OF THESIS EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF FOSTER CHILDREN AND COMMUNICATION PATTERNS OF KEY STAKEHOLDERS: THE FOSTER PARENT PERSPECTIVE This research explored the perspective of foster parents on the educational experiences of foster children and experiences of communication patterns with other key stakeholders (social workers, and teachers). Factors focused on were educational experience of foster children, communication patterns, the impact of communication patterns on the educational experience, and barriers to effective communication. Five individuals who were, at the time of the study, foster parents to at least one child were interviewed. Participants openly shared a variety of positive and negative experiences. This study adopted the theoretical framework of Bronfenbrenner's cultural-ecological theory. Participant interviews were transcribed verbatim and inductive coding was used for analysis of transcriptions. Central themes that emerged included past experiences of foster child impacts the educational experience, the teacher-student relationship impacts the educational experience, and communication patterns impact the consistency of expectations across systems. Results from the study showed that foster parents are generally satisfied with the communication patterns they experience with key stakeholders. Consistency of expectations and modeling of help seeking behavior were identified as the key impacts communication patterns have on the educational experience of foster children. A unique experience of the impact of communication with biological parents of the foster child was also revealed.


As rotating machines become larger, an increasing number of plain journal bearings operate in the turbulent regime. The addition of small amounts of high molecular weight polymers to the lubricant offers an attractive method of counteracting the increased power loss. This effect has previously been investigated for turbulent flow in pipes. Experiments are described on the operation of a four-inch diameter bearing lubricated with a very dilute, aqueous solution of poly(ethylene oxide).It is shown that the film extent in large clearance bearings is very dependent on the operating parameters, A numerical analysis based on the Reynolds equation indicates that a minimum dissipation principle can be used to explain the delay in the formation of a full width film. The transition to turbulence occurred at a Reynolds number of 2000. There was little evidence of Taylor vortices. The bearing friction was significantly affected by the angular momentum of the leakage flow. Very low concentrations of polymer were found to be effective in reducing the friction. Typically, 0.005% by weight causing a reduction of k5% at a Reynolds number of 3500, The bearing was also significantly stabilised against whirling, although the pressure distribution was unchanged. The polymer became ineffective after approximately twenty passes through the bearing. The degradation caused by shearing will probably be the factor limiting commercial exploitation of friction reduction in turbulent bearings.


—Direct digital synthesis is a method of creating arbitrary waveforms of desired frequency. A general DDS system comprises analog and digital part. Phase accumulator and LUT make digital part and DAC makes analog part. This paper presents 12 bit memory reduced FPGA based architecture of DDS. Phase truncation and quadrature symmetry of sine wave are used to achieve higher ROM compression. Dither is also used to achieve error free output. This design has been implemented on SPARTAN-3E FPGA with maximum clock frequency of 50 MHz. We have used LTC2624 quad DAC with 12 bit resolution which introduces very less amount of harmonics hence LPF is not needed. This design uses only 128 memory locations. Hence it is suitable for applications where system speed, memory and size of the system are main concern. Its wide and flexible range of frequency make it useful in RF transmission, Biomedical function generators and Modulation.


Abstract. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and methane (CH 4 ) are the two most important anthropogenic greenhouse gases. SCIAMACHY on ENVISAT is the first satellite instrument whose measurements are sensitive to concentration changes of the two gases at all altitude levels down to the Earth's surface where the source/sink signals are largest. We have processed three years (2003–2005) of SCIAMACHY near-infrared nadir measurements to simultaneously retrieve vertical columns of CO 2 (from the 1.58 μm absorption band), CH 4 (1.66 μm) and oxygen (O 2 A-band at 0.76 μm) using the scientific retrieval algorithm WFM-DOAS. We show that the latest version of WFM-DOAS, version 1.0, which is used for this study, has been significantly improved with respect to its accuracy compared to the previous versions while essentially maintaining its high processing speed (~1 min per orbit, corresponding to ~6000 single measurements, and per gas on a standard PC). The greenhouse gas columns are converted to dry air column-averaged mole fractions, denoted XCO 2 (in ppm) and XCH 4 (in ppb), by dividing the greenhouse gas columns by simultaneously retrieved dry air columns. For XCO 2 dry air columns are obtained from the retrieved O 2 columns. For XCH 4 dry air columns are obtained from the retrieved CO 2 columns because of better cancellation of light path related errors compared to using O 2 columns retrieved from the spectrally distant O 2 A-band. Here we focus on a discussion of the XCH 4 data set. The XCO 2 data set is discussed in a separate paper (Part 1). For 2003 we present detailed comparisons with the TM5 model which has been optimally matched to highly accurate but sparse methane surface observations. After accounting for a systematic low bias of ~2% agreement with TM5 is typically within 1–2%. We investigated to what extent the SCIAMACHY XCH 4 is influenced by the variability of atmospheric CO 2 using global CO 2 fields from NOAA's CO 2 assimilation system CarbonTracker. We show that the CO 2 corrected and uncorrected XCH 4 spatio-temporal pattern are very similar but that agreement with TM5 is better for the CarbonTracker CO 2 corrected XCH 4 . In line with previous studies (e.g., Frankenberg et al., 2005b) we find higher methane over the tropics compared to the model. We show that tropical methane is also higher when normalizing the CH 4 columns with retrieved O 2 columns instead of CO 2 . In consistency with recent results of Frankenberg et al. (2008b) it is shown that the magnitude of the retrieved tropical methane is sensitive to the choice of the spectroscopic line parameters of water vapour. Concerning inter-annual variability we find similar methane spatio-temporal pattern for 2003 and 2004. For 2005 the retrieved methane shows significantly higher variability compared to the two previous years, most likely due to somewhat larger noise of the spectral measurements.


The problem of personality readiness for the sports activity has been studied less than needed. Development of personality readiness for sports performance in young footballers goes spontaneously in the beginners and the coaches practically do not control this process that is evidenced by the fact of large departure of young athletes already at the stage of initial training. The purpose of research was to study the indicators of readiness of young footballers to sport activity and to determine the conditions of their formation in the process of psychological-pedagogical work of coach. The following criteria of personality preparedness of young footballers have been recognized: inner motivation for football playing; conscious revealing of the personality traits, which provide success in football playing; ability to adequately evaluate own possibilities and ambition for their development. At the ascertaining experiment it has been revealed that personal indicators of readiness to sport activities at young footballers are not sufficiently developed. In relation to this we have developed a model of psychological-pedagogical work of coaches on forming the personality readiness of young footballers aged 8-10 years old to football trainings. Results of research proved increase of internal motivation, adequate self-esteem and development of reflection at young athletes during the experiment.


Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the fear of happiness among college students and its relationship to gender, childhood psychological trauma, and dissociation. Setting and Design: College students were addressed as study population, and a relational screening method was implemented. Materials and Methods: Among 184 participants, 93 (50.5%) were women. The Fear of Happiness Scale (FHS), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) were administered to all participants. Statistical Analysis Used: Mann–Whitney-U and Student's t-tests were implemented for comparison of groups. Pearson correlation and stepwise multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify associations between variables. Results: There were no differences on DES, FHS, and CTQ total scores between genders. DES was associated with CTQ total scores in both genders. Women had higher scores than men on childhood emotional abuse and fear of "cheerfulness ends up with bad faith." Compared to nonmembers, female dissociative taxon members had higher scores on all childhood trauma types except sexual abuse, and on all types of fear of happiness except "good fortune ends up with disaster" which was the only type of fear significantly elevated among male dissociative taxon members. A stepwise regression analysis revealed that depersonalization, childhood emotional neglect, and physical abuse predicted fear of happiness among women which was predicted by absorption among men. Conclusions: There is a relationship between childhood psychological trauma, dissociation, and fear of happiness. Women seem to be more vulnerable in this path of obsessional thinking which affects different realms in male and female genders.


The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system (HACCP) is the internationally accepted mechanism for control of foodborne disease through food safety assurance. It is a generally held belief that HACCP is best applied by a multidisciplinary team, thus delivering a stronger food safety system than could be developed by individuals working alone. However, the origins and reasons for the use of HACCP teams in the historical record are unclear and where are no studies into the effectiveness of HACCP team decision-making. Similarly, HACCP training is believed to be fundamental to successful HACCP implementation; however there are few objective measures of the standards of training or of the effectiveness of learning. This is compounded by a lack of internationally agreed tools to measure the effectiveness of HACCP systems in practice.

Whilst literature on barriers to HACCP application, particularly in small and less developed businesses, is strong, the reasons for HACCP success or failure in manufacturing companies are less well understood. Multinational manufacturers generally work across, not only national and regional boundaries, but also cultural dimensions, however international projects such as HACCP application may be initiated without consideration of how different cultural factors within the organisation could affect the project's success. Due to the limited literature on HACCP success factors and the absence of previous studies considering the potential impact of national or regional culture, it is important to gain an understanding of and share the experiences of multinational companies that have applied HACCP.

In the setting of a multinational food company, this research has developed new tools,assessed HACCP knowledge levels, investigated HACCP team decision-making processes, assessed the validity of working HACCP Plans and considered how cultural and organisational dimensions impact HACCP application. This multifaceted approach has facilitated deconstruction of HACCP learning and development, leading to an understanding of key factors involved in effective HACCP in a global manufacturing context.

This thesis makes a theoretical contribution by extending the understanding of the HACCP application process in international manufacturing. It provides insights that will underpin future policies for HACCP application and makes practical recommendations for effective HACCP within the diverse cultures of international business.


In the recent years various Demand Side Management (DSM) projects were successfully completed on Department of Water Affairs (DWA) pump schemes. Each pump scheme consists of a number of pump stations which transfer water to power stations in the Mpumalanga Highveld area and municipal off-takes. The pump stations in a scheme are interconnected via rivers and pipe lines in order to transfer water from national key-point dams to different water users. Therefore, to manage the Highveld's water balance, all the interconnecting schemes work together to keep the important dams at a maximum operating level. Introducing load management on these sites, local- and regional strategies were developed and rolled out. Local strategies involve upgrades to existing pump stations, while regional strategies involve the interactions of the different pump schemes. With the completion of the local strategies, regional strategies for combined water balance and energy optimisation can be developed. By building a system that is more `visible', data is automatically collected. This will then be used to develop an advanced management strategy for the DWA. Therefore, in this article an overview is given on completed load management projects, planned future projects and the strategy to develop a combined electricity and water supply strategy for the DWA.


The purpose of this paper is to review technostress-related challenges arising out of workplace communication, for employees and organizations, and to provide suggestions for taking these challenges on.,The paper presents an overview of current research and practice in the area of technostress-related challenges workplace communication.,Employees face technostress challenges relating to workplace communication in the form of technology overload, interruptions and work-home interferences. Organizations have to strike a balance between giving employees the technology they want and protecting them from these challenges. Several interventions to strike such balance are reviewed and commented on.,The paper gives practitioners an accessible overview of current research and practice in the area of technostress from workplace communication such as e-mail. A number of practical interventions are reviewed and commented on, which could help employees tackle such challenges.,Although this paper reviews state-of-the-art research, it is written in an accessible and practitioner-oriented style, which should be found valuable by readers with limited time but urgency to deal with technostress challenges arising out of workplace communication.


The end-to-end performance of dual-hop multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) decouple-and-forward relaying with orthogonal space-time block code (OSTBC) transmission over Nakagami-m fading is analyzed. By considering the multiple antennas at all nodes, we derive exact closed-form and asymptotic expressions for the outage probability and symbol error rate, which enables us to evaluate the exact performance and reveals the diversity gains of the considered system. In addition, the closedform approximation and asymptotic expressions for the ergodic capacity are also derived. We show that OSTBC transmission over relay systems yields a unit order of multiplexing gain despite the fact that full diversity order, which is equal to the minimum fading severity between the two hops, is achieved.


Cognitive radios have been touted as a solution to communicating in a Dynamic Spectrum Access environment. This paper examines how cognitive radios initially find one another among the expanse of ever-changing open spectrum, termed the rendezvous problem. Specifically, it addresses the problem of rendezvous under varying levels of system capabilities, spectrum policies, and environmental conditions. The focus is on rendezvous when there are are no control channels or centralized controllers, which we term the blind rendezvous problem. Under these conditions, a sequence-based and modular clock blind rendezvous algorithms are proposed, and it is shown that the performance of these algorithms compares favorably to that of a random blind rendezvous algorithm. Specifically, the sequence-based algorithm provides a bounded Time To Rendezvous (TTR) and the ability to prioritize channels where rendezvous is more likely to occur; the modular clock algorithm reduces the expected TTR, requires little precoordination among radios attempting to rendezvous, and is robust to radios sensing different sets of available channels.


We present a thermal activated solvent bonding technique for the formation of embedded microstrucutres in polymer. It is based on the temperature dependent solubility of polymer in a liquid that is not a solvent at room temperature. With thermal activation, the liquid is transformed into a solvent of the polymer, creating a bonding capability through segmental or chain interdiffusion at the bonding interface. The technique has advantages over the more commonly used thermal bonding due to its much lower operation temperature (30 °C lower than the material's Tg), lower load, as well as shorter time. Lap shear test indicated bonding shear strength of up to 2.9 MPa. Leak test based on the bubble emission technique showed that the bonded microfluidic device can withstand at least 6 bars (87 psi) of internal pressure (gauge) in the microchannel. This technique can be applied to other systems of polymer and solvent.


This report provides mineral distribution maps based on TM spectral information of minerals commonly associated with hydrothermal alteration in Nevada, Idaho, and western Montana. The product of the processing is provided as four ESRI GRID files with 30 m resolution by state. UTM Zone 11 projection is used for Nevada (grid clsnv) and western Idaho (grid clsid), UTM Zone 12 is used for eastern Idaho and western Montana (grid clsid_mt). A fourth grid with a special Albers projection is used for the Headwaters project covering Idaho and western Montana (grid crccls_hw). Symbolization for all four grids is stored in the ESRI layer or LYR files and color or CLR files. Objectives of the analyses were to cover a large area very quickly and to provide data that could be used at a scale of 1:100,000 or smaller. Thus, the image processing was standardized for speed while still achieving the desired 1:100,000-scale level of detail. Consequently, some subtle features of mineralogy may be missed. The hydrothermal alteration data were not field checked to separate mineral occurrences due to hydrothermal alteration from those due to other natural occurrences. The data were evaluated by overlaying the results with 1:100,000 scale topographic maps to confirm correlation with known mineralized areas. The data were also tested in the Battle Mountain area of north-central Nevada by a weights-of-evidence correlation analysis with metallic mineral sites from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System and were found to have significant spatial correlation. On the basis of on these analyses, the data are considered useful for regional studies at scales of 1:100,000.


ABSTRACT This presentation will focus on palliative first line chemotherapy (ChT) in breast, lung, colorectal and prostate cancer. For these tumors there is evidence that first line ChT improves survival in defined subgroups, namely in those patients who would have been eligible for the respective trials. On the other hand very little evidence exists to help us determine the optimal duration of treatment. We all agree that ChT should be given only as long as absolutely required. In the palliative setting a potential benefit of a longer duration of treatment must be weight against potential "costs" which include toxicities, doctor visits and being away from home and work. In patients, where progressive disease or unacceptable toxicity is observed, treatment must be stopped. The first evaluation of response should be done no later than 6–8 weeks after initiation of treatment. The vast majority of clinical trials which established the use of palliative ChT did not ask how long this treatment should be given in patients whose tumor did not progress. To approach this question we have both results of clinical trials and expert opinion. Few studies have randomized between more or less treatment cycles. Unfortunately it is very difficult to define a reliable endpoint for these trials. Progression-free survival has been shown to be superior in patients with NSCLC receiving 6 as compared to 4 ChT cycles. This endpoint however is insufficient since it does not take into account a rechallenge with the same regimen in those patients experiencing a prolonged time to progression. Also the recommendation to give two more cycles after having achieved a partial remission is not evidence-based. Considering the limited life expectancy of these patients it has been our policy to restrict first line treatment to four three week cycles in lung cancer and to 4-6 in breast, colorectal and prostate cancer. Then give the patients a break and rechallenge them once the tumor is clearly progressing or symptomatic unless the interval is too short. This may allow to give more of the drugs causing cumulative toxicities like platinum analogues, taxoids and anthracyclins. It is important to continuously discuss all associated issues with fully informed patients and their relatives. Future clinical trials will have to use more comprehensive endpoints. Disclosure: The author has declared no conflicts of interest.


In 2017–2018, more than 60% of NCAA Division I women's basketball (DI WBB) players identified as women of color, while less than 17% of the head coaches of DI WBB teams identified as women of color. Larsen, Fisher, and Moret suggested differences in career pathways between black female head coaches and their white female and white and black male counterparts could be one explanation for the aforementioned discrepancy. However, there is currently limited research on the career pathways of DI WBB head coaches to support Larsen and colleagues' hypothesis. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the career pathways of DI WBB head coaches to identify race and gender differences. To accomplish this, a content analysis was conducted on the online biographies of head coaches from all 351 DI WBB programs. Significant differences between groups were found in the number of years coaching in DI women's basketball prior to receiving a first DI head coaching position; both white women (M = 6.97) and women of color (M = 7.94) had significantly more years in DI WBB coaching than white males (M = 4.95; F(3, 348) = 4.63, p = .003). Further, chi-square tests revealed a significant relationship between the race and gender of a coach and the highest level of playing experience and education. These results indicate that race and gender play a significant role in determining what pathway is required to obtain an DI WBB head coaching position. In addition to these research findings, practical implications are discussed.


Acute Medicine offers an accessible and concise guide to the practical management of all acute medical problems likely to be encountered in the emergency department, ambulatory care centre, acute medical unit or on the wards.

Reflecting the maturation of acute medicine as a separate specialty, the book is divided into common presentations, specific problems and procedures. New to the fifth edition is a chapter on bed-side ultrasonography; throughout, emphasis is placed on patient safety, and the use of flow diagrams, tables and figures ensures that key information is quickly accessible.

Thoroughly revised by experts in the subject, and updated to reflect current approaches to diagnosis and management, Acute Medicine is an excellent companion for the trainee as well as an aide-memoire for the more experienced physician.


Background:World Health Organization (WHO) immunological and clinical criteria for monitoring first-line antiretroviral treatment (ART) offer low accuracy for predicting viral failure. Targeting viral load assays to those at high risk has been recommended and a system to do this has been developed in Cambodia. Systems for use in sub-Saharan African populations were evaluated. Methods:A new Ugandan-based scoring system for targeting viral load assays was developed from data from the first 4 years of a Ugandan cohort (N = 559) receiving first-line ART. The accuracy of this, the Cambodian system and the WHO criteria to predict viral failure, through targeting viral load assays, were compared in a separate population of 496 Ugandans. Results:The new Ugandan scoring system included CD4 cell count, mean cell volume, adherence, and HIV-associated clinical events as predictors of viral failure. In the validation population, the Ugandan system undertook viral load assays in 61 (12.3%) cases offering 20.5% sensitivity and 100% positive predictive value (PPV) to predict viral failure. The Cambodian system undertook viral load assays in 33 (6.7%) cases producing 23.1% sensitivity and 90.0% PPV. WHO criteria recommended viral load assays in 72 (14.5%) cases offering 30.8% sensitivity and 100% PPV. Conclusion:Locally developed algorithms based on clinical and immunological criteria may offer little additional accuracy over WHO criteria for targeting viral load assays. When possible, confirming viral load before switching therapy is recommended. Scoring systems are more flexible than WHO criteria in allowing ART providers to choose the proportion of the population that undergo targeted viral load testing.


AlOX thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) have previously been used to increase both stability and selectivity of supported palladium catalysts and are known to develop nanoscale porosity upon heating. Understanding the factors that affect ALD thin film porosity would enable future design of layered catalytic structures with tunable nanoscale features on industrially relevant high surface area materials. In this study, porous and nonporous aluminum oxide supports with and without palladium nanoparticles were overcoated with thin films of 2 - 7 nm AlOX by ALD deposited at temperatures of 100 °C, 200 °C and 300 °C. Hydroxyl loss and changes in surface chemistry were observed upon heating the films, and changes in surface area and pore volume of the annealed films were correlated to AlOx deposition temperature and presence of Pd. Crystallization of the overcoat to γ-Al2O3 is shown to occur separately from hydroxyl loss and pore formation. A mechanistic understanding of pore formation in AlOX ALD films is obtained by reference to studies of the structural transformations accompanying the formation of transition aluminas from hydroxide precursors. Additionally, a direct and tunable correlation is established between pore development and the overall hydroxyl content of AlOX ALD coatings.


This thesis deals with the modeling, analysis and control of a novel brushlessgenerator for wind power application. The generator is named as rotatingpower electronic brushless doubly-fed induction machine/generator (RPEBDFIM/G).A great advantage of the RPE-BDFIG is that the slip power recoveryis realized in a brushless manner. This is achieved by introducing an additionalmachine termed as exciter together with the rotating power electronicconverters, which are mounted on the shaft of a DFIG. It is shown that theexciter recovers the slip power in a mechanical manner, and delivers it backto the grid. As a result, slip rings and carbon brushes can be eliminated,increasing the robustness of the system, and reducing the maintenance costsand down-time of the turbine.To begin with, the dynamic model of the RPE-BDFIG is developed andanalyzed. Using the dynamic model, the working principle of the generatoris understood and its operation explained. The analysis is carried out atspeeds, ±20% around the synchronous speed of the generator. Moreover, thedynamics of the generator due to external load-torque disturbances are investigated.Additionally, the steady-state model is also derived and analyzed forthe machine, when operating in motor mode.As a next step, the closed-loop control of the generator is considered indetail. The power and speed control of the two machines of the generator andthe dc-link voltage control is designed using internal model control (IMC)principles. It is found that it is possible to maintain the stability of thegenerator against load-torque disturbances from the turbine and the exciter,at the same time maintain a constant dc-link voltage of the rotor converter.The closed-loop control is also implemented and the operation of the generatorwith the control theory is confirmed through experiments.In the third part of the thesis, the impact of grid faults on the behaviourof the generator is investigated. The operation of the generator and its responseis studied during symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults. An approachto successful ride through of the symmetrical faults is presented, using passiveresistive network (PRN). Moreover, in order to limit the electrical and mechanicaloscillations in the generator during unsymmetrical faults, the dualvector control (DVC) is implemented. It is found that DVC to a certain extentcan be used to safeguard the converter against large oscillations in rotorcurrents.Finally, for completeness of the thesis, a preliminary physical design ofthe rotating power electronic converter has been done in a finite elementsoftware called ANSYS. The thermal footprint and the cooling capability,with estimates of the heatsink and fan sizes, are presented.Besides, another variant of a rotating electronic induction machine whichis based on the Lindmark concept and operating in a single-fed mode is also investigated. It's steady-state model is developed and verified through experiments.


States were granted authority to limit interstate branching following passage of Federal legislation in 1994, relaxing restrictions on geographical expansion by banks. We show that differences in state's branching restrictions affect credit supply. In states more open to branching, small firms borrow at interest rates 25 to 45 basis points lower than firms operating in less open states. Firms in open states also are more likely to borrow from banks. Despite this evidence that interstate branch openness expands credit supply, we find no effect of variation in state restrictions on branching on small-firm borrowing or other indicators of credit constraints.


This paper considers $k$-means clustering in the presence of noise. It is known that $k$-means clustering is highly sensitive to noise, and thus noise should be removed to obtain a quality solution. A popular formulation of this problem is called $k$-means clustering with outliers. The goal of $k$-means clustering with outliers is to discard up to a specified number $z$ of points as noise/outliers and then find a $k$-means solution on the remaining data. The problem has received significant attention, yet current algorithms with theoretical guarantees suffer from either high running time or inherent loss in the solution quality. The main contribution of this paper is two-fold. Firstly, we develop a simple greedy algorithm that has provably strong worst case guarantees. The greedy algorithm adds a simple preprocessing step to remove noise, which can be combined with any $k$-means clustering algorithm. This algorithm gives the first pseudo-approximation-preserving reduction from $k$-means with outliers to $k$-means without outliers. Secondly, we show how to construct a coreset of size $O(k \log n)$. When combined with our greedy algorithm, we obtain a scalable, near linear time algorithm. The theoretical contributions are verified experimentally by demonstrating that the algorithm quickly removes noise and obtains a high-quality clustering.


Introduction: History of the Cultivation and Use of Sesame, D. Bedigian Cultivated Sesame, and Wild Relatives in the Genus Sesamum L, D. Bedigian Chemical Studies on the Lignans and Other Minor Constituents of Sesame Seed Oil, A. Kamal-Eldin Sesame Seed Coat: A Rich Source of Potential Mammalian Lignan Pprecursors, R. Grougnet, P. Magiatis, S. Mitakou, and A.-L. Skaltsounis Antioxidant and Anti-Carcinogenic Potentials of Sesame Lignans, D.H.F. Mak, P.Y. Chiu, and K.M. Ko Sesame Seed and Its Lignans: Metabolism and Bioactivities, S.M. Sacco and L.U. Thompson Physiological Effects of Sesame: Bioactive and Antioxidant Compounds, F. Shahidi and Z. Tan Sesame Seed Food Allergy, S.S. Teuber Flavor Constituents of Sesame, F. Shahidi, T. Hughes, and Z. Tan Seed Oil Bodies of Sesame and Their Surface Proteins, Oleosin, Caleosin, and Steroleosin, J.T.C. Tzen Use of Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy for Nondestructive Analyses of Sesame, T. Sato, A.A. Maw, and M. Katsuta Sesame's Protective Role in Crop Nematode Control, G.A. Elbadri and A.M. Yassin Molecular Biotechnology of Sesame, M.C. Suh and C.-H. Chung Responses of Sesame to Plant Growth Regulators, Micronutrients and Salinity, M. Prakash Seed Genetics in Relation to Yield in Sesame, S. Thirugnana Kumar Sesame Diseases and Their Management, P. Narayanasamy Sesame Cultivation and Use in China, Z. Yingzhong Sesame Cultivation and Use in Ethiopia, A. Teklewold, T. Made, and T. Baye Sesame Cultivation and Use in Iran, S.M. Mahdi Mortazavian and J.A. Kohpayegani Sesame Cultivation and Use in Somalia, A.Y. Sidow Sesame Cultivation and Use in Thailand, W. Wongyai Sesame Cultivation and Use in Turkey, B. Uzun Sesame Cultivation and Irrigation in the Kingdom of Urartu (Ararat), Armenian Highlands, and Its Aftermath: Major Agricultural Innovation, D. Bedigian Introduction and Early Use of Sesame in America: Medicine, Cookery and Folkways, D. Bedigian Current Market Trends: Progress, Expansion, and Economic Importance of Sesame, D. Bedigian Current Regulatory Status of Sesame and Its Commercial Products, D. Bedigian


Smart grid, equipped with modern communication infrastructures, is subject to possible cyber attacks. Particularly, false report attacks which replace the sensor reports with fraud ones may cause the instability of the whole power grid or even result in a large area blackout. In this paper, a trustiness system is introduced to the controller, who computes the trustiness of different sensors by comparing its prediction, obtained from Kalman filtering, on the system state with the reports from sensor. The trustiness mechanism is discussed and analyzed for the Linear Quadratic Regulation (LQR) controller. Numerical simulations show that the trustiness system can effectively combat the cyber attacks to smart grid.


A new variant of the ARCH class of models for forecasting conditional variance, to be called the Generalized AutoRegressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity Parkinson Range (GARCH-PARK-R) Model, is proposed. The GARCH-PARK-R model, utilizing the extreme values, is a good alternative to the Realized Volatility that requires a large amount of intra-daily data, which remain relatively costly and are not readily available. Estimates of the GARCH-PARK-R model are derived using Quasi-Maximum Likelihood Estimation (QMLE). The results suggest that the GARCH-PARK-R model is a good middle ground between intra-daily models, such as the Realized Volatility and inter-daily models, such as the ARCH class. The forecasting performance of the models is evaluated using the daily Philippine Peso-U.S. Dollar exchange rate from January 1997 to December 2003.


Purpose of review Delirium in the ICU affects as many as 60–80% of mechanically ventilated patients and a smaller but substantial percentage of other critically ill patients. Poor sleep quality has been consistently observed in critically ill patients. These problems are associated with worse ICU outcomes and, in many cases, delirium and poor sleep quality may be related. This review will summarize the recent literature relevant to both the problems and provide a potential pathway toward improvement. Recent findings Many cases of delirium and the poor sleep experienced by ICU patients may be iatrogenic. How critical care practitioners prescribe sedatives and analgesics and, perhaps more broadly, how all medications are administered to critically ill patients, may be at the root of some of these problems. Reducing the administration of some commonly used ICU medications, especially some sedatives and anticholinergic medications, and keeping patients more awake and actively engaged in their care during the day may lead to better outcomes. Summary It is our responsibility to apply the best available, evidence-based medicine to our practice. Adherence to new guidelines for the treatment of pain, agitation, and delirium may be the best pathway toward reducing delirium, improving sleep quality, and improving related outcomes.


Abstract. We present multi-instrumented measurements and multi-technique analysis of polar cap patches observed early during the recovery phase of the major magnetic storm of 20 November 2003 to investigate the origin of the polar cap patches. During this event, the Qaanaaq imager observed elongated polar cap patches, some of which containing variable brightness; the Qaanaaq digisonde detected abrupt N m F 2 fluctuations; the Sondrestrom incoherent scatter radar (ISR) measured patches placed close to but poleward of the auroral oval–polar cap boundary; and the DMSP-F13 satellite intersected topside density enhancements, corroborating the presence of the patches seen by the imager, the digisonde, and the Sondrestrom ISR. A 2-D cross-correlation analysis was applied to series of two consecutive red-line images, indicating that the magnitude and direction of the patch velocities were in good agreement with the SuperDARN convection patterns. We applied a back-tracing analysis to the patch locations and found that most of the patches seen between 20:41 and 21:29 UT were likely transiting the throat region near 19:41 UT. Inspection of the SuperDARN velocities at this time indicates spatial and temporal collocation of a gap region between patches and large (1.7 km s −1 ) line-of-sight velocities. The variable airglow brightness of the patches observed between 20:33 and 20:43 UT was investigated using the numerical Global Theoretical Ionospheric Model (GTIM) driven by the SuperDARN convection patterns and a variable upward/downward neutral wind. Our numerical results indicate that variations in the airglow intensity up to 265 R can be produced by a constant 70 m s −1 downward vertical wind.


This is the first and only biography of Jeane Kirkpatrick, who became an iconic figure in the 1980s as Ronald Reagan's UN ambassador and the most forceful presence in the administration, outside of the President himself, in shaping the Reagan Doctrine and fighting the Cold War to a victorious conclusion. Political Woman traces the complex interlock between Kirkpatrick's personal and professional lives using her as yet unarchived private papers and extensive interviews with her and her family and with dozens of friends and associates. The portrait that emerges, filled with character and anecdote, is of an ambitious woman from the epicenter of middle America determined to break through the multi dimensional glass ceilings of her time and place. A pioneering feminist who would be hated by the feminist movement because of her association with Reagan and neo conservatism, she began her career in the post war period as an academic focusing on the subject of totalitarianism. She fell in love with a married man, Evron Kirkpatrick, who had been a close aide to "Wild Bill" Donovan in the wartime OSS and who would help form the CIA after the war. A leading professor at Georgetown, she also became an important Democratic Party activist. Dismayed by what she saw as McGovern's trashing of the Roosevelt coalition and by Carter's capitulation to Soviet advances, she led a group of Democratic liberals who felt homeless in the radicalized and "Blame America First" (a phrase from her famous 1984 Republican convention speech) Party into the Reagan administration. As Reagan's UN representative, Jeanette sharpened the spearpoint of a rearmed America ready to join the final battle of the Cold War, in the process staging dramatic battles with figures like Alexander Haig and George Schultz over policy toward the Soviets, the Cubans, and the Contras. This book tells this parallel story--the flight of centrist liberals out of the Democratic Party and into neoconservatism and the complex chess match of the end game of the Cold War--through the intimate story of a woman who was at the center of these interconnected dramas and who kept resurfacing until her death in 2006, most notably for posthumously breaking ranks with her fellow neoconservatives on the war in Iraq. It also shows the price she paid for her achievements in a private life filled with sorrow and loss as profound as her epic personal achievements.


A central part of many algorithms for mining association rules in large data sets is a procedure that finds so called frequent itemsets. This paper proposes a new approach to finding frequent itemsets. The approach reduces a number of passes through an input data set and generalises a number of strategies proposed so far. The idea is to analyse a variable number n of itemset lattice levels in p scans through an input data set. It is shown that for certain values of parameters (n,p) this method provides more flexible utilisation of fast access transient memory and faster elimination of itemsets with low support factor. The paper presents the results of experiments conducted to find how the performance of the association rule mining algorithm depends on the values of parameters (n,p).


Abstract : The inability of Department of Defense (DoD) programs to sufficiently reduce technology risk prior to entering formal systems development has between 2007 and 2012 contributed to a 13 percent cost growth in weapon systems acquisition and a 17 percent increase in cycle time to deliver initial operational capability. With the advent of key legislation and resulting DoD acquisition reform initiatives, weapon systems programs are now required to enforce a technology development strategy that can foster true risk reduction prior to entering systems development. A key enabler to reducing technology risk and thereby accelerating design maturity is the use of system prototype demonstrations. The objective of this article is to present research findings on the effects of system prototype demonstrations on weapons systems development for major defense acquisition programs. The results of this research will better inform systems engineers and contribute to improved technology development strategy.


Over the past few decades, African American feminist writers have tried to highlight black women's double marginalization in the United States and show how they are subalternized by both racist white society and sexist black community. The African American woman is traditionally confined to the domestic roles of a devoted wife and mother, thus required by the totalitarian patriarchal discourse to sacrifice her subjectivity for her husband and children. In her novel Meridian (1976), Alice Walker analyzes the marginality of women in the black community, noting how even a revolutionary movement like the Black Power embraced misogynist norms and demoted women to the status of the so-called second sex. Despite all obstacles, Walker's eponymous character, initially battered down by the weight of demeaning stereotypes, finally manages to save her selfhood by transcending the restrictive gender and racial demarcations and fashion a new independent identity. This paper tries to demonstrate how Meridian uses his marginal hybridity as a black woman to form emancipatory ties with other subalternized cultures, most notably that of Native Americans, borrow their discursive practices and ultimately disentangle herself from the fixating shackles of racism and sexism.


Today's market conditions encourage organizations to gain new resources and skills in order to deliver new products and services that meet rapidly changing customer needs while at the same time compel them to use their resources and skills effectively. The organizations that successfully fulfill these two requirements are defined as "ambidextrous". In this study, the relationship between transformational leadership - a leadership mechanism that actually supports organizational employees to use both existing resources and capabilities in a better way and pursuing innovations - and ambidexterity is empirically examined. In addition to the effect of ambidexterity on firm innovativeness and the mediating role of ambidexterity on the relationship between transformational leadeship and firm innovativeness is also examined in this study. In order to test the proposed hypotheses, the data of 304 questionnaires from 61 firms operating in the Eastern Marmara Region are analyzed using the Particial Least Squares (SmartPLS 3.0) approach based on the structural equation modeling. According to this, individualized consideration has a positive effect on explorative capability while the idealized influence has a positive effect on exploitative capability, finally intellectual stimulation has a positive effect on both explorative and exploitative capability. On the other hand, ambidexterity on the base of explorative and exploitative capabilities also has a positive effect on firm innovativeness. Finally the findings show that explorative capability full mediaties the relationship between individualized consideration and firm innovativeness while organizational ambidexterity fully mediates the relationship between intellectual stimulation and firm innovativeness. The findings are discussed and interpreted at discussion part of the study.


As internationalization of higher education (HE) reaches a forty-year trajectory point, its community of scholars recognize an ever present fragmentation in the field. Four decades of worldwide conceptual and pedagogical incentives have not yielded consensus about successful policy to practice implementation (Ninnes & Hellsten, 2005), nor of its impact upon intercultural understanding (Marginson & Sawir, 2012) or language gains (Grin, 2012). Indeed, the overall advantages of internationalization as a measure of coercive responsiveness to the social justice and civic needs imposed by globalization, remain uncertain. The outcome of such to date is an uneven distribution of HE provisions on account of the recent world economic crises. The responsiveness of international higher education (HE) to current global flows in employability, mobility and competitiveness has been articulated in national, regional and local level policy guidelines over the past decades. The Swedish government has recently formulated international dimensions in public HE policy, as a need to inform intercultural diversity and innovation, and as a crucial feature of academic provision in the 21st Century (HSV, 2008; European Unit, 2000; Minister of Education, Research and Culture, 2005). One consensus account is a recent collaborative forum initiated by the Swedish Research Council (VR), introducing international mobility as an Action plan strategy (VR, 2012). At the public policy level however, internationalization remains caught in the conflict between the degree of internationalization and academic quality, breaking the assumption that merely having international policies in place provides for higher academic excellence. The ethical element of implementation of international policies remains a valid imperative, as addressed in the current contributions in the collection of this symposium. This paper reports one aspect of a Swedish case study, as based on survey data from one public HE institution. Surveys were collected from students in three academic discipline areas, education, humanities and sciences on the responses of the international education system and upon the processes affecting its actors. The survey data is discussed from the perspective of identifying processes that provide alternatives to profit-seeking, unethical, and market driven internationalization approaches, and in relation to the body of the larger international empirical research consortium data framework.


Against the background of the debate about how the internet changes democratic processes, this article assesses the impact of online versus offline campaign information on citizens' knowledge, attitudes and political behaviour using data from two pre-/post-election surveys conducted at the German federal elections in 2005 and 2009. Our results show that sophisticated and less sophisticated citizens alike gain knowledge when using online information. Moreover, we find that people exposed to online information develop less ambivalent attitudes towards candidates and parties but do not take on more extreme issue positions. Online information is ineffective in stimulating turnout but compared to traditional news media, the internet gives smaller parties the chance to gain votes. We conclude that overall online information can enhance election campaigns. However, the amount of change should not be overstated as the effects are similar to those of offline political information and depend on the campaign context.


Energy poverty is defined as insufficient access to modern energy resources which are relatively cleaner than the traditionally utilized ones. In this regard, the incidence of energy poverty is particularly higher in the cases of the developing countries across the globe. Accordingly, the chronic energy poverty issues in the developing countries within Sub-Saharan Africa have become a major socioeconomic and environmental concern for the associated governments. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the effects of energy efficiency gains and shocks to other key macroeconomic factors on energy poverty in the context of selected Sub-Saharan African nations. In this study, we measure energy poverty in terms of the lack of access to clean cooking fuels and technologies for the population of the selected Sub-Saharan African countries. The overall findings from the common correlated effects panel regression analysis reveal that energy efficiency gains initially aggravate the energy poverty situation but improve it later on; consequently, a U-shaped relationship between energy efficiency and access to clean cooking fuels and technologies is evidenced. Besides, the predicted threshold levels of energy efficiency are observed to be higher than the average energy efficiency level of the Sub-Saharan African nations. Moreover, the results also portray that economic growth, carbon dioxide emissions, foreign direct investment inflows, and international trade are effective in reducing energy poverty. Conversely, financial development is witnessed to be ineffective in influencing the incidence of energy poverty in this region.


The goals of this dissertation are twofold. First, the dissertation aims to estimate and to explain the impact of public transfers and public provision of social services on poverty in Latin America. Second, the dissertation evaluates how the institutional context, embodied by the welfare state, shapes the impact of public transfers on poverty in Latin America. To achieve these goals, three studies compose the dissertation. The first study (Chapter 2) includes a classification of the policy orientations in Latin American countries. To classify policy orientations, an ideal typology was developed. While this first study of the dissertation finds that some countries fit more poorly than others, there is also some support for the ideal typology. With respect to the supportive evidence, the findings indicate that three clusters of countries fit the corporatist, universalist, and productivist ideal types of welfare states. The results also indicate the existence of two additional clusters that do not clearly fit in any of the ideal types of welfare states: a residual corporatist welfare model and a mix of corporatism and productivism. Finally, to illustrate the relevance of the welfare state classification, the first study of the dissertation also examined the connection between clusters and socioeconomic outcomes. The findings revealed that the classification of Latin American welfare states is particularly relevant for poverty and informal work. The second study (Chapter 3) intends to achieve the first goal of the dissertation by examining the impact of the redistributive budget allocated to benefits in cash and in kind on poverty levels among 15 Latin American countries in the period 1980–2000. With respect to social services, the findings of cross-country analysis indicate that the cumulative health and education spending does not have a significant impact on poverty rates. The cross-country analysis also included a measure of the education investment's outcome, which were the years of education for the population aged 25 and older. The analysis reveals that this outcome measurement clearly contributed to reducing poverty in Latin America in the period 1980–2000. All in all, the findings of the dissertation suggest that investment in human capital does help to reduce poverty, but it is an open question if increasing human capital is associated with the intervention of the welfare state in Latin America. With respect to public transfers, the hypotheses of the second study suggested that the size of government budget allocated to public transfers will decrease poverty levels in pioneer corporatist and universalist welfare states, and the poverty reduction is higher in the latter. By contrast, with both clusters, another hypothesis says that the size of government budget allocated to public transfers would be associated with higher poverty levels in residual corporatist, productivist, and mixed Latin American welfare states. The empirical analysis verified these expectations. Finally, the third study (Chapter 4) is an examination of social assistance in Chile and evaluates the impact of social assistance transfers on chronic and transitory poverty with household panel data for Chilean working-age individuals in 2001 and 2006. It is argued that social assistance should affect only chronic poverty, increasing the levels of this type of poverty in Chile. The findings verified the prognosis for chronic poverty and suggested that some kind of indirect behavioral effect on labor supply results from the design of social assistance programs in Chile. As explanatory mechanisms, the study suggests that cash welfare is associated with incentives to apply for benefits and to work in the informal sector, and, in doing so, to increase chronic poverty. For transitory poverty, the hypothesis was, however, rejected. The results indicate also a positive effect of benefits on this type of poverty, but the magnitude and sensitivity of this finding are lower than the results for chronic poverty and thus suggest that further research is necessary to verify my findings.


The aim of this study is to look afresh at the scriptural sources underlying the Song of Tobit in Tobit 13 and to suggest a scriptural model for the authorial/editorial shaping of this Song in terms of the Kingship of YHWH Psalms in the Psalter. The study proceeds with an investigation of the group of psalms commonly designated Kingship of YHWH Psalms, with particular emphasis on the collection of these psalms in Book IV of the Psalter (Pss. 93, 95–99). This is followed by an overview of the complex textual situation and structure of the Song of Tobit (Tob. 13.1–18). Finally, a comparison of the features of Tobit 13 and those of the Kingship of YHWH Psalms is made. The study concludes with the suggestion that Tobit 13, in the earliest form known to us, has been modelled on what appears to be a generic modulation of the Kingship of YHWH Psalms found in the collection of Psalms 93, 95–99. It is suggested that in Tobit 13 the admonitory and eschatological elements found in germinal form in the Kingship of YHWH collection have been creatively extended and developed in a manner suggestive of a synagogue, rather than Temple locus for the song.


Hydrocarbon emissions from a single cylinder Ricardo Hydra research engine have been analysed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for two isotopically labelled cyclohexane fuels: (1) an equimolar mixture of cyclohexane and cyclohexane-d1-2, and (2) cyclohexane-l,l,3,3-d4. Isotopic distributions of cyclohexane, cyclohexene, benzene, 1,3-butadiene and propylene within the exhaust gases have been used to investigate possible mechanistic pathways in the formation of these emission species. Results from the first fuel show that the exhaust cyclohexane consists entirely of unburnt fuel with a [C6D1, 2]/[C6H12] ratio of 1.4, which indicates the presence of a kinetic isotope effect in the consumption of cyclohexane. The isotopic distributions within the other species are indicative of intramolecular decomposition pathways from the cyclohexyl radical. The exhaust benzene appears to be formed by successive dehydrogenations from cyclohexyl rather than by build up from smaller molecular weight species, 1,3-Butadiene is formed by β-scission of hexenyl species, whilst propylene is formed through an intramolecular rearrangement, probably involving a methylcyclopentyl intermediate. The second fuel shows that intramolecular hydrogen migration in the cyclohexyl radical is of minimal significance prior to its decomposition to cyclohexene. The isotopic distribution within the observed benzene, however, indicates partial scrambling prior to formation.

A preliminary experiment using toluene-d8 fuel indicates that the conditioning fuel or its breakdown products may play a role in the formation of exhaust hydrocarbons, particularly in samples taken shortly after the fuel changeover, but that the lubricating oil plays no significant role in the formation of these products.


K-12 special education policies and practices that ensure students with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment are coming under pressure from rapid expansion of online learning. Forty-six state and non-state jurisdiction special education directors responded to a brief survey about K-12 online learning. Findings demonstrated the increased number of states providing online instruction; indicated students with many different types of disabilities participate in online learning; and described the directors' reflections on current issues as well as anticipated barriers to students with disabilities participating in online learning. Ambiguity and variability existed across state policies as each state may have been in a different stage of adopting this relatively new approach to K-12 education. The authors suggest that federal guidance might be required to safeguard the civil rights of students with disabilities in online learning.


The talk starts with a short discussion of some influential works on the mobility of labour in historical and contemporary capitalism. Drawing upon a book I recently published with Brett Neilson, Border as Method, or, the Multiplication of Labour, I then discuss the significance of the proliferation of borders in the global age from the point of view of "late" capitalism. In the last part of the talk I focus on the subjective stakes of the politics of migration, providing instances from many parts of the world (including the Asia-Pacific region).


These conversion kits are designed for a RD906812 Ridgid Generator to enable the engine to run on gasoline, natural gas or propane.


Abstract This study synthesizes and updates data from a number of studies of farm labor in New Mexico during the 1990's. Major conclusions include: 1) Attempts to improve farm labor conditions and to limit immigration by the passage of numerous federal laws has largely failed on both counts. 2) Cheap labor benefits producers but has little impact on retail food prices. 3) Farm labor contractors are often the scapegoats for abuses that arise out of an economic system that generates many pressures to shortcut the rules.


This article develops a meta-ethical inquiry into the nature and possibility of international justice. It sees the understanding of such justice as caught between two poles. On one hand, there is a naively optimistic vision of its possibility in a world of nation-states and power politics; on the other, an overly reductive and pessimistic account of justice as only that of the victor. The ethical truth lies between these two positions, in an aporetic middle ground. The article addresses its concerns by constructing a debate between Hannah Arendt and Karl Jaspers out of their different positions in Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem and Jaspers's The Question of German War Guilt. It begins by identifying a conflict in Arendt's account of war guilt in the Eichmann trial, between her support for the possibility of international criminal justice and her view that an ethical community of judgment cannot be constituted for the defendant and others like him. It then seeks a way of addressing this conflict through a critical reading of Jaspers's account of metaphysical guilt in the context of his ambivalence towards collective guilt. Thinking of the ethics of justice in Jaspers's metaphysical terms does not, however, lead to an easy solution to Arendt's problem of the justification of an international criminal justice. What emerges rather is an uneasy relationship between the legal and the ethical, where the latter both draws on and disturbs legal categories.


One of the most common causes of stroke is rupture of aneurysms whose approach requires knowledge of anatomical variants. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anatomical variants of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and the anterior communicating artery (AComA) by 3D computed tomography angiography (3D CTA) in Mexican individuals. A retrospective, observational, cross-sectional descriptive study of 283 patients, independent of sex or age, in which morphometric measurements of cerebral vessels were evaluated using contrasted 3D CTA from a period of two years was performed. We found at least one "atypical" variant in a third of the study population (33.93 %). The most common "atypical" variant was the absence of the AComA (14.1 %). A significant association between the hypoplastic variant of the right A1 segment and hypoplasia of the left A1 and the right A2 was found, while hypoplasia of the left A1 was associated with hypoplasia of the right A2. There is a difference in the prevalence of anatomical variants of the ACA-AComA complex in Mexican population in relation to other populations. The typical variant is the most prevalent form in the study population. However, the presence of atypical variants represents an important number that should be taken into account in clinical and surgical procedures.


Cellular adjuvants such as dendritic cells (DC) are in the focus of tumour immunotherapy. In DC‐vaccine trials, induction of tumour antigen‐specific immunity is observed frequently and well‐documented clinical responses have been reported. However, the overall response rate is less than 3%, therefore alternative strategies are being investigated. CD40‐activated B cells (CD40‐B) have been characterized previously as an interesting alternative because they present antigen efficiently and can be expanded by several logs from small amounts of peripheral blood. To determine the central technical challenges of cell‐based vaccines we performed a single‐patient analysis of 502 patients from DC‐based tumour vaccine trials and identified at least three factors contributing to their limited efficiency: (1) lack of cell numbers; (2) lack of documented purity thus high contamination of bystander cells; and (3) lack of quality control and thus heterogeneous or unknown expression of important surface molecules such as major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and chemokine receptors. Based on these findings we re‐evaluated the CD40‐B approach in cancer patients. Here, we show that proliferation of B cells from cancer patients is equivalent to that observed in healthy donors. Purity is always > 90% after 2 weeks and remains stable for several weeks. They have comparable antigen‐presenting capability determined phenotypically and by allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction. Expression of CCR7 and CD62L was detected in all samples and B cells migrated towards the relevant homing chemokines. Taken together, CD40‐B cells from cancer patients can be expanded in virtually unlimited numbers at high purity and full function concerning antigen‐presentation and migratory properties.


Microzooplankton consume a significant fraction of phytoplankton and bacterioplankton production, remineralising macronutrients and providing a major trophic link to larger protozoan and metazoan consumers. Trace elements are essential for the growth of phytoplankton and bacteria and play a pivotal role in regulating primary productivity and microbial diversity in many areas of the ocean. To quantify the role of microzooplankton grazing in trace element biogeochemistry, we modified the dilution method to provide the first ever simultaneous measurements of microzooplankton grazing impacts on bacterioplankton and phytoplankton, and size fractionated biogenic particulate trace elements. In the Arctic Ocean we found microzooplankton obtained the majority of their nutrition (0.48 – 1.68 μg C L⁻¹ d⁻¹) from nanophytoplankton, on which they exerted a strong top down control (15 – 122% standing stock ingested). We subsequently applied our method in the North Atlantic Ocean. Microzooplankton grazing consumed a significant proportion of bacteria (97 – 165%) and particulate trace element standing stocks (0.4 fM d⁻¹ – 5 pM d⁻¹), thus playing a significant role in the flow of carbon and trace elements. Our results suggest the rate and quantity at which microzooplankton grazing mediates trace element biogeochemistry depends strongly on the structure and function of microbial assemblages. Iron enrichment assays supported the hypothesis that the high latitude North Atlantic is seasonally iron limited. Importantly, microzooplankton grazing had a significant effect in cropping expected iron stimulated biomass. Serendipitously we conducted assays in an area of ocean influenced by volcanic ash deposition from Eyjafjallajokull's eruption. Our data are the first to quantify microzooplankton grazing in such an environment and revealed deposition of volcanic ash had significant short term local effects upon microbial ecology and carbon cycling. Results were analogous to iron enrichment assays and comparable to data from mesoscale iron enrichment experiments. Assays in a coastal environment showed microzooplankton played an important role in the control of bacterioplankton and cycling of carbon through the microbial food web. At all locations, ingestion rates of biogenic particulate trace elements suggest microzooplankton grazing has the potential to reduce the pressure of trace element deplete conditions at the microbial level by increasing residence times in the upper ocean through remineralisation. Our results provide important new parameterizations of trace element cycling that until now had been hypothesised but not observed. These data will allow us to better constrain biogeochemical models and those predicting the Ocean's response to climate change and geoengineering. Likewise, the temporal and spatial nature of our data may allow the elucidation of inherent interannual and annual variability to enduring change at our study locations.


Resident herbivorous damselfishes (Pisces: Pomacentridae) exclude other herbivores from their territories and reduce the grazing pressure within these territories. Among the damselfish, Stegastes nigricans is unique in that it manages a virtual monoculture dominated by the erect fila- mentous rhodophyte Womersleyella setacea, whereas many other herbivorous damselfishes maintain species-rich farms. We observed the behavior of S. nigricans in a lagoon in Okinawa, Japan, and discovered that this species intensively weeded out specific algae. To analyze weeding selectivity, we compared the algae picked up and discarded by S. nigricans to the algal assemblage found inside the territory. To examine the digestibility of each algal species, 10 damselfish were collected, and algae removed from their stomachs were compared with those found in the intestine and faeces. Inside their territories, S. nigricans selectively weeded out indigestible algae. These algae were late- colonizing species, and the intensive weeding suppressed algal growth beyond early successional stages. Consequently, selective weeding enabled the fish to maintain virtual monocultural farms of a digestible early colonizer, W. setacea, inside their territories.


A study of Puritan iconoclasm in England during the period of the civil wars and
Interregnum, this thesis looks at the reasons for the resurgence of large-scale
iconoclasm a hundred years after the break with Rome. Initially a reaction to the
emphasis on ceremony and the 'beauty of holiness' under Archbishop Laud, the attack
on recent 'innovations' introduced into the church (such as images, stained glass
windows and communion rails) developed into a drive for further reformation led by the
Long Parliament. Increasingly radical legislation targeted not just 'new popery', but
pre-reformation survivals and a wide range of objects including some which had been
acceptable to the Elizabethan and Jacobean church (for instance organs and vestments).
Parallel to this official movement was an unofficial one, undertaken by Parliamentary
soldiers during the war, whose iconoclastic violence, particularly against cathedral
churches, became notorious. The significance of this spontaneous action and the
importance of the anti-Catholic and anti-Episcopal feelings that it represented is
examined. So too is the promotion of such feeling and of the cause of the reformation of
images through printed literature (both popular and learned).
A detailed survey is made of parliament's legislation against images, and the work of its
Committee for the Demolition of Monuments of Superstition and Idolatry, headed by
Sir Robert Harley. The question of how and how far this legislation was enforced
generally is considered, with specific case studies looking at the impact of the
iconoclastic reformation in London, the cathedral churches and at the universities.


Aim of database The Danish National Penile Cancer Quality database (DaPeCa-data) aims to improve the quality of cancer care and monitor the diagnosis, staging, and treatment of all incident penile cancer cases in Denmark. The aim is to assure referral practice, guideline adherence, and treatment and development of the database in order to enhance research opportunities and increase knowledge and survival outcomes of penile cancer. Study population The DaPeCa-data registers all patients with newly diagnosed invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the penis in Denmark since June 2011. Main variables Data are systematically registered at the time of diagnosis by a combination of automated data-linkage to the central registries as well as online registration by treating clinicians. The main variables registered relate to disease prognosis and treatment morbidity and include the presence of risk factors (phimosis, lichen sclerosus, and human papillomavirus), date of diagnosis, date of treatment decision, date of beginning of treatment, type of treatment, treating hospital, type and time of complications, date of recurrence, date of death, and cause of death. Descriptive data Registration of these variables correlated to the unique Danish ten-digit civil registration number enables characterization of the cohort, individual patients, and patient groups with respect to age; 1-, 3-, and 5-year disease-specific and overall survival; recurrence patterns; and morbidity profile related to treatment modality. As of August 2015, more than 200 patients are registered with ∼65 new entries per year. Conclusion The DaPeCa-data has potential to provide meaningful, timely, and clinically relevant quality data for quality maintenance, development, and research purposes.


Artemisia tridentata Nutt. (Asteraceae), commonly called sagebrush or big sagebrush, is a coarse, hardy, silvery-gray bush growing in arid sections of the Great Basin Desert of intermountain plateau covering portions of California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming in the western United States. Sagebrush is a key component of these ecosystems, providing canopy cover, nesting habitat, and a food source for numerous species of small animals and birds (4). During a plant disease survey in the Treasure Valley Region of southwestern Idaho and eastern Oregon, symptoms and signs of rust were observed on leaves of sagebrush in July 2007. Ten of fifteen plants (~70%) observed at the site were infected. Leaf samples of sagebrush with rust were also collected from a hedge in a home garden in Canyon County, ID in May 2006 and September 2007. Symptoms on both samples included cinnamon-brown, raised uredinia, primarily on the adaxial leaf surfaces. Initially, sori were scattered, increasing in density and becoming confluent. Urediniospores were thick walled, subglobose to obovoid, golden brown, echinulate, with three +/- equatorial germ pores, and measured 28 to 32 × 23 to 27 μm. Telia appeared late in the season (July to August) and were mostly scattered, becoming confluent and forming raised, ovoid, brown-to-dark red streaks on leaves and stems. Teliospores were brown to dark red, two-celled, averaging 45 × 26 μm, thick walled (average 0.75 to 1.5 μm), thickening at the apex, ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid, with thin-walled, hyaline pedicels, 26 to 31 μm broad at attachment, tapering below, equal to or up to twice as long as the spore. On the basis of morphology, this pathogen was identified as Puccinia similis Ellis & Everh. (2), an autoecious rust previously reported from Arizona and Wyoming on A. tridentata and A. nova A. Nels. (3). To confirm the identification of the specimens from Idaho, an ~1,000 bp of DNA from the ribosomal 28S large subunit was amplified and sequenced with rust-specific primers (1) (GenBank No. GU168942). Since there are no sequences of P. similis available in GenBank for comparison, a sequence of the same gene was also obtained from a specimen of P. similis that had been collected on A. cana Pursh in Utah in 1995 by C. T. Rogerson and deposited in the U.S. National Fungus Collections (BPI 863644; GenBank No. GU168943). The sequences shared 100% identity and did not match any other species of rust in GenBank. To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. similis in Idaho and Oregon on sagebrush, and the first report, based on herbarium data, of this rust on A. cana in Utah. Voucher specimens from Idaho have been deposited in BPI (878064) and the Bernard Lowy Mycological Herbarium (LSUM). References: (1) M. C. Aime. Mycoscience 47:112, 2006. (2) G. B. Cummins. Rust Fungi on Legumes and Composites in North America. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1978. (3) D. F. Farr et al. Fungal Databases. Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory, Online publication. USDA-ARS, 8 July 2009. (4) B. L. Welch and C. Criddle, USDA Forest Service Res. Pap. RMRS-RP-40. 2003.


In this paper, we study the problem of regret minimization for episodic Rein-forcement Learning (RL) both in the model-free and the model-based setting. We focus on learning with general function classes and general model classes, and we derive results that scale with the eluder dimension of these classes. In contrast to the existing body of work that mainly establishes instance-independent regret guarantees, we focus on the instance-dependent setting and show that the regret scales logarithmically with the horizon T , provided that there is a gap between the best and the second best action in every state. In addition, we show that such a logarithmic regret bound is realizable by algorithms with O (log T ) switching cost (also known as adaptivity complexity ). In other words, these algorithms rarely switch their policy during the course of their execution. Finally, we complement our results with lower bounds which show that even in the tabular setting, we cannot hope for regret guarantees lower than O (log T ) .


A review of recent experimental results in electron cyclotron (EC) resonance heating and EC current drive (CD) (ECCD) is given. Special emphasis is put on the recent developments of new schemes in which EC waves can heat and drive current in magnetically confined fusion plasmas. These comprise scenarios to overcome the density cutoff experienced in application of the classical first-harmonic ordinary mode (O1) and second-harmonic extraordinary mode (X2) schemes as well as to increase the CD efficiency of EC waves while maintaining their good localization. In particular, we discuss recent experimental progress in tokamaks, stellarators, and spherical tori in the areas of the second-harmonic ordinary mode (O2), third-harmonic extraordinary mode (X3), and electron Bernstein wave schemes [mostly Ordinary-eXtraordinary-Bernstein (O-X-B) scheme] as well as experiments in which the combination of ECCD with lower hybrid CD leads to a synergetic increase of the ECCD efficiency. A particular application of ECCD that has recently received much attention and is therefore reviewed in this paper is the suppression of neoclassical tearing modes (NTMs) by ECCD. We show that the theoretically predicted requirements for ECCD in terms of deposition (maximizing the ECCD driven current density) and injection in phase with the O-point of the magnetic island associated with the NTM (which is needed when the island width falls below the deposition width) have been verified experimentally. Also, many of the elements needed for constructing a reliable, feedback-controlled NTM suppression system for ITER based on ECCD have now been demonstrated experimentally, and the next step, which is their integration into a reliable scheme, is well within reach.


Modern low voltage (LV) distribution networks are experiencing significant solar photovoltaic (PV) integration. Analysis of changing network behavior, resulting from daylong variation of feeder loads and PV outputs are becoming essential to capture the network response throughout the day under high PV penetration. A comprehensive tool has been presented in this paper to investigate the daylong changes in network behavior due to PV integration. The tool is capable of modeling the asymmetry and unbalance related complexities of distribution networks and also the effect of single phase PV on three phase distribution feeders. Analysis of PV impact has been performed using an Australian low voltage network with integrated solar PV resources. Results show that PV output during midday introduces significant changes in network behaviour in terms of voltage rise, voltage unbalance, reverse power flows, and feeder losses.


We propose a scheme to improve system performance in Discrete MultiTone systems, which combines the joint differential and common mode processing at the receiver side with erasure marking. This is achieved by using the strong correlation between differential and common mode in the case of a few strong interferers to obtain an estimate of the impulse noise or RFI, which is used for error localization before decoding. When side information is available, a Reed Solomon (RS) decoder is able to correct twice as many erasures than errors.


Abstract : The purpose of this research is to design a data warehouse in accordance with the requirements of PT. Lippo Karawaci, Tbk. The company is engaged in the field of property ranging from land acquisition through construction and its maintenance. Designing a data warehouse is limited to the sale. The use of data warehouse is expected to support the information needs of executives in business decisions quickly. The method used is the method of analysis and design. Method of analysis was done through literature study and interviews with relevant parties. Design method is done by determining the process, grain, dimensions, facts, measure, and the mapping OLTP to data warehouse, which is followed by physical design. The results of this study is a data warehouse application systems that include data warehousing, OLAP cube, and an application system that is used to access the data warehouse. Implementation of data warehouse has been evaluated by the evaluation results associated with the display, the benefits and accuracy of application data. Keyword : Data warehouse, Cube, Measure, Dimention, Data Transformation Service (DTS )


Impregnation of organic liquid electrolytes in conductive powders is of major importance in the field of energy storage devices such as batteries or super-capacitors. Impregnation during mixing and processing operations becomes usual for practical reasons and requires a better understanding of the changes of the rheological behavior of the mix. In this paper, the impregnation of propylene carbonate (PC) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in activated carbon (AC) and carbon black (CB) was studied by using an internal mixer. Monitoring of the torque of the filler/liquid blend as a function of the amount of liquid fed in the mixing chamber, enables to detect the transition from the solid friction of the dry powder to the lubricated liquid (or viscous) behaviour of the concentrated paste of wetted powder. The results were compared with data obtained by conventional nitrogen adsorption porosimetry combined with the knowledge of the molecular diameter of the liquids. A characteristic change was observed as soon as the liquid completely fills the porosity of the filler. Both tested liquids (DMSO and PC) impregnate more carbon black and the take-up rate is slightly higher for DMSO in comparison to PC because, as a polar liquid, DMSO has a better interaction with both fillers.


We address the problem of both estimating the dominant person in a meeting from a single audio source and identifying them visually in a multi-camera setting. We use a speaker diarization algorithm to perform speaker segmentation and clustering, representing when they spoke. Using a greedy ordered audio-visual association algorithm, we investigate using the speaker clusters to find the corresponding person in one of the video channels. The difficulty of the problem is that firstly the speaker diarization output is noisy (e.g. for participants who speak little) and often produces an unequal number of clusters to true participants. Secondly, personal visual activity from natural upper torso motion, which can include highly deformable pose changes and perspective distortion, is computed through computationally efficient coarse features. Our results using almost 2 hours of audio-visual data from 4-participant meetings show a strong correlation between the estimated speaker diarization and visual activity features, enabling the identification of the most dominant person as a pair of audiovisual channels.


The effects of ion concentration, pH, and presence of competing ions on the sodium and potassium binding properties of rat liver cell microsomes were studied. Typical adsorption isotherms were obtained in the concentration dependence studies, with saturation being reached when 1.2 to 1.4 m.eq. cations were retained per gin. of microsome Kjeldahl nitrogen. The retention was shown to be due to a binding to specific sites rather than to a trapping of the cations. The binding showed a sharp pH dependence in the range 6.0 to 7.5. The presence of one cation depressed the binding of the other, indicating that Na + and K + as well as H + ions compete for the same sites. Potassium was bound slightly more strongly than sodium, while hydrogen was bound about 106 times more strongly than either. Calculations show that the binding follows the simple mass law. Similarities between adsorption by microsomes and adsorption by synthetic cation exchange resins are discussed and compared to some of the characteristics of electrolyte behavior in living systems. A possible ion exchange elution, active cation transport mechanism is suggested, involving the preferential elution of Na ÷ out of the cell by H + ions produced by metabolism.


In September 2005, Alex Kapranos began writing about what he ate while touring the world with the rock band Franz Ferdinand. The writing is as much about where he eats and the people he eats with as the unusual flavours he tastes on the road. Whether it's munching donuts with cops in Brooklyn, swallowing bull's balls with the band in Buenos Aires or queuing for a saveloy in South Shields, these are surprising and vivid snapshots of life on the road. Funny, poignant, sickening or sexual depending on the situation, the material, both new and previously published in the "Guardian", is fascinating and entertaining.


The mass media, the football supporters and other experts in many countries are often engaged in the ranking of football players. Given the heterogeneity of various leagues or series in which players play, such a comparison is almost impossible. On the other hand, the performance of players in international tournaments, like the FIFA world cup at the national team level, or the UEFA Champions League at the European Club level, can be measured, if we rely on "objective" measures and statistics. Obviously, since various positions of players are evaluated by different criteria, the heterogeneity is still apparent. In this paper we attempt to evaluate a small subset of a team's players, namely its scorers, using UEFA:s official match-play statistics from the Champions League tournament 2006/07.


Introduction: Health Education England's (2014) mandate stipulated that 250,000 healthcare staff required Tier 1 level dementia awareness training. In response, Health Education Thames Valley in the UK commissioned the Dementia Academic Action Group. This consortium, of University of Bedfordshire, Oxford Brookes University, University of Northampton and University of West London, reviewed dementia awareness training, identifying gaps, best practice and barriers to accessing training. This work led to the development of a training model for delivery to health & social care sectors.Method: A scoping review was undertaken to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the range of dementia awareness training currently being delivered. A mixed method approach was employed, consisting of a literature review; review of Tier 1 dementia awareness educational resources (59 training documents); stakeholder interviews (n=32); carer focus groups (n=2) and online staff survey (n=74).Results: The literature and scoping reviews and stakeholder interviews found a wide range of training available. Stakeholders reported this variety made it challenging to confidently identify training which met staff and organisational needs. The review of dementia training identified that most resources included information on signs/symptoms, types/causes, supporting people with dementia and person centred care. Information on policy, legislation and end of life care were less evident. The literature review identified ethnic diversity, learning disability and young onset dementia as gaps in training provision. The stakeholder, staff and carer findings highlighted theneed for greater information on: developing personal communication strategies; information about dementia and how to develop activities to support positive engagement. Finally, staff and stakeholders considered benefits of different training delivery styles, reporting a preference for a blended learning approach, stating this was more suited to developing dementia knowledge and skills, as opposed to a solely online format.Conclusion: Based on the findings, it was identified that there is an apparent need to develop a standard training package, which should be person centred, support enhanced communication approaches and increase understanding of coping with a diagnosis of dementia. This could prove attractive to the health & social care workforce in the Thames Valley Region, across the UK, and to the international arena.


From the author of THE HUNT FOR ATLANTIS, comes an electrifying new novel. Nina Wilde is on the hunt for the Tomb of Hercules. Studies of an ancient text have convinced archaeologist Nina Wilde that a tomb containing the remains of legendary warrior Hercules may actually exist. If she can locate it, it will be the most important historical find ever to be unearthed. As Nina and Eddie Chase, her ex-SAS bodyguard and now boyfriend, begin their search it's clear that others want to find the tomb - and the unimaginable riches contained within. Nina and Chase are soon following a violent trail of corruption and conspiracy around the globe. From Switzerland to Shanghai, Botswana to London, it's a race against time to find the Tomb of Hercules before it falls into the most evil of hands...


Multiwave mixing in Bi12SiO20 causes the formation of multiple grating because of the photorefractive effect. These primary gratings interact and cause the formation of additional gratings at frequencies that are combinations of the primary grating frequencies. The nonlinear combinations of gratings stem from the nonlinear response of the space-charge field to the incident optical interference pattern through the generation of electrons into the conduction band. We investigate drift-dominated recording. The effects of nonlinear combinations of gratings are investigated quantitatively in a three-wave mixing configuration, in which one reference beam and two closely situated object beams induce three primary gratings. Using a sinusoidal phase modulation on one of the object beams provides absolute control of the primary grating strengths. Specifically, two of the primary gratings may be completely erased, and the nonlinear effect may be obtained as the relative change in the diffraction efficiency from the remaining grating. For drift-dominated recording an expression for the total space-charge field is derived, including multiple spatial frequencies. The derivation is based on the band-transport model. A numerical model is presented in which the relative change in diffraction efficiency is calculated from the corresponding change in the grating strengths. The grating strengths are found from the corresponding frequency components of the total space-charge field. The model is valid in the limit of low diffraction efficiencies and small coupling constants. The investigation is carried out with different values of the intensity ratio between the reference beam and the sum of the two object beams, the applied field to the crystal, and the separation angle between the two object beams. It is shown that relative changes of 200% in the diffraction efficiency occur. Thus the magnitude of the additional grating strengths may be substantial and even comparable with those of the primary grating. Comparing the predictions of the numerical model with the experimental data shows excellent agreement.


ABSTRACT The relative age effect (RAE) is a common phenomenon in youth sport, whereby children born early in the selection year are more likely to experience success and to sustain participation. There is a lack of research investigating variables which influence RAEs within track and field athletics. Such information is vital to guide policies in relation to competition structure, youth development squads and coach education. A database of competition results was analysed to determine the extent to which RAEs were present in track and field athletics in the United Kingdom. Subsequent analyses examined whether age, sex, event and skill level influenced the RAE. Examination of 77,571 records revealed that RAEs were widespread, but most pronounced during Under 13 (U13) competitions; that is, during athletes' first exposure to formal track and field competition. Sex, event and skill level further influenced the existence and magnitude of RAEs at different age grades. Relative age is a key influencing factor within track and field athletics, especially at the youngest age category. Consequently, national governing bodies need to consider what administrative and stakeholder initiatives are necessary to minimise the effects of RAEs on young athletes' early experiences of competition.


IT security outsourcing is the establishment of a contractual relationship with an outside vendor to assume responsibility for one or more security functions. Whereas Information System (IS) outsourcing generally has been thoroughly examined in the theoretical literature little or no attention has been paid to system security in this regard. This paper examines a body of data, which has been collected to build a Soft System Methodology (SSM) model and considers it in relation to the popular theory.


Motive: Each year, around 2 million people in Europe suffer from a CVA (cerebrovascular accident) or also called a stroke
(Kirchhofs et al., 2009). A dramatic increase is expected over the next few years, due to current demographic
developments as population growth and the aging of so-called baby boomers. A stroke is the most frequent
cause of long-term disabilities. BAAT Medical has been commissioned to design a wrist orthosis, for patients who
suffer from wrist problems after a stroke. This orthosis serves as a functional aid during the recovery process.
Main focus is the reintegration of patients in their social and professional environment.
The goal of this bachelor assignment is to design of a wrist orthosis for stroke patients. Recommendations are: Immobilize the wrist and thumb to prevent a clinched fist, which is a permanent shortening of muscles
caused by (semi-)paralysis or spasm. Motivation: Based on analyses done to overall effects of stroke and specific effects on the wrist, treatment of stroke and a
market investigation, options are given what the functionality of an orthosis for stroke patients can be.
Attention is paid to making the orthosis fit to different patients and adjusting the shape, so it is appropriate for
the shape of an arm. Also, the closing system for the straps and immobilizing the thumb is taken in account.
Reducing pressure points and making sure it is clear how the orthosis should be put on is detailed in the end of
this phase.
An end proposal is done with presentation drawings, based on the improvements of different mockups and
iterations of these models during the detail phase. The orthosis should be further elaborated and designed by
BAAT or by the client if they want to bring it on the market. Recommendations for further design are done. Consequences: • It is a unique mechanism, which can lead to a strong market position for orthosis made for stroke patients.
The confidential report also gives other unique ideas for wrist orthoses.
• Further investigation has to be done to optim


Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a 38amino acid polypeptide belonging to the secretin super family of peptides. PACAP binds to its type 1 receptor (PAC1R) with greater affinity than for the receptors for vasoactive intestinal polypeptides (VIP), VPAC1 and VPAC2. Although mRNA for PACAP and its receptor PAC1R are found throughout the central nervous system, they are abundantly expressed in the hypothalamic ventromedial nuclei (VMN). In male Sprague Dawley rats, infusions of PACAP into the VMN produce a robust decrease in food intake with concomitant increased energy expenditure, decreased body weight, and significantly elevated brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA expression in the VMN. This latter effect of PACAP on BDNF mRNA expression has been shown to occur in other brain regions. Exogenous BDNF in the VMN regulates energy homeostasis in a manner similar to that of PACAP with decreased feeding and increased metabolism. Although the physiological responses to individual PACAP and BDNF infusions in the VMN lead to decreased feeding behavior and body weight loss, the anatomical distribution of these two cell signals in the VMN has not been established. PACAP-induced changes in BDNF mRNA expression in the VMN may reveal an important interaction with PACAP signaling in the control of feeding behavior. In the present study, we have employed double-labeled fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH) to examine the expression patterns of PACAP, PAC1R and BDNF mRNA containing neuronal cells. In the VMN, PACAP mRNA expressing cells co-express BDNF, PAC1R, and VGLUT2. BDNF mRNA expressing cells co-express PAC1R and PACAP. Coupled with previous behavioral data demonstrating PACAPand BDNF-induced changes in feeding behavior, the coexpression of BDNF with PACAP and PAC1R mRNA in the VMN suggest a potential functional relationship between the two signaling peptides in the regulation of energy homeostasis. The specific and integrated contributions of PACAP and BDNF in the VMN towards regulating energy homeostasis and feeding behavior still remain to be studied. Disclosures: B. Maunze: None. M. Hurley: None. J.M. Resch: None. M.J. Reilley: None. E.M. Wassmann: None. S. Choi: None. Keyword (s): FEEDING


As an introduction to this special issue this article deals firstly with defining and clarifying terms and concepts which are used in the context of international media assistance. Secondly, the themes of the different articles in this collection are enumerated: these are broadly the how to of media assistance, evaluation and the ongoing debate about proving impact of media assistance project; negotiating the tensions between the state and the media and finally, the fundamental question of why and to what purpose is assistance to the media sector given in the first place. The first two of these themes are developed in slightly more depth. The piece is rounded off with some further reflections on the history both of the idea of media assistance and of the way it has been practiced in recent decades. It finally looks at the ways research in this field may develop in the future.