Metabolism of Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) requires nitrogen from organic matter to produce glomalin on hyphae. Glomalin able to granulate the soil particles are dispersed to form a stable soil aggregates to create good soil structure. Improvement of soil structure will provide optimal conditions for the development of organisms and plant roots. AMF and the use of organic matter as a source of N for the AMF has done research on Sitiung Ultisol. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of AMF and organic material to the glomalin production, as well as its relationship with the soil physical properties. This research was conducted at the greenhouse of Faculty Agriculture Andalas University Padang. West Sumatra Indonesia. Soil samples of soil physical properties observed in the area of mycorrhiza hyphae found (mycorhizalsphere) which is influenced by differences glomalin generated by the AMF. The results of the reserach showed that treatment of AMF and Nitrogen organic ingredients affect significantly on the glomalin, whereas the effect of treatment it gives a different effect on soil physical properties. Organic materials do not affect significantly on the availability of soil water content, but very significant effect on water content at 2.54 pF. AMF species that produce a higher glomalin can be significant in improving soil physical properties, ie versiforme G. and G. luteum although without the use of organic materials or organic. Both these species give a positive response to the growth of maize by mycorrhizalsphere (MGR = mycorrhizal growth response) and nutrient uptake of maize.


Between 1971 and 1973, Bülent Ecevit, an exceptional Third World leader who espoused a social democratic creed, struggled against the military rule by peaceful means. His main supporters in intellectual and ideological terms were a group of professors and politicians known as the Mülkiye Junta. The members of the group were scholars from the Ankara University Faculty of Political Science (previously known as the Mülkiye) and advisors to Ecevit. They supported parliamentary politics, criticized the role of the military in political life and recommended a new direction for the Republican People's Party (RPP). In May 1972, they took over the party administration under the party chairmanship of Bülent Ecevit. After this, the RPP won the highest votes in the 1973 elections. The Mülkiye Junta had central role in the leadership and ideological change in the RPP. This article examines the political thinking of this group and their struggles within the RPP.


The United States is currently involved in negotiation of the Hague Convention on Exclusive Choice of Court Agreements, which would regulate the enforceability of forum-selection clauses in international contracts. That project - as well as the recent focus in globalization literature on more active judicial management of forum selection - draws attention to one unusual aspect of U.S. jurisdictional law: that dismissal on the basis of forum non conveniens is available even in cases arising out of contracts including negotiated forum selection clauses. This article examines the resulting tension between the right of contract parties to select a forum in advance of litigation and the right of judges to correct inappropriate forum selection. It argues that the availability of forum non conveniens in contract cases permits judges to overemphasize the appropriateness of a selected forum, diminishing the certainty and predictability necessary in international contracting. The article concludes that adopting the Convention - which would significantly curtail courts' ability to dismiss contract cases for reasons of convenience - would rationalize U.S. practice in this area.


Novel near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/graphene oxide (PNIPAM-GO) nanocomposite hydrogels with ultrahigh tensibility are prepared by incorporating sparse chemical cross-linking of small molecules with physical cross-linking of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets. Combination of the GO nanosheets and thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) polymeric networks provides the hydrogels with an excellent NIR light-responsive property. The ultrahigh tensibility of PNIPAM-GO nanocomposite hydrogels is achieved by simply using a very low concentration of N,N'-methylenebis(acrylamide) (BIS) molecules as chemical cross-linkers to generate a relatively homogeneous structure with flexible long polymer chains and rare chemically cross-linked dense clusters. Moreover, the oxidized groups of GO nanosheets enable the formation of a hydrogen bond interaction with the amide groups of PNIPAM chains, which could physically cross-link the PNIPAM chains to increase the toughness of the hydrogel networks. The prepared PNIPAM-GO nanocomposite hydrogels with ultrahigh tensibility exhibit rapid, reversible, and repeatable NIR light-responsive properties, which are highly promising for fabricating remote light-controlled devices, smart actuators, artificial muscles, and so on.


Virtualization was born more than 30 years ago by IBM in an attempt to logically partition mainframe computers into separate virtual machines. As expected, despite the benefits virtualization was offering, a performance penalty needed to be paid because of the additional intermediate layers between the hardware and the application. With the passing of the years and the personal computer (PC) systems entering the scenery, along with the recent technology advances, we reach a point where virtualization for PC becomes a real scenario. Many researchers say that the performance penalty of virtualization is not that relevant compared to the benefits obtained. One of the major benefits virtualization has to offer is division of the physical machine into different domains, in a way that isolation is achieved between the different domains. Moreover, while the processor architecture moves from single core to multi-core design and the number of available cores inside the processor keep increasing, it raises the opportunity of executing parallel applications with larger degree of parallelism (High Performance Computing HPC) as well as executing more applications on the same machine at the same time. A combination of the above, offers the chance of executing an HPC application inside one of the many different domains that virtualization has created on a multi core machine. The objective of this work is to evaluate the use of virtualization for the execution of HPC applications. Our work uses virtualization to achieve higher utilization and performance isolation for multi core processors. Based on existing virtualization tools, as a first step, we are proposing the use of Virtual Machines (VM) to measure the performance penalty suffered by different types of applications when executing on top of a VM on both single and multi core systems. As a second step, VMs are used to study the scalability of HPC applications on a virtual environment. The experiments include execution of applications from the PARSEC and DaCapo benchmark on top of VirtualBox, on two different systems: a 32-bit system with one single core processor and a 64-bit system with two quad-core processors. The results observed show that the different characteristics of each application have a considerable impact on the penalty suffered by the execution on Virtual Box. The penalty ranges from 10% up to 40%. Scalability for HPC applications seems to be very promising inside the VM and at the same time the different domains appear to offer performance isolation which means higher system utilization. All the results lead us to conclude that it is possible to combine HPC and virtualization having a variety of overheads depending from the type of the application. Maria Charalambous – University of Cyprus, 2010 APPLICATION PERFORMANCE OVERHEAD AND SCALABILITY FOR EXECUTION ON VIRTUAL MACHINES OVER MULTICORE PROCESSORS Maria Andrea Charalambous A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science at the University of Cyprus Recommended for Acceptance by the Department of Computer Science June, 2010


Geometrical optic techniques are used to analyze and compare the symmetrical spherical mirror to the unsymmetrical spherical-mirror Czerny–Turner spectrometer. The aberration problems due to diffraction from the grating are analyzed and methods of partial correction of the aberrations are derived. The flux and resolution advantage of gratings with high blaze angles used in the unsymmetrical spherical-mirror Czerny–Turner is shown. A design and ray tracing routine employing a digital computer is utilized to illustrate the geometric effects of the diffraction grating and the partial corrective measures. Slit curvature is analyzed numerically and some general results are abstracted from the numerical data. It may be inferred from the results of theory and numerical calculations that the unsymmetrical Czerny–Turner spectrometer using two spherical mirrors can be made superior to a similar symmetrical Czerny–Turner spectrometer. A comparison of luminosity is made between the Czerny–Turner spectrometer, utilizing a high blaze grating, and various interf erometric and modulating spectrometers and it is shown that the luminosity of the Czerny–Turner spectrometer is comparable or superior.


In this paper I propose a future direction for comparative philosophy on which it enters the space of public philosophy by capitalizing on the fact that it is already cross-cultural, and adding multi-disciplinary research to its proper foundation. This is not a new thesis. Rather, it is an ideological articulation of thought that is already underway in what is sometimes called fusion philosophy, as found in the work of Evan Thompson, Jay Garfield, or Christian Coseru. My articulation begins with a non-exhaustive delineation of distinct types of public-philosophy that are already well known in the public space. One core distinction I draw concerns how the very notion of 'public philosophy' can be understood. I distinguish between the philosophy-to-public direction of fit, on which philosophers enter the public space for some public benefit, and the public-to-philosophy direction of fit, on which the public plays a constructive role in guiding philosophers in some important epistemic manner. Because my position engages the issue of whether "philosophy" can truly be found outside of the west, I offer an account of the relation between science, religion, and philosophy with respect to inquiry into the human condition. In doing so I offer an argument against the view that philosophy can only be found in the west based on the difference between a term in a language and what the term picks out. I close with a discussion of how analytic philosophy, comparative philosophy, and experimental philosophy can come together to form one kind of bidirectional public philosophy.


Stream bank erosion can damage riparian systems and impact the use of water downstream. Risks of bank erosion increase during extreme flood events, and frequencies of extreme events may be increasing under a changing climate. We assessed bank erosion within the South Fork Iowa River (SFIR) watershed caused by 2008 flooding, which set flood stage records in many eastern Iowa streams. Bank positions before and after 2008 were digitized using rectified aerial infrared imagery and overlaid. Differences in stream bank lines were mapped as polygons; those <4 m (13 ft) wide were deleted to eliminate polygons possibly formed by digitizing error. A high-resolution (2 m [6.6 ft] grid) elevation model was used to map elevation changes associated with both erosional and depositional polygons. We estimated that along three streams (SFIR, Tipton Creek, and Beaver Creek) with watershed areas of 20,000 to 36,500 ha (49,000 to 90,150 ac), the 2008 floods widened the channels by 0.5 to 1.1 m (1.6 to 3.6 ft), and about 8.5 ha (21 ac) of land was lost to become part of these channels. The volume and mass losses associated with this movement totaled 117,000 m3 (153,000 yd3), which comprised on average 1.1 Mg m−1 (1 Mg m−1 = 1.01 tn yd−1) of stream length. Below the Tipton Creek confluence, the middle SFIR (58,500 ha [144,500 ac]) was widened by more than 4.4 m (14.4 ft), with about 8.1 Mg (8.9 tn) of sediment lost per meter of stream. The 2008 floods substantially altered these channels, but using images from helicopter flights from late 2008 and 2009, we found evidence that where riparian buffers were kept in ungrazed, grassy vegetation, there was less bank erosion than where grazed pastures lined these channels. Riparian management systems may reduce stream bank erosion even under extreme flooding.


The main processes underlying the generation and maintenance of biodiversity include both local factors such as competition and abiotic filtering and regional forces such as paleoclimate, speciation and dispersal. While the effects of regional and local drivers on species diversity are increasingly studied, their relative importance for other aspects of diversity, notably phylogenetic and functional diversity is so far little studied. Here, we link data from large Chinese forest plots to data on current and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) climate as well as local disturbance regimes to study their relative roles in determining woody plant phylogenetic and functional diversity in this important hotspot for woody plant diversity. Local disturbance was the best predictor of functional diversity as represented by maximum canopy height ( H max ), probably reflecting the dominant role of competition for light in determining the forest H max structure. In contrast, the LGM–present anomaly in temperature was the factor with the strongest explanatory power for phylogenetic diversity, with modern climate also important. Hence, local contemporary and regional historical factors have highly contrasting importance for the geographic patterns of the functional (as represented by variation in maximum canopy height) and phylogenetic aspects of Chinese forest's woody plant diversity. Importantly, contemporary factors are of overriding importance for functional diversity, while paleoclimate has left a strong signature in the phylogenetic diversity patterns.


This paper presents efficient implementation of RLS-based adaptive filters with a large number of taps on nVIDIA GeForce graphics processing unit (GPU) and CUDA software development environment. Modification of the order and the combination of calculations reduces the number of accesses to slow off-chip memory. Assigning tasks into multiple threads also takes memory access order into account. Multiple shader processor arrays are used to handle a large matrix. For a 8192-tap case, a GPU program is almost 30-times faster than a CPU program. Real-time processing is possible for an 8kHz-sampling and 512-tap case by using 32 shader processors, which is only 25% of GeForce 8800GTS.


[1] Production of carbon dioxide (CO2) in soils can lead to supersaturation of dissolved free CO2 (pCO2) in groundwater, which later evades to the atmosphere as groundwater enters streams and rivers. This process could be a significant pathway for return of terrestrially fixed C to the atmosphere. We measured pCO2 monthly over two years at multiple stations along three streams from their headwaters in remnant mature forests through multiple land covers in Para, Brazil. The pCO2 averaged 19,000 μatm in headwaters and decreased to about 4,500 μatm downstream. Similar values were measured in headwaters of two small pristine mature forest catchments. Two approaches were used to estimate groundwater pCO2 evasion: assuming that headwater pCO2 measurements reflected incoming groundwater pCO2 or that all entering stream water was in equilibrium with previously measured deep soil CO2. With these assumptions, losses from the terrestrial environment through aquatic evasion of pCO2 would be 0.02–0.15 Mg C ha−1 of land area yr−1, which is about 2–3 orders of magnitude lower than annual estimates of soil respiration and net primary productivity. However, downstream pCO2 values that appear to be in quasi-steady state indicate contributions from other C sources, such as aquatic primary production, soil erosion, dissolved organic matter, or litter inputs from streamside vegetation. Hence, lateral pCO2 loss from groundwater to streams is minor for most of the terrestrial ecosystems of this region, although C loss to streams could be significant for net terrestrial budgets in riparian ecosystems or areas experiencing erosion.


The problem of fast items retrieval from a fixed collection is often encountered in most computer science areas, from operating system components to databases and user interfaces. We present an approach based on hash tables that focuses on both minimizing the number of comparisons performed during the search and minimizing the total collection size. The standard open-addressing double-hashing approach is improved with a non-linear transformation that can be parametrized in order to ensure a uniform distribution of the data in the hash table. The optimal parameter is determined using a genetic algorithm. The paper results show that near-perfect hashing is faster than binary search, yet uses less memory than perfect hashing, being a good choice for memory-constrained applications where search time is also critical.


Objective—Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a connective tissue disorder caused by mutations in the fibrillin-1 gene. Patients with MFS are at risk of aortic aneurysm formation and dissection. Usually, blood pressure–lowering drugs are used to reduce aortic events; however, this is not sufficient for most patients. In the aorta of smooth muscle cell–specific sirtuin-1–deficient mice, spontaneous aneurysm formation and senescence are observed. Resveratrol is known to enhance sirtuin-1 activity and to reduce senescence, which prompted us to investigate the effectiveness of resveratrol in inhibition of aortic dilatation in the Fbn1C1039G/+ MFS mouse model. Approach and Results—Aortic senescence strongly correlates with aortic root dilatation rate in MFS mice. However, although resveratrol inhibits aortic dilatation, it only shows a trend toward reduced aortic senescence. Resveratrol enhances nuclear localization of sirtuin-1 in the vessel wall and, in contrast to losartan, does not affect leukocyte infiltration nor activation of SMAD2 and extracellular signal–regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2). Interestingly, specific sirtuin-1 activation (SRT1720) or inhibition (sirtinol) in MFS mice does not affect aortic root dilatation rate, although senescence is changed. Resveratrol reduces aortic elastin breaks and decreases micro-RNA-29b expression coinciding with enhanced antiapoptotic Bcl-2 expression and decreased number of terminal apoptotic cells. In cultured smooth muscle cells, the resveratrol effect on micro-RNA-29b downregulation is endothelial cell and nuclear factor &kgr;B-dependent. Conclusions—Resveratrol inhibits aortic root dilatation in MFS mice by promoting elastin integrity and smooth muscle cell survival, involving downregulation of the aneurysm-related micro-RNA-29b in the aorta. On the basis of these data, resveratrol holds promise as a novel intervention strategy for patients with MFS.


Stock exchange and interest rate are two crucial factor of economic growth of a country. The impacts of interest rate on stock exchange provide important implications for monitory policy, risk management practices, financial securities valuation and government policy towards financial markets. This study seeks evidence supporting the existence of market efficiency on the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) based on the daily general price index 1994 to 2005 and also shows empirical relationship between stock index and interest rate in Bangladesh based on monthly data from May 1992 to June 2004. Stationary of market return is tested and found DSE Index does not follow random walk model indicate DSE is not efficient in week form. The linear relationship between share price and interest rate, share price and growth of interest rate, growth of share price and interest rate, and growth of share price and growth of interest rate were determined through ordinary least-square (OLS) regression. For all of the cases, included and excluded outlier, it is found that Interest Rate has significant negative relationship with Share Price and Growth of Interest Rate also has significant negative relationship with Growth of Share Price. So if the interest rate is considerably controlled in Bangladesh than it will be the great benefit of Dhaka Stock Exchange through demand pull way of more investor in share market and supply pull way of more extensional investment of companies.


This article examines a mentoring initiative that embedded advanced students in first-year composition courses to mentor students to excel to the best of their abilities. Mentors attended all classes along with students and conducted many out-of-class individual conferences, documenting each of them using program-implemented work logs. Four hundred four first-year students provided end-of-term anonymous feedback on standardized forms, which were transcribed, digitized, and tabulated for analysis. Analysis showed that the mentoring was effective in providing the four constructs key to mentoring as identified by Nora and Crisp (2008): psychological/emotional support; support for setting goals and choosing a career path; academic subject knowledge support aimed at advancing a student's knowledge relevant to his or her chosen field; specification of a role model. Analysis also revealed a key construct not mentioned by Nora and Crisp: the mentee's predisposition. Recommendations for implementing embedded mentoring for first-year students in other contexts follow the Discussion.


Recent studies have indicated that Huff-n-Puff (HNP) gas injection has the potential to recover an additional 30-70% oil from multi-fractured horizontal wells in shale reservoirs. Nonetheless, this technique is very sensitive to production constraints and is impacted by uncertainty related to measurement quality (particularly frequency and resolution), and lack of constraining data. In this paper, a Bayesian workflow is provided to optimize the HNP process under uncertainty using a Duvernay shale well as an example.
 Compositional simulations are conducted which incorporate a tuned PVT model and a set of measured cyclic injection/compaction pressure-sensitive permeability data. Markov chain Monte Carlo (McMC) is used to estimate the posterior distributions of the model uncertain variables by matching the primary production data. The McMC process is accelerated by employing an accurate proxy model (kriging) which is updated using a highly adaptive sampling algorithm. Gaussian Processes are then used to optimize the HNP control variables by maximizing the lower confidence interval (μ-σ) of cumulative oil production (after 10 years) across a fixed ensemble of uncertain variables sampled from posterior distributions.
 The uncertain variable space includes several parameters representing reservoir and fracture properties. The posterior distributions for some parameters, such as primary fracture permeability and effective half-length, are narrower, while wider distributions are obtained for other parameters. The results indicate that the impact of uncertain variables on HNP performance is nonlinear. Some uncertain variables (such as molecular diffusion) that do not show strong sensitivity during the primary production strongly impact gas injection HNP performance. The results of optimization under uncertainty confirm that the lower confidence interval of cumulative oil production can be maximized by an injection time of around 1.5 months, a production time of around 2.5 months, and very short soaking times. In addition, a maximum injection rate and a flowing bottomhole pressure around the bubble point are required to ensure maximum incremental recovery. Analysis of the objective function surface highlights some other sets of production constraints with competitive results. Finally, the optimal set of production constraints, in combination with an ensemble of uncertain variables, results in a median HNP cumulative oil production that is 30% greater than that for primary production.
 The application of a Bayesian framework for optimizing the HNP performance in a real shale reservoir is introduced for the first time. This work provides practical guidelines for the efficient application of advanced machine learning techniques for optimization under uncertainty, resulting in better decision making.


Much is known about high school students' attitudes towards science but there is almost no research on what passion for science might look like and how it might be manifested. This exploratory case study took advantage of a unique group of highly gifted science students participating in the Australian Science Olympiad (N = 69) to explore their attitudes towards school science and science as presented in the Olympiad summer camp. In particular the role the summer camp might play in igniting the students' passion for science was a focus of the research. Data were collected through a two-tiered survey of students' attitudes towards school science, an evaluative survey of the Olympiad summer camp and in-depth interviews with six participants. Findings indicated that Olympiad students generally had positive attitudes towards school science with most selecting science as one of their favourite subjects. However, an underlying ambivalence about school science was noted in the data. In contrast, the Olympiad summer camp transformed students' positive attitudes into passion for science. Seven themes emerged from the data providing a foundation for a model of what academic passion for science looks like.


Social media in social work practice
The social work profession is underpinned by a value base which is philosophically rooted in social justice, reducing inequalities, empowerment, advocacy and enablement, promoting choice and personal development. The values of social work which rest on respect, dignity and strengthening individuals, families and communities are challenging to adhere to in a political and economic climate which sees social workers publicly blamed and castigated when errors are made, and yet still we try to uphold them and work towards the greater good. As this book illustrates social media technologies have opened up participatory ways of working, and facilitating ways of communicating our work and practice to wider public and global audiences.
Social media provides a virtual environment where knowledge about the social work profession and practice is shared. The virtual environment has come to offer a space for social interaction which potentially extends our relationality, how we relate to and with others. The virtual environments we create on social media offers service users, carers and professionals' spaces for engagement, relationship building, therapeutic or other formal interventions. Amidst this digitally mediated social environment, we are exposed to and interact with pain, distress and trauma, and simultaneously the minutiae and tedium of everyday life, this book discusses how and when we align our professional values in this environment.


Uncertainties in nuclear models have a major impact on simulations that aim at understanding the origin of heavy elements in the universe through the rapid neutron capture process ($r$ process) of nucleosynthesis. Within the framework of the nuclear density functional theory, we use results of Bayesian statistical analysis to propagate uncertainties in the parameters of energy density functionals to the predicted $r$-process abundance pattern, by way not only of the nuclear masses but also through the influence of the masses on $\beta$-decay and neutron capture rates. We additionally make the first identifications of specific parameters of Skyrme-like energy density functionals which are correlated with particular aspects of the $r$-process abundance pattern. While previous studies have explored the reduction in the abundance pattern uncertainties due to anticipated new measurements of neutron-rich nuclei, here we point out that an even larger reduction will occur when these new measurements are used to reduce the uncertainty of model predictions of masses, which are then propagated through to the abundance pattern. We make a quantitative prediction for how large this reduction will be.


Travel writing has engendered new interdisciplinary enquiry encompassing numerous disciplines. Amongst many sources, travel writing by European travellers served a role in forming the Pacific Island historiography. Scholars operating in the postcolonial and post-structural paradigms attempt to bring imperial historiography under scrutiny. Travel writing seems to fall into their purview. This paper adds to the emergent initiative by bringing the analyses of the Japanese travel-writers' accounts. Analysing the Japanese travel-writers 19 accounts be no less significant than the Europeans 19. Japan 19s defeat in 1945 resulted in the changes of its status in the Pacific. For the younger generations, writing about foreign travel enabled the expression and exploration of new identities. My analysis unravels the nature of the travel by those writers, their observations of the Pacific Island societies and cultures, as well as their own national and personal identities. To explore these themes, the paper addresses how the travellers employed various methods of gazing at the Pacific. The paper creates a historical account of the changes and continuity of those strategies of gazing. To this end I analyse the writings by several travel-writing by Kita Mario, Iida Y.


Abstract Ecological ordination can reveal gradients in the species composition of fossil assemblages that can be correlated with paleoenvironmental gradients. Ordinations of simulated data sets suggest that nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) generally produces less distorted results than detrended correspondence analysis (DCA). We ordinated 113 brachiopod-dominated samples from the Frasnian (Late Devonian) Brallier, Scherr, and lower Foreknobs Formations of southwest Virginia, which represent a range of siliciclastic marine paleoenvironments. A clear environmental signal in the ordination results was obscured by (apparently) opportunistic species that occurred at high abundance in multiple environments; samples dominated by these species aggregated in ordination space regardless of paleoenvironmental provenance. After the opportunist-dominated samples were removed, NMDS revealed a gradient in species composition that was highly correlated with substrate (grain size); a second, orthogonal gradient likely reflects variation in disturbance intensity or frequency within grain-size regimes. Additional environmental or ecological factors, such as oxygenation, may also be related to the gradients. These two gradients, plus the environmental factors that controlled the occurrence of opportunistic species, explain much of the variation in assemblage composition in the fauna. In general, the composition of fossil assemblages is probably influenced by multiple paleoecological and paleoenvironmental factors, but many of these can be decomposed and analyzed.


The drop in water level in the Minab aquifer, Hormozgan, Iran has caused its level to be lower than the sea level, and virtually the advent of salt water into the aquifer. Meanwhile, subcidence of the earth level is observed within the Minab Plain. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate and present solutions for improving aquifer status. In this study, a suitable location for artificial recharge and a suitable method for Minab aquifer was investigated based on the information of groundwater level data, pumping test, geological map, water resources data, as well as field observations. For this purpose, first information layers of seven parameters (including thickness of alluvium, transmissivity of the aquifer, the depth of groundwater levels, topography, distance from the river, lithology of the earth and the density of underground water resources) were created in GIS software. Then, through AHP method, weight of each layer was determined with the help of engineering judgment and paired comparison method. Finally, the Minab aquifer was divided into three sections: good, moderate, and weak potential. Subsequently, a number of old gravel pit were identified in the Minab River proposed for artificial recharge purposes by studying the land use status and conducting various field studies, especially in high potential areas. In conclusion, only 6% of the aquifer area was found to be suitable for artificial recharging.


A compact, low-threshold, multipass optical parametric amplifier has been developed for the conversion of short-pulse (360-ps) 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser radiation into eye-safe 1572-nm radiation for laser ranging and radar applications. The amplifier had a threshold pump power of as low as 45 microJ, and at three to four times this threshold pump power the amplifier converted 30% of the input 1064-nm radiation into 1572-nm output radiation.


Members of the AFF (AF4/FMR2) family of putative transcription factors are involved in infant acute leukaemia and intellectual disability (ID), although very little is known about their transcriptional targets. For example, deletion of human lymphoid nuclear protein related to AF4/AFF member 3 (LAF4/AFF3) is known to cause severe neurodevelopmental defects, and silencing of the gene is also associated with ID at the folate-sensitive fragile site (FSFS) FRA2A; yet the normal function of this gene in the nervous system is unclear. The aim of this study was to further investigate the function of Laf4 in the brain by focusing on its role in the cortex. By manipulating expression levels in organotypic slices, we demonstrate here that Laf4 is required for normal cellular migration in the developing cortex and have subsequently identified Mdga2, an important structural protein in neurodevelopment, as a target of Laf4 transcriptional activity. Furthermore, we show that the migration deficit caused by loss of Laf4 can be partially rescued by Mdga2 over-expression, revealing an important functional relationship between these genes. Our study demonstrates the key transcriptional role of Laf4 during early brain development and reveals a novel function for the gene in the process of cortical cell migration relevant to the haploinsufficiency and silencing observed in human neurodevelopmental disorders.


Background/objectives: Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) as a marker of cartilage destruction. We aimed to compare the effect of a mixture of avocado-soybean unsaponifiables versus celecoxib on the serum level of COMP in patients with knee osteoarthritis.Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial and the patients with knee osteoarthritis were recruited from those who attended Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. The patients were divided randomly into two groups; Group 1 (n=30) received avocado+soybean mixture (300 mg daily) and group 2 (n=30) received celecoxib (200 mg/day) for 2 months. At the enrollment and then every month up to 2 months, the patients' venous blood samples were collected to measure serum COMP.Results: The total number of patients was 60 (male 38%, female 62%) with a mean age 56±7 years. Before treatment, the serum levels of COMP were 14.5±1.4 unit/liter (U/L) and 13.9±1.4 U/L in avocado+soybean mixture and celecoxib groups, respectively (P=0.052). After the first month the serum levels of COMP were 12.3±1.5 U/L and 12.8±1 U/L in avocado+soybean mixture and celecoxib groups, respectively (P


As in Judaism and Christianity, the sin of apostasy is strongly condemned as one of the gravest enormities (Ar. ahadu al-kabai'r). In common with them, Islam is clear that the eternal punishment of apostates is sure and certain in the hereafter. But unlike Judaism and Christianity today, Islam is known to go further and condemn them to death in the here and now. Strangely enough, with the exception of Saudia Arabia where Shari'ah is still in force, there is no evidence that apostates are still being executed in other Islamic countries. Yet, any attempt to cancel, abolish or re-interpret the apostasy law has remained virtually impossible. This doctrine is generally held to be an unquestionable axiom of faith as it rests entirely on the prophetic tradition.

Our research attempts to demonstrate from a historical/theological standpoint that the faith and message of early Islam as presented in the Qur'an stands in glaring contrast to this doctrine. The political events of the late Umayyad and early Abbasid periods seem to have provided the fertile soil for the invention of those traditions on which later jurists elaborated a complex set of the rules vis-a-vis the legal status of the apostates. These rules have largely remained to this day unchangeably the same.

Attention should be drawn to the fact that Qur'anic quotations throughout this research work are from the translations of A. Yusuf Al, M. Marmaduke Pickhtall, N.J. Dawood and A. J. Arberry. In some places we felt that some corrections were necessary, and we have been bold enough to make them. This research study has not been an easy task to undertake. The difficulty of this subject could only be matched by the difficulty of finding material literatures relative to it. However, the fruits of our efforts presented in this research work might at least serve as a starting point towards further researches into the origins and development of the punishment of apostasy in Islam.


As the power density requirement for new compulsator (CPA) designs increases, designers are driven to use more composites to reduce mass, spin the rotors faster to store more energy, and operate the machine at higher voltages to increase machine power output. In any particular compulsator design, the rotor windings are subjected to high strain levels as the rotor is spun and experiences radial growth. A critical component in the rotor winding design is the high voltage insulation. As the rotor is spun, the induced strains are applied to the insulation system on the coil conductors. This implies that over the operating life of a compulsator, the coil structure and the high voltage insulation must remain structurally intact, while undergoing repeated cyclic loading. This paper presents the design and testing of a compulsator rotor winding that has been recently fabricated at the Center for Electromechanics at The University of Texas at Austin. The paper focuses on the testing done both at room and elevated temperature to evaluate the winding structure and high voltage insulation system under both tensile and transverse strain conditions. Data presented suggests a factor of safety of at least five for strain to failure values and high voltage insulation good for at least twice line voltage after testing to strain failure.


Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background: State policies to optimize prescriber use of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) have proliferated in recent years. Prominent policies include comprehensive mandates for prescriber use of PDMP, laws allowing delegation of PDMP access to office staff, and interstate PDMP data sharing. Evidence is limited regarding the effects of these policies on adverse opioid-related hospital events. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the effects of 3 PDMP policies on adverse opioid-related hospital events among patients with prescription opioid use. Research Design: We examined 2011–2015 data from a large national commercial insurance database of privately insured and Medicare Advantage patients from 28 states with fully operating PDMPs by the end of 2010. We used a difference-in-differences framework to assess the probabilities of opioid-related hospital events and association with the implementation of PDMP policies. The analysis was conducted for adult patients with any prescription opioid use, a subsample of patients with long-term prescription opioid use, and stratified by older (65+) versus younger patients. Results: Comprehensive use mandates were associated with a relative reduction in the probability of opioid-related hospital events by 28% among patients with any opioid and 21% among patients with long-term opioid use. Such reduction was greater (in relative terms) among older patients despite the lower rate of these events among older than younger patients. Delegate laws and interstate data sharing were associated with limited change in the outcome. Conclusion: Comprehensive PDMP use mandates were associated with meaningful reductions in opioid-related hospital events among privately insured and Medicare Advantage adults with prescription opioid use.


Centaurea maculosa has invaded millions of hectares of disturbed and undisturbed semi-arid grasslands. Its success may be due to an ability to conserve nitrogen (N) or use N more efficiently than native species. It may also be able to acquire more N from early spring pulses than native vegetation. Growth response, N acquisition, allocation, resorption and use efficiency of C. maculosa was compared with Pseudoroegneria spicata, Pascopyrum smithii, and Rudbeckia hirta by growing plants in high and low N supplies, which mimic disturbed and undisturbed sites. Nitrogen acquired per unit of root mass was highest in R. hirta. Centaurea maculosa had the lowest C:N ratio. Resorption proficiency was lower in C. maculosa for Harvest 2 and 3, and similar among all species at Harvest 4. Centaurea maculosa had the highest mean residence time (MRT) and lowest N productivity. Centaurea maculosa had the highest nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) for plants receiving the high N supply whereas NUE was similar for all species receiving the low N supply. Centaurea maculosa's success in disturbed sites may be due to a high NUE, which can be attributed to a high MRT. Uptake and growth response of C. maculosa receiving an early spring, late spring or steady N treatment were determined in a glasshouse and a field study. Centaurea maculosa's response was compared with P. spicata, Festuca idahoensis and R. hirta in the glasshouse, and P. spicata, F. idahoensis and Balsamorhiza sagittata in the field. In the glasshouse, with plants receiving the steady N treatment produced the most biomass whereas plants receiving the late N treatment produced the least. Grasses receiving the early N treatment had the highest root mass ratio (RMR), whereas RMRs of C. maculosa were similar among N treatments. Forbs acquired more N than grasses. In the field, biomass was similar among N treatments. Plants took up more N from the early treatments than the late or steady treatments. Centaurea maculosa may be able to acquire more N from pulses than grasses in disturbed sites when plants are small, but as the grasses grow, C. maculosa may lose its advantage in acquiring N.


Irish construction reported strong growth towards the end of 2013, after years of industry recession. Following a property led economic collapse which started in 2007 construction output fell by circa eighty percent. Many construction companies went out of business; those remaining are strongly focused on their bottom line and increasing efficiency to ensure survival. Defects and rework, common in construction, are both wasteful and a cost that can be avoided, thus presenting an obvious target for improvement. A regional SME main contractor collaborated on a project to improve the efficiency of their current processes for the identification, management and elimination of defects and rework in their supply chain. An action research strategy was employed on several field projects, to investigate the problems faced by the company in this area and to develop an improvement plan. Action research involves a five stage problem solving cycle (1) problem diagnosing; (2) action planning; (3) action taking; (4) evaluation of results; (5) specification of learning. Action planning elements emerging from the cycle (at stage 2) are presented here. They are very wide ranging and include; process standardisation; sign off procedures; use of ICT as a collaborative platform; freeware information repository; cost modelling; benchmarks for improvement; planning workshops; root cause analysis of defects and subsequent development of learning materials. Preliminary results indicate a sophisticated understanding of the defects and rework process across the supply-chain, but a general lack of forum and opportunity to contribute to improvement. The results indicate a wide diversity of abilities and resources in SMEs, including human, capital and technological, meaning one size fits all solutions to efficiency improvements are difficult to attain. Prescriptions thus need to be both simple to implement and flexible. The results here offer detailed reflective insight into best practice in designing improvement plans of this nature


To the Editor: Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is endemic to India (1,2) and Central African Republic (3,4), although different strains circulate in the countries. In May 2011, a case of jaundice and fever in an expatriate Indian worker (a 33-year-old man) was reported to Institut Pasteur de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic. HEV RNA and IgM were detected in serum samples from the patient, and liver enzyme levels were raised (alanine aminotransferase 840 U/L, reference value 11–66 U/L). Symptoms lasted for ≈10 days and resolved without specific treatment. The patient was working and living at a construction site in Central African Republic with 51 other men (22–62 years of age) from India.

We investigated this case to determine whether it was linked to an outbreak and whether disease-control measures were needed. The protocol for surveillance and investigation was approved by the national ethical and scientific committee in Central African Republic.

Background information and blood and stool samples were obtained from the patient's coworkers. The Bioelisa HEV IgM 3.0 kit (Biokit, Barcelona, Spain), which has sensitivity >98%, was used to test serum samples for HEV IgM; real-time reverse transcription PCR (rRT-PCR) was used to test serum and stool samples for viral RNA (5). Test results provided evidence of early HEV infection. Liver enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase) were measured in serum by using an ABX Pentra 400 benchtop analyzer (Horiba Medical, Montpellier, France).

For genetic analysis of HEV strains from viremic study participants, we performed nested RT-PCR on serum and stool samples to amplify a 348-bp portion of the open reading frame 2 region (6). We directly sequenced the purified amplicons and compared the resulting sequences with HEV sequences in GenBank (7) and those from autochthonous HEV cases from 2008–2011. ClustalW2 (www.ebi.ac.uk/Tools/msa/clustalw2/) was used to align sequences. MEGA5 (8) was used to construct a phylogenetic tree (300-nt sequences) by the neighbor-joining method. The genotypes and subtypes were identified as described (7).

The 52 men arrived in Central African Republic in several groups during July 2010–June 2011. During May–July 2011, a total of 40 (77%) men had a febrile illness; 9 illnesses were accompanied by digestive signs or symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting (Technical Appendix Table). Only the patient whose case was reported was jaundice. Early HEV infection was biologically confirmed for 11 (21%) men, including the -patient whose case was reported; 8 of the 11 men had IgM only, 1 was HEV positive according to rRT-PCR and IgM negative, and 2 were HEV positive according to rRT-PCR and IgM positive. The 2 other men with viremia were asymptomatic, but liver enzyme levels were elevated in 1 of them.

Illnesses in infected and noninfected men did not differ, and, except for the notified case, we cannot say with certainty that the illnesses were caused by HEV. We found IgG against HEV in 14 (34%) uninfected men, which is close to the prevalence for the general population in India (2).

HEV subtype 1a isolates from the notified case-patient (serum-derived isolate) and a co-worker (stool-derived isolate) were sequenced (GenBank accession nos. {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"JN863908","term_id":"402510061","term_text":"JN863908"}}JN863908 and {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"JQ074213","term_id":"402510067","term_text":"JQ074213"}}JQ074213, respectively) and found to be 100% similar and to share 97%– 99% similarity with other HEV strains in India and Nepal (Technical Appendix Figure). The sequences obtained from persons with autochthonous HEV (GenBank accession nos. {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"JN863909","term_id":"402510063","term_text":"JN863909"}}JN863909, {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"JN863910","term_id":"402510065","term_text":"JN863910"}}JN863910, and {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"JQ740782","term_id":"402510021","term_text":"JQ740782"}}JQ740782) clustered with HEV subtype 1e and type 2 strains and were closely related to strains from Africa and Mexico (93% and 82% similarity, respectively). Similarity between strains was not as high for the strain from the notified case-patient and those from persons with autochthonous infection (87% similarity with the subtype 1e strain and 77% similarity with the type 2 strain).

IgM titers typically rise after the incubation period, which is >3 weeks for HEV (9). Thus, for the purpose of this study, we assumed that men who were positive for IgM against HEV or who had positive rRT-PCR results 7 months after arriving in Central African Republic; thus, he was infected locally. Housing conditions for the workers were conducive to waterborne transmission of HEV, so it is likely that study participant 6 was infected with the imported strain. However, this participant was not viremic, and we cannot eliminate the possibility of autochthonous infection.

Table

Chronology of events and clinical test results for 11 immigrants from India participating in a study of imported hepatitis E virus, Central African Republic, 2011*

During the past few decades, concern that communicable diseases are emerging or re-emerging because of population mobility has focused mainly on mobility within industrialized countries. However, because of humanitarian and economic reasons, migration within low-income regions is also increasing. Resource-limited countries have weak infrastructures; thus, the consequences of imported outbreaks may be more serious in such countries. Our findings further demonstrate the need to improve cooperation among countries in terms of health policy, surveillance, and control, particularly in resource-limited countries. Such countries should immediately implement the International Health Regulations (2005) (10).

Technical Appendix:
Characteristics of the population studied and association with hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection, and a phylogenetic tree constructed with HEV sequences for virus strains from participant from India, persons in Central African Republic with autochthonous infection, and reference strains.

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Among all the great thinkers of the past 200 years, Nietzsche continues to occupy a special place - not only for a broad range of academics but also for members of a wider public, who find some of their most pressing existential concerns addressed in his works. Central among these concerns is the question of the meaning of a life characterised by inescapable suffering, at a time when the traditional responses inspired by Christianity are increasingly losing their credibility. While most recent studies of Nietzsche's works have lost sight of this fundamental issue, Bernard Reginster's book "The Affirmation of Life" brings it sharply into focus. Reginster identifies overcoming nihilism as a central objective of Nietzsche's philosophical project, and shows how this concern systematically animates all of his main ideas. In particular, Reginster's work develops an original and elegant interpretation of the will to power, which convincingly explains how Nietzsche uses this doctrine to mount a critique of the dominant Christian values, to overcome the nihilistic despair they produce, and to determine the conditions of a new affirmation of life. Thus, Reginster attributes to Nietzsche a compelling substantive ethical outlook based on the notions of challenge and creativity - an outlook that involves a radical re-evaluation of the role and significance of suffering in human existence. Replete with deeply original insights on many familiar - and frequently misunderstood - Nietzschean concepts, Reginster's book will be essential to anyone approaching this towering figure of Western intellectual history.


The development of cognitive functioning is disrupted in many individuals who will later be diagnosed with schizophrenia, lagging behind healthy comparison subjects by 1-2 standard deviations at clinical onset. Cognitive dysfunction often appears years before clinical onset, is the best predictor of functional outcome, and is increasingly recognized as a central feature of schizophrenia. The domains of cognitive functioning affected in schizophrenia are mediated, at least in part, by prefrontal cortex (PFC) GABA neurons, which show molecular alterations in postmortem studies in schizophrenia. One common environmental risk factor for schizophrenia is chronic cannabis use, which disrupts cognitive function most prominently during adolescence, a time of flux in PFC circuitry that may be a sensitive period for the effects of cannabis use on neural circuit maturation. Parvalbumin (PV)-containing GABA neurons may be particularly vulnerable to risk factors for schizophrenia since they are altered in the disease, important for neural activity associated with cognitive functioning, and have a lengthy period of postnatal maturation. However, the nature of PV neuron subtype-specific developmental changes is not clear. Therefore, this dissertation focuses on understanding the timing of altered expression profiles of GABA-related mRNA levels in schizophrenia, the impact of chronic cannabis exposure during adolescence on GABA circuits of the monkey PFC, and the cell type-specific nature of postnatal maturation of influential GABAergic connections. Indeed, we find that the profile of GABA transmission markers in postmortem PFC tissue in schizophrenia can be explained by disrupted development of their mRNA levels; that chronic exposure to the psychoactive compound in cannabis during adolescence alters the GABAergic mRNA levels in monkey PFC; and that two populations of PV neurons have distinctive modes of maturation in monkey PFC.


In the paper the optical diffraction tomographic system for reconstruction of the internal refractive index distribution in optical fiber utilizing grating Mach-Zehnder interferometer configuration is explored. The setup applies afocal imaging. Conventional grating application gives, however, highly aberrated object beam producing incorrect refractive-index reconstructions. The grating inherent aberrations are characterized, its influence on both image projections and refractive index reconstructions is presented. To remove aberrations and enable tomographic reconstruction a novel digital holographic algorithm, correcting optical system imaging, is developed. The algorithm uses plane wave spectrum decomposition of optical field for solving diffraction problem between parallel and tilted planes and enabling correction of imaging system aberrations. The algorithm concept was successfully proved in simulations and the experiment.


Constructing a valid measure of presence and discovering the factors that contribute to presence have been much sought after goals of presence researchers and at times have generated controversy among them. This paper describes the results of principal-components analyses of Presence Questionnaire (PQ) data from 325 participants following exposure to immersive virtual environments. The analyses suggest that a 4-factor model provides the best fit to our data. The factors are Involvement, Adaptation/Immersion, Sensory Fidelity, and Interface Quality. Except for the Adaptation/Immersion factor, these factors corresponded to those identified in a cluster analysis of data from an earlier version of the questionnaire. The existence of an Adaptation/Immersion factor leads us to postulate that immersion is greater for those individuals who rapidly and easily adapt to the virtual environment. The magnitudes of the correlations among the factors indicate moderately strong relationships among the 4 factors. Within these relationships, Sensory Fidelity items seem to be more closely related to Involvement, whereas Interface Quality items appear to be more closely related to Adaptation/Immersion, even though there is a moderately strong relationship between the Involvement and Adaptation/Immersion factors.


This paper illustrates a methodology developed in order to facilitate the analysis of complex systems characterized by a large number of technical, economical and environmental parameters. Thermoeconomic modeling of a natural gas combined cycle including monoethanolamine absorption CO2 separation option has been integrated within a multiobjective optimizer based on a genetic algorithm m order to characterize the economic and environmental potential of such complex systems within various contexts. A natural gas combined cycle project in a district of Germany is given as a case study. The results show the influences of the configwation and technical parameter changes on the evolution of electrical efficiency of the combined cycle plant as well as on those of its sub-systems, such as gas turbine cycle and steam cycle. The optimum integrations of such a complex system under different situations are revealed by the Pareto Optimal Frontier obtained tkough the multi-objective optimization process, which provides information on the relationship between power generation cost and CO2 emission performances. Such information is of direct relevance for policy makers to deflne coherent emission tax levels, or for utility owners or project investors to choose the appropriate emission levels to be reached by the new plant, or for power generation technology suppliers to identifr the market potential of their products as well as the most appropriate design for a given powet unit, under given policies and economic contexts.


ABSTRACT The behaviors of birds flying in low visibility conditions remain poorly understood. We had the opportunity to monitor Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) flying in heavy fog with very low visibility during a comprehensive landscape use study of refuging cranes in the Horicon Marsh in southeastern Wisconsin. As part of the study, we recorded flight patterns of cranes with a portable marine radar at various locations and times of day, and visually counted cranes as they departed the roost in the morning. We compared flight patterns during a fog event with those recorded during clear conditions. In good visibility, cranes usually departed the night roost shortly after sunrise and flew in relatively straight paths toward foraging areas. In fog, cranes departed the roost later in the day, did not venture far from the roost, engaged in significantly more circling flight, and returned to the roost site rather than proceeding to foraging areas. We also noted that compared to mornings with good visibility, cranes flying in fog called more frequently than usual. The only time in this 2-year study that observers heard young of the year calling was during the fog event. The observed behavior of cranes circling and lingering in an area while flying in poor visibility conditions suggests that such situations may increase chances of colliding with natural or anthropogenic obstacles in the vicinity.


This paper presents a Java based e-learning framework for analyzing, processing and understanding wound images, to be used in teaching, learning and research activities. We intend to promote e-learning technologies in medical, pharmaceutical and health care domains. Our approach to e-learning is so called blended learning, which combines traditional face-to-face and Web-based on-line learning, with focus on principles of active learning. Relying on a colour imaging system, we use statistical methods in assessment of potential methodologies for noninvasive wound evaluation. The colour image processing methods have many advantages over traditional human methods in assessment of wounds. Computer based methods are objective, repeatable and with a large potential of processing. We build in Java models for various categories of wounds, due to aetiologies such as pressure, burn, chilblain, vascular insufficiencies, diabetic foot ulcer, venous leg ulcer and other chronic disease states. Based on colour and texture analysis, we identify the main barriers to wound healing, such as tissue non-viable, infection, inflammation, moisture imbalance, or edge non-advancing. This framework provides the infrastructure for preparing e-learning scenarios based on practice and real world experiences. We make experiments for wound healing simulation based on various treatments and compare the results with experimental observations. Our experiments are supported by XML based databases containing knowledge extracted from previous wound healing experiences and from medical experts knowledge. Also, we rely on new paradigms of the Artificial Intelligence (Bayesian Inference, Case Based Reasoning and Intelligent Agents) for creating e-learning scenarios to be used in a context of active learning, for wound image understanding.. To implement the e-learning tools, we use Java technologies for dynamic processes and XML technologies for dynamic content (data and documents).


In the wake of the economic crisis, European leaders and policymakers have recognised that economic and social convergence must go hand in hand if the goals of economic and monetary union are to be achieved. This policy brief provides an updated picture of convergence in employment outcomes across the EU Member States and regions. Five key labour market indicators are examined. The study finds that there has been upward convergence of Member States in most employment indicators for the past two decades. The analysis of regional convergence and convergence in respect of different sociodemographic groups within the population, however, shows less positive developments. The brief also discusses the policy option of implementing a European unemployment insurance scheme for enhancing convergence, or avoiding divergence, within the EU.


Changes in behavior are common in dementia and can be challenging to address. The purpose of this pilot study was to look at how effective non-pharmacological interventions are in decreasing associated behaviors among residents in a skilled nursing facility. Pharmacological interventions have been the primary method to decreasing these behaviors; however, these interventions may lead to faster disease progression. There is an increased awareness of the potential uses of non-pharmacological treatment for residents with dementia; however, there are challenges that go along with this approach. A set of interview questions was asked to four staff members of a nursing home piloting a non-pharmacological approach. Three main categories emerged from the interviews. These categories include: decision to use the non-pharmacological interventions, alternative interventions used, and the responsiveness to using the interventions. Findings suggest that these non-pharmacological interventions were effective in decreasing problematic behaviors. Findings also suggest the need for continued education and ongoing research involving the topic of using non-pharmacological interventions to treat these behaviors residents with dementia sometimes exhibit. NONPHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS 3


Phosphorus (P) loss from soils is often enhanced under flooded, anaerobic conditions, increasing the risk of freshwater eutrophication. We aimed to develop a predictive tool to identify soils with greater P release potential under summer-flooded conditions, which would help in developing strategies to mitigate P losses. One in situ mesocosm study was conducted in field plots with three treatments: cattle manure amended, monoammonium phosphate amended, and unamended. Two ex situ field mesocosm studies were conducted, each having 12 surface soils from agricultural fields. Prior to flooding, soils were analyzed for various soil test P (STP, intensity) and P sorption measures (capacity), and degree of P saturation (DPS) indices were calculated using different intensity and capacity combinations. Mesocosms were flooded and redox potential, pore water, and floodwater dissolved reactive P (DRP) concentrations were determined periodically up to 42 (in situ) and 56 d (ex situ) after the onset of flooding. Floodwater DRP increased significantly in most soils with flooding time, and the maximum DRP (DRPmax) was considered as the flooding-induced P release risk. Relationships between floodwater DRPmax and STP or DPS indices were established separately for low-P (Olsen P £ 30 mg kg−1) and high-P (>30 mg kg−1) soils. Several STP indices effectively predicted the P release risk from high-P soils, but not from low-P soils. However, DPS calculated using Olsen P (intensity) and P sorption capacity or P saturation index (capacity) performed better in predicting summer flooding-induced P release across all soil categories, with a higher predictive power. Degree of Phosphorus Saturation as a Predictor of Redox-Induced Phosphorus Release from Flooded Soils to Floodwater


This study is, to our knowledge, the first to compare the voice quality of several accents of the British Isles. Our hypothesis is that voice quality can vary according to the regional accent of the speaker. The Long Term Average Spectrum (LTAS) was measured for each of the 50 speakers. Then, in order to test our hypothesis, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was carried out to compare the spectra. The results showed that at least two accent groups could be isolated from the others. The spectra of the Belfast accent were particularly concentrated around the negative part of the first component. This can be explained by the fact that the Belfast accent is still strongly influenced by the Celtic languages spoken in the region.


Wireless mesh networks (WMNs) are comprised of nodes with multiple radio interfaces and provide broadband residential internet access or connectivity to temporal events. Our goal is to simplify the network deployment of such a mesh network, and towards that we are presenting procedures for automatic configuration and optimisation of the network. We first present an architecture framework that supports the integration of key mechanisms to ensure the optimisation of the performance of a wireless mesh network. Secondly, we present three key mechanisms, namely autoconfiguration, channel assignment and quality of service (QoS) enforcement based on QoS routing. We provide a method for automatic mesh start-up, joining a node into an existing mesh network and automatic repair of temporary connectivity outage, targeting at simplifying the node configuration as much as possible. The second mechanism supports an efficient algorithm for joint channel selection and topology control, supporting different target objective expressed as utility functions. The third mechanism supports QoS, by allowing routing and admission control decisions, in order to ensure that all flows are handled with the demanded QoS. Finally, we give some simulation results that show the increased performance of our framework.


OBJECTIVE: To determine whether haematopoietic progenitor cells and erythropoietin (EPO), which is an essential humoral stimulus for erythroid progenitor (BFU-E) cell differentiation, are affected by lead intoxication. METHODS: In male subjects chronically exposed to lead with and without anaemia, pluripotent (CFU-GEMM), BFU-E and granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM) progenitor cell counts in peripheral blood were measured with a modified clonal assay. Lead concentrations in blood (PbB) and urine (PbU) were measured by the atomic absorption technique, and EPO was measured with a modified radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: PbB in the subjects exposed to lead ranged from 0.796 to 4.4 mumol/l, and PbU varied between 0.033 and 0.522 mumol/l. In subjects exposed to lead with PbB > or = 2.896 mumol/l (n = 7), BFU-E cells were significantly reduced (p < 0.001) whereas the reduction in CFU-GM cells was only of borderline significance (p = 0.037) compared with the age matched controls (n = 20). The CFU-GEMM cells remained unchanged. Furthermore, BFU-E and CFU-GM cells were reduced in a dose dependent fashion, with increasing PbB or PbU, respectively. In the subjects exposed to lead EPO was in the normal range and did not increase in the presence of anaemia induced by lead. No correlations existed between EPO and PbB, PbU, or progenitor cells. CONCLUSION: The data suggest new aspects of lead induced anaemia besides the currently acknowledged shortened life span of erythrocytes and inhibition of haemoglobin synthesis. Two additional mechanisms should be considered: the reduction of BFU-E cells, and inappropriate renal EPO production in the presence of severe exposure to lead, which would lead to an inadequate maturation of BFU-E cells.


The university students with higher levels of test anxiety have been shown to have lower cognitive and meta-cognitive performances and therefore they act weakly on their examinations and tests. According to the role played by meta-cognitive variable in anxiety and the importance which is considered for the test anxiety in the university students' performance and based on the findings which are contradictory in some of the stances, there is a necessity to perform more researches on this field of study. Thus, the current study aims at the survey of the relationship between the meta-cognitive self-regulation with the test anxiety in Urmia medical sciences university students. In the present descriptive-analytical study, 482 Urmia medical sciences university students have been selected based on a random method and they were asked to participate in completing questionnaires in 2016. The information required for the present study were collected by taking advantage of a three-part questionnaire, the first part of which was related to the demographic characteristics, the second part pertained to Pintrich's meta-cognitive self-regulation questionnaire and the third part also contained questions in connection with the test anxiety questionnaire designed, as well, by Pintrich et al. The data gathered based on the above process were analyzed by making use of SPSS ver.19, descriptive statistics, Pierson correlation test and the independent t-test. In the present study, the participating university students' average age was 21.70 ± 2.91 and 298 individuals from the total number of the participants were male. The relationship between gender with any of the test anxiety and meta-cognitive self-regulation variables was not found statistically relevant and significant. The relationship between the age and the meta-cognitive self-regulation was shown to be statistically significant but the relationship between the age and test anxiety was not found to be statistically significant. The developmental self-regulation mean score among the university students was 58.33 ± 11.22 and the test anxiety mean score was calculated to be 22.69 ± 6.36. The results of the analyses performed via making use of Pierson correlation tests indicated that the relationship between developmental self-regulation and test anxiety is statistically significant. The results obtained in the present study indicated that the relationship between the developmental self-regulation and the test anxiety in the university students is statistically significant, thus it is suggested that in order for the university students to be able to gain control over their learning process they are required to be taught with cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies.


Web development is still one of today's most popular, active, and important programming and development activities. From a single web page to an e-commerce-enabled web site to a fully-fledged web application, the Java programming language and its frameworks allow you great flexibility and productivity for your web application development. Learn Java for Web Development teaches web developers who are new to Java key skills, Java-based languages, and frameworks to build simple or complex web sites and applications. As soon as you pick up this book, Vishal Layka's experience guides you on a very practical learning and building journey. You will learn the Java nuts and bolts necessary to build a simple "Hello World" Java (native) application, as well as a "Hello World" Java-based web application example that utilizes servlets and Java Server Pages (JSPs). Over the course of the book, you'll learn more about servlets and JSPs and delve into Java Server Faces (JSFs) and the expression language found in each of these by applying them in a real-world case studya book store e-commerce application. Then youll build your web application using Apache Struts2 and the Spring MVC framework. The book concludes by exploring the web application that you've built and examining industry best practices and how these might fit with your application, as well as covering alternative Java Web frameworks like Groovy/Grails and Scala/Play 2. You also can explore the basics of Java, Groovy, and Scala in the books appendices. While reading this book, you'll see all this in action and you can use it as a starting point for further Java web development. Study and experiment with the many source code examples, and later apply them to your own web application building endeavors and 2:00 AM challenges. What youll learn How to build your first Java-based web applications with servlets and JSPs How to apply best practices to web application development How to build web applications with JSF 2How to build web applications with the Struts2 framework How to build web applications with the Spring 3 Web MVC framework How to build web applications with Grails and Play 2How to debug and deploy your web application along the way Who this book is for This book is for current or aspiring web developers who have some programming experience, but have no or little prior experience using the Java programming language and the available frameworks for Java in web development.


The aim of the current research work was to study the physicochemical and biological properties of synthesized zinc doped hydroxyapatite (ZnHAp) nanoparticles with Zn concentrations xZn=0 (HAp), xZn=0.07 (7ZnHAp), and xZn=0.1 (10ZnHAp) for potential use in biological applications. The morphology, size, compositions, and incorporation of zinc into hydroxyapatite were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman scattering, and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). In addition, the cytotoxicity of ZnHAp nanoparticles was tested on both E. coli bacteria and human hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2. The results showed that ZnHAp nanoparticles (HAp, 7ZnHAp, and 10ZnHAp) have slightly elongated morphologies with average diameters between 25 nm and 18 nm. On the other hand, a uniform and homogeneous distribution of the constituent elements (calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and oxygen) in the ZnHAp powder was noticed. Besides, FTIR and Raman analyses confirmed the proper hydroxyapatite structure of the synthesized ZnHAp nanoparticles with the signature of phosphate, carbonate, and hydroxyl groups. Moreover, it can be concluded that Zn doping at the tested concentrations is not inducing a specific prokaryote or eukaryote toxicity in HAp compounds.


This research relates Hg levels in the Common Loon (Gavia immer) to a variety of physical factors. Constructed within the framework of a GIS system, this model analyzes the spatial relationships and the influence of physical land cover factors as a function of distance from the individual loon territories. Thiessan polygons were used to generate the territory for each loon. Buffering of the thiessan polygons was done to establish the boundaries of the individual distance classes and to gather information on the percentage of individual land cover classes within each distance class. Information on precipitation was also gathered. Results from the regression analysis (R = 57.3% at the 150m distance class) performed on the variables suggest that the proximity of certain land use types such as cropland, shrub land, and wetlands influence the rates at which Hg is available within an individual territory. Within the 150m and 300m buffers, crop land, shrub land, and wetland exhibited the strongest relationship with the Hg levels in the common loon, with cropland exhibiting a negative relationship suggesting that the proximity of cultivated lands plays a role in decreasing the amount of available Hg in a territory.


Background Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease of women categorised by lung cysts, lymphatic abnormalities and angiomyolipomas; a benign tumour occurring chiefly in the kidneys. Although benign, the tumours can enlarge causing symptoms and those over 4cm are prone to haemorrhage which can result in nephrectomy. LAM can occur in isolation (sporadic LAM) or associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC-LAM). Treatment guidelines for angiomyolipoma tend to be based on retrospective series often from patients with TSC. The natural history of angiomyolipoma in sporadic LAM is not well understood. Aims To document the natural history, risk factors for, and clinical features associated with, angiomyolipoma in a national cohort of patients with sporadic and TSC-LAM to plan clinical screening programs. Methods Demographic data, clinical features, lung function and tumour size were obtained from clinical records of patients attending the National Centre for LAM in Nottingham. Tumour size was recorded as the longest tumour diameter on any imaging modality. Tumours smaller than 10mm were assigned a value of 10mm. Ethical approval for use of patient data was obtained and patients gave informed consent. Results 122 patients with definite or probable LAM by European Respiratory Society criteria were identified. Of these, 68 (56%) had at least one angiomyolipoma. Angiomyolipoma were present in 50% of patients with sporadic LAM and all patients with TSC-LAM. Those with sporadic LAM tended to have smaller tumours than those with TSC-LAM (31mm (SD 27) vs. 49mm (SD 27) respectively), were less often bilateral (40 vs. 79%), were less likely to bleed (17 vs. 31%) and less likely to require surgery or embolisation (49 vs. 66%). Serial tumour measurements were available from some patients, tumours from those with TSC-LAM grew at 3.8 mm/year (n=6, SD 14.2) tumour growth in sporadic LAM growth was 4.3 mm/year (n=16, SD 8.2. p=0.46). Conclusions Angiomyolipomas are common in patients with sporadic and TSC-LAM. The tumours require intervention more frequently in TSC than sporadic LAM. The two patient groups may require different angiomyolipoma management.


Carbon capture & sequestration (CCS) could reduce CO2 emissions from large fossil-fuel power plants on the short term, but the high energy penalty of the process hinders its industrial deployment. Moreover, the utility of nanoporous materials, known to be selective for the CO2/N2 separation, is drastically reduced due to the competitive adsorption with H2O. Taking advantage of the power plant's waste heat to perform CCS while at the same time surmounting the negative effect of H2O is therefore an attractive idea. We propose an upside-down approach for CCS in nanoporous materials, high-temperature adsorption & low-temperature desorption (HALD), that exploits the temperature-dependent competitive adsorption of CO2 and H2O. First, we provide a theoretical background for this entropy-driven behavior and demonstrate under what conditions competitive adsorption can be in favor of CO2 at high temperature and in favor of H2O at low temperature. Then, molecular simulations in all-silica MFI provide a proof of concept. The International Zeolite Association database is subsequently screened for potential candidates and finally, the most promising materials are selected using a post-Pareto search algorithm. The proposed post-Pareto approach is able to select the material that shows an optimal combination of multiple criteria, such as CO2/H2O selectivity, CO2/N2 selectivity, CO2 uptake and H2O uptake. As a conclusion, this work provides new perspectives to reduce the energy requirement for CCS and to overcome the competitive adsorption of H2O.


Critics of constitutional originalism have often described originalists as "fundamentalists" or "literalists" as a way of discrediting originalism. This comparison has obvious rhetorical force because it tends implicitly to taint originalism with guilt by association, given views in the academy of Protestant fundamentalism. But originalism's critics are not the only ones who appear to have noticed the similarities between the two interpretive approaches; when they have entered the arena of policy and judicial politics, proponents of biblical literalism have generally embraced originalism as the correct approach to constitutional interpretation. It is not surprising that both critics of constitutional originalism and proponents of biblical literalism have noted a connection between the two interpretive approaches, as there are some obvious similarities. Indeed, the similarities go beyond the caricatures that both critics and proponents have tended to offer. Literalism and originalism share a core commitment to the idea that their relevant texts have a timeless, fixed meaning that is readily ascertainable. In addition, both interpretive approaches are in significant part projects of restoration; both are deeply concerned about the loss of constraint that results from interpretation that is untethered to text; both have a strong, self-consciously populist impulse and an equally strong and self-conscious disdain for elite opinion, both with respect to interpretive norms and cultural values; and both maintain that all other approaches to their relevant texts are fundamentally illegitimate because they breach a duty of fidelity. Yet if we are to understand the force of the critics' comparison and, more important, the continuing attraction of originalism to conservative Protestants, we need not only a more nuanced appreciation of the similarities between the two approaches but also a better understanding of the differences. And, indeed, both critics of originalism and literalists who urge originalism as an approach to constitutional interpretation have failed to identify the fundamental differences between the two approaches. For literalism, interpretation is an act of faith in a God who is just and good. Accordingly, for the literalist, obedience to the biblical text - the Word of God - is the highest human good. Originalism, in contrast, demands loyalty to the text regardless of its moral quality; just or good results are accidental rather than necessary features of originalist interpretation. Originalism's critics have been perhaps too quick to assign to originalists assumptions that, even to literalists, are unique to the project of biblical interpretation. More important, literalists who have been attracted to originalism - including those whose attraction is instrumental - might want to take a closer look at the approach, and its amoral character, before giving an unqualified endorsement to a theory that could just as well produce results anathema to their most deeply held (and biblically ordained) beliefs.


1. Kantian Blake IN AN ESSAY OF 1833, ENTITLED THE "BARRENNESS OF THE IMAGINATIVE faculty in the productions of Modern Art," Charles Lamb lambasts what he calls the "material sublime" (1) of John Martin's paintings. In an argument that passionately privileges spirituality over materiality and imagination over visual presentation, Lamb criticizes Martin's panoramic canvas "Belshazzar's Feast" (1820) for being too material. Although Lamb considers the "towered structures" of Martin's art as belonging to the "highest order" (Elia 259) of the material sublime, the term itself--invented, it seems, by Coleridge--is not an honorific. In Table Talk, Coleridge uses the term to describe the furious images of Schiller's dramas, the sheer sensual tumult of Schillerian theatricality: its excess of material effect over spiritual meaning. "Schiller has the material sublime," he remarks; "to produce an effect, he sets a whole town on fire, and throws infants with their mothers into the flames.... Shakspear drops a handkerchief, and the same or greater effects follow." (2) For Coleridge, the sublime of Schiller's drama is mired in materiality and sensation; Shakespeare's, however, rises effortlessly into the region of mind. For Lamb, too, the material sublime designates a privative attachment to materiality, a fixation on sense that in Martin's case discloses a "defect of [the] imaginative faculty" (Elia 262). Wedded to matter over mind, material sublimity seeks to present in a pictorial, corporeal form ideas that should properly, according to Lamb, have a "poetic" (Elia 264), supernatural or imaginative denotation. In the case of "Belshazzar's Feast," the fearful judgment of God upon the self-regarding King Belshazzar at his table in his stupendous palace is too "material" because Martin presents the written judgement of God in a blaze of flight on an immense wall: a brilliant blaze that is seen both by the crowds at the feast and by the spectators of the canvas. Lamb insists, however, that this divine writing is seen only by the King in the Biblical account, and not by the spectators. For this reason, the sublimity of the scene resides in the immateriality of the King's terrified, phantasmal reception of God's sentence, and not in any gaudy materiality of blazing light on a panoramic, architecturally immense structure. In the way Lamb sets it up, Martin's painting sustains only a perilous hold on the sublime. For this kind of art is, he says, the product of a "[d]eeply corporealized" mind, "enchained hopelessly in the grovelling fetters of externality." Against this, the sublime for Lamb belongs to the "intellectual" (Elia 264), not the material eye. The material sublime is, in this sense, well on the way to being engulfed in--and identified with--a kind of debased spectacle: specifically, with crude theatricality and sensationalism. Effecting an erasure of mind and of the imaginative faculty, material sublimity becomes a vitiating, privative and expropriatory simulacrum of the sublime. Lamb's formulation of the sublime belongs, of course, to that broad shift in the late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-centuries that saw the displacement of sublimity away from the materiality of the external object, and its relocation in the self-conscious interiority of the subject. If the eighteenth-century sublime variously staged a crisis in the subject's relation to an overwhelming externality--whether figured as nature or God--the romantic sublime, which received its privileged philosophical formulation in Immanuel Kant's Critique of Judgement (1790), installed the scene of that sublime in and as an agon of the subject's mental faculties. The empirical, physiological emphases of Burke's sublime in A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (1757) were themselves, indeed, part of this resituating of the sublime in the passions of the subject rather than the qualities of the object: part of what Thomas Weiskel calls the eighteenth century's "nascent psychological aesthetics. …


Colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1) is a glycoprotein growth factor that specifically regulates the survival, proliferation and differentiation of mononuclear phagocytes and their precursors via a cell surface receptor selectively expressed on these cell types. The purified receptor is a single glycosylated polypeptide, Mr 165 000, which exhibits CSF-1-dependent autophosphorylation in tyrosine. CSF-1 alone regulates cells of the mononuclear phagocytic series (CSF-1-dependent colony-forming unit [CFU-C]----monoblast----promonocyte----monocyte----macrophage). However, the presence of a multipotent haemopoietic cell growth factor, haemopoietin-1, permits CSF-1 to stimulate precursors of CFU-C to proliferate and differentiate to macrophages. Precursors of CFU-C possess low levels of the CSF-1 receptor but there is an increase in receptor levels on CFU-C just before their differentiation to adherent, proliferating mononuclear phagocytes. As the timing of this developmentally associated increase in receptor expression coincides with the acquisition of responsiveness to CSF-1 alone, it is an early indicator of determination to the mononuclear phagocytic lineage.


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This thesis presents the development of innovative tools to investigate spatially distributed properties of thin film photovoltaic devices. They are required to gain a better understanding of device behaviour driven by how such properties affect the performance of commercial-scale devices. The tools developed for this are a distributed 3D model (D3DM) as simulation software and a laser beam induced current (LBIC) system as a platform for characterisation.

The D3DM was developed utilising standard circuit analysis software. It is constructed to simulate realistic device structures and current flows in thin film PV devices. Diode parameters are truly distributed and can be varied independently. The model includes a voltage dependent photocurrent which is a key characteristic of amorphous silicon based solar cells. The D3DM has been used for the investigation of spatial variation in performance due to the distributed nature and non-uniformity of diode parameters and solar cell properties. It is shown that distributed series resistance contributed from the contact layers has a significant impact on solar cell performance and efficiency.

The LBIC system is an optical scanning based characterisation tool. Unlike most existing systems, this has been developed specifically for large area, module-size thin film applications. The system provides a detailed photocurrent map which reveals spatial non-uniformity and allows investigation of localised performance variation of the investigated PV devices. System development, components and their characterisation as well as different measurement techniques are described. The model is also applied to LBIC measurements where it is used for a sensitivity analysis of measurement signal with respect to certain cell parameters in cells and modules under different measurement conditions. A new limiting illuminated LBIC (li-LBIC) measurement technique was developed. It is a measurement where the laser-probed cell is brought into limiting condition by means of shading. The signal thus generated is a linear response which was previously unobtainable by typical LBIC measurements. It is unaffected by non-uniform illumination allowing the real properties of investigated cells in a monolithic series connected module to be measured non-destructively.


Titanium is the gold standard material to produce dental implants from more than 30 years, showing high success rate in different clinical scenarios. Zirconia implants were recently introduced to overwhelm some aesthetic and biological problems that can arise from titanium. Preclinical studies show that, from a mechanical point of view, zirconia may be a suitable substitute for titanium in implant fabrication. Three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) models found no difference between titanium and titanium-zirconium alloy implants, neither for early nor conventional functional loading. Nevertheless, zirconia presents the same osseoconductive properties of the titanium, even if the few clinical studies show survival and success rates slightly inferior for zirconia implants comparing to titanium ones, and long-term follow-ups are missing. For these reasons, the majority of authors agree to be cautious for proposing zirconia implants as widespread substitute of titanium implants.


During their approximately six years together, (1) Elijah is a formative influence on his disciple Elisha. The latter follows literally and figuratively in many of his mentor's ways. That said, Elisha ben Shaphat likewise breaks new ground, showing that, as he comes into his own, he allows his own personality and interests to blossom. Nearly 3,000 years ago, the prophet Elijah erupted upon the scene in midninth-century BCE Samaria without warning and without fanfare. Abruptly, he proclaims his prophecy to King Ahab: ?As the Lord lives, the God of Israel whom I serve, there will be no dew or rain except at my bidding? (I Kgs. 17:1). Without waiting for a reply or response, Elijah quits Ahab's presence at God's command and departs eastward, crossing the River Jordan. He heads for the Wadi Kerith, where he goes into hiding. Elijah is a powerful, extraordinary, and impressive figure. He dresses in distinctive clothing and is instantly recognizable (II Kgs. 1:8). Though essentially a loner, he occasionally has an unnamed attendant. Towards the end of his time, as depicted in First Kings, he designates his successor Elisha and advises him. At the close of his (biblical) prophetic career, (2) Elijah's departure is even more dramatic than his entrance. Again, crossing the Jordan amidst a fiery chariot with fiery horses ... Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. He leaves behind a mystified audience (II Kgs. 2:11, 16-18). ELIJAH AND ELISHA: SIMILARITIES Elijah appoints Elisha ben Shaphat to be his successor, and serves for a time as Elisha's mentor. Many of the acts of Elisha replicate the work of Elijah. Although Elisha follows the path of his direct exemplar, Elijah, he takes some time finding his prophetic footing. Elijah had a special cloak which he had thrown over Elisha's shoulders when he delegated him as a disciple (I Kgs. 19:19). Yet immediately after this, Elijah retrieves the garment. Just before he ascends to heaven, Elijah takes the mantle and strikes the Jordan to stop it flowing so that he and Elisha can cross over on dry land. When Elijah ascends, he leaves the cloak behind. Elisha takes that item of clothing and, invoking "the God of Elijah," strikes the Jordan and splits it in two (II Kgs. 2:13-14). Elisha then travels from Jericho, via Beth El, and on to Mount Carmel and Samaria, "two major sites of Elijah's activity. It thereby further associates him with the activities of his master." (3) Although done subtly, the text connects the two men on the occasion of Elisha's appointment. He is plowing with twelve yoke of oxen. That number reminds the reader of the twelve stones that Elijah set up at Mt. Carmel (I Kgs. 19:19-21; 18:31-32) as well as the not-so-subtle connection to the twelve tribes. When Elijah ascends to heaven, Elisha calls out "Father, father, Israel's chariots and horsemen!" When Elisha is dying, King Joash of Israel visits him and repeats those same words (II Kgs. 2:12; 13:14). Just as Elijah is known as a wonder-worker in his post-biblical existence, so is a miracle associated with Elisha after his death. Someone being interred is placed in Elisha's grave: when the corpse touches Elisha's bones, it revives and stands up (II Kgs. 13:20-21). Elisha duplicates some miracles performed by his mentor for a number of reasons. He wishes to honor Elijah's memory, he seeks to realize his own power, and he wants to be seen by others as a prophet of God in his own right. (4) Several of the miraculous deeds ascribed to Elisha, including the multiplication of oil and bread (II Kgs. 4:4-5, 43-44), and the resuscitation of the Shunammite woman's son (II Kgs. 4:33-35), have precedents in the Elijah cycle of stories (cf. I Kgs. 17:14-16, 20-22). (5) In addition, both prophets interact with the rulers of their day - Elijah with Ahab and Jezebel (I Kgs. 17:1; 18:1-2, 17-19, 41; 19:1-2; 21:17-24), Elisha with King Jehoram of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah (II Kgs. …


Previous in vitro and case–control studies have found an association between the insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐axis and bladder cancer risk. Circulating concentrations of IGF‐I have also been found to be associated with an increased risk of several cancer types; however, the relationship between pre‐diagnostic circulating IGF‐I concentrations and bladder cancer has never been studied prospectively. We investigated the association of pre‐diagnostic plasma concentrations of IGF‐I with risk of overall bladder cancer and urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) in a case–control study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. A total of 843 men and women diagnosed with bladder cancer between 1992 and 2005 were matched with 843 controls by recruitment centre, sex, age at recruitment, date of blood collection, duration of follow‐up, time of day and fasting status at blood collection using an incidence density sampling protocol. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using conditional logistic regression with adjustment for smoking status. No association was found between pre‐diagnostic circulating IGF‐I concentration and overall bladder cancer risk (adjusted OR for highest versus lowest fourth: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.66–1.24, ptrend = 0.40) or UCC (n of cases = 776; 0.91, 0.65–1.26, ptrend = 0.40). There was no significant evidence of heterogeneity in the association of IGF‐I with bladder cancer risk by tumour aggressiveness, sex, smoking status, or by time between blood collection and diagnosis (pheterogeneity > 0.05 for all). This first prospective study indicates no evidence of an association between plasma IGF‐I concentrations and bladder cancer risk.