In this myth-shattering study, Isaiah Friedman provides a new perspective on events in the Middle East during World War I and its aftermath. He shows that British officials in Cairo mistakenly assumed that the Arabs would rebel against Turkey and welcome the British as deliverers. Sharif (later king) Hussein did rebel, but not for nationalistic motives as is generally presented in historiography. Early in the war he simultaneously negotiated with the British and the Turks but, after discovering that the Turks intended to assassinate him, finally sided with the British. There was no Arab Revolt in the Fertile Crescent. It was mainly the soldiers of Britain, the Commonwealth, and India that overthrew the Ottoman rule, not the Arabs. Both T.E. Lawrence ('Lawrence of Arabia') and Sir Mark Sykes hoped to revive the Arab nation and build a new Middle East. They courted disappointment: the Arabs resented the encroachment of European Powers and longed for the return of the Turks. Emir Feisal too became an exponent of Pan-Arabism and a proponent of the 'United Syria' scheme. It was supported by the British Military Administration who wished thereby to eliminate the French from Syria. British officers were antagonistic to Zionism as well and were responsible for the anti-Jewish riots in Jerusalem in April 1920. During the twenties, unlike the Hussein family and their allies, the peasants (fellaheen), who constituted the majority of the Arab population in Palestine, were not inimical towards the Zionists. They maintained that 'progress and prosperity lie in the path of brotherhood' between Arabs and Jews and regarded Jewish immigration and settlement to be beneficial to the country. Friedman argues that, if properly handled, the Arab-Zionist conflict was not inevitable. The responsibility lay in the hands of the British administration of Palestine.


The known breast cancer susceptibility polymorphisms in FGFR2, TNRC9/TOX3, MAP3K1, LSP1, and 2q35 confer increased risks of breast cancer for BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers. We evaluated the associations of 3 additional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs4973768 in SLC4A7/NEK10, rs6504950 in STXBP4/COX11, and rs10941679 at 5p12, and reanalyzed the previous associations using additional carriers in a sample of 12,525 BRCA1 and 7,409 BRCA2 carriers. Additionally, we investigated potential interactions between SNPs and assessed the implications for risk prediction. The minor alleles of rs4973768 and rs10941679 were associated with increased breast cancer risk for BRCA2 carriers (per-allele HR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.03-1.18, P = 0.006 and HR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01-1.19, P = 0.03, respectively). Neither SNP was associated with breast cancer risk for BRCA1 carriers, and rs6504950 was not associated with breast cancer for either BRCA1 or BRCA2 carriers. Of the 9 polymorphisms investigated, 7 were associated with breast cancer for BRCA2 carriers (FGFR2, TOX3, MAP3K1, LSP1, 2q35, SLC4A7, 5p12, P = 7 × 10(-11) - 0.03), but only TOX3 and 2q35 were associated with the risk for BRCA1 carriers (P = 0.0049, 0.03, respectively). All risk-associated polymorphisms appear to interact multiplicatively on breast cancer risk for mutation carriers. Based on the joint genotype distribution of the 7 risk-associated SNPs in BRCA2 mutation carriers, the 5% of BRCA2 carriers at highest risk (i.e., between 95th and 100th percentiles) were predicted to have a probability between 80% and 96% of developing breast cancer by age 80, compared with 42% to 50% for the 5% of carriers at lowest risk. Our findings indicated that these risk differences might be sufficient to influence the clinical management of mutation carriers.


The dreams in the Metamorphoses , however bizarre they may appear, have real significance for the waking world. The exact relationship of dreams to waking reality, as others have observed, is made ambiguous. This paper argues that this ambiguity has the effect of diverting incredulity from the author to his source of authority. Apuleius is thus able to present the most extraordinary event of all, the revelation of Isis and Lucius' conversion to her religion, in such a way that the narrative is protected from disbelief: since it is entirely directed and confirmed by a series of dreams, the possibility is left of interpreting it as a real event or as a fantasy. Two important effects result: 1) any skeptical reader's incredulity, which is inevitable, is directed towards the authority of dreams, rather than the authority of the narrator; 2) the suggestion is subtly made that the story—especially since stories are closely related to dreams in this novel—, no matter its relation to the real world, may still have real counsel for the reader. David P. C. Carlisle earned a B.A. in Classical Languages in 2003 at Carleton College in Northfield, MN and his M.A. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2006, where he is currently teaching and writing his dissertation on dreams in the ancient novels. His interests range widely from epic poetry to late imperial prose, but focus on questions about the construction of narratives. He is also interested in exploring and developing the connections between Classics and related disciplines, especially History and Linguistics.


Purpose of review The present review examines the effects of early intervention with inhaled corticosteroids (ICSs) on clinical efficacy and natural history of asthma based on two recent clinical trials: the Inhaled Steroid Treatment as Regular Therapy in Early Asthma (START) and Prevention of Early Asthma in Kids (PEAK) trials, and a comparison of the effect of regular vs. intermittent therapy based on the Improving Asthma Control Trial (IMPACT). Recent findings In most patients, both adults and children, who have a new diagnosis of asthma and whose symptoms are mild but persistent, treatment with ICS should be recommended as soon as the diagnosis is made. This is a cost-effective and well tolerated treatment. However, symptoms may recur and lung function may decline again if treatment is discontinued. Summary ICS is the most cost-effective initial treatment for both adults and children with a new diagnosis of asthma. If patients are reluctant to use ICS daily for long periods, it would be reasonable to delay the onset of treatment with ICS. Initial therapy with leukotriene receptor antagonist is not likely to be as effective as initial therapy with ICS. Biomarkers of airway inflammation such as sputum cell counts and exhaled nitric oxide are probably not necessary to treat patients with mild intermittent asthma.


1. This report describes a significant trend towards legal intervention in the labour market to achieve more effective resolution of work and family life. Change has been promoted by national governments, and international institutions including the International Labour Organisation and those of the European Union.2. A range of different measures and standards have been created. In some cases, there are now very significant leave entitlements designed to increase the capacity of workers to reconcile their commitments to work and family life. For example,. maternity leave (up to 52 weeks' paid) [UK]. parental leave : three years prior to child's eighth birthday [Germany]. emergency leave : 60 paid days per worker per year to care for a child under twelve [Sweden]. access to part-time work : 'right' to change hours, subject only to serious business objections [Netherlands and Germany]. quality of part-time work : prohibition on discriminatory conditions vis-a-vis comparable full-time work [all EU States]3. Definitions of the field covered by 'work and family' are becoming more flexible. So, for example. UK law permits workers to request 'reasonable time off' to care for non-family members, where the worker is the only person available toundertake this task in a care emergency. Irish law provides up to 130 weeks' leave for a worker who is the primary care giver to, for example, both disabled parents. Canadian law (British Columbia) recognises leave for family responsibilities in broad terms, as related to 'care, health or education';Ontario defines as 'parent' as 'a person who is in a relationship of some permanence with a parent of a child and who plans on treating the child as his or her own'.4. Much of this recent regulation is designed specifically to establish a legal framework of principles and processes within which implementation can occur at the workplace, through individual or collective bargaining.5. Assessments of the outcomes of systems of work-life regulation are emerging. On balance, the early evidence from the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands suggests that the new rules have increased workers' use of flexible work and have not led to a sharp increase in contested matters before industrial tribunals and the courts. There is some evidence that employer groups, many of whom opposed the introduction of the new laws, have worked well with the new systems. The predicted catastrophic consequences have either not occurred, or have not yet been reported in the research available thus far. An exception appears to be the USA, where the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 is claimed by some employers as a major fetter on their ability to compete.


I have long been interested in applying rate-reading techniques to the reading of foreign languages. At one time a student who had made an excellent record in Reading Workshop brought her French books into the reading laboratory and succeeded in raising her French reading rate. But I had my first opportunity to apply these techniques to a group during our 1966 winter term. Although we were handicapped by a lack of material and by my own inexperience in working with languages other than English, results were encouraging. RAISING READING RATES IN


The presence of leucocytes within semen has the potential to impair sperm function. Neutrophils and macrophages make up 95% of seminal leucocytes, with both having the ability to damage sperm via the generation of reactive oxygen species, proteases and the induction of apoptosis. Existing cytological techniques for quantifying leucocyte activity within semen (peroxidase, CD45) are less than ideal as they merely count the number of leucocytes, rather than assess their activity. Seminal plasma elastase effectively determines neutrophil activity, yet gives no insight into macrophage activity. Neopterin, a molecule released from activated macrophages, may be a useful marker for macrophage activity in the male reproductive tract. To examine this possibility a total of 63 asymptomatic subjects with male factor infertility and 11 fertile controls provided semen samples for measurement of various inflammatory markers. We were able to confirm for the first time that seminal plasma does indeed contain neopterin and that the levels of this macrophage activity marker are threefold higher in infertile than fertile men. Furthermore, seminal plasma neopterin concentration was significantly correlated with sperm oxidative stress, DNA fragmentation (TUNEL) and apoptosis (Annexin V), making it a useful marker of sperm quality. By contrast, seminal plasma elastase showed no correlation with any marker of sperm quality.


Recent Research has emphasized the gap between the history of ancient Israel and the stories told about Israel in the Hebrew Bible. Should a theological interpretation of the Hebrew Bible ignore these contradictions between biblical texts and historical reality and read the texts in a metaphoric or paradigmatic fashion? Or should it critically evaluate the theological conceptions developed in the biblical texts in view of the reality they are referring to? This paper argues for the second approach which is consistent not only with our contemporary worldview but also with important biblical traditions of a critical theology.


As organisations around the world have embraced the Internet and e-Commerce, so too have commercial criminals. e-Fraud is a multi-billion dollar threat to organisations, and like any other crime, these e-Crimes should be brought to justice. The process of gathering electronic evidence of an e-Fraud is known as forensic computing. This paper addresses the issues that law enforcement, private forensic specialists, network administrators, and eBusinesses face when attempting to prosecute e-Crimes. Through a research forum focus group these issues were identified and prioritized so that the computer forensic community can then identify the existing strengths, weaknesses and threats, and thereby introduce a strategy that allocates scarce resources and skills to the most needed areas.


Mangaia hosts the most radiogenic Pb‐isotopic compositions observed in ocean island basalts and represents the HIMU (high µ = 238U/204Pb) mantle end‐member, thought to result from recycled oceanic crust. Complete geochemical characterization of the HIMU mantle end‐member has been inhibited due to a lack of deep submarine glass samples from HIMU localities. We homogenized olivine‐hosted melt inclusions separated from Mangaia lavas and the resulting glassy inclusions made possible the first volatile abundances to be obtained from the HIMU mantle end‐member. We also report major and trace element abundances and Pb‐isotopic ratios on the inclusions, which have HIMU isotopic fingerprints. We evaluate the samples for processes that could modify the volatile and trace element abundances postmantle melting, including diffusive Fe and H2O loss, degassing, and assimilation. H2O/Ce ratios vary from 119 to 245 in the most pristine Mangaia inclusions; excluding an inclusion that shows evidence for assimilation, the primary magmatic H2O/Ce ratios vary up to ∼200, and are consistent with significant dehydration of oceanic crust during subduction and long‐term storage in the mantle. CO2 concentrations range up to 2346 ppm CO2 in the inclusions. Relatively high CO2 in the inclusions, combined with previous observations of carbonate blebs in other Mangaia melt inclusions, highlight the importance of CO2 for the generation of the HIMU mantle. F/Nd ratios in the inclusions (30 ± 9; 2σ standard deviation) are higher than the canonical ratio observed in oceanic lavas, and Cl/K ratios (0.079 ± 0.028) fall in the range of pristine mantle (0.02–0.08).


Two-phase horizontal gravity separators are widely used in the petroleum industry. Design of these separators are based on empirical correlations and the design approach is described by the international standard API12J (American Petroleum Institute). Other literature provides different design approaches for defining the length and diameter of separator. However, there is no clear described method to determine the position of diverter neither in literature nor in API standards. In this study, the main sizes of a separator were determined for a specific oilgas mixture using the empirical correlations from API and literature. To analyze the effects of the position of the diverter and perforated plates on the separation efficiency; two-phase flow simulations were conducted using CFD software ANSYS CFX. The CFD simulations were carried out for two different diverter plate distances from the inlet. The diverter plate was located 100 mm and 170 mm from the inlet. Additionally, simulation was also performed with perforated baffle plates when the diverter plate is positioned 170 mm from the inlet. To estimate the effects of these different configurations on separation efficiency, the CFD simulations results were compared. It has been observed that perforated plates and position of the inlet diverter affect the separation efficiency. When the inlet diverter is located 100 mm from the inlet, the separation efficiency of 98.5% is obtained. When the inlet diverter is located at a distance 170 mm from the inlet, the separation efficiency increases


In this thesis we develop rigorous theoretical models for the simulation of the iron
sulfides mackinawite, greigite and cubic FeS using both ab initio and interatomic
potential methods.
The mineral mackinawite (tetragonal FeS) takes a layered PbO-type structure,
with Fe atoms coordinated tetrahedrally to S ligands. We have used GGA+U
calculations to show that the inter-layer interaction is very difficult to accurately
describe using this form of DFT, and instead a single-layer formulism is developed
which allows the modelling of the electronic and magnetic properties of a single layer
of mackinawite. These results are used to derive an interatomic potential to
investigate the surfaces of this phase, and we use the calculated surface energies to
successfully reproduce the observed crystal morphology of mackinawite. The effect of
impurity atoms in the interlayer sites is investigated, and it is found that these
contribute considerably to the stabilisation of the mackinawite structure.
Greigite (Fe3S4) is the iron sulfide analogue of the famous iron oxide
magnetite. We use spin-polarised GGA+U calculations to model the magnetic and
electronic structure of greigite, and this phase is found to be most accurately described
using an applied Ueff value of 1 eV. Further calculations show that a Verwey-type low
temperature transition in greigite is energetically unfavourable.
Cubic FeS takes the cubic sphalerite structure at room temperature. A low
temperature transition to an antiferromagnetic orthorhombic structure has been
observed experimentally. GGA+U calculations demonstrate that applying a value for
the Hubbard Ueff parameter of 2 eV provides an excellent description of both the lowand
high-temperature structures. It is found that the previously derived potential for mackinawite predicts the cubic FeS structure as well as non-spin-polarised GGA.
The work described in this thesis has provided a greater understanding of the
electronic, magnetic and structural properties of these iron sulfides.


Japanese pubs, called izakaya, are attracting growing attention in Japan and overseas. As a matter of fact, a recent article in The New York Times claimed that the izakaya is starting to shove the sushi bar off its pedestal. While Japan has many guidebooks and cookbooks, this is the first publication in English to delve into every aspect of a unique and vital cornerstone of Japanese food culture. A venue for socializing and an increasingly innovative culinary influence, the izakaya serves mouth-watering and inexpensive small-plate cooking, along with free-flowing drinks. Readers of this essential book will be guided through the different styles of establishments and recipes that make izakaya such relaxing and appealing destinations. At the same time, they will learn to cook many delicious standards and specialties, and discover how to design a meal as the evening progresses. Eight Tokyo pubs are introduced, ranging from those that serve the traditional Japanese comfort foods such as yakitori (barbequed chicken), to those offering highly innovative creations. Some of them have long histories; some are more recent players on the scene. All are quite familiar to the author, who has chosen them for the variety they represent: from the most venerated downtown pub to the new-style standing bar with French-influenced menu. Mark Robinson includes knowledgeable text on the social and cultural etiquette of visiting izakaya, so the book can used as a guide to entering the potentially daunting world of the pub. Besides the 60 detailed recipes, he also offers descriptions of Japanese ingredients and spices, a guide to the wide varieties of sake and other alcoholic drinks that are served, how-to advice on menu ordering, and much more. For the home chef, the hungry gourmet, the food professional, this is more than a cookbook. It is a unique peek at an important and exciting dining and cultural phenomenon.


【This paper presents a wafer pre-alignment system which is improved using the image of the entire wafer area. In the previous method, image acquisition for wafer takes about 80% of total pre-alignment time. The proposed system uses only one image of entire wafer area via a high-resolution CMOS camera, and so image acquisition accounts for nearly 1% of total process time. The larger FOV(field of view) to use the image of the entire wafer area worsen camera lens distortion. A camera calibration using high order polynomials is used for accurate lens distortion correction. And template matching is used to find a correct notch's position. The performance of the proposed system was demonstrated by experiments of wafer center alignment and notch alignment.】


Great efforts are undertaken to develop biofuel-based microalgae biomass as replacements to non-renewable fossil fuels. According to the European directive on Renewable Energy (2009/28/EC) (RED, 2009), special emphasis should be placed on the production of renewable energy by stating that 10% of energy in transport should be renewable by 2020. Out of the possible energy forms, biogas production is envisaged as a feasible route to sustainable energy production. Biogas production has strong potential over other energy forms since its needs less concentrated biomass and no macromolecular extraction. However, due to the hard cell wall and low C/N ratio of microalgae biomass, its practical application is prevented by the low biogas yields obtained. Several possibilities for overcoming those limitations were investigated in this Doctoral Thesis in order to enhance microalgae anaerobic biodegradability. Even though some strains exhibit no cell wall, strains with hard cell wall prevail in outdoor culture conditions. Thus, strains possessing rigid cell walls are resistant to anaerobic digestion and the application of suitable pretreatments are highly required.
In this Doctoral Thesis, autohydrolysis and biological pretreatments have been applied in different microalgae biomass (namely, Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus sp. and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii). The pretreatments were evaluated with regard to organic matter, protein, carbohydrate solubilisation as well as methane production enhancement. Autohydrolysis induced by low temperature application resulted in low organic matter solubilisation (6-16%) and low carbohydrates solubilisation (15-31%) and accordingly, methane production was enhanced to minor extent with C. vulgaris biomass (only 10% higher compared to raw biomass, 127 mL CH4 g COD in-1) or even negligible in the case of Scenedesmus biomass. In this context, it was concluded that autohydrolysis was unable to break down efficiently the complex cell wall of microalgae biomass and alternative approaches were studied to maximize biomass hydrolysis efficiency and justify the pretreatments costs.
Since carbohydrates have been traditionally recognized as the polymers responsible for the low microalgae digestibility and microalgae biomass exhibit typically a high protein content, microalgae biomass was subjected to two groups of biocatalysts, namely carbohydrases and proteases for microalgae hydrolysis prior to anaerobic digestion. Out of the several carbohydrases tested (Pectinase, Viscozyme and Celluclast), Viscozyme addition resulted in the highest carbohydrates solubilisation (85%, 96% and 36% with C. vulgaris, C. reinhardtii and Scenedesmus sp., respectively). Despite of the high carbohydrates solubisation, the increase on methane yield was low (14-16% with C. vulgaris and Scenedesmus sp. and negligible with C. reinhardtii).
In the case of C. reinhardtii biomass, the application of biocatalysts did not report significant enhancement since the raw biomass was already easily digestible (263 mL CH4 g COD in-1). Even though different microalgae biomass used herein exhibited different cell wall composition and/or different macromolecular distribution, protease addition resulted in highest organic matter solubilisation (47-57%) and highest methane yield (1.5-1.7-fold higher compared to raw biomass) for two of the most robust microalgae biomass, namely C. vulgaris and Scenedesmus sp. Carbohydrases and protease were also combined to verify potential synergetic effect on biomass hydrolysis but the results showed methane yield enhancement similar to that attained with protease pretreated biomass.
Different experiments were conducted in order to optimize protease hydrolysis of C. vulgaris biomass. The attempt of decreasing the enzymatic dosages (from 0.585 down to 0.146 AU g DW-1) diminished hydrolysis efficiency (from 50 to 41% in COD terms) concomitantly with a decreased methane yield enhancement (from 256 down to 224 mL CH4 g COD in-1). The best result was achieved with protease dosage at 0.585 AU g DW-1 by enhancing methane yield 1.73-fold. Additionally, increasing biomass loads from 16 up to 65 g L-1 did not affect markedly the hydrolysis efficiency (51%) nor methane yield enhancement (1.55-fold) when using protease dosage of 0.585 AU g DW-1.
Since the proteolytic enzyme gave promising results in batch mode anaerobic digestion, further investigation using this biocatalyst as pretreatment of C. vulgaris was assessed in semicontinuously fed reactors (CSTR). The CSTR was operated at organic loading rate (OLR) of 1.5 g COD L-1 d-1 and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 20 days. In contrast to that attained in batch anaerobic digestion, feeding the CSTR with protease pretreated biomass showed volatile fatty acids (VFA) accumulation as a result of ammonium inhibition (1.9 g N-NH4+ L-1). Therefore, a stepwise reduction in methane production rate and yield was observed throughout the digestion time. To overcome this issue, the protein content of microalgae biomass was reduced by cultivating the microalgae under nutrients limited conditions (wastewater was used a sole nutrient source). More specifically, C. vulgaris protein content decreased from 65% to 33% (VSS basis). In response to that macromolecular profile change, no VFAs accumulation nor ammonium inhibition were registered in the CSTR fed with carbohydrate-rich C. vulgaris and a steady methane production rate was displayed along digestion. In addition, this carbohydrate rich biomass was also pretreated by using carbohydrases and fed to the CSTR, nevertheless, the results evidenced an increase in methane yield (3-fold compared to raw biomass 25 mL CH4 g COD in-1) but still lower than the enhancement attained with protease pretreated biomass (5-fold). Once circumvented the high ammonium concentration in the digesters and attained a stable methane production with protease pretreated carbohydrate-rich C. vulgaris biomass, the OLR was doubled (3 Kg COD m-3 day-1) and the HRT shortened (15 days) to verify anaerobic digestion stability. The data obtained in the later experimental conditions denoted not only the same stability but even higher methane production was achieved (6.3- fold higher methane yield compared to raw biomass).
Overall, this Thesis highlights the crucial role of microalgae proteins on their anaerobic digestion. Biomass protein content in C. vulgaris and Scenedesmus sp. hampered the anaerobic digestion in two ways, firstly as a polymer embedded in microalgae cell wall decreasing the access of anaerobes for degradation and secondly, by causing methanogens inhibition due to the high ammonium concentration reached in the anaerobic digester when feeding protease pretreated biomass. The possible solutions (pretreatment with proteases and enrichment of biomass in carbohydrate fraction) to overcome the negative effects of high protein content of this microalgae biomass were deeply discussed and evaluated throughout the Thesis.


This thesis is concerned with the adsorption behaviour of adsorbate molecules upon activated carbon. Limitations in bulk gravimetric measurements mean that the mechanism of adsorption for adsorbates upon carbonaceous materials is poorly characterised. The information obtained from NMR experiments performed upon the adsorbate molecules is applied to provide additional understanding of the adsorption process. A systematic study of a phosphate/phosphonate - adsorbent system is performed, and a theoretical basis for the results observed is discussed in terms of molecular mobility and the penetration of molecules into pores of differing sizes. Calculated pore volumes obtained from NMR data are discussed. It is demonstrated that phosphate and phosphonate molecules adsorb initially within larger pores at the surface of the adsorbent and subsequently progress deeper within the porous volume. The effects of magic-angle spinning and proton decoupling upon the adsorbate spectra obtained are also addressed. Relaxation measurements are used to study the motional freedom of adsorbed molecules and the measurements provide further corroboration to the interpretation of spectra expounded. The study is then extended to analyse the adsorption of adsorbate molecules upon carbon adsorbents with other adsorbate molecules pre-adsorbed. Analysis of spectra provides information upon the movement of both the primarily adsorbed material and secondary adsorbate within the pore volume. Preferential adsorption of phosphate molecules over water molecules is demonstrated. Finally, dynamic NMR techniques are used to characterise the exchange of adsorbate within the porous volume with excess adsorbate upon the exterior of the carbon adsorbent.


Commitment devices offer an opportunity to restrict future choices. However, if severe restrictions deter participation, weaker restrictions may be a more effective means of changing behavior. We test this using a school-based commitment savings device for educational expenses in Uganda. We compare an account fully-committed to educational expenses to an account in which savings are available for cash withdrawal but intended for educational expenses. The weaker commitment generates increased savings in the program accounts and when combined with a parent outreach program, higher expenditures on educational supplies. It also increases scores on an exam covering language and math skills by 0.14 standard deviations. We find no effect for the fully-committed account, and we find no effect for either account on attendance, enrollment, or non-cognitive skills.


Depression constitutes a serious challenge in personal and public health. Tens of millions of people each year suffer from depression and only a fraction receives treatment (de Choudhury, 2013). Stress and depression drains one of the feel-good factors essential to sustain the energy that gives the impetuous to hope and move forward. Depression in women is made more complex because of factors such as reproductive hormones and social pressures. Social media platforms make the way to connect with the public, disseminating helpful information, and establishing control over their online presence. The study analyzes the stress and depression of women-related information on the select pages of Facebook and videos of YouTube. Social Norms Theory and Agenda Setting Theory are employed as theoretical frameworks. Content analysis of Facebook pages and YouTube videos which deal with stress- and depression-related information related to women were undertaken to measure the type and content of messages. The key findings of the study are as follows: Majority of the social media users suggested traditional methods such as physical exercise and yoga to overcome stress and depression; In YouTube, reality videos were mostly used followed by demonstration, testimonial and animation formats: and social media sets the agenda for women with regard to responses to stress and depression, and helps reinforce and redefine social norms amidst patriarchy.

 Key words: Facebook, YouTube, stress, depression, social media, women.


Measurements studies show that there exist large spatial and temporal fluctuations in the traffic load handled by different access points in Wireless LANs. In order to alleviate this problem, researchers have proposed various load-balancing techniques based for instance on channel assignment, power control, or client allocation. Fundamentally, however, assigning each AP the same amount of bandwidth (one channel) can inevitably lead to inefficient usage of the spectrum. In this work, we address the problem by adaptively tuning a radio parameter that has so far been largely untouched in Wireless LAN networks: the channel-width. Particularly, we show that a significant improvement in network capacity and per-client fairness can be achieved if the channel-widths at different APs are made a function of the traffic load. We propose the use of dynamic-width channels, where every AP adjusts its center-frequency and channel width to match its current traffic load. Our techniques are made possible by recent advances in radio hardware design and do not require changes in current hardware. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our scheme through analysis and simulations using real-world scenarios.


This thesis presents the results of a multi-proxy analysis of two sediment cores recovered from within the Indian-Atlantic Ocean Gateway (I-AOG). The main focus of this study was on sediment core MD02-2588 which was recovered from the southern Agulhas Plateau. This core was used to produce reconstructions of the paleoceanographic variability of the deep and surface ocean during the past 150 kyr BP. Preliminary paleoceanographic records spanning the past 50 kyr BP are also presented from sediment core CD154-23-16P, recovered off southern Africa.

To reconstruct the history of mid-depth ocean circulation on the southern Agulhas Plateau during the past 150 kyr BP, a range of physical and chemical bottom water parameters were derived from the stable isotope, elemental ratio and grain size data from core MD02-2588. These data suggest that, during glacial stages, the southern Agulhas Plateau and the wider mid-depth South Atlantic Ocean came under increased influence of southern-sourced deep waters and experienced an increase in the storage of respired carbon, as CO2 was sequestered from the glacial atmosphere. The associated decrease in the relative volume of northern-sourced deep waters bathing the MD02-2588 core site appears to be counterbalanced by the lower nutrient content of northern-sourced water masses during glacial stages resulting in an overall reduction of nutrient concentrations in the mid-depth South Atlantic. The glacial lowering of seawater nutrient concentration in the mid-depth South Atlantic was possibly also affected by an increase in the formation of lower-nutrient mid-depth waters by open ocean convection in polynyas within the expanded circum-Antarctic sea ice zone. During glacial terminations, mid-depth nutrient concentrations within the I-AOG reach their highest values of the past 150 kyr BP. These increases are interpreted as resulting from the upward mixing of nutrient-rich bottom waters from the deepest and most isolated layers in the Southern Ocean following the deglacial breakdown of stratification in the ocean interior. The increases in mid-depth nutrient concentration recorded during deglaciations occur in tandem with increases in the bottom water carbonate saturation state on the southern Agulhas Plateau and increases of pCO2 in Antarctic ice cores. The covariation of these parameters supports the premise of increased out-gassing of carbon from the deep Southern Ocean during deglaciations.

This thesis also examines how the position of the subtropical front (STF) within the I-AOG migrated over the past 150 ky BP and considers how these changes may have impacted the nutrient supply to the surface waters of the southern Agulhas Plateau. The record of bulk sediment nitrogen isotope composition (δ15NBulk) from sediment core MD02-2588 suggests that the northward migration of the STF during glacials is associated with increases in nutrient supply relative to interglacial levels. Enhanced nutrient supply to the surface waters of the southern Agulhas Plateau is thought to be caused by increased northward advection of relatively nutrient-rich Subantarctic surface waters to the MD02-2588 core site, along with weaker upper ocean stratification which facilitated vertical mixing of nutrients from the thermocline. The likeness of the δ15NBulk record from MD02-2588 with analogous records from the eastern equatorial Pacific may suggest that the temporal variability of the isotopic composition of ocean nitrate within these two regions is linked on glacial-interglacial timescales, possibly as a consequence of changes in the position of the Southern Ocean fronts.

New data from a set of core-top samples collected around New Zealand were used to assess the utility of the deep-dwelling planktonic foraminifera species Globorotalia truncatulinoides as a recorder of the isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic carbon in seawater. The downcore record of carbon isotopes in this planktonic foraminifera from MD02-2588 displays a correlation with the Antarctic ice core records of the isotopic composition of carbon in the atmosphere during the past 150 kyr BP. The correlation of these records demonstrates the importance of carbon transfer between the Southern Ocean and the atmosphere.

Preliminary results of the bulk elemental composition and foraminiferal stable isotope records spanning the past 50 kyr BP are presented from sediment core CD154-23-16P, recovered from the Mallory Seamount off southern Africa. These records are used to reconstruct the terrestrial hydroclimate of southeastern Africa and the hydrography of the Agulhas Current.


Background: Lyme disease, an infection caused by Borrelia(B.) burgdorferi, has been reported in many countries. But in Korea, only 5 cases of serologically diagnosed lyme disease have been reported. Because several strains of B. burgdorferi were isolated from Ixodes ticks which were captured in Kangwon and Chungbuk province, there might be more cases of serologically undiagnosed lyme diseases presenting with erythema migrans. Objective: To understand the clinical patterns and laboratory findings of erythema migrans in Korea. Methods: A clinical survey was retrospectively performed on 9 patients with erythema migrans which occurred after tick bites. Results: Among 9 patients with erythema migrans, 3 patients were male and 6 patients were female. The onset age of erythema migrans ranged from 26 to 71 years old (mean, 51.3 years old). The mean duration of erythema migrans after tick bite was 26.4 days and the diameter of the lesion ranged from 6 to 34 cm (mean, 18.3 cm). All cases developed from May to September and systemic symptoms such as fatigue, fever and/or chills, myalgia, palpitation, headache, arthralgia and dyspnea were present at the time of hospital visits of 3 patients. Clinically, 3 patterns of erythema migrans were seen; typical target pattern, homogenous and erythematous plaque pattern, and linear solitary plaque pattern with central postinflammatory pigmentation. Only 2 of the 7 patients (28.6%) were seropositive for IgM and IgG antibody titers by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in consecutive serologic tests. PCR for Borrelia DNA in paraffin-embedded tissue showed full negativity in 6 patients with erythema migrans. Conclusion: Although lyme disease is not endemic in Korea, some patients with erythema migrans might be undiagnosed as lyme disease serologically with erythema migrans. To take into consideration false negative serelogic results in early erythema migrans, early oral tetracycline therapy should be included through clinical and historical diagnosis. (Korean J Dermatol 2008;46(5):596∼603)


A novel series of thiadiazole derivatives were designed and synthesized for evaluation as selective COX-2 inhibitors in vitro and were investigated in vivo as anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents against carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema model in irradiated rats, since it is well-known that ionizing radiation plays an important role in exaggerating the inflammatory responses in experimental animals. Ulcerogenic activity and acute toxicity were evaluated for the most potent compounds. In order to understand the binding mode of the synthesized compounds into the active site of the COX-2 enzyme, a docking study was performed. Most of the tested compounds showed high inhibitory ability against COX-2. Among them, thiadiazole derivatives bearing sulfonamide moieties, 7b, c and 13c, e, were the most potent COX-2 inhibitors, with extremely high selectivity indices (SI) compared to celecoxib; they showed high safety margins on gastric mucosa with no ulceration effects, and they were found to be non-toxic in experimental rats. The docking study showed a similar orientation of these compounds to that of celecoxib within the active site of the COX-2 enzyme, and a similar ability to immerge deeply into the additional pocket and bind with Arg513 and His90, the key amino acids responsible for selectivity.


A 20 kW reciprocating engine is operated using producer gas derived from a modern open top downdraft re-burn biomass gasifier that has been evaluated by rigorous laboratory performance testing over several hundred hours. The engine is operated at varying compression ratio (CR) from 11.5 to 17.0 and ignition timings from 30 to 6° before Top Centre (TC). The engine – alternator system is characterised for its performance by the simultaneous measurement of gas and airflow rates, gas composition (on-line), emission levels and power delivered. It is also instrumented to obtain the in-cylinder behaviour in the form of pressure-crank angle (p – θ) diagram to assess the thermodynamic behaviour of the engine. Three-dimensional (3-D) simulation of the flow field in the combustion chamber (involving piston-bowl arrangement) through the cycle up to the start of the combustion is used to obtain inputs on the turbulence intensity (u′) and length scale (l T ) for the modelling of the flame propagation process in a zero-dimensional model (0-D) designed to predict the p – θ curve. The flame propagation and heat release processes make use of eddy entrainment and laminar burn-up model. The data on u′ extracted from the 3-D flow calculations match reasonably well with experiments till compression stroke but are in contradiction with trends close to TC. This is reasoned to be due to limitation of the k-e model to capture transient effects due to reverse squish phenomenon. The 0-D model took into account the experimental behaviour of the u′ in the post-TC period to attempt to match the observed p – θ data over a range of CRs and ignition timing advances. While these predictions match well with the experimental data at advanced ignition timing at both higher and lower CRs, the peak pressure is under-predicted at lower ignition advances; reason are traced to increase in flame area and propagation speed due to reverse squish effect. When these are accounted in the model, the p – θ curves are predicted better.© 2002 ASME


How do Americans view environmental issues? From EarthFirst! members to sawmill workers, this study by a team of cognitive anthropologists offers both good and bad news for those addressing environmental issues in the public arena. On the one hand it reveals surprising similarities in the way different groups of Americans view long-term global environmental change, and on the other it shows that Americans have serious misunderstandings about these issues, which skews public support for policies.Using research techniques developed in the study of other cultures, Environmental Values in American Culture explores the reasons for the recent increase in environmental sentiments among Americans, and shows that current views attributing public environmentalism to a single cause are greatly oversimplified. It investigates the components of public environmentalism: beliefs (what people think the world is like), values (what is moral or desirable), and cultural models (the organization of beliefs or values into explanations or justifications).The authors document how scientific information on such issues as global warming, ozone depletion, and species extinctions is interpreted and transformed by the public, and how underlying beliefs and values influence preferences for or against environmental policies. The interviews with and surveys of groups such as EarthFirst!, Sierra Club members, the general public, congressional staff, coal miners, and sawmill workers yield rich insights about how people conceptualize - and misconceptualize - major environmental issues. They also reveal public beliefs and values that differ sharply from those of environmental scientists and economists, identify what is shared by Americans and what is idiosyncratic to extreme groups, and show that religious and spiritual values concerning the environment and concerns for one's descendants are as important as economic tradeoffs.


Dynamic soaring is a cyclic manoeuvre practiced by RC glider pilots and marine avian species which utilises wind gradients on the leeward side of geophysical features to increase flight speed. The technique has been characterized by extraordinary lift during the climbing phase and tremendous gain of speed during the descent phase of the manoeuvres. The phenomenon experienced by these aircraft with laminar flow airfoils has previously been falsely attributed to the conservation of energy within each cycle. Many manoeuvre optimisation techniques have been developed based on that assumption as well as other simplifying assumptions. However, that theory fails to explain the increase in speed with every revolution. Additionally there has been no experimental aerodynamic verification of the heuristics, lift and drag forces experienced during dynamic soaring maneuvers. This paper presents the preliminary results of wind tunnel tests of a laminar flow airfoil within a uniform boundary layer, or wind gradient for a fixed geophysical feature geometry. Parameters varied are angle of attack and free flow Reynolds number. The lift enhancement results obtained disprove the theory that dynamic soaring is only due to potential to kinetic energy exchange without any total increase in flight speed per cycle. However, the phenomenon is observed consistently in only a specific range of Reynolds number and angle of attack combinations. Outside these ranges, the performance of the aircraft is normal and speed gains are not exhibited. The novelty of this paper is that it specifically studies the aerodynamics in question experimentally rather than numerically or theoretically. It presents preliminary results of that study. Future work involves the experimental flow visualization, drag reduction studies and the impact of the contour of the geophysical feature which forms the wind gradient. Only after that can a complete optimization for dynamic soaring maneuvers be carried out.


Advertising and other forms of communications are often used by government bodies, non-government organisations, and other institutions to try to influence the population to either a) reduce some form of harmful behaviour (e.g. smoking, drunk- driving) or b) increase some more healthy behaviour (e.g. eating healthily). It is common for these messages to be predicated on the chances of some negative event occurring if the individual does not either a) stop the harmful behaviour, or b) start / increase the healthy behaviour. This design of communication is referred to by many names in the relevant literature, but for the purposes of this thesis, will be termed a 'threat appeal'. Despite their widespread use in the public sphere, and concerted academic interest since the 1950s, the effectiveness of threat appeals in delivering their objective remains unclear in many ways. In a detailed, chronological and thematic examination of the literature, two assumptions are uncovered that have either been upheld despite little evidence to support them, or received limited attention at all, in the literature. Specifically, a) that threat appeal characteristics can be conflated with their intended responses, and b) that a threat appeal always and necessarily evokes a fear response in the subject. A detailed examination of these assumptions underpins this thesis. The intention is to take as a point of departure the equivocality of empirical results, and deliver a novel approach with the objective of reducing the confusion that is evident in existing work. More specifically, the present thesis frames cognitive and emotional responses to threat appeals as part of a decision about future behaviour. To further develop theory, a conceptual framework is presented that outlines the role of anticipated and anticipatory emotions, alongside subjective probabilities, elaboration and immediate visceral emotions, resultant from manipulation of the intrinsic message characteristics of a threat appeal (namely, message direction, message frame and graphic image). In doing so, the spectrum of relevant literature is surveyed, and used to develop a theoretical model which serves to integrate key strands of theory into a coherent model. In particular, the emotional and cognitive responses to the threat appeal manipulations are hypothesised to influence behaviour intentions and expectations pertaining to future behaviour. Using data from a randomised experiment with a sample of 681 participants, the conceptual model was tested using analysis of covariance. The results for the conceptual framework were encouraging overall, and also with regard to the individual hypotheses. In particular, empirical results showed clearly that emotional responses to the intrinsic message characteristics are not restricted to fear, and that different responses to threat appeals were clearly attributed to specific intrinsic message characteristics. In addition, the inclusion of anticipated emotions alongside cognitive appraisals in the framework generated interesting results. Specifically, immediate emotions did not influence key response variables related to future behaviour, in support of questioning the assumption of the prominent role of fear in the response process that is so prevalent in existing literature. The findings, theoretical and practical implications, limitations and directions for future research are discussed.


Background: Traditional intraoperative referencing for total ankle replacements (TARs) involves multiple steps and fluoroscopic guidance to determine mechanical alignment. Recent adoption of patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) allows for referencing to be determined preoperatively, resulting in less steps and potentially decreased operative time. We hypothesized that usage of PSI would result in decreased operating room time that would offset the additional cost of PSI compared with standard referencing (SR). In addition, we aimed to compare postoperative radiographic alignment between PSI and SR. Methods: Between August 2014 and September 2015, 87 patients undergoing TAR were enrolled in a prospectively collected TAR database. Patients were divided into cohorts based on PSI vs SR, and operative times were reviewed. Radiographic alignment parameters were retrospectively measured at 6 weeks postoperatively. Time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) was used to derive direct costs. Cost vs operative time-savings were examined via 2-way sensitivity analysis to determine cost-saving thresholds for PSI applicable to a range of institution types. Cost-saving thresholds defined the price of PSI below which PSI would be cost-saving. A total of 35 PSI and 52 SR cases were evaluated with no significant differences identified in patient characteristics. Results: Operative time from incision to completion of casting in cases without adjunct procedures was 127 minutes with PSI and 161 minutes with SR (P < .05). PSI demonstrated similar postoperative accuracy to SR in coronal tibial-plafond alignment (1.1 vs 0.3 degrees varus, P = .06), tibial-plafond alignment (0.3 ± 2.1 vs 1.1 ± 2.1 degrees varus, P = .06), and tibial component sagittal alignment (0.7 vs 0.9 degrees plantarflexion, P = .14). The TDABC method estimated a PSI cost-savings threshold range at our institution of $863 below which PSI pricing would provide net cost-savings. Two-way sensitivity analysis generated a globally applicable cost-savings threshold model based on institution-specific costs and surgeon-specific time-savings. Conclusions: This study demonstrated equivalent postoperative TAR alignment with PSI and SR referencing systems but with a significant decrease in operative time with PSI. Based on TDABC and associated sensitivity analysis, a cost-savings threshold of $863 was identified for PSI pricing at our institution below which PSI was less costly than SR. Similar internal cost accounting may benefit health care systems for identifying cost drivers and obtaining leverage during price negotiations. Level of Evidence: Level III, therapeutic study.


Land surface shortwave albedo plays a central role in global and regional climate modeling. In this study, we analyzed the land surface shortwave broadband albedo from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) from 2000 to 2008. The statistical results are obtained using MODIS Collection 5 land surface albedo (MCD43C3), land cover (MOD12C1) datasets, and Global Energy and Water-cycle Experiment (GEWEX) surface radiation data. The results include all nine-year shortwave Black-Sky albedo (BSA) and White-Sky albedo (WSA) variability for global, Northern Hemisphere (NH), Southern Hemisphere (SH), and 15 International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP) ecosystem surface types; each has a discernible signature. We also compared spatial and temporal variations of MODIS albedos with other datasets: International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP), 21 Global Circulation Models (GCMs)-which were used in the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-AR4)-and GEWEX albedos. The comparison results show that most GCM-simulated albedos are lower than the remotely sensed MODIS data. The MODIS-based global average land surface albedo is 0.24, and has its peak value in the winter and lowest in summer. Comparison of global albedo anomalies from MODIS shows a small decrease of ~ 0.01 during these years in the Northern Hemisphere (NH), and increases of ~ 0.01 in the Southern Hemisphere (SH). Moreover, the map of the nine-year global MODIS albedo, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) variation trends, are correlated in this paper. We also summarize global and zonal albedos for different IGBP land surface classes, and present the global and zonal albedos under both snow-covered and snow-free conditions.


The "erosion of sovereignty" that is said to characterize globalization is not generally associated with any deviation from the fundamental principle that states must freely consent before they can be said to be bound by any international agreement. With few exceptions, as with respect to Iraq in the wake of the Gulf War, states are rarely told that they must adhere to any particular treaty-despite emerging notions of "global governance." The initiation and conclusion of modern treaties is still generally seen as the affirmation of sovereignty, rather than its diminution. Modern treaties, the only source of international obligation said to emerge from conscious attempts to make law and still requiring the unambiguous, genuine consent of states, remain the embodiment of sovereignty as classically understood. This Article challenges this view by examining how international organizations have altered the methods by which treaty negotiations are initiated as well as the final results achieved through such negotiations. If state sovereignty has been "eroded" or transformed in the wake of World War II, the new forms of treaty making and the new treaty makers are part of that story.


The article analyzes the subject of moral rights of employees. The article analyzes the approach currently used in the Anglo-American approach, which differs from the approach followed in France and Germany. As opposed to the law in France and Germany, which provides strong legal protection for moral rights in general, including those of employees, in the United States the law negates employees moral rights while in England moral rights of employees are limited. On the basis of this approach, Israel, for example, often does not recognize the moral rights of employees in practice even though the language of past and present copyright laws that allow granting moral rights to employees. These conclusions are consistent with judicial rulings in Israel on the subject. The article criticizes the practical negation of employees' (creators and inventors) moral rights. The research proposals, for the first time, a new interpretation of the corpus of moral rights, which is different from the accepted interpretation in the various legal systems. According to our proposal, considering the complexity and uniqueness of labor relations – out of all the personal-moral rights comprising this corpus – the employee is entitled to a particularly strong attribution, which cannot be waived, and other "weaker" personal-moral rights. The right of attribution will obligate both the employer and third parties. The classical approach that justifies the attribution rights of creators are based on theories of the relationship between the creator and his personhood. This research presents a less common position that acknowledges economic justifications for granting the right of attribution (as a moral right) to employees from the perspective of the employee, the employer and the public. These include compensation for the monetary value of the attributed right, the motivational value of the right, attribution as a way of assigning responsibility (the disciplinary impact of the right), attribution as a way to create branding for products, attribution as a measure of quality, attribution as a way to humanize the employer's IP products, attribution as the source of information about employees in relevant fields, attribution as a way to prevent deception and the educational value of the attribution of rights. Implementation of the model requires dismantling the dichotomous practice with regard to the corpus of moral rights. When considering labor relations, it appears that the right to attribution is a stronger right than the right of completeness. Maintaining the corpus as single cluster might negate its actual implementation for employees, as happens in the Anglo-American countries. The right of attribution ordinarily relates to creations. However, we propose expanding it to patent law and requiring it that patents be registered in the name of the inventor. This registration is practiced in the United States but not in Israel.


In this critical reflective self study I have examined the Family Literacy Project (FLP) to determine the influences that contributed to the development of an approach to family literacy. This study responds to the question What influences contributed to the development of an approach to family literacy relevant to the needs of families in rural KwaZulu Natal? By identifying and exploring and critically reflecting on these influences I provide insights that can inform policy and practice in the adult education and early childhood development sectors in South Africa. The study includes my critical reflections on finding a voice within a self study and how this has contributed towards the development of a methodology. In the process, I have developed a deeper understanding and appreciation of what has been achieved in the FLP during the first eight years under my directorship, and why. In the study, I report on these insights. The FLP project in this study is situated in deeply rural KwaZulu Natal, where the existing extensive knowledge base is almost exclusively oral, and informed by well established insights, understandings and values. In this context, I have examined the roles of families, adult literacy and early childhood development to establish their impact on the development of literacy in families. Through critical reflection, I then identified the principles – active learning, holistic development, community and children"s rights – underpinning the FLP and was able to establish how these impacted on the development and success of the project. I then examined the roles, practices and characteristics of the FLP facilitators, and the experiences of facilitators and those who engaged in the project. I also looked at the roles played by the community, the external evaluators, and the effect of exposure of the project in the public domain through attendance at iv conferences, publication of journal articles, and awards made to the project because of its successes. I conclude the study by suggesting how the insights from the study might provide support for others engaged in such initiatives and indicating how the topic may be further investigated.


Abstract Pratylenchus coffeae is a parasitic nematoda that infected the roots of some plants, one of them is coffee. The Infection of Pratylenchus coffeae cause root tissue damage that led to root lession and make root become rotten, it will interfere the ability of roots to absorb water and nutrients in the soil which resulted in the growth of plants. At the moment, c ontrol of Pratylenchus coffeae are following integrated pests management (IPM) program, which integrated between the use of coffee resistant clone and application of biological agents. Research on biological control was conducted more intensive, at the moment; due to it is friendlier save against environment and cheaper then using chemical nematicides. The research was conducted to know the effects of Micorrhiza Helper Bacteria (MHB ), Pseudomonas diminuta and Bacillus subtilis in suppressing the population of P. coffeae as well as their effect on growth of coffee seedling.  Coffee arabica ( Coffea arabica L .) seedling one moth old were used in the experiment. The experiment prepared with eight treatments and five  replications, as follows: A ( Pseudomonas diminuta with density of 10 8 cfu / ml), B ( Pseudomonas diminuta with density of 2x10 8 cfu / ml), C ( Bacillus subtilis with density of 10 8 cfu / ml ), D ( Bacillus subtilis with density 2x10 8 cfu / ml), E ( C arbofuran nematicide 5 g formulation / pot), F ( Pseudomonas diminuta and Bacillus subtilis with each density of 10 8 cfu / ml), K- ( Nematoda inoculation but without bacteria and nematicide ), K+ ( coffee seedling without any additional treatment ). The experiment was conducted for sixteen weeks or about four months. The results of the experiment showed that application of MHB could suppress population of P. coffeae and increase coffee seedling growth significantly. Inoculation of B. subtilis at 10 8 cfu per seedling suppressed significantly nematoda population of 71.3% compared with untreated seedling but inoculated with nematoda. It was not significant different with carbofuran treatment which could suppress nematoda population by 89.7%. The same result also occur on the treatment of P. diminuta at density level 2.10 8 cfu/seedling, which could suppress nematoda population by 64.2%. Seedling growth were treated with MHB also significantly increase compared with seedling without treatment and inoculation of nematodas, especially on the treatment of B.subtilis at density level 10 8 cfu and P.diminuta at density level of 108 cfu, with increasing level of 35.4% and 34.2 %, respectively. Keywords : MHB (Mycorrhiza Helper Bacteria), Arabica coffee ( Coffea arabica L.), Pratylenchus coffeae, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas diminuta.


Background Oral aversion and feeding disorders occur frequently after long-term feeding via a tube. A rapid home-based tube-weaning programme that provides feeding disorder treatment under medical supervision to overcome oral aversion has been developed. Aims To describe the results of the 4–10-day rapid home-based feeding tube-weaning programme and to determine the prevalence of food aversion and the overall longitudinal effects on feeding behaviour and growth after treatment. Subjects and Methods The parents of children who participated in the programme between 2005 and 2007 were followed up via questionnaire in 2008. The questionnaire included inquiries about the characteristics of tube feeding, feeding behaviour and growth parameters. Results The study group comprised of 18 boys and 21 girls who, at entry, had a median age of 16 months (range, 5−57) and a median duration of tube feeding of 15 months (range, 3−56). The children were followed up for a median of 2 years after treatment (range, 1−3 years). The weaning programme established oral feeding in 89.7% of the children. In all cases where oral feeding was achieved, the feeding behaviour improved after treatment. The growth velocity of all children, as indicated by weight, length and body mass index (BMI), remained constant from the initial evaluation (BMI z-score M=−1.1 ± 1.7) to follow-up (BMI z-score M=−1.2 ± 1.1). Conclusions This rapid weaning programme for children with feeding tube dependency (FTD) improved the feeding behaviour and was associated with constant growth velocity.


The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) governs suits against foreign governments in the federal and state courts. The contempt power is a core judicial competency for maintaining efficiency and enforcing orders. As currently enacted, the FSIA does not prohibit use of the contempt power against foreign governments. However, the Act's structure, the quasi-punitive nature of judicial contempt sanctions and the fact that such sanctions are nearly per se unenforceable under the FSIA's statutory terms render use of this power inconsistent with the constitutional allocation of the foreign affairs powers. Because contempt sanctions cannot be effectively enforced in FSIA cases, they are reduced to judicial statements of disapproval regarding the conduct of a foreign government. Such statements are the province of the executive branch. This Note argues that the contempt power should be restricted under the FSIA and presents three potential methods for achieving this result: judicial abstention, executive statements of interest and legislative restriction. This proposed restriction will help prevent potential foreign policy complications with only a minimal impact on the historical power of the judiciary and the rights of plaintiffs.


Among the results of Russian influence on Czech in the 19th century was the emergence of an active past participle in -(v)si in Czech. Although not welcomed by all grammarians, this participle continued its existence in Czech until today, becoming mainly a device of archaic and bookish style. In the actual work, the occurence oft the active past participle in -(v)si in the largest partial corpus of the Czech National Corpus containing journalistic texts is studied. A main result of the study is that apart from a large number of examples from different verbs which show the active past participle on -(v)si in the studied corpus once or twice and where it is indeed a device of archaic and bookish style, sometimes even of irony and humor, there is a small group of (mainly intransitive) verbs, where this participle functions with considerable frequency in stylistically more neutral contexts of written Standard Czech as the only participle (sometimes as a – stylistically more marked – variant of a more numerous active past participle in -l). In theses cases, it remains overwhelmingly a syntactically unextended direct attribute of a noun. Such active past participle in -(v)si is to be found most often in sports coverage where it is built from a set of verbs with terminological function.


In the fourth book, Sabrina and Daphne's adventures continue in their hometown of New York City as they bring Puck to Faerie to cure the wounds sustained in Book Three. With the help of Granny Relda, Mr. Canis and Sheriff Hamstead, the girls must figure out who killed Puck's father, King Oberon, while navigating the warring factions of Everafters that make their homes in every neighbourhood of New York City, including the pirates of Wall Street, the Yahoos of the Lower East Side and many more. Wherever they go, they learn something new about their mother, who wasn't the sweet, average lady they remember. Their mother's name and the girls' street smarts give them an advantage over their older friends and the Sisters Grimm really come into their own as detectives. If only Sabrina can embrace her Grimm inheritance and give up her dream of being normal.


Recent work using culture-independent methods suggests that the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients harbor a vast array of bacteria not conventionally implicated in CF lung disease. However, sampling lung secretions in living subjects requires that expectorated specimens or collection devices pass through the oropharynx. Thus, contamination could confound results. Here, we compared culture-independent analyses of throat and sputum specimens to samples directly obtained from the lungs at the time of transplantation. We found that CF lungs with advanced disease contained relatively homogenous populations of typical CF pathogens. In contrast, upper-airway specimens from the same subjects contained higher levels of microbial diversity and organisms not typically considered CF pathogens. Furthermore, sputum exhibited day-to-day variation in the abundance of nontypical organisms, even in the absence of clinical changes. These findings suggest that oropharyngeal contamination could limit the accuracy of DNA-based measurements on upper-airway specimens. This work highlights the importance of sampling procedures for microbiome studies and suggests that methods that account for contamination are needed when DNA-based methods are used on clinical specimens.


The research progress and industrial application of chrome-free refractories for RH degasser were introduced in the paper. It is proved that unburned magnesia- spinel refractories used for RH throat and snorkel in Baosteel have longer service life compared with traditional direct bonded fused magnesia- chrome materials. The new developed chrome-free unburned magnesia- spinel composite can fully meet the present demand for RH operation and can be applied extensively for RH processing. At present, instead of chrome-containing materials,chrome-free refractories have been applied widely for RH in Baosteel. Super low carbon Mg O- C material with high mechanical properties at mild and high temperatures can be an alternative chrome-free material for RH.


This work examines the fabrication and thermal analysis of metal-carbon composite fibers prepared via an electrospinning process. The metal-carbon composite fibers of silver, copper, gold, and nickel were prepared by electrospinning of a composite solution of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and metal precursor followed by heat treatment in air, nitrogen to 1000 degrees C and in 6% H2, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) were applied to characterize the metal-carbon fibers. TEM analysis showed a relatively uniform, contact-free distribution of the nanoparticles on the surface of the carbon fibers with size range of 3 nm-10 nm. Thermal analysis data showed an enhancement in the thermal conductivity of the nanomaterials when compared with the model PAN-based carbonized fibers. This was attributed to the incorporation of metal nanoparticles in the fiber matrix and on the surface.


Climate change is impacting on climate dependent activities such as agriculture in Africa and Ghana. The extent of the impact of climate change in agriculture depends on the level of vulnerability or exposure of farmers to these impacts. This study estimates the level of vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate change and variability in northern Ghana using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index highlighting access to, and utilization of water resources. The approach estimates vulnerabilities in terms of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. The data is based on a survey of 320 farm households, complemented with secondary data on rainfall and temperature. Results of the study shows that Northern Region is the most exposed region to climate change and variability. Upper West Region is the most sensitive to climate change and variability especially with regards to water stress; and the Upper East Region has the least adaptive capacity. Northern Region is the most vulnerable in terms of the overall livelihood vulnerability index, followed by the Upper East and Upper West regions.


The study presented in this paper applies the principles of economic evaluation to the allocation of pharmaceutical expenditure among different drugs. The analysis stems from the definition of cost effective drugs and the type of disease under study is cardivascular problems. This sector accounts for 25% of total expenditure, the drugs mostly come in the same format and belongs to group A, i.e. those drugs that are fully paid by the State. The work is structured in three different steps: the first one consists of a review of the literature to compare the effectiveness of the different drug principles, the second step is the comparison of the costs of the different principles and the determination of the cost effective ones. The third step consists of the substitution of the most cost effective one with those used at the moment in order to determine expenditure savings. The work presented here has mainly methodological goals for two main reasons: the studies considered are mainly of American origin and costs are often referred to this context, furthermore for some drugs we could not determine the expenditure due to the limitations imposed on the use of data. In any case the analysis proposed shows that there is scope for this type of analysis.


This paper argues that the roles of theory are diverse and the meanings of theories and concepts are shaped by the contexts in which they are acquired and used. Hence situated learning leads to divergent meanings created by people's divergent work pathways, rather than the convergence assumed in the discourse of 'communities of practice'. Understanding professional work requires both socio-cultural approaches to knowledge creation and the negotiation of what counts as competence and expertise, and individual or group perspectives on the development of knowledge in action. The holistic, context and case dependent, and often tacit nature of professional work can also be represented as an integrated combination of different types of knowledge, each developed over a lifetime learning trajectory. Such knowledge is acquired partly through processes whose prime intention is learning, but mainly through learning as a by-product of working. Thus the relationship between time, conditions and mode of cognition has major ramifications for professional knowledge and the nature of work. This research into the factors affecting learning and their interactions has led to a triangle of Learning Factors and a triangle of Context Factors that influence those learning factors: the corners of both triangles relate to the nature of the work, relationships at work and individual learners. Attached is a pre-publication version of the final paper.


Aseptic processing involves sterilising the product (most meat products being low-acid foods containing particulates) and package separately, and filling under sterile conditions. Advantages include better product quality compared with canned products, lower transport and storage costs compared with frozen products, and virtually no restriction on package size. Problems include ensuring adequate heat penetration into the particles to ensure sterility, preventing separation of particles from the carrier liquid, and retention of particle structure and shape. Particulate foods can be sterilised in scraped-surface heat exchangers. Other methods involve heating the particles separately, and combining them during filling. The effects of aseptic processing on meat product quality (colour, flavour, texture, and mutrition) are outlined in this paper.


For small software systems, with perhaps a few thousand lines of code, software structure is largely an esthetic issue. When software systems grow large, including perhaps a million or more lines of source code, their structures become much more important. Developing a large system requires teams of developers working in concert to provide a finished product in a reasonable amount of time. That means that many people will read each component to use, test or modify towards accomplishing new features. In the software development life cycle, the maintenance phase is a dominant stage that impacts production cost of the system dramatically. This is mainly because, for a successful system, the maintenance phase lasts until the system's retirement and includes crucial operations such as enhancing performance, fixing newly discovered bugs and adopting/expending the software to meet new user requirements. Moreover, a software component may be modified or fixed by someone who is not the original author of that component. In this case, all the operations conducted during maintenance or initial development may lead to insertion of code into a unit that may be unrelated to the original design concept of that unit. As software systems become large and complex they grow too long to read and understand completely by a single person. After their initial implementations, maintenance operations tend to make the system even less maintainable, increasing the time and effort needed for future maintenance. In this research, we are interested in finding ways to successfully detect code defects and propose solutions to increase the overall maintainability of software systems that are larger than any one person can completely comprehend from its code alone. This process of refactoring software impacts the total production cost of the system positively by improving the quality of software code such as its comprehensibility and readability. To reduce the total development cost for a system, we suggest three main re-factorings. These novel forms of refactoring techniques aim to eliminate code defects such as large classes and long methods. The main goal of these re-factorings is to create smaller and cohesive software units with clear intentions to improve the maintainability of software. We provide analysis and visualization tools to help a user identify candidate code fragments to be extracted as separate unites. With these automation tools, developers do not have to manually inspect a foreign code base to detect possible refactoring opportunities. Through the visual representations we provide, one can observe all suggested re-factorings effectively on large scale software systems and decide whether a particular refactoring needs to be applied. To show the effectiveness of our techniques, we also provide some experiments conducted using these tools and techniques both on our own project's source code and other open-source projects. Identifying Extract Class and Extract Method Refactoring Opportunities Through Analysis of Variable Declarations and Uses


Over half of people with dementia live at home. We know little about what home support could be clinically effective or cost-effective in enabling them to live well.

 We aimed to (1) review evidence for components of home support, identify their presence in the literature and in services in England, and develop an appropriate economic model; (2) develop and test a practical memory support package in early-stage dementia, test the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of routine home support in later-stage dementia and design a toolkit based on this evidence; and (3) elicit the preferences of staff, carers and people with dementia for home support inputs and packages, and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of these approaches in early- and later-stage dementia.

 We undertook (1) an evidence synthesis, national surveys on the NHS and social care and an economic review; (2) a multicentre pragmatic randomised trial [Dementia Early Stage Cognitive Aids New Trial (DESCANT)] to estimate the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of providing memory aids and guidance to people with early-stage dementia (the DESCANT intervention), alongside process evaluation and qualitative analysis, an observational study of existing care packages in later-stage dementia along with qualitative analysis, and toolkit development to summarise this evidence; and (3) consultation with experts, staff and carers to explore the balance between informal and paid home support using case vignettes, discrete choice experiments to explore the preferences of people with dementia and carers between home support packages in early- and later-stage dementia, and cost–utility analysis building on trial and observational study.

 The national surveys described Community Mental Health Teams, memory clinics and social care services across England. Recruitment to the trial was through memory services in nine NHS trusts in England and one health board in Wales. Recruitment to the observational study was through social services in 17 local authorities in England. Recruitment for the vignette and preference studies was through memory services, community centres and carers' organisations.

 People aged > 50 years with dementia within 1 year of first attendance at a memory clinic were eligible for the trial. People aged > 60 years with later-stage dementia within 3 months of a review of care needs were eligible for the observational study. We recruited staff, carers and people with dementia for the vignette and preference studies. All participants had to give written informed consent.

 The trial and observational study used the Bristol Activities of Daily Living Scale as the primary outcome and also measured quality of life, capability, cognition, general psychological health and carers' sense of competence.

 Owing to the heterogeneity of interventions, methods and outcome measures, our evidence and economic reviews both used narrative synthesis. The main source of economic studies was the NHS Economic Evaluation Database. We analysed the trial and observational study by linear mixed models. We analysed the trial by 'treatment allocated' and used propensity scores to minimise confounding in the observational study.

 Our reviews and surveys identified several home support approaches of potential benefit. In early-stage dementia, the DESCANT trial had 468 randomised participants (234 intervention participants and 234 control participants), with 347 participants analysed. We found no significant effect at the primary end point of 6 months of the DESCANT intervention on any of several participant outcome measures. The primary outcome was the Bristol Activities of Daily Living Scale, for which scores range from 0 to 60, with higher scores showing greater dependence. After adjustment for differences at baseline, the mean difference was 0.38, slightly but not significantly favouring the comparator group receiving treatment as usual. The 95% confidence interval ran from –0.89 to 1.65 (p = 0.56). There was no evidence that more intensive care packages in later-stage dementia were more effective than basic care. However, formal home care appeared to help keep people at home. Staff recommended informal care that cost 88% of formal care, but for informal carers this ratio was only 62%. People with dementia preferred social and recreational activities, and carers preferred respite care and regular home care. The DESCANT intervention is probably not cost-effective in early-stage dementia, and intensive care packages are probably not cost-effective in later-stage dementia. From the perspective of the third sector, intermediate intensity packages were cheaper but less effective. Certain elements may be driving these results, notably reduced use of carers' groups.

 Our chosen outcome measures may not reflect subtle outcomes valued by people with dementia.

 Several approaches preferred by people with dementia and their carers have potential. However, memory aids aiming to affect daily living activities in early-stage dementia or intensive packages compared with basic care in later-stage dementia were not clinically effective or cost-effective.

 Further work needs to identify what people with dementia and their carers prefer and develop more sensitive outcome measures.

 Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN12591717. The evidence synthesis is registered as PROSPERO CRD42014008890.

 This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Programme Grants for Applied Research programme and will be published in full in Programme Grants for Applied Research; Vol. 9, No. 6. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.


Tasks in a real-time control application are usually periodic and they have deadline constraints by which each instance of a task is expected to complete its computation even in the adverse circumstances caused by component failures. Techniques to recover from processor failures often involve a reconfiguration in which all tasks are assigned to fault-free processors. This reconfiguration may result in processor overload where it is no longer possible to meet the deadlines of all tasks. In this paper, we discuss an overload management technique which discards selected task instances in such a way sheet the performance of the control loops in the system remain satisfactory even after a failure. The technique is based on the rationale that real-time control applications can tolerate occasional misses of the control law updates, especially if the control law is modified to account for these missed updates. The paper devises a scheduling policy which deterministic guarantees when and where the misses will occur and proposes a methodology for modifying the control law to minimize the deterioration in the control system behavior as a result of these missed control law updates.


Abstract In virtually every assessment of responses to large‐scale crises and disasters, coordination is identified as a critical failure factor. After the crisis, official committees and political opponents often characterize the early phases of the response as a 'failure to coordinate.' Not surprisingly, improved coordination quickly emerges as the prescribed solution. Coordination, then, is apparently both the problem and the solution. But the proposed solutions rarely solve the problem: coordination continues to mar most crises and disasters. In the absence of a shared body of knowledge on coordination, it is hard to formulate a normative framework that allows for systematic assessment of coordination in times of crisis. As coordination is widely perceived as an important function of crisis and disaster management, this absence undermines a fair and balanced assessment of crisis management performance. This paper seeks to address that void. We aim to develop a framework that explains both the failure and success of crisis coordination. We do this by exploring the relevant literature, reformulating what coordination is and distilling from research the factors that cause failure and success.


In this book, distinguished historian Philip A. Kuhn tells the remarkable five-century story of Chinese emigration as an integral part of China's modern history. Although emigration has a much longer past, its 'modern' phase dates from the sixteenth century, when European colonialists began to collaborate with Chinese emigrants to develop a worldwide trading system. The author explores both internal and external migration, complementary parts of a far-reaching process of adaptation that enabled Chinese families to deal with their changing social environments. Skills and institutions developed in the course of internal migration were creatively modified to serve the needs of emigrants in foreign lands. As emigrants, Chinese inevitably found themselves 'among others.' The various human ecologies in which they lived have faced Chinese settlers with a diversity of challenges and opportunities in the colonial and postcolonial states of Southeast Asia, in the settler societies of the Americas and Australasia, and in Europe. Kuhn traces their experiences worldwide alongside those of the 'others' among whom they settled: the colonial elites, indigenous peoples, and rival immigrant groups that have profited from their Chinese minorities but also have envied, feared, and sometimes persecuted them. A rich selection of primary sources allows these protagonists a personal voice to express their hopes, sorrows, and worldviews. The post-Mao era offers emigrants new opportunities to leverage their expatriate status to do business with a Chinese nation eager for their investments, donations, and technologies. The resulting 'new migration,' the author argues, is but the latest phase of a centuries-old process by which Chinese have sought livelihoods away from home.


Concretes containing various supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) such as silica fume, fly ash, and slag have improved properties. Nanomaterials (a nanometer, nm, is 10 to the -9 power m), new SCMs with possible applications in concrete, have the smallest particle size that is less than 100 nm. Nanomaterials are very reactive because of the particles' small size and large surface area and have great potential in improving concrete properties such as compressive strength and permeability. This study evaluated the use of a variety of nanomaterials in concrete compared with conventional concrete and concrete containing common SCMs. The potential benefits of using nanomaterials over other SCMs are their high reactivity; the need for smaller amounts, resulting in less cement replacement; and cost-effectiveness. Concretes containing nanosilica and nanoclay were prepared in the laboratory and compared to concretes containing silica fume, fly ash, slag, or only portland cement. Specimens were tested for compressive strength and permeability. The microstructure of selected concretes with improved compressive strength and permeability were analyzed using an atomic force microscope and nanoindenter to determine the reason for the improvements. The microstructure of the nanosilica concrete was denser and more uniform than that of the conventional concrete microstructure. In addition, the nanosilica had the largest improvement in both compressive strength and permeability among the nanomaterials tested. The results of this study indicate that some of the nanomaterials tested have potential in concrete applications. However, further evaluation is required before nanomaterials can be used in concrete. Specifically, they should be evaluated for improved dispersion to achieve uniformity, optimized amounts of ingredients, and cost-effectiveness.


In multilingual societies like the Indian subcontinent, use of code-switched languages is much popular and convenient for the users. In this paper, we study offense and abuse detection in the code-switched pair of Hindi and English (i.e, Hinglish), the pair that is the most spoken. The task is made difficult due to non-fixed grammar, vocabulary, semantics and spellings of Hinglish language. We apply transfer learning and make a LSTM based model for hate speech classification. This model surpasses the performance shown by the current best models to establish itself as the state-of-the-art in the unexplored domain of Hinglish offensive text classification. We also release our model and the embeddings trained for research purposes.


Given digital transmission over two correlated Rician fading channels, we present a readily calculable expression for a tight approximation to the correlation between the probabilities of symbol error on each channel. For the Rayleigh fading channel the expression is exact. This correlation expression has applications in error performance analysis of fading systems, particularly multichannel systems and Markov modelling of error events. As an example we use these expressions to bound the block error rate of an OFDM system


This chapter provides the context for development of South Africa's (SA) Human Resources for Health (HRH) Strategy for the Health Sector 2012/13 - 2016/17, a brief description of some of the key trends and challenges for HRH in SA, and the strategic priorities of this strategy.
An overview of trends in and challenges for HRH for SA is grouped into three themes in which key issues are highlighted and brief recommendations which informed the HRH strategy are made. These themes are supply of health professionals and equity of access; education, training and research; and the working environment of the health workforce.
Eight priorities were identified which form the framework for the HRH strategy: leadership, governance and accountability; health workforce information and health workforce planning; re-engineering of the workforce to meet service needs; upscaling and revitalising education, training and research; creating infrastructure for workforce and service development - Academic Health Complexes and nursing colleges; strengthening and professionalising the management of human resources (HR) and prioritising health workforce needs; ensuring professional, quality care through oversight, regulation and continuing professional development; and improving access to health professionals and health care in rural and remote areas. Each of these are discussed.
The strategy document is a guide to action and requires participation of all stakeholders to make it a 'living' document which enables improvement in HRH. The long-term future of the health sector will be determined by our actions in relation to HR in the short term, specifically in the next five years.


Abstract argumentation constitutes both a major research strand and a key approach that provides the core reasoning engine for a multitude of formalisms in computational argumentation in AI. Reasoning in abstract argumentation is carried out by viewing arguments and their relationships as abstract entities, with argumentation frameworks (AFs) being the most commonly used abstract formalism. Argumentation semantics then drive the reasoning by specifying formal criteria on which sets of arguments, called extensions, can be deemed as jointly acceptable. Such extensions provide a basic way of explaining argumentative acceptance. Inspired by recent research, we present a more general class of explanations: in this paper we propose and study so-called strong explanations for explaining argumentative acceptance in AFs. A strong explanation is a set of arguments such that a target set of arguments is acceptable in each subframework containing the explaining set. We formally show that strong explanations form a larger class than extensions, in particular giving the possibility of having smaller explanations. Moreover, assuming basic properties, we show that any explanation strategy, broadly construed, is a strong explanation. We show that the increase in variety of strong explanations comes with a computational trade-off: we provide an in-depth analysis of the associated complexity, showing a jump in the polynomial hierarchy compared to extensions.


The nuclear lamina is composed of A and B-type lamins and performs a number of functions within the nucleus. Mutations within lamins give rise to a group of diseases called laminopathies including autosomal dominant Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy and lipodystrophy. Hutchinson Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HOPS), or so-called premature aging, is a rare and devastating laminopathy disorder caused by mutations in LMNA that leads to the production of a truncated mutant form of prelamin A, called progerin or LAA50, that cannot undergo proteolytic processing to yield mature lamin A. In an atypical form of HOPS, a point mutation at amino acid 644 alters the Zmpste24 endoproteolytic cleavage site, causing the production of mutant prelamin A. Why and how these prelamin A mutants cause such devastating phenotypes is not folly understood. It has been suggested that the mutant prelamin A may affect the ability of adult stem cells to self-renewal and differentiate, which are essential processes in order to replace damage of old tissues, critical for organismal longevity. Herein, expression plasmids containing two mutations found in classical and atypical HOPS were transiently overexpressed in clonal rat dermal papilla (DP) 9 cells, which, in vivo, reside at the base of the hair follicle and play an important role in hair follicle cycling. DP9 cells showed an increased number of nuclear abnormalities compared to control cells, which have previously been shown to be characteristic of cells from HGPS patients. DP9 cell lines stably overexpressing either FLAG-prelamin A, FLAG-prelamin ΑΔ50 or FLAG-prelamm A(R644C) were created. To assess the ability of the stem cells to self-renew, stable cell lines were routinely passaged and counted. Results indicate that stable overexpression of FLAG-prelamin ΑΔ50 and FLAG-prelamin A(R644C) inhibits the ability of stem cells to self-renew in vitro. Previous reports have shown that DP9 cells may be directed towards both adipogenic and osteogenic lineages. Therefore, in this study, stable DP9 cell lines expressing FLAG- prelamin A, FLAG-prelamin ΑΔ50 or FLAG-prelamin A(R644C) were exposed to an adipogenic medium for six days. Results showed that overexpression of FLAG-prelamin A, FLAG-prelamm ΑΔ50 and FLAG-prelamm A(R644C) inhibited the accumulation of intracellular lipids, reflecting a decreased ability to differentiate in vitro. Taken together, these results suggest the lipodystrophy and alopecia associated with HGPS may be due to the failure of adult stem cell populations within each tissue to both self-renew and differentiate, and may underpin the disease pathogenesis. Furthermore, these results have implications for other laminopathies that produce mutant prelamin A.