Banks are having to reassess marketing strategies in order to hold their own against nonbank competitors Mutual fund companies now pose the greatest competitive threat to bank providers of 401k plans, according to a national survey conducted by the Optima Group, a financial services consulting firm, in conjunction with Phoenix-Hecht/Gallup, a financial research division of PhoenixHecht. The survey polled two groups: 401k participants, and senior officers at trust departments and trust companies. Among the bank trust department and trust company executives, almost four out cf five (77%) ranked mutual funds "very" or "extremely" competitive, far more than those citing insurance companies 48%), other banks (30%), or brokerage firms 18%). "Competition is heating up in the maturing 401k market, and mutual funds are now well positioned to steal share from banks," says Kenneth Hoffman, president of Phoenix-Hecht. "While banks rely on traditional relationships with corporate customers, mutual funds have become more aggressive marketers. They have also gained a technological edge in daily valuation and participant recordkeeping." Yet that gap is narrowing. Survey results show that most banks are now full-service providers: 97% offer investment management, 93% have prototype 401k plans, 88% offer trust accounting, and 86% provide participant recordkeeping. "In effect, we've got a level playing field now," Hoffman says. That means that marketing programs to attract 401k business will become more common and more sophisticated. To maintain market share, bank providers will have to implement focused and aggressive sales strategies." Competition is most intense in the middle market-which the survey defines as plans with $1-$5 million in assets and between 101 and 250 participants. Client demand for daily valuation is prompting banks to provide mutual funds as an investment option. At present, 85% of the respondents offer collective investment funds; slightly more than half offer mutual funds. How to reach customers. Custom reporting is now a competitive necessity. More than two-thirds of the respondents report that the frequency of their reporting for clients is very" or "extremely" flexible; a majority are similarly flexible in formatting reports. Fewer than 50% of the respondents use traditional marketing techniques such as direct mail, print advertising, or telemarketing to reach prospects. "To achieve or maintain parity with mutual fund companies, the new environment suggests different approaches for banks of different sizes," Hoffman says. For the largest providers, state-of-the-art full-service functions are simply the price of entry. To compete effectively, they must find competitive advantages by creatively packaging their investment options. " Banks with trust assets of $1 to $5 billion will have to leverage their existing relationships and focus on market niches. The survey found that only 5% of all respondents use industry-specific marketing strategies, and Hoffman feels that there is an untapped opportunity here. "By demonstrating familiarity with the needs of specific types of plan sponsors, banks can carve out a profitable niche in the lower end of the market," he says. Who buys the plans. Larry Marks, president of the Gallup division of Phoenix-Hecht, pinpoints specific marketing strategies that banks can implement in the 401k arena based on the responses of 401k participants. "We discovered that 44% of the owners of 401k plans are between the ages of 35 and 44," says Marks. A further breakdown of demographics of 401k owners shows that 61% are women and 38% are men. Regarding education levels, almost half of the plan owners are college graduates, says Marks. …


Endophytes of healthy needles were collected from Picea rubens (red spruce) and P. mariana (black spruce) in a survey of southeastern New Brunswick, Canada. Four endophyte strains were selected for further investigation based on the production of biologically active extracts from culture filtrates during screening as well as phylogenetic relationship to species known to produce natural products or taxonomic novelty. A novel endophyte within the family Rhytismataceae produced two new dihydropyrones (1 and 2) as major metabolites together with phthalides (3 and 4), isocoumarins (5 and 6), and tyrosol (7). Lachnum cf. pygmaeum synthesized a new chlorinated para-quinone, chloromycorrhizinone A (8), and the nematicidal compounds (1'Z)-dechloromycorrhizin A (9), mycorrhizin A (10), and chloromycorrhizin A (11). A new isocoumarin (12) and four related structures (13-16) were isolated from an undescribed taxon in the Mycosphaerellaceae. The known antifungal metabolites cryptosporiopsin (17), 5-hydroxycryptosporiopsin (18), (+)-cryptosporiopsinol (19), and mellein (20) were produced by Pezicula sporulosa. Phylogenetically diverse conifer endophytes from the Acadian forest continue to be a productive source of new biologically active natural products.


ABSTRACT

Title:THE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLAN OF ACELO C. BADELLES, SR. MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL, TIPANOY, ILIGAN CITY

No. of Pages - 120
Researcher- MERIAM P.SOMBRENO-TELERON

Senior High School (SHS) comprises Grades 11 to 12 which are designed to equip learners with the necessary knowledge in pursuing college and/ or skills needed in finding a job. The study aimed at determining the status and condition of ABMHS, Tipanoy, Iligan City, Philippines with regards to their preparation for the implementation of SHS in 2016 and in providing awareness to different stakeholders about the qualifications and teachers' competencies, laboratory facilities, community resources, and the skill-preferences of the in-coming Grade 11. The descriptive-qualitative-quantitative research design was employed using interviews and questionnaires to collect data on how the school has prepared for the implementation of SHS.

The findings revealed that the in-coming Grade 11 learners/students have preferred most on the Technical-Vocational Livelihood Track in Cookery which is one of the skills/specialization the school is planning to offer in 2016. Beauty and Nail Care/Food and Beverage Servicing are not of the interest of the in-coming SHS learners. It was concluded that ABMHS can implement SHS classes in 2016 based on the response of the students and from the opinion of some teachers during interviews. It is recommended that ABMHS should have a better linkage with all the prospective stakeholders to plan with the SHS program implementation in 2016.


Merleau-Ponty, in Humanism and Terror (1947), addresses the spectrum of problems related to revolutionary action. His essay, Eye and Mind (1960), is best known as a contribution to aesthetics. A common structure exists in these apparently disparate works. We must reject the illusion of subjective clairvoyance as a standard of revolutionary praxis; but also we must reject any idealised light of reason that illuminates all—that promises a history without shadows. The revolutionary nature of an act must be established as such through praxis. The creative praxes of the political revolutionary or the revolutionary artist are recognised ex post facto; yet each involves the creation of its own new aesthetic wherein the value of that praxis is to be understood spontaneously and all at once.


We examine the relationship between investments in information technology (IT) and two measures of retail firm performance: labor productivity and productivity growth over the 1992 to 1997 period. We use untapped firm and establishment micro data from the Censuses of Retail Trade and the Assets and Expenditures Survey. We show that large firms account for most retail IT investment, employment and establishment growth. We find evidence of a significant relationship between IT investment intensity and productivity growth. We found no evidence of a similar link between IT and growth in the number of establishments operated by retail firms.


Adebayo's article examines the difficult road that African literature had to take toward becoming acceptable in its own right between the 1930s and the 1950s. In the 1960s, after political independence in most African states, African literature found a central place in world literature. In Nigeria specifically, notable writers like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Flora Nwapa, J. P. Clark, Christopher Okigbo, and Buchi Emecheta gave Nigerian literature worldwide acclaim. However, because the criticism of African literary criticism developed to a large extent as a reaction against negative Eurocentric appraisal of the creative works of Africans, it was not compared favorably to other foreign literatures. There was acute protectionism of African literature from perceived foreign incursion and supplanting, which led to a call for an Afrocentric criticism. The 1980s and 1990s witnessed a surge of universalism in creation and criticism. It saw the rise of well-known professors of comparative literature who encouraged opening up African literature to other literature and also founded the first Nigerian journal of comparative literature. However, it was not until the beginning of the twenty-first century that comparative literature reappeared as a serious area of discourse in Nigerian universities. The discipline has entered a new era of fertile international academic exchange.


Wnt signaling is required for proper formation of motile cilia in zebrafish. Most mammalian cells produce a single nonmotile (primary) cilium, which acts as a sensory organelle and signaling center. In contrast, motile cilia are produced in large numbers by some types of cells that are exposed to fluid flow, such as cells of the airways and reproductive tract. Proteins such as basal body components and intraflagellar transport proteins are required for building cilia, but the upstream mechanisms controlling ciliogenesis are not well understood. Caron et al. report that the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway is required for ciliogenesis in Kupffer's vesicle (KV), a fluid-filled sac lined with cells that each bear a single motile cilium, and required for proper establishment of left-right (LR) asymmetry in the developing zebrafish embryo. Wnt signaling was specifically required in KV cells for proper LR asymmetry, and reducing Wnt signaling by expressing an inhibitor of signaling or morpholinos targeting pathway components resulted in fewer, shorter cilia with impaired motility in KV compared with controls. Reducing Wnt signaling specifically in KV cells caused a decrease in the expression of foxj1a, which encodes a transcription factor that is necessary and sufficient for ciliogenesis, and expression of foxj1a rescued the KV cilia defects in embryos with reduced Wnt signaling. Genetic epistasis experiments indicated that fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling, which had previously been shown to be required for ciliogenesis, acted upstream of Wnt signaling in ciliogenesis. Activation of Wnt signaling causes the stabilization and nuclear translocation of β-catenin, which cooperates with the Lef and Tcf transcription factors to activate the expression of target genes. The authors identified possible Lef/Tcf binding sites in the foxj1a promoter and demonstrated that these were required for foxj1a expression in KV cells, suggesting that Wnt signaling directly stimulates expression of this master regulator of ciliogenesis. Wnt signaling was also required for ciliogenesis in the otic vesicles and pronephric ducts, indicating that Wnt signaling may be generally required for ciliogenesis. It has been reported that primary cilia influence Wnt signaling in some cell types and that Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling influences cilia function, and now it appears that canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling may also affect the assembly and function of cilia. A. Caron, X. Xu, X. Lin, Wnt/β-catenin signaling directly regulates Foxj1 expression and ciliogenesis in zebrafish Kupffer's vesicle. Development 139, 514–524 (2012). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Immunization represents the most cost-effective means to achieve the prevention of infectious diseases. Vaccines successfully protected humans from serious infectious resulting in worldwide eradication of smallpox and regional elimination of poliomyelitis. New technologies continue to provide many effective biological products for disease control.
Various techniques including recombinant DNA approaches, peptide synthesis chemistry, and immunomodulation have been applied to the development of new vaccines and improvement of existing vaccines. These technologies have constructed avirulent and attenuated strains to be used as live vaccines, as well as provided more effective manufacturing methods to produce protein antigens, bacterial polysaccharides (PS) and PS-protein conjugate vaccines.
Adjuvant is an agent added to biologics that augments specific immune responses to antigens. Adjuvants can be divided into several classes including aluminum salts, surface-active agents, bacterial derivatives and slow-release materials. Nonionic block copolymer as a multiple emulsion, and proteinoid microspheres were also developed for use in various vaccines.
The ideal vaccine delivery system depends on the capabilities of the controlled delivery system to achieve optimum concentration of antigens, while maintaining vaccine stability under physiological conditions. Microspheres were used for controlled release of antigens whereas peptides of monoclonal antibodies were applied for enhancement of mucosal IgA antibody formation.


The subject of the following article is N.F.S. Grundtvig's (1783-1872) apologetics as contained in his two major theological treatises 'On True Christianity' and 'On the Truth of Christianity' published in 1826-27. The particular focus is on Grundtvig's critique of reason and his concept of truth. Having outlined Grundtvig's ideas on the necessity and strategy of Christian apologetics, the article moves into a discussion of Grundtvig's highly polemical fight against his 'enemies', conveniently subsumed under the label 'rationalists'. In this discursive fight, Grundtvig's philosophical weapon is a pre-Kantian use of the principle of contradiction, while theologically he relies on a theological concept of truth informed by his favorite gospel of John. Together, this double background is responsible for what is probably the most salient feature of Grundtvig's apologetics, i.e. its markedly dualistic (either/or) character.


The ability of COS cells to bind and internalise acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) was studied after transient transfection of the cells with wild-type and mutated fibroblast growth factor receptor 4. In one case the tyrosine kinase of the receptor was inactivated by a point mutation in the active site, whereas in other cases parts of the receptor were deleted to remove various parts of the cytoplasmic domain. In all cases the receptors were expressed at the cell surface at a high level and the cells bound labelled growth factor efficiently and internalised it by endocytosis. Translocation of externally added aFGF across cellular membranes to reach the cytosol and nucleus was measured as transport of labelled growth factor to the nuclear fraction obtained by centrifugation, by farnesylation of growth factor modified to carry a CAAX motif, and by phosphorylation of the growth factor at a site specific for protein kinase C. Whereas both full-length receptors (with and without an active kinase domain) facilitated translocation of the growth factor to the cytosol and nucleus, as assessed by these methods, the mutants of the receptor where the C terminus was deleted, were unable to do so. In contrast, a receptor containing only the 57 most C-terminal amino acids of the cytoplasmic domain in addition to the juxtamembrane, transmembrane and extracellular domains, was in fact able to mediate translocation of aFGF to the cytosol. These data indicate that information contained in the C terminus of the receptor is required for translocation.


Motivated by a problem arising in the mining industry, we estimate the energy ε(η) that is needed to reduce a unit mass to fragments of size at most η in a fragmentation process, when η→0. We assume that the energy used in the instantaneous dislocation of a block of size s into a set of fragments (s 1,s 2,…) is s βφ(s 1/s,s 2/s,…), where φ is some cost function and β a positive parameter. Roughly, our main result shows that if α>0 is the Malthusian parameter of an underlying Crump-Mode-Jagers branching process (with α = 1 when the fragmentation is mass-conservative), then there exists a c∈(0,∞) such that ε(η)∼cηβ-α when β<α. We also obtain a limit theorem for the empirical distribution of fragments of size less than η that result from the process. In the discrete setting, the approach relies on results of Nerman for general branching processes; the continuous approach follows by considering discrete skeletons. In the continuous setting, we also provide a direct approach that circumvents restrictions induced by the discretization.


A human centric approach to the design of products and workplaces is essential to ensure the appropriate accommodation of the people who interact with such designs. Digital human models (DHM) in ergonomic simulation are commonly used within design and development to ensure product suitability. DHM for ergonomic simulation has improved in terms of its reliability and appearance in recent years. However, there appears to be a need to improve how the flesh of the DHM deformsaround the joint to support improved ergonomics simulations. Supported by data acquired through the use of a 3D body scanner, this PhD research aimed to address this need by developing a methodology to simulate body deformation due to joint movements that suited the needs of ergonomics simulation. To anticipate the large scope of the research, this research focused on modelling a single joint: the elbow. To ensure the suitability of the proposed flesh deformation method a literature review and user study was performed to derive a set of DHM specifications. Six DHM specifications were proposed i.e. accuracy, realism, minimum user intervention, accommodating different body types and sizes, real time, and whole body modelling. An existing flesh deformation method (FDM) which had the potential to conform to the DHM specifications was determined and chosen to be developed further so that it matched the requirements of DHM for ergonomics simulation. The development resulted in a new FDM which required the provision of several elements to create a surface flesh deformation at the elbow. These were: five cross sections and their locations from four key postures (full extension, 135o flexion, 90o flexion and maximum flexion); the carrying angle; and perpendicular profiles from all of the four key postures. To avoid having to obtain these elements for every person for whom the elbow was to be modelled, a supporting data framework was developed. The framework utilised a database and a limited number of inputs (race, gender, BMI and a 3D scan data of a fully extended arm) to predict the FDM's elements from which flesh deformation at the elbow was created. The database stored five key cross sections, profiles, a parameter for the carrying angle and a parameter of the locations of UAF, UAM, LAM for two race groups i.e., Caucasian and Asian. A total of 23 subjects (11 males and 12 females) were carefully chosen to represent a variety of height and body type for each race and gender. The algorithm for the new FDM and the framework is supplied in the accompanying CD. DHM specifications were utilised to review the suitability of the new FDM for ergonomics simulation. The review results showed that the new FDM had a level of error < 3mm and was able to recreate flesh deformation around the elbow joint with a representative level of surface realism when compared to the 3D scan data. The review result also showed that the new FDM was able to accommodate different body types and sizes with a slightly larger error, < 4mm. The new FDM also demonstrated that it could be used to create flesh deformation with limited user intervention. A retrospective analysis for real time modelling and whole body modelling showed that the new FDM had a potential to conform to these two specifications. The overall result of the review demonstrated that the new FDM and framework had the potential to suit ergonomics simulation. The thesis has made a contribution to the field of DHM research for ergonomics simulation by proposing a flesh deformation approach for the elbow that allows the integration of carrying angle; and was built based on specification for the use of DHM's in ergonomics simulation and the utilisation of 3D scan data.


It will be shown how the retailer can use economic theory to exploit the sparse information available to him to set the price of each item he is selling close to its profit-maximizing level. The variability of the maximum price acceptable to each customer is modeled using a probability density for demand, which provides an alternative to the conventional demand curve often employed. This alternative way of interpreting retail demand data provides insights into the optimal price as a central measure of a demand distribution. Modeling individuals' variability in their maximum acceptable price using a near-exhaustive set of "demand densities", it will be established that the optimal price will be close both to the mean of the underlying demand density and to the mean of the Rectangular distribution fitted to the underlying distribution. An algorithm will then be derived that produces a near-optimal price, whatever the market conditions prevailing, monopoly, oligopoly, monopolistic competition or, in the limiting case, perfect competition, based on the minimum of market testing. The algorithm given for optimizing the retail price, even when demand data are sparse, is shown in worked examples to be accurate and thus of practical use to retail businesses.


The purpose of any educational system should be to assist institutions and subject communities in developing curricula and pedagogy that will endow students with the necessary skills and knowledge to live and work sustainably. Hence, higher technical education for sustainable development will allow every engineering student to acquire the knowledge, competences, attitudes and values necessary to shape a successful professional future. Today's education and technical higher education respectively is crucial to the ability of present engineering students and future engineers and citizens to create solutions and find new paths to a better future. The qualitative results of our research have revealed some of the factors ensuring engineering students' sustainable development as far as the study of foreign languages is concerned.


Climate-related financial risks might have the potential to trigger the next systemic financial crisis, as recently stated by the Bank of International Settlements. In consequence, understanding these so-called Green Swan risks should be a key priority in financial decision-making and supervision. However, a systematic approach and a comprehensive theory on climate-adjusted financial risk metrics is still missing. This study is a first step to fill this gap, with a focus on transition risks. Drawing on insights from climate science, economics and finance research, we derive a set of important criteria to ensure that climate risk tools provide high quality, comparable, and decisionrelevant results. We then use a sample of 16 climate transition risk tools and conduct two lines of research: First, by aid of descriptive analysis, we assess the tools' coverage of risk sources and financial assets, their inputs (i.e. underlying climate scenarios), and their outputs (i.e. climate-adjusted financial metrics). Second, we use the previously defined criteria for an in-depth analysis of the quality, comparability and decision-relevance of the tools. The results will be presented at the individual tool level, and at the meta level. Based on the results of our descriptive and criteria-based analysis, we derive potential next steps for tool provider, conclusions for potential tool users, and guidelines for supervisory authorities. The analysis could be used as starting point for building a comprehensive theory of meaningful climate-related financial risk indicators, aid practitioners to select the tools best suited to their needs and use cases, and inform regulatory processes on financial climate risk assessment principles.


In response to global warming, one suggested geoengineering response involves creating a cloud of particles in the stratosphere to reflect some sunlight and cool Earth. While volcanic eruptions show that stratospheric aerosols cool the planet, the volcano analog also warns against geoengineering because of responses such as ozone depletion, regional hydrologic responses, whitening of the skies, reduction of solar power, and impacts of diffuse radiation. No technology to conduct geoengineering now exists, but using airplanes or tethered balloons to put sulfur gases into the stratosphere may be feasible. Nevertheless, it may be very difficult to create stratospheric sulfate particles with a desirable size distribution. The Geoengineering Model Intercomparison Project, conducting climate model experiments with standard stratospheric aerosol injection scenarios, has found that insolation reduction could keep the global average temperature constant, but global average precipitation would reduce, particularly in summer monsoon regions around the world. Temperature changes would also not be uniform; the tropics would cool, but high latitudes would warm, with continuing, but reduced sea ice and ice sheet melting. Temperature extremes would still increase, but not as much as without geoengineering. If geoengineering were halted all at once, there would be rapid temperature and precipitation increases at 5–10 times the rates from gradual global warming. The prospect of geoengineering working may reduce the current drive toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and there are concerns about commercial or military control. Because geoengineering cannot safely address climate change, global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt are crucial to address anthropogenic global warming.


Steam distillation of the essential oil of P. jauberti was performed using a Clevenger apparatus. Essential oils were analyzed by gas Gas Chromatography-flame ioziation detector (GC-FID) and Gas Chromatography coupled to chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The majorchemical components identified in P. jaubertii essential oil include carvotanacetone (63.975%), 1-methyl-1,2-propanedione (5.887%), 2,5-dimethoxy-para-cymene (3.303%) and ar-curcumene (3.276%). The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of P. jaubertii was evaluated against all tested microorganisms. P. jaubertii essential oil inhibited all tested microorganisms except Escherichia coli with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 5.0 μg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus


PANDA is an authenticated encryption scheme designed by Ye et al., and submitted to the CAESAR competition. The designers claim that PANDA-s, which is one of the designs of the PANDA-family, provides 128-bit security in the nonce misuse model. In this note, we describe our forgery attack against PANDA-s. Our attack works in the nonce misuse model. It exploits the fact that the message processing function and the finalization function are identical, and thus a variant of the lengthextension attack can be applied. We can find a tag for a pre-specified formatted message with 2 encryption oracle calls, 2 computational cost, and negligible memory.


The Chlamydia protein YtgCR is cleaved to yield a metal permease and an iron-regulated transcriptional repressor. Chlamydia trachomatis causes a common sexually transmitted infection and blindness. The ytgABCD operon encodes proteins implicated in the regulation of iron homeostasis in these bacteria. In particular, YtgCR is a protein with two apparent functional domains: The N terminus functions as a transmembrane metal permease (called YtgC), and the C terminus is homologous to metal-dependent transcriptional repressors (called YtgR). Thompson et al. showed that this membrane-attached transcriptional repressor was cleaved during infection, exhibited iron-induced repressor activity at the ytg operon, and thus could function in the transcriptional regulation of iron homeostasis. Bioinformatic analysis and molecular modeling indicated that YtgR had conserved iron-coordinating residues and adopted a structure for DNA binding and dimerization similar to other known iron-regulated repressors. In vitro DNA-binding assays with recombinant YtgR produced in Escherichia coli showed that YtgR exhibited iron-stimulated DNA binding. Infection of mammalian cells with C. trachomatis resulted in the appearance of two bands (one full-length and one smaller band) that reacted with YtgCR-specific antibodies, consistent with cleavage occurring during infection. The C-terminal cleavage product was also detected in YtgCR expressed in Escherichia coli. Introduction of YtgCR- or YtgR-encoding plasmids into E. coli, along with a reporter gene controlled by the ytg promoter, confirmed that YtgR produced a functional repressor even when initially expressed as part of the full-length protein. Thus, YtgCR is a dual-function protein that is cleaved to produce a protein that controls iron transport across the membrane and another that controls transcriptional responses necessary to maintain iron homeostasis. C. C. Thompson, S. S. Nicod, D. S. Malcolm, S. S. Grieshaber, R. A. Carabeo, Cleavage of a putative metal permease in Chlamydia trachomatis yields an iron-dependent transcriptional repressor. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 109, 10546–10551 (2012). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Like many mountainous areas in the tropics, watersheds in the Luquillo Mountains of eastern Puerto Rico have abundant rainfall and stream discharge and provide much of the water supply for the densely populated metropolitan areas nearby. Projected changes in regional temperature and atmospheric dynamics as a result of global warming suggest that water availability will be affected by changes in rainfall patterns. It is essential to understand the relative importance of different weather systems to water supply to determine how changes in rainfall patterns, interacting with geology and vegetation, will affect the water balance. To help determine the links between climate and water availability, stable isotope signatures of precipitation from different weather systems were established to identify those that are most important in maintaining streamflow and groundwater recharge. Precipitation stable isotope values in the Luquillo Mountains had a large range, from fog/cloud water with δ2H, δ18O values as high as +12 ‰, −0.73 ‰ to tropical storm rain with values as low as −127 ‰, −16.8 ‰. Temporal isotope values exhibit a reverse seasonality from those observed in higher latitude continental watersheds, with higher isotopic values in the winter and lower values in the summer. Despite the higher volume of convective and low‐pressure system rainfall, stable isotope analyses indicated that under the current rainfall regime, frequent trade ‐wind orographic showers contribute much of the groundwater recharge and stream base flow. Analysis of rain events using 20 years of 15 ‐minute resolution data at a mountain station (643 m) showed an increasing trend in rainfall amount, in agreement with increased precipitable water in the atmosphere, but differing from climate model projections of drying in the region. The mean intensity of rain events also showed an increasing trend. The determination of recharge sources from stable isotope tracers indicates that water supply will be affected if regional atmospheric dynamics change trade‐ wind orographic rainfall patterns in the Caribbean.


The production and consumption of safe and hygienic milk is a major concern in a developing country like Nepal. Adoption of food safety measures at farm level can play a critical role in ensuring quality and safety of the milk. This study has examined the factors influencing the acceptance/rejection rates for milk samples using a linear probabilistic and binary probit regression models. The study is based on milk safety survey data gathered from milk producers in six milk-producing districts of Nepal. The study has found that the dairy farmers adopting higher food safety measures have an increased probability of acceptance rate of their milk samples. Dairy farmers associated with a cooperative society, have depicted a higher probability of milk acceptance by 17 per cent. A higher milk sample acceptance rate has been found among the marginal and lower caste households in Nepal.


Super resolution microscopy by localization is a stochastic based approach, where the resolution is determined by the localization accuracy [1] [2] [3]. The accuracy of localization heavily depends on the statistics of the data obtained with a camera during imaging. Current state of the art EMCCD (electron multiplying charge coupled device) cameras have frame rates up to 200 fps and hence a limited temporal resolution between frames. This can lead to ambiguities in localization. For example, a single fluorescent spot appearing at the same location in two successive frames is not considered for localization, because it is not clear, whether the spot arises from a single fluorophore in ON state for a long time or from two adjacent fluorophores, which switches ON and OFF. In this work, we explore for the first time the use of a single-photon counting SPAD (single photon avalanche diodes) array camera for super resolution microscopy. These cameras can provide high frame rates (up to 375000 fps), with improved temporal resolution between the frames, enabling a more accurate view of events that can be precisely tracked over time. The rich information obtained from such large number of frames leads to more accurate statistical estimations for overcoming the current ambiguities in localization. Also, SPAD array cameras are capable of reading frames having pixels depth of 1-bit. [4]. Such, a fine granularity enables the user to add any number of frames for identifying and localizing individual events with a very high accuracy. SPADs have been success fully used in performing time-resolved imaging measurements like FLIM (fluorescence life time imaging measurements). This allows us to extend the possibility of performing FLIM and super resolution imaging simultaneously. As a result, two different fluorophores can be separated based on their unique life times, enabling multi-channel operations using a single camera. An example of a preliminary image captured using a SPAD array camera is depicted in Figure 1


There is a need for culturally diverse teachers. Weiher (2000) studied the relationship between African American and Hispanic student achievement and schools with teachers from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Results indicated the greater the difference between the percentage of ethnically diverse teachers and the percentage of diverse students, the lower the percentage of students who score proficient on the state test. Exposure to various cultural experiences is important to quality education (Anda 1984; Eubanks & Weaver, 1999; Irvine, 1989; King, 1993; Morris, 1990). These experiences prepare students for success in a global market.   In 2004 Hobson-Horton and Owens found almost one third of the student population was non-white, compared to 12% of the teacher population. A lack of ethnically diverse teachers fosters a need to learn about the career decision of African American and Hispanic teachers.   Lent, Brown, and Hackett (1994) developed social cognitive career theory (SCCT) which suggests that occupational interests extend from three cognitive variables including self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, and personal goals (Lent & Brown, 1996). Self-efficacy is a person's beliefs in his capabilities to successfully engage in an activity and develops from past performances, vicarious learning, social persuasion, and anxiety management. The origin of self-efficacy relates to one's family, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and level of educational experiences (Betz, 2004). According to Hackett and Byars (1996) the research on career development has not addressed the influences of race and ethnicity. Due to this lack of research, the focus of this research was upon vicarious learning and social persuasion, which deal with cultural and familial influences.   Findings indicated that vicarious learning had an impact on the career decision-making process for African American and Hispanic teachers. Social persuasion had little influence on the decision making process. Recommendations for the school district were to begin early developing an awareness of teaching as a career. Interested students should be involved in "teaching experiences". Assigning a mentoring teacher provides vicarious learning opportunities. The district should provide a "Grow Your Own" scholarship program. Community support was essential for encouraging teachers to move into the district.


The Belt Road Initiative (BRI) suggested by China's President Xi Jinping provides an ambitious vision encouraging a new level of cooperation among countries along several economic corridors spanning most of the Asian economies member of ESCAP. This paper reviews the trade and trade facilitation situation of economies along each of the corridors and analyzes the potential impact on trade from improvements in hard (physical connectivity via good quality transportation networks) and soft (efficient trade facilitation via an effective border administration and use of ICT) infrastructures. The review highlights enormous differences among the economies involved, as well as the 6 BRI corridors studied – namely, BangladeshChina-India-Myanmar (BCIM), China-Mongolia-Russia (CMR), China-Central Asia-West Asia (CAWA), China-Indochina Peninsula (ICP), China-Pakistan (CP), and the New Eurasian Land Bridge (NELB). Results of the econometric analysis show the importance of both hard and soft infrastructures in enhancing export performance of economies involved in the BRI. Trade gains from improvements in trade facilitation and other trade enablers vary from corridor to corridor. Our analysis suggests that trade gains from incremental trade facilitation improvements would be highest for the CMR, CP, and the ICP corridors, in this order. On the other hand, trade gains from hard infrastructure investments would be relatively higher in the CP, ICP and BCIM corridors, also in this order. Finally, improvements in ICT availability and use may yield relatively higher trade returns in the CMR and the NELB corridors.


Globally distributed IT projects are common practice in today's globalized world. Typically, project team members work on interdependent tasks, with a common goal to be achieved as one team. However, being split between multiple locations impedes communication among team members and hampers the development of trust. Information and communications media enable communication between geographically distributed project team members and help to create and maintain trust within project units. Communication and trust are particularly significant for fostering a feeling of oneness among project team members. Oneness, also referred to as "teamness", is repeatedly mentioned as one of the challenges facing global project teams. However, prior literature on teamness is very scarce and its importance is underrepresented. This research contributes to the field in two ways. First, the theoretical study based on a systematic literature review examines available evidence of teamness in globally distributed projects. Secondly, an empirical study based on interviews conducted with global project managers fills the current gap in literature on the link between use of ICT and establishing a sense of team unity. This paper draws practitioners' attention to the importance of striving for teamness in spite of the geographical distance that exists between project team members.


In July 2006, Barracuda became the largest investor in Tarco International. In a meeting with management, Barracuda's managing director advised that strong measures needed to be taken to improve operating performance. If management failed, Barracuda would force a sale of the company. In response, the board of Tarco hired FD, a leading financial communications consultancy specializing in strategic investor relations. The board asked FD to compile extensive research on the Tarco's shareholder base, investor perception of the company and management performance, predictive voting on potential proxy proposals, and tactics used by Barracuda in previous activist engagements. Armed with this data, the board had to decide what steps to take, if any, to keep Barracuda at bay and ensure that Tarco retained the support of its investors.Also see CG20B Sharks in the Water: Battling an Activist Investor for Corporate Control (B).


Studies on water use efficiency (WUE) have primarily dealt with crops grown under water limited conditions and have usually not considered crop management factors other than irrigation. Improvements in crop management strategies, such as supplemental irrigation, proper fertilizer use, plant population and row‐spacing, and new cultivars, attempt to minimize a crop exposure to soil water deficits. Under these circumstances, factors other than water supply can become limiting and production related to evaporation may not be a useful approach. Crop simulation models like CERES and SALUS have proven capability to provide reasonable estimates of each evaporation component as affected by management. Using simulated transpiration to estimate growth through transpiration efficiency, or simulated growth to estimate transpiration has major limitations when management influences yield and water supply is fixed or non‐limiting. The microenvironment in sparse canopies strongly influences transpiration and soil evaporation due to large possible variations in sensible heat arising from variations in wetness of the soil surface. Crop growth is related to photosynthesis and plant development rates and is influenced primarily by intercepted photosynthetically active radiation whereas evaporation is influenced by a wider spectrum of energy. Factors related to management such as plant population and nutrient supply influences biomass production but has less influence on evaporation rates. Our analysis of published data and simulation studies indicates the use of simulated transpiration to estimate growth, or growth simulations to estimate transpiration is an unreasonable approach when management influences yield and water supply is fixed or not‐limiting.


The upper Yukon River basin is one of the wildest, most beautiful, and coldest places on earth. The indigenous Han Indians, whose homeland straddles the U.S.-Canadian border, traveled this country as hunters and gatherers and found a way to survive in it that exemplifies their innovation and tenacity. The history of the upper Yukon valley from the earliest Western contact with the Han in the 1840s has been one of continuous change. As a result of the gold rush, the Han suddenly became homeless in their own homeland. This book tells the story of that displacement and of current efforts by the Han to reclaim their lands and restore a vibrant way of life. In-depth profiles of Chief Isaac, Chief Charley, and others illustrate the critical importance of traditional leadership in stressful times. Mishler and Simeone have carefully researched and compiled new information from historic records, adding their own, firsthand field observations and oral interviews with Elders during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. They present detailed historical data on the fur trade, missionization, and the gold rush, as well as an analysis of Han social structure, settlement patterns, religion, subsistence, and expressive culture. The final chapter illustrates contemporary life in Eagle Village with two vivid ethnographic snapshots- a Christmas eve dance in 1972 and a long summer day in 1997. Appendices include a methodological essay, a historic chronology, rules for Han card games, and genealogies for many Han families. As a model of innovative ethnographic and ethnohistorical work, "Han, People of the River" makes an important contribution to anthropological and indigenous studies literature. As a vivid and deeply thoughtful depiction of the past, present, and future of the Han, it is meant for all Alaskans and everyone who cares about Alaska history and Alaska Native peoples.


A is Abstract Background: Charcot Neuropathy is a severe complication of patients with neuropathy mostly seen in the foot, but it can also appear in the knee or hand. Not only diabetic patients are involved. CN can lead to a complete collapse of the foot with subsequent ulceration and infection. The mechanism of this episode-like breakdown has not been understood so far. CN still remains mainly a clinical diagnosis depended on clinical experience because there is still no reliable and specific test even though imaging has improved. X-rays represent the traditional way to diagnose CN according to the classification of Eichenholtz of 1967. But at the time these alterations become visible, the bone is already damaged. Therefore Shiabata introduced the MRI as Stage 0 into this existing classification. New approaches using CT or PET/CT have been published. these procedures everywhere available, not show the situation of foot while weight-bearing and still often lead to wrong or unclear diagnoses. Usually it takes days to weeks until MRT or PET/CT can be performed. Especially to distinguish between infection and CN can remain difficult. There is no marker in blood sampling for diagnosis. New research indicates a possible role of changes in mRNA expression of collagens in the pathomechanism, which might be used in the future for histopathological tests. It would be important to create reliable and reproducible testing standards and signs unique for CN. Conclusion: It is important to diagnose patients with Charcot Neuroarthropathy in early stages to prevent destruction and ulceration by simple procedures such as supply with insoles and shoes. Understanding the pathological mechanism of CN and finding new criteria for new test are necessary.


We explain how programs specified in a sequential programming language can be translated automatically into a digital circuit. The possibility to specify which parts of a program are to be compiled into instruction sequences for a conventional processor, and which ones are to be translated into customized circuits has gained relevance with the advent of large programmable gate arrays (FPGA). They open the door to introduce massive, fine−grained parallelism. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, we present a tiny programming language featuring the basic programming and circuit design facilities.


Games have been successfully used in educational settings for many years. Still, it is not known in detail which factors influence the use and effectiveness of educational games. The game environment, its technology, and other game mechanics are factors directly linked to the game itself. The player's experience with the subject of the game and/or games in general, his or her motivation and expectations towards the gaming experience influence the outcome of a game-based learning experience. Some of the personal aspects, like age, were already addressed in earlier research. Cultural and gender differences though, were not a main object of study in educational gaming so far. This study started from certain assumptions about differences in game play, related to players' cultural backgrounds and gender. Literature suggests that gender plays a role when it comes to game performance. This paper introduces outcomes of a study with a so-called Microgame, a brief game used to raise the awareness of interdependent planning operations. It shows that in this game, gender and culture make a difference in relation to the learning experience of the players, measured by game performance.


All sectors of the economy underline the importance of innovations. For creating new innovations we need individuals that are capable to participate in diverse everyday innovation processes. One main problem is that universities don't have proper tools to measure the development of the students' innovation competencies during their studies. There is no sufficient data on which teaching and learning methods are effective, i.e. able to develop innovation competences. Also companies are lacking tools and knowledge to assess these competencies in various settings: in recruitment processes and internal development activities. In this paper we present the EU financed FINCODA project with a significant number of universities and innovation-intensive companies from 5 countries, aiming at providing solutions for a solid path for forthcoming innovators from university to companies. We shall test new forms of enhancing innovation competencies in university-company cooperation. Real-life learning environments bring added value for all stakeholders and lower the students' threshold to enter the working life. As a main tangible output of the project we are creating and validating a software application tool for innovation competencies assessment, which will be available as an OER. We shall also illustrate that especially when speaking about innovation competencies – well-organized and structured behaviour assessment can be at the same time cost-effective, reliable, and valid and value adding, compared to traditional written tests and exams. European-wide challenges demand multinational solutions. Investments to innovation competencies development gain positive impacts to the competitiveness of European companies. Joint European processes in assessment of learning outcomes are also one key aspect in the creation of a wellfunctioning European Higher Education Area.


### NICE, audit and heart failure care

The national heart failure audit1 in England and Wales continues to grow and provides vital data for planning heart failure services. The first formal report relates to over 6000 patients who were the first 10 patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of heart failure each month to one of 86 hospitals contributing data in 2008-09. Most had left ventricular systolic dysfunction, but an echocardiogram result was available in only 75%. In-patient mortality was 12% and in survivors, 80% were receiving an ACE inhibitor (or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB)), 50% a β blocker and 30% an aldosterone antagonist at discharge.

The audit for 21 000 patients hospitalised with heart failure in 2009–10 is also available.2 In-hospital mortality had fallen slightly to 10.5%, but there was no dramatic change in drug prescription rates. Some subsets of patients were particularly likely to be actively treated (men aged 55–64, β blocker prescription rate >70%), and others much less likely (women aged >85, β blocker prescription rate 40%). Aldosterone antagonists were still prescribed for less than half the population.

Two striking features stand out from the data from both audits. First, prescription rates vary greatly, with age—older patients and women being less likely to be treated—and with admission ward—patients admitted to cardiology wards being much more likely to receive active treatment. Second, pharmacological treatment was better for patients admitted under cardiologists, and so was survival. Although a minority of patients admitted with heart failure are managed by cardiologists, the survival benefit persists after correction for age and sex (and other confounders).

The undertreatment of elderly patients with heart failure is a particular cause for concern at a time when patients aged >80 represent an increasing proportion of admissions for heart failure.3 Treatment of older patients is hampered by their associated comorbidities and polypharmacy …


Fly ash is one of the most plentiful and versatile of the industrial by-products. At present, nearly 150 million tonnes of fly ash is being generated annually in India posing dual problem of environmental pollution and difficulty in disposal. This calls for establishing strategies to use the same effectively and efficiently. However, it is only in geotechnical engineering applications such as the construction of embankments/dykes, as back fill material, as a sub-base material etc., its large-scale utilization is possible either alone or with soil. Soil stabilization can be achieved by various means such as compaction, soil replacement, chemical improvement, earth reinforcement etc. Usually, in the case of clay soils, chemical improvement is commonly most effective since it can strengthen the soil, to remove its sensitivity both to water and its subsequent stress history. Among chemical means or additives, fly ash/lime provides an economic and powerful means of improvement, as demonstrated by the significant transformation that is evident on mixing with heavy clay. In the present investigation, different percent fly ashes (10%, 20%, 40%, 60% & 80%) were added to a highly expansive soil from India by dry weight of the natural soil, and subjected to various tests. The important properties that are necessary for using fly ash in many geotechnical applications are index properties, compaction characteristics, compressibility characteristics, permeability and strength. Based on test results, it has been found that using fly ash for improvement of soils has a two-fold advantage. First, to avoid the tremendous environmental problems caused by large scale dumping of fly ash and second, to reduce the cost of stabilization of problematic/marginal soils and improving their engineering properties for safe construction of Engineering Structures.


This doctoral thesis investigates changes in the volume and character of Swedish manufacturing sector innovation output between 1970 and 2007, a time span composed of both extended periods of relative prosperity and decline. More specifically, it examines whether changes in the number of innovations, the character of the innovating firms, and the distribution of innovations across industries are generally associated with any such period. Significant differences in received accounts of structural transformation in the Swedish manufacturing sector motivate the study. A newly compiled database containing observations of nearly 4000 innovations is explored. It is found that innovation output is at its greatest during the economically stagnant period running from 1975 and until the first years of the 19 80s. Furthermore, innovations produced in this period are more novel than those of any other period. Innovation output observed in the relatively prosperous period 1994-2007 is meager and generally less novel. There is a marked increase in small firm innovation; from the early 1980s onwards, small firms are the most important source of innovation. The increase cuts through the entire period and stands in contrast with the economically important role traditionally considered to be played by large firms in the Swedish economy. Innovation output is found to shift from being primarily achieved in the capital goods sector to being subsequently developed in fields such as instruments, telecom products, and software. With regard to the revolutionary growth of microelectronics characterizing the period, the Swedish manufacturing sector is found to be competent in implementing such technology and to be primarily a receiver rather than a supplier of microelectronic components. (Less)


In the last years, static power converters have become widely used in various applications. They can be found in domestic applications, railways, urban and ship transport, and even in several industrial systems. Some of these applications require a high or medium voltage power supply that is easily adjustable while providing good spectral performances. To overcome the maximum blocking voltage limits of the main power switches, multilevel techniques and other new power conversion topologies have been developed. They are series/parallel associations of existing power semiconductors, and allow generating an output voltage with many levels. The number of power semiconductors needed in these topologies increases as the number of levels increases. The power converter circuit becomes more complex and its reliability decreases. This thesis focuses on three-phase multilevel converters based on a series connection of single phase inverters (partial cells) in each phase. It's shown that, feeding partial cells with unequal DC-voltages (asymmetric feeding), increases the number of levels of the generated output voltage without any supplemental complexity to the existing topology. Voltage resolution is increased through interpolating the generated output voltage phasor (three phase voltage in α-β frame). This is achieved by seeking the non redundant switching states of the power switches. The resultant converter can generate a very high resolution voltage phasor up to the possible maximum resolution. This approach is generalized for any number of partial cells. Each partial cell is fed through a three-phase diode rectifier, fed itself through the windings of a multi-secondary low frequency power transformer. From analytical expressions in continuous and discontinuous current conix duction modes, it is shown that, from a supply network point of view, a symmetrical multilevel converter has a smaller total harmonic distortion than an asymmetrical multilevel converter with the same number of partial cells per phase. An asymmetrical multilevel converter is not more interesting than a classical three-phase converter, but its total harmonic distortion is compatible to the recommended IEEE std 519-1992. It is also shown that the advantages of an asymmetric multilevel converter from a load point of view (generation of a high resolution voltage phasor, possibility to choose the number of redundant switching states, reduction of the number of power semiconductors for the same voltage resolution, flexibility for the DC-voltage feeding choice) and the advantages of a symmetrical multilevel converter from a supply network point of view (smaller total harmonic distorsion) can be combined. Simulation results and the experimental test setup showed the reliability of the suggested approach.


It is shown that branch points present in a turbulence-distorted optical field can be visualized as peaks and valleys of a certain potential function. Peaks correspond to positive branch points and valleys correspond to negative ones, thus allowing one to study the formation, movements, and merging of branch points. A closed-form formula is given for the potential in terms of wave-front-sensor measurements; branch points appear as logarithmic singularities that are easy to detect visually through computer-generated images. In fact, the branch-point potential is obtained by means of a single matrix multiplication. An electrostatic analogy is given, as well as a proof that the continuous part of the wave front does not change the location of the potential singularities. Applications can be found in adaptive optics, in the airborne laser system, in speckle or coherent imaging, and in high-bandwidth laser communication.


Purpose: Economic actors tend to exert powerful impact on socio-economic and political developments around the globe, including yielding financial and political crises in developed democracies. Approach/Methodology/Design: While a number of studies discuss the impact of finance on political and societal reality, research on the interlink between finance and democratic processes is very limited. Drawing on secondary literature and a case study of two young Central-European democracies, this paper contends a relationship between financial economy and democratic backsliding. Findings: The findings challenge the existing conventional accounts of the reversal to authoritarian politics in Poland and Hungary. Practical Implications: They also identify a mismatch between the constitutional foundations for embedding the market within the society and its institutions on the one hand, and the political-institutional reality in contemporary democracies. Originality/Value: The research provides theoretical assumptions encouraging further study on unwelcome externalities produced by financial markets.


PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To describe how the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service (CIS) smoking-related resources on a mobile health (mHealth) platform were integrated into the workflow of RNs in advanced practice nurse (APN) training and to examine awareness and use of CIS resources and nurses' perceptions of the usefulness of those CIS resources.

DESIGN
Descriptive analyses.

SETTING
Acute and primary care sites affiliated with the School of Nursing at Columbia University.

SAMPLE
156 RNs enrolled in APN training.

METHODS
The integration was comprised of (a) inclusion of CIS information into mHealth decision support system (DSS) plan of care, (b) addition of infobutton in the mHealth DSS, (c) Web-based information portal for smoking cessation accessible via desktop and the mHealth DSS, and (d) information prescriptions for patient referral.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES
Use and perceived usefulness of the CIS resources.

FINDINGS
86% of nurses used the mHealth DSS with integrated CIS resources. Of the 145 care plan items chosen, 122 were referrals to CIS resources; infobutton was used 1,571 times. Use of CIS resources by smokers and healthcare providers in the metropolitan area of New York City increased during the study period compared to the prestudy period. More than 60% of nurses perceived CIS resources as useful or somewhat useful.

CONCLUSIONS
Integration of CIS resources into an mHealth DSS was seen as useful by most participants.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING
Implementation of evidence into workflow using an mHealth DSS can assist nurses in managing smoking cessation in patients and may expand their roles in referring smokers to reliable sources of information.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION
mHealth DSS and information prescriptions may support smoking cessation interventions in primary care settings. Smoking cessation interventions can be facilitated through informatics methods and mHealth platforms. Nurses' referrals of patients to smoking-related CIS resources may result in patients' use of the resources and subsequent smoking cessation.


This article examines foreign agricultural investment contracts and their potential to contribute to alleviating unemployment and underemployment particularly of young people in sub‐Saharan Africa. This investment trend has accelerated rapidly since the 2008 food crisis to over 56 million hectares. Law and economics methodologies are applied to analyse this phenomenon. The article outlines the labour market situation in sub‐Saharan Africa and investment policies in agriculture. Public choice theory is applied to understand why agricultural projects are producing unintended negative effects. This article also analyses signed contracts to evaluate whether they can improve the actual labour market situation. It found that it is not possible, from the rational theory viewpoint, that such instruments will contribute to the creation of new jobs for the local youth and promote development. It contends that effective national and international legal institutions need to be created to enforce social clauses with strong participation of local youth and their representatives.


The most recent volume in the highly successful 150 Best series, this comprehensive handbook showcases the latest in efficient and successful small space design. Filled with 500 pages of beautiful full-color photographs, 150 Best Mini Interior Ideas profiles dozens of exciting interiors that exemplify the beauty and simplicity of small space design. Francesc Zamora brings together an extensive collection of practical, innovative, and stunning mini interiors by distinguished architects and designers from around the world. Showcasing the diversity of current trends in contemporary residential architecture and design, 150 Best Mini Interior Ideas is an inspirational resource for architects, designers, homeowners, and anyone looking for innovative concepts to plan, furnish, and accessorize small spaces.


Vitally linked to the Caribbean and southern Europe as well as to the Confederacy, the Cigar City of Tampa, Florida, never fit comfortably into the biracial mold of the New South. In Southern Discomfort, the esteemed historian Nancy A. Hewitt explores the interactions among distinct groups of women -- native-born white, African-American, and Cuban and Italian immigrant women -- that shaped women's activism in this vibrant, multiethnic city. Around the turn of the twentieth century, several historical currents converged in Tampa. The city served as a center for exiles organizing on behalf of the Cuban War of Independence and as the disembarkation point for U.S. troops heading to Cuba in 1898. It was the entrepot for thousands of Cuban and Italian immigrants seeking work in the booming cigar trade, and it attracted dozens of itinerant radicals eager to address locally based revolutionary clubs, mutual aid societies, and labor unions. Tampa was also home to an astonishing array of voluntary and reform organizations among black and white native-born women. Emphasizing the process by which women of particular racial, ethnic, and class backgrounds forged and reformulated their activist identities, this masterful volume recasts our understanding of southern history by demonstrating how Tampa's tri-racial networks alternately challenged and reinscribed the South's biracial social and political order.


A spiking neuron implementation of pattern recognition of the calling songs in Gryllus bimaculatus is proposed. A simplified model of the auditory interneuron AN1 has been fitted to extracellular physiological data. The model captures the aspects of AN1's rate-response to acoustic stimulation which are believed to be sufficient for pattern recognition. Stimulation patterns can be induced into the model via current injecton of the signals envelope-shapes. The model was used as the input stage to the pattern recognition mechanisms. A biologically plausible filter mechanism for pulse-pause patterns is proposed which is based on short term synaptic plasticity. Three simple filter mechanism are described, based on either isolated synaptic depression or synaptic facilitation. These filters are able to reproduce physiological findings from the cricket's auditory brain neurons. Further, it is argued that more complex filters can be produced by using combinations of depression and facilitation, and that a complete model of the cricket's pattern recognition apparatus may be implemented in this way. This however is left as a subject of further studies.


The next Amendment to our Constitution will likely be the Victims' Rights Amendment, which provides a bill of rights for victims of crime. As the amendment has moved closer to passage, its critics have raised various objections. This article responds to the critics, concluding that the Victims' Rights Amendment would properly recognize victims' compelling interests in the criminal justice process. Part I of the article reviews normative objections to the Amendment, concluding that the amendment will harm neither the legitimate interests of defendants nor prosecutors. For example, victims can be given the right to make "impact" statements at sentencing without harming the fairness of the process. Part II responds to those who have argued that the amendment is "unnecessary," explaining the undeniable practical problems that victims face in attempting to secure their rights without federal constitutional protection. Part III turns to structural objections to the amendment, explaining why the protection of the rights of victims to participate in the criminal justice process is an appropriate subject for a constitutional amendment.


Large ground-based laser beam interferometers are presently in operation both in the USA (LIGO) and in Europe (VIRGO) and potential sources that might be detected by these instruments are revisited. The present generation of detectors does not have a sensitivity high enough to probe a significant volume of the universe and, consequently, predicted event rates are very low. The planned advanced generation of interferometers will probably be able to detect, for the first time, a gravitational signal. Advanced LIGO and EGO instruments are expected to detect few (some): binary coalescences consisting of either two neutron stars, two black holes or a neutron star and a black hole. In space, the sensitivity of the planned LISA spacecraft constellation will allow the detection of the gravitational signals, even within a "pessimistic" range of possible signals, produced during the capture of compact objects by supermassive black holes, at a rate of a few tens per year.


Solar activity during 2008 2009 was extremely low among several recent solar cycles, raising an interesting question regarding the temporal and spatial distribution of the plasma parameters in ionosphere during this time period. This study analyzes the electron density (Ne) data recorded by the DEMETER satellite at the height of 670 km and compares it with the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) 2007 model with special emphasis on the solar minimum year of 2008. The results show that in local nighttime around 22:30 the global distribution of Ne by the DEMETER satellite exhibited similar behavior as that by IRI model, but Ne is overestimated above 100% by the IRI in equatorial and beyond geomagnetic latitudes of 50°, while underestimated by -70% at 20° 40° in the north or south hemisphere during different seasons. In local daytime around 10:30, Ne values are mostly overestimated by the IRI model especially in the equatorial area where double crests were exhibited clearly at ±10° in the IRI-NeQuick model, but only one crest around 0° 10°N shown by DEMETER. Combined with other satellite data double crests of Ne over the equatorial area may gradually evolve into a single peak near LT 10:30 at 600 km height. The DEMETER comparison with three options in IRI 2007 revealed that only the IRI-2001 option gave a single crest as with DEMETER, and three IRI options all largely overestimated the crest Ne values from DEMETER in local daytime. The results in this paper provide new information for improving the IRI model in the future, helping to understand the ionosphere and upper atmosphere physics, with applications in communications, navigation and spacecraft orbit determination.


Studies on the relationship between dietary features and hypothyroidism pathogenesis are highly relevant . The aim of this research was to study the dietary features of patients with hypothyroidism and to determine the possible impact of patients' food preferences on the pathogenesis of hypothyroidism. We examined 400 women of Polish nationality aged 19-28 years living in the district of Biała Podlaski of the Lublin Voivodeship of Poland who consider themselves healthy. Blood levels of free (FT3) and total (T3) triiodothyronine, free (FT4) and total (T4) thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were determined. The quantitative and qualitative composition of the examined women's diet was determined using questionnaires and nutritional tables. It was revealed, that the prevalence of hypothyroidism among the female subjects was 3.5%. Women with reduced thyroid function were shown to consume 3.78 times less iodine, 2.97 times (P < 0.001) less sodium chloride (table salt), and 1.47 times (P < 0.001) less proteins than those who had normal thyroid function. In addition, women with hypothyroidism consume 2.25 times (P < 0.001) more strumogens. It is concluded that the use of such the diet could cause a secondary reduction in thyroid function with further development of the hypothyroidism.


To understand and characterise the resilience of African groundwater to climate change requires an
understanding of aquifer properties, particularly transmissivity and storage. However, quantitative data on
transmissivity and storage are scarce for most of Africa. A new groundwater resilience map has been
developed for Africa which incorporates proxies for these parameters: typical borehole yields; an aquifer
storage type based on lithology; and an estimation of probable aquifer thickness. The map was developed
using a four stage process.

1. A geological basemap – the UNESCO 1:5 million scale geological map of Africa – was selected and
modified. Precambrian rocks were split into three hydrogeologically significant units (metasedimentary,
mobile (orogenic) belt, and craton), and sedimentary rocks were classified by the major
sedimentary basins to which they belong.

2. Published hydrogeological maps were scanned and georeferenced and used to help further combine
or divide geological units and to help attribute the geological map with proxy aquifer properties data.
Most of these hydrogeological maps are at a national or country scale, typically 1:1 million to
1:2 million. A few are regional maps (e.g. west and central Africa), typically at 1:5 million scale.
Virtually all of Africa is covered by a hydrogeological map of some form, although they vary greatly
in published age and in the level of geological and hydrogeological detail available.

3. Additional hydrogeological data and information were used to further parameterise and increase
confidence in the new map. More than 200 studies reported in easily accessible published and
unpublished literature were collated and georeferenced. Significant effort was made to ensure the
systematic and transparent review, assessment and inclusion of hydrogeological information from
both maps and previous studies. As part of this, confidence rankings were assigned to all the studies
that provided hydrogeological information, using systematic confidence criteria.

4. The first draft of the groundwater resilience map will be subject to peer review by experts in African
hydrogeology during November 2010. The feedback from the peer review will be incorporated into a
final map that will be freely available online in several forms appropriate to different user needs,
such as GIS-users, modellers, and policy makers.

The map of groundwater resilience across Africa will provide a preliminary assessment at a continentscale
of how groundwater can support adaptation and build resilience to climate change. More
information is available from www.bgs.ac.uk/GWResilience/ .


This paper aims to enhance trust in e-commerce multi-agent environments by presenting a trust model to select the most trustworthy service provider, named 2RC, based on computing Reputation, Risk, and Conflict of service provider agents. To propose a computational model,the most representative trust models in e-commerce agent systems were analyzed. These models focus on different factors for evaluating the trustworthiness of agents. According to this analysis, 2RC model computes three vital factors as; reputation of provider agents, risk of interaction with provider agents, and the conflict in previous behavior of provider agents. Then 2RC presents a method for selecting the most trustworthy service provider agent by using TOPSIS method. The experimental results in defense of the proposed model are provided and the performance of 2RC is compared with other existing trust models. The experimental results indicate that the performance of 2RC is significantly better than other existing models. Thereby 2RC is capable of selecting the trustworthy service provider agent more appropriately that other trust models. The 2RC is beneficial to enhance the safety of online transaction in e-commerce-multi-agent environments.


This paper examines the well-being and perceptions of organizational change of 1560 UK and 1414 Australian managers using the frame of psychological contract theory. We hypothesize change, particularly hard change which includes cost-cutting, redundancies and delayering, has the potential to breach relational psychological contracts, thus causing reduced well-being for managers, reduced employee job security and loyalty, and competence loss, reduced effectiveness, profitability and performance for organizations. The results support these hypotheses, and demonstrate all change is difficult, but hard change is most detrimental. Directors are more positive than lower level managers about their job and organization, and are more positive about change. Negative effects of change are strongest in the public sector and Australian managers are more satisfied than UK managers with their job and the organization they work within. The role of the psychological contract, and implications for human resources, are considered.


Spatial patterns and trends in the concentration and quality of dissolved organic matter (DOM) are characterised across a tropical agricultural catchment using ultraviolet (UV)-visible absorbance, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Related determination of the environmental isotopes 18 O and 2 H clarify the dynamics of catchment water movement. Water samples were collected from the Kinabatangan River, Borneo, and selected tributaries in August and September 2008 in four regions with oil palm plantations (KB1, KB2, KB3 and KB4). The isotopic compositions of surface waters suggest that canals were characterised by a strong evaporative effect than tributaries and streams with more natural, forested vegetation. DOM was characterised by variations in UV absorbance and spectral slope. Individual fluorescence excitation–emission matrices were decomposed by Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) and three components extracted (C1, C2 and C3). Components C2 and C3 both appear to be derived from microbial sources and/or photo-degradation. The PARAFAC components indicate a clear trend of increasing DOM degradation as waters pass through the catchment. It is hypothesised that upstream DOM is rapidly photo and microbially degraded to less fluorescent DOM, while DOM concentration and character of DOM downstream is controlled by the hydrology, specifically by variations in the rate of water movement.


Septic shock is characterized by circulatory compromise, microcirculatory alterations and mitochondrial damage, which all reduce cellular energy production. In order to reduce the risk of major cell death and a diminished likelihood of recovery, adaptive changes appear to be activated. As a result, cells and organs may survive in a non-functioning hibernation-like condition. Sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction may represent an example of such functional shutdown. Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction is common, corresponds to the severity of sepsis, and is reversible in survivors. Its mechanisms include the attenuation of the adrenergic response at the cardiomyocyte level, alterations of intracellular calcium trafficking and blunted calcium sensitivity of contractile proteins. All these changes are mediated by cytokines. Treatment includes preload optimization with sufficient fluids. However, excessive volume loading is harmful. The first line vasopressor recommended at present is norepinephrine, while vasopressin can be started as a salvage therapy for those not responding to catecholamines. During early sepsis, cardiac output can be increased by dobutamine. While early administration of catecholamines might be necessary to restore adequate organ perfusion, prolonged administration might be harmful. Novel therapies for sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction are discussed in this article. Cardiac inotropy can be increased by levosimendan, istaroxime or omecamtiv mecarbil without greatly increasing cellular oxygen demands. Heart rate reduction with ivabradine reduces myocardial oxygen expenditure and ameliorates diastolic filling. Beta-blockers additionally reduce local and systemic inflammation. Advances may also come from metabolic interventions such as pyruvate, succinate or high dose insulin substitutions. All these potentially advantageous concepts require rigorous testing before implementation in routine clinical practice.


SJP (Paul) Kruger (1825-1904) is still regarded as an outstanding figure in the popular South African historical consciousness. Different people have different conceptions of him. This discussion is based on the viewpoint that Kruger embodied the system of values in existence, also in South Africa, during the romanticism of the early nineteenth century. His philosophy of life was opposed to the ideas of the Enlightenment. More nuanced terms of expression and an exploration of certain future perspectives are put forward in order to create an understanding of Kruger and his times.


Coupled constitutive equations, formulated in the framework of the thermodynamics of irreversible processes accounting for isotropic hardening as well as the isotropic ductile damage are used to simulate numerically, by the Finite Element Analysis, 3D metal hydroforming processes. The experimental study is dedicated to the identification of stress-strain flow and damage parameters by using the Nelder-Mead simplex algorithm optimization from the global measure of displacement and force. Applications are made to the simulation of thin sheet hydroforming using different at different temperature to show the efficiency of the proposed methodology and to localize plastic instability, thinning of sheet and damage initiation under complex forming conditions.


The material culture of historic theatre costume offers a vital resource for the fields of
dress and theatre history that has yet to be fully recognised. This thesis unites approaches
from both disciplines to create a specific methodology for the study of theatre costume
founded upon the examination and assessment of such garments. It argues that theatre
costume represents a separate and specific category of clothing and theatrical ephemera.
Celebrated actress Ellen Terry (1847-1928), an individual highly attuned to the
significance of dress as an expression of identity, is used as a case study to demonstrate
the validity of this new methodology. Adopting an object-based and material culture
approach, the thesis engages with the visual and physical evidence about performance
and design that can be gathered from Terry's extant theatre costumes. It also highlights
crucial information about Terry's dress and its public reception gleaned from additional
sources such as photographs; paintings; letters; reviews, and within Terry's papers and
books. This thesis represents the first full investigation of Terry's personal and theatrical
wardrobe, and is the first study to carry out a close analysis of the actress's surviving
garments.
This analysis establishes the factors fundamental to the interpretation and study of theatre
costume: the significance of social, artistic and historic context; parallels and contrasts
between on and off-stage dress; the collaborative process of design and making; the
function of costume as both performance object, and expression of 'identity'; the issue of
multiple and complex 'biographies'; and the crucial evidence offered from material
culture sources, most importantly, surviving costumes.
Chapter 1 outlines existing methodologies and the cross disciplinary nature of the thesis;
Chapter 2 reviews existing literature and proposes a new methodology; 3 provides the
context for Terry's professional career; 4 develops the methodology and analyses extant
garments. 5 and 6 relate the methodology to ideas of self-fashioning and biography.
The thesis establishes Terry as an exceptional figure in British theatre and society who
took an active role in fashioning her public and private image, both during her life, and
after her death. The analysis of Terry's wardrobe confirms the status of theatre costumes
as unique garments, which represent a key source for design, dress and theatre historians.
This detailed case study demonstrates that the methodology presented can be employed
in the study of other figures, theatres and periods, and opens up a new and productive
direction for future research.


In this paper, robust Fault Detection and Isolation (FDI) design in nonlinear uncertain dynamic system, with chemical and thermodynamic phenomenon, is addressed. The methodology using a Bond Graph (BG) representation in linear fractional transformation (LFT) form is shown to be a valuable tool for developing dynamic threshold generators and achieving robustness against model uncertainty in combination with sensitivity to faults. The proposed FDI method is illustrated through an equilibrated reaction occurred in a continuous reactor coupled with a heat exchanger. Simulations are given to support the theoretical development and demonstrate the potential of the


Kernel methods have been successfully applied to reinforcement learning problems to address some challenges such as high dimensional and continuous states, value function approximation and state transition probability modeling. In this paper, we develop an online policy search algorithm based on a recent state-of-the-art algorithm REPS-RKHS that uses conditional kernel embeddings. Our online algorithm inherits the advantages of REPS-RKHS, including the ability to learn non-parametric control policies for infinite horizon continuous MDPs with highdimensional sensory representations. Different from the original REPS-RKHS algorithm which is based on batch learning, the proposed online algorithm updates the model in an online fashion and thus is able to capture and respond to rapid changes in the system dynamics. In addition, the online update operation takes constant time (i.e., independent of the sample size n), which is much more efficient computationally and allows the policy to be continuously revised. Experiments on different domains are conducted and results show that our online algorithm outperforms the original algorithm.


STUDY OBJECTIVE--The aim was to explore whether maternal consumption of seafood is a determinant of birth weight in a dose dependent manner. DESIGN--A population based survey of lifestyle factors in pregnancy was linked with information from antenatal and obstetric records. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS--Seventy five per cent of all 1362 women who delivered in the Faroe Islands during the study period 1986-87 who gave a structured post partum interview on lifestyle factors. MAIN RESULTS--Altogether, 2, 6, 16, 33, 26, 14, and 3% of women had consumed approximately 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6+ respectively seafood (fish or whale) dinner meals per week during pregnancy. The average birth weight (p = 0.02) and birth length (p = 0.002) varied significantly between the seven groups, and increased by about 0.2 kg and 1 cm, respectively between women who ate 0 and those who consumed 3 seafood meals per week. Mean birth weight and length tended to level off with further fish consumption: when fitting a second degree polynomial, the quadratic terms were negative and significant for both birth weight (p = 0.005) and length (p = 0.001). Analogous analyses for pregnancy duration were not significant, but exhibited similar trends. All analyses were adjusted for maternal height, weight, parity, age, marital status, and smoking. CONCLUSIONS--The weight and length of the newborn increased with the frequency of seafood dinner meals consumed in pregnancy but only up to a consumption level of about 3 meals per week.


The northern Mirdita ophiolite massifs in Albanian Dinarides formed at a slow-spreading ridge, active during the Jurassic (160–165 Ma). They share a common horizontal Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous sedimentary cover showing that they were not deeply and intrinsically affected by later Alpine thrusting. The western massifs of Mirdita, first oceanic core complex (OCC) and detachment shear zone described in ophiolites, compare with OCCs in slow-spreading ridges and provide continuous exposure of the deep internal structure of this system, revealing its kinematics, thanks to detailed structural mapping in peridotites and gabbros. The Mirdita detachments root in the Moho transition zone (MTZ), a weak zone at the top of asthenospheric mantle, where basaltic melts impregnate dunites. The OCC domes are plagioclase-amphibole–bearing mylonitic peridotites, ∼400 m thick, grading downward within 200 m to harzburgitic mantle. The mylonitic detachments crossed Moho beneath a NNE-SSW–trending ridge. On the western side of OCC domes, the hanging wall of the ridge, crustal gabbros, and basalts are still preserved, despite being deeply affected by hydrothermal alteration. From there, the partially molten MTZ was detached as a shear zone, mixing with lower gabbros. The OCC emerged, migrating upsection and eastward over 5 km. Finally, the OCC front is observed in hornblende-rich syntectonic mylonites derived from upper gabbros and from the overlying former lid. Serpentinization is static within these mylonites. A low-temperature detachment fault is expressed as a sheared antigoritic melange at the margin of the mylonitic shear zone. Asthenospheric flow in the harzburgitic mantle beneath the ridge of origin has been preserved below the OCC rooting. The dominant asthenospheric flow direction trends parallel to the ridge axis. This mantle flow rotates over 200 m into the low-temperature mylonitic detachments, where OCC motion turns transversal to the ridge. Crystal preferred orientation measurements on six samples point to brown hornblende crystal growth during mylonitic flow and illustrate the change of olivine intra-crystalline slip system in mylonites compared to porphyroclastic harzburgite.


This presentation will discuss and reflect on how our collaborative infrastructure has influenced both the quality T and L and collaboration/teamworking across the university. The overarching priority for the Fellowship is to support colleagues who in turn influence students' development of their intellectual, practical and creative potential.


Leaf samples of white clover were collected from 19 irrigated white clover (Trifolium repens) pastures in the south-west of Western Australia and tested for virus infection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Clover yellow vein virus (CYVV) was found in 16 pastures at infection levels of up to 23% and white clover mosaic virus (WCMV) in 10 at levels up to 83%. None of the white clover pastures with a high incidence of WCMV had been resown with white clover within the last 10 years, whereas those resown within the last 5 years had little or no infection. As previously reported in tests on different white clover pastures in the same irrigation area, widespread infection with alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV) and occasional infection with subterranean clover red leaf virus (SCRLV) was also found. Two or more viruses were found within 16 of the pastures with at least 3 having all 4 viruses. AMV and WCMV were detected in flatweed (Hypochaeris glabra) and AMV was detected in clustered dock (Rumex conglomeratus), both commonly occurring weeds in the pastures. In tests on the perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) component of 18 white clover pastures, infection with barley yellow dwarf virus was found in 14 at levels up to 5%. In addition, 11 of the pastures contained a virus which reacted with potyvirus-specific monoclonal antibodies, presumably ryegrass mosaic virus (RyMV), which was detected at levels up to 34%.

Live aphids were trapped at 8 different times during 1995 in one pasture that was infected with WCMV, CYVV, AMV, and SCRLV. Blue-green aphid (Acyrthosiphon kondoi) and oat aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi) were the only species caught, both reaching peak populations in midwinter, but only the latter was found in summer. No virus transmission was detected when the aphids caught were fed individually on subterranean clover (T. subterraneum) indicator plants.

It is concluded that WCMV poses a threat to the productivity of white clover within irrigated pastures, especially when present in mixed infection with AMV. CYVV is also commonly found but normally not at high enough incidences to pose a serious threat. RyMV may pose a threat to the productivity of the perennial ryegrass component within white clover-based pastures.


High molecular weight biomolecules are becoming important in the development of new therapeutics. However, their size and nature creates a major limitation for their application – poor penetration through biological membranes. A new class of peptides, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), has shown the capability to transport various macromolecules inside the cells. However, there are at least two limiting factors for successful application of CPPs: the lack of cell-type specificity and restricted bioavailability resulting from endocytic uptake of CPPs and entrapment in endosomal compartments. This thesis aims at designing delivery vehicles for therapeutic substances. In papers I-III, the CPPs have been rationally modified in order to achieve in vivo selectivity towards cancer cells. The first two papers employ tumor homing peptides as targeting moieties coupled to the N-termini of CPPs. In the third paper, a CPP is C-terminally prolonged with a matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) specific cleavage site followed by an inactivating amino acid sequence. In tissues overexpressing MMP-2, i. e. in proximity to cancer, the CPP is activated after proteolytic removal of the inactivating sequence, thus the cargo can be transported inside the cells. In paper IV, several CPPs have been N-terminally modified with a stearyl moiety and applied for the delivery of splice-correcting oligonucleotides. We show that stearyl-TP10 is as effective in oligonucleotide delivery as Lipofectamine™ 2000. Moreover, stearyl-TP10 has preserved efficacy in serum and is not toxic to cells. In conclusion, the rational modifications of CPPs greatly potentiate their application in cargo delivery both in vitro and in vivo.


The synovial membrane of the mouse knee joint was examined by electron microscopy and electron microscopic histochemistry, with special reference to the development of the extracellular matrix. In the embryonic synovium, the intercellular spaces were filled with hyaluronate and chondroitin sulfate. The formation of the early joint cavity appeared to be initiated by accumulation of hyaluronate and chondroitin sulfate in the synovial primordium. At the postnatal stage, the synovial primordium differentiated into a true synovial intima that could be easily identified by the presence of two distinct lining cells: fibroblast-like cells (B cells) and phagocytic cells (A cells). Simultaneously, the synovial intima provided the specialized extracellular matrix that was characterized by organized structures of microfibrils, collagen fibers, and fibrous long spacing fibers embedded in a large number of glycoproteins.


String theory indicates the existence of primordial Kerr superspinars, extremely compact objects with exterior described by the Kerr naked-singularity geometry. The primordial superspinars have to be converted to a black hole due to accretion, but they could survive to the era of high-redshift quasars. We discuss observational phenomena caused by the primordial Kerr superspinars in this era, considering the properties of corotating Keplerian accretion discs orbiting such superspinars and the optical phenomena modified by their presence. The potential well around a near-extreme superspinar with spin a very close to the extreme black hole value a = 1 is very deep so that the efficiency of the accretion process reaches 157.7%, influencing thus significantly the spectral continuum of corotating Keplerian discs and giving a signature of near-extreme superspinars. Such superspinars can also serve as an efficient accelerator for extremely high-energy collisions. Phenomena enabling a clear distinction of primordial Kerr superspinars and black holes are related to the disc oscillations with the radial and vertical epicyclic frequencies and the most profound could be differences implied by the profiled spectral lines generated in the innermost parts of the corotating Keplerian discs.


The existence of agro-industries or industries that moveand based on agriculture are still vibran despite competition amid a in creasingly tight and very competitive. Along with the development of the era, the sole of agro-industry in increasing the growth of output and employment was higher than the primary sector. Analytical results show that through the develovmen of agro-industry sector, for ther improve the performance of the agricultural sector ingeneral. Which will result in increased output, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and national employment and promote income generation sector other than the income of the
primary sector. UD. Nuts Eagles is a small scale agro snack that product refined products peanut products hot cakes sand with brand nuts eagles where UD. Nuts Eagles take Blitar region as aplace of manufactor and procurement of row material, as well as the souronding region and as regional nganjuk, eagles for nuts product it self apart has been available in stores and supermarket in the area nganjuk, is now also marketed out sid Nganjuk like blood
Jombang,Sidoarjo and Bekasi.
The purpose of his study are 1) Knowing the promotion and distribution activities conducted by UD. Nuts Eagles. 2) Analyze the recutionship between the cost of promotion and
distribution costs with the sales volume achieved by UD. Nuts Eagles.
Based on the results of research and data analysis carried at promotion activities unterteken by UD. Nuts Eagles in order to introduce they products. Including other forms of promotion, namely ad vertising, personal selling, sales promotion and publikasi four form of promotion has been undertaken by UD. Nuts Eagles, bat is belived to be most effective innereading sales volume and are still carried out aktuf by the company is sales promotion UD.Nuts Eagles, bat is belive to be most effective in creasing sales volume and are still carried out aktuf by the company is sales promotion. UD. Nuts Eagles also carrying out the distribution function.
UD.Nuts Eagles use type direct and indirect distribution and use intensive distribution, so that consumers need to be fulfilled boost sales volumes more product.


An optical frequency comb phase-locked on an iodine frequency stabilized diode laser at 634 nm is constructed to transfer the accuracy and stability from the optical domain to the radio frequency domain. An external-cavity diode laser is frequency-stabilized on the Doppler-free absorption signals of the hyperfine transition R(80)8-4 using the third-harmonic detection technique. The instability of the ultra-stable optical oscillator is determined to be 7\times10^{-12} by a cesium atomic clock via the optical frequency comb's mass frequency dividing technique.