This article examines and assesses virtues and limits of the contribution of political constitutionalism to the question of reasoning about rights. In the first section, the role of legislatures in deciding about rights is examined and compared to judicial reasoning. The main tenets of the parliamentary style of politics are sketched out. The second section tries to establish that weak judicial review of legislation is compatible with political constitutionalism, but it shows also that some forms of strong judicial review may be necessary in certain cases. In order to prove this latter point, the third section takes the Hirst case as its focus. From an analysis of the parliamentary debate on the issue of prisoners' right to vote, it is noted that the political process is not always the best institution for adjudicating questions that concern directly the political process itself and that are constitutive of the whole political system. The last section pushes this point a little further by showing that the pre-conditions of the political constitution are rarely taken into account by political constitutionalists. In this respect, constitutional rights that form constitutive aspects of the political process may deserve a stronger protection than other rights and in this respect judicial review might play an important role.


In this paper, we study ƞ-Ricci solitons on Lorentzian para-Sasakian manifold satisfying R(ξ,X)•W_5(Y,Z)U=0 and W_5(ξ,X)•R(Y,Z)U=0 conditions. We prove that on a Lorentzian para-Sasakian manifold (M,ξ,ƞ,g), the Ricci curvature tensor satisfying any one of the given conditions, the existence of ƞ-Ricci soliton then implies that (M,g) is Einstein manifold. We also conclude that in these cases, there is no Ricci soliton on M, with the potential vector field ξ (the killing vector).


Four shrimp diets for Penaus indicus were formulated using available
indigenous feed ingredients (fish meal, shrimp meal, soybean meal, wheat flour, corn
flour and corn oil ) using linear programming techniques All the diets were
isocaloric ( 400 kca1/100g ), containing 5 to 115% fat The dietary protein levels
were 30, 35 , 40 and 45% with an amino acid profile similar to that of the prawn The
production costs of the diets were Rials 1140, Rials 1240, Rials 1340 ,Rials 1440 per
kilogram respectively
Eighteen indoor concrete tanks ( 345 m2 each) receiving flow-through
seawater (42 ppt) of 21 /sec were stocked With 138 P. indicus fry (0014 g mean wt )
at a stocking density of 40 shrimp per m2 In the case of the pond, eighteen
compartments (95 m 2 each ) separated by nylon nets in pond were also prepared
and stocked with 380 shrimps of the same size and stocking density as the tank
experiment The shrimps were fed with the prepared diets and two commercial diets
as a control for growth, feed and protein utilisation, and carcass composition during
grow-out for 115 days Specific growth rate (SGR) was high for all diets with a
mean ranging from 302 to 318 With the exception of a commercial feed (Chinah)
which had a value of 081 There were no significant differences (P> 0 05) among diets for growth rate, final length, fat and protein deposition in tanks and pond
Significant differences (P<0 05) were observed in shrimp fed 40% protein diet for
net profit, yield, survival rate and weight gain as compared to shrimp fed the other
diets The results also indicate that shrimp P.indicus can be reared in sea water of
high salinity from fry through marketable sizes more economically on an optimum
dietary protein of 40%


Abstract Intercalation of cationic surfactants hexadecylpyridinium (HDPy+) and hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA+) into the interlayer space of homoionic (Na-, Ca- and Zn-) smectites by solid-solid reactions was investigated. These reactions were complete within 15 min. Changes in the surface and structure of the smectites modified with different surfactants were characterized using XRD, FTIR and DSC. The intercalation of surfactant is controlled by the exchangeable cation of smectite and monofunctional ammonium cation type. HDPy+ and HDTMA+ surfactants were retained by Zn-exchanged smectite, suggesting important surface properties (CEC = 80 meq/100 g clay, SBET = 116.5 m2/g) and acid-base properties (point of zero proton charge PZC, density charge σH). HDPy cation loading was effective, suggesting that the aromatic polar group is favoured for intercalation. Comparing with original clay, modification with surfactants increased the basal spacings d001. Based on the d001 spacing of modified smectites, different configurations of surfactants within smectite interlayer were proposed as a function of surfactant concentration, which were examined by FTIR and DSC.


Tree stands in the boreal treeline ecotone are, in addition to climate change, impacted by disturbances
such as fire, water-related disturbances and logging. We aim to understand how these
disturbances affect growth, age structure, and spatial patterns of larch stands in the north-eastern
Siberian treeline ecotone (lower Kolyma River region), an insufficiently researched region. Stand
structure of Larix cajanderi Mayr was studied at seven sites impacted by disturbances. Maximum
tree age ranged from 44 to 300 years. Young to medium-aged stands had, independent of disturbance
type, the highest stand densities with over 4000 larch trees per ha. These sites also had
the highest growth rates for tree height and stem diameter. Overall lowest stand densities were
found in a polygonal field at the northern end of the study area, with larches growing in distinct
"tree islands". At all sites, saplings are significantly clustered. Differences in fire severity led to
contrasting stand structures with respect to tree, recruit, and overall stand densities. While a low
severity fire resulted in low-density stands with high proportions of small and young larches,
high severity fires resulted in high-density stands with high proportions of big trees. At waterdisturbed
sites, stand structure varied between waterlogged and drained sites and latitude. These
mixed effects of climate and disturbance make it difficult to predict future stand characteristics
and the treeline position.


The European MACC (Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate) project is preparing the operational Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), one of the services of the European Copernicus Programme on Earth observation and environmental services. MACC uses data assimilation to combine in situ and remote sensing observations with global and regional models of atmospheric reactive gases, aerosols, and greenhouse gases, and is based on the Integrated Forecasting System of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The global component of the MACC service has a dedicated validation activity to document the quality of the atmospheric composition products. In this paper we discuss the approach to validation that has been developed over the past 3 years. Topics discussed are the validation requirements, the operational aspects, the measurement data sets used, the structure of the validation reports, the models and assimilation systems validated, the procedure to introduce new upgrades, and the scoring methods. One specific target of the MACC system concerns forecasting special events with high-pollution concentrations. Such events receive extra attention in the validation process. Finally, a summary is provided of the results from the validation of the latest set of daily global analysis and forecast products from the MACC system reported in November 2014.


First paragraphs: In this issue, Ken Meter looks at two contrasting models of knowledge-building. One extracts resources from communities. Another, often practiced by extension educators, builds capacity both at the university and in the community by convening people to learn together. In a previous column (volume 2, issue 2), I showed how the food the economy extracts resources from communities (Meter, 2012). When this is true, the essential core of food system work is to build capacity at the grassroots — especially in those rural and inner-city areas that have been the most depleted, or most marginalized. My basic rule is that more capacity should be built in the community that is intended to be "served" by a given project than in the partnering university or nonprofit. Furthermore, the work should leverage and add to existing assets in the community, rather than undermining them through change. Even for those scholars who dedicate their careers to community-building, work at the grassroots is far more unkempt and unpredictable than working within the academic sphere. More-over, the official rewards are typically sparse...


The Azilian is generally characterized by a simplification of lithic industries, associated with a regional exploitation of raw materials. The variability of these manifestations is studied here through an analysis of the lithic assemblages of two regions where this culture appears to have evolved differently. Two sites are compared, the Pages rockshelter (Lot, France) and Troubat cave-rockshelter (Hautes-Pyrenees, France), both located in the Aquitaine region, but in very different environmental contexts. Through this comparison, it is possible to address questions concerning adaptations to the environment (reductions sequences that are simple, but applied to two specific environmental contexts) and distinct cultural practices. These differences can be seen in the reduction techniques, even if they remain simple in both cases. At the Pyrenean site, they reveal practices linked to environmental constraints, which are also integrated with regional cultural practices, and reflected in the techno-economic organization.


Abstract : This research models and analyzes the inactivation of Bacillus spores following a radiation exposure and the process enacted by the Bacillus spore to repair the resulting damage. Irradiation of a spore and the medium surrounding the spore induces chemical reactions that produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). This research will consider the reaction- diffusion of these ROS throughout the spore. These ROS can react with the spore's DNA and enzymes to degrade them to such an extent that the DNA cannot be repaired or replicated, thus causing spore death. In order to survive a dose of radiation, a spore must repair its damaged DNA during germination. The DNA repair process is dependent on reactions catalyzed by enzymes that remain viable after the radiation treatment. Increased damage to the enzymes during radiation exposure effects the rate at which the spore's DNA is repaired. If the enzymes are damaged to such an extent that they cannot complete the DNA repair method, the spore will be unable to reproduce and achieve cellular outgrowth. A probability of survival model is created based on radiation damage due to the reaction of ROS with the spore's DNA and enzymes and the repair process.


The affordances offered by modern Internet technologies provide new opportunities for the pre-service and in-service training of mathematics teachers, making it possible to overcome the restrictions of shrinking resources and geographical locations, and to offer, in a cost-effective and non-disruptive way, high-quality learning experiences to geographically dispersed teachers. This article focuses on how information and communication tools made available online could be exploited effectively to help improve the quality and efficiency of teacher training in statistics education. First, it describes the main pedagogical issues and challenges underlying distance education in general, and online teacher training in particular. Then, it provides an overview of EarlyStatistics , an online professional development course in statistics education targeting European elementary and middle school teachers, and the main lessons learned from the pilot delivery of it. The article concludes with some instructional implications.


ABSTRACT Assistive technology featuring artificial intelligence (AI) to support human decision-making has become ubiquitous. Assistive AI achieves accuracy comparable to or even surpassing that of human experts. However, often the adoption of assistive AI systems is limited by a lack of trust of humans into an AI's prediction. This is why the AI research community has been focusing on rendering AI decisions more transparent by providing explanations of an AIs decision. To what extent these explanations really help to foster trust into an AI system remains an open question. In this paper, we report the results of a behavioural experiment in which subjects were able to draw on the support of an ML-based decision support tool for text classification. We experimentally varied the information subjects received and show that transparency can actually have a negative impact on trust. We discuss implications for decision makers employing assistive AI technology.


Abstract Tsuruga, M., Taki, K., Ishii, G., Sasaki, Y., Furukawa, C., Sugihara, T., Nomura, T., Ochiai, A., and Magae, J. Amelioration of Type II Diabetes in db/db Mice by Continuous Low-Dose-Rate γ Irradiation. Radiat. Res. 167, 592–599 (2007). Low-dose-rate radiation modulates various biological responses including carcinogenesis, immunological responses and diabetes. We found that continuous irradiation with low-dose-rate γ rays ameliorated type II diabetes in db/db mice, diabetic mice that lack leptin receptors. Whole-body exposure of db/db mice to low dose-rate γ radiation improved glucose clearance without affecting the response to insulin. Histological studies suggested that degeneration of pancreatic islets was significantly suppressed by the radiation. Insulin secretion in response to glucose loading was increased significantly in the irradiated mice. These results suggest that low-dose-rate γ radiation ameliorates type II diabetes by maintaining insulin secretion, which gradually decreases during the progression of diabetes due to degeneration of pancreatic islets. We also inferred that protection from oxidative damage is involved in the anti-diabetic effect of low-dose-rate γ rays because expression and activity of pancreatic superoxide dismutase were significantly elevated by low-dose-rate γ radiation.


Today, the Indian state claims to embody the values of a stable political democracy, a harmonious territorial unity, and a steadfast religious impartiality. Even many of those critical of the inequalities of Indian society underwrite such claims. The Indian Ideology suggests that the roots of the current ills of the Republic go much deeper, historically. They lie, in the way the struggle for independence culminated in the transfer of power from British rule to Congress in a divided subcontinent, not least in the roles played by Gandhi as the great architect of the movement, and Nehru as his appointed successor, in the catastrophe of Partition. Only an honest reckoning with that disaster, Perry Anderson argues, offers an understanding of what has gone wrong with the Republic since Independence. The 'Idea of India', widely diffused not only in the official establishment, but more broadly in mainstream intellectual life, side-steps or suppresses many of these uncomfortable realities, past and present. For its own reasons, much of the left has yet to challenge the upshot: what has come to be the neo-Nehruvian consensus of the time. The Indian Ideology, revisiting the events of over a century in the light of how millions of Indians fare in the Republic today, suggests another way of looking at the country.


The majority of the known extragalactic very high energy (E>100 GeV) gamma ray emitting objects are blazars, active galactic nuclei with relativistic jets aligned close to the line of sight. Due to this geometry, the location of the gamma-ray emission along the jet is unclear. M87 is a nearby radio galaxy with its jet misaligned with the line of sight. The proximity of M87 and the jet misalignment allow detailed studies of spatially resolved emission regions in the radio, optical, and X-ray wavebands. The jet is unresolved in the gamma-ray regime, but contemporaneous flux variability measurements with other wavelengths provide a unique opportunity to constrain the emission origin and mechanisms responsible for high energy gamma-ray emission from an active galactic nucleus. Ground-based imaging telescopes are used to observe the gammaray sky by detecting the Cherenkov light from the electromagnetic cascade initiated by gamma rays interacting with the Earth's atmosphere. The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) has monitored very high energy gamma-ray emission from M87 since 2007. Over 170 hours of M87 observations have been performed by the VERITAS array between 2007 and 2010. Flaring activities have been observed in 2008 and 2010 with flux variability in the time scale of days. In this talk, I will present the comprehensive results from VERITAS observation of M87 between 2007 and 2010 and their implications. Very High Energy Gamma-ray Observation of the Radio Galaxy M87


The approach to epilepsy care has transformed in the last 30 years, with more and better anti-epileptic medications, improved cerebral imaging and increased surgical options. Alongside this, developments in neuroscience and molecular genetics have furthered the understanding of epileptogenesis. Future developments in pharmacogenomics hold the promise of antiepileptic drugs matched to specific genotypes. Despite this rapid progress, one-third of epilepsy patients remain refractory to medication, with their seizures impacting upon day-to-day activity, social well-being, independence, economic output and quality of life. International genome collaborations, such as HapMap and the Welcome Trust Case-Control Consortium single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) mapping project have identified common genetic variations in diseases of major public health importance. Such genetic signposts should help to identify at-risk populations with a view to producing more effective pharmaceutical treatments. Neurological disorders, despite comprising one-fifth of UK acute medical hospital admissions, are surprisingly under-represented in these projects. Epilepsy is the commonest serious neurological disorder worldwide. Although physically, psychologically, socially and financially disabling, it rarely receives deserved attention from physicians, scientists and governmental bodies. As outlined in this article, research into epilepsy genetics presents unique challenges. These help to explain why the identification of its complex genetic traits has lagged well behind other disciplines, particularly the efforts made in neuropsychiatric disorders. Clinical beginnings must underpin any genetic understanding in epilepsy. Success in identifying genetic traits in other disorders does not make the automatic case for genome-wide screening in epilepsy, but such is a desired goal. The essential clinical approach of accurately phenotyping, diagnosing and interpreting the dynamic nature of epilepsy remains fundamental to harvesting its potential translational outcomes.


BACKGROUND
The Female Sexual Function index (FSFI), is a scale designed to evaluate sexuality and diagnose the presence of sexual dysfunction in women.

AIM
To apply the FSFI to climacteric women.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
The FSFI was applied to 370 healthy women aged between 40 and 59years old (49 +/- 6years) that accompanied patients to public health services in Santiago.

RESULTS
Fifty six percent of women were married, 44% were postmenopausal, 6% used hormone replacement therapy, 67% were sexually active, and sexual dysfunction was present in 57% of them. Thirty two percent of women aged between 40 and 44 years and 65% of women aged between 55 and 59 years, had sexual dysfunction (p <0.01). In a logistic regression model, the risk of sexual dysfunction increased among women that perceive having health problems (Odds ratio (OR) 3-9; 95%o confidence intervals (95% CI): 1.1-13-8), women older than 48 years (OR 1.9; 95% CI: 1.1-3-4) and women that gave birth to two or more children (OR 1.8; 95% CI: 1.0-3-1).

CONCLUSIONS
Climateric women have high prevalence of sexual dysfunction. Age is its main risk factor.


Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is not a new disease, ancient Greeks and Arabic physicians knew it well. They investigated it, thoroughly and have prescribed various treatments. The various classical text books of unani medicine also contain detailed descriptions of this disease, differentiating its distinguished features from other diseases known as tashkhees e fariqa. The causes of disease are sue e mizaj wa zauf e kulliya, masana wa jigar (disordered temperament and weakness of kidney, bladder and liver). Most of the Unani scholars believe that diabetes is caused due to su'e mizaj balghami (abnormal phlegmatic temperament). In the present paper concept of Ziabetus Shakari (Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus) in Unani system of medicine will be discussed in detail.


Background Bone dysplasias are a large group of disorders affecting the growth and structure of the skeletal system. Methods In the present study, we report the clinical and molecular delineation of a new form of syndromic autosomal recessive spondylometaphyseal dysplasia (SMD) in two Emirati first cousins. They displayed postnatal growth deficiency causing profound limb shortening with proximal and distal segments involvement, narrow chest, radiological abnormalities involving the spine, pelvis and metaphyses, corneal clouding and intellectual disability. Whole genome homozygosity mapping localised the genetic cause to 11q12.1–q13.1, a region spanning 19.32 Mb with ~490 genes. Using whole exome sequencing, we identified four novel homozygous variants within the shared block of homozygosity. Pathogenic variants in genes involved in phospholipid metabolism, such as PLCB4 and PCYT1A, are known to cause bone dysplasia with or without eye anomalies, which led us to select PLCB3 as a strong candidate. This gene encodes phospholipase C β 3, an enzyme that converts phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate (PIP2) to inositol 1,4,5 triphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol. Results The identified variant (c.2632G>T) substitutes a serine for a highly conserved alanine within the Ha2' element of the proximal C-terminal domain. This disrupts binding of the Ha2' element to the catalytic core and destabilises PLCB3. Here we show that this hypomorphic variant leads to elevated levels of PIP2 in patient fibroblasts, causing disorganisation of the F-actin cytoskeleton. Conclusions Our results connect a homozygous loss of function variant in PLCB3 with a new SMD associated with corneal dystrophy and developmental delay (SMDCD).


OBJECTIVE
To compare outcomes of various surgical techniques for treatment of laryngeal paralysis in dogs and determine incidence and risk factors for development of postoperative complications.

DESIGN
Retrospective study.

ANIMALS
140 dogs undergoing surgical treatment for laryngeal paralysis at a veterinary teaching hospital between 1985 and 1998.

PROCEDURE
Data were analyzed to determine outcome and factors influencing outcome and development of complications. Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed for survival analysis.

RESULTS
Postoperative complications were documented in 48 (34.3%) dogs; 20 (14.3%) dogs died of related causes. Aspiration pneumonia was the most common complication (33; 23.6%). Seven dogs died of aspiration pneumonia > 1 year after surgery. Dogs that underwent bilateral arytenoid lateralization were significantly more likely to develop complications and significantly less likely to survive than were dogs that underwent unilateral arytenoid lateralization or partial laryngectomy. Factors that were significantly associated with a higher risk of dying or of developing complications included age, temporary tracheostomy placement, concurrent respiratory tract abnormalities, concurrent esophageal disease, postoperative megaesophagus, concurrent neoplastic disease, and concurrent neurologic disease.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Results suggest that surgical repair of laryngeal paralysis may be associated with high postoperative complication and mortality rates. Surgical technique and concurrent problems or diseases increased the risk of complications. Dogs appeared to have a life-long risk of developing respiratory tract complications following surgical correction.


What does it mean to be a European citizen? The rapidly changing politics of citizenship in the face of migration, diversity, heightened concerns about security, and financial and economic crises, has left European citizenship as one of the major political and social challenges to European integration. Enacting European Citizenship develops a distinctive perspective on European citizenship and its impact on European integration by focusing on 'acts' of European citizenship. The authors examine a broad range of cases – including those of the Roma, Sinti, Kurds, sex workers, youth and other 'minorities' or marginalised peoples – to illuminate the ways in which the institutions and practices of European citizenship can hinder as well as enable claims for justices, rights and equality. This book draws the key themes together to explore what the limitations and possibilities of European citizenship might be.


UNIVERSITY CO-OP AND CAREER CENTRES occupy a unique position as they seek to further the university's institutional goals, meet the needs of employers, and develop graduates who are successful in achieving their individual career goals. As the labour market evolves and academic positions become increasingly competitive, co-op and career centres have started to play a stronger role in supporting graduate students' career development. PhD graduates often struggle in transitioning to nonacademic careers for a number of reasons: 1) the competencies (skills, knowledge, attributes, and experience) recognized for academic and nonacademic careers are distinct, 2) the academic culture has not typically valued careers outside of academia, and 3) there is a lack of meaningful data on PhD graduate career outcomes. University career practitioners are well positioned to partner with academic units to support graduate students in achieving their career goals, which, in turn, supports graduate students' overall engagement and satisfaction with their university experience. Co-op and career centre staff have strong relationships with employers through their co-operative education programs, professional memberships, and personal industry networks. They have an understanding of what employers value, and they are experienced at coaching individuals in articulating and developing their competencies. This makes them well equipped to support graduate students in identifying and securing opportunities that will support their successful transition into the workforce. Humanities PhD graduates have broad skills sets and interests and they find work in a variety of sectors including: * The non-profit sector for roles involving: grant writing, research, fund-raising, and program development and evaluation. * Higher education administration for roles involving: coaching on writing and learning, research, communications, program development, coordination, and evaluation. * Private corporations and government for roles involving: marketing, communications, research, decision-making or policy writing or analysis, training and education, and project management. Work in these industries can offer opportunities for humanities PhD graduates to bridge their skills sets from an academic context to industry, gain new skills, and allow them to contribute to a cause, area, or community that interests them. PhD graduates have a high level of specialized training and the potential to be very attractive to employers; however, they need to demonstrate the relevance of their skill sets outside of an academic context. All employers are interested in finding skilled employees who are a good fit for their organization, and this requires that the candidate has some related experience and can clearly articulate his/her value. In the recruitment process, employers are looking for evidence that graduates have undertaken steps to tailor their experience and skills to the role for which they are applying. This can be accomplished by pursuing part-time and contract projects or full-time work terms prior to graduation. Graduate students can engage in integrated career planning pursuing career opportunities in both the academic and non-academic track simultaneously. For example, at the University of Victoria, a humanities PhD co-op student completed a four-month full-time summer work term as a researcher and proposal writer in the final year of his degree. He was committed to pursuing an academic career but acknowledged that there weren't currently many opportunities open in his field. He had a young family to consider and was interested in exploring opportunities in higher education administration as well. This experience allowed him to gain experience and skills sets that would make him more versatile in a changing labour market upon graduation. Work-integrated experiential learning opportunities like co-operative education programs allow graduate students to develop their network, build their resumes, and explore further career options. …


This working paper offers a local perspective on the dynamic nature and recent transformations of the Saharan migration system, showing how such policies affect those who live or travel through these areas. An illustration of the historical significance of intra-African migration systems for the economic development of North-West Africa is followed by an analysis of new patterns of migrations that have emerged since the 1990s throughout central Sahara, and by a critical appraisal of media and government fears about human trafficking and smuggling in the region. A brief outline of the externally driven legal and institutional frameworks that govern the movements of people in this area is provided, followed by a discussion of how people succeed in crossing the borders between Niger, Algeria and Libya, highlighting how state representatives deal with (and partake in) local migration systems. The various strategies adopted by migrants and facilitating agents to cope with hardened migration policies are presented in light of their possible local impacts in central Sahara.


CD-Rom databases have been hailed as a means of avoiding the problems inherent in budgeting for online services, and hence also the need to charge for searching. However, some libraries are already considering charging for their use. This is a retrograde step. The University of Wollongong library has purchased a number of CD-ROM databases which have been enthusiastically received by both students and academic staff. At present, we do not charge for this service. Initial indications are that the introduction of CD-Rom databases has meant a slump in demand for online searches. Clearly, CD-Rom and online services could be complementary, and it is likely that once CD--ROM databases are no longer considered a novelty, online services will regain, and possibly increase, their standing with the academic library community. This paper concludes that CD-Roms have the potential to greatly enhance students' access to information, firstly, through providing free access to electronic database sources, secondly, by making students more aware of the potential of online services for up to the minute information, and thirdly, for improving document delivery. Disciplines Arts and Humanities | Social and Behavioral Sciences Publication Details This conference paper was originally published as Alcock, C, CD ROM and access to information in academic libraries, in Proceedings, Australian Library and Information Association 1st Biennial Conference, 30 September-5 October 1990, Perth, 389-98. This conference paper is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow.edu.au/asdpapers/114 lMPLICATICl'lS OF CD--R(J\IJ TEr:1mux;y CW '!HE USE OF NIID ACCESS TO INFORMATICW BY TEIITIARY S'nJDENI'S Carole Alc=k: and Craig Grimisan serials Librarian and InfOTInatiOfl services Librarian University of WollOflgong Library Wollongong NSW 2500 CD--Ra"I lIND lICCESS 'ID lNPORMATICW IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES


[1] I have compiled CaCO3 mass accumulation rates (MARs) for the period 0–25 Ma for 144 Deep Sea Drilling Project and Ocean Drilling Program drill sites in the Pacific in order to investigate the history of CaCO3 burial in the world's largest ocean basin. This is the first synthesis of data since the beginning of the Ocean Drilling Program. Sedimentation rates, CaCO3 contents, and bulk density were estimated for 0.5 Myr time intervals from 0 to 14 Ma and for 1 Myr time intervals from 14 to 25 Ma using mostly data from Initial Reports volumes. There is surprisingly little coherence between CaCO3 MAR time series from different Pacific regions, although regional patterns exist. A transition from high to low CaCO3 MAR from 23–20 Ma is the only event common to the entire Pacific Ocean. This event is found worldwide. The most likely cause of lowered pelagic carbonate burial is a rising sea-level trend in the early Miocene. The central and eastern equatorial Pacific is the only region with adequate drill site coverage to study carbonate compensation depth (CCD) changes in detail for the entire Neogene. The latitude-dependent decrease in CaCO3 production away from the equator is an important defining factor of the regional CCD, which shallows away from the equatorial region. Examination of latitudinal transects across the equatorial region is a useful way to separate the effects of changes in carbonate production ("productivity") from changes in bottom water chemistry ("dissolution") upon carbonate burial.


of models to predict combustion in IC ABSTRACT Detailed chemistry and turbulence-chemistry interaction need to be properly taken into account for a realistic combustion simulation of IC engines where advanced combustion modes, multiple injections and stratified combustion involve a wide range of combustion regimes and require a proper description of several phenomena such as auto-ignition, flame stabilization, diffusive combustion and lean premixed flame propagation. To this end, different approaches are applied and the most used ones rely on the well-stirred reactor or flamelet assumption. However, well-mixed models do not describe correctly flame structure, while unsteady flamelet models cannot easily predict premixed flame propagation and triple flames. A possible alternative for them is represented by transported probability density functions (PDF) methods, which have been applied widely and effectively for modelling turbulent reacting flows under a wide range of combustion regimes. For IC engine simulations, the most promising ones are the Eulerian field PDF methods (SEF) whose formulation was originally proposed by Vali˜no and Sabel'nikov. Such models can be easily incorporated into CFD codes and are less computationally intensive with respect to Lagrangian approaches. In particular, Lagrangian particles are replaced by stochastic fields and transport equations are solved for them including a random process as a source term. Purpose of this work is the assessment of a SEF combustion model, that has been implemented into the Lib-ICE code, which is based on the OpenFOAM technology. To make the use of detailed chemistry possible in a reasonable amount of time, a multi-zone approach was incorporated in the combustion model and coupled with the TDAC technique, combining in-situ adaptive tabulation and dynamic adaptive chemistry. Experimental validation was carried out by simulating Diesel combustion experiments at constant volume conditions.


The Eurozone crisis and its management prompted dramatic changes to social rights and entitlements, specifically in the Member States which were most severely affected by the economic downturn. Fundamental rights, including fundamental social rights, from different sources can be a means to contest those crisis-imposed changes to social rights. The aim of this paper is to provide a comparative framing of fundamental rights challenges to social crisis measures in the Eurozone. The paper examines the decline in social rights, broadly defined, in a number of Eurozone Member States intensely affected by the crisis, and analyses the content, location and background of fundamental rights' challenges made to crisis-imposed changes to work and welfare rights in those States. The analysis prompts difficult yet central questions of the role of the EU as a human rights actor, the attitudes of courts in fundamental rights cases, as well as the significance of the Charter as a guarantor of fundamental social rights in the EU.


The concept of sacrality is universal in music and the visual arts, and can be considered to be a light in the dark, deeply connected with the image of Baltic identity. The basic motif is concerned with " fighting the dark", resistance and archetypes from long ago. The power of its impulse is inspiring, rising from the depths to another space, including the Enlightening, freedom and cycles of life. As expressed in the form of music, we have a so-called processual dramaturgy. It has been developed through employing a step by step thickening process as dramatic expression of minimalism and visualizing the roads of pilgrimage to holy places, which are roads to eternal sacrality. This image has taken a powerful and inspiring "route" throughout many musical works, and is found in their dramaturgy and the particular organ works of Baltic composers such as "Ad patres" (1984) by B. Kutavicius, "Borobudur" (1978) by G. Kuprevicius, "The Prayer for Lithuania" (1980) by T. Makacinas, "The Field" (1984) by I. Zemzaris, "Trivium" (1976) by A. Part, "Via dolorosa" (1992) by A. Kalejs, "The Prayer" (2000) by J. Tamulionis, "Campi lugentes" (2008) by G. Sakalauskas, and others. The search for sacrality and purity in this image is transformative minimalism, what visualises a feeling of free space, emerging as a light in the music, found in the new Baltic identity. It is important to note that the concept of Baltic identity in music is based on an analogy involving a road of archetypes proceeding from darkness to light, while the thickening impulses resulting from the monotony of the rhythms provide movement full of power to develop the emerging identification of Self. Images of the road of Self are described similar to the processions of pilgrims ascending to the top of a temple or a pyramid and the vertical curve of a mountain, with all experience reaching towards light and transcendence. The concept of Baltic identity is based on the idea of an eternal return to home. The images and visions involved with this procession of pilgrims have inspired many organ works by Baltic composers, along with the geometry of the Enlightening.


The subjective well-being (SWB) of an individual refers to her or his own sense of wellness and consists of a variety of cognitive and emotional components. Cognitive SWB includes life satisfaction, which taps into individuals' own evaluation of their lives. Emotional SWB is commonly assessed by the frequency of pleasant emotions and infrequency of negative emotions. Although survey studies of SWB have been conducted since the mid-20th century (see Diener, 1984), extensive research on SWB — cross-cultural research in particular — did not begin to accumulate until the 1990s. In particular, overall levels of SWB as well as its correlates and possible psychological causes have been of great interest to recent cross-cultural researchers. In this chapter, we highlight cross-cultural differences in SWB and provide a theoretical foundation for understanding the psychological processes related to those differences. We restrict our comparisons to those between European American and East Asian (Chinese, Korean, and Japanese) samples in part because research on these groups is extensive. In both groups, SWB may be influenced by common psychological factors (e.g., goal attainment, self-esteem). The nature of these factors and the degree to which they covary with SWB may differ across groups, however. For example, selfesteem is more strongly correlated with SWB in Western nations (around .60) than in Asian nations (around .40; Diener, Diener, & Diener, 1995). In other words, how positively individuals perceive themselves might be less predictive of life satisfaction in East Asian cultures. Our interpretation of these differences draws largely on the cultural psychology of self-construals (Markus & Kitayama, 1991), which assumes that individuals can define themselves either in reference to or in isolation from their social roles and that certain cultures may value one type of self-construal over another. We will first elaborate on self-construal theory and how it applies to European American and East Asian cultural patterns. We will then discuss


Forecasting the spatial and temporal distribution of aftershocks is of great importance to earthquake scientists, civil protection authorities and the general public as these events cause disproportionate damage and consternation relative to their size. At present, there are two main approaches to such forecasts—purely statistical methods based on observations of the initial portions of aftershock sequences and a physics-based approach based on Coulomb stress changes caused by the main shock. Here we develop a new method which combines the spatial constraints from the Coulomb model with the statistical power of the STEP (short-term earthquake probability) approach. We test this pseudo prospectively and retrospectively on the Canterbury sequence against the STEP model and a Coulomb rate–state method, using data from the first 10 d following each main event to forecast the rate of M ≥ 4 events in the following 100 d. We find that in retrospective tests the new model outperforms STEP for two events in the sequence but this is not the case for pseudo-prospective tests. Further, the Coulomb rate–state approach never performs better than STEP. Our results suggest that incorporating the physical constraints from Coulomb stress changes can increase the forecasting power of statistical models and clearly show the importance of good data quality if prospective forecasts are to be implemented in practice.


The present investigation showed that the indicator dye m -cresol purple ( m CP) was degraded in a laboratory scale, undivided electrolysis cell system. A platinum anode was used for generation of chlorine in the dye solution. The influence of supporting electrolyte, applied voltage, pH, initial dye concentration and temperature were studied. The ultraviolet-visible spectra of samples during the electrochemical oxidation showed rapid decolorization of the dye solution. During the electrochemical degradation process, dye concentration and current were measured to evaluate the energy consumption and current efficiency. After 10 minutes of electrolysis, a solution containing 20 mg/L m CP showed complete color removal at a supporting electrolyte concentration of 1 g/L NaCl, initial pH 6.7, temperature 25 °C and applied voltage 5 V; however, when pH was kept at 6.7, a higher rate constant was observed. There was good fit of the data to pseudo-first-order kinetics for dye removal in all experiments. Dependence of the decolorization rate on the initial m CP concentration can be described as r o α[ mCP ]o−0.98. The apparent activation energy for the electrochemical decolorization of m CP was determined to be −6.29 kJ/mol.


Data privacy and security becomes a major concern in building machine learning models from different data providers. Federated learning shows promise by leaving data at providers locally and exchanging encrypted information. This paper studies the vertical federated learning structure for logistic regression where the data sets at two parties have the same sample IDs but own disjoint subsets of features. Existing frameworks adopt the first-order stochastic gradient descent algorithm, which requires large number of communication rounds. To address the communication challenge, we propose a quasi-Newton method based vertical federated learning framework for logistic regression under the additively homomorphic encryption scheme. Our approach can considerably reduce the number of communication rounds with a little additional communication cost per round. Numerical results demonstrate the advantages of our approach over the first-order method.


Fingerprint visualization obtained from physical evidence taken from crime scenes for subsequent comparison typically requires the use of physical and chemical techniques. One physical technique to visualize or develop sebaceous fingerprints on various surfaces employs the deposition of metals such as gold and zinc thereon. We have developed a different vacuum technology: the conformal-evaporated-film-by-rotation technique to deposit dense columnar thin films (CTFs) on latent fingerprints on different types of surfaces. Sample fingerprints, acting as nonplanar substrates, deposited on different surfaces were placed in a vacuum chamber with the fingerprint side facing a boat containing an evaporant material such as chalcogenide glass. Thermal evaporation of the solid material led to the formation of a dense CTF on the fingerprint, thereby capturing the topographical texture with high resolution. Our results show that it is possible to acquire the topology of latent fingerprints on nonporous surfaces. Additionally, deposition of CTFs on overlapping fingerprints suggested ours may be a technique for elucidating the sequence of deposition of the fingerprints at the scene.


An increasing interest has been observed of beetroot leaf as a salad component due to recent studies focusing on their nutritional value. The randomized field experiment was carried out on lowland chernozem soil with 6 varieties, 3 replications and 2 sowing dates. Sampling was performed on 23 of August 2018 at the stage of 30 and 50 days of vegetation, where leaf (30 and 50 days) and root (50 days) were collected. Total dry matter, folic acid and nitrate content were evaluated.
The results of this investigation show that higher total dry matter content was measured in the root (8.47–10.30%) compared to the leaf in both developmental stages (6.47–9.20%). Nevertheless, higher folic acid content was found in the young leaves of 30 and 50 days of development (58.77–113.86 µg 100g-1). Among the examined varieties, Bonel has presented great amount of folic acid not only in the leaves (99.35–113.61 µg 100g-1), but also in the root (89.99 µg 100g-1). Finally, lower nitrate content was found in Libero (316.16 mg kg-1) at 30 days and in Akela (340.41 mg kg-1) at 50 days of development. Thereby, fresh consumption of beetroot leaves are highly recommended.


Abstract. Evapotranspiration (ET) of Amazon forests is a main driver of regional climate patterns and an important indicator of ecosystem functioning. Despite its importance, the seasonal variability of ET over Amazon forests, and its relationship with environmental drivers, is still poorly understood. In this study, we carry out a water balance approach to analyse seasonal patterns in ET and their relationships with water and energy drivers over five sub-basins across the Amazon Basin. We used in situ measurements of river discharge, and remotely sensed estimates of terrestrial water storage, rainfall, and solar radiation. We show that the characteristics of ET seasonality in all sub-basins differ in timing and magnitude. The highest mean annual ET was found in the northern Rio Negro basin (∼ 1497 mm year−1) and the lowest values in the Solimoes River basin (∼ 986 mm year−1). For the first time in a basin-scale study, using observational data, we show that factors limiting ET vary across climatic gradients in the Amazon, confirming local-scale eddy covariance studies. Both annual mean and seasonality in ET are driven by a combination of energy and water availability, as neither rainfall nor radiation alone could explain patterns in ET. In southern basins, despite seasonal rainfall deficits, deep root water uptake allows increasing rates of ET during the dry season, when radiation is usually higher than in the wet season. We demonstrate contrasting ET seasonality with satellite greenness across Amazon forests, with strong asynchronous relationships in ever-wet watersheds, and positive correlations observed in seasonally dry watersheds. Finally, we compared our results with estimates obtained by two ET models, and we conclude that neither of the two tested models could provide a consistent representation of ET seasonal patterns across the Amazon.


The series Studia Linguistica Germanica, founded in 1968 by Ludwig Erich Schmitt and Stefan Sonderegger, is one of the standard publication organs for German Linguistics. The series aims to cover the whole spectrum of the subject, while concentrating on questions relating to language history and the history of linguistic ideas. It includes works on the historical grammar and semantics of German, on the relationship of language and culture, on the history of language theory, on dialectology, on lexicology / lexicography, text linguisticsand on the location of German in the European linguistic context.


Practical Theology is located in a fragile, vulnerable space between various disciplines, where it is exposed to multiple different narratives. The author proposes a postfoundational, narrative approach to Practical Theology that favours the local over the global and the specific over generalisations. Africa is taken as the defining context for the understanding and development of a specific postfoundational Practical Theology. People and their stories are central, and this requires a co-construction of meaning with "co-researchers". The author's "Seven Movements", as published in other articles, is used with an Ubuntu research project as a case study. The "Seven Movements" facilitate the telling and retelling of unheard stories, particularly stories of the marginalised and vulnerable. This way of doing Practical Theology takes the experiences of "co-researchers" seriously and conducts research wíth people rather than on them. The researcher's focus is concrete, local, and contextual, but also extends beyond the local by engaging in transdisciplinary conversation and developing interpretations that point beyond the local. stories, and the retelling of stories. Imagination is needed for this threefold development.


The evaluation, which consists of two volumes of text and 15 trip reports, analyzes the experiences of the Europeans with waste to energy systems. The text is a compilation of the data obtained during visits to 15 major European refuse fired energy systems and visits to systems vendors, government agencies and other plants.


We develop a model of regulation of service-delivery nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), where future grants are conditional on prior spending of some minimal proportion of current revenue on direct project-related expenses. Such regulation induces some NGOs to increase current project spending but imposes wasteful costs of compliance verification on all NGOs. Under a large class of parametric configurations, we find that regulation increases total discounted project expenditure over a regime of no regulation, when verification costs constitute no more than 15% of initial revenue. We characterize the optimal regulatory policy under these configurations. We apply our analysis to a large sample of NGOs from Uganda and find regulation to be beneficial in that context.


The combustion process within the Ultra-Compact Combustor (UCC) occurs in the circumferential direction. The presence of variable flow density within the circumferential cavity introduces significant buoyancy issues. On the other hand, G-loading caused by the presence of centrifugal forces, ensures the circulation of the flow in the circumferential cavity and enhances the completion of the combustion process before allowing the exit of the hot gases to the main flow. The coupling between buoyancy and high G-loading is what predominately influences the behavior of the flow within the UCC. In order to better understand the combustion process within the UCC, three different experiments were run. The overall objective of these experiments is to investigate the effects of both buoyancy and G-loading on the trajectory and the mixing of a jet in a co-flow. The first experiment involved setting up the Filtered Rayleigh scattering (FRS) technique to be used in this research. Then, using horizontal and curved sections, two types of experiments were run to characterize and measure both Gloading and buoyancy effects on the overall behavior of a jet in a co-flow of air. Measurements were made using a FRS set up which involved a continuous wave laser and a high speed camera showing adequate signal to noise ratio at 400 Hz. Collected time resolved images allowed for the investigation of the effects of G-loading and buoyancy on the mixing properties and trajectory of the jet.


Musashi1 (Msi1) is an evolutionarily conserved RNA-binding protein that has been implicated in processes like stem cell fate, nervous system development, and tumorigenesis via its activities as a specific regulator of translation. While Msi1 is barely detected in normal adult tissue, it has been observed to be highly expressed in numerous tumor types (e.g. breast, colon, medulloblastoma, glioblastoma, and et cetera). Unfortunately, the molecular cues that are responsible for Msi1 upregulation in cancer cells are largely unknown. Tumor suppressor microRNAs (miRNAs) are known for targeting genes with oncogenic properties like Msi1 and for being either downregulated or deleted in tumor tissue. We observed that Msi1 long 3'UTR region is potentially targeted by several tumor suppressor miRNAs (miR-34a, -101, -128, -137, and -138). Western blotting of endogenous Msi1 protein as well as luciferase assays confirmed Msi1 regulation by these tumor suppressor miRNAs. Furthermore, we observed when examining different cellular states that these miRNAs and Msi1 have opposite expression profiles. Cell proliferation inhibition induced by the tumor suppressor miRNAs was partially rescued by Msi1 transgenic expression. We conclude that tumor suppressor miRNAs are direct and influential regulators of Msi1, affecting its expression pattern during tumorigenesis of malignant nervous system tumors.


In this paper we propose a new hierarchical method to enhance the
current routing and forwarding paradigm for the Internet called
Tunneled Inter-Domain Routing (TIDR). We will present the way in which
TIDR permits to establish tunnels to the edge of the network, and how
they will be used to forward traffic to stub networks. These tunnels
will be explicitly signaled by using a new transitive BGP attribute
called LOCATOR. This new routing and forwarding paradigm provides,
among others, the following benefits: global routing table reduction,
inter-domain routing infrastructure protection, improved multi-homing
of edge networks, numerous forwarding decisions for a particular
address prefix, it stops the AS number consumption, and it can be
smoothly deployed.


Background: Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) have been used for years in Taiwan, but their broad usage has been restricted by their short durability and complications. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the most important factors causing failure of PICCs by comparing 2 periods of retrospectively studied cases before and after we implemented nursing care improvements. Methods: We analyzed possible factors affecting the length of the insertion period, according to the reasons for catheter withdrawal after insertion, self-care ability, coagulation status, and other factors. We reviewed 2 different periods of PICC insertions at our hospital (133 and 143 cases, respectively) before and after an announcement of nursing educational comprehensive guidelines for post-PICC care. Results: In the first period, the most common complication due to PICC placement was wound oozing (24.7%), followed by infection/phlebitis (9.7%), occlusion (6.7%), and leaking (3.8%). In the second period, comprehensive educational guidelines for post-PICC manipulation were provided. The outcomes of PICC insertions significantly improved from 33.8% in the first period to 64.3% in the second period (odds ratio, 3.53), and the complication rates of persistent oozing (7%), infection (4.2%), and occlusion (2.8%) significantly decreased. Conclusions: Changes in nursing care provided in the period 2 contributed to improvements in the success rate of PICC. Implications for Practice: This is the first study suggesting that cancer nursing practice for PICC could benefit from professional guidelines that reinforce in-service education, strict control of PICC candidates without risk of coagulopathies, and a special nursing care system for patients with poor self-care ability.


The Pancake problem has become a classical combinatorial problem. Different attempts have been made to optimally solve it and/or to derive tighter bounds on the diameter of its state space for a different number of discs. Until very recently, the most successful technique for solving different instances optimally was based on Pattern Databases. Although different approaches have been tried, solutions with Pattern Databases on Pancakes with more than 19 discs have never been reported. In this work, a new technique is introduced which allows the definition of Additive Pattern Databases for solving Pancakes of an arbitrary length. As a result, this technique solves Pancake problems with twice as many discs as the largest ones solved nowadays with other techniques based on Pattern Databases saving up to two orders of magnitude of space.


This study suggests that, since the year 2000, governments have been making greater claims and efforts to enforce women's human rights. However, their motivations appear to be to improve their reputations in the international community rather than to protect women. The findings indicate that states are submitting reports to the United Nations on their progress eliminating discrimination against women on a timelier basis. Case studies of Eritrea, Thailand, and Yemen find that they report greater efforts to combat human trafficking—which spills across national borders and is thus visible to the international community—than to combat violence against women, a crime that is heinous and pervasive but often happens behind closed doors. This suggests that the nations' motivations are largely reputational.


Public Relations is considered, especially by its critics, as a very powerful industry, capable of really improving the freedom of citizens but also a possible influence for misguiding and spinning. This seems to be the major problem for the institutionalisation of the profession in Portugal, at least, it has been for the last fifty years where advances and setbacks have been constant. To be able to override its detractors both practitioners and academicians felt the need to offer a definition that would enable a clear distinction from advertising or propaganda, the main professional areas in the first half of the 20th century in Portugal. But this seems a never-ending struggle as nowadays more or less the same problems are faced concerning the so-called 'content marketing' areas. Moreover, the ambiguity of the expression 'public relations' in the Portuguese language has often helped to create all sort of misunderstandings. As for its place as an academic subject, the way has been a bit easier but the future might be disappointing due to important misconceptions that tend to present the discipline as a sub-discipline of the marketing.


The objective of this work was to examine whether the standard particulate backscattering IOP (Inherent Optical Properties) measurement method could be simplified. IOP measurements are essential for parameterising several forms of algorithms used to estimate water quality parameters from airborne and satellite images. Field measurements of the backscattering IOPs are more difficult to make than absorption measurements as correction of the raw Hydroscat-6 backscattering sensor observations is required to allow for the systematic errors associated with the water and water quality parameter absorption. The standard approach involves making simultaneous measurement of the absorption and attenuation of the water with an absorption and attenuation meter (ac-9) or making assumptions about the particulate backscattering probability. Recently, a number of papers have been published that use an alternative method to retrieve the particulate backscattering spectrum by using laboratory measured absorption values and in situ spectroradiometric observations. The alternative method inverts a model of reflectance iteratively using non-linear least squares fitting to solve for the particulate backscattering at 532 nm (bbp0(532)) and the particulate backscattering spectral slope (γ). In this paper, eleven observations made at Burdekin Falls Dam, Australia are used to compare the alternative reflectance method to the conventional corrected Hydroscat-6 observations. Assessment of the alternative reflectance method showed that the result of the inversions were highly dependent on the starting conditions. To overcome this limitation, Particle Swarm Optimisation, a stochastic search technique which includes a random element in the search approach, was used. It was found that when compared to the conventionally corrected Hydroscat-6 observations, the alternative reflectance method underestimated bbp0(532) by approximately 50% and overestimated γ by approximately 40%. Differences of this scale in specific backscattering spectra will have a pronounced effect on the parameterisation and subsequent performance of semi-analytical water quality parameter retrieval algorithms. This has implications for any water quality monitoring regimes that rely on semi-analytical algorithms.


We are told that electric vehicles, cars in particular, will be good for the environment. But what exactly might this mean? It is true that end use emissions will be significantly reduced when we move from fossil fuels to green energy sources (see, however, life cycle implications below). With a substantial (hopefully total) switch to electric cars, the general position of experts is that the cost of an electric vehicle will be significantly less that a petrol or diesel car (the switching point is unclear, but many suggest in about 10–20 years), and that the cost of using such vehicles will decline. A taxi driver of a fully electric taxi in London said recently that his fuel costs have dropped by one hundred pounds per week or $Aud178 per week, or close to $Aud10,000 per annum. This is substantial. In Australia, the EV Council suggests that an EV's fuel cost will be 34.3 cents per kWh compared with average petrol cost of $1.36 per litre. This translates into 5.15 cents per kilometre for an EV compared to 14.39 cents per kilometre for an internal combustion engine using petrol, an average saving of $1,275 per annum on fuel costs alone. Simple economics, which often drives decisions, suggests to me that the private car will be more affordable and more attractive to use. So all other things being equal, we can expect a notable increase in car kilometres travelled. However if "all other things being equal" is modified to become a reform of road pricing, such that government introduces a re-pricing of road use that reflects a position that "those who benefit" should pay an efficient (and equitable) charge for using the roads, then wemay be able to contain what is expected to be a huge growth in car use. This will also be important as fuel excise on fossil fuels disappears, although we expect governments to find new charges for green energy electric vehicles. With road pricing reform this latter action can be avoided. If, for example we have a 5c/km peak period distance based charge with an average annual peak kilometres of 4,000, this amounts to $200, which is still well below the annual savings in fuel on an EV. Thus, moving to green energy to reduce (if not eliminate) end use vehicle emissions runs the very real risk of increasing congestion significantly if governments continue to reject road pricing reform. The amount of money committed in Australia to new public transport investment is, in my view, inadequate to put a significant dent in the continuing dominance of the private car, which has always been a key objective in investing in public transport, rail in particular. Indeed the new Metro rail system in North West Sydney has resulted, to date, in a major loss of bus patronage (21% on the long haul tolled M2 services) and a small 2% reduction in car use. 2% is a still a good number, and slightly more than the loss of bus patronage, but does illustrate that one of the best new rail services is likely to have a small impact on car use as it grows in popularity as car ownership and use costs plummet over time under a green energy plan. Congestion will increase, and in itself may make some car users give up using their car, but we doubt it is enough without road pricing reform.


Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural networks are a state-of-the-art techniques when it comes to sequence learning and time series prediction models. In this paper, we have used LSTM-based Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) for building a generic prediction model for Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection characteristics from passive measurements. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that attempts to apply LSTM for demonstrating how a network operator can identify the most important system-wide TCP per-connection states of a TCP client that determine a network condition (e.g., cwnd) from passive traffic measured at an intermediate node of the network without having access to the sender. We found out that LSTM learners outperform the state-of-the-art classical machine learning prediction models. Through an extensive experimental evaluation on multiple scenarios, we demonstrate the scalability and robustness of our approach and its potential for monitoring TCP transmission states related to network congestion from passive measurements. Our results based on emulated and realistic settings suggest that Deep Learning is a promising tool for monitoring system-wide TCP states from passive measurements and we believe that the methodology presented in our paper may strengthen future research work in the computer networking community.


We have studied RF transmission over various multimode fibers (MMFs) and a standard single-mode fiber, targeting picocellular networks for voice, data, and video applications. Bandwidth requirements of MMF links that are based on vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) have been extensively studied. The performance of the radio-over-fiber link is assessed in terms of the error vector magnitude. Also conducted was a full system analysis, including the investigation of an achievable dynamic range and a noise figure for different low-cost architectures. This was compared to coax-based RF transmission. The IEEE 802.11 a/b/g standard, as well as other applications like radio frequency identification tracking, was considered. For experimental investigations, we have used both commercial wireless access points and a vector signal generator as a signal source, with two types of directly modulated VCSELs - 850-nm sources and 1310-nm high-speed uncooled single-mode AlGaInAs/InP VCSELs. A robust system performance was demonstrated in both 2.4- and 5-GHz RF bands, and record multimode and standard single-mode fiber transmission distances were achieved. A transponder design that can meet system requirements in terms of sensitivity (< -90 dBm) and spurious-free dynamic range (> 95 dBldrHz2/3) for a dual-band wireless LAN (WLAN) fiber-radio picocellular network was developed. A full 14-cell experimental WLAN system with cells of 4-m radius was implemented to study networking issues such as handoff and cochannel interference.


[ENGLISH] The present document contents the analysis of the Quality incident information system that is currently implemented on a manufacturing company of the automotive field, FAURECIA Automotive Exteriors, in order to find weaknesses and strenghts on the response process to customer in terms of quality of final product and efficiency when a nonconforming part appears. In order to recognize and point out the steps of the current process that are making inefficient the information system flow, Lean management and Six Sigma principles are applied; those principles had demonstrated to work with high efficiency in companies around the world in the last years, which is why they are the chosen methods to be used. On the way of applying the mentioned methods, RDMAIC analysis is done, where a recognition and definition of current process is described, then variables as time on each step, motion and transport of information are measured in order to be analized and find possible improvements; through this analysis, Lean management tools are integrated, such Value Stream Mapping, 14 Toyota Production principles and Seven wastes. At the end, after doing the analysis, the implementation of a new tool is proposed, which carries out with a modification of current process to make it as efficient as possible; should be noted that a reduction of time of 96,32% could be accomplished with this new process, which is a considerable decrease of response time to client, generating customer fiability and optimizing budget wasting in the company by decreasing reworks or scrap of final product.


Like other volumes in this series, Ancient History from Coins demystifies a specialism, introducing students (from first year upwards) to the techniques, methods, problems and advantages of using coins to do ancient history. Coins are a fertile source of information for the ancient historian; yet too often historians are uneasy about using them as evidence because of the special problems attaching to their interpretation. The world of numismatics is not always easy for the non-specialist to penetrate or understand with confidence. Dr Howgego describes and anlyses the main contributions the study of coins can make to ancient history, showing shows through numerous examples how the character, patterns and behaviour of coinage bear on major historical themes. Topics range from state finance and economic policy to imperial domination and political propaganda through coins types. The period covered by the book is from the invention of coinage (ca 600BC) to AD 400.


The objective of this study is to determine the impact of a time‐varying room impulse response on the rate of adaptation and accuracy of monaural and stereo echo cancellers. The variation in the impulse response results from secondary echoes generated by moving objects in a room. The time‐ invariant portion of the response is modeled using the method of images. The time‐varying component will be modeled using a Pade approximant‐ based solution of the Kirchhoff integral equation. Simulation results are given for a room having a volume on the order of 2744 cubic feet. It is shown that for strong acoustic scatterers located closer than the critical distance to the receiver can induce up to a 15‐dB residual error for monaural cancellers. Adaptation time requirements for acoustic echo cancellers will also be discussed.


Background: A cardiac syndrome of "apical ballooning" was recently described, consisting of an acute onset of transient extensive akinesia of the apical and mid portions of the left ventricle, without significant stenosis on the coronary angiogram, accompanied by chest symptoms, ECG changes, and a limited release of cardiac markers disproportionate to the extent of akinesia. Until now, this syndrome has been reported only in Japanese patients. Objective: To describe 13 white patients who presented with this syndrome over the previous four years. Results: All but one of the patients were women with a mean age of 62 years. Eight of them presented with chest pain, of whom six had cardiogenic shock. In nine patients a triggering factor was identified: emotional stress in three, trauma in one, pneumonia in one, asthma crisis in one, exercise in two, and cerebrovascular accident in one. In all patients left ventriculography showed very extensive apical akinesia ("apical ballooning") in the absence of a significant coronary artery stenosis, not corresponding with the perfusion territory of a single epicardial coronary artery. Mean maximal creatine kinase MB and troponin rise were 27.4 μg/l (range 5.2–115.7 μg/l, median 16.6 μg/l) and 18.7 μg/l (range 2.0–97.6 μg/l, median 14.5 μg/l), respectively. Six patients were treated with intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation. One patient died of multiple organ failure. On necropsy, no myocardial infarction was found. In the 12 survivors, left ventricular systolic function recovered completely within three weeks. Conclusions: This is the first series of "apical ballooning" to be reported in white patients. Despite dramatic initial presentation, left ventricle function recovered completely within three weeks in the survivors.


The study of rail vehicle dynamics requires a comprehensive understanding of electrical, mechanical, control engineering aspects of various interactions between the different sub-systems. This paper is an attempt to collate and critically appraise the recent advances in control strategies used to solve challenges related to railway vehicles. These strategies concentrated on stability of solid axlewheelsets,
guidance for wheelsets to provide the function of track following and curving to reduce all unnecessary creep forces and associated wear/noise. The studied methods refer to the control of active primary and secondary suspensions, adhesion, tilt and steer. Suspension, braking, propulsion and guidance force acting on the railway vehicle are related to the wheel and rail contact point. These aspects should be taken into consideration because control systems are conceivably being developed in the railway industry to aid drivers maintain good steering and stability, in addition to providing good comfort to the passengers.


The study reported here explored the influence of maternal, health care, pregnancy, and child-related factors upon the duration of total breast-feeding (DTBF) in the Dominican Republic. The data for the study, which included 1984 mother-child pairs representative of the Dominican population, came from the National Health Survey of 1991. The child in each of the mother-child pairs was the mother's last-born child who had been breast-fed and was less than 3 years of age at the time of the survey. Interviews with the mothers were used to collect information about the duration of breast-feeding and the factors studied (including maternal age, urban/rural residence, parity, mother's socioeconomic status, maternal education, maternal employment, mother's desire for pregnancy, type of delivery, place of delivery, the type of health worker attending the delivery, the child's sex, the child's birth weight, the time elapsed between delivery and initiation of breast-feeding, the child's age at complete weaning, and the child's age at the time of the survey). The child's risk of complete weaning at different ages was calculated using the life table method, and the independent effect of each of the study variables was estimated using Cox's regression model. The median DTBF was 7 months. The risk that a child would be completely weaned (the relative rate of complete weaning, or RRCW) was found to be higher among children who received foods other than breast milk and water while still breast-feeding (RRCW = 8.56; 95% CI = 4.25-17.20), whose mothers had some university education (RRCW = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.24-1.77), who began breast-feeding a day or more after delivery (RRCW = 1.25; 95% CI = 1.11-1.40), who were born in either public health institutions (RRCW = 1.62; 95% CI = 1.24-2.11) or private health institutions (RRCW = 2.19; 95% CI = 1.65-2.91), and who were the first-born of mothers with low socioeconomic status (RRCW = 1.80; 95% CI = 1.45-2.24). According to the study results, the country's breast-feeding programs should give special attention to mothers with university educations, those giving birth in private health facilities, and those with low socioeconomic status giving birth to their first child, since these groups tended to breast-feed their children for relatively short periods of time. Also, breast-feeding promotion strategies should stress the importance of delaying the introduction of foods other than breast milk into the child's diet, as this appears to be the one factor having the greatest adverse effect on the duration of breast-feeding.


Collection and treatment of sewage in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) reduces the most deleterious effects of sewage on streams, but the treated effluent still has potentially important effects on stream ecosystems. Very little is known about the fate of these treated effluents in tropical streams. Short-term nutrient additions often are used to assess the fate of nutrients in streams, but long-term additions, such as those from sewage treatment plants, are likely to follow different uptake kinetics. Here we examined the longitudinal changes in Cl−, NO3−-N, NH4+-N, dissolved organic N (DON), total dissolved N (TDN), soluble reactive P (SRP), and dissolved organic C (DOC) concentrations downstream from chronic WWTP inputs in 6 streams across the island of Puerto Rico. We applied the nutrient-uptake framework to these long-duration and high-magnitude nutrient additions to examine net nutrient uptake in these streams. On average, nutrient concentrations were increased more than 2× by sewage effluent at the study streams while DOC concentrations increased 30%. Net nutrient uptake was sporadic, and on many dates, no evidence of measurable uptake was found. Biogeochemical processes, such as nitrification and remineralization, appeared to be responsible for some of the longitudinal increases in nutrient concentrations. Limited nutrient uptake and increasing nutrient concentrations along the reaches suggested that most of the time, nutrients were being transported downstream with no significant net retention. This result suggests that downstream transport of nutrients is large with the potential to create water-quality problems in downstream ecosystems. Our study highlighted the profound effects that inputs from point sources may have on stream chemistry and nutrient cycling in tropical receiving streams.


Background: Inherited prion diseases (IPD) show remarkable clinical heterogeneity, posing problems
for clinicians in making an early diagnosis and raising questions about genetic or
environmental modifiers. The P102L prion protein gene (PRNP) mutation, one of the
most frequently identified causes of IPD, has been linked to a large English kindred for
three decades. A series of further smaller kindreds did not share apparent ancestry with
this large kindred, raising the possibility of distant common ancestry of a rare mutation or
no ancestry and relatively common novel mutations occurring.
Identification of the genetic modifiers of phenotype may have implications for sporadic
and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), and neurodegeneration more widely, while
novel mutation rates in PRNP inform study of the unknown aetiology of sCJD. IPD,
although rare, has unique advantages in terms of looking for genetic modifiers of prion
disease.
Methods: Genealogical work and microsatellite haplotyping was carried out on cases of IPD
P102L. Clinical information on affected patients was collected retrospectively as well as
prospectively. Heritability estimates of IPD were produced by comparing parental and
offspring phenotypes. The expanded collection of IPD cases with reliable clinical
information (composing P102L and other IPD associated mutations), allowed for the
testing of candidate genetic modifiers of phenotype. Polymorphisms previously reported
to have an impact on prion disease susceptibility or phenotype were tested, along with a panel of candidate polymorphisms selected from a genome-wide association study
(GWAS) in vCJD.
Findings:
Common ancestry between the known large P102L kindred and a number of previously
unlinked P102L kindreds was identified. However, a number of apparently unrelated IPD
P102L kindreds remain, suggesting that multiple separate mutational events are
responsible: PRNP codon 102 may be a mutation 'hot- spot'. Microsatellite work on
other IPD subtypes in the UK and from elsewhere in Europe also finds evidence of the
existence of multiple unrelated kindreds.
The genotype-phenotype analysis discovered that codon 129 is a modifier of IPD P102L;
in that codon 129 homozygosity is associated with an earlier age at clinical onset. Also
identified was a possible effect of APOE genotype on IPD. APOE-E4 is associated with a
significantly later age at onset in IPD, which has recently been identified in other
categories of neurodegenerative disease.
Interpretation:
Overall, this work provides indirect support for the plausibility of the 'somatic mutation
hypothesis' of sporadic CJD (sCJD), by suggesting a relatively frequent novel mutation
rate in PRNP. The genetic contribution to phenotypic heterogeneity in IPD was
estimated. This contribution is significant and may inform the search for genetic
modifiers of susceptibility to acquired prion disease. The models established to analyse
IPD as a quantitative trait will be used in future prion disease GWAS.


Background Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) dysfunction is an important and underappreciated cause of chronic low back pain. Objective To prospectively and concurrently compare outcomes after surgical and non-surgical treatment for chronic SIJ dysfunction. Methods One hundred and forty-eight subjects with SIJ dysfunction were randomly assigned to minimally invasive SIJ fusion with triangular titanium implants (SIJF, n = 102) or non-surgical management (NSM, n = 46). SIJ pain (measured with a 100-point visual analog scale, VAS), disability (measured with Oswestry Disability Index, ODI) and quality of life scores were collected at baseline and at scheduled visits to 24 months. Crossover from non-surgical to surgical care was allowed after the 6-month study visit was complete. Improvements in continuous measures were compared using repeated measures analysis of variance. The proportions of subjects with clinical improvement (SIJ pain improvement ≥20 points, ODI ≥15 points) and substantial clinical benefit (SIJ pain improvement ≥25 points or SIJ pain rating ≤35, ODI ≥18.8 points) were compared. Results In the SIJF group, mean SIJ pain improved rapidly and was sustained (mean improvement of 55.4 points) at month 24. The 6-month mean change in the NSM group (12.2 points) was substantially smaller than that in the SIJF group (by 38.3 points, p<.0001 for superiority). By month 24, 83.1% and 82.0% received either clinical improvement or substantial clinical benefit in VAS SIJ pain score. Similarly, 68.2% and 65.9% had received clinical improvement or substantial clinical benefit in ODI score at month 24. In the NSM group, these proportions were <10% with non-surgical treatment only. Parallel changes were seen for EQ-5D and SF-36, with larger changes in the surgery group at 6 months compared to NSM. The rate of adverse events related to SIJF was low and only 3 subjects assigned to SIJF underwent revision surgery within the 24-month follow-up period. Conclusions In this Level 1 multicenter prospective randomized controlled trial, minimally invasive SIJF with triangular titanium implants provided larger improvements in pain, disability and quality of life compared to NSM. Improvements after SIJF persisted to 24 months. This study was approved by a local or central IRB before any subjects were enrolled. All patients provided study-specific informed consent prior to participation.


This paper discusses trust as a condition of the possibility of enlightenment. It claims that trust matters for the capacity to accept rather than to justify beliefs. This view is defended against the background of a functional approach to trust according to which it is by virtue of trust that people may enter into and sustain stable, potentially reflexive, and affirmative relations to all kinds of relata, not exclusively other people. All in all, a distinction between two theoretical layers is proposed: a transcendental-philosophical layer which examines whether trust is a condition of epistemic action, and a normative layer which discusses the problems of the justification of trust. This distinction, it is argued, is crucial to defending the ideal of enlightenment, or epistemic autonomy: before one can discuss problems of the justification of trust, trust is to be understood as a condition of the possibility of acting or, in epistemic contexts, of accepting beliefs


Context: Biceps brachii muscle (BBm) is a very variable muscle, the variations being associated with a variety of clinical conditions. This study delves on anatomical variations in this muscle, possible phylogenic causes for their frequency and their clinical importance. Aims: The aim was to study anatomy of bicep brachii muscle, its variations and their clinical importance. Subjects and Methods: A total of 60 upper limbs preserved in 10% formalin were dissected meticulously to study anatomical details of the BBm. Results: The incidence of variation in anatomy of BBm was 15%, with incidence being 11.6% and 3.3% among male and female cadavers studied, respectively. Variation was unilateral in 10% and bilateral in 3.3%. The incidence of third head was 13.3% out of which 3.3% took origin from the capsule of the shoulder joint, 8.3% from humerus, and 1.6% from brachialis muscle. Incidence of extra bellies of insertion was found to be 1.6%. A 3.3% incidence was observed in the nerve supply. Conclusions: Variations in BBm are a reflection of its late development in human phylum. The extra bellies can cause neurovascular compression, change the kinematics at the elbow joint and be misinterpreted as tears of muscle on magnetic resonance imaging. They should be watched for in the shoulder as well as elbow joint surgeries. The authors suggest that the extra bellies of BBm instead of being labeled as third, fourth or fifth heads, can be classified as those of origin and insertion and bellies of origin be referred to clearly as capsular, humeral or brachial heads.


Combinatorial optimization assumes that all parameters of the optimization problem, e.g. the weights in the objective function, are fixed. Often, these weights are mere estimates and increasingly machine learning techniques are used to for their estimation. Recently, Smart Predict and Optimize (SPO) has been proposed for problems with a linear objective function over the predictions, more specifically linear programming problems. It takes the regret of the predictions on the linear problem into account, by repeatedly solving it during learning. We investigate the use of SPO to solve more realistic discrete optimization problems. The main challenge is the repeated solving of the optimization problem. To this end, we investigate ways to relax the problem as well as warm-starting the learning and the solving. Our results show that even for discrete problems it often suffices to train by solving the relaxation in the SPO loss. Furthermore, this approach outperforms the state-of-the-art approach of Wilder, Dilkina, and Tambe. We experiment with weighted knapsack problems as well as complex scheduling problems, and show for the first time that a predict-and-optimize approach can successfully be used on large-scale combinatorial optimization problems.


An emerging problem for environmental policy is how to design efficient strategies for the prevention and control of invasive species. However, the literature has mostly focused either on pre-introduction prevention or post-introduction control of an invasive. The benefits of prevention cannot be understood or estimated without knowing the costs of post-introduction control. This paper provides an integrated framework where optimal prevention is combined with optimal pest removal.


This paper examines critically the contributions of Cournot, Jevons and Walras as the founders of classical mathematical economics from a methodological standpoint. Advances in different economic schools and doctrines in the 19th century produced an environment of multi-dimensionality in economic analysis which was regarded by the pioneers of classical mathematical economists as a chaotic state. We have demonstrated that the formation of this new discipline, known equivalently as pure or scientific economics, was a response to this so-called chaotic state. We have also shown that the erroneous logic of abstraction in the sense of reducing a multi-dimensional economic system to a one-dimensional mechanical framework as the methodological basis of classical mathematical economics has been the origin of serious shortcomings in mathematical treatment of economics. Based on the writings of Jevons and Walras we have provided evidences to support the claim that advances in Marxian economics can be considered as the prime motive in the development of classical mathematical economics.


Menopause is the endpoint of a process referred to as ovarian ageing. The mean age at menopause is approximately 51 years, but varies widely between 40 to 60 years of age. Approximately 1% of all women experience menopause before the age of 40, which is a condition known as primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). Timing of menopause has great implications for female fertility and general health (e.g. osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease). Although the exact physiological processes underlying the timing of menopause are far from elucidated at present, genetic factors have proven to play a major role in determining this variation in menopausal age. The identification of genetic variants associated with (early) ovarian ageing and thereby infertility and consequences for health later in life, constitutes the core of this thesis. To identify genetic variants in timing of (early) menopause, four candidate gene association studies on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and structural variants, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and a gene-gene interaction analysis were conducted and are described in this thesis. In a candidate gene association study in five genes involved in primordial follicle recruitment conducted in 3616 postmenopausal women, the AMHR2 (in interaction with parity) and BMP15 gene were associated with timing of menopause. A subsequent gene-gene interaction analysis in these five genes identified an interaction between SNPs in the AMH and AMHR2 gene, suggesting a role of the AMH signaling pathway in the onset of natural menopause. The number of CGG repeats in the FMR1 gene in the premutation range (55-200 repeats) have been repeatedly associated with POI and account for approximately 1-8% of all cases of POI. It has been suggested that the number of FMR1 CGG repeats in the normal and intermediate range (up to 55 repeats) are also associated with (early) ovarian ageing. However, in a large population-based sample of 3611 postmenopausal women we found no association between the number of FMR1 CGG repeats and age at menopause. Also, in a case-control study of 375 women with idiopathic POI and 3368 controls with natural menopause above 40 years of age, no association was found between normal and intermediate ranged CGG repeats in the FMR1 gene and the risk of POI. Together, these results question the role of FMR1 CGG repeat sizes up to 55 repeats in the ovarian ageing process. In a GWAS conducted in a cohort of 901 European idiopathic POI and early menopause (EM) cases compared to 2209 controls with an age at natural menopause over 45 years, the strongest association was seen in a locus near the BRSK1 gene on chromosome 19. Interestingly, this locus was previously identified in GWAS in natural menopause above 40 years. This finding supports the evidence that POI, EM and normal menopause share at least a proportion of their genetic aetiology. Additionally, a number of potentially interesting specific loci for POI and EM were identified, including NELL1, PGCF5, MTM1 and MTMR1


Macquarie Ridge is one of the southernmost seamount ridges, spanning 1600 kilometres from the southern tip of New Zealand to the Australia-Pacific-Antarctic triple junction halfway to Antarctica. Squat lobsters, superfamilies Chirostyloidea and Galatheoidea, are highly diverse at low and mid-latitudes, declining rapidly towards the poles; only 15 of the more than 1000 species have been recorded south of 50°S. Prior to the present study, one species of squat lobster (Munidopsis pyrochela, Munidopsidae) was known from the Macquarie Ridge, but recent research voyages in 2003 and 2008 collected a further five species from both superfamilies and three families. Uroptychus tracey (Chirostylidae) is new to science. Uroptychus insignis (Henderson, 1885) is reported for the first time outside of the western Indian Ocean and re-described based on type material. Subtle differences between the western Indian Ocean and Macquarie Ridge specimens of U. insignis suggest that the latter specimens might represent a separate species. Munida chathamensis Baba, 1974 (Munididae) is re-described and reported for the first time outside of its Chatham Rise type locality. New morphological variation is reported for Munida isos. Munidopsis tasmaniae is reported not only for the first time from the Macquarie Ridge, but also for the first time from New Zealand waters.


This paper presents a neuromorphic model of two olfactory signal-processing primitives: chemotopic convergence of olfactory receptor neurons, and center on-off surround lateral inhibition in the olfactory bulb. A self-organizing model of receptor convergence onto glomeruli is used to generate a spatially organized map, an olfactory image. This map serves as input to a lattice of spiking neurons with lateral connections. The dynamics of this recurrent network transforms the initial olfactory image into a spatio-temporal pattern that evolves and stabilizes into odor- and intensity-coding attractors. The model is validated using experimental data from an array of temperature-modulated gas sensors. Our results are consistent with recent neurobiological findings on the antennal lobe of the honeybee and the locust.


Today's generation has undoubtedly witnessed spectacular changes all over the world including the emergence of diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome. Now, we are faced with an unprecedented crisis, brought on by coronavirus disease 2019, a worldwide pandemic that has shaken our economic and social equilibrium, bringing about a new set of parameters in personal as well as in social behavioral patterns, and ceding way to new strategies of political conduct and economic planning. In this article, we hope to stress the idea of innovation as a necessary instrument for economic viability and quite possibly an important factor for reconstruction in the aftermath of the pandemic. We propose that society will have to adopt certain tools and conducts to recover from the consequences of the crisis, making use of innovation as a strategy for the recovery and development of the economy that has been weakened from lockdown and social distancing. With this goal in mind, we hope to prove that a crisis, such as a pandemic, is cause for change and innovation at all levels.


Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics has been facilitated by the construction of MS(2) spectral tag (MS2T) library from the total scan ESI MS/MS data, and the development of widely targeted metabolomics method using MS/MS data gathered from authentic standards. In this report, a novel strategy called stepwise multiple ion monitoring-enhanced product ions (stepwise MIM-EPI) was developed to construct the MS2T library, in which stepwise MIM was used as survey scans to trigger the acquisition of EPI. A total number of 698 (almost) non-redundant metabolites with MS(2) spectra were obtained, of which 135 metabolites were identified/annotated. Integrating the data gathered from our MS2T library and other available multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) information, a widely targeted metabolomics method was developed to quantify 277 metabolites, including some phytohormones. Evaluation of the dehydration responses and natural variations of these metabolites in rice leaf not only suggested the coordinated regulation of abscisic acid (ABA) with metabolites such as serotonin derivative(s), polyamine conjugates under drought stress, but also revealed some C-glycosylated flavones as the potential markers for the discrimination of indica and japonica rice subspecies. The new MS2T library construction and widely targeted metabolomics strategy could be used as a tool for rice functional genomics.