As well as being part of the wider gene pool of cultivated species such as mungbean and cowpea, Vigna lanceolata Benth. is of agronomic interest as a potentially useful species in its own right. It is widely adapted across northern Australia from the coast to inland desert regions, and possesses attributes that make it potentially suited as a ley, cover crop or pasture legume in seasonally arid tropical environments. The species comprises several morphotypes that variously differ in their broad geographic distribution, life cycle, habit, edaphic adaptation and/or amphicarpy. In order to assess the potential for breeding improved cultivars, eight representative accessions were hybridised in a complete diallel cross and the viability and fertility of the resultant hybrid progeny evaluated. Of the 56 parental combinations in the diallel, 33 resulted in healthy F1 hybrid plants, and of these, nine were at least partly self-fertile. Six of these combinations were the reciprocal crosses between three of the perennial, tuberous-rooted, amphicarpic morphotypes. Another two were the reciprocal crosses between the two annual morphotypes. The patterns of relatedness among accessions indicated by the cross-pollination studies were broadly supported by DArT molecular marker analyses, and suggested that there has been some genetic differentiation within the V. lanceolata complex. Although the process of speciation remains far from complete, the levels of genetic compatibility between some morphotypes would be inadequate to enable a breeding program to draw easily on the full range of genetic diversity within V. lanceolata. Two plausible breeding options are suggested. The first is the development of perennial, tuberous-rooted, amphicarpic ideotypes suited perhaps as pasture or understorey legumes, drawing on selected accessions from the three perennial morphotypes, where there was sufficient genetic compatibility and which collectively have wide geographical spread. The second is an annual, freely seeding, fibrous-rooted, amphicarpic ideotype suited perhaps for use as a self-regenerating ley legume, drawing on selected accessions from the two annual morphotypes.


In this paper we describe an algorithm for efficient SPICE-level simulation of transmission lines with arbitrary scattering parameter descriptions. That is, the line can be represented in the form of a frequency-domain model or a table of measured frequency-domain data. Our approach initially uses a forced stable decade-by-decade l/sub 2/ minimization approach to construct a sum of rational functions approximation, but the approximation has dozens of poles and zeros. This unnecessarily high-order model is then reduced using a guaranteed stable model order reduction scheme based on balanced realizations. Once the reduced-order model is derived, it can be combined with the transmission line's inherent delay to generate an impulse response. Finally, following what is now a standard approach, the impulse response can be efficiently incorporated in a circuit simulator using recursive convolution. An example of a transmission line with skin-effect is examined to both demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach and to show its generality. >


This is the only detailed study of slavery and Pope Gregory the Great that is readily available. The first part of the study examines Gregory's theoretical writings on slavery; it focuses, in particular, on a passage in the Regula Pastoralis where Gregory teaches slaves and masters how to find God through their dependency. The second part turns to Gregory's correspondence. In his interventions in slaves' lives, Gregory is seen generally to follow Justinianic law, with occasional deviations therefrom. I argue that an abiding interest in fostering social order underlies both Gregory's views on slavery in theory and his encounters with it in practice.


This study examined the different firm-level factors that affect listed Philippine companies' decision to use derivatives for corporate hedging.  Data from annual reports of 74 corporations over a span of five years (2007 to 2011) were gathered, resulting in 329 firm-year observations.  Results of random-effects logistic regression showed that, on one hand, firm size and presence of employee stock option plans were significant incentives for firms to use corporate hedging.  On the other hand, liquidity and the existence of growth opportunities were negative influences on derivatives usage.  These results may be consistent with the reality that the Philippine derivatives market is underdeveloped relative to the rest of Asia.  Only large and financially sophisticated firms, such as those that can develop stock option plans, are more likely to utilize corporate hedging techniques.  The negative effect of liquidity further supports this assertion.  Philippine firms in the sample would rather use liquidity than derivatives as a way of anticipating potential cash flow volatility.  Philippine firms may prefer to use financial buffer, rather than financially sophisticated tools such as derivatives.  The study exposed that only large or financially savvy corporations are more likely to take advantage of the benefits of hedging.  Philippine regulatory agencies and market participants must work harder to make corporate hedging an alternative that all corporations can take advantage of.


Sequencing projects have revealed the presence of at least several hundred receptor kinases in a typical plant genome. Receptor kinases are therefore the largest family of primary signal transducers in plants, and their abundance suggests an immense signaling network that we have only just begun to uncover. Recent research findings indicate that individual receptor kinases fulfill important roles in growth and development, in the recognition of pathogens and symbionts or, in a few examples, in both growth and defense. This volume will focus on the roles of receptor kinases, their signaling pathways, and the ways in which these important signaling proteins are regulated.


This manual explains in detail the external sustainability assessment approach following Castillo (2016), given by the stock-flow relationship among net external positions, non-income current account, and real exchange rate. This approach consists of determining the non-income current account over GDP that would stabilize a benchmark net foreign asset (NFA) position over the mediumterm, and a "gap" by comparing the NFA-stabilizing non-income current account over GDP with its value expected to prevail over the medium term. The text develops an External Sustainability Template and provides guidance in the customization of empirical assessments by addressing three methodologies: Standard Approach, Endogenous Net Foreign Assets Dynamics Approach, and Fan-Charts Approach.


This document specifies an Inter-Chassis Communication Protocol (ICCP)
that enables Provider Edge (PE) device redundancy for Virtual Private
Wire Service (VPWS) and Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS)
applications. The protocol runs within a set of two or more PEs,
forming a Redundancy Group, for the purpose of synchronizing data
among the systems. It accommodates multi-chassis attachment circuit
redundancy mechanisms as well as pseudowire redundancy mechanisms.


OBJECTIVE
This paper outlines the methods and baseline data from a multisite cohort study of the determinants and outcomes of mental health and well-being within rural and remote communities.

METHODS
A stratified random sample of adults was drawn in non-metropolitan New South Wales using the Australian Electoral Roll, with the aim of recruiting all adult members of each household. Surveys assessed psychological symptoms, physical health and mental disorders, along with individual-, family/household- and community-level characteristics. A stratified subsample completed a telephone-administered World Mental Health-Composite International Diagnostic Interview (World Mental Health-3.0). Proxy measures of child health and well-being were obtained. Follow up of this sample will be undertaken at one, three and five years.

RESULTS
A total of 2639 individuals were recruited (1879 households), with 28% from remote/very remote regions. A significant relationship was found between recent distress (Kessler-10 scores), age and remoteness, with a linear reduction of Kessler-10 scores with age and the lowest mean scores in remote regions.

CONCLUSIONS
Existing rurality categories cannot address the diverse socio-cultural, economic and environmental characteristics of non-metropolitan regions. While it has limitations, the dataset will enable a fine-grained examination of geographic, household and community factors and provide a unique longitudinal dataset over a five-year period.


OBJECT
Disparities in access to inpatient rehabilitation services after traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been identified, but less well described is the likelihood of discharge to a higher level of rehabilitation for Hispanic or black patients compared with non-Hispanic white patients. The authors investigate racial disparities in discharge destination (inpatient rehabilitation vs skilled nursing facility vs home health vs home) following TBI by using a nationwide database and methods to address racial differences in prehospital characteristics.

METHODS
Analysis of discharge destination for adults with moderate to severe TBI was performed using National Trauma Data Bank data for the years 2007-2010. The authors performed propensity score weighting followed by ordered logistic regression in their analytical sample and in a subgroup analysis of older adults with Medicare. Likelihood of discharge to a higher level of rehabilitation based on race/ethnicity accounting for prehospital and in-hospital variables was determined.

RESULTS
The authors identified 299,205 TBI incidents: 232,392 non-Hispanic white, 29,611 Hispanic, and 37,202 black. Propensity weighting resulted in covariate balance among racial groups. Hispanic (adjusted OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.68-0.75) and black (adjusted OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.91-0.97) populations were less likely to be discharged to a higher level of rehabilitation than were non-Hispanic whites. The subgroup analysis indicated that Hispanic (adjusted OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.71-0.86) and black (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.81-0.94) populations were still less likely to receive a higher level of rehabilitation, despite uniform insurance coverage (Medicare).

CONCLUSIONS
Adult Hispanic and black patients with TBI are significantly less likely to receive intensive rehabilitation than their non-Hispanic white counterparts; notably, this difference persists in the Medicare population (age ≥ 65 years), indicating that uniform insurance coverage alone does not account for the disparity. Given that insurance coverage and a wide range of prehospital characteristics do not eliminate racial disparities in discharge destination, it is crucial that additional unmeasured patient, physician, and institutional factors be explored to eliminate them.


This study with its two-fold objectives undertakes a descriptive analysis of how Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) have evolved into its multi-tiered state in Ghana and how their development has impacted other stakeholders in Ghana's economy especially Micro and Small-Scale Enterprises (MSEs). Additionally, this study undertakes an empirical and exploratory case study to investigate how MFIs in Ghana are influencing access to finance by MSEs. Given that MFIs and MSEs impact large swaths of very poor households, contribute fairly to the GDP of their countries, possess the potential to lift poor household above the poverty line, absorb the ramifications of economic recessions and fiscal adjustments, and provide employment and welfare; they constitute a potent investment and developmental tool for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and national development programmes in developing countries. The study shows how Ghana's MFI sector has evolved through years of regulatory reform into a multi-tiered microfinance framework to fill the financial chasm and disparity. It is also shown that the main financial and banking institutions are extending their depth of coverage to poor households through partnership with MFIs. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to a random sample of 25 MFIs and 25 MSEs. The questionnaires qualitatively measured and assessed among others the firm characteristics, access and use of capital, the use of savings accounts, the impact of business loans, loan policy and procedures, marketing strategy, customer evaluations, business motivation, business challenges and loan repayment. Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) serve only about 5% of Ghanaian households. 70% of households are reported to have members without a savings account. The main source of household credit and loans is relatives, friends and neighbours. Findings from the study indicate the main source of start-up capital for both MFIs and MSEs are personal savings, followed by the use of business loans. MFIs are the main source of business loans for MSEs. MSEs are confronted with lengthy loan processing and approvals times of up to 3 months and are required to provide collateral for loans. The main types of loan collaterals are physical assets and savings with the MFI. The latter being a contributory factor to the lengthy loan processing and approval time. MFIs offer MSEs very flexible payment terms and are easily accessible to MSEs, which are the key decision factors for MSEs in deciding an institution for loan application. MSEs hold favourable views of MFIs and the kind of financial services MFIs offer them. MSEs used business loans mostly in business growth and expansion. MSEs indicated business loans from MFIs had overall positive impact on their revenues, profits and their overall business activities. MSEs highlighted access to loans as their main business challenge. Loans offered by MFIs are tailored to meet their specific needs – fixed interest rates, short maturity (3-6months) and flexible payment terms. The main business challenges for MFIs are customer loan defaults and competition. The study has shown that MFIs are increasing their momentum to harness the investment and developmental opportunities that limited or lack of access to financial services and products presents, which this study has shown to be the driving force behind the growth and expansion of MSEs and with a culminated impact on Ghana's economy.


In this work we present an extensive empirical analysis of the BioHEL genetics-based machine learning system using the k-Disjunctive Normal Form (k-DNF) family of boolean functions. These functions present a broad set of possible challenges for most machine learning techniques, such as different degrees of specificity, class imbalance and niche overlap. Moreover, as the ideal solutions are known, it is possible to assess if a learning system is able to find them, and how fast. Specifically, we study two aspects of BioHEL: its sensitivity to the coverage breakpoint parameter (that determines the degree of generality pressure applied by the fitness function) and the impact of the default rule policy. The results show that BioHEL is highly sensitive to the choice of coverage breakpoint and that using a default class suitable for the problem allows the system to learn faster than using other default class policies (e.g. the majority class policy). Moreover, the experiments indicate that BioHEL's scalability depends directly on both k (the specificity of the k-DNF terms) and the number of terms in the problem. In the last part of the paper we discuss alternative policies to adjust the coverage breakpoint parameter.


This dissertation is an historical examination of a medieval mystical tradition known as the resignatio ad infernum (willingness to be damned), which expresses a preference to be damned to hell out of love and solidarity for those the church had deemed lost. The work has six chapters and a conclusion and is divided into two parts. In the introduction to part one, I frame the discussion of the resignatio ad infernum in terms of contemporary trauma theory and Foucault's late lectures on the concept of parrhesia. In the first two chapters, I explore the scriptural antecedents to the tradition (ch. 1), along with post-biblical 'tours of hell' (ch. 2). In the third and last chapter of Part One, I read Augustine's doctrine of hell, which becomes the normative one, as deeply embedded in his political battle with the dissident Christians known to us as the Donatists. His hell is seen as an attempt to indemnify both God and the godly self from the trauma/hell of this life. This sets the stage for the second part of the dissertation, in which the flowering of the resignatio ad infernum tradition is seen as a theo-political gesture of resistance to the theodicy of hell developed in the Augustinian context. Part Two begins with an introduction devoted to Foucault's early lectures on governmentality and the medieval practices of what he calls 'counter-conduct'. Chapter four is a detailed look at the flowering of the resignatio ad infernum tradition in the 13th century beginning with Hadewijch of Brabant. Chapter five looks at two more thirteenthcentury mystics, Jacopone da Todi and Marguerite Porete, and analyzes their deployment of the resignatio themes as exemplifications of Foucauldian 'counterconduct'. Chapter five concludes with a brief discussion of the subsequent domestication of the resignatio tradition within Catholic and Lutheran thought. Chapter six shows the resignatio tradition returning, via Dostoevsky, to the postmodern scene through the work of Levinas, Derrida, and especially Helene Cixous. Finally, in a concluding chapter, I argue that this tradition, though residing until the twentieth century primarily in a theological register, has much in common with two political theorists influenced by Levinas and Foucault, Judith Butler and William Connolly. The Deconstruction of Hell: A History of the Resignat io ad Infernum Tradition By Clark R. West B.A. (cum laude) Williams College, 1989 M.Div. University of Chicago Divinity School, 1997 M.Phil/ Syracuse University, 2009 DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Religion in the Graduate School of Syracuse University May 2013 Copyright 2013 Clark R. West All rights reserved


A line of research in cognitive science over several decades has been dedicated to mapping a hypothetically innate, language-specific cognitive system, a faculty that allows human infants to acquire languages natively without formal instruction and within short periods of time. In recent years, this search has attracted significant controversy in cognitive science generally, and in the language sciences specifically. Some maintain that the search has had meaningful results, though there are different views as to what the findings are: ranging from the view that there is a rich and rather specific set of principles, to the idea that the contents of the language faculty are—while specifiable—in fact extremely minimal. Other researchers rigorously oppose the continuation of this search, arguing that decades of effort have turned up nothing. The fact remains that the proposal of a language-specific faculty was made for a good reason, namely as an attempt to solve the vexing puzzle of language in our species. Much work has been developing to address this, and specifically, to look for ways to characterize the language faculty as an emergent phenomenon; i.e., not as a dedicated, language-specific system, but as the emergent outcome of a set of uniquely human but not specifically linguistic factors, in combination. A number of theoretical and empirical approaches are being developed in order to account for the great puzzles of language—language processing, language usage, language acquisition, the nature of grammar, and language change and diversification. The goal of this Research Topic is to ask whether a paradigm shift has indeed occurred that allows us to conceptualize language not as an innate, dedicated faculty, but as the result of general cognitive abilities adapted for linguistic use.

In the first of three review articles, Dąbrowska reviews the fundamental arguments in support of the Universal Grammar hypothesis. The focus is on the three most powerful arguments, namely universality, convergence, and poverty of stimulus. The author maintains that all three can be proven wrong: languages have been shown to display deep differences of structure; significant variation has been documented in speakers' knowledge of grammar; and grammatical constructions have been proven to be learnable through input. The second review by Christiansen and Chater takes issue with the latest, most minimal proposal for a language faculty (LF): recursion. Through a review and discussion of genetic, non-human primate and neuro-scientific research the authors argue that an innate LF is evolutionarily unlikely. The ability to process recursive structure emerges gradually through adaptation of domain-general sequence learning abilities. The relationship between domain-specificity and linguistic adaptation is the focus of the third review, by Culbertson and Kirby. The authors propose that our linguistic knowledge is best seen as a unique interaction of domain-general capacities with language. This can be illustrated by what they see as a powerful general bias towards simplicity of representation, which manifests itself cross-linguistically through universal tendencies such as compositionality, regularity, harmony, and isomorphism.

In their more theoretical article, Mattos and Hinzen shift the focus of the debate to the acquisition of declarative gestures in pre-verbal children. Even before the onset of one-word expressions, children show the ability to link lexical concepts to gestures. This, the authors argue, can only be explained by a system that is both symbolic and referential, and must be taken as a challenge to the alleged non-linguistic roots of natural pedagogy. In the second article of more theoretical nature, Adger and Svenonius defend the view that "aspects of our best theories of syntactic phenomena are simply special cases of more general principles. But those more general principles are not established at the moment […] generative syntax provides a potential way to reach those more general principles." A methodological point made here is that in evaluating domain specificity we need to ensure that we evaluate principles of actual explanatory power. A theoretical point maintains that principles might exist that are language-specialized, i.e., linguistic versions of more general cognitive principles. The third of these more theoretically oriented contributions, by Goldberg, concerns exactly what kind of evidence should be used in support of UG. Goldberg looks at the "subtle and intricate" implicit knowledge of language that speakers seem to possess. Even these cases, the author argues, do not warrant the positing of unlearned syntactic structures, as they can be explained by the functions of the constructions involved. Crucially these are learned, conventionalized, and only require domain-general constraints on perception, attention and memory.

Two original research papers offer strong views against innateness. Archangeli and Pulleyblank present a take on phonology based on the Emergent Grammar Hypothesis. In this view humans are understood to make sense of linguistic data primarily through three non-linguistic abilities: categorial thinking, sensitivity to frequency, and symbolic generalization. In three case studies ranging from English to Bantu and Esimbi, the authors show how diverse language data can be explained by such operational abilities. They propose an emergent basis for not only phonology but possibly morphological structures too. In a second original research paper, Evans approaches human language as a communicative system that must have two fundamental design features: a conceptual and a linguistic system, each of which contributes to meaning construction. Evans argues that both systems operate in a symbiotic relation and are semantic in nature, but the former is evolutionarily older and is the one to which the latter is adapted.

Finally, in a perspective piece, Everett takes issue in particular with the notion of a "phonological mind," or phonological nativism. The proposal, according to the author, suffers from at least two shortcomings. A theoretical problem is that properties invoked in phonological nativism are not successfully explained in evolutionary terms. A methodological problem confuses design features of any given system with innate, rather than acquired, constraints.

We are pleased to present a set of articles that approach our research question—Is the language faculty nonlinguistic?—from a range of angles, and with consideration of multiple stances on the question. Perhaps most importantly, this applies to the very idea of what a language faculty is. The concept can be understood in two distinct ways:

That which humans have which is biologically necessary to learn language.

That which humans have which is biologically necessary to learn language and which is not a general purpose learning mechanism.

We might call (1) an axiom. Nobody hypothesizes that humans have a capacity for language. Rather, that capacity is the thing to be explained and understood. By contrast, (2) is a hypothesis, i.e., that the relevant mechanisms are not general but are specifically dedicated to language. These two concepts of a language faculty must not be confused. Progress with this central problem in the psychology of language will not only require a constructive approach to dialogue between those of differing views, it will require conceptual clarity at every step.


We present Logical Optimal Actions (LOA), an action decision architecture of reinforcement learning applications with a neuro-symbolic framework which is a combination of neural network and symbolic knowledge acquisition approach for natural language interaction games. The demonstration for LOA experiments consists of a web-based interactive platform for text-based games and visualization for acquired knowledge for improving interpretability for trained rules. This demonstration also provides a comparison module with other neuro-symbolic approaches as well as non-symbolic state-of-the-art agent models on the same text-based games. Our LOA also provides open-sourced implementation in Python for the reinforcement learning environment to facilitate an experiment for studying neuro-symbolic agents. Demo site: https://ibm.biz/acl21-loa, Code: https://github.com/ibm/loa


There is much talk about the global economy being driven into a deflationary spiral as a consequence of the ongoing financial crisis. There is also a considerable amount of misinformation about what deflation means and its economic implications. This policy brief explores the origins and consequences of deflation with a view to putting into proper perspective the relevant economic issues for an economy that experiences a bout of falling prices. Historical illustrations are also used to distinguish between sense and nonsense concerning the economics of deflation.


Today, spatial research and planning is confronted with complex frame conditions which have substantially changed in the past decades. Thus, a comprehensive social change is stated, giving new room for individual development, but on the other hand making new decisions necessary (cue: individualisation). At the same time, settlement structures and time-regimes - essential conditions for spatial mobility - have developed dynamically (cues: decentralisation, flexibilisation). These trends are spatially resulting: - in a growing demand for housing size, which is realised predominantly in suburban and post-suburban settlement forms, - in high volumes of traffic in leisure, holidays, supply and commuting which are realised primarily by car and - in leisure and holidays - also by plane, - in changing mobility rationales; for instance, migrations are increasingly substituted by high distance commuting, - in new, partially virtual mobility forms (internet surfing, e-commerce, online banking, 'virtual leisure', event leisure). These mobility forms are characterised by interdependencies with physical passenger travel and freight transport as well as locational choice. From the perspective of a sustainable urban development, these trends have to be partially assessed as incompatible. At the same time, they offer chances for a more sustainable configuration of locations and transport. For instance, the change from industrial to service society facilitates the renaissance of the spatial integration of housing and working. New information and communication technologies allow to reduce job and supply trips (tele working, e-commerce). However, hitherto research and planning show serious methodological problems in the consideration of the stated changes. The explanation patterns of existing approaches for spatial mobility are mainly based upon spatial and individual restrictions. Neither the increasing degrees of freedom nor the subjective rationales behind mobility decisions are adequately considered. The referee presents the conceptual framework, methods and preliminary results of the interdisciplinary research project "StadtLeben". In this project, transport researchers, urban planners, geographers and psychologists from the universities of Aachen, Dortmund, Berlin (FU) and Bochum are working together. The project is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research in the research programme "Building and Housing". The central research question focuses on the interrelation between social structures (lifestyles, milieus), space-time-structures, housing resp. choice of housing location, and everyday mobility. In exemplary study areas in the urban regions of Koln and Leipzig, the specific interdependency of lifestyles, milieus and space-time-structures (f.i. infrastructure facilities, characteristic urban structures) as central influences on spatial action is investigated. In doing so, it is assumed that these interdependencies are to be understood as "contextual figures" rather than as clearly defined one-directional causal chains. The proposed research approach shall help to investigate the complex and manifold interrelations between social and spatial structures as well as the choice of housing location and everyday mobility. By means of this advanced descriptive and explanatory approach, target group-oriented and efficient planning and design strategies shall be developed. Together with planning practitioners, action-oriented knowledge as well as suggestions for planning methods (participation, processes, competence) shall be derived.


SAP Certified Technology Associate SAP Fiori Implementation and Configuration (Wave V) - C_SAPXIMP_20 These questions are similar to the ones asked in the actual Test. How should I know? I know, because although I have been working as an SAP UI Consultant for many years, I have myself recently certified with the latest version of the Associate Certification test. Before you start here are some Key features of the SAP Fiori Implementation and Configuration Certification Exam. The "SAP Fiori Implementation and Configuration" certification exam verifies that the candidate has the knowledge required in the area of SAP Fiori. This certificate proves that the candidate has the required understanding within this consultant profile, and can implement this knowledge practically in projects under guidance of an experienced consultant. . Associate Certifications are targeting profiles with 1 - 3 years of knowledge and experience. The primary source of knowledge and skills is based on the corresponding training material.. The exam is Computer based and you have three Hours to answer 80 Questions. The Questions are (mostly) multiple choice type and there is NO penalty for an incorrect answer. Some of the Questions have more than one correct answer. You must get ALL the options correct for you to be awarded points. For questions with a single answer, the answers will have a button next to them. You will be able to select only one button. For questions with multiple answers, the answers will have a tick box next to them. This allows you to select multiple answers. You are not allowed to use any reference materials during the certification test (no access to online documentation or to any SAP system). Clearing the Certification will not automatically lead you to a job. However a Certification with some project experience will certainly open a lot of doors for you. So if you have little or no experience, you should get yourself certified, get some project experience, and then the whole of the SAP World open for you to explore. Helping you with the first step on you ladder to success is this book! Some UNIQUE features of this Book: - There is NO Other material in the market for the SAP Fiori Certification exam. - The authors have themselves cleared the exam. - All questions are multiple choice format, similar the questions you will get in the actual exam. - Over 200 authentic questions, testing the exact same concepts that will be tested in Your exam!


Aim  To determine the relationship between the distribution of climate, climatic heterogeneity and pteridophyte species richness gradients in Australia, using an approach that does not assume potential relationships are spatially invariant and allows for scale effects (extent of analysis) to be explicitly examined.

Location  Australia, extending from 10° S to 43° S and 112° E to 153° E.

Method  Species richness within 50 × 50 km grid cells was determined using point distribution data. Climatic surfaces representing the distribution and availability of water and energy at 1 km and 5 km cell resolutions were obtained. Climate at the 50 km resolution of analysis was represented by their mean and standard deviation in that area. Relationships were assessed using geographically weighted linear regression at a range of spatial bandwidths to investigate scale effects.

Results  The parameters and the predictive strength of all models varied across space at all extents of analysis. Overall, climatic variables representing water availability were more highly correlated to pteridophyte richness gradients in Australia than those representing energy. Their variance in cells further increased the strength of the relationships in topographically heterogeneous regions. Relationships with water were strong across all extents of analysis, particularly in the tropical and subtropical parts of the continent. Water availability explained less of the variation in richness at higher latitudes.

Main conclusions  This study brings into question the ability of aspatial and single-extent models, searching for a unified explanation of macro-scaled patterns in gradients of diversity, to adequately represent reality. It showed that, across Australia, there is a positive relationship between pteridophyte species richness and water availability but the strength and nature of the relationship varies spatially with scale in a highly complex manner. The spatial variance, or actual complexity, in these relationships could not have been demonstrated had a traditional aspatial global regression approach been used. Regional scale variation in relationships may be at least as important as more general relationships for a true understanding of the distribution of broad-scale diversity.


This paper discusses the problem of introducing feedback in multilevel machine-vision systems. Based on a theoretical-informational analysis, it is shown that feedback is needed in such systems because the individual components of the quality criterion common to the entire system are optimized at different levels. As a result, the decisions made at the earlier stages of the analysis use only part of the components of this criterion, and this makes these decisions less than optimal. An approach is proposed to introduce feedback as a method of achieving the global optimum of the informational quality criterion by iterative improvement of the decision. Based on these results, it is shown that the information contained in the contours is inadequate for a robust construction of the structural elements.


Traditionally, techniques for computing on encrypted data have been proposed with privacy preserving applications in mind. Several current cryptosystems support a homomorphic operation, allowing simple computations to be performed using encrypted values. This is sufficient to realize several useful applications, including schemes for electronic voting [16, 12, 17] and single server private information retrieval (PIR) [19, 9]. In this paper, we introduce an alternative application for these techniques in an unexpected setting: malware. We point out the counterintuitive possibility of malware which renders some aspects of its behavior provably resistant to forensic analysis, even with full control over the malware code, its input, and its execution environment. While methods for general purpose computation on encrypted data have not yet been realized, we explore the potential use of current techniques. Specifically, we consider in depth the possibility of malware which employs private information retrieval techniques to find and retrieve specific pieces of sensitive information from compromised hosts while hiding its search criteria. Through an evaluation of the goals of attackers and the constraints under which they operate, we determine that PIR techniques are an attractive technology to malware authors with the potential to increase the threat of targeted espionage. We go on to demonstrate the present feasibility of PIR-based malware through a series of experiments with a full implementation of a recent private stream searching scheme. Through the example of PIR-based malware, we highlight the more general possibilities of computing on encrypted data in a malicious setting.


The selective C2 epimerization of the glucose/mannose pair on a set of Mo-based catalysts was studied by means of density functional theory. The process, known as the Bilik reaction, encompasses a 1,2 C-shift of the C3 centers at the sugars. Molybdic acid was initially proposed as a catalyst in this reaction, and recent experimental studies have shown that the polyoxometalate (POM) Keggin cluster H3PMo12O40 also presents a good performance. In the present work, we propose a reaction mechanism for the epimerization on the Keggin cluster with different heteroatoms and extend it to a larger POM, H6P2Mo18O62, and the continuous α-MoO3(010) surface. We have found that in the transition state corresponding to the 1,2 C-shift the Mo center acts as an electron buffer that promotes the transformation of the aldehyde group in C1 into an alkoxy group and the C2 alkoxy into an aldehyde group. As a consequence, the activity of Mo-containing compounds can be traced back to the reducibility of the Mo center and a simple microkinetic model illustrates that this descriptor generates an activity volcano. This allows the identification of a new POM that shall be 4.7 times more active than the parent compound. We have thus shown that continuum models linking the properties of molecular cluster-like catalysts and oxide surfaces can be derived and this paves the way towards a unified theory in catalysis.


The Angolan Bush War or the South African Border War has become something of a forgotten war. In South Africa, the war was heard of, but the details were not known to the general public. For all practical purposes it was a 'secret war'. "Relatives and friends had no idea what their loved ones were going through while serving [on] the border" (p. 13). Today, many South Africans have a limited or distorted understanding of why there was a border war or, for that matter, few can explain why South Africa was entangled in a quagmire of that sort for years on end in Angola. The consistent stream of border war literature has tried to fill this void. The main contributors from South Africa were at first commanding officers (veteran colonels and retired generals) but thereafter numerous former conscripts. The declassification of information paved the way for aspiring researchers interested in uncovering this 'secret war'. More recently, the opposing sides have started to chronicle 'their side of the story' and record details of 'their' experiences. A recent contribution is that of Gennady Shubin and Andrei Tokarev.


In actual mobile radio systems, multipath conditions pose a problem, as the channel becomes frequency dependent. This point is especially critical in case of high frequency transmissions with very high data rate and high error performance, such as defined in the IEEE 802.15.3c which is an emerging 60-GHz standard supporting data rates of multi-giga bits per second (multi-Gbps) for short-range indoor applications. The deployment of such high speed wireless transmission has been very difficult throughout history mainly by two critical factors: the first one was the lack of wide enough spectrum and the second one is the high cost of high frequency circuits and devices. However, this trend is changing to the point that not too long ago, the substantial unlicensed spectrum became available at the millimeter-wave band of 60-GHz. Also, the advancement in technology drives the cost of 60-GHz circuits and devices much lower than in the past making possible its use for high definition audio and video wireless transmissions. In order to overcome the transmission channel issues, it is necessary to include a channel equalizer in the receiver, which must estimate the channel impulse response and make some operations to transform the frequency dependent channel to a flat channel. Nevertheless, the equalizer technology will depend on three different factors: first one the physical layer (PHY) technique under consideration for multi-Gbps Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) which basically could be orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) or single-carrier frequency domain equalization (SC-FDE); second, the channel impulse response estimation carried out in order to determine the channel transfer function H(f), existing several methods to obtain an estimation; and third, the used equalization method and structure in order to reverse all distortions produced by the channel.
This Master thesis has been carry out during an Erasmus program in the Technische Universitat of Braunchweig, Germany, and it is the first part of a whole European project for the study, analysis and deployment of the IEEE 802.15.3c standard for wireless communications with very high data rate and high error performance in the 60-GHz band. According to the instructions and requirements defined by professor Thomas Kurner which was in charge of this project, this thesis include: first, a theoretical study of all the different propagation effects which could affect a wireless communication channel in order to run not only the simulations presented in this thesis but also the future simulations; second, the development of a model in Matlab/Simulink that will be useful to carry out all the project simulations (taken into account the specifications collected in IEEE 802.15.3c standard); third, the results of the carried simulations for Single Carrier Channel estimation and equalization by using two different equalization methods in the frequency domain: Zero Forcing and Minimum Mean Square Error equalization. Taking this into account, the thesis is organized as follows. Section I is dedicated to the study of all the different propagation effects and problems which affects a wireless communication transmissions; In Section II, technologies and Physical Layer Modes are described attending the IEEE 802.15.3c in order to learn its different characteristics for the subsequent channel estimation; Section III is devoted to channel estimation and equalization methods description; estimation and equalization methods are selected in order to carry out the simulations in Section IV; finally, in Section V the developed system simulator as well as the obtained simulation results are presented after implementation of Zero Forcing and Minimum Mean Square Error equalization methods in Matlab/Simulink.


Objective:
This study presents the microvasculature of the horse iris, ciliary process,
retina, and choroid and discusses the functional significance of the
vasculature. Procedure: Seven horses were used for this study. The ocular
vascular system was injected with methylmethacrylate resin via the carotid
artery, and the vascular corrosion casts were observed using a scanning
electron microscope. Results: The iridial vessels showed a wavy course. The
ciliary process was supplied by 2 arterial routes: the iridial and ciliary
arterial circles. The subjects displayed a paurangiotic retina with retinal
vessels extending only a short distance around the disc. The retinal arterioles
and venules ran in closely related pairs, and the capillaries formed hairpin
loops. No central retinal artery was seen in the equine eyes examined. The
choriocapillaris in the avascular retina was arranged in honeycomb hexagon
lobules and formed a more densely packed network than that in the vascular
retina. There were 2 distinct venous drainage systems in the horse choroid: the
vortex veins and the posterior ciliary veins. The vortex vein ampulla was
flattened and showed a slit-like lumen at the merge site with the ophthalmic
vein. The vortex veins demonstrated a marked constriction before leaving the
eye. Discussion: The 2 choroidal drainage systems may compensate each other in
event of occlusion. The ampulla and the constriction in the vortex veins may
act as a valve regulating the blood flow to keep the eye at an optimum size and
the intraocular pressure within the normal physiological range.


Dynactin is a multi-subunit complex which has been implicated in cytoplasmic dynein function, though its mechanism of action is unknown. In this study, we have characterized the 50-kD subunit of dynactin, and analyzed the effects of its overexpression on mitosis in living cells. Rat and human cDNA clones revealed p50 to be novel and highly conserved, containing three predicted coiled-coil domains. Immunofluorescence staining of dynactin and cytoplasmic dynein components in cultured vertebrate cells showed that both complexes are recruited to kinetochores during prometaphase, and concentrate near spindle poles thereafter. Overexpression of p50 in COS-7 cells disrupted mitosis, causing cells to accumulate in a prometaphase-like state. Chromosomes were condensed but unaligned, and spindles, while still bipolar, were dramatically distorted. Sedimentation analysis revealed the dynactin complex to be dissociated in the transfected cultures. Furthermore, both dynactin and cytoplasmic dynein staining at prometaphase kinetochores was markedly diminished in cells expressing high levels of p50. These findings represent clear evidence for dynactin and cytoplasmic dynein codistribution within cells, and for the presence of dynactin at kinetochores. The data also provide direct in vivo evidence for a role for vertebrate dynactin in modulating cytoplasmic dynein binding to an organelle, and implicate both dynactin and dynein in chromosome alignment and spindle organization.


We propose a novel strategy for the optimal combination of human and machine decisions in a cost-sensitive environment. The proposed algorithm should be especially beneficial to financial institutions where off-line signatures, each associated with a specific transaction value, require authentication. When presented with a collection of genuine and fraudulent training signatures, produced by so-called guinea pig writers, the proficiency of a workforce of human employees and a score-generating machine can be estimated and represented in receiver operating characteristic (ROC) space. Using a set of Boolean fusion functions, the majority vote decision of the human workforce is combined with each threshold-specific machine-generated decision. The performance of the candidate ensembles is estimated and represented in ROC space, after which only the optimal ensembles and associated decision trees are retained. When presented with a questioned signature linked to an arbitrary writer, the system first uses the ROC-based cost gradient associated with the transaction value to select the ensemble that minimises the expected cost, and then uses the corresponding decision tree to authenticate the signature in question. We show that, when utilising the entire human workforce, the incorporation of a machine streamlines the authentication process and decreases the expected cost for all operating conditions.


Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is an extremely infectious and occasionally fatal viral disease with a rapid onset and a short course that affects cloven-hoofed animals and results in considerable financial losses. For this reason, availability of more reliable and efficient vaccines against Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is felt as a necessity. The purpose of this study is to develop a perfectly safe immunogen in order to supplant the usual inactivated vaccine. A tandem repeat multiple-epitope recombinant vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus (FMDV) type O was developed. In order to develop recombinant epitope vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), multiple-epitope recombinant vaccine (rP) comprising various combinations of B cell and T cell epitopes from VP1 capsid protein were synthesized. A 1155-bp gene fragment was amplified by PCR using specific primers. The amplicon was purified and then cloned into expression vector pET-32a. For expression of recombinant protein, pET32a-rP plasmid was transformed into Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) cells. Recombinant protein was overexpressed with isopropythio-beta-D-galctoside (IPTG). SDSPAGE and DOT blotting were performed for protein determination and verification.The multiple-epitope recombinant was validated by colony-PCR and enzymatic digestion. IPTG with a dosage of 1.0 mmol/L could effectively promote protein expression. SDS-PAGE analysis demonstrated that our constructed prokaryotic expression system pET32a-rP efficiently produces a target recombinant protein with a molecular weight of about 60 kDa. Results showed that prokaryotic expression system is effective in producing the multiple-epitope recombinant immunogen for FDM virus and can be used as a potential method for poly epitope constructs.


In 2004, linguist and cognitive scientist George Lakoff popularized the idea of using metaphors and "frames" to promote progressive political issues. Although his theories have since been criticized, this article asserts that his framing is still relevant to the debate over copyright law as applied to digital publishing, particularly in the field of scholarly journals. Focusing on issues of copyright term extension and the public domain, open access, educational fair use, and the stewardship and preservation of digital resources, this article explores how to advocate for change more effectively — not by putting a better "spin" on proposed policies — but by using coherent narratives to frame the issues in language linked to progressive values.


Ralph J. Bunche (1904-1971), winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950, was a key U.S. diplomat in the planning and creation of the United Nations in 1945. In 1947 he was invited to join the permanent UN Secretariat as director of the new Trusteeship Department. In this position, Bunche played a key role in setting up the trusteeship system that provided important impetus for postwar decolonization ending European control of Africa as well as an international framework for the oversight of the decolonization process after the Second World War. Trustee for the Human Community is the first volume to examine the totality of Bunche's unrivalled role in the struggle for African independence both as a key intellectual and an international diplomat and to illuminate it from the broader African American perspective. These commissioned essays examine the full range of Ralph Bunche's involvement in Africa. The scholars explore sensitive political issues, such as Bunche's role in the Congo and his views on the struggle in South Africa. Trustee for the Human Community stands as a monument to the profoundly important role of one of the greatest Americans in one of the greatest political movements in the history of the twentieth century. Contributors: David Anthony, Ralph A. Austen, Abena P. A. Busia, Neta C. Crawford, Robert R. Edgar, Charles P. Henry, Robert A. Hill, Edmond J. Keller, Martin Kilson, Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, Jon Olver, Pearl T. Robinson, Elliott P. Skinner, Crawford Young


Political lying recurrently becomes a major issue in the media. Audience members seldom have first-hand information and hence rely on media stories to assess claims. Although background information may not be available, the tactics used by key players are more likely to be reported. Two models for analysing tactics are introduced, one based on methods of deception, detection and response, the other based on methods to reduce or increase outrage over something perceived to be wrong. Each model is applied to claims and counter-claims concerning the behaviour of two Australian politicians. Most of the tactics used in the case study fit the deception-detection-response model, but some do not; the outrage management model overcomes these limitations: nearly all tactics used fit into the model's categories. Media audiences, by being aware of likely tactics, can better judge whether lying is involved. Keywords: lying; deception; politicians; detection; tactics; outrage


Aims. The SHINE program is a high-contrast near-infrared survey of 600 young, nearby stars aimed at searching for and characterizing new planetary systems using VLT/SPHERE's unprecedented high-contrast and high-angular-resolution imaging capabilities. It is also intended to place statistical constraints on the rate, mass and orbital distributions of the giant planet population at large orbits as a function of the stellar host mass and age to test planet-formation theories.
Methods. We used the IRDIS dual-band imager and the IFS integral field spectrograph of SPHERE to acquire high-contrast coronagraphic differential near-infrared images and spectra of the young A2 star HIP 65426. It is a member of the ~17 Myr old Lower Centaurus-Crux association.
Results. At a separation of 830 mas (92 au projected) from the star, we detect a faint red companion. Multi-epoch observations confirm that it shares common proper motion with HIP 65426. Spectro-photometric measurements extracted with IFS and IRDIS between 0.95 and 2.2 μm indicate a warm, dusty atmosphere characteristic of young low-surface-gravity L5-L7 dwarfs. Hot-start evolutionary models predict a luminosity consistent with a 6–12 MJup, Teff = 1300–1600 K and R = 1.5 ± 0.1 RJup giant planet. Finally, the comparison with Exo-REM and PHOENIX BT-Settl synthetic atmosphere models gives consistent effective temperatures but with slightly higher surface gravity solutions of log (g) = 4.0–5.0 with smaller radii (1.0–1.3 RJup).
Conclusions. Given its physical and spectral properties, HIP 65426 b occupies a rather unique placement in terms of age, mass, and spectral-type among the currently known imaged planets. It represents a particularly interesting case to study the presence of clouds as a function of particle size, composition, and location in the atmosphere, to search for signatures of non-equilibrium chemistry, and finally to test the theory of planet formation and evolution.


Hereditary lung diseases can affect the airways (asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia), parenchyma (pulmonary fibrosis, Birt Hogg Dube syndrome and tuberous sclerosis) and vasculature (hereditary heamorrhagic telangiectasia) of the lung. Such conditions include simple monogenic disorders such as Kartagener syndrome and α1-antitrypsin, wherein mutations of critical genes are sufficient to induce well-defined disease phenotypes. However, many are complex genetic traits in which inheritance subtly affects pathogenesis, for example asthma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. A greater understanding of the genetic basis of pulmonary conditions has provided new insights into their underlying pathophysiology and helped in some cases to shed light on more common sporadic forms. Importantly, the identification of causative genes has also enabled prenatal diagnosis and genetic counselling to be introduced for many diseases.

Key Concepts:

Common diseases frequently have a genetic component, which with the advent of genome-wide association studies can now be elucidated.

The study of rare monogenic disorders can provide important mechanistic clues to the pathogensis of more common sporadic disease.

Pulmonary manifestations can be the presenting feature of several important inherited diseases.

Keywords:

fibrosing alveolitis;
bronchiectasis;
primary ciliary dyskinesia;
hyaline membrane disease;
serpinopathies;
pneumothorax;
Birt–Hogg–Dube syndrome;
tuberous sclerosis;
hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia;
Marfan syndrome


Saltmarshes are an intriguing ecotone representing the transition between the marine and terrestrial environments. Much is understood in terms of zonation and vegetation communities in saltmarshes, however considerably less is understood about their edaphic factors. In Australian saltmarshes, terrestrial arthropod fauna and factors that determine invertebrate assemblages are largely unknown.

The aim of this study was to understand the factors that influence the presence of epigeal spiders and beetles in a coastal saltmarsh. The chosen site at Long Point, a saltmarsh on Tasmania's east coast, included adjacent woodland which enabled expansion of the study to incorporate a full environmental gradient. Moisture, salinity and pH gradients were analysed alongside vegetation community structure. During the 12 month study period 5 606 spiders (37 taxa) and 1 165 beetles (84 taxa) were caught in 141 pitfall traps. Indicator species (spider and beetle) were identified for each vegetation community within the saltmarsh zone and adjacent woodland zone. Spiders and beetles reacted in a similar fashion to edaphic factors and vegetation species. However, the sequential order of importance for spiders was moisture, salinity and vegetation, whereas, the response order for beetles was moisture, vegetation and salinity.

Further investigation into the interaction between saltmarsh vegetation species and spider and beetle species will assist in our endeavours to understand the loss or gain of arthropod species due to climate change and sea-level rise.


Evolution of today's electricity supply system into intelligent, automated, selfrepairing and diversely supplied networks is necessary for the future requirements of growing populations concerned with economies, climate change and social equity.

This report discusses the current state of the art with respect to smart grids, investigating the enabling systems that feature within the interface between supply and demand. Informed by contemporary smart grid trials and pilot studies, the report outlines barriers and challenges that have arisen in the deployment of smart grid systems. Investigation of backlash and concerns for disadvantaged demographics leads to the proposal of distributed energy generation and storage systems integrated with advanced metering infrastructure and direct load control devices to alleviate the economic hardship, and fulfil a reasonable expectation of quality power supply faced by these demographics.

A case study on remote indigenous communities and another on low income community housing, using data from stakeholders within these domains, informs examples of applicable distributed systems. Feasibility of photovoltaic renewable energy systems and energy storage systems within indigenous communities is investigated where a 50c /kWh feed-in exists. Results are translated to similar residential density coded properties within the metro. Recommendations for flexibility in the consideration of systems for medium to high density community housing accommodation, with respect to roof space and the foot-print requirements of energy storage systems, follow an example for a 50 apartment medium density complex.

Payback periods of 5 to 10 years are shown to be feasible, using a business case which proposes the negotiation of feed-in, peak feed-in and ancillary service tariffs and concessions from the contestable energy market.


Abstract:The author analyses the defeat of two Russian democratic parties on 2003 parliamentary elections. If the Russian people turned away from political freedom, then the democracy in Russia is in danger. If it is about the defeat of individual politicians, then one can take a deep breath and start getting ready for the new election cycle. Finding the answer to this question the author states that the movement to freedom in Russia is going to be continued very soon after a short soft-authoritarian breathing space. This statement is well reasoned and based on the social researches and a deep understanding of the Russian electors' psychology.


Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a form of systemic vasculitis. It is characterized by granulomatous inflammation in the upper and lower airways, vasculitis and necrotizing glomerulonephritis, and is strongly associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies against proteinase 3. Since the etiology of the disease is not clear, treatment, consisting of corticosteroids and immunosuppressives, is nonspecific and associated with severe side effects. Pinpointing the trigger(s) of the disease would highly improve treatment. Clinical evidence shows that an infectious agent, the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, is a risk factor for disease relapse, suggesting its involvement in the pathogenesis of WG. Here we review both clinical and experimental data that either indicate or support a role for S. aureus in WG.


Transfer RNA (tRNA) is part of the machinery that converts the nucleic acid genetic code into protein. In the nucleus, tRNAs are transcribed, trimmed, and modified and, after being checked by an intranuclear quality-control system, are exported to the cytosol, ready to promote protein translation. Takano et al. now find that mature cytosolic tRNAs are actively transported back into the nucleus by a mechanism that is independent of the usual nuclear protein import machinery that relies on the small guanosine triphosphatase Ran. It is not clear why tRNA needs to return to the nucleus--perhaps to be subjected to further quality control or perhaps even to promote hypothetical nuclear translation. A. Takano, T. Endo, T. Yoshihisa, tRNA actively shuttles between the nucleus and cytosol in yeast. Science 309, 140-142 (2005). [Abstract] [Full Text]


The passage of the 1909 U.S. Copyright Act was embedded in a significant period of evolution for international copyright law. Just a year before, the Berne Convention had been revised for the second time. This Berlin (1908) Act of the Convention in remembered in particular for the introduction of a broad prohibition against formalities concerning the "exercise and enjoyment" of copyright. 1909 was also just one year before a new copyright bill was brought before the British Parliament. This Copyright Act, finally adopted in December 1911 and which entered into force in July 1, 1912, greatly influenced laws in many countries, including Australia, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, Nigeria, and South Africa. In this Essay, I situate the Berlin Act within the framework of the evolution of the Berne Convention from 1886 until the current 1971 Act and explore the role played by the United States, not as much as a participant in the Berlin Conference but by the way its actions influenced the actions of others. To this end, I discuss sequentially the emergence and evolution of the Berne Convention, and then two areas worthy of deeper analyses when considered against the backdrop of the 1909 Act, namely the prohibition against formalities and the rule imposing retroactive application of the Convention.


The very fact that I have been asked to give this lecture is an auspicious omen, not because it acknowledges my somewhat debatable qualifications as a speaker on the topic, but because it indicates that the close connections between theology, my own profession, and the law are recognized, and are being further cemented. (1) I am particularly pleased that this lecture marks the inauguration of the Catholic Lawyers' Program of the Institute on Religion, Law, and Lawyers' Work here at Fordham University's School of Law. (2) I. CONNECTIONS BETWEEN FAITH AND LEGAL PRACTICE In contemporary American culture there is a widespread assumption that religion is something private, something one does with one's leisure time, and that it ought not to affect the way one acts in the public square or market place. (3) But faith, as set forth in the Bible, is not just a private relationship to God, affecting what a person does in the synagogue on Saturday or in church on Sunday. (4) One comes to services of worship in order to gain strength and guidance for what one will be doing every day of the week. The Word of God, proclaimed in the sanctuary, has important bearings on the public order of society, including its laws. (5) Isaiah, for instance, warns: "Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, who write misfortune, which they have prescribed, to rob the needy of justice, and to take what is right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless." (6) Jesus, as we all know, was unsparing of His criticism of scribes who interpreted the law of Moses in ways that would inhibit the performance of good deeds, such as healing the sick and supporting one's aging parents. (7) The Bible holds out to us not only the vision of individual salvation, but also the vision of a society of peace and love, in which all are solicitous for the good of all, especially the poor and the powerless. This vision has important implications for the ordering of society. In medieval and early modern times, Christian thought played an important role in the development of the common law. (8) Three points of intersection may be noted. First, the natural law tradition emphasized the role of reason; (9) second, the Church's Canon law had some influence on British common law; (10) and third, the courts of chancery emphasized the relation of law to equity and justice. (11) It is perhaps not coincidental that the Chancellors of the Realm were usually clergymen and were known as "keepers of the King's conscience." (12) In what follows, I shall contend that faith-based, but rationally defensible, social theory can make a significant contribution to the work of professional schools, especially those operating in Christian and Catholic universities. Law, in particular, cannot be adequately taught without reference to the purposes of society and the nature of justice, which law is intended to serve. The role of law and its place in a well-ordered society has been studied in depth for many centuries in Catholic social theory. (13) Most lawyers are not philosophers or theologians, and for that very reason they stand to gain from interdisciplinary dialogue. II. CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING Over the centuries, and especially in the past 150 years, the Catholic Church has built up a body of social teaching that is intended to contribute to the formation of a society marked by peace, concord, and justice toward all. This body of teaching, based on reason and revelation, has been refined through dialogue with Greek philosophy and Roman law, as well as the experience of the Church throughout two millennia, in interaction with many cultures in Europe, the Americas, and other continents. (14) It seems safe to say that no other institution has developed a body of social teaching rivaling that of the Catholic Church, in depth, coherence, and completeness. …


Plea bargaining is the criminal justice system, the Supreme Court tells us, but how did it get to be that way? Existing scholarship tells only part of the story. It demonstrates that plea bargaining emerged in the nineteenth century as a response to (depending on one's theory) increasing caseloads, expanding trial procedures, or professionalizing law enforcement. But in order for plea bargaining to truly become the criminal justice system, the legal profession would have to accept and internalize it. That was not its first reaction. When legal scholars and reformers in the 1920s discovered that bargaining dominated America's criminal courts, they quickly denounced it as abusive. By the 1960s, only four decades later, the legal profession had learned to love it.

This article investigates the process that made plea bargaining the normal way of doing American criminal justice. The story unfolds in three parts — plea bargaining's discovery by and frosty reception from the "crime commissions" of the 1920s; its rehabilitation by the Legal Realists in the 1930s; and finally its decisive embrace by scholars and judges in the 1950s and '60s. The Realists' starring role is surprising, as they are not usually recognized for contributing to criminal law or procedure. This article shows that they deserve credit (or plausibly blame) for taking the first major steps towards normalization. The article also pays close attention to an objection to plea bargaining that arrived late — that it depends on coercing defendants to plead guilty. By the time this objection emerged in the 1950s, plea bargaining's momentum was too strong; legal elites, and, ultimately, the Supreme Court, saw no option but to rationalize it away. Above all, this article reveals that normalized plea bargaining is newer and more historically contingent than it seems.


The development of small mobile hard disks with large storage capacities has changed the application requirements of modern mobile computers and embedded systems significantly. While these devices are mostly battery-powered, all usable power saving techniques have to be integrated to prolong their up-time. Most mobile devices suffer from the restriction of small sized memories. It is common that the available memory is exclusively used by the operating system and the running applications. Therefore, in contrast to normal workstation computers, the caching of disk blocks at the operating system level is problematic and not as effective for these devices due to the large memory requirements of that technique. However, existing file systems organize file data and meta data to match performance requirements by relying on the presence of a considerable amount of system memory for caching purposes. As far as hard disks are concerned, valuable battery power can be saved by avoiding disk seeks and introduced latencies due to rotational delays. This work examines the effects of different file system layouts on hard disk energy consumption. It is shown that energy efficiency of file systems is heavily influenced by the used data layout and file organization principle when disk caches are mostly not available. Guidelines for a low power file system design are developed. A new implementation of a file system for the Linux kernel based on these recommendations is provided to show that energy efficiency is significantly improvable by adapting the file system layout in systems which do not have the possibility to use disk block caching techniques.


Desiderius Eramsus (1466/9-1536) was the most renowned scholar of his age, a celebrated humanist and Classicist, and the first teacher of Greek at Cambridge. An influential figure in the Protestant Reformation, though without ever breaking from the Church himself, he satirised both human folly and the corruption of the Church. Martin Luther (1483-1546) was the founder of the German Reformation. His 95 Theses became a manifesto for reform of the Catholic Church and led to his being tried for heresy. He remained in Germany, Professor of Biblical Exegesis at the University of Wittenburg, until his death, publishing a large number of works, including three major treatises and a translation of the New Testament into German. Comprising Erasmus's The Free Will and Luther's The Bondage of the Will, Discourse on Free Will is a landmark text in the history of Protestantism. Encapsulating the perspective on free will of two of the most important figures in the history of Christianity, it r


Damge Tolerance of Unidirectional Basalt/Epoxy Composites In Co-Cured Aramid Sleeves Devin Nelson Allen Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, BYU Master of Science Unidirectional basalt fiber rods consolidated with an aramid sleeve were measured for compression strength after impact at various energy levels and compared to undamaged control specimens. These structural elements represent local members of open three-dimensional composite lattice structures (e.g., based on isogrid or IsoTruss ® technologies) that are continuously fabricated using advanced three-dimensional braiding techniques. The unidirectional core specimens, nominally 8 mm (5/16") and 11 mm (7/16") in diameter, were manufactured using bi-directional braided sleeves or unidirectional spiral sleeves with full or partial (approximately half) coverage of the core fibers. The 51 mm (2") specimens were shorter than the critical buckling length, ensuring the formation of kink bands, typical of strengthcontrolled compression failure of unidirectional composites. The test results indicate an approximate decrease in the average undamaged compression strength of approximately 1/3 and 2/3 when impacted with 5 J (3.7 ft-lbs) and 10 J (7.4 ft-lbs) for the 8 mm (5/16") diameter specimens and 10 J (7.4 ft-lbs.) and 20 J (14.8 ft-lbs.) for the 11 mm (7/16") diameter specimens, respectively. The aramid sleeves improved the damage tolerance of the composite members, with the amount of coverage having the greatest effect; full coverage exhibiting up to 45% greater strength than partial coverage. Braided sleeves improved compression strength after impact by up to 23% over spiral sleeves, but generally had little effect on damage tolerance. Larger diameter specimens tend to be more resistant to damage than those specimens of a smaller diameter. The compressive material properties for undamaged basalt composites are also presented with the average compressive strength being 800 MPa (116 ksi).


The first detection of a gravitational wave event by advanced LIGO in 2015 prompted the search for and study of electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave events on a worldwide scale.
If an electromagnetic signal is also observed, it would provide additional information that can give us significantly better constraints on the parameters (such as mass, orbit, spin) of the binary system.
The CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) is a wide field-of-view instrument to study high-energy cosmic-rays onboard the International Space Station accumulating scientific data since October 2015.
Gamma-rays in the energy range of 1 GeV to 10 TeV are monitored
continuously with its 30 radiation-length deep calorimeter (CAL),
with a field-of-view of about 2 steradian and an angular resolution
better than 0.4 degree above 10 GeV.
We have already reported an upper limit on the GW151226 event claimed
by advanced LIGO.
In this paper, we describe the refined data analysis of CAL for the GW151226 event and the preliminary results on the third gravitational event, GW170104.
Hard X-ray results from CALET Gamma-ray Burst Monitor will be presented separately.


This paper analyzes how exchange rate policies can best support the sustainability of disinflation programs. Freezing the nominal exchange rate frequently has been recommended as a means of suppressing inertial inflation and accelerating the disinflation process. However, because any resultant real exchange rate appreciation often must be corrected through a subsequent devaluation, targeting the nominal exchange rate may merely postpone inflation rather than eliminate it once-and-for-all. This paper argues that because excessive inflation during any particular period may jeopardize the stabilization program, exchange rate policies should be designed to smooth inflation across all phases of the disinflation experience. Toward that end, an initial devaluation followed by partial indexation of the exchange rate to domestic prices may be useful. The paper then considers how inconsistencies between an exchange rate rule and balance-of-payments viability may lead to "reserves crises". Depending upon the credibility of the government's commitment to stabilization, the devaluation prompted by a reserves crisis could trigger additional inflation sufficient to cause the failure of the disinflation program. These considerations underscore the importance of policies that prevent excessive appreciation of the real exchange rate during the disinflation process.


Heart transplantation is an accepted therapy for end-stage heart disease in children and adults. Over the past 25 years, the perioperative and 1-year mortality has steadily improved, leading to an increased focus on midterm and late-term complications. Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is the leading cause of late graft loss in children. The prevalence of disease increases steadily after transplantation from 5% at 2 years to 35% by 10 years according to multiple database analyses. Allograft vasculopathy is the end point of a complex interaction of stimuli including chronic rejection, endothelial dysfunction, infection, and traditional cardiac risk factors. While an increased understanding of risks associated to CAV has led to more aggressive surveillance approaches, the rates of CAV remain high and outcomes after diagnosis of CAV are very poor with up to 50% of children suffering graft loss or death within 2 years of diagnosis. In an attempt to combat the development and progression of CAV, multiple medical and interventional strategies have been utilized. Pharmacologic approaches have focused on the use of various immunosuppressants and adjuvant medications to combat inflammation and immune mediated graft injury. While randomized controlled trials are rare in pediatric heart transplant cohorts, sufficient adult data have been developed in both controlled and observational trials to provide a framework for the prevention and management of patients with CAV. However, none of these interventions have been shown to be effective in significantly prolonging graft survival and retransplantation remains the only reliable therapy for severe CAV.


This paper argues that the pedagogical practice and methods of assessment within South African law schools should be altered. With reference to the philosophical writings of Michel Foucault and Paolo Freire the author postulates that within a democracy, law schools should endeavour to ensure through regular multiple methods of assessment (rather then the examination which remains the dominant method of evaluation) that their students become skilled lawyers. The author argues that presently, law schools fail to adequately train highly skilled lawyers due to the preponderant reliance on examinations as the primary method of assessment.


Crystalluria is a frequent finding in the routine examination of urine sediments. In most instances the precipitation of crystals of calcium oxalate, uric acid triple phosphate, calcium phosphate and amorphous phosphates or urates is caused by transient supersaturation of the urine, ingestion of foods, or by changes of urine temperature and/or pH which occur upon standing after micturition. In a minority of cases, however, crystalluria is associated with pathological conditions such as urolithiasis, acute uric acid nephropathy, ethylene glycol poisoning, hypereosinophilic syndrome. In addition, crystalluria can be due to drugs such as sulphadiazine, acyclovir, triamterene, piridoxylate, primidone, which under the influence of various factors can crystallize within the tubular lumina and cause renal damage. In all these instances the study of crystalluria is diagnostically useful and is also important to follow the course of the disease. However, a proper methodological approach is necessary. This includes the handling of freshly voided urine, the knowledge of the urinary pH, and the use of a contrast phase microscope equipped with polarizing filters.


Citizenship is the common language for expressing aspirations to democratic and egalitarian ideals of inclusion, participation, and civic membership. However, there continues to be a significant gap between formal commitments to gender equality and equal citizenship – in the laws and constitutions of many countries as well as in international human rights documents − and the reality of women's lives. This volume presents a collection of original works that examine this persisting inequality through the lens of citizenship. Distinguished scholars in law, political science, and women's studies investigate the many dimensions of women's equal citizenship, including constitutional citizenship, democratic citizenship, social citizenship, sexual and reproductive citizenship, and global citizenship. Gender Equality takes stock of the progress toward – and remaining impediments to – securing equal citizenship for women, develops strategies for pursuing that goal, and identifies new questions that will shape further inquiries. The downloaded paper consists of the book's abstract and table of contents.


Many hope that ocean waves will be a source for clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy, yet wave energy conversion facilities may affect marine ecosystems through a variety of mechanisms, including competition with other human uses. We developed a decision-support tool to assist siting wave energy facilities, which allows the user to balance the need for profitability of the facilities with the need to minimize conflicts with other ocean uses. Our wave energy model quantifies harvestable wave energy and evaluates the net present value (NPV) of a wave energy facility based on a capital investment analysis. The model has a flexible framework and can be easily applied to wave energy projects at local, regional, and global scales. We applied the model and compatibility analysis on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada to provide information for ongoing marine spatial planning, including potential wave energy projects. In particular, we conducted a spatial overlap analysis with a variety of existing uses and ecological characteristics, and a quantitative compatibility analysis with commercial fisheries data. We found that wave power and harvestable wave energy gradually increase offshore as wave conditions intensify. However, areas with high economic potential for wave energy facilities were closer to cable landing points because of the cost of bringing energy ashore and thus in nearshore areas that support a number of different human uses. We show that the maximum combined economic benefit from wave energy and other uses is likely to be realized if wave energy facilities are sited in areas that maximize wave energy NPV and minimize conflict with existing ocean uses. Our tools will help decision-makers explore alternative locations for wave energy facilities by mapping expected wave energy NPV and helping to identify sites that provide maximal returns yet avoid spatial competition with existing ocean uses.


During mitosis, kinetochore-attached microtubules form bundles (k-fibers) in which many filaments grow and shorten in near-perfect unison to align and segregate each chromosome. However, individual microtubules grow at intrinsically variable rates, which must be tightly regulated for a k-fiber to behave as a single unit. This exquisite coordination might be achieved biochemically, via selective binding of polymerases and depolymerases, or mechanically, because k-fiber microtubules are coupled through a shared load that influences their growth. Here, we use a novel dual laser trap assay to show that microtubule pairs growing in vitro are coordinated by mechanical coupling. Kinetic analyses show that microtubule growth is interrupted by stochastic, force-dependent pauses and indicate persistent heterogeneity in growth speed during non-pauses. A simple model incorporating both force-dependent pausing and persistent growth speed heterogeneity explains the measured coordination of microtubule pairs without any free fit parameters. Our findings illustrate how microtubule growth may be synchronized during mitosis and provide a basis for modeling k-fiber bundles with three or more microtubules, as found in many eukaryotes.


Objective Intestinal inflammation resulting from manipulation-induced mast cell activation is a crucial mechanism in the pathophysiology of postoperative ileus (POI). Recently it has been shown that spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) is involved in mast cell degranulation. Therefore, we have evaluated the effect of the Syk-inhibitor GSK compound 143 (GSK143) as potential treatment to shorten POI. Design In vivo: in a mouse model of POI, the effect of the Syk inhibitor (GSK143) was evaluated on gastrointestinal transit, muscular inflammation and cytokine production. In vitro: the effect of GSK143 and doxantrazole were evaluated on cultured peritoneal mast cells (PMCs) and bone marrow derived macrophages. Results In vivo: intestinal manipulation resulted in a delay in gastrointestinal transit at t=24 h (Geometric Center (GC): 4.4±0.3). Doxantrazole and GSK143 significantly increased gastrointestinal transit (GC doxantrazole (10 mg/kg): 7.2±0.7; GSK143 (1 mg/kg): 7.6±0.6), reduced inflammation and prevented recruitment of immune cells in the intestinal muscularis. In vitro: in PMCs, substance P (0–90 μM) and trinitrophenyl (0–4 μg/ml) induced a concentration-dependent release of β-hexosaminidase. Pretreatment with doxantrazole and GSK143 (0.03–10 μM) concentration dependently blocked substance P and trinitrophenyl induced β-hexosaminidase release. In addition, GSK143 was able to reduce cytokine expression in endotoxin-treated bone marrow derived macrophages in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusions The Syk inhibitor GSK143 reduces macrophage activation and mast cell degranulation in vitro. In addition, it inhibits manipulation-induced intestinal muscular inflammation and restores intestinal transit in mice. These findings suggest that Syk inhibition may be a new tool to shorten POI.


In this paper, a wireless neighbor discovery (ND) process in a linear topology of a high-speed train backbone network is studied. A key step that enables communication in such a network is that of topology discovery (TD), whereby nodes learn in a distributed fashion the physical topology of the backbone network. ND, where each individual node discovers their right and left one-hop neighbors is the first and key step in TD. While the current standard for train inauguration assumes wired links between adjacent backbone nodes, this paper investigates the more challenging scenario in which the nodes communicate in wireless-fashion based on IEEE 802.11 or slotted-ALOHA. A network simulation using NS-2 software is developed for the 802.11-based (and slotted-ALOHA based) wireless ND. The network simulation is applied to analyze performance metrics, such as ND time and ND success rate as a function of various parameters.


The study aims to find out the responses of Oral Corrective Feedback and Students' Uptake on EFL students'
learning process in speaking class and to identify the most frequent type of oral corrective feedback and uptakes
by one non-native teacher and EFL students. To find out the responses and the types, the classroom observation
and interview were done. The results revealed that explicit correction is the most frequent type of oral corrective
feedback used by the teacher and self- repair as the most frequent type of students' uptakes. Regarding the
responses of giving oral corrective feedback, the student admitted that 1) they became aware of their own errors;
2) they were motivated to improve their speaking skill; 3) their pronunciation and grammar input improved; and,
4) their vocabulary enriched. In spite of the positive responses of the students on the explicit correction, a further
study should be done with a different level of English proficiency in order to obtain comprehensive contributions
to the importance of feedbacks and uptakes in the learning process.


There is considerable inter-individual and inter-population variability in response to viruses. The potential of monocytes to elicit type-I interferon responses has attracted attention to their role in viral infections. Here, we use single-cell RNA-sequencing to characterize the role of cellular heterogeneity in human variation of monocyte responses to influenza A virus (IAV) exposure. We show widespread inter-individual variability in the percentage of IAV-infected monocytes. Notably, individuals with high cellular susceptibility to IAV are characterized by a lower activation at basal state of an IRF/STAT-induced transcriptional network, which includes antiviral genes such as IFITM3, MX1 and OAS3. Upon IAV challenge, we find that cells escaping viral infection display increased mRNA expression of type-I interferon stimulated genes and decreased expression of ribosomal genes, relative to both infected cells and those never exposed to IAV. We also uncover a stronger resistance of CD16+ monocytes to IAV infection, together with CD16+ -specific mRNA expression of IL6 and TNF in response to IAV. Finally, using flow cytometry and bulk RNA-sequencing across 200 individuals of African and European ancestry, we observe a higher number of CD16 + monocytes and lower susceptibility to IAV infection among monocytes from individuals of African-descent. Based on these data, we hypothesize that higher basal monocyte activation, driven by environmental factors and/or weak-effect genetic variants, underlies the lower cellular susceptibility to IAV infection of individuals of African ancestry relative to those of European ancestry. Further studies are now required to investigate how such cellular differences in IAV susceptibility translate into population differences in clinical outcomes and susceptibility to severe influenza.


Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is one of the most important techniques for depositing thin films of the group 13 nitrides (13-Ns), AlN, GaN, InN and their alloys, for electronic device applications. The standard CVD chemistry for 13-Ns use ammonia as the nitrogen precursor, however, this gives an inefficient CVD chemistry forcing N/13 ratios of 100/1 or more. Here we investigate the hypothesis that replacing the N-H bonds in ammonia with weaker N-C bonds in methylamines will permit better CVD chemistry, allowing lower CVD temperatures and an improved N/13 ratio. Quantum chemical computations shows that while the methylamines have a more reactive gas phase chemistry, ammonia has a more reactive surface chemistry. CVD experiments using methylamines failed to deposit a continuous film, instead micrometer sized gallium droplets were deposited. This study shows that the nitrogen surface chemistry is most likely more important to consider than the gas phase chemistry when searching for better nitrogen precursors for 13-N CVD.


Background: COVID-19 outbreak resulted in negative mental health consequences such as depression, anxiety, and stress, particularly among health-care workers. Objective: To evaluate health care worker mental well-being and explore the reasons standing beyond their concerns and fears. Methods: From January to June 2021, we recruited 107 health care workers from psychiatric hospitals. The translated Arabic version COVID stress scale was used to assess their level of stress. The WHO Quality of Life BREF score was used to assess their level of affection for their quality of life. Results: The majority of our sample (45.8%) was between the ages of 20 and 30. Females made up 37.8% of the group. The majority of them were infected during the first wave. The COVID Stress Scale (CSS) revealed that 21.5% of participants had no signs or symptoms of depression, while 55.1% had mild symptoms. Only 23.4% of our sample had moderate to severe symptoms. When categorised by domains, the mean CSS score was 12.21 ± 5.62 for danger subscale, 6.18 ± 4.07 for socioeconomic subscale, 8.44 ± 4.58 for xenophobia subscale, 7.99 ± 4.18 for contamination subscale, 5.87 ± 4.32 for J Psychiatry Psychiatric Disord 2022; 6 (3): 178-195 DOI: 10.26502/jppd.2572-519X0161 Journal of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Disorders 179 traumatic subscale, and 11.13 ± 6.15 for compulsive subscale. The mean scores for the WHO QOL-brief score for physical aspect were 91.51 ± 21.5, 75.25 ± 12.84 for psychological aspect, 40.42 ± 8.52 for social aspect, and 96.26 ± 17.76 for environmental aspect. Conclusion: we discovered that health-care workers experienced high levels of stress, particularly during and after COVID 19 pandemic waves.


Adaptive cellular responses resulting from multiple microenvironmental stresses, such as hypoxia and nutrient deprivation, are potential novel drug targets for cancer treatment. Accordingly, we focused on developing anticancer agents targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this study, to search for selective antitumor agents blocking adaptive responses in the TME, thirteen new compounds, designed and synthesized on the basis of the arylmethylbiguanide scaffold of phenformin, were used in structure activity relationship studies of inhibition of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1 and unfolded protein response (UPR) activation and of selective cytotoxicity under glucose-deprived stress conditions, using HT29 cells. We conducted luciferase reporter assays using stable cell lines expressing either an HIF-1-responsive reporter gene or a glucose-regulated protein 78 promoter-reporter gene, which were induced by hypoxia and glucose deprivation stress, respectively, to screen for TME-targeting antitumor drugs. The guanidine analog (compound 2), obtained by bioisosteric replacement of the biguanide group, had activities comparable with those of phenformin (compound 1). Introduction of various substituents on the phenyl ring significantly affected the activities. In particular, the o-methylphenyl analog compound 7 and the o-chlorophenyl analog compound 12 showed considerably more potent inhibitory effects on HIF-1 and UPR activation than did phenformin, and excellent selective cytotoxicity under glucose deprivation. These compounds, therefore, represent an improvement over phenformin. They also suppressed HIF-1- and UPR-related protein expression and secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor-A. Moreover, these compounds exhibited significant antiangiogenic effects in the chick chorioallantoic membrane assay. Our structural development studies of biguanide derivatives provided promising candidates for a novel anticancer agent targeting the TME for selective cancer therapy, to be subjected to further in vivo study.


This thesis examines attitudes expressed towards German prisoners of war (POWs) and their treatment in Britain between 1939 and 1948. The original contribution of this thesis is to highlight the importance of British values, particularly the notion of fair-play, in public discussions of the treatment of POWs. In so doing, this thesis brings together three historiographical areas which had usually been dealt with separately: German POWs held in Britain, British national identity, and Anglo-German relations. Chapters two and three are concerned with the wartime period (1939-45), and chapters four, five, and six are concerned with the post-war period up to 1948, when the last German POWs were repatriated. While it is structured chronologically, each chapter is thematic. Chapter two examines the period between the outbreak of war in 1939 and the end of 1942 and explores the legacy of the Great War on discussions of captivity. Following chronologically, chapter three is concerned with the period between the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944 and the unconditional surrender of Germany in May 1945. The effect of the disclosure of atrocities committed by Nazi Germany on discussion of captivity is explored. Breaking from the chronological structure, chapter four takes up the theme of employment. Chapter five then considers the debates on the fraternisation regulations and the marriage ban between British women and German POWs. Finally, chapter six examines the campaign to repatriate German POWs. Throughout the war, the treatment of POWs was a marker of cultural difference between Britain and the German enemy. In the context of the emerging Cold War, the treatment of POWs was given new significance in that it was contrasted with the Soviet Union. Amongst others, this thesis concentrates on three principal sources: newspapers, newsreels, and Mass Observation material. Focusing on these sources, this thesis considers how the narrative of captivity was presented to the British public and the variety of responses which challenged representations of POW treatment.


"Flooding is a normal part of the ecology of Bangladesh. The 1998 flood was especially serious because of its depth and duration. At its peak, the flood covered two-thirds of the country, causing severe damage to the rice crop and threatening the food security of millions of households. Total rice production losses exceeded 2 million tons—about 10 percent of annual consumption. In sharp contrast to earlier flood disasters, particularly that of 1974, no major food crisis occurred. Instead, large-scale, private-sector imports, made possible by trade liberalization in the early 1990s, stabilized rice markets. Government food transfers to poor households also limited the impact of the flood on household access to food. This paper sheds light on the contribution of price stabilization to household food security following a major natural shock through estimates of the impact of rice prices and other factors on calorie consumption in 1998 and 1999. More broadly, the paper examines the components of the public and private response that prevented a major food crisis." from Abstract"