In 1999, California enacted legislation allowing same-sex couples to register with the State as domestic partners. Although the new legal status initially entailed few legal rights or obligations, incremental 2001 legislation granted some significant legal rights of marriage to registered domestic partners. In 2003, the legislature acted again, extending almost all the state law incidents of marriage to registered domestic partners. This Article places the 2003 legislation in national and international context. In the United States, California domestic partnership is uniquely legislative in origin. This Article explores the ramifications of its purely legislative genesis. Acknowledging that California domestic partnership represents an important civil rights advance for same-sex couples, the Article argues that it is not sufficient as family law. Although lesbians and gay men have enthusiastically welcomed the recognition and dignity that the legislation confers, only a small minority of same-sex couples have registered in California or in other jurisdictions offering similar opportunities. The Article attributes the low registration rates to causes that are largely extrinsic to the essential character of same-sex relationships. Consequently, the Article suggests, same-sex couples would be better served by a regime that recognizes both registered cohabitation and stable unregistered cohabitation. It notes that many other countries have followed such a two-track approach to opposite-sex and same-sex cohabitation and suggests trategies for moving American law in that direction. Finally, the Article speculates about the social effects of legally recognizing same-sex relationships.


Introduction: The Management Standards (MS) were developed by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to help organisations control workplace psychosocial hazards. Although lauded as an example of international best practice, several weaknesses have been identified. In particular, it has been argued that the emphasis on risk and harm is a critical barrier to its widespread adoption by organisations (Cox et al., 2009). Unlike physical hazards, psychosocial hazards can not only impair but also contribute to the promotion of health and well-being. It has therefore been argued that the model could be 'balanced out' to include consideration of both negative (risk) and positive (salutogenic) drivers of employee health. Considering these arguments, we explored associations between the Irish MS Indicator Tool (ROI-MSIT) and the WHO-Five Well-being Index (WHO-5), a measure of positive mental health. We hypothesised that individuals who obtained better (higher) scores on the ROI-MSIT and its sub-scales would be more likely to experience positive mental health. We also investigated whether better scores were associated with a greater likelihood of experiencing mental 'flourishing', following Huppert and So (2009; 2013). Method: Between February 2011 and June 2012 we collected data from a wide range of public and private sector organisations that used the ROI-MSIT and WHO-5 (N = 4794). Scores on the overall ROI-MSIT and its sub-scales were collapsed into ordinal categories following the UK HSE's percentile scoring bands. Logistic regression was performed treating WHO-5 scores as a dichotomous dependent variable (poor or good well-being) and as a trichotomous variable (i.e. including a 'flourishing' category). Odds ratios were calculated to estimate the 'downside risk' of experiencing poor well-being and the 'upside risk' of experiencing good well-being and flourishing in relation to MS scores. Results: Those in the top ROI-MSIT category were 22 times (95% CI: 16.54-28.79) more likely to experience good well-being than those in the bottom. Ordinal logistic regression revealed those in the top category were 25 times (95% CI: 20.00-33.33) more likely to experience good well-being, and 25 times (95% CI: 20.00-33.33) more likely to experience flourishing. Strong results were also found for the ROI-MSIT sub-scales.Conclusions: Although additional research is needed to determine the full salutogenic potential of the MS model, our initial findings suggest that following the approach may help employees experience positive mental states rather than just the absence of psychological harm. Small shifts in mean MS scores could potentially move the population towards mental flourishing.


Cloud Computing (CC) is a model for enabling on-demand access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources. Testing and evaluating the performance of the cloud environment for allocating, provisioning, scheduling, and data allocation policy have great attention to be achieved. Therefore, using cloud simulator would save time and money, and provide a flexible environment to evaluate new research work. Unfortunately, the current simulators (e.g., CloudSim, NetworkCloudSim, GreenCloud, etc..) deal with the data as for size only without any consideration about the data allocation policy and locality. On the other hand, the NetworkCloudSim simulator is considered one of the most common used simulators because it includes different modules which support needed functions to a simulated cloud environment, and it could be extended to include new extra modules. According to work in this paper, the NetworkCloudSim simulator has been extended and modified to support data locality. The modified simulator is called LocalitySim. The accuracy of the proposed LocalitySim simulator has been proved by building a mathematical model. Also, the proposed simulator has been used to test the performance of the three-tire data center as a case study with considering the data locality feature.


A longstanding challenge facing energy conversion/storage materials is their low electrical conductivity, which often results in unwanted sluggish electrochemical reactions. Here, we demonstrate a new class of one-pot surface engineering strategy based on metallic single-walled carbon nanotube (mSWCNT)-enriched, ivy-like conductive nanonets (mSC nanonets). The mSC nanonets are formed on the surface of electrode materials through a poly(9,9-di-n-octylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl) (PFO)-assisted sonication/filtration process. PFO is known as a dispersant for SWCNTs that shows a higher affinity for semiconducting SWCNTs (sSWCNTs) than for mSWCNTs. Driven by this preferential affinity of PFO, sSWCNTs are separated from mSWCNTs in the form of sSWCNT/PFO hybrids, and the resulting enriched mSWCNTs are uniformly deposited on electrode materials in the form of ivy-like nanonets. Various electrode materials, including lithium-ion battery cathodes/anodes and perovskite catalysts, are chosen to explore the feasibility of the proposed concept. Due to their ivy-like conductive network, the mSC nanonets increase the electronic conductivity of the electrode materials without hindering their ionic transport, eventually enabling significant improvements in their redox reaction rates, charge/discharge cyclability, and bifunctional electrocatalytic activities. These exceptional physicochemical advantages of the mSC nanonets, in conjunction with the simplicity/versatility of the one-pot surface engineering process, offer a new and facile route to develop advanced electrode materials with faster electrochemical reaction kinetics.


JUSTICE RICHARD J. GOLDSTONE^ I. INTRODUCTION The question posed in Professor Wright's article1 is whether a Bill of Rights matters. His conclusion is that it does matter and that "anything that promotes moderation, liberty, and equal justice under law is highly desirable."2 A Bill of Rights certainly mattered in South Africa. In a unanimous opinion, the recently established Constitutional Court of South Africa, quoting from the preamble of the 1993 transitional Constitution,3 described South Africa's past as that of "a deeply divided society characterized by strife, conflict, untold suffering and injustice" which "generated gross violations of human rights, the transgression of humanitarian principles in violent conflicts and a legacy of hatred, fear, guilt and revenge."4 A Bill of Rights was one of the essential tools without which the relatively peaceful transition from this history of racial oppression and apartheid to a nonracial democracy would not have been possible. Without some guarantee of protection for the rights of minorities, the previous ruling white minority government would not have relinquished power to an inevitably black-controlled majority government. It was in that context that an extraordinary constitution-making process was established. This process gave birth to the South African Bill of Rights. The decision to incorporate a "full" Bill of Rights in the Constitution was not a difficult one for the African National Congress who, as long ago as 1955, adopted the Freedom Charter, which embodied the principle elements of a Bill of Rights. It was a different matter for the ruling National Party, which as recently as 1983, dismissed proposals for a Bill of Rights to be incorporated in the new Constitution of that year. However, after the banning of the African National Congress and other liberation organizations dramatically ceased in February 1990 and after the release of Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners, all of the major political parties, who joined to fashion a new constitution, agreed that any new constitution should contain such a Bill of Rights.5 II. THE CONSTITUTION-MAKING PROCESS I will only deal briefly with the difficult and lengthy negotiations conducted between the major political parties between 1990 and 1994 that led to the 1993 transitional Constitution and eventually to the 1996 Constitution.6 At the beginning of the process, the then minority, white-controlled government had control over all three organs of government, the civil service, and the security forces. More importantly, it had control over the financial and other resources of the state. Its desire and intent was to control the transition and to retain at least a veto power over the constitution-making process and, further, to maintain control over legislative and executive power for a substantial time in the future. This was quite unacceptable to those parties who represented the disenfranchised majority.7 They insisted upon a democratically elected Constitutional Assembly to draft the Constitution. In short, those parties representing the majority were not prepared to have a democratically elected government hamstrung by minority interests, nor to have an unelected government rule by decree. They demanded that not only the form of apartheid, but also its substance, be dismantled. It took almost two years before sufficient consensus was reached to enable formal negotiations to begin. A forum known as the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA),8 consisting of most of the political parties and other interest groups, was constituted to carry out these negotiations. Any political party or grouping which could establish that it had substantial support was invited to join CODESA. CODESA established working groups to consider and advise on many issues that needed to be resolved.9 Each party to the negotiations was represented by two delegates and two advisors in each working group. …


Setting: Croatian Medical Journal (CMJ) is a general medical journal published in English and the only Croatian medical journal covered by the most selective bibliographic databases, such as SCI-Expanded and Current Contents. Central Medical Library (CML) is the most important Croatian medical library serving as a central point for biomedical information. Both are affiliated to the Croatia's largest and oldest medical school, the University of Zagreb School of Medicine. The CMJ started in 1992 and its Editorial Board asked CML for help in formulating exchange policy and bringing best editorial practice to the local setting. When CMJ introduced an «author-helpful» policy, CML helped to the authors in finding literature and organizing the references. CMJ also co-opted the Head-librarian to the Editorial Board. ----- Teaching how to read and write science: a library-journal partnership: Early in their work, CMJ Editorial Board learned that Croatian physicians had important and interesting data but inadequate skills for presenting them in a scientific article. To alleviate the lack of education in research methods and writing, a mandatory course in scientific methodology and communication was developed and introduced into the School's curriculum. The course has been running since academic year 1995/96 focusing on (1) principles of scientific research; (2) finding medical information; (3) study design and presentation of data; (4) writing a scientific article. The course has three components: lectures, discussions in medium-sized groups and problem solving exercises in small groups. Three librarians are participating in the course, giving a core lecture and hands-on problem-solving exercises using PubMed. CMJ and CML started two continuing education courses in 2002 and 2004, respectively: Planning and Writing about Research in Medicine and Finding and Appraisal Medical Information. The courses are aimed at young academic physicians and general medicine practitioners. The courses have been highly rated by the Croatian Medical Chamber, which serves as a licensing body. Where to next? CMJ and CML developed three electives in evidence-based medicine (The importance of finding good evidence, Planning research and Research data analysis and writing research report ) which are to be introduced in the next academic year. Another collaborative effort – CMJ answers your clinical question – consists of developing a web service on the CMJ's web site to help Croatian physicians in transferring the evidence-based medicine principles into the clinical practice. A librarian will be responsible for searching and critical appraisal of evidence.


ABSTRACT Population biology of the intertidal crabs Pachygrapsus marmoratus Fabricius, 1787 and P. maurus (Lucas 1846) was investigated at cobble beaches with different levels of wave exposure. Surveys were taken monthly over 1.5 years at three intertidal levels. The growth rate of both species was similar, although P. marmoratus reached larger sizes. This species was more abundant on the mid-littoral zone of sheltered beaches, whereas P. maurus was more abundant on more exposed ones. The sex ratio was male biased in both species, particularly for the smaller and larger size classes. Both species showed an extended reproductive season, coinciding with the rising temperatures of spring and summer, with ovigerous females being found from June to September for P. marmoratus and from May to August for P. maurus. The present study indicates that both could develop adaptive strategies allowing them to coexist in the Azores littoral. The greater size of P. marmoratus seems to be an advantage on the competition for refuges with P. maurus, which results in its higher abundance and general dominance in the higher shore levels and in less exposed shores. However, P. maurus seems to be more fitted to live in the higher hydrodynamic habitats.


Much of the microbial activity in nature takes place at interfaces, which are often associated with redox discontinuities. One example is the oxic/anoxic interface where polluted groundwater interacts with the overlying vadose zone. We tested whether microbes in the vadose zone can use synthetic chemicals as electron donors and thus protect the overlying air and buildings from groundwater pollutants. Samples from the vadose zone of a site contaminated with chlorobenzene (CB), 1,2-dichlorobenzene (12DCB), and 1,4-dichlorobenzene (14DCB) were packed in a multiport column to simulate the interface of the vadose zone with an underlying groundwater plume. A mixture of CB, 12DCB, and 14DCB in anoxic water was pumped continuously through the bottom of column to an outlet below the first sampling port to create an oxic/anoxic interface and a capillary fringe. Removal to below the detection limits by rapid biodegradation with rates of 21 ± 1 mg of CB • m(-2) • d(-1), 3.7 ± 0.5 mg of 12DCB • m(-2) • d(-1), and 7.4 ± 0.7 mg of 1.4 DCB • m(-2) • d(-1) indicated that natural attenuation in the capillary fringe can prevent the migration of CB, 12DCB, and 14DCB vapors. Enumeration of bacteria capable of degrading chlorobenzenes suggested that most of the biodegradation takes place within the first 10 cm above the saturated zone. Biodegradation also increased the upward flux of contaminants and thus enhanced their elimination from the underlying water. The results revealed a substantial biodegradation capacity for chlorinated aromatic compounds at the oxic/anoxic interface and illustrate the role of microbes in creating steep redox gradients.


1. Disease epizootics can significantly influence host population dynamics and the structure
and functioning of ecological communities. Sarcoptic mange Sarcoptes scabiei has dramatically
reduced red fox populations Vulpes vulpes in several countries, including Britain,
although impacts on demographic processes are poorly understood. We review the literature
on the impact of mange on red fox populations, assess its current distribution in Britain
through a questionnaire survey and present new data on resultant demographic changes in
foxes in Bristol, UK.

2. A mange epizootic in Sweden spread across the entire country in < 10 years resulting in a
decline in fox density of up to 95%; density remained lowered for 15–20 years. In Spain,
mange has been enzootic for > 75 years and is widely distributed; mange presence was
negatively correlated with habitat quality.

3. Localized outbreaks have occurred sporadically in Britain during the last 100 years. The
most recent large-scale outbreak arose in the 1990s, although mange has been present in
south London and surrounding environs since the 1940s. The questionnaire survey indicated
that mange was broadly distributed across Britain, but areas of perceived high prevalence
(> 50% affected) were mainly in central and southern England. Habitat type did not significantly
affect the presence/absence of mange or perceived prevalence rates. Subjective assessments
suggested that populations take 15–20 years to recover.

4. Mange appeared in Bristol's foxes in 1994. During the epizootic phase (1994–95), mange
spread through the city at a rate of 0.6–0.9 km/month, with a rise in infection in domestic
dogs Canis familiaris c. 1–2 months later. Juvenile and adult fox mortality increased and the
proportion of females that reproduced declined but litter size was unaffected. Population
density declined by > 95%.

5. In the enzootic phase (1996–present), mange was the most significant mortality factor.
Juvenile mortality was significantly higher than in the pre-mange period, and the number of
juveniles classified as dispersers declined. Mange infection reduced the reproductive potential
of males and females: females with advanced mange did not breed; severely infected males
failed to undergo spermatogenesis. In 2004, Bristol fox population density was only 15% of
that in 1994.


Chinese music has always been in the school music syllabuses of
Hong Kong but it did not have a firm place until the change of the political
status in 1997. The return of sovereignty to China brought about a new
stress on Chinese culture for Hong Kong generally and for schools in
particular. There is now a strong emphasis on Chinese music, especially
traditional Chinese music. However, the emphasis on Chinese music may
have caused an overloaded curriculum, as teachers have to cover both
Chinese and Western music. It is possible that teachers emphasize factual
knowledge about Chinese music, because information about Chinese music
can be transmitted by means of technological devices such as CD_ROM,
audio and audio-visual teaching materials, PowerPoint and the interne. The
use of such aids can alleviate the problems of overload, as teachers can
cover most aspects of the teaching topics listed in the music syllabuses.
However, it has been argued that the goals of music education
should include the acquisition of a personal experience of music, rather than
focusing exclusively on acquiring knowledge about music. Reid (1986)
claimed that the kind of personal experience-knowledge of arts could not be
derived merely from `know-that' and 'know-how', which he called
propositional knowledge. He said that an 'acquaintance knowledge of
music', which results from direct contact or acquaintance with music, is
crucial to the understanding of music. This kind of musical knowledge is an
accumulation of knowledge-experience, a kind of personal knowledge of
music over and above factual knowledge about music.
Reid (1986) suggested that personal knowledge of music should be
acquired by means of "renewed and fresh cognitive occurrences and
repeated cognitive experiences". However, there has been little agreement
on ways to acquire the acquaintance knowledge of music. Therefore this
study initially focuses on teaching strategies that might help students
acquire personal knowledge of music. What teaching strategies can help students to acquire a personal appreciation and experience of music? To
what extent is it possible to formulate teaching strategies to bring about a
personal knowledge of traditional Chinese music in Hong Kong schools?
From a literature review of Chinese music teaching I identified four
observational teaching variables, which appeared to influence the
acquisition of personal knowledge. The variables were (a) teaching
sequence, (b) the relative proportion of teaching time devoted to giving
information and to providing musical experience, (c) students' control over
music activities or 'framing' and (d) repeated rather than one-off listening. I
investigated each variable separately in a secondary school context. A pilot
test was followed by experiments to isolate and investigate the four main
variables.
In the case of the first variable, there were two treatments: (a) a
teaching sequence that placed information first and (b) a teaching sequence
that placed information last; In the case of the second variable, there were
also two treatments: (a) a high proportion of information-giving relative to
musical involvement and (b) a low proportion of information-giving relative
to musical involvement (a) In the case of the third variable, the two
treatments were: (a) strong didactic instructional framing and (b) weak
didactic instructional framing. In the case of the fourth variable, the
responses of the same group of students were taken after their first listening
to a series of traditional pieces of Luogudianzi in Beijing opera and after
subsequent listening to the same music,.
Data on students' personal knowledge of Luogudianzi in Beijing
opera were collected in two ways. The first quantitatively evaluated
students' changes on (a) level of musical understanding of, (b) attitude
towards the Luogudianzi in Beijing opera after the teaching of a series of
lessons called "Chinese non-melodic percussion instruments and Beijing
opera Luogudianzi". Students completed an attitude inventory and a written
response on the test music of Luogudianzi after the teaching of the lessons.
Their musical understanding of and attitudes towards the test music of
Luogudianzi under Treatment 1 were then compared with their musical understanding of and attitudes towards the test music after Treatment 2. I
also collected qualitative data on students' attitude towards and musical
understanding of the Luogudianzi in semi-structured student interviews, and
also interviewed the teacher at the end of a series of lessons.
Each teaching variable was tested separately in every experiment.
The findings showed that not every teaching variable affected students'
personal knowledge of Luogudianzi. Only the teaching variable which
emphasized more information and less direct musical experience in listening
had an effect on students' attitudes to and musical understanding of the
Luogudianzi. Factors which might have contributed to the unexpected
results were identified.
The study raised as many questions as it answered and authentic
musical experience in teaching traditional music remains an issue which
deserves further investigation in formulating teaching strategies to bring
about a personal knowledge of Chinese music.


Consensus is central to several applications including collaborative ones which a wireless ad hoc network can facilitate for mobile users in terrains with no infrastructure support for communication. We solve the consensus problem in a sparse network in which a node can at times have no other node in its wireless range and useful end-to-end connectivity between nodes can just be a temporary feature that emerges at arbitrary intervals of time for any given node pair. Efficient one-to-many dissemination, essential for consensus, now becomes a challenge; enough number of destinations cannot deliver a multicast unless nodes retain the multicast message for exercising opportunistic forwarding. Seeking to keep storage and bandwidth costs low, we propose two protocols. An eventually relinquishing (◇ RC) protocol that does not store messages for long is used for attempting at consensus, and an eventually quiescent (◇ QC) one that stops forwarding messages after a while is used for concluding consensus. Use of the ◇ RC protocol poses additional challenges for consensus, when the fraction, f/n, of nodes that can crash is 1/4 ≤ f/n <; 1/2. Consensus latency and packet overhead are measured through simulations and both decrease considerably even for a modest increase in network density.


HTTP/1.1 defines a Content-MD5 header that allows a server to include a digest of the response body. However, this is specifically defined to cover the body of the actual message, not the contents of the full file (which might be quite different, if the response is a Content- Range, or uses a delta encoding). Also, the Content-MD5 is limited to one specific digest algorithm; other algorithms, such as SHA-1 (Secure Hash Standard), may be more appropriate in some circumstances. Finally, HTTP/1.1 provides no explicit mechanism by which a client may request a digest. This document proposes HTTP extensions that solve these problems.


The 1990s represent an exceptionally complex period for the population of Serbia. In addition to the impact of long-term factors, various tumultuous events affected its demographic development, such as breaking apart of former Yugoslavia, armed conflicts in the neighboring countries, sanctions imposed by the international community, social changes (transition transformation or regression), deep economic crisis, collapse of social stratification political problems, institutional crisis, and NATO military intervention. Maladjustment to the changed system of values and norms, lower level of personal attainment, feeling of insecurity, and living under permanent stress are the main features of life at an individual psychological level. Deprivation or living at the subsistence level are the main elements of the economic cost sustained by the majority of the population. How have these changes affected an individual's decision to have children? The analysis of futility indicators points to an obvious decline in the number of births across low fertility regions of Serbia. Also, the analysis has raised the question why the decline in population fertility in the low fertility regions was not even higher, bearing in mind the experiences undergone by the countries with economy in transition as well as the depth of the crisis in society. In that sense several factors come to mind. The most important are the universality of marriage socio-psychological investigations confirmed domination of the traditional character or mentality in Serbia during the 1990s, and the government's approach to the issue of fertility improved during this time. Besides demographic needs were carefully taken into account in all amendments to the old and formulation of the new measures in the area of social policy. Mention should be made of measures ensuring employment rights of women and their entitlement to maternity leave, maternity pay, and provision of institutionalized care for the children. On the other hand under-reporting of live births, lack of knowledge on the size and characteristics of emigration flows limited the analysis of population fertility in Kosovo and Metohia. But, registered data as well as survey results show to the perseverance of the fertility model of transitional type displaying obvious traditional elements.


Born in Pacific Grove, the descendent of pioneers who came to California with the De Anza party in 1774, Russel Wolter has been farming "organically" since he was fourteen, when his mother forbade him to use chemical fertilizers and sprays on their ranch in the Carmel Valley. That was in 1947, decades before organic certification, but Wolter's expertise in organic farming methods became a valuable resource to a newer generation of farmers who began farming organically in the 1970s. After his mother's death, Russel and his wife, Karen, farmed forty-five acres of the family ranch as Down to Earth Farm, growing a variety of crops, including sweet corn, tomatoes, squash, red and white chard, kale, collards, cucumbers, apricots, plums, winter squash, pumpkins, and fava beans. They distributed their produce through Bud Capurro's distribution company based in Moss Landing, California, and also sold directly at farmers' markets in the area. Down to Earth Farm was part of the original organic certification program initiated by Rodale Press's Organic Farming and Gardening Magazine in 1971. Russel was a founding member of California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and received a Stewards of Sustainable Agriculture (Sustie) Award in 1994. Russel and Karen are now retired from farming, and lease their land to Earthbound Farms. Ellen Farmer conducted this interview with Russel and Karen at their home in Carmel Valley on March 28, 2007.


In response to the broad scope of the Enron-era frauds, the federal government has adopted novel strategies to manage the complexity of corporate criminal investigations. Chief among these innovations are the cooperation requirements set forth in the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Thompson Memorandum (along with its successor, the McNulty Memorandum) and the increased use of deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) between prosecutors and corporations. Under these current practices, the federal government has declined or deferred charges against firms themselves and has shifted liability to the employee level, indicting and convicting over one thousand individuals since the July 2002 creation of the Corporate Fraud Task Force. This Article explores a gap in the constitutional protections afforded those individual defendants. Prosecutors' dependence on compelled cooperation is expedient but has unexamined consequences: a bypass around corporate employees' Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and the potential to degrade self-regulation. These costs arise, in part, from the merger of public governmental investigations and private corporate compliance efforts. Part I details the policies and practices of the war on corporate crime, with a particular focus on the factors set forth in the Thompson and McNulty Memoranda and the terms of current DPAs. Part II discusses how the convergence of cooperation doctrine with the shift to individual targets results in significant unfairness for the individual employees compelled to incriminate themselves in the context of internal investigations directed by the government. That normative burden may not be offset by enforcement benefits. Although effective corporate crime prevention often requires the cooperation of insiders, the means used to obtain it may actually increase the difficulty of detecting fraud by discouraging oversight and minimizing recordkeeping. Part III argues that the government's pursuit of DPAs and application of a civil regulatory model to criminal enforcement creates distortions because individual liberty rather than a financial sanction is at stake, prosecutors do not engage in negotiated governance, and judicial oversight at the investigative stage is minimal. Part IV addresses the constitutional implications of outsourcing corporate criminal investigations. Employees interviewed by internal investigators pursuant to the terms of a pending deferred prosecution agreement should enjoy immunity analogous to the Garrity shield that protects public employees. Several strands of Fifth Amendment theory are consistent with the argument that economic pressure such as the threat of job loss can rise to the level of constitutionally significant coercion. That pressure, although delegated to corporations to apply, may be attributed to the government as state action when a DPA is pending. As a practical matter, extending immunity may also enhance compliance investigations by privileging truthful information and the interests of good-faith employees.


Three-piece ensemble of navy blue wool tweed with white silk threads.

A) Cape. Falls below hips. Constructed with applied bands or plackets of self giving the appearance of pleats. No collar; rounded neckline with modified suspender self bands at neck that extend down to waist and secure to the pair of buttons on the waistband of the skirt. Padded shoulders. Lined in white satin.

Remains of label, mostly illegible, in pieces, covered with crepeline. "65-67 Champ ........ Paris"

B) Blouse of white satin. Collarless with piped, rounded, high neckline and string tie at front (decorative). Long, set-in sleeves gathered into cuffs with single button and tailored buttonhole at each cuff. Front with wide center and two narrow vertical pin-tucks. Center back closure with 7 circular shell/mother-of-pearl buttons and tailored buttonholes.

No labels in shirt.

C) Skirt. Street-length, A-line with 1-1/2 inch waistband. Two pairs of circular dark blue buttons on waistband for securing "suspenders". Left side zipper with four sets of hook-and-eyes (one missing). Simulated pleats, sewn down, with vertical strips of same fabric sewn to skirt giving illusion of further pleating. Unlined.

Label on waistband to left of zipper: "Made In France"


The issues involved in planning for pedal cyclists are examined with reference to the West Midlands County. Working with a local cycling campaign group, the researcher uses action research methods to investigate and influence the campaign. Development of cycle planning is traced through the literature, focusing on bicycle ownership, bicycle use and cycling policy. UK practice is contrasted with the integrated approach of other countries. An extensive bibliography is provided. Local authority cycle planning through the TPP process is systematically assessed over three years. This provides a context for the information regarding cycling in the West Midlands. Existing data is presented from the 1981 Census and local police road accident and bicycle theft records. The developing relationship between the local authority and the cycle campaign group is narrated in detail, explaining the problems that can beset efforts to improve conditions for cyclists. The researcher was closely involved in this interaction, particularly with policy and a major public inquiry. A survey of the Cycle Campaign Network indicates that the local group was not atypical. To provide information relevant to the local campaign and for effective local planning, a survey of 3,500 West Midlands residents was conducted using a novel combination of questionnaires and interviews. It shows that 1) Bicycle ownership and use is considerably higher than indicated by the 1978/9 National Travel Survey 2) Cycling is most import to certain disadvantaged sections of the community, particularly the young, those without access to a car and in the lower SEGs. The broader issues of transport policy are discussed, concluding that cycling is regarded as a marginal activity and that changes in general transport policy, land use planning and fiscal arrangements are necessary conditions for cycle planning to succeed. An integrated package of cycling measures involving engineering, education, enforcement and encouragement is also required. Recommendations are made concerning central government, local authorities and cycle campaign groups. Subjects for further research are identified.


Abstract. Eddy covariance (EC) flux measurements of the atmosphere/surface exchange of gases over an urban area are a direct way to improve and evaluate emissions inventories, and, in turn, to better understand urban atmospheric chemistry and the role that cities play in regional and global chemical cycles. As part of the MCMA-2003 study, we demonstrated the feasibility of using eddy covariance techniques to measure fluxes of selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and CO2 from a residential district of Mexico City (Velasco et al., 2005a, b). During the MILAGRO/MCMA-2006 field campaign, a second flux measurement study was conducted in a different district of Mexico City to corroborate the 2003 flux measurements, to expand the number of species measured, and to obtain additional data for evaluation of the local emissions inventory. Fluxes of CO2 and olefins were measured by the conventional EC technique using an open path CO2 sensor and a Fast Isoprene Sensor calibrated with a propylene standard. In addition, fluxes of toluene, benzene, methanol and C2-benzenes were measured using a virtual disjunct EC method with a Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer. The flux measurements were analyzed in terms of diurnal patterns and vehicular activity and were compared with the most recent gridded local emissions inventory. In both studies, the results showed that the urban surface of Mexico City is a net source of CO2 and VOCs with significant contributions from vehicular traffic. Evaporative emissions from commercial and other anthropogenic activities were significant sources of toluene and methanol. The results show that the emissions inventory is in reasonable agreement with measured olefin and CO2 fluxes, while C2-benzenes and toluene emissions from evaporative sources are overestimated in the inventory. It appears that methanol emissions from mobile sources occur, but are not reported in the mobile emissions inventory.


Sequential images have frequently been used as experimental stimuli in the cognitive and psychological sciences to explore topics like theory of mind, temporal cognition, discourse, social intelligence, and event sequencing, among others. The assumption has been that sequential images provide a fairly universal and transparent stimuli that require little to no learning to decode, and thus are ideal for non-verbal tasks in developmental, clinical, and non-literate populations. However, decades of cross-cultural and developmental research have actually suggested something different: that sequential image comprehension is contingent on exposure and practice with a graphic system. I here review this literature and advocate for more sensitivity to the "fluency" needed to understand sequential images.


During graduate studies in a nursing administration program, an opportunity presented itself to travel to a rural Russian community of 10,000 to study the healthcare system. The Russian healthcare system has not changed much since the Soviet days. All healthcare facilities are government owned and all healthcare providers are government employees. Basic healthcare provided to citizens is paid for by the government.1,2 Fee-for-service physicians are available in larger cities but at costs that are prohibitive for most Russians. On average, nurses working at the clinics make 4,000 rubles a month, or approximately $148. Hospital nurses are paid more than those working in clinics and home health agencies. Physicians' salaries are only slightly higher than those of nurses, averaging $160 to 180 a month.


Persons traveling to participate in foreign conflicts by no means constitute a new phenomenon that is intrinsically tied to the 'Islamic State' ('IS') or other violent jihadist networks. When analyzing historical foreign fighter insurgencies, David Malet, for instance, reflects upon how local insurgencies – the conflicts oftentimes being portrayed as threat to a specific transnational community – mobilize international networks.2 Malet argues that throughout modern history, there have been strong similarities with regards to the strategies of recruitment for a distant war independent of the respective conflict type. International combatants have fought for various causes, ranging from international communism to local ethnic group interests. Yet law enforcement agencies all over the world increasingly focus on foreign fighters traveling to Syria and Iraq due to a considerable rise in their number as well as the perceived threat they pose upon their return. Currently, official numbers estimate that around 680 German residents and citizens have traveled to the region to support jihadist groups such as 'IS'.3


This paper reviews the potential of graphene as a material for fabricating various types of sensors. Graphene is a monolayer of carbon atoms which exhibits some remarkable electronic and mechanical properties and many of these properties lend themselves to sensor applications. The review attempts to be comprehensive in sensor types covering chemical and electrochemical sensors, magnetic and electric field sensors, optical sensors together with mass and strain sensors. The fact that graphene offers some advantages over this entire range of sensing modalities is an indication of its versatility and importance.


This thesis proposes a critical study of the techniques and motives behind modern commodity feminist advertising, focusing on the appropriation of the "young girl" as a symbol of the feminist cause. This evolving trend in advertising, building upon new movements of empowerment and the recent proliferation of the online feminist space, is shifting the logics of consumption by marketing feminist ideology and activism through consumer purchasing power. By prompting consumers to believe that their purchases can make a significant change, companies are developing brand loyalty in their key marketing demographics by using the image and rhetoric of the "young girl" to tap into a term I call "anti-nostalgia," a nostalgia whereby women leverage the inherent sentimentality of childhood with a constructive understanding and rejection of the destructively sexist climate they experienced to combat these sociocultural conditions for future generations. Joining theoretical research on branding, user-generated content, and the neoliberal ideology of the consumer-citizen, I argue that these advertising campaigns, coupled with online spaces for public interaction and participation, effectively create channels for their target consumers to contribute to this commodified form of activism. In reality, however, these "feminist" purchases are simply forms of consumer self-therapy in a modern political climate of systemic gender discrimination.


PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the effectiveness of walking exercise on sleep in people with cancer.

DATA SOURCES
Databases searched included China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database, CINAHL®, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, PsycINFO®, PubMed, Wanfang Data, and Web of Science.

DATA SYNTHESIS
Nine randomized, controlled trials involving 599 patients were included. Most of the studies used moderate-intensity walking exercise. Overall, walking exercise significantly improved sleep in people with cancer (Hedges' g = –0.52). Moderator analyses showed that walking exercise alone and walking exercise combined with other forms of interventions yielded comparable effects on sleep improvement, and that the effect size did not differ among participants who were at different stages of cancer. The effect sizes for studies involving individuals with breast cancer and for studies including individuals with other types of cancer were similar.

CONCLUSIONS
Moderate-intensity walking exercise is effective in improving sleep in individuals with cancer.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING
The authors' findings support the inclusion of walking exercise into the multimodal approaches to managing sleep in people with cancer. Healthcare providers must convey the benefits of walking exercise to individuals with cancer who are suffering from sleep problems.


This paper describes a 10-bit 400-MS/s dual-channel analog-to-digital converter (ADC) insensitive to offset, gain, and sampling-time mismatches between channels. An adaptive closed-loop sampling technique based on a multi-stage amplifier eliminates the channel offset effectively. Multi-stage amplifiers with high DC gain reduce the gain mismatch between channels and guarantee a large signal swing at low supply voltages. A single clock-edge sampling scheme for clock-skew reduction minimizes the sampling-time mismatch. The proposed prototype ADC in a 0.13-μm CMOS process occupies an active area of 4.2 mm 2 , dissipates 160 mW from 1.2 V and 400 MS/s, and shows a signal-to-noise-and-distortion ratio of 54.8 dB with a 29-MHz sinusoidal input at 400 MS/s without any channel-mismatch calibration technique. The measured maximum offset and gain mismatches are less than 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively.


Accepted: 18 Jan 2017 Abstract Introduction: Both environmental and genetic factors have been implicated in the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). The objectives of the present study were: 1) to investigate the effect of high intensity interval training (HIIT) on fasting glucose, insulin and TCF7L2 expression in pancreas tissue of T2D rats, 2) to determine the relation between TCF7L2 expression with insulin changes in the HIIT and control groups Methods: In the present applied-experimental study, T2D male Wistar rats induced by intraperitoneal streptozotocin-nicotinamide were assigned to control (no-training) and HIIT (5 times/week/12-week) groups. Fasting glucose, serum insulin and TCF7L2 expression in pancreas tissues of both groups were measured after lasted exercise and compared between 2 groups by independent T test. Also, the relation between TCF7L2 expression and insulin of HIIT to the control group was assessed by Pearson correlations. Results: The HIIT training in the training group was associated with improved fasting glucose compared with the control group (P<0.001). A significant increase was observed in serum insulin levels (P< 0.001). Also, there was seen a significant decrease in TCF7L2 expression in pancreas tissues in HIIT group compared with the control group (P= 0.038). Significant negative correlation was found between TCF7L2 expression and insulin changes of the HIIT to control groups (r=0.84, P=0.034). conclusion HIIT training is associated with improvements in glycemic control and insulin secretion in T2D rats. Based on these data, this improvement can be attributed to decrease in TCF7L2 expression at pancreas


The Paleogene fill of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico basin consists of eight genetic stratigraphic sequences bounded by regional marine flooding surfaces. Calculation of sediment accumulation rates along dip profiles through four subbasins shows that regional changes in accumulation rate - and by inference, rate of sediment supply - of fivefold to tenfold repeatedly occurred over time spans of 1 to 3 m.y. Major sequences record episodes of high supply and accommodation-limited accumulation. Periods of declining and low supply were characterized by short-term over-accommodation and consequent transgressive flooding of the basin margin. Within sequences, depositional rates varied with position relative to the contemporaneous shelf margin, with type of depositional system, and between subbasins. Normal patterns of load-induced basin-margin subsidence and creation of accommodation space were modified by perturbation of the crustal stress regime.


A transmembrane protein induced in cytokine-treated bronchial epithelial cells seems to be a long-sought primary carrier of a voltage- and calcium-dependent chloride current. The origin of calcium-dependent chloride currents, required for cell excitability and fluid secretion, has been confusing. Taking an unusual approach, Caputo et al. (see the Perspective by Hartzell) identified the transmembrane protein TMEM16A as a key component. This chloride current is up-regulated when bronchial epithelial cells are treated with interleukin-4 (IL-4). By inhibiting each messenger RNA up-regulated by IL-4 using specific small interfering RNAs in bronchial epithelial cells, the authors were able to identify the gene responsible for the chloride current. Because defects in chloride transport underlie the pathology of cystic fibrosis, this discovery may offer leads into new treatments. A. Caputo, E. Caci, L. Ferrera, N. Pedemonte, C. Barsanti, E. Sondo, U. Pfeffer, R. Ravazzolo, O. Zegarra-Moran, L. J. V. Galietta, TMEM16A, a membrane protein associated with calcium-dependent chloride channel activity. Science 322, 590-594 (2008). [Abstract] [Full Text] H. C. Hartzell, CaCl-ing channels get the last laugh. Science 322, 534-535 (2008). [Summary] [Full Text]


Following the recent advances in cardiac stem cell biology, cardiac tissue has become one of the targets of regenerative medicine. With the array of approaches that are currently being tested and the questions that they raise, it becomes increasingly clear that the regeneration of adult myocardium will require the integration of numerous factors that govern cardiac tissue biology in normal and pathological conditions. The current challenge in myocardial tissue engineering and regeneration is to establish a perfect combination of three components: cells, scaffolds, and signaling molecules [1].

Since the recognition that the mammalian heart is characterized by cardiomyocyte turnover throughout the lifespan of an individual, a number of different cardiac stem cell populations have been identified in the postnatal and adult hearts. A desirable candidate cell for cardiac tissue engineering and regeneration would be autologous, capable of differentiation into all the cardiac cell types and of functional integration, and resistant to malignant transformation. The preclinical studies and clinical trials have employed different cell types, including embryonic stem cell-derived and fetal cardiomyocytes, skeletal myoblasts, bone marrow or peripheral blood-derived endothelial progenitors, haematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells, and recently, reprogrammed adult somatic cells (induced pluripotent stem cells). These multiple cell choices, apart from being accompanied by important ethical and safety concerns, led to a rather uniform outcome, which consisted of a low degree of improvement in cardiac contractile function. Moreover, a regenerated tissue band, which would integrate functionally with the surviving myocardium, was observed only in few cases [2].

The choice of cell population for myocardial regeneration should be based on the knowledge of stem cell biology and the mechanisms that regulate and control cardiac progenitor proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation in the normal and pathological conditions [3]. Recently, short noncoding RNAs, named micro-RNAs (miRs), have been found to control gene expression by blocking mRNA translation and inducing its degradation. MiR-1 was among the first in this group that had been identified as regulators of muscle cell proliferation and differentiation [4]. In this special issue, F. Huang et al. demonstrated that the downstream molecular target of Notch, Hes-1, decreased, while the expression of specific cardiac genes increased, in mesenchymal stem cells infected with lentiviral vectors carrying miR-1. This miR may be useful for stimulation of cell fate decision towards cardiomyocyte lineage.

The group of M. E. Roehrich et al. identified by flow cytometry yet another stem cell population, with high expression and activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), in the adult heart, and the results of the characterization of these cells are published for the first time in the present special issue. This population is enriched for cells expressing Sca-1, CD34, CD90, CD44, and CD106, which indicates that it is a heterogeneous cell population, and presents mesenchymal stem cell-like differentiation potential. Interestingly, ALDH bright cells had been already sorted from human cord blood, bone marrow and peripheral blood and identified in nonhaematopoietic tissues as neural, muscle, colonic, and mammary stem cells. The activity of this enzyme allows cells to survive oxidative stress and can influence numerous functions that are crucial for stem cell survival in hypoxic environment. Indeed, cells with high activity of ALDH homed to ischemic sites (in the infarcted heart and hind limb ischemia model) and mediated local vasculogenesis [5]. Recent preliminary results indicate that treatment with ALDH bright autologous bone marrow cells is safe and may provide functional benefits in patients with chronic myocardial ischemia [6]. However, cell number and method of delivery may influence the efficacy of ALDH bright and all other cell populations used for myocardial regeneration.

Many factors determine the outcome of regenerative cardiovascular therapy and are the possible reasons behind the variable results. In fact, the methods for cell isolation and purification, the procedures for their storage or propagation, the phenotype and number of injected cells, and the methods of cell administration are hugely inconsistent between studies. The current stem cell delivery methods for myocardial repair are reviewed in the present special issue by C. C. Sheng et al. The possibilities are continuously expanding and the report of the International Society for Cardiovascular Translational Research, with the recommendations for the delivery of stem cells that would be comparable between groups [7], should be soon updated to include also bioengineered cardiac tissue transplantation.

An ideal scaffold for tissue engineering must be biocompatible, allow cell growth and differentiation, and integrate (or degrade in time-controlled manner) into the host tissue. While patch-based scaffolds for cardiac regeneration must reach the dimensions relative to infarct size in humans, comply with the tension developed in the ventricular wall during systole and diastole cycles, and still be applicable through minimally invasive procedures, injectable scaffolds must be able to pass through a small gauge catheter and reconstitute their fibrous structure through gelation. Preclinical studies indicate that the combined cell-biomaterial scaffold therapy is superior to cell therapy alone [8], but the evaluation of cellular effects in vitro would be even more reliable and easier to translate in clinical application if performed in 3D culture platforms. 3D environment and high cell density play an important role in supporting the phenotypes of cells of cardiac lineages. Many of these aspects of scaffold composition and cellular biology are discussed in this special issue.

First, the original contribution of K. Vukusic et al. describes the behaviour of cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and c-kit-positive cardiac primitive cells in high density sphere cultures. The simple method of sphere formation and culture, starting from the pellet of cardiac cells that rounded up and formed spherical structure that floated in the culture media, adds to the previously characterized methods of cardiosphere generation (hanging drop or standard plate suspension culture). Growth of cardiac cells as cardiospheres enhanced expression of stem cell-relevant markers. Next, L. Ikonen et al. examined collagen-like synthetic self-assembling nanofiber hydrogels for their suitability for neonatal rat cardiomyocyte and human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte culture in 2D. Although the differentiation of stem cells into cells of cardiac lineages in these hydrogels would be more indicative of their application in myocardial regeneration, it is of note that hydrogel was able to maintain the beating ability of differentiated cardiomyocytes in vitro. As such, it can represent a useful model for preclinical testing of cellular populations and stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes for tissue engineering. In addition, the research of D. Avitabile et al. offers the basis for a further optimization of stem cell and scaffold processing for myocardium repair, showing that embedding human cord blood-derived CD34+ cells into a collagen I-based hydrogel containing cytokines is a suitable strategy to promote proliferation and protect these cells from hypoxia-induced apoptosis. The properties of these injectable composites make them promising candidates for myocardial tissue regeneration and warrant further studies on their potential therapeutic application.

With these and other scientific advances in basic science research, which provide clinicians with the tools for replacing damaged myocardium, the concept of cardiac regeneration should hopefully progress to a level that will allow the translation and application of tissue engineering triad, that is, cells, scaffolds, and signalling molecules, in the clinical setting. The success of this integrated approach will depend on the carefully designed and analyzed experiments and clinical trials.

Daria Nurzynska

Maria-Elena Padin Iruegas

Clotilde Castaldo

Patrick Muller-Best

Franca Di Meglio


Executions of concurrent multi-step transactions interleave steps in ways that improve the throughput of the particular transactions processing system. In this paper, we use temporal logic to specify and verify formally the correctness of local and mobile transactions executing concurrently on a mobile database. The correctness condition is that of serializability which we specify in CTL (Computational Tree Logic). The reason for using a temporal logic such as CTL, is that the method can be extended to verifying infinite schedules modelling mobile environments such as MDBCs (mobile database communities). The verification is carried out using the symbolic model checking NuSMV. We verify that a local scheduler based on timestamps serializes local and mobile multi-step transactions.


A 5-year retrospective study of lupus nephritis at Tygerberg Hospital was performed in an attempt to document the clinical and histological spectrum of the disease and to study the outcome of the illness. Activity and chronicity scores were used in addition to the World Health Organisation classification system. Of 55 biopsies from 51 patients reviewed, 6 were class II, 13 class III, 32 class IV and 4 class V. There were 19 deaths and in 15 of these the histological classification was IV. Renal failure and infections, often with uncommon pathogens, were the most important causes of death. Serum creatinine values and creatinine clearance at the time of biopsy or follow-up, and hypertension at follow-up showed a significant relationship with outcome. WHO class IV was associated with a poor outcome (P = 0.048) when compared with the other WHO classes combined. Activity scores showed a significant relationship to the outcome (P = 0.018). The anticardiolipin antibodies IgG and IgM were not associated with WHO class or outcome. The study revealed a spectrum of histological results similar to that of other studies, with a high mortality rate, particularly in class IV disease. Poor renal function, persistent hypertension, histological classification IV, and high activity scores were found to be important prognostic indicators.


The Cromerian complex of The Netherlands is evaluated, based on available literature, published over the past forty years. Contrary to popular believe, the Cromerian complex of The Netherlands is not known in sufficient detail to allow a reliable reconstruction of the climatic development over this period. This is mainly due to the short sequences of sediments, as well as a lack of firmly established correlations and absolute dating. The original assumption that the Cromerian complex is a period with four interglacial and three glacial cycles is not reflected in the oxygen isotope stages. However, the boundaries of the Cromerian complex have been established correctly; Cromerian I can be correlated with OIS 21 and a final interglacial can be correlated with OIS 11.


[1] Using 1 year of CloudSat level 2B Cloud Geometrical Profile product, the vertical structures, geographical distributions, and seasonal variations of cloud occurrence at the daytime (1330 LT) and the nighttime (0130 LT) overpasses and their differences over tropical land and ocean are presented separately. The differences between the cloud and precipitation occurrence at 0130 and 1330 LT and the 24 h mean are quantitatively evaluated using climatologies of diurnal variation from 9 years of TRMM observations. Then the vertical structures, geographical distributions, and seasonal variations of cloud and precipitation near the two CloudSat overpass times are generated from 9 years of TRMM observations and compared to those from CloudSat. Larger differences between cloud and precipitation occurrences at 0130 LT and those at 1330 LT were found at high altitudes because the amplitude of diurnal variation increases with height. Cloud and precipitation occurrences show day versus night differences which are opposite with respect to each other in the upper troposphere over the tropics. For example, near 1330 LT over tropical oceans, there are more clouds, but less precipitation at 13–14 km than near 0130 LT except over Panama. This may be explained with the phase lags between precipitation and clouds in the life cycles of the convective systems over land and ocean. The differences between the seasonal cycles of cloud and precipitation sampled at the 0130 and 1330 LT A-Train overpass times and the seasonal cycles generated from full day samples are shown.


The recent wave of important anthropological critiques of the global 'war on terror' is in danger of being undermined by a disciplinary vision that disregards challenging an institutional culture of fear and compliance with injustices and inequality, which is more likely to nurture discrimination and professional malpractices than commi ed scholarship. I am drawing an analogy with Zola's 'J'accuse...!' about how institutional rules of accountability in the tick-box form of neoliberal auditing can serve the purpose of oppressing the rights they are nominally intended to protect. The article argues that debates about disciplinary crisis should be reframed as one about a crisis in the reproduction of scholarship. The discipline needs to employ the anthropological tools of enquiry consistently in its practices and theory, 'at home' and in the wider world. Fundamental questions regarding discriminatory practices and professional ethics in the everyday academic workplace need to be addressed not silenced in order to nurture not only critical but also credible anthropological challenges to important contemporary historical processes.


In this paper we study big convexity theories, that is convexity theories that are not necessarily bounded. As in the bounded case (see \cite{4}) such a convexity theory $\Gamma$ gives rise to the category $\Gamma{\Cal C}$ of (left) $\Gamma$-convex modules. This is an equationally presentable category, and we prove that it is indeed an algebraic category over ${\Cal S}et$. We also introduce the category $\Gamma{\Cal A}lg$ of $\Gamma$-convex algebras and show that the category ${\Cal F}rm$ of frames is isomorphic to the category of associative, commutative, idempotent $\Bbb D^U$-convex algebras satisfying additional conditions, where $\Bbb D$ is the two-element semiring that is not a ring. Finally a classification of the convexity theories over $\Bbb D$ and a description of the categories of their convex modules is given.


The integration of excimer laser annealing (ELA) into the power MOS device technology has been studied and evaluated. The integration issues include patterning effect, extreme nonequilibrium kinetics of dopant and defects, material modification due to the melting-regrowth phenomena (in the melting regime), and residual implant damage. We demonstrated that ELA can be applied as a reliable, effective, and advantageous process in the context of semiconductor device fabrication. In particular, power MOS field-effect transistors were successfully fabricated with superior electrical characteristics than those fabricated according to the standard process. Optimization of the process was achieved through extensive characterization analyses, while an intense research effort was dedicated to the development of a technology computer-aided design tool for the simulation of the laser annealing process in Si-based devices. The electrical characterization of the transistor fabricated by ELA is presented, showing a device yield of 90 % on wafer


The present distribution of the invasive slug Arion vulgaris Moquin-Tandon was studied in Norway. This important pest species has spread to many parts of Europe during the last decades, inflicting damage to agriculture and domestic gardens. It was first recorded in Norway in 1988, and has since spread to many parts of the country and is now recorded in 192 municipalities. We surveyed the current distribution by sampling and gathering species records in cooperation with garden societies and local authorities. Based on these records, we present distributional data as well as relative predictions of future distributions based on geoclimatic parameters. Currently, A. vulgaris covers most of coastal southern Norway while it shows a patchy distribution in northern Norway, recorded as far north as Finnsnes in Troms County.


Lipase-producing thermophilic microorganisms were successfully isolated from water samples collected from six hot springs in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and were identified up to species level. Five hundred and forty-four microbial colonies were qualitatively screened using Rhodamine B-olive oil agar plate method and sixty-six were found to be positive as bacterial lipase producers after they formed orange fluorescent colour around the colonies when irradiated with UV light. Lipolytic activities were assayed using titrimetric method with olive oil emulsion as substrate. Comparative analysis among the positive bacterial lipase producers indicated that isolate ST 7 had the highest lipolytic activity of 4.58 U/ml, followed by isolate ST 6 with an activity of 3.51 U/ml. Eighteen isolates that showed high lipolytic activity were further examined for thermostability. Thermostability was determined by incubation of the crude lipase at temperature ranging from 40 to 80°C for 30 minutes. It was found that isolates ST 7 and ST 8 produced the most thermostable lipase, which retained 86.70% and 87.52% of the original activity after incubation at temperature 80°C for 30 minutes, respectively.
Eighteen lipase-producing thermophilic bacteria were further characterized and identified using morphological characteristics, Biolog Microlog® Bacterial Identification System and conventional biochemical tests. Strains KW 6, KW 7, ST 1, ST 6 and ST 10 were identified as CDC Group IVc-2 (Alcaligenes-like) or Ralstonia paucula. Strains KW 8, KW 10 and DT 17 were identified as Burkholderia cocovenenans, B. glumae and Photobacterium logei, respectively. Biolog identified strains ST 7, ST 8, SY 7, KW 1, KW 9, KW 12 and TBN 3 were belonging to genus Bacilli and strains SY 9, DT 9 and DT 12 as Staphylococcus species. Four strains of the Bacillus genus with the highest thermostability, ST 7, ST 8, SY 7 and KW 12 were chosen for further identification using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis.
The protocol of DNA extraction method applied in this study was Qiagen DNeasy Tissue Kit. Based on the quantification of extracted DNA and estimation of the purity by UV spectrophotometer, the Qiagen DNeasy Tissue Kit produced a high DNA yield of all samples. The primer pair used for specific-PCR generated the same expected PCR product for all the strains with molecular weight of 1500 bp. Sequences were determined using an automated sequencer; which was aligned with reference sequences of the closest related organisms in NCBI database. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the highest sequence similarity was found between strain ST 8 and Bacillus subtilis gene for 16S rRNA partial sequence (AB110598 with 100% similarity between nucleotides 1- 1532). Strains KW 12 and ST 7 were also showed a high sequence similarity at 99.0%; comparable to those of Anoxybacillus kamchatkensis 16S rRNA gene partial (accession number: AF510985) and Anoxybacillus flavithermus isolate AB05 16S rRNA gene partial sequence (accession number: AF001964), respectively. Strain SY 7 displayed 98.0% sequence similarity to Bacillus cereus strain J-1 16S rRNA gene partial sequence (accession number: AY305275). The 16S rRNA gene sequences for ST 8, ST 7, KW 12 and SY 7 have been deposited into Genbank Data Library and assigned the accession number DQ401073, DQ193516, DQ401072 and DQ401074, respectively.


OBJECTIVES
This paper addresses the issue of interdisciplinary collaboration between medical and non-medical professions in health and social care. The introduction defines basic terms such as interdisciplinary cooperation, interdisciplinary team, and health and social care. Additionally, it highlights the significance and contribution of interdisciplinary collaboration in the care of the patient/client in health and social care. The aim of the paper is to identify factors influencing the process of interdisciplinary collaboration between, in particular, social workers and physicians. In compliance with the main goal of the research, the following partial goals were included: 1) to identify factors that limit the process of interdisciplinary collaboration between social workers and physicians, and 2) to identify factors which support the process of interdisciplinary collaboration between social workers and physicians.

METHODS
Based on the research goals, a systematic review was selected as the research method for the paper. The research dataset consisted of articles obtained from the following databases: EBSO, PUBMED/MEDLINE, SCIENCE DIRECT and SCOPUS. The databases were search using the following keywords: interprofessional cooperation, interdisciplinary, collaboration, social work, and physicians/doctors.

RESULTS
Using the results, the following factors supporting interdisciplinary collaboration were identified: acknowledgement of colleagues' expertise, recognition of roles, positive level of communication, and mutual respect. Factors that limit interdisciplinary processes included the following: varying professional perspectives, theoretical differences, lack of knowledge, and poor communication.


Process-based erosion modelling has proven to be an efficient tool for description and prediction of soil erosion and sediment transport. The one-dimensional Hairsine-Rose (HR) erosion model, which describes the time variation of suspended sediment concentration of multiple particle sizes, accounts for key soil erosion mechanisms: rainfall detachment, overland-flow entrainment and gravity deposition. In interrill erosion, it is known that raindrop splash is an important mechanism of sediment detachment and therefore of sediment delivery. In addition, studies have shown that the mass transported from a point source by raindrop splash decreases exponentially with radial distance and is controlled by drop characteristics and soil properties. Here we test experimentally and numerically the HR parameter consistency at different transversal widths for soil erosion in the presence of splash. To achieve this, soil erosion experiments were conducted using different configurations of the 2 m × 6 m EPFL erosion flume. The flume was divided into four identical smaller flumes, with different widths of 1 m, 0.5 m, and 2 × 0.25 m. Total sediment concentration and the concentrations for the individual size classes were measured. The experimental results indicate that raindrop splash dominated in the flumes having the larger widths (1 m and 0.5 m). This process generated a short time peak for all individual size classes. However, the effect of raindrop splash was less present in observed sediment concentrations of the collected data from the smaller width flumes (0.25 m). For these flumes, the detached sediment was controlled by the transversal width of the flume. An amount of detached sediment adhered to the barriers instead of being removed in the overland flow. Moreover, the experimental results showed that the boundary conditions affect the concentration of the mid-size and the larger particles. The one-dimensional Hairsine-Rose model was used to fit the integrated data and to provide parameter estimates for each flume. The analytical results agreed with the total sediment concentrations but not the measured sediment concentrations of all individual size classes. The observed sediment concentrations for the individual size classes could be predicted only when the initial sediment concentration was adjusted and a new calculation of the settling velocities was used. This new settling velocity calculation was conducted by taking the effect of raindrop splash on the deposition force of the particles into account.


Background and aims: The Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI) was developed and validated to measure symptom distress and impact on Health related quality of life (RQOL), focusing on pelvic organ pelvic organ prolapse (POP), urinary incontinence (UI) and fecal incontinence (FI). The purpose of this study was assessment of translation, cultural adaptation and psychometric validation of PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7. Methods: The study was a cross sectional research. The sampling method was multi stage sampling. Out of 33 urban health centers in Tabriz, half of them were selected randomly. In the second phase using quota sampling method from each center, middle age women who attended the health centers for giving medical care and diagnosed with PDF were included in the study. Signs of genital prolapse were recorded during the pelvic examination in dorsal lithotomy position. Diagnosis of POP was performed according to the modified pelvic organ prolapse (POP-Q). Inclusion criteria were menopausal women aged 45 years and older with at least one symptom of PFD including UI, FI or POP existing for at the minimum 3 last months. Exclusion criteria were previous pelvic surgery, any malignant tumor, mental retardation and dementia. UI, FI and POP were defined with using of International Continence Society criteria. Construct validity of questionnaire was assessed by ceiling and floor effect. Ceiling or floor effects were given when more than 15% of the responses get the best or worst possible score respectively. The questionnaires internal consistency were assessed by calculation of Cronbach's alpha. Reliability of the questionnaires was estimated by test retest reliability. The questionnaires were re-administered to 30 individuals 2 weeks after the first administration. Results: A total of 150 women with PFD were recruited in this study. The mean age (SD) was 52.3 (4.0). Translation and cultural adaptation of PFDI-20 to Persian language had a good value with regards of meaning, idiomatic and content. The results of test- retest reliability and internal consistency were shown in Table 1. Conclusion: The results of this study were demonstrated that Iranian version of PFDI-20 has acceptable validity and reliability. Table 1 Results of analysis for internal consistency and test- re test reliability for the PFDI-20 PFDI-20 Test retest reliabilityN=30 Internal consistencyN=150 POPDI 0.68 0.67 CRADI 0.71 0.69 UDI 0.69 0.70 The PFIQ-7 Iranian version showed a floor effect (29.6%).


The simple, but general formal theory of fun and intrinsic motivation and creativity (1990-2010) is based on the concept of maximizing intrinsic reward for the active creation or discovery of novel, surprising patterns allowing for improved prediction or data compression. It generalizes the traditional field of active learning, and is related to old, but less formal ideas in aesthetics theory and developmental psychology. It has been argued that the theory explains many essential aspects of intelligence including autonomous development, science, art, music, and humor. This overview first describes theoretically optimal (but not necessarily practical) ways of implementing the basic computational principles on exploratory, intrinsically motivated agents or robots, encouraging them to provoke event sequences exhibiting previously unknown, but learnable algorithmic regularities. Emphasis is put on the importance of limited computational resources for online prediction and compression. Discrete and continuous time formulations are given. Previous practical, but nonoptimal implementations (1991, 1995, and 1997-2002) are reviewed, as well as several recent variants by others (2005-2010). A simplified typology addresses current confusion concerning the precise nature of intrinsic motivation.


Cabozantinib is an oral multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFR), mesenchymal epithelial transition factor (MET) and AXL. Cabozantinib is used for treating different types of cancer. It is available in the market in two different dosage forms with two different trade names. Cabometyx (cabozantinib) is available as 20mg, 40mg and 60mg film coated tablets and is approved by FDA for the management of renal cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, cometriq (cabozantinib) is available as 20mg and 80mg capsules and is approved by FDA for treatment of thyroid cancer. Availability of two dosage forms for cabozantinib with different trade names for different indications is considered as potential for confusion and prescribing error. Implementation of good prescribing practice is essential in this case.
Successive governments have promoted the prescribing of drugs by generic rather than the trade name. Some drugs should not be prescribed generically for different reasons, for example when dosage forms of the products are not pharmaceutically equivalent. Cabozantinib is an example for this scenario. Cabometyx and cometriq are not bioequivalent.
In conclusion, each institution should have a generic prescribing policy. This policy must include drugs that cannot be prescribed generically. Based on posology, cabometyx and cometriq should not be used interchangeably but in case a patient must switch from cabozantinib capsules to cabozantinib tablets, the patient should continue with cabometyx using a dose not exceeding 60mg or to continue with the current cometriq dose whichever is lower. Do NOT substitute cabometyx tablets with cometriq capsules


Most research on the effects of immigration focuses on the effects of immigrants as adding to the supply of labor. By contrast, this paper studies the effects of immigrants on local labor demand, due to the increase in consumer demand for local services created by immigrants. This effect can attenuate downward pressure from immigrants on non-immigrants' wages, and also benefit non-immigrants by increasing the variety of local services available. For this reason, immigrants can raise native workers' real wages, and each immigrant could create more than one job. Using US Census data from 1980 to 2000, we find considerable evidence for these effects: Each immigrant creates 1.2 local jobs for local workers, most of them going to native workers, and 62% of these jobs are in non-traded services. Immigrants appear to raise local non-tradables sector wages and to attract native-born workers from elsewhere in the country. Overall, it appears that local workers benefit from the arrival of more immigrants.


Scaffold-based tissue engineering research aims to aid in the repair and regeneration of bone defects. Scaffolds act as a basis for carrying cells or therapeutic agents for regenerative therapies. To achieve this, the scaffold should have appropriate osteoconductive, osteoinductive and biodegradable properties. To date, such structures have only been used with some success in low-load bearing applications, despite the large variety of biomaterials and fabrication techniques explored in the last two decades. Previous studies have illustrated the suitability of the Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) process in fabricating PCL-20% β-TCP scaffolds for low-load bearing bone tissue engineering applications. This paper aims to demonstrate the possibility of increasing the mechanical properties of such scaffolds by introducing a through-hole. In addition, it is conjectured that such through-holes may also become useful for the channeling or storage of nutrients. A number of scaffolds with through-holes of various sizes were fabricated in order to study the effect of the through-hole diameter on the modulus (stiffness) of the complete scaffold. It was observed that the stiffness of the scaffolds varies with the diameter of the through-hole. After a certain through-hole diameter threshold the stiffness of the scaffold begins to increase above that of the original scaffold. An improvement of approximately 37% was observed in the PCL-20% β-TCP scaffolds. Also, it was noted that the threshold value for the through-hole diameter depends on the spacing of the adjacent filaments of the scaffolds.© 2008 ASME


Bacteria, like all creatures, use every available tool to increase their odds of surviving, including adopting specific shapes. Long or very tiny bacteria resist being eaten by protozoa, very long ones are not easily washed from the soil, thin cells accumulate nutrients more readily from watery environments, rod-shaped bacteria move more certainly towards food sources, spherical ones may produce more progeny per gram of resource, spiral ones race more quickly through viscous fluids, flat ones expose more surface area to light, cells just the right size float at just the right depth in lakes and oceans, and triangular cells fit together like so many slices of pie. In fact, spherical cells appear to be dead ends, because once a family line becomes coccoid, no later generation returns to being a rod. So it looks like spherical cells are degenerate forms, not primordial ones. Instead, individual cells are gloriously weird and highly aberrant, so that a single culture represents almost every known bacterial shape. So far the morphologies are random, and a mutant that has not been isolated grows with just one particular new shape. But the fact that mutants explore the "shape universe" implies that a bacterium can adopt any shape. All that is needed is a mechanism to capture a specific shape and fix it in place. As the community of researchers identifies and investigates these mechanisms, we will, once again, be following in Charles Darwin's footsteps as we complete our understanding of how and why these came to exist.


OBJECTIVES
Receptor binding of GnRH is connected with the stimulation of pituitary gonadotropic cells leading to both the release and biosynthesis of gonadotropins. The binding is connected with the conformational changes in the receptor which induce the specific intracellular signalisation. The study of fish GnRHs and their receptors may give us new knowledge of the complex interplay of different mechanisms involved in neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction.

METHODS
Receptor binding of both mGnRH and sGnRH were compared by the study utilizing the displacement method with mGnRH or sGnRH as radioactive tracers. Incubation was performed at 2 degrees C to avoid ligand degradation.

RESULTS
The comparative binding of mGnRH and sGnRH with GnRH receptors from the female rat pituitary and female carp pituitary was studied. At the 50% of displacement, the binding of sGnRH to the rat pituitary receptor was very small and in comparison to the binding of mGnRH (100%) was in the range 2-15%. However, the binding of mGnRH to carp pituitary receptors is small in comparison with the binding of sGnRH (100%) and was in the range 5-20%.

CONCLUSION
The results demonstrated the differences in binding of different GnRHs to the receptor in rats and carp. This suggests that the structures of GnRH and its receptor undergo co-evolution in different classes of animals.


The year 2011 marked the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the outbreak of the American Civil War. This conflict is regarded by many as the most important and traumatic event in American history, the crisis that threatened the survival of the republic created by the War of Independence. The fortunes of the Federal and Confederate causes in the Civil War are usually traced through the epic battles fought from the bombardment of Fort Sumter in April of 1861 to the retreat from Richmond in April, 1865. However, the Federal government faced several international crises that were of very serious dimensions and had the potential to tum the course of the war in an unanticipated direction. Between 1861 and 1863 there were two, possibly three, moments when British intervention, and ultimately war, were distinct possibilities: first, in late 1861 and early 1862 as a result of the Trent affair; second, in September and October of 1862 when the British government seriously considered mediation, recognition of the Confederacy, and intervention; and, third, somewhat more problematically, in September 1863 when the warships being built in Liverpool for the Confederate navy (the Laird rams) seemed likely to put to sea. This article will consider the first two, both of which emerged from overt decisions made by the British government. The primary objective of Union diplomacy during the war was to prevent the European powers from extending recognition to the Confederacy or intervening in the conflict. It fell to Secretary of State William H. Seward to safeguard against possible intervention. Seward is regarded today as one of the great secretaries of state. However, his appointment was almost entirely political. He had been a leading candidate for the Republican Party presidential nomination, and he was the key figure of a powerful block within the party in New York. Although Seward had travelled abroad and been a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he had no diplomatic experience and be was regarded by the British with great alarm as a result of his bellicose talk. Once appointed, Seward seemed to bear out British concern--attempting to usurp Lincoln, proposing a foreign war to unite the country, and conducting affairs in a blustery and belligerent manner. In retrospect, all of this has been interpreted as Seward's attempt to bluff the European powers--keep them off balance while the Federal government struggled with the problems and disasters which placed it in a weak position to sustain its policy abroad--that the Confederacy did not exist and that lawless elements would be quickly suppressed. (1) One undeniably brilliant move was the appointment of Charles Francis Adams as the United States Minister to Britain. He was the grandson of John Adams, the son of John Quincy Adams; he was educated abroad (partly in England) and at Harvard, served as a congressman from Massachusetts, was an anti-slavery advocate, and became the third member of his family to hold this diplomatic position. Charles Francis Adams was not only the best representative of the Union, but he was probably the best American to deal with the British government and diplomatic community. (2) Relations between Britain and the United States had been steadily improving since the late 1850s. Indeed, the Prince of Wales made a successful tour of the eastern states in the summer of 1860 that culminated in a ball at the White House in his honour. Britons were gratified by the cordial reception given the prince wherever he went and even The Times seemed at the moment favourably disposed toward the United States. The secession crisis and the outbreak of hostilities generated new uncertainties and as a result, in the words of R.J.M. Blackett, "the complexity and subtlety of [British] reactions to the war are almost staggering." (3) The British government under Lord Palmerston came to power in 1859, after a period of considerable political instability and political realignment. …


Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AsFlFFF) is used to measure the size distributions of humic acids in solution. Shifts in the size distribution are used to study the behavior of these amphiphilic macromolecules in solution with changes in pH, ionic strength, and humic acid concentration. Humic acid concentrations are increased by on-channel focusing of the injected samples. As the concentration is increased, the humic acids aggregate, but the effect varies with solution conditions. As the concentration of calcium chloride is increased, size distributions broaden and become multimodal. The decrease in size is consistent with reports that divalent cations induce conformational changes by the formation of intramolecular bridges between carboxylate moieties; multimodality indicates intermolecular interactions as well. Lowering the pH also promotes intermolecular interactions, with severe aggregation occurring below pH 4. The work demonstrates the utility of AsFlFFF in studies of the hydrodynamic behavior of amphiphilic macromolecules. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Micro Sep9: 535–543, 1997


Tax havens and tax secrecy have risen to the top of the global policy agenda and may constitute the most important impediment for reducing inequalities. Moreover, complex corporate structures allow charging for services undertaken in various countries through one low-tax country. Transferring profits to low-tax jurisdictions will significantly reduce a multinational corporation's overall tax burden. Individuals are assisted in opening shell corporations that officially own bank accounts where the real owner (beneficial owner) is not revealed. Reducing this practice of tax dodging (which encompasses both legal tax avoidance and illegal tax evasion) has proven to be difficult, despite substantial efforts by several international organizations and states over the last decade. It is too easy to be removed from the list of tax havens; mere membership in OECD's Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes qualifies. Tax dodgers add to global inequalities and severely weaken states' capacity to undertake their task of creating a solid tax base, embedded in the principle that all actors are taxed according to the income generated in each country. A weak tax base will lead to less trust, more violence and more deaths.


Mark-recapture (MR) methods are commonly used to study
wildlife populations. Taking advantage of modern genetics one can generalize
from "recapture of self" to "recapture of closely-related kin". Abundance
and other demographic parameters of adults can then be estimated using, if
necessary, only samples from dead animals (live-release is optional). This
greatly widens the scope of MR, e.g. to commercial fisheries where largescale
tagging is impractical, and enhances the power of conventional MR
studies where live release and tissue sampling is possible. We give explicit
formulae for kinship (i.e., recapture) probabilities in general and specific
cases. These yield a pseudo-likelihood based on pairwise comparisons of individuals
in the samples. It is shown that the pseudo-likelihood approximates
the full likelihood under sparse sampling of large populations. Experimental
design is addressed via the principle of maximizing the Fisher information
for parameters of interest. Finally, we discuss challenges related to kinship
determination from genetic data, focusing on current limitations and future
possibilities.


During the decades past, the engine industries have witnessed a remarkable upsurge in the research and development (R&D) of modern technologies due to factors such as energy security and environmental concerns. Focus is on improved engine performance, sustainable energy, fuel economy, and minimal harmful exhaust emissions. Even though globally large database now captures modern engine technologies, a skillful presentation of those data is a demanding task. Based on this analogy, the authors made a conscious effort to brief audience on the various fuels used in Wankel rotary engine (RE) which is a type of internal combustion engine (ICE). Wankel REs various operating models, their merits, and demerits regarding modern engine technologies, the type of fuels and their utilization methods, and the future prospect of biofuel as its engine fuel has been made accessible in a subtle manner in this paper. In summary, this paper provides a wide scope review of basic principles that govern practical Wankel RE design and operation, the widely used single fuels and multi fuels in Wankel RE operation with their properties as well as emissions, and the practical Wankel RE design and operation in the present era and the prospects in the near future. It also outlines simplified frameworks of modern Wankel RE technologies structured in a systematic way to contribute to enhanced engine performance, sustainable energy, reduce fuel consumption, and reduce exhaust emissions in this pragmatic field.


Private businesses' nominal value added in Greece has fallen by 38 percent over the last ten years. Micro firms were hit particularly hard. Despite efforts to stabilize the macroeconomic environment, there are only weak signs of recovery. Future prospects are not much better, as—with the exception of labor market regulations—the conditions for investments and business activities have not been sufficiently changed through eight years of reform process. Fundamental issues— excessive red tape, bulky administrative procedures, slow courts, complicated taxes, and an inefficient knowledge transfer— remain unaddressed. Greece cannot achieve its urgently needed strong and sustainable economic growth without these reforms. When the third economic adjustment program for Greece ends in August, so will external reform pressure. It remains an open question whether the government—current or future—will feel compelled to complete and implement the pending reforms.


Dear teacher I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no man should witness: Gas Chambers built by engineers; children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses; women and babies shot and burned by high school & college graduates. So I am suspicious of Education. My request is help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters; skilled psychopaths educated Mussolinis (my addition). Reading , writing , arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more human. (Tubbs, 2005:279)


Empirical studies have documented cases of belief polarization, where two people with opposing prior beliefs both strengthen their beliefs after observing the same evidence. Belief polarization is frequently offered as evidence of human irrationality, but we demonstrate that this phenomenon is consistent with a fully Bayesian approach to belief revision. Simulation results indicate that belief polarization is not only possible but relatively common within the set of Bayesian models that we consider.


The paper presents a possible medium-run evolution of the Romanian economy. It is organised in two chapters. The first chapter discusses the conceptual framework of the macromodel used for simulations, insisting on the behavioural (stochastic) relationships and the sectoral decomposition of the global output (based on input-output techniques). The specification is concordant (as much as possible) with the standard theorems. It takes also into account the specific features of the Romanian economy. The following blocks are examined: a) labour market, b) production function, c) domestic absorption, d) foreign trade, e) prices and exchange rate, f) interest rate, g) branch structure, and h) main interactions of the macromodel. The second chapter describes a medium-run scenario (2008-2013) for the Romanian economy, in comparison with the official forecasts (published by national authorities). This scenario is built according to several qualitative premises, as follows: a) the inflationary expectations are gradually diminishing, and the money supply accommodates such a tendency; b) the National Bank of Romania is continuing a prudent policy with respect to the non-governmental credit, which leads to a limited expansion of the domestic demand; c) the foreign capital inflows are relatively stable; d) the public budget coefficients are aligned to the parameters of the last Government economic programmes. The real convergence problem is also analysed.