Crops genetically engineered to produce insecticidal toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) manage many key insect pests while reducing the use of conventional insecticides. One of the primary pests targeted by Bt maize in the United States is the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte. Beginning in 2009, populations of western corn rootworm were identified in Iowa, USA that imposed severe root injury to Cry3Bb1 maize. Subsequent laboratory bioassays revealed that these populations were resistant to Cry3Bb1 maize, with survival on Cry3Bb1 maize that was three times higher than populations not associated with such injury. Here we report the results of research that began in 2010 when western corn rootworm were sampled from 14 fields in Iowa, half of which had root injury to Cry3Bb1 maize of greater than 1 node. Of these samples, sufficient eggs were collected to conduct bioassays on seven populations. Laboratory bioassays revealed that these 2010 populations had survival on Cry3Bb1 maize that was 11 times higher and significantly greater than that of control populations, which were brought into the laboratory prior to the commercialization of Bt maize for control of corn rootworm. Additionally, the developmental delays observed for control populations on Cry3Bb1 maize were greatly diminished for 2010 populations. All 2010 populations evaluated in bioassays came from fields with a history of continuous maize production and between 3 and 7 y of Cry3Bb1 maize cultivation. Resistance to Cry34/35Ab1 maize was not detected and there was no correlation between survival on Cry3Bb1 maize and Cry34/35Ab1 maize, suggesting a lack of cross resistance between these Bt toxins. Effectively dealing with the challenge of field-evolved resistance to Bt maize by western corn rootworm will require better adherence to the principles of integrated pest management.


In this paper, we will explore the ways in which electronic commerce, the World-wide Web (WWW) in particular, is affecting the real estate industry. Real estate is a promising setting for studying electronic commerce because it is an information-intensive and information-driven industry; transaction-based, with high value and asset-specificity; market-intermediary (agents and brokers connect buyers and sellers rather than buying or selling themselves); and experiencing on-going information technology (IT) related changes. In this paper, we apply a coordination theory framework to suggest where IT might change the process of buying or selling a house. Electronic commerce applications have the potential to drastically change current practices in the real-estate industry, including the disintermediation of agents. Web-based commerce is eroding the long-enjoyed information monopoly of real-estate agents. We illustrate this potential by reviewing a number of existing real estate websites that demonstrate the possible impact of electronic commerce on this


Approximately 32 nations currently use reservation of legislative seats for minority voices, whether by race, ethnicity, language, religion, or territory. Romania has among the most extensive and complicated arrangement of reserved seats, with 18 different ethnic minorities currently provided special parliamentary representation. This paper addresses two key political issues: how is it determined that there exists a valid ethnic minority deserving of recognition with a reserved seat? What are the political consequences from the broad allocation of reserved seats? The paper understands a reserved legislative seat as a distributive good over which rival claimants assert contested title. The state has incentive to avoid controversial choices although this is not always possible. Incumbent interests have incentive to restrict competitive entry without appearing to violate the principles of open inclusion. As seen through the Romanian case, the regime consequence from this dynamic tends to be clientele politics, in which minority organizations emerge segmented, dependent, and relatively powerless, yet simultaneously satisfied that they can guarantee by means of state subsidies the foundations for group identity.


The IUCN Species Survival Commission and IUCN Asia Regional Office commissioned this independent report to assess the state and condition of intertidal habitats along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF), in response to growing concerns expressed by IUCN members over observed declines in biodiversity, the loss of ecological services, and an increase in ecological disasters. This report is a situation analysis, and it seeks to gather in one place the relevant data and analyses, and to present as clear a picture of the status of the intertidal zone in the EAAF as the data allow. By intention, this report makes no recommendations, but it should serve as a resource for those stakeholders empowered to make or influence decisions and policies in the region.


This chapter focuses on the rights of third parties to intervene in competition proceedings in the High Court (and appellate courts) and in the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT). It first considers intervention by third parties in the High Court under Rule 19.2 of the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 (CPR), intervention in judicial review proceedings, and intervention in appeal proceedings. It then discusses intervention in CAT, placing emphasis on appeals and reviews (applying for permission to intervene, the time limit for making an application to intervene, the role played by intervener at the hearing). It also explains how compensation claims are made under CAT rule 16 before concluding with an analysis of intervention by competition authorities, namely the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the European Union Commission.


Courts are often required to estimate changes in welfare to agricultural operations from catastrophic events. For example, courts must assign damages in lawsuits, such as with pesticide drift cases, or determine 'just compensation' when the government takes private land for public use, as with the removal of dairy farms from environmentally sensitive land or destruction of canker-contaminated citrus trees. In economics, the traditional method of estimating changes in producer welfare is the computation of lost producer surplus, but courts rarely use this method. Instead, they turn to substitute valuation methods that may not fully capture welfare change, such as changes in land value, tree replacement value, and total revenue. This study examines various measures for valuing the back-to-back catastrophic freezes that occurred in the Florida citrus industry in the 1980s. We first use the traditional method to determine the welfare change due to a freeze (1) for a citrus grove that loses one crop and is able to return to full production the next year (simulating destruction of annual crops), and (2)the lower measure of welfare loss due to a citrus grove that loses all of its trees and is abandoned or is replanted. The lower measure is used to simulate the legal doctrine of avoidable consequences. These measures are then compared to substitute valuation measures that have been used by courts to determine welfare changes. For case 1, total revenue overestimated losses by 35.6%. For case 2, total revenue overestimates losses by 55.3%, tree replacement value underestimates losses by 93.6%, and changes in land value underestimates losses by 13.2%.


This paper uses a data-set including time series data on macroeconomic variables, loans, deposits and interest rates for the euro area in order to study the features of financial intermediation over the business cycle. We find that stylized facts for aggregate monetary and real variables are remarkably similar to what has been found for the US by many studies while we uncover new facts on disaggregated loans and deposits. During the crisis the cyclical behavior of short term interest rates, loans and deposits remain stable but we identify unusual dynamics of longer term loans, deposits and longer term interest rates.


Nutrition represents a summation of intake, absorption, storage and utilization of foods by the tissues. Oral tissues are one of the most sensitive indicators of nutritional state of the body. Nutritional deficiencies are associated with changes in the integrity (health and appearance) of the oral structures/ tissues and these changes are frequently the first clinical signs of deficiency. Nutrition affects oral health and oral health affects nutrition. The effects of malnutrition can be seen in the oral structures in all stages of human growth and development from conception to old age. The consequence of certain oral diseases may compromise the nutrition by affecting the intake and mastication particularly in some vulnerable groups like people with severe caries, severe oral ulceration, advanced periodontal disease and the resulting edentulousness. The HIV pandemic has added another dimension to the issue of nutrition and oral health. Oral lesions are some of the earliest lesions seen in HIV/AIDS and 90% of HIV/AIDS patients will have oral lesions at a point in the course of the disease. These oral lesions are painful; disturb food intake and mastication thereby further compromising the nutrition of the affected individuals. In Africa, particularly the Sub-Saharan Africa, the burden of poverty, economic downturn and the HIV pandemic have added another dimension to the issue of food availability and nutrition. Malnutrition is a real problem in this area. This paper will examine the effects of compromised nutrition on oral health and the reverse.


Distributions of solutes in aquifers of Cambrian and Ordovician age were studied in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, northwestern Indiana, and northern Missouri to determine the sources of solutes and the probable chemical mechanisms that control regional variations in water quality. This work is part of the Northern Midwest Regional Aquifer-System Analysis project, whose objective is to describe and model the regional hydrogeology of the CambrianOrdovician aquifer system in the study region. The data base used included more than 3,000 ground-water-quality analyses from all major aquifers, but especially from the St. Peter, Jordan, and Mount Simon Sandstones and their equivalents. Regional variations in the water chemistry of glacial drift and other sedimentary units that overlie the Cambrian-Ordovician aquifer system in recharge areas in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois were also studied, but to a lesser degree. The most important chemical variation in the aquifer is the change in water type from calcium-sodium-sulfate-bicarbonate water to sodium-calcium-sulfate-bicarbonate and sodium-chloride waters along the longest regional flow path from northwestern Iowa to the Illinois basin. Sodium predominance downgradient from the recharge area is probably related to mechanisms of ion exchange and shalemembrane filtration near the Illinois and Forest City basins. The most striking aspect of the distribution of dissolved solids and carbon isotopic content of bicarbonate is the increase in concentration and isotopic enrichment from southwestern Wisconsin, southern Minnesota, and northwestern Illinois south toward Missouri. This trend is perpendicular to the present hydraulic gradient that trends from northwestern Iowa southeastward to the Illinois basin. The distribution of dissolved solids defines a "plume" of dilute water having a dissolved-solids concentration of about 500 milligrams per liter, compared with surrounding concentrations more than twice as large. Distribution of the isotopic content of oxygen (<518O) and hydrogen (5D) in water closely parallels that of dissolved solids and shows covariance similar to modern meteoric water. The isotopic contents are more depleted (lighter) toward the south, perpendicular to the direction of current hydraulic gradients. The degree of depletion, compared with the isotopic content of modern recharge water, indicates that the plume and a significant fraction of the ground water in Iowa, northern Missouri, and possibly central Illinois may have originated as recharge during Pleistocene time. Distributions of dissolved trace constituents in the aquifers probably are related to the proximity to mineralogic sources as well as chemical and hydraulic mechanisms. For example, concentrations of some constituents, such as cadmium and arsenic, are largest in the Manuscript approved for publication November 15, 1985. vicinity of the Dakota Formation in northwestern Iowa. Other constituents, such as beryllium and vanadium, have larger concentrations near the edge of the Forest City basin in southwestern Iowa and northwestern Missouri. Strontium and fluoride concentrations generally increase from north to south, which suggests the input of these trace constituents during the recharge events. However, concentrations of bromide, radium-226, and lithium show distribution patterns similar to the "plume" defined by dissolved solids and isotopes of water, suggesting dilution of concentrations of trace constituents by Pleistocene recharge. Concentrations of other constituents are partly controlled by aquifer temperature, such as silica in south-central Iowa, and solubility controls, such as barium in northeastern Illinois. Additional information on the chemical and mineralogical composition of the aquifer matrix and the isotopically lightest ground water is needed to evaluate the hypothesis of Pleistocene mixing before more quantitative studies can be done to evaluate the different proposed mechanisms that have controlled and modified the water chemistry over time. This study, however, indicates that the ground water in the region is thousands of years old. The study also indicates that the major chemical trends in the aquifers probably are related as much to paleohydrogeologic flow systems during Pleistocene time as to the present flow system, which may postdate the retreat of the last ice sheet about 12,000 years ago.


Food is an important route of metal uptake in marine organisms and assimilation efficiency (AE) is a key physiological parameter that can be used to systematically compare the bioavailability of different metals from food. This parameter may be influenced by various factors, including diet. The present study aimed at examining the influence of diet on AEs of three essential metals (Co, Mn and Zn) in the turbot, Scophthalmus maximus. The pulse-chase feeding method was used with three radiolabelled natural prey: fish, shrimp and ragworm. The results showed that AE was strongly influenced by the prey and the metal considered. However, the influence of these parameters on AE was variable and no general trend was observed. The AEs ranged between 5-43% for Co, 23-44% for Mn and 17-32% for Zn. Results suggest that relationships between metal distribution in the prey (at tissue and subcellular levels) and bioavailability to predator fish is not obvious as previously assumed based on marine organisms feeding on unicellular or simple pluricellular organisms. Finally, we modelled how S. maximus is accessing foodborne essential elements using experimentally-derived parameters, the concentration of these elements in prey, and different data on stomach contents from wild turbot. Results emphasize the importance of crustaceans in the nutrition of turbot showed that this taxa is generally the most important source of essential metals for turbot although in some cases polychaetes can make a high contribution to dietary Co and Mn uptake.


Much research in Bayesian modeling has been done to elicit a prior distribution that incorporates domain knowledge. We present a novel and more direct approach by imposing First-Order Logic (FOL) rules on the posterior distribution. Our approach unifies FOL and Bayesian modeling under the regularized Bayesian framework. In addition, our approach automatically estimates the uncertainty of FOL rules when they are produced by humans, so that reliable rules are incorporated while unreliable ones are ignored. We apply our approach to latent topic modeling tasks and demonstrate that by combining FOL knowledge and Bayesian modeling, we both improve the task performance and discover more structured latent representations in unsupervised and supervised learning.


Firms with central boards of directors earn superior risk-adjusted stock returns. A long (short) position in the most (least) central firms earns average annual returns of 4.68%. Firms with central boards also experience higher future return-on-assets growth and more positive analyst forecast errors. Return prediction, return-on-assets growth, and analyst errors are concentrated among high growth opportunity firms or firms confronting adverse circumstances, consistent with boardroom connections mattering most for firms standing to benefit most from information and resources exchanged through boardroom networks. Overall, our results suggest that director networks provide economic benefits that are not immediately reflected in stock prices.


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political puzzle of the apartheid era.
Baines's work is important in that it is a detailed
study. It is a meticulous investigation into the
history of an African township, the brainchild of
segregationist racial thinking in the first half of
the twentieth century. Particularly praiseworthy
is the fact that he was able to investigate themes
of interest to contemporary historians, such as
the African struggle against the oppressive
policies of a racially oriented government. In
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This study sought to evaluate the relationship between Gross Domestic Product, Treasury bill rate, exchange rate, inflation and stock market return in Nairobi Securities Exchange Limited. The study determined the response of the stock returns to a shock in each of the macroeconomic variables. The effect of changes in each of the macroeconomic variable on the volatility of stock returns in Nairobi Securities exchange limited was also determined. Engle-Granger two step method was used to establish the co integrating relationship between stock returns and the macroeconomic variables. Threshold Genaralized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity (TGARCH) model was used to capture the leverage effects and volatility persistence at the NSE. Published time series quarterly data from 2000 to 2012 was sourced from the Central Bank of Kenya, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Empirical results of the regression model revealed that exchange rate showed a significant relationship with stock returns. For a one percentage increase in depreciation of a domestic currency, the model predicted stock returns to decrease by 1.4 percent. Gross Domestic Product, Inflation and the Treasury bill rate indicated insignificant relationships. The effects of one standard deviation shock on each of the macroeconomic variable on stock returns revealed that shock in exchange rate was negative but eventually reverted back to equilibrium thereafter. The results of the TGARCH model for exchange rate, Gross Domestic Product and Treasury bill rate revealed that the impact of news was asymmetric and there was presence of leverage effects. There was absence of volatility persistence among all the macroeconomic variables.


The interactions of liquid-crystalline monoolein (GMO) cubic phase nanoparticles with various model lipid membranes spread at the air-solution interface by the Langmuir technique were investigated. Cubosomes have attracted attention as potential biocompatible drug delivery systems, and thus understanding their mode of interaction with membranes is of special interest. Cubosomes spreading at the air-water interface as well as interactions with a monolayer of 1, 2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) compressed to different surface pressures were studied by monitoring surface pressure-time dependencies at constant area. Progressive incorporation of the nanoparticles was shown to lead to mixed monolayer formation. The concentration of cubosomes influenced the mechanism of incorporation, as well as the fluidity and permeability of the resulting lipid membranes. Brewster angle microscopy images reflected the dependence of the monolayer structure on the cubosomes presence in the subphase. A parameter Csat was introduced to indicate the point of saturation of the lipid membrane with the cubosomal material. This parameter was found to depend on the surface pressure showing that the cubosomes disintegrate in prolonged contact with the membrane, filling available voids in the lipid membrane. At highest surface pressures when the layer is most compact, the penetration of cubosomal material is not possible and only some exchange with the membrane lipid becomes the route of including GMO into the layer. Finally, comparative studies of the interactions between lipids with various headgroup charges with cubosomes suggest that at high surface pressure an exchange of lipid component between the monolayer and the cubosome in its intact form may occur.


Gases provide a known mechanism of metal migration through cover and a potential sampling medium to explore through cover that is under-utilised and under-studied. Understanding how metals move through transported cover and their link to buried deposits is critical information for successful mineral exploration in many regions of the world including the well-endowed Yilgarn Craton of Western Australia. Here we employ metal and hydrocarbon soil gas collection methods to successfully predict the location of the underlying North Miitel Ni ore body. Laboratory experiments to replicate soil moisture, hypergeometric evaluation and variable spacing tests were used to verify the gaseous Ni signature. Soil gas hydrocarbon analysis also reported an unqualified, but positive result. Integrating this study with previous research on soil, regolith, groundwater and vegetation chemistry in the study area enabled a model of anomaly formation to be derived explaining the observed results and the contributions of weathering, hydromorphic, biotic, aeolian and gaseous dispersion mechanisms operating at the North Miitel site. Weathering and hydromorphic dispersion are responsible for lateral and minor vertical Ni migration at depth, aeolian Ni is dispersed laterally near the road, whereas vegetation is cycling Ni in the shallow soils only. Results indicate a gaseous migration of Ni is responsible for vertical migration through cover at this site and provides a viable target for exploration through cover.


OBJECTIVE To determine whether a 2-year lifestyle intervention program improves glucose tolerance and lipid levels in people with persistent impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Screening for IGT and NIDDM was carried out in 1,752 people. Subjects with persistent IGT or NIDDM completed three 2-h oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) before the start of the study and after 2 years. A single OGTT was carried out every 3 months. A 4-day food diary and a 7-day exercise diary were completed, and weight, blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1), plasma lipids, and fasting and 2-h serum insulin were measured at baseline and every 3 months. Subjects were encouraged to make dietary changes and increase exercise. RESULTS Thirty-two subjects with persistent IGT and 20 subjects with NIDDM were recruited. Women reported significant decreases in total and saturated fat and an increase in carbohydrate, but few subjects reached the recommended intakes. Men achieved smaller dietary changes. There were significant decreases in body mass index, fasting and 2-h plasma glucose, HbA1, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in both the IGT and NIDDM groups during the study. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that a diet and exercise program can result in significant improvements in a range of clinical and metabolic variables in some people with IGT or NIDDM, although the absence of a control group precludes firm conclusions. Screening for IGT in those at high risk for developing NIDDM and offering those with persistent IGT a lifestyle intervention program could help reduce the progression of IGT to NIDDM.


Corresponding Author: Hamid Reza Goli Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, KM 18 Khazarabad Road, Khazar Sq, Sari, Iran. Phone: +98-1133542067 E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Abstract Background: Enterococci are important gram-positive bacteria causing dental calculus in human beings; however, the role of these bacteria in oral cavity is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of Enterococcal Surface Protein (esp) gene in Enterococcus faecalis isolated from dental calculus in the city of Sari, Iran. Materials and Methods: In the present study, 207 dental calculus samples were collected from patients. The isolates were identified by growth on Bile Esculin agar, Gram stain, Catalase test, Growth at 6.5% NaCl, PYR and arabinose fermentation test. Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the isolates was determined by disk agar diffusion method. The presence of esp gene was assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: Among the 56 (27%) enterococci isolated from dental calculus, 43 (76.7%) were determined as E. faecalis. The resistance rate to ampicillin, vancomycin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin and erythromycin in E. faecalis isolates was estimated as 13.9%, 4.6%, 11.6%, 6.9% and 13.9%, respectively. The esp gene was detected in 18.6% of E. faecalis isolates. Among the isolates containing esp gene, 33.3%, 50%, 40%, 33.3% and 33.3% of them were resistant to ampicillin, vancomycin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin and erythromycin, respectively. Conclusion: E. faecalis is an important organism causing dental calculus but the presence of esp gene had no correlation with the resistance to tested antimicrobial agents.


Recently, intuitionist theories have been effective in capturing the academic discourse about morality. Intuitionist theories, like rationalist theories, offer important but only partial understanding of moral functioning. Both can be fallacious and succumb to truthiness: the attachment to one's opinions because they "feel right," potentially leading to harmful action or inaction. Both intuition and reasoning are involved in deliberation and expertise. Both are malleable from environmental and educational influence, making questions of normativity—which intuitions and reasoning skills to foster—of utmost importance. Good intuition and reasoning inform mature moral functioning, which needs to include capacities that promote sustainable human well-being. Individual capacities for habituated empathic concern and moral metacognition—moral locus of control, moral self-regulation, and moral self-reflection—comprise mature moral functioning, which also requires collective capacities for moral dialogue and moral institutions. These capacities underlie moral innovation and are necessary for solving the complex challenges humanity faces.


Fiber Bragg gratings, and more specifically, superimposed fiber Bragg gratings (SIFBGs), are attractive commercial solutions for several multiband telecommunication applications. However, as a part of a telecommunication system, the polarization dependent properties present in SIFBGs due to the fabrication process dramatically limit their possible implementation in high bit rate optical communications. The development of techniques for the reduction of differential group delay (DGD) and the polarization dependent loss (PDL) in system components is then crucial. We present a simple method to reduce the DGD and the PDL induced during the fabrication of SIFBGs. The proposed fabrication method consists of irradiating the fiber core from different well controlled directions depending on the total number of expositions. We theoretically predict and experimentally demonstrate a reduction of the DGD and the PDL after each illumination.


The interrelationships between vision, desire, and language are the elements that drive my artistic practice. "What is seeing?" "How is seeing related to desire?" These questions are at the base of my interests. I recognize optics as a subset of perception, yet I strive to reform them into interchangeable components. My interest in optics is based on doubt. I'm not interested in optic's correctness, clinical orientation, or current sophistication, but rather in undermining its limitations. Our culture still struggles to absorb the notion of the sentient being, one example is our acuity of vision being standardized to 20/20. Within my research, the perceptual engagement between the work and the viewer is an initial tool to stress the importance of the act of seeing as a language rooted and dynamic human capability. The present work forms a non-linear, non-descriptive assimilation and response to these issues and how they can provide the possibility of a meaningful aesthetic experience for the contemporary viewer. The exhibit includes installations and paintings in diverse media, which were manipulated considering the implication of conceptual juxtapositions as well as the effect they created as sensual surfaces.


The engineering vision of relying on the "smart sky" for supporting air traffic and the "Internet above the clouds" for in-flight entertainment has become imperative for the future aircraft industry. Aeronautical ad hoc Networking (AANET) constitutes a compelling concept for providing broadband communications above clouds by extending the coverage of Air-to-Ground (A2G) networks to oceanic and remote airspace via autonomous and self-configured wireless networking amongst commercial passenger airplanes. The AANET concept may be viewed as a new member of the family of Mobile ad hoc Networks (MANETs) in action above the clouds. However, AANETs have more dynamic topologies, larger and more variable geographical network size, stricter security requirements and more hostile transmission conditions. These specific characteristics lead to more grave challenges in aircraft mobility modeling, aeronautical channel modeling and interference mitigation as well as in network scheduling and routing. This paper provides an overview of AANET solutions by characterizing the associated scenarios, requirements and challenges. Explicitly, the research addressing the key techniques of AANETs, such as their mobility models, network scheduling and routing, security and interference are reviewed. Furthermore, we also identify the remaining challenges associated with developing AANETs and present their prospective solutions as well as open issues. The design framework of AANETs and the key technical issues are investigated along with some recent research results. Furthermore, a range of performance metrics optimized in designing AANETs and a number of representative multi-objective optimization algorithms are outlined.


— As the explosive growth of the ISM band usage continues, there are many scenarios where different systems operate in the same place at the same time. One of growing concerns is the coexistence of wireless systems. In heterogeneous networks, mobility, traffic and node density are main network conditions that significantly affect the performance of routing protocols. Much of the previous researches in homogeneous routing have focused on developing strategies, which suit one specific networking scenario. Therefore, there is no existing protocol that can work well in all different networking scenarios. This paper reviews characteristics of each different classes of routing protocols. Moreover, most of current routing protocols assume homogeneous networking conditions where all nodes have the same capabilities and resources. Although homogenous networks are easy to model and analysis, they exhibits poor scalability compared with heterogeneous networks that consist of different nodes with different resources. This paper presents extensive studies simulations for AODV, DSR, LANMAR, LAR1 and FSR in homogenous and heterogeneous networks. The results showed that these which all protocols perform reasonably well in homogenous networking conditions, their performance suffer significantly over heterogonous networks. Further this paper presents the mobility model for the heterogeneous network for different interference size.


Abstract. The seasonal mean and synoptic fluctuation of the wintertime Taiwan Warm Current (TWC) were investigated using a well-validated finite volume community ocean model. The spatial distribution and dynamics of the synoptic fluctuation were highlighted. The seasonal mean of the wintertime TWC has two branches: an inshore branch between the 30 and 100 m isobaths and an offshore branch between the 100 and 200 m isobaths. The Coriolis term is much larger than the inertia term and is almost balanced by the pressure gradient term in both branches, indicating geostrophic balance of the mean current. Two areas with significant fluctuations of the TWC were identified during wintertime. One of the areas is located to the north of Taiwan with velocities varying in the cross-shore direction. These significant cross-shore fluctuations are driven by barotropic pressure gradients associated with the intrusion of the Taiwan Strait Current (TSC). When a strong TSC intrudes to the north of Taiwan, the isobaric slope tilts downward from south to north, leading to a cross-shore current from the coastal area to the offshore area. When the TSC intrusion is weak, the cross-shore current to the north of Taiwan is directed from offshore to inshore. The other area of significant fluctuation is located in the inshore area between the 30 and 100 m isobaths. The fluctuations are generally strong both in the alongshore and cross-shore directions, in particular at the latitudes 26.5 and 28° N. Wind affects the synoptic fluctuation through episodic events. When the northeasterly monsoon prevails, the southwestward Zhe-Min coastal current dominates the inshore area associated with a deepening of the mixed layer. When the winter monsoon is weakened or the southwesterly wind prevails, the northeastward TWC dominates in the inshore area.


Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most abundant form of genetic variation in eukaryotic genomes. SNPs may be functionally responsible for specific traits or phenotypes, or they may be informative for tracing the evolutionary history of a species or the pedigree of a variety. As genetic markers, SNPs are rapidly replacing simple sequence repeats (SSRs) because they are more abundant, stable, amenable to automation, efficient, and increasingly cost-effective. The integration of high throughput SNP genotyping capability promises to accelerate genetic gain in a breeding program, but also imposes a series of economic, organizational and technical hurdles. To begin to address these challenges, SNP-based resources are being developed and made publicly available for broad application in rice research. These resources include large SNP datasets, tools for identifying informative SNPs for targeted applications, and a suite of custom-designed SNP assays for use in marker-assisted and genomic selection, association and QTL mapping, positional cloning, pedigree analysis, variety identification and seed purity testing. SNP resources also make it possible for breeders to more efficiently evaluate and utilize the wealth of natural variation that exists in both wild and cultivated germplasm with the aim of improving the productivity and sustainability of agriculture.


Background: Self-treatment, treatment of closed relatives and friends compromises the professional objectivity and these are important medical ethical issues that pose big professional challenges to the physicians. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of self-treatment and treatment of close relatives (TCR) among primary healthcare (PHC) physicians and to investigate factors, perceived risks and ethical awareness related to this practice. Methods: This questionnaire-based cross-sectional was study conducted by randomly selecting 15 PHCs in Western region of Saudi Arabia between April and May 2016 at the Family and Community Medicine Department, Medical College, King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Physicians from all specialties replied anonymously to the questionnaire. Results: Eighty PHC physicians were recruited, 52.5% females, 77.6% aged below 40 years; majority were general practitioners (61.3%) with 0-5 years of practice (53.8%). The prevalence (95% CI) of selftreatment, self-prescribing and self-prescribing of controlled substances was 87.5% (80.3; 94.7); 90.0% (83.4; 96.6) and 7.5% (1.7; 13.3) respectively. Prevalence of practices related to TCR ranged from 6.3% for surgery to 93.8% for physical examination performed on a close relative. Sense of responsibility, illness being among scope of practice and minor illness were the three most frequent motivations for TCR. Compromising physician ' s objectivity, family quarrels and patient to conceal sensitive information were frequently perceived risks for TCR. Regarding ethical awareness, majority of the participants (68.8%) declared not being aware of international guidelines and minority would agree to classify self-treatment and TCR as not recommended. No association was found between practice and demographics or ethical awareness. Conclusion: Self-treatment, TCR and related practices are highly prevalent among PHC physicians in Saudi Arabia despite appropriate perception of associated risks.


Over the centuries, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have developed basket weaving as
a craft which will help preserve their culture for future generations to enjoy. The baskets which are made primarily from rivercane on site at the Cherokee reservation in western North Carolina are used to store materials or to help transport needed supplies from the marketplace to the home. For the most part, basket making is a skill passed down through the generations from mothers to daughters.


We introduce a simple and novel visual technique for the speciication of context in structured documents called T-graphs that we base on T-conngurations in document trees. The technique is implemented in the current version of Designer. Although we are applying this technique in the speciication of context-dependent style sheets for HTML, XML, and SGML documents, it is clear that it can be used in other environments such as query speciication for structured documents and for computer program transformations. We compare T-graphs with the context speciication techniques found in other style-sheet systems and we also provide examples of context that we can and cannot specify with T-graphs. Although T-graphs are restrictive, they lend themselves to visual construction and modiication, our main requirement when we designed this context-speciication method. We also investigate the time and space complexity of T-graph matching, a necessity for eecient implementation.


Chapter 2 examines the harm associated with being a problem gambler. Problem gambling is conventionally determined by having a score in a questionnaire screen that exceeds some critical value. The UK is fortunate in having large representative sample surveys that embed such questions, and our estimate from the 2010 survey is that several hundred thousand people in the UK could be afflicted by PG. However, existing literature has not evaluated the size of the harm associated with being a problem gambler and this chapter uses this individual level survey data to evaluate the effect of problem gambling on self-reported well-being. Together with a corresponding effect of income on well-being a money-metric of the harm associated with being a problem gambler is derived. An important methodological challenge is that well-being and the harm experienced may be simultaneously determined. Nonetheless, instrumental variable estimates suggest that problem gambling imposes an even larger reduction in well-being than least squares would suggest. The role of gambling expenditures in the transmission between problem gambling and well-being is considered, distinguishing between draw-based games, such as lotto, from scratchcards, and from other forms of gambling. Chapter 3 investigates the price elasticity of demand for the UK National Lottery – a state-licensed, draw-based lotto game. Little is known about the price elasticity of demand for gambling products because the "price" is typically hard to define. The exception is "lotto" where an economics literature has focused on the response of sales to variations in the prize distribution. Existing literature has used these responses make inferences about the price elasticity of demand, where price is defined as the cost of entry minus the expected winnings. In particular, the variation in the value of the jackpot prize pool, due to rollovers that are a feature of lotto, has been used as an instrument for price. This chapter argues that rollovers do not make valid instruments, because of their correlation with lagged sales, and propose an alternative identification strategy which exploits two arcane features of lotto. Finally, this chapter evaluates whether changes to the design of the UK National Lottery in 2013 and 2015 had a positive effect on the sales figures. Chapter 4 investigates the extent to which the large, flat-rate tax imposed on the UK National Lottery is regressive. This chapter evaluates a Working-Leser demand model for lotto tickets using both Heckman's selection model and Cragg's double hurdle estimator using household-level data. A unique strategy is employed to identify these two-stage routines by exploiting exogenous differences in consumer preference arising from religious practice. The income elasticity of lottery tickets is found to be significantly lower than previous estimates, suggesting that lottery tickets are inferior goods and that the (high) flat-rate tax imposed on lotto tickets is more regressive than previously thought. Whilst the three chapters are stand-alone essays, they are linked by the use of modern statistical techniques and the use of the best possible data. Together, they address key issues on the economics of gambling and the results are new to their respective literatures and of interest to academics and policy makers alike.


Current global water scarcity and the spectre of a future critical shortage are driving the need for novel and energy saving water technology approaches. Desalination of seawater and the reuse of treated wastewater effluent, which have historically been viewed as undesirable water sources, are increasingly being explored as sources for reducing water consumption. Although the dominant technologies for taking these water sources to potable quality, energy consumption still makes them unsustainable for widespread application. Membrane distillation (MD) is an innovative water purification method that has shown promise as a technology that can address several of these issues. MD is a membrane process that produces very high quality product water. However, similarly to other thermal desalting processes, MD utilizes heat as the dominant source of energy rather than pressure, and can potentially be used to produce water at higher recoveries (and therefore less waste) than is feasible with existing approaches. Another important advantage of MD is that the water separation occurs at modest temperatures ( This work is represents an attempt to provide insight into several of these issues. The overarching approach taken throughout this project is the parallel evaluation of ceramic membranes alongside commonly used polymeric (PTFE) membranes. The combined factors of MD being a relatively nascent technology and the fundamental separation mechanism point toward initial real-world applications of MD for the treatment of high concentration water that may necessitate membranes exposure to harsher thermal and chemical environments. The robust and inert nature of ceramics make them ideal candidates for such application, although their hydrophilic surface do allow for direct implementation in MD. The first phase of this work details the evaluation of several candidate surface treatments for modifying ceramic membranes and shows that aluminum oxide ceramic membranes can be successfully modified with perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane to possess the necessary hydrophobicity for MD application. The effectiveness of the surface treatment in modifying the membrane surface chemistry was assessed using a multitude of analytical approaches, which showed that the modified ceramic surface attained high hydrophobicity and thus are suitable for application of the membranes in direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). The next phase of research details the development and verification of a model for DCMD performance. The relative membrane performance was compared, with the polymeric membrane consistently outperforming the modified ceramics, which was attributed to a…


This article evaluates worker-owned and unionized worker-owned cooperatives as alternatives to the conventional corporate structures for businesses in the United States. With their focus on democratic governance and shared ownership, worker-owned cooperatives offer an antidote to the extreme inequality of income and deterioration of working conditions that workers are experiencing. These are inequities for which corporate prioritization of executive compensation and shareholder enrichment are at least partly responsible. While questions have been raised concerning the sustainability of the cooperative form, two examples of large, well established cooperatives – Mondragon and Cooperative Home Care Associates – demonstrate how capitalization strategies, cooperative ecosystems, and strategic affiliations with unions can leverage resources to start and keep cooperative businesses functioning. The article also documents the growth of municipal and institutional support for the cooperative form of business ownership, and the role that the City University of New York's Community Economic Development Law Clinic (CEDC) has played in supporting that movement domestically and internationally. That support has included developing curricula to build the capacity of worker cooperatives, participating in creating and sustaining the creation of a city-wide advocacy coalition, organizing annual conferences, and successfully working with local legislatures to increase funding for cooperatives. Law students in CEDC have gained skills of transactional lawyering, movement lawyering and coalition-building through their representation of individual worker cooperatives and their work with a city-wide advocacy coalition for cooperatives. Of particular note in the pedagogy of this representation are the advanced skills of integrative counseling and inclusive problem solving that assistance for complex actors requires.


Innovation is widely recognized as being an important strategic tool for companies to increase their competitive advantage. Hereby, networks have become increasingly important as external sources for the necessary knowledge, ideas and financial resources. The main contribution of this paper is to shed light on how different network partners can explain or facilitate the different types of innovations in the agricultural sector. In contrast to other studies, we make a distinction between all four types of innovation: product, process, marketing and organizational innovation. Thus, this study has the objective to gain insight into the innovation process of farmers in terms of how they innovate, which network partners they consult in relation to innovation type, the obstacles they face, and where the network activities could be better aligned with the needs of the farmers, which could help to enable them to optimally support innovation and networking. The study is based on 36 in-depth interviews with farmers spread over five subsectors in Flanders (northern Belgium). Our most important findings are that the consulted partners and the observed barriers are different dependent on the innovation type. Hence, our study delivers a set of valuable insights and implications for farmers, network coordinators and policymakers. Farmers must be aware of the importance of partner suitability and network heterogeneity for the innovation type they are aiming at. Furthermore, farmers have to be aware of the fact that efficient networking is not the optimisation of single relationships independently of each other, but instead the management of synergies and coordination of all relationships in an efficient way. In addition, network coordinators should set up a clear strategy and communicate for which innovations their network can advise and help the farmer. These first conclusions should be further proven and supported by future research in order to draw general conclusions for the agricultural sector. As the sample of our study is limited to 36 respondents spread over five subsectors, it is necessary to conduct a quantitative study to achieve a representable sample and to include more subsectors. In addition, the study is limited to the Flemish region and literature in other countries about this subject is scarce. Hence, other researchers are encouraged to investigate if the results of Flanders can be supported by other regions in Europe and the world.


The thermal Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (tSZ) effect is a powerful tool with the potential for constraining directly the properties of the hot gas that dominates dark matter halos because it measures pressure and thus thermal energy density. Studying this hot component of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) is important because it is strongly impacted by star formation and active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity in galaxies, participating in the feedback loop that regulates star and black hole mass growth in galaxies. We study the tSZ effect across a wide halo-mass range using three cosmological hydrodynamical simulations: Illustris-TNG, EAGLE, and FIRE-2. Specifically, we present the scaling relation between the tSZ signal and halo mass and the (mass-weighted) radial profiles of gas density, temperature, and pressure for all three simulations. The analysis includes comparisons to Planck tSZ observations and to the thermal pressure profile inferred from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) measurements. We compare these tSZ data to simulations to interpret the measurements in terms of feedback and accretion processes in the CGM. We also identify as-yet unobserved potential signatures of these processes that may be visible in future measurements, which will have the capability of measuring tSZ signals to even lower masses. We also perform internal comparisons between runs with different physical assumptions. We conclude (1) there is strong evidence for the impact of feedback at R 500, but that this impact decreases by 5R 500, and (2) the thermodynamic profiles of the CGM are highly dependent on the implemented model, such as cosmic-ray or AGN feedback prescriptions.


Abstract The effects of specialization on subsequent morphological evolution are poorly understood. Specialization has been implicated in both adaptive radiations that result from key innovations and evolutionary "dead ends," where specialized characteristics appear to limit subsequent evolutionary options. Despite much theoretical debate, however, empirical studies remain infrequent. In this paper, we use sister-group comparisons to evaluate the effect of morphological specialization to a particular ecological niche, hypercarnivory, on subsequent taxonomic and morphological diversity. Six sets of sister groups are identified in which one clade exhibits hypercarnivorous characteristics and the sister clade does not. Comparison results are summed across the categories "hypercarnivore" and "sister group." We also evaluate whether increasing degrees of specialization are correlated with decreasing phenotypic variation. Results presented here indicate that specialization to hypercarnivory has no effect on taxonomic diversity, but a strong effect on subsequent morphological diversity related to the jaws and dentition, and that increasing specialization does not correlate with morphological diversity except in the most specialized saber-toothed taxa, which exhibit higher variance than less specialized morphs, possibly due to selection on other characteristics.


From the reviews: "Bla Bollob's introductory course on graph theory deserves to be considered as a watershed in the development of this theory as a serious academic subject...The book has chapters on electrical networks, flows, connectivity and matchings, extremal problems, colouring, Ramsey theory, random graphs, and graphs and groups. Each chapter starts at a measured and gentle pace. Classical results are proved and new insight is provided, with the examples at the end of each chapter fully supplementing the text...Even so this allows an introduction not only to some of the deeper results but, more vitally, provides outlines of, and firm insights into, their proofs. Thus in an elementary text book, we gain an overall understanding of well-known standard results, and yet at the same time constant hints of, and guidelines into, the higher levels of the subject. It is this aspect of the book which should guarantee it a permanent place in the literature."


This paper discusses the general suitability and possible limitations of an enhanced finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation environment for straightforward and efficient RF design of complex transmitters. The study was conducted using a current commercially available multi-band mobile phone. Simulations were conducted in free space and with various dielectric loads, whereby different parameters were evaluated such as impedance, efficiency, far-field as well as near-field distributions of e-fields and h-fields, and the specific absorption rate (SAR). The results were compared to measurements. In addition, mechanical-design issues that showed a significant influence on the electromagnetic (EM) field behavior could be predicted by simulations and were experimentally reproduced. The accurate prediction of all essential performance parameters obtained by straightforward simulations suggests that appropriately enhanced software packages are suitable for device design in industrial research and development environments with few limitations, provided flexible graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and graded meshes combined with local grid-refinement schemes are available.


Flowering is the first introductory step to fruit formation and is a fundamental part of the
plants reproduction system. Flowers and fruit are also an integral part of seed
production. In most crops, the control of flowering is an important aspect of growth and
development. If oil palm flowering could be controlled, yield could be improved by
stimulating flowering in accordance to permissive environmental factors. In order to
determine the factors that influence flowering of oil palm, the physiological background
and the flowering process must be studied. However, oil palm micropropagation had
come up against a major difficulty with the discovery of a floral morphogenesis
abnormality induced by in vitro regeneration (Corley et al., 1986; Toruan-Mathius et al., 1998).
From the examination of both morphology and anatomy of oil palm flower development,
9 key stages of normal and abnormal flower development has been classified to assist in the study of tissue specific expression of flowering genes. As plant organ systems are
composed of anatomically similar cells and tissues, in situ hybridization was chosen as a
method of determining gene expression based on its sensitivity and ability to determine
the specific location of an mRNA. Examinations carried out on 4 oil palm flowering
genes provide more information about the processes occurring during normal and
abnormal flower formation of oil palm. OPSOC1, an oil palm homologue of AGL20 and
OPLFY, the LFY homologue of oil palm, are both expressed throughout flower
initiation and development. OPRLK5, a member of the receptor kinase gene family, is
expressed throughout flower development. The last gene, OPUIP2, which encodes a
UFO-interacting protein, is also expressed throughout flower development but it is not
needed during inflorescence meristem development. Combined with other studies in this
area, it is hoped that an understanding of the floral abnormality may be within reach in
the near future.
Attempts to isolate flower specific genes from an oil palm floral cDNA library however
have been unsuccessful. The choice of cDNA library and conventional molecular tools
might not be applicable in isolating these types of genes. Nevertheless, with advanced
molecular and genetic tools such as yeast one and two-hybrid system that are being
developed, isolation and the determination of function of such genes can be achieved.


Among the various indoor localization systems, received signal strength (RSS) based fingerprinting localization provides most cost-effective solution as it uses the existing wireless network infrastructure. The positioning accuracy of such localization systems can be improved by incorporating huge number of training data, which in turn, increases the searching overhead of such localization systems. Several clustering strategies for fingerprinting localization have been proposed in literature in order to reduce the searching overhead. On the other hand, placement strategy of beacon nodes within the field of localization has significant influence on the performances of clustering strategies for fingerprinting localization. Two important factors associated with some beacon placement strategy are the degree of beacon coverage and the distribution of beacon nodes. In this paper, we present an optimal beacon placement strategy that meets a k-coverage visibility requirement for beacons at every point within the field of localization. Next, we demonstrate the impact of beacon coverage on the performance of several clustering strategies suitable for a large-scale fingerprinting localization system.


In the mid-19th century, the Arabic novel emerged as a genre in Ottoman Syria and khedival Egypt. While this emergence has often been narrated as a story of the rise of nation-states and the diffusion of the European novel, the genre's history and ongoing topography cannot be recovered without indexing the importance of Arabic storytelling and Islamic empire, ethics, and aesthetics to its roots. As the Arabic periodicals of Beirut and the Nile Valley, and soon Tunis and Baghdad, serialized and debated the rise of the novel form from the 19th century onward, historical, romantic, and translated novels found an avid readership throughout the Arab world and its diaspora. Metaphors of the garden confronted the maritime span of European empire in the 19th-century rise of the novel form in Arabic, and the novel's path would continue to oscillate between the local and the global. British, French, Spanish, and Italian empire and direct colonial rule left a lasting imprint on the landscape of the region, and so too the investment of Cold War powers in its pipelines, oil wells, and cultural battlefields. Whether embracing socialist realism or avant-garde experimentation, the Arabic novel serves as an ongoing register of the stories that can be told in cities, villages, and nations throughout the region—from the committed novels interrogating the years of anticolonial national struggles and Arab nationalism in the 1950s and 1960s, through the ongoing history of war, surveillance, exile, occupation, and resource extraction that dictates the subsequent terrain of narration. The Arabic novel bears, too, an indelible mark left by translators of Arabic tales—from 1001 Nights to Girls of Riyadh—on the stories the region's novelists tell.


This paper aims to upgrade the poro-mechanical scheme to simulate concrete volume change and damages which are strongly coupled with both alkali silica reaction (ASR) and freeze-thaw cycles (FTC). The interaction of two impacts are modeled by considering ASR gel intrusion and ice formation in micro pores and crack gaps, gel movement and unfrozen water suction into entrained air, gel and water migration through cracks as well as equilibrium and mass conservation of both concrete skeleton and mixed pore substances. For the assessment how the proposed numerical scheme works, sequence of events on ASR and FTC is focused on. It shows that ASR can reduce the FTC expansion for nonair-entrained (non-AE) case, but increase the frost damage for air-entrained (AE) concrete. Similarly, the FTC damaged concrete will have a smaller ASR expansion for non-AE case, but a greater expansion when AE admixture agent is dosed. The simulated behaviors also agree well with past experiments of combined ASR and FTC. Finally, the analysis on short-term strength shows that the ASR damaged concrete has a higher residual compressive strength and ductility rather than FTC damaged one due to viscous ASR gel which stand for broken symmetry of damage fields.


The rheological properties in solution, in shear and in uniaxial elongation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) reacted together with hyperbranched polymers (HBPs) were investigated. Two different PET grades, of low and high molecular weights, were compounded with sub- to over-stoichiometric concentrations of HBPs of second and fourth pseudo-generation, and subsequently subjected to a solid-state polycondensation (SSP). The formation of microgels, which occurs at high HBP concentration, gave rise to a large increase in melt elasticity and a related decrease in melt strength. At low HBP concentrations, the complex viscosity of the unreacted HBP/PET was considerably reduced, thus demonstrating a lubrication effect of the HBP molecules. During SSP, the intrinsic and shear viscosities exhibited a gradual increase, which was similar for both PET and HBP/PET blends, and was correlated to an increase in molecular weight, through linear-chain extension and branching reactions. The elongational viscosity of the reactive blends was also increased as a function of reaction time, and this increase was much larger in the case of the HBP/PET blends. A 400% increase in melt strength of the PET was obtained by combining SSP and trace amounts of an HBP of second generation, without any decrease in drawability.


In the rat , ligation of the bile duct induces a rapid and progressive elevation of the IgA levels in serum. The increase is about 4-fold at 1 h, 15-fold at 1 day, and 30-fold at 1 wk after ligation. The additional IgA is of the secretory type. Free secretory component also appears in serum after bile duct obstruction; it does not continue to increase and occasionally disappears from serum after prolonged ligation. The increase in serum IgA levels is selective. These changes are totally reversible if the bile duct is reopened at 1 day after ligature. These findings confirm the role of the rat liver in the transfer of circulating IgA into the bile.


H.264/AVC is a recent video standard embraced by many multimedia applications. Because of its demanding encoding requirements, a high amount of computational effort is often needed in order to compress a video stream in real time. The intra-prediction and encoding are two of several modules included by H.264 that requires a high computational power. On the other hand, the GPU computational capabilities are exhibiting their supremacy for solving certain types of problems with data parallelism, which composes the majority of the intra-prediction and encoding process. This dissertation presents a parallel implementation of the intra-prediction and encoding modules by adopting a parallel programming API denoted by CUDA, which explores the massive parallelization capabilities of recent NVIDIA graphic cards in order to reduce the encoding time. The developed solution is integrated in an existing encoder, where the intra-prediction and the respective encoding are processed sequentially. The result of several conducted tests demonstrates that the developed module is capable to speed up the sequential execution beyond the computing capabilities of a recent CPU 1.


D uring the first months of 2007, Mexicans took to the streets to protest a sudden doubling of the price of corn tortillas, the mainstay of the national diet. Government officials and industry blamed the increase of corn prices in the global market on the widespread promotion of ethanol production from corn as part of the agro-fuels initiatives being promoted by then President George W. Bush and President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil. While speculation on corn futures to feed ethanol plants did contribute to the price rise, it later turned out that hoarding and price speculation by private grain-trading corporations like Cargill, which benefited from Mexico's earlier privatization of national grain reserves, played at least as big a role. In fact, Cargill bought a healthy chunk of the late-2006 Mexican corn harvest for 1,650 pesos per ton. It then withheld its inventory from the market, creating an artificial shortage, which drove prices up to 3,500 pesos in January, when it finally began to sell, making a handy profit. Throughout 2007, Venezuelans periodically faced milk shortages, which sometimes generated lines several hours long at supermarkets. President Hugo Chávez accused transnational dairy giants Nestlé and Parmalat of buying and exporting milk from the Venezuelan market, precisely when the population most needed it. While the Venezuelan government eventually purchased a huge milk-processing facility from Parmalat, it is possible that these transnational corporations (TNCs) were following an old Washington script, by which artificial shortages of food and other products are used to create 16 Food Sovereignty in Latin America: Confronting the 'New' Crisis


Growth-regulated oncogene A (GROA), a member of the chemokine superfamily, is commonly expressed in transformed cells and contributes to angiogenesis and tumorigenesis. Here, we report that increased GROA levels are detected in the plasma and ascites of ovarian cancer patients. Ovarian cancer cell lines in culture express and secrete GROA. However, when they are starved in serum-free medium, ovarian cancer cells ceased producing GROA, suggesting that GROA is not constitutively expressed but rather is produced in response to exogenous growth factors in ovarian cancer cells. The prototype peptide growth factors present in serum such as platelet-derived growth factor, insulin-like growth factor I, and insulin do not stimulate GROA production by ovarian cancer cells. In contrast, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a glycerol backbone phospholipid mediator present in serum and ascites of ovarian cancer patients, is a potent inducer of GROA expression in ovarian cancer cell lines. Treatment of ovarian cancer cells with LPA leads to transcriptional activation of the GROa gene promoter and robust accumulation of GROA protein in culture supernatants. The action of LPA on GROA expression is mediated by LPA receptors, particularly the LPA2 receptor in that ectopic expression of these receptors restores the LPA-dependent GROA production in nonresponsive cells. Down-regulation of LPA2 expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) in ovarian cancer cells desensitizes GROA production in response to LPA. The effect of serum on GROA production is also significantly decreased by siRNA inhibition of LPA2 expression. These studies identify LPA as a primary regulator of GROA expression in ovarian cancer. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(5): 2740-8)


Annual wind power generation capacity in the US has increased from 3 gigawatts in 2000 to 61 gigawatts in 2013 and is on track to fulfill 20% of projected U.S. electricity needs (305 gigawatts) by 2030. To enable the increase in electricity generation of wind turbines, longer blades are being designed which require improved engineered blades to handle higher loads. Thus, the wind turbine industry is turning to the use of carbon-epoxy composite materials to take advantage of their low weight yet high strength ratio and improved fatigue resistance. Current analyses to design turbine blades utilize either Finite Element Analysis programs, which are time consuming and costly for conducting parametric studies in the preliminary design stage, or use analytical solutions which are inaccurate or too complex. In this research, an analytical model based on a modified classical lamination theory will be made and coded into MATLAB to quickly conduct a structural analysis on portions of composite turbine blades with airfoil cross. The current model takes into consideration composite ply variation along the contour of various airfoil cross-sections. This analysis will predict the structural stiffnesses and stresses and strains in individual composite plies of Ibeam stiffened airfoil blades under axial, bending and torsional loads. Results will be validated using ANSYS FEM. Stiffeners will also be analyzed separately from the blade structure to understand their stiffness characteristics. Thus, by enabling a quick and simple, yet accurate static analysis on composite turbine blades, improved initial designs can be determined in an early design phase to allow more efficient, reliable, and economical turbine blades to be made.


Abstract This qualitative study utilized episodic narrative interviews to investigate assessment thresholds involved in the development of assessment literacy. The goal of the study was to inform efforts toward quality improvements in higher education. Thirty-five academic staff from universities in Australia, Canada and Sweden shared stories of significant changes they made to their assessment practice. Thematic analysis found troublesome aspects to include instructor expectations, lack of consistency, differentiation of performance, student expectations, time constraints/workload, logistical/technological constraints and assessment policy. A belief in meaningful learning, embracing constraints and the desire to meet the needs of students, added to other enablers for assessment change, such as resources, support and strategic use of technology. Findings suggested assessment thresholds of constructive alignment and differentiation of standards. Reflection, collaboration and professional development were found to support the integration of assessment knowledge and build conceptual understanding of assessment thresholds. Authors recommend that higher education institutions provide academic staff with a foundation of conceptual understanding of these key areas to promote moves toward quality assessment practices.


After years of inaction, Congress stands on the brink of enacting legislation to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Congress will not be writing this legislation on a completely blank slate, however. Many states have already taken some initial steps to reduce GHG emissions. Congress, therefore, will have to decide whether or not to displace the power of state governments to craft climate change programs that go beyond the scope of federal legislation. This article weighs, in detail, the merits of ceiling preemption versus floor preemption in the context of federal climate change legislation. The article concludes that the case in favor of preserving the authority of state government to enact more protective GHG regulation is compelling. Not only would such an approach continue to afford states an opportunity to address the concerns of their citizens about climate change and its diverse local impacts, but the use of floor preemption would also provide the nation with considerable programmatic and institutional benefits. States could still produce and experiment with innovative ways to minimize the impact of global warming, thus presenting other jurisdictions, including the federal government, with models for possible future application. In addition, the institutional diversity preserved by floor preemption would offer the nation a multiplicity of venues in which policy choices could be explored as well as some protection against the risk of regulatory failure. Ceiling preemption operates in precisely the opposite direction. It actually increases the risk of regulatory failure because all policymaking power is vested in one federal agency - an agency which could grow lethargic, an agency where regulation could be frozen in time. The diversity made possible by the use of floor preemption, therefore, offers real advantages to the nation in contrast to the substantial risks inherent in a unitary federal approach.


We present in this paper a distributed protocol that provides an access control mechanism for IP multicast. The protocol distributes a right to multicast between multicast IP group members in a fair manner. The protocol constructs a control tree that includes every host member of a given multicast IP group. The protocol updates dynamically the control tree as group members join and leave the group. The protocol is scalable: the state information kept by each member is constant and independent of the group size and of the tree structure. The paper describes the protocol and its implementation.


The National League of Cities' "Principles of Home Rule for the Twenty-First Century" updates the American Municipal Association's 1953 "Model Constitutional Provisions for Municipal Home Rule." The AMA approach was widely adopted, but those provisions are now over 65 years old and intervening social, demographic, economic, and political changes necessitates a new approach to the legal structure of state-local relations. The NLC's approach is organized around four basic principles, which are cashed-out in a model constitutional home rule provision, with commentary. The first principle states that a state's law of home rule should provide local governments the full capacity to govern to the limits of state law across the entire range of subject matters. The second principle states that home rule should guarantee local fiscal authority and ensure local fiscal stability. The third principle embodies a presumption against state preemption of local laws, authorizing such preemption only when expressly stated and when the displacement of local authority is narrowly tailored to achieve a substantial state interest. The fourth principle states that local governments should have authority to manage their own democratic processes and structure of governance and should be able to act without fear of retaliation for the exercise of local authority.

These principles are meant to readjust a state-local relationship that has recently become heavily tilted toward the exercise of state power. In many states, preemptive laws and judicial decisions have reduced existing state constitutional grants of home rule to a narrowly constricted sphere. Preemptive and punitive state laws are undermining the original purpose of home rule, as embodied in the 1953 AMA provisions, to provide for meaningful self-government at the local level.


Potassium is an essential nutrient. It is the most abundant cation in intracellular fluid where it plays a key role in maintaining cell function. The gradient of potassium across the cell membrane determines cellular membrane potential, which is maintained in large part by the ubiquitous ion channel the sodium-potassium (Na+-K+) ATPase pump. Approximately 90% of potassium consumed (60–100 mEq) is lost in the urine, with the other 10% excreted in the stool, and a very small amount lost in sweat. Little is known about the bioavailability of potassium, especially from dietary sources. Less is understood on how bioavailability may affect health outcomes. Hypertension (HTN) is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and a major financial burden ($50.6 billion) to the US public health system, and has a significant impact on all-cause morbidity and mortality worldwide. The relationship between increased potassium supplementation and a decrease in HTN is relatively well understood, but the effect of increased potassium intake from dietary sources on blood pressure overall is less clear. In addition, treatment options for hypertensive individuals (e.g., thiazide diuretics) may further compound chronic disease risk via impairments in potassium utilization and glucose control. Understanding potassium bioavailability from various sources may help to reveal how specific compounds and tissues influence potassium movement, and further the understanding of its role in health.


How big are gender differences in personality and interests, and how stable are these differences across cultures and over time? To answer these questions, I summarize data from two meta-analyses and three cross-cultural studies on gender differences in personality and interests. Results show that gender differences in Big Five personality traits are 'small' to 'moderate,' with the largest differences occurring for agreeableness and neuroticism (respective ds = 0.40 and 0.34; women higher than men). In contrast, gender differences on the people–things dimension of interests are 'very large' (d = 1.18), with women more people-oriented and less thing-oriented than men. Gender differences in personality tend to be larger in gender-egalitarian societies than in gender-inegalitarian societies, a finding that contradicts social role theory but is consistent with evolutionary, attributional, and social comparison theories. In contrast, gender differences in interests appear to be consistent across cultures and over time, a finding that suggests possible biologic influences.


Abstract. In this study, we generated a Cloud GIS based watershed management system with using Cloud Computing architecture. Cloud GIS is used as SAAS (Software as a Service) and DAAS (Data as a Service). We applied GIS analysis on cloud in terms of testing SAAS and deployed GIS datasets on cloud in terms of DAAS. We used Hybrid cloud computing model in manner of using ready web based mapping services hosted on cloud (World Topology, Satellite Imageries). We uploaded to system after creating geodatabases including Hydrology (Rivers, Lakes), Soil Maps, Climate Maps, Rain Maps, Geology and Land Use. Watershed of study area has been determined on cloud using ready-hosted topology maps. After uploading all the datasets to systems, we have applied various GIS analysis and queries. Results shown that Cloud GIS technology brings velocity and efficiency for watershed management studies. Besides this, system can be easily implemented for similar land analysis and management studies.


Cronobacter spp. (formerly known as Enterobacter sakazakii) is an opportunistic pathogen and has been reported to cause fatal illnesses, such as meningitis and necrotizing enteritis, especially to high risk-infants through consumption of powdered infant formula (PIF). The aim of this study was to analyze the genetic relatedness of Cronobacter spp. isolated from several dried food products (PIF, weaning food and corn starch) commercially marketed in Bogor district of Indonesia. Eleven isolates were characterized using PCR assay based on their partial sequence of 16S rRNA gene to confirm the identity of the isolates. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of the partial sequence of 16S rRNA gene, it is concluded that all isolates from Indonesia were located in same cluster and had lineage under C. sakazakii ATCC 29544 and C. malonaticus. Isolates DES b7a and DES b7b which were obtained from the same package of weaning food had a very close genetic relatedness and were possibly of the same species. Similar result was also observed on isolates of YR w1 and YR w3 which were isolated from weaning food produced by a different manufacturer.


Administer stroke scale items in the order listed. Record performance in each category after each subscale exam. Do not go back and change scores. Follow directions provided for each exam technique. Scores should reflect what the patient does, not what the clinician thinks the patient can do. The clinician should record answers while administering the exam and work quickly. Except where indicated, the patient should not be coached (i.e., repeated requests to patient to make a special effort).


ABSTRACT Open government, as a concept, should be understood through a holistic perspective. It is not enough to provide access to government information without redesigning processes and changing regulations. However, little work has been done to measure the components of open government and provide guidance for implementation. We argue that one way to start filling this gap is through the development of models that integrate concepts, theories, and practical perspectives. However, very few of the existing models attempt to explain the functions and characteristics of open government, which could then provide guidance for its development. This article is based on two main sources in order to propose an integrative open government assessment model: (1) a literature review of previous assessment models and theoretical perspectives to build a richer integrative model that goes beyond websites and (2) the results from a longitudinal research study performed from 2006 to 2012 using a multicomponent model to measure open government websites from a practitioners' perspective. As a result, this article identifies knowledge gaps and proposes a new evaluation approach to open government based on two sets of components: one from practice and the other one from theory. This model contributes to existing knowledge and helps government organizations to better understand and implement open government initiatives.


Abstract Texture is an important clue in region-based segmentation of images. Robust rotation and scale-invariant texture are important for digital image libraries and multimedia databases. Texture feature extraction operators, which comprise linear filtering followed by postprocessing, are considered. The CMF (Circular Mellin Feature) represents the spectral decomposition of the image scene in the polar-log coordinate system and is invariant to both scale and orientation of the target texture pattern. CMFs are used for rotation and scale-invariant texture classification. The image and CMFs are correlated, due to which the unique shift invariance property of the correlator architecture is also coupled. CMFs are based on log polar coordinate system. In this paper we present Real coded Genetic Algorithm (RcGA) for the parameter selection of CMFs. The simple genetic algorithm (GA) is search algorithms based on the mechanics of natural selection and genetics. It involves copying and swapping partial strings of data. A modified genetic algorithm is the RcGA, which basically employs real value vectors for representation of the chromosomes, and is widely applied to many optimization problems.


The intent of this action research project was to determine if food studies programming has an effect on children's participation levels in food preparation, procurement, and making dietary choices. The study was conducted during an eight week, grant-funded after-school pilot program focused on promoting active lifestyle choices and healthful eating habits. The study involved fourth and fifth grade children enrolled in a tuition free program sponsored by a local Park and Recreation department. Data was collected from both children enrolled in the program and their parents or guardians. Sources of data collection included surveys, participant artifacts, group discussions, and researcher observations. Results of the study showed that the children had a high interest in cooking and learning about where food comes from and various processing methods. The research also showed wide community support for food studies programming and an underlying concern about the health and diet of local youth. Based on the study's findings, the researcher will continue to develop and refine food studies curricula and course offerings for youth in the same community in which the initial study was conducted.


The use of biological-probe-modified solid-state pores in biosensing is currently hindered by difficulties in pore-wall functionalization. The surface to be functionalized is small and difficult to target and is usually chemically similar to the bulk membrane. Herein, we demonstrate the contactless electrofunctionalization (CLEF) approach and its mechanism. This technique enables the one-step local functionalization of the single pore wall fabricated in a silica-covered silicon membrane. CLEF is induced by polarization of the pore membrane in an electric field and requires a sandwich-like composition and a conducting or semiconducting core for the pore membrane. The defects in the silica layer of the micropore wall enable the creation of an electric pathway through the silica layer, which allows electrochemical reactions to take place locally on the pore wall. The pore diameter is not a limiting factor for local wall modification using CLEF. Nanopores with a diameter of 200 nm fabricated in a silicon membrane and covered with native silica layer have been successfully functionalized with this method, and localized pore-wall modification was obtained. Furthermore, through proof-of-concept experiments using ODN-modified nanopores, we show that functionalized nanopores are suitable for translocation-based biosensing.


Functional interfaces, such as multiferroic twin boundaries in passive matrices, are expected to lead to device fabrication where functionality of materials is not related to bulk properties but to interfacial properties. Eminent examples are superconducting interfaces in insulating matrices [1], ferroelectric twin boundaries in non-polar materials [2] and defect accumulation together with the nucleation of dislocations in alloys [3-7]. The superelastic properties are destroyed in the latter case by the pinning of dislocations attached to martensitic twin boundaries [6]. As functionalities are strongly located in a sample (namely inside twin boundaries) one obtains high-density memory devices and rapid response times as required in electronic materials [8-10]. The idea that twin boundaries play a more important role than just a link between two twin domains is relatively new. The first observation was the discovery that the conductivity in martensitic twin boundaries can be much greater than that of the bulk. The breakthrough came when it was confirmed that the twin-boundaries in WO3 and related materials become superconducting at 3K while the bulk material remains an insulator [1]. Other materials such as BiFeO3 equally show conducting interfaces [11]; the experimental situation was well reviewed by Catalan et al. [12].


Most studies in relay coordination have focused solely on coordination of overcurrent relays while distance relays are used as the main protection of transmission lines. Since, simultaneous coordination of these two types of relays can provide a better protection, in this paper, a new approach is proposed for simultaneous coordination of distance and directional overcurrent relays (D&DOCRs). Also, pursued by most of the previously published studies, the settings of D&DOCRs are usually determined based on a main network topology which may result in mis-coordination of relays when changes occur in the network topology. In the proposed method, in order to have a robust coordination, network topology changes are taken into account in the coordination problem. In the new formulation, coordination constraints for different network topologies are added to those of the main topology. A complex nonlinear optimization problem is derived to find the desirable relay settings. Then, the problem is solved using hybridized Genetic Algorithm (GA) with Linear Programming (LP) method (HGA). The proposed method is evaluated using the IEEE 14-bus test system. According to the results, a feasible and robust solution is obtained for D&DOCRs coordination while all constraints, which are due to different network topologies, are satisfied.


The nature and origin of the carbonaceous matter ('carbon') in the gold-bearing reefs of the Archaean Witwatersrand basin of South Africa has long been a subject of controversy and debate. The importance of the carbon results from its direct association with the gold grade. The studies reported here were directed at resolving the nature and origin of carbon. Techniques used include stope-scale (macroscopic) mapping, mesoscopic (hand specimen) examination, and microscopic studies incorporating the use of optical reflectance measurement. Macroscopic mapping has demonstrated the braided habit of carbon bodies over tens of square metres, with a close parallel to sedimentology. Mesoscopic observations, however, show the vein-like carbon seams are often cross-cutting sedimentary features, with the carbon occupying an anastomosing set of bed-parallel fractures. Microscopic observations show a globular form for the carbon and inclusions of uraninite particles. In seam carbon the globules are generally modified into elongated 'spindles' oriented perpendicular to bedding. Optical properties are dominated by generally high reflectance and anisotropy with a 'swirling' liquid crystal structure, classifying seam carbon as 'carbonaceous mesophase'. It is this fine mesophase texture that has previously been wrongly attributed to plant (algal) morphology. Highly significantly, the optical anisotropy is bed perpendicular (rather than bed parallel as in normal sedimentary burial) indicating mesophase formation during fracture opening. Both reflectance and bireflectance of the seam mesophase show a range of values at all scales. No stratigraphic or depth trends were apparent, though geographic variation points to localization of the maximum temperature event(s). Given high anisotropies, maximum reflectance values in the 4–8% Ro range and minima in the 1–2% Ro range give arithmetic mean reflectance values of about 4.0% Ro. Kinetic modelling equates these values with short term (50 000 years) temperature events of c. 400°C or burial temperatures of c. 280°C. Lower reflectance values of c. 2.0% Ro obtained from the shales suggests thermal detachment of permeable and impermeable beds, a characteristic of pulsed hydrothermal flux. The included uraninite grains influence the orientation of the surrounding anisotropic mesophase demonstrating that uraninite predated the mesophase formation event. Regional palaeo-stress 'frozen' into the mesophase anisotropy indicates a NW–SE deviatoric stress. The combination of hydrocarbon, radiation and hydrothermal fluid flow marks Witwatersrand Basin pyrobitumens out as being different from conventional oil. Putative source rocks for the oil are identified in the intra-basinal Witwatersrand shale units. Lithological control in carbon seams is explained by the poro-perm and mechanical properties of the unconformity sequence of footwall, reef conglomerates and hanging wall quartzites favouring fracture along the unconformity surfaces. An overpressured oxidizing fluid created the fracture network that hosted the oil and also introduced uranium as uranyl ion. On meeting a reducing agent (oil), uraninite precipitated stabilizing the oil by polymerization. Further hotter hydrothermal flux then 'coked' the bitumen to often fibrous (spindle-shaped) mesophase. Continued flow deposited gold in the available pore spaces, most notably those formed by lateral contraction between mesophase spindles. The speculative role of methane in the reductive precipitation of gold is indicated by the presence of gold in any co-eval porosity largely independent of the mineral matrix.


Indirect calorimetry to study heat production (HP) and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) for body composition (BC) are powerful techniques to study the dynamics of energy and protein utilization in poultry. The first two chapters present the BC (dry matter, lean, protein, and fat, bone mineral, calcium and phosphorus) of modern broilers from 1 – 60 d of age analyzed by chemical analysis and DEXA. DEXA has been validated for precision, standardized for position, and equations and validations developed for chickens under two different feeding levels. These equations are unique to the machine and software in use. Research in broilers fed exogenous enzymes added alone or mixed as a multi-enzyme composite (protease + glucanase + xylanase + phytase) has shown lower HP and higher protein deposition when protease was evaluated alone or in combination. An unexpected change from protein to fat deposition was seen in the grower phase (around 22d), with a switch back to more protein synthesis in the finisher (>29d). The lower HP let to believe exogenous enzymes reducing the energy for maintenance, the next study resulted in enzymes reducing 6.6% the MEm (metabolizable energy for maintenance) evaluated in retained energy from the body of chicks (16 -27 d). The study was conducted increasing feeding levels and fit by linear regression. The maintenance experiment also showed that under feed deprivation conditions, body directs nutrients to protein synthesis before fat synthesis occurred. Research with broiler breeders resulted in HP increasing continuously along egg production and age from 26 59 wk. HP was the highest at 59 wk when the lean tissue was the highest. Respiratory exchange ratio (RER = VO2/VCO2) showed the lowest value at 43 wk suggesting fat utilization is higher at this point of egg production compared to the beginning (26 wk). Lean mass was the lowest at 37, and 50 wk and increased after 50 wk suggesting lean mass being more important than fat during egg production. Hens increased lean tissue after 50 wk suggesting preparation for next clutch as it happens in the wild, so fat is used as fuel for maintenance energy.


This work addresses a novel and challenging problem of estimating the full 3D hand shape and pose from a single RGB image. Most current methods in 3D hand analysis from monocular RGB images only focus on estimating the 3D locations of hand keypoints, which cannot fully express the 3D shape of hand. In contrast, we propose a Graph Convolutional Neural Network (Graph CNN) based method to reconstruct a full 3D mesh of hand surface that contains richer information of both 3D hand shape and pose. To train networks with full supervision, we create a large-scale synthetic dataset containing both ground truth 3D meshes and 3D poses. When fine-tuning the networks on real-world datasets without 3D ground truth, we propose a weakly-supervised approach by leveraging the depth map as a weak supervision in training. Through extensive evaluations on our proposed new datasets and two public datasets, we show that our proposed method can produce accurate and reasonable 3D hand mesh, and can achieve superior 3D hand pose estimation accuracy when compared with state-of-the-art methods.


An ideal chemical sorbent for carbon dioxide capture from ambient air (air capture) must have a number of favourable properties, such as environmentally benign behaviour, a high affinity for CO(2) at very low concentration (400 ppm), and a low energy cost for regeneration. The last two properties seem contradictory, especially for sorbents employing thermal swing adsorption. On the other hand, thermodynamic analysis shows that the energy cost of an air capture device need only be slightly larger than that of a flue gas scrubber. The moisture swing separation process studied in this paper provides a novel approach to low cost CO(2) capture from air. The anionic exchange resin sorbent binds CO(2) when dry and releases it when wet. A thermodynamic model with coupled phase and chemical equilibria is developed to study the complex H(2)O-CO(2)-resin system. The moisture swing behaviour is compatible with hydration energies changing with the activity of water on the resin surfaces. This activity is in turn set by the humidity. The rearrangement of hydration water on the resin upon the sorption of a CO(2) molecule is predicted as a function of the humidity and temperature. Using water as fuel to drive the moisture swing enables an economical, large-scale implementation of air capture. By generating CO(2) with low partial pressures, the present technology has implications for in situ CO(2) utilizations which require low pressure CO(2) gas rather than liquid CO(2).


Red shift of green-emission band has been observed for fac tris(2-phenylpyridine) iridium (Ir(ppy)3) doped in polycarbonate at 8 K during time evolution after 355-nm laser of 1-ns pulse width. We explain the peak shift and vibronic structure of the emission band using the Franck-Condon principle and the model of (1) three zero-field splitting substates of the triplet state, (2) relaxation processes among the three substates, and (3) different Huang-Rhys factors for these substates. Good agreement was obtained between the calculated and measured emission spectra at various delay times.