The recently collected Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 (GISP2) and Greenland Ice Core Project ice cores from Summit, Greenland, provide lengthy and highly resolved records of the deposition of both the aerosol (H2SO4) and silicate (tephra) components of past volcanism. Both types of data are very beneficial in developing the hemispheric to global chronology of explosive volcanism and evaluating the entire volcanism-climate system. The continuous time series of volcanic SO42− for the last 110,000 years show a strong relationship between periods of increased volcanism and periods of climatic change. The greatest number of volcanic SO42− signals, many of very high magnitude, occur during and after the final stages of deglaciation (6000–17,000 years ago), possibly reflecting the increased crustal stresses that occur with changing volumes of continental ice sheets and with the subsequent changes in the volume of water in ocean basins (sea level change). The increase in the number of volcanic SO42− signals at 27,000–36,000 and 79,000–85,000 years ago may be related to initial ice sheet growth prior to the glacial maximum and prior to the beginning of the last period of glaciation, respectively. A comparison of the electrical conductivity of the GISP2 core with that of the volcanic SO42− record for the Holocene indicates that only about half of the larger volcanic signals are coincident in the two records. Other volcanic acids besides H2SO4 and other SO42− sources can complicate the comparisons, although the threshold level picked to make such comparisons is especially critical. Tephra has been found in both cores with a composition similar to that originating from the Vatnaoldur eruption that produced the Settlement Layer in Iceland (mid-A.D. 870s), from the Icelandic eruption that produced the Saksunarvatn ash (∼10,300 years ago), and from the Icelandic eruption(s) that produced the Z2 ash zone in North Atlantic marine cores (∼52,700 years ago). The presence of these layers provides absolute time lines for correlation between the two cores and for correlation with proxy records from marine sediment cores and terrestrial deposits containing these same tephras. The presence of both rhyolitic and basaltic shards in the Z2 ash in theGISP2 core and the composition of the basaltic grains lend support to multiple Icelandic sources (Torfajokull area and Katla) for the Z2 layer. Deposition of the Z2 layer occurs at the beginning of a stadial event, further reflecting the possibility of a volcanic triggering by the effects of changing climatic conditions.


Verifying Molecular Dynamics Using Dielectric Spectroscopy Joshua D. Smith Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, BYU Master of Science The electrical properties of proteins in solution are important for their structure and function. Computational biophysics studies of proteins need accurate parameters to ensure that numerical simulations match physical reality. Past work in this field has compared the electrical properties of proteins obtained from dielectric spectroscopy to numerical simulations of proteins in water with adjustment of pKa values to try to capture the inevitable changes in electrical conformation that will occur in a complex structure such as a folded protein. However, fundamental verification of the charge parameters of the amino acid building blocks in common molecular dynamics software packages with electrical experiments needs to be performed to have increased confidence in the results from numerical simulations. The aim of this thesis is to start from a fundamental building block, the single amino acid alanine, and to compare numerical simulations of this amino acid in water using parameters from commonly used charge structures in CHARMM, GROMOS, and OPLS, with electrical parameters obtained from dielectric spectroscopy experiments in the GHz range. To this end, multiple molecular dynamics simulations were performed to accurately determine how these different charge structures yield different dielectric increments. Additionally, a commercial RF dielectric measurement probe was modified to perform measurements on solutions containing alanine at different concentrations. Using regression, the dielectric increment of alanine is readily determined and compared with the numerical simulations. The results indicate that the CHARMM and OPLS parameters seem to adequately capture the charge configuration of alanine in solution, while the GROMOS parameters produce a dielectric increment but do not seem to adequately capture the charge configuration of alanine in solution. These studies lay the foundation for future studies of additional amino acids in solution as well as a stepping stone for larger simulations of the electrical properties of fully solvated proteins in solution.


Information Retrieval deals with searching and retrieving information within the documents and it also searches the online databases and internet. Web crawler is defined as a program or software which traverses the Web and downloads web documents in a methodical, automated manner. Based on the type of knowledge, web crawler is usually divided in three types of crawling techniques: General Purpose Crawling, Focused crawling and Distributed Crawling. In this paper, the applicability of Web Crawler in the field of web search and a review on Web Crawler to different problem domains in web search is discussed.


This study aims at identifying the determinants of demand for microinsurance in Cameroon using a methodology based on the analytical framework proposed by Heckman (1979). These are counting models with double selection. First, a biprobit selection model is estimated to determine membership of an association on the one hand, and subscription to a microinsurance on the other. Second, interest models called counting models are estimated to identify and analyse the factors that affect the number of microinsurance policies. Data for the study are from the Fourth Cameroon Household Survey (ECAM4), a survey with national coverage conducted by the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) in 2014. The results make it possible to identify significant factors that are positively correlated with membership of an association and subscription to a microinsurance. These are mainly factors such as level of education, age squared and household size. Conversely, the results show that male gender and the age of the household head significantly and negatively influence membership and subscription. Furthermore, male gender, age squared, household size and insurance premium are positively related to the number of microinsurance policies purchased by household heads. Finally, age and level of education are negatively correlated with the number of microinsurance policies purchased. Furthermore, the inverse of the Mills ratio indicates that the number of microinsurance policies is negatively correlated with unobserved characteristics. In a context of poverty, these results call for a number of actions by public authorities to promote microinsurance as a way of achieving universal social security protection.


Background: Adolescence, when the most complex behaviors are refined to adult sophistication, represents a major window of opportunity and vulnerability for neuropsychological development. To support and protect this complex and active brain growth, different nutritional components considered essential need to be acquired from the diet. For instance, omega-3 fatty acids are mainly obtained from seafood, seeds, and walnuts. Known for their rich lipid profile, walnuts contain sizable amounts of an essential fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the vegetable omega-3 fatty acid that is the precursor of two longer-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFA): docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA) acids. While there is growing evidence of neuropsychological improvements in the young developing brain associated with omega-3 PUFA intake, few studies have examined whether consuming walnuts during adolescence entails similar beneficial effects. There is a need to further explore the ways in which walnuts influence youthful brain function, particularly for the long-term. Thus, we designed the WALNUTs study (WSS), a population-based randomized controlled trial conducted in adolescents in Barcelona, Spain. We hypothesize that walnut intake will increase omega-3 PUFA tissue availability (particularly ALA) to a level that enhances the neuropsychological development during adolescence. Methodology/Design: We conducted a 6-month population-based randomized controlled trial in teenagers (n = 800) and we aimed to determine the effectiveness of the intervention (four walnuts per day, or 30 kernel g, ~1.5g of ALA) in enhancing brain neuropsychological and socio-emotional development compared to a control group with no walnut intervention. Before randomization, different neuropsychological tests were recorded for all participants, and blood samples (in a subsample of participants) were collected to measure omega-3 PUFA levels at baseline, and all again, after randomization and the intervention. The data is now collected and we will conduct linear regression models to assess the effect of the intervention. Discussion: The WALNUTs (WSS) study results will allow us to better understand the role of plant-based omega-3 PUFA intake from regular walnut consumption on neuropsychological development during adolescence. Results could be translated into nutritional public health recommendations targeting teenagers. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health # NCT02590848. Retrospectively registered 29/10/2015.


"The End of Print" is the definitive statement of the work of the great iconoclast designer, David Carson. In print for the first time in several years, this classic book has itself become part of the history of graphic design. It features work from the magazines where Carson first made his mark including "Transworld Skateboarding", "Surfer", "Beach Culture" and "Ray Gun" as well as his instantly recognizable advertisements for clients such as Nike, Pepsi, MTV and Sony. Lewis Blackwell's text includes an interview in which Carson examines the origins of his approach and discusses the extreme reactions to his work.


Invasive species are nowadays considered as one of the most important threat to biodiversity. By displacing native species, modifying ecosystem functioning and causing substantial losses to agricultural production, they represent a menace to natural and managed ecosystems. Although ecology of invasions has become an important research topic since the last decades, the mechanisms that determine why a given species may invade a given ecosystem and why some biomes are less resistant to invasion are still not clarified. Ecology of invasions is divided into 2 main topics: invasiveness and invasibility. While invasiveness refers to species ability to invade a community, invasibility focuses on the resistance of a community to invasion. Invasiveness may be the result of ecological processes, such as release from biotic constraints or human alteration of the environment (disturbance, stress…) or the consequence of evolutionary processes, such as hybridization or polyploidization that may increase genetic variation and therefore, enhance niche breadth. Invasibility has been said to be influenced by disturbance and biotic factors such as community diversity, dominant species identity, biotic interactions or community compositional stability. The invasion success is the consequence of the interaction between species invasiveness and community invasibility. Most studies in ecological invasions have focused on either invasiveness or invasibility, but hardly both together. By working at the same time and in the same conditions with native and introduced genotypes and by comparing their ecological performances, this thesis aims at a better understanding of both invasiveness and invasibility mechanisms. Two worldwide invasive species, Centaurea maculosa and Senecio inaequidens, were used in several experiments (pot, microcosm, field) to disentangle the importance of invasiveness and community invasibility in their invasion success. Both species encountered polyploidisation in their native range, leading to the presence of diploid and tetraploid populations, whereas only tetraploid populations have been found in the introduced range. Using native diploid, native tetraploid and introduced tetraploid genotypes of the two model-species, allows assessing the effects of genetic variation (diploid vs. tetraploid genotypes) and environmental variation (genotype from native vs. introduced range) on species phenotypic traits variations and consequently on fitness variation and invasiveness. In the community context, studying response of different genotypes to experimental factors and community change gives information on the interaction between invasiveness and invasibility. Plants were grown in pot, in field or in artificially built communities where (i) the management treatment, (ii) the community diversity and (iii) the spatial organisation of resident species were manipulated. In addition, (iv) community species composition, (v) community competitive ability and (vi) compositional and functional stability of the community were monitored. According to the experiments, data were gathered on survival, morphological traits (vegetative height, lateral spread, shoot and root biomass), leaf traits (specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content) and reproductive traits (probability of flowering, capitulum production) of the genotypes (native diploid, native tetraploid and introduced tetraploid) of both model species. Through the use of statistical models and multivariate approaches, the effects of management and biotic factors on survival, growth and reproduction of native and introduced genotypes of these two worldwide invasive species were assessed. Invasion strategy of the two model species was investigated through a growth experiment in optimal conditions in a pot experiment. High investment in seed production could explain invasive success of S. inaequidens through high propagule pressure, whereas C. maculosa's strategy seemed to be oriented towards interactions with belowground communities, as shown by the shift in rhizosphere bacterial communities between genotypes. For both species, polyploidisation in the native range could be linked to a specialisation towards higher competitive ability, which could have allowed the first step of invasion. Introduction in the new range could be related to a loss of specialisation through selection of traits allowing coping with various or changing environments, improving successful spread. Survival of both model species was highly affected by community spatial pattern, management and neighbouring competition. Responses of growth and reproductive output of native and introduced genotypes to management, community spatial pattern and community diversity were species-specific. Growth and reproductive output of both genotypes of S. inaequidens were affected by experimental factors whereas introduced genotypes of C. maculosa were less affected than native ones. Comparison of response of native and introduced genotypes to experimental factors allowed defining two strategies of invasion based on phenotypic plasticity. Centaurea maculosa was able to maintain fitness in all kinds of environments, either favourable or stressful ("Jack-of-all-trades" invader). Senecio inaequidens was able to deal with all kinds of environments and was also able to increase its fitness in favourable conditions ("Jack-and-Master" invader). The combination of the effects of management, community spatial pattern and community diversity on species genotypes allowed defining, for both invasive species, two invasion phases which were impacted by different factors. The introduction phase corresponds to the survival of seedlings and their ability to deal with neighbouring competition. If seedlings manage to survive despite neighbouring competition, they grow and reproduced in order to spread, which corresponds to the establishment phase. In terms of management perspectives, regular mowing or use of highly covering species could limit invasive success of S. inaequidens and C. maculosa respectively. The synthesis of all the experiments conducted in this thesis with C. maculosa and S. inaequidens highlights (1) the importance of polyploidisation in the invasion process as well as (2) the species-specific invasion strategies and consequently (3) the species-specific response of invasive species to abiotic and biotic factors. It also emphasizes on (4) the temporal evolution of the interaction between invasiveness and invasibility since the community factors that affected invasive species fitness changed according to the invasion stage (introduction vs. establishment phase) of the invader. The provided insights into the importance of the interaction between species invasiveness and community invasibility will contribute to improve knowledge in ecology of invasions, in addition to supply some clues for management efficiency.


This article examines the impact of mega-events on civil society. Based on a case study of the 2014 Sochi Olympics, it concludes that mega-events provide a way for state-business alliances to impose their de- velopment preferences on society with little oversight or accountability. Environmental groups, in particular, find few opportunities to influence decisions. Nevertheless, activism is not completely futile because, in some cases, groups can use events like the Olympics as a platform to score small victories and to develop experience that can be applied in subsequent confrontations. Additionally, mega-events expand the repertoire of Russian organizations by giving them a central focus around which they can organize, though to date, they have not taken advantage of these opportunities.


Fire is a common tool for land conversion and management associated with oil palm production. Fires can cause biodiversity and carbon losses, emit pollutants that deteriorate air quality and harm human health, and damage property. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) prohibits the use of fire on certified concessions. However, efforts to suppress fires are more difficult during El Niño conditions and on peatlands. In this paper, we address the following questions for oil palm concessions developed prior to 2012 in Sumatra and Kalimantan, the leading producers of oil palm both within Indonesia and globally: (1) for the period 2012–2015, did RSPO-certified concessions have a lower density of fire detections, fire ignitions, or 'escaped' fires compared with those concessions that are not certified? and (2) did this pattern change with increasing likelihood of fires in concessions located on peatland and in dry years? These questions are particularly critical in fuel-rich peatlands, of which approximately 46% of the area was designated as oil palm concession as of 2010. We conducted propensity scoring to balance covariate distributions between certified and non-certified concessions, and we compare the density of fires in certified and non-certified concessions using Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests based on moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer Active Fire Detections from 2012–2015 clustered into unique fire events. We find that fire activity is significantly lower on RSPO certified concessions than non-RSPO certified concessions when the likelihood of fire is low (i.e., on non-peatlands in wetter years), but not when the likelihood of fire is high (i.e., on non-peatlands in dry years or on peatlands). Our results provide evidence that RSPO has the potential to reduce fires, though it is currently only effective when fire likelihood is relatively low. These results imply that, in order for this mechanism to reduce fire, additional strategies will be needed to control fires in oil palm plantations in dry years and on peatlands.


How radiation blocks spermatogenesis in certain strains of rats, such as LBNF(1), is not known. Because the block depends on androgen, we propose that androgen affects Sertoli cell function in irradiated LBNF(1) rats, resulting in the failure of spermatogonial differentiation. To begin to identify genes that may participate in this irradiation-induced blockade of spermatogenesis, we investigated the expression of several Sertoli genes in response to irradiation. The expression of the PEM: homeobox gene from its androgen-dependent Sertoli-specific proximal promoter (Pp) was dramatically reduced more than 100-fold in response to irradiation. In contrast, most other genes and gene products reported to be localized to the Sertoli cell, including FSH receptor (FSHR), androgen receptor (AR), SGP1, and the transcription factor CREB, did not exhibit significant changes in expression, whereas transferrin messenger RNA (mRNA) expression dramatically increased in response to irradiation. Irradiation also decreased Pp-driven PEM: mRNA levels in mouse testes (approximately 10-fold), although higher doses of irradiation than in rats were required to inhibit PEM: gene expression in testes of mice, consistent with their greater radioresistance. The decrease in Pem gene expression in mouse testis was also selective, as the expression of CREB, GATA-1, and SGP1 were little affected by irradiation. We conclude that the dramatic irradiation-triggered reduction of Pem expression in Sertoli cells is a conserved response that may be a marker for functional changes in response to irradiation.


Glendonites, pseudomorphs after marine sedimentary ikaite, are found throughout the Lower Cretaceous succession of Svalbard. Existing models for the ikaite-to-glendonite transformation do not explain the different petrological fabrics observed in the glendonites of Lower Cretaceous Svalbard. This study presents an improved model for the formation of these glendonites, based on petrographic and geochemical observations, and published work on ikaite breakdown. We show that for the glendonites of Lower Cretaceous Svalbard, methane is unlikely to be the sole or indeed main driver behind their formation, and present an improved model for their formation that accounts for the varied petrographic fabrics observed in these particular glendonites. Coupled with our new model, stable isotope data demonstrate why bulk samples of ancient glendonite cannot be used for palaeotemperature reconstructions.


TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction II. The Landscape of U.S. Trade Sanctions A. Policy Rationales B. Regulatory Framework III. A Critical Analysis of Sanctions A. Sanctions Are Ineffective and May Have Unintended Consequences B. Sanctions Impose Suffering on Innocent Citizens of the Target Country IV. Regulatory Confusion Prevents the Legal Export of ICT V. ICT Are Useful Tools for the Promotion of Human Rights A. Online Organization and SMS--Ukraine's Orange Revolution B. Circumvention Tools--Breaching the Great Firewall of China C. Social Networks, Twitter, and Modern ICT--Election Protests in Moldova and Iran VI. Conclusion I. INTRODUCTION On June 12, 2009, Iran held a presidential election that many believed would be a close race between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the incumbent, and Mir Hossein Mousavi, a reformist and former prime minister. (1) The result, however, was a landslide for Ahmadinejad that was quickly dismissed as a fraud by both the Iranian opposition and members of the Western media. (2) Enraged, opposition supporters took to the streets in what has been described as the "biggest antigovernment protests since the 1979 Islamic revolution." (3) As these initial protests subsided and the Guardian Council refused to annul the results, Mousavi called on his supporters to continue "legal" protests. (4) Heeding his words, the opposition staged new protests in August, (5) September, (6) November, (7) December, (8) and February. (9) These protestors are unique not only in their uncharacteristic boldness, but also in the degree to which they have made use of new online communications platforms to organize and share information, both amongst themselves and with the outside world. Twitter in particular has emerged as a technological "white knight," lauded by the media as a source of information on the protest movement. (10) It was seen as so instrumental to the Iranian protesters that the State Department asked the company to delay a network upgrade so that service would not be interrupted during waking hours in Tehran. (11) Given the significance of the protests, it is perhaps understandable that an awkward fact was overlooked: at the time, providing Twitter to users in Iran was illegal. (12) The U.S. is the world leader in unilateral trade sanctions. (13) Despite a great deal of scholarship from a wide variety of disciplines condemning such measures as ineffective and harmful, (14) the U.S. maintains a complex system of sanctions programs. (15) Regulations administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") in the Department of the Treasury targeting Iran, Cuba, and certain areas of Sudan are particularly egregious, often effectively prohibiting all exports of any goods, technologies, or services. (16) Confronted with the example provided by the protesters' use of U.S.-developed online communications platforms in post-election Iran, however, the U.S. government has recognized that prohibiting citizens in autocratic regimes from accessing such technology is inimical to the foreign policy objectives that animate the U.S. sanctions regime. In light of this revelation, the Department of the Treasury has recently amended the Cuban, Sudanese, and Iranian sanctions programs to authorize the export of publicly-available mass market online services "incident to the exchange of personal communications over the Internet" without a license. (17) While these measures represent a good first step in reforming the sanctions programs affecting information and communication technologies ("ICT"), they do not go far enough. The "Twitter Revolution" in Iran may have focused government attention on the pernicious effects of export controls on ICT in that country and spurred the Department of the Treasury to address this issue, but similar effects may still be present elsewhere due to export controls maintained by the Department of Commerce on mass market software. …


In this paper we describe a set of applications that utilize a camera phone to help the visually impaired with daily tasks. Our "MobileEye" software suite turns a camera enabled mobile device into a multi-purpose vision tool that helps individuals with visual disabilities. MobileEye consists of four subsystems for different types of visual disabilities. A color channel mapper helps distinguish colors, a software magnifier helps low vision individuals see detail, a pattern recognizer helps the severely impaired recognize objects and a document retriever provides access to printed materials. We apply cutting edge computer vision and image processing technologies on the mobile devices and tackle the challenges of limited computational resources and low image quality. We also consider the usability for the visually impaired so our system requires minimum keyboard operation. We provide a full software solution which runs on Symbian and Windows Mobile handsets. This paper provides a high level overview of the system.


This paper describes the investigation, by means of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), of the effect of biomimetic tubercles on the hydrodynamics of a fully submerged flat plate. The application of these tubercles takes inspiration from the features of the humpback whale (Megaptera Novaeangliae). These huge marine mammals are capable of quick and agile movements in the water, despite their bulky bodies. Researchers investigated the causes of this ability by studying some peculiar somatic characteristics of these animals, in particular the tubercles on the leading edge of their pectoral fins. These tubercles were applied in the form of sinusoidal perturbations of the leading edge of wing profiles and foils, and they proved to cause a positive effect on the overall performance.
 The aim of this paper is to investigate another type of tubercles, which appear in the shape of bumps on the whales head. The effect of these tubercles has not been studied yet, and this paper presents a study on the fundamental phenomena they generate in the water flowing on the surface of a flat plate. The tubercles are modelled as axisymmetric sinusoidal bumps placed on the flat plate. Different combinations of these tubercles are studied, in order to assess what the effect of a single tubercle is, and how more tubercles interact when they are placed closed to each other, in different configurations (number of tubercles and relative position). In addition, a systematic study of the effect of a single row of tubercles spanning perpendicularly to the flow is carried out. The tubercles change systematically in amplitude and position along the plate.
 One further objective of this paper is to investigate if an optimised application of the biomimetic tubercles can lead to a drag reduction for the flat plate. Preliminary simulations show that the rows of tubercles interact with the boundary layer by modifying the pressure distribution, velocity and direction of the flow. The tubercles appear to generate vortices that are similar to those created by sinusoidal tubercles on the leading edge of foils, which tend to thin the boundary layer. A change in the total drag of the plate with tubercle is also noticeable, which even decreases from the baseline (flat plate with no tubercles), at certain combinations of position and tubercle amplitude.


The emergence of cloud infrastructure has significantly reduced the costs of hardware and software resources in computing infrastructure. To ensure security, the data is usually encrypted before it's outsourced to the cloud. Unlike searching and sharing the plain data, it is challenging to search and share the data after encryption. Nevertheless, it is a critical task for the cloud service provider as the users expect the cloud to conduct a quick search and return the result without losing data confidentiality. To overcome these problems, we propose a ciphertext-policy attribute-based mechanism with keyword search and data sharing (CPAB-KSDS) for encrypted cloud data. The proposed solution not only supports attribute-based keyword search but also enables attribute-based data sharing at the same time, which is in contrast to the existing solutions that only support either one of two features. Additionally, the keyword in our scheme can be updated during the sharing phase without interacting with the PKG. In this article, we describe the notion of CPAB-KSDS as well as its security model. Besides, we propose a concrete scheme and prove that it is against chosen ciphertext attack and chosen keyword attack secure in the random oracle model. Finally, the proposed construction is demonstrated practical and efficient in the performance and property comparison.


The common disadvantage existing in evaluation for durability is of higher cost with lower efficiency since structural members are evaluated one by one in terms of chosen tested indices. Based on the three-level-multi-index evaluating model for durability of existing concrete bridges structures, the application of random layered sampling theory to durability evaluation is studied in this paper. The relationship of evaluating cost, evaluating precision and evaluating sample size is discussed and the calculating formula for sample size and its optimum distribution among different layers is presented. At the same time, the credible interval for class of membership of bridges structures is given out. Further, the chart-flow for evaluating durability is summarised. The result of application to actual projects shows the layered random sampling method on the basis of optimum distribution among different layers can achieve coherence between evaluating cost and evaluating precision so well as to meet different needs from bridge-owner.


Testing is the predominant software quality assurance method today, but it has a major flaw — it cannot reliably catch race conditions, intermittent errors caused by factors that cannot be controlled during testing, such as unpredictable timing behaviour in concurrent software. We present entropy injection, a extension of traditional test methods, which enable developers to create tests for arbitrary types of race conditions in any software application, reusing the application's existing test cases. An entropy injector runs the software under test in an instruction set simulator, where all factors that normally are unpredictable can be explicitly controlled. The injector provokes race condition defects by artificially changing the timing behaviour of the simulated processors, hardware devices, clocks, and input models. Provoked defects can be debugged by developers in a non-intrusive, programmable debugger, which allows race condition defects to be reproduced and provides access to all software state in a distributed system. Developers can use its services to create application-specific injection strategies and directed regression test cases that monitor application state and test specific interleavings of events. Our proof-of-concept entropy injector implementation Njord is built on Nornir, a debugger environment based on the complete system simulator Simics. Njord provokes test case failures by suspending simulated processors, thereby injecting delays in the processes in a concurrent application. We demonstrate Njord on a small test routine, and show how a developer can write a race condition regression test that triggers errors with very high probability, or provoke errors with good probability without using application knowledge.


Wall displays support people in interacting with large information spaces in two ways: On the one hand, the physical space in front of such displays enables them to navigate information spaces physically. On the other hand, the visual overview of the information space on the display may promote the formation of spatial memory; from studies of desktop computers we know this can boost performance. However, it remains unclear how the benefits of locomotion and overviews relate and whether one is more important than the other. We study this question through a wall display adaptation of the classic Data Mountain system to separate the effects of locomotion and visual overview. Our findings suggest that overview improves recall and that the combination of overview and locomotion outperforms all other combinations of factors.


The Easy, Complete, Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing Your Android Apps! There are huge profits to be made in selling Android apps! But with more than 70,000 apps now available, posting your app to the Android Market is no longer enough. You need to market your app effectively. Dont know much about marketing? Dont worry: This book gives you all the step-by-step help youll need. Top app marketing consultant Jeffrey Hughes walks you through building a winning marketing plan, crafting highly competitive apps, choosing your message, building buzz, and connecting with people wholl actually buy your app. Packed with examples, this book makes Android apps marketing easy! Youll learn how to Identify your apps unique value, target audience, and total message Understand the Android Markets dynamics Cut through clutter and get your app into the top selling categories Set the right price for your app and effectively sell its value Get reviewers to recommend your apps Write effective press releases Time your marketing and publicity for maximum effectiveness Blog about your app and get the attention of influential bloggers Use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social media to generate buzz Use promotions and cross-marketing just like professional marketers do Measure and improve your results with Android Analytics Generate a loyal audience that will buy your next app, too Earn steady revenue, build a brand, and make a real business out of app development


A comorbidity is a concomitant but unrelated pathological or disease process, and comorbid conditions are coexisting medical conditions that are not necessarily compensable in a work-related injury but may affect the individual's treatment and recovery. Many comorbid conditions also are chronic health conditions that may interact with the sequelae of a compensable injury or illness and/or may affect the individual's health and abilities. In addition to the normal physiological changes of age, advancing age increases the number and severity of comorbid conditions, and this article examines three: obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Obesity is associated with increasing workers' compensation claims, medical and indemnity claim costs, and lost workdays; it is also a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and numerous other chronic and serious diseases. Hypoglycemia associated with diabetes can lead to falls and accidents, and diabetes may delay healing, predispose to infection, and cause peripheral neuropathies. Uncontrolled hypertension may be present in half of people with hypertension, leading to increased cardiac risk, especially if procedures or operations are needed. Claimants with comorbid conditions should be identified early in the claims process so claim handlers can use available comorbidity calculators to better plan for higher costs, longer disability, and more complex medical management. Nurse case managers can help the injured worker navigate the health system and act as a liaison between claims staff and medial providers.


A filter bank (FB) is used to analyze or decompose a signal into several frequency bands, which are processed separately and then combined. This allows us to allocate processing resources in a manner tailored to the distribution of the relevant signal features among the bands. A judicious allocation leads to improved system performance over direct processing of the input signal (without using an FB). FBs have found applications in almost every area of modern digital signal processing, including audio, image and video compression and communications. The main thrust of this thesis is towards the optimization of FBs based on the statistical properties of their input. We establish the optimality of a type of FB called the principal component filter bank (PCFB) for numerous signal processing problems. The PCFB depends on the input power spectrum and on the class of M channel orthonormal FBs over which we seek to optimize the FB. PCFB optimality for compression and progressive transmission has been observed to varying degrees in the past. Our work provides a unified framework for orthonormal FB optimization, that includes these earlier results as special cases. It also covers many other problems not observed earlier, notably in noise suppression and communications. A central result that we establish is that the PCFB is the optimum orthonormal FB whenever the minimization objective is a concave function of the vector of subband variances of the FB. Many signal processing problems result in such objectives. The earlier results on PCFB optimality for compression can be explained by this framework. Another example not noticed earlier is FBbased white noise reduction using zeroth order Wiener filters or hard thresholds in the subbands. Yet another case involves the discrete multitone modulation (DMT) communication system, used in ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) and wireless OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) technologies. These systems use the transmultiplexer configuration of an FB, which is usually chosen as a DFT or cosine-modulated FB for efficiency of implementation. We show that at increased implementation cost, we can minimize the transmission power requirement (for a given bitrate and error probability) by using the PCFB associated with a certain normalized noise spectrum. We present simulation examples with realistic channel and noise models for the ADSL system to compare the performance of the PCFB against other types of FBs, such as the DFT. We study various extensions of the basic PCFB optimality result. The noise suppression problem becomes more involved when the noise is colored, because the objective then depends on both signal and noise subband variances. For a specific FB class, namely the orthogonal transform coder class, we show that a simultaneous PCFB for the signal and noise is optimal (if it exists). For the class of unconstrained FBs, this does not hold in general; we develop an algorithm that computes the best FB for piecewise constant spectra. In some cases, PCFB optimality extends to classes of biorthogonal FBs too, although there are many open problems in this area, as we point out. We study the effect of nonexistence of a PCFB on the FB optimizations and show how they usually become analytically intractable. We show that PCFBs do not exist for the classes of DFT and cosine-modulated FBs. We also study nonuniform FB optimization: We establish the definition of nonuniform PCFBs and study their existence and optimality, which are shown to be much more restricted when compared with uniform PCFBs. Lastly, we study a related open problem on the parameterization of nonuniform perfect reconstruction (PR) FBs of various classes, such as the rational and FIR classes. Not all nonuniform PRFBs can be built by the common method of using tree structures of uniform PRFBs. Given a set of decimators, is there a rational PRFB using them? If so, what are all the PRFBs possible? When are they necessarily derivable from a tree structure? Very little is known about the answers to many such questions. For example, for existence of rational PRFBs with a given set of decimators, certain conditions on the decimators are known to be necessary, while certain others are sufficient. However, conditions that are both necessary and sufficient are unknown. One of our contributions is to strengthen considerably the known conditions. This is an important step towards a complete PR theory for nonuniform filter banks.


This paper evaluates the effectiveness of recent welfare reforms, investigating the effects of both state-specific waivers in the early 1990s and the 1996 federal reform legislation. Unlike earlier work, we analyze a wide array of indicators, including welfare participation, labor market involvement, earnings, income and poverty, and family formation. While no single methodology is entirely satisfying, the results in this paper are convincing in part because they are consistent across alternative approaches. We find strong evidence that these policy changes reduced public assistance participation and increased family earnings. The result was a rise in total family income and a decline in poverty. The gains from the 1996 reforms were not as broadly distributed across the distribution of less-skilled women as were the effects of waivers. Waivers also increased labor market involvement among the less-skilled, but the 1996 reforms had little additional impact on work behavior after controlling for economic forces. These policies also appeared to have an impact on family structure.


BACKGROUND
22q11.2 deletion syndrome is an autosomal dominant syndrome mostly diagnosed in childhood.

CASE DESCRIPTION
We present a case of a male with a ventricular septum defect, hypoparathyroidism and mild facial abnormalities, in which the diagnosis of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome was made at the age of 42 years.

CONCLUSION
Because the syndrome has a relatively high prevalence and the clinical presentation can be very diverse, the possibility of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome should also be considered in adult patients. The diagnosis can be confirmed by demonstrating a deletion in the chromosome region 22q11.2. Referral to a clinical geneticist is important, also in adulthood, in order to provide information about the condition and to discuss the risk of recurrence in any children and the consequences for family members.


One major drawback that prevents the use of the standard continuous Galerkin finite element method in solving conservation problems is its lack of a locally conservative flux. Our present work has developed a simple postprocessing for the continuous Galerkin finite element method resulting in a locally conservative flux on a vertex centered dual mesh relative to the finite element mesh. The postprocessing requires an auxiliary fully Neumann problem to be solved on each finite element. These local problems are independent of each other and in two dimensions involve solving only a 3-by-3 system in the case of triangular elements and a 4-by-4 system for quadrilateral elements. A convergence analysis for the method is provided and its performance is demonstrated through numerical examples of multiphase flow with triangular and quadrilateral elements along with a description of its parallel implementation.


In 1992, a 356-mm minimum length limit (MLL) was enacted on Kentucky Lake and a 381-mm MLL was enacted on Watts Bar Lake, two mainstem reservoirs on the Tennessee River, in an attempt to reduce exploitation and improve the size structure of the sauger (Sander canadensis) populations. The objectives of this study were to compare sauger population characteristics immediately following (1993–1994) and 15 years after (2008–2009) the regulations took effect, examine spatial and temporal patterns in growth, examine recruitment patterns in each reservoir using a recruitment variability index (RVI), and assess the current likelihood of overfishing. Saugers were collected with experimental gill nets in each reservoir and aged using otoliths. A Beverton-Holt yield-per-recruit model was used to simulate angler yields and estimate the likelihood of growth overfishing. Recruitment overfishing was assessed by examining spawning potential ratios under various MLL and exploitation rate scenarios. The sauger population in Kentucky Lake experienced modest improvements in size and age structure over the 15 years following enactment of more restrictive harvest regulations, whereas the population in Watts Bar Lake changed very little, if at all, in terms of size and age structure. Mean lengths of age-3 sauger were significantly greater in Watts Bar Lake than in Kentucky Lake in both time periods. The RVI values indicated that between 1993 and 2009 the sauger in Kentucky Lake displayed more stable recruitment than the Watts Bar Lake population. Neither population exhibited signs of growth overfishing in 2008–09 under the current length limits; however, the Watts Bar Lake population would be susceptible to recruitment overfishing at high (> 40%) exploitation rates if natural mortality was as low as 20%. These analyses have demonstrated that the Watts Bar Lake and Kentucky Lake populations, in terms of size and age structure, have remained relatively stable over 15+ years and the MLLs appear to be conserving the stocks.


When AxGa1-xAs layers are grown on V-grooved GaAs substrates by metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD), a Ga rich vertical quantum well (VQW) appears in the V-groove centre. The width and Ga enrichment of this structure depend on the nominal Al concentration and growth temperature. From EELS linescans and spectrum images, concentration profiles and maps of VQWs are obtained, and a subsequent bandstructure calculation shows up to three confined sublevels in the VQW. Carrier confinement in segments of modulated VQWs is demonstrated. In interconnected VQW-quantum wire structures, carrier diffusion channels were assessed by cathodoluminescence. Carrier capture into the VQW and transfer into the QWR was observed.


Funding information Departament d'Innovació, Universitats i Empresa, Generalitat de Catalunya, Grant/Award Number: ref. 2017 SGR 548; Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Grant/Award Number: CGL2013‐ 43822‐R and CGL2016‐80820‐R; Universitat de Girona, Grant/Award Number: IFUdG17 Abstract Physiological features of species can determine the resilience and adaptation of organisms to the environment. Swimming capacity and metabolic traits are key factors for fish survival, mating and predator–prey interactions. Individuals of the same species can display high phenotypic variation often in response to varying environmental conditions. We investigated the effects of captive breeding conditions on swimming capacity, metabolic traits and morphology by comparing a captive population with a wild population of the endangered Spanish toothcarp (Aphanius iberus). We measured swimming capabilities and oxygen‐uptake rates simultaneously, the latter as a proxy for metabolic rate, using a swim tunnel respirometer. Results showed significant differences in standard metabolic rate (SMR), maximum metabolic rate (MMR) and absolute aerobic scope (AAS) between populations, as well as differences in morphological features between populations and sexes. In contrast, we did not find significant differences in critical swimming speed between populations or sexes. Differences in SMR between sexes were found in the captive population, and males showed nearly a twofold increase in SMR when compared with females. SMR, MMR and AAS were, on average, twofold lower for the captive population in comparison with the wild population. These differences in metabolic traits likely reflected captivity conditions, which were low food availability and the absence of predators, which in turn, may have influenced morphological traits, such as body and caudal peduncle shape and head size. At the same time, morphological traits also influenced metabolic traits of the populations. The lower SMR and MMR of captive individuals may be related to their deeper body shapes. Taken together, our results suggested that captive breeding conditions caused significant physiological and morphological changes in the endangered Spanish toothcarp. Reduced metabolic traits and changes in morphology may affect fitness‐related traits of the captive populations once reintroduced into the wild, thereby compromising conservation efforts. We therefore recommend to experimentally testing for the effects and consequences of captive breeding conditions


In judicial decision making, the doctrine of chances takes explicitly into account the odds. There is more to forensic statistics, as well as various probabilistic approaches, which taken together form the object of an enduring controversy in the scholarship of legal evidence. In this paper, I reconsider the circumstances of the Jama murder and inquiry (dealt with in Part I of this paper: 'The JAMA Model and Narrative Interpretation Patterns'), to illustrate yet another kind of probability or improbability. What is improbable about the Jama story is actually a given, which contributes in terms of dramatic underlining. In literary theory, concepts of narratives being probable or improbable date back from the eighteenth century, when both prescientific and scientific probability were infiltrating several domains, including law. An understanding of such a backdrop throughout the history of ideas is, I claim, necessary for Artificial Intelligence (AI) researchers who may be tempted to apply statistical methods to legal evidence. The debate for or against probability (and especially Bayesian probability) in accounts of evidence has been flourishing among legal scholars; nowadays both the Bayesians (e.g. Peter Tillers) and the Bayesio-skeptics (e.g. Ron Allen), among those legal scholars who are involved in the controversy, are willing to give AI research a chance to prove itself and strive towards models of plausibility that would go beyond probability as narrowly meant. This debate within law, in turn, has illustrious precedents: take Voltaire, he was critical of the application of probability even to litigation in civil cases; take Boole, he was a starry-eyed believer in probability applications to judicial decision making. Not unlike Boole, the founding father of computing, nowadays computer scientists approaching the field may happen to do so without full awareness of the pitfalls. Hence, the usefulness of the conceptual landscape I sketch here.


Jessie Sullivan has been married half her life, and has become accustomed to her role. But when she returns to the isolated island she grew up on to establish why her mother has been behaving oddly, she is to find a lot more than she came looking for. A loving, exuberant character, who believes herself to be happy, she has forgotten a hidden part of her spirit - the part represented by the beautiful, vibrant and legendary mermaid carved on a chair in the island's monastery. When Jessie falls passionately in love with a monk who is close to taking his final vows, she discovers a place in herself that she had never previously imagined could exist. THE MERMAID CHAIR is the story of a woman trying to save her outgrown life - the roles, identities, securities and illusions she had created for herself - before finally emerging as something far more alive and powerful.


Aim The aim of this investigation was to determine the frequency of mental pathologies in children and adolescents of the Yazidi minority group who immigrated to Turkey from Iraq. The refugees were asked about preventive and risk factors that occurred before and after their immigration. Subjects and methods The sample comprised 55 children and adolescents (30 males and 25 females) who were Yazidi refugees and had settled in the Uçkuyular, Oğuz, Onbaşı, and Uğurca villages of Batman, Turkey. The study was conducted 9 months after the refugees had immigrated. The participants were evaluated in their native language through a semistructured interview titled "Reliability and Validity of Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children – Present and Lifetime Version – Turkish Version". A sociodemographic form was prepared so that investigators could understand their traumatic experiences before and after the migration and their current social conditions. All the interviews were conducted in the participants' native language without the help of translators. The investigators filled out the sociodemographic forms. Results Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was detected in 20 children (36.4%), depression in 18 (32.7%), nocturnal enuresis in six (10.9%), and anxiety in four (7.3%). The following factors were found to be associated with depression: witnessing violence and/or death, being a girl, having older parents, being the elder child, and having multiple siblings (P<0.05). Risk factors for PTSD, depression, and comorbid conditions included witnessing violence and/or death (P<0.05). Four participants were observed to have both PTSD and depression (7.3%). Conclusion Most of the refugee children had experienced serious traumatic events in their home country. PTSD, depression, and comorbid mental problems are frequently seen in refugee children.


The process of building a brand begins with a clear understanding of what consumers desire from a particular product or service. This understanding is then translated into a promise, which is the basis of the brand and tells consumers what they will receive. This report details a methodical six-step process for brand building, the "Process Framework for Strategic Brand Development," using the case of Zambia. That nation's tourism officials engaged a team of graduate students from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration to develop a new destination brand. Using data from potential visitors to the country, the team first identified the motivational factors for Zambia tourism. They next evaluated the nation's value proposition and assessed its competitive brand position, as compared to the nearby African nations that constitute its competitive set. The next step was to develop core brand elements, based on the traveler motivations. With the brand elements in place, the group created possible brand promises and tested them with key suppliers and sponsors in Zambia. A refined set of potential brand concepts was tested with potential customers. Finally, a set of symbolic brand touch points was developed to become part of brand messages and images. The method used by the Cornell "Brand Zambia" team is applicable to any tourism destination—and to hospitality products that aim to create an emotion-inducing, memorable guest experience.


The nation's capital is in a fiscal and political crisis. By 1995 the District of Columbia did not have the cash to pay its bills and faced a growing operating deficit. It was effectively shut out of the capital markets and at least three of its government agencies were in receivership. On any given day, 30 percent of the police vehicles were in the shop for repairs and 25 percent of the school buses were inoperable. Nor were adequate funds coming in: property assessors were making up the rules as they were undervaluing the tax base. In April 1995 Congress, beginning to come to grips with the situation, placed the fiscal control of the city in the hands of a presidentially appointed Control Board. The survival of the nation's capital is a matter of national concern. The Control Board and the chief financial officer have outlined the path to balancing the budget by 1999. Once the District government can deliver services efficiently, the issue of how they should be financed will need to be addressed. That is the focus of this book. Carol O'Cleireacain provides background for understanding the present situation, focusing on the revenue components and offering a realistic menu of revenue options for long-term, ongoing budget balance. She addresses such questions as: What is the "norm" for a city the size of Washington? What is the appropriate sharing among the federal government, District residents, and the region? How much compensation should be paid for the huge amount of tax-exempt property and the enormous number of nonprofit organizations in the capital? What taxes can the District impose fairly, collect efficiently without distorting decisions of individuals and businesses about where to locate? O'Cleireacain concludes that the District's fiscal crisis is the result, in part, of economic and demographic trends reflecting the dilemmas of central cities and their suburbs nationwide; in part, the historically flawed relationship between Congress and the local government. But at the heart of the District's fiscal crisis is its special status as the nation's capital. All other American cities benefit from state aid for welfare, Medicaid, prisons, higher education, juvenile justice, and a wide range of highway, infrastructure, and other capital investments. The District does not; it has to tax its residents in order to provide state-type services. Ongoing budget balance in D.C. will require a realignment of spending and revenue responsibilities by the federal government acting as the state parent to the nation's orphaned capital.


Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) differentiate into multiple lineages and are a promising source of cells for clinical use. Previously, we found that the gene distal-less homeobox 5 (DLX5) is specifically expressed in MSCs with osteogenic potential. Understanding the mechanism of osteogenesis is necessary for successful bone regeneration using MSCs. The aim of this study was to examine the function of the DLX5 gene in MSCs during osteogenesis (bone development). We analyzed the possible association between DLX5 expression and osteogenesis-, chondrogenesis- and adipogenesis-related gene expression in different cells isolated from bone marrow and cord blood. Differentiation capacity was assessed by observing morphological changes, monitoring gene expression patterns, and staining with Von Kossa, safranin O, and Oil Red O. Suppression of DLX5 expression by means of a small interfering RNA (siRNA) downregulated osteogenic markers and reduced the signs of calcium mineralization. Tanshinone IIA is a known small molecule activator of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. Here, we report that induction of DLX5 by tanshinone IIA in MSCs enhanced osteogenic differentiation. In addition, we showed that tanshinone IIA (as a mediator of BMP2 signaling) activates runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) in MSCs and initiates calcium mineralization during osteogenesis. Taken together, these findings indicate that, in MSCs, DLX5 is a master regulator of osteogenesis. Furthermore, tanshinone IIA may be valuable for stem cell-based therapies of certain bone diseases.


Road runoff contains a complex mixture of contaminants including metals, anions, and
hydrocarbons. This runoff discharges into natural water courses which are often small
streams. The concentration of these chemicals in the drainage water and receiving
stream depends on a number of site specific characteristics such as traffic volume, area
of road drained and size of the stream. It was postulated that these pollutants have a
deleterious affect on macroinvertebrate community structure which would result in
subsequent effects on macroinvertebrate function (i. e. litter processing). Further, it was
hypothesised that impacts would be greatest in small streams, receiving drainage waters
from large areas of heavily used motorway and that only a limited number of chemicals
would be responsible for any effects.
Field surveys demonstrated that macroinvertebrate community structure and function
was impacted at one of the three sites studied, namely Pigeon Bridge Brook. The
downstream station at this site received motorway runoff drainage from the largest area
of road surface, was the smallest stream and had the highest metal and hydrocarbon
concentrations in both stream water and sediments (Maltby et al., 1995a).
Macroinvertebrate species richness and diversity were significantly reduced below the
discharge. Species generally considered 'sensitive' to pollutants such as stoneflies,
gammarids, molluscs and trichopterans were reduced in relative abundance whilst more
'tolerant' opportunistic species such as chironomids and tubificid worms increased in
relative abundance downstream of the discharge. An assessment of the trophic
composition of the community (i. e. functional feeding groups) indicated that there was
a differential loss of functional groups, with significantly lower relative abundances of
shredders and scrapers and an increase in collectors downstream of the motorway
discharge. The changes in both the structure and trophic biology of the
macroinvertebrate community resulted in a significant reduction in macroinvertebratemediated
leaf processing downstream of the motorway discharge.
Although field surveys indicated macroinvertebrate community structure and function
were negatively impacted below the motorway discharge at Pigeon Bridge Brook they
cannot establish causal relationships. In-situ and laboratory studies were therefore
performed to address the mechanistic basis for the impact. In-situ and laboratory
lethality exposures did not fully explain the field distribution of the species used in
toxicological studies; Gammarus pulex (L. ), Nemoura cinerea (Retz. ), Potamopyrgus
jenkinsi (Smith), Chironomus riparius (Meigen) and Tubifex tubifex (Muller). In acute
lethality tests stream water from Pigeon Bridge Brook was not toxic to any of the
species. In contrast, G. pulex and N. cinerea showed slight, but significant mortality
when exposed to downstream sediment from this site. Sediment manipulation and
sediment solvent and acid extract exposures indicated that the solvent extractable
fraction of the sediment was responsible for this toxicity to G. pulex but not to N.
cinerea. These results indicated that aromatic hydrocarbons in the sediment may be
responsible for the toxicity and this has subsequently been shown to be the case (Maltby
et al., 1995b).
ifi
Since lethality studies did not fully explain field -distributions of the animals sub-lethal
toxicity avoidance behaviour tests were employed using sediment, manipulated
sediments and sediment extracts. The sensitivity to downstream field sediment,
indicated by avoidance decreased in the order P. jenkinsi > G. pulex > C. riparius> T.
tubifex = N. cinerea and to a solvent extract of this sediment in the order G. pulex > P.
jenkinsi > C. riparius > N. cinerea > T. tubifex. Acid sediment extracts and solvent
extracted sediments induced no avoidance responses in these animals.
Gammarus pulex was thought to be the dominant shredding macroinvertebrate at
Pigeon Bridge Brook. Reductions in macroinvertebrate-mediated leaf processing could
therefore be the result of sub-lethal effects of motorway contamination on the feeding
activity of this species. In-situ exposures indicated that the consumption of leaf material
by G. pulex was reduced at the downstream station and laboratory exposures indicated
this was principally a result of sediment toxicity. Sediment extract exposures indicated
that the solvent extractable fraction was again responsible for the majority of this effect.
Accumulation of metals and aromatic hydrocarbons on the leaf material had very little
effect on leaf consumption or choice. However, reduced colonisation of leaf material by
aquatic hyphomycetes reduced both leaf choice and consumption when the material was
conditioned at the downstream station. The major uptake route of aromatic
hydrocarbons by G. pulex was via aqueous sources and not from food.
In conclusion motorway derived contamination in small streams has both lethal and sublethal
effects on some macroinvertebrates. This affects macroinvertebrate structural and
trophic characteristics which subsequently have a deleterious effect on important
ecosystem functions.


The purpose of this study was to examine the interactions between parents and principals in principal-parent conferences in a high school setting. Ethnographic research procedures, guided by the theoretical framework of symbolic interactionism, were used to report the interactions from the perspectives of the participants. This research was a case study featuring in-depth interviews with parents and principals. Interviews, focusing on participant perspectives of the conference, were audio taped and transcribed for interpretation and analysis. Additional research procedures included observations of the conferences, journal writing, and the inclusion of archival materials drawn from the site. A phenomenological analysis, applied to the data, yielded categories and themes that were grounded in the data and framed interactions as stories based on the perspectives of each principal and parent participant. Although limited in scope, findings from the study revealed principal-parent interactions provide a valuable source of knowledge surrounding principal-parent conferences. The study revealed differences in the meanings principals and parents attached to the same conference. At times, these differences blocked partnership building between parent and principal participants. Results from the study emphasized the importance of understanding meanings parents attach to interactions with principals. This kind of knowledge could contribute to building more effective relationships with parents. The study also points to the need for more research that could help principals implement strategies for building partnerships with parents for the benefit of all students.


Recent decades have seen increasing empirical investigation of the value of early
educational intervention in challenging the inhibiting developmental effects of socioeconomic
and educational disadvantage. A range of interventions involving small
children and their families have been the focus of such research. The present
research was based upon an evaluation of the implementation by Glastonbury Child
and Family Services, a major family support agency in the regional centre of Geelong
in Victoria, of the Home Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters program, now
known in New Zealand and Australia as the Home Interaction Program for Parents
and Youngsters (HIPPY). When the two-year version of HIPPY was introduced to
Australia in 1998, with newly arrived immigrant in inner Melbourne, it was formally
evaluated to be successful with that population. Soon after, in 1999, it was offered for
the first time to Australian-born, transgenerationally disadvantaged families of angloceltic
origin, in Geelong. This study has focused on the third implementation in
Geelong, once the program had been settled in with this new community. Two main
lines of inquiry were pursued. The first concerned whether the program operated as
planned within this particular context and the second was the examination of program
outcomes. The focus on program outcomes went beyond the expected cognitive or
learning readiness gains for children to explore the socio-emotional developmental
domain of learning readiness. Socio-emotional benefits to parents and Home Tutors
were also explored. Complementary qualitative and quantitative methodologies were
used with program participants at three points in time, once during the first year of the
program, once during its second year, and once during the year after its conclusion.
Each stage of data collection involved indepth interviews with family participants and
all staff of the program. Formal psychological assessments of aspects of the
developmental status of children were conducted at each stage. A strong attempt was
made to find a matched control or comparison group, but logistical and methodological
problems made this very difficult, such that the comparison group secured was
somewhat less disadvantaged than the HIPPY group. Nevertheless, the study found
that the HIPPY children kept pace in terms of learning readiness, and demonstrated
over time significantly greater gains in socio-emotional development than the comparison group. Parents and staff were also found to benefit socio-emotionally
from their participation in the Program. The indepth qualitative interview data revealed
changes to the quality of the parent-child relationship, as a function of the early
intervention, with parents reporting feeling closer to the child and an enhanced
security of attachment from the child to the parent within day-to-day interactions. The
study found that HIPPY was directed in general accordance with the standard model
of delivery, but with several areas of adaptation in response to the needs of the
particular population of families. The child's enthusiasm for the program and the
willingness of HIPPY staff to maintain a flexible approach to implementation were
found to be the most facilitative factors contributing to the Program's success. The
information produced was rich and allowed for the exploration of how participation in
the program may have led to the outcomes found. This line of inquiry raised the idea
that improvements in the quality of the parent-child relationship may have mediated
the positive socio-emotional outcomes found. The findings also suggested the value
of involving the interaction of the parent and the child in the intervention designed to
challenge disadvantage by changing developmental trajectories.


Sucrose polyester (SPE) is a nonabsorbable substitute for fat. This study examined its effects in 10 obese patients, 6 with diabetes mellitus. Three diabetics had hypertriglyceridemia. Most patients were studied in three periods: weight maintenance, caloric restriction + SPE, and caloric restriction without SPE. Nondiabetics generally tolerated SPE better than diabetics. In nondiabetic patients caloric restriction + SPE produced a decrease in total cholesterol and in LDL-cholesterol of 20% and 26%, respectively. In normotriglyceridemic diabetic patients caloric restriction + SPE had an effect on plasma lipoproteins similar to that of nondiabetics. In diabetics with hypertriglyceridemia caloric restriction (with or without SPE) caused a marked reduction in plasma triglycerides. In all patients caloric restriction reduced cholesterol balance and presumably cholesterol synthesis. The feeding of SPE caused increased outputs of fecal neutral steroids suggestive of decreased absorption of cholesterol; SPE also frequently caused a mild increase in fecal acidic steroids (bile acids).


Requirements for a machine description facility for compiler testing are discussed. The compiler testing procedure consists of proving that programs are correctly translated by the compiler at hand. This is achieved by use of a common intermediate representation for both the source and object programs. The intermediate representation for the object program is built by use of a process termed symbolic interpretation. This process interprets a set of procedures which describe the effects of machine language instructions corresponding to the target machine on a suitable computation model in a manner consistent with an execution level definition of the high level language. Some of the important factors which enter into such a definition are discussed. These include architectural constraints posed by the target machine, and a description facility for memory and data types. Once such a definition is formulated, the actual instruction set of the target machine can be described. The highlights and limitations of such a definition facility are discussed in the context of a specific LISP implementation on a PDP-10 computer.


The thesis herein explores the relationship between early and late information in judgement and decision-making and tests a quantitative model of this relationship based on contemporary dual-process theory. The first chapter reviews literature regarding early information as a potential biasing factor in judgement and decision-making, the neglect of dual-process theory in the domain and the tendency to rely on static modelling techniques derived from economic theory. The first empirical chapter concludes that a synthesis of a static-economic decision model (prospect theory) with contemporary dual-process theory principles can better predict choice behaviour than either one approach alone. I conclude that dual-process theory provides a strong theoretical basis for understanding the cognitive processes involved in early-informational biases, but also that the quantitative approaches to modelling choice behaviour can provide valuable additional insights. The third chapter acts on this conclusion by developing a dynamic-stochastic choice model (based on a sequential sample process) which reflects four contemporary dual-process theory concepts that are relevant to early-informational biases. Simulation results of the model are presented in order to demonstrate the choice behaviour predicted by this approach. The rest of the thesis is dedicated to empirical studies designed to test the implications of these simulation results and these predicted behaviours. The empirical studies cover a range of domains including biased predecision processing during evidence gathering, stereotype bias in multi-attribute decision-making under time-pressure and the impact of expectation and accuracy motivation on visual-search decision-making. I conclude that the dynamic-stochastic modelling approach demonstrates some clear value in understanding the cognitive processes involved in these domains and the results support the use of contemporary dual-process theory as a framework for understanding judgement and decision-making. Based on this conclusion I outline some future developments for a more nuanced dynamic model including integration with a more sophisticated way of modelling type 2 processing and expansion to account for hypothetical thinking principles. I also suggest future research domains for application of the model such as expert decision-making and multi-alternative decision problems.


This chapter explores the ways in which secondary tasks utilized in on-line sentence processing experiments can influence second language (L2) learners' processing behavior. After a brief introduction to sentence processing and the self-paced reading methodology, we present data from a self-paced reading study that investigates how task type (comprehension questions vs. grammaticality judgment tasks) affect intermediate L2 Spanish learners processing of two types of grammatical violations: noun-adjective gender agreement and subject-verb inversion in wh-questions. Our findings suggest that, for some structures, certain secondary tasks commonly used in sentence processing research can indeed influence how L2 learners' process morpho-syntactic violations during comprehension. We discuss the implications of our findings for L2 learning research, as well as for L2 instruction.


Promoting cooperative financial efficiency through problem-solving and arresting opportunities builds cooperative resilience necessary for ameliorating rural livelihoods. Therefore, this study assessed the income-generating capacity, challenges, and opportunities available to agricultural cooperatives in Eswatini. Secondary data were sourced from government and parastatal reports, while primary data were collected through personal interviews guided by a structured questionnaire. Financial ratios, descriptive statistics, and content analysis were employed for data analysis. The results revealed that broiler, dairy, crop, animal feed and sugarcane cooperatives had strong financial efficiency, 81.75%, 65.36%, 49.61%, 40.33% and 36.37%, respectively. High production cost, free-riders, insufficient capital and lack of training on conflict resolution and administration are the major challenges encountered by cooperatives. Agribusiness opportunities exist in all subsectors. An inclusive regulatory body is recommended to establish production-marketing frameworks to enhance financial efficiency. Pragmatic training programmes are required to address intra-organisational challenges, while inter-organisational linkages are necessary to harness opportunities.


South African educational institutions are confronted by a myriad of new policies,
legislation and qualification frameworks, resulting in extensive transformation of the
South African educational landscape. This article explores the effect that the pursuit
of transformation objectives is having on communication training and education at
universities and technikons. A number of transformation priorities for communication
education and training is also identified.


Dendara, July 16, 54 BCE, began the reconstruction of the temple dedicated to the goddess Hathor. Founded under Ptolemy XII, the temple studied here stands at the end of an architectural tradition developed over three millennia. Its state of conservation is exceptional. It is the latest preserved monumental cult building of the pharaonic civilisation. It is a particularly well-suited testimony for an attempt to comprehend the architectural conception of a culture with which no modern society has kept any direct connection. The starting point of this study is a precise survey which constitutes the scientific documentation. The establishment of these data went along with the observation of indications, dimensions, orientations and alterations which allows to identify constant characteristics belonging to the process of designing the structure of the temple. This study uses no technical methodology but rather presents a research of knowledge through observation, hypotheses and verification. There is no pretension to exhaustiveness. This study tries to find, from the territory to the details, breaches, or to give access, into the knowledge belonging to the way of designing. The plans and sections are accompanied by a research which begins with a presentation of the nature of the architectural study of the building belonging to a disappeared culture. Then follows the study of the Egyptian temple and of the technical details of the survey. A building belongs to a territory. The absence of any documentation, the disappearance of vestiges dug out since the end of the 19th century as well as the actual policy of land reclaiming on the site made a cartography of the whole area of the ancient city necessary as a salvage. This led to some thoughts about the urban shape around the temple and about the limits of the space between the divine and the civil world. The reconstruction of a temenos wall brought with it a large reorganisation and renovation of the city and caused an important tabula rasa of civil districts. A global description of the building precedes the chapter concerning the organisation of the space. The world being set up around the god, it progresses from the most holy place towards the civil environment. The system underlying the height of the different spaces can only be determined when taking the heart of the temple as point of origin. Particular attention was devoted to the means which the ancient builders had at their disposal in order to control the precision of their accomplishment. Although rules concerning the outer measurements of the naos and the inner volume of the cella could be determined, it is impossible to reduce the dimensioning of the Egyptian space to a system of constant proportions. The study of the use of the space confirms this statement as it reveals that the functional elements of doors and windows do not follow any ideal formal rules. They are the result of a topological conception where geometric accuracy sacralises different needs; sometimes trivial when one considers light as a physical agent necessary to the daily functioning of human beings in a structure belonging to the divine. The intelligence and the accuracy of these accomplishments clearly required a global and initial conception of the architectural object. The durability of the building was the ultimate reason for the designers' research of technical quality. No single part of the construction, from the foundations to the top of the cornices, escaped this ancient concern. This led to an evolution towards a monolithic character of the masonry and the integration of solutions to contain factors of degradation, such as the rain. This concern also includes a tradition of a seismic culture as well as an execution which optimises the performance of labour and the materials. In parallel to this evolution on can observe the emergence of an ancient analysis of the phenomenon of differential sinking and the development of details which allow a dynamic management of major sources of destruction. Computer modelling helped to check the pertinence of some of these ultimate systems of management of deformation. From the temple of Hathor at Dendara one can conclude that the competence of building has attained a high degree of complexity and of meaning as far as the production of an architectural form is concerned which had to obey to an ideal of perfection and inalterability. Beyond the secular world, the formal conceptualisation of the divine universe also became an intellectual challenge with various referential levels. The architectural composition went along with an active research of technical solutions in order to optimise the art of building.


It has been widely accepted that distrust is qualitatively different from trust. Yet scholarly knowledge about the antecedents of distrust is scarce, while the antecedents of trust have received extensive attention. Furthermore, little empirical research has explored how website factors impact on the formation of distrust in a user. Drawing upon the review of distrust literature and competence-motive perception, we propose a new theoretical framework to explain how website factors impact on perceptions of the attributes of a given website, which in turn form user distrust. In this research, distrust is triggered by website evaluations in two areas, namely malevolence and incompetence. These two attributes are determined by three website factors: lack of structural assurance, interface design, and lack of third-party recognition. The proposed research model of distrust formation in the online context is verified by an online survey with 283 valid responses. We offer theoretical and practical implications for our findings.


The Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in Europe witnesses the local replacement of Neanderthals by Anatomically Modern Humans. During this period several "transitional" technocomplexes are present that seem to combine behavioural characteristics from both the preceding Middle and following Upper Palaeolithic. These technocomplexes therefore play a critical role in our understanding of Neanderthal behavior, cognition and extinction, the dispersal of AMHs into Europe, and the interactions between Neanderthals and AMHs. Unfortunately, biological remains of the hominins responsible for the transitional technocomplexes are notoriously scarce. This dissertation proposes to utilize recent advances in mass spectrometry to identify additional hominin specimens through ZooMS screening and shotgun proteomics. Novel approaches towards de novo/error-tolerant proteomic analysis in Pleistocene contexts were developed and tested, allowing phylogenetic analysis of ancient protein sequences from now-extinct Mammalian species and hominin populations. ZooMS screening is shown to be highly successful for all included Châtelperronian sites. The discovery of additional hominin specimens at one archaeological site allowed demonstrating that ancient protein sequences can be used to differentiate between hominin populations, in this case indicating a Neanderthal affiliation. As a result, palaeoproteomics now allows studying the evolutionary relationships between hominin individuals based on ancient protein sequences.


Background Magnesium is believed to have a physiologic role in cardiac contractility, and evidence from epidemiologic and clinical studies has suggested that low serum concentrations of magnesium may be associated with increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). Objective As part of the planning effort for a large randomized trial to prevent AF with magnesium supplementation, we conducted a 12-week pilot study to assess adherence to oral magnesium supplementation and matching placebo, estimate the effect on circulating magnesium concentrations, and evaluate the feasibility of using an ambulatory monitoring device (ZioPatch) for assessing premature atrial contractions (PACs), a predictor of AF. Design Double-blind randomized pilot clinical trial comparing supplementation with 400 mg magnesium oxide daily (versus placebo) over 12 weeks of follow-up. The ZioPatch was applied for 14 days at baseline and the end of follow-up. Adherence to the assigned treatment, and changes in PACs, serum magnesium concentration, glucose and blood pressure were assessed. Results A total of 59 participants, 73% women and average age 62 years, were randomized. 98% of participants completed follow-up. Those assigned to the magnesium supplement took 75% of tablets as compared to 83% for those in the placebo group. Change in magnesium concentrations was significantly greater for those given magnesium supplement compared to placebo (0.07; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.03, 0.12 mEq/L; p = 0.002). ZioPatch was worn for an average of 13.0 of the requested 14 days at baseline; at the end of follow-up, the average number of days of monitoring was 13.0 days for the magnesium supplement group and 12.7 days for the placebo group. For log PAC burden (episodes per hour), the average change from baseline was −0.05 (95% CI: −0.31, 0.20) for those randomized to magnesium supplement and 0.04 (95% CI: −0.24, 0.31) for those randomized to placebo (p=0.79 for difference). Gastrointestinal problems were reported by 50% of participants in the magnesium supplement group and 7% in the placebo group. Only one person in the magnesium supplement group and none in the placebo group experienced adverse events which led to treatment discontinuation. Conclusions In this pilot randomized clinic trial, although gastrointestinal side effects to the magnesium supplement were common, adherence, measured by pill counts, was very good and, as a consequence, magnesium concentrations were greater for those randomly assigned to the magnesium supplement compared to placebo. Participant acceptance of the planned monitoring with ZioPatch was also very good. While the difference in the change in PACs was not significant, this pilot study was small, short-term, and did not include participants at high risk of AF. Thus, we could not reliably evaluate the effect of magnesium supplementation on PACs. Clinicaltrials.gov registration NCT02837328


We report experimental evidence of a new instability in electrostatic sensors, dubbed quasistatic pull-in, in two types of micro-sensors operating in ambient air. We find that the underlying mechanism and features of this instability are distinct from those characterizing hitherto known static and dynamic pull-in instabilities. Specifically, the mechanism instigating quasi-static pullin is a global Shilnikov homoclinic bifurcation where a slow-varying waveform drives the sensor periodically through a saddle-node bifurcation. Based on these findings, we propose a new taxonomy of pull-in instabilities in electrostatic sensors. Experimental evidence of nonlinear chaotic behaviors were observed in an electrostatic MEMS sensor. Period doubling bifurcation (P-2), period three (P-3), and period six (P-6) were observed. A new class of intermittency subsequent to homoclinic bifurcation in addition to the traditional intermittencies of type-I and type-II were demonstrated. Quasiperiodicity and homoclinic tangles leading to chaos were also reported. All of these nonlinear phenomena instigate either banded chaos or full chaos and both are observed in this work. Based on our knowledge, this is the first observation such chaotic behaviors in electrostatic MEMS sensors. All of the experimental observations have been measured optically via a laser Doppler-vibrometer (LDV) in ambient pressure. Also, a new class of intermittencies was found in the oscillations of an electrostatic sensor. These intermittencies involve a dynamic system spending irregular time intervals in the vicinity of the ghost of an orbit before undergoing bursts that are arrested by landing on a larger attractor. Re-injection into the vicinity of the ghost orbit is noise induced. As a control parameter is increased, switching intermittency of type-I leads to a stable periodic orbit, whereas switching intermittency of type-II leads to a chaotic attractor. These significant findings in nonlinear dynamic were used to develop novel MEMS sensors. iv An electrostatic MEMS gas sensor is demonstrated. It employs a dynamic-bifurcation detection technique. In contrast to traditional gas or chemical sensors that measure (quantify) the concentration of an analyte in analog mode, this class of sensors does not seek to quantify the concentration. Rather, it detects the analyte's concentration in binary mode, reporting ON-state (1) for concentrations above a preset threshold and OFF-state (0) for concentrations below the threshold. The sensing mechanism exploits the qualitative difference between the sensor state before and after the dynamic pull-in bifurcation. Experimental demonstration was carried out using a laser-Doppler vibrometer to measure the sensor response before and after detection. The sensor was able to detect ethanol vapor concentrations as 100 ppb in dry nitrogen. A closed-form expression for the sensitivity of dynamic bifurcation sensors was derived. It captured the dependence of sensitivity on the sensor dimensions, material properties, and electrostatic field. An analog dynamic bifurcation mass sensor is developed to demonstrate a sensing mechanism that exploits a quantitative change in the sensor state before and after depositing added mass. A polymeric material was deposited on the top surface of the sensor plate to represent added mass. A variation in the frequency and current amplitude were utilized to demarcate the added mass optically and electrically. A chemical sensor was also developed to detect mercury in deionized-water in a fashion of analog detection. A polymeric sensing material that has high selectivity to mercury was utilized to captured mercury molecules in water. The sensor was submerged completely in water with a pre-defined flow-rate. The sensor was excited electrostatically. A variation in the frequency response due to added mass was measured electrically using a lock-in amplifier. A frequencyshift was observed while releasing the mercury to the water.


Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) binding proteins (GAGBPs), including growth factors, cytokines, morphogens, and extracellular matrix proteins, interact with both free GAGs and those covalently linked to proteoglycans. Such interactions modulate a variety of cellular and extracellular events, such as cell growth, metastasis, morphogenesis, neural development, and inflammation. GAGBPs are structurally and evolutionarily unrelated proteins that typically recognize internal sequences of sulfated GAGs. GAGBPs are distinct from the other major group of glycan binding proteins, lectins. The multifunctional human galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a β-galactoside binding lectin that preferentially binds to N-acetyllactosamine moieties on glycoconjugates. Here, we demonstrate through microcalorimetric and spectroscopic data that Gal-3 possesses the characteristics of a GAGBP. Gal-3 interacts with unmodified heparin, chondroitin sulfate-A (CSA), -B (CSB), and -C (CSC) as well as chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs). While heparin, CSA, and CSC bind with micromolar affinity, the affinity of CSPGs is nanomolar. Significantly, CSA, CSC, and a bovine CSPG were engaged in multivalent binding with Gal-3 and formed noncovalent cross-linked complexes with the lectin. Binding of sulfated GAGs was completely abolished when Gal-3 was preincubated with β-lactose. Cross-linking of Gal-3 by CSA, CSC, and the bovine CSPG was reversed by β-lactose. Both observations strongly suggest that GAGs primarily occupy the lactose/LacNAc binding site of Gal-3. Hill plot analysis of calorimetric data reveals that the binding of CSA, CSC, and a bovine CSPG to Gal-3 is associated with progressive negative cooperativity effects. Identification of Gal-3 as a GAGBP should help to reveal new functions of Gal-3 mediated by GAGs and proteoglycans.


A sample of Co3O4 mesoporous nanorods (Co3O4-MNR) with a considerable number of Co2+ vacancy defects was prepared by a facile method. Co3O4-MNR exhibits highly effective photothermocatalytic activity and excellent durability for the gas-phase oxidation of benzene (a recalcitrant poisonous air pollutant) under UV-visible-infrared illumination from a Xe lamp. It is discovered for the first time that the presence of Co2+ vacancies in Co3O4-MNR massively enhances the photothermocatalytic activity of Co3O4. Compared to a commercial Co3O4 sample (Aladdin) with a smaller number of Co2+ vacancies and TiO2 (P25), the CO2 production rate of Co3O4-MNR is massively increased by 165 and 309 times, respectively. Co3O4-MNR exhibits efficient photothermocatalytic activity for benzene oxidation even under the visible-infrared illumination of λ > 690 nm. The catalytic oxidation of benzene on Co3O4-MNR under the illumination of the Xe lamp follows a mechanism of solar-light-driven thermocatalysis. The experimental evidence of CO-TPR as well as theoretical evidence of density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the presence of Co2+ vacancies in Co3O4-MNR significantly increases the activity of the lattice oxygen in Co3O4, thus massively promoting the thermocatalytic activity of Co3O4. Interestingly, a novel photoactivation on Co3O4, quite different from the conventional photocatalysis of semiconductor photocatalysts such as TiO2, is discovered to considerably increase the solar-light-driven thermocatalytic activity of Co3O4-MNR. By combining the experimental evidence of isotope labeling, CO-TPR, and FTIR with the DFT calculations, we obtain a deep insight into the novel photoactivation: the illumination from the Xe lamp enhances the activity of the lattice oxygen in Co3O4-MNR, thus considerably promoting the solar-light-driven thermocatalytic activity of Co3O4-MNR.


It is a cultural revolution against the notion that faster is always better. The Slow philosophy is not about doing everything at a snail's pace. It's about seeking to do everything at the right speed. Savoring the hours and minutes rather than just counting them. Doing everything as well as possible, instead of as fast as possible. It's about quality over quantity in everything from work to food to parenting.


Extracted from text ... Editorial
Every creature on earth,
whether man, beast or
insect, is constantly
looking for a space in the
sun. A new medical professional
creature has
evolved form the general
practitioner, the doctor all
medical students previously
became if they
opted not to specialise.
The Health Professions
Council of South Africa
(HPCSA) late in 2003
approved a new speciality,
namely "Family Medicine", and the practitioner will
be called a "family physician". This move was received
very positively 1, but what does the decision actually
mean and what will this new specialist be doing different
from the present general practitioner or medical ..


Book synopsis: New Materialisms brings into focus and explains the significance of the innovative materialist critiques that are emerging across the social sciences and humanities. By gathering essays that exemplify the new thinking about matter and processes of materialization, this important collection shows how scholars are reworking older materialist traditions, contemporary theoretical debates, and advances in scientific knowledge to address pressing ethical and political challenges. In the introduction, Diana Coole and Samantha Frost highlight common themes among the distinctive critical projects that comprise the new materialisms. The continuities they discern include a posthumanist conception of matter as lively or exhibiting agency, and a reengagement with both the material realities of everyday life and broader geopolitical and socioeconomic structures.
Coole and Frost argue that contemporary economic, environmental, geopolitical, and technological developments demand new accounts of nature, agency, and social and political relationships; modes of inquiry that privilege consciousness and subjectivity are not adequate to the task. New materialist philosophies are needed to do justice to the complexities of twenty-first-century biopolitics and political economy, because they raise fundamental questions about the place of embodied humans in a material world and the ways that we produce, reproduce, and consume our material environment.