Phosphate uptake rate, alkaline phosphatase activity (APA), nucleotidase activity (ATP- NA), and nutrient pool sizes were investigated in the eastern Gotland Basin from May until Septem- ber 2001 to describe the phosphorus dynamics during this period, which is characterized by the tran- sition from nitrogen to phosphate limitation and the development of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria. Phosphate concentrations declined from 0.1 µM in May to 0.01 µM in June. However, the decrease in phosphate was not reflected in increasing organic phosphorus pools. Its concentrations remained at a relatively constant level of 0.4 µM. Development of plankton biomass in July was based on the intracellular phosphorus pool. The ( 33 P)PO4 uptake rate and hydrolytic activities increased from very low levels in May to a maximum in July, decreasing in the following months. The development of these activities was associated with the development of heterocystous cyanobacteria. However, size fractionation showed that the ( 33 P)PO4 uptake in the fraction >10 µm accounted for only a small por- tion of the total ( 33 P)PO4 uptake rate, but for 41% of APA. Due to elevated total phosphorus concen- trations of 1.0 and 0.8 µM in the buoyant surface blooms, phosphorus dynamics were different com- pared to situations when cyanobacteria were dispersed in the euphotic zone. Depending on the parameter used, a different length of the period of phosphate limitation can be estimated. Based on ( 33 P)PO4 uptake rates and hydrolytic activities, phosphate limitation was restricted to 2 to 4 wk in July. This period is shorter than that indicated by phosphate deficiency and C:P ratios.


This thesis examines the body of material known as the Venus figurines, which date from the European Upper Palaeolithic period. The argument proceeds in two stages: the first examines this material through a detailed textual analysis of the archaeological literature that has discussed these figurines since their initial discovery at the end of the 19th century to the present day; the second investigates the utilisation of particular Venus figurines in the contemporary medium of the World Wide Web. The textual analysis identifies and discusses a number of factors relevant to the presentation and fundamental construction of the Venus figurines as an archaeological category. These include examination of the use of terminology to label and define the figurines as a class of material(Chapter 2); assessment of information presented in the literature pertaining to contextual and chronological factors (Chapter 3); evaluation of the evidence provided for both the homogeneity and diversity apparent within this category (Chapter 4); Chapter 5 isolates and discusses a number of methods implicit in the production of the literature by which aspects of both individual figurines and the wider class are prioritised to create and consolidate a particular impression of the archaeological material; Chapter 6 presents three detailed Case Studies of these processes as they are in practice applied to the Venus figurines. In Chapter 7 the specific use of these figurines in one medium of contemporary culture, the World Wide Web, is examined. Within this medium, the figurines are removed from their original archaeological context and contemporary meanings are attributed to them. This popular usage is then compared and contrasted with archaeological practice. My analysis demonstrates that parallels between the two approaches can be drawn, and identifies the role of the Venus figurines as a "commodity" within both archaeology and contemporary culture.


In 1867 Toepler found the existence of a pulse spreading from the region around the spark immediately after it had passed. Since the density of the air in the pulse differs from that of the surrounding gas, the pulse is optically different from the rest of the field and so can be made visible by the "Shadowgraph Method." Topeler's work was the first of its kind where an instantaneous view, say of the order of several millionths of a second, of the electric spark was obtained. IN 1926 Dr. Zinszer, while studying the life history of the electric spark by the shadowgraph method, found that in some of the discharges under consideration, the gap between the electrodes was filled with alternate light and dark laminae or striations of about a millimeter width. These occurred in an open air gap and so could hardly be the same type of striations as those found in the positive column of a discharge tube. In a paper by Dr. Zinszer, on the "Mechanism of a Condensed Spark Discharge," there is a brief discussion on the striations produced in some types of discharges. He considers that they might be laminal aggregations of supercharged particles which are urged away from or attracted to oppositely charged terminals without an appreciable interchange of charge. There is another theory which might be considered, and that is that the striations may be analogous to standing waves in a Kuntz tube – the gap between the electrodes producing the necessary resonance column and the spark concussion producing the necessary energy. The object of this investigation was to discover whether striations could be produced at will, and if so, to determine what factors controlled them.


Mitosis, or cell division, is the mechanism by which cells divide and is an intricate process requiring the action and control of numerous proteins. Such proteins serve either as structural entities within the mitotic spindle, or perform the "work" within the apparatus. In particular, Kinesin-5 motor proteins, a subset within the kinesin motor protein superfamily, are primarily responsible for organization of microtubules (MTs) within the mitotic apparatus, and are consequently vital for efficient mitosis. These proteins utilize energy from ATP hydrolysis in order to "walk" along antiparallel MTs, positioning them into the bipolar mitotic spindle. Loss of Kinesin-5 activity results in formation of a monoastral spindle and subsequent cell cycle arrest. Recently, a wide variety of small molecules have been identified that possess the ability to inhibit certain Kinesin-5 motors. Such compounds, including monastrol (the first Kinesin-5 inhibitor identified), have been employed to study Kinesin-5 activity. A thorough understanding of Kinesin-5 function, combined with the ability to specifically target these proteins with small molecules, may provide the capability to control cell division and may therefore have significant implications in anti-cancer therapies. The following dissertation describes research that utilizes small molecules to probe the function (ATPase activity and MT interactions) of various Kinesin-5 proteins and provides information that will lead to a better understanding of exactly how such proteins function in vivo. Further, a greater knowledge of Kinesin-5 protein activity as well as specific interactions with small-molecule compounds, may lead to the development of more potent, less toxic anti-cancer drugs.


Attention to stakeholders, which means that companies bear responsibility for the implications of their actions, is emerging as a critical strategic issue. Hence, meeting legitimate stakeholders' requests would enhance the reputation of a company and increase its competitiveness on product markets. That is why an accurate identification of stakeholders and assessment of their importance is so significant for the companies. Through an integration of the earlier models of excellence, models for identification and classification of stakeholders, models for assessing the quality of a company and the AHP method, widely applicable in various fields, a new model for assessment of stakeholders' significance is proposed in this paper. The model also provides an assessment of a company based on the degree of the importance and satisfaction of stakeholders. The results of this model could be useful for companies and their management when it comes to defining a proper business strategy, monitoring the system changes over time, creating a basis for comparison with other similar systems or with itself. A practical example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the model.


The Health Care Safety Net in a Post-Reform World examines how national health care reform will impact safety net programs that serve low-income and uninsured patients. The "safety net" refers to the collection of hospitals, clinics, and doctors who treat disadvantaged people, including those without insurance, regardless of their ability to pay. Despite comprehensive national health care reform, over twenty million people will remain uninsured. And many of those who obtain insurance from reform will continue to face shortages of providers in their communities willing or able to serve them. As the demand for care grows with expanded insurance, so will the pressure on an overstretched safety net. This book, with contributions from leading health care scholars, is the first comprehensive assessment of the safety net in over a decade. Rather than view health insurance and the health care safety net as alternatives to each other, it examines their potential to be complementary aspects of a broader effort to achieve equity and quality in health care access. It also considers whether the safety net can be improved and strengthened to a level that can provide truly universal access, both through expanded insurance and the creation of a well-integrated and reasonably supported network of direct health care access for the uninsured. Seeing safety net institutions as key components of post-health care reform in the United States-as opposed to stop-gap measures or as part of the problem-is a bold idea. And as presented in this volume, it is an idea whose time has come.


A series of complexes has been prepared in aqueous solution between sodium molybdate (and sodium tungstate) and the organic ligands: D(+) tartaric, L(-)mandelic, oxalic, trans-aconitic and itaconic acids, the disodium salt of 1,2-dihydroxy-benzene-3,5-disulphonic acid (tiron). D(+) mannose, D(-)ribose and L(-)sorbose, D-mannitoll and D-sorbitol, and hydroxylamine. Two different types of complex were obtained, one with one ligand and the other with two ligands coordinated to the molybdate or tungstate ion. All the complexes are strongly pH dependent in their formation, the pH range for complexing generally being between pH = 4.5 and 7.0, but with the polyhydroxy alcohols complexing can be obtained down to pH = 2.0. For pH values greater than 7.5 decomposition of the complexes into their constituents takes place, while for values of pH below 4.5 the molybdate and tungstate ion tend to polymerize. This latter fact suggests that the 2:1 metal: ligand ratio of polyhydroxy alcohol complexes may arise from the molybdate and tungstate ion being dimerized, since these complexes, as indicated above, at formed at a pH of 2.0. The methods used to determine the stoichiometry of the complexes were optical density and optical rotation measurements. The effects of light and heat on the complexes were observed by firstly irradiating the compounds with ultraviolet light and secondly refluxing them for several days. Although some of the complexes were unaffected (e.g. those of glycolic and citric acids) or were reduced to molybdenum blue (D-mannitol and D-sorbitol), others formed deep red coloured solutions which contained molybdenum (V) (D(+)tartaric acid, L(-)mandalic acid, D(+)mannose, D(-)ribose and L(-)sorbose), a redox mechanism operating between molybdate and the ligand. In the case of the mandelic acid complex an orange solid of composition NaMoO3.2H2O was obtained, with benzaldehyde as the oxidation product of the mandelic acid. The effects of various ions such as sulphate, carbonate, phosphate, nitrate and nitrite upon the refluxing solutions was also examined. It was found that sulphate, phosphate and carbonate ions inhibited the reduction in different ways. The effect of nitrate and nitrite ions depended on the nature of the ligand - sugar complexes were unaffected, the reduction of molybdate by mandelic acid was decreased and the tartrate complex was stabilized as the colourless molybdenum (VI) compound.


A model azo dye pollutant, Acid Orange 7 (AO7), was removed efficiently from an aqueous medium by a smart eco-friendly Fuel Cell-Fenton (FC-Fenton) system without any external power supply. In this approach, AO7 was degraded by an electro-Fenton process at a designed cathode (Carbon Felt (CF)/porous Carbon (pC)) supplied by direct clean electrical energy from abiotic glucose oxidation at a CF/gold anode (CF@Au). The highly active cathode was fabricated by an attractive route combining Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) of ZnO on commercial carbon felts (CFs) followed by subsequent solvothermal conversion of the metal oxide to a metal organic framework (here ZIF-8). The as-prepared composite material was further calcined at high temperature under a controlled atmosphere. A pC-based support with high specific surface area and nitrogen as a dopant was thus obtained, enhancing both conductivity and electrocatalytic properties toward H2O2 production from oxygen reduction. Degradation kinetics of AO7 (0.1 mM initial concentration) at the CF@pC cathode was monitored by UV-vis spectrophotometry and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to prove the efficiency of the composite material for the degradation of such a bio-refractory model molecule. Benefitting from the H2O2 production rate (9.2 mg L−1 h−1) by the pC layer, AO7 (35.0 mg L−1) was degraded by the electro-Fenton process in acidic medium (pH = 3) with removal efficiency reaching 90% in 10 h. The durability of the system was extended for more than 2 months with an average power output of 170 mW m−2, confirming this abiotic FC-Fenton system as a promising, green, future technology for both environmental and energy-related areas, including membrane-coupled reactor systems.


Today, a woman is very uncertain about her very existence. She is always unsure about her life because she is always at a risk of being crushed at any moment. No place is safe for women, not even in their mother's wombs. In India the status of girl child reflects serious gender based differences, inequalities and discrimination. Preference for son in the society and discrimination against girl child are interlinked due to interplay of different factors. Despite widespread progress in improving the health, nutrition and education of children, the situation of girls continue to be disadvantaged compared to that of boys. Girls are often seen as less important to family and community life than boys regardless of the fact that g irl children constitute one fourth of population in India. Indian society, like most of the society's world over, is patrilineal, patriarchal and patrilocal. The marked gap between boys and girls, which has nationwide implications, is the result of decisio ns made at the most local level the family. Keeping in view the above said facts this present study has been design with the objective to study the relationships between declining child sex ratio and some of the human development indicators. The data for t his purpose was collected through secondary sources. An analysis of the data reveals that there was a marginal increase in the following five decades and it reached to 976 in 1991, but in the beginning of 21 st century it started declining to 970 from 976. District wise analysis shows that Kangra district has lowest child sex ratio followed by Una, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Solan (899) according to 2011 census. The rest of the seven districts are having child sex ratio more than 900.


We introduce a new concept of nonparametric test for statistically deciding if a model fits a sample of data well. The employed statistic is the empirical cumulative distribution e.c.d.f. of the measure of the blocks determined by the ordered sample. For any distribution law underlying the data this statistic is distributed around a Beta cumulative distribution law c.d.f. so that the shift between the two curves is the statistic at the basis of the test. Its distribution is computed through a new bootstrap procedure from a population of free parameters of the model that are compatible with the sampled data according to the model. Closing the loop, we may expect that if the model fits the data well the Beta c.d.f. constitutes a template for the block e.c.d.f.s that are compatible with the observed data. In the paper we show how to appreciate the template functionality in the case of a good fit and also how to discriminate bad models. We show the test's potential in comparison to conventional tests, both in case studies and in a well-known benchmark for the semiparametric logistic model used widely in database analysis.


Kingsley Amis was one of the great masters of comic prose, and no subject was dearer to him than the art and practice of imbibing. This new volume brings together the best of his three out-of-print works on the subject: Kingsley Amis in Drink, Everyday Drinking and How's Your Glass? In one handsome package, the book covers a full shelf of the master's riotous and erudite thoughts on the drinking arts: Along with a series of well-tested recipes (including a cocktail called the Lucky Jim) are Amis's musings on The Hangover, The Boozing Man's Diet, The Mean Sod's Guide, and (presumably as a matter of speculation) How Not to Get Drunk - all leavened with fun quizzes on the making and drinking of alcohol all over the world. Mixing practical know-how and hilarious opinionation, this is a delightful cocktail of wry humour and distilled knowledge, served by one of our great gimlet wits.


This study assesses the extent to which general practitioners maintain hospital-initiated preventive treatment for patients one year after a myocardial infarction and initiate preventive care for patients discharged from hospital without such care. A cross-sectional study was conducted following up 565 myocardial infarction one-year survivors aged less than 80 years from two district general hospitals and 97 general practices in Oxfordshire and bordering areas. Hospital discharge records and general practice casenotes were reviewed for prescriptions of aspirin, β-blockers, ACE inhibitors, and lipid-lowering drugs. The number of patients continuing to receive hospital-initiated prescriptions one year after the acute event was: for aspirin 437/466(94%); β-blockers 217/276(79%); ACE-inhibitors 189/218 (87%) and lipid lowering drugs 57/66 (86%). The number of patients discharged without appropriate preventive care but receiving prescriptions initiated in general practice was: for aspirin 30/40 (75%); β-blockers 49/169 (27%); ACE-inhibitors 11/20 (55%) and lipid-lowering drugs 81/261 (31%). In conclusion, improving the implementation of evidence-based preventive care for patients with coronary heart disease is now a national priority. Most post-infarction patients were managed to a high standard, but the highest rates were attained when prescribing was initiated in hospital. Achieving optimal preventive care at hospital discharge is a crucial step in achieving appropriate long-term care in general practice. © 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.


This study examines the response of a forearc to the increase in sediment flux to the trench caused by the onset of glacial denudation in the Patagonian Andes. We investigated shelf-coastal basins in south-central Chile, which generally comprise Eocene–early Miocene nearshore facies overlain by late Miocene–early Pliocene deep-water siltstones and by late Pliocene–Quaternary nearshore deposits. Seismic profiles and coastal exposures reveal Eocene–early Pliocene extension followed by ongoing late Pliocene compression evidenced from growth strata adjacent to seismically active reverse faults. The onset of major global cooling ca. 6 Ma triggered glacial denudation in the uplifted high Andes. Exhumed material transported along the steep and humid Andean western slope increased trench sedimentation rates and caused continuous accretion and subduction of terrigenous material. We interpret forearc basin inversion as a response to a decrease in slope and basal friction of the wedge caused by frontal accretion and subduction of water-rich material, respectively, in order to reach a critical taper. This process lifted the shelf ∼1.5 km during the middle Pliocene. The Juan Fernandez Ridge and Chile Rise confined >2 km trench fill between 45 and 34°S, limiting accretion and basin inversion. Glacial age trench fill and the steady decrease in plate convergence rate shifted this segment of the margin from erosive to accretionary during the Pliocene.


7 - Photographs - Tasmanian Aboriginal People and Collecting Sites - Stories in Stone: an annotated history and guide to the collections and papers of Ernest Westlake (1855-1922) - This is a guide to the Westlake Papers, held in the Manuscript Collections of the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. The guide includes materials from the Henry Balfour Papers and E. B. Tylor Papers, Pitt Rivers Museum, and some of the museum's re


This report draws lessons from the Canadian immigration experience that can contribute to improving the labour market outcomes of immigrants and alleviate barriers related to labour market information issues. Foreign-born workers often lack the necessary information to learn about opportunities in the Canadian labour market, which can prevent highly-skilled workers from finding employment in their field, to the detriment of the Canadian economy. We examine the services provided to immigrants in Canada by federal and provincial governments, and the large role played by the non-profit sector in facilitating the delivery of information and services to immigrants in order to lessen the informational barriers to immigrant employment. We further identify best practices from Canada, which include establishing national standards for the recognition of foreign qualification; simplifying the delivery of services by using one-stop shops or single-points-of-contact; involving local stakeholders in the development of policy and delivery of service; and maintaining a flexible immigration policy. Identifying and addressing the specific needs of newcomers to Canada has had a strong positive impact on their labour market outcomes.


Abstract Primary objectives: To measure common psychiatric conditions after military deployment with blast exposure and test relationships to post-concussion syndrome (PCS) symptoms and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) history. Research design: Cross-sectional. Methods and procedures: Service members or Veterans (n = 107) within 2 years of blast exposure underwent structured interviews for mTBI, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and multiple mood and anxiety diagnoses. Main outcomes and results: MTBI history and active PTSD were both common, additionally 61% had at least one post-deployment mood or anxiety disorder episode. Psychiatric diagnoses had a high degree of comorbidity. Most dramatically, depression was 43-times (95% CI = 11–165) more likely if an individual had PTSD. PCS symptoms were greater in those with post-deployment PTSD or mood diagnosis. However, neither mTBI nor blast exposure history had an effect on the odds of having PTSD, mood or anxiety condition. Conclusions: These findings support that psychiatric conditions beyond PTSD are common after military combat deployment with blast exposure. They also highlight the non-specificity of post-concussion type symptoms. While some researchers have implicated mTBI history as a contributor to post-deployment mental health conditions, no clear association was found. This may partly be due to the more rigorous method of retrospective mTBI diagnosis determination.


In this paper, we address motion efficiency in autonomous robot exploration with multi-legged walking robots that can traverse rough terrains at the cost of lower efficiency and greater body vibration. We propose a robotic system for online and incremental learning of the terrain traversal cost that is immediately utilized to reason about next navigational goals in building spatial model of the robot surrounding. The traversal cost experienced by the robot is characterized by incrementally constructed Gaussian Processes using Bayesian Committee Machine. During the exploration, the robot builds the spatial terrain model, marks untraversable areas, and leverages the Gaussian Process predictive variance to decide whether to improve the spatial model or decrease the uncertainty of the terrain traversal cost. The feasibility of the proposed approach has been experimentally verified in a fully autonomous deployment with the hexapod walking robot.


Through the course of Binary Domain's action-packed narrative, it becomes increasingly unclear who is human, who is machine, and who is somewhere in between. Ultimately, such a distinction is futile when our everyday experiences are so ubiquitously augmented by technologies—even the act of playing Binary Domain by coupling with a virtual character through a videogame controller challenges any clear distinction between human and machine. While such themes are not new to science fiction, the anxieties expressed by Binary Domain's characters are relevant to what have emerged over the past twenty- five years as two formative modes of identifying with videogames: the dominant hacker and the integrated cyborg. The hacker, an identity that the dominant and hegemonic 'gamer' consumer identity can trace a clear lineage from, comes to represent the masculinist, mastery-focused identity that most blockbuster games celebrate. The cyborg emerges in resistance to the hacker, pointing to a diversity of forms and identities that are focused less on mastering the machine than participating with it. This paper uses Binary Domain's complex anxieties towards technology as a lens through which to trace the histories of these constitutive modes of identifying with videogames, and to demonstrate the influence they have on videogame forms and audiences.


Background: Although skills of will (volitional competences), such as self-motivation or emotion regulation, are particularly necessary for patients with psychiatric and psychosomatic disorders, it is unknown whether volitional deficits can be reduced and thereby the efficacy of psychotherapy increased. We investigated the effect of a group therapy for improving volitional competence in an inpatient rehabilitation program. Methods: In a controlled clinical trial, patients from a rehabilitation clinic participated either in the volition group therapy in addition to the standard cognitive behavioral therapy (volition group, VG) or in the standard cognitive behavioral therapy (standard group, SG). Patients were tested for volitional competence, depressive symptoms, total psychiatric symptomatology, and physical complaints prior to, at the end of inpatient therapy and after 6 months of follow-up (n = 242). Results: At the end of inpatient therapy, better improvement in volitional competence was observed in the VG than in the SG [e.g. self-motivation: effect size (ES) 0.96 vs. 0.39; ANCOVA: F(1, 209) = 16.58; p < 0.001]. Patients with greater volitional improvements had a better rehabilitation outcome. In the VG, depressive symptoms as well as total psychiatric symptomatology decreased significantly more than in the SG [ES: 1.18 vs. 0.87, F(1, 207) = 4.68, p < 0.05, and ES 1.12 vs. 0.73, F(1, 205) = 4.68, p < 0.05, respectively], but not physical complaints [ES: 0.62 vs. 0.48, F(1, 207) = 1.08, n.s.]. Conclusions: Effect size increased in patients with initially low volitional competence and high motivation to participate in a volitional training. These results might lead to a more systematic assessment and training of volitional competence.


Manufacturing of workpieces with computerized numerical control machines requires computing machine tool trajectories that fast and accurately track the desired workpiece contour. This paper presents a novel B-spline trajectory generation method for machine tools. The method solves an optimal control problem to minimize the motion time of the tool, while taking into account the velocity, acceleration, and jerk limits of the tool axes. Furthermore, it directly includes the allowed workpiece tolerance, by constraining the trajectory to lie inside a tube around the nominal geometry contour. This allows exploring the tradeoff between accuracy and productivity, while computing near-optimal trajectories. The presented method creates fluent connections between segments that build up the contour by simultaneously optimizing trajectories for multiple segments. On the other hand, limiting the amount of simultaneously optimized segments and using an efficient problem formulation keeps the computation time acceptable. The trajectory generation method is validated in simulation by comparison with industrial benchmarks, showing a reduction in machining time of more than ${\text{10}}\%$. The comparison to a state-of-the-art corner smoothing approach shows that the presented method obtains similar or slightly faster trajectories, at a computation time that is up to 45 times lower. In addition, the method is validated experimentally on a three-axis micromilling machine. To easily generate trajectories for different workpieces and machines, the method is included in a user-friendly open-source software toolbox.


In their comprehensive analysis of the Kyoto Protocol and climate policy, Richard B. Stewart and Jonathan B. Wiener examine the current impasse in climate policy and the potential steps nations can take to reduce greenhouse gases. They summarize the current state of information regarding the extent of global warming that would be caused by increasing uncontrolled greenhouse gas emissions. They explain why participation by all major greenhouse gas-emitting countries is essential to curb future greenhouse gas emissions and also note the significant obstacles to obtaining such participation. Stewart and Weiner argue it is in the national interest of the United States to participate in such a regime, provided that it is well designed. They discuss the elements of sound climate regulatory design, including maximum use of economic incentives, the comprehensive approach, and other flexibility mechanisms; participation by all major emitting countries, including developing countries; regulatory targets based on longer-term emissions pathways set to maximize net social benefits; and effective arrangements to ensure compliance with regulatory obligations by nations and sources. After evaluating the successes and failures of the Kyoto Protocol in light of those elements, the authors propose a series of U.S. initiatives at the international and domestic levels, with the aim of engaging the United States and major developing country emitters such as China in the global greenhouse gas regulatory effort and correcting the remaining defects in the design of the Kyoto Protocol. Although several alternatives to the current Kyoto Protocol regime have been proposed, Stewart and Weiner argue that the best approach for surmounting the current global climate policy impasse is a new strategy that would lead, sooner or later, to simultaneous accession by the United States and China (and other major developing country emitters) to a modified and improved version of the Kyoto Protocol agreement.


The sudden loss of mechanical force in severed tendons leads to release of TGF-β and massive tenocyte death. Tendons, fibrous connective tissues that transmit force from skeletal muscle to bone, consist of specialized fibroblasts known as tenocytes, as well as abundant extracellular matrix (ECM). Maeda et al. used transgenic mice that expressed green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the promoter of the tenocyte transcription factor Scleraxis (ScxGFP mice) to investigate the role of mechanical force in adult tendon homeostasis. In a complete transection model of acute tendon injury, which led to immediate loss of tensile load, they observed an increase in terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL)–positive cells and a decrease in GFP intensity within 0.5 hour and a 70% loss in tenocytes compared with sham-operated tendons at 3 days. Intramuscular injection of botulinum toxin A (to gradually and reversibly decrease force) decreased GFP intensity at 1 week (without cell death), decreased abundance of collagen type 1 fibrils and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, and decreased tendon stiffness and peak force; all of these showed some recovery 2 weeks postinjection. The intensity of GFP expression in primary cultures of tenocytes isolated from ScxGFP mice decreased to <30% of initial values after 48 hours in culture and to <5% by 6 days. Using a microfluidic device, the authors determined that application of shear stress promoted retention of ScxGFP expression and could also reverse the decline (when applied starting on day 7). Transforming growth factor (TGF)–β is activated and released from complexes with the ECM by injury and, of 11 cytokines and growth factors tested, TGF-β1, -2, and -3 were the most potent at increasing GFP intensity in tenocyte cultures. Moreover, the TGF-β type I receptor inhibitor SD208 decreased GFP intensity and Scx mRNA abundance in cultured tenocytes exposed to shear stress. SD208 also decreased the abundance of phosphorylated Smad2 in the nucleus of tenocytes under shear stress, and a Smad3 inhibitor decreased tenocyte GFP intensity and Scx mRNA abundance in response to either shear stress or TGF-β. Mechanical force increased the abundance of TGF-β1 mRNA in cultures of tenocytes lacking p53 and p21 (to increase yield), with force strength correlating with release of active TGF-β into culture media. It was intriguing that, whereas 80 pM TGF-β1 promoted retention of ScxGFP expression in cultured tenocytes, 160 pM promoted tenocyte death. Tendon transection led to the release of activated TGF-β, and pretreatment with SD208 reduced the number of postinjury TUNEL-positive cells. The authors propose therefore that the sudden loss of mechanical force leads to release of TGF-β from the ECM and, thereby, massive tenocyte death and that immediate application of TGF-β inhibitors to injured tendons could improve prognosis. T. Maeda, T. Sakabe, A. Sunaga, K. Sakai, A. L. Rivera, D. R. Keene, T. Sasaki, E. Stavnezer, J. Iannotti, R. Schweitzer, D. Ilic, H. Baskaran, T. Sakai, Conversion of mechanical force into TGF-β-mediated biochemical signals. Curr. Biol. 21, 933–941 (2011). [PubMed]


The paper investigates the link between the overexposure of African immigrants to unemployment in France and their underrepresentation in jobs in contact with customers. We build a two-sector matching model with ethnic sector–specific preferences, economy-wide employer discrimination, and customer discrimination in jobs in contact with customers. The outcomes of the model allow us to build a test of ethnic discrimination in general and customer discrimination in particular. We run the test on French individual data in a cross section of local labor markets (employment areas). Our results show both ethnic and customer discrimination in the French labor market.


Background and Purpose: Distress is an important issue with significant effects on nurses and patients in the nursing profession. This study aimed to investigate the effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on the distress tolerance of nurses with job burnout. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with a pretest-posttest design and a control group. Study population consisted of 202 female nurses employed at Fatemeh Zahra Hospital (heart center) of Sari, Iran in 2015. Collected data were indicative of job burnout in 70 participants. In total, 30 nurses were selected as eligible subjects and equally divided into two groups of intervention and control. Pretest was performed on both groups. Nurses in the intervention group received eight sessions of training (two hours each) twice per week, while the control group had no intervention. Both groups were evaluated after the intervention (posttest). Data were collected using Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and Simons and Gaher's Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS). Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 21 using analysis of covariance. Results: In this study, use of MBCT was observed to positively affect the distress tolerance of nurses with job burnout. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, factors such as prompt decision-making, job difficulty, long working shifts, and stressful environments were significantly involved in the psychological and physical stress of nurses, and MBCT could effectively enhance distress tolerance in the participants.


Learning is an important central issue and a fundamental factor in learning theory. Undoubtedly, learning is the most important educational issue that different educational systems try to upgrade and improve in different sectors based on different programs. Accordingly, this study was conducted with the aim of an analytical look at the theories of learning teaching, and these approaches from different angles of behavioral, cognitive and constructivist approaches were examined as the three main and basic approaches in this field. The method of this research was based on library study and review approach in which the researcher was examined from different angles with the extractive structure of different approaches. Findings showed that the behaviorist approach has a quantitative view of education with traditional patterns, therefore, traditional education is emphasized and the educator is the main role of the education model. The cognitive approach with adjustment in this field combines learning with each Searches for both quantitative and qualitative methods with the aim of creating perception and insight in the learner, and in this regard, the individual and the teacher interact with each other in school or other learning environment, learn concepts and related patterns. In constructivism, he has a special look at the individual and considers him as the center of education and building according to him is the need for education. Therefore, in this structure, the model is based on qualitativeism and full emphasis on the individual. In a general summary, the studies show that all three approaches have a positive effect and role in creating optimal learning in the educational system, and interaction in this field and applying the strengths of each approach causes the creation and formation of a strong learning model. Becomes the basis of a single system.


This article analyses changes of trend of migration flow due to aggravation of the current economic crisis. After the year 2008 official migration statistics have shown that traditional economics emigration from Latin-American countries to Spain is changing toward the opposite way, so after the 80´s decade the Spaniards are becoming economic migrants again, but with a higher-skilled profile. At the same time the traditional migration flows have been very important for Spain but it is becoming less-skilled immigrants concentrated in cyclical industries (particularly construction), reinforcing the argument that at least some immigration flows respond to the economic cycle; so migration flow could be used like a faster thermometer of economic cycles. A longer and harder crisis has also affected the Administration policies of Spain that, like the most of European countries, are progressively becoming more restrictive but with modest results. Therefore this research has also analysed good practices that could improve the effectiveness of migrants' policies. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ppaa.12.1.4002


Background The efficacy of low doses of certain neuroleptics in improving negative symptoms is still controversial. This study assessed the efficacy of amisulpride, a benzamide which increases dopaminergic transmission at low doses via presynaptic dopamine receptor blockade, on negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Method The study was designed as a parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Patients had to fulfil DSM–III criteria for schizophrenia, Andreasen's criteria for negative schizophrenia, and to have a total score of at least 75 on the SANS; those treated with neuroleptics or antidepressants underwent a six-week placebo wash-out. One hundred and four in-patients were randomly assigned to amisulpride 100 mg/d, amisulpride 300 mg/d, or placebo for six weeks; 85 patients completed the study. Results Both amisulpride doses were significantly more effective than placebo on the primary evaluation criterion (SANS total score, MANOVA P < 0.02). No significant changes were found in positive symptoms or in extrapyramidal symptoms. Conclusions Negative symptoms can be improved by low doses of amisulpride, favouring the hypothesis of dopaminergic hypofunction as one of the causes of negative symptoms.


The food and feeding habits of six endemic freshwater fish species namely, Belontia signata, Rasbora vaterifloris, Puntius cumingii, Puntius nigrofasciatus, Puntius titteya and Garra ceylonensis inhabiting the streams of the Kalu and Kelani river basins in Sri Lanka were studied from October 1998 to September 2000 with the objective of quantifying the food niche overlap and evaluating the degree of competition for food resources among them. All fish species studied except R. vaterifloris were found to be omnivorous, feeding on different varieties of food items. R. vaterifloris was found to be strictly carnivorous. P. titteya and B. signata were highly selective for diatoms, aquatic insects and rotifers while P. cumingii, although highly selective for diatoms, was non-selective for aquatic insects and filamentous algae. P . nigrofasciatus was selective for diatoms, aquatic macrophytes and non-selective for green algae. R. vateriflons and G. ceylonensis were selective for aquatic insects and crustaceans and nonselective for diatoms, rotifers and detritus. P. nigrofasciatus showed a moderate dietary overlap with P . cumingii and a low dietary overlap with other co-occurring species. R. vaterifloris showed moderate dietary overlap with G. ceylonensis and a low dietary overlap with other co-occurring species. A moderate dietary overlap was observed among B . signata, P. cumingii, P. titteya and G. ceylonensis. The results indicated that there is very little or no interspecific competition among these species due to low or moderate dietary overlap and different degree of selectivity for different food items, which has enabled them to co-exist.


Background The effectiveness of sodium bicarbonate (SB) has recently been questioned although it is often used to correct metabolic acidosis of neonates. The aim of the present study was to examine its effect on hemodynamic changes and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generation in the resuscitation of hypoxic newborn animals with severe acidosis. Methods Newborn piglets were block-randomized into a sham-operated control group without hypoxia (n = 6) and two hypoxia-reoxygenation groups (2 h normocapnic alveolar hypoxia followed by 4 h room-air reoxygenation, n = 8/group). At 10 min after reoxygenation, piglets were given either i.v. SB (2 mEq/kg), or saline (hypoxia-reoxygenation controls) in a blinded, randomized fashion. Hemodynamic data and blood gas were collected at specific time points and cerebral cortical H2O2 production was continuously monitored throughout experimental period. Plasma superoxide dismutase and catalase and brain tissue glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, nitrotyrosine and lactate levels were assayed. Results Two hours of normocapnic alveolar hypoxia caused cardiogenic shock with metabolic acidosis (pH: 6.99±0.07, HCO3 −: 8.5±1.6 mmol/L). Upon resuscitation, systemic hemodynamics immediately recovered and then gradually deteriorated with normalization of acid-base imbalance over 4 h of reoxygenation. SB administration significantly enhanced the recovery of both pH and HCO3− recovery within the first hour of reoxygenation but did not cause any significant effect in the acid-base at 4 h of reoxygenation and the temporal hemodynamic changes. SB administration significantly suppressed the increase in H2O2 accumulation in the brain with inhibition of superoxide dismutase, but not catalase, activity during hypoxia-reoxygenation as compared to those of saline-treated controls. Conclusions Despite enhancing the normalization of acid-base imbalance, SB administration during resuscitation did not provide any beneficial effects on hemodynamic recovery in asphyxiated newborn piglets. SB treatment also reduced the H2O2 accumulation in the cerebral cortex without significant effects on oxidative stress markers presumably by suppressing superoxide dismutase but not catalase activity.


We introduce a simple approach extending the input language of Answer Set Programming (ASP) systems by multi-valued propositions. Our approach is implemented as a (prototypical) preprocessor translating logic programs with multi-valued propositions into logic programs with Boolean propositions only. Our translation is modular and heavily benefits from the expressive input language of ASP. The resulting approach, along with its implementation, allows for solving interesting constraint satisfaction problems in ASP, showing a good performance.


This thesis investigates direct and indirect volcanic impacts on peatlands using palaeoecological and ecological techniques. The primary approach used is palaeoecological studies across tephra layers. A multi-proxy methodology was adopted including testate amoebae, hurnification and outline macrofossil analysis supported by radiocarbon dating. To allow quantitative interpretation of testate amoebae results a transfer function model was developed for surface wetness and pH. To examine whether it is justified to use tephra layers as evidence of volcanic activity an experiment was carried out to investigate tephra taphonomy. Results show that tephra does move through peat but the ma . ority remains at the surface. In an attempt to characterise the palaeoecological response to volcanic acid deposition an experiment was conducted applying tephra and acids to a Scottish peatland. Results show drastic impacts on peatland plants but impacts on other variables were more equivocal. For the palaeoecological studies a series of peatland sites were sampled in southeast Alaska and on the Kenai Peninsula in south-central Alaska. A number of microscopic and visible tephras were located and subjected to electron microprobe analysis to aid their identification. Results show the great potential of microtephrochronology to extend the distribution of tephra layers in Alaska. Furthermore, results highlight the great size of several eruptions, improve the dating of others and show the presence of previously unrecognised tephras. The macrofossil and testate amoebae results show impacts associated with some tephras but not all. The hurnification results are considered unreliable due to a methodological problem. The most likely cause of the impacts is through volcanic acids and gases or other chemicals adhering to tephra shards. The variability of impacts may be due to the season of eruption. These results have implications for the volcano-climate system, peatland conservation and agriculture.


This study asks why Madame de Staël sets the conclusion of Corinne ou l'Italie in Florence. In light of a cultural model of tolerance and progress, Corinne's death in Florence serves as a commentary on Italy's future and simultaneously a plea for new possibilities for women. The article traces Florence's history as politically independent and artistically renowned. Yet critical events and tyrannical rule led to the city's decline. Corinne's final years in Florence are similarly characterized by decay—ultimately brought on by gender inequality. The final Florentine sojourn parallels a previous adolescent stay there in which Florence emerges as a place of loss, particularly regarding the death of women. By creating parallels between the two Florentine experiences, Staël crystallizes feminist themes. Just as she advocates enthusiasm for other cultures as a means of nourishing Italy's evolution, she calls for openness to more nuanced gender roles so that society can evolve.


Within the primary school context, care is something that has great currency. Such positions are not only UK in orientation but are considered to be important across the globe. This said, the ways in which governments have organised and oriented education, particularly in the western world, present sharp challenges for care. The diet of efficiency and cost effectiveness, driven by a desire for justice, often orient education in ways inimical to caring for children. They present ways of construing the educational project which seemingly act in opposition to ideas about care that are anything more than care about exams or performance. Some countries, such as the England and Wales, have attempted to marry the care and education agenda together through government policy. However, such policies are often party political and thus do not survive changes in administration. Whatever the response it is important to ask questions about the place and form for care in contemporary education. This paper, attempts to do this. The paper takes as its underpinning theory the idea of the position call. Originating in social constructionist positioning theory, the position call is a heuristic device which permits one to both examine the ways in which Discourse offers certain spaces and positions for individuals and groups to occupy, and examine discursive moments for the ways they give form and structure to conversational moments. This paper will examine the first of these two aspects. Specifically, once positioning theory has been defined, the paper will identify the various position calls made by the current UK government concerning care in education. Whilst such calls are not necessarily explicit, the paper will examine how wider governmental Discourse drives certain conceptions of care in education. In particular, it will pay attention to calls to re-examine classroom processes and how these position both teacher and pupil. The paper will then outline two challenges to be faced when trying to marry the requirements of the current educational system and the care agenda. The first challenge concerns the ways in which children and young people conceptualise themselves through the auspices of the educational venture and associated societal issues. In this regard the ways in which they might align themselves with current educational policy will be explored. Secondly, the paper will outline the nature of professional work and the challenges teachers now face in a globalised, digital world, in particular how they might be forced to work so that they might meet the challenges presented by care for the 21st century.


Abstract The Netherlands has changed in many ways over the past two decades: Duties have become more central in the 'participation society', there are fierce debates about the arrival of immigrants, and the aging society and the economic crisis are sharpening
 debate about redistribution and social provisions. How have the feelings of solidarity of Dutch citizens developed in this changing context? We know from previous studies that, in general, people feel most involved with the elderly and the sick and disabled, and are less concerned about the
 standards of living of the unemployed and immigrants. This 'ranking' in feelings of solidarity with target groups of social policy is explained by deservingness theory and is suggested to be invariable over time. But is that indeed the case? In this article, changes in solidarity
 views of Dutch citizens with regard to different target groups of social policy are analysed, using data from three waves of the European Values Study (1999/2008/2017) and taking into account individual background characteristics and cohort effects. Results show an invariable deservingness
 ranking and relatively stable feelings of solidarity. Solidarity with the elderly and the sick and disabled seems to be mostly depending on cohort effects: People from younger cohorts feel much less concerned with the living conditions of the elderly. Solidarity with immigrants instead, is
 largely determined by people's political preference and education, while solidarity with the unemployed appears to be dependent on both individual characteristics and cohort effects. These effects do not get stronger (or weaker) over time. Despite the stability in feelings of solidarity
 the past decades, the strong cohort effects might predict change in the deservingness ranking in the future.


Addition of micromolar concentrations of hematin to reaction vessels containing 9000g supernatant fractions of rabbit brain homogenates together with cofactors necessary for monooxygenation resulted in up to 70-fold increases in rates of benzo[a]pyrene hydroxylation relative to rates observed for incubations performed in the absence of hematin. Time course determinations revealed the hematin-independent activity to be linear with time for at least 2 hr while the hematin-dependent activity was nonlinear, following an upward hyperbolic course of product formation. Preincubation of samples in the presence of substrate and cofactors before the additions of hematin resulted in increased initial rates for the hematin-dependent reaction. However, preincubations of supernatant fractions with hematin alone did not result in increases in initial reaction rates. At equivalent heme concentrations, hemoglobin was approximately one-ninth as effective as hematin in eliciting the stimulatory response, whereas protoporphyrin IX, biliverdin, myoglobin, catalase, and FeCl2 were essentially ineffective in producing enhanced rates of reaction. Hematin did not produce increases in metabolic rates when incubated with hepatic homogenates. Both hematin-dependent and hematin-independent activities were found to be inhibited by carbon monoxide, aniline, cytochrome c, 17β-estradio1, 7,8-benzoflavone, butylated hydroxyanisole, and 2-mercaptoethanol. Increasing enzymatic activities by pretreating animals with phenobarbital, 3-methylcholanthrene, or Aroclor 1254 caused a decrease in the stimulatory capabilities of hematin in vitro. Hematin also produced increases in rates of oxidative metabolism of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and 17β-estradiol, but not of N-2-fluorenylacetamide. Metabolic profiles obtained with high-pressure liquid chromatography and benzo[a]pyrene or 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene as substrate illustrated that additions of hematin increased the quantity of individual metabolites produced without causing qualitative changes in the metabolic profiles.


By combining theoretical analysis and empirical investigation, this monograph investigates the status of interfaces in Minimalist linguistic theory, second language acquisition and native language attrition. Two major questions are currently under debate: (1) what exactly makes a linguistic phenomenon an 'interface phenomenon', and (2) what is the specific role that the interfaces play in explaining language loss and persistent problems in second language acquisition? Answers to these questions are provided by a theoretical examination of the role that economy and computational efficiency play in recent Minimalist models of the language faculty, as well as by evidence obtained in two empirical studies examining the acquisition and attrition of two interface phenomena: Spanish subject realization and word order variation. The result is a new definition of 'interface phenomena' which deemphasizes syntactic complexity and focuses on the effect of interface interpretive conditions on syntactic structure. This work also shows that representational deficits cannot be ruled out in the acquisition and attrition of interface structures.


In this study, the identity and distribution of plants and the structure of their associated rhizobacterial communities were examined in an oil-contaminated site. The number of plant species that formed a community or were scattered was 24. The species living in soil highly contaminated with total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) (9,000-4,5000 mg/g-soil) were Cynodon dactylon, Persicaria lapathifolia, and Calystegia soldanella (a halophytic species). Among the 24 plant species, the following have been known to be effective for oil removal: C. dactylon, Digitaria sanguinalis, and Cyperus orthostachyus. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profile analysis showed that the following pairs of plant species had highly similar (above 70%) rhizobacterial community structures: Artemisia princeps and Hemistepta lyrata; C. dactylon and P. lapathifolia; Carex kobomugi and Cardamine flexuosa; and Equisetum arvense and D. sanguinalis. The major groups of rhizobacteria were Betaproteobacteria, Gamma-proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, and unknown. Based on DGGE analysis, P. lapathifolia, found for the first time in this study growing in the presence of high TPH, may be a good species for phytoremediation of oil-contaminated soils and in particular, C. soldanella may be useful for soils with high TPH and salt concentrations. Overall, this study suggests that the plant roots, regardless of plant species, may have a similar influence on the bacterial community structure in oil-contaminated soil.


We quantify the variability of faint unresolved optical sources using a catalog based on multiple SDSS imaging observations. The catalog covers SDSS stripe 82, which lies along the celestial equator in the southern Galactic hemisphere (22h24m < αJ2000.0 < 04h08m, -1.27° < δJ2000.0 < +1.27°, ∼290 deg2), and contains 34 million photometric observations in the SDSS ugriz system for 748,084 unresolved sources at high Galactic latitudes (b < -20°) that were observed at least four times in each of the ugri bands (with a median of 10 observations obtained over ∼6 yr). In each photometric bandpass we compute various low-order light-curve statistics, such as rms scatter, χ2 per degree of freedom, skewness, and minimum and maximum magnitude, and use them to select and study variable sources. We find that 2% of unresolved optical sources brighter than g = 20.5 appear variable at the 0.05 mag level (rms) simultaneously in the g and r bands (at high Galactic latitudes). The majority (2 out of 3) of these variable sources are low-redshift (<2) quasars, although they represent only 2% of all sources in the adopted flux-limited sample. We find that at least 90% of quasars are variable at the 0.03 mag level (rms) and confirm that variability is as good a method for finding low-redshift quasars as the UV excess color selection (at high Galactic latitudes). We analyze the distribution of light-curve skewness for quasars and find that it is centered on zero. We find that about one-fourth of the variable stars are RR Lyrae stars, and that only 0.5% of stars from the main stellar locus are variable at the 0.05 mag level. The distribution of light-curve skewness in the g - r versus u - g color-color diagram on the main stellar locus is found to be bimodal (with one mode consistent with Algol-like behavior). Using over 600 RR Lyrae stars, we demonstrate rich halo substructure out to distances of 100 kpc. We extrapolate these results to the expected performance by the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope and estimate that it will obtain well-sampled, 2% accurate, multicolor light curves for ∼2 million low-redshift quasars and discover at least 50 million variable stars.


Tuberculosis (TB) is a communicable disease sometimes caused by the microorganism mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). Anti-tubercular agents inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Anti-tubercular agents mainly act by inhibit the growth of bacteria by cell wall synthesis inhibition. VXc-486 is a potent anti-tubercular drug belonging with aminobenzimidazole category. The novel amino-benzimidazole, VXc-486, which targets gyrase B, potently inhibits multiple drug-sensitive isolates and drug-resistant isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. VXc-486 is crystalline and flakes in yellow color having solid state. It is crystalline solid at room temperature that show physical characteristic of the drug. VXc-486 is water insoluble potent anti-tubercular drug which is the Amino-benzimidazole family drug


Based on two waves of the National Family Health Surveys of India, this paper studies the effect of maternal characteristics on women's likelihood of using prenatal and delivery healthcare services among two groups of tribal women. Results show that tribal women in the northeastern states of India are more likely to utilize maternal healthcare facilities compared to those in the central states of the country. Women who work are less likely to utilize healthcare services. The findings call for different strategies for the implementation of healthcare services in different tribal regions of the country.


Background:Mask ventilation is an essential element of airway management that has rarely been studied as the primary outcome. The authors sought to determine the incidence and predictors of difficult and impossible mask ventilation. Methods:A four-point scale to grade difficulty in performing mask ventilation (MV) is used at the authors' institution. They used a prospective, observational study to identify cases of grade 3 MV (inadequate, unstable, or requiring two providers), grade 4 MV (impossible to ventilate), and difficult intubation. Univariate and multivariate analyses of a variety of patient history and physical examination characteristics were used to establish risk factors for grade 3 and 4 MV. Results:During a 24-month period, 22,660 attempts at MV were recorded. 313 cases (1.4%) of grade 3 MV, 37 cases (0.16%) of grade 4 MV, and 84 cases (0.37%) of grade 3 or 4 MV and difficult intubation were observed. Body mass index of 30 kg/m 2 or greater, a beard, Mallampati classification III or IV, age of 57 yr or older, severely limited jaw protrusion, and snoring were identified as independent predictors for grade 3 MV. Snoring and thyromental distance of less than 6 cm were independent predictors for grade 4 MV. Limited or severely limited mandibular protrusion, abnormal neck anatomy, sleep apnea, snoring, and body mass index of 30 kg/m 2 or greater were independent predictors of grade 3 or 4 MV and difficult intubation. Conclusions:The authors observed the incidence of grade 3 MV to be 1.4%, similar to studies with the same definition of difficult MV. Presence of a beard is the only easily modifiable independent risk factor for difficult MV. The mandibular protrusion test may be an essential element of the airway examination.


Using archival data, this cross-sectional, descriptive study investigated the path of core course enrollment and completion of middle school students socially promoted from eighth grade to high school in a small, urban school district during 2008 to 2012. Supported by research surrounding the development of public education, the debate of retention versus social promotion, and adolescent development, this study delved into social promotion and whether it was an equitable and socially-just educational practice. Though this study quantitatively portrayed a positive outcome for students socially promoted from middle school, the data also showed that a majority of these students continued to perform academically low in high school. Identification of the inconsistencies of student grades led to a discussion of the equity of traditional grading practices and whether they were an accurate portrayal of the knowledge and skills students possessed. Additionally, the available data raised questions about class size and individual instruction impacting the academic performance of these students. Critical reviews of the current educational system along with the establishment of major change are suggested to promote positive adolescent relationships/school bonding, allow equitable assessment of the knowledge and skills of students, and provide individual instruction with smaller core class sizes to meet the academic and social needs of adolescents in a socially-just manner.


A high-speed edge-detecting line scan smart camera was developed. The camera is designed to operate as a component in a NASA Glenn Research Center developed inlet shock detection system. The inlet shock is detected by projecting a laser sheet through the airflow. The shock within the airflow is the densest part and refracts the laser sheet the most in its vicinity, leaving a dark spot or shadowgraph. These spots show up as a dip or negative peak within the pixel intensity profile of an image of the projected laser sheet. The smart camera acquires and processes in real-time the linear image containing the shock shadowgraph and outputting the shock location. Previously a high-speed camera and personal computer would perform the image capture and processing to determine the shock location. This innovation consists of a linear image sensor, analog signal processing circuit, and a digital circuit that provides a numerical digital output of the shock or negative edge location. The smart camera is capable of capturing and processing linear images at over 1,000 frames per second. The edges are identified as numeric pixel values within the linear array of pixels, and the edge location information can be sent out from the circuit in a variety of ways, such as by using a microcontroller and onboard or external digital interface to include serial data such as RS-232/485, USB, Ethernet, or CAN BUS; parallel digital data; or an analog signal. The smart camera system can be integrated into a small package with a relatively small number of parts, reducing size and increasing reliability over the previous imaging system..


A study has been carried out to engineer the fabric comfort by modifying the internal yarn structure through spinningprocess parameters. The yarn packing density is found to be one of most influential factors of yarn structure, which governsthe comfort aspect of the textile material. The work reported here mainly deals with the influence of ring frame processparameters, i.e. spindle speed, twist and draft, on mechanics of yarn structure. It is evident that an increase in spindle speed,twist multiplier and draft decreases the yarn diameter and accordingly increases the packing density. The reduction in yarndiameter is found to be maximum with the increase of draft followed by twist multiplier and spindle speed. The yarnpacking density also follows the similar trend. The radial packing density of considered yarns is neither uniform across theyarn cross-section nor maximum near the yarn axis. The maximum packing density is noticed at some distance from theyarn axis and it decreases further towards yarn surface. In general, yarns do not possess maximum packing density near yarnaxis. It is observed that considered process parameters significantly influence the packing in core, intermediate and surfacezone of the yarns.


The kidney is a major site of systemic oxygen sensing, regulating blood erythrocyte and hence oxygen content by hypoxia-inducible erythropoietin (Epo) expression. A constant ratio between blood perfusion and oxygen consumption, a stable corticomedullary oxygen gradient, and a relatively low tissue Po(2) are the prerequisites for the function of renal Epo-producing and oxygen-sensing (REPOS) cells, which are located in the juxtamedullary cortex. In kidney disease, renal oxygen consumption is decreased, leading to an increase in Po(2), dysfunction of REPOS cells, and anemia. The molecular principles of cellular oxygen sensing have been elucidated in the last few years, and genetically altered mouse models as well as hereditary diseases causing erythrocytosis have clarified the oxygen-signaling cascade leading to increased Epo expression in REPOS cells. However, the consequences of a number of recently discovered factors for the regulation of oxygen signaling in REPOS cells are unclear, asking for novel cell culture models which might be hampered by the putative neuron-like nature of this enigmatic cell type.


Rejected by his brother and largely ignored by his parents, Kieron Smith finds comfort - and endless stories - in the home of his much-loved grandparents. But when his family move to a new housing scheme on the outskirts of Glasgow, a world away from the close community of the tenements, Kieron struggles to find a way to adapt to his new life. Kieron Smith, boy is a brilliant evocation of an urban childhood. Capturing the joys, frustrations, injustices, excitements, revels, battles, games, uncertainties, questions, lies, discoveries and sheer of wonder of boyhood, it is a story of one boy and every boy. It is James Kelman at his very best.


Objectives & Background Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) is in Bromley, where local HIV prevalence is 2.5 in 1000.1 National guidelines recommend considering HIV screening in certain hospital settings, where prevalence is greater than 2 in 1000.2 It is estimated that 24% of people with HIV remain undiagnosed,3 with clear benefits of early diagnosis including decreased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare cost. Screening programmes in emergency departments (EDs) may be useful but present challenges,4 and pilots have run in large EDs5 but we are unaware of similar schemes in smaller EDs. Methods For five days in November 2014 between 8 am and 8 pm, we offered an HIV blood test to all patients aged 18–75 attending PRUH ED's walk-in triage. Participants were informed of the result two to three weeks later, and asked for feedback about the study. Any positive results would be followed up by HIV specialist services. Questionnaires regarding perceived acceptability and relevance of testing were distributed to staff working in the department. Results 112 patients were eligible for the test; of these, 88 (78.6%) accepted and 24 (21.4%) declined. Of the 88 tests performed, we established an accurate result in 76. All 76 (100%) patients tested negative for HIV. We were able to inform 68 patients of their negative result; of the other 8 patients, 2 had died and 6 were not contactable. Results from patient questionnaires showed patients most commonly declined due to recent testing, or perceived low risk status. The majority of staff questionnaire respondents felt routine HIV testing in the ED was beneficial and acceptable. Conclusion Our results confirm patient acceptability of routine HIV testing in EDs, demonstrated by the high uptake of testing. We did not establish any HIV positive results, which was expected given the sample size and local prevalence. We showed routine HIV testing in EDs is feasible and has a high level of staff acceptability, both of which are promising for continuing routine HIV screening in PRUH. We hope to extend the screening to all medical admissions to the hospital, as recommended by current national guidelines.


Most of the studies focused on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) performed in wildlife describe Escherichia coli as the principal indicator of the selective pressure. In the present study, several species of Enterobacterales with a large panel of cephalosporin resistant (CR) genes have been isolated from wildlife in Catalonia. A total of 307 wild animals were examined to determine the prevalence of CR enterobacteria, AMR phenotypes and the presence of common carbapenem and CR genes. The overall prevalence of CR-phenotype was 13% (40/307): 17.3% in wild mammals (18/104) and 11.5% in wild birds (22/191) (p<0.01). Hedgehogs showed the highest prevalence (13.5% of 104) of the mammal specimens, and raptors the highest in bird specimen (7.3% of 191). Although CR E. coli was the most frequently isolated (45%), other CR- Enterobacterales like Klebsiella pneumoniae (20%), Citrobacter freundii (15%), Enterobacter cloacae (5%), Proteus mirabilis (5%), Providencia spp (5%) and Serratia marcescens (2.5%) were also isolated. A high diversity of CR genes was identified among the isolates, with 50% yielding blaCMY-2, 23% blaSHV-12, 20% blaCMY-1 and 18% blaCTX-M-15. Additionally, resistance to carbapenems associated to OXA-48 gene was found. Most of the CR isolates, principally K. pneumoniae and C. freundii, were multi-resistant with co-resistance to fluoroquinolones, tetracycline, sulphonamides and aminoglycosides. This study reports high prevalence of Enterobacterales harbouring a variety of CR genes and OXA-48 mediated-carbapenem resistance, all of them frequently associated to nosocomial human infections, for the first time in wild mammals and wild birds. Implementation of control measures to reduce the impact of anthropogenic pressure in the environment is urgently needed.


Type III interferons (IFN-λ) are part of the innate immune response to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection however the specific role of IFN-λ4 and the nature of the viral adaption to this pressure have not been defined. Here we use paired genome-wide human and viral genetic data in 485 patients infected with HCV genotype 3a to explore the role of IFN-λ4 on HCV evolution during chronic infection. We show that genetic variations within the host IFNL4 locus have a broad and systematic impact on HCV amino acid diversity. We also demonstrate that this impact is larger in patients producing a more active form of IFN-λ4 protein compared to the less active form. A similar observation was noted for viral load. We conclude that IFN-λ4 protein is a likely causal agent driving widespread HCV amino acid changes and associated with viral load and possibly other clinical and biological outcomes of HCV infection.


Stress granules (SGs) are cytoplasmic aggregates to reprogram gene expression in response to cellular stimulus. Here, we show that while SGs are being assembled in response to clotrimazole, an antifungal medication heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) K, an RNA-binding protein that mediates translational silencing of mRNAs, is rapidly accumulated in SGs in U-2OS osteosarcoma cells. Forced expression of hnRNP K induces resistance to clotrimazole-induced apoptosis. Erk/MAPK is transiently activated in response to clotrimazole, and pharmacological suppression of the Erk/MAPK pathway sensitizes the cells to apoptosis. Inhibition of the Erk/MAPK pathway promotes the assembly of SGs. These results suggest that dynamic cytoplasmic formation of SGs and hnRNP K relocation to SGs may be defensive mechanisms against clotrimazole–induced apoptosis in U-2OS osteosarcoma cells.


The stratigraphic position of the Otjosondu ferromanganese deposit in the Neoproterozoic Damara Supergroup in the Central Zone of the Pan-African Damara orogenic belt is uncertain. Comparison of the enclosing host rocks with regional profiles in the southern Central Zone would indicate that it is hosted by the Etusis Formation (Fe-rich feldspar-quartz rocks) of the Nosib Group, in a condensed stratigraphic section of the supergroup, and not the Chuos Formation (diamictite, turbidite and thin iron-formation layers) of the Swakop Group, as previously proposed. The Otjosondu ore comprises ferromanganese silicate-oxide assemblages that occur in a feldspathic-quartzite sequence lacking the mixtite facies typical of the Chuos Formation. Hematitic iron formation containing minor hyalophane, spessartine and barite, and hyalophane-bearing spessartine-quartz rock are present in close spatial association with the Mn silicate-oxide rocks. Barite is a widespread and locally abundant mineral in the Mn silicate-oxide ore. Bulk-rock chemical analyses indicate trace-element associations of Ag-As-Cu-Co-Bi-B-P with Mn and Sr-Mo-W with Ba in the Mn silicate-oxide and spessartine-quartz rocks. These element associations are explained by adsorption/substitution processes in an oxygenated alkaline marine setting. Sulfur-isotope compositions of barite from the Mn silicate-oxide ore vary from +10.1 to +16.7 ‰, a range of δ34S values that shows negative correlation with bulk-rock Fe content and is interpreted as mixing of isotopically light hydrothermal S with heavier sea-water S. The protoliths of the ferromanganese rocks were precipitates deposited in a basin-margin setting as a result of mixing of an exhalative hydrothermal fluid with oxygenated, sulfate-bearing sea water, and varying degrees of detrital addition. These conclusions are in contradiction to the deep-water, anoxic, sulfate-depleted oceanic settings required for formation of glacially associated Rapitan-type iron and manganese formations. The formation of the Otjosondu ferromanganese deposit is therefore unrelated to any Chuos/Sturtian global glacial event. Origins as hydrogenetic deposits are mostly excluded due to the base-metal- and P-poor, but Ba-rich nature of the Otjosondu ores. The baritic ferromanganese, hematite-quartz and spessartine-quartz rocks at Otjosondu may be compared to oxidised baritic portions of the Gamsberg (Broken Hill-type) base-metal deposit in South Africa and may represent the distal or shallow-water oxidised equivalents of sediment-hosted exhalative base-metal mineralisation such as the penecontemporaneous Tsongoari and Rosh Pinah deposits.


In a 4Pi confocal fluorescence microscope two opposing microscope objective lenses were used to illuminate a fluorescent object from both sides and to collect the fluorescence emissions on both sides. Constructive interference of either the illumination wave fronts in the common focus or the detection wave fronts in the common detector pinhole resulted in an axial resolution approximately four times higher than that in a confocal fluorescence microscope. A precise 4Pi confocal fluorescence microscope that uses simultaneous illumination was built. The full width at half-maximum of the depth discrimination was determined experimentally to be approximately 110 nm when lenses with a numerical aperture of 1.4, an excitation of 633 nm, and detection of approximately 725 nm were used.


This study examines the magnitude of illicit financial flows from India, analyzing the drivers and dynamics of these flows in the context of far-ranging reform. In the process, it represents perhaps the most comprehensive study on the subject matter, both in terms of the range of issues involved and the time span covered. At its heart is a dynamic simulation model which seeks to capture the complex interplay of economic, structural, and governance issues that underlie the generation and cross-border transfer of illicit capital. Due to the random nature of illicit flows, this model cannot be used to forecast such flows. Apart from the fact that illicit flows are unrecorded, primary motivations that drive them such as the desire for the hidden accumulation of wealth are not easy to test empirically. Nevertheless, a formal model can help us think systematically about the important drivers of illicit flows and how they are likely to interact. An important finding in this study is that illicit flows from India are more likely to have been driven by a complex interplay of structural factors and governance issues than they are by poor macroeconomic policies. Hence, in order to curtail such flows policymakers must address these entrenched issues through a combination of tax reform and other redistributive policies to ensure more inclusive growth. They must ensure that customs reform and other regulatory oversight lead to significant improvements in governance necessary to shrink the underground economy. For their part, developed countries must hold banks and offshore financial centers to greater accountability regarding transparency so as not to facilitate the absorption of illicit funds.


cognitive systems, biologicallyinspired computing, artificial life, artificial intelligence, autonomous agents This paper presents a review of the academic literature on biologicallyinspired computing approaches to the science and engineering of cognitive systems. This review is intended as a rapid tour through the area (rather than a leisurely wander); and it should be readable in a few hours. The tour is partial in both senses of the word: it is only partially complete, and it is biased (i.e., it is not an impartial tour). Originally written in 1997, but revised and updated since, its primary intention is as background reading for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in cognitive science and artificial intelligence. Its content is based on courses taught by the author at the University of Sussex (UK); at MIT (USA); and at the University of Southampton (UK).


This book explains how computer software is designed to perform the tasks required for sophisticated statistical analysis. For statisticians, it examines the nitty-gritty computational problems behind statistical methods. For mathematicians and computer scientists, it looks at the application of mathematical tools to statistical problems. The first half of the book offers a basic background in numerical analysis that emphasizes issues important to statisticians. The next several chapters cover a broad array of statistical tools, such as maximum likelihood and nonlinear regression. The author also treats the application of numerical tools; numerical integration and random number generation are explained in a unified manner reflecting complementary views of Monte Carlo methods. Each chapter contains exercises that range from simple questions to research problems. Most of the examples are accompanied by demonstration and source code available in from the author's Web site. New in this second edition are demonstrations coded in R, as well as new sections on linear programming and the Nelder-Mead search algorithm.


The Northern Song (960--1126) was one of the most transformative periods in Chinese literary history, characterized by the emergence of printing and an ensuing proliferation of books. The poet Huang Tingjian (1045--1105), writing at the height of this period, both defined and was defined by these changes. The first focused study on the cultural consequences of printing in Northern Song China, this book examines how the nascent print culture shaped the poetic theory and practice of Huang Tingjian and the Jiangxi School of Poetry he founded. Author Yugen Wang argues that at the core of Huang and the Jiangxi School's search for poetic methods was their desire to find a new way of reading and writing that could effectively address the changed literary landscape of the eleventh century. Wang chronicles the historical and cultural negotiation Huang and his colleagues were conducting as they responded to the new book culture, and opens new ground for investigating the literary interpretive and hermeneutical effects of printing. This book should be of interest not only to scholars and readers of classical Chinese poetry but to anyone concerned with how the material interacts with the intellectual and how technology has influenced our conception and practice of reading and writing throughout history.


There are many science applications that require scalable task-level parallelism, support for flexible execution and coupling of ensembles of simulations. Most high-performance system software and middleware, however, are designed to support the execution and optimization of single tasks. Motivated by the missing capabilities of these computing systems and the increasing importance of task-level parallelism, we introduce the Ensemble toolkit which has the following application development features: (i) abstractions that enable the expression of ensembles as primary entities, and (ii) support for ensemble-based execution patterns that capture the majority of application scenarios. Ensemble toolkit uses a scalable pilot-based runtime system that decouples workload execution and resource management details from the expression of the application, and enables the efficient and dynamic execution of ensembles on heterogeneous computing resources. We investigate three execution patterns and characterize the scalability and overhead of Ensemble toolkit for these patterns. We investigate scaling properties for up to O(1000)concurrent ensembles and O(1000) cores and find linear weak and strong scaling behaviour.


The 5th workshop within the IIASA project "Challenges and Opportunities of Economic Integration Within a Wider European and Eurasian Space" held 15 – 16 September 2015 in Laxenburg, Austria, discussed the issue of transportation corridors in Eurasia and the opportunities for cooperation between the EU, Russia, the EAEU, China and other regional players concerning transport and infrastructure projects.
In order to foster interdisciplinary and international dialogue on the topic, the workshop brought together well-established academics and policymakers from around the world, including: Peter Balas, Deputy Director General, DG Trade, European Commission; Stefan Fule, former EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy; Pavel Kabat, Director General and Chief Executive Officer, IIASA; Evgeny Vinokurov, Director, Centre for Integration Studies, Eurasian Development Bank; Yuliya Chalaya, Head, Economic Policy Strategies Section, Macroeconomic Policy Department, Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) among many others, with a total of 34 participants.

All speakers underlined the importance ofof an international dialogue for science-policy making on transport and infrastructure projects in Eurasia, particularly in the current context of the implementation of EU-UA AA/DCFTA. The global financial crisis, the US Fed and ECB QE policies, the EU's fiscal situation and Western financial sanctions on Russia were raised during the discussion as serious bottlenecks for developing large scale infrastructure projects in Eurasia.

Selected Seminar Highlights:

The workshop concentrated on the major aspects related to transport and infrastructure development and generated the following outcomes:

• a comprehensive review of the nexus of economic integration and modernization of passenger and freight transport and logistics infrastructure, including railways (notably, high-speed ground transportation), roads, air and maritime transport; and their impacts on economic, national security and social stability;

•analysis of the future of transport corridors in Eurasia: prospects for cooperation among the countries of the region in the construction, modernization and further development of the Eurasian transport corridors (such as the Silk Way Economic Belt, the Trans-Siberian Railway, the "Razvitie" belt, the "Eurasia" waterway) until 2030, in particular, the development of trans-border transport infrastructures and perspectives of the Trans-Eurasian transit;

• a detailed survey of opportunities and threats for the cooperation, feasibility and possibilities for win-win solutions in the context of large infrastructure (gas pipelines, waterways, etc.) developments in Eurasia.

Seminar Focus Areas:

During the workshop the participants came to distinguish four focus points:

1. Overview of transport and infrastructure projects in Eurasia
2. Means of financing of mega transport and infrastructure projects in Eurasia
3. Global players' logistics interests: playing ball or playing hard?
4. Trade, development and population: cornerstones and limitations to transport and infrastructure projects in Eurasia


Previous research has found environmental context effects for both conceptual explicit and conceptual implicit memory (Parker, Gellatly, & Waterman, 1999). The research presented here challenges these findings on methodological grounds. Experiment 1 assessed the effects of context change on category-exemplar generation (conceptual implicit memory test) and category-cued recall (conceptual explicit memory test). Experiment 2 assessed the effects of context change on word association (conceptual implicit memory test) and word associate cued recall (conceptual explicit memory test). In both experiments, study–test changes in environmental context were found to influence performance only on tests of explicit memory. It is concluded that when retrieval cues across explicit and implicit tests are matched, and the probability of explicit contamination is reduced, then only conceptual explicit test performance is reduced by study–test changes in environmental context.


Diabetic microangiopathy leads to lower limb ulcers that are very slow to heal. Pycnogenol was evaluated on diabetic ulcers in a controlled trial. Ulcer medications were used in 4 groups (30 patients): (1) systemic Pycnogenol and local application; (2) local Pycnogenol only; (3) oral Pycnogenol; and (4) medications only (control group). Ulcerated areas and symptom scores were more reduced with the combined oral and local treatment (P < .05). Oral and local treatment were less effective, but still improved compared with the controls. Combined treatment produced 89% complete healing at 6 weeks versus 84% with local treatment and 85% with oral treatment; healing in controls was 61%. The combined treatment group and oral only group had better microcirculation after the combined treatment. Combined local and systemic application of Pycnogenol may offer a new treatment of diabetic ulcers. Local treatment also speeds ulcer healing.


Microcodium is a calcitic microfeature, mainly interpreted as root calcification products of terrestrial plants on carbonate-rich substrates, that is abundant in Paleogene successions of the peri-Tethyan realm. In the Betic Cordillera most of Microcodium appears as reworked in calcarenites interbedded in pelagic sedimentary rocks. In this study we analyse outcrops with in situ Microcodium aggregates located in Sierra de la Pila (Internal Prebetic, Murcia province). Microcodium appears on top of Lutetian (Middle Eocene) platform limestones and shows: 1) cylindrical morphologies showing «corncob» colonies longitudinally, and «rosette» structures in transverse section, and 2) individual or plural globular morphologies, similar to «rosettes» in section. Microcodium is interpreted as developed in calcic paleosols, related with a seasonal semiarid climate, before the boundary Middle-Upper Eocene and the important climatic change marked with the beginning of the transition from the extreme global warmth of the early Eocene «greenhouse « climate to the present glaciated state.


Health and Development presents a broad and detailed description of the multifaceted aspects of health and development across the globe. People are living longer, their lifestyles are changing and so too are the diseases from which they suffer. Recession in the North and debt servicing in the South have reduced public expenditure on health and welfare. The links between regional, economic and environmental factors and the health of a population are becoming clearer. Does development mean a longer life of lower quality? Always alive to both the global and the local implications, the authors focus in particular on the critical issues surrounding environmental impact, the interaction of poverty and health, socio-cultural factors in HIV/AIDS transmission, the use of traditional and community health care resources and women's health.


Title of Document: ELECTRON ACCELERATION BY FEMTOSECOND LASER INTERACTION WITH MICRO-STRUCTURED PLASMAS Andrew James Goers, Ph.D., 2015 Directed By: Professor Howard Milchberg Department of Physics Laser-driven accelerators are a promising and compact alternative to RF accelerator technology for generating relativistic electron bunches for medical, scientific, and security applications. This dissertation presents three experiments using structured plasmas designed to advance the state of the art in laser-based electron accelerators, with the goal of reducing the energy of the drive laser pulse and enabling higher repetition rate operation with current laser technology. First, electron acceleration by intense femtosecond laser pulses in He-like nitrogen plasma waveguides is demonstrated. Second, significant progress toward a proof of concept realization of quasi-phasematched direct acceleration (QPM-DLA) is presented. Finally, a laser wakefield accelerator at very high plasma density is studied, enabling relativistic electron beam generation with ~10 mJ pulse energies. Major results from these experiments include:  Acceleration of electrons up to 120 MeV from an ionization injected wakefield accelerator driven in a 1.5 mm long He-like nitrogen plasma waveguide  Guiding of an intense, quasi-radially polarized femtosecond laser pulse in a 1 cm plasma waveguide. This pulse provides a strong drive field for the QPMDLA concept.  Wakefield acceleration of electrons up to ~10 MeV with sub-terawatt, ~10 mJ pulses interacting with a thin (~200 μm), high density (>10 20 cm -3 ) plasma.  Observation of an intense, coherent, broadband wave breaking radiation flash from a high plasma density laser wakefield accelerator. The flash radiates > 1% of the drive laser pulse energy in a bandwidth consistent with half-cycle (~ 1 fs) emission from violent unidirectional acceleration of electron bunches from rest. These results open the way to high repetition rate (>~kHz) laser-driven generation of relativistic electron beams with existing laser technology. ELECTRON ACCELERATION BY FEMTOSECOND LASER INTERACTION WITH MICRO-STRUCTURED PLASMAS


The Fukushima accident resulted in the melting of the reactor core due to loss of supply of coolant when the reactor stopped from operating conditions. The earthquake and tsunami caused loss of electricity due to the flooding that occurred in the reactor. The absence of the coolant supply after reactor shutdown resulted in heat accumulation, causing the temperature of the fuel to rise beyond its melting point. In the early stages of the accident, operator could not determine the severity of the accident and the percentage of the reactor core damaged. The available data was based on the radiation exposure in the environment that was reported by the authorities. The aim of this paper is to determine the severity of the conditions in the reactor core based on the radiation doses measured in the environment. The method is performed by backward counting based on the measuring radiation exposure and radionuclides releases source term. The calculation was performed by using the PC-COSYMA code. The results showed that the core damage fraction at Dai-ichi Unit 1 was 70%, and the resulting individual effective dose in the exclusion area is 401 mSv, while the core damage fraction at Unit 2 was 30%, and the resulting individual effective dose was 99.1 mSv, while for Unit 3, the core damage fraction was 25% for an individual effective dose of 92.2 mSv. The differences between the results of the calculation for estimation of core damage proposed in this paper with the previously reported results is probably caused by the applied model for assessment, differences in postulations and assumptions, and the incompleteness of the input data. This difference could be reduced by performing calculations and simulations for more varied assumptions and postulations. Received:  30 October 2015 ; Revised:  29 March 2016 ; Accepted:  31 March 2016


The Phillips curve has been much flatter in the past twenty years than in the preceding decades. We consider two hypotheses. One is that prices at the microeconomic level are stickier than they used to be---in the context of the canonical Calvo model, firms are adjusting prices less often. The other is that the expectations of firms and households about future inflation are now less well informed by macroeconomic conditions; because expectations are important in the setting of current-period prices, inflation is therefore less sensitive to macroeconomic conditions. To distinguish between our two hypotheses, we bring to bear information on inflation expectations from surveys, which allow us to distinguish changes in the sensitivity of inflation to economic conditions conditioning on expectations from changes in the sensitivity of expectations themselves to economic conditions. We find that, with some measures, expectations are less tied to economic conditions than in the past, and thus that this reduced attentiveness can account for a significant portion of the reduction in the sensitivity of inflation to economic conditions in recent decades.


On November 29th, 2012, the United Nations General Assembly voted to grant Palestine non-member observer State status. The core question is whether this newly found status for the Palestinians will be beneficial or disadvantageous to both the Palestinians and the peace process. Non-member observer State status at the UN signifies recognition of Palestinian statehood, and as such introduces a host of legal issues into one of the most entrenched and protracted conflicts in the world. Was it the birth of a new state that inaugurates the beginning of the end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or did the acceptance of Palestine as a non-member observer State merely introduce a new phase and battlefield? The term 'lawfare' comes to mind. The notion of 'lawfare' can be either defined as "the use of the law as a weapon of war", "the abuse of Western laws and judicial systems to achieve strategic military or political ends", or "the negative manipulation of international and national human rights laws to accomplish purposes other than, or contrary to, those for which they were originally enacted". It has, therefore, a definite negative connotation. But it is the use of the law in the relationship between Israel and Palestine, which may be the most important consequence of Palestinian statehood.


Executing an accurate full-reference metric such as VQM can take minutes in an average computer for just one user. Therefore, it can be unfeasible to analyze all the videos received by users in an IPTV network for example consisting of 10.000 users using a single computer running the VQM metric. One solution can be to use a lightweight no-reference metrics in addition to the full-reference metric mentioned. Lightweight no-reference metrics can be used for discarding potential situations to evaluate because they are accurate enough for that task, and then the full-reference metric VQM can be used when more accuracy is needed. The work in this paper is focused on determining the maximum number of situations/users that can be analyzed simultaneously using the VQM metric in a computer with good performance. The full-reference metric is applied on the transmitter using a method specified in the recommendation ITU BT.1789. The best performance achieved was 112.8 seconds per process.