Climate information services (CIS) are increasingly in demand to assist farmers in managing risks associated with climate variability and extremes experienced in food production. However, there are significant gaps in the availability and accessibility of these services, especially in aquatic food production in developing countries. In response, this study aims to generate the background knowledge for developing climate information and decision support services tailored for aquaculture farmers in Bangladesh. We surveyed 800 fish-farming households, interviewed 30 key informants, and conducted a systematic literature review to identify climate-sensitive operations and management decisions in aquaculture and to document fish-farmers' awareness of the relationships between climate variability and aquatic food production systems. We also sought to identify the lead time and communication method(s) needed to deploy forecasts effectively and prepare aquaculture farmers to act in response to the forecasts. A fish-farming activity calendar was developed that identified high temperature, cold spell, heavy rainfall, and dry spell events as key climatic phenomena affecting year-round aquaculture operations, including pond preparation and maintenance, fingerling stocking, grow-out management, and harvesting. We also identified five climate-sensitive management decision points and 26 potential advisories in line with specific climate variability to manage induced risks in the day-to-day operations of fish farmers. Finally, the research team developed a decision framework based on the temperature and rainfall thresholds for the grow-out phase of four widely cultivated and economically important fish species in Bangladesh. This innovative decision support approach is to our knowledge the very first endeavor to develop CIS using species-specific temperature and rainfall thresholds to reduce climate risks and ensure resilience capacity for South Asian aquaculture system.


Local Anaesthetics. Applications of Local Anaesthetics. Patient Suitability for Local Anaesthetic. Calculating Maximum Safe Doses. Complications of Peripheral Nerve Blocks. Nerve Stimulators. The Basics. Basic Local Anaesthetic Techniques. Advanced Local Anaesthetic Techniques. Corticosteroid Injection Therapy. Common Foot And Ankle Conditions: Joint Injections. Common Foot And Ankle Conditions: Soft Tissue Injections. Other Injection Therapies


In an age of terrorism and other forms of violence committed in the name of religion, how can religion become a vehicle for peace, justice, and reconciliation? And in a world of bitter conflicts-many rooted in religious difference-how can communities of faith understand one another?The essays in this important book take bold steps forward to answering these questions. The fruit of a historic conference of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scholars and community leaders, the essays address a fundamental question: how the three monotheistic traditions can provide the resources needed in the work of justice and reconciliation.Two distinguished scholars represent each tradition. Rabbis Irving Greenberg and Reuven Firestone each examine the relationship of Judaism to violence, exploring key sources and the history of power, repentance, and reconciliation. From Christianity, philosopher Charles Taylor explores the religious dimensions of categoricalviolence against other faiths, other groups, while Scott Appleby traces the emergence since Vatican II of nonviolence as a foundation of Catholic theology and practice. Mustafa Ceric, Grand Mufti of Bosnia, discusses Muslim support of pluralism and human rights, and Mohamed Fathi Osman examines the relationship between political violence and sacred sources in contemporary Islam.By focusing on transformative powers of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the essays in this book provide new beginnings for people of faith committed to restoring peace among nations through peace among religions.


This paper considers the problem of resource allocation in stream processing, where continuous data flows must be processed in real time in a large distributed system. To maximize system throughput, the resource allocation strategy that partitions the computation tasks of a stream processing graph onto computing devices must simultaneously balance workload distribution and minimize communication. Since this problem of graph partitioning is known to be NP-complete yet crucial to practical streaming systems, many heuristic-based algorithms have been developed to find reasonably good solutions. In this paper, we present a graph-aware encoder-decoder framework to learn a generalizable resource allocation strategy that can properly distribute computation tasks of stream processing graphs unobserved from training data. We, for the first time, propose to leverage graph embedding to learn the structural information of the stream processing graphs. Jointly trained with the graph-aware decoder using deep reinforcement learning, our approach can effectively find optimized solutions for unseen graphs. Our experiments show that the proposed model outperforms both METIS, a state-of-the-art graph partitioning algorithm, and an LSTM-based encoder-decoder model, in about 70% of the test cases.


Lipid binding directly modulates the activity of the yeast transcription factor Tup1. Cell signaling often results in changes in gene expression, which can occur through the regulated nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of transcription factors. Han and Emr report that lipid binding regulates the shuttling and activity of a transcriptional regulator in yeast. Phosphatidylinositol phosphates (PIPs) are lipids that mediate signaling in various organisms, and PI(3,5)P2 is a lipid produced at endosomal membranes in yeast. The authors identified the transcriptional regulator Tup1 as a PI(3,5)P2-binding protein. Tup1 participates in both repressor and activator complexes that regulate the transcriptional status of some of the GAL genes, which encode proteins required for metabolizing galactose (Gal). As a repressor, Tup1 forms a complex with Cyc8 that recruits chromatin-modifying proteins and promotes nucleosome formation; as an activator, the Cyc8-Tup1 complex cooperates with Cti6 to recruit transcriptional coactivator complexes. The yeast strain SEY6210 cannot activate GAL1 through the dominant Gal4 pathway but is nevertheless able to activate GAL1 to grow on medium containing Gal as the only carbon source. However, mutants that also could not synthesize the PI(3,5)P2 precursor PI(3)P were unable to grow on Gal medium, indicating that a PI(3,5)P2-dependent pathway was able to activate GAL1 in parallel to Gal4. Whereas GAL1 was induced upon shifting SEY6210 cells from glucose-containing medium into medium in which Gal was the only source of carbon, it was not induced in fab1Δ mutants, which lack the endosomally localized enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of PI(3)P to PI(3,5)P2. Gal shifting wild-type (WT) cells caused a decrease in nuclear-localized Tup1 with a corresponding increase in the amount of Tup1 present in the cytoplasm and at vacuolar endosomal membranes, but no Tup1 was present at vacuoles of fab1Δ cells either before or after Gal shifting. Although Cti6 was present mainly in the nuclei of WT cells both before and after Gal shifting, Cti6 accumulated in the cytoplasm of fab1Δ cells after Gal shift. Furthermore, Cti6 also bound PI(3,5)P2 in vitro, and mutant forms of Cti6 unable to bind to PIP accumulated in the cytoplasm of WT cells upon Gal shift. PI(3,5)P2 was also required for the Cti6-dependent recruitment of transcriptional coactivator complexes to the GAL1 promoter. These results suggest a model in which PI(3,5)P2 mediates recruitment of Tup1 and Cti6 to the late endosome for assembly of the Cti6-Cyc8-Tup1 complex, which is required for switching Tup1 from a transcriptional corepressor to a coactivator. The possibility that lipid binding may directly modulate the activities of transcriptional regulators in other contexts and species is intriguing, and whether this is a widespread mechanism for transducing signals from the cytoplasm to the nucleus remains to be seen. B.-K. Han, S. D. Emr, Phosphoinositide [PI(3,5)P2] lipid-dependent regulation of the general transcriptional regulator Tup1. Genes Dev. 25, 984–995 (2011). [Abstract] [Full Text]


Image enhancement plays an important role in many machine vision applications on images captured in low contrast and low illumination conditions. In this study, we propose a new method for image enhancement based on analysis on embedded surfaces of images. The proposed method gives an insight into the relationship between the image intensity and image enhancement. In our method, scaled surface area and the surface volume are proposed and used to reconstruct the image iteratively for contrast enhancement, and the illumination of the reconstructed image can also be adjusted simultaneously. On the other hand, the most common methods for measuring the quality of enhanced images are Mean Square Error (MSE) or Peak Signal-to-Noise-Ratio (PSNR) in conventional works. The two measures have been recognized as inadequate ones because they do not evaluate the result in the way that the human vision system does. This paper also presents a new framework for evaluating image enhancement using both objective and subjective measures. This framework can also be used for other image quality evaluations such as denoising evaluation. We compare our enhancement method with some well-known enhancement algorithms, including wavelet and curvelet methods, using the new evaluation framework. The results show that our method can give better performance in most objective and subjective criteria than the conventional methods.


Gaze estimation error is inherent in head-mounted eye trackers and seriously impacts performance, usability, and user experience of gaze-based interfaces. Particularly in mobile settings, this error varies constantly as users move in front and look at different parts of a display. We envision a new class of gaze-based interfaces that are aware of the gaze estimation error and adapt to it in real time. As a first step towards this vision we introduce an error model that is able to predict the gaze estimation error. Our method covers major building blocks of mobile gaze estimation, specifically mapping of pupil positions to scene camera coordinates, marker-based display detection, and mapping of gaze from scene camera to on-screen coordinates. We develop our model through a series of principled measurements of a state-of-the-art head-mounted eye tracker.


The development of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based microfluidic platforms has attracted significant recent attention in the biological sciences. SERS is a highly sensitive detection modality, with microfluidic platforms providing many advantages over microscale methods, including high analytical throughput, facile automation, and reduced sample requirements. Accordingly, the integration of SERS with microfluidic platforms offers significant utility in chemical and biological experimentation. Herein, we report a fully integrated SERS-based microdroplet platform for the automatic immunoassay of specific antigen fraction 1 (F1) in Yersinia pestis. Specifically, highly efficient and rapid immunoreactions are achieved through sequential droplet generation, transport, and merging, while wash-free immunodetection is realized through droplet-splitting. Such integration affords a novel multifunctional platform capable of performing complex multistep immunoassays in nL-volume droplets. The limit of detection of the F1 antigen for Yersinia pestis using the integrated SERS-based microdroplet platform is 59.6 pg/mL, a value approximately 2 orders of magnitude more sensitive than conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. This assay system has additional advantages including reduced sample consumption (less than 100 μL), rapid assay times (less than 10 min), and fully automated fluid control. We anticipate that this integrated SERS-based microdroplet device will provide new insights in the development of facile assay platforms for various hazardous materials.


A prototype small photothermal deflection apparatus was constructed on a laboratory bench. Not including excitation laser, data collection computer, and gas pumps, the apparatus fits on a bench space with a footprint of about 10 cm × 10 cm. The apparatus lends itself to miniaturization in future assemblies. The apparatus was tested relative to the conventional laboratory-scale photothermal apparatus. Digital filtering procedures developed in this laboratory were used to collect and analyze the data. Numerical simulation of photothermal signal is performed to accurately predict the heat flow process as sample volumes are scaled down. The results show that increased sensitivity is possible with small apparatus configurations. The prototype apparatus also exhibits high linear response with pulsed irradiance for linear absorbers. Future improvements could include miniaturization with robust configuration that will allow for portable use in trace analysis monitoring of atmospheric pollutants.


The subject of tribology encompasses the friction, wear and lubrication of mechanical components such as bearings and gears. Tribological practices are aimed at ensuring that such components operate with high efficiency (low friction) and achieve long lives. On spacecraft mechanisms the route to achieving these goals brings its own unique challenges. This review describes the problems posed by the space environment, the types of tribological component used on spacecraft and the approaches taken to their lubrication. It is shown that in many instances lubrication needs can be met by synthetic oils having exceedingly low volatilities, but that at temperature extremes the only means of reducing friction and wear is by solid lubrication. As the demands placed on space engineering increase, innovatory approaches will be needed to solve future tribological problems. The direction that future developments might take is anticipated and discussed.


Supercapacitor assisted surge absorber (SCASA) is a patented technique developed by the University of Waikato. One noticeable attribute of this design is the inclusion of a coupled-inductor which improves its capability of surge absorption.This paper mainly focuses on investigating the usability of ferrite iron for the core of the coupled-inductor, and attempts to explain how to minimize the effects of a negative voltage peak that arises during SCASA operation. Four ferrite cores with different geometries and material compositions (W-ferrite and J-ferrite) are subjected to 6.6 kV surge hits. Experimental outcomes demanded the need of inserting air-gaps inside these ferrite toroids. High magnetic permeability of ferrite results in a low energy storage capability; this limits their suitability in surge absorption related applications. To overcome the issues of high permeability we modified the cores with thin cuts through the surfaces. Experimental work is facilitated by lightning surge simulators (LSS-6110 and LSS-6230) coupled with the utility main to generate surge waveforms defined by the IEEE C62.41. The analysis of test results encourages us to justify the gapped-core approach, and to further verify, performance of SCASA is empirically compared for both powdered-iron cores and modified ferrite cores using international protocols of UL-1449.


The following is a chapter from my recently released book, The End of Straight Supremacy: Realizing Gay Liberation. This chapter interrogates the legal, political, and social implications of gay (specifically male) pornography for Gay citizenship and equality. Rooted in the politics and theories of early Gay liberation and Radical feminism, Shannon Gilreath's The End of Straight Supremacy presents a cohesive theory of Gay life under straight domination. Beginning with a critique of formal equality law centered on the "like-straight" demands of liberal equality theory as highlighted in Lawrence v. Texas, Gilreath goes on to criticize the "gay rights" movement itself, challenging the assimilation politics behind the movement's blithe acceptance of discrimination in the guise of free speech and pornography in the name of sexual liberation, as well as same-sex marriage and transsexuality as tools of straight hegemony. Ultimately, Gilreath rejects both the liberal demand for Gay erasure in exchange for meager legal progress and the gay establishment agenda. In so doing, he provides both the vocabulary and analysis necessary to understand and to resist straight supremacy in all its forms. In The End of Straight Supremacy, Gilreath calls Gays and their allies to the difficult task of rethinking what liberation and equality really mean.The reader will quickly notice my use of irregular capitalization. I used "Gay," capitalized, to refer to that which is Gay-identified. I use "gay," lower-case, as in "gay pornography" or "gay establishment," to distinguish that which is essentially straight supremacist in origin and operation.


ABSTRACT Background: Movement is key in physical education, but the educational value of moving is sometimes obscure. In Sweden, recent school reforms have endeavoured to introduce social constructionist concepts of knowledge and learning into physical education, where the movement capabilities of students are in focus. However, this means introducing a host of new and untested concepts to the physical education teacher community. Purpose. The purpose of this article is to explore how Swedish physical education teachers reason about helping their students develop movement capability. Participants, setting and research design. The data are taken from a research project conducted in eight Swedish secondary schools called 'Physical education and health – a subject for learning?' in which students and teachers were interviewed and physical education lessons were video-recorded. This article draws on data from interviews with the eight participating teachers, five men and three women. The teachers were interviewed partly using a stimulated recall technique where the teachers were asked to comment on video clips from physical education lessons where they themselves act as teachers. Data analysis. A discourse analysis was conducted with a particular focus on the ensemble of more or less regulated, deliberate and finalised ways of doing things that characterise the eight teachers' approach to helping the students develop their movement capabilities. Findings. The interviews indicate that an activation discourse ('trying out' and 'being active') dominates the teachers' ways of reasoning about their task (a focal discourse). When the teachers were specifically asked about how they can help the students improve their movement capacities, a sport discourse (a referential discourse) was expressed. This discourse, which is based on the standards of excellence of different sports, conditions what the teachers see as (im)possible to do due to time limitations and a wish not to criticise the students publicly. The mandated holistic social constructionist discourse about knowledge and learning becomes obscure (an intruder discourse) in the sense that the teachers interpret it from the point of view of a dualist discourse, where 'knowledge' (theory) and 'skill' (practice) are divided. Conclusions. Physical education teachers recoil from the task of developing the students' movement capabilities due to certain conditions of impossibility related to the discursive terrain they are moving in. The teachers see as their primary objective the promotion of physical activity – now and in the future; they conceptualise movement capability in such a way that emphasising the latter would jeopardise their possibilities of realising the primary objective. Should the aim be to reinforce the social constructionist national curriculum, where capability to move is suggested to be an attempt at formulating a concept of knowledge that includes both propositional and procedural aspects and which is not based on the standards of excellence of either sport techniques or motor ability, then teachers will need support to interpret the national curriculum from a social constructionist perspective. Further, alternative standards of excellence as well as a vocabulary for articulating these will have to be developed.


Featuring all flowering plants, including trees and grasses, and ferns, this brand-new field guide to the flowers of Britain and northern Europe is the most complete illustrated, single-volume guide ever published. Leading botanical artists have been specially commissioned to ensure accurate, detailed illustrations. Species are described and illustrated on the same page, with up-to-date authoritative text aiding identification. Plants are arranged by family, with their key features highlighted for quick and easy reference. The text offers a complete account of over 1,900 wild flowers of Britain and Ireland, along with a summary of their European distribution. 'Collins Flower Guide' is an indispensable guide for all those with an interest in the countryside, whether amateur or expert.


For decades, Canadian-based corporate development projects have been linked to acts of violence in countries all over the world. These acts include sexual violence, destruction of property, community displacement, the use of forced labor, and other forms of violence. While Canada has repeatedly failed to pass legislation holding Canadian-based corporations accountable for human rights abuses committed abroad, Canadian courts are increasingly asserting their jurisdiction over cases of development-related violence. Analyzing two ongoing court cases—Caal v. Hudbay, regarding sexual violence in Guatemala, and Araya v. Nevsun, regarding forced labor in Eritrea— this article examines the potential and limits of law to address the bureaucratic mechanisms and grounded experiences of corporate-development-related violence, and the changing relationship between states, corporations, law, and human rights in the modern global era.


An android is meant to look and act like a human being even to the extent of being indistinguishable. Generally the simplistic distinction between a humanoid robot, a computerized machine capable of replicating a variety of complex human functions automatically, and an android is one of appearance. While one day a yottaflop (10 24 bits per second) hyper-supercomputer could have a sufficient holographic database and processing power to be truly indistinguishable from a human being, the issue of the applicability of sentience (self-awareness) to an android comes to the forefront. The currently dominant cognitive model of awareness, closely aligned to the AI model, states that mind equals brain and that once correct algorithms are known all of human intelligence could be replicated artificially. This is the so-called mechanistic view: 'The laws of physics and chemistry are sufficient to describe all living systems; no additional life principle is required'. In this work we develop the point of view that the regime of Unified Field Mechanics (UFM) supplies an inherent action principle driving both the evolution of complex Self-Organized Living Systems (SOLS) and the physical processes of awareness. These UFM parameters in conjunction with 'conscious quantum computing' (class of quantum computer modeled with physical parameters of mind-body interaction) putatively leads directly to the construction of sentient (or sentient-like) Androids.   This is Part I of this two-part article entitled "Solving the Mind-Body Problem".


Leptin is a homeostatic regulator in the placenta where it promotes proliferation, protein synthesis and the expression of tolerogenic maternal response molecules such as HLA-G. Leptin also exerts an anti-apoptotic action in placenta controlling the expression of p53 master cell cycle regulator under different stress conditions. On the other hand, leptin is an integrative target of different placental stimuli. The expression of leptin in placenta is regulated by hCG, insulin, steroids, hypoxia and many other growth hormones, suggesting that it might have an important endocrine function in the trophoblastic cells. The leptin expression is induced involving the cAMP/PKA or cAMP/Epac pathways which have profound actions upon human trophoblast function. The activation of PI3K and MAPK pathways also participates in the leptin expression. Estrogens play a central role during pregnancy, particularly 17β-estradiol upregulates the leptin expression in placental cells through genomic and non-genomic actions. The leptin promoter analysis reveals specific elements that are active in placental cells. The transcription factors CREB, AP1, Sp1, NFκB and the coactivator CBP are involved in the placental leptin expression. Moreover, placental leptin promoter is a target of epigenetic marks such as DNA methylation and histone acetylation that regulates not only the leptin expression in placenta during pregnancy but also determines the predisposition of acquiring adult metabolism diseases. Taken together, all these results allow a better understanding of leptin function and regulatory mechanisms of leptin expression in human placental trophoblasts, and support the importance of leptin during pregnancy and in programming adult health.


Objectives
Metabolite profiling studies have consistently identified altered circulatory concentrations of amino acids (AAs) in individuals with heightened risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Of the changes reported to date, the branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) may be a reliable biomarker of disease risk and have been reported to be elevated many years prior to the onset of diabetes. We hypothesised that energy restriction-associated weight loss in pre-diabetes individuals would result in altered profile of circulatory AAs, including BCAA, with the changes correlating with the improvement in insulin sensitivity.

Methods
Pre-diabetic individuals (confirmed using the American Diabetes Association criteria) aged 25-70 years with BMI > 25 kg/m2 recruited into the New Zealand arm of the PREVIEW diabetes prevention trial, participated in an 8-week weight reduction program, with a requirement to lose ≥ 8% initial body weight using a commercial low-calorie diet (LCD, Cambridge Diet, UKTM). Among those who succeeded, current analysis based on available samples (n = 168) from baseline (week-0) and end of weight loss (week-8). Serum free AA concentrations measured by ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography (UPLC) and all other metabolites measured using standard assays.

Results
Significant weight loss (11.1 ± 0.2% from baseline) accompanied improved insulin sensitivity and lipid profile. BCAA concentration positively correlated with insulin resistance measured at week 0 and 8, correspondingly (P < 0.05). Although the concentration of some AAs reduced significantly from week 0 to 8 (P < 0.05), reduction in fasting BCAA concentration was not significant (P > 0.05). However, regression analysis demonstrated that independent of weight loss, every 1.0 standard deviation (SD) reduction in BCAA concentration was associated with improvement in insulin sensitivity by 1.9 SD (P < 0.05).

Conclusions
As expected, dietary energy restriction-associated weight loss in individuals with pre-diabetes contributes towards normalisation of insulin sensitivity. Further, the responsiveness of AA and BCAA profiles to weight loss may be beneficial for monitoring and overseeing disease risk and improvement.

Funding Sources
This research was funded by the EU 7th Framework Programme; the New Zealand Health Research Council; the Food and Health Programme Seed Funding, University of Auckland; and AgResearch Limited (the Strategic Science Investment Fund). Cambridge Weight Plan, Ltd, UKTM provided the commercial LCD.


Inhabitants of low-lying islands face increased threats due to climate change as a result of their higher exposure and lesser adaptive capacity. Sagar Island, the largest inhabited estuarine island of Sundarbans, is experiencing severe coastal erosion, frequent cyclones, flooding, storm surges, and breaching of embankments, resulting in land, livelihood, and property loss, and the displacement of people at a huge scale. The present study assessed climate change-induced vulnerability and risk for Sagar Island, India, using an integrated geostatistical and geoinformatics-based approach. Based on the IPCC AR5 framework, the proportion of variance of 26 exposure, hazard, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity parameters was measured and analyzed. The results showed that 19.5% of mouzas (administrative units of the island), with 15.33% of the population at the southern part of the island, i.e., Sibpur–Dhablat, Bankimnagar–Sumatinagar, and Beguakhali–Mahismari, are at high risk (0.70–0.80). It has been concluded that the island has undergone tremendous land system transformations and changes in climatic patterns. Therefore, there is a need to formulate comprehensive adaptation strategies at the policy- and decision-making levels to help the communities of this island deal with the adverse impacts of climate change. The findings of this study will help adaptation strategies based on site-specific information and sustainable management for the marginalized populations living in similar islands worldwide.


Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is frequent in women during their peak reproductive years. Accordingly, a significant number of questions and uncertainties arise from this population regarding the risk of transmission of IBD to the offspring, the impact of the disease and therapies on the fertility, the role of the disease on the course of the pregnancy and the mode of delivery, the impact of the therapy on the pregnancy and fetal development as well as breastfeeding. The safety of medical therapy during pregnancy and lactation is a major concern for both pregnant women and their partners as well as for physicians. As a general rule, it can be stated that the benefit of continuing medical therapy in IBD during pregnancy outweighs the potential risks in the vast majority of instances. This article will review recent developments on this topic consistent with the European Crohn's and Colitis Organization guidelines.


Science news is met by the public with a mixture of fascination and disengagement. On the one hand, Americans are inflamed by topics ranging from the question of whether or not Pluto is a planet to the ethics of stem-cell research. But the complexity of scientific research can also be confusing and overwhelming, causing many to divert their attentions elsewhere and leave science to the "experts." Whether they follow science news closely or not, Americans take for granted that discoveries in the sciences are occurring constantly. Few, however, stop to consider how these advances - and the debates they sometimes lead to - contribute to the changing definition of the term "science" itself. Going beyond the issue-centered debates, Daniel Patrick Thurs examines what these controversies say about how we understand science now and in the future. Drawing on his analysis of magazines, newspapers, journals and other forms of public discourse, Thurs describes how science - originally used as a synonym for general knowledge - became a term to distinguish particular subjects as elite forms of study accessible only to the highly educated.


This paper describes the development of a stability-indicating reversed-phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method for balofl oxacin (BFX) in the presence of its degradation products generated from forced decomposition studies. The drug substance was found to be susceptible to stress conditions of acid, base, oxidation, wet heat, and photo degradation. The drug was found to be stable to the dry heat condition attempted. Successful separation of the drug from the degradation products formed under stress conditions was achieved on a Zorbax C 18 column (150 mm × 4.6 mm id, 5 microns particle size) using methanol-water pH adjusted to 2.5 by orthophosphoric acid (40:60, v/v) as the mobile phase at a fl ow rate of 0.5 mL/min at 30°C temperature. Quantifi cation was achieved with photodiode array detection at 293 nm over the concentration range 50-150 μg/ml with mean recovery of 100.0 ± 0.53% for BFX by the RP-HPLC method. Statistical analysis proved the method is repeatable, specifi c, and accurate for estimation of BFX. Because the method could effectively separate the drug from its degradation products, it can be used as a stability-indicating method. Key words: Balofl oxacin, reversed-phase-high performance liquid chromatography, orthophosphoric acid, validation.


Hydrodynamical, morphodynamical and ecological river processes and their multiple linkages occur in an infinity of different configurations and over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. This paper illustrates a research methodology that consists in combining field investigations, physical modeling in the laboratory, and numerical simulations in order to develop generic insight and tools for engineering and management of the river environment. This combined methodology is illustrated in research on (i) the macroscale characteristics of the velocity distribution and their relation to long-term and large-scale planimetric river processes, (ii) the flow field in the vicinity of the river bank and its importance with respect to bank erosion and, (iii) linkages between the characteristics of the mean flow and the turbulence on the one hand, and the behavior of invertebrates on the other. The reported research strongly relies on the use of state-of-the-art measuring instruments as well as numerical techniques.


The interaction of symmetrical lidocaine dimers with voltage-gated Na+ channels (VGSCs) was examined using a FLIPR membrane potential assay and voltage-clamp. The dimers, in which the tertiary amines of the lidocaine moieties are linked by an alkylene chain (two to six methylene units), inhibited VGSC activator-evoked depolarization of cells heterologously-expressing rat (r) Nav1.2a, human (h) Nav1.5, and rNav1.8, with potencies 10- to 100-fold higher than lidocaine (compound 1). The rank order of potency (C4 (compound 4) > C3 (compound 3) ≥ C2 (compound 2) = C5 (compound 5) = C6 (compound 6) ≫ compound 1) was similar at each VGSC. Compound 4 exhibited strong use-dependent inhibition of hNav1.5 with pIC50 values <4.5 and 6.0 for tonic and phasic block, respectively. Coincubation with local anesthetics but not tetrodotoxin attenuated compound 4-mediated inhibition of hNav1.5. These data suggest that the compound 4 binding site(s) is identical, or allosterically coupled, to the local anesthetic receptor. The dissociation rate of the dimers from hNav1.5 was dependent upon the linker length, with a rank order of compound 1 > compound 5 = compound 6 > compound 2 ≫ compound 3. The observation that both the potency and dissociation rate of the dimers was dependent upon linker length is consistent with a multivalent interaction at VGSCs. hNav1.5 VGSCs did not recover from inhibition by compound 4. However, "chase" with free local anesthetic site inhibitors increased the rate of dissociation of compound 4. Together, these data support the hypothesis that compound 4 simultaneously occupies two binding sites on VGSCs, both of which can be bound by known local anesthetic site inhibitors.


: We develop a model to analyze the body of knowledge of the information systems (IS) field where research accumulates through the interplay of different modes: discovery, prescriptive, and evaluation. The paper proposes five signature contributions: 1) descriptions of discovery and exploration, 2) elaborations of IS-based means and means-ends propositions, 3) discussions of IS-based designs, 4) explanations of the impacts and impact mechanisms of IS, and 5) discussions of organizational theories of IS-phenomena. We argue that each of these contributions plays an important role in the accumulation of the body of knowledge. In particular, we call for a balance in approaches producing these different contributions. Results from analyzing two samples of published interorganizational information systems (IOS) research in high-tier information systems journal outlets from 1982-2010 supports the applicability of the framework as a useful way to categorize the research stream. In line with prior suggestions, we also found an increased tendency towards explanatory organizational theories in that less work has focused on discovering new practices, developing means, and evaluating their uses. Recent interest in academically rigorous design science research offers a welcome addition to the body of IS research that could broaden its base and enrich its content and contributions.


Camouflaging is about making something invisible or less visible. Network camouflaging is about hiding certain traffic information (e.g. traffic pattern, traffic flow identity, etc.) from internal and external eavesdroppers such that important information cannot be deduced from it for malicious use. It is one of the most challenging security requirements to meet in computer networks. Existing camouflaging techniques such as traffic padding, MIX-net, etc., incur significant performance degradation when protected networks are wireless networks, such as sensor networks and mobile ad hoc networks. The reason is that wireless networks are typically subject to resource constraints (e.g. bandwidth, power supply) and possess some unique characteristics (e.g. broadcast, node mobility) that traditional wired networks do not possess. This necessitates developing new techniques that take account of properties of wireless networks and are able to achieve a good balance between performance and security.
In this three-part dissertation we investigate techniques for providing network camouflaging services in wireless networks. In the first part; we address a specific problem in a hierarchical multi-task sensor network, i.e. hiding the links between observable traffic patterns and user interests. To solve the problem, a temporally constant traffic pattern, called cover traffic pattern, is needed. We describe two traffic padding schemes that implement the cover traffic pattern and provide algorithms for achieving the optimal energy efficiencies with each scheme. In the second part, we explore the design of a MIX-net based anonymity system in mobile ad hoc networks. The objective is to hide the source-destination relationship with respect to each connection. We survey existing MIX route determination algorithms that do not account for dynamic network topology changes, which may result in high packet loss rate and large packet latency. We then introduce adaptive algorithms to overcome this problem. In the third part, we explore the notion of providing anonymity support at MAC layer in wireless networks, which employs the broadcast property of wireless transmission. We design an IEEE 802.11-compliant MAC protocol that provides receiver anonymity for unicast frames and offers better reliability than pure broadcast protocol.


One of the most frequently used biotechnical methods today is the method of double haploids. By application of induced androgenesis in the in vitro Laboratory of Tobacco Institute - Prilep 10 dihaploid lines of oriental tobacco were obtained in 2004. For assessment of agronomic characteristics of the dihaploid lines and their analogues (P 146-7/1,Yk 301/23 and Hyb. 301/H), in the course of 2005 and 2006 three haploid lines were set up in field conditions (P 146-7/1 DH, Yk 301/23 DH and Hyb. 301/H DH) and investigations were made of the number of leaves and plant yield per hectare. With reference to the characteristic number of leaves, dihaploid lines showed a significantly low variational coefficient (CV = 1.75, 2.96: 4.70 %) compared to their analogues, which indicated that they were morphologically stable. According to their agronomic characteristic (g/plant and kg/ha), they were somewhat better or equal to those of their analogues.


One of the major advantages of homogenization is a possibility of the generalization of the obtained results. Namely, if a solution to the local problem is found, then without principal problems one may solve not only the analyzed problem, by also a series of related static and dynamic problems, including: linear, quasilinear, the eigenvalue problems, etc. The mentioned approach has been applied to the eigenvalue problems regarding the perforated structures and periodically nonhomogenous 2D constructions with a square mesh of inclusions. In this work we have used theory of averaging to solve the vibrations problem regarding stiffly clamped rectangular membrane with periodically located circular inclusions creating a hexagonal mesh. The relations governing eigenvalues (frequencies) and eigenfunctions have been derived. The derivation of analytical formulas governing membrane eigenforms and frequencies consists of three parts. In the first part the local problem regarding a cell (inclusion) of the composite is studied. Second part is focused on finding main terms of the averaged problem. The third part is aimed at an estimation of the first improvement term with respect to the membrane fundamental frequency.


Versatile, robust and computational efficient methods for radar image segmentation, which preserve the full polarimetric information content, are of importance as research tools, as well as for practical applications in land surface monitoring. The method introduced here consists of several steps. The first step is a (reversible) transform of the full polarimetric radar information content into nine backscatter intensity values. The next steps relate to unsupervised clustering encompassing a simple region-growing segmentation (incomplete and over-segmented) followed by model-based agglomerative clustering and expectation-maximization on the pixels of these segments. Classification is achieved by Markov random field filtering on the original data. The result is a series of segmented maps, which differ in the number of (unsupervised) classes. For a (compatible) supervised approach, only the first and last step have to be applied. Results are discussed for the agricultural areas Flevoland in The Netherlands (AirSAR data) and DEMMIN in Germany, using the NASA/JPL AirSAR system and the DLR ESAR system, respectively. The applications include the use of groundtruth for legend development, the check for groundtruth completeness, and the construction of a bottom-up hierarchy of the characteristics that can be distinguished in the radar data. The latter gives important insights in physics of polarimetric radar backscattering mechanisms. Moreover, the relative importance of crop differences, (full-polarimetric) incidence angle effects and sub-classes (related to factors such as crop varieties, row direction or development stage) may be assessed. The overall classification results range between 84.3% and 98.0%, depending on number of observations dates and radar band(s) used, with higher values for the supervised approach, and substantially more thematic detail for the unsupervised approach.


know slightly fewer overall; less than 30% of the doctors knew the constituents of the final drug, which was prescribed most frequently by the general practitioners, including those who had not known what it contained. Most doctors favoured an improved system of naming but many suspected that it would be very difficult to implement, although insistence that the name chosen was related to the generic name or that the generic name was always given in brackets beneath the proprietary name, even if cumbersome, might be helpful. DOROTHY C MOIR


Abstract Phylogenetic studies in the eastern United States have uncovered patterns of genetic variation that suggest an influence of glacial history on various plant species. Similarly, studies have indicated regional-level genetic discontinuities corresponding with reduced gene flow between regions and populations, often associated with a geographical barrier. Here we examine the population genetics of a species found mostly in northeastern North America, but with populations at high elevations along the southern half of the Appalachian Mountains. Nine populations of the plant species Sibbaldiopsis tridentata (Rosaceae) in the eastern United States were sampled, using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) molecular markers. Levels of genetic diversity within and among populations were determined. Results indicate that the degree of intrapopulation genetic variation varies between populations. A statistically significant discontinuity is identified between populations east and west of the Valley and Ridge Province, which suggests that this region has likely acted as a barrier to historical gene flow. Within the Appalachian Mountains, northeastern populations show varying levels of genetic similarity to southeastern populations with no clear genetic signal delineating northern and southern populations. The genetic patterns discerned in this study suggest a complex species history, which should provide insight in future studies of this and other ecologically similar plant species.


Abstract. Low-temperature hydrothermal system is dominated by Fe-Si oxyhydroxide deposits. However, the formation process and mechanism on modern hydrothermal Fe-Si oxyhydroxides at ultra-slow spreading centers remain poorly understood. The investigation presented in this paper focuses on six Fe-Si deposits collected from different sites at the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR). The mineralogical and geochemical evidence showed significant characteristics of a low-temperature hydrothermal origin. The Mössbauer spectra and iron speciation data further provided an insight into iron-bearing phases in all deposits. Two different types of biomineralized forms were discovered in these deposits by Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry and nano secondary ion mass spectrometry revealed that distinct biogenic structures were mainly composed of Fe, Si, and O, together with some trace elements. The Sr and Nd isotope compositions of Fe-Si deposits at the SWIR were closely related to interaction between hydrothermal fluids and seawater. The remarkably homogeneous Pb isotope compositions can be attributed to hydrothermal circulation. Based on these findings, we suggest that microbial activity plays a significant role in the formation of Fe-Si oxyhydroxides at the at ultra-slow spreading SWIR. Biogenic Fe-Si oxyhydroxides potentially provide insights into the origin and evolution of life in the geologic record.


Recent reform agendas have emphasised a perceived need to bring the European Union (EU) institutions and the citizens of the member states and closer together, as a means of enhancing the legitimacy of EU governance. The debate on the future of the EU, the initiative which led to the signing of the constitutional treaty in October 2004, addressed the challenge of 'bringing closer' by incorporating civil society in to the treaty reform process. In this thesis I investigate the role played by transnational civil society organisations in helping to bring citizens and institutions closer together. I employ the notion of democratic linkage to describe and explain the downward-facing interactions between civil society organisations and ordinary citizens, which have sometimes been neglected, as well as their upward-facing interactions with elite decision-makers. Drawing upon data from qualitative interviews with 25 civil society organisations and six officials from various EU institutions I find serious discrepancies between the rhetoric of the EU institutions on bringing citizens closer, and the capacities and willingness of the civil society actors involved as well as the opportunities for doing so.


 Abstract— It is commonly observed that aftershocks follow the mainshock. Aftershocks continue over a period of time with a decreasing frequency and typically there is not sufficient time for repair and retrofit between a mainshock–aftershock sequence. Usually, aftershocks are smaller in magnitude; however, aftershock ground motion characteristics such as the intensity and duration can be greater than the mainshock due to the changes in the earthquake mechanism and location with respect to the site. The seismic performance of slopes is typically evaluated based on the sliding displacement predicted to occur along a critical sliding surface. Various empirical models are available that predict sliding displacement as a function of seismic loading parameters, ground motion parameters, and site parameters but these models do not include the aftershocks. The seismic risks associated with the post-mainshock slopes ('damaged slopes') subjected to aftershocks is significant. This paper extends the empirical sliding displacement models for flexible slopes subjected to earthquake mainshock-aftershock sequences (a multi hazard approach). A dataset was developed using 144 pairs of as-recorded mainshock-aftershock sequences using the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) database. The results reveal that the combination of mainshock and aftershock increases the seismic demand on slopes relative to the mainshock alone; thus, seismic risks are underestimated if aftershocks are neglected.


Background: Observational studies have suggested that antioxidant nutrients may reduce cancer and overall mortality risks. However, most randomized trials have failed to show survival benefits. Examining nonlinear associations between antioxidant levels and health outcomes may help to explain these discrepant findings. Methods: We evaluated all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality risks associated with quintiles (Q1–Q5) of serum antioxidant (vitamins C and E, β-carotene, and selenium) and vitamin A levels, in 16,008 adult participants of The Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III; 1988–1994). Results: Over a median follow-up period of 14.2 years, there were 4,225 deaths, including 891 from cancer and 1,891 from cardiovascular disease. We observed a dose–response decrease in cancer and overall mortality risks with higher vitamin C levels. In contrast, for vitamin A, risk of cancer death decreased from Q1–Q2, with no further decline in risk at higher levels. For vitamin E, having levels in Q4 was associated with the lowest cancer mortality risk. Both vitamin A and E had U-shaped associations with all-cause mortality. Cancer mortality risks decreased from Q1–Q2 for β-carotene and from Q1–Q4 for selenium. However, for β-carotene and selenium, overall mortality risks decreased from Q1–Q2 but then did not change significantly with higher levels. Conclusions: Antioxidant supplement use should be studied in the context of overall mortality and other competing mortality risks. Impact: These data suggest the need for novel intervention studies where doses of these agents are individualized based on their serum levels, and possibly, markers of oxidative stress and systemic inflammatory response. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(12); 2202–11. ©2013 AACR.


As human beings, we cherish our individuality yet we know that we live in constant relationship to others, and that other people play a significant part in regulating our emotional and social behavior. Although this interdependence is a reality of our existence, we are just beginning to understand that we have evolved as social creatures with interwoven brains and biologies. The human brain itself is a social organ and to truly understand being human, we must understand not only how we as whole people exist with others, but how our brains, themselves, exist in relationship to other brains. The first edition of this book tackled these important questions of interpersonal neurobiology-that the brain is a social organ built through experience-using poignant case examples from the author's years of clinical experience. Brain drawings and elegant explanations of social neuroscience wove together emerging findings from the research literature to bring neuroscience to the stories of our lives. Since the publication of the first edition in 2006, the field of social neuroscience has grown at a mind-numbing pace. Technical advances now provide more windows into our inner neural universe and terms like attachment, empathy, compassion, and mindfulness have begun to appear in the scientific literature. Overall, there has been a deepening appreciation for the essential interdependence of brain and mind. More and more parents, teachers, and therapists are asking how brains develop, grow, connect, learn, and heal. The new edition of this book organizes this cutting-edge, abundant research and presents its compelling insights, reflecting a host of significant developments in social neuroscience. Our understanding of mirror neurons and their significance to human relationships has continued to expand and deepen and is discussed here. Additionally, this edition reflects the gradual shift in focus from individual brain structures to functional neural systems-an important and necessary step forward. A great deal of neural overlap has been discovered in brain activation when we are thinking about others and ourselves. This raises many questions including how we come to know others and whether the notion of an "individual self" is anything more than an evolutionary strategy to support our interconnection. In short, we are just beginning to see the larger implications of all neurological processes-how the architecture of the brain can help us to better understand individuals and our relationships. This book gives readers a deeper appreciation of how and why relationships have the power to reshape our brains throughout our life.


Carbon dioxide reduction reactions, a key step in creating fuels from this gas, can be achieved in an ionic liquid. Electroreduction of carbon dioxide (CO2)—a key component of artificial photosynthesis—has largely been stymied by the impractically high overpotentials necessary to drive the process. We report an electrocatalytic system that reduces CO2 to carbon monoxide (CO) at overpotentials below 0.2 volt. The system relies on an ionic liquid electrolyte to lower the energy of the (CO2)– intermediate, most likely by complexation, and thereby lower the initial reduction barrier. The silver cathode then catalyzes formation of the final products. Formation of gaseous CO is first observed at an applied voltage of 1.5 volts, just slightly above the minimum (i.e., equilibrium) voltage of 1.33 volts. The system continued producing CO for at least 7 hours at Faradaic efficiencies greater than 96%.


To examine if a potentized homeopathic drug, Natrum Sulphuricum 200 (Nat Sulph-200) has protective potentials against hepatocarcinogenesis, liver tumors were induced in mice through chronic feeding of P-dimethylaminoazobenzene (p-DAB; initiator of hepatocarcinogenesis) and phenobarbital (PB; promoter). Mice were divided into five sub-groups: fed normal low protein diet (Gr. I, normal control); fed normal low protein plus alcohol-200 (vehicle of the homeopathic remedy) (Gr. II); fed diet mixed with 0.06% p-DAB plus 0.05% PB (Gr. III); fed diet and carcinogens like Gr.III, plus alcohol 200 (positive control for drug fed mice) (Gr. IV) and fed diet and carcinogens like Gr. III, plus Natrum Sulphuiricum-200 (Gr. V; drug fed). Mice were sacrificed at day 7, 15, 30, 60, 90 and day 120 for study of cytogenetical endpoints like chromosome aberrations (CA), micronuclei (MN), mitotic index (MI) and sperm head anomaly (SHA) and biochemical toxicity parameters like aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), acid (AcP) and alkaline (AlkP) phosphatases, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and reduced glutathione (GSH) content. Less number of liver tumors were observed in Gr. V (drug fed) mice. Administration of Nat Sulph 200 reduced genomic damage, activities of AcP, AlkP, AST, ALT, LPO and increased GSH content. Therefore, independent replication of the study by others is encouraged.


As the demand for passenger cars that are equipped with EPB(electric parking brake) system increases, the automotive parts companies have tried to develop the EPB on all vehicle. As the range of EPB application expands, customer demand for noise reduction during EPB operation also increases. In order to reduce the EPB operating noise, the optimum design of the EPB actuator two-step train gear was carried out. First of all, three gear design factors, such as pressure angle, helical angle, and gear type, were changed to verify the impact on EPB operation noise. As a result of this, the change of transmission error, contact ratio and specific speed were confirmed using KISSSOFT which is gear analysis program. Theoretically, the gear train which has small transmission error, large contact ratio, certain specific slide(-3~+3) is advantageous for noise reduction. As a result of the analysis, it was confirmed that the transmission error is reduced when the pressure angle is reduced, and the contact ratio increases when the helical angle is increased. Also, when the gear type is changed from spur gear to helical gear, transmission error is reduced and contact ratio is increased, which is the most advantageous for noise reduction. The actual sample was manufactured and evaluated in five combinations. The result of the evaluation confirmed that the sample with the reduced pressure angle was the best to reduce noise. It was expected that changing the gear type from spur to helical would be the most advantageous for noise reduction. However, if the shaft rigidity is not strong enough to support thrust which is occurred by gear type change, the load noise increased at the end of EPB operation. The gear optimization of EPB actuator showed the following: First, In the no-load section, it was found that noise reduction can be achieved by optimization of the main gear design factor. Second, in the load section, if the stiffness of the shaft is weak, the noise increases at the end of operation due to thrust. In the future, the EPB actuator will be designed using this gear optimization process to reduce the EPB operation noise.


Abstract Projected increases in irrigation water demand required to feed India's population have been a significant component of the justification for the ambitious and highly contentious India's National River Linking Project (NRLP), which, in its ultimate form, seeks to transfer water from relatively water‐rich basins to those basins where demand has already outstripped supply. This paper re‐examines some of the key assumptions underlying the irrigation demand estimations of the NRLP project, and concludes that a number of key assumptions are not consistent with recent trends. Major changes from earlier projections include rapidly changing consumption patterns and the dominance of groundwater as the source of irrigation water choice where available. The major challenge facing the agricultural water sector in India today and over the long term therefore is how to increase the groundwater stock (supply enhancement) to arrest declining groundwater tables, and how to sustain water use by minimizing uncontrolled groundwater pumping (demand management). While large‐scale water developments, including inter‐basin transfers, are likely still necessary, the characteristics of agricultural water demand and realities of available supplies need to be carefully reconsidered.


In social groups, hierarchies are the fundamental organizational unit and integral to the structure of social groups. For many social fishes, rank is determined by body size and conflict over rank is resolved via aggressive threats from dominants and growth restraint by subordinates. However, this balance may be offset by an alteration of abiotic factors, such as elevated temperature expected from climate change, which could thereby disrupt the usual mechanisms of conflict resolution. Here, we determined the effect of elevated temperature on hierarchy structure, stability, and conflict resolution in the Eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki. Body size was significantly related to dominance rank, and aggression was more commonly directed toward subordinates and was heightened between individuals of adjacent rank, demonstrating that conflict over rank occurs in size-based hierarchies. Temperature did not affect overall levels or directionality/adjacency of aggression but substantially altered subordinate growth patterns. In only the high-temperature groups, growth rates of subordinates decreased as the size ratio between themselves and their immediate dominant approached 1.0, whereas growth rates of dominants were unaffected. This unique finding suggests that only under high temperatures, subordinates may adopt growth regulation to resolve conflict, when the costs of conflict with dominants are greater. This provides the first causal link between abiotic stressors and changes to hierarchical structure and functioning, providing a springboard for further research into implications of temperature-dependent subordinate growth alteration at higher levels of ecological organization.


The effect of atmospheric pressure ammonia dielectric barrier discharge on the surface of polyester fabric has been studied using contact angle goniometer, ATR–FTIR spectroscopy and SEM. It is observed that the surface of plasma treated polyester is more hydrophilic due to incorporation of nitrogenous polar functional groups and shows different conformational composition and crystallinity. The ATR–FTIR results clearly indicate the conversion of trans ethylene glycol residue to gauche one after plasma treatment and thus reduction in crystallinity. Plasma treatment has shown synergetic effect on dye uptake. Natural dyeing of plasma treated polyester with ' Rubia cordifolia' has shown 65% improvement in colour depth in comparison to untreated polyester fabric.


Molecular beacons are essentially all probes that illuminate particular cellular target or cells with similar characteristics. In this review we focus on those molecular beacons that use near-infrared fluorescence imaging (NIRF-I) to identify the unique cellular and metabolic markers characteristic of cancer. They employ various delivery and activation pathways, selectively or specifically targeting proliferating and immortal cancer cells. These beacons can either be used in an imaging step separate from therapy or they can intimately connect these two steps into a single process. Matching cancer therapy to NIRF-I is photodynamic therapy (PDT) that uses the light-triggered phototoxic properties of some porphyrin-based dyes. Guided by beacon's restored fluorescence, the PDT laser could be focused on affected sites, killing the cancer cells using the enhanced photoactivity of the same beacon. Or vice versa-the restored fluorescence from the cleaved beacon could be used as an indication of the beacon's own therapeutic success, imaging the post-PDT apoptotic cells.


Transient simulation using Laguerre polynomials is unconditionally stable and is ideally suited for modeling structures containing both small and large feature sizes. The focus of this paper is on the automation of this technique and its application to chip-package cosimulation. Laguerre finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) requires using the right number of basis coefficients to generate accurate time-domain waveforms. A method for generating the optimal number of basis functions is presented in this paper. Equivalent circuit models of the FDTD grid have been developed. In addition, a method for simulation over a long time period is also presented that enables the extraction of the frequency response both at low and high frequencies. A node numbering scheme in the circuit model of the FDTD grid that is suitable for implementation has been discussed. Results from a chip-package example that shows the scalability of this technique to solve multiscale problems have been presented.


This paper assesses the implications of geographic mobility for the measurement of U.S. labor market dynamics using the Current Population Survey (CPS). Because the CPS does not follow individuals that move, estimates may be biased if the labor market behavior of movers differs systematically from that of nonmovers. I create a new database, the Longitudinal Population Database (LPD), that utilizes all longitudinal information in the CPS to form a panel data set. I use the LPD to identify persons who move and therewith estimate a bound on the bias from geographic mobility. I find that the cyclical bias arising from geographic mobility is small. At business cycle frequencies, the difference between the separation hazard rate calculated from the entire CPS sample and from a subset that are known not to have moved never exceeds 4 percent. There is little effect of mobility on the job finding hazard rate. I conclude that geographic mobility does not significantly affect CPS labor market dynamics.


The molecular pathogenesis of diabetes remains poorly understood because of the genetic complexity of the disease. One possibly effective approach to elucidate the pathogenesis is to study an animal model with a similar phenotype. The TSOD (Tsumura, Suzuki, Obese Diabetes) mouse, a newly developed animal model, exhibits both diabetes and obesity with marked hyperinsulinemia and hypertrophy of the pancreatic islets and might represent a common form of obese type 2 diabetes in humans. Phenotypic characterization revealed that the TSOD mouse had both insulin resistance and impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. A comprehensive genetic dissection of diabetes and obesity has been performed using F1 and F2 progeny between the TSOD and control BALB/cA strains. A genome-wide screen for loci linked to glucose homeostasis and body weight allowed us to map three quantitative trait loci (QTLs) involved in this disorder. The major genetic determinant of blood glucose levels was identified on chromosome 11. Furthermore, two independent QTLs involved in controlling body weight were found on chromosomes 1 and 2. The QTL on chromosome 2 also affected insulin levels significantly. Each QTL has distinct effects on different traits and a different mode of inheritance. Our study indicates that hyperglycemia and obesity are clearly controlled by distinct combinations of genetic loci in this mouse model and provides insights into the genetic basis of common forms of human type 2 diabetes with obesity.


Since the middle of the 20th century the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) belongs to the regions with the most rapid warming on Earth and thus to one of the hotspots of climate change. During the last six decades a mean temperature increase of 0.9 to 2.5 °C is observed along the WAP (Turner et al. 2005, Steig et al. 2009). Concomitantly, a dramatic retreat of glaciers is reported that has even accelerated in the last decade (Rignot et al., 2008). These changes are regionally accompanied by enhanced meltwater discharge transporting huge loads of eroded material into coastal waters. During R/V Polarstern cruise ANT-XXIII/4 in 2006, a gravity core (PS 69/335-2) and a giant box core (PS 69/335-1) were retrieved from Maxwell Bay, King George Island. Geochemical analyses (quantitative XRF, ICP-MS) and radiodating (14C, 210Pb) were performed on both cores. A comparison with geochemical data of local bedrocks evidence the predominantly detrital origin of the sediments, most likely derived from Barton Peninsula. Variations in the vertical distribution of selected elements indicate alternating supply areas due to changing glacier extensions during the past 1,750 years that may be linked to main Neoglacial events, equivalent in timing with the Little Ice Age (600 - 100 yrs BP) and the Medieval Warm Period (1,250 - 600 yrs BP). 210Pb excess data further revealed that mass accumulation rates have almost tripled since 1940 (0.64 g cm-2 yr-1 in 2006). This is presumably related to the glacier retreat due to the recent rapid regional warming.


[1] We compare space-based measurements of carbon monoxide (CO) during April 1994 and October 1984 and 1994 from the early MAPS instrument with those during 2000–2004 from the MOPITT instrument. We show that a three-dimensional global composition model can be used to account for differences in retrieval sensitivity between the two instruments and between the different years of MOPITT data. This allows direct comparison of CO amounts over most of the globe at different times. These types of changes in short-lived constituents cannot be assessed with local measurements. Though the existing space-based data are too sparse both temporally and geographically to allow trend estimates, we find substantial variations in midtropospheric CO between the different years in many continental-scale regions. During April, average CO is ∼12–18 ppbv (∼10–20%) greater during 2000–2004 than during 1994 over North America, southeast Asia and North Africa though the global mean value is nearly the same. During October 1994, observations show CO enhancements of 15–20 ppbv relative to 1984 or 2000–2004 over South America and a similar, though slightly smaller (9–19 ppbv), enhancement globally. Southeast Asia, Europe and North America all show similar October CO levels in 1994 and 2000–2004, with both times showing substantially more pollution (13–29 ppbv) than 1984. Variations over Europe and Africa are consistent in both seasons, while changes elsewhere are not. Changes over southeast Asia and North Africa are substantially in excess of interannual variability, while those over North and South America and southern Africa are only marginally so. Model sensitivity studies examining the response to changes in emissions indicate probable causes of the CO changes over different regions. Over southeast Asia and North America, CO is most sensitive to industrial and biomass burning emissions, implying that changes in these sources likely account for the 13–29 ppbv increases seen there between 2000–2004 and earlier years. Over North Africa, CO is strongly influenced by numerous sources as well as meteorology, precluding attribution of increases to particular factors. Over South America and southern Africa, variations in both biomass burning and isoprene emissions likely contributed to the ∼10–20 ppbv changes.


Given the importance of the optical properties of metal/dielectric core/shell nanoparticles, in this work we focus our attention on the light scattering properties, within the Mie framework, of some specific categories of these noteworthy nanostructures. In particular, we report theoretical results of angle-dependent light scattering intensity and scattering efficiency for Ag/Ag2O, Al/Al2O2, Cu/Cu2O, Pd/PdO, and Ti/TiO2 core/shell nanoparticles as a function of the core radius/shell thickness ratio and on a relative comparison. The results highlight the light scattering characteristics of these systems as a function of the radius/shell thickness ratio, helping in the choice of the more suitable materials and sizes for specific applications (i.e., dynamic light scattering for biological and molecular recognition, increasing light trapping in thin-film silicon, organic solar cells for achieving a higher photocurrent).


Read the argument against the proposed legislation

Patents are only to be for granted inventions - that's the intent of the Patents Act 1990, it has been the law for nearly 400 years, and it's also what Article 27.1 of TRIPS says in black and white.

About 30 years ago, a new patent office practice was established by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the European Patent Office and the Japan Patent Office.

The change essentially meant that naturally occurring biological materials, such as DNA and amino acids or proteins, which have been isolated (removed from their natural environment), could be considered to be inventions.

This practice was subsequently adopted in Australia and its implementation resulted in the granting of thousands of patents over isolated biological materials from a variety of sources, including viruses, bacteria, human genome and plant genomes.


EC environmental law has been the subject of close scrutiny for many years, with inadequate transposition and implementation of directives highlighted by the European Court and others. This scrutiny has played a part in the incremental development of the nature of the obligations which directives place on Member States. Thus a history of transposition can be studied for the older directives, so that uncertainties and other problems with provisions; the evolving nature of transposing measures; and the experience of practical implementation can be brought together to identify failings in transposition and implementation, assess whether and how these have been addressed, and identify the continuing consequences of these failings. This article examines such a 'life-cycle' of transposition and implementation within the United Kingdom of one of the more mature environmental directives – the Groundwater Directive. This Directive is nearing the end of a lengthy life-cycle, with the transition to the Water Framework Directive under way. The Directive has not been the subject of significant attention by the courts or academic writers and so it might be assumed that it has proved less problematic than other directives. Yet there have been important, albeit latent, problems, which only become apparent when looking beneath the level of paper transposition at practical implementation. These problems could, however, have serious continuing consequences for the environment.


We present a solution method for the liner shipping network design problem which is a core strategic planning problem faced by container carriers. We propose the first practical algorithm which explicitly handles transshipment time limits for all demands. Individual sailing speeds at each service leg are used to balance sailings speed against operational costs, hence ensuring that the found network is competitive on both transit time and cost. We present a matheuristic for the problem where a MIP is used to select which ports should be inserted or removed on a route. Computational results are presented showing very promising results for realistic global liner shipping networks. Due to a number of algorithmic enhancements, the obtained solutions can be found within the same time frame as used by previous algorithms not handling time constraints. Furthermore we present a sensitivity analysis on fluctuations in bunker price which confirms the applicability of the algorithm.


OBJECTIVES
We sought to determine the long-term survival rates and defect-related morbidity of adult patients who undergo surgical repair of an ostium primum atrial septal defect.

BACKGROUND
The natural history of patients undergoing such surgical repair in adulthood remains unclear.

METHODS
We followed up 33 patients who underwent surgical correction of an ostium primum atrial septal defect at our institution at a mean age of 42 years (range 20 to 73); 12 of these patients were > 50 years old at the time of operation. Four patients had moderate preoperative exercise incapacity (New York Heart Association functional class > II) and six had atrial fibrillation. Nine and four patients, respectively, had a preoperative mean pulmonary artery pressure > 25 mm Hg or pulmonary vascular resistance > 4 Wood U. Autologous pericardium was used to patch the defect in 30 patients (91%). Mitral valvuloplasty, consisting of cleft repair (n = 10), and mitral valve replacement (n = 2) were performed selectively.

RESULTS
There were no operative deaths. At a mean follow-up interval of 5.3 years (range 1 to 18.2), all 28 surviving patients are free of exercise limitation (functional class 1). Late postoperative deaths occurred in five patients (15%) and were related to myocardial infarction, stroke, hepatic failure, renal failure or sepsis. Reoperation within the 1st postoperative year was required in two patients (6%) because of a residual ostium primum defect in one and severe mitral regurgitation in the other. The presence of advanced age at operation, symptoms, atrial arrhythmias, mitral regurgitation or moderately increased pulmonary vascular resistance did not predict late postoperative mortality, complications or functional capacity.

CONCLUSIONS
An ostium primum defect can be repaired in adult patients with the expectation of excellent long-term results, independent of age at operation and preoperative mitral valve function and despite the presence of atrial fibrillation or moderately elevated pulmonary vascular resistance.


Several x-ray phase contrast extraction algorithms use a set of images acquired along the rocking curve of a perfect flat analyzer crystal to study the internal structure of objects. By measuring the angular shift of the rocking curve peak, one can determine the local deflections of the x-ray beam propagated through a sample. Additionally, some objects determine a broadening of the crystal rocking curve, which can be explained in terms of multiple refraction of x rays by many subpixel-size inhomogeneities contained in the sample. This fact may allow us to differentiate between materials and features characterized by different refraction properties. In the present work we derive an expression for the beam broadening in the form of a linear integral of the quantity related to statistical properties of the dielectric susceptibility distribution function of the object.


Chemical vapor transport (CVT)) is known as one of the most efficient methods of synthesizing nanocrystals. In order to investigate the underlying phenomena in CVT processes, especially the growth rate and growth quality in relation to total pressure, temperatures of source and crystal ends, as well as the entangled chemical reactions, CFD modeling is pursued as a powerful and effective tool in lieu of expensive experimental work. CFD modeling has become an important component of the research or a new research methodology and will become increasingly important for simplifying the investigation of phenomena in processes. This paper is presented on how CFD modeling approach can be used as a research methodology in sciences and engineering.   Two-dimensional numerical modeling on closed ampoule chemical vapor transport of ZnS–I2 system is conducted. The transport rate (TR) and its transition from diffusion-dominated to convection-dominated regimes in relation to total pressure, average temperature is studied intensively. Modeling results reveal that, the transition of TR from diffusion-dominated to convection-dominated regimes depends on P. Compared to the experimental literature values for all growth regimes, the modeling results agree with the experimental data.


OBJECTIVE: To determine whether racial differences exist in antibiotic prescribing among children treated by the same clinician. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of 1 296 517 encounters by 208 015 children to 222 clinicians in 25 practices in 2009. Clinical, antibiotic prescribing, and demographic data were obtained from a shared electronic health record. We estimated within-clinician associations between patient race (black versus nonblack) and (1) antibiotic prescribing or (2) acute respiratory tract infection diagnosis after adjusting for potential patient-level confounders. RESULTS: Black children were less likely to receive an antibiotic prescription from the same clinician per acute visit (23.5% vs 29.0%, odds ratio [OR] 0.75; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.72–0.77) or per population (0.43 vs 0.67 prescriptions/child/year, incidence rate ratio 0.64; 95% CI 0.63–0.66), despite adjustment for age, gender, comorbid conditions, insurance, and stratification by practice. Black children were also less likely to receive diagnoses that justified antibiotic treatment, including acute otitis media (8.7% vs 10.7%, OR 0.79; 95% CI 0.75–0.82), acute sinusitis (3.6% vs 4.4%, OR 0.79; 95% CI 0.73–0.86), and group A streptococcal pharyngitis (2.3% vs 3.7%, OR 0.60; 95% CI 0.55–0.66). When an antibiotic was prescribed, black children were less likely to receive broad-spectrum antibiotics at any visit (34.0% vs 36.9%, OR 0.88; 95% CI 0.82–0.93) and for acute otitis media (31.7% vs 37.8%, OR 0.75; 95% CI 0.68–0.83). CONCLUSIONS: When treated by the same clinician, black children received fewer antibiotic prescriptions, fewer acute respiratory tract infection diagnoses, and a lower proportion of broad-spectrum antibiotic prescriptions than nonblack children. Reasons for these differences warrant further study.


Because of the planned electrification of the Trondheim-Steinkjer, it is necessary to look at different route concepts Tronderbanen. Electric trains have better acceleration performance than current diesel ones, which would result in a theoretical travel time savings of 7 to 10 minutes in the line between Trondheim and Steinkjer. As the route is single-track, the current route model is restricted by the crossing points, and there is little room to achieve real runtime savings. Tronderbanen is very important for both Trondheim and the regions that are linked to it through the specific rail-path, the infrastructure and pathways are characterized by being old and with relatively low average speed. The sharp curves and gradients limit the speed that can be reached. Large parts of the line have low geometric standards and a standard rate as low as 80 km / h (independent of the stop pattern). Parts of the trail are further landslide and erosion prone, with significant operating and unsecured level crossings. The path is currently preclude public access to outdoor recreation areas (especially sea), which it is described by the traffic sign that indicates hazard and it is called "wild crossings". (Forslag til Planprogram ?dobbeltspor Trondheim S - Stjordal av 25.mars 2013.) The part of the line between Trondheim S and Stjordal is fully exploited when it comes to capacity and it is not possible to put more trains in the line without compromising runtime and / or punctuality. This part of the line also affects Stjordal ? Steinkjer as well as the long distance trains and freight for Nordlandsbanen. This specific part between Trondheim S and Stjordal is described by Jernbaneverket as a ?bottleneck? for both lines of Nordlandbanen and Trondersbanen. The current capacity of the line cannot be increased if the line is going to remain as currently.The task is therefore to develop and compare different route concepts in Tronderbanen to provide an indication of which improvements can be achieved and to identify other necessary measures in order to accomplish this. Due to the wished electrification of the examined line a re-scheduling of routes is essential. The procedure of producing timetables for the specific line (Steinkjer-Soberg) has been conducted by Viriato, a specialized software. Sintef Teknologi og samfunn owns the licence to the software as it has a special agreement with NSB as a part of PUSAM project (punktlighetsforbedring og kostnader av forsinkelser i jernbanetrafikk). The evaluation criteria /factors that have been chosen in order to evaluate the scenarios are the following: The achieved crossings, the driving times, the number of train sets that need to be used. To get the number of train sets printing of the graph has been chosen because of its simplicity. Some other factors have been examined also and these are: the demand based on the population, the timetable times around zero, the stability of the timetable, the historical value of each station, the number of crossings. Recovery times, the employees? point of view and comparison with the current timetable have also been examined. The procedure has been traced by the planning department of NSB and with the use of data provided by Jernbaneverket. The theoretical part of this report is focused on primarily on punctuality and routing to maximize the probability of avoiding delay and / or prevent them from being scattered. Timetable theory is being presented with a special focus on placing of buffer times. That is another important issue that is being discussed and completes the theoretical background of the current report.


Agricultural innovation benefits from a considerable investment in Rwanda. The national policies make the agricultural development a priority. Many actors are actively involved in intensifying and professionalizing the agriculture. However, the impact of innovation is limited in the field. The agricultural development and the farmers' living conditions have not been substantially improved. To understand this limitation, this study focuses on the different actors who are structured around the agricultural innovation in Rwanda. It aims at (i) establishing a systemic diagnosis of the innovation network and (ii) determining the level at which the innovation process is blocked up and the reasons for this situation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews of 24 banana producers and 21 institutions. Their analysis shows that the discontinuity of the innovation process is located at the interface between the meso and micro level of the network. In spite of the good will of all the actors, the linkage between institutions and farmers is unsuccessful: their expectations differ and are unsatisfied. In line with many debates on the implementation and the use of the agronomic research in developing countries, it is important to better understand the relationship between advisors and farmers. This understanding is a key element to the development of extension approachesthat best fit the situation under consideration and highlight the diversity of knowledge.


Background/Context PISA has come up with an ingenious solution to the problem of how to measure student achievement across national school systems with different curricula. Instead of measuring how well students learn what they are taught in each system, it measures a set of economically useful skills that no one teaches. Purpose The aim is to figure out how this odd situation came about in the current global policy context. Research Design This paper explores PISA as one type of educational accountability system, based on how well students demonstrate mastery of particular cognitive skills, and compares it with the current state-level accountability systems in the U.S. (NCLB), which are based on how well students demonstrate mastery of the formal curriculum. Conclusions/Recommendations Both PISA and NCLB, I argue, are cases of how we are shrinking the aims of education. One approach focuses on mastery of skills that are relevant but not taught and the other on mastery of content that is taught but not relevant. Neither seems a sensible basis for understanding the quality of schooling or for making educational policy.


OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that racial biases in opioid prescribing would be more likely under high levels of cognitive load, defined as the amount of mental activity imposed on working memory, which may come from environmental factors such as stressful conditions, chaotic workplace, staffing insufficiency, and competing demands, one's own psychological or physiological state, as well as from demands inherent in the task at hand.

DESIGN
Two (patient race: White vs Black) by two (cognitive load: low vs high) between-subjects factorial design.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS
Ninety-eight primary care physicians from the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.

METHODS
Web-based experimental study. Physicians were randomly assigned to read vignettes about either a Black or White patient, under low vs high cognitive load, and to indicate their likelihood of prescribing opioids. High cognitive load was induced by having physicians perform a concurrent task under time pressure.

RESULTS
There was a three-way interaction between patient race, cognitive load, and physician gender on prescribing decisions (P = 0.034). Hypotheses were partially confirmed. Male physicians were less likely to prescribe opioids for Black than White patients under high cognitive load (12.5% vs 30.0%) and were more likely to prescribe opioids for Black than White patients under low cognitive load (30.8% vs 10.5%). By contrast, female physicians were more likely to prescribe opioids for Black than White patients in both conditions, with greater racial differences under high (39.1% vs 15.8%) vs low cognitive load (28.6% vs 21.7%).

CONCLUSIONS
Physician gender affected the way in which patient race and cognitive load influenced decisions to prescribe opioids for chronic pain. Future research is needed to further explore the potential effects of physician gender on racial biases in pain treatment, and the effects of physician cognitive load on pain treatment.


The article concerns one of the most popular terms today - the problem of crisis. Crises were already wellknown by the ancients. But all these crises went only into the certain dimensions of human life, that is why we can define them as financial, political, social etc. Today we also often hear about all these arts of crises, but the real state is more complicated as this time it seems to be a question of the crisis within the human being himself in his project of humanity, that can not stay whithout the influence of all dimensions of human life. The main feature of this anthropological crisis is loneliness in its different arts - cosmic, metaphysical and social loneliness. More particular manifestations of this crisis are cult of money, loss by the human being his irreplaceability, his own metaphysical dignity, substitution of the concept of virtue with the concepts of price and profitability, development of the leisure industry etc. Today all the things can be bought, all the things have their own price, even a human being. The author doesn't stop at the mere ascertaining of the existing situation, but he also tries to show the possible ways out. We must at once thoroughly study the process are taking place and define whether we have to do with a decadence or a renescence crisis and only then we could on the way of intercultural and interreligious dialog renovate the humanism on the base of spiritual and religious traditions.


The authors document that approximately 5% of product reviews on a large private label retailer's website are submitted by customers with no record of ever purchasing the product they are reviewing. These reviews are significantly more negative than other reviews. They are also less likely to contain expressions describing the fit or feel of the items and more likely to contain linguistic cues associated with deception. More than 12,000 of the firm's best customers have written reviews without confirmed transactions. On average, these customers have each made more than 150 purchases from the firm. This makes it unlikely that the reviews were written by the employees or agents of a competitor and suggests that deceptive reviews may not be limited to the strategic actions of firms. Instead, the phenomenon may be far more prevalent, extending to individual customers who have no financial incentive to influence product ratings.


Essentially everyone who is utilizing an inductively coupled plasma has observed and studied the effects that plasma power and flow parameters and sample matrix have on analyte emission intensities. In analyzing the results of such experiments it is very important to appreciate the significant effect that the location and extent of the observation zone can have on the meaning and interpretation of the acquired data. For example, a short study carried out in our laboratory on the effect of plasma power on analyte emission intensities is shown in Fig. 1. Upon looking at this series of spectra it can be seen that the intensities of the Call and SrII lines are directly and strongly dependent on plasma power. The intensity of the Cal line, on the other hand, is seen not to be strongly dependent on power. In addition, its intensity appears to decrease as power is increased. For the measurements illustrated in Fig. 1 the plasma was imaged with a lens onto the entrance slit of a photodiode array spectrometer. The image formed in the plane of the entrance slit was a factor of 2 smaller than the object (plasma). One of the characteristics of this measurement system is such that a relatively narrow spatial region of the plasma (about 1 mm in height) is observed. This spatial window was set so as to observe the plasma emission about 20 mm above the load coil, which, in our system, is the region of strong ion line emission for species such as Ca and Sr.


In this paper, we derive a semiparametric estimation procedure for the sample selection model when some covariates are endogenous. Our approach is to augment the main equation of interest with a control function which accounts for sample selectivity as well as endogeneity of covariates. In contrast to existing methods proposed in the literature, our approach allows that the same endogenous covariates may enter the main and the selection equation. We show that our proposed estimator is \sqrtn-consistent and derive its asymptotic distribution. We provide Monte Carlo evidence on the small sample behavior of our estimator and present an empirical application. Finally, we brie y consider an extension of our model to quantile regression settings and provide guidelines for estimation.


The assessment of health impacts of extreme hot weather under climate change is important for adaptation and mitigation actions. This thesis has developed techniques for estimating changes in heat-related mortality in Europe, with a focus on extreme daily mortality counts. The use of these techniques is illustrated through the projections of extreme elderly mortalities for London, UK and Budapest, Hungary from 2010 to 2099, using temperature projections from the perturbed physics ensemble of the regional climate model HadRM3. The present-day relationship between daily number of deaths and temperatures at each location is modelled by Poisson generalized additive models. In order to account for possible discrepancies in climate model simulations, temperature projections from HadRM3 are calibrated by two approaches, bias correction and change factor. These are based on assumptions on the relationships in location, scale and shape between observed andmodelled temperature distributions. In particular, a novel method using the Box-Cox transformation is developed to correct the bias in the upper tails of present-day simulated temperature distributions. Finally, future mortalities are projected by driving the mortality models with calibrated temperature projections. Results of temperature calibration show that the two calibration approaches give substantially different estimates of future extreme temperatures. The estimates of 10-summer temperature return level by the two approaches differ bymore than 4 ◦C over many parts of Europe in the period 2070 to 2099. For London and Budapest, the effect of this calibration uncertainty on extreme temperature projections is comparable to the effect of the uncertainty in climate model parameters which is estimated by the range of perturbed physics ensemble estimates. These two sources of uncertainties, together with the uncertainty in how the mortality-temperature relationship is modelled, contribute to large uncertainties in extreme mortality projections. Assuming constant elderly population in the future, the projected change in the 2-summer return level of number of daily elderly deaths in the period 2070 to 2099 relative to the the present-day ranges from−12% to +75% for London and from −16% to +22% for Budapest. 2


Gene duplication is an opportunity for evolving new functions from the newer gene, but also has a disadvantage due to local gene-rearrangement effects and, if duplications are numerous, through alterations of genome size. Therefore, selection is playing a central role in determining the fate of a duplicate gene. Plants are known to harbor numerous gene families, and are thus an ideal system to test the fate of gene duplicates. This thesis tackles the tropinone-reductase like enzymes (further TRL) and the tau GSTs located upstream from this gene family. TRL enzymes are short-chain dehydrogenases that are involved in a reduction step downstream in the synthesis of tropane alkaloids in Solanaceae, important defense compounds of plants. The function of TRLs in Brassicaceae is not clear, since most of the plants in this family do not produce tropane alkaloids, but some have been associated with the oxidative-stress response. This gene family contains 80\% of its members duplicated in tandem in Arabidopsis thaliana. We profited from this fact to isolate 12 TRL (+ pseudogenes) from this species, further six species of Brassicaceae (A. thaliana, A. lyrata, A. cebennensis, Capsella rubella, Boechera divaricarpa and Brassica rapa), and one species from a closely related plant family, Cleome spinosa. We tested the role that selection plays in maintaining large numbers of this gene family. We used phylogenetic methods to analyze non-coding sequence evolution and identified regulatory motifs. We analyzed non-coding sequence evolution. Microarray expression data from A. thaliana and qPCR for A. thaliana and A. lyrata were analyzed to detect divergence in the expression patterns of orthologs and paralogs. TRL genes follow a gene birth and death dynamics. More probable, they originated from non-equal recombination of tandem duplicated genes. Positive selection at the origin of the duplicated genes allowed these to acquire differential expression patterns, leading to the preservation of numerous TRLs. The analysis of coding and non-coding sequences shows them to display correlated evolution, particularly in species recently separated by speciation. We further tested for selection on the tau glutathione-S-transferases (GST) enzymes, adjacent 3' in the genome to TRLs. Tau GSTs are unique to plants and are involved in detoxification. Multiple copies of these enzymes will allow flexibility in substrate specificity, which is important for the detoxification function. We detected positive selection among paralogs of tau GSTs supporting their potential of functional diversity, but we also detected negative selection among paralogs and groups of orthologs, indicating that more often their functions are conserved.