The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution has been interpreted in a manner that confers American citizenship upon virtually all who are born within geographical boundaries of the United States, regardless of the parent's legal status, whether lawful or otherwise. This form of automatic citizenship, in combination with the ease at which American borders are continuously violated, encourages literally millions of foreign nationals to enter and remain in the United States unlawfully, thereby fostering significant economic, health, and law enforcement issues. The interplay among the incentives for illegal immigration and the natural consequences that follow is complex and extremely expensive to the taxpaying American public. This article addresses these critical national issues and focuses on the moral, economic, medical and legal implications of continuing the practices that promote illegal immigration while it summarizes the difficulties illegal immigration presents to business managers who must ultimately find the means to comply with the requirements of employment laws.IntroductionIt is estimated that between 300,000 and 400,000 children are born each year in the United States to families with at least one parent residing in this country illegally.1 There were approximately 350,000 births to illegal immigrants in 2010, accounting for 8% of all births in the United States and this was statistically unchanged from the estimated 340,000 per year in 2008 and 2009.2 The total U.S. population of these children born to illegal immigrant parents increased from 2.3 million in 2003 to 4 million by 2008, not including those over age 1 8 or those who had married.3 The actual number is larger. By what many believe to be an errant interpretation of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, each and every one of these children born to illegal immigrants are deemed to be U.S. citizens by virtue of nothing more than their presence, even temporarily, on American soil at the moment of birth.4 Whether the parents enter the United States legally or illegally, there is no difference. Birthright citizenship applies uniformly to all who by chance or design are born within U.S. borders.According to various sources, the illegal population in the U.S. was estimated at approximately 1 1 million in 20 1 0,5 and had grown by 27% between 2000 and 20 1 0.6 In recent years, estimates have ranged from as few 7 million to as many at 20 million7 with 57% from Mexico, 24% from other Latin American countries, 9% from Asia, 6% from Europe and Canada, and 4% from the rest of the world.8 A breakdown by state shows that more than half of the illegal population is concentrated in just four southern border states: almost 2.6 million reside in California, nearly 1 .8 million in Texas, approximately 760,000 in Florida, and 500,000 in Arizona. Another 5 million or more are scattered throughout the remaining states with substantial concentrations in Illinois, New York, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina and Nevada.9The Government Accountability Office reports that, "the population of undocumented foreign persons is large and has increased rapidly."10 61% of unauthorized immigrants arrived in the United States prior to 2004, 30% arrived from 2004 to 2007, and 9% arrived between 2008 and 2010 during recessionary years." If current estimates of illegal population are correct at 1 1 million, this means that 39%, or approximately 4.3 million illegal aliens, entered and remained in the U.S. from 2004 to 2010, an average of some 614,000 per year. The U.S. Department of Home Security reports average deportations of only 239,301 per year during the same period,12 which translates to an approximate total of 853,000 people who entered the U.S. illegally during that period while only 28% were forcibly repatriated to their home country. And with this continued expansion of illegal population there is a corresponding growth in the number of births to illegal aliens, each of which are instantly deemed U. …


INTRODUCTION

The construction of a new road can affect the lives of different
people in many ways. The ways in which those people evaluate a
new road scheme and how this relates to actual changes in
physical environmental conditions is clearly important for those
involved with the selection, design and management of such
projects. For information concerning the views people hold
towards a new project to be useful and effective, it should be
gathered in a way that relates to specific decision-making
objectives.

The aim of the project on which this report is based is to
develop approaches to the measurement of individuals' evaluations
of the constructional and operational consequences of a road
scheme which meet these requirements. Two particular research
themes form the background to the project. The first is to
provide a fuller conceptual analysis of the ways in which people
evaluate the good and bad aspects of major new road schemes. In
particular, the project sought to examine the role of beliefs
and micro-social processes in the formation of the attitudes
which people hold and how these relate to their actual
experiences of the road scheme. From this perspective an
individual's "evaluation" of a road scheme can be theorized at
many levels, from the merely physical, such as the annoying
effect of noise, to the role of friends and neighbours in
influencing the status of different forms of information or the
formation of views held. Considering both the physical and
social factors underlying evaluation provides greater scope for
explaining the variability of reactions to environmental
disturbances as well as suggesting more realistic measures for
dealing with people's anxieties and concerns. Secondly the
project as a whole will provide the necessary time span to
examine both residents' prior and posterior weights for a number
of environmental attributes related to the road scheme in
operation. From this it should be possible to begin to
formulate guidance for planners on how to incorporate prior
subjective views into project evaluation in a way which allows
for known relationships between prior and posterior views.

In view of the exploratory nature of the investigation, and the
absence of well defined methods for identifying and measuring the
different processes and mechanisms of interest, considerable
effort was spent in undertaking in depth interviews with
residents. These were carried out firstly to establish whether
the theoretical concepts initially considered relevant to the
study were so in practice and secondly, if they were, how they
could be structured within formal survey methods. Accordingly, a
substantial part of this report is concerned with the content and
issues raised by those interviews.


While pharmacological blockade of dopamine D2 receptor can effectively suppress the psychotic or positive symptoms of schizophrenia, there is no satisfactory medication for the negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia in spite of the proliferation of second generation antipsychotic drugs. Excitements over a new class of third generation antipsychotics that might possibly fill this urgent medical need have been prompted by the recent development of glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) inhibitors. The impetus of this novel pharmacological strategy stems directly from the prevailing hypothesis that negative and cognitive symptoms are attributable to the hypofunction of glutamatergic signalling via the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in the brain. Inhibition of GlyT1 reduces clearance of extra-cellular glycine near NMDA receptor-containing synapses, and thereby increases baseline occupancy of the glycine-B site at the NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor, which is a prerequisite of channel activation upon stimulation by the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Pharmacological inhibition of GlyT1 is expected to boost NMDA receptor function and therefore alleviate persistent negative and cognitive symptoms without excessive risk of excitotoxicity associated with direct NMDA receptor agonists. The recently completed phase III clinical trials of the Roche compound, bitopertin (a.k.a. RG1678 or RO-4917838) had initially raised hope that this new class of drugs might represent the first successful translation of the glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia to the clinic. However, the outcomes of the multi-centre bitopertin clinical trials have been disappointing. The present review seeks to examine this promise through a critical survey of the latest clinical and preclinical findings on the therapeutic potential of GlyT1 inhibition or down-regulation.


The research project FAMOS (Galileo for Future Automotive Systems) illuminates the
potentials of the European Satellite Navigation System Galileo for the application in the
context of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). An essential objective of this project
lies in the target-oriented integration of Galileo in a future safety and information concept for
the automotive domain. In addition to the development of an adequate positioning platform,
another focus lies on the design and development of three different ADAS applications.
These applications are to be integrated into a test vehicle for evaluation under real conditions
in a Galileo test bed. One of these applications is a Merge and Exit Assistant which is
discussed in this paper.
The manoeuvres of merging onto and leaving a motorway belong to the most complex
driving tasks to be found in traffic. They are characterised by a coordinated form of
longitudinal and lateral driving procedures. The temporal and spatial constraints for these
manoeuvres lead to high stress levels for the driver which can result in driving errors and
safety critical situations. The demands will increase even more in the future since traffic is
expected to intensify which will lead to an enhancement of the situation complexity. This
motivates the development of an advanced driver assistance system focusing on the vehicle
control and guidance levels referring to the three-dimension-model of vehicle guidance from
Bernotat (1970). The aim of the Merge and Exit Assistant is to provide an accurate and safe
transition onto the target lane for improving comfort and safety. For this purpose, the
surrounding traffic is required to be monitored and the driving behaviour needs to be adapted
according to the existing conditions concerning traffic and roadway arrangement.
The main issue of development lies in the interaction between functional requirements based
on the application concept and the resulting technical requirements, particularly the GNSSbased
positioning. The initial point of development is given by the analysis of the driving
tasks to be performed by the driver while merging onto and leaving the motorway. The
manoeuvres can be divided into three fundamental stages. These stages are differentiated
by roadway and manoeuvre attributes. For each of these stages an analysis of driving errors
is conducted, which allows deducing several basic kinds of assistance. These are then
integrated into an overall ADAS concept. This concept includes the support of both the
longitudinal and lateral control for the entire manoeuvre and the lane change procedure in
particular. In addition to this, four different configuration levels of the application are
established. These range from basic functionality of an information and warning system via
the generation of action recommendations to a semi-automated system. The latter comprises
an automated longitudinal control while steering is performed manually by the driver. The
levels differ in their complexity and the associated technical requirements concerning
availability, accuracy, and integrity of the corresponding sensor information. The sensor
information consists of the GNSS-based positioning platform and a digital map with all
necessary roadway attributes combined with vehicular and environment sensor data. These
data sources have to be fused in order to assure lane accuracy which is a general demand
for the functional capability of the Merge and Exit Assistant.
The paper gives an overview about the hitherto steps of development beginning with the
functional definition of the application, followed by the formulation of a detailed design and
the implementation process performed so far, finishing with an outlook on future work.
This work was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology
(BMWI). Project: FAMOS Galileo for Future Automotive Systems, FKZ 19S9007D.


The cultural sector of a city contributes in a variety of ways to promoting the livability, vitality and sustainability of the cities in which it is located. In this paper, we consider the sorts of economic functions performed by the cultural sector, conceptualising the city in economic terms as a conglomeration of different types of capital with a particular focus on cultural capital. We consider cultural capital investment projects of various sorts, indicating that both the economic and the cultural evaluation of such projects is amenable to the application of the familiar tools of cost-benefit analysis. The paper goes on to discuss measurement issues when such tools are applied to the assessment of a project involving investment in urban heritage. Finally, the issue of sustainability is considered with reference to the notion of culturally sustainable development, which implies the long-term management of cultural resources such that the basic sustainability principles of intergenerational and intragenerational equity are appropriately served. In the urban context, these considerations suggest that the concept of the 'sustainable city' needs to be expanded to incorporate conservation of the city's cultural capital in both its tangible and intangible forms.


The benefits of performance appraisal in the business world have caused an upsurge of books and programs for use in management, but few of the methods described bother to verify that the underlying psychology on which they are based holds true. Angelo DeNisi has spent 10 years conducting research into cognitive processes, particularly those of the rater, in performance appraisal. A Cognitive Appraisal is a careful and thorough investigation of appraisal decisions. Based on experiments conducted with over 300 participants, Angelo DeNisi presents results from both the laboratory and real life settings into this vital area. The evidence described will be invaluable to all those involved in assessing the validity of particular performance 'packages' for use by themselves or their clients and to other researchers in appraisal techniques. It is also an excellent guide for all psychologists who wish to verify their results in the field as it contains the story of a long term research program encompassing the move from lab to field, successfully.


Praxiology deals with working and doing from the point of view of effectiveness. It has three components: analysis of concepts involving purposive actions; critique of modes of action from the viewpoint of efficiency; and normative advisory aspects in recommendations for increasing human efficiency. This fifth volume of the Praxiology series is devoted to Human Action in Business: Praxiological and Ethical Dimensions. The adjective praxiological here means not only related to praxiology as human theory, but also assessed against the dimensions of effectiveness and efficiency. Adding also the ethical dimension, one defines the universe of the discourse about conduct characteristic of business, the economy, and management. Topics in business and management philosophy and theory are discussed by eminent contributors from different corners of the world: P. Ulrich (Switzerland); M. Bohata (Czech Republic); S. K. Chakreborty (India); J. Donaldson, H.E. Sternberg, and P. Graham (U.K.); H. van Lujik and H. Hummels (The Netherlands); O. Loukola (Finland); Y. Pesqueux and I. Tovey (France); T.A. Mathias (India); W. W. Gasparski, A. Lewicka-Strzalecka and J. SOjka (Poland); M. Tamari (Israel); R. E. Freeman, R. G. Kennedy, S. Natale, J. A. Matel, N. Bowie, D. McCann, L. V. Ryan, P. Werhane, and K. Goodpaster (United States). Selected speeches by Pope John Paul II addressed to managers, businessmen, and general audiences involved in the economy are also included in this volume. In Volume 5, invited specialists examine the praxiological and ethical aspects of human action under the rubric of the "Triple E" Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Ethics. The volume opens with contributions reflecting on the praxiological and ethical foundations for business followed by sections discussing human action from the perspectives of religious beliefs and cultural diversity. Another section illustrates the application of these principles to business. The concluding chapters examine praxiology and ethics as the moral agenda for professional education. The volume is a must read for economists, businesspeople, social scientists, and policymakers.


This paper introduces a blind source separation (BSS) algorithm in the time domain based on the amplitude gain difference of two directional microphones located at the same place, namely aggregated microphones. A feature of our approach is to treat the BSS problem of the anechoic mixtures in the time domain. Sparseness approach is one of the attractive methods to solve the problem of the sound separation. If the signal is sparse in the frequency domain, the sources rarely overlap. Under this condition, it is possible to extract each signal using time-frequency binary masks. In this paper, we treat the non-stationary, partially disjoint signals. In other words, most of the signals overlap in the time domain and the frequency domain though there exist some intervals where the sound is disjoint. We firstly show the source separation problem can be described not as a convolutive model but as an instantaneous model in spite of the anechoic mixing when the aggregated microphones are assumed. We then show the necessary conditions and show the algorithm with the experimental results. In this method, we can treat the problem not in the time-frequency domain but in the time domain due to the characteristics of the aggregated microphones. In other words, we can consider the problem not in the complex space but in the real space. The mixing matrix can be directly identified utilizing the observed signals without estimating the intervals where the signal is disjoint through all the processes.


The objective lens is a single element glass lens with one aspheric replicated surface and one flat surface. The manufacture of the aspheric surface by means of replication is suitable for high quality mass-production.


One of the most important findings to emerge from the field of cognitive psychology in recent years has been the discovery that humans have a very limited ability to process incoming sensory information. In fact, contrary to many of the most influential human operator models, the latest research has shown that humans use the same limited pool of attentional resources to process the inputs arriving from each of their senses (e.g., hearing, vision, touch, smell, etc). His research calls for a radical new way of examining and understanding the senses, which has major implications for the way we design everything from household products to multimodal user interfaces. Instead, interface designers should realize that the decision to stimulate more senses actually reflects a trade-off between the benefits of utilizing additional senses and the costs associated with dividing attention between different sensory modalities. In this presentation, I will discuss some of the problems associated with dividing attention between eye and ear, as illustrated by talking on a mobile phone while driving. Charles has published more than 70 articles in scientific journals over the past decade. I hope to demonstrate that a better understanding of the senses and, especially the links between the senses that have been highlighted by recent cognitive neuroscience research, will enable interface designers to develop multimodal interfaces that more effectively stimulate the user's senses.


Different types of nonresponse threaten the validity of longitudinal studies: first, initial nonresponse during the recruitment in the baseline survey and second, successive dropout at each time point. Dropout in longitudinal surveys has three separate sources: failure to locate research participants, failure to contact participants, and failure to achieve cooperation. In this entry, specific attention is given to existing knowledge on the correlates of dropout and strategies to limit the problem. To limit nonresponse, a total design approach is advocated with specific attention to each source. That is to limit both noncontact (i.e., failure to locate and subsequent failure to contact a located research participant)


In this paper, we consider a hierarchical two-tier cellular network where a macrocell is overlaid with a tier of randomly distributed femtocells. We evaluate the combined effect of uncoordinated cross-tier interference, feedback delay, and quantization errors on the achievable rate of transmit beamforming with imperfect channel state information (CSI). We model the femtocell spatial distribution as a Poisson point process (PPP) and the temporal correlation of the channel according to a Gauss-Markov model. Using stochastic geometry tools, we derive the probability of outage at the macrocell users as a function of the temporal correlation, the femtocell density, and the feedback rate. We compute the maximum average achievable rate on the downlink of the macrocell network using a properly designed rate backoff scheme. We show that transmit beamforming with imperfect CSI is a viable option for the downlink of a two-tier cellular network, and that rate backoff recovers the loss in rate due to packet outage.


At the May 2013 Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting, five Asian states, namely China, Japan, India, Singapore and South Korea, were accepted to become new Permanent Observers at the Arctic Council. Nonetheless, little attention has been paid to the Asian states and their interest in the Arctic. Most discussions have focused on China and the assessment of China's interest in the Arctic is divided. This paper attempts to fill this gap by presenting and comparing the various components of the Arctic policies of China and Japan. Referring to Putnam's model of the "two-level game" and Young's categorization of Arctic stakeholders' interests, data from policy documents and interviews with relevant stakeholders were analysed. This analysis shows the Chinese and Japanese governments are in the gradual process of consolidating their Arctic policies, but both China and Japan see the Arctic less as a strategically crucial point from the traditional security perspective, but more from the viewpoint of economic security and development. In addition, their perspectives manifest themselves slightly differently from one another. China is willing to invest more in the Arctic. Japan is willing to build on the achievements it has made so far, maintaining its low-profile position as a non-Arctic or non-coastal state, while at the same time emphasising Japan's past contribution to Arctic research.


INTRODUCTION
The incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is reported to be increasing. This study assessed the incidence and trend of CRCs in Brunei Darussalam, a developing nation.

METHODS
All histologically-confirmed CRCs over a 22-year period (1986-2007) were identified from the National Cancer and the Department of Pathology registries and retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS
There was a total of 576 (male 59.0 percent, mean age 59.6 +/- 14.8 years, adenocarcinoma 97.6 percent, rectum 31.4 percent) CRCs diagnosed during this period. There was an increasing trend in the mean age at diagnosis, 55.2 +/- 17.5 years in 1986 to 62.0 +/- 13.0 years in 2007, but this was not significant (p-value equals 0.150, ANOVA). 18.8 percent were diagnosed in patients aged 45 years or below. There was no difference in the age at diagnosis between the genders (p-value equals to 0.432) and tumour sites, colon vs. rectum (p-value equals to 0.279). Overall, there was an increase in the age standardised rate (ASR) from 10.36 (1986-90) to 13.75 (1991-95), 15.90 (1996-2000), 16.87 (2001-05) and 24.31 per 100,000 (2006-07). Among the ethnic groups, the Chinese had higher ASRs (41.44) compared to the Malays (including the indigenous groups) with 15.46 per 100,000. The mean age of the Chinese (62.6 +/- 14.0 years) was significantly higher than that of the Malays (58.2 +/- 14.9 years, p-value equals to 0.001) at diagnosis. The age-specific incidence rates for the genders were comparable, except for the age groups of older than 55-59 years, where the rate for males was higher.

CONCLUSION
The incidence of CRC is increasing in our local setting with differences observed among the ethnic groups. The Chinese had a higher incidence but developed CRC at a later age. These have important implications if screening for CRC is to be considered in our local setting.


A surface reading of Ezra 9-10 gives the impression that the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants' codes concerning foreigners justify the expulsion of the so-called foreign women by Ezra and his associates. Consequently, the story has generated various viewpoints among Old Testament scholars. However, in this article, the author has attempted to show that Ezra and his associates did not provide convincing reasons for these massive expulsions. Rather, it appears, the expulsion was based upon a partial or narrower view and interpretation of the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants' codes concerning foreigners. A close reading of the story and the purported covenants' codes concerning foreigners reveals that first, these women were not foreigners as presupposed by Ezra and his associates; second, had the reformers adopted a more holistic or broader perspective and interpretation of the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants' codes about foreigners, it would have yielded a more positive, accommodating and inclusive disposition towards the so-called foreign women.


Progresses of synthetic chemistry methodologies have allowed the preparation of a great variety of artificial receptors that are particularly appealing for chemical sensor development. In this paper, we investigate and compare the properties of gas sensors based on two types of devices, quartz microbalances (QMBs) and field effect transistors (FETs), which give the means to exploit the molecular recognition events occurring in non-conductive sensing layers formed by a thiol-modified cobalt tetraphenylporphyrin (CoTPPSH). Since QMB is sensitive to mass and FET is sensitive to electric dipoles, the resulting sensors are expected to exhibit different sensitivities and selectivities, although both based on the same sensing layer. In particular we show that the high sensitivity of CoTPPSH-coated FETs towards CO and NO is a consequence of the significant CoTPPSH electric dipole change after the gas coordination to the metal centre.


1. The following plants are admirably adapted for use as test plants for illuminating gas in greenhouses: Lycopersicum esculentum, Salvia splendens, Mimosa pudica, Ricinus communis, Datura Stramonium, and Dianthus Caryophyllus. The response of each is definite, striking, and not easily mistaken. 2. Traces of gas (50 ppm of air) cause the epinastic growth of the petioles of all these plants, with the exception of the last. The flower buds of the carnations are blighted by these amounts. One part of illuminating gas per 1000 of air causes leaf fall in the following plants: Lycopersicum esculentum, Salvia splendens, Mimosa pudica, Datura Stramonium, Ricinus communis, Coleus sp., and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. Both the amounts (50 ppm of air and 1 part per 1000 of air) are far below the limit of odor. Repeated trials showed that it was impossible to detect less than 0.25 per cent of illuminating gas (1 part to 400 of air) by the sense of smell. 3. Amounts of ethylene corresponding to the gas mixture gave similar responses; 2 ppm of air caused epinastic growth of the petioles of Lycopersicum esculentum, Salvia splendens, Mimosa pudica, Ricinus communis, and Datura Stramonium; 8 ppm of air (equivalent to 200 parts of illuminating gas) caused some leaf fall in the 5 plants named. 4. Poa pratensis and Acer Negundo are very resistant to gas, having shown no response to concentrations injurious to all other forms tested. 5. The following plants are not noticeably injured by gas unless there is enough present to be detected by odor: Caladium esculentum, Lupinus perennis, Eriobotrya japonica, Phoenix canariensis, Conocephalus sp., Canna, Achyranthes lindini, Alternanthera sp., Cytisus canariensis, Polypodium, etc. 6. The following trees are rather sensitive to gas escaping into the soil: Pyrus Malus, P. communis, Fraxinus americana, Ulmus americana, Sambucus canadensis, Grevillea robusta, Catalpa speciosa, Populus deltoides, and Tilia americana. Apple, pear, ash, elm, Catalpa, and Sambucus showed proliferation tissue in the cortex of the stems below the surface of the ground. Elm, ash, and cottonwood showed longitudinal cracks in the bark just above the surface of the ground. 7. The following bedding plants are injured by gas escaping into the soil: Lycopersicum esculentum, Salvia splendens, Ricinus communis, and Chrysanthemum hortorum. Chrysanthemum is killed outright; the others drop their leaves or show epinastic growth of the petioles. 8. Young trees at least are injured by leakage of illuminating gas too slight to be detected by odor. The foliage shows no injury, and one would not be likely to suspect gas poisoning from the appearance of the tree above ground. Judging from my results with trees, their killing by illuminating gas is a very slow process, going on for months or years. It is certain that enough gas to cause an odor in the vicinity of trees would be enough to injure them seriously.


During 2017, Utah State University conducted a survey of utilities across the US and Canada to obtain data on water main failures of municipal and private water supply systems. In 2012, a very similar survey was conducted by Utah State University and presented in the 2012 Plastic Pipes Conference in Barcelona. The 2012 survey showed that PVC had the lowest break rate when compared with asbestos cement, concrete, ductile iron, cast iron, and steel pipe materials. After six years, it was time to complete a similar survey that could examine any changes and current trends with respect to water main break rates. The latest survey had a greater participation rate than the 2012 survey and is believed to be the most comprehensive water main break survey ever completed in the US. The results of the latest survey again demonstrate that the break rate for PVC pipe remains the lowest break rate material when compared with asbestos cement, concrete, ductile iron, cast iron, and steel pipe materials. The latest survey also shows that break rates of cast iron and asbestos cement pipes have significantly increased and utilities should increase replacement rates of those materials. A number of other results are discussed including typical operational parameters of utilities, installation techniques, soil corrosivity effects, material inventory data, and other items that will be of interest to manufacturers, designers, and water utilities.


World trade talks have foundered recently, in part due to developing country demands that industrialized countries reduce their large farm support programs to allow poor farmers in the global South to compete more fairly. Claiming that Northern farm subsidies amount to over $1 billion a day, and that the average European cow receives more in subsidies than the nearly three billion people who live on less than two dollars a day, Southern governments, farmer groups, and international aid groups have demanded steep cuts in Northern agricultural subsidies. This paper examines the economic and policy aspects of the subsidy debate. We begin with an examination of the most widely used measure of agricultural support, the OECD's Producer Support Estimate. We identify several important flaws in its application and interpretation as a reliable subsidy measure, highlighting the particular problems this can cause in measuring the levels of farm support in developing countries whose economies may not be fully integrated with the world economy. We then review the results of economic modeling of trade liberalization and subsidy reduction, finding that overall such measures are unlikely to raise producer prices to a sufficient degree to bring relief from alleged agricultural dumping to Southern farmers by bringing export prices above production costs. We briefly examine one alternative explanation for low commodity prices, the oligopolistic nature of agricultural trade. We conclude with an outline for policy reforms at the global and national levels to address measurement flaws, raise commodity prices, and reduce the undercutting of developing country farmers by below-cost agricultural exports from the North. Throughout, we draw on US-Mexico trade in maize as an illustrative case study. We conclude that subsidy reduction is unlikely to reduce economic pressures on Mexican maize producers from below-cost US exports, nor are such measures likely to improve the economic prospects for similar small-scale farmers growing food primarily for subsistence and the internal market. Instead, policy reforms should focus on ending agricultural dumping, reducing global commodity overproduction in key crops, and reducing the market power of agribusiness conglomerates.


AIM
Traditionally, the fourth ventricle is approached via the cerebellar vermis. The approach via the telovelar fold (telovelar approach) has been designed to avoid neural tissue damage. Here we describe our institution's experience with the telovelar approach as well as factors governing radicality and outcome.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
During March 2015-January 2017, 44 children with fourth ventricular tumors were operated using the telovelar approach. Radicality, neurological outcome, complications, and survival rates were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed to determine factors associated with radicality and neurological outcome.

RESULTS
Gross tumor removal was achieved in 37 patients (84.1%). All patients required cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion through a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Six patients (13.6%) developed cerebellar mutism, 4 patients (9.1%) developed bulbar paralysis (lower cranial nerve palsy), and 13 patients (30.2%) had tumor recurrence. Medulloblastoma was associated with the highest risk of cerebellar mutism (P = 0.040). A poor prognosis (according to overall and progression-free survival rates) was associated with subtotal resection (P = 0.020), large cell/anaplastic medulloblastoma and anaplastic ependymoma (P = 0.038), high-risk medulloblastoma (P = 0.005), and CSF seeding (P 0.001).

CONCLUSION
The telovelar approach provides an adequate anatomical exposure of the fourth ventricle and allows early visualization and protection of its floor (brainstem). It facilitates adequate radicality and is associated with a lower incidence of cerebellar mutism and other approach-related complications. The working angle, particularly to the rostral part of the fourth ventricle, can be increased by removing the posterior arch of the atlas.


Motivated by the wide range of physical parameters characterizing the scrape-off layer (SOL) of existing tokamaks, the regimes of low-frequency linear instabilities in the SOL are identified by numerical and analytical calculations based on the linear, drift-reduced Braginskii equations, with cold ions. The focus is put on ballooning modes and drift wave instabilities, i.e., their resistive, inertial, and ideal branches. A systematic study of each instability is performed, and the parameter space region where they dominate is identified. It is found that the drift waves dominate at high R/Ln, while the ballooning modes at low R/Ln; the relative influence of resistive and inertial effects is discussed. Electromagnetic effects suppress the drift waves and, when the threshold for ideal stability is overcome, the ideal ballooning mode develops. Our analysis is a first stage tool for the understanding of turbulence in the tokamak SOL, necessary to interpret the results of non-linear simulations.


Professor Jean Braucher greatly contributed to the exploration of consumer and contract law by questioning how the law operates in the real world and highlighting the importance of "law in action." In recognition of that contribution, this Article focuses on law in action with respect to consumers' quest to obtain remedies regarding their business-to-consumers ("B2C") contracts. Currently, consumers often have no practical recourse with respect to B2C purchase problems due to the complexity, cost, and inconvenience of the processes for obtaining remedies. Accordingly, stated legal rights become meaningless for individuals living in the real world. This Article, therefore, explores access to consumer remedies and proposes ideas for expanding that access through development of fair and efficient online dispute resolution ("ODR") processes.


Increasingly, it is common for public universities and student religious organization to litigate over the membership policies of the organization. On the one hand, many public universities ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, political, or religious belief in all aspects of campus life. On the other hand, many faith-based groups wish to exclude those who believe that homosexual conduct is sinful or those who adhere to different theological tenants. In Christian Legal Society v. Walker, the Seventh Circuit held a state university's interest in preventing discrimination against homosexuals did not outweigh the organization's interest in expressing its disapproval of homosexual activity by barring active homosexuals (and others) from serving as voting members or serving in leadership capacities even though they participate in its activities. Conversely, in Christian Legal Society v. Kane, the Ninth Circuit, relying on circuit precedent from a similar case in the K-12 context, reached the opposite result. Yet, despite the conflict between the Seventh and Ninth Circuits, existing Supreme Court precedent suggests that student religious organizations should prevail against public institutions. Quite simply, orthodoxy may be enforced. Student religious organizations have a right to exclude non-believers. The purpose of this Article is to explain why student religious organizations have a constitutional right to control their membership. Part I details the Seventh Circuit decision in Walker and the district court opinion in Kane, which the Ninth Circuit summarily affirmed. Part II views the issue through three different constitutional lenses - the Free Exercise of Religion, the Freedom of Expressive Association, and the Court's student organization jurisprudence.


The thesis you are about to read is the culmination of my three years as a PhD student in the Structured Electromagnetic Materials group at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Contained herein is a compilation of the results obtained from the research projects I have been involved in during these three years. The projects have been focused on experimental characterisation of the optical properties of plasmonic structures and two-dimensional (2D) materials, and especially how we can tailor these properties. We begin with an introduction to the optical properties of metals. This leads us to the concept of collective electron excitations called plasmons. We especially focus on the localised surface plasmons hosted by nanoscale metallic structures, and we review their properties in single and coupled configurations. We conclude this part with a presentation of the experimental investigation into the interaction between spherical gold nanoparticles and single-crystalline gold substrates, which are known to host electronic surface states. We detect no change, however, in the optical properties from these states, when we compare to a polycrystalline reference substrate. We ascribe this to the weak effect induced by the surface states compared to other factors such as the surface roughness. Following this, we introduce the family of 2D materials known as the transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). We review their basic electronic and optical properties, and we explore the strong light-matter interaction in these atomically thin materials dominated by electron-hole complexes known as excitons. We also see how it is possible to theoretically model the optical response of such a 2D material on a substrate with the transfer-matrix method, and we use this to extract the dielectric permittivity of WS2 monoand multilayers. Having the basic theory in place, we demonstrate how it is possible to manipulate the emission energy of excitons in WSe2 monolayers, encapsulated between flakes of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), by nanostructuring the dielectric environment. This is explained by the reduced binding energy of the excitons from the dielectric screening, and the change in the material band structure from the presence of the hBN. We find that the emission energy increases with decreasing screening from the hBN, an effect that appears to be dependent on whether the metal atom is molybdenum or tungsten. We then move on to discussing the coupling of emitters and cavities in the weakand strong-coupling regimes. The emitters are here represented by the excitons in


Title of Document: EVALUATION OF CONCRETE INFRASTRUCTURE QUALITY USING LABORATORY AND ON-SITE TESTING Christina Stergiopoulou, Master of Science, 2006 Directed By: Professor M. Sherif Aggour Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering The exposure of parking garages to harsh weather conditions and vehicular traffic causes premature deterioration that can compromise structural integrity and pose safety hazards. In order to develop comprehensive and cost-effective strategies for evaluating the condition of their eighteen parking facilities, Montgomery County's Department of Public Works initiated this study. In this phase of the study, a systematic procedure for a robust, automatic, and reliable condition assessment of the concrete slabs of all of the eighteen garages was developed using the nondestructive ultrasonic pulse velocity technique. Computer simulation and laboratory analyses were performed to establish test criteria. Guidelines for conducting the nondestructive tests and analyzing the measured data were provided. The second phase of the study, whereby a performance model will provide a prediction on where the garages are in their life cycles, could be accomplished when the county provides a historical performance of the garages. EVALUATION OF CONCRETE INFRASTRUCTURE QUALITY USING LABORATORY AND ON-SITE TESTING


Ultrasonic methods of human body internal structures imaging are being continuously enhanced. New algorithms are created to improve certain output parameters. A synthetic aperture method (SA) is an example which allows to display images at higher frame-rate than in case of conventional beam-forming method.
Higher computational complexity is a limitation of SA method and it can prevent from obtaining a desired reconstruction time. This problem can be solved by neglecting a part of data. Obviously it implies a decrease of imaging quality, however a proper data reduction technique would minimize the image degradation.
A proposed way of data reduction can be used with synthetic transmit aperture method (STA) and it bases on an assumption that a signal obtained from any pair of transducers is the same, no matter which transducer transmits and which receives. According to this postulate, nearly a half of the data can be ignored without image quality decrease.
The presented results of simulations and measurements with use of wire and tissue phantom prove that the proposed data reduction technique reduces the amount of data to be processed by half, while maintaining resolution and allowing only a small decrease of SNR and contrast of resulting images.


"I hate war," de Fontenelle confessed, "for it spoils conversation." And does it spoil philosophy too, which is always a kind of conversation? Or can philosophers write about war, as now we surely must, in a way that keeps the conversation going without belligerence? Only so, perhaps, can philosophy shed light on this dark field; but how to do it is itself obscured by the passions that wars evoke. Ted Honderich advocates advocacy, "an advocacy of arguments and judgements. A decent philosopher dealing with moral and political questions … is in a line of life higher than that of a trial lawyer, but not out of sight of that line of life. If there is what can be called moral truth, it is not ordinary truth. Desire sits onto it" (7). Honderich's book may be viewed in this light as a sustained speech for the prosecution in the impeachment of Tony Blair and George W. Bush for waging terrorist war and supporting the terrorist wars of others. It is, then, a polemical work, but, unlike a lawyer's, founded on Honderich's own convictions, which are themselves rooted in philosophical belief.


This article shows how hegemonic discourses are sustained through the play of lack and jouissance. Lack refers to the symbolic limits of discourse and is both the condition of possibility and of impossibility of hegemony: while it vitiates the realization of a full identity, it at the same time keeps spurring the search for it. Jouissance describes the paradoxical satisfaction in dissatisfaction that subjects procure from this lack, from the failure to attain the enjoyment that hegemonic discourse promises. Looking at how organizations become enmeshed with the formation of state subjects, the article considers identification with the discourse of a strong Russia at a Russian elite university as an empirical illustration. This discourse becomes hegemonic in students' identification not only because it proposes a comprehensive project that unifies a range of diverse signifiers and promises enjoyment, but also because it fails to provide a full symbolic suture and subjects are unable to obtain the promised enjoyment. This constant lack forms the basis for repeated acts of identification that strive to overcome it and provides a jouissance that keeps subjects attached to the illusory quest for real enjoyment—and thus to identification with a strong Russia.


In this chapter, I outline the developmental path of relative clauses in Hebrew while asking more general questions about how constructions are learned. I argue that Hebrew-speaking children show a gradual expansion of uses that is sensitive to the distributional patterns in their input. This pattern, found both in comprehension and production, is consistent with usage-based predictions about how constructions are learned. Taking Hebrew relative clauses as a case-study, I show how children's own uses become more semantically and structurally complex, and how their understanding develops to rely less on morphological cues. By looking closely at production and comprehension patterns we can see that children's use of relative clauses, like that of other constructions, develops gradually over time in ways that are sensitive to language-general and language specific cues. Finally, I suggest that the frequency of multi-word sequences (larger than one lexical word) plays a role in children's expansion of uses: Other things being equal, children prefer to produce construction variants with a higher chunk frequency.


It has been pointed out by one of the authors (Shaposhnikov 2008 Preprint 0804.4542) that in the νMSM (Standard Model extended with three right-handed neutrinos with masses smaller than the electroweak scale), there is a corner in the parameter space where CP-violating resonant oscillations among the two heaviest right-handed neutrinos continue to operate below the freeze-out temperature of sphaleron transitions, leading to a lepton asymmetry which is considerably larger than the baryon asymmetry. Consequently, the lightest right-handed ('sterile') neutrinos, which may serve as dark matter, are generated through an efficient resonant mechanism proposed by Shi and Fuller (1999 Phys. Rev. Lett. 82 2832 [astro-ph/9810076]). We re-compute the dark matter relic density and non-eq uilibrium momentum distribution function in this situation with quantum field theoretic methods and, confronting the results with existing astrophysical data, derive bounds on the properties of the lightest right-handed neutrinos. Our spectra can be used as an input for structure formation simulations in warm dark matter cosmologies, for a Lyman-α analysis of the dark matter distribution on small scales, and for studying the properties of haloes of dwarf spheroidal galaxies.


Oxidative stress and inflammation are established processes contributing to cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis. However, antioxidant therapies tested in cardiovascular disease such as vitamin E, C and β-carotene have proved unsuccessful at reducing cardiovascular events and mortality. Although these outcomes may reflect limitations in trial design, new, more potent antioxidant therapies are being pursued. Astaxanthin, a carotenoid found in microalgae, fungi, complex plants, seafood, flamingos and quail is one such agent. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Limited, short duration and small sample size studies have assessed the effects of astaxanthin on oxidative stress and inflammation biomarkers and have investigated bioavailability and safety. So far no significant adverse events have been observed and biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation are attenuated with astaxanthin supplementation. Experimental investigations in a range of species using a cardiac ischaemia-reperfusion model demonstrated cardiac muscle preservation when astaxanthin is administered either orally or intravenously prior to the induction of ischaemia. Human clinical cardiovascular studies using astaxanthin therapy have not yet been reported. On the basis of the promising results of experimental cardiovascular studies and the physicochemical and antioxidant properties and safety profile of astaxanthin, clinical trials should be undertaken.


The nature of solid earth tidal strain and surface load deformation due to the influence of gravitational forces and barometric pressure loading are discussed. The pore pressure response to these types of deformation is investigated in detail, including the cases of a confined aquifer intersected by a well and a discrete fracture intersected by a well. The integration of the tidal response method with conventional pump tests in order to independently calculate the hydraulic parameters of the fracture-formation system is discussed. How advanced spectral analysis methods, coupled with correlation analysis can be used to extract the tidal response signals from the pressure record is shown. Uncertainties in the signals are estimated using various information-theoretic methods in order to place a confidence level at which we can safely assume that the measured signal is indeed of tidal origin. A detailed case study of the method carried out at the Raft River Geothermal Reservoir in Idaho is presented. All of the analyzed tidal data is presented and the results of the computed fracture orientation using the solid earth tidal strain approach are compared with the extensive field work carried out at Raft River over the past decade. The direction that future workmore » in the continuing development of this technology should take is discussed, including: (1) the present need for an expanded data base for the confirmation of present tidal strain response models, and (2) improvement in response models.« less


In a future beta-beam facility radioactive ions (6He and 18Ne) are produced, accelerated and then stored in a large Decay Ring (DR), where they eventually produce anti-neutrino and neutrino beams through β± decay. CERN is one of the candidate sites for the beta-beam facility, as existing machines like the Proton Synchrotron (PS) and the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) could be used for the acceleration. The DR is composed of two long straight sections and two arcs. The straight sections host the collimators and two bumps. The beam is injected into the ring at nearly 92 GeV per nucleon. Beam losses occur in different sections of the machine: relevant losses include collimation losses in the collimation section and the bumps, and decay losses in the magnets in the arcs. This work focuses on two radiation protection aspects related to the operation of the DR, namely the induced radioactivity and the air activation generated by collimation and decay losses. All the calculations are performed with the Monte Carlo transport code FLUKA and are based on a continuous three-month operation. The induced radioactivity in the machine components and the expected residual dose rates inside the tunnel during maintenance are calculated for three different waiting times. Airborne activity is evaluated through the convolution of predicted particle spectra in the tunnel with isotope-production cross-sections. Using activity-to-dose coefficients, previously calculated for the ISOLDE facility at CERN, and a laminar flow model for the air diffusion, the airborne activity is converted into effective dose to the reference population group. The results show that residual dose rates during maintenance decrease significantly in a week after the shutdown of the machine, reaching values that correspond, according to CERN area classification, to a limited stay area. The effective dose given to the reference population in one year of operation is below the reference value for CERN emissions into the environment.


: Foods contain various substances which control the physiological functions of the body, modulating immune responses which is one among the important functions of foods. Immune functions are indispensable for defending the body against attack by pathogens or cancer cells and plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of health. The immune system is supported by the fragile balance that comes with a healthy lifestyle. Adequate sleep, exercise, and, of course, a healthful diet all contribute to maintaining the body's system of defense against illnesses.The immune system acts to guard the host from infectious agents that exist within the environment and from other noxious insults. Nutritional deficiencies seem to weaken the immune system leading to increased disease and mortality. Extrinsic factors can adversely affect immune responses producing states of secondary immunodeficiency and a consequent increased risk of infections. After all, a healthy body and sane mind is all we would like to survive the challenges of this fast paced world. So it is important to take care of a healthy immune system. In addition to knowledge of foods which boosts immunity, it is also important to know the foods that should be avoided to maintain a healthy immune system. This study reviews the foods that can be avoided to maintain immunity and thus promote the immune system.


Wuchereria bancrofti presented in subcutaneous nodule is a very rare presentation. Wuchereria bancrofti first reported by Bancrofti in Brisbane in 1876 and the name filaria Bancrofti was given in 1877 and the generic name was given in 1878. A 15-year-old male patient's known case of pulmonary Koch's with incidentally detected subcutaneous nodule on right arm pit, cytology from the nodule shows many sheathed microfilaria along with segment of an adult female worm. Wet mount peripheral blood smear shows nocturnal motile microfilaria. The Wuchereria bancrofti is known to be associated with pulmonary Koch's. Nocturnal motility and cytomorphological features differentiate Wuchereria bancrofti from Wuchereria loa loa . After giving diethyl carbamazine (DEC 6 mg/kg) for 21 days without disturbing anti Koch's treatment schedule and microfilaria disappeared from peripheral blood.


This Article examines the matrix of vulnerabilities that low-income people face as a result of the collection and aggregation of big data and the application of predictive analytics. On the one hand, big data systems could reverse growing economic inequality by expanding access to opportunities for low-income people. On the other hand, big data could widen economic gaps by making it possible to prey on low-income people or to exclude them from opportunities due to biases that get entrenched in algorithmic decision-making tools. New kinds of "networked privacy" harms, in which users are simultaneously held liable for their own behavior and the actions of those in their networks, may have particularly negative impacts on the poor. This Article reports on original empirical findings from a large, nationally-representative telephone survey with an oversample of low-income American adults and highlights how these patterns make particular groups of low-status internet users uniquely vulnerable to various forms of surveillance and networked privacy-related problems. In particular, a greater reliance on mobile connectivity, combined with lower usage of privacy-enhancing strategies may contribute to various privacy and security-related harms. The article then discusses three scenarios in which big data – including data gathered from social media inputs – is being aggregated to make predictions about individual behavior: employment screening, access to higher education, and predictive policing. Analysis of the legal frameworks surrounding these case studies reveals a lack of legal protections to counter digital discrimination against low-income people. In light of these legal gaps, the Article assesses leading proposals for enhancing digital privacy through the lens of class vulnerability, including comprehensive consumer privacy legislation, digital literacy, notice and choice regimes, and due process approaches. As policymakers consider reforms, the article urges greater attention to impacts on low-income persons and communities.


I. INTRODUCTION To construct any project involving the discharge of dredged or fill material into U.S. waters, one must obtain a 404 permit from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). An applicant for a 404 permit must demonstrate to the Corps that, among other things, the proposed project is the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative (LEDPA) to achieve the project's purpose. To determine the LEDPA, an applicant conducts a 404(b)(1) Alternatives Analysis. Though the LEDPA determination is only one of many determinations the Corps will make for a project and that the applicant must pass, the LEDPA determination is often the "steepest hurdle" in obtaining a 404 permit. (1) Practitioners should be aware that where a proposed project is not the LEDPA, the Corps may not approve the project or grant the applicant a 404 permit. In other words, the LEDPA determination can be fatal to the project. This article explains how the Corps determines whether an applicant's project is the LEDPA. Because the LEDPA is one determination among many that the Corps will make in deciding whether a project is in the public interest and complies with the 404(b)(1) Guidelines, this article also explains the context in which the LEDPA review is undertaken. A flow chart of the LEDPA determination process is included as Appendix 1. II. 404(B)(1) GUIDELINES COMPLIANCE Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) requires a permit for the discharge of "dredged or fill materials" into "waters of the United States." (2) Therefore, a permit to discharge dredged or fill materials into waters of the U.S. is referred to as a 404 permit. (3) To issue a 404 permit, the Corps must ensure, among other things, that the activity complies with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 404(b)(1) Guidelines, set out in 40 C.F.R. section 230. (4) The purpose of the Guidelines is "to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of waters of the United States through the control of discharges of dredged or fill material." (5) The project applicant is required to prepare a 404(b)(1) analysis to provide the Corps with the necessary information to determine whether the Guidelines have been followed. (6) Such an analysis is required for water and non-water-dependent projects, but certain presumptions will apply to non-water-dependent projects, discussed below. (7) The amount of information necessary to make this determination is commensurate with the level of the project's impacts--more information is required for large and complex projects. (8) The 404(b)(1) Guidelines are the substantive criteria the Corps will use in determining a project's environmental impacts on aquatic resources from discharges of dredged or fill material. (9) The Guidelines are binding regulations, meaning a project that does not comply with these guidelines will be denied a 404 permit. (10) If the project does comply with the Guidelines, a permit will be granted "unless issuance would be contrary to the public interest." (11) While the Guidelines are binding, they are also inherently flexible, leaving room for judgment in determining compliance on a case-by-case basis. (12) The 404(b)(1) Guidelines establish four prerequisites to approval, one of which, the basis for the LEDPA requirement, requires that there are no practicable alternatives to the proposed discharge that would have a less adverse effect on the aquatic environment. (13) Noncompliance with this requirement is a sufficient basis for the Corps to deny the project permit. (14) The LEDPA determination is thus most important of the four prerequisites for determining compliance with the Guidelines. (15) The 404(b)(1) Guidelines compliance process will be managed by the Corps and the Corps will make all final permit decisions including whether the Guidelines have been satisfied; EPA and other resources agencies usually comment on the Corps' public notice. …


Significant effort is currently being invested on enhancing digitization in all aspects of industrial processes and manufacturing on the quest for the next transformational change towards sustainable manufacturing and the factories of the future. This vision, commonly termed as Industry 4.0, is at the core of a number of funded projects in Europe. This short paper briefly reports experiences from the EU-funded project DISRUPT and focuses on the identification of some key challenges in the interplay between Industry 4.0 and High Performance Computing.


Bok is a proapoptotic member in the Bcl-2 family and the expression of Bok is regulated by cellular stresses. In the present study, we have isolated and characterized a natural antisense transcript of Bok, BOKAS. The BOKAS gene consists of 2 exons, that expresses as a non-protein coding transcript. Both BOKAS and Bok are transcribed from the same locus but in opposite orientations. The mRNA expression of BOKAS was only detected in testis and certain cancer tissues but not in other normal adult tissues examined. Overexpression of BOKAS alone exhibited no significant anti- or pro-apoptotic activity but it was able to inhibit Bok-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells. Our results suggest that BOKAS may function specifically in the human testis, where it serves as an antisense molecule to regulate Bok-induced apoptosis. In addition, natural antisense transcripts were identified for BAD and BCL2L12.


Hypermutation in immunoglobulin genes produces a high frequency of substitutions of all four bases, which are likely generated by low-fidelity DNA polymerases. Indeed, humans deficient for DNA polymerase (pol) eta have decreased substitutions of A.T base pairs in variable and switch regions. To study the role of pol eta in a genetically tractable system, we created mice lacking pol eta. B cells from Polh-/- mice produced normal amounts of IgG, indicating that pol eta does not affect class switch recombination. Similar to their human counterparts, variable and switch regions from Polh-/- mice had fewer substitutions of A.T base pairs and correspondingly more mutations of C.G base pairs, which firmly establishes a central role for pol eta in hypermutation. Notably, the location and types of substitutions differ markedly from those in Msh6-/- clones, which also have fewer A.T mutations. The data suggest that pol eta preferentially synthesizes a repair patch on the nontranscribed strand, whereas MSH6 functions to generate the patch.


In this paper, we present a statistical mechanics framework to understand the effect of sampling properties of training data on the generalization gap of machine learning (ML) algorithms. We connect the generalization gap to the spatial properties of a sample design characterized by the pair correlation function (PCF). In particular, we express generalization gap in terms of the power spectra of the sample design and that of the function to be learned. Using this framework, we show that space-filling sample designs, such as blue noise and Poisson disk sampling, which optimize spectral properties, outperform random designs in terms of the generalization gap and characterize this gain in a closed-form. Our analysis also sheds light on design principles for constructing optimal task-agnostic sample designs that minimize the generalization gap. We corroborate our findings using regression experiments with neural networks on: a) synthetic functions, and b) a complex scientific simulator for inertial confinement fusion (ICF).


In this paper I demonstrate that theories which postulate a strict tree structure of discourse on either the intentional or attentional level are not totally adequate for handling spontaneous dialogues. I use as evidence analyses of the structure of multiple headed negotiations. These are negotiation dialogues in which multiple suggestions are being negotiated at once. The question I explore in this paper is how to characterize the structure of a discourse in which multiple non-embedded adjacency pairs are initiated within a single turn since it is unclear in these cases how response parts are matched up with their corresponding initiating parts if discourse is tree structured. I argue that each non-embedded initiating part exists on a separate thread of the discourse so that an initiating part can be matched with its corresponding response part on its own thread. I develop my theory for the structure of these dialogues in the spirit of (GS86) and (Loc94). I support my claim that discourse is structured as a tapestry of interwoven threads by demonstrating that discourse level parallel structure makes it necessary to model attentional state as a graph structured stack rather than as a simple stack in order to make correct predictions about which discourse entities are readily available for pronominal reference, particularly with deictic pronouns like "that" and "those". I demonstrate that the graph structured stack model is a generalization of the simple stack model and therefore covers all of the phenomena covered by the simple stack model in addition to the data discussed in this paper which is problematic for the simple stack model. An implementation of this theory is discussed in (RELED95).


Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Objectives Personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn by health care providers (HCPs) to protect against hazardous exposures. Studies of HCPs performing critical resuscitation tasks in PPE have yielded mixed results and have not evaluated performance in care of children. We evaluated the impacts of PPE on timeliness or success of emergency procedures performed by pediatric HCPs. Methods This prospective study was conducted at 2 tertiary children's hospitals. For session 1, HCPs (medical doctors and registered nurses) wore normal attire; for session 2, they wore full-shroud PPE garb with 2 glove types: Ebola level or chemical. During each session, they performed clinical tasks on a patient simulator: intubation, bag-valve mask ventilation, venous catheter (IV) placement, push-pull fluid bolus, and defibrillation. Differences in completion time per task were compared. Results There were no significant differences in medical doctor completion time across sessions. For registered nurses, there was a significant difference between baseline and PPE sessions for both defibrillation and IV placement tasks. Registered nurses were faster to defibrillate in Ebola PPE and slower when wearing chemical PPE (median difference, −3.5 vs 2 seconds, respectively; P < 0.01). Registered nurse IV placement took longer in Ebola and chemical PPE (5.5 vs 42 seconds, respectively; P < 0.01). After the PPE session, participants were significantly less likely to indicate that full-body PPE interfered with procedures, was claustrophobic, or slowed them down. Conclusions Personal protective equipment did not affect procedure timeliness or success on a simulated child, with the exception of IV placement. Further study is needed to investigate PPE's impact on procedures performed in a clinical care context.


Combinatorial Domain Hunting (CDH) is a recently introduced technology
that addresses the problem of obtaining solubly expressed protein domains, or more
correctly polypeptide truncates, from a larger target. CDH relies upon enzymatic
fragmentation of a template gene, non-directional cloning of these fragments into a
set of bespoke expression vectors, and screening of the resulting library of clones for
the expression of soluble, affinity-tagged, protein fragments. Prior to the work
described in this thesis the CDH concept had only been described in outline. The
thesis describes various aspects of the application of CDH to a model target,
incorporating modifications to the CDH pipeline that were adopted on the basis of
this application, as well as development of an extension to the CDH concept that
introduces the potential to screen for soluble expression of high-affinity protein-protein
complexes.
CDH was applied to Hsp90, a well-characterised molecular chaperone with
predicted modular structure. Following fragmentation of the Hsp90 cDNA, a library of
15,000 clones was produced and 11,500 colonies were screened for expression of
soluble Hsp90 truncates, resulting in 107 preliminary hits, of which seven were
duplicates. Assessment of a subset of these hits indicated a significant potential for
soluble protein aggregates to survive the affinity purification/ filtration stage of CDH.
Implementation of an additional centrifugation step, although initially at some cost to
the overall timescale of a CDH screen, was shown to reduce the number of putative
false-positive, soluble protein aggregates identified (by 45% in the case of Hsp90,
resulting in 55 unique hits). The advantage derived from this modification is that
fewer preliminary hits would be taken forward for biochemical and structural
validation. The original CDH concept invoked the use of NMR spectroscopy for the
assessment of truncate foldedness. In the context of the real world application of
CDH to Hsp90, it was found that such assessment was inefficient in terms of the
amount of material required per preliminary hit. The thesis describes the application
of differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF, also known as 'Thermofluor') analysis to the
collection of Hsp90 CDH hits, demonstrating significant efficiency savings in the
assessment of foldedness, most dramatically in that much smaller amounts of
protein were required than for NMR. For the Hsp90 screen, DSF analysis indicated
that four out of the 41 (14 of the 55 did not express protein) preliminary CDH hits
corresponded to folded truncates (validated by 1D 1H NMR). The 41 hits were also
characterised by size exclusion chromatography, where 12 eluted mainly in the void
volume, and 11 others with greater than 40% in the void volume, possibly indicating that the centrifugation step applied at small scale, does not reliably eliminate those
truncates with the potential to self-associate at a preparative scale.
A CDH screen, including the modifications derived in the Hsp90 example,
was applied to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis histidine kinase DosS. 52,000
colonies were screened of a 100,000 clone library which resulted in 23 preliminary
hits. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that one of the hits covered the putative tandem
histidine kinase and histidine kinase acceptor domains. The thesis describes
biochemical and biophysical validation of the function and foldedness of this DosS
truncate, and enumerates initial attempts at crystallisation and NMR analysis.
For a given protein target, identification of folded domains may require the
presence of an obligate partner chain: with this in mind, this thesis introduces a novel
adaptation of the CDH paradigm, dubbed 2C-CDH, in which the fragment library of
one partner protein isolated with one affinity tag, is screened on the basis of
immunodetection of an orthogonal tag appended to the other partner. The design
and implementation of an appropriate two plasmid orthogonal expression-and detection
system is described. A proof-of-principle application of the 2C-CDH
concept is provided, using the complex formed between Hsp90 and Cdc37 proteins.
Two screens were performed, using a known soluble fragment of either Hsp90 or
Cdc37 (as bait) screened against a fragment library (as prey) derived from Cdc37
and Hsp90 respectively. In each case the 2C-CDH procedure identified one or more
truncates in the prey library with amino acid sequence boundaries consistent with the
known characteristics of the of the Hsp90-Cdc37 structure. Moreover, for each hit,
size exclusion chromatography analysis validated maintenance of a well-behaved
1:1 complex at preparative scale.
This thesis concludes with a commentary upon the CDH concept in the
context of related current and possible future paradigms for soluble protein
expression.


A human being health monitoring system for monitoring the physiological parameters such as body temperature, cough, heart rate and virus. The IEEE standards based sensor module has been designed successfully. The zigbee devices are used in the implementation of sensor module. Our project is designed in order to monitor the attendees of patient affected by fever such as swine flu. The patient's attendees are providing with a wrist worn device in order to monitor their health. The parameters are continuously measured and is transmitted wirelessly using ZigBee so that the doctor can get information if the attendees of the patient is infected or not. With the help of this device medical staff and doctors can easily predict the spreading of virus which causes fever such as swine flu in human being and provide treatment on time to save their lives. Keywords— Zigbee, sensors, wireless transmission, health parameters, temperature.


This dissertation presents the results of dynamic material tests and computational modeling exploring the effects of regional rib mechanical properties on thoracic fracture patterns. Test coupon modeling was used to verify the test setup. These material properties were incorporated into a human body computational model. The data from the material tests for all subjects indicate a statistically significant increase in the average stiffness and average ultimate stress for the cortical bone specimens located in the lateral portion of the ribs (11.9 GPa modulus, 153.5 MPa ultimate stress) versus the anterior (7.51 GPa, 116.7 MPa) and posterior (10.7 GPa, 127.7 MPa) rib locations. The results from computational modeling for both frontal and lateral impacts illustrate that the location and number of rib fractures are altered by the inclusion of rib material properties that vary by region. A sensitivity analysis of the effects of altering the failure strain criteria on the number of rib fractures predicted is performed revealing improved sensitivity of the modified THUMS model versus the original THUMS model for failure strains from 0.8 to 1.8%. The results from the small specimen tests are compared to results obtained for three-point bending of whole human rib sections.


This small-scale research project aimed to evaluate strategies designed to support women undergraduates' developing confidence in managing communications with parents of children in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). The demographic comprising ECEC students remains highly gendered. Fuller, (2016 p.12) suggests that women are subject to a 'subversive cultural hegemony' which affords them freedom to participate in higher education, though not freedom from gendered norms and expectations. Kass, (2015) highlights a marked difference in perceived self-efficacy amongst educators according to their gender. The QAA (2014) benchmarks for Early Childhood Studies degrees require students to act as advocates for children, their parents and families, but initial findings suggested that students lacked confidence in their abilities to do this, even avoiding opportunities where they arose. The research adopted a social constructivist, feminist perspective. A community of practice (Wenger, 2000) and workshops influenced by Ryan and Deci's (2000) theory of intrinsic motivation were co-constructed with student participants. Qualitative methods were employed to collect data. The research proposals were scrutinised by a University Ethics Committee underpinned by a protocol which included strategies for participation and withdrawal by participants. Findings supported the notion of the affective as a potential barrier to learning. It is contended that such a barrier might be mitigated by specific learning and teaching strategies and an overt focus on structural and socio-cultural imbalances of power in ECEC
Keywords: confidence, women, power-imbalances, professionalism, self-efficacy


Recent modeling techniques for fluid flow in a reservoir or an aquifer require characterizing the statistics of the spatial variability of physical properties such as porosity or reflectivity. The major interest of such modeling is in horizontal variations. We acquired a nontraditional seismic survey and analyzed it for the statistical parameters of correlation length and fractal dimension. Variograms and power spectra can extract these parameters from migrated sections. Statistical parameters are valuable for newly established hydrogeologic modeling techniques, with their definition greatly increasing the understanding of the aquifer under study. Applying similar techniques may also prove valuable for reservoir exploitation in the petroleum industry. We acquired our survey on top of a bench of an open-pit diatomite quarry and extracted the statistical parameters for an exposed vertical face. The imaged zone of interest is therefore physically accessible to future permeability studies that could validate our interpreted parameters. We can interpret horizontal, but not vertical, correlation lengths and fractal dimensions from either variograms or power spectra of our migrated seismic images. The horizontal correlation length and fractal dimension extracted from the seismic variograms match those extracted from photographs taken of the quarry face.


Joint optimization strategies across various layers of the protocol stack have recently been proposed for improving the performance of real-time video transmission over wireless networks. In this paper, we propose a new, low complexity system for determining the optimal cross-layer strategies for wireless multimedia transmission based on classification and machine learning techniques. We first determine offline the optimal cross-layer strategy for various video sequences and channel conditions (training data). Subsequently, we extract relevant and easy to compute content features, encoder-specific parameters, and channel resources from the training data, and train a statistical classifier based on these optimal results. At run-time, we predict using the classifier the optimal cross-layer compression and transmission strategy using these simple, on-the-fly computed features. Hence, we consider the complex problem of finding the optimal cross-layer strategy during the training phase only, and rely at transmission-time on low-complexity classification techniques. We illustrate the proposed classification-based system by performing MAC-application layer optimizations for video transmission over 802.11a wireless LANs. Specifically, we predict the optimal MAC retry limits for the various video packets and compare our results against both optimal and conventionally used ad-hoc cross-layer solutions. Our results indicate that considerable improvements can be obtained through the proposed cross-layer techniques relying on classification as opposed to optimized ad-hoc solutions. The improvements are especially important at high packet-loss rates (5% and higher), where deploying a judicious mixture of strategies at the various layers becomes essential. Furthermore, our proposed classification-based system can be easily modified to include other layers from the OSI stack during the cross-layer optimization


Recently Japanese science education researchers have come under the influence of multi-paradigmatic research which has led some to rethink classical established theories of research practice. This has shifted the focus from content to research methodology. I, Hisashi Otsuji, was once deeply engaged in positivistic research using concept mapping, but am now one of those influenced by multi-paradigmatic methodologies. I am engaged in an auto/ethnographic doctoral research based on my personal upbringing within a Mahayana Buddhist background in which I investigate contemporary science education issues through my lens as a practitioner of pre-service teacher training. In the research I have explored hybrid Japanese Mahayana Buddhism which has been influenced by Chinese Taoism, and Zhuangzi, the original pre-sectarian Buddhism from India. Furthermore, I have investigated Japanese science education's multiple theoretical layers including exploring the research interests abroad. In addition, using a survey I have inquired how the student-centered science classroom tradition has been influenced by Japanese Buddhism. I have reviewed relevant literature to identify hidden Buddhist elements in everyday classroom practice, such as 'greeting'. I have furthermore drawn comparisons between the Japanese Buddhism concept of the Bodhisattva (a Buddha-like being) and the role of a science teacher. In this presentation I draw on my research to foreshadow a new direction for Japanese science education, arguing that being conscious of the cultural-self and positioning one's profession culturally can lead to transformation and has the potential to sustain the individual, organization and society.


In the 1920s, revolution, war, and imperialist aggression brought chaos to China. Many of the dramatic events associated with this upheaval took place in or near China's cities. Bound together by rail, telegraph, and a shared urban mentality, cities like Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing formed an arena in which the great issues of the day - the quest for social and civil peace, the defense of popular and national sovereignty, and the search for a distinctively modern Chinese society - were debated and fought over. People were drawn into this conflicts because they knew that the passage of armies, the marching of protesters, the pontificating of intellectual, and the opening and closing of factories could change their lives. David Strand offers a penetrating view of the old walled capital of Beijing during these years by examining how the residents coped with the changes wrought by itinerant soldiers and politicians and by the accelerating movement of ideas, capital, and technology. By looking at the political experiences of ordinary citizens, including rickshaw pullers, policemen, trade unionists, and Buddhist monks, Strand provides fascinating insights into how deeply these forces were felt. The resulting portrait of early twentieth-century Chinese urban society stresses the growing political sophistication of ordinary people educated by mass movements, group politics, and participation in a shared, urban culture that mixed opera and demonstrations, newspaper reading and teahouse socializing. Surprisingly, in the course of absorbing new ways of living, working, and doing politics, much of the old society was preserved - everything seemed to change and yet little of value was discarded. Through tumultuous times, Beijing rose from a base of local and popular politics to form a bridge linking a traditional world of guilds and gentry elites with the contemporary world of corporatism and cadres.


During the 1800s, dance and etiquette manuals provided ordinary men and women with the keys to becoming gentlemen and ladies--and thus advancing in society. Why dance? To the insecure and status-oriented upper middle class, the ballroom embodied the perfect setting in which to demonstrate one's fitness for membership in genteel society. "From the Ballroom to Hell "collects over 100 little-known excerpts from dance, etiquette, beauty, and fashion manuals from the nineteenth century. Included are instructions for performing various dances, as well as musical scores, costume patterns, and the proper way to hold one's posture, fork, gloves, and fan. While of particular interest to dancers, dance historians, and choreographers, anyone fascinated by the ways and mores of the period will find "From the Ballroom to Hell" an endearing and informative glimpse of America's past.


I show how to simulate the scattering generated by a scratch on the surface of high-quality optics and their elements. This is accomplished by first describing how the present cosmetic scratch standards tend to be used in the optics industry. Second, I derive from first principles, using the scalar model for electromagnetic radiation, the first-order scattering coefficients for the far-field radiation due to a particular scratch pattern. There are approximations made to get these coefficients. The results allow construction of a set of secondary scratch standards. These are a pattern of rectangular grooves that can be made precisely reproducible during the manufacturing phase. Appropriate selection from this set can provide the same range of scattering power and character as is present in the current scratch standards, which are not easily reproducible. Because the method for construction of these new secondary standards is nonrandom, to guarantee the reproducible construction between these standards it is necessary to restrict the observation range 5– 10° from the direct beam.


Mongolia is a sparsely populated country with over 80 percent of its land used by pastoralists for extensive livestock grazing. Mongolia's wildlife and pastoralists have faced dramatic challenges with the recent rapid socioeconomic changes. Livestock numbers increased dramatically in the 1990s following the transition from communism to democracy and capitalism. Yet, limited industrialization and cultivation and relatively low rates of natural resources exploitation leave geographically large areas of the nation with few adverse impacts. In addition, the nation's heritage is strongly conservation oriented. As a result, Mongolia's protected areas system has been growing rapidly and its grasslands support the largest populations of several globally important species. Alternatively, several challenges exist, including growing pressure to exploit the nation's vast mineral reserves, the potential for conflict between pastoralist and conservation objectives, and insufficient conservation capacity to manage and protect natural resources. Arguably, a unique opportunity exists in Mongolia to develop economically while maintaining healthy and productive grasslands that support large populations of native flora and fauna. We suggest that doing so will require strengthening protected areas management; increasing ecotourism; instituting socially acceptable grazing reform; beginning to manage wildlife throughout the entire nation; and finding ways to integrate solutions for both sustainable pastoralism and conservation while minimizing unproductive conflict.


This study examines on-farm post-harvest losses (PHL) for three vegetable crops (onion, tomato, and pimento) in Senegal and the potential economic benefits associated with reducing PHL for these three vegetables. Household survey data was used to quantify the on-farm PHL for these vegetables at different stages between the crop's harvest and the sale or consumption. A multi-market model was used to simulate the effect of eliminating vegetable PHL on the total value of vegetable supply and international trade of vegetables at the national level. Results suggest that on average 30% of vegetable production is lost on-farm and is therefore unavailable for sale or consumption. Eliminating these losses could increase the total value of vegetable supply by 45% (US $72 million) per year and reduce vegetable imports by 22% (127,000 tons) per year. Moreover, our results indicate that both private costs to farmers and public costs to the government related to such PHL reductions would need due consideration when prioritizing between investments in the agricultural sector and beyond.


This thesis deals with the development and application of new synthetic methodology for stereo- or regioselective construction of carbon-carbon bonds in organic synthesis. The first part of this thesis describes the development of a divergent protocol for stereoselective synthesis of chiral aminodiols by employing Mukaiyama aldol additions to syn- and anti-α-amino-β-silyloxy aldehydes. The stereoselectivity of the nucleophilic attack is governed by either chelation to the α-amino moiety or by nucleophilic attack in the Felkin-Anh sense. This study is also directed towards the elucidation of the factors that dictate aldehyde π-facial selectivity in substrate-controlled nucleophilic additions to these and similar systems. In the second part, a highly stereoselective [3 + 2]-annulation reaction of N-Ts-α-amino aldehydes and 1,3-bis(silyl)propenes for stereoselective construction of densely functionalized pyrrolidines is presented. In addition, this methodology is also implemented as a keystep in a synthetic approach towards the polyhydroxylated pyrrolidine and pyrrolizidine alkaloids DGDP and (+)-alexine from a common late pyrrolidine intermediate. Finally, a divergent protocol for regioselective opening of vinyl epoxides using alkyne nucleophiles is described, in which the regioselectivity of the nucleophilic attack is controlled by the choice of reaction conditions. The regioselectivities of the SN2 and SN2' processes are, however, significantly influenced by the nature of the alkyne substituents and the best results are obtained using ethoxyacetylene. The SN2 opening of vinyl epoxides with ethoxyacetylene as nucleophile is also shown to provide a straightforward entry to functionalized γ-butyrolactones.


Collaborative note taking enables students in a class to take notes on their PDAs and share them with their "study group" in real-time. Students receive instructor's slides on their PDAs as they are displayed by the instructor. As the individual members of the group take notes pertaining to the slide being presented, their notes are automatically sent to all members of the group. In addition, to reduce their typing, students can use text they receive from other students and from the instructors slides to construct their notes. This system has been used in actual practice for a graduate level course on wireless mobile computing. In developing this system, special attention has been paid to the task of inputting text on PDAs, efficient use of the screen real estate, dynamics among students, privacy and ease of use issues.


The scales of white beetles strongly scatter light within a thin disordered network of
chitin filaments. There is no comparable artificial material achieving such a high scat-
tering strength within a thin layer of low refractive index material. Several analyses
investigated the scattering but could not explain the underlying concept. Here a model
system is described, which has the same optical properties as the white beetles' scales
in the visible wavelength range. With some modification, it also explains the behavior
of the structures in the near infrared range. The comparison of the original structure and
the model system is done by finite-difference time-domain calculations. The calcula-
tions show excellent agreement with the beetles' scales with respect to the reflectance,
the time-of-flight, and the intensity distribution in the far-field.


Conversational agents, also known as chatbots, are versatile tools that have the potential of being used in dialogical argumentation. They could possibly be deployed in tasks such as persuasion for behaviour change (e.g. persuading people to eat more fruit, to take regular exercise, etc.). However, to achieve this, there is a need to develop methods for acquiring appropriate arguments and counterargument that reflect both sides of the discussion. For instance, to persuade someone to do regular exercise, the chatbot needs to know counterarguments that the user might have for not doing exercise. To address this need, we present methods for acquiring arguments and counterarguments, and importantly, meta-level information that can be useful for deciding when arguments can be used during an argumentation dialogue. We evaluate these methods in studies with participants and show how harnessing these methods in a chatbot can make it more persuasive.


Commercial banks are typical hierarchical organizations, in which the multipleprincipal- agent problem exists and induces serious internal collusive corruption. This article analyzes the collusive corruption between credit supervisors and credit managers in bank credit activities, through three possible situations of supervision. The results indicate that internal supervision is necessary even though supervisors and managers could collude. Meanwhile, it is inefficient for banking only depending on the costly external supervisor. Finally, the implications of findings are discussed.


A new theorem on space-time singularities is presented which largely incorporates and generalizes the previously known results. The theorem implies that space-time singularities are to be expected if either the universe is spatially closed or there is an 'object' undergoing relativistic gravitational collapse (existence of a trapped surface) or there is a point p whose past null cone encounters sufficient matter that the divergence of the null rays through p changes sign somewhere to the past of p (i. e. there is a minimum apparent solid angle, as viewed from p for small objects of given size). The theorem applies if the following four physical assumptions are made: (i) Einstein's equations hold (with zero or negative cosmological constant), (ii) the energy density is nowhere less than minus each principal pressure nor less than minus the sum of the three principal pressures (the 'energy condition'), (iii) there are no closed timelike curves, (iv) every timelike or null geodesic enters a region where the curvature is not specially alined with the geodesic. (This last condition would hold in any sufficiently general physically realistic model.) In common with earlier results, timelike or null geodesic incompleteness is used here as the indication of the presence of space-time singularities. No assumption concerning existence of a global Cauchy hypersurface is required for the present theorem.


Increasing neuroimaging evidence suggests an association between impulsive decision-making behavior and task-related brain activity. However, the relationship between impulsivity in decision-making and resting-state brain activity remains unknown. To address this issue, we used functional MRI to record brain activity from human adults during a resting state and during a delay discounting task (DDT) that requires choosing between an immediate smaller reward and a larger delayed reward. In experiment I, we identified four DDT-related brain networks. The money network (the striatum, posterior cingulate cortex, etc.) and the time network (the medial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices, etc.) were associated with the valuation process; the frontoparietal network and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex–anterior insular cortex network were related to the choice process. Moreover, we found that the resting-state functional connectivity of the brain regions in these networks was significantly correlated with participants' discounting rate, a behavioral index of impulsivity during the DDT. In experiment II, we tested an independent group of subjects and demonstrated that this resting-state functional connectivity was able to predict individuals' discounting rates. Together, these findings suggest that resting-state functional organization of the human brain may be a biomarker of impulsivity and can predict economic decision-making behavior.


This paper explores how earnings variability is related to retirement wealth. Past research has demonstrated that the average American household on the verge of retirement would need to save substantially more, in order to preserve consumption flows in old age. While several socioeconomic factors have been examined that might explain such problems, prior studies have not assessed the role of earnings variability over the lifetime as a potential explanation for poor retirement prospects. Thus two workers having identical levels of average lifetime earnings might have had very different patterns of earnings variability over their lifetimes. Such differences could translate into quite different retirement wealth outcomes. This paper evaluates the effect of earnings variability on retirement wealth using information supplied by respondents to the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). This is a rich and nationally representative dataset on Americans on the verge of retirement, with responses linked to administrative records from the Social Security Administration. Our research illuminates the key links between lifetime earnings variability and retirement wealth.