The paper gives an overview of the development and experimental validation of a computational model for simulating galvanic corrosion in specific application case scenarios appearing in an aircraft environment. The numerical approach is based on solving the electro-neutrality equation with a three dimensional Boundary/Finite Element Method. Amongst the inputs of the problem are: geometrical description and physical properties of the electrolyte, as well as macroscopic polarization curves of the active electrodes. The main outcomes of the model are electric current density and potential distribution on the surface. The focus of the study is thin electrolyte conditions that could occur in the upper part of A/C structure. A model considering a co-planar unpainted bi-material combination composed exemplarily of Aluminum AA2024 and carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) has been developed. An experimental set-up has been established for validation of the computational results. The validation approach is explained and the results obtained are presented. Good agreement has been obtained between observed and simulated data. This conceptual model can be applied to different multi-material combinations relevant for aircraft structures. In particular variations in the environmental condition are considered, including for example different thicknesses of electrolyte film, and different aggressiveness of electrolytes. Further parameter studies are discussed to show the effect of different physical properties of the electrolyte on corrosion rates and total current changes in the materials involved.


Abstract The Walking While Talking (WWT) dual-task paradigm is a mobility stress test that predicts major outcomes, including falls, frailty, disability, and mortality in aging. Certain personality traits, such as neuroticism, extraversion, and their combination, have been linked to both cognitive and motor outcomes. We examined whether individual differences in personality dimensions of neuroticism and extraversion predicted dual-task performance decrements (both motor and cognitive) on a WWT task in non-demented older adults. We hypothesized that the combined effect of high neuroticism-low extraversion would be related to greater dual-task costs in gait velocity and cognitive performance in non-demented older adults. Participants (N=295; age range,=65–95 years; female=164) completed the Big Five Inventory and WWT task involving concurrent gait and a serial 7's subtraction task. Gait velocity was obtained using an instrumented walkway. The high neuroticism-low extraversion group incurred greater dual-task costs (i.e., worse performance) in both gait velocity {95% confidence interval (CI) [−17.68 to −3.07]} and cognitive performance (95% CI [−19.34 to −2.44]) compared to the low neuroticism-high extraversion group, suggesting that high neuroticism-low extraversion interferes with the allocation of attentional resources to competing task demands during the WWT task. Older individuals with high neuroticism-low extraversion may be at higher risk for falls, mobility decline and other adverse outcomes in aging. (JINS, 2015, 21, 519–530)


On March 3 and 4, 2010, the ELI community gathered for an online focus session on mobile learning. This white paper is a synthesis of the key ideas, themes, and concepts that emerged from those sessions. The white paper also includes links to relevant focus session materials, recordings, and archives. It represents a harvesting of the key elements that we as a teaching and learning community need to keep in mind as we work to integrate mobile technology into teaching and learning in higher education. It is clear that while the application of mobile technology to learning is just now getting under way, the potential is enormous and we can expect that the rate of development will be very rapid indeed.


About 900 m of berth length arranged around a single pier are at present available in the port of Luanda. Due to the constant increase of traffic through the port, the "Brigada de Estudos do Porto de Luanda" (Brigade of Stud ies of the Luanda Harbour) decided to prepare a general plan of extension of the port facilities. The extension planned comprises the construction of a new pier, which together with the existing one will delimit a triangular dock - dock n°-.l —, and of a se ries of rectangular basins between the new dock and the area of S.Pedro da Barra fortress (fig.l). The danger of possible resonance phenomena and the fact that this problem can be dealt with before construction begins, led the Brigade to undertake a detailed analysis of it before tak ing decisions on the extension works of the port. This analysis comprised three stages: a) Observation in nature of long-period waves in Luanda bay. b) Analytic study of the behaviour of the planned docks under the action of possible long-period waves . c) Experimental study in model of the same phenomenon. The author, as consulting engineer of the Brigade of Stud ies, programmed observations a) and analysed their results,performed the analytic study b) [l] , [2] , [3] and, as head of the Hydraulic Department of Laboratorio Nacional de Engenharia Ci vil, planned, supervised and interpreted the model studies.


Several studies have shown Dengue Virus (DENV) nucleic acids and/or antibodies present in Neotropical wildlife including bats, suggesting that some bat species may be susceptible to DENV infection. Here we aim to elucidate the role of house-roosting bats in the DENV transmission cycle. Bats were sampled in households located in high and low dengue incidence regions during rainy and dry seasons in Costa Rica. We captured 318 bats from 12 different species in 29 households. Necropsies were performed in 205 bats to analyze virus presence in heart, lung, spleen, liver, intestine, kidney, and brain tissue. Histopathology studies from all organs showed no significant findings of disease or infection. Sera were analyzed by PRNT90 for a seroprevalence of 21.2% (51/241), and by PCR for 8.8% (28/318) positive bats for DENV RNA. From these 28 bats, 11 intestine samples were analyzed by RT-PCR. Two intestines were DENV RNA positive for the same dengue serotype detected in blood. Viral isolation from all positive organs or blood was unsuccessful. Additionally, viral load analyses in positive blood samples by qRT-PCR showed virus concentrations under the minimal dose required for mosquito infection. Simultaneously, 651 mosquitoes were collected using EVS-CO2 traps and analyzed for DENV and feeding preferences (bat cytochrome b). Only three mosquitoes were found DENV positive and none was positive for bat cytochrome b. Our results suggest an accidental presence of DENV in bats probably caused from oral ingestion of infected mosquitoes. Phylogenetic analyses suggest also a spillover event from humans to bats. Therefore, we conclude that bats in these urban environments do not sustain DENV amplification, they do not have a role as reservoirs, but function as epidemiological dead end hosts for this virus.


a persistent concern for a number of stakeholders. A combination of the inexorable pres- ence of the media, people's scepticism of those who run their favourite sports, and vagar- ies of the moral economy of global sport capitalism since the late twentieth century has made governance a newsworthy, momentous and meaningful aspect of elite sports. e media has been attentive to the nancial irregularities, the struggles for recognition, and the political and exploitative aspects of sport governance that have come to light rather frequently since the beginning of the twenty- rst century. It has played a critical role in shaping sport governance too, especially a er the advent of televised sport, sponsorship and marketing. Television forms the economic backbone of modern sport, and digital platforms are set to revolutionize sport coverage. Secondly, sport followers, who double as consumers of media content, understand the challenges of governing what has transformed in the twentieth century from local leisure cultures to highly capitalized industries with a global reach. Depending on their level of interest, they track governance of local clubs, national teams, international federations and similar entities. ey are usually aware of the structures of power and ownership, policy-making at various levels, and violation of accountability. Finally, sport administrators, who are drawn from state representatives and the commercial elite operating in both national and transnational contexts, are obliged to run the show, maximize pro t and connect with supporters. With the exception of the Middle Eastern monarchies and a few other authoritarian states, sport administrators o en subject themselves to self-regulatory measures in order to be legitimized as custodians of the game. Ethical practice is probably one of the most important catechism they encounter at a quotidian level, as transparency and incorruptibility are widely considered necessary attributes of sport governance. e media and sport followers are no exception to the rule of ethics as stakeholders of governance.


This project aims to contribute to our understanding of the fraught relations of sleep and wakefulness in late modern America. The essay argues that the experience of sleep loss has been a widely prevalent phenomenon within the ranks of the modern American military. The study focuses on the Second World War, an inflection point in the trend toward sustained and continuous operations and other marathon activities. The nature of much combat in that global conflict demanded of fighting men unprecedented levels of stamina and resiliency, levels which often exceeded the limits of human endurance in terms of maintaining alertness and even consciousness. Under considerable pressure to perform and commonly faced with inhospitable conditions for obtaining rest, fighters struggled to meet the steep challenge of prolonged wakefulness through self-discipline and ingenuity. In this ongoing effort from the 1940s up to the present, American warriors have been aroused by fear, chemical stimulants, and a desire not to betray their comrades' trust. This essay seeks to complicate somewhat our sense of modern manhood by drawing attention to wakeful self-denial as a significant factor in gender identity formation. Acceptance, and sometimes celebration, of sleep deprivation in the armed forces reflected and reinforced cultural values and social practices of "tough-guy" masculinity, and carried those hard values and practices into civil society.


The 2014 conference theme of the society for Practical Theology in South Africa was 'Practical Theology in Africa and human waste'. The article asks the question whether we can do theology in Africa in such a way that the kingdom of God is realised, notwithstanding the feeling that the seed that is sown is often wasted. The growth of Christianity and southern shift of the majority of Christians to amongst others Africa, is described, discussed and questioned: Is this seed falling on fertile ground or is it wasted if one considers all the calamities of the African continent? Taking its cues from the parable of the sower the epistemological revolution and paradigm shift are outlined stating that unless doing theology within a new paradigm the kingdom of God cannot be served. It calls for new paradigm labourers who are trained to be on the marketplace, who reach out to where people are suffering and struggling and serve their needs thus following the example set by Christ in training his disciples.


Highly disrupted and deformed slices of ophiolitic rocks occurring along a linear belt in Nagaland and Manipur states, NE India, are known as the Naga Hills Ophiolites (NHO). The principal rock types include dunite, harzburgite, lherzolite, wehrlite, pyroxenite and mafic volcanics. The volcanic rocks of NHO have been classified into low-Ti and high-Ti groups with 2 wt.% TiO2 as the boundary, which is corroborated by the differences in their immobile trace element and Rare Earth element characteristics. The two groups are probably not cogenetic; their chemical differences reflect variable source composition. Within group variation of incompatible elements such as La/Ta in the high-Ti group may be related to varying degrees of partial melting. The Ti/V ratios and REE distribution pattern of low-Ti group show overlapping Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalt and island arc-like characteristics, and possibly suggest back-arc basin setting. The high-Ti group, on the other hand, has similarities with within-plate basalts erupted at off-axis sea-mounts and ocean islands. The sea-mounts and ocean islands brought to the subduction zone acted as barriers. Within the imbricate fault slices are components from the oceanic crust which were accreted to the continental margin and which represent clipped off portions from these barriers.


Abstract. This study attempts a new identification of mechanisms of
secondary ice production (SIP) based on the observation of small faceted ice
crystals (hexagonal plates or columns) with typical sizes smaller than 100 µm. Due to their young age, such small ice crystals can be used as
tracers for identifying the conditions for SIP. Observations reported here
were conducted in oceanic tropical mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) and midlatitude frontal clouds in the temperature range from 0 to
−15 ∘C and heavily seeded by aged ice particles. It was found that
in both MCSs and frontal clouds, SIP was observed right above the melting
layer and extended to higher altitudes with colder temperatures. The roles
of six possible mechanisms to generate the SIP particles are assessed using
additional observations. In most observed SIP cases, small secondary ice
particles spatially correlated with liquid-phase, vertical updrafts and aged
rimed ice particles. However, in many cases, neither graupel nor liquid
drops were observed in the SIP regions, and therefore, the conditions for an
active Hallett–Mossop process were not met. In many cases, large
concentrations of small pristine ice particles were observed right above the melting layer, starting at temperatures as warm as −0.5 ∘C. It is
proposed that the initiation of SIP above the melting layer is stimulated by
the recirculation of large liquid drops through the melting layer with
convective turbulent updrafts. After re-entering a supercooled environment
above the melting layer, they impact with aged ice, freeze, and shatter. The size of the splinters generated during SIP was estimated as 10 µm or
less. A principal conclusion of this work is that only the freezing-drop-shattering mechanism could be clearly supported by the airborne in situ
observations.


Biological soil crusts are key mediators of carbon and nitrogen inputs for arid land soils and often represent a dominant portion of the soil surface cover in arid lands. Free-living soil nematode communities reflect their environment and have been used as biological indicators of soil condition. In this study, we test the hypothesis that nematode communities are successionally more mature beneath well-developed, late-successional stage crusts than immature, early-successional stage crusts. We identified and enumerated nematodes by genus from beneath early- and late-stage crusts from both the Colorado Plateau, Utah (cool, winter rain desert) and Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico (hot, summer rain desert) at 0–10 and 10–30 cm depths. As hypothesized, nematode abundance, richness, diversity, and successional maturity were greater beneath well-developed crusts than immature crusts. The mechanism of this aboveground–belowground link between biological soil crusts and nematode community composition is likely the increased food, habitat, nutrient inputs, moisture retention, and/or environmental stability provided by late-successional crusts. Canonical correspondence analysis of nematode genera demonstrated that nematode community composition differed greatly between geographic locations that contrast in temperature, precipitation, and soil texture. We found unique assemblages of genera among combinations of location and crust type that reveal a gap in scientific knowledge regarding empirically derived characterization of dominant nematode genera in deserts soils and their functional role in a crust-associated food web.


OBJECTIVES
To summarize the presenting complaints and clinical signs associated with traumatic penetrating injuries to the canine oropharynx. To determine how the site of injury, causative agent, and duration of disease affect the presentation and clinical outcome of treatment.

STUDY DESIGN
Retrospective study.

SAMPLE POPULATION
50 client-owned dogs.

METHODS
The medical records of 50 dogs with oropharyngeal penetrating injuries referred to Glasgow University Veterinary Hospital (GUVH) between 1979-1999 were reviewed. Data regarding signalment, owners' presenting complaint, history, physical examination, radiographic and endoscopic findings, surgical findings, and outcome were recorded and compared with the GUVH population. Estimates of individual breed-specific odds ratios were calculated. Outcome was evaluated by reexamination 6 weeks after surgery with recurrence of disease recorded as failure.

RESULTS
Oropharyngeal injuries occurred most often in medium to large breed dogs. The majority of dogs presented with chronic disease (82%). The common findings on clinical examination were discharging sinus (72%) and swelling (70%). Acute cases typically presented with dysphagia and oral pain. The original site of injury was evident in only 34% of dogs, with the sublingual area the most frequently traumatized. The apparent cause of injury to the oropharynx was most commonly a piece of wood (72%). Other causes were metallic foreign bodies (3 dogs) and bones (2 dogs). In the remaining 9 dogs, the cause was not determined. The clinical signs resolved in all dogs that presented acutely compared with only 62% in dogs with chronic signs.

CONCLUSION
Medium to large breed dogs appear to be prone to oropharyngeal injuries caused mainly by wooden foreign bodies. This may be attributable to stick chewing or retrieving behavior in these animals.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
History of trauma, stick retrieval, submandibular/cervical swelling, and discharging sinus are commonly encountered in the presentation of this condition. The sublingual area was the most frequent portal of entry recorded, although in chronic cases the initial site of injury was often unclear. Radiography and endoscopy, while offering definitive diagnosis with positive findings, often provide false negative findings. Aggressive surgical debridement of all sinus tracts is essential in obtaining a successful result, but recovery of a foreign body is not necessarily a determinant of success.


Magnesium alloys are the lightest known structural material and have been very attractive for usage in marine and transportation industry (for its weight savings and payload increase), and also for its portability in hand-held devices. It is recyclable and one of the most abundant metal. Lately, it has gained attention for its biocompatibility, and also its biodegradable properties depending on the alloying elements. They can be used as a biomaterial in various applications from heart stents to implant screws and fixtures. In this work, amorphous magnesium alloys have been processed, based on its glass forming ability, by various techniques in order to obtain its amorphous state, and the microstructure are characterized by thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. Their mechanical properties are also presented. High temperature tensile tests show similar strength to room temperature strength, while the total failure strain is significantly increased from around 0.5% to 10%.


Dr. Martin Luther King insightfully and eloquently declared that "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." (1) Our forty-fourth President has added an important understanding to this enduring declaration that the arc "doesn't bend on its own." (2) Both precepts apply equally to the parallel arc of the legal universe. Justice is not a destination. Instead, it follows a long interminable arc bent toward a more complete meaning for justice by the foresight, courage, and will of people, legislatures, and courts, all as contemplated and expected by our nation's Constitution and, more particularly, by those of the states. As history has shown, the U.S. Supreme Court's consideration of civil rights questions of critical significance has too often yielded calculations that placed people behind the vertex on the parabola of justice. (3) This result is why the several states, including my own state of Iowa, occupy a critical position in the history and future of civil rights. (4) In the nascence of our republic, the framers of the Federal Constitution viewed the states as the primary protectors of fundamental rights, such as equal protection under the law. (5) As we continue to march into the twenty-first century, this approach must continue. Many early constitutional battles--the nullification crisis, for example (6)--were fought over the states' asserted sovereignty, which was often a proxy fight for the perseverance of slavery. (7) And, so, the Civil War Amendments federalized important civil rights: prohibiting slavery; (8) guaranteeing citizenship, equal protection, and due process of law; (9) and protecting the right to vote. (10) Undoubtedly, the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment has been pivotal to the protection of civil rights and civil liberties; over the last century, the Supreme Court used it to incorporate most of the Bill of Rights against the states. (11) But, the Federal Constitution merely sets a "constitutional floor" below which state constitutional interpretations may not sink. (12) The states never surrendered the power to play an independent role in guaranteeing a greater measure of equality and liberty for their citizens. (13) From a constitutional standpoint, it is a well-settled precept that states enjoy considerable freedom to depart from federal interpretations of analogous--even identically worded--federal constitutional provisions. (14) Our own opinions have not only extolled the virtues of relying on independent state constitutional grounds, but have consistently utilized this vehicle on our journey for equal justice. (15) Mere observation of a state court's freedom to interpret its constitution independently is meaningless if unaccompanied by action. Such constitutional tokenism not only renders a venerated authority feckless, it shirks a responsibility of the utmost gravity--a responsibility that should be jealously guarded and employed with reverent, faithful allegiance to the principles of equality and liberty. This responsibility is a key source of Iowa's proud civil rights heritage and vigorous approach to ensuring that all of our citizens enjoy equal protection under the law. (16) No court is inerrant. Our court, like all others, has published pages that future generations would revise with disdain. However, by persistently seeking to demonstrate the circumspection and courageousness necessary to protect the civil liberties of all Iowans, our court has consistently placed Iowans well ahead of the curve on an arc bending towards justice. On July 4, 1839, some seven years prior to achieving statehood, Iowa began its legal history with a decision that would stand as a groundbreaking testament to equality, liberty, and uniformity of law--civil rights principles that would become the bedrock upon which our jurisprudence would stand. (17) In re Ralph, the first published opinion of the Supreme Court of Iowa, presented the case of a black man from Missouri who had been permitted to come to Iowa to work in order to purchase his freedom. …


Developmental trajectories can be more readily altered in some ways than others by mutations in the genes that govern them. This is developmental bias. Both positive and negative biases are possible: these can be called, respectively, developmental drive and developmental constraint. These processes may have major effects on the direction of evolutionary change. Here, such effects are considered both in general and through looking at particular examples, including the evolution of centipedes and turtles. It is noted that developmental bias may be especially important in the origins of evolutionary novelties – such as the turtle 'shell'. Developmental bias relates to the structure of variation in developmental pathways. When such variation is highly structured (high degree of bias) there are limits to the 'evolvability' of the creatures concerned. In contrast, cases of low bias mean that evolvability is correspondingly higher.

Key Concepts:

Developmental bias refers to situations in which some variant developmental trajectories are more probable than others.

It is likely that such bias is ubiquitous in nature but that its extent is highly variable.

Developmental bias may interact with natural selection to determine the direction of evolutionary change and/or the array of character states found.

Bias is best studied by the investigation of particular examples.

The evolution of centipede segment number and the origin of the turtle shell are used as examples herein.

Developmental bias is complementary to the concept of evolvability.

Although most discussion of bias, evolvability and related concepts has taken place in the era of evolutionary developmental biology (1980 to the present), earlier discussions of similar ideas (but using different terms) can be traced back to Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.

Keywords:

developmental bias;
microevolution;
macroevolution;
developmental constraint;
organismic form;
segmentation;
novelty;
evolvability


An examination of the effectiveness of measures of European Community law to harmonise intellectual property protection throughout the Community, focusing on two consequences of these measures: first, the adverse impact on the commercial value of the intellectual property in the hands of the proprietor or licensee and, secondly, the implications for the due diligence enquiry of the scope of protection conferred by intellectual property rights undertaken whenever an interest in intellectual property is acquired. The position of the national law of Member States following accession to the Community is examined, in particular its limits to confer monopoly or quasi monopoly protection on the intellectual property proprietor. The effect of international cooperation (such as the Berne Convention) in shaping national law is considered by way of essential background to determine the extent to which obstacles to the implementation of Community principles result. Particular attention is given to the inter-relation between the provisions of the Treaty of Rome and national law, insofar as the free movement principles of Articles 30 to 36 and the competition law prohibition of Article 85(1) conflict with the scope of intellectual property rights conferred nationally. The role of Commission Regulations conferring exemption from Article 85(1) for intellectual property agreements is illustrated by reference to Commission Regulations EC 240/96 (concerning technology transfer agreements) and EC 418/85 (concerning research and development agreements). Finally an assessment is made of the effectiveness of selected Council Directives (91/250 EEC and 93/98 EC concerning computer software and duration of copyright) as harmonisation measures, taking into account existing sources of law and the needs of emerging technologies.


We show that the combination of Bessel beams and photosensitive materials exhibiting polarization filtering properties allows one to reach the smallest mark that can be lithographically generated by focusing systems. This property is of interest in current optical data storage techniques.


This thesis covered the second phase of a study that focused on the reactivity of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) produced from concrete affected by alkali-silica reaction (ASR). The first phase investigated the reactivity of ASR-affected RCA and the use of Supplementary Cementing Materials (SCM) as a preventive measure. The second phase was carried out to study the efficacy of lithium nitrate, when used individually and in combination with SCM, in suppressing the reactivity of RCA. The use of different dosages of lithium nitrate combined with SCMs reduced expansion due to ASR. However, the expansion results showed that increasing the dosage of lithium beyond a certain level does not help in suppressing the expansion. The high reacitivity of the tested RCA was attiributable to its relatively high alkalis and calcium hydroxide contents that fuel further ASR. The alkalis consumed or contributed from RCA were evaluated through leaching the aggregate particles in distilled water and alkaline solutions at different molarities with and without lithium nitrate. Alkalis consumption was found to decrease when lithium was presented in the leaching solutions. Examining RCA samples under scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the crushing process of the RCA exposes fresh surfaces of the reactive virgin aggregate and creates cracks within the particles that provide an easy path of alkalis to reactive sites within the RCA. Examination of the composition of ASR gel showed that exposing the RCA to lithium solution decreased the calcium content and Ca/Si of the gel. This could add to the suggested mechanisms by which the lithium mitigates ASR.


Functional traits may help to explain the great variety of species performances in plant communities, but it is not clear whether the magnitude of trait values of a focal species or trait differences to co‐occurring species are key for trait‐based predictions. In addition, trait expression within species is often plastic, but this variation has been widely neglected in trait‐based analyses. We studied functional traits and plant biomass of 59 species in 66 experimental grassland mixtures of varying species richness (Jena Experiment). We related mean species performances (species biomass and relative yield RY) and their plasticities along the diversity gradient to trait‐based pedictors involving mean species traits (Tmean), trait plasticities along the diversity gradient (Tslope), extents of trait variation across communities (TCV; coefficient of variation) and hierarchical differences (Tdiff) and trait distances (absolute values of trait differences Tdist) between focal and co‐occurring species. Tmean (30–55%) and Tdiff (30–33%) explained most variation in mean species performances and their plasticities, but Tslope (20–25%) was also important in explaining mean species performances. The mean species traits and the trait differences between focal species and neighbors with the greatest explanatory power were related to plant size and stature (shoot length, mass:height ratios) and leaf photosynthetic capacity (specific leaf area, stable carbon isotopes and leaf nitrogen concentration). The contribution of trait plasticities in explaining species performances varied in direction (positive or negative) and involved traits related to photosynthetic capacity, nitrogen acquisition (nitrogen concentrations and stable isotopes) as well as structural stability (shoot carbon concentrations). Our results suggest that incorporating plasticity in trait expression as well as trait differences to co‐occurring species is critical for extending trait‐based analyses to understand the assembly of plant communities and the contribution of individual species in structuring plant communities.


Lymphocyte recruitment into the brain is a critical event in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. We developed a novel intravital microscopy model to directly analyze through the skull the interactions between lymphocytes and the endothelium in cerebral venules of mice. No adhesive interactions were observed between lymphocytes and the nonactivated endothelium in the cerebral microcirculation. When brain venules were activated by pretreating mice with TNF-α or LPS, proteolipid protein 139–151 autoreactive T lymphocytes rolled and arrested; notably, only a few peripheral lymph node cells rolled and firmly adhered. Abs anti-P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 and anti-E- and P-selectin blocked tethering and rolling of autoreactive lymphocytes, suggesting that P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1/endothelial selectins are critical in the recruitment of lymphocytes in inflamed brain venules. E- and P-selectin were expressed on cerebral vessels upon in vivo activation and had a patchy distribution during the preclinical phase of active and passive experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. LFA-1/ICAM-1 and α4 integrins/VCAM-1 supported rolling, but were not relevant to rolling velocity. Firm arrest was mainly mediated by LFA-1 and ICAM-1. Pretreatment of autoreactive lymphocytes with pertussis toxin blocked integrin-dependent arrest, implicating a requirement for Gi protein-dependent signaling in vessels from nonlymphoid districts. In conclusion, our data unveils the molecular mechanisms controlling the recruitment of autoreactive lymphocytes in inflamed cerebral vessels and suggest new insights into the pathogenesis of autoimmune inflammatory diseases of the CNS.


Terahertz (THz) emission in gallium arsenide grown on silicon (GaAs on Si) at different substrate temperatures, Ts = 320oC, 520oC and 630oC, is presented in this study. An LTG-GaAs buffer layer system was implemented to compensate for the ~4.1% lattice mismatch in the heteroepitaxy of GaAs on Si(100) by molecular beam epitaxy. X-ray results confirmed the high crystalline quality of the GaAs epitaxial layers on Si. The GaAs crystal quality improved with increasing Si substrate temperature. The THz emission of GaAs on Si grown at Ts = 520oC, measured by THz time-domain spectroscopy in reflection geometry, exhibited the highest THz intensity despite not having the highest crystalline quality. The THz emission efficiency was dependent on the Si substrate temperature. Additionally, for LTG-GaAs on Si grown at Ts = 320oC, the THz emission was comparable to LTG-GaAs grown on semi-insulating GaAs (SI-GaAs). For GaAs on Si grown at Ts = 630oC, the THz emission was significantly higher than GaAs on SI-GaAs. The heteroepitaxy of GaAs on Si proved effective in enhancing the THz emission.


Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common infections among pregnant women. It can be lead to poor maternal and perinatal outcomes. Objective: The objective of the study is to determine the prevalence rate of symptomatic UTIs and asymptomatic bacteriuria of pregnant women in the Babylon Governorate and to determine its association with sociodemographic, obstetrical, and other factors. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study between March 2018 and June 2018 involves examining 300 pregnant women at primary health centers; Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital of Hilla city, with and without symptoms of UTI were employed for this study. Midstream urine samples were taken, and general urine examination was performed. Results: The results of this study revealed that the overall prevalence of UTI among pregnant was 64.6% which include (symptomatic bacteriuria 8.0%, asymptomatic bacteriuria 6.3%, and UTI 50.3%). The higher rate of UTI was found in lower age, multiparous women, and during the second trimester. Factors such as socioeconomic status, history of UTI, dysuria, and positive laboratory results were found to be significantly associated with UTI. Conclusion: UTI is still the common health problem in pregnant women especially during their second trimester. Urinalyses are essential for all pregnant women during the antenatal period. The screening will be assisted to early detection and treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria which prevent complication for mother and baby.


Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by mental deficiency, epilepsy and skin lesions (angiofibromas and subungual fibromas).1 Lung affectation appears in 1%–2.3% of patients with TSC, mainly in the form of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM),1 although recent studies suggest that radiological findings may be seen in 26%–39% of patients.2 Multifocal micronodular pneumocyte hyperplasia (MMPH) is the second lung manifestation and extremely rare. It may appear associated with LAM or, less frequently, as an isolated lung affectation in preor post-menopausal women with TSC, but it has also been reported in men with or without TSC.3,4 In reviewing the literature (Medline, 1991–2012), we have not found any publications in Spanish, and there are less than 50 cases reported with lung biopsy. We present the case of a 21-year-old woman diagnosed since childhood with TSC, with no known family history, and autoimmune hypothyroidism with substitutive treatment. Physical exploration was normal. Baseline arterial oxygen saturation was 98%. Basic analytical parameters were within normal limits, except for: urea 108 mg/dl; creatinine 3.7 mg/dl; urate 7.7 mg/dl, and pH in venous blood 7.29. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging showed subependymal nodules and lesions in the bilateral occipital and left parietal white matter, with persistence of astrocytomas. Chest radiography was done during the study prior to renal transplantation, which showed


Abstract. The demand for iron ore has been increasing in the recent years, thereby requiring the adoption of fast and accurate approaches to iron ore exploration and its grade-assessment. It is in this context that hyperspectral sensing is deemed as a potential tool. This paper examines the potential of hyperspectral fingerprints in the visible, NIR and SWIR regions of the EMR to assess the grades of haematite of the western Singhbhum iron ore belt of Orissa, eastern India, in a rapid manner. Certain spectro-radiometric measurements and geochemical analysis were carried out and the results have been presented. From the spectral measurements, it is seen that the strength of reflectance and absorption at definite wavelength regions is controlled by the chemical composit ion of the iron ores. It is observed that the primary spectral characteristics of these haematites lie in the 650–750 nm, 850 to 900 nm and 2130–2230 nm regions. The laboratory based hyperspectral fingerprints and multiple regression analysis of spectral parameters and geochemical parameters (Fe% and Al2O3%) predicted the concentration of iron and alumina content in the haematite. A very strong correlation (R2 = 0.96) between the spectral parameters and Fe% in the haematite with a minimum error of 0.1%, maximum error of 7.4% and average error of 2.6% is observed. Similarly, a very strong correlation (R2 = 0.94) between the spectral parameters and Al2O3% in the iron ores with a minimum error of 0.04%, maximum error of 7.49% and average error of 2.5% is observed. This error is perhaps due to the presence of other components (SiO2, TiO2, P2O etc.) in the samples which can alter the degree of reflectance and hence the spectral parameters. Neural network based multi-layer perception (MLP) analysis of various spectral parameters and geochemical parameters helped to understand the relative importance of the spectral parameters for predictive models. The strong correlations (Iron: R2 = 0.96; Alumina: R2 = 0.94) indicate that the laboratory hyperspectral signatures in the visible, NIR and SWIR regions can give a better estimate of the grades of haematite in a rapid manner.


The pharmaceutical industry in any country is primarily affected by the degree of
protection provided to intellectual property rights (IPRs). In a developed market, after a
drug is developed and approved, only the company that developed the drug can
manufacture it for a specified period of time. Jordan became a member of the World
Trade Organisation (WTO) in 2000. In order to gain admission to the WTO and obtain
trade access benefits, a country must agree to abide by the Agreement on Trade Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), which covers a broad range of
intellectual property rights including patents, trademarks and trade secrets. TRIPS
establishes the minimum standards of protection in each of these areas; it also makes
enforcement provisions and includes a dispute resolution mechanism. Jordan was the
first Arab country to implement TRIPS and the Jordanian pharmaceutical industry was
affected by the implementation of the agreement.
This study contributes to the existing knowledge by providing information and data on
the Jordanian pharmaceutical industry and making appropriate policy recommendations.
It offers an in-depth understanding of the Jordanian pharmaceutical sector's argument
against joining the WTO and of how the industry suffered significantly after doing so in
2000. Jordanian pharmaceutical manufacturers can no longer produce in-patent drugs
not registered in Jordan, as they did under the more flexible IPR rules to which they had
been subject.
The study is the first of its kind to identify the processes through which the new IPR
legislation has impacted on the Jordanian pharmaceutical sector, how the new IPR rules
and regulations are supposed to motivate many multinationals to invest in Jordan,
considering the low setup costs, thus allowing the Jordanian pharmaceutical industry to
enter new markets. The study also indentifies the negative impact on the industry of
joining the WTO. Its key findings indicate that the industry was not ready for this
change and so was hard hit by the new IPR rules. The Jordanian pharmaceutical sector
received no foreign direct investment; R&D expenditure and the prices of drugs
increased; and exports to the US and European markets decreased, along with
production. As for employment, many jobs have already been lost and the future for
workers in the Jordanian pharmaceutical industry is uncertain.


Physical activity has long been touted as a means of reducing susceptibility to age-related disease and multiple studies have shown reduced mortality rates in individuals with a lifestyle including regular exercise. A variety of mechanisms for how physical activity reduces age-related diseases have been explored and multiple, redundant explanatory mechanisms are likely to emerge. Evidence has emerged that physical activity may impact directly on telomere biology, one of the primary theories of cellular aging. Telomeres are located at the ends of chromosomes and as cells divide, incomplete DNA replication results in telomere shortening; once shortening reaches a critical threshold, cell senescence results. Investigators hypothesize that part of the favorable influence of physical activity on mortality rates and age-related disease occurs through a direct impact on telomere biology, including delaying rates of telomere shortening. The present review examines key recent findings in this area and explores som...


One intervention intended to ameliorate poverty and its subsidiary effects is the distribution of legal title to land to poor urban dwellers, otherwise known as land titling. Given the billions of dollars that the World Bank, country-based development agencies, regional development banks, and developing countries themselves have spent on land titling programs, it has become one of the most important property law issues confronting the developing world. Several countries have undertaken comprehensive urban land titling programs to transform the dwellings of those who live in the squalor of squatter settlements into assets recognized by the formal sector. This Article accepts as a given that land titling programs are moving forward and millions of dollars are being spent on them - the purpose of this Article is to take the next step of evaluating how such programs are best designed. The goal of urban titling programs should be to remove structural barriers that contribute to cycles of poverty by limiting indigent populations' access to opportunity and their long-term ability to succeed. First, this Article reviews the literature regarding land titling to give a sense of how my contributions are situated within the larger academic discussion. Second, I develop a theory of how best to achieve titling mobility, which is a goal attained when the state allocates land title in a manner that eliminates structural barriers that impair poor people's social mobility and ability to accumulate wealth in the long-term. I argue that favorable location of titled land, and procedures that ensure equitable distribution of title among women and men, are essential. Third, I use the Peruvian, Philippine, and South African land titling programs as models to test my theory of how best to achieve titling mobility, by investigating how each government's method of allocating land titles affects poor populations. Fourth, I examine the distributional consequences of titling programs by focusing on who benefits from the resources expended and suggest how the Peruvian, Philippine, and South African models should be adjusted to comport with my theory of how best to achieve titling mobility.


Introduction Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains a leading cause of death in the United States. The Framingham Risk Score (FRS) was developed to help clinicians in determining their patients' CHD risk. We hypothesize that the FRS will be significantly predictive of CHD events among men in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study (ACLS) population. Methods Our study consisted of 34,557 men who attended the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, Texas, for a baseline clinical examination from 1972 through 2002. CHD events included self-reported myocardial infarction or revascularization or death due to CHD. During the 12-year follow-up 587 CHD events occurred. Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios generated from ACLS analysis were compared with the application of FRS to the Framingham Heart Study (FHS). Results The ACLS cohort produced similar hazard ratios to the FHS. The adjusted Cox proportional hazard model revealed that men with total cholesterol of 280 mg/dL or greater were 2.21 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.59–3.09) times more likely to have a CHD event than men with total cholesterol from 160 through 199mg/dL; men with diabetes were 1.63 (95% CI, 1.35–1.98) times more likely to experience a CHD event than men without diabetes. Conclusion The FRS significantly predicts CHD events in the ACLS cohort. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a large, single-center cohort study to validate the FRS by using extensive laboratory and clinical measurements.


UNLABELLED
Experimental study of rhabdomyosarcoma with successive transplantation upon C3H/He mice, treated by irradiation (Co 60) and combined irradiation-hyperbaric oxygen (HBO), dating from 3, 14 and 15 days after transplantation. The data (tumor volume evolution, histological modifications, pulmonary metastases) are compared with controls.

CONCLUSIONS
curative radiotherapy depends on starting treatment as soon as possible with or without HBO. After the 14th day, sensitisation to combined HBO and C60 is seen. The extension of pulmonary metastases is a function of tumor growth. Paradoxically metastases were less frequent after HBO only and more frequent after HBO-Co 60.


Between the years 1200 and 1600 economic development in Catholic Europe gained momentum. By the end of this period per capita income levels were well above the income levels in all other regions of the world. We relate this unique development to the resurrection of Roman law, the rise of Canon law and the establishment of law as a scholarly and scientific discipline taught in universities. We test two competing hypotheses on the impact of these processes on economic growth in medieval Europe. The first conjecture is that the spread of substantive Roman law was conducive to the rise of commerce and economic growth. The second and competing conjecture is that growth occurred not as a result of the reception of substantive Roman law but rather because of the rational, scientific and systemic features of Roman and Canon law and the training of jurists in the newly established universities (Verwissenschaftligung). This gave the law throughout Europe an innovative flexibility, which also influenced merchant law (lex mercatoria), and customary law. Using data on the population of more than 200 European cities as a proxy for per capita income we find that an important impact for economic development was not primarily the content of Roman law, but the rise of law faculties in universities and the emergence of a legal method developed by glossators and commentators in their interpretation and systematization of the sources of Roman law (Corpus Juris Civilis, Digests) and Canon law. The endeavor to extract general normative conclusions from these sources led to abstraction, methodology, and the rise of law as a scholarly discipline. Wherever law faculties were founded anywhere in Europe jurists learned new legal concepts and skills which were unknown before and conducive for doing business.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether insulin resistance or insulin deficiency is primary in the pathogenesis of type II diabetes.

DESIGN
Cohort analytic study of persons with normal glucose tolerance but with a high risk for developing type II diabetes (average follow-up time, 13 years).

SETTING
Outpatients had an intravenous glucose tolerance test and were contacted periodically to ascertain diagnoses of diabetes.

PARTICIPANTS
One hundred and fifty-five normal offspring, ranging in age from 16 to 60 years, of two parents with type II diabetes and 186 normal control subjects in the same age range who had no family history of diabetes.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Two phenotypic characteristics distinguished the offspring of diabetic parents from control subjects. They had slower glucose removal rates (Kg) (P less than 0.01) and higher insulin levels (fasting and during the second phase of insulin response to intravenous glucose; P less than 0.0001) than did control subjects, even after adjustment for differences in obesity. Sixteen percent of the offspring developed type II diabetes. Mean Kg at baseline was 1.7%/min among offspring who subsequently developed diabetes, 2.2%/min among offspring who remained nondiabetic, and 2.3%/min among control subjects. Corresponding means for first-phase insulin were 498, 354, and 373 pM, respectively, whereas second-phase insulin means were 329, 117, and 87 pM, respectively. In multivariate analysis, low Kg and high serum insulin levels independently increased the risk for developing diabetes among the offspring of diabetic parents.

CONCLUSIONS
One to two decades before type II diabetes is diagnosed, reduced glucose clearance is already present. This reduced clearance is accompanied by compensatory hyperinsulinemia, not hypoinsulinemia, suggesting that the primary defect is in peripheral tissue response to insulin and glucose, not in the pancreatic beta cell.


A simple two-phase thermal-hydraulic tool with the drift-flux model has been used to develop a subcooled boiling model. The tool is composed of four governing equations: mixture mass, vapor mass, mixture momentum, and mixture enthalpy. Using the developed tool, various subcooled boiling models were investigated through the published experimental data. In the process of evaluation, two models were developed associated with the subcooled boiling. First, the Saha and Zuber correlation predicting the point of the net vapor generation was modified to consider the thermal and dynamic effects at the high-velocity region. Second, the pumping factor model was developed using the pi-theorem based on parameters related to the bubble generation mechanism, and it produced an additional parameter: the boiling number. The proposed models and several other models were evaluated against a series of subcooled flow boiling experiments at the pressure range of 1 to 146.8 bars. From the root-mean-square analysis for the predicted void fraction in the subcooled boiling region, the results of the proposed model presented the best predictions for the whole-pressure ranges. Also, the implementation of the developed models into RELAP5/MOD3.3 brought about improved results compared to those of the default model of the code.


We present calculated surface and interstitial transition barriers for Ti, O, O-2, TiO, and TiO2 atoms and clusters at the rutile (110) surface. Defect structures involving these small clusters, including adcluster and interstitial binding sites, were calculated by energy minimization using density-functional theory (DFT). Transition energies between these defect sites were calculated using the NEB method. Additionally, a modified SMB-Q charge equilibration empirical potential and a fixed-charge empirical potential were used for a comparison of the transition energy barriers. Barriers of 1.2-3.5 eV were found for all studied small cluster transitions upon the surface except for transitions involving O-2. By contrast, the O-2 diffusion barriers along the [001] direction upon the surface are only 0.13 eV. The QEq charge equilibration model gave mixed agreement with the DFT calculations, with the barriers ranging between 0.8 and 5.8 eV.


The Neural GPU is a recent model that can learn algorithms such as multi-digit binary addition and binary multiplication in a way that generalizes to inputs of arbitrary length. We show that there are two simple ways of improving the performance of the Neural GPU: by carefully designing a curriculum, and by increasing model size. The latter requires a memory efficient implementation, as a naive implementation of the Neural GPU is memory intensive. We find that these techniques increase the set of algorithmic problems that can be solved by the Neural GPU: we have been able to learn to perform all the arithmetic operations (and generalize to arbitrarily long numbers) when the arguments are given in the decimal representation (which, surprisingly, has not been possible before). We have also been able to train the Neural GPU to evaluate long arithmetic expressions with multiple operands that require respecting the precedence order of the operands, although these have succeeded only in their binary representation, and not with perfect accuracy.

In addition, we gain insight into the Neural GPU by investigating its failure modes. We find that Neural GPUs that correctly generalize to arbitrarily long numbers still fail to compute the correct answer on highly-symmetric, atypical inputs: for example, a Neural GPU that achieves near-perfect generalization on decimal multiplication of up to 100-digit long numbers can fail on $000000\dots002 \times 000000\dots002$ while succeeding at $2 \times 2$. These failure modes are reminiscent of adversarial examples.


A series of ortho-substituted arylchlorophosphoranes has been prepared. The structures of these compounds have been studied by the use of (^31)Cl n.q.r. and solid-state (^31)P n.m.r. . It has been shown that ortho substitution by groups such as CH(_3) or CF(_3) in phosphoranes of the type P(Ar)Cl4 prevents complexation with Lewis bases, and this is also found to be the case for the derived phosphoniumions [P(Ar)Cl(_3)](^+). The bis(aryl)chlorophosphoranes with these bulky aryl groups (where it is possible for them to be formed) are found to have ionic phosphonium salt structures, regardless of the electronic properties of the aryl group. In some cases, where the aryl groups are too bulky and too electronegative, P-C bond cleavage takes place on chlorination of the bis(aryl)chlorophosphine, and the most bulky group is lost. The phosphoranes PRCl(_4) (where R = CH(_2)Cl or CHCl(_2)) were also prepared. For R = CH(_2)Cl, the solid phosphorane was found to have the ionic, [PRCl(_3)] [PRCl(_5)], structure. This is the first example of an organo-substituted chlorophosphorane to be shown to have the "phosphorus pentachloride structure" in the solid state. By contrast, P(CHCl(_2))Cl(_4) was shown by solid-state (^31)P n.m.r. to be a molecular, 5-coordinate species. The generation of phosphoranides of the type [P(Ar)(CN)(_2)X](^-), with ortho- substituted aryl substituents, has also been investigated. From (^31)P n.m.r. it has been shown that the 2-(methyl)phenyl group can be incorporated into such systems. Various aryl- and aryloxy-1,3,2-dioxaphospholanes were prepared, with the aim of generating metaphosphate species via ethylene elimination. Data from mass spectrometry and from flow pyrolysis suggest that transient metaphosphates of the type ArPO(_2) can be formed in this manner. Results would also indicate that where Ar = 2,6-(CF(_3))(_2)C(_6)H(_3) the respective metaphosphate undergoes a rearrangement via insertion into the ortho-CF(_3) group. It has been shown that the symmetrical diphosphene ArP=PAr (where Ar - 2,4,6-(CF(_3))(_3)C(_6)H(_2)) can be formed by magnesium couphng of the aryldichloro- phosphine. However, attempts to form asymmetrical diphosphines and other low- coordinate phosphorus species by DBU coupling of P(2,6-(CF(_3))(_2)C(_6)H(_3))H(_2) with the respective chloro species were unsuccessful, due to preferred formation of Ar(H)P- P(H)Ar or ArP=PAr. The 2,4,6-(CF(_3))(_3)C(_6)H(_2) group was successfully incorporated into various dia- zophosphine systems. Of particular note was the characterization of the first ever P(III)-P(III) stabilized nit rile imine. By varying the aryl groups on phosphorus in such systems (C(_6)H(_5), C(_6)F(_5) or 2,4,6-(CF(_3))(_3)C(_6)H(_2)) it was possible to obtain further insights into the requirements for the stabilization of nitrile imines, and various trapping reaction were also performed.


Credit reporting is a critical part of the financial system in most developed economies but is often weak or absent in developing countries. It addresses a fundamental problem of credit markets: asymmetric information between borrowers and lenders that can lead to adverse selection and moral hazard. The heart of a credit report is the record it provides of an individual's or a firm's payment history, which enables lenders to evaluate credit risk more accurately and lower loan processing time and costs. Credit reports also strengthen borrower discipline, since nonpayment with one institution results in sanctions with others. This book provides the first comprehensive review of credit reporting systems worldwide and documents the rapid growth in the industry. It offers empirical and theoretical evidence of the impact of credit reporting on financial markets, using examples from both developed and developing economies. Credit reporting, it shows, significantly contributes to predicting default risk of potential borrowers, which promotes increased lending activity. The book also covers the role of public policy in the development of credit reporting initiatives, including the role of public credit registries managed by central banks; and the role of legal, regulatory, and institutional factors in supporting credit reporting.


Vehicular ad hoc network is a form of mobile ad hoc networks in which end nodes are vehicles communicating to each other without a central control or pre-defined infrastructure. An important security consideration is event based alerts received by VANET nodes. In the presence of attackers, a chance to receive malicious alerts is increased and a response to such messages by the receiver can be dangerous. Therefore, an algorithm is designed to detect such communications in order to protect vehicles in VANET environments. The focus in this paper remains on the evaluation of proposed algorithm in terms of computational requirements. The computational complexity of suggested algorithm is determined to be in O(n 2 ) after computing the processing costs at individual levels of execution. It is also found that the algorithm is an efficient scheme of detecting spurious alert messages in VANETs as compared to some other suggested methods with equivalent or higher computation cost.


Four studies were designed to determine whether 1) tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) and the Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) binding ligand, CD14, are produced by sheep adipose tissue; 2) nutritional reserves and/or short-term fasting affect circulating concentrations of TNF; 3) there is a relationship between TNF and metabolic factors in sheep; and 4) inflammation alters circulating concentrations of leptin. In Exp. 1 and 2, ewes were assigned, based on ultrasonic assessments of last-rib subcutaneous fat measurements to fat (fat thickness > 1 cm; mean = 1.52 +/- 0.03 cm) or thin (fat thickness < 1 cm; mean = 0.25 +/- 0.03 cm) groups. Fat and thin ewes were assigned to fed or fasted groups for a total of four groups (fed-fat; fasted-fat; fed-thin; fasted-thin). Fed-ewes had ad libitum access to feed, and fasted-ewes were prohibited feed 48 h before initiation of sample collection. In Exp. 1, subcutaneous fat samples were collected from just above the last rib for detection of TNF and CD14 mRNA, and immunoreactivity. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha-like immunoreactivity in adipocytes was sparse, more pronounced in cells in fed-ewes than fasted-ewes, and localized to membranes between adjacent cells in nucleated regions. Immunoreactivity for CD14 was minimally observed but present in adipocytes and widely expressed in infiltrating monocytes and epithelial vascular cells. Leptin was detected in adipocytes. In Exp. 2, plasma samples collected every 6 h for 24 h were analyzed for plasma concentrations of TNF. Fat ewes had greater plasma concentrations of TNF than thin ewes (P = 0.039). In Exp. 3, wethers were injected i.v. with interleukin-1beta or TNF. Blood samples were collected every 15 min for 8 h following injection. Plasma concentration of leptin was not affected by treatment (P > 0.39). In Exp. 4, wethers were injected with LPS. Blood samples were collected every 15 min for 8 h following injection. Plasma concentration of leptin was not altered by LPS (P > 0.20). These results provide evidence: 1) of TNF-like immunoreactivity within fat tissue; 2) that elements within fatty tissues have CD14 that may allow adipocyte function to be directly affected by LPS; 3) that plasma concentrations of leptin are not altered by LPS treatment; and 4) that circulating concentrations of TNF are elevated with obesity in sheep.


[1] Events involving stratosphere-troposphere exchange (STE) of ozone, such as tropopause folds and westerly ducts, are readily identified in observations and models, but a quantitative flux specifying where and when stratospheric ozone is mixed into the troposphere is not readily discerned from either. This work presents a new diagnostic based on determining when stratospheric air is mixed and diluted down to tropospheric abundances (<100 ppb) and hence effectively participates in tropospheric chemistry. The method is applied to two years of high-resolution, global meteorological fields (1.9 degrees, 40 levels) from the ECMWF forecast model derived by U. Oslo for chemistry transport modeling and used in TRACE-P studies. The UCI CTM is run here with linearized stratospheric ozone chemistry (Linoz) and a parameterized tropospheric sink. In terms of events, the CTM accurately follows a March 2001 westerly duct stratospheric intrusion into the tropical eastern Pacific as observed by TOMS and calculates a 48-hour burst of STE O3 flux for that region. The influx associated with the event (0.3 Tg) is much less than the anomalous amount seen as an isolated island in column ozone (1.7 Tg). A climatology of monthly mean STE fluxes is similar for both years (January to December 1997 and May 2000 to April 2001), but the warm phase of ENSO December 1997 is distinctly different from the cold phase of ENSO month December 2000. Global ozone fluxes are about 515 Tg (year 1997) and 550 Tg (year 2000/2001) with an equal amount into each hemisphere, and larger springtime fluxes for both hemispheres. In terms of geographical distribution, Northern Hemisphere regions of high ozone flux follow the jet streams over the oceans in the winter and over the continents in the summer, in agreement with many previous studies. In contrast, we find the largest STE flux is located in the subtropics during late spring, particularly over the Tibetan Plateau in May. This hot spot of STE is not a numerical artifact, it occurs in both meteorological years, and it appears to be caused by the rapid erosion of the tropopause. Ozone fluxes in the Southern Hemisphere have less variability (either temporal or spatial), and they occur mainly in the subtropical region (25°S–35°S) regardless of season. The poles, throughout the year, show minimal STE O3 flux.


Overtopping breakwater for energy conversion (OBREC) is integration between breakwater and wave energy converter (WEC) that allows incoming waves to be stored in the reservoir. The higher the overtopping amount collected in a reservoir, the greater the energy generated will be. Hence, most of the overtopping concept has attempted to maximize the inclusion of water in the reservoir by optimizing geometrical parameters, particularly the ramp angle. However, the studies corresponding to ramp shapes geometries have not been adequately reviewed. Most studies only focused on the usage of linear overtopping ramp shape. There is still limited knowledge on the influence of different ramp shape parameters towards the overtopping wave. Thus, this paper aimed to push the border of available knowledge by investigating the influence of the ramp shape parameters to the overtopping wave discharge through simulation and experimenting approaches. Seven different ramp shapes have been tested under Malaysia's wave condition and a new ramp shape parameter allowing for maximized overtopping wave on OBREC is presented.


It can be concluded from the research study described in this thesis that the mechanism of mass transfer in gas-liquid-liquid systems is still not completely clear. In this work mass transfer experiments were carried out with five different organic dispersed liquids, toluene, 1-octanol, n-heptane, n-dodecane and n-butyraldehyde. Toluene and octanol increased the gas-liquid mass transfer rate, after an initial decrease in kL (octanol) or a (toluene). The increase in mass transfer could be well described using a homogeneous model of the shuttle mechanism. No strong effects on the mass transfer were observed on the addition of n-heptane and ndodecane. The addition of butyraldehyde to water initially caused an increase in the gas-liquid interfacial area and a simultaneous decrease in the mass transfer coefficient, but this decrease disappears beyond the point of maximum solubility. Ultrasonic spectroscopy was shown to be a valuable tool in the determination of size distributions of different phases in multi-phase systems, and can therefore be used to perform additional research on this topic.


1994 Outlook for Travel and Tourism. Travel Industry Association of America, 1100 New York Avenue, NW, Suite 450, Washington, DC 20005-3934. 1993. 154p. $130. This outlook report is an overview of the 1994 Travel Outlook Forum in Alexandria, Virginia. Experts from all sectors of the travel industry gathered to present their forecasts to almost 500 delegates, representing a wide spectrum of the travel and tourism industry. The future of the economy proved to be a recurring theme throughout the forum. The report provides summaries of the sessions, complete copies of the papers presented, and speakers' biographies.


Open cattle feedlots are a source of air pollutants that include particular matter (PM). Over 24 h, exposure to ambient concentrations of 50 microg m(-3) of the coarse-sized fraction PM (aerodynamic diameter <10 microm [PM(10)]) is recognized as a health concern for humans. The objective of our study was to document PM(10) concentration and emissions at two cattle feedlots in Australia over several days in summer. Two automated samplers were used to monitor the background and in-feedlot PM(10) concentrations. At the in-feedlot location, the PM(10) emission was calculated using a dispersion model. Our measurements revealed that the 24-h PM(10) concentrations on some of the days approached or exceeded the health criteria threshold of 50 microg m(-3) used in Australia. A key factor responsible for the generation of PM(10) was the increased activity of cattle in the evening that coincided with peak concentrations of PM(10) (maximum, 792 microg m(-3)) between 1930 and 2000 h. Rain coincided with a severe decline in PM(10) concentration and emission. A dispersion model used in our study estimated the emission of PM(10) between 31 and 60 g animal(-1) d(-1). These data contribute to needed information on PM(10) associated with livestock to develop results-based environmental policy.


The Advanced Laser-Plasma High-Energy Accelerators towards X-rays (ALPHA-X) programme is developing laserplasma accelerators for the production of ultra-short electron bunches with subsequent generation of high brilliance, short-wavelength radiation pulses. Ti:sapphire laser systems with peak power in the range 20-200 TW are coupled into mm- and cm-scale plasma channels in order to generate electron beams of energy 50-800 MeV. Ultra-short radiation pulses generated in these compact sources will be of tremendous benefit for time-resolved studies in a wide range of applications across many branches of science. Primary mechanisms of radiation production are (i) betatron radiation due to transverse oscillations of the highly relativistic electrons in the plasma wakefield, (ii) gamma ray bremsstrahlung radiation produced from the electron beams impacting on metal targets and (iii) undulator radiation arising from transport of the electron beam through a planar undulator. In the latter, free-electron laser action will be observed if the electron beam quality is sufficiently high leading to stimulated emission and a significant increase in the photon yield. All these varied source types are characterised by their high brilliance arising from the inherently short duration (~1-10 fs) of the driving electron bunch.


Etruscan architecture underwent various changes between the later Iron Age and the Archaic period (c. 800-500 BC), as seen in the evidence from several sites. These changes affected the design and style of domestic architecture as well as the use of raw materials and construction techniques. However, based on a supposed linear progression from inferior to superior building materials, explanations and interpretations often portray an architectural transition in Etruria from 'prehistoric' to 'historic' building types. This perspective has encouraged a rather deterministic, overly simplified and inequitable view of the causes of change in which the replacement of traditional materials with new ones is thought to have been the main factor. This thesis aims to reconsider the nature of architectural changes in this period by focussing on the building materials and techniques used in the construction of domestic structures. Through a process of identification and interpretation using comparative analysis and an approach based on the chaîne opératoire perspective, changes in building materials and techniques are examined, with special reference to four key sites: San Giovenale, Acquarossa, Poggio Civitate (Murlo) and Lago dell'Accesa. It is argued that changes occurred in neither a synchronous nor a linear way, but separately and at irregular intervals. In this thesis, they are interpreted as resulting mainly from multigenerational habitual changes, reflecting the relationship between human behaviour and the built and natural environments, rather than choices between old and new materials. Moreover, despite some innovations, certain traditional building techniques and their associated materials continued into the Archaic period, indicating that Etruscan domestic architecture did not undergo a complete transformation, as sometimes asserted or implied in other works. This study of building techniques and materials, while not rejecting the widely held view of a significant Etruscan architectural transition, argues for a more nuanced reading of the evidence and greater recognition of the nature of behavioural change during the period in question. I declare that this thesis has been composed by me and that the work is my own. This work has not been submitted for another degree or qualification. Paul M. Miller 30 March 2015


Summary Risks of recurrence and bleeding are highest during the first weeks of anticoagulant therapy for venous thromboembolism (VTE). We therefore examined the early time course of recurrence and major bleeding in a pre-specified sub-analysis of the AMPLIFY trial, a randomised, double-blind, six-month comparison of oral apixaban with conventional therapy (enoxaparin followed by warfarin) in 5,395 patients with symptomatic proximal deep-vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. Early events were of particular interest because apixaban was given without initial heparin treatment. The primary efficacy and safety outcomes were the incidences of the adjudicated composite of recurrent symptomatic VTE or death related to VTE, and of adjudicated major bleeding, respectively. This analysis reports on recurrence and bleeding after 7, 21, and 90 days of therapy, in addition to the previously reported end-of-study results. These were the times specified before statistical analysis. Recurrent VTE after 7, 21, and 90 days, and six months had occurred in 18 (0.7%), 29 (1.1%), 46 (1.8%), and 59 patients (2.3%), respectively, given apixaban, and in 23 (0.9%), 35 (1.3%), 58 (2.2%), and 71 patients (2.7%), respectively, given conventional therapy. Major bleeding had occurred during these time intervals in 3 (0.1%), 5 (0.2%), 11 (0.4%), and 15 patients (0.6%), respectively, who received apixaban, and in 16 (0.6%), 26 (1.0%), 38 (1.4%), and 49 patients (1.8%), respectively, given conventional therapy. Efficacy of apixaban was non-inferior at each time point, with no excess of early recurrences. The reduced bleeding risk associated with apixaban began early during the course of treatment.


This paper considers three 'galleries' that explore the Anthropocene in cultural ways, and the implications of the Anthropocene idea for cultural institutions and heritage. The first gallery is the 2014–2016 exhibition Welcome to the Anthropocene: The Earth in Our Hands, [Willkommen im Anthropozän: Unsere Verantwortung für die Zukunft der Erde] at the Deutsches Museum in Munich. The second 'gallery' of Anthropocene Posters sponsored by the Art Museum, Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW), placed the Anthropocene in a 'museum without walls' in the streets of Berlin in 2013. The third 'gallery of the Anthropocene', was not a museum, but rather a landscape gallery (or 'spectacle') of in situ industrial heritage in Svalbard. Pyramiden, a town established to mine coal well north of the Arctic Circle in the early 20th century, has been recently transformed as an attraction for climate change science and heritage tourism. Here the hybridized local landscape creates a snapshot of the Anthropocene, bringing together industrial coal-mining heritage buildings, polar tourism and science forged in the geopolitics of the changing Arctic environment.


Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have received much attention for their potential as chemical sensors, owing to unparalleled tunability of their host-guest response, high uptake and structural flexibility. However, because of the limited compatibility between MOF properties and sensor transduction mechanisms, very few MOFs have successfully been integrated into practical devices. We report the fabrication of the first strain-based sensor constructed from MOF nanoparticles deposited directly onto a membrane-type surface stress sensing architecture, which exhibits unprecedented response times on the order of seconds and ppm-level sensitivity towards volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Finite element analysis is used to demonstrate that the sensor response is a result of analyte-induced strain in the MOF receptor layer. We show that an array of four types of MOF nanoparticles allows for clear discrimination between different classes of VOCs and even individual gases, using principal component analysis of their response profiles. This work opens up the possibility of VOC sensing using a wide range of MOFs, beyond those that are electrically conducting or those that form oriented thin films, with the added advantages of high sensitivity and rapid response compared to existing MOF strain-based sensors.


My mother wrote this book. It took her forty-four years... Three generations of Americans grew up reading Ann Landers. Her advice guided and inspired millions. Now, by reading the letters she wrote to her daughter, everyone who loved her column can get to know the woman behind the famous name. Ann Landers was born Eppie Lederer to immigrant parents in Iowa, but her extraordinary success would bring her into the world of the rich, the famous, and the talented. She met with popes and presidents and socialized with the best and brightest of her generation. And she told her daughter all about it as she opined on world-changing events and candidly spoke of her love life after her divorce, as well as her innermost feelings about her identical twin, "Dear Abby," and their long-standing feud. Witty and often hilarious, passionate, and, of course, brimming with sound advice, Ann Landers in Her Own Words is a portrait of an American original whose profound influence still resonates today. This book brings back the voice and spirit of the woman who helped ninety million people greet the day and forever changed us with her immortal words: "Wake up and smell the coffee."


Background Given the effect of chronic diseases on risk of severe COVID-19 infection, the present pandemic may have a particularly profound impact on socially disadvantaged counties. Methods Counties in the USA were categorised into five groups by level of social vulnerability, using the Social Vulnerability Index (a widely used measure of social disadvantage) developed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The incidence and mortality from COVID-19, and the prevalence of major chronic conditions were calculated relative to the least vulnerable quintile using Poisson regression models. Results Among 3141 counties, there were 5 010 496 cases and 161 058 deaths from COVID -19 by 10 August 2020. Relative to the least vulnerable quintile, counties in the most vulnerable quintile had twice the rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths (rate ratios 2.11 (95% CI 1.97 to 2.26) and 2.42 (95% CI 2.22 to 2.64), respectively). Similarly, the prevalence of major chronic conditions was 24% – 41% higher in the most vulnerable counties. Geographical clustering of counties with high COVID -19 mortality, high chronic disease prevalence and high social vulnerability was found, especially in southern USA. Conclusion Some counties are experiencing a confluence of epidemics from COVID-19 and chronic diseases in the context of social disadvantage. Such counties are likely to require enhanced public health and social support.


This paper argues that the political power and actions required of project managers to achieve project management success provide a consistent explanation for the emergence of project management success factors deemed critical by project managers in project success factor studies. This represents an important insight for project managers and researchers in understanding the value and nature of project management success factors. For the purposes of the discussion the success factor study by Parr, Shanks, & Darke (1999), which examined critical success factors associated with ERP implementation projects, is used as an example of success factor studies. Two questions are considered: Can the critical project management success factors identified by project managers in project success factor studies such as Parr et al. (1999) be explained in terms of the project manager's power and their actions of bargaining and negotiation? What is the nature of the association between project manager power and the success factors as operationalised within a project?


Batu Caves is a limestone hill that has a series of caves and cave temples in Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia. It takes its name from the Sungai Batu (Stone River), which flows past the hill. It is the tenth (Pattu in Tamil) limestone hill from Ampang. Batu Caves is also the name of a nearby village. The cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, and is dedicated to Lord Murugan. It is the focal point of Hindu festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia. Batu Caves in short also referred as 10th Caves or Hill for Lord Muruga as there are six important holy shrines in India and four more in Malaysia. The three others in Malaysia are Kallumalai Temple in Ipoh, Tanneermalai Temple in Penang and Sannasimalai Temple in Malacca


Despite the efforts of well-intentioned HR professionals, talent management remains a silo-driven, disjointed endeavor that rarely meets the human capital needs of today's organizations. This failing, which calls into question the strategic value of HR, stems from both organization-oriented shortcomings, such as poor strategy, lackluster processes, and immature management, as well as more contextual issues that speak to the heart of senior leader bias. For years, professional sales organizations have navigated a complex process that virtually mirrors strategic talent management. By incorporating a common business development tool called the sales funnel, talent leaders can learn to navigate their most valuable human resources through the employee life cycle while positively shifting the performance curve for all employees. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in the chromosome region 17q12-q21 are risk factors for asthma. Particularly, there are cis-regulatory haplotypes within this region that regulate differentially the expression levels of ORMDL3, GSDMB and ZPBP2 genes. Remarkably, ORMDL3 has been shown to modulate lymphocyte activation parameters in a heterologous expression system. In this context, it has been shown that Th2 and Th17 cytokine production is affected by SNPs in this region. Therefore, we aim to assess the impact of hereditary components within region 17q12-q21 on the activation profile of human T lymphocytes, focusing on the haplotype formed by allelic variants of SNPs rs7216389 and rs12936231. We measured calcium influx and activation markers, as well as the proliferation rate upon T cell activation. Haplotype-dependent differences in mRNA expression levels of IL-2 and INF-γ were observed at early times after activation. In addition, the allelic variants of these SNPs impacted on the extent of calcium influx in resting lymphocytes and altered proliferation rates in a dose dependent manner. As a result, the asthma risk haplotype carriers showed a lower threshold of saturation during activation. Finally, we confirmed differences in activation marker expression by flow cytometry using phytohemagglutinin, a strong polyclonal stimulus. Altogether, our data suggest that the genetic component of pro-inflammatory pathologies present in this chromosome region could be explained by different T lymphocyte activation dynamics depending on individual allelic heredity.


Dissociation constants (Ka) of an indicator acid, 2,5-dinitrophenol in 20, 40, 50, 60 and 70 wt.% ethanol-water mixtures at 25±0.50C temperature were determined spectrophotometrically. The pure indicator acid and potassium salt of indicator acid show maxima at 450 nm in the visible range. At first the spectrophotometric data have been analyzed in terms of an ion-pair intermediate model. But the experimental values of ЄIn- potassium salt of indicator acid and the derived values of intercept of ЄIn- using ion-pair intermediate model show a sharp difference. So this model was not applicable in this case. For this an alternative treatment, simple dissociation model has been applied. The maximum drop in pKa was found to occur around 20 wt.% ethanol-water mixtures. This has been explained as due to increase in solvation energy for anion of the acid by London Dispersion Force Mechanism. The dramatic increase in pKa values above 20 wt.% ethanol has been assumed to be due to decrease in dielectric constant of the medium.


Trains are now recognized as powerful sources for seismic interferometry based on noise correlation, but the optimal use of these signals still requires a better understanding of their source mechanisms. Here, we present a simple approach for modeling train-generated signals inspired by early work in the engineering community, assuming that seismic waves are emitted by sleepers regularly spaced along the railway and excited by passing train wheels. Our modeling reproduces well seismological observations of tremor-like emergent signals and of their harmonic spectra. We illustrate how these spectra are modulated by wheel spacing, and how their high-frequency content is controlled by the distribution of axle loads over the rail, which mainly depends on ground stiffness beneath the railway. This is summarized as a simple rule of thumb that predicts the frequency bands in which most of train-radiated energy is expected, as a function of train speed and of axle distance within bogies. Furthermore, we identify two end-member mechanisms—single stationary source versus single moving load—that explain two types of documented observations, characterized by different spectral signatures related to train speed and either wagon length or sleeper spacing. In view of using train-generated signals for seismic applications, an important conclusion is that the frequency content of the signals is dominated by high-frequency harmonics and not by fundamental modes of vibrations. Consequently, most train traffic worldwide is expected to generate signals with a significant high-frequency content, in particular in the case of trains traveling at variable speeds that produce truly broadband signals. Proposing a framework for predicting train-generated seismic wavefields over meters to kilometers distance from railways, this work paves the way for high-resolution passive seismic imaging and monitoring at different scales with applications to near-surface surveys (aquifers, civil engineering), natural resources exploration, and natural hazard studies (landslides, earthquakes, and volcanoes).


Bioethics is not a new discipline; nor should it be understood as a mere evolution of medical ethics, or even as simply ethics applied to life. Bioethics seeks to find meaning and justification for old and new practices related to life and living. Alterity, proposed by Levinas, includes the Other in the individual's relationship with the world. The nature of this new relationship is dialogic, leading to mutual commitment and co-responsibility. Recognising the Other prevents neutrality and furnishes the opening to the mystery of the relation to the Other. The Other is a singular being, always important and significant. The Other is the one who opens up the possibility of living, of establishing relationships that gives meaning to life. Levinas' thought emphasises acting, praxis, effective action and moment of decision.

Key Concepts

Bioethics is a complex, interdisciplinary and shared reflection on the adequacy of actions related to life and living.
Levinas' thought raises an important discussion on the issue of the difference between the Same and the Other.
Within the framework of Alterity, it is the Other who gives meaning to a person's own existence.
In Levinas' thought, acting is a priority, as are praxis, effective action and moment of decision.
Including the Other in the perspective of an individual's relationship with the world changes this view.

Keywords:

bioethics;
ethics;
alterity;
life;
living


In this thesis I will present optical and near-infrared photometric and spectroscopic observations of an evolved field brown dwarf binary pair and of populations of low-mass stars in high-mass young stellar clusters and will compare them to stellar and substellar theoretical model predictions. ε Indi Ba, and Bb are the closest known brown dwarfs to the Earth, and, as such, make possible a concerted observational campaign to obtain a complete characterisation of two intermediateage T dwarfs. Although some recent observations suggest substellar atmospheric and evolutionary models may be inconsistent with observations, there have been few conclusive tests to date. I will present high angular resolution optical, near-infrared, and thermal-infrared imaging and mediumresolution (up to R∼5 000) spectroscopy of these two T dwarfs. Using these data I have derived luminosities of log L/L⊙=−4.699 ± 0.017 and −5.232 ± 0.020 for ε Indi Ba, Bb, respectively, and I will show that the predictions of substellar evolutionary models using luminosity and mass constraints are inconsistent with the effective temperatures and surface gravities derived from fitting atmospheric models to observed spectra. Furthermore, I will show that, even where estimates of the effective temperature, surface gravity, and luminosity are available, estimates of the mass of cool brown dwarfs can be up to a factor of two lower than the measured dynamical mass. Considering the difficulty in assigning accurate ages to any system and the mass-luminosity-age degeneracy of brown dwarfs, I would caution against the over-analysis of predicted brown dwarf masses at this time. I have also used Chandra X-ray observations to identify near-complete and relatively unbiased samples of pre-main-sequence stars in the young stellar clusters NGC 2244 and Trumpler 14. Using optical photometric and spectroscopic observations, I will characterise the apparent age spreads seen in the cluster pre-main-sequences. Mass estimates will then be derived for their stellar populations and used to construct the initial mass function for each cluster. It is found that NGC 2244 appears to have a Salpeter-like IMF for stars in the mass range 0.5–2.0 M⊙ if a likely age of 2 Myr is adopted, while Tr 14 may have a top-heavy IMF at a similar age. However, I will show that because the observed slopes of the cluster pre-main-sequences are not well-matched by the predicted slope in colour-magnitude space, such determinations are heavily dependent on the assumed age of the cluster and complicated due to the large spreads in isochronal ages.


In 1817, a Cantonese scholar was mocked in Beijing as surprisingly learned for someone from the boondocks; in 1855, another Cantonese scholar boasted of the flourishing of literati culture in his home region. Not without reason, the second man pointed to the Xuehaitang (Sea of Learning Hall) as the main factor in the upsurge of learning in the Guangzhou area. Founded in the 1820s by the eminent scholar - official Ruan Yuan, the Xuehaitang was indeed one of the premier academies of the 19th Century. The celebratory discourse that portrayed the Xuehaitang as having radically altered literati culture in Guangzhou also legitimated the academy's place in Guangzhou and Guangzhou's place as a cultural centre in the Qing empire. This study asks: Who constructed this discourse and why? And why did some Cantonese elites find this discourse compelling while others did not? To answer these questions, Steven Miles looks beyond intellectual history to local social and cultural history. Arguing that the academy did not exist in a scholarly vacuum, Miles contends that its location in the city of Guangzhou and the Pearl River Delta embedded it in social settings and networks that determined who utilised its resources and who celebrated its successes and values.


In this paper, we investigate the impact of classroom training programmes on individual unemployment rates in Denmark. In 1994 a social experiment was conducted, where unemployed applicants for labour market training were randomised into treatment and control groups. We formulate and estimate experimental impact estimators of the effect of treatment on the treated. The experimental data is polluted by the presence of no-shows and crossovers, which implies that traditional experimental estimators are biased. Therefore we formulate and estimate an endogenous variables model (using the randomisation indicator as a perfect exclusion restriction) and implement various matching estimators. We find – surprisingly – that classroom training significantly increases individual unemployment rates. We discuss some possible reasons for this surprising finding and some related policy issues.


ABSTRACT In the contemporary so-called 'competition state era', many rural and peripheral regions are in decline. Tourism is increasingly viewed as being able to alleviate and rejuvenate regions that are facing economic difficulties. The European Union has launched several programmes with the goal of stimulating growth and employment in peripheral areas. These programmes are often used to support tourism development projects. In this paper, a longitudinal analysis of spatial changes in Swedish tourism is conducted. The analysis is based on statistics regarding overnight stays in Swedish commercial accommodation facilities. The aim is to investigate if tourism and tourism policy contribute to the reduction in disparities between regions. Although there are exceptions, the main findings indicate that the potential for creating sustainable rural tourism growth through tourism policy seems to be much less than the popular discourse suggests.


Existing mindfulness literature in sport primarily focuses on manualized mindfulness protocols, while less is known about athlete experiences with mindfulness outside of interventions. The purpose of the present study was to explore student-athlete experiences with and readiness to practice mindfulness. Using convenience and snowball sampling, 205 collegiate athletes completed a mixed-method survey that assessed readiness, trait mindfulness, social support for mindfulness practice, and mindfulness' perceived effect on performance. Participants were invited to comment on benefits, barriers, or adverse experiences during their practice. Athletes with long-term experience had significantly higher mindfulness scores than those with less experience; they also perceived that mindfulness had significantly greater effects on performance than those not practicing. Various benefits and barriers were expressed across stages of readiness, though roughly 6%–10% of participants reported an adverse effect of mindfulness practice. It is thus important for practitioners to consider readiness levels and previous experiences in implementing mindfulness interventions.


Interest in biomass-based energy in the southeastern Unites States has led to increased need for fast-growing tree species. Several Eucalyptus species exhibit characteristics that make them attractive in the bioenergy context. However, some of these also possess traits that suggest they could become invasive. To make a preliminary assessment of the risk of seedling establishment in the vicinity of Eucalyptus plantations, we conducted surveys at 3 sites in South Carolina and 16 sites in Florida. In South Carolina, no seedlings were detected in any sample transect. In Florida, we found seedlings within the boundaries of Eucalyptus plantations at 4 of the 16 sites surveyed. We also detected seedlings outside the boundaries of these same four plantations, but only two seedlings were detected at distances >45 m from plantation boundaries. All seedlings from Florida were either E. amplifolia, E. robusta, or E. grandis. The most predictive variable evaluated was latitude, with 27°N being the highest latitude at which seedlings established with regularity. Results of this survey indicate that, under current conditions, the spread of Eucalyptus spp. from plantations should be possible to manage with appropriate monitoring, but this should be evaluated further before Eucalyptus spp. are adopted for widespread planting.


This thesis assesses the methods used in economic evaluation, the relationship of
economic evaluation to decision-making and investigates the possible limitations of
economic evaluation as it is currently used to support policies aimed at maximising
population health gain. It then evaluates alternative methods of analysing data from
economic evaluations to better inform policy decisions.
The hypothesis of this thesis is that a greater use of subgroup analysis in policy decisions
could potentially improve the efficiency of allocating scarce health care resources. This
study aims to investigate the impact on population health gain and service cost-
effectiveness of using subgroup analysis within defined parameters to derive and evaluate
estimates of effect, and compare it to the more traditional methods of statistical inference.
Data from existing large trials are used to calculate cost-effectiveness ratios for the total
study population and for subgroups. Total and subgroup estimates of cost-effectiveness
are applied to patient populations through simulation, and outcomes predicted on the
assumption that treatment decisions are guided by estimates derived from the trial. The
distribution of cost-effectiveness ratios based on different rules for `allowing' the use of
subgroup analysis results is compared with the distribution of cost-effectiveness ratios
based on aggregate analyses.
Results show that pre-selected subgroups can provide a stronger likelihood of maximising
overall health gain. This thesis argues for optimisation in the use and interpretation of
results rather than an over reliance on certainty and the resulting restriction on the use of
available data. It concludes that under the scrutiny of a health care system for which the
primary goal is health gain maximisation within resource constraints, policy decisions
made using the results of subgroup analysis could result in a more efficient allocation of
resources.


The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 banned Chinese immigration and institutionalized discrimination against Chinese in U.S. society. This study examines the impact of institutional discrimination on the assimilation of Chinese by exploiting the passage of the Act and the state-level variation in the intensity of discrimination, measured by the voting outcomes of the Act and the number of anti-Chinese incidents. Our difference-in-differences estimates show that discrimination substantially slowed the occupational assimilation of Chinese in the Exclusion Era (1882–1943) and that Chinese in the U.S. reacted to discrimination by investing in human capital, improving English skills, and increasingly adopting Americanized names. The triple difference estimates show that these effects are significantly stronger in states with higher support rates of the Act or greater numbers of anti-Chinese incidents. These findings are not driven by the selection in migration and fertility.