing a screening process. In 1991 and 1992, only ten percent of all appeals were submitted through the special appeals procedure. (7) Certain types of cases were deemed most appropriate for the expedited procedures. These included cases from the circuit courts that had been resolved on Rule 12 dismissals or Rule 56 summary judgments. Also appropriate were cases appealed to the circuit courts from administrative agencies. Those cases usually had been briefed and argued extensively in the administrative bodies from which they originated and before the circuit courts. Finally, certain domestic relations cases that already had transcribed records or were tried by deposition were candidates for expedited review. Expedited review was not appropriate for "jury trials, bench trials, custody hearings, or any other case in which untranscribed evidence [wa]s a factor." (8) In addition, criminal cases were not included in this program because there was no document similar to a preheating statement required in the criminal system. (9) III. ORDER AND RECORD The order designating the case as a special appeal provided procedural directions and required all counsel within twenty days to file with the court: (i) A concise position statement of no more than three (3) pages in length setting forth the position and contentions of the party and including citations of authority in regard to the issues set forth in the preheating statement; (ii) Any prehearing document (either the prehearing statement or the optional supplemental preheating statement, whichever pertain[ed]) filed by the party pursuant to CR 76. …


A nodal analysis method for thermodynamic analysis of Stirling engine is modified based on the check of mechanical loss and the temperature of the heater and cooler. A computational modeling for simulating the process of oscillating flow and heat transfer occurring in the P-40 four-cylinder double-acting Stirling engine has been developed, and the changing effects of different parameters such as the internal pressure, temperature, velocity, power and efficiency are obtained. Numerical simulation results show that they coincide with the testing data given by NASA. The influence of speed, working fluid and average pressure on the engine output performance is analyzed by the modified nodal analysis method. This method is a useful tool for the optimal design and operating characteristic analysis of Stirling engine.


The pore architecture and acidity of zeolite materials play crucial roles in the activity and selectivity of catalytic reactions. Herein, hierarchical SAPO-11 molecular sieve microspheres with uniform intercrystalline mesoporosity (ca. 4.3 nm) and tunable acidity were synthesized via dry-gel conversion (DGC) of a silicoaluminophosphate–organosilane composite. The products were comprehensively characterized using multiple techniques, including XRD, SEM, TEM, N2 adsorption–desorption, NH3-TPD, pyridine-adsorbed IR (Py-IR), TG and 29Si MAS NMR measurements. It is revealed that the products' acidity can be precisely tuned in a wide range by simply adjusting the water content used in the synthesis. The growth of such hierarchical SAPO-11 underwent a rearrangement of the mesopores: the original mesopores (ca. 17 nm) of the precursor were collapsed at the initial stage of crystallization and the final mesopores of the products were directed by the organosilane. More importantly, the Pt/hierarchical SAPO-11 catalysts exhibited enhanced isomerization selectivity in the hydroisomerization of n-dodecane, attributed to their excellent diffusion properties resulting from the hierarchical pore network. This work demonstrates a facile approach to synthesize hierarchical zeolites with tunable acidity, which is beneficial for catalytic reactions involving bulky molecules.


Huget, Jennifer LaRue. The Best Birthday Party Ever . Illus. LeUyen Pham. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books, 2011. Print. "My birthday is 5 months, 3 weeks, 2 days, and 8 hours away.  Today I started to plan my party." And so the planning begins for the 5-year-old soon-to-be birthday girl in this charming picture book.  She has to start planning early if she wants the best birthday party ever.  She is going to invite all 57 of her friends including the mailman and the invitations will be sprinkled with fairy dust.  She will have 9 thousand balloons, streamers and napkins: all in pink.  On the menu is a 17-layer cake, each layer a different flavour, with 6 zillion candles on top.  Not only will there be: a magician, camel rides and a Ferris wheel, but each lucky guest will receive a hamster as a party favour. In a kid-friendly countdown style towards the big day, our sweet party planner gets more and more excited as her birthday approaches and the plans get more and more grandiose.  Only after her mother comments that this birthday party is "getting out of hand" does she agree to skip the sparkly necklaces.  The day finally arrives and while it may not be the party she dreamed of, she is appreciative and enjoys her day so much that she immediately begins plans for her next birthday. This beautifully illustrated read-aloud captures the excitement of a child as she looks forward to her special day and will appeal to lower elementary grades as well as preschoolers.  The whimsical mostly-pink drawings may be initially off-putting to boys but they are certain to relate and enjoy the story. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Debbie Feisst Debbie is a Public Services Librarian at the H.T. Coutts Education Library at the University of Alberta.  When not renovating, she enjoys travel, fitness and young adult fiction.


Appropriate risk allocation (RA) between public and private sectors according to their risk management (RM) capabilities is crucial for the success of public-private partnership (PPP) projects. The RA process in PPP water projects is examined, and a methodology based on fuzzy set theory is outlined with RA principles that can be used by public-private participants to arrive at fair RA decisions. Empirical data based on an industry-wide three-round Delphi questionnaire survey is used in this study to outline the methodology. The fuzzy set theory is employed for the RA analysis because it deals well with the complex multi-criteria problem of, and precisely accounts for the fuzziness inherent in human cognitive process that characterize, RA decision-making. Five risk factors are evaluated on each RA principle, analysed and assigned between the public and private sectors. The results show that it is appropriate to allocate risks according to both sectors' RM capability to manage them, using established RA principles and fuzzy set theory. The methodology renders the decision-making process more systematic and practical because the fuzzy theory approach allows decision makers to express their evaluations of both sectors' RM capabilities in descriptive qualitative terms. The results should assist public clients to establish efficient RA strategies and develop balanced RA schemes for PPP contracts, with a view to achieving a mutually acceptable RA with the private sector.


Entrepreneurship Education (EE) and undergraduates' attitude of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria, (OAU), to self-employment were examined. Over one thousand students enrolled for the special electives in 2006/2007 academic session. These students were administered with questionnaire, pre- and post-entrepreneurship education. Out of these, six hundred students were randomly selected as the sample size, consisting of three hundred each for both pre-intervention and post-intervention exposure respectively. A control group which consisted of 156 students, chosen randomly , was also set up to compare the perception of students who were exposed to EE as against those who were not exposed to EE Data generated were analyzed using simple frequency and percentage tables. The study revealed that about 94% of respondents indicated their preference for self-employment after the post-intervention exposure as against 14.7% of respondents from the control group. Comparing the results of the pre-and post-intervention survey of exposing undergraduates to EE as against the result from the control group, it was observed that EE had great impression on those exposed. Furthermore, the various responses from the post intervention survey showed that the experience of EE has enriched their knowledge on starting and owning business, In addition, it has also changed their perception about self-employment. Recommendations and implementation for including EE into tertiary curricula were also given. Keywords: Entrepreneurship-education, intervention, self-employment, undergraduates, universities, curricula, Nigeria 1.0 INTRODUCTION The historical trend of higher education in Nigeria from the 1930s to the late first decade of the third millennium reveals that the number of established tertiary institutions in the country has experienced a tremendous growth. For example, polytechnics grew from one in the 1930s to sixty in 2007. There was only one university in 1948. Today there are ninety-five universities and more are being proposed. Between 1958 and 2008, colleges of education have grown from one to eighty four (Ajao, 2008). The proliferation of universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and other specialized tertiary institutions in Nigeria and other nations of the world is a desirable thing for learning. To accommodate student enrolment in these institutions in Nigeria, most of them resorted to establishing study centres, satellite campuses and outreach programs. This became worrisome and government through its regulatory agency of universities, the National Universities Commission (NUC), had to put a stop to it. In addition, the contents of the various tertiary institutions as documented in their various curricula do not reflect entrepreneurial skills development that will enable young graduates to be selfemployed. Thus, one of the major factors as well as challenges that face the education sector for the attainment of the Federal Government's developmental programmes such as "7-point agenda", "Vision 20-2020" is the issue of the curriculum. Despite the fact that existing curricula in most of our tertiary institutions were fashioned after those of higher institutions in Europe and Americas, particularly Britain and the USA, the colonial educational policy (Aladekomo, 2004), which still affects decisions in the educational sector, was meant to only produce literates to man certain positions that reinforces their control over their subjects. The curricula were narrow and stereotypically lopsided taking into consideration only the needs of the colonial masters without taking into consideration that the students have the whole world as their catchment area and should be able to function in the global market and not at a corner of the globe only. As a consequence, many of the curricula in Nigeria educational system, particularly at the tertiary level, are not geared toward effective national and economic development, because the graduates of such programmes are not easily employed or selfemployed and in most cases have to wait for many years after graduation to secure jobs (if any). …